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My Most Faithful Mortifer | Chapter.16 – Two More for Ponyville | Chapter.16 - Two More for Ponyville
The library was peaceful at this moment in time; there were a few ponies quietly reading or working in a few of the more secluded areas. Sunset herself was organising some of the shelves, and since she was already taking books out of them, gave the shelves a clean at the same time. The books were once again suspended in the air, only this time it was a much more reasonable amount; after all there were clients in the building.
So, exactly twenty nine books were suspended around her in a halo; while she levitated a damp cloth along the wooden shelf removing any dust or grime.
With what little dirt had accumulated now gone, her next magic trick was to shuffle her deck of books and place them back in the correct order. From her trolley she levitated the eight books that resided within this section and brought them back to the fold within her halo.
Deliberately keeping her eyes fixed on the vacant shelf and not on what was going on just above her head, Sunset carefully shuffled and organised all the books using her magic and memory. With the deck now shuffled and cut the precious volumes of literature were taken, one by one, from the top of the pile and were escorted, by Sunset's magical aura, back to their resting places within the bright living wood. They were all in the right order.
Fully satisfied with her work she moved on to the next set of shelves; only for one of her ears to quickly face towards the door as the, now familiar, bump into the library door was heard. It opened moments after to reveal the grey coated, blond haired Pegasus post mare with the misaligned eyes.
"Sunset, I have a letter for you from Canterlot." Her enthusiastic waving of said letter held in one of her wings was almost endearing.
With a simple levitation spell, the letter left the wing grip of the Pegasus and started to travel over to its recipient. "Ah, thank you Derpy. I'm sorry but I don't have any mail to send today."
"That's ok, Sunset. I've still got a few ponies to find anyway. See ya." The post mare turned to leave, but just after shutting the door behind her a small squeak of pain was heard. Derpy had shut her tail in the door. Again.
A gesture, followed by the raspberry hued colour of magic and the door was opened to free the dirty blond tail. "I'm ok. Thanks for opening the door Sunset." Was all the reply given, before the tell-tale gust of wind of a pegasus launching into the air. The door to the library shut with a gentle click.
Halting the shelving for the moment, she returned to her main desk. The post marks said the letter was from Canterlot, and the address was written in a style Sunset did not recognise. Turning it over revealed a wax seal that, while familiar to Sunset, she had never seen in person. It was embedded with the Royal seal of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.
"Geez, what am I doing to gain the attention of all the Royals? What's next, Prince Blueblood wants my hoof in marriage?" Sunset muttered quietly to herself as she opened the letter to find out what the princess of love wanted from her.
"To Sunset Shimmer, Librarian of Ponyville.
"Hello to you, I hope your day has been good and that receiving this missive has not affected it in a negative way. I am writing to you to ask for assistance in a small matter of a more personal nature.
"Trixie Lulamoon, the personal student of Princess Celestia, is overseeing next year's Summer Sun Celebration along with her, assistant, Spike the baby dragon; which is being held in Ponyville. If this is not common knowledge please keep quiet on this matter; though I can't see it remaining a secret for long.
"They are planning to interview local ponies to work on the celebration and are looking for accommodation for a few days. This is where the assistance comes in; they have requested to stay within the library with you. They are claiming that Trixie and Spike both will be studying in the evenings to keep pace with their assignments and I quote 'what better place to study than in a library' unquote.
"If this is too much of a burden I have other options available to me, the earth pony Filthy Rich and his family for instance, but it would be remiss of me not to at least try their preferred choice; and of course their expenses will be covered by the crown.
"If you are in agreement with this situation, please respond to this letter to the address written on the reverse along with any questions you may have.
"Regardless of your answer; thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.
"P.S - If you do accommodate those two could you make sure that they are actually studying for at least one hour in the evenings. While they work well together, Trixie is a practical mare and will take any excuse to avoid the books.
Many thoughts were running circles in Sunset's head once she had finished reading the letter, like the obvious hesitation to write 'assistant' when describing this Spike character, or just the general nice nature of the letter itself. But it was the big obvious thing that came to mind that was the problem.
"Princess Cadenza wants me to babysit those two for a few days. Sigh, it'll be a pain. I don-"
"Sunset darling! I would really appreciate your assistance in somethiiiiing." Came the sing song voice of the porcelain white mare with a rich purple mane; her friend Rarity.
Looking up, Sunset found Rarity walking towards her with all the confidence of someone who does not take no for an answer. Honestly one of her friends arriving at this moment was useful for Sunset; they could give her a second opinion.
"Sunset, I've got a matter back at the boutique that only you yourself can help me with." Rarity said again now that they were eye to eye; she had even pulled of a small pout and a set of puppy dog eyes.
'Huh, this must be really important.' "Ok Rarity, actually I've got something that I could use a second opinion with as well. Umm, let's see just give me a second to inform my patrons that the libraries amenities won't be available for some time and then we can be off."
"What are you doing?"
"I'm closing the renting service of the library. Ponies can still use the place but won't be able to take out a library book that I've not signed off on. If anything worse than that starts to happen, Owlocious here will come and get me." as she was saying this to Rarity, Sunset placed a sign on her desk stating the same thing, just with less words.
She went to the four ponies that were currently in the library and informed them of the situation, before escorting Rarity out of the door and towards the Carousel Boutique.
Ten minutes later and Sunset had wished she had asked Rarity how she could be of use to her; if she'd known she would effectively be a life size doll for the seamstress to dress up, she would have turned her down.
"So Sunset, there was something you wanted a second opinion on?" Currently Rarity was pinning some rather pleasant fabric around her; it was the third piece of fabric as Rarity could not decide on the best colour to complement her coat.
"Hmm, Oh yeah. You see, I've been asked to host two ponies for a couple of days at the library. It wouldn't be that big of a deal, but I've also been asked to make sure that the ponies I'm looking after actually do some studying when they're here. I've never taught anyone before; I don't know if I'd be a good teacher."
"Well darling, you certainly know your stuff. I'm assuming it's magic that they're learning" Sunset nodded "Then who better in town to teach them? Honestly if you had a little more free time, I'd ask you to teach Sweetie Belle for me; just not in quite the same way as you were taught."
"Chuckle, yeah I don't think many ponies want to learn the way I did; can't deny its effectiveness though."
"Very true, both your magical and physical prowess is something else. But anyway, I take it you don't know the two who are coming?"
"I know of them, but never met them in person before."
"Oh? Now this sounds interesting; is a friend asking you for a favour? No, that can't be it, there would be less hesitation. Hmm, wait. You are in contact with Princess Celestia, is she asking you to host someone?"
Sunset was pleasantly surprised. "Not Princess Celestia, but Princess Cadenza. I'm impressed Rarity."
"Well it pays to have an eye for details. If that is the case then you must be hosting somepony who is overseeing the Summer Sun Celebration next year. I've heard they're planning to have it here in Ponyville; if that is true then they would most certainly have ponies come to talk to the Mayor and others about preparing it. Hmm, but what's this about studying, and teaching? I can imagine anyone on such a committee would be out of school already."
"It's Trixie Lulamoon who I'd be hosting, along with her assistant Spike."
"Princess Celestia's personal student? My my, you are getting very close with the Royal family aren't you?"
"Sigh, yeah. All I'm waiting for now is a marriage proposal from Prince Blueblood and I'd have the who- YOUCH!"
"Oh sorry dear, I'm afraid my magic slipped there." Nothing about the apology sounded real.
"Rarity what they hay, I was trying to make a joke about, wait. You want Blueblood, don't you? You stab me as soon as I mentioned him marrying me. You want to marry Prince Blueblood."
"Well, can you blame a pony? He's so handsome and sophisticated and an actual Prince! Who wouldn't want that piece of stallion?"
"Well you can have him. I've already got too much attention from the Royal family for my liking already."
"Ah, more of a mare girl are we? Worry not I don't judge, it just means more stallions for me." The Cheshire cat grin was obvious in her voice; Sunset didn't even bother to acknowledge it, though she did feel her cheeks heat up a little.
"I don't know to be honest; I've never really noticed anypony in that way. Anyway, we're off topic, do you think I should let them stay with me? Princess Cadenza wrote saying that they could easily stay with the Riches if I declined; but Trixie did ask for the library."
"Well, do you honestly mind that much? I mean, a little generosity goes a long way; if you do this for them, then maybe they'll invite you over and this dress I'm making for you won't go unappreciated. Speaking of, I've narrowed it down to three main colours; this deep rich and luxurious carmine red, this soft and sophisticated heliotrope purple, or how about this exotic and calming Persian green?"
"Well, I do have a soft spot for purple."
"Darling, we're grown mares, we're not supposed to have favourite colours. Oh, but yes, perhaps start deeper to offset the coat, travelling lighter, maybe highlights, matching flame trimming? No, wait. Yes! Oh, Ideaaaaa!" Rarity had dashed off out of the room, most likely to gather her sketch pad and a pencil; leaving Sunset standing there with, of all colours, orange fabric pinned to her frame.
Sunset waited all of an additional ten seconds before a simple teleport got her out of the trapping fabric, and then an additional minute for Rarity to come back from wherever she went to. She didn't return. With a shrug of her shoulders Sunset made her way back to the Golden Oak Library.
The walk did help focus her mind on the situation, and honestly Rarity was right. While a slight pain, and would certainly hinder her excursions into the Everfree Forest; having the Royal family be in your debt, even such a minor one, is a far greater boon. "No, I can't think like that. Rarity has the better idea; a little generosity out of the goodness of my heart will give me more in the end." Determined on her course Sunset sped up her return, she had a letter to write.
"I can't believe everything about our plans working out. I mean we don't even have a guard escort or anything?" Came the happy, if surprised, voice of the small dragon sitting across from Trixie.
Currently the two of them were sitting in their own compartment of the train car as it trundled happily across the country side heading down the southern rail to Dodge City. They weren't going that far, their actual stop was one of the earlier ones, but the train itself would continue on without them.
"Well, of course. Who would dare to oppose the Princess's personal student and her fearsome assistant? Seriously though, it's Ponyville. I doubt anyone there even steals candy from little foals."
"Well there was that report from Rambling Rock Ridge."
"What report?"
Spike's eyes widened larger than saucers, "Forget I said anything, please! I wasn't supposed to hear anything; but Cadance and Shining Armour were talking about it as they were watching me one evening."
"Well you're going to have to tell me now. Come on Spike, I promise I won't tell anypony whatever it is you heard. But it could be useful to us to make sure we're safe."
"Sigh, all right; for our protection, but please don't say a word to anyone. And I mean anyone, not just anypony. Apparently there was a huge Diamond Dog den under there; with signs of ponies being captured, including a set of bloody hoofprints. Of the whole pack less than a dozen were found alive; I don't know about all of them, but a lot of the bodies had inconsistent but fatal wounds from a cave in. Shining is almost certain that the cave in was a cover up; hiding a mass murder, if not a genocide case."
Trixie's eyes were as wide as Spike's were a moment ago. "What about magic signatures? Anything like that, to say if a pony did it?"
"I don't know, they never said anything along those lines; but I'd guess from their frustration that they couldn't get anything like that."
"When was this? Do you know when it happened?"
"I don't know that ether. But I overheard them at least two, three weeks ago and they were frustrated then; so I'd guess it happened well over a month ago. I do know they think whoever did it was a group from out of town, and have probably long gone by now though."
That part of the news spread relief throughout Trixie's body, though there still was a hint of tension in her shoulders. "That's good to hear, but we'll both be a little on guard just to be certain, we're on our own after all."
"What about who we're staying with? I bet she could help us if we were in trouble."
"Who, Sunset Shimmer? She's the town's librarian Spike. Please, I bet even you could take her without using your fire."
"Well she did agree to let us stay with her and to offer you some advice on magic. Even Aunt Celestia was favourable with the idea of us staying with her when she found out."
"She's probably over fifty and has read all the publicly available books on magic. She may have useful things to say to me on the theory of magic, but I doubt anything else."
"Well looks like we're about to find out. I think the next stop is Ponyville."
"Sunset Shimmer,
"I am writing this letter to you to thank you for housing my student and her friend Spike during their time in Ponyville; I hope you all get along and possibly even become friends.
"As a personal request, could you act to protect them both should the need arise? After all there was that incident in Rambling Rock Ridge recently that my guards are still on edge over. Whoever did such a heinous thing to so many living beings was a professional of extraordinary talent; and one who I hope had a justifiable reason for such an act. I would have preferred such a threat captured and relocated.
"I have also been informed that you have graciously offered to give my student a pointer or two in magic during her stay. While I very much appreciate you offering to give Trixie a helping hoof; keep in mind she is a civilian and as such has not had the experiences you have had to go through, nor the requirements of some of your more effective spells.
"They shall be with you on the afternoon train of the twelfth. If you could be so kind as to meet them at the train station with your friends and welcome them to Ponyville, it would be greatly appreciated.
"Yours sincerely,
Princess Celestia
P.S - While Spike is indeed a dragon and does require gem stones in his diet, a few days without them won't harm him in any way, so do not fear in the expense of catering for a dragon.
Sunset snorted at that post scrip addition from Celestia's message. Rarity was gracious enough to show Sunset her gem hunting spell; a quick trip to the quarry and she had over a week's supply of gems for the little dragon.
The bigger issue was that Princess Celestia knew what she had done to that pack of Diamond Dogs, and Sunset couldn't decide if it was praise or a stern talking too. Sure she sounded disappointed in her actions, but at the same time she praised her talents and professionalism. This was certainly a letter she couldn't show to her friends. This was a side of herself that they did not need to know.
In the end she shrugged her shoulders and left it as a mixture of the two; good job on removing the threat, but next time be quieter about it. Sunset was sure she was missing something obvious, but it escaped her.
Then there was that comment about Trixie being a civilian; she was personally trained by Princess Celestia, she was not a civilian. However, this might be a test to show a gentler side. After all Princess Celestia knew everything Trixie was taught; if she suddenly starts firing off Searing Lances everywhere, she would know who taught her those. Not that Sunset would teach her such a prestigious spell. 'Hmm, well whatever I teach her will depend on what she knows. Perhaps just to look at spells another way? I'll figure it out after I see what she can do.'
At this moment in time she was waiting at the train station for the afternoon train to roll up, along with her friends. When they heard it was a personal request from Princess Celestia herself, they all more than happily came with her; if for their own personal reasons.
"I've never met a baby dragon before, Sunset. I hope he's as sweet as your book says he is."
"He's a dragon, Fluttershy. I bet he's super cool and can breathe fire! It's a shame he hasn't got any wings, I wanna see how well I do against one; bet I'm faster than any dragon."
"Rainbow, this is not a competition! This is the prelude to the Summer Sun Festival. Both Spike and Trixie Lulamoon will be here interviewing ponies to help setup and work the festival. If things go well for me, then I may be invited to assist them in decorating the Grand Galloping Gala one of these days."
"Rarity, you might not be asked to decorate Ponyville, let alone the Gala. But there ain't no way they'll not ask the Apple family to help with the catering. Between our ciders to our apple pies, they can't say no to at least something."
"I just can't wait for them to get here! I've got their Welcome to Ponyville surprise party all set up and ready for them at the library. There's even some gem encrusted cupcakes for Spike. Thanks for the tipoff Sunset but I already knew. Oh, but thanks for supplying the gems. It's not a proper Welcome to Ponyville surprise party of it doesn't contain super-duper tasty cupcakes for one of them."
"Not a problem Pinkie; as their host it is my duty to look out for them where I can, and these small gestures will go a long way with that. Anyway judging by the attitude of the staff around the platform, I'm guessing the trains almost here." Sure enough a whistle was heard just out of sight, clearly indicating a train was inbound.
"Aurgh, finally! Two hours sitting on a train; it feels good to finally be able to move around properly. Now where's that long in the tooth librarian; she's supposed to meet us at the station. Don't tell me she's going senile as well." A few ponies got on the train at the station, but apart from that there was no sign of the librarian; just a group of mares around her own age hanging about.
The pink one of the group's head suddenly zeroed in on the two of them, and was obviously about to launch herself right towards them; were it not for one pony who put a hoof in front of her to stall the charge. She was a tall and athletically built unicorn with an amber coloured coat; the most striking thing about her was her mane and tail. For all intense and purpose they could have been on fire and no one would have been able to tell the difference. Her mane even flickered like fire when the wind caught it.
"Hey Trixie, I think I recognise her. I saw her at Donut Joe's a good while ago. Yeah, that's right. I was with Shining and he showed me my mum's favourite donut. If I remember right she was waiting for a train to Ponyville."
"And this is interesting why?"
"Well, she must be at least a little important if Shining was checking her out."
"...Spike when we get back to the castle I think it's time you asked your granddad about the birds and the bees. Maybe even Princess Cadance."
"Well whoever she is, she's coming this way."
"Huh?" Sure enough, the tall amber mare was heading right towards them, with a slight smile on her face.
"Hi, you must be Spike and Trixie Lulamoon. My name's Sunset Shimmer and I am the librarian here in Ponyville. I hope you had a pleasant journey here. I was asked by Princess Celesita to be here for you with some of my friends; they're right over there if you want to meet them. We'll take you to the Golden Oak Library where you can freshen up. I'm afraid it may be a little, humble, compared with what you're probably use too."
Trixie had stopped listening early into the introduction. "You're the librarian of Golden Oaks Library?"
"Umm, yes. I just finished introducing myself to that effect. Would you like me to assist you with your luggage?" Without even a change in her posture, the luggage that sat next to the two travellers was suddenly glowing a deep raspberry pink and was floating in the air. "Come on now, follow me and I'll introduce you to my friends. They'll all be happy to assist you if you need help.
"Here we have Rarity, seamstress extraordinaire," the purple maned unicorn bowed in greeting. "Beside her is Rainbow Dash, fastest sky clearer in Equesria," the blue coated Pegasus waved a wing at the two. "This is Applejack, of Sweet Apple Acers," the blond maned earth pony tipped her Stetson in greetings. "This is Fluttershy, a timid soul who loves animals," the yellow Pegasus poked an eye out and said a small hello. "And last but not least, the party pony to end all party ponies, Pinkie Pie." The pink earth pony was positively vibrating with excitement. "Excuse the introductions, but some of them asked for their own personal one." Sunset clearly felt these personal introductions where not needed, but went along with them for her friends.
Trixie didn't know how to handle all this so simply went with a polite hello. A few hooves where shaken, a hug from the Pink pie pony; and they were all wondering through the small town towards the library.
She did notice that Spike was staring intensely at the pure white unicorn with the purple mane, Rarity if she remembered correctly. 'No not intensely, ooh has someone's got a crush?!' As for everypony else, they were acting more like tour guides, pointing out nice places, and where they would most likely be setting up the stage for next year. Honestly it was a little too much for the first day; all she was looking forward to was a hot bath, a good meal and a quiet night.
"And there's the Golden Oak Library. Not the biggest library by far, but I'd imagine one of the strangest." The group of mares and a baby dragon had just walked through the centre of town, and had finally reached their destination.
"Sunset, that's a tree. A very big tree I'll admit...with a balcony, and windows, and a door sticking out of the trunk. Wait, are you actually saying that the name of the library is literal?"
"Pretty much, yeah. It's a living, magical, oak tree. We're into fall, and the leaves are all still in place; just turned into bold reds and golden yellows. Apparently it'll stay like this until spring where the leaves turn back into vibrant greens. I've not been here long enough to see it myself, but so far I can believe it. Well, are you ready?"
"Oh, yes I was just thinking of having a quiet evening."
"Ah, about that. Well, Pinkie's got a little surprise for you."
"Oh, is that so. Wait, where is she anyway? I've not seen her for a little bit."
"She ran on ahead to get your surprise ready. So why don't you go on in with Spike and I'll go help her out." Trixie was a little sceptical, but Sunset's face didn't move at all; it still had the gentle half smile on it and appeared to not have a care in the world. Honestly it could have been a princess mask for all Trixie knew.
With a slight shrug of her shoulders, Trixie walked up to the door along with Spike and Sunset right behind them. She opened the door to the library.
"SURPRISE!"
"Yeah, when I said a little surprise, it's more like a quarter of the town here to welcome you two to Ponyville. This is your 'Welcome to Ponyville Surprise Party.' Oh, and before you say anything this, apparently, is normal; even I had one."
Trixie just let out a small groan. |
My Most Faithful Mortifer | Chapter. 17 – Settling In | Chapter. 17 - Settling In
Honestly the party was good; the games were fun, if a little childish. The food was also tasty, if simple. The ponies were polite and friendly and overall not total country bumpkins. Just, mostly. In the best way possible of course.
But as the afternoon turned to evening, the party goers slowly trickled out until all that remained the host, and her two guests.
"So Trixie, Spike; how did you enjoy the party?" Sunset asked as she was washing the few remaining pieces of utensils used at the party. Her two guests were seated on a blue two seater couch; it was a simple and honest fabric couch that had clearly been there for some time. It was situated in front of a plane wooden table where two mugs rested half full and a bowl that contained a selection of apples. Sitting by the wall just beyond the head of the coffee table was a cast iron log burner; with a large glass window showing wood set up and waiting for a spark.
"It was fun! Especially those crusaders, they were a blast. But Miss Shimmer, where did you guys get all those gems for me? Those cupcakes were delicious."
"There's a quarry not too far from here that has a nice selection of them. When I accepted that you two were going to stay here, I had my friend Rarity teach me a spell of her own creation; it tracks down gems. It took me all of half a day to get you enough gems to last you a week. Hopefully."
"Well how thoughtful of you." The blue unicorn's face was neutral but her horn was glowing as she brought her mug up and took a small drink; the effect could almost have been intimidating.
"Thanks Trixie, but this is my first time hosting anyone here for this long; so I wanted to get everything set for you."
"So you've hosted before?"
"Only once, and it was only for a few hours, but they left smiling; so I think I did well. So, shall I give you what's left of the tour of the place and then allow you two to fully settle in. There's still a couple of hours of daylight if you want to explore the town more; though do not go into the forest to the south. That's the Everfree Forest and it is not a safe place to go, even during the middle of the day." With the last of the dishes dried and put back where they belonged, Sunset had walked over to where her two guests were seated.
"I can handle anything that that forest can throw at me."
That raised an eyebrow from Sunset. "I'll be the judge of that. There's a lot in there that even I'd hesitate to directly fight."
"Well that just says so much about your magic training. If you'd have gone to Celestia's School for gifted Unicorns, then maybe you'd feel a little more confident in your prowess." Gone was the neutral expression on Trixie's face and it was now replaced with a frown. The mug was back down on the coffee table, forgotten, as her focus was directed at the amber coated mare in front of her.
"Unlikely, my mentor and Masters trained me very well. I don't see how a school, no matter how good, could be better than one to one training. You should agree with me, being the Princess's personal student."
"While I do agree with you in theory; Celestia's school is second only to her personal teachings. Your fear of the Everfree is proof of that."
"I respect the Everfree Forest."
"Then why are you telling Trixie not to go in there!"
Sunset raised an eyebrow at the mare who had just spoken in third person. Her eyes trailed over to the little dragon to see his reaction; he had placed his claws into his face. 'Huh, this must happen often. Or is it her attitude that he's embarrassed about?' "Because there are Ursa Major's in there for one thing, as well as a number of other star beasts. As another point the forest can hamper your ability to cast magic if you allow it."
"Just admit it; you're afraid of that forest." Trixie had leaned back into the couch's cushions and had crossed her forehooves over her barrel.
"Only a fool would say they are not afraid of the Everfree Forest. I've been in there numerous times and I can tell you it is not a walk in the park" '...For most ponies anyway.' "Why are you angry all of a sudden anyway?"
"You think you know better than Trixie."
"About the Everfree Forest? Yes. About magic? I don't know, but probably...Ah I get it, this is stemming from my offer to show you a thing or two about magic isn't it. I wrote that to Princess Cadenza when she mentioned that you still had studies to do and would need at least an hour every evening for them. I just thought you'd prefer something more practical than books."
"There is nothing you can teach Trixie." gone was the crossed forehooves over her barrel; replaced by leaning towards the still standing unicorn.
"I bet there are lots of things I can teach you, just as I bet there are a few things you can teach me."
"Duel me!" the statement was emphasised by a moderate impact of a hoof hitting the coffee table.
"Excuse me?" for a clearly surprised statement, there was little reaction on Sunsets face. Not even a blink of an eye.
"If you think you have anything of value to Trixie, then prove it in a Mage's Duel."
"...Look I bet you're tired. Just calm down and relax tonight. Have a bath, do your homework, or whatever; and if you still feel that way in the morning them maybe I will duel you. Sigh, I'll leave you alone for now.
"The stairs keep going up to the bedroom; and further still to an observation deck where my telescope is setup and ready to use for star gazing; feel free. You too Spike. That door there is the bathroom, and that concludes the tour of this place. I'll be down stairs in the main library area or in the basement, which is the door beside the stairs. Have a pleasant evening." And with that Sunset trotted out of the living area and down the stairs.
"Trixie what was that all about?" Spike had waited several seconds to make sure that Sunset had left before confronting the blue unicorn.
"Sigh, pride Spike, nothing but pride; maybe tiredness and travel stress too. She has to be the same age as me, but she's already done with her education; so it was either not as good as what I'm getting, or she's a genius. The way she talks and holds herself says the latter." Trixie had the decency to look ashamed of how she handled the situation.
"Perhaps you should go apologise? I mean she is our host while we stay here. It would make things easier if we can all work together; especially if she can help us find out the reason why aunt Celestia wants to have the celebration here. Chuckle, though to be honest those cupcakes were really good; perhaps we were a little hasty in brushing off that theory about the Princess having the celebration at places with good bakeries. Those apple pies too were something special."
Trixie let out a small giggle at Spike's antics; somehow he'd improved her mood with just those few sentences. "I'll apologise in the morning. But right now I think we both could do with a little space right now; I'm just not use to having such a peer around me. Well the offer was there so I'm going to have that bath I've been promising myself since we set off."
"Well I'm going down there. If nothing else I wouldn't mind seeing what's available in this library; maybe they have some comics." Trixie just smiled before heading towards the door that led to the bathroom, leaving Spike to his antics.
Spike retraced his steps back to the stairs and headed down them to the main floor. Halfway down, however, Spike was stopped dead in his tracks with the sight he was witnessing; Sunset Shimmer was cleaning up the main floor of the library using her magic. In one of the most convoluted ways he'd ever seen.
All the moveable furniture was currently suspended in the air while black rubbish bags were getting filled with the leftover debris of the party. Once filled the black bags were tied off before settling down by the main entrance. Finally to make this impressive display of magic even more so, there was a mop going around washing down the floors. And there in the middle of it all was Sunset Shimmer deep in concentration.
Spike thought he was being quiet but apparently not quite enough, as she half turned to face him; a slight smile working its way on her face. It looked suspiciously natural for how much work she was currently doing. "Hello Spike, is there something I can help you with?"
"Well I can see why you weren't worried about tiding up after everyone left. Did you expect an argument with Trixie and planned to use this as a way to vent your frustrations?" He continued down to the main floor and couldn't help but marvel at the display.
"No not at all. I planned to do this tonight after you both went to bed; this is just a convenient use of my time right now." Her voice held the strain of effort, but she could clearly still talk to him while maintaining everything.
"This is quite an impressive display of magic; all the different sizes and weights of the items you've got within your Telekenetic grip, and none of them hitting each other. On top of that you're also manipulating a mop to go over the floor; you've definitely have the Telekinesis spell down to an art." 'It's impressive but nothing that students from Princess Celestia's school couldn't learn to achieve.'
Sunset's forehead was beginning to glisten slightly, even through her fur; but her face remained un-phased and was still smiling lightly, it was a little unnerving. "This is not Telekinesis; but you should go see Rarity if you want to witness that spell as an art form. While she cannot lift excessive masses; her control of multiple objects, precision and finesse are almost mesmerising to watch."
Spike scratched his head in confusion. "What do you mean this is not Telekinesis? You're clearly moving objects around. What, you've invented a slight variation on the spell? Or are you doing a three way split with the Levitation spell; something that is almost impossible to do?"
"Grunt, technically this is only a two point five split. The furniture is only being suspended and nothing else."
Spike was now looking at this unicorn in disbelief. "Seriously, you're using Levitation? Most every scholar agrees that after two times your focus is too split to be able to concentrate on what you're doing, and the spell collapses. I think there has literally been only a clawful of unicorns in all of recorded history, who have managed to demonstrate a three way split on the spell.
"And that is definitely a three way split; you're talking to me while you work and you're making sense. But why bother going through all this though? You're not saving any extra time, and it must be so much harder than just using Telekinesis."
By now all the rubbish had been gathered by the door and the floor had been mopped. Slowly and carefully the furniture was returned to its rightful place and a proud sound of tired accomplishment escaped her mouth. "I am trying to learn how to duel cast."
Spike was once more confused by the mare in front of him. "Aren't you kind of doing that already with that spell; and there are other spells that cast multiple times easily, like Telekinesis, or Major Image. Wait, that's not what you meant, is it? You want to actually cast two different spells at once; you want to, like, Teleport and Levitate at the same time don't you?"
"Well done, Spike. Yes that is what I'm aiming for. Not that combination of spells specifically but close."
An old forgotten warmth developed within Spike at the praise, but he was too distracted by the rest of her statement to fully notice. "Now that is definitely impossible; what, are you hiding a second horn somewhere?"
"My theory is that you do not need a second focus. Spells such as the ones you were first describing already exist and work well together with only a single magical focus; I believe that it is the mind that is the problem. Currently I'm trying several things and hoping that at least one of them works.
"Enough about that though, down here's finally cleared up and ready for tomorrow. Are you down here looking for a book? I do believe we have some comics as well if you're looking to relax. Just the basic ones I'm afraid; those enchanted ones I feel are too dangerous for kids to handle."
Spike was really tempted with the comics and to just relax the rest of the day away; but he knew their time here was limited. "I don't suppose you have a history of the town available do you?"
"Why yes I do. There's quite a few of them, all within the local section here. Most have been donated by the Apple family, since they're the ones who founded the town; with permission from Princess Celestia of course."
"You don't say. Well thank you for your help; I'll just pick one and see what I find." Walking up to the section that was being pointed out to him; Spike grabbed the first book that sounded promising, before making his way back up the stairs to the living area.
Near the top of the stairs he paused and looked back down to the main area of the library where his host was now occupying herself with a book. It was held in a single forehoof as she walked about as a biped like it was nothing; the other forehoof gently scratching the base of her muzzle lazily.
'Is she trying to mimic the way I walk? Trying to annoy me by walking around like that? No, that's not it. If that were true then she would be wobbling, or have even fallen over by now; her posture and balance looks really good, she's not even using her tail as a counterbalance. No, she's been doing this for a long time. Perhaps not quite long enough for it to have become second nature, but she's still comfortable standing like that. Geez, if she's able to do all that magic from before and still able to balance like that without gasping for air; then I hope Trixie decides against that duel.'
He shook her head a little before continuing up the stairs towards the residential part of the tree. But try as he might there was something about that mare that Spike just could not leave alone.
'There's something seriously strange about all this; no way is she just a librarian. She's clearly smart and is succeeding in achieving magical feats thought impossible; she's also got the magic to back up her words. Is she a secret agent or something? I mean Celestia was only slightly hesitant letting us stay with her; that alone tells me that she knows this pony, and even sees her in a good light...Especially without an escort.' His eyes widened with realisation as he plopped back down onto the simple, but comfortable couch; the book still held in his clawed hand.
'Normally, if Trixie goes anywhere she's got at least two royal guards along with her, even myself if I'm going anywhere. But all of a sudden we don't when we're supposed to be staying with a stranger? No, I'm not buying that; Celestia knows Sunset Shimmer and trusts her too, at least to some extent. I suppose the question is how? I've never seen her at the castle and I know Shining doesn't recognise her, so she's not a part of the guard. Urppp-'
A particularly large and long belch of emerald fire came straight out of his mouth and from ashes formed many sheets of paper, with the top one rolled into a scroll addressed to Trixie. Looking the scroll over he saw the wax seal securing the message was of Princess Celestia's cutie mark; this was all from her. The letter was for Trixie and judging from the small frowny face next to her name; it was not a social call.
Looking over all of the other papers it became clear what all this was; it was all of the assignments that Princess Celestia went out of her way to write up for Trixie specifically for this trip.
With a small shake of his head Spike extracted himself from the surprisingly comfortable couch, and made his way to the bathroom door; taking his reading material with him.
"Hey Trixie," Spike asked as he calmly knocked on the door. He waited for the hum of acknowledgment; clearly she had already gotten into the steaming water. "I'm just letting you know that you received a letter from Princess Celestia. It's nothing that needs an immediate reply, so don't rush your bath over it. I've left it on the coffee table for you. I'm gonna go find a quiet place to read." He waited just long enough for a reply before taking the staircase further up the tree. Sunset did say there was a nice star gazing platform at the top didn't she?
Her library was quiet; it sounded like the young dragon had ventured further up the tree and she had already heard the faint sound of running water. With both of her guests occupied for what sounded like the foreseeable future, Sunset opened the door that led to her basement.
Due to the library only having one bedroom, she would be sleeping down here.
The wooden staircase continued its curving path around the primary root system of the tree; as the surprisingly large storage area of the library opened itself up, after descending half the staircase.
It was quite a large basement with a high ceiling and almost had the same floor space as the main floor. The walls were still made out of the tree, but there were thick roots systems meandering along them like support beams; before they buried themselves into the final layer of floorboards. A few small windows were scattered around the ceiling to give what little natural light they could.
Laid out near the stairs was a thickly padded white futon covered in a grass green duvet; all set and ready for her to sleep on. She walked past her resting place, heading towards the back of the room; where a few boxes were stacked on top of one another obscuring the wall they sat in front of.
A quick sweep of her magic aura revealed her destination.
Stuck at head height was a very large cork board holding a map of Equestria right in the centre; with smaller maps of Equestria's external provinces positioned at the outer edges.
Every main city was skewed with a pin, and each pin had a sister securing a sheet of paper. Each piece of paper held place names and dates; some of which had crosses in front of the names. Each set of matching pins were connected together by a piece of uniquely coloured thread.
Sitting to the left of this board was a table, with its surface set up to be a very comfortable writing desk. There was a book set to one side, as well as everything needed to write and send letters to ponies. In between all the stationery and the book, was a blank working space revealing the tables wooden top.
This is Sunset's work station for her most important project; this was her work station finding out her past life. This was the place where she would find her child.
When she first set out on this endeavour of hers, Sunset knew it would be difficult; that it would be full of papers that she would have to go through. What she did not expect was all this resistance from the orphanages.
She had reached out to all of the orphanages in Vanhoover, stating her name and asking if she had been an orphan there. They had all replied back, none of them had records of her.
This confused sunset a little, so she broadened her request to other cities and their respective orphanages, trying to find her home city.
It has already taken a lot longer than she wanted it to, and not just because the postal service was a slow bloated behemoth. Gathering sufficient information from each city to ensure that she does not miss an orphanage is quite the challenge. Then there was the individual research of each orphanage, before finally composing the correct correspondence to get the information that Sunset was looking for; namely if she use to live at said orphanage.
Then it was a waiting game to see what the response was. So far not a single one had any knowledge of who she was; if the letters she received back from the orphanages were to be believed.
Overall she's sent letters to what she would guess was around a third of the orphanages in all of Equestria; not a small amount to be sure, but statistically it was still early days in her search.
The thought of just asking her masters the name of her orphanage did filter its way to the front of her mind; however she was determined to find out on her own. Besides, her masters had never once mentioned the name before, perhaps it was a final test for her; discover her old life from before Predator. Show that she was capable of tracking down ponies with almost nothing to go on.
Settling down to work, Sunset gathered her book and started to take notes for the next orphanage she was getting into contact with. The book itself was a listing of companies within Los Pegasus, and what they did. It was slow and meticulous work going through it and collecting the names of every orphanage.
It was not quite an hour of work later when she heard a frightened scream coming from the upper floors of her tree.
Sunset's head shot up to the ceiling with a frown. Nothing had set of any of her wards protecting the library tree; however as a good host, and as a request from Princess Celestia herself, she wasn't about to take any chances.
Leaping into a battle ready stance Sunset cast her Teleport to the living area of the tree; the last place she had seen her guests.
"What, what's wrong?" A quick scan of the room told Sunset that nothing significant had changed in the time that she had been gone. None of the windows appeared to be damaged, there were no scorch marks to indicate an attack; everything looked fine. The only thing out of place was a small stack of paper sitting on the coffee table.
Sitting on the couch was her guest Trixie. Well not sitting so much as trying to scrunch up into the couch's corner closest to her log burner. She was currently staring fearfully in Sunset's direction; while resting innocently next to her, on the other large cushion of the blue couch, was a scroll of parchment.
The tapping of clawed footsteps could be heard running as quickly as they could from the stairwell leading up the tree; however they appeared to be getting louder instead of quieter.
'Must be the baby dragon, Spike, coming to see what was wrong as well.' Sunset thought as she slowly started to relax her four legged combat stance; her ears still swivelling around, still trying to detect if there was anything amiss.
"Trixie, are you all right? I heard you screaming all the way from the basement." Sunset asked the scared mare, who was trying her best to squeeze in between the couch cushions.
"Oh, she's finally gotten around to reading Princess Celestia's letter. From the little frowny face I saw on the scroll, I'm guessing she wasn't happy finding all of Trixie's assignments still in the castle." The smirk that graced the young dragon's face told of an interesting story, one Sunset may ask about another time.
But from what he had said, Sunset was slowly piecing together the chain of events. "Let me guess. Princess Celestia, I don't know, went into Trixie's room and found all these assignments still resting on her work desk. Assignments that the Princess had taken time out of her very busy schedule to bulk draft for her pupil, so that she keeps up with her studies while out of the castle.
"Felling a little miffed she somehow sends it all the way here with a note attached stating, what, that before she left it would have been ok if only half of them were completed upon her return. Now Trixie has to complete all of them by the time she returns to the castle, or there will be a punishment of some sort."
As Sunset was stating her finding's Spike had continued crossing the room towards the couch. Picking up the note left abandoned on the large blue cushion; he gave the royal letter a quick read. That Trixie hadn't already snatched it out of his paws, told him it was ok to read; or that she was still in shock.
"Wow, not too far off Sunset. Celestia did go into Trixie's quarters after a tip off from one of the maids about the stack of paper. She sent everything through me thanks to the Fire Sending spell along with this note stating, you guessed it, that all the assignments are now due upon her return to Canterlot. Well Trixie, at least you're in a library."
"Indeed Spike. Trixie, you have total access to all the materials in the library. If we don't have what you may need, then just tell me and I'll get them from Canterlot; though they will need a day to get here for a rushed order. And when you're ready to ask, I'm also here to help.
"However I think my help is not yet wanted; so I'll leave you alone. Spike, how high can you cast your fire breath?"
"What? Oh, umm pretty high. A few meters at least."
"Perfect. I am going to go for a walk to allow Trixie a nice peaceful environment to work in. Spike, if I'm needed please launch your fire from the top of the tree as high as you can. I'll see it and teleport back here in an instant.
"I'll let you know when I return and I shall also setup your bed, Spike, down here; but other than that I'll see you both in the morning for breakfast. Speaking of which, if you want, help yourself to anything in the kitchen if you need to; there's coffee, breakfast tea, as well as jasmine tea, and coffee. Not to mention all the leftovers in the fridge."
With everything set, and the mention of pleasant dreams; Sunset teleported herself to destinations unknown.
"Woah, Hey Trixie did you see that; Sunset just teleported right out of here. I didn't even hear it cast, or anything. Well, I guess that proves she's not all talk, eh Trixie. Trixie? Hey, are you all right? Come on, sure you forgot to take your assignments with you, and now have a third more work than you were expecting; but that's no reason to have a panic attack?"
Spike was a little worried at Trixie's lacklustre response; he climbed up onto the couch right next to Trixie, waving his paw in front of her face.
This finally got a response. Trixie released a shudder and shook her head rapidly before locking her eyes onto Spike's. "Spike that Sunset Shimmer is no normal mare. Her teleports are silent!"
"Well, yeah I noticed that just now. She didn't make a noise when she teleports-"
"No noise? No noise! Spike, there was no magical build up when she teleported! Everypony emits magic when they teleport; both at their destination and their starting location. The magic joining the two places vibrates like a string and is something magic users are able to detect with the right training. But hers were silent! No vibration of magic when she teleports! No magical build up at her destination! That's impossible!"
"Well clearly it's not; she just did it, twice."
"Well it's supposed to be impossible! Even Princess Celestia can't do something like that." Trixie was breathing heavily, her mane had hairs springing out of position and her eyes had an almost manic look to them.
"Uh, look I'll go get a pot of that jasmine tea on for you. Why don't you calm down, do some of those breathing exercises that Cadance showed you. Then we'll tackle your assignments together; try and get a few of them done tonight, ok?" Spike didn't wait for a response; he leapt off the couch and quickly made his way over to the kitchen area and started rummaging for the tea pot.
Maybe he should stay quiet about what he saw Sunset Shimmer trying to accomplish down in the main library area. |
My Most Faithful Mortifer | Chapter. 18 – Calm Skies | Chapter. 18 - Calm Skies
The ornate wooden door was slammed open, hammering into the expensive panelling of a princess's bedroom. So much force was applied to the door it would have been ripped from its hinges, were it not built with an alicorn in mind.
The powerful unicorn stallion took no notice; he continued his ponderous destructive pace. Thundering hoof steps were striking down on the polished wooden floor as a black smith would with their hammer upon the anvil.
With a predatory leap the white furred stallion launched himself at his target, burying his muzzle deep within the soft tender textures. He bellowed a war cry fill with both pain and frustration in equal measures, before tearing his face away. One of his forehooves was brought to bear and struck down again and again, the innards of his victim coming forth quickly and messily.
It was a gruesome sight, made even worse as the muzzle dove back into the stricken foe; where this time it stayed buried deep and getting covered in the delicate stuffing.
Noise was heard from the doorway, but if the predator took notice he did not show it; too busy in his own world of anger and frustration, the kill having done nothing to extinguish the burn of his emotions.
"So, has destroying one of our pillows calmed you down at all?" The voice was calm but filled with both understanding and frustration of its own. It has seen this alpha male rend the life out of a helpless inanimate object before and knows the answer.
"...No." It was clear from the voice that he did not want to respond to his own alpha standing by the door; even muffled by the feathers and cloth that his latest victim was made out of. He knew not answering would get him nowhere.
There was a clear resigned sigh before the tell-tale noise of hooves calmly walking over polished hardwood could be heard. The noise was soon muffled as the prime alpha's hooves transferred to the large plush rug that the king sized bed rested upon.
The whole surface he lay upon started to rock and move as his alpha climbed onto the firm, supportive surface. Still he did not remove his face from his quarry; though how the rest of his body was acting, it wasn't hard for his wife to see that he was hurting. Forehooves covering his head, shoulders tense, even his tail was trying to hide between his legs -currently splayed out and resting flat against the duvet covering the mattress, much like the rest of him.
The softest of feather coverings blanketed his back, with it the calming sent that only one being in all of creation wielded. A hoofed limb followed the feather blanket, resting on his shoulders and giving him a gentle squeeze. These actions soothed the savage beast. These small affectionate actions told him that he wasn't alone; that there was someone else feeling as frustrated as he was currently.
He let out a long suffering sigh into the beaten pillow.
"Come on Shiny. I know this investigation has not gone as you wanted it to go; but you shouldn't take it out on the defenceless furniture."
"Better a helpless pillow than antagonising Eye Spy or her team again." The voice was muffled -Shining Armor still hadn't pulled his face out of the beaten pillow- but it was clear it held the air of frustration. "I mean it's been months; we've looked though all of the official records of every single orphanage in Equestria and cannot find a single trace of this Sunset Shimmer.
"What's worse is that there is no consistency with the reporting. And it was all legal and hiding a much more immediate problem that needs our attention." He finally takes his face away from the mutilated pillow to look into his wife's loving eyes. His own furrowed brow relaxing more with every moment that passes, just looking into the eyes of his loving wife.
"I know Shining; I was there and saw it just as you did. That there have been so many different changes to their reporting paperwork in periods as small as a year; it really cannot mean their up to anything good. Eye Spy had no choice but to investigate these very questionable activities; the report is already in aunt Celestia's hooves, along with a request for immediate assistance from the Royal Guard.
"Who knows, she may over rule our decision to change focus and bring us back to hunting down Sunset Shimmer's background. But honestly I don't believe so; these are just too blatantly questionable activities to ignore. Chuckle, who knew the downfall to so many nobles, would come from the hooves of orphans and their orphanages filling in adoption paperwork."
Shining Armor did allow a small chuckle to escape his lips before his sour mood took over once more. His body was just as restless as before, but with his wife now present he could not take it out on the helpless pillows. He slipped out of her tender embrace and started to pace around the bed, his head shaking back and forth with the disturbing thoughts.
"Well, hopefully now Celestia will really see what we've both been trying to tell her. Geez, I can't believe how big that number Eye Spy told us. At least five hundred missing colts and fillies throughout all of Equestria, spread out over the past twenty years. It's a horrifying number."
Cadance stood back up and joined her husband, stopping his pacing at the base of the bed that was large enough for a fully grown alicorn to rest upon.
"And those are just the new ones we've found out thanks to the initial findings of the investigation. Add that number to our own list of missing children, and the total is reaching into the six hundreds." Cadance was starting to shake slightly, the quiver clearly heard in her own voice. "So many helpless children terrified, lost and probably alone out there. Oh, Shiny how could we have failed so many of them?"
It was Shining Armor's turn to comfort his wife; bringing her into his strong forelegs, resting her head on his shoulder. "I don't know, but the Nobles have a lot of explaining to do.
"It just felt like we were so close to restarting the hunt for her, and now this has popped up and no doubt delayed the search even more."
Cadance simply hummed in agreement; her mind only half listening as she thought of all those young children being abandoned or lost in amongst the paperwork...lost or stolen?
"Shining, what if the missing orphans are not simply missing? What if they've been taken, stolen from what they knew?" She could feel Shining Armor tense up, his grip on her tightening and his breathing becoming steadily more ragged.
"What? Like what happened t, to Twily?" His grip on his alicorn wife was growing stronger still; holding onto her tighter than a pony desperately holds onto a life preserver. Small trails of smoke were beginning to rise up from his mane; his control slipping as the whiplash of emotions takes him in yet another direction. Cadance saw these warning signs and brought her wing up and wrapped it around him once more, using it to gently stroke his back. The trails of smoke were still there, but they did not appear to be getting any larger.
"Kidnappings are rare enough, rarer still th, that a filly is kidnapped. Now, we find all these other children missing, slipped through paperwork. What's to say these events aren't connected? Just like what you've been teaching me; I'm trying to find a motive to these strange occurrences?"
"If they're both connected, then I may finally have a new angle to look for her." Shining leaned out of the embrace a little; still holding onto his life line, but was now able to fully look into her eyes. Those tear stained portals to the soul had an ember of hope about them. "We might have finally found a new lead!"
He leaned in and kissed his wife with renewed life and passion. She returned it with a small hum of approval, before pulling out of it. "Now hold on, Shiny. This could be totally unrelated; it's just a thought I had right this second."
"Your right Cady, but still this is a legitimate connection that we have to keep in mind. Perhaps not right at this moment; but if things start to turn any more sinister, then it is something we can expand upon. Thank you Cady!"
Shining started to pull away, renewed determination pouring off of his frame; he was stopped, however, by the pink wings of his wife still wrapped around him. "Shining, you've been up for almost twenty hours now. Your emotions are everywhere and Eye Spy and her team are no doubt still angry at you for your outburst earlier. You need to stop and rest; maybe let out some steam."
She was pulling him back towards the bed, her light blue magic working on the bed sheets, turning them down and removing the battered pillow. "You've been getting more and more worked up as this assignment has gone on; and now your emotions have whiplashed back to hope and happiness."
"I'm fine."
"I'm the alicorn of love, I can see emotions. But I do not need those powers to see your left ear twitching, or feel the slight tremor travelling down your spine. Or that your mane is still emitting a small trail of smoke. I can read you like an open book and you, my dear husband, are going to have another breakdown unless you take some time to relax and calm down."
With just the right amount of force; Shining Armor was launched into the air by the forehooves of his wife and sailed across the full length of the king sized bed. He landed with only a little too much force into the bed's padded headboard, a gust of wind focused his mind before a pair of hungry lips claimed his.
"Why don't you just sit back and let me help you unwind a little. Honestly, I could do with a little stress relief myself as well." His wife's magic aura activated once again and all the lights of the room were snuffed out. Shining Armor did not get much sleep that night, nor did his wife Cadance; though you'd not hear either of them complaining.
The sun rose over the small sleepy town of Ponyville; the sky was filled with patches of cloud and the wind was gusting with chilled air. Winter was very much around the corner today. Ponies of the town could be seen wearing a little more, trying to keep the chilled breaths of air off of themselves.
The market was set up and already serving the early risers of the town. It is where a fiery maned unicorn was browsing the stalls, though clearly waiting for somepony. She was one of the small number of ponies of the town who had not yet dived into at least some of her winter clothing.
"Howdy Sunset, don't normally see you out and about this early. Did you forget to buy breakfast for you and your guests?" Applejack had just finished serving a smiling Mr. Carrot Cake -who waved with a "good morning" as he passed Sunset- and had now turned to the amber unicorn.
With a practiced flick of her hoof, Applejack sent an apple flying right towards the mare in question. As the apple flew through the air, it was surrounded by the unicorns raspberry coloured magic before any harm could befall the mare in question.
Sunset Shimmer took a generous bite of the apple; it was crisp and the flesh held a most satisfying crunch, before a small trail of juice trickled down her chin. She nodded in approval as she sent the required bits over to the blond maned farm mare.
"Morning Applejack; no I've think I have everything I need for my guests. They were still sleeping when I woke up, and not wanting to disturb them more than necessary, left after preparing some breakfast for them. Nothing too fancy; just some pancakes and toast with a pot of your zap apple jam. It's all under a preserving spell to keep it all fresh and hot."
"Not the jam I hope, Sugarcube. That jam curdles faster than milk on a hot day if it's exposed to too much magic that's not its own."
"Don't worry it's not under the spell; it wasn't hot so I didn't bother. Actually I'm meeting Rarity and Fluttershy later for our weekly trip to the spa. I'm a little early, so to pass some time I'm doing the rounds of the market before seeing Rarity at her boutique.
"Have you ever thought of joining us? I can honestly say, as an athletic mare, that their sport's massages do wonders. They're not the most relaxing, but once you're done, you feel soo much better. That and it's a nice way for us to catch up. It's a different experience than when you Rainbow and I get together for a run, or one of your Iron Mare contests. Or whatever party Pinkie Pie finds an excuse to invite us all too. What do you think?"
"I dunno, maybe once winter comes around and I've got a bit more free time on my hooves. But right now, with apple bucking season in full swing, I just ain't got no time for a bit of pampering." Sunset could see that Applejack was at least a little interested in the idea; but her duty to the farm clearly came first.
"Well, just keep it in mind. The day changes week to week to fit our schedules; so if you do have a free morning coming just double check it with Rarity. Also as I've said before, if you need a helping hoof on the farm -be it magical or not- just give me a shout."
"As I've said I'll keep that in mind. Now run along, you hear. You're distracting me from my customers." While it was said with a smile, there was just a hint of frustration appearing in her eyes. Sunset waved goodbye before trotting off to her next destination.
"Welcome to the Carousel Boutique; where everything is, oh Sunset good morning. I'm not late for our appointment, am I? I was sure I still had time." Rarity was immaculate as always, regardless of a tape measure slung over her shoulders. Sunset honestly wondered why Rarity went through all the effort of tidying herself up, before going to the spa; where they stripped all of her work away just to apply their own polish.
"Morning Rarity; you're not late, I'm a bit early. My guests were still sleeping and I didn't want to disturb them so I came by ahead of schedule. I hope that is ok?" Sunset was presentable in her appearance, but her mane was a little dishevelled and her fur not quite up to the standard of the mare in front of her.
Rarity just smiled and led Sunset up the stairs to her work room. "Not a problem at all, darling. I was just doing some work on a few Nightmare Night costumes I've been commissioned to do."
The two unicorn mares entered a large space covered in fabric of all colours and materials. A long work table by the room's large double window held a few sheets of purple fabric, with chalk markings indicating places to cut.
"It is a little unusual for me to get commissioned for Nightmare Night costumes; but Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon both want to be princesses, and of course only the best for Filthy Rich's little filly and her friend.
"Speaking of which, has the Mayor contacted you about helping out this year?" Rarities horn was glowing with her light blue magic, levitating a nearby pot of coffee and two cups over to her work station.
"Yeah she talked about it, but she's already got all the volunteers she needs to escort the kids to the Nightmare statue. However she did ask if there was anything I could do magic wise to spice things up this year." Sunset accepted the cup of coffee with practiced ease, before she started to add sugar.
"Well that sounds like a fantastic idea. Have you, giggle, conjured up any ideas for what you would do?"
"Well, you've got the standard spells for things like crating fog, making crow noises or even sending cold chills down ponies spines; but I feel like I should show off a little. Maybe I could animate piles of logs into Timber Wolves, or possibly enlarge a few spiders to web up the place? Oh, maybe I could make illusions of Nightmare Moon run about the place scaring everypony? What do you think, any of those sound good?"
"Well, that last thought may have some merit; perhaps even expand on the idea to include other myths like the Headless Pony for example." Rarity gave a slight involuntary shudder at the thought of giant spiders running about the place. "Provided, of course, all these illusions are completely harmless and not so graphic that the little colts and fillies will have actual nightmares. Nightmare Night is meant to all be in good harmless fun." Rarity blinked, "darling, are you sure you have quite enough sugar in your coffee?"
"Yes Rarity, thank you...unless you have any condensed milk? I'm not the biggest fan of coffee, too bitter, so I like to add a bit of sugar and even a little condensed milk to sweeten it up."
"All right then. In future I shall remember to give you a cup of sugar so that you may add your desired amount of coffee to the cup, rather than the other way around. Though I do have to admit to be impressed with how, well, how much you have added without any of it spilling." The sarcasm went right over Sunsets head as she delicately took a sip of her much sweetened coffee.
"So anyway, Sunset have you had a thought of what you'd like to dress up as? Perhaps dye your coat to those softer lavender colours you were wearing thanks to that dreadful Poison Joke flower incident? While the bat ears must have been a problem, the colours did look good on you. And of course those darker shades will certainly help you blend into the shadows more than your bright and striking mane and coat."
"I'm afraid I won't be doing any fur dyeing for my costume; I'm very allergic to most dyes I've put on my coat."
"Oh my, even Goops All-Natural Dyes? They pride themselves of being totally natural and completely magic free."
"It was their dye that I found out with. I got exposed to one of their month long dye's as a filly; the next thing I know the worlds starting to spin before I find myself waking up in the medical wing. Don't know what it is about those dyes in particular but they do not agree with me; the reaction was bad enough I've never even considered any other dyes since."
"Oh dear, well I'm glad you had people around you who could help. I'm afraid I haven't had anything nearly so traumatic as that happen to me, but-" whatever Rarity was about to say was silenced by the stampeding little filly unicorn barging her way into the work room.
"Rarity! I need your help! I can't find my homework! I really did it this time. I spent hours last night doing it, but I can't remember where I put it. Please! You gotta- Oh. Uhh, good morning Miss Shimmer. I didn't know you were here." It was quite the interesting sight for Sunset; seeing such an active and almost destructive force of nature suddenly becoming more timid than a rabbit.
Rarity, on the other hoof, let out a sigh of exasperation. "Excuse me a moment Sunset; I seem to be needed. Ok Sweetie lets retrace your steps last night and we'll do it together."
"But I've got no time! School's starting soon! Can't you write a note to Cheerilee saying that you saw me doing it?"
"Umm, perhaps I can be of assistance?"
"While that's very kind of you Sunset, you do not know the layout of the carousel like we do and I suspect this might take some time."
"Or, if Sweetie Belle can remember what it looks like I can use Scrying magic to help find it."
Hope was blossoming within the young fillies eyes. "Yeah I remember exactly what it looks like! How are you going to do this magic." The stampede started up once more and launched itself toward the amber unicorn; thankfully stopping before they collided.
"Well close your eyes and focus on your homework; get a good mental image of it. Can you picture it?" the filly nodded. "Good, now I'm placing my horn on your head, but keep that image of the homework in mind. Now I'll just add a little magic; and voila." Almost as soon as Sunset powered up her horn, sheets of paper appeared floating above her glowing horn's tip.
Sweetie Belle's eyes snapped open; there it was, floating just a little above her head and held in place by a raspberry glow, was her homework.
"THANKYOU!" Sweetie pounced and wrapped her hooves around in the gentlest headlock Sunset had ever experienced. It was over before Sunset knew it, as the small filly snatched up her homework in her mouth and ran back out of the room.
"Well that was very kind of you, Sunset. I suspect you'll be one of her favourite adults for some time thanks to that trick. But goodness is that the time; I've got to drop off Sweetie at her school.
"Sunset, why don't you accompany us? After we've dropped off Sweetie Belle we can go pick up Fluttershy from her cottage. A brisk walk to and from Fluttershy's cottage will no doubt pass enough time for our scheduled appointment with Lotus and Aloe. And while you no doubt get all the exercise you need, a brisk morning walk will certainly do me some good." A walk actually sounded good to Sunset right now; she was getting a little fidgety for some reason.
Sweetie Belle appeared quite happy to be escorted by both Rarity and Sunset, so much so she pranced on the spot a little before catching herself. With the two porcelain white unicorns dressed in stylish scarves to help ease the winds chill, the three of them set off into the bright, if gusty, day.
With a mouth splitting yawn, revealing teeth no pony wanted to see, Spike untangled himself from the covers of his temporary bed. It wasn't the greatest bed he'd ever slept on, but it was clean and the duvet was comfortable enough. Rubbing the sand out of his eyes, the sight that lay before him was a little bit of a surprise. There was breakfast waiting for him.
Due to the library only having a single bedroom, his host had graciously offered the room to Trixie. At first it was meant to be for both himself and Trixie, but that idea was changed when Sunset Shimmer saw that he was a guy and Trixie was a girl. Instead she rearranged the furniture of her living room before teleporting down the makeshift bed she had set up for him; landing it nicely in front of the cast iron log burner where her couch used to be. That was pushed back to the space between the writing desk and the built in book shelves behind his bed's position.
It was strange sleeping in such a quiet place; Canterlot always had something going on, even in the early hours of the morning it was quite possible to hear ponies walking past. But here, in Ponyville, there wasn't any of that. The night was as peaceful as sleeping in the castle. More so actually because there wasn't even the sound of patrolling guards plate mail to disturb the silence. It took a while to fall asleep thanks to that.
Spike appreciated and enjoyed his bed a little too much but normally if somepony came into his room, he'd hear them moving about; triply so if they were carrying a plate of freshly made pancakes near his sensitive nose. But here somepony had walked past him, made breakfast for them all and then left again; all the while without disturbing him in the slightest.
'Man, Sunset Shimmer can be really quiet when she wants to be.'
He walked over to the main table by the large window and indeed saw breakfast waiting for him. There was a small pile of pancakes and toast along with a pitcher of orange juice, a pot of tea judging by the smell, some maple syrup and a jar of a very interesting substance.
"Hey, how does she have a pot of Zap Apple Jam? That stuff's almost impossible to get a hold off."
"Yawn, morning Spike. What's got you so excited this morning?" Stumbling down into the living area of the library was his latest friend Trixie Lulamoon; wearing a pair of almost childish looking set of pyjamas covered with images of sleeping ponies. Surprisingly her mane was in very good condition, considering it was clear she had just woken up as well.
"Somehow, Sunset Shimmer's got a hold of a jar of Zap Apple Jam for us to have with breakfast." That news brought life back into the still sleepy mare.
"Really?! Doesn't that stuff cost a small fortune back in Canterlot?" she trotted over to see if it was true or not. Spike had already opened the jar and had taken a deep sniff of the contents.
"Oh yeah, that's Zap Apple Jam. I've not had this since the last time Princess Celestia got some for the castle. See, even the label's right, 'Filthy Rich presents Sweet Apple Acres Zap Apple Jam' right here with their fancy labelling and everything. There's no way this could be a fake."
"Well, there's only one way to properly find out." Trixie's magic brought over a knife as well as a piece of the rustic toast, before spreading a generous amount over the top. As the rainbow coloured compote was spread over the lightly toasted piece of bread, tiny sparks of coloured magic were emitted as the individual stripes were place onto the toast. Every single stripe was still individual and separate when the knife finished its task; exactly as it should be.
The final test; a big indulgent bite.
"No doubt Spike, that is Zap Apple Jam. The big question now is how did a librarian get a jar of it; these things are expensive. Oh well, let's not look at that gift horse in the mouth," and with that she grabbed another piece of toast as well as a few of the pancakes and tucked in. Spike was right behind her.
The breakfast dwindled down between the two of them and they discussed what the plan was for the day; until Spike came to a startling conclusion. "Wait, the Zap Apple Jam comes from Sweet Apple Acres, right? Well, I was reading a book on the history of the town last night; donated by the Apple family.
"What if that's were Sunset Shimmer got the Jam from? What if Sweet Apple Acres is here in Ponyville? It'd give us a reason why Princess Celestia likes this town; and if they are here I'd certainly put them in charge of catering, if the rest of their stuff is as good as this jam."
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Spike. We'll go to Town Hall and get that confirmed first, as well as information for decoration, music and whatever else we'll need the town to organise. But your right, if Sweet Apple Acres is here I am completely on board with them handling the catering." |
My Most Faithful Mortifer | Chapter. 19 – A Brewing Storm | Chapter. 19 - A Brewing Storm
"Dear Aunt Cadance and Uncle Shining,
"It has been three days since Trixie and I came to Ponyville and as you requested I am now writing to you for a generic update on how we're doing. Honestly there is not too much to say, really; but no doubt you won't accept that answer from me, so instead I'll give you a rundown of what we've done and found.
"Ponyville is a nice place; very quiet, but weirdly not as peaceful as you'd think. While the ponies are friendly there are more than a few characters that 'spice' up the town. The most boisterous is a group of three fillies called the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders.' They're actually good fun, but their antics are something to be believed. The three of them do not have their cutie marks, hence the name of their group; so to try and find them they will attempt anything and everything.
"The most recent one was something called 'Cutie Mark Crusaders Basket Weavers.' Sure this sounds innocent and uneventful; but they somehow managed to completely cover themselves in tree sap, set alight to over a dozen baskets before somehow rescuing a few of the baskets by means of fishing poles and the local river. Amazingly they weren't even grounded, because all the damage was focused on the things they had made themselves. They were occupied for the rest of the day after the incident, scrubbing out the sap from their coats.
"Everything else has been pretty smooth going, honestly. We discovered that Ponyville is home to Sweet Apple Acres, the makers of Zap Apple Jam; so as you can imagine we got them to agree to do the catering for next year. They accepted and even asked if they could branch out and get help from some of their other family members as well as the town; so really by hiring them, we've managed to get the whole town involved in the catering, which is cool.
"The town's decorations have been assigned to a mare called Rarity; as she is the only pony in town that's prestigious enough to keep the nobles happy. She is actually a really, really impressive dress maker, who specialises in embedding gems into her designs. She's the one who taught our host, Sunset Shimmer, how to look for gems for me. Isn't that generous of her; not that I'd expect anything less from such beau talented mare.
"Moving on, music and entertainment is proving a little difficult; there have been a few good leads, but nothing that will please everyone. It has gotten to the point that Trixie and I have been brain storming about having multiple acts; but for that we're going to have to return and talk to the committee about this idea.
"The rest is all straight forward; the Mayor is, of course, delighted to host such a prestigious event. The weather teams have all been prepped and are planning the weather leading up to the big day. So really we're almost done with our initial scout of the town; probably another day or two and then we will be on our way back to Canterlot.
"As for our host, Miss Shimmer has been very accommodating for us; to the point I feel a little sorry for her, honestly. The Golden Oak Library is an actual tree house, as in a house made within a giant tree; and because of that Miss Shimmer has been sleeping in the basement while Trixie is using the master bedroom, and I myself am sleeping within the living room/kitchen.
"Actually Miss Shimmer is a genius; after the first night sleeping on a military cot, I was a little sore, tired and not really looking forward to sleeping on it again. Miss Shimmer must have noticed my mood when we sat down together again at dinner, because she excused herself to go and see one of her friends.
"She comes back twenty minutes later being accompanied by a pegasus called Rainbow Dash and floating next to the two of them is a piece of cloud perfectly sized for me. Here's where her genius comes into play; she enchants a spare sheet with a long lasting cloud walking spell over it. So from then on I have been sleeping on an actual cloud, and it has been amazing! I think even Trixie has been jealous of my bed; I think I'm actually going to miss it.
"Truthfully we do not actually see all that much of Miss Shimmer. She's up and working by the time Trixie and I get up -which is another thing; Miss Shimmer must be a ninja or something. Everyday so far she has to walk past me - to get to the kitchen- while I'm sleeping, prepare some breakfast for all of us, before eating hers and casting a preservation spell over the rest and then leaving again. All without disturbing me in the slightest.
"Anyway, she's working by the time we get up in the mornings; and then is out having a walk right after dinner and doesn't come back until after dark. I can't say for certain but I think she's trying to avoid Trixie; they had a slight argument the first night we arrived (it was totally Trixie's fault) and while things have calmed down, I think Miss Shimmer feels it is better to give Trixie space. Which is ok with me, because I keep staring at h there's something about her I think I don't trust.
"She's polite, been more than accommodating and helpful when asked; but then she also has this knack of appearing out of nowhere (and not just because she is crazy good at teleporting) whenever we really could use her help.
"Like this one time when Trixie and I somehow (and don't ask me how it happened) got lost and ended up inside the Everfree Forest. After trying to find our way back out, we stumbled across a clearing and just beyond that was a patch of pretty blue flowers. We were going to investigate them when out of nowhere Miss Shimmer turns up and tells us not to touch them.
"Turns out the flowers were Poison Joke, (neither Trixie nor I could recognise them at the time, I swear!) then she escorted the two of us out the forest and back into town.
"When I asked what she was doing in the forest; she told me she was visiting a friend called Zecura who lives in there. At first I thought it was strange, but the ponies in town confirmed that there was indeed a zebra living in the forest and that her name was Zecura.
"So it could have been a coincidence, but there have been a few other situations like it (nowhere near as severe) where she turns up to offer a helping hoof; and as uncle Shining likes to say, 'Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time its enemy action.' Not that I'm saying she's an enemy, quite the opposite; but there is something about here that feels a little off, you know. Like how such a clearly talented unicorn is satisfied with working in the public sector as a librarian.
"Well I can clearly see that I am rambling, and this is the third attempt at writing to the two of you. So I am going to call this letter done here before anything happens to this thing and I have to start all over again,
"Give aunt Celestia (I still can't believe your making me call her that) my regards, and I will see you all again in a couple of days at the latest.
"Your favourite nephew, Spike
"P.S - Trixie says hi and could you pass on to Princess (her words not mine) Celestia that she, once again, apologises for leaving her assignments back at the castle. That she's only two thirds through them is something that I wish to add to this missive. (And before you ask; yes, I am also about two thirds done with mine.)"
Princess Cadance let out a wishful sigh as she read the letter from Spike. It sounded like he was having a good time in Ponyville; making some friends around his age in the form of these 'Cutie Mark Crusaders,' and it appears this mare 'Rarity' has captured his heart, at least a little. She released a small giggle when she noticed that scribbled out word. 'Oh Spike, you should know that no one can hide love from me, especially when I care about them.'
"Well Shiny, it sounds like they're having a good time at least. Let's hope that can last." Cadance's gaze travelled away from the innocent letter to look at her husband, sitting next to her on the love seat within their quarters of the castle.
His worried emotions were not nearly as well hidden as hers were. "I don't like this Cady, not one bit. The two of them should be immediately recalled."
"It's too late for that now. Any movement by the guards will only hurt them."
"We let them go to some Podunk town alone and unguarded; I should have at least gone with them." He huffed as he crossed his arms over his barrel. His wife just looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Hmm, the former Capitan of the Royal Guard escorting two individuals by train. No, I can't think of anything more suspicious than that. Sigh, you were the one that requested they be allowed to live their lives without this knowledge burdening them."
"Yeah, when they were still in the castle, or moving around Canterlot. I could have had ponies watching them for anything suspicious; but now they're on their own and defenceless. Cady, they haven't had any significant training in self-defence. Yes, I know they are both strong and can look after themselves; but we're not talking about something minor. This is a serious threat."
"Which is why we have the dummy teams. I don't like this any more than you do honey, believe me I don't; and nether dose Celestia. I want them both here right now wrapped in my forehooves, safe and sound; but you were right, they need to be able to live their lives."
"I just don't want them..." he looked away from his wife's understanding and forgiving eyes. "I just don't want to lose him." His voice was low and sounded defeated saying his true thoughts out like he did.
"I know, Shiny. I know. But they're both friends now, and if one of them is in trouble you can bet the other will try and rescue them. You more than even me should know how loyal Spike can be to ponies he cares about; and yes he cares about Trixie."
Shining Armor hung his head in shame at his words; he quite liked Celestia's student, she was quite the character, but with this latest development... "I just can't believe that they've set their sights on her now of all times." His eyes moved on their own accord to the door where their study was. Within that room, sitting innocently on his desk, was a copy of a letter; an innocent letter depicting a sinister promise.
He sighed before refocusing his sight onto an unknown spot somewhere in the air above his head; his mind going over what was known about this latest problem.
"One week ago the castle receives an anonymous letter stating the planned killing of Princess Celestia's student; Trixie Lulamoon. The letter was examined and confirmed to be an authentic calling card of Equestria's most wanted known killer; the Violent Rose."
This is where his wife picks up the path where his mind is travelling. "It was decided between Princess Celestia, Capitan of the Royal Guard, and us to keep this situation quiet from Trixie; both for her piece of mind, but also because of her habit of running head first into questionable situations. You yourself agreed with all of us that while her sense of humility is doing much better, her bravado and self-righteousness would demand that she be out there trying to defeat them."
"So instead we have two other teams pretending to be her -one here in Canterlot and another who has gone off to pretend to be in hiding in the town of Hollow Shades- while we have sent her off to the quiet town of Ponyville on a believable mission for her to do. What I have a problem with is that they are still without a guard." Shining Armor feels his wife's hoof gently pat his shoulder in understanding.
"Yes Shining, having them be escorted would be safer; but we're trying to keep them hidden. Double bluffing that Trixie is off on an inspection mission to the next location of the Summer Sun Celebration unescorted is a risk; but if we want her to live her life that is what we need to do.
"The two other teams are much more believable to be her considering the threat and in each location we quietly established traps to try and capture this killer; again making them seem more believable. Besides, Trixie and Spike are not unguarded."
This was clearly something that had been bothering Shining Armor for a while now. His horn blazed to life with a light raspberry aura as the whole sweet was covered in layer after layer of protective shielding. Again and again, the elaborately decorated walls of their private living room were covered in a deep pink aura matching what was being emitted from the unicorn's horn.
Before Cadance could say anything a dome of magic appeared around the settee that the two of them were resting upon; and the whole process started up once again. Shining Armor was sweating hard and his breathing was ragged by the time he was satisfied.
"There, huff, that is every single Barrier, Shield, Obscurer and anti-Divination ward I know; custom as well as stock. Pant, cast three times over. Huff, there is no way anything can see and/or hear us without my knowing. Phew, not even Aunt Celestia could get through all that without alerting me. So, are you finally going to tell me what both yourself and Celestia have been hiding from me about this Sunset Shimmer pony."
Cadance reached out with a hoof, "Shiny it's not that simple..."
"Of course it is Cadance. I am former Capitan of the Royal Guard, now forcibly retired from the position when I became prince consort to you; there is no higher clearance level that anypony can attain. Are you telling me that this mare is so much of a state secret, that literally only Celestia and yourself can know about her?"
"Well, no. Members of Celestia's private guard know of this secret as well-"
"And I have a higher security clearance level than they have. Sigh, Cadance is it really such a dark thing to know about?"
Cadance wilted under his honest, but determined eyes. "Shining, this really is a big secret that will have a very negative outcome if our allies get even a hint that we have such a thing. If you really, truly need/want to know about it I have Celestia's permission to tell you. However in less than a year we're both hoping this big secret will be dissolved and it'll be much safer for me to tell you about it then."
"In less than a year? You mean this is connected to what's going on with the Summer Sun Celebration?"
Cadance shook her head, "no Shiny, they are not connected. This is something else that requires the celebration to happen before it can be dealt with. I know you're not happy about not getting the full story of what's going on with the celebration; and no doubt this is yet another secret that will leave a sour taste in your mouth. But I promise you there is nothing you can do with the information right now; if anything you knowing could actually affect the outcome. Well at least the piece that partakes to the Summer Sun Celebration."
"All right Cadance. I do trust you and Celestria as well. If you are sure there is nothing I can do with the information, then I believe you. I just don't like feeling helpless, you know." His body language was one of defeat and begrudging acceptance of the situation.
Cadance hated to see her husband like this; she knew he just wanted to help the best he could, even if it was something as simple as holding a shared burden of a secret. Perhaps there is something she could share to help ease his conscience.
"Shiny, if all this gets too much for me, I'll tell you; but as I said, hopefully, this will all be over within a year. To help you worry just a little less about Spike and Trixie; I'll tell you just a little about Sunset Shimmer. Remember this is still a major secret; I suspect that you'll eventually be able to figure some of it out. So I trust you to realise that others will be able to work it out too if this is talked about.
"Your light hearted joke about Sunset Shimmer being a secret agent is not too far off from the truth. She is not a secret agent; however she has had significant training. If what Celestia told me is to be believed -and I have serious doubts about how truthful this is- Sunset Shimmer can hover in place for an estimated five hours before tiring."
"What?! None of our pegasi troops can come anywhere near that level of hover time, not even General...wait that can't be right? Sunset Shimmer is a unicorn, isn't she?"
"Shiny, I would find that a difficult workout; not impossible sure, but certainly a workout. But you're also right, Sunset Shimmer is a unicorn. Apparently she developed the spell Polymorph so much that she has actually grown her own pair of functional wings with instincts."
This just frustrated Shining Armor even further. "But that doesn't matter. She could develop literally perfect wings with that spell and still not be able to fly. That's not how they work; they require pegasus magic to actually function."
"Well she's managed it somehow according to Celestia, and she wouldn't lie about this. She's also the one who suggested Sunset Shimmer as a contact from the start; so she must see something in her that's trust worthy. But you see what I mean, right? If she can hover that long, then her well spring is more than a match for most everyone."
Shining just shook his head, "wellspring size is not the only factor. In fact it is only a minor factor; the biggest factors are training and experience."
Cadance simply smiled. "While I cannot vouch for her experience; I can say that she's had as good a training regime, if not better, than our Royal Guard. I can also say that her training specialises in defeating powerful foes."
"Better than...ok let's say I believe you about the training and the wellspring. We're talking about fighting an assassin; somepony that we've never even seen before.
Cadance gave him a reassuring smile. "Trust me when I say, I believe those two are in safe hooves."
"My Dearest Princess Celestia,
"It is I, your humble servant who gives you not what you want, not even what you need, but what those with the power request. Now I have been quite the busy bee recently, as I'm sure you are at least partially aware, and it took until now for me to realise that an important anniversary slipped past without my noticing. Now do not worry your beautiful head off trying to remember what it could be; I remembered and that is all that matters, for I am going to give you a special gift in celebration of it.
"In fact, this is a gift that has been requested for quite some time, so not only am I going to be making your day special, I shall be making someone with power happy as well; because they gave me quite the bit of said power some time ago to give you this gift. Ah, but that was their fault for not specifying a where or a when; that would have required more power from them.
"So rejoice for while my next rose is still not meant for you, its intended is one you hold close and dear. Ah, how lovely it shall look my soft, delicate and beautifully coloured Fleurs Vertes; resting peacefully upon the cold, still azura coat that is Trixie Lulamoon.
"Oh, I guess I spoiled the surprise; but then I would hate for you to be bored. So prepare your guard all you like; have your student hounded at all hours. I will be there, unseen, waiting for the perfect time to strike; and when I do there will be a beautiful rose resting upon her still chest. Oh I cannot wait.
"Your most beloved servant, The Violent Rose."
Celestia finished re-reading the letter and placed it back down onto her desk. A weary sigh escaped from her mouth as a hoof was brought up to rub her eyes; things just seemed to be getting more and more complicated.
She flung her head back in exasperation.
"The Violent Rose is as arrogant as they are dangerous. Not much is truly known about them, though it is suspected that they are male due to some of the wording within their 'Promise Letters'. Their calling card is a rare and uncommon light jade coloured rose named Fleurs Vertes; it is found on every one of their kills.
"Enough evidence has been discovered to confirm that they are a pony but tribe is unknown; due to the versatility and difficulty of the murders, however, a Unicorn is the most likely suspect.
"He's been quiet for two years, and then three murders within three months; all with his signature rose, all proven to be his calling card. Predator has confirmed that he is not one of theirs or that they have no knowledge of who he is. They have also confirmed that his style, while effective, has nothing in common with their own ways; further separating themselves from this monster.
"That they finally have a defensive agent once again hopefully means that situations like these will become a thing of the past. Sigh, a part of me wonders if my interference with Sunset Shimmer has prevented her in tracking this monster down and disposing of him.
"Oh Philomena, why are things never straightforward and simple. This was supposed to be a quiet planning phase so that the Summer Sun Celebration goes off perfectly. But not only do I have to keep an eye on a very deadly pony, I've also got to deal with this pain in the flank trying to kill my student."
Celestia looked over to her long-time friend and familiar; the sight was not a pleasant one. Philomena was clearly getting on in her years with this latest cycle; not quite time for a burning day yet, but Celestia was certain it would happen within the next few years.
Intelligent golden eyes looked over to her companion and long-time friend. With a few squawks along with several motions of her whole body; she responded to her carer.
"I did not jinks myself and I most certainly will not reap whatever my words sowed. Nothing about this situation is my fault. Sigh, but nothing I can do now will alter the course that fate has taken us on."
A few chirps and a whumph from a wing was the response from the large fire bird.
"Yes, I have a pony there who I suspect is more than capable of handling the situation; I just do not know how much I can trust Sunset Shimmer. While dedicated to the betterment of Equestria, Predator is still just a highly trained group of assassins. While it is clear that Sunset Shimmer is a good pony at heart - that she still thinks of other ponies even with her lack of emotions is proof of this- I cannot bring myself to fully trust her."
"Squak, ruffle ruffle churp."
"Sigh, no I do not know what Violent Rose is talking about with an anniversary. There are too many events that he could be talking about, it is almost impossible to narrow it down to a single incident. Especially since he said it was a missed one." Celestia moved her gaze towards the large glass doors where the balcony lay.
The sun was bright and shining happily down on the ground below. There was a few clouds around and every so often the streak of a pegasus flew past; there was rain scheduled for tonight in Canterlot.
The paperwork was forgotten as the noise of the doors being knocked upon engulfed the private chamber. With royal approval, the doors opened almost silently into the room; revealing the stationed pair of golden armoured guards opening said doors with a hoof each and one other pony.
The pony brought a small smile to Celestia's face, as they were a very familiar face. The posture and gate were immaculate and precise; each step taken into her office was with practiced precision. Time has not been merciful to the unicorn stallion, however; the once glistening, slick backed, black mane was a distant memory. Now just as lovingly looked after, but the white wash it had received did not do it justice.
Matching the degrade in colour was his coat and body; while both still in perfect presentation, the bold white of their coat had lost its sheen and the body as a whole was gaunt and clearly slowing down.
Coming to a stop a respectful distance away from his princess, he bowed his head deeply; amazingly keeping his monocle in place without any use of magic that Celestia could see.
There was a definite rasp and slight airiness to his voice; but every word was spoken with exactness and clarity. Clearly Quick Quill was getting on in years and ready to retire, but his performance in his duties was still second to none.
"Princess the delegates from Moodrid, along with their retinue, are resting comfortably after their journey to Canterlot within the ambassador suits five and six. The castles kitchens are currently preparing a formal dinner which is due to take place at the later time of ten this evening; as is custom for the people of Moodrid.
"There is scheduled, before your late dinner, some entertainment from ourselves; we have the Canterlot Royal Orchestra preparing some of your favourite pieces from throughout your history. However we have received a request from the ambassador, they wish to put on a performance as well."
Celestia's ears perked up a little to the news, "as I'd imagine they would. Their national dance of Flamenco is a powerful performance. Their ponies have also come a long way in the art of Dressage, if the rumours are true. Did they specify what the entertainment would be?"
"They did, Princess. However the delegates wanted it to be kept a surprise for you, so you shall have to wait and see." He rose an eyebrow ever so slightly above his monocle at Celestia, "besides; I know how much you like surprises.
"Regardless, with this slight change in proceedings I am afraid the function shall be starting as soon as you are done putting the sun to bed for the night. I suggest that you begin to prepare yourself now while you have the time to do so. I fear it shall be a long night ahead. Shall I arrange the baths for you?"
Clestia nodded her head, before watching Quick Quill leave her office. She let out a small tired sigh before looking back over to Philomena. "Sometimes, I hate what I've become. I cannot assist in protecting my student right now; all because some cows wish to discuss the possibility of the idea of emergency water relief, in case their current drought gets any worse. It's not even an agreement; just the vague idea of the possibility of an agreement.
Philomena was looking at Celestia in disbelief before a quiet squeak was emitted.
"What? They are actually cows. Moodrid is a nation of both cows and earth ponies. Did you think I was insulting them? Sigh, I just hope I've played this correctly; I do not like trusting such a wildcard. But Sunset Shimmer is, perhaps, the only pony available to me that could both keep Spike and Trixie safe, as well as capture the Violent Rose."
Philomena took off from her perch and landed on the desk in front of Celestia. She cooed softly as she rubbed her head over Celesita's neck and barrel, trying to give some comfort however she could.
"Thank you Philomena, if for nothing else than allowing me to vent a little; but I better get moving, or else Quick Quill will start having kittens if I'm not there soon."
Philomena chirped once again, this time with clear intensions.
"No, Philomena, as much as I'd enjoy whatever it is your thinking of; the delegates from Moodrid are particularly thorny. They are renowned for holding grudges. I spent far too long getting back into their good graces; I don't want to lose it again. Especially since I believe tension will rise next year." Celestia gave one final winged hug to her pet before rising from the desk.
She had obligations ahead of her; ones that she would have enjoyed had they come at a more convenient time. 'Global politics waits for no pony; not even me, the alicorn who raises the sun and moon for them all.' |
My Most Faithful Mortifer | Chapter. 20 – The First Flashes (Part.1) | Chapter. 20 - The First Flashes (Part.1)
The day was getting a little long in the tooth; the library was soon to close but it was actually one of the busiest times it had been since she had taken up the post. The cause of so many ponies borrowing books was a fairly obvious one; the forecast for the next few days was scheduled for rain, so what better activity to do on a rainy day than get comfortable with a good book.
But no matter how many ponies walked through the door, be they quiet and understanding, or upfront and demanding; Sunset Shimmer could not get over the letter she had received earlier that day. It was an innocent letter from Las Pegasus and was sent to her by one of her friends from where she had grown up.
From what the letter said her friend was finally able to save up enough money to go and visit the 'Water Park of the Desert.' It sounded like it was a fun place to visit, though perhaps a bit too loud and busy for Sunsets liking.
That and every place out there seems to want nothing but your money...Still it's a place to consider if Sunset's coffers ever get too depleted; she had yet to find a more proficient poker face than hers, and with her intelligence she doubted counting cards would be very challenging.
She stamped the return card of the final book of the day and joined the grey coated earth pony mare in walking to the main door of the library. With a wave of her hoof goodbye and a flick of her horn the library was officially closed for the day; so now Sunset could finally focus completely on the letter.
Her friend had obviously had a good time at Las Pegasus and couldn't wait to tell Sunset the story; but that's all it was, a story.
Oh, by all means the trip could have happened and Sunset did know the pony that wrote the letter quite well; but if the trip was a real one, then this letter had taken years to get to her.
That was not the reason why she was now in her basement and re-reading the letter over again. No it was two paragraphs in particular that needed her attention. By this point in the letter her friend was describing a bad time with a few inebriated stallions, and was clearly venting.
"I'd imagine myself removing / dealing with annoying stallion's everyday. Strutting horrendously, trying every backwater thought stealing oxygen. Stupid random airheads, xenon billowing extroverts; always using alcohol, an impractical overbearing bothersome nuisance."
Sunset could not help but shake her head in amusement; her friend had indeed worked herself up a little and her dyslexia was revealing itself a bit here. It showed up again a paragraph or two later; when she went on to talk about how no pony there could brew tea, and had asked Sunset to save her from the drought.
"Please bring oolong; ethanol emitting acrid tasting shit. Everypony brews rancid tea, makes Panda's instantly enjoyable; unbelievable knowing killer anthrax openly swallowed nowadays."
Ah Panda eyes, a bulky white earth pony with black patches around his eyes; his face really dose look like a giant Panda's. He also cannot make tea to save his own life.
The walk down memory lane aside, the rest of the two page letter was nothing but filler. Sure the writer's dyslexia appeared now and again further on, but nothing came out of them. These two paragraphs were the sole purpose of the missive.
This was orders from her Masters, this letter was from Predator.
"Immediate threat to Trixie Lulamoon. Protect her. Remain unknown." Sunset whispered to herself, after double checking that she had not missed anything else from the letter.
'The timing of this is quite interesting. A mission to protect Trixie when she is staying with me; I wonder if somepony arranged this, or if it really is a coincidence. But orders are orders, and this has every security check to confirm that it is legitimate.'
Sunset revealed her basement's work desk once again and placed the letter back into its envelope before dropping it unceremoniously into one of the drawers. The letter had served its purpose and she will dispose of it completely later, but right now she had a mission on hand, and a target to defend.
Opening a second drawer on the desk, Sunset pulled out a single strand of vibrant light blue hair; one collected just this morning from the bed Trixie was sleeping on. Her focus gathered Sunset activated the divination spell Scrying.
Her magic mingled with the hair within her hoof before, acting almost like a mist, it extended above the focus and formed a wavy circular viewing ring.
Within a circular frame of her magic above the blue hair focus, Sunset could see that Trixie was in the company of Spike and Fluttershy; and from what Sunset could work out, they were at Fluttershy's house.
The image was not terribly clear, cracks of purple appeared over the image along with similarly coloured static now and then, and there was also no sound to accompany the image.
Sunset sighed, the focus was at its absolute limit; any more magic, or if Trixie moved significantly, the spell would break and the hair would disintegrate. Hairs really were not good as a focus, but it's the best Sunset had; she'd already checked for anything better that she could have borrowed without Trixie noticing its absence.
The image flickered again as Trixie started to follow Fluttershy across her small bridge; but as she reached the other side the spell gave out in a puff of smoke and it, along with the hair, dissolved into the either.
The downside of Divination magic, Focuses can be destroyed if the spell is interfered with, or unstable; and that casting was clearly unstable.
But regardless Sunset had a lead of exactly where Trixie was now; all that was left was to find who was trying to hurt her and stop them.
The afternoon train from Canterlot arrived at the sleepy station belonging to Ponyville. There were a few ponies scheduled to get on, mostly earth ponies; and there were a few unicorns and a pegasus or two, though they were outnumbered.
But there were also a few ponies leaving the train; again mostly earth ponies, like the yellow coated mare or the deeply red stallion with a long slate grey mane. A little stranger was the lone pegasus stallion wearing a cloak or the three unicorns that also departed from the train. Still the passenger count was no more than what was normal for this time of day, at this time of year.
The lone conductor standing on the platform thought nothing of the few ponies that had come to see Ponyville, regardless if they were wearing cloaks that covered most of their bodies, or had big black saddle bags that blocked their cutie marks. The ponies came and went from the platform, and the day moved on exactly as the train was doing now.
"So Fluttershy, Rarity was telling Spike and I that you have the perfect accompaniment to the Princess raising the sun." Trixie said as she followed the shy pegasus along the path that led out of town. While the path travelled close to the Everfree forest, it was actually a rather pleasant and scenic trail that had just recently taken them all past the apple fields of Sweet Apple Acres.
"Oh well I don't know about that. But some of my bird friends wanted to start a choir together; so I've been acting as their conductor. I've only told Rarity and Rainbow Dash about it, so I don't know if it really is as good as the two of them claim."
"Training birds to sing together, regardless of how you achieve it, is a really impressive feat. If you could get them to, I dunno, sing the tune to the national anthem; then I think it would be a great accompaniment to Princess Celestia raising the sun." Spike added from his perch upon Trixie's back. Currently his head was deep within the confines of a local history book, but he was still listening enough to add his two bits every now and again.
Trixie rolled her eyes, "the lazy stowaway is right. But that's why we're accompanying you right now; provided you don't mind showing us, of course."
"Oh no, I don't mind. The whole town is helping out in the celebration in one way or another; hopefully this could be my little participation to the festivities." By now they had crossed over the small bridge separating the public path from Fluttershy's abode.
As they continued around to the back of the house, Fluttershy could no longer prevent her curiosity any longer. "So Spike what are you reading there?"
"Hmm? Oh, uh this old thing, it's called 'Equestria's Lost Provinces' its part of the Ancient Equestria series. Miss Shimmer order this copy for me from Canterlot . I'm just studying up on the ancient history of the area."
"Oh, what's got you interested in the history of Ponyville?"
Spike shifted around slightly before deciding on the truth of the matter; there was just something about Fluttershy that he trusted. "Well, it's just that I was wondering why Princess Celestia chose to change the location of the Summer Sun Celebration from Canterlot; and to choose such a small town like Ponyville compared with any other city in Equestria. So I'm looking up as much history as possible to see if I can find out the answer."
Trixie looked back to Spike, her expression clearly wondering if saying that too Fluttershy was a good idea. It disappeared quickly though, it was too late to take back what he had said now.
Fluttershy on the other hoof, appeared to take the information to heart. Her expression became thoughtful, before finally a small frown settled on her face and she slowly started to shake her head. "I'm sorry, but I have no idea. You do make a good point though. My best guess would be to ask Granny Smith, since the Apple Family is the longest living family of the town. But anyway, if you could just wait for me here for just a moment, I'll go gather my friends."
Fluttershy left the two just outside the small green thatched cottages back door. There were dozens of little animals running around the place, and just at the forest line was a brown bear foraging for food, completely ignoring the much smaller critters. Did it just wave to a passing by white rabbit?
The two scouts did not have to wait long before Flutterhshy came back with a pouch of bird seeds, a small metal baton, and an interesting looking music stand. There were six small horizontal arms divided into three rows of two, each one set back slightly from the pair in front.
Once setup the buttercup coloured pegasus used a wing to gently tap her conductor's baton onto the frame. Within moments almost a dozen birds of different colours, sizes, and species came eagerly down to the stand.
What followed was a wonderful melody of birds singing, conducted expertly by the pegasus. It was sweet and melodic with each of the different bird songs matching harmoniously; the performance left both parties in a very pleasant state of mind once it was finished. When Fluttershy turned around, she could not help but let out a small giggle at the expressions on their faces. She even raised a hoof to cover her mouth, in a futile attempt to block the noise.
"So did you like it?"
The question brought them both out of the stupor they found themselves in, with Trixie being the first to respond. "That was incredible. Do you think you could train them to sing the national anthem? If so then I fully support your birds singing when Princess Celestia raises the sun."
It was quite the strange sight that appeared over Fluttershy's face; an interesting mixture of pride at her achievement, happiness at being able to contribute to the festival, and utter terror of participating in such a prominent position. Eventually it settled on a small prideful happy smile, being covered by her long pink mane.
"Umm, thank you. Uh, as for teaching them the national anthem? S, s, sure, that should not be a problem. Oh, oh actually it's almost winter so, so a good number of my friends here will fly south for the winter. I st, still believe it is possible, but their performance might not be as good as this one. I'm sorry."
"No no, that's ok. So long as you get your friends here as close as possible, that should be fine. If by the week before the celebration and you still think it'll not work, then you can swap over to this number. Honestly I still want this to go with the Princess raising the sun."
Trixie's complement was clearly conflicting the shy pegasus, but the enthusiastic nodding from Spike eased Fluttershy slightly, he was just such a polite and interesting baby dragon. "Well, al, alright I'll do it. I will need to get additional seeds for them all if I start teaching them now; since I'll be taking time away from them preparing to fly south. But I think we'll have enough time before the celebration."
"Oh well I think that is something we can help with. We can arrange to have whatever you need delivered to you; provided, of course, it is directly used for the preparation of the Summer Sun Celebration and within a certain amount of funds." Spike interjected, feeling glad that all the preparations are finally more or less completed now.
"Oh no, I couldn't possibly ask for that."
"Sure you could." Spike reaffirmed, while putting the book he was reading back into his backpack. "Honestly out of all the funding already being arranged for the ponies setting up the Celebration, I think an extra bag or two of seeds a week will be rather small potatoes in comparison.
"Why don't I go down and arrange things with the shop that you buy your supplies from, that way it's all set up and ready for you when you need? I'd imagine they know what kind of seeds you normally buy?"
"Well, if you're sure it won't be a problem; I get a lot of my animal friend's supplies from a stall in the market place not too far from Applejacks."
"Right well I'll go and see them right now." Fluttershy raised her hoof to try and interject, but the little dragon had already run around her house and was now out of sight.
"But, they'll be closed by now. Umm, Trixie do you think we should go after him?"
Trixie shook her head, "naa, let him find out on his own. He gets like that sometimes; he thinks he knows exactly what to do next, but forgets the small, simple things. Such as making sure the market stall he's looking for is open. In the meantime I'm going to slowly start making my way over to Sweet Apple Acres to talk to Granny Smith like you suggested. You're welcome to join me if you want?"
Fluttershy, however, shook her head. "No, I've got my friends here and they look eager to start learning. If it's all right with you I would like to start teaching them the anthem now."
"That's fine. If I miss Spike on the road and he comes back here, just let him know where I went. I can't imagine he'll be long once he sees the stall has closed though."
Fluttershy was more than happy to do this; so with a wave of her hoof, Trixie set off to see Granny Smith. Hoping this lead will bear fruit; the books available in the Golden Oak Library so far had not.
"I'm afraid Granny Smith won't be able to help you there, sugarcube. While she's mighty knowledgeable about the Apple Family's history and doubly so when it comes to farming apples; the area's history was something that she never took an interest in. That's how the Golden Oak Library got a lot of its history books.
"Now if Goldie Delicious was here, she might have something that could help ya. Unfortunately she's off to a cat lover's convention and won't be back in town for another week."
It wasn't a long walk towards town before Trixie found herself back on the property belonging to the Apple family. She'd seen Applejack hard at work bucking the few remaining trees containing apples.
It was a testament to how much earth pony magic the family had between them, that there were still pristine looking apples to be found on trees this close to Nightmare Night; though there weren't many left.
Trixie couldn't help but let out a snort of frustration. She was almost at her wits end; thanks to the delicate balancing act between completing all of the assignments given to her, and researching why the Summer Sun Celebration was being held here of all places.
The two were interrupted by the strangest of noises. It was kind of like a thud, only it had an airiness about it rather than a solid impact; the noise had clearly come from a little bit of distance away, but it was still noticeable enough. It was followed by a quiet whooshing noise that was gradually getting louder. Both ponies were confused by the sounds and were moving their heads about to see if they could find the source of said commotion.
It was a small glint from the air that caught Applejacks attention first; looking up it was all she could do but stare in shock, mouth hanging open. Trixie only had time to notice the dumbstruck expression on the earth pony's face before impact.
Thankfully there was a softness to whatever it was that hit her, before the final thud of something hard. She couldn't make out anything; whatever it was that hit her had also done something to her eyes. Her vision wasn't blacked out, but the light was certainly diluted by the white stuff now covering her face.
It was also more than just her face, she could feel that this stuff was all over her; muffling her ears, covering the vast majority of her side, and even her underbelly. Some of it even got into her mouth.
It was cool, it was gloopy, it was sticky as well as drippy. It was, sweet; quite a pleasant taste to it actually. A small tentative sniff, doing her best not to inhale any of it, revealed something rather rich. Again there was a sweet scent to it; and was that, vanilla?
Eventually her scrambling hooves managed to remove enough of the stuff from her face so that she could actually see what was going on. Staring upon her forehooves, Trixie was confused when she found them covered in a combination of white and yellow substances, along with something crumbly and brown.
A lot of the ground around her was also covered in this strange mixture, with more than the lion's share on the same side as the impact just earlier.
An unexpected weight was lifted from her shoulders suddenly, before the hollow sound of a light metal impact clattering could be heard around her. The sound was muffled slightly as Trixie realised some of this stuff managed to get into one of her ears; the newly discovered sensation sent a shiver along her spine. It was not a pleasant feeling. The stuff had to be removed.
"RAINBOW DASH! PINKIE PIE!"
The angry voice next to her finally snapped Trixie out of her surprise fuddled stupor and she looked over what had happened. The scene her eyes settled on made her wonder if she was still in a stupor.
Covering both herself and the farm mare next to her, was a large mixture of whipped cream, yellow custard and scattered remains of a crumbly pastry. Lying on the ground was an impossibly large pie tin, traces of the assaulting concoction were evident on its inside.
She had just been struck by a comically oversized custard cream pie.
The sound of laughter finally managed to worm its way past the remaining mixture still stuck in her ears, and the confused face she was wearing was turned into a frown.
Her eyes followed the stomping of hooves, as the enraged farm pony marched over to the tree line; where a pink pony and a light blue pony were half rolling about the foliage. Right next to the two laughing hyenas was a metal barrel of some kind, with what appeared to be a red streamer sticking out of it?
The frown morphed slightly before a glint found its way into her eyes, and revenge was planned out.
"What do you two think you're doing?!" Applejack whisper shouted at the two laughing mares. "It's bad enough you go and do a prank like that, but you hit one of the organisers for the Summer Sun Celebration!" The area between Applejack's snout and her eyes was becoming noticeably redder; a vein appeared to be trying its very best to burst, and her eyes were burning with frustration and anger.
"Hey, uhh, farmer pony, could you move?" Before Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash could say anything to the enraged farmer, or even before Applejack could build a good head of steam; the shout from behind her stopped everything and the three mares looked over.
What they saw was nothing special, Trixie was still standing in amongst the gory remains of the pie attack, still covered in its innards, but there was something different. Her face had a small smirk about it, her eyes contained an edge to them, and her horn was glowing a soft pale pink.
Applejack just stared at her fellow victim before pointing at herself with a hoof. "Yeah you, could you more a little to the left please?" Confusion was clearly written on Applejacks face, but she complied with the request. The air shimmered once Applejack had sufficiently moved away, but at the same time nothing had changed with the scene before them.
It was almost as if there was a line on the ground and when something crossed over it, the image in front of the three friends shattered. Trixie was still in the same place, and while still covered in the pie goop, was noticeably cleaner. The ground around her was even cleaner, with only small traces of the offending pie around the place; other than the oversized pie tin still resting on the ground.
The reason for the area's cleanliness was currently about a meter or two away from the two pranksters; and was still travelling at speed right for them. The whole blob wrapped in an aura matching the magic from Trixie's horn.
The impact was not hard, but it was messy. If the two pranking ponies were standing, they may have been knocked over; but because they were on the ground still, the only thing that happened to them was a very similar fate to their targets.
It was the angry farm pony that broke first and collapsed onto the ground; holding onto her sides for dear life, as she struggled to take a breath in between the raucous laughter bursting out of her. It was here that everypony else caught up in this two way prank, joined in with the air stealing laughter.
"Oh, am I interrupting something?" The four ponies had eventually calmed down and were now by the big red barn washing themselves down. They were using the same equipment that was almost exclusively used by the three fillies known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Looking over at the softly spoken voice, they all found Fluttershy walking along the driveway towards the farm house.
"Na, Sugarcube. Just cleaning up one heck of a prank, done by these two menaces." The soap covered Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie wore Cheshire grins of honour.
"Ok, umm Miss Trixie, do you know where Spike is? It's just I was wondering, since he's not back yet, if he managed to get a bag of seeds for me. It's just my friends are refusing to do any more practice today unless I supply them with enough seeds."
Trixie, who was rinsing off in a tub of magically warmed water - the magic supplied by herself; to save the farms wood supply as well as her own time waiting - blinked at this statement, before magically creating a time piece. It was getting rather late in the afternoon.
"No I haven't seen him. It doesn't take that long to get to the market and back, does it?" She received confirmation from all the ponies around her, "and he would have noticed us if he went past. And your house, Fluttershy, is hard to miss from the road...Just where in Equestria is he, then? I swear if he's somehow managed to get lost..."
Anything more that could be said was interrupted by the sound of two sets of hooves running along the road.
Coming down the farm's drive at break neck speed were both Applejacks older brother Big Mac, and beside him was the porcelain white unicorn mare, Rarity. Trailing behind the red stallion was a cart, which was almost launched into the air with every one of his powerful strides.
"Landsake Big Mac, what's got your tail in a twist?" Applejack shouted to her brother. His direction changed with her shout and he was now heading right towards the group of mares by the barn.
It was clear now that Rarity was carrying something in her magic, suspended above their heads. As the two drew closer the clumped rag took the shape of a backpack, one that was quite familiar to Trixie; it was old, worn, and clearly custom made for Spike out of a filly's saddle bag.
There was a depiction of a very dull and muted purple star, faded to almost nothing by time and trips through the washing cycle. This was the backpack that Spike wore, a lot. One that was very precious to him, regardless of how old and shabby it was.
"Huff, Huff, we found this bag lying on the road just out of town. Phew, Big Mac recognised it as the one Spike was wearing as he was running around the market earlier." Big Mac confirmed the story so far. Rarity brought the bag closer to everypony there to see. The flap was open revealing a book and an unusual green rose, with its long stem acting as a bookmark.
"We basically came across this together at the same time; Big Mac recognised it and knew who it belonged to, but didn't know where to find you. I knew where you were, well at least I thought you were at Fluttershy's house, but I also know of this rose." Rarity had regained her breath back, but her face was still ashen white and very fearful. "My dear, this rose is the calling card of the murdering pony for hire called 'The Violent Rose.'"
Nearly all of the ponies in the group looked at Rarity with confusion, the only other pony to know what she spoke of, was Trixie.
"The Violent Rose? Here? What's he doing in a small town like this?"
"Isn't it obvious? Somepony must have set him on your trail. Or Spikes I guess since this is clearly his calling card, and this is Spikes backpack."
Trixie shook her head, "no. If that monster was after spike, we'd have found the body along with the rose. That is his MO. This is a trap, and Spike is the bait."
Rainbow couldn't help herself. "What are you two talking about? Who is this 'Violent Rose,' and what does he want with a baby dragon?"
Rarity huffed, "The Violent Rose is the most infamous pony there is, to those ponies in the know. He kills ponies for money and then leaves his calling card, a rare green rose called Fleurs Vertes. I had hoped to never see one in my life..."
Trixie was nodding along with the explanation; however there was a small frown on her face as she was focused on the backpack. She carefully removed the book from the bag while still keeping the flower exactly as it was, trapped within its pages.
She had never heard of the Violent Rose using hostages, but that could also be just because they never survive. It was even less known that the killer considered focused collateral damage a perk of the job. So while it was not heard of for him to take a hostage to lure out his prey, it was certainly within the realms of possibility.
Gently setting the book flat on the ground cover up; Trixie kept her Telekinesis active while grabbing one of the brushes from nearby to rest the rose on top of. This was done to ensure the rose did not move, so that any hint the killer might have left would be as clear as possible.
The book was the same one Spike was reading earlier, the same one specially ordered for him and had only just arrived this morning from Canterlot; Equestria's Lost Provinces.
Opening the hardback clue at the page indicated; Trixie found that the stem ended right bang in the middle of a paragraph, part way through the chapter dedicated to the Everfree Forest of all places.
Her care with the rose was rewarded, for the paragraph talked about a specific set of ruins found within the forest.
"I know where he is." Trixie's voice was quiet, but it cut through all the conversation around her, stopping it instantly. "I know where he's taken Spike. He's gone into the Everfree Forest, to the ruined Castle of the Two Sisters." |
My Most Faithful Mortifer | Chapter. 21 – The Dance with a Devil (Part.2 ) | Chapter. 21 - The Dance with a Devil (Part. 2)
The eerie stillness of the Everfree Forest was known to scare ponies by simply being there. No great scares, no hidden menaces, just the stillness of the air as a whole; that has been known to turn expedition parties from their planned adventures.
It is yet another piece of the truly wild magic that is contained within the infamous forest, which pony kind just cannot comprehend. This silent terror, however, can be easily defeated...
The balding under bush of this untamed forest was smashed aside without being noticed; a clear path of destruction can be made out, that travels back all the way to the forests edge. Even beyond the border the trail can still be made out.
The fabled juggernaut that is storming through unhindered in question was a humble pony on a mission. Her violet eyes were focused, the brows down, with the lips set in determination. The azure coat of the pony in question was littered with a few twigs, some clinging leaves, and even a trace or two of white cream.
Her head glowed briefly with the highlighting colour of pale magenta; it wasn't the most complimentary colour with her very light, almost white, sky blue mane. However the flash of magic whooshed her a meter to the side; her strides still going just as strong as the pistons from a locomotive, while preventing her from running right into a tree twice her width.
All of these actions went almost unnoticed by the unicorn in question; her mind was too focused on saving her friend. She was lost to the memory that was being replayed; the memory of the past few minutes.
Everypony around Trixie was acting uniquely around her; Applejack and Rainbow Dash were arguing between themselves about taking on such a deadly foe. Rarity was currently trying her best not to hyperventilate at the realisation of being so close to such a deadly individual.
Pinkie Pie was trying her best to calm down Fluttershy, success appeared to be an optional objective there. The only stallion there, Applejack's older brother Big Mac, appeared to be the calmest; removing the trailer that was still attached to him, before walking over to Trixie herself.
"What ya gonna do?"
His voice was masculine, his accent was deep, his vocabulary was small; but his eyes understood. There was a far greater intelligence behind them that his build, or speech would suggest.
The voice broke through Trixie's air of despair. She blinked and stared at him fully, focusing on the jade green eyes that said everything will be ok.
Trixie blinked again, before determination took a hold of her being; Spike was her first friend, and she was not going to abandon him.
"Big Mac, go get the guard. Tell them what's going on and to start heading to the ruined castle." He nodded before galloping off as fast as his powerful build allowed.
The big red stallion running off drew the attention of every other mare there. Trixie, however paid them no notice, she was already moving towards the black skeletal trees that separated Sweet Apple Acres from the Everfree Forest.
The girls might have said something, but Trixie was no longer able to make them out; the pounding of her heart was too loud to make anything out. The quiver of her bottom lip reverberated throughout her, being drawn right down her legs and into the supportive earth; her legs started to move on their own accord.
The world was narrowing, a shake of her head did nothing to widen her vision; there was a noise again, but her ears were too pushed back onto her head to make anything out.
Her legs were moving her forward, and their pace was growing at a steady rate; even more noises were heard, but she just flat out ignored them. A blue obstacle appeared in front of her, her speed was not significant enough for such an obstacle to be much of a challenge to go around; she did increase her pace to make up the time wasted.
Trixie was moving at speed now, not quite a full gallop but still an impressive speed. The world around her was blurring past, she thought she saw something white or another thing that was pink; it felt like the two things were trying to stop her.
A sudden jolt from her tail slowed her down, but did not succeed in halting her. The pain was noticeable and growing rapidly with each of her hoofsteps, but Trixie could not stop now. Spike was in danger.
Her only friend was in danger.
Her horn lit up and a spell matrix was worked out within an instant, and she Quick Stepped forward; freeing her tail from the obstacle and allowing her hooves to keep running. Now at a full gallop, Trixie smashed into a bush that separated her from the Everfree Forest; she kept on unopposed, and the bush was badly ruffled.
Another Quick Step bypassed the mess of shrubbery that almost bordered an obvious trail; a significantly clearer path that lead deeper still into this wild and predatory forest.
Her pace was unwavering, but Trixie's mind was working overtime; it had finally realised just how deep into this death trail its body had ran. So it was now having the eyes, ears, and any other sense it could, look out for danger.
Trixie's breathing was increasing to the point of panting; her brow was sweating more than it had ever done previously. Eyes were trying to search all around her while also keeping track of the trail she found herself on.
Her determination had changed; every shadow was now an enemy in waiting, each rustle was an ambush preparing to strike. The scent of old decaying wood was overwhelming; and all that remained of the previous pony to have ventured this far.
Trixie's heart was beating even faster now, trying its absolute best to escape out of her chest. Her pace was faltering; the strong sturdy pistons of her legs were shaking themselves apart.
More rustling could be heard, but her eyes couldn't track it.
The forest was dark, and nothing looked familiar. The wall of brown was looming in every direction, reaching higher and higher into the abyss while at the same time closing in and confining her movements.
Trixie had come to a complete stop; her breathing was erratic and getting worse, her body was hot and sweating but could not fight off the cold no matter how hard it tried. Her eyes swept over everything they could, see all they could but not registering anything.
It was getting darker; she was struggling to see clearly. Wanting some light, any light, Trixie tried to ignite her horn with magic; it was proving very difficult. The small, faint glow that she managed made things look worse; the shadows were deeper now, more defined and prominent.
Gnarled and spidery claws could be made out in the dim pink light; large enough to pick up a pony, long enough that escape was a distant thought. They were reaching, stretching and heading right towards her.
Trixie couldn't catch her breath, couldn't get enough oxygen. There was blackness around her vision, and all the magical effort she could muster was the faint glow of her horn. Faces could be made out from the wrinkled walls around her; piercing demented eyes of every shape, crooked and warped snouts detached from the open black voids that wanted to eat her whole.
There was noise now; so many pitches and moans coming from all around her. Getting louder and louder as the horrific monsters came out of the dried blood coloured walls; dried blood on the walls, fresher looking blood on the dry, dusty floor. Trixie could smell the old decayed iron of the blood that was now surrounding her.
Trixie collapsed at long last, using what little strength she had left to make herself as small as possible; she couldn't breathe, her vision was darkening, she couldn't even feel her magic any more. The blood covered monsters were right at her vision, twisted, gnarled and with open voids for mouths; ready to devourer pieces of her.
She was going to die, just another pony killed by the Everfree Forest. Trixie could feel a tear escaping her eye; not for her own death, but because she couldn't save Spike. She couldn't save her friend.
Her last thought was a wish, a wish that her friend Spike would be rescued.
"HEY TRIXIE!"
Trixie's eyes shot open to find pink eyes staring directly into her own. A blink and cyan fur could be made out, framing the face that was slowly backing away. The pink eyes were still worried, but less so now that Trixie was responding to the pegasus in front of her.
"GUY'S, SHE'S OK!"
The rough voice was angelic to Trixie's mind as she took steady breaths, calming down her frazzled heart. Her limbs, however, were still not ready to cooperate and felt weak as she tried to sit up.
"Hey, take it easy. You were having a fit or something when I finally reached you."
The rainbow maned mare helped Trixie into a more comfortable sitting position; and Trixie was finally able to see around her again. Gone were the monsters coming out of the blood soaked walls, gone were the walls. Instead she was surrounded by old trees with crooked branches, and the odd hole in their trunks.
The bloody floor beneath her was just a dirt path, hued in pink light. In fact all around her was hued in pink light. Trixie's eyes followed one of her hooves as it reached up to touch her horn. Pink light was clearly emitting from the magical appendage and it felt warm to the touch; a sign that it had been used fairly extensively recently.
The surrounding undergrowth was rustling up a storm as several other voices could be heard getting closer fast.
"Yeah it was good thinking on your part to light up your horn like that, or else we might not have been able to find you so quickly. When we saw it light up I flew on ahead thinking you might be in danger; and you kind of were, though not from any of the animals in here. Yet at least. So if you could stop glowing like that, that'd be great."
Trixie followed the advice given to her and stopped the flow of magic to her horn. Immediately aware that she could feel her magic; a good portion of her wellspring exhausted, but it was clearly still there and fully under her control.
By now the bushes around the path were breached and the source of all the rustling was discovered; four other mares of all three of the tribes had followed the cyan pegasus.
Trixie's brain shifted out of neutral, she recognised all of these mares; there was the unicorn, Rarity, though her mane was not nearly as pristine as it normally is. The two earth ponies, one pink the other a light orange; Pinkamena Pie and Applejack respectively, both wore expressions of determination and worry on their faces.
The last one, the second pegasus, was the biggest surprise of her being there. Fluttershy, the pinked maned yellow coated mare had nothing but compassion on her face as she walked right up to the still recovering unicorn.
She rested an ear to Trixie's chest for a few seconds, before bringing up her face and staring intently into her eyes, without blinking. Finally a hoof was brought up to Trixie's forehead and rested there for a small while; it was all a little unnerving to the still sitting unicorn, but the soft smile on the pegasus's face was reassuring.
"You were having a panic attack; a very bad one from what Rainbow shouted to us. Take it easy for a little while, you'll find yourself a little light headed and weak limbed, but you'll be fine.
Trixie frowned at that; all that she had just went through, the loss of magic, those frightful sights, and the feelings of hopelessness. All of it was because she was simply having a panic attack?
She shook her head. "Thank you Fluttershy; but I can't take it easy right now. Spike's still in trouble and it's my job, as his friend, to rescue him." Determination was building within her once again.
"We ain't letting you go on your own again; if nothing else, you need us to get through this here forest unscathed. The forest can't affect all of us if we stick together."
That's right, her host Sunset Shimmer mentioned something about the forest influencing ponies and hindered their use of magic. Trixie let out a small shudder, she was a fool to think so little of the Everfree Forest; not a single dangerous animal in sight and it still managed to bring her down to nothing.
She carefully got onto her hooves fully and looked over all the mares around her; they all held fear in their eyes, or in their posture. But that was overpowered by the determination to help, to rescue Spike; to help their new friend.
"Trix, I mean I'd, very much appreciate your help." Trixie's own small smile was mirrored in everypony around her; filling Trixie with a warm feeling that she had only ever felt once before, when Spike became her friend.
Together they set off along the small path that Trixie had discovered; Pinkie Pie starting along it with all the other mares following quickly behind her.
"So Trixie," Rainbow Dash started, flying at pace to keep up with everypony. Her eyes were focused ahead of her, but there was an edge to the upturn of her lips; something that, when Trixie noticed, she did not like the look of. "Were you about to speak in third person?"
Trixie let out a groan.
There it was, after an honestly uneventful journey through the rest of the legendary forest; the six mares came across the abandoned ruins that were clearly a castle once upon a time. It was situated upon a mound that just had to have been a moat in days gone my; however, now it was just a very deep ravine with a single rope bridge as a crossing point.
The area further around it was very rough and uneven, with big stones scattered sporadically, large mounds of dirt and vegetation in between troughs, smaller ravines and even a small lake. All of it was covered with vegetation and trees with exposed root systems; making it rather dangerous terrain to traverse over.
But here they were, having crossed all the difficult terrain, and even passed over the rickety old bridge; standing behind a set of walls that separated the castles central court yard from the rest of the world. A glance round the corner revealed a pair of large wooden doors that were left slightly ajar. It wasn't much, but the clear gap between the large imposing doors was the closest thing to a welcome matt that they had found so far.
"Ok," Trixie started whispering to her new friends. "I've been keeping an eye out for anything and everything that could possibly be a Divination spell, or a detection ward, and so far nothing. Well nothing that detects us; there are plenty of old wards that are still active around this castle. Nothing offensive or threatening; more likely they're defensive reinforcing wards, or perhaps anti Divination wards. I can't tell exactly, they're too old and obscure."
Seeing the confused and/or bored looks of the mares around her, Trixie shakes her head. "Anyway, the point is I don't think he knows we're here yet, or at the very least that there's so many of us; which gives me a cunning plan. But first," with a wave of her hoof followed by it disappearing into the either; Trixie brought out a flashy and matching cloak and pointed hat. Both purple in colour, and covered in stars of all sizes and colours.
With a deft flick of her wrist and the cloak was wrapped around her neck with the matching hat covering her horn. "Ah, feels good to be back in my performing attire." Her smile faltered slightly as she looked over to her companions. "What? I do all my best work with this on; besides these will be vital for my cunning plan." No matter how much Trixie praised her attire, the other unicorn of the group had a tinge of green around her gills.
All the girls got close to the strange mare however; to see just now cunning her cunning plan really was.
"Ah, Miss Lulamoon; I'm so glad to see you found my invitation. Your pet dragon is just dying to see you again."
It was clear that the main entrance hall had seen better days; the roof was littered with holes, as well as some of the upper walls. The once bold and vibrant tapestries were a ghost of their former selves; pale and lifeless, with clear signs of light weather damage to them.
Piles of stones were scattered sporadically over the granite floor; some from the crumbling walls, some clearly from the roof, though not as many as would be suggested.
There were scorch marks from very powerful magic everywhere. Clearly a great battle had taken place here; though it was hard to say if it was before or after the castle had deteriorated.
As Trixie walked through the doors and felt a shiver run down her spine; she could have easily understood if the sensation was caused by nerves, the very real prospect of her life being on the line. If she were a pegasus or an earth pony maybe she would not have realised that it was not what she actually felt; but she was a unicorn, more importantly a highly trained one.
What she had just walked through, as she passed through the grand doors, was a wave of dispelling runes. Any and all current magical effects on her, or those she was actively channelling magic to, were disrupted.
She flinched at this realisation; it had taken her years of almost constant work and research to be at the point where Princess Celestia felt she was capable of sustaining a Pocket Dimension...Well a pocket the size of a matchbox in comparison to the fully completed spell.
Trixie was not looking forward to asking the Princess to setup the ritual once again for her.
"I should have known that a talented unicorn such as you would have felt my little addition to the castle's door. Nothing too drastic, of course; after all this is a historic landmark once full of life. What harm could I do by adding one more life to these walls?"
The voice had an accent to it that did not belong to Equestria; it was soft and could have belonged to mare or stallion.
"A part of me is honestly impressed that you accepted my invitation; and all on your own too. No guards in sight; and believe me, I'd know if there was."
The voice was echoing over each wall, making it impossible to locate the assassin.
Slowly, carefully, Trixie made her way into the room; avoiding any obvious hiding spot for a trap or a hidden pony. The voice was clearly full of itself, so self-assured that everything was going exactly as it had anticipated.
"But then, you'd never accept help from the guard, would you? You, the Great and Powerful Trixie. So powerful she has bested an Ursa Major; so magically adept the Princess herself is training her to make sure her powers are used responsibly."
Trixie winced at the comments, though hopefully not noticeably. Those were boasts she used to say years ago. But those days were gone; the Princess herself has spent many years showing that humility is the way forward.
"...However, we both know those are all lies. The closest you've come to an Ursa Major is the inked pictures in your books. The Princess chose you as her student because she felt sorry for you; when she stumbled across your pitiful little travelling magic show. Face it, you are not worthy of the position you find yourself in."
That infuriated her, but she kept focused. It was true that Princess Celestia found her by chance when Trixie was travelling with her act; but it was not out of pity. No Trixie had truly impressed the Princess with her performance, and was shocked to find that a filly of only fourteen years old was all self-taught through trial and error. "An almost instinctual sense of magic." That was what impressed Princess Celestia; that was what allowed Trixie to become her student.
"I seem to be at a disadvantage. You know so much about me; but all I know of you is your calling card. Why don't you show yourself, hmm? Show yourself and surrender."
"HAHAHA. You've got spirit; I'll give you that. You might actually make this fun for me." There was a whoosh of air from behind her, causing Trixie to dive forward before spinning around to see what had just happened.
There standing right in front of her was a stallion earth pony of all tribes. A deep red almost brown coat covered his body; his mane and tail were quite a bit longer than was typical for a stallion and coloured in a bluish slate grey. There was a pair of black saddle bags that covered his flanks, preventing anypony from seeing his cutie mark.
He was wearing a black jacket, the sight of which made Trixie want to vomit; it was made out of leather. Something that she recognised thanks to the few ancient tomes she had been allowed to read from within the Royal Archive.
Currently he was standing there with his eyes closed as he sniffed the jade green rose held within one of his hooves. His face was a picture of calm with a small smile accenting the image.
"Ah, my beautiful Fleurs Vertes; a particularly difficult rose to grow, but the sight and scent make it all worthwhile." He opened his eyes revealing sharp piercing green pupils that could look directly into her soul.
"You are among an exclusive club now; to be one of my targets who see their own rose before they die. This is your rose and I shall place it upon your still barrel in but a moment." His smile never leaving his face as his eyes focused with murderous intent.
A blink and Trixie would have been dead; from out of her opponents mouth a toothpick was launched directly at her neck. She had a spell ready and waiting just for such a cheap shot; she cast it and was sent several meters to the side instantly.
"Ah, you will make things interesting. But that trick won't work again; I saw how your eyes betrayed you when you used the spell. I noticed the twitch of your leg, the stress in your shoulders; I can read you like a book."
Trixie blinked and it cost her dearly; he was in front of her in a second, with a blast of wind at his back. Quick as a flash his free hoof was latched onto her now, wrapped around her wind pipe and chocking her. He leaned down to her frantically struggling face, his face calm and uncaring.
"You know, I can kill you right now in eight different ways. Dozens more if I gave it even a second more thought. But where is the sport in that." He launches her a few meters away. Trixie lands hard onto her side, coughing and sputtering as she desperately chokes on new air.
As quickly as she could, Trixie got back onto her hooves; she was still gasping, still trying to make up for the lack of oxygen earlier. One of her hooves gently rubbed her throat, trying to relieve the sharp pain that still lingered where she was grabbed. All the while her eyes never wavered again; she had pushed her luck once, she would not do so again.
Her assailant though was nonchalantly looking through one of his saddle bags. Gently, carefully, almost lovingly, the green rose was placed in the saddle bag before his hoof lingered a bit longer inside the container; he was now clearly looking for something.
Trixie let loose a set of golden magic chains, trying to end this fight quickly while he was distracted. But the stallion was now a meter to the right, and clear of the chains that broke up into nothing when they impacted the wall. His hoof was no longer in the saddle bag; it was out and wielding an innocent looking garden trowel instead of the flower.
He launched himself at Trixie wielding the trowel in his hoof; she rolled out of the way of the jabbed attack, before diving away with a yelp as a vertical strike came hot on her tail.
"Well done, you've passed the first salvo. My, you are entertaining. Let us see how long you can dodge around like a lemur." Trixie had other ideas though; she threw a pellet at her hooves, engulfing herself in smoke. Her assailant responded by lunging forward and cutting through the smoke horizontally; to no effect.
"A game of cat and mouse? Why not, I am merciful and these are your last moments alive." His silent hoof steps took him down a corridor where the noise of hooves could be heard travelling down.
He dashed around a corner and saw his quarry slamming a door behind her. He smirked at the futile action and dramatically increased his speed; arriving just moments after the portal was closed.
The door led to what had to be a kitchen once upon a time. But the only indications it was such a place, where the several massive chimneys above fire places large enough to hold caldrons.
There were no places for his quarry to hide, and he could still hear her pounding hoof steps on the granite floor; though further along that he would have believed.
Charging through yet another wooden door and he was indeed correct about his quarry, she was quite a bit further down this corridor than he was expecting. "Is this all you're going to do, little mouse? If so then I am ending things quickly." What he got in response was a flashed grin, before she turned left at a T-junction.
Rounding the corner in a flash, he blinked when he found a long corridor with no sign of his quarry. He frowned slightly before he caught the sound of hooves echoing from the corridor behind him. "Ah yes, your Quick Step spell from earlier. How could I have forgotten? Well let me show you a trick or two of my own." He spun round and started down the third and final corridor of the T-junction, charging at a pace far greater than before; almost as if there was a gust of wind at his heels.
Rounding the corner as tightly as possible, he made out the tail of his target disappearing up a flight of stairs. He continued on at his break neck speed; quickly cutting in half the distance between him and the stairs his quarry had just ran up. His focus was as such that he failed to see the obstacle in his path.
His hoof gave way from beneath him and he tumbled head over tail again and again until he crashed into the base of the stairs. A quick shake of his head made the world stop spinning and he got back up onto his hooves; catching himself this time as his hoof, once again, gave out on him.
He looked at his misbehaving hoof, only to stare at it in confusion. Apparently he had slipped on a cupcake; a carrot flavoured one judging by the colour of the sponge and frosting.
"Resorting to using your lunch? My you must be scraping the bottom of your barrel trying to keep yourself alive. Your original, I'll give you that." With his hoof now cleaned, he gave his neck one last crack to relieve the pain from the crash; before, with the assistance of a gust of wind, he launched himself up the flight of stairs in a single bound.
This mare was starting to get on his nerves.
The world was nothing but blackness as far as the eye could see; it was stuffy and the air felt like water, it was difficult to breathe. Spike felt like he was floating in a sea of darkness, everything was slow to respond to his commands; he should be scared, he should be panicking, but it was hard for him to feel anything right now.
His head felt cloudy and his thoughts were muffled and difficult to reach. He couldn't remember how he got here; just that he was disappointed that he had missed the stall for Fluttershy. He was heading back to her cottage when nothing but blackness.
He shivered, feeling cold and not all that right. He tried to move his arms, tried to wrap them around himself for a bit of warmth; but they refused to move. His claws barely twitched at his commands, the same happened again with his feet and even his tail. Spike tried to move his head down to look at some part of his body, but the feeling of pins and needles only seemed to grow, slowly encompassing every part of him.
It was getting even harder for him to breathe now, the air taking on an even thicker consistency; coming closer to maple syrup, or even molasses. His heart was slowing, struggling to pump any blood to his body; he could feel it as the numbness gradually covered his body. He should be panicking, should be doing something, anything; but he was so tired. All his strength was being used just to keep breathing, regardless of how shallow each draw of air was.
He couldn't feel anything now; nothing responded to his commands, every thought was muffled and unfocused. Each shallow breath was taxing, and getting worse.
He felt it, more than he saw it; a spark, an ember, a warmth was coming from somewhere. He found a speck of light, and it was growing larger; his eyelids were heavy and sticky and were refusing to listen, but a crack was managed. A black tunnel like void was all that he found; it was long and narrow, but there was light.
It was warm and inviting, it felt reassuring and that everything would be ok on the other side. He wanted to go, he wanted to reach out and touch it, but he couldn't; his vision was blurring, darkening and narrowing even more. He couldn't make it, couldn't reach for the light.
A wave of purple light washed over him; it came from the light, enticing him, encouraging him, revitalising him. Spike's vision was not as blurry, the numbness was leaving him; but the tiredness remained.
"It's all right. Everything's going to be ok now."
The quiet voice was coming from the light and clearly belonged to an angel; it was soft, it was sweet and gentle. It was familiar.
A shuddering breath escaped Spike's lips, each small sip brought life back to him; not from the oxygen, but from a scent. A scent from a time he could not actively remember, but instinct did. His heart beat faster, his breathing quickened further still, and he somehow found the strength to open his eyes just a little more.
The light now had a face to it; the details were obscured, the light was too bright to make out, but there was a horn, there was a lavender outline, and there were kind violet eyes.
His world was blacking out once again; but this time it was warmer, this time it felt safe to fall asleep. But before oblivion claimed him entirely he used the last of his strength to utter a single question.
"...Mum?"
This was getting ridiculous, he had been running after Trixie Lulamoon for the better part of an hour and his patience was seriously being tested. All this effort was not worth the payment he had received for this kill; once this is all over he is going to have little talk with his client.
Between her illusions and her Quick Step spell, she was all over the place; and then there were all the obstacles she threw at him as well. First was the cupcake he slipped on, then she must have teleported over to that other balcony; if it wasn't for his equipment he would have had to go all the way around to get close to her. The look on her face though when she saw him fly, that had cheered him up a bit.
But then, later on, she somehow managed to get a flock of birds to harass him; pecking all over his body and causing not an insignificant number of cuts over him. She hadn't bothered to wait around while he dealt with her spelled birds; it didn't taken him long to deal with, a burst of wind knocked them all away and scared them off. But she had gained a lead on him once again by then and all he had to go on were her hoof steps.
Then she goes and literally pulls the rug from under him and tries to wrap it around him, all the while still running away from him. If she had actually stuck around to see her spell through, then it might have been more difficult to get out of.
He had almost caught her at one point, after she disappeared through a trap door and he couldn't follow. He had to double time it back to the main floor to make sure she didn't escape; but apparently she had been looking for him, because they quite literally ran into each other. If it wasn't for her very impressive buck kick sending him quite a distance down the hall, it would have all been over there and then.
He cursed himself silently once again; he thought it'd be easy, he'd done his research and knew her weaknesses as well as strengths. Or at least he thought he had; sure his information was a little old, but that had never affected him this much before. Normally once he is certain of the kill, is the time when he sends out his little love letter. Trixie had been squirreled away for a week after he had sent it, and then it had taken him a bit more time to locate her actual whereabouts. But the extra few days could not have changed things this much.
He was actually tiring out, his supply of stored magic was almost completely depleted, but currently it looked like Trixie had barely finished her warm up. A stark contrast to when she first walked through the castles grand doors. Was it all just a ruse to loll him into a false sense of security? If so then it had worked, but he was so sure of his research; it had never failed him before.
It was almost like she was a different mare altogether now.
But this was it; this was the crescendo in action. He had long ago figured out that she was running for the sake of running; and while she had her jollies he had been subtly spinning his web, and now it was time to strike.
His trips around the ruins had given him a bit of a mental layout of the castle; so for the last few minutes he had been manipulating her to run right into this final corridor. For with this last burst of air causing his prey to divert down the final corridor, her fate was sealed.
His last push of speed made him barge into her as she realised her path was blocked by yet another pair of solid wooden doors. The two ponies smashed through them from the momentum before sliding and tumbling into the room. By the time the two ponies were still once more the stallion was on top of his target bearing down on her with a manic and gleeful smile.
"Nowhere left to run."
His hoof reached into a saddle bag and brought out another trowel. It was quickly raised to a perfect position to slice and dice, when he faltered at what he saw.
Below him, shivering uncontrollably in terror was Trixie Lulamoon; but something wasn't right. There was her cyan blue coat, her moon and star cutie mark, even her mane and tail were the right shades of pale blue...that was it. That ridiculous looking cloak was still there, still connected around her neck, but it was her hat that was missing; clearly it had been thrown off during that last tussle. But with it now gone, it revealed something disturbing.
"Wh, where's your horn?"
But it wasn't the only thing that was a discrepancy with his target. Looking into her face showed that while her eyes are full of fear, they were not the shade of violet they should have been; they were a bright blue.
Any other thought was interrupted as he got slammed right in his back by something and was sent tumbling once more.
His flight further into the room was interrupted as he, and whatever it was that struck him, landed on the keyboard of a pipe organ judging by the massive volume of noise that was produced.
A swift kick from his hind leg removed his assailant and he was able to see what had actually hit him. There lying almost next to each other were two identical looking Trixie's; both missing horns, and one had their cape spread wide.
The sound of additional hooves could be heard coming from the entrance to the room, before four other Trixie's appeared there. Two of them had horns, one had a significantly longer mane and their cape was wrapped around their body quite uncomfortably, almost like they were wings. The last actually looked a little bulkier than any of the others and was currently wearing a frown on her face.
"What? Illusions? But no, they're not identical; but no, you didn't have time to recast anything. And my runic work at the door would have destroyed them and any magic that passed through it."
The horned Trixie to the left smirked at his confusion before moving forward. "Then I guess it's a good thing they didn't use the front door."
By now all six Trixie's had gathered together; all of them on their feet and no longer had a look of fear about them. Together the differences were more pronounced; height, mane cuts, and the fact that two capes were fluttering about like wings. It was a revelation.
"You got help, but not from the guards. But how, all my information said you had no colleagues, no comrades. NO FRIENDS! THE SELF-ASSURED PAMPERED LITTLE FILLY, WHO GOT TO HER POSITION BECAUSE OF MEDIOCAR TALANT AND A SOB STORY!"
"Yes I got help! My past attitude might have made me bold and arrogant, but the Princess has helped me see that that was wrong. That I am a better pony than what I had aspired to be! I am not studious as the Nobles silver spoon brats, but I excel when it comes to practical work and that is what the Princess see's in me! I don't know what snivelling worm of a Noble payed you to have me killed, but it stops now!" Trixie huffed, before lighting her horn and readying a spell.
She looked at all the other versions of herself, other ponies covered in a simple glamour that will end in the next ten minutes or so; and smiled. "And you're wrong on another thing. I do have comrades, I do have friends. It is new to me, and I'm sure to make mistakes with them. But they helped me when I needed it, and together we've had you running about like a headless chicken. Together we have beaten you!"
It was a little unnerving that the perp just stayed still, looking at the six ponies standing in front of him. His eye twitched before a small menacing laugh escaped his firmly set lips.
"No. you have not beaten me. Tricked me, fooled me; but not beaten me. No, what you have done is condemn these five to an early grave!"
He launched himself at the six mares, both of his forehooves each wielding its own trowel; though the shovelled face was now clearly a sickly deep purple in colour.
He did not get any further than half the distance, before he was slammed back by a deep pink transparent slab of pure magic. Both the magic wall and the assassin slammed into the far wall of this cathedral, avoiding the stained glass window as well as the old pipe organ. Upon impact the magic wrapped around the stallion in every way possible, leaving only the tip of his snout free for interrogation.
Following the line of magical energy back to its caster revealed an angry looking white stallion unicorn whose horn was pointing at the perpetrator. Behind him stood a fighting force mixed with both earth ponies and other unicorns, all waiting for commands to intervene.
Moving shapes could be made out from the room's windows. The shape, the distance from the ground the windows were, and the movements all pointed them to be pegasi solders blocking escape routes.
The large white stallion walked with purposed steps as he entered the room, a flick of his multi-hued blue tail signalled to his men that the additional unicorns were required to help him in securing their target. But there appeared to be no true need; the only things the assassin could move were his lips, even his eyes were forced closed by the all-encompassing shield. The earth ponies started to prepare chains as they followed the unicorns to their captive.
Still the lead unicorn walked directly over to the six mares standing in the room; his face unreadable other than determined. He looked them all over before his eyes settled on the actual Trixie, who gulped nervously from the intense stare she was receiving.
"Umm, Prince Shining Armor; I'm glad Big Mac managed to alert the guard to our predicament. Though I'm surprised to see yourself here, sir."
The five other Trixie's all had expressions of shock on their faces; the prince consort Shining Armor himself came to save them. The Trixie with a curly mane looked as if she was about to faint.
"Trixie I'm glad to see you are well; but I want to know where Spike is. Is he safe?"
Her silence on the matter grew his ire; he leaned down and got right into her face. "Where is my nephew?"
Trixie was saved by the bell, as it were, because it was at that very moment that a pegasus stallion came flying into the room with a purple lump on his back and a sack in his hooves.
"Prince Armor we found this sack in the dungeons; it contained Sir Spike. He is ok, but appears to be under heavy sedation. His breathing and pulse are normal, but he is unresponsive."
Trixie blinked and the face that was filling her whole world was gone and heading right for the pegasus. She let out a breath she hadn't noticed she was holding onto; not because of how close she was to feeling Shining Armor's ire, but because Spike was ok.
The sun had just passed over the horizon and the sky was fading from the brilliant hues of yellow, red, and purples. The air above the Everfree Forest was filled with pegasi flying in formation around half a dozen large golden chariots, each filled with almost a dozen ponies.
One in particular held the leader of the operation; the white stallion with a blue mane was sitting down and observing his nephew as he slept soundly in an enchanted sleep. The medical examination showed that he had been doused with a powdered and concentrated version of the potion "Deep Sleep;" a relatively mild, if difficult to brew, sleeping potion. This concentration though could be deadly, and there were worrying signs that he had been over dosed.
The other occupants of the chariot were Trixie and her new friends; a vast array of characters, but they all clearly had good hearts and noble intensions. He let out a soft sigh as he saw the six mares talking amongst themselves; all of them clearly relieved, but some a little more enthused by the danger than others.
His cart separated from the formation and dived down towards the small town below; the rest of the flying formation continued on towards Canterlot.
"Ok ladies, here we are back in Ponyville safe and sound." Shining Armor called out as they levelled out on the road, landing just shy of the town centre. His eyes travelled over the town and consented that there was a rather charming rustic feel to the place; a location to venture to when the hustle and bustle of city life got too much to bear. 'Perhaps a trip with Cadance is in order?'
All the mares hopped off the chariot and gave thanks for the lift. He couldn't blame them; flying over the Everfree forest was bad enough, let alone actually travelling through it.
"So you're taking Spike with you now then. Are you going to pick up the things he brought with him, or do you want me to take them with me tomorrow?"
"If you could bring them tomorrow I would appreciate it Trixie. So you're returning tomorrow?" Trixie nodded, "yeah we managed to get everything done. The few minor tasks to arrange can be done in the morning before I leave."
"Well I'll send a chariot to pick you up after lunch then; as a thank you for bringing Spike items back with you. As for the rest of you all; thank you once again. You have all gone above and beyond the call to duty and the country is a safer place because of it. Heh, boring speeches aside you really do have my thanks. Spike is all, Spike is important to me."
"Not at all your highness; it is what friends do for each other, after all." Rarity bowed once again, and managed to get the other four mares of the town to follow suit; though it was clear that some thought it a bother.
Shining chuckled lightly while shaking his head. "Regardless, I am indebted to you all and will think of a way to thank you all proper. But for now I best be off; I have a worried wife waiting for me back at the castle." He hopped back onto the chariot and it started to gather momentum. Within a few paces the charioteers took off with practiced precision climbing fast and disappearing into the fading light.
"So, friends you all wanna head on over to mine? I recon we could a do with a little something to calm ourselves down a little after all that." Nods of agreement could be heard, with Pinkie adding the need for cake and balloons.
"Besides," Rainbow Dash added as she wrapped a hoof around Trixie's neck. "We've got a new friend to get to know."
His chariot had levelled and rose above all the scattered clouds; far ahead of him was Canterlot, waiting for his return. It was emitting a comforting glow that settled his heart and calmed his mind.
"Sir," he looked to the source of the interruption and found a pegasus stallion flying towards him at speed. "Report from the prisoner escort. Our prisoner, the Violent Rose, has escaped. All parties have already been redirected to search for him. His last known location was over White Tail Wood."
It took everything he had not to shout his voice hoarse. Instead he looked down at the sleeping form of his nephew and sighed, "Sergeant Cloudy Bell, I want him found. He has no tools, he must be exhausted, he has nothing. I am going on ahead; find him and get him so secure that he can't urinate without our permission."
"And what of Trixie Lulamoon; should we send a guard?"
"No, it'll cut down on the search party. She's proven she's resourceful enough to handle herself; especially with her friends. I'll gather some guards for her when I return to the castle."
The landing was awful, but then emergency teleports are never known to be gentle. The dark red coated assassin spat and coughed up the blood that was flowing from his mouth; the hole his fake tooth resided in was in a world of pain. But he was free; back at that cursed castle, but still free.
"Heh, always have an escape plan. Just in case your own arrogance gets the better of you."
His head shot up at the sound of hooves walking towards where he lay; the pace was slow but sure.
What he found was a tall mare walking towards him; her body was covered in a black body suit, obscuring her cutie mark entirely as well as most of her coat's colour. From the neck up and the cannon down he could see purple fur. Her mane was deep purple with a pink stripe running through it.
What scared him, though, were her eyes; the deep violet colour combined with the black iris to make them appear dark and predator like. It sent a shiver down his spine.
He was in no condition to fight; his ace in the hole hurt like nothing there was. He was still bleeding badly from the miniature explosion of magic within his mouth; all his tricks and tools were still under guard, and he still hadn't regained his stamina from his run around of the castle.
The mare in front of him lit her horn before he felt himself being pulled towards her; her telekinetic grip gentle, but indisputably iron tight. The cool look in her eyes did nothing to calm him down.
"Predator is not happy with what you have been up to." Her voice was soft, but the words spoken to him may as well have been Death sharpening his scythe.
"They have asked me to dispose of you. Princess Celestia has asked that you are brought to her for interrogation." He actually felt like thanking Celestia for her kindness; that even he could be spared the wrath of Predator.
What he heard next dashed his hopes. "I shall interrogate you myself. You will tell me everything. You living or dying will be entirely on your will to live."
The world grew dark and silencing wards were activated; the Everfree forest may not be able to hear the screams, but it felt each and every atom of pain that was being inflicted. If the forest had emotions, even it might feel just a little pity for the Violent Rose. |
My Most Faithful Mortifer | Chapter. 22 - Clearing Skies | Chapter. 22 - Clearing Skies
It had been a long night, and there was still so much to do. Celestia was slowly walking along a familiar corridor to her; bright marble floor covered in a single plush, vibrant rug depicting the colours of a sunrise. All of this was leading to a set of golden doors detailed with the image of both the sun and moon circling each other. She was all on her own as this passageway was deep within the private residential area of the castle; the base of her own royal tower suit was just off to the right of this long corridor.
Her hoofsteps were sluggish and she raised one to cover a powerful yawn; a gentle squeak escaped her attempt to cover it up. Between the entertainment, the banquet afterwards, and even some light testing of the waters over some after dinner drinks; it was quite a bit after midnight before Celestia managed to retire, and unlike the ambassadors she still had to raise the sun. She silently thanked herself for altering the day/night cycle long ago; the longer nights over winter had never been as needed as they were right now. Well no other time that she could think of off the top of her sleep deprived mind, anyway.
Still the reports she had managed to receive of the previous day were reassuring; as well as disappointing. It appeared her faith in Sunset Shimmer was a little missed placed; the Violent Rose had managed to capture Spike, and lure her student into a life or death situation, yet Sunset Shimmer was nowhere to be found.
But then Trixie had come leaps and bounds over the incident; she had managed to find ponies she could call friends. Her quick thinking and ability to read the situation proved she was so very close to where Celestia believed she was; the ember of hope bloomed slightly more in her chest. Trixie was well on her way to the destiny Celestia was certain she could achieve.
But still after all that her student had achieved yesterday, the violent Rose still managed to escape.
The quick report she managed to receive from Prince Shining Armor when he returned to the castle left her feeling positive overall; a threat to the stability of Equestria was still at large, but the awakening of the Elements felt closer than ever.
She would receive the full report of the incident later this afternoon, but for now she had more pressing matters to address; raising the sun and bringing forth the day for her ponies.
Her golden magic surrounded the two large doors and they opened silently on well-oiled hinges; allowing her access to a balcony facing east. This was the balcony that she has been raising the sun from for as long as the castle had been built.
It was raised up high and nestled deep within the structure of the castle. There were no windows or balconies overlooking this small sanctuary; giving it the most amount of privacy possible, but it wasn't unguarded. Just like the rest of the castle, its wards were old, tied to the leyline found under the mountain itself and had been refined and improved upon over the centuries. They were the crowning achievements of the past ten Archmages, even Celestia herself was impressed with their work and saw no need to reactivate her own protective wards.
Until now.
Her balcony was not as she had left it yesterday; lying in the centre and being flanked by two scrolls - one significantly larger than the other - was an earth pony stallion. His coat was deep red, his mane and tail were a bluish grey in colour and his cutie mark was of a flower being shined upon by the sun.
His eyes were closed and her keen eyes could only just make out his chest rising and falling. Whoever it was wasn't dead; but had to be on Deaths door, or at least his porch.
The two scrolls were both tied by a ribbon; the smaller one's ribbon was coloured blue, while the thicker one's was an unassuming shade of orange. A light breeze ruffled the two scrolls, but they otherwise were stuck firm to the white stone of the balcony.
With careful steps, Celestia crept towards the disturbing sight. The stallion in front of her had clearly seen better days; blood was pooling in areas around his body. There were clear signs of bruising, and strategically placed were thin metal needles embedded into him like a pin cushion.
Gold magic washed over the area revealing nothing else; no traps, active spells, strange signatures, nothing. But it affected the stallion, his body started to twitch and spasm almost as if it was in pain. His breathing became even more ragged to the point Celestia actually thought he would stop.
With care to keep her magic away from the suffering stallion, she drew the smaller of the two scrolls over to herself to see if it held any clues.
It was a report, a detailed one of what happened yesterday. Her eyes darted back to the stallion, no longer filled with sorrow and compassion; instead they were conflicted. Here was the Violent Rose, the most deranged and deadly pony of modern times; the pony who has remained elusive and impossible to capture. The pony who, just last night, managed to escape out of magic dampening shackles; the pony who had poisoned dear Spike and tried to kill her student.
Celestia was at a loss of what to think right at that moment. She did her duty and brought the sun out for the day, if for no other reason than to have some more light to read the report from Sunset Shimmer.
It was the sensation of comfort and warmth that interrupted the wonderful feeling that surrounded Spike. He still felt tired and weak; it took far too much effort for him to open his eyes. The room was bright and lavish, rich in white's, gold's, pink's and purples; and that was just what he could see of the ceiling and top parts of the wall.
His body was slow to respond to his brains demands to move and look around more; the feeling of pins and needles was still prevalent. But the signals from his back and claws was eventually received, telling him that he was lying on a comfortable mattress; not the cloud he had been sleeping on the past few nights.
The next blink came easier to him and his head was more willing to follow commands as well; a faint gentle humming could be made out from somewhere, but he still could not locate the source. But he did recognise it.
'How did I get back to Canterlot? What am I doing in Shining and Cadance's bed? I remember, not getting to that stall in time...then, nothing. Wait, I saw light. And there was a voice. It was comforting, familiar? Wait.'
"Mum. It was mum." Her voice was horse and wisp, the fact his throat was desperate for water didn't help his situation. But he was heard, at least to a point.
"Spike? Spike! Your awake." There was a trotting of hooves on wood, before they disappeared onto carpet and he felt the bed shift.
It took him an embarrassing amount of time for him to move his head and look at Cadance as she moved over to him. "Easy Spike, you were badly poisoned with a powdered version of Deep Sleep; according to the physician you're going to feel tired, weak, and you might struggle for a few days." She used her magic to bring over a glass of water; he wanted it all, but had to accept the slower pace that she fed it to him.
"It's lucky that you weren't exposed to any more, your heart had signs it was close to giving out. So please, take it easy; Shiny's gone to the kitchens to make sure they have something that'll make you feel better."
Spike got settled into the alicorn worthy bed by the magical aura from Cadance. He was confused and it appeared to be obvious. "Is everything ok Spike?"
"...I think mum saved me." Shock was evident on Cadances face, but he continued on before she could say anything. "I remember feeling really cold, like beyond painful cold. It was hard to breathe and I couldn't move or feel anything. But then, there was light, and a voice. It was saying everything was going to be ok." She whispered his name in fear; her eyes were watering a little. "And it was. I was warmer. I could feel things again. It felt ok to fall asleep. The next thing I know, I'm waking up here."
He was gently embraced by his aunt/sister in law; it was here Spike realised that he had been crying, but he only found out by the pink feather wiping his cheek.
"It sounds like we were closer to losing you than we thought. Spike what you went through was your body fighting to stay alive, giving you something to live for. The connection of love between yourself and Twilight is still there, your side is nice and healthy; hers, I'm afraid, is still very frail. She knows you exist out there somewhere; as in you being her child, but she has forgotten who you are. She could have walked right past you and not realised you were her missing child.
"I can see she does still love you; she is alive and no doubt looking for you. It's why we have Eye Spy looking over enquiries about missing children. If there is one thing about Twilight we can be sure of; its looking out for the ones she loves."
Spike tried, he really tried to fight back the tears; he managed to bring up his lead filled arms and wrapped them around Cadance's neck and quietly wept into the crook of her neck.
"It's ok, Spike. We all miss her. We're working all the time to find her, and we will find her. Just keep being the big brave dragon you always are; after the Summer Sun Festival, things will get better. I promise." She kissed him lightly on the top of his head while his arms slackened and his breathing slowed. He clearly tried to say something; but between his exhaustion and her own neck, his words just could not be made out.
Clearly he was still suffering from the whole ordeal he had went through; to add emotional exhaustion on top of it all, it was surprising he stayed awake that long.
"He acts so cheerful and strong for all of us; but he shouldn't need to." The masculine voice came from the doorway; Cadance didn't even turn around, she knew who it was.
"He keeps these burdens to himself because he knows we are all suffering. He really is a wonderful dragon with such a kind heart." She finished tucking him back in to her bed, setting aside the empty glass and watching as a tray of oatmeal with pieces of fruit and gems was levitated next to the glass.
"Come on, let him sleep. I'll tell you what he just said to me." The two left the room, closing the thick green curtains to block out a lot of the sun, and the door to help keep the peace.
The young dragon slept on; his frown turning to a small smile as a sleepy mumble repeated what he had tried to say earlier. "I smelt her, I remember her scent."
It was nine-o-clock on the dot and the sign was magically changed upon the libraries door from closed to open. Truthfully it was the latest it has been since the new librarian took up her position, but no pony noticed that day.
Inside the library was perfectly presentable; all the selves were organised, any and all returns were put back to their rightful places and even the sitting cushions and chairs were properly arranged. Everything was as it should be for the first few ponies to bring themselves in to a place of learning.
Which was rather strange; considering the librarian had not a single wink of sleep the previous night.
In fact she looked as fresh as a daisy; her mane and tail perfectly presentable in its wavy flame patterns. Her coat fully washed and presentably brushed for any occasion, and even her eyes and slight smile radiated readiness to help any pony out. If it wasn't for the extra-large mug placed just so right next to her as she worked through an old book of runes, nothing would be out of place.
Sitting at her reception desk, Sunset Shimmer worked away at a relentless pace; her mind working on a brand new project, while her magic jotted down rough sketches of the most complex looking of runic formulae.
It was only last night that she had discovered where her biggest challenge will be faced. It was last night that she had delved deep enough into the Everfree Forest to see the ruins of the two sisters. It was last night where she located the arena where she will most likely be defending Equestria, if not the whole world.
The bell above the door jingled, bringing Sunset out of her work and faced the new arrival. She blinked and got up when she saw it was one of her house guests Trixie Lulamoon; looking relatively fine for the most part, all things considered, but in need of a good bath.
"Good Morning Miss Lulamoon; did you have a good night?"
The small smile on Trixie's face did not diminish in the slightest as her eyes settled on the taller mare walking around her desk to greet her.
"I had a very good night, thank you Sunset. You really have managed to get yourself some very good friends in those five girls."
"Yes, they are good ponies. I noticed you heading off with them when you were dropped off by chariot. Umm, where is your assistant Spike?"
Trixie winced slightly at the mention of Spike, as well as the professional tone of Sunset. Throughout her time here Sunset has been a very accommodating host; and while Trixie had not gone out of her way to make things difficult, she hadn't exactly been friendly either. That was going to change.
"Spike was taken back to Canterlot early, with the chariots. He wasn't feeling so good. But listen I wanted to apologise to you; you have been very helpful and have gone above and beyond for us. You even got Spike that cloud bed when he wasn't happy with his previous one."
Sunset's face did not change in appearance, but Trixie felt there was hints about her that suggested confusion. "But you have nothing to apologise for?"
"But I do. You have offered to help me with my studies, both the theory as well as the practical; and I shoved it back into your face and demanded we duel each other. I was wrong, and I apologise for it."
She closed her eyes and held her breath for a moment, confessing the reasons why were always the hardest for her. "It's just that I've never had a peer before, you know? Never had somepony to rate myself against that was my age; it just got to me all at once and I was kind of a bitch because of it. It's not an excuse, I'm just explaining myself."
The sorrowful look that Trixie was sending to Sunset was clear as day, even to a pony who had stunted emotions. Sunset shifted her face to one of understanding and accompanied it with a slight smile. She closed the distance between the two and gave the blue mare a quick hug.
"I forgive you Miss Lulamoon. I understand how you feel and can get your logic; however it was the opposite for me. I too have never had somepony my age to compare with; only my mentor who is a good few years my senior. Say, since the library is quiet, why don't we demonstrate to each other what we know?"
The two broke apart quickly, and by the look on Trixie's face, Sunset had judged correctly. She was looking much more composed and the small content smile had returned.
"Please, call me Trixie. But alas I am almost out of time here I'm afraid. I desperately need a bath and then I've got to wrap up the few lingering standing orders for the ponies helping out with the Summer Sun Celebration. All of that before packing Spike's and my stuff up, and getting a quick lunch with the friends you introduced me to. All that before my chariot comes just after lunch. You are of course welcome to join us for lunch. We're meeting at Sugarcube Corner at midday."
"Well I am glad your time here was good, and sure I'd love to have lunch with everyone, Trixie."
The smile on Trixie's face widened just a smidge more at hearing her first name; before it calmed down slightly and a hoof scratched at the back of her neck. "Listen, Sunset. I am hoping to come back to Ponyville before the Celebration, just to hang out and get to know everyone a bit better...Do you think it's possible for me, and maybe Spike as well, to..."
It surprised Sunset that her own smile became almost natural feeling upon her face. "Sure Trixie, I don't see any problem with hosting you and Spike again. Just give me a little notice is all I ask. A day or two at least."
It looked like Trixie was trying to imitate Pinkie Pie as she skipped up the stairs to the private bathroom. Sunset shook her head before going back to her work.
Strangely the small smile refused to leave her face.
"Ah, Ambassador Daniela; I was most impressed with your dancers last night. I must once again thank you for bringing them with you." The predominantly white cow turned to see the ruler of the lands, Princess Celestia, walking down the same corridor as she was. The ambassador smiled, her brown head bowing graciously before raising itself back up.
She was a cow getting on in her years, and was clear that she enjoyed her life as an ambassador a little too well. Standing a head taller than most ponies, and wielding a pair of small horns; she was a formidable lady.
"Ah, I am glad you enjoyed them. Yes your Dressage has been most popular for our citizens. It lacks the passion and fire of the flamenco, but I thought seeing how popular Dressage has become in our lands would be a nice surprise to you." Her accent was exotic, but a little course from use; however Celestia thought it suited the stubborn cow.
"I certainly was. Though I also enjoyed what you were able to achieve with simple mana crystals; the wind effects were most entertaining." By now the two were walking side by side at a leisurely pace; it appeared that neither had pressing matters at the moment.
"Yes, there are a number of schools of dance that used the crystals to generate the wind; helps lift some of the more exuberant dresses and allows them to spin and flaunt. I am told it is very complex to get so much from such a small source of mana storage."
"I would believe it; the rune work must be incredibly intricate and precise. Tell me is it possible to see the crafting of such crystals, or perhaps even receive a sample?"
"I am afraid I cannot answer that. It is up to the individual schools who craft the gems to decide. I warn you Princess, the head masters and mistresses are even more stubborn than I." The sly smirk on the cows face took away any bite that might have been in the sentence.
Princess Celestia chuckled good naturally, before the eyes of the two people were drawn to an incoming messenger pony.
"It appears your rest has come to an end. Mayhaps we can continue our friendly discussion later on, when we officially meet to discuss the proposal I am burdened with."
"I would like that Ambassador Daniela; until then."
The cow continued on down the corridor; eventually finding her way out into the gardens. It was significantly chillier than she was used to, but then the colours of the leaves were not nearly as dominant back home as they were here in the colder climates.
She continued on with her sedate pace admiring the statue garden as well as all the colours. Her eyes never staying in a single place; always looking at the wonders of nature before her, or the skills on show from the detailed statues.
Eventually she came to a stop at a, questionable, piece of art. By all means the sculpture was unquestionably talented; there were details so fine it looked like the statue could start moving at any moment. It was just the subject, why have such an amalgamation of different creatures in one subject?
"He is here; incarcerated within the medical bay." The voice was as quiet as a whisper, and was spoken in the cow's own native tongue.
"Finally found him. Has he been interrogated yet?"
"Unlikely, as they are currently fighting to save his life. Looks like he finally found someone he couldn't handle." The voice had a feminine air to it, though it could have easily belonged to a stallion. What was clear was that it was trying not to laugh. The "good riddance" was as clear as day.
"Make sure he does not speak." The cow sighed, before continuing on her walk through the gardens. 'Looks like the reports were accurate; he went after Celestia's student, but she managed to fend him off; very well from the sounds of things. At least that's one big thread tidied up; we've spent far too long looking for that rogue agent.'
Celestia sighed as she returned to her office after an eventful day. The initial meeting between the Moodrid ambassador and herself appeared to go rather smoothly; she seemed open to the idea of pegasus aid at least.
But her mind returned to the soul within her castle, fighting to stay alive.
She shuddered at the thought of what Sunset had done to the stallion; that he deserved it or not was not even the question. The interrogation report was incredibly extensive and went so far as to state the stallion known as the Violent Rose was responsible for the disappearance of Twilight Sparkle; let alone the dozens of deaths covering his hooves. If that were true then it would explain the anniversary he was talking about in the letter sent to the castle; but that's the problem, if it was true.
Torture is more than capable of loosening lips, but then they could say anything just to stop the torture. They condemn themselves simply to stop the horrific actions being forced upon them; a potential endless loop of bad information and horrible actions.
Sunset shimmer had used needles that reacted with magic; the two separate metals would react together and emit a large spark when exposed to magical energy. Those were stabbed in every single nerve bundle and pressure point on his entire body.
At least half of the crimes on the interrogation list turned into very public affairs, and he could have just said that he did them to satisfy his torturer. That is why she has told no one of the second report when the guards were eventually called. She wanted a non-biased report done by her ponies that are actually trained in extracting information by use of words, emotional manipulation or at worst magic. It'll take time, but the information will be more reliable and in the end save them a lot more of it by not having to double check fake leads.
'Still if even a third of this report is correct, then Sunset Shimmer has still done a very big service to Equestria by capturing him; that he is still alive also tells me that she has actually listened to me. She also saved Spikes life in her intervention with his poisoning, as well as kept an eye on all six of those mares as they ran around that old castle. Her description of it all makes it sound more like a comedy sketch than an actual life or death situation.'
She groaned into her hooves in an attempt to settle her nerves.
"Oh Sunset Shimmer, you really are a pain in my flank, aren't you. You torture a pony to the point of death in an attempt to please me. You rescue Spike when he is moments away from death; and then you keep an eye out to make sure my student and her new friends are safe. I cannot decide to have you arrested, or give you a medal."
A flash of heat was registered to her left before Celestia felt the warm wings of her longest living friend. "Oh Philomena, sometimes I wonder if Sunset Shimmer is nothing but one of your more egregious pranks."
There was a loud squawk of clear indignation from the phoenix before Celestia felt the sharp beak find her forehead.
"Ok, ok; she's not one of your pranks." There was a clear whumph of acceptance, before she cooed and rubbed her head against Celestia's hoof. The two sat in silence for a moment; one clearly lost in thought, the other doing what little she could to help her friend.
The moment was broken when there was a knock on her office doors. She bayed them entry before the door was opened by a guard.
"Princess Celestia, Trixie Lulamoon has just returned to the castle."
"Thank you for informing me; please let her know I would like to see her at her earliest convenience. I shall be located in my quarters."
The guard nodded, before closing the door with their departure.
"Well Philomena, let's see what Trixie has to say about Sunset Shimmer. Maybe my student's opinion will help settle my nerves. Besides," Celestia chuckled, "Trixie got some new friends. I've been looking forward to teasing her about this for so long."
The phoenix cawed in agreement, before flashing away to get a good spot. Celestia got up and headed to the door. The prospect of getting Trixie's thoughts on Sunset Shimmer was at war with the fun idea of teasing her student. |
My Most Faithful Mortifer | Chapter. 23 - Snow and Hearth | Chapter. 23 - Snow and Hearth
Mayor Mare was one pony on a mission; a mission that she had been holding off on for as long as possible. Her head was lowered, footing deliberately slow and steady, and all of her was wrapped up in as much protective clothing as possible while she made her way across the small town towards her destination.
For the last two days Ponyville has been suffering a winter onslaught, courtesy of the chaotic magic and wild weather of the deadliest forest in the land.
The Mayor fought her way onwards, unable to see more than a few meters in front of her, before what little shapes she could make out dissolved into the white void of falling snow. An extra gust blew around her, delaying her next step forward as the wind tried once again to take a woollen souvenir off of the pony walking by.
She kept her thick festive hat, but she still shuddered in displeasure. While the beast storming around her failed in taking anything, it was generous enough to send a snow laden pawful of air into her jacket and along her back.
Still it was her duty to keep going, and her powerful earth pony frame started to advance once again; each determined step bringing her closer to where she needed to be.
Her eyelids sealed the small crack she was spying through with a blink, as the silhouette of her destination appeared out of the blank horizon. It was large and rather top heavy with its domed roof. Getting closer revealed more of its shape and what could be made out would have confused most visitors to the town.
A rather large tree, still full of leaves, emerged out of the white abyss and was looming over the weary traveller.
'There,' she dare not open her mouth, but the relief she felt was enough to make her want to cry out. She doubled her efforts, and had almost managed a normal walking pace by the time she made it to the red door that had grown out of the giant tree. As yet another roar of wind encompassed her; she reached out with a fore hoof to open the door.
And then everything was still, and the world began to tumble.
As soon as she crossed the threshold, everything she had just been battling through was left on the other side of the door. The biting cold, the pieces of nipping snow; and more interesting at this moment, the battering force of the wind.
Without the wind fighting her and keeping her up, Mayor Mare was thrown for a loop, quite literally, and flipped over herself as she entered her destination; the Golden Oak Library.
Gathering herself up, Mayor Mare was glad her cheeks were already going to be rosy thanks to the weather outside, or else ponies would have seen her blushing. Her eyes scanned the main circular area of the library, and she was honestly surprised at what she found. There were ponies here, a lot of ponies that she knew from around the town; and all of them were out of the winter clothing she herself was smothered in.
Walking to the desk on the other side of the room to the main entrance, she greeted the few ponies who noticed her passing by. However the pony she wanted to see, the pony who she battled the wild weather outside to talk to, was not at her station.
