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Shadows of the Sun	Chapter 10	Shadows of the Sun By theamberfox Chapter 10 As the sun receded over the landscape and signalled the end of the day, only a few hours separated the four cloaked ponies from Canterlot. They had passed through the border to Equestria and, once again, they were in their homeland. Yet despite their return, the country didn't feel like home. The wave of nostalgia that they had expected to wash over them upon seeing the familiar landscape was absent, hidden in some dark shadow. If anything, the scene had triggered a troubling recollection of their plan and how poorly established it really was. It left so many questions unanswered. How would they actually stop Princess Celestia when she returned? How would Princess Luna react to their plan? Would it all be too much, even for their combined strength, to handle? "We're going to need Princess Luna's help with this, aren't we?" Goldenroot asked, giving voice to the apprehension they all shared, "Even if we get a hundred or a thousand other ponies to help us, we don't have any chance of stopping Princess Celestia without her sister's help. Only another alicorn is going to stand any chance of stopping her." "But how can we convince her to turn on her own family?" Rarity asked earnestly, "Even if she knows that her sister is hallucinating, that she's gone mad, will Princess Luna admit it? Will she be willing to throw her in a cage like some animal?" The question was one that they were all worried about. They were sisters and the bond they shared was nearly untouchable. They would do anything for each other, so why would one so readily lock up the other? "I didn't want to have to ask Princess Luna for her help, because I was afraid of how she would react." the white unicorn continued, "For all we know, she may throw every one of us in the dungeon for merely suggesting the idea." "We don't have any other options." Goldenroot explained, "We need her help." "Don't be so sure, Goldenroot." Thunderhorn replied, staring at the stallion. "There is one other alternative, an artefact capable of storing massive quantities of magic. We could use it to stun the princess long enough to get her in the cell." "I assume this was another one of Princess Celestia's creations?" Goldenroot asked. "Something she created to help her sister?" "Yes." Thunderhorn answered, "She thought it might convince the council to change their minds. If regular unicorns could harness a power capable of matching that of the alicorns, then they would have another way to stop Nightmare Moon and the plan to bring her back would not seem so dangerous." The old unicorn sighed deeply. "But, like the prison, the council changed their mind to follow through with the plan shortly after its completion. Because of the danger that it posed, it was hidden away. It has the potential to level mountains and drain oceans so, if we're not careful, we could destroy the entire city and everything in it." Rarity stopped in her tracks and glared at the old unicorn, "I refuse to take that chance, Lord Thunderhorn. Nothing is worth putting so many innocent lives in danger. We need to convince Princess Luna to help us or else find another way." Thunderhorn paused and turned to face the white unicorn, "What about the war? What about the lives lost from that? We only need to be careful and we can prevent any catastrophes." The other two ponies stopped as the unicorns started what they all knew would be a heated debate. "I agree with Rarity. It's not worth the risk." Goldenroot exclaimed, "I'm hardly even willing to start a riot. Blowing up the capital and everyone in it is out of the question. I've already caused enough harm to this country..." "What if we have no other choice?" Thunderhorn asked. "Where is it?" Vortex asked abruptly, "With any luck, we won't have to use it, but we should be prepared for anything. We don't have to make our decision now, but if we find it and have it ready, we can leave our options open." "We can find it in the lowest catacombs of the castle, far below the dungeon we were held in." Thunderhorn explained, "But it will be heavily guarded and it's locked away behind a magical barrier." "Well obviously you must have some plan to remove the barrier or you wouldn't have mentioned this thing, so how can we get past it?" "I have a book in my house that explains both how to remove the barrier and how to actually use the artefact." The entire group was stunned by the sudden realization. Why was Thunderhorn in possession of something that he himself described as having the potential to level mountains and drain oceans? "You mean you have instructions to a doomsday device in your basement?" Vortex asked, interrupting the awkward silence. "It's not what you think." Thunderhorn hastily intervened, "Princess Celestia gave me the book when I was still a general of the royal army. Although I suppose her trust was misplaced as I completely forgot about it until just now..." "I'm sorry, but I won't condone this." Goldenroot interrupted, "If the Equestrian army is already on the border than we can't afford to waste any time." Realizing the irony of what he had just said, the stallion started on his way down the path again. The others followed quickly, attempting to match his pace and determined to continue their argument. "Why should we have to put all our eggs in one basket?" Vortex remarked, "You and Rarity realize the importance of convincing Luna and you're both much more persuasive then Thunderhorn and I are." The old unicorn gave her a quick, rude glance. "You can go see Luna and try to convince her while the general and I find this artefact thing." she continued. "That's not really such a bad idea." Rarity admitted, "Although I refuse to let you use this dangerous artefact in anything less than the most extreme circumstances, I think it's important for some of us to stay away from Princess Luna. If she tries to throw us in the dungeon, then at least the others can still find a way to stop Princess Celestia." Goldenroot shook his head, "I don't think we should split up." "We're only wasting time if stick together." Thunderhorn scorned, "Vortex and I will go to my manor and retrieve the book and then we'll go grab the artefact. I don't know how much time you'll need to speak with Princess Luna, but it should only take us a couple of hours. However, we should organize a rendezvous somewhere safe." "Can't we just meet you at your home?" Rarity asked. "I don't know if it's safe there. Considering the fact that we weren't supposed to come back, ponies may have looted my property. If we run into anyone, even a common thief, it will be all too obvious to them who we are." Thunderhorn's words distracted the former council members, pulling them away from the important details of their journey and letting them drift away to their former lives. The fond memories of peaceful evenings spent alone, reading or just enjoying the quiet and gratifying nature of their unadulterated solitude, the cherished time with close friends and family sitting around a table, appreciating a home-cooked meal and each other's company. Everything that was brilliant and respectable about the simple independence of their lives was defiled by the disturbing notion of other ponies rooting through each of their personal belongings. They were pitiable scavengers, taking everything they held dear for the sole purpose of their inane material value and stepping on their precious memories like they were merely dust and ash. It was contemptible and heart-wrenching; almost bringing tears to their eyes as they slowly trudged along the dirt path. "How do you know they won't have taken the book you need?" Rarity asked, jerking them away from their diversion and back to the focal point of their discussion. "I hid the book under the floorboards in the basement." Thunderhorn replied, "I never told anyone of its existence, so they won't find it until they start pulling my house apart, piece-by-piece." "What about the tavern in the noble quarter?" Goldenroot suggested, returning their thoughts to the rendezvous point. "They're open fairly late." "You're thinking in the right direction, but you need to lower your standards a little, Goldenroot." Vortex said, smirking slightly, "A group of hooded ponies will stick out like an earth pony in Cloudsdale. We should go to The Ivory Bear instead. It's right in the middle of the common quarter and there's a huge white bear on the sign so it's pretty hard to miss. They're open all day long and the ponies keep to themselves, so we shouldn't run into any problems." "I know the place." Thunderhorn said, nodding his head, "I've been there on occasion. They make a good stew and their drinks are cheap and of a reasonable quality, though I doubt I will be drinking anything tonight. This is too important to be intoxicated for." "I've never actually been inside, but I've seen the sign a few times before." Goldenroot said, "What time can we expect you to be there?" "What time is it now?" Thunderhorn asked. Goldenroot just shrugged. "I think I might be able to help you with that, actually. Twilight taught me a spell for telling the time." Rarity exclaimed with a kind of bittersweet happiness, her joy plagued by the memories of her dearly departed friend. She stopped and began to focus the magic around her horn. Simultaneously, Vortex turned away and seemed to lose herself in the bright, white moon above their heads. As a bright violet clock started to form in the air in front of the unicorn, Vortex snapped back to attention. "Seven twenty-three." said the pegasus proudly to the other members of the group. The other ponies just looked at each other with strange expressions while the clock started to take shape. The hands, starting at the twelve, began to spin around the face and come to slow stop. The little hand pointed towards the seven and the larger hand pointed towards the space in between the four and the five. Goldenroot laughed hysterically and fell to the ground while Vortex just smiled boastfully at her near pinpoint accuracy. The other two ponies exchanged puzzled glances. "How exactly did you do that, dear?" Rarity asked, maintaining her confused expression and turning to the pegasus. "Hey, you have your secrets and I have mine." the blue mare responded smugly. The two unicorns smiled and rolled their eyes as they started down the path again. Goldenroot, still laughing, rolled over and hopped back to his feet, wiping the joyful tears from his eyes. "With any haste, we'll be done and at The Ivory Bear at eleven o'clock sharp!" Thunderhorn yelled, not caring to turn his head around to face the two ponies behind him. ~ Tactically, it was a foolish decision. Princess Celestia had left a large portion of the main regiment behind to both guard the enemy soldiers that were captured and assist their badly wounded allies in the fight within the Splinter Forest. Between the casualties of the war and the able bodied soldiers that were left behind, only half of the regiment remained. The alternative had been to execute the enemy soldiers and leave the wounded behind to fend for themselves. That was the tactically intelligent decision, but a horribly ruthless one nonetheless and Celestia would not succumb to the sickness that filled her veins. She would not let her hatred and lust for revenge take over and turn her into some kind of monster, but the sensation was undeniably growing stronger. Prance had killed so many of her soldiers and injured even more. They even had the audacity to directly attack the princess and cause her the immense pain that, although completely healed now, left an indistinct reminder whenever she flexed the muscle. To have the bones in your leg shattered like that was nearly a mortal wound and usually necessitated amputation of the damaged limb, so having it all heal so quickly was jarring to say the least. Walking with a swift, but polished gait, the princess crested the large, rolling hilltop. The flowers that blanketed the ground at their hooves were brittle, wilted and dead, a sign of the changing weather and the fast approaching winter season. The princess recognized the little plants; they were daisies, simple white flowers with a cheery yellow center, but they did not appear that way at the moment. The once wide petals were stringy and drooping with a strange pale brown colour spotting the edges. The dazzling yellow center had lost all of its beauty, replaced with a parched and unsightly brown. Stopping, the princess peered out over the hilltop and down into the valley below. It was covered in the same flowers and what she imagined to have been a beautiful sight at one time, was now putrid and revolting. The horrible brown continued along the ground all the way to the walled city and the black pillar jutting up into the sky. The rumbling clouds in the skyline were not black, but they were a menacing dark grey colour. And although it would not rain on the day they stormed the walled city, the scene decorated her thoughts with angst and despair. A burgundy pony with a black mane and grave look about his face had been following the princess closely and had just now stopped beside her. He had a deep gash cut into the side of his golden armour that revealed the plain silver metal beneath, a memento of the battle in the forest. A general of the royal army, he had been watching the rear of the battalion when they were attacked, but after discovering that the princess had been injured, he had refused to leave her side. The princess had found his concern mildly ironic. She was leading him and everyone else into the fires of war and exposing them to all the dangers that followed and yet they were worried about her health? Those who had friends or family members injured in the fight had hurriedly rushed to their side and had just ignored the princess when she cried out. So did they care about her well-being out of some misplaced sense of honour and duty or was it a real emotion that they felt? Was she like a mother to them, even after placing them in a scorching fire like this? "Princess Celestia, we have reached the assigned meeting point a days travel from the capital city of Prance." the general noted, saluting the princess as he spoke. "Let the soldiers rest awhile, General Redhoof." the alicorn replied with an eerily monotonous tone as she gazed out across the landscape, "We have enough time to rest for a moment while the other detachments catch up with us." The general nodded and signalled to the army behind them. The golden mass of armoured ponies, which had been so attentively following the princess, immediately dispersed along the hillside. They removed their bags and gathered food or water, talked quietly amongst themselves or simply collapsed out of exhaustion. She was pushing them too hard. They had travelled so far in such a small time and the inexperienced troops were growing weary and agitated. They weren't used to this kind of travel, but neither was she. And although she was able to prevent the pain of her burning muscles with magic, she was quickly reaching the point of mental exhaustion. She turned to face the army behind her and sat down, content to just look out across them as the group bustled with activity. They weren't the same ponies that she remembered from before the war. They weren't just tired, they were depressed and scared. They knew what they had to do and so they pressed on, but she recognized that they all just wanted to go home. No longer did they talk about the war. They did not talk about their fear of the battles ahead of them or the excitement of coming home as heroes. Instead, they talked about what really mattered, their friends and family. They talked about their homes, wives, husbands, daughters, sisters, brothers, and parents. They talked about the little fillies and colts as they played in the yard just outside their house. They talked about the simple gratifications of a hard day's work and relaxing afterward. They talked about what they once had and what they longed to experience again. They don't fight for me. They don't really care about me, nor should they, the princess thought as she listened to them converse quietly. They fight for what they have. They fight to protect everything that's sacred in their lives and they know that, even if they die, they died fighting for a better life for someone else. Is that what the soldiers of Prance believe as well? Do they believe they are fighting for a better future for their country or do they know the truth? And if they knew the truth, would they be willing to fight for it? "They're not really so different from the flowers, are they General Redhoof?" she asked, expressing her thoughts verbally and turning to the general who was slowly wiping his brow. "I'm sorry, your highness, but I'm not really sure what you mean." he answered. "The flowers; they are wilted and dead now, but they had a beautiful and peaceful life in the past, didn't they?" she continued, staring out across the soldiers, "They're not really so different from the flowers." "Please, your highness, do not talk about such things. You know that every soldier here is happy to fight for you. They know they're doing the right thing." You trust in my judgement so willingly, general, but I'm no longer sure that I trust in it myself, she thought. Noticing her concern, the general tried to ease her mind with a curt smile as another golden mass appeared on the horizon to the east. Rising to her hooves, the princess pushed away her thoughts and turned to the crowd of ponies on the hillside, "Equestrians, your brothers and sisters of the eastern battalion have arrived! I expect you to show them a warm welcome as they are no doubt as weary as you are!" Murmurs of excitement drifted around the group and they shifted their attention to the east. The ponies were a pleasant sight, a reminder of the others that were fighting just as hard as they were. But as they drew ever closer, both the soldiers and the princess noticed that there were far fewer soldiers than they remembered. Whereas the main battalion was at half strength, the eastern battalion looked to be at nearly a third of its original size. Have I really underestimated our enemy so much? Celestia thought, frowning at the eastern battalion that was approaching. Or have I overestimated our own might? The princess waited in silence as the troops eventually made their way up the hill and towards her. Friends and family members, separated by the subdivision and reunited at last, rushed towards each other, greeting them warmly. Others seemed to panic and rush around the crowd, looking for someone who, whether left behind in the forest or met with a much crueller fate, was obviously not there. A dark green, female pegasus made her way up the hill and saluted the princess with a nervous expression, "Major Swift Wing, reporting, your highness." "Where is Lieutenant Colonel Silvermane?" Celestia asked bluntly. The pegasus lowered her hoof, "Colonel Silvermane has fallen in battle against Prance. As second in command of the regiment, I assumed command of the eastern division." "And what of the rest of your battalion, major?" General Redhoof asked with a grim expression, expecting a similar fate to have befallen them. "A large number of our soldiers were injured in the fight, sir." Swift Wing replied weakly, "We left some of our medics behind to assist the wounded and some of our soldiers to protect them. The rest are unfortunately... more permanent casualties." "I can only hope that the western battalion has better luck." The general commented, "With only five thousand left in the central division and about..." "Nineteen hundred, sir." the pegasus interrupted. The general swore under his breath. "What the hell happened out there!?" he demanded. "I... I think they were expecting us, sir." she answered, "They ambushed us in the mountain pass when we were most vulnerable. We hardly had time to figure out what was going on before we had taken nearly a thousand casualties." "There's no way they could have predicted our movements exactly! I think we have a spy among us." "Don't jump to conclusions. They know their land well and they take advantage of it. They are not foreigners to war and strategizing. Predicting our movements would not be impossible for them." Celestia intervened, "This only goes to show how prepared they were for our arrival. They knew we'd have a large army and the Splinter Forest, the mountain pass and the canyon to the west are choke points on the three most direct routes to the capital. But there isn't any cover in between here and the capital, so I don't think we should expect anything more until we lay siege to the city. They know better than to face us out in the open." "Do you think the western battalion was ambushed as well, princess?" Swift Wing asked, here gaze nervously darting from the princess' face to her hooves. "I'm not sure, but if they don't show up by the morning, we will have to leave without them. We can't afford to give the enemy any more time to prepare." the alicorn replied, "Until then, we need to rethink our strategy. Our large numbers are only working against us, causing unnecessary casualties and slowing us down." "We have enough troops to blockade the city. We could defeat them with simple attrition warfare and wait for their inevitable surrender as they run out of food and resources." the general suggested. "If their leader truly is as cruel as I imagine him to be, he would rather watch every last citizen starve to death than surrender to us." Celestia responded glumly, "I don't want that to happen. "However, I can lead a small team of pegasi and assault the pillar through the windows. Le Roi Pierre will be somewhere in that tower and if we confront him directly then their army will have to surrender. They cannot function without their leader." "I don't think you should put yourself in danger like that, your highness. You're going to lure every soldier in the city to your position." "We will still need to siege the castle, but it will be more of a distraction from our true intent than a necessary point of entry." the alicorn admitted, "I would much rather end this quickly if possible and I have no qualms about putting my own life in danger. This is as much my fault as it is theirs and these ponies have already suffered far more than I could have ever imagined." The general sighed lightly, trying to mask his concern for the princess' safety. "I would be honoured to assault the pillar with you, Princess Celestia." Swift Wing said, jumping back into the discussion. "Thank you, Swift Wing." Celestia smiled softly, "I will also need you to find eleven other capable pegasi to assist us. You are hereby promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel." "Th... thank you, Princess Celestia. I'll start gathering the pegasi immediately." The pegasus turned, bolted into the crowd and start shouting orders to the group, rounding up all of the pegasi and bringing them to one side of the group. "General Redhoof, I will need you to lead the assault on the castle walls." The princess explained, "We lack the capable supervision necessary to split the army into smaller sections and attack separate gates, so focus your strength on the front gate." "And what if I push through the main gate?" he asked. "If you get passed the main gate, they will retreat their forces to the tower. Unfortunately, we don't want that so I don't want you trying to penetrate their defences until after the first hour. Given one hour, I'm sure that will be enough time to determine my fate." "Your highness, you can't..." "Under no circumstances, will you turn away. Even if I should perish, I want you to stop this lunatic. Do you understand, general?" "Your highness, I don't..." "Do you understand!?" she repeated, glaring at the burgundy stallion. "Of course, your highness." Redhoof confirmed, "And what if the western battalion arrives?" Celestia took a moment to think about the question he had posed. If the western battalion arrived, would it change her plans? Probably not. She was more concerned about their well-being than the military asset they provided her with. She just wanted to know that they were alright and that they had only been delayed for some fantastically dull reason. The very thought that more ponies had perished from her tactical stupidity was horribly dismal. "If Lieutenant Colonel Dark Cloud survived and has sufficient numbers to do so, tell him to attack the western gate." "Of course." The general replied, "Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm going to satiate my appetite. I haven't eaten in days." Celestia just nodded and turned back to the black tower on the horizon, one way or another, Pierre, this will all come to an end, but how deep a scar do we leave behind us? Will the passage of time prove me to be a saviour of your country and its freedom and you a ruthless, insane dictator pursuing some goal that was merely an illusion of your mind? Or will it be the opposite? For theirs are the only beliefs that really matter, not ours. ~ The streets of Canterlot were cold, dark and empty. The lights that fervently lit up the city at this time of the evening were all but extinguished, their inhabitants gone or simply too worried about their families and friends to stay up late into the night, only pretending to be careless and joyful. The nobility quarter, however, was a strange contradiction to the activity in the grim capital. The bright lights washing out into the wide streets and meticulous gardens illuminated the two cloaked ponies as they made their way across the district. It was completely different and, in its own way, insulting to the ponies that fought beyond their borders. These nobles, with their posh lifestyles and gleeful negligence to their duty and honour, were avoiding the war altogether. Not that they didn't care, they just didn't want to be involved, the slightest hint of danger scaring them away from the prospect of serving the nation they lived inside. For some there were other reasons as well. Indeed, some of these ponies felt betrayed by Princess Celestia's recent decisions and they were acting this way in a silent rebellion against their monarch. They believed that the council should not have been eliminated, that a few ponies should not pave the way to their own disaster and that the public voice remained a necessary ingredient of the political choices made in their country, regardless of how private that public really was. With their democracy taken, they felt no particular attachment to their country anymore. They felt no need to participate in defending a government that no longer seemed to represent their interests. And so, these deserters of their own country, these ponies that chose not to fight in the war to the north, were entirely apathetic of the pain the rest of the city felt. "I've never been to your house before, general." Vortex said, her small grin barely visible under the hood of her cloak, "Is it as fancy as most of the places around here?" Thunderhorn sighed deeply, "It was when I left it." The old unicorn stopped and gazed out upon the spectacular mansion in front of him, Vortex coming to a sudden halt when she realized that this striking building was his home. "This... this is your place?" she asked doubtfully. The building was not how he had remembered or Vortex had imagined it to be. The massive, blocky house had the word 'traitor' written across it in bright red paint, which against the blue walls and white trim, was painfully noticeable. The many windows were all smashed and broken, shards of glass littering his yard. The door was removed from its hinges and rested unpleasantly on the flowerbed to the right of the doorway. The trees and plants in his garden were burnt and destroyed, the scraps of foliage decorating the cobblestone path to the entranceway in an assortment of greens and browns. The sight was almost stomach churning and it left a foul taste in the unicorn's mouth. "I had not expected them to desecrate my property, only take the valuables and leave the rest as it was." he responded irritably, stepping over the scattered shrubbery and approaching the doorway, "It's almost hard to believe that someone would do this to anyone." Vortex said nothing, following the general through the opening and into his home to further inspect the damage inside the building. It wasn't any more pleasant than the view from the outside and the walls displayed several more intense crimson words. Most were merely crude phrases and insults to the general, but one seemed to stand out among all the others and draw her gaze. 'Why?' it read. Even I'm not sure I know the answer to that question, she thought, pulling her eyes away from the red paint and hurrying to catch up with the unicorn. The old stallion was making his way around the corridors, stopping only just before the stairs as his own gaze was stolen away, not necessarily by the vandals, but by a simple, nearly untouched picture lying on the hard wooden floor. The frame was damaged in one corner, the glass cracked, but none of that affected the memory inside. It was a quaint photo of two smiling ponies, one a much younger image of the old stallion, the other a violet unicorn with long black hair hanging to one side of her face and brilliant light blue eyes. Catching a glimpse of what had caused the unicorn to stop, Vortex interrupted his focus, "Is that you?" "Yes." he replied quietly, "From about thirty years ago." "Who's that you're standing with?" There was a long silence as the old pony lifted the picture into the air, levitating it gently in front of his face with his magic. "She was my wife." he finally answered with a strangely pleasant tone, "The reason I became a soldier... a general... a politician... No one ever becomes a soldier and puts their life at risk without a reason... "She was my reason." He set the photo on a table nearby and continued down the hallway. "Unfortunately, disease is something that no soldier can fight. If I had known what would happen, then maybe I would have become a doctor, but as we've both seen, life rarely ever gives you much foresight on the world." he said, opening the door to the staircase that led deep into the dark basement below. "I'm sorry, Thunderhorn. I didn't mean to..." the pegasus apologized, not moving from her place in the hallway. "You don't need to apologize for anything, Vortex." he interrupted, his horn flaring and lighting up the dark stairwell, "Even just a moment with her was enough to last a lifetime. I miss her now that she's gone, but I'm not going to give up. She wouldn't want that." Taking his first step down into the basement, he stopped and turned around to look back at the pegasus who seemed rather shocked to see the old unicorn react like that. "But don't you dare tell Goldenroot any of that." he insisted with a grin, "I like him thinking that I'm just some stubborn old conservative jerk." He continued down the staircase with Vortex following close behind. The pegasus smirked when she thought about the pale green stallion and his never-ending feud with Thunderhorn. The basement was nearly untouched in comparison with the rest of the house. There was no graffiti; the tiny windows near the ceiling were still intact and the work bench and tools sitting in one corner of the otherwise empty room were covered in a thin layer of dust. "Doesn't seem like they even bothered to come down here." Thunderhorn said, "I guess they were bad carpenters too." Vortex smiled more brightly at the strange old unicorn, but she still couldn't shake the feelings from their earlier conversation, is he just messing with me? He walked towards the center of the room and started pulling the nails out of the floorboards one after another, setting them on the work bench in the corner. Lifting the heavy board out of the way and setting it to one side, he pulled a dusty old tome out of the cavity and placed it on the work bench. "Now, let's make sure this is actually the book we need." he mumbled, opening the cover and searching the pages. Vortex wandered closer and looked at the pages as he flipped through and eventually stopped at a single page. Locked away in that orb of her own being, she held it, now it holds her. She fought against us in times past, but what did she seek? They believe her a power hungry tyrant. We believe her a neglected and forgotten filly and so we wrung our knowledge so that we might birth her anew, redeem her in their intolerant eyes. Time had aged only a little, but we loathe her absence and so much longer we cannot wait. It burns at our tendons, screams in our ears, pulls at our limbs and cuts into our heart like the sharpest of knives. So created, was the prison of our own holding and demonstrated within 'twas our own capture, so that she might be nearer to us, so that we might have but one chance to see her stealing eyes, those delicate circles of blue so much like the one in the night sky, in ours once again. But when the time was met, 'twas a terrible fate that they would reject the most opportune moment that we had dreamed. They tossed aside our ambition, denied our 'gamble', they told. Our own sister, too powerful and wicked for us to contain? Prithee, tell us what has befallen you, dearest council? Dost thou not care for our kin's wellbeing? No, not so, they plead. Their duty is to protect this nation, not to endanger it. What protection lies in unleashing a monster to the world? What protection do we provide in sacrificing the peace so that one might live anew? We would not accept this heavy fate for our immortal sister. To live in thy lunar prison forever more would surely pull us and our sister to pieces and drive a stake through our sanity. 'Tis our own fault, this fate of yours. We led thee astray, therefore, 'tis our duty to lead thee back. Our youngest creation, a jewel of most glorious capacity, the crystalline orb now holds the key to thy redemption. We sought a power to match our own and this orb follows it to the very tooth and claw. "Now they will not find us so fearsome, their fate so uncertain, for they hold the power to keep us both." thought we. 'Twas foolish to think it, such nonsense in our mind. They do not wish to see us and our sister together again. They do not wish to put our conscience to rest. "If 'twill not provide us with a key, it mustn't provide us with anything at all." said we to these barbarians against our will. "Our most glorious one, we mustn't destroy what took such length to create. For now, 'tis a key we can use and a key it must remain." the portly one answered back, almost maliciously so. So now this jester of our aspiration and his devilish cohorts keep us and that infernal orb in the castle cellar, leaving it to mock our efforts with its presence. To us, 'tis a key no longer, for now 'tis our own undoing and will unlock no doors. We should have known better of ourselves. They are the principal of disaster. Their greedy hooves stole away the commoners' voice under our own negligence. We thought if we had walked with them, they would walk with us, but 'twas not to be. We took a precaution, locked it away, sealed it with magic they know not how to eradicate. We think it best to keep it out of their reach, at least for this present time. But they know now how this orb operates, so then we must as well. So that time doth not erase our memory, we wrote the directions in this magic book, protected from the damage of time and hidden away for safe keeping. Look to what follows, for it holds our secret. "Yes, this is the book I'm looking for." Thunderhorn said, taking note of the magic spells written below, "It tells us how to disengage the magical barrier and how to use this 'crystalline orb'. It seems like we only need to fill the orb with our magical power and it will store it so that it can be unleashed all it once. We'll need to find at least a dozen other unicorns to help us fill the orb, but that shouldn't be difficult." "This is Princess Celestia, right?" Vortex asked, almost completely ignoring his words, "Doesn't she sound kind of... crazy to you?" Thunderhorn laughed, "She wasn't crazy when she wrote this, Vortex, she was just angry. She wrote this immediately after the council rejected her plans to free Luna from the moon hundreds of years ago, consequently that's also why she's using such an ancient and difficult tongue. But after spending the last decade working on this plan and then simply getting a 'no' from the council and a refusal to destroy all the dangerous artefacts that she had created for it, I think it was reasonable for her to be angry at this point. "However, I was a little surprised she didn't change it all when she gave me a copy of what is essentially her diary, but when I asked about it, she just laughed and said, 'I like to keep things around that remind me and everyone else that I'm still just a pony on the inside. I have emotions, just like you and just like you, I'm vulnerable to overreacting every once in while. I think it's important to remember that.' "She really is a good pony, Vortex. She's only trying to help us, but everything that's happened over the past few months was just too much for her to handle. I'm sure we can find a way to bring her back to her senses, it's just going to take some effort on our part." "I hope so, Thunderhorn." the pegasus replied, shaking her head and starting up the stairs, "This is turning into a real mess." ~ "We're lucky there's only one, but how are we going to get passed him?" Goldenroot asked, watching the armoured pony from around the corner of a building. "Well, you may have forgotten, but I haven't been branded a traitor just yet." Rarity answered, "I'll distract him and you can sneak around." Goldenroot chuckled quietly, "Do you ever think you're exploiting your own persuasiveness, Miss Rarity?" "Oh, most certainly not, Sir Goldenroot." the unicorn replied with a curt smile, lifting off her hood and fixing her long, delicate hair, "A proper mare deserves those benefits." Goldenroot smiled at her reaction and watched in silence as she gracefully walked out into the open and then towards the guard. After a moment, and as if on cue, the unicorn seemed to pull the guard's attention away from the entrance and towards the moon above. Noticing the opportunity, Goldenroot slipped around the corner and approached the doorway, hugging close against the stone wall as he neared the opening. "I'm sorry miss, I agree it's really quite romantic, but you're distracting me from my work." the guard said, starting to turn away from the moon and back towards the door. "Oh, well... umm..." Rarity panicked, noticing Goldenroot stopped and standing wide-eyed near the doorway. Her horn shone dully and she lifted the pony's helmet off his head and tossed it into the courtyard in the opposite direction of the pale green stallion, the metal clanging loudly against the hard rock as it landed. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that." she exclaimed loudly as the pale green stallion ducked inside the castle and out of sight. "Honestly, miss!" the guard yelled, "I don't have time for your nonsense! Is there, or isn't there something you want from me!?" "Oh, actually yes, I need to see Princess Luna." she said meekly. "Just go!" he said, pointing through the doorway, "I'm sure she can handle one obnoxious unicorn." "Now see here!" she replied, annoyed that the guard had insulted her elegance, "I am not..." She stopped when she noticed that Goldenroot was giving her a strange look, his eyes like saucers from around the doorway, and decided it might be best not to anger the guard with something so trivial. "Alright, sorry." she said quickly. Embarrassed, the unicorn rushed past the irritated guard and inside the castle. When she had made significant progress down the hallway, Goldenroot ducked out of a corner and walked up beside her. "I thought you were going to kiss him for a moment there." he smiled. "And then, not a moment later, I thought you were going to kick him in the face." "Oh please, Sir Goldenroot, he was far too gruff and unkempt for my liking." she said, scrunching up her face, "Even in times of absolute distress, a mare mustn't lower her standards. "And calling me obnoxious of all things! That is something entirely worthy of a swift kick to the face." Goldenroot smiled more brightly as they quickened their pace down the hallway. When they finally arrived at the door, they were surprised to see that there wasn't a single guard standing outside the moon princess' room. In fact, the entire hallway had been completely devoid of any other ponies whatsoever. "Now what do we do?" she asked, staring at the closed door, "This is the exact same predicament I was in before and we all know how well that turned out..." "I don't think our situation necessitates a formal acknowledgement." Goldenroot said, pushing open the door and walking into the room, "We just have to hope for the best." "Sir Goldenroot!" she exclaimed accusingly, "I thought you knew better than to barge in on a princess like that!" Goldenroot rolled his eyes, Do you even realize how hypocritical that is? You did the exact same thing! Hearing Rarity's voice, the princess, who was standing on the balcony and peering off into the distance, turned around to face the two cloaked ponies standing in her bedroom. "Oh! My dearest apologies, Princess Luna. That was so very rude of us." Rarity apologized, bowing her head slightly. "I already know why you're here." the alicorn said with an empty expression. "You mean you already know that your sister is..." Goldenroot replied, trying to find the right words to finish his sentence with. "Insane?" Luna replied coldly, turning back to look off the balcony. The word seemed to linger in the air around her, the princess losing herself in a storm of her own emotions. The very thought of her sister pierced her heart and filled it with misery, yet it did not bring tears to her eyes. She hated how her sister had fallen to the whim of an illusion and how she had done nothing to stop it, but she was not angry. Instead, she could only be described as beautifully mundane. She showed no joy, no sadness, no anger, no regret, no emotions whatsoever, but in her heart, she felt everything at once. Celestia was her sister, her family, her friend. She was the sister that forgave her for breaking the trust they shared for what seemed like an eternity, for terrorizing the world in her own selfish ambition. She was the family that she grew up with, who protected her and inspired the courage and hope necessary for her to overcome the grief of their parents' passing. She was the friend that knew how to make her smile, make her laugh and showed her the beauty of the amazing world they lived in. Without her, she would be so very different, the entire world would be so very different. But now that sister was gone, snatched away by the very same emotions that she had worked so hard to help Luna overcome. She was caught in a whirlpool of deceit and hallucinations. The world was convoluted in her eyes and she was convoluting herself to match it. "Then you must also realize that we need your help." Goldenroot said, removing his hood and attempting to provoke a reaction from the paralyzed princess. "First, you must answer me this," Luna asked, turning to the stallion and stepping towards him, "why was the drought so terrible, Goldenroot? I know that Celestia knew why, but she would not tell me. She only gave me the very same canned response that she gave everyone else, that Prance and the council were responsible for it and everything else that's happened. "So I want to know, is it the truth? Are you really responsible for this?" Goldenroot stared back at her with an indecisive look in his eyes, Should I lie to her and pretend that I don't know what happened? Should I fake my innocence so that she might help us? After much contemplation, a grim look formed on the stallion's face. He had reached a conclusion about what he would tell the princess, but he wasn't sure if it would ultimately prove to be the correct one. "I was responsible for that, Princess Luna." he said, admitting the truth. "But I alone was cooperating with Prance and worsening the drought, the other council members are innocent. "I wanted to expand the council and our political system to include the commoners. I wanted to restore the equality and efficiency that your sister had intended for the council to have. At the same time, Prance wanted to establish trade routes with Equestria. They were in desperate need of resources they did not have and they needed our help. We both had our goals and we both thought that worsening the drought was an obligatory action to get around the inefficiencies and stubbornness in the current council. "It was a mistake, I know that now and I regret my decision. But even if no one ever forgives me for it, I still want to try and fix the problems I have created. I want to apologize for what I've done, but I need your help." Luna turned back towards the balcony and watched the dazzling night sky as she pondered his explanation, Then she wasn't really lying to me after all. The two ponies sat in silence as they waited for a reply, the princess ignoring their existence completely. She had all the answers now, but it only seemed to tangle her understanding of the truth even more. "I cannot help you, Goldenroot." Luna said, still watching the night sky, "You toyed with our lives and hurt innocent ponies so that you might further your own ends. Because of you, my sister is fighting a losing battle with her grasp on reality. She cannot discern truth from lies and I'm beginning to think that neither can you." She turned to the stallion and fixed a piercing glare into his eyes, "You say you want to apologize, that you want to help and make things right again, but if you really want to help, you'll stay out of our affairs. You'll leave us alone and you'll go back from whence you came. "It may take precious time, but she will come to her senses. I will make sure of it." "Please, Princess Luna, surely you must realize that this war has to end before any more ponies' lives are put needlessly in harm's way?" Rarity pleaded, "They're fighting a senseless war! It has to come to an end." "And what exactly do you suggest I do about it?" Luna asked, "Call the army back? She will only march them time and time again and we will only be dragging on these already tragic circumstances. "I do not think that she is that far from the capital now and, soon enough, it will be over and I can pull her back into our reality, no matter how harsh it is for her to face. But only when this ends, will she give me the attention I so desperately need to do so." "I'm sorry princess, but I won't accept that fate for our country or for theirs." Goldenroot replied, "We can still stop this before it gets any worse, but we may need to imprison your sister to do so." The alicorn focussed a truly smouldering look of disgust upon the pony in front of her. "That seems to be your solution to everything, isn't it?" she said harshly, "We make one mistake and you want to send us away forever and let the infinite passing of time be our judgement. "Would you have her sent to the moon? Seal her in a prison of stone? What cruel fate have you planned for her to spend the rest of her days as a victim to?" "Princess Luna, please listen to us!" Rarity begged, a deep concern in her eyes, "We would never want to imprison her endlessly like that. You must believe that our goals are the same. We only need somewhere safe to confront her and convince her of the truth, but as you stated, that will take time and I doubt she will accept it willingly. "There is a magical prison below the castle that we can use. If we can only just talk to her, then perhaps we can stop this." "Then throw her in prison if you must, Rarity. I will not interfere with your plans nor will I play any part in them." the princess exclaimed, turning back to the balcony. "She may be insane, but she is still my sister and my family and I refuse to help the traitor, who has sent her and everyone else into this nightmare, banish her even further. Do not forget that he is the reason your friend is now dead." Goldenroot's determined expression fell immediately upon remembering the poor young filly that had disappeared on her journey to Prance. "That was an accident." the unicorn stuttered, her lips trembling. "He cannot be held responsible for that." "Not everyone can be as generous with their forgiveness as you are, Rarity." the alicorn replied. "I'm sorry, Princess Luna." Goldenroot affirmed to the best of his ability, given the circumstances. "But even if it is against your will, I will not just give up. We will find some way to stop your sister without your help." Concluding that the princess would not aid them, the two ponies left her in the bedroom alone, gently closing the door behind them. The ruler of the night silently gazed out over her stars, bright holes in the dark blanket of the tranquil atmosphere, and surrendered to her anguish. What has become of us, sister? she thought, warm tears trickling down her face, Are we to be feared by everyone and loved by no one? Must our lives always be filled with such despair? ________________________________________________________________________ Author's notes: Hello everyone! I really hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'm sorry it took so long. I had to study for midterms, work on projects and I got sick with pneumonia. Fun! Thank you so much to everyone that is so diligently watching this now. I was absolutely ecstatic to realize that I had been put in the feature box on FimFiction, even if it was only for a day. I would like to thank my editor, Specter Von Baren, for the amazing work he does with this and his prompt replies. He's been working on another story of his own lately, so watch out for that over the next little while. And as always, if you have any questions or comments about the story, you can reach me at my email: admin@theamberfox.ca I'll also be keeping a close eye on the comments below the story. ________________________________________________________________________ Disclaimer: "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" and its derivatives are the sole intellectual property of Hasbro©. I do not have, nor claim to have, the rights to the intellectual property that this story is based on.
Shadows of the Sun	Chapter 11	Shadows of the Sun By theamberfox Chapter 11 "So what's the plan, general?" Vortex asked, looking excitedly at the gruff old unicorn walking beside her. "Can we just bust in there and cause a ruckus? I want some action." The two ponies were making their way towards the huge palace, their hooded cloaks concealing as much of their defining features as was possible. The building ahead of them was customarily a bastion of hope, representing every ounce of confidence the citizens had in their nation. But the usually bright palace was shrouded in the darkness of the night and consumed by the fears of war. The few lights decorating the walls were dimmed and an uneasy feeling hung over the building like a thick fog. Trying to ignore the depressing sight, Thunderhorn was keeping his gaze focussed on the cobbled path ahead of them, which drifted away from the main entrance and the irritated looking pony guarding the doorway. Thunderhorn had a brown saddlebag hanging loosely over his side. Inside were the collection of items that he had gathered from his home before they left, all of which he considered to be completely necessary for the next part of their plan. "Don't be so brash." he scoffed. "You know that we can't afford to attract any attention to ourselves until after we've started the riot. "We're just going to sneak in there and sneak out. If we run into any guards, I can use magic to knock them out quietly and we'll tie them up with the rope I brought. As long as the patrol schedule hasn't changed from what I remember, no one should come across the guards we've tied up until after we've started the riot and by then, we won't care who comes across them." The pegasus rolled her eyes, "I have absolutely no confidence in my ability to tie knots, Thunderhorn." "Fine, let me worry about that part then." he replied. Continuing around a corner, they passed several small bureaucratic buildings and storehouses packed tightly against each other. Dimly illuminated by the streetlamps, the structures themselves were completely dark and abandoned. They were simple, identical boxes with few notable characteristics. Other than the slight differences in the colour of paint on the walls and doors, which was entirely dull and unoriginal, only the signs firmly attached over each doorway could be used to differentiate between them. "When we get to the artefact room I'll dispel the barrier, we'll grab the orb and then meet the others back at the Ivory Bear." Thunderhorn continued. Vortex scrunched her face, giving the unicorn a strange look, "Then what am I doing?" "What time is it?" Pausing, she lifted her head and looked up at the sky. Its reflection perfectly visible in the mare's amber eyes, the moon's luminescent sheen was only partly obscured by the clouds above. Turning back to the unicorn, she announced, "Ten thirteen." "Good." he promptly replied. "Then we have exactly forty-seven minutes to do this." The unicorn smiled briefly, turning off the path into a dark alley that seemed to lead nowhere. Walking directly to the end of the alleyway and stopping at an indistinct section of the stone wall, he glanced around the obstruction with a hint of confusion. "You still haven't told me what I'm supposed to do." Vortex asked, her voice showing her annoyance. "Haven't I?" he replied, leaning in towards a section of the wall. "You were supposed to help me tie up the guards and keep track of the time, but you already explained to me that you can't help tie up the guards." "So I'm here... to help you tell the time?" she asked with a blank stare. "You're doing an excellent job." "You do know that I can't tell the time indoors right?" "You can't?" he asked, turning around to face the pegasus. "Then I guess you really are useless." The old unicorn smirked and turned back to the wall. "You know, you really are a stubborn old conservative jerk, Thunderhorn." she replied angrily. Thunderhorn laughed quietly, his horn glowing dimly as a thread of magic seeped through a tiny hole in the stone wall. The line of magic gradually spread, making the entire wall glow a brilliant blue colour. A moment later, the wall started to shake and shift in place. A thin cloud of dust crumbled off the wall and started to sprinkle onto the ground in a slow shower and, one by one, the stone bricks pulled themselves out of place and started forming a neat pile on the ground, just to the right of the old unicorn. Vortex watched this entire event unfold in silent admiration, her mouth hanging open ever so slightly and her eyes maintaining an unblinking gaze on the wall. This new hole in the wall had created a perfect entrance into the palace. It led directly into a small, uninteresting room, but with the room's door slightly ajar, giving her a limited view of the hallway outside, she could see the familiar staircase that led down into the lower catacombs of the castle. "How come I didn't know about this?" Vortex asked, turning to Thunderhorn and blinking several times in quick succession. "Why would you need to know about a secret entrance that you wouldn't use or even be able to open?" the unicorn asked. "Well... what if I was curious?" she exclaimed with a stoic expression. "And as a former member of the council, I'm insulted to know that you've been withholding such valuable information from me. First the magical prison cell, then the crystalline orb and now a secret entrance?" "Well, quite simply," Thunderhorn said, "it wasn't valuable information at the time." The unicorn walked towards the door leading out of the room and peered into the hallway, checking to make sure that they hadn't alerted any of the guards. Satisfied, he instructed the pegasus to step inside the room. After the blue mare had entered, he reached out with his magic and the pile of bricks by the entrance started to shift and move to fill the opening they had created. "Besides, I didn't trust you with that information." he continued. "And you do now?" she asked almost enthusiastically. Because we all know how very trusting you are, Thunderhorn, she thought to herself with a quaint smile. You're the same pony that gladly accused me of being a traitor little more than a week ago. As the stone wall stopped moving and the last few bricks fell into place, Thunderhorn hurried back to the door and glanced around the hallway once more. "Now I don't really have much of a choice." he admitted. "I still think you're too confident and brazen for your own good. One day you're going to get hurt acting like that." Vortex's enthusiasm deflated quickly and a small frown formed on her face. How predictable, she thought. Even when the world hangs in the balance he's just as obnoxious as the day I met him. Thunderhorn motioned for her to follow as he rushed out of the room and started to descend the staircase leading down into the depths of the castle basement. The torches placed periodically along the walls cast strange shadows on the solid rock steps. The light they provided was bleak and inadequate, making it impossible to clearly see more than a few feet in front of them. "But I wasn't really all that different when I was your age." Thunderhorn added, grinning back at the pegasus. "And I reckon there were more than a few grumpy old stallions complaining about my actions." He chuckled quietly to himself and Vortex found herself smiling reluctantly, still unsure of what to make of this strange old pony and his drastic change of personality. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairwell, the two were met with a pair of large, steel doors, pockets of rust scattering the surface of the old metal. Small barred windows on each door gave them a limited picture of the narrow passage just on the other side. Unfortunately, the dismal view of the other side was all too familiar to the unicorn and pegasus that cautiously peered through them. The dark corridor was surrounded on either side with ancient prison cells, a depressing reminder of the short, but terrifying time they had spent within the castle's dungeon. "I don't see anyone on the other side." Thunderhorn noted, surveying the hallway through the barred window. "With any luck, the majority of the guards will be at war and not down here guarding the nonexistent prisoners and watching over these dusty old cells." The unicorn pushed on the door lightly, the old metal frame creaking loudly as it opened, causing both of the ponies to cringe. "I find it hard to believe that they don't have a single prisoner down here." Vortex remarked. "We were probably the first real criminals Princess Celestia has had to deal with in over a hundred years and our punishment was little more than a permanent vacation." he explained. "Perhaps that says something about the society we live in, but it says even more about the princess. She's done an impressive job at containing the criminal activity in Equestria. The fact that most of us weren't even responsible for the crime we were accused of only serves to reinforce my appreciation of her accomplishments." Vortex thought about what he had said for a moment before glancing around at the empty cells. It was exactly as she remembered, cold, dreary, and unwelcoming, but it strangely brought a joyful smile to her face. While it was indeed a terrible part of the castle, it held a special place within her heart. For it was down here, when she thought her life was at its end, that she had finally worked up enough courage to express her feelings to that peculiar green pony. Stupid Wind Dancer, she thought, her smile collapsing, she ruined my moment... mostly... "Why are we even down here?" a voice asked, barely audible from around the corner. Hearing the strange voice, Thunderhorn stopped and stuck out his hoof to hold the distracted pegasus beside him in place. "I'm actually glad I don't have to fight in the war." another voice replied, slightly louder than the other. "It sounds too dangerous." "Don't be so pathetic. You're a soldier!" the first voice exclaimed loudly. "You're not supposed to be afraid of danger. You're supposed to be a fearless warrior, eager to jump into the heat of battle." Thunderhorn could hear their hoofsteps, the armour clanging methodically against the stone floor. They were only a short distance away now. "That's ridiculous." the second mocked. "We're only temporary replacements for the real soldiers that have gone off to fight in the war. We're not fearless warriors and I'm certainly not eager to get into any fights." Thunderhorn started to focus his magic, the horn on his head darkening until it was as black as the night. A dark cloud of mist rapidly formed in the air above his head and wafted gently around the corner and down the hallway, towards the two guards that were fast approaching their position. "Oh come on! You have to be at least..." the first voice continued before coming to an abrupt halt. The dark cloud hanging in the air distracted him from his point and the hallway was engulfed by a strange silence as the two guards stared at it curiously. "What is that thing?" the first voice asked hesitantly. "I don't know what it is!" the second voice replied in anger. "But are you really trying to convince me that you're not afraid of going to war or getting into fights with dangerous criminals, yet you're afraid of a dust cloud? That's the most... ridiculous... thing..." Several loud clanging noises filled the air as the two soldiers slipped out of consciousness and hit the floor, their helmets flying off and rolling noisily around the corridor. Thunderhorn and Vortex quickly turned around the bend and approached what appeared to be two very young pegasi in ill-fitting golden armour. "These are just colts..." Vortex said. "Most likely, they wanted to join the army, but were turned away for being too young." Thunderhorn guessed. "The recruiting officer probably gave them this post instead to keep them occupied. I was worried this might happen. It was part of the reason I didn't want to just 'bust in and cause a ruckus'." The old pony sighed gently and opened the flap on his bag, pulling out a long piece of rope and throwing it carelessly on the floor in front of him. "These two aren't going to hurt anyone. I'll tie them up and then we'll put them both in one of the nearby cells." he continued. Better they get tied up and humiliated in the basement of their own castle than end up dead fighting for a war they don't even understand, he thought. The unicorn quickly hogtied the two young pegasi and loosely tied their muzzles shut so they wouldn't draw any attention when they awoke. After this was done, both Vortex and Thunderhorn each picked up one of the ponies and carefully set them on the beds in one of the prison cells. Thunderhorn closed the door behind them, not bothering to lock them in, I don't think they're going to cause us any more problems. They'll probably be too afraid to leave that cell when they wake up. "Do you think they're the only ones?" Vortex asked with a troubled look on her face. "I mean, do you think there are more little ponies like this? I don't want any of them to get hurt in the riot..." "I don't know." he replied with a frown. "I know that the ones guarding the artefact room will be trained guards, but I really can't tell if the ones patrolling the city are going to be this young. We need to be careful and try to avoid any fighting. "But it's more important that we focus on getting that orb. We can't afford to waste any time worrying about this right now." Thunderhorn pulled his eyes away from the two ponies and rushed down the hallway, towards the great steel door at the far end. Vortex followed closely behind as they opened the door and hurried down the staircase. "As I remember, there should be four guards outside the room." Thunderhorn whispered. "They're guarding one of the most dangerous possessions in the country, so they're extremely well trained." "But we can just use that fog thing of yours to knock them all out, right?" Vortex asked quietly, glancing at the old unicorn. "No." he replied promptly. "They'll know exactly what that is and they'll know how to dispel it before anyone falls unconscious. Instead, I'm going to have to ask for your help." Vortex smiled brightly, "Oh, so you do want my help after all, do you?" "Don't get cocky." he replied sternly. "We need to exploit their disadvantages. I'm going to focus my own magic and use it to protect you from their spells. You need to rush in and take out the unicorns as quickly as you can; there should be two of them. Avoid the earth ponies. They're too well trained for you to handle them both." "Well, I don't know about that..." she smirked. "Afterward," Thunderhorn continued. "I'll jump in and use my magic to knock out the two earth ponies like we did with those two colts. Without the unicorns, they won't be able to protect themselves. Do you understand?" Vortex nodded quickly, trying to hide her passionate enthusiasm. "Ok then. We need to be absolutely quiet from now on so that we don't alert them." The blue pegasus lowered her hood and discarded the cloak on the floor, shaking her head and stretching herself out as she limbered up for the encounter. While she appeared to be eager about the idea of fighting the soldiers, she was silently apprehensive and avoided looking directly in her companion's direction. Putting your life in danger, for any reason, was not something that anyone ever looks forward to. Approaching the end of yet another long hallway in the dimly lit catacombs of the castle, they were met with a set of large doors almost identical to those leading into the prison. These doors, however, were lacking two distinctive features that the ones they encountered before had. The metal on the doors was flawless and looked as if it were inspected and replace at regular intervals to maintain its structural integrity. The doors were also missing the small barred windows so the two had only their imagination to use as an indication of what waited for them in the adjacent room. Both ponies stopped just before the door and, noticing that the entrance was locked, Thunderhorn weaved another thread of blue magic out of his horn. The thread of magic snaked its way into the lock and the unicorn closed his eyes as he tried to imagine the tumblers inside. And after a few moments of intense concentration, the magic melted away and the unicorn opened his eyes, turning and nodding slowly at the pegasus waiting quietly, but impatiently, beside him. The reaction of the mare was puzzling to say the least. A warm smile crossed her face, but faded almost as quickly as it arrived. Her eyes darted from the door to Thunderhorn and then back again, the unicorn sporting a much more obviously apprehensive look. And, as if gaining confidence from the visible trepidation of her companion's posture, she burst into the room and immediately took note of her surroundings. Time seemed to slow as her gaze lashed around the room, focussing on each of the ponies within, one after another, and brushing past the brilliant, but opaque violet barrier directly across from her. As Thunderhorn had suspected, there were two unicorns, one noticeably older than the other, and two earth ponies with a significantly more intimidating stature. Contradictory to what she expected, all four of them were in very relaxed positions around the room. The two unicorns were sitting at a table, playing cards. The younger pony had his head propped up with one hoof, while the older pony was focussing deeply on the five cards floating in front of him. The two earth ponies were exact opposites of each other in terms of their alertness. One was dozing in the corner and the other was intently watching the doorway that she had just come out of. He was the first to react, shouting loudly and causing the others to leap to their feet, the unicorns releasing their grasp on their cards, letting them sprinkle onto the ground. The most alert pony rushed towards her quickly, but she was faster than he was and jumped out of the way as he leaped at her. A bizarre sensation of pure ecstasy coursed through her veins. It was a fantastic mixture of adrenaline, fear and Thunderhorn's magic. With her heart pumping fervently in her chest, the soldiers around her moved liked they were weighed down with lead. Hovering in the air, her eyes skipped to the two unicorns, the old one was trying to hold her in place, but his magic just flowed off her body like water. The younger was lifting the table and preparing to hurl it in her direction while the drowsy earth pony in her peripheral vision was still trying to collect his senses. Beating her wings and pushing the air away from herself, she moved against the wall and out of the way as the table brushed past her and shattered against the doorway. Pushing against the wall, she sent herself flying towards the older unicorn, the pony unable to react in time as she launched him into a wall. The younger unicorn dropped to the ground, allowing the drowsy pony to jump over him and push off his back, hurling the full weight of his body towards Vortex. But once again, she was too fast for the bulky soldiers and she propelled herself up to the low ceiling above. Not a moment later, she pushed back off the ceiling and sent herself rocketing towards the ground and the unicorn beneath her. The young unicorn reacted quickly and shielded himself with a magical barrier; the pegasus' hoof crashed into the malleable barrier and sent her flying towards the wall by the door and straight into the most alert pony of the bunch, who prepared to catch her as she flew in his direction. But the strange feeling inside the pegasus gave her indomitable reflexes and she twisted her body around, landing a hoof squarely in his face and knocking him against the wall. Moving quickly, she took advantage of her momentum once again and flew back towards the young unicorn who was preparing some kind of lasso out of his magic. The unicorn hurled his lasso around the pegasus and attempted to throw her against the wall using her own momentum, but the lasso disintegrated as soon as he tried to tighten it over her. Surprised and left with no way to defend himself, the pegasus landed a hoof into the side of his head and sent him flying against the drowsy earth pony, the two colliding and sending a loud metal clanging sound resonating around the room. Exhausted from the ordeal, Vortex's balance immediately faltered as she touched the ground and she tumbled onto the floor in a lump. "Thunderhorn!" she shouted to the door. The unicorn released his magic around the pegasus and rushed into the room, ready to subdue the remaining ponies. But as he entered the room and trampled over the remnants of the wooden table, like Vortex, the sight he encountered was not quite what he had expected. All four guards were lying unconscious around the walls with the pegasus collapsed in almost the exact center of the room. While she had been a member of the Wonderbolts, the old pony knew that, despite being physically demanding, the job did not require any fighting. It was all just a show, a performance for those willing to buy a ticket, and the combat ability that some ponies had begun to expect from them was merely coincidental. Their occupation had given them the courage and finesse that was necessary in battle, but in fact, many of the Wonderbolts were still terrible fighters. They were just too predictable or slow to react when they were confronted with a combat situation. So how Vortex had become such an incredible combatant over her relatively short life was a complete mystery. Perhaps it had something to do with her personality, her quick thinking and unpredictable nature making her more than capable of busting a few heads whenever she deemed it necessary. "I think you can come in here now." she said, a curt smile forming on her face as she stared at the ceiling and panted heavily, desperately trying to catch her breath. The old unicorn hurried over to her and crouched down, "Are you alright, Vortex!?" The mare's smile grew and she laughed heartily. "That was too much fun!" she exclaimed between breaths. "We'll have to do that again sometime." "Vortex, are you hurt!?" Thunderhorn persisted. "No... just tired." she explained, lifting her head up slightly to look back at him. "Where did you learn how to do that?" The unicorn sighed heavily, "That magic barrier is a personal concoction of mine. It's something I learned a long time ago and it requires an enormous amount of concentration and practice to perfect. It protects against nearly every type of magic known, cushions physical attacks and heightens one's senses considerably. "I must admit, I had never actually tried using it on anyone other than myself before and when I was using it on myself, I couldn't move or I would break my concentration so I wasn't sure if it would work properly." "Great..." Vortex replied nervously. Thunderhorn smiled faintly and reached into his bag, pulling out the book they had collected from his manor and setting it on one the chairs. "I had originally intended to use it on my wife in an act of desperation. I thought that it might give her a chance to escape, even if it meant sacrificing my own life to do so." "Yeah. Well..." the pegasus wheezed. "If it's okay with you... I think I'm just going to lie here for a while." She closed her eyes and continued to breathe heavily, her chest moving up and down rapidly. "Take your time." he said, flipping through the book. "We're not going to be able to tie these guards up; the unicorns would break free in no time, so I'm going to seal them all behind the magical barrier instead. They won't know how to get past it." "Okay." Vortex apathetically replied, rolling onto her side. Thunderhorn stopped at the page in the book that described how to remove the barrier and started to focus his magic towards the violet, glasslike obstacle separating them from the adjoining room. His horn turned a dazzling green colour and a concentrated beam of light shot directly at the center of the barrier. The violet changed into a fiery red and thin cracks scattered across the barrier. When the fractures covered the entire surface of the magical obstruction, the wall shattered and the fragments fell to the ground in a small heap. Vortex ignored her exhaustion and rose to her hooves. With the barrier gone, the contents of the room were revealed, leaving the two ponies completely awestruck at the sight in front of them. The tiny room itself, which was composed of simple stone bricks like the rest of the castle, was immaculate and not a single particle of dust touched its surface. In the center of the room was a small crystal ball, about the size of an apple, resting on a small pillow and placed on top of a pedestal. The orb itself glowed with a dull, but wonderful orange light and was covered in engravings of a similar, but visibly darker colour. Approaching the glowing artefact slowly, Thunderhorn read the words covering its surface. My beloved sister, my only family, I would toss aside my immortal life, my royal blood, and everything else I own for you, the one true constant in my world. "She didn't write this in the royal tongue." Thunderhorn remarked, reading through the words once more. "At the time she wrote this, it meant a lot to just throw away your pride and humble yourself like that for someone else. It really shows how much she cares about her sister." Both ponies continued to stare at the orb as it shined in the confinement of the small room. Once again realizing where they were, Thunderhorn snatched the crystalline sphere away from the pedestal and placed it inside his bag. "Help me drag them into the room." he said quickly, gesturing towards the unconscious guards. "We need to get back." As they rushed around the room, pulling the ponies through the opening, Vortex laughed, "We can't forget about these guys. They'll be fine for a day or two, but after that we'll need to get them out of here." "I have no intention of leaving some of the best of the country's soldiers locked in here for longer than a few hours." Thunderhorn said. When all the ponies were inside the small room, the old unicorn turned his attention back towards the book resting on the chair. Soon enough, a violet beam of magic shot out from his horn and started to gather up all of the fragments on the ground, placing them each in their former positions and returning the barrier to its original, but cracked form. As the magical wall changed from red to violet, the cracks started to recede and eventually disappear entirely. "Now, as long as we don't run into any surprises, we should make it back on time." Thunderhorn said, placing the book back in his bag and heading towards the door. ~ Goldenroot slowly rotated the cup around in circles between his hooves, the warm, cloudy liquid sloshing gently at the bottom. He was never very fond of tea. The amount of effort it took him to drink the hot beverage properly, carefully holding the cup in between his hooves and lifting it up to his mouth for a sip, was usually too much to justify any satisfaction he received from it. But tonight, he didn't care about the aesthetics of 'proper tea consumption' and simply slurped the liquid through a long straw that protruded out of the cup awkwardly. His rudeness was, however, hideously inappropriate for their current situation. Rarity was still upset; the moon princess' words had damaged her faith in their plan and in herself. She was thinking of the pony sitting across the table from her that she was now closely affiliating herself with and of the pony that months ago, had disappeared without a trace. Twilight was gone and now she was sitting in a scummy bar with a conspirator, attempting to cause a riot and overthrow the princess. Had the world really changed so much in so little time or was it her? Was she really trying to save what little sanity was left on this planet or, like Celestia, had she changed and distorted herself to match the cruel destiny she was held captive in? "They're late." Goldenroot noted, looking at the battered clock on the wall. "It's unlike either of them to be late." Rarity gave no reaction, simply staring into her own tea with an uncertain and apathetic disposition. Goldenroot hesitated for a moment before looking at the unicorn directly, "I'm sorry about what happened, Miss Rarity." The white unicorn looked up from her cup and across the table, right at the stallion. Now so late into the night, her usually sparkling blue eyes had a dull red tinge with an almost swollen appearance to them and her hair was ever so slightly out of proportion from its usually pristine glamour. "I know you said that it wasn't my fault, but I'm not really sure that I believe you." he continued. "I was still a part of what happened to your friend and I need to apologize for that. I'm sorry about what happened to her and Princess Celestia and I'm sorry about what's happened to our entire country. "I don't know what's going to happen, but if we actually pull this off and restore the council, I don't think I should be any part of it. I don't think that would be the right thing to do after what I've done." The gentle ambience of the room took over and the sound of clinking glasses, hoofs tapping gently against the wooden floor and playful laughter of the tavern's other patrons was the only thing that separated them from complete silence. Rarity's glum expression turned away from the green stallion, back down to the table and into her cup. "I'm trying not to hold you accountable for this disaster, but I suppose you're right." she said in a hollow tone. "I'm not really as forgiving as I try to be and a part of me really hates you for what you did. But I know you didn't intend for this to happen, so I do appreciate the gesture, Sir Goldenroot She lifted her gaze back up from her tea and smiled faintly at the pony across from her, but the expression was fragile and short-lived, disappearing almost as soon as it arrived. "I only wish I knew what happened to her." she continued. "Why did she just disappear? Where did she go and why did Prance have her belongings? Why doesn't anyone have any idea what happened to her? It's all just so... strange..." "There must be something in her belongings that can help us find some answers." Goldenroot said, "After we're done with all of this, I'd like to help you find those answers, Miss Rarity. It's the very least I can do." The white unicorn lifted the teacup to her face. After taking a very brief sip of the hot beverage, she set the cup gently down on the table and smiled. "I would certainly appreciate your help, Sir Goldenroot." she replied. As soon as the stallion was able to return the smile, the door to the Ivory Bear opened and two familiar figures entered the building. Under the shadow of her hood, Vortex smiled exuberantly as she rushed over to the table and sat down. "We got it!" she exclaimed joyfully. But her expression quickly changed from joy to a look of sheer disgust. "Are you two drinking tea in a pub?" she asked doubtfully, turning to Goldenroot. "And you're drinking yours with a straw? What's wrong with you!?" Realizing how ridiculous they must look, Goldenroot and Rarity revealed embarrassed expressions, first to each other and then to the blue pegasus. Thunderhorn smirked from underneath his hood as he approached the table casually, "I assume that since you're here that we'll have the princess' help?" "Actually, no." Goldenroot replied despondently. "She won't help us, but she won't interfere either." "It almost sounds like she hasn't actually made up her mind yet." Thunderhorn replied, his smile falling. "Then what are we going to do? We can't afford to wait for her decision." "We need to use the artefact." Rarity said. The other ponies looked at her in surprise. "You're okay with that?" Goldenroot asked doubtfully. "Honestly, I thought you would be the last one to agree to use that thing." "If Princess Luna didn't want us to stop her sister, she would have locked us up for trying." the white unicorn replied with assurance. "I think that, even though we don't have her help, some part of her wants us to go through with this. And if the orb was created for this very purpose, then Princess Celestia would have taken the utmost caution in creating it. I do not think she would spend so much time creating something that does not work" "Well if you're convinced, then so am I." Goldenroot responded. Vortex slammed her hooves on the table aggressively, startling even the loudest patrons of the tavern as the teacups rattled and spilled a large portion of their contents. After noticing the attention she had drawn to herself, she lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned into the table, "Then it's about time we started a riot." Goldenroot couldn't help but smile at her, but the unicorns were apprehensive. They still weren't sure that they would be able to even remotely contain a full-scale riot in the capital, let alone find a way to start one. "Then this is what we need to do." Thunderhorn intervened, leaning into the table. ~ "Nobles of Equestria!" Goldenroot shouted as the four ponies burst into the largest tavern in the nobility quarter of Canterlot only moments before it was about to close for the evening. Each pony threw off their cloaks, discarding them onto the floor of the large, bustling room. The tavern was a huge building and, even so close to the last dying hours of the night, there were nearly a hundred ponies inside staring back at them in complete confusion. Distracted by the interruption, they mumbled to each other in a desperate attempt to make sense of the situation. "She has taken away your rights and your responsibility!" Goldenroot continued. "She has declared war on our neighbours to the north and banished your voice to the furthest reaches of the world. She claims she is saving us from conspiracy and treason, but we all know that is not the truth." The whispers among the tables grew louder and more frequent. The crowd began to clearly express their wonderment of just who these ponies were and whether or not they were actually the council that they had believed to have been banished from their country little more than a week ago. If they were the council, what were they doing here now? What was going on? "Tragedy has stricken our nation at its very heart! Our fair Princess Celestia has surrendered to the terrible hallucinations that now plague her mind and ravage her soul!" Thunderhorn cried, stepping forward. "Indeed, she is not the princess we remember. Surely you have seen her change and our country with her? Surely you have noticed that she believes the world is very different from our reality?" "Now see here!" the barkeep exclaimed, stepping out from behind the bar and walking towards the small group of ponies at the doorway, trying to look as intimidating as possible. He wasn't very old, but he could hardly be described as a young pony. A fairly large unicorn, his thinning black mane ran carelessly down his neck and along his fading orange coat. His eyes were a passionate blue and desperately tried to pull the attention away from an obvious scar on his lip, a wound that had likely been the result of getting kicked in the mouth at one point or another. "I won't have you coming into my bar, spouting this rubbish and upsetting my customers! You speak as if our princess has gone crazy, but I seem to recall that you're the very same ponies that we condemned for almost the same reason not too long ago." The crowd smiled and sneered at the group they had been taking so seriously. Some of them rolled their eyes and turned back to their table, diverting their attention away from the four ponies at the entrance as they resumed their conversations. "You think we're crazy!?" Vortex shouted at the barkeep in disbelief. "Do you really think that turning on your friends, family and the ponies you were all supposed to serve is anything else?" he snorted. "It's true, I was sad to see our part in the political decisions of Equestria get taken away from us, but not you traitorous lot. You're a disgrace to the entire country." "Don't be so quick to believe everything the princess has told you." Thunderhorn scorned, raising his voice to resonate across the entire building. "You can't really believe that every single one of us would turn against you. What would we possibly gain from that?" "I'm not one to question the aims of madness." the barkeep laughed. "I'm sure you all had your reasons." "Then you must be mad as well." Goldenroot said piercingly, stepping up to the barkeep with a smile on his face. A few of the ponies who had looked away previously had turned back now. They might not have been willing to take sides in the argument, but they were more than willing to enjoy a good fight. "You elected us did you not?" the pale green stallion announced. "You chose us out of everyone else to be your voice in the government. We're as much a part of you as you are a part of us. Would we sever our own limbs and cut into our own soul? Would we turn against the very reason we have to live and decapitate ourselves out of greed? Would we come back to you now, knowing that we face our own deaths as a consequence of failure? Cowardly or not, no one would take such risk without good reason." More of the crowd had started to turn back towards them, intrigued by the skilful shouting match that was taking place at the doorway. Their hushed murmurs had all but stopped, with only a few of the less sober patrons still muttering to themselves quietly. Their drinks all rested peacefully on the tables in front of them, completely forgotten and insignificant in comparison to what was happening before their eyes. Thunderhorn promptly joined in, taking advantage of all the attention they were receiving, "Princess Celestia told you that Prance, the country that helped us during our time of need, was trying to conquer us and slit our throats in our sleep. But we are without a doubt the most wonderful, powerful, and influential nation on this planet. Who would dare to oppose us unless seeking their own destruction? Prance is not so different from our own nation, my friends. Its ponies do not wish to see their country plunged into the fires of war any more than we do. But now, both our countries are fighting and dying for a mere illusion, a façade of the mind." "I'm tired of your nonsensical ramblings!" the barkeep yelled angrily. "Get out now before I have the guards throw you out. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to lock you up in the dungeon." The barkeep's temper had elevated to a critical point and his patience wore thinner by the second. So after keeping silent the entire length of the quarrel, Rarity recognized that she had to do something before they lost all hope of convincing the nobility to their cause. They obviously wouldn't believe the council as easily as she had originally hoped they would. They were too doubtful and, although most of the bar was now absorbed in the argument, no one was taking them seriously enough to support them in any way. "Please, you have to believe we're telling the truth!" she begged the barkeep. "The war is only getting worse and we don't have much time left." The barkeep's extreme irritation vanished, replaced with a mere annoyance as he and the entire building came to grinding halt and stared at the unicorn standing anxiously in front of the barkeep. "For a moment, I thought you were someone else." he replied with an unexpectedly calm demeanour. "But you're not one of the council members, are you? So then how did you get wrapped up in their lies?" "They did not convince me, nor did they need to." she explained sincerely. "It was my discovery alone. I asked them for their help." Though she was speaking quietly, her voice was heard around the entire room. The orange unicorn seemed to be taken back by this sudden revelation. He found it almost unbelievable that she had somehow convinced the others to come back from their exile and fight so passionately for something that seemed so bizarre. "Some of you may know that Princess Celestia's student, Twilight Sparkle, was sent to Prance to help find a solution to the drought." she continued, raising her voice a little. "She was gone for weeks, months even. But as time passed and the problems of the drought were eventually extinguished, many of us gave up hope that she would ever return. She just seemed to have disappeared." The barkeep listened patiently, curious to hear what she had to say and why she was convinced that the Princess was, of all things, insane. "Eventually, some of her things were sent from Prance, yet she herself was still lost." Rarity continued slowly. "A funeral was held for her, but the princess did not seem to grieve her student's death. One might think that she was heartless, that she didn't care about her, but perhaps she knew what would happen next. And in the dead of night, Twilight appeared as if out of nowhere and the princess was reunited with her student." "I'm already familiar with that story." the barkeep interrupted. "Granted, it wasn't made very public, but my occupation has certain informational benefits. However, what, may I ask, was the point of you telling me that, Rarity?" Both Rarity and the former council members seemed surprised, yet also relieved by the amount of knowledge this orange unicorn had. It was reassuring to know that they wouldn't have to explain every minute detail to him. "That is who you are, isn't it? The element of generosity I believe?" tilting his head as he stated the facts. "So then certainly you could be more generous with your explanation. What exactly does this have to do with Princess Celestia?" "The point is that what you heard was a lie." she replied rapidly. "Twilight never returned. No one knows where she is and the Twilight Sparkle that Princess Celestia believes to have returned is merely a hallucination caused by her grief." The barkeep frowned, "So then it's true." Shocked by his extraordinary response, Vortex pushed Rarity out of the way and confronted the stallion directly. "What's the matter with you!?" she demanded. "You won't believe a word of what we say, but you'll eat up every single thing that comes out of her mouth without a moment's hesitation?" The barkeep returned a violent expression, "I do have reasons for my beliefs, miss. You just don't know what they are yet. "You see, before the war had started, this tavern was frequently visited by members of the royal guard. I didn't mind them; they helped keep the rabble out. I even got to know one of the guards quite well. He was one of Princess Celestia's personal escorts, so he'd spend a lot of time around her and he'd always have the most interesting stories to tell. On his one night off, he'd always visit my tavern and drink himself silly. As the night wore on, the things he'd say would become more and more convoluted to the point you could barely understand what he was talking about and I'd have to tell him to go home. "However, one day he sat down and shared some particularly disturbing news. He tried to tell me that Princess Celestia had been talking to someone else, some mare, when he was sure that she was alone in her room. "I just passed it off as simple paranoia and I tried to reassure him, 'Whoever it is, she's probably just sneaking by you. You know, using some kind of secret entrance that you don't know about.' "But he denied this quite quickly. He told me that he had been curious enough to actually look inside the room. He even said that he'd once poked his head in the room to investigate, but no one else was there. "He said, 'The princess was alone and she seemed to be talking to herself.' "I didn't know what to think about that. I thought he might just be going on another one of his intoxicated rants, but of course I wouldn't actually tell him that. So I just listened while he quietly told me about all the things the princess had said to this 'Twilight'." He paused briefly and glanced at Rarity with a troubled expression, the white unicorn recognizing the name immediately and sharing his concern. "But after he told me that once, when he was in the throne room with her, the princess had abruptly rose from her seat, walked over, opened the door and asked him to step outside to give her and Twilight some privacy, I got a little freaked out. I had to ask him to leave. "I said, 'I think you've had enough to drink for one night, friend. Perhaps it's time that you go on home.' "He had a worried look on face, but he just got up and left without another word. I thought he was trying to skip out on his bill, but then I realized that he never had anything to drink at all. He was completely sober the entire time he was speaking to me. How could a sober pony speak such madness like it was the truth?" He paused again and turned back to the white unicorn. "You saw it too, didn't you?" he said solemnly. "You saw the princess talking to this 'phantom', this imaginary pony?" Rarity closed her eyes and slowly nodded. "If you knew this, then why were you so doubtful of what we've been trying to say all along?" Goldenroot asked the barkeep. "I was not willing to accept that my princess had gone mad unless I was absolutely certain. After everything she's done for us, I think we owe her that." he said plainly. "Unfortunately, it seems as though I have reached that point." The barkeep turned around and looked across the large gathering of ponies sitting around the room. For a group that had been drinking well into the late hours of the night, they were strangely alert and attentive and they waited in anticipation to hear what the barkeep had to say. Was he actually so convinced that he was willing to help them now? Could his opinion of them change so quickly? "Alright! Everyone listen up!" the barkeep announced loudly across the room. "As much as I hate to admit it, I believe these ponies are telling the truth! Our princess and our country are in desperate need of our help and I'll be damned if I'm going to sit around and do nothing about it. "So I'm going to give you a choice. You can either help me and we can figure out exactly what's going on here or you can get the hell out of my tavern!" A few of the ponies quickly got up from their tables and rushed past him and out the door, but the large majority of the patrons stayed put. Some had apprehensive looks on their faces, but most of them seemed eager to finally do something. No matter what the truth was behind it, their situation was terrible. And after watching their country change so much in what felt like only an instant, they were ready to put an end to the illness that overwhelmed it. "Now you better have a pretty good plan or I'm going to be disappointed with you lot." the barkeep said. "I don't like ponies that make me look like a fool." ~ From her place on the balcony overlooking the city and the small, delicate lights beneath, Princess Luna remained a statue. The world was crumbling beneath her hooves and she just waited and watched it all from her room. But what choice did she have? Long ago, when the world was young and she was just a filly, her sister had to make an important decision, not entirely unlike the one she herself was now confronted with. Celestia had to decide whether it was more important to protect her only family and the last member of her kind, or protect society as a whole and everyone who lived within it. Fate had decreed that she could not do both, one had to suffer while the other was allowed to persevere. Her sister had eventually made her decision, but was it the right decision to make? If she could go back, knowing what she does now, would she change her mind, save her sister and sacrifice the world? As she stared off into the darkness beyond the balcony, the question terrorized the moon princess' mind like a terrible storm, Are these the very same questions you had to confront, sister? Is this the same torment that I so ignorantly put you through so many years ago? Forgive me, Celestia... ~ Adjusting his position on the uncomfortable bedroll, General Redhoof's eyes popped open for the fifth time that night. He, like everyone else in the camp, was worried about tomorrow and the thin mattress beneath him provided little more than a convenient place to toss and turn throughout the night. It didn't matter that he was the most important general in the Equestrian royal army; his position had little impact on his confidence when he had less than an hour of real battle experience. Everything had always been a drill, a measly simulation of what he sincerely hoped he would never have to experience during his lifetime. So now that it was all so very real, so very lifelike, he was scared. The pony that was second in command only to the immortal princess herself was afraid. "General Redhoof?" a familiar voice called to him. Under the bright light of the moon, a dark silhouette bled through the thin canvas of his tent. It was none other than Princess Celestia and she was standing, waiting just outside the general's tent. So late into the night, he knew that whatever she wanted to discuss with him was important. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he hurriedly threw off his covers and rolled onto the cold ground. After pushing aside the cloth curtain and leaving his tent, he turned to face the princess, "Your highness, I was not expecting you for a few hours." "How quickly can we be ready?" she asked, the anxiety just barely noticeable in her voice. The general took a minute to contemplate the question before responding, "I think I could have everyone, including your strike team, ready in an hour." There was a brief moment of silence as the princess gazed off towards the black tower, its lights only just visible in the distance. "Are you considering launching the assault immediately, your highness?" he asked. She turned back to face him, her expression unchanged, "Raise the troops. We can use the veil of the night to our advantage. Try to keep the noise and the light to a minimum." The general nodded, "Absolutely, your highness. I'll let you know when we're ready." ________________________________________________________________________ Author's notes: Hello everyone! I feel like I'm repeating myself a bit lately, but sorry it took so long for the new chapter to come out. I had to do some major revisions this time around to improve one the sections. However, the section in question is now my favourite part of the chapter, so I'm think it was worth it. As a general note about the story's progression, this was not the climax obviously. That is going to appear next chapter as long as I don't decide to split it again. (It is entirely possible at this point. I still have a lot of ground to cover and I don't want to rush through it.) Once again, I'd like to take the time to thank you all for reading the story and putting the story in the feature box again. I would also like to thank my editor, Specter Von Baren, who spent an extraordinary amount of time on this chapter in particular. His detailed responses and keen eye are quickly becoming a necessity in my work. And as always, if you have any questions or comments about the story, you can reach me at my email: admin@theamberfox.ca I'll also be keeping a close eye on the comments below the story. ________________________________________________________________________ Disclaimer: "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" and its derivatives are the sole intellectual property of Hasbro©. I do not have, nor claim to have, the rights to the intellectual property that this story is based on.
Shadows of the Sun	Chapter 12	Shadows of the Sun By theamberfox Chapter 12 "The orb will take several hours to charge completely, but we shouldn't let that stop us from starting the riot right away." Thunderhorn announced. The old, grey pony had just finished explaining the bulk of their plan to the large crowd of ponies around him and they were now standing attentively beside a large table. Levitating a small piece of charcoal in the air beside him, Thunderhorn was crudely marking locations on the map and attempting to illustrate the finer details of their strategy. "Their numbers have been significantly reduced by the war and the few that remain are ill-equipped and ill-trained, so we should face little in the way of resistance." he continued. "Vortex and I have even discovered that some of the guards are in fact, young colts." This new understanding sparked a series of nervous expressions and loud murmurs around the table. "Calm yourselves, everyone." the old unicorn intervened. "Just be careful. That's all I'm trying to say. If you can, don't hurt any of the guards. Just tie them up and get them out of our way. We don't want to hurt anyone if we don't have to. "Now, we need to decide who is going where. First and foremost, I need nine capable unicorns that can help prepare the crystalline orb." Rarity poked her head through the dense crowd and turned to Thunderhorn with a hopeful expression. "If it's at all possible, Lord Thunderhorn, I would like to help you charge the artefact." she said. "I would much rather avoid having to harm anyone." "Of course, Miss Rarity." the grey unicorn nodded. "I assume you know both the teleportation spell and the magic transfer spell?" "Well actually..." "Really?" he interrupted, staring doubtfully at the very tired looking unicorn. "Nearly every unicorn in the nobility knows-" He stopped abruptly when he realized that Rarity wasn't a member of the nobility. And while every single noble unicorn went to a dedicated magic school and were taught many complicated spells in their youth, the unicorn in front of him probably never even had the opportunity to learn. Because the mare was so well-mannered and graceful, the general tended to forget about this small and unfortunately important detail. Ashamed, Rarity frowned, "I'm sorry, Lord Thunderhorn." "That's quite alright, Miss Rarity." the old stallion replied curtly. "Perhaps when we're done with all of this, I will find the time to teach you." The white unicorn smiled back at him. "Back to the point." Thunderhorn announced. "I need nine capable unicorns that know both the teleportation spell and the magic transfer spell to help me fill the orb. If it means anything at all, the job won't put you in any real danger." Soon enough, several unicorns made their way to the table and approached the general, each affirming that they were willing and competent enough to help him with the orb. The general, however, suspected that their reasons were more to avoid the fighting than because they were actually accomplished magic users. It was a fact he would just have to live with. He didn't have time to be picky. "Good. Now the rest of you will split into two separate contingents." Thunderhorn explained, directing their attention towards the map. "The first will set the supply depots on the west wing of the government quarter ablaze." He quickly circled the area in question with the piece of charcoal, leaving a dark ring on the map. "This will draw out a large portion of the royal army still garrisoned in the city barracks." He promptly circled the location of the barracks. "When they arrive, you should be able to use snares and other traps to catch them by surprise and keep them from getting harmed. "The second contingent will assault the barracks shortly after the diversion has begun. When their central base of operations is in jeopardy, they should realize that they're fighting a losing battle and call for help from Princess Celestia." "What about Princess Luna?" Vortex asked bluntly, the dark blue pegasus standing across the table from the general. "Are we sure she's not going to try and stop us?" "At this point, we can only hope that she won't interfere." replied Goldenroot, who was standing beside the general. "I don't know what we can possibly do if she tries to stop us." Thunderhorn grit his teeth, "If we have to, and only if we absolutely have to, we might be able to use the orb on her as well. We've come too far and there's too much at stake to just give up now." The pale green stallion remained silent, giving the unicorn a worried glance before directing his attention back to the map. "Vortex, I want you leading the group that will attack the supply depots. Goldenroot, you'll lead the group that will hit the barracks." "Hold on, general!" Vortex interrupted. "This is a life or death situation. I want to go with Goldenroot. I need to... protect him from danger..." Vortex smiled and turned her amber eyes to stare at Goldenroot, the stallion blushing slightly and smiling back. "Fine." Thunderhorn complied. "But we need someone that can lead the group that will create the diversion." "I think I'm more than capable of keeping a few restless ponies in line." the barkeep offered, pushing his way to the front of the group. "Let me do it." "Good enough." the general said, ignoring the barkeep's confidence. "Meet the others at the royal barracks when you can." "Alright then. You lot!" the barkeep announced, motioning to the ponies on one side of the room. "You're coming with me." The barkeep stepped to the door with nearly forty ponies in tow. Stopping once he reached the doorway, he turned around and glared at the old unicorn that was currently immersed in the map on the table. "I expect you to take care of my tavern, Thunderhorn." he said firmly. "We may be starting a riot, but I don't want to see this thing falling to pieces when I come back." Not bothering to wait for a reply, he swung open the door and rushed into the early morning air. It was just about one in the morning now, with the moon sitting high in the starry heavens above and the sun still hidden far below the horizon. "Miss Rarity!" Thunderhorn called loudly, trying to make his words clear over the rumbling of hooves as the last of the ponies headed out the door. The white unicorn's head promptly turned in his direction. "Can you go with them?" he asked. "I won't ask you to participate in any of the fighting, I know that's asking too much from you, but we need to try to keep an eye on them. I'm not certain how they'll react once the fires start." "I'll do my best." Rarity replied, nodding quickly. She started towards the door, but stopped and turned around, fixating her gaze on the three former council members still standing around the table. "Before I leave..." she said, trailing off as she waited for their full attention. The three ponies shifted their eyes from the map lying on the table to the elegant white unicorn. "If anything should go wrong..." she continued with clear hesitation. "Please just come back here in one piece. I don't want anything to happen to any of us. We've made it this far, we may still be able to stop Princess Celestia even if this plan fails." "I'm not going to let anyone screw this up now, Rarity." Vortex smirked. "I would've thought you'd have more confidence in me by now." Rarity smiled apprehensively before turning around and hurrying out the door, trying to catch up with the group that was following the bartender. "You're still too brash for your own good, Vortex." Thunderhorn scoffed as the door closed behind the unicorn. "Sometimes that's all it takes to get the job done, Thunderhorn." "Just take me seriously for once, you arrogant fool!" Thunderhorn scorned, furrowing his brow. "I'm not joking around. Just be careful out there and we won't have to attend your funeral." The dark blue pegasus' normally abrasive nature melted away and she lowered her gaze to floor, simply nodding in acknowledgement. "Just make sure the orb works, Thunderhorn." Goldenroot said. "When the rest of us are done with the dirty work, we're going to need that thing." As if sparking some memory, the old unicorn pulled the book out of his bag and slammed it down on the table, opening it to the page with the detailed instructions about the crystalline orb. "I'll figure it out." he said, staring into the book. "Now get out there and stop wasting time." Goldenroot turned to the pegasus beside him, her eyes hidden under her light blue hair as she just gazed down at the floor. Leaning in close, he whispered something into her ear. She smiled brightly and turned to face him as he pulled away, her amber eyes sparkling as they met his. Softly biting down on her own lip, she desperately tried to stop herself from laughing, the amusing reaction leaving a grin on the stallion's face as he cranked his head around to face the crowd of ponies behind him. "Okay everyone, let's move out!" he shouted, trying to hide his smile. Her joyful nature restored, the blue mare flew out the door with the pale green stallion following close behind. The rest of the group followed after and soon enough, the only ones left in the room were Thunderhorn and nine other unicorns that moved slowly up to the table to look at the general in anticipation. "So what do you want us to do exactly?" a purple pony asked, trying to attract the old stallion's attention. Thunderhorn pulled the small crystal sphere out of his bag and set it on the table in front of him. The artefact continued to glow with a weak orange light as it rolled across the surface and eventually came to a slow stop in the center of the table. "It's quite simple, really." he explained. "The orb stores magical energy, so all we need to do is fill it with the magic of the spell that we intend to use on the princess. The magical prison below the castle is designed so that anyone can enter by any means they wish, but they can only exit if someone on the outside frees them using the release spell, so we only have to use the teleportation spell to imprison her inside the cell. "Now, I'm sure you're all wondering how exactly we're supposed to store our magic inside the orb." Thunderhorn concentrated for a moment, his horn slowly becoming enveloped in a dim yellow light. "First, prepare the teleportation spell like you normally would, but don't envision a destination so that the magic lingers around your horn." Concentrating once again, a darker yellow light formed around his horn. It snaked and weaved its way around his horn until it reached the very tip and shone with a bright luminescence. "Second, begin to prepare the magic transfer spell while keeping your teleportation spell steady. When both are prepared..." The darker yellow light started to form into a little ball on the end of his horn with magic lingering around his horn slowly absorbing into it. After the light around his horn had been completely captured within the ball, it lifted into the air and rapidly shot into the crystal orb. The orange light around the orb dissipated into the air and the dim blue light from the teleportation spell took its place. "...just launch it into the orb." Thunderhorn continued. "It now holds one concentration of the spell. We can always use the dimension spell to measure the amount of concentrations inside the orb at any time, so we never have to guess. "Now, if he were to properly prepare himself, a normal unicorn could block the force of about five concentrations. A powerful unicorn could block the force of about ten. The most powerful unicorn to have been recorded in history could probably block about twenty." "Then what do you need us for?" a yellow unicorn snapped at him. "Because in this book, the princess recorded that she was able to withstand one hundred concentrations with ease." Thunderhorn admitted. The unicorns around the table gasped and glanced at one another with fearful expressions. How could they possibly stand a chance at defeating such a powerful creature? "At five hundred concentrations, she seems to have suffered some difficulty, but she could still withstand the blow." he continued. "She writes, 'Only when the crystalline orb held over one thousand concentrations of magical potential, could we no longer withstand its full force.' "With some occasional rest and food, I believe that I am capable of filling the orb with three hundred concentrations before I completely exhaust myself. I don't expect any of you to do the same, nor do I expect you to completely exhaust yourself, but if we can all put in one hundred concentrations, then that should be enough. After all, we should be able to catch the princess by surprise and she won't be able to properly block the impact." "What if we accidentally fill the orb with a different spell?" a light blue unicorn asked politely. "Thankfully, we don't have to worry about that." he sighed, realizing how disastrous it would be to have all their work ruined by one wrong move. "Now that the orb is filled with one kind of spell, it can only accept that one spell. Unless the proper erasing spell is used, all other magic that we try to transfer into the orb will be rejected immediately. So although you may have wasted some energy, it won't corrupt any of the magic previously stored inside the orb. Thunderhorn paused for a moment and glared slowly around the room. "Now, you can eat, drink and rest as much as you need to, but stay away from the alcohol." he lectured. "It inhibits your magical ability and we can't afford to do that now, especially when most of you have already had more than your fair share of booze." Some of the unicorns rolled their eyes, while others simply nodded. After this acknowledgement, they started to focus their magic, bright coloured lights forming around their own horns as they prepared to fill the orb. ~ "What do you think?" Goldenroot asked, turning to look at the pegasus lying on the ground beside him. "Has something gone wrong? Should we just attack the barracks by ourselves and forget about the diversion?" Goldenroot was sitting against the wall of a dark alleyway with a clear view of both the entrance to the barracks and the general direction in which he had expected the fires to start. So late into the fall season, it was starting to get cold and the dark blue pegasus had snuggled up close beside him, simply dozing away. And while he didn't think it was especially cold out, he was happy to have her so close by. "They'll figure it out." she replied softly, keeping her eyes closed and repositioning herself closer against the stallion. Goldenroot just smiled at her and turned back to watch the view from the alleyway. Contrary to the muted reactions of these two ponies, the group they had dragged from their joyful revelry and into the middle of an all-out war were not quite so composed. They had been sitting outside the entrance to the royal barracks for more than an hour now, hiding in the shadows and simply waiting for the signal to begin their assault. They had pestered the pale green stallion infrequently at first, asking him how long it was going to take and what he expected to happen, but their questioning had grown from a simple anxiety to an irritating impatience. They had demanded to know what was going on and were even threatening to leave, but Goldenroot was carefully holding them back, promising them it would only be a moment longer when, in fact, he wasn't at all sure when or even if something was going to happen. "Listen, Goldenroot." a crimson mare with a bright orange and pale red mane said, the irritation in her voice reaching its maximum. "Everyone has agreed that either we go in there now and forget about the others or we're leaving. And don't try to stop us by claiming that they're only going to be a moment longer because we know that's not the truth. We've been out here-" "Fire!" a voice bellowed from near the barracks. "There's fire in the stock holds!" "I was actually beginning to wonder if we'd be able to stall you long enough." Vortex said, leisurely rising to her hooves and gazing off in the direction of the fire. The flames, which seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, were immense. Thick smoke billowed into the air above the roaring, bright red inferno that was spreading quickly across the horizon as guards poured out of the barracks and rushed in the direction of the fire. "Looks like I don't have to worry about that anymore." she continued as she stretched her muscles. "Alright everyone." Goldenroot said, trying to keep his voice down as he rose to his hooves and walked around the group. "This is what we were waiting for, but we need to wait a little longer. Wait until all of the guards that were sent to fight the fire are out of view and then we'll rush in there and take care of the stragglers. "Remember, we don't want to hurt anyone if we can avoid it. Try to get them to surrender and we'll tie them up and get them out of the way." The ponies that still lingered around the alleyway rose to their hooves, gathering the bags they had left lying around the path and slowly moving closer to the barracks. One-by-one, they counted the soldiers that passed by, first in a steady stream and then in a dwindling trickle. Altogether, they counted only twenty-five soldiers rushing out to extinguish the massive flames spreading over the stockpiles. Subduing those few soldiers would be an easy task for the ponies in the other group that had most likely set up enough traps to catch the first ten or fifteen soldiers without any effort at all, but it was disconcerting to the ponies waiting in the alleyway. Did this mean they would have to deal with more soldiers than they were capable of handling? "Wait for my mark." Vortex said enthusiastically, pushing off the ground and bolting into the air above the alleyway. The pegasus paused, her place in the sky giving her a perfect view of the compound below. The royal barracks was actually a collection of buildings, but most were small, nondescript storehouses or training grounds for the soldiers. The main structure, however, was easily the largest and most important of the bunch and one of the few buildings in the government quarter that had a significant amount of character to it. Pushed tightly against the towering stone wall that encompassed the entire compound, it faintly resembled the royal palace, with several attractive towers, windows, and balconies decorating the exterior. And at the base of the building, was a cluster of bushes and flowers placed in an appealing fashion around the large, wooden doors at the entrance. Having never suffered a full scale war on the capital, the original architects had obviously never realized the foolishness of placing structural weaknesses and arbitrary decorations on what was supposed to be seen and used as a fortress. On the contrary, the enormous wall and intimidating brass gate were constructed with a much more modern design and seemed to suggest that the building was never intended to be used as a barracks. But if that was true, and the building was essentially just a substitute, then why was such a critical part of the city ignored during its construction? "Try and keep up, Goldenroot!" she yelled, turning her attention back to the ponies beneath her. Beating her wings against the air, she propelled herself forward. Focusing her gaze on a single guard that stood distracted on a precarious balcony, she pushed harder against the air and sent herself soaring faster towards him. His gaze absorbed in the fiery inferno on the horizon, he didn't even seem to notice the pegasus as she sped towards him with her hooves extended in front of her as she prepared for the point of impact. Colliding into the soldier, she wrapped her forelegs around him tightly and sent the both of them tumbling over the railing. While the soldier screamed his lungs out and the two neared ever closer to the ground below, the pegasus smiled and swerved upwards at the last second, grazing the short bushes and changing her direction towards Goldenroot and the mob of ponies that were swarming out of the alleyway. Sailing over the stone wall and giving the wailing pony a light toss, she dropped him into the mob as they rushed to the huge, brass gate. The guard's expression went from absolute terror to one of bewilderment as he landed securely in the exact center of the group. His eyes darted around the crowd, which was almost as surprised as he was, before he cowered to the floor, holding his hooves over his head protectively. "Please don't hurt me!" he cried out. "I'm not even a real soldier!" "I can't tie knots!" Vortex declared, circling around the group once and speeding back towards the building. One of the unicorns in the crowd quickly wound a length of rope around each of the guard's legs while the others ran hastily past him and towards the open gate of the compound. The two armoured ponies, one a red pegasus and the other a yellow unicorn, standing at the entrance panicked and hurried inside, pushing against either side of the metal gate as they tried to close it before they were swept away by the assailants. But as soon as they had begun to close the gate, Vortex flew over the wall and dove straight towards one of the guards, landing forcefully on top of the yellow unicorn and sending the stallion crashing to the ground, with parts of his armour flying in every direction. The red pegasus that had been pushing the other side of the gate closed stopped as soon as she heard the terrible racket and glanced from the dark blue pegasus standing triumphantly over her unconscious comrade to the fast approaching mob of angry ponies. Turning away from the assailants, she took off from the ground and started towards the open balcony. A smile formed on Vortex's face as she pushed off the body of the stallion below her and pursued the fleeing soldier. Catching the pegasus high in the air above, Vortex grappled onto her, trying to mimic her actions from earlier and swoop back down to toss the alarmed soldier into the mob so they could subdue her. Unfortunately, this mare was one of the few remaining trained soldiers in the city and she was far more alert and agile than the pony she had tackled before. The soldier shifted her weight and sent them both careening into the open balcony, the two pegasi immediately breaking free from each other as they landed on the solid, marble floor and slid to the opposite ends of the small, sparsely decorated room. Colliding with the wall, both pegasi leapt to their feet, crouching into an aggressive posture and glaring at each other with a passionate determination. But as Vortex watched the pony on the other side of the room, trying to predict her movements, she began to realize that she recognized this strange, red pegasus. It was someone she had known very well, but hadn't seen for a long time. "How come you didn't leave to fight in the war?" Vortex asked, smiling at the mare across from her. "All the good soldiers did." "Someone had to stick around to keep you punks in line." the red pegasus retorted. "I can't believe you're actually behind all of this!" The red pegasus darted towards Vortex, trying to catch her off guard, but she just jumped out of the way, leaping over her head, pushing off the wall and flying to the other side of the room. "You just don't understand the whole story." the blue pegasus countered. "And even if I told you, I'm not sure you would be willing to believe me." "Try me." the pony across the room retaliated. The red pegasus, leapt forward and kicked forcefully at a chair in front of her, sending it flying in Vortex's direction. The blue mare just barely managed to avoid the chair, landing on the balcony as it shattered against the wall. "Prance and the council weren't trying to overthrow Celestia." Vortex hastily blurted. "One of our members, and only one, was working with Prance to worsen the drought, but they were only trying to get the commoners involved in the council again and establish trade routes with Prance. "It's really not as sinister as the princess makes it out to be and it's definitely not something that's worth going to war over." "What happened to you, Vortex?" the soldier asked sincerely, jumping back against the wall. "I voted for you because I believed in what you stood for. You said that you were going to help the youth of Equestria, the ponies that always got the short end of the stick. And when you actually got elected, I was so happy for you. I was so happy for our country. I thought things were finally going to change, but... but then all this happened and now... now you're a liar and a fool just like everyone else in the council." "I know what Celestia told you and I understand why you believe her, but it's not the truth." the blue mare retorted. "I swear, I'm being honest with you, Shock Wave. There's something going on behind the royal curtain that you don't know about." "Then why won't you tell me!?" Shock Wave shouted. Vortex charged at the mare, desperate to get Shock Wave to listen to her. The red pegasus simply ducked to the right as she flew by, but Vortex planted her hooves on the far wall and pushed off, coming straight back towards her from the opposite direction. This time, however, she caught the red pegasus by surprise and the two of them slammed into the ground. "I'm trying to tell you! Just listen to me!" Vortex shouted, pinning the red mare to the floor. "Celestia isn't the same princess. She's different now. Something has happened to her and now she's completely lost her mind. We're only trying to help." "We used to be friends, Vortex." Shock Wave said, once again ignoring everything Vortex had said to her. "You taught me how to fly and I taught you how to fight. Then you let this council crap get to your head and you forgot all about me. You acted like I never even existed! You were the only friend I ever had, Vortex, how could you just leave me alone like that!?" Shock Wave used her hind legs to throw Vortex off her and back onto the balcony. The two pegasi jumped to their hooves simultaneously, crouching back down and glaring at each other. "I... I never forgot about you, Shock Wave." Vortex replied, lowering the volume of her voice. "There was just so much that I had to deal with... You weren't the only one that thought I was going to make a difference. But when I discovered that no one would even listen to me, I... just kind of gave up. I couldn't bear to face you, let you know how much of a failure I'd been. I'm sorry, Shock Wave." "Of all the ponies I know, hell, of all the ponies in the world, you're the last one I'd ever believe would just give up." the red pegasus scoffed. "But things are different now." Vortex insisted. "I am making a difference. Things are going to finally change around here. And when this is all done with, I'm going to make sure that no one gets the short end of the stick ever again. But until that happens, you just have to trust me. Please, Shock Wave." Vortex lowered her guard and focused intently on the red pegasus still crouching in front of her. She didn't want to fight her friend. She didn't want to hurt her, but Shock Wave didn't seem to want to listen to her and she was running out of options. "You were always one to put on a great act, Vortex." Shock Wave said calmly. "You could make anyone believe whatever you wanted them to. But I know you too well. I know you're lying to me and I won't just let you overthrow the government so that you can continue to fill this country with your hideous lies!" The red pegasus soared towards the balcony, appearing as if she were going to tackle Vortex. The blue mare ducked to avoid the charge, but Shock Wave found her friend's movements too easily predictable. She flared her wings out to stop her forward momentum and kicked at the blue mare with a hind leg, hitting one of Vortex's forelegs and sending her tumbling off the balcony. Like all of the soldiers in the royal guard, Shock Wave's hooves were adorned with thick, steel cleats and the blow to Vortex's leg was devastating. But the determined mare fought through the pain, gritting her teeth and flapping her wings fervently to slow her descent. Catching a passing glance of her injured leg as she levitated in the air just below the balcony, Vortex could see that it was hanging from her body like the limb of a rag doll. She merely pushed the grotesque image out her mind and turned her gaze back towards the balcony, trying to find the red pegasus that had just seemed to disappear out of sight. As Vortex scanned the area by the balcony, Shock Wave approached her from the complete opposite direction. She had taught Vortex how to fight and she wasn't about to be bested by her student. She moved quickly and without mercy, her eyes filled with an intense hatred. Vortex had betrayed her, lied to her and left her all alone. Now she had suddenly reappeared in the middle of an intense riot, trying to destroy everything she was sworn to protect, and she expected uncompromising trust and forgiveness and from her? That wasn't something the red pegasus was willing to give, not now. And as her hooves connected with the back of the blue mare's head with a deafening crack, Shock Wave sacrificed the only friend she ever had. "Vortex!" Goldenroot shouted in horror, breaking free from the mob below. But he could only watch as the beautiful blue pegasus fell through the air and into the bushes below, the brittle branches snapping violently under her weight and leaving her broken body lying amongst the crushed yellow daisies in the flowerbed. Shock Wave just observed the scene from the air above, turning her gaze from the disfigured pegasus in the bushes below to the fast approaching mob of angry nobles, there's too many, even for me. The barracks is lost. With those final few thoughts replacing all remorse she had for her fallen friend, the red pegasus took off towards the royal palace. She may not be able to stop them, but she knew someone who could. "Vortex!" Goldenroot called again, his eyes clouding as he ignored the ponies around him and ran to the pegasus. The magnificent torrent of water on her flank, the fantastic vortex that the pale green stallion had watched so intently, so long ago, was barely visible through the ruined foliage, a thin stream of red liquid beginning at her flank and navigating its way down through the soil before finally dripping onto the stone floor at the stallion's hooves. ~ Setting up the traps to ensnare the guards that would be lured into their ambush was the easy part. It had only taken an exceptionally large amount of rope, and an hour later they had enough snares and nets set up to capture at least twenty soldiers. And although they expected more than that, the remainder could be dealt with using more conventional means. No, the hard part of their assignment was actually getting the fires started. Igniting a fire seemed like a reasonably simple task, but starting a fire that was large enough to attract the attention of the majority of the soldiers in the royal barracks had taken quite a bit more of their effort. But after eventually discovering that one of the storehouses was filled to the brim with highly flammable oil, they lost all doubt that any fire they created wouldn't be big enough for their purposes. When they were finally ready, they spread the oil over a dozen of the buildings and mere seconds after the oil was ignited, the storehouses erupted into a massive inferno. Shortly after the fires had started, a heavy, black smoke filled the air around the ponies. And though the smoke masked the ponies hiding in the shadows and waiting to ambush the unsuspecting guards, it made the usually simple task of breathing an exhausting effort. "I said keep your head down!" the pale orange unicorn barked, pushing on the top of Rarity's head and forcing her to ground. She knew that he was only trying to help, but the barkeep was far from gentle and he drove the white unicorn's head into the stones below, causing her to bite down hard on her lip. Her teeth cut deep into the soft tissue and a trickle of blood started to fill her mouth. "Breathing in too much of this stuff is going to kill you." the barkeep insisted, not bothering to cast even a passing glance at the unicorn he had just injured. Lying on her stomach, Rarity moaned, closing her eyes and moving her hooves to her injured lip, the crimson blood staining her brilliant white coat. Upon opening her eyes again, she noticed the dark red stains on her hooves and gasped in shock, only causing her to choke on the blood still pooling inside her mouth. "I think they're coming." the barkeep said quietly, continuing to ignore the white unicorn even as she coughed violently on the floor beside him. "Get ready to spring the traps." Sure enough, several ponies came into view on the edge of the horizon, their golden armour shining like beacons as they ran through the dark smoke. A few of the ponies had fire hoses slung around their backs, but all of them were completely ignorant of what was about to happen to them as they just rushed blindly into the center of the ambush. "Now!" the barkeep yelled at the top of his lungs. "Do it now!" Rarity had stopped coughing only long enough to look up and catch a glimpse of the resulting mayhem. The ponies hiding amongst the burning buildings pulled on the long lengths of rope leading out of their hiding places and several nets jumped off the ground, trapping several of the confused guards and pulling them into the air above. Confused, the few guards that weren't already trapped ran around wildly and stumbled into the snares, the rope tightening around their legs, lifting them up and dangling them helplessly beside their companions. With most of the guards now trapped, the mob of nobles rushed out of their hiding places and charged out to meet the few remaining soldiers. The frightened guards, obviously unprepared to deal with the large gang of angry nobles, threw down whatever they were carrying and lowered themselves to the ground, pleading for mercy. "Tie them up!" the barkeep roared, his powerful voice clear over the commotion. "Quickly now!" The nobles did as instructed and hogtied the panicked soldiers. Once their legs were fastened together, the ponies rushed around the scene and started lowering the nets and snares, tying up the guards as soon as they touched the ground. Some of them offered resistance, especially the unicorns who managed to use their magic to throw some of the nobles to the ground or free some of the previously tied up soldiers, but after the barkeep knocked them unconscious with a strange mist, the rest seemed willing to comply with their captors and lay motionless on the ground. "Well that was a lot easier than I thought it would be." the barkeep admitted, wiping his brow while still trying to keep his head low, under the dark cloud of smoke. Realizing that it was probably safe for her to approach, Rarity pushed herself off the ground and stumbled towards the group, still holding one hoof to her wounded mouth. "I'm glad that no one was hurt." Rarity smiled faintly before starting to cough again. "Speak for yourself!" the pale orange stallion blurted, finally noticing how severely he had injured the mare. "My apologies, Rarity. I guess I got too caught up in the moment. Are you alright?" "No, not really." she admitted with a faintly humorous tone, trying to hide her incredible pain. "Well, I may be a barkeep, but that's also part of the reason I managed to learn so much about healing split lips." he smirked, his horn lighting up with a dull orange light. "I only wish I had known this before I got this nasty scar on my own lip." The light from his horn spread to the mare's injury, the magic weaving itself around the wound and slowly repairing the damaged tissue. Rarity lowered her hoof as the pain subsided and the bleeding suddenly stopped, honestly surprised that he had done such a good job. "Oh my!" she said in shock, moving her tongue around her perfectly healed lip. "Thank you..." She drifted off when she realized that she didn't even know the stallion's name. "Firewater." he smiled, noticing her hesitation. "You really do live up to your title, miss. I can't honestly say that many ponies I've met would thank me for healing a wound that I was responsible for opening... Sorry I can't do anything about the stains on your coat." "Well!?" a dark red pegasus yelled, startling the two as she walked over to the two unicorns and interrupted their conversation. "They're all tied up. What are we supposed to do now?" "Oh, well now we need to put the fires out." Rarity answered with a smile. "And after the fires are out, we'll take these guards and meet the others at the barracks and then... well I suppose then you could all go home." "Go home!?" another of the nobles, a yellow unicorn, scoffed. "So that's it!? We served you're purpose and we're just done now?" The yellow unicorn's belligerence had attracted the interest of the entire group and now they were all standing around, listening to them bicker. "Well no, not yet. We haven't put the fires out." Rarity replied, stating the obvious. "And I really do suggest we do that sometime soon before they spread." "That's a terrible idea." a blue pony muttered. "We're trying to get the princesses' attention, are we not? We should let the fires burn. The worse we make the situation, the faster she'll come back." Several of the ponies in the group nodded their head and expressed their agreement with the blue pony. "That's absolutely correct!" the yellow unicorn added vehemently. "In fact, we should be out their getting more of the city involved in the riot." "Don't be stupid!" Firewater scorned. "We're not starting a war. We've done our part and we need to put these fires out. Do you really want to just let them burn? What if they burn your house down? What will you do then? Blame me?" "The fires are not going to burn our houses down." the dark red pegasus said, "The winds are blowing towards the common quarter. And who honestly cares if a few of the commoners' houses burn down. The government always pays for it all anyway." "Please, everyone calm down..." Rarity tried to intervene. "It's the middle of the damned night! There are ponies sleeping in those houses!" the barkeep yelled, ignoring the white unicorn. "They'll get caught in the fires and die if we don't stop the flames!" "Not if we move the riot to the common quarter." the blue pony said. "No pony can sleep through a riot. We'll just get a few more of the nobles from around the city involved and..." "There are young fillies and colts in those houses!" the barkeep argued, his voice growing louder. "Don't you realize everyone else left to fight in the war? The only ones still in the common quarter are the old, the young and the helpless. They can't even fight back!" "Perfect!" the yellow unicorn said. "Then no one will get hurt. They'll all just abandon their homes and run away." Panicking, Rarity began to realize that she had become isolated from the dispute and that nobles were about to do exactly the opposite of what she wanted. They were going to let the fires continue burning and spread the riot further into the city. She was supposed to prevent this kind of thing from happening, but she felt so useless. They just kept bickering and arguing and the quarrel was becoming more one sided by the second. "Are you insane!?" Firewater shouted, reaching out with his magic and grabbing hold of the yellow pony, attempting to use aggression to make his point. But he was too forceful and his magic knocked the yellow pony to the ground, making the group explode into a flurry of activity. The dark red pegasus landed her hoof squarely into the side of the Firewater's head and sent him flying to the ground, while the blue pony helped the yellow unicorn back to her feet, the rest of the group simply arguing amongst one another. "Please, everyone stop!" Rarity cried out, trying to calm everyone down. "You can't just burn down those ponies' homes. It's not right! It's not fair!" Rarity rushed into the middle of the crowd and tried to push the dark red pegasus out of the way as he approached the injured bartender. But as soon as she touched her, the pegasus shoved her out of the way and she fell to the ground. "This is the only way." the dark red pegasus said, glaring between the bartender clutching his head and the white unicorn hopelessly staring back at her. "We can't afford to stop now, not while the princess is still waging a war in Prance and ponies are still dying. We need to get her attention and stop the fighting now. A life is always worth more than a few simple houses. "Everyone who wants this plan to actually work, come with me! We're going to the common quarter, but not before we round up a few more ponies to help us." "No! You can't do this! Rarity shouted at the dark red pegasus as she tried to get back up. The pegasus planted her foot softly on top of the unicorn's stomach to stop her from getting up, "Don't try to stop us. I don't want to have to hurt you." With that final comment, most of the ponies left, leaving the two unicorns on the ground and a sparse few other ponies behind to watch as they went off to start a full-scale war in Canterlot. And as they finally disappeared out of her sight, the white unicorn began to realize how incredibly ironic it was. They had wanted this to happen since the very beginning. It was all part of the plan. They had wanted things to get a little out of control, but now that it was finally happening, she didn't want to be part of it anymore. She just wanted them all to stop and the whole thing to end before anyone got hurt. "I'm sorry, Rarity. I couldn't stop them." Firewater said. The barkeep rose to his hooves and then reached out to help the white unicorn up. After pulling the mare up, he turned to face the small gathering of ponies that had chosen not to leave. "To everyone else, thank you for staying." he continued. "I'm glad that we still have a few level heads left in this world." The ponies just stared at him with concerned expressions, worried that they wouldn't be able to do anything to stop the chaos that would soon consume the entire city. "Rarity, I want you to go find Thunderhorn at my bar." Firewater continued. "Tell him what happened and make sure he's alright. Who knows what they might do now. They may even try to take the orb from him. "The rest of us will take the soldiers and meet the group that attacked the barracks. We can't just leave them behind or they'll die from the smoke." "What about the fire?" Rarity asked, glancing towards the towering inferno and thick, black smoke that was quickly starting to spread to the small buildings beside the storehouses. "We can't stop it now. We don't have enough ponies to extinguish a fire of that magnitude." "But..." "Just go find Thunderhorn!" he said, raising his voice. "The rest of you, find some wagons. We need to get these soldiers to the barracks!" Rarity flashed a nervous look at the barkeep before turning around and running off, leaving the ponies behind her as she ran to warn the old general before things took another turn for the worse. ~ Basking in the glow of the bright moonlight and carefully hiding amongst the small rocky outcropping that sat just a short distance away from the city's walls, they waited for the precise moment to strike, the moment when they would all be too distracted to react and save their palace, and their king, from an ambush. Celestia stood in the exact center of the group with the twelve pegasi hugging close against the scattered boulders on either side of her. Being on nearly the opposite side of the city, they were some distance from the main gate and the worst of the fighting, but they had no difficulty hearing the conflict. What they heard most clearly was not the clashing of armour or the barbaric grunting as the two sides cascaded into each other, but the absolute terror that was overflowing over the stone walls of the city. Celestia knew that their assault on the front gate had to be convincing or Prance would immediately recognize it as a diversion, so the sounds of cannonballs soaring over the city and demolishing the buildings in their path, the blood-curdling screams of ponies as they tried to escape the catastrophe, the high-pitched wailing of infants as they cried out for their lost parents and the loud, commanding voices of the army officials as they tried to keep it all under control was very real and utterly horrifying. The princess lifted the small canteen of water off her neck and slowly revolved the lid until it popped off, gently clinking as it landed on the rocks below her. Closing her eyes and lifting the canteen to her mouth, she let the cool water gently trickle past her trembling lips and down her throat. As the steady stream subsided and the last of the water dripped onto her tongue, she tossed the receptacle away and onto the grass, spreading out her wings and glancing at the soldiers on either side of her. The pegasi took quick note of her action and, eyes darting to one another, they followed suit, stretching their wings and dropping their bags to the ground. Beating her wings against the air, the princess took off from the ground and emerged out from behind the rocky outcropping with the twelve other pegasi emulating her actions as they lifted into the air. And with one strong push, the winged ponies soared as one towards the black spire in the absolute center of the city. Soon enough, it will all be over, the alicorn thought as she turned her head to observe the chaos below. If the sounds they heard from outside the castle walls were any indication of the horror beneath them, she would have been prepared for the sight beneath her, but nothing could truly prepare her for what she saw. In her impressively long life, she had never seen such carnage, such destruction, and such overwhelming fear in the hearts of the ponies that she could not honestly say were so very different from her own. The old and the young, the brave and the cowardly, every one of them seemed to cower amongst the wreckage. The only ones who had nothing to be afraid of were the ones who had already paid the ultimate price. Why did it have to come to this? She asked herself, pulling her eyes away from the ground. What did I do wrong? "Princess!" Swift Wing cried out. "Look, it's the western battalion and they seem to be at full strength." She wanted to be happy, to feel relieved that the ponies in the western detachment were seemingly unharmed, but the horror on the ground below starved her from those feelings. As long as she knew that so many, even the ones she was supposed to hate, were suffering such an unbearable fate, she could feel no joy from seeing these soldiers appear on the horizon to the west. But as the obsidian tower filled her view, she was given little time to contemplate her thoughts. She had instructed the team to start from the bottom and work their way up. It was not the most efficient method, but it was thorough and they couldn't afford to overlook the king if he happened to be hiding somewhere in the palace. Her horn glowing with a bright yellow light, the windows near the base of the tower cracked and shattered, the fractures of glass shooting into the building and shredding the silver-armoured guards that were standing in the way. Rearranging their formation behind the princess, the pegasi soared through the windows and dropped onto the floor with a thunderous boom. The four guards that had been inside the main room had been torn to pieces by the glass and their bodies littered the floor in a pool of blood. The two guards that had managed to survive the barrage of shrapnel dragged themselves along the floor. They whimpered in pain and pleaded for mercy in their native tongue before they had their helmets kicked off and their lives viciously ended by one of the pegasi. "Colonel Swift Wing, I want you to take your five soldiers and sweep the lower floor!" Celestia ordered, indifferent to the grotesque condition of the room and the swift brutality of the ponies around her. "If you find Pierre, leave him alive if possible and wait until we return. After you're finished, stop any of their reinforcements from pursuing us up the tower." "You heard the princess!" the dark green pegasus shouted. "You three take the west wing, we'll take the east wing. Meet back here when you're done." The princess pushed off the floor and then up the staircase with the six pegasi following in behind her in groups of two. The few guards that came rushing down the staircase were caught by surprise and Celestia hurled them over the railing and down the center of the tower or out one of the windows, their screams resonating in her eardrums as they helplessly tried to cling to the air around them and save themselves from their imminent demise. As they reached the top of each set of stairs, Celestia would order a group of the pegasi to split off and secure the floor before climbing the rest of the staircase and meeting her at the top of the tower. It was strange, when she ordered them around the tower she referred to them all by name. She had taken the time to learn their names, Silver Cloud, Raindrops, Wind Whistler, Soarin, Lightning, and Purple Haze, but she didn't really know anything about them as individuals. They had all been fairly significant ponies at one point or another, but she couldn't seem to remember why. Was she really so jaded that she had forgotten everything about them but their ultimately arbitrary names? When the last two had, although reluctantly so, left her to continue up to the last floor on her own, she reached the great iron doors on the top floor and came face-to-face with two strangely familiar figures. These two, however, she remembered for their defining characteristics and not their names. The first was a yellow pegasus that lowered herself, crouching down and preparing to hurl her full weight at the princess while the second, an old unicorn with a fading orange coat, stepped back, his horn shining with a dazzling crimson light. They were ready for a fight, but the princess just stopped in front of them with an almost paralyzing stare focused on the ponies in front of her. "Who... who are you?" she demanded, turning her gaze to stare directly at the yellow pegasus. Her short orange hair was almost entirely hidden beneath her silver helmet and her light blue eyes reflected the light like sapphires in the cold room. She was exactly how her student had described her to be, every little description had been flawlessly accurate, so then why was she alive? "You mean you don't remember us?" she asked with an aggressive tone as she relaxed slightly. Even her voice was exactly how the princess had imagined it to be. "You're supposed to be dead." the alicorn said, her hooves trembling as she looked back and forth between the two ponies. "Why aren't you dead!?" "Dead!?" she asked in disbelief. "Why would you possibly think that?" "I think she was trying to have us assassinated, Catherine." Daniel said, maintaining his hostile attitude towards the princess. "That's probably who that Twilight Sparkle character was. She must have been an assassin!" The princess stepped back, her legs shaking violently beneath her, "What..?" "No, no, Daniel." Catherine intervened, relaxing completely as she watched the princess. "Something's not right about this. I think she honestly doesn't know what's going on, do you princess?" The princess just shook her head slowly. "Do you remember who we are?" Catherine asked. "You're the mare that helped my student... Twilight." Celestia replied. "Princess Celestia." the pegasus responded. "I've never met anyone named Twilight." "No, you're lying to me!" the princess stuttered. "You're trying to trick me!" "I swear to you, princess!" Catherine replied quickly. "I'm not lying to you. I've never met your student. I was one of the ponies that accompanied King Pierre on his journey to your palace several months ago, the other was Daniel. Perhaps you've mistaken us with some other ponies?" Celestia's horned flared up with a powerful yellow light, far brighter than the one still encircling Daniel's horn. Her eyes burned brightly with the same yellow light, glaring at the two ponies as she slowly drew closer to them. "No, you're lying!" Celestia shouted angrily. "You know that you've failed. You know that your plans to take over Equestria have been trampled on and now you're trying to weasel your way out of your punishment!" "Princess, please!" Catherine screamed back, the pegasus backing away, now completely overcome by the terrifying figure approaching her. "That's not true! I'm not trying to trick you! I'm telling the truth!" "I won't let you hurt her!" Daniel cried out. The old unicorn fired a bolt of magic at the princess, but she simply teleported out of its path, letting the powerful magic fly past her and demolish the wall behind, the stones crumbling and cracking as the building started to tumble to one side. "You can suffer the same grim fate that you so maliciously intended for my poor, innocent student, you horrible old menace." Celestia said, turning to glare at the unicorn that was just recovering from the spectacular magical blast he had unleashed. The princess reached out and wrapped her magic around Daniel tightly, squeezing the pony and making it difficult for him to breathe. With one swift motion, she snapped the horn off his head and dropped it to the floor, the pony screaming in agony as he watched the horn slowly roll across the floor towards the staircase. As the horn tumbled off the ledge, the unicorn vanished and reappeared outside the tower, his faded orange figure barely visible from the large hole in the wall as he was released from the princess' grasp. The broken horn gently clinked against the stairs as it picked up speed. "Daniel!" Catherine cried out, her eye's turning to the hole in the wall as she watched the pony start to fall down to the ground. Meanwhile, the wall had begun to completely collapse and the ceiling above shifted in its place, startling the yellow pegasi and causing her to stumble and fall to the floor, her helmet falling off and tumbling out of the opening in the wall. The princess, realizing that she had to do something before the ceiling came crashing down around them, started to rearrange the bricks on the wall of the tower, moving them from around the room to repair the hole and stabilize the tower. The horn's gentle clinking had grown softer and more distant as it disappeared down the stairwell. Turning her attention away from the hastily repaired wall, the princess just stared at the yellow pegasus sobbing on the ground, her beautiful orange mane now perfectly visible with her helmet gone. Her horn's glow disappeared, and with it, the passionate fury in her eyes. "I'm... I'm sorry, Catherine." Celestia said softly. The pegasus didn't bother to look up or say anything back to the princess as the tears continued to pour down her face. As she sobbed on the ground, she was carefully wrapped in the princess' magic before vanishing from her place against the wall, the yellow glow that had taken over the alicorn's horn dissolving in the air and eventually fading away completely. I think that Swift Wing and the guards at the base of the tower will be able to deal with one grieving soldier, she thought, closing her eyes and breathing the air into her lungs deeply. Opening her eyes, she turned to the set of black iron doors ahead of her. The entrance was locked, so the princess wrapped her magic around it and pulled on the massive set of doors, the stone cracking and complaining as it was finally ripped out of its frame. Gently leaning the door against the wall, she looked into the room. Inside was a single pony, sitting and watching her from a desk at the far end of the room. "Princess Celestia." Pierre said calmly. "I don't suppose you'd mind knocking next time? It might save us both some trouble." "You're awfully composed for a pony that's on his last leg." Celestia remarked, walking through the opening. "Don't you fear your judgement?" "I failed my country and I failed every single pony that lives within it." the ruby red pony with the white mane replied. "I cannot fear the punishment I rightly deserve." ~ "Lord Thunderhorn?" Rarity called out, throwing open the door to the tavern and looking around the room for the old stallion. Stepping inside, her eyes moved around the seemingly empty room. In the center was the large wooden table that they had all gathered around before leaving to perform their specific roles, the familiar crystal orb now glowing with a bright blue intensity on top. Lying on the floor beside the table was the old general, completely motionless on the ground. "Thunderhorn!" she screamed, running to his side and leaning in close beside him. "Ugh..." he groaned, slowly opening his eyes to stare directly at the white unicorn. "Rarity?" "Are you alright, Lord Thunderhorn?" she asked. "What happened to you?" "Those sorry, good for nothing drunks just left!" he said, gradually getting up off the floor. "There's some kind of commotion going on outside and they got all worried and left me alone. Do you know anything about that?" The general turned his gaze down towards the white unicorn's hooves, noticing the obscene amount of blood staining her coat. "I'm sorry-" Rarity said reluctantly before getting cut off. "Rarity, what happened to you!?" the general blurted out. "You're covered in blood!" "The riot got a little out of control." she admitted, keeping her tone. "I couldn't stop them. They wouldn't help us put the fires out and now they're heading to the common quarter, trying to start a larger riot." "Well it looks like you put up a good fight." the general mocked, leaning in closer to look at the blood spattering her hooves and face. Rarity sighed and lifted a hoof, turning it over in front of her and inspecting the damage to her perfect white coat, "It's okay. I'm not hurt." "Don't worry so much about the riot. It's not your fault that they ran off. Adrenaline and booze do weird things to a pony's sense of right and wrong." the old unicorn said. "And I'm sorry that I put such a heavy burden on you, Rarity. I guess I had just really hoped that we would have been able to control them. You should not have to feel responsible for their failures." "I just don't want anyone to get hurt..." Rarity said glumly. "Look, as long as we're making a fuss, we're making progress. We can only hope that things will take care of themselves when the princess arrives." the grey stallion said. "And although I had to put a little more effort into charging the orb after those drunks left, I still managed to completely fill it, before passing out. So let's go meet the others at the barracks, but first we should clean that blood off you so you don't scare anyone on the way over there." Rarity simply laughed at the idea, but when they got to the bathroom and she had a chance to get a good look at herself in the mirror, she almost cried. Thunderhorn, who had exhausted himself the most from charging the crystalline orb, looked bad. His old age seemed to finally be catching up with him and he could hardly stand on his own, but Rarity looked considerably worse. Her eyes were a horrible, piercing red colour with blue mascara bleeding down her face; her hair, a tangled rat's nest, dangling along her blood and soot stained coat in a lifeless heap. Once the absolute epitome of beauty, she was now a truly grotesque and almost painful sight to behold. As she tried to wash herself off and hold back her tears, she wondered how it was even possible for things to just completely fall apart like they had. It had been only a little longer than a day, but she looked more terrible than she could have ever imagined. Even when she had fought off Nightmare Moon and Discord, she hadn't looked this bad. So what was so different about their situation now? What was happening to her and the country she lived in? ________________________________________________________________________ Author's notes: Hello everyone! This time I know I'm repeating myself. Sorry it took so long for the new chapter to come out. I had to do some major revisions, my editor was busier than normal, and I had it to wait for it to go through two prereaders. In the end, it took about a week longer than I expected. On a better note, the next chapter should be out fairly soon. Why? Well, it's actually almost finished already. I essentially wrote both chapters at once because I had originally intended to accomplish a lot more in this chapter. However, it quickly went from about 30 pages to 45 (more than double the usual and quadruple the first few) and my editor and I decided that it would be best to cut it in half and give you one section first while I finish working on the other. I would like to take the time to thank my editor, Specter Von Baren, as well as my two prereaders, StyxD and a friend of mine that will be left unnamed at the moment. (Because I don't know what he wants to be referred to as...) Some of you may know him as the guy who worked on that impressive Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney crossover. (I believe it's titled "Turnabout Storm".) I know for sure that he did the voices for Phoenix and, I believe, a few of the other characters, but I think he also did a significant amount of work on the graphics. Anyway... Thanks to all of you. You really helped me improve this chapter and turn it into something really quite spectacular. I'm sure I would be in some kind of metaphorical ditch somewhere without your help. And as always, if you have any questions or comments about the story, you can reach me at my email: admin@theamberfox.ca I'll also be keeping a close eye on the comments below the story. ________________________________________________________________________ Disclaimer: "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" and its derivatives are the sole intellectual property of Hasbro©. I do not have, nor claim to have, the rights to the intellectual property that this story is based on.
