HiE - A Hollow in Equestria

Chapters

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Bonus chapter - extended dragon fight sequence
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter Twenty Three
Chapter Twenty Four
Chapter Twenty Five
Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty Eight
Chapter Twenty Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty One
Chapter Thirty Two
Chapter Thirty Three
Chapter Thirty Four
Chapter Thirty Five
Chapter Thirty Six
Chapter Thirty Seven
Chapter Thirty Eight
Chapter Thirty Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty One
Chapter Forty Two
Chapter Forty Three
Chapter Forty Four
Chapter Forty Five
Chapter Forty Six
Chapter Forty Seven
Chapter Forty Eight
Chapter Forty Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty One
Filler - an unanticipated encounter (one)
Filler - an unanticipated encounter (two)
Chapter Fifty Three
Chapter Fifty Four
Chapter Fifty Five
Chapter Fifty Six
Chapter Fifty Seven
Chapter Fifty Eight
Chapter Fifty Nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty One
Chapter Sixty Two
Chapter Sixty Three
Chapter Sixty Four
Chapter Sixty Five
Chapter Sixty Seven
Chapter Sixty Seven supplemental
Chapter Sixty Eight
Chapter Sixty Nine
Chapter Seventy (Version A)
Chapter Seventy (Version B)
Chapter Seventy One
Chapter Seventy Two
Chapter Seventy Three
Chapter Seventy Four
Chapter Seventy Five
Chapter Seventy Six
Chapter Seventy Seven
Filler - How "Tanks for the Memories" should've gone
Chapter Seventy Eight
Chapter Seventy Nine
Filler/Prequel - When Shady came to Ponyville
Chapter Eighty
Chapter Eighty One
Chapter Eighty Two
Chapter Eighty Three
Chapter Eighty Four
Chapter Eighty Five
Chapter Eighty Six
Chapter Eighty Six supplemental
Chapter Eighty Seven
Chapter Eighty Eight
Chapter Eighty Nine
Chapter Ninety
Chapter Ninety One
Filler - Closure
Chapter Ninety Two
Filler - Hollow victories, purple ponies, green bugmen and... oh to hell with it! #Cellgames
Chapter Ninety Three
Chapter Ninety Four
Filler - Hollow victories, purple ponies, green bugmen and... oh to hell with it! Part 2 #Cellgames
Chapter Ninety Five
Chapter Ninety Six
Chapter Ninety Seven
Chapter Ninety Eight
Chapter Ninety Nine
Chapter One Hundred
Chapter One Hundred One
Chapter One Hundred Two
Chapter One Hundred Three
Chapter One Hundred Four
Chapter One Hundred Five
Chapter One Hundred Six
Chapter One Hundred Seven
Chapter One Hundred Eight
Chapter One Hundred Nine
Chapter One Hundred Ten
Chapter One Hundred Eleven
Chapter One Hundred Twelve
Chapter One Hundred Thirteen
Chapter One Hundred Fourteen
Chapter One Hundred Fifteen
Chapter One Hundred Sixteen
Chapter One Hundred Seventeen
Chapter One Hundred Eighteen
Chapter One Hundred Nineteen
Chapter One Hundred Twenty
Chapter One Hundred Twenty One
Chapter One Hundred Twenty Two
Chapter One Hundred Twenty Three
Chapter One Hundred Twenty Four
chapter One Hundred Twenty Five
Chapter One Hundred Twenty Six
Chapter One Hundred Twenty Seven
Chapter One Hundred Twenty Eight
Chapter One Hundred Twenty Nine
Chapter One Hundred Thirty
Chapter One Hundred Thirty One
Chapter One Hundred Thirty Two
Filler - Support
Chapter One Hundred Thirty Three
Chapter One Hundred Thirty Four
Chapter One Hundred Thirty Five
Chapter One Hundred Thirty Six
Chapter One Hundred Thirty Seven
Chapter One Hundred Thirty Eight
Filler - The Royal Guards Don't Actually Suck
Chapter One Hundred Thirty Nine
Chapter One Hundred Forty
Chapter One Hundred Forty One
Chapter One Hundred Forty Two
Chapter Zero
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Six
Chapter Twenty Eight supplemental
Chapter Fifty Two
Chapter Sixty Six
Filler - Dash kicks some gum and chews some bubble ass (edited)

Chapter One

Chapter One

Under normal circumstances, sleep was something easy for Princess Celestia to achieve, and even easier to maintain. Despite not needing sleep in order to survive, it was still wonderful to indulge in at the end of each day. For a few blissful hours she was completely free of the daily stresses she was forced to endure, allowed to indulge in her daily fantasies and desires, all in the comfort of her own bed. It was blissful, it was serene, it was beautiful.

These, however, were not normal circumstances.