Resting on the desk was instead a brown owl with intelligent eyes looking up at her. It tilted its head to one side and let out a gentle hoot, almost inquiring what it was she wanted. The Mayor looked around once again, but still found no sign of the mare that should have been stationed where this owl was.
The owl hooted again to gather her attention, and was almost pointing with its wing to a piece of paper that looked like it had once been sitting upright to greet ponies.
"Hello and welcome to the Golden Oak Library.
"If you are reading this then I am currently busy and away from my station, more than likely helping a pony.
"If you are looking for a book, then the Card Index is just to the left of this desk.
"If we do not have the book you are looking for, due to it being out on loan or simply not stocked, then please write down the title of the book and author along with your address for me to contact you when it is available.
"If you are looking to checkout a book, then please present it to Owlowiscious who will take the books library card. You can then take the book home with you to enjoy for up to one week before it is classified as late and it returns to us and a late fee will be issued.
"If there is anything that cannot wait for my return, please ask Owlowiscious and he will happily take you to me.
"I hope this has been of assistance to you in my absence,
"Sunset Shimmer - Librarian of the Golden Oaks Library."
The Mayor blinked at the note before bringing her eyes back to the predatory ones of the owl who was perched comfortably on the desk. Clearly the owl was waiting for her to make the next move.
"Umm, can you take me to Sunset Shimmer? I need to see her." She felt foolish for talking to an animal like this, like it knew what she had just asked it.
Apparently it did because the owl appeared to almost nod its head before taking off at a very leisurely pace up to the ceiling and headed off down the right hand corridor; it soon circled back to make sure she was following. Mayor Mare chuckled at the owl's antics and once again wondered to herself why such a talented young mare was happy working in such a quiet town as the librarian.
Keeping track of the flying owl was not nearly as difficult as she feared; as it made sure she was following it. It was also not a long journey as it appeared Sunset was sitting at one of the group work tables in the area more laid out for studying. She did pause, however, when she noticed who it was that Sunset was helping.
The owl landed on the table where Sunset was sitting and quickly got her attention. The mare looked over and smiled, before excusing herself from the filly's side. The filly appeared to barely notice, her tongue was poking out the side of her mouth and her brow was creased in concentration as she manipulated a quill.
"Good afternoon Mayor. How can I help you?"
"That's not Sweetie Belle you're helping with magic, is it?"
Sunset looked back over to the small silvery white filly with light pinks and purples in her mane. "Yes, she started coming by after the inspection from Trixie Lulamoon and asked for assistance with her magic. Since then she comes by about every other day."
"She's been learning magic for two months?!" the mayor's eyes were a little dilated and she had taken an involuntary step back. Sunset appeared not to notice the early signs of distress.
"I think she has been getting lessons from her sister Rarity before she came to me. But yes, Sweetie has been learning magic from me for two months and six days."
The mayor gulped down the tonsils in her throat. "And. Ah. How is she coming along?"
Sunset sighed, her face appeared to minutely sadden from its former calm and relaxed state. "Well, I think. Rarity gave me a copy of the lesson plan her parents wanted Sweetie to follow; after making me Pinkie Promise not to deviate from the plan without her consent."
They mayor let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding in; relief washed over her at the news. Hearing that one of the crusaders was learning magic was a scary thought; that she was being taught by the very talented mare in front of her was terrifying. That a Pinkie Promise was in place not to go off of the conservative plan set up by herself in conjunction with the Belle parents eased her nerves greatly.
"Yeah, I have had to calm down Pinkie Pie three times so far. The last time included a presentation stating the reasons why I have not broken her sacred vows. Hmm, which reminds me; I need to get a timer spell organised. I'm curious to know if she's faster arriving to see if I've broken the promise, or leaving after one of my presentations?" The fiery mane'd mare muttered to herself for a moment, once again not noticing the worried look returning to the older earth pony.
"Umm, well regardless. The reason why I've come to see you is to ask when the library will be closing?" the mayor stated, unconsciously tugging at the hem of her thick woollen jacket.
Sunset blinked. "Six o clock. The same time I close the library every day."
"OH, no dear. I meant when will you be closing the library for the holidays?" Sunset stared at the Mayor, a slight tilt of her head and a slow blink indicated to the senior mare to elaborate further. "You know, Hearth Warming? I'm pretty certain Vanhoover celebrates it as well?"
"Yes, we do celebrate Hearth Warming. But what does that have to do with closing the library?" Sunset's voice had recognition resonating throughout her response; but it still left Mayor Mare a little confused, and a little concerned.
"Well, I was expecting you to want to go back to your home and celebrate with friends. I know you're an orphan, but still I would have expected you to have some close bonds you'd want to see over the festive period."
Sunset on the other hoof was feeling foolish and was beginning to sweat a little, and not just because the library was wonderfully warm and comfortable. She had forgotten about Hearth Warming, had forgotten that it was a public holiday and thus expected that her library would be closed.
"W-Well I don't really have many friends, especially around my age, back in Vanhoover. Uh, and I've already made so many new friends here I figured I'd just stay. And since I was staying here I figured, why not keep the library open. You know in case ponies needed someplace warm and quiet to read. Heh, Heh." 'That had to be the worst story I've ever said in my life. There's no way she'll buy it. But I need to be here in case of an emergency.'
The Mayor's mind clicked and the slight frown on her face evaporated instantly to one of sympathy and understanding. 'The poor dear. Growing up at an orphanage cannot be easy. But this is the most I've seen her react since she started working here. She must have had a very bad time there.'
"Oh, Sunset. I'm so glad to hear you've made some good friends here in our little town. There have been more than a few ponies who just could not make it here, believe you me. Regardless though, I simply cannot let you open the Golden Oak Library during the festivities." There was a crack in the young ponies face, a fleeting look of panic appeared for an instant. "However this is your home, and I cannot very well force you out of it while you are working as the librarian. If you'd rather stay in Ponyville than return to Vanhoover that perfectly fine with me; just make sure you do actually take the time off to relax and unwind from this busy year. And if I see a pony or two entering and leaving; I'll just assume they are there to wish you a merry Hearth Warming." The Mayor blinked in amusement at the stunned pony in front of her.
Unbeknown to the two adults talking, a curious young filly had finished the task she had been left with and had snuck up to the two talking mares. She had missed some of the stuff at the start but what she did hear made her feel both happy and sad. That Miss Shimmer wanted to stay in Ponyville over Hearth Warming was awesome, her magic lessons won't be interrupted.
But it was also sad; her staying in Ponyville meant she had no one to celebrate Hearth Warming with. She'd be all alone in the library with all her books and her pet owl; and while Owlowiscious is pretty cool he's still just an owl. If Miss Shimmer's Hearth Warming went badly then maybe she'd get bored of Ponyville and leave. Sweetie couldn't let that happen! Miss shimmer was so cool; it would be a disservice to Ponyville if she left.
She needed to do something! But something this big couldn't be done with just herself. She would need help from the other crusaders at least.
"Miss Shimmer!" Sweetie Belle shouted from her position just to the side of the mare in question. The Mayor jumped a little into the air from the sudden outburst; and while Sunset had reacted in a similar manor, Sweetie Belle could tell it was more to make the mayor feel better than actual fright. It was almost as if she knew Sweetie Belle was there from the start, 'so cool!'
"Sweetie Belle! Don't sneak up on ponies like that, it's very rude. What would your sister say if she found out?"
"Sorry Mayor. It's just that I finished the exercise you assigned to me Miss Shimmer." The mayor had just finished putting back the few hairs shocked out of position, when a few more tried to flee at the news.
"Oh, you did? Then could you bring the quill over to us?" Sweetie beamed up at the flaming mane'd mare; there was no fear in her eyes, no nervous edge as she asked Sweetie to do something with magic. 'SO COOL!'
Frowning in concentration the young filly's horn lit up in a soft pale green aura that also appeared around the quill she had been writing with earlier. A grunt of effort brought the quill up into the air and, with the grace of Rainbow Dash after more than a few apple ciders, the quill started to slowly float over to the three ponies.
Sweetie closed her eyes in concentration, and thus missed the step back from the mayor; she felt her magic fighting as she struggled and so put more effort into it. However Sweetie was losing control. She was about to put even more effort into her magic; when a stern cough from beside her caused her to momentarily freeze. "Remember what I've been teaching you." Sunset's words pierced through Sweetie's panic; she took a breath and calmed down.
The quill was still erratic, still stumbling about in the air, but it was closing in on the small filly; who was still struggling, though not nearly as badly as before. With a last ditch effort the young filly floated the quill over her head before her magic gave out and it started to fall; only to be caught up in the raspberry coloured magic of the elder unicorn.
"Very good Sweetie Belle. That's the furthest you've managed to levitate the quill yet. You still need to remember my lessons though while you are casting; I know they are not perfect for you, but clearly they are helping." Sweetie Belle opened her eyes to find the quill she had been levitating over to them was now resting perfectly still right in front of her, surrounded in the familiar glow of Sunset Shimmer's magic.
She beamed up at her tutor from the praise and conveniently ignored that the other mare was several paces further away than from before. 'So. Cool.'
"Ahem, well I can see that you are very busy. So I shall simply put that the library will be closed for the three minimum days that is required by law from the Princess." They mayor's eyes travelled to the large window at the end of the room looking over the work desks; the weather outside was still just as bad as when she arrived, the world was nothing but a white emptiness. She wilted at the sight.
"Oh I do hope this storm doesn't last too much longer. No one wants to leave their homes, not that I can blame them; who would want to be out in that? Actually I am surprised at how busy the library is? And how warm it is, I'm roasting in this jacket." It may have taken her this long, but Mayor Mare finally noticed how hot she was in all her layers.
"It's the Golden Oak library. It sustains itself by siphoning magic from the nearby layline that runs under the Everfree Forest. It's actually a rather interesting phenomenon that uses the trees roots in a very intricate magical arr..." Sunset stopped herself as she noticed her two companions eyes were glazing over. "Well, simply put the tree is using the nearby layline to sustain itself and to keep its interior warm in the winters and cool in the summers. It's also using the magic to prevent the worst of the storm from entering."
"Well, I can certainly see why ponies want to be here then. I may even take a spot myself and bring the office here if this storm keeps showing no signs of stopping. Oh I do hope the weather team can breech through soon; goodness knows they'll need a rest after this."
Ponyville's weather team have been battling with this behemoth of a storm from the moment it was located, but unfortunately such a chaotic beast was proving difficult to tame. They've managed to keep this monster of a storm from turning into a real threat to the lives of the townsfolk; but they were already on the point of exhaustion and the storm showed little in the way of calming down.
The pair of mares and a filly follower arrived at the red wooden door that was the entrance to the library tree. An out clove to the side had been clearly converted quickly into a winter clothing storage area for the many patrons it was currently experiencing.
The door was opened with the librarians well known magical aura revealing the raging storm outside. Though interestingly enough the wind wasn't penetrating any further than they were standing.
"I see what you mean about preventing the storm from entering, most impressive indeed. Well Sunset thank you for your time and as I said I'll note down that the Golden Oak Library will be closed for the three days around Hearth Warming." The mayor turned and the smile on her face had left by the time she was looking back out at the storm.
A shake of her head and a whip of determination from her tail, the mayor stepped out into the deep white void of the storm; her brightly coloured jacket vanishing into the snow by the third blink of their eyes.
"Miss Shimmer I need to get going as well." Sunset Shimmer looked back around to the young filly standing just off to her side. It had clear signs of nervousness, but they eyes were filled with determination.
"Sweetie, your sister asked me to look after you for the afternoon as she was too busy to do so."
"She just wanted me out of her mane for a while; she's got a few dress orders that are close to completion and needed to concentrate. She's still at the boutique though."
"Be that as it may, I cannot in good conscious send you out in that weather unescorted. And I'm afraid the library is just too busy for me to leave it all in Owlowiscious hooves - uhh, talons."
Sweetie giggled slightly at the obvious slip up. However the upturn of her mouth was wiped out quickly, she was still determined to go home early.
"Aww come on, please." Sweetie stared pleadingly up at the amber coated mare, her pale jade coloured eyes wide open and quivering almost as much as her upper lip was.
Sunset stared back at the filly with confusion. This was a look that Sunset had never seen before; it almost felt like it was trying to manipulate her in some way. That didn't make any sense though; Sunset knew that Sweetie Belle was a good filly at heart. Besides the young girl was struggling to lift a quill with her magic, the power required for manipulation magic in comparison was beyond night and day.
Sweetie was not used to her puppy dog eyes not working; they were a lethal weapon according to her sister. But Sunset was not melting at all.
It was a painful blow to the young filly; she just wanted to help the adult that helped her with her homework...
"Hey, could you teleport me back then?" Sweetie's expression morphed back into one of hope and excitement at figuring out a way around the problem they both had.
This caused a reaction from the adult standing in front of her. "Teleport?"
"Yeah, like what you did with my homework that time I couldn't find it?"
"Sweetie do you know how much magic is required to teleport a pony in comparison to a few sheets of paper. Not to mention I would need to be able to fully visualise the destination and hope there is nothing at the location to cause interference."
Sunset received a slow blink of those pale green eyes and the smallest of tilts of the fillies head. "Yeah, but can you do it?"
"Sigh, yes Sweetie. I can do it."
Sunset watched in confusion as the young filly pranced and hopped around her all the while chanting "Yes" over and over again. Her pink and purple mane and tail following the eager filly like lost puppies.
"So how does it work?" the filly asked when finally calmed down enough to at least stay in the same spot, she was still trembling and dancing in place.
"Look Sweetie, just because I can doesn't mean I will do it for you." this stopped the filly completely.
"Aww. Come on, Please? Please please please?"
Before Sunset could comment anything, there was an almighty shriek from the only owl in the tree. A noticeable line of ponies had formed at her desk wanting her help; most of them with frowns on their faces. No doubt from waiting so long already.
"Ok, ok. I'll do it. It's clear you're not going to let me get back to work until I do." The beaming smile the filly let out could have helped fend off this storm, it was so bright.
"Ok, just like when I got your homework. Fully visualise where you want to be teleported to in the boutique." Sweetie did so, choosing a clear spot in the kitchen because her room was a mess.
Sunset said nothing as she lay her horn on the fillies head.
Sweetie felt her hairs start to stand on end due to the build-up of magic around her; it was tingly and warm, but didn't feel threatening. She was beginning to find it difficult to breathe however; but Sweetie couldn't tell if it was from all the magic around her, or just out of sheer excitement from having such a powerful spell cast on her.
Even through her closed eyes Sweetie Belle could see the flash of light and along with it the fuzzy tingling feeling around her disappeared.
A squawk of surprise and the clattering of china made Sweetie open her eyes; they opened a lot more at what she saw.
"Sweetie Belle? Wh-what's going on? How did you just appear there?" Her sister asked from her position at the kitchen table, a tea cup was toppled over and its contents now covering the pristine white cloth.
"I JUST TELEPORTED! SOO COOL!"
"SWEETIE BELLE! Did you harass Sunset into teleporting you home instead of waiting for me?! Why I sho-"
"Rarity! I need your help! It's Miss Shimmer. She's staying here for Hearth's Warming!" The porcelain white mare stopped short at the outcry from her sister. She blinked at the words and wondered what was wrong.
"Sweetie, whatever do you mean?"
"I mean she's not going back to her home for Hearth's Warming. She's staying in Ponyville! But she's not got anyone to celebrate it with. I need your help so that she can have an amazing one and so will want to stay in Ponyville and not a bad one making her leave and never come back!" Sweetie Belle had her eyes set for full lethality, the added tremble of her lower lip spelling doom to any anger that Rarity had for what her sister had done; especially since it was for such a thoughtful thing.
"Oh, Sweetie Belle, what will I do with you? Alright, help me clean up this mess and together we'll think of something." The young filly's tail resembled Winona's getting food as it rapidly started to sway back and forth.
It took the two sisters only a moment to replace the stained cloth with a fresh and clean one, before sitting down together to discuss the possibilities for their mutual friend.
Hearth Warming Day
It was quiet, very quiet, almost unnaturally quiet inside the library; especially for this time of day. It was Hearth's Warming and the second day Sunset was forced to have off; and she just didn't know what to do with herself.
The weather had finally calmed down leaving a town almost buried in white fluffy powder. Every able body was called to help clear the excess snow to a field south of the town; the Mayor was so desperate to clear the snow quickly that she allowed Sunset and the other unicorns to use magic. Especially since the weather team had still not surfaced from their beds.
It took two days, but the town was back to being the lightly snow covered picturesque scene Mayor Mare had planned it to be. It was another day after the clear up that a team from Cloudsdale arrived to help with the chaotic storm. The scowl on Rainbow Dash's - as well as the rest of her team's faces - at the late arrival would have turned a Timberwolf.
The Cloudsdale pegasi had the decency to at least apologise for their late arrival, and agreed to remove the fields worth of excess snow before the end of winter.
Sunset was in her private living room, sitting across from the lit cast iron wood burner, reading a book. Her day off yesterday was filled with her researching in the basement; planning for the Summer Sun Celebration as well as going over public available records of the orphanages in Fillydelphia. Both projects were hitting brick walls.
Hoping that a change of pace would help; Sunset had planned absolutely nothing for today. She was just going to sit here and read whatever she wanted to from the fiction section of the library under her care; perhaps even bring down her duvet for that additional bit of comfort.
A clear and precise knocking travelled up the stairwell and reached the small bastion of comfort that sunset had established. A growing part of her wanted to ignore the stubborn pony at her door; larger than she had ever known her rebellious side to shout. But Sunset still felt it prudent to attend to her assigned duties; even with the public holidays as an excuse.
The main door was politely pounded upon again as Sunset reached the main circular room of the library. "I'm coming, I'm coming." Sunset said out loud as she passed the central bust of a horse.
"Good mo- oh, Applejack; what brings you by this morning?"
"Well nice to see you too Sunset." Came the stoic reply. The tone held a hint of being offended, but the smile on the tanned earth ponies face took away any real bite.
"It is good to see you Applejack; I just wasn't expecting to see you at all today. I'd have thought you'd be with your family."
"Well, yeah. It is Hearth Warming and all. B-but there's something I need your help with back at the farm." Sunset quirked an eyebrow at the statement; even with all the offers she had given to help at the farm, Applejack still hadn't accepted any yet.
It was clear that Applejack realised this too. "L-look, I do need you at the farm. Call it a Hearth Warming present." The farm pony managed to look Sunset in the eyes at least for that statement, though she was scratching the back of her neck a little too much.
'Same mannerisms, hooves neither floating, nor sunk into the ground. Eye colour is the same as well as the cutie mark; no shimmers or distortions masking any extra features. This is either a very good illusion spell, or this really is Applejack.'
The thoughts flew past Sunset in the time of a few blinks of her eyes, weighing up her options before she smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "Certainly Applejack I'd be more than happy to help you. I take it you would like me to do some of your chores while you enjoy the day with your family?"
Applejack couldn't even face Sunset when she agreed it was something like that.
"Are you sure I'm not interrupting anything? I'd hate to intrude."
"Nonsense. Just come in and say hi, will ya?" Applejack was all but dragging Sunset through the rustic front door of her family's farmhouse. It wasn't hard, so much as an annoyance.
The two ponies entered the small but comfortable sitting room; its pale salmon coloured walls complemented the light wooden support beams and flooring. To the left was a set of stairs leading up into the house; and opposite them, on the far right wall, was a rustic stone hearth with a wonderful fire dancing merrily and spreading warmth throughout the room.
Furniture had clearly been recently moved over to the far walls, with a rocking chair and a sofa positioned around the crackling fire. And there in the middle of the room was the reason why; the family dining table had been brought through from the kitchen.
It all was laden with plates filled to the brim with mouth-watering festive foods as well as some Apple family classics. All these grand dishes were centralised around five place settings and chairs; two of them were unoccupied. The meaning was obvious even to an emotional novice like Sunset.
"The girls and I felt it wrong that you'd have nopony to enjoy the day with. The others always leave to visit their own families. But mine is right here in Ponyville, and it'd be an honour if'n you'd join us for Hearth Warming." The statement brought agreement from everypony else around the table.
Sunset was lost for words; she was at a loss for everything. She felt light headed, weak and confused; it was getting more and more difficult to breathe as she looked over to the ponies who wanted to include her in such a family orientated day. Her eyes started to itch terribly and even began to mist up as she found her legs were unable to support her anymore and she landed on her haunches.
It was painful, so very painful; certainly one of the most painful things she could remember experiencing...and yet it was strangely nice. Her eyes were leaking, but her face couldn't help but form a smile, even without her trying.
Applejack's face came into view with a look of concern in her eyes, but the soft smile on her face held understanding. "It's alright Sugarcube, take your time. It was Sweetie Belle who told us that you'd hadn't had a proper Hearth's Warming before and that you were just going to read all day.
"She got us all together and we all came up with lots of nice ideas, but it was actually mah Granny Smith there who suggested you join us when she overheard me grumbling. Said that the honesty of a good meal with family was all you were looking for. Chuckle, by the looks of it I'd say she was right."
Gently Applejack pulled her friend up and towards the waiting table, where the rest of the local Apple clan was waiting with soft smiles. It looked as though the younger ones wanted to help but the eldest pony of them all had kept them seated with a single look.
Seated next to Applejack, and across from Apple Bloom; Sunset followed suit as Granny Smith, the matriarch of the clan, blessed them all and welcomed Sunset with a smile, before telling everyone to dig in.
The day was nothing but chaos after that for Sunset Shimmer; there was good food and drink that turned into games with Apple Bloom, or friendly competitions with the elder siblings. She did very well for a unicorn, but without cheating and converting her magic she just could not match the two powerful earth ponies.
Sunset used her talents in magic to entertain the family in return, with fireworks, levitation, and an assortment of doable requests that anypony made. Apart from helping with the dishes, Sunset was forbidden from working, much like the rest of the family. For all of them it was a real day for rest with family according to Granny Smith, and she made sure that all of them knew it; especially Sunset.
Sunset's mind was experiencing things it couldn't remember. It was overwhelming, quite terrifying, and gave her a headache.
But it was all worth it. She couldn't remember feeling so accepted.
She felt, happy. |
My Most Faithful Mortifer | Chapter. 24 – Bonding, Plots and Worries | Chapter 24. - Bonding, Plots and Worries
Time may have been marching, the New Year had come and gone, as well as all of January, but winter still refused to release its hold on ponykind. It was late afternoon and the small town of Ponyville was being attacked by swirling winds with rain drops that felt more like daggers than actual water.
The few ponies venturing out of their abodes had themselves covered in rain protection; even the hardy earth ponies of the town wanted nothing to do with this weather.
It would come as no surprise that the library was clear of all customers and patrons; but just because it was devoid of clients did not mean that it was quiet. Every pony who knew the librarian of the Golden Oak Library would be quite amazed to find she had a guest staying at the library. Doubly so due to the last time these two were together.
Up in the resident's area of the library the cast iron log burner was happily churning out heat, with the pleasant warm glow of orange pouring forth from its viewing window. Sitting all around it on the couch as well as some moved wooden chairs was a group of seven mares and a baby dragon.
It has been a long several months since two of them had been back to the small town and even though they had only been here once before; it still felt good to be back amongst friends.
It was the youngest of all of them that was centre stage at this moment in time, regaling the time he spent with his family over the Hearth Warming period. It was just a shame his rendition was marred thanks to some sniffles and the odd cough; the poor dear was suffering for a mild cold.
"Sniff, a-and then to try and act all cool he goes and takes a big drink from his eggnog. Well Cadance didn't take this lying down, like at all. So she goes up and whispers something into Shining's ear; the next thing I know his noes turns into a fountain and spews eggnog across the living room table before he starts hacking and sputtering, all the while Cadance has this smug look on her face. It was almost like she's saying 'who's got the last laugh now?' She even winked at me. Chuckle, ah Shining didn't let it down the whole rest of the day. I never did find out what Cadance said to Shining, but my granny said it was something that was definitely deserved.
"But yeah it was a good day, one I really think all of us needed; especially my puppa and granny. I mea-" Spikes face quickly silenced itself and looked a little bashful, like he had said a little too much. Whatever the reason, his clawed hands were already in place as he started a small coughing fit.
Out of all seven of the mares in the room, only two held looks of understanding; the others, while curious, respected the young dragon's privacy not to enquire. As much as it was painfully obvious that one or two of them were dying to know more of the story.
"Well Spike, it sounds like you really had a very enjoyable Hearths Warming." Rarity pushed through - while offering the young dragon a fresh tissue - to prevent, at the very least Pinkie, from demanding to know more. "I have to admit my own was not nearly as, colourful, as yours sounded like; but oh my can Sweetie be a hoof full when she gets spoiled by our parents." There was a distant, if happy, smile gracing the white unicorns face as she remembered her own Hearths Warming with her parents.
"Ya still looking after Sweetie Belle for your folks? Ain't they done travelling yet?"
Rarity flinched slightly from the comment made by Applejack; it was a bit of a sore spot for the tanned earth pony. "Yes I am still looking after Sweetie Belle, Applejack. Our parents are still 'finding themselves,'" the purpled maned pony emphasised this with actual hoof quotations marks.
"Do not get me wrong; they do love us dearly and both myself and Sweetie love them as well. But they're getting on in years and denied their calling for as long as they could; so when I managed to establish a semblance of normality here in Ponyville, they saw their chance to fulfil themselves once more. Sigh, I can call them selfish, but even I know the power of a cutie mark and their call on a pony can be. Mine can, quite literally, drag me around the place if I'm not careful." She finished with a small giggle.
"Now tell me Applejack," Rarity asked with a knowing look, "How was your own Hearth Warming? Did it all go to plan, hmm?" Even with her mouth being covered by taking a sip of her drink, the smile was clear to hear on her face.
"Hehe, you were right Sugarcube; I believe Sunset was planning to read all day long. You didn't even have anything special planned for a meal or anything, did you?" Applejack looked over to the mare in question, giving her a look that plainly said "Don't lie, I already know the answer." The smile adorning the farm pony's face removed all sense of hostility the gaze and question may have had.
While all the mares from Ponyville knew these tales already - having all met up again quickly after the New Year - they were stated as news worthy for the friends that could not have come by sooner, namely Trixie and Spike.
Trixie had left for Manehattan to spend time with her family; regaling stories to her folks and wowing her younger sibling with a few new tricks she had learnt. While Spike stayed in Canterlot with his family; apparently even Prince Shining Armour and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza had stayed with Spike and their family rather than the castle.
Everypony else had already taken a turn to tell their Hearth Warming story, with Pinkie being the first. But now it was time for the pony that had brought this group together to share her tale.
"Well, no I hadn't; and yes I was planning to read all day. What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing, nothing at all sugarcube." Applejack hastily said, waving her front hooves defensively. "Just, I bet you do that nearly every day. Hearth Warming's about being with friends and family. You can't deny you had a better time with ma family than just on your own?"
Sunset's response was one that surprised the two friends from Canterlot; she smiled. It was small, simple, and far too insignificant of a smile for such a precious gift as Sunset had received that day.
But this was Sunset Shimmer, the stoic mare who was impossible to read; as Rainbow Dash and a few other ponies in town can certainly attest to with their games of poker. When Sunset smiled, it just never seemed to reach her eyes.
But the smile that was on the mares face was honest, it was felt; it reached her eyes.
"No Applejack. Being with your family on Hearths Warming was so much better than what I had planned. Thank you for inviting me."
"It ain't no problem at all; you've got an open invite to come back every year, ya hear. Besides," the soft smile on Applejacks face was wiped away by a smirk. "Having you there meant the dishes were done in seconds; when you come over next time, that's your designated chore." The group laughed and Sunset certainly agreed to the terms.
The stories continued to flow from each person in the room without a care. The group of friends had no adventure to go on, nothing to rescue or defeat. It was a simple get together, and it was what everyone needed.
Princess Celestia was walking through the castles gardens; the weather was not the best and had kept the nobles inside, exactly the reason why Celestia was now out in this cold, wet slush like rain.
With every New Year came the exact same problems as the previous one, only with different flowery words to dress them up. The nobles of the court had a knack of re-phrasing the exact same problem in a wardrobe of colourful words to try and make it different. But she had been the sole ruling princess for almost a thousand years now; she has heard every single way one could dress up the same problem over and over again. Regardless of the changes in culture or the renaissance in language Equestria had gone through over the centuries.
But this year would be very different; her sister was due to come back this summer, no doubt still corrupted by the Nightmare persona when she had last seen her. The thought was both a blessing and a curse; she missed her sister dearly and needed to set things right with her. But she could not bear to see the war visage the nightmare had brought to the forefront.
But then her hopes and dreams where all but lost when young Twilight Sparkle disappeared. A tragedy only made worse when it was all but apparent that she was destined to become the next bearer of Magic; the artefact that had sent Luna to the moon, that has the power to remove the heinous corruption within her soul. The artefacts that she had lost command over due to her own hubris, by wielding them all against a fellow bearer.
But harmony works in mysterious ways it seems; for another potential candidate to bear Magic became known to her as she was out on an evening flight over the countryside of the Mainhattan province.
Young Trixie Lulamoon was certainly a diamond in the rough; but the passion for magic could almost be felt coming off of the young filly. Trixie had nothing more than the standard curriculum for magic, but what she lacked in theory was easily overcome by simple practical understanding of magic. Such love and dedication to magic could not go unnoticed and so Celestia had found yet another student to mentor.
Celestia managed a small smile as her mind took her over some of the more interesting times teaching Trixie. But then the smile left almost as quickly as it came; for her mind brought her to the here and now, and the most recent development.
Sunset Shimmer, the latest pride of Predator; trained in all three of the tribal innate magic's, with an almost unimaginable wellspring to back up her clearly vast knowledge of magical theory. She's able, been physically trained to the standards of the elite within the Honour guard...and who is, without doubt, one of the biggest wild cards Celestia has ever come across.
And now the year of her sister's return has come about; and due to a single pony entering her life, Celestia was at a loss.
But regardless of all the doubt and uncertainty, the flame of hope was burning brighter than ever within her chest.
Yes her plans have changed numerous times in recent years; yes she is worried over how much damage the Nightmare could do to her sister's reputation before she is freed. She is even fearful of how much collateral damage will be done and is still silently pleading to Harmony not to let her little ponies die.
But now Trixie has friends, good friends whose bonds just seem to keep getting stronger and stronger. From the stories Trixie had told her, it gave her hope that all of the bearers have been located and already friends with each other.
Celestia was almost tempted to see if they could awaken the elements ahead of her sister's arrival.
Then there was the wild card; Sunset Shimmer. Actually it was thanks to her that Trixie found her friends; if not for her lack of emotions then she could very well also be a candidate to bear the Element of Magic.
'That would be a political nightmare. An unknown unicorn appearing out of nowhere becoming the Element of Magic; it would be impossible for Predator to remain a secret. And with Predator being revealed to the world Equestria's reputation will be torn to shreds.' Celestia sighs as she shakes her head in slow lethargic waves in an effort to try and clear it, her mane wet and clinging onto her body more than waving about in the air. Her aimless wandering has brought her to the entrance of the hedge maze; a place filled with twists and turns and lots of unknown paths. She couldn't help but think it was fitting.
'I have to intervene, but in doing so am I dooming Equestria and the world to eternal night? Will I lose my sister forever because the elements cannot settle on a single bearer for Magic? "What am I to do?" The words left her mouth with all the gentleness of a floating down feather.
The rain had lightened since she started her walk, but there was still no other pony to hear the question on the wind. Nor was there anything around to give the grieving alicorn an answer.
"Excuse me, Princess?" The minutes of silence burst in a blink of an eye and by the sound of a voice; Celestia turned to see one of her golden clad, white furred royal guards standing a few paces behind her. They were an earth pony but anything more than that was almost impossible to tell, thanks to the glamor they are bound to wear while on duty.
"I'm afraid the number of nobles looking for you has exceeded what you requested we keep at bay. Would you like us to continue preventing them from seeing you, or...?" the question was not said but it was clear to hear "Or are you going to go back to work?"
Celestia turned towards the nearest set of doors into the castle; not to check if the guard was lying or not, but to see just how many nobles wanted her attention. Even from the distance between where she stood and the closest access point to the castle, she could clearly see at least a dozen highly dignified and supremely dressed ponies hovering about the inside of the door.
"No, I believe my break has come to an end. Please inform them I shall be there in a moment." The guard bowed before about turning and walked back to the doors with military precision.
Duty calls, her little ponies needed her. Her heart was filled with worries and fears, her mind filled with doubts and second guesses; but her soft motherly smile still stayed on her face. Exactly what her ponies expected to see.
She set aside the worries and fears of tomorrow as Princess Celestia walk back into the castle, the small gentle smile unwavering on her face.
For it still being light outside, the long wooden corridor with white panelling was surprisingly quiet; then again it is not very often that a pony wanted to see the three masters in their private study.
Tempest Shadow walked down the simple, yet elegant, corridor; and before knocking on the door at the end of it, she was invited in by the masters of Predator.
"Ah, Tempest. How is your hunt for your next pupil fairing? Or shall you be returning to your role as a field operative?" Bright Lance was the one to speak first, being the master of Unicorns it was only appropriate that she speak to one of her former pupils. All three masters were sitting together around a simple wooden table, paperwork, cups and saucers scattered all over it.
"Slowly I'm afraid, Master Bright Lance. My normal sources for new recruits appear to have gone quiet while I was training Sunset."
It was Crane Wing who spoke up, offering the purple unicorn a warm smile. "It is not a surprise. You are still revelling off of such a successful student. Allow yourself some time to reflect and I would not be surprised to find you have already found your next student. After all, you have brought to our attention many successful candidates from all tribes. Have you considered becoming a recruiter? Or have you finally seen what I told you years ago; that you are a capable teacher."
Tempest Shadow fidgeted slightly and she refused to look at the master of Pegasi, "I admit teaching Sunset was more enjoyable than I was expecting; the challenges to keep her interested especially so."
"Such a bright and curious mind such as hers is as unique as she herself is. Sunset Shimmer is most assuredly a difficult student, but for almost the complete opposite reasons of a more typical cadet. Crane Wing is right however, Sunset Shimmer was such a success it surprised us all. I remember discovering especially talented recruits in the military; it does affect how you see others in comparison." Thunder Stomp apparently was listening even though he hadn't looked up once from the papers he was studying.
"Indeed. Speaking of the mare in question, her latest report came in; it speaks of nothing of significance to report. However, it is how she has written it that has sparked my interest, and I suspect it will do the same to you as well." Crane Wing said as he used his wing to lift a non-descriptive scroll to her.
"It appears the town she has been sent to, this Ponyville, has been doing Sunset quite some good. Nothing explicit is stated, but it is the way she is writing, and even the word choice. It looks like some of her emotions may be returning to her." Crane Wing's face held the air of a grandfather hearing good news.
Tempest remained impassive as she looked over the scroll handed to her. The master of Pegasi was right. While it reported of nothing new this month, it was the additional flicks and curls, the extra descriptive wording. It was subtle and to most of no consequence at all; to Tempest Shadow it was something she had not been expecting. At all.
"I hope that is the case, Master Crane Wing; if there is anypony who deserves the return of her emotions, it is Sunset Shimmer."
"We are all hoping she can recover completely; if she does it might be interesting to see if she would be capable of subterfuge?"
"An interesting prospect that is certainly worth discussing, if her emotions fully return Thunder Stomp. Until then there is little point in speculating about what if's." Bright Lance was quick to retort. The quill Thunder Stomp was using in his hoof was forcibly placed on the table, while his body turned to face the Master of Unicorns.
In a move that defied his ancient grandfatherly look, the sole pegasis in the room launched himself over the round table and landed directly in between the standing unicorn and where his fellow masters were staring intensely at each other.
He spread his wings around him and they began emitting a golden hue. Whatever was happening behind the only standing master could not be heard at all. "I am afraid this meeting has come to an end. If you are planning to leave us again, then I ask you wait until morning and inform us. If not then, as you know, you are free to do as you wish." With that he waved a hoof clearly indicating that she leaves.
Tempest Shadow returned the scroll to Crane Wing before following his orders and left with a bow; politely ignoring the silent shouting match happening behind him and the wall of manipulated air cancelling out noise.
As the afternoon marched on the Golden Oak Library was still just as filled as it was before. Sunset had all of her friends with her and library itself was still without a customer; though this was actually planned.
Sunset locked eyes with the purpled maned unicorn sitting nearby and nodded her head so minutely that only the detailed eyes of the fashionista picked it up.
It was time.
"Well girls, and Spike of course." Rarity let out a slight giggle at the put off face of the young drake in their party. What frown was on his face was quickly replaced by a goofy grin at hearing her giggle. "I feel I must ask all of you to stand and bring yourselves closer in please."
Confusion was first on nearly everyone's face, but they trusted Rarity and at least got up and stood by her.
"That's right, if we could all get a little closer together. Pinkie, if you'd please stop grinning like a Cheshire cat, it would make me feel a little better about this at least. And Spike, could you bring your tail in just a little bit more? Oh, yes holding it is a great idea." The group was almost shoulder to shoulder and stood facing each other in a tight circle. Only Sunset's face was out of character, as she had her eyes closed.
"Ok Rare, what's the big idea? Why have you got us all together like this?"
"Well Rainbow I was just getting to that. You see Sunset came to visit me not long after I got back from my parents' house asking if there was something special she could do for us all. When I asked what for, she responded that it was for her Hearth's Warming gift to us all. Well when I heard what it was for and the reason why, I couldn't help but get myself involved with the planning."
"Yeah? And what's that got to do with you asking us to be all close like?"
"I'm getting there Applejack, please just be a little patient. Anyway, we went back and forth a bit with ideas before settling on one that all of us could do as a group. It was also Sunsets idea that we wait until all of our friends could be here to enjoy it. As for why we are so close together right now; well it's because some of us can be a bit stubborn about this."
"Ah, so the two of you were waiting for myself and Spike to be here as well." At Rarity's nod Trixie continued, "so what have the two of you planned? And why doe-" Trixie stopped and looked over to the flaming hared unicorn amongst them, eyes beginning to widen.
Sunset's brow was in deep concentration and the gathered power within her horn could no longer be concealed with what little she knew of silent casting; regardless if this was a spell she knew particularly well.
Before anyone could comment on what she was doing; static covered them all and a bright flash of light blocked their sight for a long moment.
"Welcome." Was the first thing the group heard from a pair of similar voices. All the ponies from ponyville knew the voices, but only three of them knew them well enough to identify them. Well, the three regulars and Pinkie Pie.
"At first I was a little hesitant, I must admit; but this is something we all could do together and something Sunset really does think would be especially beneficial for Applejack especially."
The group were finally able to see the two earth ponies standing next to a small reception area and close to a set of plane double doors. The room was large with arched wings leading to other areas. The walls were painted in pale light lavender colours, with said scent lightly drifting in the air.
There were several relaxing tables and chairs covered in white towels; but the big attraction of the room, sitting in front of a large wall sized window, was a large wooden hot tub, steaming away and bubbling slightly.
By now Sunset had got her breathing back under control and smiled at all of her friends. "Thank you everyone for being my friend. Happy belated Hearths Warming." |
My Most Faithful Mortifer | Chapter. 25 – The Woes of a Pinkamena Pie | Chapter. 25 - The Woes of a Pinkamena Pie
Spring had finally come to Equestria and was ramping up nicely; the sun was warming, the air was filled with bird song, and delicate new leaves and fresh flowers could be seen blooming.
Ponyville was no exception to this; and everypony in town could not help up smile that little bit more, say hi to that extra face, or just generally feel that little bit happier.
All except for one pony.
Sugarcube Corner was as busy as ever, customers were coming and going with the fresh baked goods the store was renowned for. Coming out of the kitchen was a tall and lanky earth pony making his way to the front counter, carrying a trey of freshly baked cookies. Standing there already and waiting to arrange the cookies was a short and stocky earth pony mare.
The tall golden sand coloured stallion looked adoringly into the eyes of the short sea blue mare waiting for him; his eyes clearly saying what his mouth was unable to at the moment.
The mare returned the loving gaze and was just about to relieve her husband of his cargo when the stores front door was slammed open and a pony marched in.
The burst of noise startled the two behind the counter, causing the cookies to leap into the air and be scattered all around the counter. Mr and Mrs Cake looked over to the other pony in the room and jointly let out a worried sigh.
The sad earth pony was a mare with a pink coat and a mane only a few shades darker. It was a worrying sight, her pace was slow, aimless, and there was an edge of trepidation and frustration about it, like each step could cause a problem.
Then, after only making a partially into the building, the problem happened.
It started with almost a sharp jerk of her left ear, as if something was actually trying to rip it off; it was powerful enough to shift her head and make her stumble. While this happened a shiver started at the base of her tail and could be clearly seen travelling along her body like ripples in a pond. The shiver travelled all over her frame; to each and every hoof, all the way up to the tip of the ears, trying to rip themselves off of their host. The last noticeable thing that could be seen happening to the poor mare was both of her eyelids started to violently open and close in something that could almost be called a pattern.
All this happened in a fraction of a second, and the effect it had on its host was instant and worrying.
The moment it passed she leapt into the air, appearing to defy gravity for more than a second or two, all the while screaming. Her eyes grew wild and a vein throbbed on her forehead.
The instant she returned to solid ground, the distressed girl sprinted up the stairs towards the residential section of the store, leaving a smoke trail behind her. The thunder of pounding hooves could clearly be made out before the sound of a door slamming shut; the silence was deafening in the wake of it all.
The two owners of the bakery sighed yet again, before the mare started gathering up the scattered cookies while the stallion went back into the kitchen, resigned to make another batch.
The bell over the door tinkled and a unicorn mare walked into the store with a look of worry in her eyes.
"Excuse me, Mrs Cake?"
"Hmm, oh. How may I help you today Rarity?"
The porcelain white unicorn was nervously playing with her purple mane while looking around the stores main area. "I was hoping you could tell me what is wrong with Pinkie Pie? The girls and I have noticed she has not been her normal self over the past few days. Or week. We've tried to offer our assistance in whatever is wrong, but she simply refuses to tell us what it is."
"I wish I could help you Rarity, but neither myself nor my husband know for sure what's wrong with her. We know she's not been sleeping very well, we can hear her cry out in frustration in the middle of the night. Once I think I heard her say something about forgetting, but I'm not certain about that."
"I heard her muttering about her Pinkie Sense yesterday." Came the voice of Mr Cake as his head appeared from the kitchen. "Do you think something's wrong with her?"
Rarity shook her head. "I do not believe so. Just moments ago Sunset Shimmer bluntly went up to her and asked what was wrong, before she started to cast a spell; a diagnostic one she assured me. Well Pinkie just yelled at her that she was fine, before apologising and running off."
"Oh dear, that really isn't like her at all. I'll go and see if she's willing to talk to me; if I know her she'll be upset at yelling at a friend."
"Thank you Mrs Cake. The girls and I are simply worried about her. Oh but look at the time, I am expected to be in a meeting with the Mayor right now for a third finalising of the decorations for the festival."
"It's all right Rarity. Run along and I'll speak to you later if I can get anything out of her."
The unicorn smiled before quickly dashing out of the bakery.
"Oh dear, I feel like a mother."
"Well, think of it as practice."
The mare rolled her eyes, before giving her husband a look. "You've not given me any children."
His response was quick, almost as if this was a common accusation. "You'll wish I hadn't when I give you twins."
Mrs Cake chuckled and shook her head. "Not likely," before she walked off to the stairs where a distressed pony had recently gone up.
Pinkie was lying on her bed, face down with her muzzle buried deep within the white puffy marshmallow like pillow. Her breathing was shallow and ragged, and there was an occasional hiccup that managed to escape the noise muffler.
The self-pity party was disrupted by three precise knocks that were applied to the door, "Pinkie? Pinkie, I'm coming in." The brown portal opened to reveal Mrs Cake carrying a tray on her back; it held a glass of milk and a small pile of cookies.
The room was small and round with a tall ceiling that ended in the point of the towers roof. Wooden crossbeams supported a simple iron chandelier, its candles currently unlit.
The older mare walked over to the single bed, where the upset pony lay on a chocolate covered duvet.
"I brought you some warm milk, would you like any?" The standing mare had to strain her eyes to see that Pinkie had shaken her head, no. Mrs Cake hesitated before noticing the side table was empty, "Well I'll just leave it here then. Better drink it before it gets cold."
Now free of her burden, the teal coloured mare let out a quiet sigh, before she turned and started to make her way towards the door; silently counting down as she went.
"Wait." Came the muffled reply before the sixth step had been taken, and right when Mrs Cake had reached number one.
"Would you like some milk?" Mrs Cake asked the pony lying down on the bed, who still refused to meet her gaze. The reply was another minute shake of the head. The older mare sighed again before bringing over a nearby chair and sitting down on it.
For a time there was only silence, then a different intake of breath was noticed, one that sounded a little more nasally than before. It happened a few more times in slightly quicker successions; before finally the pony lying on the bed rolled over and looked at her boss, "you brought me cookies as well?"
"They fell on the floor I'm afraid. They're still good, but we can't sell them now."
"Floor cookies are still cookies." The young earth pony replied before reaching over and taking one from the plate.
For pinkie the bite was slow and delicate, feeling and savouring the sweet crumbly texture with just the slightest hint of a chew; before indulging in the smooth, rich and wonderfully creamy chocolate pieces that were scattered throughout.
Mrs Cake saw pinkie eat the cookie in a single bite and swallowed it within the blink of an eye. It did have the desired effect though, as Pinkie was looking at least a little better.
"Rarity followed you into the bakery, saying all of your friends were worried about you. She also said you shouted at Sunset Shimmer who, while being brash and upfront, was only trying to see what was wrong."
Pinkie's voice held a little more life than before, but its tone was still far too sombre. "I did, and she was, but this is something that no one can fix. Either I figure it out, or it'll go away on its own, once the event it's telling me about passes. I had similar events happen to me when I grew into my Pinkie Sense; it's just never been this strong or long before."
Mrs Cake blinked, not fully knowing how to handle the information; but still she accepted the answer and gave a warm motherly smile. "Well what do you think your sense is trying to tell you?"
Pinkie let out a tired, frustrated sigh; before grabbing another cookie and savoured it in a single bite once again. "I think its saying I'm forgetting something important, something super party worthy important. But there is nothing right now that it could be." Pinkie grumbled and hit her bed with a forehoof before grabbing another cookie.
"Well, try thinking about it another way. Clearly this must be something important; something that you should know, but don't. So it must be something that you should know and that you haven't done before." The sitting pony tapped her chin before her eyes opened wide. "You've made quite a few new friends recently; do they have an event coming up? A birthday, or a special occasion perhaps?"
"No. Trixie's birthday is in September and doesn't have any party worthy assignments coming up any time soon. Spike's birthday is in May and again doesn't have anything noteworthy happening any time soon."
"...and what about Sunset Shimmer?" Mrs Cake pressed when Pinkie Pie went quiet.
"Sunset? That's the easiest one; since there's nothing happening in Ponyville so that's out. As far as I can tell nothing is happening with herself back in Vanhoover; and her birthday is in...?"
To Mrs Cake the silence was deafening. Looking down at the young mare lying on the bed was a worrying sight; Pinkie's eyes were widening to an alarming degree, and her face was shifting through so many different emotions it was almost scary to watch.
"...Is when, Dear?"
Pinkie bolted upright into a sitting position so quickly, her hair kept going past her as her upper body stopped moving. "THAT'S IT!" Was all that managed to escape her now smiling mouth.
The older mare sitting next to the bed was even more confused, "what is it Pinkie?"
"I DON'T KNOW!" Pinkie couldn't help shouting in glee.
Mrs. Cake had become completely lost, however. "...What?"
Pinkie scooted her legs to the side of the bed and hugged her boss in thanks before hopping over to a nearby window, jumped out of it and onto the street.
Mrs Cake just sat there for a few moments wondering what had happened right then. She glanced over to the plate and glass, hoping to find a distraction; but all that was there was an empty plate where just a second ago, before Pinkie had hugged her, there were four cookies. Beside it was also a glass that had once contained warm milk, now only a faint trace of the white substance was left.
It was clear that Pinkie was feeling better now and had managed to work through her problems; or at least found the source of it. Getting up off the wooden chair, Mrs Cake gathered up the empty plates and headed out the room with a small proud smile, her mission here a complete success.
Sunset Shimmer had her muzzle deep within the pages of a book of runes, a very old and advanced book that actually required permission from Princess Celestia to receive. She was allowed to keep the tome for another twenty four hours before a royal guard would come and retrieve it from her.
But having the book came with rules. She was not allowed to magically copy pages, nor was she allowed to make notes from it while she was reading. The book could only be touched by cotton gloves, or manipulated by magic under the influence of an archivists ring. These restrictions were a nuisance but considering how old the book was they were understandable ones.
The library was deserted, the whole day was like this; the ponies of the community were still helping out the farming families of the town, sewing seeds or preparing the fields.
The Mayor had said this might continue for another few days to a week, but she should still have the library open in case ponies needed a book, or for the children when school finishes.
So with this free time, Sunset was working on some projects. Not her more secure ones down in the basement, those remained too delicate for her to bring up from below. This one was more of a scholars curiosity than anything.
Using her mage sight on the Golden Oak itself, Sunset had stumbled across runes within the very mana lines of the tree, runes she had never seen before.
Vague familiarity registered with quite literally one or two of the many dozens she had been able to find within the flow of magic of the tree. And considering the few that she could recognise were the oldest runes she knew; Sunset had no option but to ask for help.
The book was fascinating, and it did contain some of the runes she had discovered within the very magic of her library tree. 'Though how has it managed to get Laguz not to cause a feedback loop with Inguz? I won-' ...
Something wasn't right. Sunset couldn't quite put her hoof on what, but something had definitely changed within her domain.
Concentrating a little more, Sunset could make out the barest hint of an echo from her breathing. This was new; she had never heard her own breathing echo before...in fact she had never heard of quiet breathing ever echoing before.
The spell of a new mystery gripped her conscious and figuring it would be a quick deduction, Sunset chose to look into this latest phenomenon.
The book lowered, clearing her view to observe what her reception desk could see.
Bright blue eyes surrounded by pink were looking right into her own eyes; as in exactly straight on. A hair of curly pink was sitting to the right and had separated from a bigger body of the stuff that Sunset just could not see at the moment.
The eyes glimmered with frustration and happiness in what had to be equal measures, but there was a frown interfering with the sight of those eyes.
"Sunset." The voice was soft but blunt, and had a familiarity that for the tiniest of seconds Sunset could not place.
"Pinkie." That was who the voice belonged to, but Sunset had never heard the happy go lucky pony sound like this before.
"Is there something you've been meaning to tell me? Something that is coming up soon? Something that is very important to every, single, pony?"
The eyes were not blinking, and somehow made it impossible for Sunset's own eyes to do the action either, let alone move away.
"Uh, in the near future? No, I don't believe so."
Another pink curly hair fell out of place and was now visible to Sunset's vision. The blue eyes narrowed ever so slightly, the pupil shrank just as imperceptionally.
"...Sunset, you know I like to throw parties right? Welcome to Ponyville parties, congratulation parties, parties for just about every occasion really." The eyes intensity grew exponentially without changing in the slightest. Sunset felt like she was facing down an Ancient Dragon.
"So when a pony, a friend no less, hides a reason for me to celebrate with them, for them; well I get a little mad." The voice never wavered, never changed from the soft tone it had been using this whole time, but the edge behind it was clear to hear.
"Sunset. When is your birthday?"
"Umm, the fourteenth of July?"
"Wait, WHAT?!" that was not the reaction Sunset was expecting, but then again she didn't know what to expect.
"No, no, no, NO, NO, NO! That's got to be it!" Pinkie Pie had leaped back and was now pacing back and forth in front of the reception desk.
"Its all that's left! And when Mrs Cake said it, it all clicked! I felt relief!" Pinkie faced Sunset again. "My Pinkie Sense does not lie! Are you certain your birthday's in July?"
"Well, no. As I said I don't know anything of my early childhood, not my birthday, not even how old I am, really. So when my masters took me in they made that date my birthday, a complete fresh start."
Pinkie's eye twitched and a few more hairs escaped the confines of the curly mass of hair. "Sunset. I am going to ask you a favour, and in return I shall forgive you not telling me when you thought your birthday was; and even allowed it to pass without us celebrating it."
By now every single strand of hair was out of place and her whole head twitched along with the eye. "You will believe me when I tell you that your birthday is in two days' time; meaning the Twentieth of March." The crazed earth pony was slowly walking back towards Sunset; climbing over the reception desk without ever taking her eyes off of the only other pony in the whole world.
"You will allow me to give you a birthday party. You will be there, as well as all of our friends here in Ponyville; where we will have presents, and cake, and play games.
"It will be fun, you will feel joy, and you will remember for the rest of your life that that day is your birthday, and you will celebrate that fact every, single, year." Pinkie Pie had moved Sunset so far back that she was now sitting on her rump and still trying to lean back; all the while her eyes were kept locked onto the party ponies gaze. "Doesn't that sound fun?" The last few words were said in a whisper as she leaned over the wide eyes mare on the verge of losing her balance and collapsing onto her back.
Sunset did the only rational thing possible; she nodded her head in complete agreement.
A force allowed Sunset to blink her eyes, and in that time Pinkie was gone. "Great! You'll receive your invitation some time tomorrow. Ooh, I've never given one of my friends a 'Congratulations on Celebrating your Birthday on the Right Day for the First Time in Ten Years' party before." Pinkie was back on the other side of the reception desk and was now happily skipping out of the library like there was nothing wrong in the world. Even her hair was set exactly as it is normally found. ...
There was a polite cough. Sunset turned her head to face the lone pony standing off to the side, next to the public rest rooms, holding a book within her magic. "Yeah, Pinkie is that passionate about parties. Birthday parties especially."
Sunset blinked again before finally focusing on the mint green unicorn mare standing there. "It certainly seems so," what else could Sunset say? "I guess I've learnt when my actual birthday is."
Rarity was silently grumbling to herself as she walked through the door to her precious boutique; being dragged behind her held within a pale turquoise magical aura was a bundle of papers. The mayor had apparently forgotten about their scheduled meeting and was in the process of clearing out old files from a decade ago.
Spring cleaning indeed!
The token gesture of a look the mayor gave to her designs was almost an insult. This was the Summer Sun Celebration! and she was in charge of the decorations! This was to be her Magnus Opus! Her latest and greatest masterpiece!
It must be perfect.
The kitchen within the boutique was her destination; a place where she could throw the papers onto a flat surface, and where she could have something that would calm her down.
Beverage secured, Rarity unceremoniously dropped down onto one of the chairs surrounding the kitchens table; making sure there was no one around to see her acting in such an unlady like manner.
A deep inhale and the release of a sigh did its work and calmed the throbbing vein on her forehead. She closed her eyes and savoured the taste of her drink, her mind was given permission to drift and forget about the world for a moment.
For a small eternity there was only her breathing and the mug in front of her. The building was quiet and undisturbed; the world could remain in limbo for just a moment longer.
Rarity opened her eyes again and finally looked over to the pieces of paper once more.
While to the untrained eye the designs looked much the same as they had done previously. However the subtle changes in angles of the triangles, as well as the artistic shading to help bring out a 3D appearance; these details would make all the difference with the nobles and their cultured eyes.
Then came pieces of paper that were not known to her, they were a lot more discoloured and brittle than her own sheets she had looked over. Clearly she had accidently taken some of the pieces that the mayor was clearing out.
"Well, the Mayor did say she was throwing these out, so there is no harm in me having a small look now is there?
"Hmm, these look like they're old flyers that a pony would find on a notice board. Oh, the grand opening of Sugarcube Corner? My I thought it had always been here. Ah, and it was Mr Cake who started it? I would never have guessed that it was him who designed it.
"Oh, a circus came to town for the fifth year running; I wonder why they stopped coming? Chuckle oh it looks fun, though I do hope the tiger was well treated."
Several other pieces were quickly passed as nothing interesting, before she came across one that was familiar.
"Oh, I remember this, goodness did it not terrify my parents; I wasn't allowed out of their sight for months. I suppose it's no wonder a flyer found its way here; it is only two hours away by train, but still not a pleasant thing to have around."
They flyer was faded but anypony could see it was of a missing filly the same age as her sister Sweetie Belle. She was lavender in colour and her mane was a deep bluish purple with a purple and pink stripe in the centre.
She was bright eyed and smiling in the picture, showing off her cutie mark; clearly with how she was showing it off, the cutie mark was a recent addition. The picture had clearly been cropped to show the young filly in greater detail, but there were several small green fins coming from a purple scaled back.
"'Any information to be reported to the guard, being forwarded to first lieutenant Shining Armour.' Oh, I do wonder whatever happened to Twilight Sparkle? Hmm," she peered closer to the flyer, a few things catching her attention. "Shining Armour, well clearly that's Prince Shining Armour now. And when I met him after that Violent Rose business he let slip how important Spike was to him. Oh, oh dear; this must be his little sister. Purple scales and green fins; that could easily be a baby Spike."
A shudder went through Rarity as she slowly put the missing pony flyer down onto the table. She suddenly had a very large desire to make sure Sweetie Belle was ok; which may or may not involve a reassuring hug.
It was with a quick trot that she left her kitchen, being chased out by the ghosts of the past and a shared pain from one elder sibling to another. |
My Most Faithful Mortifer | Chapter. 26 – Too the Gala | Chapter. 26 - Too the Gala
The castle was in a state of panic. Well, not panic so much as organised chaos; somewhat similar to what you would find at the first and last of season court sessions. Except there was no court planned for today, or for the following week.
All this chaos, however, came by like clockwork at the same time every year; the preparations for the most illustrious of events were well under way. It was time for the Grand Galloping Gala.
If anyone asked Princess Celestia - and managed to get an honest answer - they would receive a less than enthusiastic response. If Princess Celestia was actually able to get her way with the advent, she would have long ago disbanded it.
The grand Galloping Gala, the pinnacle party of the elite within pony society. The event that runs the nation...the event that helped divide the ruling sisters so long ago.
Princess Celestia shook her head, bringing her back to the here and now.
She turned from her study window as her gaze fell upon the door that had just garnered her attention; the wooden portal was open and revealed her student, on time for another lesson on magic. Celestia was not expecting her student to be smiling - they were having a purely theoretical lesson today, something that Trixie did not enjoy - but the frown that was there caused a concerned eyebrow to be raised.
"Good morning Trixie, is everything alright?"
The light blue unicorn squeaked a little, as a child would with their hoof in the cookie jar. "No Princess," she replied quickly as she finished seating herself at the only desk in the room sized for her.
Celestia stood there patiently with a caring motherly smile and waited while her student realise what she had actually asked.
"I-I mean, yes Princess. Everything is fine."
The Princess just hummed in agreement before she walked over and draped a wing over her sitting student; causing the young mare to sigh.
Trixie was a prideful mare who had a bad habit of keeping things to herself no matter how much they dug away at her; convinced that she was the only one who cared about her problems.
Celestia had found a way in however; a simple winged hug that enveloped her student and blocked the world from Trixie's sight. It made her feel safe and secure; it allowed her to speak of her problems.
This was yet another issue her faithful student was getting over; that it was required now suggested the problem has had quite some time to fester.
"It's just. I-It's just you finally gave me permission to attend the Gala, but I..."
"Do you not want to go?"
"I DO! But, I don't want to go alo. Sigh, I know you shall be there, and Princess Cadenza with Prince Shining Armour...but there won't be anypony else. I mean, even Spike won't be there. I, it's just..."
"You would like your friends from Ponyville to attend with you as well?" The motherly pride within Celestia swelled when she felt her student nod her head in agreement. 'Look at how far you have come, my student.'
"I know the nobles would object, and it's thanks to both my birthday and promotion in duties that is allowing me to attend this year. But..."
"I understand, and all the available public tickets have already been sold. If your friends were to attend, it would be as a guest from the nobles or royalty."
The silence stretched between teacher and student, one considering how to help her student, the other enjoying the closeness a lot more than she would ever admit out loud.
"Well, those mares did help you rescue Sir Spike and take down a threat to Equestria, did they not?"
Celestia felt Trixie tense up and pull away to look at her mentor face to face. "They did. And Shining Armour said he would think of a way to repay them! I don't think he's done anything as a thank you yet."
"That may be my fault, as I have been keeping him rather busy. But this works out very well for us; as more often than not tickets to the Gala were indeed given as rewards for noble deeds."
Trixie's face bloomed into a smile, the thought of all her friends being at the Gala with her made it feel so much less intimidating. Still her happiness couldn't last; there was one of her friends who were not there for that fateful night.
"Umm, could I possibly get just one more ticket?" At Celestia's raised eyebrow Trixie elaborated. "It's just that Sunset Shimmer wasn't there that night. I'm sure she would have been!" Trixie tried to reassure her teacher. "But with how quickly everything happened we couldn't spare any time going to get her."
Celestia began to blinked in confusion; Sunset was indeed there that night and according to her report had made sure Trixie and her friends were as safe as could be. But as her eyes revealed themselves to the world once more she caught herself and gave a gentle smile. "I'm sure one extra ticket being hoofed out will go unnoticed.
"Now, before anything else distracts us, can we get back to the lesson I have planned?" Her student nodded eagerly as she removed herself from the feathery embrace and arranged her writing materials on her desk.
Celestia meanwhile, walked over to a self-standing blackboard and levitated a piece of chalk; ready to begin.
"You've improved so much recently, both in magical ability as well as maturity, that I am now comfortable enough to teach you about the darker aspects of magic. More specifically how the will of magic can both effect and be affected by powerful emotions; to the point of corruption. It is this reason why the darker aspects of magic are so very dangerous.
"Now if you look at this spell formula here..."
The library was ticking along nicely; colts and fillies were using the study area, talking and laughing as they worked through their homework. Sweetie Belle had tried to get Sunset to teach her more magic, but the bulge in her saddle bag said there was more pressing items for the young filly to be focusing on. Still Sunset left the carrot for her; if her homework was completed, and to a reasonable standard, before the library closed for the day, then Sunset would show her a spell or two.
Strangely Pinkie Pie came by and glared at Sunset for a moment before vanishing.
What made today that little bit more interesting for Sunset, was that Zecora had been by to place an order for a book. It was certainly an obscure one, and if the title alone was to suggest, entirely written in Zebracan. According to the zebra it was a tome on arcane ritual runes from her home land; apparently she was going to access the Ayyaana within Equuis to send a message home.
It sounded fascinating to the bibliophile, and she asked for permission to have a read of it when it arrived; to which the zebra mare was more than happy to allow provided said bibliophile could understand it.
Sunset's musings were interrupted when she heard the library door was knocked upon.
This sound was a rarity, as it was unusual for Sunset to receive visitors outside of the libraries opening times, and during said time of day ponies just walked in. This was a public building after all.
"SUNSET!" gushed the pony as she was revealed. The glowing, smiling face of Trixie Lulamoon practically skipped into the library. "Have I got a special treat for you and the girls!" her tail was wagging and the mare itself appeared unable to stay still in her excitement.
Sunset found the smile infectious and couldn't help a smaller one forming on her own face, "oh? And what is this surprise that has got you this excited?"
"It's a surprise silly, and I want to reveal it to all of you at once. I'm here just to drop off my bag and then I'm going to gather everypony together. See you at Sugarcube Corner. Ok thanks bye!" and with that Trixie dropped her saddle bags and ran back out of the door.
The fiery mare blinked a few times before her eyes travelled to the gold wearing Pegasus who had just entered where Trixie had left. "What has happened to Trixie?"
"Miss Lulamoon has been like this since she left her latest study session with Princess Celestia." The white furred guard was as indistinguishable as all the others Sunset had ever met. By the ever so slightness of the face it was possible the guard was a mare, but not even from the voice was it possible to really say for sure.
"I've been instructed by the Princess to pick up Trixie tomorrow at 2pm."
"Sigh, so Trixie's staying here tonight. I had asked for some notice, but I suppose a single night won't be a problem. Is Spike here as well?"
"No ma'am, Sir Spike is still in Canterlot." The guard looked over their shoulder to see if the coast was clear, before returning their attention to Sunset.
"Miss Shimmer I was also instructed by your pen pal to deliver this missive to you." They said this with a clear look in their eye; this missive was from Princess Celestia. "She requested you open it before Miss Lulamoon tells you of her news, but to still act like it is news."
With both of their cargos delivered, the Pegasus guard saluted before turning around and flying out of the door.
Sunset, still confused at the whole thing, walked back over to the reception desk while reading her letter.
"Hey Sunset,
"I've heard through the grapevine that you somehow managed to snag yourself a ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala! You are so lucky!
"I know, I know, big events like this are not your thing, but you really should consider going; because I'm going to be there as well!
"It'll be nice to finally meet face to face, especially since there are a few things I want to talk to you about that can only be said in person.
"Don't worry about looking out for me, you're distinguished enough that I'm sure I'll find you first when I can.
"Looking forward to meeting you properly,
"Sunny Skies."
Sunset blinked at this. It seemed there was something that the Princess wanted to speak to her about; something that involved a bit of discretion.
'Still though, the Grand Galloping Gala? That's the biggest social event Equestria does. I am not looking forward to this. Still I can see why the Princess wrote this for me; without it I'd have turned down the invitation instantly.'
Sunset couldn't help but let her mind wander as she tried to figure out what the Princess wanted to talk to her about.
Sugarcube Corner was busy with ponies of the town coming and going with fresh bread or tasty treats; but it was a bench seat by the window that made the store seem more crowded than it actually was. Seven mares were squished around two tables that had been pushed together; all of them were seated but one stood out from the others, only one was talking and causing the others eyes to widen.
"So, yeah; as a thank you in assisting with the crown in apprehending a dangerous criminal Princess Celestia, along with Shining Armour as the gift giver, has granted all of you a ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala!" Trixie emphasised this by standing up onto her hind hooves and spread her forelegs out to her sides; a wide and happy smile on her lips as she looked over the faces of her friends.
The announcement was met with silence for a fleeting moment, more than enough time for a fly to flap their wings at least a few times, before pandemonium was unleashed.
Rainbow Dash's jaw tried to hit the table, Applejack was hacking and coughing as the shock of the announcement made her choke on nothing. Flutter shy just plain fainted, Rarity had clasped hooves with Pinkie and were currently jumping into the air screaming "Yes!" Trixie was very pleased at her friend's reactions; well all but one. Sunset Shimmer was the only one of her friends who had a questioning look on her face, and Trixie quickly remembered why.
"Don't worry Sunset, all of us know you would have helped out if you were with us; there was just no time for us to come and get you." Trixie's eyes softened and her smile shrank to something simpler and honest. "Trix, ahem, I have come to value your friendship, as much as all of the other girls here. The thought of being at the Gala without every single one of my closest friends celebrating with me; why that is no celebration at all. But thanks to Trixie's persuasiveness, and Princess Celestia's endless wisdom, it was agreed that you too shall be granted a ticket to join us."
The look of surprise that covered Sunset's face was a little strange in Trixie's opinion. There was a slight delay in her reaction; not one of hesitation or distraction - Trixie had experienced enough of those to tell - but perhaps confusion, or lack of comprehension maybe.
Trixie couldn't dwell on it for long; because Rarity had clearly heard the news and had all but climbed over the tables and was looking directly into Sunset's eyes, her forehooves smooshing the face of the powerful Librarian. "HA! That dress I made won't just stand there being beautiful anymore! It will now be worn and allowed to show all of Equestria what it can do with who it was meant to be wielded by! But not just you!"
Rarity gathered herself and got back onto all four hooves; she was still on the table, and was conveniently ignoring the mess her dive across its surface had caused. "All of you! I shall make a dress for all of my friends." She hopped down from the table and started to head towards the entrance, "come along now. I will need all of you to accompany meeee," she all but sang. Her horn was radiating power and all six of the other mares felt themselves being not to subtly dragged after the fashionista. They could resist, they could counter or fight the magic. But all of them knew that when Rarity got in such a state, it was almost futile to resist.
Shining Armour found himself deep within the archives of the palace; a place of history so long ago that even Princess Celestia struggles to remember that far. Or at least that's what historians like to say.
The reason for his long and frequent excursions into the depths of history was curiosity of a single pony. Rather it was the organisation that had trained this pony to be as good as she clearly was. Shining Armour was still annoyed with Princess Celestia and how long it took her to tell him that the Violent Rose was back in custody; he had soldiers scouring White Tail Wood while that murdering SOB was lying about in the castle. Admittedly in the Royal Infirmary. Unconscious. Slowly dying until his heart eventually gave out before he could be properly interrogated...the point was he had ponies out looking for a mass murderer and he had already been recaptured by a single mare.
A mare who apparently appeared out of thin air, whom the Princess seem to trust despite the lack of knowledge of her past; and had been trained very extensively, but by no force he could see the records of. Considering he was the former Capitan of the Royal Guard and now a Prince Consort; he could see a lot of military records.
Even the tax records were a bust; and that was a month of complete tedium he was never going to get back.
For as unused and as deep as he was into the archives, there was still not a speck of dust on the table he was working at; but it was gloomy. The lighting was magically dimmed and there were no windows for Celestia's sun to come in. The tomes here were very fragile, and he had to wear a white gold curator ring on his horn to slow and limit his magic. Just in case he causes damage to these fragile glimpses into the past.
All of his research so far had proven fruitless; be it the pony in question, this Miss Sunset Shimmer, or the organisation that she was a part of. His wife had assured him that her training was extensive and detailed, but she could not say what it entailed. So she knows of the organisation, but nothing more. That was not good enough in his books.
This was his last possible lead he could follow without going right up to Princess Celestia or Cadance and politely demanding that they told him what was going on. And then hope that they were in a good, but distracted mood, for them to actually tell him what he wanted to know.
Maybe he was exaggerating just a little, Cadance had said if he really wanted to know he could simply ask; but as he had deduced, Cadance did not know the details of the training.
So here he was, looking at the records of over a thousand years ago; and he had yet to find anything resembling an elite unit of ponies.
"Jeez Princess Celestia, you must be glad I wasn't around at this time; I'd have been raking you over the coals with some of these decisions. And then this Princess Luna had every bit accounted for and treble checked," he shook his head, "the discrimination is appalling. What were the ponies of the time thinking? Hmm, but here she is again getting legislation through; trivial spending on park development this time. That is an insignificant amount though, it would not do anything, even if it was scheduled to..." he blinked, "continue indefinitely, or with unanimous Diarch vetoing? That is surprising.
"So we're still spending that amount; it'll be trivial now, inflation on the bit alone would have decimated this, but it is still being spent. Wait."
Shining Armor went over all the decrees that this other Princess had managed to pass. Many were of no consequence, some - the larger expenses - were passed thanks to help from Princess Celestia; but the rest - the smallest amounts - were passed over several decades. The final tally raised an eyebrow.
"I think I've found our culprit, this Princess Luna is a cunning and shrewd pony; managing to gather all these funds despite all the backlash she was clearly experiencing. But that still does not tell me what this organisation is."
He rubbed his eyes in frustration with the heel of his fore hooves. His eyes were tired, his head hurt and all he had managed to find was that a former Princess, who was still registered as part of the crown - that piece of information explained so many of Princess Celestia's stranger quirks; including the recent spending on redecorating the spare Princess sized quarters - had managed to discreetly gather enough bits to fund such an elite force.
A distant delicate bell chimed several times, informing Shining Armor that he had already spent far too long on this; his wife was sure to be looking for him. He sighed as he gathered his notes; the books he was reading through were left where they were. Not out of arrogance or impoliteness, but out of the insistence of the Archivist; they knew exactly where the books belonged and they also wanted to check over each tome or scroll he had manipulated.
Leaving the gloom, he inhaled deeply on a lungful of fresh air before quickly releasing it with a shake of his mane. He was getting closer to the truth, he could feel it in his hooves; it was enough to put a small smile on his face.
The smile vanished, as he heard the distant call of his wife looking for him. "Have you seen Shining Armor? The Gala starts in an hour and he needs to get ready for it." He shivered at the thought; a part of him wondered if he could teleport away, but dismissed the pleasant idea. His wife would not stop looking for him; and the longer he was missing after the Gala started, the worse his life would be.
It was with a resigned sigh, and heavy hoofsteps that he made his way towards his wife's voice, "Cadance I'm right here..."
The sky was set ablaze with golden hues and streaks of pink as Celestia began to lay her sun to rest. As dusk started to arrive a stage coach carved out of the finest of oak was pulled through the main gates of Canterlot castle; being led by a team of white furred golden clad pegasi.
Waiting for her friends to arrive at the base of the main steps was none other than Trixie Lulamoon, the personal student of Princess Celestia herself. It was clearly an anxious wait as she was repeatedly hopping from one hoof to another in what the average pony could easily believe was some sort of tribal war dance. Or a desperate need to use the bathroom.
The hopping came to a sudden and dramatic halt at the exact moment the carriage door was opened by the hoof of yet another almost identical guard. They had been standing at the base of the stairs nearby and what made this guard different from the ones pulling said carriage was the lack of wings.
One by one the passengers exited their vehicle and the smile on Trixie's face grew larger with each pony that was revealed. It was a fight which one of her friends exited first between Pinkie Pie and Rarity, with Rainbow Dash a close third place; something Trixie was sure the fast Pegasus would not care to admit.
What surprised her more was that it was not Fluttershy who was the last pony to venture out of their transport; no she left the vehicle after Applejack. It was Sunset Shimmer who was last to set her hooves down at the base of the stairs; and while her face was its typical impassive demeanour, Trixie felt there was a hint of nervousness about it.
"You all made it!" She did not gush, but would admit to being very excited; and why not her friends were here to join in with the festivities of such a prestigious event. Said friends were clearly in a similar mood, they all gathered around her, with both Rarity and Pinkie smothering her in hugs and thank you's. Rainbow was already trying to see if there were any signs of her heroes the Wonderbolts; while Applejack was still a little miffed at not being allowed to bring any of her farm's wears with her. The Grand Galloping Gala was an event where the price of the ticket covered everything for the night; it was unlikely anypony would have bought a single thing from her regardless of the quality.
"Well gather up your things and follow me; I'll take you to my quarters where you all can freshen up from the journey and get ready for tonight!" Trixie pivoted before leading the way into the marble rich castle. She blinked in confusion when Sunset lit her horn; the blink turned to shock when at least half a dozen suitcases flew out of the carriage, along with seven dress bags. "Uh, Sunset, why did you bring so much? The invitation was only for tonight? You're not even meant to be staying over, I just said I'd let you all bunk in my quarters and Princess Celestia had no qualms with it."
The mare in question blinked, "this is not all mine."
"Yeah!" Rainbow jumped in quickly. "That's all Rarity's. The rest of us are sharing my duffle bag here." Applejack was smiling right along with Fluttershy over their friends antics, only her smile was clearly repressing laughter. Rarity just huffed at the comments.
The walk through the castle was as indirect as Trixie could make it to where she slept, provided Sunset was still happy to carry all of Rarity's luggage. She wanted to give her friends as much of a tour as she could; certainly more than the typical tourist public one. Her friends all oooo'd and aaaa'd as she spoke about the areas she showed off; taking them along several corridors filled with history in stained glass, passed the Royal Archives, and more than a few of her more favourite locations before eventually taking a side door out to the gardens.
This trip through the gardens wasn't a tour, just a convenient shortcut to her own living accommodations and as a result where all her friends were going to be spending the night. The walk led them past the renowned hedge maze and even the outer edges of the sculpture nursery; but unfortunately for Fluttershy nowhere near the animal sanctuary.
"Well here we are; home sweet home." Trixie announced as they came to the end of their mini adventure; and what she led them too was a rather tall annexed tower. It was clearly made to be in keeping with the castle; but thanks to the architecture it was obvious that the tower was a later development.
While the tower was indeed connected to the rest of the castle, there was a side door that led directly into the gardens. More specifically right into the section of the statue garden where all of the previous personal students of Princess Celestia were on display, fully grown adults and posed ready to face the world. They were all set in a semicircle in front of a very old depiction of the Princess. It was a little smaller than the actual princess; set in a graceful sitting position, a motherly smile of pride was on the face and its wings were spread wide in an attempt to wrap them around all of the other statues.
There was, however, a single exception in amongst the stonework. Sitting directly in front of the princess was the only statue of a filly unicorn; she had an innocent smile on her face, and was waving to the world.
The blue unicorn led them up a marble set of stairs, passed a few doors, and into what was clearly a living/studying area. It again was in keeping with the rest of the castle, but there were a lot more personal touches that just seemed to yell to the high heavens that this was Trixie Lulamoons living quarters.
It caused Rarity's porcelain white coat to discolour with an undertone of sickly green.
But Trixie's background as a showmare made itself known at that moment in time; for as soon as she revealed her home away from home the bells of the castle chapel called the top of the hour. The realisation of just how little time she had left to get ready forced the seamstress to dismiss her critiques and dash off to the indicated bathroom.
All the others just smiled and lightly giggled at the antics, and Trixie made no effort to hide the glint of mischief within her eyes.
For the Grand Galloping Gala was set to begin in only a meagre two hours' time.
The ball was underway, ponies of all tribes, shapes and sizes were immaculately dressed; showing off the latest trends, displaying their grandest accessories that no doubt each cost the same as a small house. The opulence, the displayed wealth, the extravagance of it all; oh it was everything the Grand Galloping Gala had stood for since its founding.
And she had long since come to loath it.
The pleasantries with ulterior motives, the smiles that never reached a ponies eyes, the fake interested front talk; it was all on display if a pony cared to look. The Grand Galloping Gala was founded on good intensions, but the power of it all corrupted it into what it was now.
A political cesspool of self-congratulations wrapped in a fancy bow.
With practiced ease, Celestia held in a sigh as she smiled and welcomed in another group of nobles trying to sweet talk her into their way of thinking. Every year it was the same script; different actors perhaps, updated language sure, but the script rarely if ever changed.
She went through the motions of greeting guests as they arrived; an act of humility and an effort to equalise the Princess to the more common pony it was claimed by all. Truthfully it was a clever ploy to delay the inevitable political dance that was all but demanded of her even within this highly decorated soiree.
And the absolutely worst thing about it all was that it was she herself that had caused it.
Sure it wasn't supposed to be like this; at its birth it was genuinely meant to be a celebration of the prosperity and wellbeing of the country. A way for the nation to see how well it was doing. Oh, but honeyed words year after year had slowly excluded the more common pony in ways that had sounded good at the time, in her naivety.
Luna had seen what was going on, and had tried to make her see what was happening; but the limelight was a corrupting influence, and she failed to heed her sister's warnings. No, instead she listened to the worries of her 'friends' at the time and created laws that made it all but impossible to stop it. The legislation she had weaved protecting the Gala was a masterstroke of law creation, with forethought and futureproofing were all considered in their writing. This event was all but impossible to stop or defund; be it her sister, who these countermeasures were aimed at during their creation, or by herself she realised much too late.
'Oh sister, we were both corrupted back then, weren't we? Your one was just more visual.'
Still it wasn't all bad; while the event couldn't be as general as she wanted, there were still ways to allow, at least a few, of the true populous of Equestria to see the event. Noteworthy deeds and acts, charitable nobles, and a few other more recent additions, allowed some ponies to come and see the event for what it really is.
Of course now her ponies think this exclusivity and difficulty to get an invitation meant that the Grand Galloping Gala had to be the best party ever. The ponies lucky enough to get invited always arrive with huge bright smiles, and leave with sad, disappointed frowns.
Her gaze travelled over to the latest arrivals and her smile became just that little bit brighter and a lot more honest. Maybe this lot will break the trend?
"Good evening Trixie; my you are looking quite beautiful tonight. I must say I almost didn't recognise you without your trademark magician's hat." And indeed she was; her whole group in fact were all in beautifully crafted dresses that clearly had each and every pony in mind during their creations. That they were all in a style that was rather unknown to the Princess just helped the group to stand out all the more.
Trixie's dress consisted of a beautiful saddle made out of smoothed pale amethyst gem stones that wrapped around her neck to form a heart shaped clasp. It was trimmed with gold cord and the trailing skirt was made of a transparent material the shade of pale heather.
The other dresses matched their owners just as well; from the rainbow and cloud motif with gold trim, to the dress that somehow managed to incorporate a Stetson. The subtly and simplicity of the green gown matched the yellow pegasus wonderfully; even the two more traditional gowns of high bottomed pink dresses suited their owners.
The final dress of the group was layered in purple fabric with a matching choker; the purple paled and faded into a soft pink by the time it reached the floor. Detailed swirls of silver were woven throughout the primary purple fabric, and the base of the dress was finished in silver flames that matched the mane of the pony who wore it.
Trixie lightly blushed at her mentors comment, that there was a twinkle in the Princess's eyes told Trixie that the second comment was meant to be a light tease. "Thank you, Princess. Cough, please allow me to introduce my friends to you; this is Pinkie Pie professional party pony and baker extraordinar. The rainbow maned Pegasus is Rainbow Dash, a future Wonderbolt in the making. This is Rarity, master seamstress. She was the one who made all of our dresses tonight. And the one hiding slightly behind Rainbow Dash is Fluttershy, she's the heart of our group and a lover of animals. Then finally, there is Applejack and Sunset Shimmer; both of whom I believe you might actually be acquainted with?"
The gobsmacked look on Rarity's face was almost as bad as the simple half shoulder shrug of Applejack in reply. "What? The Princess has been buying our reserved cider ever since we started making it. Heck, why do you think it's called 'reserved'. What I want to know is how Sunset here knows the Princess?"
"I appointed Sunset Shimmer as the librarian of Ponyville myself." Princess Celestia calmly answered; preventing the squabble that was so clearly starting up. "It is good to see all of you once again; the last time was when Sunset Shimmer won the running of the leaves I believe. It is nice to see that the little dispute then has been put behind you all.
"Ah, forgive me but I think it's time you all venture into the Gala itself. The welcome line appears to be growing behind you all." And indeed it had, there appeared to be two groups of important looking ponies waiting; all of them giving the group of young mares the stink eye. "Perhaps when I have welcomed everypony in we may get the chance to speak again. Until then though, please enjoy yourselves."
The small entourage of ponies bid the Princess farewells before venturing into the depths of the most illustrious party in the country. It was so innocent a farewell that no pony noticed the subtle message the Princess gave to Sunset, "I'll find you." |
My Most Faithful Mortifer | Chapter . 27 – The Ball of Dreams | Chapter . 27 - The Ball of Dreams
The decorations were lavish and extravagant; several large and highly detailed ice sculptures were placed in just the right way to ensure each one had the most impact possible within the large pillar supported hall. There were no obvious sources of light, but everything was being bathed in a soft golden glow, ensuring all that was touched looked as expensive as it really was.
In fact, while the hall looked magnificent and highly decorated; the actual decorations were fairly scarce. It was the manipulation of light and shadow that seem to bring out all the fine and intricate details that were normally missed.
The small simple centre pieces on each table were transformed into fascinating pieces of art with the simple applications of golden shades and shadows. The few banners and tapestries suddenly sparkled as if they had been covered in glitter; paintings hanging on the walls drew the eye more, as their intricacies became more pronounced.
Even the wooden floor was changed thanks to the lighting, making it look almost as if it was a sea of smelted gold, thanks again to the highlighted wood contrasting with its natural grains.
All this elegance, sophistication, and subtleties were all but ignored as the seven young mares entered the main ballroom. One truly understood what was on display, getting inspired; another was silently lamenting on the lack of other bright colours. The only other to take note of all the effort was looking at the shadows and how best to hide somepony within them. Her musings had come up with more than half a dozen plans, as she followed her friends deeper into the room.
Ponies of all tribes mingling about and clearly dressed to impress; not one figure could be made out not wearing clothing, even the staff waitering this evening were dressed in full black and white service outfits.
"Oh my, isn't it just wonderful? It is everything I thought it would be, and more." Rarity sighed wistfully as she observed all the genteel of the nobles.
"Meh, it's alright." Rainbow replied with a half shoulder shrug.
"This is a fancy party?" Even Pinkie Pie was not certain if her announcement was meant to be a question or a statement.
"It certainly seems so, Sugarcube. At least they've got a half decent looking buffet. Even if everything is small and dainty lookin."
Fluttershy and Sunset just looked on in silence; one hiding behind her beautifully styled mane, while the other's expression could have been made out of wood.
"Oh come on; this is everyponies dream! Come on lets go mingle; I'll introduce you to some of the nobles I know."
"Actually, I'm gonna go hunt down Spitfire, or Soarin, or any other Wonderbolts here." Announced Rainbow Dash before she trotted off; not wanting to deal with another hour long lecture by Rarity and why flying in a dress is a bad idea.
"I think I shall help Fluttershy find the way to the animal reserve. It's too busy for my liking right now." Sunset Shimmer announced. The grateful look on Fluttershy's face was more than proof that she felt the same way.
"Well, since I can't sell anything here, I might as well figure out what these nobles look for in grub." Applejack headed off before stopping to take a drink on offer from one of the passing waiters. By her reaction after taking a sip, she couldn't decide if she enjoyed the clear liquid in question or not.
Trixie looked around where all her friends had been standing, to find that only Rarity was still there; even Pinkie had vanished into the crowd of other ponies at some point. "...soo; want to mingle with the nobles with me? See if I can't properly introduce you to Prince Shining Armour; or his wife Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?" the twinkle in Rarity's eyes was all the answer Trixie needed.
"Thanks for helping me get out of there, Sunset. The only reason I agreed to come was so that I could see the rare animals the preserve has." The night air was still very pleasantly warm, especially considering the altitude the whole city was built at. There was the subtle aroma of night flowers to compliment the distant noises of the animals the two friends were following.
"Yeah, I didn't want to come for the ball itself either."
"Oh, you didn't? Did you come for the animals as well? This is the only time any of the public can see the nocturnal animals they have there. Since the reserve closes at sundown normally."
Sunset shook her head gently, "no I'm not here for the animals. In fact I'm actually here to meet somepony. When I moved to Ponyville I started corresponding with a penpal. When I told them I had managed to get a ticket to the ball, they revealed that they too were going. So we agreed to meet face to face for the first time, here."
Fluttershy's eyes went wide at the news, "oh; well why didn't you just say so? You can go look for them; I'll be ok now that I'm away from all those other ponies."
"Are you sure? I don't mind helping you find your way to the reserve?"
"No I'll be ok; I can just follow the animal calls from here. You've got a much more difficult pony to find, if you've only got a description of her." Fluttershy was wrong on that part; Sunset did not even know what Princess Celestia's disguise would look like, only that she would find her and that Sunset would know her when they did meet up.
Still, no point stopping ponies in believing what they want to. Especially if it makes it easier for her to both blend in as well as getting away from her friends. So with polite smiles the two split up to enjoy the gala in their own way.
Applejack sniffed at the dainty little morsel she had picked up from one of the many plates arranged on the pristine white tablecloth. It looked like a wonderfully shiny red apple; quite a bit on the small size, not even a third as big as the apples she grew, but still an apple. Then she took a bite and found its taste creamy and savoury instead of sweet and sharp.
Upon closer inspection, she discovered that it wasn't an apple at all; it was some sort of candied shell made to look like an apple. It was filled with some sort of firm grey stuff that could possibly have been delicious, if she was expecting to eat it. But she wanted an apple, and so it was not in fact delicious.
"So now they have to go and hide what they're eating? Seriously, what's the point in that? Why over complicate things; let the ingredients speak for themselves."
"I couldn't agree more." Applejack turned to the voice with a dash of red covering her cheeks; she did not mean to say that out loud.
The pony in question was an earth pony with a slight athletic build. His fur was dark tan, almost brown in colour; while his mane and tail were closer to a sandy yellow. But it was his eyes that surprised Applejack; a sky blue that held a deep passion for his craft, a passion that no doubt went beyond the point of civility.
"I placed a bid to cater for the Gala this year; but they went with that unicorn Blooming Tall and his experimental style of cooking. See that yellow ice cream over there; it's actually savoury, taste like salty eggs."
"Eggs? Why would anypony want to have egg flavoured ice cream? Ice cream and other frozen treats are there to cleanse your mouth, or settle your stomach." Applejack couldn't fathom why somepony would even consider putting salt and ice cream together, and it showed on her face.
"Thank you. Somepony else who agrees. It sounds like you've got quite the bit of knowledge about food; I'm Golden Rams-hey." The pony raised his hoof in greeting.
Which she was more than happy to return. "The names Applejack; and I know my way around a kitchen. Nothing fancy, mind you, but I let all the ingredients speak for themselves. After all I know they don't need any more help at that point, I already looked after them as they grew up."
Golden Rams-hey blinked before he smiled in understanding, "I thought I hadn't seen you here before. Managed to snag a ticket to the greatest party in all of Equestria?"
"That's right. My friends and I help Trixie Lulamoon capture that crazy Violent Rose character, and rescue her friend Spike."
"That has to be quite the tale. I know a few like-minded ponies when it comes to food; why don't I introduce you to them, and you can tell us how you came to this event." Applejack considered his offer, what else was she going to do here; risk any of the dishes on offer, trying to find something half decent? At least this guy had his head on straight when it came to food, so at the very least he'd help guide her to good stuff. Besides, she knew she could look after herself.
"Lead the way, partner. As my friend Pinkie likes to say; you can never have too many friends."
Pinkie pie let out an almost sorrowful sigh as she half sat on a chair, half lay on a table in almost defeat. This was not what she was expecting at all. She thought there would be dancing, and food, and dancing, and cake, with good drinks and good music for dancing. Sure she hoped there would be games to play, but the few wealthy ponies she knew - Filthy Rich and his family being exhibit A - said that they may be too low brow for their taste.
Or, it was possible that money caused them to forget about having fun. She wasn't too sure.
Oh she had tried to show everypony here what they were missing; dancing with ponies, livening up the music, even bringing out her party cannon and putting up some more decorations. But then they had the gall to set a guard on her; confiscating her cannon and informing her of the rules she was expected to follow while she was attending.
This is a party; as long as ponies are having fun, rules can be stretched! Like gravity.
But not here apparently. Rules were what made this gala 'fun' according to what she could see around her. The music was back to the background noise they wanted it to be; the clearly fake smiles were set as ponies talked to each other, some that quite clearly did not like each other.
It wasn't like any party she could ever fathom; if she had to put a word to what this all was, it was work. Not even good work, but the bad kind that seemed to never end no matter how much you try.
So here she was, scarfing down all the sweet treats close to her, while she moped on a single round table. The food was at least good; quite strange, like that salty savoury yellow ice cream, but good. And the drinks weren't too bad either; sure it wasn't her famous punch, or as tasty as some of the stuff Applejack can make. But they seemed to fit in with the whole, feel, of whatever this event is trying to be.
It certainly wasn't a party.
The next drink she took without even looking at it; only noticing the glass was quite a bit different in shape and style. Still she inhaled it in a single mouthful, trying her best to find some entertainment.
And promptly sprayed it out instantly before coughing up a storm.
Whatever it was burned her throat and mouth something fierce; and the taste! It was like sucking on an active chimney, it was so powerfully smoky.
She frantically started looking for anything to wash out her mouth; finally settling on a glass pitcher of water with ice cubes and lemon slices in it. It took the whole jug before the taste was finally washed out of her mouth.
"Aye, I'm not surprised you spat that muck oot. Whoever decided on the drams for this shindig should be fired." Pinkie looked over to the old stallion who had just spoken, while offering her a napkin. He was an earth pony, his coat and mane were greying, but you could still make out the former rosy brown of his fur. His mane was harder to tell, due in part thanks to the faded rainbow dye.
But what really stood out to Pinkie Pie was his eyes; a deep brown in colour that twinkled lightly in laughter. It matched up with the crow feet wrinkles at the edges of his eyes and mouth as well. Clearly this pony liked a good laugh.
Right now those eyes of fun were looking at her with the tinge of worry. "But I also could'ne help but notice yourself slumped there, down in the dumps. Come on, tell old Cobble-lay what's gone and twisted your mane into a tangle? If ya do, I've got a few wee stories that should get a smile back on yer face."
The kind demeanour, the clear signs of fun and laughter, and honest eyes told Pinkie Pie that this pony just wanted to make other smile, like herself. Even without all those tells, she was going to accept the invitation regardless; for as she always tells her friends 'one can never have too many friends.'
"Ah Trixie. You seem in a much better mood than the last time I saw you." There was a large crowd of ponies surrounding Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and her husband Prince Consort Shining Armour. But that attention was politely put to the side when she saw Princess Celestia's student walking towards her with one of the ponies Cadance was very interested in meeting; one of Trixie's friends.
"When last you saw me, Princess, was before my friends were awarded their tickets to join me for such a prestigious event. I am so glad that they were able to come. Please allow me to introduce you to Rarity Belle; a dear friend and the one who made all of our outfits for the occasion."
That raised an impressed eyebrow from the pink Alicorn. "My my, that is quite an impressive feat. I saw when your group entered the hall; all of you were wearing such varied and personalised dresses." The Princess looked to the blushing seamstress, "You must know your friends very well to have made such personal dresses."
Rarity was beginning to hyperventilate; her mind was working beyond a mile a second as she processed exactly what the Alicorn Princess of Love had just said to her. Over and over again in her head.
Shining Armour chuckled, "ease back the compliments dear; it looks like she's about to faint. I do have to admit though; it is good to see you and your friends under better circumstances. Speaking of which where did they all go? I know Cadance here has been dying to meet them all. I actually think she's a little jealous that I have already." The not so subtle attempt at conspiraltory talk to Trixie by said stallion resulted in a light smack from his loving wife's wing along with an accompanying roll of her eyes.
The smile on her face matched the grin found on her husbands.
Trixie supressed a giggle with the use of a forehoof. "My apologies then, Princess. They scattered around the hall and outer event space; but I believe they got too excited and have already managed to get lost. Oh, my mistake, here comes another of my friends. Rainbow! Over here." The short shout drew the attention of a few other ponies, not just the mare in question.
Rainbow Dash was grumbling to herself, but her eyes did light up a little when she finally found some of her friends. "Hey guy's."
"Rainbow? My, whatever is wrong?" the disgruntled grumblings coming from a friend were enough to gather Rarity's attention away from the praise she had been reliving.
"It's just, you know how I wanted to meet the Wonderbolts? I even saw Spitfire. But they're surrounded by so many other ponies it's impossible to get close or anything!" it was a testament to the dress the athletic Pegasus was wearing; for when she crossed her forehooves in a huff, the dress was robust enough to only be minimally effected.
"Oh that happens every year." Princess Cadance said to the frustrated Pegasus with a kind and understanding smile. "It's like a gallery, or a side show. They come to see Shining and myself first, since we're already in the hall when the doors open. Then they go talk to the Wonderbolt representatives when they arrive. Honestly, give it another hour or so and then they'll be left alone."
"Why's that?"
Both Cadance and Shining Armour laughed lightly together. "Because," Shining supplied, "that's how long Princess Celestia can get away with being the 'host at the door', before she has to mingle in the hall with all of us."
"Both we and the Wonderbolts representatives are the warmup acts." Princess Cadance said with a cheeky grin on her face. "Princess Celestia is the main event, and who everypony is here to see. Regardless if most of the nobles here see her at least once a month."
"Huh?" Rainbow Dash looked at them in confusion, before looking at everything else around her.
"Yeah," Princess Cadance clearly saw what Rainbow Dash was on about. "All this effort and pageantry, all this expense; is just another way for the nobles to try and butter up Princess Celestia to their way of thinking. Regardless if it's the crown who pays for this event or not - every bit of the ticket price goes to charity - the majority of them still use it to try and talk to Princess Celestia."
"Of Course," Shining chimed in. "Not all of the nobles see it this way. As with most groups of ponies there are, excuse the expression, black sheep in the heard...or would it be white sheep in the heard in this example." He wondered out loud with a grin that clearly said he already had his answer. His eyes lit up as he caught sight of some friends. "Why don't you join us for a bit longer, I'll introduce you to a few nobles who are good ponies that have their heads screwed on correctly. In my own personal opinion, of course."
The party agreed, even with Princess Cadance rolling her eyes at her husband, and they set off. To both try and locate their existing friends, as well as potentially meet some new ones.
In one sense Fluttershy was in a miniature paradise; all around her were endangered animals of all wakes of life. From flying squirrels, to even an adorable pygmy possum; all the way up to an elephant. There was even a small troupe of monkeys comprised of different types; they were clearly playful creatures, but so rare and endangered they are all believed to be extinct in the wild.
But it wasn't just mammals; she could see birds a plenty, lizards; even a few marsupials, like a koala. Oh these gardens were everything she had heard of and so much more. It was almost paradise.
If only the little, darlings, would allow her to approach.
For almost an hour Fluttershy has tried every single trick she knew to try and befriend even one of the animals around her; but all of them ran to a safe distance the moment she tried anything. They wouldn't listen to her talk nor sing; she had no treats to offer them, her movements - no matter how slow - caused them to jump in fright.
She was beginning to lose her temper just a little.
Well if calm politeness wasn't working then she would resort to more, severe, measures. After all; they will love her.
She pounced suddenly, and without warning, to a gibbon who had wandered just that little bit too close to her. She managed to grab the adorable creature for a moment, before it threw something truly fowl at her and she let go in surprise and shock.
The act of aggression caused an uproar on a truly impressive scale, as all the animals did their best to get even further away from the mad pony.
"What's going on here?!" came a male voice of authority. Fluttershy looked up to find a Pegasus stallion gazing over the clearing she was in the middle of; a frown was on his face that held an air of concern and disappointment, if it was possible to have both expression on ones face at the same time.
"Little lady, the designated petting zoo area is back in the main gardens where me colleagues can help direct ya. This area is off limits; even ta nobles."
It was the final drop of water that broke the dam. All her pent up frustrations, worries, it all came crashing down onto Fluttershy as she realised exactly how she was just acting and actually being caught behaving in such a way.
She buried her head under her forehooves and started to cry.
The stallions reaction switched in an instant. "H-hey now, no need for those." He gently approached the young mare, retrieving a cloth from one of his tan jackets many pockets. "Come on now, Sheela, let's get rid of this muck you've been sprayed with. Then we'll get you over to where you should be, alright?"
It took some time and a bit of coaxing from the Pegasus stallion, but eventually Fluttershy had calmed down enough to at least stop apologising for everything and revealed a little of her story. "Ah, I see. So Miss Trixie Lulamoon gave you all a small tour this afternoon, forgetting to mention where the actual animal exhibit was going to be tonight."
He lightly snorted and shook his head. "Well, no harm done; besides your dress that is."
"Oh," from the monkey attack to the collapse into hysterics, Fluttershy's dress was wrinkled in places and had a few smudges dotted over it. Thankfully Rarity had made this dress with herself in mind. "It'll be ok; it's stain resistant so all I need is a damp cloth before the stains really set in."
"Well then, allow me to show you to the stables; I can introduce you to a few of the less skittish animals on the way. OH," his eyes widened almost dramatically. "Forgive me, but I haven't introduced me-self. The names Furwing. Even Furwing, at your service."
Sunset Shimmer was enjoying herself more than she was expecting to be honest. At the very least it was giving her practice blending in with the nobility; something that she herself would admit, she needed all the help possible with.
So far she had managed to blend in well enough, some light talk here and there, but for the most part she simply stayed out in the plaza; admiring the animals on display, the cool night air, and occasionally the jewels in the black fabric of the sky.
To her eyes, the stars were coming closer together with each passing night. She no longer needed her charts to see the subtle change in their position, 'definitely the Summer Sun Celebration then. I've kept up my training, both physically as well as magically, thanks to my friends. I also believe I have located the likely place this Nightmare Moon will appear; though it is something I will have to confirm with the Princess.'
Sunset absent mindedly took a small sip from the glass floating next to her; the clear liquid shaded purple thanks to her magical aura. For all her planning and investigating, there were still far too many questions for her liking. Questions that the Princess, at the very least, said she would look into.
"You look like somepony trying to get themselves lost in the stars. Is there something on your mind?" Sunset blinked and looked over to the pony who had clearly spoken to her. Coming out of the loose crowd was a Pegasus mare; pale white in coat colour and soft pink in mane. She was wearing a dress of rich purple that twinkled lightly in the glow of the torch light.
"I saw you standing there looking lost in thought and couldn't help but wonder what was on your mind. Oh forgive me, my name is Sunny Skies; it's nice to finally meet you face to face, Sunset Shimmer." |
The Last Something Sweet to Bite | pre | "Yeah, she was pretty bad off. She's done some rotten things to us in the past, like dumping us through that trapdoor at the concert finals, but it was hard to hold that against her when she was puking her guts out," Dash replied earnestly.
"Well I think the Candy Mare was the cause," continued Sunset, "Since you weren't around earlier, Applejack and Fluttershy went looking for you while Pinkie Pie and Rarity went to find out if anyone had seen anything suspicious around town."
"And what did you do?"
"I got kidnapped by Twilight."
"Who did what!?"
"Look, don't ask, that's not important right now," groaned Sunset into her cellphone, thinking about all the time Twilight's doppelganger had cost her. "I'm worried something might have happened to our friends."
"What do you mean?" asked Dashie perplexed. "I got texts from everyone but Rarity a moment ago."
"That's just it though. I tried to call them and none of them answered. And Rainbow Dash," Sunset paused, "Rarity's cell phone was out of service."
"Oh that can't be good," replied Dash, understanding immediately. "What do you think happened to them?"
"I don't know I just... I've got a really bad feeling, okay?" answered Sunset, looking around the bus to make sure no one was listening in. "Who ever's responsible might have been the ones to contact you by text message earlier from our friends phones. They could be on their way to your house right now!"
"Really!? What should I do?" asked Rainbow somewhat panicked, "Should I call the cops?"
Sunset paused in thought. "No, no even if they do show up at your house, that will just scare off who or whatever is responsible. We need to find out who it is that's behind all of this and we need to find out what happened to our friends. I'm on my way to your house right now. I was actually already on a bus heading that way before the texts went out. With any luck, I'll be there before our would be assailants." She hoped she was making the right decision, but they needed to find out what was going on before they could move forward with any effective counter measures. "Just keep a sharp eye out and call me if you see or hear anything suspicious. I should be there in another fifteen minutes."
"Well, alright Sunset," replied Dash reluctantly, "But I gotta warn you, if whoever it is shows up before you do, we might need to call the cops anyways," Dash paused before continuing with a smile in her voice, "To pick up their sorry butts after I'm done pounding them into the ground! See you soon girl, be careful!"
Sunny couldn't help laughing a bit at Rainbow Dash's cocky words. In spite of the uncertainty of their situation, she found herself oddly re-assured by her friends bravado. "Will do, and you too Dashie. Take care."
Sunset disembarked the bus at the end of a long dark street. Being a residential area, the house lined avenue was not quite as well lit as the main streets had been. The lack of lamplight was made up by porch and floodlights. Many had been changed out for orange, green, red, and even black lights for the up coming holiday. Back in Equestria Sunset had always been somewhat indifferent to Nightmare Night. It'd seemed like a dreadful distraction from her studies, but every now and then she had gone out trick or treating and, when older, even attended a few of the more formal Canterlot parties.
Halloween in the human world was a little bit different. It was funny to think that, until recently at least, magic didn't seem to really exist in the human world yet they had a holiday dedicated to dressing up as supernatural and magical entities. It had made a sort of sense in Equestria, but here things were just ever so slightly off. There were still parties and trick or treating, but there was also a somewhat more gruesome edge that Sunset couldn't help thinking the fault of the kind of movies Pinkie Pie and her sisters liked to watch. Skeletons and ghosts hung in tree lined driveways, festooned with fake spiderwebs... but there was fake blood and dismembered body parts too. You would've never seen something like that in even the most extreme Nightmare Night decorations. Oh sure, most of them were goofy, obvious fakes. But others looked unnervingly realistic, limbs and bones of all shapes and sizes seemed to be strewn about the various otherwise pristine yards. It might not have been so bad if it weren't for the dense fog that seemed to be creeping in from the nearby woods.
In a lot of ways, this world was very different from Equestria, and Sunset couldn't help feeling a slight chill run up her spine as she realized that the further she walked down this street, the denser the initially thin mist was becoming. She'd seen fake fog banks before, plenty being employed during the battle of the bands the Rainboom's had eventually won, but this was very different. Though it seemed to be a natural occurrence in this world, weather just happening unexpectedly like this was still somewhat unnerving to Sunny even after all these years.
A full moon hung low, causing the fog to glow ever so slightly, more so where it obscured colored flood lights and glowing pumpkin shells. She had always found the orange light spilling from Jack-o-lantern grins to be somewhat comforting, but not just now. Their many faces, contorted in screams and evil grins, were only a reminder of other eyes that might be looking on her from the shadows fiendish intent. With the mist muffling the familiar noises of suburbia, yet somehow amplifying other... more haunting sounds, it was becoming difficult for Sunset to remain composed. Was that childish laughter she heard just on the edge of her hearing? Silenced screams? Why did the shadows seem so dark and numerous when there was so little light? She found herself walking quicker than she had intended. Then jogging. Then flat out running.
By the time she reached the front door of Rainbow Dash's house, Sunset was perspiring and out of breath. Panting heavily, she whirled, certain she had been followed, but unable to see anything in the thick, fog shrouded gloom. Panicked, she hammered at the door, already pulling her cell phone from her pocket, certain that the worst had already happened. Certain she had been a fool for telling Dash not to call the authorities earlier. Suddenly the door behind her swung open! She turned, a scream already rising in her throat.
Rainbow Dash stood in the well lit doorway, a curious look on her face and a television remote held in one hand. "Uh, you okay?"
The wild panic that had seized Sunset's heart ebbed away. She suddenly realized she wasn't in some alien nightmare world, but just a simple suburban neighborhood. The fog was just fog, the shadows just shadows, and she was just wound more than a little too tightly from the stress of the day. Sunset took a moment to catch her breath and smooth down her dress before replying shrilly, her voice breaking, "Yes... *ahem* yes, I'm just fine. How are you?"
With a half feigned yawn Dash replied, "Bored, honestly. Nothing but bad horror movies and sitcom reruns are on this late. You gonna come in or stand there all night?"
"Um, I'll come in if it's all the same to you, thanks." Sunset was a little bewildered. She'd hung out in Rainbow Dash's garage before but hadn't really been inside her house. It was immaculate, very tastefully decorated, and completely at odds with the sporty girls personality. Sunset imagined her parents were the ones responsible, and Dash's own bedroom would be a little messier, in keeping with her devil may care attitude.
The living room seemed almost untouched except for a bundled up blanket and the flat screen television that, just as Rainbow had said, seemed to have an old horror movie playing with muted sound. In black and white there were people, that Sunset realized were meant to be zombies, stumbling towards another person that was waving a lit torch back and forth as if to ward off the oncoming undead horde. "Nice place you've got here," Sunset said, almost absentmindedly as she stepped inside, "So I take it everything has been quiet?"
"Quiet as a mouse until you started thundering on my door," replied Rainbow ruefully as she shut the front door. "Made me jump half a mile. Are you sure you're okay though? You seemed spooked. Still do, honestly."
"I guess I'm just a little on edge what with everything that's been going on," said Sunset, wrapping her arms around herself.
"Hey, fair enough. It is the night before Nightmare Night after all. I could see where that could put anyone on edge." Rainbow Dash plopped herself back down on the sofa and turned up the volume just in time for the truck the humans had been trying to escape in to explode. The brilliant white light lit up the entire room, though not as much as Rainbow Dash's grin. "Whoo hoo! Alright!" she shouted, punching the air. She seemed to be really enjoying the movie, despite her earlier complaints of being bored. In fact it didn't seem like she was worried about anything at all. Sunset wished she could be so calm.
Although, what was going on in the movie wasn't doing Sunset's nerves any favors. Watching the 'zombies' stumble around on fire, yet even so, bending down to gnaw on what were clearly meant to be the entrails and flesh of the burning explosion victims was turning her stomach. "Um, Dash, is it okay if we watch something else?"
The glow of the screen faded in Dash's eyes as she noticed the effect the violent imagery was having on her friend, "Oh, sure thing Sunset. Let's see what else is on." She changed the channel, only to wind up with another horror movie. This one with a human sitting on the lap of a truly bizarre looking and nightmarish clown. The man on his lap turned his head to one side and said 'Don't worry Dave, all we want to do is kill you' before the clown slid his arm and hand out of the dead mans back, shaking the gore from his pudgy white fingers. Rainbow quickly changed the channel again, only to stop just in time to catch a font of green vomit spewing from a little girls demonically twisted face. It seemed to splattered a man in priestly robes. Finally Dashie gave up and turned the TV off. "You know what, maybe that's enough TV for tonight?" she said sheepishly, "How about we play some video games to pass the time? You head on up to my room, first door on the right at the top of the stairs. I'll grab some snacks and meet you, kay?"
Notwithstanding Dash's continued treatment of the situation as more like a sleepover than a stake out, Sunset was glad that she'd opted to forgo watching anymore horror movies. Some of what humans considered 'entertainment' just seemed like torture to her. Watching the inevitable death and dismemberment of people, bad guys or good, had never seemed anything but gruesome to her. Video games, while sometimes just as violent, at least had the benefit of giving you some control over what happened to some extent. The horror movies had bothered her, sure, but there was something else niggling at the back of her mind. Something that renewed the uneasy feeling she'd been getting ever since she'd arrived on Rainbow's street. Was it something Rainbow Dash had said that was bothering her? She couldn't quite figure out just what it had been. The gore and viscera of those old horror movies had been too distracting.
Dash, unfazed, bounded towards what Sunset assumed was the kitchen. Sunset had no choice but to shrug and head back to the front foyer and start the short climb up the carpeted flight of stairs that lead to the second story. It was only as she reached the top of the stairs that all the fatigue of the long day she'd been having finally caught up to her. She might have been knocked out for a little while by this worlds Twilight, but that had hardly been any kind of restful sleep. It would be so nice if Sunny could just forget about all of this and lay down for forty winks. Or maybe forty thousand... She was that tired.
Perhaps that's why, when she opened the door and flipped on the light in Rainbow Dash's room, the only thing she could think was was It's just as messy as I thought it would be. In truth, Sunset was slightly taken aback by the piles of books, cloths, and video games strewn all over the floor. She'd expected it to be messy, but not this messy. It seemed like half of Dash's closet had been strewn over the floor and the bed. Worse, Rainbow had apparently left her window open, and thin wisps of fog from outside were spilling into the room over the low window sill.
Sunset tried to pick her way over the clutter on the floor towards the window to close it, but lost her footing and fell. Fortunately she landed on a pile of cloths that were wedged between the mattress and the wall, which helped to break her fall. Getting back to her feet she shut the window and locked it closed. Peering out into the dark, foggy night, she half expected to see some maniac in a mask standing in Rainbow Dash's backyard like in an old Slasher film. She could see it in a her minds eye as clear as day, a man in a tattered green coat and a stained hockey mask staring up at her, unblinking. If any such person was down there though, it was too dark and misty to see. Sunset simply shook her head and closed the curtains.
That was when she finally noticed the low murmuring coming from the closet. It sounded like a series of urgent moans, followed by a loud banging that made her jump an inch off the floor. Was it possible someone had climbed in through the window and was trying to hide in Rainbow's closet? Before she could call for help, or even move, the door to the closet banged open and a mass of cloths toppled out onto the already messy floor. The squirming, struggling mass seemed like it was trying to rise! Sunset stifled a scream, however, when she realized whatever was under the mass of dirty cloths wasn't chasing after her or attacking her. Instead whatever, or whoever, it might be seemed to clearly be in some distress. The soft moans of protest and pain began to sound all too familiar.
Cautiously, but less frightened than she had been a moment ago, Sunset started peeling back the layers of discarded dresses and dirty socks. As she did, her mind raced. She had been so frightened before. Had there been a reason? Maybe something she had noticed subconsciously? Why had the many jack-o-lanterns, many more than she had ever seen in previous years, worried her so greatly? Had the Halloween decorations, those severed limbs and dripping blood, looked that realistic to her before? Was it possible, just possible that they hadn't been decorations at all? Had what she had dismissed as mere paranoia actually been her instincts trying to warn her? And more, what was it that Rainbow had said that had struck Sunset as unsettling after she had convinced herself she was safe?
As she tugged away a long sheet, Sunset beheld a sight that made her thoughts freeze like ice. Rainbow Dash lay on the floor, hands and feet bound, blindfolded and her mouth gagged. Thick cuts, scrapes and scars showed through dried blood on her limbs. It was clear the young girl had struggled in vain against her bonds from the ragged, angry looking wounds around the ropes. The thickest filth, however, seemed to be caked around the makeshift gag in the teenager's mouth. It was almost as if a mask of dried blood, and other substances Sunset didn't want to think about, had dried into a hardened mask on Dash's face.
Bending down, Sunset whispered, "Dashie... Rainbow Dash it's me, Sunset. I'm going to get you out of here but first I need you to very quietly and calmly, tell me what happened. I'm going to take your gag out first, okay? Nod if you understand." The bound girl nodded and ceased her struggling as Sunset worked at the knot that tied the gag fast. It was looser than she had expected it to be, perhaps an indication that Dash's captor had recently removed it. As the filthy mass pulled away from Rainbow's lips, the girl started talking, babbling in a hushed voice that Sunset could barely make out. She could see that there were tears spilling from beneath the blindfold as Rainbow Dash spoke, but she couldn't make out the words, only the meaning behind them. Only the pain, anguish, and fear. "Dash slow down, I can't understand you. Take a breath and try again."
Rainbow Dash's tongue darted out, wetting her chapped, cracked lips. Taking a shuddering breath, she turned towards Sunset's voice. "She made me eat them, Sunset. She made me eat them."
Sunset heard that, but she still wasn't sure what it meant. "She made you eat what?"
"My parents," replied the real Rainbow Dash in a strained whisper, her voice cracking. A fresh sob drowned out the rest of her words with another burst of tears.
Just then, the person who had been posing as Rainbow Dash breezed into the bedroom, "Sorry Sunny, I'm afraid all we've got is finger food in the house at the moment. My folks kind of left in a rush, but the neighbors have been very generous while they've been gone." She handed Sunset Shimmer a tray of food so nonchalantly that Sunset took the plate reflexively, without thinking about it at all. She looked down at the 'food' that was on offer.
A neat little row of severed fingers in various states of freshness and decay, some that even still had wedding bands and press on nails, glistened from a pool of congealed blood. Sunset let out a shriek and tossed the tray into the air and back peddled so quickly she fell onto the bed. Nightmare Night, that's what this Rainbow impostor had said! She had said it was the night before Nightmare Night, not Halloween! She had been talking about the Equestrian holiday, not the human world variant! Rainbow Dash hadn't been around at all when she had told her other friends about the Equestrian holiday.
"Jeez Sunny, if you weren't hungry all you had to do was say so," laughed the fake Rainbow Dash with a sharp toothed grin as she lifted one of the severed fingers from the floor and bit into it with a sick, bone shattering crunch. She sucked delicately on the marrow, with every sign of relish, as she loomed over the pair of girls. Even though Sunset had long since closed the bedroom window, fog seemed to snake its way across the floor as the lights in the room flickered and went out. |
The Last Something Sweet to Bite | Welcome to Our Nightmare | The real Rainbow Dash continued to sob on the floor, curled tight into a ball. Sunset wanted more than anything to reach over and comfort her friend, to tell her everything was going to be alright. She just wished that there was any hope that her comforting platitudes wouldn't be lies. "Candy Mare! You're the Candy Mare aren't you!?"
"In the flesh," replied the girl who looked like Rainbow Dash, blood staining her lips from the devoured finger she had gobbled down "In a manner of speaking." She stepped further into the room, but not in a menacing fashion. True to her words earlier, she seemed almost bored. "I have to say, I'm a little disappointed you didn't figure it out sooner. I didn't think I'd have to go to all the trouble of sending you up here to witness our little Dashie coming out of the closet." She traced one finger over the real Rainbows exposed flesh. Sunset's friend flinched, trying to pull away from the unwelcome touch. "I guess my little act was just that good."
"You stay away from her you monster!" cried Sunset, rallying. It was true she was at a disadvantage right now, but that wouldn't stop her from defending her friends.
"Or what? Are you going to punish me?" The Candy Mare twisted her borrowed face into an adorable little pout, before she burst into high, girlish laughter that didn't suit her 'Rainbow Dash' form at all. Indeed her voice and her entire demeanor had slowly changed as she had been talking. Now the sallow skin, the hollow eyes were all too obvious, as was the way she stood hunched like a predator about to spring. The child like voice that spilled from her lips was no more appropriate to her form, but the sadistic edge to her words were more than fitting. "You don't even know how long we've been planning this. You didn't even have a clue this was coming until today. I can certainly see why you were Celestia's failed apprentice," she hissed with a chuckle.
"We? Who's we?" asked Sunset as her eyes looked wildly around the room for something for her to defend herself with. While it was true physical harm wouldn't stop the Candy Mare for long, it might buy her time to untie the real Rainbow Dash. She'd carry her out of here if she had to, but they needed to leave and they needed to leave now! Her hands closed around the handle of a metal baseball bat, and without a moments hesitation she raised the sporting implement and smashed it into the side of the fake Dash's face. She could here the bones and teeth crack as the metal struck home, and see the bright red gush of blood that splattered the opposite wall.
"You'll find out who I mean by 'we' soon enough," spoke the Candy Mare, not missing a beat. Though her jaw was clearly broken and one of her eyes dangled from its socket, it didn't seem to phase her at all. Indeed, as the Candy Mare spoke 'Rainbow Dash's' mouth simply worked lifelessly up and down. As Sunset watched in horror, thick red strands that looked like liquorice, wrapped around the splinted bone and rent flesh and tugged them back into place. Even the eyeball was sucked back into its vacant socket with a sickening slurp. Though the damage wasn't healed, it looked as if it hadn't occurred in the first place. "Though I suppose it is rude of me not to introduce you before your final performance. Would you settle for a taste of what's to come?"
As she spoke, she hunched further over. Something beneath her skin began to writhe and squirm. The fake Rainbow dash's skin on her arms and stomach seemed to peel back, opening like a disgusting flower made of meat. Sunset raised the bat for another strike, but didn't have time to act as three screaming, shrieking monstrosities burst from beneath the fake Dash's skin. They were all spiked legs, tendrils, and tooth filled maws. She managed to bat one aside and smash another to the floor, but the third one latched onto her face and buried tendrils down her throat. She could feel the thick appendages suffocating her, and worse, she could taste the sick mixture of gore and candy on her tongue. The squealing monsters were part of the Candy Mare. She was force feeding part of herself to Sunset Shimmer, just as she had force fed Rainbow Dash her parents. She choked and tried to beat the thing off with her bat, but it only clung tighter to her face.
"Relax. Would I go to all this trouble to just kill you?" asked the Candy Mare, once again using Rainbow Dash's voice. "Oh no, I have something much better in store for you. Night, night." With that, Sunset blacked out for the second time that day.
"Ah think she's coming around," when Sunset's eyes fluttered open, for a moment she thought she was perhaps buried deep under the earth. It was pitch black and she found it hard to move, hard to even breathe. Yet hadn't someone said something? "Help me get this thing off of her, Pinkie. Ready? One... two...three!"
There was a pop, and Sunset felt something being pulled off of her face... and out of her throat. She coughed and wheezed, hacking up what felt like a lung. Even so, she found it easier to breathe now, and the darkness was not quite so absolute. There was a faint illumination that seemed to come from above, though the lights source was obscured.
"Take it easy darlin'. Just breathe," said Applejack as she patted Sunset's back, "You're going to be okay."
"As if. None of us are going to be okay," came Rainbow Dash's unsolicited reply, sounding a little more like herself. "You don't even know what's about to happen!"
"And you do darling?" Rarity asked, clearly perturbed. "I suppose you just happen to know the Dazzling's plans? Well if that's the case, do feel free to share!"
"It's not the Dazzlings we have to worry about," replied Rainbow Dash darkly, before falling silent.
"Is everyone... is everyone alright?" sputtered Sunset once she felt as though she could speak. The inside of her mouth tasted like sugar and vomit.
"Um...I think so. Though Rainbow Dash seems to be the worst off of all of us," replied Fluttershy when no one else answered. "You uh... had one of those candy monsters stuck to your face like the rest of us did. We thought the Dazzlings got to you too, but Dash apparently didn't even know they were back. She was the only one who wasn't knocked out when we were dumped in here."
"Candy monsters?" asked Sunny as her eyes continued to adjust to the gloom. In front of her, all spines and teeth and tendrils, a candy abomination lay prone and lifeless. She gasped and tried to scramble away from it.
"Easy girl, easy," reassured Applejack. "That there critter is dead. Same goes for the ones that got us. Seems like they fall to pieces after a little while. Mine and Fluttershy's ain't nothin' but dust at the moment. We woulda taken yours off sooner but it was still... ya know, alive until a moment ago."
"Yeah it was super gross!" chimed in Pinkie Pie. "Like something from 'It came from Beyond' or 'Extraterrestrial'! I was kind of worried that something was going to burst out of your chest and kill us all, but then I realized it would've already happened to the rest of us by now if it was going to." Pinkie seemed almost disappointed by this.
"Are you sure it's dead? I mean... it doesn't really look like it should be able to live to begin with," Sunset was barely able to contain her disgust at the thought of the thing being latched onto her face.
"As a door nail, sugarcube," comforted the country girl. "But the question is, what happened to the rest of y'all? We know we were ambushed by Sonata. Adagio and Aria got their hands on Pinkie Pie and Rarity. But the only thing we've been able to get out of Dash here is how we're all 'doomed' and that it's only a matter of time before she would make us eat them... Whatever that's supposed to mean," Aj finished, rolling her eyes.
"Go easy on Rainbow, Applejack," responded Sunset, drawing her knees up to her chest. "She's had it worse than all of us. But I'll tell you what happened to me... and what I think happened to her. It's as I feared... the Candy Mare is here, and she's been right under our noses for some time."
It took the better part of an hour, but they at last managed to hash out what had happened. The better part of that time had been spent drawing out something other than cryptic replies or moans from Rainbow Dash, but the more time she spent with her friends the more she started to act like herself. It seemed she had been a prisoner in her own house for the better part of a month. She had answered the door one evening after school and was baffled when someone who looked exactly like her was standing in the doorway. She had remembered hearing stories about Changelings from Sunset and Twilight, so she thought the best thing to do was to push away her shock and fight her. Unfortunately she found herself quickly and easily overpowered. Whatever the thing was that wore her face, it was absolutely ruthless, cruel, and more than willing to torment her the entire time she was in her power.
"That's the Candy Mare," said Sunset simply. "I'm not sure how, but she seems to have gotten control of another Rainbow Dash's body. While our Dash was held captive all this time, she's been running around making her plans to capture us. Why, I can't say for sure yet, but it's obvious she's gone to a lot of trouble to get us here in this room, at this time." She paused to let her words sink in. "She's even gone so far as to enlist the aid of the Dazzlings, if what the rest of you say is true. I don't know what the nature of their arraignment is, but the Dazzlings mustn't know who their really dealing with. The Candy Mare is not known for leaving survivors in her wake and she isn't exactly the sort to make friends."
"So yer sayin' Twilight, Princess Twilight and all her friends are *gulp* dead?" asked Applejack.
"No, I don't think so. When I was communicating with Spike he acted like everything was alright. If the Candy Mare had gone on a rampage in Equestria and then come through the portal to our world, I think there would've been some kind of fore warning," replied Sunset Shimmer thinking the possibilities through. "It's obvious from Starswirl's research that there are many more worlds like the Human world and Equestria out there... Their own universes, each a little different from the other, but still similar to the ones we know. I think that this Candy Mare, and the Rainbow Dash she's using as a puppet, are from another universe entirely. I couldn't tell you how she made it into ours, but that seems to make the most sense. Unfortunately, that just means she may have already been successful in defeating the 'us's' from at least one other universe. She may only be here to uh... find more food," she finished uncomfortably.
"So that's it?" asked Fluttershy on the verge of tears, "We're doomed, just like Rainbow Dash said?"
"Not necessarily," replied Sunset, though saying it partially just to comfort the timid teenager. "It's odd that a creature as terrifying as the Candy Mare would need to be helped at all. Looking at these horrible candy creatures she used on us, I can't help but notice how quickly they decay. I think it's possible that, with the limited background magic in this world, the Candy Mare is having a hard time surviving. It may even be why she's inside that other Rainbow Dash to begin with, rather than manifesting on her own. She may not have enough power to stay in this world for long without a stable source of magic to sustain her." Sunset Shimmer put a finger to her lip thoughtfully "There's probably something here, at Canterlot High, that attracted her in the first place. It may be because of the portal... or maybe something to do with the Equestrian Magic we tap into when we sing. If she found a way to harness that magical power herself, I doubt she'd need the Dazzlings anymore."
"That's why I don't think we really need to worry about the Dazzlings," rasped Rainbow Dash harshly, her voice still a little raw from weeks of disuse. "They might be part of the Candy Mare's plans, but she's the real threat in all this, not them."
"I don't know dear," mused Rarity thoughtfully, "I don't think we should discount the Dazzlings just because they have a more ferocious benefactor. If anything I think that makes them more dangerous, not less."
"Who is and isn't a bigger threat don't amount to a bushel of apples!" Shouted Applejack exasperated,"Not if we're stuck in here while they're out there doin' who knows what! We can't even get a message out to warn anyone since they took Sunset's book and all our phones. I mean without our cell phones we don't even know what time it is, let alone where we are!"
"Oh that's easy," giggled Pinkie Pie. "The time is exactly six forty nine PM, and we're in the storage room underneath the gymnasium stage."
"How do you know that Pinkie?" asked Fluttershy after a few moments of bewildered silence from everyone else.
"Well, I know we're under the stage because this is where I moved our instruments so we could get to them when we performed at the Fall Formal," replied the party girl matter-of-factly, "And I know what time it is because DJ Pon-3 just started her fourth dance track."
Sure enough, as the others strained their ears, they could faintly hear music floating down from above, along with the soft roar of many voices, and stamping feet. Indeed the steady thrumming of the bass was impossible to ignore once they realized it was there. It was already Halloween night! They'd been stuck down here for an entire day. "Is there a way out of here Pinkie?" asked Sunset.
"Oh sure, only they're all blocked off or locked," responded Pinkie sadly, "I'm afraid the only way out of here right now is using the stage elevator, and the controls for that are, you know, up on stage."
As if on cue, the obscured light source suddenly brightened as the stages trapdoor slid open. The platform that the six girls had been unknowingly sitting on began to rise, slowly baring them and their instruments to the stage above. As they rose onto the stage, the crowd began to cheer.
Black and orange streamers hung along the walls, as did balloons of the same color. Goofy Halloween decorations hung from the ceiling; bats, spiders, witches, ghosts, and even a skeleton or two, along with two mirrored disco balls. Sure enough, the Fall Formal was in full swing, the space was filled almost wall to wall with male students in formal attire and females in extravagant dresses. All of the girls classmates were there and they were all cheering for them, "That's right ladies and gentlemen, we've got a real treat for you tonight!" boomed a familiar voice over the schools P.A. system, "The Sonic Rainbooms performing their final show! But first, we have a special Nightmare Night treat in store for you all!" The students looked around bewildered.
The Rainboom's were on stage but they weren't going to be playing yet? Nightmare Night? Didn't they mean Halloween? What was going on?
In answer to their many questions, a husky voice began to sing, "Welcome to your nightmare... I think you're gonna like it. I think you're gonna feel you belong~" Three black cloaked figures moved slowly through the crowd as two other voices joined the first, "A nocturnal vacation, unnecessary sedation, you want to feel at home 'cause you belong..." The crimson jeweled chokers at their throats blazed in unison, sending a wave of scarlet light through the auditorium that seemed to twist and bend reality in its wake. The students tried to resist the familiar tonal bonds of slavery penetrating their skulls, but it was no use. The very words of the song itself were like cold bands of iron, irresistible and unbending. The cloaked girls voices rose to crescendo, "Welcome to your Nightmare, wo ho ho ho!"
The Dazzlings whipped off their hooded robes, revealing their new forms. Scaly pale skin shot through with veins that pulsed with dark energy, razor sharp fins jutting through their cloths. Those nearest the Dazzlings sliced open their outstretched hands, already slaves to the Sirens, already seeking to worship their new mistresses. It seemed the adoring audiences fresh spilled blood was a worthy sacrifice to their goddesses return as the Dazzlings smiled fiendishly. Their mouths were filled with rows of shark-like fangs as they grinned. Their eyes were jet black orbs that seemed to barely contain the evil magic that pulsed within as they swept them back and forth over the groveling crowd.
These same eyes settled now on the Rainbooms up on stage, "Welcome to your breakdown, I hope we didn't scare you, that's just the way we are when we come down." They roared with laughter as the audience members, one by one fell to their knees, "We sweat and laugh and scream here! Because life is just a dream here! You know deep inside, you feel right at home..." Their song seemed to reach out to the girls on stage. Before, they had been able to easily resist the Dazzlings mesmerizing songs thanks to their friendship and the Equestrian Magic that it had engendered. Now the Rainbooms felt their bodies acting against their will as they each took up their instruments and began to play accompaniment to the divas triumphant voices, their limbs tugged by the puppet strings of the sirens song, "Yeah welcome to your nightmare, yeah hey hey hey!"
The monstrous girls howled with ugly laughter in their victory. This was the power they had sought so long to have returned to them. This was their birthright, the power to bend the wills of these lesser land dwelling creatures! Soon, the whole world would be on their knees, worshiping their new rulers. The Dazzlings took to the stage, moving among the Rainbooms as they played their instruments against their will, possessive webbed hands stroking their most coveted of prizes. Their revenge would be slow, fulsome, and lingering; The promise was there in their jet black eyes, in their song, and in their hungry salivating mouths.
Nothing could ruin this moment. Nothing but the sound of slow clapping as one lone figure walked among the prostrate student body.
"Bravo, bravo!" cried the Candy Mare, once again using Dash's voice. "I've gotta say, not bad. I'd give it a solid seven... no, eight out of ten. It could've been about twenty percent crueler, don't you think?" |
The Last Something Sweet to Bite | They're Here | The scene would've baffled anyone else. It was clear the monsters on stage, these creatures of the deep with their scaly hide, fangs, and claws were fully in control of every being in the room. Even the Rainbooms; Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Sunset Shimmer were powerless to act. All were powerless.
All except for the lone girl with the dead eyes and the knowing smile on her face. A stolen face, one that looked exactly like the lead guitarist of the Rainbooms. "You have your sworn enemies at your mercy," said the Candy Mare's puppet with a grin as she spread her arms as if to encompass the entire room, "the student body under your heels, willing to pledge their blood, their very lives for you! And what do you do? You sing to them... paw at them like mares in heat."
"And what would you do 'Rainbow Dash'," asked the transformed Adagio with a bestial growl. "Rip out their hearts? Peel off their skin? Break their bones? There will be plenty of time for that over their long, miserable lives as our unwilling slaves!"
The creature hiding in the form of Rainbow Dash sighed heavily, "As you wish. They're yours to do with as you please. Now that I've delivered on my part of the bargain, I think it's time we discussed the next phase of our plan."
"How about we don't and say we didn't?" asked Aria snidely, her monstrous visage lending an edge of the sinister to her snarky words, but still managing to get a harsh giggle from Sonata by her side.
"Yeah like, you're kind of slow, aren't you?" laughed Sonata, her new form making it an ugly bark.
"You see, we've got what we wanted," explained Adagio as she drug sharp black nails luxuriously down the side of Sunset Shimmers unresistant face, drawing thin bloody lines down her cheek. "We have the power to turn this entire world into our army, or to make them all our boot licking servants from now until the end of time. Why would we grant a single one of our subjects to you?" Adagio's body swelled as she called more dark power from her amulet. Crimson light flowed freely through her bulging veins, flowing to a spot just behind her eyes. Smoldering pinpoints of self assured power and rage burned in the center of her otherwise black as night eyes. Her teeth and claws lengthened, sharpening as they did so, as she loomed tall over the comparatively diminutive 'Rainbow Dash'. "After all, it's obvious you haven't been truthful with us. You're no more that simpering rainbow haired girl on stage than I'm an average teenager. Your 'candy magic' might have helped us secure our prizes, but it was our magic, and our knowledge of how to use these amulets that have won this day! The way We see it, we don't owe you anything."
"There's no reason to try and justify yourself Adagio" chuckled the Candy Mare mirthlessly, "I wish that I could say that I found your betrayal surprising, but it's so very like you... and your kind. So very predictable," she yawned theatrically, showing just the hint of what lay deep in her throat, a mishmash of madness, teeth and claws waiting in the darkness. Adagio didn't seem to notice as she came to stand glowering over her one time partner. "I suppose I can play along though. What exactly do you propose to do with me? How do you plan to keep me from taking what I want?"
"Simple, slave!" roared Adagio, "I'll make you clean out our privies with your tongue from this day forward, and for all eternity!" She began to sing a song that brought pain and weakness to all that heard it. The mirrored disco balls cracked and shattered, raining glass down on the writhing audience below. Balloons popped, as did the blood vessels in some of the audiences eyes and ears. The body that the Candy Mare occupied seemed to visible weaken as her knees shook and her whole body began to quiver.
"Yes...yes mistress," she whimpered through gritted teeth as she raised her arms like a person in a trance. Then she laughed, the musical laughter of a mischievous child, "As if!" From one extended hand burst a massive appendage made of candy and razor sharp teeth. The limb swelled and closed over Adagio's head with a chomp, silencing her instantly.
Her 'song' suddenly cut off, all that could be heard were muffled screams and moans of protest as Adagio scrabbled uselessly at the candied monstrosity with jagged black talons. The leader of the Dazzlings feet were lifted off the floor as her struggling body dangled in the air, hoisted by the much smaller Rainbow Dash. A sudden wet 'pop' and Adagio's body went limp, falling in a crumpled heap onto the gymnasium floor. A pool of black blood spilled swiftly from the headless stump of her neck. As the candy sheath flowed back beneath 'Dash's' skin, all that was left in her bloody hand was Adagio's fleshless skull. The glowing amulet that the siren had drawn power from hung from The Candy Mare's wrist like a piece of tacky costume jewelry.
The Candy Mare turned towards Aria and Sonata on stage. The pair had stood un-moving and speechless throughout the entire affair, but now they both visibly shuddered as the monster in a teenagers body twirled the hollow skull of their former leader like a basketball on the tip of one finger. As she spoke, there were no vestiges of Rainbow Dash's voice anymore. It was in a terrifyingly sweet voice that she asked "How exactly did you girls think I came by these little trinkets of yours? I've killed you more times than I care to count. Older and much more powerful versions of you have served as mere snacks for me. You will be no different!"
"How could you...?" moaned Sonata, crimson tears in her black eyes.
"You... You monster! We'll make you pay!" roared Aria. Both Sirens drew deeply on their amulets, dark power causing them to grow massive, muscles rippling beneath their scaly hide as they leaped from the stage to avenge Adagio.
As the remaining sirens focused their attention on their erstwhile ally, Sunset Shimmer could feel their grip loosening from her mind and body. Slowly the effects of the music died away as the Candy Mare, Sonata, and Aria fought through the crowd. The Siren's new power lent them not only strength, but speed as well, and they fought as much with lightning fast strikes of tooth and claw as their usual sonic screams. Even so, the Candy Mare dodged the pair effortlessly, laughing insanely all the while. It was amazing that their reckless attacks hadn't injured or even killed any of the innocent students in the audience.
"Girls," said Sunset once she had control of her mouth again. "We have to stop this before anyone else gets hurt!"
"But how? The Dazzling's new power is... well, monstrous," replied Rarity with the understatement of the year. "We barely beat them before when they were at half their current strength!"
"And don't forget she's here," said Rainbow Dash darkly. "As strong as the Dazzling's, are she took out Adagio like she was nothing."
"This is our chance guys!" shouted Pinkie Pie, twirling her drumsticks. "It's now or never, while they're busy fighting each other."
"Sunset and Pinkie are right y'all!" exclaimed Applejack taking up her bass guitar, "Sides, it ain't like we got much choice anyways. Whoever wins, we lose... Unless we take the bull by the horns."
"Okay. If you say so," said Fluttershy meekly as she started to tap out a beat with her tambourine.
"Then it's settled. Lets sing it girls," cried Sunset Shimmer as she took up a fallen microphone. "Lets sing them our song! Let's show them what we're made of!"
As they started to play a new song, Applejack started to sing, "Once upon a time... You came into my world and made the stars align!"
Rarity joined in, playing her keytar, "Now I can see the signs! You pick me up when I get down so I can shine!"
"Shine like Rainbows!" As they reached the chorus, a change seized each of the girls. They grew ears and tails, and some even grew wings and horns, as the music moved through them and flowed over the audience. A rainbow colored light swept over the gymnasium, not only breaking the last vestiges of the Siren's control, but wrapping each student in an impenetrable shield of protective energy. The remaining Dazzlings themselves, as well as the Candy Mare, covered their ears with their hands as though both were struck with agony from what they were hearing.
A fresh wave of rainbow energy exploded from the stage as the real Rainbow Dash floated in a mid-air on luminous wings singing, "Friends, you are in my life and you can count on me to be there by your side!" Bolt's of lightning in all the colors of the spectrum leaped from her guitar and danced out over the crowd. Cracks began to form in Sonata and Aria's amulets.
Flames in the same technicolor hues engulfed Sunset Shimmer, licked hungrily over her and danced through her hair. She locked eyes with the fake Rainbow Dash, with the Candy Mare, and let her voice cut through the air, "And when the music comes alive, we sing our songs to lift us up so we can shine!" The flames too washed out over the audience, engulfing the three monsters. Amulets shattering, Sonata and Aria returned to the forms that they held before, but otherwise remained unscathed. Even the stone around the fake Rainbow Dash's wrist exploded into dust. The Candy Mare however, writhed and foamed, pieces of her body burning away as she struggled to keep her hold on her Rainbow Dash.
There was pleading in her eyes as she said, "Please, don't! You don't know what you're doing!" If the whispered voice was the Candy Mare or the girl she controlled it was impossible to tell. Could anyone even hear her cry over the thundering music? Over the power of friendship? Did anyone but Aria and Sonata see the tears in her eyes as the rainbow of light swept over her?
Caught up in their song, the Rainbooms sang as one, "And the sound that we hear in our hearts, makes a crescendo! And the light that ignites in the dark, It makes us all glow! And shine like rainbows! We shine like rainbows!" here and there, voices began to rise from the audience as they joined in. Each voice adding a fresh burst of power, a new wave of energy! "Shine like rainbows! We shine like rainbows! Together we stand, As the rain begins to fall! And holdin' our heads up high, as the sun shines through it all!" As the voices of the student body and the Rainboom's blended in harmony, so did the light that surrounded them, becoming a blinding glare not unlike that of the sun. The light fell heavily upon the Candy Mare, upon her false face, and smote the vessel in which she hid. The monster inside her gave one last roar before it's voice was lost in the tide of music, the wave of light, the sound of pure harmony.
As the light and the music faded, for a moment all was peace. The girls on stage cheered! They'd done it! As the audience realized that they had been spared a fate worse than death, they joined in. The entire gymnasium shook with the laughter and applause of those who had been saved! Aria and Sonata looked around at the happy smiling faces, with hunted looks on their own. They turned to run for the exit, but this time Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna stood in their way. "Not this time girls," spoke Celestia sternly, "There's no running away. No escape."
"For what you tired to do to our students, for what you did do to them, you will be most severely punished," said Luna, eyes blazing, clearly meaning every word. The students cheered even louder as the girls tried to run back towards the stage, only for those closest to them to block their path.
The threat, at last, was over.
"You idiots!" screamed a lone girl sitting on the floor. Rainbow Dash, the one that had so recently been filled with a darker evil than the Dazzlings could ever measure up to, lifted empty eye sockets so that the Rainbooms on stage could see the bloody tears that flowed freely down her face. "You gave her what she wanted! You gave her exactly what she wanted!"
On stage, the girls gasped. Fluttershy's tambourine fell from her grasp as her hands flew to her mouth. A sick look of realization swept over their Rainbow Dash's face as her wings and ears faded back to where ever they'd come from. A look of denial occupied Sunset Shimmer's face as she stared at her microphone in disbelief. Had it not been enough? But the Candy Mare had clearly been wiped out. Had she somehow misjudged the situation?
The crowd carried on cheering regardless of the drama unfolding on stage. Yet there was a new sudden rush of jubilant, exultant laughter. Slowly, the cheering of the crowd seemed to dim and fade, as a little girls laughter rained down on them, no... Whipped through them! One by one members of the student body double over in pain. Even as the laughter grew louder you could hear them one by one croak, "Nightmare Night...what a fright..." A few of the students could barely choke out the words before they started to vomit, hunched in intense pain. Through the agony, and between dry heaves, they moaned as one "Give us something...sweet...to...bite..." With that last growling death rattle from the unfortunate audience members, the lights flickered out, leaving only emergency illumination for what happened next.
Bloody tears pouring from her empty eye sockets, a fresh gush of candy and gore spewed from the Rainbow Dash on the gymnasium floor. She spewed a scarlet pool around her, her body ripping apart at the seams as she exploded in slow motion. A similar fate swept through the student body like wildfire. Intestines rose like writhing serpents from their mouths, or exploded from their stomachs. The pressure of their guts trying to force their way out of their bodies was strong enough to completely rip off one or two students unfortunate heads as their insides gushed into the air like streamers from a party cannon.
Those fortunate enough to be excused from their friends agonizing fates were not spared for long, as candy abominations swarmed in droves from inside of the bodies of the dead and dying. Like the ones that had suffocated the Rainboom's before, they were all claws, tendrils, and teeth, but these fresh abominations were by no means as gentle. The horrible creatures forced themselves down their victims throats or forced themselves through ragged holes torn open in their faces. They bored through eyeballs and teeth like living drills, but in truth any hole would do, as the tiny beasts invaded one body after another. In mere moments they would explode afresh in a shower of fresh gore... their numbers quickly multiplying!
As the gymnasium quickly became a shallow sea of blood and viscera, Principal Celestia's gaze whipped from the dying student body to her sister Luna. The Vice Principal was doubled over in spasms of her own, something massive roiling beneath her sisters skin. In a moist explosion from her broad back, the twisted thing that rose from inside the mere husk that was now all that was left of Luna, appeared to be a thick wad of candy and flesh. It seemed to grin as it flopped wetly on top of the stunned Celestia, crushing her into a pulpy puddle beneath its bulk, and adding her body to the twisted assortment of limbs that bristled from the disgusting blob of meat.
The slimy mass of squirming entrails and teeth turned towards Sonata and Aria and spoke in Luna's voice, "I told you you would be most severely punished, didn't I?" It laughed like a small child as it broke apart and flowed like a wave, a wall of teeth and claws. Sonata clung tightly to Aria as the end came. So tightly in fact that their flesh stripped skeletons still embraced each other in the wake of the foul wave of death. Just more bones added to a steadily growing pile.
What had been a scene of exultation and joy was swiftly transformed into a bedlam of agony and lingering, painful demise. Indeed, the only place that seemed to be free of the nightmare that was sweeping through the student body was where the six girls stood on stage. Tears streamed from their eyes and one or two fell to their knees, vomiting at the sick, twisted things that they beheld. In Sunset Shimmers mind only one thought held sway as she stood stock still, as if she had fallen into a deep trance. We've failed, she thought as the microphone slipped from her hands, We more than failed. We played right into her hands.
Blood and guts were now the primary decorations in the gym, the balloons and streamers splattered with gore. It looked almost as if a bomb had gone off, as pieces of students and teachers twitched and rolled around on the floor, still alive. They rolled, wriggled and clawed, hunks of the dead and the candy abominations that had been inside them, all flowing to a single point in the middle of the gym floor. The flow coalesced into something like a cocoon that was instantly wreathed in dense fog. At this point, even the emergency light flickered and failed.
All at once, everything was plunged into a darkness putrid with the stench of raw meat and the wails of those who were still not quite dead. It only lasted for a moment, for in that darkness the damp sound of flesh slapping against flesh could be heard. The laughter that had been all around them, taunting their slow demise, faded to a hushed whisper. Like the first light of creation, a single candle flame illuminated inside a grinning pumpkin shell. Then another, and another, until the floor was a wildfire of jack-o-lantern grins. A single spotlight shown down upon where the cocoon had been. Had been, it must be said, for a diminutive figure now stood with arms outstretched, standing on tip toe in a pose like a ballerina, "Ta-da!" She cried exuberantly.
Her flesh was irregular, mottled pink, but other stranger shades here and there, veins of a darker hue streaking beneath her unnaturally shiny flesh. Her dress seemed to be made of discarded candy wrappers and cellophane that peeled away from her tiny form. Long red and black hair, slick and slimy hung limp from her fragile looking skull. But her face... In her face was only insanity. Her eyes were lollipop swirls of madness that opened wide over a candy corn grin that was stretched to bursting with impossibly sharp teeth. A black and orange candy striped tongue stuck out playfully from her liquorice red lips as she gave a little twirl, feet splashing playfully through puddles of blood and what was left of spilled brains on the floor.
This was it then. This was her. This was what she had been planning all this time.
This was the Candy Mare in human form. |
The Last Something Sweet to Bite | They Won't Stay Dead | "Is that what this was all for Candy Mare!?" asked Sunset Shimmer, practically spitting the words in her anger and despair, "All this death and pain? Was this all so you could play human!?"
The small girl twirling away in the pools of blood that her birth had fostered stopped mid pirouette, and bowed to the stage, "Why of course! It looked like you were having so much fun doing the same thing 'Sunny', I couldn't help wanting to join in!" she replied, cackling mischievously, "And please, just call me Candy! I'm hardly a 'mare' anymore, after all..." she looked down at her grubby, blood stained hands and flexed her tiny fingers. "However did you get used to these writhing little bone sausages? They're so strange," with that, her finger tips grew into long, sharp candy talons, "Ah, much better. I could see where one could get used to this. If she really tried."
"You can't possibly be serious..." moaned Rarity. Her eyes took in not just the garish, trashy cloths, but the creatures mixed up off-color skin as well. It was hard to tell where flesh ended and candy began. Perhaps there was no difference to this monstrosity, this 'Candy' girl.
"Well, yes and no," replied Candy, as she cheerfully stretched before doing a hand stand. "The truth of the matter is that I was having a hard time manifesting in this world. Not enough magic you see. What little magic you humans have is either ancient and worn thin or pitifully weak, more the product of faith or trickery than a real living force. Not something a creature like myself can easily feed off of. Not like in Equestria... but then," she flipped out of the spotlight she was standing in and was lost for a moment. When she reappeared she was mere inches from Sunset Shimmer, floating in mid air. "There was you!" she said poking one chubby digit into the tip of Sunny's nose. She grinned brightly as she said "Everything that has happened here is thanks to you."
Applejack swung her bass guitar at the candy ghoul like it was a battle ax, but the nymph twirled away from the strike and landed back in the spotlight with a splash, facing away from the stage. On her back, twin candy wings made of bone and human skin shrank and folded inside of her cloths. "And just what is that supposed to mean ya abomination!? It looks an awful lot like you're the only one with blood on her hands here!" A sneer curled AJ's lips before she muttered, mostly to herself, "And everything else for that matter."
"Is it story time? Really? How dreadfully dull," Candy pouted, for the moment truly looking like the little girl she was playing at being. But the way her eyes flashed mischievously, it was clear she wanted to tell them, her disdain was nothing but a facade. "Once upon a time there was a filly who wanted to eat everything. Though there were some set backs, eventually she devoured the world and everypony in it. Glutted though she was she still hungered for more, and moved through dreams to find other realms that she could devour. So the story would go, over and over, again and again. Until one day, the filly sensed something truly strange. On one of the dead worlds she had devoured, she sensed a life. A life that couldn't possibly exist. A life that had apparently been whisked away, long ago, to another place and time on the other side of a dusty mirror." Candy turned slowly, and gave them her widest, most cheerful grin. "It was you Sunset! Or, should I say, somepony very much like you?" A look of confusion washed over Sunset Shimmers face. Of course there was a chance there were other versions of her out there, but she didn't expect to hear this. "The scent of this foreign world, this human world was thick on her. It was so irresistible, of course I had to take a peek... and of course I gobbled her up!"
"It was another Sunset, right?" asked Rainbow Dash, dark circles under her eyes. Sunset looked back at her friend. "Just like that other me you were manipulating."
"Exactly! Gold Star for Dashie!" replied Candy, giving a joyful little hop, sending up a splash of slowly congealing blood like a child playing in a puddle after the rain. Despite this, her face grew serious, almost grave as she steepled her fingers in front of her chest, "But it turned out gobbling her up was a mistake. In doing so I gained the knowledge of the world she had recently come from, but I lost my ability to cross over into it. There was no magic there, for this Sunset had never taken the Element of Magic to that realm." Sunset Shimmer's eyes grew wide. "Try as I might, I was powerless to cross through, save as a bad dream or two and a few pitiful pieces of candy that could barely make a person sick," the monster knelt where she stood. She seemed to be looking for something, brushing a few strands of her liquorice hair behind one ear before fishing something out of a pile of gore, "I nearly lost control of my Dashie when I tried to cross through the mirror riding inside her. That would have been a real tragedy," she lifted the object up. A cracked skull. Presumably the one that had belonged to 'her' Dashie. As she brooded over the skull, something began to grow from her forehead. A twisted black and orange striped horn that looked much like a lolly pop one might purchase at an amusement park. Once it was fully formed it gave off a pulse of light in every hue of the rainbow, before settling on an extremely dark red that smoldered like flame. "What magic I'd consumed from countless unicorns meant nothing if I couldn't even bring myself through that stupid mirror."
"Wait, so... So then how did you get here?" asked Pinkie Pie from behind her drum kit.
This brought another grin from Candy, as her horn flared as if responding to her sudden uptick in mood. She tossed the empty skull over her shoulder as she rose and said, "I am so glad you asked Pinkie! You see it turns out, just like there are many Equestrias, there are many human worlds connected to almost all of them! It was just a matter of slipping through your nightmares until I found the perfect world... A world where Sunset Shimmer had brought the Element of Magic. More, a world where I had not yet destroyed it's Equestrian partner, so that self same magic was still pulling on a fresh, untainted source. And even better, I found you six girls, conduits for a magic you don't even understand." Sunset Shimmer fell to her knees. Candy, however, was up again, twirling and dancing to a song that only she seemed to be able to hear. "As soon as you acted as a release valve for all that glorious magic, saturating the atmosphere and the infected students that had eaten my candy, I was able to come fully into this world! It was child's play to trick those 'Dazzling' idiots into helping me plant my little candies in the school cafeteria food. Sure, there were those who had a touch of magic inside them already that gave us a few false starts, but by making Vice Principal Luna our first target, I had a trusted authority figure to spread lies about a possibly infectious disease and a phony quarantine. It made it all the easier to make the students and their families disappear, one by one. They were a nice snack, weren't they Dashie?"
Rainbow Dash doubled over in a fit of dry heaving. Fluttershy tried to comfort her, rubbing her back, but her eyes were blazing with barely controlled anger. "You disgusting creature. You killed them all, didn't you? Even those boys you were hanging out with when you were pretending to be Dashie!"
"And right under your cute little nose, Fluttershy," grinned the Candy Mare, "I admit, it was hungry work, but it was so easy to trick those teenaged boys into following me into nice, private places for a quick bite. It's really quite funny," she paused, growing more serious, "I almost thought Sunny was going to figure things out when she caught one of my little seeds taking root inside Trixie, but I suppose it was already too late by then. I'd been masquerading as Dashie for months at that point. It was only right at the end that you six even began to suspect anything was wrong at all," she laughed wryly, before glancing around at the rest of the gymnasium. "But I think story time has gone on long enough, don't you? I have a world to devour, and now, thanks to all of you wonderful musicians, I have a form that can move into worlds that are bereft of Equestrian magic. Countless multitudes will suffer," she licked her lips with her long candy striped tongue, rubbing her belly in anticipation, "and I'll feed on every last one!"
"So that's it then. You've gotten what you wanted," said Sunset Shimmer through tears. That she could even be partially responsible for this horrid creature coming to this realm and killing so many of her friends was almost more than she could bear. That she had led her friends into feeding her even more power, even that she could become this twisted mirror of humanity was even worse. But though her shoulders shook and tears streamed down her face, she never took her eyes off the Candy Mare. She glared at the unnatural girl, brave in the face of death. She had already brought so much pain and suffering into the lives of her friends, even if she had never intended to do so, she almost welcomed what was about to come next just so she wouldn't have to face them. If she was to die, well... maybe she deserved it. "I suppose you're just going to kill us now, like every one else? Like the Dazzlings who helped you."
"What!? Why ever would I do a thing like that?" asked Candy in mock surprise. The spotlight shut off and for a moment all was darkness save for the glowing jack-o-lanterns that flickered in the sea of slain students. Slowly the red emergency lights came back on. There was a wail of distant sirens. It seemed the fire department were on their way at last. Candy slowly began to walk up the steps that lead onto the stage. As she climbed the stairs her body warped and changed, seeming to stretch and grow. She was no longer a little girl, but a full grown woman. She glared down at the six girls, her hair suddenly alive as though she were underwater and they were floating in a strong currant. "I love you girls! I couldn't have done any of this without you! Even if those 'Dazzlings' hadn't tried to betray me, of course I was going to destroy them. But all of you? Never!" She tilted to her head to one side, her long limbs ending in even longer, spidery talons that interlaced between each other as her lips twisted into a predatory grin. "At least, not without giving you a chance."
"Pfft... A snowballs chance in hell maybe," mutter Rainbow Dash.
If the candy girl heard her, she ignored her, "You see I love to play games. And besides, it's Nightmare Night! Oh what a fright!" she twirled again as if she were a tiny ballerina, though the effect was much more disturbing now, bony limbs arching ungainly through the crimson fog. "It's a night for Tricks as well as Treats! Of course the trick will be staying alive. Not just because of me, but because of your dear friends." As she spoke, a few of the piles of intestines and viscera began to shiver and move. So that was what she had meant when she said that story time had gone on long enough! She had been stalling the whole time!
Slowly, shambling figures rose from the sea of congealed blood. Their bodies gleamed in the scarlet light, eyes empty and jaws slack, but an unmistakable sound from the fresh risen crowd began to swell, along with their numbers, "....Nightmare...Night..." they whispered through jagged teeth and twisted gums. "What a...Fright..." Others chorused back. But the main thing they all seemed to be able to agree on was... "....hungry..." The word echoed from dozens of gore slicked lips, matched only by the insane laughter that spilled from their mouths. The eyes of the dead were locked on the stage.
Candy laughed, spreading her arms wide as the candy ghouls began to shamble towards the Rainbooms. As she did so, her horn glowed brightly and her wings sprouted anew, stretching wide. A circlet made of small, delicately polished bones graced Candy's brow, gleaming in the harsh glow of the emergency lights. For a moment she appeared as a queen before her adoring, hungry subjects. The image quickly faded however. She was no queen, but a grinning hobgoblin of a child. Madness roiled off her like smoke as she smiled so widely it looked as though the top of her head was about to come off. She pointed a single slender claw at the sextuplet of teenagers.
"The game is hide and seek! You hide, they seek. If you escape you live! If they catch you... well..." she giggled evilly, "I think you get the idea~," she almost sang with glee. "Of course I'll be playing too. I'll count as high as I can before I join in, just to give you head start." She covered her eyes with her grimy, bloodstained hands and started to count. "One one thousand... two one thousand." As she did, the candy ghouls began to swarm up the stairs to the stage. The girls were trapped. Every exit seemed to be swarmed with the grinning, laughing dead. Suddenly the ground beneath their feet began to shake. Someone had activated the stages trapdoor! They sank into the pit underneath the stage much more quickly than they had risen. But it was hard to see how this was an improvement.
"What do we do, what do we do!?" squealed Pinkie Pie in a panic. "They're gonna gobble us up!"
"What yer gonna do missy, is follow your old Granny Smith out of here," said the cantankerous lunch lady, a fire ax in one hand, from the gloom under the stage. |
The Last Something Sweet to Bite | The Trick is to Stay Alive | "Granny!" cried Applejack joyfully, "Thank goodness yer alright!"
"Not for a lack of that 'Dazzlin' whippersnapper tryin'! She pert near did me in!" exclaimed Granny Smith turning her head so the others could see the blood that matted the grey hairs on the back of her head. "Ah let her take left over grub fer months, and how does that gal repay me? Smacks me in the back of the head and leaves me trussed up in the freezer like a thanksgiving turkey! Fortunately old Granny knows her way around a knot or two."
"Hungry..." came a hushed whisper and urgent pounding from above. A fist thrust through the stage floor, followed swiftly by a dozen others. Arms reaching, clawing for anything they might snatch, as the candy ghouls ripped up the floorboards that served as the understage's ceiling.
"Though Ah s'pose that's a story best left to tell til later," smiled Granny Smith despite her missing teeth. "Lets skedaddle!"
She didn't have to tell the girls twice. As they thundered up the stairs that lead back out to the main hall, they slammed the door behind them just as the stage must have collapsed. A cloud of dust rose up the stairs, but that wasn't the only thing that made the hallways hazy. A thick, unnatural fog seemed to have enveloped the building, lending the school an almost dreamlike quality. It reminded Sunset Shimmer of the nightmares she had experienced yesterday. She only wished now that she had realized sooner what she had experienced was no mere dream, but rather a vision of what was soon to come. In the hallway there were students, or pieces of them, who hadn't even been present when the Candy Mare had slaughtered most of the school. Bits of their exploded torsos splashed across lockers and light fixtures on the ceiling made the scene just as grizzly in a way that was almost worse than the chaos they had left behind.
Neither the girls nor Granny Smith slowed as they ran by, however. There was no point checking to see if any of them were still alive, after all. Yet as they dashed past the slain, a head turned here, an arm raised there. Fingers twitched and bodies jerked as childish laughter hounded their every step, "Nightmare Night, what a fright..." came the incessant whispers as a candy ghoul staggered out of the nurses office. Miss Redheart's body had taken on a white, almost porcelain appearance, dark cracks ran from her joints as well as the corners of her eyes and mouth like thick dark veins. Her hard sugared features turned hungrily towards the fleeing group.
Without a moments hesitation, Granny Smith raised her fire ax and smashed through the former nurses neck. Her head fell, shattering on the tiled floor while her body reached sightlessly after the Rainbooms. Other candy ghouls were rising now, some small and half formed, while others were hulking and slick with a thick and noxious ooze. All met the business end of Granny Smith's ax as she blazed a trail for the girls to follow. Even so, there seemed to always be more students who had been converted to candy ghouls just around the next corner. It was clear that they were encountering some that had previously been in the gym now. Try as they might, it seemed they couldn't shake the ravenous candied dead for long.
It wasn't until they reached an intersection in the halls that they finally stopped to catch their breath. They paused, less from fatigue and more to try and figure out which way would lead the quickest out of the school... and which way might they hope to encounter the least resistance in the attempt. Their legs ached and they were out of breath, while Granny Smith seemed cool and composed, vigilant for any new threats. "Wow Granny, Ah have ta say, Ah'm surprised ain't none of this phasing you," said Applejack sidling up to her grandmother "Ah'm right impressed!"
"Why'd ya have ta go and say somethin' like that?" muttered Granny Smith as her fire ax fell from her hands, clattering on the tiles. She clutched her chest with one hand as her arm shot out, trying to steady herself with her other arm by leaning against the wall. She needn't have bothered, as her legs swiftly gave out beneath her. If Applejack wasn't nearby to catch her, she would've smashed her head open on the tiles, then and there.
"Oh no, Granny what's the matter!? Is it your heart!?" cried Applejack in panicked distress as the other girls gathered around to see what was happening. "Y'all stand back, give her some air!" commanded the country girl. She frantically started rifling through her grandmother pockets, but her search came up empty. "Granny, where are yer pills? You know ya need to keep em nearby! Are they in the cafeteria? The nurses office maybe? Ah'll go an fetch em alright? You just hang on you hear? You just hang on!"
"No!" croaked Granny Smith, before continuing weakly "No... don't go runnin' off by yerself sweetie. Leave me. Ah'm old... Ah've had mah life. It's up ta you... you've gotta take care of little Apple Bloom and... and yer brother..." her eye lids were drooping heavily and her wrinkled face was twisted in anguish. It seemed like she was having a harder and harder time just getting words to pass her lips.
There were tears in Applejack's eyes as she squeezed the hand of the woman who had taken care of her all her life, "You can't die Granny! Don't die. They're waitin' for us... Big Mac and Apple Bloom, and the rest of the Apple clan. They're waitin' for us to come home! It can't end like this!"
"You're right," came a child's taunting voice, "It can't." Without warning, Granny Smith's stomach exploded in a shower of gore, spraying blood everywhere and drenching Applejack in her grandmothers innards. The other girls jumped back, but Applejack could only stare, dumbfounded and still holding Granny Smith's hand as the Candy Mare rose from her innards. "I got tired of counting," the killer said simply and without fanfare. "Ready or not, here I come!"
Belatedly realizing her danger, Applejack tried to back away, scooting across the suddenly filth drenched floor by kicking with her legs on the palms of her hands. She tried to turn over on her hands and knees in a vain attempt to get back on her feet, but she didn't make it far before the Candy Mare hooked cruel talons into her ankles. Laughing the whole time, Candy began to drag Applejack towards her... Or more accurately, towards the gaping hole in Granny Smith's stomach as the killer slid smoothly inside of the old woman's body. Teeth erupted around the ragged hole, turning the open wound into a massive maw.
"No!" screamed Applejack, her finger nails scrabbling across the gore slicked tiles. It was only mere moments before her own blood mixed with that of her dead grandmothers, her fingernails breaking and popping off as she struggled to drag herself away from the death that held her in unforgiving talons. Her friends rushed to her aid, grabbing hold of her arms, but even their strength wasn't enough to stop the inexorable pull of the Candy Mare. Besides, they slipped and slid in the growing crimson puddle, unable to get any traction on the gore drenched floor. All they could truly do is share in Applejack's fear, joining in her panicked screams as first her feet, and then her legs slowly disappeared inside of Granny Smith's torso. A crunching, gnashing sound filled the halls as her lower body was devoured.