Shadows of the Sun	Chapter 13	Shadows of the Sun By theamberfox Chapter 13 "Are you sure you're going to be alright, Lord Thunderhorn?" Rarity asked. The general was leaning on the white unicorn, one of his forelegs wrapped over her back while the two stumbled out of a dark alley and towards the royal barracks. Its huge metal gate was closed and flanked by two ponies, one of them easily recognizable as Firewater, the barkeep from the nobility quarter. "Don't worry about me." the old stallion replied. "I'm just a little exhausted from all that nonsense with the orb. I never thought I would end up doing so much of the work by myself. " The two unicorns had tried to avoid the main streets as they made their way through the city. The calamity of the rioting was spreading quickly and it was too dangerous to be out in the open. More of the nobles had joined the rebels that had split off from the original plan, fighting against the soldiers in what they believed was a war to restore their rights in the government. At the same time, the commoners had fought against them, fighting back against the greedy aristocrats in support of their princess' recent actions or simply trying to defend their homes from the anarchy. Now the capital was a warzone and the flames that had started it all were still burning. Without anyone to quell the fires, they were constantly taking more of the city, filling the air with a dark smoke that masked the stars and the moon above. The palace and the royal barracks were the only real safe places left in the city. They were well defended and pushed away from the majority of the fighting that was now taking place all over the noble and common quarters, so the few stray ponies that decided to approach had always turned back quickly. "Damn those unicorns!" the Thunderhorn grunted. "I knew we couldn't trust a bunch of sorry drunks." "I understand their concern." Rarity said, her voice filled with regret as she began to remember how she failed to stop the fires and infighting from spreading over the entire city. "I don't think they expected the riot to threaten their homes and families." "You have no idea how glad I'm going to be when we're done with this, Miss Rarity." the general sighed deeply. "Thunderhorn, Rarity, are you two alright?" Firewater interrupted, walking forward to meet them. "You didn't get caught up in the fighting did you?" "No, we're both just a little tired." Rarity answered, stopping and smiling weakly. "Thankfully, the orb is prepared and we should be ready to use it when Princess Celestia arrives." "You mean if Princess Celestia arrives." Thunderhorn intervened. "We still don't know if she's going to come back." "She simply must come back now, Lord Thunderhorn." Rarity said with confidence. "If Princess Luna refuses to intervene then this entire city will burn to ashes." Thunderhorn frowned, refusing to comment on their grim circumstances. "Where's Goldenroot and Vortex." Thunderhorn asked the barkeep, changing the subject. The Firewater's weak smile fell quickly, "I was hoping I wouldn't have to answer that question." "What happened!? Are they both alright?" Rarity panicked, jerking forward and causing Thunderhorn to stumble as he leaned against her. "Goldenroot is fine." the barkeep explained. "Vortex is in the infirmary. She's still alive, but..." "Where is the infirmary!?" "Go right through the main entrance of the largest building and it's the first door on your right." he responded promptly. "I'm sorry, Lord Thunderhorn." Rarity said hastily, pushing away from the old unicorn that was leaning on her. The elderly stallion stumbled, but managed to keep himself on his feet as he watched Rarity sprint to the door, throw it open with her magic and disappear inside. He cursed loudly and chased after her, limping slightly as he walked with the barkeep just watching him from the gate. As he approached the open door, he noticed the crumpled bushes on his left. An assortment of trampled twigs, leaves and bits of blue hair were scattered around the ground, all of which was soaked in a sickeningly large pool of blood that forced the unicorn to look the other way. He swore again, much more loudly this time, and bolted through the door, pulling himself through the opening and stumbling down the hallway and into the infirmary, a large room with a small administration desk near the entrance and several smaller rooms with doors lining the hallway beyond it. "Is she... is she going to be alright?" Rarity's voice stuttered from inside one of the rooms. Following the sound of her voice, Thunderhorn walked a little further into the medical centre and turned into one of the open doorways, his eyes immediately focusing on the heavily bandaged pegasus lying on a bed in the center of the room. Lying on her side, her sky blue tail was carefully laid out across the length of the bed, the long strands of hair resting softly on top of the sheets, but her mane was almost entirely hidden underneath the white bandages that covered the top of her head. The rest of her body was erratically covered. Most of her chest and all of her right foreleg were hidden, but the rest of her body remained uncovered, having suffered what appeared to be only minor injuries. Vortex's breathing was weak and strenuous. Her eye's closed tightly in her sleep, her chest expanding as far as it could as she took long breathes. Thunderhorn recognized it as a sign that she had damaged one of her lungs, puncturing or injuring the organ in a way that it was rendered almost completely inoperable and forced the single, undamaged lung to overexert itself in its absence. He wasn't sure what had happened to her, but whatever it was, it was doubtful that she would ever completely recover from it. Goldenroot was sitting on the floor next to the bed, the blue mare's face meeting his as he watched her with a pained expression. His eyes glimmered in the thin, mocking torchlight of the room, the stallion constantly trying to blink his sadness away as the warm liquid formed in the corners of his eyes. But his effort was in vein, only pushing the tears down the side of his face and sending them rolling down his cheeks like tiny rivers. "From what I can tell, she has a fractured leg, multiple broken ribs, a few damaged internal organs and severe head trauma." a chocolate brown unicorn, mostly likely some kind of doctor, replied methodically. "The leg and ribs should heal over time with no permanent damage. The organs should be okay too, but she can't overexert herself for several months until that lung heals." Rarity had her back to door, hiding her face from the general as she stood close to the pale green stallion. She seemed to be trying to comfort him, placing her hoof gently on his back, but it didn't seem to be helping. On the opposite side of the bed was the doctor. Thunderhorn could tell she wasn't very experienced, carefully levitating a clipboard in front of her and quickly switching her attention from it, to Vortex, to Rarity, and then back again. It was more likely that she was only just a nurse and not a doctor, but during a desperate time like the present, they were fortunate to have someone with even that much experience. "Now, the head trauma... I honestly don't know." the nurse replied hesitantly, running a hoof through her mane and down the back of her neck. "Any kind of injury to the brain is impossible for me to diagnose until she wakes up. If she's lucky, she won't have any permanent damage. If she's not... well I won't go into details, but please try to stay calm if she doesn't recognize you when she wakes up. You're only going to make it harder for her." "She... she can't just have completely forgotten who we are!" Rarity shouted doubtfully, spinning to face the unicorn standing on the opposite side of the bed. "I don't... I don't know..." the nurse stuttered, startled by the white unicorn's outburst. But as Rarity faced the nurse, Thunderhorn could see the tears in her eyes and he realized that she wasn't really angry at the mare. She was angry at herself. Angry that her wonderful plan to save the world was falling apart and that she was responsible for all the suffering, destruction and death carried along with it. "I'm sorry, but I have to check on the other patients. I'll be back in an hour to change her bandages." the nurse continued hastily. The nervous, chocolate brown unicorn gathered up a few of the things lying beside the bed and rushed passed the old general and out the door. Her eyes darted around the hallway once as she slowly opened one of the doors and closed it behind her. The nurse hadn't explicitly said so, but Thunderhorn knew what she meant. There was a good chance that Vortex's injury would be far worse than simple amnesia. And though he didn't know exactly what had happened to her, a significant head injury could cause paralysis in most of her body or send the pegasus into a deep coma that she might never fully recover from. Turning his attention back to the scene inside the room, Thunderhorn noticed that the tears had started to build up more quickly in the pale green pony's eyes. He shut them tightly, sobbing quietly as he lifted a hoof to his head and rested it against his forehead. Thunderhorn knew what it was like to sit at the bedside of a sick loved one. It was a horrible feeling that ravaged your thoughts and burned through your veins like acid, knowing that you could do nothing to help them, knowing that, even though all your friends, your family, and the doctors and nurses tried to convince you that everything was going to be okay, the love of your life was fading away like a wisp of smoke on a windy day. Rarity just fell backwards, sitting on the floor helplessly as she watched the young pegasus gasping for air on the bed in front of her, "I'm so sorry, Goldenroot." ~ "Princess!" Shock Wave yelled, throwing open the door to her chambers and bolting into the room. Sitting on the balcony and slowly turning her gaze from the burning fires and screaming in the city below, the moon princess stared at the soldier whom had just barged in. Her gaze was cold and depressing, her eyes sharing their sorrow and emptiness as they shone strangely in the light of the fires. "Princess Luna." the red pegasus continued, ignoring her unsettling gaze. "You have to do something! There's a rebellion within the city's walls. Canterlot is burning, rioters are taking over the streets and ponies are being killed. "The royal barracks has already been lost to the rebellion. I've ordered the soldiers to retreat to the castle, but strangely, that hasn't lured the fighting here. It's like they're not even targeting us." The princess turned back to the window, "Have you noticed soldier? Have you noticed that the sun has yet to rise above the horizon, yet it is well past ten o'clock in the morning now?" "Princess, forgive me, but I don't think that's important right now. We need to do something about the city." "Princess Celestia is attacking the capital of Prance. It's the only reason the sun has not yet risen." Luna replied, ignoring the soldier's alarm. "Please, your highness. We need to do something! I beg of you!" Shock Wave pleaded, slowly approaching the princess and trying to bring her back to the more important issue. "This isn't about me or you or anyone else in the city. It's about my sister. Only she is capable of repairing the damage to our city and our country." Luna said calmly. "Only she can fix this. After all, she promised me she would. "I've sent word to Celestia that she needs to return immediately, but it is to her discretion whether or not she decides to wait until after the war has concluded. However, I expect everything to be back under control as soon as she returns. "Until then, I want you and the remainder of the guard to stand down. Do not attack the rebels and do not leave the castle." "Stand down!?" the pegasus asked in shock. "Princess, we can't just wait for your sister to come back here and fix everything! The city is in peril and it is my sworn duty to protect the lives of the innocent and helpless." "You're making the mistake of assuming that the war in Prance has only just started." Luna replied vaguely. "You may not be Nightmare Moon anymore, but you're still a monster." Shock Wave lashed out. "I don't care if it's against your direct orders, I'm not just going to give up like you, just step aside and watch my city burn to ashes. I'm going to defend my city, my country and everyone inside it to my very last breath." Shock Wave, fed up with the alicorn's obvious apathy, stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her. The sound of her hooves echoed down the hallway, tears slowly rolling down the princess' cheeks as she heard them grow fainter and then finally disappear. ~ "Before I do anything, I want to know the truth. Why did you sabotage my country, Pierre?" Celestia asked sincerely. "What exactly did you hope to gain?" "My country was suffering, princess." Pierre replied, rising from his seat and walking to the huge window behind him, watching the horrifying scene below. "I only wanted a better life for all the ponies that live here in Prance. I never intended to harm your country or cause a war. I only wanted to show your stubborn council that they were making a mistake. The trade agreement would have helped both our nations." Celestia walked further into the elaborately decorated room. Its walls were lined with several expensive paintings, but the pair of extravagant statues and packed bookshelves that Twilight had described were absent, almost as if they had never existed at all. But the princess ignored the flaws in her student's depiction of the room and, nearing closer to the large desk Pierre was standing behind, her eyes narrowed and she glared inquisitively at the crimson pony across from her. "That's a very different story from what I was told." Celestia stated. "And what were you told?" the king asked, still focused on the sight below. "That you were trying to conquer my country. You were trying to overthrow me and my sister in some kind of elaborate plan to take over the world. You promised to give the council power, so they willingly helped sabotage their own country." The room was engulfed by an ominous silence and from the reflection in the window Celestia could see a faint smile form on Pierre's face. "Did Sir Goldenroot tell you that?" he asked. "No, Twilight Sparkle told me." "Your student?" Pierre asked in disbelief, finally turning to face the alicorn. "I thought she had died." "No, she never died, Pierre. You may have tried to kill her, but she never died." "Kill her?" Pierre replied, again in disbelief. "I suppose I can understand why you would think that, but I never even saw your student, only her belongings, which I immediately sent back to you." "How appropriate." Celestia said as she glared at him. "That's the exact same lie that your faithful subordinates tried to tell me, that she never even came here. Why are you lying to me, Pierre? Are you trying to make me feel sorry for you? Is this how you think you can escape your punishment?" The scarlet pony just turned back to the window. It was still dark outside, but it was well past the time the sun was normally supposed to rise. The moon hung high in the starry sky above, its light pouring through the massive window and washing over the king's body, forming a dark shadow on the floor underneath him. "Don't you think there is some truth, however small, in what we said?" he asked. "Or do you wish to hang on every single word your student has told you?" "She has no reason to lie to me." Celestia promptly responded. "Whether you choose to accept it or not, what she has told you is not entirely the truth" Pierre explained. "She's lying to you, princess, but even I don't understand why." "You're wrong, Pierre." Celestia stated. "She wouldn't lie to me." "I admire your faith in those around you, princess." the king admitted. "I only wish it wasn't so misplaced." The princess started to walk around the large desk and approach the king as he stared out the window. "I'm not going to kill you, Pierre." she explained quietly. "I don't believe you deserve such a terrible punishment, even if you did fill the world with lies and cause such irreparable damage to the world." The king continued to look outside the window, even as the princess neared closer to him. "I'm going to lock you in the dungeon beneath my castle." The alicorn continued. "Perhaps when you are ready to tell me the truth, then I will let you return to your own country." "There is no truth I haven't already told you, Princess Celestia." he said calmly. The princess stopped in her tracks only a short distance away from the ruby red pony. "But you are too kind." he continued, the reflection in the window showing him frown. "I could not save the weak, the young, the innocent... I have shamed myself beyond all forgiveness and I do not deserve to live among the ponies I swore, but failed to protect." The king turned to the princess. Clouded in the darkness of his own shadow, his face held an unforgettable expression. His eyes were filled with sorrow, but they held no tears, and his mouth gently trembled as he tried to force a fake smile in the bright moonlight. "I'm sorry, princess." he said. Turning back to the window, the king bolted forward and hurled himself into the thick glass. The princess could only watch as the window shattered and the crimson pony was sent into the blackness of the night, the glittering fragments of the window dotting the sky like tiny raindrops. Rushing towards the broken window and gazing down to the ground below, Celestia watched the pony and the fragments of the window grow smaller and smaller until they became invisible to her naked eye and the pony eventually stopped, slamming into the ground on the courtyard far below, his body lying in-between the two great statues and delicately arranged red and white flowerbeds on either side of the path. For what seemed like an eternity, the princess just looked down at the sight below. The soldiers of Prance, the soldiers of Equestria and the innocent ponies that had been caught in the middle rushed from all over the city to the fallen pony's side. And while they all looked down upon the king as he lay in the center of the path, the moon fell across the sky and disappeared over the horizon, making way for the bright sun that appeared just beyond the landscape. "Princess Celestia!" Swift Wing shouted, stopping at the doorway and looking around the room. The sight left the recently appointed colonel speechless. The massive window was shattered and the alicorn was just standing beside it, staring down into the city below as the sun slowly rose into the air outside and began to cast long shadows across the room. "Is it over?" Celestia asked, watching the sun climb over the horizon. "It's... it's over." the pegasus replied, removing her helmet and tossing it onto the ground. "Right after we all saw the window explode and Pierre's body fall from the tower, they just gave up. They just sat down and started taking off their armour." The princess said nothing and the room was once again bathed in silence as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky. "What are we going to do now?" Swift Wing asked. "We'll set up an interim government until things can return to normal." Celestia replied calmly. "Some of the soldiers will need to stay behind to watch over the country." The pegasus continued to watch the princess as a great flash of light illuminated the room in front of her. When the light subsided, a letter unravelled itself in front of the alicorn, the princess quietly starting to read it. "I have to go back to Canterlot." Celestia said abruptly, setting the letter on the large desk. "Find General Redhoof, he's in charge until I return. If you cannot find him, you're in charge." "What's going on?" the pegasus asked. "It's something that I alone have to deal with, colonel." the alicorn replied. "Just keep everything under control until I return." "Of course, your highness." ~ "Goldenroot, we're going to take the orb and wait at the palace." Rarity said quietly. "We think that when Princess Celestia arrives she will go there first." While the others were busy preparing for the princess' arrival, the stallion remained by the bedside in the small room, his eyes, although an intense red from his tears and prolonged sleep deprivation, still attentively watched the pegasus lying motionless in front of him. "Fine." he replied monotonously, his voice echoing around the small room. While the tone of his voice could easily be interpreted as apathy, the truth was entirely the opposite. He still cared about the city burning outside the door, the bloody war in Prance, and the two ponies that stood, watching him in the doorway that were trying to bring it all to a sudden and abrupt halt. But what mattered to him the most wasn't any of those things. He cared about her, the wonderful blue pegasus lying in front of him, and he refused to leave her side until he knew that she was okay. But as time wore on, he had begun to suspect the worst. "Neither of us is sure why, but the royal palace appears to be completely deserted." Thunderhorn added, answering the obvious question that Goldenroot had ignored. Silence engulfed the room as the two unicorns moved their gaze from the pale green stallion to the dark blue pegasus and then back again. The entire scene seemed to be frozen, encased in a block of cold, solid ice as the world continued to move, shift and turn all around it. Goldenroot wasn't taking this well, but then again, what kind of living, breathing pony could just ignore the pain of someone they cared about? "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Thunderhorn asked. "We may need your help." "I don't care about that anymore." Goldenroot lied. The unicorns exchanged worried glances, before turning back to the stallion waiting by the bedside. "Goodbye then, Goldenroot." Rarity said quietly. "We'll see you when we get back." The white unicorn smiled with a kind of hopeful determination, but soon turned around and quietly left out the doorway. Thunderhorn followed soon after, glancing once more at the stallion and then at the pegasus, before he backed out of the room and gently shut the door behind him, the handle slowly turning back into place as he gradually released his grasp. When the room was completely silent, Goldenroot turned to look at the door, silently hopeful that everything would be alright. Why is it that when the world burns, I'm the one holding the match? "Are they gone?" a weak voice asked from the bed, interrupting his thoughts. Goldenroot's head snapped towards the bed, Vortex's amber eyes glowing back at him softly. "Vortex!" he yelled, wrapping his forelegs around her and starting to sob. "Ow." she muttered quietly. Goldenroot jumped back, realizing that he was only aggravating her wounds and causing her more pain. "I thought you died, Vortex." he said, his voice shaking. "And... the doctor said that the blow to your head damaged your memory... She said that you might not even remember me." Standing near the bedside, Goldenroot watched the mare's eyes intently. His tears streamed down his cheeks, the stallion unable to hold back the bizarre combination of anxiety and joy that flooded his emotions. "I remember you, Goldenroot." she smiled faintly, tears beginning to roll down her face and soaking her pillow. "You still owe me an expensive gift." "I know, Vortex." he said, tears pouring down his face. The stallion leaned in and passionately kissed the mare on the lips, everything that led up to this moment flashing back into his memory like a strange dream. He remembered first setting his eyes upon her and thinking about how attractive she was and how hopeless he had always been. Focus on your job, he had told himself. She's not important. He remembered how she used to be and realized how much she'd changed and how wonderful and amazing she became to him when he finally discovered the real pony behind the stunning blue figure. And as the beautiful reveries finally drifted out of his thoughts, he realized how naïve he'd been that day. She was more important than anything and everything else in the world and he was never going to forget that. "I'm sorry, Goldenroot." she said, as the stallion slowly pulled away. "For what?" he asked. "I'm sorry I was so arrogant. I'm sorry I made you worry about me." "I didn't think I would ever hear you say that." Goldenroot smiled at her, "But I should be the one apologizing, Vortex. This... everything... it's all my fault. I was a fool and I put your life in danger. I dragged you into this mess and-" "Now don't get too mushy on me, Goldenroot." Vortex interrupted, grinning back at him. "You wouldn't want me to gag, would you?" For a moment, the two ponies simply smiled at each other in silence, but Vortex's expression slowly changed, the mare becoming absolutely serious and turning her gaze away from the stallion. "I heard what you said." she commented. "I think you should go help Thunderhorn and Rarity." "I don't want to leave you, Vortex." he said resolutely. "Not now." "Don't worry so much." she said, turning back to him with a smile on her face. "It's not like I'll be going anywhere. And besides, you still have to slay the dragon and save the princess. We made it this far and if you forget to do that, we can't have our happy fairytale ending, can we?" Something about the mare had always made the stallion smile and, even though he knew that she was in an extraordinary amount of pain, he felt himself grinning stupidly back at her. "I guess not." he said. ~ The sun was gently rising into the sky as Goldenroot entered the palace, the bright orb only barely visible past the thick smoke in the air above the city. The interior of the palace was exactly the same as it had been before the riot, the great marble pillars extending to the high ceiling above his head and the identical marble floors polished to a perfect sheen. "Sir Goldenroot!" Rarity shouted in surprise, rushing towards him. "I thought you weren't coming." "A certain blue pegasus managed to convince me otherwise." the stallion smiled happily. "She woke up!?" Thunderhorn asked, smiling ever so slightly. "And her memory doesn't appear to be damaged at all." Goldenroot replied. "Everything important is still there, at least." "Oh Sir Goldenroot, that's wonderful news." Rarity said, throwing her hooves around the stallion's neck. "It's nice to have some good news for a change," the general remarked, "but I think we'd better turn our attention back to our plan." Rarity released her hooves from around Goldenroot's neck and smiled at him happily once more before turning back to face the general, the green stallion also trying to focus his attention on the important final details of what had been a long, complicated, and exhausting plan. "We're not going to use the orb immediately. We both think it's worth the time to see if we can convince the princess to give herself up quietly. If she does that, we can avoid a potentially dangerous situation. However, if she refuses to submit herself, we need to use the artefact immediately, before she has a chance to react. Since I'm the only one who actually read the instructions for this thing, I think I should be the one to use it on her. It takes less than a second to actually unleash the magic, but we can't afford to take any chances so you two need to make some kind of distraction." "Like what?" Goldenroot asked. "Yell, shout, throw something at her... I don't care what you do as long as it works." Goldenroot nodded once, expressing his understanding. "Now, if anything goes wrong-" The general was cut off as a bright light filled the area, blinding the ponies and forcing them to turn away from the source at the center of the room. "Goldenroot, Thunderhorn, and... Rarity?" a voice asked in an aggressive tone. "I have to admit, while I almost expected some of the council members to return, I did not expect the element of generosity to betray me like this." The bright light faded away, revealing Princess Celestia who was gently flapping her wings against the air around her as she lowered herself to the ground. As she planted her hooves firmly on the floor, she folded her wings onto her side casually. "Regardless, you ponies have set fire to my city, started a riot within its walls and caused the death of many of my subjects." she said, glaring at each of the ponies individually. "Why are you doing this to me? Was it not enough to try and dethrone me once, you had to attempt to do it again? Will you not stop until one of us is dead, dismembered and buried?" "Princess Celestia, I'm sorry, but we needed your full attention." Goldenroot announced, stepping forward. "We were desperate to stop the war before it reached its climax." "The war is already over, Goldenroot." the princess said, walking towards him. "The war is over!?" the stallion shouted, stunned. "Prance was defeated and their king is dead." Celestia explained. "However, I will allow you to say what you want to say before I completely lose my patience with you." "There is no easy way to say this, your highness." he said, trying to focus even as his mind wandered to the horrible fact that they had been too late to stop the war before it ended. "Your student, Twilight Sparkle, is dead. The Twilight that you've spoken to is merely a hallucination. She's not real, Princess Celestia, and everything she's told you has all been just a lie." Beginning at the drought, the three ponies wove an elaborate story about the past, trying to describe every single tiny detail of the seemingly inexplicable events that had taken place over only a few short months. But as they told this extravagant tale, Celestia's mind wandered somewhere else entirely, leaving only her blank expression behind as she was consumed by the powerful memories of her past. "It's about Twilight... She's not coming home." "They think she's dead?" Ever since the very beginning, they believed she had died. But when Twilight came back, she proved them all wrong. She proved that she was too strong to be overwhelmed by simple bandits, too clever to be fooled by the falsities that Prance had twisted under her nose, and too ambitious to just give up when she was confronted with the horrifying events she knew would soon follow. "She was one of the best friends I had and nothing will ever change that. I just wish I hadn't let her leave by herself..." But why would Rarity lie about her own friend, whom she held so dear to her heart, being dead? "I'll come back as soon as I can tomorrow. I know we'll have a lot to talk about." Even if they were telling the truth, then who, or what, had she been talking to? What was it that she had seen, held, embraced, and even given up her own bed to on that stormy night so long ago? "So you don't know... what happened? Everyone thought she was dead, Celestia, yet she shows up in your bedroom in the middle of the night?" "I know it's hard to believe, but this was very real, Luna. I can assure you, no part of me thought it was a dream." "Well, we'll know when she comes back." Her sister had been so doubtful. She wasn't willing to believe that Twilight would just come back in the middle of the night without anyone else noticing her return. "Please, Princess Celestia." Rarity pleaded, approaching the alicorn cautiously and dragging her back to the present. "It's the truth. I... I walked into your bedroom when you were talking to her." Her legs trembling, her mouth dry, Celestia's gaze fixed itself on the exhausted, white unicorn in front of her. With the raging fires and the devastating riot quickly mutating her beautiful city into a hideous monster, she frantically tried to forget the uncertainty that plagued her memories and focus back on the issues of the present. "Twilight wasn't actually there." the Rarity continued slowly. "You were all alone in that room." Alone? Celestia wondered, drifting off once again. "I swear to you, princess! I'm not lying to you. I've never met your student. I was one of the ponies that accompanied King Pierre on his journey to your palace several months ago, the other being Daniel..." Catherine was right, the princess thought. I remember seeing them before, both her and Daniel. They had been the king's escorts when he had arrived at the palace in Equestria several months ago. I remember talking to them. I remember being curious and asking them about their jobs, their families and their country. I even remember Catherine telling me why she had joined the army in the first place. "Your student? I thought she had died." "No, she never died Pierre. You may have tried to kill her, but she never died." "Kill her? I suppose I can understand why you would think that, but I never even saw your student, only her belongings, which I immediately sent back to you." Was Pierre telling the truth as well? Celestia thought, her eyes beginning to water. "Whether you choose to accept it or not, what she has told you is not entirely the truth. She's lying to you, princess, but even I don't understand why." Was Twilight lying to me? the alicorn wondered, closing her eyes to hide the forming tears. "The Twilight that you've spoken to is merely a hallucination. She's not real, Princess Celestia, and everything she's told you has all been just a lie." Is she even alive? she thought. But then, what happened to her? "We spoke with your sister." Goldenroot said, pulling the princess back to reality. "We think she's afraid of you, princess." Afraid? Celestia thought, fading away from reality again. My sister is afraid of me? "You are and will always be more than just a student to me, Twilight. If I have to do this to protect you, my sister and everyone else in Equestria from harm, then I believe this is the right thing to do. I don't think I could ever live long enough to regret protecting the ones I care about." "When will you be back?" "As soon as I can be. I hope to be back in a few weeks, but I can't be sure. Nothing ever really seems to go according to plan, does it?" "I don't really care how long it takes, princess. I just want you to come back." "I will never leave you alone, Twilight. I won't make that mistake again." No. It's not true. Celestia thought, glaring down at the ponies in front of her. It wasn't all just a lie. Twilight can't be dead. I spoke with her and held her between my hooves. No mere hallucination could ever be that real. No simple illusion could trick me, turn me into a horrible monster and force me to mercilessly slaughter innocent ponies. "No!" Celestia screamed, finally giving voice to her thoughts. "You're lying! She's not dead and you're all filthy liars! Every one of you! You burned and terrorized my city! You conspired against me and forced a war upon my country!" Her eyes shone with a terrible rage as she spoke, her horrible glare moving quickly around to each of the ponies individually. "I'm sick of your lies and I refuse to let you wreak havoc on my country." the alicorn continued. Realizing that the situation was about to turn violent, Thunderhorn cried out, "Goldenroot! Rarity!" The two rushed away from the princess simultaneously, trying to redirect her attention towards them as the general pulled the shimmering blue sphere out of his bag. But the distraction failed as the princess just stared at the strange orb the old unicorn was holding in the air beside him, I remember that... In one swift motion, Thunderhorn shot a beam of light from his horn into the small orb, the light amplifying and changing colour as it shot out the other side. A magnificent blue light filled the entire room as the beam flew through the air towards the princess, but she knew exactly what they were trying to do. She recognized the crystalline orb from so long ago. She remembered why it was created, how it was used, where it was stored, even the exact words detailing the surface of the sphere. Her horn shone with a bright light that wrapped itself around the princess tightly, the piercing blue beam smashing into the barrier just as it managed to close in front of her. The magic exploded along its surface and pushed the princess, reducing the marble tiles on the floor beneath her to rubble and sending her crashing against the far wall. The resulting impact shook the entire palace, the blue light finally subsiding as its power dissipated into the barrier. With the last of the orb's magic gone, the light around Celestia disappeared and the exhausted princess stumbled and fell to the ground. "You won't kill me here, not now." she wheezed, gasping for air as she climbed back to her hooves and inched slowly forwards. Her horn shone again, her anger pulsating through the room as she moved towards the old unicorn. "Goldenroot, Rarity, run!" Thunderhorn yelled. "Get out of here! I'll stall her for as long as I can." The two ponies did as instructed and turned to the doorway, hoping to escape before the princess turned her fury on them. "You will do no such thing!" Celestia roared, the magic around her horn swirling and darkening as she slowly neared closer to the grey unicorn. "I won't let you continue to destroy my country with your selfish lies." As she lowered her head and prepared to unleash her magic on the general, the elegant tiara placed neatly on the top of her head slid off and fell to the ground, landing with a hard clunk as it crashed into the floor. Ignoring the trinket, the princess let loose her magic, the powerful golden light cutting through the air as it approached the old stallion. The general hastily threw up a magical barrier, but after thoroughly exhausting himself from filling the crystalline orb, the barrier was futile, shredding like paper against Celestia's magic. The general cried out in pain as the magic wracked his body and sent him flying across the room, smashing him into the stone wall and discarding him onto the floor. The crystalline orb, once again glowing with a faint orange light, rolled slowly away from his disfigured body and into the shadows of the room. The vivid orange letters projected themselves through the darkness and onto the wall, making the text written along the orb's surface perfectly readable on the cold, stone nearby. My beloved sister, my only family, I would toss aside my immortal life, my royal blood, and everything else I own for you, the one true constant in my world. Goldenroot and Rarity continued to run towards the door as the alicorn started to refocus her magic power. She reached out with her magic and grabbed hold of the two fleeing ponies as soon as they neared the exit and gradually began pulling them closer to her. "Princess Celestia!" Rarity desperately cried out. "Please, I know this isn't who you really are! You're the most kind and generous pony in the world; you would never want to hurt us!" But the princess just continued to pull them closer, tightening her grasp on the two ponies and squeezing their bodies, forcing their eyes closed and making them scream in pain as they were crushed in her magical grip. "You're right, Rarity. I was kind. I was generous." she explained with an intense hatred in her eyes. "But how can I be so kind and generous while you tread on my very existence? You destroyed the pony I once was and you created this monster that I am now!" While the two cried out in pain, a strange cloud of magic was hiding in the shadows. It was reading the words on the wall and then watching the horrific display in the center of the room, watching as the one it knew as its sister turned into a terrible monster and killed the ponies she once cared for. She killed Thunderhorn, the pony that she had once trusted with her deepest, darkest secrets, and she was about to kill Rarity, the element of generosity that had helped save her sister, and Goldenroot, the pony that was willing to sacrifice himself just to save the forests of her land. "Sister!" Luna screamed at the top of her lungs, tears streaming down her face as she slowly materialized out of the shadows. Celestia loosened her grip on the two ponies, allowing them to breathe as she faced her younger sister. "Luna! I... I didn't want you..." Celestia stuttered, slowly coming to realize the horror of what she was doing. "Why are you doing this?" the moon princess asked, lowering her voice as her teardrops sprinkled onto the marble floor below. "What's happening to you?" "They lied to me, Luna." Celestia stated, regaining her composure slightly. "They tried to destroy our country. I cannot let their crimes go unpunished." Luna continued to sob, her tears soaking the ground as she just watched her sister. Her eyes forced shut by her sister's prying gaze, Celestia couldn't bear to look at her sibling and turned away. "They're not lying to you, Celestia." Luna said, finally breaking the strange silence that had filled the room. "What... what do you mean?" Celestia asked apprehensively, her body trembling as she turned back to face her sister. The two alicorns just stared at one another. Luna merely looked upon her sister with tears in her eyes and sorrow in her heart, while Celestia gazed back towards her with a strange sense of misunderstanding, like she had no idea what was going on or why any of this was happening. Slowly, Luna's horn started to glow with a brilliant blue light and she lowered her head, staring down to the floor at her hooves. "I'm sorry, Celestia." Luna said regretfully, her voice shaking as she closed her eyes. "I didn't want it to end this way." Celestia gently set the two ponies she was holding on the ground, the light encompassing them vanishing as they touched the ground. As soon as the light disappeared and the two ponies collapsed on the floor, a beam of light shot from Luna's horn and Celestia just watched as it slowly encircled her, tugging at her body and eventually causing her to disappear from the room completely. ~ Luna stood behind a podium on a large wooden platform pushed to the far edge of the town square. A massive crowd completely filled the area, small fillies and colts pointing at the stage and tugging on their parent's tails as they tried to figure out what was going on. Their parents, however, were not quite so lost. Very little had been explained about the gathering, but they seemed to believe that they knew what it was all about. Everything that had led up to this point over the past few weeks had been some of the worst events in the history of their country. The drought, the war, the fires, the riots, they were terrible trials that all seemed to have ended at once. They thanked their princess for their salvation and now they were expecting a kind of celebration after all the hardships they had endured. However, they didn't seem to know why Princess Luna was on stage in place of her sister, so the ponies just stood and waited in silent anticipation. "Citizens of Equestria!" Luna announced from behind the podium. "The drought is finally gone, every last trace of it washed from existence!" The ponies in the crowd started to cheer loudly, happy to hear of their victory over the terrible plague that had seemed to start everything. "The war is over, Prance was defeated and they now reside under our watchful eye." Again, the ponies cheered, stomping the ground and looking at each other in excitement. "The fires were extinguished and the riot was ended, but though our city is damaged, reconstruction is in progress and the ones involved in the riot are being punished appropriately." Still, the ponies cheered loudly and stomped at the ground with their hooves. "Yet everything you've been told was all part of a terrible, destructive lie." Luna continued, her voice changing from the pleasant tone it once was as she began to explain what had actually happened. The crowd went from a roaring applause to complete silence at this remark, every one of the ponies staring back at the alicorn in confusion. "My sister has been swept away by grief, taken by lies and falsities." Luna announced, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry to tell you that she spread these lies onto you. Prance was not trying to conquer us, the council was not responsible for the drought, though one individual in particular was indeed responsible for making it worse, and the fires and the riot that took place only a few days ago were not started out of hatred for my sister. Instead, they were started because it was the only way we could pull her back to reality and force her to realize the truth." The princess paused for a moment, turning her head and attempting to blink her tears away and stop herself from breaking down in front of her subjects. "She has been locked away now, down in the deepest catacombs of the castle." Luna continued. "And there she will remain for as long as it takes for her to regain her health. Perhaps someday, when you are able to trust her again, she will resume her duty as the ruling monarch over our land, but until then, I will take her place." The ponies in the crowd below were visibly apprehensive about this new insight. Princess Celestia has been locked away and her sister was just supposed to take her place? Was she not the same sister that devolved into the villainous Nightmare Moon not so very long ago? "I know that you are hesitant to trust me when I tell you this. I admit that I am not so sure that I am completely up to the task of ruling over this nation, or even worthy of it, so I am going to restore the council. Alas, the previous council members are either not capable of performing their roles any longer or have no desire to return to that life. Goldenroot will be banished for conspiracy against our country, Lord Thunderhorn perished in the riot, Lord Crescendo has gone missing, and Lady Wind Dancer, Lady Prairie Star, and Lady Vortex are all unwilling to continue with their positions in the government. Therefore, a new council must be created, one that will not be limited to just the nobility, but instead one that will include the entire populace of Equestria." The ponies started to talk amongst themselves and soon the town square was filled to the brim with an amalgamation of verbal dissent and panic at their situation. They didn't seem to believe Princess Luna nor did they even want to believe her. Everything they did, everything they fought for, it couldn't possibly all just be part of an elaborate lie, could it? And amid all the confusion and even terror of the ponies around her, Luna just calmly turned back and walked off the stage. ~ She'd been cooped up in that tiny room for about a week now. Every day was the same, relatively dull experience. She would lie in her lumpy hospital bed and read, eat, sleep, or groan while various doctors and nurses badgered her with their concerns. She wouldn't mind them so much, except they always managed to find some new complication as a result of her injury. First, she was diagnosed with 'monocular temporal hemianopia'. The doctor had described it as 'a visual field defect aligned along the vertical meridian of the affected eye', but what it meant to her was that she had permanently lost all of the peripheral vision out of her right eye. Then she discovered that she had lost her unique ability to accurately tell the time using the position of certain objects in the sky as a frame of reference. Strangely, she was more upset about that than the loss of her peripheral vision. Everyone always found that trick to be so impressive. Fortunately, however, both Goldenroot and Rarity would stop by to visit her and break up the day, the former always arriving more frequently and staying for much longer periods of time. She always wanted them to stay longer than they did, but they would both utter the exact same phrase like some kind of mindless machine. "You need your rest." they would say. And then they would leave her alone, off to do something much more important and interesting. It was all a practically unbearable experience and she didn't want to spend a minute longer in that tiny room. She just wanted to get outside and move around. She wanted to do something, anything at all. Ugh! What time is it? she asked herself, staring out the small window near her bed and gazing out over the landscape. Goldenroot said he would be here at noon. It looked very cold outside the window. The first snow of the season had finally begun to fall and it now blanketed the ruined streets and burned buildings of Canterlot in a soft, fluffy white. Turning her eyes from the snow covered buildings, she focused her attention on the ponies that wandered around the city. Wrapped with thick, winter scarves, they simply tried to avoid the bite of the frigid, winter air. And of course, it's going to be absolutely freezing when I finally get out of here. Vortex sighed. Suddenly, a light, but quick succession of taps against the door interrupted her train of thought and Vortex pulled herself upright, leaning her back against the headboard. Looking at the entrance with a big grin on her face, she called out, "I already told you, you don't need to knock. Just come in." The pony on the other side seemed to hesitate for a moment, but eventually the door slowly creaked open and revealed a familiar face. Indeed, she recognized the face of the pony standing in the doorway, but it wasn't exactly who she had been expecting. The brilliant golden armour the pony usually wore was absent and the cherry red pegasus, spotted with flecks of snow, was awkwardly cradling a long, skinny glass vase in her hoof. It was filled with seven, bright pink tulips that shot out of the delicate, semitransparent blue container like fireworks. "Oh..." Vortex replied, her smile falling. "Hi." "I... I got you these." Shock Wave replied, stuttering and trying to smile at the bedridden mare while she balanced the vase precariously in her hoof. "I know you don't really like flowers, but I... I still needed to apologize to you." Vortex said nothing in response, just watching as the mare invited herself in, closed the door and walked further into the small room before carefully setting the vase down on the small bedside table. She was curious how the mare had managed to get such bright flowers at this time of the year, but her trivial curiosity was pushed to the back of her mind. "I'm sorry, Vortex." Shock Wave said, unable to look at the other pegasus directly, her eyes staring at the flowers on the table. "I should have believed you. I should have known that you wouldn't lie to me about something like that." Shock Wave slowly sat down on floor near the bed, glancing up at Vortex momentarily before diverting her eyes away again. "I still find it hard to believe that the princess has really gone insane," she continued, "but I know you were telling the truth now and I... I'm so sorry I hurt you, Vortex. I..." The pegasus drifted off and the two ponies sat in a strange, awkward silence for a long time. Vortex just quietly stared at the mare sitting beside her bed while Shock Wave periodically changed her gaze from the vase of flowers, to the floor, to Vortex, never keeping her eye on anything for more than a few seconds at a time. Just looking at Shock Wave pulled and tugged at Vortex's emotions. She wasn't sure what to think about her. She was a friend from her past, one she had been willing to trust with her life, yet this red pegasus had refused to do the same when it had really mattered. She tried to kill her and while Vortex had a strange feeling inside her, like she was supposed to accept her apology, it was a sin that she wasn't sure she was ready or even willing to forgive. "I got kicked out of the royal guard." Shock Wave stated plainly. "Luna was doing nothing about the riot and after we... met at the barracks, I assumed command of the remaining soldiers stationed in the city." She paused for a moment, grinning slightly as she looked at the pink flowers sitting on the table. Shock Wave seemed to be proud of her actions, even if they got her fired. "Against her direct orders, I tried to stop the rioting and extinguish the fires." she continued. "But Luna is nothing like Princess Celestia. She didn't understand. She considered my actions to be desertion and I was issued a dishonourable discharge for misconduct and treason." Shock Wave turned her head, finally facing the dark blue mare directly. "You know, I'd feel a lot better about this whole thing if you were back in the council. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider that position? I know that every single pony in this country would welcome you back." "I'm leaving Equestria." Vortex replied firmly. "What!? Why?" the red pegasus asked in disbelief. "Goldenroot was banished from the country, so I'm going to leave with him." "You're joking, right?" Shock Wave asked doubtfully. "Please tell me you're joking... After all you've done, you're just going to run away with some stallion and disappear forever? Do you even realize what's happened? This country is in pieces." "I know that, but the last thing anyone in Equestria needs right now is some overzealous rebel in the council." Vortex explained. "I'm only going to make things worse if I stay here." "Have you even seen the council candidates?" Shock Wave argued. "They're all extremists, radical commoners or conservative nobles. Not only that, but now we have to deal with Nightmare Moon as our monarch instead of the princess. Things were better the way they were before." "You were living in a lie, Shock Wave!" Vortex argued back. "You can't possibly want to live in some fantasy world, just pretending that everything's perfect when it's really the complete opposite." "At least I was happy!" Shock Wave yelled angrily, standing up. "I don't care if it was a fantasy or not, it's better than what we have now." For a moment, Vortex was angry at Shock Wave. She sacrificed so much to make this country a better place, now she was trying to tell her that it was all just a mistake? But the feeling quickly fled from her emotions and she was left with only a sense of disappointment. It was heartbreaking to see that the pegasus standing in front of her was so very different from the friend she so fondly remembered. "I... I think you should leave." The cherry red pegasus just stared back at her, like she hadn't even heard what she said. "Fine!" she said abruptly, walking to the door. Vortex watched as she stormed to the exit and flung open the door, turning around and glaring at her once more before she left. "You're a coward, Vortex," Shock Wave said, "and you're definitely not the same pegasus I remember." With that, she turned and left out the door, slamming it closed and leaving Vortex alone in the silence of the small room. Turning to look at the bright, pink flowers by her bedside, she was beginning to wonder if her former friend was right. She truly believed that they had done the right thing, but, while the flames were gone, was she really just leaving her country behind while the embers still burned on the ground? Would matters only get worse now that Celestia was gone? Why does everything have to be so hard? She thought, slowly pulling herself back under the covers of her bed. She didn't want to just leave them behind, but what could she even do? She was useless by herself, she didn't really know anything about politics, and she refused to abandon Goldenroot and all of her happiness for what was almost certainly simple paranoia. Curled up inside her bed and staring intently at the tulips, another light tap sounded at the door before it swung open and revealed another familiar face. Except this time, it was someone she actually wanted to see. "Hey, Vortex." Goldenroot smiled, slipping into the room and quietly closing the door after him. "I know how much you hate this hospital food so I brought you a sandwich." The cheerful stallion smiled as he walked over to the table and reached out to the saddlebags slung over his back. Lifting the flap, he pulled out a large paper bag and set it down on the table next to the flowers. "You certainly don't see many of those at this time of the year." he remarked, gesturing to the flowers. "You're late." Vortex said astutely, pulling herself upright and leaning against the headboard again. Goldenroot's smile fell, "Actually... I'm about ten minutes early." Vortex frowned and glanced out the window once more. She really missed that trick, but more than anything, she hated being wrong. "Hey, don't worry about it." Goldenroot grinned. "I think I've got something that will cheer you up." He reached into his bag again and pulled out a small, square box and set it gently on the bed, next to the mare. It was wrapped in shiny, white paper and had a pretty blue bow tied around it, the exact same colour as her coat. "I was going to wait until after we ate, but..." Goldenroot said, drifting off. "You know I was just joking about that 'expensive gift' thing, right?" Vortex asked, smiling back at him. "You better not have been." Goldenroot laughed. "This thing cost a fortune." And though it had been nothing short of a nightmare, something about the stallion's joyful grin and reassuring disposition told her that everything was going to be alright. She didn't have to stay here, give up her dreams and happiness to watch over Equestria like a suckling baby. It was much too naïve to think that the country would simply fall apart after what they did and that she was the glue holding it all together. Things would get better over time. Equestria could take care of itself. Goldenroot grinned, "Well don't just stare at it." ~ It was snowing. The five ponies stood in a small semicircle around the two nearly identical stones protruding out of the ground, the entire scene enclosed under a bubble of magic that kept the small, white flakes from entering and disturbing the ponies inside. Rarity was standing on the far left of the group and was solely responsible for projecting the bubble. As usual, her mane and tail were perfectly stylized, her makeup flawlessly applied and her coat a brilliant, shining white. To her right, was Wind Dancer, the pegasus' appearance almost identical to that of the unicorn beside her, if only slightly less immaculate. Her wings were carefully folded against her side and her gaze was focused intently on the stones in front of her. And to her right, was Prairie Star, who had made the long journey to Equestria just for this one special, but depressing occasion. Her straight, golden mane partially obscured the earth pony's face, rolling down the light brown coat of hair on her neck. Continuing on down the line was Goldenroot, the pale green stallion with the bizarre, leafless golden tree on his flank, and finally Vortex, the dark blue pegasus with the light blue hair and swirling torrent of water on her own flank. The two were standing close beside each other, the latter having just recently recovered from her injuries during the riot. The rigid stone on right of their field of vision read, Here lies Lady Violet, the mare that gave me a reason to love and a reason to live. You showed me the beauty of the world and everything inside it. And though our time was short, it will never be forgotten as the single happiest time of my life. The stone on the left read, Here lies Lord Thunderhorn, a soldier, a general, a friend and a loving husband. He fought for what he believed in and he never gave up hope. His selfless courage and wisdom will forever be an inspiration to us all. "It doesn't really seem fair." Rarity said glumly. "He worked so hard for our future, but he was never given the chance to experience it." "I think he would be happy to know that his sacrifice saved the both of us." Goldenroot replied. "And although Equestria does not seem to welcome Princess Luna or the new council with open arms, I think that over time things will improve and eventually return to normal." "Where will you go?" Rarity asked, turning to face the stallion. "You have to leave today, don't you?" "Yes. Luna withheld my banishment only just long enough so that Vortex and I could leave together." "Yep, besides my peripheral vision, everything's healed up nicely now." Vortex stated plainly, unfolding her wings and stretching them out in front of the group. "And after getting kicked in the head, I only seem to have managed to forget one thing." "Well I certainly hope it wasn't anything important." Rarity said with concern. "Well it was important," the blue mare replied factually, returning her wings to her side, "but then Goldenroot bought me this watch." The pegasus lifted her right foreleg into the air, flaunting the elegant, golden watch sitting only a few inches from the very end of her hoof. Secured by a thick, gold and silver strap, the face of the timepiece held twelve little diamonds that were placed evenly around the circumference, one for each hour, and three shining silver hands so the pegasus could tell the time down to the exact second of the day. Each of the ponies around her, with the exclusion of Goldenroot, who only sighed heavily and started to rub the bridge of his nose with a hoof, slowly walked closer, trying to examine the watch's more intricate details. It was probably the most expensive watch they'd ever seen and until now, none of them knew such a thing even existed. "It's twenty-four karat gold, twenty-four karat platinum, the diamonds are perfectly flawless and it's both protected and powered by a magically imbued artefact, so it won't break and I don't have to rewind it every other hour." Vortex bragged, still holding the watch in front of her. "You're totally jealous, aren't you Rarity?" She was jealous. "That is absolutely gorgeous, Vortex." Rarity said, still a little baffled by the expensive watch. "Vortex, you don't need to brag about it..." Goldenroot said quietly, trying to pull everyone's attention away from the watch. "Goldenroot, forgive me for asking, but how exactly could you afford something like that?" Wind Dancer asked suspiciously. "You're not exactly the wealthiest noble on the block." "Well it's not like I need my house anymore." he replied with a smirk. Vortex lowered her hoof quickly, the stallion's remark instantly reminding her of what she had wanted to say before she had gotten so carried away showing off her watch. "That's right!" the blue pegasus announced. "Since we can't stay here, we both decided we're going to go on some kind of elaborate adventure. Maybe we'll even find Crescendo and tell him what happened." She paused for a moment, just smiling at each of the ponies around the group before stopping in Goldenroot's direction, her smile growing brighter. "Or maybe we'll just go behind a bush somewhere and make out." she continued. Goldenroot just shook his head slowly, giving the pegasus a strange look while she just grinned back at him. "Are you going to be okay, Miss Rarity?" Goldenroot asked, turning back to the unicorn. "I mean, have you found out anything about what happened to Twilight Sparkle?" "You don't need to concern yourself with that anymore, Goldenroot." she said, finally tearing her gaze away from the expensive watch and smiling quaintly at the stallion. "You've already done more than I could have possibly asked from you. You don't, and never will, owe me anything." The pale green stallion smiled back at her. "And I did manage to find her belongings, so hopefully something in there will help me understand what happened to Twilight." Rarity continued. "Well, I'm going to stay here in Equestria." Wind Dancer intervened, jumping into the conversation awkwardly. "Even if my house was burned to the ground, one doesn't keep absurd amounts of gold hidden in their cellar for no reason. My house has already been rebuilt to look exactly as it did before." Each of the ponies grinned and chuckled at her statement. Wind Dancer hadn't changed a bit. "And you." she continued, turning to Goldenroot. She just stared at him for a moment, the group enveloped in complete silence as the tiny flakes of snow drifted around the magical bubble that encased them. "Thank you." the white pegasus finally said. "I believe we are on equal terms once again." "That's good enough for me, Wind Dancer." the stallion replied. "That's Lady Wind Dancer, Goldenroot." she corrected with a smile. "Unlike you, I had my noble status restored." "Until you find out where you're going to go, you're more than welcome to stay with me for as long as you wish." Prairie Star intervened. "I found a job as a baker and I have a very nice house in that village now." "I don't know, Star, we might keep you up all night." Vortex smirked. Goldenroot turned and gave her another harsh glare at her vulgar comment, the pegasus just smiling more brightly at his reaction. "We'll keep it down." Goldenroot said quietly, turning back to the brown earth pony. The group faded back into silence for a minute longer, turning their attention back to the tombstones and just staring at them as the snow gently landed, melted and rolled down the surface of the bubble surrounding them. "Miss Rarity?" Goldenroot asked, breaking the momentary silence and turning to the unicorn. "When you do find out what happened to Twilight, I think you need to tell Princess Celestia. I worry about the princess. I've gone to visit her in the prison below the castle a few times now, but every time I see her it's the exact same thing. She's completely traumatized from the incident. She doesn't eat, she doesn't speak, she hardly even moves. Even when you address her directly, she simply stares through the barrier, right past you like you're not even there. "I don't think she's actually come to terms with Twilight's death and the fact that Princess Luna, her own sister, has been so busy with the political state of affairs that she hasn't had the time to see her even once, only makes her situation more depressing." The stallion paused, returning his gaze back towards the tombstones. "I just think she might feel better if she knew what happened to Twilight, even if it's not exactly something she wants to hear." he finally continued. "As soon as I find out what happened, I will tell her." Rarity replied, trying to force a reassuring smile. Pausing, the unicorn's fake smile vanished and she gently closed her eyes. "But I can only hope that she will believe me when I tell her. If she doesn't, then I fear she will remain this way forever..." Rarity continued, "...or at least until she is no longer willing to endure the horrible pain and tragedy of her life." _______________________________________________________________________ Author's Notes: Hey everyone. I was trying to get this chapter out before I left for vacation. Unfortunately, it seemed like I wouldn't make, but now my flight's delayed, so I guess I will. Anyway, although this chapter wraps up a lot of the conflict, this isn't the end. There's still one more chapter left. That last chapter will show up sometime when I get back from vacation. As always, thanks to my editor, Specter Von Baren, and my two prereaders, StyxD and my nameless friend. I really appreciated your help with this chapter, even if it did create a lot of extra work for me. _______________________________________________________________________ Disclaimer: "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" and its derivatives are the sole intellectual property of Hasbro©. I do not have, nor claim to have, the rights to the intellectual property that this story is based on.
Shadows of the Sun	Chapter 14	Shadows of the Sun By theamberfox Chapter 14 Though the cell was located in the coldest, darkest, and most unwelcoming part of the catacombs, it wasn't necessarily an uncomfortable place. A large room, it was quite similar to the royal bedchambers of the palace above. Several bookcases were pushed against the far wall, packed with every topic from fairy tales and folklores to conversational philosophy and ethics. In one corner was a large, comfy bed with a delicate black canopy. The dark fabric, dotted with tiny stars, seemed to flow down around the bed, gently covering the sides and resting against the floor, a surface built from large, deep violet glass tiles. In the opposite corner, and beside a door leading into a small bathroom with all the usual necessities, was a black vanity with an impressively large, oval mirror. Finally, there was a large, oval rug that was black in colour and placed in the exact center of the room. The entire space, with the exception of the small bathroom, was perfectly visible from the shining, glasslike barrier that served as the cells prison bars, the divider between the tiny, seemingly perfect, colour coordinated world inside, and the chaos of the real and unfortunately opposite world on the outside. Or at least it would have been perfect if not for the single blot of white on the otherwise faultless scene. Princess Celestia was lying on the big rug in the center of the room, equal distance from both the canopied bed and the pitch black vanity that her jewellery now carelessly rested upon. Every day, she would perform the same set of tasks, the same strange ritual. She would get out of bed, carefully clean and arrange the sheets, move to the bathroom, carefully clean and arrange herself in the mirror, and lie in the center of the room where she would eat one meal each day, a large bowl of mixed greens. It wasn't enough to eat just this one small meal, however, and every day she was hungrier than the last. The guards were not heartless, they had always offered her more food than just the single bowl of vegetables once a day, but she refused to eat anything more than that. Anything else they left in the room would sit and wait and eventually give off a foul odour, finally signalling the guards to take it away. Even now, so long after she had been first imprisoned, her thoughts raced around her head and pushed away her hunger and her fatigue. She was worried about her sister, about her country, and even about herself. But more than anything else, she was worried about Twilight. Luna, Rarity, Goldenroot, Thunderhorn, all the ponies she had trusted over the years were all so absolutely convinced that Twilight was dead, but that didn't make any sense. She saw her! Heard her! Felt her! And every single time it was more real than the last. But she had trusted them all, so then they had to be telling the truth, or at least what they all believed to be the truth. "Can I see her now?" a voice asked from outside her cell. It was painful! It hurt so much for her to even think about it. Was Twilight alive or dead? "Are you sure it's alright?" the voice asked again. "I can always come back at another time." "Yeah, whatever." another voice replied, one that Celestia recognized as the guard watching her cell. "If you want to go stare at her, go right ahead." "Oh, umm... Thank you." Twilight couldn't be dead, no that seemed impossible. But then, why was everyone else so convinced that the impossible was true? Rarity said she saw me talking to Twilight, the alicorn thought as she stared at the dark floor of her cell, but she said Twilight wasn't there. The sound of a pony's hoofsteps slowly grew in volume as they entered the hallway and neared the princess' cell. Coming to a rather graceful halt, the pony stopped right in front of the cell and gazed in. Who was I talking to!? "Hello, Princess Celestia." the voice said. From her limited view, the princess could only see the pony's hooves in front of her. They were white. A dream? Celestia thought, ignoring the pony in front of her. A hallucination? But she told me the truth! She knew that Prance and Goldenroot were involved in the drought. Even if she did exaggerate their involvement, she knew what was going on when I did not. "Pardon me for arriving so early in the morning, but I promised someone that I would tell you as soon as I could." the voice continued. "It's about Twilight Sparkle." Celestia's head snapped upwards, her gaze focused on the white pony in front of her. It wasn't the first time she had heard those words since her imprisonment, but it was the first time she ever thought that the pony uttering them was going to tell her something she didn't already know. Standing across from her, on the other side of the magic wall, was Rarity. Her delicate indigo hair was the same as it always was; a picture of perfection in the dark corridors of the castle catacombs. Her coat was the same brilliant white she had always remembered it to be and her eyes were the same sparkling sapphire. And on her face, was a small, but pleasant smile. She was trying so hard to keep a calm disposition and a positive attitude in this grim place. "Though, I think it's a story that's better told by someone else." Rarity said. At that moment, the alicorn realized that the white pony was levitating a small book in the air beside her. Her gaze intently watching the book, it floated through the air and into the prison cell, passing through the strange magical barrier like a hot knife through butter. It moved further into the room and finally floated down and came to a rest on the floor beside Celestia. It was still kind of a strange feeling, to be inside that small room. Celestia had designed the cell so that anyone outside the prison could interact with the world inside as if the barrier was virtually nonexistent; however, for the actual prisoner, it was the complete opposite. Celestia could not pass through the magical wall, nor could she fully interact with the world outside. Only her senses extended through the shimmering wall, giving her the illusion that she was still a part of the real world. In every possible way, it was the perfect prison, performing exactly the way she had wanted it to. And though it pained her to know that the cell was never used for its originally intended purpose, she was somewhat relieved to know that it was so... flawless. "I found this among her things, the ones that were recovered from Prance." Rarity continued. "Have you read it yet?" Celestia recognized the little book now, it was Twilight's journal. "It's blank." Celestia said quietly. Indeed, the princess remembered reading through the journal. She remembered flipping through every single page and being so utterly devastated when she realized that it was completely empty, devoid of any words, drawings, markings, or anything at all. "Blank?" Rarity asked, tilting her head to the side. "Pardon me, princess, but it's not blank." "Please, Rarity." Celestia replied. "Though I am perhaps deserving of your ridicule, please don't tease me. I read that journal. That journal is blank." "Then you... you won't even open it?" "I would appreciate it if you just left me alone right now, Rarity." The white unicorn said nothing in return, hesitating for a moment before turning around and leaving back the way she came, her hoofsteps gradually fading away before finally disappearing completely. Why would she bring this to me? Celestia thought. Why would she tell there are words inside this book when I know for a fact that the opposite is true? The princess was simply aggravated by the unicorn's teasing at first, but as she watched the book on the floor beside her, she grew ever more curious about its contents. Perhaps... I missed something? She thought. She gently flipped open the cover of the book, hopeful that the unicorn had not been lying about what she said. To her dismay, the first page was blank. In the end, Goldenroot was just a conspirator. He only claims to have noble intentions, but he betrayed his own country, made them bend to his will just because he wanted the world to match his fantasy. I don't believe him. I don't believe that what he said was true. She turned another page. Again, it was completely blank. And Thunderhorn, he was a soldier. He thought the solution to every problem was to fight back, beat it into submission with his bare hooves. Even if he wasn't involved in this conspiracy at the very beginning, he would've jumped at any opportunity to fight back against me, make me pay for stealing away his home and his honour! Yet again, she turned another page and, yet again, it was blank, the same depressing whiteness staring her in the face and mocking her very existence. And Luna, my own sister. A long time ago she turned against me out of jealously and contempt because they loved me and ignored her. When she did, I simply banished her, removed her from the world for an eternity. And although she's finally returned, nothing's really changed. She's still ignored while I'm praised! Why wouldn't she want to strike back against me, make me pay for all those years she spent in isolation because of me? She started flipping through the rest of the pages more rapidly, but all of them were blank, right to the very end. "And Rarity is a liar!" Celestia yelled out loud in anger. "She is a fool, mocking me and laughing now that she knows I have nothing left!" She threw the book against the barrier, the journal crashing into the peculiar light and falling against the floor in a disfigured heap. I wasn't dreaming. I wasn't hallucinating or lying or doing anything wrong. The princess' eyes started to water. I just wanted to help. "Princess?" a voice asked quietly. "Leave me alone!" Celestia yelled back aggressively. "Get away from me!" The alicorn turned her head to the barrier, ready to glare at the foolish pony that had decided to confront her, but she stopped when she noticed the colour of the pony's hooves. They were a beautiful, wonderful violet, a distinct, stunning colour that she recognized immediately. "I can come back later..." the pony said meekly. Celestia's eyes darted passed the pony's hooves and towards her face, "Twilight?" The unicorn smiled, her eyes shimmering in the light, "I'm sorry I couldn't see you earlier." For a moment, the princess said nothing, just staring back at her with a faint smile on her face and tears forming in her eyes. "What's going on, Twilight?" Celestia asked. "It's been so long since I last saw you and I... I don't even know what's going on anymore. And now that you're here... standing in front of me... it only seems to raise more questions." "I'm sorry, princess. I was lying to you." The water gathering in Celestia's eyes began to slip down the side of her face. She was stunned, merely gazing at her student, her emotions wrought with intense confusion and disbelief as she watched the innocent looking unicorn shifting awkwardly in front of her. Twilight's expression was cold and her eyes fell to the book lying on the floor in front of her, the tears in her own eyes slowly starting to fall toward the ground, the tiny droplets staining the floor outside the princess' cell. "About what?" Celestia asked. "I never went to the capital of Prance" Twilight said quietly, "and Le Roi Pierre probably wasn't trying to take over the world." "Then... what happened to you, Twilight? Why were you gone for so long? Why did you convince me to wage a war with Prance and eliminate the council?" "Did you read it?" Twilight asked, motioning towards the journal on the floor. "It explains everything." Celestia paused for a moment, looking down at the journal on the ground. "Twilight..." Celestia said softly, "that journal is blank. There is nothing written inside it." Smiling faintly, Twilight's horn lit up and she flipped the small book open to the first page. "It's not blank." the unicorn said gently. At the very top of the page was written, 'Entry Number 1 - August 6th'. "But..." the princess continued, turning back to her student in confusion. "I... I looked through that entire book only a moment ago... It was blank then, so why isn't it blank now?" Twilight just continued to smile back at her. "I know that you're confused and I understand why, but that journal contains all the answers you've been searching for." the unicorn said. "Please, princess, please read it." ~ Entry Number 1 - August 6th Tomorrow is the day I leave for Prance on the princess' behalf. I'm not really sure how I feel about it. Princess Celestia seems determined that they'll have the answers we need and I'm honoured to know that she chose me to be the one to embark on such an important journey. By all means, I want to help. I just don't want to leave on my own. I only wish that someone, anyone at all, would come with me, but everyone seems to have their excuses. Not that I can blame them... Fluttershy has to take care of her animals. That's completely understandable. We weren't the only ones affected by the drought. Every single living creature has had their life turned upside down and I don't think anyone else in the country is even capable of doing what she does. Somehow she manages to find enough food and water for them all while still taking care of the sick and the injured. I honestly don't know how she pulls it off, but I certainly don't see as much of her as I used to. In fact, I don't think I've seen her all week... Applejack needs to help out around Sweet Apple Acres. Her entire family is terribly overworked as it is. They've been trying everything to get something to grow in the dust we still call soil. The trees and plants do get watered, but the only water comes from the scarce rainclouds that Rainbow Dash manages to herd over from the less populated areas of the country. The townsfolk have agreed that all of the clean water, the water that is carted in from the rivers and lakes, is to be reserved for drinking water only and that watering the crops is unnecessary at this time. Indeed, Rainbow Dash has spent her time searching the skies for what little rainclouds manage to drift around the countryside. The only sleep the pegasus seems to get is when she passes out. The others are trying to get her to slow down and pace herself more, but she's too brazen, saying things like 'I'm fine.' and 'Don't worry about me.' right before she falls unconscious on the ground. It hurts to know that she's pushing herself so hard, but at the same time, it's inspirational. I've never seen her act so selflessly, even if it is masked under a thick layer of her own belligerent overconfidence. Rarity is too busy with her shop. She's always busy with her shop, but now she's taken it upon herself to make sure that everyone in Ponyville has enough food to eat. She stockpiles food and gives it away to whomever needs it. At first, I wondered where she was getting it all from, (Where in the country can you still buy canned goods?) so I asked her, but she refused to tell me. After some research, I found out that the supply caravans from Prance, the ones that are supposed to be distributing food to all of the towns and cities around the country, are being intercepted by some of the more corrupt nobles. The rich nobles are bribing or robbing the caravans and hording all the food. They then sell the excess at inflated rates (A single can of beans costs about as much as a couch.) for huge profits. I don't know why both the princess and the council are ignoring this, but maybe they realize that it's more important to focus on solving the real problem of the drought than to waste time on petty crime. All I know is that calling Rarity the 'element of generosity' is a serious understatement right now. She's been working herself to death in that shop of hers, most likely selling her dresses to the very same nobles that are responsible for bribing and robbing the caravans, and it's all so that she can buy enough overpriced food for the rest of us to eat. (I still wonder how she manages to keep her mane in such pristine condition in a time like this, but I never doubt that mare's fashion sense.) And finally, Pinkie Pie, the one pony that I wouldn't have expected to be doing something productive, is working with the rest of the townsfolk, pulling carts of water from the nearby lakes and rivers. She seems surprisingly concentrated, but still just as random and cheerful as always, so I try not to bother her too much. Unfortunately, the distance that she and the rest of the townsfolk have to travel gets longer by the day as the lakes begin to recede and the rivers dry up. At the beginning, the trip was only an hour long, now it takes a full day. At some point, they will only be wasting time, using more water than they gather, and we'll have to abandon Ponyville and move closer to a larger source of water, but until then, Pinkie and the other townsfolk are keeping us happy and hydrated. I swear, even if that mare has to exhaust herself pulling carts of water day after day to do it, she'll find a way to make everyone smile. And what have I been doing all this time? I've been trying to find a solution to the drought problem, just like every other researcher, scientist and scholar in Equestria. The problem is that the library in Ponyville doesn't have any of the material I need for my research. I need history books, books that can tell me something about the past and any other droughts that have occurred, not cookbooks, fairy tales and dictionaries. What I have here is too common and simple, so I'm not making any real progress with my efforts. The library in Canterlot may have more of the material I need, but at the moment it's reserved for the elite members of the scientific community. They don't want an amateur like me getting in their way, so I'm restricted to what books I have here. Fortunately, Princess Celestia seems to have realized that we need to do something else if we're ever going to find a solution and now she's asked me to go to Prance, a country that, as far as I know, has had more than its fair share of droughts in the past. Unfortunately, the council refused to send anyone else with me. The princess wanted to send guards and researchers at my side, but the council thinks that it's just a waste of time. (Right, because actually doing something about the drought is a waste of time.) What can a pony do? I guess we (the nobility) can only try to make our votes count. I voted for Sir Goldenroot and Lady Vortex. To my delight, they both managed to get elected and Goldenroot's as sharp and feisty as ever, but Lady Vortex seems to have quickly become rather apathetic during her first term. It's a shame really, I voted for her because she seemed like the only one who would be willing to support that equality bill that Sir Goldenroot has been pushing for years, but now I don't know. Celestia told me that she (and Goldenroot) voted in favour of sending the researchers and guards with me, so I guess it wasn't a complete waste. All my meaningless complaining, worrying and rambling aside, I think I really will find something useful in Prance. I just hope I can get there and back without any issues. Entry Number 2 - August 7th I left Ponyville without saying goodbye. I'm already starting to regret doing that. I just didn't want to have to bother my friends when they're all so busy and... I don't know. I guess, at the time, I didn't really want to say goodbye to them. I felt like if I said goodbye, I would only miss them more. I'm sure everything will be okay. I'll see them all again when I come back. The only one I talked to before I left was Spike. I simply asked him to tell my friends where I went if they happened to ask. Poor Spike... He's still upset about me leaving on my own, showing a mixture of anxious and irritated emotions as he spoke to me. I know he's worried, perhaps even more than I am. He didn't want me to leave without him and to be totally honest, I kind of wanted him to come, but he's just too young for something like this. He'll only be a burden and I can't let anyone or anything slow me down. Not to mention I couldn't bear the thought of him getting hurt somehow. No, it's much better if he stays behind. After all, someone needs to look after the library. When I arrived at Canterlot, the princess seemed awfully calm considering that the whole country is practically falling apart. It's kind of reassuring to know that she has no lack of confidence in my abilities (if that is indeed the reason for her equanimity), but that didn't stop me from almost breaking down in front of her today. My eyes felt swollen and my legs trembled as if I was trying to shoulder the entire weight of Equestria. It was hard seeing her, thinking about everything I was leaving behind and everything I had yet to accomplish. Up until now, it had felt like just a dream, something that I could only have imagined doing, but now... I guess it's more of a reality than I would like to believe. It will be weeks before I see anyone I even recognize again and the more I think about it all, the more I worry. Just making my way to Canterlot on my own was a little unnerving, I don't know how I'm going to survive a couple weeks like this. But like everyone else, Princess Celestia was busy and we didn't have much time to talk. She explained the journey a little bit more and tried to be as encouraging as possible, sometimes repeating herself in the process. To be totally honest, I didn't hear anything I hadn't already learned from her letter. I think she really just wanted to say goodbye. I'm glad she did. Right now, as the sun leisurely sets over the horizon just outside the window, I'm sitting in the bedroom of a small inn to the north of the capital. The ponies here aren't any better off than the ones at home. I felt like I had to hide all the food I brought into town or else they would try to steal it away from me. It's a terrible feeling. I want to help them, but I can't. I can't do anything until I figure out what's going on up north, the one thought that continues to swim around inside my head on an everlasting basis. I reluctantly told the innkeeper about my journey. She seemed to think I was very brave for going alone to 'save the world'. I laughed at that idea, but she just smiled back at me. I guess I never really thought about it like that. Saving the world seemed like the kind of thing that you only read about in fairy tales and legends. Entry Number 3 - August 10th The last few days were very ordinary and certainly nothing worth writing about. I continued to travel north and eventually reached the border. It's not exactly what I expected it to be, just a big wooden sign engraved with a bunch of foreign writing. I've been studying their language a bit, so I was able to recognize that it read 'Welcome to Prance', but the rest of the text was incomprehensible. Hopefully I'll be more knowledgeable by the time I get to the capital. I don't want to waste any time when I get there. Unfortunately, today was far from what anyone could possibly call ordinary and I seem to have run into a bit of an unexpected bump in the road to the capital. Upon entering the 'Splinter Forest', a forest not entirely unlike the Everfree Forest at home, I encountered what I thought were bandits. Bandits! I could hardly believe it! They were talking and laughing obnoxiously, their words laced with what I could only imagine were evil intentions. I wasn't prepared for something like that, at least not by myself. The adrenaline rushing through my veins, I panicked and ran straight into the forest, trying to get away from them before I was noticed. Fleeing deeper into the shadows, their voices grew fainter and more distant and I only stopped when I could hear nothing but the gentle swaying of the trees in the light breeze that carried itself around me and throughout the leafy foliage of the dense woods. That was probably a stupid mistake and I feel like a complete idiot for running away like that. I should have tried to sneak past or simply find another route around them. At the time, I was just so... scared. It's been a long time since I've been on my own like this and the strain of my journey has been making me a little jumpy as of late. I don't want to let the princess, my friends, or anyone else down, not when they're all counting on me. Now I have to try and make my way out of this stupid forest without running into those bandits again. But it's getting dark and I don't want to sleep on that path anyways, not as long as I know there are criminals wandering about. I can't afford to lose my belongings. I can't afford to have to turn around and go back home, not while I'm so close. I'm going to set up my tent and sleep here for the night. Tomorrow, I'll make my way back to the path and continue to the capital. Even if I can't find my way back, I can always use my magic as a compass. It's more reliable than mechanical devices that are more vulnerable to errors and breaking and I know that as long as I head north, I'll get out of this forest and end up exactly where I want to be. Entry Number 4 - August 11th This is a disaster! Somehow, I managed to stumble into a patch of poison joke while I was running away from those bandits yesterday. (If they even were bandits. The way things have been going, they might have well been simple salesponies.) My reaction to the plant has been nearly identical to my previous experience with it. While I'm still able to use my magic for mundane tasks like starting fires, writing in my journal and illuminating dark places, any kind of spell that requires my full, undiluted concentration seems to fail. That means I can't tell what direction north is! Whenever I try to perform the spell, I just get disoriented. Every attempt produces a different result, sometimes north is one way, another time it's a completely different way. How am I supposed to read the map or even find my way out of this dreaded forest without a compass!? It's all my fault... I should have been prepared for something like this, but for now, I can only hope that the poison will wear off on its own while I try to find my way back to the path without any magic to help me. Entry Number 5 - August 12th I wandered around in that forest for nearly eight hours yesterday before finally giving up. I didn't think I had managed to stray so deep into the forest, but I have absolutely no idea where I am now. I think I'm even more lost than I was before. I'm also beginning to think that the poison joke won't wear off before I die of dehydration. Normally, finding water wouldn't be a real problem, but every creek is barren, every plant is dried out, and even the soil itself is like sand. I suppose Prance must be experiencing the severity of the drought as badly as we are or at least the area by their border is. In a way, it gives me hope. Now I know they must have a solution to our problems. If only I wasn't stuck here in the middle of this forest... On a more positive note, I remembered to bring an updated encyclopaedia with the instructions on how to make a cure for the illnesses caused by the poison joke. I just need to find the right ingredients and follow the directions and I should be able to use my magic again in no time. And once I can use my magic, I can find my way out of this forest. (I'm never going anywhere without a mechanical compass again. I can't believe I was so naïve to think that I wouldn't need to bring such a useful instrument on such a long journey.) What I'm essentially making is bubble bath with a little bit of the violet spotted mushroom in it. It seems like kind of a bizarre and ridiculous cure, and even in this dire situation it makes me chuckle to think that I need to make bubble bath to save my life, but it worked once already so it has to work again. 1. Water This first one is easy. I have some water in my bag, I can use that. However, I'll have to remember to ration my drinking water properly or I won't have enough left to make the cure. That might be easier said than done, I'm already running low... 2. Lavender Oil The second one shouldn't be too hard. I saw some lavender growing just outside the forest, so there has to be some more around here somewhere. Lavender grows best in direct sunlight, so if I can find some kind of small forest clearing, I should find some lavender. 3. Patchouli Oil This shouldn't be too hard either. Unlike lavender, patchouli grows best in the shade so I should be able to find it all over the place. It thrives in warm weather, not the unfortunately colder climate of Prance, but I'm positive that it's warm enough in the forest for it to grow here. 4. Magnesium Hydroxide Normally this would be the hardest ingredient to find in the middle of a forest. Fortunately, when magnesium hydroxide is mixed with water, it forms a solution called 'milk of magnesia', which is a common antacid. I once read that when you're travelling, you should always bring some in case you eat something that you shouldn't have. It's not going to cure poison of course, but it'll help if you have an upset stomach. Regardless, if I boil the milk of magnesia, I'll have all the magnesium hydroxide I need. 5. Glycerine I was a little worried about this one until I read that it's a by-product of soap making. Since I'll be making soap with the lavender oil and the magnesium hydroxide, I'll be making glycerine at the same time. 6. Violet Spotted Mushroom This is where it gets difficult. The most important ingredient, violet spotted mushrooms, are a rare type of mushroom found only in deep caves and while it was easy enough to find in the Everfree Forest, I don't know if I'm even going to be able to find this one. Ultimately, I don't know how long it will take to find all the ingredients, but given my water supply, I think I'll have about a week to find all the ingredients and still have enough water left to make it to the nearest town before I... Well, that doesn't matter. I'm absolutely sure that I'll have enough time to gather the things I need. It's poison joke, right. So it's all just a joke, an especially cruel joke at a time like this, but still just a silly joke. I'll get out of here and I'll make it to Prance. Entry Number 6 - August 13th I made some significant progress today. I spent the day searching the forest and I managed to find both the lavender and the patchouli. Unfortunately, I seem to have run into another bump. It's nothing to worry about, I'm sure, but I had to use a large amount of my drinking water to steam the lavender and patchouli to remove the oil from the plants. I should have thought about that before, but with all the progress I'm making, it shouldn't be a problem. I also managed to take the time to boil the milk of magnesia and extract the magnesium hydroxide. That was a lot easier than I expected, but it was foolish of me not to realize that I could have used the steam from the milk of magnesia to steam the plants. That could have saved me a lot of water. If I keep making mistakes like that, I really am going to be in trouble. I should keep track of what I have and what I don't have by periodically making lists. For now, I have the following ingredients: 1. Water 2. Lavender Oil 3. Patchouli Oil 4. Magnesium Hydroxide I still need these ingredients: 5. Glycerine 6. Violet Spotted Mushroom To save water, I'll wait until I have the mushrooms before making the soap and, in turn, the glycerine. This would be a lot easier if I had more water, but then again, that's probably what everyone at home is thinking too. It just depresses me to think that I'm letting them all down like this. I should have been more courageous when I heard those bandits on the road. There were only three or four voices. I probably could have fought them if I had to. That's what Rainbow Dash or Applejack would have done. Why can't I be more like them? Why can't I be brave? I fought that Ursa Minor and Nightmare Moon and Discord... They were all definitely more frightening than a few bandits. So how was that situation so different? Is it because I'm alone or is it because I'm still too distracted by this whole 'journey to Prance' thing? Maybe I'm just delusional. I am a little dehydrated right now. Then again, maybe I should just go to bed. Entry Number 7 - August 14th What an unproductive day. I accomplished absolutely nothing except deteriorating my food and water supply. Without thinking, I used up the last of my canned food. Now I have to scrounge around to find edible plants. That shouldn't be too much of a problem. Most of the things in this forest are edible. They're just really dried out. Dry enough that you almost have to drink something to kind of 'wash it down'. It means that I'm going to have to use more of my already dwindling water supply. And, for whatever reason, I keep forgetting that I have to save a large amount of the water for the actual cure. At this point, I think I only have a couple days worth of water left, but I could probably push one more day out of it. I spent the day wandering around in the forest, looking for a cave or anywhere I could find some of those stupid mushrooms. I even looked in the encyclopaedia, searching it for some kind of substitute for the violet spotted mushrooms, but I couldn't find anything that fits the bill. And with my water supply as low as it is now, I can't afford to make another batch if the first fails. One last thing to add to my grim story, I boiled the milk of magnesia yesterday, but now I realize that I wasn't exactly supposed to do that. I had to mix the magnesium hydroxide with water anyway so it was better the way it was. How could I be so foolish? Stupid poison joke. Stupid forest. Stupid me. Entry Number 8 - August 15th I tried to push my water supply a bit more today, but I started feeling really strange. At first, I just ignored it. My vision was blurry and I felt exhausted, but I could still move around alright. It wasn't until I passed out that I finally accepted that I needed to drink something. I read in the encyclopaedia that you can drink your own... well... it's not important, but I managed to find a way to extend my water supply a bit more. I feel terrible, though, so after searching the forest a bit more, I just decided to fall asleep and try again tomorrow. Entry Number 9 - August 16th Today was my sixth day in the forest. It was also my worst. Somehow I managed to catch a cold or something. I guess it's my own fault. I've been trying so hard to conserve my water that I weakened my immune system in the process. It developed over the course of the day, starting as a weak cough and a slight chill in the morning, but now I'm freezing. I'm so cold that I'm shaking, even with my blanket slung over my back as I continue to wander through this puzzling forest. I'm coughing a lot too, so much that it's making my chest hurt. It's all making my search for the last ingredient of the cure much more difficult than I would have believed. I'm going to look around for as long as I can, but I get tired easily now and I have to rest often to keep up my strength. This is... unbearable. It's just not fair that something like this would happen to me now. Everything is going wrong. I've run into dangerous criminals, gotten lost in a strange forest, lost my magic, and fallen terribly ill. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm scared. I can't... I don't... I don't want to be here anymore. I want to go home. I don't care about Prance or the drought. I just want to go home. I want to see Ponyville, Celestia and all my friends. I just don't want to die in here. I don't want to die all alone. Entry Number 10 - August 19th I have not written anything for a few days now. I just didn't have the strength to write something so depressing or, for that matter, anything at all. Judging by my symptoms alone, I suspect that I have a severe case of pneumonia. It has grown significantly worse and I have no way of treating it. I read that you're supposed to get plenty of rest, drink lots of liquids and try to increase the humidity of your living environment, but I can't really do any of those things. The pain in my chest is excruciating, like there's something sharp lodged inside of it and every time I cough or simply breathe, it sends sharp, shooting pains up my body. Despite the horror of my condition and my exhausted water supply, I continued to wander around the forest as much as I could. To my surprise, I even managed to find a cave. I felt like I should have been happy, finding the one thing I was looking for after all this time, but now something is holding back my joy. It's the ominous feeling that has taken over my thoughts over the past few days, the feeling that I was hesitant to write about for fear of it being true. I don't think I will ever make it out of this forest. Even if I find what I need, even if I get back on the path, I will never find my way back. I have no water, no food, and I am deathly ill. Just like the drought plagues Equestria, this illness plagues me. I can feel it taking over my body, overcoming my strength. It is from this fear that I have started drinking the water I had reserved for the trip out of the forest. Because even if I die in here, there is one last thing I am determined to do. Entry Number 11 - August 20th I found it. I finally found everything I needed to make the cure, but does it even matter now? If I use the water to make the cure, I won't have any water left to drink and I'll never make it out of the forest. Even now, my throat is dry and the severity of my pneumonia is taking over. If I save the water to drink, however, I won't be able to find a way out of the forest anyway. No matter what decision I make, I know I won't make it home. So I just lie here, watching my teardrops fall onto the page and blur the words below. My body aches, but not nearly as much as my heart. I'm sorry. You were all counting on me and I failed. I'm so sorry. I will never come home, so instead I am going to use all that is left of my strength to send this journal and my remaining possessions back to that pathway in the forest, the one place where it all began. I only hope that someone will find it and send my last words to the ones I care about the most, the ones that were more important to me than anything else in the world. To Applejack, the most honest, resourceful and dependable individual I have ever met. Your unfaltering determination and independence were always an inspiration to me and I will never forget the kindness you showed me on the first day we met. You offered your friendship to me, a pony you had never met before, out of the goodness of your heart and I will never forget that. You helped me learn that honesty is a virtue that should always be treasured and never forgotten, because only when we can be truthful, can we ever actually appreciate one another as a true friend. To Fluttershy, your kindness and empathy are something that I could only have dreamed of. No matter what situation you are confronted with, you are always gentle and compassionate, offering your kindness even before your own opinion. You showed me what it means to put aside your fears and apprehensions, to stand up for those unable to stand up for themselves. But most of all, you showed me that simple kindness is something that we can easily overlook, but something that is always welcomed with an open mind and an open heart. To Pinkie Pie, the most exuberant, energetic and care-free pony I have ever known. You find joy and laughter even in the darkest of places, bringing a smile to the faces of everyone around you. You're relaxed attitude in every situation, no matter how desperate or depressing, is almost jarring at times, but strangely comforting. From you, I learned that the world is never nearly as frightening as it sometimes appears to be, that a cheerful disposition can ward off even the most frightening obstacles in your way. To Rainbow Dash, the most brave and loyal pony I have ever witnessed. Your courage is nothing short of astounding at times. You're always willing to put your own life in danger to protect your friends. You trust and stand by the ones you hold close to your heart, even when it is not always in your best interest to do so. You taught me to believe in my friends no matter what happens, because as long as you believe in them, they'll believe in you. To Rarity, your courteous sophistication and generosity is at times, unbelievable. You continue to amaze me with your fine attention to detail and your careful diligence, never giving up on your dreams until they come true. But what stands out most of all, is you're absolute selflessness. You helped me learn how important it is to be able to set aside your own goals and passions to help others in their time of need. You showed me that helping others is more important and rewarding than helping yourself. I'm sorry I never said goodbye to any of you. I could never have imagined the events that would take place after I left Ponyville, but that is no excuse to ignore the ponies that changed my life so much over the past few years. Before I met you all, I was so very different from the way I am today. I've learned and experienced so much that, even here, while I lie in this dark cave waiting for my fate to envelop me in darkness, I am happy. I am happy simply to have met you, known you and experienced everything that I did with you. You changed my life and my outlook upon it and I can never thank you enough for what you did. To Spike, I'm sorry that I have to leave you. From the day of your birth, I watched you grow up, change and aspire to be the courageous and spirited dragon that you are now. And though I will never get the chance to grow old and see you reach adulthood and the prime of your life, I know that you will accomplish wonderful things. Throughout both my life and yours, I never doubted that, not even for a fleeting moment. But though I will be gone, you will not be alone. I am sure that one of my friends will help look after you in my absence. I only ask that you be kind and understanding, though I already know you will be. To my family, I'm sorry I never spent more time with you. My life always seemed like one hurdle after another and I never had the time to really stop and appreciate the ponies in my life. I always felt like I left something behind when I went to study at the magic academy with Princess Celestia. The truth is that I left you behind and I'm sorry. Mom, Dad, you were always supportive of everything I did. And though I know it pained you, perhaps even as much as it pained me, you gave me the independence I wanted and perhaps even needed. I love you both so very much and I couldn't possibly have had better parents in my life. I only wish I could have spent more time with you. To my teacher, Princess Celestia, I'm sorry for disappointing you. You trusted me, believed that I would help save the world and banish this drought from our country, but I failed. However, I know the kind of pony you are and I know what you are capable of. You'll find some way to rejuvenate this world and help each and every pony that lives within it. To be honest, when I first met you, I was a little uncomfortable around you. You were an untouchable goddess to me; everything about you seemed surreal and, in a way, completely hollow. And although I still idolized you, I thought you were much too jaded by your seemingly perfect life to truly understand what a normal pony really feels. But when I got to know who you really were, I learned that you were so different and so much more than I had once foolishly assumed. You were and always will be the sincere, affectionate, understanding, trusting, and charitable pony that looked out for me over my life. Though it was hard for me at times, you pushed me to discover all the magnificent things I learned over the years. You introduced me to the five best friends I could ever have in my life, the young dragon that I love with all my heart, and the wonders and life lessons that I would have never learned on my own. You were always more than just a teacher to me. You are my one, true best friend above everyone else, the most important pony in my life, from the very beginning to the very end. Even in death, I will always remember that. ~ Celestia finished reading and looked up from the small book in front of her. Tears streaming down the sides of her face, she merely stared at the unicorn standing across from her. "Sometimes you can just ignore the things you don't want to see." Twilight said, staring back at her. "I read this before," the princess replied, her words uneven and drenched in sorrow, "but I never read the whole thing... I never read the ending..." "You didn't want to see what I wrote in that journal, but you knew what was going to happen. You were afraid of the truth, so you made yourself believe that the whole thing was blank." Celestia shuddered and her gaze fell back down to the floor. "I didn't want to believe that she would just die..." Celestia said. "Not like that." "You knew about Prance, Goldenroot and the drought didn't you?" Twilight said plainly. "You knew long before I ever told you, but you also knew that confronting the council directly might provoke a riot between the noble and common classes and confronting Prance would only start a war between your two countries in an already desperate time." "After a thousand years, in a country that can control the weather and the climate, a drought just didn't make sense." Celestia replied. "I watched and I saw the pegasus teams clearing the skies and pushing the rainclouds out of the country. I listened to them from the shadows and I learned that both Prance and the council were responsible, but I never learned exactly who in the council was to blame. "At first, I was going to stop them immediately and confront Prance about their treachery, but then I realized what would happen if I did. With the food shortages taking such a heavy toll on the commoners while the nobility simply brushed it off like a mosquito on their shoulder, the gap between the nobility and the commoners was widening. If the commoners realized that even one of the members of the council was responsible for the drought, they would blame the entire nobility for their suffering. I also knew that everyone hated Prance. They were jealous of all that Prance had and all that they didn't. They were jealous that Prance had food and water and they wanted to know why. If anyone discovered that Prance was sabotaging Equestria, we would have no other choice than to go to war against them. "I realized that I couldn't let anyone know that Prance and the council were responsible for the drought. I didn't want to start a riot or a war. I had to subtly convince them to stop what they were doing without revealing to the world that they were responsible for all the pain in everyone's life and I thought if they believed I was going to find the truth, they would stop what they were doing. I knew I wasn't the only one afraid of a war..." "So you simply tried to send them both a message with the journey to Prance. You wanted them to believe that you didn't know what had created such a terrible drought, but that you were going to find out very soon." Twilight continued in monotone. "You knew Prance would have to lie to the research team you sent and give them some kind of ludicrous solution to the drought to cover up the fact that they were responsible for it. At the same time, the rain would return on its own now that they weren't sabotaging Equestria and everyone would believe that Prance's ridiculous solution had actually worked. "But you never thought I would be the one to embark on the journey alone, did you? At the beginning, you hadn't even planned on asking me to go, but you thought it would be a valuable learning experience and an opportunity I would never dream of passing up." "The council did something I never expected; they refused to send the research team to Prance." Celestia said. "I panicked. I was afraid my plan would completely fall apart so I sent you alone. Although they had justifiable reasons for keeping the researchers and guards in Equestria, I knew they couldn't stop you from leaving on your own. In their eyes... you weren't important." "In the end, it worked didn't it?" Twilight said. "The member of the council that was responsible for worsening the drought, Goldenroot, stopped the pegasus teams from clearing the skies and the rain returned to Equestria. At the same time, Prance didn't offer any resistance and its leader slowly faded out of the spotlight." "Everything returned to normal in an instant," Celestia said, "except one thing. Twilight was gone. She had left for Prance by herself and I was ashamed, horrified that I had put someone I cared so dearly for in such a perilous situation. However, I knew that the public wouldn't believe the world would just return to normal on its own. They would suspect something and they might even try to find the real truth, so I would hold my student responsible for saving the world and proclaim her to be the hero of Equestria. I thought it was the least I could do to repay her, not only for the danger I put her in but..." Celestia's words drifted off, the alicorn finding it too difficult to finish her own sentence. "For saving Luna." Twilight completed. The tears continued to stream down the princess' face, her gentle sobbing the only noise that sounded in the room. "And then it all fell apart." Twilight continued, interrupting the brief silence. "I disappeared and was eventually proclaimed dead, but you wouldn't accept that I had died. On the night after the funeral, some surreal part of you appeared out of the darkness and made you believe that I was still alive. You truly believed that I came back." "It all seemed so real..." Celestia muttered softly. "But that strange part of you began to take over. Soon it wanted to explain why I hadn't returned sooner and it wanted to make the ones responsible for the drought suffer as you had. It wove an elaborate tale about how the entire council had been scheming against you and how the country of Prance was trying to take over the world." "I didn't even want to believe her." the alicorn replied. "I didn't want to believe that something like that was happening, but if I didn't believe it was the truth, how could I believe that Twilight was real? Twilight would never lie to me and I wanted so much to believe she was okay." "And so the riot and the war, the two things you had tried so hard to prevent, happened anyway." Twilight said. There was a long pause as Celestia closed her eyes and softly sobbed, her head facing the violet tiles below. "I'm sorry Twilight." she said, finally lifting her head and facing the barrier. "I'm sorry for what I did. I'm sorry for everything. I just..." But across from her was only the plain, empty hallway. The innocent looking purple unicorn she had been talking to had simply disappeared, leaving no trace of her existence behind but the simple journal that lay open on the cold floor by her hooves. "I didn't want to lose you..." _______________________________________________________________________ Author's notes: Well, that's it. That's the very end. I'd like to take a moment to thank you all for reading this story, as well as everyone who commented on the story along the way. I really hope you all enjoyed the story despite the heartbreaking ending. A very special thank you is extended to Specter Von Baren for tremendous amount of time and effort he put into this as well as StyxD for all his help with the prereading. Another special thank you goes out to TheGoldCrow, another amazing prereader and the artist of the magnificent cover for the story. I can't thank any of you enough for your support. This was the very first story I have ever written and I couldn't have done it without you your help. Now, to answer a few questions that I imagine are floating around at this point: Is there going to be a sequel? At this point, I honestly don't know. If there's enough interest in a sequel then I'll probably write one. In the mean time, I'm working on some other pony-related things, including another story, so it's not like I'm going to just disappear completely if there's no sequel. I can tell you that if I do write a sequel, the ending won't be nearly as depressing as this one. (It's really hard to write something so sad.) Why is the version on website A different from the one of website B? I get this question a lot actually. I went through a pretty extensive revision process over the course of this story. As a result, it's entirely likely that some of the websites this story is posted on have different versions. (Especially the ones I have no direct control over like the eReader version on Deviant Art.) For all intents and purposes, the most accurate version of the story is on google docs which you can find links to on Equestria Daily. This version will always be the most up to date and have the proper formatting. Can I write a sequel, spin-off, or alternate ending to this story? I only ask that you contact me before you do so. Other than that, I would be thrilled to know about any sequels or spin-offs your working on. Just keep in mind that I haven't yet decided about whether or not I want to write a sequel myself. If you have any other questions about the story or anything else, I would be happy to answer them. Just send me an email at admin@theamberfox.ca or post something in the comments. _______________________________________________________________________ Disclaimer: "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" and its derivatives are the sole intellectual property of Hasbro©. I do not have, nor claim to have, the rights to the intellectual property that this story is based on.
Torment: Roots of Equestria	pre	The mare gestured to her two companions and the pair removed the top off the crate the three were carrying. Inside was a pony. Its skin was dry like sandpaper and pulled tight around the corpse's skeleton. Its eyes were sunken and all its hair appeared to have fallen out. The odor was absolutely incomparable to anything I'd smelt before... or at least, anything I remembered smelling. And if a memory of something similar ever existed in my brain, then it was probably for the best that I'd forgotten it. "This is... was our mother," the pink mare said sadly. "The changeling bastard took the shape of our father. We thought he'd died years ago, wandered into the Roots one day and never came back. Then along comes that heartless cur and makes us believe our father survived. You can imagine how overjoyed mother was that her long lost husband had finally returned home to her. But although she'd never been happier, her health began to deteriorate. By the end of the month, this is all that was left of our once-loving mother." "So let's cut to the chase then," Scarlette said. "How much d' ya want for the bastard's head." The mare's expression changed from grief to pleasant surprise. "You'd really do that for us?" she asked. "Sure," Scarlette said. "We just want t' know how much we can expect in return for our services." The pink mare thought it over for a second. "Let's say... two-hundred bits," she said at last. "Two-fifty," Scarlette countered. "Deal." The two shook on it. "Now you two will go back inside and--" "Actually, that won't be necessary," Scarlette said. She nodded at me, and I pulled one of our newly-acquired items out of our packs. It was Flea's severed head. "Y-you already had his head on you?" the pink mare stuttered. The two stallions behind her were so surprised they dropped the box with their mother in it onto the ground. "Yeah," I said. "Wouldn't trust a changeling further than I could throw him. And there he was, not even wearing a disguise, the arrogant bastard. He was obviously up to something, so I made sure he couldn't finish whatever it was." "Now..." Scarlette said, "our payment?" The pink mare happily paid us the two-hundred-and-fifty bits we'd asked for and she and her brothers left quickly--along with, I noted, three other seemingly-unrelated ponies around the inn's entrance. A few seconds later, one of the stallion's returned, having realized they'd been in such a hurry they'd forgotten to take their mother with them. He smiled at us sheepishly and began dragging the box away. Flea and the three other guards came out once we were certain all the changelings had left. "Excellent idea," Flea commended me. "Having me use my transfiguration magic on a watermelon to make it look like my own decapitated head? Brilliant!" "It wasn't that great a plan," I said. "They were just too excited about actually getting the head to check and make sure it wasn't a fake. I'm honestly more impressed with how Scarlette managed to net us a profit in the process." "I'm an opportunistic bitch!" she said with a toothy grin. "I thought something was fishy about that," another voice said. One of the seemingly unimportant ponies around us stepped away from the crowds. She had a strange contraption on her hoof and, with a single stomp, a sharp blade sprang from the device. "Long time no see," she said. "Eh, Flea?" Time seemed to slow as the mare leapt. The looks on Valkyrie and Fury's face slowly changed from disinterest to surprise. Scarlette's grin morphed into a look of shock. Flea's eyes widened. But the most surprised out of all of us was Dulla. As the changeling assassin lunged, the bat-pony looked to Flea with terror and sadness in her eyes in equal parts, and she began a slow, silent scream. A feeling came over me as I watched Dulla's expression. It wasn't fair! We'd saved him! He was her friend! And now he was going to die right before her eyes. ... No. ... NO! In those few, painfully slow seconds, I felt a pain go throw my skull that made all the previous little tingles I'd felt previously seem like butterfly kisses. The pain started in my horn and worked its way down my spine, filling my body with indescribable agony. I didn't care. This was more important than any pain. Almost instinctively, I worked the magics. It was so easy. So obvious! Just a little bit more... There. A jet of purplish-black magic shot from my cracked horn, striking the would-be assassin out of the air. The changeling hit the ground, bleeding from cuts that ran along her entire body. She couldn't hold on to her disguise any longer, changing back to her natural state. Plus a few additional holes. The six of us just stood there, too shocked to move. Then the screaming started. It was inevitable. Somepony gets horribly mutilated and then transforms into a creature straight from nightmares? Its bound to attract unwanted attention from local bystanders. "Looks like this is goodbye then," Valkyrie said, regaining her composure. "I'll report what happened here and make time for you three to blend into the crowd." Dullahan gave her a pleading look. Valkyrie shook her head. "Sorry Dulla, but like Flea said, he can take care of himself." She turned to look at me. "And apparently, he's not the only one. Besides, we need you on the Night Watch. Nopony could replace your skills at working the darkened streets." Dulla lowered her head sadly and gave Flea one last goodbye hug. "Don't worry about me," the old changeling said. "I'll be fine. You go on." The six of us became two groups of three and went our separate ways. "Say," Scarlette said between breaths as we ran, "how exactly did you do that back there?" I grunted. "Let's just forget it ever happened." "But--" I shot the baby dragon a glare that said I didn't want to talk about it. "... Whatever you say, chief." Because, to be totally honest, I had no idea how I'd done that little trick either. And I felt a new emotion welling up inside me that overpowered all the confusion that I'd felt before. I was no longer certain that I actually wanted to remember who I'd once been. Because who ever that mare was... she absolutely terrified me.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	pre	Prickle raised a brow. "That's all the advice you have for that?" Scootaloo sat up on her haunches and smiled at her heroic friend. "Being a hero means sometimes you run into things you can't handle directly, so you have to be clever." She tapped a hoof on her head. "Just remember that this is a super weapon too." Prickle looked up as if she could see her own mind, but that was not to be. "I'll try to remember that." She hopped up to her hooves and approached Scootaloo. "Come on, we should get back to school." "Race ya there?" And so they went, one bounding from roof to roof while the other zoomed along on her scooter, both smiling in the shared joy of friendship and athleticism, a joy one of them was only just starting to embrace the concept of existing. Prickle folded up her outfit and crammed it carefully into her saddlebags for later. She wouldn't need them at school. Besides... "I'm Prickle here. Only Tiny Titan wears this." She gave a little smile and began to trot up towards the school. She shared hoofbumps with her friends on the way inside and took her seat. "Now, class, as I'm sure many of you are aware," said Cheerilee with a serious tone of voice. "Silver Spoon was injured in a house fire. She's alright, but she won't be joining us for a little while. I think this is a fine time to go over fire safety, including how to avoid having one in the first place, and what to do if one does start. This could save your lives, even if you think you're invincible right now." She rolled her eyes as she turned towards the chalkboard. "It's alright, we all do." She began giving the lesson, describing different kinds of fires and how they started and could be smothered. Prickle was paying attention, but only half. She looked out the window and hoped Silver Spoon would be alright. She may have bullied Prickle a lot before, but she was a pony, and she had said sorry... Nopony deserved to be roasted up like a cookie. "Prickle Berry?" Prickle jumped in place and smiled at Cheerilee. "Sorry!" She brought her attention back to her teacher, which is where foals in school should have it.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	7 - Start Episode 3 - I Can't Bear to Watch	Prickle bounded from roof to roof, an activity she was gaining increasing comfort with doing. Sure, she still only skipped one roof at a time when she was trying to be fast, but she didn't feel like she was going to go flying off each roof each time she landed. "Hey!" She glanced back behind her to see a pony waving a hoof at her angrily. "Sorry!" She shouted back. Most ponies didn't care about her bouncing on their houses, but once in a while... She tried to remember which place to avoid in the future. Prickle saw a crowd ahead, a dazzling mix of bright colors of ponies. They looked concerned, so Prickle bounded down to street level and went to investigate, trotting up at a more sedate pace. Mayor Mare was there. "I understand Princess Twilight and her friends handled it last time, but they're not here." "So what are you gonna do?!" Demanded a stallion in the crowd. Mayor Mare looked around nervously before her eyes fell squarely on Prickle. "Ask and the answer arrives." The entire crowd turned at once to look where the mayor was looking. Confusion raised. Carrot Top pointed at Prickle. "A costumed filly? How is she going to help?" Prickle took half a step back with discomfort from being stared at so intensely. "W-what seems to... be the problem, Mayor?" She tried to flash a winning smile, but it may have shown more fear than confidence. "I'm glad you asked." Mayor Mare pulled down a tab that revealed a big picture of a strange mixture of bear and bee. "A bugbear is coming to Ponyville, and this time the Elements of Harmony aren't here to stop it. They were called away on other business. I was going to go over emergency plans, but if you are the hero you claim to be, perhaps you can stop it?" Prickle trembled faintly, and it was noticed. Another pony spoke out, "You can't be serious. She's a little foal!" Mayor Mare's eyes remained solidly on Prickle. "It is up to you." Prickle swallowed softly before she stood up tall. "R-rest at ease, ponies of Ponyville! I, Tiny Titan, will batt... batt... I will fight the bugbear and make him go away!" Carrot Top approached close enough to put a hoof on Prickle's head. "Little filly, you don't have to do this. What are you going to d--" Prickle picked her up. She held the startled mare over her head as she reared up onto her hind legs. The mare blinked, eyes wide with confusion as the little filly held her as if it were nothing. "I will fight the bugbear!" "O-okay, can you put me down please?" "Oh, sorry." Prickle gently placed Carrot Top down and gave a sheepish smile. Another pony stepped forward. "Who are you?" Her eyes sparkled with fear and curiosity. "Can you really do it?" Mayor Mare suddenly cleared her throat. "Our young hero here has already served the community. It was she that rescued Silver Spoon from the raging inferno that destroyed her home." Murmurs of astonishment rippled through the crowd. "And with no request for compensation. She fled before we could even get her name, though now she has given it. Ponyville, I present Tiny Titan." She waved a hoof at Prickle dramatically. "With incredible strength and speed, she should be able to handle things." Prickle felt nervous, but she was already invested. She tried to rise to the challenge. She stepped towards the mayor. "When is that mean bugbear supposed to get here?" Mayor Mare nodded as she looked over the crowd. "It's estimated the creature will arrive within two days. Tiny Titan, you have our full support." Prickle quirked a nervous smile. "Does that include help?" Never before had Prickle seen the town square empty of all equine life so quickly. She was alone, mostly. Mayor Mare was still there and waved Prickle closer. "I'm afraid most of the citizens are not eager to... deal with these things directly. They will hide and hope it passes them by. Most often, it does." Prickle reared up and pulled herself up onto the stage with the mayor. "Do you really think I can do it?" Mayor Mare let out a little sigh. "You know better than I... Are you really a filly, or just a small pony? If you are a filly, then... I can't in good con--" "I'm Tiny Titan," piped Prickle, bristling as she detected the usual 'you're too young' spiel coming. "I'll... do my best." "That's all we can ask." Mayor Mare nodded and turned to walk away. "Celestia watch over you." The ringing of a bell drew Prickle's eyes quickly. Oh no! Class was starting and she was late. She pushed off the stage with a thunderous boom, splintering the wood behind her as she propelled herself towards the school far more quickly than she was comfortable with. She may have screamed, just a little, before she hit the ground with a skid and a great plume of dust. She hurriedly scrambled into the nearest cubbyhole and emerged as Prickle, the school filly. She hurried off to class, pretending she hadn't just volunteered to fight her first monster. Cheerilee saw her as she scampered in. "There you are. Class, if you didn't hear, there's a bit of an emergency on the way. The bugbear is coming back and our usual defenders won't be here to fight it off. I'm suspending school until this blows over. I don't want any of you little ponies being hurt by it, so stay inside until you're told it's safe." There was a chorus of noises, but it was far from in sync. Some ponies looked happy to have class canceled while others trembled in fear. A few pouted at class being canceled at all. The CMC, on the other hoof, made their way to Prickle. Scootaloo nudged her with a hoof. "You're gonna beat it up, right?" Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Let's not talk about that right here." She gestured with her head at the rest of the class. Diamond Tiara approached with a frown "What are you all whispering about?" Her eyes settled on Prickle. "Are you going to use your freakish strength on the bugbear?" "No!" Prickle squeaked, taking a step back in fear of being found out. Diamond Tiara blinked softly. "Hmmph, fine." She returned her gaze to the crusaders. "Well, go on. We're supposed to go home until that icky bugbear goes away." Sweetie tilted her head at Diamond. "What about you? Oh! How's Silver doing?" Diamond's scowl deepened. "She's fine... She'll be safe from any stupid bugbears at the hospital." She kicked a dropped pencil across the room. "If that stupid costumed pony's so great, why aren't they beating up that bugbear?" Scootaloo puffed up proudly. "Tiny Titan'll take care of it!" "Is that their name?" Diamond raised a brow, then returned her attention to Prickle. "See, at least they know how to put their creepy super strength to good use." She huffed and turned away, trotting for the door. Prickle rubbed her cheek a moment. "Does she... Is she..." Apple Bloom nudged against Prickle gently. "She's tryin' t' be good, honest. Ah don't even thin' she's tryin' t' mess wit' ya." Sweetie shrugged at that. "Sometimes it's hard to tell. I don't think she really considers you creepy." Scootaloo hopped over a desk towards the door. "Who cares what she thinks! Tiny Titan's gonna kick some flank and take some names!" Prickle gave an unsure smile at that, but followed the rest as they filtered out of the classroom and onto the lawn. Cheerillee waved the way onward. "Be safe, my students. Go directly home, no detours!" Prickle let the others go ahead a bit, then ducked to the side. There were many things for her to do. No, things for Tiny Titan to do! She was soon up on the roofs, doing a circuit around the city and considering angles it might approach from and how she could fight it. She had a dozen ideas. Unfortunately they all boiled down to hit it really hard and hope it would not like it and go away without making a big mess. Her belly grumbled softly. It had been a few hours of roaming the town, and her body's needs would not remain silent no matter how nervous she was. She landed lightly in front of her favorite candy shop and trotted inside, or tried. The door was closed and locked. She peeked at the sign. It read 'Open', so she frowned. She gave the door the gentlest knock so as to not harm it. "Hello?" "Go away," came Bon Bon's voice. There was some muttering inside, a whispered exchange. Lyra spoke up, "Who is it?" Prickle almost said her own name, but caught herself. "Tiny Titan! I was hoping to get some candy please." The door opened so suddenly made Prickle leap back in shock. Lyra was there with a big smile. "Oh wow, it is you! You're so cute!" She hopped forward at Prickle and grabbed her up in a fierce hug. "Ponyville's littlest defender! Bon Bon! Come take a look!" A head peeked out of the gloom, barely visible. "Come inside and close the door, Lyra. We've been over this." "Well fine! But I'm taking her with me." She trotted inside, Prickle levitated along in her magic. The door closed, putting them back in moody dim lighting. "There." Lyra tapped the ground and Prickle landed. "Now what can we do for you?" Bon Bon raised a brow. "So, you're the one they hope will beat the bugbear?" Prickle started at the question. "Yes, ma'am. I was looking around and got hungry. Can I get some candy?" Bon Bon gave a wry smile at that. "Candy is not exactly ideal fighting food." "What is?" Prickle had no clue, ultimately. "I'll take whatever you have, please. I'm starving." Bon Bon rose to her hooves and trotted towards the kitchen. "Some town, not even feeding its defenders. You stay here with Lyra..." Lyra bobbed her head, still grinning. "Hey there, Tiny Titan. That's a great name. It's your super hero name, right? What's your real name? Oh wait, you won't tell me that, duh, nevermind. Nice to meet you though. I'm Lyra Heartstrings! Also, here." A bit of wrapped candy floated out of her pelt and over to Prickle. "I always save some for an emergency." Prickle eagerly accepted the treat and had it in her snout. She let out a happy sigh as she chewed it up into dust. Lyra blinked slowly. "You do know that was hard candy, right?" "What?" Lyra rolled a hoof. "You're supposed to suck on it, not chew it." She suddenly started clopping her hooves. "You really are strong! I woulda broke my teeth trying that and you didn't even notice!" "O-oh, sorry." "Don't be sorry!" Lyra bounced up and glanced around. "Here." She handed Prickle a fire poker she found long unused. "Bend it into a shape. Please!" Prickle peered at it, and its owner, and back at it. "Really?" Lyra kept nodding. "All...right." She brought her hooves together and the bar bent like cooked pasta under her will. She curled it into a knot even as it began to glow with heat from being so roughly handled. She couldn't quite finish the knot as it became too hot to hold comfortably and she dropped it with a yelp. "Amazing!" Lyra's magic grabbed it and tossed it right into the sink of water beside Bon Bon where it made a loud fwoosh of steam. "I'm so going to keep that forever!"
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	8 - Briefing	"Lyra, send in our guest, alone. Close the door." Lyra glared in the direction the order has come in. "Fine..." She waved ahead. "Go on in. Miss prissy pants wants to chat with you alone." She leaned in and put up a hoof to block the noise as she harshly whispered, "We'll meet later, okay?" She gave a comically dramatic wink to finish it off. Prickle nodded at Lyra and gave a nervous smile. "Thank you, Miss Heartstrings." She trotted past into the kitchen. "Close the door." Prickle jumped and turned in place until she found the door and swung it closed. With a loud thunk, unseen tumblers fell into place. "There, we have some privacy... Prickle Berry." Prickle started and turned back to Bon Bon. "How--" "I'm not as daft as some others." Bon Bon sat down and smiled knowingly. "But I'm on your side, Prickle. The bugbear, do you really intend to fight it?" "Y-yes ma'am!" Prickle lashed out a hoof at the air. "I'll kick it until it goes away." "Is that your entire plan?" Prickle blinked slowly. "Yes?" Bon Bon let out a deep sigh and covered her face with a fetlock. "You need more than that. One sting and you'll swell up like a balloon, and that's just the start. Don't let its stinger anywhere near you." "Okay..." She made thrusts and jabs with her hooves as if pretending one were a stinger and the other was dodging away. "No stings." "Not even one." Bon Bon nodded gravely. "It's a bear. It has powerful arms that can grab and squeeze. It has huge sharp teeth that can rend and tear." Prickle was looking less and less confident by the moment. Bon Bon slammed down a hoof beside Prickle's distracted head. "Now is the time to turn around and go home little filly." Prickle squeaked in surprise and looked at the larger mare, quivering a little. "No." Bon Bon raised a brow. "Scared of me? What're you going to do when the bugbear is here." "Kick him." "Yeah? Alright, show me." "What?" "Kick me." Bon Bon turned and displayed her flank. "Go on, show me." Prickle looked down at her right forehoof, then up at Bon Bon. "I don't want to hurt you." "You won't, go on." She sounded so confident. It annoyed Prickle. "Stop it! I don't want to kick you!" "Prove you can fight at all." Bon Bon suddenly lashed out and tipped the confused Prickle over. Prickle rolled with it though and came up to her hooves. She had had enough. She charged at Bon Bon with a mighty war cry. Bon Bon gave a smirk, hunkering down to receive the charge, but that smirk faded away to shock as the filly barreled into her with the force of a runaway train. Bon Bon slammed down her hind hooves and pivoted in place, directing that momentum even as she wheezed for air. From Prickle's point of view, the room spun wildly a moment, then she was upside down on the floor, confused, but unharmed. "What happened?" Bon Bon sat beside the filly, struggling to hide her recovering breath. Prickle was far stronger than Bon Bon had given credit for. "You've got the talent, but none of the skill, filly." Prickle slowly rolled up to her haunches, blinking softly. "Can you show me how to do that?" "Sure, in a few months." Her expression softened as she saw Prickle's shatter. "Look, it takes time to teach this, and to learn it... Prickle... go home." "No!" Prickle stomped the floor, shattering the tile she struck. "Somepony has to defend Ponyville." "Somepony... You're a foal." Bon Bon rose to her full height. "Leave this to the adults." Prickle turned and began walking for the door. "If you won't help, then I'll just." Something struck the back of her head and she spun around with a glare, just for a sandwich to flop to the ground, falling from her. She blinked at it with confusion. "I did say I'd make you some food," noted Bon Bon with a faint smile. "Look, if you..." She sighed loudly. "I'll tell your mom." "She already knows." Prickle picked up the sandwich and gave it a sniff before chomping into it. "S'good..." "Thank you, but she does?" She raised a brow. "You're not lying to me, are you?" "Nuh uh." Prickle went quiet as she crammed the food down her gullet with glee. "Mmm. Can I have another?" Bon Bon shook her head with some disbelief. "Are you sure you want it from a meanie like me?" Prickle thrust a hoof at Bon Bon. "You're worried for me." Bon Bon's eyes half closed, giving Prickle a deadpan glare. "You're a foal getting ready to take on a beast the whole of the Elements barely controlled." "It will be hard," agreed Prickle. "But I have to. Who else is gonna do it?" Her eyes fixated on slices of bread and her expression brightened. Bon Bon saw what she was looking at and rolled her eyes. "I'll make another," she sighed out, coming closer to get to doing that. "Your mother really knows?" "Uh huh. She's a smart pony and figured it out fast." "And you didn't think I was smart?" Bon Bon gave a little snort as she prepared then handed over a fresh snack to Prickle. "Look, I don't want you getting hurt." Prickle took the second and was slower in devouring it, the hard edge of her hunger blunted. "But I have to try. Can you help me? If I can't protect my friends, what good is being a freak?" "A freak?" Bon Bon's squint returned, but only for a moment. It melted into a concerned look as she reached for the foal and drew her closer. "You're not going to stop no matter how loud or often I say to, I get it. I was your age once too, you know." Prickle gave a doubting look. "I know, I know, I'm not that young anymore." She pat Prickle on the head. "But you are brave. Brave ponies can do great things, or die young." Prickle winced. "So let's avoid one of those, hmm. You done eating?" Prickle reared up and washed her hooves under the water of the sink before she flopped back to the ground. "All done. Thank you very much, Miss Bon Bon." "It's not time for thanks." Bon Bon cracked a little smile. "You're not fighting that monster." Prickle immediately puffed up for a fight. "--Alone," Bon Bon addended quickly. "It's probably here for me, and I won't hide this time, not while some filly's out risking herself... I couldn't sleep at night." She focused on Prickle intensely. "Are you ready to train?" Prickle blinked owlishly. "Train what?" "You know how I put you on the ground, despite how powerful you were? You need to learn how to do that, and how to avoid having it done to you." Bon Bon rubbed at a sore rib. "You really are strong, but so's that bugbear. You have to be a better fighter if you want a chance." Prickle brightened. "You'll show me?" She clopped her forehooves with excitement. "Please! I want to be better at not being a clumsy pony." Bon Bon raised a brow. "If you're half as strong as I think you are, you're anything but clumsy for not bringing this building down already. How much can you lift." Prickle had no idea, and said as much. "What's the heaviest thing you ever lifted?" Prickle frowned a moment, then bobbed her head. "The schoolhouse. That was kind of heavy." Bon Bon blinked dumbly. "Do you mean a doll house for your toy fillies and colts?" "What? No." Prickle stuck out her tongue. "The school house." She pointed towards school. "The one Miss Cheerilee teaches." Bon Bon sank to her haunches. "You picked up the whole thing?" She muttered something under her breath, though it wasn't as quiet as she thought, "I'm lucky she didn't kill me." Prickle paled, hearing. "I-I'm not a bad pony!" Bon Bon shook her head quickly. "It would have been entirely my fault. We all make mistakes, asking you to come charging at me was mine." She flashed a smile. "My bruise is a reminder to not repeat it. You may get some of those yourself. Are you ready to learn some lessons?" "Yes, teacher!" Prickle had snapped to attention and gave a sharp salute before relaxing. "What do I have to do?" "Are you two done in there?" came Lyra's plaintive voice. "I wanna be part of the cool stuff too..." Bon Bon rolled her eyes before she smiled. "If we don't let her watch at least, she'll be a constant distraction." She turned to the door and waved. "Come on in." A muted cheer was heard before the door unlocked with a glow of magic and Lyra stepped inside. "I don't know why you bother locking me out. You know I can undo it whenever I want." Bon Bon pointed at Lyra. "And I know you won't, because you love and respect me." Lyra went red in the cheeks. "I... Well, yes. Devious earth pony, using my love against me." She stuck out her tongue a little. "So what's the deal?" Bon Bon pointed at Lyra. "Subdue her, without hurting her." "Wait, what?" was all Lyra got out before Prickle was on her. The efforts to take down the unicorn were a bit meek, afraid of hurting Lyra, and Prickle was snatched in glowing magic, lifted into the air where her strength meant little at all. "Easy there, kiddo." Bon Bon smiled as she trotted closer. "As you can see, if you have no leverage, your strength means nothing." She reached out and tapped Prickle on the snout. "How do you plan on escaping this predicament?" Prickle gave the mightiest pout, her eyes glistening with new tears. Lyra took half a step back. "Bonnie, she's found my weakness! I can't stand seeing a filly cry! No no no no, stop that! It'll be alright!" Bon Bon rolled her eyes. "Don't be a foal. Just hold her steady." "But... look at her." Lyra's composure broke into pieces as she released Prickle and grabbed for the filly. "I'm sorry!" Prickle nuzzled into the hug a moment before she grabbed for Lyra's hooves, snapping them together and she held them tight. Lyra let out a squeak as she fell over. Bon Bon applied her hoof to her forehead. "I have to give that point to Pr... Tiny Titan. Lyra, really?" "Sorry..."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	9 - Getting to the Point	Bon Bon was not kind to Prickle, not at all. She flipped her, tossed her, dodged her, and chastised her. So why was Prickle having such a good time? She had a smile that only seemed to grow with every challenge given. She could be as strong as she wanted and it seemed the candy maker could handle it, dodging and rolling with her motions with uncanny skill. Prickle had no idea why Bon Bon was so amazing, but she was, and Prickle couldn't help but love it. Lyra, on the other hoof, was kinder and smiled more often, but Prickle had to be careful with the unicorn. One good shove and Lyra would just fall over. She still hadn't managed to get Bon Bon to do that, even when challenged to do just that. Prickle felt the tug of magic pulling her from the ground and quickly spun in place, becoming a difficult target for unicorn magic. With a powerful kick, she threw off her balance as well and fell free of Lyra's failing grip. She bounced towards Bon Bon with a ready cry and leaped up and forward, hoof coming to give her quite the punch. Then she was poked, right in the ribs. "Sting," reported Bon Bon. "You're toast." Prickle flopped to the ground, her momentum gone. "Aw... I'm getting better, right?" Bon Bon gave a little smile. "You are... I just don't want this to be your first and last rodeo, right? From the top..." Lyra stuck out her tongue at the two of them. "You're both a bit too fast for me." Bon Bon put a hoof under Lyra's chin, gazing into her eyes in that sappy way that Prickle found both adorable and a little sickening at once. Kissy stuff. "Thanks for helping." Lyra glowed at the praise and leaned in to touch snoots before she looked to Prickle. "Alright, ready for more?" "Yes ma'am!" cried Prickle, bouncing to her hooves and leaping right back into the fray. Later, as Celestia tucked the sun in for bed, Prickle staggered from the shop. She was tired, but in a good way. "Thanks!" She cried as the door closed, then launched herself into the dimming sky. The beast hadn't come yet, and that was alright. She was ready for dinner, and bed. "Prickle Berry," came the stern voice of her mother when she arrived home. "Where have you been?!" She quickly closed the distance and hugged her foal tight. "Were you looking for that monster?" "Yes, mom," admitted Prickle. "But I did something even better." "Better?" Junebug released her daughter. "Tell me about it while you eat. You must be starving." She quickly set the table and sat across from Prickle. "I'm guessing you didn't run into any horrifying bugbears?" "No, Mom," assured Prickle before she practically dunked her snout in the food, eating voraciously. The conversation was sedate until she was finished and leaned back, some food still on her muzzle. Junebug shook her head and grabbed a napkin in her mouth to get to cleaning Prickle off. "You really were starving." "Not anymore," cheerfully replied Prickle. "I found a super nice pony that was teaching me how to use my strength better." Junebug started at that, cloth dropping to the floor. "Bulk Biceps?" Prickle shook her head. "Not him. They're a mare." "What's her name?" Prickle held up a hoof in front of her lips. "That's a secret, mom. I wouldn't want anypony to tell who I am." Junebug gave a little smile. "My daughter, already making super secret friends." She pulled Prickle in for a gentle hug. "Just be safe, alright? I won't be sad if you decide not to fight that monster." "I have to..." Prickle pouted up at her mother. "Who else is going to make it go away?" "An--" She cut herself off and took a slow breath. "I understand. I don't like it... but I won't stop you." She kissed Prickle's nose. "Just know you can always run home." Prickle bobbed her head and bounced up to her hooves. She peeled herself free of her suit and tossed it aside in the laundry before she went off to bed. The next day promised more patrolling and practice. Maybe the bugbear would even show up! She wasn't entirely sure how excited or scared she was. While she slept, Junebug washed her suit and had it dried and pressed by the time Prickle awoke for breakfast. "Good morning, my brave warrior." She kissed the top of Prickle's head. "Breakfast is ready. Eat up, and be safe." "Love you mom!" She gave a careful hug and got right to eating, then dressing, and she was off. The air was crisp and clean, but the town was quiet, so very quiet. Everypony was hiding, hoping the bugbear would pass them by. It had worked for many other monsters before. Just stay low, never go by a window, and wait for the all clear. "Aw yeah!" came a cry. Prickle looked towards the source and saw Rainbow Dash grinning like a fool at Mayor Mare. "I'll kick that thing's flank right back to Tartarus, again!" Prickle landed right beside the element with a powerful jump. "Rainbow Dash, you're back?" Mayor Mare nodded at Prickle. "Oh, yes. Isn't it wonderful? She came back ahead of the other girls and I've appraised her of the situation. You won't have to fight it after all." Rainbow blinked softly as she looked between Mayor Mare and the costumed filly. "Are you serious? She was gonna go fight it?" She reached out and poked Prickle. "No offense, but aren't you a little young for this?" Prickle puffed up. "Says who?" "Says me," replied Rainbow Dash as if it were obvious. "Go home." "Stop telling me to go home!" Prickle slammed a hoof down, cracking the cement of the step they were standing on. "I am Tiny Titan, and I plan to fight that bugbear." "Tiny Titan, huh?" Her eyes wandered down over the broken ground. "So, what, you some kinda superhero, like the Power Ponies?" She leaned in, wings keeping her in the air easily. "Ya know, I was a Power Pony once." Prickle blinked. "You were?" "But it was just magic and pretend." Rainbow shrugged. "Well I'm for real." Prickle thumped her own chest lightly. She glanced for Mayor Mare, but it seemed the official had fled quickly. "I'm going to fight that bugbear." "Not alone you aren't." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "You're a foal, you shouldn't be fighting it at all." "Too bad," declared Prickle with certainty. "I'm fighting. Are you with me?" Rainbow blinked before laughter peeled from her. "This is too good. I'm being bossed around by a foal that thinks she's hot stuff. Alright, let's give you a chance. This way." She gave a toss of her head and streaked away in a flash of rainbows. Was that a test? Prickle decided to assume it was and jumped into the air faster than she normally would be comfortable with. In the air, she could see Rainbow retreating into the distance, headed towards Sweet Apple Acres. Prickle landed on the dirt road and pushed even harder. Dirt and dust flew in all directions, but mostly behind her as she was sent soaring through the air like a bullet that she had fired herself. With the wind roaring in her ears, she could see she was approaching Rainbow, who had pulled over a barrel. She landed with a soft grunt and shook herself out. "What's the barrel for?" "Huh, you're faster than I thought." Rainbow nodded appreciatively. "But let's see if you're half as strong as you claim to be." She slammed a foreleg down on the barrel. "Time for hoof wrastlin'!" Prickle blinked as she approached. The barrel was tall. Too tall for her to easily match Rainbow's pose. "Do you have a shorter one?" Rainbow snickered softly. "Already beat? Fine." She knocked the barrel over and got her leg down on its side. "Here we go." That was much easier to get to and Prickle locked hooves with Rainbow. "How hard should I push?" Rainbow blinked. "How hard? As hard as you can." "Really?" "Of course, duh. How do you plan to beat me? On the count of three. One... Two... Three!" Rainbow pushed against Prickle with all her might, but Prickle was not moving. She was holding her leg perfectly still. She wanted to win, but she didn't want to hurt Rainbow. "Am I winning?" "No!" blurted Rainbow, her face red with effort and a bit of shame. "Not until you pin my leg against the barrel!" "Like this?" Slowly she began tilting Rainbow's leg towards the barrel. Rainbow began sweating buckets. The foal really was powerful! She clenched her teeth hard and pushed with all her might, but she was still being pushed without delay towards defeat. Desperate, she put her other hoof in to help pull against Prickle, but nothing stopped the march towards the wood. With a ragged sigh, Rainbow's hooves, both of them, touched the wood. "How..." Prickle withdrew her hoof. "Are you hurt?" Rainbow went quiet a moment, then laughed. "You just schooled me, and you ask if I'm hurt." She suddenly tossed a leg over Prickle. "Yer alright, kid. Seriously, how'd you do that? Some kinda crazy magic spell?" Prickle shook her head quickly. "I eat what my mother gives me and not too many sweets." Rainbow laughed all the more, but it was a friendly laugh. "I wish it was that easy. C'mon, serious though... You're still a foal." Prickle thrust a hoof out and knocked Rainbow over with a squawk. "So?" Rainbow picked herself up off the ground and shook out. "Alright, I get the idea..." She put a hoof against her head. "I was not planning on having a sidekick, but alright, fine, we'll beat the tar out of that bugbear, together." Prickle's expression lightened into joy. Two days in a row she'd found an amazing adult mare willing to work with her. "I'll patrol the west side." "Then I got the east," finished Rainbow. "Either of us see that lousy bear, we give a shout and we'll pummel him into paste for messing with Ponyville!" Elsewhere, Bon Bon peeked out a window and saw Rainbow Dash streak overhead. "Huh, looks like we're gonna be alright." "Yea?" Lyra nudged her head in to peek, but Rainbow was long since past. "Why?" "The Elements are back, from the look of it." Bon Bon let out a sigh of relief. "Good thing too. I didn't want that foal getting hurt." "Tiny Titan?" "That's the one." Bon Bon nodded. "She has talent, but we need months, not a day." "Good thing they're back then. She won't have to fight at all."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	10 - Call to Action	Prickle came down on one of the taller houses around and considered it a moment. It was Diamond Tiara's house, and her family was rich enough that, of course, they'd have one of the bigger houses, unless you counted Twilight's, which no one did. She heard a window being opened and turned in time to see Diamond shoving her head out through one at about her height. The haughty filly flipped her hair lightly. "What are you doing on my roof?" Prickle cringed faintly. She'd almost made peace with facing the bugbear, but she hadn't prepared for Diamond... "I'm..." That's when she realized she wasn't Prickle Berry. She was Tiny Titan, defender of Ponyville! She rose up to her full height. "I'm here to defend Ponyville from the bugbear!" Diamond cocked a brow at the costumed hero. "Well, good luck with that..." Just as Prickle was about to leap away, Diamond thrust out a hoof. "Wait! Uh..." Diamond glanced away nervously. "Look... Thanks." She raised a hoof to rub behind her head. "For saving Silver Spoon, that is. Thanks." Prickle felt a smile spreading on her face. To be thanked by her longtime tormentor felt much better than it had any right to. "I would do the same for any pony that was in danger." "Even me?" Prickle blinked softly. "Of course. You're a pony. If you were in danger, I would try to help you." Diamond cocked her head faintly. "Huh... You really are a goodie." She flashed a bright smile. "Well, better go catch that bugbear, right?" "Right!" Diamond slipped back inside and closed the window as Prickle bounded off to continue her patrol, feeling lighter than before. Thinking about Diamond made Prickle think about Silver Spoon. The two took up basically the same mental real estate in her mind. Was she alright? Prickle spotted the hospital and came down just in front of it, kicking up dirt from her landing. "I'm getting better at this," she said to herself with a little smile. Jumping didn't feel like barely-controlled falling so much as it had at first, and she really did enjoy using it to get around. "Shh," said Nurse Redheart, peeking out the door. Her eyes widened as she saw who it was. "You! You ran away before I could talk to you." Oops. Prickle put a hoof behind her head. "I wasn't trying to be rude." "Rude? You saved her." Redheart smiled, warmth behind the expression as she opened the door the rest of the way and trot closer. "Are you here to visit? She was hoping you would." She was? Prickle took half a step back in surprise before she bobbed her head. "Y-yes, please. If that's alright?" Redheart turned back to the hospital. "Of course, this way. What are you doing outside, by the way? The bugbear's lurking around, I hear." Prickle tensed. "Oh! Right... I should be looking for it... Can you tell Silver Spoon I came by, and that I'll stop in once the bugbear's taken care of?" Redheart looked over her shoulder. "You..." She had an argument ready to go, but it died a quiet death. "I'll tell her. Please, be careful. I don't want to see you in here except to visit other ponies." "I'll be careful." She dipped her head, then launched herself away. Sailing through the air in a lazy arc, she could see the rainbow streaks of her partner on the other side of town. Ponyville was safe with the two of them on duty. She heard a shriek, loud and piercing. Prickle staggered in surprise, looking around in a moment of panic before she saw the wall of a building burst from the inside. There it was! Striped, claws, fanged, and all the other deadly parts to a predator one could find. In one of its terrible claws, it held Carrot Top, and was shaking the poor farmer around mercilessly as it roared and snarled at the world in general. Prickles licked her lips. It was even more terrible than she had heard, but she wasn't going to run away, no. But she could get help! She bounded towards Rainbow as quickly as she could, shouting, "Rainbow! It's here!" It didn't take long to get her attention, and she saw the rainbow streak heading towards her, but Carrot was still held, and that bear looked like it may go for a snack. With dread filling her heart, Prickle knew she had to act or there wouldn't be a pony to save. She hit the ground, her hooves absorbing the impact, legs bending just so as to redirect that power. She pushed the world away, and it moved. She was sent hurtling directly at the great insect-beast as it lifted its hostage towards its great mouth. Prickle was screaming, not in fear, but in desperation. She was the only one close enough to have a hope of saving Carrot Top, and she reached out with her hooves as she flew towards them. "Stoooooo--" It did stop. It stopped and brought a paw across as she came into range, swatting her right out of the air like some insect. The paw collided with her and sent her flying off to the side abruptly, crashing through a wall to land on somepony's couch, dizzy and hurting. "Ow..." An instant later, she was hit by a hurled Carrot Top, thrown by the beast through the same hole she had just made. Prickle wheezed and wriggled, confused and disoriented from the situation. The pony whose house it was screamed and ran down the stairs and out the door, galloping in a wild panic. Carrot moaned. It wasn't a happy sound, but it meant she was still there. Prickle carefully twisted, bringing Carrot with her and setting her on the ground. "You stay here." Not that she expected the mare to suddenly show more motion. Prickle hopped down to the ground and saw the bear was swatting at the air. Rainbow was just a bit faster than it could swing and was keeping it off balance, but not much damage was being done to it. Neither of them, alone, had a chance. "Good thing we're not alone," she said with a smile, trotting up to the edge of the building and leaping out of the hole. Could the bugbear speak? She didn't dare risk it, so she just crept in quietly. "Take that!" shouted Rainbow as she delivered a kick on its head, then rebounded away to avoid the swing of claws and gnashing of teeth. "You're gonna have to be way faster than that!" Prickle bound up to a roof not far from the action. Rainbow saw her and Prickle was fast to bring up a hoof in a 'shhh' motion. Rainbow nodded and darted around the bear to keep it facing as far away from Prickle as possible. "Come on, can't you even hit me once?" Slower than Rainbow did not mean slow. It got lucky, or perhaps it was learning her patterns, but as she came to deliver a quick blow, its teeth clamped down one one of her legs and with a toss of its head, send her flying to the ground to crash with a painful thud against the dirt. Even as she groaned and moved blearily to stand, it was diving down on top of her. It was time to act. Prickle lined up the shot, then threw the best weapon she had, herself. Wind roared in her ears for just a moment before she crashed into the bear like a bullet. It roared in pain and defiance and swiped at her side with claws that were even sharper than they looked. They tore right through her suit, leaving jagged marks. Pain exploded through her, but she was not giving up. She raised a hoof. "Go--" She brought it down with all the strength she had. "Away!" Suddenly she was falling. The blow had sent the bear crashing into the ground beside Rainbow Dash with a titanic crash, dirt exploding from the impact site. Rainbow Dash had scrambled out of the way just in time. "Oh yeah, now that's the stuff!" She darted up and caught Prickle from the air, snatching her from gravity's grip. "That was awesome!" The bugbear had a differing opinion and rose with a snarl. It was wobbling though and its wings didn't flap quite in sync. The crushing blow clearly had an effect on it, but it wasn't willing to quit yet. "Throw me." Rainbow perked an ear at her friend. "Ya sure? I got a better idea." She could toss Prickle, possibly, or... She flew directly at the bear, streaking at it. "You know what to do," she said through clenched teeth, the air growing thick around them as they accelerate towards a limit. It took Prickle an instant to realize what was going on, but then she knew, and she was ready. She brought her hoof back as things grew more and more tense. Even the bear seemed to know something was up. Instead of coming to fight them, it was fleeing as fast as it could, which was nowhere near fast enough to get away from Rainbow Dash. Everything became colors. Colors and noise. Prickle heard screaming. Was it hers? Was it Rainbows? It could even have been the bear's, she didn't know. What she did know it when the rainbows faded, there was a new deep and long trench leading away from them. At the end of it laid the bugbear, unmoving. Rainbow was cheering and celebrating, dancing in air while holding Prickle up. "Ya shoulda seen it! Wait, you did see it, you were there. We were so awesome!" She tossed Prickle up and caught her, but stopped when Prickle made a yelp of genuine pain. "What?" That's when she saw the ripped suit and the wounds she had suffered. "O-oh! Hang in there little buddy!" Prickle wanted to hang in there, but she couldn't. She'd done her part. She needed to sleep. Everything went dark in the embrace of Rainbow Dash.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	11 - Hospital Mates	Prickle opened her eyes with a soft groan, only to start up as she realized she was not in her usual bed, or anywhere she normally would visit. She was in the hospital. What had put her there filtered through her mind and her eyes snapped down to where she had met the bugbear's claws. There were bandages covering the spot, but her suit was still on, despite all the odds in her head telling her it shouldn't be. What was going on? She started to rise from the bed, only to hear a soft gasp from the next bed over. Its curtain wrenched to the side, revealing her roommate to be Silver Spoon. "You're awake!" Prickle toppled over with surprise, flopping onto the soft bedding. Pain ran through her. She was still hurt. Not terribly, she decided, but hurt enough to not want to go flopping around. "Hello..." Silver Spoon smiled from her bed, a gentle smile. "Nurse Redheart said you'd come... after you beat up that nasty bugbear. Did you do it?" Prickle sat up on her haunches, facing Silver Spoon. She gave a single firm nod. "Me and Rainbow Dash, I mean, Rainbow Dash and I did. She was amazing!" Silver spoon leaned forward, or tried, but it seemed she was still hurt as well. She had bandages along her barrel, but, like Prickle, seemed far from critically put down. "You were more amazing... Like... I'm glad you're here." Prickle felt confused heat build in her cheeks. Hearing kind words from one half of the terrible duo that once had tormented her was a disorienting achievement. "I... just did what I thought I had to do..." Silver Spoon nodded softly. "That's what makes you... a real hero." She patted her bed lightly. "Can you come closer?" Prickle tilted her head a little before she looked around. She didn't see any adults to chastise her, so she hopped down carefully and made a slow walk to Silver's side. "Are you alright?" "Yes... thanks to you." Once Prickle was close enough, Silver darted in despite the obvious pain such an action brought her and planted a kiss right on the end of Prickle's snout. "I owe you everything. I thought I was... gone. There was fire everywhere. I couldn't even see anymore. I kept calling for help... Then... Then..." Tears were welling in her eyes as she told the story. "I laid down. I was ready to just die..." Prickle cringed at the image of it. "Nopony deserves to be... cooked." "Deserve it or not, like... I was going to." A smile touched her lips. "Then you came, my angel through the flames. You didn't let anything stand in your way. I heard wood exploding all around me, then the heat went away... Then I was here, in the hospital." She reached a hoof to Prickle's cheek and slowly felt across it. "I owe you everything..." Prickle felt her insides growing warm. "N-no you don't." Silver just giggles, more of a titter really. "I knew you'd say that. You're a hero, a real hero." She let out a little sigh. "If I could get up, I would give you the biggest hug. They said your name was Tiny Titan?" Prickle started. Silver Spoon didn't know her real name?! "You remind me of somepony." Silver gazed at Prickle through half-closed eyes. "You have her eyes. She's a nice pony too, but she'd never have the courage to do what you did." Prickle's tension only grew worse. Was Silver Spoon talking about her, to her? "Oh, um... Well she's probably doing the best she can..." "Yeah... We used to make fun of her, for being different." She reached out a hoof again and rested it right on the bridge of Prickle's snout. "Sometimes difference can be amazing..." Prickle was flailing internally. There were a thousand things she wanted to say, but none of them wanted to form an orderly line to get out of her. "Are you... alright?" "Thanks to you." Silver sat up a precious inch, though her face showed the pain of the motion. "They actually said I should be alright in about a week. How do you feel, my angel of the flames?" Prickle's ears went down and back. That title was just a bit too much. "T-Tiny Titan will do," she assured with a nervous smile. "I'm glad you're alright... For... I... I thought I hurt you, when I was trying to help you." Silver frowned a little. "If you didn't help me, I wouldn't be here to hurt." She seemed to think back to that time. "The door flew past me when you kicked it... I think it might have bonked me on the way past. I felt even more dizzy, but here I am. I'm alright." She bopped Prickle on the nose. "You saved me. That's, like, the bottom line." A soft knock came from the door just an instant before a nurse poked her nose in. Redheart smiled as she came closer. "I see you two found each other. I hope you're getting along?" There wasn't much actual question or doubt there. "Tiny Titan?" Prickle snapped to attention, which hurt and she winced. "Y-yes?" "Take it easy. You're still hurt. Thankfully not too badly. You two should get out around the same time." She moved over Prickle and reached, snatching up the filly by her costumed scruff and carrying her to her bed without too much effort. She was still a filly. Without resisting, she was not that heavy to move around. "We're going to have to give you a bath later, and launder your suit, but, until then, your secret's safe with us." She put up a hoof in a 'shh' motion once Prickle was set down. "And I don't want to hear anypony is pressuring our patients." Prickle felt a tension drifting away. They did know. They were just being kind about it. She gave a warm smile to Redheart. "Thank you." "Thank us?" Redheart ran a hoof gently across the top of Prickle's head. "Little hero, we heard all about your daring deeds from Rainbow Dash. She was quite insistent on going over the blow by blow with us. That was very brave, and foolish, as brave things often are. Ponyville owes you a debt of thanks." Silver tittered softly. "Guess I owe you two thanks." Prickle suddenly remembered something. "Is Carrot Top alright?" She asked with wide eyes. "That mean bugbear was attacking her." "She was more shocked than hurt." Redheart gave a gentle nod. "She's already home, cleaning up the mess the bugbear left behind, thanks to you." The smile turned to a frown. "That came out wrong. Thanks to you she can go home. You didn't make that monster make a mess." She pulled up the cover over Prickle to her head. "If you're feeling up for it, I'm going to get you both some food." Neither filly denied the idea, and off she went at a leisurely trot. When the door closed behind Redheart, Silver Spoon looked to Prickle. "So, are you going to tell me?" She smiled, full of hope. "I'm your biggest fan. I can keep a secret, promise. Like, forever and ever!" Prickle's left ear twitched back. The more ponies knew, the less secret it was. What good was a secret identity that half the town knew? Besides... It was Silver Spoon... If she knew, there was no way Diamond Tiara wouldn't learn, and then... And then... Prickle took a shuddering breath. "Tiny Titan is my name." Silver sighed softly. "Well... You're not tiny, not in my book." She reached out to point at Prickle. "You're anything but small." Redheart returned, pushing a tray, handle in her mouth. "Here we are. An extra hearty meal for an extra hearty hero." Rather than being jealous, Silver giggled and looked delighted as a larger plate was set out for Prickle. She accepted her own plate with a demure nod. Prickle took it less gracefully, smiling nervously and sitting up to pull the plate closer and give it all a sniff. It wasn't as good at her mother's cooking, but what could be? It smelled nice enough, and her belly reminded her that she was quite hungry. She was soon gobbling up the food just about as quickly as she could get it into her snout. Silver watched the somewhat messy devouring with wide eyes. "You really are... hearty." She nudged her own plate a little. "I want to go home..." Prickle paused her meal to look at Silver, food dripping from her snout. "O-oh, me too. Oh..." She cringed. "Oh no..." "What's wrong?" Silver tilted her head at Prickle. "My mother doesn't even know where I am! She's going to be so upset, then mad, then upset again." Prickle clopped her hooves to either side of her head. "I'm the worst daughter ever!" Then it struck her. If her mother came, her identity would be plain to all. It wasn't like her mother had any other foals she could be. Acting, rather than thinking, Prickle pushed her plate away, then slid out of bed, aches and pains be darned. "Gotta go!" "Wait!" Silver's cry went unheard as Prickle shoved a window open, backed up a step, then leaped right through the avenue to freedom. That's when Prickle discovered she was on the second floor of the hospital. She squealed as she fell the unexpected distance, but managed to get her legs in proper position to cushion most of the fall in a dynamic, and painful, thud. Ponies turned to the sounds she had made. "Isn't that the filly that fought the bugbear?" asked one. "It's Tiny Titan!" proclaimed another. A crowd was rapidly forming to greet the community's newest hero, but Prickle was in no mood for adoration of any kind. "I have to go!" She squeaked, then she left it all behind with a powerful bound. She didn't dare go straight home. Somepony could spy which way she was going. She went across town and landed in an alley where she peeled off her suit as quickly as she could, balled it up and let out a sigh of relief. She was Prickle Berry again. Tiny Titan could just relax. She walked home from there, at least until she ran into a familiar mare who gave a dramatic gasp. "Darling! Whatever happened to you?" It was Rarity. Prickle smiled up at her. "You're back?" "I am, and I must say it's just in time." Her horn glowed and snatched the balled up outfit from Prickle. "You simply must be more careful, dear." Her eyes wandered past the outfit to Prickle's bandages. "What did happen? Were you getting into trouble, little filly?" "She was busy kicking flank!" proclaimed a suddenly-present Rainbow Dash. Prickle went red. That was another pony that knew. She was terrible at being a superhero. "Don't tell ponies!" "Yeah yeah." Rainbow rolled a hoof. "She already knows. She's holding your costume." Rarity nodded uncertainly, then paused. "Wait, is this the filly that you mentioned was fighting that horrible bugbear?!" She put a hoof to her snout. A couch slid in from clear across town, then she fainted onto it. "She's such a small and innocent thing! I had no idea I would be encouraging quite this level of drama." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Yeah, drama. You wouldn't know a thing about that, huh Rarity?" Rarity shot her a dirty look, then sat up. "Well, I'm going to fix this outfit right up. You--" She pointed at Prickle. "--should go home and let your mother know you're alright. Honestly, she's probably a nervous wreck." Rainbow flew at Prickle suddenly, plucking her up and flying off with her. "I figure you deserve one ride at least," she explained as they went. "Good job, kid. That finishing move, oh wow. We gotta do that again! It was super awesome!" Prickle gingerly hopped free of Rainbow once they were back on the ground. "Thank you for the ride, but, please, remember... I'm Prickle Berry unless I have the suit on." "Right." Rainbow snapped a sharp salute. "Then I'll just have to look forward to spotting the up and coming Tiny Titan on her patrols, huh?" She snickered as she rose to fly off. "Spike is gonna be soooo jealous." Prickle turned away from Rainbow and faced her house, and the mother within. With a deep breath, she approached the door.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	12 - End Episode 3 - I'm Home	Prickle glanced left and right as she went before reaching up for the handle and slowly pulling the door open. "Mom?" She didn't get to do much more than that before a shape emerged from the shadows of the house and tackled her to the ground in a mess of tears and a joyful squeal. When she cried out in pain, her mother recoiled like she had just touched something hot. "What happened?" Her eyes traveled to Prickle's bandages before she picked Prickle up, carefully, and took her inside while standing on her hind legs awkwardly. "It's alright, mom," assured Prickle as she was carried. "I won..." "I know you did." Junebug placed a little kiss on Prickle's forehead. "Everpony was talking about it. They're all gasping and gushing about Tiny Titan." She carefully crouched and let Prickle half-slide from her forelegs onto her bed before she began tucking her in and pulling up the comforter over her. It was, as its name demanded, comforting. Prickle felt guilt simmering. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting." Junebug sat beside the bed. "Forget that, for now. Tell me what happened, exactly. I want...I'm your mother, but I'm also your #1 fan." She gave a gentle smile, haunted as it was a little. "Tell me everything." So Prickle did, explaining how the bugbear arrived. "There was this huge crash, and it had Carrot Top!" She went on through how she and Rainbow Dash fought against it. "She was keeping it busy while I snuck up on it, then bang!" And it all came to a head with rainbows. "I never thought it was so bright and colorful, but it's different from seeing it on the ground. I threw a punch just as it started and I felt the bugbear, but just for a moment. I felt it then it was gone. It made a huge ditch in the ground, and we won." Junebug leaned in and kissed each cheek. "You are a very brave filly." She smiled a little. "Then what?" Prickle blinked. "Huh? I won." Junebug rolled a hoof. "The bugbear didn't give you those bandages. Then what?" Prickle tried to sit up, but her mother gently pressed down on her. It wasn't as if Prickle couldn't just get up anyway, but she didn't defy her mother and settled back on her bed. "Rainbow, um, Miss Dash took me to the hospital. They were very nice there. Once I thought of you, I came running to let you know I was alright." Junebug raised a brow. "I don't imagine that was their idea." Prickle warmed in her cheeks. "N-no mom..." "I'll go tell them what happened." Prickle paled. "B-but, the secret!" Junebug rested a hoof on Prickle's lips. "I will be discreet. I'll just talk to your nurse. Which was it?" "R-redheart," mumbled out Prickle. "She really was nice..." Junebug smiled. "Then I'll be sure to thank her. I'm not angry at anypony that helped take care of my precious Prickle." She rose to her hooves. "Now you just relax here. Do you want a drink before I go?" "Yes please..." All too soon, Junebug had left for the hospital, and Prickle sat up with her glass of water, considering her life. Was her mother really alright, or was she... Prickle didn't know. "I don't deserve you," she sighed to herself with a smile. She had the best mom ever, she decided. She would have to get the biggest besterest mother's day card... A knocking came from a window and Prickle's eyes darted to see Scootaloo peeking in through it with a huge grin. Prickle felt the urge to smile in return. "Come in!" Permission given, Scootaloo dropped from the window and soon the door opened to admit all three of the crusaders. Sweetie was the first to Prickle's bedside, but only because Apple Bloom was holding Scootaloo back. "That was quite the engagement if I heard correctly. Are you alright?" Scootaloo burst free of Apple Bloom's embrace. "Is she alright?! She got to kick flank with Rainbow Dash! I'm so jealous right now I could explode!" She jumped right on Prickle, hugging her. It would have been a nice thing, if not for Prickle's injuries singing out in a symphony of pain. Her own throat raised to join the chorus before Apple Bloom pulled Scootaloo free. "Sorry 'bout that. Ya hurt bad?" Prickle shook her head. "It just hurts. The nurse said it should be fine in a week." She put a hoof behind her head. "Sorry to bother, but could you bring home my work from school for me while I'm stuck in bed?" Sweetie gave a firm nod. "I'll be sure to do that. I'm glad you're alright though. Was it scary?" "Yes," admitted Prickle. "I was sure it was gonna get me a few times..." She reached out a hoof. "But I did what I had to, and I think it's all of your fault... Thank you." Her outstretched hoof was met by three others in a communal hoofbump. Apple Bloom, smiling radiantly, nodded. "Well, yer officially a hero now. Are ya gonna keep it a secret still?" Prickle's eyes went wide. "I have to!" Apple Bloom rolled a hoof. "Not that we're arguin' any, but ah'm curious, why?" Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "Because superheros do that, and she's super, and a hero." Sweetie Belle tapped her hooves together. "We all know. Rarity knows, Rainbow knows." She tilted her head at Prickle. "Do the nurses and doctors know?" Prickle's ears fell. "Yes..." They snapped back up. "But Diamond Tiara doesn't know, and neither does Silver Spoon." Her eyes shone with hope. "They can't know!" Apple Bloom squinted one eye shut. "Lemme get this straight. Yer hidin' from jus' those two?" Prickle bobbed her head. "Why?" Sweetie Belle threw her hooves wide. "They're not that bad. They've become much nicer since the whole election thing when we got our marks." Prickle's lips peeled back in a display of fear. "They still think I'm a creepy freak with weird strength." Scootaloo prodded Prickle carefully. "Yeah, sure, but you're our creepy freak with awesome strength! You're a hero, Prickle." Apple Bloom nodded. "Now, we ain't here ta force ya, right girls?" She gave Scootaloo a pointed look. "So ya can make yer own decisions. We're behind ya, 110%!" "Is that possible?" Sweetie Belle looked uncertain. "For now, you should rest and get better. I'll bring you your work every day." Her horn began to glow and a notebook was produced from in her fur. "I have yesterday's notes!" Scootaloo blinked. "We didn't even have class yesterday..." Sweetie stuck out her tongue. "That doesn't mean all of us did nothing." Apple Bloom pricked an ear. "If we don't get movin', girls, we're not gonna get any notes fer today either. C'mon. We'll see ya later, Prickle." They fled with a chorus of bye, leaving Prickle alone, with Sweetie's notebook. She reached for it and flipped it open. Inside were dense notes from the start of the year going forward through it. But there was more than that. It was also her diary! There were musings and thoughts about her life in general. It was as if Sweetie Belle just wrote things out in one unending stream of thought, whether it was about a school project or what she thought of that colt in the third row. Prickle's cheeks went a bright red and she tossed it away onto her belly as if it were on fire. She shouldn't read that! But then time passed, and she had nothing to do... She timidly reached for the notebook/journal. If she focused on the schoolwork part of things, that shouldn't cause any problems, right? She flipped through quickly, trying to not read any more than she had to to get an idea of where she was in the year's lessons. Then she found it. They picked on her again today. I don't know what Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon have against Prickle Berry. She's a very nice filly, so far as I can tell. I don't even know what they think is so strange about her, and they won't say. They just have some secret they hold over her and they laugh and poke fun and even threaten her. I can't stand it! I wish I could do something about it... Prickle didn't know tears had escaped her until one splattered on the page. She squeaked and quickly brushed it away before she flopped back on her pillow, taking a break from trying to find those notes. The front door opened while prickle lay there. It was her mother. Junebug smiled at her daughter. "What's that?" She was looking at the notebook. "Are you studying, my clever little porcupine?" That seemed a fine excuse. Besides, that had been her goal. "Sweetie Belle dropped off her notes before school." "That was very kind of her." Junebug set her saddlebaskets aside. "Redheart was relieved to hear you were alright. She mentioned something about leaping out of a second story window..." Prickle wilted with shame. "She's just glad to know that didn't hurt you, but she was quite insistent you rest up until it stops hurting completely." She moved over to kiss Prickle's forehead. "I love you." Prickle smiled at that, relief flooding her. "I love you too, mom. They, the crusaders that is, promised to drop off my work after school each day so I don't fall behind. Being a superhero doesn't get me out of school." "I'm glad you see it that way." She ran a hoof slowly through Prickle's mane. "Some ponies, once they start on their career, abandon school entirely. I don't want you to. This... This is obviously what you want, and need on some level, but I hope there's more ahead of you than risking yourself for other ponies." Prickle sat up a little. "What... else would I do?" Junebug tilted her head at her daughter. "Whatever you wanted. You have a sharp little brain in that head of yours. You could do all sorts of things. I don't want you to feel you have to do this... I mean, even if you did want to use your strength, there are plenty of jobs where you could do that without being a fighter." "Like?" Junebug paused a moment before it came to her. "You could work in construction. A mare as strong as you? You'd be highly valued and save a lot of time and effort compared to how they'd do it without you. You're fast enough that you could be a courier. A mailmare is a perfectly acceptable position." She leaned down and pressed her forehead to Prickle's. "You can be so many things. I'm not telling you to stop. I just want you to keep your eyes open." She trotted away and Prickle watched her quietly. It was clear to her that her mother would rather she put down her shiny suit and find another job, any other job... "Why aren't you telling me to stop?" Junebug froze like a statue a moment before she turned back to Prickle. "Stop what, dear?" Prickle smiled a little. "You know what. You don't want me to be Tiny Titan." "I..." She raised a hoof to her chin. "I... want you to be happy, Prickle. I want to be a good mother. If being... this... is what you are, then I won't... stop you. That doesn't mean I have to... like it specifically, but I love you and I will be a good mother."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	13 - Start Episode 4 - Back to School	Prickle did as her mother told her, and performed well on the work she was given by Sweetie every day. Each time the unicorn came around, Prickle would swap notebooks with her answers and homework in it with what Sweetie had from the day before. At last, she was well again and could return to school. Things seemed to be normal enough. "The heroine walked with renewed vigor. She had shaken off her injuries with the determination that made her who she was. Tiny Titan would stalk the streets of Ponyville, and bad guys had better watch out!" Prickle smiled over at Scootaloo. "You're very silly when you're doing the narrating thing." "You know you like it," assured Scootaloo with a returned grin. The other girls giggled at her antics. Apple Bloom threw a leg over her powerful friend. "Ah'm mighty happy ta see ya up n' around again. It'll be a treat ta be at school wit ya insteada jus' bringin' home notes fer ya." Sweetie bobbed her head as they approached the class. "Not that I minded taking notes for you, Prickle. It's the least I could do!" They exchanged a communal hoofbump before they split up for their seats. Cheerilee gave her a sympathetic look when Prickle first entered the classroom. "Prickle Berry, it's so good to have you back." She let out a worried sigh. "To think, you were caught by that terrible Bugbear while trying to get your mother her groceries, really. She should have known better than to send you out at a time like that." Prickle froze a moment and glanced off to see the crusaders were bobbing their heads at her. That was the excuse they had given for her. "O-oh, yeah, ha... That was a bit silly, but I'm alright." She smiled brightly at her teacher. "I'll be extra careful in the future." She found her way to her desk and settled in. There were murmurs of consolation, but it seemed ponies were happy that she was alright, which was nice. Until she heard a voice. "Hello, Prickle." She glanced to the right to see Silver Spoon standing there with a broad smile. "Nice to see you today." What was she aiming at? "Uh, hello, um, Silver Spoon." "Silver will do," she assured with a flutter of her lashes. "We really need to talk more." "Settle down class," came Cheerilee's commanding voice. Silver trotted away without any further words and settled beside Diamond Tiara. Prickle let out a near-silent sigh of relief that Silver Spoon had been banished, but glances showed that Silver was giving furtive looks right back at her. She was in that prissy filly's sights and there was nothing Prickle could think of to shake it. Unless... She raised a hoof into the air. "Miss Cheerilee?" Cheerilee paused her lesson, focusing on Prickle. "What is it, Prickle? Is everything alright?" "I'm really sorry but it hurts a little. Can I go get a drink?" Asking to take a break to get a drink was normally something a foal would have to wait for lunch for, but Prickle hoped, and was rewarded. "Of course you can. Go on. Now class--" Prickle slid from her chair and trot from the room, giddy with freedom once she turned the corner and slipped out of the schoolhouse. The water fountain was outside, beside the playground. As she walked towards it, she looked towards the sky, as bright blue as it was. Part of her wanted to run away, but she couldn't do that... "Why not?" she asked herself out loud. She dipped her snout in the way of the water and stepped on the pedal to get it to start flowing. As she drank, she thought of why not. For one, she was at school. Running away would get her in trouble. For another, she wasn't just Prickle Berry anymore. She was Tiny Titan. Heroes didn't run, and she was one of those, right? "Hello." Prickle jumped and swallowed the water wrong, sending herself into a coughing fit. A hoof came down and gently pat her back until the coughing subsided. Silver Spoon smiled gently. "Are you alright?" Prickle looked around wildly, but there was no way to escape other than outright fleeing, again... "H-hello Silver Spoon. What are you doing here?" "I was worried." She pulled a cloth from her fur and held it in her snout as she leaned in and rubbed it against Prickle's face, nuzzling her as she cleaned away the spilled water. "I volunteered to make sure you were alright." Prickle blinked with dumbfounded confusion mixing with the blush of the other filly's invasion of her personal space. "Wait, Miss Cheerilee wouldn't let a pony out for that." Silver suddenly looked guilty. "N-no, I guess not... I said I was thirsty too." Her smile returned. "We're both hurt, remember. But only one of us got hurt fighting that big terrible bugbear." She tucked her cloth away. "Can we talk?" Prickle gestured at the schoolhouse with a flick of her head. "Cheerilee will be mad at us if we--" Silver put a hoof to Prickle's snout. "Just a moment, please... I swear." Prickle shivered faintly before she nodded. "Alright..." She glanced away and back. "You're..." She was almost certain Silver Spoon knew. "You're here to make fun of me, aren't you?" Silver recoiled. "I said sorry!" "So what!" Prickle suddenly shouted before going red. She hadn't meant to shout like that. "I..." Silver had wilted under the sudden scream. "I'm... sorry to bother you." She spun in place and galloped back for the schoolhouse, leaving Prickle behind. She hung her head with newfound guilt. Had Silver been trying to be nice to her? Was it right for her to shove Silver away like that? There wasn't much she could do about it right that moment, so she walked back to class and tried to pay attention to the lesson being given. During lunch, Prickle was happily sitting by herself and chewing the sandwich her mother had prepared for her. It was her favorite kind and each bite reminded her of how lucky she was to have a perfect mom. A sudden lashing hoof knocked it free of her grip and sent it to the dirty ground. Diamond Tiara was there with a huge scowl. "Where do you get off talking to Silver Spoon that way!" She leaned in, her hind legs lifting off the ground in the motion. "Nopony treats Silver Spoon like that! Nopony!" "W-what? I didn't--" Diamond moved in all the further, shoving Prickle back. It wasn't that she couldn't resist, just that she wasn't. The fact that she wasn't, and Diamond's scathing tongue rubbed the wrong way through the heroic filly. Wold Tiny Titan accept this? She didn't have to be bullied anymore! But if she showed her strength, she might blow everything... "I heard it from inside the classroom. You shouted at her and she came back ready..." Diamond Tiara cut herself out with a low seething growl. "Nopony treats my friend that way!" She gave Prickle a terrific shove that sent her tumbling over her back to land on her belly with an oof. "You mutant freak! You don't belong in this school! You don't belong in this town! Go away and never come back!" It was too much. Prickle was beyond thinking. She had to defend herself. Never had the bullying become so physical before, had she been so directly attacked. She scrambled up to her trembling hooves, her entire body shaking like a leaf in a strong wind. "Stop. Stop right now. You leave--" "Go away!" shrilly cried Diamond Tiara, rushing with a raised hoof. She swung in a mighty punch, but Prickle did not allow it. The hoof landed, a deep thud heard, but Prickle's snout did not move a millimeter. It was as if she were made of stone. The noise of the conflict had started drawing eyes, but Prickle was not paying attention to them. Her eyes were on Diamond, who was heaving and pushing, trying to get her hoof to move Prickle, which wasn't happening, not even a little. "Stop," she repeated. "Last warning." A third party suddenly threw herself between them. Silver Spoon hugged Diamond Tiara tight and pulled her away. "Stop! Please stop!" "Silver!" Diamond backed up in a sudden recoiling. "I was just..." She looked around nervously. "She..." Her voice lowered to a whisper, "She made you cry! I'm defending you, you big dummy. Let me handle this." Silver Spoon leaned forward and kissed Diamond Tiara on the nose. "Parsnip." Prickle blinked. What did parsnips have to do with anything? Despite her confusion, Diamond sat on her haunches like a well-trained dog. Tiara gave a slow blink. "Are you... sure?" "Yes." Silver Spoon nodded. "I'll explain later, I promise." Diamond looked to Prickle, frown returning swiftly. "You're off the hook, this time. You better watch yourself!" She thrust a hoof at Prickle. "I'm watching you!" With a mighty huff, she stormed away. Cheerilee approached with a concerned expression. "Is everything alright over here? I heard some sh--Prickle!" She reached down and turned Prickle's head gently to reveal the swelling bruise that Diamond Tiara's hoof had left. She was powerful enough to resist moving at all, but she could bruise as well as anypony else. "What happened?! Who did this? Tell me right now." Silver Spoon looked stricken, and Prickle hesitated. She wanted to get Diamond in trouble, but... "I fell. That's what all the noise was about..." Cheerilee tilted her head a little. "It's... Are you sure?" Prickle nodded. "Alright... Come with me. You really must be careful while you're healing." The teacher took Prickle away to get a new bandage and her face gently dabbed off. "Now, you know, if somepony is picking on you, you should tell me," she said as she worked. "I know you're probably scared, but it won't be better for you to be quiet about it. It will be between you and me." Prickle knew that wasn't true. Other ponies had told on Diamond before, and it rarely worked out for the better for them in the long run. Sure, Diamond Tiara would be punished in the short term, but in the long run... "I just fell," she repeated. "Thank you." "You run along and play, but, please, don't hesitate to talk to me." Cheerilee gave a smile she hoped was reassuring. "I'm always here." Prickle gave one final nod and rushed out back outside. Her sandwich was right where she left it, all dirty and mildly trampled on. Her mother's love, ruined. Another thing to add to the tally-sheet of Diamond Tiara's wrongdoings. With a muted grunt, Prickle slammed the ground, making a little crater. She was so angry right at that moment, at herself for failing to stand up for herself, and Diamond for being a bully.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	14 - Wait	Prickle tried to pay attention for the rest of the day even as her thoughts kept looping back around to how the new injury she had, and the pony that had caused it. Just as pressing, and perhaps more confusing, was her friend. Silver was not acting like her usual self. She defended Prickle, to start, and was nice to her. Prickle tried to set the pieces down in her mind to examine rationally. If Silver was acting that way, there had to be a reason. She knew. She had to know. If she didn't know, there was no good reason for her to not suddenly do a 180. But then, what about Diamond? If Silver knew, surely Diamond had to, right? "Prickle Berry." Cheerilee was looking at her with some concern. "Please focus on what I'm saying." She had admonished foals much more sternly than she was at that moment. Her tone was more caring than angry. Prickle sat up a little, nodding. "Sorry!" School passed without much more dramatics involved, and Prickle slid from her seat thankfully. "Hey Prickle," came Apple Bloom's cheerful voice. "Ah heard ya done got picked on. Sorry we weren't there ta stop it." Scootaloo nodded with a frown. "If I was there, I woulda--" "Done mostly nothing," finished Sweetie Belle, nudging Scootaloo. "But maybe we could have calmed her down. Sorry." Prickle sat on her haunches and spread her hooves wide. "I'm not angry at you three." And she wasn't. They were her friends, and had done nothing wrong. They came in for her and she wrapped them up in a hug, squeezing them carefully. It was nice to have friends, especially ones that understood who she was. "I'm going to head home and do my own homework that I took with my own lips for a chance." Sweetie Belle was giggling as she slipped free of the embrace. "You give great hugs." Apple Bloom snorted at that. "She ain't wrong, but that there's a funny compliment ta be givin' a pony." The three trotted off to their various duties and calls. School was over, so there was no reason to stay there. Prickle walked sedately towards her own home, thinking about the day. "Hey." Silver Spoon was beside her. When had she even gotten there? "We really need to talk, please... Nopony else is around." Prickle's eyes darted as she made sure that statement was true. They were on a quiet road and there wasn't anypony else in view, just Silver Spoon... who almost certainly knew all about her. "H-hello, Silver Spoon." She gave a half smile. "We've all... done things we're not proud of, at one point or another." She pointed a hoof at Prickle. "What will it take to convince you I'm sorry?" Prickle felt a wave of heat flow through her. A small, angry, part of her insisted that being sorry wasn't good enough. But then she remembered herself and looked at Silver with a more neutral expression. "You're happy that I saved you." "Yes?" Silver tilted her head a little. "Thank you--" "I didn't know who you were," spat out Prickle with a bit more venom than she realized. Silver Spoon took half a step back, her careful demeanor fracturing. "Would... you have left me?" Prickle felt an icy chill grip her heart. "No! No no no!" She shook her head violent. "Celestia, no..." Silver Spoon brushed a small rock aside. "Maybe I would have deserved it... I'm really sorry. We... Look, that... There isn't a good way to say this." She sat down on her haunches. "What do I have to do? Do you... want to hit me?" Prickle's insides clenched all the harder. If she struck Silver Spoon, she couldn't even be sure she wouldn't send the filly right back to the hospital... or worse. "Your friend did enough hitting." Silver cringed at that. "She was trying to protect... me... She's a good friend, most of the time. She... saw how... Look, this is between us." She waved a hoof between herself and Prickle. "I'll do anything, please... I'm not the pony who made fun of you." Prickle felt her jaw clench before she let out a thunderous snort. "I... don't know." She didn't, and admitted it as her head hung a little. "I really don't know..." "Do you hate me?" Prickle went quiet a moment. "I don't know..." She sat down on her haunches, regarding her former tormentor. "Do you hate me?" "No!" Silver had little doubt. "You're a hero! By, like, every definition I can think of. You're my hero." She tapped her own chest. "You're Ponyville's hero." Prickle looked away at the mention of the town. "They like Tiny Titan. Prickle the mutant is still creepy and scary." While Prickle was looking crestfallen and had her eyes away, Silver approached and slid a leg over her, making Prickle jump in surprise. She drew Prickle against herself. "You are not creepy..." "You're... just saying that because I helped you." Silver frowned softly. "Look... I... There's som--" "Get away from her!" Diamond Tiara was rushing towards them. "You leave Silver Spoon alone!" She easily knocked Silver Spoon back and put herself between the two fillies. "Didn't I warn you before? Miss Cheerilee's not here to protect you this time!" "Stop it!" shouted Silver as she picked herself off the ground. "Leave her alone." "When she leaves you alone." Diamond thrust a hoof at Silver. "I read about this. You have stockenhome sickness. I'm here to protect you, Silver, just stay back." Prickles hopped up to all fours, glaring at Diamond. Was she in on it? Who wasn't? It felt like everypony knew... Her attempt to hide was going poorly, as an understatement. "Silver Spoon wanted to talk to me." "I bet she did." Diamond turned her full attention on Prickle. "Did you threaten her?" Prickle shook her head quickly. "Then why would she want to talk to a freak like you?" Silver's leg slid in front of Diamond as she came around to face her friend. "I did, Diamond. Please... Can we just talk?" Diamond flashed her teeth in a seething growl, but settled slowly to her haunches. "Fine, we're talking. Here we are." She glared at Prickle. "Freaks and all." Silver sat down to the side between Diamond and Prickle. "I know we've had a very... problematic... past." Prickle blinked at that. "That's saying it mildly." Diamond rolled her eyes. "Get to the point, Silver." Silver pointed at Prickle, then at Diamond. "You are both my friends." Diamond recoiled like she was burned. "F-friends, with her?! What does she have on you? You know I have your back, Silver. Just tell me and I'll take care of it." Silver looked directly at Prickle. "I actually have something on her, but I don't plan to ever, like, take advantage of that." Diamond's furious mask seemed to break, ebbing into a calculating one. "Ohhhh... Now I see." She smiled at Prickle, tail swishing left and right. "You better watch out. Silver Spoon may look like a creampuff, but when she has a pony, she has a grip that's even stronger than yours." A laugh escaped her. "Oh, now I feel silly. You're the one pulling the strings, Silver." She went over and hugged her friend eagerly. Prickle looked between the two, her confusion mounting. Still, Diamond Tiara had calmed down. That was good, right? "I'll be careful." She rose to her hooves. "I should get going home, alright?" Silver nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow, kay?" Diamond nodded in support. "You better do what Silver asks, or you'll answer to me instead." Prickle had no idea what was really going on anymore. "Tomorrow." She almost super jumped away, but caught herself at the last second and instead trotted away from the dynamic duo. She felt some of the tension flow out of her once both were out of sight. She still wasn't sure what exactly was going on. Still... "She doesn't know..." She couldn't know. If Diamond Tiara knew she saved Silver, half the things she said wouldn't make any sense. Silver Spoon had kept that secret, for some reason. Prickle opened the door to her house and was greeted with a warm hug and questions about her day. She was home, and she was with her mother. Everything was alr-- "What happened?" Junebug gently gave Prickle's bruise a light nudge, feeling over it. "Did you get into a fight?" Prickle flinched back, both in pain and otherwise. "I didn't fight anypony." Junebug took a slow breath. "I suppose... that's probably true." She wasn't daft enough to think she could fight any of the other foals and it not be over very quickly. "But did somepony fight you? What happened?" She leaned in close. "It's like you have a hoofprint right on your pretty little face, poor dear." "I just... fell..." Junebug cocked a brow. "Right onto a horseshoe?" "Y-yeah!" "You know I don't believe that... My little porcupine, I love you very much, but I don't appreciate lies. Whatever happened, tell me honestly. I've forgiven you for worse things than a black eye." Junebug reached out and Prickle didn't resist as her mother pulled her right in for a firm hug. "You're safe here." Prickle nuzzled into the warm comfort of her mother a quiet moment. She just wanted to be safe and secure, and she was getting just that. Her mother didn't pry further as the moments ticked by with one another cuddling in the silence. She looked up and backed away an inch. "A filly thought I hurt her friend." Junebug tilted her head at Prickle. "Did you?" "Sorta..." Prickle squirmed in place. "I said maybe not nice things. I was confused and... I... I really didn't mean to... But..." "Shh." Junebug ran a hoof through Prickle's mane gently. "Did you apologize, to the filly you hurt, not that one that hurt you?" Had she? Prickle ran back through her memories of the day. "Sort of... we talked a little... She wants to talk again tomorrow... I guess she's not too hurt." A little smile came to her snout. Junebug echoed the smile and nuzzled her filly. "And the filly that hurt you?" "She, uh, didn't apologize... but I think she's alright." Visions of Diamond Tiara apologizing ran through her head. They were so obviously fantasy that she tossed them aside. "She knows I'm not hurting her friend." "This is good then. Prickle, I'm proud you didn't hurt her. I know you could have. It takes a big pony to stand your ground and not just hit things that bother you." She rose and trotted away. "Now go ahead and start your homework. Dinner will be ready at the usual time. If you need any help, you call me."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	15 - #1 Fan	The next day, after school had let out, Prickle went to fetch her things and spotted something new tucked in beside the container she held her lunch in. It was a card. A soft sweet scent came from it that only roused her curiosity higher. She flipped it open to reveal an invitation. Dear Prickle Berry, You are cordially invited to a meeting of like-minded admirers. Please come to the following address at your earliest convenience. Signed, An Admirer Prickle tilted her head at the letter. The address pointed to the small well-to-do portion of town. What would she be wanted for... there... She dropped the letter. Was it Diamond, or Silver? Maybe both? She crashed to her haunches. "What's wrong?" asked Scootaloo as she trotted up beside Prickle. "It's time to go, or Miss Cheerilee'll get mad at us." Ah ha! An out, sort of. "Scootaloo!" "Yeah?" "Can you come with me?" She snatched the letter off the ground in her teeth and held it up for Scootaloo to see. Scootaloo blinked at it as she leaned in. "Huh, sure? Anything for a friend, right?" Prickle felt relief surge through her. She wouldn't be going alone. Whatever was planned, it wouldn't be nearly as bad with a friend, and one who already knew her secret. "Let's go." Scootaloo's wings buzzed on her back. "To adventure!" Together, they made their way quickly across town to the address. Scootaloo recognized it easily. "Silver Spoon's place. Huh, never actually been inside before." Prickle's ears fell. She didn't know how it would turn out, for the better or worse. "Thank you for being here." She walked up and pressed the button by the gate, just to have it swing open a moment later quietly. "Guess we go in?" Scootaloo gestured inside, then began to walk easily. "Nice place." Prickle rushed to catch up. "Y-yeah, I guess." On reaching the door, it swung open as if by magic, but the source of the locomotion became clear quickly. Silver Spoon was standing there. "This way, please." Her eyes darted to Scootaloo, but didn't question her. With a spin, she walked away at a sedate pace. "I'm glad you could make it. This couldn't happen without you here." None of those words made Prickle feel better, but she pressed on, taking comfort in the fact that she had Scootaloo at least to help. "What couldn't happen?" she dared to ask. "Oh, um... Scootaloo knows." "Oh, I know," sang Silver Spoon. "If she didn't, she wouldn't be here." She arrived by a fancy double door and waved at it. "Please, enter." Prickle glanced to Scootaloo who grinned and waved at the same doors. "Go on." They were in it together?! She was alone... Prickle hung her head low a moment before she walked up to the door and took its handle in her mouth. With a little twist, she pulled it open to reveal a room full of ponies. "Surprise," they yelled in concert. Apple Bloom was there at the front, hooves spread wide. "Welcome to the first meeting of the Tiny Titan fanclub!" Prickle blinked dumbly. Rarity emerged from the crowd, floating over a repaired costume. "As promised, a mighty costume for a mighty hero." The crowd clopped and stomped with appreciation as she floated it over to Prickle. "One she rightly deserves." Bon Bon stepped out, glancing around. "We, uh, have to talk later. Good job on that bugbear. Such a little filly like you, doing all that... It's remarkable." "Remarkable nothing." Rainbow Dash landed in front of Prickle. "It was downright amazing, and she made my moves even more awesome!" She paused a moment, thinking of a synonym. "We were fantastic together." She threw a leg over Prickle and hugged her close. "You're welcome to monster bashing any time, little squirt." Redheart gave a soft cough. "Which I hope will not result in another hospital visit, and if it does, you will stay put long enough to properly heal. We don't want you being hurt." Silver Spoon bumped into Prickle, side to side. "We're all here to celebrate you, Prickle Berry, Tiny Titan. You're an amazing filly that's made our lives better." Prickle made a sudden observation, looking at who was present and not. "Didn't bring Lyra?" "She's not in the secret," promised Bon Bon. "I left her at home." Sweetie Belle suddenly popped free of the crowd, hovering two cups, one of which she brought over to Prickle. "Try some, it's really nice." Prickle accepted it with a trembling hoof. Were all those ponies that happy about her? Part of her struggled to accept the idea. "Silver Spoon, how did you know all these ponies knew who I was?" Silver fluttered her lashes. "I have my ways, and a proper mare never reveals her secrets. Please, enjoy yourself. Today is your day." She approached and planted a smooch on Prickle's cheek. "My hero," she breathed on the paralyzed filly's cheek and walked away into the crowd. So Prickle learned that she had fans, good fans. They were all happy to be there, and talk to her. Most of them seemed to care about her wellbeing, especially the more mature adults. Redheart tried to gently caution her away from superheroing, but let it drop in favor of advice and tips to keep safe. "I don't mind seeing you, Tiny Titan, but let's avoid doing it on a, shall we say it, professional level, too often." As the party was winding down, Prickle was nibbling on some cake when the world suddenly darted away. She was in a small, cramped, dark place. "Shh," hissed Bon Bon. "I wanted to talk to you privately." They were in a crowded closet, buried under jackets and other things. "I'm really sorry I wasn't there, for the bugbear. That was entirely my fault." Prickle opened her mouth to object but Bon Bon put a hoof over Prickle's snouts. "I know what you're going to say, save it. Starting Tomorrow we're doing weekly lessons. You come to the shop, as Tiny Titan, and I'll make you sweat." She moved to shove Prickle back into the main room. Prickle was not a pony that could be shoved when she didn't want to be. She did not move an inch. "You have a secret identity, right?" Bon Bon raised a brow. "Who said that?" Prickle grinned lopsidedly. "Takes one to know one. Candy makers don't fight like that." Bon Bon frowned. "You'll have to earn that. Show up tomorrow, and be ready to work." Prickle reached up and hugged Bon Bon firmly. "Thank you. I will, promise." Bon Bon's stern expression melted in the hug and she sighed. She put one leg around Prickle, returning the embrace. "Please, be careful." Prickle slipped back into the room to come face-to-face with the host. Silver Spoon's tail was swaying behind her as she smiled. "Did you enjoy yourself, Tiny Titan?" Prickle's ears fell a moment. "Are..." Silver put her hoof to Prickle's lips, a habit of ponies that day it seemed. "Your secret is safe with me. You're my hero, and I mean that." Prickle's eyes wandered. "Where's Diamond Tiara?" Silver shrugged. "I told her my parents needed me to do boring housework. I don't have to tell her every little thing, now do I? This is our secret." She reached out with that same hoof to rest it on Prickle's chest, then brought it back to her own. "Maybe I can't ever say enough sorries, but I mean it. You are not a freak, Prickle Berry. You're a miracle." Prickle felt a new wave of numbness sweep over her. "A miracle?" she barely breathed out. "You are," confirmed Silver. "Now... the sneaky stuff." Her smile deepened. "In front of Diamond Tiara, I own you. I have something on you so salacious--" "What?" Silver giggled softly. "Something so dirty and horrible that you'll do anything to keep me quiet. Just act like that and there's no reason for me to not come and speak to you once in a while, right at school." She leaned in closer. "I am your tormentor, but... this time it's just pretend. Understand?" She didn't not entirely, but some parts were clear. "You really want to be my friend?" "I do." Silver gave a firm nod. "May I?" Prickle squirmed fitfully, unsure what to say. "I don't know you." It was true. She only knew Silver Spoon as Diamond Tiara's +1 of bullying. "We can fix that," promised Silver in her gentle tones. "I want to know you better too. I'm sorry I did that before, but we can fix it. Prickle Berry, will you be my friend?" The blunt question sent Prickle down lightly to her haunches. "I... we... can try?" The urge to say no outright wasn't there. She was lost and confused. "So... what do you... like to do?" Silver frowned faintly. "I like being with my friends and doing what they like to do." That made almost too much sense to Prickle. The next question felt obvious. "Who are your friends, besides Diamond Tiara?" Silver opened her mouth to reply, but it slowly closed for an awkward moment before she ruffled up. "All the foals at school! Except maybe Snips and Snails!" Prickle reached out and echoed Silver's motion, placing her hoof on the rich filly's chest. "Your secret is safe with me." Silver blinked, at first with confusion, then it turned to anger, face turning red and trembling, just for it to break. Big tears welled in her eyes. "Will you be my friend? A for real friend?" Her former tormentor reduced to tears, laid naked and bare before her, Prickle saw a filly that was so very alone, even when surrounded by ponies that looked up to her. Prickle spread her hooves wide and Silver stepped forward. With the utmost of care, she embraced the rich filly. "I'm ready to try." "Aw, that's the sweetest thing I've seen all day and that's saying something seeing as--" Both fillies turned with confused and shocked expressions. There was Pinkie Pie, rambling away. "This calls for a party! Wait, we just had one of those..." Prickle twitched an ear at the pink pony, then at her new silver friend. "Did you invite her?" Silver sat back with a little laugh. "Invite her? She's the one that helped put it all together." Pinkie bobbed her head. "A-huh. I'm Ponyville's #1 party planner, so it shouldn't be a surprise she'd come to me to help plan things." She leaned in towards both fillies. "How was it? Ya both had a really good great time?" Prickle felt a chill down her spine. "Does that mean she knows?" "Know what?" Pinkie tilted her head. "That you're Tiny Titan, Ponyville's newest, smallest, hero?! Of course, silly. This is your party! Well, I guess it's technically Silver Spoon's party, but she threw it for you." Silver began to look increasingly guilty. "But you knew that ahead of time, right?" "I figured it out," said Pinkie with a nod. "I'm good at that. So, how was it?!"