On this night, sleep had proved itself to be rather elusive to her. Getting to sleep was difficult, and actually staying asleep was even moreso. Her rest wasn't at all restful, as her mind continued to wander back to the same subject of her discomfort; Ulquiorra Cifer. What she had seen in the Arrancar's mind had disturbed her deeply, and left her shaken all the way to her magical core. His presence was contradictory to everything, and left her with great concerns over the safety of her kingdom, and everyone in it. He'd even managed to invade her dreams, haunting her unconscious mind with what she'd seen of Hueco Mundo, of the battle he had engaged in with the strange bipedal being "Ichigo Kurosaki" with the bright orange mane, in the name of protecting Las Noches at all costs in order to comply with his orders. And that terrible, terrible emptiness that just seemed to radiate off of him. His empty, soulless eyes were piercing through what she saw, their unwavering glare present through the images like two suns hanging high in the sky. How had Luna seen sadness in them?

In the end she realized that it was futile to continue laying about, and simply got up much earlier than she cared for, her sister's moon still hanging high in the sky. She was far less rested than she wanted to be, but in all truth she was far more rested than she actually needed to be, for carrying out her daily royal duties. After grooming herself, and applying the royal adornments, she left her chambers and made her way to the throne room.

Much to her surprise, everything appeared to be fine. There were no signs of damage to the palace walls, no bodies or blood to be seen on the floor or smeared on the walls. It was almost enough to make her doubt her previous concerns about the Hollow; almost. She doubted that she'd ever rest easy around him, after seeing what she'd seen, and feeling what she felt.

"Thou be up quite early, dear sister, art thou unwell?"

Celestia looked over at Luna sitting atop her throne looking quite well, if slightly concerned. At the foot of the stairs were two of her sinister looking shadow guard members. Standing off to the side near the far wall was Ulquiorra, currently engrossed in a book, and a sizable stack of others books next to him. How long had he been reading?

"Sister?"

"I'm sorry, Luna, I was distracted," Celestia replied and shook her head to clear her thoughts. "I'm alright, I just couldn't rest properly is all."

"If thou say so," Luna muttered. "Regardless 'tis good to see you. We have been learning much about Ulquiorra Cifer during the night. He art a most prodigious reader! We dare say even thou most precious student, Twilight Sparkle, could not hope to keep pace with him."

"Really now?" Celestia asked in a curious manner as she eyed Ulquiorra once again, looking as prim and proper as ever, one hoof stored in his pocket as he continued reading without regard to their presence. "How many books has he read, and how long has he been reading?"

"Seventeen since thou retired last evening. Wouldst be more, but inbetween we hath been engaged in the most interesting of conversations together," Luna stated.

Luna's statement seemed hard to believe. Ulquiorra was the quiet and aloof type from what she could see, and she knew quite well just how much her sister loved to talk when motivated by something. She couldn't help but imagine the idea of a conversation being entirely one-sided in nature, with the Arrancar serving no other purpose than playing a brick wall with a face painted on it, while her sister assaulted him with whatever topic of conversation came to her mind.

"And what've you two been talking about while I've been sleeping? You didn't keep him up all night did you?" Celestia asked. She knew how much her little sister enjoyed having someone to talk to, and truly wouldn't put it past her to have ordered the guards to prevent him from leaving if she were desperate enough for a conversation.

Not that she'd ever been in the habit of doing such. At least not as far as she was aware.

"Most certainly not! 'Tis truly amazing about Ulquiorra Cifer, he is devoid of a need to sleep just as he is to eat. And we have learned so much in our time together!" Luna stated, her voice bordering on royal Canterlot territory. "Didst thou know the realm of Hueco Mundo experiences eternal night? Or that Hollows are eternal just as we ourselves are?"

It was far too early for this. If Luna were anymore excited, she'd be bouncing like Pinkie Pie right now, and shaking the palace with the force of each impact. She truly couldn't imagine just how excited Luna was at finding someone else that was awake to experience night to its fullest. It was a concept she had, unfortunately, allowed herself to take for granted.

However at the moment, her mind was elsewhere on something her sister had just said.

"But I thought he said the Shinigami kill Hollows. How can Hollows die if they're immortal?" Celestia asked curiously.

"Being eternal doesn't mean being beyond the grips of death. Hollows don't grow old and die like other living beings, but they can still be killed. Nothing can truly live forever," Ulquiorra spoke up for the first time since Celestia's arrival, before gently snapping his current book shut. "Whether or not you and your sister abide by that standard, is neither of my concern, nor of my interest."

"And good morning to you too, Ulquiorra," Celestia replied in a semi-sarcastic manner. "Have your studies been educational?"

"Inconclusive would be more appropriate. Despite Princess Luna suggesting the present texts, there appear to be many gaps in the available information between now, and the time predating the founding of Equestria. The laws and customs of the "Saddle Arabia" nation are ridiculous at best. References to the "crystal empire" turn up nothing of use. And the lack of recorded large-scale violent conflicts after the implementation of your benevolent reign is hard to accept as truth. Further reading will be necessary if anything of relevance is to be gathered."