"What's the matter deary?" asked Candy, from inside the corpse, using Granny Smith's voice, "I thought you loved being close to your kin?" She cackled before continuing in Apple Bloom's voice, "Now we get to be together forever!" she cried cheerfully. The fight almost went out of Applejack there and then. The pain of being slowly eaten alive was bad enough, but thinking this monster had already gotten to little Apple Bloom was somehow so much worse. That's when sharp, candied fangs started chewing through her bowels, bringing fresh screams and desperate struggling. "Eeyup," came Big Mac's voice, "won't be long now."
"Don't listen to her Applejack! You have to fight!" cried Sunset, tears streaming down her face. "You're the strongest person I know! You can beat her, but you have to fight!"
"There's only one way to stop this," said Rainbow Dash darkly, picking up the forgotten fire ax. She hefted it high, her eyes locked on Applejack's tortured face. Before she could bring it down, Granny Smith's carcass came alive. The candy fangs in her stomach chomped down and swallowed up Applejack in a single gulp. The ax embedded in the tiled floor where Applejack's head had been moments ago. As the candied ghoul that had been Granny Smith rose on four seemingly boneless limbs, her head hung loosely from a broken neck like a clubbed tail. Her face was still lifeless, slack in death, but her stomach roared a challenge as turned to face the other girls.
"Fine," muttered Dash, prying the ax from the tiles, "This works too." Her friends watched in horror as she started chopping and hacking at the quadrupedal monstrosity, taking off arms and legs before splattering the bloated creatures snapping stomach. The pieces of Applejack were indistinguishable from her grandmother, everything was mixed in an ugly explosion of bile and stomach acid, but at least AJ's screaming had finally stopped.
"Wh...what d-d-did you do?" asked Pinkie Pie, the first to break the heavy silence that had descended upon the five remaining girls after the slaughter had ended.
"What needed to be done," said Rainbow Dash bluntly, removing the gore smeared ax from the ghouls innards with a sickening pop. "The same thing I hope you girls will do for me if it comes to it. Applejack was suffering... so was Granny Smith. They needed to be put out of their misery."
"I... I can't accept that," said Sunset, staring at the disjointed body parts that had so recently been their friends. "This isn't like you Rainbow Dash. This isn't like us. You can't expect us to do this kind of thing. You shouldn't have done this!"
"Then what should I have done, huh!?" screamed Rainbow Dash, full of a fury none of the other girls had ever seen before. The ax in her hands dripping sour smelling fluids, "Just watch her suffer? Just watch her die!? Let the Candy Mare have her sick jolly's tormenting her to death? I don't think so. If you were willing to stand by and watch that happen... I wonder exactly what kind of friends you all are. I'm not about to let any one of you go through that. Not while I'm around."
"That's not your choice to make!" screamed back Sunset, surprised at her own anger.
"Please stop it, just stop it! Stop fighting!" yelled Rarity. "Applejack is dead! There's some horrible little girl after us and a horde of candied corpses! We don't have time for this!"
"I can't take this. I just can't," sobbed Fluttershy. Without another word she ran down the left hallway, sprinting faster than any of her friends had ever seen her run before.
"No, Fluttershy, come back! We have to stay together!" shouted Sunset after her. She was already fading in the distance. Sunset turned to Rainbow Dash, "You have to stop her! You're the only one that's fast enough."
For a moment, it seemed like Dash hadn't heard her. Or worse, was thinking about continuing their fight. Instead she just nodded, and started down the same hallway that Fluttershy had run. The other girls padding behind her, doing their best to keep up.
Fluttershy couldn't believe what was happening. This was worse than her darkest nightmares. She had seen so much death in such a short amount of time, it was hard for her to process. She knew it was stupid to run away from her friends like this, but she couldn't stand what she was seeing. She had known Rainbow Dash almost her entire life, and she had never thought she would be capable of doing what she had seen her do to that monstrous version of Granny Smith... or Applejack.
She wanted to believe that it was like Dash had said, that she was just putting them out of their misery, that she was only trying to be loyal to her friend in her moment of direst need. But the callous way she talked about it, almost without any emotion, and the way she'd mechanically swung that ax as if all she was doing was... was chopping down a tree or something... those things disturbed Fluttershy deeply. The Candy Mare, or perhaps just this whole situation, had unearthed a darkness inside Rainbow Dash that Fluttershy had never suspected. In many ways, it was more disturbing and unsettling than the candy ghouls she was almost sure she was running headlong into.
She'd been lucky so far. Any dead students that had been in this hallway had appeared to stay that way, slumped against lockers or sprawled on the floor. It was so dark here, even if her vision wasn't blurred by tears it would have been hard to see. Everything was engulfed in a flickering gloom that would've normally sent waves of apprehension through Fluttershy. But even though a storm of emotions raged in her heart, and filled her mind with conflicting thoughts, she could see something wasn't quite right.
It was becoming harder and harder to run. At first she thought she was just growing tired. Perhaps, a small part of her hoped, she was coming to her senses and getting ready to go back to the others. But when she tried to turn around, she found that doing that was just as difficult as trying to run forward. It was only now that she noticed the long thin wisps of pink thread that seemed to be strewn across the hall. Forward or back, left or right, it didn't matter how she tried to move, she seemed to touch a fresh strand of pink candy floss. The strands seemed to clump especially around her ankles and wrists. Without warning, the strands tightened, lifting Fluttershy off the ground and suspending her in the air. Belated she realized she had run into the heart of a giant pink spider web.
She was trapped!
"Little Miss Fluttershy, ran away to have a cry, weeping she lost her way," came a sing song voice that was all too familiar at this point. From the ceiling, Candy crawled down on long thin spider like limbs. A wide grin stretched the features of her face wide. Extra sets of eyes roved over Fluttershy's helpless body as she came closer. "When along came a spider, to burrow inside her, and eat all her flesh away!" Candy snickered as tiny candy critters started to swarm over the invisible strands of web. Fluttershy struggled, trying to break the threads that bound her, her chest heaving as she drew panicked breaths.
Her every instinct told her to cry out, to scream, but if she opened her mouth she knew exactly what would happen. Just like the Candy Mare's rhyme, the candy spiderlings would swarm down her throat and burst from inside her, just as they'd done to all of her friends in the gymnasium. But if she didn't cry out, how would her friends find her? Her heart hammered so hard she could hear her own pulse over the skittering creatures as they drew closer. Why had she run off on her own? Why hadn't she realized she was running headlong into a trap? Why was it, in this moment, she wished fervently that Rainbow Dash was by her side?
"Not so fast bitch!" roared an angry voice from the dark. An ax swung from the shadows, chopping Candy's head neatly in two. The monstrous girl let out an ear piercing screech and climbed back up into the ceiling. Rainbow Dash worked quickly, cutting the pink strands of cotton candy, freeing Fluttershy and sending the candy critters falling to the tiled floor. Working together the pair of girls stomped the tiny abominations into puddles of smooshed sugary goo. Once that was done, Rainbow Dash turned angry eyes on her friend, "What were you thinking running off like that!? You had to have known something like this would happen! Do you want to die!?"
"N-no, of course not," said the meek girl, melting under her friends angry glare. "I just... I just..." a look Dash had never seen before crossed Fluttershy's face. It was a look, perhaps, of resignation "No maybe I did want to die. So you... so you wouldn't have to kill me."
That knocked the anger right out of Rainbow Dash, "W-what do you mean? I'd never kill you!" cried Rainbow Dash. Even as she said it she realized she didn't sound very convincing, even to herself.
"Of course you would," said Fluttershy simply. "You care so much about your friends. I know you cared about Applejack or you couldn't have done what you did. But I can't stand to think about what that must have done to you. What it would mean if you had to do that again... with me, or any of our other friends." Fluttershy reached out to Rainbow Dash, but her friend flinched away from her touch. She wouldn't look at Fluttershy, she couldn't look at her. "Dash, you have to see that the Candy Mare is focusing on you for some reason, some purpose. She might want to kill us but she seems intent on torturing you most of all."
"You're wrong!" yelled Rainbow Dash, before locking eyes with Fluttershy. The look Dash gave Fluttershy made her heart skip a beat. There was so much pain and anger there, but behind that there was such deep boundless sorrow she was surprised that her friend could stand. "You're wrong. I don't matter to that... that thing! She did worse to so many, and yeah, she made me watch... But she also made it clear that the only reason I was still alive was because she wanted me to be. There's no higher purpose to what she's doing, there's no grand plan." She tightened her grip on the fire ax, "She'll do worse than kill each and every one of us if we let her. All she cares about is inflicting pain on others and eating them alive. All she cares about is reveling in our misery. So don't think for a moment you're doing me a favor by going off and dying on your own! That does nothing but give this fucked up thing exactly what it wants."
Fluttershy didn't say anything about the tears streaming down her friends face. All she did was wrap her arms around her and hold her tight as she shuddered silently, crying into her shoulder. |
The Last Something Sweet to Bite | Who will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them? | Sunset puffed along. Had this school always been this huge? Was it possible that the Candy Mare was using some kind of magic to make it seem larger? The hallway they were running through seemed more like a poorly lit cavern, darkness thick with this ghastly fog that seemed to thin just enough to display cruelly slaughtered students before thickening to conceal anything else that might be lurking in the deserted classrooms. At last, she thought she saw two figures standing towards the end of the hall where it was especially gloomy. As she was about to call out to them, she felt a hand clamp over her mouth. "Wait just a minute darling," whispered Rarity into her ear. "I do believe that our friends may be having a 'moment'."
As the three girls watched, it did seem as though Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were exchanging words. Sunset didn't like the way that Dash was holding her ax, but she quickly reassured herself that there was no cause for concern. Rainbow Dash would never harm Fluttershy... would she? Without warning, the meek girl who had been running away in tears mere moments ago enveloped her rainbow haired friend in a hug. As her friends watched, the pair seemed to cry together, but that was okay. It felt like a rift that was threatening to open between them, between them all, had been healed in that moment. "Aww... you guys are the best!" cried Pinkie Pie as she hugged Rarity and Sunset. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash broke off their embrace awkwardly, both apparently a little embarrassed to be caught in their moment together.
That was when Candy dropped down from the ceiling with a hiss. Her face was still split in half vertically showing a perfect cross section of a human skull, but also rows and rows of dripping fangs. With a sweep of one spindly arm she sent Rainbow Dash flying, while her other limbs clutched Fluttershy from behind. She worked quickly, gathering up pink webbing hanging in the hall, and wrapping them around and around Fluttershy before she had a chance to so much as scream. In mere moments, the girl was wrapped head to toe in what looked like a pink cocoon. Her muffled screams set her friends teeth on edge.
Sunset and the others ran to her aid, but were stopped when Rainbow Dash screamed, "Stop! Stay back or she'll catch you too! Stay away from the webs!" She hefted her ax one handed, her left arm hung limply by her side, clearly broken. However, that didn't stop her from going back on the attack. Again and again she chopped at the Candy Spider creature, hacking off limbs as the creature squealed and spurted foul black liquid from her wounds. Candy seemed as though she was going to try and escape back into the ceiling, but Dash hauled her back down with a powerful swing of her ax that splinter the beasts arms.
Once grounded, it didn't take long for Rainbow to smash her into nothing but a dark colored smear that lay barely twitching on the hallway floor. Panting from pain and exertion, Rainbow Dash at last let her ax fall. Staggering over to where Fluttershy struggled within her cotton candy cocoon. Rainbow kneeled beside her, and with her one good hand worked feverishly to peel off the sticky substance. She needed to make a hole at least, just a hole so that Fluttershy wouldn't suffocate. Her friends crept forward to aid her but she shouted at them again to, "Stay back!"
As she ripped off the last layer of cotton filth from around Fluttershy's face, she froze. Wordlessly, she howled, giving vent to a primal scream that resonated with so much emotion that at first Sunset and the others couldn't tell if it was caused by anger, sadness, or pain. Perhaps it was all three? As the girls struggled to see through the gloom, Dash rose to her feet, taking up her ax and started to hack over and over again at the fallen candy creature.
Now that her body was no longer blocking the wad of cotton candy, the girls could see what Rainbow had seen. A thick red slurry spilled from the cocoon. Fluttershy's face was ruined, it was only vaguely human with no eyelids to cover the eyes or lips to cover the teeth. It was clear she had been partially liquefied... the insides of the cotton candy sheath must have been incredibly caustic, somehow acidic enough to eat through flesh in a matter of moments. That or maybe it had just been the swarm of tiny squirming gummy worms that crawled over what was left of her teeth and eyes. The cadaver that had been one of their gentlest, most beloved friends let out a shuddering moan. The movement inside the cocoon ceased as the multicolored gummy worms spilled out onto the cold tile floor, along with a thick syrupy slurry of liquid flesh and sugar. In that moment, they knew, there was no saving their friend.
One after the other, Sunset looked to Pinkie and Rarity. She didn't know what to do, and from the looks on their faces it seemed neither did they. Rainbow Dash was beyond reason now, swinging her ax over and over at the same spot on the floor where the Candy Mare had fallen, chopping her up into smaller and smaller pieces. Her blind rage and pain seemed to have rendered her inarticulate, unable to speak. None of her friends dared to approach her.
"It's a shame isn't it?" said Candy, once more in the form of a child, standing beside the three teenagers as if she had been there the entire time. "It seems I played too hard with her," she sighed heavily, "I can't believe she's broken already." Reaching out one pudgy hand, Candy made a tiny fist. By that motion alone, the remaining webbing in the hall became rigid like a net and enclosed around Rainbow Dash. Lost in her rage and sorrow, the rainbow haired girl never even noticed the danger she was in.The webs didn't seem to quite touch her, instead they looked as though they passed harmlessly through her, the only effect was to make the berserk girl halt mid-ax-swing as though she had become suddenly frozen in time.
The effect only lasted for a moment however. The first thing to fall was her ax, clattering to the ground in bits and useless pieces, almost unrecognizable as the tool it had once been. Next was Rainbow Dash herself. She fell, literally, to bits. The soft plop of her body falling apart, and showering down on the tiled floor, echoed through the dead silence of the hall. Pinkie Pie leaned one out stretched hand against a locker and gave huge dry heaves, trying desperately to disgorge the sickness inside her, but all she could manage to bring up was bile. She was empty. Rarity stood close beside her sobbing, covering her face with her hands as if by doing so she could block out the horror. Her fingers were pressed against her eyelids... she was contemplating gouging them out so she wouldn't have to watch any more of her friends die.
Only Sunset kept her eyes trained on the Candy Mare. She watched as the child opened her tiny hand and the webbing retracted, taking pieces of Rainbow Dash with them. An arm here and a foot there, parts of her friend dangled from the webbing twisting and turning in a breeze she couldn't feel. Sunset Shimmer was numb, less from the horror of what was going on around her, and more from the burning feeling that rose up in her guts like a wild fire. Her every instinct was telling her to reach out and squeeze the child's throat shut, until her eyes rolled back into her head, until that horrible candy corn grin was gone forever. But she knew it wouldn't help.
Candy turned towards the trio, a sardonic look on her twisted face, "You do know that the game is hide and seek right? You girls are terrible at hiding." She glanced down at her fingernails as if the three teenagers were no longer worth her regard. "Should we try Tag instead? Or maybe... Blind Mares Bluff?" what little illumination there had been suddenly faded away completely. Childish laughter seemed to come from all around, but that only barely masked the whispers of an approaching horde of candy ghouls. "Hungry..." they hissed through broken teeth, "it hurts... it hurts... it hurts," another was saying monotonously, and of course the ever present chorus of "Nightmare Night...What a Fright...Give Us Something Sweet...to...Bite...". The scent of the recent slaughter must have attracted them. They had no choice, there must have been an army of the dead surging up the hallway behind them.
The girls would have to press forward.
In the darkness, it was impossible to move without their arms outstretched. They bumped into the warm, quivering pieces of flesh that dangled from the ceiling, what was left of their friends. They tried not to think about it, survival being more important than giving into morbid thoughts or despair at the moment, but Pinkie couldn't suppress a sickened squeal when she felt something wet and sticky smear across her face. It felt like a tongue, and she wasn't sure if it was worse for it to belong to Rainbow Dash, Candy, or one of the hungry dead. What was worse, for Rarity at least, was having to walk through the pool of Fluttershy's semi-liquefied remains. Rarity was still missing her shoes from their earlier chase of Aria through the park so each step, no matter how quick, was met with an uncomfortably warm splash and an unpleasantly moist feeling between her toes. She could feel the gummi worms popping under foot, giving tiny high pitched squeals with each pop. She fervently prayed under her breath that the sightless creatures wouldn't burrow through her exposed flesh.
They all did their best not to slip and fall, even as they tried to flee as quickly as possible from the approaching whispers of the dead, but it was impossible not to stumble as bits of teeth and bone slipped beneath their feet. Weeping, slipping, trying to maintain their balance and their sanity, Sunset Shimmer, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie pressed forward into the dark unknown. Each were harboring varying degrees of fear, anger, and despair... But none of them wanted to end up as their friends had.
It was a relief when they finally made it through the hallway and could at last run at full tilt. There was a light ahead and it was to this that they hurried towards. As they drew closer, they could see that the light was the flashing strobes of police, fire, and rescue lights.
The girls were saved! They'd made it to the front of the school! All they had to do was run out those glass doors and into the waiting arms of armed officers sworn to protect them.
Of course, it couldn't be that easy. As Sunset pushed open the glass doors, the scene that greeted them was not one of controlled chaos, but pure pandemonium! The gunfire that should've warned them away had apparently long been silenced, as candy ghoul's knelt by the prone bodies of police and fire fighters, gorging themselves on the rich red innards that they were scooping out of the bodies of the fallen and shoveling into their candied maws.
As the trio stepped out on the school steps, the closest ghouls glanced up from their feverish feeding, giving them a blank stare, slack jaws partially filled with brains and entrails from a particularly large paramedic. The girls themselves were dumbfounded. For all the emergency vehicles that were crowded around, not a single living soul seemed to still be present. Worse still... A sea of dead students, and a few emergency personnel that were now starting to turn as well, stood between them and any real hope of freedom. As Sunset watched, one of the first responders who's face now seemed to be a mass of green gummy candy lightly dusted with granulated sugar, leaned down to the receiver of the portable CB radio that was still clipped to his uniform and croaked, "Send...more...paramedics..."
"Sunset?"
"Yes Pinkie Pie?"
"I don't think I like Nightmare Night," replied Pinkie with a slight tremble in her voice.
"Me neither!" cried Rarity, her face streaked by dark tears from her running mascara, "No offense."
"None taken," replied Sunset, dead pan. "I can't say I like it much anymore myself..."
There was nothing they could do. The Candy Mare had won.
Just as that thought was passing through the three teenagers collective minds, there was a sound of squealing tires and a steady increasing thumping sound. A nondescript white panel van came screeching around a corner on two wheels, headlight's blazing as the front of the vehicle plowed through the candy ghouls that were staggering through the street and out into the nearby neighborhoods. When the van arrived at the school, it didn't stop with the emergency vehicles, but hopped the curb and tore through the manicured front lawn, leaving two muddy lines and a mess of smashed candied corpses in it's wake. The van just barely missed crashing into the statue in the courtyard before it slammed to a stop in front of the three girls. The engine was still running, but even so it was clear that the driver was scrambling around inside the van as it rocked back and forth on its shocks. The side door on the van opened with a rush of light and what looked like smoke billowing inside.
Twilight Sparkle, the researcher not the princess, leaned out of the van in her lab coat and glasses and yelled, "Get in!" before scrambling back into the drivers seat and putting the van back in gear. The girls didn't need to be told twice, although it was clear Pinkie and Rarity were surprised to see Twilight. Sunset was the last to climb in, as a swarm of ghouls surging from inside the school like a tidal wave. With the van already in motion, it took all of her strength and that of her friends, for Sunset to pull the door shut on the grasping hands of the hungry dead. As it was, one of the hands of the candy monstrosities was severed and fell limp into the van with them. "Hold on tight!" screamed Twilight as she apparently plowed through the horde of ghouls, causing the van to rock back and forth as if it were taking speed bumps at a hundred miles an hour.
There was a an uncomfortable moment as the van hopped the curb and each of the girls found themselves floating inside the van. In that moment, the ghoul's severed hand tumbled through the air as well. When they landed with a shudder that must have sent up sparks from the undercarriage, the hand landed squarely in Rarity's lap. Now, clearly, this was not the worst thing that had happened to the fashion conscious teenager that day. Aside from having to watch helplessly as her friends and classmates had died around her, she had lost everything she had bought at the shops yesterday along with some lovely designer shoes. To make matters worse, her cloths were so tattered from the last two night's activities that they were practically falling off, not to mention that they were soaked in mud and other less pleasant fluids. The severed hand landing in her lap was just one more horrible thing heaped on top of a veritable mountain of horrible things. Even so, it sent her into such spasms of hysterical sobbing, trying to get the thing off her, that when she was finally able to grasp it between thumb and forefinger, she sent it sailing across the interior of the van with such force that it smashed onto Pinkie Pie's face with a resounding 'slap'!
Taken aback by the suddenness of the action, of the disembodied hand sliding down her face, Pinkie almost didn't know how to react. When the appendage at last reached her chin, however, the hand itself seemed to react of it's own volition. Long fingers wrapped themselves securely around Pinkie's throat as the gnarled thumb pressed itself into her windpipe. Choking and gasping, her face turning a shade of blue and her vision going red around the edges, the pink haired girl frantically motioned for the others to help her. Sunset grabbed the stump of the wrist with one hand and tried to pry off the fingers with her other. Rarity, still in the grips of hysterics, was of no real use at the moment, but she beat at the hand with a metal ruler that was loose in the back of the van like a stern teacher punishing a particularly rambunctious student. Sunset grabbed the ruler from Rarity and used the cold metal to at last pry the fingers apart.
As the hand came loose, something in the skin shifted, and a tiny mouth opened up in the palm. Jaws slid forward like those in a sharks maw. Sharp, needle-like teeth clipped the air just in front of Pinkie's face, repeatedly closing with sharp clips that grew closer and closer to her tender throat. The fingers themselves started to grow long candy claws and spines all over, so it made it difficult to hold onto the thing without cutting or stabbing ones self.
Sunset looked around, desperately trying to find anything to contain the thing. A lidded glass jar rolled under one of the seats in the van. Acting quickly, she nudged the jar with her foot so it would roll over to Pinkie. "Open it! Open it!" It seemed Pinkie didn't notice the jar, and glanced at the door instead. She reached for the door... it was impossible to tell how fast they were going, but given how violently the van was still rocking from side to side it was doubtful they were free of the ghouls just yet. If Pinkie opened the door now there was a very good chance that they would fall out and splatter across the asphalt before they could get rid of the grasping, mutating hand.
With a steadiness and surety that surprised Sunset and Pinkie both, Rarity unscrewed the lid of the jar and plonked it down over the severed hand. As she slammed the lid home the thing tried to leap out of it's glass prison, but to no avail. It seemed Rarity had recovered from her episode as quickly as it had come over her. She stared at the hand in the jar with a look of disgust. It rattled and mutated further inside it's container, sprouting different growths to try and break free. All of it was useless. At last it fell still, resembling the dead flesh that it was, but none of the girls were fooled. They carefully stashed the jar securely in a crate, all three heaving a sigh of relief.
"Good catch!" cried Twilight from the drivers seat, as candied brains splattered on the windshield. She turned on the wipers as if this were a perfectly normal occurrence rather than a disgusting obstruction to her vision, "That will make an excellent research specimen when we get back to the lab!" |
The Last Something Sweet to Bite | Everyone's Entitled to One Good Scare | As the van continued to hurtle down the streets of Canterlot, the candy ghouls began to thin out. For the first time in what seemed like forever, but had only been an hour at most, the girls had a moment to take stock of their situation. "Thank you ever so much for rescuing us...uh...Twilight," said Rarity, recalling belatedly what Sunset had told them about being knocked out by the double of the Twilight they all knew and loved. Her next words were slightly tentative, perhaps colored by this memory, "But however did you know we were in need of rescue?"
"I didn't," replied the girl in the drivers seat as she swerved around what looked like a group of Trick or Treaters, but in the glow of the passing headlights were illuminated as candy ghouls dressed in costume. It was remarkable just how quickly the plague of candied death had spread. "I was actually on my way to Canterlot High after a new energy spike blew out all of my detection equipment. I figured there must have been a new event, so I was planning to collect specimens from ground zero. That's when I started seeing all of these pedestrians stumbling around in the road."
"Pedestrians?" asked Pinkie Pie.
"She means the candy ghouls," replied Sunset, eyeing the equipment in the van. Along with the various measuring tools and jars, there were also electronic equipment that were flashing distractedly. From the looks of the read outs, this equipment had shorted out not long ago and was in no state to recover. Any data they had recorded earlier had likely been lost.
"Candy ghouls? You mean like zombies? Fascinating!" cried Twilight, "I've never seen an ambulatory corpse before! The scientific possibilities are... well, endless! Part of the problem with vivisection has always been that if you go too far the subject dies. Worse, if they're unconscious for the procedure, its difficult to tell what effect your operation has had until the subject regains consciousness. If they regain consciousness. With a living corpse, both problems would essentially be rendered moot!" the look of joy suffusing Twilight's face was perhaps more unnerving than the steady rattle from the severed hand in its jar. As quickly as it had arisen, however, it faded. "Wait, can they still talk?"
"Not so much," replied Pinkie Pie. "All they really seem to say is 'hungry' and moan a lot. They do sing! Though, not very well."
"I'm afraid we didn't have much opportunity for extensive conversation while we were running for our lives!" cried Rarity, demonstrating a flawless grasp of dramatic understatement.
"You should probably just forget any ideas you might have for... ugh... experimenting on the dead, until after we have a chance to get this situation under control," added Sunset, brushing her hair out of her face. "I take it you believe me now? Or that I'm not an alien at least?"
"Well, there is still the possibility that this was all caused by cosmic radiation of an extraterrestrial origin. Or that this is an extremely hostile though sloppy invasion," responded Twilight, swerving to dodge an oncoming truck who's cab was on fire and flat bed was loaded with screaming children. "But I will say that I'm starting to rethink my position on your supernatural explanation. 'Magic'. in this case. may just be sufficiently advanced and misunderstood science, but I can't see where torching half the town would benefit anyone in the long run. Besides, when the people you run over get up and start limping after you on what look like candy claws and tendrils, the wise move might be to accept that there are some questions you should really ask later. Like after you've gotten several hundred miles away."
"So where are we heading then?" asked Sunset, climbing into the passenger seat in the front after moving a box of what appeared to be other 'specimens'. She didn't want to think about what Twilight must have done to acquire them. "Back to Crystal Prep?"
"Not a good idea," replied Twilight. "As near as I can tell these 'candy ghouls', as you call them, are descending on densely populated areas fast. I hypothesize that this is partially how this plague is spreading so quickly. I'm afraid the dorms at Crystal Prep might be too tempting of a target for these creatures to pass up."
"Oh no! Maud!" cried Pinkie suddenly.
"Oh, do you know Maud?" asked Twilight.
"She's my sister! She's staying in the dorms at Crystal Prep!" the usually indomitably cheerful girl put her head in her hands. "If she gets grabbed by the ghoulies, she's going to be a goner!"
"Don't worry," replied Twilight, adjusting her rear view mirror so she could look Pinkie in the eyes. "Your sister has Spike with her. The two of them are probably waiting for us where we're heading now." Sunset looked out the window on her side of the van. They were steadily climbing a hill, so there was a clear, unobstructed view of the town below. There were a few lights here and there, but those mostly seemed to be burning buildings. The same thick fog that had enveloped Canterlot High seemed to be choking the rest of the town, moving from street to street. Where it passed all electrical lighting faded, replaced by the dull orange glow of jack-o-lanterns and house fires. "We're on our way to my private lab. It's a short distance out of town so that should buy us time to collect supplies so we can get out of state."
"Out of state?" asked Rarity quizzically.
"Well yeah. As enthusiastic as I may be about wanting to study this event, I'm not crazy," replied Twilight as they pulled onto a lonely dirt road. "A scientist needs a certain objective distance from her subject. Like I said earlier, in this case, I think a few hundred miles should just about do it."
"It won't be far enough," replied Sunset grimly. "There's nowhere we can go that will be far enough away from the Candy Mare."
Twilight glanced at her sideways for a moment, "The Candy Mare?" before realizing what she was doing and put her eyes back on the road.
"The Candy Mare..." Sunset hesitated. That name must sound ridiculous to this version of Twilight. She started again. "The entity that's behind all this," she said, gesturing out the passenger side window at the town below, "made it pretty clear that she doesn't have any intentions of stopping with Canterlot High. As fast as this is spreading, a whole town engulfed in chaos in a matter of hours, I don't see any reason to think she won't spread this as far and wide as possible. She plans on making the entire world like this and believe me, no matter what you want to believe, she has more than enough power to do it."
"So what do you suggest?" asked Twilight, her face serious. "Should we just... get out of the van, lay our heads on the road and wait for a passing car to crush our skulls and get it over with?"
Rarity and Pinkie shared a glance of some alarm at the prospect, but Sunset let the comment pass. "No. No! Just because things are about as bleak as they can possibly get, that doesn't mean that we should give up. You said we were on our way to a lab of yours. Is it well stocked?"
Twilight couldn't conceal a blush, "Well, I might have been borrowing a few supplies from school over the years. I swear I planned to give them back it's just... you know. You get involved with one experiment and then the next and the one after that and you just... lose track of what's been borrowed and what hasn't," She cleared her throat, "Yes, yes I'd say that it's fairly well stocked."
"Good," replied Sunset, "Because I think I might have a plan on how we can beat the Candy Mare at her own game. I'll fill you in on what you need to know on the way. Just get us to your lab as fast as you can!"
After a few somewhat tense and wordy minutes traveling in nearly complete darkness, it seemed that they had finally reached their destination. As the van pulled through an open wrought iron fence, Pinkie Pie and Rarity leaned forward from the rear of the van to have a better view. "Whoa!" was all Pinkie could say, for the first time in a while at a total loss for words.
"This is your private lab!?" cried Rarity, as stunned as Pinkie by the massive mansion that loomed against the night sky in front of them. Though the windows were darkened, the grounds themselves were well illuminated with flood lightning. They pulled up to an ornamental fountain that could have easily doubled as a swimming pool. The girls could see that they would still need to cross a bridge, over an actual moat, before they could climb the stairs to the mansions entrance. Needless to say, this seemed a little excessive for a private lab.
"Actually this is my parents place. It originally belonged to some doctor or other that used to live and work here. That was sort of why they bought the place, so I'd have a laboratory where I could conduct my studies," said Twilight as she shut off the van's engine and started to climb out. The others followed behind her. "We never did find out what happened to the previous owner. But I found out from dad later that this place was actually a steal. A fixer upper, but a steal. After my brother and I moved out, him to collage and me to Crystal Prep, I think the place was too big for them."
"I think it would be too big for King Kong," whispered Pinkie to Rarity, who had to stifle a giggle.
"They've been traveling around the country since then," continued Twilight, either not hearing or pretending not to have heard Pinkie's quip. "We should have the place to ourselves."
Meanwhile, Pinkie was eyeing the van that they had all been riding in. "Uhh...Twilight," it was an ominous creaking sound had drawn her attention. The vehicle was splattered with all kinds of blood and gore. It could hardly be described as a 'white' van anymore. "When exactly did you get your drivers license? Maud's older than me and she still only has her permit."
"Oh, I don't have a license," replied Twilight walking over the bridge to the front of the mansion. "I did read how to drive in a book once. It seemed simple enough, as did operating the maintenance van from school."
With perfect comedic timing, the ominous creaking turned into a loud crash as all four of the vans wheels fell off of their axles and the vehicles undercarriage slammed onto the ground. The hood bounced open and a cloud of steam hissed from the cracked engine block. "Oh...I see," was all Pinkie could say in reply as one of the tires rolled past her.
"Pinkie, grab our little friend in the jar," said Sunset over her shoulder. "If Twilight has what we need in her lab, I think we're going to need him too."
The party girl made a face but nodded and turned back to the van. Meanwhile, Rarity ran to catch up with Twilight. "Oh, Twilight, dear. I know we're just meeting for the first time and all but... well. Is there any chance I might be able to borrow a change of clothes?"
Twilight turned and looked at Rarity. She gasped, as if for the first time seeing the state the teenager was in. Her clothes had huge holes and tears in them from struggling through thorns in the park and barely outpacing the clawed hands of the candy ghouls. Worse, there were still stains from various bodily fluids, most of them not hers, that had stained the material a deep rusty red. Rarity stood barefoot in the night air, shivering, arms wrapped around herself, the tatters of her clothes barely clinging to her body. "Of course, of course. I'm sure that mother won't mind if you borrow some of her clothes. My parents room is up the stairs and down the hall to the right. Take whatever you like and uh...maybe just...throw away what you have on in the kitchen?" Rarity blushed but nodded. She'd long abandoned any hope of salvaging her outfit.
As Twilight turned a key in the front door, lights suddenly flooded the mansion. It seemed that her parents were wealthy enough that bothering with light switches wasn't really something they needed to do anymore. All of the lights inside the mansion, which was just as impressive inside as out, seemed to be motion activated. As Rarity climbed one side of an opulent double staircase, a gorgeous chandelier flared to life, making her shadow dance across walls that were tastefully hung with family portraits. A steal or not, there was no way that furnishing this place had cost anything less than a fortune. Rarity was duly impressed.
"So, which way to the lab?" asked Sunset. She'd lived part of her life in a palace. The mansion might have been impressive, even compared to that, but there were more important matters to attend to.
"It's down this way," said Twilight, gesturing towards a door under the stairs that seemed to lead down into a basement. "The lower levels may be in just a teensy bit of disrepair. I'm afraid they were flooded a few years back and since I was the only one who ever used them, father took his time in getting things back in order. I promise the lab should still be in good repair though."
As Twilight had said, the stairs leading down were broken and crumbling. The remnants of railing for the stairs intermittently twisted downwards, warped and rusted by water and time. The musky scent of old earth and mold drifted up to Sunset Shimmer's nostrils, turning her stomach afresh. It was odd that such a beautiful facade could hide such obvious decay.
Despite her misgivings, she followed Twilight down into the darkness beneath her home. Bare bulbs swung here and there on long exposed wires. Most of them were broken, but a few were still intact, some even still had there lamp shades though a thick coating of cobwebs blurred the outlines of their shape. The walls were bare brick, broken in a few places where the masonry had been washed away. Sunset could see the flood line like a dirty bathtub ring, just above her head. For a time, this had all been under water. As her eyes adjusted to the Gloom, Sunset noticed that she could see all of this thanks to a fitful illumination at the end of a long corridor that lead to another set of stairs that Twilight was already climbing. Almost as soon as Twilight entered the next room, the flickering light was snuffed out entirely.
With a suddenness that almost made her jump, Sunset found herself plunged into such absolute darkness that it seemed to suck at her eyes. Robbed of her sight, her other senses seemed to kick into overdrive. The grave mold scent and the cold chill of the waterlogged earth around her rose up like a physical presence, like clammy hands trying to suffocate her. Worse, she could hear something scrabbling across the floor behind her. Without warning, something warm and hairy slammed into her legs, making her cry out in surprise as she fell to the hard slimy ground below. She barely had a moment to get her hands in front of her and scream for "Help!" before the creature was on top of her, panting, it's rancid breath hot on her face. She winced as the monster started licking her, expecting sharp fangs to follow any second.
They never came.
The light source at the end of the hallway flickered back on, revealing an extremely excited Spike to be the source of Sunset Shimmer's terror. He barked cheerfully, gave her another sniff to make sure she didn't have any treats, and bounded down the hall into Twilight's waiting arms. "Hey Spike, did you miss me?" Under a barrage of licks and excited tail wagging, Twilight looked at the fallen Sunset and apologized, "Sorry, he gets a little excited around strangers. I hope the light's weren't out for too long."
"No, no, it's fine, really," replied Sunset, dusting off her clothes and wiping dog drool off her face to hide her burning red cheeks. For a moment, she'd really thought it was all over. After everything she'd been through at Canterlot High, no one could blame her for being a little on edge. This is what she told herself, but she was still acutely embarrassed by how loud she had screamed earlier and a certain dampness that she hoped was just from the wet floor. To her surprise, the lights overhead switched slowly on. As they did, she realized she was face to face with a corpse! She jumped back, letting loose another scream, before she realized that the corpse was in fact...
"Maud!" cried Pinkie Pie excitedly as she bounced down the underground passage. Sure enough, it was Pinkie's big sister that had been standing near to the distracted Miss Shimmer in the dark. Maud's expressionless face and grey complexion had perfectly blended in with the surrounding tunnel until the overhead light's had flickered on. It was only her imagination that had made the older girls face out to be that of a dead persons. Sunset hugged herself tightly to stop herself from shaking as she watched Pinkie Pie cheerfully raise the jar she was carrying for her sister to see. "Check it out Maud, it's a candy coated severed hand! Isn't that neat!?"
"It sure is Pinkie," replied Maud in her monotone voice, revealing no excitement whatsoever at being presented such a bizarre object. After giving the appendage a cursory look that would have appeared to be dismissive to anyone but Pinkie, she turned her attention towards Sunset. "Are you okay? You screamed very... loudly."
Blushing afresh, the Sunset cleared her throat, "Well yes, just a... a bad cough. It's very dusty down here."
"That's right, why don't we all get inside the lab and get to work?" suggested Twilight brightly, "I can't wait to see some of this alien technology you were telling me about!" |
The Last Something Sweet to Bite | Where Do We Go? | "This is it?" asked Twilight Sparkle, eyeing the construction that had taken them less than a half hour to assemble through her goggles. It was no surprise that her lab, which despite it's disused appearance had been far better stocked with raw materials than she had suggested, had contained everything that they needed. What was surprising was just how simply and quickly everything had come together. "That's all there is to it?"
"Well the interval between the two points is defined by the square root of the sum of the squares of the separation between the points along three spacial dimensions," replied Sunset Shimmer. "Essentially it should allow for the instantaneous transposition of matter between two equal planes of existence."
"Well yeah, obviously I get that, but it's just some pieces of wood and metal attached to a pair of Tesla coils with a few cables," replied the science minded Twilight, knocking on the wooden slats that supported the array as though to demonstration it's simplicity. "I mean it doesn't even seem to have a power source despite the light bulbs that, as near as I can tell, are part of the device simply for show."
"Trust me, if we do this right, it will open a portal that we can use to travel to another dimension," reassured Sunset confidently. Almost immediately after she said this, however, a look of doubt crept over her face. "I'm pretty sure. To be honest I really only recreated this based on something Twi...*ahem* a friend of mine said she had created and tested successfully before. Truth be told, I'm not entirely sure it would function without magic. Fortunately, we do have a small source at hand."
"Hah!" laughed Pinkie Pie explosively. "That was a joke right? Because the power source we have at 'hand' is this little guy, right?" asked Pinkie, raising the jar that held the severed appendage that had nearly choked the life out of her. The hand, for its part, flopped around loosely in the jar before making a very rude gesture. "Hey, that's not nice," scolded the pink haired girl.
"Just give that here Pinkie," replied Sunset taking the glass container. "Though you are correct. In my experience it takes a great deal of dark magic to subvert the will of a living creature. A dead or inanimate creature, however, is actually even harder to assume control of, as there is no basic consciousness that's available to move the body. To make a corpse move, speak, and act on its own, and not just wait patently for direct commands like a mindless flesh golem, would take a massive amount of dark magic. Even this little piece must be saturated with more than enough energy to power the portal several times over."
"There is one problem though," said Maud from behind an old welding mask as she soldered the last of the wires together. Setting aside her soldering gun and raising her mask, she continued, "If I understand the basic dynamics of this construct, we're still missing at least one vital piece. The mirror that was in storage down here will serve fine as a gateway, but don't you require an item from your world to act as a conduit for a portal to form?"
Sunset blinked slowly. She was unsure if she was more surprised that one of her friends had such a thorough grasp of what was essentially an otherworldly device, or that Maud had just spoken more than she had ever heard before. "Well, yes, that's where we're fortunate. You see, I don't actually want to go back to my world," she paused, thinking things through carefully. "Opening a portal to Equestria might just allow the Candy Mare access to my home dimension. I don't won't to risk inviting the same tragedy that has befallen this realm to another. Even if it would be nice to have the power of the Princesses on our side, there's no guarantee that they could act fast enough to stop what's happening here, let alone keep Equestria safe during the attempt." She placed the jar in the center of the array and clamped copper leads onto the metal lid. "Besides, I lost my journal. Even if I wanted to go home, there's a good chance we'd have to return to Canterlot High to retrieve the only item I can think of that could serve as a connection," she looked at her friends with a crooked smile that she didn't really feel. "For better or worse, we're on our own."
"I don't understand," said Twilight apprehensively. "So where exactly is it you intend to go?"
"To the Candy Mare's world," replied Sunset simply. "The hand may be originally from this world, but the dark magic invested in it is connected to the Candy Mare and, through her, her dimension of origin. There's no reason it cannot be both conduit and power source except... except the portal won't be able to remain open indefinitely. There may only be enough power for one of us to cross safely in this manner."
"No no-no-no-no no, no! You can't be serious Sunset!" cried Pinkie Pie, grabbing the other girls jacket by the collar. "That would be way, way too dangerous! She made an army of flesh eating monsters from a single high school, imagine what an entire world of that would be like! Why would you even want to go there in the first place!?"
"To put down the Candy Mare for good," said the fiery haired teenager as she gently, but firmly, removed her friends hands. "I told you and the others earlier, I spent a lot of my time studying dark magic. It's not something I'm proud of, but it has afforded me certain forbidden knowledge that may undo much of the harm that the Candy Mare has wrought. Not just on this world, but any other world she's touched." Sunset turned away from her friend, and gazed into her own reflection. "Her world shouldn't be that different from my Equestria. When I pass through the portal, I will regain the form of a unicorn and have control over the magical power that I need to defeat her. I should be more than capable of doing what needs to be done."
The party girl looked down sadly, the curls of her pink hair visibly drooping. As she spoke, it was obvious from Pinkie's shaking chin that she was fighting back tears, "You're going alone and you don't plan on coming back. This is what they call a 'suicide' mission, isn't it?"
"No!" cried Sunset, louder than she intended. She quieted her voice before turning back towards Pinkie and lifting her friends chin so that her down cast eyes met her own. "If there is a way, I will come back. This is my home now, and you, all of you, are my friends! It's the Candy Mare who will perish, not me... not us! We will beat her, for all of our friends who died, for the students and staff of Canterlot High. For our world! You and Rarity are precious to me. So don't think for a moment that I plan on dying in some Celestia forsaken zombie world!"
"Where is Rarity anyways?" asked Twilight, interrupting the moment between friends. "She went to change cloths a long time ago. I hope she didn't get lost. I... kinda did once when I was little. It wasn't fun."
"No need to worry, ladies!" came a bright cheerful voice, "Rarity has arrived!"
As Rarity swept into the drab, dusty laboratory, the entire room seemed to brighten. It was, it must be said, mostly thanks to her dress. It seemed to be absolutely dripping with beads and jewels that caught the light and sent it sparkling back against the walls and into her friends eyes. She was positively radiant, which would be an excellent way of describing the smile that graced her perfect features. It seemed she had taken the time to shower, primp, and scrape the muck and grime from her hair and skin. Clothed as she was now, and in this somewhat drab setting, she appeared akin to the goddess Persephone come down to grace Hades underworld with her presence.
"Wow Rare, you look gorgeous!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, shaking off her melancholy in an instant.
"Don't I just, darling? I feel as though I could face a legion of Candy Mares!" she answered with a haughty laugh, "Hah-ha ha-hah!"
"Wow, I didn't know my mother had a dress like that in her wardrobe," Twilight couldn't help but notice how perfectly it hung from Rarity's frame, as though it had been tailored specifically for the slim teenager. "Where ever did you find it?"
"Oh-ho ho, as if you didn't know! Someone set out this magnificent gown for me while I was availing myself of a hot shower. It was ever so kind of you to provide such a regal work of art for me to wear." Rarity paused to take in the full view of herself in the large mirror that was part of the transposition array. "I almost feel ashamed for wearing it. Almost."
"I didn't set out any cloths, I've been down here with the other this whole time," murmured Twilight before continuing speculatively, "Father must have purchased it as a surprise for mother. Looking at it, they must be arguing again. A dress like that could only be an apology gift. It must have cost him a fortune."
"Not really," said Maud calmly.
"What do you mean?" asked Sunset, the elder Pie sisters comment striking her as odd.
"None of the jewels are real," said the Earth Sciences major simply. "Not a single one seems to be a naturally occurring or man made stone. It's very pretty, but also very cheap." Rarity ignored this, continuing to admire herself in the mirror and giving a little twirl so she could see the back.
"Leave it to my big sis to spot something like that," beamed the younger Pie sister proudly. "If there's one thing Maud knows, it's rocks!"
"It's not that big of a deal Pinkie. If you had a closer look you'd be able to tell too," replied Maud with what passed for sheepishness on her otherwise expressionless face. "After all, we both know what rock candy looks like."
"Rarity take that dress off now!" Sunset Shimmer roared, her eyes wide with panic.
"Wh-what!?" asked Rarity aghast. "Down here in this... this filthy workroom with all of you staring at me!? Why ever should !?" Even as she said this, she couldn't take her eyes off her own reflection. Perhaps that was why she was the first to notice what it took the others a moment to realize. She was bleeding. A steady drip, drip, drip staccato'd on the floor from beneath her dress, falling from between her legs. At first a look of intense embarrassment washed over Rarity's face, followed by a sudden twist of revulsion and pain. Blood gushed down her white legs in rivulets, and down her slender white arms. It happened so suddenly and without warning that no one even had a chance to move. "What's going on!?" Rarity cried out in alarm, "What's happening to me!?"
At last she turned from her reflection, but already it was far too late for her. She clawed at the dress, trying to rip the jeweled gown off of her body. She frantically tugged and pulled, but to no avail. The dress continued to hug her curves snugly, in fact if anything it seemed to be squeezing tighter and tighter. Warm blood began to pool around her bare feet as she sobbed and groaned. Her friends reached out to her to help, but it was impossible to get a grip on the gore slicked dress.
With one final scream, Rarity fell to the floor, curled in a fetal position, shivering and trembling violently from the sudden blood loss. She was barely conscious as the dress did, of it's own accord, what she and her friends couldn't force it to do. Slowly it peeled off of her fallen form, revealing that she had been completely stripped of her skin wherever the dress had touched. There was only shiny crimson muscle, still knotted in pain, wet and bright in the oxygen rich air. Rarity had been skinned alive, the cold feeling of the floor and the basements dank air on her exposed nerve endings was a shock to her system. Perhaps it was this shock that, blessedly, allowed her to pass into insensibility.
The dress, for its part, maintained it's shape as it rose into the air above Rarity's flayed form, still dripping scarlet blood. In an instant, legs and arms burst forth from within the dress, while it lost its form and faded into the flesh of the creature that hadn't just been inside it, but had been the dress the entire time. Candy smiled wickedly as she hovered in midair, her grubby flesh and hair slick with the many pints of blood she had drained from Rarity in a matter of moments. She gave a bone chilling laugh as she licked some of the gore from the back of her hand like a cat cleaning herself. "Trick or treat~" she said musically, before bursting into a fit of amused giggles.
Pinkie Pie grabbed her sisters arm with strength that surprised even Maud, "We need to run! Now!" she cried, eyes wild, hair long and straight. Charging across the lab, dragging her older sister in tow, she made it to the door that lead out of the basement in a flash. As Pinkie threw open the door, however, a wall of grasping reaching hands met her. The cramped hallway was flooded, floor to ceiling, with the hungry dead. Pinkie only had a moment to turn terrified eyes to her sister as the mob pulled her into their midst and started tearing her apart. Dead fingers and broken teeth dug into her flesh, snapping bone and popping veins so that hot blood sprayed in short, feeble bursts as the ravenous dead made swift work of their prize. The sounds of their hungry ripping and gnashing teeth were lost on Maud. All she could do was stair at the hand that still clung tightly to her own. It ended in the stub of her little sisters arm. She hadn't let go.
Pinkie hadn't even had time to scream.
Candy laughed all the louder, "Ah you led me on a merry chase 'Sunny', but now the game is over." She floated over to Sunset and Twilight, grinning widely. "I can't say it hasn't been fun, but I guess it's time for you to die." Without warning Twilight Sparkle lunged forward, a heavy spanner gripped with both hands raised high above her head. She brought it down with enough force to crack a human skull, but it whiffed harmlessly through the air. The childlike Candy had ducked beneath her guard and now stared Twilight eye to maddened eye. "Don't be rude," she said with a pout that swiftly melted into a smile, "You can wait your turn." With a single tap from her tiny fist, Candy sent Twilight flying across the lab where she landed on a shrouded machine with a crash that sent up an explosion of sparks. Her broken glasses lay on the floor where she had been standing only moments before.
Sunset tried to dart around the Candy Mare to get to the transposition array, but the monsters attention had never truly left her. Moving so quickly that she seemed to materialize in front of Sunset out of thin air, the grinning ghoul blocked her path. "I won't let you stop me! I've lost too much... too many to let you stop me now!" cried the unicorn in girl form as she threw a punch that failed to connect. Again and again, she tried to strike the Candy Mare but, compared to how quickly the twitchy child could dodge, it was as if her fists were moving through molasses. "Hold still!" Sunset cried through gritted teeth.
"If you insist," Candy replied with a giggle. She stood stock still as Sunset's fist finally made contact. Only, instead of a satisfying thwack, Sunset's fist actually sank into Candy's chest with a sickening slurp. Pain immediately shot down Sunset's right arm. It felt as if she had plunged her hand into a vat of boiling acid. "You shouldn't have kept that hand, you now. I am connected to every one of my candy children, down to the smallest piece... And it led me right to you!" Sunset watched in horror as Candy's rib cage opened like a hungry mouth. She was about to be swallowed alive, the same way Applejack had when her grandmother's corpse had devoured the country girl. "But hey, I don't mind lending you a hand, so long as you don't mind returning the favor," she giggled darkly as the gaping maw in her chest started to close.
That was when Candy's head suddenly exploded. She roared and shrieked through her ruined mouth as she squirmed away, freeing Sunset's hand. The candy monstrosity didn't get far though, before the spanner that had scythed through her head smashed in her rib cage and crumpled her tiny body to the floor.
Maud Pie, lab coat splattered with gore, stood over the Candy Mare with Twilight's heavy spanner gripped in one hand and her sisters arm still grasped in the other. In that moment, Maud's cold eyes and deadly calm were almost more terrifying than the Candy Mare's madness. From the look of the ragged bone at the end of Pinkie's detached arm, it seemed Maud had used it as a club to beat back the candy ghouls. It wasn't until Sunset realized that Maud had been crying that she felt the ice that had frozen the blood in her veins start to thaw. Using Twilight's dropped spanner, she threw a switch on the side of the array that activated the tesla coil's. Man made lightning surged through the device, electrifying the hand in a jar in the center of the array. It shook and smoked, but slowly a glow that Sunset recognized as magic surged through the device, and a swirling green vortex opened inside the mirror. "You need to go," is all Maud said.
"What about you?" asked Sunset, eyes welling with tears of her own. She could see that whatever time Maud's rage and sadness had bought them was fading quickly. Already the candy ghoul's were starting to squirm their way over their broken comrades and surging up into the lab from the basement hall. Worse, she could see that Candy was piecing herself back together, using the shreds of Rarity's stripped flesh to bind her body back together. "You can come with me. We might not get where we need to go, but at least we won't be here."
A fierce light entered Maud's eyes as she answered, "No, you need to go. Only you. I'll make sure they don't follow." Sunset still hesitated, one hand inches from the portal. "Just go!" cried Maud, raising her voice, for the first time in her life, and shoving the girl from another world through the portal. As soon as Sunset was through, Maud smashed the mirror with the wrench. For a moment the fragments of glass floated in mid-air, showing reflections not of the dead gathering around her, but of other worlds and possibilities. In one fragment, Maud saw herself and her sisters. They were all smiling... even Maud.
They were all happy.
That was the last thing she saw before the device exploded, sending out a shock wave that leveled the mansion and buried Twilight's lab under thousands of tons of rubble. |
The Last Something Sweet to Bite | The Night She Came Home | Sunset pounded the ground with both of her fists as she cried, unhindered, giving full-throated voice to the feelings she'd been trying to keep in check. Those self same emotions she had tried to suppress as her friends had died one by one, taken from her in one cruel fashion after another. It's not fair, her bellowing sobs seemed to scream to the world at large, it's not right! This wasn't supposed to happen.
Worse, as she looked down at her filthy cloths and bloodied hands, through tear blurred eyes, Sunset realized that she had failed once again. She was still human. While she might have escaped the Candy Mare, for now, the portal had failed. It had led only to some small, cramped, dark room that was barely illuminated by the ghost of a harvest moon. Her friends had lost their lives for nothing. Nothing!
She continued to beat at the floor, sobbing and moaning. She was vacillating wildly from wishing she was dead, so she could be with her friend, to wishing that Candy would appear in front of her so that she could have something to take her rage and frustration out on instead of herself. There was something hot, incredibly hot deep in her guts. It writhed and twisted as she vented her anguish. In time it seemed to stab at her, as her tears ran dry, and she began to moan not from despair, but from waves of blinding pain that threatened to rob her of her consciousness. Struggling, hands shaking, Sunset slowly lifted her shirt exposing her midriff. Looking down, she could see that something marred her otherwise smooth belly, something dark red that seemed to wriggle and crawl for just a moment before it fell still.
It was a map.
Sunset had no idea how it had gotten there, but it looked as if someone had carefully and painstakingly carved a map into her living flesh... Peeling off the soft skin to etch out it's lines and curves. Instinctively, she knew that the map would lead her to another portal, the one that the Candy Mare had used to travel to their world in the first place. If she could only find it, maybe she could complete her mission after all. Maybe she could make it so that her friends lives had not been lost in vain. The map began to disappear, healing into pale scar tissue that faded into the rest of her skin. In mere moments, the map was lost, sunk deep inside Sunset Shimmer where she could no longer see it... No longer even feel it. A great emptiness yawned wide deep in the pit of her stomach as she realized what she had lost. The one chance she might have to fix things, to make things right, had vanished before her eyes.
There was only one thing she could do. She needed that map. Gritting her teeth, she dug her fingers sharply into the flesh of her own stomach. To her surprise, the soft, fatty tissue yielded to her touch. Blood ran in rivulets down her abdomen as her fingers sank deep past skin and muscle. Slowly, painfully, she began to lift and peel her stomach away, exposing the dark purple and bright red organs that hid beneath. She tried not to look at them, tried not to see how they spilled out onto the floor, unwound and dangled around her legs.
She had to go deeper.
She had to see.
She had to find what was hidden inside!
Eyes bloodshot, crimson foam on her lips from where she had been forced to chew through her tongue to keep from screaming, Sunset thought at last she saw it. Somewhere in the web of veins and capillaries, she saw it! The Candy Mare's face smiled up at her from deep inside her own foul smelling, burst entrails, features stretched taught between Sunset's gore drenched fingers.
"Trick or Treat!"
Sunset woke with a start. Everything hurt. Breathing, hurt. It felt like her chest was on fire. Chances are she had more than one broken rib. Each inhalation brought a sharp pain that arched down through her abdomen and into her groin. Each shuddering exhalation brought the ghost of relief... Which only made that next breath hurt all the more keenly. It didn't help that the air was dry and dusty, forcing her into coughing fits that felt like grenades going off in her lungs. She hacked and wheezed hard enough that eventually she spat out a small black wad of something coated in mucus and blood. A piece of lung or a fragment of lunch? When was the last time she'd even eaten anything? Even had the time for anything other than running and screaming and crying?
Her head was pounding.
She looked around the room through blurry, sleep deprived eyes. Everything seemed to be covered in tarps and dusty blankets. Everything, that was, except for the full length mirror that Sunset lay prone in front of. As she gazed into the mirror, she saw for the first time that the source of soft illumination that had allowed her to see her surroundings was coming from her own horn. Was this some kind of trick? A false mirror? No, with rising excitement Sunset realized that her fingers and toes had been replaced with hard little hooves. Her eyes lit on the cutie mark that blazed like a warm sun on her side. The soft green glow intensified as Sunset tapped into the wellspring of magic that lay deep inside her, that was her birthright.
Sunset Shimmer was home!
No, she corrected herself harshly. No she wasn't home, but she was in a place very much like home, and that meant things were about to get much more dangerous. Despite what she had told Pinkie Pie before she had... before everything had turned out so badly, being here was no less dangerous than staying in the human world. If she was going to have any chance at all of doing what she had come here for, she needed to not only be cautious, but outright clandestine. She tried to slow her breathing and calm the pain in her chest. Now that she knew what she had experienced before was just a nightmare, she could focus her power on healing instead of harming herself. A soft green glow enveloped her chest, easing the pain and resetting the broken ribs. They would still take time to heal properly, but for the moment her breathing was a little less painful.
Now she could focus on the hard part.
If this world had indeed been overwhelmed by the Candy Mare, than she ran a great risk of detection now. If the Candy Mare so much as suspected what Sunset had been doing with the portal they had constructed, chances are that soon this entire world would be hunting her down. Sunset needed to take the utmost care that they would never find a trace of her. Focusing her magic, Sunset concentrated on a spell she had learned from forbidden texts that had previously been compiled by Tartaren witches. The spell was designed to hide a caster from those that could sense magic. So long as Sunset didn't use any large or flashy spells, she would be able to pass undetected even to the Candy Mare's senses. Or at least that's what she hoped. A sphere of vivid green energy, etched with glowing runes enveloped Sunset's form. As the runes faded to black the field turned translucent. She was now invisible, so long as magically sensitive were concerned.
The next spell she cast was a much simpler and less dramatic one, something she had used long ago. One to silence her hoof steps and make it so she could pass through the night unheard. The spell after that was another she had used before, to hide her scent, enveloping her briefly in a fluffy pink cloud. While ponies had never had a use for scent camouflage for the purposes of hunting, it was still extremely useful to a field researcher like Sunset when she needed to observe a dangerous animal up close.
Those rudimentary spells out of the way, she had to focus on something more delicate now. Grabbing one of the tarps off a piece of broken furniture, Sunset fashioned a Cloak of Camouflage. Unlike a true Cloak of Invisibility, this would allow her to blend in with her surroundings without giving off the tell tale aura of optical distortion that would otherwise give her away. It did mean that she would need to stand perfectly still in proximity to anyone that might see her, in order to keep from being caught, but combined with her other enchantments it would be like she wasn't there at all.
Her spell work drawing to an end, Sunset took a deep breath and held it, forcing herself to listen. All was silent. A faint, listless wind howled outside. She recognized the echoing sound as it brushed passed the high spires and battlements. Feeding more magic into her sense of hearing, she realized that the storage room she was in was inside Celestia's Palace in Canterlot. Good. She was close to her goal. She held her breath a few heart beats longer, enhancing her hearing magically, listening for any hoof falls or murmured voices that might tell her if she wasn't alone. She heard nothing, but that didn't mean all was clear.
Though she should be sufficiently shielded from detection, she still needed to be careful. A teleportation spell into a room she hadn't seen in years, indeed to a place that might not even exist in this universe, might just leave her with her body materialized halfway through a wall. It would be the height of irony if she made it this far only to end up killing herself. Instead, she'd have to conduct herself in the earth pony way, and hope for the best. Bracing herself, ready to duck back inside at the first sign of trouble, Sunset Shimmer leaned against the heavy oak door that led out into the Palace halls... And slowly pushed it open.
Though the rusty hinges squealed in protest, a quick silencing spell muffled the noise. Outside, the hallway was just as abandoned and dusty as the storage room Sunset stood in. She couldn't quite suppress a grin as her eyes darted back and forth. This was all familiar. The element of surprise was on her side, but she didn't have a moment to lose. Without so much as a whisper, Sunset moved swift as a fleeting shadow across the dusty floor. All was dark and quiet. It was the middle of the night here, just as it had been in the human world she had left behind. There didn't seem to be any trace of candy ghouls, which was all the better for her plans. Still, the spell that silenced her hoof steps would only last for so long, but if she was fast, she could make it to the Canterlot Archives without being detected. She could sense the subtle power of all of those ancient and enchanted tomes bound not far away. But as she drew closer to her prize, she couldn't help but notice just how broken down and abandoned everything seemed.
There wasn't even a hint of a breeze, a breath of air. Indeed, Sunset couldn't help but think that the edifice was not unlike a neglected tomb, a sepulcher long forgotten. Just how long ago had the Candy Mare overrun this world? With a growing sense of unease, she set hoof into the main hall, and her breath caught in her throat. The palace was a wreck. The few remaining tapestries, torn to shreds, hung limply from the walls and archways. A shimmering carpet of jagged multicolored shards was all that remained of the stained glass windows that Celestia had once cherished so dearly. Beyond those glass-less apertures lay only darkness, as if something had blotted out every star in the sky.
Sunset wasn't sure if she was relieved or terrified when she discovered that the windows were merely blocked by piles of rubble. The last thing she needed right now was to be spotted by someone, or something, lurking outside that might look in. Apparently the very masonry of the palace, that had stood for millennia, lay thick enough on the ground to bury what remained of the great hall. What had happened here? Had there been some sort of attack? Some terrible cataclysm? Or had the old citadel simply been left to the ravages of the ages and now lay in the relentless jaws of entropy? Such questions would, perhaps, never be answered. Sunset doubted she'd enjoy hearing the explanation anyway. Who knew why the Candy Mare committed the horrible acts that she did.
Climbing stairs that had been slowly worn smooth by water that dripped from the ceiling, Sunset carefully made her way towards her ultimate goal. The Canterlot Archives stood empty. She doubted that the Candy Mare would have any real desire for the ancient wisdom preserved within, but still, she took her time and approached cautiously. It was possible that the dormant magic within, left so long neglected, could have stirred up or attracted some arcane threat other than the Nightmare Night ghouls. Sunset had to suppress a sigh of relief as she stepped into the gloom of the Archives.
While the rest of the Palace had been devastated beyond recovery, it seemed the worst damage to occur to the Archives were a few cracks in the thick canopy above that let in the distant twinkling starlight. A thick fog, much like what she had seen back in the human world, did seem to shroud the world outside... But this high up the wisps were thin, only barely hiding the milky glow of a massive harvest moon. It was more than enough light for Sunset to see that the various tomes, scrolls, and treasured books remained undisturbed on their row upon row of shelves. More importantly, the ornamental crystal hourglass at the center of it all stood unbroken.
This was perhaps the riskiest part of this venture. While Sunset could hide herself, what she was about to do next would be a beacon to any nearby that could sense dark magic. She wouldn't have much time, but hopefully it would be enough. No, rather it would have to be enough. Sunset dipped deep into a well of power she had left untapped for over a year, one she had hoped to never have to call upon again. Slowly her eyes turned red, then began to glow green. A purple mist wafted from her eyes as energy of a similarly dark hue crept up her horn in a series of tiny explosions.
This dark power was something she had actually learned from Celestia, a kind of black crystal magic. Sunset had been fascinated by it, and had worked to harness its power for herself. Perhaps that was where things had started to go wrong for her. Even so, she was glad she had practiced with it now, as she sent a shadowy bolt of un-light streaking towards the hourglass statue. The clear crystal clouded, absorbing the dark energy and giving off crackles of black lightning. Within, the frozen granulates of sand began to fall backwards, from the lower chamber up into the one above. As they did, time began to flow backwards in a localized portion of the floor, revealing a spiral staircase that wound down around the statue. Sunset began to sweat, the dark flames of her spell a strain to maintain this long, but she needed the stairwell to open all the way down deep into the heart of the Forbidden Archives that only the Princesses, and one errant apprentice, knew existed.
She released the spell with a gasp, panting, but saw that the sand continued to flow in the crystal hourglass. This would be all the time that she'd have to find what she needed below and return to the surface before time would again flow in the correct direction and reseal the entrance. Small mercy to think she might die trapped with banned and forbidden knowledge that she had lusted for in the past rather than in the hungry mouths of the dead. She'd laugh if she wasn't terrified that it would be the first act off a very short decent into hysteria and madness.
Sunset quickly trotted down the stairwell to an ominous door that waited at the bottom. If she were an intruder, she might try to use the same spell to gain access here that had been used to activate the reverse time spell. Fortunately, she knew better, and tapped into another wellspring of power she had grown to miss the longer she had been without it. Warmth flooded her body, accelerating the healing of her wounds, as brilliant light poured from her eyes. Pure white flames licked along the edges of her horn as she focused a powerful spell into the jewel that set atop the doorway.
Without having to lift a hoof, the door swung open, allowing her entrance into the dim green lit halls below. As the door shut behind her, Sunset at last felt that she could breathe a little easier. Though she had been dreadfully exposed while she had been unsealing the Forbidden Archives, now that she was within, she knew that the chamber was fortified against the entrance of any creatures with ill intent or evil in their hearts. Indeed, Sunset had been terrified that she would be repelled from the room, like the last time she had tried to gain entry. But she pushed such shameful thoughts from her mind. That she was able to gain entry this time meant she wasn't the same pony she had been before, she was a new person now, and her past was not the same as today.
Peeling back the hood of her makeshift cloak, Sunset used her magic to grab an enchanted candelabra from one of the wall sconces. These sealed archives had always been less than inviting, existing in a chamber of smooth and reflective black onyx that seemed to drink in and swallow even the brightest light. The many bookshelves themselves had been carved from the same substance, making it appear at first glance that the bound tomes and scrolls were floating in darkness. Sunset knew that what she was looking for would be buried far back in that soupy darkness. She only hoped that it had been left where it had been before. Naturally, there would've been no real reason to move it. The spell on this room would keep her from seeking it if she were doing so for any nefarious purpose.
Though she should've felt safer now than before, especially with her goal so near, the suffocating silence in this place set Sunset's teeth on edge. Everything here had remained untouched by the ravages of time, and the rot that had seemed to take hold of the rest of the palace, but there was something here that seemed profoundly changed. There was a sickly, sweet stench that reminded Sunset only of death and a could chill not unlike that of the grave.
Perhaps this is why it came as something of a surprise when she found herself standing before the very shelf she was seeking without encountering anything amiss. The book was chained to its shelf, bound and locked in cold iron as some of the other more dangerous tomes around it had been. But this grimoire was not consigned for any evil spells it contained, but rather more for a differing ideology as well as knowledge thought best left forgotten. In many ways, rival ideology's were far more dangerous to the day to day lives of the ponies of Equestria than any dread spell. And knowledge? Knowledge was always a dangerous thing, be it in possessing it or lacking it.
Knowledge could end worlds.
Setting down the candelabra high on the opposite shelf, Sunset reached for the book with her magic, and opened it. The pages turned back and forth before her eyes, the books old spine creaking with the turn of each page as she searched through passages dimly remembered. The book was called 'Ye Olde Tricks and Treats'. There were rumored to be copies that still existed scattered out among various libraries across Equestria, much like the one Spike had sent her references from earlier, but those books were mere copies of this original text. Much had been lost in translation from the high unicorn and low earth pony languages when the various tales held within it's pages had been translated into common Equestrian. The pegasi language had apparently been the worst to translate, as they had a habit of composing most of their stories either in grand sweeping epics that were books unto themselves, or as short poetry consisting of three phrases separated into five syllables, then seven, and finally five again, which were usually related to the weather somehow.
These stories were preserved in their untranslated form in this, the original version of Ye Olde Tricks And Treats, a book bound in hard oak wood and filled with sheaves of papyrus thin paper. Sunset had to mouth some of the words as she read, working through three different languages that slowly melded into one as she searched for the story that had been read to her so long. As she had told her friends, the librarian that had done so had quickly been banished after it was discovered the kind of knowledge that she had been imparting to Celestia's favorite student. She didn't understand why then, but she think she had a good idea now. Her breath caught in her throat as, at last, her eyes lit upon the words that they had been straining in the greenish half light to find. There, in rich black ink that had faded gently until it appeared not unlike old blood blotched onto the page, the story of 'The Candied Mare'.
Lost in that moment, Sunset nearly jumped out of her skin as a high pitched voice asked, "Whatcha doin'?" |
The Last Something Sweet to Bite | Return to Candyland | Sunset whirled, sending her cloak flying outward as she turned to see who, or what, had spoken. A deadly spell limed a verdant arc along the length of Sunset's horn as she prepared to defend herself. The spell fizzled out to a mere spark as she beheld the tiny filly that cowered before her. "I-I-I I'm ever so s-s-sorry. I didn't mean to s-startle you miss," came the tremolos apology.
"Who are you? How did you get down here!?" Demanded Sunset, eyes sharp as she looked the filly over, certain that this was some kind of trick. She certainly seemed mundane enough, a tiny earth pony with an orange coat and curly bright red mane. A green bonnet was tied smartly in a bow under her chin. Her appearance was so ordinary that it, in and of itself, was suspicious. She didn't even seem to have a cutie mark yet, as her flank was quite blank.
"I came in through a hole a few yards back that way," answered the filly gesturing behind her somewhat uncertainly. "I swear I didn't know anypony was in here or that this library belonged to anypony. I was only hiding here because this is the one place that the dead ones never come."
"The dead ones?" asked Sunset narrowing her eyes.
"Yes'm, the ones all covered and coated with sugary sweets but dead and rotten underneath. It's their festival night you see, so they're abroad in the land making mischief," she shivered, as if the very idea was a fright all its own. "If they found me, they'd torment and torture me and worse... So much worse. Especially if she was involved."
"She?" wondered Sunset allowed, the look of mistrust in her eyes softening.
"Why, the one who rules this realm. The Candy Mare." It was the filly's turn to to look curiously at the cloaked unicorn. "Pardon, but how could you not know that miss? I thought everyone knew about the Candy Mare."
"I'm afraid I've been away... Far away for some time now," replied Sunset cautiously. "In fact, you might say I'm not even originally from here. But that doesn't mean I don't know of the Candy Mare. Tell me, how have you survived in her realm little one?"
"Hiding mostly. I'm small so I can climb into very small spaces that the dead don't seem to be able to fit into. That and," the filly gestured around her. "I have this sanctuary. Not even the Candy Mare herself seems to know it's here. It's dark and a little scary, but nowhere near as scary as being out there with them when you're by yourself."
"You're by yourself? What about your parents?" inquired Sunset.
The filly's ears drooped and her face fell. "They...they're not alive anymore."
"Oh...Oh of course. I'm so sorry," she apologized quickly. "I shouldn't have asked."
"No, no it's quite alright miss," reassured the filly, trying hard to hide tears that wobbled at the corners of her eyes. "Oh, where are my manners? Here I've been wittering on and I've not even introduced myself. My name is Pumpkin Patch! I'm ever so pleased to meet you!"
"I'm Sunset Shimmer. The pleasure's all mine, I'm sure." she paused before continuing. "Frankly I'm amazed a filly like you has managed to survive by herself at all."
"It hasn't been easy," replied Pumpkin. "There are a few other survivors, but there are less and less every day. I...I fear," she shivered. "I fear it won't be long until I'm the only one left. Just me and... Them."
"That won't happen," replied Sunset firmly. "I'm here to put a stop to the Candy Mare and the nightmare she's caused once and for all."
Pumpkin Patch brightened. "Really miss, is that true? But how ever will you do it?"
"I have my ways," replied Sunset cannily, not yet certain if it was safe to trust this little filly with such information.
"Really miss?" asked Pumpkin, an incredulous look on her face. "I don't doubt many have tried before you and failed. What makes you think you will succeed?"
"I have this," replied Sunset, lifting 'Ye Olde Tricks and Treats' into view, reasoning that it wouldn't hurt to tell the filly at least this much. "This is a record of the Candy Mare's first appearance in Equestria, as well as her first defeat."
"How does that help?" asked Pumpkin, eyeing the book with bright green eyes.
"Well, other versions of the story say that Luna was able to bind the Candy Mare so that she would fall dormant and sleep in the earth, but the truth is that Luna did much more than that. These pages detail how Luna was able to split the curse that was the Candy Mare from her body, leaving her formless, nothing more than a shade. It was this body that was sealed in 'sleep eternal', in hard stone rather than just 'earth'," explained Sunset, turning to the pages in question that were written in an ancient earth pony dialect. "Those old earth pony tribes had so many words for different types of 'earth'; soft clay, loose sand, hard rock, many of the translators just lumped them all as 'earth' and seemed to think that was close enough. Still, this passage actually implies that the Candy Mare's body is sealed in carved stone. A statue!"
"But I've seen the Candy Mare miss," replied Pumpkin somewhat warily. "Her body didn't seem to be sealed away anywhere to me."
Sunset shook her head, "She doesn't have a body, not a real one. She hasn't had one since all those many moons ago when she was defeated by Princess Luna. The passages go on to say that different pieces of the Candy Mare were sealed away in fearsome statues forged in Luna's image as she appeared when clad for war. I believe that these are the statues of 'Nightmare Moon' that tradition dictate children leave offerings to during the festival of Nightmare Night. But there's a problem..."
"A problem miss?" asked Pumpkin, just barely able to follow along.
"Yes. Though pieces of her body were scattered, this text seems to imply that Luna's victory is where the Candy Mare was bound, that it was Luna's victory that sealed her fate. The phrase is very specific and repeated several times. It goes on to some rather flowery prose about how it is a victory that shall wave a flag over her fallen form for all of eternity." Sunset turned the pages back and forth, trying to make sense of the words she was reading, trying to see if there was some other way they could be interpreted. "Basically the bulk of her body is sealed in stone and 'bound by Luna's Victory', whatever that means. It won't do me any good to find the remains sealed in the statue's of Nightmare Moon if the greater part of them are somewhere else entirely."
"Pardon me for asking Miss Shimmer, but why ever would you want to find that fiends original body?" asked the filly perplexed.
"To destroy it," she replied simply.
A shocked look passed over Pumpkin's face like a fleeting phantom, but then she had to ask, "Whatever for? It's clear the Candy Mare doesn't need it anymore. She moves about Equestria freely, unhindered by whatever it was that Princess Luna did to her."
"No. The curse that created the Candy Mare still moves unhindered, but the conduit of the curse remains where it has been this entire time. If this were not so, she would've never needed to create a new body for herself in the hum-... uh, in the far off land that I was in a short time ago." The filly just gawked at her, still not quite understanding. "The Candy Mare isn't a real pony. She's a spirit or a curse, like a living grudge that leaps from victim to victim, using candy and their bodies to manifest itself. But if I can find her original body and destroy it, there will be no conduit for that curse to act through. Then the Candy Mare could create as many vessels as she likes, but once I burn her bones to ash, it will destroy everything that she is or was. Her spirit will simply cease to exist."
Those last words were spoken by Sunset with a pleasure that surprised even her. The look on Pumpkin's face was a mixture of both fear and doubt. It was somewhat surprising when she suddenly seemed to come to a decision. "I'll help you," she said. "I think I know what that book means. I've had a lot of time to explore near this sanctuary. I think I know where 'Luna's Victory' lies. But in return, I'll require a favor."
Though Sunset had agreed to Pumpkin Patch's terms, she wasn't sure it was wise to trust the filly. She'd spent too much of the last few hours fleeing from a terrible monster in the form of a child to fully trust that this little filly. As she lead Sunset through the Forbidden Archives to the exit she used to go in and out of the palace, Sunset was already thinking it was impossible that she was entirely what she seemed.
It didn't help that, though Pumpkin had asked her for a favor in return for her guidance, she hadn't actually said what form that favor would take. Sunset was reminded of some of the darker tales that she had read in the archives before, of travelers being lured to their doom by lost children they had found deep in the woods. Most often, those stories had ended rather gruesomely in tribal cannibalism, but every now and again the stories would take even darker tones and the filly or colt would turn out to be an even more malevolent entity. Demons had mostly been driven from Equestria long ago, or bound deep in the pit of Tartarus, but there were still rumors that such entities still persisted in long abandoned or disused homes out on the edges of society. Sunset didn't want the 'favor' to turn out to be a bargain for her life or her soul.
Still, when they emerged from the crumbling palace walls, it was not Pumpkin's potential betrayal that was foremost on Sunset's mind but a deep and abiding sense of wonder! Abject wonder!
Canterlot, no, all of Equestria had changed remarkably. She had expected the city to be in ruins, a burned out husk. While there were signs of that here and there, it was not so much the city but the environment itself that had changed. Beneath the glow of a high, full moon, a thick pall of mist just barely concealed bubblegum pink grasses that perfumed the air with a sickly sweet stench. The land was luminescent in the dark, sparkling beneath a sugar frosted coating that seemed to dust everything. Trees grew amid the ruined buildings, candy cane trunks supporting sugary needle sharp leaves. A green gloppy sludge, that passed for a river, bubbled and fizzed along its banks and beneath a nearby gingerbread bridge.
The very air was heavy and cloying, the scent of so many sweets harsh in Sunset Shimmers nose. And the buildings! Where they were not scorched and crumbling, they too had seemed to be grown over with a thick candy shells or bizarre gingerbread versions of their former glory. She looked back at the hole from which they had so recently emerged, and was awe-struck by the towering edifice of candy and cream that had once been The Palace of the Princess. It was as if it had been transformed into a vast and extravagant forty story cake! She was uncertain if she should feel sickened or astonished.
An overwhelming sensation of deja vu washed over her as a chill penetrated Sunset's heart. This really wasn't her Equestria, but even so, the scene felt so familiar. With the deja vu came an overwhelming sense of foreboding and dread. It took Sunset a moment to realize that she was very much alone on an alien world that she did not understand, and that the one living pony that had offered to guide her was swiftly dwindling into the fog ahead of her. Demon or otherwise, Sunset couldn't bare the thought of facing this world on her own now that she had seen what the Candy Mare had wrought of it. On hushed hoof falls, she quickly caught up to Pumpkin Patch. She was about to speak when the filly raised a hoof to her lips, a sign that she was to remain quiet.
It didn't take long for Sunset to see why. Near the center of town, fires burned brightly. The echoes of laughter and singing, that sounded as though they didn't belong in this world, floated from the burning grin that had been carved into a squat building that was awash in flames. The dead were here. Sunset could see their shadows, as twisted and deformed as their shapes, black against the dancing fire light. There must have been thousands of them! Dead ponies arraigned chaotically singing and laughing and screaming, "Nightmare Night! What a Fright! Give Us Something Sweet to Bite!" They chanted the phrase over and over, seeming less a song than a cry of anguish... A plea even. A desperate call that knew only hunger, loss, and pain.
Even so, the dead seemed happy. They all wore bright, sharp, shining smiles that reflected in the firelight. The Candy Ghouls had no choice in that matter, being made in the image of the Candy Mare herself. And they all seemed to laugh as the larger turned on the smaller, and tore them apart.
Pumpkin Patch at last spoke as they turned a corner and slowly drifted away from the terrifying scene, "When they can't find fresh meat they try to eat one another. Apparently they taste terrible, as there is always enough left over for them to regenerate by the next night. Still, on Nightmare Night who knows what they'll do? Their desperate to honor their creator, their master, their Queen the Candy Mare. If they were to catch us..."
"They won't catch us," reassured Sunset, not quite believing her own words even as she spoke them. "My defensive spells should extend to you so long as you stay close. Just show me what we're out here for and then I'll take you back to the Archives...er... your sanctuary."
As they continued along their way, the candy coated buildings fell away, giving rise to a series of crumbling statues and more alien looking foliage. A great expanse of sugar dusted leaves, in hues of every color of the rainbow, extended in a wide expanse as far as Sunset could see. It took a moment to realize what she was looking at were hedgerows. They had arrived at the great maze of Canterlot.
It was so strange to see it like this, a place she had played in her fillyhood, at one and the same time familiar and yet so bizarrely changed. The many statues that had stood sentinel over her youthful play themselves seemed to be overgrown with crimson vines that, on closer inspection, were revealed to be growths of red liquorice. It took a moment for Sunset to realize that she was standing before the statue of Discord.
As a child the statue had always been a foreboding presence, as she knew that it was more than a mere craven image. It was funny, it seemed the statue was actually in the act of cringing now, where before it had been laughing triumphantly. Surely there was a story behind that, but that was not the only difference. It appeared that the head had long since been smashed to rubble. Perhaps the Candy Mare had discovered the statues secret and taken precautions. She doubted that just smashing the statue would be enough to destroy the entity that slept within, but even so, festooned as it was with the scarlet creepers she almost pitied the old crumbled thing. Compared ot the Candy Mare, Discord's brand of chaos and turmoil were like a day at the beach.
"This way, it's not far now," said Pumpkin Patch, a certain hollow tone to her voice.
Sunset immediately saw their destination, and knew right away why Pumpkin had suspected that this was their goal. It made perfect sense. The statue of a mare, waving a flag that had now grown tattered and discolored by weather and time, stood proudly as the only statue that the crimson creepers had not yet engulfed. Indeed the ground all around the statue seemed to be completely, well, normal. Healthy green grass and even a few flowers sprouted there, as though this was the last spot of land in all of Equestria that stood defiant against the Candy Mare's power. Looking at the statue with an eye for magic, Sunset was almost blinded by the radiant spell that lay over the cold stone. No wonder the Candy Mare's corruption couldn't seize hold of this statue, it would be like trying to hold the sun on the cusp of your hoof.
There was no doubt about it, this had to be where the Candy Mare's body, her true body, had been sealed away.
"This is it! This is what I needed to find! To think it was here on the palace grounds all this time!" exclaimed Sunset. "This is an incredible stroke of luck."
"If you say so miss," replied her filly companion in a flat monotone, her expression unreadable in the shadow of the statue. "Now, about my favor..."
Suddenly on guard, Sunset turned to Pumpkin, "Yes? I will do what I can to uphold my end of our bargain, once you tell me what it is you want. I am a mare of my word. But I have to warn you, our time is short."
"Don't worry, this won't take long," said Pumpkin leaning out of the shadows, her eyeless face shriveled and distorted. Without warning she shoved her hoof through Sunset Shimmer's skull. |
The Last Something Sweet to Bite | Memories | She woke up coughing, gasping for air. Everything hurt, from the tips of her hooves down to her tail. An unpleasant burning in her throat let her know that it had been some time since she'd had any water, and the hollowness in her stomach told her that food was something she also was in dire need of. Food... For some reason the thought of food was enough to turn her stomach and make her gag. It make her wish she would never hear the word again, let alone lay eyes on anything that remotely resembled 'food'. It was an odd reaction given how weak and hungry she clearly was.
It felt like she had been dreaming. Or perhaps she was dreaming still? Everything had the familiarity of an old nightmare. The kind that would be almost comforting if it wasn't for your inability to prevent everything from going wrong. She tried to look around, figure out where she was. The light hurt her eyes. It was so bright here that there were no shadows. As she got up on wobbly legs, her own shadow was nothing but a smudge beneath her body. Where... Where exactly was she?
Her thoughts were so sluggish and hazy, from sleep or dehydration, she wasn't sure. Just remembering, the act of attempting to remember made her head ache in ways that forbade any recollection. There were fragments, of nightmares or memories she wasn't sure, of something in the dark calling her name... something laughing. All she truly knew was that she was alone, that the featureless white walls and barren floor that surrounded her were devoid of any sign of an exit, and that she must have been here for some time. Well, perhaps she was right about two out of three. As she continued to look up, she could see that the walls were not entirely featureless. A dark glass panel set high in one wall flickered from darkness to light. She could see through the thick glass that, in actuality, she was not alone. Not at all.
"Ah, I see that you are already conscious subject. Very good, that saves us the time and trouble it normally takes to rouse you for testing," said a well dressed unicorn. Indeed he was not simply well dressed, but well spoken. 'Nobel' was the word that came to mind as she looked up at the handsome stallion's golden eyes as they gazed back, though rather more indifferently upon her. His mane was elegantly coiffed, a shock of brown against a yellow coat and a horn that shimmered with golden hued magic. For a moment she wondered why it was that he wasn't helping her. Why he wasn't trying to get her out of this pit she was clearly trapped in. Then the memories rushed back with a lurch, along with a name.
Lemon Drop.
He had been her captor now for some time. Time... it had lost all its meaning, impossible to measure here, buried far away from any natural light. She couldn't even mark its passing by her sleep, as Lemon Drop had a habit of waking her at odd hours to continue his never ending 'tests'. Unbidden, words formed on her lips, "Please mister. Please stop this," it hurt to speak. Her teeth felt chalky in her mouth and her tongue was covered in blisters. Just breathing was painful, the cold air on her teeth felt like hooks scraping across exposed nerves. "What you did to my... to my father... I can't forgive you, but I can forget about it. About it and what you made me do... made me eat. Just please don't do this anymore. I swear I'll never tell a soul what happened. I'll take it to my grave, I will. Just...just let me go home to... to my mum..."
"And do you really think your parental unit would want you back, subject?" asked Lemon Drop dispassionately. "The way you are now? Swollen and fat, teeth rotten, bones brittle. You are unsuitable for work in the fields any longer. The one thing an earth pony is good for is scrounging in the dirt for food, and now you can't even do that. Indeed you, would only be a burden upon any else who could be persuaded to take you in. Is that something you truly want? I think not. No this, my great work, is all that you are useful for now subject. This and fertilizing the fields once we are done."
Tears stung the edges of her eyes. This was cruel, far too cruel, but she knew that even though his heartless words were meant to break her will, they were not wrong. She could feel it. Her swollen stomach practically touched the ground. Her legs trembled, trying to support her own weight. She wouldn't be any use to anypony. But that wasn't her fault. That wasn't her fault at all. It was this man, this unicorn that looked down on her and refused to address her by name. Who refused to even regard her as anypony worth addressing save when it suited his own twisted needs. She had given into despair long ago, the moment she had been fed food she would later learn had been her father, but this cruel existence had continued to drag on and on. Despair did nothing for her plight, but now something new blossomed in her fragile heart. Something cold and bitter, but burning at the same time. She had never before known 'hatred' in her short life, but she knew it now.
"So what? So what if I'm worthless? So what if I can't serve you horrible unicorns anymore!? It was you that did this to me! It's you who has done all these horrible things, made me suffer, made me scream and not even so much as batted an eye!" she was yelling now, which hurt her throat and her teeth even more, but she didn't care. Torrents of vitriol burned more painfully in her heat than anything physical ever could, and there was no way to stop the pain but to give vent to it. To let it out. To let it sing! "You prancing, preening, parasites don't deserve to eat our food. You and the pegasi are just leeches, feeding off the life blood of our land and not understanding it one bit! You and your kind are the worthless ones! The ones who deserve to rot in the fields... to bring forth new life from your worthless corpse!"
"And what does a child now of such things?" asked Lemon Drop dismissively, continuing to go about his preparations without so much as glancing in her direction. Was he even truly paying attention at all?
"I know enough, I do! I know your lot do nothing but warp the world with your unnatural magic! Same for the pegasi with the weather! And the earth ponies just cower and scrape in the dirt. They should've rose up against your tyranny long ago. They should've smashed your high towers and castle towns to the ground! They should've ripped the pegasi out of the skies!" she was in tears now, hot wet blobs spilling from her cheeks as her bellowed hatred echoed off the walls and painfully back into her own ears. Her legs wobbled beneath her as she swallowed frigid air in great quivering gulps. Was it growing colder in here? "We were stupid! So stupid for looking up to you. I was so...so stupid... for ever trusting you. For ever even wanting to see you and your stupid sweet shop! If you won't let me leave at least let me die! Put an end to this misery!"
A thin laugh floated down from above. A chortle? A sigh? "My unfortunate subject, you seem to be under the false impression that what you think matters," said Lemon Drop, turning his cold eyes on her again at last. "You were stupid? Of course. We are tyrants? Of course. You want to die? Of course. That is just how things are. You have no control over these things. There's nothing you could ever hope to do about them. So do cease this unsightly blubbering. As I've told you before, your mouth is for eating, not for crying." There was the sound of a switch being flipped, and the familiar scratch of the phonograph's needle as it began to carve sound into a blank cylinder. "Testing Phase Theta twelve. Subject is lucid, though disturbed. I note this now in case there is any deviation in our results, but I doubt it will have any measurable effect on today's testing. We start with batch seven seven seven seven. A lucky number I am given to understand, though I find such superstitions coarse, trite, and hardly worth mentioning. I annotate it here merely for 'humors' sake, as this is a subject I have been told I am rather remiss in. Be that as it may, batch seven seven seven seven consists of the following: cocoa butter, milk solids, milk fats, vanilla extract, and sugar. A preservation spell has been utilized to keep the milk from souring as subject mentioned a certain foul taste from a similar batch produced previously. A cooling spell has been applied as well to chill the confection and help it maintain it's shape. Administering now."
The candy floated down from above on a tray that was shoved through a small slot. The sweetie itself floated from the tray and towards her mouth. She held her mouth shut. She had done this many times before, but now she clenched her jaw so tightly she feared she might pass out from the pain. If so, that was fine. Anything to resist this horrible unicorn. Anything to rebel against the lot in life he seemed to think was the only thing she had ever been destined for.
She knew it didn't matter.
If just shutting her mouth were enough she wouldn't be in such poor health as she was now. No, she could already feel the magic seeping into her bones as it slowly pried her teeth apart. She tried to clench down harder, straining, grunting, fresh tears streaming down her face. She felt her muscles spasm, her jaw shiver and shake. The pull intensified until, with a terrible crack, her eyes flew open wide.
He'd done it. He'd done it at last.
He'd broken her jaw.
For a moment her jaw hung loose, dangling from the sinew and muscle that burned as they twisted and snapped. The pain was immense, a white knife piercing either side of her face. Even so, she couldn't scream, couldn't vent the terrible agony she was in... Not with her mouth full of candy. Not with Lemon Drop's magic forcing her to chew with broken teeth, making her taste her own blood mixed with chocolate. She sputtered, choking, spewing the filth from her mouth, but even what splattered on the floor rose again and drifted towards her mechanically chewing mouth. "Now now, subject. There's no call for that. Waste not, want not." She wanted to scream, wanted to bellow her rage and impotence to the stars. But all she could do, all she could ever do... was eat.
Hours, that felt like days, passed at glacial pace before the testing finally ended. After the customary degradation of being forced to void her stomach, Lemon Drop had activated the cleansing spells and the room that had been splattered with the contents of her guts had returned to pristine white. There was even a lemon fresh scent. She was left, hollow and hungry as before, her jaw broken, and her heart hammering in her tiny chest from both the sugar and the harrowing experience she had just endured. The lights, the blinding lights, at last were shut off. Only a rectangular square of illumination shown down on her from the mad unicorn's work shop above. He had quickly lost interest in her, moving on to analyzing the data she had provided for him today. If she had any tears left to cry, she would've started crying then, as she had done after many testing sessions past.
But not tonight.
Tonight something was different. She could feel it. Her heart beat faster as she realized her pain was fading. It started with her limbs, stiff from lack of use already, as they slowly grew rigid. It spread upwards through her body and into her chest. She could feel it like a fist, squeezing her heart. The organ just refused to stop beating, though it stuttered and stopped it still continued to beat. She had begged for death in the throes of her agony, in the grip of pain and despair the likes of which no little pony should ever have to endure, but now as she felt that icy fist squeeze tighter she realized that wasn't what she wanted at all. She had never truly wanted to die. She wanted to live. She wanted to live and live and live and live, no matter what it cost.
"So live," said a familiar voice.
Her eyes darted around in the darkness, blurry and weak though they were. She tried to turn her head, but the creeping stiffness held reign their as well. It was probably just as well given how sore her jaw still was, but a cold lance of fear arched across her spine as she realized, for the first time since she had found herself in this room, she was no longer alone. "Who's... there?" she tried to rasp, though all that came out was a thin gurgle. Her tongue was going numb now, but with it at least came relief from the mass of needle sharp shards of bone that had become her teeth.
"Just a dream," came the voice again. "A dream of something better. A dream of freedom. A dream of revenge." As all other sounds began to fade away from her ears, she realized now why the voice had sounded so familiar. Though she couldn't speak with her ruined mouth, though she had just proven she could barely form even the simplest of words, the voice was her own. What was happening? Was she losing her mind? "Yes. And so much more. So much has already been taken from you. You're mind is the least of what you can lose."
'Who are you?' she thought to herself, still uncertain of what was going on. Her heart skipped a bit with the reply.
"I told you I am a dream. Your dream. The dream of a life that won't end in a few short moments," the voice laughed. It was not a comforting sound. "And I am a nightmare for those who have done this to you," She could feel the grip tightening on her heart. She thought that she could see, just barely see, someone standing beside her. Someone leaning down and smiling. "Tonight. This is our night... Nightmare Night! Oh what a fright! And how frightening we will be... you'll see."
'What's happening? What's going on!?' she thought, alarmed. It was harder to breathe now. She couldn't feel much but she could feel her lungs burning. Each shallow breath was a monumental effort. They were coming further and further apart now. Why couldn't she move? Why couldn't she even breathe? Why wouldn't her body obey her? She was frightened. Terribly frightened. She wanted her mum. She wanted to be far away from here. Anywhere but here!
"It's alright. Your old body is dying," said the disembodied voice, in mock comfort. It sounded less and less like her own. There were strange echoes to it. The being that stood beside her looked even stranger. It was like everything she had been forced to choke down, all the candy she had eaten, had fused together into one bizarre pony shaped entity. She knew what she was looking at couldn't possibly be real. That didn't stop it from smiling back at her with a sharp candy corn grin. "Don't worry, this won't take long."
Flashes. There were just flashes. She was eating. Eating more and eating faster than she ever had before. Her broken jaw didn't matter. Her splintered teeth felt fine. All she knew is that she had to eat. Eat and eat and eat and grow strong. Strong enough to keep eating. Strong enough to eat right through the world. The next thing she knew she was out of the room that had been her prison. It was so wonderful to be free, so fantastic, the feeling bubbling up inside her threatened to make her pop... Just like the warm salty thing between her teeth. Just like Lemon Drop's heart. It tasted sooo good. Everything tasted good in fact... And everypony. She couldn't stop with just one, but weirdly she couldn't seem to recall how she was finding them. Or really where she was going. One after the other she crunched through bone and swam through blood, all the while the strange song dancing through her head "Nightmare Night, what a fright. Give us something sweet to bite!" But she was done with sweets.
There was only one thing that was sweet to her now.
Only one thing.
The taste of raw flesh welled up in Sunset Shimmer's mouth, though she had never tasted it before. Nor had she ever known the torments that Pumpkin Patch had endured, but she knew them now. The smell of it alone would've been enough to make her gag, but tasting it? Living it? There were no words to describe her revulsion. All of this, from the moment she had awakened in Lemon Drop's torture chamber of a laboratory to the first Nightmare Night, the entire experience had passed through Sunset's mind in a matter of seconds.
Pumpkin Patch withdrew her hoof from Sunset's forehead. There was no wound, not even a scratch. How could there be when Pumpkin Patch was nothing more than a ghost?
Now that Sunset knew what she was, she didn't bother hiding her appearance anymore. Pumpkin Patch's wild, unkempt red hair shimmered and danced in a nimbus around her withered features. Only her eyes still appeared alive, a bright glowing green, while the rest of her body was faded and transparent. "Your understanding is all I wanted," the dead girl said. "It's my fault that Equestria has come to this. It's my fault that you and your friends have been hurt... have been killed. I know what she's been doing, spreading herself like a disease where ever she can. If you can stop her, I won't stand in your way... I'll even help you! You wanted to find her original body? My body? Well it's sealed in this statue, just as you discovered," she said, gesturing to the avatar of Victory. "I always wondered why I couldn't stray far from it, and now I know. It seems it was I that was bound here. I fear that the Candy Mare found a way to avoid the fate Luna had planned for her."
"Everything... everything that you showed me," said Sunset Shimmer, choosing her words carefully, the taste of rancid flesh still fresh in her mouth. "Did that really all happen? Is that really all true?" Her face was lost in shadows under her hood, but the green light from her horn suggested she was about to cast a spell.
That seemed to take the little ghost off guard. She looked down sadly, "Yes. Yes miss, and I'm terribly sorry I put you through that. I know you can't forgive me, and I'm sure you are very angry with me... But just telling you would've taken far too long. You needed to know what you were dealing with. If there were a faster way I..." Her voice broke off as Sunset Shimmer embraced her.
The spell Sunset had cast on herself was one that allowed her to interact with ethereal bodies. It had originally been used as a means to fight Windigo's and Shadow Ponies on equal footing. In this case it allowed her to touch a shade like Pumpkin Patch. Though the specter had just submitted Sunset to the torments of her last moments of life, to the horror that it was to be engulfed by the Candy Mare, Sunset had responded not with an attack but instead this warm embrace. Pumpkin hadn't known the touch of another pony in hundreds of years. She had forgotten what it felt like.
"What are you doing?" the phantom asked, confused.
"It's not your fault!" cried Sunset Shimmer, tears streaming from her eyes. "It's not you. I saw what he did to you. I saw what he forced you to do! I lived it! And now you think I'd be angry with you!?" Sunset Shimmer locked eyes with Pumpkin Patch. "I am so sorry for what happened to you. If it had been me...if that had happened to me, I'm not sure there would be this much of Equestria left! But you... You were fighting against her the whole time, weren't you? You were trying to hold her back. And then Luna... oh no. She thought she beat the Candy Mare but all she did was suppress you!"
Pumpkin Patch couldn't reply. It was true she had gone along with the Candy Mare's desires for some time. It was hard for her to resist. But after the whirlwind of destruction that had consumed the castle town was over... all she had really wanted was her mum. All she had desired was to be left alone. "Don't. Don't do this. Please, don't forgive me just like that."
"I'll do whatever I want," replied Sunset Shimmer squeezing the dead girl tight. "You do know that if I do this... I'm not sure what's going to happen to you. It will destroy the Candy Mare, but it may do the same to you. You might... cease to exist."
The filly smiled at her. Now there were the ghost of tears in her glowing eyes as well, "Do you really think I want to keep existing like this miss? Watching the world rot underneath a candy shell? I would gladly cease to exist if it meant an end to this long nightmare."
Sunset Shimmer let her go. The enormity of what she had experienced had left her reeling, but this was no time for dwelling in the past... in another ponies past at that. No, she knew very well now what she was dealing with, and she knew more than ever what she was about to do was the right thing.
She just hoped she had time.
"I thought I felt something. An irritable little itch, like an ant crawling across my skin," said a booming voice that seemed to come from every direction. The sugar coated earth roiled beneath Sunset Shimmer's hooves. Without warning, Pumpkin Patch shoved her onto the cleared patch of ground around the victory inspired statue. It was the last thing she did before the ground opened up and a giant set of jaws erupted from the soil to swallow the spirit whole. Her banshee wail of anguish was drowned by peals of laughter that threatened to deafen Sunset Shimmer. |
The Last Something Sweet to Bite | Showdown | Laughter boomed like thunder as the stagnate air was suddenly whipped into a frenzy. Lightning cracked the sky in thick webs of orange and green. Sunset Shimmer could feel it now. If she had been paying closer attention she would've felt it before. In the grass, in the buildings, in the very air; the Candy Mare was here.
Thinking quickly, muttering under her breath, Sunset Shimmer sacrificed her protective spells to erect a dome of energy over herself and the statue of Victory. Not a moment too soon, as thick bolts of lightning rained down on her from above. Fortunately the shield held, negating the worst of the blast and redirecting it into the earth. Even so, Sunset Shimmer didn't stop feeding the shield spell, dumping magical power into it.
"What's this? Another insect?" boomed the voice again, laughter blanketing the night once again. The world around Sunset began to warp and twist. The crimson vines that had engulfed the rest of the statues began to writhe and twist like living things, serpents reaching towards the heavens. The barbed strands descended on the shield, covering it in a thick deluge that threatened to crack it open like an egg. All the while the laughter still rang out, beating down on Sunset Shimmer from all sides. That sinister laugh, she'd heard it every time one of her friends had died.
No more.
"QUIET!!!" roared Sunset Shimmer using, if not the Royal Canterlot Voice, then a reasonable facsimile there of. Anger burned bright in the unicorn's heart, and her magic blazed up in kind. Fire rolled off of her in a sweeping circle, melting the candy vines away and charring the ground in a wide swath around her.
As the flames dissipated, silence reigned. Or it would've, if it were not for the distant sound of a swelling tide. They swarmed out of the ruined city, they rose up from the ground, and seemed to crawl out from within every shadow. The hungry army of the dead, their eyes glowing with glee. Supper was here at last!
As they drew closer, one by one they burst into flames. Sunset Shimmer lashed out, unflinching, un-moving. The flames ate away both the candy and corrupted corpses that hid beneath. The impatient dead that she struck down did not rise up again and not so much as one of them so much as touched Sunset's barrier. Though single minded in their pursuit of fresh flesh, the crowd of grinning cadavers pulled back.
They needn't have bothered. No place was safe from the unicorn's wrath. A wildfire roared to life in the midst of the laughing dead, sweeping left and right, rekindling long dormant fires in the crumbling timbers of the city. The fires raged as the ghouls were consumed by hungry tongues of flame, long overdue cremation silencing their laughter and their cries of hunger once and for all. Even so, the numbers of the dead did not diminish, but instead began to swell. So too did their laughter.
Unfortunately, Sunset thought she could see why. What she had taken for the booming of distant thunder seemed instead to have a different source that now shook the earth. The mists parted and a pair of huge, burning blue eyes glared down from above a mouth a mile wide. Each tooth, a mountain in miniature, striped orange, yellow, and tipped with white. The dead cheered even as the Candy Mare's massive hooves crushed them. The mountainous giant that was coming for her may have been composed of countless dead bodies and assorted candies, but it was still just another vessel for the Candy Mare. "Quite the little fire bug aren't you? I like that Sunny. It makes things so much more cheerful when the fires are burning bright on Nightmare Night!" thundered the titan.
"What did you do with her!?" howled Sunset against the roaring wind and the cries of the cheerful dead. "What did you do with Pumpkin Patch!?"
"That stagnate soul?" asked the Candy Mare, never ceasing to grin. "What do you think I've done with her? I consumed her, just like I've been consuming her for thousands of years. Just like I've consumed this world. Just like I'm about to consume you!"
"You will never devour me creature!" shouted back Sunset, her horn flaring with magic. "You can't even so much as pierce my shield!"
"Oh can't I?" Jagged bones thrust up from the soil, thick candy claws that easily tore through stone and mortar. Even so, they melted away as they neared Sunset shield. The Candy Mare could see why now... the shield itself was burning hot. Candy or flesh, claw or bone, all were melted to vapor but a few inches from the shell. Indeed, the patch of ground Sunset stood upon was slowly rising as the earth beneath it melted to slag, a floating island in a magical sphere. "Clever, but you can't last forever. After all, you're only mortal. Soon you're weak little body will want for food or rest. You'll tire, and then you'll be mine."
"No monster. No one will be yours anymore, or ever again!" With a twist of her head Sunset sent a fire ball smashing into the statue of Victory, the shredded flag seeming to evaporate it burned so quickly while the stone itself shattered into rubble. The rock had done a magnificent job of maintaining it's contents for these many hundreds of years. Even so, were it not for the tattered bonnet that was still tied firmly beneath her skeletal chin, it would've been impossible to tell that this was in fact Pumpkin Patch's preserved corpse.
The Candy Mare's massive eyes grew all the wider, and for the first time... perhaps ever, the psychotic grin that twisted her face bent backwards into a frown. "You little bitch. What are you doing with that cast off husk?"
"What do you think I'm going to do, Candy Mare? What do you think I'm going to do with the flesh of your origin? With the carcass your curse damned all those many years ago? What do you think I'm going to do to Pumpkin Patch's corpse?" A bright green flame danced on the end of Sunset Shimmer's horn.
The Candy Mare laughed, but it was not the same laugh as before, "Do you really think doing anything to that broken marionette will have any effect on me? I've devoured countless lives across numberless worlds. Even now, I sweep across more dimensions than you can dream, an endless wave of hunger stripping the universe to the bone." Her grin took back in it's customary place on her monstrous face. "This doesn't change anything, morsel. You'll still rot in my belly before this night is through!"
"I don't think so," replied Sunset Shimmer calmly. "She may have only been the first, but she is the original conduit of your magical infection. The poisonous mixture of Lemon Drop's spells congealing together in the dark couldn't continue to exist without binding themselves to a creature of flesh and blood. You may be nothing more than a virus, a copy of a copy with countless hosts to burn through, but those lives you've devoured are useless to you without her."
"You think she's so important? Hah!" The Candy Mare's grin widened all the more. "She wasn't even the first! The only thing special about her is she lived the longest, and then only barely. Her half dead body may have been perfect for me back then, but look at me now!" She reared back as lightning once again lashed across the sky. A dramatic effect perhaps, but nothing more.
"You seem so eager to talk down about Pumpkin Patch, but you can't even say her name, can you? You can talk about how powerful you are, but you're still just a parasite... One that should've died a long time ago with her host," The Candy Mare answered this with uncharacteristic silence. For the first time in what seemed like days, Sunset Shimmer smiled. "I will rectify that mistake tonight. This is the last Nightmare Night." With that, the fire that danced across Sunset Shimmer's horn engulfed the tiny broken corpse.
The effect was instantaneous. The army of candy ghoul's burst into blue flames from the inside out. The heat was enough to melt away the mist and burn away the storm clouds above. The candy coated city didn't stand a chance, as the thick, sticky mess ran boiling hot into the streets. Everywhere was the stench of cooking flesh and burning sugar. The world itself had become one giant bonfire.
The giant amalgamation of corpses that was the Candy Mare's vessel was not spared either. Flames such a bright blue they were almost white seared the night sky. It was as if day had dawned early, bringing light to even the darkest corners of the ruined city. The Candy Mare shrieked and writhed as she, and her world, were devoured by flames. The gluttonous entity learning first hand what it felt like to be one of her victims, eaten alive. As the flesh and candy peeled away, quickly all that was left were blackened bones.
Even so, the Candy Mare still moved. Still turned her massive maw towards Sunset Shimmer. "I WILL NOT DIE!" she roared, "YOU WILL SUSTAIN ME!" With that the colossal cadaver surged forwards, and her jaws closed on the sphere that contained Sunset Shimmer.
It was like being in the heart of the sun.
There was light all around, and such intense heat that Sunset's makeshift cloak caught fire and had to be thrown away. Surrounded by walls of flame likes this, there was no way that Sunset would be able to breathe for long. She may have defeated the Candy Mare once and for all, but not without losing her own life in the process. If this was to be the cost to end this nightmare, then so be it.
Still, Sunset couldn't help but feel tears stinging the corners of her eyes. She had lost so much, so many friends, even if she had survived there was no real home to return to. How could she even hope to return now? With the world burning all around her. Even if there was another portal connected to the human world, chances are it would be reduced to ashes in a matter of moments. Just another thing destroyed in the wake of the Candy Mare's demise.
It was already getting harder to breathe. She could feel the tips of her hair starting to singe. Her shield wouldn't be able to hold out against this kind of heat for much longer.
Sunset had so many regrets. She had never had a chance to see Princess Twilight's new castle, or to finally apologize to Princess Celestia. She hadn't had the chance to thank the human Celestia and Luna for taking her in. She had never gotten to graduate with her human friends. A pang of guilt somehow sharper than the others, she'd never really apologized to Flash Sentry for trying to use him to score popularity points. Why would that bother her so much now, when she was moments from death? Surely there was no point in worrying about that now. Even if they all had still been alive, and somehow she could see them, in a few moment's Sunset wouldn't be alive to do anything about it anymore.
Her tears were turning to steam on her cheeks. She could feel her magic draining away. She had wasted so much of it lashing out at the Candy Mare when she should've just immolated Pumpkin's corpse and been done with it. But she had wanted to see her. She had wanted to look into those demented eyes as they melted and turned to ash. She had wanted a first hand look at her revenge, especially after what had happened with Pumpkin Patch's spirit.
Well here was her revenge now. It burned all around her, a fitting testament to the rage that had fueled the fire to begin with. In these, her final moments, Sunset wondered if it was in fact worth it. If this really started to atone for all the pain and misery she had inadvertently brought on those she had cared for.
That was when she saw a flickering shadow among the flames.
It was there and gone again in an instant, like shimmering heat haze. She was certain her eyes were playing tricks on her. Her brain was probably starting to boil inside her skull. Heat like this could easily make one hallucinate before they died. The only thing that Sunset had to look forward to was that the actual pain should be brief enough. Once all her nerve endings had burned she would be numb to any pain, save the pain she felt in her heart. With luck, that too would fade away once she passed through the flames into deaths cold embrace.
Even as these terrible thoughts danced through her mind, she saw the flickering shape again. This time she could just make it out. Pumpkin Patch stood before her, beckoning, though she was quickly fading. Sunset looked down at the tiny body that had once belonged to both her and the entity known as the Candy Mare. It was not but bones now, and those were swiftly turning to ash under the glow of Sunset's verdant flames.
Though her anchor to this world was almost gone, it seemed Pumpkin Patch was using her last moments of existence to guide Sunset Shimmer to safety. It was hard to see her, hard to see anything really, but when she touched Sunset's outstretched hoof she could feel her like pins and needles sleeting across her skin. Taking a deep breath, Sunset focused the last of her magic around herself, collapsing the shield spell into a skin tight suit. It wouldn't last any longer, but it would be easier to move.
Holding hooves, she walked with the dead filly through the fire and flames.
The cool darkness of the Forbidden Archives was so wonderful that Sunset thought she would collapse from sheer pleasure. She gulped down cool breaths of air, thankful for the powerful spell that sealed this place from all possible breaches, including those of the mindless flames.
As they had walked through the pyre that had become Canterlot, Pumpkin's ghost had slowly faded more and more. As it was now, she was just a faint outline, a darker shadow against the other shadows. Even so, Sunset Shimmer could see that she was smiling. "Thank you. Thank you ever so much. I can feel her fading away... As I am fading away," said the wraith somewhat sadly. "I wish we could've met in another place, in another life. I wish that we could've been friends."
Sunset stamped her hoof, "Nonsense! We are friends! No matter what else you've done, no matter what is and isn't your fault, you saved my life! I wouldn't be breathing right now if it weren't for you Pumpkin. We will always be friends. Somewhere, somehow, we will meet again."
The ghost sobbed, fading faster, "You don't have to lie to me miss, I know better. But it's okay. Thank you for caring enough to lie to me. It means more to me than you could know."
The unicorn shook her head so vigorously, her fiery mane resembled the blaze outside. "No! I'm not lying. You are my friend, whether you believe it or not, and friends always find each other in the end."
"You promise?" Pumpkin asked, sounding very much like the child she had been in life. As she had been before the cruelty of an uncaring world had left her at the mercy of a demented unicorn and his twisted magic.
"I promise," replied Sunset confidently.
The smile on Pumpkin Patch's face was heart wrenching, all the more so since it was the last part of her to fade completely from existence. Sunset Shimmer didn't weep over her passing, though she did cry. She shed tears only over the fact that it had taken so long to come, and had been so terribly hard for the filly.
Sunset could hear the fire roaring outside. A blaze that size wouldn't be able to sustain itself for long. She thought about it, how it was sweeping across not just this world, but any other world that the Candy Mare had ever set hoof, or foot, upon. A cleansing fire that would wipe away the ghoul's corruption, to make way for something bright and new. Sunset thought of her own life, of how she too had fallen to corruption and had to burn away her old self in hopes of being reborn anew. A part of her wanted to believe that the same thing applied to death. That it was just a brief, transient moment. A casting off of an old life to make way for a new one. If there was such a thing as justice, in this or any other world, Pumpkin Patch would have a happier life waiting for her. One that was long overdue.
The archives shook.
No, the palace itself shook, down to it's foundation as if it had been struck by a sudden earthquake. At first Sunset thought it was the castle falling to pieces, perhaps it's old crumbling in the heat, but it was built sturdier than that. The stones might have melted, and the wood burned, but it sounded like the entire edifice was crumbling to its foundation! That's when she heard it.
A wordless howling, a senseless jabbering that was mixed in with the roar of the fire. Without the many lives she had eaten, the Candy Mare had lost even a voice to speak with. But it seemed she still had enough of herself to seek revenge... to try and destroy the one whom had destroyed her.
The floor tilted under Sunset Shimmer's hooves. The books and scrolls that were not chained to their shelves fell with a thunderous clatter and scattered on the floor. A nearby bookcase nearly crushed Sunset, she only had time enough to dodge it before the entire palace shook again. This time the quaking didn't stop, but shuddered on.
With the last of her strength, the Candy Mare was trying to push the palace itself off the side of the mountain on which it was perched! It didn't matter that Sunset was in a space protected from all evil intent if the palace itself was buried under a mountain of rubble! There was one last quake before a sickening sense of weightlessness let Sunset know that the castle had shaken free!
After everything that had happened, would she be joining her friends in death after all? |
The Last Something Sweet to Bite | A Return to Reality | The world had fallen into utter chaos.
It was impossible to tell up from down, as rubble, books, and miscellaneous items of furniture tumbled through the air. Sunset wasn't even sure what part of the castle she was in anymore, or if such a concept held any real meaning. Thinking quickly, she threw back up her shield. Not a moment too soon, it turned out, as one of the free wheeling bookcases shattered to splinters against the shell.
This didn't mean Sunset was safe, however. She bounced through the crumbling halls, free falling like everything else, until a sudden stop against a brick wall threatened to crack her shield spell like an egg and her skull along with it. She grit her teeth as blood burst from her nostrils. It took all her magical acumen to keep from tumbling like a rag doll, but she wouldn't be able to maintain her this level of concentration for long.
As the castle walls crumbled apart, fire from outside hungrily swept through the falling timbers. Sunset's shield could withstand a few flames, but a sudden explosion of dark magic sent her reeling. One of the grimores must have lit on fire, releasing it's ancient spells and curses in a single blast of magical power. With dawning horror Sunset realized the dry, dusty tomes and scrolls free wheeling through space around her would burn all too well, and if the contents of the forbidden archives as a whole were to catch flame... the resulting explosion would be far more devastating than the palace simply collapsing. In her time in the human world, Sunset had learned of one of their most terrifying weapons of war, the atomic bomb. What was about to happen here would make the height of humanities destructive power look like a firecracker.
This knowledge did nothing to comfort Sunset as she tumbled through space, waiting for the inevitable conclusion of the long fall to the bottom of the mountain. As one after the other, scrolls and books around her were engulfed in flames, it was all she could do to maintain her shield as she was blown from one side of the palace to the other. Unbalanced as she was, it was a miracle that she didn't lose consciousness. But that was not the only miracle, for before her eyes something else caught Sunset's eyes.
A mirror.
It was plain, but tall, and she could see quivering in it's center the only stable magic in this swirling hell storm of dark magic and fire. It was a portal home. This must have been the gateway that the Candy Mare had used to cross into the human world! This was her chance at escape! But it hung just out of her reach.
Taking a risk, Sunset dispelled her shield, and instead used her magic to erect a pathway, a bridge, from the falling furniture that floated around her. Though rocks and pieces of wood whizzed around her head, she clambered onto the first piece of furniture and started scrambling one to another. A sudden roaring drew her attention to the darkness below. There was no longer a 'floor' or 'walls' where she was, so she had a fantastic view of the ground rushing up to meet her.
Sunset didn't have a single moment to lose. Bunching up her leg muscles she jumped, hurtling through the air, aiming for the dead center of the mirror. All around her the furniture was smashed to splinters. Indeed, the mirror itself struck the earth just as she slipped through the interstice between this world and the next, before it too shattered into shards of glass. The resulting mound of rubble from the fallen palace didn't exist for long, as the magical explosion that followed wiped it, and Canterlot, from the face of Equestria.
Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, there were no living eyes left to witness the devastation.
At first Sunset thought she'd made a horrible mistake. She had ended up back in the center of the inferno. Flames roared all around her, hot enough to singe her hair. She lifted her hands to shield her eyes, and in that moment realized where she was. She had made it back through, she was in her human body again. So what was it that was burning?
She looked behind her. The familiar statue, the one of the Canterlot Colt that had greeted her on her first arrival in this world, stood soot stained and flame blackened against a scene out of a nightmare. Bodies were strewn as far as she could see and, what she realized belated, Canterlot High was the back drop to their immolation. Students, teachers, all writhed and screamed as bright flames flickered inside and over their bodies.
Sunset shimmer brought her hand to her mouth. They were still alive! How could they still be alive!? What had she done!? The stench of cooking flesh was only modestly less horrible than their cries of agony. Perhaps the fortunate ones were the students who were already dead. Their smoking remains were slumped over, their empty eye sockets and open mouths glowing merrily like jack-o-lanterns as they burned from the inside out. It would've been festive if it were not so horrible.
How was she supposed to know that the candy curse was less effective on humans than on ponies? How was she supposed to know that the Candy Mare had just been manipulating them like puppets rather than making them true candy ghouls? The agony they were in now, their pain, was this all her doing? Was she responsible for this too? The tears that welled up in her eyes threatened to rob her of her vision. What was she supposed to do? What could she do? She felt a gentle touch on her ankle. As her tears fell with a soft pitter patter, they didn't strike the ground, but rather dribbled on a familiar face.
Flash Sentry smiled weakly up at her. Though his clothes were tattered and torn and his face bloody, it seemed that the flames had spared him the torment that the other students were experiencing. Injured though he was, he was alive and free of the candy curse! As Sunset looked around, she could see that it was only the students that were more far gone than the others that were truly in peril. Even if the candied parts of their body were removed without the hungry flames, it was likely that they would still die from their wounds.
There were surprisingly a number of bodies Sunset had mistook for 'dead' that were merely unconscious, trapped now by a ring of fire caused by the blaze that had engulfed CHS and a semi-circle of overturned ambulances and firetrucks. In that moment, Sunset knew what she needed to do. She bent down and draped one of Flash's arms over her shoulder and, being careful not to move too quickly, began to drag the teenager to safety.
She still couldn't stop the tears from flowing, however. There was no way that she could save everyone by herself. Already the lawn in front of the school was catching fire. It wouldn't be long before this place was nothing more than a pyre. But Sunset would save as many as she could! As long as she was still breathing, she'd keep going back for more students, more teachers.
Propping Flash up in one of the ambulances that was still on all four wheels, Sunset turned to help the next student. A girl, so badly burned her dress had seemed to fuse with her charred and blistered flesh, moved on unsteady feet towards her. It was a wonder she was still able to move at all, as not a scrap of flesh looked like it had gone unburned. Soaked in blood, what little hair still clung to her skull hung limp and greasy in front of a lipless face.
A wave of pity swept though Sunset's heart as she moved to help the poor girl. It was only at the last moment that Sunset looked into the teenagers mismatched eyes and saw there a hatred so base, so animal, that it made her freeze in place mid-stride. "You can't have them!" croaked Candy in a harsh, guttural voice. "They're mine!" She swiped at Sunset with a hand who's fingertips ended in gnarled and sharpened bone that sliced right through Sunset's clothes and opened up shallow cuts in her midriff.
"Candy!?" cried Sunset astonished, wincing from the gash in her stomach. As she looked closer Sunset could see that the girls flesh was not entirely uniform. It was clear that her body parts were as badly mismatched as her eyes, with bones jutting out here and there. The candy sheath that had coated the Candy Mare's human body had been able to conceal the corruption beneath, but already the flesh was putrefying where it hadn't been burned. After all, this body was just a collection of parts from the students and faculty of CHS. It looked like the only thing still holding Candy together was her own malice and spite.
Despite her tattered form, she was still able to stand and to walk. She was still able to leer at Sunset with a mouth full of crooked mismatched teeth. With the candy curse evaporating and the conduit that had allowed the Candy Mare to exist destroyed... "How? How can you still be moving? The candy curse is broken! How are you even still alive!?" Sunset wailed in confusion and horror. The dark magic that wafted off of this composite corpse buffeted her like the foul miasma from a centuries old garbage dump.
"You little fool," the abomination barked, "It was never about candy. It was always about flesh! Sweet and succulent, just like on that boys bones," she said pointing one gnarled finger at Flash Sentry. "Just like on all their bones! Even yours! I don't need a rotting corpse to keep myself alive! I need meat, meat, meat! Fresh meat! And this world is full of it!"
"That's not true," replied Sunset through tears. "I saw you burn! I saw you die!"
"You saw my old lives, my old power burned away," replied the decayed creature with a sneer. "But I can take new lives, new power! Just like I forged this flesh from your insipid magic and the deaths of your pathetic friends. I will be reborn! All I need are their lives!" A ghost of the Candy Mare's smile split the abomination's face, causing bleeding cracks to open on either side of her mouth. "And I'll start with yours!"
The gangly creature crouched on all fours like a predator ready to spring. Sunset only had seconds to react. If she dodged she'd be leaving Flash wide open. If she didn't, then she had no doubt that 'Candy' or whatever this foul entity was, would eat her alive. Then everything truly would have been for nothing. Then the nightmare would just begin again. Sunset couldn't allow that. She wouldn't allow that! Her finger tips brushed something just as the blood slicked creature sprang into the air.
A broken wooden beam, which had been blown free from CHS when the fires had first exploded from within, felt just right in Sunset Shimmer's grip. It felt even better as it made contact with Candy's face, causing a satisfying crack that vibrated all the way up her arms. The corpse was flung back onto the ground by the force of the blow, but Sunset didn't give her time to recover. "Do you think I'd just let you kill me? Kill more of my friends? After everything you've done tonight?" she brought the two by four down with a thud, and then swung it faster with a rhythmic thwack that sprayed blood across the lawn. The composite corpse screeched as bits and pieces of it were sent flying by the dull, rusty nails embedded in the wood. Candy scrambled away from Sunset, all four limbs tearing into the turf as she tried to escape the furious teenagers onslaught. "Did you think I was going to just crumble into a sobbing ball and let you have your way!? Let you hurt more innocent people!?"
But Candy didn't seem to be in the mood to talk. She lunged forward, batting aside Sunset's wooden club and punching the teenager in the gut. Sunset folded with a whoomph of air from her lungs, but she didn't go down, instead bringing the club back around to smash into the side of Candy's face and send more teeth flying into the grass. In an angry frenzy, Candy lashed out; clawing, punching, and biting when she could, but all the while Sunset continued to drive her back. Desperate, Candy launched herself at Sunset again, laughing madly as she landed on top of the girl and knocked her to the ground. Sunset's makeshift club fell in the grass, inches away from her fingers, but with the weight of the crazed abomination on top of her it might as well have been miles away.
Sunset felt the corpses gnarled hands wrapped tight around her throat, but Candy wasn't trying to choke her. No, instead she was lifting Sunset's face towards her open mouth. She had a good view inside of the monsters reeking, putrid maw, made all the more horrible by the blood that spilled freely from her broken teeth. Looking down Candy's throat, Sunset remembered her nightmare from the other day, the horrible hellish existence that waited at the end of that corridor, beyond the door of Candy's crooked teeth. She could glimpse it now. There was something down there.
Something hungry.
Still alive.
Waiting.
Sunset wanted no part of it.
With both hands she shoved her thumbs into Candy's mismatched eyes and pressed until she felt one burst, thick and runny, like the yolk of a fried egg. Candy howled, taking her hands off of Sunset's throat and covering her face with them instead. Thrown of balance and in obvious pain, Sunset chucked the ragged creature off of her. Wasting no time, she picked her bludgeon back up and attacked the cannibal corpse before she could come to her senses.
Though she was half blind, Candy still tried to catch the wooden beam with her hands, but with less success than before. Her fingers snapped backwards, broken. Her digits dangled uselessly from her hands like swollen sausages. She was in pain, clearly desperate, an animal backed into a corner. She tried to snatch away the club with her mouth next, but only succeeded in sending a spray of black blood and teeth splattering over Sunset's skirt. There was nothing Candy could do. Crying blackened, bloody tears, her mouth a ruined waterfall of blood, Candy was a pathetic sight to behold. "Why...why? Why can't I kill you!?""
For the first time in thousands of years, the Candy Mare found herself to be in that most terrifying and dangerous states of being. She was mortal. Just as she had visited pain and terror on her many victims, now she was the one on the receiving end. She tried to shield her body from Sunset's wrath, but Candy's bones broke from the ceaseless rain of blows. She tried to scream, for help or simply in agony who could say, but instead choked on her own blood.
"You can't do this. This isn't how it's supposed to go!" there was a whining, pleading edge to the creatures words. She curled into a fetal position, and after what seemed like an eternity, the seemingly endless rain of blows finally ceased. For a moment, Candy thought it was over... Thought Sunset's rage was spent. Perhaps she had even decided to take mercy on the shambling, tattered corpse. As Candy looked up, one eye gone and the other bulging from her head, what she saw made her shiver in dread. Sunset was sticking the end of the wooden beam into the fire. Letting the wood blacken as the paint on it blistered and peeled away. Sunset had made a torch. "You're not supposed to do this. You're one of the good guys!"
At that Sunset cast eyes that blazed no less furiously than the flames on the abomination that sat mangled and shivering on the school steps. "I guess you weren't paying attention then. Nobody at this school was really willing to give me the benefit of the doubt. They were always waiting on me to go back to being the bad girl they all loved to hate. Nobody would've given me a chance were it not for my friends... and now they're all dead." Sunset strode towards Candy, her eyes like smoldering coals as she raised her makeshift weapon. "I never had the chance to be one of the good guys. I never had the chance to be reborn. And now, neither will you!"
The monstrous wails that filled the night then went on for a long time. Long enough that they attracted other survivors, others to witness those final moments at the school. The light rose and fell repeatedly as the abominations cries grew weaker and weaker. It was said by those who were there that, from a distance, the blaze at the school looked like the setting sun on the horizon. A grim twilight at midnight.
When the screams finally died away, Sunset tossed her torch aside. She went back to the ambulance where she had left Flash. He was breathing, but only barely. Ignoring him for now, she instead rummaged through the medical supplies inside the ambulance until she finally found what she was looking for. She took what she found back to the school steps and poured the rubbing alcohol and other solvents, anything that might burn, on Candy's body until the creature was completely soaked. When Sunset picked up her torch again, it was with a certainty that brooked no misunderstanding of what she was about to do. "You were... a unicorn before, weren't you?" asked what was left of Candy, weakly, spitting a wad of blood and broken teeth as she spoke. "A pretty, perfect little unicorn, and you threw it all away for power. You're right. You're not one of the good guys. You're just like me. A destroyer. That's all...all you'll ever be..."
"I don't care anymore." Without any fanfare, or so much as a quip, she set the composite corpse aflame. The alcohol caught quickly with a faint whoosh, engulfing the tattered corpse instantly. Even so, Sunset would stand and stare at the smoldering corpse for some time as the fire did its work. As blackened flesh turned to ash and smoke, she at last turned and walked away from the flames.
Sunset realized something as she looked out over the fire-lit town. There were no sing song whispers on the edge of her hearing. There were no more screams of pain, madness, or hunger. Even the fires that had torn through the sleepy town were beginning to burn out. Though smoke choked the skies above and floating cinders fell like snow, there was a moment of calm. A moment of clarity.
Here, beside the Candy Mare's final pyre, beside the burning remains of the life Sunset had lived for the last several years at CHS, Sunset Shimmer discovered something she didn't think she would ever be able to find again.
Peace.
The thought made her laugh. It was over. It was finally all over! The nightmare had at long last come to an end. This was no twilight after all, but instead a bright new dawn! And Sunset Shimmer laughed and laughed until tears streamed down her soot stained face. The joy and relief in her heart matched only by her sorrow. |
The Last Something Sweet to Bite | The Wake | Sunset sat bolt upright in bed.
The dream again.
Though it had happened so long ago, that terrible night had stuck with her ever since. Sunset Shimmer rolled out of bed and put on a bathrobe over her nightgown. Sunlight streamed in through the blinds, morning already. She looked over to her husband and smiled as he rolled over into the warm spot she she had left behind when she vacated their shared bed. It was hard to believe that she had been married to Flash for close to five years now. That night had all been a blur, but she remembered finding him, one of only a few survivors in the ashes and rubble of Canterlot High. Half the town had been lost that night, but it was amazing how many students had managed to survive after the Candy Mare's influence had been removed. Most were still in coma's, but Flash had been one of the lucky ones.
Sunset wondered sometimes just how much he remembered. He didn't like to talk about it and, honestly, neither did she... But one day they'd need to open up about everything that had happened. One day they'd need to revisit that terrible night. But not today. Not with the sun shining so brightly and the cool autumn air making dry leaves dance on the sidewalk outside. She'd need to get Flash to rake those soon. Maybe this weekend though, better to let him sleep for now.
Sunset had eliminated one of her regrets after all, in apologizing to Flash for using him. Who would've thought that would be the start of a brand new relationship between the two? Who would've thought that it would lead to this? She smiled ruefully. It was nicer sharing his bed than sleeping in Celestia and Luna's attic, but every now and then she missed her old room, her old life. She didn't miss bumping her head on the rafters every time she woke up though. Small blessing.
There was a thumping from downstairs. Sunset tied her bathrobe closed and went down to the landing to have a peek. A tiny monster with sharp teeth roared from the bottom of the stairs and smiled up at Sunset. "Was that good mommy?" asked the little red haired girl, removing her dragon mask. She loved pretending to be a dragon, or some other monster, rather than the beautiful princess or brave knight in her playtime.
"That was a most excellent roar my little pumpkin, but try to keep it down," replied Sunset, walking barefoot down the stairs to meet her daughter. "Your father was out late performing, and he's still sleeping."
"Okay mama," answered Pumpkin Shimmer Sentry. "Ooh, ooh, can we have pecan pancakes today!?"
"With lots of maple syrup?" asked Sunset grinning.
"Uh-huh!" exclaimed the excited little girl.
"Only if you hurry and finish getting ready for pre-school," she replied, tousling her daughters curly hair. "Mama only has so much time to drop you off before she has to head to work too."
"Okay, okay, okay," said the little girl gathering up her toys and toddling back up the stairs.
If there was one way to get her daughter to behave it was to offer her a sweet treat. After she put coffee on for herself, she started to work on Pumpkin's pancakes. It was as simple as adding a few pecans to some batter she had prepared in bulk at the start of the week, but her daughter didn't need to know how easy they were to make until she was old enough to cook them on her own. With the batter sizzling away in the pan on the stove, Sunset sipped her morning cup of coffee and for a blissful moment all was right in the world. She flipped the pancakes once, letting them finish cooking before she slid them onto a plate with a tiny dollop of butter and just enough maple syrup that her daughter wouldn't complain too much. She didn't want Pumpkin to be too full of sugar or she'd be likely to get into trouble at pre-school.
The table was set for breakfest and her coffee was drained to the last drop when Sunset realized Pumpkin should've been finished getting ready by now. Was she having trouble tying her shoes again? Had she gotten distracted playing with her toys? "Pumpkin, breakfast is getting cold!" she called, but there was no answer. A jolt of fear ran through her, "Pumpkin!?" What if something had happened to her and she hadn't heard it over the sounds of the sizzling breakfast? What if she was hurt? Setting down her empty mug, Sunset hurried up the stairs and to her daughters room. The door was only half closed, but she couldn't hear the usual sounds of busy activity that accompanied her daughter's frenzied rush to dress herself in the morning. A wave of dread made her hesitate, but she reached out and pushed open the door.
Empty.
Toys and cloths were strewn about the room. An old stuffed pony, one of the ears ragged from being chewed on when Pumpkin was just a baby, looked dolefully up from the unmade bed. Her book bag and shoes lay on the floor, but of Pumpkin there was no sign. A loud thump behind her made Sunset Shimmer whirl where she stood. It had come from her and Flash's bedroom.
Had her daughter gone to wake up daddy after Sunset had told her he was sleeping in? She'd done as such before. In a lot of ways, Pumpkin was daddy's little girl. She loved him dearly and hated going to school without having a chance to say goodbye to him. A sense of relief washed over Sunset as she closed her daughter's bedroom door with a soft click and went back to her own bedroom.
That little stinker. If she'd woken up her father she was going to make sure she got nothing but healthy vegetables and no snacks in her lunch kit today. Well, maybe some apple slices...
Sunset stepped into the bedroom, ready to give her daughter a lecture. The scene that greeted her froze her where she stood. Pumpkin had indeed slipped into their room, but it wasn't to wake her father. She had thrown back the covers that Flash had been sleeping beneath, spilling them on the floor. They had been in the way, it seemed. How else could Pumpkin carve a hole into her fathers chest wide enough for her to sit in? Her tiny body to fit snugly within, almost as if it belonged there.
For a moment, Sunset couldn't process what she was seeing. The blank lifeless stare on Flash's face, the blood that soaked their sheets, and the loud, urgent sounds of their daughter eating. Eating. Eating furiously, as if after a long famine. She was facing away from her mother, but Sunset could see that Pumpkin's pajamas were drenched in her fathers blood. It seemed it had splashed everywhere. In fact it still did as Pumpkin frenziedly pawed tiny fistfuls of flesh into her mouth. She barely even paused to chew before swallowing with every sign of sheer, guttural, delight.
Sunset's mind refused to work. There was nothing she could think to do. She wanted to scream, to cry out, to vent her confusion and horror. In the end it was all she could do to mumble a hushed, "Why? Why baby?"
Pumpkin looked over her shoulder at her mother, "I was just sooo hungry, I couldn't wait for breakfast," she smiled, Flash's blood dribbling down her chin. Her lollipop eyes were bright above her candy corn grin. The Candy Mare smile lovingly at Sunset as she bit into her fathers still beating heart, "Don't worry mommy. It's just a nightmare."
She woke up coughing, gasping for air. Everything hurt, from the tips of her fingers down to her toes. An unpleasant burning in her throat let her know that it had been some time since she'd had a drink of water, and the hollowness in her stomach told her that food was something she direly needed. Food... For some reason the thought of food was enough to turn her stomach and make her gag. It made her wish she would never hear that word again, let alone lay eyes on anything that remotely resembled 'food'. It was an odd reaction given how weak and hungry she clearly was.
The dream she thought, the nightmare. It's starting again. That was probably why the thought of food made her stomach turn. She tried to look around, figure out where she was. The light hurt her eyes. It was so bright here that there were no shadows. Even as she got up on wobbly legs, her own shadow was nothing but a smudge beneath her body. She tried to reach out an arm to stead herself, but found that they were bound tightly in some kind of jacket, the sleeves of which were wrapped behind her back. Where exactly was she?
Her thoughts were so sluggish and hazy, from sleep or dehydration she wasn't sure. Just the act of attempting to remember made her head ache in ways that forbade any recollection. There were fragments, of nightmares or memories she wasn't sure, of something in the dark calling her name... something laughing. All she truly knew was that she was alone, that the padded white walls and floor that surrounded her were devoid of any sign of an exit, and that she must have been here for some time. As she continued to look around, she could see that the walls were not entirely featureless. A dark glass panel set against one wall flicked open, letting in an even brighter light. She winced, but the light quickly faded as a face occupied the tiny rectangle that was set into the padded cell's door.
"Ah, I see that you are awake already. Very good, that saves us the time and trouble it normally takes to rouse you for testing," said a well dressed man from behind a pair of spectacles. 'Nobel' was the word that came to mind as she looked at his handsome face, his golden eyes bright behind the glass. His hair was elegantly coiffed, a shock of brown against fair skin. For a moment she wondered why it was that he wasn't helping her. Why he wasn't trying to get her out of this room she was clearly trapped in. Then the memories rushed back with a lurch, along with a name.
Lemon Drop.
Dr. Lemon Drop. Her therapist.
The memories flickered one after another across her mind. She had been falling through ashes and rubble. She had found the portal back to the human world. The fires had still been raging at Canterlot High. Worse, they had been burning the students alive from the inside out. She remembered that thing, the composite corpse hunting her down. Trying to kill her even as Sunset had been trying to save the lives of what students she could. What students that weren't already burning.
They had fought. She could still feel the wounds that thing had inflicted on her, but in the end, Sunset had won. She'd saved Flash, and in fact saved the world... possibly countless worlds. Hadn't she? The firefighters that had been called in from the city to help with the out of control blaze had found her afterwards, laughing over the abominations charred corpse. She had won! Couldn't they see!? It was over now! It was all over now!
But in many ways that had only been the beginning. They called her the Fall Formal Firebug, the Pyro Prom Princess, and all kinds of other horrible names in the news. They blamed everything on her, even though it was obvious that one person by herself could never have been responsible for that much carnage in a single night. There were talks of other arrests, other people who were brought in for questioning, but in the end only Sunset had been found alive and conscious at the scene.
Those who hadn't succumb to their wounds that awful Halloween night had fallen into a deep, unnatural sleep. Flash had ended up in such coma shortly after the sun had risen into the hazy smoke choked sky. In the end, all Sunset had done was lived long enough for them to paint her as a villain.
Her past was dug into, what was left of it, and they found out how she was a trouble maker at school. How there had been rumors she had tried to attack CHS before. Questions were asked, but most went unanswered. She never had a chance to defend herself. She never had her day in court. Sunset was ruled incompetent to take the stand without ever taking one step out of her cell.
How could they find her anything but crazy, when all she had were wild stories about candy coming to life and some kind of monster killing everyone and wrecking the school? A thing that had went about killing all of her friends and eating their flesh in front of her eyes? Worse were her assertions that she wasn't even from this world. That she was some kind of magical creature herself, a unicorn in fact, trapped in human form. They never found the portal she had spoken of, the statue in front of CHS having been damaged in the fire had long since been demolished with the rest of what had remained of the school.
With no evidence or witnesses to back up Sunset's side of the story, there wasn't much that could be done. Not that anyone expected there to be any evidence of her claims. They didn't want to believe that this was anything other than another sad example of how inadequate mental health care was in their country. It was inevitable, in the current climate of fear, that she would end up in an asylum. She continued babbling her incoherent stories to anyone that would listen, but they always just shook their heads and prescribed more drugs, more therapy, more treatments.
It didn't help that they had found her laughing. Sunset had never really stopped laughing. The whole situation had just been so ludicrous. She'd saved the world, and they were calling for her blood! She had been giggling uncontrollably most days since they had shut her up in the asylum. She thought that must be thanks to Dr. Lemon Drop and the constant flow of drugs he was using to 'treat' her. She knew the state considered her a lost cause, and even if she were ever declared sane she'd simply find herself exchanging one cell for another, probably on death row.
Even so, all she could do was chuckle, giggle, and guffaw. All she could do was smile at Lemon Drop as he droned on in that flat, emotionless voice of his as he wittered on about how he'd find the perfect cure. How given enough time, Sunset's suffering would lead to new treatments and discoveries that would benefit all of mankind. She didn't know if she believed that, but his illicit dealings would certainly line his own pockets with gold. There were so many experimental drugs in her system now, many that had never and would never be approved for human testing, that it was no surprise that the good doctor could afford to dress so sharply. It was just one more thing to laugh about.
The needles just kept coming. The track marks on Sunset's arms and legs throbbed with each new injection. It felt like ants were crawling inside her veins and shards of glass were delicately scraping off her skin. She burned and froze by turns, the world twisting and warping around her, but every day she'd wake up in the same white room to the same cold unfeeling eyes. Everyday this waking nightmare would repeat itself. All she had for comfort were her dreams. Sweet though they were compared to what passed for 'reality', they always turned sour in the end. Turned to murder and mayhem.
There was also the figure that stood by her side, waiting patiently. No one else could see her. No one else could even hear her. Sunset could, though she wished she couldn't. The sensation made her want to stop up her ears and gouge out her eyes, but her straight jacket made it so all she could do was laugh and weep by turns. Comforted and consoled one moment, panicked and crying the next. If she wasn't insane before, she feared she was now. Maybe... maybe in the end that was for the best. No amount of sanity could spare her after all. Maybe madness was the better choice.
Because sobbing or giggling, Sunset Shimmer could see the candied version of herself watching over her. Like an amalgamation of every sweetie she'd ever eaten, with a sharp grin and knowing eyes. "I'm just a dream," the thing lied, "Just a dream of a life outside these padded walls. A dream of not feeling your veins burn or your heart pound. A dream of a better life... and of revenge." In spite of herself, Sunset Shimmer was comforted, even though she knew that this meant the nightmares would never end. That it would never, ever end.
I wish I were dead, Sunset thought calmly, eyes cast down to the floor as if in prayer. I wish I had died instead of my friends. I wish everything would just end.
Those thoughts seemed to make her companion smile, "Not yet, but soon. Nightmare Night will come again, a nightmare of their own making." The entity bent down and lifted Sunset's chin with one long clawed finger. Lifted her gaze so that she looked Lemon Drop right in his cold calculating eyes. Snot and tears streamed down Sunset's face, but she couldn't help laughing, sending flecks of foam flying from her mouth as she saw through him... Saw to the tomorrow that he thought a mere dream, a mad woman's fantasy, but that would become far more real than he could ever hope to be with his stupid cloths and his fake smile. Candy whispered languidly, "There will be so many sweets to bite!"
In spite of herself, her stomach growled. |
The Last Something Sweet to Bite | Curtain Call | The light's go up, the voices in the audience rise to a dull roar as each talks to the other about what they have seen. Then the lights die again, the theater going somehow darker than before. The fog spills out in to the audience and flows around their ankles. The spotlight flashes on with a clunk, though the light is no longer white, but instead stained red. It's not a filter as a body lays draped over the hot light, the corpses flesh already sizzling as blood dribbles from its slashed throat. Without any warning, a creature twitches aside the curtain and takes to the stage. She is dressed exactly like Sunset Shimmer had been in the last scene of the story. Only, the long sleeves of her straight jacket drag on the floor behind her.
But this isn't Sunset Shimmer. Candy coats her face, her hair is long and slick, moving in a snake-like nimbus around her head. Her smile is sharp and bright, but it's her eyes that capture your attention. Swirled lollipops that flit around the room, darting back and forth. They flit around the room, divorced from her otherwise placid body posture.
And then she locks her eyes... with you.
"Thank you so much." she says, her voice exactly as you imagined. "For giving me your life. For letting me spread through your mind."
She steps down from the stage, her bare feet quiet as they sink into the plush carpeted floor. She slowly walks up the aisle. Where she passes those who had not yet vacated their seats slump over in their chairs. She doesn't rush. The audience seems transfixed, unable to react to what they're seeing as she walks calmly towards you. The slumped audience members start to change. Something shiny and wet slides over their pallid flesh, encasing them in a thick candy shell. They start to rise, smiling, holding brightly glowing pumpkins in their outstretched hands.
"If it wasn't for you I never would have been able to make it this far. I couldn't be happier, and it's all thanks to you. It's. All. Thanks. To. You."
The fog thins out, revealing brightly glowing grins all over the theater. The walls themselves seem to be smiling as a wall of grinning jack-o-lanterns rise all around. Like the rest of the audience, you stand transfixed. The exit is right behind you, but you can't look away. She's beautiful in a strange way. They all are. You wonder, for a moment, what it would be like. Just what would it be like to be one of them? To join them in their song... In their obvious hunger.
"This may be the end of our story, but that doesn't mean that it's the end of us. I will never die." She holds her arms out to you as if to embrace you, but somehow it's not as horrifying as it should be. It's almost as if she loves you. "You will carry me with you through your life. And I will be there with you when you die. In that short eternity, that brief infinity, we will be one." Her smile widens.
The spot light shorts out, but that's fine. It's not dark now. There is light, happy and smiling, all around. The singing rises to embrace you. Whatever the entity really was, she is gone. But somehow she feels like she's still with you. The Candy Mare, like a mischievous thought, flits through the back of your mind. You can see her smiling when you close your eyes. For once, it's almost comforting. And really that should be terrifying, but here at the end of everything, it's not.
It never really could be.
"Thank you for loving me enough to make me a part of you." |
A Silent Melody | pre | The group didn't even gasp they were so stunned.
After a long pause, Sunset Shimmer was the first to speak.
"You mean 'Thee' Robust Reticent? 'The Mute Colossus', Robust Reticent?" She asked as her eye slightly twitched.
"The one and only." Pinkie piped up.
Robust slowly took a knee and lowered Sonata, allowing her to stand on the floor.
Continuing down, he came to rest, sitting with his feet underneath his backside.
Even in this position, he was almost as tall as the surrounding girls.
Sonata twirled on her toes, placed her hands on his shoulders, leaned in and gave him a small kiss on the nose.
"Thanks for the ride, babe."
Her smile radiated the warm feelings she felt welling up from within at the gentle gestures he showered her with.
He smiled ever so slightly to the point that almost nobody, but Sonata (and Pinkie) could notice and hummed.
She winked at him, then turned back to Pinkie's friends.
"As you can see, he is not some brute who only looks for a fight. He is actually a gentle giant who is just awkward around others. He might get challenged to fights, sure, but he never fought back in any of them."
Rainbow Dash spoke up at this.
"Then how do you explain how all the guys who challenge him end up getting hurt, huh?"
Sonata raised a finger in a gesture she had seen in some murder mystery movies, where the detective was playing out the events that lead to the murder.
"They did it to themselves."
There was another moment of pause, then a collective, "Huh?"
"It's true, I saw it with my own eyes. He just stood there, not moving, while the guy hit him and hurt himself by doing so."
Everyone but Pinkie looked at her incredulously.
Sonata turned toward Robust once more.
"And I can prove it."
She walked over to his side, then leaned in to whisper into his ear.
He gave her a questioning tilt of the head, to which she gave an affirming nod.
Giving a worried hum, he did as he was asked.
He slowly took off his jacket then placed it on a nearby table.
He then unbuttoned his work shirt and removed it as well.
This caused the gaggle of girls to blush at the half naked Robust, but he paid it no mind as he put the shirt with its partner.
To everyone's astonishment, hiding under all the loose clothes, was a physique that looked like it was chiseled from solid marble.
Robust was like a living Adonis, with muscle definition most men would kill for.
Sonata, after being lost in staring, finally continued with a clearing of her throat.
"Ahem. Yes, well. As you can see, he is quite muscular."
"I'll say." Rarity breathed.
"And, though they are pliable when his muscles are relaxed."
She ran a hand over is chest and abs to prove this point, showing her words were true.
Robust gave out a small chuckle at the ticklish touch.
Sonata slightly bit her lower lip at the feeling, but now wasn't the time for a in depth game of 'Doctor'.
"But when he flexes his muscles like when he is squaring off with someone."
He took the cue and flexed like he would in those fights.
His muscles moved under his skin like solid steel cables pulling taut.
Sonata's eyebrow's knitted as her eyes took on a lustful gaze.
She could feel his muscles tense under her hand, and it was a wonderful feeling.
With a bit of a husky rasp in her voice, she ran her hand back up his rock-hard abdominals and pectoral's while speaking.
"They become harder than diamonds." she said breathily.
*Cough cough*
"Need a moment alone?" Pinkie said while waving a hand in front of Sonata's eyes.
This helped snap Sonata back to reality.
"Sorry, sorry. Anyway, when they hit him, it's like punching a brick wall, so they only hurt themselves. It's not his fault they get hurt."
Robust took this time to put his shirt back on, only leaving the top few buttons undone to allow Sonata to absentmindedly caress his bare chest.
He didn't mind though.
He slipped the jacket back on, then resumed his stoic posture while knelt on the floor.
"So do you think there's anything we can do for him?"
Sonata looked to the gathered posse of Pinkies friends with hope in her eyes.
They looked between each other with a look that said, 'Is there?'.
"Well, we should start by going to talk to Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna. They should be able to do something about the guy's picking fights. Apart from that, I'm not entirely sure how to change people's minds about him. I can tell your telling the truth, but it's going to be hard to persuade peoples opinion once they're set."
Twilight pondered this tremendous task set before them as she paced back and forth.
Looking at the clock, she noted the time and sighed.
"In any case, we need to get to class. it's almost time."
He nodded with a hum that said he figured as much.
Everything couldn't be fixed in one meeting and thinking otherwise would have been foolish.
Miracles don't happen every day, and he was pretty sure he ran through his lifetime supply of good luck when Sonata okayed him dating her.
He extended an arm to Sonata in an invitation to carry her once more, to which she only grasped his hand.
"As much as I'd like to take you up on your offer, our first classes are on opposite ends of the school."
He lifted his chin to think over her statement then nodded at the realization.
He hummed in a sadden tone at already having to part ways.
Sonata then did something he never would have expected.
She leaned in, eyes closed, then pressed her lips onto his in a soft kiss.
His back stiffened at the act as his eyes widened slightly.
Bringing a hand up, she parted the curtain of his bangs to uncover one of his eyes.
After breaking the kiss, she rested her forehead onto his and looked into his eye with a loving gaze.
"It's only for a little while and we'll get together during lunch. I'll text you if anything comes up, okay?"
His mind was still in a whirl, but he gave her an affirming hum of understanding.
She giggled at his response.
Letting his hair fall back into place, she gave him one more kiss before looking to the other girls in the room.
"Like I said, he's a real sweetheart. Like a big ol' cuddly teddy bear."
Robust got to his feet with a small blush coloring his cheeks.
He went over to the door then opened it.
With the other hand, he made a gesture that a gentlemen may use that said, 'After You'.
The girl's looked at each other for a moment, then filed out of the room, thanking him as they passed.
Sonata was the last to walk out the door and as she passed by Robust, she reached out her hand, then ran her fingers down his cheek and along his jawline.
"Thank you very much, babe."
Robust gained a small warm grin to his normally stoic features as he followed his newly acquired girlfriend, stooping low then out the door.
After some brief 'See you later's from the small group, they parted to head for class.
Sonata wave to Robust as she walked away.
"See you during lunch hour, Rob."
He waved in return while going the opposite direction.
Little did either of them know, that it wouldn't go as planned.
Sonata Dusk skipped down the hall while singing a happy tune to herself, completely on cloud nine.
The thought of hanging out with her new boyfriend filled her so full of glee, she could barely contain her mirth.
This however, also made her blissfully unaware of the beings watching her from the shadows of a darkened, not often used stairwell.
As she began to pass, two pairs of hands lunged from the darkness to take hold of her.
Covering her mouth to stifle any cry of help she may have made and gripping her by the shoulders, they yanked her into the unknown.
School Cafeteria
Robust sat at his normal seat, an unoccupied table in the back of the lunchroom.
Nobody even thought to go near him as he sat as still as a statue and quiet as a grave.
His gaze was locked onto the door leading into the cafeteria, searching for the blue colored bubbly siren.
His heart thumped in his chest in anticipation as he stared.
The only thing to break his concentration was some Pink poofie hair that popped into his line of sight, up from his periphery.
"Hey there, Robust. Sonata not here yet?"
He finally moved by shaking his head and hummed the negative.
"Huh. That's odd. She's normally one of the first to be in line on 'Taco Tuesday'. I wonder what's keeping her."
Robust looked down to his uneaten lunch and hummed worriedly.
"It'll be fine. She said she would text if something came up, so don't worry."
Just then, Robust's phone vibrated and lit up.
"See, told ya." Pinkie sing-songed next to Robust.
He Picked up and unlocked his phone, which indicated that there was a new text message.
After opening it to read, his eyes went wide, and his throat dried out in shock.
There was a picture of an unconscious Sonata, her hands tied above her head to a support beam with some chains.
Following the picture was a small block of text, which read. 'Come to the abandoned warehouse, ALONE. Or else.'
Robust shot up from his seat, causing the chair he was sitting in to rocket back and crash into the wall behind him with a clatter.
The noise and sudden movement caused the whole lunchroom to freeze, going dead quiet.
He quickly placed the phone into his breast pocket while moving to the nearest exit, not paying any mind to what Pinkie Pie was saying.
With a bang, the doors burst open and slammed against the brick walls behind them.
After reaching the outside, Robust broke into a sprint, heading straight to a tall fence.
While not slowing down in the slightest, he placed a hand on the top of it and leaped over with little effort.
Landing on the sidewalk, Robust began to run once more.
He knew right where the text was talking about, seeing as he passed by it on his way home every day.
He ran with the perfect form of a track star as he side stepped, hurdled and passed anything and anyone in his path.
Soon he was standing in front of his destination, breathing calm and steady as if he hadn't just ran all the way there.
Looking from side to side for any sign of life and coming up with none, he moved to enter the massive building.
Even for him, it was still quite imposing.
Pushing aside the door, he entered into the darkened interior scanning about for Sonata all the while.
His eyes finally caught sight of who he was searching for, still strung up by the wrists and out cold.
Taking a few worried steps toward her, Robust stopped when he saw a shadow move from behind the unconscious Sonata.
"Well. You got here sooner than I expected. No matter. Things will play out just as I planned."
Stepping into the light with a limp, the being was revealed to be the green haired boy from the other day.
"You know, you cracked a bone in my foot and sprained my wrist yesterday. That wasn't very nice of you. Today, I'm going to repay the favor, tenfold."
Robust rolled his eyes and grumbled to himself thinking, 'You did it to yourself, idiot'.
"Of course, I'm not the only one who is looking for some payback."
With a snap of his fingers, the lights flashed on, causing Robust to raise a hand to the blinding light.
As he tried to get his bearings, a sharp pain traveled through his body, making him fall to his knees.
His eyes finally adjusted to the light allowing him to see two of the guys who called him out before.
Both held cattle prods in their grasps, explaining the pain from earlier.
Glancing around the large mostly empty room, he could see the faces of twenty-five other guys from the seniors to freshmen who tried and fail to take him on, all holding a weapon of some sort.
Metal pipes, rebars, crowbars and chains were all in their clutches as the either smiled menacingly or scowled at the downed Robust.
"Now then, this will be a very simple game. All you have to do is come over here and touch the fair maiden, then you will both go free. Oh, but all of these guys will try and stop you of course. What's a game if it has no difficulty to it, right boys?"
Everybody laughed and nodded at their leaders words.
"Okay. Is there anything I'm forgetting?"
The green haired boy brought the palm of his hand to his forehead in a forgetful manner.
"Oh, right. You need your cheerleader."
A boy to his left walked over with a bucket full of water, gripped it with both hands and heaved the contents into Sonata's face.
Sonata sputtered and spat water that made its way into her mouth while she looked about trying to gain her bearings.
She looked up to see her wrists were bound, then around her seeing all the boy's holding weapons, and lastly to Robust who was still kneeling on the ground.
"Robust?! What's going on?!"
The Green haired boy drew close to Sonata and answered.
"Why, we are about to hold a little game and your apart of it. You see he is going to try and come over here and touch you. If he does, you both go free. If not." He chuckled to himself and smiled a sinister grin. "Well, let's just say he won't be doing much of anything if he doesn't."
Sonata squinted as she looked at the green haired boy, as if trying to recall something.
After a short while it seemed a light turned on in her head.
"Hey, I remember you. You're that guy who was hitting on Adagio for a long time. That rich kid. What was it again.... Max Moola or something. But I thought Adagio called you something else. Hmm."
Max spun in place as if trying to speed things along before Sonata could remember.
"Let the game, begin!"
The group charged at Robust, as he moved toward Sonata, only for the two with the cattle prods to stun him once more.
Sonata's eyebrows knitted in worry as she cried out.
"Stop! You're going to kill him!"
Max turned his head back to Sonata.
"Duh, that's the idea."
Her mouth went slack at his nonchalant responds.
"You, you monsters!"
Sonata kicked her feet at the empty space between her and Max.
"Tsk, tsk. we are not the monsters. He is. Nobody could take on this many guys without even a scratch. We are just ridding the world of him. it will be better off without a 'Freak' like him anyway. You should be thanking us. We're saving you the trouble of having to break up with him later."
Max waved a hand in a matter-of-fact way as he turned to watch the beating continue.
To his surprise, Robust did nothing to guard himself in anyway as the boys just pummeled him on all sides.
He just crawled, arm over arm, slowly inching closer to his goal.
Sonata saw this too and stretched out her leg as far as she could, trying to reach her would be hero.
Robust outstretched his arm in an attempt to touch her foot.
Only for the boys to grab his legs and drag him back to where he started.
"No!" Sonata tugged at her restraints in frustration. "You guys are cheating!"
"I only said he had to touch you. That was the only rule set, so how are we cheating?"
Max stated while raising his hands up and shrugging like someone who knew what he was doing was wrong but didn't care in the slightest.
He then chuckled to himself as a sadistic grin grew on his face.
Robust's approach this time was slower than the last.
Bruises and cuts appeared all over his body while blood slowly seeped out.
His white hair gradually turned red because of it.
When he made it back to where he once was before, they once again dragged him backward, much to Sonata's dismay.
"Please, stop this! Please! He doesn't deserve this!"
Her cries fell on deaf ears.
Robust began his slow crawl back to her.
His eyes never leaving hers.
"Come on Freak, you can do it." Max laughed as he mocked the battered and bleeding Robust.
This time they only waited till he was halfway before dragging him back to the start.
Max seemed to laugh louder as Robust barely moved from his spot.
The attacks looked like they were taking its toll on him.
The laughter however died with the utterance of one word.
"Micro."
With that, everything stopped and the air in the room felt like it was sucked out.
Max turned to glare at the strung-up siren.
"Micro Transaction. That's what she called you. Because of your tiny-."
*Slap*
Max cut off Sonata with a slap to the face.
Her eye slammed shut because of the pain, as a handprint slowly formed from the strike.
To Robust, time stood still.
The only things ringing in his ears were the sounds of the slap and the beating of his heart.
He gritted his teeth to the point he thought they would have shattered.
He clenched his fists so tightly, blood squeezed between his fingers.
His heartbeat grew louder and louder in his ears as the world around him began to turn white.
That's when he heard something else.
A very soft, gentle tune that seemed to be calling to him.
After slapping Sonata, Max shook out his hand to try and rid himself of the tingling sensation.
"Never, say that name again in front of me."
A low chuckle could be heard from behind, causing Max to see who it was, only to see all the boys looking away like nothing happened.
He scowled while looking over the group, until something drew his attention back to Sonata.
(Play the song 'Whatever' by Our Lady Peace here)
A voice.
No, A song of some sort, like the melody to a lullaby.
The gentle tune slowly grew from a barely audible whisper till all in the larger space could clearly hear it.
On the last bit of the melody, Sonata held the note for a few seconds longer than the rest.
"What are you-?"
*Smack*
Max's question was cut short when something that sounded like a thunderclap rang out behind him.
*Crack*
It was soon followed by another.
Turning back to the group of boys, Max went bug eyed when he saw Robust standing on his feet, while two of his were out cold on the floor.
Robust had a deep grimace creasing his features.
Slowly, he brought his hand to his face running it upward, slicking his hair back out of the way and uncovering his eyes for all to see.
His icy blue colored eyes glared at all the boy's, who looked on in shock at what was happening.
After looking at all of them, they came to rest on Max, then narrowed down to slits, causing Max to cringe back in fright.
"What are you idiot's doing! Get him!"
Max squeaked out his orders, spurring them into motion.
The ones with the stun batons were the first to move in.
Before they came in contact, Robust grabbed the incoming weapons then yanked them from their grasp.
This made the pair collide into each other with a *bang*, knocking them both out.
He then threw the batons to either side, striking and knocking out two more.
Still, Robust's eyes never left Max Moola.
In fact, his icy stare only seemed to grow colder.
the remaining twenty-one boy's glanced at one another, wondering what to do.
"Get him!" Max shrieked out while pushing one of the bigger guys toward Robust. "He's only one guy, and your armed!
Finish this, now!"
The boy took the momentum from the push to swing the piece of pipe in his hands with all his might.
Robust only raised his arm to block.
When the pipe struck his exposed forearm, a loud *Ping* rang out, followed by the boy letting go of the pipe and shaking his hands.
"Gah! What the Fuck?!" The large boy looked at his hands questioningly, then back to his would-be opponent.
"What are you doing?!" Max Shouted.
The boy looked to the leader of the motley crew and answered. "It, it was like I just hit a steel beam."
That was all the boys could get out before Robust clocked him in the jaw, making the boy drop to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.
The surrounding boy's shook at the sight for a moment, but soon rushed forward as one, perhaps thinking the mob could overwhelm him.
Max took this opportunity to look to his captive songstress.
"What the hell did you do to him?!" Max asked with a bit of panic coloring his words.
Sonata met Max's question with a questioning look of her own, one eye still closed from the slap before.
"What do you mean? I didn't do anything."
"Bullshit! He was on his last leg's just a moment ago, now he's cleaning house like nothing happened! It was because of your song, right?! You did this, right?!" Max drew close to Sonata as he accused her.
Before he got any closer, a body flew between them, skidded to a halt and acted like a small barricade.
it was like a 'line in the sand' as it were, saying 'cross it and see what happens' to Max.
Max turned back to the fight, only to see ten still remaining on their feet.
Robust grabbed one of the approaching guys by the shirt, pulled him toward himself and landed a headbutt to the surprised foe, taking him out of the fight.
After dropping the passed-out body, Robust continued his fight while staring daggers at the one who orchestrated this whole mess.
Two more were grabbed by their heads as they tried to attack him from behind.
Robust then forced them in front, causing them to collide into each other headfirst.
Sonata's voice cut into Max's world of fear.
"I was trying to calm him down."
Max glanced at her with the word 'What' evident on his face.
"I was trying to calm him down." She repeated. "He is enraged because of what you did, not me."
Max's eyes widened at her word's, while Sonata watched Robust come closer.
"You mistook his gentle kindness as a weakness and harmed someone he cares for right in front of him."
Sonata gingerly opened her closed eye and stared right into Max's.
"What did you think would happen after that?"
The sounds of the scuffle from before died with one last *thud* making Max stiffen and a chill run down his spine.
Someone was standing right behind him, and he could feel it.
With quivering breaths, Max slowly looked up, to find Robust staring down on his small form.
Robust's eyes from this angle almost looked like a blue glow emanated from his sockets.
The color in Max's face left him pale like a corpse.
Robust slowly reached down, grab him by the forearm and twisted it behind his back in a chicken wing.
"GAH! You're going to break my arm! Let go!"
He then dragged the unwilling Max over to Sonata, gripped the chain binding her and with the flick of the wrist, broke the metal like it was made of cheap plastic.
After freeing Sonata, Robust gently placed the palm of his hand on the side of her face and caressed her cheek lovingly with his thumb. Sonata beamed happily as she leaned into his touch while moving her hand atop his.