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	16 - End Episode 4 - Rivalry	In the end, Pinkie made one of her oaths to keep Prickle's identity to herself, and she giddily joined the fan club as a result. "It's really nice what you did while we were away. It's kind of a relief, knowing Ponyville isn't all alone out here." Prickle moved to head home. She had a mother to greet and homework to do. Before she went, she stopped by Silver Spoon. "Thank you." Silver smiled. "You enjoyed the function?" Prickle nodded. "And I'm... glad we worked it out. I'll see you in school, alright?" Silver looked guilty then. "Maybe a little, but we have to pretend, remember?" "Yeah..." Prickle didn't like it, but she was not ready to face Diamond yet, queen matriarch of her suffering. "Why does she have to be so mean?" Silver blinked. "She's not trying to be, honest." "Easy for you to say, being her best friend." Prickle turned away. "I'll see you tomorrow." Silver waved as Prickle walked away, then settled on her haunches. "That went better than it could have gone..." She shook her head a little and turned back to the used room. There was a mess to clean. Prickle walked home under the evening sun. It was growing dim as she went, but it was Ponyville. Outside of huge angry monsters, one was usually pretty safe in its streets. It was home, and just about everypony knew everypony else, or Pinkie would fix it. She whistled as she went to break the silence. It was quite surprising to have a whistle returned to her. She darted her head around, looking for the source when it came to her. A pony dropped from the sky in a dynamic pose. "Little girl!" Prickle squeaked and fell back, eyes wide. "H-hello?" The pony was dressed much like she was as Tiny Titan, though they had bright blues and reds. "Be at ease. I am the Manehatten Mauler, protector of Manehatten, and I hear Ponyville's gotten a new hero. It's important that I find them. Tell me." She, it sounded like a she, leaned towards Prickle. "Do you know where I can find one Tiny Titan?" Prickle shook her head violently. She didn't know that pony! And what a name, a mauler?! Were they a hero or a villain? "N-nope, sorry." "That is quite the pity..." Mauler tapped her chin. "The search continues." She launched into the air. Unlike Prickle, there was no jump, she simply ignored gravity and soared away with a glow. Prickle focused on that glow and realized Mauler was a unicorn. How had she missed that detail? She had been more surprised than at first she realized. Prickle hastened to a trot to get home. It seemed her exploits had drawn attention, and she wan't sure if it was the good kind or the bad kind. "Maybe Bon Bon knows," she said to herself hopefully as she reached her comfy house and the embrace of her mother. She would find out the next day, she decided to herself. It was time for homework.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	17 - Start Episode 5: Titanic Training	Prickle slammed face-first into the earthen wall, making a dent in it. Not because she was hurled so violently, but because it was soft. She pulled herself free and shook herself out. "Lucky." Bon Bon smirked at her pupil. "You really think so?" "No..." Prickle looked sheepish a moment before she bounced in place. "I'll get you this time." She hurled herself at Bon Bon eagerly. The training sessions were hard, and hurt sometimes, but they were a time she could cut loose and be what she was without reservation. She didn't have to hold her punches or walk on eggshells. Bon Bon knew how to fight her and handle her and Prickle adored every moment of it. They had arrived in that little dug out bunker and Bon Bon had declared it to be their training grounds. "It's out of the way, the walls and ground are relatively soft packed. The biggest threat we have is being buried alive, and I have a feeling you wouldn't be stuck for long if that did happen." She was a harsh teacher, but always attentive. She told Prickle exactly how she foiled each attack. Sure, being told was not the same as learning, but Prickle felt she was getting closer to success with every attack. "One thing," Bon Bon said as she circled Prickle. "In a real fight, there are no rules. You win, or the other guy does, and the one that wants to win, will find a way. The same goes between us. There are no rules. Beat me." "No rules..." Prickle glanced around for something to give her an edge just before a hoof came at her and slapped her across the snout. "Think faster," Bon Bon cautioned. "Your enemy won't give you time to size up the field in the middle of a fight." Prickle smiled, confidence blooming. "Alright, no more thinking." She jumped powerfully over the next swing at her and slammed her right forehoof into the ceiling above. "Catch!" She came down across the room as the roof began to collapse with a roar of falling earth. Bon Bon said something quite unfitting for the presence of a young mare as she tried to scramble out of the way of the collapse, only to have it catch her at the hips and knock her down. Prickle trotted up and put a hoof on Bon Bon's momentarily stunned head. "I win." Bon Bon looked mighty sore a moment before it melted away into gales of laughter. "You did. Oh, you did." She pulled herself free of the dirt and began to shake herself free of the debris. "Now you get to help me fix our training area, but good job." Their work was long and hard, until a soft knocking came from above. Bon Bon squinted at the hatch that led to freedom. Her voice changed completely as she called, "who is it?" "O-oh," came the muffled reply. "I thought my little porcupine was here? I brought lunch." Bon Bon swatted Prickle. "You told your mom?" Prickle looked sheepish. Bon Bon sighed and put a hoof between her eyes. "Go on, you earned lunch." With a renewed smile, Prickle shot up the ladder and vanished above-ground. Junebug was waiting there with a smile. "There you are." She reached out and began brushing dust and dirt off Prickle. "Having fun?" "Yes, mom." Prickle bobbed her head quickly. "What did you make?" Her nose danced, but she mostly smelled dirt and earth instead of any food that had been brought for her. Whatever it was, she was sure it'd be good. "I asked around for food that was good for growing foals and weightlifters and that mister Biceps pointed me on the right path." She produced a small wrapped package. "Enjoy." Prickle wasn't sure she liked the sound of that. It obviously wasn't going to be one of her favorites. She did accept the package though, to not be rude. "Thanks!" She wasn't sure how thankful she was. "I'll see you later, alright." Junebug leaned in and kissed Prickle between her dirty ears. "When you're done, come home and get a good shower in. You'll need it." Prickle gave her mother a careful hug as she promised to do just that, then scurried back underground where Bon Bon was seated and eating her own snack. "What's that?" Prickle asked, pointing as she held her mother's gift in her teeth. Bon Bon gave a soft hmm. "This? Just a sandwich Lyra made before I left." She sank her teeth into it. "Nothing fancy, but Lyra doesn't do fancy food. Still nice." Prickle nodded slowly. "Yeah..." She liked her mother's sandwiches. So what did she get instead? She put the package down and quickly unwrapped its bright red and white checkerboard fabric to reveal a thermos and a little ceramic container that held something that smelled of cheese and herbs. It wasn't bad smelling, just new. Bon Bon seemed to notice the hesitation. "Not the usual?" Prickle shook her head. "Your mother really cares about you. It's nice... I wish I could tell mine about what I do." "What do you do?" Prickle nibbled at her chewy food and quickly decided it was in fact not only not bad, but actually kinda good. Bon Bon smirked at that and gave Prickle a prod on the shoulder. "You haven't earned that, my student. Thank you, by the way." Prickle blinked at her. "For what?" She undid the top of the thermos and sniffed at it. Ugh, it was like... she didn't know. It smelled odd. Bon Bon reached out and took the thermos away to sniff it herself. "Oh, wow, a real muscle builder drink." She set it to the side. "I don't think you need that. Just keep eating well, and keep them in use, and you'll be fine. Most of the 'bulking' stuff is only good if you want to look like Biceps, exactly like him. All muscle, no grace. That's not your look." Prickle was in no hurry to try what was in the thermos anyway, and happily polished that casserole-like dish, leaving the container sparkling clean by the time she was done. "What are you thankful for?" Bon Bon lifted her shoulders. "If you had come and got me while Rainbow was there, that would have been... awkward. I'm glad you didn't." Prickle went warm and red quickly. "I... forgot." Bon Bon tapped her on the nose lightly. "Wisdom is knowing when to accept thanks as given." "Sorry!" squeaked the young hero as she got to putting her things away to take home later. "Rainbow Dash doesn't know?" "She doesn't." Bon Bon pat Prickle on the shoulder. "You're already closer than she might ever be. Let's let the food settle before we resume. In the meanwhile, we can go over some of the things we've learned." "One thing." Prickle bounced to her hooves. "Lyra knows, right?" Bon Bon let out a long and low sigh as a smile spread over her snout. "If you pressure her, then we're officially not friends, ever." Prickle went pale. "No! I wouldn't ever! I was just curious, honest." "Curiosity is a two-edged sword, be careful with it." Bon Bon rose to her own hooves and stretched out. "I had to tell her, the last time the Bugbear came through the town. She's been very responsible about it since. You'll make her very sad if you make her break her promises, and I know you could, if you wanted." Prickle backed up, bumping into the wall tail-first. "I wouldn't! Lyra's a good pony. I would never hurt her." "Good, keep that in mind." Bon Bon gestured to the center of the room. "Now let's get back to work. Next time, there might be another hero there to back you up." "Another?" "Rainbow Dash? If she doesn't qualify, I'm not sure how many other ponies do." Bon Bon walked to where she wanted to resume. "Equestria is kept safe by a number of such heroes. Most of them act locally, but some, like Miss Dash, cover a wider area. Ponies are so used to it, we don't even bat an eye these days. How often do you see a news article about what Princess Twilight and her friends have saved us from recently?" Prickle didn't read the newspaper often, and said as much as she rubbed her cheek sheepishly. "Should I?" "Yes," replied Bon Bon without hesitation. "Your new profession requires it. You need to know what's going on. If a monster is seen coming, you should be one of the first to know about it. If some villain busted out of jail or Tartarus or anywhere else, you should be ready." She lashed out a hoof at Prickle. Prickle squeaked in surprise, but brought up a hoof just in time to throw it to the side. Her strength was such that she deflected all of Bon Bon, sending her into a spin before she could right herself. Bon Bon laughed it off and the training resumed. By the time Bon Bon called it, Prickle was sore in countless places, panting and ragged, but there was a smile on her face. The ache was a good ache. Her body felt... used, in all the right ways. "Thank you, Bon Bon. Thank you so much for teaching me." She dipped her head low, ears spread to the sides. "See you next week?" "Next week," agreed Bon Bon with a smile. "That doesn't mean you get to spend the time between just sitting around. You keep training. Just remember most other ponies aren't ready for this kind of roughhousing, so be careful around your other friends." She reached out and gently ruffled the top of Prickle's head. "By the way, you may want to look into getting that suit armored." "Wha?" Prickle looked quite perplexed. Bon Bon shrugged. "Rarity knows her way around clothing options. Ask her to work in something tougher between the layers of fabric. I know it's more than one thick, and I know she can do it if she wants to. It'll slow you down a little, but I think you need some durability. You have all this strength, but your body's just as delicate as anypony else." Prickle felt ready to argue that. She got hurt, sure, but she wasn't a wimp! Still, if her teacher said so... "I'll ask Miss Rarity next time I see her." "Great. Take care of yourself." Bon Bon ascended the ladder and was gone. Prickle clambered up and out to find Bon Bon had managed to scurry away without a trace. There were still things to learn... She began trotting for home. As she went, her mind buzzed with what she had learned. Her thoughts drifted back to that other hero that had come looking for her. She would have to face them, eventually. But it was not that day. It had been a productive day.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	18 - Schoolyard Hijinks	Prickle sat obediently in her chair, eyes on the chalkboard as Miss Cheerilee gave a lesson on math. Prickle was alright at math. Far from the top, far from the bottom. She was average. That was, in some strange way, comforting to her. She was average at something, and that was perfectly fine. When Cheerilee let them out for lunch, Prickle grabbed her package out of her bag. She could smell the delightful aromas coming from within. Her mother had not let her down! With a smile, she trotted outside. She saw the crusaders were at a table, gabbing among one another. Sweetie Belle spotted her coming out and waved her over. Prickle accepted the invitation and soon hopped up beside Scootaloo and set her lunch down. "Hello!" She started unwrapping her food. "How are you all doing?" Apple Bloom pricked an ear. "Huh, being, uh, you know, it's workin' for ya." Scootaloo clopped her forehooves together. "Of course it is. So, hey, how do you get, you know, hero powers?" She grinned hopefully. Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. "I don't think she did anything specific." Prickle nodded quickly. "It just happened. I didn't ask for it." "Figures." Scootaloo stuck out her tongue. "But if you ever find anything that does that, you'll let me know, right?" Prickle considered her lame friend. Not lame as in, uh, lame. Scootaloo was amazing! But she couldn't fly. She was literally lame, as far as pegasi went. She was painfully below par for what she was, and there Prickle was, being stupendously above the mark. Prickle felt a wince coming on. "You're not... angry, are you? I mean..." Scootaloo blinked and shook her head quickly. "No way! Maybe a little jealous a little... But we're the ones that got you where you were." She threw a leg over Prickle and hugged her close. "You're a friend!" That got the other two giving a little cheer of agreement. With that aside, Prickle got to chowing down on the delightful repast her mother had prepared. There was some of that muscle-building juice also in there, which she put aside and proceeded to ignore. Sweetie's horn began to glow as she lifted the forgotten thermos over, unscrewed the top, and gave a sniff before her face scrunched right up. "Uck! What is this?" "Lemme see!" demanded Apple Bloom before it was passed to her for her to get a whiff. "Whooee! Smells right powerful whatever it is." Scootaloo wanted her turn and reached across the table to snag it. "Wow! What is this stuff, Prickle?" Prickle flushed lightly in her cheeks. "Mom made it for me. She's trying to help, but I don't need muscle juice like Mister Biceps uses." Scootaloo blinked softly. "Huh..." She sniffed it again as if seriously considering it. Apple Bloom knocked it out of Scoot's hooves, splashing on the floor. "Don't even think about it." "Aw..." Two fillies approached the table, both familiar. Silver Spoon smiled lightly. "Hello, girls. Prickle, nice to see you." Diamond Tiara glanced aside at her companion. "Afternoon, girls." Her eyes focused back on Prickle. "So, she one of you now?" Scootaloo shook her head. "If you mean a crusader, nah. She had her cutie mark before we got there." Sweetie smiled sweetly. "But she's still our friend." Apple Bloom's brow creased. "Which means ya shouldn' mess wit' her." Diamond waved it off. "I'm not here to cause trouble. Besides, we're friends, right?" Prickle pointed at herself, uncertain. "Not you, the others." Diamond rolled her eyes. "Silver wanted to talk to you though." Silver stepped closer with a nod. "I was thinking..." Silver fidgeted a little on her hooves. "Due to our previous arrangement, maybe..." Diamond nudged her friend lightly. "Go on. Be assertive." She seemed to enjoy encouraging Silver. Silver nodded firmly. "Right. Prickle Berry, you will meet with me after school, alone." She pointed to a hill outside of town. "There." Prickle looked off towards the lonely hill and back. Silver was a friend, right? No harm in meeting with a friend, in... theory? "Al--" "--Don't you go bossin' her around like that!" chastised Apple Bloom. "Yeah!" chorused the other two. Prickle sat up straight. "N-no, it's alright..." Sweetie Belle blinked with renewed confusion. "Are you certain?" "Yes." Prickle bobbed her head, then looked to Silver Spoon. "I'll be there." Diamond pointed at Prickle. "You'd better! C'mon." She walked away with Silver, saying something quiet and laughing as she went. Prickle started when she felt a hoof come down on one of hers lightly. Sweetie was reaching across the table, looking at her pointedly. "It's probably nothing." Her voice lowered, "I mean, she is in your fan club." Scootaloo blinked. "Oh yeah. I forgot that a moment there." Prickle put her other hoof on Sweetie's. "I think she's a friend. It's probably nothing at all." With lunch time over, everyone gathered their things and headed back inside to finish the day. When it was over, Prickle trotted out and turned to the hill. What had Silver wanted from her so badly? There was only one way to know for certain, so she got to hiking up there. It was half an hour out of the way, but compared to sparring with Bon Bon, it was an easy task. When she got there, Silver Spoon was already there, panting and wheezing. Prickle hurried towards her. "Are you alright?" "I'm... fine..." she assured before she stood up with an explosive sigh. "Sorry. I didn't think this hill was that tall." She smiled at Prickle warmly. "Sorry if Diamond bothered you." Prickle shook her head resolutely. "No! It's alright. What's wrong?" She looked left and right, trying to spot anything besides Silver Spoon. "Something's wrong, right? Why are we here?" Unseen by either of them, the crusaders were gathered in a bush, watching the two intently. Apple Bloom had binoculars out and was peering through them. "They're just talkin' so far." Scootaloo grabbed them, yanking Apple Bloom with the strap, not that she paid much attention to that and took her turn to stare. "What do you think they're talking about?" Sweetie Belle had a one-hoofed spyglass she clearly borrowed from her sister, floating in her magic as she watched with one eye closed. "They don't look upset, so I guess it's alright..." Across from them, all the way on the other side of the clearing, sat Diamond Tiara in her own bush. "If that Prickle so much as touches a hair on her..." she grumbled to herself, glaring at the two from her hiding place. "Don't worry, Silver. I have your back!" Silver ran a hoof through her mane, gently undoing some of the frayed edges from her gallop. "Thank you for coming. It's about that other pony that's looking for, you know, you. The Mauler." Prickle went tense a moment. "Is she a good or bad pony?" Silver produced an envelope from within her fur and held it out towards Prickle. "I did some digging around. She's a good pony, works out of Manehatten." Apple Bloom wrenched her binoculars back from Scootaloo and blinked through them. "What's in that envelope?!" Sweetie Belle leaned forward. "Whatever it is, Prickle seems interested in it." In her own bush, Diamond snickered softly. "Oh, that's bold, Silver. Is that what you have on her? Very bold. Don't-- Dang it!" She swore as the envelope was clearly snatched away by Prickle, at least in her eyes. "Rookie mistake, Silver..." Then she sat back. "Unless that's just a copy, just to prove to her what you have... Yes! You are better at this than I gave you credit for." Prickle took the envelope and curiously pulled the tab open in her lips. "Thank you. You didn't have to." "But I did." Silver smiled gently. "That's what friends do for each other, and fans..." She glanced away and back. "Please don't be angry at Diamond." Prickle was distracted from opening. "Huh?" "I know you're super angry at her, and, like, you have every right to be, really..." Silver Spoon rubbed one foreleg with the other. "She's really trying to change, really... I'm trying to help, can you... Can you help too? She's a good pony, really she is." Sweetie blinked and withdrew her spyglass a moment. "I know I'm no scholar on the matter, but the way Silver is acting..." Apple Bloom leaned forward with her binoculars, only to have them snatched away by an eager Scootaloo. Scootaloo gasped dramatically. "Are they about to kiss?! Can fillies do that?" She let go of the binoculars and looked to her friends. Both shrugged. "Don't see why not," admitted Apple Bloom. She shrugged before she pulled her binoculars back into place. "That's quite a way to go from where they were, let's not assume nothin'." Prickle reached and placed a hoof on Silver's shoulder. "I'm not trying to fight with her." Silver reached up, putting a hoof on Prickle's. "I know that. You're too... You're nice. You wouldn't fight her." She took off her glasses and polished them with a clean fabric. "But it's more than that. She needs friends... Real friends, not ponies who are scared of her. You aren't scared of her." Not scared of her?! Prickle cringed visibly. Diamond snickered softly, watching Prickle cringe and fall back a step. "Oh what I wouldn't give to hear what she just said... Go on, Silver, you can do it!" Sweetie tilted her head faintly, watching the exchange. "Whatever she just said, Prickle looks upset." Silver's expression faltered. "Are you?" Prickle danced from hoof to hoof, struggling to find the right words. "She... terrifies me," she finally got out in barely a whisper. "When she looks at me, I feel all weak and helpless." Silver gave Prickle a skeptical look. "You could pound her without even trying. She's... loud... but she isn't strong, like, not even close to where you are." All of those words made perfect sense, in her head, but the rest of her wasn't so eager to agree. Prickle sank to her haunches. "What do you want me to do?" Diamond rubbed her forehooves together, watching Prickle sag to the ground with that defeated expression. Clearly Silver had proven victorious, just like her friend should. "I was silly to even worry about you. You got this in the bag, girl." Sweetie shook her head. "Whatever they're talking about, they both look consumed." Apple Bloom wobbled a hoof, the other holding up her binoculars. "Whatever ya call it, somethin's clearly up!"
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	19 - Wearing a Tiara	Prickle approached the duo that had formed so much of her school life up to that point. One of them, she had forgiven, the other... She took a slow breath, trying to calm herself down. She wasn't just Prickle Berry, no! She was Tiny Titan! And was Tiny Titan scared of some little bully? Maybe a little... Prickle sagged in place a little before gathering herself back up and trotting forward, towards destiny. "H-hello, Diamond, Silver." Silver looked up with a smile. Diamond's expression was far less cordial. "Hello, Prickle... What do you want?" Prickle felt dread run through her as if somepony had replaced her blood with icy water. "N-nothing. I just... came to say hello." "Hello," she repeated. "Now?" "Now... How's your day?" Diamond rose from where she had been sitting. "I don't know what you're--" Silver put a hoof on Diamond's shoulder. "Why don't you answer?" Diamond blinked softly. "Did you ask her to be here?" She flashed a big smile. "Of course you did." She turned to Prickle. "I'm just fine, thanks for asking." She stepped towards the stunned Prickle. "She must really have you over a barrel. Oh, what I wouldn't give to know that secret." Prickle thought she was already at maximum tension, but she was proven wrong as worry about Diamond learning her secret identity made her head throb a little with a forming headache. "I... just wanted to be friendly." "Why?" Diamond looked back at Silver. "I don't get it. Why is she here?" Silver flashed the most brilliant smile. "I know a secret." Diamond threw up her forehooves, crashing down on her haunches. "I know that! You've been parading around the fact, and I'm happy for you, Silver, but you're not sharing so it's getting a little annoying." Silver leaned forward. "Do you want me to share it?" Prickle felt like she was sweating buckets. Was Silver about to give away her secret? Was their friendship really one big cruel joke?! Diamond glanced at Prickle, but her attention was mostly on Silver. "Is that an offer? Go on, do share. You know I want to know." Silver gave a firm nod. "Very well, since you ask... Prickle is--" Prickle trembled from her ears to her tail. She had to stop Silver, but how?! Attacking her would be wrong, even for that. She screamed internally so loudly, she could barely hear what Silver said. "--in love with you." Wait what? "What?" asked Diamond Tiara out loud. "It's true. She confessed it all to me yesterday." Silver pointed at Prickle. "She admires your strength and determination, but you scare her. Like a moth attracted to a fire, she can't help herself but dancing closer, but she fears it all the same." Prickle's mouth moved, but no words came out. She couldn't even parse what had just been said. Diamond looked almost as shocked. "You... she..." She turned back to Prickle and stepped towards her. "You should hate me!" That woke Prickle up, blinking. "I don't... hate you." She didn't. She was terrified of Diamond, but she didn't hate her. Hay, she didn't even want bad things to happen to her, just... "You should!" Diamond thrust a hoof forward, thudding it painfully into Prickle's chest. "We've been enemies forever! Why don't you hate me?!" Prickle staggered back a step before she inclined an ear towards Diamond. "Do you want me to hate you?" "I..." That caught Diamond off guard a little. "I mean... no?" She sank back down to her haunches. "Why don't you hate me?" Her eyes looked a little misty. She really was confused. Silver had the sense to be entirely quiet, watching the two but speaking not a word. Prickle felt that was a vital moment, a pivotal one. One wrong move could undo whatever little progress had been made. "Diamond Tiara, I do not hate you." She spoke in slow and clear words, trying her best to get it right, "do you hate me?" Diamond was quiet. Everything was quiet. Prickle could hear nothing but her own heart, thumping wildly in her chest as she waited for a reply. Then it came. "No." Diamond glared at her. "You're... still a freak... But... no... No I don't! Happy?" Prickle felt some of that painful tension leave and she sagged in place a little. "A little," she said with a smile. "I'm not a freak." Diamond blinked at that bit of defiance."You're the strongest pony I know." "And that's a good thing," countered Prickle, sitting up tall. "A freak is a bad thing. Please stop calling me that. Please..." The last bit wavered. She was still a filly. She was still facing her tormentor. That last little word came out trembling and begging. Diamond suddenly stood up. "I'll think about it. Silver, let's go." She marched off without looking back. Silver made an apologetic shrug before she chased after her friend. Prickle was left alone, sinking to her belly. Had that gone well? She honestly wasn't sure if it had or not. "Why the long face?" Prickle looked up. It was Lyra. She sat up to face the adult mare. "Nothing," she lied. "Nice to see you." "Nice to see you too." She flipped over a candy with her magic. "You staying out of trouble?" "I'm trying," Prickle said more honestly before she unwrapped the candy and popped it into her mouth. It was a little sour, but sweet too. She liked it. "How's Bon Bon?" "You know her. She's all great and secretive." Lyra grinned at Prickle. "Like another mare I know, huh? Guess I'm lucky, being surrounded by amazing ponies. You know, I was friends with Twilight long before she became a princess." Prickle did not know that and blinked with awe. "You knew her when she came to the town?" "Before that!" declared Lyra with confidence. "When we both lived up in Canterlot. Oh boy was she a hot mess of a filly, but we loved her anyway. One day, pfft, off she goes, moving out of Canterlot without a word." She leaned in close. "Guess when you get the call to save the world, goodbyes aren't always #1 priority, ya know? I'm not even mad at her." Prickle felt a smile coming on her. "You're a very special pony." Lyra looked confused at that. "Who, me? I just play a lyre. That's not that special." She waved it off. "It's true! You're right at the center of so many ponies. You're super special and you don't even know it." Lyra crouched down a little and put a hoof on Prickle's head, mussing up her mane a little. "You're the sweetest thing outside of one of Bon Bon's candies. You just keep being you." With a magical pop, Lyra's lyre appeared beside her and began to play a jaunty little tune. "I'll be cheering you on from the background, alright?" The pain and confusion she had felt before felt banished beside Lyra's friendly presence, and her music wasn't bad either. "I'm glad to have you, Lyra, as a friend." "That's Miss Heartstrings," corrected Lyra before she burst into laughter, unable to hold up the ruse for longer than a moment. "The feeling goes both way, little porcupine." Prickle felt her cheeks warm. "Only my mother calls me that." Lyra blinked in surprise. "Oh! Well, it's a good name. Will she be mad if I borrow it?" Prickle shook her head, and Lyra gave a happy nod before she trotted off, playing her joyful song as she went. The school bell began to ring loudly, reminding Prickle that she was late. She scurried off with all due haste and slid onto her chair just before Cheerillee got to calling out pony's names. She didn't always do that. She knew all the filly and colts. It was a subtle lesson. If Prickle was any later, she would be in big trouble! She quietly let out a sigh of relief that she had avoided that fate. In the middle of class, something lightly bounced off her head. Prickle jumped a little in surprise and looked over to spot a crumpled bit of paper. She reached down and plucked it up to find a letter written on the creased paper. Hello, Muscle-Bound Filly, Don't look, but I'm watching you. If this is some kind of crazy scheme to get me to lower my guard, I won't be. Do you really love me? [ ] Yes [ ] No Please check one and throw it back, DT Prickle felt a shiver run through her, not for the first time that day. Silver's lie was catching up with her. What was the right answer? A sudden grin spread on her face. She had an out. A sneaky way out. She checked yes, crumpled the paper up, then hurled it. She hurled it with all her might. The paper did not survive. It caught on fire almost instantly. A second later a faint field of dust and ash blew past a surprised Diamond Tiara's face. She was left blinking in shock. She would not be getting that answer, at least that day. "Prickle Berry!" Prickle jumped and turned her head back to a very angry Cheerilee. "We have a very strict rule about fireworks in the schoolhouse." She thrust a hoof into the corner. "Half an hour. What has gotten into you..." She hopped down from her chair, her ears sagging. She couldn't think of any good excuses that wouldn't ultimately make it worse. She had been a naughty filly, so she went to the time out stool, sat on it, and slumped when the cone of shame was placed on her head between her fuzzy ears. She had avoided answering, but not trouble in general. During lunch, she hurried to join the CMC, but another figure stepped in her way. It was Diamond, smiling. "Interesting trick, Prickle." She stepped towards Prickle on confident hooves. "If you didn't want to answer, you could have just, you know, not answered." She reached up and put a hoof on Prickle's shaking snout. "It's alright. I'm not even angry. You'll tell me when you want to." Then she just walked away. Prickle almost fell forward. She was off the hook?! Diamond wasn't going to yell at her? Then it hit her. Did Diamond think she was a lovesick little filly having a hard time admitting her feelings? With a muted little yelp, she hurried over to the crusaders and hopped up beside Sweetie Belle. "Help!" Sweetie turned her head at Prickle. "What's wrong?" Apple Bloom set her hooves down on the table. "We're here for ya, Prickle. Ya know that." Scootaloo clopped her hooves together. "Is Diamond picking on you?!" The truth was worse...
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	20 - Shiver Me Timbers	They had laughed. Sure, it was lighthearted and they were quick to express comfort and solidarity, but they assured Prickle that it would blow over if they just let it lie. Prickle did not feel nearly as certain as they were. When school was over, she grabbed her saddlebags and got to trotting. She wasn't aiming to go any specific place, she just wanted to move her legs and think. The trotting helped calm her. Was it really that awful? She just had to be a good pony, and things would work out on their own, right? A shriek interrupted her thoughts. Ponies ran past her in a wild gallop. One helpfully shouted as he ran, "Timber wolf!" Prickle had heard about those, but she had never seen one before. She knew what she had to do and ducked in a hurry between two buildings, just to emerge out the other end, garbed as the town's defender. "Don't worry, everypony!" She shouted, springing into the air. "Tiny Titan is here to protect you!" From her vantage point in the sky, she could see the beast. It was made of wood, just like she had heard. It was all jagged parts and sharp teeth and claws and it was chasing Berry Punch. The worst part was that Berry wasn't running very well. Was she sick? The poor mare was staggering wildly as the wolf stalked her. Prickle came down just long enough to push off towards the scene of the future crime, watching the world spin beneath her rapidly as she closed in. She spun herself in mid air, bringing a hind hoof to bear, ready to kick as she came in. "You leave her alone!" she roared. It proved to be a good thing she did. The beast was just about to snap at the swaying pony when it heard her and looked up with confusion. Prickle landed, hoof first directly into the thing's wooden face. Timber splintered and shattered as Prickle let out a mighty war cry. She didn't even slow as she powered through it hoof first, emerging through the other end in a shower of splinters and dust. The wolf turned back to her, wobbled, and collapsed to countless twigs and logs. "Wow!" said Berry Punch as she threw a leg over Prickle. "You really took care of that thing." She sounded off. Maybe it was shock? She slurred her words. "Thanks a lot, foal." "I'm Tiny Titan," corrected Prickle. "I'm glad you're alright." "Thanks to--" she suddenly hiccuped. "--you. All that runnin' made me thirsty somethin' fierce. Wanna come with?" Prickle jumped as another hoof tapped her on the shoulder. Pinkie Pie was standing on her other side. "Hi there! Nice job, but big mean timber wolves need more than that to make them go away." "What?" Even as Prickle asked, the wood began to reform, producing two, smaller, timber wolves. Pinkie pointed at the wooden terrors. "See? I'll lead one out of town, you get the other one." She waggled her rump at one, tail swaying. When the wolf bit at her, she jumped away and got to pronking as if it was a fun day. "Meet you by the Everfree!" she called out as she went. Prickle blinked slowly at the retreating pink pony, almost missing when the other wolf lunged for her. She brought up a hoof in a sharp uppercut, knocking its head clear off its body. The rest of it simply stopped a moment, then fell apart. She had won, again, but it would reform. She looked around quickly and grabbed the tarp off a stand. "I'll bring this back, promise," she said to nopony in particular. She gathered up the bits of wolf as quickly as she could onto the tarp, folded it up, and launched into the air with a mighty jump. She could see Pinkie and bounced after her. With three mighty leaps, she arrived at the edge of the Everfree. Her passenger was just gathering itself together and Prickle squeaked, giving the tarp a mighty heave that send the newly-forged timber creature flying off into the forest. "Huh, nice idea. I shoulda thought of that," complimented Pinkie as she danced around the other wolf. "Can ya take care of this one? You seem good at this." Prickle nodded quickly and rushed for it. The movement got its attention and it turned to snarl at her. It thrust its head forward and Prickle gave a small leap just to come down on its back and drive powerfully through its body, reducing it to new splinters. Pinkie pronked in with a broom and dustpan she hadn't had before and cleaned up the mess before tossing it all into the forest to join its friend. "Great job! Hey, you're Tiny Titan, right?" She winked at Prickle dramatically. "Nice to see you again." Prickle smiled. Pinkie already knew who she was, so she could relax a little. "Hello Pinkie. Thanks for the help. I'll know how to handle them better next time." "You sure will, but you don't have to do it alone." She tapped her own chest with a hoof. "We're a big family! That's what a community is after all. We can work together to keep things safe." "What if you're not around?" asked Prickle with an uncertain voice. Pinkie shrugged. "You already know how to handle that, but when we are around, expect one of us girls to give a hoof if we can." "About that..." Prickle peered at the pink party planner suspiciously. "Did you talk to your friends about me?" "Uh huh." Prickle slumped. "I appreciate your honesty, but why?!" "How couldn't I?" Pinkie shrugged. "Rainbow Dash and Rarity won't be quiet about it. Twilight super curious about how you work. Applejack keeps teasing Rainbow about her losing that hoof wrestling contest. I think Fluttershy's the only one not directly involved." She leaned in close to Prickle. "She says it sounds dangerous for a foal." Prickle had not seen the princess around, so... "Does Twilight know who I am?" "I didn't tell her! I swore I wouldn't." Prickle pointed back into town. "What about Rarity or Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie made a non-committal noise. "Dunno, maybe? She never said your name when I was around. Your mom's alright with this, right?" Prickle quickly nodded. "That's good. This would fall in the 'better to say' category and I'd have to tell her, but since she knows, I'm in the clear. Your secret's safe with me." Prickle let out a long sigh of relief. "We should get back to town." Pinkie poked Prickle. "You might want to change out of your costume. See you later!" She began pronking back to town with her usual smile. She reached to start pulling off her suit when a soft thud stopped her. Another pony had arrived, the Mauler. "Tiny Titan, I presume?" asked the costumed unicorn mare. Prickle swallowed thickly, but did not retreat. "That's my name. D-did you need something?" The Mauler nodded. "I wanted to test my mettle against Ponyville's newest, youngest, hero. Do you accept my challenge?" "W-what?!" Prickle took a step back. "I don't even know you!" "We will fix that." The mauler leaned her head in. "On the field of battle. The goal will be to prove supremacy, not hurt one another. The first to pin the other wins, simple at that. I'm told you have exceptional physical strength." Prickle shook her head quickly. "I can't, not today!" "When?" Shoot. Prickle frowned with thought. "How about tomorrow? Just when the sun touches the horizon." "Dramatic." The Mauler stood tall. "I like it. You have good style, Titan. Tomorrow, come with your fire for battle!" She rose into the air, horn glowing. "I look forward to getting to know you better. We will meet there." She pointed to the tall hill Prickle had met Silver Spoon on. "Are there any questions?" "One, please." Prickle dared show her teeth in an awkward smile. "Can't we just talk, like normal ponies? We both want to help ponies out by beating up monsters and rescuing things, right?" "A pacifist?" asked the Mauler. "I wouldn't think anyone brave enough to don a suit and battle the horrors would be at all a stranger to conflict." She clopped her forehooves together. She slowly settled back on the ground. "Are you that new?" "Um... yes?" Prickle admitted. "I've fought two monsters." She raised a hoof. "A bugbear." She set the hoof down. "And a timber wolf." "Such an innocent mask." She reached out a hoof to Prickle, running it along her clothed snout. "This fight will be good for you. Be prepared for it. Win or lose, you will learn. If I am lucky, you will have a lesson for me as well. Until then..." With a bright flash, she was gone. Prickle let out a weary sigh before she slipped free of her suit and tucked it away. She got to trotting back into town, happy to be back to just plain Prickle Berry. There was somepony waiting for her. Silver adjusted her glasses a little as Prickle came closer, then stood up tall. "I watched the whole thing, like, from the start." Prickle blinked. "I didn't see you." "I have a telescope." Silver waved the idea off. "You were so strong and brave! Thank you, Prickle." Prickle's cheeks warmed. "They weren't that big of a deal. Pinkie knew how to take care of them." "I don't care about Pinkie," stated Silver bluntly. "Like, you're the amazing one. Besides, she's an adult and she's fought dozens of monsters. You're an amazing foal!" Without a pause, Silver hugged Prickle tightly a moment. "Thank you." Prickle gave an unsure smile. "I'm glad to help. I mean, if I wasn't... I just wouldn't do it. Did you see Berry Punch? Is she alright?" "That lush? She's fine, last I saw." Silver turned to face the town and started walking with Prickle. "I'll walk you home!" "Lush?" Prickle hadn't heard that word before. Silver seemed amused by Prickle's ignorance. "Don't worry about it, TT." She saw Prickle's concerned look. "Just a nickname, like, I'll stick with Prickle if you prefer." She smiled brightly. "So... What's your absolute favorite candy?" Prickle blinked. That was a sudden topic shift. "Bon Bon makes some really good ones. I haven't had one of hers that I didn't like." "Bon Bon's, got it." Silver looked satisfied. "Now, I know Diamond is being a bit... odd." "A bit?!" Prickle felt her fur fluffing up at the idea. "Is she... in love with me now?!" "Oh no," assured Silver. "She's hoping you are though." Prickle paled a little. "This is your fault, you did it! What do I do now?!" Silver put a hoof on Prickle's nose. "You could go with it. Diamond Tiara would forgive everything and you'd be friends."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	21 - End Episode 5: Facing Issues	"No," stated Prickle firmly, clopping a hoof on the ground. "If you're trying to help, you aren't. We have enough lies." Silver gave a soft 'hmm'. "Are you going to tell her the truth then? Tell her about being a superhero?" "N-no." Prickle shrank back a little. "But I can be honest about the rest of it. We can be... friends." Silver sat on her haunches. "That's very brave of you, just like I'd expect from my hero." She rose a hoof to adjust her glasses. "Like, if there's anything I can do, you just have to let me know." Prickle wasn't sure what to do with Silver Spoon. Silver was a confusing pony that made her feel confused in return. It was a bit of a mess. "I have to take responsibility myself." She tapped her own chest with a hoof. "Now I should go, I have a fight to be ready for." "A fight?!" Silver squeaked. "Is another monster coming?" "No." Prickle glanced back at the Everfree. "Another hero wants to test me." Silver's eyes widened. "We'll be there!" Prickle blinked rapidly. "Who'll be there?" "Your fan-club, of course, to like, cheer you on." Silver bounced to her hooves. "Don't you worry." And off she went, trotting purposefully. Prickle applied her hoof to her face a moment before she got to her own trotting. She had homework to do, and a fight to prepare for. The work of a superhero wasn't easy. She didn't even get home before running into one of those fans. Scootaloo was bouncing up and down, wings fluttering. "Who's challenging you?!" Prickle recoiled a little, glancing around to make sure that question wasn't overheard. "Silver told you already?" "Nah, Sweetie Belle, but I bet she heard from Silver Spoon." Scootaloo shrugged. "Small town. So who're ya fighting?" Prickle sighed with a little sag. "The Manehattan Mauler." "Huh, with a name like that, I bet they love grabbing ponies. You better watch out for that." "They're a unicorn," pointed out Prickle. "Does that change things?" Scootaloo reached up to tap her own head where a horn was not. "That means she likes grabbing ponies with her magic, probably. Have you seen her use it so far?" "She can fly, with her horn." Prickle bobbed her head. "She must like using that." Scootaloo flashed a grin. "So there's your target. Don't, you know, hurt her bad. It's a spar, right?" Prickle gave a slower nod. "I think so? Why does she want to fight other heroes?" "To test herself, or practice, or a bunch of other reasons." Scootaloo shrugged. "It's kinda cool! I'll be there, promise. We'll be cheering you on." She made an energetic pump with a foreleg. "You'll show that out of town hero what Ponyville's like." Prickle began to color faintly. She hadn't thought she would be representing the town like that. "I'm still new at this..." Scootaloo pat Prickle on the shoulder. "We know that. Relax. You do what you can do and we'll be cheering either way. And if she acts mean about it, well, we'll just have to gang up on her." She stuck out her tongue a little. "Like Ponyville's full of helpless ponies." Prickle blinked at that. "But it kinda is...?" Scootaloo waved it away. "We'll handle it! You just focus on being you, Prickle. Leave the fangirling to the fangirls." She tapped at Prickle's hoof until it raised just high enough for Scootaloo to clop her hoof against it. "We have your back." Prickle smiled at that, feeling better about the whole spar. "Thanks, Scootaloo. I'll see you all tomorrow." She pointed up at the hill where it would happen. "Just when the sun's about to go down." Scootaloo looked where directed. "Alright! I'll be sure everypony else know when and where to be. You better rest up and be ready." She trotted off, making a few fake swats at the air with martial-arts noises as she went. When Prickle arrived at home, her mother greeted her with a warm hug. "You're a bit late. Did something happen?" Prickle flicked an ear back. "A timberwolf almost ate Berry Punch." "Oh dear." Junebug put a hoof at her mouth. "You stopped that from happening, I imagine?" "Uh huh. Pinkie helped." Prickle moved to start her homework. "Then another hero showed up and challenged me to a pretend fight." "What?!" Junebug moved to sit beside her daughter. "It's bad enough you have to deal with monsters, now other ponies are trying to hurt my little porcupine?" Prickle went warm and red. It was at once both comforting and embarrassing to have such a loving mother. "It's just... for fun." She hoped. "Like a hoof wrestling contest... with super powers." Junebug shook her head slowly before she perked up towards the stove and hurried towards it. "Dinner's about ready. You just be careful, and finish your homework." Prickle might have been a superhero, but she was still a filly. She did her homework, enjoyed dinner with her mom, and got some sleep. There would be plenty to deal with, but that was tomorrow's problem. In the shadows, the Manehattan Mauler landed lightly. "She doesn't suspect a thing." The other form already in the shade nodded. "Good, now we can test her properly. You know exactly what I want you to do, right?" The Mauler rolled her eyes. "We've been over this enough times, yes." "It never hurts to be sure." An ornate scroll came free of the obscured figure. "I have a list if you'd like to refer--" "No, thanks. I have this. You just watch us and get all the information you've been dying to get." The Mauler lifted to the air, shimmering with her own magic. "I have this entirely under control." She zipped off, leaving the other figure there in the dark. "Exactly why are we meeting in an alleyway?" asked a third, male, voice. "We could just do this at home, ya know." "Oh shush." The female turned to the male, regarding him. "We don't want ponies knowing what we're doing." "Why, exactly?" "Prickle is very sensitive about her privacy and knowing I'm poking around about her would make her upset. It's for her sake, really." "Yeah..." He didn't sound very convinced. "Can we go home now?" "Sure thing." They began to walk off together. "This is going to be so exciting!"
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	22 - Start Episode 6: For Science	All the other foals were very supportive, at least the ones that knew what was coming up. Even Diamond pat Prickle on the back. "I heard you're doing something today. Silver refused to say what, exactly." Prickle's ears went back, then sprung back up. "Diamond, we need to talk." "We are," she pointed out with a roll of her eyes. "What's up?" Prickle pointed at Diamond, then herself. "I don't love you, but!" Her heart was starting to race. "I would... like to be closer. Friend closer?" Diamond frowned sharply at Prickle. "You don't like me, do you?" Well... "N-no, but I don't know you." She gave an uncertain smile. "We can fix that, maybe?" She could see a thousand ways it could all go wrong, explode in an angry berating and leave her sad and destroyed, but better that than trying to live a lie, or so she decided. Diamond stared at her evenly an uncomfortably long moment before the littlest smirk touched her lips. "After all that, you finally grow a spine. The way I see it, you have me at a disadvantage now. Don't think I don't see how you've gotten Silver Spoon's attention. If I say no, well..." She rolled a hoof a little lamely. "At a disadvantage," she repeated, sounding upset, but curiously not angry. "Is this your game?" Prickle was quick to shake her head. "I'm not trying to hurt you." "As if you could!" She spat, but then went quiet and sank to her haunches. With a hoof she gently nudged a rock. "Guess I was a bit silly..." "Huh?" Diamond smiled. "Thinking somepony might... think that way about me. Sure, I was confused it was you of all ponies... but it... It was a little nice. I thought..." She was going red and having difficulty getting the words out. Prickle took the step forward and hugged her tormentor. She hugged her tight, but not too tight. "How can ponies love you if you don't let them?" "Let them?!" She squawked, frowning. "What do you mean by that?" She pushed at Prickle, though she had no hope of forcing Prickle to let go. Fortunately, Prickle did not mean to hold Diamond captive and released Diamond to scramble just out of reach. "I give ponies plenty of chance. I'm always where they can see me, and I'm super important. What do you mean 'let them'?" Prickle pointed up, far up, to the city on the mountain, Canterlot. "You know Princess Celestia, right?" "Duh." Her brows furrowed. "What about her?" "She's always in public, and super important. I bet she doesn't have a coltfriend at all." Diamond's frown eased away. She went from angry to confused to pondering to confused again. "What would you know?" she spat defensively. "You don't have one either." "I do have friends," said Prickle with a smile. "Good friend who care about me." "I..." Diamond trembled. She really only had one friend. "Are you making fun of me?!" "No!" Squeaked out Prickle. "You have friends too." Diamond stared. "You do! Besides Silver Spoon, the crusaders are ready to forgive too." "Forgive what, exactly?" Prickle felt ice wash down her back. "For... picking on them?" "I told them they don't have cutie marks, and it was through that, through us." She made an odd gesture, pointing at something that wasn't there and herself. "I got them their marks. I made them. Why should they be angry at me?" Was that how Silver Spoon saw it? Prickle tilted her head a little. "And me?" Diamond sat up tall. "You're not very scared anymore. You were when I first met you. Good job." Prickle's head swam. Diamond saw herself as a dispenser of the toughest love? "Why?" "Why?" Prickle nodded. "It's not nice, making ponies sad." "Don't get carried away." Diamond shoved at Prickle, though it only made her sway a little before she caught herself. "Don't question my destiny." She pointed back at her cutie mark. "Somepony has to take charge around here, and that somepony is me. I may not have become the... whatever, that was for foals anyway. I'll still be in charge. I have to be!" "Why?" Prickle asked. "Why you?" Diamond stomped her forehooves on the ground. "Because that's what I was raised to do!" she almost screamed. Heads turned as other foals got curious about the yelling. Diamond quieted. "We'll... talk later." She rose up to her hooves and walked away, nose turned up. Prickle was quietly glad to escape the conversation. Still... She had stuck to her guns and no longer had to deal with the idea of somepony thinking she was in love with them. The only pony she had love for was her mother, as daughters should. Then again, there were different kinds of love. "I love Ponyville," she said to herself just before a pony tackled her. It was Apple Bloom. Prickle rolled with the tackle and sent Apple Bloom soaring, but she never let go and set the launched filly on the ground as if that were the plan the entire time. Apple Bloom blinked softly. "What jus' happened?" Sweetie Belle approached at a less hazaroud walk. "I think she just used one of her moves on you. It was quite spectacular." Apple Bloom nodded. "It was kinda fun, now that I'm not s' dizzy 'bout it. Can ya show me how to do that?" Prickle smiled at that. "It's more about technique than strength. My, uh, teacher." She had promised to never say who that was. "She told me how you move is way more important than how strong you are, though being strong helps." "That's mighty swell! Ah'll look forward to a lesson or three, after ya finish with that other pony. We'll be there, promise." Sweetie Belle bobbed her head in agreement. "We'll be there," she echoed. "Are you prepared?" Prickle lifted her shoulders. "I hope so. I'll do my best." "All anypony kin ask fer," assured Apple Bloom. "We trust in ya." The rest of the school day passed without too much fuss. "Now class," spoke Cheerilee at the end of the day, "Please be careful. There's been a timberwolf sighting in the town. Hopefully that was a one time thing, but I don't want my students being harmed." Apple Bloom thrust up a hoof. "Even if there were a dumb timberwolf, we have a super hero to beat them into splinters." Cheerilee shook her head. "Be that as it may, having a masked vigilante is no excuse to forget how to be careful and take care of ourselves. That's how trouble starts in the first place. Let's be our own heroes, alright? And that means not getting into trouble in the first place." She waved out the door. "You're dismissed. I'll see you all tomorrow." Most foals dispersed to their homes, but not all. The crusaders were quick to find Prickle and crowd around her. "We can walk with you up to the hill," declared Scootaloo, excitement easily heard in her voice. Prickle wasn't sure that was a good idea. "This is going to look a bit odd, besides, I have to get dressed before I show up. We don't need to show her who I am when I'm not Tiny Titan." Sweetie nodded with a sage look about her. "She's right. We shouldn't be going together. Prickle, we'll see you there." Apple Bloom nodded. "The whole club'll be there." Off they galloped, excitedly gabbing about something Prickle couldn't make out. That was alright. She went to change, pulling on her lightly-armored suit. It felt a bit odd, with little sheets of stiff protective something between the fabric, but if it meant she wouldn't be chomped as easily, it was a good thing. She'd have to work harder with Bon Bon to make sure she could do moves properly with it. Donned for action, Prickle, AKA Tiny Titan, gave a powerful jump into the air. Out of habit, she scanned for anything out of place, but the town looked peaceful enough. She saw lots of ponies just walking here and there. They looked happy and peaceful. She landed on a roof and bounced off towards the hill. Alone and bounding, she could eat up the distance swiftly. She saw the crusaders below and gave them a little wave before she hit the ground again. She wasn't sure if they had seen her bouncing back them, but there wasn't time for that. She had to focus. Jumping was a lot harder than it looked. If you let yourself get distracted, you could slip and fall instead of bouncing. Prickle didn't want that, but she was getting better at it. She landed at the very top of the hill with a soft thud, dust wafting out in all directions. With a mighty shower of sparks, the Mauler appears from out of nowhere. "You're early," she noted. "Are we to begin now?" "Wait!" came the shrill cry of a filly. Silver Spoon was hurrying towards them. "That's not the real Manehatten Mauler!" Prickle blinked dumbly before it turned into a scowl at the suddenly nervous costumed mare. "Who are you?!" The Mauler thrust a hoof at Prickle. "No matter who I am, nothing has changed. We have a spar to do." She clopped her hooves together roughly. "Or are you giving up before we even begin?" Silver Spoon got in easier speaking distance, panting and heaving from the panicked gallop. "The... real... Mauler isn't a unicorn!" "Go away, little filly. I have business with Tiny Titan." Prickle moved between the two. "Don't talk that way to Silver. She's a good filly, and my friend." "If she's your friend, tell her to go. Fillies should not be in the way while we're fighting." Prickle sighed as she turned to Silver. "I'm still going to fight them. Thank you for telling me, but please get back. I don't want you to be hurt." Silver smiled, her lashes fluttering. "Of course, my hero. Good luck." She blew a kiss and walked away back towards where other ponies had started gathering. Prickle's fanclub had assembled and already had begun to cheer and stomp for her. Prickle felt a blush coming on, though it wasn't visible under her outfit. "I-I'm ready," she declared, turning back to the not-Mauler. "What should I call you?" She shrugged softly. "IF you win, you can ask that. Until then, may as well stick to Mauler." She hovered in the air a few inches, glowing softly with unicorn magic. "Shall we begin?"
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	23 - Mind vs Matter	It began. She conjured a flyswatter of sparkling energy and tried to get rid of Prickle like an insect. Prickle dove out of the way as dust and debris was kicked up from where it landed and bounced up into the sky. The swatter followed after her unerringly, its wielder smiling confidently. "You're like a flea, Tiny Titan. Trying to hop away from danger?" Prickle spun in mid-air and brought her hooves down just as the swatter came for her. Magic exploded brilliantly and she was sent flying, but the swatter was gone, and the Mauler looked stunned a moment, eyes wide with shock. "You... think that... will stop me?" She said as she recovered. Prickle had to recover herself, coming to her senses as she flew through the air. She got her hooves into position and smashed into the ground roughly before she launched herself back at her enemy. It was time to attack. The Mauler picked herself up from where she had staggered and darted up away from the ground, glowing brightly as she came to meet Prickle directly. Great gripping hands came from the ether at her sides, reaching forward to grab her opponent. Prickle could see them. She saw them and she smiled. As the first hand reached for her, she dove around it, just the lash out with her powerful hind legs. The hand spasmed in a shower of sparks, but the Mauler wasn't as surprised. She let go of the control of it, avoiding the shock and bringing the other in quickly to snatch Prickle right out of the air. Even as the first faded away in a shower of magic, the Mauler brought the pinned Prickle close. "Not so tough now, are we?" Prickle scowled at her enemy. "You didn't win yet." "I didn't?" asked the Mauler. "You sure look pinned to me." "Nope," said Prickle with a smile. "You brought me too close." She thrust all four of her hooves out in different directions violently. The hand unfurled from her, falling apart as if it were made of torn cloth. Even as gravity begin to pull her down, she threw a quick punch at her enemy. The Mauler's eyes went wide as a shield was brought to bear against the incoming hoof. They impacted with a thunderous bang and a blinding flash that had the onlookers gasping with amazement. Prickle fell to the ground, hooves ready to absorb the impact. The Mauler soared away and down, blown clear by the impact and clearly knocked dizzy a moment. She recovered before she could strike the earth and the glow returned to her, slowing her descent and putting her upright just before she landed. If one hadn't seen how she had been sent there, they might have thought she had intended the landing. "You're tougher than you look." She shook herself out. "But I will not be bested by some little filly!" Bon Bon stood up from the crowd of watchers. "She's no 'little filly!'" she called in yet a new voice. "She's Tiny Titan, and she's gonna clean your clock!" Prickle giggled a little at what sounded like a funny threat to her. Deciding against her power bounces, she instead focused on pushing the world away to the side instead of down. She ran for the Mauler speedily enough to hear the wind rushing by her. The Mauler abandoned her original idea of simply grabbing her small opponent. She lowered her horn and began firing a barrage of magical bolts as if she were an emplaced machine gun, spraying the entire area around Prickle. Prickle only had to be hit by one to learn she didn't want to be hit by any others. Even as she hissed in pain, she began to swat at them. She reared up and kept running on her hind legs as her forelegs beat at each bolt that came close to her. With a strike of a powerful hoof, they were destroyed, turning to so much magic ash. As Prickle drew uncomfortably close, the Mauler's teeth were exposed in a grimace of fear that turned cocky at the last moment. Prickle's mighty punch impacted nothing but air as the Mauler blinked out of existence and appeared behind the charging little hero. Prickle tried to catch herself, her momentum all wrong with the lack of her target. The Mauler didn't let her. Even as the crowd booed wildly, she shoved Prickle from behind and sent her crashing to the ground in a plume of dust. "Nice try, but simple brute force isn't going to work on me, Titan." Prickle rolled onto her belly and bounced up to her hooves almost instantly, glaring at the Mauler. "That's cheating!" "Cheating?" The Mauler lifted into the air a few inches. "In a fight, there is no such thing. You win or you lose, and the winner gets to decide if they 'cheated' or not." Prickle trembled with fury. "So if I just break that horn of yours off, that's fair." All the unicorns that watched winced at once at the very idea of it. The Mauler wasn't confident enough to not join them. "This is a spar, Tiny Titan. No need to dismember each other." "Oh... right." Prickle went red under her suit. She had gotten carried away. She sat down, peering at her foe. "So how am I supposed to stop you from doing that?" The Mauler blinked at Prickle. "Are you asking me?" "Yes?" She laughed. "You are a funny one. Well, since you ask so nicely, you could try to tire me out, but I'm doing the same to you. It would be an endurance match." Endurance? Maybe. Prickle approached, trotting lightly. "Or I could just punch you." "If you think you can," taunted the Mauler confidently. "Show me what you have." Prickle made a swing, but she had no confidence it would land. It didn't, but she slammed that hoof down and bucked out her hind legs. That didn't hit either. She looked around a moment before a hoof reached down and tapped her on the head. "Looking for me?" Prickle scurried out from underneath the Mauler. "Clever, but not clever enough," she taunted. Prickle scowled at her tricky enemy. "You give up on fighting back?" "I wouldn't say that..." She lowered her horn at Prickle. "Say cheese!" She let loose a new bolt of magic. It looked different, not that Prickle cared what it was exactly. She bounced to the side, bounced off the ground where she landed and came soaring at the Mauler with an angry cry. But the Mauler wasn't there. She came down on Prickle's back, driving her into the ground with a yelp of surprise and pain. "Is that better?" Prickle twisted quickly, too quickly. A flying hoof caught the Mauler and knocked her to the earth roughly. Prickle bounced up to her hooves, huffing angrily. "Stay still!" she shouted as if she could command the Mauler. The Mauler was back on her own footing. "Nice, but you haven't even come close, and I won't let you." She stood tall. "No more close quarters dancing for you, Tiny Titan." "You're still touching me." Prickle raised a hoof high then slammed it down into the ground. The earth bulged dangerously and flowed away from her in all directions in a mighty shockwave. The Mauler was not expecting that and got out little more than a surprised yelp before she was tossed right back to the ground in a rough heap. Before she could rise, Prickle was on her, slamming a hoof down beside her head. "You lose!" The Mauler vanished. She called out from a good distance above. "Lose? We've barely begun!" She laughed as she hovered there. "I can see you coming from up here, Tiny Titan. Give up. You tried." Prickle would not have it. If it worked in the ground, why not the air? She sat on her haunches, brought up her forehooves and drove them together with all her might. Her own bones protested the act when they crashed, but it was the world itself that screamed in pain. A tremendous bang exploded outwards from the impact site. The onlookers barely had time to duck behind trees and rocks as it washed over them. The Mauler had no such time. She was too close. It came too fast. Her magic winked out as she was forced to ride with the wave, being torn apart by the powerful wave of sound and force. She came crashing to the ground several yards away, smoke rising from her battered form. Prickle stood up and winced. Her legs hurt, but not too much to hobble closer to her downed enemy. "I... win..." She put a hoof on the Mauler's barrel. "Are you alright?" The mauler's suit had been damaged in the violent wave, revealing a pink snout. That snout was laughing painfully. "You... you got me." She climbed to her hooves slowly, in clear discomfort. "You win..." Prickle couldn't feel her aches for a moment, a huge smile overtaking her features. "You were tough," she complimented. The onlookers came rushing on them. Among them, Nurse Redheart had a small first-aid kit on hoof. "Are either of you hurt?" The others were busy cheering and stomping wildly. Prickle flopped onto her haunches. "My legs hurt, but I think they're alright." The Mauler sat up the same way, barrel heaving to regain her breath. "My ego took the biggest beating today." Bon Bon pointed at the Mauler. "Alright, who are you?" She winced. "Professional etiquette!" She blinked away, hovering back in the air. "Don't be rude. I said Prickle could ask, but we'll save that for later." With one more pop, she was gone. Prickle was in a happy place. Her fans cheered and hugged her tired form. If she had been more coherent, she would have been more embarrassed about the attention, but she was tired and achey and the hugs actually seemed kind of nice. At least until the kiss. Her attention went into sharp focus when she felt it, lips to lips. She was being smooched! Silver drew back with a smile. "My hero..." Prickle went red enough to be faintly seen through her suit. "Silver!" she blurted in almost a spit. "No! Stop! No!" "No?" Silver looked baffled at the idea. "No kisses." Prickle tapped a hoof on the ground and winced, any pressure on her forelegs was cause for pain. "We're friends, not friend friends. Only mom gets to give me kisses like that." Sweetie Belle whispered to her friends, "They really were kissing!" Scootaloo shrugged. "She just shot her down. Guess they're not special someponies." Redheart was more focused on Prickle. "You should come with me. Let's have a good look inside those legs and make sure everything's alright. If it's just a bruise, I'll send you home with a note." Bon Bon nodded. "This isn't something you should just assume is alright. Redheart will take care of you. Good job though."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	24 - Friends in Medical Places	Prickle was being carried, by Redheart, if one wanted to be specific. She was laying along the nurse's back as the town went by at a sedate pace. Redheart kept a smooth walk as to not jostle her rider. "Hopefully we'll find nothing at all and you can go on home, but better safe than sorry," she assured with a caring smile. Walking alongside them through the darkening streets were the crusaders. Scootaloo whispered conspiratorially, "What if she did break something?" Apple Bloom shrugged. "Then ah guess we'll have ta find a doctor, like at the place we're goin'?" Scootaloo looked a little sheepish. "Oh yeah." In a louder voice she called up to Prickle. "Don't worry! We're with ya every step!" "Not every step," corrected Redheart. "You girls should head home once we reach the hospital. We don't let friends and family in during treatment. She's in good hooves, I promise." Prickle put on a brave face. She really hoped nothing was too wrong with her, but how could she know. "I'll be fine," she lied, not feeling certain of the fact. "You all have homework and parents waiting for you." Apple Bloom thrust a hoof at Prickle as she went. "Ah don't think Applejack'd get mad if I told her the truth, that ah was being loyal to a good friend who got hurt." Sweetie looked pensive, but broke her silence. "How did the Mauler know Tiny Titan's real name?" The other girls looked over. Scootaloo blinked. "I didn't even notice that with everything going on. She did say it, didn't she..." Prickle considered the fur she had seen. It was pink. Not Pinkie Pie pink, off... She didn't recognize it. If it had been Pinkie, that would have been a thousand new questions without answers. Pinkie was known for being odd at times, but flying around and using full on unicorn magic? No... "Here we are." They had arrived at the hospital. Redheart turned to the girls that had followed with them. "Now go on home. You don't have to stay." Scootaloo thumped a hoof on the ground. "What kind of fan would I be if I left before we knew for sure?" Apple Bloom thumped her chest. "What kind of friend would ah be?" Sweetie smiled wide. "I'm afraid they're not going to be dissuaded." Redheart let out a long sigh. "And you?" she was looking at Sweetie. "I... actually should go." Her ears fell. "I'm with Rarity right now and she's probably already nervous that I didn't check in. You two remain here and keep an eye on things, alright?" Apple Bloom gave a soft laugh as she threw a leg over Sweetie and pulled her tight. "We don't want Rarity blowin' something. Ya go on ahead. If she lets ya, come on back, but it's all good, promise." Those remaining trotted inside as Sweetie took off in a hurried gallop towards home. Redheart strode past the front desk. "We have a possible deep-tissue bruise, maybe worse, maybe less. What doctor is available for a clear picture of the situation?" The other nurse, a pinkish mare that Prickle knew as Nurse Sweetheart, pulled over a clipboard and scanned it quickly. "Doctor Horse is in his office." "Keep these two occupied." Redheart was pointing at the remaining crusaders. Apple Bloom perked an ear. "What? We ain't no foals. We kin wait." She trotted with Scootaloo at her side and both hopped up into chairs to do just that. "Good luck, P--Titan!" Redheart strode down the hallway to some stairs and began to ascend them carefully. "Now don't be nervous. Doctor Horse is good at what he does, and he'll have you back in one piece in no time at all. If luck's on our side, you already are and don't need anything more than taking it easy for a day or two." A silly question came to Prickle as she went. "I never noticed before, but all the nurses have heart in their name." Redheart swiveled an ear back at Prickle. "That's intentional." "Did you have another name before you knew you were going to be a nurse." "I did," she said in a patient tone, still walking. "That's private, I'm afraid, even to amazing little heroes like you." Prickle mused over what the name could be, and soon they were at a particular door that Redheart clopped a hoof against. "Doctor? I have a patient in need of examination." "This is highly irregular." The door swung open and the light brown doctor frowned at the both of them before realizing who Prickle was. "You! The maniac that fled before completing her last treatment." Redheart frowned in kind. "This is Tiny Titan. She was injured in a fight, in her forelegs. Can you have a look, please?" Prickle grimaced a little. "I'm sorry if I made you angry." "Angry?" The doctor backed away to let Redheart come in. "You made the nurses far more upset than I. They thought something might have happened to you until your mother arrived to assure them you were alright. Me? I think you're crazy, and I doubt this is the last time we'll meet if you continue doing what you're doing." Prickle wasn't sure what she felt as the doctor's horn glowed as a screen floated over. She was a hero, which meant that, yeah... she'd probably get hurt again, but... "It's better I get hurt a little, if it means a lot of other ponies aren't." The doctor paused. "That's a noble outlook," he finally decided. "If it doesn't get you killed, of course." She held the screen up against Prickle's left foreleg and with a sudden flash, Prickle's bones were visible, and so were Redheart's behind them, as she was still on her back. The doctor smiled. "Well, no broken bones that I can see, we can rule that out. Let's have a look at the other side." He trot around Redheart and with a bright flash, confirmed that no bones appeared to be broken. He set the screen aside and sat beside Redheart. "This may hurt a little." The glow of his magic wrapped around Prickle's right foreleg and began to gently touch and feel at the area. She winced as he worked and he seemed to take notice of when she winced or made little noises of pain. "You definitely have some bruising. I would put you in a bed to rest, but I doubt you'd stay there." Prickle opened her mouth to object, only to have the doctor's hoof casually inserted, silencing her. "It's alright. This isn't too serious. Just take it easy. I'd like to put you on a cart, if you're willing?" A cart?! Prickle blinked at the very idea of it. "What would that look like?" Redheart moved for the examination table and carefully slid Prickle onto it. "You stay here and I'll get one. Foreleg, obviously?" The doctor nodded, and off she trotted. Doctor Horse looked over Prickle's costumed form. "You know, it was her that forbade us from taking this off of you. That was against regulations, but she was adamant. Is your 'secret identity' more important than your health?" Prickle sat up slowly. It hurt to push up on her forehooves, but not too badly to sit up. "Thank you, for letting me have my secret." "You're very welcome, little filly, but if you're hurt too badly, we're going to have to peel you free of that. Your safety rates higher than your privacy." The door swung open. Redheart was back, pushing an odd cart along with her. "Let's get you onto this. It will help you keep pressure off your legs." Prickle didn't like the look of it, but hardly had time to voice that. She was plucked up by Doctor Horse's magic carefully and moved over to it. Her forelegs were strapped into place with big padded lashes that kept her secured. Redheart nodded. "There you are. You can move with your hindlegs." Prickle grimaced, unsure it would work well, but she was willing to try. She walked with her hindlegs and her body slid along. The cart wheeled along beneath her. It felt a little like she was scooting on her belly, without rubbing against her fur. Still, she was moving, and her legs weren't being hurt... "That other ponies are going to make fun of me..." She looked silly, or so she had decided. Redheart gave a knowing smile. "Let's go see what your friends think. Thank you, Doctor." She dipped her head and escorted Prickle out into the hallway and out of the doctor's way. "The hardest part will be stairs. You should avoid them when possible." She led the way to the elevator. "Fortunately, we have this." She waved inside. "After you." Prickle walked along in her new, awkward, way. Even the quiet murmur of the rolling wheel bothered her a little. Still... it was to make her better, right? "Oh, um... tell the doctor I said thank you." "I will dear." She pushed the big button for the lobby. Soon they were emerging. Two fillies looked up at the ding of the elevator's arrival. They both bounced up as one and raced over. Redheart smiled at that. She had a feeling her patient would be in good hooves. "Thank you both for being patient. Here she is, even better than before." Prickle's nose scrunched. "I'm not sure about better... Hello." She took an uncertain step forward. "I'm... going to need some help." Scootaloo snapped a sharp salute. "You can count on us!" Apple Bloom bobbed. "Look, Ah know ya feel funny, but we done got hurt before. Heck, there was that time, around Hearth's Warming." Scootaloo blushed bright. "Let's not go over that!" Prickle was curious. "Can you tell me, please? I'd feel better." Scootaloo huffed. "It's a long story, but we can skip to the worst part." She reached out and tapped the wagon. "I had one of these, and casts on my hindlegs to go with." She looked up at Redheart. "How long does she have to have it?" "There's no permanent damage that we could see. She just needs to keep pressure off of them and she should be right as rain in no time. Maybe a week?" Apple Bloom bobbed her head. "That ain't so bad. We done worse before." She tapped a wheel. "And that's what we're tellin' Cheerilee." "Huh?" "Well, we can't tell her you were having a superhero fight, now kin we?" That made sense... "So we were doing something silly and stupid and got what fillies get when they're silly and stupid." "That's about the size of it." Apple Bloom gave a firm nod. "Hay, I reckon we just say we challenged you to show off how strong ya were. Everyone knows that, no secrets there." Prickle's ears went down. "T-they do?" She had tried so hard to be subtle! Wait... "Why weren't they scared of me, or making fun of me, if they knew how... weird I was?" Scootaloo leaned in. "You're sharing a town with the fastest pegasus everywhere, and Pinkie Pie. You have competition for being amazing. You're a friend, why should anyone make fun of you?" She turned for the exit. "We'll help her get home. Thanks again, Nurse Redheart!"
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	25 - End Episode 6: Everyone Knows	Prickle walked along on her hindlegs, her forebody resting on the platform she was strapped to snugly. It felt odd, but she was moving well. Apple Bloom was on one side, Scootaloo was on the other. She looked back and forth between them as she went. "So... I have a question." "Yeah?" Scootaloo glanced at her. "Sounds heavy, what's wrong?" "Does... I mean..." Apple Bloom suddenly stopped her, throwing a leg around her neck and pulling her close. "Ah think ah know what yer about t' ask and it don't matter not one bit." Prickle backpedaled, and there was little Apple Bloom could do to stop her. "You say that! You're... not the freak." Apple Bloom pointed at her as she sank to her haunches. "Neither are you. Ah mean, ya could say that, but it ain't the right word to use. Freaks are bad, ya ain't bad. Yer good, real good. Yer special in all the right ways." Scootaloo gave a big grin. "You think anypony in town is unhappy when you're around? You don't even notice, but I do. Wherever you go, ponies are happy to have you around. They know you'll help them however you can. No big bad monster can bother them with you around. No criminal has a chance! I mean, sure, it's a little... odd... having that be a filly, but they're not complaining." Scootaloo extended a tiny wing. "Now you want to talk about freaks?!" Her voice hitched. "I'm a pegasus that can't even fly. How useless is that?!" Her voice was getting a little shrill. "There isn't anything good about that. That doesn't make a single pony smile." Prickle could see Scootaloo was veering down a dark path and suddenly felt bad for her own troubles. She pressed forward on her cart towards Scoot. "Stop that! You're an amazing pony." "Yeah," agreed Apple Bloom. Scootaloo shook her head violently, coming out of the funk even as she sniffed loudly. "Funny thing... I can thank the same pony for reminding me of that. I mean, the bad part that is." Prickle frowned. "Diamond picked on you?" Scootaloo shrugged. "She did. I mean, we're alright now, but she did." Prickle huffed indignantly. Diamond seemed to be the source of too much pain and misery. "I should... teach her a lesson." For herself she couldn't dream of facing Diamond Tiara, but for Scootaloo, who had been nothing but a friend, it seemed less impossible. "She's a real monster! I can take her down just like the bugbear." Apple Bloom shook her forehooves wildly. "Don't even think about that! No hurting ponies, especially not some filly, no matter how much she annoys us." Prickle turned her cart to Apple Bloom. "She's done a lot more than annoy Scootaloo!" Whatever slights she had suffered were forgotten for the moment. "I should... She should know what it feels like." Scootaloo rest a hoof on the cart. "Hey, thanks. I mean it, but don't go hitting ponies for me. That isn't right, even for Diamond Tiara." She had her goofy grin back. "Now if you wanna play a prank on her..." Prickle's ears perked right up. "Huh?" Scootaloo's grin widened. "With your skills and our ingenuity, I bet we could come up with something satisfying, and doesn't involve punching a pony." Apple Bloom burst into soft laughter. "Let's just make sure we don't break anything along the way." She hopped up to her hooves and started trotting towards Prickle's house. "Let's get you home. Everyone alright?" "Yeah." Prickle smiled a little. Diamond Tiara or not, she had friends, good ones. Even confusing ones... She thought to Silver Spoon giving her an adult kiss. "Hey, why'd Silver do that?" "Do what?" Scootaloo asked with an ear perked at Prickle. "Oh, the kiss? I thought you two might have been... special someponies, but you shot her down pretty hard." Prickle paled faintly in her quivering nose. "I didn't mean to! Did I hurt her?" Apple Bloom shook her head. "Ah think she was jus' tryin' ta be a damsel in distress. Ah think she likes being that, an' damsels in distress give their heroes big ole' smooches when they're done heroin' fer the day. Ah read it in Spike's comics. 'Course, sometimes the hero and the damsel are either or. Ah mean, a girl hero gets smooches from boy damsels. Girl heroes and girl damsels. Heck, ah saw boy heroes and boy damsels. Don't matter none. Smooches. Heroes get smooches." Prickle's ears dances as she walked along under the dark sky. "Huh, so it doesn't mean anything? It's just... a thank you?" Apple Bloom shrugged as she went. "That's what ah figure, but yer gonna have to go and ask Silver for yerself to be sure one way or the otha." Scootaloo bumped into Apple Bloom from the side after dashing around to be on her side of the cart. "How do you know so much stuff?" Apple Bloom looked mighty proud of herself. "Ah read, and pay attention. Gotta do that if ya want to do alchemy good, n' ah love doin' that. Don't be puttin' me up on any pedestals now. Yer awful good at mechanics more than I ever was." Prickle felt suddenly awkward. "I can... I'm strong?" Scootaloo snorted at that. "You can jump through the air faster than some pegasi can fly. You can fight it out better than I'd ever want to try. You aren't scared of any monster!" She suddenly jumped and came down on Prickle's wagon, her hooves on either side of Prickle. "You are 100% awesome!" Apple Bloom pointed. "Here we are. You get some rest and we'll see you tomorrow at school, kay?" Scootaloo quickly dismounted the pinned Prickle. "Good night!" Prickle wanted to wave, but that was impossible. She settled for saying it, "Bye! Thanks for staying with me." She headed inside, to explain what happened to her worried mother, get some dinner, and prepare for the next day.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	26 - Start Episode 7 - A Serious Case	Prickle sat down at her desk at school. She had healed up nicely from the incident with the duel, and had even gotten some delightful training with her mentor, even if some of it involved more boring work to avoid such injuries in the future. Snails stepped up in front of the class. Why was he there? "Hello class," he said, but that was not his voice. That was Cheerilee's voice. "I'm sure you're a little surprised, but this is me." He... she? They pointed to the back of the class. Prickle craned her neck to see Cheerilee crammed into a seat. She waved at the class and squeaked with Snail's voice. "Hi..." Snails... Cheerilee? cleared his/her voice. "We've been attacked, but it's not going to get in the way of our lesson today. Let's get started..." Prickle sat up, but she was far from the only one. The entire class erupted into speculation and concern. "Students!" demanded their diminutive teacher with her usual voice. "Calm down. Quiet, please!" Snips was looking up at at his friend, who had become a fully grown mare. "Whoa..." "It's not such a big deal," replied Snails in Cheerilee's body, shrugging a bit. "The chair fits awful though." Apple Bloom clopped her hooves down on her desk. "Who did this to you, Miss Cheerilee?!" Cheerilee let out a sigh before sinking to her coltish haunches. Continuing class seemed to be a fever dream at best. "If everypony would kindly settle down, I'll explain." She gave the best glare her colt face could manage and waited. Fortunately, the class did start to settle down, looking at her expectantly. "It was just this morning, on the way to school..." Cheerilee trotted along with a smile on her face. She was ready to face a new day with no educational challenges. They'd be going over crop rotation and other related agricultural innovations. She reached and pulled out the little sapling she'd be using as a demonstration for part of the lesson. "Is that lunch?" Cheerilee looked over to see Snails following alongside her with his usual placid expression. "Looks tasty." "No, Snails." She gave a patient smile. "It's part of today's lesson. Are you ready to learn?" "Um, no ma'am." Cheerilee could appreciate his honesty at least. "Try your best, please. You have potential in you, but you have to reach for it." Snails looked a bit befuddled at the idea. "Are you sure?" Their conversation was interrupted as a brightly dressed figure jumped in front of them with hooves thrown wide. "You two look like you're having trouble!" Cheerilee recoiled in surprise. "What? Who are you?" "That's not important. You two." The stranger, a mare, pointed between them with a hoof. "Can't see the other's side of things. I'll fix that." She threw her hooves out as wide as they could go and a blinding flash overtook them. When they could see again, she was gone, and they were changed. Cheerilee looked up at... herself. "Snails?" "Yeah, that's me," replied Cheerilee's body before they looked down at Snail's body. "Whoa, that's... me too. How can I be in two places at the same time?" Cheerilee saw herself, or her body, waving a hoof energetically. "Yes, Snails?" "I have to go to the little foal's room. Which one do I use?" Cheerilee clopped a hoof to her face. "Pick the one you like, just be sure to lock it behind you." "Alright." He wriggled free of the desk and walked off at his usual sedate pace, eyes half-lidded. Cheerilee winced at seeing it all played out with her own body, but at least she felt safe in the laid back colt's grasp. "Now, are there any other questions?" Prickle shook her head. "We have to get you back to normal!" Cheerilee smiled at Prickle. "I appreciate your concern, but I've already told Princess Twilight. Hopefully they'll have it sorted out soon. Meanwhile, you're here to learn, so we should get to that." She reached for a pointer and found it floating up to her. "Oh right, unicorn..." Well, some small advantages at least... "Now let's begin..." A paper bounced off of Prickle's head. She blinked before she saw it laying on her desk and unfolded it. This is a case for Tiny Titan! Prickle looked around, but none of the ponies were taking credit in any obvious way. Still... was it? It was. That was what she was supposed to do! She raised a hoof. Cheerilee looked up at Prickle. "Yes?" Oh, right. She needed an excuse... "I... need to use the little foal's room too." Cheerilee's eyes narrowed. She was not fooled. "Sit down, Prickle. The lessons begins now. Class..." She began giving her sermon despite her new body, doing her best to pretend nothing odd was happening at all. Prickle softly huffed. She wanted to go find the bad mare that dared to mess with her teacher, but was being stopped... by her teacher. She bided her time and took notes about the plants and stuff as best she could. She guessed that Cheerilee would totally give a surprise quiz considering how distracted everyone was. But when lunch came along, she raced out. It was time to go! She looked around for a good spot to dash off to and get changed when a hoof tapped her on the shoulder. She span in surprise to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Diamond hiked a brow. "Where are you trying to get in such a hurry? Don't you normally eat lunch with them?" She pointed at the crusaders at their usual table. "Um, not today." Prickle stepped back slowly. "I forgot my lunch at home. I have to go get it real fast." She smiled, so proud of her excuse. Silver pulled a small box out. "I'll share mine with you, Prickle." Oops. Prickle didn't want to shoot down Silver twice so soon. She may start thinking Prickle really didn't like her. "Oh, um... thanks." Her attempt to get away was thwarted as she walked over with the two over to another table and they began to eat. Diamond rolled a hoof as she ate. "Can you believe this?!" She pointed at Snails, seated with Snips. Despite the colt currently being a mare, he ate his food sedately. "Look at him! I bet he's doing terrible things." Prickle blinked at the sight and back to Diamond. "Are we talking about the same Snails?" "The same Snails that is a colt in a mare's body." She snorted loudly. "I can only imagine the things he's done and plans to do." Silver shrugged softly. "I'd be more worried if it was Snips. I doubt Snails is even thinking about it." "I try not to," came Snail's voice suddenly. "Thinking, that is." He was standing near them. "Hey." Prickles jumped. Snails could be real sneaky when he wanted to be. "Oh, hi Snails. So... are you alright?" "I'm fine," he assured with a dopey smile. "I miss having my horn though." He sank a moment before he perked back up. "It's kinda nice being so tall though." He pointed a hoof at the table in general. "Hey, you better be doing your homework." He chuckled at his own joke. Prickle took a little bite of the fancy food Silver was sharing with her. "Don't you want to go back to normal?" "Uh huh," he placidly agreed. "But I don't know how. I bet Twilight'll figure it out. I should get going, eh. See you all later." He gave a parting wave before wandering away. Diamond rolled her eyes. "Alright, maybe he is too stupid to think of anything." She snickered softly. "So, what do you think, Prickle?" She hiked a brow at her. "Did that description match any mare you know of?" Prickle quickly shook her head. "Not anypony I know. That was mean of them! They can't just... do that." Silver shrugged a little. "Some unicorns think they can. Us earth ponies have to stick together or they might, like, do other strange magic and think they can get away with it." She smiled at Prickle brightly. "Do you like it?" "Huh?" "The food." Silver nudged the box she was sharing. "Does it taste nice?" It did, and Prickle had no issue saying as much. "What is it?" She took up another morsel and popped it into her snout. It really was tasty. Silver smiled joyfully. "It's, like, genuine Neighponese food. Sushi." "What's sushi?" Prickle had never heard of the food before, tasty as it was. Diamond suddenly laughed. "Raw fish, rice, seaweed, some other things too." Prickle paled. Fish? Raw? "Is... that... even safe?" She eyed the box with sudden suspicion. Silver nodded quickly. "Uh huh. I've had it, like, forever. You don't see me getting sick." She took another bundle and popped it into her snout. "S'good." Part of her wailed at the idea. Another part gently nudged the first part and reminded her she's already had plenty, and liked it. "I guess it is..." She reached and took another morsel, then noticed a little plate of green stuff. "What's this?" Diamond leaned in. "Dip the sushi in it, I dare you." Silver quickly slapped a hoof over the box. "You don't have to!" Prickle looked between the two. "What... is it?" Diamond shrugged softly. "It's really spicy. Can you handle it?" Silver nodded in agreement. "You really don't have to." She withdrew her hoof. Prickle reached with her sushi. "I'll try a little tiny bit..." She didn't want to be scared off by Diamond Tiara. She touched the sushi to it and a dollop of green stuff came off onto it. She opened her snout wide and chomped down onto the mix. At first it was fine. Then, the heat came... Tears leapt up into her eyes, but she tried to keep a brave face as she ran her tongue across the top of her mouth, trying to bear it past the flames. Silver offered her sippy box. "Here, it'll help." Diamond looked thoroughly amused and reached over to pat Prickle on the back. "I didn't think you'd have the guts. You surprised me." Prickle smiled. Despite the pain, she felt good. She had impressed Diamond. She took a deep draw of sweet goodness from Silver's box and the flames ebbed down to a bearable point. She let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Do you use that a lot?" Silver shrugged. "Only once in a, like, while, but they always put it there." Prickle had failed to go find the bad pony, but she had shared lunch with the two greatest menaces of her life, and it wasn't that bad. She put it down as a success.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	27 - On Patrol	Prickle had finally escaped school. With her suit guarding her identity, she felt ready to pound any pony that would do such a thing to her teacher. She landed from an athletic bound. "Hey TT." It was Scootaloo, smiling. "Looking for the jerk that messed with Cheerilee?" "Uh huh," she quickly replied as she looked around for any signs of bad ponies. "Have you seen them? 'Brightly dressed unicorn mare' only goes so far." Prickle sighed softly. Scootaloo gave a helpless shrug, then smiled. "I'll help you look though, then I can see you show her what's what." Prickle didn't like the idea, but Scootaloo looked so excited to come with her, she didn't have the heart to turn her down. "Alright. I'll go north." She pointed. "You go south. If you see her, shout." Scootaloo bobbed her head quickly and hopped up onto her scooted gracefully, taking off on her own patrol. Prickle watched her go a moment before she sprang from the ground. A streak of rainbows zipped just in front of her nose, stopped, and came back. Rainbow was there, grinning. "Hey champ." She was following Prickle as she arced in her jump. "Are you looking for who I think you're looking for?" Prickle waited until she touched down on a roof before replying, "The pony that switched Cheerilee and Snails. Are you looking for her too?" "You bet! Twilight said we should look separately, so she can't switch us around. If there's only one pony coming to beat her up, then she's out of luck." That made sense to Prickle and she bobbed her head. "We should split up then." "If I find her first, I'll give her something for ya, promise." Rainbow grinned, then sped off into the distance. Prickle peeked into alleys, searched rooftops and even a few bells, but there just didn't seem to be any sign of the scoundrel anywhere. Until she saw two confused ponies, two familiar ones. She hopped down beside Lyra and Bon Bon. "What's wrong?" "Everything," said one of Bon Bon's many voices from Lyra. "This is awesome," reported Lyra from Bon Bon's body. "I always wondered what being Bon Bon was like. I'm gonna bake so hard!" Bon Bon arched Lyra's brow. "And you expect me to start playing an instrument I never tried before?" "And we'll both fail dramatically," said Lyra as if it were the best thing ever. "Then we can laugh and show each other how we messed up. It'll be great fun. C'mon!" Prickle shook her head slowly at her mixed up friends. "Which way did she go?" They both pointed, and Prickle took off in a gallop. When she wanted more speed and less upwards mobility, she could run faster than she could jump, though it took more out of her. She was determined to catch up with that criminal! First her teacher, than her fighting mentor? It was inexcusable. A loud yelp caught her attention and Prickle veered a hard right, kicking up dirt before she took off in the new direction. As she emerged past a set of buildings, she saw the brightly-dressed mare leering at Scootaloo. "Poor little thing. I've heard so much about you. You're so sad, stuck in a body that doesn't work right." Prickle surged without thought. That wasn't true, she was thinking a lot of things, mostly about not letting Scootaloo down. She had started screaming without noticing, rushing at the masked pony. The pony turned towards her. "What perfect timing! You'll do nicely." She reared up and threw her forehooves wide. "Have a change of perspective!" White light filled the square. Prickle's body gave a surprised yelp before flopping to the ground in a tumble. Scootaloo's form jumped at the mare without a pause, swinging a hoof with a loud scream of battle. It bounced off the mare's chest with a light thud. She laughed softly. "Nice try. You run along now." She made a dismissive wave, then she just trotted away as if nothing important had happened. Prickle jumped after her, and didn't go anywhere important. Her new wings buzzed wildly, trying to get her further, but she accomplished little more than hovering in place a moment before she came back to the ground. The villain was getting away! Scootaloo stood up. "I got her!" She made a super jump. Too super. Prickle winced as she watched it, following Scootaloo's scream until it passed far beyond sight. Prickle sighed softly. "I remember doing that..." "Hey squirt." It was Rainbow Dash, zipping in speedily. "You alright? You should be careful. There's a magic jerk around here and we don't want you getting zapped." "Too late," sighed out Prickle. Rainbow blinked softly. "Pr--uh, Tiny Titan? Wait, that means? Oh wow..." Prickle shrank in place. None of that went according to plan. "We have to stop her. She went that way." She thrust out a hoof. "I'm on it!" Rainbow took off in a streak of light. Prickle was left alone to take stock of the situation. She circled on herself, looking at her pegasus filly body as best she could. She tried spreading one wing, then the other before she bounced up and down a little. She had none of her strength, but that made sense. She was Scootaloo. She let out a little nervous laugh. She got what she wanted, sorta. She wasn't a freak. Instead she was in her friend's body. That was... less than ideal. "Everything alright?" asked Sweetie Belle. "I heard you from the boutique," she squeaked, voice hitching with worry. Prickle gave a nervous smile. "Not really..." "P-Prickle?" Sweetie blinked with wide eyes. "Oh no! This is terrible! Where's Scootaloo?" Prickle pointed off in the direction Scootaloo had launched herself, but needn't have. A loud whooping laughter came from the same direction as Tiny Titan bounced back into view. Sweetie sat beside Prickle. "She's... having fun, I think?" Prickle applied her new hoof to her new face. "This can't end well." Sweetie let out a little concerned noise. "Are you going to go to your house or her's?" Prickle blinked at Sweetie. That was a big question, but... "We have to switch back!" She looked around. "We just have to find that unicorn and get her to flip us rightside up." "I'm on the way!" echoed Scootaloo's voice. A bright flash erupted from elsewhere in the city. Prickle sank right back to her haunches. "I think it just got more complicated." Sweetie squinted in the direction of the flash. "Who do you think she was switched with this time?" Prickle felt jaw tense. There weren't a lot of other ponies she could hope for and still come out of it reasonably. A bright band of rainbows arced up over the town with the maddest of cackles. "Woooohoooo!" Sweetie blinked softly. "Oh..." "Oh," echoed Prickle, at once relieved and worried. Rainbow could be trusted with things, but... Prickle, or her body, landed with a heavy crash beside them. "Did you see, uh, me?" she asked with Rainbow Dash's voice. Prickle and Sweetie both pointed up into the sky where wild patterns were being drawn with rainbows. Rainbow, the real one, let out a little chuckle. "I always knew she had it in her. She'd make a great flyer... But not in my body!" She pointed up to the berserk Scootaloo. "How do I get her down from there? You can't jump that high... Can you?" Prickle hadn't ever tried quite that high. "Maybe, but landing is going to be rough if you can." "Only one way to know for sure!" Rainbow wiggled her little filly rump in the air then pounced into the air with all the strength Prickle's body had to offer. That was a lot of strength. Rainbow Dash was gone from sight almost instantly, barely a speck in the sky. The ground she had been standing on was a sizable crater from the pressure, smoke rising lazily from the compression heat generated from the motion. Sweetie squinted up in the sky, trying to see Rainbow, wherever she had gone. "I hope she's alright..." "Me too," sighed out Prickle before turning her eyes to the much-more visible Scootaloo. She waved wildly at her. "Scootaloo!" Shouting at her seemed as valid a tactic as any. To her surprise, it worked. Scootaloo turned in mid-air and came zooming towards them. As eager as she was to fly, that didn't give her much grace. She crashed gracelessly about ten feet from them, laughing the entire time. "Oh wow, that was great!" she cried as she clambered back up to her hooves. "You have no idea how amazing this feels." She bounced from hoof to hoof, blind to any pain caused by the crash. "I'm strong, and fast, and look at these." She spread her wings as wide as they could go. "They're so big and perfect!" Sweetie Belle gave an uncertain nod. "But they're not yours." Prickle bobbed in agreement. "Rainbow needs them. How is she going to be in the Wonderbolts in my body?" A trailing scream that grew in pitch as it approached drew all three of their heads upwards. There was Rainbow, descending like a meteor, flame trail included. She was blazing a path at a sharp angle. There was no way she'd land in Ponyville. Prickle rose to her hooves. "We have to help her." Scootaloo set a hoof on Prickle's shoulder. "Woah woah, hold on there. Let me handle this." She flapped her borrowed wings and lifted from the ground easily. "I'm a lot faster." "It doesn't matter." Prickle stomped an impotent hoof. "She's all of our friend, and I didn't quit my job just because some bad mare hit me with some magic. I'm going to help her." She glanced around. "Where do you keep your scooters?" "Huh? Oh yeah!" Scootaloo was gone, only to return a few instants later with the scooter in hoof. "Here you go." She set it down on the ground. Sweetie clopped her hooves softly. "You can give Prickle a ride, just like you used to get from Rainbow." "Oh yeah, great idea!" Scootaloo soon had herself tied to the front of the scooter. "I'll fly there, and you just have to hold on. Have you ever ridden a scooter before?" "No..." admitted Prickle as she stepped aboard and clutched at the bars as best as her hooves could manage. "But we have to go." "Well, alright then." Scootaloo took off in a streak towards her downed hero and Prickle found the world blurring past her. It was all she could do just holding on and hoping they wouldn't run into anything along the way. Sweetie waved at the two as they took off. "Good luck... You're going to need it." Shaking her head, she returned home. She was quite sure she'd hear about how it went at school the next day.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	28 - To The Rescue	Rainbow crossed her costumed legs across her face as a tree came zooming at her. It was far from the first time a tree had done so. What had she ever done to trees to make them so mad? Or maybe she was looking at it the wrong way. Maybe trees really liked her flying and wanted to help catch her when things went wrong? Yeah, that was a better view. Neither perspective softened the landing as she crashed through branches and came to a halt in the embrace of the tree. She let out a pained groan, but nothing felt busted or bent out of place, just banged up. As the stars fled her vision, she slowly slid to her hooves on the heavy branch she had landed on and carefully balanced on her way to the trunk. "Prickle's way stronger than I thought," she said to herself. She slowly began to climb down as a very familiar sound reached her ears. She peeked up to see her body coming in fast with a squealing Scootaloo clinging to her scooter with her entire body. "Uh, hey guys." Rainbow waved a costumed hoof. Scootaloo pulled to a stop. Prickle zipped past her, but Rainbow caught her easily and brought her to a stop. "Woah there. Let me guess, you're not Scootaloo." Prickle took a shaking step off the scooter. "You have my body." "And I'm guessing I wasn't hearing things before, so that makes you..." Rainbow looked at her body, which was blushing and looking awkward. "Scoots?" Scootaloo landed, flapping her wings perhaps more than required. "Rainbow, your body is amazing!" Rainbow puffed out her little chest. "Well, duh. I work hard to make sure it stays that way. I hope you had fun, now give it back. Being a mighty bouncing super hero is not my style." Prickle poked Rainbow in the flank. "I don't think she can just... give it back." "Has she tried?" retorted Rainbow. "Until she does, it doesn't count." Prickle flashed a bright smile. "You have my body, why don't you try giving that back first?" "Well fine then!" Rainbow glared at Prickle before thinking how to do that act she requested. She approached Prickle in Prickle's body and gave Prickle in Scootaloo's body a big hug. A painful hug. "Easy! Super strength!" squeaked out prickle as she was compressed. Rainbow released Prickle. "Your body is tricky. I can't do anything without overdoing it. I'm used to dialing it to 110%!" Prickle held her hooves close together. "I aim for maybe 1 to 5 percent?" She had paid attention in math and felt proud of herself. " Rainbow shook her head. "You are scary, but in all the good ways, seeing as you're a hero." Scootaloo, not being paid attention to, lifted into the air higher and higher. She did slow spins, looking around for trouble. With a thrust hoof, she pointed at a flash in the city. "Our troublemaker is busy making more trouble. If we don't do something, the whole town'll be swapped around." Rainbow grunted. "If Twilight finds her, this'll be over fast. Magic is one thing she barely ever loses at." "Except today," spoke... Big Mac? No, that voice was certainly Twilight's, walking towards them. "She took my magic away." Rainbow let out a little cough, then fell over, hooves in the air and cycling as she laughed. Twilight scowled with Big Mac's face. "That means you're not getting your wings back, Rainbow." "Oh, right." Rainbow rolled upright, laughter dying ignobly. "So where's Big Mac if you're borrowing his body?" Twilight pointed to where a smiling and distant figure that was herself flew through the air. "He's enjoying the experience. Our rogue wizard seems to get a real kick out of swaps that leaves at least one pony happy about it." Prickle shrugged. "The first one I learned about was Cheerilee and Snails. Cheerilee was annoyed and Snails was busy being Snails and wasn't thinking about it." Twilight nodded. "Right, but she thought he'd like being an adult, one he knew was in a position of authority. Simply, she made a mistake." Rainbow rolled a hoof at Twilight. "Yeah yeah, that's fascinating and all, but how do we start fixing all of this?" Twilight's eyes darted between Rainbow, Prickle, and Scootaloo. "Just so we're on the same page, can I get a roll call?" All three stated their true name in a chorus. "Right. I know I said to come at her seperately, but that clearly isn't working. There's always somepony around for her to work her magic with. I have a new proposal." Scootaloo flew down to easier conversation level. "What's your idea, Twilight?" She swung a red-furred hoof at each of them. "We go in pairs, preferably with ponies we're alright with switching back with, so that when she tries to zap us, we know where we're going. Also, sunglasses." She pulled out a bouquet of them, spread out in a fan. "We can't afford to let that flash disorient us." "Good idea!" Rainbow snatched her glasses and popped them on. "Looking stylish too." Prickle and Scootaloo took their own, and Twilight put on the last to cover her enlarged snout. "Alright, Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash, you two seem like a natural fit." Prickle pouted at that. That didn't set her up to be in her right body at all. "Who am I with?" Twilight perked her ears. "Are you sure you even want to be involved? We'll get everyone's body's back once this is over, and we find yours." Prickle blinked with confusion. "Find it?" Twilight got a smile on her face. "Are you saying it's nearby?" Prickle realized what she was about to do and shut up about it. "I still want to help! This is my town too. She's a bad pony and needs to be taken care of." Twilight reached and grabbed Prickle by the nape of the neck. With a toss of her bulked neck, she sent Prickle soaring to land on Twilight's back. "We'll go together then. Everyone ready?" "Just one question," asked Scootaloo, hovering in place. "What's going on with the others? I mean, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy? You know." Twilight heaved a sigh. "At a guess, they're just as mixed up as the rest of us, or are about to be. Stick to your partner, and let's play this smart." They split up then. Twilight and Prickle in Big Mac and Scootaloo's body. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo in Rainbow and Prickle's body. As they went, Scootaloo came in real low to fly just beside Rainbow. "I bet you're real worried." "I trust you," Rainbow replied with a smile. "My Scootaloo would do the right thing. It's part of what makes her awesome." "Yeah..." Scootaloo grabbed Rainbow Dash from above and lifted her from the ground. "I'm not going to steal you away from you. That would be a pretty uncool thing to do. Still, you can't blame me for enjoying it while I have it." Rainbow snickered from Scootaloo's grip. "I would too, so, no, no hard feelings or anything. We're still sisters, right?" She offered a hoof, and it was met with a solid clop. "Together forever." Scootaloo bobbed her head. "Forever. Let's find that jerk and fix all of this." She ascended higher into the sky, carrying Rainbow along as she went. Twilight trotted along into the town. "Ugh, this body feels so... heavy." Prickle sat up on Twilight's back. "And no magic." "That too." She looked over her shoulder. "What do you miss?" Prickle opened her mouth to reply, then shut it, realizing almost everything she said would incriminate her. "It's kind of neat having wings." She fluttered the little limbs. "I never had those before." A familiar mare stepped out in front of them. "I'm so glad you're enjoying it," she said, a happy smile on her face. "A little change of perspective is good for a pony. We get stuck in ruts too easily." Prickle pointed at Twilight. "But you haven't tried it yet. You keep doing the same thing over and over and over again. You're in the deepest rut." The mare's expression wavered. "W-what?! But... I'm freeing ponies from their habitual lives!" Twilight was no dim bulb and caught on quick where Prickle was going. "Oh, she has a point. How can you tell us to do something if you aren't willing to try? Have you ever been an earth pony before?" "Or a stallion?" posited Prickle. "I bet it would be entirely new." "Oh, I see where you're going." She shook her head. "Being an earth pony, that's silly. I mean, no offense, but they have the least going for them. Nope. I think I'll try a pegasus instead." She threw her hooves wide. Prickle was suddenly a mare, a unicorn mare. She fell to all fours, dazed. The mare laughed wildly and flew away! Or at least, that was her plan, but Scoot's wings were not up to the task, and she just succeeded at falling off of Twilight with style. Twilight brought a hoof down on the filly's body. "You stay right there." Prickle shook her head clear. "We did it!" She stepped towards the squirming foal. "Alright, time to start putting ponies back." "I... can't." She pushed impotently at Twilight's massive stallion hoof. "You're the unicorn, you do it." Prickle reached up and tapped at her new horn. She was a unicorn... She tried to make something happen. To her credit, she made her horn glow. Twilight shook her head. "You don't have her talent... And she doesn't have her horn." She let out an exasperated sigh. "This is going to be complicated." "I should have taken the larger body," grumbled the captured villain. "Didja find her, huh huh huh," asked a very pink sounding Applejack as she pronked closer. Twilight nodded. "Can you help tie her up? I have her pinned but I'm used to having a horn." "Ya don't need a horn to tie ponies up, silly." Pinkie bounced in, pulled a rope out that Applejack likely always had and got right to work, securing the bad guy. "Why does she look like Scootaloo?" The villain smiled. "I am Scootaloo. The bad guy switched with him!" She pointed with her snout at Twilight. Prickle stomped a hoof. "That's Twilight! I'm Prickle Berry, and she is... What is your name?" "I don't have to say..." Prickle could argue, but it felt wrong somehow. "I'll call you Switcheroo for now." "I like that."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	29 - All Mixed Up	The entire town gathered in a confused mob before the stage. On that stage were Twilight, who had Big Mac's body, Pinkie in Applejack, Rarity in Filthy Rich, Applejack in Octavia, Spike in Spike. "I still don't get why she skipped me." Rainbow Dash in Prickle, and Prickle as the villain. There was also the villain herself, currently appearing as Scootaloo. Applejack glanced about with cultured eyes. "Where'd Fluttershy run offta?" Twilight grunted as only a stallion could. "She refuses to be seen. Let's get this underway." She stepped up towards the microphone. "Citizens of Ponyville, I know you're all very confused and worried right now, but we have things under control. The perpetrator has been apprehended and we're working as hard as we can to get things put right." Big Mac suddenly came down from the sky, landing just before the stage. "Ah'm an alicorn princess. Ah'll fix everything with magic!" Twilight blinked at the sudden interruption. "If you think... you can?" She had no confidence that Big Mac suddenly knew enough magic to do much worth talking about. Then again, he was flying capably enough. The crowd turned its eyes to the grinning form of their neighborhood princess, though few were fooled by the smooth deep notes that issued from... his... throat. "Ayup!" He closed his eyes and concentrated, his horn starting to glow, dim at first but quickly escalating. With a loud set of cries, Carrot Top and Junebug lifted into the air. To Prickle's combination of relief and disappointment, that was not Junebug's yelp. She had heard that before. Twilight began to get nervous. "Be careful, Big Mac. Magic isn't a toy." "Nope." With a sudden nova of power, Big Mac struck both of the mares. Sparkles danced and whorled, and both ponies were set down with flowers sprouting in every direction. Junebug, or whoever had her body, blinked softly, confused but seemingly unharmed. Twilight applied her larger hoof to her face. "Thank you for trying. I'm afraid to say this... but we're going to have to call in outside help. Spike, I'm glad you're still you. Would you come here? I need you to take a letter." "Ahem. Dear Princess Celestia, Ponyville's hit a bit of a problem that requires your direct intervention. Magic has been used irresponsibly." She turned red, hard as it was to see through her red fur. "It wasn't me. I am unable to address this matter personally. Please come at your earliest convenience. Thank you, Princess Twilight Sparkle." "So do we simply wait until then?" came Mayor Mare's voice from one of the secretary pony's snout. Spike puffed on the paper he had drafted and the sparkles danced away towards the castle up on the mountain. "We can't force Celestia to go faster than she wants." The crowd murmured dejectedly, but nopony was hysterical about it. The changed mayor hopped up onto the stage. "I forward that we all just pretend we are who we really are. Everypony in town knows what's happened, so let's just pretend it's not happening, for now. Go to your usual homes, do your usual jobs as best you can, and hopefully this situation will be resolved soon." Rainbow Dash raised a hoof and waved it wildly. "Um, yes... Tiny Titan?" "That's Rainbow Dash," she corrected. "How can I do any of my jobs without my awesome wings?" Similar statements rippled through the crowd. "Ah'll use magic ta farm!" Applejack squinted down at her brother. "No ya won't! Ah'm gonna tell Granny what you just said." That cowed him sheepishly. Mayor Mare tapped the microphone lightly. "Ponies and gentlecolts, let's try to keep a level head. We'll work together to get through this as we have so many times before. Rainbow Dash, who has your body?" "Me!" Scootaloo waved a hoof wildly. "I'll take over weather duty!" She sounded quite excited to do it. "I always wanted to try..." Snails, er, Cheerilee gave Scootaloo a prod. "Only outside of school hours, young filly." The conversation remained as loud, but was changing subtly. Ponies were swapping duties where required as best they could. It seemed some ponies would just have to oversee or take a day off. "Time to make sweet sweet candy," sang out Lyra in Bon Bon's body. "You'll help me, right?" Bon Bon rolled her eyes. "Of course I will, but I'm not playing the lyre, sorry." The two wandered off, arguing about the merits of at least trying out the instrument. Prickle put a hoof behind her head. She supposed that being a mare wouldn't really stop her from going to school, but... "Rainbow Dash, can we talk?" "What's up?" "Privately?" They wandered away from the crowd, only to hear a familiar voice right behind them, "Going somewhere, darlings?" There was Filthy Rich, er, Rarity. "If you want some privacy, you can visit the boutique. I'm heading back there now to do some good crying." She heaved a sigh. "I'm not going to get much seamstress work done like this. Working by mouth is such a chore and takes the fun out of it." She waved a hoof in a fashion Filthy Rich would never do. "I know I could use the machines, and I will! But it's not the same." She walked alongside the others. "And don't even get me started on the whole stallion thing! Filthy, darling, you really need to update your fashion. You've been wearing this same suit for most of your life." She rambled as she went, and soon they arrived at her home. Prickle used her newly-gifted magic to tug the door open, even if she only managed a precious half an inch. Rarity smiled at the effort and easily got it the rest of the way with a casual swing of a hoof. "Thank you dear. It's good to see these recent events haven't worn on your manners." Once they were inside, Rainbow turned to face Prickle. "So, why are we here again?" Prickle pointed at Rainbow. "You can't do the weather right now, but if there's other trouble, you're Tiny Titan." Rainbow blinked softly and looked down at her little body. "Huh, guess I am. So ya want me to pound some monsters if they show their ugly mugs?" Prickle bobbed her head. "Exactly." "As if you needed to ask me." Rainbow took a proud stance. "I'll show them a thing or two!" She punched into the air, bouncing on her hind hooves a moment before she came back down. "Besides, I did that before. I'll just be doing it a little different now. Hey, since we're asking favors, keep an eye on Scoots for me, alright? You two are in school together and all." That seemed a fair request and Prickle bobbed her head. "I'll do that." "I'm glad you two are getting along." Rarity was smiling at the two of them. "But if you're done with the clandestine little meeting, I'd like to get to my crying now, thank you." So they left Rarity to do her scheduled sobbing and split up. Rainbow headed towards Twilight's castle. "I can't reach my house, but I know Twi'll put me up until this gets straightened out." Prickle waved goodbye and headed to her own house which was thankfully on the ground. She opened the door to find a pony she had seen once or twice but didn't know the name of. The unknown mare smiled at Prickle. "Prickle?" Prickle knew that voice and hurried forward to hug her mom tightly, regardless of what she looked like at the moment. "Are you alright?" "I'm fine. Look at you, my little porcupine went and grew up overnight." She was smirking with obvious jest. "Dinner's already ready. Eat up. Did you finish your homework?" Prickle rolled her eyes as she settled by the table. "Only you would ask that right this moment." Her mother stuck out her tongue. "I haven't heard a thing about Cheerilee cancelling class, so I expect you to remain a model student." She trotted up and set a plate of food before Prickle. "Hopefully Princess Celestia comes and puts everything back to normal." "Or Luna?" posited Prickle as she began to eat. "I guess any good magic-using pony would do." "What are they doing with the pony that did this?" asked Junebug as she sat across from her at the table. "She's still a filly, right?" "Scootaloo." Prickle bobbed her head. "I'm her right now." She pointed at herself. Junebug raised a brow at that. "Why don't you take that mask off and we'll see who she is? Maybe it's somepony we know." Prickle felt a chill run up her spine. "N-no! No... I won't take a pony's mask off..." Junebug looked at Prickle quietly a moment before she nodded. "Very well, but you do need to take a bath, and you can't do that with that outfit on." Prickle glanced around nervously. "You won't peek, right? I just won't look in any mirrors." Junebug smiled gently. "I was raised better than to go peeping on ponies enjoying a shower. Finish your food for now. Her secret is safe with me." Prickle devoured the food gratefully. Her mother's cooking has not been diminished her her bodyswap. She produced her homewor-- "Oh." "What's wrong?" Prickle pointed where Twilight's castle would be. "Rainbow has my homework." Junebug applied a hoof to her face. "Get it back in the morning on the way to school, leave early. You'll just have to explain to Cheerilee what happened. Go on and take that shower." Prickle let out a little sigh, mixed feelings of relief and annoyance showing. "Sorry," she mumbled as she got to her hooves and trotted off to the bathroom. Her eyes moved to the mirror and she jumped at seeing not-her looking at her with equal surprise. She reached up and flipped the mirror over. She couldn't reach the mirror before. Being tall had perks. She closed the door behind herself, twisted the lock, and got to washing away the troubles of the day. "Hey." Prickle blinked out of her funk and looked towards the tiny bathroom window where the voice had come from. There was Rainb--Scootaloo, hovering in sight. "Prickle?" Prickle blinked softly. "Scootaloo? Why are you spying on me taking a shower?" Were things getting more complicated? "I brought your stuff. Can I open the window?" Prickle broke into a smile. "Oh, thanks! But why not just go through the front door?" "Oh yeah... I just liked flying so I'm kinda doing it all I can while it lasts and then I saw you in here and I thought I'd say hi, and here we are!" Prickle reached up and could get to the window, another feat that was impossible as a filly. "There are perks to this," she said, shaking her mane a little. "T... Trixie?" Scootaloo was staring at Prickle with wide eyes. Prickle only then realized she wasn't disguised. She was a big fat hypocrite! "No! You didn't see anything!" She slapped the window shut, bonking Scootaloo on the nose. "No!"