"I apologize if our royal library isn't up to your standards of quality," Celestia replied sarcastically. Ulquiorra barely glanced at her. "You're free to read every book in the unrestricted sections as you please. But I believe you'll find that Equestria really is as it appears to be."

"That remains to be proven," Ulquiorra commented before setting the book down on top of the pile, and picking up the entire stack with great ease. Without a word he proceeded to leave the throne room, Luna's two sentries following close behind.

It was far too early in the day for this; the day hadn't even started yet, and already she was feeling a migraine beginning to brew. Ulquiorra was proving to be every bit as callous and unapologetic as she'd seen... but so far he at least seemed capable of understanding the situation, and the orders he was under. He was still present, nopony had been hurt as far as she could see, and he hadn't tried to gain entry to the restricted sections of the library; even if he could get past the locked doors, the intruder detection charms on the doorways would've alerted her to his presence, and she'd be on him in a heartbeat via teleportation. The fact that they didn't sound even once during the night, was at least some small measure of comfort to her right now.

"Thou seems... uneasy dear sister. 'Tis something wrong?" Luna asked hesitantly as she disembarked the throne and cautiously approached down the stairs.

"I'm not quite certain," Celestia said in a low tone as she watched until the Arrancar was no longer in her line of sight. "Something about him leaves me... disturbed. Did he do anything last night that seemed strange to you? Something that might be grounds for concern?"

"He is passively rude and unfazed by what he doth encounter, aloof and with no display of emotions. And a fair degree of his dialect doth strike us as quite odd. But we saw nothing to suggest concern was necessary. Not once did he try and venture into the restricted sections of the library, nor display any show of force. T'would seem he is working to accept his place in our world, and under our rule," Luna replied before looking her sister in the eyes. "Tell us dear sister, what doth bother thee so much? Dost thou know something about Ulquiorra Cifer that we do not?" she asked.

Celestia didn't want to lie to her sister. But she also didn't want to share with her the horrible details she'd learned about the Hollow society, all thanks to the actions of Discord. The brutality of life in Hueco Mundo was not something the world of Equestria should ever have to experience itself. How could she tell her sister about what she'd seen without seeming prejudicial, after all the other individuals she'd given second chances to who'd proven themselves worthy of her generosity, patience, and understanding? She'd seen the potential of good in Discord of all ponies, despite everything they both knew about what he'd done to their fair land.

"Perhaps it's just the fact that he absorbs the mana from the air for sustenance. I experience a chilly feeling in his presence, and it's unnerving," she finally stated, deciding to take the simple way out. It wasn't exactly a lie, since it was still something noticeable. "His lack of emotions is also unsettling."

Another concern that stuck out in her mind, that she had the time to consider during her restless night, was the fact that Discord had crossed dimensional boundaries to bring Ulquiorra to them. Different dimensions had different rules of reality and physics. There was no telling what Ulquiorra's presence in their world could result in. It was possible that he would be in danger, but it was equally possible that their world would be in danger as a result of the conflicting rules of physics battling against one another for dominance.

There was another concern that left her even more disturbed and uneasy. What if Discord's actions had the unintended consequences of establishing a sort of gateway between their two dimensions, and other Hollows were now able to cross over and invade Equestria? Ulquiorra had commented on how her guards qualified as having an above average level of "reiryoku" as he referred to it, what if the rest of the ponies under her watch did as well? Could they all be facing the threat of having their souls devoured? She couldn't help but shiver at that thought.

Making matters all the worse, was that there was nothing she could do to stop that from occurring if it was a possibility.

"Art thou still cold from Ulquiorra Cifer's presence, dear sister?" Luna asked in a concerned manner.

"It's alright, I'm fine," Celestia lied as she did her best to smile at her little sister. She couldn't tell her about this. Not yet anyway. "I know it's still rather early, but at the moment I'm feeling rather hungry. Would you care to join me for breakfast now, instead of waiting for the usual time?"

"Hmm..." Luna paused in thought. "We are feeling somewhat peckish. We supposed it could not hurt to grab an early supper to see us through the rest of the night, until it is time for thou to take over," she said and nodded eagerly.

"Excellent. I'll see if I can get the kitchen staff motivated to start early today."

Getting the books back in their original place wasn't the easiest of tasks, due to them having come from higher up shelves, meaning he had to rely on his air walking abilities to get them properly reorganized before he went back to his researching.

Unfortunately, whether the library was organized or not, all of his selections of books were proving to be of little value. There were many things that simply didn't add up. The history of Equestria in general, and the reign of Princess Celestia specifically, were far too peaceful to seem believable. The concept of such extensive peace went against the very basics of Hollow nature. He could spend days reading, and he doubted he'd be able to learn anything useful.