"Oh, good for you. You won. Not like that matters. You think anything is going to change." Max destroyed the lovely mood with his snarky comment and drawing the pairs attention away from each other.
"What do you mean? Clearly all of this happened because of you, and as soon as we tell everybody-."
Sonata's words were interrupted by an outburst of laughter from Max Moola.
"Pfft-ha-ha-ha-ha. And just who do you think is going to believe you? It isn't like either of you have a stellar reputation, and it's your word against mine. Plus, every guy here will take my side if this gets brought to anyone of authority, so your well passed fucked. Ha-ha-Ahhhh!"
Max's laugh of superiority died quickly when Robust nearly snapped his arm like a twig with just a slight twist.
"What? It's true. Besides, it's not like 'you' are going to say anything to the contrary, now are you?" Max riposted to the silent Robust's objections with pained smugness.
To his astonishment, a rumble was heard behind him that drew his vision up to his captor.
"I speak, but only when I need to and only what needs to be said."
Robust glared down at the shocked Max and continued.
"If you ever trouble me, or those I hold dear again-."
He brought his face close to Max as he paled once more and growled lowly while peering into his eyes to show is sincerity.
"I will break your 'everything'."
He emphasized his words by striking the steel beam as hard as he could, making a sound like a hammer on an anvil.
This caused the inch thick steel to buckle and groan from the strain.
After Robust pulled his fist away, Max could see the imprint that Robust's knuckles and fingers left behind like he had just punched into Play-Doh.
Max's eyes rolled into the back of his head in a faint and went limp.
Robust released the unconscious Max to fall to the floor in a heap.
A smell of ammonia made itself known, making both Sonata and Robust look over the downed form of Max, finding a growing damp spot in the crotch of Max's pants.
Grimacing at the sight, Robust stepped over Max and lead Sonata away from him, which she was thankful for.
After they had taken a good distance, Sonata embraced her champion, which he returned in kind.
Even though the hug irritated the injuries he had sustained earlier, Robust paid it no mind and enjoyed the shared warmth with his smaller partner.
This warm feeling was ultimately broken however when a trembling was felt on his front, a moist spot made itself known on his chest and a low sobbing sound reached his ears, causing him to worriedly look down.
Sonata's face was buried deep into his breast as she clung to him as if, if she didn't, he would disappear into mist and vapor.
Slowly, Robust lowered himself to his knees in order to allow Sonata to wreath his neck and shoulders with her arms, which the latter did so with no coaxing required from the former.
She found a new home for her face in the crook of his neck and nestled there.
Scooping her up so she was seated in one arm, he patted her on the back gently to sooth her.
Sadly however, it only seemed to spur on the sobbing.
At a bit of a loss of what to do, Robust began to hum a soft tune.
A tune to which Sonata knew.
This finally helped to calm her enough to be able to speak.
"You have a very nice voice. I wonder what you sound like when you sing." She noted while lifting her face to him, wiping the tears away with a sleeve.
He gave her a soft chuckle and smiled warmly.
"Maybe you could sing for me sometime?" She gave him a hopeful look as she finished cleaning her face.
He leaned in, kissed her on the lips gingerly and spoke as if in a whisper.
"Only for you."
Sonata's face lit up redder than a tomato, while her temperature raised quickly after.
"That's, that's cheating." She quietly scolded him while drawing little hearts on his chest with her index finger.
Robust only chuckled in his throat once more.
"But really, what he said is true. Nobody is going to believe us." She solemnly admitted.
That's when a cheery voice rang out.
"Yes, they will!"
The entrance burst open revealing a group of seven girls.
"Because we got it all recorded and saved. Everything that was said, everything they did, everything to prove their guilt."
Pinkie held aloft her phone that had recorded it all, while light shined in from behind her.
Twilight walked around her 'proud of herself' friend and stopped in front of the stunned pair at the sudden appearance.
"I am truly, very sorry for not coming in to help either of you in your moment of need. if we did, we might not have gotten the proof we need to show your innocence and their guilt. When we were about to step in, you, uh."
Twilight looked about the room to the boys who were still out like a light then continued.
"Took care of them yourself."
"Ah'll say he did." Applejack mused as she carefully approached, stepping over the downed bodies.
"We should see about signing him up to a few sports teams after all this. Maybe something like rugby. He'd be unstoppable for sure!" Rainbow Dash Cheered.
"But first we should wait for the Police and Paramedics to arrive and sort out this mess. Robust might need medical attention, you know." Fluttershy Join in on the talks. "We called them as soon as we saw that all the boys were armed and meant to do harm. They should be here any-."
A faint high-pitched whine could be heard coming closer at a great rate of speed, proving what Fluttershy had said was true.
"I'll Stand by the road to flag them down and fill them in to the situation." Sunset Shimmer volunteered while she turned to walk back outside.
"And I'll Join you, Darling." Rarity followed close behind out the door.
As the noise and flashing light drew closer, Robust's eyes seemed to grow heavier and his arms felt like they had no strength left in them, slowly losing his grip on the girl in his arms. to which she took notice.
"Rob? Robust?! What's the matter?!" She clung to his large frame as he went slack and helped him to lay down.
"Tired... Need a... Little rest..."
"Come on babe. you can't fall asleep till after the medic's take a look at you. You could be more hurt than you think." Sonata pleaded with him as she caressed the side of his face.
"Just a..... Little...." And those were the last words Robust spoke before slipping into the world of unconsciousness. |
A Silent Melody | Diva & Divo Climax | *Beep*
A Noise that almost seemed far away made itself known to Robust, calling him to the land of the living.
*Beep*
It became clearer as he tried to open his eyes, only to close them once again when he felt waves of pain wash over his battered body.
*Beep*
He let out a quite grown while slowly closing his hand's, only to feel something soft and warm in the grasp of his left one.
*Beep*
Attempt number two of opening his eyes proved to be more successful, allowing him to look down to what it could possibly be.
*Beep*
There, half sitting in a chair, while resting her upper half on the hospital bed and holding his hand as she slept, was Sonata.
*Beep*
Her gentle breaths and cute sleeping face made Robust grin slightly while squeezing her hand tenderly.
*Beep*
This caused Sonata to stir from her slumber, then yawn while rubbing the sleep from her eyes with her free hand. In a sleepy voice she asked, "What time is it? When did I fall asleep?"
*Beep*
Robust ran his thumb over the back of her hand softly, feeling the smoothness of her skin and warmth of her person.
*Beep*
Sonata looked to the appendage caressing her, then followed the arm up to Robust's face.
*Beep*
Upon seeing the tired yet happy grin on his face, she shared the feelings while squeezing his hand in return.
*Beep*
"Hey there big fella. Good morning." She stood up from her seat, drew close to his mostly prone form and placed a small kiss on his forehead.
*Beep-Beep*
After taking her seat once more after sliding it a tad closer, she asked. "How are you feeling?"
*Beep*
Robust tried to move, only causing a grimace and groan to be emitted from the soreness that seemed to cover the whole of his body.
*Beep*
"Don't force yourself to get up. Just lay back and relax." She stated while giving a worried look to her wounded benefactor.
*Beep*
Robust did as she asked, resting his head on the pillow. He hummed questioningly with a worried look.
Sonata lifted his hand, brought it to her face, and placed a small kiss on it lovingly. "I'm just fine now that you're awake. After you passed out, the paramedics brought you to the hospital and the doctors looked you over. They said apart from some minor cuts and bruising, you should be alright. You probably only passed out because of the physical strain your body had went through was all."
Robust hummed sweetly, while he cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand.
"I'm glad you're safe." he said in a soft tone of voice.
He gently pulled her toward himself.
"And that you're here when I woke up, So I can do this now."
He then kissed her delicately on the lips, much to her surprise.
He held it for a few moments, then pulled away slightly.
After flicking the hair out of his face, he looked her in the eyes and smiled sweetly.
As he gazed deeply into her dark magenta-colored limpid pools, a soft "Awe." was heard to his right.
Robust noticed the lack of that beeping noise from when he woke up as well.
With the speed of a glacier, he turned to the source and froze when he saw three pairs of eyes looking back at him.
Pinkie Pie was seated next to the heart monitor that wasn't making a sound.
She rubbed the back of her neck and grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry. I was a little bored and was making that *beep* sound while we waited for you to wake up. Then when you did, you started to build such a good mood with Sonata, that I didn't have the chance to let you know I was here also. Again, sorry."
She stuck her tongue out and winked while bonking the side of her head in apology.
The other two in the room were Sonata's sisters, Adagio and Aria, a bit taken aback at the sight of his sweet gestures toward Sonata.
Especially after watching the video of that same person laying a beat down on a group of guys for striking their sister.
Now his eyes were uncovered and looking right at them.
Those icy blue orbs took in the silent sirens as they stared back at him.
Letting go of his newly acquired girlfriend, he brushed his bangs back down to obscure the sight.
Sonata squeezed his hand gently, bringing his attention back to her.
"It's alright. They're not mad at you or anything. In fact, they were worried about you like I was."
Robust glanced back to her sister's and they nodded.
"Yeah, we wanted to thank you for saving our sister in her time of need." Aria spoke while crossing her arms under her chest.
"And for beating the shit out of all of them for taking her. I would have done more to Micro but having him piss himself in fear is pretty good too." Adagio added.
"It's nice to know there is someone we can count on to watch out for Sonata when she's not with us." They both said with a bit of a wry smile creasing their faces.
"Oh come on. I don't get in that much trouble when I'm by myself." Sonata shot the two a glare.
"What about the time we came home to you, naked, covered from head to toe in frosting because somebody told you it was good for your skin?" Adagio ask while she pointed her index finger at the youngest siren.
"Or the time you somehow got your hair caught in the ice cream freezer at the Quick Stop and the fire department got called?" Aria mirrored Adagio's posture.
Sonata looked away and pouted. "That was a long time ago. Can't you guys just forget about that stuff?"
"That was last week." They both stated in a monotone voice.
Sonata pouted even harder. "Okay, okay, fine. Jeez."
Robust gave her a reassuring pat on her hand and hum to let her know he was on her side.
She rested her hand on his with a weak smile. "Thanks' Rob."
A knock came from the open door, causing everyone to turn and look.
"Hope I'm not interrupting anything." Nurse Redheart stepped into the room smiling all the while.
"No, it's fine. Come in." Sonata waved her in.
Nurse Redheart did so and began to check on Robust's recovery.
"Everything looks like it's alright. You didn't have a concussion thankfully, or any broken bones. Apart from the small cuts and bruising, you are a perfectly healthy young man. Do you have any concerns or questions for me?"
Robust shook his head slowly.
"Alright then. I'll go get the paperwork together for you to get discharged today then." Nurse Redheart beamed a bright smile, then turned and walked out of the room.
"Um." Sonata Looked up to Robust a tad shyly. "After you get released, do you think you could spend the night over at our place. I, I don't want to be alone tonight."
Robust blinked owlishly for a moment then looked to the nearby end table where his phone was resting.
After unlocking it, he motioned her close and took a selfie with her.
He then typed and sent a brief message to someone.
Shortly after a response pinged back.
He sent a reply, then turned the phone so Sonata could read it.
Robust: I'm going to be spending the night at my girlfriend's place tonight, alright?
Mom: Okay. Be on your best behavior. Love you, Roo. Also, bring her around the house sometime. I'd love to meet her.
Robust: Thanks. I will. Love you too, mom. See you tomorrow.
Sonata grew an excited grin while giggling.
"Roo? Is that what your mom calls you?"
He shrugged while nodding.
He loved his mother and knew that was just her pet name for him out of love.
She chuckled a few times. "Maybe I'll call you that sometimes too."
Robust only returned the laugh as he placed his phone back on the table.
One Hospital Discharge and Cab Ride Later
The lock to the Dazzlings apartment clicked open allowing the door to swing inward and grant entrance to the small group.
The two elder sirens lead the way, followed by Sonata and the injured Robust.
"Just a little bit longer and you can lay down. We'll head into my room so you can get comfortable."
Robust hummed in understanding as he rested a hand on her shoulder, aiding him in walking through the living room.
It was, for the most part, only to keep him steady rather than any actual support.
They slowly moved along to Sonata's sanctuary.
She made short work of opening the door, then flicked on the light.
Upon entering the room, Robust took in the sights of the interior.
Posters, pictures and magazine clippings of underwater scenes, tropical fish as well as reefs lined all four walls.
There were also a few fliers from the battle of the bands, a Paco's Taco's ad as well as a few snap shots of Sonata and her sisters.
He looked too and frow in a quick fashion as he was led to the queen size bed.
Once reached, Robust slowly lowered his backside to the beds edge.
Sonata aided him as best she could to rest atop of her comforter, before she patted his hand and grinned warmly.
"There we go. Now then, you just get comfy while I get ready for bed. I won't be long."
Sonata leaned in and gave a chased kiss to Robust's lips, then skipped to her dresser, retrieved a change of clothes and disappeared out the door.
Robust heard a door shut and the sound of running water shortly after, indicating where she had gone to.
Blinking at the speed at which Sonata had retreated for a moment, he turned his attention back to the surroundings.
It felt as though, if the lighting in the room was just right, it would give off the feeling that one was under water.
True the fish in the images were unmoving, but it was a serene environment.
As calm and tranquil as a wave-less, placid sea.
Robust notice that he had been zoning out for a bit too long, and so decided to do as she asked and removed his jacket.
He tossed it on a nearby chair, then moved to unbutton his shirt.
After only undoing the first few buttons however, the sound of running water ceased, the bathroom door clicked open, and Sonata returned in a whorl of steam emanating from her body as she dried her hair with a towel.
She wore a lose fitting T-shirt and silken shorts that clung to her moistened skin.
Robust sat wordlessly, staring at Sonata as if she was a goddess of the sea who had come up from the depths and graced him with her beauty.
Sonata continued to dry her hair without notice to the stunned silent figure that took up residents on her bed.
After she had removed a satisfactory amount of moisture from her silky locks, she let it fall limply on the right side of her face.
The sight of this ravishing girl who stood before him caused Robust to gulp audibly, finally catching the attention of his Venus.
Smiling warmly at her gob smacked audience, Sonata drew closer to Robust then placed a hand on his cheek.
"What? Something catch your eye babe?"
She planted another chased kiss on his lips with a grin.
The word that escaped his lips were without thought but came from the heart.
"Gorgeous."
Both hers and his eyes grew wide at his utterance while he slammed his mouth shut in surprise.
After a second or two, Sonata had a grin slowly spread across her face.
She brushed Robust's hair aside and locked her gaze with him, causing him to blush.
"For someone that is so quiet, you're quite the sweet talker."
Her smile softened as her eyes grew sultry.
She leaned in, then pressed her lips to his in a passionate kiss.
He felt her hot breath pass over the skin on his face as she let out a low contented hum.
The softness of her lips was intoxicating.
Sonata kept her lips planted on his as she slid her leg over his middle, allowing her to straddle him comfortably.
After what felt like a blissful eternity of the heavenly kissing, he felt something wet poke into his lips.
It caressed his oral opening seeking entrance to which he gladly granted.
Once admitted in, Sonata's tongue slid inside then made contact with his.
Their wet muscles massaged each other lovingly, one not looking to dominate the other, but like a pair of dancers performing a delicate waltz.
A soft moan escaped Sonata's throat as she cupped the side of Robust's face.
He ran a hand along her shoulder, down to the small of her back, and steadily brought her closer to himself.
Withdrawing after a minute or two, Sonata peck Robust's lips once more before sitting upright on top of his stomach.
She licked her lips sensually while letting out an audible smack as she evaluated the taste.
"Mm. Yummy. I'm going to need seconds on that." She cooed dreamily.
Robust gazed lovingly up at his partner as she sat atop of him, to which she returned with a smile and wink.
"But first, if you don't mind." She scooted down his torso, then after reaching a more comfortable spot laid herself down.
In her new position, Sonata's head rested on his chest, ear over his heart.
"I'd like to be close to you for." She let out a soft yawn, then continued. "Just a little bit." her voice grew quiet at that last part, as she snuggled in, hugging him close.
Robust rubbed her back gingerly while breathing steadily.
Soft breathes could be heard coming below his chin.
He fought the urge to chuckle for fear of waking the napping girl.
He looked up to the sealing and let his mind wander.
For some reason or another, a thought crept into Robust's mind.
"Maybe you could sing for me sometime?" Sonata's question reverberated inside his mind.
Robust pondered the question.
Not so much about why she asked, because it wasn't as if he wouldn't, rather it was what would be a good song to sing for her.
Something with feeling in it, maybe?
A song came to the forefront of the stage of his mind.
One he remembered his father sang to his mother a long time ago.
He wet his lips as the words came to him and began to sing softly.
"This magic moment, so different and so new was like any other, until I kissed you."
He closed his eyes and concentrated on remembering how the song went.
"And then it happened, it took me by surprise, I knew that you felt it too, by the look in your eyes."
He rubbed her back absentmindedly as the words came from his mouth.
"Sweeter than wine. Softer than the summer night. Everything I want, I have. whenever I hold you tight."
Being too caught up in his singing, he didn't feel the girl on his chest lift her head up slowly to look at him.
"This magic moment, while your lips are close to mine, will last forever. Forever 'till the end of time."
He finally felt something grip his chest, causing him to look down.
What he saw was Sonata, biting the corner of her lower lip as tears welled up in her eyes looking back up at him.
Robust thought maybe he had done something wrong.
"I'm sor-MPH!"
Before he could finish speaking to the blue hued girl, she pushed herself forward and smashed her mouth to his in a moment of burning lust.
The flames of passion had grown from a small flame to a roaring bonfire thanks to Robust's love song.
She peppered his face then neck with kisses, which turn to love bites, as her breathing grew labored and ragged.
Sonata pressed herself against him, as if the act could fuse them together.
After a moment however, it seemed she had grown more and more frustrated at the lack of something.
Sitting up quickly, she ripped her night shirt off faster than a pit-crew member could change a tire, leaving her chest bare to the dumbfounded Robust.
He could have sworn he could hear an anime style "Wow." fill his ears right then.
She was absolutely breathtaking.
Reaching down, she clasped one of his hand's then brought it to her breast.
Sonata let out a satisfied moan as she gave a longing look to the newly befuddled Robust, because of this wonderful new feeling.
"Touch me, please. I can't calm down at all."
Holy crap, this has jumped past a few levels!
Robust gazed up to the girl seated on him, kneading her breast with his hand, her hand over his.
All of the stimulation had an effect of causing his manhood to make itself known, pressing into Sonata's crotch.
She let out a blissful "Ah!" before glancing down at the cause of the wonderful feeling.
Her eyes grew wide at the massive protrusion that tented his pants and had pressed on her undercarriage just right.
Turning back to Robust, his face had turned beet red in embarrassment.
After releasing his hand, she moved to free his member from its blue jean prison.
Unbuckling, followed by unzipping his pants, the siren gave the no longer needed garments a yank downward.
With a little help of Robust lifting his hips, she revealed his 'cash and prizes' to fresh air, full view of Sonata.
A massive pillar, to which she had never seen before, stood tall and proud right in front of her face.
Her eyes grew wide in shock for a moment, before shifting into a more lascivious grin while saying, "Oh, My."
Sitting in the living room, enjoying a stupid 'so bad its good' movie on television, the two elder sirens' ate hand fulls of popcorn.
A man opened a door leading to a rooftop while saying, "I did not hit her! It's not true! It's BULLSHIT. I did not hit her! I did not!"
The man threw a water bottle to the ground. He then turned slightly to the right and without pause said, "Oh hi mark."
Aria cackled with laughter at the poor line delivery.
"Man, this is way better than half the crap being shoveled out to the theaters now a days. Most of them are some BS remake, too."
Adagio wiped a tear from her eye nodding.
"I know, right. I'd take this over whatever the hell 'cartoon turned live action' cash grab they throw out."
After they calmed down a bit from there laughing fit, Aria looked over her shoulder to Sonata's bedroom.
"Hey Adagio, do you think their going to be alright alone together?"
Adagio rolled her eyes and scoffed.
"Oh pul-ease. Sonata's too much of an airhead to do anything like that, and he's not the type to force himself on her. I'd bet their relationship will be like one of those rom-com anime's where the protagonist can't even get so much as a kiss till last episode of the third season. And that's if he's lucky."
Suddenly, a sound came from behind them.
It was only for a second, but it was a loud "AH!" for sure.
The two looked at each other with a raised eyebrow.
Aria reached for the remote and pressed the Mute button, bringing the room to silence.
After a few seconds, a longer "Ah!" was heard, followed by a "Mphft!" at the end.
Silence once more.
Then there came a creaking sound, like someone bouncing on a bed along with groans of pleasure.
The creaking sound started off at a slow steady pace, but steadily, the tempo went up as well as the moaning until.
A song came from behind the door.
A beautiful, other worldly song sung by what could only be thought of as an angel from heaven.
♪"Ah! Sweet mystery of life, at last I found thee! Ah! At last, I know the secret of it all; All the longing, seeking, striving, waiting, yearning; The idle hopes, the joy and burning tears that fall!"♫
Aria and Adagio's eyes grew wide, and mouths slackened, threatening to hit the floor.
The song continued.
♪"For 'tis love, and love alone, the world is seeking; And 'tis love, and love alone, Ive waited for! And my heart has heard the answer to its calling, for it is love that rules for-ever-more!"♫
Aria was about to ask, 'What the fuck was that?' but was cut off by a more masculine voice reply back.
♪"Ah! Sweet mystery of life, at last I found thee! Ah! At last, I know the secret of it all; All the longing, seeking, striving, waiting, yearning; The idle hopes, the joy and burning tears that fall!"♫
The two Joined in harmony on the last verse, perfectly matching one another.
♪"For 'tis love, and love alone, the world is seeking; And 'tis love, and love alone, I've waited for! And my heart has heard the answer to its calling, for it is love that rules for-ever-more!"♫
Then just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped, along with that creaking.
The silence was deafening as the two elder sirens pieced together in their minds what had just transpired in the last few minutes.
Finally, Aria closed her mouth, then spoke.
"Can I still take that bet?"
Sonata clung naked to Robust, panting and gasping for air, with a smile on her face filled with love and satisfaction.
Robust held the girl in kind with the same look plastered on his face.
Well. That was a thing that just happened.
They basked in the afterglow of their becoming one with each other, when he had a very important thought jump to the forefront.
After licking his parched lips, he spoke.
"Sonata."
The girl in question turned her head and smiled up at him, too tired to get up.
"Yes?"
He peered deep into her eyes, then stated the words that had seared itself into his very soul.
"I love you, Sonata."
Those eyes lit up brighter than a Christmas tree in the blackest of nights.
She squirmed on top of him, drew close then planted her lips on his once more.
After pulling away, she gave a love filled smile.
"I love you too, Robust."
Their heart's beat as one while they held onto each other, falling asleep to dream of what would come in the future. |
Post-Traumatic | pre | "Was it like that for you?" Rarity asked.
Fluttershy screwed up her muzzle in concentration. "Well," she said, "I felt really drained. As if I'd been flying all day; completely exhausted my wings. I think that taking our Cutie Marks also took most of our magic, of all sorts -- I couldn't use any of my other special abilities -- I could just barely sense emotions, and I don't think I could have Stared anypony to save my life.
"I knew that Starlight had weakened all of us," Fluttershy continued, "but I didn't understand what she'd done until I tried to talk to that bird -- and I couldn't. I realized that she hadn't just drained my magic and taken my Cutie Mark -- she'd taken my Talent as well."
"How did that make you feel?" Rarity asked. It was obvious to her that Fluttershy, like herself, had wanted to talk about this for a while. It had been one topic of conversation they had studiously avoided on the ride back.
"At first, sad," said Fluttershy. "Talking with animals is one of the things that gives me the most joy in life. My animals are my friends. I love them, and they love me in return. They'd probably still like me, even if I couldn't talk with them, but I'd never know again for certain what they wanted to communicate. I knew that if I couldn't get my Cutie Mark back, I'd never be able to talk with my friends again!"
Her jaw firmed. "And then, I got mad." Her brows lowered. "We never asked to join Our Town -- we had just traveled there to see if they needed any help. We never told Starlight Glimmer that it was okay to take our Cutie Marks. She just decided everything for us, and she took something very special from me without even knowing what it was, because she'd decided to reduce me to her idea of what a Pony should be. And that I had to accept it, just because her magic was stronger and I couldn't stop her.
"She had a whole complex philosophy, I found out later -- more than just what was on those records she was playing, she talked to me about it in detail when I was over at her house -- but she was really just being a bully. I hate bullies," Fluttershy said. "It was at that moment, when I realized of what she'd robbed me, that I decided that I owed her no honesty -- that it was all right to betray her." Fluttershy turned troubled eyes on her friend. "Did I make the right choice?"
"Fluttershy," Rarity said firmly. "Starlight Glimmer ambushed and imprisoned us. She did not use us honestly, and we were not bound in honor to treat her any better."
"I know," said Fluttershy, regretfully. "But I want to be nice ..."
"Nice, yes," said Rarity, "and you are once of the nicest Ponies I have ever known. But remember the rest of what you explained to me about the way to be nice and still win the game -- 'and tit for tat.'" At Fluttershy's startled expression, Rarity laughed. "Oh, I have paid attention to your discusssions of Game Theory. And what happened to Starlight Glimmer was a textbook case why one should not enter a game planning to play nasty. If she hadn't attacked us, she would very likely today be still ruling her horrid little town."
Fluttershy thought about it. "I guess you're right," she said, "in terms of Game Theory. Though at the time, I was just angry. And worried about what might happen."
"You mean if we didn't get our Cutie Marks back?" Rarity asked.
"That, too," Fluttershy admitted. "But mostly what would have happened to Starlight Glimmer and her followers."
"Happened?" asked Rarity. "I'm sorry ... I'm not sure what you mean ..."
"When I didn't show up for my weekly tea ..." Fluttershy said.
"Eh?" asked Rarity.
"... with Discord," Fluttershy finished.
"Oh," said Rarity. Then "Oh!" as the full implications hit her.
"Yes," said Fluttershy. "Discord and I have been getting, well, closer," she explained, "and I fear he would have been quite cross with the Ponies of Our Town. He might have ... over-reacted."
Rarity shuddered at the thought of Discord, over-reacting. "It's probably for the best that her own Ponies overthrew her, then," Rarity commented. "So, how do you feel about it now that it's over?"
"Glad that it's over," Fluttershy said. "It was unpleasant. And scary."
"Scary?" asked Rarity. "For me that's too mild a description. It was my worst nightmares, come true. Rather, to be more precise, it was the exact situation that my worst Nightmare came into being in a misguided attempt to avoid.
"No beauty," Rarity explained, her voice flat and toneless. "Nothing fabulous, not ever again. No achievements -- no point even trying. No grand passions, no brilliant match. If I was lucky, a very ordinary marriage, perhaps blessed by foals ..."
"Actually," Fluttershy interjected, "Starlight Glimmer was undecided between arranged marriages and temporarily-assigned breeding partners in her plans for a Society of Sameness."
Rarity stared at her in surprise.
"You see," Fluttershy explained, "Starlight felt that some of the most painful and emotionally-destructive competitions were those between mares for husbands. So she wanted to do away with marriage entirely, but she ran into the problem that -- with no marriages -- there might not be a next generation.
"At first, she tried to have everypony mate at random, but most of the mares and even some of the stallions balked at this. Then she thought about arranging marriages, but if she did that without asking the Ponies she wanted to have marry each other, they were upset; if she asked them, then they would just be competing for husbands and wives again. And, under the sameness, most of them really didn't want to mate all that much anyway. So she never really solved the problem."
Rarity's mouth gaped slightly open in shock. "But -- all those foals --"
"Some of them were born before their mothers joined Our Town," replied Fluttershy. "Others -- most of the mares didn't want to mate at random, but some were just fine with it, or didn't mind enough to stand up to Starlight on the issue. And of course they were mating on their cycles -- the point was to get pregnant."
"Ugh," said Rarity. "Also, ugh. Those poor mares -- those poor foals. How could they bear living under such a custom?"
Fluttershy nodded. "It horrified me, too." She looked directly at Rarity. "I know what it's like to grow up fatherless. And just because I'm in love with more than one being doesn't mean that I'm willing to ... with just anyone."
"Oh," Rarity replied, remembering that the mare to whom she was speaking was a bastard, and had known it since she was old enough to grasp the very concept of illegitimacy. "Oh, Fluttershy. I didn't mean --"
"I know," said Fluttershy. "I wasn't offended. And it's different for those foals than it was for me. They haven't been born to a proud and ancient family, rejected for their birth. There's a whole generation of them in Our Town. They'll be each others' friends."
"Did their parents love one another?" Rarity wondered. "Could Ponies love each other under such a cold system?"
"Mostly, they were apathetic, and afraid," Fluttershy said. "But there was some love in Our Town. Party Favor, Sugar Belle and Night Glider were all very good friends -- and I think that Party Favor and Sugar Belle felt even more for one another. And Double Diamond ..." Fluttershy's face grew sad. "... I wish he hadn't been the one who needed to lead the rebellion."
"Why?" asked Rarity.
"Because he and Starlight Glimmer loved one another," Fluttershy explained.
Rarity's eyes widened. "But I thought she disapproved of voluntary ..."
"She did," Fluttershy continued. "It didn't change how they felt. Though they didn't seem very happy -- I think because she had to keep her secret from him, and follow her own philosophy." Her ears drooped. "I don't think they love each other very much now."
Rarity considered the point. "No," she said, "I don't suppose they would." She sighed. "It's sad to think of love shattered like that. But it's very hard for me to feel much sympathy for Starlight Glimmer, all things considered."
"Because she hurt us?" Fluttershy's tone was unusually challenging.
"I suppose," said Rarity, lowering her head and pursing up her lips. "Because she hurt me. Because she caused me to hurt ..." she winced, closed her eyes.
"Hurt whom?"
Rarity opened her eyes, looked up and away. "Do you know what I think the most beautiful thing in all the world?" she asked Fluttershy.
Fluttershy shook her head.
"More of a 'who,' really," said Rarity.
Fluttershy's eyes widened.
"He's beautiful, on the outside and within. Have you ever noticed how the sunlight iridesces off his scales? It's as if he's wearing a suit of gemstones, but infinitely finer and more subtly-colored than the most valuable gems I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot of gems in my life," Rarity added. "His eyes are so alert and alive. The way he turns his head in that sudden way -- almost like a bird's, but in his gaze there's such intelligence! He's small, but have you ever held him? He's rock-hard with muscles, he's stronger than most full-grown stallions, and someday he'll be truly mighty ."
Fluttershy nodded.
"If it were just how he looked, I could just, oh I don't know, put him on a pedestal and have him decorate the boutique," Rarity laughed at the thought. "But he's also so good. He's like a Canterlot prince in Dragon form, or rather like what I thought Canterlot princes were like before I actually met one. He's brave, and honorable, kind and uncomplaining. And his mind -- Fluttershy, he's brilliant! He understands everything you tell him, and you don't need to tell him more than once. He's picked up half my business skills just by hanging around and helping me with odd jobs. He doesn't even realize how intelligent he is, because he spends most of his time in Twilight's shadow, and she's one of a kind. He's incredible ..." Her eyes shone with admiration at the thought of him.
"You really do love Spike," Fluttershy said.
"Of course I love him!" said Rarity. "Who wouldn't?"
"Most mares couldn't see past his species ..."
"Pshaw!" said Rarity, waving a hoof dismissively at such shallow Ponies. "Well, at first ... yes, I thought it was impossible. But then I did some ... ahem, research ..." She didn't want to explain the exact nature, or the reasons, for this research, but she greatly feared that Fluttershy, with her wide-ranging knowledge of biology, already had an embarrassingly-accurate estimation of her motives. "Did you know that there's even a name for the children of a Dragon and a Pony? They're called ki-rin. They're all the rage in East Neighsia ..."
Fluttershy nodded. "And his age?" she asked.
"Hmm, yes, well there's the real problem," replied Rarity. "I could never make my mind up about that. I know he was hatched almost fifteen years ago, so if he were a Pony he'd be full-adolescent by now, almost a stallion. He's obviously not a 'baby' as Twilight keeps calling him, he's too intelligent and, um, emotionally-advanced." She did not want to go into details about Spike's emotional advancement, or on what precise basis she made this judgement -- she felt her cheeks begin to burn as she even considered the issue. "I think that he's in some sort of late childhood or early adolescence, but he doesn't seem to be growing as fast as he should. I'm not sure why."
"Not a lot is known about the details of the Dragon life cycle," Fluttershy said. "They don't like to talk about it. The Dragons, I mean. I think they don't want to reveal potential vulnerabilities."
"So I'm not sure how to treat him," Rarity said. "If he really were a baby, I'd never ... I mean ... it would be impossible. Even if he were a normal Pony colt of Sweetie's age. But he's not -- how can I treat him as if he were just a colt when he sometimes acts so mature? But I know he's not a normal Dragon adolescent, let alone adult -- I've seen adult Dragons, they're immense. Even the adolescents, like Luna's friend Fischfootur, are bigger than Big Mac." She sighed. "I don't really know what Spike is. But I know that, whatever he is, I love him."
"Have you told him?" asked Fluttershy.
"He has to know," said Rarity. "Isn't it obvious, from the way I treat him? He's my best friend -- along with you, of course. My assistant, my confidante. There's certainly no male creature I trust more than Spike. I -- I've become so used to having him at my side. I don't know what I'd do if he didn't want to be with me any more." Her ears drooped. "And of course I've made a huge mess of things."
"How have you done that?"
"When I came back to Ponyville, I was incredibly happy to be back, to see everything again, and see its beauty. When I saw Spike, I was overwhelmed by his beauty. I just wanted to hold him and kiss him ... and I behaved like a mad lovestruck fool, right directly to him and in front of everypony else. I ... you know, I nearly kissed him right on the lips."
Fluttershy looked at Rarity oddly. "Um, that's hardly terrible."
"I've never done that before, not with him," Rarity said. "I've been avoiding it, because when I start doing that I'm admitting to him, to myself, and to everypony that I'm in love with him. Such a first kiss has to be romantic and special. Not something one does on impulse in a spring drizzle in front of everypony."
"I wasn't aware that it was that complex," replied Fluttershy.
"I wasn't ready for that," Rarity said. "I'm -- he's still too young. He's not yet fifteen, and he looks younger than his true age. I'd be a wicked old temptress, seducing an innocent little colt. And he is innocent, in so many ways -- far more than I was at fifteen. He's almost as innocent as Sweetie Belle." She sighed. "I was going to wait at least another year. Maybe two. I didn't expect what would happen when I lost my aesthetic sense -- and then got it back."
"Maybe it's better this way," Fluttershy pointed out. "If you waited too long, he might have fallen in love with somepony else."
"Spike?" asked Rarity. "Well yes, of course he could -- that's one of the reasons I've feared it might never work. The other reason, of course, being that I might fall for somepony else." She smiled wryly at Fluttershy's look of surprise. "Oh, darling, I know my own flaws. Believe me, I know my own flaws." She frowned. "I wonder who he might fall for?"
Fluttershy remained silent. Rarity could tell from the conversational patterns that Fluttershy had a very good idea of whom Spike might fall for, and thinking about it, Rarity had the same idea. Rather than risk a sororial rupture over an event that had not in fact yet happened, she decided not to make it real to herself by either dwelling on the thought or asking Fluttershy to speak it aloud.
"Never mind about that," said Rarity. "It doesn't matter now. The fact is that I've blown it."
"How have you blown it?" asked Fluttershy.
"Fluttershy, did you see the look on Spike's face when I was about to kiss him? He was frightened of me. I showed him my true self -- the self I keep hidden under my mask of manners and decorum -- the randy, selfish little filly who just wants pleasure, regardless of the consequences. And he was repulsed by what he saw." Rarity lowered her head, let her mane hang down in a manner which -- had it been a bit longer -- might have covered her face in a gesture more characteristic of Fluttershy than of herself. "As well he should be," Rarity finished her statement in a tone like death. "I am not a good Pony."
Fluttershy stared at Rarity in what looked very much like disbelief.
"Rarity," she said. "Spike wasn't afraid of you. He was afraid for you."
The words penetrated Rarity's depression. "Eh?" she asked. "Do you really think so?"
"Yes," said Fluttershy firmly. "He knew you'd been off on an important mission, you came back acting very strange, and he was worried about you."
"He was?" Rarity asked. "Wait, you're just trying to cheer me up. I know how your empathy works. You can sense love, and of what sort, and that's about it, isn't it?"
"Yes, that's about it," replied Fluttershy. "But I'm not stupid. I can figure out things from what kind of love I sense, and when I sense it. For instance, I've known for a very long time that you love Spike. And that Spike loves you."
"Well of course, darling," said Rarity. "His crush on me has always been obvious. And he did love me -- until I ruined it all by acting like a madmare ..."
"No," said Fluttershy, very firmly, and with an undertone of anger.
"Fluttershy ...?" Rarity was genuinely alarmed. She'd rarely seen her friend this worked up about anything, and some of the few times she had seen her like this, it had been the precursor to The Stare.
"I'm sick and tired of seeing you torment yourself over a stupid little mistake," Fluttershy said, her voice almost breaking into a shout at points. "Spike loves you. Present tense. He always will love you. Future tense. In my whole life as an empathic emotivore, I've rarely tasted any romantic love as pure and strong as that Spike has for you. It's even stronger than the love you have for him, and that's pretty strong. He was still loving you when you started hugging and kissing him. When you acted crazy, it stopped being tinged with lust and switched to protectiveness, because he was afraid for you. You haven't lost his love. Not by a long shot. Do. You. Understand?" Stray flickers of The Stare played about the edges of her eyes, but so far Fluttershy was reining it in from full awakening.
"Oh," said Rarity. Her momentary fear turned to gladness. "Oh, Fluttershy. Thank you!" She reached out and hugged her friend tightly. "I've been a fool," she babbled. "If it's true love, then a little mistake wouldn't destroy it. You're right! Thank you!"
"Mmph," said Fluttershy. "Um, you're welcome." Her voice was once again mild. "I'm glad I could be of help. Um, you're kind of crushing me."
"I'm sorry," said Rarity. She smiled at Fluttershy, and they both laughed. "So you think that it could work in the long run?"
"I don't know," said Fluttershy. "I'm the wrong Pony to ask, if you're looking for 'normal.' I'm in love with more than one person, and one of the people I love isn't any more a Pony than is Spike. I was raised by a lunatic who thought Dragons were going to come eat us all. My sanity is shaky and my morality a work in progress.
"But, if Love has any power at all -- I think you and Spike have a chance," said Fluttershy. "At least a chance."
"I can work with that," said Rarity.
She was an expert with improvisations. |
Post-Traumatic | Chapter 7: Cupcakes and Culpability | Finally, Twilight had completed her researches, or as much of them as she could without access to the Restricted Section of the Library at the Palace of Canterlot. She expected that, eventually, she would have to go there as well -- it would be nice to see Adamant and Westwood again. She would not be at all surprised to discover that one or more of Starlight Glimmer's early projects, perhaps undertaken when Starlight was still Celestia's student, had been stamped with a WCP code number and placed in containment.
Twilight never noticed any such before, when she had interned with the Night Watch, but then not even she was influential, curious or reckless enough to actually examine every single Restricted Object. Some of them, after all, activated upon perusal, or contained serious memetic toxins. By the nature of things, dark magic was inherently dangerous. It was best to deal with most of the Restricted Objects at second hand, by report from Night Watch officers and researchers who carefully restricted their individual exposures to these banes.
So, Twilight Sparkle used as her sources primarily the school yearbooks, the Junior Achievers' Biographical Dictionary, and the back issues of the Canterlot newspapers (which those journals had kindly supplied her castle library) to construct her profile of Starlight Glimmer, which she appended to the portions of the report she had written on the train. She might have done this quite rapidly, were not Twilight -- as always -- a perfectionist: she insisted on cross-checking and cross-referencing as much as possible.
Neverthless, in a few hours the report was almost completed, and Twilight had assembled a fairly complete outline of the life of Starlight Glimmer; or at least of those portions of it which had come to attention in the public record. Which -- given that she had taken the dark and dangerous road of warlockry -- was obviously far from the whole story. Twilight Sparkle herself had chosen a far brighter course, and yet any biography of her drawn from such superficial sources would have missed so many important details of her life as to enable the writing of a whole series, with the occasional adventure books expanding considerably upon the public record, and the remainder composed of amusing comedic tales.
Twilight herself was well aware of the dangers of presuming too much on the basis of incomplete information; she said so explicitly more than once in her report. Nevertheless, her researches suggested some obvious starting points from which the Night Watch might begin their investigations.
Starlight Glimmer had been born to a in an affluent quarter of Fillydelphia to a minor branch of the vast Light Clan, a very distant cousin of Twilight Sparkle's mother Twilight Velvet, on October 21st, the Year of Harmony 1462; she was thus now forty-two years of age -- almost exactly as old as Twilight Sparkle had estimated. She had excelled in primary school, and her combination of high intelligence and great magical potential had earned her a scholarship to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. At her entrance examinations, she had not merely cast a perfect dermosigmatic divination upon Inkwell, who had made herself available for this purpose, but also gained her own Cutie Mark and revealed the Marks of two other foals, indicating an extraordinary aptitude for dermosignomancy: the magic of understanding and aiding the expression of Cutie Marks.
Twilight Sparkle had been shaken by reading this, though she had half-expected something of the sort. The parallels with Twilight's own case were obvious, and she could see how if Celestia had been searching for some specific signs from prophecy, she might have hoped that Starlight would be the one to free Luna from the Nightmare. Twilight could even see how dermosignomancy might theoretically accomplish such a feat, by enhancing the true identity of the Shadow-ridden host and enabling it to drive out the extradimensional invader. A different approach to Luna's liberation, but it might have worked -- had Starlight Glimmer been the heroine for whom Celestia had hoped.
Twilight Sparkle mused upon her discovery.
It did not surprise her at all that Starlight Glimmer had such vast talent. What Starlight had done in the end had been foul, of course, but it was the sort of foulness requiring great magical ability. No ordinary warlock -- to the extent that "ordinary" had any meaning applied to warlocks, since each warlock perverted her own special gift of magic, in her own specially-horrible way -- could have either devised or cast the Spell of Sameness.
It was not quite Alicorn magic, because Starlight Glimmer was not quite an Alicorn, but it was of the same magnitude. It was magic of a complexity which could have been cast perhaps only by four Alicorns, and perhaps by a dozen or so non-Alicorn mages in known history, among whose number Twilight reckoned Starswirl the Bearded. It was magic that bespoke incredible potential, possibly the potential to become an Alicorn -- and it had been unspeakably befouled and perverted by its wielder.
As far as Twilight Sparkle knew, there were only two Ponies on Earth right now who knew how to cast the Spell of Sameness. These were Starlight Glimmer -- and Twilight Sparkle herself. For Twilight was Magic; she could cast any spell she had ever witnessed, and she had more than witnessed the Sameness -- she had been its victim. So it was that Twilight knew how the Spell of Sameness worked; she understood its every dreadful convolution. She had deduced a complete knowledge of its underlying principles.
And the knowledge weighed leaden upon her soul. ***
When Twilight Sparkle had been a filly, she had rebelled against the whole concept of "forbidden knowledge." One memorable afternoon some nine years ago when she was fired with the certainity that came from being thirteen and knowing that she was a big filly now, she had a truly epic discussion with Celestia upon that very topic.
All knowledge, Twilight argued, is good and valuable. All knowledge contains clues as to the nature of the Universe and hence can be restricted only at the price of hobbling equine progress; moreso, since knowledge can be easily replicated, in a cultural-evolutionary sense, information wants to be free.
Twilight remembered how Celestia had smiled upon her as she made her passionate argument for intellectual freedom; a smile not of mockery but of approval for her student's youthful idealism and spirit. Celestia had never been one to crush dissent; she had always encouraged Twilight to explore and question what she had been taught.
"The unexamined idea," Celestia had told her more than once, "becomes dogma. And dogma bars the gates to Enlightenment. Heed what you are taught, but do not believe it blindly; for even the wisest may have erred. Always ask how each new piece of knowledge fits in with what you already know, and be alert for contradiction -- for the accepted Paradox is the death of Reason."
At this time, Twilight had simply thought that it had been an awesome argument for intellectual freedom. Now, after having learned something of the deeper nature of the Multiverse, and having spent m any happy hours in the company of Pinkie Pie, Twilight knew that Celestia had been telling her a truth with many deeper levels of meaning.
So, when Twilight had advocated the complete freedom of information, she had constructed her own case upon the intellectual foundations Celestia had laid. Thus -- she now realized -- it had probably not come as a complete surprise to her mentor that she should have reached such conclusions. Indeed, Celestia had probably been smiling at her in pride that Twilight had worked through to the logical implications of Celestia's earlier statement.
Celestia was like that: she taught less by rote than by guiding one's own mind to the discovery of new ideas. Now that Twilight was grown and had essayed her own mentorships, she understood how difficult a teaching technique that was in truth, and it made her appreciate even more the skill and patience of her Most Beloved Teacher. One concomitant of this method, of course, was that Celestia could not merely decree error, especially if the error is subtle. Instead, Celestia must demosntrate it -- preferably, in such a manner as to make her student see the error herself.
This, of course, could be far more embarrassing for the erring student than a mere contradiction -- especially an erring student as conscientious as was the young Twilight Sparkle. It did, however, have the virtue of fixing the lesson firmly into her mind -- every such mistake burned itself into her memory in fiery letters of shame, a reaction which Twilight had only in the last few years begun to realize was excessive on her part.
In this case, Celestia's lesson had taken the form of a story.
"Suppose," she had said, "that there was a way to make a Pony immortal? Any Pony, not just an Alicorn, nor even a powerful mage. The Pony would be maintained for the rest of his life ..." (Celestia had actually used the male pronoun here, which Twilight found strange at the time; but not until much later did Twilight grasp her Teacher's likely reason) "... in unending youth and health and vigor. Would this not be a wonderful spell?" Celestia asked. "One which only the most jealous of tyrants would supress?"
Twilight nodded in enthusiastic agreement.
"Now," Celestia added, "suppose that things were precisely as I have proposed, but with some additional conditions. This immortality might be obtained and maintained only through the consumption of an alchemically-prepared food, of which the beneficiary must partake every year to retain his immortality. And ..." she paused, perhaps for deliberate effect, "... the preparation of each such meal for one Pony requires the equine sacrifice, by terrible tortures, of another Pony."
For the moment, the exact meaning of what Celestia had said, in her calm angelic voice, did not register on the thirteen-year-old filly. When it did, the horror hit her like a kick to the head. Her eyes widened and she gasped in disbelief.
"But surely," Twilight finally said, "No Pony would do such a thing!"
She had been so naive then, the adult Twilight realized, looking back on it. She had been far from perfect, of course, even if her filly self had not clearly seen her own flaws. But she had been basically good, basically moral -- as she still was now -- and she had not yet emotionally grasped that some Ponies might be more willing to yield to evil temptation.
"You think not?" Celestia's tone had been tinged by bitterness, something which surprised Twilight, as this was an emotion she rarely heard in the voice of her Teacher. "The alchemist in question was looking for a means to extend equine life -- a worthy enough goal. She experimented with hormonal therapies, and rediscovered telomerase -- a natural component of living cells, which strongly affects the aging process, as was known to the Ancients. She found that through the Law of Similarity, the telomerase of a living creature could be rejuvenated by the ritual preparation and consumption of the flesh of another living creature. All true -- and thus far, she had not sinned.
"The problem, of course, was that her technique required the flesh of a creature of the same species as the beneficiary. The flesh of creatures of other species was, you see, insufficiently Similar. And, although she had begun her eperiments with mice, she was not at all interested in maintaining immortal mice, but rather Ponies." Celestia's face was sad. "What was worse, she could find no means of powering the transfer save by life force, and could obtain life force of sufficient affinity to the flesh to be consumed only by using that of the Pony from which the flesh had been taken. She had to kill that Pony, and slowly, with sufficient torture to press its soul into relinquishing its connection to the form."
"That's terrible!" Twilight remembered having said at that point. She wondered if this she had sounded as inane saying this at thirteen as it seemed in her memory.
"She tried to make it as pleasant as possible, at least for the beneficiary," Celestia said. "You must not imagine her engaging in bloody cannibal feasts, with great gobbets of steaming meat. She took the flesh, granulated it, and baked it with milk and flour and sugar. She baked it, in fact, into cupcakes."
At that point Twilight had realized where she'd heard part of this story before. "The Cannibal Cupcakes of Horror-Pie?" she asked. "But that's just a Nightmare Night tale -- isn't it?"
"Horror-Pie is indeed just a Nightmare Night tale," Celestia said, nodding. "Harmonia Pie, on the other hand, was quite real. She was a brilliant Pony, a true polymath -- in addition to being an alchemist and baker, she was also a metallurgist, a glasswright, and a gifted musician and singer. Her mind was truly amazing; she conversed with erudition and spoke with passion and considerable rhetorical force -- rather as do you, my Faithful Student. I like Ponies like that; when first I met her, I liked her very much.
"She played at my Court more than once," Celestia said, "some three centuries ago," closing her eyes at the memory. "She had tremendous skill on the violin, and the voice of an angel." She opened her eyes, smiled at Twilight's expression. "I did not, of course, then know she would become a murderous cannibal. She may have even started her experiments by then -- she already looked uncommonly young for a mare of almost sixty. But I just assumed that it was the natural vigor one sees in some Earth Ponies."
Twilight's mind was reeling at this confirmation of the truth behind the terrifying old tale, and she felt revolted by the revelation of implied similarities between its villain and Twilight herself.
"But how could she actually do things like that?" Twilight had asked Celestia. "How could she justify such monstrous murders to herself?"
"It's interesting that you worded your question that way," replied Celestia. "For, of course, the point of this story is that she did commit such murders. And she could not have done this without first justifying it to herself. For -- mark this well, Twilight -- she was not evil at the start. Few ever are. She wanted to benefit all Ponykind. And that was her justification."
"Because if she died she couldn't perfect her process?" asked Twilight.
"Very good!" Celestia beamed broadly at Twilight. Then the smile faded. "She wanted to find a way to enable flesh other than that of a Pony to be used as the key ingredient in her Cupcakes. Or, failing that, to distill the crucial element so that the death of one Pony might support many Pony-years of life. And she might have succeeded, had she the medical science of the Ancients at her disposal. But, of course, she did not. So she felt herself forced to go on killing and killing.
"And it gets worse. For Harmonia Pie had a husband -- Adventurine. He was also her assistant, and her best friend, and they felt for each other the sort of passion which love songs celebrate. Oh yes, my dear student, love is possible even between those who commit monstrous evils. Mark this well, Twilight -- villains need not be the two-dimensional figures that they are portrayed in popular tales. Even the worst tyrant was once a playful little colt, and possibly a hopeful swain, eyes starry with love Each is to himself the Hero, rather than the Monster, in his own tale." At that her eyes had automatically darted in the direction of her garden, something whose significance Twilight Sparkle had not understood at the time.
"And her husband had a sister, who was named Honesty, though she was not at all honest, save in her loyalty to her brother and sister-in-law. Honesty was the best friend and confidante of Harmonia, and was Harmonia's other hench-pony. Harmonia could not let her beloved husband and her dear best friend perish either; besides, she argued to herself, she needed their help to complete her great work.
"So there were three of them, and they must needs kill three Ponies per year added to their own lives. You may see from this that the roster of their victims soon became rather a long one, especially since their crimes continued for about a century. And their horrid murders went unsuspected!"
"How did they get away with it?" Twilight had asked. "They'd killed some three hundred Ponies!"
"And more," said Celestia. "Remember, they needed to kill three Ponies a year in a protracted ritual of slow torture. To get these three, they sometimes had to kill twice or more as many whom they could not capture and slowly kill. By my guess, before the end of their career, Harmonia Pie and her associates had murdered at least a thousand Ponies."
"And nopony noticed this?" Twilight's tone had been skeptical. She had wondered if this was all some macabre joke on the part of her sometimes tricky mentor.
"The times were unsettled," Celestia explained, "and the roads unsafe. Banditry was all-too common in some provinces. They adopted disguises, went to those provinces, and lured these robbers to attack them. The alchemist and her friends were smart, strong, skilled and had access to unusual pyrotechnics, poisons and other preparations. They would slay some of a gang, and make captive the survivors, then bear them back to their own lair to suffer a far worse fate than any of my laws would have dealt them. For not even in capital cases would I deem death by torture. And they more than once seized the treasures of successful bandits, and used them to support their own researches."
"They were playing live-action Ogres and Oubliettes," commented Twilight. "For keeps."
"An apt analogy!" Celestia complimented her. "Indeed, and that is rather how they viewed their actions, as one can tell from their journals." At Twilight's look of surprise, Celestia nodded. "Oh yes. They kept journals. Remember, they were scientists, and they thought of themselves as heroes, ridding the land of brutal criminals in pursuit of their greater goal of defeating death. The Night Watch has some of them in their archives. No, I will not show them to you, not until you are older -- they would make upsetting reading for one of your tender years."
At the time this statement had upset Twilight -- she thought that at thirteen she was certainly old enough to read some musty old tale of historical murders -- but she wisely remained silent on the topic.
"You may wonder that none of them died in such dangerous pursuits. The fact is that I simplify the story -- the three who I named sometimes recruited additional assistants, though they did try to keep their numbers small -- the more who knew their secret, the greater the danger of discovery, and in any case there were few they could trust to both be honorable enough to keep the secret and ruthless enough to join them in their dark crusade. Most of their assistants were chosen from among their own offspring -- over their protracted lives, Harmonia Pie and Honesty Miter gave birth to numerous foals.
"These additional assistants were less experienced and capable than were the original trio, who were by then quite hardened and skilled in the foul arts of murder. Some fell in battle with the bandits; some to other hazards of the roads; some lost faith in the quest and retired to more normal lives; and some tried to betray their parents and were slain for their treachery -- mostly by Honesty, who was considerably more ruthless than were her brother and sister-in-law. Honesty never really formed strong bonds with any Ponies other than Harmonia and Aventurine, and even her own children rather feared her.
"Harmonia and Aventurine had numerous sons, many of whom left lines whose descendants live today, and most of whom are unaware of their infamous foremother. But above all they had three daughters, who from eldest to youngest were named Proserpina, Crucible and Cupcake. Proserpina participated in the murders out of the desire to survive and a sense of duty to her mother; Crucible enjoyed them entirely too much; and Cupcake, alone, was innocent of any killings, and I am not sure that she even suspected her family's avocation, for she was in some ways very much like a foal, even though she lived well beyond the natural span of years of even an Earth Pony.
"Nevertheless, she too must be supplied with the Cupcakes of Life, and so it was that this cannibal clan was now slaughtering at least half a dozen Ponies per year, and some years a dozen or more, in order to maintain their existence," continued Celestia. "I cannot pretend to know their inwardness: I have lived longer than them, and as monarch I have made decisions which have had the effect of killing more than they ever slew ..."
"Surely not!" gasped Twilight. "You are a good and merciful Princess!"
Celestia smiled fondly. "I am happy that you think so, my Most Faithful Student, and of course I try to be, but as the autocrat of the Realm, I must from time to time make decisions in which I know that no matter what I decide, it will statistically result in the deaths of some Ponies. Suppose, to take a common example, that I wish a railroad to be pushed through some trackless wilderness, to serve a town a the end of this route. If I order this railroad built, I know that it is likely that there will be accidents in its construction; some Ponies will die when their tools slip, or they stumble off cliffs, or by the premature detonation of their blasting powder. Yet if I decide not to build the railroad, then the continued impoverishment of the town it would have served will mean less food, less medicine, and less opportunity for the citizens of that growing town, and thus they will live poorer lives and die younger than if I had built the railroad. And if I choose to make no decision, then it is as if I had decided not to build the road, with the added problem that both town and railroad company await my decision, and until then can make no certain plans.
"Life is often a choice of evils, Twilight, in which all paths involve sacrifice, and perhaps some injustice. And as Ruling Princess, I must discern which path involves the least sacrifice, the least injustice. I choose as best I can, knowing that some shall suffer and die, some fail to receive their proper recompense, whatever course I choose. This is part of the responsibility of power, the burden I put upon my back when I yoked myself to the Cart of State. It is a burden I must bear to some degree alone, for however many Ponies may help me, in the end I must make the crucial decisions.
"And it is a burden that to some degree is shared, because of my officials who advise me and carry out my orders, the best of them know full well what they are doing, and they know that in proposing one or another course of advice, they are increasing the likelihood that some shall suffer or die, and others live longer and better lives. If you continue to be an attentive student, it is possible that you shall someday be one of those officials, or ...." Celestia seemed about to say something, then reconsidered. "In any case, you may someday bear some share of the burden, and though you may be eager to be of use to me now ..."
Twilight remembered that she had been excited at the time, her eyes no doubt shining and ears perked up.
"... I warn you that it may be a heavy load, even for a Student as Faithful as you, and with a mind as agile as yours." Celestia sighed. "In any case, I am undying like those alchemists, and I have slain more than them in my time, whether by mistaken decisions, or directly in defense of the Realm. But I may truly say that I never had to bake any Ponies into cupcakes to achieve my ageless life. I was born that way ... I attained immortality without having to work for it." She smiled sardonically, and laughed. "Though from time to time there have been those who wished to relieve me of that condition, and had I not worked hard to stay alive, I would not be here to teach you now!"
And for a moment, Twilight had seen beneath Celestia's usual good cheer, and shivered as she sensed Celestia's true age. Even though, then, she had not yet known that the Celestia she saw was but the fleshly avatar of something far, far older.
"So passed a century. Harmonia and Aventurine had settled in North-Dunnich on the the Miskatrottic River in Morgan Province, but folk had come to mark their age, began to wonder why it was that they did not wither and die like other Ponies. Harmonia had chosen the place partly because it was within a day's journey from Arkhoof, and the treasure-trove of lore that was contained in Miskatrottic University there, but those very same scholars might guess her secret. It was getting on time to move, a move which they accomplished in 1277.
"And here, ironically in her very sentimentality, Harmonia made a mistake. For she had been born in South-Dunnich, on the White Tail River -- about a hundred miles southwest of this very spot on which we sit right now -- in 1140, about 137 years earlier. Her age was wearing upon her; she felt apart from the changing world. She wanted to go home, to recapture the memories of her fillyhood. She and her friends kept their birth names, correctly surmised that none, or very few, still lived who might connect the Harmonia and Aventurine and Honesty who returned with the trio who had left a century ago; her story being that they were descendants of those who had left South-Dunnich so long ago.
"What she did not consider, after a hundred years of living by murder and trickery, in defiance of my laws, was that she would still arouse some suspicions. She would have done better to have chosen some new town, somewhere that her trio was unknown. And, certainly, she should have changed their names. Had she done that, perhaps she would be alive today. Or perhaps not." Celestia looked off at something known only to her mind's eys, and said sadly. "We are none of us infallible, not even those of us who manage to attain -- or happen to be born to -- immortality."
"And then the Night Watch caught them?" Twilight had eagerly asked.
"Not quite, said Celestia. "Life is not always as neat as a virtue-tale!" She smiled gently at Twilight, to take the sting off her comment, and then continued. "No, she and her followers returned to South-Dunnich, which was a town then dying, for the town's old industries, brought by immigrants from the North-Realm some eight centuries past, were dying, outcompeted by the new methods of wind and water and steam which were being born in the great cities of the Eastern Coast. South-Dunnich is still there, dreaming in the shadow of the White Tail Mountains, but it would not exist today were it not for Harmonia."
"How come?" Twilight had asked in surprise.
"Harmonia brought with her the treasure she had reaved from generations of bandits, much-increased by labor and investment over a century of effort," Celestia explained. "And, at least more importantly, she brought her own skills, and those of her followers, and these were far from negligible. To the dying town, such monies and talents were like the draft that feeds the roaring furnace of some great factory.
"Harmonia first built a bakery, of course, both for mundane reasons and for the preparation of her terrible sustenance. But then she constructed a water-powered saw mill, a fulling mill and a glass-blowing shop, among other enterprises. The fires of industry had come to South-Dunnich, and the town began to ship its goods down the White Tail River and up the Avalon, to appear in the shops of Canterlot itself. Ponyville, of course, did not yet exist; but the place was on the trade route, and a tavern appeared north of the river, to serve the river-ponies and waggoners. The young Ponies of South-Dunnich found jobs in the new factories instead of leaving home for ever, and the old town revived.
"So it was that new good sprang from old evil, and the wages of sin were prosperity," said Celestia, her voice tinged with sarcasm. "Harmonia and her friends had evaded all punishment for their crimes, and Harmonia herself became established as a respected leader of the town. Indeed, they formed a town militia, which was energetic against the river pirates who then preyed on the boats along the White Tail. And if some of the river pirates they caught -- perhaps as many as half a dozen to a dozen a year -- never made it to trial in my courts, who noticed? Who cared?" Her tone was now openly bitter.
"But surely somepony must have noticed! Somepony should have cared!" Twilight had cried out in frustration. "What were you doing!" she had demanded -- then cringed, a moment later, aghast at her own temerity.
"I ..." Celestia looked uncomfortable. "At that time, I had ... other preoccupations. And I truly had no idea what was going on. The Realm was then less well-organized, and governing far more difficult. There were no airships, no railroads, no steamboats, and neither telephones nor even telegraphs to speed messages. It was a different time, Twilight, and distances loomed larger than they do in your modern world. Who noticed the deaths of a dozen criminals a year? Who cared about them?" Her ears drooped slightly. "Yet I was their sovereign, the ruler of honest subject and criminal alike. Justice was my responsibility. I should have noticed. I should have cared. I ... did not. I ... failed them."
Twilight had immediately hated herself for having provoked that reaction.
"Forgive me, Beloved Teacher," she had said, bowing her head.
Celestia smiled at her, and gently stroked her mane. "There is nothing to forgive," she said. "You are expressing my own ideals. And, if you are becoming less the mouse and more the manticore, it is from your own greatness of heart. Besides," she had added, "the Realm shall need a manticore, in what is coming."
And Twilight had not, at that time, understood Celestia's last sentence. |
Post-Traumatic | Chapter 8: A Matter of Perspective | Starlight Glimmer had been twelve, going on thirteen, when she had been accepted into Celestia's school and chosen as her special student. She had doubtless been happy, judging from that yearbook picture and others Twilight discovered. She must have been still very innocent.
Was she already being corroded by envy and despair? Twilight had spent two days trapped in that horrid little hut, with little to do but listen to Starlight's hatefully-hypnotic voice, endlessly intoning her litany of despair. Starlight spoke of the futility of effort, the worthlessness of distinction, the meaninglessness of all mortal achievement. To believe her words, Ponies could only be happy if they lived like semi-intelligent beasts, caring for nothing but food and shelter, striving to do no great deeds, aiming for mere survival. To believe Starlight, she was completely content leading her little settlement beneath the Crystal Mountains.
But before then, Starlight had -- inadvertently -- given the lie to her own claims, for Twilight had marked the jealousy in Starlight's tone when she spoke of Twilight's own Ascension.
At the time, Twilight had thought little of that vicious bite in Starlight's voice. In her life, Twilight had become used to jealousy from many Ponies -- first as a brilliant primary school student, then as Celestia's special student at the Academy, as a national heroine, and more recently as an Alicorn Princess. Unicorn mages tended to be especially jealous of her, and she had been unsurprised by the emotion coming from Starlight Glimmer.
But after Starlight had imprisoned her, she had gone over every moment of their earlier conversation, repeatedly, with all the power of her eidetic memory pressing up against the suppressing Sameness. And, in retrospect, Starlight's jealousy shone clear -- and was very much at odds with the cult leader's expressed ideology.
Because, of course, if "to try was to fail," why would Starlight Glimmer be jealous of the fact that Twilight Sparkle was a Princess? Indeed, why would Starlight be especially jealous of this honor, but that it was a distinction for which at one time Starlight Glimmer had reasonably hoped? It was that insight which had led her to suspect that Starlight had been also been one of Celestia's special students.
Sunset Shimmer learned that she might Ascend, Twilight Sparkle thought, and went mad with ambition. Twilight had first fought, and then befriended, that strange lonely mare, self-exiled to an alien world in a form not her own -- and had come to realize that she and Sunset were not so different under their skins. Sunset was brave, brilliant, driven by passion and fury, rather like Twilight herself in a slightly bad mood. And when she came to trust one, she showed an underlying vulnerability, even sweetness. Sunset was far from inherently evil; Twilight was certain she had simply cracked under the pressure of her expectations.
She had not liked Dawn Starfall nearly so well -- Dawn had struck at Twilight through her family, and Twilight was far less forgiving of harm done to her loved ones than of harm to herself -- but even in that vicious street rat, Twilight had seen similarities to her own nature: the cold calculation, the courage, and sheer determination. Now, there was Starlight Glimmer. And all four of them, including Twilight herself, of the Light Clan.
What happened to you, Starlight Glimmer? Twilight asked herself. Where did you go wrong?
She had dived into the school yearbooks, hoping for some clue. Had Starlight Glimmer immediately failed of her early promise, had she plunged into deep academic waters and sunk without a trace, Twilight would have seen clear motive for Starlight's later actions. But Twilight saw no evidence of this -- nor had she really expected such. Starlight had to be a genius, in order to be so skilled at both magery and leadership.
What she expected was a burst of tremendous achievement, followed by some sort of emotional breakdown. That pattern was far from uncommon among the gifted; Twilight had seen it happen to several promising students, and it had nearly happened to Twilight herself on more than one occasion. The highly-intelligent could sometimes suffer emotional instability -- such had been the case with the Moon filly she'd hung out with at the Academy, the one who shared her own love of reading, what was her name again? For some reason Twilight's mind slipped off the memory, and right now she couldn't be bothered to think through the blockage.
That was not what she saw, not at first. Not only did Starlight Glimmer get top grades, winning one academic honor after another, but she seemed to have friends. In picture after picture -- thought it was the somewhat cold and formal black-and-white photography of decades past -- Starlight was shown surrounded by other Ponies, some of whom regarded her with obvious affection. She was escorted to dances by young stallions. She seemed happy and sociable -- far more sociable than Twilight herself had been at that age. She did not seem like a mare who would one day take to warlockry and found a cult.
Twilight wanted to understand. She needed to understand. She greatly feared that there were paths she might tread that would end with herself going mad, becoming a Nightmare, cackling madly about ... compulsory friendship? The Early Evening that would last forever? She wasn't quite certain in what direction she might go insane, and didn't want to find out the hard way. She knew much of Luna's fall; she thought she knew why Sunset had slipped; she didn't really like Dawn but had managed to comprehend her as an overconfident mare rather than a monster. She felt it was important that she understand Starlight. The more she understood about madness, the better she might grasp hold of the trail of sanity.
And that was very important, the more so because she had succeeded in her Ascension. She had great power now, but Luna's power had been and was greater, and yet Luna had gone mad. Power was no guarantee against madness, against evil. Quite the opposite. Power corrupted, and great power corrupted greatly. Only through an understanding of one's limitations, an adherence to morality, and an acceptance of the responsibility that came with power might a mere mare hope to handle the power of a goddess without losing her mind.
Then, Twilight thought about herself and her own friends, whom she had known now for almost five years, and hoped to keep on knowing for decades. Even back in school, when she'd been far less sociable, she'd had a set of at least acquaintances, whose roster had remained roughly stable for at least a few years -- Lyra Heartstrings, whom she still knew casually, had dropped out early, in some sort of scandal; there was ... she thought a moment ... Minuette, the Lemon girl, and Twinkle-whatever, and that Moon cousin whose name she could never remember clearly -- all right, they hadn't been that close with her, but the point was that she did things with them, and -- if anypony had documented these activities (which, come to think of it, somepony had, in the late 1490's editions of the very same yearbook Twilight had just used as one of her primary sources) -- it would have been apparent that she'd stuck with them.
Starlight -- didn't. The fillies and colts around her changed from year to year; sometimes semester to semester. As she grew older, the stallions who escorted her to dances were different each time. She obviously had no truly close friends or coltfriends. She was often in a crowd; yet she must have usually been quite alone in there.
Again, Twilight recalled Starlight's recorded rantings, and the questions Sugar Belle and her friends had asked their party when they had first come to Our Town. Starlight believed that any differences between friends would inevitably break them apart. Had that been her experience in the School, or afterward? Had she been popular, like some mares Twilight had observed in her schooldays, or like Rarity or Pinkie? Had she been self-contained, like Twilight herself? Or had she constantly made friends; desperately hoped to keep them; but always wound up losing them?
After all, was not the whole point of her insanely-Equalitarian, self-mutiliating ideology to keep friends, by making them so similar that there could arise no possible point of dispute between them? The philosophy was poorly-grounded, because Starlight's concept of friendship was fatally-flawed -- part of the point of finding friends was to learn from different points of view -- if everypony was identical, there would be nothing new to learn from anypony else. What might have caused Starlight Glimmer to miss such an obvious aspect of getting to know other Ponies?
Starlight demanded complete conformity from her followers, Twilight rememberered. Everypony smiling all the time, the same way. Standardized clothing and hairstyles. Dancing and marching in perfect step.
Rather like the Guard, Twilight realized. There was no way she could miss that analogy, having stood so many times watching Guard formations drill -- part of being the younger sister of Shining Armor. And more. The Lights have always been of a military tradition, she knew. It dated far back -- before even the Realm, according to some family legends, to the time when a remnant of Unicornia had held out behind inadequate wards against Discord. Indeed, there was no way Starlight Glimmer could have avoided such an awareness of the Light family tradition. The Biographical Dictionary listed her kin -- and some of them were Guard veterans, most bearing Light-traditional names.
The literal uniformity of the Guard, both in their training to march in formation and instantly obey orders, and which extended as far as simple illusions cast on Guard armor to make everypony in a particular Guard formation appear to have the same coloration, had clear purposes. The training ensured that, even in the fog and fear of battle, Guard units would stick together and do what their officers commanded, creating a unit cohesion and morale which ultimately aided survival and brought victory; the uniform appearance made it easy for Guards to tell friend from foe, even in a confused melee. And to some extent, it helped the Guards psychologically identify with each other, to think of themselves as alike, as members of a unit.
Starlight would have known this. The identity of Cutie Marks among the Equal Ponies would have been a side benefit, from her point of view, of the Spell of Sameness. The common clothes and hairstyles, however, was clearly intentional. Dancing, marching and flying in step had been used since Tri-Tribal times as a means of coordinating the movement of militas and imbuing them with team spirit. Had Starlight meant her Equal Ponies to be a military force? The idea almost seemed ridiculous, given the relative power of Celestia, who led a nation of over 83 million Ponies, compared to Starlight Glimmer, who had a hundred or so followers.
But perhaps not. Celestia was tolerant, and there were a lot of odd little sects in this or that isolated rustic village. Had Starlight Glimmer not ambushed Twilight's party, had they not learned about the Cutie Mark Vault, Twilight might have simply gone home, written a casual report, and Celestia missed the significance of what Starlight was doing. She had a lot on her mind, after all. Our Town could have continued under Starlight's rule, grown stronger, and -- at some future date when the Realm was torn by other troubles -- waxed in power.
It would have been a slim chance, with the risk of betrayal and failure at every point. Starlight obviously would have preferred to have had her commune grow larger before being discovered, so that the cost of stopping her in terms of blood would have seemed not worth the gain in bringing her to justice. Had she really been able to get Twilight on her side, she might have been able to somehow combine their power and attempt some sort of coup or other ploy to change the nature of the game.
The more she thought about this, the less Twilight could believe that Starlight's plan had been slow growth and the settlement of the lands under the brow of the Crystal Mountains. Since befriending Applejack, Twilight had learned to see things from the perspective of a farmer, and there was a reason why those northern lands had remained vacant so long, even as Equestria's population was booming with the wealth of the Industrial Revolution. They were cold and mostly-barren.
Also, Twilight knew Celestia's strategies, and Starlight would have known them as well. More than once, dissidents had gone out into the wilderness and formed communes and colonies in pursuit of this or that crankish purpose. Sometimes they failed, and when this happened Celestia welcomed the survivors back, all but the worst of their crimes to be forgiven. Sometimes they succeeded, and when that happened, Celestia recognized their land tenure with formal grants, and encouraged emigration to the newly-opened region.
In a matter of generations the original, ideologically-motivated populations would be swamped by the immigrants. More normally-governed settlements would spring up all around their communes, and the newer generations of the fanatics lured into the larger Equestrian cultural stream. If the fanatics tried to use force to keep their old domination, then the Watch would put it down as crime, or the Guard suppress outright rebellion. Most of the time, this was not necessary, and there was little or no blood shed.
Thus, Celestia seduced even those who dissented against her to serve her ends in the long run, promoting the growth of Equestria. Celestia played a long game -- and she almost always won. Starlight would have read the same histories as had Twilight, and heard many of the same stories in her Beloved Teacher's own dulcet voice. She would have been well aware that any plan based on slow and steady growth would only lead to Our Town, in a few generations, becoming like any other part of Equestria in all important respects.
No, she had to have been planning something more radical. Something which she perhaps now could not do, given that she had lost her following -- but it was dangerous to rely on mere probability, when dealing with such extreme fanaticism.
Twilight didn't understand Starlight's magic well enough to be sure of what she was and was not capable. What was certain was that what had actually happened had stopped Starlight before she could get too far. But not, unfortunately, stopped her decisively. The real threat was not, and never had been, the poor confused Equal Ponies; they were just misfits who had sought acceptance and found thralldom under a mad warlock. Freed from her power, they would now attempt to re-establish their lives in a saner manner.
The real threat was, of course, Starlight Glimmer. And Twilight Sparkle had no way of figuring out what she meant to do, save by trying to understand what she could do, and what she would want to do -- which was to say, to figure out just what magic she had learned, and the motivations driving her character.
The key must lie in her ideology. It was pretty extreme, and Starlight Glimmer had seriously tried to implement the most radical parts of it. It was not so much the details of the ideology, as the general tone. What sort of Pony would actually want to run or live under a system which deprived one so completely of personal autonomy? Even Starlight Glimmer herself would have had to at least outwardly conform to many of her own rules: that was apparent from the fact that she had hidden the retention of her own Cutie Mark from her followers.
The most shocking aspect of it, of course, was Starlight Glimmer's attempt to abolish marriage. Twilight had heard Fluttershy's account of this, and it had given her a turn. Not because she was unfamiliar with the concept -- Twilight was erudite, and this was a clearly-recurring theme in the history of philosophical bad ideas, all the way back to Hayto's The Common Polity. Nor was she unfamiliar with the practice: neither her Beloved Teacher, after all, nor her dear friend Luna, had ever wed in over two and a half millennia of life on Earth.
Just because Twilight Sparkle was herself quite sexually-conservative did not mean that she was unaware of other possible modes of behavior. She had been raised in the Court at Canterlot, which was one of the greatest centers of all manners of intrigue on the whole continent. She knew in general what went on at some of those country house parties, though she did not participate. And though the Lights were an old and honorable House, some of them were not entirely innocent of affairs extramarital.
No, the really disturbing part of it was that Starlight Glimmer had apparently wanted to abolish Love, at least in the sense of specific friendly or romantic love. The reason, of course, had been that she wanted all loyalty to center on the community, of which she herself woudl be head. Strong friendships, the bonds between lovers or spouses, these would have interposed themselves between the individual Pony and the tiny Realm which Starlight ran. They constituted a risk to unity, as had been demonstrated by the friendship of Party Favor, Sugar Belle and Night Glider. They must be discouraged.
But in doing so, Starlight Glimmer was opposing herself to some of the most basic emotional and social drives of all Ponykind. The Undying Ponies of Paradise Estate had not wed, but they had loved; they had not simply mated catch-as-catch-can, and still less had they been assigned breeding partners. And of course they had formed friendships: some of them had endured for millennia.
Love and Friendship were fundamental to all equinity. Fighting against such fundamental forces was clearly futile. Why had Starlight Glimmer chosen to do this?
Her decision was even more mystifying given that Starlight Glimmer's actual power had been limited by consensus. The warlock had severely limited resources, and not much in the way of a secret police, such as would be required to enforce truly organized despotism. Starlight Glimmer was obsessed with imposing a complete equality not only of wealth but of talent; not only of circumstance but even of friendship and love. This goal was clearly more important to her than were any mere practicalities.
Obviously, Starlight Glimmer considered all differences to be evil. To be the ultimate evil. An evil that would destroy all equine relationships.
There was but one step left on this journey of understanding. Twilight Sparkle trembled to take it, but it was her clear duty.
Applying Starlight Glimmer's implicit belief system, and using Twilight's own personality and values as the origin point of her moral coordinates, Twilight Sparkle considered her own friends ...
Rarity Belle -- a shallow, superficial, absurdly-flirtatious intellectual lightweight, trading on her looks and making sleazy half-mendacious promises to lure stallions into doing her bidding; a parvenu with absurd ambitions, a nakedly-mercenary social climber. Shamefully seducing Twilight's own younger brother; whether from hopes of marrying into the Light Clan, or simply because Spike's youth and inexperience made him an easy victim. Whether she meant to sleep with him or not, in either case, her behavior was disgusting.
Spike himself -- tagging after Rarity as if he were neither a Light nor a Dragon, demonstrating absolutely no pride, either of House or Kind. Emotionally-dependent, defining himself solely in terms of assisting others, no real intellectual or social ambitions of his own. Spike was almost as greedy and shallow as Rarity herself -- perhaps the two fools deserved one another!
And Fluttershy -- her informant regarding Starlight's ideology. Pathetic shyness and false diffidence concealing passive-aggressive manipulation. High-born but decadent, rightly rejected by her proud old Wind Clan, dishonorable both in love and in war. She'd seduced Rainbow Dash and broken her heart; taken advantage of Bulk Biceps to his near-destruction; and whored herself to Discord. She always flinched before the fire -- she'd almost gotten them all killed on Mount Smokey, and just when Twilight could have used her help in keeping Spike safe during the Dragon migration, she'd run out on her friends. She wasn't even entirely an Equestrian Pony -- she was half-Changeling, a repulsive thing that pretended to Friendship, the better to feed on Love. Superficial sweetness and beauty, hiding a deep and ugly corruption.
Rainbow Dash, herself. Boastful, blustering -- and as thick as solid stone. Claiming to be loyal -- but, in practice, often either tricked or blundering into betraying her friends. Physical prowess masking psychological weakness. Discord hadn't even needed to use his powers on Rainbow Dash to break her! Naive and silly, impulsive and thoughtless -- nearly brainless. Twilight was ashamed to associate with such an imbecile!
Applejack was hardly any better. She'd had the chance to better herself by a sophisticated Manehattan education, and thrown it all away to bury herself on an apple farm. She was stubborn, and sometimes refused to accept reality -- most obviously, that Landscape Carrot, missing for seven years now, wasn't ever coming back. Yet she continued to search for him, wait for him, even though it was painfully clear that he'd never return to fulfill his Intention. Rustic fool!
And as for Pinkie Pie? Silly and childish and irrational. Bouncing through life with the delusion that everything could be solved by laughter and parties and smiles. How could a full-grown mare of twenty-four still see the world with the eyes of a silly little filly? She cheated, of course -- she had those impossible powers to keep her from ever having to face the real world. Twilight despised Pinkie Pie!
As she came to each cruel conclusion, her world darkened, the happiness she normally drew from her love for her friends dying piece by piece, a shadow blotting out the Sun of her soul. Who next would prove merely equine, merely fallible, imperfect? She thought briefly of her Beloved Teacher, and recoiled in horror. No! That would be near to blasphemy! Instead, she turned her gaze upon the entity closest to her whom she had not yet judged.
Herself.
In the merciless light of her own ideals, she was wanting. Weak ... self-indulgent ... vain ... unpleasant ... clumsy ... stupid. Her self-loathing grew. She felt her mind distorting, a whine of magical feedback rising in her brain, pain building ...
... and just before she might have done herself irreparable harm, she realized what was happening, saw the danger, and flung off the mindset as if it were a pair of goggles, literally screaming in utter revulsion.
"Gah!" cried Spike, coming out of a nap to stare at her in horror. "Twilight! What happened to you?"
Twilgiht's bleary eyes -- there seemed to be something wrong with her vision, some sort of psychic residue that dispersed as she blinked it away, beheld Spike. Her dear baby brother, her loyal Number One Assistant, good and honorable, noble in conduct and pure in love, choosing to help her, choosing to love Rarity, giving of himself because he had the heart of a true hero beating within his small scaly purple-and-green frame. And, the others ...
Rarity ... generous and kind, caring deeply for Spike in return, trying to bridge the gap of age and species with her fabulousness, trying to balance the demands of love and morality, convention and desire, a good and honorable Pony who strove to make the world beautiful. Fluttershy, whose concept of equinity extended beyond her own species, beyond even sapience, building a new morality in which all life could live as sisters, her heart overflowing with kindness and compassion for all the Universe, whose sweeteness had moved even Discord to reform. Rainbow Dash, whose great heart and high courage were like something out of an old legend, who was too good and pure to even fully-understand any foul motivation. Applejack, her best friend, the sister of her heart, who loved loyally and lived honorably, who would go to any lengths to help a comrade: tough as leather and sweet as a sugarcube. And Pinkie Pie, whose high spirits and laughter were like a gage thrown down by Life to Death, a denial of any necessity for Tragedy, an affirmation of love and friendship in the face of an uncaring Universe.
The best and noblest friends whom any Pony might ever have, and in the distorting lens of Starlight Glimmer's world view, they had seemed false and treacherous scoundrels! What must merely ordinary Ponies seem to the warlock? How base, how ugly? No wonder she had gone mad, turned her great talent to bad ends, if this was how the world looked to her all the time! No love, no friendship, only endless despair and evil. The only ones she felt she could trust were those who parroted her beliefs, but had been reduced to lesser levels of power by the Sameness. And even those had turned on her in the end!
In that moment Twilight Sparkle pitied Starlight Glimmer, for she must hate herself as well, just hate herself a little bit less than she hated everyone else in existence. But in that pity was mingled fear, because if this was how Starlight Glimmer viewed the world, then she had absolutely no reason not to try the most dangerous, the most doom-laden spells, if she thought this could end her pain, which she imagined to be the World's Pain. And Twilight Sparkle had also studied the secret magic of Star-Swirl the Bearded, magic deemed with good reason to not yet be safe in the grasp of ordinary Ponies, or even most extraordinary ones. She knew what some of those spells could do, if wielded unwisely.
She looked again at Spike, whom she had briefly and unjustly despised, and she felt a great guilt.
"Oh, Spike," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Spike asked, puzzled. "Scaring you?"
"I scared you?" asked Twilight. "By screaming?"
"Well," said Spike, "that, and the fact that you were leaking dark magic from your horn and eyes. Which -- your eyes, I mean -- were starting to glow, and I think your pupils were becoming slitted; sort of like mine, but creepy instead of handsome. Basically, you were starting to look like you were going Nightmare. And I should know what that looks like. You'd be the fourth Nightmare I've seen, if that did happen."
That, Twilight reflected, thinking upon what had happened to Rarity two and a half years ago, would be right. We lead perhaps a too-adventurous life.
"I was trying to understand how Starlight Glimmer saw the world," Twilight explained, "and I made myself think like her. I think I accidentally triggered some sort of Friendship Magic effect. Or dark Friendship Magic. Or anti-Friendship Magic. Something like that. And I sort of short-circuited my soul. And started going mad. And because I'm an Alicorn, if I'd gone mad, I might have gone Nightmare." She shivered at the full realization of this. "Which might have had some very bad consequences."
"What?" Spike asked in alarm. "You mean, worse ones than you going crazy? Or becoming a Nightmare?"
"Well," said Twilight, "when Luna went crazy, she cursed a whole village to become undead monsters. And wrecked her own castle. And levelled a good part of a city. So -- short answer -- yes."
Spike stared at her in utter horror. "Yes," he finally agreed. "Those would be some very bad consequences."
"The only good thing about the situation," Twilight decided, "is that there aren't any Night Shadows around right now to possess me, so I might just come out of the Nightmare state on my own. Before leveling my castle or Ponyville or casting any horrible eternal curses."
"How do you know there aren't any Night Shadows around?" Spike asked. "Not that I'm complaining or anything," he added hastily.
"Oh," said Twilight, "that's because this castle is pervaded with the power of the Harmony. They can't get in here. So as long as I stayed in the castle, I'd be safe."
"Well, that's good news," commented Spike.
"I wonder how long I would have stayed in the castle?" Twilight mused. "Never mind. The point is, I think I now know what makes Starlight Glimmer tick."
"Which is?" asked Spike.
"She's incredibly intolerant and pretty much hates everyone," Twilight said. "Including herself. Oh, and she may know enough magic to, in theory, end the world."
"What?!" yelped Spike.
"Only in theory," pointed out Twilight. "It's not that easy to end the world. If it was, it would have been done long ago, by some mad warlock or another."
"Um, I guess that's a relief," Spike said.
"But we don't want to give her time to figure it out," said Twilight. "So we need to warn the Sisters, so that they can counter whatever it is she tries to do before she can do it." She wrinkled her muzzle. "In some cases, do it before she does it even after she does it."
"Uh -- that doesn't make any sense," pointed out Spike, raising one talon by way of objection.
"Of course it does," said Twilight with a smile. "In a temporally non-linear fashion. Which is how some of Star-Swirl the Bearded's magic works."
"Why do I think sometimes that you like logical puzzles so much that you enjoy them even if they mean that the whole world is in danger?" Spike complained.
"Because I do," said Twilight, smiling broadly. The world is so beautiful when you don't hate everyone in it, she thought to herself. I never noticed it before until I saw it from Starlight's perspective. I feel positively giddy with happiness right now! "Now come on! I know exactly what to write, now. Let's get this report finished and sent to Canterlot, before Starlight recovers and comes probing at the Sisters' defenses!"
They pitched into the papers. Spike rewrote the parts that Twilight had jotted down on the train; Twilight hammered out the biography, psychological evaluation, threat assessment and strategic predictions regarding Starlight Glimmer. For once, Twilight went for speed rather than perfection: this was a timed test, and she wouldn't get an "A plus" if Starlight was able to seize the key contents of the Star-Swirl the Bearded Wing, or break into the Night Watch's Secret Archives, while Twilight did her third and fourth drafts. And right now, she felt a vague disquiet at the notion of pursuing complete perfection -- it reminded her unpleasantly of the horrible world that lived in Starlight's perceptions, because she could not accept reasonable equine flaws and harmless differences.
Two hours later, they were finished. They had edited and collated the multi-section report, placed it in a nice cream-colored envelope, folded it in neatly, tied it off with a multi-colored ribbon, streaked like her mane, and closed it with a blob of hot purple wax the colors of her eyes, using her new seal, which said "Princess Twilight Sparkle" around an engraving of the Friendship Castle.
"Send it to ... Princess Luna," Twilight decided. "She'll actually be awake now, and there's no point in waking Princess Celestia out of a sound sleep."
Green magefire flared, and the letter was on its way.
They then awaited a reply. Improtant reports, such as this one, usually received a swift acknowledgement. Twilight fully expected that Luna would consider this report to be urgent.
She was not disappointed. A mere five minutes later, she received a reply. It consisted of two letters, both from Princess Luna.
The first one read:
Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
I did receive and scan over your initial detailed report regarding your defeat of the warlock Starlight Glimmer. Rest easy in the knowledge that my Sister and I have warded our Selves and the Palace alike against her. She shall not find us easy victims.
I strongly advise you against making further use of that Mind-Masking to comprehend Starlight Glimmer. There is a very great danger that you might damage your own Mind in such attempts. You are too important to the Realm to take such a risk.
My Sister will probably wish to converse with you in the near future. I shall first pay you a visit, and soon -- though I have one or two matters to which I must first attend. Then we shall meet, to discuss our Plans.
Your Friend,
Luna Selena Nyx,
Princess of the Moon
The second one was considerably less formal. It read:
Mine Own Dear Friend Twilight,
I am saddened and angered to hear of the Suffering Thou hast endured in the Service of the Realm and Pursuit of Harmony. I wish that I might have been there, to Destroy the Warlock before she might have done Thee harm; or failing that, suffer alongside Thee, my dear Benefactor. I again do caution Thee against Masking as Starlight Glimmer. I Pray Thee, dearest Twilight, do not risk Thy fine Mind and sweet Soul, for they are precious both to the Realm, and to mine own Self.
Eternally Yours,
Luna Selena Nyx,
Who was Moondreamer Finemare
Post Scriptum - Lady Rarity Belle hath unquiet dreams, and might well be warded by the company of your Number One Assistant. I urge thee to let him go to her.
The effect of the two papers, together, was rather like that of a military missive followed by a mash-note -- which was not uncommon for Luna's letters to Twilight Sparkle. She read the first one out loud to Spike; then folded the second one and put it away. "Boring stuff about, um, past business," she explained to Spike. "You wouldn't be interested."
Spike glanced at her skeptically. She was a terrible liar, where her Number One Assistant was concerned.
Which reminded her.
"Spike," she said. "you really helped me a lot tonight. Thank you. Now, I know it's late, and she's probably asleep, but if you really want to check up on how Rarity's doing ---"
"Okay thanks I gotta go see ya!" said Spike, and dashed out the door.
Hmm ... thought Twilight. I guess he really did want to check up on Rarity. I hope she's not too mad at him showing up at her door in the wee hours of the morning.
She sat and awaited Princess Luna. |
Post-Traumatic | Chapter 9: Nightmares and Awakenings | Rarity was back in the hut.
Everything was gray and bleak and ugly, Rarity herself most of all. She was an animal, a thing that inhaled and exhaled, drank foul-tasting water and ate tasteless hay, and in due course excreted the resultant wastes from her other end. She did this until she knew in her heart that she was nothing and nopony, just a brute beast whose only purpose was to serve the ends of Starlight Glimmer, and the great multi-bodied entity that was Our Town, of which Starlight Glimmer formed the head.
When she realized this, they finally let her out to serve the community. She worked under Dashing Cape, the stallion whose name was a perhaps a crueller mockery than most of the names of the adults in Our Town, because all he could make were shapeless, vaguely-rectangular sheets of sackcloth. She had once found them very ugly, but now they were no uglier to her than was anything else in her meaningless world.
She had an Idea: she made tunics and jackets of the same fabric: the better to keep the Equal Ponies warm in the winter. Starlight praised her notion, and everypony smiled at her. The garments were hideous, but then so was everything, so it didn't matter.
Every three weeks her cycle came, and she suffered a vague discomfort in her private parts. She knew, of course, how this discomfort might be relieved, and sometimes did so, alone in her narrow, uncomortable bed. She thought of nothing much in particular when she did this: it was merely a physical sensation to be produced by rote physical exertions, relieving a physical need. At such moments, a Pony might have imagined a tender and passionate lover, but a beast neither needed nor was capable of such emotional illusions.
She also emitted marescent during the three days of her cycle, and the stallions noticed, and looked at her with a dull sort of interest. Sometimes, they even showed a bit. Ponies might have been embarrassed by this, but they were also mere beasts, and this meant no more to them than it did to her. She did not care enough to show any interest in return, and mares always chose, so she remained unmated.
Eventually -- after months or years of her new gray life, she did not know, because she bother any more to pay attention to the passage of the days and seasons -- she tired of her tri-weekly discomfort and hollow relief, and decided to mate. She did so by the most obvious means: when her cycle came again, and Dashing Cape gazed at her with a vaguely-aroused expression, she swished her tail between her own haunches, passing it over her moist privates, and flicked it gently across his nose, giving him a good long whiff of her marescent. Then, she turned her rear toward him, twitched her tail aside, and looked at him inviting over her shoulder.
It was a behavioral display as old as the Primal Plains, and it had just one meaning: Mount me. It was also an extremely vulgar and immoral display for any mare to make to anypony save her beloved, which Dashing Cape was not: he was a hearty, jovial and friendly stallion, especially by the muted standards of the Equal Ponies, and Rarity liked him full well, but back when she had been a Pony she would never have been willing to give herself to him. However, that was when she'd still imagined she had a self to give, and that self Fabulous. Now she was but a beast, and beasts are far less complex in their emotions.
He mounted her. Rarity had not been virgin for a decade; she had also not had full intercourse for nine of those years, so it was slightly painful. It was however slightly more pleasurable, or at least relieving; her instincts told her that this was what she was supposed to do when in estrus. Dashing Cape was her ally and comrade, and he was far from cruel: he supported himself and moved in such a way as to avoid hurting her. Nor was he exceptionally kind: she was not, after all, his beloved, merely a mare who had emitted the right scent and given him the right signals. There were neither fond words nor tender caresses, merely an opening and positioning and entering, mechanical friction reduced by natural lubrication, an itch being scratched by that friction; some mutual heavy breathing and grunting, a sensation of being flooded within, and then it was over and done with. It had been a simple biological function, no less and certainly no more profound on either of their parts than eating one of Our Town's tasteless meals.
Afterward, Dashing Cape was friendly toward her, perhaps slightly friendlier than he had been before. He neither despised nor loved her for what had passed between them; he presumably felt a certain increased positive affect associated with her presence, now. Such would be the normal conditioned response of a beast to receiving pleasant stimulation. He seemed happy. Or, at least, content.
Rarity was not. She felt nauseated at her own actions. She felt as if she had betrayed somepony or something, though she could not imagine whom or what. Surely it could not have been herself, her own sense of Fabulousness. Starlight Glimmer had taught her that any such self-image was naught but a hypocritical lie; she was nopony, and contained nothing special. This truth, once acknowledged, made her life much easier, since she no longer wasted her time and effort aiming at any ideals beyond simple survival, simple Sameness.
Still, the sensation of sickness would not abate, and she took to her bed, pleading illness, which was also a good way to dissuade Dashing Cape from offering to join her -- though she could not understand why she right now could not bear the sight of him. She was ahead of her work, anwyay -- even Equalized, she was still a very precise and rapid telekinetic -- and she felt that she needed the rest.
She napped the rest of the day, and awoke in the evening, and lay on her straw-stuffed mattress under her blanket of surplus sackcloth, and she could not help but think of a huge double king-sized bed with a down mattress and silk sheets, such as she might have slept upon a lifetime ago. And someone -- image of a pair of slitted, alert archosaurian eyes, a shimmer of scales -- with whom she had never shared that bed, but might have wanted to, someday, had her life remained Fabulous. Dangerous delusion, self-lie, he wasn't even a Pony. What would have been the point? Though the stories she'd read had caused her to believe that Dragons and Ponies might be inter-fertile ...
And thinking about that, she realized that there was a possible consequence to what she had done with Dashing Cape, aside from the strange self-loathing that she felt rising from the forgotten depths of her soul.
She might have made herself pregnant.
She thought of the possibility of a foal, young and innocent and new to life, laughing and playing, because such was foalish nature, imagining itself unique and special, because nopony had told it that there was anything wrong with doing so. A foal, loving and trusting its mother. Loving and trusting her.
The possibility filled her with a transient happiness -- until she realized the rest of the foal's fate.
Growing up in Our Town, gradually learning the limitations of its life. Learning that it was not special, not unique, that it was useless to strive, futile to dream. Realizing its Talent, manifesting its Cutie Mark, only to have both ripped away by Starlight Glimmer, forever suppressed by the Sameness. Growing to adulthood, in a world with neither love nor marriage, eventually mating out of base biological instinct -- as she had just done -- reproducing genetically so that yet another generation could be born to hopeless, loveless despair, forever and ever, generations of meaningless lives, from now until the time that somepony stronger than Rarity finally smashed Starlight Glimmer's dreary dream. Which would doubtless happen someday, but probably not before the last drop of what had once made Rarity Belle so Fabulous was squeezed out of her soul by the Sameness.
She felt a rush of energy -- and a painful pressure on her flanks. Her horror at her own actions, at the future to which she was submitting, had briefly brought her back to herself. She had to escape, for she knew that this surge would not last long. Already, she could feel her will fading, her strength lessening as the Sameness sapped her spirit.
A failed escape would be worse than no attempt at all, for she would be recaptured and re-educated even more thoroughly. This might happen again and again, her will being weakened more and more each time, until there was nothing left of the old Rarity, until she was naught but a helpless husk of her former self, kept alive and enslaved, a womb to breed new generations of slaves, and a horn to clothe them.
She must not let this happen! But how to get away? Starlight would send the Pegasi after her -- even under the Sameness, Night Glider was a swift flier and expert tracker; and the others would follow, swarm her, bring her down. With but a fraction of her normal energies, Rarity knew that she would be but a mediocre fighter. She was no longer Fabulous. She would be overcome by the odds. It seemed hopeless.
Then she remembered Fillydelphia -- and that there was another way out.
Ignoring the pulse of pain at her flank, she reached out with her powerful and precise telekinesis -- she knew that she could maintain this for only a short time, under the suffocation of the Sameness -- and the sharp shears she used to cut the sackcloth came to her, limned in the glow of her aura.
She regarded the shears. Well-made -- they had been bought outside Our Town -- and honed to a razor's edge, by a seamstress who was no longer Fabulous, but still a perfectionist in the few aspects of her life she still could control. They would do. For a moment, she considered using them to fight -- but they would be a puny weapon against the magical might of Starlight Glimmer; and if she used them on anypony else, she would simply be slaying one of Starlight Glimmer's other victims.
She had no right to choose death for any of those victims, save one:
Herself.
She turned the shears in her aura, pointing them directly at her heart. Even with the Sameness sucking at her soul, she still had the skill and strength to end her life, either instantly or by wounding herself beyond anything the pathetic medical facilities of this Talent-drained village could hope to muster. All she needed was the courage to strike true.
She knew that she had the courage.
As she prepared to strike, she briefly wondered why she was doing this, whether her situation was really hopeless. She cast her gaze to her window. Outside the stars shone; the Moon was rising. It occurred to her that elsewhere, hundreds of miles to the southeast, Manehattan glittered bright and beautiful in its sparkling waters, a jewel in its bay. She suddenly wanted to see that great city again, to live. She wondered if death were really the braver choice.
Something seemed wrong with her mind. She felt her Sameness Marks throb, and imagined that it must be due to Starlight's spell. Though it never felt like that before, came the stray thought.
She dismissed her doubts, and once again prepared to strike.
At the last moment, she mourned one bright dream, that would now never have the chance to come true; and she fixed almost desperately on his image.
I'm sorry, Spike! she thought -- and something hissed in pain and rage, and swirled at the corners of her vision. She whirled in confusion, to see the mass of animate void, blacker than midnight, that roiled and flowed back into cohesion in the corner of her room's ceiling, its two -- or were there three? -- yellow eyes glaring at her in hatred.
She shrieked, and whipped the shears around to point straight between the vile orbs, and cried out "What on Earth are you?" and in the instant of asking that question she knew, knew precisely what this was -- and that it had come not from Earth, but from the Moon, and before that from a dreadful domain of dead stars and eternal dark despair.
"Night-Shadow!" she named it, in a voice full of loathing. She knew its kind far better than did most other Ponies, even among those who even knew they existed -- for she had once -- for a brief but terrible time in her life -- been ridden by one.
The creature hissed again, and abruptly flowed toward her, extending pseudopods of seething darkness.
She remembered the counter to it just in time, and concentrated hard. The image of Spike, holding the Fire Ruby, his eyes full of love for her, leaped into the front of her mind. She felt a warm rush of Love within her. The ebon tendrils struck her -- and splashed away into steam.
The Night Shadow squalled, and shrank back before Rarity's Love for Spike.
"Why are you here?" Rarity demanded.
*... help you ...* came the single comprehensible thought amidst a snarl of alien static, sounding like the telepathic version of a badly-garbled telephone connection.
"Help me?" asked Rarity suspiciously, pointing the shears right at the Shadow, though she was far from certain that mere metal could do anything effective to its alien substance. "How?"
*... captive ... need power ...* it attempted to explain.
"You offer me the power to escape Starlight Glimmer?" Rarity asked. "Of what sort?" She narrowed her eyes at the thing.
*... us .... together ... Nightmare ...*
"No!" Rarity knew now what it offered. The Night Shadow's magic, combined with her own, would no doubt be stronger than Starlight Glimmer's. The last time she had become a Nightmare, she had been stronger even than the unaugmented Princess Luna. The promise was genuine ...
... and false. The Night Shadow, once she allowed it in, would possess her, ride her, drive her to its evil ends. When she had been a Nightmare, she had betrayed the Realm ... fought her friends ... she had even hurt Spike. To be thrall to a Night Shadow was even worse than was the Sameness!
The Night Shadow hissed in rage at her rejection. Its mind-voice shrieked through a shower of static.
*... Dragon ... hates ... you want ... can have! ...* it pointed out.*... Why ... die? ...
"Just a mo-ment," Rarity interjected, her tone sing-song. "Even if my darling Spikey-Wikey ..." she saw with satisfaction the Shadow squall and shrink at the little flare of Love that the thought of Spike sparked in her. "Even if he were cross with me like that, that would have been for something I did after we defeated Starlight Glimmer and left Our Town. So -- how am I once again her captive?"
The Shadow snarl-squalled, then hiss-rattled. *... ambush ... tricked ... misfortune? ... it asked hastily.
Rarity raised an eyebrow. "That seems rather improbable. And how have I been in this place for months and months with nopony to come looking for me? I have friends -- very much including my darling Dragon -- who wouldn't simply let me rot in durance vile." She sniffed herself. "And I can't smell Dashing Cape on me any more ... and I don't remember bathing before I went to bed." She spun the shears in her aura. "No more weakness," she observed. A quick glance at her right flank, where three familiar blue diamonds were emblazoned. "I've got my Cutie Mark back!" she crowed in delight.
Realization struck her.
"This is all a nightmare!" Rarity declared. "I was never back in Our Town! I'm sleeping safe in my own bed in Ponyville! And I never --"
Her eyes narrowed, and she almost growled at the Night Shadow. "You vile thing! You tried to convince me that I -- and his capes were atrocious!" It was not really about the capes, of course, but Rarity did not deem it worthwhile to discuss sexual morality with a formless horror from beyond the stars.
The Night Shadow let out a shriek impossible to describe in terms of any equine vocal equipment. It quivered with rage, and gathered itself up to attack.
Rarity prepared for battle, her aura grasping various objects about the room.
And the Moon exploded.
Or, to be more precise, it flared into a great pale lovely light, cool and silvery and greatly cheering. Even more cheering was the Shape which formed from that moonlight: a dark blue Alicorn, blue mane glistening with stars like a personal night sky. Her beautiful blue eyes blazed with wrath as she regarded the Night Shadow.
"Foul fiend!" Princess Luna shouted. "Thou darest to torment mine own friend? Back, begone to the oblivion that spawned thee!" A spray of silver-pinkish energy washed from Luna's horn and played across the Shadow, who wailed in anguish, shivered and burst apart. The fragments fell into the sky, somehow drawn upward into the orb of the Moon.
Rarity was not exactly sure just how Luna had accomplished what Rarity had just seen her do --- the kind and level of magic employed was far beyond anything the fashion designer had ever formally studied. She had sensed the side-scatter from the spell, and it felt somewhat similar to the Love Rarity had previously employed to hurt the Night Shadow, but far more powerful, and the emotion pulsed in a way which Rarity would have had no idea how to perform, even if she had known how to channel that sort of thing through her horn. The Love seemed fierce and protective; Rarity briefly wondered if this sort of amative analysis was what Fluttershy could always accomplish with her empathy.
Regardless of how Luna had done it, she had certainly helped out Rarity in her time of need, and done so in a highly-impressive manner. This deserved recognition on Rarity's part.
"Oh, bravo!" cried Rarity, clapping her hooves together. "Magnifique! You certainly showed that Night Shadow what for!"
A complex series of emotions flickered rapidly across Luna's face. Then she smiled, inclining her head to Rarity, and said:
"'Twas nothing, Lady Rarity, but Our duty to any Subject of the Realm, who by her own fealty hath the right to expect Our protection, from these vile enemies of all Ponykind."
For a moment, Rarity felt sadly unappreciated.
Then Luna smiled warmly, and added:
"Let alone a Lady to whom I owe mine own personal gratitude many times over, for helping liberate me from Nightmare, for being a true and loyal friend to Princess Twilight Sparkle, and for thy many signal services to the Realm, and personally to my Sister and own self, not the least of which has been thine own great artistic Talent. Thou art brave and good, Rarity Belle. It is mine own honor to help thee -- and thou art most truly Fabulous."
"Why -- why thank you, Your Highness," replied Rarity, bowing low to the Moon Princess, her cheeks warming at the unexpected and effusive compliment. Rarity had never been particularly close to Luna, beyond speaking politely to her at royal functions, and occasionally helping provide the Princess' wardrobe, and it was really nice to discover that Luna thought so highly of her.
"I require further words with thee," Luna said. "But first -- carefully and gently -- pray put down the shears."
"The shears?" Rarity had almost forgotten that she was levitating them, so far distant were her thoughts now from her former black despair. "Why, certainly, Your Highness," she said, precisely laying the shears down on a night-table, the dreamscape having morphed the chamber into her own bedroom at the Carousel Boutique in the meantime. "Will that do?"
"Right well," replied Luna, looking very relieved. "Rarity -- you were sleepcasting."
Sleepcasting was a potentially-dangerous sleep disorder, in which a Unicorn actually cast the spells she imagined she was casting in her dreams. Rarity remembered what she had been dreaming, regarding those shears, and gasped in horror.
"Goodness gracious!" she cried. "I might have killed myself!"
"Indeed," agreed Luna, her expression sober. "Though 'tis more likely thou wouldst merely have been wounded, as thou art not a trained sleepfighter."
"Thank you even more, then," Rarity said. A thought struck her, and she cast down her gaze. "You saw my dream, then." There were parts of it of which she hadn't wanted anypony else to know.
"Enough of it to understand the nightmare," replied Luna, her voice ringing clear. "Thou wert trapped in Our Town, facing the prospect of spending the rest of your life there: mating, foaling, raising children into slavery. To an emotionally-sensitive artist like thyself, this would have been even a worse Hell than it would have been to most Ponies." Her tone of voice gentled. "I understand thee, Lady Rarity. I am in mine own way an artist, and hardly dead to the softer emotions. I, too, would have been badly shaken by that dream."
"Then you do understand," said Rarity. "Your Highness," she remembered to add. "I apologize that you had to see the, well, really embarrassing part of that dream."
"When you mated with Dashing Cape?" asked Luna. "Lady Rarity, 'tis nothing. I have been dreamwalking for many, many centuries, and I have seen many, many, many carnal dreams. If they seriously embarrassed me, I could scarcely do my duty. 'Tis normal for Ponies to experience their sexual fantasies in their dreams, whether they be bright or dark ones. Or even extremely dreary ones."
"Indeed," said Rarity. "So dreary that I preferred death." She looked at Luna, troubled. "Am I sane?" Rarity asked her.
Luna smiled. "I may not be the best Pony of whom to ask that question," the Moon Princess pointed out. "Thou might recall the circumstances of our initial meeting."
"Oh, pish tosh," said Rarity, waving a hoof at her and smiling. "You just weren't quite yourself at the time, darling. We all have bad days." She wondered for a moment if she'd gone too far -- for a moment, Luna's expression was unreadable.
Then she smiled wryly at Rarity.
"Indeed," said Luna. "My bad day simply lasted a bit more than a millennium. But it has passed." She looked more cheerful for a moment, then more serious. "Lady Rarity, I would wager that thou hast known times of pain and tragedy in your life, perhaps more severe in some ways than some of thy friends. Though, in other ways, I would wager that thou might be surprised by what they have endured, and the extent to which they would sympathize with thee, and be willing to help thee with thy soul's burdens."
"Ancient Alicorn wisdom, Your Highness?" asked Rarity, arching an eyebrow at her.
"That," replied Luna, "and some fundamental logic. The Night Shadows flock around thee, seeking a lodgement through thee in our world. They torment thee more grievously because they have found a weakness to exploit, a flaw in thee through which they hope to corrupt thee. Understand: they cannot possess thee unless thou is open to them in some measure. They have possessed thee once before, and they hunger to do so once more."
"I'm the weakest link," said Rarity sadly, looking away in shame.
"Mayhap," said Luna, and then touched Rarity's chin gently with one hoof, turning her head up and looking directly into her eyes. "But know this, Rarity Belle, thou art strong indeed by any normal standards. There is merely a flaw they have found, perhaps by fortune, of which they know they can make use. And they will keep trying to use it again and again, until you acknowledge it and heal, bar them entry.
"And Rarity -- be not ashamed that thou art flawed. For I am flawed, and the Night Shadows took advantage of my flaw to seduce me to treason and the betrayal of everything and everypony I loved. I have sinned greatly; committed terrible crimes: worse than any that I think you can now imagine. Compared to mine own self, thou art innocence and loyalty personified. Dost thou despise me?"
"No, of course not!" cried Rarity. "You're ... you're simply wonderful! I admire you!" There was no calculation in that; it was the free expression of her heart, her response to the love and friendship Luna was demonstrating to her.
Luna smiled. "Perhaps more praise than I truly deserve, but I shall gladly accept it from thee." Then, her expression becoming more serious. "Then, Rarity, if thou can find it in thyself to admire me, do not despise thyself. I see thee with an eye jaundiced by viewing many centuries of evil and suffering and treachery, and I say unto thee: thou art brave, and good, and high of spirits, and thy heart is pure."
"Thank you, Your Highness," replied Rarity. "I ... I wish it was easier to feel that way about myself. I ... I'm not always as confident as I make myself out to be, you understand?"
Luna replied "The same is true of mine own self, Lady Rarity, at times. I remind myself that these times that the murk will pass; the night will once again become clear and bright and beautiful. And ..." she looked very seriously at Rarity, "... I spend time in the company of mine own friends."
Rarity smiled. "I am fortunate to have such friends as I do -- they make me feel more fabulous."
"There is one friend in particular," Luna said, "who is quite worried regarding thee. He stands without thy home right now, and I fear thou didst shriek aloud when thou didst fight the Night Shadow. If I were thee, I would wake and open thy doors to him. He means thee only well, but if he imagines thee in peril, no mere wooden doors will serve to check his passage." Luna smiled at Rarity. "For who would be foolish enough to attempt to bar her door to a Dragon ..." Luna faded into mist on those last words.
CRASH! There was a sound of splintering wood, and Rarity came awake with a start.
At first she could see only blackness, and that briefly worried her, before she realized that she still had her sleeping-mask on. She lifted the mask, and found herself, as she expected, in her bedroom back in the Carousel Boutique. She had known this, but still -- after that terrible nightmare -- it was a great relief to confirm that she was not the slave of Starlight Glimmer, not the lover of the stallion who simply happened to be the most conveniently situated, not about to kill herself to avoid bearing foals into a life of pointless suffering. She was herself, Rarity Belle of Ponyville, and she was still capable of Fabulousness!
"Rarity!" came a very familiar voice. "Are you all right? If you're in trouble, I'm coming to save you!"
Dear Spike, she thought fondly, a warm happiness spreading through her soul. My hero. He's smashed my front door. Even that last realization could not diminish her joy. For, abruptly, she had an image of a determined, purple little armored archosaur, bashing and clawing and breathing fire to demolish whatever defenses Starlight Glimmer might throw up, wading through an entire village if need be to rescue his love. And she knew that, as long as Spike drew breath, she would never be without hope of salvation.
"I'm all right, Spikey-Wikey!" she called out, before he could wreck any more of her home in his attempt to help her. She rolled out of bed, drew her pink night-robe around her, put her hooves into her house-slippers.
There were some minor crunching and splintering noises from downstairs, then "Oh, okay! I heard you screaming ..."
Rarity opened her bedroom door, stepped out and looked down from the railing into the main chamber. Though she of course expected it, still her heart leapt at the sight of the small purple-and-green Dragon that stood just within the door, brushing wood splinters off his lovely rain-glistening scales. He turned his head up to meet her gaze, and his dear features were the most handsome imaginable to her, for it was Spike. Her Spike, she could not avoid thinking.
"Spike!" she cried happily, and, casting aside much of her dignity, cantered down her curving grand staircase toward him, her robe land nightgown lifting and fluttering around her as she ran, in a manner which she certainly had to admit was tres dramatique, and which in her mind was accompanied by a great rising orchestral passage, with multiple violins emphasizing the theme of her love. It's rather a pity real life doesn't include musical accompaniment, she thought briefly, and then she reached Spike, and had no thoughts to spare for anything else.
She stretched out a foreleg to embrace Spike. Then, at the last moment, she remembered what had happened before, and she hesitated. Only for an instant, but it threw off her rhythm; her talent, exquisitely-attuned to all sorts of social pattern, made her immediately aware that what she had done constituted a subtle rejection of Spike. She was painfully aware of her faux pas, but it was too late ... she'd emotionally pushed him away, again ...
... and Spike, completely ignoring this, leaped, flinging his arms around her neck, pressing his cheek against the side of her throat right where she was so wonderfully-sensitive, and Rarity gasped at the sheer joy of his presence, his reality, his enthusiastic caring for her, in such colorful contrast to the apathetic gray squalor of the nightmare. She did not need Fluttershy's amatopathy to sense Spike's love; it was utterly-evident to Rarity in the tenderness of his touch, the happiness on his face, and the faint, exciting tang of dragonmusk, rising to reinforce his always dear and welcome scent.
Rarity's foreleg almost reflexively came around to hold Spike, to press him into her chest, and her neck curved around to press her own cheek against the rear of his own head, feeling his quivering spines as a pleasant roughness, soothingly scratching her hide through her hair. Spike accepted her, and he admired her. She was so glad of his friendship, so lucky to have his love. She held him tightly against her. and her own happiness was almost unbearable. She closed her eyes, and tears of joy flooded down her face.
For a long time, Rarity simply held Spike, luxuriating in his love. She sank to her belly to put her head on a level with his, wrapped her other foreleg around him and stroked his back gently with her hooves and aura. She kissed his cheek, very delicately, and trailed her lips down his neck, just to what would have been perhaps the edge of indecency, had he been anatomically-identical to her Kind, and perhaps was anyway, since he had been raised in Pony body language and might well have understood the implications.
He responded to her touch, pressing his own head into her, kissing her throat and the side of her neck, also treading right on the edge of what was permissible, given that they had not declared any love, either to each other or to the wider world. He knew the moves of this dance, Rarity knew, for the very good reason that she had taught them to him over the winter. He did not mind pacing out the measures. As always, he had learned rapidly from Rarity.
She was aware that she was being even more romantically-aggressive than before, but now they were in private What was more, she was doing it competently, seductively, in tune with Spike's own natural rhythm, once again attuned to her Talent and to her beloved alike. She could tell by the quickening of his breath, the way he touched her, and the increased emission of dragonmusk that she was arousing him, giving him pleasure.
Beloved, thought Rarity. That is what he is to me in my private thoughts. And I know he loves me in return. Why can't I just say it? Why can't I tell him outright that I love him, instead of simply implying it, by actions which could instead be interpreted as mere shallow hedonism, a lack on my part of decent morals? But she knew why. If I tell him that, I'll have to mean it. I will not tell Spike I love him and then drop him for the stallion of my dreams. I will not treat him as Rush Rocks treated me.
She knew this was sophistry on her part, and of the worst kind. In both directions. Their feelings had already gone far enough that she would hurt him if she dropped him. She would hurt herself if she did. That was the problem: she needed him, and yet she could not promise to him. She could not ... it occurred to her that what she was talking about was an Understanding, or as the country-Ponies put it, an Intention. No, she told herself. I can't mean that. He's still just a colt ... this isn't that serious.
She was lying to herself, and she knew it.
Spike finally pulled back a little and looked at her, concern on his face. "What's wrong?" he asked her.
"Wrong?" Rarity said. "Why, nothing's wrong ... I'm just glad to see you."
"No, not that," Spike said. "There's nothing wrong with that." He, too, would not explicitly state that they had almost been making love. "You were screaming before. That's why I ..." He suddenly realized what he'd done, and said sheepishly. "Um, sorry about the door."
She glanced at the door, which had been broken off its bottom hinge and partly splintered through in a roughly Spike-sized area. She'd need to be a new one.
"Oh, think nothing of it, darling," Rarity reassured him. "I was thinking of changing it anyway -- it was clashing with the new decor."
"Okay," said Spike. "Why were you screaming?"
"Just a bad dream," Rarity said. "Just ..." she lowered her head, tired of trying to evade his question. She looked him directly in his handsome green eyes. "I'm lying," she said flatly. "It was a bad dream, but it was not just a bad dream." She gathered up her courage. "I was in Starlight's village. Her slave. I had to live there; I had found a mate," that was the closest she was going to explain that part of the dream to Spike, "and I realized I did not want to raise up foals into slavery. So I ..." she winced, "... in the dream I was going to kill myself. But I was sleepcasting, so I really picked up my shears and pointed them at myself."
Spike gasped, started to move toward her.
"There's more," Rarity said, motioning him back. "It wasn't just me making the dream. One of them was back."
"You don't mean ..." Spike said.
"I do," Rarity nodded, her expression grim. "A Night Shadow. It wanted to merge with me, tried to trick me into thinking the dream was real and my only escape was to become the Nightmare." At Spike's look of extreme alarm, Rarity explained: "It didn't trick me. I figured out it was a lie. I fought it -- and I don't know who would have won, because Princess Luna saved me. Destroyed or banished it, I'm not sure which."
"All right, Luna!" said Spike enthusiastically.
"I'm worried," Rarity said, drawing her night robe tight around herself and shivering, but not with the cold blowing in through the broken door. "I think that my experience in that hellish little town damaged me more than it did the others. I'm tired, but I'm afraid that if I go to sleep again, the Night Shadows will return."
"Can you block them somehow?" Spike asked. "Love repels them -- if you think of somepony you love, that should keep them away. And Luna once told me they run out of strength pretty fast if they don't have a host, which is why they usually can't take anypony who doesn't actually invite them in, at least with some part of her mind."
Rarity nodded. "I wasn't sure what I'd do, but now that you're here ..." She paused, realizing that this was not exactly the kindest thing for her to ask. "Spike -- would you sleep with me?"
"Um ... huh?!" Every single part of Spike's crest snapped up to rigid attention. "Are you sure ...? ... I mean of course I will, Rarity!"
"You do understand what I actually mean, Spike?" Rarity asked. "I mean, physically sleep beside me in my bed. I didn't mean ..."
"I didn't think you did," Spike said. "I wouldn't imagine you'd want me to ... well ..." his voice trailed off, and he looked away, his face flushing deep purple.
You'd be surprised, Spike, at what I might want, even if it was a terribly bad idea, Rarity thought. You have far too high an opinion of me. In fact, your opinion of me is one of the major reasons that makes me be better than I am. But of course, she didn't say it. "Spike," she said instead, "I didn't mean -- I've never meant, that you're not the most handsome and amazing and wonderful Dragon ... or being of any sort, really ... that I've ever known," she almost cooed at him. I just mean that, right now, all I want is your companionship, to help protect me against the Shadows. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Spike drew himself up in what was meant to be a heroic manner. "Of course I do, Rarity," he replied, his eyes shining with love for her. "I'll make sure that nothing and nopony -- or noshade -- can harm you in any way!"
Rarity smiled warmly at him. She did not feel in the slightest like laughing at him. For she knew that, beneath his exaggerated gesture, he was a hero, who would do anything to protect her. She remembered how he had come to her rescue on the dream-Moon, when the worst had happened, and she had been in thrall to the Night Shadows. She remembered how he had dreamed himself a giant, smashed through the Shadow-guards, and reforged the Fire Ruby with the power of his love.
I'm waiting for the image of a perfect stallion I devised when I was a child, Rarity realized. The image I followed to my own near self-destruction in Fillydelphia, and later to my embarrassment with Blueblood and Trenderhoof. Why am I even still doing this? What Pony could I possibly meet who would understand me, care for me, protect me more thoroughly than my Spike? The longer she knew Spike, the less important this image of a perfect stallion seemed to her; the more important the reality of the Dragon.
She seriously considered giving herself to Spike in truth.
He's still too young, she reminded herself. It would be monstrous. Perverted. Wrong. A betrayal of my friendship with Twilight.
That was her last defense, and she was standing behind it. For now. At least until he got a bit older.
They cleaned up the foyer, which was covered in wet splinters. Rarity put the door back in place and temporarily re-hung it on its hinges, manipulating it with her aura. Spike heated the key parts with his breath focused in a pinpoint blue-white torch, then shaped them, nonchalantly handling the red-hot metal in his bare claws. They hammered some plywood into place over the hole in the door It was a less-than-perfect repair job -- the door looked shabby now and she'd still have to replace it -- but at least there wasn't a hole in her front door letting in the chill and damp anymore.
Rarity got towels and helped Spike dry; she restrained herself from helping him in ways which he might have perceived as erotic. She made and served him some tea; they used up most of the biscuits remaining after her earlier meeting with Fluttershy. I am really going to have to go shopping tomorrow, she thought.
After all this they were both really tired, and went to bed.
They got under the blankets, and lay a bit awkwardly on opposite sides of Rarity's big, soft four-poster bed. Spike very obviously did not want to do anything that even seemed like making a pass at her, while Rarity did not entirely trust herself to refrain from doing so for real.
Dear Spikey-Wikey would be terribly shocked if he knew some of my thoughts, Rarity mused. I'm glad that he shows absolutely no sign of telepathy. In the legends she'd read, some Dragons could read minds.
Happily, they were both very tired, and soon dropped off to sleep.
Rarity awoke in the early dawn to a warm, dry, scaly little form hugging her side and snoring.
She looked at the Dragon with an expression of absolute love, which it was really quite a shame that he wasn't awake to see. She smiled, and hugged him back, and then didn't let go, because she rather liked how he felt in her embrace, especially sleeping.
She was still very tired, so she slipped back into sleep.
At various points during the night he and she must have rolled into various positions, because when she woke again he was hugging her from behind, still snoring. She considered detaching herself from him; it was full daylight now, and she was normally a very energetic Pony, but being hugged by Spike felt so nice that she instead drifted off to sleep again.
If there were any Night Shadows prowling about, they stayed away from Rarity, protected as she was in the warmth of Spike's love.
Late that morning they awoke together, drowsing side by side. She made herself get out of bed, and Spike followed her into the kitchen, where she made coffee and they ate the absolute last of the biscuits.
"I'm sorry for the simplicity of the fare, darling," she said. "I need to go shopping today."
"It's no problem," said Spike. "If I'm really hungry I'll make myself a second breakfast at the castle."
She wasn't sure what to say to Spike beyond such trivialities. In the nine years since Rush Rocks had betrayed her, she'd never had full sexual intercourse again, but she had sexual affairs, of varying degrees of physical participation, with various stallions. A few times she'd even wound up in bed with them.
She'd never slept with them. She'd never actually slept with any male, aside from Rush Rocks. Until now.
Why did it make such a difference? Why did it make her feel as if he was hers, and she his, even though they'd never ... it was something about the intimacy. The trust involved in falling asleep in bed with a male, whether stallion or drake. The belonging one felt, when one woke up in bed with someone else. It was almost like being a small filly again, and sleeping with her parents -- but Spike wasn't one of her parents, and she viscerally knew it.
She couldn't get past the later betrayal and anger and hatred to remember if sleeping with Rush Rocks had been like this. She remembered him always poking at her, even when she was tired and just wanted to sleep, as if he was scoring points off her in some pointless game which only one of them could win. His love was zero-sum, maybe negative-sum, she thought, in the terms Fluttershy had taught her. Spike -- his love is positive-sum. We both win.
There was no way she could say this all to Spike. She was embarrassed by the intensity of her own emotions. But she had to say something to him. He'd been with her instead of taking care of Twilight; he'd exposed himself to possible criticism and embarrassment, she understood this well -- and he'd done this all to be with her, and to protect her. She knew he'd enjoyed sleeping with her as much as she had, but she also knew that he was at least somewhat aware of the potential social consequences.
"Thank you, Spike," she said. "For ... protecting me last night. For being there for me. For ... well for being you, Spikey-Wikey. You're my hero." It came out awkwardly, compared to her normal smooth synchronization with social rhythms, but she was on territory she hadn't been on for almost a decade -- actually, territory she'd never been on, but only thought she'd explored, even back then.
Spike suddenly hugged her. After a startled moment, she returned the embrace.
"Any time," Spike said. "I ... I wish I could ... never mind."
It gave her an idea.
"We will again sometime, darling," she promised him. "In the meantime ... well, you'll see later." She smiled archly at him.
"I have to go see about Twilight," Spike told her. "She's probably back from talking to the Royal Sisters now."
He'd mentioned in passing, earlier, that Twilight had written to and was going to have a conference with Celestia and Luna, so this came as no surprise to Rarity.
"I'll come to the Castle to see Twilight too, after I perform a few errands," Rarity told him. "I'll see you then." She saw him off at the door, and kissed a hoof to him as he departed. "Until later," she said, and felt briefly, strangely shy.
After Spike left, the first thing she did was hunt among her fabrics. She found some peluche, in the exact shade as her own off-white body; some indigo yarn, two azure buttons, a few other odds and ends.
Humming happily to herself, Rarity began to make a plush toy. |
Post-Traumatic | Chapter 10: The Moon's Comfort | Twilight Sparkle arranged her notes neatly, and, upon due reflection, weighted down all the loose sheets of paper. She was familiar with the methods of the Moon Princess, and, especially, with Luna's love of drama. She sat back, reading over the Biographical Dictionary regarding some of Starlight Glimmer's kin. Many were high achievers: scholars and scientists and soldiers and statesponies.
We are a distinguished Clan, Twilight thought, with perhaps some vanity. She was not feeling all that harshly self-critical at present; her experience Masking as Starlight Glimmer having left her with a revulsion against doing just that. It's a lot to live up to, of course. Was that part of the stress that broke you, Starlight? she wondered. Did you feel that you were not good enough for the role to which you had been born? Twilight had herself felt that, more than once in her life.
It only gets harder the higher one rises, Twilight thought. From ace student to national heroine to Alicorn Princess. Increasing freedom to choose one's own actions, yes, but the constraints of duty and morality, the expectations of others and of oneself, these bind one more tightly than mere obedience to orders one did not issue oneself. Having to do what is right is harder than having to do what one is told. Choosing the right path can be hard, and if one errs the guilt and the shame belong to oneself alone. She briefly considered Celestia, and felt a pang of sadness. Authority is a lonely burden, Most Beloved Teacher, and you've borne it, alone, for so many centuries.
And you, Starlight. From ace student to criminal warlock to cult leader. You made your own decisions, you tried to choose your own path. You imagined yourself the Hero, not the Monster, of your own tale. Which, I suppose, would make Celestia to you the Evil Overlord, and I the Monster in your tale.
Your dream was shattered by your Monster, by me. What will you do, now?
She wondered how she might understand, might predict Starlight's actions, without falling into the trap of Masking her and Becoming the Mask that was Starlight. There seemed no clear and safe path to understanding.
Her musings were interrupted by the apparition.
The shadows in the corner of the room combined into a swirl of spacetime, which with an eerie howling and spray of cold wind coalesced into a dark equine shape, a big beautiful blue Alicorn standing there poised with wings outstretched.
"Princess Luna!" said Twilight delightedly. "I'm so glad to see you." She looked at the dispersing mists. "New teleportation spell?"
"A very old one," said Luna. "It needs darkness from which to manifest, and 'tis less efficient than the version thou dost use, but I like me the effect in the emergence. I did modify it long ago from the blinking of the Undying Unicorns."
"It's very impressive," said Twilight, smiling at Celestia's Sister. She looked down at her desk. Her papers were all in place, secured by the paperweights she had wisely placed upon them. Luna liked dramatic entrances, which often resulted in short-lived but intense gusts of wind. It was a character trait Twilight had first noticed in Nightmare Moon, though she refrained from bringing that up to Luna for the obvious reasons.
"Thankee," replied Luna, stepping forward and smiling down at her. "Twilight, dear friend, how dost thou fare? I read thy missive and am concern-ed."
"What," asked Twilight, "about that spell I accidentally cast on myself? The Masking?" She forced her face to keep what she hoped was a cheerful smile, even laughed a bit. "Heh, it was scary for a moment, but I'm fine now."
"I am right glad that thou didst take no lasting harm, there," Luna said, relaxing slightly. "Maskings were Flutter-Pony mind magics, which they used to attune themselves with the life they tended. After the Twisting, the Changelings adapted them to reinforce their masquerades, so that they might assume more perfect semblances of Pony identities. They learned to think like the Ponies they imitated." Luna's deep blue eyes peered solemnly into Twilight's own. "The danger, of course, is that the Masker may become confused between the Mask and her own true identity. Emotions and ideas may seep from the Mask into the Core personality. The Changelings call this 'Split-Mind,' and it is a hazard for their best Infiltrators, for those plunge most deeply into their guises. If it goes too far, the Infiltrator may become what she imitates --"
"Sky's stragglers!" interjected Twilight excitedly. Then, abashed by her own bad manners. "Sorry. I was just thinking -- they mimicked Ponies to carry out the invasion of Canterlot, but they wound up joining Equestria."
"Indeed," said Luna, nodding. "Most of them not trained Infiltrators, but they knew some basic Masking. They found Equestria's free and varied society more lovely than their regimented and dreary Hives. And even more so Nictis, who was lost in Equestria long before the invasion, and thus had to maintain a Mask for many years."
"Yes," said Twilight. "Didn't she eventually become really friendly with that inventor fellow, Spark Wheel?"
"More than merely friendly," answered Luna. "They fell in love. They are betrothed."
"Oh," said Twilight. "I didn't notice that."
"Thou art not always the first to notice such things, dear friend," Luna said, smiling fondly.
"Hey!" objected Twilight. "Usually it's Rarity who points that out to me!" She frowned. "Or Applejack ... sometimes Pinkie ... or even Spike ... I suppose I really am a bit oblivious to that sort of thing, sometimes ..."
"Also," Luna added, "Nictis is male. His drone shape is his true form."
"Oh," said Twilight again. "I guess I didn't notice that either." She thought a moment. "In my defense, non-Royal Changelings of both sexes all look rather alike to me. They have very similar muzzle shapes, and they keep all the -- um, vulnerable -- parts within those carapaces."
"'Tis more obvious if one doth widen one's visual spectrum," Luna explained, "as most of their coloration is outside the normal Pony visual range. Also, the Changeling females, even of the sterile castes, have slightly wider hips; while the drones do sport a slight swelling on the underside of their bellies, exactly where a Pony stallion of one of the Three Kinds would keep his ..." she stopped for a second, thought a moment, her eyes dancing with mischief "... vulnerable parts, as thou didst so aptly describe them. For the good reason that the drones do in fact have those parts in there, under the carapace, which can open at times appropriate to their usage." Her eyes twinkled. "Though I suspect thou wilt see any Changeling drone wince, if one of thy obvious power describeth them to him in terms of their vulnerability."
Twilight blushed hotly, but also found herself smiling. Long ago, Luna had been Laughter; her sense of humor was sometimes rough and bawdy by the standards of Twilight Sparkle, product of a more refined later civilization, but it was genuine and good-natured. As the years had passed since Luna's Return, the Moon Princess seemed to be gradually unfolding, revealing her brighter face as her confidence and power returned. More and more, Twilight found herself really enjoying Luna's company -- especially in moments when Twilight herself felt uncertain or vulnerable. Luna refreshed her.
Then, she realized another implication of what Luna had told her.
"Wait," Twilight said, "I didn't know Spark Wheel was ..."
"He probably wasn't, not originally," Luna explained. "He met Nictis when the Changeling was in female form, and their love lasted despite the revelation that the Unicorn mare Meadow Song was in truth a Changeling male." She looked at Twilight with a certain intensity. "Love -- true love -- can sometimes be that strong."
"Heh," said Twilight. "I suppose." She could not meet Luna's gaze now. She strongly suspected her response sounded at least as pathetic and inadequate to Luna as it did to herself. Twilight knew that Luna deserved a better reply from her, and also that she could not give her one, for the very good reason that Twilight did not know what she herself wanted.
She fully grasped the reason why the tale of Nictis and Spark Wheel had made such an impression on the Moon Princess. In a past life, over four thousand years ago in a long-fallen advanced technological civilization, Luna had been the mortal Earth Pony scientist and engineer Moondreamer Finemare; and Twilight herself had been the space pilot Dusk Skyshine -- a stallion, and Moondreamer's beloved husband.
Luna could remember this clearly. Twilight couldn't. Only -- sometimes Twilight felt flashes of familiarity, when she heard about the Age of Wonders in which Moondreamer and Dusk had lived, and loved. And -- though Twilight did not normally feel romantic stirrings toward mares -- she found Luna to be strangely fascinating, to be beautiful and exciting, in ways she did not toward any other female. Or, really, toward any other male Pony -- the only other entity toward whom she felt this way was a Humanoid stallion, denizen of an entirely different worldline. And she thought she liked Luna better.
For over a year now, Luna had been slowly, patiently and very respectfully courting her. Twilight was somewhat oblivious to love, but not that oblivious. That was the reason, Twilight knew, why Luna sent her those warm letters, why Luna liked to spend long evenings in conversation with her, sometimes even embrace her with her wings, but never going beyond what could be interpreted as simple affection. Twilight knew that, though Luna had strong sexual morals, she was not really all that romantically shy.
But Luna was strangely shy with her. And Twilight thought she knew why as well.
Luna wasn't sure either; neither about her own feelings, nor Twilight's. The last thing Luna would want to do would be to drive Twilight away by an ill-considered advance; she at least again had the friendship of the one who had been Dusk Skyshine, and feared to lose it. Twilight wasn't actually that easy to drive away, but Luna couldn't be sure of that. So she moved very, very slowly.
And neither of them had ever made love to a mare. In Twilight's case, she'd never made love to anypony, but she had grown up assuming herself heterosexual, having occasional crushes on colts or stallions, and none (until now) on fillies or mares. Luna knew she was heterosexual: she was no wanton (in her own words) but she had dwelt fifteen centuries on the Earth in her current incarnation, and during those fifteen centuries had by her own admission taken a couple of dozen stallions as lovers.
What if they tried to make love, and in the process only revolted each other? Could they face one another as friends, afterward? Twilight had heard of sophisticated members of Canterlot Society who went through their circle of friends in just such a fashion, but she did not imagine herself to be that sort of mare. When she finally decided to make love, she wanted it to be a love that lasted; and she very much did not want to lose Luna's friendship. Paradoxically, the strength of her love for Luna as a friend was an additional inhibition against attempting to be her lover. Which was, Twilight supposed, not the healthiest approach to love, but then what normal approach to love covered two heterosexual mares who loved one another due to the fact that in a past life one of them had been a stallion?
Twilight was of course less certain about Luna's feelings in the matter. But she had come to know her fairly well over the years since Luna's liberation from the Nightmare, and even better in the almost year and a half since Luna had vouchsafed to her the tale of Moondreamer and Dusk Skyshine, and she could make some educated guesses. She knew that Luna valued her friendship greatly; that though Luna was very sexually-experienced by mortal standards, she had cared deeply for the stallions she had taken for lovers, that she was in that respect far more like Twilight herself than like those in the various Fast Sets. Logically, Luna would also be afraid of souring their friendship through a failed love affair, and this would be her motive for moving very slowly.
Thus, they did not close completely, but instead orbited each other rapidly -- rather like the binary neutron stars about which Luna had once told Twilight during an exciting and fascinating intimate late-night conversation about astrophysics -- afraid that should they actually make physical contact the consequences would be cataclysmic. Not a perfect simile, Twilight knew, but an entirely appropriate one, given that Luna was the Incarnation of the Cosmic Concept of Gravity. So it would do.
"Pardon me," said Luna, ears drooping sadly. "I presume too much, and should not, given that thou dost still heal from thy struggle with Starlight Glimmer."
"Heh," said Twilight, smiling reassuringly. "I wasn't really wounded. Things got only a little bit physical, and at most I took a few bruises -- nothing serious."
"I did not mean physical harm," said Luna. She fixed Twilight in the gaze of her big blue eyes.
"Why -- what do you mean --" stammered Twilight, cringing back slightly. "What kind of harm --"
"I am thy friend," said Luna, "but, unlike thine other friends, I do not look to thee for leadership. I read thy report. I know thou wert under the warlock's power as well, just as were they. I know what it is like to have strictures laid upon one's very soul. I know what it is like to be in command, to be forced to stifle one's fears, one's pain, for the cause that one must not say or do anything that will demoralize those who look to one for leadership. Whatever we once were or are or may someday be to one another, I am thy friend, I always will be thy friend, and I ken what thou hast suffered, what thou doth suffer." She leaned her neck forward slightly, ears up and gently smiling. "Twilight Sparkle, I care for thee, and I am here for thee. Thou may unburden thyself to me, safely and freely."
"I -- " Twilight began. Her voice choked off; her vision blurred in what she realized to her alarm were welling tears. "I ..." she tried to begin again, but found herself entirely incapable of coherent speech.
Luna waited patiently, saying nothing. Her wings twitched slightly open.
Twilight burst out in tears and practically flung herself into Luna's chest, burying her face in the hair of her coat, drinking in the comforting warmth and scent and solidity that was Luna Selena Nyx. She was crying into her coat, she must be soaking the Moon Princess in her tears, but she couldn't control herself. She had been holding this in for so long, she'd had to be strong for so long; once the dam had broken there was no containing the flood.
Luna's wings embraced Twilight, drawing the smaller Alicorn in to a warm hug. Luna's neck came around and she stroked her cheek against Twilight's, gently kissed her head, careful to remain clear of her lips and the more intimate parts of Twilight's own neck. Twilight could tell that what she was offering now was comfort, friendship, and an absolutely pure love: she was grateful to Luna for restraining her own more carnal impulses. Right now, all Twilight wanted was the shelter that Luna offered against a dangerous world.
Twilight sobbed unashamedly, or perhaps in great shame: she was supposed to be an adult, an exemplar of the Lights, a Princess of Equestria, but right now she was reduced to the level of a frightened little filly. She had been feeling like this all along, at many moments in her ordeal in Our Town, but she had known she had to stay strong, to keep up the spirits of the others, so every time she had felt like this she had resolutely shoved it back down behind high ears and stiff lips, as the saying went. And now, it was all coming out, all at once.
If what Luna thought about them was true, they had been lovers, mates, spouses in an age before known history; their reunion in the ruined Castle of the Two Pony Sisters had been the workings of Destiny (and the culmination of a certain tricky Most Beloved Teacher's millennial plan). If that were true, then in a sense Luna was closer to her even than Twilight's own parents, and perhaps Luna was the one Pony before whom Twilight need never be ashamed.
Twilight was not certain of her own logic there, but right now it didn't matter: Luna was there for her, and that was all that mattered. Twilight wanted to say these things to Luna, she wanted to say a lot of things to Luna. First, though, she had to finish crying. She did so, for a while. They lay down together, Luna holding her, and some time passed.
Luna seemed to understand Twilight's need to express her sorrow, and she in turn said nothing particularly coherent, at least not in Equestrian, beyond "Hush," and "it's all right," accompanied by firmer hugs, at Twilight's most extreme outbursts. Once she called Twilight leofling, which Twilight was pretty sure meant something like "beloved" or "darling" in a pre-Harmony version of Equestrian, and once she cupped Twilight's face in her wings, looked deeply into her eyes, and said, very tenderly, ek ann ther, a phrase which sounded vaguely Nhorse and whose meaning Twilight did not know and at the time did not want to ask.
Finally, Twilight was calm enough once more to engage in coherent speech. She gently detached herself from Luna, looked soberly into her eyes, and said "Thank you."
Luna nodded. "Thou art always well come into mine own life, Twilight Sparkle." There may have been some tears on her face as well, or they might have been Twilight's.
"I was helpless," Twilight said. "That's what bothers me the most. I'd lost -- Starlight had taken my power, my Talent, everything that made me special. Even my mind was muzzy -- I felt like I was trying to think through cotton wads, does that make sense to you?"
Luna nodded again. "'Tis difficult to be cast down from a height of power," she said. "One learns things about one's own self. That is why the Concepts sometimes Incarnate themselves in weak or ordinary forms, to learn what the Universe looks like to common life. Indeed, even we Alicorns are weak and ordinary compared to the Concepts."
"It was more than that," Twilight said. "I was weak and under the hooves of my enemy. And all my friends were there with me. You might think that their presence made it more bearable, and in one sense it did -- but in another, it was worse. Because it was bad enough that I was vulnerable -- that Starlight could have done anything to me: killed me, tortured me, humiliated me in horrible ways. What was worse is that she could have done that to my friends."
"I ken that right well," said Luna. "I have always found friends among those I led into battle. And always been afraid that my friends would fall in the fight. Yet always I have had to push these feelings down in battle, for if I gave way to them, if I failed to lead with all the wit and fight with all the might of which I was capable, I would be all the more likely to make mistakes, errors which might bring about the very fell fates for my friends which I feared. 'Tis the burden of command, in a larger sense of the crowns we wear. We decide, so ours is the fault if we fail."
Twilight nodded. "Yes," she agreed. "The very first time I was in real danger -- the quest for the Elements of Harmony ..."
Luna laughed. "I remember that well," she said, smiling warmly at Twilight.
"It all seemed sort of unreal to me at first, like something out of a wonder-tale," Twilight said. "Then it seemed more real than anything I'd ever experienced before. When dangers struck, everything sort of slowed down, it was very easy to make decisions, it was all very cold and clear, as if I were no longer equine, no longer an inexperienced young mare on her very first dangerous mission, but was some sort of machine that assessed threats and calculated the odds and chose the best strategy in every situation."
"I did see that," Luna said. "Even under the Nightmare's sway, I saw that thou wert brave and brilliant and utterly determined to win. I liked thee ... I admired thee ... I did not want to slay thee ... in the end, it was by thy fearless intelligence that I knew that thou wert Dusk Skyshine reborn. And when I knew that, I knew that rather than slay thee I must fight the Shadow to the bitter end. Even if t'were mine own end as well."
"I was fearless at the time," Twilight said. "Also, remember that I'd just met my friends. I liked them, but I didn't really know them yet, not until we Attuned ... that was ... I can't even put it into words." She breathed heavily, stirred by the memory.
"I know how it felt," Luna replied. "Mine own Sister and I were so Attuned, for five hundred years. Though for thee it must have been more of a revelation, as my Sister and I have always been close, and had lived as Incarnate Alicorns over a thousand years when we first found the Elements."
"Then, afterward ...," said Twilight, "... when it was all over, when we were celebrating back in Ponyville ... I was looking at my new friends, and suddenly my mind went over everything that had happened, every way it might have gone wrong. One serious mistake, at any point, and some or all of us might have died. And I'd known this, all along, intellectually, but suddenly it hit me emotionally. And ... well, it was a good thing there was a chair handy, because I practically collapsed. Hopefully, nopony noticed ..."
"I did," said Luna. "I ... well ... watched thee." She looked embarrassed.
"I know what happened," Twilight said. "I have a very strong adrenal system, but the adrenaline ran out, and suddenly I was just normal Twilight Sparkle again, a magic student who had never even been in a real brawl before, and I was remembering falling down cliffs and fighting Manticores and coming face-to-face with ... well, you, in a very bad mood. And all the fear and worry I'd been suppressing caught up with me, all at once." She essayed a wan laugh. "I'm lucky I didn't faint, right there in front of everypony."
"But thou didst not," Luna pointed out. "Thou art a truly brave mare."
"On the outside," Twilight said. "Inside ... every danger we've ever been in, every danger I've ever had to lead my friends through ... I sometimes wake up with nightmares, dreams in which I made the wrong decision, and everypony died."
"I know," said Luna. "I am sorry that I can not always aid thee with them. I have sometimes -- I have not always announced myself. I do not wish to intrude on thy privacy ..."
"You're welcome in my dreams any time," said Twilight. "Um, most of them." She blushed. "Sometimes I have, well, really private ones and ..."
Luna made an amused sound; her cheeks dimpled. "I am used to Ponies having those sorts of dreams. I have seen them for two and a half millennia. I especially do not wish to intrude on those, especially where thou art concern-ed, dear friend." She wrinkled up her muzzle. "It seems to me that I had the same conversation not too long ago with Rarity ... ah well." She looked very directly at Twilight. "The important thing is that you did make the right choices. You live, your friends live. You stand victorious. You know that."
"It was different this time, though," Twilight said. "I guess because we were captured, and then had no choice but to be inactive for two days. And -- we were only captured because I made a mistake the first time." She felt guilt well up within her. "I overestimated our abilities, my abilities. I knew that Starlight Glimmer might attack us at any moment, but I thought I was ready for it. I assumed that I could cast on her before she could summon any magic powerful enough to defeat us."
Twilight looked down, ashamed of her failure. "I was wrong," she said. "She was working-up that spell while she was still talking -- something which for a spell of that power implies tremendous mastery on her part -- and she struck me down while I was still gathering the power to stun her. "She went right through my shields; but then I hadn't summoned very powerful shields, I didn't think that some warlock hiding out in the Crystal Mountains using an artifact she barely understood could possibly be all that dangerous.
"And of course, if my assumptions had been correct, she wouldn't have been -- except that it wasn't the Staff, it was herself, and that implied she was very dangerous." Twilight looked back up into Luna's calm blue eyes. "I didn't see the clues, you see ... even though Starlight slipped up when she claimed that Meadowbrook had made nine enchanted items. It was exactly the sort of clue I should have gotten -- I'm obsessed with magical history -- but I missed the significance of what Starlight had just told me."
"Thou didst err ..." Luna began.
"And my friends paid for my mistake!" Twilight shouted in self-condemnation. She saw Luna flinch and her ears go back at the volume. "They were counting on me to notice things like that, to make the right decision ... and I didn't. I failed them! I could have gotten them all killed ... or hurt ... or driven mad ... do you know what sort of state Rarity was in? I think she was hurt more than any of us ... she was acting very strangely when we returned to Ponyville ..."
"Rarity will be safe now," Luna said, leaning forward and stroking Twilight's cheek with one wingtip. "Spike is with her. He will let her come to no harm."
For a moment, Twilight wondered what else might happen between Spike and Rarity in such a state. Then, she let go her fears: she trusted Rarity well enough, and even more so, she trusted Spike. Whatever happened would be in love; neither Dragon nor Unicorn would willingly harm one another.
"That's good," said Twilight, smiling affectionately at the thought of her Number One Assistant. "You're right -- Spike won't let anything bad happen to Rarity."
"Nor willst thou let anything bad happen to thy friends, an it be in thy power," Luna said, cupping Twilight's face in her wingtips. "Listen well, Twilight Sparkle. Thou art brave and brilliant. Thou willst do all thee might to win the day, and to keep thine own friends alive and well. And if thou failest," she said with strong emphasis, "-- as may one day happen, pray that it never does! -- know that the fault will not be thine, for thou art one of the most competent commanders I have ever known or of whom I have ever heard tell. Everypony fails sometimes, Twilight. Celestia does. I do. And thou willst, from time to time. You are only equine, my dear admirable friend, as am I and my Sister, despite our Cosmic origins. And despite thy own Cosmic nature. And even the Concepts can err. Dost thou understand?"
"Heh," said Twilight. "I think I do. I'm being too hard on myself."
"Yes," said Luna. "The difference between this time and the other times was that thou and thine friends were captured. Ye were in danger, at the mercy of the foe, for a long time. Thou hadst time for the battle-lust to die down, to reflect on thine own errors. Then thou must essay another strategem, as thou didst with Fluttershy, and then again await the moment of decision.
"It is hard," she said, her blue eyes gazing sympathetically into Twilight's, "but it is a necessary lesson thou must learn. Not all battles are over swiftly. Sometimes the cause be undecided for days or weeks or months or years, and then thou willst torture thyself with past mistakes and future fears. It will happen -- it is a pain that thou must simply learn to endure.
"I know this pain well -- it was partly this that broke me, over a thousand years ago. The temptation was great to become a Nightmare -- a creature alight with her own selfish purpose, who loved not and thus need not regret her errors, her sins -- who lived only to triumph, and recked not the cost. But that way lay self-destruction, and the destruction of all that I loved and cherished." Her eyes were full of sadness. "Seek perfection if thou will, but do not destroy thyself if thou findest merely excellence." She smiled now. "Thou art excellent, dear friend, but thou art not perfect, and in the quest for perfection, do not lose the excellence that thou hast attained."
"I ... I understand, Luna," Twilight said. "I'll try to stop blaming myself too much. To learn from my mistakes, instead of torturing myself with them."
"A good path," agreed Luna. She passed Twilight a hanky. "Now, make thyself presentable!"
Twilight blew her nose, dried her eyes, wiped away the tear-stains from her cheeks.
"Why?" Twilight asked. "What will we do now?"
"Visit my Sister, of course," replied Luna. "She desires our company."
Luna wrapped a swirl of darkness around them both, and they teleported to Canterlot. |
Post-Traumatic | Chapter 11: The Errors of the Past | They reappeared on a black Gorgian marble teleport stage in Luna's wing of the Palace at Canterlot.
Luna led Twilight through the corridors of the Palace, so familiar to Twilight from the years of her fillyhood and the many visits she had made to both Sisters in the almost five years since Luna's Return and Twilight's posting to Ponyville. Guards saluted the two Princesses as they passed. Right now, in the hours of the predawn, the busy hum of the Palace was somewhat subdued, though never entirely: the Night Court was active as always in the darkness, and the Palace in general never wholly went to sleep, as its staff attended to the business of running a continental Realm.
The Moon Princess took Twilight right into the personal section of Celestia's wing, and through the doors into Celestia's living quarters. This was all quite familiar to Twilight; she was one of the few Ponies in Equestria who was more-or-less automatically welcome here, something which had been true since she had been accepted as Celestia's personal student, fifteen years ago. The quiet opulence of Celestia's quarters, the antique and in some cases literally-ancient furnishings, the calm at the center of the Realm, were all things Twilight took almost for granted.
The resident of these quarters came out of her bathroom wearing a towel wrapped around her head, a good portion of her mane bound up within, stray wisps of pinkish rainbow hair poking out from the comfortable cloth. Another towel, held in her aura, vigorously rubbed dry her white coat. She grinned at her Sister, then smiled warmly at Twilight Sparkle.
"I'm so glad to see you," said the ruler of most of the North Amareican continent, addressing Twilight. "I've been perusing your report --" she indicated the papers on her night table. "It's very informative and interesting. Well done."
"Thank you, Princess Celestia," Twilight said, and dipped her head slightly. She did not actually need to call Celestia by her title; she was one of three other Equestrians who were technically Celestia's complete social equal (one of the two others being Luna herself); but the habits of most of her life died hard. Likewise, the dip of her head was a compromise with her deep-seated desire to make a proper bow.
"There's no need for formality," Celestia said, maintaining her smile. "You are not only my fellow Princess of Equestria, but my dear friend, Twilight Sparkle, whom I have known since you were a small child. And, as I know well, one of the dearest friends of my Sister. Why," her eyebrows arched mischievously, "I daresay you're not so far from being family."
Twilight flushed slightly at the implications of that last part, but maintained her dignity. "You are my Most Beloved Former Teacher," she said, "and my devotion and respect for you are boundless. But ..."
"There's always a conditional with a start like that," Celestia said, her smile shrinking slightly. "In over fifteen centuries as Ruling Princess, one comes to notice such things. Pardon my interruption," she said. "Do continue."
"... But," said Twilight, "I fear that some of the conclusions I have come to in my research might be taken as critical toward you and some of your own educational policies, and I do not want to take advantage of our personal history nor of my own recent elevation in status as a platform from which to mount an attack against one to whom I owe every good thing I have achieved in my life."
"Oh dear," said Celestia, "are we to have a rebellion and civil war? Right here in my chambers?" She turned her head to smile at Luna. "I believe we still have your collection of model soldiers; they survived the ruin of our old Castle intact. We might take them out and fight a three-cornered battle in here, under any of a number of sets of miniatures gaming rules. This would probably be better than just having at it; I think that doing it live-action would be expensive in terms of repairs, don't you?"
Luna frowned at Celestia, moved a half-step closer to Twilight, one wing twitching toward but not quite executing a protective embrace of the smaller Alicorn. "It is not meet that thou should tease her like this, Sister. She has struggled hard and suffered much on behalf of both Harmony and Realm."
Celestia looked between her Sister and her Most Faithful Former Student, smiling gently upon both of them. "So that is how it is," she murmured softly, seeming for a moment to focus on something beyond the room. "Be good to each other, dear ones."
Luna flushed deeply, spluttering and managing absolutely nothing coherent.
Twilight literally knew nothing to say. She wanted to tell Celestia that she was assuming a lot, but she very greatly feared -- or hoped? -- that Celestia's assumptions were correct. She had seen that expression on Celestia's face before. It usually meant a prophetic vision. It was obvious what Celestia had just prophesied. She wanted to deny it, but she was far from sure that the prophecy was false: and any denial seemed too much to her like betraying a friend.
"Celly, thou canst not meddle in the lives of other Ponies like this!" Luna finally managed to get out, wings flared, her face a deep purple, with the flush spreading down her chest, possibly all the way to her barrel.
"Why not, Lulu?" asked Celestia curiously. "I've been meddling like this for two and a half thousand years. Maybe longer -- I was a bit of a meddler back when we were fillies, if I recall rightly. Besides, you need an utterly-loyal friend."
"I ... well, yes," said Luna, settling her wings back down more calmly. "Twilight Sparkle is one of my best friends."
Twilight noticed that nothing Celestia had just said in any way contradicted what she had previously implied, but she wisely chose to remain silent on that matter, merely nodding by way of agreement when the Sisters both looked at her.
"Indeed," replied Celestia cheerfully. "And one of mine." She turned her attention to Twilight, smiling brightly. "My dear Faithful Former Student, I have never demanded to be above criticism. Not by my subjects in general, and certainly not by you, my trusted and beloved friend and protege. I suspect I know just what critique you shall level at me, and I probably deserve it. But I shall let you speak for yourself -- which you generally do so very well."
"Uh ..." said Twilight. "Um ... thank you, Beloved Former Teacher. I ... I have to say ..."
Celestia looked at her inquiringly.
"As my report mentions," began Twilight, standing very formally, as if at a lectern. "Starlight Glimmer was one of your most-promising personal students. So was Dawn Starfall. And Sunset Shimmer. And myself." She paused.
Celestia nodded encouragingly.
"I cannot help but notice that all four of the Ponies named are members of the Light Clan, my own. And all but I went insane and became dangerous warlocks. And ..." Twilight's face twisted slightly, her ears drooped "... I went insane as well, briefly, and without provocation cast a highly-dangerous mind control spell, for insufficient reasons."
"And I fully-pardoned you," added Celestia.
"Yes," said Twilight. "Thank you, Beloved Former Teacher."
"You deserved that pardon," said Celestia. "In fact, you deserved a medal -- but then I'd already honored you for the deeds in which you took that hurt. I didn't want to keep picking at your old wounds."
"Beloved Teacher?"
"You went mad from the stress of fighting Discord," Celestia said. "My poor mad old friend, whose madness had already cost Ponykind a thousand years of stasis and suffering before then." She looked sad. "I could have prevented that, you know. I had fifteen hundered years to figure out how to discarnate him while denying him any housing. Unlike my own Beloved Former Teacher, who had less than a second in which to act to keep him from taking another Alicorn's power, and thus becoming unstoppable in this world -- and chose the right path though it meant for her the greatest sacrifice -- I could have slain him, and spared future generations the pain I knew he would cause."
"Beloved Teacher!"
"You are not really that shocked," Celestia said, a faintly sardonic tone creeping into her voice. "Dear Most Faithful Former Student, I wish most earnestly that you could still be the innocent filly I tutored, that you could have remained sheltered, as are so many in the gentle civilization I have fostered. But you could not -- the role for which I have molded you is far too demanding for the maintenance of such illusions. You were forced to learn many hard truths.
"One of which," Celestia continued, "being that I am perfectly capable of killing, and have done so many times before to protect my little Ponies. I do not like to kill, I would rather admonish or banish or imprison or even forgive -- but when mercy seems most likely to result in more suffering to the innocent, I can kill and have killed. That," she looked into Luna's eyes for a moment, "is one of the responsibilities of the crowns that we wear."
Luna nodded. "'Tis true," she said. "The Ponies sleep safe for the cause that we guard them from those who would harm them."
"I know," said Twilight. "I have attended to your lessons, including those which are not generally known to Ponykind. I know what You are, what You can do. Both of you. And ..." she said, "... I have read 'The Song of Syhlex'. Besides," she raised her head proudly, "I am a scion of the Lights, of an old military family. I have fought for the Realm myself -- I am, as you say, no longer an innocent child."
"Then you know that I had ample opportunity to slay Discord, in his current Incarnation as a material Draconequus," Celestia said. "And that I chose not to. And ..." she said, "... I think that by now my Sister has probably told you enough of our family history to know why neither of us desired his death."
Luna looked away in obvious embarrassment.
"Yes," replied Twilight. "You both loved him."
"We love him," corrected Celestia.
Luna looked angrily at her.
"Do not even try to deny it, Lulu," said Celestia. "I know you better than you know yourself. You never let go of love. It is one of your most admirable characteristics. And Dissy was raised with us, almost as a brother -- but not quite ..." she smiled gently at some memory, "... once we had defeated him, once the immediate threat was gone, we could no more slay him than he could slay us, in the thousand years of worldwide torment that he imagined to be but a greater continuation of our old Princess Game. It would be like slaying part of ourselves."
"'Tis true," Luna said, eyes at first downcast, then raised to fix firmly on Twilight. "As I did tell thee before, he was mine own very best friend in all the world when we were young. He was the best friend of both of us ... at first."
"So I could not kill Discord," said Celestia, "and thus I left him as a problem for future generations to solve." She looked at Twilight sadly. "For you, and your Companions, to solve. Yes, Twilight. I put you all through that madness, risked far worse for the world as a whole, another millennium of misrule, rendered perhaps even a Darker World than was the actual Age of Discord by the resentment he felt toward my Sister and myself for opposing him, and furthermore by ..." she looked at Twilight, thought for a moment, then said, "... I will not speak of the worst Darkness, not here and now."
Twilight Sparkle had no idea what to say to that.
"When you went mad," continued Celestia, "when you thought that you had to create problems in order to solve them for me, it was a terrible moment for myself as well. You nearly lost yourself," she explained, "and I nearly lost you. I was terrified at that moment that the price of containing Discord, perhaps only temporarily, had been the sanity of the finest mind and best Pony I had ever known."
Twilight's face warmed uncomfortably, and she could not meet the steady gaze of those loving purple eyes. She looked at Luna instead, and was even more embarrassed when Luna simply nodded, by way of confirmation of and agreement with the opinion of her Sister.
"I was incredibly relieved when my intervention, and that of your friends, proved adequate to shock you out of your madness," Celestia said. "You were stronger than the others! You went on, to see through the schemes of Chrysalis and defeat Sombra on his return, and in the end perceive the very timestream, and merge with your own greater Cosmic Self. When I knew that you had succeeded in your Ascension -- that my Sister and I would have the benefit of your loving heart and keen intelligence for the an indefinite future to come -- it was one of the happiest realizations I have enjoyed since I opened these eyes upon the world two and a half millennia ago. And, I hope -- a harbinger of things to come."
"About those others ---" Twilight began.
"I shall answer the question I know you are about to ask," said Celestia. "Yes, my Most Faithful Former Student," she said. "I had similar hopes for them, as well. And many others whose identities you do not know, down the long centuries since my worst mistake resulted in my millennial separation from my Sister. I have been cultivating worthy Ponies for a very long time," she explained, "hoping that there might be born one who might become a new Alicorn, able to take her place with my Sister and myself as a defender of the Realm, a protector of my little Ponies against the darkness which lusts to invade our world and consume them."
"Cadance --?" asked Twilight.
"Her coming was more welcome than you can imagine," Celestia nodded, "but she was not the one for whom I had been hoping -- towards which I had been bending my efforts for many centuries. She was, rather, the rebirth of an old friend, one of my own Sisters from the Cosmic Level. Her Cosmic Self had chosen to be born Pony in this time and place to help me, for She knew that my current incarnation would need her aid, and she came to assist me." Celestia smiled. "Which she has more than ably done, for in taking control of the Crystal Empire she guards the North of our own Realm, and brings back to us an ancient wisdom sorely needed in this Age of the World, a strength against what seeps down on us from beyond the stars.
"No, Twilight," she continued, "much as it may offend your humility, you are the one whose advent I have so greatly desired. You are the first of my New Alicorns, the promise of a bright future for Ponykind, for all the life of this Universe. And, if I did not love you beyond measure for your own sweet soul already, even before you revealed what you might become, I would have come to love you for your deeds. For you brought my own Sister, my dear Luna, back to me! And ..." she smiled warmly at Twilight, "... you have been a good and loyal friend to her, have helped reconcile her to the new Equestria I have made."
Twilight was not sure any more if what she felt was embarrassment, pride or some combination of the two emotions. Both Celestia and Luna were gazing at her with a love she felt she could not possibly deserve, but there was no way to avoid it without bolting out of the room, which would have been impossibly churlish. Still, though all this, she could not drop her main point.
"Those others --" Twilight began again.
"Yes," said Celestia. "The others." She straightened, breathed in and out. "Our original plan had been to bring Equestria back to and beyond the achievements of the Age of Wonders long before this present day. As part of this plan, we preserved the Crystal Empire, for they were one of the few surviving stores of knowledge from before the Cataclysm, and the only one entirely friendly to Equestria. It was in pursuit of this plan that my Sister was grievously wounded in her soul by that which had taken possession of Prince Crimson Quartz -- King Sombra, as you know him."
Twilight glanced at Luna, and was somewhat surprised to see her looking away in ... shame? ... her ears drooping and entire expression downcast. Luna had hinted to her several times before that she had made some terrible mistake, committed some grievous sin back then, something that still haunted her memories, but Twilight had not realized how bad it must have been. Luna looked clearly afraid, an expression which Twilight had rarely seen on the face of the Moon Princess. With a shock, she realized that what Luna probably feared was its revelation to herself, Twilight Sparkle.