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	30 - From On High	When Prickle emerged from her bath, dressed and disguised, she saw her mother looking at her oddly. "Is something wrong?" She shook her head. "Your friend came by. I was confused at first, but nopony is what they seem to be right now." She pointed. "Your books and homework are here. Do you have time to finish it before bed?" Prickle brightened and hurried to the table. She grabbed her notebook in her mouth and had it flipped open an instant later. Quill in mouth, she got to writing industriously. Homework seemed like a welcome relief from anything else bothering her at the moment, and she threw herself at it. Junebug shook her head a little. "That is a workable answer. Thank you, Prickle. Your teacher will be grateful as well. I can't imagine every colt and filly is going to be equally as industrious right now." Prickle glanced up a moment before resuming her work. It was math, and not even especially hard math. Math was nice and predictable. It was much like her life had not been. Still, she didn't have a had time imagining some foals were busy being distracted by whatever new body they found themselves in. She found herself daydreaming as she worked a little, wondering what other forms she could have ended up in. She could be an old wobbly pony, that would have been awkward. She coulda been a stallion! No thanks. She coulda been a pegasus and tried flying, though she lacked the practice even Scootaloo had and imagined it would involve a lot of crashing and false starts and not a lot of actual flight. Instead, she was a unicorn. Then it hit her and she smiled. She imagined the quill floating. It took a few tries, but she soon had the quill bobbing beside her snout instead of in it. With a little giggle, she imagined the words she wanted to write and the quill set itself to the task, sort of. The words were being written, but her mouth was far more trained than her mental grip. It was sloppy, though it was also working, and that was kind of exciting. She clopped her larger hooves as she watched the quill obey her will. "Little Porcupine." Junebug was peering at her skeptically. "I know you're curious, but you're an earth pony." The expression turned to a warm smile. "You are... Everything an earth pony should be, come to think. You're incredibly strong, and willing to help others. Gentle giants, that's what an earth pony is." She rest a hoof on Prickle's head. "We'll get this sorted quickly, I hope." Prickle tilted her head at her mom. What was she worried for? "I like... being me, but I'm not me right now." It was only after she said it that she realized what she had said and the quill flopped to the tabletop. "I like being me," she echoed breathlessly. She was certain that wasn't true just a few weeks prior. She hated being a freak and outcast, but... Everypony liked her... Everypony... wanted to see her. She was still strong, but everypony liked that too. She sat up, squirming as she did so. "I like being me," she whispered. Junebug sat down behind her and reached her forehooves forward. She hugged her oversized foal gently. They sat there in silence. Prickle wasn't sure when she had started, but a tear had fallen free of her snout, splashing on her homework. They were quiet the rest of the evening, and Prickle eventually went to bed, barely fitting with her considerably larger mare body. The next morning, Prickle trot to school. She had her homework and her supplies and she felt ready to tackle the day! Then she arrived at the schoolhouse. She delayed in the doorway, pace slowing to a hesitant walk. Half the class were adults, squeezed uncomfortable into their desks. She could only imagine most of the rest were scrambled among themselves. "Move it," came a familiar authoritative voice. Prickle spun around to see Diamond's butler peering at her. "You're not the only one here." It was clearly Diamond, and she walked past with her aged snout upturned. "She's a little mad," came Silver Spoon's voice from the body of Diamond Tiara just after her. "Can you blame her?" Prickle glanced at the old form Diamond had been given then quickly shook her head. "I'd be mad too." Silver gave a friendly smile, which looked very out of place on Diamond's face. "You got a nice one, wait... Isn't that the pony that did this?" Other foals looked towards Prickle with renewed interest. It was exactly the sort of attention that Prickle didn't work and her jaw clenched a little. She was saved by the arrival of Snails, er, Cheerilee. "Alright class, everyone into their seat." But then she noticed Prickle and winced a moment. "Which foal are you?" "Prickle Berry," she quickly identified herself, then dashed to her desk to awkwardly cram herself into it. "Ready!" Cheerilee nodded. "Very good. Now kindly pass your homework to the front of the class. I understand this is a very... trying time, but school must go on. I won't be counting today's homework against anypony that missed it, but those who did do it are getting extra credit." Prickle beamed proudly even as she heard soft groans from ponies who had undoubtedly missed the chance for extra points. She accepted the papers passed from behind her and added hers to the pile. Cheerilee began her lesson. "Today seems like a fine day to go over this, since some of you are undoubtedly confused and concerned." She pulled down a sheet of paper that had an anatomical drawing of a pony on it, two of them, mare and stallion. "Let's go over the difference between a mare and a stallion." There were a few titters and chuckles through the room, but many were blushing and looking awkward. Prickle was a little curious, but had no vested interest. She thanked Destiny for that. Cheerilee broke it all down for her class. She didn't get into how foals were made 'That's for later,' she had admonished. She had gone over basically everything else there was to know. At lunch, Prickle spied Rainbow Dash as a clear hint of where the CMC were, and Silver and Diamond were not hard to spot. Sweetie Belle was there, just beside Scootaloo. Prickle became curious and trotted over. "Sweetie, are you still you?" "Yep," she said with a grin. "I stayed inside like my sister told me and I didn't get zapped. I mean, beside that one moment when I came to see what the shouting was about, but the zapper wasn't around, lucky me." She pointed a hoof at Prickle. "You're all grown up." Scootaloo put a hoof behind her head, clearly wanting to say something, but she didn't. Featherweight shook his head. "Well, the way ah see it, the sooner this is fixed, the better." Oh, it was Apple Bloom. "Why's featherweight have to be so... small?" Scootaloo shrugged her enlarged shoulders then looked to Prickle. "Hey, uh, your secret's safe with me." That got Apple Bloom and Sweetie's attention, and confusion. Sweetie tilted her head one way and the other. "It's safe with all of us, isn't it?" Apple Bloom nodded her coltish head. "What brings that up all of ah sudden?" Prickle knew. She knew and she smiled. "Thank you." She hopped up to join them and got out her lunch pail. Sweetie pointed up at Prickle's new horn. "Can you use it?" "Huh? Oh, yeah." She opened the package that held her food easily, unveiling a large apple and a glass container of something her mother had prepared. "I think my horn's already big and strong, magicly, from its, you know, original owner. I'm clumsy, but it works." Sweetie stuck out her tongue. "Do you have any idea how much I had to practice before I could do anything? Cheater!" She didn't sound as angry as her words implied, and she got back to smiling and eating. Apple Bloom snorted. "You two got lucky. Ah can barely help around the farm at all like this." She pointed at Scootaloo in her rainbow-hinted body. "You got one of the top athletes in town." She pointed at Prickle. "And you got to try being a unicorn, even if ah think yer better off as an earth pony." Sweetie cocked a brow at that. "What's wrong with being a unicorn?" "Nuthin'," Apple Bloom quickly assured. "Nuthin' at all, but that ain't what Prickle is, now is it? Ya want to be strong again, right?" Prickle didn't immediately reply. She was stuck facing her previous doubts. She would have been so grateful to be not-strong just a short time ago, but then everything changed. She clopped her hooves slowly, tapping them. "Do you like it when I'm strong?" Scootaloo leaned forward. "Don't you? You're a literal super hero! It's awesome! Of course we like it, but we like you, super hero or not. I mean--" She suddenly cut herself off as another pony approached. It was Diamond Tiara, who hopped up right beside Prickle. "You're Prickle, right?" "Yeah?" Prickle felt a cold sweat form. She wasn't sure how to interpret Diamond's tone. "Huh, so you're her. Let's see who she is." She reached up for Prickle's face. Prickle fell backwards in sudden panic, falling right off the bench to the ground in a mess of hooves. "What are you freaking out about? We know it isn't you. Let's just see who messed us all up." Diamond slid her old body down, walking around towards Prickle. Apple Bloom raised a hoof and took on the look of a clever filly, er, colt. "Actually, we don't have no proof that was the pony that did done anything. They coulda switched tons of times, from unicorn ta unicorn 'till they were caught." Diamond furrowed her wrinkly brow. "Huh... You have a point there... How will we know who she, or he, was in the first place?" Sweetie shrugged softly. "Princess Celestia will figure it out, or at least help Twilight get back to normal, then she can figure it out. She's a very smart pony. I bet she'll have it all calculated in no time at all." Prickle gathered herself back to her new hooves. "Even if it wasn't, um, her, I don't want to take away her secret for her. It's not mine to give away." Diamond rolled her eyes. "What would you know about that anyway?" The table grew quiet. "What? Anyway, anypony get word about when they're fixing this? I don't want to be like this longer than I have to be." Apple Bloom gave a bucked smile. "Ah'm sure they're workin' on it right now. 'fact ah wouldn't be surprised none if Celestia came ridin' down right now on her chariot." All eyes turned towards Canterlot, but no such chariot greeted them.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	31 - She Arrives	It wouldn't be for another day that any help arrived, but it did. It was not in the form of Celestia. It was another unicorn that Twilight greeted with a big hug, which confused her. "Um, do I know you?" asked Moondancer with a quirked shaggy brow. "Oh, right." Twilight backed off and pointed at herself. "I'm Twilight Sparkle." "Twilight?!" Moondancer shook her head quickly. "The Princess said there were scrambled ponies to handle, but didn't mention you were... this." She waved a hoof up and down at Twilight's big red form. Twilight blushed, which showed despite her red fur. "Well let's put that aside for the moment. We have to start putting ponies back in their natural bodies." "Can't argue that." Moondancer's horn glowed as she drew out a book. "Celestia authorized the use of this, with some caveats and warnings. Do you know where the pony is with your body?" Twilight pointed out of the town. "Big Mac is probably at the farm, unless he's at the market." "Let's check the market first then, that's closer, right?" "Right." They got to trotting, both set to fixing the mess, mostly. Moondancer's eyes kept darting at her scrambled friend. "It must be rough." "Hmm?" "Not having a horn, to start, being a stallion, for another. How are you even functional?" Twilight thrust a hoof at a passing pony. "What were you a week ago?" The pegasus blinked in surprise. "Earth pony." Twilight pointed at another, a filly. "And you?" The filly replied with a mature male voice, "I helped around the post office." Moondancer shook her head. "I suppose misery really does love company. It's impressive that you're all sticking together through all this." "Ponyville's seen worse," assured Twilight as she gestured broadly to the town as a whole. "But we are eager to get this sorted out. If you fix me, we can then get to fixing everypony else twice as fast." "Precisely my thinking. Oh, there you are." She could see Twilight, not the red stallion beside her, but a purple princess offering apples in the market. She wore both her tiara and an apron in an interesting mix of fashions. "Is that the original? And did you let him... her? Them. Did you let them borrow your tiara?" Twilight's eyes rolled. "He seems to like it, and I didn't see any point worrying about it until we had our bodies back." They came close enough for Big Mac to notice them. "Howdy, Twilight. Who's yer friend?" Twilight was caught by surprise. That was more verbiage than normal. Moondancer didn't know better and replied, "Moondancer, nice to meet you. Let's get you two back in your proper bodies." She drew out that magic book. Big Mac winced, but his smile returned. "Done figured it was just a little while." Twilight became curious. "You like being a mare?" "Nope." Twilight tapped her red chin softly. "You like being a unicorn?" "Nope." Twilight pointed at Big Mac. "Well, what is it then? We're friends. I'll keep it secret if you prefer." Big Mac glanced between the unicorn that was studying her book and Twilight in his body. "Ah..." He leaned in close to Twilight, voice dropping to a whisper. "Ah like bein' important." He was a bright red, squirming. He went silent, as was his nature. "I'm ready," announced Moondancer with confidence. "If you two would stand side by side? Perfect, just like that." Her horn began to glow brightly. "From my eyes to yours, our perspective is changed. Through our bright open doors, let our bodies be rearranged!" Bright motes of magic swept over the two. Then it faded away. Moondancer adjusted her glasses as she looked from one to the other slowly. "Well?" "I... think it worked," said Twilight from within her royal form. "Yep," agreed Big Mac. He held out a hoof. It took Twilight a moment to realize what was being asked for and she surrendered the apron that was around her. Twilight lifted from the ground, easily taking flight on her returned wings. "It's time to gather up everypony. Moondancer, head to town hall." She pointed the way. "I'll spread the word and we'll all meet you there to get this straightened out. Be sure to bring that book, I'll need it to lend a hoof." As Twilight soared off to spread the word, Moondancer leveled her gaze on Big Mac as he got his apron back on. "I... am not an expert on these matters, but I bet you are important." Big Mac blinked at Moondancer. She gave an unsure smile. "I'm serious. You have friends, don't you?" "Ayep?" "You have family?" "Yup." "Both would be sad if you weren't there, so..." She trailed a hoof through the dirt. "You're important, to them." Big Mac was quiet before he nodded a little. "Ah... jus' wish..." He fell to quiet again. Moondancer put a hoof to her own chest. "Look, I'm... still learning what having friends is like... Treasure that. You are important." Big Mac could see the courage and pain that came with Moondancer's admission. He reached out a hoof, and they hugged quietly a moment, sharing in their related but different aches. "Yep." His own feelings were not soothed by the platitude, but the effort meant something between the two awkward souls. "We're getting fixed!" came the excited cry of a colt. The classroom became madness with chatting and rushing to grab one's things. Cheerilly slapped the board with her pointer. "Class! Calm yourselves. We'll proceed in an orderly fashion." Her eyes settled on the colt that had come with the news. "Where do we need to be?" "Twilight said to come to the square." He pointed off in the right direction, bouncing with eagerness. "Then we'll do that, and I'm afraid I do need to report to your mother that you weren't in class." The foal blinked. "I'm not in your class, Cheerilee." Cheerliee clopped a hoof to her small face. "I am looking forward to this being fixed." The class poured free of the schoolhouse and began marching towards salvation. Silver Spoon in the body of her best friend came up alongside the larger form of Prickle. "Are you looking forward to being yourself again?" "I... am," agreed Prickle with a little hesitation. "I'm surprised that I am, but I really am." Diamond's voice joined, "tired of being a freak?" Silver frowned a little. "She just said she wants to go back to her normal self." "Oh." Diamond reached up to rub at one of her aged ears. "These don't work as well as they should. I hope you've been taking care of my body, Silver Spoon." Silver cracked a smile. "I made sure to enjoy extra sweets." Diamond jumped at her friend, and they went to the ground, wrestling, but Silver was laughing. Prickle smiled a little. It was kind of nice to see them being such good friends. Rainbow Dash, er, Scootaloo landed beside Prickle. "Hey, so, going back huh?" Prickle perked an ear at Scootaloo. "Nervous?" "Yeah... but not that, not exactly." Prickle bumped against her friend. "You're afraid this will be the last time." Scootaloo winced. "Am I that obvious?" "It's alright... I would be too. You're a good friend for giving her her body back." "Yeah..." Scootaloo kicked a rock away as they walked. "The Rainbow I know would never do that... I couldn't just... be her, if I'd do that. Rainbow isn't like that..." "You're not Rainbow," Prickle said with a smile. "You're even better. You're Scootaloo, who is my friend, and has helped me so much since I met her." She put a hoof at her own chest. "In fact, if I had to pick my favorite hero, I'd say it was definitely Scootaloo, who helped teach me that... I..." Scootaloo suddenly grabbed Prickle, hugging her tightly. It became quiet, but volumes were said between them. Eventually they parted. Scootaloo pointed ahead. "We should get going." "That was mighty sweet ah ya," complimented a coltish Apple Bloom, walking along Prickle. "Let's get this over wit'." The crowd was growing at the square. Just about everypony that lived in Ponyville was there, which made it quite the gathering indeed. Sweetie, with the few others who were in the body they started with, were off to one side, watching but not getting mixed up with the ponies that needed help. She glanced to the left and saw DJ-Pon3 beside her, watching everything with a slow bobbing of her head. "She didn't get you?" asked Sweetie. Vinyl gave a slow shake somehow in perfect time with her bobbing. "What about... Octavia? That's her name right?" Vinyl pointed out into the crowd. "Oh, she'll be fixed soon, I hope." In the crowd, Prickle sat and waited for things to get underway. She heard some ponies talking. Well, she heard a lot of ponies talking, but one conversation caught her attention. "I'm done trying to bake." "I told you it was harder than it looked," came one of Bon Bon's many voices. "Oh, I'm not worried about that. I just want to play my lyre and doing that with just hooves is extra hard. Not impossible, just... it's more fun with my horn!" "About that..." "You're good at it!" came Lyra's excited cry. "I broke it." "Well, yeah, but I'll get it fixed. I've broken the strings before, it happens." "If I can have your attention," came Twilight's call from the stand. "As you can see, I am back in my usual self." The crowd erupted into cheers and stomps. "And now, with the assistance of Moondancer, we're going to fix the rest of the town. To make this process easier, find your original body and stay with them. To speed things along, we'll start with ponies who can be matched directly. Ponies who have been swapped more than once will be handled only after that." "Darn it," came Rainbow's bitter reply, knowing that put her far from the front of the line. She wasn't the only one. Prickle and some others grumbled a little, but there wasn't much to be done about it. Ponies broke up into pairs wherever they could find their doppelganger, and those who only had to be in a group of two advanced to the front of the crowd. "Pardon, but you appear to have been given a Great and Powerful body." Prickle perked an ear at the new female voice and looked around before it fell down to a small unicorn. They were the size of a foal, but appeared to be an adult mare. "Hello?" "Yes, hello," agreed the small adult. "You have Trixie's body in a terrible outfit. She would like it back kindly."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	32 - End Episode 7 - In Your Own Flesh	Twilight and Moondancer were quick about their work, swapping pony after pony and undoing the knot that had been formed with the identities of Ponyville. Happy ponies trotted back to their lives, restored to their original selves. Rainbow trotted forward. Her name had been called and she clip-clopped her hooves with giddy anticipation. "I can't wait to get back in the air!" She had been swapped with Prickle already, from one alien form to another. "Now gimmie my body back!" She leveled a hoof at Scootaloo, rather, her body. Twilight glanced aside at the villain they had bound and captured. "I had been saving her for last. Do we even have her original to swap with?" Rainbow shrugged. "Dunno. Can I go back to normal now please?" Twilight gave a soft snort. "Right right, hold your ponies. Scootaloo?" Scootaloo, in Rainbow Dash's body, nodded. "Ready." She glanced aside at Rainbow in Prickle's body. "So, uh, I'll be getting... Tiny Titan's body?" Twilight nodded quickly. "For now. We'll swap that one later, in private." Prickle, nearby but not in the conversation, let out a little breath of releif. With the invocation spoken and a bright explosion of magic, the two were swapped. Rainbow launched herself up into the air with an excited cry, her flight restored. She came back down after a moment, giggling joyfully. "Thanks for taking care of her." Scootaloo blinked with some confusion. "Taking care of her?" "My body." She tapped herself on her chest. "Feels like I haven't missed too much exercise, but I'll have to do double regimen for a little while to catch up, still, not nearly as bad as I was worried about. Once they have you back in the right place, I'll show you how thankful I am, alright?" Scootaloo looked uncertain about what that might be, but agreed with a timid voice. "T-thanks, um, for letting me borrow it." Rainbow snorted at that and started noting she didn't have much choice in the manner. While they were talking Twilight went on the next tangled web and started swapping ponies. Spell by spell, the crowd diminished. "Trixie is ready to get her body back." Moondancer nodded at Trixie. "Alright." She looked around a moment. "I don't see it." Trixie pointed up at her costumed body. "It's right there, dressed strangely." "Ah. Excuse me?" Prickle Berry looked over as she was spoken to. "It's time to switch you two." Prickle didn't want to be a little mini-unicorn, but her current larger unicorn form wasn't hers. She didn't have much a leg to stand on. "Alright." Trixie stuck out her tongue as Prickle came over. "She has been watching you cast that spell. Trixie bets she could do it herself. Watch!" Moondancer's horn lit up just as Trixie's did, but instead of casting a spell, she grabbed Trixie's horn in her magic and gave a sudden squeeze. Trixie yelped in surprise, her spell fizzling harmlessly. "Why did you do that?! Do you doubt Trixie's amazing powers?" Moondancer waved a hoof at Trixie. "This spell is harder to cast when the caster is one of the two being swapped. For your safety, please allow me to handle this." Trixie rolled her eyes and huffed. "Fine..." The two were swapped. Trixie immediately tore off her costume and tossed it aside with a disgusted look. "Trixie is going home to change." She trotted off without another word. Eventually most of the ponies of the city were restored. All save a precious few. Twilight led those few away. "Let's get some privacy, shall we?" Prickle was far from swift on some things, but this was becoming too hard to ignore. "You know, don't you?" Twilight twitched an ear back at Prickle. "Know what? I know we have to get you back in your regular body." Prickle swallowed. "But you know which body that is." Twilight was silent as they marched for a time. She broke the silence with a soft sigh. "Your secrets are yours, Prickle Berry. I don't want to impose on you." Prickle shook her head quickly. "But... you already know." Twilight nudged open the door to her castle with her magic. "Prickle... I think everypony might know." Prickle flinched back at that. "Not everypony..." Twilight pat the small unicorn on the head. "I won't tell a soul. Let's get you back to normal." Scootaloo nodded quickly. "As cool as it is being a super hero, this is your destiny, not mine." "What's stopping me from telling?" asked their prisoner suddenly. Twilight cocked a brow. "A few royal guards and a princess that has questions for you, in Canterlot." Stepping from seemingly nowhere came three golden-armored ponies. "We're here, Your Majesty." Twilight smiled. "Very good. One moment, let's get everypony in their right body." There was nothing in the way, so she did just that, clasping the horn blocker on the little unicorn before putting the villain back there. Prickle and Scootaloo were restored. Everyone was looking at their true selves. Even as the guards moved to escort the villain away, Twilight's horn glowed in a strange strobe that reached out and blasted the bad mare in the head, exploding in a puff of purple sparkles. Prickle blinked at the display. "What did you just do?" Twilight raised a hoof to her lips for silence until the guards and the switcher were gone. "I just did a little memory spell. Perhaps that was overkill for the situation, but she'll have a very hard time remembering the specifics of the last day, to safeguard your secret." Prickle sank to her haunches. "How long? I mean, how long did you... know?" A new voice called out as she descended the stairs, "She's known for quite a while." It was Starlight. "You really are a remarkable filly." Prickle wasn't sure what to think. "You know too then?" "Know?" Starlight quirked a smile. "We fought before. It was quite a show. I'm sorry you got hurt though. That was far from the plan. Forgive me?" Twilight looked panicked at Starlight's confession, but Starlight just laughed it off. "I think we've had enough secrets. Prickle Berry, is it alright if we're honest?" Prickle felt the world spinning. Was Diamond Tiara really the only pony in the town that didn't know her secret? "S-sure." She was confused and numb. Starlight sat in front of Prickle with a smile. "Good! I'd love to do that again sometime, maybe without the theatrics, or the getting hurt part." Her eyes refocused on Scootaloo. "You know too, right?" Scootaloo nodded. "I was there from the start." Twilight snorted at that. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me." "What's even the point," sighed out Prickle, sinking to the ground. Scootaloo hopped on her friend suddenly, hugging her. "You're not the first superhero with other people in the know. Spike!" "Yeah?" He poked his head out of the kitchen. "What's up?" "Tell her about some superheroes with public secret identities." "Well, there's the Dash, and Steel Mare." With each name, he counted it on his claws, going down a list of exposed superheroes. "Some of them, everyone knows, but some just their family or community." Prickle slowly sat up. Scootaloo slid off, unable to stop Prickle's motions. "And they were still heroes?" Spike shrugged. "Being a hero has more to do with what you're actually doing, not how cool your secret identity is, uh... so are we not calling you Tiny Titan anymore? That name's pretty cool." Prickle quirked a smile at that. "T-thanks. Um, yes... please. I still want to be Tiny Titan." Twilight nodded. "Then Tiny Titan you will be. There's no law saying you can't have a stage name. Trixie is Great and Powerful and nopony is denying her that." Suddenly she clopped her hooves together. "Now that we're out in the open... I have a thousand questions for you!" Prickle blinked softly at that. "You do?" Starlight rolled her eyes. "She does. Who do you think put me up for testing you like that?" With a smirk, she hiked a hoof at Twilight. "This mare right here. She gets questions in her head and she wants answers." Twilight pinkened faintly. "Earth ponies are known for their tremendous strength, but there are limits. These limits seem to have no say where you're concerned. I want to know exactly how strong are you. Have you ever tried to push or pick up something that was too heavy? Is self-control an issue or can you handle delicate objects without issue?" Scootaloo laughed even as she provided part of the answer, "she's broken stuff on accident before. It's awesome!" "Awesome?!" squeaked Prickle. "I don't want to break things..." Scootaloo grinned. "Unless it's a timberwolf." "That's different," demurred Prickle. "They were trying to hurt ponies." Spike turned back to the kitchen, hurrying to the meal he had been preparing. "Dinner's on in ten!" he shouted as he vanished. Twilight's quill and parchment appeared with a pop and began taking notes busily. "About the maximum strength?" "What?" Twilight frowned a little. "Have you ever tried to move something and it was too heavy?" Prickle thought about that. She had lifted buildings, ponies, all kinds of things. She couldn't really think of one she had failed to move before. "Um..." "It's alright," assured Twilight with a giddy smile. "It just means we have testing to do! I mean, surely you have some limit to your abilities!" Starlight shook her head. "Just remember that she's still a filly, super powered or not, so be careful." "Oh, of course." Twilight waved it off. "Proper care and cautions are an important part of scientific rigor. Also, studying Pinkie's earth pony magic taught me no few things about how bad it can get when you don't practice proper precautions." Prickle was unsure how to handle any of it. "I'm still in school," she pointed out, clinging to one part of her life that seemed stable enough. "I wouldn't dream of taking you away from a good education," assured Twilight. "You can stop by afterwards though, yes? Please?" She was grinning ever-so-hopefully. "I can pay you for your time. It would be a boon for all Equestria!" Scootaloo looked uncertain at that. "She's already helping by being a hero." She spread her forehooves wide. "She beats up bad guys and protects Ponyville." Twilight put a hoof on her chest. "So do I." "Oh, yeah, guess you do." Scootaloo gave a quirk of a smile. "I should get home. Don't pick on Prickle." She gave the two adults a pointed glare each before she trotted back towards town. Prickle bounced on her own hooves. "I'll walk her back, bye!" She fled even as Twilight reached for her, escaping the grasp of the curious princess, at least for the moment.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	33 - Start Episode 8 - Nemesis	Tiny Titan stood tall and proud, victorious in her endeavors once again! Prickle glanced to the left at Scootaloo. "You love doing that, don't you?" Scootaloo shrugged, her hooves extended slightly to either side. "We all have our habits. Good job though." Prickle ran a costumed sleeve over her nose. "It was just a cat..." Scootaloo pointed at the relieved Rarity, hugging her cat close. "It's never 'just' a cat. It's never 'just' a pony." Prickle sank to her haunches. "When you put it like that... Uh, Rarity?" Rarity glanced over, aborting her feline worship for a moment. "Oh, yes dear? Thank you again for your timely assistance. I was beside myself with worry. Poor little Opal sometimes climbs up higher than she can get back down." Opal rolled her eyes in disgust at the entire affair. Prickle was smiling, happy at her work. "Everything's alright now?" "Yes, darling. I won't let her escape again." Rarity turned back for her shop and got to trotting for it. "Thank you again." Scootaloo clopped her hooves together. "What wrong are you going to make right now?" Prickle pointed at Scootaloo. "I'm going to return the favor." Scootaloo looked confused at the idea. "What?" "You watch me do my thing all the time, always ready to support and cheer me on. It's time I did the same. What do you like to do? Let's do it!" Scootaloo rubbed behind her head. "You don't have to... I like riding my scooter and doing crazy tricks! I also like fixing it up so it's a little better each time." The floodgates had been opened and Scootaloo began walking towards her home, rambling animatedly about scootering. "Have you tried before?" Prickle hadn't, and admitted as much. "I've seen you do it though. You make it look so easy, but I know it isn't. You soar and flip and do all kinds of wild things." "Yeah..." Scootaloo looked thoughtful a moment. "When I'm riding a really hard course... It's like I'm flying, for real, by myself." She leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper. "Even Rainbow can't pull off all the moves I've done." Prickle's smile widened almost painfully. "I don't doubt it! It's your thing, and you're really good at it! Can you show me how to do some?" She had no intention of becoming an amazing scooterist, but had the idea that if she tried and looked silly, it would only bolster Scootaloo. Scootaloo tilted her head. "You really wanna? The girls chickened out the moment I tried to teach them about it." "We can start small, right?" Scootaloo blinked. "Oh, yeah. Maybe I shoulda started... smaller." She was blushing sheepishly. "For today, I'll show you what I have! Then we can get to making you a scooter of your very own." She waggled a hoof in the air as she walked. "Now, remember, strength isn't going to help you. It's more about agility, nerves, and coordination." Prickle was about to ask for specifics when both of them jumped back from a sudden thump. A figure had landed before them at a surprising speed. They were a pegasus clad in a suit much like Prickle's, but in bold purples. "Stop right there!" Prickle tilted her head a little. "Did Twilight send you? I thought she wasn't going to do that again." The costumed pony blinked softly. "What? No! I'm here to challenge you!" Prickle's eyes half-closed. "Are you sure Twilight didn't send you?" The unknown mare put a hoof to her chest. "I hear you have the strength to do anything, but you can't move me!" Prickle looked over the pegasus slowly. "I don't see why I couldn't, but why would I?" "Because I am the Immovable! It was destiny that we should clash, Tiny Titan!" She sounded quite eager about it, almost bouncing in place. "If you don't, I'll be forced to take out my displeasure on your little town." Prickle threw out her forehooves wide. "How does that even make a little sense? Why would you hurt anyone, especially just to pick a fight?" "Well, since you asked, you see..." Scootaloo thrust a hoof in front of her friend. "Are you about to give us your life story?" Immovable blinked. "She did just ask." Prickle shrugged. "I kinda did. You were saying?" "It all started..." I never was the fastest pegasus around. All the other fillies and colts made fun of me for how slow I was. After being picked on and bullied for years, I decided to do something about it! I sat down right in front of one of their stupid races, and I didn't move. Scootaloo's voice echoed over the flashback, "So they flew around you?" The racers were glaring at me, but they refused to fly around me. That would have been admitting I had won. "Get out of the way!" shouted one of them. "Yeah," said the other, sneering with anger. "Move or we'll make you!" But I didn't move. I stared at them, challenging them silently to do something about it. They tried. Oh how they tried. They shoved and pushed at first, but I didn't move. Then they tried more... extreme measures. Prickle rolled a hoof in the air. "I don't mean to be rude, but how did this make you want to hurt random ponies? They didn't hurt you." "They didn't help either!" spat out Immovable with a snarl. "Ponies were gathering around, watching them try to move me, some of them even cheering them on! Our teacher just laughed at the whole thing. Ponies are terrible." She frowned. "They deserve every misery they get, and I plan to deliver it to them, but first, we have a test." Prickle put a hoof behind her head. "Did you study?" "Not that kind of test!" She suddenly sat down, the ground quivering beneath her rump. "I'm not moving until you make me!" Prickle glanced at Scootaloo, who just shrugged a little. "Well, uh..." Prickle slowly stepped forward. "If that's what you really want, but I'm not doing this to be mean, I just want that to be clear. I don't even know you." Immovable winced. "But... I just told you my tragic backstory." "It was kinda sad, and I empathize with you. Being bullied is no fun at all." She gave a firm nod. "But it doesn't excuse you bullying other ponies, no matter how bad you might feel." "You wouldn't know," spat Immovable, looking to the side. Prickle huffed. "Now that's where you're wrong! I've been picked on plenty! Now... this is because you asked for it, literally." She raised a hoof and rested it on Immovable's shoulder. "How hard should I push?" "Push as hard as you want. I won't move! You'll be stuck here forever!" "Couldn't we just walk around her?" asked Scootaloo, watching the drama unfold with confused eyes. Prickle saw before her a pony that was feeling the same pains she felt. She couldn't just ignore Immovable. She'd be just as bad, in different ways. "Alright." She gave the tiniest little nudge, but Immovable was like stone, and nothing happened, not even a swaying. "Huh..." "Is that the best you have? I expected more from you, Tiny Titan. Ponies talk about you as if you could move anything, but I could barely even feel that!" Prickle's nose wrinkled. "I can push harder!" So she did, putting in the effort she'd use to pick up a pony. Nothing happened. Immovable hadn't so much as flinched against her will. Prickle blinked slowly. "You're good at this." Scootaloo walked around Immovable and sat down on the other side. "She can't stop anypony, just get in their way. C'mon!" Prickle shook her head quickly. "Nuh uh. I'm going to push harder." She set her hooves on the ground. "I'm going to really push." "That's more like it!" cried Immovable with a sudden happy grin. "I'm glad you're finally taking me--this seriously!" Prickle took a slow cleansing breath before she set both her forehooves on both of Immovable's shoulders. "Let me know if it hurts, alright?" Immovable's right ear quirked to the side. "Why do you care so much?" "I don't like hurting friends." Prickle gave a little smile, then leaned into the push. Scootaloo barely had time to dive out of the way as a tremendous shockwave of force ripped up the ground around and behind Immovable, but Immovable wasn't herself budged an inch. Where her body directly touched the ground was unharmed and she was unmoved. "You'll have to try harder than that," mocked Immovable. "At least I can feel you trying now. Is that your best?" Prickle grunted with mounting frustration. The idea that there was something she couldn't move rubbed her in all the wrong ways. She redoubled her efforts, the earth exploding out behind her as she dug in her hindhooves and pressed all the more firmly against Immovable, who was living up to her name quite well. Suddenly, Prickle fell forward. The ground beneath her had given way completely and she flopped gracelessly against Immovable. Immovable grabbed Prickle, holding her up from falling into the hole of her own making. "Nice try, TT, but even you can't move me." Scootaloo rubbed behind her head. "Uh, alright, so... are we done now?" Prickle gave a little nervous laugh. "Well, uh, you beat me?" Immovable let Prickle drop, looking stunned. "You're not mad?" Prickle picked herself up from the dirt and shook herself out. "Why should I be? Nopony was hurt." She hopped easily up to the lip of the crater she had made. "That was... fun in a way. I usually can't let go like that without hurting something." Immovable finally moved. She stood up on the little column of earth that had survived due to her presence. "That's not how this is supposed to work! Your failure should gnaw on your psyche and you should be fuming and cursing the fates for not being strong enough!" Scootaloo rolled a hoof lightly. "Actually, I planned to show her how to ride a scooter. Do you mind if we get back to that?" "Silence!" Immovable thrust a hoof at Scootaloo. "Super ponies are talking right now." Prickle frowned. "She is super! You shouldn't pick on her, or you're just as bad as your bullies." Immovable flinched back in surprise. "Oh, there's a little anger. Very well then. I accept this victory of the battle, but the war has not yet ended! When the war is over, we will know what happens with an unstoppable force meets an unmovable object!" She spread her wings wide and took off into the air, flapping away while cackling wildly. Scootaloo watched her go a moment. "She has earth pony blood." "You think?" "It's so obvious." She snorted softly, then waved for Prickle to follow her. They had scooters to ride.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	34 - In The Way	She was everywhere. As Prickle, at least, Prickle was safe. She could see Immovable soaring overhead, likely looking for her, but she never recognized her without her costume. There were benefits to having a secret identity. It also implied to her that Immovable wasn't local. "If she was, she'd probably know me," she explained to her friends at lunch. Apple Bloom bobbed her head in agreement. "'Sides, yer the only super pony ah know of, 'least like that. Ah mean, mah sibs are way strong, but yer..." She was rolling a hoof, searching for a word. Sweetie provided, "superior!" in a happy squeak, voice breaking as she did so. "Is she trying to hurt you?" Silver Spoon suddenly leaned in. It seemed she and Diamond Tiara were also there. "Did she hurt you?!" Scootaloo waved her hoofs side to side in a negative fashion. "I'm not sure she has any moves besides planting herself in place and not moving. It's like... an anti-move." Diamond's brow hiked. "If that's all she can do, then why are we even worried about her? Unless she catches you in a doorway, you can just go around her as if she wasn't even there." Prickle flinched faintly. "I know that... but..." "--Besides," cut off Diamond. "Why would she know you, specifically, or hurt you? She's going after Tiny Titan, not you, Prickle." There was an awkward silence around the table as everyone was reminded that, somehow, Diamond was still ignorant of the two strong ponies being the same pony. "What?" Prickle chomped down the last of her sandwich. "I should get doing." As she went, Diamond shook her head. "What's up with her?" The Cutie Mark Crusaders all found other places to look, whistling, muttering, and otherwise trying to not engage directly. Silver Spoon was not so coy. "You have to ask her directly." She leaned in closer. "And nicely." Diamond waved it off, "Maybe I will!" She hopped to the ground. "Grab my pail for me, thanks." She trotted off after Prickle. Scootaloo looked mightily uncertain. "Was that a good idea?" Silver gave an easy smile. "She has to learn eventually, but it should be Prickle that tells her, not us." Diamond caught up with Prickle easily. "Hold on a moment there. You're hiding something from me." Prickle went as rigid as a statue for a moment before she remembered to breathe. "W-what?" "I wasn't born yesterday," said Diamond confidently. "Come on." She reached out and nudged Prickle lightly. "We're friends, aren't we?" Prickle felt an unbidden smile creep across her face. It was still nice to hear that from her once-tormentor. "Y-yeah." "So why are you so obsessed with this Immovable pony?" Her eyes suddenly widened. "Wait! I know! You must be a huge Tiny Titan fan!" She leaned in close. "Are you afraid your hero will get hurt? Gosh, it's just like Silver Spoon." She rolled her eyes, then paused. "Wait, are you in love with her too?" Prickle felt her mouth go dry. "Um..." Well, technically... "Sorta?" Diamond laughed and threw a leg over Prickle, pulling her in tight. "You're the same awkward filly I always knew." She gave a noogie to the top of Prickle's head. "It's too cute, but I think Tiny Titan's a little out of your league. She's a superhero after all, and you're... you." Prickle spoke without thinking, "Says who?!" "Well, I guess you could show off for her?" Diamond pulled her leg back as she shrugged. "Maybe she likes other strong fillies? Still, even you aren't as strong as she is." Prickle realized an important thing had been said. "Wait! Silver Spoon is in love with Tiny Titan?" "What, you didn't know?" Diamond rolled her eyes. "The poor mare's not very subtle about it. Are you jealous? She's pretty and refined. I don't mean this in a bad way, but she's a lot closer to getting Tiny Titan's eyes than you ever will be." Prickle couldn't immediately decide if that was very true, or very false. She thanked Diamond for the advice and staggered back inside to finish the day of school. After school, she trotted towards home, when a figure dropped from the sky in front of her. "Stop right there!" ordered Immovable, sitting up on her haunches as commandingly as she could. "You! Filly! I need to talk to you." Had she been found out?! "Oh, uh... yeah?" "I've been scouring this city for her, but I can't find her. I get the feeling you and Tiny Titan are close." She thrust a hoof. "I heard you talking to that other filly." "You were spying on me?!" Immovable shrugged. "I landed on the school just as you two got to talking." She leaned in. "Does Tiny Titan know you like her--" She cocked a brow. "--Or should I be foalnapping that silver one?" Prickle drew in a sudden breath. "You don't have to do this!" "We disagree. Tiny Titan won't face me, so I'll draw her out." She pulled out a sack. "So you'll get in here like a good filly, right?" Prickle considered her options. If she ran away, Silver Spoon would likely be the victim instead. "Yes, ma'am." Immovable blinked. "Really? I mean! Of course! Who would dare defy Immovable!?" She let out an almost hysterical laugh as she threw the bag over Prickle and plucked it from the ground. "I won't hurt you, promise. This is just to get Tiny Titan to come out of hiding." Prickle couldn't see where she was taken. She could hear wind through the bag and could feel the motions of being in flight. She could, of course, just punch Immovable, but that still felt wrong. She bided her time. Immovable set the bag on the ground. "You can come out, just don't leave my sight." Prickle poked her head out of the bag to see they were in a cave. It wasn't any cave she could immediately recognize. "Where are we?" "My hideout! At least while I'm in Ponyville. I have a better one back home." She waved a hoof about. "It does what I need it to do for now." Prickle pulled out her notebook and began to write. This confused Immovable who moved around to get a peek at it. "Are you writing a distress letter? Yes, that will help draw Tiny Titan out here faster!" "I'm doing my homework," corrected Prickle as she scribbled with the pencil in her mouth. "I don't think Cheerilee will excuse me just because I was foalnapped." Immovable plopped down on her haunches. "Oh... Can you write a teary-eyed letter of distress after that?" Prickle twitched an ear at her captor. "Are you good at math?" "Math?" Immovable frowned. "Infinity minus Infinity is zero." She clopped her hooves together. "That's why Tiny Titan has no chance against me!" Prickle was not far enough in math to provide proofs to argue that idea. "Why's it so important?" "What's what so important?" She stomped a hoof. "Me and Tiny Titan were meant to be!" Prickle colored a little. Was this another mare that was chasing her? She had more than enough of those! "Meant to be?" "It was destiny! The irresistible force, the immovable object. How could they not meet and clash in a struggle that would challenge the very fabric of the universe?!" She was grinning, a huge expression that split her face. "It's just the way it must be. She'll never move me." "Do you want to be moved?" Prickle set her pencil down lightly and looked at her captor. The question confused Immovable. "W-what?" "Do you want to be moved?" repeated Prickle. "Do you want to win or lose?" "Win, of course." She puffed out her chest. "That's a silly question." "So if she did move you?" "I..." Immovable deflated a little. "She won't..." "But if she did?" Prickle rolled a hoof. "Theoretically." "I... wouldn't... be Immovable." She sagged. "That would be terrible! What would I even... No! I won't go back to being worthless." She grunted as she sat up. "Tiny Titan must try, and fail. She will fail and fail and fail again! I am Immovable!" Prickle considered the pony before her. Immovable felt more like a hurt pony than a villain, in her eyes. She saw the deep cracks that threatened to break, leaving Immovable to fall to pieces and cry. She was no psychiatrist, but it seemed too much like looking in a mirror. She had become a hero and found a purpose for her freakishness... "Does... it bother you?" "Does what bother me?" Prickle smiled thinly. "Being different. Being a pegasus that stands still." Immovable clenched her teeth, muscles in her snout bulging from the effort. "Are you about--" Prickle held out a hoof. "I'm not making fun! I, uh... have different friends too." "Like who?" challenged Immovable with a stomp. "Nobody as different as I am." "What about... Tiny Titan?" She offered, pointing to where she thought the exit of the cave was. "She's a little filly that's stronger than the biggest stallion. I bet she feels wierd and freaky a lot of the time." "That...." She went quiet a moment. "That is exactly why we must clash." She gave a firm nod. "We have to." Prickle wasn't sure what to say. Immovable wasn't a bad pony. She was looking for a peer. Just... in the least proper way. "Have you tried asking her?" "Asking her?" "You know, for a match, for fun." "This isn't about fun!" Immovable sprang to her hooves. "This is about destiny and completing our purposes!" "Does it have to be?" Prickle smiled a little. "If she wanted to challenge you, for fun, would you say no?" Immovable shook her head back and forth. "Why would she ever do that?! We are.... nemesises... nemesii? She's my nemesis! We are meant to clash." "Where's it written you have to clash with people you don't like?" challenged Prickle. "My friends test me all the time in all kinds of ways that confuse me and make me grow. It's why we... should have friends." "I don't think you get this whole nemesis thing." She leaned in close, her larger adult face in Prickle's smaller one. "You aren't friends with your nemesis." Prickle struggled to find the words to say what she meant to say, but it was too late. "Look, thanks. You're a good foal. Get back to your homework. I'll be waiting for Tiny Titan."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	35 - End Episode 8 - Perfect Match	Prickle finished her homework as her abductor paced restlessly. Once she was done, she tucked everything away in her saddlebags, making sure her costume remained out of sight. "I'm going to go to sleep." "Huh? Oh! You're really well-mannered." Immovable smiled. "For being foalnapped and everything, I expected more complaining." "You're not going to hurt me, right?" Prickle laid down on the stone floor and set her head on her bag as a sort of pillow. "Right," agreed Immovable. "I'm here to challenge Tiny Titan, not a random foal. Geeze, what kind of pony would that make me?" Prickle went to sleep, or so she made the appearance of. She closed her eyes, but her ears strained to hear every movement, waiting for things to calm. "You have to come," came Immovable's voice, almost sad in tone. Prickle could hear her settle down. "Have to..." Things were quiet save for a distant occasional drip that sounded somewhere in the caves. Prickle cracked open an eye and looked around cautiously. Immovable was across the room, her chest slowly swelling and contracting in gentle rhythms of sleep. Prickle figured she could just grab her things and flee, but that wouldn't solve the problem. She nosed open her backpack and got to wriggling into her costume as quietly as she could. "Mmm?" Prickle peeked towards her 'opponent' as she rolled over and let out a snort. Confident that sleep was still happening, Prickle finished donning her outfit and becoming Tiny Titan. She grabbed her bag in her teeth and trotted off, tucking it behind a rock out of sight before returning. She cleared her throat softly before announcing as formally as she could, "Immovable! I've come for you!" Immovable jerked awake and scrambled to her hooves, wings spread in alarm. "What? Who?!" Her eyes came into focus on Prickle. "T-t-Tiny Titan?! You've come!?" Her wings started to fold back. "Of course you came. My cunning..." Her eyes darted around. "Where's..." "She's safe." Prickle took a step forward. "This is between us." "It is," agreed Immovable. "Our rivalry is meant to be!" "Do you know what a rival is?" Immovable blinked softly. "Eternal enemies, matched and enduring?" Prickle shook her head. "I had time to think about it. That's not what rival means." "Are you saying we aren't rivals?!" She looked furious, but also so very scared. Prickle rose up onto two legs. "You are my rival! You just don't understand what that is." Immovable tilted her head to the left slowly. "Well then, misses smarty pants, what is it? Are you trying to confuse me? It won't make me move!" Prickle smiled softly. "I'll move you." "You won't!" Prickle raised a hoof to her smaller chest. "I will move you on the inside, which is more important. A rival is someone you compete with. It doesn't have to be someone you don't like." Immovable's eyes gave the slowest blink. "Alright? But you don't like me." "Do you not like me?" Prickle fell to all fours. "I... you're my nemesis! My foil! You are everything I am not, and I am everything you can't oppose." She planted her bottom down squarely. "Your strength is meaningless!" Prickle took a few steps towards her 'nemesis'. "May I try?" "Of course," cried Immovable with a grin. "Try all you want. Try and fail!" She laughed the wild laugh of a pony that needed help. Prickle stepped in closer and reached out with her forehooves. "I'm going to move you." "Never!" Her face was a fierce mask of determination. Prickle, on the other hoof, had a smile, a gentle one. She hopped up a little and grabbed Immovable around the neck. She hugged her. "This is... a very interesting attack, but you can't pull me to the ground either, and you're barely trying. You'll have to do better than this, Tiny Titan." Prickle pulled in closer and squeezed slowly harder and harder, being ever so careful. "You're not a bad pony." "W-what?" "You aren't." Prickle squeezed before dropping free. "We don't have to be enemies." "Of course we do," cried Immovable in a hysterical shriek. "Even you're ready to throw me away!" Prickle flinched. She hadn't expected that response. "I'm not throwing you away. I said we were rivals." Immovable's ears twitched in a spastic movement. "If we're not enemies, but rivals, what are we?" Prickle reached up a hoof and set it on Immovable's left foreleg. "Friendly competition. I'd... actually like someone I can practice on without worrying about hurting them." A thought came to her. "I'm sorry to bring this up, but did the ponies that picked on you try to punch you?" Immovable's snout wrinkled. "They tried! I couldn't even feel their puny strikes. Why, are you waiting for your chance to hit me?" By Celestia, that sounded so very wrong to Prickle. "Not... like that. Not to hurt you." She shook her head. "Immovable, I..." She faltered. She couldn't think of the right words. She cast her thoughts to comics. She was a superhero. What was the proper response? "Immovable... You are hereby my responsibility." Immovable blinked softly. Her rock-solid stance broke. "What?" "We won't fight against each other. We will fight... together!" Immovable almost fell as if her bones were turned to butter. "I... what? I... I'm not a hero..." "You could be," said Prickle with a little smile. "Do you want to be?" "You'll... I'm... I'm your sidekick?" She let out a sudden laugh, hysterical, but hopeful. "Are you serious?!" "If you want to be." Prickle set a hoof on her own chest. "We will be rivals, the good kind." Immovable bounced to her hooves. "Is this a trick? You're trying to be sneaky!" Prickle shook her head. "I'm not, but... even if I was, you wouldn't be moved by it." "You got that right!" Immovable flashed a manic grin, but it faded almost as quickly into worry, eyes darting around. "Are you... really serious?" Prickle turned slowly. She still had no idea which way led out. "I'll show you how to be a hero. Ponies will cheer when they see you, and even if they don't, it feels nice to do the right thing." "But... we're... opposites." Prickle poked her stalwart rival. "You have everything I want, as a super hero. You can't be hurt or moved if you don't want to be, and I'm as easy to hurt as anypony, I think. We're not... enemies, we're partners waiting to happen." Immovable suddenly began to blush right through her costume. "I... never thought..." She suddenly dived for Prickle and plucked her up into a fierce hug. "I accept! I will be your sidekick forever and ever!" It was just at that moment that Prickle realized she may have just agreed to more than she should have. As the damaged pony hugged her and professed her delight, Prickle wondered how she would handle it. "There's somepony I need to introduce you to, but let me talk to them first." Immovable set Prickle down carefully. "Nopony can move me, except you. I'll meet this pony when you tell me to. Until then, I'll be here." Prickle glance around the dreary cave. This was a case that would not be solved with a swift kick, but it was not an enemy she would back away from. "You deserve better." Immovable's confidence wavered. "Better?" She waved it off suddenly. "It's not the best, but I have... better... this was..." Prickle pushed Immovable. She wasn't expecting it and wobbled from the force. "You're my sidekick, and I'm your mentor, so It's my responsibility to see you're alright." Immovable's eyes moistened. "You're really serious, aren't you?" Prickle sat up proudly. "One hundred percent! Don't try to stop me." She stuck out her tongue. "Even if you have fun doing that. I'm going to make things better." Immovable leaned in on her smaller, younger, mentor. "I'm going to get in your way, it's my nature." "You'll get in the way of bad ponies and protect good ponies from being hurt." Prickle nodded firmly. "I should go, for now... Uh... I've gotten turned around, which way is out again?" Immovable moved to one of the tunnels, the plopped herself down solidly. "You'll have to get past me." Prickle trotted around Immovable. "I have to go, but we'll play, soon, promise! There's so much to prepare. I've never had a sidekick before." Immovable watched Pr-Tiny Titan trot away, her own chest tight with worry. "Did I just mess up?" She had her ultimate rival right where she wanted her, and let her go on the flimsy hope for more, later. What if Tiny Titan had said all that just to make her drop her guard? She rose to her hooves with a heavy sigh. She would have to wait and find out. She didn't feel like sleeping anymore, so she paced and wandered the caves, trying to sort the chaos that raged in her mind and heart, which is when she tripped over an abandoned saddlebag. It belonged to that filly she had foalnapped. Oh no! "She'll get in trouble, and they'll think I'm a two-bit thief!" Immovable grabbed the bag in her teeth. "I'll bring it to her before she even realizes. Silly Tiny Titan, you snatched up the filly and forgot to ask her if she had anything with her. That's sloppy work, rival." At home, Prickle hugged her worried mother. "I'm sorry I was late. I was foalnapped." Junebug blinked with wide eyes. "You were what?!" "It's alright, really. I handled it." She put a hoof on her chest. "I am Tiny Titan after all." "Well, Tiny Titan, go eat some food and prepare for bed. Did you do your homework while you were out?" Prickle paled. She forgot her bag! It was back with Immovable. She was in so much trouble! A brisk knock came from the door. Junebug turned to face it. "Who's there?" she sang out in question as she approached. The door swung open to reveal Immovable, in her costume still. "The filly forgot her bags. I wanted to get it back to her." "Oh?" Junebug accepted the bags on the end of a hoof. "Thank you, miss?" "Immovable. Have a nice night." "You too." Immovable trotted off, ignorant to how close she had come to her rival once more. Junebug turned to her daughter, bags dangling from her hoof. "Was that the pony that foalnapped you?"
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	36 Start Episode 9 - Doing the Job	Prickle slammed down from the sky, her hooves striking the earth in an explosive shot of turf that went into the eyes and shook the angry manticore. The beast roared in fury and swiped at Prickle, but there was a pony in the way. Immovable grinned at the beast, unharmed by its vicious assault. "Is that the best you have?" Prickle darted ahead even as it bellowed in Immovable's face. She came up just under its chin, hoof-first. Its maw was forced shut instantly, fortunately missing its tongue. The beast's head snapped backwards, and the entire thing began to fall over backwards from the impact. The manticore ended up on its back, unconcious. The battle had been won. A chorus of cheers erupted as ponies began to emerge from their hiding places. They were faster to swarm their known hero, but many were curious about the other, the pegasus that had helped. Silver Spoon thrust a hoof at Immovable. "Tiny Titan, like, who is this?" Prickle waved a hoof dramatically at Immovable. "Say hello to my sidekick, Immovable! Nopony anywhere could hope to move her when she doesn't want to be, and she can't be hurt, I think." Immovable swelled with pride. "I will be Tiny Titan's shield to her sword." The crowd clopped the ground in approval of the duo. Mayor Mare cleared her throat softly as she approached the front of the crowd. "Are you certain you don't have that backwards? Immovable looks to be at least twice your age." Immovable turned her gaze on the mayor. "Experience does not always match age. I have much to learn from Tiny Titan, and I don't care how young she is." Prickle was busy grinning widely. "Immovable's brand new to the hero business, but she's already shown such promise. We'll be working together to keep Ponyville safe!" Age mismatch or not, the cheer returned. Ponies began to wander off. They had business to do, classes to attend, and businesses to run, which they could thanks to timely intervention. Mayor Mare pointed at the knocked out manticore. "What do you plan to do with this?" Prickle tilted her head at it. "Oh! I know just the pony." She hefted it up over her head with ease, though its bulk dropped down on either side. "Onwards!" With a sudden bound, she was gone. Immovable snapped a salute at the mayor before she took off more conventionally with her wings. Fluttershy accepted the poor bludgeoned manticore. "I'm sure there must be something wrong for her to wander into Ponyville like that." Immovable tilted her head. "Her? It's a she-manticore?" "Why, yes?" Fluttershy sounded confused. "How else are baby manticores made? Females don't usually act this way though. I'll take care of this. Thank you for bringing her to me." Prickle dipped her head. "I knew you were the right pony for this job. Have a good day, Miss Fluttershy!" Fluttershy smiled gently. "Fluttershy will do. Bye!" She waved as the two heroes took off into the sky. Prickle dove to the side as the great jaws of the beast closed on where she had been moments ago. "Why is it even here?!" she called out. Immovable had no idea why the hydra had wandered close to the town and could only give a bit of a shrug before she slapped one of the heads trying to chew on her fruitlessly. "You can't move me." Prickle bore down and lashed out her hindlegs, catching a head as it came rushing at her. It was sent flying back against its own body and went limp. The other heads roared in collective fury at the blow. "You can't resist me," said Prickle with a silly smile. The irresistible force and the immovable object. It was growing on her. She was too busy enjoying herself that she missed a head sneaking up on her. Suddenly she was in a very dark and wet place. Prickle squealed in surprise and no small amount of terror. She lashed out without thinking and fell free of the injured maw, The beast made muted whimpers, its jaw refusing to cooperate after the brutal lashing it had received. Prickle didn't get to hit the ground. Immovable caught her on her back as she flew past. "Let's finish this," she said with determination, pointing at the hydra as she made a wide circle around it. Prickle shook some of the slime that had gotten on her free. "Alright. Get me in close." "I'm better at not moving," warned Immovable as she dove and jigged out of the way of hungry mouths. "I don't even like flying. I'm better on the ground." Prickle tensed with readiness, then surged off the back of Immovable. Were it much anyone else, the force of her jump might have knocked them clear from the sky, but Immovable wasn't easy to move, even in the air. Prickle let out a mighty cry as she came in on the root of all the heads with a single hind leg extended in a kick. She collided with the wide of its scaly hide and the entire massive bulk began to slide and roll at once. By the time she hit the ground, the entire thing was on its side, the fight having been beaten from it. A massive furrow showed where it had slid along with the impact. Immovable landed beside Prickle. "It never ceases to amaze me. Good job, boss!" Prickle colored a little. Was she a boss? The idea felt new and strange to her. Was a boss like a mentor? In some ways, perhaps. "Let's stick with mentor. I'm not your boss. Good job, Immovable." She smiled up at the larger pegasus. "That would have been way harder without your help." Bon Bon looked back and forth between the two so-called 'heroes'. "Now I have two of you..." She let out a long-suffering sigh. "Alright, you're 'Immovable', first seen in Fillydelphia as a petty criminal, reformed, now serving as Prickle's sidekick. Powers: Invulnerabilty and extreme stability. Do I have that right?" Immovable rubbed at her warmed cheek. "I wasn't petty..." Bon Bon's eyes fell to half-opened. "Your crimes included the blocking of walkways and interrupting the peace." She rolled a hoof lightly. "Pretty much what you did here in Ponyville until you ran into Tiny Titan here." Immovable looked properly shamed, her head hanging. Prickle moved in front of her. "Don't pick on her. She's my student and sidekick now." Bon Bon's expression warmed a little. "I'm not picking on her. It's important to know where we've come from to know where we're going. I'm glad you've turned a new leaf. Now, tell me in one sentence, why you want to be a hero." Immovable frowned at that, considering. "I..." The frown deepened. "I can think of a lot of reasons... but they all feel a little silly." "Try me." Bon Bon rose and walked off towards some barbells. "It doesn't matter how silly it seems. Feelings are feelings." "A-alright... I... was so sure I was meant to fight with Tiny Titan... She was the one that turned it around. I could fight with her, beside her... It feels good. She is the crushing force that cannot be stopped, and I am the anvil that cannot be broken. Together we are a pair that cannot be bested!" Bon Bon cocked a brow. "You don't say?" Prickle knew better and began to look around nervously. "You're going to prove her wrong, aren't you?" Bon Bon flashed a smile. "Confidence is good, but too much of anything is bad. If you think you're unbeatable, you'll get lazy, then you'll lose." She picked up the barbell in her mouth. "Things can change in the blink of an eye." She suddenly threw it with all her strength at Prickle. Prickle squeaked, but Immovable lashed out a wing to block it., letting it bounce from her immovable limb. "Is that the best you--" Smoke exploded around her. While both were staring at the barbell, neither saw Bon Bon draw free a smoke bomb and hurl it at Immovable's hooves. Immovable laughed. "You think some smoke is going to--" It reached her eyes and mouth and suddenly things began to hurt. Her eyes watered and she began to cough. She couldn't be moved, but it did little to protect her from the irritating gas. She spread her wings and moved to flee, which is exactly when Bon Bon struck, suddenly tackling her and putting her in a leglock from above and behind. "Now imagine if I was a supervillain?" Prickle let out a sudden exhale, blowing the smoke free of their training area in a massive woosh. Both of the others blinked at her. Prickle put a hoof behind her head. "I guess that's a power I have?" Immovable's surprise turned to delight. "You're powerful everywhere, even in your lungs." Bon Bon lightly bopped Immovable on the head. "Pay attention." She slid off the invulnerable pegasus. "Never assume you have all angles covered. Life has a habit of finding just the one you didn't think of." She turned back around to face the two. "Now, I'm no super pony, but I do have a hint on what fighting super villians and monsters is like." "How?" Immovable tilted her head left and right. "You're a candy maker." "Shh," hissed out Prickle. "That's a secret." Immovable pointed a hoof uncertaintly at Bon Bon. "Everypony knows she's a candy maker." Bon Bon applied a hoof to her face. "That isn't the secret, or the point. We're here to talk about you two. You two are very extreme opposites." She cocked a brow. "I want you two to learn from each other." She pointed at Immovable. "You should work on being stronger and assertive." The hoof moved to Prickle. "You bruise too easily. You're both very good at your specialty, and I don't plan to stop addressing that, but shoring up your most obvious weaknesses is the next step." She clopped her hooves together. "I want you two to learn from each other, so we get something better than the two of you separately." That made sense enough to Prickle, but... "How do I 'practice' not being bruised?" "By becoming tougher." Bon Bon smiled confidently. "Your new friend here will help with that. I could make you tired with enough effort, but I couldn't give you a properly tough and immediately difficult workout. She's practically built for it. It will be her job to get in the way of your work, but not entirely. If she stops you from even starting, you learn nothing. She will make it harder, make you really stress those muscles and learn, mentally and physically, how to deal with adversity." Her eyes moved onto Immovable squarely. "I see you grinning. Don't think you're not getting your turn. You're lazy. I can tell. You're used to just laying down and letting life try to do something about it." She rolled her eyes. "We're going to get to burning that right out of you. Just because you can be still doesn't mean that's what's needed at the time." Prickle suddenly thrust a hoof in the air. "She caught me the other day when I was fighting." Bon Bon nodded. "That's great to hear, exactly the sort of initiative I plan to encourage. Now, shall we begin?"
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	37 - Growing Pains	Prickle discovered a new dimension of difficulty. When she tried to lift weights, Immovable was there, wings extending over the bar and refusing to let her move them very quickly at all. When she did pushups, Immovable put a hoof on her back to slow the progress. Every bit of her regimen was turned into a challenge with Immovable's presence. The strangest part to Prickle was that it looked like it was hard work for Immovable, at least as hard as it was for her, if not moreso. Immovable was breathing raggedly as she went about things and her face was strained and drawn even through her mask. Prickle couldn't bare the curiosity, and with some concern for her friend, she paused the training. "One moment. You look a little rough." "What?" Immovable wiped some sweat free. "I can keep up with training with a filly, no problem." Prickle shook her head slowly. "What's wrong?" "I'm fine." She looked away. "Immovable, I'm your mentor. I want to help, please tell me. If you're embarrassed, I swear to not laugh." She made the motions of the sacred swear, poking her eye to complete it. Immovable suddenly let out a giggle. Prickle blinked. "I just... C'mon!" Immovable shook a hoof lightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything, but what was that? That looked very silly." Prickle pointed off and away, but it was Bon Bon that cut in, "That was a Pinkie Promise, the highest swear in this town. It means she's serious." She walked past the two. "I'll be over here, you two have your private moment." Immovable blushed through her mask. "Oh, sorry. I never saw that before." Her eyes darted restlessly. "You're sure?" "Super sure." Prickle bobbed her head. "What's wrong?" "It's just... Being perfectly still is easy." Immovable smiled. "That's what I do. Being half-still is a lot harder. Going slow instead of just not going. You know? Is this making any sense?" A hoof raised to her forehead. "I must sound like an idiot." "No!" Prickle hopped on her hooves. "The same thing works for me. I can do any of the things you helped with easily, but you made it hard, really hard." Bon Bon put a weight on the rack it belonged on. "That's why I paired you two together. You match each other so well, you make the workout much more intense." She approached the two at a casual walk. "You both need to learn how to move when it's not easy to move, or you won't get to the next level. Struggle is a large part of growing." Her eyes went to Immovable. "That includes not moving when it's hard too." She pointed a hoof at Immovable. "I knew it, you've never really been challenged." Immovable tilted her head a little. "I had plenty of challenges!" Bon Bon rolled her hoof. "Sure sure, emotional ones, but not physical ones. At least, not ones that took any real physical effort to deal with. You put your haunches on the ground, then stop. You're good at that, but you could be better." The workout proceeded, ending with some one-on-one sparring. Bon Bon faced off with the newer student. "No standing still." Immovable nodded stiffly before she came at Bon Bon in a wild rush that was easily turned aside, getting herself thrown into a dirt wall with a low grunt of annoyance. She wasn't hurt, moving or not, she was tough. Immovable pulled herself free of the dent she made and came back at Bon Bon with an angry scowl, only to have the agile earth pony swing under her, grab a leg, and send Immovable to the turf. Immovable picked herself up, unharmed physically. "This isn't fair!" "Fights aren't fair." Bon Bon moved with practiced grace. "Make it fair. You have to move to attack me. I won't attack you. That doesn't mean you can't ever stop. Do it like you learned with Prickle, move slowly when I'm trying to make you go where you don't want to go." Prickle sat on the side, watching the conflict with curious eyes. "You can do it, Immovable!" She called out, cheering her student on. Bon Bon laughed at that. "You have a fan. Not fair, where's my support?" She reared up onto her hind legs. "C'mon, we don't have all day." Immovable lunged forward, aiming to catch Bon Bon at her exposed and hopefully vulnerable belly. She felt her nose brush the soft fur as legs came down on her and tried to redirect her motion. She froze solid. Bon Bon backed away easily from the petrified pegasus. "Closer, but you can't attack me standing still." She fell back to all fours. "You have to do what's hard, move slowly, but the way you want to move." "Take her down!" Shouted Prickle, Forehooves waving in the air. "C'mon, Immovable, show your stuff!" Immovable smiled with a blush at the encouraging words and took slow steps forward, sizing up Bon Bon. "For not being a super pony, you fight really well." "Practice." Immovable huffed softly. "I doubt it's just that." Bon Bon raised a brow. "Learning to move well is more important than any crazy magic or super power. Now, are you ready to learn how to move better?" With a frustrated battle cry, Immovable surged at her target, reaching to give Bon Bon a great big hug. Bon Bon was surprised by the attack. A bear hug was not what she expected from Immovable. She could get out of a bear hug easily, or so she assumed. She let it happen. Then Immovable froze in a tight embrace. Bon Bon wriggled and squirmed, but her motions only let Immovable tighten her grip. She would only hug more and more securely. Not a single millimeter was given towards her escape. Prickle exploded in wild cheering, stomping the ground. Immovable had a huge grin. "I win." Bon Bon huffed indignantly. "That was my fault, but a good move on your part. Remember it." Immovable let Bon Bon go and she danced back a few steps. "You can immobilize an opponent, and that's good, but it means you're all tied up doing it." Bon Bon shook a hoof. "If you're fighting more than one at a time, that might not be the best tactic." The sparring continued until Immovable was worn down from her new slow movements. She laid on the floor, breathing thickly as her tongue poked free a bit in a pant. Bon Bon tapped Prickle on the nose. "Your lucky day. Your student wore me out. Next time, we start with you. Nopony said training two super ponies was easy, but, Celestia damn it, I'm not giving up either." Despite claiming to be worn out, she was breathing smoothly and looked just as fresh as when she started. Prickle raised a brow. "I don't get it. You don't look tired at all. What's your secret?" Bon Bon gave a kind smile as she settled on her haunches. "No secret, just knowing my limits. That's why you don't get sparring today, or I'd end up just as tired as Immovable over there." She lightly gestured towards the fallen and tired pony. "Where did you find her?" "Find her?" Prickle sat up, eyes darting to Immovable's prone form. "She found me. She wanted a..." She trailed off. "She needed to find me." "It's complicated, huh? Does she know?" "Know what?" Immovable was slowly sitting up. Bon Bon shook her head. "Nevermind. I want you two to keep practicing like I showed you today. You both need practice, and that's not an insult." She rolled reach shoulder in turn. "I need it too, but you're providing some of that with these spars. When you get better, you'll give me a better workout, so let's get to that." Prickle was nodding, but Immovable was not easy to move. "Know what?!" Prickle set a hoof on Immovable's shoulder. "Some things are secrets. If you respect me, you'll let me have it." Immovable lifted an ear at Prickle. "I'm trusting you with everything. What don't you trust me with?" Prickle pointed up at Immovable's face. "Your secret identity is yours. Mine is mine. It doesn't mean we don't trust each other. It's a, uh, respect thing. You are Immovable. I am Tiny Titan." Immovable tilted her head. "But that's my name... Is yours not Tiny Titan?" Prickle blinked. She had not expected that... "That's my super hero name," she admitted. "You have a superhero name!?" She reached for Prickle. "Should I get a superhero name?" "I really though Immovable was one! It matches your powers so well." Immovable tilted her head. "I guess it was destiny... Just like Miss Bon Bon was meant to make sweets. So, what's your real name?" Prickle applied her right forehoof to her head. "That's the secret, Immovable." "I can keep a secret!" "If I say it, it's not a secret." "But Bon Bon already knows it!" Immovable tapped her hooves together. "So it's already not a secret." Prickle's ears began to burn as she thought of all the ponies that did already know her identity. It wasn't a very good secret... "It's still a secret." "If you say so..." Immovable walked towards the ladder that led out of their training den. "I would keep that secret so hard though..." She began ascending the ladder. "If you trusted me." "That's not what I mean!" Immovable slipped free of the hole and trotted away from Prickle. She sighed and frowned. It was her secret to keep! She didn't have to tell Immovable who she really was. Her angry thoughts ended with a sighed grunt. She bounced up from the bottom of the stairs right out of the hole and looked around. Immovable wasn't in sight. "Did she fly away?" It felt likely to Prickle. She headed home at a walk, vanishing when convenient to cease being Tiny Titan and just be little Prickle, the unusually strong school filly. She smiled a little as she went. She really didn't need Immovable watching her come and go from school. Their relationship worked just fine in the scope of her super hero life. "Like, hello there, Prickle." It was Silver Spoon, smiling at her. "How's my favorite strongmare doing?" Prickle glanced around nervously in case Immovable was in sight. "I'm doing alright, just finishing some training." "Training?" Silver leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "Can I see, next time you go?" Prickle shook her head quickly. "I would, but that would be telling on somepony else's secret, and I'm not allowed to do that." Silver pouted, but didn't try to pry farther. They made some small talk as Prickle went. "My new sidekick is quite a challenge." The cultured earth filly inclined her head a little. "Do you want her to go away?" "No! No, she's cool, just learning the ropes, and I'm... happy to teach her. She's helping me grow too." "That's good then." Silver nodded once before leaning in, shoulder's brushing. "I can meet her at least, right?"
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	38 - Fan Club	Silver Spoon stood with a gavel held in her mouth. "I hereby call this meeting of the Tiny Titan fan club to order." She brought down the gavel with three quick and firm strikes. Diamond gave a smirk, watching her friend. "You are such an adorable dork, Silver." "That's adorable president to you." Silver stuck out her tongue at Diamond, and the gesture was returned before both broke into giggles. Scootaloo raised a hoof. Silver nodded at her. "The floor recognizes Scootaloo." "Uh, yeah. So... we're not super restrictive or anything, but when did Diamond Tiara become a Tiny Titan fan?" Scootaloo rubbed behind her head with a hoof as she talked, eyes wandering the room. Diamond huffed at the question. "When did you stop being a Rainbow Dash fan?" She fixed a deadly glare at the pegasus filly that dared to question her presence. Scootaloo paled at the idea, but Apple Bloom was faster to retort, "Ya can be a fan ah more than one thing at a time. It ain't no big deal." Nurse Redheart coughed softly into a hoof. "I'd like to move on to important matters. I can't be the only one that's noticed Tiny Titan is being followed around by an adult easily twice her age." Silver pointed the gavel at Redheart, swiveling it in her mouth. "That would be her new sidekick, Immovable." Junebug shook her head. "I'm not sure I like the idea of my--" She trailed off, realizing that a pony present was not aware of Prickle's true identity. "I mean, of Tiny Titan being kow towed by a full grown mare like that." Sweetie bobbed her head. "It does seem weird at first glance, but we've counseled more than a few adults about cutie mark related things." She gestured broadly to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. "If Tiny Titan's specialty is heroing, and she feels confident in helping others do it too, what's wrong with that?" Murmurs rippled through the room, some agreeing, others more doubting. Lyra raised a hoof. "Does anypony know this Immovable mare? I mean, they're cute together and all, but where did they even come from?" A lot of uncertain sounds ran through the room. A pony moved for the door, making quiet noises of needing the little filly's room, but the door would not open. The mare glared at the stubborn wood and gave it a stronger shove. It did not move. "The door's stuck," she complained as she threw herself against it, only to slide to the ground with no visible effect. Apple Boom dashed over and gave it a try, and it opened without resistance. Seated in the doorway was a familiar pegasus. Apple Bloom tilted her head. "Immovable?" Immovable flashed a bright smile. "'Tis I, Tiny Titan's sidekick and #1 fan!" Her eyes followed the mare that wanted to escape briefly as she was dashed past. "May I join?" Silver Spoon struck the gavel against her podium smartly. "Order, order! Immovable, do you know who Tiny Titan really is?" Immovable stepped inside as she shook her head. "You mean her not-super hero name? Nope. I want to know though! I'd keep that secret better than anypony ever!" Silver Spoon nodded. "Yeah, like, so would we." She struck the gavel again. "Let us welcome Immovable." Polite clopping sounded as ponies brought their hooves together. "Your timing is uncanny. We were just discussing you and, like, maybe you could help us with some questions." Red Heart fixed Immovable with an appraising sweep of her eyes. "What is your interest in Tiny Titan, exactly?" Immovable thrust a hoof up into the air. "I am her sidekick and she is my teacher and mentor. She's showing me how to use my powers for the good of ponykind." She put that same hoof behind her head. "It's a lot of hard work." Lyra grinned impishly as she leaned closer. "I hear you've been arrested before." Immovable went red right through her suit. "I did a few naughty things before... Tiny Titan showed me that being a super hero was way better than being a bad pony. Besides, I never went to jail." Red Heart's eyes rolled as she sighed out. "I bet they couldn't actually get you into the jail." Immovable's blush grew worse. "Maybe..." Diamond suddenly fell backwards, legs pumping in the air as she rolled with laughter. "This is too perfect!" While Immovable glared at the laughing filly, Silver coughed softly around the gavel she held. "Order, please. Immovable, redemption is, like, a right given to all ponies. Do you swear before us that you are sincerely sorry and will do your best to live in harmony?" Immovable's attention snapped solidly on Silver Spoon. The gravity of the question did not escape her. Her tongue ran over her suddenly dry lips. "I'll... try my best... I want to make Tiny Titan proud." Diamond's laughter only grew louder. Tears were escaping her eyes, the laughter reaching the point of physical pain. The crusaders were more supportive, all three bobbing their heads. Junebug's ears pricked up. "Aren't you the pony that brought..." she trailed off, losing track of which names to use where. "Yeah," easily confessed Immovable. "I didn't want that little filly to lose her work. You have an amazing filly. Even foalnapped, she was more worried about getting her homework done than anything else." She only seemed to realize what she was saying after the fact. "Not that I make a habit of foalnapping!" She shrunk in place, wings curling in to protect her from suspicious looks. Silver brought down her gavel. "You have sworn to turn a new leaf. Since you are serving as a superhero, like, I bet you'll get a chance to prove yourself sooner rather than later. I bet Prickle isn't even mad." DIamond rolled over to her belly, trying to fight her laughter down. "She took Prickle?" Her struggle was a losing one, giggles escaping her despite her efforts. Junebug nodded in agreement. "Prickle wasn't upset... and, um, thank you for returning her bag. She would have been very upset without it." Immovable unveiled herself and smiled at Junebug. "A pleasure! I just wanted to meet Tiny Titan, not bother that little filly. Prickle? Tell Prickle I'm really sorry." Junebug waved it off. "She isn't mad, really, but I'll tell her for you." Immovable paled. "I foalnapped the filly of one of Tiny Titan's fans?!" The exclamation brought whole new peals of laughter from Diamond. She tried to get herself upright, but could do little more than let the laughter roll free of herself. Red Heart approached the downed filly and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. "For her own sake, I think she needs some fresh air." The room was quiet, save for the paralyzed filly as she was carried away. When the laughter receded, Lyra raised a hoof. "The floor recognizes Lyra Heartstrings." Silver pointed her gavel at Lyra. Lyra lifted her shoulders. "That wasn't nice, foalnapping, but I'm glad nopony got hurt, you included." Immovable blinked at the idea, rising to her hooves. "Why would I be hurt?" Lyra flashed her bright teeth. "Tiny Titan lives up to her name. I bet, if she wanted to, she could have punched you into next tuesday!" Immovable shookher head. "Nuh uh. Not even Tiny Titan can move me!" She set her haunches on the ground. "Once I'm stopped, nothing can move me if I don't want to be moved." Apple Boom cocked a brow. "What about a train comin' straight fer ya?" "I never tried that," confessed Immovable, looking pensive. "But I wouldn't be scared, not even by a train. Nopony can move Immovable. That's my name!" Sweetie Belle waved her hooves excitedly. "What if Celestia tried to raise you like the sun?!" Immovable looked less absolutely certain. "She... could try..." Scootaloo hopped to her hooves. "Or! Or! What if Canterlot broke free of the mountain and came crashing down on you?" Immovable tilted her head. "I would stop it... and maybe save a lot of ponies." Silver Spoon blinked softly. "Wow. I almost want to see that." She caught herself and sat up straight. "Are there any other questions for our guest and new member, or shall we move on?" The door swung open and a recovered Diamond staggered back in, Red Heart just behind her. "One thing." Diamond pointed at Immovable. "What did you even do, as a bad pony, besides foalnap Prickle?" "I... got in the way of ponies?" Diamond began to snicker at Immovable's reply. Immovable scowled, wings flaring. "I don't like you very much, little filly." Diamond waved it off. "Too bad. You're the stranger here, not me. Mess with me and my daddy will show you what real power is." Immovable approached with a low growl. "Real power is..." She hesitated a moment. "Tiny Titan has real power! She moved me when nopony else could!" Apple Bloom raised a hoof. "Not ta interrupt, but ah thought ya said she couldn't move you?" "She couldn't! I mean, not physically." She flopped to her haunches. "She moved me inside, and that mattered more..." Lyra suddenly sat beside Immovable and threw a leg around her, hugging her. "She's moved us all. Welcome to the club." Polite clopping sounded through the room as the fanclub gave warm welcome to their curious new member. Diamond joined in the clopping. "You know I'm just messing with you, right?" Immovable blinked. "Really?" Diamond nodded. "I used to be a bad pony too." Immovable swallowed her next statement. "It's a long road." Diamond nodded in agreement. "Tell me about it. Ponies get mad at me over the silliest little things. I'm just telling them the truth." Immovable's ears fell before pricking back up. "Do you have a power you could use to help ponykind?" Diamond tilted her head. "I... Let's talk about that later." Immovable gave a wink far too dramatic to be subtle. "Alright." Silver cleared her throat. "I now put this matter to rest." She struck the gavel twice. "Next on the docket, Tiny Titan and Immovable's color coordination." Immovable blinked with a lack of comprehension. Lyra squeezed the confused mare. "Don't get us wrong. You two look fine, by yourselves, but if you're a team, you should have colors that complement, or specifically, you know, clash. Right now they just kinda... are." The debate was on about what colors would look good on each part of the duo. Diamond raised a hoof. When called on she sat up tall. "You're all arguing about the wrong thing. What they're wearing doesn't mean much." The room looked at her, the atmosphere tense. "What? They need a name, a group name. Super heroes get those, right?" Silver brought a hoof to her face. "You're absolutely right! How silly of us. I move we begin debate on that topic immediately. Ayes?" The room was a chorus of agreement. "Motion passes." Scootaloo waved a hoof frantically. "Start and Stop!" Red Heart lifted a hoof less eagerly. "Supreme Forces" Appreciative murmurs echoed at the thoughts of the names. Immovable was blushing. "I feel awkward voting on this.." Lyra snorted. "You shouldn't. It's your name! If you don't like it, what's the point?"
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	39 - End Episode 9 - Reporting for Duty	Prickle marched up towards Twilight's castle. Beside her was her sidekick, the larger Immovable. Prickle glanced aside at her companion. "Be on your best behavior. Twilight is a princess." Immovable waved it away. "She called us, not the other way around. We could be looking for bad guys to stop." "Helping good ponies, like Twilight, is just as important." Prickle reached up and tapped on the door, barely making a noise before she tried again, harder. The door shook with the force. "I'm all out of sync since the new workout regimen." "You're telling me?" Immovable smiled with a tongue extending. "Everything feels strange. We're using things we never used so much before. I love it!" She leaned in over Prickle. "After we find out what Twilight wants, how about we do some practice?" Prickle tilted her head a little. "And to think Bon Bon called you lazy." Immovable stuck out her tongue. "She wasn't wrong... exactly, but when I'm with you, it's different. I want to find new places to be, and you always provide that." The door to the castle opened, Spike's head peeking out. "Who's-- Oh, hey Pr--Tiny Titan, and, uh, Immovable, right?" Immovable struck a dramatic pose, sweeping her left forehoof in front of Prickle. "We are Opposing Forces!" "We are?" Prickle brushed Immovable's hoof aside gently. "Hello, Spike. Princess Twilight called for us." Spike waved the way inwards. "Yeah, she and the girls are waiting in the table room." On seeing the confused expression on their faces, he turned to lead the way. "You haven't seen it, huh? It's pretty cool. It has a map of all of Equestria on it." Immovable and Prickle both spent much of the walk gawking at the furnishings of the castle that spoke of a pony far better off than either of them were. "And here we are!" announced Spike with a final grand sweep towards a room that held Twilight and her friends around a magical glowing map of Equestria. Twilight looked up at Prickle. "Ah, you're here. We're having a bit of a problem and we hope to handle it, but it will call us out of town, and things could... get dicey around here." Rarity flipped her mane. "Dicey is a polite way of saying it. The brute we're going to fight may send hooligans to harass the citizens of Ponyville. Since we will be away--" Rainbow Dash pointed at the two of them. "--While we're gone, you two are the guards of Ponyville. That's what you like to do anyway, right?" Fluttershy looked the least sure. "It's alright if you don't want to. This isn't your official job or anything." Immovable sat tall and defiant. "Good luck getting me to stop." Prickle quirked a smile. "We're both happy to help protect Ponyville. That is our job." Twilight pricked an ear at Prickle. "Then we really should get some paperwork done for you. You're performing a vital job and should be compensated. We'll handle that after we take care of this crisis." Spike rolled his eyes. "I thought you were avoiding the c word?" Applejack shook her head. "Ain't no reason to be shy around these two. They're facin' it just as dead on as we are. Ah reckon they deserve to know what ta expect." Twilight nodded at the two of them. "Right. The problem is somewhat... international." She gestured over the table. "The Dragon Kingdom has had a sudden insurrection. They're handling it on their end, but some have come to Equestria. They blame us for their current leader's selection." Spike sighed softly, slouching. "They're not entirely wrong, there." Rarity waved a hoof. "Pish-posh. You won fair and square. They're just sore losers. We'll go and meet them head on, but there's no assurance they'll all stay together, and if they know where Spikey Wikey lives, they may come here, which is where you two come in." Prickle hadn't fought a dragon before. "They breathe fire, right?" "Oh, you bet." Spike was bobbing his head. "I can too, wanna see?" Twilight lowered a hoof in front of Spike. "Thank you, that will not be required. Are you two still willing to take this job?" Immovable rose a hoof in a salute. "Immovable, ready for duty!" She reached with the same hoof and pulled Prickle close. "With the two of us, Ponyville is safe." Rainbow nodded. "See, told ya. Let's get going. The sooner we reach them, the less time they have to do something stupid." Twilight lifted into the air. "Rainbow's right. The sooner we head out, the more damage we can prevent. P--Tiny Titan, here." She produced a key from her fur and floated it over to Prickle. "This is a key to the castle. Consider it part of your patrol until we return. We're counting on you two." Prickle watched them go with a stunned expression. When they were gone, she turned to Immovable, still holding the key in a hoof. Immovable, on the other hoof, was busy clopping her own together. "We're in the big leagues! The princess trusts us big time." She leaned in. "Thank you!" Spike glanced between the two of them. "You know I'm still here, right?" Prickle jumped at that. "What? Why aren't you going with them?" Spike gave a great shrug. "Something about just making them more angry? Besides, they want to get me, so why give me to them?" He pointed a finger at each of them. "So you two get to guard me along with the castle and the town." Immovable grabbed up Spike in a protective hug, while Prickle considered her new task carefully.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	40 - Start Episode 10 - Dragon Watch	Prickle landed lightly on the roof of Sugarcube Corner, looking around in quick sweeps of the city. She didn't spot any obvious trouble, which was good. With the sound of rustling feathers, Immovable landed beside her. "Looks clear so far. I thought this would be more exciting." Prickle shook her head at her larger cohort. "We're doing it because it should be done, not for fun." "Just because it has to be done, doesn't mean it can't be fun too." She stuck out her tongue lightly before she spread her wings wide. "Want to spar? That's way more fun." With a dramatic rolling of her eyes, Prickle shot down the idea, "We can spar after we're sure the dragons aren't going to attack us. It won't be good if they come while we're tired." She pointed down at the ponies walking and trotting along. "Look at them. They're all happy and busy, but if we let them down, what can they do? What would, say, Misses Cake do in the face of an angry dragon?" "Run?" Immovable's shoulders lifted a little before a sigh rolled out. "Alright, alright. I'll get back to patrolling." She leveled a hoof at Prickle's smaller snout. "You sure are bossy for a filly." Prickle swatted the hoof aside lightly. "That's why you're my sidekick. C'mon, we have to do this right." Visions of what could go wrong if they didn't danced in Prickle's mind. "Ponyville's counting on us." They parted ways, bounding and flying to patrol the town they had been charged with. "Wonder what they're up to." Silver Spoon peered up at the two heroes and back to her friends, which included Diamond Tiara and Sweetie Belle. Sweetie shrugged. "Rarity said I should try to not be outside while she was gone." Diamond smirked. "Which you followed very well." Sweetie returned with a smile. "I got bored, sue me. I could be helping ponies, or hanging out, or doing anything, but not while I'm stuck inside." Silver pointed up at the bounding figure of Prickle. "You helped her nicely." DT perked an ear. "The crusaders helped Tiny Titan? When did that happen?!" Sweetie internally groaned. She was tempted to just tell Diamond and be done with it. "Even superheroes have issues." Diamond huffed softly. "What even is her cutie mark? I bet it's... a pony holding up a planet or something." Silver Spoon fixed her friend with a wry smile across her face. "Oh, it isn't that." "You know? Tell me!" demanded Diamond, sitting up and staring at Silver. Silver was unaffected by the stern command, enjoying the advantage she has. "It's a secret." She stuck out her tongue at Diamond. "Sorry." "You aren't even a little sorry." Diamond crossed her forelegs with a pout before her eyes wandered to Sweetie's amused expression. "What? Do you know too?! What kind of secret is this?" She hopped up to all fours. "Her cutie mark can't be that big of a deal." Sweetie waved it away. "If you knew her cutie mark, then you'd figure out who she was, and that's a secret." She got up herself and started to walk back towards the boutique. "It was nice hanging out with you two, but I should get going." Diamond watched her go a moment before turning all her attention on Silver. "Alright, enough's enough! She just admitted it. You two know who she is." She leaned in close, face to face. "Out with it." "Nope," sang out Silver Spoon. "You have to figure it out on your own." "That's not how it works!" Diamond grabbed Silver at her shoulders and began to shake her giggling friend. "We're BFFs! Tell me!" Silver brushed off one of the hooves and held her head high and haughtily. "If you don't know, you weren't supposed to. I'm sorry, Diamond." Diamond crashed down onto her haunches. Being shot down so bluntly was not something she faced often, outside of her mother. "I... but... Oh Come on! You can give a hint, right?" Silver's brow raised smoothly as she considered. "She certainly is strong." Diamond threw up her hooves. "That's not a hint!" Silver's eyes fell to half-lidded. "It's the best hint I can think of. Just promise you won't be mad when you figure it out." Diamond thumped a hoof on the ground in obvious frustration. "Does she even go to school here? She should teach Prickle how to be confident, you know, instead of... that." Silver's cheeks puffed out as she struggled to hold in her reaction. "Yeah..." she barely managed to get out. Applejack twirled a lasso above her, rope clenched in her teeth. "Stop right there!" Rainbow came down in a streak in front of the draconic invader. "Yeah, you ain't getting nowhere." The bulky dragon just shrugged. "Alright." Twilight tilted her head a little. "Alright?" He nodded at her. "Uh huh." Applejack's lasso fell from the sky to flop by her hooves. "Well, that was easy." Rarity looked left and right. "I don't mean to bring up unpleasantries, but weren't there supposed to be many more than one dragon on the way?" Rainbow darted in, face to face with the one dragon they had. "Alright, 'pal', where are your buddies hiding?!" "Oh, um, they said..." He rubbed at his chin. "Where was it, uh... Oh yeah, Baltimare, ha, that's a funny name." Fluttershy advanced on the dragon. "I'm taking you home. No more invading pony lands, alright?" "Um, alright." The two went off, leaving the others to consider their next move. Applejack wobbled a hoof in the air. "That was straight forward n' all, but that leaves us a bunch of others t' deal with headin' right fer a city." Twilight shook her head slowly. "I don't like this, not one bit." Rarity nodded in agreement. "That dragon didn't seem to have his mind on the prize, as it were. The poor brute was left here on purpose." Rainbow clopped her forehooves together. "So what do we do about it?" Twilight drew in a soft breath before releasing it as she turned towards Baltimare. "There isn't a lot of choice. This is our only lead. He may be right or wrong, but we have to investigate and be sure." "And if he's wrong?" asked Applejack as she moved beside Twilight. "What then?" "Then they're likely going for Ponyville, and it'll be up to 'Opposing Forces' to handle it." Rainbow flew in over Twilight upside down. "Hey, you know I like Tiny Titan, but I'm not sure she's ready to handle a whole, uh, whatever a group of dragons is called." Rarity offered a hoof. "Thunder." Twilight tilted her head. "I heard it was a Weyr." "Pride." Pinkie bobbed her head. "Whatever you call it, we should get to the party before it's already over!" With a communal rallying cry, minus one, the group set forth, ready to repel the dragons. Scootaloo soared, wind whistling past her face as she cheered. It had taken weeks to finish assembling the new course, but with every hard turn, loop, and jump, she knew all the more that the effort had been worth the time. Her scooter was part of herself, her wings that let her fly in patterns that even Rainbow Dash would be jealous of, if it were actual, you know, flying instead of rolling. Scootaloo banished the thought. She was flying. She was soaring. She hit a lip and lifted into the air. She twirled her scooter beneath her and buzzed her wings to get some extra distance as she arced through the sky. She was really flying. Just as she reached the apex of her jump, movement drew her attention. Something else was flying. Several somethings. They were far away, but she could spy them from her new height just briefly before she came back to the earth, slamming down in the track and resuming the course. She wondered what it was she had seen. They seemed too large to be weather pegasi or mail mares. Scootaloo hopped free of her wings, er, scooter when she reached the end of the track and popped it up into her waiting hooves. "Woo hoo!" called out Apple Bloom, who had watched Scootaloo ride her track. "That was some mighty impressive rodeo, Scoots. How'd ya like it?" "It was great," said Scootaloo distractedly. "Hey, uh, I saw a bunch of somethings coming this way." Apple Bloom blinked at that. "What kinda somethings?" Scootaloo put her hooves apart. "Big somethings. They were far away, I think, but..." Apple Bloom half-turned and pointed at the smaller forms of the two heroes buzzing around the city. "Maybe we should tell 'em?" "Good idea!" Scootaloo dropped her scooter and hopped on. "C'mon!" Apple Bloom hurried to get on behind her friend and they were soon zipping off back into the town proper. "Titan!" came a distant holler from beneath them. Prickle turned in mid-air to face it, but couldn't change her trajectory. Immovable had no such limitation and swooped in to pluck Prickle up in her hooves and descend towards the shout. Below them was Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, both waving frantically at them. Immovable dropped Prickle to the ground and landed beside her. "What's wrong?" Prickle bobbed her head. "Is somepony in trouble?!" Scootaloo pointed in the direction she had seen something. "I saw something." Both heroes peeked in the direction of the hoof's indication, but saw little from their angle. Immovable tilted her head. "What did you see?" Apple Bloom threw her hooves wide. "Somethings big!" Scootaloo bobbed her head in agreement. "And heading for Ponyville." Prickle tensed. One dragon would be trouble enough. "More than one?" Scootaloo gave a firm nod. "For sure. They were far away, but yeah, they're coming." Immovable suddenly let out an excited whoop of joy. "Alright! Now we get to fight something worth our time." She grabbed the stunned Prickle and squeezed her close. "This is going to be so much fun!" Scootaloo blinked softly before a grin split her face. "You like being a hero, huh?" Immovable was quick to bob her head at Scootaloo. "Especially as a part of this team. Now, uh, how did it go..." Prickle recovered and squirmed her way free. "You two should get indoors and stay there. Tell anypony else you see to do the same. This is not a drill." "Oh yeah." Immovable nodded lightly, agreeing with Prickle's words. "That's what I was going for." Apple Bloom pointed off towards the farm. "Ah'll head home, but you two be careful, alright? I don't wanta hear either of ya got hurt."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	41 - The Rush	Scootaloo glanced aside at Apple Bloom. "So, heading home?" "Nope," replied Apple Bloom with a wry smile. "You?" "Nah." Scootaloo ducked behind a building with her friend beside her. "As if we'd miss this!" Prickle took a slow breath. Sure, there was a flight of dragons coming. Sure, they'd be the toughest, meanest, most organized group she ever faced. Sure, she might get clawed to shreds, chewed up, or set on fire, maybe all three. Sure! Sure sure sure. "You alright?" Immovable was watching Prickle with some concern. "You look stressed." "I'm fine!" squeaked out Prickle in a high-pitched squeak that assured no one. She swallowed the panic and took another slow breath. "I'm fine," she said, control returning. "We have to stop them." "Stopping things is my specialty," assured Immovable, spreading her wings wide. "Let's see 'em try to get past me!" One of her wings lowered. "Want a lift?" Prickle took the offer, clambering up on Immovable and sitting up on her back, like a knight to their valiant steed. "Let's get to them before they get in the town." "Right, don't want any houses getting torched." Immovable took to the skies, wings easily lifting them towards the dragons in the distance. "So, hey, do you think my toughness works on fire?" "We never tried," confessed Prickle. "Did you ever get burned before?" "Not that I remember." Immovable shrugged softly as she went, hooves dangling beneath her. "Hope that means I'm cool." "I know I don't want to be set on fire," assured Prickle nervously. "If they breathe fire at you, punch it." Prickle's face fell. "You're kidding." "Nope." Immovable giggled softly. "It's your thing, use it. Just kick. You're the irresistible force." Prickle shook her head a little, clearly uncertain of how that would turn out. Her attention came to the dragons and the more immediate needs. There were six of them. Alright, it could have been worse. One of them was significantly larger than the others. The boss? "Let's try to talk to that one." She pointed the way. Immovable banked in a wide arc, coming towards the great beast. He was a dragon's dragon. He had red scales, an orange underbelly and lighter red fins along the back of his neck. He was large enough to snap up a pony and swallow them without chewing, though that might have posed a choking hazard. That was little comfort. She came to a stop right in front of him, freezing in mid-air. The dragon came to a halt with an irritated snort. "Is this little pony one of them?" "Nah," reported a much smaller dragon of similar color, though he had orange fins. "Never saw this one before. Whatever, let's just eat, hey wait, is that one pony or two?" Prickle thrust a hoof out at them. "Stop right there!" Immovable spread her wings as wide as they could go, somehow floating without flapping. "That's my line. Oh oh! You shall not pass! That's a good one, I think." The larger dragon raised a leathery brow at them. "I plan to make a very particular dragon pay for what he did to my son." He flapped his wings, wind rushing around the two ponies as he took flight over them. "My one weakness!" cried out Immovable. Prickle scrambled up and launched off the stable platform that Immovable provided. She soared through the air, one hoof extended, and crashed into the large dragon's side. The dragon let out a smokey groaning wheeze as air was forced from its lungs and both started to crash to the ground together. "Hey, Garble, what do we do?" asked one of the other smaller dragons. Garble slapped his claws together, eyeing Immovable menacingly. "Dad can take care of that other one, let's teach this little pony what happens when ponies mess with dragons." "See if you can," taunted Immovable. "No one can move me." Under her breath she added, "Except Tiny Titan." "Move you?" Who said anything about that." He flexed his claws. "C'mon, guys, let's show her what dragons are made of." They were falling, fast. Prickle's hooves scrambled against the dragon as she raced to get on top of it and use it as a cushion as best she could. That's when she remembered she could bounce. She glanced down around the dragon as she ground hurried at them and made a tremendous bounce, propelling the dragon down a little faster as she soa-- The dragon caught her in a sudden motion of its claws, snatching her from the air as its wings unfurled enough to slow its descent. "The last time a pony dared hit me, I was talked out of doing anything about it. This time..." Prickle shrieked in horror before she got a hold of herself. She didn't want to be chomped by a dragon. She threw her limbs wide, forcing the dragon's grip loose enough for her to fall free, and her with it. She was in free flight, with nothing to push off of. Still, better than being devoured by an angry dragon, or so she reasoned with herself as gravity pulled her towards a painful end. She could remember Immovable's words shortly before, 'Just punch it.' Would that work? Could she kick the air? It was something to try. She lashed out her hind legs as powerfully as she could, air sent in a shock wave ahead of her and a momentarily deafening crack like thunder. She slowed, just a little. Frantically hopeful, she lashed out, battering the air as swiftly and strongly as she could. Far away, ponies looked up, expecting to see a thunderstorm incoming out of schedule, but they could see no clouds go with the violent thunder that rolled over them. The dragon suddenly grabbed her. She had slowed enough for him to catch up with her. "You're loud," he said, frowning in obvious displeasure. "Hopefully you make a better snack than a wind chime." Garble and his friends moved in on Immovable. He grabbed a wing and tugged as if to pull it free, but Immovable just laughed. "Are you tickling me? You're not even a tenth as strong as Tiny Titan, now she knows how to move." A heavyset dragon twirled in the air, bashing her with his mace-like tail, but it just slid along her clothes with no apparent harm. Immovable couldn't help but keep laughing. "Is that the best you can do? Some dragons you are! I guess this little pony is going to get to say a whole set of dragons just wasn't a match for her." Garble went red, well, redder. "That's it!" He lunged for Immovable, and she didn't move. He grabbed one of her wings in his powerful jaws, but he couldn't move them, even enough to get his teeth past the feathers. The best he could do was move a few feathers around a few degrees. The thinner, purple, dragon scratched at his mane, which was odd for a dragon to have. "I don't think it's working." Immovable was having the time of her life, laughing and jeering at Garble's attempts to harm her. Garble floated away a few inches. "Alright, fine. If we can't tear you apart, how about we just cook you? On the count of three!" All the dragons drew in a breath at once. Immovable laughing came to an awkward end. Prickle gave an awkward smile at the big dragon. "Maybe we can talk about this?" "Maybe we shouldn't hit people we want to talk to." He landed lightly and gave Prickle a shake in his hand. "You ponies are so rude. A pity you are also delicious." Prickle's head swayed, dizzy from the rattling. "We... can't let you attack the town. They're trusting us to defend it." He leaned in, massive eye close to Prickle. "You are the pony's guardians? Laughable." Smoke trailed from his snout as a soft chuckle shook his chest. "We are! And we won't let you." "As if you have a choice. He suddenly lifted her up as his mouth opened wide. With a casual toss, he dropped her onto his tongue and snapped his mouth shut. Everything was dark and wet. His tongue was trying to nudge her towards the back of his throat. She was going to be eaten! With a shriek of dismay, she grabbed the tongue tightly. It writhed and squirmed, trying to dislodge her or grind her against his deadly teeth. Prickle lashed out a hoof and shattered the tooth. Suddenly she was free, spat out by the dragon in a fit of pain. He roared and thrashed, clawhands at his injured mouth. She got to her hooves, wobbling. "Now we're even." "Even?!" He raised one of his massive hind claws and made to stomp Prickle where she stood. "I'll show you even!" Prickle sat and thrust up her forehooves to catch the titanic claw. Her muscles strained a little, but she was holding up the dragon. She gave a powerful heft and the entire dragon listed to the side, crashing to the ground with a great rumble, dirt flying as it dug a new furrow from the impact. Scootaloo let out a wild cheer, peering through her half of the binoculars. Apple Bloom had her cheek pressed up to hers, peering through the other half of the lone pair they had to share. They turned their view skywards. "Do you think she'll be alright?" asked Apple Bloom. "Ah reckon even she don't like being cooked none." "I hope so, but we'll find out in a moment." Both fillies pressed in tight to get a good view through their shared viewing tool as the battle unfolded. Immovable was moving. She had broken her stalwart stance and was frantically soaring out of the reach of the tongues of flames that licked at her scorched tail. "Stop it! Stop it!" she cried as she darted and bobbed, silently grateful for the lessons that forced her to move instead of relying on sitting still for the extent of her portfolio. "Stop!" It was Garble's turn to laugh, leading the chase with his friends. "She ain't so tough now, is she? Light her up, boys!" She reached into her cowl as she flew desperately in erratic patterns. She pulled out the one weakness she had, besides being moved around. That was just plain rude, really. She got out the can of irritant, a little picture of a cloud touching an eye that was crying painted on it. "Last warning!" "Or what?" demanded Garble as he flew in close, ready to torch Immovable. "Or this!" She spun around in the air and squeezed the bottle between her forehooves, activating it and sending out an angry hiss of chemicals at Garble. Garble exhaled. His flames met the incoming stream and ignited it instantly. The trajectory of the stuff wasn't much changed, becoming more of a cloud and less of a stream. Garble fell into a coughing fit as it got into his mouth and eyes, nose running and pain exploding. His flames dying out almost instantly in favor of coughing and writhing in the air. Immovable's victory was short-lived indeed. She could see the fire was still coming at her, traveling along the chemical spray. She panicked and hurled the canister away. The other dragons barely knew what happened before it exploded brilliantly among them, spreading the noxious fumes. The entire flight began to cough, wheeze and cry under the chemical attack.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	42 - End Episode 10 - Draconic Pride	Prickle scrambled around the prone dragon. "We don't have to fight," she called out as she sprang into the air. The massive beast rose sinuously, dirt raining down from its scaled form. "You are welcome to surrender at any time, trying pony." "That's Tiny Titan." She landed on his chest lightly. "And I won't give up. I can't! My town's counting on me." The dragon curled on himself, head coming within an inch of Prickle's costumed form. "I won't give up," he echoed. "The honor of my child has been besmirched. We are both bound by duty." "Tell me what happened?" Prickle smiled uncertainly. "Maybe we can work it out?" "Twice..." He let out a weary sigh, flame licking around his lips and smoke escaping his nostrils. "Once by force of personality, the second by strength of arms. That the strength of your people is used only to remain in soft peace is baffling." Prickle dared allow her smile to widen a little. "Does that mean we can talk?" The trickle of smoke became a brief blast of flames. "Yes! Yes... Get off of me." He brushed her free and she bounced off his sides to a smooth landing below as he rolled over, belly down, to address her. Garble wiped the last of the tears from his face and looked down to see his father talking with one of the ponies, the other half of the duo they were fighting. "What the..." He flew down, forgetting Immovable for the moment. "Hey, pops, what're ya doing?! Go ahead and eat her already." The larger dragon glared at his son. "Haven't you shamed me enough for one century? The adults are speaking." Prickle developed a savage blush, words driven from her. She was just called an adult by a dragon! She tried to speak, but the words were caught in her throat. Immovable suffered no such difficulty. Landing beside Prickle, wings wide, she stuck out her tongue at Garble. "Yeah, you heard him, let the grownups talk." The father dragon turned his withering gaze on Immovable. "That goes for you equally as well." His massive eyes fixed on Prickle. "Now then, where were we... Ah, yes... It started closely from their first introduction to one another. The one named Spike succeeded in obtaining a phoenix while Garble was left for injured. Hmph, I hope the egg made a satisfying crunch when it was destroyed..." "That wasn't what happened at all!" cried Spike, approaching at an energetic jog. The father reared up, then snarled. "This is fortunate. I can exact my revenge without troubling your domain, little warrior." Spike skidded to a halt. "Oh, uh..." Immovable slid into place in front of him. "No hurting Spike! We were specifically told to keep him safe." The father looked back at Prickle. "Is this true?" "Well, yes." Prickle nodded as she watched the other small dragons descend from the sky, eyes and noses running with liquids. She wondered what had happened up there, but she was busy enough with her own dragon to see. "Can we continue with the story? I mean, if we know what happened, we can act... responsibly." The large dragon rumbled, shaking the air as smoke trailed with smoldering fury. "Very... well. When you know the full measure of his crimes, then his punishment can be given. When next they met, it was at the behest of the last dragon lord. He wished to bequeath his reign to the younger generation, or I would have easily competed and seized the prize for myself." He chuckled softly in thought of it. "Ah yes... But that was not to be. Instead he--" He leveled a claw at Spike accusingly. "--cheated, stole the title, then humiliated my son in royal decree with the very same title he did not deserve." He snarled, teeth displayed like the great swords they were. "The entire thing was a farce. The old dragon lord laid a cunning trap to ensure his own daughter would take the prize, in the end. Even with Spike's cheating, he was powerless before his machinations. When they returned from the testing site, it was she that held the scepter and the title. I was scarcely surprised." Prickle raised a hoof at the tremendous dragon. "So, hold on. What did Spike actually do? I mean, to--" Garble darkened, voice raising in a screech, "I don't wanna talk about it!" The father crossed his forelegs. "You will. The full measure of his crimes will be known, then we will have our revenge." Garble fidgeted mid-air, glancing around nervously. "But it's embarrassing... Oh, and I'm not allowed to. Spike said not to." "That's true," mentioned Spike quietly enough that only Immovable heard him. The father was incensed. "He is not dragon lord and never should have been! You will speak, now!" Flame erupted from his shouting mouth, washing over several dragons to no harm, but suitable measure of his rising fury. "Alright... sheesh..." Garble descended to the ground, landing lightly on his legs, his arms not yet grown into forelegs as the older dragons seemed to have. "That jerk said I had to go up to every dragon I saw on the way home and get all friendly without telling them why." His 'friends' broke into fits of guffaws and laughter at the lamentable fate. His father, on the other claw, trembled with renewed rage. "Is such the depths of his honor, that he would request my son debase himself in such a manner?" Spike put his claws on his hips. "I just told him to hug a few people. It isn't that big of a deal." The father blinked with confusion. "Is this true?" "Uh... yeah?" "That is... not as bad as I had feared. Still a shameful task, but... not as bad as I had thought..." Immovable turned to Spike. "So why'd you tell him to do that anyway?" The father nodded. "That is a question I would like answered." "He was a big fat jerk." Spike shook his head. "All through the contest he was getting in my way and insulting me and I got a little payback." The father nodded a little. "That much is true." "Dad!" Garble sputtered a little. "You--" "The adults are speaking," roared the dragon at his son. Garble grumbled to himself, but did not dare to speak up at that time. Prickle gave a little smile. "So, about that first time." She looked to Spike. "What happened with that phoenix egg?" "Oh, yeah, that's why I came. I didn't break any phoenix eggs. Garble wanted to smash it and I saved it instead and ran away with my friends." The father arched a brow. "I don't understand. It is a tradition that dragons, especially young and energetic, attack phoenix nests. We are traditional foes." Spike raised a claw. "But I'm not a traditional dragon." The father nodded. "Also true... Did the phoenix attack you once able?" "No... he grew up... and I let him go..." Spike gave a sad smile, a tear threatening to break free. "I couldn't give a phoenix what it needed, so off he went." The father inclined his head slowly. "I... see. A curious game. You are foolish if you think your one act of kindness will undo millennia of strife between us, but you are welcome to try." Garble stomped a foot on the ground. "So when do we get to the part where we show him a lesson?" "Not today." His powerful wings beat, blowing dirt and grass away as he lifted into the sky. "Spike is a curious, weak, dragon, but he is a dragon, and did not act with shame." "But... he..." "You brought it on yourself. Come on, before little miss dragon lord blows something looking for us." The other dragons made idle talk of agreement and they began to lift off to return to the dragon lands. Garble stomped up towards Spike, pointing at him behind Immovable. "This isn't over, runt. You're going to slip up, and I'll be there, ready to help you fall!" Spike flashed a bright grin. "So you're ready to lose to a bunch of ponies again?" With an infuriated growl, Garble took off to join the others. Prickle looked after the departed flight of dragons before she shook her head and joined Immovable and Spike. "That was really dangerous. Shouldn't you have waited in the castle?" "Yeah.... probably." He shrugged softly. "But I kept thinking about you two risking everything just for me." He put a claw on his chest. "It didn't feel right. They were here for me. I had to do something." Immovable wrapped a wing around Spike suddenly. "You are too adorable. Thanks for the help!" Prickle nodded less certainly. "It worked out in the end, I guess... You are alright, Spike?" "Oh yea." He bobbed his head. "Immovable didn't let them lay a claw on me." "That's my job," she crooned happily, still hugging Spike tight in her wings. "Hey! That means we did it, our biggest job ever!" Prickle broke into a quirked smile. "We're lucky he was willing to talk after fighting a little... I don't know how much I wanted to keep that up." "What are you talking about?!" Immovable shook her head. "You were great! I barely kept away from them, but you were tossing him around! Boom, crash! You hoofwrestled with a dragon and won!" Two pairs of hoofsteps came from the town as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo rushed to join them. Scootaloo was waving wildly as she went. "That was amazing! It was like every comic I ever read, but better, because it was right there, in front of me, and I knew the hero and..." Apple Bloom snickered softly. "Calm down, Scoots. TT, Immovable, you two alright?" Immovable released Spike. "As if anything could hurt me." She fluffed out her fur and feathers. Apple Bloom pointed behind Immovable at her still scorched tail. "Reckon ya ain't totally fireproof." Immovable's proud stance faltered. "Well, guess not..." Spike gave an emphatic thumbs up. "You were both great. Thanks for keeping me in one piece." He turned to the town. "And not a single damaged house. That's better than some times Twilight went to save the day." Scootaloo burst into laughter. "That's a low blow, Spike. You know they do their best." "I'm just joking around." He gestured up to the castle. "Want a celebratory lunch? I'll cook." Apple Bloom put a hoof to her chin. "Ah ain't one to look a gift horse in the mouth none, but this is more of an outdoors celebration time. Reckon maybe we can have ice cream?" Prickle licked her lips at the thought. "That sounds really nice... and not on fire." "Yeah, I've had enough fire for one day," agreed Immovable. "Where's the ice cream?" As the group began to move in quest of frozen treats, Prickle moved in beside Apple Bloom. "I thought you were heading home?" Apple Bloom had the dignity to blush at being caught. "And miss that fight? Nothin' doin'! Ah couldn't not watch that." Scootaloo's wings fluttered in a rapid buzzing. "As if we wouldn't watch that? You two were super amazing! Hey, Immovable, what'd you throw at the dragons that went kasploosh like that?" "That was a gift from a teacher." She nodded as she went in time with her hoofsteps. "She said I had to be ready to have it used on me, so I kept it around. Then it... you know, seemed like a good time to use it. I bet they hadn't been sprayed before." Scootaloo tilted her head. "You can get sprayed with that junk now?" Immovable tensed. "Uh...." Prickle slipped in between them. "Immovable is still practicing." They arrived at the store and were greeted as heroes. When Prickle tried to fish out a few bits to pay, she was gently refused. The stallion behind the bar shook his head. "I saw you two fighting off a whole mess of dragons out there. Today, it's on the house." After a pause, he seemed to rethink that. "One each."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	43 - Start Episode 11 - Celebration	"Here you are." Twilight presented, with a light wave of a hoof and a satisfied smile, a rolled up scroll. "This makes it all official." Prickle accepted the letter hesitantly, holding it between her forehooves. "Just like that?" Twilight lifted her shoulders. "Well, normally you'd have to prove your sincerity and ability, but then you went and stopped a flight of dragons for us while we were away. There's not a pony around that doubts you've earned this." While her cheeks darkened through her mask, Immovable was busy clopping the ground. "Yeah! Of course you deserve it. Why wouldn't you? You're the best superhero around, maybe anywhere!" Twilight looked to Immovable with a perked ear. "Speaking of which, there's you. I don't have all of your pertinents to file the paperwork properly." Spike waved broadly in the general direction of Applejack's farm. "If superheroing is worth a stipend, why aren't the girls all getting a check?" Twilight looked dumbfounded. "To start, what makes you think they're not? None of them are hurting for bits. To follow, this is specifically for cutie mark fulfillment in a productive manner. They're peacekeepers, as a profession. Guards, without the specific strata and order." She waggled a hoof towards Immovable. "I haven't seen your cutie mark yet, speaking of which." Immovable glanced back at her garbed flank, her cloak concealing her mark from view. She reached with a wing and brushed up the side of her cloak, revealing her mark for all to see. "I wasn't even thinking about it. Unlike Tiny Titan, I'm not even trying to be secret." The picture was that of a gust of wind crashing against a tall and lonely mountain peak. Prickle tilted her head at it. "That... makes sense, but we're changing it." Immovable jumped back, her cloak falling back into place. "Changing it?! But I like being me!" Prickle suddenly smiled. "We already changed it a little." "What? But..." It seemed to dawn on her slowly, a gasp coming from her quietly. "You... did... I guess..." She suddenly broke into laughter and grabbed Prickle, rubbing her masked head. "That's my mentor, teaching me all kinds of things!" Twilight tapped her quill against a parchment that wasn't there before, finishing her crude rendition of Immovable's mark. "Excellent, now I don't suppose you'd be willing to--" The doors to the castle burst open with a rain of confetti. "There she is!" came Pinkie's excited cry as she cartwheeled into view. "I've got a super special party lined up for you two." She came down, sliding on her knees with a forehoof directed at either super pony. "The mayor gave the alright for a whole parade!" Twilight started at that. "They never threw a parade when we saved the town." Spike looked more amused than surprised. "That's because you're not superheroes." Pinkie shook her head. "Actually there are at least two great reasons other than that." She leveled a hoof at Twilight as she got up on her other three. "You're the best organizer pony in the town. Are you gonna plan your own parade? That would be awkward! But wait, there's a great party planner right here." She redirected the pointing hoof at herself. "But I'm with you almost every time you save the town, so then I would be planning my own party, and that's kinda funny too. I mean, I love a party as much as the next pony, but I like planning other pony's parties and seeing the big smiles on their faces during the special days." She reared up and hugged herself with both arms tightly. "Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside." Immovable watched Pinkie monologue before she shook her head. "Just like the outside." "Exactly!" Pinkie bounced onto Immovable's back, hugging her instead. "Hey, so, you're Immovable, right?" Immovable swayed under Pinkie, not expecting to be suddenly mounted. "Um, yeah?" "Nice to meetcha!" Pinkie sprang from Immovable's back. "I heard you two have a super dynamic super name for a super duo." Prickle shook her head. It was all too much. "We don't need any parades, please." Immovable sat up tall. "We are Opposing Forces!" "Ooo, nice one." Pinkie took a quick note with a quill that wasn't in her mouth a moment ago. "I'll be sure to--" "We really don't need any parades..." Pinkie tilted her head at Prickle. "You don't need one, who does, but it'll be so much fun!" Prickle saw her words were not penetrating and grit her teeth. "I don't... want a parade." Immovable swiveled an ear at her mentor. "Why wouldn't you want one? You earned it! We earned it! She grabbed Prickle at her shoulders, putting a hoof on either side. "Ponies are happy to see me, and they want to celebrate. Don't take this from me!" Prickle's ears flipped back. "You... can keep it, but I don't want it." Her voice was small and strained. "Please..." Twilight's magic quietly wrapped around Pinkie, pulling her closer even as she was about to speak. "Pinkie." "What? She's totally gonna have a great time once we get started. She's just nervous, like you were when you first came to Ponyville." She lifted her shoulders. "You didn't want any party, but we did one anyway and you--" "--Hated it." Twilight's eyes half-lid. "I learned to like you all, later, but I didn't need that right then and she doesn't need that right now." Immovable suddenly popped up between them. "But I can still have it?" Pinkie squealed with joy. The parade was still on. She grabbed Immovable and they went off to discuss their plans. Spike gave Prickle a light pat. "It's cool. Twilight's got you off the hook." Prickle gave an unsure smile at that. "Thanks... I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but the idea of... everyone just... I don't..." Her head hung a little. "I just want to do what I can..." Twilight set a hoof on the opposite side of Spike's claw. "It's alright. I've been there myself. In the heat of the moment, you're just doing what you can to protect the people that matter to you, not trying to get famous, or cheers." "It's... yeah... but more than that." Prickle sat herself up, facing Twilight. "I'm still weird... I mean... I get it, being weird isn't... bad... And I like... I... I don't want to be weak, not when my friends need me to be strong for them. I like being able to protect them... but it's... still weird..." Twilight looked into Prickle's evasive eyes. "You don't need to justify yourself. Not to me. I'm sorry I didn't see this coming ahead of time. Your sidekick seems perfectly happy to take your place." Prickle glanced over at where Immovable was chatting with Pinkie. Both looked so excited and eager. "We don't deserve that..." Spike crossed his arms. "That's not how it works. A parade isn't just for the pony being paraded about." Prickle blinked. "It isn't?" Twilight seemed to grasp where Spike was going swiftly. "Right. When they put Princess Celestia on a chariot and roll her through town, it's not because she wants to see Canterlot that way. She'd rather just walk and talk to ponies if she could. It's for the ponies that get to see her and cheer and be happy. A parade is as much for the people seeing the parade as it is for anyone in the parade." Prickle went quiet a moment. "So..." Her eyes lifted to Spike. "You'd be happier if I was in the parade?" Spike lifted his shoulders. "I'm kind of a bad example. I mean, knowing you're uncomfortable, no... But there are a lot of ponies that just want to cheer at their hero and will never know any better." Twilight spread her wings wide. "When I got these and had to go through the formal ceremony to be crowned and paraded, I thought I might die of embarrassment, but I smiled and waved and smiled some more. I got through it and everyone was so happy. I know what you're feeling right now--" "--No you don't!" hissed out Prickle in an angry rush before her blush got worse. "Sorry... But... being a princess is a good thing. Everyone wants to be a princess. Not everyone wants this. Most ponies don't. Fighting super villains? Who... wants that?" "Me!" Immovable plopped her head on top of Prickle's from behind. "I mean, if we don't, who will? And we can look good while we're doing it." Twilight gave a soft snort. "Is it a pegasus thing?" "Wha?" Twilight waved a hoof. "You need to talk with Rainbow Dash, you two are very similar in your outlook on heroism." Immovable's wings sprung wide. "Can I meet her?! Oh, she's the faste..." Her excitement suddenly deflated. "Nevermind..." Spike leaned to the side, seeing Pinkie had left. "All done planning the parade?" "Yeah..." said Immovable, her exuberance suddenly absent. Prickle shook her head, making Immovable's bounce about. "What's wrong? We don't need two sad heroes and I got here first." Immovable stepped to the side with a snicker. "You're the boss." Prickle's own dissatisfaction was forgotten in favor of Immovable's. "Alright, out with it. Why the long face?" "I'm a pony?" Spike applied a claw to his face. "Okay okay... It's just... Rainbow Dash..." She reached out her left wing towards the sky. "She's... almost everything you could want to be, as a pegasus. She's fast, daring, agile, athletic, a great weather pony... She's fast! I'm... best at not moving. I'm a lousy pegasus... She wouldn't want to talk with me." Twilight shook her head. "From what I heard about your clash with the dragons? I imagine she would very much like to talk to you. In fact, if she wasn't busy catching up on the weather duties she claims were out of date since she wasn't here to help, she would tell you herself." Spike bobbed his head in easy agreement. "I was there, I saw it! You were great, all fwoosh zoom." He moved his claws in pantomime of the aerial conflict. "I thought you were gonna get scorched a few times, but you were one step ahead of them." Immovable let out a strained laugh. "I guess I can be a little fast when I think I'm about to be set on fire..." Prickle smiled at her older sidekick. "I wasn't watching you, but you were taking on all the rest of the dragons while I just had one." "The biggest one!" countered Immovable. "I just had, what..." She wobbled a hoof as if trying to count on it. "Like a half dozen teenagers." Prickle stuck out her tongue. "And you think half a dozen dragon teens is a small task? You can tell me that's not true." "Well, yea...." Immovable looked back to Twilight. "Would Rainbow really... be interested?" "Without a shadow of a doubt." "Would she... watch my parade?" Immovable's wings gave a little hopeful flutter. Twilight snickered softly. "She's going to be so jealous. She hasn't gotten a proper parade either." "Oh Celestia! I... I can't get a parade before Rainbow Dash..." Prickle perked up an ear. "I didn't know you liked Rainbow... Last time you saw her, you didn't say anything." "I was nervous..." Immovable fidgeted in place. "And she was so focused on finding the dragons. I didn't... want to be in her way." Prickle burst into laughter. "But that's your talent." Immovable gave a slow blink, owlish and confused before it clicked. "Oh yeah, it is, isn't it?" She joined the laughter, hers a little strained. "Okay okay... um... wait, if TT doesn't want to be there... I have an idea." She flashed a big smile. "It's time we hatched two birds with one egg!" Her wings came down in a powerful flap, carrying her away without another word but the determination shining in her eyes. Prickle watched her go a moment before looking back to Twilight and Spike. "Any idea what she's doing?" Both shrugged.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	44 - End Episode 11 - Cheering For You	Immovable rose higher and higher into the sky, doing slow circles to get a view of things. She might not have been an ideal pegasus, but a pegasus she remained. Getting a bird's eye view came naturally enough. Another pony came flying past her and Immovable waved a hoof frantically. Despite not being in their way, she managed to stop them. She still had it. The faintly pink mare turned back to Immovable, green and cerise striped mane bobbing with the motions of her hovering. "Hey, uh... Who are you again?" Immovable snorted softly. "Tiny Titan's sidekick, Immovable?" "Oh yeah!" She smiled brightly. "Nice to meetcha." She extended a wing, the other apparently able to keep her aloft long enough for a shake. "I'm Blossomforth. What's up?" "I'm looking for Rainbow Dash, have you seen her?" Immovable's head panned around. Blossomforth's hooves came in from either side and redirected Immovable's head to look towards a cloud. There were pegasi coming and going all around it. She let go of Immovable's head and nodded. "Rogue cloud from the Everfree. Rainbow and the others are working on getting rid of it. If you're not helping, you should probably stay out of their way. I should get going though. Have a good one!" As Blossomforth dashed away in a zip of wings, Immovable deflated a little. She would just be in the way of weather ponying... She heard a voice echoing from her memory. It was soft laughter, Tiny Titan's. "But that's your talent." Immovable drew a slow breath before giving a firm nod. "That is my talent." She flew towards the cloud. If anypony was going to be in the way, at least it'd be an expert! Shouts echoed across the cloud as it rumbled ominously. A dark flash streaked across its interior as it darkened, looking more like a stormcloud by the moment instead of just another cloud. The weather ponies were set on the task of making sure it didn't get to damage Ponyville, working together as a harmonious team to defend their town as a well-oiled machine of meteorological power. Then Immovable showed up, flapping about aimlessly in her search for Rainbow Dash. She lived up to her talent by being in the way of a dark grey pegasus with bright cyan mane. "Oops, sorry," she said as she turned to face him. He looked confused at the interruption. "You're not on the weather team, right?" "Well, no, but..." Cloud Chaser thrust a wing downwards. "You should get out of here before you get hurt." "But I have to find Rainbow Dash!" Immovable spread her forehooves wide. "Have you seen her?" Cloud pointed upwards, but the hoof quickly moved to the side, then down, and back up again. "She's busy." Immovable looked where he was pointed at the moment and saw a hint of rainbow tail, just streaking out of view. There she was! "Thanks!" She flew away from Cloud and after the snatch of vision she'd been gifted with. She didn't get far before she felt somepony tapping her on the back. She twisted around to see Rainbow Dash right there, looking at her like something was wrong. She looked... annoyed. "Um... hi?" "Yeah, hi. Look, we're kind of in an emergency here." She waved to the side dramatically. "We can talk once I'm off-duty, or at least there isn't a huge class seven baring down on the town." Immovable looked at the angry cloud, moving towards Ponyville. "I just want to--" "--No time. If we don't stop this thing and get it back where it came from, a lot of ponies are going to end up in trouble." Rainbow Dash thrust a hoof back towards town. "Go wait and we can chat later." Immovable was downcrest a moment, but then it came on her, revealed in a slow smile that became wider by the moment. "You need the cloud to stop, right?" "Yeah?" Rainbow blinked at Immovable. "What's cooking up there?" She reached out and bonked Immovable twice on the head. "It's my talent," she replied, moving to fly between the cloud and Ponyville. "Nothing can get past me, even stupid big storm clouds!" She spread her wings wide. "You stop right there! I am Immovable, and unless your name is Tiny Titan, you don't have a chance!" The cloud was unimpressed by her declaration, and advanced towards her. She strained her wings out wider, trying to stay aloft and somehow catch all of the cloud. "Stop..." The cloud was starting to pass through her, flowing around her without care. She wasn't stopping it. But she had to! "Stop!" She shrieked as she backed up enough to be in its way again. She drew in a powerful breath, curling her wings in before throwing them out. "Stop!" Her shout seemed to echo through the cloud, and it crashed into her once more... but did not pass. She could feel it pushing, all of it. The entire cloud was surprisingly heavy when it was focused on her front, but it wasn't as hard a shove as Tiny Titan could deliver. Immovable laughed. It started softly, but became a joyous, almost hysteric cackling as she stood her 'ground'(air?) against the cloud and kept it from advancing. "Yeah that's right! You ain't going nowhere until I say so!" She shouted at the unfeeling weather pattern. Rainbow shook her head slowly. "Well, alright then. She's going to make this easy for us." She pointed and directed the other weather ponies and they attacked the pinned cloud. They got a great net over it and with the entire flight of pegasi attached, began the drag it towards the Everfree it had come from, away from any ponies it might harm with its unplanned lightning and storming. Once the cloud started to withdraw from her, Immovable sagged. A new sharp pain flared at the joints of her wings. She had never stopped something so huge before, and it took it out of her. She squeaked in surprised dismay. Pain was not a thing she experienced very often, and it scared her to encounter it. She flew straight for the ground, half-crashing into the earth so she could curl her throbbing wings into view and hug them as if in apology, but more to make the aching stop. Rainbow came to a land a few feet from Immovable. "Hey, great stuff up there. You shaved a few hours and maybe some damage off of the whole thing." She walked up towards the curled pegasus. "Tired? Is it hard stopping things?" She perked an ear. "I can't say I 'get' how that stuff works, but it did, so, hey, thanks." It was then she noticed Immovable wasn't responding to her words. "You alright?" "It hurts," squeaked out Immovable, holding her wings as best she could. Rainbow tilted her head. "Did you get hit with a lightning bolt? I hate when that happens." Immovable shook her head quickly, then extended her left wing, carefully, towards Rainbow. "Inside." "I ain't a doctor, but lemme see." She put a hoof to Immovable's wings and started patting them down as she moved in behind Immovable. "I've managed to bust my own no few times, so don't think I have no idea what it's like..." She touched a part that made Immovable squeal. "Ah yeah, that ain't right. But I've seen it before. Do you trust me?" Immovable gave the barest nod. She wouldn't be a coward in front of Rainbow Dash, of all ponies. "G-go ahead." "This will hurt, a lot," warned Rainbow just before she slammed a hoof down. Immovable blinked. The pain just... stopped. "Wow, can you do that with the other ones?" Rainbow tilted her head with confusion. "Last time I had someone pop a joint back into place, even I had to give a shout. That didn't hurt?" Immovable shook her head. "It just stopped hurting when you did that. It was great! Please fix the other ones." Rainbow gave a soft shrug. "Well alright, here we go." She went to each place the wing wasn't quite put together right and popped it back into place, banishing each point of agony one by one, until Immovable let out a sigh of sublime relief, her wings back to feeling normal. "There you go. Feel alright now?" "Like new." Immovable spread her wings and gave them a few flaps, raising a few inches from the ground. "Thank you!" She pounced on Rainbow and hugged her tightly. Rainbow laughed, returning the hug before pushing Immovable back. "That's enough of that. What did you want to talk about so bad you were looking for me in the middle of a rogue storm for?" Immovable's ears perked up as she remembered her mission. "Oh right! They're throwing me a parade later." "I heard something about that... very nice for you... getting a parade." Rainbow was trying her best to not sound jealous. She was not overly successful. Immovable poked Rainbow in the chest. "I want you with me. You deserve a parade at least as much as I do, and Tiny Titan doesn't want one anyway. Will you be my wingmare?" Rainbow gave a slow blink at that. "Hey, uh, thanks, but they're going to want to see the 'saviors of ponyville', which I am not, despite saving it like a bajillion times." Her eyes rolled dramatically. "They'll probably think I'm just butting in, and who likes that?" Immovable wagged her forehooves about. "No! I want you there, please! You're a part of the team, the team that helps protect Ponyville. You've worked with Tiny Titan before, right?" "Yeah?" "And we just worked together to save it from a nasty cloud." She pointed where the cloud had been. "Come on! You're part of the team, really!" She leveled a hoof at Rainbow Dash's snout. "I hereby officially welcome you to Opposing Forces!" Rainbow gave a slow blink before laughter rolled free of her. "You're too nice, really, but doesn't Pr--Tiny Titan get a vote in this? She's half the team." Immovable jumped from left to right, hooves dancing. "I don't care. She said you could have the parade, she doesn't want it. Please!" "As awesome as the offer is... why?" She sat up tall. "I mean, sure, anypony would be happy to have the Dash at their side, but you seem really worked up about it. What's going on?" Immovable's dancing become nervous fidgeting almost instantly. "It's just... I mean..." "Yeah?" Immovable took a slow breath, barrel expanding before she let it out explosively. "Alright. Rainbow Dash, tell me straight. Am I a good pegasus?" Rainbow's head cocked to the side. "Huh?" She reached out with a wing but stopped before touching Immovable. "What kinda question is that? You've been fighting monsters and bad guys already, right? How are you not good?" "Not that kinda good!" Squeaked out Immovable before she cleared her throat. "I meant, as a pegasus, am I a... good example of a pegasus?" Rainbow pointed a hoof at herself. "Well if you're comparing yourself to me, stop it. There's only one Rainbow Dash, and I got that position filled." Her cocky smile became a softer one. "But, failing that, yeah, you're just fine. You can fly, you helped manage the weather just now, and all of that? Doesn't even matter." Immovable blinked at the words. "Doesn't matter?" "Nope, not even one bit, and do you know why?" Immovable shrank a little. "Because I'm slow?" "Pfft, no." Rainbow leaned forward. "You have the best parts of being a pegasus. You go where you want to go, say what you want to say, and tackle life straight on. One of my favorite Pegasi, Scootaloo, can't even fly at all, but she has that, the important part." She beat her chest with a hoof. "Pegasus spirit. You got that. When life tells you to take a hike, you kick it in its dumb face." A smile began to emerge from within Immovable. "You mean it?" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I'd be a terrible example of 'saying what you want' if I was just spouting things I didn't actually mean. Yeah, kid, you're alright. Nice job with the cloud too. So... a parade." Her wings fluttered. "If I'm joining, we better tell Pinkie. I expect some nice big rainbow-themed decorations." Immovable giggled with expectant joy. She had a lot to celebrate.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	45 - Start Episode 12 - Conference	Prickle was on her way home from school. She was getting good grades, and that made her and her mother happy. "Even if I'm a super pony, that's no excuse to not study," she said to herself, almost singing it as she trotted with a smile. "Mail!" came the excited cry of a mailmare as Muffins landed in front of Prickle. She looked Prickle over. "Yup, it's for you." She reached into her saddlebag with her snout, rooting around before plucking free a large envelope. "Here you go!" "Thanks," noted Prickle with some surprise. She didn't get mail often and she sat on her haunches to turn the envelope around in her hooves carefully. It wasn't addressed to her, exactly. Right there in big bold letters it said 'Tiny Titan'. She squeaked and hid it away. "Hey!" Muffins tilted her head a moment before it seemed to click. "As a mailmare, it is my duty to know the address and identity of all the ponies in Ponyville." A smile split her wall-eyed face. "That letter belongs to you. Have a nice day!" She rose into the air on her wings and fluttered away on her route. Prickle let out a sigh as she resumed her walk. It was becoming easier to name the ponies in town that didn't know her 'secret' than those that did. As if conjured by her thoughts, a pony that was one of the few unaware came trotting towards her. "Hey, Prickle," called out Diamond as she approached. "I'm onto you." Prickle blinked and flinched away. Not her, anypony but her! Diamond flashed a wicked smile. "You're going to teach them a lesson." Prickle deflated as confusion took the wind out of her sails. "Teach who what?" "I figured it out, why you're not just using that freakish strength of yours." She sat on her haunches and pointed back at school. "You're studying because you want to show that earth ponies can do whatever they want, and I respect that." She cuffed Prickle on the shoulder roughly. "That takes real guts. I mean, you could just be using that freaky strength to get by, but noooo, here you are, trying to show you're more than that. That earth ponies are more than brute help." Her nose wrinkled. "I'll admit it, I was wrong about you." Prickle's mouth worked without sound a moment. Part of her rejoiced to hear acceptance coming from Diamond's snout, but... But... "Don't look that way." She rose to her hooves. "Look, we're in this together, as earth ponies. The world doesn't expect a lot from us, as a tribe, but we're both going to show them they are so very wrong." She gave a firm nod. "We're not gonna be lame farmers or builders." She waved towards Sweet Apple Acres as she mentioned the art of farming. "I'll be the brains of the outfit, but maybe I won't be alone. You keep on studying." "Y-yeah," agreed Prickle without force or conviction, her eyes darting about. "I... want to be able to be whatever I want." "Exactly!" roared Diamond. "I knew I got a bead on this." She laughed, almost hysterical as she shut her eyes and enjoyed her victory. "Silver Spoon'll lose that stupid look on her face when she sees I've figured it out." Suddenly, she trotted away, likely to confront Silver Spoon. Prickle wobbled in place a moment before a little laugh forced its way free. She imagined Diamond proudly reporting her 'discovery' to Silver. The reaction... "Poor Diamond..." She blinked as she said it. Was she feeling sorry for Diamond Tiara? She put the thought out of her head and got herself home. "Hello, my little hedgehog." Junebug put a hoof on Prickle's head, mussing her mane lightly. "Princess Twilight came by and dropped off a few things." She pointed to a basket on the table. "Seems there are some things to talk about, but I'll let you get comfortable before pouncing you about that. You should read it yourself first." Prickle gave her mother a careful hug before sitting at the table to peer at the basket. Two bits of mail in one day? She was becoming popular... She pulled out the big envelope and set it beside the basket as if to compare the two a moment before she undid the clasp of the envelope, or tried. Clasps were not the easiest thing for hooves to get at. She got tired of wrestling with it and grabbed a corner in her teeth. With a wrench, the poor envelope tore in half, spilling its contents to the table. "What's that?" asked Junebug as she sat beside her daughter. "I don't know." Prickle let the emptied envelope fall to the table before starting to sift through what had fallen, sorting it out to three sheets of paper, two pins, and a smaller envelope. The pins showed what looked like almost painfully stereotypical superponies. One was an alicorn and had a subtitle of 'Leader' and the other was a pegasus and it said 'Sidekick'. "That's... odd. I don't think I need these..." Junebug reached for one of the pins, turning it over in her hooves. "They're nicely made, but what are they for?" Prickle shrugged and looked to the papers, hoping they would give a hint. They seemed to be an application, though most of it had already been filled out, there were plenty of spaces waiting for her to put information. The top claimed 'Super Pony Conference' and had a stylized icon much like the leader pin. Junebug reared back a little. "I think you're being invited to... a sort of professional meeting. It seems your exploits have been noticed in the wider world." There was only one final place for answers. Prickle tore open the smaller envelope and pulled out the letter, reading hungrily. Esteemed Tiny Titan, News of your impressive start of duty has reached our ears. We would like to formally invite you, and your sidekick, to our next conference. As you likely already know, knowledge of this is to be kept confidential. While some super ponies work under their public identity, many do not, so we must operate under the assumption that everyone's identity is safe here. You may be wondering why you should come, so let us go over some of the benefits. At the conference, you'll get to meet established super ponies and exchange tips, methods, and stories. We'll have a host of panels about how to fight crime in an ever-evolving society and how to avoid backlash from the citizenry that may become intimidated by our presence. We'll also have contests and games to practice your abilities and show off in a safe environment with other super ponies. No one will be scared of you here. This is a safe place. You'll also get a chance to meet some of the great non-super but super-servicing partners we've rounded up! Need to get a secret lair fast? Need a suit made for your unique branding and safety requirements? We have dozens of vendors eager to help heroes. You may be worried about fees. Your first conference is entirely free, a gift from the super pony society to welcome an up and coming hero to our ranks. The pins you've received double as badges that will allow you entry into the event. They change yearly, so feel free to collect them as you continue fighting the good fight. Your sidekick, as mentioned, is entirely welcome to accompany you, but should not be told when or where the conference is before arriving. She will need to pass a few tests before she can be trusted with this information in future years. Looking Forward to Meeting You, Crimson Streak Junebug had been reading over Prickle's shoulder. "Who's Crimson Streak?" She asked quizzically. "Do you plan to go?" She pointed then at the back of the paper. "It's in Baltimare. That's quite a distance away." Prickle turned the paper over to see the address, and the date listed. "There's a few weeks... I'll think about it." Junebug suddenly hugged Prickle from behind. "If you want to go... I'll go with you." Prickle warmed in her cheeks at her mother's kindness. "Thanks mom, but you're not a super pony." Junebug raised a hoof. "I'll stay in the hotel and make myself busy around Baltimare while you enjoy the conference." Prickle shook her head. "That's really nice, but if you're there, that'll make it really obvious who I am." She hopped up to plant a smooch on Junebug's cheek. "You're the best mom ever though!" Junebug let out a little sigh even as she smiled. "And you're a wonderful daughter... If you go, be careful. And watch out for your friend. I know she's older than you, but you're the more mature pony. I don't want either of you getting into trouble." Prickle bobbed her head, but her eyes were on the basket. She had one more bit of mail to take care of. As she reached for it, a hoof intercepted the motion. "Do your homework first. You've had enough distractions today." Prickle stuck out her tongue a little. She wanted to see what was waiting for her! Still, she capitulated to her mother's request and got out her homework, scribbling away busily. Her eyes darted to the basket over and over as she worked. The maddening urge to know what it contained built with every passing minute. When she finally slapped her notebook shut, she lunged for the basket with a triumphant cry. "All done!" She buried her snout into the basket, rooting around. The first thing she noticed was bits. It had them! She pulled her head free, blinking. Curiosity building, she reached for the handle of the basket and tipped it over. Bits spilled out across the table, more than she had ever seen in one place before. "What is this?!" Junebug pointed at the basket. "You should read the letter." Another letter? Prickle reached up inside the basket and found the letter, pulling it free. It was more of a scroll than a letter, and she unfurled it to reveal crisp writing. Salutations, Prickle Berry Congratulations! I've submitted the forms for your pay as being a public servant and for fulfilling your cutie mark. Your line of work includes hazard pay, considering its dangerous nature. Due to your age, you are encouraged to finish your schooling, should you desire, and it will not diminish your scheduled payments. Once you are an adult, time taken away from your work will count against your stipend, so enjoy this opportunity and expand your mind. Signed, Princess Twilight Sparkle PS: This is Spike. I'm writing this for Twilight. I know she likes reading and everything, but nopony will be upset with you for taking a break once in awhile. Prickle set the letter down and smiled. "Twilight is a nice princess." Junebug nodded in agreement. "To think, she arrived a neurotic mess not that long ago. She's grown quite a bit since then, and so have you, little hedgehog." She kissed Prickle's cheek gently. "This comes with many... responsibilities and privileges." Prickle pointed at the mass of bits. "Besides having money?" "Well, there is that to start." She put a hoof on the pile. "I hope you trust me enough to play banker with this, to start. We'll get you an account at the real bank and start going over how to handle an income. It isn't as easy as I may make it look. A public servant... That's an honor in itself." "Or is it?" Prickle smiled brightly. "I can't really tell anypony about it." Junebug looked confused a moment before it struck her. "Oh! Yes... I suppose that's true... But there are many ponies right here in town who already know about you, and Tiny Titan. There's nothing stopping me from gushing about you with them. Besides, if you ask nicely, maybe they'll give you a 'public' title to use?" That was a thought. Prickle wondered what that title would be, if she was given one. What would her fake job be? She flashed back to what Diamond was saying. If she pretended to be involved in construction, that would be a very easy story to swallow, but...
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	46 - I Can't Wait	Immovable giggled as she hovered in the air, clopping her forehooves. "We get to go to a hero con?!" she exclaimed with a big smile on her face. "Oh wow, you're the best mentor ever." She landed lightly, wings folding. "I went from a supervillain to this? I can't even process this." She grabbed Prickle, hugging the costumed hero tightly. "You're the best!" Prickle easily pushed her sidekick back a little. "I think they know what you used to be, so you're on a kind of probation." She shook her head. "But you're going to mind your manners and they'll see how good of a pony you've become." Immovable tilted her head at that. "What makes you say that?" Prickle tapped one hoof on the other as if counting. "Well, for one, they don't want me to tell you when or where it is, so you're going to have to just trust me." "That's easy." She bobbed her head. "Is there a two?" "Well, your application had some... questions." "Like?" Prickle gave a little laugh. "Let's put that aside. We should get to patrolling." Immovable stuck out her tongue in defiance. "Oh fine, keep it a secret. What's with you and secrets? You won't even tell me who you are, I mean, besides Tiny Titan, and we're partners!" She spread her hooves wide. "Don't you trust me?!" Prickle's ears pinned back. "Let's not make it about that. If I didn't believe in you, we wouldn't... Please." Immovable took a long breath before she nodded. "Yeah, I get it. I guess I deserve that." Her sour expression brightened. "Maybe we'll find some bad pony in need of a lesson. Let's get to looking." That Prickle could agree with, and their patrol began. Prickle sat on her haunches in front of a skeptical Cheerilee. "An urgent family affair?" she asked, brow rising as she said it. Nervously, Prickle rubbed one arm with a hoof. "I'm really sorry. If you give me the schoolwork, I'll do my best to keep up." Cheerilee shook her head with the smallest sigh. "I would rather you were honest with me. If you feel you have to go, you should just say that... I'll have your work prepared for you, just be careful, mmm. Baltimare's a big city for such a small filly." Prickle bobbed her head quickly. "I will! And I'll do my work, promise!" She bounced to her hooves. "You're the best teacher ever!" Cheerilee leaned in with a knowing smile. "I'm the only teacher you've had." "Still the best," argued Prickle. "Oh, this reminds me." Cheerilee raised a hoof to her chin. "I'm glad to see you and Diamond have mended your fences. It's really nice to see my little ponies getting along and talking out their differences so maturely. I'm proud of both of you." Prickle's cheeks warmed as the fished for a good response. "I... think... we're moving past... our past." Cheerilee nodded. "And that's fantastic to see. Look, I know she can be a hoofull, but we are ponies. We need each other. It... just took her a while to really notice. So, if she says something thoughtless... give her a chance to make it up, is all I'm asking." She moved for her desk, walking lightly. "Have a good trip, whatever it is you're really doing over there." Prickle, as Tiny Titan, and Immovable trotted up towards Twilight's castle. With a firm knock, the door swung inwards to reveal Spike. "Hey, the superponies of Ponyville," he greeted with a smile. "How are ya doing?" Prickle pointed past Spike. "We just wanted to make sure everyone knew we would be out of town for a little while." Spike gave an emphatic thumbs up on both his claws. "Gotcha. You covered them, now it's their turn. Don't worry, nothing's on their radar, so everything should be fine, well..." He suddenly sighed, looking just a litttle downcast. "Except Rarity, that is. She got called away on some fashion show somewhere." With a bright burst of light, Twilight appeared. "Tiny, Immovable, nice to see you both. What's this I hear?" Immovable waved excitedly at the princess. "Hello Twilight! We're going to a--" Prickle shoved a hoof in Immovable's snout. "We just have to go a few days. We'll be back." Twilight's brow raised. "Is it educational?" Prickle bobbed her head in easy agreement. "It sure will be! I'm really looking forward to that part, actually." All tension faded from Twilight. "Then I hope you both have a great time. Oh, Immovable, I'm still working on your paperwork. You haven't had as many opportunities as Tiny Titan here to show your stuff, but that will change with time." Immovable gave a huff at that, wings fidgeting. "I'm Tiny Titan's sidekick, and I do it well, right?" She looked to Titan for confirmation. Prickle gave a little laugh. "Of course she does, that's why she's coming with me. Maybe we can both learn some things." Spike snickered softly. "You two are a good team. Have fun!" He waved and Twilight soon joined them. With partings out of the way, they got to trotting towards the train. The sound of a wheels, small wheels, was the only hint of what was coming before Scootaloo skidded to a halt right in front of them. "Hey! Where are you two off to? Some super villain in need of a walloping? Can I watch?" Immovable put a hoof to her chest. "Even better, we're--" She ducked under Prickle's incoming hoof. "Going to a superpony con!" Prickle let out a groan, but Scootaloo looked far more interested. Her eyes went wide. "Wow... they really have those? Can I come? Can I come!" She bounced up and down off of her scooter, it falling to the side. "I'll be good, promise! Oh please!" Giving her sidekick a glare, she noted, "This is why they didn't trust you. You can't keep a secret." Immovable flinched back. "But... she's one of our biggest fans..." Scootaloo zipped up into Prickle's face, snout to snout. "Please! I'll be so quiet you won't even know I'm there!" Prickle took a few uneasy steps back. "I'm not... trying to say no, but they only gave me two pins, two, and you make three, and it's supposed to be a secret! I don't want to get kicked out before I even get in the door..." She could see Scootaloo's expression falling with a trembling lip and tears forming. "Oh please don't cry..." "N-no, it's cool." Scootaloo wiped her face with an arm. "I understand..." Prickle was far from the most observant pony ever, but even she had a good idea. "It's not cool." She frowned. "Scootaloo... You are my friend, one of my best... I don't want to leave you behind, really..." Scootaloo waved it away. "Yeah yeah, I get it... it's not like you made up the rules. So, uh..." She glanced left and right and back at Prickle. "You'll tell me all about it, the not secret parts, right? And check if you can get me in next year!" She bounced back up, looking more chipper. "They haveta have something for #1 fans, right? Ask!" She gave a sudden giggle. "Rainbow's gotten me into a few secret places that way, seen the Wonderbolts practice for shows and stuff. Just ask, that's all I'm saying. If they say no, at least you tried." Prickle nodded firmly at that. "I will! For sure. I owe you at least that much, if not more. You and the girls have helped me so much." She put out a hoof. Scootaloo got the prompt and stepped in and the two gave a warm hug to one another. Immovable gave a loud 'aww' of an appraisal of the scene. "You two are just so nice together." She wrapped her forehooves around herself. "I hope I get a #1 fan like that..." Scootaloo grinned up at Immovable. "You keep being awesome and you will. I mean, I'm a fan. Not a #1 fan, but a fan." She stepped back from Prickle. "I hope you two have a great time, alright? Go show those other super ponies how amazing you are!" Immovable offered a hoof towards Scootaloo. "Keep an eye on me. I'll show my stuff." The hoof was met with a loud clop. "You already are. Keep it up!" Scootaloo hopped back onto her scooter. "You two have fun!" With buzzing wings, she propelled away. With no further interruptions, they resumed their journey. Immovable moved in close to Prickle. "Hey, uh, sorry." Prickle looked up at her larger sidekick. "Mm?" "For blurting out where we were going." Immovable glanced about as she went. "I shouldn't have done that." "It's alr--" "It isn't." Immovable moved around in front of Prickle and planted her mighty bottom on the ground. Her wings unfolded in her blocking stance. "I was wrong, and I need to accept that. I want you... everyone to trust me, so I should earn that." Prickle tilted her head to the left, then the right, trying to see around Immovable, but the way was nicely blocked. "You still have it." Immovable grinned. "Stopping ponies is my specialty, but I'm serious!" Prickle offered a hoof out towards her sidekick. "Let's put this behind and focus on making this the best few days ever." Immovable grinned hard enough that her cheeks squeaked from the pressure. "Let's, and if I... do anything stupid, you'll stop me, right?" "What are mentors for?" Their hooves met with a clop and they strode side by side. When they arrived at the ticket counter, the mare behind looked to Immovable expectantly. Immovable shook her head and reached down, plucking up Prickle to be in easier view. Prickle gave a smile, cheeks warming. "Hello. Two to Baltimare please." The mare tapped at her cheek lightly. "Oh... that's a distance away. Does your--" Another pony that had been waiting behind the two gave out a sudden groan. "That's Tiny Titan and Immovable. They're a team, just give them the tickets already." The countermare blinked. "Oh, I heard of you two, but I never saw you before." She took their bits and gave over two big tickets. "Have a nice trip." The train arrived a short while later and they stepped up onto it. The journey was long enough that they had been assigned a cabin with cots to sleep on. Immovable gestured to the higher of the two bunks. "You can have the top one." Prickle shook her head. "You can get up there easier. I'll take the bottom one. Not that we're sleeping now. I'm going to get something to drink." She turned towards the dining car, but paused. Immovable was looking hopeful about something. "What's wrong?" "Um... how are you... affording a drink?" Prickle blinked at that. "I have some bits?" "Oh... I don't..." Prickle smiled gently and waved forward. "Then we'll go together. No sidekick of mine is going to go thirsty while I can do something about it." Immovable hopped forward, grabbing Prickle by the nape of her neck and hauling her off the ground in a spinning toss that ended with Prickle coming down on Immovable's back. "Onwards!" cried the excited pegasus and she got to trotting through the train. "Where'd you get bits from, anyway? Aren't you still in school?" "Oh, yeah..." Prickle gave a sheepish smile. "But Twilight signed me up as an official guardian of Equestria, and that comes with some bits." Immovable's ears swiveled back towards Prickle. "Wow... I hope they finish my paperwork soon. Is... Do they give a lot for that kind of thing." Prickle hadn't actually counted all her bits. Her mother had made them vanish into a bank account and given her some for her trip. "Um... Enough, I think..." "You have enough to cover us both?" Prickle smiled from on top of Immovable. She pointed towards the bar. "So long as you let me pick what we get." "Cider?" suggested Immovable with a hopeful tone. She would be disappointed.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	47 - Baltimares	Arriving in Baltimare, they stepped from the crowded and bustling train station to find themselves among towering buildings on all sides, blotting out much of the sky. Prickle's eyes danced and her body was a little lower to the ground. Immovable threw a leg over her smaller mentor. "First time in a real city? Don't let it intimidate you." A pony bumped into her, but she didn't move. The intruder in her personal space seemed to come out of their own thoughts with some confusion. "Look where you're going, hon," spat out the mare as she realized she had not run into a pole, but a pegasus instead. "Some of us are walking." She moved past with a huff. Immovable barely registered the event. "Ponies are always in a hurry in these places, but I learned to just go at my own pace. Forget 'em!" Prickle reached up and poked her sidekick in the nose. "That is way easier for you to do. Nopony can move you no matter what they do. I don't want to be crashed into." Immovable raised a hoof to her own chest, the other forehoof still on the other side of Prickle. "Well, it's a good thing you brought me along. It would be my distinct honor to be your shield." Prickle felt a little smile coming along. "You know, that really does make me feel better." She hopped to her hooves and scampered around, then up, scaling Immovable to mount her as a proud winged steed. "Onwards! I have a hotel reservation for us... It should be... there'ish?" She pointed down the road. Immovable rose and began walking along the sidewalk. "Roger! Do you have an address? What hotel is it?" Prickle had not brought the address, and warmed in her cheeks as she thought how silly that mistake was. "It's the Lady Baltimare Hotel," she directed. She remembered that. It sounded like a nice place, and it wasn't too far from where the convention would be, which she still wasn't allowed to tell Immovable yet. "Maybe we should ask around?" "Nah." Immovable trotted across the street. "That sounds boring. How about we cheat?" "Cheat?" Immovable's wings snapped out, catching a pony on either side and drawing dark glances. "Ta da!" With a flap, she ascended over most of the traffic and began to soar gently down the street. "Lady Baltimare..." Prickle thrust out a hoof to the right, ahead of them. "I think I see it!" It had a strip of lights running along a cement overhang, and golden doors. Golden doors? Prickle tilted her head a little. "How did I afford this?" "With bits?" suggested Immovable as she banked to come in for a landing in front of the hotel. "How else?" "I mentioned the 'secret discount code' and it was really affordable..." Prickle put a hoof to her cheek. "I didn't think it would be this nice looking." "So they have gold doors, big deal." Immovable began walking towards them. "I bet the inside's boring. They're just putting on airs." The interior looked old, the refined kind of old. Chandeliers hung above with tinkling crystal. Brass and solid metal were used for wall decorations. It was not, in the end, a palace of gold. Prickle let out a breath of relief, but Immovable just laughed. "How much do you want to bet those are just painted?" Prickle blinked at the idea. "Oh... Yeah, I guess that's more likely..." She hopped down from Immovable. There were far less people inside the hotel than the traffic of the sidewalks. With purpose, she strode towards the front desk, but wavered as she came close to it. It wasn't golden encrusted everything, but it wasn't Ponyville either... The stallion seated behind the counter smiled down at her. "Hello, little filly. Are you here with your mother?" His eyes lifted towards Immovable a moment. "No reason to be shy." Prickle felt the hairs on her back lifting. "N-no! I mean..." A blush came on fierce. "She's my friend, not my mother. We have a reservation... please." Why had she said please? She felt silly. The stallion's ears remained relaxed. An easy smile spread on his snout. "It's alright. My apologies for assuming. Please, welcome to the Lady Baltimare Hotel. We'll do our best to make your stay a comfortable one. Under what name is the reservation?" Prickle went stiff as a board. She had put it under her own name, her normal one, and there she was, in her outfit, with Immovable. She had fouled the entire thing up! But... "Immovable, I'm thirsty. Can you get me a drink?" She pointed at a water pitcher across the lobby. Immovable lifted her shoulders. "Sure. Get our key." She ambled towards the water, seeming more annoyed at the delay than anything else. Prickle hopped up and grabbed the edge of the counter, dangling off. In a harsh whisper, she practically hissed at the stallion, "Look, I put it under the wrong name. It's under 'Prickle Berry', but change it to 'Tiny Titan' please! Quick!" The stallion took it in stride. He pulled out a large reservation book and flipped through it before, with a glow of his horn, he casually removed the old name and placed in the new one. "Room 406, a fine suite." He floated a key over to rest on the countertop. "Would you like a second, for your companion?" Prickle fell to the smooth stone floor. Was it that easy? "Oh, yes, please? If that isn't too much trouble." "Of course, Lady Titan." Another key joined the first. "There is a matter of the deposit." "Right." Prickle got to fishing out her bits when a wing tickled her cheek. She squeaked and looked up to see Immovable holding out a glass of water in the same wing. "Thanks!" She sagged a bit, the tension fading. She took the glass and set it down before counting out the deposit, with a few extra. "For your fantastic service." The stallion slipped the bits away. "Thank you, ma'am. Enjoy your stay! Your room includes a free breakfast in the morning. It's quite good, don't miss it." Immovable licked her lips. "That sounds great, but how about dinner?" She leaned in closer to Prickle. "And weren't you thirsty?" Prickle grabbed the glass in her hooves fast enough that some water sloshed free. "I am!" she said perhaps a bit defensively before she chugged it down in hungry gulps. "Excuse me, sir, where do you suggest we go for dinner?" The stallion gestured to the side. "We have a fully staffed, five star, dining hall right here. You don't ever have to leave the hotel for comfort and relaxation. Also included in your room, we have a training room, a pool, and a hot tub." He plucked up a small pamphlet and offered it towards them. "Here you are." Immovable snatched the pamphlet with a wing. "Alright. Let's get some of that food." They went to get some food. A waitress showed them to a table immediately and was very chipper and kind. It seemed like a fine place, until Prickle unfolded the menu and tilted her head to the left slowly. "Why are the menu items out of order?" The waitress looked equally puzzled. "Out of order?" "Yeah, see, you have ten, then six, and then twelve?" She turned the menu around for the waitress to see. "Those are the prices," explained the mare with a bright smile. "Oh..." Prickle set down the menu slowly. "Oh." "So whatcha getting?" asked Immovable. "It all looks so good!" Prickle stood up from her chair. "Thank you." She dipped her head at the waitress, hopped down, and began walking towards the door, her steps stiff and wobbling all at once. Immovable came scrambling after her. "Hey, what's wrong? Didn't see anything you like?" "Yeah, we'll go with that." She walked for the front door. "Let's eat like the locals." "Oh, that sounds fun." Immovable followed after her mentor. "Now that's my irresistible force, going for something adventurous." In the end, they found a small and humble local eatery to give their bits to. Bellies were filled and wallets were spared. As it turned, seafood was a big thing in Baltimare, and they got to try some of it. Food eaten, their trip complete, both felt ready to crash. Immovable extended a wing. "Hop up, let's get to our room. Tomorrow's the big day!" "Actually..." Prickle glanced around. "It isn't." Immovable blinked softly. "Why are we here if it isn't starting?" Prickle tapped her forehooves softly together. "They said to not tell you when it was, and if we arrived right when it started..." Immovable's eyes made a mighty roll. "Alright, so tomorrow's just a big day off. We can--" "If it involves spending money, no," Prickle crossed her arms and gave a firm nod. "Or... we can..." Her eyes darted around, then she sagged. "Twilight needs to hurry up and get me on the books. I hate being poor..." Prickle bounced up onto Immovable's back in a powerful leap and hugged her sidekick from above. "It's alright. We have each other." "Yeah..." Immovable stood up and started walking with her passenger back to the hotel. "Yeah. This isn't so bad. I get a day of relaxing with my favorite mare." She perked an ear at an odd noise and realized Prickle had fallen asleep on her. With a near-silent giggle, Immovable made her way to their room. It was nice and spacious. It had two beds, so Immovable carefully set Prickle down on one of them. That's when she considered Prickle's super outfit. "Does she sleep in that? Should I take it off?" She frowned softly. She wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but she was pretty sure stripping one's friends while they were sleeping would be considered rude in most places. "Better not blame me." She pulled up the covers over Prickle and tucked her in. She walked over to the window/balcony of the suite and looked out over the dark street outside. Ponies were still on the sidewalk, but less than during the day. She had come from a city, but it wasn't her city. It was a new place. She could be a rock in the stream, letting it go past her. She had to... She pulled open the balcony door and slipped outside, closing it behind herself. The wind running across her fur made her smile. She spread her wings a little to feel it more and try to forget her worries. "They'll trust me..." She let out a heavy sigh. "Eventually..." Why had she started a super villain? It seemed like a such a good idea at the time. She would be the immovable rock, unable to be moved or budged, standing in the way of progress and demanding to be noticed... But they didn't notice her. They barely cared. They were annoyed, sure, but most eventually moved around her. Like... Like that rock in the stream. The water wasn't stopped, it just moved around. No matter how hard that rock tried to stop the water, it couldn't. It would go around... A little quirk of a smile touched her face as she thought about helping Rainbow. She had stopped an entire cloud. She had... for that one lovely moment, stopped the river. Her wings flapped softly in the night air. "I can do it..." Her wings sagged a little. "I hope... She shook her head and turned back to the hotel room. She slipped in past the door and closed it behind, sealing herself in the dark room. She could hear Prickle's soft breaths and smiled. She had Tiny Titan. She knew Tiny Titan cared for her, even if that trust wasn't quite there yet. She just had to earn that, by being an awesome sidekick, and a friend... How hard could that be? Immovable slipped up onto the free bed and snuggled into the covers. The pillows were much softer than the rocks she typically used, and she faded from thought shortly afterwards.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	48 - Welcome to the Con	Prickle and Immovable stood before a building. It was an unremarkable building. Red bricked and without any sign, except a street number, eluded most guesses at what it could be. Immovable reached over and tapped Prickle on her withers. "Are we in the right place?" "This is the address," confirmed Prickle as she fished out their pins and held out Immovable's. Immovable lifted it on a wing for a closer look. "Huh wow, it has a picture of me. That's nice of them. What's yours look like?" She leaned over to see the alicorn Prickle was affixing on her chest. "You're not a princess... Are there gonna be princesses here?" "I don't know." Prickle shook herself out. "Let's find out." She approached the door and gave a feather-light tap. "Um, a little harder than that?" suggested Immovable. "I was being extra careful." She repeated, loud enough to be heard, but nothing came of it. "Harder..." Prickle huffed before bringing in her hoof with a loud bang that shook the door and rattled the area around them. The door swung open almost instantly, revealing a duo of ponies in outfits similar to their own. "You won't break your way in here!" declared one of them, earth-pony mare. "Not again," continued the stallion at her side, his horn glowing fiercely before it guttered out. "Hey, wait, isn't that Tiny Titan?" "You know me?" Prickle sat on her haunches and put a hoof behind her head, cheeks warming. "I didn't think I was that popular." Immovable's wings spread out. "Of course they know about Opposing Forces!" She struck a dramatic pose. The mare tilted her head. "Opposing forces? Well, you have pins, so you're allowed in." Prickle saw her partner deflate and stepped forward. "You heard something about my sidekick, right?" The stallion pointed at Immovable. "You're on the probation list. Play nice." Prickle winced, that was far from the recovery she had hoped for. "She's my sidekick! She's a good pony." Immovable gave a little smile. "At least one pony thinks so. C'mon, let's see what's inside." "Welcome!" both spoke in unison, moving out of the way for the two as they walked past. Stairs led the way down shortly after entering, and then everything changed. It expanded out into a huge complex and the noise of many ponies talking greeted their ears. The floor shook faintly with the distant sounds of energetic explosions. As they descended, they could see all sorts of displays, super ponies showing off, and they knew they had arrived. Immovable forgot the event above, peering over the railing as they descended. "It's... amazing." Prickle wasn't sure yet which kind of amazing it was. "It's impressive." That much she could say easily. "Let's try to stay--" Immovable had vanished, taking off into the crowd as they hit the bottom. "--together..." Prickle sighed softly, then forced a smile. "Maybe she'll make some friends." She decided to start exploring, roaming the busy hall of the convention. "Hey, shortstuff!" came a loud female voice. Prickle looked over to see another super mare that was as small as she was. "Always nice to see another pint-sized hero!" She clapped Prickle on the shoulder. "The name's Small Package. Get it, big things, small packages?" She laughed at her own joke. "What's your handle?" "Tiny Titan," gave Prickle with an uncertain expression. "I'm not... short. I'm still growing." Small blinked. "Oh, wait, how young are you?" Prickle gave her age. "Oh wow! You're fresh! Have you bested a significant villain yet? How'd you get in here without an adult?" Prickle bristled a little. "I've taken on an entire dragon wing!" she hotly defended. "And a body switching unicorn, a manticore, some timber wolves, and a hydra!" Small Packages held up her hooves. "Woah woah, sorry. There I go, complaining people judge me too fast and I shove a hoof right in my mouth. Nice job. Hydras can be tricky, but I want to hear about how you managed a bunch of dragons at the same time." She pointed towards a concession stand. "Tell me over a soda, my treat for being a jerk?" Prickle felt a genuine smile emerging. "That sounds nice. So, you come to these a lot?" "Fourth year," proclaimed Small with some pride, leading the way. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad visit. Immovable saw exactly what she wanted. A great big booth advertised 'Can you handle it?' with pictures of ponies being comically squashed, zapped, and otherwise inconvenienced. There was a short line before it, which she skipped to go to one of the ponies that seemed to be operating the stand. "What is this?" The slender earth-pony nodded at her. "Hello there. Oh, a sidekick? This may be too intense for you." Immovable's nose wrinkled. "Tell me what it is first." "Alrighty." He pointed to a stand where another pony already stood. "It's a contest, to see who can stand the punishment we deal out. Depending on how long and hard you last, you get a pin for it, like the one that got you in here." Immovable clopped her hooves excitedly. "Sign me up!" Here was a contest she was sure she could handle. "Nothing can move me, it's in the name." "What name might that be?" asked the worker as everything became light a moment. The pony behind them had just been zapped something awful, and flopped over. "Oops, looks like they're done. Give me a second." He trotted over to haul the downed hero away. "Next!" Up came a little unicorn mare with a big smile. Immovable waited until the guard came back. "I'm Immovable, sidekick of Tiny Titan." "Not from around here, I gather? No offense but I haven't heard of either of you." Immovable pouted a little, but it was somehow better to be unknown with company. "We're from Ponyville. I mean, she is, but I work there now, uh, so can I try?" He directed to the short line, which seemed to have grown shorter after the savage zapping of the last contestant. "Oh, I didn't mention, but the most stalwart hero gets an extra prize." She had been sold on it already, but with the knowledge that there was a prize above and beyond an official 'I am tough' badge, Immovable took her place, grinning ear to ear. Small nodded. "Secret identities can be tricky. I don't want ponies around me to get into trouble because of me, ya know?" Prickle tilted her head a little. "That can happen?" "What, why else would we have 'em? Super villains love going after your weak spot, and what's weaker than your not-so-heroic friends and family?" Small sipped from her cup through a straw in a loud slurp. "So it's better if they don't know who we are under the mask." Prickle's mind danced with the visions of a pony that was little more than the outline of a pony, twirling their moustache, their only visible feature. They were busy tying her mother to some train tracks. She squeaked in horror at the mental image. "Oh no! I've... been really bad about my secret identity!" Small rested the hoof that wasn't holding her drink on Prickle's closer shoulder. "We all make mistakes. Any villains know about you already?" "No?" ventured Prickle in an uncertain voice. "But... lots of ponies around town... Hay, the mailmare delivered the invite to this place to me when I wasn't even disguised." "Oh, that ain't too bad." Small set her cup aside, drained. "You got what's known as a 'public secret'." Prickle's mouth moved a moment before words caught up. "If it's public, how is it secret?" Small flashed a bright smile. "That's easy, because only people that like you know. It means you got a tight community. If someone did try to start trouble with them, they'd take action. Bad guys can't hide so easy. If you aren't going to go full secret, this is the next best thing. I mean, they do all like you, right?" Prickle nodded. "Then it's alright. Where'ya from?" "Ponyville," squeaked out Prickle. "Why?" "Ponyville? The Ponyville? Home of the newest princess that isn't still wearing a diaper? You don't have a problem." Small stood up. "You've got a perfect storm on your side. You're surrounded by heroes in a low-villain area. Any villain big enough to be a real issue is going to get all their attentions. Any villain that doesn't, you can probably handle. Now, see, some of us don't have that luxury. It's us against the bad guy on our own. Everyone else is too busy with their own fights to lend a hoof half the time. Now Ah ain't saying that makes you less or anything, just lucky. Enjoy it." Prickle wondered about that a moment, but Small Packages was already rising to venture off with a wave. She returned the parting and looked around. There was so much to see. Immovable sat down on the smooth panel. It felt like it was made of metal. She set herself securely. She could feel the world moving around her, but she was not moving. Nothing could move her. "Hit me with your best shot." Pop! A ball of rubber came flying and bounced off the back of her head. "Was that the best you have? I barely felt it." "Everyone has to work up to it," advised the worker. "We'll see how tough you are." A thin blade protruded from her side. It reached out slowly and gave her a poke, but she was unimpressed. It was forced to slide along her rather than causing any harm, though it did cut her poor clothes in a little line. "Hey..." "Costume repair is just over there." He pointed the way. "It may get worse before you're done." The blade drew back, then swung in a wide arc. It broke on contact with her unyielding flesh, the freed tip flying and bouncing off an unseen field of force. Immovable made an overdone yawn. "Can we skip a few steps?" "You qualify for a first degree rock, but let's see how you do against energy assaults." Immovable tensed with worry. Bon Bon's words echoed in her thoughts. She had been scowling at her. "Look, I'm not trying to inflate your ego, but you are, basically, invulnerable. Nothing can move you." "Nothing can move me!" That much Immovable agreed with. "And that includes little things. A fire is just a lot of little things trying to move you. Don't let them, and you won't be hurt." "But fire doesn't push you..." Bon Bon put a hoof to her face. "That's the problem. It makes just little bits of you move way too fast, and you get burnt. It's complicated, but you don't need to worry about that part. It wants to move you. Don't let it. Be still. That's what you do, right?" "Don't let them," she whispered to herself as a mantra, repeating it as she saw a flame thrower raise from below. She swallowed thickly and forced a brave smile. "Yer... gonna need... a bigger one... than that..." The workerpony shook his head. "We have to warm that up, it isn't the first. We start with lasers." "Las--" Pew! A unicorn was pointing her horn at Immovable and a thin beam of magic jolted her on the side. That stung! "Ow! Hey, cut that out." "Giving up?" asked the worker. "You can at any time. Passing out or stepping off the platform will also end the test." Was the laser like fire? Immovable set her rump down on the ground and tried to become one with the world. She could not be moved. She would not be moved. The laser came, and it stung, but it stung a little less than the first time. She hadn't moved. "Each time will get stronger," advised the worker. It was meant to be intimidating, but it made Immovable start grinning. That was stronger, but she had felt it less. She could do it. She would do it. Nothing could move her.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	49 - Eternal Shore	Prickle perked up, ears swiveling towards the sudden dull but deep thump that shook the floor. She wasn't the only one to look, but the sound that came after it had her moving through the crowd as quickly as she could. It had been Immovable's laughing, and it wasn't stopping. It only grew louder the closer Prickle managed to wriggle her way towards it through the dense crowd. She popped free just in time to see a massive metal piston come down and crush the still cackling sidekick flat, slapping against the metal base of the platform with a low clang. With wide eyes, Prickle jumped forward, sailing over the dividing rope and a few ponies to land beside the piston. She could barely see. All she could focus on was that piston, and her crushed friend. "Immovable!" she squeaked out, her own voice sounding alien to herself in her deep panic. She grabbed the piston so hard her hooves sank into it on either side and she wrenched it upwards. It didn't move. She clenched her teeth. Someone was saying something, but she couldn't hear it over the pounding in her own ears. She put more strength into it and it buckled, but seemed stuck. With a fiery grunt of determination, she planted her hind legs on the ground and gave it her everything. The machine broke. It was sent flying upwards, along with the arm that once held it, to crash against the roof above them. Immovable was sitting right where she had been when it came down, entirely unharmed, and still laughing, through her noise faded when she saw Prickle. "TT! What's... wrong?" Prickle fell back on her haunches. "But... you were squished!" Immovable waved it away. "It tried. I made a nice Immovable shaped hole in it. Nothing can move me!" What went up tended to come down, and the broken machinery was no exception. It fell right back down towards Prickle and Immovable. Immovable extended a wing over her mentor just before it struck. Everything went dark. The worker of the stand let out a weary sigh. "Well... that concludes that contest. Someone give me a hoof getting them out of there?" Fortunately, he happened to be at a collecting place of ponies capable and willing to do just that. Several super ponies stepped up and began tossing aside debris, working their way down to the pinned ponies underneath. A slender unicorn grabbed the main body of the piston in her magic and it vanished, reappearing to the side where it wouldn't directly trouble anyone. She smiled, seeing Immovable and Prickle. Both seemed intact, with Immovable shielding Prickle. "An explosive performance," she said in a complimenting tone. "However, there are rules about trashing the displays." Prickle had the decency to look properly shamed, eyes going downcast. "I'm sorry... It's just... my sidekick..." The worker of the stand approached with a smile. "--already trashed things by not being trashed. She is the undisputed winner!" He pulled out a trophy that had what looked like a big weight on top. Arrows, shurikens magic bolts pounded against the weight, but it was unharmed. "Congratulations! You are hereby confirmed to be a Class S invulnerable." The crowd erupted into clops of congratulations, even as some whispers spread rapidly, wondering who Immovable was. Immovable accepted the trophy with shaking wings. "I... thank you... What does that mean? You know, the Class S thing." She pulled the trophy in close, cradling it like her foal. "I never won a trophy before..." Prickle looked over to the stand worker. "So... you're not mad?" He shrugged softly. "It wouldn't be the first year... I'll be reporting it to the boss and she'll go wild trying to make that not happen again. Oh, right, I did promise a pin." Out came a pin that looked quite similar to the top of the trophy. 'Class S' it read along the bottom. Immovable giggled with joy as she took it and quickly had it next to her sidekick pin. Prickle shook her head. "Can you get Rank S without also winning?" "It's happened before, but not this year." He pointed to the destroyed piston. "If they can make it up to that but opt out of being smooshed, they get the pin. Mighty intimidating. I've seen heroes wimp out at the last moment as it got closer and closer." His eyes fell on Immovable. "Not you though. Do you just not get scared?" "What?" Immovable's nose wrinkled. "I get scared plenty, but not here. You kept trying to move me, and nothing makes me move unless I let it, or they're Tiny Titan. She can move me any time." A chorus of 'awws' emerged from the still present crowd, though it was starting to break up. Prickle rubbed one of her warm cheeks. "Congratulations. Let's... check out the vendor hall." Immovable's ears perked right up. "I thought we had that whole budget thing?" Prickle smiled, eyes closing. "Of course. I budgeted for the dealer room." Immovable clopped her hooves. "You are the best!" She tucked away her beloved trophy and stood up. "Lead the way." As they left, she nodded at the worker. "Thanks for everything!" Together, they weaved through the crowd and emerged into the dealer den. Ponies were in thick abundance. There was less boisterous showing off than there had been in the display hall, and more ponies peddling their wares. "What a fabulous outfit you have there, darling," came a familiar voice. Prickle turned quickly to see a costumed unicorn mare smiling at her. Immovable suddenly stepped forward. "Oh wow, Radiance! I thought you were, you know, just a comic book character." Radiance waved a hoof at the very idea. "Oh please, darling. That's just to keep the bad people off their guard." She flipped her bejeweled mane gently and fluttered her long lashes. "Just the way that a tastefully produced outfit can do in the thick of battle. I see your mentor has already enjoyed my services, but what about you?" It all came together nicely for Prickle. She almost said it out loud, but swallowed it down at the last moment. "R-Radiance, yes, so glad to see you again." She forced a smile. "I... have so many questions." Radiance pat Prickle on the head lightly. "They will have to wait, cherished client. Your sidekick is criminally underdressed." She looked Immovable up and down. "I mean, really, what look are you going for? It doesn't speak to me." Immovable shuffled on her hooves nervously. "I like how I look..." Radiance reached out and flipped a shredded portion of Immovable's outfit, then traced a burnt patch. "It's seen better days, dear. You need an outfit that's as tough as you are!" She leaned in close to Immovable, whispering to her, "Keep some bits saved and we'll update that outfit of yours." Her eyes snapped to Prickle. "How are you enjoying the show?" "It's great, and a little overwhelming." Prickle smiled nervously. "I thought we'd check this..." She did a slow turn around the room. "There's so much to look at everywhere." "Speaking of that." Radiance's horn glowed as a schedule book appeared. "There's a panel starting in about an hour you two will want to see." The book flipped open and the targeted panel glowed softly. "Just for newcomers to the heroism field." Prickle tilted her head at it. "So you wanna catch a bad pony... But I have caught a bad pony before..." Radiance waved away the objection. "Pffaw, don't get too worked up about the name. It's for ponies who are not veterans, which you are not, darling, as lovely as you are." Immovable tapped at Prickle's shoulder. "I'm still new. Maybe they'll show me something good? Oh! Anything about teamwork? I wanna be the best sidekick ever!" Prickle smiled at Immovable's eagerness. "We'll go. But before that, let's finish having a look around." Radiance waved as they parted. The lights went out with a low clang. Immovable suddenly grabbed Prickle close in the darkness. There were voices of concern, but nobody seemed to be panicked about it. A voice emerged, seeming to have no single source, "Supposed guardians of Equestria! You have sought to consolidate your misbegotten--" "--Not again," sighed out an unseen stallion. "--and this time will be different!" A new voice spoke up a female on an intercom. "You know the drill, ponies. Let's kick this annoyance to the curb." Several ponies banished the dark with glowing horns, revealing spectres reaching with clawed talons. One of the heroes burst into flames, another jumped into the air as bits of armor flew in to clad them entirely in a technological shell. The fight was on. Immovable kept her wings around Prickle. "Are we supposed to be part of this?" she asked over the sounds of battle. "Does not moving even work on ghosts?!" Prickle winced as a ball of electricity lit the room a moment. "I think we... should, if we can avoid being in the way. Besides." She smiled at her sidekick. "Here's your chance to prove yourself." Immovable's wings snapped back. "That's right!" She noticed she had dropped Prickle and squeaked. "Sorry, boss! C'mon, let's show them who's really in charge around here!" Prickle picked herself up from the ground and bounced up, landing on Immovable's back. "I'm ready!" Immovable launched herself into the air, just for a spectre to phase in from nothing directly in front of her. "Foolish pony," it rasped as if dead and dry for centuries. Prickle reached over Immovable and swung at the incoming talon with a hoof with all her might. It was like punching a cloud and she passed right through it. Where the talon touched her hoof and arm went cold and stung terribly. "Ow!" she declared inarticulately. Immovable swerved away from the cold beast. "What happened? Why didn't you wallop it?" "I tried!" sweaked Prickle. "It's like a really cold cloud." A cloud? "Punch it anyway! Punch it with... Punch it like it hurt your mom!" Prickle cringed at the idea of her precious mother being stalked by one of those spectres. "They will," reminded Immovable. "They'll chase all your friends and hurt them if we don't show them what's up first." That was not something Prickle wanted, not at all. "Let's try again... I have to hit it..." "Have to," agreed Immovable with a grin. "And you will." She came in for a dive at a spectre that was harassing Radiance. "There's one now, bothering a friend." Prickle could see that Radiance, despite being a superhero (?) was mostly running in panicked circles, trying to not be touched. She couldn't let Sweetie's sister be hurt. She just couldn't! She jumped right off of Immovable. She came in at the spectre like a meteor, screaming the entire way. Despite her volume, the furious din of the battle-engulfed convention did well to hide her approach. She clasped her hooves together and brought them down in a haymaker, still screaming. She had to! She collided with the spectre and fell through it, making a great crater where she landed and feeling cold everywhere, cold as death itself. The spectre laughed at her feeble attempt. "Pathetic. You will join us." It reached out for Prickle with purposeful slowness, laughing as the small filly's ears pinned back on her head. "It won't hurt... It's too cold for that." Immovable came swooping in. Clutched in her hooves was a large tarp. She dropped it over the spectre and both of them fell to the ground in front of Prickle. "Huh, that actually worked. One Flim Flam Extra Dimensional net! Hit it!" Hit it? Oh! Prickle suddenly smiled as she stalked towards the thrashing lump under the tarp. "This is what you get!" She drove down a hoof against the lump. The entire tarp rippled as the lump vanished. Radiance approached with a loud sigh. "I think you got it. Very nice, darling." She waved up at Immovable. "Take this net and help the others!"
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	50 - A Superpony's Call	In the end, the only ones that made a profit were Flim and Flam. They were smiling ear to ear, vindicated. "And they thought they were fakes." Flim gave a cackle. Flam joined in. "Fortune conspired with us today!" "Our one hundred percent--" "--Maximally effective--" "--One of a kind product saved the day." Flam nodded. "Now there's just a little matter of payment." A super pony, large and with muscles on their muscles, snorted softly at the both of them. "We just saved you." Both shrugged in unison. "No returns," they spoke in unison. A mare adjusting her glasses trotted towards them. On her chest was a pin that identified her as convention staff. Prickle held out a hoof and Immovable's clopped against it. "Nice job. If you didn't get those, we mighta been in trouble." Immovable beamed proudly. "I saw it across the way before everything went dark. I thought it was kinda funny. I mean, 'ghost blankets'? But bam, suddenly useful!" Prickle shook herself free of the chills that tried to haunt her. "Glad you did. Now, about shopping..." Immovable bounced in place. "Can we? Please!" With peace restored, ponies were returning to their stalls and shopping was resuming all over. It seemed a little bad pony activity wasn't going to stop the heroes for long. As they browsed the wares, Prickle's eyes never rested on any one thing for long. "Being strong isn't the end of the problem..." Immovable tilted her head at that. "That's why we're a team. Sitting still isn't the end of the problem either." Another pony put a hoof to the strange visor on their head. "Energy beams don't solve everything." Immovable pointed at them. "See, none of us can fix it all." Prickle nodded a little. "Yeah... I guess that's true. Hay, do you see anything you like?" "Everything!" Immovable stepped up and put a hoof on a strange fuzzy ball. "What's this do?" The young stallion behind the stall smiled at Immovable. "Well, hello there! That's a stress ball, designed to be tough enough for a superpony's unique demands. Squeeze it, burn it, freeze it, it'll bounce back for more!" Immovable picked it up slowly, looking at the stallion. He nodded and she plucked it up the rest of the way. She tossed it from hoof to hoof, then wing to wing. "It feels great. Check this out." She thrust a wing and the fuzzy object towards Prickle. "See if it really measures up." Prickle accepted it with an uncertain hoof. "I don't want to break it." "Oh don't worry about that," said the stallion confidently, standing as tall as he could. "Give it your best shot." Prickle paused a moment before she nodded. "If you insist." She let it roll around on a hoof. It did feel nice. She brought in her other hoof and gave it a timid squeeze, but it barely compressed. "You'll have to squeeze harder than that, you're holding back. How are you going to work out your stress?" argued the businesspony with a smile. She pressed a little harder, then a little more. She slowly brought her hooves closer and closer together. She was straining, not from the effort of squeezing, but from holding herself back right in the middle. It wasn't giving in. Immovable slapped her on the back with a wing. "Stop holding back. He said give it your all!" Prickle's hooves slapped together with a clop that was met almost instantly with a momentarily deafening bang. Bits of the stress ball rained down across all three as the businesspony's face fell. "But..." was all the shocked businesspony could get out. She dropped what little she was still holding, ears dropped to either side. "I'm so sorry! You said..." "It's... alright..." He sank to his haunches. "I guess I still have work to do... Have you signed up for the Atlas competition? You'd be a shoe-in." That caught Immovable's attention. She saw a pony walking past with a convention schedule. "Can I borrow that?" Secured, she flipped through it quickly in her wings. "Here it is. Atlas. It's in just an hour, what timing! A strength competition. You'll smash everyone!" That was exactly what Prickle did not want to do. She gave a little laugh. "I'll think about it." Immovable passed the schedule back with a wing as she frowned at Prickle. "You're being a big fibber! Why not?" "Hey, look at these," said Prickle, already on the next stand. Immovable stepped over to peer at the staggering collection of pins. "They're nice, but not as cool as a strength competition. C'mon! I proved I was good at not moving, why won't you show your awesome power?" She put a hoof to her chest where her own pin of invulnerability was proudly displayed. "Don't you want to show the world?!" "No!" burst out Prickle in a strangled shout. Her ears dropped and she shrank, looking around to see who noticed her outburst. A soft wing draped over Prickle as Immovable moved in closer. "Hey, relax... I won't force you. Besides, you're the boss... I just think it's a waste... Besides, bet they have really cool prizes." That reminded Prickle. "Did you win something, besides the pin?" "Oh yeah!" Immovable reached into a pocket and drew out a slip of paper. "I can't use it here, but I did win it." Prickle leaned in closer and saw it was a gift certificate for the Ponyville Day Spa. "How... did you get that? Were they from Ponyville?" "Nope! They asked me where I lived though and made it up on the spot. They said 'Since you obviously only move when you want to, have a day where professionals give you exactly what you want.'" Immovable clapped her hooves together. "I never went to a spa before, but look." She deftly flicked the paper, revealing there were two of them. "You're coming with me!" Prickle's tension ebbed away. "That sounds nice. It's something to look forward to when we get back home." "Sure, but there's still a contest waiting for us." She thrust a wing at a nearby clock. "C'mon... please? What's the worst that could happen?" "Everypony stares..." Prickle shuffled on her hooves. "I know you like that... but I don't..." Immovable lifted Prickle from the ground. "I'll be there, rooting you on. You're a tough little filly. This is just another monster, and what do we do with monsters?" "Kick them in the face?" offered Prickle with uncertainty, an ear lifting. "Exactly!" Immovable set Prickle back down. "Let's go kick that monster in the face." Prickle let out a little laugh at that. "I'm not sure they'd appreciate that..." Glancing left and right and back at Immovable. "I'll... try. I bet I'm not even that strong anyway..." Immovable reached for a dangling bit of stress ball and plucked it off Prickle. "You keep telling yourself that if it gets you moving. You're Tiny Titan. Show off a little. Nopony will be mad at you, promise." "Promise?" asked Prickle in a small voice." Immovable squeezed her close with a wing. "Ultra mega promise! Now let's get you signed up." Together they left the vendor hall and trotted towards the 'Olympus Room' where the event was scheduled. On approaching it, they saw a line already formed. Prickle looked left and right along it. "Do we have to wait to sign up?" One of those standing in the line looked over at Prickle. "That depends. Are you watching or participating? This is for watching. I have a partner participating." Immovable folded a wing across her front. "I have a partner participating too! Here she is." Those wings came in to lift Prickle, but Prickle danced away. "Where do we have to go to sign up?" "Titan!" came an enthusiastic voice. It was Small Package, trotting towards them. "Are you joining? This is great! I want to see what you have." Prickle's ears pinned against her head. "Oh, uh, I guess?" "Great, C'mon!" She had to hop up to get a leg over Prickle, being even shorter than the filly. "Win or lose, it'll be nice to compete against someone closer to my field of view. Not that I plan to lose." Immovable watched them walk off and looked over at the other sidekick. She knew they were one, as they were wearing a sidekick pin just like the one she wore. "So, your boss is in the competition?" "It's a sidekick's life," she said good naturedly, and let Immovable slip in with her on the line. Prickle found herself in front of a pony she knew. It was Bulk Biceps. "You're a super pony?" "I wear many hats!" he declared proudly. "I'm just assisting." He thrust a clipboard towards Prickle. "Please fill this out." Prickle looked it over as she turned away from Bulk Biceps, glad that he didn't recognize her, or maybe he just didn't say anything? She couldn't be sure. The form wasn't asking a lot about her. It was mostly a disclaimer. "Is this dangerous?" Small Package snorted. "Only if you're bad at it. You'll be fine! This is just to cover their rumps. I mean, we are super ponies, things happen." "I guess..." Prickle took the provided pen in her mouth and scribbled her name in the few places that called for it. "Here you go." Bulk accepted the clipboard back. "Yeah! Your name will be called when it's your turn." Small nudged Prickle along. "Let's meet the competition. All of them are big brutes that think size is everything. We'll show 'em wrong, right?" "Right..." Prickle stepped forward with less confidence as they slipped behind some curtains. There appeared to be about a dozen ponies ready to enter the competition. They were all adults and most were larger than average. A mare looked up when they entered and she gasped. "Awww, look at this adorable little one." She hurried up to Prickle. "You must be lost. This is where the strong ponies go. We don't want you getting hurt." There was no malice in her voice, which made Prickle all the more annoyed. "I'm here to compete," she muttered, barely audible. Small thrust a hoof up at the mare. "Quit yer motherin', even if it comes natural to you, Big Momma. This here is Tiny Titan, and she'll clean all your clocks but good!" A stallion with a green laurel on his head laughed at the idea, laurel bouncing with each deep noise his lungs made. "Her? It's bad enough you think you can match us, Small Package. At least you're.... full grown." He snorted as he said it. "Finished growing at least," amended another mare beside him. "Run your mouth all you want. You'll be squashed flat in the second round at the latest, maybe the first, if they don't put you against the newbie." Big Momma spun on them. "You stop picking on them! I will not tolerate bullying, especially not here! We're super heroes, for Celestia's sake, let's act like it." She clopped the ground and turned up her nose. They muttered something of an apology in the withering gaze of the powerful mare. A scrawnier stallion approached. "Hello, Tiny Titan. It's always nice to meet a peer." He held out a hoof towards her. "I'm Fulcrum Shift. I may not... look very strong either, so I know how you feel, but it's about how you exert your strength, not how much you have that will matter in the end." Prickle brought in a hoof to meet it but slowed at the last moment and barely tapped him, afraid to cause harm. "Nice to meet you, Fulcrum." He struck her as a nice pony, just as she amended Big Momma to be alright, if mothering, as was her schtick. "I look forward to seeing how you do. Let's have fun." Big Momma's smile returned brightly. "See, she has the right idea. Let's enjoy ourselves and show what we can do. If we want to be aggressive, there are plenty of bad ponies out there waiting for us."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	51 - Displaying Strength	"Big Momma!" came Bulk's voice in a shout from around a corner. Momma rose up to her feet. "It's time to show them the power of motherhood." Confident, she strode from the room. On the live stage, she nodded to the cheering crowd. "Have no fear, Big Momma is here to take care of things." A mare already stood there on the stage, a tall and thin mare, Fleur dis Lee. Around her was a strange looking obstacle course. "And here's Big Momma! Sure to be a treat. Let's see how she makes it. You know the rules, mom?" She giggled softly as if amused at her own words. "Oh, look at me. Let's get right to explaining, since it is different from last year, I'm told. This is my first, so do forgive." Big Momma stepped up with broad steps. "Have no fear. We're all here in good spirits. Tell me how this will proceed." In the crowd, Immovable stuck out her tongue. "When are they gonna get to the good stuff?" "Good stuff?" asked a stallion beside her. "That's Big Momma! She wins most of these. Kinda surprised they have her going first." "She that good?" Immovable squinted at the large mare. "She doesn't look so bad. Tiny Titan'll show her!" "Who?" Prickle sat beside Small, tapping her hooves together quietly as her eyes roamed the large waiting room. "So..." The pony with the laurel sat up. "Nervous? Don't blame you, little filly. How old are you anyway?" Small bounced up to her hooves. "Old enough to teach you a thing or two!" Her hackles were up and she gave a little growl at the much larger stallion. Prickle put a hoof behind her head as the other went to the ground. "I don't even know your name." "Oh, right." He nodded. "The name's Rolling Thunder." He rose up to two hooves and crashed his hooves together with the sound of a striking lightning bolt. "Villains don't even stand a chance when I get serious." Prickle sat up, all her hooves on the ground. "Oh, hello Rolling. I'm Tiny Titan." She raised one and offered it towards him. "Let's have a good time?" He snorted at that and took several large steps to devour the distance between them. He thrust his hoof forward hard enough to knock her arm back. "Yeah, let's. You sure you're cut out for this, filly?" Prickle took a slow breath, trying to calm herself with limited success. "Want to try the other way around?" He held out a hoof. "Oh sure," he said, not a hint of worry in his voice. Prickle gave him a hoofbump. She did not hold back. With a an uncanny ease, she thrust her hoof forward to meet his, and he stopped being there. He was suddenly flying backwards, hurtling in flips mid-air before he came to a crashing rest against the far wall. The wall crumbled under the impact, leaving him buried in a pile of rubble from the hole that quickly formed. Even as he worked on getting his senses back, Small burst into bouts of laughter. "Oh, oh wow! That was... Dang filly!" She threw a leg over Prickle's withers. "Are you gonna steal the show? Shoot, that was fantastic! They quadruple reinforced the walls for the con, you know." Prickle's ears flattened. "I don't want to mess things up." "Pfft, you messed him up. Good, he deserved it, show off." Small rolled her eyes. "As for the show, you go on and steal everything. Show the world smaller can be better. If I have to lose, losing to someone about my size I can deal with." Rolling got to his hooves, rebuking the help of the others and snorting with a deep scowl. "You did that on purpose!" Prickle rubbed the sore spot from the unexpectedly strong hoofbump she had received first. "I just returned the favor. I... assume fighting is against the rules?" Small bobbed her head. "It is, so cut it out. You both had your fun, save it for the contest." Big Momma strode off the stage to excited cheering. Fleur looked to a clipboard she was hovering. "It seems the next contestant is a new one. Tiny Titan, hero of Ponyville!" The cheering was more subdued than it had been for Big Momma, but an applause of clopping hooves and stomps on the ground it remained. Prickle strode out into it, her face burning. She was busy wondering why she had agreed to the contest, to being at the focal point of all those strangers staring at her, judging. Her steps were awkward and shaking as she went. Fleur reached out a hoof. "Nothing to be afraid of. This is a contest of strength, not durability. The first part is the simplest." She gestured to what appeared to be a simple barbell. "Lift it as many times as you can. Each time you get it over your head and down, it will get heavier. You get more points for how many times you can do it. If you have to drop it, drop it, but that will be the last lift counted." Prickle smiled a little. Lifting a barbell didn't seem that intimidating. "Alright." She sat beside the barbell, looking it over a moment before she reached out and slipped a hoof under its bar and lifted it. It was very light. Maybe a pillow? She snorted softly and easily raised her hoof up and down before touching it to the ground and immediately lifting it again. It still felt light, so she did it again, and again, and again. "Is it working?" Her hoof could move up and down without a problem. She could feel some resistance, but it wasn't that bad. "I don't want to cheat if it's broken." Fleur perked an ear and her horn began to glow as did the barbell. She tried to pull it from Prickle's hoof and her eyes went wide immediately as she failed to budge it. "Dear, darling... That feels as heavy as a house." "Oh." Prickle's blush came back fiercely. Immovable bounced up from her seat. "That's my irresistible force! They'll have to get two of those things for you!" she shouted eagerly across the crowd. Prickle gave a nervous laugh as she kept pumping her hoof. Fleur tilted her head. "It doubles every time you do that... You don't feel it at all?" "I do now..." It was a weight she could at least consider. It was on the level of the schoolhouse on the next pump, then it scaled higher, and higher. It reached the level she had felt when she had tossed the entire dragon aside, and kept scaling. Fleur put a shaking hoof on Prickle's shoulder even as she kept lifting and lifting. "Please, stop... We don't want the floor to give out under you." It was only at that point that Prickle noticed she was sinking into the cement under the weight of the barbell she was so casually pumping. "But, I could..." "You'll get the maximum points for this part, promise." She gently tapped Prickle on the shoulder. "Set it down, gently." The crowd erupted into confused cheering. That had not happened before. All eyes were on Prickle as she slowly set it down and it began to sink into the floor before whatever magic it used faded away when Prickle stopped touching it. Fleur nodded. "Very good, Tiny, very good indeed. Absolutely perfect for this step, but that was only the first. The next involves a little dexterity." She strode on her long legs to the start of the course Prickle had seen but ignored before. "In each part of the course, you have to move the weight to the end." She pointed to a large target. "Get it right in the center, then move on. If you damage the weight or anything else, you lose points. What use is strength if you have no finesse?" Prickle stepped up to the starting line. "Do I start now?" "When I fire this." She held aloft a gun. "Ready?" Prickle nodded. The gun went off with a pop, a small bit of confetti spilling out as Prickle surged forward. The first weight was a large metal crate. Prickle plucked it up and held it with one hoof as the other three pumped to get her forward. She hopped over a few stands easily in energetic bounces and came down on the target. She put the crate down right in the center and dashed forward to the next. The next 'weight' was no weight at all! It was a fragile little egg. Prickle blinked at it. Fleur pointed at a clock. "Time is ticking, Titan. Get it to the target and don't damage it." Prickle snatched it up and tucked it into the braids of her mane, letting it rest there like a nest. While the weight was no trouble, the course itself had huge swinging bits of metal that looked like they were meant to knock a foolish hero right off their hooves and dash the egg in the process. She scooted past the first one just as it went past, ducked under the second, but found the third was coming straight for her, larger than the other two. She squeaked and punched at it with a hoof. The pendulum quickly stopped its approach and flew across the stunned crowd. Fleur shook her head. "That'll be points off." Prickle clenched her teeth. Smashing the obstacles wouldn't help, but... She stepped forward and caught the next swinging weight, pressing hard enough to arrest its movement but not hurt it. She arrived at the end and gently set the egg down, letting out a little breath. Each puzzle became trickier in how she had to exert her strength to make it through. She walked narrow beams as the walls on either side of her tried to shove her free and she had to shove them back, but not too hard. She dangled by a rope by her teeth and controlled her motion with the wriggling of her body to direct herself to the target. By the time that step of the contest was over, she was heaving for breath. "Is that... all of it?" Fleur waved the idea away. "Heaven forfend. There are many kinds of strength. Though the course allowed us to measure several at once, there are still others waiting to be measured. And don't get yourself too tired, endurance comes last. It's time to measure explosive strength." Other ponies wheeled out what looked like a big padded target on wheels. "All you have to do is hit it as hard as you can, and we'll measure how hard you did so." Prickle tilted her head left and right. That seemed straight forward... "Do I lose points if I hurt it?" Fleur flipped through the papers on her clipboard as if checking. "No, but this is the toughest we could manage. It should stand up to a single kick. Big Momma already gave it a proper wallop." Prickle imagined the big maternal mare smashing it. If she could do it, maybe Prickle could let loose? She spun around, aiming her rump at it. "Ready!" "Go ahead dear." The crowd had fallen into a hush, all eyes on Prickle. Her back legs snapped out as she lifted up onto her forelegs, driving her legs into the machine. Her legs never slowed. She stood balancing a moment before she came back to all fours. Had she missed? She looked over her shoulder to see the machine had sheared off cleanly where she had hit it, simply breaking in two, the upper portion then resting on the ground, broken and destroyed. Fleur blinked softly. "That will be difficult to measure... What was this machine rated for?" She wandered towards the edge of the stage to talk with some engineers about it. The crowd stared with confusion for several quiet moments, only the murmuring of Fleur and the technicians heard before Immovable started stomping the ground. "Tiny Titan, Tiny Titan, Tiny Titan!" She called in a chant. The crowd was shaken free from its stupor and began falling in line, soon all of them were joining the chant.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	52 - That is Enough	Fleur addressed the crowd with an uneasy smile. "While we get another machine from storage, a review of the event shows no hint of malfeasance." Her eyes fell to Tiny Titan. "That is... a worrying amount of strength, Titan. How do you even walk down the street without breaking the world?" Prickle sank as her heart pounded in her ears. It was just about the definition of the worst-case scenario. Even among super ponies, she was a freak. Her mouth worked without words as she struggled, trying to find any that would do just to discard them as she found them and rush for another. "Have no fear, the contest will proceed," spoke Fleur. She was oblivious to Prickle's torment. "Now... I'm not sure we can administer the last test properly. It was meant to be a double test, of restraint and endurance." She thrust a hoof out at the dumbbell that had started things out. "You were to lift that at the setting you left it and hold it for as long as you could, but you never hit your limit, just the limit of the stage... How do we properly measure your endurance?" Immovable called out from across the crowd, "She's obviously the strongest! Come on!" Prickle rose unsteadily to her hooves and approached the dumbbell. "Well... What if I held it out instead of up?" She reached for the dumbbell, balancing it on the end of her hoof and holding it out. "Is it on?" Fleur's horn glowed as she checked. "Very... much so, which is exactly the problem. I'm afraid, dear, you are a step beyond us. Head into the back and we'll let the next competitor get their chance." With a heavy heart, Prickle let the dumbbell fall to the ground where it smashed into the concrete with a loud crunch. Her head hung and she fled away from all those eyes. She emerged into the waiting room, tears stinging at her eyes. Rolling Thunder snorted at her appearance. "What, didn't do so well? It's alright, you're just a filly." Big Momma rolled her eyes as she approached Prickle. "Ignore him. What's wrong, little one. You can talk to Big Momma about your problems." Prickle looked up at the huge amazon of a mare. She was built of muscles. She was big, powerful, maternal. She was... weaker than Prickle. Prickle trailed a hoof on the floor, trying to figure out a way to express herself, the fact that she was a freak among freaks. The tears refused to stop. "Poor thing..." Big Momma picked up the quivering Prickle from the floor and held her close, arms wrapped tightly and rocking Prickle back and forth slowly. "You go ahead and cry. Everyone needs one of those once in awhile. Go ahead..." "Fulcrum Shift!" came Bulk's holler. The named pony rose up smoothly and bowed to the others before moving up towards the stage. Small was seated beside Big Momma, her eyes on Prickle. "So, what happened? It sounded like the crowd was pretty stoked from here. Did you get hurt?" Prickle was unleashing her tears onto Momma's outfit, providing no good answers to the query. Small wasn't having it. She bounced up onto Momma, scaling her like a flea before she gave Prickle a sudden bop on the head with a hoof. "Hey, Titan! You're bigger than that and I know it." Prickle blinked at the sudden hit, focusing on Small Packages. "O-oh, sorry, really. I..." She wiped a foreleg over her eyes. "Sorry..." "Yeah yeah, forgiven, now what happ--" Her words were cut off as teeth closed on the nape of her neck. Big Momma had caught her and set her back on the ground. "Hey! C'mon, she needed it." Big gently pat Prickle with a hoof. "What she needs is some space and love. You don't have to say anything at all, Titan, not until you want to." Prickle's mouth turned in a little smile as she decided that Momma was a good pony for sure. "Thank you, really. I'm just being... immature." She sat up on Momma's arm. "I'm... alright now." She wasn't, not really, but she felt in control enough to start talking instead of making a mess any more than she already had. Small waved her hooves wildly from the floor. "So what happened! Stop keeping us in suspense." Prickle considered telling, but it seemed unfair to do before they had a chance to perform without knowing she, freak that she was, had stomped the competition flat. "I did alright..." she said tepidly. "I'm... just not used to so many ponies watching me." A muted, if excited, cheer came from the front. Rolling lifted an ear at it. "Sounds like Fulcrum is wowing them with the strange way he works. He carries planks with him wherever he goes, had to get permission to use them in the contest. He can make wood move things you wouldn't think possible. Sounds like a poor excuse for real strength in the end. What if you don't have time to play with sticks?" Big Momma gave him a scowl. "Do you not have a nice thing to say about anyone?" "Hey hey, just calling it like I see it." He pulled the mare beside him that had yet to identify herself closer. "I prefer my muscles be on the inside, not in some tools I have to dig out and set up before doing something." Small raised a hoof. "At least this one thing I can agree with. I like the power being in me." The hoof went out to point at Rolling. "And it's ready to show how small you are in all the ways that count." The mare beside Rolling tittered at the implication, which got Rolling's cheeks to redden. "You wouldn't even know about that... We'll let the judges decide who's the best in the end, then I will take home the trophy." On the stage, Fulcrum was muttering to himself softly as he moved his hooves, calculating the distances and trajectories involved before he snapped down a hoof on a bit of wood. The wood snapped up, lifting and hurling a metal crate. It soared between the swinging pendulums and came down to rest right on the center of the target. The crowd cheered as he walked towards the next part of the obstacle course. "You had a rough start with the lifts, but you're acing the course, Fulcrum." Fleur followed alongside him. "You're well on the way for winning this part of the competition." "That would be logical." Fulcrum lifted the egg that was to be the next weight. "This course is all about the strength of intelligence, which so many other strong heroes neglect. It's about careful application of strength in just... the right way." He let the egg start to roll off his hoof and it began to run the course without him. The deadly traps kept striking just inches from the egg, knocking it in a new direction, and it kept rolling. "When you make the right move, it can be the last move." It came to a slow stop on the end target, unharmed for the journey. The crowd cheered at the mighty cerebral strength of Fulcrum. He was in his element. Prickle hopped down to the ground lightly, recovered enough to be embarrassed at being held by the caring maternal hero. "T-thank you." She dipped her head at Big Momma. "You're a real hero." Big Momma's cheeks darkened and she began to giggle in deep tones. "Oh, I love it when people say that for something besides being a mountain of muscle. You're very welcome, Tiny Titan. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, mine is available." Small nudged her peer in size. "So, was it stage fright? I mean, it's cool if it was. You're new in the super hero gig, right?" "Yeah..." Titan tilted her head at Small. "I... put on this... I put on the mask so people aren't... staring at me... Me me... you know? I... It's..." Small set a hoof on Titan's shoulder. "It's cool. We all have our reasons to put on our mask." She moved the hoof to her own masked face. "I put mine on to strike fear in my enemies and protect my friends. Prickle couldn't help the smallest giggle from escaping. Small Packages was not an imposing form, even to her, and she imagined to larger ponies the effect would be smaller still. Small gave Titan's closest shoulder a light biff. "Hey! Don't laugh. C'mon... I thought we were friends." "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Prickle held up her hooves. "I'm still a little shook up. I didn't mean anything bad, I swear." She almost said good luck, but it died in her throat. She crushed it... She smooshed the entire thing under her freakish strength. Small had no chance of winning. "Hey, you alright?" Small was watching Prickle start to break down again. "It's alright, I'm not really mad, promise." Immovable glanced to the right when she felt a nudge. "Yeah?" "Was that your partner?" asked a pony done up in a full robe that covered their every feature. That would have been far more suspicious, had it not been a very popular fashion choice for incognito sorts, which the convention had in plenty. "The last one? Yeah. Tiny Titan's awesome, isn't she?!" "She is," agreed the soft feminine voice. "Can you deliver this to her?" A card floated down in front of Immovable. "It is very important." Immovable snatched up the card, but there was nothing on it. "Are you sure you..." She looked up and there was no pony there to ask questions of. "Huh..." She pocketed the card with a shrug. Fulcrum trotted back into the waiting room, panting a little, but looking pleased. "A fair performance in the first act, but a smashing route in the second and a fair showing in the third and fourth." Prickle felt a smile coming on. She hadn't smashed the second one. At least one other hero wouldn't be crushed under her absurd strength. "Rolling Thunder," came Bulk's call. The named hero bounced to his hooves, his mare accessory flopping over at his sudden departure. "Time to show everypony what's the true meaning of strength!" He strode out as if he owned the world. Prickle watched him go, a frown returning. If there was one pony she was quite fine crushing the hopes of, at least she'd get to see his stupid face crumble into dismay at the end. Fulcrum sat in the same spot he had before he had risen before. "Tiny Titan, if you are willing to share, how did your performance go? I am curious to know how many lifts you managed. Please indulge me." Prickle felt the heat rising in her. "I... wasn't really counting." That much was truth. "Hrm, I imagine they'll post the counts at the end of the competition... How did you do in the second act?" Prickle's tension ebbed a little as she smiled at the brainy pony. "I lost points here and there. I'm not used to that kind of thing, but it was good practice... How did you do?" "Oh, my best one." He flashed a big grin. "I do hope to take the prize home for that one if nothing else." Big Momma suddenly reached for the two and hugged them all together. "It is so nice seeing you two talk about this like friends instead of bitter rivals! Where is, there she is." She reached out a hoof for Small, but Small nimbly dodged out of the way of the grasping amazon. "Aw, come closer. We good-hearted ponies need to stick together." Small stuck out her tongue. "I'll stick together from over here. Seriously though, good job, Fulcrum. Sounds like you had a blast. I can't wait for my turn!" She clopped her forehooves together. "I'm gonna break some records, I bet!" Prickle felt ice flow through her. She doubted Small would be breaking any records, not any she left behind.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	53 - End Episode 12 - And the Winner Is...	Rolling Thunder returned to the back, heaving but grinning. "Nothing like a good workout to get the blood moving! I've crushed all your attempts." Big Momma crossed her forelegs. "They haven't told any of us that. You'll have to wait for the announcements with the rest of us." "Small Packages!" Small bounced in place, soaring over Prickle easily and bounding towards the stage. "My turn, finally! Wish me luck, not that I'll need it, Titan." Fulcrum raised a hoof before twirling it in a circle. "So, how did you actually do?" "Fifteen," was all his reply as if that was enough. Rolling settled beside his mare accessory and gave her a peck on the cheek. Big inclined her head. "Lifts? Lost points? Seconds on the fortitude? Fifteen is not helpful, colt. Stop sassing us." Her eyes fell to Prickle. "Now you, young one. I imagine you might not have done so well in the fortitude contest, and that's alright. Growing muscles can often fail there. You will improve." Prickle let out a strained laugh. "Oh, yeah... I didn't last any time at all..." Knowing they had opted to not even administer the test on her, that much was true. "I'll... get better..." She wasn't sure how much better she wanted to be right that moment. She gave a kindly smile. "Young heroes often push too hard, and they played a dirty trick. If you went for the ultimate lift, it cost you in fortitude. Was that it, went as hard as you could in the first?" "O-oh, yeah... actually, yeah..." Prickle rubbed her hooves together in a fidget. "It messed up the fortitude." "We learn from our mistakes," she assured. "Now let's wait for Miss Packages to finish and we'll see what will come of our competition." Prickle tried to calm herself, listening to the crowd cheering and calling for Small Packages. Maybe they would just disqualify her. Would that be better, or worse? She fidgeted all the more, awaiting her sentence. Small returned, panting like a little dog, but with a triumphant beaming smile. "Ha ha! Let's see if any of you topped that!" Big Momma gestured to the stage. "I imagine they're figuring that out right now. Aside from the lifts, most of the others require some judging from the panel to determine how well we did." Rolling gave a snort, sitting up. "They better not give extra points for being cute." Small stuck out her tongue. "If they do, Titan here automatically wins." Big tapped Small on the noggin. "But they do not. Let's try to be calm a moment." Prickle's cheeks warmed. "I think Momma's cuter..." Big Momma burst into merry laughter. "You've just made my day, win or lose." She rose up to stand, sides quaking with her mirth. "It was a grand time, no matter what the results say." "Everyone!" came Bulk's holler. All the contestants made for the stage, some more eagerly than others. Prickle let the others go in front of her, taking small hesitant steps. The crowd cheered as each hero stepped into view, but the volume clearly rose as Prickle stepped into view. Her cheeks burned and her eyes remained glued to the stage, unwilling to look up at all. Small nudged her peer in size. "Hey, listen to that. They sure seem to think ya did fine." Fleur was already on the stage, smiling and holding a scroll in her magic beside her head. "It seems the judges have made a unique decision. Well, perhaps unique is a strong word, it's happened once before, I'm told." She tapped at the scroll. "One of the contestants must be removed from the roster. Titan, come here please." Titan's world shrank. Darkness clouded her vision. She took tiny steps towards Fleur, everything shaking as she did so. Her panic built to such a level that the act of walking proved too much and she tripped and collapsed a short distance ahead of Fleur. The elegant unicorn tilted her head and her horn shone, pulling Titan the rest of the way across the smooth floor. "There we are. Tiny Titan, you have won a very special medal." From the center of the roll came a pin. "Awarded only once before. This is the Atlas Avatar pin. You are no weight lifter. The world is on your shoulders, and you can lift it." She lowered the pin of a pony with a lovingly rendered globe of Equestria held on its withers between outreached arms and affixed it beside Titan's entry pin. The crowd went wild with cheering and stomping, shaking the room with the force of it. Fleur smiled at the dishevelled Prickle. "Now let's see here, ah..." She was reading directly from the scroll. "We would like to encourage great care be practiced with such immense power. As the pin shows, the world is in your hooves, treat it with love." Rolling thumped his chest. "That's all fine and whatever, but what did I win?" Fleur gently nudged Prickle aside to approach the other competitors. "Winner of the lifts, Rolling Thunder!" She gestured at the laureled stallion. "Master of the course, Fulcrum Shift! Queen of Endurance and mistress of explosive power, Big Momma!" She did not include Prickle's performances at all. She was simply not in the counting. "And, winner of best overall showing, she may not have won any of the single events, but she scored the most cumulative points, Small Packages!" To each victor came a pin for each category they won. Big Momma scoring two such pins. "You were all fantastic, let's hear a round of applause for our terrific competition!" The crowd was happy to deliver that, stomping on the ground, clopping their hooves together and calling out in wild cheers. Prickle sat, watching everyone else stand together. She was not part of them. She was a freak. She was alone. On quivering legs she stood and burst away in a sudden gallop, fleeing the stage. Immovable's eyes never left Prickle. She saw her dash off and tilted her head. "They're not done--" she spoke to herself as she stepped, started weaving through the crowd. "Wait up!" She did not find Prickle in the back. She did not find Prickle out in the main hall. "Where are you..." "Hey," came Small Package's voice as she emerged from the crowd. "Did you see where Tiny Titan went?" "That's who I'm looking for!" Immovable snorted softly. "She just ran off. Did you see which way she went?" Small shook her head. "'Fraid not. She ran off while we were being pinned and I didn't get a chance to see much but her tail as she dashed off stage. You're her sidekick, what's got her so down? She won the biggest prize they have!" Prickle's issues were not Immovable's, and she lifted her shoulders. "I'd be pretty happy about it. I mean, look." She put a hoof to her invulnerable pin. "I won this and like almost no one wins this! I'm super pumped!" Small leaned in to get a look at it. "Wow, good going girl. S Class, that isn't a joke... But really, we should find Tiny. Shoot, I just wanted to tell her I ain't even mad about her winning the whole thing." Immovable beamed at that. "I have the best mentor! You shoulda seen her. She was so strong they didn't even know what to do." Small burst into laughter. "I hope they recorded that. I want to see what she did." Immovable's grin spread wider. "She just kept lifting! Lift, lift, liiift! She wasn't even slowing down. They had to stop her! She coulda kept going maybe forever." Small sank to her haunches. "How... many did she do before they stopped her?" Immovable bobbed her head in time with her internal counting. "She was just pumping it, not even knowing how amazing she was being. Mmm... I lost track..." "How... did... Look, that's not important." Small waved a hoof. "We should find her. I don't know what's eating her, but we won't find out here." "Right." Immovable spread her wings. "Want to get a bird's eye view?" Small bounced up onto Immovable and soon they were above the hall, gazing down on it. "Dang pegasi, cheating!" "Don't be jealous." Immovable stuck out her tongue as she banked to the left. "You did good too." "I didn't get one of the elite pins! Shoot. I ain't afraid to admit I'm a little jealous..." She squeezed Immovable from above. "And a team! Two elites in a team?! There should be a law against that..." "We are Opposing Forces," spoke Immovable with swelling pride. "Of course we're an equal match, or it wouldn't work. My Tiny Titan can move anything, but with me she has to get clever. I can take anything... but Tiny Titan can move me." She glanced over her shoulder at Small. "I hope she's alright..." "We'll find her, promise." Small had nothing to validate her claim but a willingness to keep looking. "We're heroes, right? Let's get to saving a pony."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	54 - Start Episode 13 - Lost Hearts in Baltimare	Immovable came for a landing on a tall roof, all the ponies far below seemed like little more than ants, but none of them were the ant she wanted to see. "She's nowhere..." Small slid off Immovable's back. "She's really good at hiding is what she is, or maybe she left?" Immovable's ears perked up. "Maybe she went straight home, and we're big silly heads for thinking she's even still in the city." Small lightly biffed Immovable's shoulder. "Exactly! Maybe we're worrying over nothing at all." "But..." Immovable put a hoof behind her head before she flopped over backwards, facing the blue sky above. "But she left me... I don't have any money." Small gave the slowest blink. "I thought you were the adult?" Immovable flinched. "Maybe, but she's the one that had the bits... She picked the hotel. She picked where to eat. She decided what we could buy... I'm a sidekick, that's normal, right?" Small's shoulders lifted. "I admit, I've never had one of those before, but it's obvious you love the pants off her, so we need to get you two back together. You might be out of bits, but I'm not." She patted down her unseen pockets and pulled out a small bag of bits. "You're from Ponyville, right? Let's get to the train and we'll get going." Immovable rolled over onto her belly before pouncing on the smaller Small, hugging her tightly. "You are the best! Wait, we?" Small wriggled free from the grip loosened with confusion. "Of course 'we'. I'm not leaving until you two are reunited. There'd better be dramatic music and somepony running in slow motion towards the other one or I'll be upset." She smiled as she let out a little chuckle. She hopped up onto the rim of the roof they were on. "Whenever you're ready, but sooner is better, I imagine." Prickle slumped against the wall, rough bricks against her fur. She didn't have her suit on anymore. It was across her back where it hung limply, much like the rest of her. She drew in a breath that didn't get far before she shuddered and sank towards the ground, hoof dragging along the wall. "Why am I such a freak...? My mom's normal... I never... never heard a strange thing about my dad..." She curled against the wall. She felt the urge to press into it, to try to bury herself in that corner, but she didn't. She might break it, the whole building... She grabbed for her suit and turned it about wildly until that hated pin came into view. She glared at the pony holding the world. There could only be one pony holding the world at once, that's just how that worked... "You're alone," she breathed out in a hiss at the pin. "Nopony else can share this with you." She considered hurling the suit aside, but managed to lower her hoof to the ground instead. She would hurt it, or the next building over, with her freakish strength. Quite possible both would regret her action. A female voice, soft and caring, intruded on Prickle's misery. "This isn't where I planned to meet you." Prickle sat up sharply and tucked her suit behind herself as she looked over the huge pony that had somehow snuck up on her. They were massive! They were also dressed as a hero, with bold reds and oranges, the red running in a stripe along the center around their great form. Their massive horn marked them as a unicorn. Prickle did not know who they were. Intense light-magenta eyes were taking Prickle in. "Planned to meet me?" "Oh yes, of course. I am the one that invited you, after all." Crimson sank to her belly across from Prickle. "Your sudden departure made quite a stir. Were you not enjoying the convention?" Prickle felt heat rush into her cheeks. Crimson Streak, she put together, but... "You know who I am already?" She gave a little nod. "There is a reason you were admitted without being on watch despite it being your first. I know much about you, but that's not important right now. What's wrong? Do you want to talk about it?" Prickle swallowed thickly. No! No she did not want to talk about it. "Mmm," was all that escaped her as she squirmed in place. "It's alright. Just tell me how you feel." Crimson's words were so soft... Prickle suddenly shook her head. "Are you a mom?" The larger pony gave a gentle smile. "Guilty as charged, though my foal is unconventional. Did you meet Big Momma?" "Y-yeah..." Prickle felt her ears sagging at the thought of it. "She was so big and strong and... I'm still stronger." "I understand that feeling." Crimson gave a single little nod. "It can be intimidating to be at the top, to know that no one else can be your superior, to turn to when you encounter something you can't handle." "I don't want to be the top!" choked out Prickle. "I just want to be... normal, not a freak." Crimson's horn glowed white as Prickle lifted gently from the ground and floated towards her. "You are no freak, Prickle Berry. You are surrounded by ponies that love you, admire you. You are a miracle, not a curse, even if it feels like the latter at times." Prickle tensed when she was placed on Crimson's back, but the tension faded quickly as her hooves felt around. Her seat was... lumpy? What did Crimson have on her back between her flesh and the outfit? Curiosity overrode her misery for a moment. "Ah ah," sang Crimson, lifting her right back up and setting her down beside herself. "My mistake. Prickle Berry, do you mind that I call you that?" "What's your name?" Prickle pointed at the huge pony. "It's not fair that you know mine without giving yours." Crimson's jaw set a moment. "It's not that simple... Dear Prickle, I mean no harm or insult, but that must remain a secret." "R-right..." All the other heroes that wanted a secret name could actually keep it... She rose to her hooves. "Did anyone ever call you mean things?" "Such as?" Prickle looked the massive pony over. "Um, 'How's the weather up there?'" She cracked a faint smile that quickly dissolved. "I don't like making fun of ponies..." "As well you shouldn't." Crimson reached a hoof for Prickle, tapping her on the nose. "I do have one friend who would say such things. He is quite the troublemaker, but I've learned to accept that aspect of him and it does not trouble me too much these days. Now that we are friends, worked through it... he doesn't say the hateful things very often, and even when he does, it is with kindness, not malice, and that makes a difference. Is there a pony you feel this way about?" Prickle tilted her head faintly. "Y-yeah... She... isn't picking on me so much." Not that she understood Diamond Tiara... "Look, um, thank you, but I don't mean to take you away from your event." She rose to her hooves, her long legs putting distance between her and the ground. "I made this as a place for special ponies, like you, to have a safe space. Barring the occasional naughty pony attack that the heroes seem to enjoy as much as not, it seems to do the job. They are fine." She raised a hoof up under Prickle's smaller chin. "Are you?" Prickle felt a chill run along her spine. She was, again, the only one. Even in misery she was alone. "Were... you the other pony?" "Mmm?" "Did you get that pin?" When she didn't seem to immediately get it, Prickle dashed over to the dropped suit and fished up the Atlas pin to show it to Crimson. "This." "I'm afraid I did not. I heard something about you making a good show at the Atlas competition..." "Did... you ever try it?" "I try not to compete at the show." She gave the softest smile. "As the organizer, it never felt fair to partake." "Oh..." Prickle had hoped that maybe the large pony was the other Atlas pin holder... "Do you know who the other winner is?" "That was some time ago, if I recall..." Crimson's eyes went off into the distance a moment. "W-wait, how long?" Crimson took a step towards the mouth of the alleyway. "You are loved, Prickle. If you want to rejoin us, please, do." Prickle sank to her haunches as Crimson left. She felt no urge to go back to the con. She thumped a hoof on the pavement, leaving a divot in her moment of lack of control. "Oops..." She gathered her things and scurried free of the alley. She needed to figure things out. Immovable squirmed on her seat. It wasn't an uncomfortable seat, but that didn't bring much relief. "I hope she's there... Even if she is, she's good at hiding there." Small tilted her head. "You don't know where she lives?" "Nope!" Immovable shook her head quickly. "She's real protective of her 'secret' identity. She never even told me her real name, can you believe it?" Small pointed at herself. "I haven't either, don't forget." "Oh, yeah... Well I have!" "You have?" Small peered at Immovable. "I don't remember any names besides Immovable." "That's because that is my name!" She clapped both hooves on her own chest. "I am Immovable! I have no secret names or anything." Small reached out and ran a small hoof along Immovable's cape. "Why the fancy suit if you're not trying to hide who you normally are?" "Aren't super ponies supposed to dress like this?" Immovable reached for the same cloak, lifting it and looking it over. "Is it badly done?" "No no no! It's fine. The purple really works for you." Small leaned over Immovable to peer out the window on the far side of them. "Ponyville's coming up soon, then we'll find your erstwhile mentor and wrap up this case." She clopped her hooves together with a smile. "I never handled a case outside the city before, this is kind of exciting in a way." Immovable grabbed her small partner and squeezed her close. "Congratulations," she cried. "At least one of us is doing something cool, I like that. Say... once we find Tiny Titan, I'll show you around. The ponies are nice, and there are fun places to be." "See? You're already paying me back." Small gave a hearty laugh as she hopped free of Immovable's grip. "That's what friends do, I mean, I guess real friends always owe each other, but there aren't any hard feelings, both are ready to keep on paying." Immovable blinked at that. "I never looked at it like that... I'd... I'd pay anything for Titan to be here... Be here and happy." She smiled a little. "Do you think she'd do the same for me?" "Of course!" said Small with no real knowledge one way or the other. "You two are friends, right?" "Right!" Immovable bobbed her head. "She's just upset about... something. We have to figure it out and cheer her up and then we can get back to bopping bad ponies and monsters and teaching them all lessons." "That's the spirit." Small bobbed her head in agreement. "So..." Immovable's eyes wandered a little before settling back on Small. She leaned in closer to her small companion. "Does that make us friends?" Small gave Immovable a light thwack on the snout. "Yes. We're heroes to start, that gives us a little bond right there. You know how to respect someone smaller than you, so that's a couple of points right there, besides, you're a nice pony. Maybe a little self-important, but eh, welcome to superponies, right? Celestia knows I'm not innocent of that." Immovable tilted her head left and right. "Celestia knows? Is she angry?" Small burst into laughter even as a pony hollered that they were stopping at Ponyville. She hopped up onto Immovable's back. "You are too funny, Immovable. Come on, let's find that friend of yours."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	55 - You Did What?!	Immovable stepped off the train and took a deep breath. "I've only lived here a little while, but it's starting to feel like home." "Yeah?" Small looked left and right over the platform. "The buildings here seem a lot smaller than back at home. I can transport myself if you point the way." Immovable raised into the air with a powerful flap. "Alright! Wait, where are we going?" "To find your friend?" Small raised a brow. "Where is she usually?" Immovable sank back to the platform. "She usually just... hops up and says hi as I'm flying around and we go on patrol..." "So... you really don't know much about her, huh?" Small sucked in through her teeth in a light hiss. "She told me it's practically a public secret who she was. I thought you'd have more than that..." "Public secret?" Immovable looked baffled at the very concept. "Isn't one not the other?" Small wobbled a hoof. "Let's not get distracted. Follow me." With a powerful leap, she launched herself and got her first real look at Ponyville. Compared to the city she had come from, it seemed small and squat. Even the town hall, which seemed the largest in the city, was nothing compared to most of the buildings she navigated on a daily basis. "How do they even fit ponies in there?" She saw her target though. She landed right in the middle of what was apparently a farmer's market. Carrots were being sold on one side, apples on the other, and another was offering up strawberries with a smile. They all looked at her curiously, conversations fading away. Immovable landed beside her. "Heya everypony!" Their reaction to her was warmer, waving and calling out in greeting. The apple salespony tipped her hat. "Did ya go and pick up a new superpony friend?" Immovable put a hoof right on Small's head. "Yep! This is Small Packages. She packs a full hero into half the size and makes it look good while she's at it." Small's cheeks warmed. "H-hey... I mean, that's not wrong..." She shook her head. "I'm not used to other folk speaking up for me. So, uh, you two know each other?" Immovable pointed at the apple farmer and moved on to the carrot salespony and the strawberry seller. "That's Applejack, Carrot Top, Strawberry Sunrise. We've all talked at least once." Strawberry's eyes rolled. "She's Ponyville's second superpony, and P--Tiny Titan's sidekick. Still a bit odd if you ask me, an adult being a filly's sidekick." Applejack waved away the statement. "Don't pay her no mind. So how can we help? Ya came food shoppin'?" Small shook her head quickly. "If I heard right, I have picked correctly. Tiny Titan went missing and we're hoping she came home. Catch, we don't know where her home is, so we can't go check on her. Any help?" All three mares were looking at Small with a new intensity. Applejack frowned a little. "How do ya mean 'went missin''?" Immovable put a hoof behind her head. "She... kinda ran off after winning a contest." Carrot Top did little to conceal her bafflement. "If she won a contest, why would she run away?" Strawberry leaned forward on her stand. "Well, she is shy. I could see her running away if she got all flustered." Applejack pushed her hat back. "That's all well n' good. Where was this contest?" "Baltimare," echoed both superponies. Applejack's jaw dropped. "If she's all the way there, why are you two back here?!" Prickle wandered the streets. She had not returned to the convention. It wasn't... for her. She was just a girl, for the moment. She didn't want to be a super anything. She could just be another filly, nothing more or less, if she tried hard enough to fake it. She walked past a city playground and paused to look in at it. There were fillies and colts running around, playing tag. Their parents weren't far off, keeping an eye on them, but mostly letting them be foals. Two fillies were off by themselves, dolling themselves up with a makeup kit they seemed quite proud to have. They were a bit young for full makeup, but that didn't stop them from trying to assume glamour, and the adults weren't reacting poorly. It was all quite nice really. Prickle raised a hoof, considering trying to join, but that same hoof came down. If she reached out to tag someone and got a little excited, she could knock a foal across the playground. She could try to play with the makeup fillies... That seemed safe. She dared approach them with an uncertain smile. "Hey..." They looked up at her, surprise worn before it became caution just as quickly. The larger of the two clapped the kit shut and shoved it behind herself. "Like, hey... who are you?" "Oh, me?" She pointed at herself. "I'm Prickle Berry, nice to meet you." The smaller reached out a hoof. "Hello, Prickle. Um, your... it's streaking a little..." The larger blinked and leaned in. "Oh yeah, look at that. Want us to fix that for you?" Prickle had no idea what they were referring to. "What's wrong?" The kit came back out and the filly grinned. "Your streaking a little. Did you get wet? That'll do it every time!" The smaller one popped the kit back open and got out a puffball that she strapped onto the end of one of her hooves. "You were smart to come to us. We'll fix you up in just a moment." Prickle didn't fight them. Hay, that was what she came for. She tried to be still as they began powdering her face, then brushing it. As they worked, she realized what they had seen. Her tears had left lines in her fur, and they were cleaning that away. She wouldn't look like a distressed filly at least. She smiled a little as they fussed over her. It was kind of nice. "You two are good at this." The larger one gave a little chuckle. "We've been practicing." She leaned back a little. "Just a little..." "Yeah," whispered out the smaller, agreeing without many words being shared." She dipped her puffball in some color and gently touched it to Prickle, applying cosmetics to her carefully. "We'll make you shine!" Prickle wasn't sure she wanted to shine, but she did want the company, and to just be... not strong... for the moment. She was happy to just sit there and let them use her as a canvas. The larger one and the smaller one met eyes and they nodded at one another. She pulled out a small mirror and held it up for Prickle to see. She was transformed. She had eye shadow and mascara on her eyes and a subtle blush of color worked into her cheeks. She really was dolled up. Prickle smiled at her reflection. No one looking at that would think they were anything more than an adorable filly, not some super-strong freak... "T-thank you... It's... It's really nice." The two let out a shared gasp and jumped up as if their bottoms had been pinched. They looked at one another and their eyes quickly slid down to one another's rump, where new marks were found. One looked like an eye with a brush going through the lashes, the other was a big cosmetic puffball. They burst into delighted giggles. They would be cosmetologists, and they couldn't look happier about it. As they dashed away, likely to show off their new cutie mark to their parents or friends, Prickle stood up and got to walking for the exit. She had gotten her own mark some time ago, and its meaning was far less happy. She was a hedgehog. No matter how much a hedgehog may want to be friendly, it would always be dangerous. It couldn't help it, it was just its nature. She was that, and it was branded for all the world to see right on her sides as a clear warning to all that approached her. She looked back at the symbol of her destiny, thinking of when she got it, saving a little hedgehog from a much larger and deadlier creature. In a contest of danger, a hedgehog could not compete with her, and the monster had even less of a chance. Her quills... She thought back to the contest. She could lift the world. She could break it, break it all. She could destroy everything everyone loved. She sank on the sidewalk, barely aware of ponies and carts rolling past her. Prickle squeaked as a pony bumped right into her. "H-hey!" She had been sitting down. How did someone run into her? The stallion muttered something, but was quickly leaving. That's when Prickle noticed her pockets felt emptier. "Hey!" She repeated, far louder as she bounced up to her hooves. She didn't normally go around with many bits, so having them vanish was not something she could ignore. "Give those back!" The stallion burst into a run through the crowd, shoving other ponies aside. He was making good time, and Prickle could see far too many places he could duck into. She brought down a hoof in a sudden bang. "Stop!" As if the call itself had force, it traveled out in a wave. Ponies and carts upended as the floor rippled beneath them. The stallion peeked back in time for his eyes to go wide. The shock wave threw him up a few inches and he came down on his side, joining the groaning mass of ponies on the sidewalk. She bounded, closing the distance to the downed stallion in one sure hop. "Give me back my bits!" She was furious, shaking with sudden anger. "Give it back right now, or I'll..." "Here! Here!" The stallion began to drop everything he had, her bag of bits included. "Just don't hurt me!" Prickle's anger fizzled at the expression of horror on the bandit's face. The sound of moaning reached her ears and she realized just how many innocent ponies she had knocked down, carts she had casually flung aside, and other damage she had inflicted in her moment of hasty thinking. With a trembling hoof, she snatched up her bag of bits. "T-thank you." She turned tail and galloped away as quickly as she could, putting the whole scene behind her. She ran. She was good at running. She had been running away from the things that scared her since she was a little foal. Run, hide, and wait for it to pass over. That was the safest way. No one would be hurt if she did that... Prickle slumped against a brick wall, heaving for breath. The whole thing was far behind her, but it never really would be. She would always be... a hedgehog. Small lifted her shoulders. "I was hoping she just went home, so we came to check." Applejack put a hoof to her head. "Right right. Let's..." She trailed off a moment. "Tell ya what, how about ya two head up to Twilight's and Ah'll check in with her mother." She pointed up at the large purple tower. "She's right neighborly, just tell her Applejack sent ya. She already knows one of ya." Immovable bobbed her head at that. "Uh huh. This way." She turned to lead the way towards the very large building they could all already see without help. "Let us know what she says." Small trotted alongside Immovable. "You're not even going to try?" "Try what?" Immovable's tone carried her confusion. "We just have to wait." "Finding out who Tiny Titan's mom is, who she is?" Small wobbled a hoof as if trying to encompass everything. Immovable shook her head. "I'm her sidekick, and her friend... When she wants me to know, then she'll tell me. I won't... I won't force it." She suddenly burst into giggles. "Besides, it's more fun when she forces me." Small's eyes rolled. "You have no idea how weird that sounded," she snorted out as she walked, tail flicking. Immovable stuck out her tongue. "I will sit and wait patiently. That's basically my super power, and I'm darn good at it."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	56 - Lost and Found	Twilight looked between the two heroes. "You're welcome as long as you like, of course." She tapped her chin with a hoof. "You're... Small Packages? I had to research fairly heavily into the topic while getting... Tiny Titan registered." Small's eyes fell. "Oh sweet Celestia! This really is a public secret. I thought she was inflating the situation a little bit." Immovable tilted her head. "What is?" "You're like the only pony in this town that doesn't know!" Small put a hoof over her face. "It's alright. When we get her back, nice and safe, I'll just ask like an adult." Twilight cleared her throat softly. "I presume you're talking about the identity of our lost filly?" "Who else would I be talking about?" Small's tongue poked free. "Why are we still here, actually? If she's not here in Ponyville, we're in the wrong place. I promised to find her and I plan to do it." Immovable's eyes widened a little. "You know who she is?!" She thrust a hoof at Twilight. "What? N-no..." Twilight backed up a step. Spike, who had been quiet until then, gave a little chuckle. "Really?" "Oh..." Immovable sagged, then wheeled on Small. "Why'd you get my hopes up?!" Spike joined her in a sudden sagging. "Really?" Small put a hoof over Immovable's nose and lips. "You are just adorable. No wonder she feels safe around you." She turned to Spike. "Hey, so is there any other pony in this town that doesn't know?" Spike let out a little strained laugh at that. "Well, uh... I suppose just about... I mean, there are some ponies." Twilight let out a breath. "Mostly the ones that aren't paying attention, at this point. I heard one of her little friends is one of them, somehow. I leave that up to them. Let's put aside our mutual friend's desire for secrecy." She trotted towards the door. "It's more important we find her and bring her back home." Prickle took a shortcut through an alleyway. "I should go home..." As sad as she felt, she didn't want to worry her mother anymore than she might have already. A hoof came down on her withers and she was pulled into the darkness. "What have we here?" It sounded like a male. "A little lost filly?" Prickle blinked in bafflement. "I'm not lost. Let go of me, please." She felt no physical fear. Physical fears worked differently for her. Was grabbing ponies a city thing? Cities were strange. "You'll fetch a few bits, I'm sure." The male presence pulled her closer as it sat up in the darkness. Prickle frowned and gave the unseen stallion a light shove. The stallion practically bounced off the wall behind him, trash sent flying in different directions from the rough impact. "You picked the wrong filly." She stuck out her tongue at where she assumed the stallion had landed and trotted past. She emerged into the light and looked around. "This city has problems..." Her small tongue flicked over her lips. "Maybe I can help?" She was a superhero, right? She clopped her forehooves together lightly. "I should... act like one." Her eyes darted back to her saddlebag where her outfit resided, resolve folding quickly. "But then I'll just hurt something..." She turned back towards the alleyway she had emerged from. "Is... he alright?" Even creepy stallions didn't deserve to be smooshed flat, or so she thought to herself with a growing frown. She turned around and went right back into the alleyway. "Are you still here? Everything alright?" Her calls had no immediate reply and she pressed on until a sound did reach her ears. It was muffled crying. Her own ears pinned back as she approached. "Are you okay?" She hadn't shoved him that hard, had she? Slowly feeling around the darkness as she went, her hoof ran into the form of a quivering mass. It was a pony. "Here you are. I'm sorry for hurting you." The mass unfolded as the stallion sat up, barely visible in the dim light. "You're sorry?" Prickle quickly bobbed her head. "You shouldn't grab fillies like that. It's not nice." "I..." He shook his head. "I guess not... Does it hurt like that?" Prickle tilted her head a little. "I... guess if I was another filly, I would have been... scared, I guess?" She was not scared. She was the monster in that alleyway. Ponies should be scared of her, not the other way around. "It's not nice... It wasn't nice that I hurt you either, and I'm sorry." He reached out a hoof, flinched, but then reached further, brushing her cheek. "Should I say sorry too?" "If you hurt someone." Prickle put a hoof on his arm and ever so carefully pushed it to the side. "Did you hurt ponies?" "Yeah... I guess I did." He let out a tired sounding sigh. "Never really thought about it before. I... just need the bits, so... You know?" Prickle didn't know. She really didn't know. But she did know she wanted to help the stallion. She gave a little smile. "Well, my trip's spoiled, so I won't be using my planned bits... Do you want some?" He laughed. It was a strange sound, echoing from a broken heart. "I could have just asked? I... I never tried that before." He came forward into the light a little, his snout patchy and worn. Prickle's ears danced at the sight of him. What did he eat? Did he eat? "You're a nice little filly." Prickle's heart ached. There was a hurting pony, but one that would not be saved with a swift punch. She forced a little smile. "Do you have any friends? Family?" He slumped. "I... have a few ponies I talk to... sometimes... I wouldn't call them friends or nothing... I... Let's not talk about that. What about you? Do you have friends, little filly?" Prickle's mind went to the CMC, all smiles, all cheering for her. She thought of her fan club, ready to celebrate her and give her all the hugs she could ever want. Prickle sank to her haunches. She had so many friends... And there she was, feeling bad for herself in the same world that the poor stallion in front of her had none. "I do..." She was letting them down, all of them! "I do!" She bounced back to her hooves. "I do and I need to see them." The stallion gave a big smile, missing a few teeth though he was. "That's real nice. Little fillies should have friends..." Prickle's burst of enthusiasm quelled. Rushing to her friends would wait, just a little. "You have a friend." "I do?" He looked quite perplexed at the notion of it. "Who?" Prickle pointed at herself. "Let's get you some help." She pointed up. "You ever fly before?" He blinked softly. "Can't say I have. I don't have wings." He stood up slowly. "Why?" "I'm going to take you for a fly. It'll be a little scary and kinda bouncy, but I won't let you get hurt, promise." She held out a hoof to him, but approached no further. It was his choice to make. Soon, Prickle realized that she was exactly where it had begun. The stallion was hugging her possessively, but she had asked for it, instead of an unwelcome grasping from the dark. It made a difference. With a powerful spring, she launched from the alleyway with the stallion clutching desperately to her. She aimed for height, springing high above the city to get a good look at the surroundings. "Now where is it... where..." She came back down, having not spotted it, and bounced right back into the air. "Where are we going?" asked the stallion attached to her. "Are you taking me to jail?" Prickle's ears swiveled back to him. Taking him to jail would be well within her rights. He was a creepy stallion that had foalnapped before. Many would say he deserved jail, maybe forever. That was not what Prickle's heart felt at the moment. "Somewhere safe." She came down and bounced again. "It's just... hiding... There!" She thrust a hoof towards the building she wanted. The big pink cross with hearts on it. She bounced, bouncing off roofs, carts, and awnings as she traversed the city with a speed only matched by ponies that actually had wings. Smooth athletic motions carried them both safely, avoiding the traffic of ponies and carts entirely. She landed right in front of the hospital and turned to the shaking stallion. "Alright, no more bouncing, promise. We're here. They'll take care of you." In the light, she could see the stallion was even worse than she had thought. "When's the last time you had a good dinner, a really good one?" He looked confused at that. "I had a good one last night. Mmm, somepony done left behind something real tasty..." Prickle decided to just not even ask further into the specifics of that. "This way." She waved into the building and got to trotting away. The inside of the hospital was clean, mildly busy, and exactly what she had hoped for. She waved at the first pony she saw with hearts on their rump. "Excuse me!" The stallion nurse looked down at her. "Hello there, little filly, are you lost? Hurt?" He sounded very concerned. Prickle pointed back at the vagrant. "He needs help, not me. Good food, and a checkup. Can you help him?" He flinched at the sight of him and leaned in towards Prickle. "Little filly, is he... related?" Prickle shook her head. "He's just a pony I met, who deserves help." "That's a very noble sentiment." The nurse nodded his head. "Sir?" He was looking at the disheveled pony. "If you'll come with me?" He didn't move. His jaw worked without sound. "You're not throwing me out?" "No, sir. You obviously need to be here. Please, this way." The vagrant moved to follow, a few teardrops hitting the panels as he went. Was a little kindness that strange a concept? Prickle sank to the ground, considering that. As... sad as she was, she had so much more than that pony might ever. She had friends, and family. Visions of her mother haunted her. Was she worrying her? Was she making the lives of everyone that cared about her sadder? She rose up to her hooves. "It's time to do my part." "Where is my daughter!?" An incensed Junebug stomped a hoof, barring the way for the others to proceed. Immovable had wings, she could fly above or around Junebug, but she nodded lightly. She appreciated Junebug's blocking technique. It would just be uncouth to cheat around it. Junebug's attention was mostly on Immovable. "She was with you! I know I expected her to be watching you, but you're the adult, for Celestia's sake! Where is your responsibility?!" Twilight cleared her throat from behind Immovable. "Junebug, we're working on that right--" "--I want to know what happened, now." She thrust a hoof at Immovable, jabbing her in the chest, not that it succeeded at hurting the planted pegasus. "What. Happened?" "Oh, well there was this strength contest." Immovable flexed her arms in a demonstration. "Tiny Titan was kicking rumps! She did so great they gave her a super special award at the end!" Junebug's frown eased a little. "That sounds... nice. So why isn't she here? Why aren't you with her?" "I wish I knew!" Immovable huffed indignantly as her wings fidgeted. "Instead of being happy she got the best award they had, she looked like someone kicked her puppy, and she ran off." Junebug set a hoof on both of Immovable's shoulders. "I know this isn't natural for you, but I'm going to need you to tell me exactly what happened, from the start, without skipping any of it." "Well, I was born ab--" "--Not that far back." She rolled her eyes. "Let's start at that contest."
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	57 - Where the Heart is	"Well, I wasn't in the back. I just saw her go off and didn't see her again until she came out to start kicking those rumps." Immovable nodded at Junebug. Small popped up between the two, her small stature helping her get between the irate mother and the target of her displeasure. "I was there. I can take this part of the story." "Please." Junebug sat back. "Go on." "She was nervous, I could tell that, so I tried to be by her side the whole time." Small thumped her chest. "We're both strong small ponies, so I felt a bit of a kinship right off the bat, you know? This big jerk, Rolling Thunder, makes fun of how small she is, but I defended her." She clopped her hooves together. "Oh right, best part! He came over and gave her a mean hoofbump, knocked her arm aside, so she gave him one back that sent him through the wall. Ha! Shoulda seen the look on his face. It was classic." Small smiled at the memory. "Anyway, she went out for her bit, but when she came back, she looked really nervous about it. I couldn't put my hoof on why though. She was acting like she messed up, but she ended up with the biggest prize!" Junebug's eyes darted from Small back to Immovable. "You were watching the stage, what happened while my hedgehog was on it?" Immovable sat up when called, jerking to attention. "Oh! Right, so she came out, all bashful, but she started her routine right up! She took the barbell they had and she just kept lifting it like it wasn't even on, oh, it was magic. She kept going and going and going. She was doing it so hard she started to sink into the floor! They had to stop her from going. Who knows would have happened if she just kept going... Maybe she woulda drilled through the world... That would have been pretty cool..." Small blinked at Immovable. "Get out! She did not!" "She did too!" Immovable stuck out her tongue at Small. "I was there, I saw it. They made her stop and had her put down the weight super slowly, then it was on to the obstacle course. She didn't do perfectly there. She made a few mistakes, but she didn't do too badly, compared to the others I saw." She wobbled a hoof in the air. "I'd give her a B if I had to grade her. Fulcrum deserves that pin. Wow, that stallion! Every move, pow, right where it needed to be. He's strong up here." She tapped at her own head. Junebug lightly bonked Immovable on the head. "Focus, please. So, what then?" "Oh, right, the 'explosive strength' contest!" Immovable clopped her hooves. "They brought out this big padded target, and they punched or kicked it. Simple as that. Well, it shoulda been, but not for my Titan! She kicked it and it just snapped right in half like it was made of little sticks. It fell over before she even came back to the ground. You shoulda heard the crowd. They were so amazed! So, yeah, she won that! The last one was supposed to be endurance, but they couldn't give that to her." Twilight tilted her head at that. "Why not?" "Well." Immovable lifted her shoulders. "They needed her to be near or at her limit to test that, but she never even got close to her limit, so how can they test it? So they just sent her back." Junebug put a hoof to her face. "My poor little hedgehog..." Small made a little face. "I'm starting to get a better picture of what happened." Immovable blinked softly. "What? I don't get it. She showed everyone up! She should be happy." Twilight set a hoof on Immovable's shoulder. "Not everyone likes to stand out. P--Tiny Titan, well, she became a hero to..." "--Hide," completed Junebug. "She hid behind her mask, because how strong she was made her uncomfortable." She rubbed her forehooves together. "And it's my fault... I am the worst mother ever..." Small cleared her throat loudly. "This won't get us Tiny Titan any faster! Let's go get us a filly and bring her home." Junebug shook her head as she rose to her hooves. "You're right, of course... We need to find her. She... is probably somewhere dark and out of the way. She... liked to burrow... just like a little hedgehog." She smiled a little, a few tears struggling to escape. "She would hide until she was sure the bad things had gone past, or until I found her..." She jerked with a new thought. "Oh! What happens if something bad happens to her? The city has more dangerous dark places." Small raised a brow at Junebug. "We are talking about Tiny Titan here. If it can be punched, then she has nothing to fear from it. Shoot, with how upset she is, I feel more sorry for anyone trying to mess with her right now. Pow, right out of the city!" She clapped one hoof on the other, then hopped up to all fours. "Let's go save the city's criminals from a peeved little superhero." Prickle walked along the sidewalks. Could she have been bouncing? Sure, but she didn't feel like being Tiny Titan, and she was already chastising herself for the things she'd already done without the costume. "I hope he turn out alright..." She thought back to the homeless foalnapper. Had helping him been the right thing to do? He could just go back out, healthier and fitter, and grab more foals. Had she done the right thing? She shook her head with a frown. He was a pony in pain. She did what she could. If ponies had... done that before, maybe he wouldn't have gotten into the foalnapping business to begin with." She brought down a hoof but stopped it just before the cement. "Watch it," she whispered to herself, setting down the hoof ever so carefully. "There you are." Prickle looked up in surprise to see a white unicorn with purple mane smiling at her. "Oh, hello Miss Rarity!" She glanced left and right before leaning in. "Convention over already?" "No, but some little new and upcoming hero bolted out in the middle of things." She reached out a hoof towards the guilty-looking Prickle and drew the youngone closer. "And I got worried. Are you, no, nevermind that. If you were alright, you wouldn't be here. Care to share? We can discuss it over something sweet, my treat." Prickle took an uncertain step back, not that Rarity could hope to stop her. "But... your booth! I--" "--Handled." Rarity held up a hoof. "You think I didn't have backup?" She gave a gentle little titter. "Oh dear, no. One of my lovely assistants took my place. She's dressed up as the Maneiac and it seems to get some giggles from the customers, so that works. You should have seen our mock battles." Rarity reared up into a faux-fighting pose. "Stop right there, you bad excuse for a perm!" Prickle giggled at the sight of Rarity and the imagined theatrics of it. "I'm glad I'm not... hurting you." "Hurt me?" Rarity came back to all fours. "Darling, you are the one that's clearly hurt about something. Now, what sort of treat do you prefer? Are you an ice cream filly? Don't be shy, you're my little sister's favorite superhero. She would never forgive me if I didn't do my best to help." Prickle looked around the city. There were so many options even in the small slice she could see. She pointed at a small and cozy looking restaurant. "We can go there... but I'll pay for myself." Rarity nudged her. "That's very noble of you dear, but you're still a filly." Prickle frowned at that. "I have bits... I'm not going back to the... you know, so... they're extra." "We'll see about that." She trotted towards the eatery, making sure Prickle was coming with her. "But put away your bitpurse, you're my guest right now, so stop refusing me." They were soon seated inside. Prickle felt better right away, not being on the street with what felt like thousands of eyes. She sank into the seat and gave an easy smile. "You already look better." Rarity's horn glowed as she fussed over Prickle, straightening her mane and suddenly pausing. "Dear, when did you start using cosmetics? You did... a fine job." She turned Prickle's face left and right in her magic hold. "Very nice. You'll make the poor little colts faint from how enchanting you are." Prickle's cheeks darkened through the subtle blush that had been applied to her. "Some little fillies did it... They earned their cutie marks." Rarity tilted her head. "What a charming little talent to have. I wish them the best in their endeavors, but we're here for you, darling, not them." She waved down a waiter. "We'll take one of the biggest, sweetest, most decadent thing you have." Prickle raised a hoof to object, but the waiter was already cantering off to get it. "Well, um... it's... better than mine?" "Better than yours?" Rarity shook her head slowly. "I'm having a hard time imagining that. What's wrong with your talent?" Prickle tapped her hooves together lightly. "Well... they get to make things, pretty things. They get to make ponies feel good, maybe help them find their special somepony... That's nice, really nice... What is my talent? I can hit things..." Rarity raised a hoof. "Did you already forget how you became a hero?" "I was trying to hide?" "No no dear, besides that. Your very first time! I remember it, it's hard to forget, really. You saved that Silver Spoon filly, whisked her out of her burning home. Why, she still looks at you in that special way. You saved her, and she knows it. Did you 'hit things', or did you save a pony? Trick question, dear, since I know which it was." Prickle stuck out her tongue at that. "I did both, actually... But... I did rescue her..." Her thoughts came to a halt as a huge platter was set between herself and Rarity. It was piled high with more ice cream than ever she had seen in one place before. It was done up like a volcano, with running 'magma' of caramel, pools of chocolate, and even candy trees and other things that would be victim of the oncoming blast. "Wow..." "Don't just stare at it, as lovely as it is, eat up." She leaned in and took a bite right out of the side, a napkin sweeping in to clean the mess she had made without even thinking about it. "It's here for us to enjoy. Mmm, delightful. Nothing like visiting a new city and trying its decadences." Prickle reached out and paused. She leaned in, and paused again. Every time she made a move, she didn't finish it. "Darling, if even I can get my face in there, you can too." She chomped a candy tree and crunched it loudly a moment. "This is a time to let loose and enjoy the moment. If you don't tell, I won't either. Two things help a mare get past things, a good cry, and some good sweets. I bet you've already had the first." Prickle darkened a moment. "Y-yeah..." She set her hoof down, nodded to herself, and lunged for the sweet mountain, burying several inches of her snout. The caramel ran over her nose as she chomped and licked at the sweet explosion that detonated in her mouth. It was lovely, and messy. "That's the spirit!" Rarity stood up on her chair to take a bite from the very top of the volcano. "You know, ponies are talking about you, in a good way." Prickle was eating quietly, so she continued, "They admire you, look up to you, well not literally, but you know what I mean, dear. Ponies like you, me to start." She reached over and patted Prickle's shoulder. "You're a bedazzling jewel, to be treasured and loved." Prickle sat back at that. "Isn't that just a nicer way of saying freak?" Rarity tilted her head. "Freak is such a harsh word. Why, I'd say I'm 'freakishly' charming." She batted her lashes at Prickle. "But I wouldn't use those words. It's an ugly word, and neither of us are that. Why, my name means 'freak', if you think about it, but no, I am not a freak, and neither are you, dear. We are both rarities." She gave a firm nod at that. "And proud of it!" "What's... the difference?" She pointed at Rarity. "You're not a freak." "And neither are you." Rarity brought a napkin over with her magic and dabbed at Prickle's messy snout. "The difference is in how you use it. If you used your strength for bad things, well, that wouldn't do at all. As a hero, you are no freak. Ponies could call me that if I started using my overwhelming mare charms to make bad things happen and tempt good ponies towards the dark." She wriggled her hooves. "Like some sort of comic villain. Wouldn't that be a thing, oh my. No, I'm quite happy being on the good side. Why, I get the best company." She rested a hoof on Prickle's back.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	58 - End Episode 13 - I Am Different	With their tremendous meal of sweets residing, at least partially, in wanting bellies, Rarity stood up. "Shall we head back?" Prickle shrank at that. "To the conference?" "Not if you don't want to, darling." She reached out and gave the smaller pony a pat on the head. "But you aren't going to wander the city. That's just not proper, dear. Where are you staying? We should get you checked out and we can have you on your way back home. Where is that confused friend of yours? The one that doesn't move if she can help it." Prickle suddenly winced. She had abandoned Immovable! "O-oh, oh no... She doesn't have any bits at all and I just... left her..." She started dancing in place, bouncing from one hoof to the next. "What's she gonna do? She'll be lost in the city!" Rarity pressed down gently on the dancing filly. "Calm down, dear. She lived in a city before she even met you, if I recall properly. She knows her way around. Besides, she's a pegasus. They have ways. Why, I bet she'll beat you home and probably just be a little irate about your hasty departure." "But we're so far away..." Prickle slowly sank to her haunches. "How can you be so sure?" Rarity smiled as she touched noses with Prickle. "I happen to have two, very dear, pegasi friends. Neither would tolerate being lost for long. They know how to get home, and her home, is Ponyville. She's likely wondering where her little mentor went running off to, worrying herself into a tizzy much like you are, darling. There's only one solution, really." Rarity gestured her snout towards the door. "You know what you need to do." The train rumbled softly beneath them as the entire party waited impatiently to arrive. Small sat beside Junebug. "So... you're her mom, right?" Junebug did not answer. "I get it, I'm not 'in the circle' and stuff, but c'mon... I mean, good job." She smiled at the larger mare. "She's a good filly. A little confused right now, sure, but--" "--Thank you," cut off Junebug. Small let it die for an awkward moment or two before glancing over at Immovable two seats ahead. "So, how has she not figured this out by now?" Junebug let out a sudden sigh. "I know you're trying to be friendly, and I appreciate the help you've given already, but, please... I just want her back." Small gave a single nod and hopped down. "We'll get her." She left the stricken mother and considered her targets before hopping up next to Twilight. "Hey." "Hello." Twilight looked Small up and down. "I remembered your name, but not your, what is it, specialty? From what I gathered, most ponies in your profession have very particular specialties." Small perked up. Talking about her job sounded far more interesting than moping around. "I'm a bit of a generalist, I admit. It showed in the contest. I didn't beat anyone at any specific thing, but I got best in show." She clopped her hooves together. "I'm strong, reasonably agile, and tough enough. Some of the others say I'm the 'boring' kind of super, just a little super at everything, instead of really super at one thing, you know?" Twilight gave a thoughtful hmm. "I see. That sounds dynamic to me. You can adapt as the situation calls for it." Immovable had, at some point, moved to the seat just in front of them and was up against the back of her seat, peeking at the two of them with a sudden grin. "But can you take an explosion, boom!?" Twilight's snout wrinkled. "I would hope to avoid that, but I presume you can?" "Sure can." Immovable bobbed her head. Small pointed at Immovable. "But if a wagon was on top of a pony, could you get it off of them?" Immovable's confidence broke. "Oh, uh... I'd get Tiny Titan to do that. That's why we're a team." Twilight murmured softly. "I see... Small, I gather you could weather that explosion better than I could?" "Well, I don't want to compare myself to a princess..." Small gave a nervous little laugh. "But I can take some punishment, sure." "It's a classic conundrum." Twilight looked pleased. "Is it better to specialize? I confess, I am guilty of some specialization. It seems to come naturally to ponies, perhaps in part due to our cutie marks. We realize what we're good at and continue to seek to hone that specific thing." Her eyes lowered to Small, and her clothed rump. "If you don't mind, what is your mark?" Small suddenly looked quite sheepish. "Oh, well, it's... nothing special..." Immovable gave a huge grin. "Mine's a big set of spread wings, to block everything!" Twilight raised a hoof. "Or like a shield, to protect those you love." Immovable's grin faltered a little. "Wow... that was... deep." The smile returned fiercely. "I love it!" Small gave a small clip-clop of her hooves. "That's very nice." "So, about yours?" Twilight pointed at Small's left rump. Small shrank a little. "I... rather not go into that?" Immovable suddenly jumped over the back of the seat she had been perched on, pouncing Small. "Aw, c'mon! We're all friends here, let us see!" Small easily shoved the non-planted Immovable off her chair, snorting and fur raised in objection. "We only just met, I'll remind. A girl can keep a few secrets." Immovable quickly sat up on the floor. "You're already keeping your name a secret. How many secrets do you need?" Small stuck out her tongue. "I can keep as many as I want, thank you." Twilight waved a hoof lightly. "It's alright. If you don't want to say, I won't force you. I'm just curious how your mark led you to a generalist outlook on things." Small's shoulders lifted. "Look, see... I found out the hard way. Ponies needed me, and, you know, I took action... Then I knew I could take action... so I couldn't stop, so I didn't... I didn't try to specialize or not, I just kept... doing what I could... It was a while before I met anypony else that knew what I was doing." Twilight lifted a hoof to her chin. "A lack of educational emphasis... Maybe this is a systemic issue instead of a biological one." She leaned back in her seat. "Fascinating. Tiny Titan has a mentor." "I have a mentor!" Immovable lifted from the floor on her wings, hovering to be equal with Twilight. "And she's awesome." Twilight smiled at the eager Immovable. "That she is, but you visit her mentor as well, do you not?" Immovable suddenly realized something. "Wait, isn't she another secret?" Twilight rolled a hoof. "Keeping an eye on our local hero is a task I've given to some friends of mine. It's hard not to notice who she trains with. An unusual choice, I admit... I never would have figured she had any fighting ability, but she's done a remarkable job so far." Small raised a hoof, lowered it, then slowly raised it again. "So... another hero?" Twilight shook her head quickly. "Oh, no. I checked the registry for Ponyville, and she's not there. I did think of that though." She nodded at Small. "Good thinking. She's a candy maker, actually, and a good one at that." Immovable licked her lips. "You're telling me? She gives me some when I get a lesson right, makes it worth it every time!" Small's brows lowered in unison. "She's training you like a dog." "Woof." Immovable let her tongue loll out a moment. "I'll roll over if it means I get more of what she has." Small burst into laughter. "You are a master of saying things the wrong way." Twilight seemed to not catch it. "What did she say?" Her head turned towards the window she sat by. "Looks like we're almost there." The train slid smoothly into the station, prompting a flood of ponies coming and going. The group departed onto the platform together. Junebug looked left and right. "This is... a big place." Her eyes moved from one tall building to the next. "How do ponies find anything here? Oh, my poor little hedgehog..." Twilight's eyes swept over the crowd and spied a familiar shade of berry-colored fur and an even more familiar white shade with purple highlights. "Rarity?" She trotted to meet her friend. "Twilight, darling!" Rarity closed the distance and embraced Twilight. "Good to see you. What on Equestria brings you here?" "I could ask the same." She smiled down at Prickle. "And you seem to have found someone." Junebug suddenly rushed past Twilight, grabbing Prickle up and squeezing her tight. She said nothing. Prickle squirmed faintly in the grip. "I'm... sorry?" Rarity cleared her throat softly. "Yes, well, I found our little filly looking lost and took her under my wing, metaphorically speaking. Everyone is safe and sound." Immovable moved in opposite of Junebug and hugged Prickle from the other side, joining the mostly-quiet embrace. Twilight shook her head at the display. "This looks like a happy ending to me. Thanks for the help, Rarity. I was afraid we'd have to scour the city to find her." Rarity waved it off. "As if I could do any less. Twilight, dear, you've come all this way. We can't just send you home now. You've barely arrived. Baltimare may not have the same charms of Manehatten, but it has many sights worth seeing. Come now, darling, we're not going to let this trip go to waste." She threw a hoof over Twilight's withers. "It's time to paint the city red!" Small put a hoof behind her head. "Well, uh, good to see everyone is where they need to be... guess I'll just, you know, get going." She took a few steps away before a pegasus landed in front of her, wings spread wide to stop her. "Immovable, what's the deal?" "You can't just go!" Immovable snorted in annoyance. "You went through all that trouble to find Tiny Titan and you're not even going to say hello?" Prickle had been let go to the ground, but her mother hovered over her, hugging gently from behind. She was blushing softly from the attention, but she looked to Small. "T-thank you. You... didn't have to." Small let out a little laugh as she struck a pose. "What are heroes for, if not helping find lost fillies?" She stuck out her tongue at Prickle. "Not that you're a normal filly. You're even better, so it was even better finding you. Everything alright?" "No." Prickle backed up into her mother's embrace. "But that's alright..." Small went still and quiet a moment before she nodded. "I know that feeling. Look, so... don't be a stranger, right?" Immovable suddenly pounced Small from behind. "Ask already!" "Ask what!" Small threw Immovable clear of herself. "There's nothing to ask." Immovable rolled with the impact and came up onto her hooves. "That's a lie and you know it. You want to be part of the team. You totally do! You practically told me so." "Oh, now you can notice things." Small frowned at Immovable. "You don't even see the obvious right in front of your eyes but you can see this?" Immovable pointed at Prickle. "She doesn't want me to know, so I don't. When she wants me to call her Prickle, I will, not before then. Before then, I don't know who she is, because she doesn't want me to know, and that's her choice! I respect her. I respect her and I won't make her move before she's ready..." Prickle's jaw dropped. "Y-you knew?" Immovable squeaked and fell over, realizing what she had just done. "What? No! I don't know anything!" She gave a hysterical little laugh. "What are you talking about, Tiny Titan?" Junebug looked off to see Twilight being hauled away by her friend, then back at her daughter and her friends. "Small Packages." Small went into attention. "Yes, ma'am?" "You've been... so helpful, would you care to visit for a little while?
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	59 - Start Episode 14 - Facing Truth	Prickle adjusted her saddlebag as she looked in the mirror. She smiled as she called out to her mother, "I'm headed for school!" "Have a good day, sweetie." Her mother was wielding a basket in her snout, hardly a rare sight. "I'll see you afterwards. Do come straight home." Prickle lifted an ear. That tone held promise in it. She trotted from home, wondering what her mother had in mind for later. "Good morning," came a voice from above where Small Packages had parked herself on the roof above the door. "Where ya headed off ta?" "School. I don't want to be late." Prickle spared a friendly wave at their guest. "Are you having fun?" "Well, sure, when we're all together, doing stuff. Idling isn't my style." She shrugged softly. "Small town life is something else." She waved Prickle towards school. "You better get going. I don't want Junebug thinking I'm making a delinquent out of ya." Prickle waved for a final time before setting off towards school at a spirited trot. On the way, she spotted some familiar faces and veered off to intercept Scootaloo. "Good morning!" "Prickle!" She quickly threw a leg over Prickle in a fierce, if brief, hug before resuming her walk. "Nice to see ya. Hey, uh, so what's up with the little pony?" Prickle tensed. She was lousy at her own secrets. She dared not even come close to someone else's. "You should talk to her. She's nice." "Huh, is she? I just might. I mean, she's dressed like a superpony and all, figured you two must've known each other." She bumped into Prickle from the side as they went side-by-side. "She a new colleague you met at the big hero shebang?" Prickle's eyes darted around. "You shouldn't talk about that right in public!" "Relax. I'll save it for after school." She pointed ahead at the schoolhouse they were closing in on. "See you during lunch." She trotted ahead and joined her other friends, chatting animatedly with the rest of the CMC. "Prickle." She turned a little stiffly to behold Diamond Tiara looking at her quite pointedly. "Yes, Diamond Tiara?" Diamond leaned closer, her expression hard to read immediately. "Good to see you. I've figured you out." Prickle went rigid from front to back. She could feel a cold sweat forming. "Y-yeah?" "Oh yeah." She lifted a hoof up, curling her arm so it pointed upwards. "You vanishing for a few days was a dead giveaway, though I'm not sure how you managed it. You went off to slave after your idol." Prickle blinked softly, "Don't look so bashful." She rolled her eyes and laughed in a half-snort. "Silver Spoon's about the same way. You went chasing after Tiny Titan, didn't you?" Prickle clenched her teeth a moment. 'D-diamond..." "No need for being embarrassed. Seems just about everyone likes that super filly." "Tiara..." "Yeah?" Diamond lifted her shoulders. "You look like you're about to cry. It's not a good look on you." "You going to make fun of that?" Diamond put a hoof on Prickle's shoulder. "I'm asking because I care, duh. You can't see that?" Prickle felt around her dry mouth with her small tongue. "I have a secret." "Don't we all?" Diamond rolled her eyes in that way she had well practiced. "Did you get some juicy pictures of TT?" "N-no." Prickle wondered what sort of picture that would be. "It's worse." "Well, tell me at lunch, we have to get to class. C'mon!" She nudged Prickle forward and they both vanished into the schoolhouse. Cheerilee smiled brightly at Prickle. "So good to see you back. Did you learn anything interesting during your trip?" She tapped at her desk. "You can put your homework here." Prickle walked up and set a mouthful of papers down to be graded. "I did. I really did." "Would you like to share with the class?" Prickle squirmed in place a moment before she took a soft breath and stood up tall. "I learned I am surrounded by wonderful ponies that care for me very much, and that I care about them just as strongly. I learned that I am not alone, and I learned that I am not a freak." Cheerilee's ears perked up. "That's... a very important lesson. Not... exactly what I expected, but very nice regardless. Thank you. Please have a seat." Prickle parked herself back in her seat and focused on the lessons of the day until a piece of paper bounced off her paper. I care about you too! There was a picture of Silver Spoon sketched on it. Prickle smiled and folded it up in time for another wad to bop her on the noggin. Ponyville's #1 superfilly! You're my second hero! That one had a sketch of Scootaloo on it. Another paper came, gently bumping against Prickle's snout before lowering to the desk under familiar magic. You've shown remarkable growth. It is a pleasure to count myself as one of your friends. A smiling Sweetie Belle face accompanied it. Prickle learned little of pure academia. By the time the lunch bell rang, tears were ruining her attempts to read the encouraging letters. One letter in particular she clutched close to her chest as she walked out on her other three legs. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were at one table. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were just joining them. Prickle moved to follow the motion, smiling despite the shed moisture. "Hello everyone." Silver Spoon pouted just slightly at the sight of her. "Prickle, what's wrong?" "Nothing, everything!" She clutched the paper she held to her chest more tightly. "Diamond... do you mean it?" "I usually say what I mean." She snorted softly before a smile spread on her face. "I know we had our differences and stuff, but, c'mon, we're already mostly there." Prickle slowly let the letter fall to the ground. "T-then... I can't..." Diamond's face darkened with sudden anger. "What?! You don't want to be friends?" "No No!" Prickle waves her forehooves wildly in the air. "I can't... keep a secret... This... You deserve to know... this." Silver Spoon and the girls were entirely silent, looking back and forth between Prickle and Diamond Tiara, barely daring to breathe but not much else. Diamond Tiara sat up and waved a hoof in a single motion of finality. "I don't need to know. Friends can keep secrets." Prickle sagged. "But... really, I... want to." Diamond perked up her left ear, fur dancing mildly in the breeze. "If you want to tell me, I'm listening. I'm just letting you know you don't have to, ya know?" "Right." Prickle drew a slow breath. "I am... not... I mean..." Diamond booped Prickle right on the end of her snout. "Whatever it is, it can't be that big of a deal. Relax." "Relax, right." Prickle drew a hoof slowly down her front. "Diamond Tiara, I am and always have been Tiny Titan." Her words were spoken with the steady rhythm of a metronome, as if any deviance would break her. "I hope we can still be friends." As Diamond's jaw slowly fell open, a few bits were exchanged between Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, the latter looking triumphant while Apple Bloom muttered something under her breath. "You..." Diamond took a strong sudden step towards Prickle. "You... Thank... you..." Prickle blinked. Of all the words, she did not expect those. "What for?" "For saving Silver Spoon, dummy." She punched Prickle in the shoulder with a sudden swat of her right hoof. "For, you know... the heroing stuff. By Celestia, why were you hiding something that cool from me?" She suddenly twitched. "Wait! You were talking to me... about you! With me!" Prickle shrank back. Despite all her power, Diamond Tiara still terrified her. "I wasn't trying to fool you, honest! I was just, you know, protecting my secret identity." "Yeah?" Diamond strutted up to Prickle, towering over the cowering filly. "So what did you really do when you vanished for a few days? Did some super bad pony foalnap you?" Prickle smiled despite herself. "The last bad guy to succeed at foalnapping me became a good friend." "You were foalnapped?!" Diamond raised a brow high. "And now you're friends? Prickle, you are a freak." She pat Prickle's sagging shoulder. "My favorite freak." Prickle jerked up. "What?" "Did I stutter? You're an amazing freak." She waved a hoof wildly. "I'm not blind. I saw how many papers you were buried under. I bet everypony saw that. I bet the teacher saw that, and she didn't complain or anything. You've gone and made being a freak fashionable." She suddenly smiled. "You were listening." "Listening?" Diamond bumped her shoulder against Prickle's as she went past. "I told you to be like a super hero, did you forget? I totally said you should be doing it." Prickle thought back to it. Wasn't that after Tiny Titan had come out? She considered it, but correcting Diamond on that didn't seem a wise course. "You were completely right. Thank you, Diamond... I... like being a hero, and saving ponies." "As if I'd steer you wrong." She thwapped Prickle lightly. "So, what's with the secret name thing anyway?" No answer came as their friends descended on them, hugging and congratulating them both. The secret of Ponyville was defeated, at least among Ponyvillians.
Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful	60 - Dynamic Duo	Prickle trotted with a reserved little smile. It had been a good day, arguably a fantastic day. She was a strange little pony, but she was a loved strange little pony. She was starting to feel just a little peace with that fact. With a thump, Immovable landed in front of her, wings wide in an obvious blocking stance. Prickle stopped, tilted her head, then raised a hoof. "Hello." "Hello, small filly." Immovable's wings retracted. "Have you seen Tiny Titan?" Prickle's nose wrinkled. "You can stop that." "Stop what?" "I know you know." She reached up for her larger sidekick's nose and bopped it gently. "Thank you." "Thank me?" Immovable shook her head. "I mean... is it... alright?" "It is." Prickle flashed a big grin that only lasted a moment. "Immovable, I am Tiny Titan, hero of Ponyville, Atlas Avatar." Immovable's wings gave a powerful flutter. "I am Immovable, Tiny Titan's proud partner and sidekick." She reached for her mentor and plucked her off the ground into a hug. "Invulnerable to most anything except the littlest word from her. You have no idea how much I hoped you'd tell me." Prickle nuzzled into her friend and partner before wriggling free. "If you knew, why didn't you just... say so? Every other pony didn't hide it when they found out." "Because you were blocking." Immovable tilted her head. "If you were blocking, you must have had a reason to block. If you had a reason to block, I, as a friend, would wait until you were ready." Prickle tilted her head at her larger sidekick. "Are you blocking?" Immovable looked distinctly uncomfortable a moment. "We all have... our things to block." "Then I will wait, and be here." Prickle stood up and resumed her trot towards home. "When you're ready, you can talk to me. You're my sidekick, after all." Immovable sat there staring after Prickle a moment before she rushed to catch up. "You're not going to force me?" "You waited for me." "But people walk around me, or fly over me." Immovable stomped a frustrated hoof. "They don't wait for me." "Too bad. I am." Immovable's jaw clenched a moment before she circled around Prickle in an an angry stomping and plopped herself down in front of the filly. "I'm in your way." "You are," agreed Prickle, but she sat down and did not try to push past Immovable. "We can talk now, if you'd rather." Immovable's wings spread wide. "We may have to wait until it's dark!" "My mother will get worried, but I will wait." Prickle remained calm with a little smile. "We will wait until you're ready." "What if I never move?!" "Then we won't move." Prickle reached into her backpack and pulled out her notebook. "It's alright if I start on my homework, right?" "Y-yeah..." Immovable watched as Prickle got comfortable and began scribbling with a pencil held in her snout. "You'll wait, even after that's done?" Prickle released the pencil to speak, "Of course. Forever, if we have to." "Forever?" "Forever and ever." Immovable squirmed in place. "Darn you, Tiny Titan..." "Mmm?" "You're so good at making me move." She rose up and pounced the filly, hugging her tight. Prickle hugged in return and felt moisture drop on her shoulder. Immovable was shedding her tears quietly in the hug. "What's wrong?" "Nopony ever just... waited for me. It was... always 'Hurry up.', 'Get out of our way.', or 'You're too slow!'" She lowered her head to be on Prickle's level. "Nopony wanted to wait for me, the slowest pegasus." Prickle winced softly. "Then why did you keep getting in ponies ways, on purpose? Didn't that hurt more?" "Every time they walked past me was... awful." She sagged in place. "Every time they flew over my head and said nasty things... Only one pony would wait for me." She quirked a little smile. "Only one pony wouldn't walk around me... Prickle Berry, will you marry me?" Prickle's eyes widened even as her pupils contracted. "Woah woah woah! Slow that right down!" Her voice had become a shrill cry but she stopped herself and took a slow breath. "I'm not ready for that. I'm not even a mare yet!" "Then I'll wait." Immovable nodded. "I'm good at that." She glanced away and back. "I want us... to be partners, forever." Prickle slumped a moment before she rose, starting to gather her dropped pencil and notebook. "For now, we're partners, mentor and sidekick. That's plenty." "I'm happy being your sidekick." Immovable hopped straight up, bouncing in place. "Oh, what about Small?" Prickle tilted her head. "She's nice, but doesn't she want to go home?" "Well, she isn't either of our sidekicks... but superpony teams aren't always just those anyway. I bet if we asked, she might say yes." "She might not." "We won't know if we don't ask." Prickle pointed towards her home. "Then we'll ask, but no pressure. If she wants to go home, we let her. It's alright to just be friends. If we invite every hero we find to be a team, that'll get silly really fast." Side-by-side, the two made their way home. "Say." Immovable glanced aside at Prickle. "Should I get a superpony name?" Prickle giggled softly. "You already have one. You'd need a normal pony name, and a normal pony identity." Immovable's movement slowed. "Would you... help with that? Can you help me be a normal pony?" Prickle could feel hurt there, and it was a hurt she had felt herself all too many times. "I... would be honored..." A quirk of a smile appeared. "But you'll never be normal, and that's alright. We're both rarities, and that's okay." "We're both tailors?" Prickle prodded her invulnerable ally in the side. "You are too silly sometimes." As they reached home, Small hopped down from the roof. "Hey! Good to see you back, Prickle." "Hello Small." Prickle dipped her head. "We had a question." "Yeah?" "Did you want to join our team, opposing forces?" She waved between herself and Immovable. Small chuckled softly. "And if I did, how would I fit the theme? You two are the opposing forces." Immovable suddenly looked so very smug and proud. "You would be the fulcrum, the balance." She pointed at Small. "You're stronger than me. You're tougher than her. You're weaker than her and squishier than me. You are the balance." Prickle perked an ear at Immovable. "When did you learn that word?" Immovable sat up tall. "I looked it up. I wanted to say just the right thing. So, gonna join?! We could kick bad ponies and monsters right in the rump and protect Ponyville!" She gave a powerful flap as her hooves rubbed against one another. "Say yes!" Prickle held up a hoof. "Calm down. Small, it is entirely your decision to make, so no hard feelings either way." Small shook her head. "Tempting, but nah. Ponyville's too small for me, which is funny just saying. I need a big city. I need action. You two have this place covered just fine." She spread her forelegs, balancing on her hind. "But that don't mean I don't want us being real friends! So you two better come visit once in awhile, right?" They closed in and all three shared a firm embrace. Small stepped back. "I'm going to head back to Baltimare. Somepony has to keep an eye on the place, and I don't trust the bigger heroes to do it right, ya know? You two wouldn't be up to joining me there? I might say yes then." Prickle gave a slow shake of her head. "You know I can't do that..." "Yeah, was pretty sure." She grinned at Prickle. "Stay in school, finish becoming a mare that they'll be writing legends about in the future. I'll be sure to pick up your comic when it comes out." Immovable blinked with surprise. "They'll make a comic about us?!" "I'd be shocked if they didn't." Small turned away. "So keep doing what you're doing, and I'll be glad to read about the adventures of my friends." With a powerful leap, she vanished, bounding off into the distance and to her own home. Prickle watched her go before she advanced on her door. "I'm home!" "Hello, little hedgehog." Junebug greeted her daughter with a hug and a kiss. "How was school?" "School was... great, and... so is everything else." Prickle set her homework down on the table to get to shortly. "Oh! Immovable knows, and is allowed to know." Junebug quirked a funny smile at Immovable. "I'm glad that awkwardness is behind us. Immovable, would you like to join us for dinner?" Immovable tilted her head. "That sounds funny. Prickle, what's my not-super name?" Prickle frowned in thought a moment. "You can be... Storm Stopper, a weather pegasus that specializes in stopping bad weather." Immovable suddenly burst into joyful giggles. "Do you think they'd take me?! That would be fun!" Prickle smiled gently at her friend. "I bet they would, especially with that name and specialty. We just have to get you some normal clothes, or you could just take off your super suit." "Oh yeah." Immovable quickly shed her clothes, becoming a normal pegasus. "Ta da! Storm Stopper, ready for duty!" Junebug gave a soft clop of applause. "Nice to meet you, Storm Stopper. Now have a seat and I'll get us something to eat." So they ate together. They became a family. A curious family, to be sure, but one with love and support, and none of the three had complaints on the arrangement.