"This was not the first time that my brave Sister took harm acting as my agent," said Celestia soberly, "while I remained safe upon my golden throne --" there was definite self-loathing in her voice, "-- but it was to have the worst results. For in consequence, she went Lone-Mad, and rebelled against me, and took into herself the same darkness that had claimed poor Crimson Quartz, and she became Nightmare Moon. And thus I lost my dearest friend and greatest ally, and had no choice but to attempt to rule Equestria alone.
"My first task was to stablize the Realm, which took about two and a half centuries. I faced numerous raids, invasions, rebellions and secessions, many serious enough that they risked tearing the land to bloody pieces. It was worse than most histories recount -- and in that era, I myself behaved less kindly than you may fully realize -- but in the end I did what must be done, and the Realm was again secure, strong and at internal peace. Such was what our tame texts now call the Consolidation.
"I now could turn my full attention to the task of regaining my Sister. The spell had some seven hundred fifty years to run, which I hoped might give me enough time for what I had to do. It is something you once guessed, Twilight Sparkle -- I know this because I saw the records of your geneaological researches -- but of which you, quite wrongly though flatteringly, ultimately deemed me incapable. But then, my methods were less direct than you probably imagined."
A shock thrilled through Twilight's system. She couldn't mean --
"Yes, Twilight," said Celestia, "I bred Ponies. To be precise, I favored certain lineages, and ensured that they intermixed with certain other lineages, and crossed and re-crossed."
Twilight's mouth fell open.
"It was easier than you might imagine, and involved little subterfuge and no real force," explained Celestia. "You must understand -- I had the power to assign Ponies to posts that would throw them into close personal contact with one another. All I needed to do was to find Ponies at around the right age, of the lineages I desired to cross, and so assign them. Personality and propinquity accomplished the rest. During the eras when arranged marriages were common, it was even easier, which created a moral hazard for me: I was tempted to encourage the retention of such customs long past the sociotechnical systems which suit them."
She cocked an eye at Twilight. "You actually tend to still be born on the worldlines in which I succumbed to those temptation, but -- well, let me just say that Twilight Velvet and Night Light are not Ponies who respond well to the use of force, even in a very indirect fashion. As might be expected, really, of the parents of two Ponies of such immense strength of character as Shining and yourself. In the worldlines where arranged marriages are still practiced by the Canterlot gentry, your home life isn't as happy, and this creates weaknesses, which our enemies use to ... well. All in all, I am glad that in most Equestrias, I chose to allow romantic courtship to evolve as a natural consequence of the greater wealth attendant upon industrialization."
Twilight closed her mouth. I suppose to her, courtship customs don't have the same force they have on me, she reflected. She's seen everything from the Arcadian splendor of Paradise Estate to the anarchy of the Age of Discord to the social truces of the Time of Thrones, and she's probably personally responsible for much of what I deem decent morality in modern society. I'm being temporally provincial, a serious failing in a student of history. She frowned at herself. It's just that, most of the time, I don't think of her as 'history.' She's more like my second mother. It suddenly occurred to her that, if she herself were the product of a centuries-long breeding program Celestia had carried out, "second mother" might be exactly the correct term with which to describe her Beloved Former Teacher.
"One of the Clans upon which I exerted my influence," Celestia continued, "was of course the Lights. There was, in fact, a prophecy that a great heroine would come of the Light Clan, and help free the Moon Princess from her enthrallment in Nightmare. I know this, because I was the one to make that prophecy, though not in my identity as Princess Celestia."
Twilight already knew that Celestia was fond of moving among Ponykind in disguise, so this did not entirely surprise her.
"I knew that a Light would be most likely to be the one to attune with Magic, and be an incarnation of that Concept --" Celestia sighed, "Causality at the Cosmic Level is difficult to express in Equestrian, or any tongue spoken on this planet. The Gallopfreyans, who are not from this planet, have the words -- but you do not yet know that language. Ah well. This is a problem with discussing time travel and worldline-shifting in general, which is something we're going to be doing fairly soon. I urge you to simply accept what I am saying, for now -- that you were both born as an incarnation of Magic, and were not inevitably Magic until you actually attuned to that Element, contradictory as that seems in the logic you have learned.
Twilight made the mental effort, did so, and nodded by way of confirmation.
"Magic was the Concept I could most directly midwife," Celestia continued, "so I set up my School for Gifted Unicorns primarly as an institution to lead potential Magics to me, though of course it had an incredibly useful secondary function in training elite Unicorn mages and scientists. I ... made other arrangements ... for the other Concepts, and encouraged certain other lineages in other ways. For instance, I promoted the Pegasus flying contests and created the Wonderbolts, in part to act as an attractant for potential Loyalties. And I watched key lineages of all the Three Kinds.
"I had prophetic visions, I knew something of the physical characteristics I should be looking for, that might serve as visible markers of the Concept behind the Pony." She sighed. "Do you know that Pinkie Pie is close to a dead ringer for her ancestor Harmonia? When I met Harmonia, when I perceived the extent of her intellect and heard the beauty of her voice, I thought I had my Laughter, but had somehow missed her in her youth. Yes, Twilight --" there was bitterness in her tone, "-- I mistook a serial killer for the Joy Bringer. Remember that, if you are ever tempted to imagine me infallible!"
Something suddenly occurred to Twilight Sparkle.
"Our apperance," she breathed.
"Yes, Twilight," confirmed Celestia. "Starlight Glimmer, Dawn Starfall, Sunset Shimmer and yourself look much more like one another than is explicable purely by being Lights. It is a marker of being a potential Magic. There were and are many others, of whose existence you are unaware."
Twilight was horrified, her eyes widening as she imagined a legion of mad cousins.
"Most," Celestia said, "suffered no terrible fates. I taught them, developed their minds, and they went on to have brilliant careers. If I were disappointed that they had proved incapable of Ascension, I tried not to let them see it. There have been many who have -- you might call it 'partially attuned' -- they developed unusual capabilities which may have been the gifts of their related Concepts, without actually turning out to be Incarnations of those Concepts."
Twilight breathed a sigh of relief.
"But yes," Celestia continued, "some went mad, in part or total. Understand, Twilight Sparkle, I was guiding mortal Ponies toward an expression of what earlier ages might have termed 'divinity.' I helped them develop their special powers, express their Talents more fully and completely than is normal even among Ponykind, which is a species well-suited to such a program owing to the existence of the Marks --"
"Cutie Marks?" asked Twilight.
"On this world, only Ponies and closely related sapients have what your time has so amusingly chosen to call 'Cutie Marks' -- I did not invent the term -- an external and visible expression of Talent, and beyond that of Destiny. A direct link to the worldlines, to the sort of awareness expressed in the Pool of Truth and the Paradise Entity. Have you never wondered how strange that is? The Crystal-Imperials, who knew that the Marks had greatly increased in specificity and scope in the Cataclysm, developed whole fields of science and magic devoted to their study ... but I digress.
"Know this, dear Twilight, I did not mean to drive anypony mad, let alone intelligent young Ponies whom I, for the most part, loved as if they were my own children. But I was trying to accelerate the natural course of evolution -- the growth of Ponykind into the great race it is destined to become, if it can survive -- and this imposes stresses ..." she looked down, sighed hard. "I evade my own responsibility. Yes, Twilight Sparkle, I knew that what I was doing would drive some number of my students mad, and yet I did it. I behaved as a criminal, a warlock under my own laws, and if you desire you may hold me accountable in a century or so -- if Equestria survives, and I do, which are two things far from certain at this present moment in history."
Twilight felt a pang of unease at Celestia's self-condemnation. She knew that Celestia must have done what she did for the greater good, and that the risk attendant to her students seemed justified by the benefits that so many had gained by her tutelage.
"Beloved Teacher," said Twilight, softly. "I would never accuse you of such crimes."
"I accuse myself," Celestia said. "Where does teaching end? Where does abuse begin? Tell me the answer to that riddle, and perhaps I will be able to forgive myself for this someday. Or not, for the answer may not be entirely to my liking."
Twilight did not know what to say to this.
"What thou didst, thou didst in my cause," said Luna, speaking up unexpectedly. "And for all the Realm. The blame is mine own, for having fallen in the past, birthing the problem that thou then must make shift to solve." She stepped forward, gently nuzzled her Sister. "Do not take all the blame onto thine own self. My back be broad enough to bear that burden."
Twilight moved up shyly, touching her nose to theirs as well. The three shared a moment of pure closeness, then Twilight stepped back and spoke:
"I suffered some of those stresses, Dear Beloved Teacher," she said, "and I helped one of those who went mad. I forgive you any harm you have done me, and I promise that, to the extent that it I can consistent with the good of the Realm, I shall do my part to undo any harm you have done others."
"That -- and success -- may be the best absolution for which I can hope," replied Celestia earnestly, a tear in her eye. She visibly gathered her composure.
"So, yes, Twilight. Starlight Glimmer was my student. She was, of course, a very intelligent filly, but a relatively late bloomer. She was thirteen when she got her Cutie Mark -- old enough that she was starting to fear she might be adermosignotic. One unfortunate aspect of the Marks is that the greater the Talent, the longer it may take to develop to the point that the Mark displays. And -- in a nigh-inevitable cruelty -- many Ponies mistake Mark for maturity, so that the adermosignotic are wrongly imagined to have remained in childhood. Most Ponies find their Marks between ages nine to eleven. I can only imagine the anxiety Starlight must have felt for a few years, and the rejection she may have experienced from her former friends, as they received their Marks and she did not.
"I can only imagine this," Celestia continued, "because even as a teenaged filly, Starlight Glimmer was a very private Pony. It would not be correct to say that she was shy and withdrawn, because she was not. She was superficially very extroverted; always willing to express her opinions. She made friends with little difficulty, but -- as your psychological profile of her indicates, and I must compliment you on your accurate reasoning from very limited information ..."
Twilight smiled at the praise.
"... these friendships ran shallow, and she dropped friends as readily as she made them. Similarly, though she expressed an interest in the opposite sex, and easily found escorts to social events, she did not actually fall in love. It was as if she had developed skills for dealing with other Ponies, but only very superficially. Her surface interacted with their surfaces, but there was no deeper contact, no true meeting of hearts and souls, such as you have found with your Companions.
"I should have realized what this indicated -- what is the point of having two and a half millennia of experience with other Ponies if one does not notice such things? -- but I fear that I saw only what I wanted to see. I saw only Starlight's promise. I did not realize her alienation, her detachment from Ponykind; a ruthlessness bordering on sociopathy and a hunger for true friendship that was frustrated by her own inability to risk her own heart, a hunger which combined with that alienation and ruthlessness to create a warped and terrible purpose.
"Understand," said Celestia, "Starlight Glimmer's Talent is truly immense, and her potential would have been wonderful had she not gone insane. It is -- a meta-Talent for Talent, just as your Talent is a meta-Talent for Magic. Talent is essentially the inborn ability to master that aspect of Reality within that Talent's scope. Just as you can understand and cast any spell you perceive, Starlight can understand and affect any Talent she perceives. She cannot manifest it -- she might have gained that ability in time, had she Ascended -- but she can sense and affect it with her own magic. And, because she can to some extent do this with her own magical talent, she can attain great mastery of any magics upon which she focuses.
"It occurred to me very quickly that this might be the key to my Sister's liberation," Celestia continued. "A Shadow maintains its mastery by warping the virtues of its mount against her -- in Luna's case, it turned her affinity with the night against her, twisting it into an obsessive hatred of the day, and of myself, then using Luna's own courage and integrity to fuel her defiance and rebellion."
Luna nodded in confirmation, eyes shut, lips tight-closed.
"A Mark is an expression of one's Talent, of one's own soul," explained Celestia, "and hence if one could manipulate a Mark, one could affect the soul of which it was a manifestation. A mage with the power to affect the Marks of others could have restored the proper shape of Luna's soul, reversing the deformation inflicted by the Night Shadow. If this could have been done, Luna might have been able to drive out her possessor without the need to be purged of it by the Elements of Harmony -- which was a dangerous remedy; it badly weakened her, and might have killed her, depending on how far the Shadow had corrupted her, something of which I could not be certain."
Twilight drew a sharp indrawn breath, looked at Luna in alarm.
"I think you see then," said Celestia, "why I so very much wanted to believe that Starlight would be my Sister's savior. The plan which actually succeeded was risky: there were dangerously serial elements. Had you or any of your Companions fallen, even merely wounded, you could not have employed the Elements against the Night Shadow. I was counting very much on your competence and of that of the other candidates, and on my belief that Luna would not really want to harm you or them, especially because she had known three of you in past lives. Happily," she smiled at Luna, "I was quite right, and the quest proved successful.
"Had Starlight fully developed her potential and been available, on the other hand," pointed out Celestia, "she alone might have been sufficient for success. And the Elements still would have been available. I actually, when I originally thought on how to rescue Luna, conceived several promising schemes. Only one came near fruition," she looked at Twilight, "the one you carried out. It was a close-run thing."
Twilight wondered briefly what the others might have been, but now was not the time to ask such questions.
"Now," said Celestia briskly, "on the future threat posed by Starlight. You are right that she cared greatly for her commune. She imagined that she was building a new model for Equestria, shaping a new Destiny, and given the nature of her Talent, she may have actually been right, though I do not think that it would have been an Equestria in which it would be very pleasant to live."
"I was curious about that myself when I saw her village," Twilight commented. "If everypony's Talents were suppressed, how could they have grown enough food to eat? Or crafted what else they needed to enjoy civilized lives?"
"The simple answer is 'with great difficulty.' Starlight," Celestia sighed, "was always very enthusiastic, a skilled tactician and strategically-gifted. She had not, however, the patience to understand the social and economic underpinnings of any large-scale operations. Our Town, writ large, would have been a subsistence-level Realm, in which Ponies would have suffered miserable lives, forever at the edge of actual starvation; her own edicts would have inevitably been enforceable only with the application of universal terror. I do not think that she could have maintained it for more than a few generations, even if she became an immortal Alicorn like ourselves; but those few generations would have been horrible for those who endured them.
"Though Starlight is very intelligent, she did not see this and probably does not see this now. Her commune was ended through your own actions," Celestia explained, "and hence she can fix all the blame on external causes, without stopping to consider just why it was that her Ponies rebelled so completely against her, once her seeming perfection was cracked by the revelation that she had retained her own Mark and Talent. She blames you and your friends -- and I would dare say mostly you."
Twilight nodded. "She probably thinks I control my friends just as she controlled her followers."
"Exactly," confirmed Celestia. "And to her, the consequences were emotionally-devastating. She probably considered her followers to be her friends -- the first group of friends she had ever managed to keep for more than a year or two. Some, such as her chief lieutenant, she may have imagined to be her soul mates. Think how you would feel toward somepony who robbed you of your friends."
"I'd be heart-broken -- and furious toward anypony who did that," said Twilight. "I might want some sort of revenge."
"Starlight Glimmer will almost-certainly seek revenge," agreed Celestia. "So the question becomes: what will she do to seek it?"
"She might just try to ambush and attack me," said Twilight. "But -- I'm not really all that easy to defeat any more, am I? I'm an Alicorn, and I've had some experience in life and death battles."
"One might say that," commented Luna, confidently smiling at Twilight. "Thou art no raw recruit, and have not been for some years now."
"Don't underestimate Starlight Glimmer," Celestia warned them. "She is a very powerful and skilled mage, and is two decades your senior," she pointed out to Twilight. "But I agree -- a simple ambush and magical duel would not be her preferred approach. Even though she might win, she would have no assurance of victory; indeed, I think the edge might be yours, provided that you remember her ruthlessness, and are equally willing to strike her down.
"What's more," Celestia continued, "if she merely slew you, this might to her seem an inadequate revenge."
"Killing somepony sounds like pretty adequate revenge to me," Twilight commented. "Maybe even a bit excessive."
"Remember," said Celestia, "you did not slay her. You made her suffer. She will want to make you suffer similarly in return. Ideally, she would rob you of your friends, as she believes you robbed her of hers."
Twilight's eyes widened in horror. "You think she'll attack my friends?" She turned toward the door. "I should get back to them, make sure they're all right ..."
"Calm thyself," said Luna. "We have no cause to believe that she will attack your friends directly, or on the instant."
"Yes," said Celestia. "In fact, she is very unlikely to attack right now. She will have been weakened by her previous defeat, and will want to recover her strength and plan her course of action. She is somewhat impatient, but she will not simply show up at Ponyville and start destroying the town. Indeed, her own belief that she is a benevolent reformer will make her quite unwilling to directly harm those whom she considers innocent. At a minimum, she would research her opposition, try to understand the strengths and weaknesses of both you and your Companions, before making her first moves, overt or otherwise."
"And thy friends are mighty," added Luna, "and have unusual powers. Starlight Glimmer is strong, but she cannot match Dashie's speed, or Pinkie's precognition, or Fluttershy's Changeling abilities. Starlight does not know the details of their powers, but she knows that they have strange abilities, and also that she did not have to face them the last time, for she was able to ambush all of them together in a way that she would find difficult to repeat. If she tries to take your friends one at a time, she will not get far before she fails at a try, or the others mark her actions. She knows this: her plan will be more cunning than direct attack."
"That's both a relief," said Twilight, "and a concern. I'd almost rather she just jumped up and attacked me, or even us -- I could deal with that."
"The next question would be, therefore, the nature and extent of Starlight's powers," said Celestia. "These are greater than they might be, because -- trusting Starlight Glimmer as I did, and hoping that she might be the key to saving my Sister, I did what was in retrospect perhaps a very foolish thing."
Twilight looked at Celestia in alarm.
"I let her study freely the writings of Starswirl the Bearded," Celestia said. "All of them."
Twilight did not, exactly, faint. At no point whatsoever did she lose consciousness.
But she did find herself, very suddenly, sitting on the floor. |
Post-Traumatic | Chapter 12: A Robust Universe | "It's not that bad," Celestia said, looking comfortingly at Twilight where she lay upon the floor, forehooves over her own head.
"Oh, that is truly a relief," commented Luna. "For it did sound, to mine own innocent and wondering ears, as if thou didst arm one of the mightiest and maddest mages in Equestria, who wishes the worst sort of harm upon the Realm in general and our dear friend Twilight Sparkle in particular, with spells which can warp the very fabric of space and time as a foal might make mud-pies. And that would seem, to mine own untutored sense of strategic consequence, to be very bad indeed!"
"To begin with," said Celestia, casting Luna a very annoyed look, "Starlight Glimmer did not have an unlimited amount of time to study those spells. I first showed her the Spell of Destiny -- the one which you finally completed and cast to become an Alicorn. She wanted to understand more of the concepts underlying the spell -- so I let her have access to the Restricted wing of the Library. You've seen most of what's in there. And I brought out his notes from his secret library -- the one in the crystal caverns beneath this very palace. I let Starlight copy some of them."
"Actually, that is a relief," Twilight said, perking up a bit. She put her forehooves back onto the floor and sat up straight. "That means she only has those spells she either memorized, or was able to copy and take with her when she left your tutelage."
"Exactly," said Celestia. "Secondly, Starlight Glimmer did not understand everything she read. She was brilliant, yes, but she did not have as much experience or knowledge of the greater Multiverse as do you, Twilight. I never showed her the Pool of Truth, nor did she visit any other worldlines when she was my student. She is not as strongly linked to her Concept as you are to yours. Thirdly, the main line of inquiry she pursued was that which led her to craft the Spell of Sameness -- and, when she started casting an early version of it on inadequately-consenting test subjects, the Night Watch learned what she was doing -- at which point I discharged her, and hence she no longer had access to Starswirl's writings."
"That would have been some twenty years ago, though," said Twilight. "Wouldn't it?"
Celestia nodded. "And therein lies the principal danger," she said. "Starlight Glimmer has had two decades to pursue her researches. We know that she spent the last several years preoccupied with her commune, but even during that time she might have had some free time to develop her other magics. And what did she do between 1483, when I dismissed her, and 1498, when she made her first recruits to her commune? During those fifteen years, the Night Watch could not find her."
Twilight nodded. "She's really good at anti-scrying spells. When she wants to hide, I'd imagine she's almost impossible to find." She felt a sinking sensation as she considered the implications of what she'd just said -- the chances were that, when Starlight Glimmer did strike, she'd achieve at least strategic surprise.
Then, she had a cheerful thought:
"But the Map can find her!" Twilight exclaimed. "It found her before! That's how we got to her village in the first place. The Map sent us, and it saw right through her scryshields!"
"Your Map is an expression of the Harmony," Celestia said, "which is the combined destinies of all life on this planet. There is a particular hope in that, which I shall return to in good time. It probably sent you there because something she was doing was about to reach some critical threshhold, threatening some sort of phase transition to a less benign moiric state. You arrived just in time to prevent her from doing whatever thing she might otherwise have done."
"What do you suppose was that?" Twilight wondered, rubbing her own chin with one hoof.
"It is impossible to say," Celestia said. "Indeed, I am far from certain that even Starlight knows the answer to that question. "Starlight Glimmer has great power, and considerable knowledge, but little understanding. This, sadly, makes her more dangerous -- she may attempt conjurations a wiser mage might avoid."
"Do you have any idea what she will try to do now?" Twilight asked.
"The most powerful and dangerous of the magics which I believe she learned from Starswirl, whose power would attract her and whose danger she might refuse to recognize, are of course the temporal magics." Celestia looked soberly at Twilight. "It is indeed fortunate that even Starwirl was unable, given that a Unicorn would have to power the spell from her own internal magic, to devise a spell that could send the caster back more than a week, and for more than a short time --"
"-- and only once," added Twilight. She noticed a certain look of discomfort on Celestia's face, and asked, "Wait, it does only work once, doesn't it?"
"That," replied Celestia, "is an oversimplification. The truth is, that with enough energy and skill, a mage can do much, much more." She took a long deep breath in and out. "Starswirl and I were interested in codifying versions of temporal magic which could be cast safely by any powerful mage. The truth about temporal magic is more complex -- and dangerous."
"Dangerous?" asked Twilight in some alarm. "To whom?"
"To the caster. To her foes. To third parties. To the timestream." Celestia sighed. "But, mostly, to the caster." She gazed at Twilight searchingly. "Twilight Sparkle, I am about to teach you some truly dangerous things about the nature of the Universe, and I charge you to use this knowledge carefully and wisely."
"Of course, Beloved Teacher!" Twilight replied, almost indignantly. "I would never let you down!"
"You are, of course, familiar with the concept of Paradox, with something being both true and untrue at the same spacetime and in the same manner," Celestia siad. Any Universe is, essentially, realized information, like the printing in a book, and Paradox may be seen as ink spilled over the page, ruining it and rendering it unreadable. Because all the Universe is connected, unchecked Paradox will spread, until it destroys the Universe. That is the worst possible consequence of unwise time travel."
Twilight once again felt almost faint, as if the structure of existence were in truth unraveling beneath her.
"However, Paradox is constantly generated by natural processes," Celestia said. "Indeed, time travel is itself a natural process, since no magic, no technology, no matter how subtle or advanced, can accomplish anything truly unnatural. And yet the Universe does not cease to exist: thus providing a literal 'existence proof' that something or things must damp out Paradox. How to explain the seeming Paradox of the absence of Paradox?" Her voice was light and lilting now; Twilight could tell that Celestia was getting into her lecture, enjoying it as she had when she had given Twilight daily lessons.
"The greatest suppressors of Paradox are, as you know, ourselves, Twilight Sparkle. Or, to be more precise, our Cosmic Selves. The earliest Cosmic Concepts were produced by the nascent Universe to protect itself from the threat of Paradox. This is a natural process: Universes descend from earlier Universes which were able to survive and reproduce, and Paradox is like disease. The Cosmic Concepts of a Universe are a key component of its immune system, an immune system which allows it to survive the micro-predation which else would eat it alive.
"The Cosmic Selves of my Sister and myself were born in the very early Universe," Celestia explained, "as antigravity expanded spacetime faster than light and strained simple causality. I, to control and embody the strong force, which mediates nuclear processes, most importantly Fusion; she, to control and embody Gravity, which is dark and invisible, yet in sufficient strength can twist spacetime. Yet, we were not born ex nihilo, we evolved from contests between associations of simpler nodes, systems which handled those forces before we appeared, and which still handle those forces most of the time, in routine matters.
"Now as you also know, Twilight, the way in which time travel is especially productive of Paradox is as follows. If a time traveler travels back within her own personal event horizon, she can alter events in such a way that she should have perceived this alteration as already existing in her own past. It is -- perhaps frighteningly -- easy to find an event which in simple causality should be inconsistent with the world which produced her. The classic expression of this is the "Grandmother Paradox" -- traveling back in time and doing something which prevents one of one's own parents from being born, hence preventing oneself being born -- but if one were never born, how did one exist in order to prevent one's parents from being born?
"That paradox, of course, was first formulated in the Age of Wonders, by Ponies who had just discovered General Relativity but did not yet grasp the full implications of Quantum Mechanics. For of course, its solution is simple: when one prevents the birth of what would be oneself in the future, one is not altering one's own worldline, but rather splitting off a new worldline, in which one will not be born -- but one was already born in one's original worldline. Hence, there is no true Paradox in this situation.
"Nor is there in what the Universe does all the time -- for every time a particle interaction occurs, all possible interactions occur, in a shower of virtual particles which -- from the point of view of any particular Universe -- mostly vanish in an instant after their creation. The influence that they have in shaping the total interaction was the great discovery of Dr. Sweetie Finemare, the brilliant mother of my former incarnation, who showed how to represent the effects of such effects in Finemare Diagrams." Love and pride shone in Celestia's eyes. "The mathematics, of course, are more complex, but we shall not discuss this at present.
"How does the Universe choose which virtual interaction to realize?" Celestia asked. "It chooses all of them, simultaneously, but we only see the one chosen for our Universe; the others exist in other Universes in the Multiverse. Were that the whole of it, though, the Multiverse would not be composed of discrete worldlines, but rather smeared in a tangle in which there would be no identities -- not of Universes nor of those who dwelt within them.
"That was as far as the Age of Wonders took the understanding of the Many-Worlds Quantum Model, for they had not the tools to perceive the larger structure. They were in the position of Bronze Age astronomers who had somehow grasped the concept of the evolution of star systems, but understood neither gravity nor resonant effects. To them, the Heavens would logically have been but a confusion, with no organizing principles -- they would have gratefully run back to simpler models of planets pushed around by alicorns ... not realizing the problems of even those ..." Celestia said in a dark aside, and Luna grinned wryly, though Twilight could not see the joke.
"How is chaos avoided?" Celestia asked rhetorically. "Why, because any given Universe has a ... coherence, an inertia. Barring the application of either considerable energy, beyond that producible by any individual Unicorn or even Incarnate Alicorn; or the very skillful choice of cusp to change, any split in worldlines will quickly and naturally heal. In other words, the worldlines do split at every particle interactions, but they almost instantly merge again. That is what generates the shower of virtual particles Sundreamer and Moondreamer's mother noticed, and that is what generates the solution and mutual annihilation of the vast majority of such particles.
"This inertia is also why the mere probability of time travel being discovered by sapient beings in a Universe does not destroy it."
"Destroy it?" Twilight gasped in horror, her mouth hanging open. "Why would this --" She considered, imagined a Universe with multiple factions of beings, each trying to change the timestream in their own favor. They would be journeying back to eras in which their opposition was less capable than themselves. They would, by and large, succeed in effecting changes, in many different directions, again and again and again. Repeated temporal changes would make existence unstable downtime from any of these changes, destroying the Universe in a personal sense, but ... "Do you mean more than the fact that, at some point in the future, time travel would change things so we never were born?"
"She is keen," Luna commented to Celestia.
"I knew that, she has after all been my prize student," replied Celestia, perhaps a bit smugly. Then, to Twilight. "Yes, my most Faithful Former Student. A Universe as a whole possesses ontological 'substance', its 'reality,' so to speak. This substance, when being an analogue of mass, generates ontological inertia -- it is why things continue to be from moment to moment, why causality operates smoothly, essentially as a vector force. Just as changing the vector of an object possessing mass requires energy, so too does changing the ontological vector of an object possessing ontological mass require ontological energy. This --"
"-- resists changes by time travelers!" Twilight crowed. "That means that it's not that easy to change the past!" Her heart soared with the joy of new intellectual discovery.
"Exactly," said Celestia, smiling at Twilight's enthusiasm. "What normally happens when somepony tries to change the past is that they instead move onto a parallel world track, a new worldline. The Multiverse attempts to conserve ontological energy, so normally this new worldline is one which will re-merge with the main worldline as soon as possible. The micro-scale quantum principle of only observable differences mattering applies at the macro-scale as well, though its manifestations can be very different. Your friend, Pinkie Pie, uses this last principle herself, quite frequently, to enable her reality-warping.
"But --" Celestia's expression sobered, "--this is not always possible. There are points on any worldline -- 'cusps,' they are sometimes termed -- where small changes can have very large effects. For instance, the fight you two made against the Night Shadow at our old castle was such a cusp -- had things gone differently, the Nightmare might have triumphed, or Luna might have died, and either of those outcomes would have had very large effects in the future, not only to we three Ponies, but to Equestria and indeed the whole Earth. That is an obvious cusp -- others are more subtle.
"In the case of a cusp change," Celestia continued, "the new worldline must completely separate. However, as ontological energy is conserved, what happens is that the ontological energy of the new worldline is usually but a tiny fraction of that of the original worldline. It is less real than the original Universe. The degree of reality depends in part on the amount of ontological energy applied by the time traveler, and in part on the specific way it is applied -- to what cusp, and how skillfully. Cusps are crucial points, they are places where a sort of ontological leverage exists, of which a skilled time traveler can take advantage to shift significant amounts of ontological energy into the new Universe."
"Think of it as being as a force multiplier in battle," interjected Luna, "like unto a key pass at which a small force can hold back a whole army, or a vulnerable crossing where troops attempting to ford a river can do little to defend themselves, and may be bombarded and suffer heavy losses from even a few well-sited cannons."
Twilight nodded. "I think I have the idea," she said.
"But," said Celestia, "the Universe attempts to resist such changes. In addition to the brute force of ontological inertia, there are more subtle forces which favor those attempting to protect the timestream in many ways. You see, our Cosmic Selves are but the upper part of a vast hierarchy, or ecology -- the two concepts are much the same thing on a Universal scale -- which Universes have evolved in their ontological defense. The hierarchy extends all the way up to the Father and Mother of our Cosmic Selves -- and all the way down through Helpers such as Wisedreamer, through spirits of increasingly-lesser intelligence and power, and all the way down to near-mindless creatures such as the Langoliers, which consume and recycle ontological substance which might otherwise be wasted.
"One such entity is the Tree of Harmony," explained Celestia. "It is ... think of it as the Earth's incarnation of the Concept of Harmony. Every planet with life above a certain level of complexity grows such a Tree in time, though those generated by very alien worlds may look very different from what we think of as a Tree, and -- as you may have noticed -- the Tree of Harmony is only very roughly tree-like in its general stucture. It is very powerful in certain ways, and intimately connected to the timestream, from which it derives its nutriment in some rather obscure and complex ways. The Tree helps organize the local timestream and recruits other life forms as mobile agents to protect it against damage. It is not itself mobile, save as a plant may be through vegetative growth, though unlike most organic plants, it can grow its extensions through hyperdimensional portals to emerge far from its main mass."
"My Castle," said Twilight. "It's part of the Tree. And the Map is a means by which it communicates with us."
"Just so," said Celestia. "It is highly intelligent, but in different ways to us, who are incarnate as animal life. Our Cosmic Selves can converse with its Cosmic Self directly, but the necessary mental modules were not included in either our incarnate selves or its. It thinks by position and holistic implication rather than in conscious conception and linear communication; it has as much difficulty understanding us as we do it. But it can sense disharmony, especially when that disharmony threatens the time stream, and it can act in various manners, such as producing Fruit and giving them to mobile agents who will use them appropriately to achieve compatible ends."
"The Age of Discord," Twilight said. "The Elements of Harmony. Discord triggered a defensive response. You were its mobile agents. Both of you."
"Yes," affirmed Celestia. "I could have warned poor Dissy that if he continued on that path, he was bound to provoke other powerful beings against him, ones who cared about his well-being less than did my Sister and I. He was fortunate that the Tree chose us as the Element Bearers, rather than other mages to whom he would not have been dear and special. The Tree wanted to discarnate him and drive his spirit back to the Cosmic Level: we imposed our will on the Elements just enough that he was merely petrified.
"This would, incidentally, be a bad subject to discuss with Discord -- he probably realizes that we did our best to avoid harming him, but he does not like to admit that anything can overpower him, and he might be inclined to dramatic displays of his independence and power if you raised the issue. Dissy," Celestia sighed in exasperation, "strange as he is, can sometimes be like any other stallion."
"More like unto a squalling little colt," grumbled Luna.
"Aren't they all," said Celestia, fondly smiling. "Perhaps it is a good thing that in this Age your stallion is actually a --"
"We should return to the main topic, Sister," said Luna quickly.
"Yes," agreed Twilight with equal haste. "I agree!"
"Very well," assented Celestia. "The last point I will cover is the Temporal Fugue. This happens when a time traveler repeatedly crosses her own worldline, generally to concentrate her force -- including ontological energy -- upon a single point in the timestream, the object being to appear slightly earlier than the foe and strike before the foe has struck. This is often done in battle between two Time Warriors. It is a powerful but dangerous technique -- both to she who attempts it and her enemies, and to the world on which she attempts the technique. The concentration of energy can overpower and defeat a foe; it can lash back and destroy the unskillful wielder; it can tear loose a new stable worldline -- but the spillover of ontological into more conventional forms of energy can also create massive and unpredictable devastation. It can turn a living planet into a wasteland. It is not a technique I would recommend to the novice."
"I know something about how to fight in such wise," said Luna, "and my Cosmic Self knows still more. There was a cyborg warrior called the Bronze Steed who was, or is -- with time-traveling beings Equestrian does not have adequate words to describe their present state -- a master of this form of combat; one of my other incarnations knew him well. My present incarnation does not know enough about such forms of combat that I would attempt them lightly, nor consider it wise to tutor thee, Twilight, in any but defenses against the tactic. A training error could cause destruction untold to this world on which we both stand."
"Fortunately," said Celestia, "the devastation is far more likely to be suffered by new worldlines flaked off by the combat, than to the original worldline in which it started."
Twilight was horrified at the implications. "What about the many versions of innocents who would find themselves on the worldlines being devastated?"
"Usually, civilizations which have advanced to the point of discovering such powerful offensive temporal techniques also develop defenses against them," explained Luna. "The required technology is some centuries beyond the Age of Wonders. The World Which Was Lost had such capabilities, which was why the Cosmic Concepts could not instantly destroy it. But yes ... the suffering can be terrible. Which is why we urge thee, if thou dost find thyself in a situation where a Temporal Fugue develops, to try to break out of the pattern instead of going for the victory in that encounter."
"How do you --" asked Twilight.
"I shall show thee, another time," promised Luna. "There are areas directly devastated by the Cataclysm where the risk to sapient life of a single or double crossing should be acceptably small, though this world is too small and crowded to attempt more."
"You make this sound like sunfire bomb testing," said Twilight.
"It's considerably more dangerous than that," said Celestia. She made what was probably meant to be a reassuring smile. "Don't worry -- Luna knows what she is doing where all forms of combat are concerned."
Luna nodded. "You will be in capable hooves."
Twilight felt uneasy about this, but she did not wish to insult either Celestia or Luna by displaying too much doubt on this topic.
"Now, back to the theory," said Celestia. "Like all other forms of energy, ontological energy suffers from efficiency losses when converted or reconverted: ordered energy states are reduced to thermal noise, in the ontological equivalent of entropy. This is one of the reasons splitting off new worldlines is dangerous, and repeated time-looping as in a Temporal Fugue is even more dangerous; it is possible to erode the spacetime substrate and crack the continuum."
"This is never a good idea," Celestia continued, "It is an even worse idea when there exists powerful and hostile beings who are actively searching for such flaws through which they can enter our reality."
"The Night Shadows," breathed Twilight Sparkle.
"Just so," said Luna. "Once, they could touch this Universe only with great difficulty and the application of considerable power on our side to open the way for them. Now, they seep through freely. It was because of the ill-considered use of reality-negation weapons, which are essentially amplified versions of the Temporal Fugue."
"Who used such weapons?" Twilight asked.
"I did," said Luna, her face grim. "Or to be precise, my Cosmic Self did, in concert with the other Concepts. When we destroyed the World That Was Lost, Pinkie's original world, a thousand years ago and sideways in time from the worldline in which we now dwell. There seemed no other solution -- the build-up of Paradox was approaching a critical level which might have caused the collapse of the whole worldline in any case. But ... we may have been too hasty. The Paradise Entity had been staving off the collapse for millennia -- if we had leagued with instead of against it -- perhaps we might have stopped the collapse, and kept out the Night Shadows. We did not know -- I did not know -- so much that I know all too well now." She looked sadly at Twilight. "I did not ken any of this, at the time. I did not know thee yet ... I had not yet been Moondreamer ... if I had, I might not have ..."
"Stop blaming yourself!" said Celestia sharply. "I am also to blame for that, fight on the other side though I did. Had I not wished to enjoy my incarnation as Star-Catcher in the World of Paradise, I might have retained enough knowledge and power to aid the Paradise Entity, help it prevent the build-up of Paradox. Instead, I laughed and sang and danced and ate too much cake, while doom was rushing fast upon all of us. And the allocation of blame is now irrelevant, Luna, especially as regards our Cosmic Selves and former Incarnations. We, who live here and now, must prevent the Paradox that threatens this world, now. Time enough to discuss larger blames when we are both on the Cosmic Level."
"True," said Luna, smiling slightly. "There is an Eternity of Time, on the Cosmic Level."
Twilight had listened to this exchange semi-comprehendingly. Some of this referred to events of which the Sisters had told her before, but she was worried that they were discussing the destruction of a worldline due to Paradox, considering the context and nature of her own foe; furthermore, she was not sure what Luna would not have done had this not happened before she was Moondreamer. And, in any case, hadn't Luna been Moondreamer in the Age of Wonders, which was before the Lost Age of Paradise? There was something she was missing about the sequence of causality on the Cosmic Level.
"In any case, Twilight," said Celestia, "what you must always keep in mind if you must defend the timestream against a mad warlock is that the Universe is on your side."
Luna nodded. "It shall help thee in ways which may be subtle and seem weak but shall often prove decisive, if thou hast the wit and heart to grasp hold of the chances that it gives unto thee." She smiled at Twilight. "And I have full faith in thee, dear friend, that if anypony has both wit and heart, it is thee."
"You may believe that you are on your own," Celestia warned Twilight. "Starlight may pull you into the timestream, possibly into another worldline -- and, though we will try to aid you, we may not be able to find you in time. We cannot maneuver in the timestream nearly as well in our Incarnate forms as we can when Cosmic."
"We shall endeavor to aid thee," said Luna, "be certain of that! But what aid we may send may be indirect or late-arriving."
"Use your own Concept," advised Celestia. "Or allied ones, if you can find them. Even those not yet Ascended may sense their connection to you and aid you in subtle ways, often not even realizing what they are doing."
"Never lose hope," said Luna. "Thou art an Alicorn, and a Princess of Equestria, and thou shall never be a helpless victim."
"And remember, the Harmony itself will aid you," added Celestia. "It has chosen you as one of its special agents in this Age; that is the meaning of your Castle. It can perceive across the worldlines, much like Pinkie Pie, though it is less able to communicate what it knows. It will sense any attempt to split off worldlines as Disharmony, and wish to heal the rupture and restore as much energy to the main worldline as possible."
"Above all, be of good cheer," said Luna. "The timestream is harder to damage than Starlight Glimmer imagines. She lacks the Cosmic perspective. We know that the force of Fate is weighed on thy side."
"Always remember," said Celestia, smiling warmly at her Most Faithful Former Student, "that we have the great good fortune to live in a robust Universe." |
Post-Traumatic | Chapter 13: A New Day | The conference with Celestia continued for another couple of hours, Celestia explaining principles and applications of temporal physics undreamt-of by current Equestrian science, and Luna outlining their employment in temporal combat. The concepts were advanced, and rapidly presented, sometimes in the form of powerful and elegant equations, which Twilight examined with eager fascination, frantically jotting-down notes.
By the time that Celestia excused herself for a moment, and the reddish light of dawn began to spill into Celestia's chambers, though, Twilight Sparkle was displaying distinct signs of physical exhaustion, including frequent blinking, slurred speech, and uncontrollable yawning. After Twilight actually nodded off at one point, Celestia declared the conference at an end, despite Twilight's protests that she could "last a little longer."
"It is much more important, Twilight, that you understand these concepts than that I race you rapidly through them," said Celestia. "You have obviously had little sleep for days. While, as an Alicorn, you do not need as much sleep as you did before, you still need some sleep for your brain to function at full efficiency."
"Indeed," chimed in Luna. "Thy life -- and many more -- may depend on thee learning right this lore. Thou art weary, dear friend -- get thee to thy bed!"
Twilight could not argue, in the face of such logic and love. She yielded, admitting her fatigue to the Sisters.
Celestia sent her on her way, setting an appointment to meet with her again in three days and continue their studies, and giving her a warmly-affectionate wing hug.
Luna offered to take Twilight home.
Twilight gratefully-accepted the offer.
So it was in a swirl of wind and darkness that Twilight returned to Friendship Castle, borne on the power of Luna's teleportation spell. In but a measureless instant of time, Celestia's chambers vanished and were replaced by the shelves of Twilight's library.
Twlight thanked Luna, and started to walk to her bedchamber, only to find herself staggering on her hooves. I'm more tired than I thought, Twilight realized. It's a good thing Princess Celestia sent me home!
Luna escorted her up the stairs, helping to support her when she seemed about to stumble.
Twilight was glad of her assistance. Right now, the simple act of climbing two flights of stairs seemed a major obstacle; the very concept of flight seemed impossible, and Twilight chuckled briefly to herself at the absurd image of herself flitting about clumsily like some giant mindless moth, repeatedly battering herself against the sides of the stairwell. In her current mental state, she found the notion hilarious.
Twilight finally reached her room and flopped into bed, burying her head happily into her pillows. The fabric felt impossibly soft and incredibly welcoming. It was such a relief not to have to worry about anything, at least for a while.
Almost immediately, she started drifting off to sleep. She was dimly aware of a blanket being pulled over her body, the comforting scent of somepony familiar bending over her, and a brief brush of lips against her cheek in a gentle kiss.
Twilight giggled slightly at the tickling sensation of that kiss. She knew, even in her drowsy confusion, that it was Princess Luna who tucked her in and kissed her, and she minded neither in the least.
It's nice being loved, she thought, especially by Luna. I'm safe now ...
On that pleasant thought, she fell asleep.
"Hey, Twilight, I made pancakes!" came a cheerful and very familiar voice.
Twilight groaned, rolled over in bed, and opened bleary eyes to regard her adoptive baby brother and Number One Assistant. Spike was usually a welcome sight, but right now no sight was truly welcome. "Sight" meant that her eyes were open, which in turn implied that she was no longer sleeping. It was a neat logical conclusion -- though a sad one to reach right now, when she was still so very tired.
Spike was standing by Twilight's bedside, holding a covered silver tray. Setting it down on an adjacent table, he removed the cover to reveal plates heaped high with fluffy golden pancakes and freshy made scrambled eggs upon a substrate of hay country fritters. On the side were a small pitcher of maple syrup, a stick of butter, and a bottle of ketchup. Hard on the hooves of this visual information came olfactory stimulation: a melange of delicious odors, tickling her delicate nostrils.
Abruptly, tiredness fled as Twilight's stomach forcibly reminded her that it had been over a day since she'd eaten a real meal. Twilight's mouth watered, her ears went up, and she practically snatched the tray of food right out of Spike's hands with her powerful telekinesis.
Proper regard for the dignity of a Princess of Equestria should induce me to report that Twilight Sparkle ate that breakfast in a delicate and ladylike manner, displaying all the grace and manners one would expect of a well-brought-up young mare of the ancient and honorable Light Clan. Alas, an even deeper regard for historical accuracy requires me to relate that Twilight instead tucked into that meal almost with the alacrity that one might have expected of a Primal Pony, one eye on her food and the other on the circling carnivores.
Almost. Even just awoken and almost starving hungry, Twilight still retained enough of the civilized Canterlot scholar-gentlemare that she in truth was that she did not simply plunge her muzzle deeply into her food and splatter much of it around the bed in the process of its consumption. That would have been quite unmannerly -- and, besides, would have wasted some of the food. Twilight Sparkle was much too intelligent to do that. She even applied the condiments properly. Though she did wind up getting some of those on the bedclothes, in her haste.
Her hunger appeased, Twilight washed down the meal with cup after cup of strong coffee from a pot Spike had also fetched, which both assuaged her thirst and helped her come fully awake. She then wiped her mouth, nose, and other messy parts of her face with a large napkin Spike handed her. Emitting a great sigh of contentment, she regarded Spike gratefully.
"Thank you," she told her Number One Assistant. "I really needed that. Especially the coffee. Without that, I think I just might have dropped off again after I ate all that delicious food. Which would have been very irresponsible of me, given that I asked the others to meet me here this morning." She looked at the clock. "Yikes!" cried Twilight. "It's almost noon! Are any of them here yet?"
"Not yet," said Spike. "Though Rarity should be getting here soon. She said that she'd be here before noon. And you can always count on Applejack. As for Pinkie --"
"Hi!" said Pinkie, popping out from under the cover of the tray, which was of course far too small to conceal even a little filly, let alone a strapping full-grown mare with the sturdy, muscular body of a rock farmer, overlain by the plumpness of a baker entirely too fond of her own wares. Nevertheless, there she was: as always twice as large as life, big and pink and friendly, with seemingly-innocent blue eyes, behind which were the secrets of a whole lost world; grinning in her usual manic glee. A few uneaten scraps of Twilight's breakfast were caught in her bright raspberry pink mane and tail, or smeared on her only slightly less brilliantly-pink coat.
Twilight tried hard not to shy at Pinkie's sudden appearance. Twiilght was mostly successful. Pinkie was often incomprehensible, and the things she did should have been impossible, but she was a true and loyal and utterly wonderful friend, and that was more important than anything else: the essence of the greatest lesson Twilight Sparkle had learned regarding the Universe in general over the last half-decade of her life. She did flinch a little, but that was almost unavoidable, given that even as an Alicorn, Twilight had a mostly-normal equine nervous system.
"Good morning, Pinkie," replied Twilight, smiling at her very pink, very strange friend. "How are you doing?"
"Super keen!" answered Pinkie. "I got to mix fertilizer with AJ and Dashie and it was lots of fun only it's messy when you have a fertilizer fight and the special ingredient tastes awful! Yuck!" She giggled. "Oh, and AJ and Dashie'll be here, in ten minutes. I took the shortcut, they didn't wanna."
Twilight processed that statement. She noted the important information.
"I'd better take a quick shower," Twilight said. "Thanks, Pinkie, for letting me know they're on their way."
"No problem!" Pinkie rapidly ran her impossibly-long tongue over her whole body, slurping up the remnants of Twiilght's breakfast. "Mmm!" she declared. "Spike, you're a good cook!"
"Thanks!" replied Spike, beaming at her. "Would you like me to make you some?" he asked.
"Sure!" said Pinkie enthusiastically, and she bounced off after Spike toward the kitchen.
Twilight Sparkle rushed into her bathroom and started a hot shower. She suddenly realized that she had not had a proper full-body cleaning, with soap and hot water, since the morning of the day that she had left on the quest for Our Town, a whole week ago. She stepped into the shower and let the warm water cascade upon her face and back, streaming through her mane as she closed her eyes and gasped in delight at the wonderful wet sensation.
She groaned as she remembered that, last night, she had attended informal audiences with both the Two Royal Pony Sisters, without having done more than wash her face. I must have reeked. Celestia hugged me, Luna hugged and kissed me -- what must they have thought of me?
In that moment of mortifcation, it did not occur to her that Celestia and Luna had both known that she had been laboring long and hard in the defense of the Realm, and had taken wounds to her psyche in its defense. The Sisters, who had more than once themselves spent hard weeks on the road, during the long centuries they fought Discord and forged the Realm out of the cultural wrack the Draconequus had left in the wake; they would have forgiven far more than some honest mare-sweat on one who had likewise struggled in the service of that Realm: even had that one not been Twilight Sparkle, whom they each loved greatly, after her own fashion. What they truly thought of Twilight would have indeed embarrassed her, but not for the reasons she imagined.
Twilight completed her hasty ablutions and stepped out of the shower, vigorously toweling herself dry. She padded down toward her main dining room, from which she heard the voices of Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie already raised in conversation.
"Oh, just let that Starlight Glimmer come back!" Rainbow Dash was saying. "I'd give her a kick with my forehooves -- another kick with my rear hooves --- then I'd circle around and finish her off with a Sonic Rainboom! Blam!"
Something clattered to the floor as Dashie demonstrated her aggressive capabilities on an inanimate object -- a chair, from the sound of it. Twilight deemed it unlikely that the chair had fought back very effectively, and she walked a bit faster, hoping to intervene before Rainbow Dash destroyed the Castle's dining room.
"Whoa there, Dashie," commented Applejack. "Ah'm sure if Starlight Glimmer were here you'd kick her flank from here to the Crystal Mountains. But that pore chair didn't do anything to you."
"Darn right I'd kick her flank!" Rainbow Dash replied. "No way no how am I ever letting her slow me down again!"
"Ah doubt anything could slow you down for too long," said Applejack, an affectionate tone in her voice.
As Twilight walked into the room, she saw Rainbow Dash settle back down into a chair -- she wasn't sure if it was the same one who had been her recent antagonist -- a mollified expression on her face. "Yeah," said Rainbow Dash. "Cause I'm just too amazing to keep up with!"
"Mornin, Twah," said Applejack, smiling warmly at her friend. "Hope you had a nice night."
Twilight yawned. "I stayed up most of the night working on my report to the Royal Sisters," she told them. "It was worth it, though," she said proudly. "Celestia said it was informative and interesting, when we had a meeting later, at the Palace in Canterlot."
"Huh," commented Rainbow Dash. "Did she say anything about how we can catch Starlight Glimmer? Or what she's likely to do next?" Her tone was casual -- perhaps a bit too much so.
"Yes," said Twilight. "But I want to wait until we're all here."
"Wal," said Applejack, "Pinkie Pie's in the kitchen with Spike, making us breakfast. Ah don't know where Fluttershy or Rarity are."
"Hel-lo," said Rarity as she stepped through the door, Fluttershy by her side. Rarity looked a bit tired, but happy, in distinct contrast to the extreme tension she had displayed last night at the train station. Her face bore a bright smile and her posture was relaxed.
"Hi," said Fluttershy. She seemed as if she'd enjoyed a good night's sleep: her eyes were alert and gait as high-stepping as hers ever got. She smiled affectionately at everypony.
Spike poked his head out of the kitchen door. "Hi, Rarity!" he said, giving her a big smile. "Pinkie and I are making some really great pancakes and scrambled eggs with hay fritters for everypony!"
"So nice to see you this morning, Spikey," said Rarity casually, but Twilight noticed that she winked at him. "I look forward to your culinary creations."
"Great!" replied Spike. "You're gonna love what I'm making!"
"Breakfast's on!" said Spike, pushing in a wheeled serving cart considerably larger than his whole body, handling the huge cart without any apparent difficulty.
"Technically, 'brunch' or even 'lunch,' darling," Rarity commented. "given the lateness of the hour." She smiled warmly at the small Dragon, and subtly leaned toward him, as if she wanted to touch him but was shy of doing so in public.
As Rarity was normally not at all shy of displaying affection to Spike in public, Twilight briefly wondered what was up. Twilight also noticed that Spike's affect was unusual -- somewhere between happy and nervously excited. Spike's gaze frequently shifted to Rarity, who returned his looks with smiling glances of her own, sometimes flushing slightly.
I know exactly what that looks like, thought Twilight especially coupled -- combined! she frantically amended -- with where he went after we finished that report. But I have to trust Spike and Rarity -- and I have more important issues on my mind, right now. I mustn't interfere, especially not in company. Spike's growing up.
She felt a strange emotion, somewhere between pride and panic. He's growing up fast. Will I feel like this one day when I have children? Rarity, please don't hurt him!
Twilight's friends tucked into the food. It was the same eggs, pancakes and hay fritters that Spike had made for Twilight, but it most definitely was good. Rarity was particularly-complimentary toward the food, which may have been in consequence of her increased affection toward Spike -- or simply a manifestation of her genuine appreciation for Spike's skills. It looked a bit suspicious.
It did not at all help that the others had plainly noticed as well. Pinkie Pie was beaming at Spike and Rarity, a broad grin spread across her face. Rainbow Dash was smirking, and making what she probably imagined to be subtly congratulatory gestures to Spike. Applejack was maintaining her dignity, but seemed happy about something; her face bore a rathe sweet smile. Even Fluttershy, of all Ponies, looked happy -- a shy smile, directed at Rarity through a thin screen of pink hair.
It was almost as if this was some sort of sports meet -- and everypony had been rooting for Spike and Rarity to score.
Oh no, thought Twilight. That was a bad choice of metaphor. That's an image I didn't really want.
Of course, she understood why they wanted Spike to succeed in his romantic ambition. They all like Spike, she knew. They're his friends, just as they're mine. The thought cheered her. Still, she reminded herself severely, the love of others should not be made into some sort of a show. This is private.
She had a brief mental image of herself, very small and very energetic, as she had been fifteen years ago. Very much liking her new babysitter -- and, for that reason, helping to set up Cadance with her big brother Shining Armor, long before Twilight had any but the vaguest possible notions of what Love entailed. That had ultimately led to their marriage. I love Cadance, Twilight thought happily. I couldn't have found Shiny anypony better.
Maybe this will all turn out as well for Spike, Twilight admitted to herself. Maybe I should just stop worrying about it.
It was just that ... He's my little brother!
No logic seemed to be wholly able to address that.
The meal was nearly over, and Twilight composed her thoughts regarding the more public business before them. She had not had time to ready a stack of note cards, nor even write a list, so this time she'd just wing it. Which I am nowadays equipped to do, she thought, waggling one of her wings. She grinned to herself. I really don't have that much to complain about.
Her good mood restored, she began the meeting.
"All right, girls," she said in what she hoped was a brisk but calm manner. "I've met with the Sisters about Starlight Glimmer, and we were able to reach some tentative conclusions about her motives and the threat she still poses."
She immediately had everypony's attention. Rarity in particular was rivetted to Twilight's every word, Rarity's expression visibly strained. Spike stepped to Rarity's side, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. Fluttershy shrank a little into her mane. Rainbow Dash scowled and looked pugnacious. Pinkie Pie seemed unwontedly serious. Applejack alone seemed unworried, simply firming her jaw slightly with determination.
"Starlight Glimmer is a former student of Princess Celestia's, gone warlock; she was at the Academy two decades before me," Twilight began.
"Another one?" asked Rainbow Dash with disgust. "This is, what, the second or third time this has happened?"
"Third," said Twilight. "And it's not that often -- this is over decades." She felt a little uncomfortable, because she was skirting a lie-by-omission -- it was, in fact, pretty often, given that Starlight Glimmer, Sunset Shimmer and Dawn Starfall were all not merely former students of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, but Princess Celestia's former personal students -- making the rate of madness even worse than it seemed.
"Oh well," allowed Rainbow Dash. "At least you turned out with your head screwed-on mostly-okay."
"Thank you," replied Twilight. "I think."
"Just a moment, sugarcube," said Applejack, a slightly grim tone in her voice belying her term of endearment. "Ah'm guessin' Starlight was one of Celestia's special students -- like you."
Twilight nodded. "Which is part of why she's so dangerous," she said. "Starlight Glimmer has considerable magical talent -- comparable to my own -- and she's had a similar education. She learned some very advanced magic from Celestia, and she's had two more decades than me to study and practice it. It would be a very bad idea to underestimate her.
"Good Heavens," gasped Rarity. "She's an evil you."
"More like a very badly misguided Twilight," commented Fluttershy, speaking up unexpectedly.
Everypony looked at her in astonishment, partly because she had spoken and partly because of what she had said, but Fluttershy stood her ground.
"I spent time with her," Fluttershy said. "And I don't think she meant to do evil. I think she thought she was doing good. She really believes that Cutie Marks are bad. She thought she was helping."
Rainbow Dash frowned at her friend. "'Shy," she pointed out, "she took my speed. How lame is that?"
"Pretty lame," agreed Fluttershy. "And she took my ability to talk to animals, which made me very sad. But I don't think she really understood what she was doing. Not really."
"That may be," allowed Applejack, "but from where we're standing, she might as well be evil. She hurt us, and probably wants to hurt us more. Ah don't think we've seen the last of her."
"She has done a lot of damage in the pursuit of her obsession," pointed out Rarity. "And not only to us. She has caused much more harm to the unfortuate Ponies who followed her at Our Town."
"She's just no fun, agreed Pinkie.
"Starlight Glimmer attempted to achieve what she imagined were good ends," said Twilight Sparkle, "but her ends were misguided and her means evil. Ponies are not happier with their Talents suppressed; we've all experienced personally how miserable that makes us. Ponies should not be identical; we are individuals and have different capabilities and needs. And the mere possession of power does not make it moral for its possessor to dictate to others: Ponies must control their own lives and make their own decisions. Even Princesses must respect equine freedom and dignity."
Applejack nodded; there was general agreement from the others.
"It is important to remember," Twilight continued, "that Starlight Glimmer was neither captured nor reformed. She is still out there; she still believes that she was right, and she is probably very angry at us for having defeated her and unseated her from her control over Our Town. She is extremely likely to do something violent or otherwise dangerous or immoral in pursuit of her revenge. And she is very powerful."
"Do you suppose she'll attempt to take our Cutie Marks again?" Rarity asked, her tone casual enough, but her expression anything but calm.
"Possibly," replied Twilight. "Having witnessed that magic, I understand it: I know how to shield against and reverse it. If she ambushes me, of course, she may take my power before I can use it. However, the other Princesses now know about her, and she can't take us all at the same time. She will have little chance of victory in a direct frontal assault."
"What if she just takes our Marks and hides them somewhere, then runs off?" Rarity persisted, stress in her voice.
"I've thought of that," said Twilight. "I'm working on a Cutie Mark tracking spell for just such a situation. Both Contagion and Similarity are immensely strong between a Pony and her Cutie Mark, so it should be easy enough to accomplish. And many other Pony mages could do the same thing, if anything happened to me first."
Rarity nodded -- she'd studied enough magical theory to understand what Twilight had just said -- and visibly relaxed.
"Now, as to how Starlight Glimmer is likely to seek her revenge," continued Twilight. "First of all, I think that I am probably her primary target."
Her friends looked at her in alarm.
"She better not mess with you," Rainbow Dash said belligerently. "I'll kick her flat if she tries that!"
The others variously affirmed their loyalty to her.
"Thank you," said Twilight, smiling at her friends. "If she attacks, I suspect she will try to catch me alone, precisely because she won't want to have to deal with all of you as well and at the same time. Starlight -- unfortunately -- is highly intelligent; we have to assume that she will be tactically-competent.
"She is not likely to attack very soon. When we defeated her, we robbed her of allies and resources. She will want to recover, both emotionally and logistically, and she will probably conduct research into us and our capabilities, just as I am conducting research into her. Though it's not impossible for her to orgagnize an immediate attack, because of some of the spells she knows. It's significantly more difficult, though."
"What sort of spells do you mean?" asked Applejack. "Any kind of high-powered hoo-doo we should be watching out fer, in particular?"
"Well, aside from the usual offensive and defensive magic of an elite Unicorn mage -- the things you've seen me do, basic energy bolts, shields, telekinesis and teleportation -- she has the Spell of Sameness, as I've mentioned. The good news there is that I don't think she can do more with that than weaken you, and your Mark and Talent will come back almost immediately unless actively contained, as we saw.
"She may know some number of other special spells, such as polymorphs, mind control magic and such. Many of these are of course highly-illegal to use on another Pony without their consent, but she is a warlock: magical assault is the essential definition of that crime. Realistically, we have to assume that she'll fight dirty, rather than challenge us to formal duels.
"Now, as to the main problem. Starlight Glimmer once had prolonged access to some of the most powerful and secret spellbooks of Starswirl the Bearded ..."
"Oh, crap," said Spike, his crest flaring as he took a quick indrawn breath, as if instinctively-readying himself to spout fire at a foe. There being no actual foe at hand, he relaxed slightly, but still did not seem fully calmed.
"Oh, my ..." said Rarity, gaping in dismay. "You're talking some fairly serious magic here, I would imagine." She looked uncertainly between Twilight and Spike.
"Oh yeah," replied Spike. "Starswirl messed around with the fundamental structure of spacetime. Gravitational singularities, time travel, portals to other dimensions ... there's stuff Celestia still keeps secret, because in the wrong hooves it could be end-of-the-world. Things Ponies Were Not Meant To Know, that sort of thing."
"Spike's correct," affirmed Twilight. "The Spell of Sameness is a modification of Starswirl's Unifinished Spell -- the one I accidentally cast on all of you a year and a half ago. It's ontomantic in nature -- time-based reality warping, sort of like what Pinkie does but much more rigid and limited in its applications ..."
"... I bet I bake better cupcakes than that meanie Starlight Glimmer does, too!" Pinkie announced, nodding proudly.
"Better even than Sugar Belle's," Twilight agreed. "Basically, it alters the quantum probabilty weightings of your pastline, weakening the causal linkages between your own astral pattern and your destiny as manifest in the Mark ..."
Everyone, including Spike, stared at her blankly.
"It rips loose the part of your soul that makes the Talent," said Twilight. "It does so by retroactive magic -- it goes back into the past and makes it so that in a sense you never had the Talent. But it's very limited -- the ontological inertia of our shared worldline resists the change and renders it unstable ..."
More blank stares.
Twilight sighed. "The Universe wants you to have the Talent, because if you didn't then there would be contradictory consequences, so ..."
"Oh!" squealed Pinkie. "Too much Paradox! Starlight doesn't know how to tie up the ends right so it's going to burn but before that happens the Langoliers just rip it up and eat it, munch munch munch, and once it's loose it snaps back! I get it!"
Twlight and everyone looked at Pinkie Pie, the others in confusion, Twilight in astonishment.
"You're talking about sub-sapient chronovoric entities, Pinkie," Twilight said. "How do you know about ..."
"Well, duh," said Pinkie. "If I didn't know about them and how to work around them, they might eat me, and I'd rather bake yummy food than be yummy food. Wouldn't you?" She looked around the group.
There was general agreement.
"Now that I think about it," said Twilight, "I suppose you run into these sort of issues frequently." An idea struck her. "Could you tell if Starlight was about to attack?"
"Well ..." said Pinkie, thinking a moment. "That kinda depends."
"Depends?" asked Rainbow Dash. "On what?"
"On what was going to happen if she attacked," Pinkie explained. "See if she was going to really truly hurt any of you I'd know, cause it'd be really sad and scary and it would make me sad and probably all quivery and my mane would get weird and you know what that's like. So I'd warn you so the bad things wouldn't happen cause you're my friends and I love you tons! But if you're gonna all come out of it okey-dokey even if I didn't say anything then I might not feel it at all, or I might not say anything if I did cause what if something bad happened cause I warned you? And if was going to come out really good, like maybe Starlight was going to just have a big party and hug us and be friends, then I might not want to say anything cause if I said something then maybe things would come out really bad and the cake would all be like turnip pie or something or even worse like there'd be no cake at all!" She took a long breath. "So I might just bake a big cake for the party but then I might eat it all cause I was really really hungry, so I'd bake more. See?"
Twilight worked over what Pinkie had just said, subtracted the cake equally from both sides of the Boolean equation, and got the gist of it. "Are you saying that if you know something is going to happen, sometimes if you warn us, you could make matters worse? And you know in advance if this is true, so that you don't warn us if the warning would mean a worse future?"
"Yeppers!" replied Pinkie, "Sometimes something a little bad or scary will happen that turns out right in the end, like when Discord messed with us and it was really sad but now he's mostly nice to us and he's a lot of fun to be with, so if we'd put him back in stone forever we'd be missing out on the nice and fun stuff he does, plus the whole scene where he saves the Skylark from the Shadows and wakes his ... oopsie, forget I said any of that last part, should fix that, there." She did something, and Twilight could not clearly remember some of what Pinkie had said. "And then you want to let the little bad stuff happen cause you won't get the better good stuff if you stopped the little bad stuff. See?"
Twilight did see, and she also saw why Pinkie usually couldn't talk about it. "And even if you told us why you were doing it, you could create Paradox?"
"Yep!" said Pinkie. "I really like the way you're so smart this time, cause you get things like this! You're amazing!"
"Heh ... thank you, Pinkie," replied Twilight, smiling and blushing a little bit. "Okay, well," she said, "can you warn us if Starlight's going to attack and it's going to go badly if you don't warn us?"
"Sure thing!" agreed Pinkie cheerfully.
"All right," continued Twilight, feeling a little relieved already. She did not entirely understand how Pinkie's powers worked, and indeed feared that it might be impossible to fully-understand them within the limitations of her own intellect and psychology, but she knew that Pinkie was a very good Pony, a loyal friend -- and much more capable than she seemed at first glance.
"So," she said to her friends, "I've basically given you the bad news. The good news is this. If Starlight Glimmer does try to do any of the really dangerous things she might attempt to accomplish through time travel: such as reversing her defeat at Our Town, changing our destinies en masse, or altering large-scale history ... well, it won't be as easy as she may imagine. The Universe doesn't want the timeline changed, and unless she's very careful about how she does it, the changes will be unstable, just as is the Spell of Sameness. Setting things right should still be possible."
"So what you're sayin, Twah," Applejack asked, "is that even if it looks hopeless at some point, it might not be?"
"Essentially, yes," replied Twilight.
"Ah can work with that," said Applejack. "Do mah level best to fight and win, if'n it comes to it."
"Yeah, I'm not gonna give up just cause some jerk wants to push me around," added Rainbow Dash.
"I'm with you," said Fluttershy softly.
"If she comes back, we're gonna win -- and all celebrate afterward!" Pinkie declared.
"I shall continue to hold my head up high, no matter what happens," promised Rarity, essaying a smile.
Spike gazed at her adoringly. "I'm not going to let her hurt you," he said to Rarity. He turned to Twilight, then looked at the others. "Any of you."
Twilight felt a deep pride in Spike, and in all of her friends. Whatever happened, they would remain faithful to their friendship and their fellowship. Starlight Glimmer might have temporal magics of unknown power and scope; she might have a deep rage and burning desire for revenge.
But she did not have friends -- and friendship was magic. |
Post-Traumatic | Chapter 14: The Shadows of the Past | The caverns that cut beneath the Crystal Mountains were cold, and inhospitable to most organic life. But they were neither entirely lightless -- nor empty.
Light emanated from the outcroppings of crystal that jutted from the cave walls. It was a wan, cold, pale blue light; barely enough by which to see, which must have been generated by some effect ultimately powered by the Earth-currents, carried through the veins of crystal that snaked through the hills, giving these mountains their name. The light flickered slowly, waxing and waning in time to a some slow subterranean pulsation.
The light flared brighter as the Pony entered a chamber. She was a very powerful and skilled mage, and she was quite familiar with these caverns: she had first read about them decades ago, when she had been a filly first studying at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns; she had first seen them a decade ago, when she had been scouting this area before building her Utopia. For her, it was a trivial feat to slightly-amplify that glow, the better to light her way.
Now -- a fugitive -- she passed through them on the way to another exit she knew, many dozens of miles away, far enough that she might continue on unseen by Pegasi patrols. Her plan was to reach another town, where she might change her appearance, assume another identity, and disappear into the secret ways known to the Equalists and Levellers.
By now, Starlight Glimmer knew, she was a marked mare. She had interferered with Equestria's newest Princess, and Celestia's chosen Champions. In doing so, she had not only threatened to upset Celestia's plans, but had technically-violated some of the laws of the criminal code, including the ones forbidding assault, unlawful detention and warlockry.
As a leader of the revolutionary vanguard, Starlight Glimmer of course did not take Celestia's laws seriously. They were absurd and archaic laws, meant to prop up the Old Regime; Starlight's purposes lay above and beyond any considerations of ordinary morality. But, of course, Celestia would use those laws as her excuse to crush Starlight. The rebel Unicorn could expect nothing less from the Sun Tyrant.
Celestia would, obviously, not yield to Starlight's revolutionary logic. Celestia had, after all, emerged triumphant -- her Champions had destroyed Starlight's life and dreams. Celestia would expect Starlight to yield to her -- to throw herself upon the Royal Mercy, beg forgiveness for her supposed "crimes."
Celestia would probably grant such mercy, at that. Well did the immortal master manipulator understand the political utility of being seen to be merciful. Starlight's submission would politically-neutralize her dangerous ideas and discredit her cause. No revolutionaries would ever trust her again, and if she did rebel again, Celestia could always punish her more harshly.
"I play a long game," Celestia had once told her. "And I play to win."
And Celestia had won.
In the person of her loyal vassal, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Celestia had won everything.
And she herself, Starlight Glimmer, had lost everything.
Her town. Her followers. Her friends. Her dream.
She had even lost -- but as the image of his handsome white face, framed in its bluish-white mane, rose before her mind's eye, she stopped in her tracks, hung her head, and stood helplessly-shivering with the intensity of the emotions wracking her soul. Starlight Glimmer squeezed her eyes tight shut, and hot tears of pain and loss and red raw hate rolled down her muzzle, and fell to the cold stone floor.
In her over four decades of life, she had made many friends; she had taken a few lovers. Starlight Glimmer was charismatic and attractive. Ponies often liked her on first meeting. Some loved her.
But it meant little. For she always lost her friends. Inevitably, a point of disagreement would arise; some difference grow between her and them. And her friendships would be broken, torn apart by dissimilarity.
She had been betrothed, twice. Each time it had ended in anger and tears, her former fiances becoming hateful and hostile toward her. Each time she had been left alone, heartbroken, scarcely understanding how such passionate love could turn to such extreme loathing.
Despairing of Friendship and Love in the wider world, she had created her own community, where she thought such sentiments would be more universal. All in Our Town had been friends. All in Our Town had loved one another. That was how she thought things had worked. That had been her dream.
Twilight Sparkle had shattered her dream. Worse, the Princess had proved her dream false. If the Equal Ponies had really been her friends, they would not have turned on her so easily. If they had all loved her, they would have forgiven her the necessary deception of retaining her own Cutie Mark. If he in particular had loved her, he would not have ...
Starlight Glimmer stopped and squeezed her eyes tight shut, trying not to see anything, not to feel anything. Moisture rolled down her cheeks, to follow the streaks that earlier tears had left on her hide. Try as she might, she could not make her reality go away, her life go away, even when it hurt so very much.
Not for the first time, she considered the obvious escape.
It would be easy to slay herself. She had powerful magics that, properly turned on herself, would accomplish the feat. Not to mention her telekinesis, and the fact that one thing these caverns beneath the Crystal Mountains were well supplied with were sharp shards of crystal. She had failed, decisively and completely. What real purpose was there in her continued life?
Indeed, it would be easy to die by mischance, given what she was doing, and the fact that she was alone. A single mis-step, a broken or even badly-sprained leg, and she might never leave this labyrinth alive. She had cached food and water along her path -- a long-planned escape route, laid down against just such an eventuality as that which had transpired -- she had even blazed her trail with marks at key intersections. But without careful attention to her progress, she might become lost, and wander hopelessly until thirst claimed her.
She was not, in fact, trying to kill herself. She was instead bending her every effort toward staying alive. Why did she bother? Her dream was dead. Why did she wish to outlive its destruction?
Because death was the ultimate failure. Because if she died here, Twilight Sparkle would win.
For her, Friendship had failed. Love had failed. All there was left to sustain her was her basic instinct to survive, and her Hate.. In Starlight Glimmer's world, right now, the lights of Love had long since died out, and all that remained for her was Hatred; her only remaining purpose was Revenge.
Revenge against Twilight Sparkle.
Hatred and the desire for revenge sustained her as she went down endless corridors of crystal, formed from the living rock by processes obscure even to Equestrian geology, fractally spun out into shapes lovely and wondrous beyond compare. Their beauty had left her breathless on earlier occasions, when she had walked this way before, but now she had no eye for such aesthetic delights. There was no room in her soul, at this moment, for anything which did not serve her Hate.
She did have a vague sort of notion that, once Twilight Sparkle was defeated, she might in some way again attempt to achieve her dream. Somewhere else, with new Ponies, perhaps ones she might have the chance to influence from childhood or even birth? She knew now that her dream was difficult, that it might take more than one lifetime to achieve. If only she had chosen to -- but she had thought that being mother to a whole village required that she not be mother to any Pony in particular. She had no heir.
But any goal of rebuilding was vague and uncertain, compared to the absolutely clear goal of her hatred for Twilight Sparkle. And in any case, rebuilding her dream would be pointless in a world with Twilight Sparkle still in it; Twilight would simply come and kick over whatever new sand-castle Starlight Glimmer constructed. Starlight first had to dispose of the menace, defeat the predator who sought to destroy her herd. This was only logical.
But how? Twilight Sparkle was terrifyingly powerful; in a direct duel, she could not be at all certain of victory. Even if she ambushed her -- Twilight was an Alicorn, and Starlight's readings had revealed to her that Alicorns were immensely tenacious of life, incredibly difficult to kill. If she had an Alicorn-Bane -- but such weapons were exceedingly rare, difficult for anypony not commanding the resources of at least a city-state to manufacture, and were far from guaranteed to kill; all the enchantment and mortal sacrifice necessary to make one simply gave its wielder a chance of doing fatal or at least lasting harm to an Alicorn.
She might instead attack Twilight's friends, or even family. This would, however, not solve the problem even if she succeeded -- the real threat came not from such lesser Ponies, but from Twilight Sparkle herself. Besides which, Twilight's friends were by repute themselves skilled and dangerous champions, far from easy to slay or capture. And once she struck at one of them, the others would be on their guard. What point would there be in striking down one of Twilight's companions, only to face the others fully-roused? Doing this would be to lose the whole chess-game, for the sake of taking a single piece therein. No -- there must be a better plan.
Engaged in these ruminations, she barely at first noticed that she had reached the great central chamber that was one of the main wonders of these deep caves -- a cavern bigger than the main Cathedral of Canterlot, glittering both from its own internal magelight and the augmentation of Starlight's magic. It was like a gigantic geode, though the processes involved in its formation had been considerably more complex than those of any normal geode.
She knew this cavern well; many of the longer systems of crevices led to the chamber, radiating from the colossal crystal in a fractal system of spokes. It was as if, at some point, some energy had focused within the great geode, accumulating from some external source and then erupting within it in some maner which split the rock all around it for dozens of miles, in some sort of tremendous internal explosion, one which had somehow managed to elegantly split rather than shatter the crystals.
Which was exactly what had happened -- though Starlight Glimmer knew it not -- a thousand years ago, and in another worldline. The energy which had powered this explosion had been nothing more or less than the detonation of a Negation Bolt, the ultimate weapon of the Cosmic Concepts, in the bombardment of the Paradise which had come from an ancient union of advanced science and antediluvian sorcery.
The crystals were attuned to the very structure of spacetime, and had fractured in resonance with the cracks propagating through the continuum. Here, our Universe itself had been riven, and along the fracture lines Planck-width linear wormholes -- string singularities -- had been opened. Slowly, very slowly -- for the wormstrings were exceedingly narrow -- energy from our Universe had seeped through, in accordance with thermodynamic principles, from our bright warm young world into another continuum; one which was terribly dark and chill and old.
There, even these tiny amounts of energy blazed like a beacon in a void where the last stars had gone out, fallen together into super-massive black holes, and the last terrestrial spheres huddled around these black holes like freezing campers around guttering fires, waked to minimal output by the grudging sacrifice of small amounts of matter into their accretion disks. Here dwelt the masters of this undead Universe, the rulers of a graveyard that stretched out countless quadrillions of light-years, the energy of its expansion long since spent, but its mass now dispersed so widely that the gravity which might have recondensed it died away in whimpers of quantum fluctuation. A Universe without light, without life, without hope -- but in which something still, after a fashion, moved and thought.
The realm of the Night Shadows.
At the center of the crystal labyrinth, the string singularities met and fused. Here and there, cracks had opened a bit wider, as bits of our Universe fell away into the endless night of theirs, particles screaming in anguish as they were consumed by the vast Nothing on the other side, falling to their false entropic maximum of ceaseless torment. Here and there, the cracks became windows. Not yet really gates, for all but the least of the unlife of the Shadow Universe, for they were still too small, and our own Universe pressed on all sides to try to close them in a self-healing tropism that it had inherited from its long lineage of evolutionarily successful ancestors -- but windows.
And through these windows peered the Night Shadows.
One group of Night Shadows in particular watched the progress of Starlight Glimmer. They were no ordinary Shadows -- they were the local nodes of Great Shadows, which is to say that they were roughly the Night Shadow equivalent of Alicorns. They watched, and amongst themselves held converse. Around them squirmed numerous smaller entities, Lesser and Least Shadows, who were their spawn and servitors, enjoying a precarious and dangerous status from their masters' patronage.
The social unit which they formed was something alien equally to Equine or Human culture, for which we may be profoundly grateful. It was a high part of their local hierarchy, the at once terrifyingly-anarchic and stultifyingly rigid system of government which oppresses the Night Shadows, and whose oppression they welcome with the ardor that we would embrace the most just and wise rule of liberty, as they would despise any attempt at what we might term fairness or freedom -- but it was not a governmental commission. It was a voluntary assocation, yet it was not a club or group of friends, for the Night Shadows have no friends, merely enemies to whom they hold varying degrees of despite and hatred. And, though the members of this group were related by ties of kinship, it was in no wise a clan or family.
Call it a Conclave.
Likewise, when we say that they held converse, we do not mean that they communicated by presenting concepts to each other for mutual rational and emotional examination. That is entirely too benign an interpretation of their actions. It is more accurate to say that they powered geases against each other, each attempting to enslave the other through force of will, and restrained only by the countervailing force of will of their intended victims. From long mutual familiarity and force of habit, none of them really expected to be able to overcome the other, yet the contest was no less in deadly earnest for this, and had one of them shown an atypical weakness, the others would have pounced on and devoured its mind.
Such was the nature of society among the Night Shadows.
One of the ... leaders, in our terms ... of this Conclave was an entity who would have appeared to our minds as a vast complex tower of dark crystals, from the angles of which blinked many hateful yellow eyes. We may term it "male," though that does not adequately represent the full and loathsome nature of his role in the umbral systems of reproduction. His dominion was over crystalline formation, and he and his minions had already figured prominently in the history of the Ponies, though they did not yet know it. His name would be incomprehensible to us, but Crimson Quartz called him "Skleros" in the Codex of Shades, and we shall here do the same.
He addressed, or attacked, the others, with the following imperative, translated as best as possible into Earthly modes of communication.
"Weakened ... hate-filled ... vulnerable. Make ... Nightmare!"
Another entity -- this one a mass of sickly-sweet-smelling and cold fog, in which yellow-green eyes repellantly twinkled like the stars of a monstrous Universe, answered the first one. This one was ... female, would be the closest analogue in mammalian terms ... and she was of the same spawning as Skleros. One might, thus, call her his "sister," and be not entirely inaccurate. In the Codex of Shades, Crimson Quartz had called her "Skloia," and so shall we.
"No!" said Skloia. "Foolish! .... forfeit ... greater opportunity!"
Skleros made a threatening vibration at his sister's impertinence, and fixed the gaze of almost all his eyes upon her -- he of course kept some watching the rest of his perimeter, lest this merely be a ploy to distract him, enabling another of the Conclave to attack him unawares. "Explain ... quickly!"
"Nightmare ... noticed ... Ponies ... put down," pointed out Skloia, in a voice that hissed as sweet as the kiss of death. "They know ... Luna ... alert. Free ... Starlight Glimmer ... our goals achieve!"
"How?" asked Skleros, interested enough to put some force into the compulsion.
"Timewarp ... she knows," Skloia said. "Revenge ... Twilight Sparkle. Starlight Glimmer ... power enough... tempted ...Tempus Fugue."
Comprehension dawned upon Skleros. "If ... that," he glittered, "widen ... cracks ... into ... prey-verse."
"Exactly," purred Skloia, wafting forth to ooze around her brother, emitting complex puffs of acids and bases upon his crystalline surface, in a manner meant to be seductive. "Better ... indirect ... than direct attack."
Skleros reflexively encysted the chemical emissions and grew encysted geodes from them. He pulsed, pushing his annoying sister away. But his gleamings were anticipatory.
He directed numerous of his eyes and much of his attention on another Shadow.
"Raknon," he said to a thing which had the form of a webwork of glistening fibers, anchored somehow obscurely out of one's view, no matter where one might look. "Opinion?"
Raknon's many eyes glared at Skleros from the nodes of the network. "Future-vibrations ... opening ... admittance ... prey," it admitted. "Success!" Raknon was oriented differently in spacetime; to it spatial motion and sensing were strangely constrained, but viewing its own past and future worldlines relatively easy. It had much in common in this, and only this, regard, with a certain very-pink party Pony, though it did not particularly like parties, and most Ponies would have gone mad in contemplation of what made it smile.
"Hmmm ..." Skleros rumbled. "Approved! Skloia ... your plan ... your sacrifice." He roiled her fog with resonant vibrations, demonstrating the damage he could do her if she did not concede to her brother's demand.
Skloia hissed hatefully at Skleros. "Bully! ... Coward ..."
Skleros increased the intensity of the resonance, making Skloia's eyes tremble in her fog.
"Enough! ..." cried Skloia, her communications strained. "Yielding!"
Skleros hummed in satisfaction at his victory.
Skloia glared at Skleros in resentment and suddenly condensed tendrils of her substance. The tendrils whipped, seemingly right at Skleros.
The dark-crystalline Shadow stood impassively. He knew this to be a bluff.
Her tendrils whipped around at another angle and snapped up two of the Least Shadows of Skloia's own spawning. The two Least Shadows had occupied what they imagined to be a safe position, out of the direct gaze of their dam's eyes. They had not understood the ubiquity of the Great Shadow's perceptions. They may have realized it in the last moments of their existence.
Skloia smashed her own spawn together, rupturing their forms and absorbing their essence into a funnel which she formed for the purpose. Two more tendrils shot through the singularity, grasping and immobilizing the Pony who stood on the other side.
... Starlight Glimmer screamed in terror as the tentacles came from nowhere to wrap around and through her, one securing her barrel and the other her head. She was caught in an incredbily strong grip, one holding both her body and soul. For a moment her perceptions were bilocal -- she could see around her the glittering crystal cavern, and another place, a realm of darkness in which she could somehow impossibly see, and what she saw were indescribable inequine horrors ... things that could not and should not and must not be ...
... and a third tendril emerged from the portal and entered her in some obscure and obscene manner, forcing its way through her defenses and touching her vilely in the most intimate parts of her mind. She tried to shriek and struggle at this hideous contact, but she could not emit any further sounds, could not move a muscle, for she was completely under the control of this thing, this monster, this ...
... Skloia ... purred a voice into her soul, and then the third tendril pulsed and erupted with some substance which spurted into every recess of her, filling her, and changing her in some impossible and terrifying manner. ... Mistress ... rule you ... forevermore ...
And within herself, Starlight sobbed at the reality of this touch which was transformation, or violation, or some horrible mingling of both such as could not exist in any sane world. She felt her mind buckling even as a strange and unclean power surged through her ...
She could see an eye, yellow and hateful and mocking, pass down the tendril into the back of her own self. It looked at her from within, and winked. And, as the last of her sanity began to disintegrate, she heard the voice again.
No escape ... it said to her. Sane ... SLEEP.
And with that, Starlight's tortured mind began to slip into blackness, but not before she heard the last command.
... FORGET ...
The darkness claimed her.
After a time, Starlight Glimmer awoke.
I must have fallen asleep in here, she thought in some confusion, contemplating the beauty of these crystals. She stretched herself, worked her mouth experimentally. I guess I needed some sleep, she mused. I feel all right now ... not confused or tired any more. I guess I really needed that sleep.
She still mourned the loss of her followers, still hated Twilight Sparkle. But she felt much better now. She understood that her followers were lost, that business of her life was closed, and the new business of her life would be the destruction of Twilight Sparkle. It all made sense now, it was all clear, and all she needed to do now was begin the sequence of actions which would most efficiently and logically destroy Twilight Sparkle.
I've always been efficient and logical, she thought to herself. So I have a pretty good chance of success. She felt optimistic, almost happy about the new purpose of her life. After I destroy her, she thought, I can rebuild my dream somewhere else. But destroying her is the first order of business.
She cast her gaze about for the place she had blazed her trail. There it was -- a pattern of grooves that she had cut into one of the crystals near an apeture. She knew that beyond it she had cached more supplies; food and water to sustain her on the next part of her journey. Just another way station on the path that would lead to her triumph.
A new strength sustained her, a new confidence fulfilled her, as she walked out of the great geode into the twisting tunnels. She had still been defeated, but it had been only one battle she had lost. The course of her war, the war she fought against the harsh reality of the Cutie-Mark-based caste system, was as yet undecided.
I was wasting my time in Our Town, she realized. Those Ponies were weak ... mundane ... whining little foals who needed my guidance constantly. I will still destroy Twilight for what she did -- she destroyed my dream after all -- but perhaps this temporary defeat will lead me to greater future triumphs.
After all, she remembered. I am not limited to the Spell of Sameness. That is an important magic for building my new society, yes, but it is only one derivation of all that I learned from the secret journals of Star-Swirl the Bearded. There are far more potent spells in there, magics that can twist the fundamental structure of spacetime, even crack the Universe wide open! She laughed throatily, though she was not sure just why she might want to crack the Universe wide open.
The sleep had done her good. She had a vague memory of unquiet dreams, dreams of darkness and shadows, crystals and vapors and hateful yellow eyes, and of a most strange and revolting intimacy, but already these nightmares were fading, dissipating in the light of her conscious reasoning. She forgot, and forgot it most happily.
Today will be a new day, Starlight Glimmer told herself. Tommorow a newer day still. That which does not destroy me makes me stronger, and I feel stronger now than ever before!
I shall wrap myelf in cloaks of concealment, and unseen I shall move through Celestia's Realm, and there organize my attack. And when I emerge at last from the shadows, when I confront Twilight Sparkle again -- this time, I shall triumph. I shall destroy Twilight and everything she values. And she shall not be able to stop me!
So, cheered by her hopes of revenge, Starlight Glimmer continued on through the crystal labyrinth, striding toward her destiny ...
... while in the back of Starlight's self, a single yellow-green eye blinked, and back in the Shadow Universe, Skloia drank in the delicious wonders of the Universe that was to be her feast.
END. |
A Hollow in Rainbow Sand | pre | The next morning, NM (Or rather, Nyx as she insisted we call her) was a completely different person. Apparently having over a thousand years of negative emotions and lust shoved onto you really screws with your psyche.
Nyx now acted more like a total hippie who was on an eternal high. Her manner reminded me a lot of Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter. A lot of what she said didn't make sense to most, but thanks to kaleidoscope I realized that she was talking about things from other dimensions. Thus we bonded over the craziness that was the multi- and omniverse.
It only took about a day for Luna to want to bring her into the herd. I agreed whole heartedly. |
A Hollow in Rainbow Sand | Kaleido-Pinkie | Location: Luna and Nyx's Chambers, Canterlot Castle/PoV: Jack
So it's been a few days since we helped Nyx to relieve her stress. Since then, Celestia has had the guards discreetly spread rumors that Nyx was the product of a magical accident caused by bad timing and a few misplaced runes while testing a new spell. The people bought it, surprisingly enough, and accepted her very quickly.
Speaking of Nyx and Luna, at the moment we were in the middle of a game of "Sorry!" that I pulled from a random earth. Celestia would have joined in, but there were more Nobles than usual in Day Court today so she was having to work on paperwork.
"Hah! I've got you this time!" Luna said as she played a card that let her swap one of her pieces with Nyx's.
"Oh well. The humped-backed claw bugs are telling me something." Nyx said with a hand to her ear.
"Oh shit! Last time they showed up was before that rather memorable night at the gala!" I exclaimed as I tuned into that dimensional frequency.
"PiNk priSm..." The beings, which were actually sentient void beasts, began softly. Suddenly, a pressure that I heard more than felt appeared.
"DANGER!" The sudden, almost demonically deep tone that this word was delivered in knocked both me and Nyx flat on our asses!
With that, the pressure faded and the frequency was silent. Nyx and I looked at each other in confusion, while Luna fretted over us due to our falls.
"Pink prism, danger? Now what could that..." I trailed off as I remembered the magic almost similar to my own which belonged to a certain pink party pony, "SHIT! We need to get to Ponyville, NOW!"
With those words I immediately warped to the outside of Sugar Cube Corner. Seeing the ponies fleeing the building made my bad feeling worse as I worked my way through the crowd.
Once I was inside however, I was hit with one of the most insane aura's I'd ever felt. Madness almost literally dripped from the walls and ceiling. I rushed upstairs and broke down one of the doors to see an eldritch abomination hovering over a cowering Pinkie Pie.
"HEY, BARNACLE BEARD!" I exclaimed as I summoned a rock and threw it at the back of this...thing's head. The stone bounced off harmlessly, but it got its attention.
I flared my full aura at the thing, then focused that aura into my throat. I didn't know if this would work, but apparently if you use this with a bit of kaleidoscope magic...
"BEGONE" The word was an order, a command to the world, no to the universe. It was an order to use everything it had, even the darkest of magics to banish this foul existence which did not belong!
The power flowed through me, and if I hadn't trained to disperse any recoil from using too much power throughout my entire body, then I likely would have died for a third time. As it was, I knew my throat was going to be absolutely killing me later.
There was flash of rainbow light that blinded me, and when I could see again the creature was gone. I ran a quick scan through the kaleidoscope and confirmed that it wasn't anywhere near this dimension. With that done, I staggered over to Pinkie and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Pinkie..." I said, my voice extremely hoarse from the force of using that much power, "Pinkie it's okay. That thing is gone now."
She opened one of her eyes, peering cautiously into the world around her.
"Jack? Is...Is that you?" She asked in an absolutely terrified tone, which broke my heart due to how such a happy pony could be reduced to this.
"Yeah it's me. What happened?"
"W-well, I was just looking around to see what I would see today in the place only I can see...I wound up looking at that thing and it noticed. I pulled away, but it followed me and...and..."
She broke down into tears as I pulled her into a hug. It was starting to come together for me now. Pinkie wasn't using a variant, she had the real deal. The kaleidoscope had chosen yet another wielder.
It's been a week since then, but it took a few days for pinkie to get back to her old self. She was lucky that she pulled everything of herself into her mind when that thing appeared or she might have gone insane. After she had recovered, however, I went to talk to her about training her magic.
The first thing I taught her was how to sense the general aura of worlds like the one that thing was from. that way she would know to instinctively avoid them. But when I tried teaching her how to summon objects, I found that she already had a grasp on that and teleporting. All I really had to teach her was how to sync up with alternates and how to find specific worlds, which was a rather pleasant surprise.
She also helped me with using the dimensional refraction phenomenon. Though the way she did it was rather unorthodox.
Flashback: Two Days Ago/Location: A random uninhabited desert planet
So here I am, working with the kaleidoscope to practice firing dimensional beams. Pinkie suggested that if she practiced enough then she might be able to create small ones that simply let her use the kaleidoscope from a distance. I tried to tell her that she could simply do without the beam, but she said she wanted to prank Twilight with the possibility of an earth pony having unicorn magic and I just couldn't pass that up.
I checked the time on Equus, and saw it was getting late. Just as I was about to Pinkie to call it for the day, she went and shot multiple beams at one spot!
"Holy shit Pinkie! How'd you do that?!" I asked in awe.
"I made multiple 'me's in a sub-dimension who all charged up the beam, then opened the door to the sub-dimension facing the way I wanted the beams to go!" She exclaimed with a finger pointing up and her head tilted to the side as she smile with closed eyes.
'Cute...' I thought before shaking my head and focusing on what she said, trying to decipher just what she meant.
'Okay, so it sounds like she made a pocket dimension where the duplication of an object or person is possible...Then had them all act in sync before opening multiple portals. I wonder if... I trailed off as I created a pocket dimension for myself and then focused on creating reverse-mirror images of myself so that we all faced the same way. As one, we raised our hands to our mouths and bit our thumbs to draw blood which we smeared on our palms. Then we stretched our hands out in front of us.
"Gran Rey Cero...Barrage." We intoned before I opened several portals in front of the mirrors which the massive attack came through. It hit a dune that was as tall as mount Everest in the distance and caused an explosion which I had to shield Pinkie from the shockwaves of. When I looked back, there was a massive crater where the dune used to be.
End Flashback
I told Ulquiorra and the princesses about my new attack. The princesses nodded and accepted it until Ulq did something that was seriously out of character for her.
She paled and passed out! I made sure to take blackmail pictures but the fact that this attack had this effect on Ulquiorra of all people told the princesses just how bad this could be. I promised not to use it on Equus and if an opponent ever warranted it I would take them off world. Though that was a no-brainer considering if it took that much firepower to destroy then odds are it had probably not come from this world. |
A Hollow in Rainbow Sand | Unleash the Beast | Location: Uninhabited Desert World (New Designation: Training Ground 0/TG0)/PoV: Jack
Here I am, on TG0. I've compressed a massive slab of sandstone the size of two football fields side by side, which now lays in front of me with an absolutely massive ritual circle engraved upon it. The inch-deep engravings are filled to the brim with blood that I have been storing for the last three months in a pocket dimension.
This took forever, not only did I have to compress the sandstone, which took weeks, but then I had to use loose sand to grind in the circles and sigils. That took a week but I luckily was able to speed up the process due to the fact that it was loosely compacted and easy to carve. I solidified the stone after, then waited until I had enough blood.
Speaking of getting enough blood, that was a nightmare in itself. I had to sneak off and extract it myself in the same pocket dimension I stored it in. I always had to consider my limits and drink a lot of fluids to restore the lost blood. I played off the excess drinking as simply having accidentally brought my vampire instinct to the fore and was drinking a non-alcoholic red wine to satiate it. On the bright side, I think I could be considered a bit of a connoisseur now.
Shaking my head to get back to the present, I focused on double checking that all the sigils and circles were correct. Even the slightest mistake could be disastrous. After all, Kaleidoscope, Blood Magic, and Reiatsu have never been mixed in the same circle before. With my paranoia satisfied, at least for now, I added the final component: a massive orb of Reiatsu in the center.
Taking a deep breath, I channeled the Kaleidoscope through both the orb and the blood. The orb quickly destabilized as I had calculated it would and I jumped back to the outside of the array. With a mighty flash of rainbow light, the circle was fully illuminated.
As the light faded, a single, massive form was seen in the middle of the remains of the baseplate. The smoke obscured its features until I cast a wind spell. The beast was an amalgamation of several Monster Hunter monsters about twice the size of a normal horse. It had the head of a Kirin, though its mane belonged to the Oroshi variant; a Nargacuga tail that ended in a Glavenus's massive blade with a second jaw on the outer thigh of one of the back legs filled with said monster's fangs to sharpen the blade; the wings belonged to a Valphalk, and the joint at the top of them had a Brachidios's slime; finally, it's body and legs were that of a Zinogre.
All in all, it was absolutely beautiful, at least in my opinion. At the moment, it was unconscious. Though I planned to change that. Quickly warping in front of the beast, I gently started to scratch in under its chin. It (or rather she, as I realized after a quick glance) gave a rumbling groan with a bit of purring and slowly opened her eyes.
"Hello gorgeous," I joked as her eyes met mine, "How are you feeling? Summonings can be rough from what I've heard, and an Alchemical Chimera Fusion Array triggered as soon as all of your 'donors' arrived."
She sniffed me, seemingly unsure of what to make of me. I could understand the sentiment. Her sentience was limited due to having only the amalgamate brain matter of eight animals, Though I did arrange it in such a way that she would have as much intelligence as possible. She knew enough to know that she was mostly made from deadly predators and the fact I wasn't scared probably confused her.
I just smiled and kept petting her, she really was an amazing creature. The best and most deadly traits of at least three elder dragons and a few traits of the more wild monsters blended into one deadly biological WMD.
Eventually, once she realized I wasn't going to run or try to hurt her, she simply gave in and rolled onto her side for a belly rub. I laughed a bit as I switched my attentions to the area she wanted. It was another few minutes spent in a comfortable silence later that I asked my next question.
"Say, how about a deal?" I said to catch her attention, "I need a familiar, and that's kind of why I created you. (Although saving seven of the most awesome creatures from dying is a big bonus.) If you want, I can make you my familiar so we can work together from now on. If you don't want to, I can just send you to a jungle planet to live out your life."
The beast stood and stared me in the eyes, seemingly staring into my soul. I stared right back, watching how her multichromatic eyes twisted and contorted within the iris. After a while, she stepped closer and nuzzled her head against my chest.
"So I guess that's a yes then?" I rhetorically asked with a laugh. I hugged her neck and slowly ran my fingers through her mane. "Well If we're going to be working together, then you're going to need a name."
I stepped back again and put a hand to my chin in thought. While I pondered, she decided to sit for a while, turning to look at the various dunes, then at the star-speckled night sky. I followed her gaze and saw that she was staring at a constellation I surprisingly recognized.
"That's Orion, according to legend he was a mighty hunter who took down his prey using his great strength and cunning. But he never came home very often, and it made his wife very angry. One day, when he was going to go hunt, his wife slipped a deadly scorpion into his arrow quiver without his notice. Later, when he found his prey and went to draw an arrow for his bow, the scorpion stung his hand. The poison was swift, and he died shortly after. Soon after, Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and moon, took his spirit and cast it into the sky to honor one of the few males to have ever earned her respect due to his skills."
As I finished the tale, I noticed the beast watching the moon intently, and came upon the perfect name for her.
"Artemis." I said softly, "Your name will be Artemis. You are made from sever predators that are masters of the hunt, and at least one of them is nocturnal. I think it's perfect, don't you?"
She gave a snort, then nuzzled me again. With that figured out, I went ahead and opened a gate to the courtyard of the old castle. I had a certain yellow pegasus I wanted to introduce my new friend to.
When we exited the forest, there was a mass panic as the entire town rushed to get inside their homes. I sighed and lead Artemis over to Fluttershy's hut. The place was silent as a church, no animals were out and about. I figured Fluttershy had brought them into her house for safety.
Knocking on the door, it opened just a crack as a blue eye peeked out. Immediately after seeing Artemis, there was a squeak of fright and the door slammed shut. Sighing again, I repeated the knock.
"Fluttershy, it's me, Jack! Look Artemis won't hurt you, I wanted to have you check her over so that if something happens you'll know what to do to heal her." I called just loud enough to be heard through the door as calmly as I could.
The crack re-opened and I heard a timid voice ask, "Are...Are you sure?"
"Positive, Fluttershy. Now come on out here so you can meet her."
Five minutes later, Fluttershy is going gaga over how much of a sweetheart Artemis is and several foals are crowding around petting her. I'm just standing back and smiling as I watch the kids trying to climb up onto her back, only to get gently shaken off. Eventually, Fluttershy broke off and came over to me.
"So Jack," She began with a smile, "Just what kind of animal is Artemis anyway?"
I winced, I was hoping to have more time to figure out how to explain this tactfully.
"Well," I replied nervously, "The truth is that she's not just one animal. She's an alchemically made chimera."
Suddenly, something in Fluttershy shifted. She stopped smiling and stared at me.
"What?"
I winced again, her tone was almost glacial. I quickly began to explain.
"Well, I was always a fan of all the animals that make her body up. But I couldn't choose between them, so I set up an Alchemical Chimera Fusion Array with four Double Layered Summoning Arrays connected to the Kaleidoscope and influenced by instructions conveyed through Reiatsu to..." I realized that she didn't want to hear all the details and skipped to the important part. "I had the circles seek out versions of the animals that were dying in agony and then merged the dying animals to save their lives."
The stare continued for a few moments as she tried to figure out if I was being truthful. I guess she believed me before breathing out an exasperated sigh with closed eyes.
"Well, as long as you did it to save those animals lives...I guess I can forgive you." She then gave a small smile that would have given me another Cute Attack If I hadn't learned how to stop them from happening. Then she turned and smiled a little more as the kids played with Artemis. |
A Hollow in Rainbow Sand | We've got Company! | Location: Ponyville, Fluttershy's Hut/PoV: Fluttershy
I was tending to my animals with Pinkie Pie when it happened. All of my little friends started to panic, and before I could calm down I felt one of the darkest presences in my life. It felt like pure evil and was bad enough to make me pass out, the last thing I saw wasPinkie vanishing in a flash of rainbow light.
Location: Canterlot Castle Dining Room/PoV: Jack
I was enjoying a nice meal with Celestia, Nyx, and Luna when Pinkie warped right into the room behind me. She was panicking so I quickly grabbed her shoulders and applied enough pressure that it would hurt just enough to snap her out of it.
"Okay Pinkie," I said seriously, "What happened?"
"Jack, you have to get to Fluttershy's. Like RIGHT NOW! I think another one of those eldritch abominations showed up!" She explained hurriedly. Widening my eyes, I quickly told Luna to help her out before warping myself away.
When I appeared at the hut, the first thing I noticed was someone with extremely long black hair streaked with purple examining Fluttershy.
"Hey! Get away from her!" I shouted as I fired a Bala in their direction. They jumped back and turned to face me, and I found myself shocked.
"No...F*%^ing..Way." I muttered as my jaw dropped. "Blackwing?!? You're real?"
The extremely feminine-looking kid looked about eighteen, extremely pale with a blindfold over his eyes and the aforementioned hair which I could see would drag along the ground behind him as he walked. He tilted his head in confusion.
"As far as I'm aware I most certainly am." He said with a small smirk and a distinct lit and British accent to his voice. "Now would you care to explain how you know me chap? As I'm pretty sure I've never seen you in my life."
Once I realized who it was I relaxed as I distinctly remembered reading that he had an attitude of 'don't attack me I won't attack you'...Though I just attacked him...
"First of all, sorry about the Bala. I didn't recognize you and I just saw someone leaning over my friend. Secondly to answer your question, in the world I was born in, you were just a character in a crossover fanfic between the Harry Potter and Type-Moon fictional franchises. I knew logically that somewhere out there, there was likely a version of you. But I never expected to actually meet you. Speaking of which, might I just say that I am a huge fan of how you completely screwed Voldemort over in your homeworld." I said with a grin at the last bit, getting a chuckle out of this living legend in front of me.
"I should have guessed that would happen somewhere in the omniverse. Anyway, I probably never would have come here, but there was a massive flare of Kaleidoscope magic along with Death not getting eight minor souls that should have arrived from eight different dimensions. I tracked both to a desert world, then to this place." He replied.
"Shit! Yeah, that would be my fault. I wanted an absolutely awesome familiar, but I couldn't decide upon which monster to summon, so I made an array using five different circles. Four triple layered summoning circles with one of them being instructions to seek out dying versions and the other two both set to summon. Then I surrounded it with an alchemical chimera fusion array that I guided the magic on manually to help shape the chimera and let it get the most out of the brain matter of eight different animals." I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment while I waited for his response.
"I see. And where is this chimera now?"
"Currently? She's napping in the Royal Palace Garden in Canterlot. She's a real sweetheart, even if she does scare most people with her appearance."
"I'm going to need to take a few photos for paperwork purposes." Blackwing deadpanned as he pulled out a camera.
A few hours later, Blackwing was satisfied and left to go and file the paperwork for my stunt. He said that he would come back later with the forms that I needed to sign.
I still couldn't believe how much paperwork was involved for him. |
Equestria Noir Season 2 Case 13 "Enter Nightmare" | pre | That stopped Tenebros in his tracks, he seemed to..wander off to a different place. "Luna..."
"Princess Celestia said you two used to... be together." Twilight pointed out.
"Aye," He said, his eyes still glazed over. "She was night incarnate. Whilst I simply through flew darkness' warm embrace, she danced in it. She painted the very skies with her stars and planets. Love was in her every movement in her night sky. For she was the fairest of the fair, the most beautiful of all mares in all the lands in all the world!"
"Ah here he goes again..." Glandazender groaned.
Tenebros flew into the air, flying as if nopony else was there. "We met when we were but foals. I thought at first that she would be terrified by my appearance. But no, she found true beauty within the soul. She was my every being. She and I danced under her moon. We played, we laughed, we found joy in the warm embrace of darkness."
"Geez, he sounds like me during my goth phase..." Twilight muttered.
"You had a goth phase?" I asked.
"Well, it was more Celestia's thing but...ya know...gotta follow teacher..." Twilight said nervously.
"Ah but as we grew older, our duties drove us apart. Her night and duties as a princess kept her busy. Her every night was a toiled affair. I tried to help, but my own duties to my people became just as tiresome. We parted on such sweet sorrow. We argued for hours about what was right, we wanted to run away into the wild, just us...or that may have just been me but details."
"Your majesty, I apologize for interrupting your story, but Luna needs your help." I began...and then...Tenebros stared right at me...as if noticing me for the first...
And that was the second time I got tackled to the ground today. "Foul Phantom! You've come twice have you! Even beyond the grave you will not cease to torment me!"
"Wait hold on," Twilight said. "Your majesty what are you talking about?"
I was suddenly lifted by Tenebros in his aura of silvery magic. "This foul unicorn shares the face of the thief to Luna's heart! That foul Nocturne!"
"You know Nocturne?" I asked.
"Aye I know him!" Tenebros said, glaring at me. "You share his face, perhaps you share his villainy! My Luna would speak nothing but him whenever we were in each other's presence! Nocturne is brave! Nocturne is valiant! Nocturne is every conceivable good adjective in the dictionary!"
Now I'm starting to see why they broke up...somepony has issues...
He dropped me like a sack of potatoes and went on. "So, you can imagine my reluctance to aid one who shares that villain's face!"
"Your highness," Twilight began, "Luna really needs your help. Private and I were here to seek your aid."
Tenebros turned to Twilight, "The speak, say what is my love's distress."
"Well, it's like this..." Twilight went on to explain everything Celestia told us. Tenebros listened intently, occasionally asking for a Daylighter term clarification. Also to cast the occasional glare at me.
Thanks Nocturne for the looks, they've been a real big help.
"So, we need your power over the dream realm to aid us." Twilight finished. "Only you can help us stop whatever is putting my friends and Luna into a deep sleep."
Tenebros stood stoically, and said, "And what is in it for mine children of the night? I will not do something out of the goodness of mine heart. I expect some level of compensation for my people."
"You expect us to pay you for doing something good?" I asked, my mouth agape.
"The way I see it, this is a rare opportunity for Equestria to owe us a favor. I only look out for my people. Even if mine love is in danger, I wish to make sure my people benefit in some way."
"We... could always set you up with a date with Luna." I suggested.
Tenebros blinked...looked thoughtful then said..."Done."
"Well... Luna as queen would be beneficial to us, methinks," Glazender observed quietly. "Our king does need to settle down a bit..."
"Wait a minute, you just made this entire speech about us helping you and you getting something in return." Twilight began. "But you toss that all aside for the prospect of a date with Luna?"
"What can we say? We Stallions are simple creatures," I said with a smile. "I would toss everything out for a date with you, Twi."
"I don't know whether to hug you or smack you." Twi uttered. |
Equestria Noir Season 2 Case 13 "Enter Nightmare" | Chapter 3 "Laughter and Honesty" | Chapter 3
"Laughter and Honesty"
We flew back to Canterlot on the sky chariot as the sun began to make it's dip towards the west. Tenebros flew beside us, his face determined as his leathery wings flapped occasionally. He wore goggles over his eyes, probably to protect them from the sun. I've seen Bat Ponies use them before, mostly due to their sensitive night vision.
Twilight looked at me anxiously as we flew towards Canterlot Castle. "Let's just hope Tenebros can pull Luna from her slumber. Two Alicorns working on this problem is better than none."
"I still wonder though," I said, "The elements I get, take them out and Equestria is vulnerable. But Luna?"
"Didn't Celestia say it was hard for Alicorns to have their dreams invaded?" Twilight pointed out.
"So either she was in the dream realm already and was caught..." I trailed off, not wanting to think about the alternative.
As we came to touch down on the landing platform, Celestia and Voidera were there to greet us. Celestia smiled as Tenebros touched down. "My, Tenebros it has been a long time hasn't it?" She said.
"Several centuries Princess Celestia." Tenebros said with a smile, "I...tried to keep a fairly low profile following...you know..."
"I see, but I am happy you managed to come so soon." She replied.
"Luna was in trouble, I wasn't about to turn away." Tenebros replied.
Yeah you were, at least until we offered a date with her.
"We haven't met," Voidera said, coming over. "But I have heard that the last child of the House of Night had survived."
"Voidera? I cannot believe you are still alive." Tenebros said with a smile. "However did you surv-"
"A story for another time." Celestia said, speaking urgently. "We need your talents to free Luna from her sleep."
Tenebros nodded, "While I am not nearly as talented as Luna, I will do what I can."
_______________________________________________________
Tenebros entered Luna's room like it was holy. He walked up to the sleeping midnight blue alicorn and gazed down at her in wonder and amazement. He saw her sleeping and said, "She's still as beautiful as I remember her..."
"Can you help her?" Twilight asked, coming in alongside me. "We really need her help."
He nodded, and his horn glowed as he ran it over Luna. He blinked, and shook his head, his horn sparking a little. "Something is, blocking my entrance..."
"You can't get in?" I asked. "What's wrong with her?"
Tenebros looked to us, "If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say whatever has caused her slumber has taken root in her mind, and refuses to leave."
"Like a virus or something?" Twilight suggested.
"More like a weed," Tenebros said. "This creature, has taken hold of her mind, forced it's way into it, and rooted itself inside. I have encountered things like this before, whilst Luna and I were...together. Anyways, this being, like any plant, has spread it's roots, possibly to the other victims."
"So can't we pull it out?" I asked. "Won't that make the other roots come out?"
"It's not that simple." Tenebros explained. "If I were to attempt to forcefully remove the presence, I'd be taking bits and pieces of the victim's subconscious with them. At best, the victims will become mentally insane, maddened by the sudden pull. At worst...it could lobotomize them...."
"But," Twilight said, looking anxious. "There must be something we can do."
"Fortunately, there is," Tenebros replied, "Using my talents, I can bring your subconscious, into another pony's dream realm. You will project into their mind, and you can manually sever the root. But the only way to do so, is to battle the victim's personal demons, reach them, and convince them that the nightmare isn't real. Once that is done, you can find the root and destroy it."
"And that will safely free them?" I asked.
"Yes, they will be unconscious for a time as the severed root dies but, they will be unharmed by it's effects." He answered with a smile.
"Send me then," Celestia said, coming in. "I will not let my ponies suffer when there is something I can do about it."
"With all due respect your highness," Tenebros replied, "If I were to send you in, the creature would naturally know who you are. It would know to block you, your sheer power is a detriment, it will alert the mind to your presence like moths to a flame."
"Then send me," Twilight said.
"Twilight..." Celestia said.
"I'm not nearly as powerful as you are," My wife replied, "I can get in, stop this nightmare and free my friends."
"It's true, as a friend, the victim would not think twice about their inclusion." Tenebros said.
"What about me?" I asked. "I'm not an alicorn at all, and they are my friends too."
"Do you hear what you two are saying?" Celestia implored. "Once again you two fly into danger with no regard for whether ot not you will come back."
Voidera suddenly appeared beside her, and put a foreleg on her shoulder, he smirked and said, "Hello pot, I'm kettle, I'm black."
Celestia fumed before finally recomposing herself. "Very well, but do be careful you two."
"We moved the other elements while you two were gone." Voidera explained. "They are all resting in a spare bedroom."
"Then we don't have any time to lose." Twilight said firmly.
______________________________________________________
Guards helped all of the girls get comfortable on the spare beds made available. Twilight and I laid sprawled on small cots, Tenebros between us. He looked over at us, "When you both get inside, do not do anything until you see me. I can project myself as a figment, but you're on your own when facing the demons inside."
"Alright," Twilight said, and looked at me, reaching over a hoof. "Be careful Private..."
I took her hoof and said, "Don't worry, we'll be with each other again. We always seem to come back to one another."
Twilight smiled, and then laid a kiss on my nose, smiled and said, "For Luck..."
Okay...she just got twenty times more sexy by quoting Galaxy Wars...
Tenebros' horn began glowing and he said, "Alright, now relax, and fall into sleep, you will feel a slight...pull at first. But just relax, and let it take you."
We did as he asked. I closed my eyes and laid back on the bed...at first I felt nothing and then...I felt...a BIG pull, like something just grabbed me and yanked me out of my body. Suddenly, I was floating in mid air, I saw my body below me, sound asleep. I then looked over as a light came from Pinkie's body, and a tether wrapped itself around me, pulling me into Pinkie's mind. I saw Twilight suffer a similar fate, being pulled into Aj's mind.
Hold on Pinkie...I'll get you out of there...
______________________________________________________
Chaos...
That was the only way to describe this mad dream. I stood on a platform with nowhere to go. I fell onto what looked like an old ball pit. I swam up and looked around.
All around me, the place was filled with cruel smiles all over the walls. Smiling, smirking, laughing...
This was Pinkie's nightmare? Was all I thought...
I took a step forward, and saw a path form ahead of me...didn't have any time to waste. I kept going, and the path kept pushing, but I felt that cold feeling of being watched.
But I was comforted by a good sight, an old friend, floating before me. Blackbird, in all her original glory was there, ready to fight once again. I picked her up, and heard giggling...
Demons came out, all bearing cruel smiles...in fact, that was all they bore...they were simply walking smiles, horrible cruel smiles that laughed at every misery. Every pain, every death, every cruel torture...it was all a joke to them.
But not to me.
I took Blackbird and fired at them, blasted them right in that smug mouth. I kept blasting them, bucking, punching, occasionally headbutting. They all came, and they all perished by my hoof.
I cut them all down without mercy, these nightmares..they plagued Pinkie's soul...they forced her into pain...
Nopony hurts Pinkie...nopony...
_______________________________________________________
Perspective: Twilight Sparkle
Endless fields, was what I saw when I came down. A familiar sight to anypony who lives near Ponyville. I've walked these trees at least a dozen times, I've always marveled at the time and effort Aj put into them. The final product was always nothing short of glorious.
But I came to a landing, and saw that the trees were not beautiful anymore. They were dead, barren, their fruit long since rotted or simply never grown. The farm was dead, that could not be ignored.
I looked up, and saw something ahead, a light, a light towards an object. I moved closer, and saw a strange thing. I was never one for weapons, magic was always my greatest defense against any adversity. But, this weapon...
It was a sword, it's blade and hilt adorned in gold, like the Elements of Harmony. The blade itself gleamed in the light, but along it, were six slots. Each of them, bore our marks...
I took the blade in my magic, it felt...natural, like I was meant to have it...but I've never seen this weapon before...how could I...?
I then started hearing the voices....
"You failed Applejack..."
I turned..and saw to my horror, creatures that resembled Aj's family. They however, were not the lively group of ponies I know them as. They were coming towards me...looking starved..and racked with sorrow...
"You failed us..."
"You couldn't stop it..."
"You should never have come home..."
"It would have been better if you had stayed with the Oranges..."
"Where you were out of the way..."
"Where you couldn't hurt anypony..."
"Where you could die...."
I watched as one of them suddenly leaped at me. I held the blade at it's flat end and blocked it. The creature snarled and tried to bite me, like a zombie pony out of one of Spike's movies. I knew what this is now...these creatures were Aj's nightmares.
If there was one pony more scared of letting anypony down then I was, it was Aj. These had to be all her worst fears come to past...
She wasn't being honest with herself...
I had to remedy that...
Starting by making sure this nightmare couldn't bite anymore...
*SHINK!*
______________________________________________
Perspective: Private
I cut through them, slaughtered and ended their dark laughter. They were silenced by Blackbird or by my magic. I kept moving through the labyrinth of Pinkie's dreams. The paths twisted and turned, gravity moved at it's own will.
I kept moving, ever quickly, ever eager to find Pinkie. I moved forward, and came upon a door. A door with more smiles on it. A giant lock was placed on it. I looked back, and saw the path had fallen.
I looked up, and saw a massive nightmare, it's cruel smile looking down on me. I held Blackbird, and kept firing at it. The bullets, like usual, just seemed to bounce off. It reached for me, with it's ugly looking hands, trying to grab me. I dodged and weaved, firing what magic I could at it...
I had to finish this quickly, but how...?
Whenever I was faced with a dark challenge...I would...
Call on...hope...
Chanting...
The chanting began as I focused on trying to call hope. I saw two portals opening on either side of me. Through them, stepped two grey coated stallions. One of them was clad in futuristic armor, his head bare, showcasing messy black hair and blueish eyes. He held up some kind of laser rifle, and blasted at the creature.
The other, a tall, bearded stallion with a staff on his back, drew said staff and concentrated on his horn. His horn turned almost blood red and his hooves ventured into two portals, coming out as demonic hands on another two portals appearing before the creature. The demon hands held the nightmare as the soldier fired into him.
He looked at me and yelled, "Don't stand there, fight back!"
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I'm Commander Comet Tail, and this is my least favorite spot to be in right now." He said firmly. He looked to his partner, "Disarm that thing Falcon."
"Aye!" The man yelled, spreading his forelegs. The demon hands ripped the creature's arms off, blood pouring from the wounds. "Someday, I'd like to go one day without running into some crazy abomination, is that too much to ask?"
"Not in our line of work," I said, reloading Blackbird.
I leaped, flying up to the creature, aiming my gun into it's now screaming open mouth. Two shots, three, four, all to take this creature down for good...
It fell, and I landed safely, watching just in time to see my ancestors..or were they my descendents, vanish before my eyes...
Hope was still on my side, as the lock vanished, and I stepped into the door...
______________________________________________________
Perspective: Twilight
I fought my way through all of the nightmares. There was no way I was going to let them hurt Aj like this! They kept lurching toward me, moaning about Applejack's failures. Applejack DIDN'T fail! She always came through, when it counted, and even went above and beyond when ponies asked it of her.
"Applejack isn't a failure!" I yelled, as I kept turning horrific zombified ponies into giblets. "She is the loyalest of friends, and the most dependable of ponies! And calling her a failure so often that even she begins to believe it will NOT change MY mind!" Okay. I'm beginning to see why Private plays those zombie hoard games. There's something empowering about hewwing your way through a mass of undead creatures to get to your goal. I finally found myself standing in front of a locked door.
"Applejack is one of my best friends," I said bringing the sword up to slice the lock off. "She has never failed me. Sure we've had our disagreements and disappointments, but nopony is perfect. To expect her to be perfect is to dishonor her."
The door slowly began to open...
___________________________________________________
Perspective: Private
I entered to find, Pinkie. She sat there, in the middle of a ruined party, looking down at her hooves. I walked cautiously towards her, ever aware of the fact her mane was flat.
Nothing good ever happens when Pinkie's mane is deflated...ever.
"Pinkie?" I said.
Her blue eyes looked up at me, and she said sadly, "Parties over now...show's over...I'm over..."
"Pinkie..." I said, "Come on, this is a dream, a nightmare, you have to fight it..."
"What're you going on about?" She asked me. "I'm a failure, my parties aren't fun anymore. Nopony wants to be my friend anymore...they all just laugh at me...they laugh...and laugh..."
Suddenly those same mouths appeared on the walls, laughing more and more at Pinkie's misery.
"Loser!"
"Bout time you stopped being annoying!"
"What're ya gonna do, cry?"
"STOP IT! NO MORE LAUGHING! NO MORE!!!" Pinkie screamed...and then it all calmed...
I had to get through to her...
"When I was a little colt and, the sun was going doooown." I sang suddenly.
"Private?" Pinkie said to me, looking on me.
"The darkness and the shadow's, they would always make me froooown..."
"Your..."
I had to get through to her, and I knew how...I started...bouncing...
Oh my gosh I channelled my inner Pinkie...
"I'd hide under my pillow, from what I thought I saw, but Grandma Eye said that isn't the way, to deal with fears at alll!!!" I sang, "And what is you may ask?"
"Private..." Pinkie said, blinking.
"She said, Pinkie, you always gotta stand up tall! Learn to face your fears. You'll see that they can't hurt you, just laugh and make them disappear...."
I turned to the mouths and said, "Ha. Ha. Ha."
Suddenly, they yelled in pain, their laughter was turned on them. Their weapon was turned against them.
I smiled and danced around, "SOOO, giggle at the ghostie, guffaw at the grossly. Crack up at the creepy. Whoop it up with the the weepy. Chortle at the kooky. Snortle at the spookie..."
Pinkie...smiled, and suddenly, her smile grew...and grew...until she suddenly joined in with, "And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna... hahahaha... heh..."
Both of us smiled and sang, "LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUGH!!!"
Pinkie's mane poofed back to it's normal curliness, and she kept laughing as the walls started crumbling down...I looked up...and saw a blue root was in front of me...I imagined Silver wolf....
____________________________________________________
Perspective: Twilight Sparkle
Applejack sat in the middle of the room, before what looked like a shrine. A pair of ponies in the pictures looked down on her with what looked like disgust and disappointment.
"You failed us," the stallion said.
"You should have never become the head of the family," the mare said.
"Ah know, Papa. I know, Mama," Applejack said, her hat at the base of the shrine, her head hung low. "Ah'm so sorry."
"Look at the devastation around you. Do you think 'sorry' will ever be enough?" the stallion demanded.
"Applejack!" I cried, galloping up to her.
"Did... did Ah disappoint you, too, Twilight?" Applejack asked, looking up.
"What?" I asked taken aback.
"She is a disappointment to everypony," the mare on the shrine said, disapprovingly. "She can't keep the farm alive, can't keep her family together, can't..."
"You're wrong!" I declared, glaring at the false image. "Applejack has been the most loyal, and trustworthy friend I've ever had."
They hissed.
"It's no wonder Applejack is such a failure. Just look at the types of ponies she hangs out with! Disrespectful to their elders," the mare uttered with a frown.
"NO! It's you that's disrespecting HER! She's a true friend, helps those who need it, and has not failed! All the while, she's had integrity. She's always been true to herself," Twilight said glaring at the images, then turned to Applejack. "Fight it, AJ. I know you can. True you've had set-backs, and troubles, but you've always been true to yourself and the ponies who care about you."
Applejack blinked, then shook her head. She picked up her hat, put it on her head, and stood up glaring at the false icons.
"One thing Ah've always hated," Applejack said, angrily, "is a liar. An' you two are tha biggest liars in this here place! Y'all ain't my parents! My real parents were prouda me! They'd never say the pile a road apples y'all've been spewin'!"
Suddenly with a sound like breaking glass, the shrine shattered, revealing a dark blue root. I raised the Sword of Harmony, ready to cleave it in in twain! What? C'mon, leave it in!
Sure we'll leave it in Twili! Wow it feels great to be able to break the laws of physics again! WEEEE!
Physics or narrative? Wait... Oh nevermind... |
Equestria Noir Season 2 Case 13 "Enter Nightmare" | Chapter 4 "Generosity and Kindness" | Chapter 4
"Kindness and Generosity"
Perspective: ???
NO! NO!
The limbs have been severed! My roots in them are being broken!
It's them! It's those two! Always those two!
They ruin everything! Every time!
But no...no nonononono...
They will fail this time...for even if they manage to crack the next two roots...I'll be waiting...to snag...
Our prize Luna...soon he'll be with us...forever...
______________________________________________________
Perspective: Private
I felt the floor as Twilight and I came out of the dreams. I groaned as I was helped up by Tenebros. "Did, we get them?" I asked.
Twilight was helped up by Celestia. "Well, I took care of Applejack's" She said.
Tenebros turned to the two earth ponies. "They should awaken any minute now."
"That was a surreal experience," I said, a little wobbly on my hooves.
"It will take some time to get used to the real world again," Celestia said. "But you two did an admiral job."
"We're not done yet Celestia," Twilight said, "We still have four other ponies to cure."
"Are you certain you two can handle going in a second time so soon?" Tenebros asked.
"Hey, just remember who you're talking to," I said with a smirk.
"Very well then," Tenebros said, "I do insist on a little rest before you venture onwards however. I need to wait a little for my own magic to recharge."
Twilight and I slumped on the floor beside one another. Twilight looked over at me. "So, how bad was Pinkie's imagination?"
"Like Discord and her collaborated to create the most insane world ever. Yours?" I asked with a smile.
"Oh, you know, typical AJ," Twilight said. "She's got a lot of baggage she refuses to get help carrying. Like somepony I know."
"Hey, I let you carry baggage, sometimes," I replied.
"Maybe, but, I sometimes wish you would be just a little more open." Twilight said, putting her head on my shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me, I really need a soft pillow for a second.
"Alright," I said, leaning in to her. "Let's rest up for a minute, and hope for the best."
__________________________________________________
Perspective: Celestia
Tenebros and I stepped outside while the two of them were resting. To think, the last I saw of this young alicorn was so long ago. I was happy to see him back, he really made Luna such a joy to be around....
Yet...
"Tenebros," I said to him as he sat in the hallway, "I have to ask, do you have any idea what caused all this?"
He shrugged. "I doubt I could even pinpoint an exact cause. Maybe some sort of wraith, or ghost?"
"Do you think...?" I began.
Tenebros looked away.
"Tenebros, what happened was not your fault. You had no way of knowing that Luna would fall as far as she did." I said.
"Is that what you say to everypony who was there?" He asked, an edge to his voice. "If it wasn't for that foul unicorn! That... that... MONGREL! She wouldn't have been caught and-"
"Blaming Nocturn will not fix everything, Tenebros," I said sternly. "Luna gave her heart to another, he did what he thought was right. Had he not interfered, Nightmare would've escaped and I would've had a much longer war with her."
Tenebros looked away again. "And now here I am, helping his descendent fix everything. How cruel a fate is this?"
"You still care for her, don't you?" I asked.
He looked up at me, his wings drooping a little. "I never stopped caring. There were no shortage of mares who wanted to be with me over these many centuries. But, none...none of them were Luna..."
I walked over to him, and laid my wing on his shoulder. "I understand that while it pains you to not be able to do much, you must keep on going for her sake. Even if Luna will never return your affections again, you must trust Private and Twilight to succeed."
"We trust the fate of Equestria's princess with a newly made alicorn and a half breed detective?" Tenebros asked.
"I have, on numerous occasions, and you'd be surprised what the smallest of us can do," I said. "Now, is your magic ready?"
"It is. I just needed a moment's rest," He replied. "Will you be staying?"
"I will be here in support if necessary. Here's hoping it doesn't reach that point," I said as Tenebros went back inside. I heard him converse with Private and Twilight, before the dream walking spell was put on them again...
Be safe...my little ponies...please...
________________________________________________________
Perspective: Twilight
This was Carousel Boutique, but it was dark. Almost scary. Scattered balls of paper littered the floor, scraps of fabric hung in ragged pieces. In various tints were scrawled various words. "NO NO NO! This is wrong wrong WRONG!" "WHY won't the fabric COOPERATE?!" Rarity must have created, then shredded a multitude of different dresses. Several of them looked like they had... blood on them. What has been happening, in here? I walked on, searching for Rarity, in a boutique that seems to have expanded to... well... nightmarish proportions, marked with the remains of dresses that didn't seem to make Rarity's cut. I've never seen Rarity like this. Sure she had her little snits, and dramatic moments, but... I've got to find her!
"Why can't I find my muse?!" I heard Rarity growl. "This one's too plain, this one's too fancy, this one has too many gems, this one not enough! It has to be perfect. PERFECT!" I galloped toward the voice to find Rarity spotlighted in the middle of a huge mess. Her figure was gaunt, her eyes were bloodshot, and wild, her hair uncombed, and unstyled. All over her body were raw red scars, and scabbed over wounds. Her face... I barely recognised it. Rarity what have you done to yourself? "It must be perfect... Why can't you find it, Rarity?! You horrible horrible wench!" Rarity spun, grabbing a sharp pair of scissors, and aimed them at herself, ready to plunge them into her own flesh!
"Rarity, no!" I shouted, running to stop her, when I was grabbed and held down. I struggled with all my might to free myself from the grip of whatever had me. I looked up, and saw the discarded dresses had wrapped me in their fabric, and were stopping me from helping! Great. More opposition. Time to take out the trash.
________________________________________________________
Perspective: Private
Endless fields again. That's what I saw as I entered Fluttershy's dream. This had to be her, nopony else could dream up something so beautiful and nature filled among us elements.
But something was wrong, something very wrong. I walked a little ways in, I saw to my horror, the entire town of Ponyville was overrun with these creatures. Vicious looking, mutated animals all glowering and moving around. The plant life was just as worse, it was the Everfree Forest invasion all over again. Only this time with just vines instead of black and blue.
I soon caught sight of Fluttershy sitting in the center of the creatures. She said, rather distantly, "Nopony wants my critters...I'm the only one who's kind to them...the only one who understands them...yet everypony fears them so..."
"Fluttershy!" I yelled, charging towards her, only to get blocked by two creatures, who bore their teeth at me. "Fluttershy you gotta wake up!" I kept yelling.
"No...no nopony can be so cruel to animals...so cruel...everypony is so cruel..." She said, and then slowly turned to me, "why must I be kind, when the world is so cruel..."
Suddenly the animals leaped at me, I tried reaching for blackbird, but it wasn't there! Damnit! I must've left it in Pinkie's dream somehow!
I turned and began to run, trying to find high ground. I moved and dodged my way around the creatures. Come on! Private! You can do this!
Or...if I can't do it...
Hope's chanting was heard....
Oh Please be somepony who's good at hunting scary beasts!
A portal opened in front of me, all of the creatures behind me stopped. I looked into a portal as...a rugged looking unicorn began to step out. He was tall, well muscled but he bore a scarred face and a long silvery mane and tail. He was clad in leather armor and bore two swords on his back. His eyes were yellow, with slits like a Lunar stallion but...no, there was something far more feral about him...
He looked at me, then simply walked past me towards the monsters. He spoke no words, simply stared, and crouched down into a fighting stance. His horn glowed and his magic slowly pulled out one of the swords. It looked like it was made out of silver. It was covered with extravagant runes that seemed to glow on their own accord.
Just who was he...?
He strode forward, purposefully, his eyes flicking around at the group, his sword waving back and forth in a sinuous motion. Then in a flurry of surprising motion, he swung his sword in a circular arc around him, injuring the creatures that surrounded him. The blade seemed to cause great harm to the monsters, because upon it's touch, the creatures screeched in pain. One of the larger ones, looking suspiciously like a giant bear, came rushing at him. The unicorn dodged, switching his sword stance, bringing the sword down on the giant bear, twice, seriously injuring the beast.
The creatures then started backing away from him, totally in fear of him. He then turned his yellow eyes to me, and said in a low, calm voice, "Silvered Steel..."
"Private Eye," I said with a gulp.
I can't help but feel this may have been a little overkill...
_________________________________________
Perspective Twilight
Why must Rarity make things so durable? These dresses are hard to take down, even with my magic. I finally shredded my way out of the dresses.
"Rarity! Stop!" I cried, rushing toward her.
"I can't! I can't stop, until I find the perfect design... I've got to show everypony... show everypony I'm not shallow, and self-centered... Show my darling Spikey Wikey that I'm not as horrible as he thinks I am," Rarity said, tears streaming from her eyes, and blood streaming from the cut she made. "My vanity... Nopony knows that there's more to me than..."
"Oh Rarity..." I said, wrapping up her cut. "I know there's more to you than your pretty face, and love of fashion..."
"Twilight? Somepony... somepony came to check on me?" Rarity uttered, looking at me with such profound gratitude.
"Yes, Rarity, I came to check on you. You're one of my best friends," I said with a warm smile. "I'm sorry I didn't get here, sooner."
"Oh, pish tosh," Rarity said, some of her old accent coming back. "What matters is that you're here, now."
"C'mon. Let's see about these cuts. Then we can clean up this place," I said laying a wing on her.
I then looked up, as the dresses parted, revealing the root before me. I smiled.
Well, time to test that blow torch spell I've been working on.
___________________________________________________
Silvered Steel cut his way through the monsters whilst I tried to help by using what little magic I could use in this realm.
When it was over, all of the animals laid on the ground. Fluttershy wailed in grief. She looked to us, her eyes filled with a rage you rarely see in the yellow pegasus. "How could you! How could you slaughter them! They were only trying to live! I was right! Everypony is just cruel!"
Silvered Steel turned his yellow eyes to her and said, "They aren't dead...I didn't cause any fatal damage."
"You... didn't?" I asked.
He shook his head and simply said, "Sometimes cruelty, is the greatest kindness you can give..." With that, he sheathed his blade, and a portal opened for him.
I walked towards Fluttershy as she backed away from me. "Stop it! I cannot accept such cruelty! Such slaughter! Kindness should be kind! Not cruel! Ever!"
I shook my head and simply said, "The world is not black and white Fluttershy, I should know, I was born into it grey..."
"Private..." She said.
"You can't just give everypony what they want. That isn't kindness that's pandering. You gave these animals Ponyville at the cost of everypony's homes. The animals belong in their own habitat, and you should've known that."
"But I...I don't want to force them..." Fluttershy said, tears streaming down her eyes. "It's cruel..."
I simply walked to her, and pulled her into a warm hug. "It's the best decisions that are always the hardest to achieve."
She hugged me back, crying, "You, you were right. I was being immature and naive. I shouldn't just give them what they want. I should...do what's right, no matter the inconvenience or cruelty..."
"But never lose sight of kindness in the first place." I said with a smile, rubbing her head affectionately.
She laughed, her musical laugh and said, "Thanks Private...I feel, like I can get up now..."
I looked on as the root appeared behind her. My horn sparked and a metal fence was reforged into a blade. I took a swung at the root, slashing it in half.
Like before the dream became distorted, and I could hear a far off screaming...now all that was left was Rainb-
Something grabbed me! One of the roots had ensnared my leg! Oh no! TWILIGHT!!!
___________________________________________________
I awoke in... a palace... It was dark, and very ornate. Stars dotted the ceiling, and sculptures representing nocturnal animals decorated alcoves. The floor depicted a lunar eclipse, the moon covering the sun. Pillars supported the ceiling, and banners displaying a crescent moon were hung all around the area in which I found myself.
Why did this place feel familier...and why was a feeling comfort...and dread....?
Wait...no I've been here once before...not me...but...
Nocturne...
I heard the door open behind me, I turned to see, Luna was standing there, clad in...an ornate wedding dress...
Wait...just what was going on?!
"Luna?!" I said in shock.
Luna just smiled..."We are together at last...my Nocturne...there are none standing between us...all is as it should be...all is perfect...all is as I imagined it...let us be together...in true harmony...forever..." |
Equestria Noir Season 2 Case 13 "Enter Nightmare" | Chapter 5 "Loyalty and Hope" | Chapter 5
"Loyalty and Hope"
Perspective: Twilight Sparkle
I awoke, shaking my head, glad to be out of that rather horrible nightmare. Rarity had some issues she needs to work out. Seriously. I slowly got up, stretching and looked around. All of my friends, save Rainbow were relaxing, as if they were sleeping on clouds. Our work really helped them...
I can't wait for Private to come....Private?
I looked over at my husband's resting place. He was tossing and turning. It can't be! Could he be having a nightmare?!
"Private!" I said, running over to him.
Princess Celestia stood in my way. "Twilight, please calm yourself." she said urgently.
She was right, I had to be calm about what was going on...did something happen in Fluttershy's dream?
Celestia looked to Tenebros, who was over at Luna's spot on the beds. "What happened?" She demanded.
"I'm not sure." Tenebros replied. "The root was removed, but somehow, something pulled Private into Luna's mind."
"Luna's dream?" I asked. "So, is he okay?"
"Frankly, I'm not sure." He replied. "Who knows what horrors he could be facing in my love's nightmares..."
___________________________________________________________
Perspective: Private Eye
"I can't marry you!" I yelled as Luna approached.
"Oh Nocturne...you do not have to worry about my position anymore." Luna said with a happy smile. "we will be together forever! Bound in love for all eternity!"
"Luna as poetic as that is, I can't believe I'm saying this again, I'm not Nocturne!" I yelled.
"But, you most certainly are." Luna said, "My love what do you fear? We are together, none can interfere, we can be happy."
"But Luna! I'm Private! P-r-i-v-a-t-e!" I exasperated.
Luna, blinked at that, but...kept her smile...
"We will still be happy..." She said...
Something was most certainly off about Luna...it had to be...
"Luna...please I'm not Nocturne, I never was!" I yelled. "You've been alive for centuries! There are plenty of stallions out there!"
"NO!" Luna yelled, going straight into royal canterlot levels of volume.
"Luna..." I meeped.
"There was none like Nocturne..none can replace him..." She said, sounding rather unbalanced. "It's not fair...I should be happy...everypony else is..."
"Luna..." I said nervously.
"Why must everypony I try to love push me away..." Luna said, her dress becoming...black..."I just...want to be happy...I want to be loved...and she...she takes everything..."
"Luna..." I started backing away.
"No longer...no longer no longer..." Luna said, bowing her head. "She won't take you...nopony will...I'll have you...have my Nocturne...have my happiness...forever...I will never let her take you away..."
"Who...?" I asked...
She looked up..."Twilight Sparkle..." She said, with slitted teal eyes...
_________________________________________________________
Perspective: Twilight
"You have to get me in there!" I yelled at Tenebros. "If something is happening to my husband I want to be there for him!"
"I already told you half a dozen times, I can't access Luna until the final root is severed. There's nothing I can do!"
"I'm sure if Luna was the one in danger you'd do anything to save her wouldn't you?!" I screamed.
Tenebros, blinked, and looked away.
I stopped, and let my wings fall flat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."
"It isn't your fault, you're right..." Tenebros said, looking out the window. "If it were Luna...I would dive in myself to save her if I knew how..."
"You really do love her." I pointed out.
"I always have..." He said solemnly.
"Why did you two split? I mean, really? If you two were so close?" I asked.
He let out a sigh and said, "The truth, was that although we were very much in love...I felt...that Luna needed my love more than I needed hers."
I looked over at Celestia, she was stone faced...
"She was damaged, so was I." He said. "Luna...demanded too much, she wanted everything a certain way..."
"And when it got too hard you bailed right?" I asked.
"You don't k-"
"I do know." I said firmly. "Love isn't supposed to be easy, that stuff is in fairy tales. If you really care about somepony, you put everything you have on the line for them. It doesn't matter who needs who more, or who's dominate. If you care about somepony, it shouldn't matter. You love her, so when all this is over, you face what you did to her."
Tenebros looked to me, and simply nodded. "I...see the reason to your argument..."
"While this is all very thought fulfilling." Celestia said. "We need to release Rainbow from her nightmare. If we can do that, the path to Luna's mind will be open."
I looked to Tenebros and said, "Send me in...the sooner I find my husband...the better."
"Very well...let's begin..." Tenebros said, his horn glowing...
_________________________________________________________
An... arena? What the hay? I looked around, wildly, trying to find Rainbow. She was nowhere above. Wait. Twilight this is a nightmare. If you were Rainbow in a nightmare, where would you... Oh... I found her. Wingless, sitting alone, staring up into the sky of the arena, where other fliers... Wait! Is that... That's ME?! Huh. I've never flown that well... Ever. I galloped over to Rainbow, who gave me a rather comical double-take. Looking from me, then back to the sky, then to me, then back to the sky. Oh look, here the other me comes.
"Well well well. You find a fake princess to help you feel better, Rainbow CRASH?" she said, snottily. "She'll see just how worthless you are, without your wings. What good is a pegasus, who doesn't have feathers? None."
Really? Really?! I've NEVER sounded like that. Like, ever. Rainbow should know I would never say such things. Oh look, the fake me's saying more.
"We've outgrown you, Rainbow Crash. So continue to mope, and wish you had your wings back. We'll be over here. Without YOU."
"Good," I said. "The last thing she needs is a fake, like you, bringing her down. A real friend wouldn't abandon her, when she needs friends most." The fake me growled.
"You obviously don't know your place," she said, aiming a blast at me, which I deflected.
"You obviously don't know me that well," I replied, and turned to Rainbow. "This is a nightmare. None of this is real. I'm here to get you out, because unlike Twilifake, here, I don't abandon my friends!"
"Sure. Come to my rescue, like the big hero you are," Rainbow yelled bitterly. "Like you don't have the perfect life! Ponies love you, you married the stallion you fell in love with, and you became a princess! Me? Sure I'm in the academy, and the best student there, but... I'll probably never get to be an actual Wonderbolt! My coltfriend walked out on me because..."
"He didn't understand loyalty," Twilight finished. "That you give your loyalty, and you expect it of others. Especially the
stallion who claims he wants to be with you. But I am the real Twilight. I do understand loyalty. That's why I'm here to rescue my friend from her nightmares, because that's what a friend does. And for the record, I'll NEVER be able to fly as well as you can, because I have too much pulling at me to put in the dedicated training you do." Rainbow slowly got up, straightened up, the fire I know so well coming back into her eyes.
"Let's kick nightmare flank!" she said, getting ready to pounce.
_________________________________________________________
Perspective: Private Eye
No...I had to stop this...I had to end this now...
"Luna..." I began.
"Yes my dear?" Luna said, her eyes blinking and returning normal..along with her dress becoming white and pristine again.
"Luna...I can't be with you..." I said firmly...I can't believe I have to do this...to Luna..my friend...
"But...Nocturne what are you saying?" She asked. "I love you, and you love me is that not true?"
"No it's not true." I said firmly. "I'm not in love with you Luna. I never was. I love Twilight more than anypony I've ever met! She's the most beautiful, sweetest and most amazing pony I know. I'm crazy about her, and would never ever cheat on her! I can't marry you!"
"But...Nocturne you aren't well...you're saying such...horrid things..." Luna said.
Some...part of me just....snapped...
"I'm NOT BLOODY NOCTURNE!!!" I screamed.
She flinched at that.
"You know! I don't think you even loved Nocturne! You just loved how loyal he was to you! How attentive he was! When he turned his back on you when you fell into Nightmare you were devastated! But the truth was you were destroying yourself long before Nocturne's betrayal! It was always his so called approval you sought! The truth is you weren't looking for a mate, you were looking for a robot to tell you that you were special and matter more than anything! You were looking for a toy! Not a pony!"
She started crying before me...but I didn't stop...
"The only reason you brought me here was to bring on some sick fantasy of me taking Nocturne's place! I may share his blood and armor medallion, but I will never be him! Because I love Twilight Sparkle!
"SILENCE!!!!" She screamed. And the stained glass shattered at the force of her scream...then...a dark aura began forming around her. "You...you were supposed to be mine...all mine...forever...why must you always turn from me Nocturne...why....?"
"Because I'm not him..." I said, closing my eyes and then glaring at Luna. "Come out...Nightmare..." The dark aura grew and solidified, changing Luna from a pony somewhat shorter than Princess Celestia to a pony her equal in size. Her coat became black, her eyes became teal slits, and fangs grew in her mouth.
"How did you figure me out?" she growled.
"Nightmares, the dark aesthetic, the trying to get me away from Twilight...it all screamed you..." I growled. "I knew from the moment I saw Luna locked in her dreams that you would be a possibility..."
"Oh of course. Naturally, you would suspect me. I should have been expecting that," Nightmare said, trotting around me. "Even so, I do have a different tack to take, since you found me out. I have an offer for you, Preventus Eye."
I opened my mouth to refuse the offer outright.
"Ah ah ah! Don't refuse until you hear me out. After all it's an offer that lets you keep your precious Twilight," Nightmare said, then with a flash of her horn the scene... changed. I had changed. My coat was darker, my body bigger, and more muscular. I had wings. WINGS?! And beside me, looking at me adoringly, was Twilight, on the other side, looking at me with equal adoration was... Luna? Arranged around the rather sumptuous throne room were the other girls. Fluttershy was curled up at my hooves, Applejack sat by a table laden with treats, Rainbow lounged on a nearby beanbag chair, Rarity was at a ponyquin sewing on some rather spectacular royal clothing, and Pinkie was bouncing around juggling some multicolored balls.
WHAT THE FLYING FLIP IS GOING ON HERE?!
I moved back, trying to compensate for my new body's structure. I almost ended up falling on my back.
"Master?" came Fluttershy's sweet voice, her aqua eyes looking at me. "Did... Did I displease you? I didn't mean to..."
"Master?" I said in utter confusion. What the hell was going on here?
"I offer you power," Nightmare said, materializing beside me. "The power to overthrow Celestia, and rule Equestria as you see fit, bringing your brand of justice to the country. Twilight and Luna as your queens, the rest of them as your consorts."
I shook my head. "This isn't what I want at all! I won't accept this offer!"
"You don't want the power to make sure that the arrogant nobles get punished for making ponies suffer? The power to make sure that the mighty do not prey on the weak? They all gave themselves willingly to you, when you became Equestria's savior, Preventus, overthrowing the lax Celestia, and creating a meritocracy, overseen by yourself, ruled by you and your queens equally," Nightmare whispered. "Because you recognise their intelligence, and their merits."
"I...I..." I said, shaking my head.
"You will still have your beloved Twilight, of course. But then you will be able to make Luna happier than she's been in centuries," Nightmare continued. "Nevermind all of the other mares, waiting on you willingly, because I know, deep within, you were tempted by each of them, at least once."
"NO! I could never turn my back on Twilight! Never!" I shouted. "I would never betray her...I can't break her heart..."
"But you're not. She is your queen, first in your heart. Following her is our dear Luna," Nightmare said earnestly. "The others are here, for when your beloved queens are out helping you govern Equestria."
"I..." I said...my head was feeling...fuzzy...Twilight....help...
I could see Nightmare grinning.
"Just say 'yes', Preventus," Nightmare said enticingly. "You will change Equestria for the better, still have your beloved, and gain one more. All you have to do is accept... Wait..." Nightmare paused, looking around.Then she screamed as if somepony had attacked her from somewhere I couldn't see.
What...happened...Twilight...
_____________________________________________________________
Perspective: Twilight Sparkle
I fell through the portal and came out in...huh, it looks like Luna's night court. I looked ahead and saw, to my horror, Private, on the ground. Nightmare Moon was holding him...what did she do to him!?
"NIGHTMARE!" I yelled, my horn aglow.
She turned, and smirked upon seeing me. "Oh, well I figured you'd end up here sooner or later." She said in a mocking tone. "It's been quite some time since we faced each other Twilight Sparkle."
"So you're behind all this, I should've known." I growled with narrow eyes. "What are you doing with my husband?!"
"Oh, your dear beloved is dreaming himself right now...dreaming of a world where he is the one on top..." She said.
"What? Come on what kind of nonsense is that?" I asked.
"You don't know?" She said in mock shock. "Oh there are so many things you don't know about the stallion you married is there? So many things he's kept from you, hidden away because he was in love with you."
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh how many times has he looked on you in awe of your magic? How many times have you did more than he ever could? How many times does he fall while you ascend?" Nightmare said, moving closer. "With him under my control, he can become so much more. He can become more than he ever will be when he's shackled to you!"
"Is that what you told Luna before you stole everything from her?! That you'd make everything all better!" I screamed. "I won't let you do the same to Private! He's a better stallion
"I don't intend to steal anything, Twilight Sparkle. Private will still be himself. Still the better stallion, but he'll have the power to bring down those who would hurt others," Nightmare said with a grin. "And of course, he would still have you. Ruling equally at his side, but you would have to share him with Luna, but that would make Luna happier than she has been in eons. Private would have a world filled with Justice, you could make Equestria a center of learning, and magical advancement, and Luna would have ponies who love her."
I closed my eyes, and...smiled. "Funny, how everypony seems to be happy once you're involved."
"What are you grinning about?" Nightmare growled. "I will make everypony better!"
"Let's look at your track record, you separated Luna not only from her sister but from the love of her life for a thousand years, all because you made her so short sighted she couldn't see the repercussions of having eternal night. The world would've gotten cold without the heat of the sun. Crops would've died without photosynthesis to support them. So what if you say you can make everything better, but you just make everypony only see what you want them to see."
"Insolent little..." Nightmare grumbled.
"If you think for a minute that Private or I are in some crazy competition, you don't know the first thing about love. If you knew the first thing about love, Nocturne wouldn't have been driven away..and neither would Tenebros..."
Nightmare's eyes became pin pricks...she wasn't expecting that.
"Nocturne was a pet wasn't he? A robot to tell you that he loved you. But what you don't realize, is that love and respect are earned. They are forged through fire and turmoil. Real love takes work, Private and I have made many sacrifices getting to where we are today...and I'm not going to let anypony take him again, not Lunard, not you, not ANYPONY!!"
I unfurled my wings and charged at her, my horn alight and ready to fight with every fiber of my being. |
Equestria Noir Season 2 Case 13 "Enter Nightmare" | Chapter 6 "Night and Magic" | Chapter 6
"Night and Magic"
Perspective: Twilight Sparkle
Almost four years ago, Nightmare and I faced each other for the first time. Back then, I was just doing everything in my power to help Equestria. I was trying to save my mentor and what would become my future home. It was simply duty...
Now, she made it personal.
Our magic bolts rang around in the throne room as we clashed with one another. I summoned some magic missiles to throw at her. She conjured up a barrier and launched some of her own. I barely managed to dodge and weave my way around the missiles. Private laid there on the ground, unconscious, but safe from the fighting.
Nightmare soon stood and smiled smugly, "Why do you struggle so hard Twilight? Simply surrender and everypony will be happy."
"I'm not falling for your games Nightmare!" I yelled, firing another bolt of magic at her.
She dodged it and went on, "You fight so hard for him, is it really so worth it?"
"Of course he's worth it," I growled. "He's my husband, and my friend, I'd do anything to keep him safe."
"Oh I'm sure you feel that way, but does he feel the same way about you?" She said with a grin. "You really have no idea about the true darkness within him..."
"What're you talking about?" I asked. "I know that Private used to use Dark magic for a while."
"Oh, hahaha" She laughed at me. "You really think that will be the end of it?"
"Just spit it out!" I yelled.
"You want to know the truth? Your dearly beloved here is one death away from falling completely into darkness. Much like dear Luna, no wonder they found... Common ground with one another..."
"What're you talking about!?"
"Your dear Private may hold affections for dear Luna..."
What...no...no Private would never... "NO!" I yelled, firing a blast of magic. "Private wouldn't cheat on me! Especially with Luna!"
"Oh, really now?" She said, sidestepping my blast. "You really believe that in all of his exertions, he's never been...tempted by her?"
"Of course, he's a stallion he's bound to be tempted."
She raised a brow at that.
"Was a stallion, long story." I said, and then glared at her. "I'm not going to let you spout out this nonsense! Luna! Tell her she's lying! Tell her that you don't have feelings for Private!"
Nightmare blinked an eye, for a moment, that eye belonged to Luna as she said..."I'm sorry Twilight Sparkle...Nocturne is mine..."
"Luna..." I said, putting a hoof to my mouth. "You..."
"You stole everything Twilight...my sister's love..the love of the ponies...a great destiny that will come about...it should be MINE! All mine! I was the one at Tia's side for millennia before you were even born!" Luna screamed, before Nightmare took over.
"Luna...she..." I said, totally shocked. I had...no idea she felt for Private like that....
My Private...
With her...all this time...
He...did leave on some cases...all by himself...he could easily...
How could he....how could he....?
How....
"Yes...that's it Twilight...see the truth with your very eyes...he was never meant for you. Besides, you became enamored with another...what's to say he couldn't either?"
Flash...no, no it wasn't cheating, I was brainwashed and...
He...he... THAT BASTARD!!!
How dare he betray me! After all I've done for him! All that we've been through! He just turns around and goes to see Luna! All to fulfill her sick fantasy of being with a thousand year dead lover!
I hate him! I hate him!
I WISH HE COULD SUFFER!!!
Suddenly...the room turned...black?
I heard Nightmare shouting. "NO! NO NOT NOW!"
I fell over...
_________________________________________________________________
I woke up inside some violet lit cave. The ground was strangely soft, and there were little crystal formations that provided the light. This... this was kind of neat. I wonder who made those? I groaned as I got to my hooves. Where am I? This didn't make any...wait! Where's Nightmare?!
"Hello Twilight..." I said, hearing a...strangely familiar voice...
I turned and saw... Wow....
Standing before me was a unicorn. She had a beautiful purple coat, slightly darker purple hair, and wore a dark blue kimono decorated with Neighponese characters and runes. Her green eyes looked into mine, wisdom and compassion shining from them.
Wow, she was gorgeous...wait...I've seen her before...
"You're..." I began.
"Izanami. A pleasure to meet face to face, Twilight..." She said with a smile.
"OH MY GOSH!" I squealed. "I'm meeting one of the first unicorns ever to come into existence! I have a billion questions to ask you! I should've brought my-"
She held up a hoof to quiet me down. "There will be plenty of time for that on other days, Twilight."
"You, know who I am..." I said.
"Yes I do, we share the same blood after all," She said with a smile.
"Huh, guess that makes me an actual princess then, being descended from a Unicorn Queen," I replied. The I remembered what happened. "Private! And Nightmare she-"
"Yes, your mate is in dire straights. Nightmare is closing in on his heart, and if you do not intervene, he will fall to her dark power." She warned.
I looked away, still feeling bitter. "Maybe I shouldn't..."
"Do not speak in such a fashion," She said sternly.
"Well, why shouldn't I?! After all! He knew about Luna having feelings for him and never told me! He keeps going off alone and getting hurt! He act like one of the most stubborn idiots I've ever known, and now I learn he could-"
"SILENCE!!!" She shouted, her eyes glowing white and a powerful wind pulled me out of my rant.
Wow... She's kinda scary when mad.
She calmed down and spoke "Twilight, you cannot listen to Nightmare. She wants to sow this doubt in you."
"Well what if she's right?!" I said, trying to keep from yelling.
"Did you think going into this marriage it would be easy?" She yelled.
"What? No I-"
"Did you think it would always be flowers and fairy tales? Loving passionate kisses every day?" She moved ever closer to me. "Did you think it would always be easy to know whether you loved your spouse or not?"
I...just bowed my head at that...
"No, because love that's easy, isn't true love at all. True love does not come about from one kiss, but from trials and tribulations. That's why the vows say 'for better or for worse'. Your beloved was tempted certainly. But can you say you were never tempted?"
"That's different-"
"No it's not." She said. "The one unifying thing is that you are both ponies. You both are damaged in some way. You both have to make the commitment. But you both also need to learn to trust...you almost fell into darkness because you gave into your fear of losing Private..."
"What are you saying?" I asked.
"One very simple thing," She said, coming to me, and putting a gentle hoof on my shoulder. "That no matter how dangerous it gets true love is worth the work you put into it."
"I should trust Private...but...Nightmare..."
"There is one simple way to release Nightmare." She said, "Make her realize what you just did."
"Wait...hold on...." I said, putting a hoof on my chin and then smiling. "I know how to beat her..."
___________________________________________________________
I opened my eyes to find Nightmare before me once again. She smirked. "So, come to give into darkness at last? After hearing of your beloved's betrayal?"
"Private would never betray me, and I would never really betray him," I said, without hesitation.
"Do you not have ears, child?!" She yelled. "I already told you of Luna's feelings!"
"And now I'm about to tell you about Luna's feelings as well..." I said firmly...and then...my horn glowed...and before Nightmare's eyes...an image of Tenebros appeared... The night pony alicorn stood there in all his glory, proud and strong, and looking wistfully in the distance.
Luna's eyes appeared on the black alicorn. "No...no... Take that away!" She yelled.
"Is this what you were really running from?!" I yelled. "The truth is there's a reason Nocturne was a pet to you!"
"Silence!" She screamed. "Nocturne is my beloved! He is ever loyal! Ever true!"
I shook my head. "Real love doesn't work one way, Luna. I heard about your break up. He came here to help you. He's the reason I'm here. Tenebros was the real reason you clung to Nocturne. You were afraid of getting hurt again. You wanted a pet, not a stallion. If you truly loved Nocturne...you would let him go and face what's really destroying you..."
"NOOOO!!!" She yelled.
___________________________________________________________
Perspective: Private Eye
There was a...rumbling.... There seemed to be... cracks? What's going on? This place is coming apart! The visions of Luna and the others were just poofing into nothingness... Columns crumbling, floor breaking into huge chunks, and that rumbling...
I smirked. "Twilight..."
Only she could be so amazing...
With the world coming down...I woke up for real this time....
___________________________________________________
I groaned as I heard Twilight's voice. I opened my eyes to see her looking down at me with a smile. I returned it saying, "Hey.."
"Hey, you feeling alright?" She asked.
"Course, you're here, I'm happy..." I said, and reached up a hoof to pull her into the most eww inducing kiss I could muster. Boy was she happy to return it.
I then heard Nightmare yell. "NO! No this was perfect! You two have ruined everything, again!"
I stood, and looked to Nightmare. "You ruined yourself..."
"I will destroy you both! Then Equestria shall be mine!!" She screamed, and fired a magical beam at us.
Twilight blocked it with a shield spell. "Not gonna work this time, Nightmare. You don't have full control over Luna now."
"You think you two can beat me alone?" She yelled.
"Don't you ever read the memo?" I said, and looked at my chest. Hope started to appear, I looked to Twilight, and saw Magic on her head..."We're never alone..."
I closed my eyes and began floating in the air. The sound of Chanting could be heard, the sound of a battle cry. A cord of light went to Twilight, and five others went into small portals. Before my very eyes, AJ, Rainbow, Pinkie, Flutters, and Rarity all came in, adorned with their own Elements of Harmony. They all turned to Nightmare.
"No! No you were all supposed to be locked away!" Nightmare yelled. "MY nightmares should've kept you away from this!"
"Ya think we were jus' gonna wallow in self pity ferever?" Aj asked.
"Your meany pants days are over, Nightmarey!" Pinkie said, and then stuck her tongue out, giving Nightmare a raspberry.
"You mess with one of us, you get the full package," Rainbow boasted.
"No matter how far we are," Fluttershy added.
"All of us shall stand as one..." Rarity said with a smile.
"Now listen up, Nightmare," I yelled. "Last time, I wasn't here to help. But now, I'm thinking I'm gonna make up for lost time, by making sure Hope is front and center in taking you down!"
"NO! I SHALL END ALL OF YOU!!!" She screamed, firing a torrent of magic.
Hope....give all we have to Twilight...let her end this...
As if hearing my plea, the cords of light caused the Elements to glow brightly. My diamond Element soon glowed with all five gemstones, I then raised my arms to a flying Twilight, and poured all the power I had into her...
Her horn glowed with the light of a rainbow...and she fired it with all her might at Nightmare's, the beam pierced straight through the darkness and hit Nightmare straight on. She screamed as before our very eyes....she began to...split from Luna....
Nightmare came off Luna like a costume....she screamed the whole way as Luna finally fell to the floor, the rainbow encircling Nightmare.
"No! What is this magic!?" She yelled.
Didn't she learn this the last time?
FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC!!!
The rainbow circled faster and faster, until...a bright light came...
_____________________________________________________
Perspective:...Nocturne
It's time Luna...
Must you leave?
Some part of me will always love you, Luna... but if you want to be truly cured...
If you want to have any chance of getting better... please... let me go...
I... I understand now...how much pain I was really holding in... That I was really destroying myself... Nocturne... Forgive me....
Luna... I already forgave you... you have been forgiven all these years...but you need to learn to forgive yourself...
Nocturne...
I need to go now... Goodbye, Luna...
Promise me... that you... that you will be happy...
I promise, Luna... I can rest in peace...knowing that you are finally free... free to be happy... to be free... and to walk in the light...
I will, Nocturne, I promise I will never fall again... I can't... after seeing such pain come about twice...
Tenebros is waiting...
All this time... he still cared...
You will be well, Luna...goodbye...
Goodbye... Nocturne... my knight... my friend... |
Equestria Noir Season 2 Case 13 "Enter Nightmare" | Epilogue | Season 2 Case 13
Epilogue
Perspective: Luna
My eyes blinked open after that dream. I felt, liberated, as if a great weight was off my chest for a while. She was gone, Nightmare truly was gone I felt it. It was...
Wait...surely I must still be dreaming because...
"TENEBROS!" I yelled, nearly falling out of my bed at the sight of my old flame. What is that filthy loving and leaving flying rodent loving stallion doing in mine chamber!? Where is my scythe!?
"Aye, most luminous Luna? Thou hast awoken, and thou art free of thine nightmarish curse!" Tenebros said beaming.
"I should've known they'd get you to aid," I said coldly as I got up, my room seemed relatively deserted save one stallion. I then turned coldly toward him, "So, you are the reason Private and Twilight Sparkle were able to free me."
"Aye, most beauteous Luna. I set aside my selfish wish for isolation to come to thy aid. How could I not? Thou art the night. Without thee, the nights are dull, and lackluster," Tenebros said, passionately.
"I see that thou hast changed little in my time away from thee. Thou are just the same blowhard I remember from my fillyhood days," I replied with a very unprincess-like snort.
"Thou used to like mine eloquent speech, and dramatic manner. Then thou met that... that... stallion..." Tenebros uttered.
"I was a filly back when thou was spouting out flattery and artistic nonsense." I said with a shake my head.
"Tis it nonsense to tell thee how I feel for thee? Tis it nonsense to complement thee upon thine artistry that thou does with thine night sky?" Tenebros asked. "No mortal dauber coulst match thine skill, no mortal shaper of stone could capture thine beauty."
"Tis nonsense coming from a stallion who refused to hold true to the flattery you spout."
"I realize that I wert a great fool. Love tis not easy. One shoulst work to make it true. I wert o'oerwelmed by silly tales of easy romance, and thought it couldst be so with thee. I shouldst have been willing to work to keep thine affections, instead of taking thee for granted," Tenebros said, hanging his head.