Scent of Roses	pre	An opening presented itself in a possible answer to that question, jumping to the fore of Rainbow Dash's mind. The needs of the group coincided with... Something she needed, for reasons of her own... A thing that compelled her, suddenly, forcefully. She needed to see... See it again... "We won't hide, exactly, we'll just go hang out for a while somewhere that the ponies aren't." She said. "With any luck, maybe they'll assume we all left for good and just be glad we're gone." "Oh? What do you have in mind?" Twilight asked. "We could go check out the area near my old base camp." Rainbow Dash said. "Or whatever's left of it, anyway. It's a pretty good long walk. Should keep us busy for a while." Even as she was suggesting it, Rainbow Dash felt a cold sensation of odd discomfort, but she hid it, stifling it down. She coughed quietly and shivered involuntarily for a fraction of a second, tremoring down her spine just slightly. None of the others seemed to notice. "You alright with that, G.?" Rainbow Dash asked quickly, deflecting any of the group's concerns onto another target before anypony else could think to ask the same of her. "Yeah, I'm cool." Gilda shrugged. "I could use a good walk outside after being in that cell. I hate it indoors, especially when I can't leave." "Well, what're we waitin' for?" Applejack said impatiently. "Let's get a move on, instead a' just standing around." "Right." Rainbow Dash nodded. "Follow me, everypony." She looked around the streets, orienting herself. Her memory of the town was vague, but it wouldn't be too difficult to find her way. Jennetstown was relatively modern, with streets laid out in gridlike fashion, not a mazelike tangle some old towns tended to have. Dash pointed herself north and started leading the group. After a few blocks along their way, there was a florist's stand along the streetside. The group was walking by, and would have passed it without notice like so many other vendors along the way, but something in it suddenly caught Rainbow Dash's eye. She stopped to look. They were roses. Not particularly spectacular ones, not big, not brilliant, just average, modest tea roses... But it was the color. The pale, just barely off-white was what caught Dash's eye. It held her fascinated for a few seconds. The half-dozen flowers were bundled up into a slender bouquet with a piece of light cream-colored silky ribbon, complementing them. Slowly, Rainbow Dash inhaled, drinking in the soft, sweet scent they were perfumed with. It was... Familiar... So familiar. Without saying anything, Rainbow Dash got some bits out and paid the marked price for them. The vendor, a pale pink earth pony, took the bits. "Ooh, good choice. Those are some of my favorites." She nodded approvingly. "Yeah..." Rainbow Dash nodded distractedly, dreamily. "Yeah. They're favorites, alright." She carefully put the bouquet gently into one of her saddlebags, then closed the flap, and rejoined the rest of the group. "What was that about?" Gilda asked, puzzled. "Nothin'." Rainbow Dash said, shaking her head. "Just in case." "Just in case what?" Gilda smirked. "You think you're gonna run into the mare of your dreams out here or something?" she teased. "Oh, original. A fillyfooler joke. Har har." Rainbow Dash said in a dry, sarcastic voice. "You're so funny, Gilda." "Awww, lighten up." Gilda scowled. "You are not the Rainbow Dash I remember. She had a sense of humor." "I'm sorry." Rainbow Dash smiled faintly, a little sadly. "I'm just... Stressing... I'm not done here yet and I'm not expecting what I find out here to be easy." "Well, I sorta hope not. I mean, the mare of your dreams shouldn't be easy. A one-night stand or something, sure, but the one of your dreams... That should probably take some effort, right?" Gilda elbowed Dash in the ribs. Rainbow Dash finally laughed. "Will you cut it out?" She returned Gilda's elbowing with a light body-check, knocking into her and sending the griffin staggering a half-step sideways. "Yeah! There's old Dash." Gilda grinned, recovering her stride. "Knew it was in there somewhere." The joke had run its course, though, after that, and they fell back into walking in silence. The group traveled on, following Rainbow Dash's lead. She still remembered the town and had an idea of where she was going. As they approached the edges of town, the roads funnelled down towards one of the only ones that kept going outside of the town's edges, the one Dash recognized as leading toward the destination she was trying to reach. The buildings, mostly small houses as they moved away from the town's center, grew less and less crowded, thinning out as the town diffused loosely into the surrounding wilder fields and forests. Eventually they passed a sign denoting the city limits and population. It seemed to be a rather arbitrary point, since there were still scattered cottages beyond it. Much like Ponyville, there was no really clear-cut border, just a slowly thinning sprawl. The path they were on kept winding onward for a long time, with no end in sight. They eventually finally reached an area that showed no signs of settlement by ponies... A complete wilderness. The land here was forested, for the most part, trees arching overhead covering the road in soft shade. Not having a clear path immediately overhead open to the sky wasn't something Rainbow Dash preferred, usually, but there was no other way with earthbound friends in tow. "So how you been, anyway?" Gilda asked Rainbow Dash, after they'd left town and been traveling on the road a while. "Oh, you know." Rainbow Dash replied. "Same old, same old. Busting clouds on the days they want sunny, draggin' in new clouds on the days they want rainy. Not too exciting, but it's work, right?" "What happened to the Wonderbolts thing?" Gilda asked. "You ever take your big shot?" "Nah." Rainbow Dash said, a little glumly. "Things are just... Not what they were. I just didn't work myself up to it, and I'm probably not in good enough practice anymore now. And anyway, after the war, they got a glut of former advanced Combat Fliers getting spots. The roster's full of 'em. Probably don't need yet another one." "Sorry, Dash." Gilda said. "It's alright." Dash replied. "It woulda meant leaving my friends and stuff behind, anyway." "We woulda gone to see ya whenever we could." Applejack said. "I know." Rainbow Dash said. "But it just wouldn't have been the same, right?" "I reckon not." Applejack admitted. "But I still wouldn'ta wanted to stop ya." "You didn't, A.J." Rainbow Dash said. "Nopony did. Only myself." The group walked in silence for a while longer. The forest continued, unbroken. Sunlight dappled through the overhead branches and leaves to create a leopard-spotted pattern of light and shadow on the ground, constant in its ever-changing details, always in gentle rhythmic motion with the wind in the foliage. It was calming, and most of the group seemed to be enjoying the walk. "What've you been up to, up north?" Rainbow Dash asked Gilda eventually. "Me. Heh... All kinds of stuff, Dash. Turns out, scraping up food takes a lot of your time when you can't really just go to the store and buy it." Gilda said. "Hey, like I said, if you need anything..." Rainbow Dash reminded her. "It's not for me, mostly." Gilda shook her head. "It's for the kids." "Huh? Kids?" Rainbow Dash looked at Gilda with surprise. "You...?" "Aww hell no, not mine." Gilda clarified. "The ones at the orphanage. I go out for a few days at a time, try to find what I can. I drop it off when I've got something worth dropping off. It's never enough, though. Never really can be. Kids... Eat a lot. Turns out." "You are not the Gilda I remember." Rainbow Dash remarked. "That Gilda was a jerkbag who didn't care about anything but herself." Gilda said, more severity in her voice now. "I don't like that Gilda anymore." Somewhat uncomfortable silence followed.
Scent of Roses	Part 3	Scent of Roses Part 3 "Well... Here we are." Rainbow Dash said, as the group came to the end of the now faint trail, emerging from the forest and into a more clear area. "Guess this is the end of the road, these days. It used to go a little further. Looks like it's been grown over from not being used, though, since the army's been gone." The ponies found themselves in a grassy field, sprawling out before them, slowly rising to a cleft that suddenly dropped vertically for maybe forty feet, beyond which the field continued again as far as the eye could see. It was covered in longer, wilder looking grass that grew taller below the cleft. Bordering the sides of the shorter grassed section of land the ponies were in, trees intermittently dotted, providing convenient shade alongside the wide open, sunny areas. It would have been a wonderful, almost picturesque, place for a picnic or an outdoor party, had the occasion not been so somber. "Out there." Rainbow Dash walked to the very edge of the cleft and stared at the field beyond. "It was all right out there." "What was out there?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "This is was the base camp I was assigned to. I flew over this field a million times." Rainbow Dash said, staring out at the long grass, rippling in waves in the sun and wind, deep verdant green tipped with shimmering amber gold. "Flying out on missions... Coming back in... I knew every inch of it. We all did. I patrolled over it, flying guard duty. I shovelled snow in winter. I cleared rocks from the walkways in summer. The grass was trampled down into bare dirt, it was so busy. There were so many soldiers camped out and coming through to the front lines. Catapults and giant war machines on wheels tore up the ground and left ruts. Now it's... It's all so different. Empty. Lonely. No more war... All the grass is back. The meadow is growing again. The way it should be, I guess. The way it should have always been..." Rainbow Dash continued walking along the top of the cleft, slowly, taking in the landscape. She slowed down hesitantly as she came to a particular spot, and her gaze left the distance and the surrounding land. It fixed onto a circular white rock about two feet wide laying firmly planted on the earth a few feet from the cleft's edge. None of the others had even noticed it at first, resting as if it had been there since time immemorial, half hidden by being ringed with a fringe of high-growing grass. After briefly stopping in her tracks, Rainbow Dash stepped lightly, reverently, and walked to the stone. She gently pawed down some of the grass with her front hooves, revealing it to the world. Most of the surface looked natural, like a rock straight out of the ground or a quarry, but this was contrasted by an inscription, carved in simple but dignified and elegant letters. In Memory Alabaster Storm Combat Flier, Soldier Of Equestria Farewell All the rest of the group walked up to the stone and read it. None of them said a word for a long time. Finally Twilight Sparkle spoke up in a quiet voice, barely more than a whisper. "Is that... Is she... Here?" "No. It's not a gravestone, just a memorial." Rainbow Dash said, shaking her head. "She was cremated and her ashes were sent home to her family. Pegasi soldiers don't get buried in the ground. We get burned. We rise in the smoke, back into the sky where a pegasus belongs. But we needed something to remember... So we put this stone here for her. There's others like it, too, scattered around... Mostly out there." She nodded out into the vast field beyond the cleft. "Ponies who didn't get to go home. Memorial markers like this for pegasi, and some real graves where earth ponies and unicorns are buried. This... This is the thing I was the most afraid of seeing again..." Rainbow Dash Sat down in front of the stone and stared quietly at it. "Guys... Gimme a minute here?" Rainbow Dash asked, voice slightly cracking, over her shoulder. "'Course." Applejack said, then nodded at the others. Wordlessly, all of them backed away a good distance and waited. Rainbow Dash turned to her bags and opened the one on her left. She pulled out the bundle of roses - white, alabaster white, the tiniest tinge of beige-grey - she'd bought earlier in town and dropped them on the stone. "Roses, I know those were your favorite. I remember how you used to hang bunches of them upside down drying out in the tent, to make it smell better 'cause that camp never smelled like anything but dust and mildew." Rainbow Dash said. She bent down and inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the fresh flowers. "You're right. They smell pretty. They always did... You always did..." She stared at the flowers. "I still remember a lot of things like that, when we were here. Like the way you flew. I remember how you could sneak from cloud to cloud like some kinda ninja in the air. I was always a little faster but you were always more... Tactical. Trickier. Better at positioning for the advantage. I always... Envied that about you. I always wanted to be more like that, and I tried to learn, but you were always a step ahead. But you pushed me to keep up with your tricks just as much as I pushed you to try to keep up with my speed. You made me better. I never said that to you when you were alive, and I still can't believe I didn't. You made me better for having known you. I never said thanks. I wish I had." Rainbow Dash said. She stared at the stone for a few seconds. "I still think about it, you know." She continued. "I still think about everything... The missions we flew. And Advanced Combat Flight school... When we had to make the time metric on the flight course to graduate. You were so nervous because you thought you wouldn't be fast enough. We practiced all week until you were sure you'd nail the dive and get the speed. Run after run, diving as hard as we could. I still think about those things. I still dream about them at night. And sometimes, in my mind, I see those days like they were still happening... It's crystal clear. Even all the little things. All the conversations we had trying to pass time. All those trips into town to hit the bar and get a drink on an off-duty night. I remember every once in a while how you'd snore in the tent, and it drove me crazy even though it wasn't that loud, so I'd nudge you over onto your side to make you shut up. I don't know why I remember that so well, but I do." "But it's a mix, you know?" She paused. "Good memories, good things... And bad things. Like the times we got hurt. That griffin that came outta nowhere and got us both pretty good. That's how I learned that stitches itch like crazy. I still have the scars... I always will, they'll always be a souvenir. I remember when you thought you broke your ankle. Just sprained, lucky you. The way you landed, it shoulda broke. You limped everywhere for a week. You had me tape it up for you to keep it stiff. Then the tape took bunches of your coat with it when we peeled it off, and you got mad 'cause it hurt like crazy and I was a jerk and I laughed about it. I couldn't help it. And... And then the worst thing of all, you know I remember that... I still don't know exactly how they found us. I just remember being ambushed and knocked to the ground, both of us. We... We never saw it coming, did we? We never figured out how we got caught. It drove me crazy, not knowing. But I don't think about it much anymore because it's not important. Not as important as the effect it had, in the end... What happened while they had us... That's the worst memory of my whole life. Knowing what that did to you." Rainbow Dash was quiet for a long time, just staring at the stone, breathing at an even pace, slow, deliberated breaths. Her eyes watered while an expression of faint anger crossed her face. "It's not right." Rainbow Dash said, in a suddenly loud, stern voice. She stood up. "It wasn't right, what... What they did... No pony should have had to go through it. And you couldn't take it. It killed you. And I watched. I couldn't help. I couldn't save you. I watched... I had to watch, while they killed you, inside." Rainbow Dash was quiet and still for a moment. Her teeth were clenched tightly, her jaw muscle straining. "I hate it!" She suddenly screamed, causing the other ponies to startle in fright at the outburst. "I still hate this whole bucking place!" She walked to the nearest tree, a thick, ancient looking oak, and studied its trunk briefly. Then she turned around, looked back over her shoulder, aiming, and reared forward onto her front legs. She lifted her rear legs into the air and landed a vicious kick on the tree's trunk. A dull thump resounded from the impact of hooves on bark. After the blow landed, she jumped back up and kicked again, even harder, grunting. Unsatisfied, she kicked again, and again. She kept kicking over and over, with her face contorting more and more angrily as she went on. Savage wordless growls rose from her throat, breaking loose louder and louder with every harsher and harsher blow. Soon she was yelling out, at the top of her lungs, to punctuate every impact. Her eyes were filled with rage, hot and fiery. Chips of bark flaked off under her hooves and dropped to the grass. "What on earth is she doing?" Rarity asked frightfully. All the other ponies were silent. Most of them looked dismayed, and at a loss. Applejack, however, was staring at Rainbow Dash intently, with a growing scowl on her face. Finally, as the storm of wild kicking continued unabated, something inside her seemed to have had all it could stand. She reached up with a foreleg and swept her hat off, grabbed it with her teeth, and threw it to the ground forcefully with a toss of her head. Quickly, purposefully, she walked over to join Rainbow Dash near the oak tree. She turned her hindquarters to it, reared up, and gave it a hard kick of her own, like she was bucking apples back on the farm. Her face grew grimmer and more determined, and she bucked it again, then again. Yelling out now, like Rainbow Dash was, she kept kicking, as if she was bent on knocking the entire tree itself right out of the soil. The two of them continued like this for several minutes, raising a fierce racket of terrible thumps, yells, and screams. Eventually, Rainbow Dash started to tire. She was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. It looked like she was finally exhausting her legs, and like a mechanical toy winding down into motionlessness, she began to subside. Her kicks lost their power, slacking into ineffectualness. Applejack noticed and slowed down with her. The blows were weaker and weaker, fading, until finally, a minute later, she was done. One last weak, feeble but desperate kick with a single rear leg, tapping the trunk but not much more, and it was all over. Rainbow Dash and Applejack just stood motionless, for another half a minute or so. Applejack silently looked at Rainbow Dash, while Dash just stared at the ground with empty eyes, their blazing fury drained and extinguished, huffing to catch her breath. Rainbow Dash sniffed and swallowed heavily. She looked up at Applejack, and the two locked eyes for a moment. Dash's lip quivered and her eyes started watering. Tears welled up and swelled over, breaking onto her cheeks and running down her face. Applejack walked over to Rainbow Dash and without saying anything, embraced her with her forelegs. Rainbow Dash leaned on Applejack, burying her face in her friend's shoulder, and erupted into sobs. Applejack just held her friend and let her pour it out. Rainbow Dash's body shook with ragged breathing and she cried in loud, jagged wails of pain. Applejack and Rainbow Dash stood there alone, the other ponies standing at a distance observing the scene in a kind of saddened awe, none of them daring to make a sound. Rainbow Dash cried for a long time before she finally began to quiet to a low, softer weeping. "I'm guessin' it still doesn't feel any better." Applejack said at last. "No." Rainbow Dash shook her head bitterly. "I'm sorry. I s'pose... Sometimes ya just can't buck hard enough." Applejack said softly, caressing Rainbow Dash's head gently. "Can ya?" "I just want her back." Rainbow Dash wept. "I'm so angry... It still hurts so much..." "I know, Dash." Applejack comforted her. "I know." Applejack held Rainbow Dash for a while longer. The other ponies watched until Fluttershy stepped forward, uncertainly at first, and approached the two of them. With tears in her own eyes, she walked up and embraced Rainbow Dash from the side, resting her head on the ridge of Rainbow Dash's neck. A few seconds later, Twilight Sparkle did the same, and after her, Pinkie Pie followed, then Rarity. They encircled Rainbow Dash, every pony hugging her from a different direction. Even Gilda joined in. Nopony said a word for a long time. Nothing really could be said, they all sensed that. At last, Rainbow Dash took a couple of deep breaths, no longer crying. She sniffed a couple times, clearing the last of her tears, and sighed as she looked around. "Thanks, guys." She said. "No problem." Applejack said quietly. One by one, the other ponies, and Gilda, let go of their embraces, until they were all standing in a group once again, facing each other. Rainbow Dash started to glance back over her shoulder, but stopped herself, painfully, almost cringing, before her eyes could reach that white stone. She forced herself to look forward again, turning away from the stone, the cleft in the ground, the old encampment field beyond. She stared forward, at the path they'd come from, leading away from this place, back into town. "Can we just get out of here?" She asked, tiredly, a note of pleading caught in her voice. "Yes." Twilight Sparkle said, all the others in silent concurrence. "Yes, good idea, I think. Let's go." Without another word they all turned toward the path and left, heading for the way back to town. After returning to town, it was late in the day and the group consensus was that it was high time to seek shelter for the night, something they mostly hadn't thought much about in their haste to just get here and get Gilda out of jail. They set out searching, but had some trouble for a while finding any place that would lodge all seven of them... Let alone one that would board a griffin, most of them citing their inability to accommodate her species' "special requirements" (whatever that meant), despite the pony's arguments that she was just like any of them, more or less. The afternoon faded and the day was turning to night before they could finally harangue some accommodation from the manager of a less-than-conveniently located hotel near the edges of town - and that only after Twilight Sparkle was finally fed up and frustrated enough to flash a piece of royal correspondence and threaten to write to Celestia herself on the topic of investigating and rooting out discrimination within the Kingdom, starting with that very hotel. It worked, but even after that, what seemed like an abnormally large security deposit was requested. Too tired to press the point and argue any more, though, every pony just tossed in some extra bits to cover it. But, at last, all that overcome, they finally settled in to their room - a large suite big enough for them all. When they saw that, their attitudes turned a little. Even given the hotel manager's reluctance and lousy treatment, they were still lucky to have found this and not be forced to split up, they had to admit. The sticky point after getting inside was that the room had two, and only two, beds. They could probably have requested extra mattresses or cots, but they were sure they would get gouged for it, and nopony was really in the mood to give the hotel even more bits, not after the treatment so far. Some ponies were just going to endure camping out on the floor. When an argument inevitably broke out over it, Rainbow Dash insisted that Gilda should get one of the two beds, since she was the one who'd been stuck in an uncomfortable jail cell for days. Other than that avocation for her friend, however, Rainbow Dash had been very subdued ever since they'd returned to town. She spent most of her time staring at the ground, shuffling her hooves listlessly when she walked. Also strangely for her, she didn't even try to put in a claim to the other bed in the room, which, normally, her competitive nature would have driven her to make a grab for (Twilight Sparkle was eventually awarded it instead, by group concession that it was only fair, since she'd gotten them the room by having the brass to challenge the manager in addition to having put up the most bits out of her own pocket to cover the cost). Dash's depressed-seeming reticence was not unnoticed by her friends, especially a blonde earth pony keeping a careful eye on her since the events of that afternoon. Once the initial shuffle of moving into the room and unpacking saddlebags had died down and things had calmed, Applejack decided it was time to approach the issue. "Hey... Rainbow... Do you wanna talk about what happened out there today?" She asked. "I dunno." Rainbow Dash shook her head despondently. "C'mon." Applejack smiled at her. "It'd make ya feel better. Don't take a genius to see that it hurt somethin' terrible. Who was that, out there?" "Her name was Alabaster." Rainbow Dash said. "Alabaster Storm. Or Ally for short, sometimes, I guess." "Alright... So tell us about her." Applejack continued. Rainbow Dash just stared off at a picture hanging on the wall, a bland nondescript landscape, for a short time. "She was... My best friend... One of my only friends... While I was out here, during the war." She finally said. "We were really close." "And what happened to her?" Applejack asked. Rainbow Dash just glared at Applejack, hesitant, slightly upset. "Sorry..." Applejack apologized. "... Not ready?" "Maybe not. Don't know if I ever will be, completely. But... Jeeze... It's been five years. If I'm not as ready as I'm gonna get by now..." Rainbow Dash shook her head. "It's just hard, I guess. I've only ever talked about this once with one other pony in all that time." Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle glanced at each other, subtly, for just a fraction of a second. None of the others noticed. Rainbow Dash decided she wouldn't elaborate as long as none of them asked. It wasn't important right now. "Ya don't need to if ya don't wanna." Applejack said. "I understand." "No..." Rainbow Dash said, determination setting into her face. "No, I do need to, 'cause the truth is, this is it. This is my one good chance, back here in Jennetstown again. It's not easy but I know that I have to face it. I've known from the second I found out I had to come here. Might as well get it all off my back. I'm tired of wearing this saddle. The way she died... It..." Rainbow Dash hesitated and looked around. All the other ponies were watching her, waiting for her to speak. Rainbow Dash suddenly felt self-conscious, being the center of attention, and about to say what she was, but she steeled herself, determined to get it out. "She killed herself." Rainbow Dash spoke. "That's all there is to it, really. She committed suicide." She was worried that finally letting it out would make her get upset again, but it didn't. It was surprisingly easy - she was all cried out, she realized, too emotionally tired to get worked up now. All there was when she broke the long silence of those years was a sense of relief and release. It was a simple way to state things, no details, no circumstances explained, but even just to say that much felt like something finally accomplished that was long overdue, a wall finally torn down that gave her more room to breathe. She welcomed it. "Oh... I'm so sorry, Rainbow." Applejack said. She seemed uneasy and stared down at the floor. "Had no idea..." "It's alright, A.J." Rainbow Dash said. "It's been a long time. It doesn't sting so bad anymore." "Still aches, though." Applejack said. "Not too hard to see that." "Always will." Rainbow Dash nodded. "Always will..." The room was quiet for a few moments. Something in Applejack's face looked indecisive and contemplative, like she was deciding if, and how, to approach something she thought might be tricky. She opened her mouth to start to speak, a couple of times, but each time closed it again and rethought, cocking her head at slight angles, ponderingly. "Ya loved her, didn't ya?" She finally just asked, directly, but gently, in a soft voice. "I mean, I could be buckin' the wrong apple tree, there, but it just feels like..." Rainbow Dash's sighed, her turn to ponder an answer. "Yeah." She nodded, after a delay. "Yeah, I did. I guess I never... Never really said it, before... 'Cause maybe I didn't really think of it like that myself, at the time. But now that you ask... Yes. Not in the 'special somepony' kind of way, if that's what you're asking, but yes, I loved her. Like family. Like a sister, like twins, I guess. That's what she felt like to me." "I understand ya." Applejack nodded. "I got Applebloom and Big Mac, and... Yeah, I know the way you mean. With family, you don't always realize all the time how much you love 'em, you just... Do. There's nothin' I could love more than them." "Maybe. That's how you could say it... It's hard to explain, exactly..." Rainbow Dash thought for a minute. "I guess what is was mostly about was that... We shared things, Applejack. Things we went through together... I mean, I love you guys, too, with everything I've got, and we share a lot, but... But not always in the same ways. We're all different ponies, you know? There's just things we can't understand about each other in the same way that me and Alabaster did. We met in basic training. We went through that together 'cause we enlisted at the same time. That was just random chance, but that's how it started... And the rest is history. We went through our Combat Flight schools together. We trained and we qualified together. We went out to the front together, fought together, flew missions together. We watched each others backs, we took care of each other, we lived together, we worked together... Everything. We both went through that war. It's the kind of thing that most ponies can't understand 'cause they haven't been there and done it, but we did it together. We went through this living hell, and we were still really just kinda kids when we showed up, and in a lot of ways we grew up side by side, by doing that. After you've done that with somepony, you know them and they know you inside and out. And... And I can't explain how much it hurts to lose somepony that close to you. I just can't. There's no word I know for how it feels, Applejack... For how it feels to have to go through the rest of your life without somepony that feels like they're a part of you." "Guess you're right, Dash." Applejack nodded. "I lost my parents, and there's just no way I found yet to say what that really feels like. And I couldn't imagine losing my brother or sister. Not in a million years." "I couldn't either, before it happened." Rainbow Dash said. "When she died, a piece of me died. It burned up in the flames when she was cremated. Sometimes it feels like a big piece. There's nothing that can ever fill it in or replace it. You try to put it behind you, you keep living your life, and little by little you don't think about it so much anymore... You let go of the conscious sense of pain and you start to feel normal again. But it can never completely be the same as it was before... Something's gone that you'll never get back. And it's little things... Just knowing that we'll never lie down next to each other and preen each others wing feathers at the end of a rough day, when they were all ruffled up and out of shape, like we used to do. It's something so simple, but there was a lot of trust and connection, in it... Even just those little things. Especially those little things. When somepony like that is gone forever... There'll always be a hole in my heart. Always." There was a silence in the room. "Dashie, you big jerk!" Pinkie Pie suddenly burst out loudly. All the heads in the room suddenly swung over to her, in surprise. She was standing, glaring at Rainbow Dash with a mix of anger and pain shining in her eyes. Rainbow Dash looked confused by the outburst. "Pinkie... What...?" "Why didn't you ever tell us?" Pinkie Pie demanded. "I mean, jeeze Dashie, five years... Five years! I mean, we knew it was tough for you when you first came home but then we thought you got better. You were still hurting like this all this time and you never came to us, you just let us think you were doing alright? You never talked about it? You just kept it inside, all alone! Why? We're your friends!" "I... I don't know, Pinkie..." Rainbow Dash began hesitantly. "I'm sorry... I just didn't... I don't know... I didn't wanna put that weight on you guys..." Her voice was cracking. "We could have helped, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie said. "I mean, I know some stuff is secret 'cause it's embarrassing or it hurts or whatever but sometimes, when something's really serious... I mean, REALLY serious, like having your friend die... You can't carry everything alone all the time! You just can't! And I know maybe it wasn't something easy but we're not weak, Dashie. We all got chosen to be elements of harmony just like you did and there's a reason for it! All of us can take it. You shoulda just let us in." Tears were streaming down her face. "We could have helped..." She sat down on the floor in front of Rainbow Dash and hugged her tightly. "We could have helped..." She sobbed weakly. Rainbow Dash teared up, looking remorseful. "Oh, Pinkie..." She closed her eyes and returned the hug. "You scared me so much today." Pinkie Pie cried into Dash's shoulder. "I didn't mean to." Rainbow Dash spoke quietly into Pinkie Pie's ear. "I'm sorry. I never thought you were weak. I just didn't want any of you to have to see the bad things that happened out here. All the things that happened in the war, you know? They just hurt so much... I didn't want any of you to get hurt by them, too. I just wanted to protect you all. I'm sorry... I'm sorry." Another few moments of emotional embrace, and Pinkie Pie slowly let go of Rainbow Dash, composing herself, and stood back up in front her. She looked over at Rainbow Dash's right wing for a second, then, to Dash's surprise, grabbed it gently with her mouth and pulled it open. "Hey, whoa!" Dash protested. "Excuse you, Pinkie! Ever heard of personal -" "Hold still. You got some feathers out of place, silly filly." Pinkie Pie said, interrupting her. "Huh? No I..." Rainbow Dash began. She stopped herself. She stared at Pinkie Pie, and Pinkie Pie stared back at her, and all Rainbow Dash could see in her big blue eyes was a pleading sadness. "... Well... Yeah. Yeah, I guess I do." Rainbow Dash reevaluated, glancing back at her wing. She left it open in front of Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie muzzled Rainbow Dash's wing, trying to push the primary and secondary feathers around in a clumsy way. She ruffled them a little, but otherwise didn't accomplish a lot. She looked slightly confused and uncertain. "Most pegasi use their teeth as a comb to preen with." Rainbow Dash gently clued her in. "We start at the base of each feather, work outward... I try to just smooth it up and close any breaks in the surfaces." "Alright." Pinkie Pie nodded, gaining a look of determination. "I've watched you like a million times... I think I can get this..." Pinkie Pie worked on it for a while. She made Rainbow Dash wince a few times, pulling feathers a little too hard now and then. It was obvious that it was her first time, but Rainbow Dash forgave her. She knew it wasn't easy when you don't have your own wings to practice on, and besides, she couldn't help but feel unbelievably grateful for such a friend and moved that Pinkie Pie was trying her best. It was so sweet of her that Dash had no will to even try to stop it. The other ponies and Gilda watched the two of them for a couple minutes. "If ya don't mind me asking... Do you know why she did it?" Applejack asked, eventually breaking the silence. "Lot of different reasons, I guess." Rainbow Dash sighed. "Stress. Guilt. Shame. Pressure. Maybe the pressure most of all. I don't really know, but if I had to guess, I'd say that. It just... The way it just ate her away from the inside out, after it happened." "After what?" Applejack asked. "She was with me when I got caught by the griffins." Rainbow Dash said. "I told you all about that... But... I left that out. I didn't tell you that there was another pony with me at the same time. Alabaster got captured, too. She got the worst of it. They tortured her.. The stuff they did was horrible. I don't even wanna talk about it, it was so bad. They made me watch. Three days, Applejack. Three days we were there, before we got rescued. And by then, it was too late for her. She wasn't in that bad of a condition, physically, but in her mind, she was hurt so bad that she couldn't recover. She couldn't get over it. It kept hurting her. Her personality just totally changed. She was in a lot of pain... And she was so scared, every day. Every time we had to fly again. I tried to help but I couldn't. She needed the kind of help I didn't know how to give her, and she never got it. She kept it inside. She never talked to anypony about it. It was killing her but she just... Kept trying to deal with it on her own. And it didn't work. It broke her down. Eventually she just couldn't take the pain anymore. I guess she was trying to deal with it the only way she felt like she had left that she could resort to. I guess that's why she did it." "That's so sad..." Fluttershy said glumly. "Why didn't she just get the help she needed? I mean, it's there, ain't it?" Applejack asked. "Yeah. It's there, Applejack." Rainbow Dash said. "But it's not... I dunno how to explain it, exactly. It was just... Different for us. Especially at a time like that. It sounds easy to just say she shoulda gotten help but it's not easy to actually do at the time. It's not easy at all when it screws with your pride and your idea about what you're supposed to be. Being a Combat Flier, and a pegasus, and... I dunno, Applejack. I don't know what it's like for earth ponies or for unicorns. I wasn't raised on the ground with them. I was raised in Cloudsdale. Me and Alabaster both. We grew up hearing the stories about the old cloud empire. The old pegasus warriors. They're still admired up there. They're role models, they're heroes - at least that's what's implied. No pony just comes out and encourages being a soldier anymore and it's not really spoken in so many words that you need to try and be like them but it's understood that it'll make everypony proud of you if you do. There's still a warrior culture there, left over, and some of us still get into it. We still feel the pressure from it because we put in on ourselves - we decide it's what we want and we try to live up to these... These heroes... I guess we try to be them. We feel like it's our responsibility. We feel like we're the ones who carry the weight of Equestria's safety. We want to make it so that everypony can live a good life and not have to ever see a war themselves." Rainbow Dash thought for a second. "I remember when I was talking to my parents just before I joined. When I told them I was thinking about it, they were so scared. They kinda didn't want me to, and I could tell, but they didn't try to stop me. They let me choose for myself, and after the contract was signed and I was enlisted, they were so ridiculously proud of me. They were so happy for me because I was so excited to really get to be a hero myself. Instead of me looking up to them, I suddenly felt like they looked up to me. My mom got all emotional and spent like fifteen minutes hugging and kissing me when I told her the news. My dad even told me he wished he had my courage. They were... They were so proud... It was amazing. I knew that whatever I decided they'd always be proud of me, but after that, it was something even more. There was this huge admiration in their eyes, and they were proud of me in this kind of way I'd never even imagined. I didn't want to let them down on that. That felt like the worst thing that could ever happen." "That sounds like what happened with my brother." Twilight Sparkle said. "How everypony looked at him when he was leaving for duty in the guard. What you're saying is really hitting home for me, too. I'm sorry I never really gave it that much thought before now. I didn't consider there might be a downside to it." "What about yourself? When you left to be Celestia's student?" Rainbow Dash asked. "That was a bit different." Twilight said. "I was just a little filly. I still got to see my parents a lot of the time, and it wasn't like it was dangerous to be a student. But yes, you're right. I guess it's true there, too. I knew I was making my family proud. Even if they're not trying to put any pressure on you on purpose, just wanting to be something great in the eyes of the ponies you love makes its own pressure. That's definitely part of why I studied as much as I did for so long and so hard." "Exactly." Rainbow Dash nodded. "That's what got to Alabaster and some other ponies the most. I know, because her family was just as supporting and loved her just as much as my family did for me. She wanted to be perfect, for them, 'cause she loved them... 'Cause she wanted to protect them... She wanted to be able to go home a hero. At the very least, a good soldier who stuck it out to the end with honor. She couldn't stand the thought of being anything... Less. Throwing it in and admitting needing help - I think she felt like she couldn't do it because she thought it was her fault, somehow. Getting captured by those griffins, I mean, and all the fallout that came from it after. I think she felt like there was something wrong with her for this to happen, and the only way to prove herself and get back what she felt like she'd lost was to tough it out on her own. I know how she felt, because I did the same thing, out there after she died and when I first came home, and about some things even for a long time after that. She couldn't let herself face the shame of what she thought of as quitting. So she just tried to keep soldiering up and kept it inside. It hurt so much, but there comes a point where you're less afraid of the pain than of thinking you're letting down the ponies you care about. You're less afraid of dying than of that, because you know that everypony you love is depending on you to be strong. So you just keep your mouth shut and try to deal with it the best you can on your own. That's the price she - we - paid. She paid worse than me. It broke her. It cost her everything." "I've always been grateful that there's ponies that feel a sense a' duty." Applejack said. "'Cause I know we need 'em. But now that I hear it from you, I'm sorry for what it did to her. I get what you're sayin'. I suppose... I never thought about it that way. I admit it, I never really stopped to think about how what they do can hurt ponies in the service that way, inside. It's too easy sometimes t' forget that they're just like the rest of us. Guess it's hard to see sometimes under the armor and such." "Yeah. Somepony has to do it." Rainbow Dash nodded. "But that price is there to pay and I guess that's just part of the deal sometimes. It's just... I dunno... Shouldn't have had to be that way for her... Didn't need to be. Nopony would have thought any less. Nopony would have loved her any less. Didn't have to end like this..." She shook her head and trailed off. The silence in the room when she stopped talking hit Rainbow Dash. She realized that the attention of every pony (and griffin) in the room was all latched intently onto her, hanging on her words. Pinkie Pie was still laying on the floor by her side, half working on preening, half absorbed in what Dash was saying. Rainbow Dash was suddenly self-conscious, feeling like she was monopolizing the room, bringing everypony down with her going on about her dead friend. "I'm... Sorry to talk so much." She mumbled. "Naw, that's alright." Applejack smiled at her. "Shoot, let it out, this trip's about you, sugarcube. We're just here to help. Now I know why Twilight wanted us all to come. Believe me, I know it ain't easy, wantin' to look after everypony... Tryin' not to let anypony down... I had my own little problem with that, didn't I? Pinkie said it best - can't always carry everything alone. I know how important it is to just talk about it instead a' trying to cover it up with a front." "Yeah. You're right. Took me long enough to figure it out." Rainbow Dash said sardonically, with a slight laugh. "Guess you won that race, A.J." "Aww, it's alright. Yours is a little bit bigger of a deal than just not winnin' some rodeo." Applejack shook her head. "And, uh... I just wanna say, I'm proud of ya, Rainbow. I'm proud ta have a friend like you." "As am I." Rarity declared with a smiling nod. "Me too." Twilight Sparkle added. "And me, also." Fluttershy agreed softly. "You're the best friend I ever had, Dash." Gilda tossed in. "On top of being the baddest pegasus I know. I'm proud of knowing you." Pinkie Pie finally let Dash's wing go and stepped back a little to look at it. "Is it okay? Did I do alright?" She asked anxiously, biting her lip. "It's just fine, Pinkie." Rainbow Dash looked at her wing briefly, and turned to Pinkie Pie. She smiled warmly. "It's perfect. Thanks." "Aww, hey... That's what friends are for, Dashie." Pinkie Pie said, smiling widely. "And don't you forget it!" She gave Rainbow Dash a quick nuzzle on the cheek. "And I'm proud of you too." "I won't forget, Pinkie." Rainbow Dash said quietly. "Never again. I promise." "Pinkie promise?" Pinkie Pie prompted her. Rainbow Dash raised her right fore hoof. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." She recited. "... Although I don't think I should have to say the hope to fly part..." She grinned briefly and fluttered her wings just slightly for emphasis. Pinkie Pie smiled back at that, and Rainbow Dash was relieved to see her mood lighten a little. "Well..." Applejack yawned. "How 'bout we get some shuteye now? We still gotta spend another whole day in this town tomorrow before we can leave." "I'm all for that." Gilda piped up. "Gotta admit, it's been a heckuva day, Dash. Probably gonna be another long one tomorrow, too, with the train not leaving 'till pretty late." "Yeah." Rainbow Dash nodded. "I guess so." No pony had any protest against getting some sleep, by that point. The ponies all said goodnight, then went around and started turning off the lights, subduing the room into darkness and slumber.
Scent of Roses	Part 4	Scent of Roses Part 4 At dawn, when faint pale blue light started showing in the dark hotel room's windows, Rainbow Dash woke from fitful sleep. Vague dreams, only half-remembered, swam distantly through her mind, while she laid there awake but not moving. They weren't nightmares, not terribly bad - but not good either. She couldn't recall much but she still felt the general sense of anxiety and sadness they invoked. It clung to her mood. She sat up slowly, sore from sleeping on the carpeted floor. Her neck was stiff from the makeshift pillow of her saddlebags. There was a chill in her skin, permeating through to her muscles. Not really a surprise, considering that the blanket she'd been sharing with Fluttershy was now mostly covering the yellow pegasus, who had apparently turned at some point in her sleep and pulled it all over onto herself. Dash wasn't upset about that, though. Hard to really control moving in your sleep. Better that Fluttershy be comfortable, anyway, she thought. Besides, she knew she wasn't going to be getting back to sleep anytime soon. It wasn't like her to be the first awake - the solid crack of noon was normally closer to her taste than dawn was - but there was just something about the glow of light growing in the windows mixed with the dreams that haunted her in the night. She was too awake, too on edge. She did briefly ponder how Applejack and Rarity, laying with their backs towards each other, were successfully managing to equitably share a blanket, but just ended up shrugging. There were more important things to consider... Like what she was going to have to use this last day for. She'd thought about it long into last night, slept on it (such as she could), and woken up with it still there, at the forefront, still knowing it. Apprehension over it felt like it was twisting her gut, making her stomach upset. She closed her eyes and shook her hanging head. Her mane was a disorderly mess, like it always was right when she woke up. It would straighten itself out in the course of things, though. She could only hope that her other challenges today would prove likewise. She knew what she had to do... But how? How was anypony supposed to do this? "... Candy canes..." Pinkie mumbled, almost imperceptibly, as if in response to Dash's thoughts. She was smiling in her sleep, and rolled just a little under the blanket she somehow had to herself. "Sugar's your answer for everything, Pinky." Rainbow Dash whispered, extremely quietly to nopony, glancing with somewhat bloodshot eyes at the pink mare. "And it's not gonna help this time." Maybe that wasn't totally true. In spite of how she felt, Rainbow Dash was admittedly amused. Her mood couldn't help but lighten as comical visions of candy canes somehow rendering assistance in all of life's little problems filtered into her mind. Falling back onto that helped her make it through the quiet waiting until the next pony awoke. After a while, with the light in the windows still bluish and dim but slowly getting a little brighter by gradual shades, Applejack slowly opened her eyes and slowly yawned, then carefully pushed the blanket off of herself, trying not to disturb Rarity. She gingerly stood up and stretched. When she looked around and saw Rainbow Dash already awake, surprise momentarily flashed across her face. Rainbow Dash decided to mess with her a little, so she smirked at Applejack, an expression of smug pride in a challenge conquered. What? Thought I couldn't wake up as early as you? She conveyed, without words. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to do that. Partly it was old habit, that was just how the two of them interacted so much of the time. But she half consciously suspected, to herself, that the bigger part was more to keep up that appearance of still being the old Dash they knew, not let anypony else see insecurity and uncertainty. It wasn't really a good answer, but she wasn't sure how exactly to stop herself. Applejack just grinned back and shook her head, rolling her eyes. Sugarcube, y'all will turn anything into a contest, won't ya? Rainbow Dash could practically hear her saying. One by one, the rest of them woke at their own paces. There was no rush. The room grew brighter and the sun was fully up and shining by the time they were all awake and moving. Twilight Sparkle used the small coffee machine provided in the room to brew a pot of fresh coffee. She and Applejack each drank a cup, joined enthusiastically by Gilda, who said she hadn't had real coffee in a long time out in the Griffin kingdom, and, indeed, savored it slowly in small sips while it cooled. Rainbow Dash decided against any herself, with her stomach still not feeling particularly good. She was already edgy, anyway, it would just give her the shakes. Once the coffee was gone, Fluttershy used to machine to make plain hot water and brewed tea with it, which she and Rarity drank. Pinkie Pie also had some, though hers was so heavily infused with sweeteners it might have been hard to really taste any of the tea part of it anymore. After morning drinks were done with, the ponies and Gilda began cleaning up the room. The blankets and pillows were thrown back onto the two beds. The ponies' saddlebags were repacked and gotten ready for travel once again. Anything that was moved was carefully put back into position. One last careful visual sweep of the room, and they went to the front desk to check out. With nothing broken or damaged, they got their entire security deposit back (a point that Twilight took a particular pride in), and divided the bits back up among themselves. After they left the hotel, they were standing outside, in the front lawn, near the road, debating leisurely in the morning sun. Opinions were divided on how to pass their time until 7pm when the train would leave. Rainbow Dash listened to the others discussing their ideas for how to spend the day, getting anxious, not exactly sure of how she should throw an announcement about her own plans that she'd been silently harboring since she'd woken up that morning into the discussion. But she knew she couldn't let them go on too long without telling them. The others wouldn't like it, maybe, but it wasn't going to get any easier by waiting to spring it. Best to just bite the bullet and get it out of the way. She waited for a quiet lull in conversation. "Guys, I have to go back to the camp." She said simply, once her opening came. All the others in the group turned to look at her. "You what?" Applejack asked, as if she hadn't heard right. "I have to go back to the old camp again." Rainbow Dash repeated. "Now why in the tarnation would you do that?" Applejack asked, looking irritated, taking a step closer to Rainbow Dash. "Aintcha already done enough to yourself on this trip?" "Look, I don't expect you to understand." Rainbow Dash said back. "And I'm not gonna ask any of you to come with me, that's not what I'm saying. You guys stay here, do what you want. You should try and have some fun in town. But I have to go." "And who says I'm gonna let ya?" Applejack stared down Rainbow Dash. "Who says you can stop me?" Rainbow Dash shot back, meeting Applejack's stare. Applejack started closing in on Rainbow Dash. "I'll show ya who's gonna - " She began to threaten. Rainbow Dash spread her wings and crouched down slightly, springy on her legs, ready to launch into flight or take on a brawl. Gilda, watching what was happening, quickly stepped in next to Dash, also in a fighting posture, getting ready to back up her pegasus friend. Twilight Sparkle's eyes widened and her brow furrowed with anger. "Girls!" She burst in between Applejack and Rainbow Dash. "Hold it! This isn't the way to solve anything!" Her voice was loud and urgent with assumed authority, intervening to command control of the deteriorating situation. They all froze, Dash and Gilda on one side, Applejack on the other, and Twilight in the middle of them all, looking back and forth. "Come on!" Twilight admonished them. "As much as I know you two love bickering with each other, we're in a strange town and it's too early in the morning for this 'who's-the-alpha-mare' nonsense!" The silence was tense. The two sides stared at each other, each waiting to see if the other would move - each waiting to react in the blink of an eye. Twilight's point couldn't really be denied, Rainbow Dash had to admit, and she began to feel a strange sense of unsettlement. Reality check time... Things were out of hoof. What was she doing, she found herself wondering, about to come to blows with a good friend practically at the drop of a hat? Sudden regret came over her. Slowly, she relaxed her wings, letting them drop. and straightened her legs, standing upright. Applejack also relaxed, no longer set to advance. An unspoken truce was formed, visibly bringing relief to all involved as some of their tension melted away. Another few nervous seconds, and the stare-down finally broke. Applejack looked down at the ground and dug a forehoof at the dust, looking like she suddenly felt foolish. "Aww, dang it..." She mumbled. "I'm sorry, Dash... Guess I'm just gettin' scared, after what I saw yesterday. I just... Don't want ya to hurt yourself all over again, that's all... What kinda friend would I be if I let ya?" "I know, A.J." Rainbow Dash said. "And I appreciate you looking out for me. But I'm not trying to hurt myself more. I gotta do this so I can try to stop hurting." "Now that don't make any sense!" Applejack protested. "I said I don't expect you to understand." Rainbow Dash said. A coldness in her own voice surprised her... It worried her. "Then help me understand!" Applejack cried out with an edge of frustration starting in her voice. "Stop keepin' it inside and talk to me! We were doin' good last night, weren't we?" Quiet settled over the two of them for a few more seconds. A cutting smart remark flashed through Dash's mind, seemingly out of nowhere, involuntarily, but she stifled it as she fought her impulse to stay on the defensive. She knew Applejack was right. Last night's openness was something they all needed, and still did. She hated that she kept unconsciously trying to fall back on the tough fascade, like always. It was so dumb... It would be a blatant mask, and a harmful regression. They'd know she was keeping them out. This was only going to hurt everypony. No! No more of this! Time to drop the act and just tell the truth. She sensed that the future closeness of her friendships with all of them might depend on it... Right here... Right now. Especially with Applejack. After the way she'd reached out, after all she'd done, Rainbow Dash knew she owed her at least that much. She made herself look the orange and blonde pony in the eyes... Those pretty green eyes, looking back, trying to fathom her friend. There was a moment's pause. "I didn't finish yesterday." Rainbow Dash finally said softly. "Didn't finish what?" Applejack asked skeptically. "Kickin' trees?" The sarcasm bit a little, but Rainbow Dash shrugged it off. "No. What I've been waiting five years to finish... What I finally have a chance to finish now." She responded. "Look, I don't... I'm sorry, I don't really know how to explain why, I just know I gotta go try and do it... Something I gotta get over with for good. Either come with, or just let me go alone. But don't try to stop me. I have to. Please. Help me out here, Applejack." Rainbow Dash's eyes were no longer hostile or combative, as they had been before. They were asking for cooperation, instead. Applejack looked back into those eyes, and she couldn't seem to resist them. Her own face changed from frustration to full of concern. "Alright, Dash." She finally relented. "If that's the way it's gotta be... I'll go with ya. Fer the record, I still think this is a bad idea... But at least if I go with ya I can keep an eye on ya." "I think we'll all go with, if that's okay with Rainbow." Twilight Sparkle said. "Right, girls?" She looked around at the group. Quietly, every one of the rest of the ponies nodded yes. Rainbow also nodded her agreement. With that decision made, Twilight took initiative and led the way. They walked as a group to the road and started out. Most of the long walk was in silence. At the end of the long road, the ponies found themselves facing the same place they had the day before. The white roses were still resting there, on the side of the stone, where Rainbow Dash had left them yesterday. Just like yesterday, they were pristine, unspoiled, and still carried their sweet scent, gently and faintly wreathing their surroundings in it. As before, Rainbow Dash approached that white stone and stood by herself in front of it, the rest of the ponies waiting patiently at a distance. She stood there for a long time without doing anything, trying to just feel all the things roiling around inside of her... Trying to figure out how to do this. She knew where she wanted to go... But there was no exactly definable path. Knowing where it had to end was one thing, but trying to get there, trying to get all the important things in between, was evasive. Grasp one, the rest would slip away. By the time one part was concrete, other things she had solidified before danced away back into abstraction, still there but intangible. It frustrated her. She was doing something wrong. Maybe... Maybe she was just trying too hard to use the wrong tool. Planning wasn't really her strong suit, she knew. Maybe it wasn't her head she should be using for this. Maybe it was her heart. That was where this really dwelled, after all. Realizing that the conscious effort wasn't really going to get it any more right or perfect than going off the cuff, she finally had to simply trust, hope, that all of it... Or enough of the essential spirit of it... Would come out on its own as she went. So she stopped thinking and just started. "Hey Ally." She spoke. "Yeah, I'm back. I'm back because there's still more things to say... I, uhh... I've gotta get them out, while I'm still here, in Jennetstown. Hope you don't mind being pestered so much." She smiled, just slightly. "Well... What I have to say is that, ummm... It's about, you know, the way that this... You being gone... The effect it's had on me. The effect it's still having. It's still hard because I have to admit it... I keep holding on." She said nothing for a long time. "I just... Keep... Holding on." She finally continued, slowly, at barely a whisper. "And I've been trying to let go... Of everything that happened, back in the war... But this is the one thing I haven't... Yet..." Her lip shook, and she cleared her throat, swallowed heavily. "I've been holding on to you for all these years." Rainbow Dash said. "Holding on because... I'm sorry... I'm sorry for what happened... I know you didn't blame me but I'm still sorry. I know that's kinda dumb but I can't help it." She paused, staring thoughtfully at the stone. "It's the not knowing." She finally said. "All these years later, it hurts that I still don't really know if there was anything I could have done - if there was something I should have done differently, if I could have helped you more, if I could have just been there for you more. I keep wondering if I could have saved you somehow. Time is supposed to heal all wounds, but it doesn't always work that way. It's made some parts of what I've been through easier as I've worked at accepting it, and I've been mostly alright for a long time now, but there's one thing I couldn't get over... What happened to you. I was angry, and it hurt... It hurt so much. It still does. All this time I've always wanted you back, more than anything. I guess I always will, in a way, and that's normal for a good friend. But it's the thing I haven't been fair with myself about. I keep beating myself up about it, 'cause I guess... I felt like if I let go it'd be admitting defeat by letting myself lose something I just wasn't ready to give up. Partly I was scared that letting you go would mean letting you fade away into forgottenness, even though I know that's not true. Partly I also kept holding on because I'm still so afraid of it being my fault. I've felt so guilty for so long. I wanted to fight it so hard, to... I don't know... Somehow make it right, find some kind of justice, or something. Anything to make it complete, fill in these unanswered questions, reclaim some part of you on my own terms in my own mind. But I know the truth. I always have. I just didn't want to look at it and say it out loud. But I'm finally ready because I know it has to be said. I know that it's not gonna happen. I know that I'll never have those answers, and that I can't get you back. There's nothing I can do. You're gone, and I know it, and there's nothing anypony can do about that." Rainbow Dash said. She took a deep breath, and sighed. "I'm finally trying to let myself be ready now because when I think about it, I remember how you were, and I know that you wouldn't want this, the way I've been to myself. You wouldn't want me to keep hanging on to something pointless, hurting for no reason. That's never how you were. We watched each other's backs, 'cause we were the same like that. You wanted to protect me just as much as I wanted to protect you. It's just... You were there for me, every day, whenever I needed you, for those three years. So I felt like I owed it to you to hold on, to fight for you. I tried... 'Cause that's what I felt like I had to do. But I guess, like my friends tell me, I can't always be the one to carry everything all the time, no matter how much I want to do that... I know you'd want me to just say it and let it go, because if it was me, and you were the one still alive, I'd want that for you, too." "So..." Rainbow Dash choked on her words. "... This is... So hard... But I have to..." Rainbow Dash's jaw quivered and her throat felt tight. She struggled, finally forcing herself to speak. "Goodbye, Alabaster." The words brought a welling of tears out with them. They felt like pulling a barbed spine from her own flesh - relief at having it out, mixed with sharp new bursts of pain, another fresh trickle of blood, at every tug it took to extract it. The last few were undoubtedly some of the worst, the most agonizing. But it had to go. After years of letting it sit there, afraid to touch it for fear of that pain... Now or never. Time to give it those last couple quick pulls. Almost done. She bowed her head down, lowering it until her forehead was resting on the surface of the rounded memorial stone. As she cried, her tears fell, wetting the surface, leaving long streaks as they slowly rolled down. "I'll never forget you, I promise." She whispered. "And I love you..." "I always will..." "But it's time... To finally say..." Her head rested on the stone, still, perfectly still, eyes closed. A gentle breeze blew, barely waving the long blades of grass. "... Goodbye." There was not a move, not a sound, not even a sound of breath, from any of the ponies or the griffin watching. After a long moment of quiet, there was a sharp inhalation as Rainbow Dash breathed deep, her shoulders rising and chest expanding, then an exhalation, shoulders falling, chest deflating. She finally lifted her head, the wet trails of tears still down her cheeks, and looked off into the distance. It was done. She got up and slowly walked away from the stone, to join the other ponies once again. One by one, saying nothing, they hugged her, briefly, tears forming in each of their own eyes as they did so. Gilda hugged her last of all, a little longer than the others. "I'm sorry about her, Dash." She said softly in Rainbow Dash's ear as they embraced. Gently, she ran one hand through Rainbow Dash's mane in a comforting way. "I'm sorry." Rainbow Dash was slightly surprised, but grateful, at the warmth. For as gruff as the griffin could be, she had her moments sometimes... And it was a moment she could desparately use right now. After the round of hugs was over, the ponies and Gilda stood around for a little while, glancing at the stone briefly now and then. Somehow, it didn't feel like time to leave yet, but there wasn't much to say to each other. They all milled around uncertainly, until Applejack broke from the group and approached the white stone. She walked up to it slowly. As she stood in front of it, she reached up and took her hat off, pinning it against the front of her chest with a forelimb. She looked a little lost for words, at first, but found some after a moment's consideration. "Hey there... Miss Alabaster..." She began. "I know we never met and I ain't the best with words, but, uh... I thought that while I'm here, I oughta say... I appreciate everything ya done for us... All of us... And especially for Rainbow Dash. A good friend ain't easy to find, and it sounds like you were a good one to Rainbow, out here, where things were toughest. Wish ya were still with us. World could use more ponies like you. G'bye." She turned, and walked away back to the group, putting her hat back on. As Applejack returned, Twilight Sparkle began walking to the stone. "Hello." She said. "We never met either... And I guess we won't now, since it's too late, and I'm sorry about that... But I kinda feel like we have, in a way, because ever since Rainbow Dash first told me about you, I've felt like you're something pretty special. I know you meant a lot to her. I know what it's like when you're in a situation where you don't have a lot of - or any - friends. Even if what happened in the end had to hurt, I think you being out here with her before that might have made all the difference. I know that you helped her make it home to us. We owe you a lot for that. I don't know how to ever repay it, other than to just say, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I wish things had turned out better. I'm sorry. Goodbye, Alabaster Storm." Twilight walked away, and Rarity took her place. "I'm not sure just what to say." Rarity spoke sadly. "But I feel as if I should at least try to say something. I don't know anything about the dreadfulness of going to fight a war. But... What I do know is true is that me not knowing is thanks to brave ponies such as yourself who do. Ponies like you are heroes. You've made Equestria safe for a modest little dressmaker and her shop, at least. It may not be much but it means the world to me. Thank you for that. And thank you for being a friend to our Rainbow Dash. Goodbye." Rarity looked at the stone wistfully, for a few seconds, and walked away. Pinkie Pie came forward to take a turn. "Hi." She said, a little subdued from her usual effervescent self. "I just wanna say we woulda been friends, 'cause I can make friends with anypony. But one of my especially good best friends is Rainbow Dash. You knew her, too, so we were already like... Second cousin friends, or something. And friends look out for each other. I know that you looked out for Rainbow Dash, and she looked out for you. I'd like to get to do that too. I might not be able to do it in the same way, exactly, but I know that I can throw you a totally rockin' party someday. It's not the same as what you two had, but it's what I'm good at. It'll be great - no, better than great. Epic. Ponyville's party of the year. I Pinkie Pie Promise that. I'm just..." She sniffed down forming tears, working to keep herself together. "I'm just sorry you can't be there in person... Bye bye..." Pinkie Pie trotted away, hanging her head a little, eyes watering heavily. Fluttershy slowly, ponderingly, walked over. "Hello, um... Miss Storm..." She said haltingly. "Your story was very sad, and I'm so sorry about that. Rainbow Dash is my oldest friend. I've known her all my life. She's always protected me when other ponies were being bad to me or whenever I've needed help. I know that she'll always... Defend my honor... That's what she calls it... So I know how important having somepony like that is, when you're a pony like me who's not very strong and not very brave. From what Rainbow Dash tells us I think it sounds like you were like that... Like her. Thank you so much for protecting all the rest of us. I'm sorry you're gone... Goodbye..." A few tears were running down Fluttershy's cheeks as she turned and walked away. She reached up with one forehoof and wiped them away. Hesitantly, looking uncertain, Gilda walked up to the stone last. "Dude, I don't really know what to say." She muttered, after some head-shaking. "I'm not sure how I still feel myself about this whole war, so it ain't easy for me, you know? Bad things happened. I've spent five years trying to make up for the bad things I did. But I think you were only trying to do what you really thought was right. I couldn't ever hold that against you, not now. 'Sides... Griffins act all proud and we have rough manners and whatever sometimes, but... We respect a good fighter, or we're supposed to, anyway, whether it's a friend or an enemy. And if you fought next to Dash... Well... I guess you had to be pretty awesome." Gilda looked at the stone with a strange expression for a few seconds. She reached up and put her right hand on it, talons clacking very gently upon its hard surface, and spoke quietly, something none of the ponies could understand - a couple sentences in the Griffin language - and then was silent. "Well, Ally Storm... Goodbye." She finally concluded, taking her hand off the stone. Gilda walked away to rejoin the group of ponies. She left, and that white stone with its little bouquet of alabaster roses was alone again, silent again... At rest... At peace, there in the green grass under a blue sky. That was the sense of it that Rainbow Dash had in her mind, looking at it now, she discovered. Peaceful. Finally... Eternally peaceful. It felt strange, a little surprising, to see it that way. It felt... Settled... Empty, somehow... Like the distress and fear it had radiated were gone out of it. It felt like a book that had been left open to an anxiously unfinished last page for a long time was finally read to the final word and the cover closed, ready to go back to the shelf. She searched herself, and found that there was no sense of good or bad, no more commotion, only what felt like a vast, borderless calm... And relief. The spine was out. Maybe the hole it left behind wasn't all done, yet... Maybe it was still sore, still oozing blood, a little... But maybe now it could really heal on its own. "So... Everypony get it all said? We done here?" Applejack asked. She looked around at the rest of the ponies. "I am." Rainbow Dash answered her. "It's all out. I'm done." "Ya sure? I don't wanna rush ya. Sure you don't want any more time to think?" "Nah." Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Thinking about it... About her... I've done enough of that in the last five years. It's all been thought about so many times I'm sick of it. I'm ready to just be done for a while. I'm ready to let it rest now." "Ya don't know how glad I am to hear that, Rainbow." Applejack sounded relieved. "So what's everypony say we get a start on heading back?" Twilight Sparkle turned away from the group and walked towards the edge of the land, the sudden drop to the rest of the meadow beyond. "Actually, if it's alright, I'd kind of like to go get a look at the field down there." She stood at the cleft, looking down into the lower ground below. "I'd be interested to see if there's anything left of the old army camp." "Didn't Rainbow say yesterday there were more graves and such down there?" Applejack asked. "Yeah, I did." Rainbow Dash nodded. "And there are. It's not a pretty place, Twilight. You don't really wanna go down there." "It may not be the most pleasant place, but when am I ever going to be here again?" Twilight asked. "I can handle it... And I really think this is something I should look at for myself while I can." She turned back toward the ledge, looking out again on the field beyond, staring out at it while the tall grass gently rippled in the breeze, gold and green. After a few seconds, Rainbow Dash walked over to Twilight, and joined her, standing there side by side at the edge. "Well... If you're going, I'm going with you." She said. The rest of the ponies looked at her briefly with surprise, then glanced around at each other, with looks conveying worry. "No!" Applejack said firmly. "Not a chance, Rainbow! Ya been through enough for now!" "Yeah, well, she can't go alone!" Rainbow exclaimed. "We're in the middle of nowhere at the very edge of the Equestrian borders. It's not safe to just go wander around by yourself." "Then why were you sayin' you were gonna come out here alone this morning?" Applejack asked critically. "That's different!" Rainbow Dash said. "I'm familiar with the whole area. I've got the training and experience to protect myself. And in case you hadn't gotten the memo, I've got a set of wings I'm pretty freakin' fast on." "Well, then, fine. If it's so dangerous for us slow-poke ponies to go it alone, I'll go with her instead." Applejack volunteered. "So you can stay here, Speedy McGee." "And how do you plan on getting down that cleft, smartypony?" Rainbow Dash questioned her, looking at the sharp drop. It was much too far to just jump down unassisted without being injured, maybe even killed, by the fall. Applejack was silenced for a moment, pondering the deadly height, then snorted in frustration at being foiled. "Just what I thought." Rainbow Dash said, a touch smugly. "And trying to find a walking path down'll take forever. Couldn't even tell you where to start looking. Road's gone now. Sorry, but it's gonna have to be somepony who flies or goes poof with their horn." "Ugh..." Applejack was frustrated. "Fine! Fluttershy, then. She's got wings." "I... Guess I do..." Fluttershy said, weakly, looking around nervously. "Oh, that's a good one, Applejack." Rainbow Dash said sarcastically. "Yeah, let's send the weakest possible flier with the weakest possible voice. That'll be useful if something goes wrong!" "Hey...!" Fluttershy started, indignantly. "Now just a minute, you... You..." She faded off ineffectually. She tried to rebut, but appeared lost in the consideration that it was technically true - she was the weakest flier there, and she did have the weakest voice. "Rainbow! That was mean!" Twilight Sparkle looked angry by now at the argument unfolding. "Seriously, what is it with you two butting heads today? Now you're trampling poor Fluttershy in the process! This is really turning into a problem!" Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash turned to face Twilight Sparkle, with the same stubborn glare on their faces. "I'm trying to look out for my friend!" They both exclaimed, at exactly the same instant, an unrehearsed harmony of complete coincidence. A brief split second of shock overtook both their faces as they turned to look at each other in surprise, then for another split second, they stared at each other in dead silence. Rainbow Dash acted first. "Jinx!" She quickly blurted out, and briefly stuck out her tongue at Applejack with smug smile. Applejack responded in a low, growling voice. "Aww, take yer jinx an'..." "Enough!" Twilight Sparkle proclaimed in frustration. "Look, I can't ask anypony to go with me. I'm willing to assume the risk, I'll go by myself. I just have to see this. Just wait for me up here until I get back, okay? That's all. No more arguing." "Yeah... No, Twilight." Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I'm not letting you go alone. Sorry. It's just not safe." "Hey, look..." Gilda spoke up. "Maybe A.J.'s right, Dash. We all got our limits, you know? And you've been pushing yours just to come here. I know you, Dash... I know you wanna act tough but we both know this hasn't been easy for you. So I'll do it. I got wings and and a roar and you know I know how to use 'em. I'll go with Twilight down into the camp if it'll make you feel better to know someone's with her." "I know you're a good flier but you still don't know the area like I do, G." Rainbow Dash said. "And the worst part is over for me. Really, dude, I got this." A light of new determination was shining in Dash's eyes. Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus still had a hurt look on her face. "Fluttershy... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it... I was just getting caught up in the moment. I'm serious. I know you've got it in you to help all of us when it's important, 'cause you've done it before. I never shoulda said what I did." Dash said. Fluttershy didn't immediately reply, but she did hold her head up a little higher and shook her hair back, not hiding so much behind it anymore. "And Applejack..." She turned to her earth pony friend. "You trusted me to come this far. I did alright. I'm still okay, aren't I? Just trust me enough to believe it when I tell you I know that I'll be alright down there, too. Okay? Are we good?" Applejack snorted. "We're not good 'till I know you're outta the woods, Rainbow. But..." She sighed. "The truth is, I know I ain't really got much right to stop ya, and Twilight's right, we shouldn't be arguin' the way we are. Just make it quick, would ya?" "Alright." Rainbow Dash nodded. "You got it, A.J." "Ya hear that, Twilight?" Applejack addressed the purple pony. "Quick." "Yes, Applejack." Twilight sounded annoyed. "I hear you just fine." With that, Twilight turned and studied the ground at the bottom of the cleft, choosing a level spot. She closed her eyes and concentrated momentarily, her horn glowed with a brilliant purple aura and she disappeared with a pop, instantaneously reappearing down below. Rainbow Dash took off from the edge of the cleft and glided down to join Twilight. She landed, and the two of them started walking side by side through the tall wild grass, off towards where the any lingering remains of the old encampment might be found. "While I am glad for the company, and it was chivalrous of you, you know I don't need a foalsitter." Twilight Sparkle commented, eyes focused on the ground ahead of her as she walked slowly through the field, taking in the details left in the ground. She was walking alongside the ruts still imprinted into the dirt from the path that large siege machines, catapaults and trebuchets of incredible size, used to be pulled along. "I'm fully aware, Twi." Rainbow Dash replied. "I'm not here to foalsit. I'm here to watch your back." Twilight paused her stride and looked up at Rainbow Dash. "You really don't feel safe here, do you?" She asked with concern. "Applejack is right, you shouldn't be out here." "I know it's probably fine." Rainbow Dash said. "I know nothing should really happen. Place has been abandoned for years, why would anything or anyone be out here? But I still can't shake the feeling somehow. I don't know what's wrong..." She shook her head. "Just leftover stress, I guess. I'll get over it. I'm fine, Twi. And you really shouldn't be alone, just in case." "If you say so." Twilight's eyes lingered on Rainbow Dash, worried, before they went back to the ground, resuming her investigation. After a while, Twilight Sparkle drifted off the line of wheelruts and into other sections of the pathless field. Walking around through the thick grass, she and Rainbow Dash gradually came to an area in which the ground was studded intermittently with square-carved rocks poking up from the ground, hard to see sometimes because they were nearly invisible where the lush grasscover was thickest. Rainbow Dash tried not to look at them too closely. She already knew exactly what they were. Twilight Sparkle picked her way through them, briefly examining each one she passed close to. She had no visible reaction, though she was careful with her steps and tried respectfully not to step on or inadvertently kick any as she moved among them. She passed by one after another, giving each a quick glance and moving on, until one in particular seemed like it snagged her. She gave it the same glance as the rest, at first, but then stopped in the middle of her next stride and did a double take. She kept staring longer than usual at it. Her eyes scanned back and forth over it several times, as if there was some difficulty in comprehending what they were conveying. Twilight Sparkle's face fell. "I know this unicorn." She said flatly. "Hmm?" Rainbow Dash walked up and looked down at what Twilight was reading. It was small, a low slab in a rectangular shape, of brownish stone flecked and marbled in black. The top was flat. The text on it was carved with skilled precision, but very simple, straight to the point. Moondancer of Canterlot A cutie mark was carved below the name. "I... I know this unicorn." Twilight said again, a chilled note in her voice. "Are you sure?" Rainbow Dash asked. "... Could be a coincidence..." "No." Twilight Sparkle shook her head. "What are the odds of the same name and the same cutie mark, and coming from the same town? I knew her in Canterlot, when I lived there as Celestia's student. She was another student at the palace, under a different instructor. She... She invited me and the other students to parties sometimes. I don't even know how many of her invitations I just ignored. She always said she was going to get try to get a commission as an officer in the unicorn corps with the army. But I left before I ever heard what happened with that. I ignored her invitations. I wasn't really a friend. I never was back then. I ignored her... I studied so much that I just ignored her..." The look of pain on Twilight Sparkle's face made Rainbow Dash hurt inside. Her heart sank. This, she thought... This, right here. This is exactly what she was afraid of, for her friends. This is what she'd wanted more than anything to prevent... This kind of personal shock, personal affliction by the residue of the war. She couldn't have predicted what it would be, specifically, but what was happening now hit the nail of her fears on the head. It was her fault for letting this happen. She suddenly felt weak... And she felt ashamed... Because Twilight wouldn't be here right now, finding out this way, if it wasn't for her. She was supposed to be their shield, but she couldn't do it this time. She couldn't protect her friend. She wasn't strong enough, not here. Not here. Now do you finally understand why I wanted to come to Jennetstown alone? She thought sadly. Seen enough to get it yet, Twilight? She didn't say it out loud. An 'I told you so' was no comfort - more like a callous slap in the face - to somepony in distress... So she tried to choose her next words carefully. She hoped fervently that they would help. If she couldn't stop the blow, she had to at least try to soften the sting. "It's done and you can't change it, Twi." She said softly, brushing up gently against Twilight Sparkle, shoulder to shoulder. "But you're a different pony now, so let it go." Twilight didn't say anything, she just kept staring at the gravestone, reading it over and over again, studying every irregularity, every chip, every mark, every grain and crystal, anguished disbelief all over her expression. "Hey!" Rainbow Dash said, more forcefully. Twilight turned her head to look at Dash, and Dash was worried by the blankness in her eyes. "You hear me?" Twilight slowly nodded yes in acknowledgement. "C'mon, Twilight." Rainbow Dash nudged her, just a tiny bit. "Time to walk away." Twilight said nothing, but she followed Rainbow Dash's lead, turning aside from the gravestone and taking a few steps in the opposite direction. When they'd opened up some distance, Twilight Sparkle stopped and sat down. Her face had a haunted look on it. She stared down at her forehooves. Rainbow Dash turned and stood in front of her, and saw that she was shaking, just slightly, in the forelegs, the kind of shaking left in a pony in the aftermath of a powerful shock or fright. Her eyes were glazed, not really looking at anything in particular as they stared downward. She sat there for a while longer, not saying anything. "Seen enough?" Rainbow Dash asked, after she gave Twilight some time. "Yes. More than I wanted." Twilight nodded. "Wanna get going?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Yeah." Twilight smiled weakly at Rainbow Dash. "Yeah. Getting back to town would be nice. I... Uhh... I could use a drink." "Alright. C'mon, then." Rainbow Dash nodded back. Maybe that actually wasn't a half bad idea, she thought... Maybe she could use one herself, too... And she had something in mind almost immediately, coming up out of the depths of her past memories of here. "I think I know a place. We'll see if it's still open. Can't imagine it wouldn't be."
Scent of Roses	Part 5	Scent of Roses Part 5 An hour later, Rainbow Dash's hooves led her on, an old familiar innate memory of the walk guiding her through the Jennetstown streets. They led down a main road, until it branched off into a side street, turning left down it and going for a couple of blocks, until another smaller side street came up turning off to the right, between two rows of small buildings on either side crowding towards its edges. She proceeded down this strip for a little while, until a particular sign loomed above one doorway. It was a welcome sight, the same sign she remembered always being there - a wooden arch, painted metallic yellow with peeling and flaking paint long in need of a new coat, bearing the name of the establishment splaying across it in big black block letters. The Golden Horseshoe. "You're taking us to this dive bar?" Applejack looked skeptically at the place's exterior of faded, beaten wood siding. "Dive?" Rainbow Dash put a note of indignance in her voice. "I'll have you know this is among the finest of the drinking establishments frequented by the soldiers of the Equestrian Army during the war." "If y'all say so." Applejack shrugged. "And since when are you a connoisseur of upper-class... Uhh... Whatever the upper-class term for a bar is?" Rainbow Dash asked. She turned Rarity. "Help me out here." "Umm... Bistrot à Vin, perhaps?" The white unicorn offered. "Yeah, thanks, Rarity." Rainbow Dash nodded. "What she said." "I'm just kinda surprised, that's all." Applejack replied. "I didn't say there was anything wrong with the place, necessarily." "Darn right you won't be saying that once you'd tried one of their honeyciders." Rainbow Dash said. "Won't be calling it a dive, either, I'll bet." "Honey-cider?" Applejack half-closed one eye and looked quizzically at Dash. "Never heard a' that." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Oh, just come inside." She pushed open the door, holding it for her companions. "After all of you, everypony and griffin." The group filed in, one by one, and Rainbow Dash let the door go and stepped inside last. The place was in better shape on the inside than the somewhat rough exterior of the building would have suggested. The wood floor was swept clean and washed. The bar was well-polished, lacquered wood. It was clean and wiped-down, no dirty glasses left out, no napkins or debris littered it. Every table was similarly clean and presentable. Shelves behind the bar held a wide selection of respectable liquors. The lights in the hanging fixtures overhead, surrounded by their green glass shades in the shapes of leaves, cast a pleasant diffuse glow through the whole place. Still, though, despite the excellent upkeep, the early afternoon wasn't prime business hours for drinking, and the room was mostly empty. Standing behind the bar was a unicorn mare with a light sandy colored coat. She had a deep golden strawberry blonde colored mane and tail and brilliant emerald green eyes. A white collar and dark forest green bowtie were around her neck, and a cute spray of lighter colored freckles played across her cheeks. Her cutie mark was a bottle set next to a tumbler glass. Rainbow Dash recognized her instantly, and smiled with familiarity as she walked up to the bar. "Sherry!" She exclaimed. "Long time, no see! Still workin' here, huh? Not that I'm surprised..." The bartender laughed. "Well, it's what I'm good at, what can I say? Got the cutie mark for it an' everything. It's... Uhh... Don't tell me... Been a while but I remember you..." She cocked her head slightly and rolled her eyes upward, thoughtfully, and tapped one forehoof on the floor. "Smash... Bash... No... Somethin' like that..." She mumbled quietly. "Dash!" She finally said, more loudly. "That's it. Rainbow Dash, with the crazy rainbow mane!" "The one and only!" Rainbow Dash grinned and nodded. "Didn't you used to come in with that white mare all the time?" Sherry asked. The smile partly faded from Rainbow Dash's face. "Yeah..." She agreed. "I did... Once upon a time, I guess." "Oh. Things changed, huh?" Sherry ventured with a little shrug. "Sorry." "Guess that's a way to look at it." Rainbow Dash shrugged back. "Yeah, breakups suck, huh?" Sherry said. "Ehh... It wasn't exactly a - " Rainbow Dash started, sounding slightly embarassed. "But I guess you got plenty of friends here with you now, though." Sherry continued, unintentionally interrupting. "Uhhh... Yeah. Brought 'em in all the way from Ponyville." Rainbow Dash nodded, more than happy to just let the subject change. "This is Twilight Sparkle... Fluttershy... Pinkie Pie... Rarity... Applejack..." Dash introduced the ponies all by name, one by one. "And this is Gilda." She introduced the griffin, who'd been hanging towards the back of the group. "Wow." Sherry the bartender was taken aback a little. "I haven't seen a griffin in here in... Jeeze. Years." "Guess the whole war thing kinda put a cramp on that." Gilda said dryly. "Sure did!" Sherry said. "You know... Not... That you're not welcome in here, or anything." She said awkwardly. "'Cause you are. Nice to meet you." "Yeah. You too." Gilda nodded. "So what can I get you girls?" Sherry asked, getting down to business at last. "A round of honeyciders for all of us!" Rainbow Dash immediately said. "I gotta have all my friends try one, as long as we're in town." "Ah. Good taste, this one." Sherry nodded. "You girls ever had a honeycider before?" She asked, looking at the group. "No..." They all answered, one by one, after looking around at each other uncertainly. "Trick question! Of course you haven't. It's the house specialty drink. Nopony else makes it... 'Least, not as good, if they try." Sherry said, proudly. "You're gonna love it." She got out seven heavy glass mugs, setting them in a row on the bar. "See, it's like a plain apple cider, to start with... Fermented with yeast 'till it's what you'd call pretty hard. 'Bout eight percent alcohol or so." She began filling the mugs one by one from a tap. "Then we add our mix of spices... Seasonings... And set it back out in the barrel to age." The mugs, as they filled with a golden brown, slighly cloudy liquid with a pale frothy head, were set back in a line on the bar. "And at the same time, we ferment some honey and water. Makes a nice sweet mead." The mugs kept lining up. "Then when they're both ready, we mix juuuuuust the right amounts together, along with some fresh honey, a few more spices... Blend it up for the right balance of taste... And BAM!" She thumped down the last mug in the row. "You've got honeycider!" Sherry beamed from behind the row of mugs, proud of her showmareship. It was pretty good, Rainbow Dash found herself smiling. Those mugs and the drink they were filled with brought back memories. They looked delicious. She could practically hear one of them calling her name. "Well, what are you all waiting for?" Rainbow Dash grabbed a mug from the end of the row for herself. "Help yourselves!" All the rest of the ponies, and Gilda, took a mug at her prompting. They looked at them, cautiously, tentatively, unfamiliar with the contents. "Shouldn't we, uh, drink ta... Somethin'?" Applejack suggested, peering down into the foam atop hers. "Sure, if you want." Rainbow Dash agreed. "How 'bout to... Uh..." She tried to think of something meaningful to all of them. "To the friends who can't be here." Twilight Sparkle suddenly interjected. Applejack smiled and gave Twilight a little nod. "Sure, sugarcube. That'll do. To the friends who can't be here right now." She raised her mug a little. All the rest of them did the same, following her lead. With that, they all drank. As she tipped her heavy mug up, the unique drink inside crossed Rainbow Dash's lips and flooded her tongue with a taste that had an old familiarity unrecalled for a long time. It was delicious, amazing, as it always had been... The taste of apple cider sugared with the sheer sweetness of honey, and the added notes of spices... Cinnamon spiked, just a touch of cloves, something suggesting citrus peel... Some other flavors that were hard to put a hoof on... Ingredients that Sherry would never in a million years divulge, anyway. It all came together incredibly. After a heavy draught, gulping down at least a third of the liquid in one long, slow, savoring pull, Dash slowly lowered her mug. The mug lowered, clearing her visual field once again. In her mind's eye, she could see it - the lights were different, it was dark outside, no sun coming in through the windows. A gentle cacophony of voices and music, the usual thick sound of an evening crowd at the Golden Horseshoe, filled the air, infusing the environment with a busy, energetic feeling. Suddenly another mug, emptied of its contents, slammed down on the bar next to Rainbow Dash. "Ha! All down in one shot!" The familiar voice of a female pony exclaimed proudly. "Told ya I could!" "Easy there, killer." Rainbow Dash admonished, looking over. Alabaster was standing next to her, hoof still inside the handle of the mug she'd just drained. "You tryin' to make yourself hurl or something?" "You're just jealous I beat you!" Alabaster grinned back at Dash. "And when was the last time I ever threw up, anyway?" "I dunno..." Dash conceded. "Flight school, I guess? The corkscrew thing we had to do that one time?" "You threw up too. We all did." Alabaster pointed out. "It was a pretty terrible day..." "Oh yeah." Rainbow Dash laughed. "But you know what?" Dash said, peering into her own still partially full mug. "Honeycider is a drink you enjoy, not just slam down... And I still have same left to enjoy and you're all out. And there's nothin' you can do about it! So HA!" She taunted her friend. "That's not true!" Alabaster shot back. "I... Can buy another one!" "Yeah?" Dash glanced at Alabaster and raised one eyebrow. "Yeah!" Alabaster affirmed. "Uhh... Except that... I've already had two... And we still gotta get all the way back to camp... So... I'd... Better not." She said, lamely, and hung her head a little. "Oh, responsibility..." Dash shook her head. "Is there a good time it can't wreck?" "Eh, it's alright." Alabaster shrugged. "A hangover isn't exactly a good time anyway." "Ugh... Fact." Dash agreed. She stared into her own mug, down into the remaining liquid, and gently swirled it around a couple times, watching the slow sloshing. "... Sure is sweet, alright." Applejack's voice drifted into Rainbow Dash's ear, tugging her gently out of her memories, away from the nighttime crowd of those years ago, drinking with Alabaster, and back into the present day mid-afternoon. "But they use good apples, I can taste 'em. And the spices really give it somethin' special. Hate ta admit it, but... Even compared to the Apple family cider, this stuff's pretty amazin'." "Oh, quite incredible, indeed." Rarity agreed with Applejack's assessment. "I do wonder how many calories come with this kind of incredible, however. I suspect it can't be a light number." "Actually, Rarity..." Rainbow Dash began, looking up from her mug again, "That's part of why a lot of Combat Fliers came to this bar and made honeycider their drink of choice. Aside from the amazing taste, we kinda needed as many calories as we could get." "You what?" Rarity had a skeptical look of disbelief. "Yeah, I know. Some ponies struggle to keep weight off. We had to struggle to keep enough on sometimes." Rainbow Dash said. "Pegasi who do a lot of high-intensity flying for a long time burn through a lot of energy. Sometimes, their body tries to react by dropping muscle mass to lighten itself, especially if they already don't have a lot of fat to burn off. But we didn't want to let that happen because we still had to be able to stay in shape for ground fighting, too, and you need the muscle and strength in your legs for that. Only solution, really, is to stuff your face 'till your body's convinced it has all the energy it needs." "So... You... Eat whatever you want, no matter how ridiculously fattening it would be to most other ponies, and it's a good thing?" Rarity asked. "Not like that isn't pretty much how I've always done things, but yeah." Rainbow Dash nodded. "Must... Control... Jealously..." Rarity said, through clenched teeth. "Must... Not... Hurt... Friend..." "Yeah, I've been known to get that reaction." Rainbow Dash said. "But trust me, it's a lot less of a good deal than you think. It only works if you're burning those calories. That kind of privilege comes with a price." "You should see her at sugarcube corner recharging after a looong day of flying." Pinkie Pie laughed. "It's a show! Dashie, the amazing bottomless pit!" "Hah, well, I know whatcha mean. Big Macintosh gets like that durin' the harvest season when the work's the longest and hardest, too." Applejack nodded. "Sometimes I wonder, when ya balance out how much he harvests in a day to how much he can eat, if we do any better than just break even." Twilight was a distance away, not really paying attention to the conversing of the others. She flagged Sherry over to where she was at the bar. "This is really good. But... I'm sorry, I'm just not really in the mood for sweet. I think I feel like something... Like, uh..." She looked up and scanned the shelves behind the bar. "How 'bout that one?" She pointed one forehoof at a particular bottle, square shaped, filled with an amber liquid. "That one's a pretty good whiskey. At least that's what I hear. Some of that." "Sure thing." Sherry nodded. "You want that neat or on the rocks?" "No ice." Twilight shook her head. "You got it." Sherry poured the drink and set it down in front of Twilight. Horn slightly glowing, Twilight levitated the glass gently, swirling the whiskey, and she breathed in the aroma of the liquor. "To the friends who can't be here." She said, quietly, sullenly, before lifting the glass up and sipping on it. Rainbow Dash, after breaking away from the rest of the group, walked up to the bar next to Twilight, who barely looked over to acknowledge her presence. She was focusing instead on the drink in front of her, examining it, pondering every aspect of the liquid and the glass it was in. She looked like she was on the verge of saying something, mouth opening to speak. But she didn't. She just sighed and kept staring forlornly at her whiskey. "It's really getting to you, isn't it?" Rainbow Dash asked quietly. Twilight didn't answer for several seconds. "Guess so." She finally mumbled. "I... It just... I dunno. Forget it. I'll be fine." Rainbow Dash reached up with a foreleg and rubbed Twilight briefly on the shoulder. "Hey... I'm sorry. I know it's not an easy thing to feel." She said. "But don't try to cover it up, Twilight. Some of the good times me and Alabaster had together were here in this bar. That's why I wanted to come here, to have a drink and remember the good things... But be careful. I've told you about the mistakes I made after she died, trying to make it work the other way around instead. Don't do what I did. Don't try to drink to replace feeling with being numb. Don't try to drink to forget. Doesn't help. Know what I mean?" "Right." Twilight nodded. She stared down at the woodgrain of the bar for a few seconds, then, finally, looked up at Rainbow Dash. "Yeah, I know what you mean. And... And I won't, I'll be okay..." She said. "It's just more the surprise than anything, you know? I'd never even heard anything about her after I left. I had no idea." "I know, Twi." Rainbow Dash said softly. "I know. It... Just... It sucks. I know." "There's nothing you can do about it, is there?" Twilight asked, with a sigh. "Just time, Twilight." Rainbow Dash said. "Just time. That's about it. And if you need to talk to somepony about it... Do it. I'm here for that, if you ever want to. Don't forget." "I suppose you would be the pony for it." Twilight nodded. Twilight sat there, taking a couple of slow, small thoughtful sips over the next minute or two. "You know, Moondancer, she wanted to know how to make Equestria a better place." Twilight said. "I think that's why she went. I think it's why she wanted to be an officer in the unicorn corps. She always wanted to understand how to lead ponies. That was what she thought was important, figuring out how to get us all to work together to make big things happen." "I'm sure she was good at it." Rainbow Dash said. "They don't make you an officer if you're not." "She was." Twilight nodded. "She was a natural organizer. It's why her parties always had a reputation for being successes. I just wish... That I'd ever showed up to one." "You can't change it." Rainbow Dash shrugged. "So don't beat yourself up." "I know." Twilight sipped her drink. "It just kinda hurts to realize these things retrospectively, that's all." "Yeah." Rainbow Dash nodded. "It just feels like seeing those gravestones gave me a good hard kick in the side and I'm going to be bruised for a while." Twilight said. "Well..." Rainbow Dash thought for a second. "Bruises don't last forever. That ache will die down eventually." "I'll be glad to get home." Twilight said. "Where I won't have to think about places and things like this for a while. I think that'll help." "You and me both, Twilight." Rainbow Dash nodded. "I'm looking forward to seeing this fade into the distance again. I'm ready to let it go, out of my life. That's about all I want now." "Good thing it'll be time to catch the train soon, then, isn't it?" Twilight smiled a little bit. "I can't wait!" Rainbow Dash laughed a little bit and smiled back. Late at night, in much the same way it was on the ride out, Rainbow Dash was sitting in the dark, alone, in a car that was quiet except for the constant soft background noise the train made as it rolled along. Faint moonlight illuminated the features of the land, the rocks and the trees and fields, glimmering off the dewdrops that formed from the chilled night air, just barely enough to see the world rushing by. It was calming. The blanket of night brought a silent peace to the land they were passing through. For the first time in a long while, Rainbow Dash felt like a part of that peace herself. She was alone for a long time, enjoying that feeling, enjoying the night, until, to her slight surprise, she heard the quiet hoofsteps of another pony approaching. She'd thought all the others were long asleep. Turning to look, she could tell in the dim light that the other pony was Twilight Sparkle. "Hey Twi." Rainbow Dash said softly as the other pony neared. "Oh!" Twilight was briefly surprised. "I didn't think you'd still be up." "You couldn't sleep either, huh?" Rainbow Dash asked. "No. I tried to, for a while, but... I suppose not." Twilight said, while moving into the seat next to Rainbow Dash. "You're not still thinking about it, are you?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I guess so." Twilight admitted. "A little." "Well... That's only natural, really." Rainbow Dash replied with a shrug. "It's made me think more about something else, though." Twilight said. "Yeah? What's that?" Rainbow asked. "I think it's made me realize that... I... Maybe I kind of owe you an apology, Rainbow." Twilight said. "What?" Rainbow Dash was surprised. "How could you possibly have anything to apologize for after everything you've done for me as my friend, Twilight?" "Because I keep thinking about how I felt, and how... Unfamiliar it was... How I wasn't able to understand before. I thought I did, but it..." Twilight shook her head. "It wasn't enough. It wasn't as much as you deserved." "You did as much as you could, Twi. I know that." Rainbow Dash said. "That's all that matters." "Yes, but it just feels different now." Twilight shook her head. "I kind of... See it in a new way. Now I know what I was missing." "So... what changed?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously. "I've never been shaken like that, Rainbow. I've been... Just... Lucky, until now." Twilight said. "I've never really lost somepony I knew. So I guess I never understood what this has been like for you. I still don't, not as strongly as you must. Moondancer wasn't somepony that close to me, not like I can see now that Alabaster was to you. But it still feels... Well, like you said the other night. Like there's something missing now, like there's a piece gone. Now I understand that feeling. I'm so sorry. If I'd really, truly known what this was like, maybe I could have helped you more before now. I feel like all I could do was listen and nod my head. I couldn't really say anything 'cause I couldn't feel it, you know?" "That's alright, Twilight." Rainbow Dash said. "The truth is... Well, it's like this. There's good days and there's bad days. That's life, you know? There'll always be ups and downs. All in all, though, the last five years haven't been too bad. It's been mostly good days. I've been happy, Twilight. I really haven't been suffering. You don't need to worry about that. And the biggest part of that has been because of you guys. You've helped me more than I think any of you realizes, just by being my friends. Just by being around. That's all I could ever ask any of you for. There's no way to magically erase the things that happened in the past and take away all the scars, and I don't expect that from anypony. Bad days are just gonna happen sometimes. It's the price I know I have to pay for what I had to do. That's okay. I mean it, really, I'm okay." "Why?" Twilight asked. "When we talked about this, a long time ago, it sounded like you'd been getting it all pretty well under control." "Mostly, yeah. Some kinds of hurt, you can get over just by thinking them through, realizing you don't have to hold on to them. Sometimes it's not always so easy. But I guess it can fool you. Sometimes you can feel alright even though there's still something you need to take care of." Rainbow Dash said. "It's like a splinter stuck inside of you. You can get so used to it just being there after a while that you don't really notice it anymore. But it's still there. Just thinking about it isn't enough. You gotta do something about it to really make it go away. You gotta finally just pull it out. I didn't realize that so completely until now... It was hard, but... I'm glad in a way that I had this kind of 'bad day', because now this particular one is finally over for good. I won't have it again, not like before. When I used to think of Alabaster, I used to smell blood, Twilight. I used to smell the blood, the war, the death... The bad things that happened out here, the bad things we saw and had to do together. And all I could feel was sad, and angry, and how much I still miss her. But thinking about her now... It's not like that anymore. Now I smell those roses I left at her memorial, the kind she loved because in her heart she was gentle and beautiful. And that's all. It's finally over. I finally... Have a happy memory of her, the kind of way she deserves to be remembered. I'm glad I ended up having to come back here." "I think you have a lot of courage to have done that." Twilight Sparkle said. "I... Wish I had as much." "Nah." Rainbow Dash shook her head with a modest smile. "If I had courage, I woulda done it a long time ago, when I should have just gotten it over with. In the end it wasn't a matter of courage, it was a matter of not having a choice." "But you did have a choice." Twilight said. "Not really. My friend needed me." Rainbow Dash shrugged. "I had to help Gilda. I had to protect her. Loyalty. I'm the shield, remember?" "I wish you wouldn't think like that." Twilight Sparkle said, slightly unhappily. "It's what I am." Rainbow Dash said. "How am I supposed to pretend I'm something else? I can't live like that... We have to accept what we are, Twi. That means accepting what other ponies are, too. I know it's hard. It's hard for me, too, sometimes." She smiled wryly. "Like Applejack, she drives me crazy 'cause of who she is sometimes. But I can't change her. And I wouldn't want to. She's gotta be who she's gotta be, even if it means we get into a fight once in a while. We're always still friends when the dust settles." Twilight looked comtemplative, but said nothing. Silence settled between the two of them for a while. "It'll be alright, Twilight." Rainbow Dash finally said. She raised her foreleg and put it around Twilight's shoulders, trying to be comforting. "I know what you're worried about, what I told you a long time ago about me being first... But don't. Everything will be alright." Twilight looking down at the floor. "Yeah." She said quietly. After a few seconds, Twilight turned and pulled Rainbow Dash into a gentle hug. She laid the side of her head on Dash's shoulder. Dash reached out with both forelimbs and held her. "I don't want you to leave us." Twilight Sparkle said softly. "Not for a long, long time, Twi." Rainbow Dash replied. "Not ever." Twilight shook her head. "Nopony lives forever." Rainbow Dash spoke softly. Twilight didn't answer, she only sighed and hugged Dash a little bit tighter. Rainbow Dash just held Twilight for a few minutes. "Thanks for coming with me." She finally said. "I know I wanted to say no at first, but... Now after it's said and done, I'm glad you were all here." "I love you." Twilight whispered. "We all do." "I love you too." Rainbow Dash whispered back. Gradually, in the quiet peace of the embracing darkness, the two of them fell asleep together as the train carried them home. The End For Nicole. I don't know how I could have made it through the worst times if you hadn't been there for me. Friendship truly is magic.
The Refrigerator Light	pre	"Not exactly? More like what she wants isn't what she thinks she wants. Or what she thinks she wants isn't...gahhhhh." Ember gave Applejack's mane a slightly too forceful tug while dislodging a small clump of wet leaves. "The problem is what she wants isn't material. It isn't stuff, which means it isn't something she can hold onto or look at. And since she has no clue what her idea should look or feel like, there's always going to be some x-factor that could throw her off, and no matter how foolproof she thinks her plan is there's always going to be a point where she ends up winging it and hoping for the best." Silence. Ember chuckled. "Heh. 'Winging it.' She's got wings. Didn't intend that pun, honest." "Huh." Applejack cleared her throat. "Honestly? I got distracted from what point you're tryin' to make by the fact that you remembered what Rainbow Dash wants better than her name." "Actions speak louder than words. Besides, pony names are all the same." Ember shrugged. "Except for you. You're impossible to forget, AJ." "Shucks." Applejack's smile returned. "But yeah, uh...where were you goin' with all that?" "What I'm saying is that the whole reason things turned out perfectly, or so close to perfect that I can't tell the difference, is because you knew exactly what you were going to do, exactly what you needed to do, and then did that. Anypony else, no matter how hard they wanted it to happen? There'd be mistakes, because they wouldn't know the absolute right thing to do, and so they'd slip up on all the bits they couldn't perfectly conceptualize. And that's why you can do things in a way that no other pony would be able to do as well. And that's why the only thing holding you back is being a pony in the first place. And that doesn't even appear to be slowing you down that much!" Applejack was silent. "And that's why you're the best pony ever. And why you would be even if you weren't very, very special to me." Ember smiled. Applejack smiled back, but it was slightly yet unmistakably forced. "I...could think of a couple of ways I couldn't make it all happen like I wanted to. Mebbe." "Maybe?" Ember frowned. "What the heck's that supposed to mean? You think maybe you did things the right way, or maybe not, but you haven't decided for some reason?" "It's...it's a time thing." Applejack blinked. "Like, it's somethin' I'll know turned out perfect for sure or not only in the future, when it happens. An' until it happens, I can't know whether or not I did the exact right thing. Does...does that make sense?" Ember stared at Applejack. Applejack stared back. "...No." Ember took her claw away and straightened up. "It doesn't. But I'll take your word on it, okay? As long as you tell me when this mysterious point in the future is." Applejack shivered. "Prolly tonight." "That soon? Heck yeah!" Ember grinned, turning on the spot and heading back to the basket of gems. "Can't wait to see what it is for myself!" Ember grabbed an emerald, chewing loudly with her back turned to Applejack. She didn't see the expression on Applejack's face, watch Applejack's lips move or hear her mutter something under her breath. "And now I'm cold again" Ember muttered. "We can't exactly bring the fireplace along with us," Applejack replied as she walked along the forest path. A persistent wind took some of the sharpness out of her words, but the point remained, and Ember scowled at nothing in particular. "Yeah, yeah, I know. It was just so...comfy in there." Ember jabbed a talon at Applejack. "This had better be a super nice clearing you're taking me to." "It will be, don't worry. Besides, the weather's supposed to clear up soonish. Granted, it wasn't s'posed to be this cold or cloudy at this time of day, but..." "Can't control that. I know." Ember walked closer to Applejack, then paused. "Wait, no, you ponies can control it." "Control every inch of the sky, all the time, to the last raindrop?" Applejack turned, grabbing her hat to prevent a sudden squall from plucking it off of her head. "Ain't possible. Ain't even close to possible." "But I've seen the blue one--" "Touch up a couple of clouds right over a town? Yeah. But there ain't enough pegasi to keep all the sky perfect all the time." Applejack turned back. "That's why us folks on the ground gotta do our own work, 'specially those that don't live right next to places like Cloudsdale." "I..." Ember paused in place for a second, then jogged back up to Applejack. "Okay. I kinda hate how that makes sense, but I guess I can't say it wouldn't make sense. At least it explains the crummy weather." "It'll get better." Applejack smiled softly. "Can't stay cloudy forever." But, in the immediate future, the weather seemed perfectly content to prove them wrong. The chill sapped the vigor out of any thoughts of small talk, and the wind carried isolated words away into the shadows in the foliage. The two of them walked in silence, side by side, as if trying to reclaim their warmth through shared body heat; but this, too, was insufficient, and Ember and Applejack found themselves shivering as they walked. Chill air and the dull sky blotted out the perception of time. Their silent walk passed through seconds, minutes, stretches of time which seemed formless, nameless and endless. They walked until it seemed as if there was no point to the walk anymore, even when the wind started to die down. Then Applejack veered off to the right. Ember followed her off the path, around a few trees and through foliage-- And there it was. Soft grass, well-tended; somecreature had been there recently and taken care to keep it scythed down to townpony standards.The trees formed an almost circular ring around the area, creating an unusual yet not unwelcome air of hospitality to the clearing, as if it had been designed for travellers to rest in after a lengthy excursion. Ember walked into the clearing, letting her feet sink into the grass and soil, and hadn't crossed over more than a meter or two before the sun finally broke through the cloudy sky. All at once, light and warmth washed over the two of them, in those moments banishing any memories of the chill that had reigned over them mere moments ago. With a happy sigh, Ember sat down, then let herself sprawl onto the grass, arms outstretched, eyes closed. Blanketed in the sun, Ember soaked up the softness and the warmth around her, breathing softly. Something nudged her claw. Opening her eyes and looking over, Ember saw Applejack looking back, stretched out on the grass in a mirror of Ember's body, hoof outstretched as if ready to grasp onto Ember's claw. Without hesitating for a second, Ember rolled over and on top of Applejack, body slightly curled on top of the earth pony, chest pressed against chest, breathing softly. Their rest was witnessed only by the sun, the trees and a robin gone astray.
The Refrigerator Light	The Clearing	"So let us melt, and make no noise, No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move; 'Twere profanation of our joys To tell the laity of our love." - John Donne
The Refrigerator Light	Saturday evening	Applejack curled her hoof around a cup of hot chocolate, saying nothing. Ember copied her in a nearly perfect mirror, occasionally taking a sip and letting out a satisfied sigh. "You weren't kidding. This is really good." Applejack didn't say anything. Instead, her slightly unfocused eyes were fixed on a spot vaguely to the right of Ember, cocoa virtually untouched. "...Hey, Applejack." Silence. "Dragonlands to Applejack, are you there? Hello?" Ember waved a claw in front of Applejack's face. Startled, Applejack jolted back a bit, just barely avoiding spilling any cocoa onto the table. "Ah! Sorry, that...sorry, sugarcube" Applejack replied. "Jes'...thinking. You know how it is." "Kinda? But I don't know what you're thinking about. Something on your mind?" Applejack chewed her lip, then took a sip of her cocoa, readjusted her hat, and took another sip. "...I dunno. It's..." Ember arched an eyebrow. "It's...what? What's 'it,' anyway?" Applejack lifted her head. "...You liked the clearing, huh?" "Yeah." Ember grinned. "Worth the walk. Definitely a shame we had to come back, but better to do that before it gets dark. Fumbling around in this part of who-knows-where without a flashlight sounds like a good way to trip over a tree root." "Or get attacked by Timberwolves." Applejack drained her coca, set her cup down and stood up. "Want me to top you off on cocoa?" "You better believe it." Ember sat back in her chair. "And hey, you're forgetting again--dragon, remember? Timberwolves are basically just kindling waiting to happen." Applejack snorted in amusement as she walked towards a saucepan on the stove. "You realize that sounds like a couple of stray sparks away from 'the whole dang forest's kindling waiting to happen,' right?" "Not my fault you live in the middle of a fireplace." Ember poked her tongue out at Applejack playfully. "Speaking of, want me to go out and get more wood? Or do you figure what we brought in was enough?" "It should last the evening. I wouldn't object to a smidge more kindling, though." Applejack chuckled softly. "Consider it the cost of the cocoa?" "How mercenary of you." Ember stretched, then stood up. "You're sounding more like a proper dragon every day." "Learned from the best!" Applejack replied, grabbing the saucepan and carefully pouring its contents into her cup. "Darn straight you did." Miming tipping an invisible hat, Ember spun on her heel and headed out again, grabbing the shovel by the fireplace as she left. The chill air was there to greet her as she crossed the threshold, and the sun lingered only to bid her adieu. With a discontented sigh, Ember headed out towards the treeline, shoveled up a load of twigs, leaves and detritus, and headed back inside as quickly as possible. She didn't notice what Applejack looked like as she stepped inside with the shovel. She didn't see Applejack's expression as she dumped the kindling into the log-filled fireplace. But when she set the shovel down near the fireplace and turned back towards the table, she saw Applejack sitting there, staring off into space again, cocoa cup by her hoof completely unattended to. With a soft huff, Ember waved her claw in front of Applejack's face. "Hey! Wakey-wakey." "Ah! Sugarcube, you really gotta stop doin' that." Applejack started in her seat, blinked, then took an almost forced-looking sip of her cocoa. "Thank you for fetchin' that, though." Ember sighed. "Okay, do we need to have a talk?" "A talk?" Applejack paused. "About..." "Look, I'm aware that this is a pony and/or a teen thing. There's clearly something that's taking up all of your headspace, you clearly want to talk about it, but you feel like for whatever reason you can't talk about it--" "I don't need--" "Sure, whatever. You're grown up, I'm grown up, we both know what to do with ourselves." "We do, don't we?" Ember stared at Applejack, who was affecting a curiously strained smile. "Uh...yeah. We do." "Right, right, 'course...right." Applejack took another mechanical sip of her cocoa and forced the smile again. "I guess I'm just...fatigued. The cold weather, y'know? Sucks the life outta you." Ember snorted, leaning back in her chair. "If I didn't like you as much as I do, I'd order you to spill the goods." "Ah don't know what you're talkin' about." "Okay! Sure! Whatever." Ember turned around, took a deep breath and spat a gout of flame into the fireplace, turning it from solemn wood into a crackling blaze in seconds. "It's going to spoil the night, though. You sure you want--" "Ah!" Applejack stood up. Ember looked up at Applejack, who abruptly looked sheepish. "Criminy, I just realized...the mix should be just about ready." Applejack trotted over to the refrigerator. "Hol' on real quick. Got to get dinner in the oven afore it stops homogenizin' and starts to get all sour." "Sure you do." Ember leaned back in her seat again. "This had better be good." "This...whoof." Ember set her fork down and pushed her plate away. "Anycreature ever tell you you're an amazing cook?" Applejack chuckled. "Well, you do, for a start." "It should be more than just me!" Ember gestured vaguely. "It should be all your family, and all your friends, and all your friends' family, and...everycreature, seriously." Applejack's body relaxed slightly. "Shucks. Thanks, Ember." "Hey, I offer compliments when compliments are due. Never earlier, never later." Ember took a sip at the remnants of her cocoa. "And my only regrets are that I don't have the physical stomach capacity to ask for thirds." "I can bundle up the rest for you" Applejack scooted out of her seat and stood up. "Give you somethin' to enjoy later on." "Eh. You said this...mystery mash, or whatever it was...was just as good for ponies as it was for dragons. I loved it, don't get me wrong, but the less I have to carry back tomorrow the better." Applejack winced as if she'd just been lightly slapped. "Ah...right. Makes sense." Ember stared at Applejack. Applejack quietly sat back down, then looked back at Ember. "...Hey, funny story." Ember started. "You said you wouldn't know until tonight whether or not something you did was perfect." "Uh? I...did I?" "Yeah." Ember arched an eyebrow. "Sooooooo..." "I'd...say it went well." A little puff of smoke drifted out of Ember's nostrils as her shadow danced in the firelight. "You don't sound like you've convinced even yourself, much less me." "It's...shucks. It's about the clearing, that's all!" Applejack sat up in her chair and spread her forelegs. "That was what I meant. I wanted to know whether the time we spent there was perfect, that's all." "Oh." Ember leaned slightly over the table, plunking her elbows down near the silverware she hadn't touched. "So...final verdict on that, doc? Everything you wanted?" "That's the thing! That's the question, I..." Applejack shook her head. "I can't think of a way it coulda gone better. It was everything I was hoping for. Even the weather cooperated, if just for a smidge! If that ain't the definition of perfect, I don't know what is." "Well...if it's honestly everything you wanted, then I dunno what to tell you. You still seem like something's up, though." "I know! So I should feel like everything's right as rain, shouldn't I? Everythin' came up all kinds of roses, an' all that. But it just feels like somethin's...missing, I guess." "I see." Applejack gulped. "I swear on my hat that's the truth, Ember." "Oh, I don't doubt that statement was true. Honestly, I buy it one hundred percent. That said..." Ember pointed a talon at Applejack. "I know dinner was great and all, but could you do me a favor?" Applejack swallowed again. "I reckon that depends on the favor." "I'm gonna need to...sorry, I mean, would it be okay if I borrowed a pencil and some paper? I'm not gonna waste or trash it, I promise." "Oh! Sure, sure." Applejack blinked and stood up again. "What for?" "Personal stuff." Ember's eyes narrowed slightly. "Nothing insulting to or bad about you, but nothing you'd enjoy, either." "Uh...okay. Sure." Applejack turned, opened up a shelf next to her, pulled out a pencil with her teeth and set it on the table. "How much paper?" "Five pages or so? Not tons, but more than two or three." Ember leaned over and grabbed the pencil. Silently, Ember waited until Applejack pulled out a small mouthful of papers and set them on the table where the pencil had been, then grabbed the papers as Applejack turned back one last time to shut the shelf. Quietly, Ember got to work: starting with what looked like an outline, an abridged table of contents, and headers for each page. Her eyes flicked from one sheet to the next, scribbled something out on one page, jotted down something else, then turned back to the first page and added more notes. "Hey, I know I said I wasn't going to waste paper, but can I grab it from the drawer if I need more?" "Sure." Applejack paused for a couple of moments as Ember continued to take notes, before speaking up again. "Hey, Ember?" "Yeah?" "I'm...sorry about actin' out of it earlier. That weren't...that wasn't good of me to do, was it?" "No." Ember sighed. "But there's a question at the end of the apology, isn't it?" "Shucks." Applejack chuckled, softly and without any sort of cheer. "...What'cha writing?" "I really don't think you want to know." Applejack's brow creased. "Why wouldn't I? If it's somethin' I did wrong--" "It's not." Ember leaned back and set her pencil down on the table again. "It's a draft of laws and edicts I'm going to need to flesh out when I get back." "Oh." "There's a lot of fleshing out that needs to be done when I get home, but it'd really help me to have a cursory draft so I can expand on it more while I'm in the Dragonlands." Ember's tail twitched as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Plus, while I know they're probably going to be close to useless, getting at least some feedback from my subjects while I'm there is going to be important. Y'know, because what's the point of a ruler who can't actually rule responsibly? I'd be no better than my former thick-headed contender for the crown." "Uh huh." "Point is, there's a lotta work to set up there. And that's just for end-of-year prep, since I'm also gonna need to--" "Y'know, hon," Applejack cut in, "You said they'd all be close to useless, right? Talkin' to your subjects?" "...Yes. I did, in fact, say that." Ember ground her tailtip against the floor. "Your point?" "My point is that it seems like it wouldn't be a bother for you to work someplace more comfortable--" "I knew it" Ember snapped. "I knew you were getting at this." "At what?" "Oh, don't try to play innocent with me. Look, a schedule is a schedule--" "I'm just sayin' that it might be more efficient--" "Is this how we're going to have the conversation?" Ember stood up. "Because I was wondering if we should have had it some time ago, but then I just figured you had everything under control." "I have no idea what you're gettin' at." Applejack stood up, glaring at Ember. "But I reckon that throwin' blind accusations at your host ain't good--" "Blind? There's nothing blind about it. Look." Ember grabbed the first page off of the table and waved it in the air. "Get home. Start basic summary of kingdom analysis as a whole. Survey subjects. Draft tentative reforms and revisions to pre-existing law. Prepare end-of-year goals and speech--" "I get it! Work's work, lands' sakes, I know that!" Applejack snapped. "You ain't gotta continue." "--Give speech, signal end of year, begin processions to roll in new year, search for supplementary regent candidates, divide administrative responsibility--" "Things you could do remotely, with letters--" "--observe measurable schedule of changes, organize administration for rulership in absentia, outline further reforms if necessary--" "An' still you keep on with torturin' yourself--" "This isn't about me!" Ember slammed the paper down on the table, hard enough to rattle the remaining silverware. "I'm doing this for everydragon else, which is my responsibility--" "Responsibilities that your good ol' predecessor never worked on!" Applejack fired back, glaring defiantly at Ember. "Don't get on your high horse with me. You could be just the dragon he was--" "He was garbage at this!" Ember spread her arms. "I've inherited nothing but jingoism and rubble! I'm not trying to just be as good as he was. I'm not trying to measure up with dragon standards at all! I want to actually be good at running things, good by pony standards, which is something I figured you'd appreciate." "I'd appreciate if you didn't spend all your energy on a buncha slackjawed lizards who wouldn't lift a pebble to build a road if they didn't feel like it!" Applejack snarled. "The work's not making you happy, and you know it." "You know what isn't making me happy? Life." Ember spat, walking right up next to Applejack. "Either I break my back for a bunch of flame-happy ingrates, or I break bread with them and pass up a chance to do something meaningful. I wallow in their ignorance or I wallow in the ruination I failed to do anything about. The difference between wearing the crown or not is that I get to make that choice, and I am not going to stand here and have somepony tell me my goals are hopeless and stupid." "I never said that!" Applejack craned her neck up towards Ember's face. "You implied it." "I didn't imply diddly squat, okay? Don't make this be about yourself." "Wha--how is this not about myself?" Ember sputtered incredulously. "That's the whole reason you invited me up here, isn't it?" "So I could get a chance to see you for a last coupla days!" "Because I have work to do." "How in the danged blazes are you actin' like this is just casual work?" Applejack's sudden, much louder outburst shocked Ember into silence. "You think I'm the only one who acts like they've got things up in their headspace? You think I'm the only one bein' cagey about how this plays out? Horse apples, Em!" Applejack roared. "You're just hidin' all your feelings behind 'I gotta do this, I gotta do that, this ain't no issue, this don't mean nothing.' " "Because I have things I need to do--" "Beecus I have feengs I gotta do" Applejack parroted back, tone flipping from angry to snide and back to angry again. "An' those things mean that you're gonna flap off to some craggy buttcheek end of the world, and who knows when we'll get to see each other again?" "I--" "Yeah, yeah, you got plans. Plans change, 'specially when you care mightily about somethin'. Maybe you'll be gone for...what, until Winter Wrap-up? Months later, if things get slightly complicated. Maybe years later if things get more than slightly complicated. Or maybe you'll have some big accident, or get wrapped up in a world-changing shindig, or some other calamity will happen beyond your control, and then 'months' turns into 'never.' An' don't try to pretend to me you ain't at least thought of that." Ember answered with damning, deafening silence. "Thought so." Applejack exhaled, abruptly looking much smaller. "But I gotta be the villain here 'cause I can't blame things endin' on account of other folks countin' on me. I don't get that excuse." "We can..." Ember started, blinking a little harder than was necessary. "It's not over." "Can you guarantee that?" Ember shrunk back. "Thought so. Again." Applejack's voice cracked. "Y'know, it's kinda funny. In the past, we had ignorance, an' in the future we'll have answers. But the only thing we got now, the only thing I can see? Uncertainty. Ain't a whole lot to build a pairing on, really." "I don't..." Ember gulped. "Want that. I'm trying to make things concrete so--" "You've got a perfect idea for how things should be. You can picture it in your head, I know that." Applejack's voice cracked a little harder. "But you don't know exactly how all the steps go. An' because you don't know all the exact steps, it ain't a foolproof plan, and since it ain't a foolproof plan there's always gonna be something that can throw you off that you ain't accounted for." "I know" Ember pleaded. "Do you think that I would be trying as hard as I am to make things foolproof if I didn't care about coming back?" "I..." Applejack wiped an eye with her hoof. "I know." "Yeah, I...I know you know." Awkward, heavy silence hung between them. "This whole thing...I wanted it to be perfect so dang bad" Applejack finally said. "But it never coulda been, could it? 'Cause things would always...we'd always have had to talk about this, one way or another." "Acknowledge this whole thing was..." Ember trailed off. "Yeah..." The silence returned. Ember took a deep breath, picked up the first page again and took another look at it. Then set it down again. "Six months. It's just supposed to be six months. I want to try really, really hard to make it be just six months." "I know." "And...it's hard to think about. Especially with the..." This time, it was Ember's voice that cracked. "I thought you had things so under control that we wouldn't need to have this stupid fight about it." "It ain't a fight." "Then why are we both ticked off?" Ember sputtered. "I am. You are. We both know it." Applejack took a deep breath, but said nothing. "And now I get to be the bad guy. I...I hate that so much, you know that?" Ember tried to mimic Applejack's breathing, but her effort was shaky and hardly even a breath at all. "I get to be the one at fault, and I...I can't even disagree with that idea." "Maybe you aren't." Ember laughed; a short, sharp bark with no warmth in it at all. "Then, what, you think it's you?" "Maybe it ain't either of us." "Then why does this hurt?" Applejack didn't reply. Briefly, she reached up, as if trying to comfort Ember; then her hoof drooped back down again. Abruptly, Ember snorted. "Maybe if we said goodbye for real it would be easier. At least we'd know everything's done for sure." "Do you want that?" Applejack replied softly. "No." Ember shook her head. "Never." It was Applejack's turn to snort derisively. "Maybe if we'd never said hello in the first place, things woulda been happier. At least we'd never have to talk like this." Ember's tailtip twitched. "Do you really believe that?" "Nope." Applejack shook her head slightly. "Not even a smidge." Ember walked back over to her seat, slumped down quietly and stared at the table with her head in her claws. "I hate this. I hate everything about this." Softly, Applejack took a step back from the table. "I do, too." "I'm sorry." Ember sniffed. "I'm...so, so sorry about how this feels right now." Applejack coughed, then snorted. "It's...I mean, it's...not like I shouldn't have expected it." Ember looked up, trying for a moment to make eye contact with Applejack, before realizing she lost any energy she might have had for it minutes ago. "...If you need to cry, I won't judge." "Not on the outside. Not in front of company, anyway." Applejack took another breath. " 'course, if you want to..." "A dragon, crying in front of other ponies about something as silly as love?" Ember smiled bitterly. "I'd never hear the end of it. Especially from my own puffed-up ego." "Heh." Applejack cleared her throat. "Fair enough." "I can..." Ember paused. "...I can get this done with as fast as we can, if you want. So we could play a game, or cuddle, or drink, or..." Applejack shook her head. "It's been a day. It's 'specially been an evening, an' you've got important work to do. You should focus on doin' it right. And I...reckon I'm feeling kinda exhausted and should probably sleep." "Oh." Ember paused. "You...you do that. That's a good idea. I'll get this finished, put out the fire, then maybe tomorrow..." "Yeah." Applejack turned and started trotting down the hallway, before looking back up at Ember. "Em..." "Yeah?" "...Guest bedroom's the next one over from the bathroom, if you wanted to sleep alone tonight. I can respect that." "...Thanks. I...I appreciate you offering that." Ember picked up the pencil and squeezed it between her talons. "We'll see how I'm feeling after I get this properly written up." Applejack nodded, finished her trek down the hallway and opened the door to her bedroom. Ember looked away and tried her best to focus solely on her notes as she heard Applejack shut the door. It took Ember a couple of minutes to start writing again.
The Refrigerator Light	The Refrigerator Light	Ember stirred. Something was wrong. It was completely dark, for one thing. There was no way that she hadn't woken up too early; it was dark enough that it was impossible to see what time it was on the little mechanical clock she had remembered seeing on a nightstand, and she remembered it being light enough to walk around when she had woken up yesterday. She wasn't warm enough, for another thing. She should have been curled around... No. She shouldn't have. She'd looked at Applejack's bedroom door, froze, then went to the guest bedroom instead. Of course she'd chickened out. Of course she didn't have the guts to wake her up. No wonder things felt wrong. That, and the...faint sounds coming from outside? Ember sat up in bed a little. It was definitely a voice. Soft and far enough away that she couldn't make out the precise words, but it wasn't Applejack's voice, and if nocreature else was supposed to know about this place... Trouble. It had to be trouble. Silently, Ember slipped out of bed and crept over to the door. This time, she'd take care of the problem herself. This time, nocreature would have to get hurt. Willing herself into near-stillness and silence, Ember quietly opened the door to the guest bedroom and slid like a shadow down the hall, following the unfamiliar voice until she peeked her head inside the main room. Applejack was sitting by the counter corner, hunched over a tiny radio, illuminated only by a tiny desk lamp. The voice was coming from the radio: whether it was an advertisement or a channel bumper, Ember couldn't tell. She couldn't tell if Applejack was really listening to it, either. Maybe she was just trying to fill the white space between being tired enough to sleep and being awake enough to be productive? Or maybe she was just trying to erode the little voice in the back of her head. Ember could sympathize. Instead of continuing to sneak, Ember walked towards Applejack, being careful to maneuver around where she remembered the table had been. Her footsteps were audible, but not loud enough to drown out the radio. That way, if Applejack wanted to act like she didn't hear her, she'd have an excuse. And if she did... Applejack didn't turn towards Ember until the dragon was right next to her shoulder. The talking switched over to a different voice: The radio bumper, this time. Statements and questions filled Ember's head You've been crying. No, she couldn't say that. Do you want me to come to bed with you? No, that wasn't appropriate either. You're gonna strain your eyes that way, you know. No, too casual. But what was there to say-- "Ah." Applejack cut in, but her gaze had slid back to the radio. The bumper had finished, and the notes from an acoustic guitar had started to waft into the air. "Mmm?" Ember replied, voice low. "Nothin', just..." Applejack turned back to Ember. "I like this song, that's all. One of my favorites." A mare's voice joined in with the guitar; one of those singers that Ember didn't know the name of, but seemed to be all over the radio. At least, she'd heard her voice eight times in four months, and that was close enough to get the hint. After a few seconds, Applejack started humming in tune with the guitar; a second later, Ember realized it was the same song she'd heard Applejack humming the day before. Ember paused for a couple seconds, then abruptly turned and walked toward the table. After feeling around for a bit, her claw eventually latched onto the back of a chair; gripping it a bit tighter than was necessary, Ember lifted it off the floor, carried it over towards the two of them, then dropped it right next to the refrigerator. Applejack looked up at her, but said nothing. "We never did try to dance." Ember extended her claw. "Maybe it won't work for any other couple, but...favorite song, right?" Applejack nodded. "Can you think of a better time to try?" Applejack hesitated. Then, cautiously, she extended her hoof. Ember took it in her claw, holding it for a couple seconds before letting Applejack step down again. Ember watched Applejack's movements, trying to match hers as best she could. Four-legged dancing, it seemed, was a largely positional affair; stepping backward or forward in time to the beat at first, then side to side, then around; crossing over, then back again, then stepping closer until their legs almost touched. For all the bulky frames of quadrupeds belied, there was a surprising smoothness to the steps, interconnectivity that made grandiose movements seem like a well-oiled wheel, and Ember found her legs straining to keep pace with a bob and weave as fluid as the rising tide. Bridge, chorus, verse; time, and even the music, seemed to fade, and it wasn't until the bridge came around again that Applejack stopped, raising her forehoof, waiting. Ember hopped back, lightly, and nimbly hooked her foot around the refrigerator door. The bridge buoyed her through an effortless twirl that kicked the door open, let her claws slide around the chair's sides and forced it in front of the door, propping it open. The refrigerator light bathed both of them in its pallid glow as Ember nearly floated back to Applejack, grabbed her forehoof and lifted her up into the air, pressing chest to chest, cradling hoof to claw. Then the chorus struck again, and time melted. Limbs crossed and recrossed, bodies bobbed and wove, steps hooking around and around each other until they became a blur. Form ceased to follow function, form ceased to exist in the conventional sense in the refrigerator light; there was simply orange and teal, twisted around each other, twirling and twisting in a formless, impossible tango, bodies melted and mingled like twin raindrops trickling down a window. The song ended. Another began, then another, until the pair didn't finish their dance so much as stop, chest pressed against chest, abruptly silent and still, illuminated against the unceasing and apathetic darkness.
The Refrigerator Light	Sunday	Ember stirred, eyelids fluttering open. This room...she recognized the room. It was the room she had slept in the night before. Applejack's room. And she realized what, or rather who, she was looking at: Applejack, sleeping softly, partially blanketed by her twisted, knotted, unkempt mane. All was right with the world. Ember let her eyelids drift shut again. "Any chance you're gonna share your recipes with me before I head out?" Applejack chuckled, clinking the tines of her fork against her now-empty plate. "Well, I suppose I could, but then what would you be able to look forward to while you're away?" Ember snorted in amusement, setting her fork down and taking another gulp of apple juice. "How mercenary of you." "Learned from the best." Applejack winked. "Besides, wasn't it you who was sayin' that they wanted to eat my cookin' for the rest of their life?" Ember grinned. "Mmmmmmmaybe." Applejack slid out of her chair. "Here, lemme just write those down real quick--" "Uh uh. Changed my mind." Ember held up a claw. "You were right! Even if I somehow manage to make them on my own, it won't be the same." Applejack arched an eyebrow. "You sure?" "Yeah." Ember sighed happily. "Just one more good reason to come back, right?" "I getcha." Applejack blushed, then--after a brief pause--reached over and grabbed Ember's empty plate and utensils. "Lemme get these outta your way real quick. Oh, one more thing--I took a look at your notes real quick while you were in the bathroom this morning." Ember froze. "Oh?" "Yeah." Applejack gathered up her own plate and utensils, stacking one set on top of the other. "Gotta say, Ember, I ain't entirely comfortable with what you've got laid out there." An unpleasant chill ran down Ember's spine. "Oh." "I get that havin' a rail network runnin' all the way out there is gonna do wonders for openin' up the dragonlands, but even if you could finance it out of your own savings, you're giving no reason for the Equestria side of things to want to maintain their side of the railways. Even if they charged a fair price to build a rail line out there, without havin' a moneyed interest in keepin' it working all the time, all the good it's gonna do is to keep bleedin' you dry." Ember's jaw dropped. "You're expectin' commerce to just flow into your borders once you plunk down a way to get to an' from the dragonlands, and that ain't how it works." Applejack hoisted the tableware up onto one hoof and began an awkward three-legged walk back to the sink. "If you can get an industrial interest to want to keep transportation as shipshape as possible, that's different, but that depends on if you have something to extract--" "Gems." Ember raised a talon. "Plenty of copper, too." Applejack slid the tableware into the sink, turned around and walked back over to the table. "Copper's good, but don't y'all eat gems?" "You think dragons could survive somewhere where the gems aren't bountiful? Of course there's tons of gems here." Ember leaned back in her seat and gestured at her notes. "I figured you would have picked up on that in the part where I talked about buying excavation and farming equipment. I thought we'd be able to sell those en masse--" "They're mostly decorative out here. You'd flood the markets right quick if you did it mostly for exports. Copper's good, though." Applejack eyed the notes again. "Lotta fancy doo-dads need copper these days. That'd mean lettin' ponies mine things out of you, though, an' raw resource exportation only props up an economy until the exports run dry. Plus, you gotta figure out where they'd be able to start mining. If it's somewhere that dragons are already living on, then..." Ember's eyes sparkled. "...Oh, wow. Applejack, you're actually a genius." Applejack took a seat again and cocked her head to the side. "Eh?" "I'm, like, eighty percent positive I'll be able to spin that to my advantage." Ember grinned and started sifting through her notes again. "Not sure I've written it down here, but a lot of our elder dragons are effectively squatting on our lands and doing nothing with their absurd wealth but sleeping on it. So if I can..." "Can't believe the size of my headache right now." Ember rubbed her temples and leaned back. "Ugh. Flying home like this is going to be a pain." "You're tellin' me. Whoof." Hooves and mouth smudged with ink stains, Applejack sat up and stretched her legs. "I'm gonna get a mug of proper cider now. Want any?" "Yeah, but I shouldn't drink before flying." Ember yawned. "I really should have bought a canteen while I was here." "I got a thermos I could lend you." Applejack hopped out of her chair. "Lemme go get it." "What? No way. I can't just--" "Too late." Applejack trotted over to one of her cupboards, opened it up, grabbed a thermos between her teeth and set it on the kitchen counter. "There. I'll just fill it up real quick. I don't think it'll keep warm the whole flight home, but--" "Why don't you hate me?" Applejack stared at Ember, who stared impassively back. Or, at least, tried to. Any other creature in Applejack's position would have seen Ember's expression as neutral, maybe even bored. "Eh?" Applejack replied. "It's...Making breakfast for me is one thing. But helping me out with my notes is...I didn't think you'd even want to look at them, or acknowledge they existed at all. But...how is this just..." Ember's neutral face belied her voice, which abruptly cracked. "...How do you not just hate my guts right now? I'm basically rubbing this in your face, aren't you?" "Sugarcube, you ain't--" Ember laughed; a hollow, bitter thing. "And now you're the mature one of us. One talk, and...and a dance, and suddenly everything's better? That's horse app--" "It ain't better." Ember fell silent. Applejack took a deep breath. "Crying on the inside, remember? Or at least, not the outside? It's...it's hard, it is. An' I reckon I'm projectin' a little harder than you are to try an' keep calm. Though..." Applejack chuckled, dipping her head a little. "You are, too. Don't lie." "Aheh. Caught...caught in the act." Ember's voice cracked again, and the corners of her mouth twitched a little. "But...I still don't get it. It's like you're deliberately trying to hurt yourself." "It ain't entirely that. It's more like..." Applejack looked over at the fireplace, tipping her hat up slightly. "It's more like I'm tryin' to figure out exactly what we need to do, so we can do exactly what we should do. An' I know there's gonna be some sort of random chance to that, an' things ain't gonna go exactly to plan. But..." Applejack opened her mouth, but fell silent. Ember sat up a little, rubbed one of her eyes, and took a breath before replying. "Not like building a cabin, huh?" "Not in the least." Applejack's voice cracked as she looked back at Ember. "I think I'm lost." "So am I." Ember chuckled. Applejack giggled in reply. And then, abruptly, the floodgates opened up again. Cracked, ugly laughter mixed with half-stifled sobs. Shoulders spasmed with all the regularity of an inebriated judge. At some point in time, Ember stood up, and she and Applejack began walking in each other's direction, still making atonal hacking sounds in cacophonic harmony. It was as if both of them had borne witness to the world's saddest joke, and were the most inarticulate audience in the world to express their appreciation for it. And, at some point in time, Ember's arms wrapped around Applejack's back as she hoisted the pony into the air, and Applejack's forelegs wrapped around Ember's back, until neither laughed or said anything at all. And in the background, faintly, the radio continued to play. "I think..." Ember started, standing outside Applejack's cabin, claw clutched around a small satchel containing her notes and Applejack's thermos. "Okay, first, I think it's really cold out here." "Ain't that right." Applejack shivered. "Temperature fell faster than I thought. Guess it won't be long afore it's time to bring back winter. Do y'all get...? "Snow in the dragonlands? Not even close. Ash clouds, sometimes, but those aren't fun at all. I guess it'll be warmer, though." As if to emphasize the contrast, the wind picked up again, plucking red and brown leaves from their trees and kicking up a batch of leaves by the side of the trail. "Hey, uh..." Ember started again. "The notes..." "Yeah?" "I think they're gonna help as much as anything. It should be six months. Eight, tops. And I'll hold myself to that." Ember sucked in a lungful of autumn air. "You hold me to that too, okay? If I don't hit the six month marker, feel free to, I dunno, punish me somehow." "Like what?" Applejack cracked a wry grin. "Kiss you until your beak's sore?" "Beak? My maw is perfectly contoured, I'll have you know. You're such a cruel pony." Ember smirked, then shivered again as the wind sent another gust of leaves between and around them, swatting as the leaves danced around her face. "Gah!" "Forever an' always cruel to you. Just like you said on friday, remember?" Applejack chuckled, then paused. Ember stood in place, unmoving, staring at her fist, looking utterly shocked. Then Ember opened her fist. Inside it was a bright red leaf, too hearty-looking to have wasted away on the ground. The wind died down, and the two stared at the leaf in silence. Then, still silent, Ember reached out and threaded the leaf into Applejack's mane. "Huh?" Applejack replied, touching the leaf, taking care not to dislodge it. "Weren't you tryin' to catch one on friday?" "I was. For a wish. But I figure that if I made one now, you'd know all too well what it was and it wouldn't count. So I'm giving it to you. Make an awesome wish for me, okay?" "Don't you figure--" Ember cut Applejack's reply off with a kiss. For one final time, they lingered, mouth embracing mouth, still and silent, and the world around them fell away. In those moments, there was only stillness, silence, warmth. And when Ember pulled away, it was only with the mutual, unspoken understanding that there was nothing left to say. Ember paused, then--smiling as much as the circumstances permitted--spread her wings, steadied her grip on her satchel and took off into the sky. Applejack watched, silently, as Ember grew smaller and smaller, until she seemed a mere dot against the sky, slowly drifting above the trees until the canopy shielded her from view. Then Applejack turned and walked back to the cabin, ready to finish up the last of the tasks she needed to do before heading home. And the tear that trickled down her cheek belied a genuine, peaceful smile.
Avenging Sun	pre	Eventually the girls fell asleep shortly into their third movie, Sunset didn't even have the chance to message Twilight. Despite this they woke up bright and early the next morning, thanks to a combination of Applejack's habit of getting up at the break of dawn and Rainbow Dash's lack of organizational skills. Recovering from their rude awaking, the girls went down stairs finding Bow finishing off six breakfast plates for them. While they ate, Sunset pulled out the textbooks she popped home for yesterday evening, planning on doing as much revision as possible before the her test. Rainbow and Applejack were evidently in the same boat and asked her for some help. Pinkie, having finished her breakfast at speed worthy of a Silly Sympathy cartoon, was currently whipping up a quick batch of her special pancakes. Rarity meanwhile was scrolling through her many, many social media feeds while asking Fluttershy's opinion on something when something in particular warranted an "Oh my." "What's up, Rares?" Applejack asked, leaning over the girl's shoulder. The fashonista turned her phone to the group, showing her MyStable feed. "Oh. My. Gosh," Pinkie was shocked. "Songbird Serenade's tour has been cancelled?!" "What? Oh! No, this." Rarity scrolled up the feed then showed her phone again to the group. The post was a photo of a 'Welcome To Canterlot City' road sign with a sizable dent in it. "Whoa!" "What happened?" "Maybe a branch broke off a tree and hit it," Fluttershy offered. "Wind hasn't been that bad lately," Rainbow pointed out mouthfull. "Swallow, dear," Rarity chastised. "I'd wager it was a group drunken hoodlums." "How would a bunch of 'drunken hoodlums' do that to a metal road sign?" "They would find a way, Rainbow." "You speaking from personal experience?" Applejack teased, getting an unamused look. "Hardly. I've heard some... wild stories about my father's exploits with his friends in his youth. Stories I wish I could forget." "Maybe it was Santa!" The girls turned to Pinkie Pie. "Santa?" Applejack asked. "Uuuuh-Huh! I bet he got blinded by all the snow." "And Santa came to Canterlot in May," Rainbow carried on. "Because why?" "Just look outside," Pinkie pointed out the window to the snow covered garden. "His super secret spy elves probably got confused." "'Spy elves'?" Rarity placed her head in her hand and leaned on the table. "Duuuuh? How do you think he keeps tabs on over two billion boys, girls and others?" Pinkie rolled her eyes. "Even holiday spirits need to adapt with the times." While everyone else became enraptured in an ensuing lecture on Pinkie's theories of how St.Nick could modernise his operation, Sunset stared at the ruined sign her mind picturing scratched purple paint. Clint woke up to the shrill sound of an alarm clock. An alarm clock up on the loft. Groaning, he pulled himself of his host's couch having decided not to take the sore back rather sleep in the teenager's bed. Barely resisting the urge to resort to his go to solution, he forced himself up the ladder and upon reaching the now shrieking clock, gave it a hard slap shutting it up. With that out of the way, he made his way down to the cupboard his red haired host kept her food. Who needs this much oat cereal? He retrieved a box and a bowl then took a seat on a stool, which shook at the slightest move. He turned and regarded the space his sky-cycle currently occupied. He glanced around the shed. He'd give the kid this, it wasn't the worst hideaway he had ever seen, a lot of repurposed old furniture, camping equipment, a few portable heaters and the old shed was surprisingly inhabitable. Kid was resourceful and smart, if the books laying around were any indication. However, that made him scratch his head as so why she was hiding in this dump, though he did have a theory or two. He reached over to a chipped fruit bowl for an apple, when a jolt of pain in his sides reminded him he needed fixing up as well. Once the pain settled and he retrieved the red skinned treat, Clint turned to the table and started going over what he picked up from the safe house in tranquillity. Some old trick arrows, most which were either broken from the crash or too old but he could reuse some of the heads. A few hundred dollars cash. A fool proof disguise. And finally, the entire reason he risked breaking into the safe house in Tranquillity and the easiest sure fire way he knew to get SHIELD of his back. The Rainbooms hurried into the school, covered in snow and water from a brief conflict between snow forts Awesome and Party On, laughing all the way. "Oh God!" Rainbow shouted between laughs. "Did you see the look on Ms Cheerliee's face? I swear I saw steam coming off the back of her head." "Ah was more concerned with the death glare she was giving us." "You really should be more respectful, Rainbow," Rarity said as she pulled a few specs of white from her hair. "We're lucky she only told us to get inside." "Said the girl who kept getting everyone in the back. How exactly is that good manners?" The fashionista held up her head, "There is a time and a place to ladylike and the battlefield is no such a place." "Quoting your detective stories ain't getting you out of this." "Wah wah!" "Huh?" Rainbow spun round to the hall, but could see who said it, none of the students were looking her way. "We were up so late last night," Fluttershy flipped through the pages of a notebook. "I hope I studied enough." "You'll be fine, Fluttershy," Sunset assured. "I can go over your notes with you later if you want." "Oh! That would be great. Thank you, Sunset." The pinkette smiled before turning apologetic. "I'm sorry we didn't get to watch your movie." "It's cool. Always next time." "After Sunset's, we're watching my movie," Rainbow chimed in, to which Rarity cleared her throat. "Actually, Rainbow, I believe Applejack was next." "Fair's fair, Dash," the farmer nodded. "C'mon, I'll trade ya." "No." "Pokemon battle it for, ya for it," she nudged the farmer in the side with her elbow. "C'mon, full on Six V. Six." "Ha! No." "Poker?" "No." "Coin toss." "No." "Arm wrestle?" The group all stopped and turned to the athlete, varying degrees of disbelief on their faces. "Seriously, now?" Applejack asked. Rainbow stared at her with an unreadable look, then suddenly, she was on her knees in front of her gripping her shirt. "Please! I've been dying to watch the new animated Daring Do movie for weeks! I need to watch it A.S.A.P!" "'Weeks?' Why didn't you watch it on your own?" "Because she made me pinkie promise not to!" Rainbow pointed at Pinkie, who responded in her usual cheery tone. "And no one breaks a pinkie promise....ever." "...She's got you there, Dash." "Please!" Rainbow resumed begging, pulling Applejack closer to the ground. "I can't take the wait anymore!" "Must have missed her flight." "Ha!" Rainbow jumped to her feet and looked around. "You guys heard that?" "Heard what, darling?" "Boohoo." Rainbow again spun around and again just saw a crowd of students. "Alright, that I heard," said Sunset with Fluttershy nodding in agreement. "Okay, what's the deal? Why is everyone making... crying noises... at... me." Rainbow's eyes widened. "No." "What's wrong, Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked. "Ya'll turning paler then a flea who just saw the dogs bathtub*." "Flight Crybaby Crash attempting to take off." "No no no." "Rainbow Dash!" The six girls stopped and saw Scootaloo came running up to them, holding up her phone. "Scoots, please tell me you're not going to say what I think you're gonna say," Rainbow begged. Scootaloo's mouth snapped shut and she avoided her honorary sister's gaze. Said sister, dug out her own phone and went to Anon-A-Miss' page. Did you guy's know Rainbow Dash, wouldn't stop crying after her first plane ride. The big bad sportstar is a Total. Crybaby😭. want some tissues lolololol😆 Rainbow stared at the screen then after a few seconds to process what she just said she asked the only question that really mattered. "How?!" "It's just like my old nickname." "How did she find out?" Fluttershy asked Before the conversation could continue the bell rang. "We'll have to worry about this later," Sunset put a comforting hand on Rainbow's shoulder before walking down the hallway with Fluttershy and Applejack. "See you girls later." Rarity and Pinkie Pie went the opposite direction, then paused when they noticed Anon-A-Miss' latest target hadn't moved from where she was standing. Her little sister looking up with concern. "Coming, Rainbow?" the fashioniesta asked. "Y-yeah, just give me a second." As her friends headed off, Rainbow looked back at her phone. "Why are they doing this?" "I don't know, but she obviously thinks it's fun to mess with you," Scootaloo shrugged. "But how'd she know. I mean you don't invite a lot of folks home, so where'd they get it form?" Scootaloo turned and hurried down the hallway, then ducked behind a corner. She peaked round, seeing familiar spectrum coloured hair walking away. She then pulled out her phone started typing excitedly. "Damn it!" Clint threw the trick arrow into the bucket of water on the table, black smoke rising out. "Well, there went about an hour's work." He looked to the opposite side of the table, finding pile of broken pieces of metal, wires and other scrap. "Well so much for getting more gear from the safe house." There were salvagible parts sure but he still needed new ones and his arrows weren't all he needed parts for. He looked over his shoulder at the his sky-cycle under the loft, that was his host's bedroom. There was no way about it, he'd have to risk Las Angeles. Sure he might be able to get it flying for short trips but to get it back in full working order, he'd have to risk the most camera filled city on the planet. That however would have to wait until he'd healed up and got his bike in decentish condition. Until, then he had to lay low and as he gather supplies. At the moment though, he had a trick arrow to disassemble. He picked up a screwdriver and aligned it with a tiny screw on the side of the casing. "Hey, 'Bruno'." The tip just missed, digging into the table. Letting out a relieved breath, he turned and glared at the interruption. Not Widow who was currently smiling sheepishly in the doorway. "What are you doing here?" "...I live here?" "I mean now," He picked up another trick arrow and screwdriver. "Thought you said you'd be away all week." "Well, yeah but I'd figure I'd check on you." She noticed the pillow and blanket. "You slept on my couch?" "Uh-huh." "Something wrong with my bed?" "And I don't want to sleep in a teenager's bed or get blood on the sheets if my wounds reopen," he answered as he took the arrowhead apart. "Sides, I'd rather not deal with the ladder." "Okay, fair points," she tilted her head from side to side. "So, still don't want me to take you to someone?" "No." "Doesn't have to be a doctor. A friend of my has medical training, she'd probably do a better job then me." "No." Clint continued to tinker, while his host stared at him with an unsure look until he sighed in annoyance and looked up at her. "Look if me being here is a problem, I can find somewhere else." "It's not," she assured with her hands up. "Just... trying to make small talk." He stared at her for a second before going back to tinkering with the arrow. Not Widow awkwardly tapped her hands against the table, then leaned over to look past him at the strange vehicle under the loft. "Kind of surprised, you're not working on your bike." "Did. Decided to take a break." She looked at the row of trick arrows and picked one up looking it over. "Never seen arrows like this. You made these?" Sunset asked as she prepared to give the arrow's cylindrical head an experimental tap but her barn guest's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist before she could. "Yeah, I did. Now, put that down. Unless, you want your eyebrows burnt off." She gently placed the arrow back on the table. Clint removed his hand from her wrist and resumed disassembling another arrow head. Sunset, leaned against the table tapping the toes of one her boots against the floor, watching him work before turning her gaze to the wall that supported the loft. "Sooo, your bike..." "What about it?" "Can it..." He glanced up, she nervously glanced away, afraid to look stupid, he guessed. "Can it what?" he asked, humouring her. "Fly?" "Can't really call it a 'sky-cycle' if it couldn't,' he answered turning back to the arrowhead. Her smile turned giddy at the confirmation, waiting for him to continue. "Where'd you get?" she asked when he didn't. "A friend made it," he answered, pulling some kind of canister out of the projectile on the table. She blinked. "Is that friend Tony Stark?" "No." "They do commissions?" she asked, half serious, and waited for him to reply. When he didn't, she went over to the vehicle, and found the sky-cycle partially disassembled, a knocked over tool box and a pile of metal and wire. "You need parts after your crash?" She turned back to her guest. "I know a guy." "'You know a guy?'" the archer turned to her with a disbelieving look. "Really?" Not Widow gestured around the shed. "Where'd you think I got half this stuff?" Hawkeye shrugged. "Robbed a garbage dump?" "Haha." Again, a brow was raised and Sunset hung her head. "Okay, some of it," she looked back up. "But seriously, if you need parts for your bike," She point at the table. "He's your best bet." "You seriously think I'll find spare parts for a sky-cycle, a one of a kind machine, at the local junker?" "Maybe?" Not Widow shrugged. "He's got almost anything. It's actually kind of scary... at the very least he might have parts you can use for your other toys." "What?" The teen pointed to the small pile of broken arrow shafts on her table. He sighed, "Okay, I know this game. What do you want?" She shook her head. "Nothing. I just want to help." "..." "..." "You want a ride on the flying motorcycle, don't you?" "No.... okay, yeah, but mostly I want to help." "And the reason you're helping, aside from said ride, is why exactly?" She shrugged. "Figure it out." The two stared at each other, then Clint sighed, then plunged his hand to the bucket pulling out several blackened pieces of scrap. "Well, it beats trying to salvage these." "Okay, but give a me a list and I'll-" "Just tell me where to ago." "No." "What?" "No. You were exhausted and half dead when I found you," before he could argue she cut him off. "You collapsed before you could finish a sentence, are covered in wounds including a few that were bleeding like crazy yesterday, and it's freezing out. I'm not letting you walk around town in the cold. Besides, I hate to tell you but a purple... whatever that is, isn't exactly going to blend in." "You really think I don't know that?" he asked standing up. Then walked over to the couch and threw on... "A trench coat and a fedora?" her eyes blinked rapidly trying to comprehend the idea. "That's your fool proof disguise?" "Hey, it works." "Yeah, no. There's a store along the way we can nip in and get you some real clothes." "Which would need me spending money I could spend on stuff I need more, when this old trick works just fine." His host folded her arms and adopted a smile. "Riiight, because a teenage girl walking around with a full grown man in a concealing trench coat and hat isn't going to raise any alarms." He opened his mouth to argue then shut it and sighed. "Great," she clapped her hands. "Let me just grab some things first." Later The store was no Carousel Boutique but Sunset wasn't complaining. While she had every confidence in Rarity's selections, the last thing she needed was Anon-A-Miss posting about her hanging out with 'Bruno'. Especially, one in a bright colourful costume, the school rumour mill would have a field day. Speaking of the man in question, he was currently in one of the changing rooms, reluctantly trying on some clothes she picked out after she had to actually push him in. "You okay in there?" Sunset called into the changing room. "I'm fine." "You're sure?" "I'm AH! fine!" While 'Bruno' changed, Sunset browsed through a selection of leather jackets, occasionally picking one out and holding against her as she admired it in a mirror. " Oh, Van Dyne Designs why must you taunt me, so?" "You almost done in there, 'Bruno?" Sunset called; having gotten bored of eyeing clothes she couldn't afford. "Oh, I'm done. But no way I'm coming looking like this." "You'd rather walk around in a beaten-up circus costume?" she said, standing closer to the changing room. 'Bruno' didn't reply. "Well?" "I'm thinking about it." "Just get out here!" The curtain pulled back and 'Bruno' stepped out, wearing the clothes she had picked out. A white and black hoodie with purple highlights over a shirt of the later colour, with purple gloves and black a purple boot. "Hey! Not bad! I've only picked out clothes for a guy once, but I think I did a decent job," she brought a hand to her chin admiring her picks of clothing, though the poor guy wearing them didn't seem too happy. "What's wrong?" "I feel like a reject from Squadron Sophomore." "Oh, I love that game!" Sunset smiled while the archer scowled. "Do you really need to be so negative?" ''Bruno'' raised a brow and gently, tapped the injured part of his arm. "Fair point," Sunset conceded. "But, hey, at least now you'll attract less attention." "Hrm." As the archer grumbled, Sunset walked over to a nearby a stand. "Here, try these." She held out a pair of purple mirrored sunglasses, which 'Bruno' took briefly shooting he a questioning look before putting them on. "I'm not really a fashion expert, I leave that up to a friend of mine, but honestly, I think you rock it, " Sunset gestured to the mirror she had been admiring herself and the jackets in. "Besides, it can't hurt have another set of clothes. Or at least fresh ones." 'Bruno' shot her a frown for that last comment then turned back to the mirror. "Subtler then walking around in a mask, anyway," he begrudgingly agreed, then gave his reflection another look and smirked, striking a few poses. "And I do make this look good." Sunset rolled her eyes and walked past the man, throwing the hood over his head as she went. "Come on, I've got to get to my friend's house soon." After paying for the clothes, which came to a price that neither would like to repeat, Sunset led him down the street and through a few alleys. As they went, she assures him about their destination. Her efforts didn't seem to improve his mood, though having him pull a little red wagon like a cartoon toddler probably didn't help. "Kid, you realise I'm just humouring because you gave me a place to crash, right?" "Oh, I know, but trust me, if you want parts to get your bike working, this is the place to go." 'Bruno' took one look at the sign of the establishment, housing parts for his one-of-a-kind ride. He was not impressed. "'One Man's Scrapyard Another's Restored and Refurbished Items?'" he turned to her. "Seriously?" "Hey, it's this or keep tinkering with gizmos that are falling apart," she replied, walking across the street to the store. "Treasure Trash!" Sunset called, one they were inside. "You in?" "Give us a minute!" A deep voice called from somewhere in back. "His last name is 'Trash?'" "Yeah." "Seriously?" "Seriously." "Well, that's a good sign." Sunset gave him a look then walked up to the front desk as a door to the back of the building opened. An older man, with long dark grey hair with a few streaks of blonde pulled back in a tail, stepped out. Dressed in torn jeans and t-shirt of a band neither of his customers had heard of. On his left forearm, he had a tattoo of a bejewelled, sparkling silver bracelet or necklace with dents and cracks. Once his rust-coloured eyes saw Sunset, he held out his arms and smiled. "Ah, Miss "Summer"! Long time." "Hey, Treasure." "So, what can I do for you? Got more scrap to sell?" his smiled took a sharper edge. "Or you here to wager?" Sunset shook her head. "Not today. My friend here needs some parts," she pointed a thumb at 'Bruno', who waved at the old man. "Told him you were the guy to see." "Parts, huh?" Treasure Trash stroked his beard. "What kind?" "Ideally? The kind that work." "Fair enough," Treasure Trash laugh. "But seriously, got any specific in mind?" 'Bruno' pulled a folded-up piece of paper out of his new hoodies pocket and handed it the old man. Treasure took out a pair of glasses and unfolded the paper, which seemed to take up a full a4 sheet. "Hmm," Treasure ran a figure through his beard. "Well, you got them or not?" Sunset elbowed his arm at the comment. "Hey!" "Give him a second." "Thank you, Miss Summer, but I can take care of myself," He smiled at Sunset before turning to her companion. "Alright, Mr. Rude, I'll have a look in the back see if we have anything you're after. And since you have such little faith in my stock, I'll even half the price." "This'll be interesting." "Hey, I got most of my stuff from this guy, including the couch you love so much. It's what he does, he goes through the stuff people just throw away, fixes it up if he can and sells it. At pretty good prices too, I got my laptop here good as new, at a third of the price for a for a new one." "Kid, not matter how you build it up there's no way in hell that this small-town junkyard is going to have anything close to what I need and if they do there's no way it's going to be that easy." Ten minutes later "Not one word." "I didn't say anything," Sunset replied unable to keep the smile off her face as she and the grumpy bowman pulled a wagon filled parts, including some she was pretty he had put on the list just to mess with her. "Hrm." "Though I kind of wished I bet money right now," she snickered. "Don't you have a sleepover to get to?" Sunset came to a halt and turned to a digital clock on display in a shop window. Sure enough, the sleepover of the night would be starting soon. "Shoot!" she pocketed her phone and grabbed his arm, gently and below the injury. "Come on, if we hurry, we can get back to the shed-" "Whoa, easy kid!" we waved her off. "Just go." "Sure, you can manage?" "No sweat," He hit his chest, over his heart to assure her, an action he quickly regretted but he waved her off when she went to help. "I've yet to see proof." "Haha. I'm not a toddler. I can find my way around a few streets." She didn't seem impressed. "What store was the bus stop we get off at in front of?" His smiled disappeared and his eyes shifted from one corner to the other. ".... Quills and... Mattresses?" Sunset's expression was anything but assured. "Look just go. I can get back on my own. Besides," he turned and bent over the wagon, letting out a quick hiss of pain, and pulled out a part. "The sooner, I get back the sooner you get a ride of the flying bike and I'm out of your hair." "You don't have to-" "So, you don't want a ride?" "I never said that." "Go." He pointed, down the street and Sunset turned around planning on doubling back to a bus stop they passed. "Hey, kid," she stopped and turned round to her guest. "Thanks." "No problem," Sunset smiled which he returned with a small one of his own. "So, am I still going to have to call you 'Bruno' or..." "Don't push your luck," the archer spun round, walking down the street with his little red wagon. The former unicorn laughed to herself then turned and walked to the bus stop. She briefly glanced back at her house guest. Then pulled out her phone, then opened her contacts and held it up to her ear. After a few seconds the call was answered. "Hey, AJ. I was just wondering. You wouldn't happen to have a spare bow around, would you?" Flash half hummed, half sang along to the song currently playing from his speakers, as he went through his closet. Pulling out clothes most he of which he placed in neatly ordered piles a few he placed in the suitcase currently sitting on his bed. "Flash!" A voice called from downstairs. "Dinner in ten minutes!" "Okay!" he called back. "You are cleaning up in there, right? The music isn't just a cover?" "Yes, Mom! I am," he rolled his eyes and smiled in reply. "Good! I want this house shining like a diamond before we leave!" "I can only do my best!" "That's all I ask!" Resuming his task, he pulled out a stack of shirts and, to his surprise, found a box sitting at the back of the shelf. "How did you get there?" He pulled the box out and lifted the lid.
Avenging Sun	#4 Setting Up	Alone in the warm, quiet barn, Clint Barton pulled an arrow out of his quiver, nocked it and took aim at his target. He pulled the string back, only for a sharp pain to flare up from his shoulder. "£$%&!" Twang! ... the arrow shot off from the bow... Thunk! ...And embedded itself in the floor of the barn, not that the archer noticed. "Damnit!" Clint grabbed onto the bandage around his left arm with him barely biting back a hiss at the pain in it and to a less extent his other injuries from the crash several. Deciding that six failed attempts to draw his bow was plenty and not wanting to reopen his injuries, Clint left his makeshift indoor archery range for the kitchen area. He placed his bow on the counter and opened the fridge door. Sadly, after eating all the kid's bacon all that was left was a few vegetarian substitutes and a lot of cake. Deciding beggars can't be choosers, he pulled out a slice of birthday cake, with white and purple icing and a few marshmallows. Next thing on the agenda, he thought, retrieving a for and pouring a fresh cup of coffee. Getting some decent food, I need to get back into fighting shape. He took out a slice of cake and scoop up some frosting on his fingertip to taste. A second later he took a bigger chunk out of the cake and scooped it into his mouth with a please hum that he would deny he made if anyone had been present. Okay, making that finding more food, He amended. After that taste bud epiphany, the wounded archer dropped down on the old couch in the corner of the old barn. Then noticed a small radio set on the coffee table in front of it. His host probably got from Treasure Trash's shop. Speaking of whom, while he wouldn't admit it to the kid he'd probably have to see the junk collector on the chance he'd have a few more parts he needed. Curious if the old thing actually worked and tired of sitting alone in an empty shed, he hit the power button and adjusted the dials. After a crackle of static, a voice faded in. "-efore we get back to the music, I once again remind all you listeners that because of this freaky weather, a few roads have been closed, so expect a lot of displaced traffic. Now, to make your longer then usual trip to work less of a pain, here's Sapphire Shores's original hit. One last quick reminder, despite what it looks like out the window there's still a chance to call in and win our special Summer Starter Prize." Belle House Backyard In the bizarrely cold Summer morning, Sunset pulled an arrow out of a quiver, nocked it and took aim at her target. She let go of the bowstring... Twang! ...sending the arrow flying through the air ... Thunk! ... right over the target and bounce of a net set up behind it. "Damn it," Sunset, muttered as she lowered the bow. A hand patted her shoulder and Applejack spoke up behind her. "Hey, you almost got it that time." "Thanks, AJ." "Heck, I think you should audition for the next Robin Hood movie." "Thanks, Rainbow." "No problem," The sports star replied, sitting on a bench with her arms folded behind her head and her legs crossed. While, Applejack had been a great instructor, gentle guiding and encouraging Sunset, Rainbow Dash had settled into the peanut gallery, occasionally teasing her friend as she got used to the weapon. While it was annoying, it was an improvement compared to yesterday. After Anon-A-Miss post Rainbow's mood was bouncing between embarrassed, annoyed, at one point angry until settling on humiliation induced depressed. Fortunately, after the slumber party got underway she started to cheer up between a fashion of Rarity's rejected designs, so bad they were kinda fun. Then Cookie Crumble came in with some fancy treats she learned to make on some of her and her husband's many, many vacations, just as they were putting on Applejack's movie of choice, brightened the athlete right up. Which, brought them to this morning. Having woken up even earlier then yesterday, courtesy of Sweetie Belle setting off the smoke alarm, Applejack and Sunset's planed archery tutorial was extended. Applejack though surprised by the sudden request before the party, had brought some of her archery gear from Sweet Apple Acres, a bow, a quiver of arrows and a net to keep the fired projectiles from damaging anything in their hosts' gardens. Rainbow followed them out saying it was still too early to deal with Pinkie's antics and that she didn't like how Rarity's eyes shifting from her multi coloured head to her small cupboard of hair care products. Said party girl and fashionista meanwhile stayed in the latter's bedroom wanting to bounce ideas off Fluttershy since she'd be the host that night. Sunset pulled out another arrow from the quiver and once more took aim at the target. Said target was a ratty old mannequin with a quickly painted bull's-eye, which may or may not have been from a previously unopened bottle of mascara. Rarity had given her permission for them to use it, since her mother was planning on throwing it out with other bric-à-brac that was cluttering up their attic. She fired, this time it touched the mannequin at least, by way of cutting its neck as it flew over the shoulder. The sight of which made all three girls grimace with Rainbow and Applejack covering the same spot on their necks. "Well, that was the closest you've gotten so far," Applejack assured, while Rainbow sat up as something occurred to her. "Did you do this back in Pony Land?" "Equestria," Sunset corrected as she felt the wire tense, then relaxed her grip, firing the arrow this time striking the mannequin at the very edge of the shoulder the shoulder. "But not... for a while." Applejack gave an impressed whistle, "Well, you're getting back in the grove real quick." Sunset smiled at the praise, but it lessened a tad when the arrow fell out from a gust of wind. With an annoyed sigh she reached for a new arrow, but only touched air. When Applejack arrived at the Belle house, the quiver had contained thirty two arrows all of which now littered the ground around the ratty mannequin. "...How?" "Well, Dash, there's this neat lil thing call wind..." Applejack's reply got a snicker out of Sunset. "Hahaha. No, I mean, how did she hold the bow? They don't have hands over there, right?" Rainbow mimed pulling a bowstring but with her hands clenched into fists miming hooves. "She probably used her fancy schmancy unicorn magic. Right, Sunset?.... Sunset?" Applejack turned back to Sunset, who frozen in place crouching down to pick the arrows out of the snow. "Sunset!" "Huh?" the girl's head spun round to her friends. "You okay?" "Y-Yeah," Sunset quickly picked up the last few spent projectiles before going back to the quiver. "Look girls can we change the subject?" A blonde eyebrow raised at the requests but Applejack simply shrugged, "If that's what you want Sugercube." Rainbow Dash, meanwhile. "Aw, come on, Shimmer!" the spectrum haired girl threw her hands up into the air. "Now, it's gonna be bugging me all day! I gotta know!" "I'll trade movie slots with you to drop it." "... Deal." "Hey!" the three friends turned towards Sweetie Belle standing in the doorway. "Rarity told me to tell you to hurry up if you don't want to be late." "Lambsakes! We gotta move!" Applejack declared after checking her watch before she and Rainbow shot off. Almost barrelling over their sisters' friend as they left, through the kitchen then up the stairs. Sunset hung back to finish packing up the quiver before carrying it inside. "You can just leave it," Sweetie spoke up when the older girl was halfway across the room. "My Dad said he'd take it back up to the farm for AJ, said it'd give him an excuse to avoid the attic." "Guess generosity is in the blood," Sunset thought aloud with a chuckle as she placed the quiver and bow next to the table where no one would trip and ran after her friends, pausing to give the younger girl a quick smile. "Thanks, Sweetie." The fire mane ran after Rainbow and Applejack, leaving an awkward looking Sweetie Belle alone in the kitchen gripping her backpack's straps. "Sure... No problem." Later at CHS The six members of the Rainbooms and sole member of the CMC arrived just in time for the morning bell. Thanks to the late departure from the Belle household, and a detour due to Rarity's usual route being closed, they arrived too late to rebuild Awesome and Party On to their former glory. Throwing a wrench into the planned rematch said fort's commanders craved. The disappointment was forgotten quickly however, as the subject of their next party at Fluttershy's became the topic of conversation. Pinkie bounced to the head of the group, declaring her attention to through the best "Pet friendly Slumber Party Ever!" while Rarity had begun brainstorming ideas for little clothes and accessories for her friends personal menagerie, said friend was currently listing of the preferences of a certain spoiled rat rabbit. Sunset was just behind the three but stopped with one foot up the steps when she notice Applejack and Rainbow had stopped not far behind and were looking up at the school building, unease on their faces. Her heart went out to them, she remembered there were so many days she just didn't want to come to school either. She turned and walked back over to them. "Hey, we're all in it together right?" Sunset gave both their shoulders a squeeze. After a second Rainbow and Applejack returned the smile Sunset offered and nodded. "Right." "Ah guess so." "Besides, I doubt Pinkie is going to let them ruin our fun," the three chuckled, then Sunset turned and hurried into the building waving at her friends to follow her. She hurried into the school with a wave leaving Rainbow and Applejack standing before the building where no doubt another day of mockery awaited. Both athletes returning their gaze to the school. Applejack was the first to turn away after the door closed behind the Equestrian exile, turning to her spectrum headed friend. "Hey!" rose coloured eyes blinked as Rainbow snapped out of her thought, before turning to see the farm girl's offered first. "Good luck." With a smile, Rainbow tapped it with her own. "You too." They followed after Sunset, then Rainbow started walking slightly faster. Applejack followed suit and was then a head of the sports star. Then Rainbow sped up again. Then Applejack. This repeated until they finally caught up with the fire mane who through out her arm lightly whacking the spectrum headed human across the stomach. "Rainbow wins." Said winner turned her head and, ever dignified in victory, stuck out her tongue at her sour faced rival. Sunset meanwhile shook her head with a small amused smile. The three carried on in silence until, Rainbow opened her mouth. "Sooo, did you do archery before?" The former unicorn let out annoyed sigh before turning to her friend. "Didn't we agree on this topic already?" "No, I mean back when you ruled the school with an iron fist, er, hoof," Rainbow chuckled at her own joke. Sunset somehow flinched and rolled her eyes with an annoyed sigh at the same time. "No, I didn't. I was too busy adapting to a new body and world, then I was preoccupied with taking over the school and planning to steal Twilight's crown when the portal reopened," Sunset explained memories she hadn't paid mind to in years bubbled up, before she shook them away. "Well... I did... for a few weeks. Flash took to a range on a date once where I relearned the basics." "Wait, you told Flash "Popularity stepping stone" Sentry about that?!" Rainbow declared, earning a light whack! on the back of the head from Applejack. "Hey!" "Believe it or not, no," Sunset pushed the guilty bubbling up in her chest, then frowned in genuine puzzlement. "He just... surprised me one day. I don't think I even brought it up to him." "Huh? Guess he's smarter then he looks."" Applejack scratched her head underneath her hat. "By the way, ah know we just agreed not to hound ya about it what brought this here archery trip of any how?" "O-Oh, I... don't know what to tell you, AJ. It just... snuck up on me." Brook Street Flash Sentry's morning could be summarized as such. Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! "Craaaaaaap!!!" The last thought became vocal as he just managed to avoid slipping on a patch of ice. He quickly regained his footing, but not before he accidently kicked over a disposable coffee cup set on the pavement before a seated pair dressed in old, hole filed clothing, spilling out a decent amount of change and a few notes. So, now he had that on his conscience. "Hey!" one of the cup's owners jumped to her feet and yelled after him with a raised fist. "Watch it, ya lousy Flatscan!" "Sorry!" Flash shouted back over his shoulder as he continued running down the street, not even hearing the end of the woman's shout, muttering under his breath. "I sleep through my alarm, car's still in the shop, Mom and Dad are already at work, bus already went past." He kept running until he came to a crosswalk just as the light turned red and traffic sped by, giving him a chance to catch his breath. He adjusted his backpack, then noticed the weight. "Aaaand I forgot the box," his moaned as his hand became acquainted with his face. "Great. What else could happen?" As if to answer, two or three car horns sounded with a shouts. Removing his hand, Flash saw someone dressed in a similar state to the cup owners but barefoot, staggering across the road narrowly avoiding speeding cars. He noticed they were holding a plastic bottle, probably containing the cause of said staggering. It wasn't even nine yet. Why do I say things? The guitarist asked himself, with the follow up question of why his feet were moving. Suddenly finding himself running across a busy street, Flash grabbed the stumbling figure by the arm and shoulder of their baggy then dragged them back to the sidewalk with him. He jumped the last few steps, narrowly avoiding a small truck. Flash sat up and looked back at the crossing, where a newly crushed plastic bottle was now flattened on tarmac surface. "Okay....that was close," He to turned to the figure, and reached to help them up. "Hey, you okay?" "Getoffa me!" a slurred voice came beneath the hood as the figure gave a hard shove to the boy's chest catching him by surprise and tripping him up onto his back. His rescuee got to his feet surprisingly quickly, then stumbled up the way Flash came, muttering about looking for something, probably his recently crushed bottle. "Sorry," Flash muttered as he rubbed his back as he stood back up. "I just can't win today," he sighed as the walk light turned green. Later that morning First Applejack, then Rainbow Dash. Why? What are they after?! Sunset shut her locker with a tad more force then necessary, then made her way to class. She went to autopilot, her feat knowing their way. The aforementioned question, had come and gone from her mind since Anon-A-Miss' first post. Why target them? Who would target them? Why- She snapped out of her thoughts when something flew past her face and hit the wall. She turned to direction it came from and only saw an empty corridor. "Well, that hasn't happened in a while," she muttered with a sigh. It wasn't a complete shock, she had noticed a few dirty looks shot her way over the past few days. She couldn't say she was surprised given her history. She turned to inspect the projectile and found a thick brown journal held closed by a three digit combination lock. Eyebrow raised, Sunset picked up the book, noticing that there were dozens of little coloured paper tabs sticking out. Whoever threw this better hope Twilight never finds out. as she pondered the purple princess' reaction, her mind drifted to her last conversation with their shared mentor. Actually, that goes for both of us. "For the paperbacks!" The purple Alicorn declared in the booming Royal Canterlot Voice, as her army of militant librarians marched through the portal armed with spears tipped with "Not for Loan" stamps. Sunset shuddered at the thought, then turned her attention back to the book. She turned it over in her hands looking for some sign of who owned it, finding nothing, no name, no sticker or a doodle. Which was strange considering how CHS encouraged self expression in its students. Then she noticed the clock. "Ponyfeathers," not daring to be late for Harshwhinny's class, she stuffed the book in her bag intending to bring it to lost and found later. She then hurried down the hall, just managing to avoid barrelling into Vice Principal Luna, who was carrying a large box. "No, running in the halls, Miss Shimmer!" "Sorry!" Meanwhile, in an alleyway somewhere, just outside of the big city side of Canterlot, a certain swaying figure stumbled along muttering to themselves. "Stupid, kid... Idonn need.... not for him still... have water. Must have water...." The alley stank, they thought they saw a sign with a green, red and white flag, on their way in. "Not what they have me!" "... need to.... what they gave me out. Make head better..." Can't have their water again, it made their thoughts so... thick? "I-I need... to find..." They lost their balance and fell into a trio of trash cans, knocking two of them over and used the last one standing to hold themselves up. "Near. I'm near. So near. I can almost taste it." They dug their finger tips into rusty metal lid. "I'll find you...." As their grip on the trash can tightened, sparkling white spread out from their finger tips across the bin's surface, down onto the ground and even up some of the nearby wall. As they spoke, their breath in the cold air became thicker but it did not rise. It fell. "Princess."
Two Royal Stallions,One Woman and a whole lot of trouble.	pre	Seeing this filly Wind Razor became even more upset to the point she started grinding her fangs. "How could somepony do this to these foals when I see him, I going to rip his throat out," She said under her breath but standing right behind me I heard every word and had to silently agree. " Now I know you're all scared, but you don't have to be not anymore, so tell me the truth does Mr. Pintch treat you well?" I asked for all of them to fold their ears back and shack once more. Please, I know how you all fell that no pony cares about you but that is not true because I care and I want all of you to be happy safe and healthy so please are you being treated poorly?" I asked once more for Short Stack to step forward. No, ma'ma most of the time we don't get enough to eat and it's always so cold. Some of the little ones are even sick because of it but Mr. Pintch says that we're just orphans so if we die then nopony will care," He said as tears fell from his and all the others eyes. I could hold back my emotions any longer after hearing that and broke down. " I will not allow this to happen to anyone you children are the future of this land and you deserve a chance at happiness," I said through tear-filled eyes. "And I am going to make sure you get it," Just as I said that the door busted open and in walked a surely looking unicorn stallion even at the distance I was from him I could smell the alcohol on him. What the buck is going on I was having a nice meal and some two-bit guard just drags me out the restaurant and bring me back here," He yells. "You miserable peises of shit better not have done anything or so help me," He started to say before his eyes fell on to me and Wind Razor. " Who the hell are you?" "Hold your tongue cur and show respect you are addressing her Royal Highness Princess Eve," Wind Razor said stepping up to the drunk stallion with her sword drawn. This got the stallion to sober up really quickly and I must admit it was funny to watch him as he tried to bow without falling on his face. "Y Y Your Highness, I did not recognize you forgive me," He said trying to compose himself. "May I ask why you are here?" I just stood there looking at this fool trying to hold back my need to tear him apart but having all that training in royal etiquette I held firm. "Mr. Penny Pintcher it has come to our attention that you have been neglecting in your duties as Caregiver to these young fillies and colts for some time. And it would appear that you have been embezzling the Royal funds to maintain this home for these children. It would also appear that you have assaulted one of my personal guards," As flare had some of her wing feathers ruffled. " For that you are under arrest, Wind Razor take him and place him in the darkest, dirtiest hole you can find and feed him bread and water once a week until his trial next month and I do hope you learn how it feels to be neglected by those who are supposed to take care of you," I said signaling for Wind Razor to take him away. I watched as he was about to say something but a quick reminder of a sword to his throat stopped him. After he was gone all the children cried out with joy until they realized that they were in the same predicament as before. "Um, Princess what's going to happen to us now we don't have anypony to look after us?" Short Stack said stepping closer to me. I looked down at him and the others as they all began to shiver from the cold. I stood there and realized he was right they didn't have anyone to take care of them and this place was not fit for anyone to live in. I closed my eyes and thought about what to do and like a bolt, it hit me so with a smile I looked at all their faces. "Don't worry about that right now, for now, I want all of you to go and gather all of your things and be back as quickly as you can," I said making them look at me confused. "Why are we going someplace else?" A little filly asked. "Well until we can fix this place up and find a new nicer Caregiver for all of you, you will be staying in the castle," I said making all of their mouths hit the floor as well as Flares. "Your Highness I know you want to help, but don't you think this is a little much?" Flare asked me after she composed herself as the children ran off to gather their things all laughing with joy. I turned to look at her and smiled placing a hand on my pregnant belly. " Now Flare Warden I know damn well you were thinking the same thing as me, besides there's plenty of rooms that aren't being used and these kids need me, plus I know a few of the castle staff that have been looking for a filly or colt to adopt maybe you and Dusk might like to have one so when your baby is born they can a big brother or sister to watch over them," I said looking at her as she turned her head blushing. "Princess I do appreciate your advice, but could you try and but out of our love life your not Princess Cadance," Flare said looking at me sternly. "Oh, where's the fun in that, besides Caddy isn't here," I said sticking my tongue at her, making us both laugh. After that, we heard the sounds of the children making their way back to us and seeing the meager belongings of them we looked at each other and we knew it was right to have them come with us. So I cleared my throat to get their attention. "Alright children listen up," I said making all of them look up to me. "Now when we leave I want all of you to stay right behind me and if any of you can't keep up on our journey to the castle I want you to speak up to either myself or Flare," I said gesturing to Flare as she stood beside me. "Because I don't want to lose a single one of you," I said turning to the door and opening it only to see a squad of guards waiting outside. " Well children it looks like we're getting some more help guards I want all of you to help these children," I said as I stepped outside having the kids following me. As we made our way to the castle I could see that the kids were a little scared at how the ponies in town were looking at them so to lift their spirits I began to whistle a tune. "Princess, what's that?" A colt asked me as we walked. "Oh, It's a song I used to sing when I was little and it always made me feels better, do you all want to try it?" I asked as turned to look at them. "Yes ma'ma," They all said. So with the magic of this world, the music started and I began to sing and seconds later not only were the children singing but all the guards as well. As we marched to the song the expression of the nobles soften and smiles moved across their faces. This old man he played one He played nick nack on my drum With a nick nack paddy wack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played two He played nick nack on my shoe With a nick nack paddy wack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played three He played nick nack on my tree With a nick nack paddy wack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played four He played nick nack on my door With a nick nack paddy wack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played five He played nick nack on my hive With a nick nack paddy wack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played six He played nick nack on my stick With a nick nack paddy wack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played seven He played nick nack on my deven With a nick nack paddy wack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played eight He played nick nack on my gate With a nick nack paddy wack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played nine He played nick nack on my vine With a nick nack paddy wack give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played ten He played nick nack on my hen With a nick nack paddy wack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home As we finish our song we arrived at the main gates to the castle. Where we were greeted by my husbands and judging by the looks of confusion on their faces I had some explaining to do. So taking a deep breath I told the guards to keep the children with them while I spoke to the Princes'. "Now Solaris Atremus I know you're confused about this but let me explain," I said before they both smiled at me making me confused. "There is no need our love, WWind Razor has told us of the condition these foals were in and we knew full well you would do anything to help them," Solaris said smiling. "So we had rooms made up for all of them and summoned the doctors to make sure they are healthy as well as have some of the staff go out and buy them Hearth's Warming gifts," Artemus said stepping closer to me. I couldn't say anything so I just pulled them both close to me and kissed and hugged them as tears fell from my eyes. After composing myself I turned around to look at all little ones as a smile grew on my face. "Well, children it looks like we need to get inside so all you can get to your rooms and get ready because tomorrow is Hearth's Warming Eve and we have a party to have," I said making all of them smile and cheer. "Thank you, Prince Solaris Prince Artimus Princess Eve, we love you!" They yelled out. This made all three of us smile and blush, making the children and guards giggle. I turned to look at all of them only to be greeted with big smiles. "Alright now, it's getting cold out here, so how about we go inside," I said to them only for them to run past us into the castle. "I just want to know something if you already knew what I was going to do then why did you look confused when we showed up?" I asked my stallions. "Actually we were wondering about that song all of you were singing where did you learn it?" Artimus asked as he started walking next to me on my right. "Yes I would like to know as well it was fun to hear," Solaris said as he walked on my left side. "Oh, I learned it when I was in the Orphanage back on Earth the Nuns taught it to us," I said making both of them stop in their tracks. "You were an orphan, but why didn't you tell us?" Solaris asked. "Yep, till I was seventeen and I didn't tell you because that's not who I am it's just a part of a past I don't like talking about," I said as I continued walking. After we got all the children set up in the rooms and had the doctors take a look at them we all settled down to prepare for the party and I have to say it was a blast. All my friends from Ponyville were there as were their families. We even found that some of the staff and guards wanted to adopt some of the fillies and clots. Pinkie, Cheese Sandwich, Dusk Shine, Flare Warden, as well as Rainbow Dash and Apple Jack wanted to adopt some of them. So I would have to say it was the best Hearth's Warming these kids ever had. Out of all twenty of them, all but Short Stack was chosen and my heart almost broke. But that all changed when I heard him cry with joy. " Really you really mean it?" He said looking up at the last person or should I say dragon you would expect. Yep, it was Spike after his little growth spirt he and Rarity finally got together and judging by the noticeable bump Rarity has, I say they're already on their way to having another bundle of joy joining them next year. " Did you hear Princess, did ya?" Short said as he ran over to me smiling the whole way. " Yes I did and I couldn't be happier for you, for all of you, Happy Hearth's Warming to you all," I said as I looked out at all the smiling children and their new families. " Happy Hearth's Warming," They all called back. The party continued on but for some reason, I felt as if I was needed someplace else. So quietly I creped away making my way out to the gardens. Looking around at the snow-covered ground I felt a sense of peace and calm. Taking a deep breath I was about to return when I heard a woman's voice call me. "Eve," "Eve this way," It said as a ball of light appeared before me. " Do not be afraid Eve this way," It said as it floated down a path away from the castle. I followed the light without fear or worry until I found myself standing in front of The Tree of Harmony. " Hello Eve, it is so nice to finally meet you," The voice said as the tree glowed. " What's going on, who are you?" I asked as the realization hit me. "You already know who I am Eve for I have been with you all your life watching over you," The voice from the tree said. I stood there looking at the tree placing my hands on my belly. " Are you my Guardian Angel?" I asked now sounding like a small child. "Yes Eve I am, but you know my real name," The voice said. " You're, her, the Virgin Mary," I said in a whisper almost as if it was a secret I was supposed to keep. "Yes Eve," The voice said before a figure appeared before me. " And I must say, I am very proud of you and all that you have done," The figure of the Blessed Mother said as she stood in front of me. I was about to drop to my knees before I felt her hand on my shoulder. " There is no need for you to kneel before me my child as it is not healthy for you or your babies," She said smiling at me. " I don't understand why, why have you come?" I asked now feeling unworthy. I have come to give you a gift," She said smiling at me. "But not just any gift this is one from the Heavenly Father himself for all that you have done not only here but on Earth as well," "But, I'm unworthy of such a gift," I said bowing my head. "You may think that but, He knows best, and this is the one thing that you always wanted," The Virgin Mary said only for another voice to be heard. "Eve is that you?" The voice said coming from behind a very confused Eve. Turning around Eve stood there as a human form began to appear before her. When it was done standing there in a collum of light stood a woman that Eve felt as if she knew her somehow. The woman smiled at her with tears falling from her eyes. "Look at how well you have grown up and how beautiful you are," The woman said still looking at Eve with eyes filled with tears and love. Eve stood there for a moment before it hit her of who this person was and with tears falling from her eyes she moved closer until she reached out and pulled the woman into a bone-crushing hug. " Mommy, it's you, missed you, mommy," Eve said as she hugs the woman making sure she was not harming her babies. " Where were you why didn't you look for me?" Eve asked as she released the woman. "Oh, baby, I am so sorry but you were born premature and when the tornado hit the hospital the NICU was destroyed they couldn't find you and I thought, I thought I lost you," The woman said as she pulled her daughter into another hug crying. After losing your father then you I couldn't go on and I tried to end it but she came to me and told me that you were alive and I had to wait to be with you again," Hearing this Eve pulled away from her mother and turned to look at Mary. You knew she was looking for me all this time and you didn't even help me find her WHY!" I yelled not caring anymore. "I am truly sorry Eve but the Lord had put you on a path that even he could not change. You were meant to come here, you were meant to fall in love with Solaris and Artimus, you were meant to carry their foals. You, my dear child, are the gift of Love and Hope for this world and your daughters will be the beacon for the future," The Virgin Mary said as she stepped closer to Eve. Now it is time for you both to return home your husbands are worried looking for you," "Wait, what do you mean the both of us?" I asked looking, from Mary to my mother. Just what I said this is your gift your mothers return to you and to her homeworld," Mary said as the collum of light began to fade and as it did Eve's mother's body began to change until it became that of a unicorn pony. Eve watched as her mother stepped closer to her half smiling. " I guess I should explain things to you when we get back to the castle?" She said only making Eve nod. "Now I wish you both a Merry Christmas and long lives," The Virgin Mary said as she began to disappear. Eve turned around to see her Guadian Angel disappearing. " Thank you so much for this and everything you had done for me," She said as the form completely vanished from sight. The two were now alone but before either could say a word they both heard the frantic calls of two stallions. "Eve," "Eve where are you?" "Answer please our love," Both women just looked at each other and laughed. "I think it would be a good idea to let them know that the three of you are alright," Her mother said gesturing with her head in the direction of the voices. I nodded to her before I called out. "Here I am and I'm alright," I yelled loud enough for them to hear me. Seconds later both my husbands had landed at the entrance to the cave and quickly rushed to me both speaking at the same time and asking the same questions. Are you alright, what happened, why did you leave without telling anypony? "I'm fine and I'm sorry for worrying you both but I had to do this alone," I said as I hugged and kissed each of them. "I do not understand what did you have to do alone?" Solaris asked before he noticed the figure standing behind me. Sunset Shimmer is that you?" He asked as he stepped closer to my mother. Sunset bowed before him. "Greeting you Highness it's been a long time hasn't it?" Sunset asked lightly chuckling. "Yes it has, tell me why have you come back?" He said looking down at the still bowing pony. Sunset rose up to look at him. " I came back for two reasons first to ask for you to forgive me for my stupidity and the second was for her," Sunset said pointing a hoof at her daughter. Artimus step up and placed himself between the two of us. "You will not harm our beloved wife or our foals. He said flaring his wings. Sunset took a step back at this display. "Are you daf what kind of a mare would harm her own daughter or grandchildren?" She said yelling at Artimus. "Wait, daughter, grandchildren?" Both stallions asked in unison. "Yes, Eve is my daughter and now my baby is going to have babies," Sunset said as she looked at her daughter as tear filled her eyes. "I do not understand how can you be her mother when Eve is human and you are a pony?' Artimus said as he moved to stand next to his wife. Taking a deep breath Sunset closed her eyes. "The world I left to was Earth while there my body changed and I became human losing most of my magic. Ther I lived growing up as a normal girl I went to school became an adult feel in love with a human male we even got married. All the time I hid who and what I truly was until the day I found out I was pregnant then I decided to show and tell my husband the truth and when I did he just hugged and kissed me telling me he didn't care what I was he loved me for me. But all thing must end I lost him in an accident a few months later then Eve was born a month and a half early then I lost her due to a tornado hitting the hospital. I wanted to end it all but something stopped me then I learned that I would be with her again but I had to wait and here I am back with my baby girl and back home where I belong," She said as she sat on her haunches crying as she told her story. Solaris moved over and wrapped his wings around her. It does not matter, you have gone through so much hardship but that is behind you, for now, you are with your daughter and home so come let us return to the party and announce the return of my former student and mother of our beloved wife Eve," He said making all of us nod in agreement. And with that, we made our way back all the while my mother was asking me all sorts of embarrassing questions like how did the guys and I hook up and if it was true that Alicorns could go all night long you know typical mother questions. After our return to the castle and party, I introduced my mother to everyone, typical Pinkie and Cheese wanted to throw her a welcome home party to which she excepted only for it to take place after the holidays. The party continued until all of the little ones were tuckered out and their new parents decided to take them all to bed. We too had chosen the retire for the night and that is when I had a strange but wonderful dream or maybe it was a vision of the future who knows. Eve's Dream I am longing under a tree in the castle gardens watching as my mother is teaching, my, I mean her granddaughters how to use their magic. "Now, Tai, Luna, you need to concentrate so I want each of you to levitate these books up to the tips of your horns understood?" She said sounding more like a Drill Sergeant than a grandmother. "Yes, Grandma," The girls said in unison. "Remember when I am teaching you I am to be called Miss Sunset," Mother said as her stern look turned to a smile before all three of them started to laugh. As I sat there watching this, I placed my hands on my extended belly rubbing it. "Soon, Discord you Sombra and Chrysalis will be able to meet you, big sisters," I said as I felt three small kicks from the foals inside me.
Finding Inspiration	pre	Wind Shear sighed. "But yes, I wrote mostly romance," he admitted. "Ha." Morning Glory pulled up another weed. "Talk about the blind leading the blind." "They were good stories," he retorted. "Bestsellers, all of them." She crunched a weed between her teeth and spat it out. "Stupid, blinded mares will believe anything," she said dismissively, and her snakes seemed to hiss in assent. Wind Shear groaned. He was getting pretty sick of this. "You know what? Why don't you read one of my books and see for yourself?" "Pass," she said airily. Wind Shear saw an opportunity and jumped on it. "Ah, I see. You know, there's no shame in not being able to read," he said sweetly. "I can read," she scowled, her upper lip twitching up. "Right. I'm sorry I don't actually have anything in a second-grade reading level-" His voice cut off as she quite literally tackled him to the ground. She pushed him down, hooves pressed against his shoulders, her eyes flashed and she bared her teeth; and the snakes all coiled against her head as if in preparation to strike. And for a brief moment, he feared he'd pushed her too far. But she quickly brought herself under control. She straightened up, took a step back off of him, and licked her lips. "Sure," she said. "I'll read one of your stupid books. But make it a good one, because I'm only reading one." Wind Shear walked back inside and stopped in front of his bookshelf. She had a point. Which was his best work? Which one could she read that she'd like? Assuming she could like anything, that is. He scanned the books. His fourth Wandering Wheel book was probably his strongest, but there was no way she'd understand that twist about Cake Batter without having read the second one. Second Open Door book was good, too. She'd have to read the first one first, though. Actually, that was a pretty good idea. It had been his first attempt, and he had knocked it out of the park, so to speak. The success of that book had spawned his longest series, and most of his other books, too; so lots of ponies had liked it. It was worth a shot. He went back outside. "Try this one. Book one of the Open Door series." She squinted at the cover critically. "Is it any good?" "Yes," he said snippily. "I did write it." "Romance?" "Yes." "Love isn't an open door, though," she said, taking it almost defiantly. "It's a shut door and a room full of disappointments." "What happened to you?" Wind Shear asked curiously. "It's like you hate the whole world." "Yeah? Well, the whole world hates me, so..." She shrugged and took the book. She sat down on the stump and opened to page one. Her snakes seemed to patrol her space, slithering over each other around her head. Wind Shear shook his head and kept working. "What kind of name is Blueberry Pancake?" "A good one," Wind Shear retorted. There was silence for a while. And then- "Seriously?" He sighed. He knew exactly what she was referring to. "If you can get past my names, it's a decent story. Promise." She made a noncommittal grunt and kept reading. Wind Shear continued working. He finished the next row, and was halfway through the third when it occurred to him that Morning Glory hadn't said much else. He dared sneak a peek at her. Her snakes were moving, but she was not; she was engrossed in reading. He shrugged and kept working. And, as it usually did, the sun got hot, and Wind Shear got hungry. Well, less hungry than he normally was, what with the breakfast she had made; but in his defense, it had been earlier than his usual breakfast time. Eh, it was time for a break and a snack. He was a grown stallion and didn't need to justify it to anypony. He looked over at Morning Glory. "I usually head into town to get lunch around now, do you-?" Barely looking away from the book, she reached down, pulled a carrot from the ground, and swallowed it whole. "I'll be fine here," she said tersely. "Alright," he said slowly. He turned and walked away, briefly looking over his shoulder to see if she were to change her mind, but she didn't move. He smiled, satisfied. Well, maybe that had been a good choice of book, after all. Mid-afternoon, he meandered back home. He was not surprised to see that the garden was devoid of ponies, gorgony or otherwise. But when he made it inside, he was very surprised to see a gorgony lounging on his couch, still reading, her snakes relaxing on her head. Their tongues flicked out at him, and one lifted up to get a better taste. The briefest shudder ran up his back. "Oh, hey," she said, waving a hoof distractedly at him. "Hey," he returned. "Still reading?" "Yeah. Mostly because I'm convinced you're going to botch it sometime or later and I'm waiting for that moment." That sentence had sounded almost prepared. A little smile flitted across his face. She looked up at the clock and did a double-take. She hissed under her breath. "I've got to get back home." She looked down at her book. "Uh, you mind if I borrow this?" "Not at all," Wind Shear said. She nodded, paused long enough to pull her cloak on, and then walked out the door. He waved goodbye, but she did not return the gesture. As he went back inside to tidy up, he noticed a book on the ground, hiding under the couch. Strange. He pulled it out and grunted in surprise. It was the book he thought she had been reading. As he reached to put it away, he realized there was another hole in the row. She had been reading the second book in the series. He grinned as he slid it back in its spot. It faded somewhat as he looked to the right. The empty space there next to book six haunted him. He shook his head. Best case scenario, she got bored in that slow part of book five and he could steer her towards another series.
Finding Inspiration	Chapter 7	It was not best case scenario. That entire week she read voraciously, even book five, and the inevitable showdown came that weekend. Right as he was sitting down for breakfast, Morning Glory burst into his house and threw down book six onto the table with a thump. She glowered at him, and even her snakes seemed to be irritated. "You are a terrible pony for ending it like that," she said, panting for breath. She'd clearly run the whole way here. Wind Shear chuckled nervously. "That was the general consensus," he admitted. "Made the Bookhorse List of top ten cliffhangers. Number nine, but still counts." She grunted an agreement and stomped over to the bookshelf and scanned. Wind Shear sat. He licked his lips, steeling himself for the confrontation he knew was coming. "Where is it?" she demanded, coming back into the kitchen. "Where is book seven?" "It... doesn't exist," Wind Shear admitted. "What?" "I haven't written it." "You haven't-!" She shook her head and took a calming breath. "Alright, I'm ok. Are you almost done with it? What happens next?" "Uh... No, and I'm not sure." "What?" For the first time, something more than anger or apathy crossed her face. Was it despair? "How do you not know?" "I just don't," he said helplessly. "I've tried for years, hoping to resolve this story and tie all those plot lines together, and I draw a blank every time. I've got other series-" Morning Glory kicked a chair over, both loudly declining his offer and shocking him into silence. Her snakes hissed angrily. "Why would you build me up just to rain on my harvest day like that?" she demanded. "If it makes you feel any better, there's a lot of harvest days that have been rained on?" he tried. "It! Does! Not!" Morning Glory stomped on the ground with each word. "You made me care about things! I cared about Blueberry Pancake, even if he had a dumb name! I cared like he cared about Creme Brûlee." Wind Shear snorted. "Blueberry Pancake is a flawed character. He cares about Creme Brûlee, sure; but he's also worried about his relationship with Puff Pastry and thinks it could possibly go somewhere." "Her mother?!" Morning Glory shrieked. "The pony who cared for him and actually helped patch him up after his 'little fight' with Claw Hammer? Yeah. The pony who is the best chef in that little town, remembers and makes him his favorite food 'just because', combined with his lack of proper mother figure in his life means he doesn't know if he loves her as a partner or a mother, and he's worried about how either one will affect Creme, especially because he's not sure if Creme reciprocates his feelings as strongly as he feels towards her. Part of him is convinced she thinks of him as a brother. He's a mess." "Well, unmess him!" "How?" Wind Shear demanded, turning the tables. He stood up, though he kept a respectful distance from her snakes. "There's no simple solution! He needs to grow, he needs to figure it out on his own, and I have no idea how to put him through that! I don't even know which mare he should end up with!" "I was wrong, you're the mess! You've got to think of something," she said almost desperately. Wind Shear rolled his eyes. "Fine. He sleeps with Puff Pastry, tries to tell Creme Brûlee the next morning and ends up sleeping with her, too, and though he thinks he can hide it from the other they find out and stone him publicly before dinner." He paused. That might have meant something else to her. "Uh, I mean..." "I know what you mean," she hissed. "Sweet Celestia, is every stallion I meet destined to disappoint me?" Wind Shear pursed his lips but said nothing. He was a disappointment. Sensing she wasn't going to get anything else done here, she huffed angrily, scowled at everything, and stomped out of his cottage and slammed the front door behind her. The whole house rattled from the force, and a picture fell off the wall and hit the ground somewhere in the front room. Wind Shear scowled and headed over to the couch, now no longer hungry. It had hardly been the first tirade he'd sat through, and it probably wouldn't be the last. And it wasn't like he cared about her or her opinion. She kept barging into his house, taking his stuff, eating things from his garden, raiding his fridge like she lived here. But still, she'd seemed so devastated. She'd been swept into the world he'd created, caught up in his creation; and then he'd effectively pulled the carpet out from under her. After a few moments of self-reflection, he heaved a sigh and reluctantly dug his typewriter out from under the couch. It still had a half empty sheet of paper loaded in it, still there from that note he'd stuck on his fence all those months ago. He pulled it onto his lap and brushed a hoof against the keys. A little smile pricked at his lips. Well, it wouldn't hurt to try. Wind Shear took a long, steadying breath. The forest was dark and foreboding. More than once, the thought of turning back flitted through his mind. Also the nagging fact that he hadn't actually told anypony that he was coming here, because he didn't want to be followed or talked out of it. Which also meant that if anything happened to him, nopony would know about it. But he was determined. And maybe more than a little bit prideful. So he stepped inside, crossing the threshold between civilization and chaos. The forest wasn't quite as scary as it sounded, especially now that he wasn't blindfolded. It was dark, though. And shadowy. And there were no other ponies around. And there were all kinds of animals lurking around. Ok, so it was a bit scary. He swallowed nervously and moved on. He'd been hoping that it would be brighter, like the clearing Morning Glory lived in, but those were few and far between. Most of the forest was dark. And a bit cool. And a lot a bit noisy. And he knew none of these creatures here. Cloudsdale didn't have a big population of any animals but birds. A twig snapped in the underbrush far too close for comfort. He jumped and took a small step back, fearful of what horrifying creature was there. Definitely not a bird! What was it? And more importantly, was it hungry? A small brown rabbit hopped out of a bush. It rubbed its face with a 'ksh ksh' sound, and quickly hopped away. Wind Shear sighed with relief. He turned to continue- And bumped right into another pony's face. "Agh!" He shrieked and jumped backwards, tripping over his own hooves and falling to the dirt. "There a reason you're wandering around my forest?" "Morning Glory!" He sighed, relieved, and pushed himself up. "Oh, thank goodness. I was looking for you." She stalked nearer, her snakes hissing threateningly. "Ponies who look for me tend to go missing," she growled. Her eyes flashed as she circled him. "Ah, but how many ponies come looking for you and bringing gifts?" He reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a thick sheaf of paper. She stopped, glared at it, then at him, wordlessly asking for an explanation. "It's the first draft of book seven of the Open Door series. It, uh, still needs a subtitle, and," he cleared his throat and added quietly, "a really good editing pass--but I wanted you to be the first to read it." She paused. She blinked. "Me?" she asked, her voice quiet. "You," he confirmed. He chuckled. "Somehow you got me writing again when nopony else could. I figured it was the least I could do." She bit her lower lip. Her snakes swarmed over each other, as if they, too, were confused. But eventually, she reached out and took it. She looked at it, cracked a wry smile, and then walked away. Wind Shear watched her go. Then- "Wait." He turned himself in a circle. All these trees looked the same to him! "How am I getting out of here?" A pinecone hit him on the side of the head. "You're a pegasus, genius! I'm sure you'll think of something!" Wind Shear woke up and stretched. It had been a week since he'd been in the forest, and a week since he'd seen hide or hair of Morning Glory. Hopefully today he'd get that manuscript back. Maybe he should have made a duplicate copy first, before giving it to her. What if she'd trashed it? Burned it? It hadn't taken her nearly as long to read the others. He doubted he'd be able to rewrite the whole thing from memory. But he'd trusted her. He stretched his wings. Had that been a mistake? Should he have not trusted her? He shook that thought out of his mind. Crazy she may be, but she was a good pony under that rough exterior. He had no idea what had happened to her, or what had turned her from earth pony to gorgony, but under all that, he was convinced she was still a good pony. And... wait, what was that smell? He launched himself out of bed so fast his hooves got caught in the sheets and he tumbled face-first to the ground. Scrambling up, he kicked the sheet off his hoof and nearly flew into the living room. She sat at the table. The food she'd made was on the table, still steaming in its freshness. She had a few eggs in front of her, though these were still in the shell and not in an omelette like his were. And the manuscript sat on the table, still in pristine condition, off to the side. "Hey," he said, panting. "Hi," she returned, the slightest of scowls on her face. "Took you long enough. Almost started eating without you." He couldn't keep the smile off his face, and he wasn't sure if it were because the book was back or because she was. "How was it?" "It was good," she said. She looked up and smiled back, revealing her fangs. "It was really good." "Thanks," he said, sitting at the table. She slid the plate of eggs over. "So, you liked it a lot?" "I did." She picked up an egg and examined it. "I felt like you tied it all together. It really does need an editor, though. For example, Creme Brûlee's cutie mark is two cups, not three. And that's just on page two." He cracked a wry smile. "I always forget," he said, taking a bite. Most cutie marks were either one big picture or three smaller pictures in a triangle shape. Two was rare, but not unheard of. He wasn't sure what had possessed him to give her just two way back in book two. Probably a way to make her stand out. Or maybe it was related to the book number in the series. She swallowed the egg and picked up another. "And you said the door to Blueberry Pancake's apartment was blue in book six, but chapter four here says it's green." "He repainted it," Wind Shear lied. She gave him a flat look. Even the snakes seemed to be saying 'I'm not buying it'. She was so expressive. He sighed and hung his head in defeat. "I'll fix it." "You'd better." There was a pause. The only sounds were the fork on the plate and the next egg cracking in her throat. "Thank you," she said softly. "For letting me be a part of it." "You're welcome." "What happens now?" "Now, I finish your breakfast. Good stuff, by the way." Morning Glory threw a napkin at him. He ducked and grinned. "Then, I edit it. Then, I see if my publisher still remembers me. And then... I become a published author again." He grinned. "Should be fun." "Well, here's hoping for another bestseller." She grinned. "There's got to be at least a few stupid, blinded mares willing to buy it." Wind Shear laughed. "We'll see, won't we?"
Finding Inspiration	Chapter 8	Green Hooves reared up on her hind legs and leaned on the poster, holding it against the wall. She looked over her shoulder at Happy Trails. She shook her head. "Not quite even. The left side needs to come up a bit more." Greenie adjusted the poster accordingly. Happy Trails pursed her lips, then nodded, satisfied; and Greenie pushed in the tacks. Wind Shear's smiling face looked back down at them. In contrast, Wind Shear's irritated face wandered up behind them. "Ugh," he grumbled, casting a narrow glare at it. "So tacky. I hate pictures of me. Last time, the promo material was just my cutie mark." "I think it's nice," Happy Trails said positively. "It shows that they think you're hot stuff, a good investment; that book seven is going to fly off the shelves and they've got high hopes for the future. And it was good, wasn't it?" Green Hooves, who had received one of the advance copies, nodded eagerly. Apparently, she'd stayed up all night reading it, and had not stopped until she'd finished it. Unfortunately, she kept falling asleep at work the next morning, culminating in her passing out face-first in the blueberry pancake batter and not waking up until Happy rushed in freaking out because she smelled something burning. Wind Shear huffed. He leaned in to Green Hooves and whispered his main complaint. "That's great and all; but look at my smile. From far away I look fine, but up close I look like I'm constipated." She cracked up laughing, silent as she usually was even as she had to cover her face. "I still can't believe you wanted to hold a release party here," Happy Trails said, changing the subject as she adjusted a smaller poster on an easel. "I mean, I'm sure they have bigger ones planned in like Canterlot, or Cloudsdale-" she gestured vaguely at his wings, "-or even Ponyville. I hear they have this giant castle there that would be a great location for a release party." "Yeah, probably; but this is my home now," he said with a smile. "Honestly, this one probably won't be that big." "Don't tell the mayor that," Happy Trails whispered. "She put in a big order of sugar cookies shaped like Creme Brûlee's cutie mark, and she's planning on giving them away at the party. The dough is chilling as we speak." Wind Shear laughed. "Hope she won't be too disappointed." "Hopefully not! But everypony else is pretty excited, too, hoping for a little business boost. Old Yellow has been setting out the other books in the series in his bookstore, Quick Service was chopping up potatoes like it was going out of style this morning, and Buttered bought the last of Jenny's daisies. Beat me to it. Sad we won't be getting any more, though." She jerked her head towards the menu, where the daisy sandwiches were still prominently featured. "I've got enough left for about five sandwiches--four, if you want one--but I'm not looking forward to eighty-sixing it." Wind Shear squinted. The flower-selling hinny had been here forever. She was possibly the only one here older than the town itself. "Is she ok?" "Oh, yeah, she's fine. She's retiring, that's all. Sold all her stock, not getting any more. I heard she's going to go live by the seashore." "And I bet you're hoping to sell out of rooms, huh?" She grinned. "I can neither confirm nor deny that," she said. "Well, good luck." He rolled his neck out. "Should be fun!" Wind Shear closed the door behind him and slumped down against it. He exhaled slowly. Wow. Just... wow. That had been some party. Probably the biggest party this town had ever seen. The hotel had been stuffed full of ponies, his wrist ached from all the signing he'd done, he'd eaten more sugar cookies than could possibly be healthy, and he was pretty sure the mayor had proposed to him. And he was pretty sure he'd be sleeping through the entire next day to make up for it. But sleep quickly fled from his eyes as he realized his house was not empty. "Sounds like there was a pretty big party in town," Morning Glory said airily, leaning back in her chair. She brushed a snake under its chin, as if this conversation were second in her mind. "You have anything to do with that?" "Kinda," he said, pushing himself up. "Wrote a book, a couple ponies liked it. Released it today. Sold all three hundred copies they shipped here. Probably more than that in other places. Canterlot got two thousand copies." "Huh." She dropped her chair to the ground. "Some ponies will buy anything." She picked up the copy from on the table. "This it?" "Yeah! Yeah, that's, uh, your copy, actually." She looked at it. "Huh," she said again. "How generous." He smiled. He'd been waiting for this. "It's really yours. It's got your name on it and everything. Look inside the front cover." She hadn't expected that. Her brow furrowed curiously, she opened the page. Even the snakes seemed interested. Dedicated to Morning Glory, who helped me find the passion I'd lost. She stared blankly at the page, shocked. Maybe it was just being tired from the long day. Maybe it was something else. But Wind Shear came up behind her and gave her a gentle nuzzle against her cheek. And he may have brushed his lips against her cheek, as well. She took a step back, startled, stepping off of the chair. Her snakes swarmed around her head, as if falling all over themselves in confusion. Wind Shear hesitated. Perhaps that had been too forward? Then she stepped forward. "That all you want?" she asked, her voice slightly breathy. "Let me... return the favor." She drew closer, breathing a bit harder, lips puckering ever so slightly... And then with a burst of speed, she leaned forward and bit him on the neck, not hard enough to injure but hard enough to draw blood. She stepped back, a twisted smile on her face, eagerly awaiting his reaction. Wind Shear gently rubbed at where she'd bitten him. That... was not unpleasant. It had stung, yes; but not in a bad way. He almost wanted her to do it again. It was always awkward, learning these things about oneself. He met her eyes and smiled a nervous half-smile. She blinked. Her snakes came near her face, tongues flicking rapidly as they tried to make sense of whatever was confusing her so badly. She had clearly been expecting a different reaction, and she shuffled uncomfortably. "Ok. So I'll just... go, then," she said. "And, uh, take this with me." She picked up the book, tucked it under her cloak, and awkwardly sidled out of his house. "Good night," Wind Shear called after her. "Yeah, whatever," she called back. It may have just been a trick of the light, but... Was she shaking her hips at him? He shook his head and shut the door. It had been a long night.
Finding Inspiration	Chapter 9	Hearts and Hooves Day. The worst day of the year, closely followed by Mares' Day. Hearth's Warming Eve wasn't that great, either. Come to think of it, there were many days that Morning Glory didn't like. But Hearts and Hooves day took the cake. Usually, she celebrated this day by staying in bed and ignoring everything, and if she were feeling really upset, stomping around and stoning any couples who strayed too far into her path. Bonus points if they had been looking for an intimate spot. Even more points if they'd (thought they'd) found one. But this year was different. This year... Well, it was stupid. Really stupid. He wasn't really her special somepony. It was all teasing and play. It wasn't like it could go anywhere. She was a monster, an unholy combination of animals that never should have existed. He was an author, and it sounded like he was getting back onto fertile ground. Last time she'd peeked through his window, he'd been typing feverishly on his typewriter, probably hard at work on his next big novel that would also be a grand success. But for some reason, she found herself making the journey into town. Her tattered cloak was on and her hood was pulled tightly around her head, and her snakes weren't terribly pleased with the arrangement. She walked slowly, almost paranoid that she was going to be recognized. Shouts of 'Gorgony!' would be what it started with; mobs with torches and pitchforks would follow soon after... She shook her head, prompting another disgruntled hissing from her snakes tucked under her hood. It would probably be fine. Eventually, she arrived at the Happy Hooves Hotel. She slid through the door and peeked around the pillar. There he was! Eating breakfast at a table, his back towards her. She watched from the shadows, unwilling to go into public just yet. She hadn't been in town in forever, and she had no desire to be spotted. She'd wait. She saw another mare come up, one with a light blue coat. She started an easy conversation with Wind Shear, and Morning Glory once again cursed her poor hearing. She had no idea what she was saying, catching only bits and pieces of their conversation. Her hackles raised slightly as he chuckled at something she'd said. And the the blue mare gave him something, and he brightened. It was a heart-shaped cookie. Morning Glory's heart skipped a beat. No, no, why? How- how could he? How could she?! He took a big bite and grinned up at her. He nodded at her, and was clearly enjoying it. The mare giggled and scuffed a hoof bashfully. White rage welled up within her. This would not stand. This mare had gone too far. Inside her hood, her snakes hissed, unsure what had happened but as eager for action as she was. Their conversation ended, she walked away. Slowly, Morning Glory stalked her prey, keeping out of sight, silently following the mare back behind the counter and into the kitchen. Wind Shear looked up. That had been an abnormally loud thunk. "Happy?" he called. "You ok?" There was no response. He frowned and set his half-eaten cookie down. "Happy?" he called again. His brow furrowed further when he got no answer, and he got up to check. He poked his head through the doorway and gasped. Happy Trails lay on the ground, her face a stone cold mask of surprise. He looked up at the other pony there, panting, but with a triumphant snarl on her face. "Morning Glory?!" he gasped. "She can't have you," Morning Glory said, shaking her head. "She can't!" "What did you do?" "I took out a rival," she said. "She should never have tried to take what wasn't hers!" "What are you talking about?" Wind Shear demanded. He dropped to the ground and pressed a hoof against her neck, but it was to no avail; she was completely stoned. "She was flirting with you! I saw her!" "She-!" Wind Shear grabbed at his mane. "You saw-! She does that to everypony! It's part of her job! It's literally her job! She's the hostess here!" Morning Glory hesitated for the first time. "But the cookie-" "The special of the day! She's got another batch baking right now! And furthermore, she is in a committed relationship!" "I didn't..." she said, quieter now. "With another mare!" The sound of a plate shattering made them both spin. Another mare stood there, rust-colored with a reddish mane, her hooves held over her mouth in horror. More of those heart cookies were on the floor, scattered amongst the porcelain shards. He pointed at her. "That mare!" The snakes writhed around her head, giving yet another dimension to the guilt and agony contorting her face. Morning Glory bowed her head. She'd done it again! Green Hooves darted over, sobbing, desperately pushing on Happy Trails' stiff body, as if trying to arouse her from sleep. "No, no..." she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks, "please..." And then there was a small cracking sound. Wind Shear looked around, but he couldn't place it. It repeated itself but louder, and it seemed to be coming from below. Greenie heard it, too. Ears flicking, she looked up to see Morning Glory staring intently at Happy Trails. The stone slowly cracked and then crumbled, falling off her body under her gaze. Gray rock gave way to the light blue fur it should have been. "I didn't know that was reversible," Wind Shear murmured. With a gasp for air, Happy Trails sat up, fully flesh and fur once more, painfully rubbing her head. She panted as if she'd just surfaced from under water. "Greenie?" she asked confusedly, still breathing hard. She rubbed her head. "Ow..." Before anypony could answer, Morning Glory turned and galloped away. She burst through the door and galloped as fast as she could down the street. Ponies stared. Ponies pointed. Ponies shrieked. Ponies fainted. But no matter how hard she ran or how loudly her snakes hissed, the same thought coursed through her mind, unable to be ignored or drowned out. I am a monster.
Finding Inspiration	Chapter 10	With a powerful grunt, Morning Glory pushed the tree trunk off. It fell with a crash, and with that, her little shelter was no more. She'd already loaded everything she could in her saddlebags, and she'd kicked the rest of her garden to shreds and stamped her flowers into the ground. There was now no trace that any pony had lived here. She inhaled briefly and held it. It was painful, yes; but what else could she do? She exhaled. She couldn't go back. Not after what she'd done. Wind Shear would never want to see her again, not after she'd attacked his friend; and if the past were any indication, they'd be coming after her with torches and pitchforks soon enough. From what she could tell, Happy Trails was some kind of pillar of the community, and to make things worse, she'd basically paraded herself through town like some kind of freak show. They knew the legends of the gorgony were real. Better to not leave any trail for them to follow, or even any indication she had been here. It was a shame. She'd really liked it here. He'd made life here... well, 'tolerable' was probably the right word. She found herself wanting to say goodbye to Wind Shear. She stared in the direction of his house for a good ten minutes, wondering if she should. Then she shook her head and turned away. She'd keep the book (even if it did take up a lot of valuable space in her bags). But other than that, this chapter of her life was done. Morning Glory wandered. She'd picked a direction the opposite way from town and started walking, with no plans on where she was going. The forest was dark, but here she had no need for a hood. Her snakes scanned around her as she walked, moving, tongues flicking. Though not quite sentient, she could sense when one of them saw something that concerned its natural instincts. For example, when they all tasted something vile in the air and she saw big paw prints on the ground, she knew it was time to quickly change direction. As she continued walking, the trees grew thinner and more sparse, and the ground grew blacker and hotter. She squinted. Strange. And then a little explosion of fire burst into existence in front of her, startling her snakes and making her take a quick step back. A fire swamp, she realized over their frenzied hissing. A little smile crossed her face. This should be a safe spot. Nopony in their right mind would be out here. And she could live her life alone, just like she deserved. She shook her head and started looking for shelter. She'd need a place far from the active sites. Maybe she could build a little platform? That would work. It would keep it cooler, with airflow underneath. She could build it out of poles lashed together, just like her usual houses. And the ash would probably make decent fertilizer, especially if the big bushes around here were any indication, so she could grow her garden. She could work with this. But it wasn't until she heard a growl that she realized that all her snakes were hissing at something behind her. She cursed herself for getting distracted, and turned around to see what they'd seen. It was nothing like she'd ever seen. Yellow eyes flashed through the smoke, two, four, then six! But they seemed to be connected! She lowered herself into a defensive stance, unsure what she was seeing. They drew nearer and resolved into a being with three heads. "Well, well," the tiger head said, her voice a low, guttural growl. "What have we here?" "I think it's lunch," the snake head offered eagerly. "Sorry, sister," Morning Glory said, "but I think you'll find me a bit too scaly for your liking." She bared her fangs and dropped her cloak, showing the patches of scales that dotted her body. The snake head hissed angrily. "What are you?" she demanded, swaying threateningly. Her snakes hissed back, coiling, unwilling to back down from a challenge; and she drew herself up. "I am the gorgony," she said fiercely. "I'm part pony, part cockatrice, part rattlesnake, and all dangerous. I feed on the stone corpses of my enemies and swallow whole those who oppose me." Her boast fell flat. "How does that work?" the goat head wondered. "Cockatrices are part chicken and part snake already. That's already a combination. That doesn't make any sense." "Maybe she's, uh, two parts snake?" the tiger suggested, clearly doing a little mental calculation. She held up her paw and counted. "Two out of four." Her ears pricked. "That'd make her half snake. We're only a third snake." "Yeah, but she's, like, all snake," the goat head pointed out. "You're not a snake, your butt's a snake." "It's your butt, too," the tiger rebutted. The snake head (or on second thought, was it the tail?) scoffed. "I would want nothing to do with that," she said spitefully, scowling at her. "It makes my scales crawl just looking at her." "Well, you're not exactly pleasing to the eye, either," Morning Glory retorted. "Are you molting, or are your scales always that ugly and dull?" The snake hissed angrily, coiling slightly in her wrath. "Take that back," she hissed. "Make me." The snake coiled, and in that brief moment, the goat head realized the flaw in this plan. Her eyes widened, but it was too late; she struck. Had she been a regular snake, she may have made it; but her tail was still firmly attached to the hindquarters of their body, and though the force of her strike dragged their hips forward (and off balance), she didn't have the range to actually hit her. Morning Glory, however, had the range to jump, spin, and buck the snake. Her head flew back, rattled. As the rest tried to find their footing again, she threw a punch at the tiger head and her snakes, sensing combat, struck, mouths open and fangs bared. Most missed, but the one closest to her forelock landed a good bite, delivering a payload of venom. The goat head swung in retaliation, but missed; she clipped the tiger head with her horn instead. The chimera stumbled backwards, all the heads growling and hissing in equal parts pain and frustration. Morning Glory took this chance to grab her cloak and run. A firepot exploded right beside her, and she ran faster. Her snakes hissed, so she ran harder, assuming that the chimera had recovered and was giving chase. There was something hot on her heels, but it wasn't the chimera. The continuous anxious hissing made her risk looking back, and she shrieked. Her cloak had caught on fire! She skidded to a stop and tore it off, ripping the fabric off her body. She stomped on it desperately, but the running had done the damage. It was burned beyond any further use. Thankfully, her saddlebags had survived with just a nasty singeing. She stomped on it again, this time out of frustration. "Well, that was a bust," she grumbled. She turned around, now unsure of which way she was going. Scowling, she picked another direction and started walking again.
Finding Inspiration	Chapter 11	Morning Glory walked steadily forward. She'd ended up in the forest again. At least it was familiar, if a bit cool. She'd never realized just how nice the threadbare cloak felt; old though it may have been, at least had given her rear some protection. Her hairless tail did not, and she caught herself shivering at the occasional breeze. Even her snakes were spending more time huddled around her head for warmth than anything else. Finally, after what felt like forever, she saw a clearing. Almost desperate for warmth, she headed towards it. The sun shone down and she turned her face towards it, smiling the first real smile since... She scowled. Way to ruin the moment, me, she thought irritably. Now warmed up, she looked around. It seemed pretty empty here, but there were noises and her snakes were perking up. Off in the distance, there was a cottage, made out of a tree. Animals seemed to be swarming around it, and she grinned. Abandoned cottage? Don't mind if I do. She already planned out the rumors she'd spread. An abandoned cottage spread its own rumors, so she'd just have to tweak them a bit. Yes. The former owners were chased away by a mysterious curse, turning all who remained after midnight into stone. She approached the cottage and as she did, the birds flew away. She cracked a wry smile. She watched them fly up into the top and chatter at her. She scowled. It was probably the snakes, but she did not care for birds. She'd probably stone one or two as a warning for the others. Still glowering at the birds, she didn't notice the fence until she'd hit it. "Oof!" She glared. What had-? Wait. Woven wire fencing? Like the kind that would go around a- Chicken coop! Morning Glory's heart jumped as she saw the small red wooden building. She glanced around suspiciously, now a bit on edge. Maybe this place wasn't as abandoned as she'd previously thought. As if drawn by the lack of noise, a yellow pegasus pony with an abnormally long pink mane curiously poked her head out of the chicken coop. She looked over right as Morning Glory looked back. And they bumped noses. Morning Glory screamed. The pegasus screamed, too, though at a much higher pitch and quieter volume. She stumbled backwards and hit the chicken coop fence, and hit the ground. Her wings were clenched firmly against her body. She trembled at the sight of her. "What are you doing here?" Morning Glory demanded. The pegasus squeaked in response. Her eyes narrowed. She knew she had poor hearing, but that had been a whimper at best. "Say that again, but like a normal pony." "I live here!" she repeated. Morning Glory hissed under her breath. "So this isn't an abandoned cottage?" The pegasus shook her head. Morning Glory briefly considered stoning her and taking the cottage, but quickly decided against it. She'd feel guilty doing anything bad to a pony this shy. But something the pegasus said made her look back down. "Wait. What was that?" "Banded rattlesnakes," the pegasus said again with a small gesture towards them, speaking just a bit louder than before. "Native to the desert regions south of Appleoosa." Morning Glory was taken aback. "Y- yes," she said slowly. "They are." There was a pause. The snakes' tongues flicked. "I'm a pink pony with patches of dark scales on my body, sharp fangs, slitted eyes, no tail, and five snakes for a mane; and the first thing you notice is what species they are?" Morning Glory asked incredulously. "I, uh, just really like animals," the pegasus explained softly. There was another pause. "I... don't suppose you'd want to come inside?" she offered, gesturing at the cottage. "I was just about to make tea." Morning Glory sipped at her tea. She brightened. "This is good," she said. "Thank you," Fluttershy said. "I think the little splash of citrus really makes it pop." She refilled her own cup and sipped happily. Morning Glory looked around again. If she'd thought there were a lot of animals outside, there were even more inside. And her poor snakes were coiled tightly against her head, conflicted by the presence of both little rodents (as food) and the predator birds (likely looking for food). But apparently this place was neutral ground. Even the birds of prey seemed to be ignoring her snakes, and hamsters ran underhoof with no fear. And Fluttershy seemed to know all their names. Morning Glory briefly wondered if she should have named her snakes, after all. A timer dinged, and Fluttershy brightened. "Oh, that's the cookies. Excuse me!" And she fluttered off to the kitchen. Heh. Her name was pretty fitting, actually. She looked around again. There was a rabbit that was glaring at her. She narrowed her eyes back. He rubbed her the wrong way. But something told her that Fluttershy would know if this one ended up stoned. Thankfully, Fluttershy quickly returned with a tray of little tea biscuits. Morning Glory picked one up and licked it. She brightened and put it in her mouth. She faked the chewing for a bit and then swallowed it. The rabbit was still glaring at her. In a show of force, she picked up a cookie, made sure Fluttershy wasn't looking, unhinged her jaw much further than she needed to, placed it in her mouth, and swallowed it whole. The rabbit froze. She winked. You could be next. The rabbit quickly made himself scarce, disappearing into the couch. Fluttershy dipped her cookie in the tea. "So, ah, if you don't mind me asking-" Morning Glory put her teacup down. "It was an accident. Was trying to make a transformation potion, but one of the snake skins I found was a cockatrice skin. I didn't know and added it anyway, it blew up, and one painful week later..." She gestured down at herself demonstratively, and grabbed another cookie. Fluttershy flushed and tucked her mane back. "That was, um, informative; but what I was going to ask was, what brings you here to Ponyville?" She blinked. "Not about the snakes?" "I was there when one of my closest friends almost got turned into a tree." She shrugged. "Not much surprises me anymore." "You're going to have to tell me that story," Morning Glory said curiously. A devious smile flitted across Fluttershy's lips. "I asked you first." "I already answered one of your questions." "You didn't answer the one I asked, though." Ooh, feisty! "Alright," Morning Glory said, a hint of a smile on her face. "Here goes nothing." It was a longer story, and Fluttershy had to get back to work. So Morning Glory helped out, hauling bags of seeds, carts of hay and feed, even a group of chicks (her snakes had sized them up the whole time, and they had returned the favor). She helped shovel out pens and pick out good straw for birds nests, before she wound down cleaning out the chicken coop. Morning Glory tossed the shovelful of dirt over the edge and leaned on it. "And so I started walking and ended up here." She sighed. "Sounds like a big misunderstanding," Fluttershy said gently, pushing her own shovelful out. Morning Glory snorted. "One hay of a misunderstanding," she mumbled. She held up an egg she'd found. "You mind?" "Mm-mm." Fluttershy shook her head. "They're all unfertilized." Morning Glory popped it into her mouth and swallowed it, no longer feeling the need to fake anything after spilling all her secrets to this mare. "You need to go back." Morning Glory blinked. "Come again?" Fluttershy took a breath and steeled herself. "You need to go back with Wind Shear." "I can't go back! Did you not hear-" Fluttershy met her eyes, and Morning Glory found herself trapped by her eyes. She'd stared down cockatrices and timberwolves and that chimera and even an angry cow once; but nothing had ever chilled her quite like Fluttershy's stare. "I heard a mare who is still in love, and ran away due to her fear. I heard a mare who thinks she isn't worth anything, that she's nothing but a monster. But she's wrong. I see a mare who deserves to be loved, regardless of what she's done. And I see a mare who is going to overcome her fear, go back there, and get what's hers." "He's not..." she tried, but she couldn't get any more words out. At the very least, he was a friend, and he deserved... more than she'd left him with. "I'm not af-" she tried again, but she had no more luck with this one. She was afraid. Afraid of rejection. Afraid she'd lose him. Fluttershy gently shook her head. "You don't need to be afraid." And then she blinked and looked down, breaking any connection they'd had. Morning Glory shuddered, somehow out of breath. That had been weird. And oddly enlightening at the same time. Fluttershy looked expectantly at her. Morning Glory licked her lips. "So, uh, I guess I'll be heading out here pretty soon." Fluttershy smiled. Her whole face crinkled up in happiness. "If you're sure! Please be careful on your trip! Anything I can get you? Cookies? Cup of tea?" Morning Glory thought. She exhaled. "No, thanks. I'd probably better get going before I lose my nerve." It was so strange admitting weakness. She really didn't like it. But Fluttershy was kind, and probably the least likely pony to talk about her behind her back. She was, like, the epitome of kindness. "Well, if you need a little more, you're more than welcome to come back. But you should stay for dinner, at least. And I did promise you an answer." It took Morning Glory a second to remember what she was referring to. "Oh, yeah. Don't think I forgot!" Fluttershy giggled. "I didn't." Dinner was done quickly, and Fluttershy's story was fascinating. But misunderstanding zebra magic is what had gotten her into this mess in the first place. Still, it was a relief that everypony had come out unharmed. Fluttershy smiled comfortingly as she walked her to the edge of the forest. "Like I said, I'll be here if you need anything." Morning Glory stopped short of the threshold. "Actually... Do you have a cloak or something I could borrow?" She wiggled her little tail. "It's a little... chilly out."
Finding Inspiration	Chapter 12	Wind Shear surveyed his garden. Everything he'd grown (or more accurately, 'hadn't managed to kill') had been brought in for the winter, leaving everything looking just a little bit barren. Even the white wooden fence looked a little sad, though that may have been because he had never gotten around to fixing it from the time he'd flown back through that storm and it was still being held together with string (which was sagging and stretched and looked pretty sad itself). Or maybe it was because the rest of it looked a bit worn with age. He felt eyes on his back, and he slowly turned around. Morning Glory stood there, just off his property, wearing a long pink smock. She didn't say anything. He didn't say anything. They just stared at each other. "Hey," he finally said. "Hi." There was a long pause. "I like your outfit," Wind Shear said, a teasing smile flitting across his face. "Thanks," Morning Glory said. "Borrowed it from a friend. It looks better on her, though, believe me." There was another pause. "You're not yelling," Morning Glory said softly. She cracked a half-smile. "That's comforting." Wind Shear snorted a laugh. "What, were you expecting a welcoming mob of torches and pitchforks or something?" She shrugged. "Wouldn't have surprised me." There was yet another pause. "Are you... mad at me?" she asked. Wind Shear pursed his lips. "A little, but mostly because you ran off and didn't even say goodbye. Went looking for you, searched for forever, and I never even found a trace of you or your camp." Morning Glory exhaled through her nose. That was a pretty good sign. "And the innkeeper?" Wind Shear barked a laugh. "Happy Trails is fine. Once she--and the rest of the town, by the way--realized you were real, she started doing a little marketing. Once her headache went away, that is. The mayor got in on it, too. So now you're the gorgony, local urban legend and unofficial town mascot. She's even selling these little novelty chocolate chip bread things shaped like your head, complete with two snakes wrapped around it. It's pretty good, actually, you should try it sometime." Morning Glory coughed. "I... hadn't expected that," she admitted. "Me neither. But she's been a good sport about it, and like any businesspony, she was not about to waste an opportunity like that." He shrugged. "And that took some heat off me, so that was nice, too." Morning Glory cracked a smile, one fang poking out. "You know me, anything to help," she said. The was another pause. "How's your writing?" "Slowed down, actually," Wind Shear admitted. "I'm missing my favorite prereader." Morning Glory smiled. "Your favorite, huh?" she teased. "Only prereader," Wind Shear amended. "I've never actually trusted anypony else to preread my stuff, not since Lacey Stepmare had a draft of her novel leaked by a pre. But it still counts." There was another pause. "You know what I've figured out about writing?" Wind Shear asked. "Nopony wants to read stories about perfect ponies. They just don't sell." "They don't, eh? What does sell?" "Ponies overcoming challenges. Ponies like success stories, especially if they have to fight for it." He cracked a smile. "And you know what they say: truth is stranger than fiction." "And what about us?" Morning Glory asked softly, feeling strangely vulnerable and even more strangely alright with that. She pressed on, taking a subtle step forward. "Do you think we're supposed to be a success story?" "I think so," Wind Shear said, mirroring her step. "And I'm willing to find out if you are." Morning Glory nodded. "I am." He grinned. "Alright. So let's start over." He held his hoof out. "Hi. I'm Wind Shear. I'm a writer. Originally from Cloudsdale. Retired here, un-retired when I met this amazing mare who made inspiration rain harder than a cumulonimbus, and I'm still writing. More or less," he amended. "It tends to fluctuate between eating and writing." She chuckled and returned the bump. "Morning Glory. I'm a florist, born in Dodge Junction, moved to Appleoosa in second grade. Fell in love, almost got married, but he left me for somepony else the night before we were supposed to be married, so I thought it'd be a good idea to create a potion to turn her into a snake. Unfortunately for me, one of the snake skins I picked up turned out to be a cockatrice skin instead, and the whole thing blew up in my face and, long story short, I ended up like this." She pursed her lips. "Did wonders for my self-esteem, let me tell you." Wind Shear cracked a sad smile. "No wonder you hate Appleoosa." "Still to this day I can't even stand the sight of apples," she admitted. "Fortunately for you, I've always been more of a pear guy." Morning Glory smiled a true smile, and both her fangs poked out. And she was not ashamed of that in the slightest. Wind Shear chuckled awkwardly, and looked around. "So, uh, you want to come in, or just hang out here all night?" "I'd like to come in." She chuckled wryly. "I don't really have anyplace else to go, so I was hoping you'd say that." "Really?" She nodded. "Then I guess you'll be wanting to stay the night, as well?" "Just one. I can get my house rebuilt tomorrow, shouldn't take long." "Alright. I can help with that." Morning Glory raised an eyebrow. "You know how to do lashings?" Wind Shear hesitated. "Like a tongue lashing?" Morning Glory chuckled and shook her head. "I can get my house rebuilt," she emphasized. "Right. Come on in. You can have my bed, I'll take the couch." "Ok. That's good, because plan B was stoning you and taking your bed anyway." Wind Shear choked. "Kidding!" Morning Glory sang as she pranced past him and headed inside. Wind Shear grinned as he turned and followed. He'd missed... that, whatever it was.
Finding Inspiration	Chapter 13	"You know, I'm glad you invited me over for breakfast, but are you sure I can't help?" Wind Shear wheedled. "No," Morning Glory said firmly, stirring the pot on the fire. "After your attempt at dinner last week, I'm not trusting you with anything more complicated than cold cereal. Which, need I remind you, is not good for me in this weather." She cast a quick glance at the sky and scowled. "I said I was sorry," Wind Shear sulked. So he'd gotten distracted talking with her and dinner had caught fire. Who hadn't done that at least once? One of the snake heads flicked its tongue at him. "You'd've been sorrier if your house had burned down," she retorted. Wind Shear snorted, forced to concede this point. He glanced around at Morning Glory's house. If it could be called that, anyway. She'd lashed (turns out that also meant 'tying', something he'd never had to do with clouds) poles together in a sort of lean-to setup under a big evergreen tree, with thick tarps (that he'd had to acquire for her) to block the wind, and it actually worked pretty well. The tree seemed to be a natural insulator from the top, and it smelled faintly of pine. She pulled the pot off the heat and stirred again before looking down. "No, I did appreciate you trying, though," she added softly. Wind Shear grinned. Those softer moments of hers were getting a bit more common as time went on. She was a kind and generous mare under her gruff exterior, and he hoped to see more of it. Hay, this invitation had been a soft moment, wrapped in a 'you'd starve without the mares in your life' dig; but it had culminated in letting him see where she lived, no blindfold this time. It felt like he was privy to one of her most closely-kept secrets, and he loved that feeling. "You sure you don't want to come into town with me for lunch?" he asked, referencing their earlier conversation. "You'll get food prepared by somepony who's competent and not you. And no dishes," he added in a singsong voice. "No," Morning Glory said firmly, pulling out her mismatched bowls. "And you're doing these dishes. I'm not a freak show and I have no intention of becoming one." "I'm sure they'd love you once they got to know you," he tried. "Yeah, love to put me in the window as a living advertisement," she said darkly. "Pass." She ladled the steaming oatmeal into his bowl. "If I wanted that, I'd start my own shop and be my own mascot." "Alright. I'll bring you something back, then." "Grab me one of the me-breads, would you? I've been wanting to try one." Wind Shear smiled. "You got it." The pageant had ended, and Wind Shear ran back on stage, enjoying the sound of stomping. He wore costume armor reminiscent of pre-unification times. As he ran, he scanned the audience, but did not see the pony he looked for. He hid his frown. She may have just left early. Or she was hiding really well. Or she may not have come at all. With a quiet stomp from Happy Trails (who was in the center of their line, playing Smart Cookie), they took the cue and bowed in unison, and then took a step back as others came on for their bow. Smaller town life is great, he reflected. Nowhere else would he have been gotten the opportunity to play Commander Hurricane in the traditional Hearth's Warming Eve pageant. Their curtain call completed, they all headed off stage as the curtain closed. He congratulated the young filly playing Private Pansy (she blushed and giggled; it had been her first acting gig), and he headed out the back door. There were quite a few ponies in the audience he didn't recognize, most of them mares, and he sincerely doubted they were all there for family. But he knew he wouldn't be bothered once he got out of sight of town hall; any visitor would be hopelessly lost in the mess of streets that was this little town, especially with all the snow that had fallen. Talk about a home field advantage! And then a voice broke into his thoughts. "Turning into a regular pillar of the community, aren't you?" Morning Glory said, falling in step right next to him. Wind Shear shrugged, unable to keep the smile off his face. It had been a couple weeks since she'd come back, but he was still always happy to see her. "I try. It's my home now, after all. Better make the most of it." She shivered, but she did her best to hide it. "Wonder how many ponies came just to see you perform, oh mighty Commander Hurricane." "Hopefully not many. I'd hate to have disappointed them." "Well, there was at least one who came just for that." She nudged him in the shoulder with her hoof. "And she wasn't disappointed at all." "That's a relief." She shivered ever so briefly. "I think my second favorite part was when you threatened Private Pansy with court martial. I think your stomp actually scared her." "Yeah, I think so," he admitted. "She jumped just a little bit." He paused. "But what was your first favorite part?" "My first favorite?" A devious smile flitted across her face. "When you flubbed the line about earth ponies and accidentally took Platinum's line." Wind Shear winced. "I was hoping I salvaged that." "You did. Played it off well. And whoever Platinum was covered well, too. Hadn't heard that insult in a long time." He chuckled. "Yeah, she did. I heard she used to be on Bridleway, actually." "I could believe that. It just made me laugh. Anypony who doesn't know the script wouldn't have caught it." She shivered again. The happiness he felt at her arrival dimmed as he realized how cold she was. Being a pegasus, he was used to cooler temperatures; but the rumors that this was going to be the coldest winter in years were sounding more and more true. "You sure you're warm enough?" he asked. "I'm fine," she insisted. Wind Shear shrugged, but then, in a fit of daring, he rested his wing on her withers. She tensed, but did not pull away. "So, uh," Wind Shear started, thrown off at her accepting the physical touch but wanting to keep the conversation going, "how do you know the script? Were you ever in a pageant?" "No, I... Not exactly. I played Smart Cookie. Would have. I was her understudy. Never made it on stage. But I learned all the lines." She shivered again, and leaned into him a bit more. Wind Shear looked up ahead. He brightened. "Almost home," he said comfortingly. "Great. I'll make some soup." "I'll make soup," Wind Shear insisted. "You're freezing." "And if you catch your kitchen on fire?" she challenged. "Then at least you'll be warm again," Wind Shear said with a straight face. Morning Glory barked a laugh. Thankfully, Wind Shear did not catch his kitchen on fire, and was getting better at cooking in general. He soon had a bowl of piping hot soup, and Morning Glory held it close to her body and breathed in the steam. The snake closest to where her forelock would have been emerged and neared the bowl, tongue flicking, enjoying the heat; and the others soon followed. "Thanks," she said softly. "You're welcome." They ate their soup in silence. Wind Shear hadn't realized how cold it was until he'd started. He looked at Morning Glory and winced. It must have been awful for her, and he debated wrapping his wing around her again. He made two false attempts before settling on a question. "Are you going to be ok?" "Yes," she said. "You're still shivering," he observed. "I said I'm ok," she spat. There was a long pause. "What?" "Just... remembering something from flight camp." "What?" she demanded. "If a fellow flier is too cold, you warm them up, uh, with yourself." Morning Glory stared. "You do what, now?" "You know, you make a little cloud cave, make a big cave and hollow it out, making the walls as compressed as possible for- for insulation, uh, take the armor off, both go inside?" "Because I was an earth pony, no, I do not. I am fine. I am going straight home after this, and even if I wasn't, there is no way I'd let you in my bed, no matter how cold it got!" Morning Glory scowled audibly over the sound of the wind howling outside, and crossed her forelegs over her chest and shivered again. The snow outside had escalated from a flurry into a small blizzard just during their soup, and even under the covers, it was still really cold. "Keep all your body parts to yourself, ok? Or your whole body will be stone hard in the morning. Got it?" Wind Shear nodded from his position behind her. "Duly noted." She shivered one more time before falling asleep. It had been slightly awkward the next morning. Suffice it to say that Wind Shear was very grateful the next morning that he'd somehow ended up as the little spoon. Morning Glory mumbled a thanks when she got up and did not say much over the breakfast she made. But she did brush up against him with her hips as she went to sit down; and when she had to leave, she seemed to stare at him a bit longer than usual before flipping up her hood and walking away.
Finding Inspiration	Chapter 14	Wind Shear looked at the sky and frowned. It was really cold today, colder than last week. He shook his head and got back on his typewriter. Or, he tried to, anyway; but the two buttons just stared blankly back at him and remained stubbornly silent. He exhaled through his teeth and looked out the window again. How was Morning Glory faring in this? Was she alright? Was she freezing? Maybe she'd already frozen? At that thought, he groaned and slid out of his chair. Now he had to check, or it would bother him all day. Within minutes, he was outside, his scarf tied around his neck, flying toward where she lived. He found it again, easily enough. Her place was much closer to the edge of the forest (and by extension, his house) than her last place, which was probably no coincidence. But when he landed, everything was gone. The tarps had been taken down, leaving the bare pole frame, and nothing else. The fire pit was there, though kicked over with dirt and snow; but when he knelt to touch the rocks around it, they were still a bit warm, as if it had recently been used. He frowned. Why would she do that? What was she doing? With a quick flap of his wings, he was airborne again. He flew over the forest, scanning rapidly for any flash of pink. But Morning Glory was nowhere to be found. His searching circles grew wider and wider, and as it grew colder, he grew more concerned. Where was she? Then again, she could clearly take care of herself. And it wasn't like she'd never had a winter before. Maybe she hibernated? And it had happened too fast for her to tell him? Plausible, but unlikely. Finally, just as he was about to give up and return home, he spotted a flash of pink down below the trees. Letting out a whoop of relief like he was a colt a quarter of his age, he dropped down and landed in front of her. Morning Glory yelped. She dropped to a defensive position and bared her fangs, and then relaxed when she recognized him. "Don't do that!" she scolded, tugging her hood tighter. "Gave me a heart attack-" she shivered, "and I don't really have the energy to spare." "Where are you going?" "Well, in case you couldn't tell, I'm freezing my snakes and some other important bits off here, and I know where there's a fire swamp out this way. It'll be nice and warm, and I won't have to worry about freezing off the rest of my tail." "Well, why?" "Because I'm slightly cold-blooded?" she suggested, as if it were stupidly obvious. "No, I mean... why the fire swamp?" She rolled her eyes. "Same answer." "But why are you leaving?" "Because I run the risk of dying if I don't! How many times-?" "But you could stay with me!" Wind Shear blurted. There was a pause. Morning Glory stared, and even Wind Shear seemed a bit surprised at the words he'd just said. "Are you... asking me to move in with you?" she asked. "...maybe?" She shook her head. "No, no. You don't just drop something like that and go back with a 'maybe'. You either are, or you aren't." Wind Shear straightened up and decided to own it like the grown stallion he was. "Yes. Yes, I am. I want you to move in with me." "Why?" Wind Shear licked his lips. He knew why, inside; but all his writing abilities and ways with words seemed to all have taken an immediate leave of absence. Morning Glory snickered. "Ok, take yourself out of the situation. Imagine you're writing a book, ok? And there's this guy, this character, that you're writing." She shivered again. "He's not so bright." "Ouch." "But not wrong. He wants this mare to move in with him. What would he say to her?" "Well, he'd... theoretically speaking, you know... he'd say it outright. 'I want you to move in with me', like that." "And if she asks why? What would he say, then?" "Because he loves her." He met her eyes. "Because I love you, and I want you in my life. I want you in my life for the rest of my life." It was the first time he'd said it, but it was true. Again, a very strange and awkward realization (to say nothing of the awkward construction; 'our lives' probably would have been better), but not unwelcome at all. She brushed a snake away from her face. "You're kidding." "I am not!" Wind Shear said, somewhat offended by that. She shook her head. "No, it's just..." Her voice trailed off, and she looked down. "Just what?" Wind Shear prompted after a moment. Morning Glory exploded. "No one loves me! I was the one chosen last at the dances, if I was even chosen at all! Even before this," she gestured at herself, "I was just that weird mare who read too much, was a little too into my flowers, and talked way too much about things nopony else cared about! I'm not attractive, I never have been; I'm terrible at pleasant conversation, I'm afraid of the dark, I've never been in a good relationship, and I've spent every Hearts and Hooves Day alone except for one, and most of that one was him trying to talk me into doing something I wasn't ready for!" She choked. "And he succeeded!" Her voice was desperate. "So why? Why would you want to marry me?" Wind Shear's mouth worked wordlessly. "I've... never seen any of that," he finally said. "I've seen a real pony, a pony I've really enjoyed getting to know. You treat me like a normal pony, not like a celebrity or a source of income." She brushed a hoof brusquely against her eyes. "Did ponies really do that?" Wind Shear rolled his eyes. "You have no idea. My first book was a runaway success and mares came out of the woodwork like vultures. I can't remember when my last actual date was, one that wasn't actually a thinly-veiled interview. I don't think I ever even asked, they invited themselves. It took me a lot longer than I'm willing to admit to realize that most mares do not actually want to go to the fanciest restaurants just to talk about royalties and when the next book is coming out." He snorted derisively. "Joke would have been on them; they dried up to almost nothing during that hiatus." Morning Glory cracked a smile and shivered. "But you... you're like a thermal updraft. You're real. You're strong, the strongest mare I know. You're independent. You don't need me; but you hang out with me because you want to, and it's something we both like doing. And, between you and me, you look great." Morning Glory gave a broken chuckle. "You're a liar," she said, but her heart wasn't in it. "So...?" Wind Shear prompted. "Say it." "Morning-" "You have to kneel," she interrupted. "It's the rules. What kind of cut-rate romance writer are you?" Wind Shear shook his head. "The kind who proposes without even having a ring." She tsked and shook her head back. "Shameful." Wind Shear tilted his head. "If you don't want me to-" "I didn't say that!" Wind Shear chuckled and knelt into the snow. "Alright, then. Morning Glory, most glorious mare, will you marry me?" She inhaled slowly, savoring the moment, and then exhaled. "I'd love to." She shivered again, harder this time. "Can I borrow your scarf?" Wind Shear smiled. "Definitely."
Finding Inspiration	Chapter 15	"This is the worst idea ever," Morning Glory whispered. "It is tradition to introduce one's fiancee to his friends. And Happy Trails and Green Hooves are among my oldest friends." She tugged at her hood nervously. "You've known them for a year at most," she protested, keeping her mouth as closed as she could. "It still stands," Wind Shear said firmly. "They've been great friends my whole time here." "Don't you have any great friends that I haven't stoned in a fit of jealousy?" she wheedled. Wind Shear thought. "I think the mayor thinks we should be great friends, what with all the revenue I've helped bring in to this town; but she kinda smells like onions and it's a little bit hard to take her seriously." Morning Glory expelled a quick burst of air out her nose. The Happy Hooves Hotel came into view. "Last chance to turn back," she offered hopefully. "We could go home, we could cuddle on the couch..." Wind Shear bumped her with his hips. "Don't worry. You've got this," he said comfortingly. But when he looked back over his shoulder, she hadn't followed. He came back. "I- if you're sure you can't, we can-" "No, no," Morning Glory said. "I want to do it. But I want to go first, by myself. I... I think I owe Happy Trails an apology." Wind Shear nodded hesitantly. "Ok," he said, trusting her. "I'll, uh, wait for you." Happy Trails bobbed her head to a tune only she heard as she passed through the kitchen. She playfully bumped hips with Green Hooves and swatted her with her tail, prompting a little yip of surprise from the larger mare. She slid onto the stool behind the front desk and got comfortable. It was going to be an excellent day! The bell over the door jingled, and she smiled her biggest smile to the pony that had just come in. "Welcome to the Happy Hooves Hotel!" She had no suitcases, but still she knew she should ask. "Are you here for lunch or a room?" "Neither, actually," the mare responded, staying back by the door and in the shadows. She tugged uncomfortably at her pink hood. "Ah. Meeting somepony here?" Happy Trails suggested. Their little restaurant had grown into quite the meeting place to chat and grab something to eat. Green Hooves was perfectly ok with that; she loved cooking. And the fact that Happy Trails had had to pick up some more of the cleaning responsibilities probably didn't hurt, either. "I'm actually... here to apologize." Happy Trails paused. That was unexpected. "To you," she clarified. Happy Trails squinted. She had no recollection of this mare but didn't want to offend a potential customer. "Ah, ok. Mm, for what?" She flipped her hood down, revealing her five snakes, fangs, and slitted eyes. "For turning you into stone, for one." Happy Trails' eyes widened and she flew backwards, knocking her stool over, and pressing herself against the key wall. "G- g- g-!" she stammered, pointing. "Gorgony?" Morning Glory supplied wryly. Happy Trails nodded mutely, her eyes as wide as saucers. Hearing this commotion, Green Hooves poked her head out, and her eyes widened as well, and the rag she held in her mouth dropped to the floor. But she bravely stood her ground. Morning Glory scuffed a hoof. "So, uh, yeah, that was me. I'm sorry I turned you into stone in a fit of misaimed jealousy." Happy Trails nodded tightly, her head barely bobbing. "'Cause, I thought you were flirting with him, and, uh, I'm... not so good with the love stuff. And, uh... you, uh, play for the other team and I didn't realize... I didn't..." She pulled her hood on again, much to the chagrin of her snakes. "Yeah. I'll just be going now." She turned to the door and pushed it open, then looked over her shoulder. "Your, uh, breads are good, by the way. With the little snake heads and chocolate chips. I, uh, I approve. They're good." "Thanks," Happy Trails breathed. With a tight nod, she ran out the door. Happy Trails watched her go. She took a shaky breath. That had been a thing. But there was more 'thing' left to come. She came back in, closely followed by Wind Shear. "By the way, I'm marrying Wind Shear and we want you to come to our wedding." There was a brief pause. Wind Shear rested his wing on her back, waiting with bated breath for their reactions. And then- "Eeee!" Green Hooves pranced rapidfire in place in excitement, her eyes wide with stars and a huge smile on her face. How exciting! She loved weddings! "And we may be staying for lunch, after all." Morning Glory bumped him with her hips. "He's hungry and can't cook to save his life." Wind Shear gave her a half-playful, half-comforting nudge back, then looked up at Happy Trails. "Table for two, please!" he said cheerfully, as if this whole situation were normal. "Yeah, I'll..." Happy Trails slowly pulled herself off the wall. This part she could handle. "Your usual spot?" "Yes, please!" Morning Glory sat with her back to the wall, hidden from sight. "Nice choice," she said, looking around at the booth. "Yeah," Wind Shear said, joining her. "Couple years of dodging autographs, and you get good at picking out places you can hide when you're in public." "Heh. Teach me your ways." Wind Shear blinked. "You're planning on going out in public more?" Morning Glory snorted. "Not really. This is a one-time thing, and only because I don't want to make lunch today." Wind Shear picked up a menu, though by now he knew exactly what he wanted here. "Love you too, Morning." Morning Glory picked hers up, too. A snake poked its head out from her hood, and she gently pushed it back inside. "What's good here?" "Pretty much everything. My favorite was the daisy sandwiches, but since Jenny left, she hasn't been able to get good ones." "Feh," Morning Glory said, tapping the bottom of her menu on the table. "I'd grow her daisies." "Really?" "Yeah." She exhaled wistfully and looked at the menu. "That would require you coming into town to make your deliveries," Wind Shear pointed out cheekily. "Hay, no! I'd make you do it. You'd make a cute delivery colt." "I am a grown stallion!" Wind Shear protested, poking at his stomach. "And you'd have to wear the outfit," she continued. "Little cap, vest, bow tie, the whole thing." Wind Shear chuckled. "I don't think that's going to happen. I doubt I could pull that off." "Probably not," Morning Glory agreed. "I can't sew, anyway. Are the fried pickles here any good?" "I like them." "Never had the patience for it myself." "For frying?" "For pickling." She chuckled. "Funny, really. I can wait a whole season for flowers to bloom, but an afternoon of pickling just doesn't appeal to me." She inhaled. Right as she did, Happy Trails returned with water glasses, doing her very best to not look shaky. "So!" she said just a bit too brightly, even for her, "have we decided on what to order?" "Not yet," Morning Glory said, hiding behind her menu. "But we'll start with the fried pickles for an appetizer," Wind Shear supplied. "Got it!" And she walked away backwards. Wind Shear shook his head and looked back at Morning Glory. "You were going to say something." "Nah." "You were." "I... It's silly, really." Wind Shear stared at her, waiting for her to crack. It didn't take long. She bit her lower lip, her fangs standing out against the pink of her lip. "Well, what I'd really like... I mean, just hypothetically, here... I'd like to start my own business." "Your own business?" Wind Shear prompted. "I was a florist before..." She gestured at herself, referencing her transformation. "Sometimes, I... miss it." She scowled at the table. She still wasn't used to showing weakness, even to him, and it was making her uncomfortable. "And the no daisies thing you just said made me think I could do it. It's stupid, I know-" "Could work." Morning Glory narrowed an eye. "Really?" He wiggled his eyebrow. "It'd have to be a mail-order service, though, what with you not going into town. You would have to print a catalog." "I will buy a store in this town on this very street just to make you eat those words," she swore. "You could figure out what you're going to eat here, too," Wind Shear countered. Morning Glory poked another snake back under her hood and picked up the menu again. "You don't have to." "What?" He gestured like he was taking off a hood. "Keep that on." Morning Glory snorted. "Yeah. That'll be a great idea. I'll just really freak everypony out permanently." She rounded on Happy Trails. "Like you. I freak you out just by existing, huh?" Happy Trails, who was returning with the fried pickles they'd ordered, but her lower lip and dug the tip of her hoof into the carpet. "More like you freak me out because the last time I saw you, you literally turned me to stone, which I only realized was happening to me halfway through the transformation; and I've always been really claustrophobic (and that's part of the reason I moved to this little town), so not being able to move my hooves, and then my legs, and then my hips, and then my chest stopped moving and I wasn't able to breathe anymore and I was trapped, helpless, stuck, and couldn't move at all--couldn't even blink--before losing consciousness really did a number on the old noggin." She tapped the side of her head. "Nightmares for a week, sitting up in a cold sweat screaming myself hoarse and everything. Even dreamed of Princess Luna once, that was odd, never done that before." She tapped her chin. "They did kinda slow down after that, though, so that was nice." Morning Glory looked down abashedly. She had a point. She'd made herself the victim when she had been the one at fault. After the briefest of hesitations, Happy Trails nudged her gently on the shoulder. "But hey, if Wind Shear likes you, you can't be all that bad." Morning Glory smiled shakily. "Comforting," she mumbled. "So!" Happy Trails said cheerfully, as if the previous conversation hadn't happened. "Have we decided?" "Mm... How big are your baked potatoes?" Happy Trails held her hooves a decent distance apart. Morning Glory looked at Wind Shear and winked. "Yeah," she said, a playful smile on her face. "I'd like one of those." Wind Shear rolled his eyes.
Finding Inspiration	Chapter 16	Morning Glory stared in the mirror at herself. It had been weird enough that Fluttershy had told her that she could reserve the castle in Ponyville for their private wedding, but then to find out another of her friends was a seamstress and was more than willing to make a dress for her based solely on her measurements was so much more than she'd expected. And then she'd actually gotten the dress and had been blown away. Huh. And all I'd wanted to do was invite her to be my Mare of Honor, she mused, spinning to get a better view of herself. She'd never looked this pretty. Rarity seemed to agree. "I'd say you're ready, darling," she said, making one last tiny adjustment to her headpiece. She looked down at the low scoop, which revealed many of Morning Glory's patches of scales, and pursed her lips. "I'll admit, it's not quite what I'd expected; but then again, had I known, I probably would have tried to fit your snakes with a little hat or some kind of decoration. Maybe a little lace sleeve for each one." Morning Glory barked a laugh. "I don't think they'd appreciate that. I'm just glad you took me so well." Rarity patted her back gently. "I've made it my policy to make sure no mare ever feels left out, regardless of how she looks." She looked into the mirror with her and briefly pressed their cheeks together. "And darling, you look fabulous." Morning Glory looked back into the mirror. Honestly, she'd never thought she'd have this opportunity. She'd somewhat assumed she'd be running and hiding alone for the rest of her life, growing her flowers with just her snakes for company (and having to destroy them every few years to cover her tracks whenever she was discovered and had to go on the run again). But now she had friends. Sure, her apology to Happy Trails and Green Hooves had been a bit awkward (as had their next few meetings), but they'd forgiven her. They were here, too, on Wind Shear's side. Her side had Fluttershy, and she said she'd brought a few of her closest friends (which were most likely animals, knowing her. But that was just fine). As if she'd heard her name, Fluttershy came into the room. "Are you ready?" she asked. "I think so," Morning Glory said. Rarity tittered and trotted back around. "I'll be in my seat. Don't keep us waiting!" Morning Glory stood in front of the door and took a deep breath. "Alright," she murmured. She glanced up at the nearest snake. "You ready?" The snake flicked its tongue at her. "I'll take that as a yes." With a quick glance at Fluttershy for reassurance, she nodded, and the pegasus pulled open the door. Then Morning Glory slammed the door shut. She pressed her back against it as if to hold it closed from what was on the other side. "Fluttershy!" she hissed. "Yes?" Fluttershy asked, confused. Morning Glory pointed over her shoulder. "Why is there a princess in there?" she asked hoarsely. Fluttershy scuffed a hoof. "Because you wanted a quiet ceremony, so I kept it within my... my circle of friends? A- and she's the only one of us who can actually perform a wedding, officially. Well, Pinkie might be able to," she amended. "I think, but I'm not completely sure. There's a lot about Pinkie that-" "You're friends with a princess?!" "She's a very friendly pony," Fluttershy offered weakly. Morning Glory shook her head. "This is a terrible idea." Fluttershy looked flatly at her. "You're not going to do that freaky stare thing again, are you?" "No. Because you already know you're going in there, because you love Wind Shear more than you're afraid." She reached up and gently stroked the head of the nearest snake. "Isn't that right?" she cooed. Morning Glory scowled as she readied herself again. "I hope you throw a shoe." But no shoes were thrown, thankfully. And it really was a nice wedding, even if Twilight was looking at her with uncomfortably intense scientific curiosity the whole time. "Huh." "What?" "N- nothing, it's just... I think this is the first time I've ever been supposed to look at a mare's... uh, 'you know'?" "I literally have no hair on my tail. None. You cannot tell me you've never seen me back there before." "Well, yeah; but there's a difference between catching a glimpse and actually being invited to enjoy the view." There was a pause. "You're making it weird," Morning Glory said, shuffling uncomfortably. "Stop making it weird." "Sorry. First time, remember?" "Lucky me," Morning Glory mumbled. "It's a good view?" Wind Shear tried. "You're not supposed to just look!" Morning Glory complained. "You're supposed to do something about it! Just... go on instinct or something!" "Alright, alright! Let me just--sorry--get up on you and-" "Not that one!" she shrieked. "Sorry! Sorry! I didn't- they're close, and-" "Ugh. I am regretting a lot of things in my life right now." "Ouch," he said, mildly offended. Morning Glory sighed. "Just... try again. I want this, too, you know." "Ok, I'll... uh, ok, try- Whoa. Oh, wow." Morning Glory's smugness knew no bounds. "Mm-hm. That's it. Feels good, huh?" "Y- yeah. Really good. Uh, how are you?" "Not bad. Kinda boring, though. Try moving." "Al- Oh, sweet Celestia..." "Hey! She's not here, I am! Shout- ngh- my name!" "Morning-! ahn-! Glory! Wow, I-" "No! Don't stop! Don't you dare!" Wind Shear lay on his back, his heart rate finally returning to normal. That had been amazing. Short, yes; but amazing. Part of him wanted to go back in time and slap himself for writing those erotic novels when he didn't know anything about romance or intimacy. He had known nothing. Literally nothing. Morning Glory had taught him so much, and his life would never be the same. Morning Glory was currently nestled on his chest, snoring softly. He'd taught her about a wing hug. He didn't think it felt nearly as good as what she'd just showed him, but she seemed to like it; she'd fallen asleep almost instantly, wrapped in his wing. Even her snakes were asleep. He thought, anyway. That one on the end may have stayed awake as a sentry. He thought he saw tiny flashes of pink from its tongue out of the corner of his eye. And yet, somehow this all made sense. You know, I have no idea how my life turned out this way. He squeezed her tighter. But I'm not disappointed.
Finding Inspiration	Chapter 17	Wind Shear opened the door, and he brightened. "Hey, friends!" "Hi, Windy!" Happy Trails said cheerfully. "Love what you've done with the place. I like the fence." She jerked her head towards the wooden fence, the slats high and tight enough that it could not be seen through. "Yeah. It's for privacy. And to keep wild animals from the forest out." He looked back towards the kitchen. "I hear there's all kinds of monsters that live there," he said, a bit louder than normal. "I heard that," Morning Glory called from inside. Wind Shear chuckled and stepped aside. "Come on in," he said. "Thanks!" Happy Trails bopped her head happily as she went through, and Green Hooves followed close behind, carrying a large baking pan on her back, their contribution to tonight's dinner. Fluttershy waved from her seat at the table; she had arrived only a little bit earlier. In front of her was a large selection of her finest cookies and a steamed (and still steaming) carrot dish, and Happy Trails brightened even further. She waited until Green Hooves had set her pan down, then gallantly pulled her chair out, and the larger mare's cheeks tinged pleasantly pink as she sat down. Wind Shear returned from the kitchen. "You'll be pleased to know that I have taken a more active role in dinner tonight," he said pleasantly, setting the pot he held on the table. "This is oven-roasted squash with garlic and parsley, and was completely my doing..." He paused, letting them look nervously amongst themselves before finishing, "though I was heavily supervised by Morning Glory the whole time." (I referenced this recipe; someone make it and tell me if it's any good) He couldn't hide a smile as they all sighed with varying degrees of relief. This was only their third dinner together, but his abysmal cooking skills were already legendary. Morning Glory stuck her head out to confirm that. "Yeah. Good thing, too, because he started out chopping up three heads of garlic instead of three cloves," she called. Green Hooves snorted a quiet laugh, the loudest sound she'd made all day. Even Fluttershy hid her smile behind her hooves. "Well, at least you won't have to worry about vamponies anymore, eh, Windy?" Happy Trails laughed. "Not at all! And even if one did come around, I'd just sic Morning Glory on it." He looked over his shoulder. "Get us a nice scarecrow in your garden!" Morning Glory emerged, carrying her own dish. "I'd stick you out there, it'd scare more birds away," she snarked as she set it down. Wind Shear chuckled and took this in stride. As they ate and talked, Wind Shear noticed Morning Glory seemed to be a bit quiet. He leaned in close. "You ok?" "Yeah, yeah. It's just... really nice to have friends." She lifted her bowl to her lips and lapped up some water; her lack of throat muscles not letting her get water any other way. Really, though, nopony here even looked twice anymore, and it was a great feeling, being... accepted. "Honestly, I don't think this could get much better." Wind Shear's eyes snapped open. It was the middle of the night, and something wasn't right. He rolled over and reached out to touch Morning Glory, but his hoof hit nothing but air. He frowned, now fully awake, and rolled over to get a closer look. Morning Glory was gone. He sat up, ears pricked, but there were no noises from the bathroom. A cold feeling settled in his stomach. She'd been feeling a bit nauseous earlier, but he'd attributed it to his earlier attempt at baked potatoes (he'd been a bit too liberal with the thyme as in seasoning and time as in how long he'd left them in the oven). But why would she leave? And why wouldn't she wake him up? He lay back down, unsettled. He trusted her completely, of course, and she probably had a good reason for not; but at the same time, he knew he probably wouldn't sleep well until she came back. Morning Glory galloped through the forest. Her snakes didn't even try to protest, they just coiled against and over each other to try and hold on. Finally, she arrived at her destination. She scattered a few raccoons and other nocturnal creatures in her haste and pounded on Fluttershy's door. After what felt like an eternity and a half, Fluttershy opened the door ever so slightly. "Um, h-" she started blearily. Her eyes widened as she recognized her visitor. "Mor-?" Morning Glory's eyes were wild, her chest heaving as she panted for breath. "Where's the zebra?" she demanded, cutting her off. "What?" "The zebra! The one who almost became a tree from your story! Where is she? How can I find her?" "Zecora?" Fluttershy tried to parse her jumbled words. "She lives in the Everfree Forest, too." "Where? Can you take me there?" Fluttershy rubbed her eyes and suppressed a yawn. "Y- yes, but... Does it have to be right now?" "Yes!" Fluttershy panted. "Alright, it's... it's here," she said, gesturing at the treehouse. Morning Glory darted to the door, ignoring the masks and other decorations, and knocked rapidly. There was a dull thump, as if a pony had just fallen off a bed, some mumbled cursing, as if a pony had just realized they'd fallen out of bed, and then the door opened with a zebra standing there there, with her mane messy like she'd just been abruptly awaken from bed--and angry, like she'd been prematurely and against her will awoken from bed. "What does this mean? It's the middle of the night! / What is so important that it could not wait for light?" she demanded. "Can you undo a potion done about fifteen years ago?" Zecora looked strangely at her. "My ears must be failing, fifteen years ago? / What could have possessed you to delay so slow?" "It kinda never occurred to me; but now everything's changed! I need your help!" Zecora glowered. "At three am you make such a scene," she groused. "It had best be something I have never before seen." In response, Morning Glory pulled her hood off her head. Zecora looked at the snakes, then back at Morning Glory. She blinked. As if uncertain, she looked at one snake head, and followed it back to the mare's head. She looked at where they met. For the first time, she noticed that her visitor had slitted eyes and tiny fangs. Then, with a tight nod, Zecora stepped back and let them in. Zecora listened to her story, and hissed under her breath when Morning Glory described the recipe she'd followed. "I know of the potion you did create, / but all I can do is bewail your fate. // For to undo this, we'd need to do it anew / and use hairs of yours previous to your making the brew." Morning Glory sank to her haunches in equal parts shock and horror. "Are you sure?" she asked hopelessly. "As certain as I am of the sun's rising tomorrow. / I'd have to rebrew it, and your hair I'd need to borrow. // And furthermore, where did you even find that recipe? / It's strictly forbidden, for reasons plain to see." "It was scribbled in the back of this book I found in the bookstore, bottom of the barrel." She shook her head in defeat, and brought one hoof up to touch the bottom of her barrel. Fluttershy made the connection instantly. Her eyes widened. "Zecora, you don't think...?" Zecora chuckled wryly. "The changes this potion causes are quite profound / Even I can't say how deep it goes down. // I cannot promise it will be fine / but I suppose we'll find out in ten months' time." Ten months later... Wind Shear paced outside nervously. He would have been in there--he should have been in there--but he'd passed out once and they'd kicked him out, saying they already would have two patients and didn't need three. Being still too afraid to go into a larger town with an actual hospital--like, say, Ponyville, where Fluttershy lived--Morning Glory had elected to stay here. And judging by the insults she was slinging, she was somewhat regretting this decision. He picked idly at the food she'd made, probably part of a distraction technique, but he didn't taste anything. He wished he could hear those insults a little clearer. He'd never felt so helpless. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he heard the tiniest cry. His heart jumped, and he raced to the door. After another few moments, the door opened, and Fluttershy nodded. He darted inside. Morning Glory lay on her back, holding a small wrapped bundle tightly against her chest. "It's a girl," she said softly. She gently unwrapped it to reveal the face of a little foal, a little lighter than his coat, wearing a bulbous knitted hat. Aroused by the movement, she opened her eyes, and there it was. Those were his eyes. His heart tightened. A filly! His filly! She was adorable! She blinked at him with quiet, innocent interest. He waved a hoof at her, a growing smile of pure joy crossing his face. He was a father! And then a tiny snake slowly poked its head out from under her hat. Its tongue flicked curiously. Morning Glory smiled sheepishly. "Surprise."
The Magic of Six	pre	Lightning arced through the sky, falling out of a cloud of pure stardust. Underneath the spiralling storm was a lone figure, clad in blue armour, laughing and savouring his victory. The Mayor pointed, alerting the gold-clad avian warriors stationed nearby. "Seize him! Only he knows where the Princess is!" The three guards rose up, their wings flaring white. They burst forward to try and grab Nocturne, but the God-like figure turned to them with anger. "Stand back, you mortal fools!" Three bolts of lightning arced down and struck them, shorting out their magic wings and throwing them back. He grinned, and enveloped himself in stardust and drifted away as a cloud. Rachael, pulling against Jackson's grip, managed to get out and give chase. But, fast as she was, she only watched the cloud race into the mountains, too slow to chase it. She panted, then her face took on an expression of worry. "Eternal night...?" Being an Avian allowed her a natural 3D perception, an ability to look not only sideways but up and down in instinct. It was this perception that allowed her to notice the purple-haired streak racing down to the town library, a green haired companion in tow. "What's she up to?" * Barb stumbled inside. "We need... To..." Tori gently guided her to her bed. "Just rest, Barb. I'll restore natural order to the world before you know it." Barb fell asleep instantly. Tori quietly made her way out and turned the lights off, closing the door behind her. With that out of the way, she charged head-first into the shelves of the library, scanning them for anything. "Elements, Elements...! Ugh, how can I stop Nocturne without the Elements of Harmony?!" She looked up to see Rachael giving her a death glare, pushing her slowly back to the wall. "And just what are the Elements of Harmony?! And how did you know about Nocturne, huh?" Tori felt her back pressed against a shelf. "Are you a spy?" Rachael was pulled back with a yelp, Jackson gripping onto her ankle. "Simmer down, Rae. She ain't no spy." Tori breathed a sigh of relief. "But she sure as heck knows what's goin' on, don't ya Tori." "Victoria." "Victoria, sorry." Tori sighed. "I did some preliminary research before coming here. I read all about the prediction of Nocturne, and about these strange objects called the Elements of Harmony, which are the only things that can stop him." "That's mighty handy." "But I don't know where they are, or what they look like. I don't even know what they do or how they work." "The Elements of Harmony," Patrick called out. "A Reference Guide." Tori dashed up and pushed him aside. "How did you find that?" "It was under 'E', duh." Tori mentally facepalmed, but physically brought the book down and opened it up. "There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, and Loyalty." Tori frowned. "The sixth is a complete mystery. It is said that the last known location of the Elements is in the ancient castle of the Royal Siblings, which is now in..." "...The Everfree Forest..." Tori gulped. "I cannot see this ending well at all..." Evans muttered. "Whee!" Patrick took a few steps forwards. "Let's go!" "Hold it!" Tori stuck out her hand to stop him. "I appreciate your help, but I need to do this alone." "Nope, sorry, cutie-" "Cutie?!" "-But we ain't lettin' any friend-" "Friend?!" "-Of ours go into that creepy place by herself." He took a long stride forwards, the others following. "We're stickin' to ya like caramel on a candy apple." "Especially if there's candy apples in there." Patrick added. "Patrick?" Tori raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?" "That made no sense whatsofreakingever." Tori followed the party into the forest. * "So... None of you have actually been in here before?" "Oh, good heavens, no." Evans replied. "I mean, look, this place is so... dreadful." "And it ain't natural either." Jackson added. "Folks say it don't work the same as Equestria." "What's that supposed to mean?" Tori looked around nervously. "Nobody knows~" Rachael, now airborne, hovered slowly in front of Evans, Emily and Patrick. "Do you know why?" "Rachael, quit it." Jackson pulled Tori to his side, and away from Rachael. "Because everypony who's ever come in, has never... come... OUT!" The three victims leapt back in surprise, and a split second later a massive crack appeared behind them. The whole cliff edge dislodged and slid down the mountainside, and the four non-fliers fell onto the slope it created and followed it to the depths of the ravine. "Emily!" Rachael called out. "Quick!" Rachael dived down and lifted Patrick up, as Emily flew over and slowed Evans down by grabbing onto his arm and holding him back. Jackson grabbed a tree root that was poking out to hold him back. Tori, however, continued sliding until she was all but over the edge, gripping onto it with her arms only. "Hold on, Tori, Ah'm comin'!" Jackson released his grip and slid down, grabbing Tori and keeping her stable. "Jackson, what do I do?!" Tori strained to get up, her voice betraying her panic. Jackson looked behind her, then levelled his view directly to her eyes. "Let go." "Are you crazy?!" Tori yelled back. "No Ah ain't. Ah promise, you'll be safe." "Oh yeah, accept a promise from someone who not only claims we're friends when we're clearly not and also openly hits on me. Do you think I would believe you?!" "Now listen here, Victoria. Y'all may not think we're friends, but Ah like ya enough not t' drop ya off a cliff. What Ah'm sayin' to you is th' honest truth." He levelled a serious gaze at her. "Let go, and you'll be safe." Part of her wanted to climb up there, and probably give him a belting. But something, something that she couldn't explain, overrid that instinct, and told her to drop. She let go, and fell down with a shriek and closed eyes, and waited for the pain. Mid-fall, she felt four arms grabbing her, and minimal pain. She opened her eyes again to see the two Avians holding her aloft, slowly floating down. Jackson leapt down the cliff face, jumping on small platforms that were available to him. "Well, Ah reckon that's that." Tori walked up and slapped him. "That's for before, the hitting on me" Jackson looked at her with surprise. "Did you just-?" "Yes I did. Now we're even." Rachael let out a low whistle. * "... loop-de-loop and wham! Caught you right in the nick of time." "Rachael, you had at least five seconds to put them down and wait for me to drop." "And, um, I saw you not actually do a loop." Emily stated. Rachael sighed. "You're no fun." "But," Tori stated. "I'm very grateful, but we've got-" Something large landed in front of them. A large, red-maned lion, with a scorpion tail and bat wings. "A manticore!" Tori charged up magic around her hands. "We've gotta get past him." The manticore leapt up and swung over Evans' head, who ducked and retaliated with a kick of his own. "Take that, you fiend!" The manticore roared at him with such force that it literally billowed his hair open and into a tangled mess. "My hair..." His attention snapped back to the snarling Manticore, and he tactically retreated. "Wait..." Emily called out, but due to her quiet voice nobody noticed. Jackson leapt up and landed on its back, waving his hat in the air. "Yee-haw!" The manticore bucked and bucked- "Wait!" Emily once again called out. - and finally Jackson was flung off. As he soared through the air, he smiled at Rachael. "All yours, partner." "On it!" Rachael soared off- "Wait!" - and flew around the manticore, creating a prismatic tornado. It did nothing, as a flick of its tail sent her sprawling in front of the group. "Rachael, are you wounded?!" Tori ran up and immediately began to check for a wound from the tail. "Just my pride." Rachael stood up and joined the forming line. The manticore scrapped its paw on the ground, preparing for a charge. The five did much the same, then burst forwards. Tori charged a spear of magic in her hands as she dashed forwards, aiming for the- "Waaaaaaaaaaait!" Emily, who had not been charging, stepped in front of them, halting the charge. She turned around and slowly approached the manticore. The manticore raised its paw, claws out, to strike. Tori covered her eyes. "Shh, it's ok..." Tori opened her eyes to see her rubbing the beast's paw gently, soothing it. After a moment, it opened it and showed its palm, a massive splinter embedded deep within it. "Oh, you poor, poor little baby." "Little?" Rachael commented. "Now, this might hurt for just a second." Emily gripped the splinter and yanked it out. The manticore grabbed her in its paws and roared loudly. "Fluttershy!" Tori readied her magic again. The manticore started licking Emily. Emily, beaming, giggled and talked to the manticore as one would talk to a cat or child. The party walked past them and on to the journey, but Tori stopped to wait for Emily. "How did you know about the thorn?" "I didn't." Emily walked up, her hair brushed back. "Sometimes we just need a little kindness." "Ugh..." Elusive groaned, fixing his hair up. "My eyes need a rest from this forest, it's so horrific to look at." The area around them became darker as they walked under a disturbingly thick amount of foliage, obscuring all their vision. "I wasn't being literal." "The castle could be right here and we wouldn't even know it." "Don't you know a light spell?" Rachael asked. "No, that's in next year's course, along with gravity and momentum." "When do you learn hypnosis?" "I don't know if it's in the course or not." Tori felt someone bump into her. "Terribly sorry." Evans replied. A dull thud. "Sorry, pal." "That's my leg, Patrick." Tori felt something press against her chest, accidentally groping her. "Get your hand of my breast!" "Oh my, uh, sorry, Victoria, I didn't see you there, really." Emily replied. Squelch. "Oops, Ah think Ah stepped in somethin'." Emily screamed. "Emily, calm down, it's just mud." Jackson snapped his head forwards and came face to face with something vicious, and leapt back with a yelp. Tori noticed the light coming off it, and then the same light all around, each with its own twisted, wooden face on the side of a tree. The group backed up into each other, and the only thing on their mind was to scream. A laugh interrupted them. "Huh?" Tori saw Patrick, next to one of the trees, laughing his head off and making faces at it. "Patrick, what are you doing?! Run!" "Oh guys, don't you see?" "Am I the only one hearing music right now?" Evans commented. "No..." Emily replied. * The party, having thoroughly giggled at the ghosties enough to defeat them, bounced out of the forest quite happily. Until Patrick stopped and everyone collided with him. Tori peered over his shoulder, an easy feat considering he was the same height as her. In front of them was a raging river. "How are we gonna cross this?" A very flamboyant wail of despair drew their attention to another part of the river. In the river was a large humanoid with an excellently-styled hairdo, but in place of a pelvis or legs was a long, serpentine tail, which was thrashing around violently and causing the movement of the water. "Excuse me, sir, why are you crying?" Tori asked the creature. "Oh, I don't know, I was just sitting here, when a tacky little cloud of blue smoke just-" He swept his arm aside. "Whisked past me and tore half of my beloved moustache clean off!" He pointed to his moustache. Half of it was indeed lopped off. "And now I look simply horrid!" He added, moving very melodramatically, before crashing into the water to continue his despair. The resulting wave crashed over the six and soaked them thoroughly. "That's what all the fuss is about?" Jackson crossed his arms. "Why, of course it is!" Evans leapt out, his previously wavy hair now long and straight. "How can you be so insensitive?" "What?" "I mean, look at him. Such wonderful, luminescent scales." The serpent sniffed. "I know, right?" "And such an excellently coiffed hairstyle." "Oh, I know, I know." "Someone kill me." Rachael muttered. "Such a fabulous manicure." "It's so true~" "The flamboyancy is gonna make me sick..." "And ruined without your moustache." "It's true, I'm hideous!" Evans frowned. "I can't let such a crime against style go uncorrected." He reached forwards and yanked the closest scale to him out of the serpent's tail. The serpent wailed in pain. "What did you that for?" Evans flicked his hair out and dropped suddenly into a combat stance. "Evans, what are you-?" A flash of movement, and the serpent fell. Evans remained stationary, having finished striking. "Is he dead?" Rachael asked. "I really hope he's dead." Evans's ponytail fell off. He discarded the scale and lifted, magically, the lock of hair and fused it into the serpent's lack of moustache. The serpent reared and laughed. "My moustache! How wonderful!" "You look smashing." Evans smiled. "What about your hair, Evans?" Tori asked. "It's fine, my dear. Short hair's in this season." He replied, but with little conviction. "Besides, it'll grow back." "So would the moustache." Rachael commented. Tori walked into the river. "Hey, it's stopped moving. We can cross now!" She felt the earth move from underneath her. The serpent looked down at her with a smile as part of his tail lifted her up. "Allow me." "Five bucks says that serpent guy is gay." Rachael commented, readjusting one of her fingerless gloves. "Rachael, must you be so vulgar?" Evans replied, running a hand where his long ponytail used to be. "He's effeminate, not necessarily gay." "You wanna take that bet?" "Guys, there it is!" Tori shouted, halting everyone. In front of them, over a smoke-covered bridge, was a castle, worn with age and plant life. She ran forwards, grinning. "We're almost there!" She slipped on something wet, and her legs fell down over the edge of the ravine, where the bridge was supposed to be. She teetered on the edge, her legs flailing and her arms desperately trying to pull her back up, and failing. Mercifully, a hand grabbed her and pulled her back. "What's with you and falling off cliffs today?" Rachael helped her back up, smiling. "Now what?" Patrick looked at the fallen bridge. "Go around and look for a different route?" Jackson asked. "Try again tomorrow?" Emily suggested. Rachael opened her magic wings and flapped them around. "I can fly, duh." "Oh yeah." Patrick replied as Rachael dived into the fog. She emerged a second later with the two ropes in her hands, pulling the bridge back up. She quickly tied off one of the support ropes and started work on the other, when an ethereal voice called out to her. "Rachael..." "Who's there?" She looked around nervously. "Rachael..." Rachael raised her fists and punched forwards a few times. "I ain't scared of you! Show yourself!" "We've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the best flier in Equestria." Rachael blinked. "Who?" "Why, you of course." Rachael beamed. "Really? I mean, oh yeah, me. Uh, hey, you wouldn't mind telling the Wonderbolts that, would you? I've been trying to get into that group for, like, forever." "No, Rachael Dallas, we want you to join us." Out of the fog, a three-pony team emerged, wearing a dark mockery of the Wonderbolt flight suit. A woman with blue hair stood at the head of the formation, two bulky men flanking her. "The Shadowbolts." "Shadowbolts?" "We're the greatest aerial team in the Everfree Forest, and soon we will be the greatest in all of Equestria." "Even surpassing the Wonderbolts?" "Yes." The woman replied. "But first, we need a captain." Rachael grinned. "The most magnificent..." The woman circled Rachael on wings of grey light. "Tick." "Swiftest..." "Yep." "Bravest flier in all of Equestria." "Yep, that's all true." "We need..." The woman flew close to her ear and whispered. "You." Rachael cheered and fistpumped. "Sign me up!" The Shadowbolt smiled to herself. "Just let me tie up this bridge, then we have a deal." "No!" The woman flew close to her face, and Rachael leapt back a step. "It's them or us." Rachael felt the nearly-magical glare from underneath her goggles. * "Rachael!" Tori called out. "What's taking so long?" She looked across the bridge, and spotted Rachael talking with what appeared to be a shadowed mockery of the Wonderbolts. "Oh no." The leader of the aerial team turned her head to the party, and with a bright glow of magic from her goggles, the fog drew closer together, thickening substantially. "Rachael, don't listen to them!" She took a step forwards, but Jackson pressed a hand against her. "Let her deal with it herself." "Besides," Patrick announced, wrapping an arm around Emily's shoulder, much to the shock of the avian. "We've have Emily." * "Well?" The Shadowbolt leader leant closer to Rachael. Rachael tensed up in thought, her mind straining. After a long moment her shoulders went slack, and she looked up at the team. "You." The woman leant back, savouring her victory- "Thank you, I mean, but I kinda have to help my friends and inadvertently save the world." Rachael grabbed the rope and swiftly tied it to the stone. "Besides, no ponies live in the Everfree, that's just stupid." After tying the bridge her wings burst into life, and she sailed over and alighted in front of the party, the fog dissipating. She revelled in the cheering of the team. "See, I'd never leave you guys hanging." With a burst of lavender magic, Tori pushed the wooden oak doors aside with a loud creak. "Woah..." Patrick looked over the desolate scenery. The stone inside was fragmented and broken, with vines growing over it, a fine layer of dust covering the area. "Welp, we're here." Jack crossed his arms. "Now, Tori, y'all know where these Elements are?" Tori looked up at a column, six supports sticking out of it, each holding an orb. "That's them. The Elements of Harmony." "How can you tell?" Rachael asked, tilting her head. "I can feel a strong resonance of magic coming from their direction." "Oh yeah." Jack replied. "Weird Highborn stuff." "The politically correct term is caster, thank you very much." Evans crossed his arms. Tori cleared her throat, half to get attention and half to clear the dust out of her lungs. "Emily, Rachael, can you bring them down?" Rachael saluted and raced up, Emily following swiftly. They grabbed five of the orbs, settling them down in front of her. Rachael went for the sixth, but returned with only a few scraps of amethyst. "There's only five intact ones." Patrick looked over the stone spheres. "Yeah, the other one was a gemstone the same size as them." Rachael tossed the amethyst to the ground. "Didn't survive as well." "Was that the sixth element?" Emily asked, almost frightfully. "No, fortunately." Tori sighed. "The sixth element only appears when the five are present and a spark will cause it to be revealed. "So what the heck is that supposed to mean?" Jackson replied. "I don't know... But," Tori smiled. "I have an idea. Stand back." "Why-?" "These objects are reportedly highly-potent arcane artefacts, and I'm going to try to funnel some magic into them. It could cause a massive feedba-" "Enough with the science, Toz." Rachael groaned. "We're going." "Come along, y'all, she needs to concentrate." Jackson turned and walked out of the building, all but Emily departing. Emily, however, approached slowly. "Victoria-" "Emily, I need to concentrate. Sorry, but we can talk once I'm done." "O-okay then..." Emily glided slowly away. Tori closed her eyes and stretched out her hands above the elements. With a flash of light, fields of magic surrounded her arms and the Elements, lifting them slightly into the air. Streaks of violet light crawled along her body, creating a pattern that to those trained in magical theory knew was a high-level use of magic. It was taking its toll, however, as her mind strained to keep up with the needs of the spell. A small wind kicked up around her feet, which as far as she could tell wasn't supposed to happen. When she opened her eyes, a raging tornado of blue magic was growing, taking the Elements with them. She took a wary step back, but the tornado moved faster than her, scooping her up and trapping her within the aura with a slowly-building high-pitched keening noise. As the noise became deafening, it cut out suddenly, throwing her back onto the floor - a different floor. She raised her head to see, upon an old stage a fair distance away, the armoured figure of Nocturne, holding the Elements in a cloud of stardust, laughing triumphantly. She frowned, standing up and preparing a spear of magic. Nocturne's triumphant smile dropped into a more skeptical one. "You're kidding." Tori crouched, ready to charge forwards at a moment's notice. The spear glowed brighter. "You're kidding, right?" Tori slowly started a charge, her tired legs slowly but surely working their way to speed. Nocturne frowned, and created a lance of blue magic, instantly moving at a high speed. The two rapidly crossed the distance between them, and just as Nocturne thrust forwards, Tori's spear burst into a bright light and she disappeared. Nocturne ground to a halt, looking around. Tori reappeared on the stage, staggering. Adopting the same straight-bodied position as before, she pumped her magic into the Elements. "Come on... One spark..." She heard Nocturne reappear directly in front of her, but before she, and he, could react a strong feedback of magic sent her flying back, sliding against the cold stone. As she sat up, she saw sparks flying around the Elements and Nocturne's leg. "No!" Tori's smile dropped as soon as the magic around them stopped. Nocturne looked equally surprised, but then he broke out into a fanged grin. The grin turned into a laugh, and with a shockwave of magic applied to the ground, the Elements were destroyed, turned into chips of marble. Nocturne looked up at Tori, and without warning snakes of stardust binded her limbs, hoisting her into the air. "You little fool... Thinking you can defeat me?" He walked slowly closer. "Now you will never see your Princess, or your Sun, and Night will reign eternal." His aggressive expression changed into one a lot more terrifying to her - sadism. "But first..." She felt a tendril of magic slowly snake up her leg, lifting the base of her skirt up. She tried to wiggle away, but it failed. Just as the magic wrapped itself around the strap of her panties and gently tugged down, everything stopped when voices were heard. Something happened. Something inside Tori, something that was dark and cold, a part she never knew existed, sparked. The surge of feeling bolstered her confidence, and suddenly the mystery of the Elements became clear to her. She turned away from the noise and towards her captor. "You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony?" "I just did, didn't I?" Nocturne replied bitterly. "I tore them into chunks, leaving you helpless to me." "You're wrong." Tori managed to free one of her arms in a burst of magic. "The Elements aren't a bunch of stone. They are metaphysical constructs, and the Spirits of the Elements are right here!" With a surge of magic, Tori destroyed her bindings, landing softly on the ground. As she stood, she could see - no, feel - the other five members of her team beside her. The marble shards glowed with magic and lifted themselves into the air, much to Nocturne's surprise. She turned to Jackson. "Jackson, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the Spirit of Honesty." Red-glowing fragments proceeded to spin around Jackson. "Emily, who tamed the Manticore with her compassion, represents the Spirit of Kindness." Pink shards moved their way to the flying Emily. "Patrick, who banished fear by laughing in the face of danger, represents the Spirit of Laughter." Blue fragments spun around Patrick, who was bouncing with excitement. "Evans, who calmed a sorrowful Serpentine with a meaningful gift, represents the Spirit of Generosity." Purple shards gathered around Evans. "And Rachael, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desires, represents the Spirit of Loyalty." "That's what I'm talking about." Rachael grinned as magenta shards spun around her in the air. "The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us." "You still don't have the sixth Element, Victoria Tanton." Nocturne growled. "Your adventures are pointless. The spark was not activated-" "It was." Tori spoke softly. "A different kind of spark, one that cannot be measured by magic or science." She turned to the team, a friendly look on her face. "I felt it as soon as I realised how happy I was to hear you, to see you. How much I cared about you." Tori's eyes started to water. "The spark appeared inside me when I realised that you all are my friends." A bright light appeared above her, and drifting down slowly on a cushion of invisible magic was another stone sphere, the primary shape of her Talent Mark etched into it. Nocturne shielded his eyes with a black wing. "You see, Nocturne, when those Elements are ignited by the... spark that resides in us all, they create the Sixth Element. The Element of... Magic." A bright aura of spectral magic engulfed them all. The floating crystals condensed on the necks of the wielders, turning into crystals, with gold being formed around the neck of the wielder. The sphere of Magic turned into a large, six-point star-shaped crystal, a gold crown forming off it and resting on Tori's head. A tone of arcane resonance built up around them until it literally burst upwards as waves of rainbow magic, forming together and arcing straight onto Nocturne. It hit only a foot away from him, but it quickly became a tornado of light, engulfing him. Despite his efforts, his magic couldn't touch it, and it quickly binded around him with an arcane howl of agony. The magic grew to such intensity that Tori, overcharged with magic, passed out. *** Tori's eyes flew open. "Everyone alright?" Jackson asked, pulling himself up, offering a hand to Tori, who gladly accepted it. "Thank God!" Evans shouted happily, holding a lock of his once-again long hair. "Oh, Evans, it's so wonderful." Emily, who wasn't even looking at his hair, commented. "I know! I'll never part with it again." "No, you're necklace. It looks exactly like your Talent Mark." Evans blinked, then compared the shape of his sudden necklace with the shape of the diamonds on the back of his hands. He looked up, directly at Emily's chest. "So does yours." Emily blushed and rubbed her arm nervously, looking over her necklace. "Look at mine!" Patrick announced, the blue crystal the shape of a balloon. "Aww yeah!" Rachael fistpumped. "Gee, Tori, Ah thought you were bein' all crazy and stuff, but Ah reckon we do represent the Elements." Jackson commented. "Indeed you do." A majestic, almost angelic, voice resounded across the room. From one of the windows, the party could see the sun rise, glowing brightly. The bright glow reappeared inside the castle, and with a flash of magic a tall, well-built woman stood in its place, feathered wings where magic wings would be. A spiral of golden magic emanated from her forehead, and her hair fell down in spectral waves down to her hips. She wore a long, white, almost form-fitting dress, and bore a crown of gold. Everyone bowed except Tori, who approached her happily. "Princess Celestia!" "Tori Tanton," Celestia opened her arms, and Tori ran into them happily. "My most faithful student." She reluctantly released her hug. "I knew you could do it." "But... You told me it was an old woman's tale." "I told you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more." She walked forward slowly, her wings slowly converting into magic and then into nothing. "I saw the signs of Nocturne's return, and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her. But you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart." She turned sombrely to the stage. "Now, if only another will as well..." Lying on the ground was someone that looked similar to Nocturne, but significantly weaker. "Prince Artemis." He slowly pulled himself up, only to meet the gaze of the Princess, and he recoiled in fear. "It has been a thousand years since I've seen you like this..." She knelt down in front of him. "Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little brother." "Brother?" Rachael asked. "Will you accept my friendship?" Celestia pulled herself up, offering a hand. Artemis leapt up and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so sorry, Celestia... I've missed you so much..." "Me too." Celestia put her arms around Artemis. Patrick immediately started crying. And, just as quickly stopped. "Hey, do you know what this calls for?" "A party!" Patrick announced, immediately running into town along with other happy villagers. Tori calmly walked back, the four of her friends following behind her. "He can sure get a party organised quickly." "He's known as Ponyville Grand Party Master for a reason." Rachael commented. As Tori reached the town, Celestia and Artemis pulled up in a royal chariot. Barb, fully awake, emerged from the crowd and gave Tori a tackle-hug. Celestia approached, and the entire town bowed their heads slightly. Two young avians flew up and placed a ring of flowers around Artemis's neck, who looked honestly surprised that it happened. Tori's smile dropped after a moment. "Why so glum, Tori?" Celestia placed a gentle arm around her shoulder. "Are you not happy to return to Canterlot and continue your studies, now that your quest is complete?" "That's the thing, Princess." Tori moved out of her arm and made her way slowly to her friends. "Just as soon as I learnt how wonderful it is to have friends, I have to leave them." Celestia smiled. "Barbara, take a note please." Barb saluted and pulled out a quill and scroll immediately. "I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the Caster Victoria Tanton shall take on a new mission for Equestria." Celestia turned closer to Twilight. "She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings from her new home in Ponyville." Tori couldn't help but beam. "Thank you, Princess Celestia. I'll study harder than before." "Barb, is that the last box?" Barb grunted, slamming another large box down. "Box of Books number 75. That's all of them." "Excellent." Tori used her magic to sort them out. She saw the light behind her darkening, and she turned to see a silhouetted figure in the light of the doorway. "Barb, can you turn the light on?" As soon as it flicked on the silhouette took the form of Prince Artemis, who approached slowly. "Miss Tanton, if I may speak with you privately for a moment?" "Sure." Artemis came closer to her, shutting the door to the room behind him. "I would like to formally apologise for my actions beforehand." "Oh, that?" Tori smiled. "You were a corrupted god of eternal night back then, I don't think you need to apologise." Artemis smiled. "Thank you, regardless. I would also like to thank you for freeing me from my madness. I have missed much of humanity's developments over the last thousand years." "Ask your sister about it when you get the time. A lot has changed." Artemis, with a slight blush, gingerly took Tori's hands in his own gloved ones, and kissed the back of it. Tori laughed, amused by the archaic display of affection. "That gesture's a little old, milord." "Oh." Artemis's face grew hotter. "Oh, I deeply apologise for that." "It's ok, my Prince. You'll get used to it." Artemis relaxed. "Thank you. I shall endeavour to meet up with you in the near future." Tori watched him leave quickly, a slight blush on her face. She giggled to herself. "Come on, Tori, you can't be falling in love with a Prince, can you?"