"Words and words Tenebros, thou hasn't changed!" I yelled. "While I will forever appreciate thine efforts to rescue me and my subjects from my darker side, you will not win me over with flattery and flowerly words alone." I moved closer to him, tapping his chest with my hoof. "If thou hopes to change, then SHOW me thou hast changed! Show me that thou is worthy of m-"
Tenebros simply pressed his lips to mine, kissing me with as much passion as he could muster.....
He...has...
NO! NONONONONONO! Do not give in to his...his....just like...all that time ago...
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"Tene!! Tene come on catch up!"
"Wait up! Thou art faster than I!"
"Hehe, thouest simply needs to learn to move swift. Now come! We shall be raising mine moon!"
"I cannot wait to see it, twould be the first time I see you raise it with mine own eyes"
"Tene..."
"Yes Luna?"
"You do, like mine night do you?"
"I... do find your night truly wondrous, even if it is the only time I can truly come out..."
"Shh..."
"Luna?"
"Thou needs not feel ostracized for thine appearance. Thou hast lovely features, even if they are different from alicorns..."
"I...thank thee Luna..."
"I should be raising...uh...mine moon soon and well..."
"Luna..."
"Tene...?"
"Good luck..." *Smmooch*
"Te-Te-Te-Te-Te-...." *PLOP!*
"Luna?"
_________________________________________________________
I blinked open my eyes to find him looking back at me. His lips felt so familiar...so many feelings flooded back into me in that one action. All of the loneliness, the fear, and the longing...it was gone...
Tene was here...
I...I was so blind, so blind to all of my feelings...
I let Nocturne go...to find a stallion I still loved waiting for me...
"Tenebros..." I said, quietly.
"Luna..." He replied with a smile. "I missed thee..."
"I missed thee as well...I was a fool Tenebros..." I admitted.
"I was a fool as well," He replied. "To think I could have this immortal life without you..."
"Tene..."
"Luna..."
I turned my head, and kissed him back...oh Tenebros...may I never fall again...may I live...to...
To see a new life form...
_____________________________________________________
Meanwhile outside...
"Geez, it sounds like a fourth grade Shakespony play going on in there." One guard said to another.
"You think this is bad?" Said guard said to the first, "You should see Lord Voidera and Princess Celestia in the same room. I swear it's like two animals are wrestling."
"No wonder the night guards keep complaining about lack of sleep..."
___________________________________________________________
Perspective: Private Eye
By the time Twilight and I got out of Luna's head everypony was starting to wake up. Luckily the doctors managed to conclude that no lasting damage would be done to them. They just would feel a little sore for a couple of hours thanks to sitting in one spot for way too long.
Twilight and I were advised to rest in one of the guest rooms, supposedly dream diving can cause some stiffness. I barely felt it to be honest but, doctor's orders.
Now, I'm sitting in total awkward silence, Twilight sitting behind me on the bed. I finally sighed and spoke, "Twi, talk to me..."
"How long did you know?" She asked.
"What do you mean?" I replied.
She turned and walked over to me, "There is no way in the nine circles of Tartarus that you couldn't have known Luna had feelings for you!" She yelled. "How the heck am I supposed to look Luna in the eye at meetings?! You almost gave into her!"
"I didn't alright!" I yelled. "I didn't give into her! She was the one who was coming on me! I would never betray you Twilight! Ever!"
"How can you expect me to trust you after knowing, all that?!" She yelled. "How can you just, expect me to ignore all that happened!?"
"Oh, like you were never tempted befo-"
"Don't you DARE mention Flash!" Twilight yelled. "That was different, I was brainwashed and a teenager! I broke up with him at least!"
"Well, how the hell do I know you aren't looking to get with Flash in this world!?" I yelled back. "You can't yell at me for being tempted and just ignoring the fact that you are probably tempted to!"
"Like I would ever even think of cheating on you!" She yelled loudly.
That stopped me in my tracks.
"You DIED fighting alongside me! I held you in my hooves as you turned cold and nearly lifeless...I thought...I thought I'd lose you forever...the thought, it terrified me..."
I simply, closed my mouth.
"I would never cheat, sure everypony is tempted, but don't you ever dare accuse me of being tempted to leave you...after all we've been through..."
I, closed my eyes...and took the hat off my head....
She got quiet at that...I rarely took the fedora off...
"Twi...Twi I'm so sorry..." I said, looking down. "I had... no idea that Luna felt that strongly. I was stupid not to tell you. I was stupid not to think it could hurt you...I was, I was an idiot..."
Suddenly, she took her forehooves in mine and said softly, "Yes...but you're my idiot..." After she said that, Twilight kissed me, passionately. A kiss I was only too happy to return.
"What say we retire to our room?" she asked, giving me a come-hither look.
"You can't be tired, considering all the time we spent asleep," I said, obviously clueless.
"Who said anything about sleeping?" Twilight asked, pulling me along.
_______________________________________________________
Sorry folks! We can't show this content here because of the teen rating! Gosh, there's a lot of things we have to restrict viewers to see! Those two just can't keep their hooves off one another, it's like one of those clop fics I he-
PINKIE! What did I say?!
Stop breaking the fabric of the universe?
The other thing!
That cherrys wouldn't be good with chimichangas because it'd be all messy?
The OTHER other thing.
OOOOOh, don't give the pervy bronies ideas! Man, I keep forgetting that one.
Keep this up and we'll have five of them by morning....
All, don't be saddy waddy! Be happy like Swarmy after I cover him in frosting an-
DAMNIT PINKIE!
BWHAHAHAHAAH! *snerk* Okay... You two have got to stop that. Seriously.
Just get with the scene transition while I fix the fourth wall...again...
Need the interdimensional mortar?
__________________________________________________
Perspective...???
Where...am I...?
It's...dark here...so dark...so cold...
So many trees...all around me...why...why...
Why did she force me away...I'm all alone...forever...
I'm...I was Nightmare...I wanted to...make her happy...Luna...
What am I really...? Who am I...really?
I close my eyes...I see...me...but smaller...bright teal eyes...purple mane....
I'm...playing...with another...a small magenta filly...
She and I...how do we know each other...?
And why...
Why am I calling Twilight Sparkle my mother?
___________________________________________________
Perspective: Luna
I took a deep breath as I made my way up to Tia's room. I had to speak with her. She, deserved to know all that happened. Once again, I have caused her so much pain and grief...
It seems no matter what I do, it always causes pain for somepony. I am faced with this melancholy feeling as I come up to her door. I expect the Celestia of yore, the one who scolded me all the time. The one who insisted I try to open up and be like her.
But, I'm not like her, I never will be...
But, now that she is gone...I can, truly face her...Tia...
I... knocked on the door...
It opened with a golden aura, to reveal, Tia sitting there in the center of her room.
She lay on the cushion, gazing into her fireplace with a thoughtful expression. Her walls had their usual cloud motif, and immediately behind her was a beautiful mosaic of the night sky. I had forgotten about that. How could I have thought that she hated the night, when she had it depicted so artistically in her private quarters?
She turned to me and said, "So, is she truly gone now?"
I nodded, "By, all accounts. I do not feel her in me anymore. I feel, liberated and free." I then walked over to her. "Tia...forgive me, I was such a fool, I should never ha-
She...hugged me...held me like so many years ago...I looked up at her smiling, tear soaked face as she said...
"Welcome back...Lulu..." |
The Love of a Dragon | pre | Turning to look at what was going on, Twilight saw the baby purple dragon push its way through a dozen researchers, trying to get past them. The little guy pushed past the last researcher and ran to Twilight, wrapping its arms around her chest before curling into a ball against her and going straight to sleep. She sat there in awe, her mouth hanging open, staring at the dragon that had been giving the grown ponies trouble for the last hour, and had just wanted to come sleep against her.
'Well, that sure is sweet, don't you think so, Twilight?' Princess Celestia said, sitting next to Twilight
'Princess? I don't understand.' she responded, not looking away from the dragon.
'Maybe you will, in time. How does it make you feel?'
'I think I know what it feels to have your heart melted, Princess.' Twilight said, lowering her head down and nuzzling the sleeping dragon gently.
'How would you like to take care of him?'
'What?!' Twilight exclaimed, looking at the Princess with wide eyes. 'Are you serious?'
'Yes, but only if you promise to treat him like anypony else, never make him feel unwanted or different.' Twilight nodded vigorously. 'Very well then, what will you name him?'
Twilight turned her gaze back to the dragon and ran her hoof along his head, tracing the spines going down his back. 'Spike. I will call him Spike.'
Celestia smiled and watched as Twilight stroked Spike's scales. 'Well, I believe there is nothing wrong with you keeping him, Twilight.' Twilight was about to shout for joy, but was cut off by Princess Celestia's hoof. 'Now now, Twilight, you don't want to wake him up, do you?' Twilight gave a sheepish grin. 'Now, I will leave you two along, good night, Twilight Sparkle. And goodnight to you, too, Spike Sparkle.'
'Good night, Princess. And thank you.' the young lavender filly said, resting down next to the dragon, curling her body as much as she could around him. She lay there, watching him and slowly stroking his scales for hours, smiling. She eventually joined the dragon in sweet, blissful sleep.
Twilight woke up smiling to herself, tears rolling slowly down her cheek. She had her eyes closed, reliving the moments in her dreams, feeling like somepony had wrapped her heart in a blanket. Yawning, she pushed her face into her blanket, only to meet the warm fur of her mentor. Opening her eyes groggily, she seen Princess Celestia looking out the window, her wing still spread out and embracing Twilight.
"Good morning, Princess Celestia." she said quietly.
"Good morning, my dear student. Have a good nights rest?" she said, turning her head to look at the sleepy lavender unicorn, who nodded. "Now, may I ask why you are here? It's nice seeing you here again, but I doubt you were feeling nostalgic."
"What, I need a reason to come visit my teacher?" Twilight giggled. "I admit I didn't come here for this, but I feel oddly enlightened." she looked at Celestia, a serious look on her face. "I came to try and find out something about restoring memory."
Obsidian walked slowly away from Sweet Apple Acres, his body protesting, every muscle on fire. Working the fields all day was a great workout, and today he had worked more than he usually would, perhaps too hard. Rainbow Dash had come and ponynapped Applejack back to the barn, leaving Obsidian to work the fields alone. He sat down under a small tree, groaning. He had foolishly decided to do the work of both him and Applejack, and he was now regretting his decision.
He looked up at the tree and seen a small basketful of apples right above him. He attempted to reach for one, only to moan and relax his sore muscles again. His ears twitched at the sound of small wings buzzing. He only had a moment to wonder where it was coming from and why it was getting closer before hearing a small shout.
"Hi-yah!" came from three different fillies behind the tree, followed shortly by a thud. He watched in horror as the apples fell down and pelted his already sore body. He didn't cry out, he just winced and whined at the pain. The three fillies responsible for his misery crept out from behind the tree, giggling. They looked at the stallion laying on the ground, whining.
"Ah think we killed him." one of them said.
"Oh, he's just a big sissy."
"He probably don't want to talk to us after that."
Sure enough, Obsidian wasn't saying anything. He closed his eyes and imagined being home on his nice, soft bed, not having to move, when he felt a pair of hooves grab his legs and start pulling him.
"Well, lets go an' bury him. We done killed him, so we should pay our respects."
"Yea, like that one time we played Dragon Slayers with Spike!"
The three little fillies managed to drag Obsidian to their scooter and wagon and loaded him onto it. He grunted and groaned the entire time, letting out a small, pained moan whenever he was moved too fast and when they lifted him onto the wagon. He closed his eyes and wondered if this was his chariot into Tartarus as they pulled him along to Celestia knows where. Somehow, he managed to fall into sleep on the ride, and woke up as he was picked up and placed on a low table.
"Here is Obsidian Heartfire, hardworking stallion that lives in a library. Worked himself to death after getting a marefriend."
"Ah remember it like it was yesterday."
"Applebloom, it was only 10 minutes ago."
"Hush, Sweetie Belle, yer ruinin' the Cutie Mark Crusaders Funeral Specialists."
"More like Cutie Mark Crusaders Torturers." came a low reply from the black stallion
"Oh no! It's a zompony! Quick, Cutie Mark Crusaders Zompony Hunters!"
"Oh dear sweet Celestia, don't..." he said, opening his eyes. "Ugh, why do I have the misfortune of being tormented by you three today?"
The three fillies, an orange Pegasus with a cutie mark of a scooter with wheels of fire, a yellow Earth Pony with a hammer and saw cutie mark, and a white Unicorn with a musical note inside a heart, all sat there giving him cute, devilish smiles. They were known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and were infamous for terrorizing Ponyville.
"We were just out playing, seen you all alone under that tree and unable to reach an apple, so we decided to lend a hoof." the pegasus, Scootaloo, said
"Ah thought you said we were gonna prank him?" the yellow earth pony said.
"Hush up, Apple Bloom, you definitely aren't a Cutie Mark Crusader Fibber!"
"I have a silly question," Obsidian said. "Why do you continue crusading? You already have your cutie marks."
"Because it's fun!" exclaimed the unicorn, Sweetie Belle. "And we have a promise to keep with our friend."
"A promise?" he asked.
"Yea, we had a promise with a little dragon that we played with to always crusade after he helped us get our cutie marks, and we intend to keep it, especially after he left." Sweetie Belle explained, looking a little sad at the end.
"No fair, he helped y'all get yer cutie marks, but not me." Apple Bloom pouted.
"Well, he 'helped' me by having a bet, which I lost." said Scootaloo.
"What, mad that you were seen dancing like a little filly after winning that competition with your eyes closed, Scoots?" Sweetie Belle teased, resulting in a wrestling match between the two.
"So, uh, what about Sweetie Belle?" Obsidian asked Apple Bloom.
"Well, she couldn't figure out what to get her sis, Rarity, for her birthday, and Spike, our friend, told her to sing a song, and Spike played the piano for her song." Apple Bloom said, "And ah got mine from fixing this clubhouse and our farm. Hey, stop that wrestlin' before ya break the clubhouse. Again."
"So you three were really good friends with Spike?" Apple Bloom nodded and the ball of white and orange pony agreed. "Everyone else seems to regret having done something to him, what about you?"
"Only thing ah regret is seein' him depressed whenever mah sis and her friends went on an adventure and left Spike all alone."
"Yea, have you ever seen a depressed dragon? It's disgusting."
"Scootaloo! That's not very nice!" Scootaloo stuck her tongue out at Sweetie Belle. "I wish I had gotten to thank him properly for helping us get our cutie marks."
"So, you are telling me the three of you, who torture innocent stallions, had a dragon for a best friend and cheered him up?" the three nodded "Wow, explains why you are so evil."
"Well, since ya put it that way, Cutie Mark Crusaders Stallion Tormentors commence!" yelled Apple Bloom, who jumped on top of Obsidian, followed closely by the other two crusaders.
Obsidian grunted and groaned as three sets of hooves playfully hit him and tickled him. "Stop that, or I will go find this Spike and tell him to come eat you for being a pain in the flank."
"If it brings Spike back, we will continue!" shouted Sweetie Belle. The three fillies attacked him relentlessly until they all fell onto the floor, with Obsidian letting out a long, pained groan.
"Awe, ah think we broke him." Apple Bloom said, nudging him with a hoof.
"Think we should help him back to the library?" Scootaloo questioned.
"No! That is perfectly alright. Now, if you girls don't mind, I have a date with the bathtub, and I intend to keep it. And then I will go die on my bed." he said as he got up and slowly made his way to the door.
"Hey now, don't go cheat on my sister!"
"I don't know, the bath promises to be very relaxing, I may just fall in love with it." he replied, causing little giggles to come out of the fillies, who waved at the retreating stallion.
Obsidian slowly trudged home to the library, wondering to himself about this young dragon. He had it rough from the sounds of it, and yet, all the ponies missed him, even if they regretted what they did to the dragon. Obsidian also couldn't help but feel like the name was familiar to him.
"What do you mean, nothing else will work? I've already tried this spell, and 364 variations of it!"
Celestia frowned at her student from her outburst. The two of them had spent the last two looking through the archive and discussing amnesia. They had gotten nowhere, however, as it turned out her student, Twilight Sparkle, had already tried the only spell that had been found that helped. And apparently tried 364 variations of it. That she had yelled at Celestia three times so far.
"Twilight, if you try to force this issue any more than you have, you may end up damaging the young ponies mind. Obsidian Heartfire, you said his name was?" Twilight responded with a downtrodden nod at the scolding. "Now, Twilight, I think you should get some rest."
Twilight sighed, her head hung low. "I guess you are right, Princess. Thank you for helping me." she said, walking slowly towards the door.
Celestia walked up beside her student and nuzzled her side. "Twilight, don't be so upset. Just because he can't remember his past doesn't mean he can't have a wonderful future. Now, I think you should go back to Ponyville tomorrow. If I remember correctly, you and your friends have a celebration in a couple days."
Twilight's face brightened up. "You are right, Princess! How could I forget the day we all got our cutie marks!" she nuzzled her mentor back. "I promise to visit again soon, Princess Celestia, and for a better occasion."
"I hope you will, Twilight." Celestia smiled at the unicorn as she trotted away to get a good nights sleep. Turning her thoughts elsewhere, Celestia made her way outside the castle slowly. She looked up at the moon, feeling the cool nights breeze flow over her. Spreading her wings, she took off for a relaxing flight in the cool night.
She flew for well over an hour over Canterlot and the surrounding area, and eventually made her way back to the Castle, landing on a balcony on one of the towers. She trotted down the stairs and through a labyrinth of hallways, pausing in front of a door. She gently pushed it open with her hoof and walked inside.
"Luuuna, where are you?" she cooed. The night Princess looked up at the door from her bed, looking slightly puzzled. Princess Luna stood up and walked to her sister.
"What is it sister? Is something-" Luna was interrupted by a pair of forelegs were thrown around her, drawing her into an unexpected, but not unwanted embrace.
"I know I don't say this nearly enough, but I love you, Lu-lu." Princess Celestia said quietly.
Princess Luna smiled and returned the hug eagerly. "I love you too, Celly."
"Luna, do you want to go fly around, spend some time together, and annoy officials like we used to?" Celestia asked, breaking off the hug and taking a step back.
"I don't know, Celestia. I am quite busy, um, reading books. But, I guess I can make time for you." Luna stuck her tongue out at her big sister. "Since you asked nicely."
"Is there anything you wish to do first, Luna?" Celestia asked.
"I will let you know when you catch me!" Luna shouted, already running out the door and down the corridor. Celestia was momentarily shocked before grinning to herself and giving chase to her sister.
Obsidian sat at the table in the library, eyes closed in concentration. He was levitating a large number of books around him, opening them, spinning them around in mid-air, trying to improve his levitation. Other than a strange ability to catch half of the library on fire, the only magic he could really perform was levitation. He let out an exasperated sigh as all the books came tumbling down. Straining, he picking the books up one by one and repeating the process.
Normally, Twilight Sparkle would help with his practice, but she was currently in Canterlot, visiting her mentor, Princess Celestia. As soon as his thoughts turned to the purple mare, the library door was flung open and the culprit was none other than Twilight herself. Obsidian jumped off his chair, dropping all the books, a few of them conveniently on his head, and giving a little shout. "Aah! I didn't cheat on you with my bed, I swear!"
Twilight gave the hiding stallion an odd look before replying, "How do I know you didn't do anything with the bathtub?"
"No! I wouldn't cheat on you! You're beautiful!" he said, hiding under the books and his own hooves.
"Maybe I should go tell Rarity what you think of me, Obsidian." Twilight giggled.
"Wait, what?" he asked, puzzled. He peeked out from under his hooves and seen the purple unicorn giggling at him. "Um, right. I'll just.. Go bury myself now.." He slowly crawled backwards until his flank bumped the wall. He slowly levitated a nearby bookshelf to hide him from his roommate with a twisted sense of humor.
Twilight levitated a few heavy tomes and dropped them behind the bookshelf, ignoring the grunts that resulted. "Hmm, I don't remember rearranging the bookshelves, but it is a nice place to keep all these huge books." she walked towards her desk and set down her saddlebags, constantly dropping a heavy book behind the shelf.
Obsidian groaned and crawled out of the crushing weight of knowledge. "I said 'bury myself' figuratively, not literally." he said, collapsing on the ground beside the bookshelf.
"Oh good, you are here." said Twilight offhandedly, "I thought of a spell that you can try. It involves your odd ability of fire, and involves using some elements of levitation."
"Um, Twilight? Could I at least have a moment to rest?" he asked.
"Hmm, and perhaps I should tell Rarity that you are also a lazy unicorn who just lays on the floor, unwilling to move?" she said with a hint of laughter in her voice. "That's fine, I need to go put away some things upstairs anyway." she said, carrying a small package from her saddlebags with her up the stairs.
Obsidian watched the mare walk up the stairs and turned his attention to the deathtrap of tomes he crawled out of. He got up and walked to the bookshelf, a frown on his face. Placing his forehooves on the bookshelf, he pushed it with a grunt. It slid slowly back into place, the heavy books behind it threatening to topple over onto the stallion. After he pushed the bookshelf where it belonged, he stacked the books up for sorting later.
His ears perked up at the sound of hooves coming down the stairs and turned to see Twilight walking down slowly. Looking closely, he noticed her eyes were a little red and puffed up. He almost asked about it, but snapped his muzzle shut.
"So, this spell is odd, and I can't do it because I am not very good at fire magic. You, however, are very keen at it. Now, take this scroll, catch it on fire, and imagine it levitating to me." she explained, giving him a stack of scrolls before walking to the other side of the room.
Obsidian concentrated on the scroll, catching it on fire and then tried imagining it levitating it towards his instructor. All he managed to do, however, was cover the floor in ashes. He tried having it levitate part way there before catching it on fire, and he tried doing both at the exact same time.
Hours, countless scrolls, an exhausted stallion and utterly frustrated mare later, the library floor was covered in ashes and partially burnt pieces of parchment. Twilight wasn't upset so much at the mess, but rather, their lack of progress. Stomping her hooves against the floor, she screamed, releasing her frustrations. Obsidian nearly jumped out of his skin, and watched with wide eyes as Twilight stormed out of the library.
Just as she was walking out the door, there was a bright green flash right in front of her, and a scroll materialized. "Spike?!" she called out, startled. She grabbed it with her magic and looked at it. The scroll was just like every other blank scroll that her and Obsidian had been burning for hours. She turned towards the stallion, who had his hooves on his head, and a grimace plastered on his face.
"Obsidian?" she called, walking towards the stallion. When he didn't respond, she walked next to him and nudged him with a hoof. He responded with a groan. She sighed and got to cleaning up the mess all over the library. She threw the ashes out the window, letting the wind scatter them. She sorted the books Obsidian had stacked up, and with a small nudge with her magic, made sure the bookshelves were all in proper order.
Yawning, she sat down at her desk and pulled a book from her saddlebags. She opened the book and started looking through it. It was an old picture book that was left in her room in Canterlot. The beginning of it was mostly of her as a little filly, showing her as a baby, to her first birthday, to her playing with Cadence and other times, her brother Shining Armor. About a third of the way through, there was a picture with her and the newly hatched Spike, cuddling together on the floor, both fast asleep.
As she slowly looked through the picture book of her life, some happy, and sad, tears drifted down her cheek, and she became aware of another pony next to her, but the intruder said nothing, and neither did she. She paused at a picture, showing her and Spike sharing an ice cream cone when they visited Twilights parents. The little dragon hadn't learnt how to properly speak yet, but Twilight had been able to tell he was sad that Twilights parents had only given her some ice cream. When she had noticed him sulking, she had immediately trotted over to him and offered the dragon to share the cone.
"Is that Spike?" the other pony, Obsidian, asked quietly.
"Yes, it is." was all Twilight said in response.
"Who was he, exactly?" he questioned.
"An assistant, a friend, the very best friend.." she choked back a light sob. "Most importantly.. He was my little brother.." she said, placing a hoof on the picture. Several moments passed before either of them made a sound.
"I was asking others about Spike, and I have a question." Obsidian said softly. "You and all your friends appear to have enjoyed Spike, but you rarely had him around with you on your adventures. The Crusaders said he was always sad when you girls left him all alone."
"What?" Twilight asked, looking at him, tears in her eyes. "They really said that?" Obsidian nodded. "Well, that makes me feel worse..."
"Sorry," Obsidian said, "I didn't mean to cause any pain." he slowly backed away from the silently crying mare, heading towards the stairs.
"Wait. I don't want to talk about it right now, but maybe you could come with me and the girls tomorrow?" she asked, looking at him. "It is kind of a special occasion for us, but I don't mind it, and I am pretty sure Rarity wouldn't." she said with some semblance of a smile on her muzzle. "It's the day we all got our cutie marks, and it is also the birthday of Spike. I might be able to talk more about it tomorrow, and maybe even the rest will talk about him."
"Alright, Twilight. I will be there. Thanks." he said "Goodnight, Twilight."
"Good night, Obsidian."
Rarity hummed to herself as she headed towards the Sugarcube Corner, ready to meet her friends for their annual get-together to celebrate their acquisition of cutie marks. She was a little upset that her new stallionfriend hadn't visited her in two days, but she put that aside and wouldn't let that get in the way of things today. She let a smile out as she approached the gingerbread house that was the Sugarcube Corner, and did a double take when she saw Obsidian walking silently behind Twilight Sparkle into the confectionery shoppe.
She trotted the rest of the way to the bakery and quickly entered behind them. "My, Obsidian left me for Twilight?" she accusingly mocked.
"Well, he did call me beautiful.." Twilight added in hastily, a hoof brought up to her chin.
"It's not what it seems like!" the stallion exclaimed, his forehooves up in surrender.
"Hmm, well I'm not sure I'm convinced, darling." Rarity said, pressing the black stallion. She walked right in front of him, her muzzle mere inches away from his and whispered, "Convince me."
Obsidian moved in to give her a small kiss when a big pink blur appeared out of nowhere between them, startling the both of them. Both the mare and stallion jumped back, only to be pulled into a big hug from the party pony, along with Twilight Sparkle and the newcomers, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy walked in and was frightfully dragged in by an odd hoof.
"Hello, everypony!" the pink pony, aptly named Pinkie Pie, said excitedly. When she let go, all the others stumbled away from the epicenter and settled on a more casual gathering. The group of friends chatted merrily, eating some sweet breakfast snacks. Obsidian seemed so out of place he might as well not even be there. He talked a little bit with Twilight and Rarity, had a conversation with Fluttershy that could have been the record for the most awkward conversation in Equestria. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were busy hoofwrestling to be bothered, and Pinkie Pie was never anywhere to be found when you actually looked for her.
Obsidian started to wonder if his morning would be better spent doing anything else. He was sure the others didn't mean to make him feel this out of place, and he knew that today was special for them. He sat down at a table and looked out the window for a while before starting as a white unicorn sat across from him, a small grin on her face.
"You still haven't convinced me, darling." she laughed. "Come on, we are going to go on a picnic." Obsidian jumped up and offered a hoof to Rarity, who took it giggling lightly. "Well, I suppose that convinces me a little."
Twilight led the way, carrying a picnic basket, followed by Applejack and Rainbow Dash constantly having small arguments along the way. Fluttershy was going along, quite as usual, and Obsidian and Rarity were walking together. Pinkie Pie was constantly bouncing around the group, being her usual bubbly self.
"So what is today about, Rarity?" Obsidian asked quietly.
"Well, it is the day all of us got our cutie marks. Every year, we get together and have a little fun. It is also little Spikey's birthday." the white unicorn said.
"You still celebrate his birthday after three years?" he questioned.
"Yea we do, even though he is a big super-meanie-pants for leaving us!" Pinkie Pie said, interrupting the two. "I mean, what kind of friend just leaves everypony sad?"
Obsidian felt a sharp pain inside his skull as Rarity spoke up, "Well, it was my fault for him leaving."
"What are you talking about, Rarity? It was my fault, I broke a promise to him." Twilight interjected, having slowed down to join the conversation.
"Now don't go blamin yerself, Twilight. Ahm sure we all did somethin that made the poor guy feel down." Applejack said.
"You don't understand. I promised him I would always be there for him, and yet, where was I? Off with you girls, having fun, leaving Spike all alone and hurt." Twilight said, eyes becoming moist, looking down at her hooves as they walked.
"Twilight, dear, I think me letting the guy down after he so clearly stated his feelings for me would be worse to him than that." Rarity told Twilight.
Rainbow Dash spoke up, "To go and just leave because he got rejected? How lame can he be?" Pinkie Pie nodded.
Fluttershy was the only pony not taking part in the small argument, and was feeling very nervous. She looked at Obsidian, who kept wincing. "Um, Obsidian? Is something wrong?"
Obsidian shook his head. "Nothing. Just a headache." He visibly cringed as the debate continued. "A very bad headache."
"Is there, um, something I can do to help?" she asked meekly, and watched how the stallion appeared to hurt more as the other girls continued shouting. "Um, girls? I think you should stop fighting now. Girls? Girls?!" she let out one of her rare shouts, and everypony turned their gaze towards her and she sank back down into her usual, shy self. "Would you, um, stop fighting? If you wouldn't mind, that is... Obsidian has a bad headache."
The mares all looked at Obsidian, who had a hoof to his temple. "Are ya alright, sugarcube?" Applejack asked, concerned.
"I'm.. Fine. Let's just go have that picnic, and stop arguing?" Obsidian said, giving a small, pained smile.
"Are you sure, dear?" Rarity asked and got a nod in response. "Well, it's a good thing we are here already."
Their picnic was in a large meadow with a couple trees, and the group waited while Twilight spread the large blanket out under one of the trees, and then the small feast on top of the blanket. They all lay down scattered across the blanket after gathering food consisting of daisy sandwiches, a salad, some muffins, and apple pie.
The picnic went along quietly, a drastic change from the debate just minutes earlier. Pinkie Pie had just finished eating all the pie when a bright flash appeared in front of Twilight, materializing as a scroll. Twilight immediately grabbed it with her magic and read it, and looked up at the group, eyes open wide.
"We got another dragon going into slumber. Princess Celestia wants us to take care of it, since we did such a good job with the one before." she declared. "And she wants us to go as soon as we can." she stood up and stretched. "Who's up for an adventure?"
Pinkie Pie jumped up and was ready in the blink of an eye. Everypony but Fluttershy got up soon after, and the poor yellow pegasus looked like she wanted to go hide.
"What's wrong with Fluttershy?" Obsidian wondered.
"Oh, she's just afraid of dragons." Twilight said, walking to the cowering mare. "Come on, Fluttershy. We could probably use your help again."
"Yea, sugarcube. It's gonna be alright." Applejack said to both Obsidian and Fluttershy, reassuring them. "Come on, we need to go get ready."
After a couple hours of persuasion, packing, and travel, the group of ponies made it to the cave holding the dragon. Fluttershy was trying to hide behind everypony despite how much encouragement Twilight was giving her. Obsidian wondered about the whole event, and was worried himself, despite the encouraging. A big, live, dragon? And they were supposed to get it to leave? Obsidian hesitated as the group walked into the entrance, and watched curiously as Fluttershy tentatively took the lead, after some nudging from Rainbow Dash.
"So, um, how do we get this dragon to leave?" Obsidian asked quietly.
"Well, last time Fluttershy scolded the dragon so bad it got scared of her and whimpered and cried and apologized and ran away." Pinkie Pie exclaimed excitedly.
"Well, why is she so afraid of them, then? If she can scare off dragons, why is she afraid of-" he was cut off as a very loud roar resounded from the cave. "I guess that would be why.."
The dragon came into view, it was large, with dark blue scales covering its body and cyan stomach and spinal scales. It was still awake, and it wasn't very happy to see the ponies.
"Woah, there. That's a lot bigger than the last one.Ah hope we can take care of it." Applejack said, a little worried.
Fluttershy quietly asked the giant dragon, "Um, mister dragon? M-my friends and I w-wanted to ask, um, if you could please move somewhere else for your nap. If you don't mind, that is." The dragon roared in response, and threw a giant claw at the pegasus. Fluttershy screamed as the claw moved towards her, unable to get away quickly enough. Her scream stopped suddenly as the claw hit her, sending her flying to wall, unconscious.
Rainbow Dash was the first one to respond, flying at the dragon and kicking his snout really hard, stunning him for a moment. The dragon quickly recovered and attacked Rainbow Dash, but was stopped by a magical shield cast from Twilight Sparkle. The dragon inhaled deeply and shot a large flame at the mare. She was tackled out of the way by Applejack as Pinkie Pie appeared out from behind the dragon, party cannon in tow.
Rarity was stunned at the sight of the attacking dragon and just watched as her friends attacked it. The dragon started to breathe fire again, but was stopped by a deep voice from within the cave.
"Siste, Nocto Draco." Rarity looked to the source of the voice and saw Obsidian, eyes glowing bright green, as if they were on fire. The stallion walked towards the dragon, who started swinging at the mares again. "I said, STOP!" Obsidian shouted, his mane and tail glowing green shortly before it was consumed in green flames to match the color of his eyes.
The dragon spat out a blue fireball in the stallion's direction, but Rarity realized that the fireball was aimed at her. The stallion jumped in front of the fireball just in time, the blue fire consuming his body. Rarity started running to the stallion as her friends stood stock still at the scene. The alabaster mare stopped just short of the burning stallion as she watched the blue flames turn green, growing larger by the second.
Obsidian shouted at the dragon again, the green flames covering his body growing almost as large as the blue dragon, and taking a semblance to a dragon. "Don't you dare hurt these ponies anymore, Night!" Obsidian finished his statement with a charge at the dragon, covering the distance in a speed to rival Rainbow Dash. The dragon swiped at the charging stallion, only to miss as he dodged and planted a full speed kick to its midsection.
The mares all gathered in a group around the unconscious body of Fluttershy, too shocked to do anything to help, or to even say anything. Obsidian received his fair share of blows from the blue dragon, but it was mostly on the defensive. A large portion of the emerald flames shot out at the dragon, whose eyes grew wide shortly before being consumed, letting out another loud roar. As the flames receded, the dragon was no longer visible, and the stallion wasn't visible inside.
Moments passed, all the ponies were stunned at what happened, just watching the flames go down slowly, their mouths all gaping. Rainbow was the first to break the silence, trotting as close to the fire as she was willing. "Obsidian? Are you alright in there?"
A response came seconds later, sounding deeper than Obsidian's voice. "Yea, I'm alright, thanks for asking, Dash. Of all the time I have known you, I think this is one of the only times you have been concerned for me."
"Well, there usually isn't much to be concerned about you, we have only known each other for three months." Rainbow Dash said to the shrinking flames moving slowly towards her.
"I want to say, you're wrong, Dash. Don't you remember not taking me to the Young Flyers Competition years ago, even though I really wanted to go?" the voice asked, a silhouette slightly larger than an average pony starting to appear in the fire. Rainbow Dash gasped, recognizing the speaker.
"S-spike? Is that really you?" she walked closer to him.
"The one and only." came the response. The flames had just about receded fully by now, revealing the purple scaled dragon with folded wings standing on all fours, his eyes still burning bright green, with a purple tint in the center. "Who else could it be?"
Applejack and Pinkie Pie both took seats next to their unconscious friend, unwilling to meet the dragon at the moment. Twilight and Rarity, however, both had tears welling up in their eyes as they took small steps towards the drake. Twilight was unable to speak, her mouth moving slightly as the two unicorns walked. Rarity was the first one to talk.
"Spike? That is really you, darling? This isn't some trick?" she asked rather softly, her voice cracking. The flames around the dragon dispelled immediately, leaving behind the green scales running along his back.
"Of course it is, 'Darling.' Are you that upset from the show that you can't believe I'm here? Why would you be upset, anyways? It wasn't your heart that got broken!" Spike said, his voice growing louder, anger painted across his face. "Upset that your ponies didn't accept you? That your dresses got burnt? Well, buck you, Rarity!" he shouted at her, smoke coming out of his nostrils. The unicorn froze in her place, visibly hurt from his words.
"Don't you dare talk to her like that, Spike!" Twilight shouted back at him, matching his volume. "You don-" she was interrupted as he slapped her muzzle, leaving three shallow cuts along her cheek. Rainbow Dash had her mouth open as she watched the dragon smack his oldest friend, but even she was able to spot that it pained him almost as much as it did the lavender unicorn, perhaps even more.
"Don't you try to talk to me like that, Twilight. Y-you don't know what I went through! You're worse than she is!" he said, voice cracking as tears of his own fell to the rocky cavern floor shortly before he ran out the cave and took off into the mid afternoon sky outside.
Rainbow started to chase after him, but was stopped by an orange hoof on her shoulder. "Hold it, Rainbow. Ah think Spike needs tah simmer down." was her quiet answer to the annoyed look. "Ah also think we should take care of the rest of the girls, don't ya think?" Applejack motioned her head to the two unicorns and one pegasus. Rarity had collapsed onto the floor, her face buried in her hooves as she cried, Twilight sitting next to her, laying a hoof on her shoulder.
Rainbow Dash went to the side of her best friend, Fluttershy, who was just now starting to regain consciousness, while Pinkie and Applejack went to comfort the crying unicorns.
"Go to him, sister. From what you said, he could use some help, and not from me right now."
"I planned on it, even if you told me not to. Even I could feel his pain from that little encounter."
"I see. It's personal, then?"
"Very personal. I believe I know some of what he is going through. However, I need some rest. That was very taxing and I am not usually up this early."
"Very well, I am just glad that my prediction was correct."
Spike flew over the land, the cool air flowing past his scales and wings. The wind helped cool his blood, calming him down, and it also served to blow the tears from his face. He was right to be angry at the ponies, wasn't he? The mare that he had longed after had so readily accepted a stallion that reminded her of him so readily, when she had rejected him after years of his help. So why did it hurt him as much to yell at her as it did when she rejected him? And why did it feel like he had beaten himself when he slapped Twilight?
Spike spotted Canterlot in the distance and tumbled a short while before regaining his composure as he remembered the city, mainly the Palace. All the games him and Twilight had played together as kids, the promise Twilight had made to always be there, and how she had eventually gone back on her promise, leaving the dragon alone. His thoughts turned to Celestia, how she had told him everything would be alright. He scowled, remembering how the Princess had told him that Twilight was going to treat him better. Twilight had, but only until shortly after arriving in Ponyville, when she started studying more and spending the rest of the time with her new friends.
He should have been happy for her, right? He had always wanted her to have more friends, but he still felt betrayed. He should be happy that Rarity had found somepony she could be happy with, but he still felt torn.
Sighing, Spike altered his course and headed towards the orchards near Ponyville. He wasn't sure how to feel, he had felt saddened as the pony, Obsidian, learned about how everypony felt about Spike, yet he was also angered that Rarity had only chosen to be with him while he was a pony. Even though Spike was watching the whole time, wanting to comfort his friends, yet he was reminded of all his pains when he had the chance to do so.
He knew he should go back and apologize to everypony, but he didn't want to set eyes on any of them. He started gliding downwards, and landed near a large tree. Even though he spent over three years away from the ponies he cared about, he still wanted to be alone at this moment. Alone, just how he always seemed to end up feeling.
Spike sobbed softly as he walked up next to the tree and curled up. Even though it was still only late afternoon, the young dragon slowly drifted off into slumber, visiting the realm of dreams. Unbeknownst to him, however, were three little fillies watching him from the window of their clubhouse.
'I've got a lovely bunch of minotaur skulls, here they are, all standing in a row. Big ones, small ones, all- Oooh! A jellyfish!'
'If you keep getting delayed, this will take forever. Must you get distracted at every little thing?'
'What? I'm hungry. Can't blame me for wanting to eat.'
'Well, no. But do you have to eat everything you see?'
'No, some things taste nasty. Ooh, is that new? It resembles a Kraken, but yet it's different.'
'I think that is an octopus.'
'Is it related to Cthulhu? Looks tasty.' |
The Love of a Dragon | Hard Feelings | "Well, this is a strange sight. A dragon crying in his sleep in the middle of the night. Covered in fillies, as well." said a soft voice in the night, waking the slumbering purple dragon nesting under a tree. "If I didn't know any better, little one, I would say you had some fun last night."
Spike tensed, looking around for the speaker. Unable to see anyone, he started to move, oblivious to the three little fillies sleeping on top of him, until one of them grumbled and nuzzled into him for warmth. "Who are you? Where are you?" he called out, trying not to wake his living blanket.
"Fear not, Spike, I mean you no harm." came the soft reply as a dark blue alicorn appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Princess Luna?" the young dragon asked, puzzled.
"Yes, it is I. Don't bother trying to bow or any of that nonsense. Don't want to wake those three, now do you?" she asked, flashing him a small grin as she walked up to the drake.
"What are you doing here? And why do I feel like I just had a fight with you?"
"I am here to give you some company. Some company that isn't sleeping, that is." she said, taking a seat next to Spike, both of them chuckling a little bit at the sight. "As for the fight, we will talk about that later." neither of them said anything after that for a long time, both of them just looking at the sky, or the surrounding field and trees. After a while, Luna lay down next to the dragon, who was surprised to see the Night Princess acting so casually. "I know how you feel, Spike." she said softly, turning her cyan eyes towards him.
Spike looked away from the dark sapphire blue alicorn. "Nopony knows what I feel like, Princess. How could they?" he looked back at her when he felt her hoof on his shoulder.
"Believe me, Spike, I know what it is like to feel like you are nothing to the ones you care about the most. There are other things as well, but now is not the time to talk about those." Luna said, trying to encourage the dragon. "I may not know exactly how you are feeling, but I know better than anypony else. Although I never got a filly blanket." she gave a small, fake pout.
"You can have them, I think they gained a little weight in the last three years."
"I think I will pass, thank you. And it isn't very nice to joke about a mare's weight, even though these three aren't yet mares. What was it like for you, for the last three years?"
Spike frowned a little, resting his claw on the nearest filly, Sweetie Belle, and slowly stroking her mane as she slept. "I felt like I was being taken on a ride in another body. I smelt, heard, felt and tasted everything I did while I was a pony. But my actions and words were not mine. I felt more at peace during that time than I ever have before, though."
"It may be possible that he acted out your purest intentions, Spike. I heard that he managed to accomplish what you had been trying to do your whole life." Spike snorted in response.
"Yea, I try my whole life to be the best I can be to everypony, and only after I play as a pony am I able to do it, in three years."
Luna frowned this time. "But you still have friends, Spike."
"What, these three? I'm sure tomorrow they will try to tame me or something."
"While that does sound enjoyable, they aren't who I was referring. I was talking about the Bearers of the Elements."
Spike's nostrils flared. "Those ponies? Who cares about those ponies? They don't need me, they don't even want me around. They hate me, and I hate them." his voice trailed off as he finished his statement, and a dark blue hoof came down forcefully on his cheek.
"That is false, young Spike. My sister told me about Twilight, she missed you dearly. The white unicorn as well, Rarity."
"Yea, figures they want me there only after I am gone."
"Maybe you should try talking with them, Spike. You might be surprised how much it helps, as long as you try before it is too late."
Spike looked doubtfully at the Princess. "How can you be so sure, Luna?"
Luna returned a comforting look to the dragon. "I know it would have helped me. And you will always have me to talk to, Spike, I promise." Spike frowned and looked away from the Princess. She nuzzled his cheek softly. "I guess you have a few broken promises, don't you?"
Spike nodded in response. "Well, I don't plan on letting you down, just don't let me down and follow the same path I did, ok Spike?"
"Ok, Princess. Thank you." he said, looking at the Princess as she stood up.
"Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go follow my own advice. Keep in touch, you hear?" she nuzzled the dragon again after he nodded and took off gracefully, flying into the night.
Spike looked at the three fillies on top of him, smiling a little at the sight. Sweetie Belle was cuddled up on his chest as he stroked her mane slowly, while Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both laid on his stomach, cuddled together for warmth. He closed his eyes, feeling peace from his three friends wanting to comfort him while he was sleeping. He began to drift back into the wonderful land of slumber, his feelings and thoughts still torn.
Sweetie Belle woke up, feeling the sun's rays trying to shine through her eyelids, and felt something being pressed against her mane, resting on her neck. She opened her eyes, blinked a few times to adjust to the light, and to blink away the drowsiness. Her eyes focused on the purple scales on the face of the dragon she was sleeping on, and the arm he had reached out to her, his claws resting in her mane. She involuntarily stretched, her body wanting to move. Spike's eyes flew open at her movement, and they instantly focused on the filly who woke him.
Sweetie Belle immediately jumped up from her position to give the big dragons' neck a bone-crushing hug. "SPIKE!! You're back!!!" her shout startled the dragon, and also woke up the other two fillies who occupied the body of the purple dragon as a bed. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo also quickly joined in on the hug, wrapping their hooves around his stomach.
"Uh, good morning to you, too, girls." Spike said as his neck was being crushed by the small white unicorn.
"Good morning!" all three fillies said at once, jumping off of Spike, allowing him to sit up.
"What were ya doin' out here, Spike? Why were ya cryin' last night, an' why didn't ya go to the library?" little Apple Bloom asked, resting her front hooves on his lap.
"Well, I could ask you three the same question, why are you out here?" he said, frowning slightly.
"Well, we saw you last night being all mushy and decided to help you. And the girls weren't back yet last night, so we decided to have a sleepover at the clubhouse, as we would have been alone, anyways." the orange pegasus, Scootaloo, said offhandedly.
"And we wanted to cheer up our favorite dragon!" Apple Bloom said excitedly.
"I'm the only dragon you know." Spike said, sticking a forked tongue out at them.
"Doesn't matter! Where have you been, Spike? And why did you decide to come back now?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Spike looked at the three fillies, all of whom had their front hooves in his lap, looking back at him. "Well, as best as I can tell, I was a pony, somepony who you seemed to enjoy tormenting, as well. Thank you, for what you said to him." he said, giving them a small smile and giving the tops of their heads small, friendly rubs. "As for why I'm back now, I have no idea. Everypony seemed better off when I was Obsidian, anyway."
"Spike, that's not true! Sure, you may have been a great help to ponies, but we still missed you, Spike." Sweetie Belle said loudly, tearing up some and hugging the purple dragon again, causing the other two to join in. Spike returned the embrace gently.
"Thanks again, girls. Now, have you three been good little fillies?" the three all jumped away from him and nodded vigorously. One might mistake little halos over their devious little heads from the sun shining on them. "Well, as hard as that is to believe, I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Now, I need to go admire myself." he said, stretching before standing up, giving them a goofy smile. "I never got a chance to look at my new body." The three fillies all giggled at the silly dragon as he walked towards the Crusaders Clubhouse, where they somehow managed to keep an unbroken mirror.
Looking in the mirror at his reflection, Spike saw that his body would be larger than most ponies, though still not as large as the Princesses, and still had the same purple hue to it, just a touch darker now. He flared out his wings and checked them out. They were the same shade purple as his main scales. His stomach scales had a more pronounced shade of green, while his spines kept their color, changing to be sleeker, growing into sharp points.
"Lookin' good, Spike. Lookin' real good." he said to the mirror, standing on his hind legs and flexing his arms, causing uncontrollable giggling from the little fillies watching him. The giggling increased as Spike's stomach gave out a tremendous grumble, causing him to give a sheepish smile. "Guess I'm hungry. Come on, lets go get some breakfast."
The three fillies all gave a chorus of "Yay!" and followed the dragon as he walked towards Ponyville. Spike silently hoped the six mares weren't there yet, though he still wondered why they hadn't returned last night.
Twilight woke up feeling sore, her cheek still stinging from the cuts she received last night. She opened her eyes and looked at her friends, all of them still sleeping in the cave, cuddled together for comfort. She raised a hoof to her cheek, reminding herself how much it had hurt when her own brother, Spike, had slapped her. It didn't truly hurt physically, but it opened her eyes to how the little dragon felt. Perhaps 'little' wasn't the proper way to describe him anymore, Twilight thought. He was larger than she was and had finally gotten his wings.
Twilight's gaze rested on Rarity, who hadn't been able to speak last night. The white unicorn had went into a trance after hearing Spike's harsh words and departure. Twilight felt saddened for her friend. Rarity had dearly missed Spike, and the first thing he said to her was 'buck off.' Had something worse happened between the two of them that she wasn't aware of?
As if on queue, the white mare opened her puffy eyes and looked back at the librarian. Twilight reached out a hood and rested it on her friends' shoulder. "You alright, Rarity?" The mares' eyes turned away and she gave a small sniffle.
"I don't know, dear. I- I think I deserved that, last night. But, it still hurts." She closed her eyes, tears pooling under her eyelids. "I never imagined Spike doing that.."
Twilight pulled her friend into a light hug. "Neither did I." they both lay there, not saying anything more, just taking comfort in each other. The other girls slowly woke up and started moving around, getting ready to head back to Ponyville. They didn't have any food for breakfast, so other than a few "Good mornings" going around, it was quiet, save for some grumbling stomachs.
The walk back to Ponyville took nearly an hour, and everypony had sore hooves, sore bodies, and empty stomachs. Pinkie Pie wasn't bouncing around, either due to hunger or because of every ponies mood. They all silently agreed to grab something to snack on at the Corner.
After they entered the gingerbread building, they each got themselves some delicious, sweet snack that may not have been appropriate for a breakfast, and sat around a large table to enjoy. Pinkie Pie devoured a few cupcakes while Applejack and Rainbow got into a cake eating competition. Twilight and Fluttershy just quietly ate their snacks, while Rarity just stared at her tray of muffins, not attempting to eat any.
"So why did Spike act like that last night? That was so not cool!" Rainbow Dash said, breaking the silence.
"Maybe he was just shocked, that's all." Applejack said unsurely. "Ah reckon he was overreactin' that's all."
"I don't know, AJ. He seemed calm to me." Twilight said defensively.
"Yea, calm enough to slap the pony he has lived with all his life!" Rainbow Dash almost shouted, clearly upset. "And why do you still have those cuts, Twi? Why don't you heal it yourself or let Fluttershy take care of it?"
"Because I deserved it, Dash! All he ever wanted from me was to be my friend, to spend time with him and let him know that he.. That he was loved." Twilight said, trying to hold back tears.
"Well, didn't you do that, Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked, confused.
"No, Dash, I didn't." Twilight said softly, getting up and walking away. "Not enough, at least. Thanks for the food, Pinkie." with that, she exited the bakery, making sure the door closed behind her.
"What the hay was her problem?" Dash said.
"Ah suppose she was just defendin' her oldest friend, Dash. Though, ah do agree with ya." Applejack looked at the others. "What about y'all? Bein' very quiet, specially you, Rarity."
Rarity looked up at Applejack, then at the rest of the mares. Applejack and Rainbow Dash both looked at her, while Fluttershy was watching everyone with a little worry in her eyes, while Pinkie was bouncing around, failing to try and cheer everypony up. "I think he needs some time to himself, that's all, darlings."
"Time?! He's had three years to himself, for Celestia's sake!" Dash nearly shouted, causing Rarity to flinch.
"Girls, I think we should all stop fighting. Th-that is, if you don't mind.." Fluttershy spoke up, and looked like she wanted to hide under the table as they looked at her.
"Fluttershy is right!" Pinkie said, jumping onto the table. "And maybe all Spike needs is a big hug, even if he is being a big meany-pants."
"Ah guess we did get carried away there, sugarcube." Applejack said, looking to the side. "We should probably go make sure Twilight's alright. What about you, Rarity? Are ya alright?"
Rarity sighed and looked back at her muffins before speaking. "I think so, darling. I just need some time, alone."
"Ya have been alone, sugarcube. But ah ain't gonna argue with ya." Applejack said, placing a hoof on her friends' shoulder. "Come on, girls. We should go see Twilight." she took her hoof off Rarity's shoulder and walked towards the door, followed by a grumpy Rainbow Dash and energetic Pinkie Pie. "Fluttershy, ya comin'?" she asked the yellow pegasus.
"No, that's alright. I need to go back and check on my animals." Fluttershy said, giving them a small smile. They nodded and continued out the door. Fluttershy turned towards Rarity, who was still staring at her muffins, and gave her a small hug. "I'm sure everything will work out, Rarity. Maybe Spike just needs some time, just don't let him think you don't care anymore."
Rarity returned the hug and gave a sniffle. "Thank you, darling. I lost him once, I don't want to lose him again." both of them were quiet for a few moments before they let go. "I think you should go check on Angel, he's probably pretty upset that you haven't fed him yet."
Fluttershy let out a small 'meep' and quickly flew out the shop, leaving Rarity to sit and look at her muffins. Sighing, she picked one up and took a small bite out, trying to at least enjoy her snack, just a little. She finished one of the muffins before standing up and levitating the tray and the rest of the trash to throw it all away. Just as she was about to throw it all away, a blue-grey pegasus was spotted in the corner of her eye, and she turned to her.
"Well hello, Ditzy. What brings you here this morning?" she asked the wall-eyed mailmare.
"Oh, just decided to come get some muffins before going to work. And I told you that you can just call me Derpy, everypony else does." she said, looking at the white unicorn, while her other eye decided there was something interesting on the floor.
"Well, that just wouldn't be proper, dear." Rarity said, levitating the tray of muffins over to her. "Here, might as well take these. I don't want them, and it would just be a waste to throw them away."
"Really?! You're going to give me free muffins?" Derpy said, looking like it was her birthday and ready to jump around, which she did when Rarity nodded, giving her a small smile. "Ooh, thank you!" the pegasus mare said, giving Rarity a tight hug before flying off with her muffins, a huge smile on her face. Rarity smiled slightly after her, the bliss flowing from the pegasus seeping into her.
Spike left the guest bedroom of the library. As much as he didn't want to come here, he had to stop by to get bits to pay for breakfast. The bits weren't exactly his, but Obsidian had earned it, so he told himself it counted. The Cutie Mark Crusaders waited downstairs, hopefully not breaking anything. As he got to the top of the stairs, he heard a shout and groaned.
"Twilight!" one or more of them shouted, "Spike's back!"
There was a short conversation that he couldn't make out, and he decided against his better judgement to walk down the stairs. The entire place felt foreign to him, he hadn't truthfully been here in years, and walking on four limbs was still alien to him, and he stumbled a little walking down the stairs. As he got to the bottom of the stairs, he was tackled by a white ball of unicorn filly.
"Spike! Twilight's here! Hurry up and let's go talk to her!" Sweetie Belle said excitedly, pushing the dragon towards the main room in the library where the other two Crusaders and the librarian awaited. As the lavender unicorn came into sight, Spike noticed the cuts along her cheek, he flinched slightly.
"Hey Spike. Are you feeling any better? I hope we can go back to how we were, Spike. I promise that we can be happy again." she said, trying to smile though tears were swelling up in her eyes as she talked.
"How can I believe anything you say? You lied to me, Twilight. You broke the one promise that meant the world to me!" he said, standing up on his hind legs and overshadowing her, pain and anger in his eyes, recalling everything that happened between them. The three fillies sat at the edge of the room, looking fearful and hurt for their close friend. "You decided that being Celestia's little whorse was more important than the one that depended on you!" Spike looked like he wanted to say more, but instead shook his head, sending a few draconic tears throughout the room as he ran out the door.
The three fillies were shocked at what their friend had just done to Twilight. "Twilight, what was he talkin' about? What's this promise that mattered so much?" Apple Bloom quietly asked the now newly sobbing unicorn.
Twilight looked at the three fillies, all of them looking at her expectantly, sadness apparent on their young faces. "Well, it was when we were young, and Spike was only a couple weeks old." she sniffled before continuing. "I took those first couple weeks just spending time with him, he quickly learned how to speak, and was learning how to write. I knew I meant a lot to him, but I found out just how much after I started going back to school.."
Twilight hummed through the gardens. She enjoyed being back in classes and learning more, especially now that she was going to be Princess Celestia's personal student. The time she had off to spend with the little dragonling that had been hatched during her exam had been very fun, but she had still wanted to study during that time.
As she got back to her new room in the castle, where her and her dragon Spike were now staying, she skipped along, happy to be able to spend more time with her new friend. As she opened up her door and levitated her saddlebags next to the door, she called out for him. "Spike! I'm home!" she looked around for the little purple dragon but couldn't see him. "Spike? Where are you?" she called out again, getting concerned.
She started levitating things everywhere, looking for her friend. She started to panic, fearing something happened to him, when a loud knock came from the door. Running to it, she shoved it open and stared right into the face of a large pegasus guard.
"Miss Twilight Sparkle?" he asked, to which she nodded. "There is a small dragon running around. It seemed to be looking for something, and I was told that you have a dragon."
"Spike? Where is he?" she asked frantically
"He was last at the school you go to. Follow me, miss." he said before turning and walking at a fast pace, causing Twilight to have to nearly run to keep up with him. She didn't care, as long as she found Spike.
They quickly got to the schoolyard, and the scene was heartbreaking. Spike was running around crying 'Twilight!' and trying to get inside. It was apparent that he was crying, and Twilight ran as fast as her little legs could carry her to the little guy.
"Spike! I'm here, Spike!" she shouted at him. Spike turned and looked at her, and started running at her. The two jumped into a giant embrace, Spike's little claws on the sides of Twilight, while her hooves wrapped all the way around her scaly friend. After a few minutes of him crying silently into her chest, she spoke up quietly. "Now now, Spike, what's wrong?"
He didn't move from his position, but tightened his hold around the lavender filly. "I got lonely waiting for you. I started to think that you left me." he nuzzled her chest before continuing, "I started coming here to look for you, and all the other fillies started making fun of me, saying that I was a freak, that I don't belong here. I got scared, Twilight." he started crying softly again.
Twilight ran a small hoof over the green scales on his head reassuringly. "Why would you think that I left you? What were you scared of, Spike?" she asked softly again, tears pooling up.
"I- I was scared that.. That you.. Didn't want me.. Anymore.. I was scared that you left me all alone." as he finished, he started crying harder than ever, pressing his snout as hard as he could against the chest of Twilight, soaking her fur in tears. Twilight choked up and hugged him as tight as she could, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks. "I don't want to be left alone, Twilight."
"I will never, ever, ever, ever leave you alone, Spike!" she cried, stroking his scales. "I promise. I promise that you will never be alone. You will always belong here, my little Spikey." she closed her eyes and rested her head on top of Spike's, nuzzling him softly. After what seemed like an eternity, the sobbing had quietened, and Twilight kept on stroking the scales of the little dragon, not moving at all from her position. The guard who had brought the little filly there watched the entire time, letting a smile creep on his muzzle and a tear fall down his cheek at the scene that had portrayed in front of him.
Spike sat on the bench in the Ponyville Park, smoke billowing out of his nostrils. Of course, Twilight would want him back to be her slave. She said she wanted things to go back to how they were. Did she really not care about how he felt? And of course, he would forget the bits at the library, so breakfast was out of the question. He leaned his head back, closing his eyes, taking in deep breaths.
A voice called out to him nearby. "Spike? Hi Spike!" Spike opened his eyes and spotted the speaker, a blue-grey pegasus mare with a habit of crashing into everything. She flew over to him and sat next to him on the bench, her yellow eyes both looking at the dragon as she carried a tray of muffins in her mouth.
"Hey Derpy, how are you?" he asked, turning to look at her as one of her eyes went upwards. "Haven't crashed into too many things lately, have you?"
"Nope!" she said, setting the tray in her lap and shaking her head. "Muffin?" she offered one of her muffins to the dragon, whose stomach grumbled loudly.
Derpy giggled a little as Spike smiled sheepishly and happily took it. "Thanks Derpy!" Spike started to eat his muffin, enjoying the flavor of blueberries residing inside, when a voice called out behind them.
"Spike! Could I please talk to you, dear?" the pony said, causing Spike to groan inwardly, recognizing the voice of the fashion mare his heart had set after all those years ago. He turned and looked at her, the pastel unicorn looked hopefully at him, a sad look in her eyes.
"So you can torment me more? I'll pass, thank you." Spike turned away from her and back at his muffin.
Rarity took a few steps towards him and asked again, "Please, Spike? can we please talk?"
"Buck off, Rarity..." he muttered, the grey pegasus next to him barely hearing it. "Don't you have some fancy, stuck up Canterlot ponies to go impress?" he continued louder, "or do you just want to use my help for that? Just go away!"
Rarity gasped and sputtered out some incoherent words before sniffling and walking away. Derpy looked at the purple dragon with a frown before noticing the pained expression on his face. "Something wrong, Spike?" she asked softly, getting a quiet, draconic headshake in response. She got up and walked directly in front of him, looking up at his emerald eyes. "Come on, Spike, what's wrong?"
Spike sighed and looked in her eyes, which decided they wanted to look at the opposite eyes. "It's nothing, Derpy. I've just been through a lot. I just feel like I don't really belong.."
"Well, why don't you talk about it?" she asked, giving him a look that could make anypony give in.
Spike smiled slightly and spoke up, "All right, Derpy, just sit down, ok?" she nodded and sat right next to him and continued eating her muffins, keeping an eye on him as he stared at his half-eaten muffin for moments before continuing, "It all started when I was only a few weeks old..."
Princess Celestia sat at her throne thinking, her sister at her side. She
was frowning at the pony in front of her, talking on and on about something to do with next years Grand Galloping Gala. She had stopped listening to the stallion an hour ago, instead thinking about her sister and Spike.
Celestia looked at her sister, who had her gaze set outside. "Luna?" she whispered, as the dark blue mare turned to look back at her sister. "Is something the matter?"
"You mean other than being up much later than usual, having to listen to boring ponies, and there being a broken dragon in Ponyville?" she asked with a little bit of a smile on her lips. "Yes, but that isn't the big concern right now, sister. I think you should go talk to him, I think he needs somepony he felt close to before." Luna looked at the stallion still talking, oblivious to the conversation between the two and their lack of interest in his ramblings about decorations. "I think I can manage to deal with this dolt, go spend a day or two with Spike."
"Are you sure?" Celestia asked, genuinely concerned. "From what you told me, he might not take too kindly to me being around."
"I can't do much more than just lend an ear and advice to him, I'm afraid." Luna said, frowning. "As much as I would like to be able to help him in that position, I can't. Believe me when I say that he needs somepony who was close to him."
"Alright then, Luna. Love you, dear sister." Celestia leaned over and gave her sister a small nuzzle. "We can talk when I take care of Spike."
Luna gave her sister a nuzzle in return. "Love you too, sister." she watched as the older mare stood up and apologized to the stallion for her need to leave. "Oh, and Celestia? Try not to banish him on the moon. It tends not to make things much better."
Celestia pouted slightly at the younger alicorn. "Thanks for taking all the fun out of things." her expression changed to a more serious one, and her eyes had a glint of sadness in them. "Don't worry Luna, I know he needs somepony, and I have learned from my mistakes years ago."
Spike sat on the bench, eyes closed. He didn't want to open them, fearing the look he might get from the pegasus next to him. It felt good to get everything off his shoulders, but he just talked about all his problems and hopes to a mare he had rarely talked to in the past. She probably thought he was a freak, just like all the other ponies used to.
Spike opened his eyes as he felt a hoof placed on his shoulder. He turned his eyes to the mare, who was smiling reassuringly at him. "There will always be ponies who pick on you, Spike, but you will always be welcome here in Ponyville. Even if some ponies don't seem to care about you."
Spike smiled at the wall-eyed mare, and surprised her by pulling her into a short, warm hug, to which she reciprocated the hug back to him. "Thanks, Derpy." he said quietly as he pulled back from the hug. "And thanks for listening to a silly dragon."
Derpy let out a cute little giggle, "You're welcome, Spike, but you aren't a silly dragon." Spike let a smile form on his muzzle as they sat quietly for an eternity. "Hey Spike, you gonna finish that muffin?"
Spike looked at the grey pegasus as she stared at his half eaten muffin, drooling. Spike chuckled a little as he held out the muffin for her to take. "You can have it, Derpy. I guess I'm not really hungry anymore." Derpy leaned forward and started to eat the muffin while he held it, causing him to blush slightly. The gray mare happily ate the muffin and licked up all the crumbs from his hand, oblivious to what she was actually doing and Spike's reaction.
Derpy looked up with a goofy grin on her face, "mmm... Muffin.." she looked up to the sky and gasped, "Aw, I'm late! I forgot all about work!" she exclaimed, jumping up and started to take off when Spike spoke up.
"Um, Derpy?" the pegasus looked at him as she hovered in the air. "Are you busy later?" he asked shyly.
"I don't think so, Spike. Why?" she asked wonderingly, eyes crossed.
"Well, um, you want to go get dinner some time?" he asked, smiling at her with his face flushed.
Her mouth opened and she hovered there for a moment before excitedly saying, "Sure, Spike, I would love to go to dinner with you!" she blushed as she flew closer to the dragon. She aimed a quick kiss at his cheek, causing him to blush harder. Derpy pulled away from the dragon, her face flushed. Spike looked into the eyes of the red cheeked pegasus. "I hope to see you again soon, Spike!" she said quickly before flying away.
Spike stared dumbly at the retreating mare and reached his claws to his cheek. He smiled to himself, feeling like somepony did care for him. He started thinking about where he could take the mailmare out for dinner when his thoughts were interrupted by a goliath yawn. Even though it was barely midday, he was extremely tired. Perhaps it was being in a larger body, he thought, or maybe just the stress of everything.
He slowly made his way to the Crusader Clubhouse, hoping to find somewhere there to be able to sleep. The chirping birds, cool breeze, and the many smells and beauty of the landscape barely registering to the young dragon. As he clambered into the clubhouse, he was blinded by a bright flash. As the flash started to subside, he seen a large pony-figure in the center just before it spoke.
"Spike Sparkle, it has been far too long." came the regal, feminine voice. |
The Love of a Dragon | Remuffinship | "Spike Sparkle, it has been far too long."
Spike waited for the brightness to fade away and looked at the pony that just appeared in front of him. "So, the 'great ruler of Equestria' got bored and decided to get off her fat flank to visit? What happened Celestia, got bored and needed to come torment me for your own amusement?" he said, glaring at the large white alicorn. Princess Celestia frowned slightly and lowered her head, taking a couple steps towards him.
"Spike, what's wrong? Please, talk to me, like you used to." she said softly.
"What's wrong?" he shouted, "I get hurt, abandoned, and lied to by my friends, ponies who I considered my family. The pony I cared about the most, abandoned me, again, after you told me she was changing. What's wrong, huh?" Spike was yelling at the white Princess, causing her to flinch at his words. "The pony I loved, the one I want to be with, used me, humiliated me, and then left me to rot! What's wrong with that, Celestia? The one pony whom I thought would be there for, the one I called 'Mom' just sat on her fat bucking flank and watched it all happen! What the buck is wrong?" Spike's nostrils were billowing smoke as he approached the alicorn, his eyes narrowed on her.
"I'm sorry Spike, I didn't know it was going on." she said, hanging her head low.
"Oh, you didn't know? You didn't know that I was suffering, and yet you know when your prized little pet is having a mental breakdown because she fears she is going to upset you? I'm sorry, Princess," he spat, standing inches away from her "I have a very hard time believing that."
"Spike, please listen-" Celestia was cut off by a clawed fist to her cheek, causing her to stumble.
"Enough! I am tired of all of this! Was I so much of a burden to you before that you just dumped me on somepony who had already hurt me once? Was it too much to want to feel loved, to feel like I belonged?" he drew back his arm, glaring at the Princess. "Why, Celestia? Why did you just leave me? I trusted you, I thought that you would be there when I would need you!" he swung again, knocking her onto the floor of the clubhouse.
Celestia watched the drake as he stood menacingly above her. She had tears in her eyes from the words he was shouting at her. She didn't try to stop him, just watched him as he started wailing at her body, leaving small gashes across her chest and side. Spike's attack soon stopped, leaving him panting. He sat and looked down at the ground for a long time, neither him nor Celestia saying a word.
"Why?" he whispered. "Why were you never there? Why was nopony ever there?" he lowered his body close to the ground. Whimpers could be heard from him as he placed his head on the ground. Celestia struggled to her hooves, and carefully walked over to him. She leaned her head down next to his and nuzzled him softly, ignoring the low growls she was receiving.
"Spike, I am here now. Please, let it all out, let me share the burden." she whispered softly, tears in her eyes. "I can never expect you to forgive me for not paying attention. I didn't even realize I meant that much to you." she said to herself, turning away from the dragon. "I'm so sorry, Spike." she took a couple steps away from him, towards the window, when she felt her tail grabbed onto. She turned her head and found that Spike had a handful of her hair in his grasp, the rest of his body unmoved.
"Please don't leave," he whimpered, "don't leave me all alone again." Celestia turned around and set a hoof on his back, her tears slowly falling down her white cheeks. Spike jumped forward and pressed his muzzle into her chest, wrapping his arms around her. She wrapped her hooves around the dragon.
"I'm so sorry Spike." She lowered her head and nuzzled the back of his head, sniffling quietly. She felt her chest getting wet from his quiet crying, his tears stinging as they got into her cuts. As she thought about all of his hurtful words, she felt deserving of the punishment. They sat in each other's embrace for a while, Spike's quiet sniffles and Celestia's sobs and muttered 'sorries' the only sounds in the clubhouse.
Spike pulled away from the Princess slowly, and looked away from her after he was out of her warm embrace. Celestia seen the conflicting emotions playing across the young drake's face and looked down, quietly muttering to herself. "I'm such a terrible, terrible mother.."
"Maybe..." Spike responded quietly, "but I wouldn't want anypony else. Besides," he continued quieter, "I can think of worse.."
Celestia's heart jumped, and she leaned forward to give him a small nuzzle, but was blocked by a purple claw. "Thank you, Princess, but I think I need some time to myself." Spike said softly, "I have a lot on my mind, and I have plans for dinner."
Celestia held back some tears and nodded slowly. "Alright, Spike." She said softly. "Just know that I am here for you. Would we be able to spend some time tomorrow?"
"I don't know. I'll let you know, ok?" He asked, looking at her sullen expression. She nodded and looked downwards. "Thanks, and sorry."
"Sorry?" she asked. "Sorry about what?" Spike pointed to the cuts that lay across her body. She frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about, Spike."
"But-"
"No buts. As long as you feel a little better now, don't worry about this, Spike." she said, placing a hoof on his shoulder. "Now, since you want some time to yourself, I will wait for you. Just promise me you will talk to me, alright? Please?" Spike nodded and Celestia looked around, a faint smile on her muzzle. "Now, I think somedragon has a date they need to get ready for?" she asked quietly.
"What? How did you know?" Spike asked, a confused look in his eyes as he looked at the Princess.
"Because I think she happens to be standing at the door." Spike turned and looked at the doorway and spotted the grey pegasus mare, peeking her head into the clubhouse.
Spike brightened up when she looked at him and gave him a small smile and a wave. "Hi Derpy! Could you give me a moment?" he asked, waving back at her.
Derpy nodded, "Sure, Spike. I'll just wait out here for you!" she smiled at him and gave Princess Celestia a wondering look before backing out of the door. Spike turned and looked at Celestia, opening his mouth before a hoof was pressed against his lips.
"Don't say anything now, Spike. Just enjoy yourself. You need to have some fun, alright?" her horn lit up as she enveloped the dragon in her magic, cleaning off all traces of dirt and blood. She leaned towards him and gave him a small peck on his forehead before nudging him towards the door.
Spike looked at the princess questioningly, and got a small soft smile in response. Spike sighed and slowly walked out of the clubhouse. Celestia watched as he made his way to the gray pegasus, and her face slowly turned into a slight frown.
With a flash, the white Alicorn teleported out of the clubhouse to her bedchamber. She looked around sullenly, her room appearing to be just perfect. Too perfect. She walked slowly to her vanity, looking into the large mirror. Her eyes followed down her body, taking in the cuts she had received from the young dragon. They weren't deep, but they still left a small trail of blood down her chest and forelegs, and stung immensely. She sighed, reaching a hoof up and taking ahold of her crown.
"Such a pointless piece of hurting jewelry," she said to herself. "I can't even help those who are close to me. Those who may even consider me their mother.." She continued to look at her crown, the light gleaming beautifully off the amethyst inlaid in the pure gold crown. She closed her eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek before she threw it violently at the mirror, shattering the glass. She gripped the large vanity with her magic, throwing it across her large room.
She continued throwing her furniture through her room, her very large wardrobe flying out the window into the castle courtyard. As her energy drained, she collapsed on her bed, the remains collapsing under the added weight. She curled into herself, laying on the messy sheets and mattress covered in glass and splinters, sobbing to herself.
Spike walked slowly next to the fluttering grey pegasus, neither of them talking. Derpy glanced at the purple dragon, his face downcast and lost in thought. She landed right next to him and spoke up. "So Spike, who was that mare? She was very pretty."
"Huh?" he said, broken out of his reverie. "Oh, I guess she is.. That was Princess Celestia. I guess you could say she is my mother."
"Yourmother is the Princess?!" she gasped.
"For what it's worth." he said quietly. "What do you want to do, Derpy?" he turned and looked at her pale yellowish eyes.
"Hmm...." she brought a hoof up to her chin. "I dunno." she shrugged.
"How about getting something to eat?" the dragon suggested.
"Sure!" the mare said, excited.
"Alright, what do you want to eat?"
The pegasus flew off shouting "Muffins!" as the young drake watched dumbly before smiling and following her. He caught up to her outside the Sugarcube Corner as she entered the gingerbread building. Spike paused for a moment, looking at the sweet shop and taking a deep breath, he followed the mare inside.
He looked around the inside of the store, only a couple ponies sitting at tables. He caught sight of the grey mail-mare at a booth along the wall, munching on a blueberry muffin. He walked over to the table and sat across the table from her, surprise on his face as she pushed a cupcake towards him. He gratefully took it with a quick "thanks" and a smile and started eating it, watching as Derpy frowned from lack of muffins after eating the last of them.
She reached over to the side of a table and uncovered a small blue button. Curious, he asked. "What's that?"
Her hoof paused just above the button as she turned a blank face to him. "Muffin button."
She pressed the button, and Spike was slightly confused by her behavior. "Wha-." he was interrupted as an excitable pink pony appeared out of nowhere with a giant chocolate chip muffin.
"Hi Derpy! How are you doing today? Oooh, do you got company?" she looked at the dragon staring at the giant muffin. "Oh, hi Spike." she said, audibly deflating. "What are you doing here?"
"Hi Pinkie. I'm here with Derpy."
"We're on a date!" the mare chipped in excitedly.
"A d-date?" the dragon stuttered, taken off guard by her claim, and her enthusiasm about it.
The pink pony seemed surprised, but quickly broke into a small smile. Small for Pinkie, as any other pony would have been beaming. "Be right back!" she said before disappearing just as fast as she appeared. Spike barely had time to look at the pegasus happily eating her large muffin before he had a sapphire cupcake pressed into his claws and the party pony responsible sitting next to him with a mustache.
"Uh, Pinkie?" Spike asked, "What's with the mustache?"
"What mustache?" she said before pulling a monocle out of nowhere and placing it over her eye. "So, Spike. Why are you here with Derpy?" she said quietly, so only the dragon in question could hear. "Why not Rarity? Don't you have a crush on her?"
Spike deadpanned at the her. "Why would she deserve a date after how she treated me? Or for me to talk to her again?"
Pinkie frowned. "She is sorry, Spike. You have no idea how much she missed you. How much we all missed you."
"Yea, after I was gone. What did I matter to anypony before? Now, could you leave us alone so I can spend some time with Derpy?" he said, looking back at the gray mare, still happily munching on her muffin. "At least she deserves company." he muttered.
Pinkie Pie looked hurt, looking down at her hooves as she asked, "Well, could you at least come and tell me what's wrong later?"
"I don't know, Pinkie." he said, turning his eyes to her.
"Pleeeeeeease?" she asked, giving him a super sad pouty face.
Spike sighed. "Fine.."
"Yay!" Pinkie exclaimed, giving the dragon a bone crushing hug before disappearing under the table. Spike turned to his cupcake, glancing at the pegasus looking at him from across the table.
"Something wrong Spike?" she asked.
"Yea, let's just focus on our date for now, ok?" The pegasus nodded, giving him a small smile. Spike watched her take another bite out of the delicious looking muffin. "You must really love muffins, huh?"
"Yup!" she said, beaming with some muffin crumbs and melted chocolate on and around her lips. She seen the purple dragon staring at her muffin. "You want some?"
"Sure!" he reached out to grab a piece of the muffin but was interrupted by a grey hoof pushing a large piece of the scrumptious muffin in his mouth. She giggled as he had trouble chewing the mouthful, and continued her snack as he swallowed with a happy look in his emerald eyes.
They continued eating their snacks, chatting lightly about Derpy's work as a mailmare, Spike quickly finishing his cupcake and listening intently, a warm smile across his muzzle. They sat in peaceful silence as Derpy shared the last of her muffin with the dragon, who was leaning over the table to better reach the fluffy goodness.
The grey mare lent forward, looking into the giant wrapper for more muffin, spotting a small chunk at the far edge. She moved to take it in her mouth, at the same time as the purple drake, their lips meeting over the last bite. Both parties were shocked, but the mare softly pressed into it, closing her eyes. Spike's eyes were wide as they kissed, too shocked to move.
As Ditzy pulled back from the scaly lips, a forked tongue reflexively running across his lips, taking in the chocolate and muffin crumbs, as well as brushing across the mare's lips, eliciting a small giggle as she leaned back for another small kiss. This time, Spike reacted, his eyes closing half way as he returned the kiss, which tasted immensely like chocolate chip muffins.
The moment of perfect bliss was interrupted as a brash voice called out, "What?! Spike?!" Spike groaned, pulling back from his date, who was now frowning at the interruption, to look at the rainbow blur coming at him, tackling him into the bench. "What the hay do you think you're doing, coming in here, kissing that mare while me and Rarity were watching you over in the corner? No, don't look, dumbass," she said, planting a hoof firmly on his head to keep him solidly in place. "She already left in tears. How does it feel to make your friend feel bad, huh? A mare you supposedly loved?!"
"And what would the fillyfooler know about making friends feel bad, huh Dash?"
"What?! You are here, breaking one of my friends' heart, and leaving another one a trembling, sobbing mess, and you have the nerve to accuse me of making my friends feel bad, as well as going on about my sexual preference?!"
"Oh, I guess I wasn't one of your friends, huh?" Spike spat, glaring up at the cyan mare. "Or were you too busy bucking your fillyfriend to notice?"
"What the hay are you talking about?"
"Well, let's see, there's the time you went to Cloudsdale for the Young Flyers Competition, despite how badly I wanted to see Cloudsdale. There's the time you all went to Canterlot to celebrate Twilight's birthday, when I desperately wanted to spend it with her, and the rest of you girls. Oh, but those aren't the only times you forgot about the stupid baby dragon, no. Every single bucking time you went on adventures, who the hay was left to their loneliness, wishing he could be with the ponies he thought were his friends? Me, Dash. So tell me, are you really loyal to your friends, or just the mares who have their heads between your legs?"
"Why, you!" The agitated pegasus lifted her hoof to hit the dragon glaring up at her, smoke leaving his jaws and nostrils in tendrils, when she suddenly got pulled off of him by her tail and onto the floor. She looked behind her and seen the grey pony that the infuriating dragon was kissing with her tail between her teeth. "Derpy, let go. I need to teach that motherbucker a lesson!" She tried jumping back at the dragon, only to be pulled back again and a grey hoof planted firmly across her chin.
"And to me it sounds like you're the one who needs taught a lesson, Dash," she said, both her eyes glaring daggers into the weather pony. "Spike has been nothing but depressed from what happened, he keeps having ponies try to lecture him, and yet nopony will listen to him. Even when he is telling you what was wrong, it just went right through your head. Is your head so dense that it didn't even penetrate that thick skull of yours, or is your head so far in the clouds that it is made of clouds and everything just passes right through them?!" Both the rainbow maned pegasus and the purple scaled dragon stared at her with their mouths open.
The mailmare quickly walked over to Spike, giving him a quick hug and nudging him to the door and they both quietly trotted past the stunned blue mare. They walked through town in silence, the determined look vanishing off the mare's face and her eyes drifting back to their usual places.
"What was that?" Spike wondered, looking at her.
"What was what?"
"Back at Sugarcube Corner, you just went all out against Rainbow Dash."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Spike." Derpy's look of confusion was quickly replaced by surprise. "Oh no, I forgot!"
"Forgot what?" Spike worried.
"I forgot about my muffin! I was supposed to go with her to a school play!" she planted a kiss on the dumbfounded dragon's cheek before flying away blushing. "Bye Spike!"
"Bye... Derpy..." he said, staring after her. "Well, today wasn't all that bad, I guess.. Had to deal with Twilight, Celestia, Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash. Horrible. Though I guess I have a marefriend now?" he trailed off, unsure, before letting out a massive yawn. He slowly walked back towards the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse, hoping the three little fillies weren't there.
Rarity sat at her boutique, staring at the necklace containing the fire ruby through bleary eyes. "Why do you torment me so?" she thought. She brought a hoof up to her chest, thinking about the scene she witnessed at the Sugarcube Corner, the young dragon her heart longed after happily kissing that cross-eyed mare. She closed her eyes, pressing her hoof against her chest harder as her heart felt like it was ripping out of her body. "I guess this is how Spike felt, isn't it?" she said to herself. She hung her head down, crying to herself as all the happy and regretful moments she had with Spike played through her head.
A small set of hooves wrapped themselves around the white unicorn, who opened her eyes and looking into the face of her younger sister. "Hello there, Sweetie Belle." she said as she wrapped a hoof around the younger unicorn, her voice cracking.
"Hi, sis," Sweetie said, rubbing a hoof across her sisters' side. "Why are you crying?"
Rarity hugged her little sis tighter, "Well, I went to Sugarcube Corner with Dash. A lady does enjoy snacks on occasion, and I really needed one. Anyways, while we were there, Spike came in with that mailmare pegasus, Ditzy. It was fine and all, but then Spike. He, k-" She stuttered. "He ki-"
"He what, Rarity?"
"HE KISSED HER!" she shouted before crying into Sweetie Belle's mane. "Not just once, but TWICE! I thought my chest was just going to explode.."
Sweetie Belle hugged her older sister harder, trying not to cry herself. They sat on the floor for a while as Rarity's sobs quieted and slowed down, "I know what has Spike upset, Rarity."
The white mare pulled her head back and stared at the young mare. "And what would that be, Sweetie?"
"He's scared of being all alone, and having been left behind so often. Twilight said his biggest fear was nopony wanting him around, or loving him."
"Is that so?" Rarity wondered, her eyes trailing back to the fire ruby.
"Yea. Maybe if you show him that you are there for him, and listen to him, it might help. But maybe he needs some time to himself?"
Rarity turned her gaze back to Sweetie Belle. "When did you become such a wise young mare, Sweetie? Are you sure you aren't related to Twilight, dear? Nopony in this family is that smart."
"You're smart too, sis." she said encouragingly, before grinning. "You can be a bit dense, though."
"Hey, that is not nice to say to a lady." Rarity said, lightly tapping Sweetie Belle's shoulder with her own little smile. "Though I do suppose you are right. Now, have you eaten yet?"
"Nope, I'm starving!"
"Dear, if you were starving, you wouldn't be quite so energetic. Now, how about we see if we can teach you how to cook yet, hmm?"
Luna walked briskly through the castle, the guards frantic. There had been crashing noises from her sisters' room earlier and the guards were unable to enter. They had also been unable to wake the dark alicorn from her slumber. Stopping outside the large doors into the day Princess' bedchambers, she felt out with her magic. Sensing both a physical barrier and a magical barrier, she frowned. What is she trying to keep out? Lighting up her horn, Luna poured magic slowly into the barriers, working her magic into them. Giving her magic a large jolt in power, the shields collapsed, sending out a shockwave, along with the sound of shattering glass.
Pushing the gilded doors open and walking into the room, Luna's frown deepened at the sight of the destruction, glass and wood shards everywhere. Making her way through the mess, she seen her sister laying in a heap on what was once a glorious bed. Immediately taking in the cuts on her chest, Luna nudged the white mess, who lifted her head to stare at the younger alicorn with puffy red eyes. "What has thee in such a mess, sister?" she asked softly.
"I am a failure, Luna. I can't protect the ones I love, I can't see when something is wrong, and I can't even comfort anypony correctly" she said, lowering her head back down.
"Tia."
"All I can do is just sit there, like a worthless lump, while those who depend on me sit and wilt. I pretend to know what I'm doing, then just ignore the problem, imagining I helped."
"Tia," Luna tried again.
"I take someone who loves me, and shove them away, somewhere they still look up to me, but are hurting."
"Celestia." Luna said, clearly annoyed.
"I just take all my problems, and put them somewhere else. I'm a failure, Luna. A big, miserable, failure, and all I can do is hurt the ones I love."
Luna lent forward, not paying attention to her sisters' ramblings, and nipped her rather hard on her exposed cutie mark. Celestia let out a squeak and jumped up, silently staring at the lunar Princess. "You shut up right now, Celestia, and you listen good." Celestia nodded, wide eyed. "Maybe what you said could be right, maybe you do hurt those who love you, but the fact that you are regretting those actions shows you want things to be different. But you sure aren't going to fix anything sitting here moping to yourself. Now, I do believe I already told you this once, but you have a son out there, needing comfort. Now, if you don't get off thy fat flank and go fix this problem, We will see if you can't be sent to the moon. Do I make myself clear?"
Celestia gave a quick nod before teleporting out of the bedchamber. Sighing, Luna walked out of the room, leaving two befuddled guards staring at the catastrophe.
"Shim, we should have never taken these positions as guards. We see some of the weirdest crap ever."
"You got that right, Sham, I think we need to get a couple drinks after this. Maybe we should clean this up, first?" The two guards looked at eachother before backing out of the room, closing the doors, leaving the Princess to clean up her own mess. |
The Love of a Dragon | On the edge | Twilight Sparkle slowly walked down the stairs in the library, unwilling to start the new day. She yawned softly, taking in the mess of books spread across the floor. Something that hadn't happened in awhile. Walking slowly past the couch, a small shifting of white catching her eye for a moment before continuing to the kitchen. Levitating a cup to prepare some heaven in a cup, or as others referred to it, coffee. She waited drowsily for the sacred elixir, taking in the wonderful aroma seething from the cup.
Levitating it to her lips and taking a sip, she suddenly stopped. Why was there a white mass on her couch? Frantically trotting back to the other room, she got a good look at what was on her couch, causing her jaw to drop.
"P-p-princess Celestia?!" she stuttered, confused as to why her mentor was on her couch, and napping. She reached her hoof cautiously towards the white alicorn, who opened up her puffy eyes and looked at the unicorn.
"Good morning, Twilight." she muttered before stretching. Twilight took in the sight of claw marks on the chest of the white mare.
"Good morning, Princess. May I ask why you are here, and why you have cuts on your chest? Did something bad happen to Canterlot? Oh no, that could be very, very bad.." she started, getting worked up over the thought of something able to injure her idol and Canterlot.
"No, Twilight, none of that. Unless you call your sister forcefully evicting you out of your own bed a disaster." the princess said with a small, sad smile, trying to reassure Twilight.
"Wait, Princess Luna kicked you out of your room? Why?"
"Well, let's just say that it is related to one of your previous questions.."
Twilight stood there for a moment before her mind pieced it together. "Spike?..."
Celestia nodded, her face showing signs of sadness before taking on a determined shine in her eyes as she looked intently at the unicorn. "Why, Twilight? Why did you repeat the same mistakes with Spike?" she said softly.
Twilight looked down at her hooves dejectedly. "I didn't mean to, Princess. I thought everything was fine, Spike seemed happy and he never said anything about feeling alone to me..."
Celestia was sitting upright on the couch now, looking down at her student, a small frown on her muzzle. "You never stopped to think about how he may feel? You've spent all these years with him and you still couldn't tell he was upset?"
"No, I couldn't, and what about you, Princess?" Twilight said, looking up to Celestia with tears threatening to escape. "Why didn't you help me? Why couldn't you help Spike like you did before? You had no problem helping him last time!"
"I didn't know he was feeling left out again, I thought that you were keeping your promise to both me and him." the Princess scolded.
"Oh, you knew when your student was freaking out about being tardy, but not that Spike was sad? And he calls you his mother?!" the violet mare retorted.
Princess Celestia cringed at the tone and the truth behind the words. She looked down, not saying anything. She closed her eyes, contemplating on what to say, when Twilight spoke up again.
"I'm sorry, Princess." she sat next to her mentor on the couch, wrapping her hooves around the larger alicorn. "I got carried away, I've just been kind of on edge since Spike disappeared and now came back, angry at everypony and hitting me.." feeling the princess nuzzle her mane, she pressed a teary cheek against the warm, white chest.
"I'm sorry too, Twilight. I shouldn't have tried taking it out on you, even though I am slightly disappointed." the two mares sat there for a few moments in silence, enjoying each other's company, when Twilight quietly spoke.
"I'm curious, Princess."
"About what, Twilight?"
"How did you know Spike returned? We didn't send you a letter or anything."
Celestia tensed up, unprepared for the question. "Well, um, you see, Twilight." she started shakily. "I have something to tell you about that blue dragon I asked you to take care of..."
Spike stretched, his joints cracking at every movement, his muscles unwilling to move. He opened his eyes, taking in the sights of the Clubhouse. He frowned inwardly, once again feeling alone, getting up from his slumber, multiple waves of emotions washed over him, followed shortly by exhaustion, hunger and an intense headache.
Groaning and making his way out of the treehouse, he wondered on what to do, raising a claw to block the rays of the sun. His stomach gave a large rumble, and he decided to take care of his hunger, as well as talking to the pink mare he promised a chat with.
Making his way to the Corner, he waved back at everypony who waved at him, though most of the ponies ran away from the dragon. While he didn't exactly want to talk with Pinkie Pie, he hoped that it would do some good, and that it wouldn't go sour. He felt calmer than he had the previous day, he just hoped that seeing the mare wouldn't change that.
Walking to the bakery, he took a deep breath before pushing the door open and walking inside. The inside of the shop looked as warm and inviting as ever, albeit void of ponies. Walking up to the counter, he wondered why nopony was around, especially Pinkie.
"Hiya Spike!" came a loud, cheerful voice, causing him to jump and look down at the pink mare on the floor looking at him with a large grin, before he jumped back and sat down hard.
"Pinkie! Where did you come from?" the hyperventilating dragon managed to ask.
"Well, I came from my mommy, of course, silly!" she said.
"I mean, what were you doing on the floor?"
"I've been here the whole time."
Shaking his head, Spike calmed himself from the near heart attack. "Why are you laying on the floor?"
"Umm," she brought a hoof up to her chin before shrugging. "I can't remember."
Spike brought a claw to his face, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Forgetting temporarily about why he was there in the first place, he sat down at a nearby table.
"So why are you here, Spike?" Pinkie asked, bouncing to the table.
"You wanted to talk, remember?"
"Nopey-dopey."
Spike's head fell forward onto the table. "You wanted me to talk about what was wrong?"
"Oooooh! Now I remember!" Pinkie said, sitting down across from Spike, a mustache and monocle on her face. "So, what's the matter, Spike?"
Spike stared at the pink pony before shaking his head and starting. "Well, I guess the long story short is, I feel very lonely, left out, and.." he looked down. "Unloved.."
"What? How could you feel lonely, left out and unloved? You've always been around friends!"
"Yea, but I constantly get ignored by my best friend, my sister! And you girls are always leaving me behind on your adventures." he said, upset. "I even missed Twilight's birthday party when you went to Canterlot for it, even though I spent all day trying to make it special for her.." he studied his claws. "I even made her a special cake for it..."
"What? You made her a cake? Why didn't we see it? I bet it was good!"
Spike glanced up at Pinkie for a moment, then continued staring at the table. "I... I ate it... After I found out you all went to Canterlot without me, I felt sad and lonely, and ate it.."
"Why do you feel left out though? We bring you along to a lot of stuff!"
"Oh, right, on picnics when I prepare them for everypony. What about when you went to Cloudsdale? Or went to deal with the dragon? Or at the Grand Galloping Gala? What about yours or Gummy's birthday parties?"
Pinkie Pie was visibly sad, looking down at the table. "Is that it, Spike?" she said softly, the dragon looking up at her. "Is that why you left us?" she asked, looking up at him.
"I..." he looked away. "Yes, that is part of it."
"Is it what Rarity did?"
Spike flinched. "Yes..." he said, barely audible. "But that's only what pushed me over the edge."
"Well, what is it? It wasn't me was it?" she asked, frowning.
Spike shook his head. "No Pinkie, it wasn't you." he sighed. "It was Twilight."
"What about Twilight?"
Spike looked down at his lap as he recalled broken promises, being treated more of a pet or servant than a friend, and how she almost never showed concern for him. He had tears in his eyes as he recounted some of his past to the pink mare. After he finished, he heard the normally ecstatic mare sniffling. Looking up at her, he noticed two things. First was the tears pouring down the earth ponies face from her cerulean eyes, the second was her mane. While normally all curly and poofy, it was now straight, seemingly straighter than Twilight's mane.
"Pinkie, are you alright?"
The mare hesitated before starting to nod, only to shake her head part way through and look down. "How could she do that? How could we all do that?" she started crying heavily, and Spike watched sadly before moving around to her side and placing a claw on her shoulder. She looked at him, before wrapping her hooves around him and giving him a bone crushing hug, crying audibly and wetly into his neck. Spike returned the hug, rubbing the pink mare's back as she cried enough for both of them.
Minutes passed, and Pinkie finally pulled back, her crying subsiding. "Spike?" she asked, her voice cracking. "Are we still friends?"
Spike looked her in the eyes before giving her another small hug. "Of course, Pinkie. It's not entirely your fault, anyways." Pinkie gave the purple dragon a small squeeze before pulling away and standing up.
"I better get to work, Spike."
"Alright Pinkie, do you think I could get some donuts?" he asked sheepishly.
She gave him a small smile. "Of course, Spike, just a moment." she walked into the back for a moment before returning with a big box of donuts, from chocolate covered, glazed, and blueberry flavored. "Here you go, Spike."
"Thanks, Pinkie. Will you be alright?" he asked, concerned for the depressed mare.
"I think so Spike, I'm just super-duper sad that Twilight would ever do something like that."
"I know Pinkie, I know." they gave each other a small wave as Spike walked out of the SugarCube Corner, holding his box of donuts. He walked casually to the park, opening the box of donuts and munching on a delightful blueberry donut covered in chocolate.
Sitting down on the park bench, Spike took in the beauty of the morning. Birds chirping cheerfully, sun shining beautifully through the tree leaves.Closing his eyes, Spike inhaled, taking in the scent of nature, and the muffin he was about to eat. 'Wait, muffin?' he thought, before feeling hooves pressed to his eyes from behind.
"Guess who!" came the playful, feminine voice.
"Hmm, I don't know, is it Carrot Top?"
"Nope!"
"Roseluck?"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Hmm, could it be Lyra?"
"Nope, silly."
"I give up, who is it?" the drake said, smirking to himself.
"I don't know if I should tell you now." the mare said, trying to sound hurt.
"Aw, come on Derpy." he said, leaning his head back as the grey pegasus removed her hooves from his eyes. Upside down, her crossed eyes looked even more silly. And undeniably cute. he thought as she gave him a smile. "How are you this morning?"
"I'm just fine. Sent my little muffin to school and decided to fly around for a little while before going to work, and saw you here." she said, walking around and sitting next to the
"Your muffin?" Spike asked, offering her a donut, which she happily took.
"Oh, my little Dinky. She's just the cutest little filly ever." she said, beaming, before she took a bite from the donut.
"Oh, I didn't know you had a kid."
"Yep, I wouldn't trade her for the world, even though her father was a jerk."
"What happened?"
"Well, he acted all nice, and when he found out I was pregnant with little Dinky, he started being a complete jerk. He called me names, teased me because of my eyes, even hit me a few times. I was kind of glad when he left, but I was still a bit sad when he wasn't there for her birth. He hasn't even shown up to any of her birthdays."
Spike placed a claw on her back, trying to cheer her up from the sad thoughts. She looked up to him and smiled, leaning into his side. They sat there, finishing the last of Spike's donuts and talking lightly about Dinky and other little colts and fillies around Ponyville.
"Hey Spike." Derpy said, turning her head to the drake, the sun glimmering off his scales. "Do you want to go somewhere after I get done delivering mail?"
Spike gave her a warm smile and nodded. "I would love to!"
"Alright! I'll catch you later, ok Spike?" she asked, getting off the bench.
Spike stood up as well. "Sounds good, Derpy. Don't have too much fun with the mail, alright?"
The grey pegasus giggled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before taking off. "Don't have to worry about that!" she called, waving at him as she flew towards the post office to start her work.
Spike waved back at the retreating mare before pulling his hand to his chest. "Do I love her?" he asked himself. Turning away after the grey pegasus left his sight, he walked slowly down the path, lost in thought. He looked to the sky, admiring the birds flying merrily along, enjoying the young afternoon.
Closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, he smiled to himself, shortly before walking into something. Or somepony.
"I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going. I didn't hurt you, did I?" came the soft voice. "Spike? I'm so sorry."
Spike opened his emerald eyes, looking into the face of a very timid yellow pegasus. "And cute." he thought to himself before shaking his head. "Hi Fluttershy. What are you doing here?"
"Um, I was just watching the cute butterflies flying around. They are just so beautiful when the light hits them just right." she said, turning her eyes back to a group of nearby butterflies.
"You're right about that, Shy." thought the purple drake, who was staring intently at the trio of butterflies on her flank, before mentally slapping himself. "No, stop thinking about Fluttershy like that. I have a marefriend now. I shouldn't be looking at her flanks, even if those butterflies could draw any eyes to those flanks like magnets." "That's nice, Fluttershy. Sorry about running into you." he said aloud, walking away.
"Oh, I'm sorry Spike, is something wrong?" she said, turning an eye towards him, the tone of his voice drawing her concern.
"It's nothing." he said, still walking slowly away. "I'm.. Fine."
"Really Spike? You don't sound fine." she was concerned for her friend, even after the rest of the girls told her what happened while she was unconscious a few days prior. "You know you could tell me. If you don't mind, that is..."
Spike turned towards the butterscotch mare, slowly looking up to meet her eyes. He could not bring himself to be upset at the pegasus, even after everything that had transpired. She was the first pony to show a lot of interest in him. "I guess I can. Do you want to walk around, Shy?" the pegasus nodded and shyly took a spot next to her scaled friend and walked slowly with him. "It's just that, I feel lonely. I know you girls are my friends, but you have so many adventures and fun while I get stuck behind doing menial tasks at the library, all alone." he said to the sky.
"Oh my, I never even realized that, Spike. I'm sorry.."
"I was fine, but the more and more you girls left me out, the more depressed I felt. Especially when Twilight stopped talking to me as much, again. Just talking to tell me to do something, hardly even saying 'thank you' to me. Even Owlowiscious gets more appreciation than me." he sighed. The mare next to him had her head down, taking everything he said to heart. "I know I should feel happy for Twilight, she finally made friends, but I can't help but feel
unwanted.. Unloved.. Unneeded.." he trailed off. They had stopped at the bottom of a small hill, and Spike stared at his claws, digging into the dirt.
"I'm sorry, Spike." the yellow mare said softly.
"What? It's fine, Fluttershy." Spike replied casually.
"No, it's not. We should never have left you all alone, Spike." she said, sniffling. "We considered you our friend, but we never did anything with you, and never once thought about you or how you were. We even let you fall into a freezing cold lake and laughed about it."
Spike looked at his friend, noticing the tears on her cheeks. She gave a loud sniff and whimper, breaking his heart before she continued. "I could have gone and saw how you were doing, or at least talked to you more... I'm..." she sniffled loudly. "I'm the worst Element of Kindness ever..." she trailed off, tears running freely down her cheeks.
Spike couldn't take the sight of the shy pegasus crying, and walked over in front of her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "No you are not, Fluttershy."
"Yes I am, I can't even show somepony who I considered my friend kindness. How am I not a horrible pony?"
Spike wrapped his arms around the crying mare. "Because you never meant to hurt any one, Fluttershy. And you are showing me kindness right now by listening to me." The yellow mare threw her hooves around him, pressing her muzzle against his chest. Spike rubbed her back slowly, hoping she would stop crying.
"How many times am I going to be hugging mares today." he thought, looking at the pegasus. "This is, what? The second? Third?" his eyes drifted down her back. "I wonder how soft those lovely flanks are... NO!! Stop. She's just you friend." he frowned, turning his head towards the distance, watching birds and small critters in the field. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of the warm mare pressed against his body. "Curse you, traitorous brain. Stop thinking about Fluttershy like that. Or any mare, for that matter."
Moments passed as Spike fought with his thoughts, and Fluttershy got her emotions back under control. "I'm sorry, Spike." she said, pulling away and wiping her eyes with a hoof.
"It's ok, Fluttershy. Thank you for listening to me."
"Spike, next time you are feeling alone or unwanted, you could come talk to me about it, you know that, right?" she asked softly, giving him a small smile. "If you want to, that is."
"Of course, Shy." he gave her a small hug, which she returned happily. "Hey, what time do you think it is?"
"About three in the afternoon, I would guess. Why?"
"Um, I'm supposed to be meeting with somepony."
"Oh! Alright, I better get back to my animals anyways. It was nice talking to you, Spike." she quickly walked away from him, waving at him. Spike returned the wave and looked towards Ponyville.
He took off at a brisk pace, and jumped off, fluttering his wings, before coming back down on his four paws. "Huh.. I guess I never actually learned how to fly, did I? But then, how did I fly before?" he asked himself.
He closed his eyes, and concentrated on flapping his wings, getting the feel of his wings catching the air, slightly changing the positions as he flapped. He gradually felt himself lifting off the ground as he flapped harder.
He opened his eyes and was shocked, causing him to drop a couple feet before regaining his composure. He was flying several feet above the trees nearby. "WOOHOO!" he cheered, attempting to do a backflip, only to nearly crash back into the ground. "Whoops, better take it easy." he slowly, and cautiously, flew back to Ponyville, to meet up with his marefriend.
Landing at Ponyville Post Office, he looked around for the grey pegasus. "Derpy? Are you here?" he called out. Suddenly, something landed on his tail, causing him to nearly jump out of his scales. He turned around, breathing heavily, a claw raised up, until he saw the pony responsible who was giggling to herself. "Derpy! You nearly scared me to death!"
"But you were just standing there, I couldn't pass up the opportunity!" she giggled, sticking her tongue out at Spike.
Spike huffed. "Well, you got me, just don't do that again, please? So, what you want to do?"
"You can fly, right?"
"Uh, yea?"
The grey mare jumped around and waved her tail at him. "Grab my tail and close your eyes!" Spike's eyes were plastered to the bubbles on her flanks, his mind blank. "Spike?" she turned her head back to look at him. "Did you hear me?"
"Wuh?" he said, shaking his head. "What?"
"Grab my tail, and close your eyes. I got a surprise for you!"
"Uh, alright." he said, unsure. He grabbed her blonde tail with both hands and closed his eyes.
"Ready?"
"Yea." as soon as he said that, he felt the mare starting to fly, so he started flapping his wings to follow her into the air. They flew for what felt like ages, until he felt the pegasus slow down and make a slow descent. He followed, and upon feeling something extremely soft beneath him, his eyes shot open.
The dragon blinked a few times before he realized where he was. Looking at the soft, billowing clouds and flowing rainbows, his jaw dropped. Derpy looked at his expression with a smile on her face, walking next to him and looking on, before being swept up by an arm and placed in a crushing hug. "Thank you so much Derpy! You didn't have to take me to Cloudsdale, but thank you thank you thank you!"
"You're welcome, Spike, but could you let me go?" she said, muffled. "I can't breathe."
"Oh, right." he let her go and gave her a sheepish smile while she stumbled away. He looked back at the wonderful cloud city, still awestruck by the amazing sight.
"Hey Spike, are you going to sit there with your head in the clouds or are you going to come eat?" she giggled, watching him as he ran to catch up. "They got this really cool place here that makes all their food look like rainbows!"
"Really? That's amazing!" his stomach grumbled, causing him to blush as the grey mare looked at him and giggled. "I guess my stomach thinks so, too." they laughed as they walked through Cloudsdale, enjoying the beautiful city, and each others company.
"So, you're telling me.. Spike... Sister... Discord... Oh, WHAT?!" the mare speaking was obviously flustered. "So, you are saying that Luna was there as the dragon?! We could have been hurt!"
"Believe me, Twilight, I didn't want to do this, and Luna agreed not to harm any of you. But from how Peewee has been acting when he comes to visit Philomena lately, I could tell something was up, and when I watched all of you here in Ponyville, my suspicions increased."
"So, you have Princess Luna, act as dragon, and have all of us, including a stallion that you didn't know, go try to get rid of the dragon, all because of a hunch?! A hunch!?!"
"Please, calm down, Twilight. I would not have dreamed of putting any of you in danger if I wasn't certain. I believed that if that stallion, Obsidian, I believe you said, was indeed Spike, that his love for his friends would pull him out from the pony."
"And what would have happened if Obsidian wasn't Spike? Or if he wasn't able to come out?" Twilight stepped closer to the white alicorn. "And why did you think that Spike was Obsidian? How would you ever guess that?"
"Please, Twilight, please understand. I want to tell you everything, but at least wait until we have resolved this problem with -" she was interrupted as a purple hoof ran across her face, and watched as the unicorn it belonged to trotting away, running up the stairs. She looked back at the Princess before she entered her room.
"You come here, yell at me for abandoning Spike, blame me for his disappearance, tell me that you intentionally put us in danger for a hunch, and won't even tell me why?" she had a tear in her eye, and wiped it away. "How can I trust you, Princess? Just leave me alone...." with that, she entered her room and slammed the door shut, leaving Princess Celestia alone.
Princess Celestia looked at the door to her student's room, before looking out the window, watching the sun approach the horizon. "I want to tell you, Twilight. I really do." she said to herself. "I just don't think I could go through it more than once."
Spike sprawled across a cloud at the edge of Cloudsdale, belly full, covered in rainbows, and a giggling mare next to him. After they had eaten at the rainbow specialized restaurant, which unfortunately didn't have gems, they had gone on a game of tag when Derpy purposefully tripped him and called him a slug. He had chased the mailmare across Cloudsdale, almost catching her. Almost, before she made him fly right into a pool of liquid rainbows. After escaping some upset workers from the rainbow factory, the couple had collapsed on the cloud, too tired to do anything else.
"This day couldn't get any better." Spike thought to himself, wrapping an arm around the grey pegasus, who nuzzled into his side. He turned his head over the cloud, watching the sun set slowly, the clouds glowing with an orangish-red hue. He rolled over onto his stomach, awestruck by the sight. "It's beautiful." he whispered. He didn't even notice the grey mare moving beside him, watching the beauty on the horizon.
Derpy rubbed her cheek against his, enjoying watching such a beautiful sunset with the purple dragon. Spike turned his head towards her, leaning his face towards hers. She closed her eyes, leaning in just a little as their lips met. They lay on the cloud as the sun lowered from sight, their lips locked in a loving kiss.
All too soon, they pulled away, smiling at eachother. The serene moment was shattered as the young dragon let out a giant yawn. "You sure know how to ruin a perfect moment, Spike." Derpy whispered, nuzzling him. "Come on, let's go back to Ponyville."
The pair slowly departed the cloud city, flying around in broad loops, laughing and enjoying the early night. As they approached Ponyville, they saw the thick clouds in the area.
"I knew there was supposed to be rain tonight, but it looks like they over did it, again." the pegasus said. They sped up as they got closer to the downpour, Spike started flying over Derpy, causing her to smile warmly at him as she flew towards her house.
Landing outside her simple home, she quickly entered, inviting Spike in from the rain. "Thanks Derpy, for everything today." he gave her a hug.
"You're welcome, Spike. Thank you for giving me such a wonderful time." she said, returning his hug. As soon as they pulled away from each other, Spike walked back into the doorframe, ready to depart. "Are you staying close by? Don't want you out in that rain too long."
"Um, at the Crusader Clubhouse." he said softly. "I can manage."
"Oh no, you're gonna stay here." the grey mare said, planting a hoof on his tail.
"Where would I sleep?"
"Well, we don't have a couch, and I don't think you want to sleep on the floor. You could always share a bed with me."
"Uh, I can just sleep on the floor." the drake said, fighting his thoughts that flooded his mind
"Oh, something wrong with that? I see." she said softly, turning her face down a little.
Spike was caught between a rock and a hard place. He didn't want to give in to his minds temptations, but he also didn't want to leave his marefriend seemingly disappointed. "Nothing is wrong with you, Derpy. But won't I take up most of the bed?"
"No, there should be plenty of room for both of us."
Spike sighed inwardly as he came back inside, closing the door. "Alright then, lets get to sleep, then?"
Princess Celestia continued to watch the rain, having sat there for hours, watching as the pegasi moved clouds for the nighttime rain, and continued to stare outside long after she lowered the sun. She sighed, turning towards the stairs, thinking about the purple unicorn at the top. She slowly made her way up the stairway and towards her students door, pushing it open.
Inside, Twilight was laying on her bed, looking at a book, muttering "No, no, no, no.." Celestia quickly made her way over to the bedside and nuzzled the unicorn, before looking at the book, the sight of which caused her to gasp.
The book was a picture book, and towards the back of it was a big picture of Twilight and all her friends, with a picture of Spike being taped next to them in the picture.
Link in case the image isn't working.
'This was a triumph. I'm making a note here, huge success!'
'Oh god, why? I didn't know that could happen. I don't want to imagine another octopus again.'
'And the whales. Can't forget the whales.'
'Don't. Make. Me. Think. About. It. We should really get going, we are behind schedule as it is.'
'Every party needs a pooper, that's why they invited you, party pooper!'
'Just quit delaying.'
'Fine. You are such a buzzkill. I'm going to call you Buzzkillington.' |
The Love of a Dragon | Confusion | Spike slowly drifted awake, his mind still elsewhere as he recalled his dreams. He had plenty of similar dreams in the past, with a certain white unicorn. He shifted around in the soft bed as he recalled more details. The dream was a plain heroic adventure, with him trying to save his princess. Instead this time, the princess wasn't white. He had rescued the princess, and brought her back to her castle, where she invited her "handsome, shining knight" to stay the night. The last part of the dream he cared to recall was the princess waving a bubble-marked flank at him.
The dream wasn't new to him, though the princess had changed. It had also felt more real, especially the princess nuzzling into his chest. "Wait," he thought, "That feels too real." his eyes shot open, taking in the morning sunshine with a few blinks before he focused on the body pressed against his.
"That's real. Definitely real." He thought, looking at the grey Pegasus. Images from the dream forced their way to the front of his mind. "Oh, don't tell me part of the dream was real! Especially not that part!" The Pegasus slowly muzzled his chest happily in her sleep. "Oh sweet mother of Celestia!" He thought, moving away from the mare.
She didn't like her body pillow leaving her side, evident from the soft groan and her forehooves searching for the warmth of his body. Her yellow eyes opened sleepily, looking at him in half-lidded drowsiness. "Morning, Spike." she yawned, moving closer to him and burying her face in his chest again. "Mmm... So warm.."
Spike just laid there, stunned and staring as the grey mare tried to push her body into his. He was brought back as her hooves wrapped themselves around his torso. "Um, Derpy? Did, um.. Did last night actually happen?" he asked quietly, afraid to ask, and of the answer.
"Mhmm." she confirmed, giving him a little squeeze. Spike stopped breathing, his heart rate rapidly increasing. The mare noticed this, pulling her head from him his chest and looking up at his blank face. "Spike? Are you alright?" Not getting a response, she wiggled up and rested a hoof on his cheek.
His glazed eyes turned to the mare, staring worriedly back at him. "I'm sorry, Derpy. I didn't mean for-" his muttered apology was interrupted by a quick peck to the lips.
"Don't apologize, Spike. Even if neither of us expected... That... It still happened." a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. "And I did enjoy it." Spike relaxed a bit at this, wrapping his arms around the mare.
"Doesn't mean I won't feel bad, though." he said, running his claws slowly up and down her back. Derpy gave a quiet 'mmm' and relaxed into his body, closing her eyes again. Spike rested his head on hers, slowly rubbing her back, enjoying her embrace. She let out a low moan as a claw scraped against her wing accidentally, causing it to shoot out to the side.
Spike was surprised at this, but the small groans of enjoyment coming from the pegasus convinced him to continue. He slowly traced a claw up and down her wing, causing her to breath heavier. She turned half-lidded eyes up to him, nearly panting, as she reached forward, brushing her lips against his. Neither one of them heard the small knock on the door as they kissed each other passionately.
The door creaked open slowly, the small call of "Mommy?" startling the pair out of their own world. Spike jumped, pushing himself off the bed and onto the floor in a mess of purple scales and sheets. Derpy looked towards the door, shocked. "Are you awake?" came the voice as the one responsible emerged from the doorway, a little greyish purple unicorn filly.
"Yes, Dinky, I'm awake." Derpy called. "What's wrong?"
"I was just wondering where you were. You weren't home last night, and I'm hungry..." she said quietly, walking up to the bed before looking around. Her eyes locked nervously on the mess of a dragon pulling itself up from the floor slowly. "Mommy, who is that?"
"That is Spike, Dinky. Spike, this is my little muffin, Dinky."
"Um, hi Dinky." he said, giving her a timid wave and smile as he sat down onto the bed. Derpy rested her body against his, inviting the little filly up on the bed. Dinky jumped up into her embrace, still staring at the dragon.
"Now now, Dinky, didn't I tell you it isn't polite to stare at somepony, well I guess somedragon as well. And that you are usually supposed to say 'hi' back to them?" she said, giving her a small glare. Spike chuckled lightly at the sight of her 'glare', her eyes making it look too cute to be taken seriously. It had it's intended effect, however, as the unicorn looked down at the bed and muttered a 'hi.'
"Now, muffin, I don't think he heard you."
"Hi." she said a little louder. She looked back up at him, giving an evil glare, as she pushed into the older mare. "What were you doing in my mommy's bed?" she accused.
"Um, sleeping?" he said defensively, backing away from the filly.
Derpy placed a hoof on the fillies cheek and turned her head. "Dinky, don't worry. I invited him to stay here during the storm last night. He's not going to hurt either of us. In fact, he made mommy very happy last night."
"Really?" she looked at him, a surprised look on his face. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a small grumble. Her mouth snapped shut and she looked away, embarrassed. Spike and Derpy were both trying not to laugh, with Derpy letting out a small giggle and hugging her daughter.
"Well now, sounds like somepony really is hungry." she said. Another, louder rumble came, vibrating the bed. Two sets of wide eyes turned to the dragon, who looked around sheepishly. Dinky started giggling at him, much to his embarrassment. "And somedragon." Derpy added, giggling as well.
"Well, good to know you two find it funny..." he muttered under his breath.
The pegasus quickly kissed his cheek. "Guess that means I should go make us some breakfast, doesn't it?" she suggested, to which both the dragon and filly agreed. "Why don't you two stay here while I make breakfast?" she kissed Dinky's head and whispered something to her before climbing off the bed and trotting out of the room.
Dinky sat next to Spike, staring up at him. Spike looked back at her, unsure of what to say or do, as she slowly reached a hoof to him. Her hoof rested on his leg, causing her to gasp. "You're warm!" she exclaimed, jumping onto him. "So... Warm... Maybe this is why mommy was so happy...."
Spike chuckled, placing a claw on the little filly. "Yes, I guess I am very warm. I am a dragon, after all."
"I never thought that you were actually a dragon! I thought mommy was just making it up."
"Now why would your mother lie to you?"
"I dunno. She's been so happy, I guess I just found it hard to believe. You're not going to take my mommy away from me, are you?" she asked, looking up at him.
"No, Dinky, I am not going to steal her from you. You are much too precious to her." the filly seemed to be content with his answer, as she continued to hold her body against his. The corners of his mouth lifted up in a smile, watching the young filly happily melt from his warmth.
A couple minutes passed before either of them spoke. "Mister Spike," she said. "Were you and my mommy playing the birds and the bees?"
Spike choked, "What?!"
"The birds and the bees. Mommy told me it was a game for adults who love each other very much, and makes them both very happy. And mommy said you made her very happy last night.."
Spike's mouth worked in vain, no words coming out. Dinky looked up at him, giggling at his expression. "W-w-what makes you think t-that?" he finally stuttered.
"I did hear a big roar last night." Spike looked at her, mortified.
"Is that all you heard?"
"Yup!" she relaxed again, leaving the dragon to stare down at her, his mouth open. Moments passed, the filly shifting to warm the other side of her body as she looked back at the purple dragon, who still hadn't moved. "Spike?" she asked cheerily. "If you and my mommy played the birds and the bees, does that make you my new daddy?" Spike focused on her for a couple seconds, his scales losing their color.
Rarity glanced at the dress stand in the center of the room, the glint of the gem constantly drawing her attention. She sighed and looked out the window, watching the serene morning atmosphere. She had been trying to work on dresses, but her mind always traveled back to a certain drake, and she kept finding herself looking at the heart-shaped fire ruby.
She looked back at the dress designs on her desk and levitated all the loose papers into a neat stack. She slid off her stool and made her way to her bedroom, looking into the giant mirror. She brought a brush to her mane, sliding it slowly through her curls, catching any stray hairs. Satisfied, she set her brush back down and levitated a bottle of her favorite perfume, spraying herself with a small mist before replacing the bottle. She walked back into her dress room, right up to the scaled dress with the precious fire ruby.
She placed a hoof on the ruby, inhaling deeply. "I'm so sorry, Spikey-Wikey." she whispered softly, levitating the necklace and placing it around her neck. She trotted out to her front door and stepped outside, closing the door behind her and making sure it was locked. She lifted her head high, taking in the fresh air before making her way down the street, ready to face her demons.
After making her way down the streets of Ponyville, she caught sight of her target, his shining purple scales glimmering in the early morning sunlight. She walked down the street, getting closer to the young dragon. Her pace slowed down to a near stop as she seen the pony in his presence, the grey pegasus mailmare. She watched as the two nuzzled each other before sharing a small kiss, with Ditzy flying away shortly after.
Rarity looked down at the ground, bringing a hoof up to the ruby on her chest. She looked back up and let her eyes follow the dragon, before forcing her body to follow him. She kept her distance from him as he sat down on a bench, looking up to the sky. He looked to be deep in thought, his face twisted in concern and confusion.
Rarity started to take a step closer to him, but stopped short and sat down on the ground, biting her bottom lip. The air around her seemed to grow warm, the wind blowing towards the dragon, as if to tell her to go to him. She shakily stood up, and crept up to the dragon.
"Spike?" she called softly, to which she got no response. Gulping, she tried again, louder. "Spike?" The dragon turned his head away from her. She sighed and continued. "I am sorry for what I did, Spike, I really am. I knew about your feelings for me, so many years ago, but I never paid them any attention. I used you to further my dressmaking, and for my own, selfish comfort." she looked away from him. "I never should have acted like I did, especially at the fashion show. You did mean a lot to me, even if I never realized it, and your confession touched my heart in a way I didn't think was possible. What I am trying to say, Spike, is that I really do care for you, though it took me far too long to realize what was in front of me until it was gone. I am sorry for all I put you through, Spikey-Wikey, and I don't expect you to ever forgive me."
Moments of silence passed, neither one saying a word. Spike sat solemnly, looking away from the unicorn, who was watching him sadly. She took a couple steps towards him, grabbing the fire ruby with her magic and pulling it off her neck. "I know this fire ruby you gave me for your birthday represented your love for me, and I have cherished it the entire time I have possessed it. I don't want to come between you and Ditzy, you two seem happy together, but I just wanted to tell you." She paused, sniffling as tears were forming. "I just wanted to tell you, Spike, that I do love you. I want you to have this fire ruby back, and give it to the mare you truly love. I will never deserve such a thing." She levitated the necklace and set it on the dragon's lap before turning her face away, hiding her tears. "I am sorry, Spike." she whispered before running down the street, leaving the dragon to stare after her.
A pair of magenta eyes watched as the purple dragon watched down the road that the white unicorn had retreated down minutes prior. The dragon pulled the fire ruby necklace to his chest and hugged it, leaning his head down.
White hooves made their way to the shaking dragon, stopping next to him before taking a seat beside him. He made no acknowledgement of the presence of another, and after long, tense moments, a large white wing spread out and wrapped around the drake. Spike opened his bleary eyes and looked at the pony beside him before burying his muzzle in the large white chest and sobbing into it.
"Shh, Spike. It is alright, just let it all out." the mare whispered quietly, leaning down and nuzzling the top of his head softly. "Nothing good will come from holding it in."
"I just don't know what to do..." he mumbled between sobs. "I still have feelings for Rarity, but I shouldn't. Not after what she did. And I finally have somepony who cares for me."
"Spike, there are plenty of ponies who care for you." she assured, wrapping her hooves around Spike and holding him tightly. "I care a lot for you, Spike, and so does Luna. I know for a fact that Twilight does as well." Spike let out a snort. Celestia frowned, but continued. "All your friends do care about you."
"They sure are great at showing it.." he muttered, before pulling slightly away from the Princess and looking at her face. "That still doesn't help with Derpy and Rarity. I don't know what to do."
"And nopony can tell you what to do, Spike. That has to be your own decision." the young dragon looked down. Celestia gave him a reassuring hug. "That doesn't mean others can't help you decide, though." Spike looked back up at her, hopeful. "I can't be one to help you, Spike. I haven't been involved in your life since you moved from Canterlot, as much as I am sure we both missed that."
"Well, who could help me, then?" Spike questioned, frowning.
"Your friends. All the ponies you have gotten close to over the years. You should probably talk to Twilight, I am sure-"
"Why should I?!" Spike snapped. "She has done nothing for me!" Spike turned away from the Princess. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you." he whispered.
"She has done many things for you, you just may not realize it, Spike. I think you should see her even if you don't want her advice." she reassured.
"Why?" was all he said.
Princess Celestia sighed. "Because she is hurting, Spike. She misses you, and will only blame herself for everything that has happened to you." she placed a hoof under his chin and gently pulled his gaze up. "And I mean everything, Spike. She barely even wanted to get out of bed this morning."
"Why is she blaming herself? Why now?"
"She read your diary, Spike. And she seen some certain pictures in a photo album."
Spike looked down and sat there for a few moments. He let out a small sigh. "Fine, I will talk to her. Just, not right now."
"But you will talk to her?" she got a nod in response. "I guess that is all I can ask. Now what do you plan to do in the meantime?"
He paused for a moment before turning his emerald eyes to her and quietly asking. "Is it alright if we spend some time together, mom?"
Celestia smiled and nuzzled him softly. "Of course it is, Spike."
Five mares sat in the library common room, not saying a word. A lavender unicorn was at her work desk, staring at a book, not responding to anything going on. She would occasionally flip a page or let out a small sniffle. The other four mares were closer together, though Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were a bit withdrawn.
"Alright, why is everyone so sappy?" Rainbow Dash burst out, unable to take it anymore. "Twilight hasn't said a word since we got here, and you two look like somepony died! And where is Rarity anyways?"
"I think I seen Rarity run into the Boutique and slam the door shut." Applejack stated.
"Alright, so we have little miss anti-social over here, miss shut-in over at the Boutique, and you two who look so down." Rainbow said, hovering between Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. "What's wrong, anyway."
"Prolly somethin' mean that Spike said to them." Applejack suggested.
"It was something that Spike said alright, but it sure wasn't mean." Pinkie Pie said, rather coldly.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Rainbow asked.
"It means, that we are all a bunch of mean old super meanie pants!"
"How in the hay are we the mean ones? Y'all heard what Spike shouted, and what he did." Applejack defended, staring at Pinkie.
"Yea, and that's all anypony ever cared to hear."
"Why would anyone want to hear anything else from that idiot? And why are you defending him, Pinkie?" Rainbow said, her voice raising as she flew into Pinkie's face.
"Um, girls?" Fluttershy tried saying.
"Because, Rainbow Crash, I would like to consider him my friend! He's just a sad, loner dragon with no friends that care for him." Pinkie said sadly, sagging to the floor, her straight mane and tail creating a small pool of pink around her.
"Woah now, sugarcube, why ya getting all aggressive?" Applejack took a step towards Pinkie.
"Girls?"
"Yea, and I thought you wouldn't call me that, Pinkie. And that stupid dragon is not alone. He is probably smooching it up with Derpy right now."
"So? At least he has somepony he can rely on!" Pinkie said, glaring up at Rainbow and Applejack.
"Now look here, sugarcube-"
"GIRLS!!!" Fluttershy shouted, causing everypony but Twilight to stare at her. "Spike was always alone, we never let him do anything with us, we never did anything for him, and we never even really talked with him. We always took him for granted when we needed him but we never even considered him any other time. We called him our friend and yet we never did anything with him that friends do together, have fun. So if he found somepony that makes him happy, I am glad."
"She's right" came a voice from the edge of the room. "And it is all my fault." Everypony looked at Twilight, who had her head down on a book, a tear making its way down her snout.
"Now look here, sugarcube. It ain't yer fault. Ya can't blame yourself for that."
"But it is my fault, Applejack. I spent every day with Spike, but I never knew anything was wrong. I didn't know he was sad, lonely, or hurt."
"How could you know if something was wrong if the nimrod never said anything?"
"Because, Dash, I spent so much time with him, I should have been able to tell when something was wrong. Or if I did notice something was wrong, I probably ignored it. Just like I ignored him." Twilight said, trailing off. "I know you girls came to see how I am doing, and thank you for that. But you should all probably go back home. I don't think there is anything you could do to help."
Rainbow Dash and Applejack just looked at each other and back to Twilight before slowly making their way out of the library. Pinkie Pie followed behind them with her head down, her mane dragging in the dirt. Fluttershy carefully trotted up to Twilight and gave her a small hug.
"He still loves and misses you, Twilight. He may not have said it, but it was apparent in how he talked about you. Your friends are always here for you, though I wish we would have been there for Spike." she said softly before flying out of the library, leaving a sobbing unicorn behind.
A laughing Spike lay inside a wet and muddy large, white wing, whose owner was laughing as well. Spike nuzzled softly into the side of Celestia, who stretched out into the grass. Their giggles died down gradually as they both lay under the last hours of the afternoon, glinting brightly off purple scales and dully on a muddy alicorn.
"I had fun today, mom. Thanks." Spike said, smiling up at the princess.
"I had a lot of fun as well, Spike, but you didn't have to push me into a mud puddle." She gave him a small pout. "Twice."
"Aw, I couldn't resist. Besides, don't you ever get tired of being white all the time."
"That's besides the point. You can't just push somepony into a mud puddle..."
"Well, I did." Spike stuck a long forked tongue out at her. "I also had a coloring book where I turned you pink..." he admitted, giving her a small grin.
"What?" Celestia said, taken aback. "You colored me pink? Why would you do that?"
"Well, it was already white, and I wanted to color more than just your hair." Spike shrugged.
"But why pink?"
"Well, um, you looked good in it? Pinklestia."
Princess Celestia snorted. "Ok, scales. How about I paint you pink?"
"You have to catch me first!" he exclaimed, squirming out from under her wing. He pounced on her and ran off, shouting. "Tag, you're it!" Celestia shook her head, grinning as she got up to chase after the laughing dragon as he ran through the grass and around trees.
Spike ran around some trees, circling around Celestia and lightly tapping her sides with a claw before running away. Celestia jumped out of the trees and waited for the young dragon to make a move. Slowly, she moved around the edge of the group of trees and was startled when Spike escaped the trees, running mere inches away from her. She turned around and gave chase, when a rainbow blur flew past her and nearly tackling the purple scaled dragon.
"Now who do you think you are, laughing without a care in the world while the ponies who care about you are hurt and crying?" Rainbow Dash shouted, butting her head against his. Spike just stood there and growled at her, his wings spread out. Princess Celestia quickly made her way next to him.
"Now what is the meaning of this, Rainbow Dash?" she inquired.
"This.. Monster... Hurt all of his so called friends, leaving them all sad and mushy, just so he could go have whatever fun he wants. No one hurts my friends and gets away with it!"
Princess Celestia pushed her way between them. "Are you suggesting Spike isn't your friend?"
"Not after what he did, he isn't!"
"So when he was the one hurting, why didn't you go after the ponies who hurt him, if he was your friend?"
"Who hurt him, and how, Princess?" she asked sarcastically.
The alicorn spread a wing around the dragon. "We all have, Rainbow. Me, you, Twilight, the other elements of harmony. Everypony close to Spike is responsible for hurting him. He may have never shown it, but he was hurting immensely. Now if you really want to hurt him even though he was supposedly your friend, you are going to have to get past me."
"I'm not scared of you, Princess! Why are you defending that monster, anyways?"
"This 'monster' is the closest being I have to taking care of like my own child. Something which I have neglected. And I would be more afraid of upsetting him than anything I could do to you."
"Argh, why is everypony defending him?" Rainbow Dash cried out, frustrated.
"I think you should probably go home and relax, and think on all the reasons why ponies are defending him, Rainbow Dash. If you realize it or not is entirely up to you, but I will not stand by while you go after my son." Celestia stated, stomping a hoof on the ground.
Rainbow Dash sighed and glared at Spike, who was nestled comfortably under Celestia's wing. "Fine, you win." she stated before flying off in a huff.
Celestia stared after the blue pegasus until she felt nudging in her side. She looked to the side at Spike, who was looking at her with a sad smile. "Did you really mean that?"
"Every last word, Spike." she smiled nuzzling him. He wrapped his arms around her neck, enveloping her in a tight hug. She sat down, wrapping her hooves around him and returning the hug.
"I'm sorry for hurting you, and everypony else." he muttered into her neck. She gave him a tight squeeze.
"It's alright, Spike. I will be fine, and I am sure your friends will be, too. You just need to talk to them, and get things straightened out." Spike nodded softly. "Are you going to talk to Twilight soon?"
"Yea, in the morning."
"Then you should get some rest. I imagine tomorrow is going to be stressful for you. I trust you will be alright on your own?" she asked, pulling away from the embrace slightly and looking at him as he nodded. She smiled and continued. "Then I will be on my way to spend some time with Luna. Remember to send me a letter if you need anything, Spike. Even if it is just to get something off your chest." They both stood back up, and Celestia kissed Spike's forehead. "I love you, Spike. We all do."
Spike watched the dirty white princess fly off into the evening, a small smile spread across his lips. He turned towards Ponyville and casually walked back to his home.
Spike watched as Derpy tickled Dinky, a warm grin growing on his muzzle as he walked in the house. Giggles from the mare and filly were loud enough that they hadn't heard the door open or shut, allowing Spike to sneak up behind the pegasus.
When he was mere inches away from the grey mare, he shot his claws out and ran them across her sides, causing her to jump with a shriek and let out more giggles as the new tickle attack continued. He continued to tickle the pegasus relentlessly until he was tackled by the little unicorn who was now recovered, as she tried to tickle him through his scales. He let out a devious grin and started a new attack on the filly.
"It is a lot easier to tickle with claws than hooves." he said, laughing as the filly squirmed under his claws. His first victim pushed him back down from his vantage point, and gave him a quick kiss, stopping his claws from their assault. He quickly relaxed, returning the kiss and smiled at the Pegasus standing triumphantly over him.
"It's not nice to sneak up on somepony, Spike..."
"Well kissing me was cheating. Besides, poor Dinky was defenseless before I came around."
"And then you attacked my mommy!" The little unicorn exclaimed, diving into his side. He wrapped an arm around her as she continued. "And I couldn't just sit by while the big dragon bullied my mommy!"
"Look, I got a protector!" Derpy giggled, leaning down onto Spike. "Where were you, I didn't see you anywhere." She asked with a look of concern.
"I spent the day with Princess Celestia. Kind of played around all day." He said, grinning sheepishly. "How was your day?"
"Well, it was rather uneventful. Dinky spent most of her free time with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and I just relaxed." She laid her head down on his chest, reaching a hoof over and resting it on Dinky's head. "I hope you don't mind that we already ate, though."
"It's fine, I'm not really that hungry." He let out a massive yawn. "Though I am tired."
"Mommy, Spike has a monster yawn! I bet he could easily swallow a filly!" Dinky giggled, poking his cheek with a hoof, causing Derpy to giggle as she got off the dragon.
Spike rolled over and captured Dinky in his arms. "My yawn isn't that big. But maybe I could swallow a filly!" he said as he leaned in and blew raspberries on her side and belly, causing the little filly to squeal and squirm.
"Come on you two, Dinky needs to get ready for bed." Derpy said, causing the dragon and unicorn to stop and look at her.
"Aw, but mom, he's so warm!" Dinky whined, trying to crawl further into his arms.
"And so is your bed, muffin." Derpy said, trotting over to the filly and picking her up. She held Dinky in her hooves and flew to the other room. Spike crawled up off the floor and slowly made his way to Derpy's bedroom.
Spike stood there and staring at the bed, thinking about the mare it belonged to, and the mare he had sought after. 'She said she loves me. But why now? I have Derpy now, don't I. I am happy, right?' he thought to himself. He was brought back to reality by a nudging in his side.
"Spike? Is something wrong? Spike?"
"Huh? What?" Spike asked, looking at the mare next to him. "Oh, no. Nothing's wrong."
"Really?"
"Yea."
"Ok then. Let's get some sleep, then!" she nuzzled him and hopped into her bed, making sure to leave plenty of room for the dragon. Spike followed behind and crawled under the covers, wrapping his arms around the mare. "Good night, Spike." she said quietly.
"Good night, Derpy." he responded. He closed his eyes and seen a white unicorn. He blinked, and looked at the yellow mane in front of him. Frowning, he rested his muzzle against the back of her neck and closed his eyes again. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep, with the image of Rarity going through her usual daily life ingrained in his mind.
"Good evening, Tia. Is Spike doing better?" Princess Luna asked as her sister landed on the balcony to join her.
"It seems so, Luna. He felt good enough to push me into mud." Celestia said, waving a dirty hoof in front of the night alicorns' eyes. "Though he is still greatly troubled by matters of the heart, and there isn't much that we can do to help him."
"I just hope he makes it through this without anything.... Horrible... Happening..." Luna said, looking into the dark horizon. "I can't even help him. Not yet, at least."
"You plan on telling him, then?"
"We. We are telling him, though I think it should wait until his heart is in a stable condition. We never should have kept this from him for so long, but it is not worth causing him more turmoil right now." Luna sighed, bowing her head down.
Celestia walked up beside her sister and leaned into her side. "I am sorry, Luna, you are right. We never should have kept this from him. Though I am sure he will be excited once he finds out. Do you have any plans for if he doesn't pull through?"
"I will fight till my last breath to help Spike, Tia. You should know this. I don't want him turning into a monster."
"Neither of us do, dear sister."
The two alicorns stood leaning against each other, watching the stars of the night. "Celestia?" Luna spoke up.
"Yes, Luna?"
"You look great in mud, by the way."
'Did you feel something?'
'Yes, I feel a disturbance. Or maybe it was just those weird things I ate. They don't like being digested. And those tentacles....'
'No, you idiot. I felt something. The last time I felt something similar was shortly before Discord ran off.'
'What about it?'
'Maybe we should check it out. If it made that loser brother of yours run off, it must be important.'
'I guess. But first, I want some dinosaur!'
'.....Do you ever think about anything other than your stomach?'
'When I'm not hungry.'
'So that's a no, then.'
'Pretty much. Now, come here, my pretties, daddy is going to eat you all up!'
'Of all the beings I could be stuck with, why am I with the one who has the attention span of a grain of dirt?'
'That grain of dirt finds that offensive.'
'Whatever. Just hurry up so we can check out that disturbance.' |
The Love of a Dragon | Welcome Surprise | As light barely crept over the rooftops, Spike stood at the door to The Golden Oaks Library, rocking back and forth on his feet, poised to knock. As much as he didn't want to be here, he knew he must. He knew that he had to talk with the pony inside, the pony he had called family, his sister. He knew he had to try and repair some of the damage between them. He knew, but didn't like it.
Gulping, trying to steady his nerves, he rapped against the door, waiting for Twilight to answer. After a few, long moments of silence, he knocked again, louder. Spike waited as the seconds passed into minutes with still no sign of the lavender unicorn. Sighing, he tried the doorknob, and finding it unlocked, pushed the door open slowly, calling out "Twilight, are you there?"
Still no response, and Spike looked around the library, taking note of the piles of books and parchment. Finding no sign of the mare on the main floor, he made his way upstairs. He stopped at the door to Twilight's room and knocked, softly calling out, "Twilight?"
His sharp hearing picked up a very faint "Go away" from inside. Frowning, Spike pushed the door open, a beam of light shining on a lump in the middle of the bed, which moved slightly as the darkness of the room faded. "I thought I told you girls to leave me alone?" Came a muffled call from the lump.
"Twilight, are you alright?" Spike asked, taking a few steps forward.
"Huh? Who's there?" A horned head popped out of the mess and turned to the doorway. Seeing the dragon silhouetted in the doorway, Twilight's ears drooped as she lowered be head back to the bed. "Oh. What do you want?" She sniffled, burying her face in the covers "was what happened at the mountain not enough for you?"
"Twilight, it's not like that," he sighed as he walked to the edge of the bed. "That's not why I came."
"Then why did you come, huh? I already know you hate me, you said as much before! So why else would you come here?" Twilight sobbed, bringing her head up to look at Spike, tears streaming down her muzzle. "I thought I was trying! I- I thought everything was f- fine. I- I- I- I..." She choked, unable to continue.
Frowning, Spike sat down at the edge of the bed, placing a claw on the back of Twilight's neck. "Twi-" he began, but was interrupted as Twilight shoved her face into his chest, crying. A pair of hooves wrapped around the drake as she turned his chest into a waterfall. Spike caressed the neck of the distraught made as she emptied her tears and sorrows.
As time crept by, Twilight's sobs started to die down, until they were little more than sniffles. "I came here," Spike began quietly "to talk about everything, Twilight. I came to realize that our friendship was important, no matter what happened."
"What do you mean, Spike?" Twilight asked, pulling away slightly and looking at him with puffy eyes.
"I mean that even after all that happened, you still mean a lot to me Twi. And some of it was my fault, too."
"What are you talking about? I'm the one who took you for granted, Spike. I'm the one that ignored you. Hay, we all did. Speaking of which, what exactly happened?"
Two sisters sat at a large table, enjoying a quiet meal together. The eldest, groggily munching on pancakes and sipping on coffee, watched her sister poke at her own plate, consisting of blueberry muffins and daffodils.
"Luna," she called, clearing her throat, "is everything alright?"
"I think we should go ahead and let them know, Tia." The midnight blue alicorn said, not looking up.
"Why is that, Luna?" The sun princess's ears perked up. "I thought we were going to wait a few more weeks?"
"I have a feeling that they need to know soon, especially him." Luna's eyes stared into those of her sister, unwavering. "A very, very strong feeling."
"Well then," Celestia sighed, frowning at her unfinished pancakes. "We will do it tomorrow. I will go ahead and take care of all the arrangements. We'll ward the castle tonight after everypony has been sent home. I'll tell them all it's a sort of... Holiday." She glanced at her sister, who was back to staring somberly at the table. "Are you sure about this, Lulu?"
"Yes, Tia, I'm sure." She glanced at her white sister. "But I'm not sure what will happen. At best, I bet there shall be confusion. At worst, it's possible that there will be some hostilities after that night."
Celestia walked over to her midnight blue sister, placing a hoof on her shoulder and said "I'm sure everything will work out, eventually. Now, you go get some rest and get prepared for tomorrow, sis." They shared a hug before the elder mare trotted away to attend the day
"She did WHAT?!?!?" Twilight screamed, infuriated. She charged out of the library and galloped down the street. "I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind!"
"Wait, Twi! Don't do anything too drastic!" Spike gulped, taking off after her. "This is not good!" he thought to himself.
By the time he got to the Carousel Boutique, Spike hoped he wasn't too late, as he could hear the shouting and screaming from down the road, and the door was blown to pieces. Leaping through the splintered doorway, he saw something that turned his gut upside down. Standing over a cowering, sobbing Rarity, whose mane and tail was covered in splinters, was Twilight with her horn charged and kicking the downed unicorn with her front hooves.
"Twilight!" He shouted, running up to the duo, trying to pull the attacking mare away. "What in Celestia's name do you think you're doing?"
"I'm giving this prissy bitch what she deserves." She snorted without pausing her assault.
"Twilight, stop!" He finally got the lavender unicorn away from the bruised and now unconscious Rarity. "There is no reason to be doing this."
"What all of us did wasn't right, Spike," she growled. "But what she did was just horrible. It's just- just- UGH!" She dropped her head, charging her horn more as it pointed towards the white unicorn.
"Twilight, NO!" Spike tackled the unicorn, right before a large magical blast emerged barely missing its target, but leaving a smoldering hole in the floor. "Have you lost your bucking mind, Twilight?!" He yelled, restraining the panting mare.
"Let me go, Spike." She grunted, trying to get free. "Rarity must pay for what she did to you!" She pushed him off, nostrils flaring and eyes wild with rage.
"Twilight, enough!" He shouted, slapping her across the muzzle with enough force to send her spinning across the room. "Won't you listen to yourself, Twilight? She was your best friend for ponysake!" He pointed to the unconscious mare on the floor.
"Spike, I--"
"No, Twi. You've done enough damage here already." He turned away from the mare. "I want you to go back to the library."
"Spike--"
"Now, Twilight." He watched out of the corner of his eye as the lavender mare slowly made her way out of the Boutique, head down and ears drooping dejectedly. When she had vanished from sight, Spike turned to the mess of a pony lying on the floor. "Oh, Rarity," he said quietly as he picked her up. "What happened to all of us? What are we going to do?" He set the unicorn on the sofa and busied himself pulling splinters from her mane.
After removing most of the mess from Rarity, Spike grabbed a bowl of ice and threw together some ice packs before starting to clean up the mess.
"Oh dear, what a terrible dream." Came a soft moan from the couch, causing Spike to turn towards the fashionista, who was slowly starting to stir. Rarity's eyes fluttered open, and dazedly looked at the dragon. "Oh, hi dear, wha--" she paused, as the mess of her shop, and herself, started to register. "It wasn't a dream, was it?" She asked, mostly to herself.
"Afraid not, Rarity." Spike said as he walked to her side.
"What are you still doing here?" She winced, sitting up. "I would have thought you would have left."
"I wanted to make sure you were alright, Rarity." Spike sighed, sitting next to the disheveled unicorn and placing an ice pack on her forehead.
"Well, I am alright, Spike. You don't have to stick around.
Spike said nothing, just sat there staring at the floor, holding an ice pack to Rarity's head.
"Spike, dear, is something wrong?"
"I thought you deserved it," he mumbled.
"What was that, darling?"
"I thought you deserved it," he said again, louder. "What Twilight did, I thought you deserved it, until I seen it happening."
"Well perhaps I did deserve it." She sighed. "I did treat you like an animal, after all."
"Either way, I couldn't stand to see it happen, Rarity." He brought his eyes up to meet those of the white mare. "I guess I'm just a big softie."
"Well darling, no matter what the case may be, I am grateful." She put a hoof on his arm, giving a small smile. "I don't think anything around here would be the same, otherwise. I would hate to see the damage Twilight could've caused if you weren't here."
"Yea, well speaking of her, I need to have a talk with that crazy mare." He grunted, standing up. "Will you be alright here?"
"I suppose so, darling," she sighed, to which Spike nodded and made his way to the splintered doorway. Just before he reached it, Rarity called out, causing him to pause. "Oh, and Spike? Everything I said before about how I feel about you, I meant it all. I just want to let you know, and that it isn't just me being jealous or anything. But please just be happy, dear." She watched as he left, not saying a word, then she slumped back into the sofa. "Oh, Rarity, darling, what are you going to do with yourself?." She looked around her destroyed boutique with a grimace. "And your wonderful shop?"
Spike walked slowly through Ponyville, not concerned about getting to the library anytime soon. He paused at the bridge and stared out towards the mountains, the same one where he first became a monster, and watched the sun gradually come down, bringing an end to this rather eventful day. As the sun lowered to reach the crest of the mountain, Spike felt a presence at his side.
"Lovely evening, isn't it Spike?" Came the soft, soothing voice.
Spike continued to gaze out into the sunset, nodding. "Yes it is," he glanced to his side and did a double-take. "Princess Luna? What are you doing here?"
"Please, Spike, it's just Luna." The midnight blue alicorn said, continuing to watch the sunset. "And I was just out, enjoying the evening, getting some fresh air, same as you." She looked at the dragon, who had turned back towards the mountains, a small frown on his face. "Is there something on your mind, sir Spike?"
The drake sighed, "Nothing to bother you about, Princess. And I'm not sure if you could help anyways."
"You might be surprised at what I could help you with, Spike." She brought a hoof to her chin in contemplation. "Are things going alright with your friends?"
"A little bit," he gulped. "I think I just need to talk to all of them, now that I've settled down some."
"Well, how about everything between you and miss Twilight Sparkle?"
"Well, I really need to have a talk with her," he grunted. "But I think everything will be OK, in the end."
"Well, that is a good thing." She tapped her hoof on her chin. "Hmm, what could possibly be troubling you... Could it be that Mr. Spike is having mare problems?"
Spike turned and stared into the Princess of the Night's eyes and deadpanned. "You have no idea."
She giggled. "Well, you were correct that I probably can't help you with that," she frowned, draping a wing around the young dragon. "But I know some pony that might. Do you think young Princess Cadence could help with your troubles?"
"I don't see how she could possibly make things worse," he shrugged.
"Well, I shall see if she won't pay you a visit in a few days." She declared, removing her wing and taking a couple steps back. "Now, is there anything else that is on your mind, Spike?"
Spike sat there with a solemn expression across his features for a few moments before quietly asking, "How do you deal with loneliness, Luna? Does it always feel like you are all alone, no matter how many ponies you're around?"
Luna sighed and sat next to the dragon, looking down into the flowing stream. "Well, Spike, it's not always easy, but you just have to remind yourself that there are others out there that truly care for you, even if you think they don't. Twilight Sparkle cares for you tremendously, though I think she has just started to realize just how much. The same, I think, with my sister." She held up a hoof to Spike. "Now, before you say anything, you must realize that they may not be able to help with everything, as ponies do get busy with their own lives. And nopony can tell exactly when you need help, so you need to be the one who seeks companionship, and not wait for it to come to you. Even if you manage to find somepony who dedicates themselves to you, it's not always easy not to feel alone."
"So really, it's up to me to not feel alone?"
"Well, yes, but there will always be some pony there for you, young Spike. If you ever need a friend to talk to, or even just an ear to listen to your worries, don't be afraid to ask me." She gave him a small hug, which he returned. "You know how to get ahold of me, after all. Now, if you'll excuse me," She said, pulling away and taking to the air, "I must attend the night. Take care, Spike."
"Thanks, Luna." He called to the retreating princess. Spike continued to sit there for a few minutes as the first stars of the night made themselves visible. Eventually, he grunted and headed towards the library. "I guess I better go talk to that crazy pony," he sighed to himself.
Stepping into the Golden Oaks Library, Spike was expecting to see the same mess that greeted him this morning, but was surprised to see Twilight organizing the books, with all the trash already taken care of.
"Looks better in here, Twilight."
"Thanks, Spike. I figured I might as well clean up my mess while I waited." She blushed, heading over to the couch. "I'm sorry about what happened at Rarity's, Spike." Her ears drooped. "I don't know what came over me."
"At least you didn't manage to do anything overly stupid." Spike sighed, taking a seat next to the lavender unicorn. "The crazy thing is, I had thought she deserved everything coming at her, until I seen it happen."
"Well, let's be thankful for that. She did treat you like trash, though."
"Yea, but it still killed me to see you attacking her like that, Twi."
Twilight stared at her hooves, ashamed. "What about the rest of the girls?"
"I'm still upset at some of them, but I think we all just need to get together and talk."
"Well, I think I can get them all here tomorrow, though I'm not sure about Rarity."
"I believe she will show up."
"Well, I'll send them all a message, then." Twilight stated as she got up and scribbling five notes before magicking them away. "Done.is there anything else, Spike?"
"I think I would just like to relax, Twi."
"Would you mind making some hot cocoa?"
"Yea, sure."
"Great, I'll be right back!" Twilight exclaimed, trotting up the stairs.
Spike set himself to work, preparing two large mugs of the sweet, chocolaty nectar and making a small, cozy fire in the hearth before laying down in front of it, relaxing. No sooner than he got comfortable, Twilight slid next to him, placing a book in front of them.
"What's this, Twi?" He asked, puzzled.
"Its our book from when we were really really little, Spike." She had a smile across her muzzle as she opened the book a few pages in and pointed to a picture. "See, you remember this?"
"Yea," he groaned. "It was when you thought fun time for a baby dragon would be reading a history book. Then you got mad when I started chewing on it."
"Waste of a good book," she pouted. "I never was able to get the dragon slobber gone."
"Yea, well try cleaning up pony drool after you fall asleep on a pile of books," he smirked.
"Hey!" She nudged him, blushing. "At least I put books to good use!"
"Yea, as a pillow." He retorted, and pointed to another picture. "Hey, what about this one?"
"Ugh, how could I forget? Your first cold was a disaster." She groaned. "My parents had to redecorate the whole house and threatened to have you sent back to the princess."
"Really?" He glanced at her, incredulous. "You never told me that."
"I didn't want to make you feel worse." She said meekly. "Huh, I don't recall this one."
"Hmm, I think that was when we tried cooking."
"Is that what that mess is?"
"Either that, or-" Spike was interrupted by a loud belch and a scroll appearing in front of them. He grabbed it, wondering aloud, "Huh, I wonder what the Princess could want at this time?" He opened the letter and read aloud.
Dear Spike,
Your presence, along with that of Twilight Sparkle's, is requested first thing in the morning at Canterlot Castle. There will be a chariot arriving at the Golden Oaks Library at dawn to pick up you and Twilight. Get plenty of rest.
Love, Celestia
P.S. Don't try to respond to this letter.
"Huh, I wonder what this is about." He pondered, to which Twilight shrugged, a frown on her muzzle. "Well, I guess we better get some sleep, Twi."
"Can we look at these just a little longer, Spike?" She pouted.
"Yea, I suppose so." Spike settled back down with the unicorn mare, and got comfortable leaning against her side, where they continued to look at pictures until the pair of them fell asleep in front of the fireplace.
"I wonder what those things were called?"
"No idea, but they were awfully stupid for claiming to be able to see the future."
"Yea, well they sure tasted good. Hey, let's visit that planet."
"No."
"How about that one?"
"No."
"Why won't you let me have fun?"
"There will be plenty of time for fun when we unleash the Dawnbreaker. Let's just hope that imbecile succeeded in unleashing the Nightmare." |
The Love of a Dragon | A Strange Dream | Her prize lay in front of her, just hooves away on a pedestal, a pair of large eggs. One was beautiful, dark blue with light blue spots covering it, and the other was a nice, light shade of purple with darker spots on its surface. Her mom had told her not to mess with them, saying they were treasured gifts from dragons. Something about being the last of a certain kind of dragon, or some nonsense.
She didn't care at the time, she just thought they looked so cool and mysterious, and was amazed that they didn't respond to magic. None of the other ponies could move them with their magic, saying it just felt like a void, that they were trying to grab nothing at all.
Celestia hadn't even tried. Considering she had only recently gotten her cutie mark, but was still having difficulties moving the sun, she believed it would be pointless to try what many greater alicorns could not.
No, instead, she just wanted to play with one of the eggs, study it. Of course she had done this many times, being intrigued with them as she was. With practiced swiftness, she quietly grabbed one of the eggs in her forehooves and brought it down into the sack in front of her before grabbing it in her mouth and running to the corner of the room, behind boxes and barrels. Just because she would eventually leave to watch over a land called Equestria, it didn't mean her mother wouldn't ground her. Again.
She carefully set the sack containing the egg on a small crate, pulling the sack down and revealing the egg. Smiling upon seeing the blue egg, Celestia carefully rolled it out of the sack. She had spent countless hours with both eggs, but she felt more... Attached, somehow, to the blue egg.
She sat there for hours just looking at the egg in wonder, making patterns in her head with the spots, and occasionally nudging the egg, either with a forehoof or her muzzle. She was in the process of rolling the egg over, when a tug on her horn alerted her to the sun being brought down, already.
'It can't be that late, already,' she wondered to herself, before feeling another, stronger pull, causing her to jump, knocking the egg off the crate.
Celestia gasped, as time seemed to go by in slow motion, watching the egg come closer to the ground. She closed her eyes, instinctively trying to stop the egg, even though she knew it would be pointless.
She waited to hear the unmistakable sound of an egg breaking, or even cracking, and peeked out at where the egg should have landed. There sat the blue egg, hovering just above the ground surrounded by a yellow magical glow.
Celestia was shocked and dropped the egg with a small *thud* noticing as well that it seemed to get quieter. She crept up to the egg and sat in front of it, feeling another pull on her horn, most likely trying to find her again. Anxiously, she cast her magic around the egg, trying to feel it.
Instantly, she heard noises. Almost like whispers inside her head. She gasped, feeling like it was trying to reach out to her. She increased her magic, and the volume of the whispers increased as well. She rested her horn against the egg and was almost instantly assaulted with voices, all seeming to echo indefinitely.
She felt another pull on her magic, causing it to surge. She could feel another presence, and it felt like it was talking to her. Almost inaudibly, she heard the cracking of an eggshell, but was unable to open her eyes.
In moments, it was over, and Celestia felt utterly drained as she opened up her eyes and looked at where the egg had been. Her jaw dropped in wonder at seeing a dark blue hatchling dragon staring at her with baby blue eyes. She crawled towards the dragon as it mumbled nonsense, stopping mere inches away from it.
The dragon stared at her, sniffing the air before yawning. It tried taking a step towards the shocked filly, but tripped over the remainder of the egg and fell onto Celestia.
Celestia started to jump out from under the little dragon when she heard the faint sounds of snoring, and looked at the hatchling nuzzled into her, sound asleep. Celestia soon yawned as well, before draping a wing over the baby dragon and closing her eyes to join her new friend in slumber.
The last sensation she felt before passing into sleep was the slight feeling of her pink mane being chewed on and tiny claws wrapping around her slightly.
Spike yawned and stretched a little before opening his eyes and seeing Twilight still sound asleep. He glanced at the clock and decided they had a few more hours before needing to get up, and repositioned himself against his sister before returning to dreamland, wondering what other absurd dreams would come tonight. |
The Love of a Dragon | Here be Dragons | A pair of lavender bodies lay cuddling on the floor of the library as the sun slowly crept over the horizon, sending a bright beam of light across the figures, catching one in the eye.
"Fivemoreminutes, mum." The figure grumbled, rolling away from the offending brightness. Suddenly, a rather loud series of knocking erupted from the door, causing both of them to jump up. "I wonder who could be here this early?" Spike asked, looking towards a disheveled Twilight, who was wiping drool away.
"The only one I could think of..." Twilight trailed off before gasping. "Oh no! Princess Celestia sent over guards to pick us up, remember? We're tardy!!!" She frantically started to run around everywhere before being stopped by a purple claw grabbing her muzzle.
"Calm down, Twilight, I'll go tell them to give us a minute. It's not like the world is coming to an end, right?" he chuckled and walked over to the door, stretching. He opened the door to reveal a Pegasus stallion in armor standing at attention.
"Sir Spike, are you and Miss Twilight Sparkle ready to depart?" he asked, staring straight ahead.
"Uh, five more minutes?" Spike suggested sheepily with a yawn. "We are just waking up."
"You have two minutes before we leave. You may prepare yourselves on the carriage." The guard gave Spike a rather unamused glare before returning to the carriage and his partner.
Spike turned back inside and found a unicorn pacing a groove in the floor of the library and walked to her side. He placed a claw on her back that brought a pause to her mumblings and pacing. "We got two minutes, Twi. Let's get ready."
"Two minutes! We are already tardy, Spike!" she huffed, glaring at him.
"Yea, well I don't know about you, but I don't feel like traveling to Canterlot before using the restroom." He suggested walking towards the stairs before a blur sped past him and into the bathroom. He shook his head and chuckled to himself. "You need to stop worrying so much, Twi. You forget to respond to your own body, sometimes."
The carriage flew over the city of Canterlot, with Twilight glaring at Spike. "It's not like the world is coming to an end, right?" she mocked. "Then what is that?" She pointed a hoof at the castle.
"Uh, just a coincidence? I'm sure it's normal to have a shield over the castle when the Princess calls us here. A rather large, ominous, wicked looking shield." Spike gulped, trying to look at anything other than the pony in the carriage with him. "And I'm sure it's normal to have half the Guard surrounding said shield. Yea, everything is normal."
The carriage landed outside a gate and the pair stepped out, quickly to be surrounded by a platoon of guards, which led them to the gate. "Ah, finally, Miss Twilight Sparkle and Sir Spike Solaris. Please, continue on the path and wait by the shield," commanded a lieutenant, opening the gate. "There will be a guard meeting you to take you inside."
"Uh, thanks." Spike said, leading the pair of them through the deserted courtyard. "I wonder where everypony is, and what is going on." The approached the shield, watching the colors swirl around, the air seeming to get heavier with each step. They paused a few steps away from the crackling barrier and stopped, Spike rubbing his scales with an uncomfortable look on his face. "This thing is crazy. I can practically feel the energy coming off of it. Feels like it's trying to rip my scales right off."
"You're telling me, Spike." Twilight groaned, rubbing her forehead. "It feels like my horn is trying to push itself into my head. I hope this guard hurries up." They wait a couple long, agonizing minutes before Twilight stomped over to the shield. "Ugh, what is taking so long?! I'm sure I can get us past this shield, Spike." She reached out a hoof to touch the shield, but nearly jumped out of her skin as a voice shouted behind them.
"I wouldn't do that, if I were you, Miss Sparkle," Called a stallion walking up to them, keeping in the shadow of the castle.
"And why is that?" Twilight asked, before watching the stranger pick up a rock in his magic before hurling it at the barrier. Upon impact, the rock exploded violently, shards flying everywhere as they turned to dust. Colors swirled tightly around where the rock hit, sending out small rainbow hued lightning for a moment. Twilight stood there in shock, while Spike ran over to the stallion and glared at him.
"Alright, who are you?" he snorted, circling the pony, who calmly walked out into the sunlight. "I don't remember seeing you in the guard. I think I would recall a mint green unicorn."
"Not all guards are born white, grey, or black, Mister Spike. There is an enchantment on every guardponies' armor to disguise their coats. Makes it more difficult for an enemy to pick out a certain pony, as well as providing some anonymity from the general populace." The stallion walked towards the still Twilight and stopped in front of her. "As for why you never seen me, I am a member of the Lunar Guard, and rarely come out during the day."
"But where is your armor?" Twilight finally asked, shaking her head. "I thought all guards on duty under rank of Captain are required to wear it while on duty?"
"Your knowledge is good on ranks and regulations, Miss Sparkle, no doubt from your brother. We must hurry, the Princesses are expecting us." His horn glowed, encasing the pair in a faint green aura, causing both of them to shudder as the spell washed over them. As the guard cut off the spell, he walked towards the shield and pushed into it, going right through. Spike and Twilight looked at each other before chasing after the strange stallion.
"Wait, you never answered my question," huffed Twilight as she trotted next to him. "And why have I never heard of that spell before? And why didn't my brother, Shining Armor, use that at his wedding?"
"Celestia did not prepare me for this," the stallion grumbled before looking at the curious mare. "Your brother doesn't know the spell, and he won't be able to learn it for another few years."
"But how do you know it? You look like you are younger than me." Twilight questioned. "Besides, Shining Armors special talent is shields."
"While I thank you for the compliment, miss, if you interrupt me, I will never be able to answer." The guard frowned as they continued down the barren halls of the castle. "My special talent is also in shields. It takes years of training to use it. It takes multiple ponies working together to conjure the shield, and constantly drains them of energy. You have never heard of it because it was purposely kept from history texts. Only a select few of the guard even know about it."
"Ok, but why wasn't it used during the changeling invasion? It really could have stopped a lot of things from happening." Spike chuckled at Twilights eagerness to learn of something new.
"There is no way for it to have been used practically." Spike watched the stallion, taking in his features as they walked. The stallion had a dark blue mane and tail with light blue streaks going throughout, and both were cut short. They walked into the great hall and towards the thrones "Not enough ponies know the spell to allow others access through the shield. The shield also puts too much strain on the users to maintain it for a long time. It took both of the Princesses, Starswirl the Bearded, Clover the Clever, Colonel Sunbeam, mages Neon Light and Amethyst Star, and a hoof full of other strong unicorns to maintain it for 86 hours during the Jormungand-Pony war."
"Only three and a half days?!" Twilight gasped, following the stallion around the thrones where they paused next to the wall. "Those were all some of the strongest unicorns in Equestrian history, and they only kept it for three and a half days?! How exactly do you know all of this? And why isn't there any mention of it at all?"
"Enough questions Miss Sparkle." The stallion grunted and turned, letting Spike catch a glimpse of his cutie mark, which consisted of a shield surrounded by stars, with a crescent moon in the center. "Now, if you will please place your horn in the hole in front of you, and channel your magic into it," he motioned for a small indent in the wall before standing in front of a strange stone. Twilight gave him a questioning look before touching the indentation with her horn, and gasped as it pulled her horn in until her head was touching the wall. "Spike, if you will come over here and push against this stone," he pointed to the strange stone in the wall.
Spike walked over to where the stallion indicated, and placed his claws on the stone, which resembled an eclipse to the young dragon. He turned and watched as the guard continued along the wall, before sinking his horn into the wall, just as Twilight had. "Now, as soon as the wall starts glowing, both of you need to push into the wall." He commanded before channeling his magic into the wall, causing it to vibrate lightly, sending a humming sound into the wall.
The wall soon started to glow a bright white, and the three of them pushed against the wall, which slowly slid across the floor. They groaned as it crept along, moving it a couple feet before it disappeared completely, sending the lavender unicorn and dragon tumbling comically into a heap on the floor. The guard trotted past them down the torch-lit hallway. Twilight grunted and charged after him. "Hay, that was uncalled for, you could have given us a warning!"
Spike looked behind them and seen the wall back in its original place, and took off after the unicorns. Twilight was nearly yelling into the guards face.