The Magic of Six	Episode 3 - Golden Ticket	"Nope..." Barb causally tossed an apple out of the basket, then reached into it again, examining the next one. "Nope..." "Thank ya kindly for helpin' me out today, Tori." Jackson, carrying a sack of freshly-picked apples, smiled to himself. "Ah bet Beth that Ah could get all these golden delicious into th' barn by lunchtime. If Ah win, she's gonna go down Stirrup Street in one of Granny dresses." He snickered triumphantly to himself. "Boy, she'd hate that." "No problem at all, Jackson." Tori replied, wiping her brow. "I'm glad the goal is lunchtime, though. All this hard work is making me hungry." "I know, right?" Barb added, examining an apple. "Barb, you've done nothing to help us while we've done all the work." "Exactly, you're taking so long I missed my snack-time." She tossed the apple in her hands aside. "Besides, I'm quality control." Tori's stomach growled, and she laughed nervously. "Well, we'd better get some food." Barb continued her rummaging. "No... Nope..." Her eyes widened. "Aha!" She yanked out a bright, juicy-looking apple. "Woah..." Tori's hand instinctively went for it slowly. "That looks delicious..." Barb took a huge bite of it. "Barb!" "What?" Barb twitched as her cheeks puffed up, and a jet of green fire burst forth, the smoke materialising into a scroll. "A letter from the Princess?" Barb snatched it from the air and opened it, clearing her throat. "Hear ye, hear ye. Her Grand Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, is pleased to announce the Grand Gala is being held at the capital city of Canterlot on the 21st day of..." Barb squinted. "Yadda yadda yadda... Cordially extends an invitation to Victoria Tanton plus one guest." Tori and Jackson gasped, and in sync announced "The Grand Gala!" Tori proceeded to jump around like an excited schoolgirl, while Jackson cheered. Barb frowned, then proceeded to belch another jet of fire, this time materialising into two golden tickets. "Wow, great!" Tori beamed. "I've never been to the Gala because I was underage. Have you been, Barb?" "No." Barb replied dourly. "And I plan to keep it that way." She crossed her arms. "All that girly frilly froufrou nonsense makes me sick." "Aw, come on, Barb, a dance would be nice. You might find a cute boy there." "I've already found one, thank you very-" "Nice?" Jackson, grinning like a loon, walked up. "It's a heaps better than nice! Ah'd love to go." "Aren't you a guy or something?" "It's an all-gender event." Tori replied. "Ah ain't there for the frilly stuff, God no. If Ah had an apple stand set up there, well, d'ya know how much business Ah could get there? Ah could' rake in enough cash t' fix up Sweet Apple Acres." Jackson started wandering, lost in his imagination. "We could fix up that saggy ol' barn... Or Beth could fix up that saggy ol' plough... And Granny could replace her saggy ol' hip!" "Is he going mad?" Barb asked. "How should I know?" "Why, Ah'd give up my left leg to go to that Gala..." "Well, in that case, Jackson, would you like to-?" A yell of panic stopped them mid-track, as a rainbow-and-cyan blur crashed into them. "Are we talking about the Grand Gala?" Rachael emerged, shifting her flight goggles up. "Rachael..." Jackson stood up. "You told me you were too busy t' harvest apples. What were you busy doin'? Spyin'?" "No, of course not." Rachael turned, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "I was busy napping. And I just happened to hear that Tori's got a ticket for the Grand Gala spare?" "Uh... Yeah, but-" "Woohoo!" Rachael flipped in the air. "This is so awesome! The Wonderbolts turn up and perform every year!" Rachael's eyes glazed over, just as lost to her mind as Jackson was. "I can see it now... Everyone will be watching the skies, their eyes riveted on the Wonderbolts... But then, in would fly... Rachael Dallas!" She leapt into the air, wings of magic holding her aloft. "I would draw their attention with their super-speed strut." "What...?" Barb tilted her head "Then, I would mesmerise them with my fantastic Foley Flash!" "What's that even do?" Tori asked. "Glorified aerial dive." Jackson replied. "And for my Grand Finale..." Rachael's wings grew in size, her imagination fuelling her latent magic. "The Buccaneer Blaze!" She alighted, her wings slowly folding back into her body. "Everyone would go wild! The Wonderbolts would insist that my signature moves be incorporated into their routine." "Does she actually realise it's illegal to interrupt an aerial performance?" "And then... Welcome me as their newest member." Her eyes refocussed, a big grin plastered on her face. "Don't ya see, Toz, this could be my one chance to show'em my stuff! You gotta take me!" Jackson grabbed her by the collar and pulled her out of Tori's face. "Hold on just one apple-pickin' minute!" He let go, crossing his arms. "Ah asked for that ticket first." "So?" Rachael turned to face him, scowling. "That doesn't mean you own it!" "Oh yeah?" Jackson pulled out an arm. "I challenge you to an arm wrestle. Winner gets the ticket." The two dashed over to a nearby stump and proceeded to wrestle with their arms. Tori pushed the two apart. "Guys, these are my tickets, I'll decide who gets them, thank you very much." She sighed. "Whoever has the best reason to go should get the ticket, don't you think?" Jackson took a step forwards. "Drummin' up business for the farm?" Rachael took two steps forwards. "A chance to audition for the Wonderbolts?" "Money t' fix Granny's hip!" "Living the dream!" Tori blinked. "Those are all pretty good reasons, aren't they...?" Her stomach growled, and she laughed nervously again. "Ah hah, listen to that, I am starving." She started to back away nervously. "I dunno about you but I can't think on an empty stomach. So, uh, I'll think about it over lunch and get back to you two." Taking Barb's hand, she proceeded to walk away. "Okay?" "Okay..." The two replied dejectedly as Tori walked off. "So, who're you gonna give the ticket to, Tori?" "I dunno, but I really can't think straight when I'm hungry." "So that's why you failed that test five months ag-" "I thought we said we weren't going to mention that!" Tori shook her head. "Not important, where should we eat?" The door of Sugar Cube Corner, which Twilight was heading for almost by instinct, flew open and a pink projectile slammed into them. Tori groaned. "What the heck is it with people and crashing into me..." She spotted Patrick, lying on his front, by her side. The tickets wafted down until they hit his puffy pink hair, which startled him awake, running around screaming about bats on his head. After a moment he stopped as his eyes caught the tickets. "Wait... There aren't..." A bright-eyed, child-like grin broke out over his face. "Tickets to the Grand Gala?!" "They are, why do you-?" Tori's words caught in her throat as Patrick's eyes glazed over. "Oh come on." "It's the most amazing incredible tremendous super-fun wonderful terrifically humongous party in all of Equestria! I've always always always wanted to go!" He then proceeded to sing about the Gala, before taking a break. "With decorations like streamers and fairy-lights and pinwheels and pinatas and pin-cushions. With goodies like sugar cubes and sugar canes and sundaes and sun-beams and sarsaparilla. And I get to play my favorite-est of favourite fantabulous games like Pin the Tail on the Pony!" He finished his song. "Oh, thank you Tori! It's the most wonderfullest gift ever!" "Uh, actually, Patrick, I-" Barb scooped up the tickets, but froze upon a familiar gasp. She turned to see Evans, staring at the tickets. "Are these what I think they are?" "Uh-" "Yes, yes, and yes! Tori's taking me to the Grand Gala in Canterlot!" "The Gala." Evans recalled. "I design ensembles for the Gala every year, but I've never been able to attend them myself. Oh, the society, the culture, the glamour." "It's actually-" "It's where I truly belong." He broke out into a smile. "And where I'm destined to meet... Her!" Barb's jaw flew open. "Her!" Patrick mimicked, before adopting a face of confusion. "Who?" "Her..." Evans wandered into his imagination like those before him. "I would stroll through the Gala, and everyone will wonder: Who is that mysterious man? They would never guess that I was just a simple man from little ol' Ponyville." He smiled softly. "Why, I would cause such a sensation that I would be invited for an audience with Princess Celestia herself." "I can arrange that anyway." Tori replied. "And the Princess would be so taken with my style and elegance, that she would introduce me to Her! Her niece. The most beautiful, eligible caster woman in all of Canterlot." He closed his eyes, holding his closed hands to his chest. "Our eyes would meet, our hearts would melt." "And what, exactly, is wrong with being a Drake?" Barb whispered to Tori. "Our courtship would be magnificent. I would ask for her hand in marriage, and of course she would say 'Yes!'. We would have a royal wedding to befit a Prince, which of course I would become apon marrying Her, the woman of my dreams!" Evans's focus returned back to reality, and immediately he gazed down upon Tori, annoyed. "I simply cannot believe you would invite Patrick O'Donnell over me, when all he would do is party and prevent me from seeing my true love!" He turned sharply, his long ponytail nearly striking Tori. "How could you?" Barb felt the tickets being yanked from her hand, and he spotted a white rabbit carrying them away to Emily, who was dressed in a light shirt and pants, with mud-covered boots. Emily gasped, taking the tickets in her hands. "Angel, these are perfect..." "Uh... Guys, I haven't decided who to give the extra ticket to." Tori told the two men before her. "You haven't?!" They asked - Evans looked hopeful, while Patrick had the complete opposite. "Yes, and if you had let me speak before you interrupted me-" "Um, excuse me." Emily walked up slowly. "I just wanted to ask, I mean, if it would be alright, but, if you haven't given it to someone else-" "You?" Evans questioned. "You want to go to the Gala, one of the largest social gatherings in Equestria?" "Well, no..." Her leg was pounded by the rabbit by her feet. "I-I mean, yes, or, actually, kind of, you see..." She closed her eyes, quietly slipping into the realm of her imagination. "It's not so much the Grand Gala, as it is the wonderous private, gated garden that surrounds the dance." She opened her eyes, which were shimmering with excitement. "The flowers there are said to be the most fragrant in all of Equestria. And for the night of the Gala, the 21st of the Month of Dawn, and that night only, they will all be in bloom." "But... It's not the Gala itself." "And that's just the flora. Don't get me started on the fauna!" Emily was getting excited enough to raise her voice, so it was still quiet. "There's loons and toucans and bitterns, oh my! Hummingbirds that can really hum, and buzzards that can really buzz. White-blue jays, and red jays, and green jays, pink jays and pink flamingos!" Her eyes returned to normal, and she found herself mid-air, holding Angel. "Wow, Emily, it sounds... beautiful?" "Wait just a minute!" Rachael called out, from up on a perch on the roof above them. "Rachael..." Tori frowned as Rachael alighted. "Were you following me?" "No, I mean, yes, I mean, maybe." She shook her head. "Look, that ain't important. I couldn't risk letting a goody two-shoes like you giving the ticket away to just anybody." "Wait just a dang minute!" Jackson called out, approaching the crowd. "Oh come on, Jackson, were you following me too?" Tori bemoaned. "Ah was followin' this one-" He pointed an accusing finger at Rachael. "To make sure she wasn't tryin' any funny business." He crossed his arms. "Still tryin' to take mah ticket." "Your ticket?!" Rachael shouted. "But Tori's taking me!" And just like that, the five started to argue loudly, all trying to vie for the ticket. Tori couldn't take it anymore. "Everyone SHUT THE HELL UP!" "... And then I said 'meatloaf, are you'-" After a moment of silence, Tori cleared her throat. "Guys, there's no use in arguing." "But Victoria-!" Evans started, but was quickly cut off by Tori. "This is my decision. And I'm going to make it on my own, and I can't think straight with all this Goddamn noise." Her stomach rumbled again. "Not forgetting hunger. Now go on, shoo!" Reluctantly, the five moved slowly away, with Barb and her remaining. "And don't worry, I'll figure this out!" "Ugh... Barb, what am I going to do?" Tori grabbed one of the flowers on the table to fiddle with. "All five of my friends have good reasons to go to the Gala. Jackson or Rachael... Patrick, Evans, Emily... Ugh." "Have you made your decision?" A gentlemanly voice asked. "I can't decide!" Tori shouted out in reflex. "Uh... Tori, he wants to take your order." "... oh." Tori straightened up her posture and fixed up her frazzled hair. "Well, in that case I would love a... cheese and lettuce sandwich, thank you." "Do you have any rubies?" Barb asked the waiter, who only replied with a glare. "No?" Still a glare. She sighed. "I'll have a large serve of fries, extra crispy, extra salt." "What do you think, Barb?" "I think we need to try another restaurant. I mean, I like potatoes just fine, but would it hurt anyone to offer some gemstones?" "I mean about the ticket and the Gala and who to take with me." "Oh." Barb rolled her eyes. "You're still on that?" Tori leant forwards, knocking the vase aside. "Barb, listen!" She pushed herself back. "How do I choose? If I choose one will the others be mad at me? I could give up my own ticket and get two of them to turn up, but then that'd leave three upset people! Not including myself, of course." "Here's your food." The waiter interrupted. "Oh, thank you." Her mouth started to water. "This looks so good... I'm sure everything will be much clearer once I eat. She grabbed the sandwich and was about to take a bite, when a crowd of people stormed inside the building. "Uh, madam?" "Hm?" "Are you going to eat your food in the rain?" "Rain?" Tori smiled. "It's not raining." And then she noticed that, except for a patch of light around her, it was raining. "What's going on?" "Hey there best-friend-forever-I've-ever-ever-had!" Rachael's voice came from above. She was leaning on the edge of the hole in the clouds, looking down at Tori. "Enjoying the sunny weather?" "Rachael, what are you doing?" Tori asked suspiciously. "What do you mean?" Rachael played an innocent look. "I just saw that the smartest, most-generous chick about to get rained on, so I'd thought I'd kick a hole in the clouds so that she could keep dry and dine and feast, that's all." "Rachael, you're not trying to get extra consideration for the extra ticket by doing me extra-special favours, are you?" "Me? No no no, of course not!" Were it not for the fact that Rachael was obviously lying, the fact that the sun was right behind her and giving her an angelic look would've fooled even Jackson. "Uh huh." "Seriously, I'd do it for anyone." The scattering of people caught in the storm proved otherwise. Rachael's nervous laugh added to that. "Rachael, I am not comfortable accepting unwanted favours, so I'd appreciate it if you closed up that raincloud right now." "Ugh... Fine." Rachael did so. Tori smiled confidently to herself, and prepared to take a bite of her sandwich. She regretted her decision a split second later, with rain pouring down around her to soak both her hair and her food. She let out a low growl, dropping her sodden sandwich back onto its plate. "Victoria!" Evans called out from under an umbrella, standing nearby. "It's raining." "No." Tori didn't even look in his direction. "Really?" "Come with me before you catch a cold!" Evans grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off, Barb following close behind. Tori, once inside Evans' store, shook herself somewhat dry. Unfortunately, this left Evans' normally curled hair to become straight with water. "Oops, sorry." Evans' look of annoyance was replaced with one much more positive. "No no, it's quite alright." He walked up and wrapped an arm around her. "We are the best of friends, are we not?" "Evans." "And you know what the best of friends do?" "Uh..." "Styling!" He brought over a screen with his magic and proceeded to work his profession over her, almost oblivious to her shouts of protest and the fact that she was almost unclothed at this point. After a long moment he pushed the screen away and revealed Tori in a grand, simple outfit. To Tori, it was great except for one thing: "The skirt's too short." "And you, Barb, I have something for you as well." "Eh?" Barb, even though she was in the presence of Evans, didn't like the sound of what was to come. "I have a dashing little outfit for a tomboy like you." Evans pulled the screen over to Barb and once again did his job. Tori couldn't tell what was to come, until the screen was pushed aside. Barb was dressed in a gold-trimmed, blue outfit, similar to the dress of the upper echelons of an older civilisation. A golden wig covered her short green hair. "Oh great..." "Now you just need a hat." Evans plopped a hat on her head. "I already told you two, I don't want any of that girly Gala stuff. See you back at the library!" Barb dashed off, tearing at the clothing she was wearing. Evans laughed nervously. "Oh, who needs her anyway?" He reached over and pulled a mirror to show Tori. "This is all about you." Tori looked herself over. "Yep, the skirt's too short." "No it's not." "You can see the very base of my butt." "Oh, that's only situatio-" "When I'm standing up straight." "Ok, you're right, it is a little short." Evans smiled. "But regardless, you're going to look fabulous at the Grand Gala." "Wait. The Grand-?" Evans gasped, approaching a stand with a well-cut suit on it. "What's this? A suit that matches your ensemble closely! What a coincidence." He walked over and draped his arm over her. "We'll be the bells of the Ball, you and I. Everyone will be clamouring for our attention. All eyes will be on us!" "Evans, I don't like-" "And then everyone will finally know the most handsome, most talented, most sophisticated person in all of Equestria, is Evans Quartz!" His eyes nearly sparkled, but then he noticed the sour expression on Tori, and laughed nervously. "And Victoria Tandem, of course." "Tanton." "Of course, Tanton..." "I see what's going on." Tori pushed his arm off and turned to face him. "You're just buttering me up so I'll give you the extra ticket." Tori's crystal flashed bright, and the ensemble flew off her. "Well, it's not going to work." She grabbed her sodden clothing and slipped it on. "You're going to have to wait for my decision like everybody else. Now, if you'll excuse me," She marched towards the door. "I've been trying all day just to get some lunch!" "Did someone say lunch?" Jackson, who was at the door, replied, grabbing Tori by her wrist and pulling her out and onto the ground. "For God's..." Tori pulled herself up, and her eyes met the tower of apple treats in front of her. "You've got to be kidding me!" "Ah got apple pie, apple fritters..." Jackson continued to list the many different foods on the cart. "... And apple Brown Betty. Uh, the dessert, not my auntie." He smiled hopefully. "Whaddya say there, best friend?" Tori's stomach rumbled. "Is that a yes?" "No!" Tori shouted in reply. "No, it's not a yes! I don't know who the ticket's going to, and all these favours are making it harder for me to decide!" She dashed off. "So... that's a maybe?" "I never knew being showered with gifts would be so aggravating!" She pushed her home's door open, but was greeted to the sight of Emily scrubbing the walls of her home, humming something. "Emily, not you too!" "Oh, hello, Victoria. I hope you don't mind. I'm just doing a little spring cleaning for you." "It's summer." Tori growled. "Oh, well... Better late than never, right?" She turned to the rabbit, who was skilfully preparing a salad. "It was all Angel's idea." "You're not doing this for the ticket, are you?" "Oh, no, I'm doing this because you're my very best friend." "That's what Rachael, Evans and Jackson said." Emily's smile cracked slightly. "R-right, Angel? Helping very best friend?" Angel just gave her a disappointed look. "Oh." Emily turned, smiling normally. "Yes, we are just doing this for the ticket." Angel offered the salad to Tori. "No, no, NO!" Tori turned to leave. "This was very nice of you and Angel but I'm not accepting any more favours until I've made my decision, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave." "Surprise!" A cheer rang out through the open door, and Patrick grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her outside. "Tori is my bestest friend. Whoopie, whoopie!" Patrick started to sing, throwing her into the air. "Patrick..." "She's the cutest, smartest, all around best girly, girly!" Another toss. "Patrick." "I bet if I throw a super-duper fun party, party!" Another toss. "Patrick!" "She'll give her extra ticket to the Gala to me!" Another toss "PAAAAAAAAAAATRIIIIIIIIIICK!" She fell to the ground. "Yes, Tori?" "At least the others tried to be subtle about the ticket." "Wait, what ticket?" A random girl asked. "What Gala?" "You didn't know?" Patrick asked. "Tori has an extra ticket for the Grand Gala that she's giving to me." "That was never-" "The Grand Gala?" The crowd shouted. "Oh God, here we go..." Tori sighed. "Barb, time to run!" *** No less than a whole minute later, Tori and Barb were backed into a corner, a horde of nearly-mindless people approaching them slowly, constantly asking for favours. "This is just like that zombie book I read." Barb muttered. Tori's crystal glowed bright, a field of lavender magic surrounding the two. Veins of light etched across Tori's body no less than a second before the two flashed away from sight, leaving the smell of ozone and a scorch mark behind. In the main room of the library, the two reappeared, Barb covered in ash and stumbling around. "Warn me next time you're going to do that..." "I didn't even know it was going to happen!" Tori prodded the crystal in her forehead gently. "Now quick, lock the doors!" In a panicked speed, all the windows and doors were shut around them, and all the lights turned off. The two sighed and rested on the wooden floor. "It's over for now..." "Yeah..." The light flicked on. And Tori noticed her five friends in the room, and she let out a scream of rage, fear and exhaustion. "I can't decide! I just can't decide! It's just so important to all of you and I can't let any of you get upset and giving me gifts and doing me favours isn't making it any easier because you're all my friends and I want to make you all happy but I can't! I just can't!" She curled up into a ball, her hands over her head. Jackson approached slowly and rested a hand on her head gently. "Tori, sugar, I... I didn't mean to put so much pressure on you. And, if it helps ya some, Ah don't want the ticket anymore, not with all th' stress it comes with. Y'all can give it to someone else, Ah won't feel bad." "Me too." Emily glided slowly over. "I feel just awful for making you feel so awful..." "And me too." Patrick added. "It's no fun making your friends upset." "Tori, it was unfair of me to try and force you as I did." Evans added. "Yes!" Rachael leapt into the air. "I got the ticket!" The weight of the room's glares brought her down from her high. "Actually, now that you mention it, my moves aren't ready. I need to do a bit more practice." Jackson turned his attention back to Tori. "We all got so gung-ho about the Gala that we forgot how... un-gung-ho we were makin' you feel." In unison, the five people apologised. "Barb, take a note." Tori pulled herself up. "Dear Princess Celestia, I've learned that one of the joys of friendship is sharing your blessings, but when there's not enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can make you feel pretty awful. So, though I appreciate the invitation, I will be returning both tickets to The Grand Gala." "Eh?" Patrick tilted his head. "If my friends can't all go, then neither will I." "Tori, ya don't have to do that." Jack said. "Y'all can go if ya want." "I've made up my mind. Barb, you can send the letter." Barb nodded, opening one of the windows and engulfing the scroll in green fire. "Now you won't get to go either, Tori." Emily added. "I probably wouldn't enjoy myself if you guys didn't come too. It's probably for the best." Barb launched a column of fire, which she caught. "A letter from the Princess? That was... fast." "My most faithful student, why didn't you just say so in the first place?" She pulled out of the scroll six golden tickets. "Hey guys, look, there are tickets for all of you." Tori gasped. "Now we can all go!" Her stomach rumbled again. Evans smiled. "Allow us to treat you to dinner." As each person left the building, they each grabbed a ticket. Jackson took the last one. Barb looked at her empty hands and sighed. "How come I don't get a ticket..." She belched another gout of flame, and caught it, opening it to read. "And one for you, Barb. Sorry, I forgot to pack this one in the first letter." A single golden ticket slipped out of the note, and she ran out in joy. As soon as Jackson caught her she froze. "Uh... I mean... Aw come on, I have to go too? Ugh..." After a few moments she broke into a grin again, dashing away with a laugh. Jackson chuckled to himself, and continued on into the warm summer night.
Flash Story Collection	pre	The apartment around you was...well outside, this would have been luxury incarnate. A door made of wood(REAL WOOD!), with a doorknob inlaid with glass, platinum, silver, and gold, done in a design that implied the four great Ladies who ruled the Heavens. It made it a bitch to turn sometimes, but a self cleaning charm at least meant it never rusted or was more difficult to turn one day to the next. The place sparkled, as you walked out into it, showing you a space that was at once clean, and lived in. A few shirts clung to a door out of the way, a bit of the ceiling looked cracked, though you'd done your best to stucco over that, and the windows outside literally shined, giving you a view of the city that looked brightly lit, regardless of the fact that not a single building here had ever seen a single ray of sunlight. It showed the boundaries of the city too. Where the streets turned from stone and concrete to something far more soft, with liquids that were far more caustic than anything that you'd normally find in such. Some of the buildings on the outer reaches had even already succumb to that stuff, one tower in particular leaning far to the side, only held up because it had fallen into a wrinkle along the wall. That wall, the edge of the world entire, pulsed, both with blood flow, and light. The one around you had apparently drunk something last night that had given her a nice internal glow, one flowing through her veins, giving the whole city the feel of being in a rave, which was...it wasn't pleasant, but in the end, it was better than the darkness, even if it was annoying that it was still going on this many hours later. Checking some cupboards, you found some stuff stashed away the night before, a few things you'd meant to make a snack of in the night, but had crashed so hard you hadn't. It made for a decent enough breakfast, that you scarfed down quickly, before walking to the edge of the room, and grinning, as you placed your hand on your best find in this whole town, smiling at it. The thing was a board. A surfboard to the untrained eye, but to you, the thing was more than that. After all, as much as the waves here looked gnarly sometimes, they were made of stomach acids, and even with a good spell, someone your scale would be stripped to the bone in a second if you were doused in the stuff, which was the reason this was, in fact, a hoverboard. The latest model too. Like, it had just come out a few months ago. You had to wonder, idly, what the owner was doing right now. Heck, what anypony who'd been living here was doing...anybody really. You'd found homes for ponies, all three tribes and even some crystal and bats, but also minotaurs, griffons, and even one for hippogriffs, but every one of them was abandoned and empty. You had no idea why. The reason didn't seem like panicked flight, or orderly leaving. In fact, you found signs of both, and sometimes in the same building, during your explorations. Sure, in your time here...hard to tell how much, but a few weeks at least, you'd only gotten into a few dozen buildings, but it seems random who had fled fast, and who had simply left slowly. Normally, you might assume that the city, considering where it was, had never had anyone in it. But...well, feathers, hair, and even some food left on the tables said otherwise. Some people had lived here, made a home here, for a while if the forms you'd found in an office building were anything to go by, but then, all at once, or maybe a little at a time, they'd left, and so, you were here alone. That did leave you time to explore, though you sometimes wished one of the entertainment units got outside signal. You had recordings and stuff, like some old kids videos, but you really wanted to know what was going on outside...and if anyone had noticed you'd disappeared into the belly of this singer. Had anyone else done the same? It was a big city after all, and you'd barely scratched the number of buildings. That thought had to grab one of the light sticks from the cupboard beside the hoverboard, shaking it to charge the thing, as you walked towards the window, and then with a wave of your hand, opened it up, being assaulted the moment you did with the sounds of the world around you. Her body, moving and walking around. The thunder of her footsteps, muffled but there, as the city shook outside. You smiled at that, and with a twist of your ankles, leapt out the open window, spinning in the air as you did so, and getting the hoverboard beneath you hooves. It was a thrill...though it helped that you had the thing set to assist mode, so it did most of the work for you, even angling itself along the side of the building you were sleeping it, so that you seemed to surf down it, landing on the main street. Here, a few cars sat, most of them ajar, as you'd broken into them, finding no commus, no vids, not even any antique phones. No way to communicate with the outside. Better, they shook a little, showing that the city's protective units weren't working at full capacity, making you sigh to yourself, even as you felt the thrill shoot up your spine as you landed right amid the dusty streets, and shot off down them. Whooping, hollering, and just making noise, you popped the end of the light stick, and swung it, as you tore down the street. Bolts of multicolored lights shot out of that end, like shooting stars, sailing into the air, just bright enough that they lit up the sky beyond even the glowing veins in the walls. Your voice, however, was drowned out by her body, leaving you to go quiet after a block or so, as you rushed down the street. It took a bit, but you were soon on an 'unharvested avenue', the cars, a bit off center from the shaking, but otherwise unbroken into, showing you had work to do still...but first you dove down the rest of the road, which got a bit bumpy, as you felt the air grow heavier, the sound of the stomach and body around you growing louder too, as you exited the field that kept the place stable, and entered her body in its natural glory. The air was sprinkled with droplets of acids, but you slapped on a mask and filter just as you got to the point where it would matter, slipping through the now rough roads, and making it around obstacles with a seeming expertise that was, in truth, down to the board's excellent design, as you rocketed up a piece of road that had been raised by a piece of stomach lining rising beneath it. Sailing up into the sky on your board, you looked down to find the sea of acids just starting to fill the streets below, washes of it bubbling and churning, as you looked towards your destination, a small hut like structure, one that seemed to have been built directly onto her flesh, and the waves that crashed against it found themselves repelled by a sparkling barrier of blue magic, signifying its importance. Luckily, you'd found this place, one of a half dozen, but this one was the failing one. The reason the city was abandoned, maybe? Probably not. It was easy to fix, as you had discovered, sailing through the barrier, and then landing with a twirl, seemingly spinning the board beneath your hooves, so that it spiraled up, into your arms, just as you ducked through the door, as more acids washed over the shield. Rushing through the door, you placed the board in the corner, even sticking it to the wall, as the building shook and shuddered. The body outside was moving, sharply, and while the city was protected from it, this structure could not be. That was because it was providing the protection for the rest of it, but it made for unsure footing, as you made your way to a glowing device at the center of the squat building. The thing was pretty small, all things considered...really small, considering your scale, but still, it was only about the size of a small truck, and you quickly opened it up, to find the same two wires had come loose again, their mounting have corroded at some point, forcing you to lick your fingers, and join them back into place, while grabbing a tool from the door, and fixing the break. That, luckily, caused the device to hum, and the strobing effect of its glow changed into a more constant blue glow, as the shield on the city went bright enough to block out most of the outside lights, almost allowing you to forget you were inside a stomach, at least, until there was sudden movement, one that caused you to fall, grunting, against one of the walls, before it turned again. The wall turned floor shook, and then shuddered, like a bomb had gone off, leaving you to force yourself to rise, your body aching, as you made your way to a window, and looked outside, to find the stomach around you moving wildly, the shield on the building, and the foundation built into the stomach lining, being the only reason it hadn't been shaken off completely, as waves of acids pounded against the shield. Confused, you opened the door, just to peek outside, only to be blasted backwards, by not only a swinging motion to the world, one that made your stomach do flips, but a blast of sound, a moan that sounded almost painful to your ears, only for you to realize what it was, as the heat outside began to pour into the building, and the sound of the unicorn's breathing began gasping, while her heart pounded. Annoyed, you grabbed your board, and held onto it, pressing the button to lock it to the wall, as the world continued to twist, and shout if you considered her your world. The heartbeat growing faster with every pump, the breathing getting shallower, and even the heat of the belly getting denser, as outside, the unicorn was having a bit of morning fun, making you just sigh. It took, what should really be, only a few minutes, as the walls of her belly quivered, and then pushed outward, as far as they would go, every muscle in her body going taunt, before she suddenly gave out a cry, and released herself, the sound of liquids flowing from somewhere far below you making you remember that it had been some time since you'd had companionship yourself. Still, what felt like hours later, she was still long enough for you to grab your board, and hightail it for the city, almost falling into it, thanks to the way she was laying, and then giving out a growl as you landed on the street, the shifting of gravity making your stomach flip again, even as you tore down the road, intending on ignoring her for the rest of the morning, unless you had to harvest some food again from what she ate.
Flash Story Collection	A Batpony Shower Scene(Batpony, Anthro, Macro/Micro, Endo)	(Commission for: TheBronyDog, nothing too complex scenewise, just his thing of a giantess mare, and being trapped/living inside her stomach. In this case, a random anthro batpony mare. Fun times. 20 USD) Her wings felt like they were about to fall off. They weren't, she had worked this much before, but dammit she was not used to this sort of shit anymore. She was and officer now, the enlisted men were supposed to do all the heavy lifting, but today it had been all hands on deck at the barracks thanks to some kind of break out from Tartarus, and she'd wound up patrolling the city...eleven times. She sighed as she finally came back to her doorstep, the small cloud home, a special privilege of her rank, and quickly went inside, stripping herself of her armor, which clattered even against the soft, fluffy floor, leaving her standing there in her fur, feeling the nice, cool breeze as it swirled around her, and then up into her face, and made her gag. A coughing fit racked her body as she held out a hand to grab onto her sofa. She smelled, not terribly so...compared to some of her squadmates, but still, she was not coming off like a rose tonight, and so she walked through her home, taking a moment to flick a crystal against a wall, making the place turn gray, as she moved into her bathroom. Within this space, this most private room of her home, it looked relatively normal...as such things went for earth ponies and unicorns anyway. She had a tiled floor, a large tub, and a toilet, all connected to real pipes which would gather her water up, and she could dump it when she was close to a lake or the ocean or something as her home moved. Flexing her leathery wings, feeling a few drops of sweat finally emerge from some folds, she went up to the tube, placing her hand against the wall, and feeling the water inside it, the cloud accumulating it. She closed her slitted eyes, and focused, a bit of her magic going through it into the clouds beyond, and then converting the mist into liquid. She smiled to herself as the water gathered just outside, and she climbed into the tub, about to lay in it, but then staring at the shower head, a thoughtful look upon her face. She then nodded to herself, and moved her fingers along the wall, moving the water that had condensed there up, and just behind the shower head, her ears flattening as she turned it on. Had she been listening closely, or watching, she might have noticed a tiny form come spilling out of the cloud wall, just above the tub's wall. The form, a tiny unicorn, shimmered with magic as it emerged, having been caught up in the water, his form, you form, having been in her kitchen a moment ago, gathering crumbs of food, and trying to get some water for later. Then the flow of liquid had suddenly grabbed you, sweeping you up into its cold, swift hold, and shooting you all through the home, watching as the world sped by, until finally, you were held, nearly drowning, in a bubble of water within the clouds, that only released you when it shifted upwards, and you went up just a bit more, coming from the clouds, and landing on the metal shower head with a 'plink.' The impact leaves you dazed and drifting, just for a moment, long enough for the mare below you to turn the water on full blast, a stream of hot liquids pouring from the shower head, divided into a dozen or more smaller streams, all of them smashing into her body, the spears pressing into her fur, and pushing it inwards, before the skin stops it, and it starts raging down her form. Recovering, slowly, as the mist of steam fills the air, your lungs heave, breathing it in, adjusting to it, and rousing you from your swoon, to take in the sights around you, and then turn down to see the bat pony mare, her wings folded up around her torso, as she smiles up, eyes tightly shut, simply enjoying the feeling of water on her sore, stiff muscles. The view...so much different than what you were used too. Looking up at her, from the floor, where she is a titan of flesh and bone. From the counter, where she is like a living ship, sailing through the air. Those were the views you were used to, and yet, they did not do her justice, as she smiled up at you, seemingly smiling right at you, and making your heart skip a beat. It was while you were staring down at her, looking into her face, that it happened. Her mouth opened wide, and your mind shut down, staring into the cavern of flesh, ringed by fangs, that lay open before you, the shimmering saliva pooling on her tongue, before she leaned in closer, and took the water into her maw, gulping it down greedily. What she did not realize was that the proximity of her tongue to the shower head would cause the steam to pool around the cold metal...but that was nothing to her. It was something to you, however, as you stared into her maw, and only realized it wasn't getting bigger, you were getting closer, as the steam slicked metal spilled you out into the air, and then right into the streams of water. You were aghast, unable to think, as the pouring liquids literally carried you into her maw, the tongue, supple and soft, licking at you, tasting you, if only a little, and making her snap her jaws closed, as she swallowed the contents of her mouth in reflex, her fingers going to her throat, pressing into the bulge you made...and then letting out a belch as you fell into her belly. Within her, you tumbled down her throat, into her chest. The sound of her heartbeat echoed in your ears, the roar of her lungs pressed into your very soul, and then, with a pop, you emerged into her belly, already half full of water, water that exploded upwards, for a moment, knocking you onto a small part of her stomach, not covered in liquids. Recovering fast, whipping out your phone, you found the light function on it worked...but it only showed the pulse flesh walls, and the surging stomach sea, giving you no way out, as the signal was seemingly blocked by her body, leaving you trapped, as the world began to shudder and sway, as she left the shower behind, and you went with her, lost in the center of the mare.
The Chronicles of Moonshade	pre	As he writhes in agony I just leave him there while I find my way to the makeshift dungeon. "Now, 'mother' sit back and relax. I have some unfinished business to tend to. Also, don't be expecting a rescue anytime soon, I doubt they will find you in this realm." Shackles magically enclose her legs, horn and neck as soon as she is dumped from the cocoon. A shiver rolls down my spine at the look of fear in her eyes and the slight whimper she lets out as Nightmare Moon comes up to float in front of her. "Not even Discord can find you here." Once I step in a particularly dark spot, I vanish in a flash, leaving again for the real Equestria. Time to get the last pieces I need. It is good to hear from you again, mother. 'Yes, and I am glad to have been able to recontact you as well. That anti-magic collar must have cut my connection with you.' Reforming in the real world I find myself exactly where I want to be, right behind the trio I was forced to befriend. My sudden arrival startles the three ponies I was forced to spend a day with. "So, did you three miss me?" I grin wickedly as I have startled them into jumping. The only questions they can get out are the ones asked by their terror filled eyes as they are wrapped in a bubble and teleported with me back to the shadow realm. It's still a little early to gather the materials but you never know what exactly is gonna ruin your plans. The four of us return in the castle, exactly in front of Luna, who is just now starting to come to. With a laugh I chain them tightly next to the lunar princess, her eyes are her only means of communication seeing as how her muzzle is forcibly shut. "H- how are you freed of Discord's chains? W- What is Luna doing here? W- What are you planning on doing, Moonshade?" Lily's terror filled questions are barely heard due to how quiet she is talking. I can tell she is slowly succumbing to her growing fear. As soon as Lily finishes her questions and falls into a crying puddle, Almond immediately shouts at me, lunging in an attempt to tackle me, followed by Sundance. "I thought we were at least starting to become friends! Was that just a ploy?" 'Do you feel their fear, my faithful disciple? Intoxicating isn't it?' Yes, I can. And I can almost taste it. With a touch of purple smoke tinging my eyes, I glare at my four captives. "Please, who said I was starting to befriend you three? As for you Lily, you can thank your precious Celestia and Luna here for freeing me." As I answer I look over at the two stallions with a fang exposing grin. "As for your second and third questions, Luna is here because I'm going to release Nightmare Moon, and I need something from you three to help me do that." With another, final grin I turn to my audience of bound earth ponies, who are now joined by the shade of Nightmare Moon. "Now, I have some pent up frustration and rage to relieve. I hope you four are comfy." "Careful, my daughter. I sense something bad is going to happen, and soon." She wraps a hoof around my neck before I teleport back to the real world. I waste no time with disguises as I reform, instead I head straight into the heart of the small town. Everypony's smile just intensifies the hard knot growing in my stomach. Eventually a couple of ponies stop and hide as they recognize me from my last visit into town, which causes a domino effect quickly amongst the populace. To add to the growing chaos, I grab the closest pair of ponies in a couple of tentacles, which slowly begins to squeeze their barrels. However, a blue streak cuts through the shadowy appendages before I could slowly crush the life out of them. "Hey, why did you do that? STOP!" A cocky, rough voice comes from the blue pegasus with a rainbow colored mane and tail asks me aggressively, only earning a dark laugh from me in return. "Ya'll better stop, now." A southern accented voice comes from behind me, quickly following the question from the pegasus. 'Well it seems you've attracted the attention of the Elements of Loyalty and Honesty. Show them your strength, MY strength.' "So, two of the Element bearers are here, good. Now, where's Twilight?" My heart rate increases dramatically at the prospect of a battle, my muscles tensing as a gleam comes to my blood colored eyes. Instead of answering a blue missile rockets out of the sky directly towards me. Immediately I begin to cast, my horn lighting with an ebony glow. My chosen weapon, a glaive, slams down into the ground as four more appear, hovering on their own in front of me. Just before the mare makes impact, the weapons rise and dart towards swiftly on an intercept course, causing her to focus more on them. Timing my next move I wait till she is in range, and with a quick calculation I jump and smash into her while her focus is solely on the blades. As I land on my hooves and the mare crashes hard onto her side, a solid orange mass surges to my side and twists. Before I could react, the earth pony lands a solid blow on my flank, causing me to roll across the ground. Huh, she's faster than I thought. That changes things, but not much. As I stand I realize I can't put weight on my left rear leg, but despite the injury I chuckle and eye the brave cowpony. A thrashing tentacle from nearby grabs her tail and tosses her into the nearest building which is only a foot behind her, her body going through an open window. I can hear her groan of pain following the sounds of a hard collision. Ignoring her I approach the downed pegasus, showing her my fangs as she tries to unfurl her left wing, but fails. "Ah don' know what yer plan is, but we'll stop ya'll, trust me." The orange mare responds as she recovers surprisingly fast, standing next to her friend. I can, however tell how much she is hurting due to her huffing as she finishes checking on her friend as the cyan mare stands there shakily. The commotion of both the screams and the fight has drawn the attention of two other Element bearers to our location, though they were slowed by the panicking crowds. Both stop as they look about in shock at their injured friends before they glance in my direction. "Oh you can try, but you won't succeed. Unfortunately, right now I have better things to do, so I'll make this quick." Turning I face the white, regal looking unicorn and curly maned, pink earth pony, my eyes glowering at them as they join the fray. "What is the meaning of this, Applejack?" The flawlessly looking unicorn asks in confusion as she takes in the sight of her two friends somewhat battered and bruised. "It sounds like a party, but parties are supposed to be fun and nopony is supposed to be getting hurt." Quips the pink one in confusion, her gaze going from me to the other three mares. "So, now I'm lucky enough to face off against four of the six Bearers. Where is the fifth one and where is Twilight Sparkle?" My razor sharp tone and laugh confuses the four mares, two of them because they are unsure what is going on and the other two because my unsteady combat stance, thanks to my injured leg. The weapons are in a ready strike pose as well, the four magical ones in front while the real blade is behind me at an angle. "What do you want with Twilight, darling? And why are you doing this?" The ivory coated unicorn asks, still somewhat stunned by what she has witnessed so far. "Oh oh, let me guess, I wanna guess... You're an old... and I mean reeeeally old pony who witnessed Nightmare Moon's transformation and fight. Then after being asleep for a veeeery long time you witnessed her return and you were so enraptured by Nightmare Moon's power you have found a way to bring her back. Am I right, huh huh huh?" As the overly energetic mare blurts all of this out blurts out, her companions just roll their eyes in disbelief. "My reason is none of your business. Now last chance, where is Twilight Sparkle." "You think you're so tough huh? You're out matched, its four on one." The cocky pegasus, despite her injury, has been able to get airborne again as she replies confidently while hovering. Instantly she dives towards me, a rainbow trailing her as she slams hard into the ground where I once stood, right in the center of a large pool of shadows. "So reckless but full of spirit, that is a bad combination." The shadows quickly expand and completely cover the brash athlete before expanding even further until all four mares are blocked from each other's sight. As I stand in the middle of the darkness I focus, pinpointing each ponies' location and head towards the nearest ping. "Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie!" Even with the growing surge of fear, there is no mistaking the unicorn's voice as she calls out in desperation. As I step in front of her she bumps into me, shrieking in horror. "Wrong guess. Now, let's see what your worst fears are." My magical aura wraps around her horn and soon she falls asleep. With another magical surge I ensure her sleep is anything but restful as nightmares begin to flood her mind. "Is this a game huh huh huh? If so, you're it." A hoof smacks hard against my injured leg, causing me to yelp and flinch. With a growl I spin sharply around, but the giggling mare is already gone. With a deep breath I focus again on the remaining trio and where they are at. "Run AJ, Dashie, the scaaary mare is now it." she giggles after calling out. "Rarity, are ya okay? Pinkie, where are ya an' Rainbow?" The farm mare tries to call out as I approach. Her movements are slowed by the density of the dome I constructed, nervousness colors her voice as she tries to find her way to her friends. "My my, I will say you are the strong one in the group, and not just physically. Why waste your time with these weaklings when all they do is hold you down?" I ask, using a telepathic spell as I stalk her, trying to keep my breathing and hooffalls as quiet as possible. "Ah'm strong 'cause mah family an' friends need me ta be. They ain't holdin' me down, either. They're the ones Ah get mah strength from." The nervousness that once filled her voice is now broken up and replaced by her growing anger. "Oh, you'll see soon enough. Now, I offer you this chance, and this will be the only chance you will have. Join me and take your place at the real princess of the night's left side, or die." I continue with my mental assault, taken aback a little at her stubbornness. As I continue to taunt her, I begin to add images of her family and friends, who are either crippled or dead, and make them stare at her in an accusing manner. The mental assault eventually breaks through her will, causing her to collapse in a heap before me. With an annoyed huff I refocus and jump as a ping bounces right behind me. "You're a meanie mean bully pants, wanting to hurt others. You need to learn how to be nice and have fun, not hurt other ponies." "H- how did you find me in this darkness?" My surprise is evident as I jump and turn till I'm facing the pink pony. "psst, it's a secret." She answers with some laughing, just before I get hit by a burst of air, followed by a mass of confetti. My yelp of pain sounds throughout the darkness as my injuries are compounded by the surprise attack. Upon hitting the ground, I let loose a snarl as the shadowy dome disappears. Looking at the fallen group of Element bearers, I decide to step back to the shadow realm,not wanting to risk fight against the strange, pink earth pony with a bouncy mane. Just in time too, I don't want to mess with him, either. Before I leave, a flash comes out of nowhere, announcing the arrival of Discord. Using the shadow realm, I travel to Manehattan as quickly as I can in search of a doctor. Before I reemerge into the real Equestria, I shroud myself in a new disguise, even going as far as to hide my horn. With a painful groan I find myself in an alleyway right next to the hospital. The stench of rotten garbage and decaying food assault my nose as soon as I can gather my senses, making me gag and cough. Taking as few breaths as I can without passing out, I make my way up to the entrance of the white walled building. As I walk inside, the overlapping words and the smells of disinfectant already cause a migraine to develop. As I walk through the plain white halls I keep my ears pinned against the back of my head in an attempt to block out the noise. "Miss, here, you shouldn't be walking on that. Let me help you." A young unicorn mare appears from one of the side doors I just past, possibly drawn out by the accidental smacking of my highly agitated, swishing tail on the wood. The mare is white coated with what used to be a neatly styled mane the color of mint with a slight streak of light brown down the middle. Her haggard appearance, tired looking eyes and the bags under her eyes makes me think she has been working hard for a while now. Despite her tired looking appearance she flashes me a tired smile while she pulls a stretcher over with her magic. I can tell that her reserves of magic is dwindling, and nearly depleted just by how weak it feels. 'I warned you to be careful, didn't I?' With a pained groan I manage to get up on the offered bed, too hurt to get mad. "I need a doctor, stat, and bring a rape kit as well!" Do I really look that bad to the point they think I was raped? They must be stronger than I thought, specially that farmer. She WON'T get the jump on me like that again. So in grained am I in my own thoughts that I failed to realize we have entered a large room, where more ponies are waiting. After a long and thorough exam I find out the damage is worse than I originally thought. A pair of broken ribs and a broken thigh on my left side top off the list, followed by multiple bruises and cuts, even a single long gash on my left flank. As soon as I'm patched up, which includes stitches for the deep gash and a specialized cast, I try to leave. However the drugs flowing through my system make it impossible and I fall hard back into my pillow as the attending nurse rushes to my side. "How much longer am I gonna have to be here?" "It's mandatory for us to have patients under a twenty four hour watch, miss. Though in your case you may be here for a lot longer. Now, lay back and try to relax, please." The nurse replies without taking her attention away from the other patient. With a groan I settle back, cursing mentally as another nurse enters, glaring while waiting for a chance to disappear. "Oho, seems like somepony got herself in a little scrape. I do hope you get better soon, Moody." Instantly I groan again upon recognizing the voice. "What do you want, Discord? Wait, let me guess, you want me to free Nightmare Moon and the others, correct?" I turn to the new arrival, unsurprisingly it's Discord disguised as just another pony. Despite asking out loud, neither my 'roommate' nor the other nurse respond to my questions. "You can forget it, pest. I'm seeing this through, and nopony is going to stop me." "It hurts me to hear you talk like that, little Moon. Please... forget this dream of yours and release my sister." Celestia's saddened voice pleads from off to my side. That's when I notice her as well as a pink alicorn with a crystallized heart cutie mark and Twilight Sparkle, my gaze narrows as I snarl and try to cast a spell directed straight at the unicorn. However I know it failed immediately due to the mixture of drugs and chaos magic. With only a look from the crying solar princess the strange alicorn approaches despite my bared fangs and bloody stare, undaunted by the display. As she stops besides the bed her horn begins to glow, surrounded by a teal aura. "I'm sorry, Aunt, but whatever darkness that has infected her has taken root in her heart and has very nearly consumed it." She admits gravely, eyes downcast as she finishes her scan. "Is- is there anything we can try to do to save her?" Twilight asks in a whisper, looking hopefully at the smaller, pink alicorn before glancing back at me. "Do you know this pony, Aunt Celestia?" The stranger asks in concern as she resumes her exam.
The Chronicles of Moonshade	Chapter Six; Glimpses Into the Past	With a heavy sigh and lowered head 'Aunt' Celestia answers the smaller pink alicorn reluctantly. "Yes I know her," The eldest alicorn tries to hold back a sniffle, her words sounding as if she is both relieved and horrified at having me back. "She is Luna's daughter from before she was banished and her father is, well... was Sombra before he took over the Crystal Empire." At the revelation both Twilight Sparkle and the other alicorn just stare at me, their mouths working as they try to form a question for a couple minutes. Celestia just stands there, her head lowered as her mane covers her face, though her body trembles as more sniffling comes from her. "H-How...? " Twilight begins as she turns to the biggest alicorn, unable to comprehend the revelation that she has just borne witness to. As I lay there, still glaring at the four unwanted visitors, Celestia continues, tears staining her coat along her cheeks. "I... I don't exactly know what happened." She pauses, probably trying to carefully choose her next words and to collect her thoughts. "But after my fight with Nightmare Moon, the castle was destroyed... I-I thought she was..." The celestial regent begins to break down even more as she tries to continue, earning a smirk from me. Say what you will, but as far as I know, she isn't my real family. No matter what she said back then. "I- I maybe able to help, but... It's going to take some time." The pink coated alicorn says softly while comforting the solar ruler, leaving Twilight to stare at me, our eyes burning into the other. 'She's scared of you, they all are. They know they can't defeat us' "I- I don't... how... what... what can cause somepony to be so... cold and... hard?" Twilight asks nervously as she to begins to gather tears in her eyes as well after glancing over at the now crying 'princess' "I just so happened to have paid our dear friend Zecora a visit. I must say, her home is very intriguing, though when I left it was even more fun than before. Anyway, I think you might be interested in this particular brew, Twilight." Discord produces one bottle filled with a white liquid, swirling it in front of the unicorn's nose before pulling it away. "However this bottle is for Moonshade." I continue to glare at the bottle and the others in the room as the bottle is forced to my lips. Once I finish drinking I find myself in an unfamiliar scene. ~~~~~ Unable to stand for the moment, I lay there watching the battle between Nightmare Moon and Celestia. Over the sounds of them fighting another sound can be heard coming from behind me. It's my voice, only younger and obviously terrified. Despite the pain I eventually force myself onto my hooves and hobble closer to the noise, snarling with each step. Even with the building falling apart around me I continue until I come to the opening of what looks like a secret passage. Without even thinking I continue to look, my eyes narrowing at my younger self, trapped in the tunnel before a shield of some kind forms around the younger me and disappears from sight. I have no idea how long I stood there, staring at the spot before I realize the fight is over. Looking over at her, Celestia is sitting inches from me, her head bowed as the Elements of Harmony, now stone, lay around her. Even with her disheveled mane covering most of her face I can see her tears as they splash onto the stone floor. After a couple seconds of mourning and one last sniffle, she stand up and hurries towards where the royal chambers used to be as her shouts echo throughout the ruined castle. "MOONSHADE? MOONSHADE SWEETIE! ANSWER ME!" As I try to follow her frantic charge, her scream of utter terror finds its way back towards me as I reach the hallway entrance. "NO! PLEASE NO," Once she gets into view I can tell she is in a lot of distress as her legs give out, a cloud of dust bursts upward as she falls onto her belly. "MOONSHADEEEE!" As I take in the scene of what I am guessing is, or was, my room beyond the sobbing, pitiful form of Celestia I can't help but let out a shocked gasp. Atop the bed is a large pile of stone and wood, a red puddle forms on the floor closest to us as multiple scarlet tendrils snake their way down the comforter. For some reason I have this urge to go up to her and comfort the Sun Princess as she lies there, clutching a bloody teddy bear in her front hooves. What... is this? This has to be a lie, doesn't it? I can feel the prickling of my own tears as they gather in my eyes and in response I shut my eyelids, but soon I find myself trying to cuddle next to the devastated alicorn. ~~~~~ "What did you see, Moonshade? What happened?" The two alicorns ask as I carefully shake my head, not just to wake up, but to clear my thoughts as well. If, if that... that's true than have I been... living a lie all this time? Does Celestia and Luna truly love me? 'No, that was a trick. They fear you so much they'll do anything to stop you, even lie.' The voice of Nightmare Moon replies, causing my eyes to tightly screw shut at the growing headache as my thoughts and emotions conflict with each other. If... if that's a lie then I- I don't know who, or what to believe anymore. Please, just... leave me alone for now. 'See? Their plan is working. You need to trust me as you have in the past. I can help you. I am the only one who truly loves you.' Please, just... be quiet. 'I can't and you know it. It is for your own good and protection. I love you, my daughter.' Shut up. You know I'm speaking the truth.' Shut up! 'Let me save you.' "SHUT UP!" My scream pierces the ears of the visitors and four pairs of eyes turn to face me as tears again pour from my tightly closed eyelids. Pain suddenly blossoms from my chest and abdomen, as if something is trying to force itself out of me. It started with a slight burning sensation but quickly grows until I can only imagine what it is like to be flayed alive. "S- something's happening with her!" "RESTRAIN HER, NOW!" I can barely hear the frantic command as the pain intensifies and the sensations of my back going rigid while arching till it nearly snaps is distant to almost unnoticed. The intense pain paralyzes my vocal chords so I can't even scream. "Wh- what is going on? WHAT IS HAPPENING?" I barely make out some pony's panicked voice as I feel something starting to separate from me. With as much willpower as I can muster I open an eye, unable to gasp as I watch a tiny, shadowy form starting to peel away from me, right where my heart is. For a second I just stare at it as both of my eyes open wide, my gaze falling upon a very familiar, hate filled gaze. "Fine, you don't want my gift? It's almost time anyway and you haveve already gathered the required materials, I can finish this myself!" As the shadow tears away and vanishes I pass out. ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ "W- where am I?" I find myself in some kind of building. The floor is made of some kind of reddish marble, while the walls are the traditional white and black marble. The room is basically barren as only a chair and desk is the only furniture. From my viewpoint I can see three doors on the wall I'm facing, one is made of wood, the other is made of stone and the final one is metal. With a shake of my head I clear out the fuzziness as I stand up unsteadily on my hooves. My steps are wobbly as I stagger towards the stone door. Cautiously I open it, revealing a long hallway lit by torches. For what feels like a long time I travel this strange place, looking nervously at the walls, decorated by empty picture frames. A whispered voice carries through the windless air, as if beckoning for me to follow, leading me towards a clearing before it stops. As far as I can see there isn't a single tree, bush or flower in the still grass. The sky is a light blue but there is no sight of a sun or a single hint of a cloud. There is also a surprising absence of animals as I look around. "You tell me. Where do you think you are?" Comes a voice from behind me, starting in that same quiet tone but gets louder with each passing word. Turning around defensively, I come face to face with... something. As I watch, it begins to materialize as a vague outline about my height. The only thing visible is its eyes, one is blood red while the other is cyan and they bore into mine, as if searching for something. "A- am I... dead?" The question comes out as a whisper as I continue to stare at the outline with the mixed eyes, my ears pinned back. Unexpectedly it laughs. "No not yet, but seems you are at a crossroads. Follow me." With my head lowered I'm led to another hallway lined with moving images. "Tell me, what do you see?" As I take a look at the frames the spectre, or whatever it is, steps up next to me. Its presence as it solidifies draws my attention. It... What... but that... it can't be! I find myself looking at a clear copy of myself, despite the difference in our eyes and expressions. With a hoof the other me giggles while turning my head to face back towards the frames as they now show different snapshots of my past. "These... these are what I've done in the past... all the ponies I've killed and hurt... all the lives I've destroyed." As I watch the multiple images, my legs go weak and I just crumple into a heap, curling into a ball as a swarm of emotions swirl around me. "Yes, they are. Now you have figure out, is that the real you? Or is this the real you?" With a swish of her tail and a wave of her hoof the images change. This time a couple images of the day spent at the fair with the three ponies who tried to befriend me are on display. More images, I'm guessing of my past, also fill the frames. There is one of a filly standing in the middle of an extensive kitchen, a large mess of batter, flour and icing cake the floor and walls, even the ceiling. How the mess was able to extend that far I have no idea. Another frame shows an image of the same filly in a classroom, laughing and having fun with another filly as they pour over a text book. "I- I don't... I'm unsure... how do I know which to choose?" My question comes as tears mat my pelt as I go from one image to the other before looking at my other self. "HELP ME!" "I cannot choose for you. This is a choice you have to make on your own." She responds neutrally while beginning to fade. "But I must warn you, the longer you take, the longer you'll remain here. Take too long and you won't be able to influence the upcoming events to unfold." Her last sentence also starts to get quieter and quieter, until it sounds like she is whispering from a distance. "Which do I choose? How do I choose? SOMEPONY HELP ME!" I just stare blankly at the hallway frames, the ones on the left are continuously looping happy, or at least positive memories while negative images run along my right. Blindly, unable to watch anymore, I rush headlong down the corridor and I can feel the tears splash against my sides and flank. The next room I find myself in is a plain stone room without any decorations or furniture. But it all changes once I step in the center. Colors rush around me and soon I find myself again next to Celestia. Her coat, mane and tail are so unkempt it takes me some time to recognize her. Even her wings look like a mess, as if she hadn't preened them in a year. As I look around I find we are still in my room and as I carefully look at her, I can tell she has lost weight, as if she hasn't eaten in awhile. Even her gaze is different. Her eyes are dull, empty and bloodshot. How bad must she be hurting, to be in such a condition. As I watch her she somehow manages to muster enough magic to lift the boulder. I know that I'm not under there, but what happened to cause that red stain? A sobbing gasp breaks my thoughts as I look over at the solar sister. On the bed is I'm guessing one of the chambermaids, a young unicorn who must have been coming to find me but ended up getting crushed under the rubble. After the maid's lifeless body is removed, Celestia lets the stone crash back onto the bed. Why, why did this have to happen? Soon the room swirls around and yet again I find myself standing next to Celestia, who is still just as disheveled as before, even her voice sounds dull, as if she lost all hope. "Search the castle for her. Moonshade is still in there, somewhere." Even in her condition Celestia goes with the impromptu search party, and from the looks of them they are the remainders of the castle staff and royal guard who are not seriously injured. Curiously, I follow her as she goes straight for the throne room, which is almost completely obliterated. Just beyond where the thrones used to sit she begins to clear out a hidden passage that caved in and immediately I recognize it. "Please Moonshade, honey, please be alright." Even though the words are whispered I can hear the desperate plea in her voice. As expected, the entire tunnel is cleared out and there is no sign of my filly self. As the scene begins to slowly swirl around me another pony joins us, and sounds like he is a member of the royal guard. "Your highness, there is no sign of your niece anywhere in the castle. I am sorry, Princess." "No! It... how could she have just... are you certain, Sergeant?" The swirling room speeds up and the voices grow more and more distant. "Yes your highness, we even searched the hidden tunnels---" As the room rearranges itself I find myself in the shadow realm for some reason, right in front of a black sphere. As I continue to look at it, the part I'm looking through shifts and becomes clear, revealing my younger self inside with a cord attached to the stomach and another having formed into some kind of mask that is fitted around the small muzzle. "Mommy? Aunt Celestia? Where... where are you? Where... am I? HELP! SOMEPONY, PLEASE!" A voice, mine but younger and sounding terrified echos around me, though the filly's mouth does not move. "Shh, I am here, my daughter. Relax." Another voice comes from out of nowhere, one I am very familiar with, Nightmare Moon's. "You... you aren't my mom. You sound like that scary mare that took mom's place and attacked Aunt Celestia! W- who are you? Wh- what do you want? What did you do with my mom?" "I am your true mom. As for what I want, I want help in regaining what is rightfully mine, what your aunt kept from me because she does not want to share the spotlight. She kep me oppressed because she could not stand the thought of being equal to another. Celestia wants to be the only ruler of Equestria, she wants to be worshipped." "That, that isn't true. Aunt Celestia loves all of her subjects, and her sister. She would never consider herself-" "Yes, she does consider herself above all others. You have not noticed it before? You need to open your eyes. You know the truth about how Celestia truly works." "Bu- but why... why would she do that? Sh- she loved you, sh- she loves us. She has even said so herself." "Those were just lies to keep us happy and under her control. She is jealous and does not want to share her power with anypony, even if they are family." As I listen to the back and forth conversation I fall onto my side, curling up into a ball while listening to how easily I have been swayed to the Nightmare's point of view. What I don't know is how many days I have spent listening, as the darkness around us barely changes. I... I know that the Nightmare was lying that Celestia didn't care about me, but... is she wrong about her observations when it comes to Celestia and how she treats her subjects? By how protective of her status Celestia is? ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ The first thing registering as I find myself coming to consciousness is pain. A distant, constantly throbbing pain in my head, chest, sides and left hind leg. The next two things I am able to recognize is a surprising softness around me along with an uncomfortable dryness in my throat. My eyes barely crack open but immediately squeeze tight again at the intrusive brightness that overwhelms me. My hoof attempts to reach out but it feels too weak to do anything but flop uselessly at my side. "Shh, don't move. Close the blinds and dim the lights." A voice sounds from my left quietly but with an air of authority. Before I can try to speak a glass is pressed against my lips, from which I eagerly I drink while sitting up some. The cold liquid flows down my throat and my chin, soothing the parched feeling in my mouth and throat, but before I can drink too much the glass is pulled away. "No, not to much, Moonshade. It'll make you sick." As I lay back with a dull thud I finally find my voice, though it's weak. "Wh- where am I?" seeing as how I can't sit up, despite multiple attempts, I reopen my eyes, blinking rapidly to clear my vision, thankful for the semi darkness around me. "You're in Canterlot castle, Moonshade. How are you feeling?" "H- how long have I been out?" I ask weakly, swallowing against the still irritating scratch in my throat. My view, blurry and unfocused, falls on the white form next to me. "Two weeks. Please, you have to tell me, where did you hide my sister and the others?" Celestia pleads. "They were not at the ruined castle. Where would they be, Moonshade?" "I- I'll be surprised if they... they did. Nightmare would have seen to it." With a groan I again try to rise from the bed, causing the various machines to go off as I begin to tear the needles and pads off my body. I am finally standing up on my good three legs shakily and almost ready to topple over, breathing heavily through both my nose and mouth while my eyes are tightly closed with the effort. "Please, lie back down. You are going to---" Celestia approaches me cautiously, but stops as I snarl at her, showing off my fangs as I narrow my eyes. "I- I gotta go, now." I grit out from between my teeth as I struggle to approach the closest window. "You can't... get back in bed, now! MOON!." Her concern rises as I slither out of the window and take my shadow form, hurrying towards the old ruins as fast as I can, leaving a shouting Celestia behind me, who tries to catch up with me but to no avail as I lose her in the darkening clouds above us. "My my, seems like somepony is feeling better, or is this just a ruse?" Discord's voice comes up from my left as I spot him in a rowboat, the oars moving of their own accord as he is holding an umbrella while fixing a cup of tea. Instead of an answer I struggle to go faster to get away from him. Unfortunately, I have already used up what reserves of energy I had until I finally land hard on the ground, unable to maintain the gaseous form any longer. My breathing is rapid as I lay there on my side, watching as he floats down next to me using the umbrella. "Tired already, Moody? I figured a pony like you would have toughed it out for another inch or so. Let's get you back to the castle." With a snap of his fingers I am lifted up into the air, held in an invisible grip. "N- no time. I... I need to get back---" Groaning at the growing headache, I let my body go limp in the invisible grasp after trying to force myself back onto my hooves while watching him carefully in case he tries something. Without a word, Discord summons a feast which is carried by bowls, plates and glasses that seem to be semi living as they walk towards me. The utensils move on their own as well, using small wings to fly as I'm fed, even a straw dances its way to the cup of water in front of me and extends to my lips every so often to allow me to drink. I watch as Discord eats as well while smiling at me, which I can't even attempt to snarl at him in response due to how drained I am. Eventually I'm filled up and can feel some energy returning, but not much. After resting for a couple minutes I get up slowly, still unsteady on my hooves but not as bad as when I first woke up. I'm still too weak to travel to the shadow plane, so I take to the air once again. I expect Discord to follow me, but I'm surprised, and a little relieved, he doesn't. As I get closer to the ruined castle, I notice a black figure with a wavy, spectral mane on in one of the openings. It is just a shadowy outline right now and seems as if it has been waiting for me for some time. I guess it can't take a solid form yet. "Well well, my prodigal daughter returns. I am glad you have made the right decision, I was afraid that Celestia's tricks would have changed your mind." The shadowy mass says as she pets me, concern and relief are clearly present in her voice. "It's too bad, however, that you couldn't defeat Twilight when you had the chance." I fight to keep from passing out as I look up at her, my breathing labored as I speak. "Y-yes, I have... mother. I can... I can still defeat... Twilight Sparkle." As my breathing begins to slow down I stand more firmly on my three hooves, my voice getting a bit stronger as I look up at her. "I- I'll defeat her... right now for you, mother." The form just laughs as she hugs me. "I know you're eager, but I need you to rest now. You are not strong enough yet, not in your current state. Besides, she doesn't need to be beaten until just before or during the ceremony." "Ye- yes, mother." With a nod I find a comfortable spot to lay down, grinning as I pass out. ***** With a yawn and stretch I wake up, surprised at the lack of pain from my leg, ribs or any other part of my body. I wonder what Nightmare did, or was I asleep for a very long time? Did I--- don't tell me I missed it! I hurry to the throne room, not caring to take the time to take a shower or even fix my messy mane and tail. "How... how long have I been asleep for?" "Good to see you are awake finally." With a chuckle she looks over at me and I realize we are in the realm of shadows as I stand there. "Do not worry, daughter, you have not missed it. If you are curious, I was able to get you healed magically while you were sleeping. You have slept for a total of five days." As a shadowy mass wraps me in a hug she looks down at me, her gaze boring into my own eyes. "Now, get yourself ready for combat. I am going to transfer all of us back to Equestria now." "Good, thank you, mother. I feel better than I ever had, like I can take on the entire royal guard on my own." in a swirling ball of shadows I am soon encased in my usual set of armor, pitch black with the cyan emblem of Nightmare Moon proudly displayed on my chest. A helmet that almost looks like Nightmare's sits atop my head with my mane pulled back into a high ponytail. The armor even surrounds most of my neck and reaches up to my barrel on my legs. A scythe with a backwards bent handle rests against my side. "Ready, mother." A large amount of energy is used as myself, the bound and caged Luna, Lily, Sunstreak and Almond are encased in a sphere and soon the six of us are brought back to Equestria in a flash. Once I gain my bearings I go to work setting multiple traps around the throne room, preparing for the final battle. Just in time to, because I can hear the sounds of hooves quickly approaching our position. "MOONSHADE! DON'T DO THIS! YOU HAVE THE POWER TO STOP THIS!" Twilight's desperate plea comes from the hallway, the words are tinged with fear. Sure enough there she is, flanked by her friends. Even Celestia has appeared, though she tries to come in through a hole in the ceiling. They got here quicker than I imagined possible, but no matter. We are still ready for them. Glancing upwards I grin as she tries to enter, but finds herself pushing against an invisible barrier. "Release my sister, Moonshade and stop this now, please!" Her golden aura is visible as she tries to break through the barrier. However, all she manages to do is get herself trapped as a pyramid like barrier encases her. Before any of us can react, a cyan streak races towards me, trailing a rainbow. Hmph, just as impatient as last time, thank you, Rainbow Dash. You made this much easier. As she passes the threshold a black wall forms in front of her, but instead of bouncing off the surface the wall bulges before surrounding her completely. "Let's settle this, Twilight Sparkle. The favored student of Celestia versus the gifted student of Nightmare Moon, let us see who is better. Either accept my challenge or Rainbow dies! RIGHT NOW!" Her violet pools, narrowed in anger, meet my own bloody orbs at the threat. The rainbow pegasus' shouting to be released can be from her prison, though it is muffled. With a quick burst of magic the sphere shrinks a little, and the angry shouting turns to a yelp of pain as pressure is applied to her. "Fine! but release her first!" The purple unicorn angrily demands as she advances towards me. Once she gets within a couple feet from me, her stance widens as she lowers her head, glaring at me. Without a word I release the brash pegasus while forming a clear barrier to keep her and Twilight's other friends from interfering.
The Chronicles of Moonshade	Chapter Seven; The Battle of Fate	"Do not do this, Moonshade! I know you are not evil! You do not have to follow Nightmare Moon's path!" She begs one last time, just before a black bolt whizzes towards her, which she barely blocks with a shield. Seeing that trying to reason with me will not work, she fires off a volley of her own, the lavender shots are deflected by the scythe's blade. "Come on, bearer of the Element of Magic, show me your true power. The power that granted you your element. If I'm going to beat you, I want to face you at your best." I mockingly laugh at her feeble attack and rushes in, my scythe held behind me in a ready to strike position. "I do not want to hurt you, Moonshade. I know that deep down you're a good pony." Twilight continues to plead as she blocks the weapon with another shield as the hooked blade comes down before going on the offensive, another quartet of bolts are fired at me at point blank range followed by an entanglement spell. As the bolts bounce off my armor harmlessly the entangling spell hits, trapping my hooves to the ground in a thick pile of goo. "Please, I know you can do better than that, Twilight Sparkle. Or do you still refuse to take this fight seriously?" Laughing, my horn is encased in a black aura and thick tendrils of shadow rise up swiftly from below, taking her by surprise. The tendrils hold her in place while I quickly work to dispel her trap. "So naive, Element Bearer, trying to appeal to my better nature? Won't work." As soon as I am freed, I jump back away and with another burst of magic the tendrils explode around her, sending millions of tiny needles in all directions, even towards the trapped unicorn. "You have no idea what kind of terrible things will happen if Nightmare succeeds, nor the disruption her eternal night can cause!" With a chuckle I notice a shimmering shield surrounding her, though judging by some of the cuts she gained she wasn't completely successful at protecting herself. "Do not make me hurt you, Moonshade. Please!" Without answering I teleport under her and kick with all four hooves as hard as I can into her belly and chest. "I told you Twilight, it won't work." As she stands there, wheezing I magically grasp her tail and flings her up towards the ceiling as hard as I can. Before she makes impact she teleports in a flash, landing behind me. The second she reappears her horn charges up again. This time she hurls sharp, crystal like shards towards me, catching me off guard. The sting of gashes opening up on what is exposed of my legs and cheeks brings a smile to my muzzle before I turn to face her. With another flash she disappears, again teleporting someplace. All of a sudden I find myself encased in a violet sphere that suppresses me from using any kind of offensive magic. Unfortunately for her, her next step triggered another trap, causing her to break her concentration on the containment sphere as she teleports again. From above a stream of magic shoots down, the pressure driving me to my front knees while I shield myself from the attack. "Finally, starting to take this serious. Good." Laughing I again charge at her, only to meld into the floor. Reappearing behind the unicorn my scythe is poised for a perfect beheading strike, which Nightmare Moon laughs at as time seems to slow down. I can see the terror in my opponent's widened eyes and can only imagine what Princess Celestia must be thinking. Suddenly, a bright flash breaks through from the ceiling and I find a golden halberd blocking the Scythe's path. Standing off to my side is the sun princess herself, her wings unfurled and her horn glowing. This changes things, but it should not be long for the finale. "Moonshade, as princess I demand you drop your weapon and stand down. Surrender yourself and the courts may be merciful to you." The authority and command in her voice is unmistakable as she approaches. "Sister, so good to see you, in a sense. You and I have some unfinished business." The shadowy form of Nightmare Moon rises above the bound Luna, nearly encasing her. "However, thanks to my faithful student, the outcome will be much different!" A golden beam rockets towards the gaseous Nightmare, only to bounce off of a shield. "ENOUGH OF THIS!" As her eyes turn white a burst of golden energy radiates from the alicorn, heating the space around us along with destroying the barrier holding Twilight's friends in place. The shield protecting Nightmare and Luna on the other hoof is still intact. With a flap of her wings Celestia takes off, flying towards her sister frantically as I'm now faced with all six of the Element headers, their jewels displayed as they form a semicircle around me. "Give up, Moonshade. No matter how powerful you are, no matter how much magic you know, you will never be able to defeat the magic of friendship!" My laugh begins as a silent chuckle but soon evolves into a loud, body shaking laugh. I can sense how nervous the six before me are getting. I can almost feel them backing up a few steps as one of them speaks up. "Sugarcube, Ah don' think she is listenin' ta ya." "Oh, I am listening, farm trash. I was laughing at how ridiculous your 'leader' sounded. But if you want, we can finish this soon." My front legs part as I lower myself a little, my eyes glow a bright red as purple smoke wisps from my eyes. All around me a circle of multiple tendrils appear, writhing eagerly. "Bring it on if you think you can beat me!" From my new position, I risk a glance upwards, and the full moon has finally reached its peak. The sounds of Luna's screaming draws the attention of all eight of us. My laughter joins in, mixing with the screams as the dark blue alicorn is lifted up into the air as a black mass swirls around her. NOW! Taking advantage of the distraction, the forward six tentacles twist and combine into one as it shoots towards the gathered mares before me. In response the Elements activate, fighting back against the shadows, blackness mixes with the six colored rainbow as they fight for supremacy. Dropping the assault, I teleport onto the ruined dais, the multi- colored stream barrels to me. A shield blocks me the constant attack, streams of colors reflect in multiple directions as I force myself to cast another, more powerful spell while holding the shield up. As I power through the strain of maintaining two very powerful spells I can feel my energy rapidly deplete as perspiration beads on my forehead and my knees buckle. I knew this would take a toll on me, but not this bad. The spell is finally ready to be released, and with a flare of effort my shadowy shield mixes in with the now formed dome made of the combined power of the Elements. Guiding the dome I force it to expand outwards, eventually covering the entire room. The bright, swirling colors makes seeing things nearly impossible, so I have to have faith that my second spell hits my target in a blind, wild shot. I drown out the confused shouting of not just the Element yielders but also from the solar regent as an explosion happens, centered on me and washes everything in pure witness, only my sense of hearing alerts me to the sounds of bodies hitting various walls. Even my own impact registers, but barely, as my eyes are squeezed tight. Multiple groans can be heard as ponies begin to stir as I am left on my side, unable to move anything but my mouth, my magical reserves are also fully depleted, so using magic is also out of the question. In the distance I can see five blurry shapes. Orange, white, blue, yellow and pink surrounds a white, larger mass that remains motionless. Above me a very distraught unicorn looms, her voice frantic. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" "She freed me, that is what she did." Another shape, this one dark but unmistakably an alicorn stands opposite Twilight, towering over me as the smoke around her slowly dissipates. Twilight backs away from the mare, her ears flattened against her skull as she lowers her head, clearly afraid. "And for that I thank you, my daughter." Darkness overtakes me as I try to smile back. Finally, it is over. I just hope I have made the right choice.
The Chronicles of Moonshade	Epilogue	Sound, the first thing I become aware of is the sound of various machines close by, some beeping in a steady rhythm as others whirr or hiss. However, above these sounds a voice can be heard, sounding as if the owner is pushed past his limits but still trying to remain calm and respectful. "Again Princess, we have no idea how much longer she will stay asleep, just as I have explained it every time you have visited over the past year. Now please your high---" The steady beeping of one machine begins to accelerate rapidly as consciousness returns to me, alerting the stallion and the other pony to my return to the land of the living. Following on the heels of the various sounds around me I can now begin to feel and smell. Wherever I am it smells clean and full of disinfectant while silky softness surrounds me, except for multiple prickling sensations in my left arm, a mask over my muzzle and sticky pads on my chest. "What... what is happening, doctor? Is she... is she alright?" "Yes your highness, she is just starting to wake up. Now please, let me examine her real quick." The professionalism and calmness in the stallion's voice is exactly the opposite of the frantic mare and soon the clopping of hooves is followed by a closing door. "Moonshade, can you hear me? You are in Canterlot General Hospital." The mask is gently removed and soon I am breathing on my own after nodding my head slowly to answer yes. My body feels numb, I can barely feel my own hooves or tail. "Good, does it hurt anywhere, do you feel sick or dizzy?" I shake my head to answer his questions,unable to find my voice due to the intense stickiness of my lips and the dryness of my mouth and throat. Suddenly my eyes are forced open and brightness is the first thing I am able to see, making me flinch weakly in an attempt to get away. "Sorry, Moonshade. But I had to check to make sure there is no signs of concussion. Here, drink this, but slowly." A thin plastic object is pressed into my lips gently, breaking the stickiness a little as I obey, cold relief splashes against the burning dryness as something cold and metal is pressed against my chest multiple times for a couple of seconds each. "Heart and lungs sound good, no problems there. How are you feeling?" "N... numb and... tired. W- what happened?" My question takes a few minutes to form, which during that time something is stuck into my ears as the bright dots slowly fade from the blackness of my vision, and soon I am able to see after a couple of attempts to keep my eyes open. "My... my magic. Why does it feel like my magical energy is gone?" "You have been in a coma for a year now. As for your magic, you must have pushed yourself beyond your limits casting something. So far there has been no hint of it recharging, which does worry me. We will keep an eye on it to make sure it is not permanent." The stallion finishes checking over a clipboard and a couple other things as he answers me. "You do have a couple ponies who are anxious to visit you, are you up for it or do you want to wait?" "No, the sooner I get this over with the better." What has happened while I was out? What is now to become of me? My thoughts are pushed aside as two figures enter, taking me by surprise as I never noticed that the stallion left. "Welcome back, Moonshade." The first to speak is a large, white alicorn with a multi- colored mane and soft voice. The other figure is slightly smaller but also an alicorn with a star filled mane of night blue and a dark blue coat, tears stream down her cheeks as she nuzzles me gently. "Thank you for what you have done. Not just for myself, but for all of Equestria." The alabaster alicorn joins her sister in nuzzling me, to which I respond by trying to wrap them both in a hug. "I... I am sooo... so very sorry for what I have done, mom, auntie." My tears mix with their as somehow I am able to hold them tight against me, and for a couple of moments we just stay like that, tears of joy, sorrow and guilt being shared by the three of us. As the sisters pull away, reluctantly, I just look up at them, and despite the hoarseness of my voice I try to keep it strong as I make a decision. "If... if it is not too late, I... I will surrender myself to the Equestrian justice system." "Are you sure, Moon? You do not have to." "Yes, I do. I have a lot to answer for, even if I was a... different pony. All I ask is that this be a closed trial, just myself and a tribunal. Maybe... maybe if I am allowed mercy I could your earn forgiveness." Luna just wraps me in another hug as Celestia stands there, nodding a bit in understanding. Throwing a large, white wing over her sister's back Celestia begins to lead Luna out the door, only to stop and look over her shoulder at me. "Whatever happens, Moonshade, thank you for returning my sister to me, and for being willing to face punishment. Those are marks that show you have indeed changed. In light of your request we will get things setup so you can have your trial once you are medically cleared. For now there are other ponies wanting to talk to you." As the pair heads out I take in my surroundings as best I can. A large window frames a full moon on a clear, star filled night. A black cloud drifts lazily in front of it, and I can't help but chuckle at the resemblance to my cutie mark. The room is a pure white and littered with equipment you would expect in a hospital room. My attention is brought back to the door and four ponies make their way inside. A light pink, earth pony mare with a white and light red mane is flanked by two earth pony stallions, one has a yellow coat with a spiky mane and tail of white and brown while the other stallion has a neatly cut mane and tail of yellow and red while his coat is a vibrant orange. Leading the trio is a lavender uni- no, alicorn. I have to do a slight double take as I notice her wings, first thinking they were just a trick of the mind. My first words are to the earth pony trio, ignoring the alicorn for now. I have much more important things to deal with right now. "Hi Lily, Almond, Sunstreak. Are you... are you three doing alright?" "Yea, we have been doing alright. How are you feeling?" The tenseness in Almond's answer is so thick it is almost cuttable and his return question seems forced and more out of etiquette than general concern. Not surprising though, I did almost kill them, at least three times. I am curious as to why they are here though. "Like crap. If it means anything, I'm sorry for what I tried to do to you three. I don't expect you to forgive me now, or ever, but I have surrendered myself to the courts once I am cleared. I have a lot to answer for." A pink hoof rests gently atop of mine and I just stare at it, unable to look at them any more. "We cannot forget so easily what you have done and tried to do to us, Moonshade, but if you have honestly changed it is something we are willing to work past, no matter what happens at your trial." "Thanks Lily, I... I'd like that." "Lily, I know you three want to talk some more, but we were given only so much of an extension to visit and I do not want to push it." The newest alicorn steps up next to the trio and lays a comforting hoof on the mare's shoulders. "I will see if I can get you permission to visit again soon. Once I leave, the royal guard will be here and take her into custody." With nods the trio leaves, reluctance wars with their desire to get away quickly as the close the door behind them, leaving just the two of us. "Congratulations on your ascension, Twilight." "Thank you, it was surprising to me as well. I am curious to know how you were able to cancel the power of the Elements of Harmony. I have never met anypony or anything able to do that before." "It... it was very difficult to find. If I am not executed or locked away for life I will explain it to you one day. And Twilight, I am sorry for what I have done to you and your friends, especially deceiving you like I did during our last fight. I hope you understand why." "I think I know why, but I would like to hear it come from you." With a deep breath I just stare up at the ceiling, and I can swear I am watching a replay of it on the white paint, though it is pretty faint. "After... after I was forced to drink that potion, I... I witnessed the aftermath of the fight between Celestia and nightmare Moon. Celestia did do her best to try and find me, she really did, no, does, care about me. But at the same time I was brainwashed by the Nightmare spirit that was living inside of me." A coughing fit interrupts me and Twilight magically presses the straw against my lips, from which I drink greedily before continuing. "I... I realized I was being used, like a tool. I didn't like that feeling nor the fact that I was lied to. As for the deception in our fight, it was part of my plan. I needed Nightmare Moon to be at her most vulnerable so I could cancel out the protective charm she had cast on her." Once again my gaze falls onto the moon. "I am fairly certain that once my trial is over, I will be executed. I am just too dangerous to be left alive." "I would not be so quick to think that, Moonshade. You may have yes done some... evil deeds, but in the end you chose to take the path of good, and that alone will speak volumes. If you ever need somepony to talk to, do not hesitate to ask for me. I will relay your apologies to my friends as well, though some of them may not be so easy to accept." Her hoof presses gently against my chest, resting just above my heart as she stares into my eyes while she speaks. Unfortunately a knocking at the door is some kind of signal and she goes to take her leave, stopping long enough for one last piece. "Do not count yourself finished yet, Moonshade. A mare of your talent, abilities and brains can easily find ways to show you have indeed changed, but only if you do not lose hope."
Background Ponies to the Rescue	pre	"Ok then, what was I saying? Oh yeah, did you kn..." Lyra was interrupted by a loud knock at the door. "OH! THANK CELESTIA!" yelled Bon Bon. "HEY!" Yelled Lyra. "Oh, I mean, who could that be?" 'Nice save" she thought. "I'll get the door." said Lyra, who was trotting towards the door (duh). She opened it and standing right there was the captain of the royal guards, Prince Shining Armor. "Oh my, what are you doing here?" asked Bon Bon. "I have a letter from Princess Luna, she told me to deliver it." he said. "A letter from the princess of the night, that must be important." Lyra thought out loud. "It is," said Shining Armor, "My sister is usually the only pony to get letters from a princess." "How is your sister?" asked Bon Bon, "I haven't seen her around recently." "When I went to see her at the library, Spike said she was away on business." "That's too bad." said Bon Bon. "Yeah, listen, I gotta go now, sorry if I sound rude." "Not at all." said Bon Bon. "Bye." said Shining Armor she trotted out the door. "Well?" said Lyra, "Are you gonna open it?" "I am." said Bon Bon as she opened up the scroll. "I'll read it!" yelled Lyra as she tore it out of Bon Bon's hooves. Dear Lyra and Bon Bon, Something really important has come up, it is partly my fault. I need you to come to the throne room in Canterlot Castle. Just show the royal guards this letter and they should let you in. Yours truly, Princess Luna. "Princess Luna wants to see us?" asked Bon Bon. "I guess." said Lyra, "Let's go!" Then Lyra ran out the door, a confused Bon Bon followed. "Ok!" said the Doctor, "After that little fiasco, we are finally here." "I liked it." said Derpy, "Except for that muffin with worms in it." "Here we are Derpy." said the Doctor. They were in the Canterlot Royal Gardens. The Tardis was next to a statue of an alicorn. They were standing at the entrance to the maze, under the big archway. They were looking at the flowers suspiciously. "It's pretty Doctor." said Derpy, "But are they safe?" He took out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the flowers. "They are safe, they won't eat us." "That's good, I will never look at boxes the same way." "Where does the Princess want to meet us?" asked the Doctor. "I think she said the throne room." They started to walk towards the castle when they ran into 2 mares verbally fighting. "You're not very useful, are you?" asked the grey earth pony. "Oh yeah?" asked the white unicorn, "I can crack open a coconut, can you?" "Derpy?" asked the Doctor, "Do you think we should stop them?" "Yes." "Hey you two, break it up." said the Doctor as he walked between them. "What?" asked the white unicorn. "Oh, that's funny." replied the brown pony, "You thought we were fighting." "You can't say you weren't fighting." said Derpy. "That was just one of our normal conversations. My name is Octavia and this is Vinyl. "Hello, I'm the Doctor." "Doctor Who?" asked Vinyl. "Just the Doctor." "I'm Derpy." "Hey?" asked Vinyl, "Don't you deliver the mail to my shop?" "Yes." "YOU STILL HAVEN'T PAID FOR THE STUFF YOU DAMAGED!" screamed Vinyl, "YOU OWE ME OVER 500 BITS!" "What?!?" asked Derpy, sounding surprised, "I don't have that kind of money!" "How do you plan on paying me then?" "Doctor?" asked Derpy, "Can you help me?" "I don't have any money." he replied, "I don't need it." "YOU DESTROYED MY TURNTABLE! YOU OWE ME MONEY!" "Shouldn't you do something?" asked the Doctor. "No, Vinyl will get over it. It is kind of funny." "Ok, let's see what happens, I don't want to get on her bad side." he said while watching Vinyl. "I just don..." "I DON'T CARE! STOP SAYING THAT! YOU BROKE MY TURNTABLE! IT WAS THE BEST MONEY COULD BUY! YOU OWE ME 500 BITS!" "I don't have that kind of money." "You know what, I will just tell Princess Luna about this when I go to see her." Vinyl was still yelling at the top of her lungs, she really liked her turntable. Derpy, on the other hoof, was just taking time to process what she had just heard. "Wait... We are going to see Princess Luna too." "What?" Vinyl asked, she couldn't it. "Why?" "We got a letter telling us that she needed help with something." "Us too." At this point, the Doctor was standing there wondering how they got over that argument so quickly, Octavia was wondering why this information hadn't come up sooner. "Princess Luna wants to see all of us?" asked Octavia. "I guess so," replied the Doctor, "I am more surprised that they stopped arguing that quickly. And without my help." "If we are all going to see Princess Luna, we better go now," interrupted Octavia, "We wouldn't want to be late, would we?" "Come on Derpy, let's go VinUNICORN!" He had just gotten a good look at Vinyl. "I can't believe I am meeting an actual unicorn!" "Doctor?" asked Derpy, "Do you have to do this every time you see a unicorn?" "Yes Doctor, and I think she is scared of you." "Nah." replied Vinyl, "I like getting attention." "Vinyl?" asked Octavia, "Didn't you just want to ask the princess about that money?" "Don't remind her." said Derpy, still wondering how she would pay Vinyl. "Let's g..." The Doctor was cut off when he ran into another pony. "I am very sorry, AND YOU ARE A UNICORN!" "Oh great." said Derpy, "Here we go again." "Um, hi, I'm Lyra..." "YOU ARE A UNICORN! UNICORNS ARE AWESOME!" "Uh, yeah, I'm Lyra..." "YOU ARE A UNICORN! THIS IS FANTASTIC! TWO UNICORNS IN THE SAME PLACE!" "Um, yeah, Bon Bon, help me." "What is it?" asked Bon Bon, "Oh, I see." "This pony is weird." "He can't be any weirder than you, you belive in humans." "Did you say humans?" asked the Doctor. "Humans are some of the most interesting creatures ever, only having 1 heart, yet still doing all these things. But I suppose that equines only have 1 heart and they do more things, so they are more interesting." "I take it back." said Bon Bon, "He is weirder than you." "You believe in humans?" asked Lyra. "Yes, they are an interesting species, very smart, but not as smart as me. Although, sometimes they are smarter than me." "Bon Bon," said Lyra, "This pony isn't only scary, he is crazy." "What? I am not crazy, I am not crazy, I am just a madpony with a box." "Doctor." said Derpy, "I think you should stop talking now." "Why?" he asked. "You know, about your box, besides, we have to go see the princess now." "What?" asked Lyra, "Which Princess?" "Princess Luna." said Vinyl, she had completely forgotten about the argument her and Derpy had. "We are going to see Princess Luna too." said Bon Bon. "Then what are we waiting for?" asked the Doctor. "Allons-y!" "What?" asked Lyra, Bon Bon, and Vinyl. "It means 'Let's go'." said Octavia. All the ponies followed the Doctor, they were running for the castle. In the castle, the royal guards led them through a long hallway towards the throne room. When they opened the big door to the throne room, Princess Luna was standing there. "I am glad you could all make it here." said Luna, "It is the utmost importance you are here." "Why?" asked Derpy. "Because the bearers of the Elements of Harmony have gone missing." replied Luna, "I need you to help find them." "Why us?" asked Octavia, "I can only play the cello, and I am pretty sure that Vinyl can only play music annoyingly loud through that 'thing' she has." "HEY!" yelled Vinyl, "My bass cannon is way bet..." "SILENCE!" Luna yelled in her Royal Canterlot Voice, all the other ponies got quiet. "Do you have any questions?" "What about Dinky, and the mail delivering, and muffins!" "Dinky will be taken care of by Carrot Top, and I will get somepony else to deliver the mail." replied Luna, "As for muffins, you can bring some on your quest. You will have a day to prepare. Take anything you need." "Princess Luna?" asked Lyra, "Do you belive in humans?" "Lyra." said Bon Bon, "Don't bother the Princess with your human talk." "Well," said Luna, "I think that humans are..." She stopped when she noticed something in Lyra's saddle bag. "Lyra?" she asked, "What is that in your saddle bag?" "It is just my lunch, do you want a banana Princess?" "NO!" yelled Luna, "1,000 YEARS IS LONG ENOUGH!" "Oohh," said Pinkie Pie, who appeared behind Lyra out of nowhere, "Can I have a banana!" "JUST GET THAT THING OUT OF HERE!" yelled Luna, "1,000 YEARS IS LONG ENOUGH!" "It's just a banana." said Pinkie as she swallowed it, "But ok, I'll leave, I wouldn't want to ruin the plot of the story." Then she just disappeared into thin air. "Luna?" asked the Doctor, "Wasn't that one of the ponies we were looking for?" "What?" Luna replied flatly. "Wasn't that pink pony one of the Element Bearers?" "Oh no," said Luna, "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING!" "Whatever," said Luna, "Just get ready for tomorrow." They were walking out the door when Luna spoke up. "Oh, and it was nice seeing you again Doctor!" The Doctor' Lyra thought. "OH! You're that crazy pony that lives in the blue box! Everypony talks about you!. "What?"
Background Ponies to the Rescue	Chapter 3 - And They're Off	AN: Sorry for the long wait, I have had this chapter done since sometime in May. This just shows how much laziness can affect you. I want to say sorry to anyone who liked this story. I also want to make a new schedule, at least 1 new chapter a month, this is so I can tell myself that I will do it. I want to say that I will keep writing, and that I haven't stopped since I wrote this, just been too lazy to post it. dtlux1 "Think Derpy," said The Doctor, "What do we need for our trip?" "MUFFINS!" Screamed Derpy. "We ate the last of our muffins last time the TARDIS was set adrift in deep space." "Aww," whined Derpy, "Can't we just go get some? We can travel through time and space." "Derpy, we can't just go around doing whatever we want through all of time and space, it could cause a paradox." "You seem to do that all the time." "What! I do not!" "What about the time that all of Equestria all most got destroyed because you let the Daleks find you?" "I fixed that, didn't I?" "Only after half of Canterlot was destroyed." "And Derpy, that wasn't a paradox." "I know, I didn't see a single box." "For the last time Derpy, it's a paradox, not a pair of boxes." Derpy face hoofed, "That's what I said." "I can't seem to get it across to you," said the Doctor, "Well, let's just finish packing, maybe the others are having a better time than us." "YOU SMASHED MY CELLO!" screamed Octavia, she was looking at Vinyl holding a broken cello. "What?" asked Vinyl, "All the rock stars smash their own instruments. I wanted to try it." "Yes, but you aren't a rockstar, and that wasn't your instrument to smash." "Sorry Octy, I just wanted to mix rock with my wubs." Vinyl looked sad. "I guess it's ok, I can always get a new one." Octavia felt sorry that she had yelled at Vinyl. "I am still disappointed though." "Ok, so should we get to packing?" asked Vinyl. "I guess." "Can I bring my Bass Cannon?" "Why would you need that?" "You never know when you might need wubs, like the time I defeated Discord." "You never did that." "Yes I did." "Then why doesn't anyone remember it?" "Because they all forgot." Vinyl said, thinking she had won the argument, but it just made Octavia more confused. "But why, you know what, nevermind. Let's just continue packing." "Do you really need your autograph book?" Bon Bon asked Lyra as she put some of her homemade candies into her saddle bag. "Yes, I want Luna's autograph." replied Lyra, "And what if I find some stuff about humans, I have to write it down. OH! Or we could meet The Great and Powerful Trixie! That would be awesome!" "All right now, don't have another fangasm." "But she's awesome." Lyra mumbled. "What was that?" asked Bon Bon. "Nothing." "Ok then," replied Bon Bon, "Let's think of what we should take then." "I think you should take this!" Yelled Pinkie Pie as she appeared out of nowhere. She was holding a small gold statue. "That statute is of a human!" screamed Lyra. "What is it?" asked Bon Bon. "I don't know," said Pinkie, "But it will help you on your journey, it's name is Stefano." Bon Bon and Lyra turned to look at each other. Bon Bon turned back to where Pinkie was. "But I, where'd she go?" Lyra just shrugged. "Well, now we have this." Lyra said as she put Stephano into her saddle bag. "Ok, we should finish packing and meet up with the others." "Good idea." said Lyra. "I see you have all packed," said Luna, "I have maps for you, but the crystal castle seems to have disappeared, so I have no idea where you will find it." "What are we looking for?" asked Derpy. "We are looking for that mean unicorn and her friends."said the Doctor, "I don't see why we have to though." "I like adventures." said Lyra. "Then why don't we go?" asked Bon Bon. "Because there is still one thing you need to know," said Luna, "You only have 1 month to complete this task." "WHAT!" "I know it is a small amount of time," continued Luna, "But it is bad all ready with 6 ponies missing, if 6 more go missing, I don't know how the ponies of Ponyville will react." All of them seemed to understand. "Now if you are ready," she said, "It is time to depart." "Now, where should we go first?" asked the Doctor, sounding excited. "Why don't we just look at the maps?" asked Octavia. "Where's the fun in that?" he replied. "The fun is knowing where you're going." "There's no fun in knowing where you're going, the fun is not knowing until you get there." "I like his way of thinking." said Vinyl. "One time I ended up in this awesome music shop, I don't even know how I got there, but that was the day I got my bass cannon." "I remember that," replied Octavia, "Didn't you set the shop on fire?" "They said I could." "They said you could set the shop on fire?" asked Lyra. "Well, not exactly," she replied, "But they said I could test my canon, it was their fault." "Sure it was." mumbled Bon Bon. "So," asked Derpy, "Where do we go?" The Doctor closed his eyes and pointed his hoof in a random direction. "We go that way!" he screamed, he was pointing to a dark and scary path. It was overgrown with trees and bushes. The only light that was there were the bugs that illuminated the path. There were many signs that said 'DANGER' and "DO NOT ENTER'. "But it says do not enter." protested Octavia. "I like to think that do not enter is a phrase leading to adventure." said the Doctor. "I say we do it." said Vinyl. "I want to go that way to." said Lyra. "Then it's settled," said the Doctor, "ALLONS-Y!" "This isn't going to end well." was the last thing Octavia said to Bon Bon before entering the woods through the large dark archway. "See, this isn't so bad." said the Doctor as he was walking farther into the pitch black woods. The only light was coming from his sonic screwdriver, at this point it was being used as a flashlight. "And look at all the different species of trees and flowers, like these ones." He was about to go over and pick one when Derpy cried out for him to stop. "That's poison joke! Don't touch it!" "What's poison joke?" he asked. "It's a plant that plays a joke on you." explained Derpy, "When Carrot Top found some last year, her mane was green for a month." "Thanks for the warning." As they were walking, they heard many sounds. There was an owl, the soft crunching of leaves under their hooves, and other noises a forest would make. grr... "What was that?" Derpy asked, she sounded scared. "What was What?" asked the Doctor. Grr... "There it is again." I didn't hear anything." said Octavia. GRr... "It sounds like it is getting closer!" screamed Derpy, she was getting more scared each time she heard it. "Shh shh shh shh," Said the Doctor, trying to get the others quiet. "I think I hear it." "But I still don't." said Octavia. "Shh." He kicked a rock into the bush he thought the sound was coming from. Turns out that wasn't the best idea because 5 angry timber wolves came out, and started to approach them. "Ok, it's just some wolves," said the Doctor, "I'll see if I can reason with them." He now had his back facing the Timber Wolves, which was an even worse idea than kicking the rock, because one jumped for him. "Look out Doctor!" screamed Derpy as she dove and pushed the doctor out of the way. The wolf pounced on her side. She got away, and they were both safe, but the wolf has pounced on her wing. "Ow ow ow ow ow!" she cried in pain. "Are you ok?" asked the Doctor, the others were too surprised to do anything, and just stared at what was happening. "Yes," she replied, "But I can't move my wing without it hurting." "Then don't move it." Derpy face hoofed, "What do we do now?" "This!" He screamed as he pointed his screwdriver at the wolves, "Hey! Wolves! You hurt my friend! I'm armed! With a screwdriver..." They kept approching him, he aimed his sonic, "Ok, I warned you." He then pressed the button, it made the buzzing sound, but nothing happened. "Why is my screwdriver not..." He paused to think. "Doctor!" screamed Derpy, "Why isn't it working?" "Oh, this is embarrassing," he continued, "They are made of wood, and my screwdriver doesn't like wood. I have been meaning to add another setting." "So now what?" asked Derpy. "Plan B." "What's plan B? "RUN!" He yelled. The others snapped out of what transe they were in and followed his instructions. They started to run down the path. "What are we supposed to do now?" asked Octavia. "Keep running until we think of something." said the Doctor. "Well, that's a 'great' plan." said Octavia. "If you have a better idea, I would love to hear it!" he screamed. "I think I have an idea!" screamed Vinyl, she stopped running. The others ran a little farther, but stopped. They turned around to see what Vinyl was doing. The Timber Wolves were getting close. "VINYL!" Yelled Octavia, "What are you doing! RUN!" "Don't worry," said Vinyl, "I have an idea." She then reached into her saddlebag and pulled out her bass cannon. She aimed it at the timber wolves and started to [blast] blast it. The vibration shook the timber wolves until they fell into tiny little pieces. Vinyl turned it off and looked directly at Octavia, "And you said I wouldn't need my bass cannon." she was smiling. "I guess I was wrong," Octavia said in disbelief, "It did come in handy." "Just like when I defeated Discord." "That never happened." "Ok, we got out of that, now let me see your wing Derpy." The Doctor scanned it with his sonic screwdriver. "Bad news, it is broken. I can bandage it up though." The doctor then proceeded to wrap up her wing. "Can we just leave before anything else happens?" asked Bon Bon. "that's a great idea." said the Doctor, they then proceed towards the exit of the forest.
Background Ponies to the Rescue	Sorry for the wait	Sorry to people that like this story, I have about 5 chapters all writen, some have been written for a year, I just haven't gotten around to typing them. While you are waiting, enjoy this story :D HERE IS THE PLACE TO CLICK! Sorry for the wait, but I will eventually have a chapter up.
My Little Pony: Reversed Roles World - Reboot	pre	"I-It's such an honor to meet you, your highness. I can't believe I'm actually talking to the Warrior Princess herself!" Celestia said. "...You do realize that that's not my title right? For my real title--" "Is the Princess of Negotiations. I know that, but every pony my age refers to you as the Warrior Princess for how you've been so successful in the various wars you've taken command of." Celestia interrupted. "After all, isn't it true you've never lost a battle?" "Well dang, I'm surprised you keep up with that kiddo. Regardless, you've kept me long enough." Cozy Glow said before she put on a helmet. "Oh, are you heading to do another war?" Celestia asked. "Nah; it's just that I've been assigned to escort some pony named 'Queen Chrysalis' to Canterlot. She apparently wants to negotiate with Twilight Sparkle directly for reasons I'm unsure of yet." Cozy Glow said. "But since she's actually reached out to us first for a direct face-to-face diplomacy, we have every right to hear her out." "Oh. Well, regardless, I wish you luck. Not that you need it. Like I said, there's a reason every foal my age refers to you as the Warrior Princess rather than the Princess of Negotiations. Plus, it sounds cooler." Celestia said. Cozy Glow ruffled Celestia's mane. "You're alright kiddo. I really hope I bump into the likes of you again down the line." She then flew off. Celestia couldn't help her enthusiasm as she headed through the castle some more to head to the kitchen. I can't believe Princess Cozy Glow wants to chat with me again. Luna would be so jealous of me right now. Celestia soon found the kitchen where she was greeted by Princess Twilight. "Ah. Good morning Celestia. You're a little early for breakfast still." Princess Twilight stated. "Huh?" Celestia then decided to look at the clock. It was five minutes before six in the morning. "B-but I thought..." "Seems you woke up just a little too early. Tomorrow, try to sleep a little bit more than this, okay? I'd hate for you to start neglecting your body's need to sleep." Twilight said. "Oh...okay..." Celestia said. Still, getting to chat with Princess Cozy Glow was so worth it! That's when another unicorn about Celestia's age soon entered the dining hall. The foal in question was mostly green, and their mane color was yellow which paired well with the fact their cutie mark was a yellow star. "Morning Princess." The foal said. "Ah you're a bit early too, but I'm glad you came by so early." Twilight said. "Celestia, I'd like for you to meet your roommate Lucky Star." "Roommate?" At that word, Lucky Star looked at Celestia. "Hello, my name's Celestia." Celestia said. "...Your nice. That's good. I do hope we'll get along great." Lucky Star said. "I know we will!" Celestia said. Food was brought out a bit later. "Food's here, so let's have breakfast." Twilight said. After Breakfast, the two foals began to chat with one another to get to know each other a little better. "Seriously? You woke up early enough to see Princess Cozy Glow go off on one of her excursians?" Lucky Star said. "That's right. It was so cool to get a little time to chat with her before she left." Celestia said. "Wow. I can't believe you managed to do that. I'm a little jelly of that." Lucky Star said. "By the way, do you have any siblings, Lucky Star?" Celestia asked. "While I'm technically an only child, I would sometimes hear mom talking to the ceiling saying things about some pony she calls 'Volt Lightning' and how she would've made a great older sister. So, I must have an older sister somewhere out in the world." Lucky Star said. Celestia suddenly winced. D-do I even dare tell her that her so called 'older sister' is dead? My mom taught me about death and the afterlife, but do I dare ruin Lucky Star's hopes and dreams? She thought to herself. She then collected herself. No; no, I should not. If there's one other thing mom told me, it's that the death of a family member is one of the worst things you can tell some pony. "I hope you get to meet her one day." Celestia said. It wasn't a lie per-say, but it was better than the alternative. "Well, that's very kind of you to say Celestia. I hope I get to meet her one day too." Lucky Star said. Celestia just smiled. She really didn't have the heart to tell Lucky Star the real truth. But...maybe by giving Lucky Star hope that she'll see her sister in the future will be enough.
My Little Pony: Reversed Roles World - Reboot	Season 0: Episode 2 - Nightly Talk (Easter Madness 2024)	That very night, Princess Twilight Sparkle knocked on a door marked with Rainbow Dash's cutie mark. "Who's out there?" Rainbow's voice asked from within. "It's me; I'd like some time to talk if you don't mind." Twilight said. "Oh, it's only you Twi. Come on in." Rainbow Dash said from within her room. Twilight then entered the pegasus's room at the castle, there were quite a few things lining the room, including a large case that was full of Gold Trophies (R02). "So, what do you think of my room here?" Rainbow Dash asked. "It's...different to say the least." Twilight said. "But it's also very you. You only have a few more days before you have to return to Wonderbolt duties, right?" "Yeah yeah, I know, I know. Don't worry, I'll have things packed and ready to move out when it's time; you didn't worry about that." Rainbow Dash said. "So, what did you want to talk about?" "...Sunset Shimmer..." Twilight said as she looked out a nearby window. "Oh. You know no pony blames you when she basically went all coo-coo crazy on us; right?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Then why do I still feel guilty about the whole thing? Why do I want to believe there wasn't some way to save her back then? As if I could do something to cleanse her worries?!" Twilight exclaimed. "Breath Twilight. Just breath." Rainbow Dash said, conforting the alicorn. Twilight managed to calm herself down. "...Thanks for that Rainbow." The purple alicorn said. "There's nothing we can do that'll change the past. All we can do is hope she'll come back and everything will be all sunshine and lollipops again. And yes, I know this is me saying that; but for once, I don't mind being the one that says it." Rainbow Dash said. Twilight chuckled. "We all know just how much you can't stand mushy stuff, but I'm glad you were willing to swallow that pill for a change." "Heh. Knew that'd lighten the mood a little for you. You welcome for that." Rainbow Dash said. "Isn't lightning the mood Pinkie Pie's Job?" Twilight asked. "Did some pony mention my name?" Pinkie Pie was suddenly right behind Twilight. "What the...PINKIE!" Rainbow Dash was shocked by the appearance of the party crazed Earth Pony. Twilight laughed. "It's nice to see you in good spirits too." She said. "When is she not?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Okay yeah sure, there was that one time when we surprised her with a birthday party, and she got the wrong idea over it but still..." "That was certainly something nice you gals did for me. Not even I saw that one coming, and that's saying something. It takes a lot to slip something passed me." Pinkie Pie said. "We know Pinkie; trust me, we know." Twilight said. "But since your here, did you get the files I asked for?" "You bet your sweet Canterlot bibbies I did!" Pinkie Pie said before rumminging through her mane. Her Sweet Canterlot Bibbies? Rainbow Dash thought to herself as she groaned while face hoofing from that. Never change Pinkie Pie...never change... "Here you go!" Pinkie Pie said producing the files from her mane. "One of these days, I'd love to learn that trick with hiding things in your mane." Twilight said as she looked over the files. They contained information about five ponies she knew had gotten their cutie marks at the exact same time as Celestia. The first was Pear Butter, an earth pony born to the Pear Family who has a crush on the Apple Family's Bright Mac. The second was Cookie Crumbs, a Unicorn who wanted to hit it big in the fashion world when she grew up. The third was Luna, Twilight already know that this was the Pegasus sister to her trainee Celestia who was currently in Flight School. The fourth was Chiffon Swirl, an earth Pony who wants to work at Surgarcube Corner for a Mr. Carrot Cake when she's older. And fifth was Spitfire, a pegasus filly who dreams of becoming a Wonderbolt as great as her idol Rainbow Dash. Speaking of the cyan pegasus, she swipped the file of Spitfire from Twilight. "Huh. Call me crazy, but I think this one has potential to finally be my successor." Rainbow Dash said. "I'm very surprised you'd say that Rainbow Dash. And I know you've been very picky about it too." Twilight said. "I keep telling Crescent Moon I want only someone who will embody our ideals of what makes a great Wonderbolt as my successor. And he's been very patient, though he is running out of time..." Rainbow Dash said. "I know. Trust me, I know. But I know he has a plan for a successor to his role as Wonderbolt Manager." Twilight said. "Plus, I already know you're looking at Celestia as your successor." Rainbow Dash said, leaning on the alicorn. "...You know me too well." Twilight said. "I just hope she doesn't end up like Candence, that other unicorn who had a strong magical alignment." > Season 0: Episode 3 - Chrysalis Classes at Canterlot had now been underway for a couple of days now. Celestia and Lucky Star were doing great. Though, there was this one classmate known as Luster Dawn who had a knack for trying to show off. It was rather wierd. Still, things were smooth for the first week. No major events happened while school was in session. It was during the weekend when something did happen. That being Cozy Glow's return to Canterlot with the mysterious "Queen Chrysalis". But when Twilight saw who Cozy Glow was escorting into the throne room, she gasped and headed straight up to the mysterious creature no pony recognized. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake." Twilight began. "Clap your hoooves and do a little shake~" The creature finsihed with Twilight. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again, Chrysalis." Twilight said. "Says the alicorn I was all too happy to help run off Discord." The creature said. "Err...Twilight, you know this changeling?" Cozy Glow asked. "My apologies, I hadn't made the connection until now, but this is Chrysalis; she helped me out when Discord first showed up. She and I bounded after we ran him off. I haven't seen you for at least a thousand years, yet you don't look that old." Twilight said. Chrysalis giggled. "Being a changeling queen allows me certain benifits such as a long life-span." She said. "Oh, I didn't know you were a queen." Twilight said. "You don't need to adress me by title, Twilight. You're a really good friend; someone I'd like to think of as a sister." Chrysalis said. "Err, am I the only one confused? You know what this is, sis?" Shining Armor asked. "She's a changeling. A shape shifter. Don't worry though, she's friendly. After she discovered how great friendship can be to fuel changelings, her entire hive started allowing themselves to use positive emotions to feed themselves." Twilight explained. "Well sadly, as much I'd like to say we're the only changeling hive, there are others. While most don't want to invade Canterlot, there is...one changeling hive I've noticed who refuses to live in harmony with ponies." Chrysalis said. "I came here to warn you of that hive." "That doesn't sound good. Whose in control of this hive?" Twilight asked. "I'm afraid I don't know. In fact, I met with all the other changeling royals before I asked to be escorted here. Not a single one of them knows whose running this potentially rogue hive, but all I could gather is that they are based in a very desolate area with very little vegetation." Chrysalis said. "Unfortunately, that narrows the place down to three different locations, so I have no idea exactly where it is." "Understood. Since your here already, perhaps you'd like to hang out for old time's sake." Twilight said. Chrysalis smiled. "I think I'd like that." > UP FOR ADOPTON A/N: As much as I hate to admit it; I just don't have the creative juices to keep writing this fic. As such, just like My Little Pony: When Generations Collide, I am putting this story up for adoption. If anyone is interested in continuing this story and making it their own, feel free to PM me. There are some details I'm willing to share with you should you decide to adopt this story into your own, but you don't have to use them if you don't want to.
Fallout Equestria: Stallion in Black	pre	It dug its jaws down into the armour of his steel gauntlets - causing the flying knife to veer off and into the wooden frames around the building. The plates stopped the teeth from sinking into his skin, but the pressure was still unbearable. The mindless tugging and rattling of the dog's raging bite made the bite worse. He pounded the head of hound repeatedly, screaming and yelling as his hoof sent blow after blow at the head of the dog - but it did nothing to stop it. The first hound ripped a thread of skin, sending a tight rip down through his leg. Graphite screamed in pain from the tear. His free leg flinched, knocking the beast in its jaw with his knee. It was a powerful enough blow to knock the dog loose, giving Graphite just a split-second to kick the dog - once again - in the head. The wild hound recoiled with pain, whimpering like a scared puppy. Graphite gave one more hard jab to the dog on his arm, knocking the thing out with a high pitched woof. He peeled the the dog's mouth from his gauntlet, slowly and painfully standing to his hooves. As he stood, a sharp burn shot up his leg - causing him to yell in pain. Blood was gushing from the tear in his leg, a sliver of flesh was hanging down as the blood flowed down. Graphite gripped his leg, trying to keep the blood from flowing - but the first dog was still ready to fight. The dog's jaw seemed loose from the blow; it was hanging down and the drool was starting to leak out even more. It was slumping over in its walk, it was ready to fall but it wasn't going to. Graphite had a similar trudge, limping along with his bleeding leg elevated. The hound came charging, reaching Graphite, and taking a swipe at his chest. The claws scratched the steel and left a clear make across it,but Graphite shifted his weight right, knocking the dog to its side. It tried to get up, unable to get a footing. Graphite limped his way to the dog's body, pulling his knife from the building frame. The dog's eyes were still red with rage, it gnashed its teeth, growling viciously at him. Graphite held the blade in a levitation, his eyes were just as infilled with rage as the dog's. He brought the knife up and down with killer speed - but the dog leaped up just as he did. The knife hit the dog in the chest, but he was already midair and nothing could stop him from tackling Graphite. Graphite was pushed back down, the dog's mouth was trying to bite and tear away at him, but he kept it back with all the strength left in his hooves. The dog's mouth was right over Graphite's horn, the saliva and hot breaths of air surrounding it. He gave some leeway, letting the dog fall forward before pushing it back up and running his horn through the hound's neck. The dog wasn't able to finish its woof, interrupted by the horn in its throat; it gagged and squealed, trying to produce a noise to express its pain, but Graphite ripped it out, tossing the dog to floor. Graphite was panting and bleeding on the floor, he couldn't move, he was too tired. He was trying his hardest to take in deeper breaths, but the thick air caused him to just cough it back out. His vision was blurring, he realized he was going to pass out. Graphite took another breath - and another cough - then remembered his first-aid kit. It was a small yellow case with three pink butterflies, the ministry of peace symbol on it. He was losing his vision progressively, but he had just enough strength and the will to flip open the case and grab a syringe. It was a tiny syringe, no bigger than two inches with the protective cap on. He used his levitation spell to pull off the cap of with a pop; the needle was just long enough to go through each layer of the skin. Graphite was beginning to get woozy, loosing his grip on the syringe - almost dropping it on the ground. He took a breath, holding it in; he gripped the syringe tighter, then rammed it into his thigh, just above the bite wound. He cringed, groaning badly from the tight prick. He pulled the needle back out of his leg and just tossed the empty case on the ground. Graphite's vision began to clear up; the burning, searing pain in his leg was starting to numb. As he looked down on his leg, the wound was healing right before his eyes. He had seen some ponies use it before, but it still amazed him - how did the magical potions inside do that? The flesh molded back into its right place, the skin and muscle rebuilt themselves almost instantaneously. The blood clot itself and stopped the bleeding just as fast as the skin healed. The pain eased away, as his vision improved. The pain had almost completely left him, but his leg still felt a bit locked up. Graphite rolled over, pushing himself up to his hooves. He got up, but stumbled as he got on his legs. His knee was hard to bend, and his leg was numb from the sedative in the potion. The four hell hounds were all lying on the floor around Graphite. The first one seemed to be still alive, even with the hole deep in its neck, as its eyes were still glowing a dim red; the second one was just opposite to the first, the big crevice in its head was still pouring out blood; the third dog was knocked out to the right of the first, its eyes were closed, but it was still breathing; the last was just to the left of the first, it had just died after bleeding out for the last few moments. They all laid in a group, all in a cross formation around Graphite who stood in the middle of this dying intersection. The one thing on Graphite's mind - "I need a nap." There were two apartment buildings to choose from, each with ten rooms to pick and decide. He headed for the apartment just in front of him since it was closer. He trotted towards the staircase with his hind leg still elevated. He struggled up the stairs, only on three legs to get up a flight of old, creaky stairs. Graphite kept a steady hoof on the rails, the splinters sticking against the glove of his gauntlet. He made it to the first floor, starting to drag himself along the rails of the wooden porch. There was one room at the end of the walkway; the door was wooden and molded, the termites seemed to have gotten to it. The window next to the door was just one panel of clear glass attached around a cheap wooden frame - that one panel had a large crack in the corner. He slide along the rail to get to the door; his coordination was shot due to his exhaustion, so he just pushed the door open with a blunt nudge. The door was already loose and unlocked. The inside of the apartment was run-down, murky, and abandoned. There were two twin sized beds laying against the back wall; between them was an old side table with one drawer and a small place to stick things underneath; the wallpaper was a gaudy floral design with pink petaled flowers and a yellow background, it already started to peel off; the bathroom was just aside the beds; but Graphite rather not check out a two hundred year old, grungy bathroom at this late hour. The ceiling was ridden with mildew, and growing around the plastic chandelier above; the floor below was a dirty red carpet that had knots and stains all across it; the beds were just as stained - if not worse. There was an awful red stain on both sheets of the beds; but the one on the left seemed to have a smaller one, so Graphite went ahead and invited himself to that bed. He jumped into the bed, grabbed the flat pillow, and brought it under his head. A cloud of dust plumed out the pillow case; Graphite didn't notice, his eyes were already closed and his major exhaustion brought him to sleep. The cold, thick air of the fog plumed into the room through the crack in the window and the wide open door beside it. It cooled the room down to a nice even temperature, the breeze flowed softly through the room, blowing against the dust bunnies across the aisle. It was the perfect temperature for an afternoon nap.
Fallout Equestria: Stallion in Black	Chapter 5: Next in Line	A trumpet played loudly outside, causing Graphite to open his eyes. He was in the barracks, in which he had spent the past few weeks. He was lying in bed, unable to wake up from last night's overhaul. They did an extra five laps around the track then another run around the obstacle course. He didn't want to get out of bed, but the weeks of discipline training said otherwise. His body was too burdened with exhaustion to leave the bed, but his mind was yelling at him, "Get up you lazy sack of shit!" He knew the drill sergeant was going to scream that anyways. Eventually, it was down to mind over matter, and Graphite came off the bed almost unconscionably. For several weeks, they had been doing a lot of exercises to build up their physical strength and endurance. It wasn't easy for him, nor any pony else. Each morning began with a jog around the camp, followed by other exercises. Most of the time, they were made to do a series of push-ups, pull-ups, jumping jacks, more push-ups, and so on. This day was going to be special. After all that hard work, they are finally going to be taught how to use a rifle and a battle-saddle. Graphite thought of this as he got out of his bed and made it, then stood in front of it like the rest of the cadets in the room. As always, sergeant Typhoon came to inspect their rooms and lead them through their training for the day. He came through the door, per usual - slamming it open. Sergeant walked down through the barracks and checking everyone's gear as he made his morning speech. "Good morning, bastards! I don't have to tell you how special this day is. Apparently some degenerate up above thinks that you're fit enough to move on to the rifle training. If it'd be up to me, I'd send you all back through another month of physical exercise drills!" He made it to the end of the barracks and turned around, eyes still locked forward and away from any of the cadets, "I want to see you all standing outside in the ditch in five - is that clear?" "Yes sir!" Everypony replied aloud and Typhoon walked through the door, slamming it behind him. Everyone in the barracks started to dress and get ready with the required efficiency, which was as fast as possible. They dressed and filed out of the barracks as quick as can be. They were lined in single file, marching behind one another towards the trail where Typhoon explains the schedule for the day. The schedule never changed, "You're going to run the track a few times, do some push-ups, run the obstacle course, then run back to the barracks," filled with the usual offensive insults and shouts of 'encouragement.' Lucky for every cadet, it was the first day of rifle training - but Graphite didn't expect much difference from the sergeant's side. The row of cadets lined along the trail just as usual and stood in attention -- just as usual. Sergeant Typhoon walked to the middle of the line and shouted at the cadets, "Here's the schedule - I'm only going to say this once, so you better have that shit cleaned out your ears before I tell you: we are to report to the firing range; there, I will explain to you everything you need to know about the gun we will be firing; we'll do some target practice; move on for weapon's course; then we finish off with your favourite - ten laps around the track. Do I make myself clear?" "Yes sir!" Exclaimed every cadet. "Great! Now let's move!" Typhoon glided to the front of the group, just ahead of the first pony, and lead them down to the firing range in a march. Typhoon split the file into two equal groups of stallions, then into three single file lines behind him. They marched in tune to a beat of Typhoon's shouts of 'left-left-left-right-left!' They held this same march down for about a good distance before finally reaching the firing range at the end of the boot camp. Typhoon merged the three lines back into one with a simple direction of his hoof. He pointed to the lines, directing them back into that single line they started in. They all crossed the dirt trails leading into the firing ranges. The firing range consisted of a long field with several targets lined up in the field. A mechanism was made to make them all pop up when necessary. That mechanism was being controlled by another stallion working in small, enclosed room. There were several small 'booths' at one end of the field. They were simply spots where the ground was cleared from any grass before the rest of the range, collared off by a few logs. Behind the rage was a small booth with a watchtower next to it. A pony dressed similarly to the Drill Sergeant watched over the cadets - probably judging their weapons skill. "Welcome to my firing range. Yes, it's my firing range, so you will listen to every word I say! I have not lost a single scumbag on my firing line, and I will not lose one today! Do you understand me?" "Yes sir!" "Good! Now pick up a battle-saddle, a rifle and some ammo from the booth over there. Then pick a spot on the range and we'll get to work!" All of the cadets made their way to the kiosks, where the rifles and ammunition were. Each of the ponies ahead of Graphite got a set of battle-saddles. There was a poster on the side of the kiosk on how to put it on and operate it, so everyone simply put theirs on as soon as they got them. They also received a rifle which was placed into the battle-saddle and a pack of ammo. "Aww! I can't wait to fire a rifle! I've been sick of this useless jogs around the track over and over!" Graphite suddenly heard a familiar voice with a Bucklyn accent to it from behind him. Without a doubt - it was Spotty. He was standing right behind him in line with a big grin on his face and had excitement bouncing in every one of his words. He seemed a bit jittery, slightly impatient, and eager to get to the kiosk. "I know how you feel," Graphite responded with a fake smile, uncomfortable from Spotty's bounding excitement, "But you do know that this doesn't mean that it's all over, right?" "Gee, Graphite don't be such a party pooper, I know that this ain't the end of this. We're all still going to have to do those stupid exercises. Still, this is something to lift up your spirits, ain't it?" "I-i think so..." Graphite said and looked down a bit. "Ah, I see-" Spotty said with a small grin on his face, "You're just worried about how you'll do and that's killing your mood," He smiled and patted Graphite on the back, "I can give you my word, Graphite, you'll do fine." "Yeah, thanks," that was probably all Graphite needed - a pat on the back. It lifted his head up, but he was still pestered to be stuck in line. He turned his head back around and resumed his wait. After waiting in line for a bit it, was Graphite's turn to receive his gear. When he arrived at the booth, a rifle was waiting for him along with a few small metal boxes of ammunition. It was a long, wooden rifle, with only the the barrel and iron sights being made of metal; there was a small pistol grip for the handle, that was then improved with a pattern cut wood panel on the sides of the handle; there was another one of these wooden grips along the hoof guards of the gun, going up until the wood ended and the barrel continued. Graphite was puzzled, his rifle wasn't given in a battle-saddle like all the other cadets. "Where's my battle-saddle?" He asked, staring at his new rifle. "Ya see, you're a unicorn," Answered the pony in a thick, country accent. He was a brightly yellowed colored earth pony with a tan mane. He was wearing the same tan uniform with a black MP band, "Ya can use yer horn to levitate, fire, and reload the rifle - so ya', don't need one." Graphite gave the rifle a worried look, "I hope that it'll work." "Sure it will. Just keep your mind on the rifle... or was it the target?" The MP wondered, "Anyway, you should know it better than me. I ain't one o' ya' magic ponies." Graphite sighed and took the rifle and ammo. He trotted over to his booth and awaited for further commands from the Sergeant. "Stand still and aim at the target in front of you. If you hit one in the white zone, it means you can't shoot for shit. If you hit one in the black zone, you're doing alright. If you should hit the small red circle in the center of the target - which I doubt that any of you pawn scum will do - you've won a surprise!" All of the earth ponies and pegasuses tried to aim as best as they could - with little luck. Graphite looked over at the other unicorn cadets. It seemed that some of them understood how to use the sights on the top of the gun. Graphite copied them, trying to do the same. He stood still and loaded the rifle with the help of his levitation spell. He aimed down the sights just like the other unicorn ponies did. Graphite started to breathe slower and concentrated on the target in front of him. When he lined up his sights with the target he squeezed the trigger and a shot rang out. The shot scared him, making him twitch a bit. He couldn't see where the shot had landed, it was quite a distance between him and the target. Graphite pulled off another shot. With each shot he could concentrate less on the rifle and more on the target, the muscle memory was slowly taking over. He repeated the process until he heard a 'click' when he squeezed the trigger. He then took out the empty magazine and sat the rifle down on the pad in front of him. "Sergeant, I'm all out!" He shouted. "Well whoop-de-fucking-doo private twinkle hooves. Let me see how bad you failed!" Sergeant Typhoon came over to his booth and looked down on the target with a pair of binoculars, "Holy crap, looks like we have ourselves a killer!" He announced before a slight pause, "I guess that you may be wondering what's your surprise then, eh, cadet?" He gave a quick nod over to the pony at the booth. "Yes sir!" Graphite replied, a bit eager to see what his surprise was. "We have a scoped rifle available for use today; let's see how many long range targets you can hit." The yellow earth pony from the booth came over with another pack of ammo and a rifle similar to the one which Graphite had just used only this one had a metal tube on it - a scope. The yellow pony moved his hoof down to the electric panel below him, making the target to slide backwards even further down the range. Graphite's eyes widen as he saw his target move further and further away; he knew they were going to make him hit that target. "Let's just see how good with that rifle you really are, cadet..." Typhoon said in a more undertone voice than his usual and staring back down his pair of binoculars. The target finally stopped, it was now at four hundred metres. Graphite let out a sigh, bring his rifle back into firing position. He focused his sight down the aperture of the scope, lining the crosshairs to the middle of the target. "Whenever you're ready, cadet," Typhoon added. Graphite took in a deep breath and held it, keeping his sway down as he focused deeply at the target ahead. He pulled the trigger, letting out that similar bang sound he's come to known so easily. The bullet flew down range and disappeared near the target; he thought he missed his mark. He pulled his view out of the scope and looked up at Sergeant Typhoon. His eyes were squinted, trying to keep out the bright light of the sun, "Did I hit it?" Graphite questioned. Typhoon brought down his binoculars, and was keeping his eyes on that target when he replied, "Yep, you hit it right on the mark, private." Graphite had to keep himself down to prevent him from dancing a jig, but then Typhoon brought his spirits down again; as was his job, "Can you do it again?" He asked with an unexcited tone. Graphite shook his head, breathing back out, "Yes sir." Typhoon brought his binoculars up again, and Graphite looked back down the scope once more. His sights were already centred with the target, all he had to do was pull the trigger again - but Graphite didn't see Typhoon's next order to the booth pony. Graphite held his breath once more, but the target started moving left. He blew out his breath of air in a sigh of annoyance, still keeping his eyes on the target as it moved left and right slowly. "Go ahead, cadet; fire when ready," Typhoon told Graphite. He couldn't see him, but he could bet his next week lunch that the drill sergeant had an evil smirk on his face as he said that. Graphite focused all his thoughts on the target, following it with his scope almost perfectly. All his focused was directed on that target; he took in a deep breath, stopping even breathing from interrupting his focus. Time seemed to slow down around him, the target moving ever slower. He pinpointed the very middle of the mark. Without hesitation, or further pause, he fired his rifle; breaking his focus and resuming time back to normal. He couldn't follow the bullet's trail, the sun in his eyes. There wasn't a sound except for the wind rushing through the air. "Damn..." Typhoon whispered, "You hit your mark... right in the same place..." Typhoon was eerily astonished, he didn't even take the time to yell out his sentence or throw in an insult. Graphite was just as stunned, he didn't expect such a shoot could be possible, "Did I really, sir?" Typhoon knelt down to Graphite's level, sticking his binoculars in front of his eyes, "You heard me - look for yourself." Graphite gripped the side of the binoculars and stared down the sights. The target had one hole in the centre of the red ring; he couldn't tell, but there was just a slight scrape along the edge of the hole showing the second bullet had grazed right through the bullet hole. "I don't know how you did, but you did it," Typhoon added, still in awe, "What's your name cadet?" "Graphite, sir." "Private Graphite, I'm going to have you report to the next area over for Sharpshooter training." "Sharpshooter training, sir?" Typhoon extended a hoof to help Graphite up. Graphite accepted, being pulled up instantly by the drill sergeant, "Yes, deaf-ass; sharpshooter training. The range for that is down the next trail. You're to report there immediately for your new training regiment!" He lead Graphite off with a point in the direction of the sharpshooter's range, which was another jog down the trail, "Double-time, Private Graphite." "Yes sir!" Graphite responded, with a salute. He shifted around, starting his jog down the next trail. The trail was just as rough and rocky as the one getting here. The rocks pressed against his hooves, crumbling under the weight. He started to sweat, wiping some drops off his forehead, the sun was beating down hard. It was brighter than he remembered, and as he neared the next range, it only grew brighter. It soon blinded him too the point where he could see nothing but white. The sun was beating still, continuing to pain Graphite with it's brightness. He sat up from the bed, squinting his eyes and blocking the rays with his hoof. The sun was shining through the the tainted, cracked window and seemed to be attracting only to Graphite's eyes. He used his other hoof to wipe his eyes, groaning from the abrupt awakening. He looked on either side of the bed, and on either side of the bed were some blood stains that really sent Graphite a post-apocalyptic 'good morning!'He slid over to the left, hopping off the bed. The bed made a very loud, broken squeak as he leaped off; the loud whine was terrible to hear while still half asleep. He cringed, flopping his ears to stop the ringing. He stretched out his arms and back, his joints cracking from the stress; popping his spine back into place, "Ow..." he said to no pony, his lower back getting stiff. He pulled himself back, blowing out a sigh before he hit the road again. The sun beam continued to filter into the room, flushing out all the stains on the walls and all the marks on the floor. The blots on the floor were a unhealthy red, the mildew on the ceiling was still festering around the chandelier, and the mold on the walls still seemed to be growing. The bathroom still seemed like an unruly place to go, but Graphite couldn't pass up the curiosity; the light was on his side now, so it made him feel just a little safer. He moved in slow and carefully, keeping his eyes fixed on the door to the bathroom - keeping in mind whatever may pop out. He stopped at the doorway, just peeking his head through to check the bathroom. He slowly inched more and more into the shadows, he had a strong urge to swipe his knife into the darkness just for reassurance. Graphite didn't want his knife to be swallowed up by the beast that could lurk within -- or drop it in the toilet -- but he kept his concentration on it as his head finally came by far enough to see the bathroom. What Graphite was truly a surprise - it was just a normal bathroom. The sink was lying against the wall, a mirror just above it; a toilet just next to the sink, somewhat clean; the tub ahead was yellow with lime stains and the shower head that came with it was rusted down to the core. The sink had a poorly made formica that didn't seem to fit the sink very well. The faucet was rusted just as bad as the shower head, the handles too. He fiddled the handles, the rust had jammed them to the point where they couldn't even budge. He pulled on them again, breaking the right handle right off the sink. He dropped the handle into the dirty sink, looking into the fogged mirror. In the corner of the reflection lied a small metal box. He looked over to the edge of the sink to inspect it. It was covered in dust, yet it hadn't rusted over all these year's. Graphite used his magic to shake off the dust and take a closer look. He brought the box up to his eye and opened it. Inside lied a chromed lighter, it was still polish and unrested - like it hadn't even been touched. Graphite took it out of the metal box and examined it. On the front there was an engraving of a thunderbolt and a set of wings behind it, below was an inscription - "Equestria's Finest". Graphite knew that saying from somewhere; it was the motto of the wonderbolts. They truly were the Equestria's greatest fliers. He remembered their frequent aid in the war effort; often doing fly-bys as the ground troops stormed the fortifications of the Zebras. Sometimes they would fly their strafing runs so low that the ground troops could take a good look on their faces before they took off again. Like most pegasi, they were daredevils, sometimes not even realizing how close they had been to their deaths. The fires from their fly-byes rose high enough to touch the clouds, and the wonderbolts would just fly through like it was nothing; they took to their work as if it were a performance. Thinking of the fires got his train of thought back unto the lighter. Graphite decided to test out the lighter the best way he knew how; he took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. He flipped the cap of the lighter, coming open with a clinging sound. The flame was burning, so he lit up his cigarette and then closed the cap again and put it on the inside of his black duster, right next to his wallet. With the cigarette in his mouth he went outside on the wooden walkway and looked over the neighborhood. The four dogs were still down in the courtyard, roasting under the sun. The smell was almost non-existent. Either then baking under the hot sun or their radiated bodies, the decaying dogs didn't seem to produce a scent from their bodies. Graphite walked over to the railings along the edge of the porch, resting his hooves on it. He continued looking over the bodies and the neighboring building ahead. He puffed a cloud of smoke, enjoying the taste of his Canterfield cigarettes. With no food for breakfast and no water to hydrate, all he could do was enjoy his cigarette. He blew another puff of smoke, taking a look down at his necklace. He looked at the way the stone shined under the bright sun - he couldn't help but to be reminded of Adan and Turquoise. Graphite looked back up, staring over the area once more. He kept his cigarette going enjoying the cheap taste of his only meal.

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