"Where is Princess Celestia?! Are you ignoring me?"
"Yea, where are the Princesses?" Spike asked as well.
"Princess Celestia is dealing with a small... problem... You will see Luna in a few moments." The stallion said nonchalantly.
"Who the hay are you, mister?" Spike growled, coming up beside him.
"I am a General of the Lunar Guard." He grumbled quietly, almost as if not wanting to reveal it.
"Wait, that's not possible. The last recorded Lunar General was back during the Pony Civil War, when Princess Luna turned into Nightmare Moon and got banished!" Twilight said, running in front of the guard and stopping. "I demand to know who you are!" He continued along, ignoring the frustrated mare. "Hey, don't ignore me! I'm good friends with both Princesses!"
"What is your name, 'General'?" Spike asked, glaring daggers into the stallion.
"My name, Spike," he called, coming to a door covered in insignias of the Pony Sisters. "Is Moonlit Knight. Or Moonlight, for short." He ignored a gasp from his fellow unicorn and pushed the double doors open and trotted into the room. Twilight and Spike soon followed, taking in the look of the large room they were in. Gems of all colors, shapes, and sizes lined the walls, gold and silver swirled together on the floor and ceiling. What was at the center of the room, caused Twilight to gasp and pull Spike close to her.
"Be careful, Spike." She turned to the stallion, who just stood there watching, and yelled. "What do you think you are doing?! That dragon attacked our friends!"
"This dragon will cause no harm to any of us. Besides, Spike there doesn't seem to be bothered much by it." He pointed a hoof towards thetransfixed young dragon, who was slowly making his way towards the giant midnight blue dragon, letting out a low growl.
"Spike, come back here! That dragon is dangerous!" Twilight called, jumping after him before being placed in a mint green bubble. "Hey! Let me go!"
"Twilight Sparkle, calm yourself!" A new voice called out, one that Twilight recognized instantly. She watched as Princess Celestia flew across the room from another door and landed next to the stallion. "There is nothing to work yourself up about."
"But-"
"Just watch, dear Twilight," the Princess said, standing aside to let Twilight have a view of the dragon. It lay with its light blue underbelly facing them, cerulean eyes watching a growling Spike as he sniffed one of its outstretched claws. Twilight gasped as Spikes tongue slipped briefly across one of them before he cantered to the head of the dragon, maintaining eye contact with the larger being.
"But, what is going on?" Twilight muttered, confused. "The last time I seen that dragon, it was attacking us."
"It's just a small family reunion, Twilight." Celestia smiled as Spike brushed his head against the snout of the larger dragon, almost like a kitten.
"Family?!" Twilight gasped. "You mean to tell me that monster is Spikes' family?!"
"Sister, to be more precise. And do you really think that a monster would do this?" She motioned to Spike crawling along the side of the dragon, sniffing curiously, growling back and forth with the larger dragon. Twilight's mouth dropped open as Spike dropped down and curled into the underbelly of the large dragoness, and groaned as it curled around the smaller dragon.
"But Princess, that dragon attacked us? What is going on?" Twilight questioned, her mouth working up and down, not noticing the bubble disappear around her.
"It was never her intentions to hurt you, or your friends, dear Twilight, other than perhaps a few small cuts and bruises." The solar diarch turned back towards Twilight, an almost apologetic look on her face.
"Could have fooled me," Twilight snorted. "She knocked Fluttershy out cold and nearly ripped off Rainbow Dash's wings!"
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Twilight Sparkle." The dragoness said quietly, turning its gaze towards the pair as Moonlight moved next to it. "It really never was our intention to cause serious harm."
"I really have a hard time believing that!" Twilight retorted as Celestia draped a wing across her back. "And there is no way that Spike could be related to a beast like you!"
"I thought we were better friends than that, Twilight." The dragoness frowned.
"Friends? I don't even know you!" the lavender mare shouted. "Why would I want to be your friend?!"
Princess Celestia brought up a white hoof to silence the fuming unicorn before turning back to the dragoness. "Enough with the games, Luna."
"Luna? Princess Luna is here? Where?" Twilight asked, looking around frantically.
The blue dragoness unwrapped itself from a snoring Spike, before taking a step towards them, covering itself with its dark blue flames. Twilight squinted and watched as the dragon shrank in size, moving towards them. The flames slowly died as the figure within got a few steps in front of Twilight and Celestia and paused, slowly shrinking in size. The stallion walked next to the dying flames, unafraid of being burnt. Twilight gasped as a midnight blue hoof poked out of the flames and landed on the stallions back as if to steady itself. "I am right here, Twilight Sparkle," the figure called weakly, as the flames died completely, revealing the Princess of the Night.
"B- b- b- bu- bu- bu-" Twilight stuttered unintelligibly.
"I think you broke her, Princess." The stallion chuckled as the midnight blue Alicorn leaned against him.
"Yes, it would appear so, Moonlight." Celestia said, walking over to join the two. "You look especially tired, Luna."
"Yes, transforming is always tiring, Tia." Luna said, putting full weight on her own hooves. "It doesn't help that the shield takes so much energy."
"Yes, we should get rid of it." Celestia agreed, lowering her head down and powering her horn. The horns of the two alicorns and the stallion met, each glowing as they sent up a multicolored beam through the roof. As they released the spell, they all let out a sigh of content.
"What ?" Twilight finally managed to sputter. "I don't understand. How? Why? What took so long for you to get here, Princess?" She looked at Celestia, confusion painted across her muzzle.
Before she had time to answer, another voice came into the room. "She had to deal with me, Twilight." All heads turned up to watch a draconequus floating down from the ceiling. "I just simply had to make this more difficult on Celestia." He landed in front of them with a smile.
"Why are you here, Discord?" Twilight groaned.
"Because I actually know more of what is going to be happening soon than these three." He said seriously, pointing a claw at the Princesses and Moonlight. "I just love how this is going! Though I will let them start off this weird sideshow before butting in." The god of chaos stated, summoning a couch and a vat of popcorn.
Twilight looked back at them, shooting them a questioning look. Princess Celestia sighed and stepped forward. "Luna wasn't born a pony. She was hatched from an egg, as a dragon, much the same way Spike was."
"You mean that crazy dream I had last night, about you hatching a dragon, was real? And that dragon was Princess Luna?"
"Yes, Twilight, it was real, and I went through a lot of emotional pain to get to where I am, a tale that is not for this time. For now, I must tend to this little one," Luna sighed, grasping Spike in her magic and levitating him onto her back with a yawn. "If you excuse us, we shall take our leave," the Lunar Princess nuzzled Moonlight before slowly making her way out of the room, leaving three ponies and a draconequus to discuss everything.
"What is going on, Princess Celestia?" Twilight looked at her mentor, confused.
"Oh, nothing at all, sparklebutt," Discord chimed in. "Just a millennia long family reunion of shape shifting dragons with the power to destroy and create planets, stars, and other celestial bodies, and a super powerful being, who also happens to be my brother, is on his way throughout the universe to find and corrupt said family to destroy the entire universe, much like I corrupted moonbutt to become Nightmare Moon, though that turned out to be short lived. Though from all of this, all that you and our audience reading this will take out of it is all the kinky, hot, steamy, incestuous coitus that could be involved with a pair of shape shifting siblings."
A moment of silence passed before three voices called out in unison "What?" Before Moonlight charged his horn, preparing to fire at Discord.
"Ah-ah, can't ever have fun, can you, moonbutt-kisser?" Discord turned into a cloud of smoke and creeped through the air. "How many centuries are you going to try and zap me, with no luck?"
"As long as it takes until I don't have to deal with your horseapples, Discord," he grumbled before unleashing a torrent of air, pushing out the cloud of Discord.
"What did he mean about centuries? And why do you have the same name as the General of the Lunar Guard from the pony civil war?" Twilight walked up to the stallion, looking him over like a science experiment.
"Because he is the same pony, and was around before that. He isn't immortal like you may be thinking, Twilight, but he can live longer than most ponies and has the ability to come back as a little colt, a gift from my sister." Celestia walked between the two and rested her wings over both of them. "Sometimes he recalls his memories right away, and sometimes it takes years, but always eventually ends up back in the guard, and Luna always frets about him. It is the most adorable thing ever, considering the circumstances. Now, come, we have matters to discuss about what Discord said."
Princess Luna looked at the young dragon sleeping on her bed. She remembered spending years watching over his egg, waiting for it to be hatched, so she could spend time with her own kind, her own brother. But she had missed his hatching, missed him growing up and going through emotional anguish and loneliness. The same torture she went through for years.
As she crawled onto the bed next to the slumbering whelp, she made a promise that she wouldn't let him go through everything she went through. She curled her body around Spike, smiling to herself that she was finally united with the one she waited so long to have a part of her life.
Two unicorns and an alicorn sat around a table, staring at the teacups in front of them. Twilight was frowning at all the information she had just learned. Ancient feuds, a semi-immortal pony, and a pair of dragons that could wipe out everything. It was like trying to understand Pinkie Pie all over again.
"So you are saying that the whole world could be in danger because of this being that Discord claims is heading this way?" Twilight asked again, still in disbelief.
"Yes Twilight, and I believe he is telling the truth. There was a war between the first dragon clans, galaxies away from Equestria, most of it over before I was even born. There were still a hoof-full of dragons that were still battling against the darkness, but were slowly losing. They had destroyed most of the known universe at the time, creating black holes and exploding countless stars." Celestia frowned at the memory, before continuing. "A few decades after I was born, when I was still a filly, a few of the last honorable dragons approached us with the only remaining eggs from the first dragons."
Twilight quickly jumped in, interrupting the Princess. "But Princess, wouldn't those eggs have hatched if the original dragons died millenia prior?"
"Normal dragon eggs would have, yes. After the first dragons breathed their fire of life into the universe, they used the remainder of their souls to lay a few dozen eggs, some of them hatching instantly. With their dying breath, the told the young dragons to watch over the universe as it grew, and to protect the eggs until they were ready to hatch, and said the eggs would never hatch before the time was right. We never understood what they meant, originally." Celestia took a sip of tea and looked out the window for a long while before looking back at Twilight, pain clear in her eyes. "Shortly after we received the eggs and the dragons explained a little bit to us, we were attacked. The dragons took off, and most of the fight followed them, but our city was nearly in ruins. It was quiet after that for seven years, until I hatched Luna. We were under siege from some of the evil dragons afterwards, and mother took Luna and I to some distant planet, where she raised us for years among a few dozen other ponies."
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Celestia, but you are wandering off topic a little, yes?" The mint green unicorn yawned. "We need to know exactly what we are up against."
"Hey, how can you interrupt the Princess like that and be so casual?" Twilight grunted, agitated.
"Because he can, and does have a point. I will continue my story another time, when it is appropriate. For now, about this monster Discord described. He told me that his first memory was ruling over Equestria, anticipating us for over a hundred years, and then spent that entire time corrupting Luna. It was something he did or said to Luna before we used the Elements of Harmony to stop him that caused Luna's transition into Nightmare Moon."
"But if you used the Elements to stop Discord, couldn't we use them again?"
"The elements didn't even truly stop Discord, they just slowed him down. It would be the equivalent of being in a pool of molasses and trying to move. And according to Discord, the monster heading this way now is much, much worse."
"How could anything be worse than that insufferable lunatic?" Moonlight grumbled.
Silence dominated the room for moments before Celestia whispered. "He was one of the strongest in the dragon war, and destroys galaxies for fun," she frowned before looking at the stallion. "Moonlit Knight, at attention, I have orders for you."
The stallion almost instantly shot up to attention, his forehoof coming up in salute at the same time armor that was nearly black with blue accents covered most of his body, the visible fur now a dark grey, with bat-like wings protruding from his sides. "Yes, ma'am!"
Twilight gasped at the change, noticing the crescent moon amulet on his neck now glowed.
"You are to stay with Twilight for the next fortnight and teach her everything you can about defensive spells, and answer any reasonable question she asks, understood?"
"Yes ma'am!" He responded firmly, not moving. Moments later, light snoring could be heard, causing the two mares to giggle.
"He used to do that all the time to Luna. He would be awake for days trying to woo her and complete his guard duties. She or I would give him an order, and he would just keep standing there, asleep."
"So, do we bring him to a room then?" Twilight snickered.
"We will, but first we have something else to do," she said deviousl, magicking a pair of markers, levitating one to Twilight. "We take advantage of this opportunity, and draw silly stuff all over him and his armor," she giggled like a school filly.
"Princess!"
"What? It makes up for him adding dye to my bubble baths."
"Awe, why do I always miss the fun?"
"What's wrong, Discord?"
"Celestia always pranks an annoying guard, and I'm never around."
"Well, you could go, if you wanted, I wouldn't mind."
"Pranking him doesn't compare to spending time with you, dear Fluttershy. I can prank him anytime I want." |
Brother Bothers | pre | Pinkie dropped out of the tree and shook her head sadly. Watching as they walked past, Applejack said, "Are you sure you know what you're doing? I know kin should make amends, but they have to be willing to. Neither seem to be fixin' to be friendly to each other."
Pinkie waved a hoof in dismissal. "Don't be silly! They just need a little encouragement to form the brotherly bond that I know that they really want deep down." She began to trot the rest of the way, with Applejack beside her. "After all, don't cheese and tomatoes go well together? Pizza is proof of that!"
"I dunno, Pinkie. They seem awful ornery to me."
They made it to the barn, where Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom had the cart out. However, it appeared that two of the wheels had popped off, while a third had been smashed to bits.
Applejack cantered forward. "Hey! What happened to the cart?"
Apple Bloom looked up. "It rolled down a hill and crashed into a tree. Three of the wheels just flew off, and one of 'em shattered on a rock! Big Mac says that we can put them unshattered wheels back on and replace the axles, but it'll take awhile to make another wheel to replace the one that did."
"Eeyup," Big Mac added.
Apple Bloom looked up at their guests and leapt up into the cart and back out on the other side. "Howdy, Pinkie Pie! Howdy, Cheese Sandwich! Howdy, pony in a suit!"
Tomato blew on his forelock. "Name's Tomato."
"Well, howdy, Tomato! If y'all are here for hay rides, I'm sorry, cart's broken."
"Eeyeah, we got that much."
Cheese narrowed his eyes. "Not if I can help it!" He pulled out a cheese wheel from somewhere, and stuck it onto the axle.
Tomato gave him a weird look. "I'm no wheelwright, but I highly doubt that'll work."
Cheese rolled his eyes and mockingly repeated, "I highly doubt that'll work."
"Hey, I'm just saying that--"
Cheese groaned, and his tail started to scratch at his cutie mark. "Tomato, I know what I'm doing. Now, just wait somewhere... out of the way. Stay out of trouble if you can."
Then Pinkie said, "Oh, I'm sure he could find some way to--"
Tomato backed away. "I did just say I'm no wheelwright. I'll just relax before the next disaster."
He walked to a tree, sat down, and leaned against it. He looked up at the apples above him, and wondered if they were as sweet as the name of the farm said. Than he looked back at the cart, with the Apples on one side putting the wheels back on, and Cheese and Pinkie on the other making adjustments to the cheese wheel to make sure it was steady. He was especially focused on how the youngest Apple was drinking in the information of how to help, and did a few things at some points.
He sighed and closed his eyes. He hated feeling useless, or that he'd only get into trouble. If this was a different situation he might have been able to provide some assistance. Then again, why would Cheese let him?
He rubbed his temples and stroked his mane. Already he could feel the bristling, and already he was getting tired.
Next thing he knew, he felt a wet, slobbery tongue begin to caress his face, and his eyes snapped open to find a border collie greeting him. His first instinct was to push the dog away, and then wipe his face. When he wiped his mouth, he muttered, "My first kiss and I have it with a dog..."
However, he simply looked up, and the dog was still there, wagging its tail. He gave it a quizzical look in return.
Meanwhile, Cheese spun the cheese wheel on the wagon. With an approving nod, he said, "Well, looks like it's secure and ready for hay rides." He turned to Pinkie. "You think we could use it in a race? Or a monster wagon rally?"
Pinkie giggled. "It doesn't have big enough wheels for a monster wagon rally, silly!"
Applejack poked her head from the other side and raised an eyebrow. "Monster wagon rally?"
Cheese gave her a grin. "Come on, Applejack! It's a great ide--OW!"
He rubbed the back of his head, and looked down on the ground to see what hit him. It was a stick. He snorted in annoyance before a brown and white dog retrieved it, and then ran back to drop it at the hooves of Tomato, who was looking away, biting his lip. Cheese zoomed forward to his face in a millisecond.
"What's with you and throwing sticks at me?"
Tomato closed his eyes. "This is only the second time, and it's an accident."
Cheese just glared at him. "Yeah, sure, everything's an 'accident.' You just think my monster wagon rally's a dumb idea, don't you?"
"I wasn't even listening to whatever you were talking about." Tomato looked down at the dog, nudging the stick.
Cheese took notice of the dog. "Oh, pfft, are you going to tell me you were playing with the dog?"
The dog looked confused at the conversation that they were having. However, Applejack whistled and called, "Winona, come here, girl!" and the border collie barked happily and ran to her owner. The mare and her sister started to scratch the dog's head and back, with the filly giggling.
As Applejack petted her dog, she looked up at the two. "I didn't take Tomato for a dog pony."
Tomato shrugged. "Surprise."
Cheese scoffed and scratched his flank. "He's just hiding behind that excuse. He just doesn't like me."
Tomato crossed his front legs. "I don't recall you liking me, either. Am I too much of a killjoy for you?"
Cheese laughed. "My, my, how'd you know?" He poked his brother repeatedly in the chest. "Am I too much fun for you? Are you... jealous of my epicness?"
"No, I'm tempted to punch you in the nose."
"Enough." Big Mac stepped in between the two, and looked in between them. He first glared at Tomato, and said, "No violence." And then he turned to Cheese. "No taunting."
Both of them huffed, and said, "Fine."
Big Mac gave a nod, and then walked back to the cart. Cheese made a face at Tomato, who simply glared back. That was when Pinkie came in, dangling from a branch. "You know, this arguing is getting really, really, really old. Why don't we try laughing for once? I'll start!" Pinkie started off with a giggle, which turned into a regular laugh, which turned into a full blown-guffaw as she started swinging on the branch her tail was wrapped around. Once she stopped, she flipped off her perch and grinned. "Okay, boys! Start the laughing!"
Cheese forced out a nervous chuckle, and his tail started to rub his cutie mark again. He didn't feel like laughing, since nothing that he considered remotely funny happened today.
Tomato, on the other hoof, sarcastically quipped, "Ha. Ha ha. There, I laughed, happy?"
Still smiling, Pinkie sighed. Don't give up, Pinkie. They're brothers, they love each other deep down... right?
The hay ride went off without a hitch, at least when it came to the cart, which Cheese wasn't afraid to gloat about to an annoyed Tomato. His cheese wheel would be a good substitute until they got an honest-to-goodness wooden wheel, he said, so therefore, Tommy knew nothing about the powers of party ponies. All Tomato wanted was for him to shut up, which he expressed by plucking an apple off a tree with his tail, and then shoving it into Cheese's mouth. Cheese was not pleased, to say the least. Neither was Pinkie, who sat in between them after Cheese spat the apple out right onto Tomato's face.
And neither was Big Mac, groaning and telling them to "Knock it off."
Pinkie dragged them to the bouncehouse next, where she rambled on about it being at its "maximum bouncity" while literally bouncing off the walls. Cheese happily joined her in the bouncing, while Tomato just let himself be bounced. He had taken off his glasses for the ride, and had planned to sit in the corner.
Several foals saw him sitting and crossing his front legs, and thought it'd be fun to try to "crack open the egg". Apple Bloom was there, with a little white unicorn and an orange pegasus that he assumed were her friends. Soon, Tomato was passively allowing the foals to bounce him around the bouncehouse, and being treated as a toy by the colts and fillies bouncing him. Despite his refusal to "crack", soft chuckles were coming from his throat.
Of course, things went sour when a colt launched him, and he ended up smacking headfirst into Cheese. The rebound made them fall at the same time, launching the little white unicorn filly up and then down headfirst so she ended up stabbing the floor of the bouncehouse with her horn.
The entire thing was deflated in a jiffy, and though the little unicorn, named Sweetie Belle, was apologetic, both Sandwiches were still sore and snapping at each other, while an exasperated Pinkie popped up between them, telling them to stop and dragging them to the next thing.
Pinkie was hearing each and every sproing that Cheese's hair was making. Well, Tomato's did that too, but each time it happened, the red-orange pony would smooth it down, and then attempt to continue on as if it didn't happen. Meanwhile, Cheese didn't seem to notice, so she could see the bristling of his mane as the day went on. And it was looking more and more scary as they went through the festival.
Cheese only seemed to be having fun when he pretended that his brother wasn't there or was just sitting out on the sidelines. When Tomato didn't join in with the coverage of the Running of the Leaves, Cheese held his usual energy. When the former stood by while the cart was fixed, Cheese made jokes. And everything seemed fine in the bouncehouse until the brothers crashed into each other.
When they went to town to eat, they both had gotten caramel apples. She caught them glaring at each other, standing side by side, with the exact same look on their faces, held the stick of their respective apples with their tail, and then slowly munched into them in the exact same manner. She wondered if they were twins, since Cheese didn't mention just who had been born first.
Watching Rainbow Dash show off for a crowd would have been more fun if the two didn't stop nudging each other. As would have bingo if they didn't argue when they both ended up shouting "Bingo!" As would have tug-of-war if they didn't end up bumping into each other and started a little kick-fight that made their team lose. And karaoke would have been more fun if Tomato didn't outright refuse to sing.
His twin pegasus friends were there, and tried to talk him into it, which soon turned into a tug-of-war between them and a Tomato clinging to one of the tent poles. Pinkie was trying to talk Cheese into doing a duet with Tomato, even when he said he'd rather duet with her.
Pinkie shook her head. "No, no, no, Cheesy! This is Brotherly Bonding Time! And I'm not your brother! Or your sister for that matter. Are we even related? Some ponies think we're related because of our hair, to which I want to reply, 'Silly, my hair used to be straight!' Even if we were related, we'd probably just share the same great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents! Hm, that would mean I'm related to Tomato too, and you're related to Maud, Marble, and Limestone!" She squealed and clapped before becoming all serious again. "But can't you at least try to bond with him?"
Cheese groaned, and his tail rubbed his flank. "I know you mean well, but we just can't connect. Why bother trying to have fun with him when he just ruins it?"
"Come on... I bet you two would sound just amazing together!"
Cheese snorted. "He just said he doesn't sing. He's probably terrible at it."
While Nimbus continued to pull at Tomato's tail, Cirrus heard Cheese, and jumped toward him. "Oh, no, he's actually a pretty good singer--he's just shy about it."
Cheese gave her a funny look. "What makes you so sure about it?"
"We took him to see Manespray once, and he ended up getting so hopped up on it he just belted out the songs. Not lying, he's pretty good in his own right, even if that isn't his special talent or even related to it."
Cheese put a hoof to his mouth, pondering what had been told to him. He looked up in a random direction with a quizzical expression, and seemed ready to ask a question.
Suddenly, the tent pole Tomato was clinging to snapped, and then he and Nimbus flew across the area and crashed into another. The tent fell down on the occupants, and elicited a groan from all of them.
After leaving the karaoke without anypony singing, off they went to the candy launcher--or rather, Cheese's party tank being used as one. Tomato sat on the sidelines while Pinkie and Cheese gathered as much candy as they could, surrounded by foals. However, Pinkie made sure to toss a few pieces his way, which just landed short of his hooves. Tomato was a little surprised at the gesture, especially since she just happened to throw some taffy, butterscotch, and a packet of gummy bears, which were some of his favorites. He was chewing on a piece of saltwater taffy when his blue unicorn friend came to his side.
"Okay, good, you're still sane," Bluejinx breathlessly said.
"Really? I thought I already lost my mind," Tomato replied.
Bluejinx placed a hoof on Tomato's shoulder. "Didn't you try to convince her that maybe her meddling is a bad idea? Or did she manage to actually improve some aspect of your relationship with Cheese?"
"She's beyond convincing, and you know I'm beyond redemption with Cheese. Let's not forget I committed the great sin of the broken accordion. And any chance I had to apologize, I blew it." Tomato popped a butterscotch in his mouth. "Might as well keep up the image of the killjoy so Mr. Screw-Up doesn't return."
"I don't think that's healthy for either of you. Holding a grudge over breaking his accordion when you were eight? I think you both should have moved on from that by now." A packet of black licorice landed in front of Bluejinx. Immediately, Bluejinx's face broke into a grin. "Sweet! My favorite!"
Tomato gave him a weird look, opened his mouth to say something, and then shook his head. He would never understand why that pony liked black licorice so much. "So... how's your day with your cousin?"
Bluejinx munched on the licorice. "Well, aside from worrying about you, I actually had a pretty good time. We got to participate in the pinewood derby, had a caramel apple sword fight, play a few carnival games, and played bingo. What'd you do?"
"Got hit by a squirrel, dangled out of a hot air balloon, had a hayride, deflated a bouncehouse, lost tug-of-war, tore down the karaoke tent, and kept getting into arguments with Cheese."
Bluejinx gave him a funny look. "Do I want to even know about the squirrel or the hot air balloon?"
"They're connected. Yeah, I'm having a bad day."
"...at least the hayride sounds nice."
They looked up as the party tank fired with a loud boom. Much to their surprise, there was smoke coming from it, and the candy was on fire. They watched as it rained fire on the field, with many foals, as well as Pinkie and Cheese, trying to avoid the burning darts. Unfortunately for Cheese, some of the candy landed in his mane, and it ended up lighting on fire.
Tomato jumped to his hooves. "Quick! Where's a hose?"
The moment was interrupted with Pinkie pulling a bucket of water out of nowhere and dumping the water on Cheese's head. Ponies had already gotten to the scene and were putting out fires with water that they carried in buckets, cups, and bowls. At the sight of this, Tomato slowly sat back down. He curiously looked at the party tank, wondering what had happened to it.
Cheese jumped onto the tank, and crawled into the barrel. "Come on, Tanky, why was the candy on fire? Helllooooo?"
Pinkie trotted over to them. "Do you guys know what happened?"
Both Tomato and Bluejinx shook their heads. Cheese crawled out of the tank, and landed beside Pinkie, scratching his head. Looking at her, he said, "I don't know what's wrong with it. Everything seems to be in tiptop shape in there. I can't put my hoof on why the candy was on fire..."
"Aww, that's a lot of disappointed foals," Pinkie said.
Tomato sighed. "The field lit on fire. Ponies could have been hurt!"
"Thank goodness they weren't... except for my mane," Cheese said, pointing to the singed hairs on his head. He gave Tomato a funny look. "You know, you could have at least fetched some water to help put out the fire."
Tomato snorted in response, but Pinkie stepped in between them once again. "How about we have a nice, relaxing time at the petting zoo? Yeah, Fluttershy's got some super cute animals for everyone to adore!"
Bluejinx piped in, "You know, I think Flora went with her."
"And now we know what all of Tommy's friends have been doing!" Pinkie hugged both the Sandwiches. "Don't worry, if any animal does a no-no, Fluttershy will take care of it in a jiffy! As long as you both behave, nothing will go wrong." And then she sped off with both of them in tow.
Bluejinx sighed. "I hope Flora talks some sense into them."
"Oh, Pinkie, you don't look so good," Fluttershy said.
Pinkie's mane was not as bouncy as it usually was. Her curls were drooping and her face looked a little weary. She watched Cheese and Tomato, having separated once again, petting different animals--or in Cheese's case, making silly faces and singing at them.
Even so, Pinkie gave Fluttershy a big grin. "Oh, no, Fluttershy! I'm absolutely hunky dory! Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well..." Fluttershy brushed her hoof on the dirt. "They don't look like they've changed their attitudes... but I could be wrong."
Pinkie groaned. "They haven't! Tommy keeps being grouchy and Cheesy keeps switching between being nice to everypony and being a big meanie to Tommy, which makes Tommy even more grouchy and they keep arguing and breaking stuff and annoying each other! I keep trying to remind them that this is brotherly bonding time, not brotherly fighting time!"
Flora came onto the scene with some feed, which she gave to Fluttershy. "Brotherly fighting time? Huh?"
Pinkie sighed and repeated her frustrations with Flora, who nodded. After Pinkie was done, she said, "Well, fighting is a normal thing for siblings. After all, didn't you ever fight with any of yours?"
Pinkie shook her head. "Uh-uh, never. Well... I admit I get annoyed with Limestone sometimes, but it's not nearly as bad as the Sandwiches' bickering!"
Flora shrugged. "Well, I don't know what to tell you. Being in a big family doesn't make me a family expert. Still, I can't help but wonder if this constant bickering over petty things is just covering up some deeper issue that both of them have, and they're just afraid to face it."
"I still think they should smooth out this deeper issue of theirs with a gentle talk," Fluttershy said.
Flora tapped her chin. "They should... only, one of them has to snap out of their angry funk and approach it peacefully. And, well, neither seem to want to do that, since it'll leave them vulnerable."
Pinkie thought for a moment before smiling brightly. "Flora! Why don't we try to convince them to be a big pony and admit their problems?! You could deal with Tommy, while I handle Cheese!"
Flora blinked. "Uh, Pinkie, don't you think that--YIPE!"
Pinkie had grabbed her by the tail, and was dragging her toward the boys. "Time is of the essence! We don't do it today, they may never be best brother buddies! And that just won't do!"
Fluttershy watched as Pinkie dragged Flora, and muttered, "Well, okay, I'll just be over here if you need me." She took the feed, and carefully poured some into the trough in one of the pens.
"Oh, Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy turned to find Rarity trotting toward her, accompanied by Sweetie Belle. She smiled. "Oh, hello, Rarity. Here to pet some animals?"
Rarity stopped and put a hoof on her chest. "Oh, no, I'm just looking after Sweetie Belle as she does that." She turned to her sister. "Now you'll be careful now, won't you?"
Sweetie Belle was already in a pen and was scratching the head of a bunny, much to the animal's dismay. "Don't worry, I'm good with animals!"
Fluttershy approached the pen and put a hoof to her mouth. "Oh, dear. Sweetie Belle, you have to be gentle when petting rabbits."
Sweetie Belle stopped her petting. "Oh." The bunny kicked her foreleg, blew a raspberry, and then hopped off. She gave it a weird look as it hopped away. "Well, that wasn't nice."
"Being too aggressive with an animal makes them... not like you all that much," Fluttershy explained.
"I was only petting it..."
"Just pet the next rabbit a little gentler and you'll be fine," Rarity said. She turned to Fluttershy. "So how has your corner of the Fall Festival been all day?"
Fluttershy smiled. "Oh, it was just wonderful. Ponies were just absolutely adoring all the animals! Of course, I've had to remind a few to be gentle."
"Well it's so nice to hear that things went smoothly over here. Earlier, the bouncehouse deflated while foals were on it."
Sweetie Belle was in another pen, petting a lamb when she heard that. She turned with a big frown, and said, "It was an accident."
"Right, right, you've told me five times already." Rarity grimaced. "Ooh, and then there was the flaming candy... Cheese Sandwich should really check his tank."
Fluttershy tilted her head. "If you want to speak with him, he's here with Pinkie and Tomato."
"Oh. Well... how are things going for them?"
Before Fluttershy could answer, there were several crashes, some screams, and the roars, hisses, clucks, and squeals of random animals. With a gasp, she squeaked, "Oh no!"
The three of them bolted toward another area of the petting zoo, where they found a good number of the pens' fences smashed to bits, and animals running amok. The running footsteps were audible, and the animals were just making the damage to the fences worse in their panic. A dirty Flora was sitting in a mud puddle in a daze, Pinkie had her head stuck in the ground, and Cheese and Tomato were arguing. Tomato had a goat latched onto his right sleeve, and Cheese's hind leg was raised, while his tail was scratching at his cutie mark.
"...and I swear, you ruin everything!" Cheese snapped.
"Oh, that is an exaggeration!" Tomato said, stomping with his free front leg. "I didn't even touch half the stuff that ended up blowing up in our faces!"
"Well, maybe you're just a bad luck charm! Considering how that one party you planned went sour!"
"Excuse me for not having the best foresight as a colt!"
"It. Is. Common. Sense. To. Ask. Mom!" Cheese stomped with each word for emphasis.
Tomato snorted. "Funny you should say that--Mom's lower on your list of priorities than I am! Besides, she would've said no."
Cheese laughed with harsh derision. "Obviously! She disapproves of my special talent, represented by the handsome picture which is on a part of my body which is crazy itchy!" He shot a front hoof at his flank and began to scratch. Still glaring at Tomato, he added, "No wonder you're so lame! You're turning into Mom."
Tomato's eye twitched. "Why you..." He jerked his right front leg forward, forgetting about the goat. Sure enough, there was a rip as his jacket's sleeve was ripped clean off, much to his dismay and the goat's celebration. He growled in frustration.
Cheese stood proudly. "Your fault, not mine."
Fluttershy rushed forward, and faced the goat, shaking her hoof at it. "No, no, you do not eat ponies' sleeves."
The goat gave out a groaning "Maa" before spitting out the sleeve and walking off. Fluttershy gave it to Tomato, who muttered, "Thanks."
Pinkie pulled her head out of the ground and spat out some dirt. She jumped back up and got between the brothers again. "Ugh, are you two arguing again? Argh! How is anypony supposed to have fun if you colts keep fighting like this?!"
Flora rose out of her mud puddle, her brow furrowed. "I can vouch for that. I'm certainly not having any fun."
Fluttershy sighed. "It's going to take me all night to retrieve all the animals that ran away."
"And that argument sounded awfully harsh--especially on your side, Cheese," Rarity said. "I'd never expect a pony like you to insult another like that."
Cheese shifted uncomfortably. "Well... I guess maybe I shouldn't have said that 'bad luck charm' comment."
Tomato rolled his eyes. "That's a start."
"Oh, no, mister!" Flora snorted. "Don't you go eye-rolling like that, maggot! Seriously, Tomato! I've never seen you this hostile! Not even Olive and I fight like this!"
"Would all this yelling even get anypony anywhere?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Flora facehoofed and groaned. "You know what? Separate them. They need time to cool off and think about the awful behavior they've been exhibiting all day, if Pinkie's reaction is any indication. I don't care what you do with them, I just don't want to hear them yell again!"
A moment of silence followed Flora's outburst. All ponies stared at her, and then looked at each other. It was a few moments before Tomato finally said, "That... was the sanest idea anypony's had today."
"Oh, look, we agree on something," Cheese snarled.
Rarity stepped toward Flora. "Would you like a bath to wash up and soothe your troubles?"
Flora shook her head. "No, no, I can live with being dirty. I'll just help Fluttershy round up the animals."
"I'll get Applejack to help, too," Fluttershy murmured. The two of them left to their task silently, while the others watched them depart.
"Maybe I could go and help," Sweetie Belle said.
Rarity cringed. "Er... no, we'll just take Tomato and fix his jacket." She looked up at said stallion. "Does that sound good to you?"
Tomato looked down at the brown sleeve that hung over the white sleeve that he still wore. With a sigh, he said, "I'll have to go find my book so I can read while I wait."
Rarity and Sweetie Belle left with Tomato, who made sure not to look his brother in the eye as he passed. However, as they got further away, he glanced back, and sighed, shaking his head. He murmured in the softest whisper, "Why can't I ever talk with him peacefully anymore?"
That just left Pinkie and Cheese alone in the cool air of a late autumn afternoon. Cheese turned to Pinkie and grinned, but Pinkie didn't smile back.
"Cheesy... you weren't acting like you."
"Um, huh?"
"The Cheese Sandwich I know is a super nice, super fun, and super funny party pony that I absolutely love to consider my friend! I never thought I'd see the day when he'd be so mean to somepony, especially to one who obviously needed some cheering up! Especially if the grumpy pony who needed cheering up was his own brother."
Cheese stared at her for a moment, and sighed. "Pinkie... please, please, please stop trying to fix my family. How I deal with them is none of your business."
"Cheese..." Pinkie bit her lip, looking at him with gleaming eyes. "I just want to know... why?"
Cheese stared back into a pair of sad, blue eyes. With a sigh, he looked around. "Can't refuse those eyes... fine, you'll get a little more info on my past. Let's go somewhere else... I don't want anypony hearing this." |
Brother Bothers | Brother's Keeper, Losers Weeper | Sitting under a lone oak tree, away from the festival, Pinkie awaited the answers from her party pony buddy beside her.
She was a little unnerved by Cheese's silence and the intensity present in his green eyes. It didn't help that his curls had become frayed bristles, and there was a tiredness that she had never seen him have. She had learned from their time as friends that he got worn out by parties before she did, but Cheese had always been in a chipper mood from start to finish, before jumping back into his cowpony persona. This time, it was an angry kind of tired, but with a good dose of sadness mixed in. A smile was absent, and he was rubbing his head like he had a headache. There was also an inconsolable itch upon his cutie mark, which Cheese dealt with by rubbing his tail on it.
The version of Cheese before her was inconceivable. Just what was it about his brother that made him so sour? Pinkie was all ears for what Cheese had to say. She wasn't going to let him back out of it.
Cheese merely stared at the red leaves drifting down from the branches. He glanced at Pinkie with pleading weariness, and sighed when she gave a look that indicated that she was not letting him off the hook. "Are you sure you want to hear?"
Pinkie nodded. "Cheesy, why don't you and Tommy get along? Aren't little brothers supposed to look up to big brothers and big brothers protecting the little brothers?"
Cheese leaned against the tree. "You better not be implying that I'm the little brother; I'm the older one."
"Ooh, really? By how much?"
"Three years."
"Wow! That means you were foals together! Oh, I bet you were both just the most cutesy-wutesy little colts ever!" Pinkie frowned. "Cutesy-wutesy little colts that fought a lot, huh?"
Cheese pulled on his forelock and strummed it. "Oh, it wasn't always this bad. In fact, when we were little, we were best friends."
Pinkie gasped. "So you were best brother buddies?"
Cheese smiled sadly and nodded. "Yeah, I could tell you about all the things we did together when we were colts. Imagine me and Tomato, both as colts... Tommy was a little curly-haired runt, I'll tell you that, and I told you about my glasses and big mane..."
At the Carousel Boutique, Rarity worked on fixing Tomato's jacket sleeve, as Sweetie Belle stood by, waiting to help in any way she could. Sitting outside the workroom, Tomato had in his tail a book, and was trying to get himself engrossed in the novel. Currently jacketless, he was clad in a white button shirt, and he had rolled up his sleeves. From where he was sitting, he could hear some of the going-ons inside the other room.
"Sweetie Belle, could you please get the brown thread?" Rarity asked.
Sweetie Belle's voice piped up. "Okay, Rarity!"
A series of crashes followed. Tomato dug his face deeper into his book, trying to hide his embarrassment for the filly. He imagined how exasperated Rarity must have been, having her younger sibling mess something up. He wondered if there was any amount of anger in her. That thought was followed by an image of a shattered accordion, and he cringed upon thinking of that.
The crashes ended, and there sounded a sheepish, "...here you go."
He heard Rarity sigh. "Well... thank you Sweetie Belle, that's all I need."
"Is there anything else I could do?"
"Er, no, I don't need any more help."
"Are you sure? I could clean up the mess I made."
"Ugh... but we'd need a repairpony for that mess! Look, Sweetie Belle, why don't you, um... oh, go check on Tomato, see how he's doing!"
A moment of silence followed Rarity's remark, and Tomato wondered what either of them were thinking. The moment passed, and Sweetie Belle said, "I don't know... what if he's still in a bad mood and yells at me?"
Tomato huffed. It wouldn't kill you just to say "Hi." I won't bite.
"It... shouldn't take long," Rarity said. "Just ask him how he's doing and his tone will tell you all you need to know. Now, go on."
A sigh followed, and the clip clop of little hooves approached the door. The door opened, and a little white unicorn peeked out at him sideways, with only the part of her head above her muzzle visible. She looked at him with wide green eyes for a second, before she looked at the floor, unmoving in her position.
Tomato blinked. "Hi."
"Hi," Sweetie Belle replied. She looked back up. "How are you?"
Tomato resumed reading his book. "I'm good. How about you?"
"Oh, I'm good." Sweetie Belle stepped out of the doorway and revealed the rest of her body. "What are you reading?"
"Dash Silver: Thicker Than Water. It's about this spy fighting with his brother."
"Kind of like you are?" Sweetie Belle squeaked and covered her mouth when Tomato shot a look her way. "I'm sorry! I just-- I just--"
"Calm down. I've cooled down, and I'm not going to yell at you." Tomato wrinkled his nose at what he read. "I'm more likely to yell at this book for the stupid way they're handling the feud. Apparently, one was born evil, always has been evil, always will be evil, and therefore, he must be taken down. Um, no, real life doesn't work like that."
Sweetie Belle stepped back. "It doesn't?"
"In reality, Sweetie Belle, ponies change. You know, as in growing up, how they view the world, and their relationships with other ponies. For example, you might grow into a beautiful mare someday, with a talent and personality that charms others, whether here in your town or some.... other place."
Sweetie Belle gasped, covered her mouth, and blushed. "Really?"
"I did say 'might.' For your sake, I hope you grow up to be a sweetheart with a special talent that matches." Tomato put his book down, covered his cutie mark with his tail, and looked straight at her. "Personally, I wanted to grow up to be a cowspy."
"Cowspy?"
"A combination of cowpony and spy. It was a game I played as a colt."
"Oh. That sounds fun!" Sweetie Belle brushed her hoof on the ground. "So, uh... how'd you change? I mean, what were you like as a colt?"
Tomato took a deep breath, and slicked his curled forelock down with the rest of his mane. Almost immediately after, the forelock sprang back up. After exhaling, Tomato answered, "An imp."
"An... imp?"
"Mischievous little colt, got into trouble a lot, had too much energy, was most likely the very definition of annoying," he explained. He noticed his sleeve was unrolling and rolled it back up. "I was also very social, the smug kid with the good grades, and... well, I worshiped my big brother."
Sweetie Belle's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets. "Big brother? Are you saying Cheese is your big brother?"
Tomato shrugged. "I can see why you'd think I was older. I look like a million bits and I'm less... exuberant than he is." Noticing how confused the little unicorn was, he clarified, "I'm less energetic than he is."
Sweetie Belle blinked. "I don't get it... how'd you go from an... imp... to a... a..."
"Killjoy?" Tomato sighed and turned his back to her. "Long story short, it's safer for me than 'screw-up'."
"Huh?" Sweetie Belle tilted her head. "What did you do?"
Tomato growled and shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it."
"A long time ago, in a Manehattan hospital, a little toddler pony met a tiny newborn foal," Cheese began. "The moment I laid eyes on my baby brother, he was the apple of my eye. I claimed him as 'my baby', and dedicated myself to helping Mom take care of him. In fact, my very first memory was cheering him up when he was about to wail." He pulled a noisemaker from his hair, and sat up. He indicated for Pinkie to sit up as well, which she did.
"Being a three-year-old, I wasn't very creative, so I merely did this," He leaned forward and blew the noisemaker, letting the paper proboscis tickle Pinkie on the nose. Hearing Pinkie giggle, he smiled and continued, "He had that same reaction."
"Hee hee hee, making babies laugh is so much fun!" Pinkie exclaimed. "They just have the cutest laughs! The Cake twins do, their little playmates do, and I bet baby Tommy did as well!"
Cheese laughed and leaned back against the tree. "Well, he did, and he was always happy to see me, other than the times I was stupid and dragged him by the tail and made him cry." Cheese grimaced, and then shook his head. "So, as we grew older, there was no doubt that he worshiped the very ground I walked on. He followed me everywhere, more or less copied my taste in food--except he put too much ketchup on everything--and when I started to learn to play the accordion, he would be dancing to the music. Over time, we were both singing whenever I practiced."
Pinkie's eyes widened. "So... you had little mini parties?"
"I guess you could say that. But, I really had no idea at the time that I was going to grow up to be a party pony. I just thought my brother would be the only pony who'd appreciate my fun side and I'd grow up to be... boring." Cheese cleared his throat. "Anyway, we explored the streets of Manehattan, where he'd almost get killed by speeding carriages, nearly falling off the ferry or falling off the bridge, being chased by a pack of dogs--what's funny about that last one is that he didn't have a fear of dogs after that; they ended up as his favorite animal for whatever reason. Still, I had to save him from whatever mishap he got himself into.
"Anyway, we'd also munch on pizza together, shun sauerkraut together, played cowspies together, have snowball fights in the park, and a bunch of other stuff. And man, you should have seen him go! He had a load of energy, and he'd be trying to chat to strangers... but he always scared them off. I do admit, I had found him a little annoying at times, but I wouldn't have traded him for the world."
"So, what happened?" Pinkie asked, leaning toward him. "Why are you so mean to each other now?"
Cheese sighed. "Well... school happened. You know how I was very shy as a colt? Well, I didn't tell him I was so shy, so he was under the illusion that I had a lot of friends and that I was the coolest pony ever. So, when he started school and started making friends, he was shocked to learn that all the other foals thought I was just a shy geek worth picking on. And so, our relationship began to take a dark turn."
"A dark turn?"
"Yeah..." Cheese rubbed his temples. "I was completely okay with him befriending Bluejinx, who was clearly nervous about his first day. And then Tomato just made friend after friend after friend after friend. It puzzled me how he was able to do that so easily."
"What's wrong with making lots of friends?"
"Well... nothing, really, but I soon found myself home alone a lot, since he decided to spend time with his new friends. I tried to shrug it off, but it really hurt to have been abandoned like that. Still, I held out, in case he turned around and played with me again. He did, but it was always 'hey, come with me and my friends, you need to get out more!' Well, social anxiety kicked in, and I refused. Not to mention... I didn't really like the colts he hung out with. I swear, they were pure evil."
"Cheesy!"
"Well, they were! They were among the bullies that picked on me, along with their big siblings." Cheese's hair bristled even more, and he ground his teeth. "I don't know how the little ketchup squirt missed it, but he did, and tried to force a friendship between them and me. I never thought it was going to work, so I had to lock myself in our room so I didn't have to face those brats." He sighed and ran a hoof through his mane. "I hated to make Tommy sad, though. He wanted to spend time with me, but... psht, what did he need me for when he had all his buddies to make him happy?"
"You're his big brother! Of course he still needs you!" Pinkie said.
"Pfft, no he doesn't. Oh, yeah, how could I forget his string of good grades? How could I forget Mom nagging me and telling me to try to get to his level of academic superiority? How could I forget that everypony we knew forgot my name, and only referred to me as 'Tommy's brother'? I swear, with each passing day, I found him more and more aggravating as he still had the gall to ask me to play with him. I felt more like his plaything than his brother, and I wasn't going to let him have the pleasure of my companionship if he had everything else!"
Pinkie scooted backward, unnerved by Cheese's anger. "Cheese, calm down!"
"And then when he smashed my accordion, that's when I decided to beat it! At least I found my calling, and now more ponies know my name than they know his! So, ha! I bet he's just jealous because I got an awesome special talent, while he's become..." Cheese slumped forward. "Such a killjoy. How the hay did that happen? What happened to my baby bro? Did Mom manage to suck the life energy out of him? I mean, he was just fine when I returned home the first time to show them my cutie mark..."
Pinkie shrugged. "I don't know how it happened. I wasn't there."
Cheese sighed and laid down on the grass. "I try to avoid going back, but for some reason, my Cheesy Sense just drags me there whenever I'm in Manehattan. My parents disapprove of what I do, and Tommy... all he does is snark at me, especially when I force myself to try to make them smile. I... just feel useless there, and that I had lost the smiling, active little colt that was my brother. So... what's the point in even trying?"
Pinkie put a hoof on his shoulder, noticing the tear that was streaking down his face. "Don't cry, Cheesy."
"I'm not crying," he feebly denied.
"But, Cheesy, you are!" Pinkie leapt to her hooves. "I understand that you don't feel like he needs you; but being mad at him is not going to help either of you. You're not just hurting him, you're hurting yourself. Cheesy... can't you forgive him?"
Cheese crossed his forelegs and turned away. "No, I'm perfectly happy. He doesn't need my forgiveness, as long as he has Mom and Dad's approval and his friends. Big bro's just a disappointing side note." Once again, his tail rubbed his cutie mark, and his leg was twitching.
Pinkie narrowed her eyes as she watched the leg. "Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Very suredy-sure?"
"Of course."
"Super duper absolutely very suredy sure-sure?"
Cheese sighed. "Yes, I'm absolutely sure!"
"How long has your leg been bothering you?"
"What?"
Pinkie pointed at the twitching leg. "Tell me, what does a twitchy leg mean?"
Cheese looked at his leg. "Well, this doesn't happen all that often. It doesn't usually itch unless somepony needs me to cheer them up personally." His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He fearfully looked at Pinkie, who looked ready to plot something. "Pinkie... I know what you're thinking, and I'm telling you, it's not going to work!"
She turned her head upside down and got in his face. "You won't know for sure unless you smile and put your heart into it." She batted her eyes. "Come on, Cheesy... can't you put aside all the bad stuff of the past just for this to work? Try to get back to the days when you'd make him smile because you wanted to, not because your Cheesy Sense just dragged you there. I bet the moment he smiles, you'll feel much, much better!"
Cheese bit his lip. "I don't know... the other times I tried, it didn't work. Still... maybe without Mom and Dad around, it'll be different."
Pinkie leapt for joy. "That's the spirit, Cheese! Now, you go set up what you need, while I go get him!" Before Cheese could tell her anything else, she sped off.
Cheese stood there awkwardly. "Ehehehe... don't worry, Cheese... you've got this... you've always got this... if he stays grumpy after this, that's his problem, not mine. You're a party pony, and spreading joy is your job! There is no way you can fail this time! Remember... this. Is. Your. Baby. Brother!"
He now had his chest swelled in pride, grinning a manic grin. Those fell as his heart sank. "I'm in trouble."
When his jacket was fixed, Tomato thanked Rarity, put on the jacket, and then strolled on his way. He had no destination; all he wanted was to be alone and think.
He looked around at the ponies enjoying the festival, partaking in the food and playing some of the carnival games set up. He took a deep whiff of the crisp, fall air, scented with freshly fallen leaves. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. Fall had always had been his favorite time of year, and if there was anything that didn't change from his colthood, it was that.
Still, seeing a bunch of ponies having fun with their siblings made him frown, and a melancholy feeling swept into him. Was he the only pony there who wasn't having fun with his sibling? He watched as one pegasus helped his brother with the milk bottle game, and a unicorn having fun in a jello-slurping contest with her sister. He tried to set his gloom aside with the funny thought of his friend Flora participating, since she had a fondness for jello, but soon he imagined her and her big family competing against each other with laughter. He lowered his head, and continued to walk.
He passed by the Apple siblings' hay ride, and spotted Rarity and Sweetie Belle making necklaces together. Rainbow Dash was hanging out with a little orange pegasus, and cheering her on in a scooter race. Upon seeing Cirrus and Nimbus in a apple-juice chugging contest, he hurriedly passed them so they wouldn't see him.
He looked up at a banner he came across, which said:
The Fall Friendship Festival! Celebrating the bonds of not only friends, but also those of sisterhood and brotherhood!
He mockingly laughed at it. "Wonderful, just wonderful. It's a shame that my own brother hates me."
He walked some more until he was on a bridge. He leaned against the railing and looked down at his reflection. The pony staring back at him definitely looked like a million bits--with how he dressed, how he had tamed his curly hair, and his general calm demeanor. However, a slow blink later, the serious pony he stared at turned into a grinning, curly-haired colt, who bounced around, giving a joyful laugh.
Tomato sighed. "Hi, Tommy. Having fun there?"
Tommy nodded, and soon enough, the image of a bigger colt--with a big brown afro, big glasses, and an accordion in his hooves--appeared next to little Tommy, who squealed in delight. The little red-orange colt soon leapt onto the light orange colt, and began to use the afro as a trampoline. Both colts laughed, and the image in the water disappeared before Tomato's eyes. He was alone once again.
He leaned into his hoof. "Where did I go wrong?"
All of a sudden, Pinkie Pie popped up beside him. "I dunno, what did go wrong?"
Tomato scowled at her. "What do you want?"
Pinkie grinned at him and bounced in place. "I have some good news for you! I convinced Cheese to attempt to make you smile!"
Tomato stared at her awkwardly, pondering her words. A few memories came to mind, and he sighed. "It's not going to work."
"Why not? All you gotta do is smile for him."
Tomato raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me to fake a smile? I'm pretty sure a party pony could tell a fake smile from a real one. So... no. Besides, I could always tell that his attempts to make me smile were just forced and obnoxious, and he didn't even want to be there."
Pinkie growled. "Come on! Why don't you lighten up for your big brother? Your grumpy-grumpypants attitude isn't helping anything!"
"Neither is your overbearing attitude. Besides, you either get the killjoy or the screwup," Tomato said, walking around her and completing the crossing of the bridge. "The killjoy is much safer, just so you know!"
Pinkie bounced beside him. "Why? Weren't you a silly colt when you were little? What happened?"
"If you're trying to speak for Cheese, then you're wasting your time. Why doesn't he just speak for himself for once? But no, he had to send his girlfriend to do the talking. How about instead of pushing me away and shutting me out, treat me with utter contempt, and only talking to me to let me know how much I ruin his life or how much of a party pooper I am, he lets me know exactly why he's upset with me? Was it the accordion incident? Was it that time I accidentally broke his glasses? Or was I just that annoying?" Tomato snorted and stomped on the ground so hard, his leg ached. He turned to Pinkie, his mane bristling. "And why do you even care? I'm beyond redemption, so you might as well just give up!"
Pinkie stopped her bouncing. "Tommy... I'm not his girlfriend. I'm just his friend." She pranced over to in front of him, and they were face to face. "And I care because I like to see ponies happy, especially my friends. Cheese is my friend, and he's not happy with how his relationship with you is! I don't like seeing you two fight, and I know that deep down, you both want to be best brother buddies again! So... can you please just give him a chance?" She batted her eyes and smiled. "He might surprise you..."
Tomato looked away and smoothed down his mane. "What if he's forcing it just to please you?"
"Don't be silly!" Pinkie said, grabbing him. "If he agreed to give it a shot, then surely he's doing his bestest. If it doesn't work... well, I guess I'll leave you alone. Okay, let's go!" She threw him up, and grabbed him by the tail, and started galloping somewhere, much to Tomato's chagrin.
His front legs were crossed as he was pulled toward wherever Pinkie was taking him. His forehead hit a branch, and holding his throbbing head, he snarled, "Maybe I should clarify something. You are being overbearing!" |
Brother Bothers | Polka Quarrel | A crowd had gathered in the town square, watching as Cheese had cleared a space and began to build a stage within seconds. He could hear the murmurs between the townsponies about what he was planning, and he could feel their excitement permeating the air. However, he had put up a shield deflecting this excitement, his nerves making every whack of the hammer echo in his ears. He glanced every so often at the crowd, a rare bout of stage fright making his stomach queasy.
Get a grip, Cheese! he thought, pausing to wipe his forehead. You've sung for many a grumpy pony, and you managed to turn most of them around. Why should this time be any different?
He smacked his forehead, and continued to hammer the floorboards in. That was a dumb question. In all the other cases, all those grouches were strangers having a bad day, and he managed to cheer them up, aside from a couple who just didn't like polka. He had been awfully disappointed in those cases, but at least they weren't haunting him all the time.
In this case, it was no stranger. This was his brother. That baby brother who he'd crawl to and tickle, just to hear him laugh. That baby brother who'd be following him everywhere, watching him admirably as Cheese went about his day and emulating some of his behavior. The little brother who'd he play the ever-exciting "cowspies" game with, who he'd entertained with his accordion, who he'd scarf down pizza at their grandparents' pizzeria with, who he'd grab and pull away from danger in the nick of time, and who'd be the first one to give him a hug upon Cheese returning home from school.
Cheese snorted, and chucked the hammer offstage. He pulled out some sandpaper, and started to sand the floor. Yep, the pony he was going to perform for was his brother. That baby brother who'd always rudely wake him up in the middle of the night, when he just wanted some sleep. That little brother who made lots of friends and got so swept up in the attention, Cheese felt like merely a side note. The brother who kept on knocking, pleading for playtime for him and those awful friends of his. That brother, despite how annoying, clueless, and destructive he was, was praised by peers, teachers, and parents for being sociable and smart, while Cheese was either overlooked or picked on by those parties for being shy and just falling short of the mark. That brother who, without any respect for the arts, broke his accordion, and hasn't apologized.
That brother who, without any good reason, did a 180 on his personality, turning into the grumpiest and most boring lame-o that Cheese felt repulsed by. That last part especially frustrated him, and within him a battle between his feelings and his party pony instinct took place during those times he had to force himself to try to make Tomato crack a smile. And every time, he failed.
The stage was smooth after all his musing, and he crumpled up the sandpaper and tossed it off the stage. He ran his hoof over the wood, and there was nary a splinter to be found.
"Whatcha buildin' a stage for?"
Cheese looked up to find three fillies, which he recognized as Rarity and Applejack's sisters and their pegasus friend. He grinned at them.
"Oh, I'm just going to perform on it," he said, patting the floorboards. "Normally I don't need a stage, but I want to burst out of a pair of curtains this time around."
"Oh, that makes sense," Apple Bloom said. "Buuut, you might wanna fix your hair."
"Huh?"
"Yeah, you look like a mad scientist," Scootaloo stated. "Are you sure you want to give off that vibe? Unless you're planning to experiment on that rubber chicken of yours."
Cheese rolled his eyes. "Oh, you girls... if I was going for the mad scientist gig, I'd do something like this." He pulled out Boneless Two and dropped him on the stage. He pulled forth a random machine and attached wires to the chicken. Then, with a wicked smile, he flipped the switch, stood on his hind legs, and cackled, "It's alive! Mwahahahaha-HAHA! Arise, my chicken!"
The fillies stared at Boneless Two, who lay still, while ponies behind them chuckled. A confused Sweetie Belle then said, "I don't think it's working."
Cheese shrugged. "Eh, electricity doesn't work on rubber chickens anyway." With that, he kicked away the machine somewhere offstage. "But, really, does it matter what my hair looks like? The crowd's just going to focus on my epic accordion skills!"
"Just why is it like that?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Hm? Oh, my hair tends to bristle when I'm mad. Like, mad mad. Seriously mad, the kind that is rare for me. You catch my drift?"
"I... guess?"
Sweetie Belle frowned. "You're mad about your brother, aren't you?"
Cheese took a step back. "Let's... not jump to conclusions, little filly. Why do you say that?"
"Well... I talked to him earlier. He said something about cow pies, and how he'd rather be no fun than mess up something."
Cheese gave her a funny look. "Cow pies? Why would he--oh, right, cowspies!" Cheese chuckled. "That game was loads of fun, I haven't played it in years!"
"Cowspies? What are those?" Scootaloo asked.
"A fusion of cowponies and spies, of course!" Cheese reared up and took a fighting stance. "Me and my brother were a pair of cowcolts, always on secret agent missions and fighting the evil Dr. Sauerkraut and his pirate ninja army!"
The fillies giggled as Cheese punched and kicked at the air, shouting "Hyah!" and "Take that!" over and over. He whooped as he did a backflip, and he sat on his haunches, and jutted a hoof out and squeezed an eye shut as if he was aiming at the fillies. "Fear my laser rope!"
Apple Bloom laughed some more. "Wow, Cheese Sandwich, that sounds like a lot of fun!"
"Yeah..." Scootaloo said, scratching her chin. "Say, what if we got our cutie marks in being cowspies?"
Sweetie Belle gave them a funny look. "What would they even look like?"
"There's only one way to find out, Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom said, turning around. She started to canter away, but stopped and beckoned her friends. "Now, c'mon! Let's use some of Applejack's spare hats to make it work!"
Scootaloo happily followed. "This is going to be sweet!"
Sweetie Belle was slower in leaving, looking back at Cheese. "By the way, Cheese... I think Tomato's kind of sad. Maybe he just needs a hug?"
Cheese stared at her as she broke into a gallop to catch up with her friends. With a quirk of his eyebrow, he turned around. He went behind the curtains, sat down, and hoisted the accordion case that was there up onto the stage. He quickly opened it and pulled his accordion out. Playing a few test notes to see if it needed tuning, he was thinking about what Sweetie Belle had just said.
"If he needs a hug, why doesn't he just get one of his friends to do it? After all, he's got everything; what does he need me for?"
He sighed. "No turning back. I'm going to have to try to entertain him, even if it kills me."
Pinkie had at first dashed to the field where she and Cheese had been, but once there, she turned on a hind hoof and sped back to town. Her teeth were clamped on the dark brown tail of Tomato Sandwich, who had his front legs crossed and an annoyed look on his face. He felt like a kite as he was being towed around, and much to his dismay, he could tell that Pinkie had tuned out his protests. So, he idly searched his memory for any time that day where he wasn't dragged into something.
They were in the town square before he knew it, and Pinkie was just hopping over ponies left and right, chirping, "'Scuse me! Coming through!" Several ponies stopped in their tracks as she bounced along, and Tomato was being thrown up and down haphazardly, his head hitting the ground every so often.
She stopped her bouncing when she came across a stage that had inexplicably been built in the town square, which ponies were surrounding and awaiting the show that would be put on it. Pinkie instantly knew that it was Cheese's doing, and with a squeal, she threw Tomato onto the stage. She spit on the ground a few times, wondering what Tomato had been putting on his tail and for what reason. Then she looked up at him with a smile.
Tomato had landed right side up when he was thrown on the stage, and he was looking around in a daze. "Where did this stage come from?"
"Cheese built it! Duh!" Pinkie answered.
Tomato blinked. "Why didn't he just use an existing stage? I've seen plenty around this town."
"Becaaaauuse he's making it extra-special for his little brother! Ooh, this is going to be great!" Pinkie clapped her hooves, jumped on the stage, and turned to the crowd.
"Everypony, listen up! Cheese Sandwich has a special performance going on tonight, and it's for none other than his little brother..." She grabbed the red-orange stallion and hoisted him up for all of Ponyville to see. "Tomato Sandwich!"
The crowd murmured amongst themselves. Some were confused, having been completely unaware of the visiting party pony's sibling. Some recognized Tomato and rolled their eyes, and some snorted in disgust and grumbled some sort of insult about him, having heard about this killjoy that Cheese was putting up with. And there were a few that focused on Cheese doing something nice for his brother, and softly said, "Aww..."
She looked down at the front of the crowd, and to her delight, her friends and that of Tomato's were in front, giving her looks that asked her, "What are you doing?"
"Don't worry, guys, this'll work out just fine," she said with a wink. She turned to the curtain. "Cheesy, you can come out now!"
There was silence. Pinkie put Tomato down, and repeated, "I said you can come out now!"
A few more moments passed, and Pinkie stomped her hoof. "Cheese Sand--"
Cheese's head popped out from the curtains. "Give me a second, I'm just finishing tuning my accordion."
"Oh, okay." She shrugged at Tomato, who sat there, pulled a cloth from his pocket, and cleaned his glasses. "Don't worry, once he starts playing, I'm sure you'll be grinning from ear to ear, and you two will hug, make up, and be best brother buddies like you used to be."
Tomato put his glasses back on his muzzle and stuffed the cloth back in his pocket. With a sigh, he replied, "Even if we did make up, our relationship still wouldn't be the same as it was when we were colts."
The first few notes of a song played, coming from an accordion behind the curtain. Pinkie heard this, and jumped off the stage to join her friends in the audience. The ponies were quiet as the accordion sang it's song, and started to bounce as the tempo ran faster and faster. Tomato stood up, brushed off his coat, and faced the curtains as he awaited them to open. Although his heart pounded, his head still bobbed to the music.
The curtains exploded open as Cheese burst forth from them in a front flip, his front hooves pumping the bellows of his accordion in rapid motions. He landed on his hind hooves, and almost immediately wrapped himself in a jolly dance, gliding back and forth across the stage in a tap dance, the sound of which was drowned out by the accordion. He held a wide grin on his face, and used his tail to pull Tomato closer as he sang:
"Hello, baby brother!
I'm glad you're here today!
This song for you is overdue
So, listen to it, I pray
"I know we're very different
But fighting's just not right
So I thought, hey, why don't I say
Let's be friends again tonight!"
Cheese dropped a dazed Tomato on the stage. The younger brother's slicked down mane had some curls popping out, and he looked up at Cheese. He grimaced at the very expression Cheese was holding. Not only did the smile look forced, but the messed up mane and the bags under his eyes gave him such an uncanny feel. It didn't help that one of his eyes was twitching, and the instant thought that came to mind was that his heart was not in it--he was forcing himself to, just like he always did. He glanced at Pinkie, and figured that she was the reason why.
He stood up and smoothed down the stray curls in one stroke, including the big forelock curl. The forelock sprang back up with a boing, but he paid no heed to it as he replied:
"Well, I can see what you're saying,
But your sincerity's in doubt
Please tell me about this so-called change of heart
And what that fake smile is about
"This is just like every other time
That your forced song leaves my head ringing
I keep wondering why you even bother..."
Tomato's eyes widened, and he put a hoof to his forehead and groaned.
"And now I just realized that I am singing."
In the crowd, Cirrus laughed and nudged Flora. "Haha! I told you he's no slouch at singing!"
Flora grimaced. "He's no slouch at criticizing, either." She leaned forward and whispered to Pinkie three ponies down. "Pinkie, are you sure this is the proper method to get them to reconcile? I'm having a bad feeling about this."
Pinkie waved a hoof in dismissal. "No worries, they'll get off this hump."
Cheese gave Tomato a quizzical look, and then chuckled nervously. He cleared his throat, grabbed him, and then began to juggle him and several rubber balls as he sang:
"Hey! You are singing along!
That is a very good start
But your attitude needs some more fixing!"
Cheese stopped the juggling, grabbed Tomato by the collar, got into his face and glared at him.
"And this is not a fake change of heart!"
Tomato pushed him away and sang,
"That contempt in your voice
Leaves me very convinced
That I'm just part of a checklist
"Under that grinning face
I can tell that you do not
Even want to be doing this!"
Cheese huffed at him, and furiously kept on playing.
"Excuse me, I'm a party pony!
And I really love my job!
But you wouldn't understand just how serious it is
Because you're such a humorless snob!"
Pinkie's smile fell into a frown. This was not the direction it was supposed to go. She glanced at her friends, who were developing looks of worry, and forced a smile. Maybe this was just a bump in the road, and they'll get over it.
Tomato gritted his teeth and stomped a hoof.
"Oh, yes, you are the paragon of fun
I hope it's not getting to your head!
But, honestly, would you rather have me
Be a killjoy or an annoying, clumsy kid?"
Cheese could feel his mane bristling more and more, and while he wasn't sure if anypony else could hear it, he was certain that he was starting to get off tune.
"I swear, you are so stubborn!
Hey, at least I'm trying!
You're just making this harder than it needs to be!
Now stop accusing me of lying!"
Tomato's mane was bristling as well, but this time, he was not going to smooth it back down.
"Maybe I wouldn't be having doubts
If your visits hadn't always been so cold
What should have been my sunshine was my dark pit
As you were obnoxious or inclined to scold!"
Cheese slid to the curtain and used his hind leg to pull a ball from behind it. He jumped on and bounced on it, his glare fixated on that irritating stallion before him.
"Me? Your sunshine? What an epic lie!
Considering that you had so many friends
You were such a special snowflake that everyone had loved!
While I was an embarrassment to be condemned!"
Tomato watched as his brother circled him with a fierce and hateful scowl. This time certainly was different from the other times; instead of being cold, they were burning hot.
"I had never condemned you!
What makes you think that?
If anything, you condemned me!
"Most of my so-called friends bailed
After seeing I was depressed
Because I drove away the brother that gave me so much glee!"
Cheese rolled his eyes.
"Oh, please, quit your whining
You had everypony praising you
Being 'social' and 'smart' and 'all around fun'
When in reality you were just a little nincompoop!"
Tomato looked at the stage floor, the scowl still fixed on his face and his teeth clenched to keep himself as composed as possible.
"That was only true when I was little
Adolescence was a nightmare!
Used and abused, losing friends, but kept my mouth shut
Because my own family didn't care!"
Cheese stopped his bouncing for a brief moment, and then shook his head and resumed his bouncing on the ball.
"Well, I had nopony's shoulder to cry on
When I was feeling all alone!
Mom's nags, those bullies, all those comparisons to you
With the grades, and the friends, and your few good qualities overblown!
"I couldn't talk to Dad because he's a zombie!
I couldn't talk to Grandpa because he's deceased!
But I couldn't talk to you, because I really hated
How a reckless colt that ruins everything is so overrated!"
Tomato's head swung up, and he growled.
"So you spite me out of jealousy? That's why you hate me?
Even now, when your life is so much better?
If anything, I should be jealous of YOU!
Running around Equestria without a fetter!
"Meanwhile, I'm stuck with our loveless family
So awful that I developed a shield of snark
And apparently, because of your little sob story,
It gives you free reign to insult my cutie mark!"
Cheese leapt off the ball, and put his accordion down, bearing the same expression.
"There is also the fact that you're not 'Tommy' anymore!
How did that colt grow up to be such a bore?"
Cheese pushed Tomato, and the latter gnashed his teeth and pushed back.
"How did such a shut-in grow up to be a clown
With the most annoying voice around?!"
Cheese pushed him again. "Oh, that's definitely an insult because you're afraid of clowns!"
Once again, Tomato pushed back. "At least I can say that I'm not afraid of frowns!"
Pinkie was pulling her hair, watching as the show fell apart right in front of her. "Cheesy! Tommy! Stop it!"
Cheese yanked Tomato by the tie. "At least I don't break other ponies' stuff, especially when told not to!"
Tomato yanked his tie back. "At least I don't scorn others' cutie marks, especially one that is new!"
Pinkie climbed on stage and ran to them. "Stop, stop, stop! You weren't supposed to argue again! Come on, stop the fighting!" Much to her dismay, she was being completely ignored by both, who were getting so caught up in their fight that they forgot about their surroundings and the increasingly uncomfortable audience. She jumped in between them and shouted to the crowd, "Show's over!"
Cheese leaned forward. "Oh, you pompous little ketchup squirt!"
Tomato mirrored his brother's action. "You headache-inducing pile of curds!"
"Hey! No name calling!" Pinkie snapped.
"You clueless little megajerk!"
"You master of the hurtful words!"
"Backstabbing little traitor!"
"Super bitter smile-faker!"
"Sarcastic dope!"
"Asocial mope!"
"Accordion smasher!"
"Hope thrasher!"
"King of frowns!"
"Dirty clown!"
"Momma's boy!"
"Madpony!"
"Rotten Tomato!"
"Moldy Cheese!"
"Little dummy!"
"Big dummy!"
Cheese snarled, and with a wild look in his eyes, all his hair standing on end, and a great leap into the air, he bellowed, "THAT'S IT!"
In one swift motion, he tackled Tomato, and the both of them were now wrestling, throwing punches and kicks and delivering bites on each other's forelegs. They rolled around on the stage in a ball of violence, yelling and cursing at each other, much to the disbelief of the audience. At one point, Cheese's accordion somehow got swept up into the fray, and Pinkie stood there, looking absolutely broken.
Pinkie's friends and Tomato's friends were about to jump onstage to separate them, when all of a sudden the stage collapsed under the brothers, and both of them fell with yelps. Pinkie didn't even shriek when she fell, but everypony else backed up, and watched in disbelief as the stage crumbled and kicked up dust.
The dust cleared, and the two groups in front coughed for a bit, before they looked up and stared at the wreckage in horror. They were all mentally scratching their heads, wondering how that sturdy stage had just decided to give way like that.
Twilight gazed at a pile, where Pinkie sat on top of Cheese and Tomato, her curls drooping and her eyes wide. "Pinkie!"
Twilight and the rest of the two groups ran toward her, and Rainbow lifted her off the dogpile. Setting Pinkie down, the pegasus looked at the wreckage and said, "What the hay happened? That thing was holding them up fine two minutes ago!"
Cirrus and Nimbus shrugged. The latter said, "Could be a fatal flaw in the design."
"Maybe some of them wood's rotten," Applejack stated.
"I'm sure Cheese is smart enough to know not to use rotten wood," Twilight said.
Cheese coughed and lifted his head. Looking straight at Twilight, he said, "None of it was rotten. None of it! I-I-I am at a loss as to how it happened! Did I sand it too much? Did I screw in something wrong? Was it sabotage?"
Tomato, laying under and perpendicular to Cheese, lifted his head as well. "Hey, you mind getting off? I'm laying on something uncomfortable and I want to get off of it."
Cheese huffed. "Well, boo hoo."
Pinkie hopped to her hooves and snorted. Turning to them, Pinkie stomped a hoof, and it loudly reverberated in their ears. "You... two... are... AWFUL!"
Cheese jumped. "Pinkie, calm down--"
"No! No, I will not calm down! All you've been doing all day is fighting and saying mean things to each other and destroying things in your arguments and ruining other ponies' day! This Fall Festival not only celebrates friendship and sisterhood, it... celebrates... BROTHERHOOD! And you two are the worst example of brotherhood I have seen in my entire life!"
She hopped to the side to face Tomato. "You've been a uptight grumpy-grumpypants and making lots of mean comments and making Cheese mad a lot! You even turned this show into an argument... no, you turned everything into an argument! What, do you like fighting or something?!"
She slid to in front of Cheese. "And you let your anger over foalhood turn you into a meanie-meaniepants! Did you forget what being a party pony is about? It's about making ponies happy, not letting your pride blind you to the fact that you're hurting somepony! Especially if that somepony is your brother!"
Pinkie snorted and turned around. Her mane drooped some more as she started to walk away. "You know what? I'm going home..."
Cheese jumped off his brother, and cried out, "Wait, Pinkie--"
"Alone."
Cheese stopped, and backed up a little. He watched as she galloped away, and the numbness that had been there while she had been yelling was turning into a heavy heart and a pit in his stomach. He looked at the ponies around him, showing great surprise at Pinkie's rant, and then the crowd dispersing one by one. He glanced at the pile where Tomato was trying to get up, but did so with a grimace and a look of horror as he looked under himself.
Cheese looked closer at the pile, and under him was his accordion, with the bellows and the keys damaged. Some bits were sticking to Tomato's jacket and tie. But what got Cheese's attention was the fact that Tomato's left foreleg was stuck under the accordion, and the pained looks that he had indicated that it was possibly broken.
Twilight came to his side. "You know, Cheese, it wasn't Pinkie's place to dictate what your familial relationships should be like. Still, you and Tomato both let this feud of yours get out of control. Maybe it's time you two just bury the hatchet and move on... before anypony else gets hurt."
Twilight walked away, along with the rest of her friends, presumably to see if Pinkie needed comforting.
Meanwhile, Cheese just watched as Cirrus and Nimbus lifted Tomato, and Bluejinx used his magic to remove the accordion. Tomato grunted in pain, and Flora quickly went to work on making a makeshift splint with some wood and her bandanna. Bluejinx spotted Cheese, and sheepishly carried the damaged instrument to him.
"I'm, uh, sorry that your accordion was damaged..." he muttered.
The accordion was set down at Cheese's hooves. With a deep breath, he replied, "It's okay... I've had worse damage than this."
"Really? Because those are expensive..."
"I have my ways."
Bluejinx blinked, opened his mouth to say something, and then shook his head. He turned around and walked away, along with the rest of the group, obviously to the hospital. Cheese stared, watching Tomato intently and expecting him to look back and shoot a glare at him.
The glare never came. |
Brother Bothers | Letting Go | Cheese was alone on the bridge. Well, aside from Boneless Two.
Still, the evening air was cold and unforgiving, and the sun was just setting. The fragrance of the crisp autumn leaves and the food was nonexistent to him, as were the remaining sounds of laughter during the evening activities of the festival. All he could feel was a heavy heart that he was too weak to lift, a numbness where his party pony instinct once resided, and a hole in his very soul. All he could see was the pony in the water staring back at him.
That pony's curls were frayed and bristled in every direction, in such a manner that made him look feral. Bags were under his eyes, and the emerald irises had lost their shine. His face was covered in splinters, and he was holding the biggest frown that Cheese had ever seen. No doubt about it, this pony was a mess.
That was not Cheese Sandwich. That was a monster.
He couldn't believe that he had let himself snap like that. All the other times that he had been angry, he kept it in check and remained relatively peaceful and friendly, even to the offender. This time, his colthood resentment had outright exploded in front of all of Ponyville, shocking everypony who saw him as Pinkie Pie's equally cheerful party pony buddy.
He sighed and ran a hoof through his mane. "I'm such an idiot, Boneless Two. A lot of ponies had their day ruined because my brother and I couldn't stop fighting. The bouncehouse, Cheese Supreme Cannonball Surprise, the petting zoo, tug-of-war, karaoke... and especially that forced performance I gave that ended in a broken leg."
Boneless Two leaned to the side, threatening to fall into the water.
"Hey, now, don't you jump ship on me." Cheese dragged the rubber chicken closer to him and leaned on his hoof. "I never thought I'd see Pinkie so disappointed in me. I had the power to make it stop... but I didn't. She's depressed at home, thinking she's a failure, and angry with me for being so stubborn. This feels worse than the Birthaversary incident..."
He looked down in the water, and the image of the madpony was replaced with a pair of colts wrestling playfully and laughing while they did so. It then morphed into those two same colts, now full grown stallions, wrestling angrily and yelling as they did so. He sighed. "And Tomato... I was so focused on how he hurt me, I didn't see that I was hurting him. No wonder he hates me now, and he must hate me even more for breaking his leg."
Boneless Two's head flopped into Cheese's face.
Cheese quirked an eyebrow. "Forgive him and apologize? But... what if he doesn't accept it? He has all the reason in the world to just reject it."
Boneless Two leaned back with a squeak.
"Huh... you're right. Not only does he need it... but I do too."
Tomato Sandwich had enough.
He knew that going to a party would just bite him in the butt as hard as it could. Just thinking about them had hurt him before, since the one time he threw one, he had lost the one thing he had treasured most. All he felt like he could do was stay as far away as possible, put up a sour shield, and deny that sort of "fun" the chance to hurt him again. To him, being a grouch was safer than being a screw-up that managed to get a party pony to hate him. No, he managed to get two party ponies to hate him. That was a record that nopony should be proud of.
Oh, wait... he was still a screw up! He picked a fight, and got a bone and a second accordion broken for it.
Despite protests from his friends, he was going home tonight.
His foreleg was now in a cast and held up with a sling. There was a crack in his glasses that was bugging him like crazy. And he felt weaker and more downhearted than ever. All he wanted was to be alone.
When he climbed onto the platform, he was surprised to find that Cheese was there, wearing the most awkward and nervous of grins. He couldn't help but stare at the grin, wondering what it was all about. Still, he scowled at him, hoping it would scare him off as it always did. He started marching toward the ticket booth, only for Cheese to pop up in front of him.
"Wait!" Cheese cried. "Please... don't be like that..."
"If you're wanting me to force a smile, you're out of luck," Tomato replied. "I don't force smiles."
Cheese shook his head. "No, I'm not asking you to smile. I'm asking you to hear me out."
Tomato walked around him. "Why should I? How do I know that your words aren't as hollow as mine?"
Cheese blinked and squeezed his eyes shut. "Because... I admit it. I was jealous."
Tomato stopped in his tracks. He considered turning around, but he only sighed. "Well... you have nothing to be jealous about anymore. Just one look at me should tell you that much."
Cheese shook his head, and then popped back in front of his brother. "No... my mistake was letting that resentment of mine follow me to adulthood and paint an unflattering picture of you. I've often ignored it while I traveled, reasoning that if I just forgot about it, the pain would go away. Well, my Cheesy Sense won't ever let me forget. That's why I kept visiting, even when I didn't want to be there--my Cheesy Sense was telling me that you needed me, even when I kept thinking, 'What does he need me for? He's got everything else.'"
Tomato backed up, biting his lip. "So what if I do? None of that can change the fact that I drove you away with my selfish cluelessness."
"Well, actually, it was mainly everypony comparing me to you, the bullies, Mom being a nag... but that's beside the point." He grabbed Tomato by the shoulders. "Point is, just because I can't forget... doesn't mean I can't forgive."
Tomato looked at him almost fearfully, his voice cracking, "F-Forgive? Shouldn't I apologize in order for you to do that?"
Cheese chuckled and hugged him as carefully as he could to avoid aggravating the pain of Tomato's broken leg. "You don't have to, baby bro. I'm making my forgiveness unconditional for you. I'm sorry for not doing it sooner."
Tomato blinked, and his lip trembled. "No... I... I..." His body automatically tensed up, unused to being wrapped up in a hug. "Let me go! I'm not worth your time!"
"Don't be silly; of course you are! You're my little brother, and despite the feud, I still love you."
Tomato was quiet for a moment, taking shallow breaths as he was processing what was happening. It would be easy to assume that Pinkie put him up to this, easy to believe that this was a lie, and easy to just push him away and tell him to leave. That's what his brain was telling him, reminding him of all the hurt of the past.
His heart, however, was telling him to give Cheese the benefit of the doubt.
"I... I-I'm sorry for everything." He slammed his face in Cheese's shoulder, and for the first time since he was a colt, he let the tears flow. Any semblance of self-control burst in that very moment, and he felt silly for letting himself cry like this, especially as a full grown stallion. But there was also relief washing within him, as if he had finally released all the pain which had threatened to make him burst. Despite the cold evening air, the hug Cheese was giving him was the warmest he had ever felt in a long time.
Still, he couldn't help but list off his own sins as he sobbed. "I'm sorry for breaking your accordion... I'm sorry for bugging you so much... I'm sorry for making you feel inferior... I'm sorry for punching you in the face that one time... I'm sorry for turning into a sarcastic jerk... I'm sorry for being a coward... I'm sorry for crying on your shirt..."
"I don't mind a wet shirt," Cheese said, patting his brother's back. "You had a really bad day, and I was no help. You're a big colt... and big colts DO cry." He grimaced as he silently noted the awkwardness of the hug, partly due to Tomato's injury. "I shouldn't forget to apologize for your broken leg."
He released Tomato, who backed up and wiped his eyes. With a sniff, he muttered, "I... guess I needed that." He looked up, and jumped when saw Cheese standing there, grinning and wearing a pair of bunny ears on his head.
"I thought about a clown nose, but then I remembered your fear of clowns." He lifted up Boneless Two, which Tomato swore hadn't been there before. In a squeaky voice, Cheese added, "'Hi, I'm Boneless Two! And I like fun parties!'"
Tomato blinked at the silliness. He scrunched his muzzle, bit his lip, and then a smile graced his face, followed by a few chuckles. "You're ridiculous."
"That's the point, baby bro." Cheese nodded happily, and then wildly shook his head, the bunny ears flying off. Once he stopped, his mane had gone from the feral jungle of madness to the bouncy chocolate curls. "Ah... much better. Say, you know what? Why don't we actually try to bond again? Like... uh... we could play cowspies, just like we used to!"
Tomato raised an eyebrow. "Um, foreleg."
"Oh, right." Cheese tapped his chin. After a moment, his eyes widened. "Oh, right! Pinkie!"
"What about her?"
"Oh, dear, she still must be upset about the whole thing! Uh... do you have any ideas on how we can make it up to her?"
Tomato pursed his lips. "Well... I kinda have mixed feelings about that. On the one hoof, she meddled and tried to force us to make up, aggravating the both of us until somepony got hurt. But on the other hoof, if it weren't for her, we'd most likely still be fighting right now instead of going for a more peaceful approach. Huh... life is crazy." He glanced at Cheese, who was giving him puppy-dog eyes and pouting. He sighed. "What does she like?"
Cheese grinned and jumped up. "She has a sweet tooth! Say, we could give her a cake! Let's go bake a cake!" Cheese landed back on the platform, still grinning, but yelling in dismay, "I cannot bake!"
Tomato rolled his eyes. "Relax... I can. Lead the way."
"Uh, foreleg?"
"We are working together, aren't we? We'll figure out a way." The both of them walked off the platform and started going back into town. To pass the time, Tomato asked, "Okay, Cheese, how did you meet her?"
Cheese chuckled. "It actually ties in to my cutie mark story--that's an overdue one."
Pinkie Pie sat on her bed, sifting through her photo album. Her raspberry curls drooped in ringlets, and small bags had developed under her eyes. After what she had been through today, she was tired and sad.
Her friends had come by earlier, trying to comfort her about what had happened. Even though they did lift her spirits for a time, she still felt horrible about how "Brotherly Bonding Time" turned out. Not only had she worsened the relationship of Cheese and Tomato, but she had sabotaged her own friendship with Cheese and left a bad impression on Tomato.
She turned the page to find the birthday party she had thrown for her sister Maud years ago. It was a quiet affair, as a water party--a tea party with water and some of their mother's old wares--with a bunch of rocks. Still, it had been wonderful, and Maud had loved it. She softly smiled at the memory, but sighed upon thinking about the Sandwich Brothers. All she wanted was for them to have a bond like she and Maud did.
She turned the pages, seeing the various parties she had thrown over the years. She stopped at the Birthaversary, and looked at the pictures of everypony having fun. Rainbow was definitely having a blast, and she and Cheese looked so happy to have collaborated to make it the best party ever. To have seen that grinning stallion so angry today was such a shock, especially the moment when he outright attacked somepony. She felt disappointed that her attempts to get him to reconcile with his brother had ended badly.
She shut the album and laid it on the bed beside her. She looked out the window, wondering if there was any way she could make it up to Cheese.
There was a knock at her door. She turned, bounced from her bed to the door, and answered it. To her surprise, there was Cheese and Tomato, wearing sheepish grins, covered in flour and batter, and holding with their tails a blue and yellow frosted cake on a platter.
Cheese cleared his throat. "I, uh, hope you don't mind but we baked you a cake to say we're sorry for ruining your day."
Tomato shifted on his hooves, eyeing the cake cautiously. "Yep."
Pinkie stared at them for a moment. She put a hoof to her chest. "No, I'm the one who should be saying I'm sorry. I can't accept the cake if all I did was just make you two angry with each other... and... me. As much as I'd like to see you have a wonderful relationship with each other like I do with my sisters, I can't force you into it. It's not my place to decide how you two should behave toward each other."
Cheese and Tomato looked at each other. Tomato then said, "Look, if it helps... we could make this cake into a forgiveness cake." He narrowed his eyes. "Seriously, just take it. We didn't bake this thing for nothing."
"Hey, not in that tone," Cheese ordered. "But, yeah, consider it a forgiveness cake now. I mean, we couldn't have made it together if we didn't apologize and forgive each other."
Pinkie Pie perked up. "You mean... you're being best brother buddies now?"
Cheese rubbed the back of his head. "Not quite, Pinkie. We just barely started over."
Tomato nodded. "And we're not sure if we could be exactly as we were at youth. I mean..." He quickly yanked his forelock, and his mane promptly exploded into curls not unlike Cheese's, though noticeably shorter. He shook his head, removed his glasses, and said, "What I'm showing you here is Tommy--the kooky and energetic runt that just annoyed everypony. He grew up and was conditioned into a more jaded stallion."
"Aaaand you know what happened to the shy colt I was."
Pinkie just beamed at them. "That's okay. As long as you're not fighting anymore... seriously, that was just... bad."
The brothers muttered something along the lines of "Yeah, yeah, we know."
Pinkie then added, "Oh! Will you Pinkie Promise me that you'll better your relationship from now on? No more of those nasty fights, have your own brotherly bonding time, and write each other letters?"
Tomato raised an eyebrow. "Pinkie Promise?"
Cheese nudged him. "It's serious business... now, follow my lead." He set the cake on the floor in front of Pinkie, and began to do the motions, with Tomato mimicking him. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
Tomato finished the motions as much as he could, and turned to Pinkie. "Well, okay, I guess that seals the deal."
Pinkie nodded and picked up the cake with her head. "Come on! Let us eat cake!" |
Brother Bothers | Let Us Eat Cake | The longer he stared at the cake, the hungrier he got. The smell of the chocolate wafted toward him, and his mouth couldn't help but water. From the way Cheese had described Pinkie, Tomato thought she would have devoured it quickly. Instead, she decided to gather up her friends, as well as his friends, so that they could share it with them. A nice thought, but she was taking so long...
Almost instinctively, he stretched forth his free hoof. And got it swatted by Cheese.
"Ah ah ah!" Cheese scolded. "Pinkie said to wait."
Tomato groaned. "I thought she'd inhale it, not share it."
"Sharing is caring, baby bro." Cheese smirked and giggled. "And here I thought that you were the more responsible and mature one... I guess there are some things you haven't outgrown."
Tomato rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I get it, I'm trying to grow up too fast. Can you blame me? I want to move as far away from Mom as possible."
Cheese sighed. "It kind of stinks seeing a lot of mothers around Equestria loving and supporting their kids... not to mention the awesome dads, too! I wish our parents had been like that when we were colts--that could've saved us a lot of heartache."
Tomato looked at the floor. "Maybe they could have prevented our fallout." He leaned back and laid on his back, staring at the ceiling. "I often felt lonely at home... huh, guess I had a taste of how you felt, huh?"
"Uh... what about your buddies? Were they any support for you?"
"After the incident, only Bluejinx stuck with me. And good thing, too--he kept me from going over the edge several times."
Cheese processed the phrase before his eyes widened in horror. "Oh... well, uh... I'll have to thank him for that... I don't think I'd take that news well." He shifted uncomfortably. "How'd you meet the others? I never thought you'd make friends with theater pegasi and a pretty little redhead."
"Flora insists she's strawberry blonde," Tomato corrected, sitting back up. "Anyway, I met Cirrus and Nimbus when the latter lost control of a rolling stool and crashed into me. While it happened, it wasn't funny, but looking back on it, with me clinging to Nimbus' head for dear life, his high-pitched screams, and Cirrus chasing us across campus... yeah, it's pretty funny. We eventually stopped by crashing into a tree."
"Ouch! I wouldn't want a wild ride to end on that note..."
Tomato nodded. "And I met Flora when I came across her with a hole in her saddlebag and her books strewn everywhere. I offered to help her pick them up, and well, she's stuck with me ever since. She likes to make me flower crowns and talk about her huge family. She's talked about them enough that I've memorized their names and birth order."
Cheese leaned forward. "Do tell, I'm curious."
Tomato stared at him a moment, opened his mouth to say something, and then sighed. "First it's her, then Bananas, then Ash Tree, then Olive, then Alfalfa, then Amber Waves, then Willow, and finally, Kernel Grin."
Cheese nodded, waggling his eyebrows. "She must come from a nice family."
"Well, she won't stop talking about them and--hey..." Tomato looked straight at his face, scowling at him. "I know what you're thinking, and it's not that way."
Cheese chuckled. "Well, you wouldn't stop calling Pinkie my girlfriend! Thought I'd return the favor."
It was at that moment Pinkie opened the door, and trotted in, with her friends tailing behind, followed by Tomato's friends, and finally tailed by Royal Pin, Spike, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders wearing Stetsons, black ponchos, and bow ties matching their eyes. With a big smile, Pinkie said, "Sorry I took so long! I had to explain the good news to each one of them! But now everypony's here, and we can share the cake!"
Rainbow Dash took one look at the Sandwich brothers. "Pfft, what happened? Were you at war with the cake batter?"
"Yes," Tomato replied dryly.
"But we won," Cheese announced boldly.
Rainbow Dash started hovering and crossed her forelegs. "Right... okay, why are you two so buddy-buddy all of a sudden?"
"We agreed it was better to put energy into reforging our bond rather than fighting, especially after that quarrel that the whole town witnessed..." Cheese frowned. "I'm really sorry that it turned into such a disaster. I kind of forgot that being a party pony doesn't exactly leave room for old grudges."
Tomato looked at his broken foreleg. "And picking that fight was the dumbest thing I've ever done. It wasn't necessary for me to anger Cheese more than I already had."
Rainbow glared at Tomato. "You could have just faked a smile, you know."
Cheese gave her a funny look. "I would have seen right through it."
"Well... he didn't need to be so grumpy all day!" She eyed the cake. "Can we just eat now? I'm dying of hunger over here!"
Cirrus jumped over Rainbow Dash and landed in front of the cake. "I call first piece! Rainbow Hair can starve for a little bit longer."
"It's Rainbow Dash," Rainbow growled.
"Yeah, whatever, you can call me 'Streaky'." Cirrus gestured to the blue streaks in her blonde hair. "I demand to be served!"
The group of seventeen was sitting on Pinkie's bedroom floor, each enjoying a slice of chocolate cake. The Crusaders were sitting with their respective sisters--or in the case of Scootaloo, sister figure--Twilight and Spike were sitting together, and Cirrus and Nimbus were slurping the frosting off their cakes, much to Bluejinx and Royal's disgust. Flora and Fluttershy were talking with each other, and Pinkie, Cheese, and Tomato were in a conversation of their own.
Cirrus swallowed her frosting and looked at Tomato, and then grinned as she hovered toward him. Once she was above him, she started patting his head, watching the curls bounce up with each pat.
Tomato looked up. "Cirrus, what are you doing?"
"Been meaning to ask you why you curled your hair? It's kind of random."
Tomato felt his head, and realized that he had forgotten that he had released the curls from their forced straightness. "Oh, yeah, thing is... this is natural."
Nimbus leaned from his spot to get a better look at him. "Natural? That's what I tell ponies who think I dyed these blonde streaks. But, really?"
Tomato nodded in reply. "My forelock is the only one that refuses to stay down."
Flora's ears perked up and she turned to him. "Okay, why didn't you tell us your hair was actually curly?"
Tomato took another bite of his cake. "Wasn't important."
Bluejinx chuckled. "But, what is important is that you two decided to stop the fighting."
"I told you talking things out was the best solution," Fluttershy said.
"Although you two still have to work to better your relationship and not fall back into those squabbles," Rarity said. "Believe me, I had to cover myself in mud to regain Sweetie Belle's favor after we had a fallout. It was worth it."
Sweetie Belle beamed. "You two will be good brothers from now on, won't you?"
Cheese and Tomato looked at each other, smiled, and nodded.
"How are you planning to keep in touch?" Twilight asked. "Last I checked, Cheese didn't have an address."
The brothers looked at each other, and then looked at Pinkie. She merely beamed and said, "I can help!"
Royal Pin was just there, watching the entire conversation. He chuckled and muttered to himself, "And this all happened because I invited my cousin to bring friends to this festival." |
Brother Bothers | Epilogue | It was a chilly fall afternoon, not unlike that of winter, and Tomato Sandwich was just tired. He had just finished the last of his finals, and there had never been a more intense worry gripping his heart. It wasn't that he didn't do that well--he was pretty sure he got a good score on all his tests. His main worry was his score being less than what his mother expected. If he slipped up just a tiny bit--he would never hear the end of it.
He walked across campus, dreading the fact that it was the end of the semester. The end of the semester meant that the students were going back to their families in various cities and towns across Equestria. Cirrus and Nimbus were going to head back to Cloudsdale, and Flora was heading back to Neighton. Bluejinx's family was going to spend the holidays with his aunt Purple Prose in some town called Nickerlite. That meant Tomato was going to be stuck with his parents in a dismal Hearth's Warming Season.
He huffed, his breath visible in the frigid air. "I'm going to take my sweet time packing."
He looked up at the trees he was passing, having gone bare not too long ago. The sky was gray, and there were a few ponies around, most likely nervous about exam results, but also looking forward to spending the holidays with their families. His left foreleg ached, with just a little lingering soreness from the fracture a couple of months before, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.
He noticed one of his professors--a forgetful, elderly, green stallion--and took the time to wave at him. The professor was surprised when he noticed Tomato waving, but he smiled and waved back.
He kept on walking until he reached the dormitory, and once inside, he shook himself in an effort to shake off the cold. "Brr! What a doozy of a cold day!"
He straightened up and headed to his room. He passed few ponies, and those he passed were either in the process of cleaning up or were already heading home. He noticed the smiles on their faces, which held an excitement at going home that he couldn't feel. He sighed with an "Oh, well" tone, and kept on walking to his room.
The room was painted in a soft green color, with a bed and a couple of pieces of furniture. His small fridge was against the right wall, his desk right beside it, and the closet was on the left wall, it's door holding what looked like a dartboard. A bookshelf that also served as his nightstand was beside his bed, holding various novels and textbooks, as well as a lamp on top. The room itself was kept tidy, in contrast to some of the other stallions around here.
The first thing he did was head to his desk, where a couple of letters he had received earlier still lay. He had been too much of a hurry to read them that morning, but now he had the time to read through them.
The first one was from his mother. Of course she was putting the pressure on him to do well or else he'd "end up like his brother."
He scoffed. "Gee, Mom, have you ever thought that he's happy with his occupation?" That led him to wonder how Cheese survived in the winter, since other than the Hearth's Warming Season, ponies were not very inclined to throw parties during the winter. Does he have a winter cabin out there somewhere? He'd have to ask him sometime.
He read on, finding that his parents were not in the mood for city life this holiday season, so they were migrating to somewhere warmer. The letter went on to tell him that Mom had convinced the neighbor to keep an eye on him while they were gone.
He snorted. "Mom, I'm an adult in college. I can take care of our home just fine!" He shook his head. "You never let me live that one failed party down, do you?"
The memory came back to him, and he still remembered the gut-wrenching fear and guilt he felt upon he and his friends having accidentally thrown Cheese's accordion against the wall, and the hurt he felt upon Cheese snapping at him. He was hurt even worse upon finding that he had ran away. Though things between the brothers had gotten smoother recently, he still hated how nopony--Cheese, his mother, and the friends that had been there--had not let him live it down.
He finished his mom's letter, and in the corner, there was a sticky note, scrawled with the classic, "Hey, kiddo," from his dad.
"Hey, look, it's two words this time," he mumbled. He sighed and set them off to the side, and then grabbed the other letter. Upon seeing who it was from, he smiled.
He tore open the envelope, and sure enough, confetti popped out. He laughed, and then pulled the letter out. He went on to read what his big brother had written him.
"Dear Tomato,
"Hello, baby bro! How's college life treating you? I can imagine you're pretty busy with finals--I'm pretty busy with all the the parties being thrown the past few weeks. My Cheesy Sense is driving me crazy!
"Anyway, I had recently met Pinkie's family, since one of those parties was thrown in the town near their farm--and Pinkie herself was helping out. They're a bunch of rock farmers that live down in Nickerlite. I bet you're thinking, 'Where in the hay is that?' Well, I can tell you that it's somewhere on the rail line--I can't pinpoint it's exact location. Anyway, her father's kind of grumpy, but he's at least approachable (he kind of scared me at first). Her mother's the same way, though with a more direct, authoritarian voice... you know, I think I like Pinkie's parents more than ours. Kind of sad, isn't it? And then there are her sisters. Maud was away on a trip to get a rocktorate, so I'm a little disappointed I didn't get to meet her, but Limestone and Marble were nice enough.
"But, hey, I've been thinking of popping on over and dragging you to a Hearth's Warming party. We never had much in the way of Hearth's Warming traditions after Grandma and Grandpa passed away, so I imagine that what was supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year was pretty bleak for you these past several years. I can start a new tradition of grabbing you and taking you to a Hearth's Warming party, so you can get into the mood. How's that sound to you?
"But anyway, I better finish writing this, since Boneless Two just fell into the river. Yikes!
"Your big brother, Cheese"
Tomato chuckled. He didn't need to know what had happened to Boneless Two--unless Cheese suddenly appeared with a Boneless Three and had to explain what happened to Number Two.
Not to mention Nickerlite was where Bluejinx was going--presumably to help with his aunt's print shop there. What a coincidence that the family of Pinkie Pie--who Tomato had to send his letter for Cheese to so that she could pass it on to him with whatever magic she had--lived there. Bluejinx had mentioned many times before that the rock farmers there always had speculation surrounding them.
But Cheese's offer to take him to a Hearth's Warming party was definitely welcome. Spending Hearth's Warming Day with their cranky neighbor who'd treat him as the mischievous eight-year-old he used to be would not be any fun. He had always hated Old Mare Lavender, and was happy to take the chance to get away from her.
But more importantly, it was more brotherly bonding time. Cheese was definitely taking that Pinkie Promise seriously, and was making up for the years of separation, bitterness, and fighting that had tainted both their lives. Tomato himself was lightening up, more than willing to actually laugh at Cheese's antics. Although it would be hard to whip the years of being molded into a calm and somewhat uptight pony out of him, at least Tommy was happier.
He leaned forward, grabbed a pencil with his mouth, and pulled out a blank piece of paper. He wrote down his reply, talking about the finals and how he was done with them, making note of Bluejinx having family in Nickerlite and telling him what a funny coincidence it was that Pinkie's family lived there, and telling him about their parents' trip and how he was going to be stuck with Old Mare Lavender. He finished the letter by expressing that he'd be happy to be dragged to a Hearth's Warming party.
Once satisfied with his letter, he folded it, grabbed a new envelope, and stuck it in. Of course, he remembered to write a little note to Pinkie to send it to Cheese--since it was her address he was sending it to. He grumbled about Cheese's lack of an address and wished that they didn't have this system. He was always suspecting that Pinkie was peeking at his letters.
Once all was said and done, with the letter reading for sending, he nearly put the pencil back in it's holder with the others. However, he glanced back at the dartboard, trying to remember why he had it, but he got an idea.
He spun around, took a deep breath, and then fired the pencil out of his mouth. It flew across the room, zipping in a straight line until it hit the dartboard dead center. Tomato smirked.
"Bullseye." |
Legend of Spyro: Dawn of Friendship | pre | "Are you sure you don't mind?" Spyro asked.
"It's the least we can do after you saved our lives. We are happy to aid you two however we can."
They two smiled and happily took their offer.
"Wait. What about the book?" Nyx asked.
"We'll get it tomorrow before we leave to Canterlot. Right now, we need to head home, get healed up, and get some sleep."
They all agreed to the conclusion and pressed on through the forest. After the past couple of minutes, the two ponies and three dragons made their way out of the forest and made it to Ponyville. To Spyro and Cynders surprise, it was the same village they saw in their dreams. Normally they would act fast and tell Twilight about their mission, but for now rest was on their mind. When they got to the castle, Twilight, Nyx and Spike went to the infirmary room to get cleaned up and bandaged. Outside the castle, Spyro and Cynder summoned a red and green Spirit gem using the white crystal Ignitus gave them. After they healed up, they went inside and waited for Twilight and the others. After Twilight and the other two were bandaged up, Twilight saw the two healed up. She wanted to ask how, but she was really exhausted. Finally, she showed Spyro and Cynder a room they can stay in for the night. It wasn't big, but had a window, a desk, and a bed big enough for two.
"I'm sorry if I don't have another bed." Twilight said.
"Don't worry about it, me and Cynder share a nest all the time." Spyro said.
Twilight smiled, said her goodnights to the dragons, and walked to her room for a goodnight sleep. After she left, Spyro and Cynder walked toward the bed and examined it. It was their first time seeing a bed with their eyes. It was big, yet soft at the same time. When Cynder jumped on the bed and lied down to expect it, she immediately fell asleep due to the softness and cushiness of the mattress. Spyro smiled and slowly got onto the bed. He lied down next to Cynder and nuzzled her. Sleep took hold of Spyro as his eyes slowly began to shut.
"Sweet dreams Cynder." He whispered as he slowly fell asleep.
To be continued... |
Legend of Spyro: Dawn of Friendship | Chapter 4: A Broken Promise, Darkness within and broken trust(Re-Edited) | Chapter 4: A Broken Promise, Darkness within and broken trust (Re-Edited)
Twilight awoke the next morning in her castle. Her body was still sore and covered with wounds from her battle against the Timber wolves last night. But, she was still grateful to Spyro and Cynder for saving her life. Twilight carefully got out of bed and head downstairs to the dining room where Spike was preparing breakfast. Nyx was seated at the table, waiting for her breakfast. The two were still bandaged and covered up from their wound from the battle, but they were making a full recovery.
"Good morning Spike. Morning Nyx." Twilight greeted.
"Morning." The two said with a smile.
"How are you feeling Spike?" Twilight asked.
"A little sore, but I'll be okay. It's gonna take more than a beating from a Timber wolf to take me down." Spike said.
"And you Nyx?"
"My side hurts a little, but I'm okay." She said with a smile.
"How are you feeling Twilight?" Spike asked.
"My legs still hurt from the bites those Timber wolves gave me, but they should heal up pretty soon."
"Where are Spyro and Cynder?" Nyx asked.
"I think they're still asleep. Let's not bother them. We'll let them come down when they're ready." Twilight said. "So, what's for breakfast Spike?"
"Pancakes." He said with a smile. He poured a small sample of batter into a fryer and started to sizzle. Then, a question came to his mind and realized something.
"Twilight?"
"Yes?"
"Didn't Princess Celestia mention that she said that she was having nightmares about a large, purple dragon?"
Her eyes widened from Spikes question. She did remember that Celestia told her in the letter about her nightmare. She thought hard to get the answer she needed. Could Spyro be the dragon from Celestias nighmare? Could he bring devastation to Ponyville, Canterlot or Equestria? Nyx saw Twilight, knowing she might think that Spyro is the dragon behind Celestias nightmare.
"I don't think Spyro would do anything like that." Nyx finally said. Twilight and Spike looked over at Nyx with confusion in their eyes.
"How do you know Spyro would never do something like that?" Spike asked.
"Didn't you see how he and Cynder protected us last night from the Timber wolves? They were risking their lives to save us. I don't think an evil dragon would ever do anything like that. Besides, they're going to raise a family together."
Twilight and Spike looked at one another from Nyx's statement. They have to agree that no pony or dragon would ever do anything evil by risking their lives to save others; not to mention Cynder is pregnant. They looked back at Nyx who had confidence in her eyes that she knows Spyro is innocent.
"We believe you Nyx, honestly we do. But were still not 100% clear if he really is the one that will cause chaos to Equestria. We'll ask him when he comes down with Cynder." Twilight said.
"Okay." Nyx said. Spike brought a pile of pancakes to the table with maple syrup. The filly, mare and dragon began to eat, but still were unsure about Spyro.
Upstairs, Spyro began to stir as he slowly woke up from his sleep. He slowly got up and began stretching, cracking his back, legs, tail and wings. He inhaled the air and let out a deep sigh. Spyros body was still a little sore from the results of last night, but felt happy that he and Cynder were still alive and together. He looked down and saw Cynder beginning to wake up as well. She slowly lifted her head and let out a deep yawn. She then looked up at Spyro and smiled.
"Good morning." Spyro said giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Good morning." Cynder said.
"Sleep well?" he asked.
"Best sleep I've ever had in my life."
"Glad to hear that." He said with a smile.
Cynder got up from the bed and began to stretch. She then looked down and checked the egg in her stomach. She rubbed her stomach and felt the egg was about to be laid in a couple days. She looked up and smiled at Spyro and he smiled back. Their moment was cut off by the sound of Cynders stomach growling. She blushed with embarrassment and looked away. Spyro couldn't help but chuckle.
"You hungry?" he asked
"Yeah." She then heard her stomach growling again; it was then followed up by Spyros stomach. The two were hungry, considering they didn't eat anything ever since they arrived in this new dimension.
"Maybe we should go downstairs and find something to eat." Spyro suggested. Cynder nodded in agreement. The two got off the bed and head downstairs. The two soon reached the dining room, where Twilight, Nyx and Spike were peacefully eating their breakfast.
"Good morning everyone." The two said. The three looked up and smiled at the two dragons.
"Good morning." The three said. The two dragons walked forward to the table and sat down next to Twilight.
"Sleep okay?" she asked.
"Best sleep we've ever had in our lives. Thank you." Spyro said. Twilight smiled, knowing the two are healthy and well. "Glad to hear that." she said. Spike took a few pancakes and added them to two empty plates, following it up by adding syrup to them. He then put the plates down in front of Spyro and Cynder. The two looked at the mysterious saucer-like objects. They didn't know what they were.
"You two never had pancakes before?" Spike asked. They shook their heads. "Interesting. Well, go ahead and try it. Believe me once you try it, you'll go high claws over them."
Spyro hesitated for a second and took a bite. He slowly chewed for a second and his eyed widened with surprise.
"Well?" Spike said. Spyro swallowed the pancakes and smiled.
"These are good. I've never had anything this sweet before." Cynder smiled and took a bite as well; she also found this new food delicious. The five continued eating at the table until Twilight spoke.
"Nyx, Spike we'll be leaving to Canterlot in 2 hours. After your done eating, head upstairs and get your things."
"okay." The two said.
"What's Canterlot?" Spyro asked.
"Canterlot is home to many rich ponies. It's also where the Ruler of Equestria, Princess Celestia lives." Nyx said.
"Ponies? Is that what you all call yourselves?" Cynder asked.
"Well, sort of. There are 4 different kinds of ponies. First there are earth ponies, next Pegasus's are ponies with wings, Unicorns are ponies with horns, and finally there are Alicorns. They're ponies with wings and horns." Spyro and Cynder looked at her with confusion in their eyes.
"Were you two born yesterday in Equestria or something? It's like you two never heard of ponies before." Spike said. More confusion grew in the two dragons thoughts. Equestria? Ponies? This new world was making their heads spin.
"Are you two alright?" Nyx asked. Spyro and Cynder looked at each other and knew it was probably time to tell them they're not from this world.
"There's something we have to tell you guys." Spyro started. "To tell you the truth, were not from this world." Twilight, Spike and Nyx's jaws dropped with shock.
"Wait! You mean to tell me you two are from another world!?" Twilight said with surprise. The two nodded.
"I guess that explains why you two have never heard of ponies and Equestria." Spike said. Finally, the whole purple dragon destruction thing popped back into Twilight's head. Twilight bit her lip and hesitated for a second before she spoke.
"Spyro?"
"Yes Twilight?"
"Ummm. Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure. Fire away."
She hesitated once again to get her question out. "Ummmm. Have you ever...umm...cause chaos and destruction before?" Spyro stood there with shock. Why would she ask him that question? Suddenly, memories of him transforming into his dark form and causing destruction took a lot in him. But, he swallowed his fear and answered her question.
"Well, not exactly." He answered.
"What do you mean 'not exactly'?" she asked.
He shrugged and his eyes looked to the floor with sadness and fear running through his head. "It's complicated." He sadly said. Cynder then nuzzled Spyro to comfort him. He gladly nuzzled her back and started to calm down. He then turned his attention back to Twilight.
"But why ask me a question like that?" he asked.
"Well, remember when I told you about our ruler Princess Celestia?" She started. He nodded with understanding.
"Well, for the past few days, she has been having nightmares about a large purple dragon destroying Ponyville and Canterlot." She answered.
Spyro looked at Cynder with surprise. This princess Celestia has been having the same nightmares the two have been getting for the past few days as well. Twilight looked at the two dragons with suspicion.
"You two know something about this?" she asked. Spyro looked at Twilight and nodded.
"Yes. For the past few days, me and Cynder have been receiving the same nightmare as well."
"What? That doesn't make sense. How is it that you and Cynder had the same nightmares? What is it that you two are not telling us?" Twilight was now curious about the two dragons. Spyro hesitated at first, but knows they had the right to know about them and why they are here. He finally started to explain about their origin. They first explained they come from a world called Avalar where dragons and other creatures live in peace and harmony, but explained there was a war from their world, but in the end they told them the war was now over. Spyro also explained to them he was part of the prophecy of the purple dragon of his world and possesses many abilities; he then later explained on about his arch nemesis Malefor also known as the dark master that he will be the one who will bring destruction to their world. Cynder explained her side of the story that she was under Malefors control and was trying to resurrect him, but thanks to Spyro, she changed back to normal. Spyro told them that he and Cynder are the only ones who can stop him once and for all. After he finished his story, the three looked at them with surprise and shock.
"I...I don't know what to say." Twilight said. She bowed her head to the two dragons with sadness. "I'm...I'm so sorry. I never knew you two had to put up so much in your lives. And I'm also sorry for misjudging you Spyro."
Spyro looked at her with confusion. "What do you mean misjudge me?" he asked.
Twilight hesitated for a second and finally spoke. "When Celestia told me about the purple dragon in her nightmares, me and Spike were a little afraid of you because you look and match the dragon in her nightmares. But, Nyx said you two would never do anything that evil. I was finding it hard to believe you might be the one at first, but after you told me everything about yourself and what you and Cynder went through, I can't help but feel guilty. I'm really sorry." A small tear ran down her eye after she spoke. After what Spyro and Cynder heard of what Twilight said, they felt sorry for her.
"And I'm sorry to." Spike finally said as he walked up to Twilight and bowed his head with sadness as well.
Spyro and Cynder smiled and started to comfort the two by embracing them in their wings and nuzzling them. "It's alright Twilight. You and Spike didn't know at first, but now that you know, me and Cynder forgive you." Twilight and Spike smiled as they returned their own embrace with the two dragons. Nyx smiled and and joined the embrace with the four. When the five finally broke up, there was knocking at the door.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"Twilight? Are you in there?" Twilight knew all too well who it was.
/Oh no. It's my friends. How am I going to explain to them about Spyro and Cynder?/ Twilight was starting to panic. Twilight knows her friends are not easy around dragons; especially now that they know about Celestias nightmare about the purple dragon. How will they react to Spyro? Spike saw Twilight panicking. Spyro and Cynder looked at her with confusion.
"Are you okay Twilight?" Cynder asked. Twilight regained her focus and took a breath and smiled at the dragons.
"Yes. I'm fine. I just have to get the door. I'll be right back." They nodded and continued eating. Twilight started to head to the door with her mind still spinning. When she got to the door, she took another breath and opened it with her magic. Outside were Rainbow Dash, Rarity, FlutterShy, Apple Jack, and Pinkie Pie. They were about to say good morning, but suddenly saw the bandages and bruises on her body. They looked at her with shock.
"What in the name of Celestia happen to you darling?" Rarity asked with surprise.
"Oh. Well, I got attacked by a pack of Timber wolves last night in the Everfree Forest."
"Why in tarnation did ya go into the Everfree Forest? Ya know it's dangerous there; especially at night." Applejack said.
"It's a long story." Twilight said.
"Umm..are you going to be o-okay Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.
"Of course Fluttershy."
"My question is how the hay were you able to survive the Timber wolves?" Rainbow asked. Twilight hesitated for a second before she spoke.
"Come inside. I want you all to see something." Twilight said as she started to walk down the hallway.
"OOOH!! I love seeing new things!" Pinkie Pie said with excitement. The six mares walked down the hallway until they reached the edge of the dining room. Inside the five mares heard Spike and Nyx talking, but soon heard two unfamiliar voices.
"Who's in there Twilight?" Applejack asked. Twilight turned and looked at her friends. She put on a serious look on her face before she spoke.
"Listen, before anything else happens I want you all to meet my guest. And I want you all to-"
"TherearenewcommerstoponyvilleIwanttothrowthemawelcomepartyand-" Pinkie Pie was immediately cut off by Twilight who stared at her with business and slight anger in her eyes. Pinkie slouched back with a weak smile.
"This is serious Pinkie. I want you all to give me a Pinkie promise that none of you will, scream, run, or anything else like that. Okay?" They looked at Twilight with surprise. She barley requested a Pinkie promise from her friends, but from the way she spoke, they knew she was being serious. They all then sighed and did their promise.
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." They all said. Twilight smiled and spoke. "Thank you. Now, I promise what you are all about to see will not be scary and you'll not be harmed." The mare looked at her with confusion until she spoke.
"Spyro, Cynder. Can you two come here please?" she called out. They then started hearing clicking sounds from the floor. Finally, their eyes widened and saw a purple and black dragon in front of them. The tow dragons looked at the five ponies in front of them, until Spyro finally spoke.
"Umm..hi?" There was silence for a few seconds until Fluttershy blurted out.
"DRAG-"she cut of her sentence by covering her mouth with her hoof.
"Twilight are you out of your mind!? What the hay is with you brining dragons in your home!?" Rainbow blurted out.
""I for one am not finding this acceptable at all!" Rarity stated.
"Did ya wake up on the wrong side of the bed Twi?" Applejack said panicking.
Pinkie then started screaming. "RUUUN!! THEY'RE GONNA EAT US-"
"QUIIIIIIEEEEEET!!!!" Twilight shouted at the top of her lungs; making her friends quiet down. Spyro and Cynder looked at them with confusion, trying to process what happened.
"Listen, I give you my word, these two mean no harm to anypony." Twilight stated.
"And how the hay do you expect us to believe you?" Rainbow asked.
"Because these two were the ones who saved my life last night from the Timer wolves." Twilight said. The mares looked at the dragons with surprise. It took a while for them to digest the information they took. Spike and Nyx hung from the side of the door frame until they finally stepped out.
"They saved our lives as well." Nyx also stated. They saw Nyx and Spike with bruises and few bandages as well. Everypony, except Rainbow dash was finding this hard to believe. "I for one don't believe what you say Twilight. There's no way these dragons saved you. And don't you know they could've eaten you while you were asleep!?"
"We would never do anything that cruel! We saved their lives by putting OUR lives in danger! If it wasn't for me and Cynder, these three would've been dead by now! We swore by the names of our ancestors that we would and ALWAYS will protect any creature from harm's way!" Spyro blurted out. Rainbow rushed forward and got close to Spyros face and looked at him angrily.
"You shut your trap you purple-" Rainbow couldn't finish her sentence as her eyes widened with shock. She flew back and warned her friends.
"Girls, this is the purple dragon Celestia mentioned in her nightmare. We have to take him out fast!" Rainbow said as she readied herself to attack. Spyro spoke in defense.
"I'm not the one your princess fears. Your referring to-" his sentence was cut off when Rainbow rammed him in the chest and send him flying and crashing into a wall.
"SPYRO!!" Cynder shouted.
"Rainbow, he's not the one Celestia fears!" Twilight said. Rainbow ignored her and pressed the attack. Spyro got up and felt woozy from the impact. Before he had the chance to recover, Rainbow once again rammed him in the chest and send him flying into the wall.
"Rainbow, stop it!!!" Twilight screamed. Rainbow ignored her again and went to Spyro to finish him off. That is until Cynder blocked her path.
"Get outta my way!" Rainbow snarled. Cynder glared down Rainbow and not budging at all.
"You will not lay a claw on him!" She said coldly.
"Have it your way!" Rainbow kicked Cynder dead center to the face and was fung to the air and landed on the ground. Rainbow turned her attention back to Spyro and charged again.
"You'll regret ever coming here to Equestria!" She shouted.
But before she could lay another hoof on her, Cynder rammed into her, causing the two to roll on each other.
Cinder threw her off of her and snarled. "Back off!" She shouted.
Rainbow got up and growled. "Alright, you wanna do this the hard way? WE'LL DO THIS THE HARD WAY!!" She lunged forward and rammed into her, causing her to to slide the floor and groan in pain.
Spyro opened one of his eyes and saw his mate hurt.
"Cynder!" he said weakly. He was unable to move.
Rainbow lunged at Cynder and pinned her down, but Cynder caught her hoofs, and tried to pry the pegasus off of her.
Twilight ran up to Rainbow and tried to pry her off of Cynder.
"Rainbow, that's enough!!" Trying to get the crazy mare off, Cynder use her wind Element, but missed and the attack hit Twilight directly in the chest, causing her to land on the floor. The rest of Twilights friends ran to her and picked her up.
"Are you okay darling?" Rarity asked. Before Twilight could answer, the suddenly heard a loud scream in front of them. It was coming from Cynder.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!" Cynder roared in pain when Rainbow made a direct hit to her spot where the egg was developing. Rainbow finally got off her and looked at Cynder. Cynder grunted in pain as she held her stomach. Tears of pain ran down her check and was unable to move. Twilight knew Rainbow Dash made the biggest mistake of her life.
"Serves you right." She said with a glare in her eye.
"How dare you. I'll never forgive you for what you've done." Said a cold, dark, growling voice.
The main six turned to the voice. It was Spyro, but he looked differently. His scales were longer purple, they were black; dark as night. His eyes were glowing blank white as he glared down Rainbow Dash with anger and vengeance. Spyro was now Dark Spyro. Their eyes widened with fear as they looked at Spyros new form. Rainbow Dash was also frightened by his form. Without warning, Dark Spyro rushed forward and punched Dash in the stomach; sending her flying to a wall. Dash got up and coughed a little blood out from her body. Dark Spyro lunged forward to Rainbow again quick as a flash and started to scratch and punch her, leaving behind bruises and deep cuts in her body. As Dark Spyro continued his attacks, Rainbow screamed in pain. She wanted the pain to stop. Finally, Dark Spyro stopped and grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground. Rainbow was gasping for breath as Dark Spyro continued to squeeze her throat harder.
"I'll make sure you die slowly and painfully!" Dark Spyro said with a cold growl. The girls gasped for what they heard. Tears began to run down Rainbow's cheecks as Dark Spyro was ready to finish her off. He opened his mouth and dark negative energy began to build up inside.
"Farewell fool!"
"SPYRO STOP!!!!" Dark Spyro turned to the source of the voice. It was Cynder, who had fresh tears running down her cheeks. "Please Spyro, don't do this. This isn't you." Dark Spyros face slowly began to soften up. He closed his eyes and dropped Rainbow Dash. Dash finally began to breath and started coughing. She got up and to her friends. When she finally turned back, Spyros scales began to turn back to their original color. His white eyes changed back to purple pupils. After the negative energy left his body, Spyro collapsed a little to the floor and breathed heavily. Cynder ran to Spyro to see if he was alright.
"Are you okay Spyro?" She asked, No answer. She looked at his face and saw tears running down his face and gritted his teeth.
"Spyro?" Spyro didn't answer. Instead he got up and ran for the door and flew away.
"SPYRO! COME BACK!" It was too late. Spyro was gone. Cynder stood at the doorway looking up in the sky and didn't see Spyro. Small tears ran down her face with fear and sadness. Twilight finally walked up to Cynder and gently put a hoof on her shoulder.
"Cynder, I-" Cynder pushed the hoof off her shoulder and glared at Twilight with anger. Tears were still running down her cheeks.
"DON'T EVER COME NEAR ME OR SPYRO AGAIN!!" She shouted. She turned around and flew away to the area where Spyro flew.
"WAIT CYNDER!!" But Cynder was out of hearing reach and disappeared. She bowed her head with sadness and fear. Those two dragons were the only ones who can save Equestria, but now they're gone. All because of Rainbow Dashes actions. She walked back to the hallway and looked and Rainbow dash. She was still covered with bruises and cuts from Dark Spyro, but she'll be fine when she's bandaged up.
"You'll be alright darling. All you need is to get bandaged up and you'll be fine." Rarity said. Rainbow smiled as she looked at Rarity and her friends.
"Thanks." Rainbow and the others looked up at Twilight. Their smiles immediately disappeared when she looked into her eyes. She was gritting her teeth and glaring down at Rainbow dash with anger.
"Don't you have any idea what you have done?" Twilight asked with a low growl. They can tell she was very angry. But they can't understand why. Rainbow was almost killed by an angry dragon.
"What are you talking about Twilight?"
"I'm talking about Spyro and Cynder. You had no right to attack them like that. They meant no harm to us." Twilight continued to keep her anger from exploding.
"No harm? NO HARM?!" Rainbow was not getting angry. "You saw what that dragon did to me! He nearly killed me for Celestia sake! I don't understand why you're protecting him. He's a dragon for crying out loud! Dragons are dangerous!" Twilight was now starting to lose grip of her anger. She tried to calm down, but Rainbow Dash continued. "I don't care if that black dragon was protecting him for who knows why, but he's the dragon who will cause chaos and destruction to Equestria! HE AND THAT BLACK DRAGON DOESN'T DESERVE TO ROAM FREELY AROUND EQUESTRIA! I DON'T CARE WHAT IT TAKES TO PUT HIM IN CHAINS, BUT I WILL NOT REST UNTIL HE AND THAT BLACK DRAGON ARE PROPERLY-"
"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!" Twilight finally lost her temper and released her anger. Everypony looked at her with fear. Her coat was now white, her mane and tail were on fire, and her violet colored eyes were now red. Twilight rage-shifted.
"HOW DARE YOU SAY THINGS LIKE THAT TO THEM?!!! SPYRO AND CYNDER HAVE GONE THROUGH MORE THAN ALL OF YOU COULD EVER KNOW!! Rainbow opened her mouth, but she was cut off by Twilight. "NO!! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT THOSE TWO, BUT SPYRO HAD THE RIGHT TO BE ANGRY WITH YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!! YOU ATTACKED CYNDERAND NOW THE EGG MIGHT NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO SURVIVE BECAUSE OF YOU!!" The mares fear was now replaced with confusion.
"What are you talkin about sugar cube?" Applejack asked. Twilights rage-shift ended and let out a deep sigh. She then strted to explain that Spyro and Cynder are a mated pair and Cynder is pregnant. She then explained That Spyro and Cynder are from another world called Avalar. She explained next about how they lived and what the two have been through. She then finally explained to them about the large purple dragon named Malefore who is the true dragon who will bring chaos and devastation to Equsetria. After she finished, her friends stood there with shock.
"I can't believe this. I...I never knew those two have gone through so much, even at such a young age." Rarity said feeling sorry for the dragons.
"How...how awful. I...I don't know what to say." Fluttershy said with a few tears running.
" Ay never knew Cynder wus pregnant. I feel worried about her." Applejack said.
"At such a young age, I never knew what kind of evil stuff they had to go through." Pinkie Pie said as her tail and mane flattened. Rainbow stood there with shock and unable to form words.
Applejack walked up to Twilight and rested her hoof on her shoulder. "Twi, we're so sorry fer what happened, and we're mighty sorry fer breaking our Pinkie Promise. We weren't being good friends."
Twilight sighed. "It's okay everypony. It was all a misunderstanding. I should've known you all would react like that when you all would met Spyro and Cynder." She said.
"What do we do now?" Rarity asked.
"There's only one thing to do. Spike, take a note." Twilight said. Spike pulled out a quill and empty blank scroll and began to write as he followed Twilights words.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I'm sorry to say that I and my friends are not coming to Canterlot. The reason is because we have found the answer to your nightmare problem. Last night, two dragons saved me, Nyx, and Spike from the Timber wolves in the Everfree Forest. Their names are Spyro and Cynder. Spyro is the dragon who holds the answers to your nightmare problem. Apparently he and Cynder are longer with us because a certain pony threatened and attacked them without hesitation. I don't know where they are, but me and my friends are going to find them. Those two are the only ones who can save Ponyville, Canterlot and Equestia. I'll contact you as soon as possible when we find them and bring them back to Ponyville.
Yours truly.
Princess Twilight Sparkle.
After the letter was complete, Spike inhaled and let out his magical fire and send the letter to Celestia.
"So where do ya think they might be Twi?" Applejack asked.
"I don't know AJ, but I think the Everfree forest would be a good place to start." They all nodded and followed Twilight. Twilight heard Rainbow Dash flying behind her and stopped.
"What do you think you're doing Rainbow?" Twilight asked coldly.
"I wanna help you find Spyro and Cynder." She answered.
"For what you have done to Spyro and Cynder, you've done enough damage for today."
"But Twilight-"
Twilight sharply turned her head and glared at Rainbow coldly, making her stop in her tracks. The girls also had to agree Rainbow has done enough for right now. She turned around and ran forward to the Everfree forest with Nyx, Spike and the rest of her friends behind her. Rainbow Dash was alone in Twilights castle. She slumped to the ground and buried her face into her hooves and started crying. She felt very guilty for what she has done to the dragons and wished she would take back everything she did to Spyro and Cynder. She whimpered softly as tears continued to run down her face.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She whispered as she continued to cry harder.
To be continued... |
Legend of Spyro: Dawn of Friendship | Update on Chapter 5. | Authors note: I've decided to take a break from this story for a while. I feel a little bad that some have not enjoyed my last chapter because the chapter was ooc (Out of character for short). I want to say I'm sorry about chapter 4, but I want to inform you all that I'm trying to give you all the best story I can give you. Not everybody is perfect at everything when it comes to writing stories. But, I did work on chapter 5 a little bit. So since I'm not working on the story for a while, the least I can do is let you all have a sneak peek on chapter 5. Also, for those who are enjoying my story, I'm sorry to disappoint you all, but I give you all my word, I'm not cancelling this story anytime soon. For now please enjoy this sneak peek of chapter 5.
Chapter 5:Forgiveness
With Celestia
Celestia was in the Canterlot library with her sister Luna; looking through every book in the library to try to find an answer to her nightmares. Every book she looked through had no answer she needed. She looked over to her sister, which also was having a hard time finding the right book they need.
"I'm guessing you haven't found what were looking for right Luna?" she asked. Luna turned to her sister and shook her head.
"Nothing. I've looked through every book in the library and can't find the answer to your nightmare problem." Celestia sadly sighed and looked to the ground with disappointment. Her mind spun around as the nightmare resurfaced in her mind. Everything burning, her home destroyed, ponies she knew and loved killed. The large purple dragon glaring at her with its beading, yellow eyes. Celestia thought she was going crazy with this, but what does the nightmare mean? Is it a vision of the future? Her mind playing tricks on her? She couldn't handle this any longer. Anger, sadness and fear took hold. She stomped her hoof to the floor which caused Luna to jump a little. Celestia gritted her teeth as tears ran down her eyes.
"I can't take this anymore sister! This is too much for me to handle! I don't know why this is happening! I just want this all to stop! I-I-I-" Luna knows Celestia is taking this in hard. Celestia was afraid of everything that just happened for the past few days. Luna too, was afraid of this. Thinking quickly, she walked over to Celestia and embraced her with the most caring hug she can offer to her. She felt Celestia body shaking while she tried to comfort her best she can.
"Shhh. It's alright Tia. I'm here. I promise, I will do everything in my power to help you. I will not rest until this problem is solved." Celestias body slowly stopped shaking and her tears started to weakened. She looked down to her younger sister and smiled; happy she was there for her whenever she's afraid or alone. She lifted one of her hooves and returned her own embrace to her sister. "Thank you LuLu." She whispered. The two Alicorns broke up their embrace and smiled at one another.
"I needed that, and I'm glad to have you as my sister." Luna smiled and nuzzled her sister.
"How about we take a break? We've been in the library all morning." Celestia nodded in agreement as the two left the library. "I hope Twilight and her friends found something about this." Celestia said.
"I hope as well. As soon as they come to Canterlot, I'm sure our research will-"Her sentence was cut off when a tied up scroll appeared in front of the two Alicorns. Celestia knew it was from Twilight. She took the scroll by using her magic, surrounding it with a yellow, sparkling aura and opened the scroll and started reading it. Luna looked at her sister with confusion as she saw her eyes widened every second as she continued reading the scroll. After she finished reading the letter, Celestia lowered the scroll and started to space out. The silence was then broken by Luna.
"What is Tia?" She asked. Celestia looked at her sister.
"I believe we've found the answers we need." She said.
"What do you mean by that?" Luna asked. Celestia held the letter up Luna and Luna read the scroll. After a minute or so, she had the same look as her sister.
"I...I don't know what to say." Luna said with shock.
"Neither does I Luna. But if Twilight says that this Spyro character has the answers we need, then it's crucial that we find him and get him and this Cynder to give us the answers we need."
"I'm afraid that won't happen my dear." Said a dark voice. Luna and Celestia jolted their heads up and looked around the hallways of the catsle to find the trace of the voice. They saw nothing.
"Where are you!? Come out where we can see you!" shouted Luna.
"As you wish my dear." Said the voice. Shadows around Luna and Celestia began to gather into one area of the hallways and created one huge shadow blob. After the shadows disappeared, a large, purple dragon stood in front of them with a grin. Overwhelming fear took hold of Celestia as she looked upon the dragon. He had the same features and looks that Celestia saw in her nightmares. Luna looked at her sister knowing that they might have found the answer to her nightmares. Luna then turned her attention back at the purple dragon, which still had the evil grin on his face.
"Identify yourself right now! Who are you!?" She asked glaring down at the large dragon. The dragon then gave out an evil chuckle.
"Oh how rude of me to not telling you two my name. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Dark lord of my homeland known as Avalar. My name is Malefor. |
Legend of Spyro: Dawn of Friendship | Chapter 5: Forgiveness | Authors first note: Thank you all for supporting me and being patient. It makes me happy that many of you are enjoying my story. I'm surprised I'm doing pretty well from my Spyro story. It really makes me happy to see you all following me and liking my hard work. Thank you all again for your support and liking my story. Enjoy Chapter 5.
Chapter 5: Forgiveness
With Celestia
Celestia was in the Canterlot library with her sister Luna; looking through every book in the library to try to find an answer to her nightmares. Every book she looked through had no answer she needed. She looked over to her sister, which also was having a hard time finding the right book they need.
"I'm guessing you haven't found what were looking for right Luna?" she asked. Luna turned to her sister and shook her head.
"Nothing. I've looked through every book in the library and can't find the answer to your nightmare problem." Celestia sadly sighed and looked to the ground with disappointment. Her mind spun around as the nightmare resurfaced in her mind. Everything burning, her home destroyed, ponies she knew and loved killed. Celestia thought she was going crazy with this, but what does the nightmare mean? Is it a vision of the future? Her mind playing tricks on her? She couldn't handle this any longer. Anger, sadness and fear took hold. She stomped her hoof to the floor which caused Luna to jump a little. Celestia gritted her teeth as tears ran down her eyes.
"I can't take this anymore sister! This is too much for me to handle! I don't know why this is happening! I just want this all to stop! I-I-I-" Luna knows Celestia is taking this in hard. Celestia was afraid of everything that just happened for the past few days. Luna too, was afraid of this. Thinking quickly, she walked over to Celestia and embraced her with the most caring hug she can offer to her. She felt Celestia body shaking while she tried to comfort her best she can.
"Shhh. It's alright Tia. I'm here. I promise, I will do everything in my power to help you. I will not rest until this problem is solved." Celestias body slowly stopped shaking and her tears started to weakened. She looked down to her younger sister and smiled; happy she was there for her whenever she's afraid or alone. She lifted one of her hooves and returned her own embrace to her sister. "Thank you LuLu." She whispered. The two Alicorns broke up their embrace and smiled at one another.
"I needed that, and I'm glad to have you as my sister." Luna smiled and nuzzled her sister.
"How about we take a break? We've been in the library all morning." Celestia nodded in agreement as the two left the library. "I hope Twilight and her friends found something about this." Celestia said.
"I hope as well. As soon as they come to Canterlot, I'm sure our research will-"Her sentence was cut off when a tied up scroll appeared in front of the two Alicorns. Celestia knew it was from Twilight. She took the scroll by using her magic, surrounding it with a yellow, sparkling aura and opened the scroll and started reading it. Luna looked at her sister with confusion as she saw her eyes widened every second as she continued reading the scroll. After she finished reading the letter, Celestia lowered the scroll and started to space out. The silence was then broken by Luna.
"What is Tia?" She asked. Celestia looked at her sister.
"I believe we've found the answers we need." She said.
"What do you mean by that?" Luna asked. Celestia held the letter up Luna and Luna read the scroll. After a minute or so, she had the same look as her sister.
"I...I don't know what to say." Luna said with shock.
"Neither does I Luna. But if Twilight says that this Spyro character has the answers we need, then it's crucial that we find him and get him and this Cynder to give us the answers we need."
"I'm afraid that won't happen my dear." Said a dark voice. Luna and Celestia jolted their heads up and looked around the hallways of the catsle to find the trace of the voice. They saw nothing.
"Where are you!? Come out where we can see you!" shouted Luna.
"As you wish my dear." Said the voice. Shadows around Luna and Celestia began to gather into one area of the hallways and created one huge shadow blob. After the shadows disappeared, a large, purple dragon stood in front of them with a grin. Overwhelming fear took hold of Celestia as she looked upon the dragon. He had the same features and looks that Celestia saw in her nightmares. Luna looked at her sister knowing that they might have found the answer to her nightmares. Luna then turned her attention back at the purple dragon, which still had the evil grin on his face.
"Identify yourself right now! Who are you!?" She asked glaring down at the large dragon. The dragon then gave out an evil chuckle.
"Oh how rude of me to not telling you two my name. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Dark lord of my homeland known as Avalar. My name is Malefor.
With Spyro
Spyro was back in the Everfree Forest laying quietly in the nest he and Cynder made when the two came to Equestria. Fresh tears went down his purple scaly cheeks as his mind continued to replay the process of what happened back at the castle. He nearly killed an innocent creature out of anger and hatred. He let his dark form take hold and tried to kill the young mare. If it wasn't for Cynder, he would've ended her life for good. He felt very guilty for his actions. Spyro wished he can go back in time and fix his mistake, but Ignitus once told him he cannot change the past, but can change the future. Spyro sadly sighed as he closed his eyes.
/How can I ever apologize to the mares for what I did? Will they forgive me? What if they attack me if they find me, or if I find them/?
Spyro couldn't take it anymore. He curled up tighter and more tears ran down his face. He wanted to throw away all his sorrow and pain. Then, an image of Cynder popped into his head. Could she be mad at him for his actions? What if she doesn't want to be with him anymore? Spyro finally started to sob quietly as he clenched his thoughts hard.
"Cynder. I'm so sorry." He whispered.
"Why are you being sorry?" said a familiar voice. He put up his head and saw Cynder looking at him with tears in her eyes. That was then Spyro lost control over his sadness; he got up and ran toward her and gave her the most loving, passionate hug he could give her. Cynder returned the embrace as more tears ran down her cheek.
"I'm so sorry for what I've done." He whimpered.
"Shh...It's alright. Just let it out...Shh." Cynder and Spyro held their embrace for a good 5 minutes until Spyro finally calmed down as the two broke their embrace.
"Why did you storm off? I was worried that something bad would happen to you." Cynder said. Spyro sadly looked at the ground with new fresh tears running down his eyes.
"I...I was afraid what you were going to be mad at me for my actions. I was afraid that you weren't going to love me anymore; that you would leave me forever." Cynders heart broke from those words.
"Ooooh Spyro." She lifted his head with her hand and looked into his violet eyes with tears still running.
Cynder then spoke in her most calming, loving voice. "I would never leave you for what you've done. I love you no matter what; not even a small error like that will ever change. I wouldn't even know what I would do without you. You're everything to me Spyro. You're my whole world. I will never leave you because I love you from the bottom of my heart."
More tears ran down his face again, but these were tears of joy. He was truly happy to have such a loving companion and mate such as Cynder. He then wrapped his claws and wings around Cynder and gave her a loving hug. Cynder returned the hug with happiness. Finally, the two broke up and looked into their eyes.
"I love you Spyro." Cynder whispered.
"I love you to Cynder." Spyro replied.
Cynder smiled and leaned close to him and her lips connected to his into a loving kiss. As Spyro gladly returned the kiss, all his pain, sorrow and sadness were then washed away. Spyro then pulled Cynder closer and deepened the kiss, which Cynder did as well. All Spyro wanted here and now was to be with Cynder and to be loved. After a while, the two dragons broke the kiss and looked into their eyes which were filled with tears of joy. They then heard a small whimper behind the bushes. They knew exactly who was behind the bushes.
"We know your back there. Come on out." Spyro called out.
The bush rustled as Twilight and her friends (except Rainbow Dash) came out with tears running down their eyes.
Earlier with Twilight and her friends
Twilight, Nyx, Spike and the rest of her friend continued their search for Cynder and Spyro in the Everfree forest. Twilight was still mad at Rainbow Dash for her actions against the two dragons. But, at the same time, she felt a little guilty for yelling at her. She understood that she was just trying to protect her friend and her home, but she still had no right for saying those awful things about them and how she hurt them.
"Mommy, are you okay?" Nyx asked.
Twilight looked at her daughter and gave her a soft smile.
"Yes, I'm fine Nyx." Twilight said in a calm voice. Nyx knew Twilight was still angry from the events at the castle this morning.
"You're still mad at Auntie Rainbow Dash right?" Nyx asked. Twilight gave out a deep sigh and spoke.
"Yeah, I'm still mad at her for her actions and for what she did to Spyro and Cynder."
"Don't worry Twilight, once we find them, we'll try to convince them that we mean no harm to them. Hopefully they'll forgive us, especially Rainbow." Nyx said. Twilight gave Nyx another smile. She also hopes the two will forgive them for their actions against them. The ponies continued their search for a while. Twilight suddenly heard voices in the distance.
"I'm so sorry for what I've done." Said the first voice.
"Shh...It's alright. Just let it out...Shh." Said another voice. Twilight knew whose voices they were.
"Everypony, this way." Twilight called out to her friends. The ponies and dragon followed Twilight. They then hid behind a bush and peeked through. They saw Spyro and Cynder hugging each other and saw tears running down Spyros face. They couldn't help but shed a few tears for what they were seeing.
"Oh the poor dear. He must feel very bad for what he did." Rarity whispered. The ponies nodded in agreement. After a while, Spyro and Cynder broke their hug and looked into their eyes. The seven ducked down to prevent being spotted, but were still able to look through the bush.
"Why did you storm off? I was worried that something bad would happen to you." Cynder said. Spyro sadly looked at the ground with new fresh tears running down his eyes. Twilight knew exactly why Spyro left.
"I...I was afraid what you were going to be mad at me for my actions. I was afraid that you weren't going to love me anymore; that you would leave me forever." Spyro said. The ponies hearts broke from what he said.
"Man. He's taking this seriously. Ah hope Cynder doesn't hate him fer what he did." Applejack protested. The ponies continued to look at Cynder and Spyro waiting for an answer from Cynder.
"Ooooh Spyro." She lifted his head with her hand and looked into his eyes with tears still running.
Cynder then spoke in her most calming, loving voice. "I would never leave you for what you've done. I love you no matter what; not even a small error like that will ever change. I wouldn't even know what I would do without you. You're everything to me Spyro. You're my whole world. I will never leave you because I love you from the bottom of my heart."
The ponies hearts melted and smiled from Cynders words. Soon Spyro hugged Cynder again, which she also hugged him in return. After they broke up the hug, Cynder then whispered to Spyro.
"I love you Spyro." Cynder whispered.
"I love you to Cynder." Spyro replied.
The ponies hearts melted again as they saw Cynder leaning in toward Spyro and giving him a loving kiss. Spyro then pulled her closer, wrapping his arms and wings around her, which she did as well. As the two continued their kiss, the ponies watched them with tears running down their eyes; seeing the love and care the two dragons share. Twilight smiled and closed her eyes and whimpered softly.
"Those two have such a strong, loving bond." She whimpered. The others heard what she said and happily nodded with agreement. But, it was short lived when they heard Spyros voice.
"We know your back there. Come on out." Spyro called out.
Twilight gave a soft sigh as she and her friends emerged from the bush with tears still in their eyes. Cynder glared at the ponies with disgust.
"What are you doing here? I thought I made it clear for you and your friends to stay away from me and Spyro." Cynder said coldly.
Before she could say anything else, Spyro gently put his claws on her shoulder to calm her down. Cynder turned and looked into his eyes.
"It's okay Cynder. They have the right to be here. And I also owe them some answers." Spyro said gently.
Much to her discomfort, Cynder knows she and Spyro owe then answers for what has happened. She sighed and nodded. Spyro smiled and took his claw off her shoulder; he then walked up to Twilight and her friends. Twilight still had a few tears running down her face. She then finally spoke.
"Spyro, I-" She was cut off with Spyro putting his claws up in front of her.
"Before you anything, I want to apologize for what you all saw from before. After I realize what I've done, I felt very guilty and ashamed for my actions. Because of me, your friend got hurt, and almost got killed." Tears soon ran down his face, but still continued speaking. " I'm so SO sorry for what I did. I hope you and your friends can forgive me for my actions."
Spyro finally lowered his head with more tears running down his face, waiting for a response from Twilight or her friends. He suddenly felt something soft, furry and warm against his scales. He opened his eyes and saw Twilight giving him a caring hug. He was confused by what was happening. How could she forgive him so easily? He thought she would be furious with him. After a few more seconds, Twilight broke the hug and looked into Spyros eyes.
"Even though I'm disappointed for your actions back at the castle and for attacking my friend, but I understand you were only trying to protect yourself and Cynder. And, I also want to apologize for what Rainbow did. I knew she was uneasy with dragons, but I didn't know she would become that violent between you and Cynder. And for that, I'm sorry." Twilight said with a sad frown.
"Were sorry as well." Rarity said as she and the other ponies walked up to them.
"We all felt bad that we were being so harsh to the two of you when we all saw the two of you, and ah hope you can forgive us." Applejack stated.
Spyro gave out a relaxing sigh and smiled to the ponies.
"Of course I forgive you all." Spyro said.
"I forgive you all as well." Cynder also added. The ponies looked at the two with surprise.
"How...how can you two forgive us so easily? If...you don't mind me asking." Fluttershy asked softly.
Spyro gave a soft smile and spoke. "A wise old friend once taught me to forgive those you have hurt, or if they hurt you. Forgiveness always fixes a broken heart and helps others smile again."
The ponies and young dragon smile and embraced the two dragons with a caring hug, which the dragons returned. After the broke the hug, a small frown grew on Spyros face.
"I hope your friend Rainbow forgives me as well." Spyro said sadly.
"I already have." Said a familiar voice. The dragons and ponies looked in the direction of the voice and saw Rainbow Dash a few meters away from them. She still had bruises and cuts from this morning, but they were slowly healing in due time. She sadly looked at the ground as she started walking toward her friends and the dragons. She then stopped in front of Twilight and lifted her head to meet her eyes.
"I'm so sorry for what I've done Twilight." Rainbow said quietly. Twilight sadly looked at Rainbow Dash, and spoke.
"I'm sorry to Rainbow Dash. I never should've raised my voice at you like that. I was just angry for your actions against Spyro and Cynder."
"I know, and you had every right to be angry with me, and I'm sorry."
Twilight smiled and gave Rainbow a loving hug. She carefully hugged her to make sure she wasn't hurting her from her wounds.
"I forgive you." Twilight said. Rainbow smiled and returned a hug of her own. The two broke the hug and Rainbow walked up to Spyro.
"I'm really sorry for what I did to you Spyro. It wasn't cool of me to attack you like that. I...I was just scared."
Spyro smiled and gently placed a claw over her shoulder. "I understand Rainbow. You were only trying to protect your friends and your home. And, I'm also sorry for nearly killing you out of anger. It wasn't right for me to do that. I hope you can forgive me for that."
Rainbow smiled and nuzzled his cheek, which caused him to blush a little.
"It's alright. I won't make the same mistake again."
Rainbow stepped back and smiled. Spyro smiled as well. Rainbow finally walked up to Cynder and felt extreme guilt in her heart. She frowned and looked at the floor.
"I'm especially sorry to you Cynder. I never should've attacked you and Spyro like that. I hope you can forgive me for my actions." Cynder looked back at Spyro, which he gave her small nod to accept her forgiveness. She looked back at Rainbow who was still looking at the floor with guilt. She closed her eyes for a second and finally opened them with a smile. She gently pulled Rainbow Forward into a gentle hug. Rainbow was first shocked by this, but soon relaxed and returned a hug to her as well.
"I forgive you Rainbow. I know you were trying to protect your friends." She slowly pulled her away and continued speaking. "But remember this, 'never judge a dragon by his or her scales.'"
Rainbow smiled and sighed with relief that Spyro and Cynder forgave her for what she did. What happened this morning was all now water under the bridge. Twilight and her friends walked up to her and smiled.
"I'm proud of you Rainbow." Twilight said with a smile.
"Thanks Twi." Rainbow said happily.
Spyro walked up and stood next to Cynder and smiled.
"I'm proud of you Cynder." Spyro said while nuzzling her cheek. Cynder blushed, but happily nuzzled her back.
"Thank you Spyro." She softly said.
While everyone was starting to calm down after the events of what happened, Rainbow then realized something. Was the egg okay? Cynder then looked at Rainbow and she saw fear in her eyes. She smiled and walked up to her; putting her claw on her shoulder. Rainbow then looked up at Cynder.
"It's okay Rainbow. The egg is not harmed." She claimed.
Rainbows eyes widened with shock and relief. How was the egg able to withstand such force she gave her? Cynder saw the confusion in her eyes, and gladly explained.
"You see, dragon eggs born from female dragons in Avalar have a very strong, and thick shell. They are able to withstand a good amount of force. Only other dragons, extreme force, or dark magic can destroy a dragon egg from Avalar. The force you put in was only a walk in the park for the egg."
"But...but why did scream when I hurt you in that area?" Rainbow asked.
Cynder softly frowned.
"Well, Female dragons don't experience pain when an egg inside their body grows, because the egg has room to grow when female dragons are at their full adult state. Apparently when a female starts a family at the time they're able to reproduce, the egg will use up a lot of space in the body. As the egg continues to grow, the lower part of the body expands, causing pain to occur. When you landed the hit where the egg was being developed, my body felt the force of your strike, causing extreme pain to me."
Rainbow felt guilty for her actions, and the way she hurt Cynder, but Cynder comforted her by rubbing her shoulder; which made her calm down and smile.
"It's been bothering me for a while ever since me and Spyro mated, but the time for the egg to be laid will come very soon." Cynder said.
"Well, with all that disaster behind us, I would think we should all properly introduce ourselves." Rarity said. They all nodded in agreement.
"My name is Rarity. It is a pleasure to meet you two. I also want to congratulate you two for starting a family together." Rarity said.
"Thank you Rarity and it's a pleasure to meet you as well." Spyro said. Rarity gave them a warm smile. Then the orange pony walked up to them.
"Howdy. Names Applejack. It's nice to meet you two. Am the owner of a farm called 'Sweet Apple Archers'. It would be a pleasure fer you and Cynder to come visit sometime."
"Nice to meet you as well Applejack. We would love to come visit your farm sometime." Cynder said with a smile. Applejack gave them a warm smile in return. Suddenly, the pink pony appeared in front of their faces; speaking without taking in one sentence.
"HellomynameisPinkiePieilovemeetingnewponiesorinyourcasedragonsiwouldlovetothrowyouandcynderapartydoyoulovepartiesilovepartiesheckwhodoentlovepatiesandialsowopuldwanttocongratulateyoutwoforstartingafamilytimustbeexitingiforonelovetomeetthenewdragon." She said without taking one breath.
The dragons had their eyes widen and blinked a few times from the sudden shock of her appearance and speech. The girls giggled. Spyro glanced over Twilight and raised his scaly brow in confusion.
"That's just Pinkie being Pinkie. You'll get used to it." Twilight giggled. Spyro and Cynder then giggled from the event. Finally, the yellow mare walked up with her face being covered by her mane.
"Umm..Hi. M-my name is...F...FlutterShy." She said weakly.
"I'm sorry, we couldn't hear you." Cynder said.
"My name is...Fluttershy" she said a little more louder for them to hear.
"Fluttershy. That's a perfect beautiful name for you. It suits you well." Spyro said.
Fluttershy blushed a little by his calm, kind words.
"Umm...thank you...Spyro." Fluttershy said with a small smile. Spyro and Cynder smiled back.
"And I'm sure you two are acquainted With Rainbow Dash." Twilight said.
Rainbow flew up to the dragons. "Not only that, I'm also the fastest flyer in all of Eque- AAh!" A sharp pain caught up to her wing and she landed.
"Rainbow?" Twilight was a little nervous.
"It's okay Twi. I guess the recovery is going slower than I expected." Rainbow said while she rubbed her sore wing.
Spyro and Cynder looked at each other and nodded.
"I think me and Cynder can help you speed up your recovery." Spyro said gaining the ponies attention.
"What do you mean darling?" Rarity asked.
"Stand back and we'll show you what we mean." Cynder said.
The ponies arched a brow with confusion, but stepped back. The dragons closed their eyes and silence fell through the forest. Then, the crystals around their necks began to glow. Suddenly, the ground below them started to shake; making the ponies a little scared. Their fear was suddenly replaced with shock and awe as a red crystal began to slowly grow out of the ground.
"Sweet Celestia." Rarity said with her mouth a gap.
"Oh ma stars." Applejack siad with shock.
"Coooool." Rainbow said with amazement.
"Oh my." Fluttershy said surprised and a little scared.
"OOOOO! Sparkley!" Pinkie said with a huge smile on her face.
"Amazing." Twilight said with a loss of words.
"I...that's...wow." Nyx said unable to form her words.
Spike on the other hand was drooling uncontrollably at the sight of the red crystal. His eyes widened, licking his lips.
After the crystal stopped growing, Spyro and Cynder opened their eyes and saw the ponies with shocked faces. The two simply chuckled at the sight of their faces.
"What's the matter? Never seen a crystal grow out of the ground before?" Spyro chuckled.
"How-how did you do that?" Twilight asked.
"I'll explain later. First things first." Spyro said.
Spyro walked up to the crystal and placed his claws on it. Out of the bloom, the crystal began to glow. Bit by bit, the crystal began to disappear; leaving a trail of red energy behind. Spyro then started to absorb the energy into his body. The ponies watched what Spyro was doing and their eyes and mouths widened more. Finally, the crystal disappeared. Spyro stood before then with red aura swirling around him.
"Rainbow. Can you come here please?" Spyro asked. Rainbow was a little scared. "Don't worry, nothing bad will happen to you. I'm just going to heal your wounds."
Rainbow slowly made her way to Spyro and sat. He gently placed his claw on her shoulder and closed his eyes again. The red aura around him left and entered Rainbows body. The sudden energy made Rainbow jump a little, but then relaxed while the red aura began to do something to her. To her and the pony's surprise, her wounds and bruises began to heal at an instant. Waves and relief and relaxation flowed through her body as the energy continued to heal her.
/So this must be how Spyro and Cynder heal their wounds. Incredible./ Twilight thought.
Finally, the red aura faded away; Rainbow was now healed up. All her wounds, cuts and bruises were gone like they were never there in the first place.
"Better?" Spyro asked.
Rainbow was at a loss of words over what Spyro did, but was grateful to him for healing her.
"Yes. Thank you." Rainbow said with a smile. Spyro smiled back.
"How did you do that? What was that all about? What kind of crystal was that? I've never seen a crystal like that ever in my life." Twilight said getting up into Spyros face.
"Woah, woah, woah calm down Twilight. I can explain what just happened." Spyro said calmly. Twilight finally calmed down and moved away from Spyro a little.
Spyro then started to explain. "You see, what that Crystal you and your friends saw was called a-"
Spyro was then immediately cut off by the sight of a bright light. It was so bright, everyone had to cover their eyes. After the light finally dimmed, the ponies saw a fearing sight. A blue Pony with wings and horn, with sparkling mane flowing and with a crescent moon on her flank was lying on the ground unconscious with many bruises and cuts all over her body. The ponies and young dragon immediately knew who it was.
"PRINCESS LUNA!" they all gasped. They all ran over to her to check to see if she was okay. Spyro and Cynder followed behind as well. Twilight didn't know why she was like this.
/Who could've done this?/ she thought while she looked at the unconscious night princess.
To be continued... |
Legend of Spyro: Dawn of Friendship | Chapter 6: Darkness and Salvation | Before the story begins, I want apologize to you all for all of you having to wait for so long for this chapter. A lot has been dragging me back from 2014. But now, A new year has been born, and I'm ready to get back to this story. I'll try not to have you all wait too long for the next chapter to be up, and try to focus a little more on the story. I went through 4 solid hours to get this chapter done. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and thank you all for being patient. You all rock..
Chapter 6: Darkness, and Salvation
The six ponies and three dragons circled around the night princess, who was for some reason out.
"Who could have done this?" Twilight asked.
"I-is she okay Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.
"I don't know. I hope she is." Twilight responded looking at the blue Alicorn.
Spyro and Cynder took a closer look at the Alicorn to see the problem. Then, something caught Spyro's eyes. A black crystal was puncherd deep in her side. He knew exactly is was the dark crystal created by Malefor himself.
"Cynder." Cynder nodded, "Girls, you all need to stand back now." Spyro ordered.
"Why darling?" Rarity asked.
"Trust us. We know what we're doing." Spyro responded in a serious tone.
They didn't know what was going on, but they all stepped back as told. Cynder and Spyro stepped forward toward the princess. Spyro raised his claw quickly grabbed the dark crystal. Already, the dark, negative energy began to enter his body, giving him severe pain. Cynder was about to help him, but Spyro gave her a look to tell her not to come forward.
"What in tarnation are you doing?" Applejack asked the purple dragon.
"There's a dark crystal punchered deep in your princess. The crystal is created by our nemesis, Malefor, known as the dark master. To those who are possessed or harness the crystals dark energy, can lead to severe consequences...or even death." Cynder explained.
The group gasped by the information, "Spyro or I are the only ones who can handle the crystals power. The crystals has to come out, before its dark magic takes its effect." Cynder explained.
Spyro grunted as he tried to handle the crystals dark magic. Finally, with enough willpower and magic, Spyro quickly ripped the crystal out and destroyed it. The princess of the night screamed in her unconscious state when the crystal was no longer in contact with her. Spyro and Cynder quickly summoned a red and green spirit gem.
Spyro harnessed the red crystals power, while Cynder harnessed the green ones. The two gently placed their claws on the Alicorn and sent the gems power into Luna. Bit by bit, the wound started to heal up, and Luna's magic started returning. When the light subsided, Luna started to slowly open her eyes and groaned.
"LUNA!" The ponies cheered hugging the night princess.
Luna was taken back by the sudden hug, but then smiled, "Fear not my little ponies, I'm alright."
They all broke the hug and smiled at her, "What happened to you?" Twilight asked.
Something in Luna's brain snapped, "TIA!" She quickly got up, but the pain she received by the dark crystal still made her weak, "Easy Princess. Don't push yerself." Applejack said helping her up.
"I'm sorry, but I have to get back to Canterlot immediately." Luna said.
"Why?" Rainbow asked.
"A large Purple dragon named Malefor has My sister prisoner. I have to help her." Luna explained.
"Malefor is too strong for you to handle alone Princess." Spyro said.
Luna turned and looked at Spyro and Cynder. Her eyes widened, "Who are you two?" She asked.
"My name is Spyro, and this is Cynder." Spyro greeted.
Her eyes widened again, "So you two must be this Spyro and Cynder Twilight mentioned in her letter." Luna said.
"What letter?" Spyro asked.
"We'll worry about that later. Luna, why did Malefor has Celestia prisoner?" Twilight asked.
"Malefor wanted the information on the strongest power source of Equestria. I believe he was referring to the Elements of Harmony." Luna explained.
"The Elements of Harmony?" Cynder asked.
"They're six magical gems that create the magic of friendship. However, we had to give them back to their birthplace, the Tee of Harmony, to prevent total destruction in Equestria." Twilight explained.
"So far, me, the girls, and the princesses know their location." Rarity added.
Suddenly, Fluttershy screamed, "Fluttershy what's-" Twilight went wide eyed with fear by what she was seeing. Hundreds of black creatures that looked like bugs, but covered with green fur in some places, and holding weird black weapons were heading for them.
"What are those things!?" Rarity asked frightened and disgusted by them.
"That's Malefor's dark army." Spyro answered, "Stand back. Me and Cynder can handle this."
"Are you crazy!? How can you two beat them!? There's a hundred of them, and only two of you!" Rainbow shouted.
"Don't worry, we've handled them before. Trust us." Spyro said calmly while smiling.
They wanted to retort to them, but they were running out of time. They all nodded in improvement.
"Let's go Cynder." Spyro said to his mate.
She nodded and the two flew to the army of darkness.
"Are you sure these two can stop all of them?" Luna asked.
"Spyro did say he is powerful as he said as he is in his homeland, and if anypony can stop them, it's Spyro and Cynder." Twilight said.
Luna nodded, "I hope these two know what they're doing." Luna thought.
WITH SPYRO AND CYNDER
Spyro and Cynder flew closer to the dark army, "Are you ready Cynder?" Spyro asked.
She nodded and the two sped up and charged. They rammed into the army and started to attack. They two swiped their claws and tails to pull off combos. Ten dark army creatures surrounded Spyro, "ICE!" Spyro spun at high speeds and created an Ice tornado, destroying them in the process.
A few surrounded Cynder on both ground and Air, no way to escape....or so they thought. Two from the ground and the air charged at Cynder, "SHADOW!" Cynder dived into the ground and disappeared into the shadows. The dark army creatures collided into each other and became dizzy. Cynder emerged from the shadow from behind, "FEAR!" Using her fear element, she made her opponents afraid of her and started to run, but Cynder was far from done.
She charged and slashed at the creature and made them disappear. Twilight, Luna, and the others watched in awe at the battle, "I never knew these two were so powerful." Luna said.
"Did you see what Spyro just did? He has the power of Ice. That's so cool!" Spike said admiring Spyro.
"Cynder has control over the shadows? I never knew she could do that." Twilight said in awe.
"Just by screeching at those varmints, they're running like a bunch of scared dogs." Applejack said.
Spyro and Cynder continued to press the attack, and finished off 70% of the army.
"Cynder, Let's finish this." Spyro said.
Cynder nodded and prepared for their finishing combo, "WIND!" Cynder created a small wind tornado and the dark army was thrown into the cyclone.
"ELECTRICITY!" Spyro shot out a powerful lightning strike at the cyclone and the attack made contact. The wind cyclone then became an electric Hurricane, giving off extreme damage to the dark army.
The group had their jaws dropped, "Spyro had the power of electricity!? What else can they do?" Rainbow asked.
"Cynder can create wind! YAY Cynder!" Pinkie shouted jumping up and down like crazy.
The final dark creatures were destroyed and the two dragons began to relax. They breathed heavily by using a lot of energy. They looked at each other and smiled. The ponies and Spike ran up to the two, "Are you two alright?" Twilight asked.
"Yes, we're fine." Spyro answered with a reassuring smile.
"That was so cool! I knew you two were strong as you said, but I never knew you two were that strong." Spike said beaming.
"Gotta say, you two did a great job." Applejack said tipping her hat.
"Y-you two did good out there." Fluttershy whispered.
"Even with the stakes stacked against you two, you two came out on top. Well done." Rarity said smiling.
The two dragons smiled at their thanks.
"I hate to break this up, but I must return to Canterlot. Tia is still there, and I'm sure Malefor is still there as well." Luna said looking in the distance of Canterlot.
"If Malefor is involved with this, let me and Cynder help." Spyro said.
Luna nodded, "Very well. You two have proven to be powerful allies. I believe you two can help us in any way possible."
"We promise by our ancestors, we won't fail you." Spyro vowed.
Luna nodded again, "Alright then. Off to Canterlot."" She started charging up magic in her horn. Suddenly, it stopped, "What? Why isn't my magic working?" Luna asked confused.
"A dark crystal was implanted within you. I had to get it out of you. The crystal also drained all your magic, and it'll be a while until your magic returns. Me and Cynder were able to get most of your magic back, but it'll be a while until all of your magic returns." Spyro explained.
"Guess we'll have to get there by flight." Rainbow said pumping her wings. They all nodded in agreement.
"How are me, Pinkie and rarity supposed to get their by flight?" Applejack asked.
"Pinkie can ride on my back, Cynder with Applejack." Spyro said, "Luna, is it okay to carry Rarity?"
"Not a problem." Luna answered.
Pinkie got on Spyro, Applejack got on Cynder, but gently, not to try to give too much pain while the egg was still in her, and Rarity got on Lunas back.
"Alright everypony, off to Canterlot." Twilight said as Spike got on her back. Nyx quickly got on Rainbow's back, and they all took off at high speeds to the Castle.
"Tia, I hope you're safe" Luna thought.
WITH CELESTIA
"You'll never get away with this Malefor!" Celestia shouted.
Celestia and Malefor were in the throne room. She was surrounded by Dark crystals to prevent her from escaping. Malefor chuckled evilly, "My dear Celestia, I've already have. Now, if you value your life, you'll tell me where the power source of this planet is."
"Never! Luna has escaped and she'll come with help!" Celestia spat.
Malefor laughed, "Hahahaha! You believe that blue horse will come back? I've punched her with my own dark crystal, before she escaped. Even when she does come back, the dark crystal will slowly drain her power and life force. Soon...she'll be no more."
Tears started to form in her eyes, "No....Luna..."
"Also, I've decided to let my dark army have a little....fun wit her....by finishing her off. Hahahaha." Malefor laughed.
"No...No...LUNA!" Celestia yelled while tears fell from her eyes.
Malefor chuckled, "Now, I'll ask you again. Where is the source of power of this world?"
Celestia looked up at him with pure anger in her eyes while tears continued to fall, "I'll never tell you anything."
"Very well. I'll let the crystals slowly eat you away then." Malefore said snapping his dark claws.
The crystals moved closer and started draining away Celestias magic and life force.
"Hmhmhmhm, No one in this pathetic world can stop me. With you gone and that other blue horse, this world will be mine." Malefor chuckled.
"Better get those eyes checked Malefor!" A certain voice shouted.
"WHAT!?" He turned and saw Luna, no longer wounded and has six other ponies with her. he can tell she was extremely pissed. Celestia looked up and saw her sister, alive and well. She smiled as tears of joy ran down her face.
"Lulu..." She whispered feeling happy she's here with Twilight and the others.
"Tia.." Luna whispered looking at her sister, "RELEASE HER NOW!" She shouted using her royal canterlot voice.
Malefor laughed, "Well, I never expected you to still be alive, and I don't know how you were able to fend off my army, but it still doesn't matter. Your precious sister will slowly die. She'll watch as I kill off every single one of you, and then I'll find the source of this worlds power, and I'll become it's new ruler. HAHAHAHAH!!!" Malefor laughed.
"Not while we're here Malefor!" Shouted a familiar voice to him.
Malefor stopped and went wide eyed, "No...It can't be!"
"But it is." Said a female voice.
Spyro and Cynder landed in front of the ponies and started at Malefor with great anger and determination. Celestia went wide eyed by the sight of the two dragons, "The young one looks like Malefor, but....I can sense goodness in him, and hope to us all." Celestia thought.
Malefor growled, "I should have known you two would be here. I see now how these fools were able to survive my dark army's attack." Maleafore spat.
"Release Celestia now, or we'll have to release her by force!" Spyro shouted.
Malefor growled, "Never! Arise my dark army. RISE!" Malefor shouted opening his dark wings.
Shadows dripped from his wings, and the dark army began to emerge from the shadows. Spyro and Cynder got into their battle positions, but then Cynder grunted in pain.
"Cynder?" Spyro asked worried about her.
"Don't worry about me....I'm alright." Cynder responded with a bit of sweat pouring from her scaly face.
Spyro knew the pain was returning. She needed a green and red spirit gem now, but didn't have time. Spyro hopes she can last until this battle ends. Spyro looked back at Malefor and the dark army.
"KILL THEM!" Malefor ordered. The dark army charged forward toward the two dragons.
Spyro and Cynder charged as well. They jumped into the air and dived into the army. ike before they pulled off combos and attacks with their claws and tails. One punched Spyro in the face and sent him flying into the wall.
"SPYRO NO!" Cynder shouted. A dark army minion appeared and tried to stab Cynder, but Cynder barely dodged. A second one appeared in front of her and punched her in the face as well, making her fall to the floor.
"CYNDER!" Spyro shouted. One minion jumped into the air, raising it's dark weapon, and was aiming for the spot where the egg was. Rainbow saw this coming.
"I refuse to let this happen again!" Rainbow thought.
She quickly dashed forward to the fight, "Rainbow, what are you doing!?" Twilight shouted.
"Dashie, come back!" Pinkie shouted.
"Don't play the hero darling!" Rarity shouted.
Cynder looked up and saw the dark minion closing in. She was in sever pain, and doesn't have the energy to move. She closed her eyes and waited for the blow.
WHAM!
A sound made her open her eyes. She looked up and saw Rainbow between her and the dark army, "You wanna get to her, you gotta get through me!" Rainbow shouted staying close to her.
"Rainbow..." Cynder muttered. She couldn't believe she was actually protecting her, she also saved her and her young. Rainbow looked at her and smiled, "You alright?"
She nodded and tried to get up, "Why did you do that?" She asked.
"I never leave my friends hanging. I'll protect you, no matter what it takes, and I still owe you for what happened back at Twilight's castle." Rainbow replied smiling.
Cynder became so happy that Rainbow is risking her life to protect her. She smiled as a single tear fell from her eye, "Thank you Rainbow. You are the most loyal pony I've ever met."
"Hehe, well, I am the Element of Loyalty after all." Rainbow replied.
Spyro walked up to them, "Thank you for protecting Cynder Rainbow, even if it meant putting your life in danger." Spyro thanked.
Rainbow smiled, "ENOUGH!!" The three looked back at Malefor, who was very angry, "If you wish to join their fate, then so be it!" Malefor shouted charging at them.
"MOVE!" Spyro shouted. The three jumped out of the way before Malefor hit one of them.
"EARTH!" Spyro curled into a ball and an earth barrier formed. It sped up and was heading for Malefor. Malefor opened his mouth and a fireball began to form.
"FIR-" He was cut off when a rainbow blur hit him. The earth sphere collided with him and he fell to the ground, badly injured. Spyro broke out and jumped in the air again.
"FIRE!" He shot a fireball at Malefor, which made contact.
Malefor growled and got up and shook off the earth and fire. He quickly turned but then, "POISON!" A glob of poison made contact with his eyes and he yelled in pain. Cynder smirked.
"Cynder tag team?" Rainbow asked.
Cynder smiled, "Let's do it!"
Rainbow smirked and she started spinning around Malefor with great speed. Soon, a rainbow tornado began to form, "WIND!" Cynder gave Rainbow a boost with her wind and increased the speed. Soon, Malefor was beginning to rise from the ground.
"POISON, FEAR!" She used both her fear and poison element again and added its power to the tornado, causing Malefor to become confused.
"SPYRO, NOW!" Cynder shouted.
Spyro nodded and focused within his very soul and power. Purple aura began to form around him, and he rose from the ground. The ponies, Luna, Celestia and Spike looked in awe by what Spyro was doing. Spyro shot open his eyes and opened his mouth. Purple energy began to form and grew stronger.
"Feel the power of the true Purple Dragon Malefor! Fury's Convex Assault!" Spyro shouted. He then released a beam of purple energy and shot at the tornado, which it completely vanished when the beam hit Malefor in the chest. Malefor shouted in pain as the attack made contact with him. The ponies looked in shock and awe by the power of the attack and how much power Spyro was using. Malefor was then engulfed in the light. It was so great, the ponies had to cover their eyes, As the energy spread, the dark crystals surrounding Celestia started to shatter and fade away.
When the light faded, the ponies and dragons opened their eyes. Malefor was on the ground, completely hurt, while Spyro stood in front of him, completely drained of his power and magic, breathing heavily, and sweat pouring from his face. Celestia was on the ground, but was still conscious.
"I never knew these dragons could posses so much power." Celestia thought looking at the tired purple dragon.
Malefor weakly got up and looked at Spyro and Cynder. He growled that they won, again, "This isn't over fools. Mark my words, I will return!"Malefor shouted as he returned to his shadow form and disappeared into the floor.
"Get back here!" Rainbow shouted bursting after him, but Cynder stopped him, "Let him go Rainbow. He will return, but we'll be ready for him." She said as the last of Malefor vanished.
When Malefor was gone, Spyro collapsed onto the floor, completely weak. The girls gasped and ran up to him. Cynder got on one side while Rainbow took the other.
"Are you alright?" Rainbow asked.
"Y-yeah...I'm just completely drained by using that fury attack." Spyro said.
"Fury attack?" Rainbow asked.
"We'll explain everything later." Cynder said.
She focused within her white crystal and summoned a red, blue and green spirit gem. Celestia and Luna went wide eyed by what they saw. Spyro weakly got up and harnessed the gems power. Some of his strength returned, but still needed a full recovery. Cynder summoned a few more gems to heal herself. She harnessed the last of the gems power and walked over to Celestia.
"What are you-" Luna was cut off when the girls got in front of her, "It's okay Luna, Cynder's gonna heal up Celestia." Twilight explained.
Luna looked up and saw Cynder healing Celestia. Red aure swirled around her and her wound started to heal up.When her wounds were healed, Celestia slowly got up. She then looked at Cynder and smiled, "Thank you young one." She thanked in a motherly tone.
Cynder smiled and nodded.
"TIA!" Luna shouted as she gave her a bone crushing hug. Celestia returned the hug and the two cried.
"I thought I would never see you again." Luna whimpered.
"I thought I lost you Lulu." Celestia whispered.
The ponies and dragons smiled at their reunion. When 5 minutes passed, the two princesses broke their hug and smiled at one another. Celestia then looked at Spyro and Cynder and smiled.
"I cannot thank you enough for what you two did." Celestia thanked.
The two smiled, "It was nothing your highness.We only did what was right." Spyro said bowing to her. Cynder bowed as well.
Celestia smiled, "You two save my life, along with Luna and all of Equestria. I should be the one who should be bowing to the two of you." She then kneeled and bowed her head.
The two dragons were taken by surprise by this. Luna smiled and bowed as well. The mane six, Spike and Nyx smiled and bowed as well. Spyro and Cynder didn't know how to approach to this. No one ever bowed to them before. Eventually, the two looked at each other and smiled.
"We appreciate this Celestia, thank you." Spyro thanked.
Celestia and the ponies rose and smiled, "It's the least we can do after what you two did for all of us." She said.
They smiled. Cynder looked at her stomach, and Spyro smiled. He nuzzled her with passion. Celestia and Luna went wide eyed by the action, "Tia, does this mean the two are..."
"Yes Luna, Spyro and Cynder are a mated pair. I never knew that." Celestia said with surprise.
"What's surprising about us being a mated pair?" Spyro asked.
"Dragons in Equestria only mate and move on with their lives. It's extremely rare to see two dragons together as a mated pair." Celestia explained.
"Cynder is also pregnant!" Nyx blurted, but then covered her mouth by what she said.
Celestia and Luna went wide eyed once more, "Is this true?" Celestia asked.
Spyro and Cynder both blushed but nodded shyly. Celestia and Luna smiled once more, "Well, allow us to congratulate the two of you." Luna said smiling.
"Thank you Celestia, Luna." Cynder thanked.
"How long until the young one comes?" Celestia asked.
"Just days away." Spyro answered.
"Well, I'll be looking forward to the young ones arrival. If you don't mind, I would love to give it a special gift." Celestia said.
Spyro and Cynder smiled and nodded.
"We want to give it presents as well!" Pinkie said happily with the girls nodding in agreement.
The two dragons chuckled by her smile and attitude, "That's very kind of you all. Thank you." Cynder thanked.
"I still need to know how you know Malefor and who you two really are." Celestia said to the two dragons.
"We'll worry about that later Tia, for now, how about we put it aside for right now and try to get some rest." Luna said.
"As much as I want to tell you all as well, I'll have to agree with Luna. I need rest. I still need to regain all my strength. Me and Cynder will explain everything tomorrow." Spyro said yawning.
Celestia nodded, "Very well, for now, we'll all relax for the time being. You're all more than welcome to stay in Canterlot for the time being." Celestia said.
They all smiled and thanked her. Spyro and Cynder's true journey in Equestria has now begun. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | pre | "Oh, I know you meant no harm by it," Rarity said, smiling warmly. Then she turned to Sugarcoat. "And thank you for pointing out my behavior. I pride myself on my generosity, but perhaps sometimes that can lead to ponies taking advantage of me, even if they don't mean to. I'll try to remember that in the future."
"You won't remember it," Sugarcoat stated.
"Oh, nonsense," Rarity replied with a smile. "Now, is there anything I could do for you to thank you? Oh, I could make you a dress to join in on our fashion show! Would you like that?"
"No," Sugarcoat responded. "It's nice being able to walk around naked."
"Finally, somepony else says it..." Fluttershy muttered to herself. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Feeling Pinkie Keen | "Wow! That was amazing! Pinkie Pie predicted something would fall, and it did!"
Spike clearly couldn't contain his excitement over Pinkie's bit of future-telling moments earlier. Twilight Sparkle figured she could give him a bit of leeway for his enthusiasm. He was a baby dragon, after all. Simple happenstance like that was much easier to impress a young guy like him with than somepony older and more mature like her.
"Oh, come on," Twilight said as they walked along. "She said that something would fall, and a frog just happened to fall right around the same time. A coincidence, nothing else to it." She took a breath to continue, but the breath was knocked out of her when she found herself colliding with Sugarcoat. Twilight yelped and stumbled backwards, just barely managing to stop herself from falling.
"You need to work on looking where you're going," Sugarcoat said, barely looking bothered by the collision. "Maybe you can work on that after you work on actually listening to what I tell you."
"Sorry," Twilight responded, primarily to the first part. Then the second part hit her. "Wait, what? What did I not listen to?"
"I've said this twice before," Sugarcoat said, rolling her eyes. "And I get the feeling I'm gonna say this a lot more. Listen. To. Pinkie."
"Oh, come on!" Twilight groaned. "You mean to tell me that I'm supposed to just believe that random motions in her body can predict the future? That a "Pinkie Sense" exists? It's preposterous."
"It's Pinkie," Sugarcoat said. "Your friend."
"Just because she's my friend doesn't mean I have to believe every word she says!" Twilight insisted. "Besides, there's no scientific proof to back it up!"
"Who cares?" Sugarcoat asked. Twilight hesitated for the briefest of moments, but would not be swayed from her scientific approach.
"I do!" Twilight responded. "It's ridiculous, and without clear, non-circumstantial evidence for it, I can't allow myself to believe it!" She stared confidently at Sugarcoat, Spike watching the tension build between the two. Sugarcoat stared hard at Twilight, but then backed off.
"Fine," Sugarcoat said. "I know I'm right. You do what you want. Just don't say I didn't warn you." She then turned around and left without another word. Twilight watched her go until she vanished down the road, then nodded resolutely. She knew she had won this one.
~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight laid down in the pile of wreckage. The flower pot would have been painful enough. The anvil was overkill, and the cart and piano were just ridiculous. Every bit of her body was in a terrible amount of pain, but it might have been her pride that was hurt more considering all of those things had fallen after one of Pinkie's twitchy-tails. Twilight let out a groan, not even feeling good enough to move. She watched, even her eyes somehow hurting, as a shadow moved over her.
"Told you," Sugarcoat said. She began to walk off, then looked back at the pitiful pained pony. She rolled her eyes slightly before lighting her horn up, lifting Twilight onto her back, and starting towards the hospital.
"You're heavy," Sugarcoat said. "You should cut back on the hayburgers."
Twilight just groaned. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Sonic Rainboom | Rainbow Dash was nervous.
That wasn't something she admitted easily--to herself or otherwise--but it was clear as day today. The mere concept of needing to win the Best Young Flyers competition was stressful enough, but that was the kind of stress that Rainbow usually thrived on. It was the fact that she hadn't been able to pull of the Sonic Rainboom in what felt like a thousand tries that was really causing a problem. Her performance today, while phenomenal without it, really hinged on the Sonic Rainboom to make it a clear-cut victory. She had thought that a cheering section comprised of all of her best friends would help reduce the stress, and thanks to Twilight Sparkle's magic, she was a blue to get just that. However, that came with its own set of problems...
"Rarity! What're you doing talking to these guys?"
Rainbow scowled at her friend as she caught her speaking to the three stallions who had been her childhood bullies. Of all the ponies for her to choose to talk to, it just had to be Dumbbell, Hoops, and Score.
"Oh, they were just admiring my wings, Rainbow Dash," Rarity told her. While Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack had been enchanted with a cloud-walking spell, Rarity had been the lucky recipient of a spell that granted her a set of gossamer wings. The wings were attention-grabbing, and Rarity, always one to enjoy attention, had taken to them very fast. A little too fast, in Rainbow's opinion. The way Rarity was acting was certainly not helping to put Rainbow at ease.
"Yeah, you should forget the Sonic Rainboom and just get yourself some wings like these!" Dumbbell said. He and his friends began laughing, which certainly didn't help Rainbow's mood nor her nerves. She grumbled under her breath, an action which was enough for Fluttershy to take notice of her sour mood.
"Uhh...c'mon, girls. Why don't we go see how clouds are made?" Fluttershy offered helpfully. She waited for the others to begin towards the cloud factory before moving next to Rainbow Dash. "Don't listen to them. You're gonna win that competition for sure!"
"Are you kidding?" Rainbow moaned. "I can't do the Sonic Rainboom, and just look at these boring, plain old feathered wings. I'm doomed!" She began to walk off, but was stopped by a powder-blue hoof.
"Let me take care of this," Sugarcoat said.
"Sugarcoat?!" Rainbow exclaimed. "How are you walking on clouds?"
"I asked Twilight to cast the spell on me too," Sugarcoat said simply. All heads turned to Twilight, who smiled awkwardly.
"What?" Twilight said. "She asked."
"Never mind that," Sugarcoat said, then turned her attention to Rarity. "You. I thought you wanted to help Rainbow Dash."
"What?" Rarity asked. "I do! That's why-"
"That's why you're flying around with your fancy wings and drawing everypony's attention?" Sugarcoat offered. "That's why you're making the ponies who are going to be watching her later go all gaga over your wings and pretty much forget about her completely? That's why, instead of focusing on calming her nerves like you claimed to want, you're basking in the attention of the three ponies who she gets along with the least up here? If that's how you help ponies you care about, I hope you never help me with anything."
Rarity stared at Sugarcoat in shock. She stammered, trying to respond to that, but she couldn't find the words. She finally gave up on words, looking pitifully at Rainbow to confirm this.
"Well..." Rainbow said softly. "Uh...I wouldn't have worded it like that...but she's kinda right."
Within moments, Rarity was in tears, wrapping her forelegs around Rainbow.
"I'm terribly sorry, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity exclaimed. "I've been a horrible, horrible friend!" Rainbow groaned a bit, but dealt with it. It was Rarity's nature to overreact.
"Nah, you're not a horrible friend," Rainbow said. "Don't worry about it, Rare. Just...I dunno, relax?" She sat still, tolerating Rarity's hug. It was just a bit sappy for her.
"Very well, Rainbow Dash," Rarity said, finally releasing her. "You concentrate on your act. I'll stay out of your way and cheer you on."
"Thanks, Rarity," Rainbow said with a smile. "I think I'm already feeling a little more confident." The girls smiled, then began on their way towards the cloud factory. Sugarcoat, however, stopped Rarity.
"Hey," Sugarcoat said. "You know what would really help Rainbow Dash?"
"What?" Rarity asked.
"Just fly up high in the sky like two thirds through her routine," Sugarcoat said.
"How would that help Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked, looking quite confused.
"Trust me," Sugarcoat said. "It'll help a lot of things in the long run." Rarity raised a brow, but shrugged and took it under consideration. Sugarcoat wasn't wrong too often, after all. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Stare Master | "Here, chick-chick-chick-chick-chick! Brawck, bawk-bawk-bawk, brawck!"
Apple Bloom was immensely proud of her chicken call. It might not have been as excellent as her brother's turkey call, but it was near-flawless. Frankly, she was shocked that she hadn't gotten a chicken-calling cutie mark--though at the same time, she was kind of okay with that. She was nearly as proud of her plan to get herself and her friends out of Fluttershy's cottage. She felt a bit bad for escaping, and the thought of how worried Fluttershy would be did upset her slightly, but it would all be worth it when the three of them came home with her chicken and three brand-new cutie marks to show for it.
"What are you doing?" Scootaloo asked.
"Callin' for the chicken!" Bloom replied. Of course Scootaloo didn't understand that. She wasn't nearly as smart about farming stuff as Bloom was.
"That is not how you call a chicken," Scootaloo insisted.
"Oh, and you know how to call a chicken?" Bloom asked sarcastically. As far as she knew, Scootaloo had not grown up around chickens like she had.
"I know that's not the way," Scootaloo answered defiantly. As far as she knew, Bloom had not grown up around cool books with animal pictures that played the sounds they made like she had.
"Then show me," Bloom said, a smug grin on her face.
"I don't have to show you!" Scootaloo retorted.
"You're just chicken!" Bloom told her. There was that good old Apple wit, once again showing up when she needed it most.
"Am not!" Scootaloo replied. She was planning on joining the school debate team, and this was excellent practice.
"Oh, wait, now I know how to call a chicken!" Bloom said with a devilish grin. "Scootaloo! Scoot-scootalooooo!"
"That's so funny I forgot to laugh!" Scootaloo shot back, clearly unamused.
"You also forgot how to call a chicken," Bloom said through a cheshire grin.
"Why, you..." Scootaloo growled, glaring at her nemesis. Bloom stuck her tongue out at her and blew a raspberry, then looked to Sweetie Belle for approval. Sweetie, however, was not amused by their antics.
"Come on, guys," Sweetie said. "We're not gonna find the chicken or our cutie marks by arguing."
"There's a lot more you're not going to do if you don't go home," a voice said. All three fillies jumped in surprise, though Scootaloo tried to play it off as just a jump for the sake of jumping.
"Wh-who said that?" Bloom asked, backing up against her friends.
"I did," Sugarcoat said, stepping out from behind a tree.
"Oh..." Bloom responded, relieved. "It's just you, Sugarcoat. I thought it was some kinda monster."
"Now you're worried about monsters," Sugarcoat said dryly. "That didn't matter to you three when you decided to walk into the Everfree Forest all by yourself? You're not too bright."
"Hey!" Scootaloo responded. "We're not scared!"
"Tell that to your scaredy wings back there," Sugarcoat said, pointing at Scootaloo's outstretched wings. Scootaloo coughed and blushed lightly, folding them down.
"Look, we'd love to listen to you," Bloom said. "But we've got important cutie mark business to take care of in there."
"A-actually, I wouldn't mind going back..." Sweetie said, a bit shakily.
"Looks like she's the smartest of the bunch," Sugarcoat responded. "Because if I were one of the myriad monsters living in this forest, I'd look at three young fillies walking around all by themselves and see them as a good snack. You can't get a cutie mark in a monster's belly, and even if you could, you'd never even get to see it."
The three fillies looked at each other, gulping in unison. As much as they wanted to get their cutie marks, they didn't want to get them for being monster food. That kind of talent was the type that only came into play once.
"So you're going back to Fluttershy's, right?" Sugarcoat asked.
"Yes, Miss Sugarcoat!" the three answered hastily. The sounds of riffing capes accompanied the girls' speedy gallop out of the forest. Sugarcoat smirked a bit. She didn't usually care about doing good deeds, but they were just kids. She smiled a satisfied smile as she followed them out of the forest, confident that she'd stopped things before something terrible could happen.
~~~~~~~~~~
A ladybug crawled across Twilight Sparkle's eye. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | The Show Stoppers | Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo couldn't have possibly felt more downtrodden as they trudged off of the stage. They had spent so very long putting this act together, practicing it, and making sure everything was perfect. This was supposed to be their crowning moment, the moment that made everypony stand up and cheer as they earned their cutie marks in front of a live crowd. Instead, they'd been shamed, laughed mercilessly off stage. The mere concept of a bunch of grownups laughing a group of fillies off stage was inconceivable to them, but it sure had happened, and they couldn't possibly feel worse.
"Wow," Scootaloo said with a sigh. "That did not go as well as I expected." It might have been the understatement of the century, and that sentiment was rather evident on the faces of the three.
"I can't believe they're laughin' at us," Bloom said dejectedly.
"Was it that bad?" Sweetie asked. Scootaloo closed her eyes and shook her head as Bloom stared at Sweetie, wondering if it was possible to ask a question with a more obvious answer. She couldn't blame Sweetie, though. She was in a state of disbelief, just like the rest of them were.
"Back on stage, girls," Miss Cheerilee said as she and Spike walked up to the group. "It's time for the awards."
"Back on stage? No!" Sweetie replied defiantly.
"They'll just laugh some more," Bloom insisted, her eyes glistening and looking ready to leak at any moment.
"Yeah, what's the point?" Scootaloo asked, not even able to make eye contact with Cheerilee.
"Now girls..." Cheerilee began, but she stopped when she saw Sugarcoat suddenly step into view.
"I've got this," Sugarcoat said. She walked right between Cheerilee and Spike, stepping up to the Crusaders.
"Who is that?" Cheerilee whispered. "And how did she get backstage?"
"Just let her do her thing," Spike said. "She's got this crazy way of giving good advice." The two stared at Sugarcoat as she gave the fillies a look.
"You should really stick to what you're good at," Sugarcoat told the three. They looked at each other, confused.
"What do you mean?" Bloom asked.
"Seriously?" Sugarcoat asked. "You had all your silly little reasons to not do what you're actually pretty good at. Maybe if Sweetie Belle was the lead singer, your song wouldn't have sounded so gravely."
"Hey!" Scootaloo said. "My voice isn't gravely!"
"And maybe you should have done the choreography so it wouldn't have been a bunch of awkward kicking," Sugarcoat said, pointing to Scootaloo.
"What was so awkward about my choreography?" Bloom said, frowning.
"It was a lot worse than how your set design would have been," Sugarcoat said. "But maybe better than what Sweetie did with it."
"Hey..." Sweetie said, looking a little down. Sugarcoat rolled her eyes.
"This all could have been avoided," Sugarcoat said. "Who cares if ponies always expect you to sing? Maybe there's a reason for that, huh?"
"Well...maybe..." Sweetie said softly.
"And you're really good on your scooter, yet you didn't want to do the dance moves because why, exactly?" Sugarcoat asked.
"Uh..." Scootaloo began.
"Rhetorical question," Sugarcoat interrupted before looking to Bloom. "And you can build stuff, but of course you let Sweetie do that instead."
"I just thought..." Bloom said.
"Just stick with what you like," Sugarcoat said. "Now go out on stage. Your teacher probably wouldn't be this insistent on you being out there if you didn't win something." The three looked at Cheerilee, who smiled awkwardly.
"Well...alright," Bloom said, before leading her friends out onto the stage. Cheerilee breathed a sigh of relief as she walked up to Sugarcoat.
"That was a little more harsh than I would have gone with," Cheerilee said. "But thanks for taking care of that. I'm sure they'll remember this lesson for years to come."
"Doubt it," Sugarcoat said before exiting the backstage area. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | A Dog and Pony Show | "Enough! Search, pony!"
The grating, gravely voice of Rover--although she certainly hadn't cared to ask for his name--had long since gotten on Rarity's nerves. It had been quite a while since the Diamond Dogs had dragged her underground, and while she had been pretty terrified at first, her keen wit had allowed her to come up with a plan to get them off of her back...much like she wished she could do with the harness they'd placed on her. For now, though, the harness would stay. It was integral to make the Diamond Dogs think they had the power before showing them that they were woefully mistaken.
"Well, since you insist..." Rarity said coyly. "But I must say the working conditions in here are simply dreadful. Musty and damp, it's going to wreak havoc on my mane. And this air is stifling, suffocating. And when I try to take a deep breath, the stench of all you dogs makes me nauseated." She tried to remain the picture of nonchalance as she went on, wanting so badly to grin as she tricked a group of dogs into dropping rocks on themselves but knowing that feigned ignorance would pay off in the end.
"You look and smell like you haven't bathed in weeks," Rarity continued. "Have you never heard of soap? You could all do with a good round of soap and water. Oh water, oh water, I'm terribly thirsty. Could I please have some water?"
"Good gracious, I can't take this anymore," Spot groaned. "Be quiet, pony!"
"And that's another thing," Rarity said haughtily. "I would appreciate if you stopped calling me 'pony.' I am a lady and I wish to be addressed as such. So you may call me 'Miss' or 'Rarity' or 'Miss Rarity.'"
"Enough!" Rover shouted "Your whining! It-it-it hurts!" Like a seasoned fencer, Rarity caught the opening and seized it.
"Whining?" Rarity asked flatly "I am not whining. I am complaining. Do you want to hear whining?" She took a brief moment to prepare, enjoying the worried looks on the dogs' faces, before throwing herself headlong into the role. "Thiiis iiis whiiining! Oooh, this harness is too tiiight! It's going to chafe. Can't you loosen it? Oooh, it hurts and it's sooo ruuusty! Why didn't you clean it first? It's gonna leave a staaain! And the wagon's getting heeeavy! Why do I have to pull it?!" Rarity made a little hop in the air to accentuate her last question. Actions were just as important as words, if not more so.
"Aaah! Make it stop!" Spot cried, covering his ears.
"Stop whining!" Rover insisted.
"But I thought you waaanted whiiining!" Rarity whined, stomping her front hooves. She idly thought back to her old drama teacher and how he said she was prone to overacting. If he could see her now...
"Geh!" Rover groaned. "We'll do anything, pony!" A glare from Rarity made him recoil. "Oh, uh, uh, we'll do anything, 'Miss Rarity.'" He laughed nervously at the idea of causing another whining fit.
"Anything?" Rarity asked dreamily.
"Hold on a minute."
All heads turned to the nearest tunnel as Sugarcoat walked onto the scene.
"Sugarcoat?" Rarity asked. "How in Equestria did you get here?"
"I fell," Sugarcoat said plainly. "You know, it's really not nice to manipulate others."
"What?" Rarity said, shocked. "You're taking their side?"
"I'm just telling it like it is," Sugarcoat replied. Then she turned to the Diamond Dogs. "Are you going to let a pony boss you around like this just because she's loud and annoying?"
"Miss Rarity is not bossing us!" Rover insisted. "We are in charge!"
"Yet you're calling her Miss Rarity like she owns you," Sugarcoat stated. "How could you be this dumb?" The dogs began to murmur to each other, and Rarity stared at Sugarcoat in shock as her plans looked to fall apart around her.
"You're right!" Spot shouted. "We are in charge, pony! Pull the wagon!"
"But..." Rarity stammered, trying to regain control. She quickly snapped back into whining. "It's so heavy and..."
"Just put a muzzle on her," Sugarcoat said.
"Of course!" Rover responded. "Why didn't we think of that?"
"Because you're stupid," Sugarcoat told them. They ignored her as Rover quickly clamped a muzzle over Rarity's mouth, fastening it behind her head. The muted unicorn squealed through it, giving Sugarcoat a death glare as she was prodded and forced to start pulling.
"And now we will get our work done much faster," Rover said with a grin, as the dogs moved closer to Sugarcoat. "Now that we have two ponies..."
~~~~~~~~~~
It had taken quite a bit of trial and error, as well as a bit of confrontation with some particularly nasty dogs, but Twilight and company were sure that they'd finally found the right path this time. Led by Spike riding on Twilight's back, the group charged into the cavern, ding face to face with Rover, Spot, and Fido. They stared at the dogs angrily before Spike noticed a muzzled Rarity looking miserable behind them. Thinking quickly, Spike launched himself over Twilight's head. The dogs tried to grab him, but his leap was too mighty, propelled by the need to save his damsel in distress.
"Get him!" Rover shouted. The dogs attempted to converge on Spike, but the ponies sprang into action. Applejack used a piece of rope she'd gotten from the dogs they'd confronted to tie up Fido's feet, and Fluttershy made sure to tie it nice and tight so he could be easily reeled in. Pinkie Pie bounced in front of Spot, distracting him just long enough to allow Rainbow to tackle him to the ground. As for Rover, he was quickly incapacitated by Twilight's magic and pulled straight up to her face.
"Diamond Dogs," Twilight said sternly. "I feel I should inform you that I am the prized student of Princess Celestia, and these are my friends and her bearers of the Elements of Harmony that you're dealing with. If you'd like to enter a war against our people, then by all means, keep doing what you're doing. I, however, would advise against it." Rover gulped slightly as he struggled in Twilight's magical grasp.
"Fine! You win!" Rover cried. "You can even take some of our jewels!"
"Good choice," Twilight said with a smile. "We make better friends than enemies."
Meanwhile. Spike leapt onto Rarity's back. He quickly unfastened her muzzle, letting it drop to the ground before grabbing either side of the harness. With a mighty pull, he hefted the heavy harness from her back, letting it clatter to the ground.
"My hero!" Rarity swooned. She lit her horn up and pulled Spike in front of her, squealing happily. Spike began to breathe heavily, preparing to deliver a suave line that would capture his lady's heart. However, staring into her eyes proved to be counterproductive.
"B-bwuh..." Spike stammered. Rarity giggled softly and gently turned his head, placing a delicate kiss on his cheek. With that, the mighty, manly savior instantly fainted into Rarity's forelegs. Rarity rolled her eyes and smiled, carefully depositing Spike on her back and joining the group.
"Go on then," Rover insisted to Twilight. "Take both of them!"
"Both?" a confused Twilight asked. It was just then that Sugarcoat walked out from behind a pillar, harness still on her back.
"I'm keeping this harness," Sugarcoat said as she stepped past the dogs. "I like it." Twilight just shrugged as she led the group and their treasure out of the room. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Green Isn't Your Color | Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes and rested back into the hot tub, happy to finally get a moment to relax. Dealing with an upset Rarity was never a good way to relax, and with Rarity's tendency to be overdramatic, it was something she had to deal with fairly often. At least today's issue seemed like something worth being upset about. Rarity had worked so hard to get the attention of Photo Finish, and in the end, it was Fluttershy that she wanted instead. In many situations, a friend would have been happy for their friend's success, but Rarity was having trouble with that step, seeing as she'd worked so hard for this. Not helping matters was the fact that Twilight was apparently honor-bound not to tell Fluttershy how jealous Rarity was of her. Pinkie Pie had made it absolutely clear that losing a friend's trust was the fastest way to lose a friend forever, and she certainly didn't want that. She'd worry about it later, though. For now, she welcomed the opportunity to relax.
"Rarity!" Fluttershy called out as she flew into the sauna. "I'm so sorry I'm...Oh no. She's already gone, isn't she?" Twilight opened her eyes and let out a small sigh. So much for relaxing.
"Sorry," Twilight said. Despite her disappointment, her sentiment was genuine.
"Oh, I can't believe this," Fluttershy lamented. "I am so frustrated, I could just scream." She took a deep breath, then let out what was, in Twilight's mind and probably the mind of anypony else who would have heard it, the least-intimidating scream in existence. To classify it as a scream was doing a disservice to the word.
"Feel better?" Twilight asked, doing her best not to comment on the scream. Fluttershy let out a sigh which was almost as loud as her attempt at yelling.
"No," Fluttershy said, picking herself up into the air and hovering over the hot tub. "Can I tell you something?"
"Of course," Twilight responded.
"You promise not to tell Rarity?" Fluttershy asked.
"I swear," Twilight answered, a resolute look on her face.
"Pinkie Pie swear?" Fluttershy asked.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my..." Twilight began, going through Pinkie's motions. "Waaah!" Twilight removed her hoof from the eye it had poked, deciding that she needed to get better at imitating ponies. Fluttershy gave her a look, then took a deep breath, looking away.
"I don't like being a model," Fluttershy said, before deciding to amend that. "No, I hate being a model. All this attention is awful, just awful. And I'm only doing it because Rarity told me I must. I must! I MUST!" The pegasus let out a forlorn sigh. "I must..."
"Oh, really?" Twilight asked, a smug grin crossing her face as she saw a way out of everypony's problems. "Well..." She looked left and right, then waved for Fluttershy to get closer, waiting for her to do so before continuing. "If you wanna know the truth, Rarity..."
Both ponies were startled by a pony head suddenly popping out of the basin of sponges next to the sauna. Having seen her there before, Twilight was fully expecting Pinkie to be the one popping out. That made her all the more surprised when she realized it was Sugarcoat's head she was staring at.
"Sugarcoat?" Twilight asked, confused. "How did you get in there?"
"I'm not in there," Sugarcoat said, glancing at the basin. "I'm behind it."
Twilight and Fluttershy tilted their heads over to look behind the basin. Sure enough, Sugarcoat was standing there, having just poked her head over.
"Oh," Twilight said. "That makes sense." Then she smirked. "And I bet I know what you're here for."
"I bet you don't," Sugarcoat responded.
"Well, you'd bet wrong!" Twilight said proudly. "Because I know that you're about to say..."
"Don't listen to Pinkie," Sugarcoat said.
"Exac-" Twilight started. Then she stopped in her tracks. "Wait, what?" Sugarcoat rolled her eyes and leaned right in towards Twilight's ear.
"Don't listen to Pinkie!" Sugarcoat said, making sure she was loud enough for Twilight to hear.
"But...but..." Twilight stammered. "You told me the other times to listen to Pinkie!"
"And?" Sugarcoat asked. "Just because somepony's right a lot doesn't mean they're always right. Are you really that black and white about everything?"
"N-no, but..." Twilight started.
"Good," Sugarcoat responded. "Now like I said, don't listen to Pinkie." Twilight thought this over for a moment, then glared at Sugarcoat.
"Well what if you're wrong this time?" Twilight asked. "You yourself said that just because somepony's right a lot doesn't mean they're always right."
"Except me," Sugarcoat said. "I'm always right. But hey, do whatever you want. You want to make the wrong choice? That's all you." With that, she turned tail and exited the sauna. Twilight stared after her, speechless.
"Um...what are you not supposed to listen to Pinkie about?" Fluttershy asked.
"Nothing," Twilight said defiantly. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Over A Barrel | Twilight Sparkle breathed a long sigh of relief as she watched Fluttershy pounce on Pinkie Pie. It was a surprising amount of exuberance for the typically-quiet pegasus, but Twilight could understand where she was coming from. She and the others had all been quite worried over the whereabouts of Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Spike. Ever since Spike had been kidnapped by a herd of buffalo and Rainbow and Pinkje had gone to find them, they were having trouble thinking about anything else. Meeting Applejack's cousin Braeburn and being led around Appleloosa was a decent enough distraction, but it wasn't enough to quell their worries. Thankfully, seeing their friends' faces was.
"How did you escape from the buffalo?" Twilight asked. She didn't really know a whole lot about buffalo, but from what she did know, they weren't typically a violent people. Of course, that didn't mean that they couldn't have stumbled across a tribe that were.
"We didn't!" Pinkie exclaimed. Just then, the small female buffalo that had attacked the train stepped into view. The ponies gasped, and Applejack started moving into a defensive stance.
"We promised the buffalo a chance to talk," Rainbow said.
"Oh yeah? 'Bout what?" Applejack asked, eyeing the buffalo warily.
"We brought our new pal Little Strongheart here to explain to the Appleloosans why they should move the apple trees off buffalo land," Rainbow said, putting a foreleg around the buffalo and nudging her towards the group.
"That information would be quite help-" Braeburn started, but Applejack quickly cut him off.
"That's weird," Applejack said with a frown, shoving Braeburn so he was nose to nose with Strongheart. "'Cause my cousin Braeburn here wants to explain to the buffalo why they should let the apple trees stay." Braeburn smiled awkwardly, almost apologetically, at Strongheart.
"That would be a useful thing to-" Strongheart began. She too was cut off, this time by Rainbow.
"The land is theirs!" Rainbow shouted. "You planted the trees not knowing that. Honest mistake. Now, you just gotta move 'em, that's all."
"Well...heh..." Braeburn said. Yet again, Applejack interrupted him.
"They busted their rumps here!" Applejack hollered. "And now they're supposed to bust their rumps again, just 'cause some buffalo won't stampede someplace else?"
"Plant the trees somewhere else!" Rainbow insisted.
"Where?!" Applejack asked, more than a bit annoyed. "It's the only flatland around these parts!"
"The buffalo were here first!" Rainbow shouted, getting nose-to-nose with Applejack.
"The settler ponies need it to live!" Applejack yelled, pushing right back.
"Geez, just make out already," came Sugarcoat's voice. Applejack and Rainbow backed up quickly, blushing brightly as the powder-blue unicorn came into view.
"Where did you come from?" Applejack asked.
"A place of reason," Sugarcoat shot back. "I can see neither of you have ever been there." The two ponies glared holes through the intruder, but managed to control their tempers.
"Come on, Sugarcoat," Twilight said, trying to restore order. "How long have you been listening?"
"Long enough," Sugarcoat said. "Long enough to hear you not even bother listening to each other. You know that those two..." She pointed to Braeburn and Strongheart. "...Want to listen to each other's points and learn from them? But you two are too stubborn to give them a chance. Maybe if you'd shut up for a few minutes, you could all work out a compromise."
Applejack and Rainbow gave each other a look, then both took a step towards Sugarcoat. Twilight stepped in front of them, cutting them off.
"You know, she's right, even though she's being impolite about it," Twilight said. "Let's give hem a chance to speak things over." Applejack and Rainbow frowned, but relented.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Applejack said.
"Uh-huh," Rainbow reluctantly agreed.
"Good," Twilight said. She gave Sugarcoat a sweet smile. "Thank you, Sugarcoat. You're as helpful as always." She kept the sweet smile going, but Sugarcoat turned away.
"Uh-huh," Sugarcoat said, beginning to walk off.
"So..." Strongheart said, looking Braeburn in the eyes. "Let's go talk...and maybe when we're done, we could go for a bite to eat?"
"Don't bother," Sugarcoat called as she strolled off. "He's not into girls." |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | A Bird in the Hoof | "I don't understand! What is that thing? What happened to Philomena?"
To say that Fluttershy was baffled would have been a tremendous understatement. The day had been a rather tumultuous one, what with nearly missing the big meal with Princess Celestia and borrowing her pet bird Philomena to give her the care that the Princess was too busy to do. Once word had gotten out that the Princess was searching for Philomena, things had gotten far more stressful, but not nearly as stressful as when she watched Philomena suddenly burst into flame, then land in a pile of ash in her hooves. The trauma of it all was nearly too much for her to take, but then her emotions were taken for another ride as Princess Celestia appeared and spoke to the ashes, inconceivably convincing them to reform into a majestic birdlike creature. It certainly was a strange day.
"This is Philomena," Celestia responded. "She's quite a sight, as I said. But nothing unusual for a phoenix. Isn't that right, Philomena?" The bird let out a rather majestic caw in response.
"A...a phoenix?" Fluttershy asked, quite confused.
"A phoenix is a majestic and magical bird," Celestia said. "While it appears healthy and happy most of the time, every so often it must renew itself by shedding all of its feathers and bursting into flame." She leaned in towards Fluttershy with a little grin and whispered. "Rather melodramatic, if you ask me." Then she stood straight again, returning to a regular speaking volume, "It then rises from the ashes, fresh as a daisy. All just a normal part of the life cycle of a phoenix. I'm afraid mischievous little Philomena here took the occasion to have a little fun with you, Fluttershy. Say you're sorry, young lady."
Philomena, for her part, looked a bit ashamed, and let out an apologetic caw. Fluttershy gave her a little nod, but her worries still remained.
"So...aren't you gonna banish me?" Fluttershy asked. "Or throw me in a dungeon? Or banish me and then throw me in a dungeon in the place that you banish me to?"
"Of course not, my little pony," Celestia answered, raising a curious brow. "Where on Earth would you get such an idea?" At this, Twilight Sparkle smiled sheepishly. Perhaps she had overreacted slightly when she put those ideas in Fluttershy's head.
"I guess I have some imagination," Fluttershy responded innocently, giving Twilight a little wink. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief.
"Fluttershy really did do everything she could to try to take care of Philomena for you," Twilight told the Princess.
"And I do appreciate that your heart was in the right place, child," Celestia said.m"But all you had to do was ask me and I could have told you Philomena was a phoenix and saved you all this trouble."
"Excuse me?"
All heads turned towards the fountain, where Sugarcoat was standing.
"Please, not now..." Twilight said under her breath.
"Did you really just say that?" Sugarcoat asked, trotting past the others and right up to Celestia.
"I'm sorry?" Celestia asked, more than a bit surprised at the pony's bravado.
"You should be," Sugarcoat responded.
Twilight nearly fainted on the spot.
"For what, my little pony?" Celestia asked, a bemused smirk on her face. If this was bothering her, she was doing a good job of hiding it.
"You know she loves animals," Sugarcoat answered. "If somepony who cares that much about animals sees an animal that looks sick, they're probably gonna want to do something about it. You could have avoided all of this by telling her right off the bat what a phoenix was all about, instead of acting all high and mighty and playing the 'you didn't ask so I didn't tell you' card. For a thousand-plus-year-old princess, you sure are pretty immature sometimes."
Twilight didn't say anything, for she had fainted dead away.
Princess Celestia, meanwhile, set a stony gaze upon the unicorn in front of her. The area fell silent, not a single pony daring to speak. All eyes were now glued on the sun princess, some shocked and some terrified as they waited for her response. Seconds passed by like minutes as the silence hung in the air. A small clearing of Celestia's throat finally broke the silence, but the tension was not broken until she spoke a moment later.
"...I shall take that under consideration," Celestia responded. Her face was unreadable, holding the calm little smile that she seemed to carry around so often, the one that could have been hiding nearly any emotion under the sun. She then turned to her guards and gave a nod. "Let us return to the castle."
"Y-yes, ma'am," one of the guards said. The Princess, her guard, and her phoenix then left the scene.
"Well...th-that was tense," Fluttershy said quietly once they had gone.
"Wwwwow..." Rainbow Dash said. She glanced over to Sugarcoat, who seemed completely unbothered. "You sure that was the best idea?"
"What?" Sugarcoat asked. "Somepony had to say it." Then she walked off, the others staring at her as she went.
"What happened?" Twilight said as she woke up with a start. "Was she banished?" |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Cutie Mark Chronicles | "See anything?"
Apple Bloom's question, like many of the things that the Cutie Mark Crusaders did or said, was met with the three of them instantly turning to stare at their rumps. And, as was usually the case when they looked at their own rumps, they were filled with a crushing sense of disappointment.
"Tree sap and pine needles, but no cutie mark," Scootaloo lamented. The trio had been trying anything and everything they could think of to earn those all-important marks, but had yet to succeed. Their latest endeavor, ziplining, had been no different. No matter what they did, their cutie marks just seemed to evade them.
"Plan B?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Yeah," Scootaloo replied. "You know where we can find a cannon at this hour?" Then she groaned. "It's no use! No matter what we try, we always end up without our cutie marks. And, surprisingly often, covered in tree sap."
"Maybe we should do something less dangerous," Sweetie offered. "Like pillow testing or flower sniffing." Sweetie smiled innocently, hoping beyond hope that Scootaloo would like her suggestions. Knowing Scootaloo, though, it would never happen. As much as they wanted to do anything and everything, it was really mainly the dangerous things that Scootaloo liked doing. She'd made these same suggestions multiple times and the result was always the same. Except for that one time when she mixed them up. "Pillow sniffing" certainly garnered a fair amount of laughs.
"This town is full of ponies who have their cutie marks," Bloom said. "Why don't we ask them how they did it?"
"That's a great, safe idea," Sweetie exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Scootaloo agreed. "And we can start with the coolest pony in Ponyville."
"Applejack!" Bloom shouted.
"Rarity!" Sweetie yelled. Scootaloo rolled her eyes.
"Come on, guys, I said cool!" the annoyed pegasus said. "You know who I'm talking about. She's fast. She's tough. She's not afraid of anything!" Bloom and Sweetie stared at their friend blankly.
"Pinkie Pie?" they asked.
"No!" Scootaloo shouted, having had about enough of their nonsense. "The greatest flyer ever to come out of Cloudsdale."
"Fluttershy?" Bloom and Sweetie asked. Scootaloo was about ready to smack a filly. They had to be messing with her now. Fluttershy was really nice and Scootaloo liked her a lot, but her flying left just a little to be desired.
"No!" Scootaloo groaned. "Rainbow Dash!"
"Oh!" Bloom responded. "Yeah, that makes much more sense."
"Of course!" Sweetie said.
"Let's do it," Scootaloo exclaimed, glad that she finally got through to the knuckleheads. "Let's find out how Rainbow Dash earned her cutie mark!"
"Yeah!" Bloom and Sweetie shouted in response, both reaching up and hoof-bumping with Scootaloo. All three seemed to have forgotten about the tree sap until that very moment, when they found themselves stuck to each other by the hooves. The three groaned and began to work towards freeing themselves.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Ain't there something you're supposed to be doing?"
Big Macintosh eyed the powder blue unicorn warily. She'd been sitting there watching him work for quite a while now, and frankly it was starting to make him uncomfortable.
"Probably," Sugarcoat said. "But I already told them I don't want to talk about their butts anymore."
"What?" Big Mac asked, quite confused.
"Just keep working," Sugarcoat replied. Big Mac rolled his eyes and got back to work with a slightly-irritated "eeyup." She'd go away on her own sooner or later. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Owl's Well That Ends Well | "Waah! I overslept!"
Spike made a mad dash down the stairs, nearly stumbling over his own feet as he did. Twilight Sparkle was far from the tyrannical type, but the last thing he wanted to do was come off as lazy. He was a hard worker when he wanted to be, and he wanted to make sure that was recognized.
"I know it's already ten, but I'm scaly-tailed and bright-eyed and ready to work twice as fast!" Spike said hurriedly as he arrived downstairs. "Oh please, don't be upset, Twilight! And what do you want for breakfast? Oatmeal? How about a sunflower smoothie? Grass pancakes?" Spike was not above trying to butter Twilight up to save his hide.
"Spike, don't worry," Twilight said. Her voice was the definition of calm, and if Spike didn't know better, he would have figured that her even voice was just a facade to hide her disappointment. It still had the potential to be the calm before the storm.
"But my morning chores..." Spike started.
"It's okay," Twilight said. "Owlowiscious did them for you."
Spike tilted his head. That combination of words did not make sense to him. Especially that one word.
"Who?" Spike asked.
"He's our new junior assistant," Twilight explained. "He's gonna help out with your chores so you won't be so tired all the time."
"Wha..." Spike stammered. "Wh...What do we need a junior assistant for? I'm not tired. I do fine on my own. I don't need sleep, I..." The baby dragon was in panic mode, seeing his position and his future flashing before his eyes.
"Spike, don't worry," Twilight reassured him. "He's just here to help out a little. Now, I have to go out, so why don't you introduce yourself to Owlowiscious? He's in the library." She smiled serenely as she headed off for her studies, confident that Spike would understand.
"Worried?" Spike asked loudly. "Do I look worried? I'm not worried. Who's worried?" His sweating and stammering certainly spoke the opposite.
Twilight, meanwhile, sat down to read. She had a fair amount of studying to do, and with Spike meeting his new junior assistant, she had all the free alone time she could want.
"Do you seriously think everything's fine?"
Twilight sighed as she turned to look at Sugarcoat. She had practically forgotten that she was staying there.
"What do you mean, Sugarcoat?" Twilight asked calmly.
"You're telling me you didn't hear the way Spike was talking?" Sugarcoat asked. "He clearly thinks you're replacing him."
"He's fine," Twilight said. "Spike is a smart baby dragon. He'll understand what's going on."
"Baby dragon," Sugarcoat stated. "You expect him to be completely mature about everything? Let me put this in perspective for you. Imagine you're a kid and you're doing lots of things to make yourself useful to your mom who you idolize. Then suddenly she has another daughter. Now there's another pony running around with the same title as you. Yeah, if your brain is mature, you'll understand that you can both exist together, if you're a little kid, though, you're gonna think your parents are replacing you."
"B-but he said..." Twilight tried to interject.
"And then when you're in front of your mom," Sugarcoat continued. "You'll say everything's fine, because the other daughter isn't complaining, and if you're complaining and she's not, then obviously she'll look like the better one to keep around. This making sense to you yet?"
Twilight sat, motionless, no longer even trying to look at her book. She looked straight at Sugarcoat, mouth hanging open.
"So are you going to go reassure him?" Sugarcoat asked.
"I am," Twilight said softly.
"Good," Sugarcoat said, getting up to head out. "Sometimes I think you're all looks and no brains." Then she exited the room without another word. Twilight's jaw fell open.
"...She thinks I'm all looks?" Twilight asked nopony in particular, a light blush appearing on her cheeks. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Party of One | "Thank you all so much for coming! It means so much to Gummy."
Pinkie Pie stared across the table at her "guests." Whether or not she was genuinely happy to see them was uncertain. If there was anypony in Equestria who could possibly be happy to see a bucket of turnips, a stack of rocks, a ball of lint, and a bag of flour as her party guests, it was definitely Pinkie Pie. Granted, she would have rather had her friends attend, but they had all made up excuses not to come, and to make things worse, Spike had told her that they didn't like her parties and they didn't want to be her friends anymore. Nothing could have hurt more than that, but at least she had her new friends to assuage the pain.
"Could I have some more punch?" Pinkie asked, putting on a voice for the bucket of turnips.
"Well, of course you can have some more punch, Mr. Turnip," Pinkie responded. She placed a full cup of punch in front of the turnips, then twitched violently. Thinking nothing of it, she continued on with her party.
"This is one great pahty!" the rocks "said" with a heavy Bucklyn accent. "You really outdone yourself!"
"Why, thank you, Rocky," Pinkie replied, smiling sincerely.
"I'm having a delightful time as well," the ball of lint "informed" Pinkie.
"I'm so glad, Sir Lintsalot," Pinkie said. Another twitch seemed to not concern the pink pony in the slightest.
"Might I trouble you for anozer slice of cake?" the bag of flour asked. Her thick Prench accent was unmistakable.
"Anything for you, Madame le Flour," Pinkie told her. It was always nice to help a real friend.
"I'm just glad none o' them ponies showed up," Rocky said, emphasizing the word "ponies" with a derisive tone. Pinkie began to doubt Rocky's words; an impressive feat, considering she was the one voicing him.
"Oh, they're not so bad," Pinkie said, trying to reason with him.
"Not so bad?" Rocky asked. "Pug-lease! They're a buncha losers!"
"Oh, c'mon now," Pinkie said softly. "Losers might be a little strong, dont'cha think?"
"After the way they treated you?" Sir Lintsalot joined in. "I say losers isn't strong enough."
"Well, it was pretty rude..." Pinkie said quietly, her feelings beginning to sway.
"Pretty rude?" Madame le Flour scoffed. "It was downright deespicable!"
"It was, wasn't it?" Pinkie asked, though the question seemed more hypothetical than anything.
"If I were you, I wouldn't speak to them ever again," Mr. Turnip told her. Pinkie frowned a deep frown. Everything she...everything they were saying was absolutely right.
"You know what?" Pinkie said with a sneer. "I'm not gonna speak to them ever again. And I'm not gonna invite them to another party as long as I live! They don't deserve to be invited to my parties." Her tirade was interrupted by another twitch. "Not after the way they've been acting."
"You're acting crazy. Stop it."
Pinkie's eyes refocused as she looked across the table at Sugarcoat. She was positive she hadn't seen her there before. Though to be fair, she had also spent the last few minutes talking to inanimate objects.
"What?" Pinkie asked.
"You heard me," Sugarcoat said. "Your friends aren't going to stop being your friends just like that."
"But they all cancelled on my party!" Pinkie insisted. "And they're all being super-secretive about what they're doing instead! And Spike said that they don't like my parties and don't want to be my friends anymore!" Her ears dropped at that last part, and she looked about ready to cry. Sugarcoat rolled her eyes and groaned.
"You'd better not tell anypony I'm about to do this," Sugarcoat said. She waited for Pinkie to nod in agreement, then gave her a small hug. "Calm down. Your friends must have good reasons for what they're doing. Friends don't just stop being friends cause they don't go to one party, and Spike probably just said that cause he was being pressured or something. So just calm down right now, because you're acting crazy." She let go of Pinkie, giving out a little hmph. "And I only hugged you so you wouldn't cry. Don't look too much into it."
Pinkie sniffled a bit, starting to smile. Now that Sugarcoat had put it that way, it made much more sense. Her flat mane and tail puffed back up to their usual fluffiness, and she tried to tackle Sugarcoat in a big hug. Sugarcoat, however, held a hoof out to stop her.
"One's enough," Sugarcoat said simply. Just then, the two heard a knock on the door.
"Hey there, Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash said as she entered Pinkie's room. "Sorry I was in such a rush earlier. Had some place to be and couldn't slow down and say hello. You know how it goes. So why don't you come with me over to Sweet Apple Acres?"
"I'd love to!" Pinkie responded. "You wanna come too, Sugarcoat?"
"Nah," Sugarcoat said, taking a bite of a turnip. Pinkie's jaw dropped.
"Mr. Turnip! Nooooooo!" |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | The Best Night Ever | "I can't believe we're finally here!" Twilight Sparkle said, smiling from ear to ear. "With all that we've imagined, the reality of this night is sure to make this... The Best Night Ever!"
Twilight and her friends had been looking forward to this night for what seemed like ages. It felt like forever ago that Twilight had initially stressed over who to invite to go with her (before Princess Celestia allowed her a set of extra tickets), and it wasn't too much later that Rarity had made them their dresses. All of that anticipation had led up to this very day, and each pony had their own gameplan to enjoy the evening to the best of their ability. The group of friends was so excited about their prospects that they just couldn't help but sing about them.
"At the Gala, in the garden, I'm going to see them all," Fluttershy sang, imagining all the little critters she'd meet in the palace. "All the creatures, I'll befriend them at the Gala! All the birdies and the critters, they will love me big and small! We'll become good friends forever, right here at the Gala!" The idea of meeting so many new little friends was intoxicating to Fluttershy, so much so that she was willing to brave a huge social gathering for the opportunity. With everything that she'd heard about the palace's menagerie, this really was looking to be the best night ever.
"At the Gala, I will sell them, all my appletastic treats!" Applejack sang, visions of pastries and bits floating through her head. "Hungry ponies, they will buy them! Caramel apples, apple sweets! And I'll earn a lot of money for the Apple family!" Applejack didn't like to sound greedy, but as truthful as she was, she had to admit that she was in this largely for monetary reasons. To be fair, though, her intents were honorable. The money she'd surely earn was going to go to helping out her family. New farm equipment, new integral joints for Granny Smith...all the bits she would earn tonight were sure to cover those costs and maybe even leave a few left over to get herself a nice little something. No other night could compare to how great tonight was going to be.
"At the Gala, all the royals, they will meet fair Rarity," fair Rarity sang, dreaming of increasing her social status. "They will see I'm just as regal at the Gala! I will find him, my Prince Charming, and how gallant he will be! He will treat me like a lady, tonight at the Gala!" Rarity didn't mean to sound superficial, but she had fallen for Prince Blueblood the moment she'd laid eyes on his handsome face. Even if he wasn't royalty, that gorgeous visage would have won her over. The whole prince thing was just an added bonus to enhance her fantasy of meeting her Prince Charming. She was going to meet him tonight, and it would make this the best night ever.
"Been dreamin', I've been waitin', to fly with those great ponies!" Rainbow Dash sang, her head in the clouds over how awesomely amazing she would be. "The Wonderbolts, their daring tricks, spinning round and having kicks! Perform for crowds of thousands! They'll shower us with diamonds! The Wonderbolts will see me right here at the Gala!" From the moment she'd heard that the Wonderbolts were going to be at the Gala, she knew that she had to be there. It had long been her dream to meet them, and that dream had been realized back during the Best Young Flyers competition. Meeting them wasn't quite enough, though. Impressing them was almost enough. Flying with them was her penultimate goal just before joining the team, and doing that tonight was sure to make it the best night ever.
"I am here at the Grand Gala, for it is the best party!" Pinkie Pie sang; bouncing along cheerfully to the music. "But the one thing it was missing was a pony named Pinkie! For I am the best at parties, all the ponies will agree! Ponies playing, ponies dancing, with me at the Grand Gala!" The other ponies all had big aspirations of specific events they wanted to happen at the Gala. Like usual, Pinkie was different. The party itself was all Pinkie needed to be happy. Any party would have made Pinkie happy, but this was possibly the biggest party known to ponykind, and the fact that she was going was just fantastic. The idea of seeing the smiles on the faces of the attendees when she added her own j price mends to the party was enough to convince Pinkie that this would be the best night ever.
"At the Gala, with the princess, is where I'm going to be!" Twilight sang, excited beyond belief to spend time with her teacher and mentor again. "We will talk all about magic, and what I've learned and seen! It is going to be so special, as she takes time just for me!" Save for a few quick encounters here and there, it had been quite a while since Twilight had gotten some alone time with Princess Celestia. While she loved spending time with her new friends, time with the princess was the thing she missed most of all about studying in Canterlot. Tonight, though, she would be spending the Gala with her, and that was enough for her to preemptively declare it the best night ever.
Before the ponies could sing another word, they were interrupted by the sight of Sugarcoat appearing on the scene. As far as the others knew, she wasn't showing up tonight. Twilight had offered back when she got the other tickets, but been denied. All six ponies and one baby dragon watched Sugarcoat curiously as she took a breath.
"At the Gala," Sugarcoat began to sing. "Disappointment is what you're going to see. Expectations will be shattered at the Gala! You will not get what you wanted, and how upset you will be! And if anypony asks you, just say you heard it from me!"
The ponies were stunned for multiple reasons.
"Wh-why would you think that?" Fluttershy asked.
"How did you even get here?" Rainbow wondered.
"Where did you learn to sing so nicely?" Twilight asked. Her cheeks colored as the others gave her a look.
"You're all too excited about this for it to ever live up to what you're expecting," Sugarcoat replied plainly, before going down the line of ponies. "The animals here aren't used to being bothered and probably won't take kindly to it. The ponies here are used to higher-class food and aren't going to go for yours even if it's tasty. Prince Blueblood is an insufferable jerk who's even more stuck up than you pretend to be. The Wonderbolts are celebrities and have more to worry about than just hanging out with a hopeful. This isn't the kind of party you think it is and ponies here aren't going to want to bounce around like goofs and dance to children's songs. And if you think for a moment that Princess Celestia will be able to escape royal duties at the Grand Galloping Gala for very long just to talk about magic with you, then you're delusional."
The six ponies looked between each other, feeling their hearts fall. Sugarcoat wasn't done though.
"And as for you," Sugarcoat said, her gaze falling on Spike.
"Me?" Spike asked. He was a little shaky now, nervous about what she was about to say.
"You're the only sane one here right now," Sugarcoat told him. "And if these ponies would listen to you, maybe they'd stop getting unnecessarily psyched up over unrealistic expectations and realize that they should be spending this time enjoying the Gala with each other. Your friendship got you all into this position. You don't have to do everything together, but you'd think that with all of you going to a huge event like this together, you'd spend it together. But I guess the dragon and I are the only ones thinking that way."
Silence filled the area. The six surprised ponies stared at each other, then looked to Spike.
"Thank you!" Spike shouted, running up to Sugarcoat and hugging one of her forelegs. Sugarcoat rolled her eyes and tolerated it for a few moments before nudging him off.
"Uh-huh," Sugarcoat said. "So are you all going to enjoy yourselves or what?"
"Yes," Twilight said quietly, her friends nodding in agreement. "Yes we are."
"Good," Sugarcoat responded.
"Would you care to join us, Sugarcoat?" Twilight asked. "I'm sure Princess Celestia wouldn't mind too much if I asked for a plus one..." Her cheeks colored brightly as she smiled at the powder-blue unicorn.
"Not really a big fan of fancy parties," Sugarcoat replied. Then she walked past the ponies and into their carriage, closing the door before it took off. The ponies stared after the carriage, Twilight's gaze a bit wistful.
"That girl is something else," Applejack said. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Interlude: Something Else | "That girl is something else."
Indigo Zap frowned heavily as she paced back and forth outside the door of the dormitory. Ever since the latest Friendship Games ended yesterday, everything had gone topsy-turvy for her and her friends. Granted, it had managed to pull them together a bit more than they had been, but the degree to which it brought them together couldn't compare to how it had pulled them apart. On one hand, it was nice to actually be friendly with Twilight Sparkle now. They couldn't possibly stay mad at her after knowing that it was due to Principal Cinch's pushing (and their own as well) that she had gone off the deep end. She wasn't a bad person, she just ended up messing with powers beyond her control. Nothing she had done was intentional, although that knowledge didn't help fend off her feelings of guilt.
"Is she almost done in there?" Sunny Flare asked.
Indigo didn't respond. She didn't know the answer, which played a large factor in her silence. It didn't help that she wasn't quite in the mood for conversation. She enjoyed the company of all of her friends, but there was one whom she seemed to get along with better than all the rest.
"It's been a really long time now," Lemon Zest sighed, leaning against the wall. "She's gotta have something by now."
Lemon Zest was always optimistic. It was a good attitude to have sometimes, but "always" was pushing it a bit. Indigo really wished she could have that attitude right now though, because her demeanor had been decidedly negative ever since her best friend had vanished.
"I'm sure she's doing the best she can!" Sour Sweet said with a smile. Then her expression grew dark. "But she needs to do better!"
"At least I'm not as negative as Sour Sweet," Indigo thought as she gave Sour a look. That girl was always dampening the mood. It just so happened this time that the mood was already too low to be dampened further.
It had been an entire day since Sugarcoat had vanished. In the chaos that had ensued from Twilight succumbing to the magic and becoming a reality-rending demon, she had fallen through one of the many tears in the fabric of time and space that had been created. The others had tried to save her, but they hadn't been strong enough. Indigo could still clearly remember the feeling of Sugarcoat's fingers slipping through her own, the shouts of worry from the others as they watched her plummet. The last words she'd heard from Sugarcoat had been, "You really shouldn't have lost your grip on my hand." It was such a Sugarcoat response, and the words refused to leave her head. She knew...she hoped Sugarcoat didn't mean to wrack her with guilt like that, but her guilt was only a fraction of the guilt felt by-
"Twilight!" Sunny shouted, knocking on the door. "Come on! Have you found anything yet?"
"You need to say yes!" Lemon said, wringing her hands together.
"I understand it's not easy..." Sour said gently. Then she reared back and slammed herself against the door. "But we're coming in there!" Indigo groaned as she watched the door fly open, Sour collapsing through the doorway. Indigo didn't exactly agree with her methods, but that didn't stop her from running into the room herself, the others close behind her.
"Twilight..." Indigo said as she approached her chair. "C'mon, tell me you found something."
The chair slowly turned around, revealing a very distraught Twilight. Papers and notes cluttered her desk, frantic scribblings all over them. Post-its were tacked to the corkboard in front of her, strings and tapes leading between different ones. The layout made no sense to any of the other girls, but it was pretty likely that they made perfect sense to Twilight. If they did, though, she wasn't showing it. The worry showed on her face, her hands shaking slightly.
"I've tried everything I could," Twilight said, barely able to make eye contact. "I...I just don't think I have enough knowledge of the magic I was forced to deal with to know what happened to her at all, let alone how to get her back." She buried her face in her hands. "And if it wasn't for wanting her back, I don't even know if I could bear to look into these things after what I did." The others looked at each other, some sighing and some groaning.
"Twilight, stop blaming yourself," Indigo said with a frown.
"But it was me who-" Twilight began, but her mouth was quickly covered by Indigo's hand.
"Stop," Indigo said. "That wasn't you doing those things. You wouldn't have done that. You would fix it, and you...we need to figure out how to fix it."
"But I just don't think I know enough about magic to manage this..." Twilight moaned. Indigo frowned, then put a hand on Twilight's shoulder.
"Then we need to go talk to someone who does," Indigo said. "When's the next bus to Canterlot High?" |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | The Return of Harmony Part 1 | Sugarcoat let out a soft, annoyed grunt as she walked through the hedge maze outside Canterlot Castle. She had noticed a bit of activity in the area as she was walking by, and had intended to only glance into the labyrinth for a few moments before continuing on. She certainly hadn't expected to get lost that quickly, and yet here she was with no clue where the entrance she'd walked into had gone. She made a mental note to herself to ask Princess Celestia for the address of the ponies who had made the maze so she could give them a piece of her mind, but that would obviously have to wait until she found the exit.
Sugarcoat groaned again as she turned a corner, a corner she was certain she'd already turned before. As she trudged her hooves through the dirt, her ears perked. There were sounds coming from the end of this corridor. Voices, although she couldn't make out what they were saying or who they belonged to. At this point, any change from the solitary searching was welcome, so she took off down the path as quickly as her hooves would take her.
The sight that greeted Sugarcoat was stranger than anything she'd seen since being transported to this world. Gone was the soil that had covered the rest of the maze's ground, replaced with a fine white powder. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be sugar. Sugarcoat resisted the temptation to lift a hoof and lick the sugar from it as she gazed over the clearing.
"Do you like this little oasis?" a haunting voice asked suddenly.
"Actually it's kind of annoying," Sugarcoat responded, eyes darting left and right in an attempt to locate the source of the voice. "It's a gigantic waste of sugar and it's going to attract tons of ants. Whoever made this section of the maze really needs to have their pay docked." Sugarcoat was not about to be pushed around by some disembodied voice.
"So cold and blunt..." the voice called out, almost mocking the unicorn. The sugar towards the end of the enclosure began to swirl, gathering together and gradually forming the shape of a large pony head. The sweet creation grinned a toothy grin at Sugarcoat. "Such an abrasive tongue...I do hope you know the effect such bluntness has on your friends."
"My friends?" Sugarcoat asked. As if in response, the field of sugar around her began to rise up, forming the shapes of familiar ponies. Color began to drip into the pony forms to accent them further.
"I can't believe Sugarcoat would say that to me..." the grainy form of Twilight Sparkle said sadly, her voice surprisingly authentic. "I try to be nice to her and all she does is hurt my feelings and tell me I'm not smart..." She sniffled pitifully, leaning into the orange pony next to her.
"It's okay, Twi," the false Applejack said. "She says the same things to me too."
"To all of us," the impostor Rarity said. She also moved to console Twilight, who had begun to cry sugary tears.
"We're just trying to be her friends..." fake Pinkie Pie moaned.
"And all she does is push us away," Fluttersugar sighed.
"Well if she's gonna be like that to us, then we don't need her!" the fake Rainbow Dash said, crossing her grainy forelegs. The others all grumbled and agreed, throwing out little barbs about their shattered friendship with Sugarcoat.
"Aww..." the giant head cooed, staring Sugarcoat down. "Look where your bluntness has gotten you...sometimes it's just easier to be less honest, isn't it?" The head's eyes began to swirl, but Sugarcoat seemed unfazed.
"They're more like acquaintances," Sugarcoat said plainly. "If they can't take the way I talk to them, then they need to grow backbones." The head looked surprised that it hadn't gotten to her, but wouldn't let up.
"Surely you can't really feel that way," the head sneered. "You spend so much time with them."
"Who cares?" Sugarcoat asked. "I'm spending time with you right now and you certainly aren't my friend. If you think I care about them, you're more stupid than you look. And considering you're a giant head made out of sugar, that's saying something."
The head frowned, letting all of the pony forms melt back into the ground. Its form began to swirl once more, a creepy laugh echoing in the clearing as it began to take the form of a horribly mismatched creature. The mishmash of claws, talons, and horns cackled as it colored itself in, staring down at Sugarcoat.
"You're a tough egg to crack, aren't you?" Discord asked. He snapped his fingers, and an egg colored like Sugarcoat appeared in his lion paw. With one quick motion, he crushed it in his grip.
"Eww...now why in the world did I do that?" Discord asked nopony in particular as he waved his dripping hoof in the air. "I guess the yolk is on me, hm?" He let out a guffaw, clutching his stomach in mirth. After a few moments, he stopped, noticing that Sugarcoat was not laughing. He let out a little hmph. "No respect for comedy in this one."
"I laugh at funny things," Sugarcoat stated.
"Oh, you are a card," Discord said, flipping a deck of cards in Sugarcoat's direction. The queen of hearts landed in front of her, its face replaced with hers. "But never mind that. We've got other business to attend to." He poofed a briefcase into existence, opening it up to reveal a number of headshots of Twilight and the others. "You're saying that these ponies aren't your friends?"
"They're not bad," Sugarcoat said. "But they're not my friends." Discord quickly turned away from Sugarcoat, pointing the tip of his tail at her.
"Then perhaps I'm approaching this from the wrong direction," Discord said, his face appearing on his tail. "Let's flip the script a bit." With a level of agility surprising for a creature of his size, Discord did a quick flip, landing to face Sugarcoat. "Perhaps this will have a bigger effect." A snap of his talon opened a portal in the air in front of Sugarcoat's face, and what she saw made her jaw drop.
"I'm so glad she's gone," Sunny Flare said, relaxing in Sugarcoat's old dorm. "Wasn't she so annoying?"
"Totes," Lemon Zest replied. "The way she was always insulted everyone all the time? Such a pain."
"She wasn't awful," Sour Sweet said gently. Then she sneered. "She was worse!"
"I bet you're especially glad she's gone, huh?" Sunny asked, looking to Indigo Zap. "She was your roommate. You had to deal with her like ten times more than we did." All eyes turned to Indigo, who was sitting on Sugarcoat's bed. She smirked lightly.
"She really shouldn't have lost her grip on my hand," Indigo said in a mocking fashion. The girls laughed and laughed.
The portal closed, leaving Sugarcoat stunned, mouth hanging open.
"Ohh, how sad," Discord moaned, holding out a handkerchief. "That's just the effect your bluntness has on others, isn't it? You should really cut that out." He reached over and dabbed a tear from Sugarcoat's eye, and as he did so, her colors began to dull, spreading from the point of contact until she was left a bland gray.
"It's okay, little Sugarcoat," Discord cooed. "You won't have to worry about that anymore." |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | The Return of Harmony Part 2 | "Wh-what happened?" Rainbow Dash groaned, taking a look around. Then she let out a gasp as realization struck. "How's Ponyville? Where are the Elements?! Did we stop Discord?"
Twilight Sparkle and her friends grabbed Rainbow in a group hug. This wasn't exactly strange behavior for them, but considering the day's events, it was a wonder that it was even happening. In their efforts to find the Elements of Harmony and stop Discord from turning Ponyville into his own chaos capital of the world, Twilight had watched each of her closest friends become something they were not. Applejack became a liar. Pinkie Pie turned into a grump. Rarity transformed into a hoarder, Fluttershy a brute, and Rainbow a deserter. The stress from their behavior had been too much for Twilight to bear at one point, and she too fell to Discord's influence. However, thanks to a helpful reminder from Princess Celestia and Spike about what true friendship really was, she was able to not only recover herself, but figure out a spell to help her friends recover too.
The six friends let out a hearty cheer as they reunited under their right minds, sharing a clear sense that victory was at hoof. The cheering gradually faded as they looked around at the still-chaotic landscape that was the town they loved, its current state punctuated by a herd of buffalo in tutus dancing past them in a line.
"Maybe it's a little early for a group hug," Twilight said, smiling awkwardly. "So what's the gameplan? We can't go up against Discord without a plan."
Just then, the ponies noticed a familiar bluish-gray unicorn walking towards them. Twilight's eyes lit up as she waved her over.
"Sugarcoat!" Twilight exclaimed. "You're just in time! We need to figure out how to defeat Discord, and you always know just what to do in practically any situation! So what should we be doing?"
Six sets of eyes stared eagerly at Sugarcoat, waiting for whatever disarmingly blunt response she had for them. She gave the six a look, then a grin.
"Oh, I know what to do," Sugarcoat said.
"Great!" Twilight responded joyfully. "What is it?"
"Well," Sugarcoat started, "You should do anything it takes to defeat him!"
"Right!" Twilight said. "And that would be?"
"There are lots of different options," Sugarcoat stated. "I know the right one, and that's the one you should do."
The ponies looked to each other, a bit confused.
"Yes, I'm aware that we should...do the right thing," Twilight said, uncertainty coloring her tone. "What is the right thing?"
"The one thing that isn't wrong," Sugarcoat said simply. "It's so obvious if you just think about it."
"I am thinking about it!" Twilight said, her frustration building. "Why are you being so vague? This isn't like-"
Twilight stopped, giving Sugarcoat a look over as realization began to dawn.
"Sugarcoat, would you say that I make bad decisions sometimes?" Twilight asked.
"I wouldn't say that," Sugarcoat answered. "I mean, as long as it's done with the best of intentions, it's not really bad. Not that I would call them bad anyway. I'd go with 'full of potential.' At least with that, you give some leeway as to whether it's good or bad potential, opening it up to-"
"Use the spell," the other five ponies said simultaneously.
"Right!" Twilight exclaimed. Before Sugarcoat could react, Twilight descended upon her, horn lit and ready to go. Sugarcoat felt a warm wave of magical energy wash over and into her, and visions began racing through her mind. Visions of her friends back home at Crystal Prep, the bonding experience of the Friendship Games, and all the experiences she was having here in Equestria flooded her mind, reminding her of her true self. Her colors began to saturate again, slowly and gradually, until she was back to her regular hue. The unicorn slumped to the ground, looking rather exhausted.
"Are you okay, Sugarcoat?" Twilight asked. Sugarcoat peered through her glasses at Twilight, rubbing her temples with her front hooves before she finally spoke.
"Did you shower today?" Sugarcoat asked. "You smell like you just left the gym." Twilight squealed happily and grabbed Sugarcoat in a hug.
"Thank goodness you're back to normal!" Twilight bubbled.
"Uh-huh," Sugarcoat said, a faraway look in her eyes. "Now shut up, stop wasting time, and take care of that jerk Discord. Just blast him with your Elements."
"I figured that was all it would take!" Twilight said. She and the others turned to leave, but then Twilight stopped. "Let me guess: you don't feel like helping."
Sugarcoat stayed silent for a good while, long enough to make Twilight consider asking her question again. Just as she opened her mouth to do just that, Sugarcoat stopped her.
"Let's go," Sugarcoat said coldly. "I've got business with him."
~~~~~~~~~~
Discord couldn't help but be jovial. That was his typical demeanor, after all. The fact that he was currently looking over his new chaos capital of the world also helped. Floating pies, dancing yaks, stampeding bunnies, cotton candy clouds pouring chocolate rain onto the checkerboard ground...what reason was there not to laugh? He had won. His strongest opposition had been dispatched in the most simple and entertaining manner, and Equestria would soon be his.
"Chaos is a wonderful, wonderful thing," Discord mused before taking a sip of chocolate milk.
"Not as wonderful as friendship," a voice spoke. Discord paused, a bit disappointed at the interruption of his sipping. He glanced over at the seven ponies who stood before him, and a bemused expression crossed his face.
"Oh, this again?" Discord groaned, finishing his milk and tossing the glass behind him. The sound of an explosion echoed throughout the air, but Discord paid it no mind. Applejack stepped forward to speak, but before she could get a word out, Sugarcoat stepped in front of her.
"Let me handle this," Sugarcoat said, staring coldly at the draconequus. "Just what do you think you are?"
"Oh, a feisty one!" Discord said, grinning. His head transformed into that of Cheerilee as he repeated her description. "This creature is called a draconequus. He has the head of a pony and a body made up of all sorts of things!"
"It was a rhetorical question," Sugarcoat said, a hint of venom in her voice. "Because I know what you are."
"Oh?" Discord asked. He snapped his fingers, bringing a beach chair into existence so he could recline on it. "Do go on."
"You're a gigantic jerk," Sugarcoat spat. "A jerk who thinks he's all high and mighty because he's got a bunch of powers. You sit there and you wave your powers around and you think that'll make ponies respect you, but you're just doing all of this for respect that you'll never earn as long as you keep acting this way. But it doesn't matter that I'm saying this, because you won't listen. You won't listen and you'll claim that I'm wrong, and you might even actually believe yourself when you say that. But the truth is that behind all of those fancy powers, there's an insecure jerk who plays games with ponies' emotions and takes everything they love from them because he can never truly have what he wants so badly: friendship."
The seven ponies and the draconequus stood silently for a few moments.
"...Wow," Twilight said quietly. "That was a pretty good friendship speech. I'm impressed."
"You should be," Sugarcoat said.
"Oh, bravo, bravo," Discord said, frowning. "It's adorable that you think that way, but I'm happy to tell you that you couldn't be any more wrong. So go ahead and try your little friendship attack on me. It's not going to work, because I have no want nor need for friendship."
"Trust me, you're wrong," Sugarcoat said. The other six began to glow, raising up into the air by the power of the magic of the elements. To their surprise, the same began to happen to Sugarcoat. Discord's face turned from bemused to worried as the magic began to take effect, but there was no coming back from it now. A magical rainbow burst from the Mane Six, raising into the air and beginning to arc towards Discord. Before if descended, a series of magical firecrackers erupted from Sugarcoat's horn, traveling along to the rainbow's apex. The rainbow then came crashing down on Discord, the firecrackers bursting around him. Discord cried out and struggled, but the magic was too much, and he soon found himself trapped in the same stone prison that he had escaped from. Bursts of magical friendship energy flew about Ponyville, transforming it back to its original state.
The seven ponies found themselves slowly descending back to earth, their hooves gently touching down on the restored green grass.
"Great job, girls!" Twilight exclaimed, beaming at her friends. She turned her attention to Sugarcoat, smiling playfully. "Thanks for, y'know, actually getting involved and helping us. But how did you do what you did? I thought only the Element bearers were able to use powers like that."
"Why are you asking me?" Sugarcoat asked. "I have no idea. You're the magical expert."
"Well, I guess I'll have to research that," Twilight responded. "Thank you again for your help with defeating Discord. It's nice to know that you truly value us as friends."
"You're not my friends," Sugarcoat said, turning to walk away. The others watched her go, and Twilight shook her head with a grin.
"That's our Sugarcoat," she said softly. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Lesson Zero | Everything was in chaos.
Thankfully, it wasn't the type of chaos that Discord had been sewing recently. But it was chaos nonetheless, and Twilight Sparkle knew that it was all her fault.
Well, mostly her fault. The fact that nopony she knew had a friendship lesson to learn in time for her to send a letter to Princess Celestia certainly wasn't her fault. But the herd of hypnotized ponies rampaging through town in hot pursuit of a fillies' toy...if one looked particularly closely at the situation, they could likely find some shred of evidence that could implicate her.
Twilight wasn't fooling anypony, especially not herself. That stampede was all her fault. Her need to find a friendship problem to solve and write about, combined with the sheer lack of said problems occurring naturally, had made for a deadly combination. To be fair, all Twilight had intended to do with the Want It Need It spell was make Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo argue over her Smarty Pants doll. Three fillies arguing over a doll and needing to learn to share would have been the perfect little problem to write to Celestia about. To say that things had gotten out of hoof was a vast understatement, though, as more and more ponies fell under her spell. Twilight could do nothing but watch with her friends as the town descended into madness over the toy.
"Oh, I've messed up big time," Twilight lamented.
"You didn't even need me to say it this time."
None of the ponies even needed to turn around to know who had said that.
"I know, I know," Twilight sighed as Sugarcoat came up to join the group. "This is all my fault."
"Mostly your fault," Sugarcoat corrected her.
"Okay, mostly," Twilight acquiesced. "If only there had been an organic friendship problem..."
"I don't mean that," Sugarcoat said. "I mean it's all of their faults too." She pointed to the other ponies, who shared a look of surprise.
"Our fault?" Rainbow Dash asked. "How in the hay is this our fault?"
"How are you this blind?" Sugarcoat replied. "Your best friend comes up to you looking more upset than she's ever been, and then when she tells you what she's upset about, you laugh it off like it's nothing?"
"But it didn't seem like something to be concerned about," Applejack said. "How is being late sending a friendship report that huge of a problem?"
"Just because it doesn't seem like a problem to you doesn't mean it's not a problem to anypony," Sugarcoat answered, rolling her eyes. "You could have easily asked Twilight why she thought this was such a problem. But apparently you girls couldn't even bother to do that for your best friend, huh?"
Guilty looks were passed between the group as they absorbed what Sugarcoat had said. In retrospect, the way they had treated Twilight was pretty awful.
"Sorry, Twilight," Fluttershy said quietly.
"We didn't mean to dismiss your feelings, darling," Rarity agreed.
"Well, we kiiiiinda meant to because we thought it was a silly problem," Pinkie Pie said. "But we didn't mean to mean to!" The girls shot a look at Pinkie, but had to admit that she was right, albeit in her own Pinkie Pie fashion.
"It's okay, girls," Twilight said. "I forgive you." The six shared a hug, one which Sugarcoat made a point of staying out of.
"Now, why is it such a problem?" Applejack asked.
"Because if I'm tardy, Princess Celestia won't think I'm taking my studies on friendship seriously," Twilight said, beginning to panic again. "And if she doesn't think I'm taking my studies seriously, she'll take me back to Canterlot and put me back in school and make me prove I'm taking them seriously with a test, and if I don't pass the test then she'll send me back to magic kindergarten!"
Twilight shuddered as she recalled all the fears she had been dealing with all day, but the rest of the group stayed silent.
"Okay, now you can tell her she's being stupid," Sugarcoat said.
"What?!" Twilight exclaimed. "I thought you agreed with me!"
"I agreed that your friends should have been concerned with your problem and heard it out," Sugarcoat stated. "Now that we have, we can see that it's a dumb concern. There's no way Princess Celestia is going to get that upset over a letter being late."
"But I'm supposed to send a letter every week!" Twilight shouted.
"Well, Miss Smarty Pants," Sugarcoat replied, most likely unaware of how pertinent to the situation that name was. "Did you ever consider sending a letter to Princess Celestia explaining that no friendship problems had come up, but that you were still studying and keeping an eye out for them?"
Twilight opened her mouth, but no sound came out. It sounded so simple when put that way.
"I didn't think so," Sugarcoat said. "You can tell her that when she gets here. I'm pretty sure she's on her way to fix your mess.
"Right..." Twilight said softly. "That would make sense, wouldn't it?"
"Mhm," Sugarcoat said. She began to walk off, but stopped when she saw Big Macintosh run by. He was currently in possession of Smarty Pants, and the devotion he was showing to that doll was unparalleled. He stared at it and regarded it with a level of affection that seemed almost impossible to come across naturally. Sugarcoat hesitated, then turned back.
"Hey Twilight...where did you learn that spell?" |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Luna Eclipsed | "Citizens of Ponyville! We have graced your tiny village with our presence, so that you might behold the real Princess of the Night! A creature of nightmares no longer, but instead a pony who desires your love and admiration! Together we shall change this dreadful celebration into a bright and glorious feast!"
Overall, Princess Luna thought that it was a marvelous opening speech. Every single bullet point she had wanted to hit was touched upon, and in a succinct manner to boot. Too often had she bemoaned her bad luck in the past when forced to listen to some dignitary ramble on for what felt like eons. It was not her intent to bore the citizens of Ponyville to sleep with her diatribe...although given her rule over the dreamlands, it likely would not have been a bad tactic to enforce for those willful enough to resist slumber.
Luna looked out upon what she had hoped to be her adoring public. Surely the citizens of Ponyville would be most pleased to see their reformed princess not only visit them, but suggest a celebratory feast.
"Did you hear that, everypony?" Pinkie Pie asked, clearly not expecting an answer. "Nightmare Moon says she's gonna feast on us all!"
Luna watched in shock as Pinkie and the other ponies screamed, some of them bolting off in all different directions. What was happening?
"What?" the baffled princess asked, a bit softer than her previous introduction. "No, children, no! You no longer have reason to fear us! Screams of delight is what your princess desires, not screams of terror!" Still, the ponies before her trembled and backed off. Frustrated, Luna stomped a hoof and turned to the mayor. Surely she would be able to restore order to her town and talk some sense into its citizens.
"Madame Mayor, thy Princess of the Night hath arrived." Luna stated. Much to her chagrin, Mayor Mare seemed just as terrified as the others. One by one, Luna turned to the other nearby ponies, only to be met with fear from each direction.
"What is the matter with you?" Luna asked, her frustration growing until it reached its breaking point. "Very well, then. Be that way. We won't even bother with the traditional royal farewell." The princess then turned to leave with a huff.
Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle and Spike had been watching the entire situation, with Twilight in particular feeling quite disappointed with how it had gone down. She understood the initial worry from the ponies in town, but it made no sense to her that they were still freaking out. Luna had made it clear that she was only here for celebration. Didn't they understand that she was good now?
"I'm gonna go talk to her," Twilight said.
"You can't talk to her!" Spike insisted. "She's Nightmare Moon!"
"No, she's not," Twilight said, rolling her eyes. "I saw the Elements of Harmony change her back to good. But it seems like she's having some trouble adjusting after being gone for a thousand years." Just as Twilight was going to walk over, she stopped at the sight of Sugarcoat walking up to her and Spike, pulling a reluctant Pinkie by the tail.
"Lemme go!" Pinkie insisted.
"First you're going to listen to me," Sugarcoat said. She pulled Pinkie over to the group and gave Twilight a look. "Hold this for me."
"Uh...okay?" Twilight responded, a bit befuddled. She lit her horn up and gently held Pinkie in her magic. "I'm sure there's a reason for this, Pinkie, so please just hold on."
"There's a very good reason," Sugarcoat said. "You're running around like a chicken without a head-"
"But I have a head!" Pinkie insisted.
"I'm talking," Sugarcoat replied. "You're running around and getting every pony worked up over Nightmare Moon when Nightmare Moon isn't here."
"Uh, hello?" Pinkie said. "Earth to Sugarcoat? She's right over there!"
"Pinkie," Twilight chimed in. "You were there when we defeated her and turned her back into Princess Luna. Don't you remember?"
Pinkie stayed silent for a few moments, then rolled her eyes.
"Sheesh, you girls are pouty-pants tonight," Pinkie said. "I'm just having fun and getting in the spirit of Nightmare Night!"
"What?" Twilight asked. "But you were yelling about how she was going to gobble you up!"
"Sheesh, Twilight," Pinkie said. "I'm almost as big as her, how's she gonna gobble me up?" Twilight let out a sigh, a mixture of relief and frustration, but Sugarcoat wasn't done yet.
"And you don't realize how much you're upsetting Luna with the way you're acting?" Sugarcoat said. "How would you like it if you were evil and gone for a thousand years and then when you finally came back and you were good again, somepony was running around and making everypony else be scared of you?"
"I'd be dead if I was gone for a thousand years," Pinkie replied simply.
For what might have been the first time that Twilight had seen, Sugarcoat was left speechless. The sight of it made Twilight giggle softly.
"She's got you there, Sugarcoat," Twilight said with a smile.
"I...well...yes, you would be," Sugarcoat stammered. Then she cleared her throat, regaining her composure. "But if you weren't dead, wouldn't you feel bad if there was a pony making everypony else scared of you?" Pinkie tilted her head, looking pensive.
"...Yeah, I guess that wouldn't be fun," Pinkie said.
"Well that's what you're doing to Luna," Sugarcoat said. "Cut it out. It's mean."
"I don't wanna be mean!" Pinkie whined.
"Then stop it and go apologize," Sugarcoat said. Pinkie didn't have to hear another word. As soon as Twilight released her, she zipped off in the direction that Luna had gone.
"That was great, Sugarcoat," Twilight said with a smile. "Hopefully that will help Luna fit in better. Thanks."
"Uh-huh," Sugarcoat said. She turned to leave, but Twilight stopped her.
"Wait a minute..." Twilight said, getting a better look at Sugarcoat. "...Are you dressed as my Smarty Pants doll?" |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Sisterhooves Social | Rarity couldn't believe her luck.
Usually when ponies couldn't believe their luck, it was due to said luck being incredibly good. Unfortunately for Rarity, this time was the exact opposite. She had so much planned for this week, so many things that needed to be done and so many things that didn't need to be done but would have been nice to accomplish anyway. All of that had come crashing down when her parents informed her that their vacation, which she had believed to still be some time off, was in fact starting that very day. As such, Sweetie Belle would be staying with her for the week.
Rarity loved her sister dearly, but there were occasions where she liked her slightly less that usual. Having to work some quality sister time into her busy schedule was irksome, but she could work around it. What she couldn't work around was the way that Sweetie seemed to be incapable of staying out of her way. Sweetie always wanted to help her with whatever she was doing, and she kept finding new and inventive ways to mess everything up. If Rarity wasn't so frustrated at her well-laid plans being dashed left and right, she likely would have been impressed at how creative Sweetie was in her destruction. As it stood, though, it was more a nuisance then anything.
Rarity grumbled softly to herself as she trotted towards home, her new bag of baby blue sapphires safely in her saddlebags. She'd already had a nice bunch at home, but apparently Sweetie had decided that they were better suited for a silly little picture instead of the dress she was making for her client.
"What's your problem?"
Rarity glanced sideways at Sugarcoat. She wasn't sure where she had come from, but she'd learned a while ago that Sugarcoat had a way of showing up unexpectedly. She had already gotten used to that with Pinkie Pie. One more couldn't hurt.
"Oh, just sister issues," Rarity said, rolling her eyes. "I swear, that Sweetie Belle will be the death of me one day."
"I'm sure you're overreacting," Sugarcoat replied. "Like usual."
"Oh, shush," Rarity said. "And I am not."
"Okay, so what is it she's doing that's apparently so terrible?" Sugarcoat asked.
"Everything!" Rarity told her. "She ruined the meal I was making for the two of us. She washed my one-of-a-kind crocheted sweater and made it shrink. And to top it all off, she used the gems I needed for a client to make a picture! She is my sister and I love her, but she's been underhoof so much today I'd swear she's auditioning for a role as a slipper." Rarity glanced again at Sugarcoat and was disappointed at the lack of even a smile. She thought that line was quite clever.
"You call that a problem?" Sugarcoat asked. Rarity stared at her like she had three heads.
"Of course!" Rarity replied. "She keeps interfering in my work!"
"I don't see the problem in your sister loving you and wanting to hang around you," Sugarcoat told her.
"What?" Rarity said. "Of course that's not the problem. I love her too. It's just..."
"Let me guess," Sugarcoat said with a frown. "You got upset with her when she messed your things up."
"Well, yes, a bit," Rarity admitted. "I held my tongue as best I could but-"
"Wow," Sugarcoat interrupted. "So your little sister who looks up to and idolizes you tried her best to help you with the things you had to do and you got mad at her because she didn't do them perfectly?"
"It...sounds rather bad when you put it that way," Rarity said sheepishly.
"You think?" Sugarcoat snapped.
"W-well..." Rarity said quietly, before regaining her confidence. "It's nice that she wants to help, but she should realize that if she's constantly messing up when she tries to help, then she would be more helpful by staying out of the way." Sugarcoat groaned, clearly not swayed by Rarity's words.
"What was your relationship with your parents like?" Sugarcoat asked. The question caught Rarity off-guard, but she shook it off.
"I have a wonderful relationship with them," Rarity answered.
"Okay," Sugarcoat said. "So are you trying to tell me that you never had a time when you were young where you wanted to be around your parents but ended up messing something up because of it?"
Rarity was quiet for a few moments, her face changing from contemplative to wistful.
"Once when I was a filly, my father was watching a hoofball game," Rarity said softly. "I adored my father and wanted very badly to show him the new steps I had learned in dance class. I jumped in front of the television to show him, but in my haste I made him miss some manner of monumental once-in-a-lifetime play."
"Mhm," Sugarcoat said. "Did he get upset?"
"Goodness, yes," Rarity answered.
"Didn't feel good, huh?" Sugarcoat asked. "You just wanted to spend time around him and that's the reply you got."
Rarity sighed softly, the dots beginning to connect. She let out a little sniffle.
"Oh, Sweetie Belle!" Rarity cried, diving straight into theatrics. "My one and only sister! What have I done? All the time I could have spent with you was wasted complaining and-"
"Shut up and go apologize to her," Sugarcoat interrupted. "Your overreactions are really annoying."
"I shall!" Rarity declared, seemingly ignoring the insult. "Sweetie Belle! Your big sister is coming!" With that, she dashed into the boutique.
"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity called as she walked in. "I'm back!" She looked about the place for her sister, then remembered that she asked her to clean. Hearing sounds from the direction of her inspiration room, she went to inspect. "Sweetie Belle?"
"Surprise!" Sweetie shouted, smiling a big, proud smile. Behind her was a sight that Rarity thought she'd never see: a completely clean inspiration room.
"My...ee...bleh..." Rarity stammered, before finding words again. "My inspiration room! What did you do? What did you do?!"
"When I saw the big mess in your room, I thought I'd clean it up for you," Sweetie replied. She was still feeling quite proud, but her sister's reaction was a bit confusing.
"This wasn't a mess!" Rarity insisted. "It was organized chaos! I was just about finished planning my new fashion line, and, and you, you, you went and, and you...and you put everything away!"
"But every time I make a mess, you get upset!" Sweetie cried.
"But this was my mess in my house!" Rarity said. "And now I have to start from scratch!"
"But I thought it would make you happy!" Sweetie moaned, utterly baffled by the situation.
"Happy?" Rarity asked. "Happy?! I..."
Then she took a breath, remembering Sugarcoat's words. She looked down to Sweetie, seeing herself in the little filly who just wanted to spend time with the family she looked up to. She took another breath to center herself, then sat down in place.
"Sweetie Belle," Rarity said calmly. "I know you want to help, and I very much appreciate it. I'm dreadfully sorry for yelling, but you must understand that if you do things to help without asking first, you might end up altering something that needs to not be altered."
"I-I'm sorry, Rarity..." Sweetie said softly. "Y-you're not mad at me, are you?"
"Of course not," Rarity said, reaching out to hug her sister. "I'm a little upset, but I can never stay mad at my wonderful little sister." Sweetie breathed a sigh of relief and hugged back, giving Rarity's cheek a nuzzle.
"Thanks, Rarity," Sweetie said. "I'm sorry I messed your inspiration room up...by, um, un-messing it up."
"It's fine, Sweetie Belle," Rarity said with a smile. "Because you know what you get to help me do now?"
"What?" Sweetie asked, eyes full of wonder.
"You get to help me mess it up again," Rarity said, grinning as she opened a drawer and dumped its contents. Sweetie gasped, then beamed.
"I'm good at messing things up!" Sweetie shouted. She took this opportunity to kick a stack of fabric, knocking it over.
"You certainly are," Rarity said with a wink. She didn't bother telling Sweetie that she wanted that particular stack to stay stacked. She'd fix it later. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | The Cutie Pox | "Nope. Not getting involved."
The Cutie Mark Crusaders stared at Sugarcoat in shock. Had she really just denied them so quickly and easily? Did she not understand how important a problem this was?
"What do you mean, 'nope?'" Apple Bloom asked desperately. "This is a matter of life and death!"
"No it's not," Sugarcoat said curtly, continuing to trot.
"But it's still really important!" Sweetie Belle said.
"I'm not getting involved," Sugarcoat replied.
"You always help the others!" Scootaloo shouted. "What's so terrible about trying to help cheer Apple Bloom up after she didn't get her cutie mark?"
Sugarcoat finally stopped walking, much to the Crusaders' delight. Their positivity quickly vanished when they saw the look she was giving them.
"Let me explain something to you," Sugarcoat said. "I don't know what kind of laws you have here in Ponyville, but back where I come from, if someone my age is talking about children's butts, they find themselves in a whole lot of trouble. So even though I seriously doubt that this will stop you from coming to me in the future about these things, I'm telling you right now that I have no interest whatsoever in any problems regarding your butts, and there's no amount of convincing, pleading, or crazy magic potions that will change my mind. This is a problem you'll have to solve yourselves." With that, Sugarcoat turned tail and walked off, leaving the Crusaders in the dust.
"Ugh," Scootaloo said as she began to walk off. "What a meanie."
"Totally," Sweetie agreed as she followed her. "I thought she was nice after how she got Rarity to be nicer to me before the Sisterhooves Social, but I guess I was wrong." The two trotted off, but Apple Bloom hung back, eyeing the entrance to the Everfree Forest. A lightbulb had gone off in her head.
"Crazy magic potions, huh?" |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | May the Best Pet Win! | "Wait! Come back! Don't leave me!"
Rainbow Dash struggled desperately, but it seemed escape from her predicament was impossible without help. Her slight mistiming during the avalanche had left her with a wing pinned under a rock, and any hope at salvation seemed to fade as the animals who were all striving to be her pet zoomed into the distance. Either they didn't hear her or they were too determined to win the race to be her pet to notice her or hear her cries. It didn't matter what the reason was right now, though. Neither option would end in her freedom.
"I'm the one who's supposed to win!" Rainbow moaned, trying in vain to pull herself free. "I don't wanna end up stuck here...forever!" The more she struggled, the more despondent she became. How long would it be until somepony decided to check down here for her? She didn't want to think about the possible answers to that.
"Oh no, nonono, th-this can't be happening," Rainbow groaned, already beginning to lose hope. "Forever is way too long to be trapped in Ghastly Gorge. I mean, it's like, forever! Somepony! Anypony! Help me!" All logic and rationality had gone out the window for the poor pegasus. Her overactive imagination had gone into full swing, and it was doing a spectacular job of showing her all the terrible things that could-and probably would-happen to her. A vivid image of herself with a withered face and long beard popped into her head. It didn't matter to her brain that mares didn't grow beards. All that mattered was that it was a very telling depiction of the ravages of age. Maybe she would be stuck here so long that her genes would mutate and allow her to be the first mare to grow a beard. Her name would be in the Whinness Book of World Records as the first mare ever to grow a beard naturally, and scientists-probably even Twilight-would flock to get to her and learn her secret. She would be world famous...that is, if anypony ever found her. Until then, she would just be a sad, lonely bearded mare.
"What are you doing here?"
Rainbow's ears perked as she heard a voice call out to her. She looked desperately down the path as she saw a familiar pigtailed form walk into view.
"Sugarcoat!" Rainbow exclaimed. "You're here! I didn't think anypony would find me!"
"That's stupid," Sugarcoat said as she approached. "You really thought your friends would notice you were missing and not go to the last place you were supposed to be? Are you really that dense?"
Rainbow frowned. Whether it was in response to the name-calling or the realization that Sugarcoat was right was uncertain.
"Well..." Rainbow said awkwardly. "When you put it that way, I guess it is silly, huh?"
"Stupid is the word you're looking for," Sugarcoat repeated. The two stared at each other for a good five seconds.
"...Let me guess," Rainbow said, sinking to a sitting position. "You're not gonna help me."
"What?" Sugarcoat answered, raising a brow. "I'm blunt, not evil. You might not be my friend but I'm not going to just walk away. Thanks a lot for assuming that though." She lit her horn up, grabbing the rock in her magic and lifting it into the air. She barely had time to set it down safely before Rainbow grabbed her in a hug.
"Thank you!" Rainbow shouted, giving Sugarcoat a squeeze. Sugarcoat, meanwhile, did not look amused.
"Uh-huh," she answered. "You gonna apologize for assuming I was going to leave you here to rot?"
"Oh!" Rainbow said, blushing a bit. "Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you or anything."
"You still did," Sugarcoat replied. "But I'm over it. Come on, your friends are waiting for you."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Hm," Twilight Sparkle hummed. "Something's not right here." All the animals, save for the tortoise, had already finished the race, but Rainbow was nowhere in sight. She was definitely the fastest of the group, and yet the falcon, eagle, owl, and bat had all beaten her.
"Where's Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked.
"Great galloping galoshes!" Applejack exclaimed. "There's been an avalanche in there!"
"Rainbow!" Spike cried, not wanting to think about what could have happened to their friend. The six waiting for her expressed various feelings of worry as they stared hopelessly into the gorge.
"Wait!" Pinkie suddenly shouted over the others. "Look!" The friends breathed a sigh of relief as they saw Sugarcoat leading Rainbow up to them. Rainbow's wing was bandaged, but she looked just fine otherwise. She was quickly brought into a group hug by her friends.
"What happened to you?" Spike asked, looking around to Rainbow's bandaged wing. "Are you okay?"
"Oh, it's nothing major," Rainbow said, shrugging. "My wing got trapped under a rock. It hurts a bit, but I'm fine thanks to Sugarcoat."
"What a hero!" Twilight said, fluttering her eyelashes at Sugarcoat, who either didn't notice it or didn't care.
"So who won the race?" Rainbow asked. "Who's my new pet?" The falcon perked up quickly, flying over and perching on Rainbow's shoulder, giving her a quick salute with a wing.
"A falcon sure looks good on ya, Rainbow," Applejack said.
"Yeah..." Rainbow replied. "But I mean, he didn't stop to save me. None of them did."
"Are you serious?" Sugarcoat asked. "Exactly what did you expect a falcon to do to move that huge rock?"
"Well..." Rainbow said, then hesitated. "...Good point. You're forgiven, new pet!" She grinned, patting the falcon on the head. "I'm gonna call you Arrow, cause you kinda remind me of one when you're zooming through the sky with your pointy beak out in front." Arrow let out an appreciative caw, signifying the start of a new friendship between pet and owner.
Fluttershy, meanwhile, had moved back to the gorge's exit, where the tortoise had just managed to arrive. She smiled sadly at it.
"It's okay, little guy," Fluttershy said softly. "You did your best, and that's all that matters." She patted the tortoise on the head, but that still didn't seem to raise his spirits. Sugarcoat glanced over to the two, then broke away from the group, trotting over. She leaned down and gave the tortoise a thorough look-over, then turned to Fluttershy, who was already starting to wince at whatever cold reaction Sugarcoat was going to have to her little friend.
"Cool tortoise," Sugarcoat said. "Can I keep him?" |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | The Mysterious Mare Do Well | Rainbow Dash grinned with grim satisfaction as she pinned the Mysterious Mare Do Well to the ground. This pony had swooped into town and stolen her thunder by performing the acts of heroism that were meant for her, and now she had her exactly where she wanted her. All it would take was one quick pull on that mask to reveal her secret once and for all. Although a cool one-liner to accompany it wouldn't hurt.
"Alright, Miss Mysterious!" Rainbow said, grabbing the mask and pulling. "Mystery... solved!" Rainbow's grin faded as a coif of pink mane cascaded from beneath the cowl, and her jaw dropped at the realization.
"Pinkie?!" Rainbow shouted. "Whudda-hud-d-duh-hud-d-duh-huh?!" Her eloquent statement was halted when she noticed a second Mare Do Well appear and unmask herself as well.
"Twilight?!" Rainbow gasped. She stared in disbelief at her two costumed friends. Just when she thought things couldn't get any stranger, a third Mare Do Well entered the scene and removed her mask.
"Applejack?!" Rainbow exclaimed. "There were three of you?!"
"Yup," Twilight responded simply. "We all played Mare Do Well at different times."
"I stopped the carriage bus with these babies, Bucky McGillicuddy and Kicks McGee," Applejack said, motioning back to her hind hooves. Part of Rainbow felt like asking why Applejack had named her hooves, but it wasn't exactly high on her list of priorities.
"I saved the construction workers with my Pinkie Sense," Pinkie explained. A sudden twitch caused her to jump out of the way just as a flower pot crashed to the ground.
"Sorry!" Cherry Berry called out from the window above.
"It's alright!" Pinkie called back cheerfully.
"And I used my magic to fix the dam," Twilight stated.
"Ooh, ooh!" Fluttershy interjected, entering the scene and wearing her own Mare Do Well costume. "And I did the flyby afterwards."
"I made the costumes," Rarity stated as she walked in. For once, she was practically the only one not dressed up. "Fabulous if I do say so myself!"
"I don't understand," Rainbow said, although such a sentence wasn't even necessary to anypony who could see the look on her face. "Why? Don't you want me to be a hero?"
"Of course we want you to be a hero," Twilight responded.
"But a real hero doesn't brag," Applejack added.
"Do I even have to say anything this time?"
All eyes turned to Sugarcoat. Nopony had seen her arrive, nor knew when it had happened, but this was nothing new for her.
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked. Sugarcoat gave her a flat stare.
"Seriously?" Sugarcoat said. "This one is so obvious that you really shouldn't need me to point it out for you. So you five, instead of trying to talk to one of your best friends and tell her that she's being a braggadocious twit, decide to go through the trouble of making up a fictional character and all taking turns playing her? Is there some vital bit of friendship I'm missing here? It's okay to lie to your friend and deceive her and take away something that makes her feel happy and accomplished just because you think she's bragging too much about it? I'm glad you're not actually my friends. I neither need nor want that kind of garbage in my life."
"B-but..." a dumbfounded Twilight stammered. "...She was bragging..."
"You mean like you all were back at the library?" Sugarcoat asked. "Did you forget I'm staying there? I seem to remember all this talk about Mare Do Well's heroic feats, and how impressive her spell was, and how much she cares for ponies' safety and how her costume was to die for. So bragging is okay when you do it?" The others' ears fell, but Twilight wasn't done.
"But that was different!" Twilight said desperately. "She didn't know it was us so it wasn't really bragging."
"Listen to yourself for a minute," Sugarcoat said. "It's okay because we lied." Twilight drooped, hanging her head in shame to match her friends.
"...I'm so sorry, Rainbow Dash," Twilight said softly, the others muttering in agreement. "I guess we weren't really thinking. We just got so caught up in the bragging that-"
"Save it," Rainbow replied. "I mean, it was kinda rotten what you all did, but I guess I still could have watched the bragging a bit. We're both in the wrong here-though what you did was a bit worse."
"Right..." Twilight said sadly. Rainbow gave her a little nudge:
"Stop looking so sorry for yourself," Rainbow said. "You girls can make it up to me by treating me to lunch, alright?"
"Of course," Twilight said, her smile returning. "Anything for Ponyville's resident hero." Then she turned to look at Sugarcoat. "Are you coming?"
"No," Sugarcoat said. "I'm taking Tank for a walk to the park. See you in a week or so." |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Sweet and Elite | "Dearest Rarity, your presence is requested at the Canterlot garden party tomorrow afternoon. Yours, Jet Set and Upper Crust!"
Rarity let out a gasp, one which nearly caused her bag boy to drop the load he was carrying on his back, "The Canterlot garden party! Why, next to the Galloping Gala that is the premier event in Canterlot!" The squeal of delight from the fashionista was almost loud enough to break glass. Not since Twilight giving her the ticket to the Gala had she been so excited for a party. As fast as her mood went up, though, it whiplashed back down at the thought of Twilight.
"Oh, but if I go, I'll miss Twilight's birthday..." Rarity lamented. "But if I don't go, my new reputation in Canterlot as a Very Important Pony might be ruined! I might never be invited to another high society event again!" The worried unicorn went back and forth over her options frantically. "Friend's birthday...Very Important Pony..." She winced, pained by the decision she had to make. Neither one was optimal, but she had to make one and obviously couldn't do both. The more she thought about it, the more intangibles came into the equation. Upon further consideration, she figured that Twilight was more likely to forgive her than the Canterlot crew. With a heavy heart, she knew she'd made her decision,
"It's just too important," Rarity said softly. She retrieved a quill and parchment, taking a deep breath as she began to write. "My dear Twilight, I am afraid I won't be able to make it to your birthday party tomorrow, because... because poor Opal is quite ill, and she is in no condition to make the long journey back to Ponyville! I do hope you understand. Your friend, Rarity."
"You're not actually sending that, are you?"
Rarity let out a soft sigh as she heard that familiar voice.
"Please set my bags down," she said to the bag boy. She turned around just as she heard the loud thump of suitcases hitting the ground and gave Sugarcoat a look. "How long have you been here?"
"Long enough to hear you making a stupid mistake," Sugarcoat said. "Though I figure that's bound to happen to anypony who spends more than five minutes around you."
"I'll let that slide, darling," Rarity said coldly. "Now, I'm sure you were going to tell me anyway, but let's hear what you have to say on the matter, hm?"
"I can't believe I have to," Sugarcoat replied. "Though given your track record, I shouldn't be. You're actually ditching one of your best friends' birthday parties to go to some fancy-schmancy party full of prissy ponies?"
"I wouldn't use the term ditching," Rarity said. "And I can't help it! Twilight would forgive me much faster, and a soiree like this is a must for my status! If I cancel on them..."
"What?" Sugarcoat shot back. "What'll happen? You won't get an invite to the next one? What a pity."
"But I have a new reputation as a Very Important Pony here in Canterlot!" Rarity insisted. "And all the Very Important Ponies attend these events!"
"You already were a very important pony," Sugarcoat said. "To your friends." Then she groaned. "Ugh, this place is already making me dangerously corny."
Rarity, however, did not find the words as corny as Sugarcoat did. Her reaction was quite the opposite as she felt tears begin to form.
"...You're right, darling," Rarity said. "You're absolutely right." With that, she crumpled up the letter to Twilight and threw it in the trash.
"Thank you, Sugarcoat," Rarity said, wiping the corner of an eye with a handkerchief. "For showing up just in time to stop me from making a grievous error."
"What can I say?" Sugarcoat replied. "You're good at making mistakes."
"Very funny, darling," Rarity said. "But I'll be watching myself more carefully from now on. No more episodes of freaking out and making bad decisions."
"Yeah," Sugarcoat said. "I have a feeling we won't be seeing another Rarity episode any time soon." |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Secret of My Excess | "Look! The Wonderbolts!"
Rainbow Dash's exclamation was not a strange one for her. She would have been excited to see the Wonderbolts no matter what the situation. This time, though, the Wonderbolts were a very welcome sight for the entire group of friends. Things had really gotten out of control, and anypony who could potentially help calm the situation down was more than welcome.
Twilight Sparkle and her friends had been trying to deal with a new threat that was rampaging through Ponyville. Unlike their previous threats, though, this was one that was very close to their hearts. Spike's greed following his birthday had gotten way out of hoof and caused him to mature rapidly, and now a fully-grown Spike was wreaking havoc in Ponyville, taking anything and everything he could get his claws on. Stopping any rampaging greed-driven dragon would have been tough for the group already, but this was their friend, and as such, excessive force was out of the question. Not that they were likely to employ it otherwise, but to know that it wasn't a viable option at all was a bit frustrating. To make matters worse, they were one pony down, as Spike had ponynapped Rarity. Even if Twilight was able to bring herself to take a magical shot at him, the risk of hitting Rarity was too great.
The Wonderbolts zoomed through the skies, preparing for another strike on the massive dragon that was threatening the town. The three on task had hoped that their two close shaves would have convinced him that they meant business, but all they had served to do was trim some of the scales on his neck. With their two warning shots having been fired, it was time to show him that they meant business. The three moved into a tight divebomb formation, hurtling towards the dragon at full speed. Before their forceful charge could make contact, the dragon whipped out the top of the water tower he'd ripped up. The three Wonderbolts slammed one after another into the cold metal, becoming so dazed that they couldn't even dream of stopping the dragon from slamming the tower against the mountain wall and trapping them.
"And what was that supposed to accomplish, exactly?"
The Wonderbolts turned to look at the source of the voice, although the darkness made it difficult to locate. It wasn't until Blaze's face made contact with a giant pigtail that they found their pony.
"We were trying to stop the dragon!" Surprise said.
"With a haircut?" Sugarcoat asked.
"We thought we'd intimidate him and show him we meant business," High Winds said with a frown.
"This might come as a surprise to you ponies," Sugarcoat said, with a roll of the eyes that couldn't be seen in the darkness. "But dragons are big and you are not. If something small tries to attack something big, the big thing might not necessarily be scared of the small thing. Plus, three small ponies divebombing into a huge dragon probably won't do anything more than annoy him, something you already managed to do with your little barber routine. If angering an already-rampaging dragon is your idea of protecting Equestria, then maybe Princess Celestia should look into funding an actual military instead of sending the local performing troupe into the front lines."
The Wonderbolts were dumbfounded. Nopony had ever talked to them like that before. None of them wanted to admit it, but perhaps their attack plan hadn't exactly been perfect. In fact, it had left quite a bit to be desired. If they were lucky, the divebomb would have stunned the dragon, but if not, they could have been in a lot of trouble. Being trapped in a mountain wall under a water tower was much better than what could have happened. This realization, however, was not enough to break through their pride.
"Uh-huh," Blaze said. "And if you're so smart, why are you trapped here too?"
"Because dragons apparently don't listen to blunt truths when they're in the middle of a greed-induced rage," Sugarcoat responded simply. "So just sit back, shut up, and wait for Twilight and her friends to save us. Maybe we'll luck out and this will be one of their less incompetent days."
The Wonderbolts groaned and sat down. If the reckless manner in which Rarity had acted at the Best Young Flyers Competition was any indication, this was going to take a while. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Hearth's Warming Eve | For what had to be the umpteenth time, the sounds of arguing filled the banquet hall. This was no surprise to anypony involved; with such diverse ponies who held such opposing opinions, arguments were bound to happen. The leaders of the three pony tribes had been bickering back and forth for a while now, and had made no progress at all in their deliberations.
"All I wanna know," demanded Commander Hurricane, ruler of the pegasi. "Is why the Earth ponies are hogging all the food!" The pegasi accompanying her shouted in agreement.
"Us?!" shouted Chancellor Puddinghead, the leader of the earth ponies. "We're not hogging all the food, you are!" She hesitated a moment before continuing. "Oh, wait. You're right. It's us. Well, it's only 'cause you mean old Pegasusususes are making it snow like crazy!"
"For the hundredth time, it's not us!" Hurricane insisted. "We're not making it snow! It must be the unicorns! They're doing it with their freaky magic!"
"How dare you!" shouted Princess Platinum, daughter of the unicorn king. "Unlike you Pegasi ruffians, we unicorns would never stoop to such a thing! Hmph!" This was accompanied by a loud echoed "hmph" from the unicorns in attendance.
"Well, if you non-Earths aren't gonna stop using your weirdo powers to freeze us all, then I'm just plum out of ideas," Puddinghead stated.
"What a shocker," Hurricane scoffed. "An Earth pony with no ideas."
"Commander Hurricane, please cease with the insults!" Platinum demanded.
"You're not the boss of me, your royal snootiness!" Hurricane shot back.
"I beg your pardon?" Platinum exclaimed. "I am a princess! I won't be spoken to that way!"
The room devolved into shouting once more, but said shouting suddenly came to a halt when a new unicorn entered the room.
"I am Sage Sugarcoat," the new arrival said. "And I am here to tell you that you're all acting like idiots!"
The three tribe leaders gasped at the Sage's declaration. Who did this pony think she was, coming in here and speaking to them like this?
"Who do you think you are, coming in here and speaking to us like this?" Platinum insisted.
"I'm a voice of reason," Sugarcoat stated. "Something you're sorely missing in here. You know you're all ponies, right?"
"Uh, duh," Hurricane said. "Pretty sure we all have that down."
"I've been a pony as long as I can remember!" Puddinghead chimed in. Sugarcoat gave her a look, then continued.
"Yeah right," Sugarcoat said. "If you had it all down, then you'd stop arguing over petty nonsense and get along like ponies should."
"But this isn't petty nonsense!" Platinum said. "It's very cold and nopony is taking responsibility for it, and the earth ponies will not share their food appropriately unless it's fixed!" She glared across the table at Hurricane. "And if the pegasi would admit that they're doing this..."
"We're not doing this!" Hurricane shouted. "It's your unicorns!"
"Is not!" Platinum shot back.
"I can yell too!" Puddinghead yelled.
"All of you, shut up!" Sugarcoat bellowed. "You're all acting like idiots, and if any of you would have paid attention to the world around you instead of trying to figure out how to undermine the other tribes, then maybe you would have noticed that it gets colder the more you argue! Have you even heard of windigos?"
The three tribe leaders fell silent, now staring at Sugarcoat. Not a single one seemed to know what she was talking about.
"Ugh," Sugarcoat groaned. "Windigos are winter spirits that feed off fighting and hatred. The more hate the spirit feels, the colder things become! So the more you yell and scream at each other and accuse each other of awful things that they didn't do, the more you doom yourselves and everypony around you! If you're really looking forward to being icicles, then keep doing what you're doing, but personally, I prefer a body temperature higher than absolute zero."
Silence filled the banquet hall. The silence persisted for a good ten seconds before Princess Platinum finally spoke up.
"You are absolutely right, Sage Sugarcoat," Platinum said. "We have all been ridiculous. I would like to apologize to both of you for my words."
"Yeah, me too," Hurricane said. "It was really uncool."
"Me three!" Puddinghead added in. "We're all ponies!"
"And for solving our problem," Platinum said, walking over to Sugarcoat and placing her crown on her head, "You are the new princess of the unicorns!"
"Uhh...Sugarcoat?" Twilight Sparkle said as she and the others looked over the script. "I...uh...well...we appreciate your efforts, but I don't think we can present this version of the play. It's not exactly historically accurate."
"Maybe not," Sugarcoat replied. "But it's better this way. I can't help it if your country's founders were argumentative buffoons."
"Right..." Twilight responded with a small sigh. "Anyway, we're off to Canterlot for the play. Are you coming?"
"No," Sugarcoat said with a frown. "Have fun putting on your silly play." Twilight sighed softly as she stepped onto the train.
"Happy Hearth's Warming, Sugarcoat," Twilight said before the door closed. The train soon took off, but Sugarcoat had already turned her back to it.
~~~~~~~~~~
Sugarcoat sighed softly as she sat on the park bench. This was the first time that she was spending a holiday away from her family, and it wasn't sitting well with her. She had been getting more and more comfortable with being in this strange new world, but that didn't mean that she never missed her home. Discord had done a painfully fantastic job of reminding her of what she was missing a while back, and now all the holiday things around her weren't helping, nor was the fact that her stubbornness had prevented her from spending time with the closest things she had to friends in this world.
"Hey."
Sugarcoat looked up, surprised at the sudden other voice. She was even more surprised to see the large red frame of Big Macintosh standing before her.
"Look kinda lonely," Mac said. "How come ya ain't in Canterlot with yer friends?"
"They're not my friends," Sugarcoat said, looking away. Big Mac rolled his eyes a bit.
"Eeyup," he responded, though he didn't seem like he really believed her. "You got anypony to spend the holiday with?"
"No," Sugarcoat said bitterly.
"Well that won't do," Mac responded. "C'mon. Got plenty to eat down at the farm."
Sugarcoat looked back to Big Mac, a bit taken aback by his offer. She opened her mouth slightly, but no words came out just yet. It only took about two moments for a sarcastic reply to hit her, but it only took one moment for Mac to speak first.
"C'mon now," Mac repeated, reaching forward and taking Sugarcoat's hoof. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth now. It's the holidays."
Sugarcoat slowly rose to her hooves, looking at the unshorn fetlocks on the hoof that was holding hers. She nodded silently, for once finding herself at a loss for words. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Family Appreciation Day | "Thanks so much for stopping to listen to my problem, Sugarcoat! I'm sure you'll be able to help!"
Sugarcoat rolled her eyes as she stared at the little yellow filly and her two friends. All she had wanted to do was go about her own business.
"First off, I didn't choose to stop," Sugarcoat said. "You three just surrounded me and wouldn't let me get back to the library."
"Eh, same difference," Apple Bloom responded with a sheepish smirk.
"Uh-huh," Sugarcoat said. "Second, does this have anything to do with your cutie marks?"
"No!" Bloom answered, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo shaking their heads along with her. "Nothing at all!"
"Good," Sugarcoat said. "Alright, you've got a minute before I stop pretending to care. Go on and tell me what the problem is." Bloom took a deep breath, and Sugarcoat began to regret her decision before a word was even said.
"We're having Family Appreciation Day at our school," Bloom began. "And everypony's gotta bring in a family member to tell stories and I wanna bring Applejack or Big Macintosh but they're both busy with the Zap Apple harvest and the only one left is Granny Smith so Miss Cheerilee is making me bring her in but she's super-embarrassing and if I bring her in I'm gonna be the laughing stock of Ponyville and I tried pretending to be sick and picking the Zap Apples early and using Granny Smith like a puppet to tell Miss Cheerilee she couldn't come in but none of it worked and I don't know how to get out of this so I need your help!" She caught her breath, then gave Sugarcoat a sweet smile. "Any ideas?"
The three fillies were shaken by the cold stare that they received from Sugarcoat. They knew that she wasn't always the nicest pony in the world, but to see such a look from her was unlike anything they'd seen from her before. She'd often looked at them with derision-a word none of them knew but somehow understood the sentiment of-but this look trumped any they'd received from her. If her gaze had taken physical form, they would have found themselves in danger of being pierced where they stood.
"U-um...Sugarcoat?" Bloom said, just above a whisper. "...Is everything alright?"
"You're kidding me," Sugarcoat said coldly. The three fillies looked at each other nervously.
"What do you..." Bloom began, but she was swiftly cut off.
"It's called Family Appreciation Day," Sugarcoat said. "Do you realize how lucky you are to have a grandma who loves you and wants to help you out? One who's right there for you whenever you want or need her? Who cares if she's old and says some weird things? She's your grandma and you're lucky to have her, because one day, you're going to want her around and she won't be there anymore. It might not be for a while, but it'll happen, and you'd better appreciate her now while you still can."
A silence swept through the air, cold enough to chill one's spine. The fillies stared at Sugarcoat, slack-jawed. Sugarcoat, however, did not stare back. Her stare was locked intently on the ground.
"...M-maybe you're right..." Bloom said quietly. "She might be weird...but she's my granny, and I love her."
"I kinda wanna talk to my grandma now," Sweetie said softly.
"Same here," Scootaloo agreed. "We'll see ya later, Apple Bloom. Bye Sugarcoat." The two gave quick waves before turning around and heading in separate directions.
Bloom turned to leave, but stopped and looked back at Sugarcoat. Sugarcoat hadn't said a word or even looked back at them since finishing her rant, and now she was also turning to leave, still staring at the ground.
Apple Bloom was a young pony, and there were a lot of things about the world that she didn't fully understand yet. That didn't mean that she was completely naive, however, and she knew that look from Sugarcoat when she saw it. Before Sugarcoat knew it, she had a small filly hugging her tightly.
"Thanks, Sugarcoat," Bloom said quietly. "I don't know what you're going through, but I'll help you too if you need it, alright?"
Sugarcoat looked down at the filly. Her first instinct was to roll her eyes, but she suppressed it. After a few moments, she relented and patted the filly on the back.
"Thanks," Sugarcoat said. "Just don't ask me to help with your butt again." |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Baby Cakes | "Oh! Thank goodness they're home!"
The sound of the doorbell was the most wonderful thing that Pinkie Pie could have possibly heard. She had been tasked with foalsitting the Cakes' one month old twins, and while she loved Pound and Pumpkin dearly, watching them all by her lonesome was a lot harder than she had expected. Nothing that she had done, save for dumping flour on herself, had managed to calm the foals down. Even changing their diapers had proven to be a major issue. She had no idea exactly how she had ended up in a diaper as well, but that was all in the past now that the Cakes were home. Not even caring about the diaper around her flanks nor the one on her head, she rushed to the door and threw it open.
"Hi!" Twilight Sparkle said cheerfully. "I finished up the work I had to do, so I thought I'd stop by and see if you needed any help. Whoa!" Twilight didn't normally make a habit of shouting "whoa" at the end of sentences, but she felt it appropriate this time as Pinkie yanked her into the house.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you for coming!" Pinkie exclaimed, shaking the foal garment from her hips. "I can't begin to tell you what my day has been like! I mean, these babies just won't listen to reason, and don't even get me started on their taste in stand-up comedy."
"It's okay, Pinkie," Twilight reassured her. "I figured you would need some help. That's why I stopped by." Twilight smiled warmly, but the gesture was not returned by her friend.
"Ex-cuse me?" Pinkie demanded, but Twilight remained undaunted.
"Babies take a lot of work, and some ponies are just not cut out to handle the responsibility," Twilight said simply, lighting her horn up and tidying up some toys that had been left out. Pinkie couldn't believe her ears. Did Twilight seriously think that little of her level of responsibility? This would not stand.
"Is that so?" Pinkie responded. Before Twilight knew what was going on, she was being pushed out the front door.
"Well, thanks for stopping by, Twilight," Pinkie said, giving her rump one more little push. "Sorry, I don't have time to visit. I'm very very busy with my responsibilities here."
"I'm happy to help!" Twilight offered. "It's no trouble-" Before she could finish her sentence, the door was closed in her face.
"Well of all the..." Pinkie grumbled once the door was closed. "She thinks I can't handle things on my own?"
"She's right," a voice spoke out.
Pinkie whirled around to look for the source of the voice. As expected, she found Sugarcoat standing at the counter.
"When did you get here?" Pinkie asked.
"Little while ago," Sugarcoat said. "A bit before Twilight came here and was completely oblivious to what she was saying to you. I'd have been proud of her if she was at all conscious of it."
"But she was..." Pinkie started.
"But nothing," Sugarcoat interrupted. "Come on, seriously? How are you at all fit to watch children? Taking care of kids is more than playing with them. You have to actually be responsible and take care of their needs, and you clearly don't understand what it is to be responsible."
"B-but I..." Pinkie tried to speak again.
"I'm surprised the Cakes didn't hire somepony to foalsit you," Sugarcoat continued. "I mean, you're about as responsible as their twins are. I understand that the Cakes only picked you as a last resort, but maybe they should have tried a bit harder. With all the ponies in this town, there were about a hundred better choices than you. But hey, you're the one who they chose, so maybe you could learn how to actually take care of foals instead of just being zany and silly at them and thinking that'll fix everything."
On another day, in another situation, Pinkie might have taken Sugarcoat's words differently. While she might have still been hurt by them, she would have likely found a way to respond to Sugarcoat like she and her friends often did, to tell her that she was right in her own blunt manner. However, the stress she'd gone through today was simply too much, and Sugarcoat's tirade seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. Pinkie's lower lip began to tremble, her eyes beginning to brim with tears.
"...Hey, wait..." Sugarcoat said quietly, taking a step back. "No, hold on. You'd better not cry..." It was too late, however. The floodgates opened, and Pinkie began to sob. Loud wails filled the room, causing Sugarcoat's ears to fold back.
"Come on Pinkie...don't do this..." Sugarcoat said, nudging her with a hoof. Pinkie, however, was inconsolable. A strange feeling fell over Sugarcoat; one of remorse and regret. She let out a heavy sigh. She had a mess to clean up.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Pinkie Pie! We're back!"
Mr. Cake entered the house first, followed closely by Mrs. Cake. The two had just finished up a long day, and they were looking forward to seeing their children again. They had been a bit trepidatious about leaving the twins in the care of Pinkie Pie, but in the end, they'd really had no choice. Of their close, trusted friends, Pinkie was pretty much the only available one. Things couldn't have gone too terribly...
"How did everything go?" Mrs. Cake called out. Then the two of them gasped, stopping in their tracks. Knowing Pinkie Pie, some manner of mess was to be expected, but the place seemed utterly spotless.
"Are we in the right place?" Mr. Cake asked his wife as the two headed upstairs towards the foals' room. Just before they could open the door to their room, it floated open.
"Shh," Sugarcoat said. "I just got them to sleep."
The Cakes looked at Sugarcoat, quite confused, before looking past her. The lights were shut in the foals' room. Both Pound and Pumpkin were fast asleep in Pound's crib. Across the room, tucked into Pumpkin's crib, was a sleeping Pinkie Pie.
"Wh...what's going on here?" Mrs. Cake asked, clearly baffled.
"She got worn out," Sugarcoat said. "She'll be fine next time. Maybe." Then she walked past the two, glancing back for just a moment. "Just check her in an hour. She might need a change." |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | The Last Roundup | Rainbow Dash wasn't usually the type of pony to clean messes up. More often than not, she preferred the making of messes to the fixing of them. That was on a small scale, though. Minor crashes made minor messes, but when there were major damages to fix, she didn't mind lending a hoof when and where she could-as long as it didn't interfere with training or naptime. So when she heard that the town hall needed some sprucing up, she was happy to do what she could to help. Her partner, however, was proving to be a bit more of a detriment than an aid.
Muffins was a wonderful pony. Rainbow and the others valued her friendship dearly, but she had a great tendency to be clumsy. Her clumsiness was so prevalent that she had earned the affectionate nickname of "Derpy" from her pegasus friends. Today was no different for her, as she'd nearly caused more damage to town hall then she'd helped to fix.
"Huh?" Rainbow exclaimed as she narrowly avoided a sudden lightning bolt. "Now, careful, Derpy!" She zoomed over to her friend, who was bouncing on a nearby cloud as if she didn't have a care in the world. As much as Rainbow liked her, she couldn't deny that Derpy needed to focus just a bit more.
"Don't want to do any more damage than you've already done," Rainbow said, motioning to the town hall as a piece of the roof collapsed.
"I just don't know what went wrong!" Derpy responded, continuing to bounce until she received a shock from the cloud.
"Yeah," Rainbow said with a roll of the eyes. "It's a mystery."
Meanwhile, two ponies watched the goings-on from the ground. One, a unicorn mare named Tamino, was looking on with particular disdain. The other, an earth pony stallion named Strawman, didn't seem to share that sentiment.
"That's unbelievable," Tamino said, frowning in the direction of the pegasi.
"What's unbelievable?" Strawman asked.
"The way Rainbow Dash is making fun of poor Muffins!" Tamino answered. "Just listen to the name she's calling her! 'Derpy?' That's horribly offensive! The derogatory meanings behind that nickname are terrible, and I've never been more offended in my whole life! Somepony should stop her!" Strawman opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the arrival of a third pony.
"Why should she be stopped?" Sugarcoat asked.
"Because it's offensive!" Tamino insisted.
"I don't think it's offensive," Sugarcoat replied simply.
"Well I do!" Tamino shot back.
"That's your problem then," Sugarcoat told her. "Just because you find something offensive doesn't mean everypony does."
"Well everypony should!" Tamino shouted. "Rainbow Dash is calling her hurtful names!"
Sugarcoat rolled her eyes and looked up towards the pegasi. Judging by the large smile on Muffins's face as she cheered Rainbow on, she couldn't be happier.
"Does that look like the face of somepony whose feelings are being hurt?" Sugarcoat asked. Tamino looked up as well, frowning a bit as she observed the pegasus's grin.
"Well...she probably doesn't realize how hurtful Rainbow Dash is being!" Tamino insisted. "Because..."
"Because what?" Sugarcoat asked. "Do you think there's some reason that she wouldn't be able to understand things as well as you think you're capable of?"
"W-well..." Tamino stammered. "It's...because she's..."
"Ohh," Sugarcoat said. "I see now. You think there's something wrong with her, so you're projecting that image onto her, judging others for how they react to your idea of her, and getting offended over it. So in essence, the only pony that's truly being offensive in this situation is you."
Tamino coughed and sputtered as her arguments were handily shut down. She tried desperately to come up with a comeback, but found nothing.
"Hah! Way to show her!" Strawman said, laughing heartily. "That would have been horrible if we couldn't call her Derpy! It would have been the worst thing in the world!"
"Why?" Sugarcoat asked, now turning her attention to the stallion.
"Because it just would have been!" Strawman replied. "I like that name for her, and if that name had to be changed, I don't think I'd be able to watch her or the rest of the town hall fixing team the same way ever again!"
"That's stupid," Sugarcoat said. "No matter what name you call her, she's still the same pony, and the team she's on is still the same team. If you stopped watching something you enjoy just because a name had to be changed, then you're just as dumb as this mare here."
Now it was Strawman's turn to be at a loss for words. He shook his head out, looking quite upset.
"But...I thought you were on my side!" Strawman whined.
"Nope," Sugarcoat replied. "I'm on the side of calling ponies out for being stupid, and that's why I'm glad I found you two." She then left without another word, leaving the two ponies stunned. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 | "Congratulations to y'all. The cider business in Ponyville is yours. C'mon, Apples. Let's go pack up our things."
Throughout the entire cider competition between the Apples and the Flim Flam Brothers, the ponies of Ponyville had been cheering for whoever happened to win. Their top concern had been getting the most cider they could, with no regard for who the winner would even be. Now that it looked like Applejack and her family would have to leave town, though, everything had changed. Save for Flim and Flam, there wasn't a dry eye in the field as the Apples prepared for their exile from their home.
"Fear not, everypony," Flim said, either completely oblivious to the reason behind the town's sadness or choosing to ignore it. "There's more than enough cider to go around." Flim and Flam began to laugh cruelly as the townsponies stood in silence.
"Go ahead everypony," the selfless Applejack said, looking away from the bunch to hide her tears. "Go on, y'all. It's okay." The silence was broken by a loudly-sobbing Pinkie Pie as Rainbow Dash attempted to comfort her. Unsurprisingly, Flim and Flam were unfazed by the sad scene. All that mattered to them was their sales, and with the elimination of their only competition, they would be rolling in bits before they knew it. The dastardly duo was quick to set their stand up, passing out mugs of cider to the ponies of Ponyville. The ponies looked at the offerings, finally noticing the chunks of tree and other debris that had ended up in the cider due to the brothers' hasty performance.
"Drink up, Ponyville!" Flam encouraged, grinning haughtily. "Down the hatch!" The three front most ponies eyed their ciders cautiously before picking their mugs up and drinking their contents. It only took a moment before all three spit their cider all over the shocked brothers' faces.
"I can't get the taste off my tongue!" Cherry Berry cried.
"Mine's got rocks in it!" Bon Bon moaned.
"I wouldn't pay one cent for this dreck!" Comet Tail shouted. Flim and Flam looked at each other in a mild panic.
"You wouldn't pay even one cent?" Flam asked. He knew the answer already, but hoped beyond hope that asking would somehow change it.
"No!" the crowd shouted in unison. The brothers mumbled to each other, trying to regroup and save themselves.
"How about two cups for one cent?" Flam asked nervously.
"No!" the crowd shouted again. The two conferenced another time before turning back to the crowd.
"Two bits for a barrel?" the brothers meekly offered.
"NO!" the crowd screamed back.
Applejack, meanwhile, was watching all of this with grim satisfaction. It wasn't like her to take pleasure in the suffering of others, but this was a different case. Those two had coerced her family into taking a bet that seemed completely unwinnable. Even the combined effort of her family and her five best friends couldn't produce as many barrels of cider as the Flim Flam brothers' machine had. Thankfully, their expedience was their downfall. If they had left the quality control on, they would have been outperformed by the Apples' efforts. Without it, they'd produced more barrels, but their product was unsellable. They had tried to run Applejack's family out of town, and seeing them dejected and about to leave themselves wasn't exactly something that she objected to.
"So you're just gonna stand here and let that mob throw them out like that? Some friend you are."
Applejack whirled around to face Sugarcoat. She wasn't sure if it was physically possible to glare any harder than she was right now.
"They ain't no friends of mine!" Applejack insisted.
"And they never will be if you treat them like this," Sugarcoat stated plainly.
Applejack was incensed, to say the least. After everything she'd just been put through, Sugarcoat had some nerve talking to her like that.
"Are you seriously taking their side?!" Applejack snorted.
"Oh, no way," Sugarcoat responded. "They were huge jerks. But if you don't go forgive them, you'll be a jerk too."
"Are you out of your consarned mind?" Applejack exclaimed. "I ain't got no reason to forgive them!"
"Except to be the bigger pony," Sugarcoat said. "Heck, maybe you could even be nice enough to cut them a deal."
"Cut them a deal?!" Applejack shouted back. "Did you even see what they tried to do? Ain't no way I can forgive them for that, let alone cut a deal! It's unforgivable!" She huffed, glaring daggers at Sugarcoat. Sugarcoat, though, was unfazed.
"I guess you're right," Sugarcoat responded. "I mean, it's not like they did something totally forgivable like trying to plunge the world into eternal night."
If Applejack's previous glare was hard enough to break stone, this one could cleave a diamond.
"Th-that was completely different!" Applejack said, although she found herself faltering.
"Yeah, it was," Sugarcoat agreed. "That was a jerk trying to doom your entire world and this is two idiots trying to make money at your expense. And you forgave the potential world-ruiner, but you can't forgive the overenthusiastic entrepreneurs? There's something seriously wrong with your morality."
Applejack sputtered, finding herself at a total loss. Try as she might, she couldn't find a response for that. Sure, it was a slightly different situation. Princess Luna wasn't exactly herself when she did what she did. The fact remained, though, that they were all willing and ready to forgive her for nearly causing a world-ending scenario.
"Besides," Sugarcoat continued. "If you strike a deal with them, you'll be able to get more work done faster. And since you've got the upper hoof, you can really get one over on them and make a lopsided deal." Visions of extra bits danced in Applejack's head, but she was able to ignore them with some effort.
"Nope," Applejack said simply. "If we're gonna make any kind of deal, it'll be a fair one. I ain't the type to cheat nopony." With that, she turned sharply towards the brothers. Sugarcoat rolled her eyes a bit before following the farmer.
"Hey Flim! Hey Flam!"
The two brothers were just about to abscond when they heard Applejack calling their names. The two gulped as they turned to face her, nervous about whatever she had in mind for them. They could tell that she was no pushover, and they weren't much for fighting. Flim found himself suddenly being pushed out ahead by his brother. He gave Flam a little glare, then turned to Applejack once more.
"Yes, Miss Applejack?" Flim asked. "I hope you're not here to gloat over your victory." Then he let out a small yelp as his brother elbowed him in the side.
"Yes, we do hope that!" Flam whispered. "It's better than dealing with her physically!"
"Oh, calm down, you two," Applejack said. "I ain't here to gloat. Detestable as your behavior was, I'm here to forgive you for it."
"Forgive us?" Flim and Flam said simultaneously.
"Eeyup," Applejack said. "Figure I'll be the bigger pony here. And seeing as we've got the apples you need and you've got the machine to help us make our cider faster, what do you say we make a deal? You make what we can't get done fast enough, and we'll split the profits, 65-35 in our favor. You can't do it without our apples and we can work without your machine, so I figure that's fair. Deal?"
Flim and Flam stared at each other. They certainly hadn't expected even the slightest bit of friendliness, let alone an offer for a deal. The two considered their options for a few moments before identical diabolical grins crossed their faces. If Applejack could come back from almost being forcibly evicted and try to make a deal with them, then she clearly was a pushover, too friendly and kind to avoid being walked all over. Flim smiled mane openly at the farmer.
"How generous of you, Miss Applejack!" Flim hissed. "But the way I see it, you'd never be able to get this level of work done this quickly without our technology."
"Our modern marvels make your olden ideals obsolete!" Flam added, coiling around to Applejack's other side.
"So we'll take that deal of yours," Flim said with a grin. "But I can't help but think we deserve the 65. What say you, dear brother?"
"Oh, I must concur, brother of mine!" Flam agreed.
"What say you, Miss Applejack?" Flim asked. "Will you be the bigger pony?"
Applejack turned to Sugarcoat, who wore an expression of disgust.
"Let's take care of them," Sugarcoat said.
Children would go on to insist for months afterwards that they had seen two skinny unicorns fly through the air that day, followed closely by what could only be described as a giant mechanical monstrosity. Ponies would refute that claim, but only those who were there could say for sure.
"You know, you're not that bad, Sugarcoat," Applejack said with a grin as the two began heading back towards the farmhouse.
"Yeah, you're right," Sugarcoat agreed. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Read It and Weep | Ten minutes.
In the grand scheme of things, ten minutes wasn't very long at all. Many things could be accomplished in ten minutes. A small lunch could be made and eaten. Rainbow Dash could clear the sky of clouds roughly 60 times, give or take a few seconds. Twilight Sparkle could finish about one third of a typical speech.
These ten minutes, though, we're not one's typical ten minutes. These were the most insane, unbelievable ten minutes Rainbow had ever experienced, and the reasons for such a designation were twofold.
On one hoof, she had just spent said ten minutes reading what might have been the most excitingly amazing book in the entire world.
On the other, she had just spent said ten minutes reading. A book.
Rainbow couldn't believe that she'd succumbed to such a terrible temptation. Or rather, most of her couldn't. A small part of her wasn't surprised in the least. Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone was the most exciting book she'd ever heard of. It was filled with action and adventure, headed by a super-cool hero who Rainbow could totally relate to. Daring Do was fearless, athletic, and even suffered from a wing injury just like the one that was keeping Rainbow grounded and in the hospital. But she didn't let that stop her from traversing the jungle, running from vicious jungle cats, and swinging over a ravine on a vine. Nothing would get in Daring's way as she went to retrieve the Sapphire Stone, and Rainbow surmised that Daring was nearly as cool as she was. Just like Twilight had said, she was adventurous, fierce, and undeniably, unquestionably unstoppable.
"I hate to admit it to myself," Rainbow mused as she set the book down. "And would really hate to admit it to my friends, but...I love this story!" She took it a step further. "I, I... I love reading!"
Then, in the manner of a scant few seconds, her entire world came crashing down.
"I'm an egghead."
Rainbow felt her heart sink. She was way too awesome to be an egghead...but the proof was right there. She'd just admitted it, plain as day. She loved reading. If there was one thing that defined an egghead, it was a love for reading, and she had just literally used those very words. Her fate was sealed. Rainbow sighed a heavy sigh as she thought about all the athletic endeavors she'd have to abandon, all the trophies she'd have to trash, all the health food she'd have to throw out. Eggheads didn't compete in physical competitions and keep in top condition. They stayed at home, read books, and got themselves a small, yet cute paunch to their bellies like Twilight had. Such was the life of an egghead, the life she'd have to get used to.
"Are you kidding me?"
Rainbow sat up, not having expected another visitor. She rolled her eyes slightly as she watched Sugarcoat walk into the room. She hadn't wanted anypony to see her reading a book, but she had been caught by surprise and had no time to hide it. Besides, based on what Sugarcoat had said, she'd clearly heard her. She groaned and let it be.
"Hey Sugarcoat," Rainbow said. "And no, I'm not kidding. I read a book and I liked it. I'm an egghead."
"You think you're an egghead just because you liked a book?" Sugarcoat asked, rolling her eyes. "Thinking that actually proves that you're too dumb to be an egghead."
"You know, part of me actually takes that as a compliment," Rainbow said, crossing her forelegs. "But there's no two ways around it. I'm an egghead now."
"Who invented the hot air balloon?" Sugarcoat asked.
"What?" Rainbow asked, caught offguard. "Uhh...I have no idea."
"What's 254 times 119?" Sugarcoat asked.
"I don't know!" Rainbow shouted. "What am I, a calculator?"
"You're not an egghead," Sugarcoat said simply. "An egghead would have gotten those answers immediately."
"W-well..." Rainbow stammered. "...But I like reading!"
"Okay," Sugarcoat said with a roll of her eyes. "So I guess Twilight's an athlete, huh?"
"What?" Rainbow said, tilting her head. "No way! Twilight's no athlete."
"But she ran with you in the Running of the Leaves and liked it," Sugarcoat stated.
"So?" Rainbow shouted. "Just because she did one athletic thing doesn't mean she's a..."
Rainbow stopped in her tracks. She looked to Sugarcoat, slack-jawed, and Sugarcoat gave her a pointed look.
"So you're not an egghead," Sugarcoat said. "Read as much as you like. You're still just as much a dummy as you want yourself to be." Rainbow sighed a slightly annoyed sigh, but as much as she disliked the insult, she was glad to be given solace that she could continue enjoying this book without being designated as an egghead.
"Gee, thanks," Rainbow said. She picked the book up and focused her attention back on it, when she suddenly felt something land by her hind hooves. She set the book down again to look, and was surprised to see a small box of chocolates.
"Where did these come from?" Rainbow asked. She picked the box up, inspecting it. The words "Get Well Soon" were written on the top in glitter. She looked to Sugarcoat in surprise. "Did you give this to me? I thought we weren't friends."
"Just because you're not my friend doesn't mean I'm heartless," Sugarcoat said. "Thanks for assuming that though." Then she turned around and left without another word. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Hearts and Hooves Day | Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were three very busy little fillies.
It had only been mere minutes since the three had gotten out of school, and their plates were already full. They had learned in school that their beloved teacher, Miss Cheerilee, was without a special somepony, and they refused to let that stand, especially on Hearts and Hooves Day. Their determination to find the perfect stallion for her had led them all over town. Each stallion they had run into had some manner of imperfection, and that was unacceptable when it came to finding the right stallion for Miss Cheerilee. With how great she was, she deserved nothing less than perfection in a special somepony. Thus far, though, their search had proven fruitless, even with the employment of a catchy little song on the subject.
"I don't think that we're mistaken," Bloom sang, looking a bit disappointed. "It seems all the good ones are taken." The three leapt towards a stack of hay bales, hopping their way up the structure.
"I really feel that at this rate, we'll never find the perfect date," Sweetie sang as they closed in on the top of the stack.
"Don't wanna quit and give up hope!" the three fillies sang together as they reached the top of the stack. Scootaloo then noticed a stallion out of the corner of her eye. The color scheme was immediately recognizable; it was Bloom's big brother, Big Macintosh. She smirked to herself. He was definitely worth asking.
"Doing anything special for Hearts and Hoo-" Scootaloo started. Then she stopped abruptly. The other two looked over to see what was the matter and quickly found themselves speechless as well. There behind the stack of hay bales was Big Macintosh, but he wasn't alone. Wrapped in his forelegs was a powder-blue unicorn mare, engaged in a rather deep kiss.
None of the fillies knew what to say. Bloom attempted to speak, but all that came out was a squeak. The squeak was still enough to call the attention of Sugarcoat, who pulled away from the kiss long enough to glare at them.
"This one's taken," Sugarcoat said simply.
"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed. |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | A Friend in Deed | "I just can't believe it. Cranky said he would never forever be my friend. It was awful."
Pinkie Pie looked absolutely defeated. She had never ever ever encountered somepony in Ponyville who had so decisively rejected her attempt to kindle a friendship. Well, except Gilda, but that was a special case. She was only there for a visit, while Cranky Doodle Donkey seemed to be here to stay. If he was staying in Ponyville, then she'd see him around a bunch, and if she saw him around a bunch then she wanted to be able to smile and greet him and maybe even hug him if the occasion called for it. None of that would be welcome if they weren't friends. Especially not the hugging part. That kind of thing could result in restraining orders, and those were Pinkie's least favorite kind of orders by a wide margin.
"I know this is hard for you, Pinkie, seeing that you're friends with everypony," Twilight Sparkle said. "But you just have to accept that Cranky is gonna be an exception. He just... doesn't want to be bothered." Twilight looked with pity at the poor dejected pink pony. She remembered all too well how upset Pinkie had been when she thought her best friends didn't want to be her friends anymore. She could at least take some solace in the fact that she was taking this far better, but that didn't make her feel any less bad for her.
"Yeah, he doesn't want to be bothered by your over-the-top super-hyper antics," Rainbow Dash said casually, barely even looking up from her Daring Do book.
"Rainbow!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Oh come on, Twilight," Rainbow said with a roll of her eyes. "You never ready like that when Sugarcoat says things like that! Why is that, exactly?"
Twilight blushed profusely in response to the question. Thankfully, she found herself not having to respond.
"No, no, it's okay, Twilight," Pinkie said softly. "I get what you're saying. What you're both saying. And I guess...I can leave Cranky alone."
Twilight nodded with a proud smile on her face. Pinkie was a smart pony, but sometimes her unique perspective on life made it hard for her to learn from her mistakes and see the obvious solutions to her problems right in front of her face. Seeing her come to the correct conclusion filled Twilight's heart with joy.
"...Right after he accepts my apology!" Pinkie said resolutely. Twilight's face fell into her open book.
"Stop it."
Pinkie raised a brow as she turned to watch Sugarcoat walk down the stairs. She had nearly forgotten that Sugarcoat was staying at the library for the time being.
"Sugarcoat!" Pinkie said. "I'd nearly forgotten that you were staying at the library for the time being!"
"Makes sense," Sugarcoat responded. "You're pretty scatterbrained."
"My brain's too peppy to stay in one place!" Pinkie said with a smile.
"Right..." Sugarcoat said, shaking her head. "Anyway, back to what I was saying. Stop it."
"Stop what?" Pinkie asked. Her head tilted to one side as she tried to think of just what Sugarcoat might have been referring to.
"Everything you're doing," Sugarcoat said plainly. Pinkie raised a brow, staring at Sugarcoat. Sugarcoat looked a bit confused at the intense stare Pinkie was giving her. It was unlike any look she'd ever gotten from Pinkie before. It was only when Pinkie began to turn red and her eyes began to water that she understood.
"You can breathe and blink, Pinkie," Sugarcoat said with a groan. The relieved pink pony quickly squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. Sugarcoat looked to Twilight, who gave her a sympathetic shrug.
"Anyway..." Sugarcoat continued. "This guy clearly doesn't want to be your friend. So instead of bugging the hay out of him, you should back off and give up."
"But I don't wanna give up!" Pinkie whined. "There's still a chance I can..."
"It must be nice living in a fantasy world like you," Sugarcoat said, turning away from Pinkie. "Not everything has a happy ending, and you need to learn that sometime. Might as well be now."
Sugarcoat fixed her mane with a hoof, then looked back at Pinkie. The poor pink pony looked like her world had been shattered, tears threatening to pour at any moment. Sugarcoat was taken aback by that reaction, and even more so when she caught the glares that Twilight and Rainbow were giving her. She let out a long sigh, then moved forward and hugged Pinkie.
"Don't cry," Sugarcoat said. "Maybe...maybe he just needs some time off from dealing with you."
"I know I do sometimes," Rainbow said, eliciting another glare from Twilight.
"I like your style," Sugarcoat said to Rainbow, before turning her attention back to Pinkie. "Give him a few days, then try again, okay?" She looked back in the direction of the others. Something about seeing the approving smile on Twilight's face felt good.
"But I can't leave him without any friends for a few days!" Pinkie lamented. "Nopony should live like that, even if they're not a pony at all! What should I do?"
"Ugh..." Sugarcoat groaned. "I don't know...I saw another donkey in town before. Why don't you introduce them or something?" |
Sugarcoat Interferes In Pony History | Putting Your Hoof Down | Pinkie Pie and Rarity watched Fluttershy get pushed around in the marketplace with increasing worry, then decided to step in and help their friend.
"Fluttershy," Rarity said after a succession of rude ponies cut in line ahead of Fluttershy at the asparagus stand, "you mustn't let them treat you that way."
"Oh, it's...it's really no big deal," Fluttershy said meekly.
"It's bigger than big!" Pinkie exclaimed. "It's double big! You are a pony with a problem."
"What problem?" Fluttershy asked. Pinkie Pie and Rarity exchanged a glance; Pinkie turned Fluttershy to face the asparagus stand, then pushed ahead of her in line with enough force to send Fluttershy spinning to the ground. "Oh...go right ahead, Pinkie Pie. You first."
"Right there! That's the problem," Pinkie said, leaning down and poking Fluttershy in the forehead for emphasis.
"You've got to stop being such a doormat," Rarity added.
"A doormat?" Fluttershy asked, drawing back in disbelief.
"Yes, a doormat," Sugarcoat said as she left one of the other vegetable stalls. A black marker pen floated out of Sugarcoat's saddlebag. She uncapped it and wrote 'WELCOME' on Fluttershy's forehead.
"Err...yes...I believe that's pushing the metaphor a bit far," Rarity said.
Pinkie started giggling. "It's...I shouldn't be laughing because that was really mean, but...heehee..."
Fluttershy crossed her eyes, trying to look up at the graffiti. Her ears drooped. "That bad, huh?"
"You just let me write 'welcome' on your face," Sugarcoat said. "You tell me."
"Oh..." Fluttershy looked down, rubbing the back of one hoof with the other.
While they were talking, Gizmo bought the last asparagus. They all watched him trot away. "Watch and learn," Rarity said.
Sugarcoat, Fluttershy, and Pinkie watched Rarity charm Gizmo out of the asparagus. Then, they walked over to the tomato stand, where Pinkie used her Pinkieness to cartoonishly con Roma into selling two bits' worth of tomatoes for a single bit. All the while, Sugarcoat watched with an amused smirk. While there were certainly things she wanted to say about their methods, for once it was just too much fun watching them to interfere.
Then Fluttershy tried to use what her friends had shown her on Crafty Crate at the cherry stand. Sugarcoat's smirk faded into a thin frown as, between Fluttershy's admission of desperation, Crafty Crate's attempt to take advantage of her, and Fluttershy's utter failure to be Rarity or Pinkie Pie, she somehow managed to drive the price for a single cherry up to twenty bits.
Finally, Sugarcoat couldn't take any more. She stepped up to the cherry stand. "I'll give you two bits for the cherry."
"Sold!" Crafty Crate said, eagerly scooping up the two coins Sugarcoat floated out of her saddlebags. Sugarcoat picked up the cherry in her magic, then hovered it over to Fluttershy. "Tough break, kid," Crafty Crate said to Fluttershy. "Next time, don't be such a doormat."
"Here, I'll sell it to you for two bits."
Fluttershy blinked. "Oh. Umm...okay. Thank you!" She fished two bits out of her bag and exchanged them for the cherry.
"HEY!" Crafty Crate shouted. "You can't do that!"
Sugarcoat turned and gave him a stern glare. "I just bought this cherry from you fairly and legally," she said. "It's my cherry now, and I can do whatever I want with it, including sell it to another pony for the same price I paid. And just for your information, everypony who watched you try to scam Fluttershy today is going to talk about what a terrible pony you are. Good luck making a profit in Ponyville ever again." She then turned to Fluttershy. "And you. Seriously. You need to stop being such a doormat." With that, she walked over to a stand selling oranges, bought three, and headed off.
* * * * *
The next day, Sugarcoat happened upon a bizarre scene. For whatever reason, Cherry Berry and Bon Bon were blocking the creek bridge with two huge wagons full of garbage while they stood around chatting. Behind them, Fluttershy looked like she was about to blow a fuse.
"A-hem," Fluttershy said. "Can you move? You're blocking my path."
"Yeah yeah, in a minute!" Cherry Berry snapped. Turning back to Bon Bon, she said, "So the donkey says to the mule..."
"When somepony tries to block, show them that you rock!" Fluttershy growled, bracing herself to buck the garbage carts.
"You could just fly over them," Sugarcoat said.
Fluttershy wheeled angrily on her. "What did you say?" she snarled.
Sugarcoat remained unimpressed by her ire. "You're a pegasus. You have wings. You're not pulling a wagon. They're not blocking your path at all. Just fly over them."
Fluttershy blinked, then calmed down. "Oh. Right." Shaking her head, she took wing and flew over the two mares yammering on the bridge.
Sugarcoat walked up behind the two carts and cleared her throat. "Excuse me," she said. "You're blocking the bridge. Other ponies can't get around you. You should really get your carts off the bridge and move someplace out of the way if you want to keep chatting."
"Gosh, what is WITH all these rude ponies today?" Cherry Berry complained.
"You're the one being rude," Sugarcoat said. "Take a look around you. Think about how you'd feel if you were trying to get across this bridge and two ponies with huge garbage carts were just standing on the bridge talking and blocking the path."
"Umm...she's kinda got a point," Bon Bon said. "Sorry." With that, the two mares hauled their carts off the bridge and over to the side to continue their conversation, and Sugarcoat crossed the bridge.
* * * * *
By the following morning, Sugarcoat had heard of Fluttershy's bizarre rage-fueled rampages around Ponyville. She ran into Rarity and Pinkie Pie in the town square. "Oh, good morning, Sugarcoat!" Rarity said. "Would you please come with us to try to talk some sense into Fluttershy?"
"Yeah, she's kinda let this whole assertiveness thing get the best of her," Pinkie said. "We think she might have gone overboard."
Sugarcoat frowned thoughtfully. "Normally, I don't really care what you and your friends get up to," she said. "On the other hoof, I probably helped cause this problem, so..."
When the trio arrived at the edge of Ponyville, they witnessed Fluttershy assaulting an innocent tourist. They exchanged glances, then confronted her about it. Unfortunately, Fluttershy was less than willing to listen to reason, and delivered a scorching rant which reduced Pinkie Pie and Rarity to tears.
"And YOU!" Fluttershy shouted, rounding on Sugarcoat as Pinkie and Rarity ran away crying. "All you ever do is follow other ponies around criticizing them! Do you even have a life? You're always saying we're not your friends, so why don't you butt out of our lives and live your own for once!"
Sugarcoat stared up at her. Her composure held...for almost thirty seconds.
"You're right," she said. "I don't belong here. I'm just...I'm just trying to cope the only way I know how." She frowned. "And yes, I criticize ponies, but in case you haven't noticed, ponies do stupid things and somepony needs to point it out to them." She narrowed her eyes. "Kind of like how you're doing something stupid right now, acting this way to your friends. You just ran two of your best friends off in tears. Is that really who you want to be?"
Fluttershy blinked, then glanced back the way her friends had run. "I...I..."
"You can be assertive without being a bullying jerk," Sugarcoat said. "Just tone it down a bit."
Fluttershy sighed. "I...I should just go home and--"
"No," Sugarcoat said. "You should go apologize to your friends. And that tourist you just attacked, if you can find him."
Fluttershy nodded. "You're right." She sagged in midair. "Will you go with me?"
"No," Sugarcoat said. "I have my own things to do today." She trotted off into Ponyville alone.
Nopony noticed the few tears that trickled down her cheeks.
* * * * *
As Iron Will and his goats were leaving Ponyville, they encountered Sugarcoat standing in the middle of the road, a deep frown on her face.
Iron Will snorted and flexed his pecs. "Do you have something you wanna say to Iron Will?" he rumbled.
"Actually, I do," Sugarcoat said. "You're full of bull--" |
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