The interruptions didn't help either. The changing of the guards did nothing to disturb his attempts at research. Despite the differences in their reiatsu, they were low enough to not be of interest. The other one however...

"I am as aware of your presence currently, Princess Celestia, just as I was aware of Princess Luna last night. For what purpose do you attempt to conceal yourself?"

"Is my presence really that noticeable?" Celestia asked as she stepped out into the open.

Breakfast had been as pleasant as could be expected under the current circumstances, certainly delicious and all, but regardless she couldn't turn her mind off and stop worrying. Trying to wear the mask of everything being alright when it wasn't, proved to be difficult even with her thousand years of experience on the matter. And especially under these circumstances.

The moment her sister retired for the day, she set out to locate their guest and gain answers to the many questions she had. When she'd found him, she simply observed him as he read in silence. However he seemed to be expecting her, and was quick to call her out.

"Indeed," Ulquiorra replied and closed the book, dissatisfied with the information it held. "What of your royal duties? Surely you have more important things to do than verify for yourself that I'm abiding by the terms you have laid down as ruler."

"I'm actually tending to them right now. I have a number of concerns at the moment, and as ruler of Equestria, I need to ensure the wellbeing of my subjects at all costs," Celestia explained.

"Am I correct to assume you have doubts concerning my loyalty to you, based on the images you saw last night?" Ulquiorra asked.

"You're quite observant," Celestia replied and nodded as she steeped closer to him. "I need to know that Equestria won't be endangered by your presence. There's never been a Hollow in this world before, and even though you act civilized, that doesn't mean anything. Discord proved to be civilized, but still highly destructive until he was reformed. I need to know about what I saw last night, about your loyalty."

Ulquiorra said nothing as he placed the book back on the shelf before turning to face Celestia, his hands going into his pockets. He didn't blame her for her suspicions. But he would certainly have doubts if she had just blindly accepted him. "The individual Sosuke Aizen who assumed rule over Hueco Mundo, was a Shinigami who turned against his own order to spark a rebellion. When he came to Hueco Mundo, his nature was instantly detected, and responded to accordingly. Many Hollows died as a result of attempting to attack him and his two fellow Shinigami traitors; Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tosen. After usurping the previous rule of Hueco Mundo and Las Noches, the Vasto Lorde, Baraggan Louisenbairn, Aizen assembled the ten strongest Arrancar to form the Espada, myself included," he explained, giving a cursory history of events that transpired. "Despite knowing of Aizen's nature as the mortal enemy of my species, I chose to serve him faithfully, carrying out whatever order he may issue regardless of what it may be. Despite being a Shinigami, he was my ruler, and I had no choice but to obey. His last order to me before he departed was to protect Las Noches against harm. Despite my best attempts, I was unable to fulfill this order. The rest you know."

She was a little surprised to hear that the Aizen Ulquiorra had faithfully served was his very enemy, and even moreso that he made the conscious decision to continue serving him, despite knowing full well what he was getting himself into. She knew that he was loyal to an extent but never to that extent. Loyally serving the pony -or whatever Aizen was- despite knowing that at any moment he could end his existence. It was rather a terrifying concept. Perhaps even more terrifying was how Ulquiorra could so freely talk about the subject without growing visibly upset. He was very, very collected.

"Did you ever try and usurp this Aizen?" Celestia asked.

"Never. It was not my place to question he who was in charge, regardless of how I felt or what I believed," Ulquiorra stated.

"And how did you feel about serving Aizen despite knowing he was your enemy?" Celestia asked.

"Feelings are of no importance, and opinions are often irrelevant. We had our orders, and those of us that were loyal to Aizen carried them out dutifully, regardless of what might happen to us. It was our purpose to put our lives on the line for him so that he might achieve his goals."

She was silent for a long time after hearing that. This Aizen expected those below him to act as sacrificial pawns of their own free will? Her silence must've stretched longer than she'd intended, as Ulquiorra went back to reading his current book.

"... For what it's worth, I'm sorry for what you had to go through in Hueco Mundo. I can promise you that nothing like that will happen in Equestria. I would never ask my subjects to do something that I wasn't fully prepared to do myself," Celestia replied. "If there's anything I can do for you in order to help..."

"In your long rule you have gained extensive personal knowledge, correct?" he asked. Celestia nodded. "Perhaps you can elaborate on the intangible concept of the heart and explain what it is. Numerous times a woman in my world referred to this concept with regard to her friends, and their blatantly illogical actions and decisions. Despite overwhelming odds and opposition, they refused to admit that there was no hope for them. Despite being confronted with the overwhelming strength of the Espada, they refused to give up. They chose to maintain the belief that victory was a possibility for them," Ulquiorra explained, keeping an even tone despite what he was describing, and how its lack of logic confused him to no end. "Are you able to explain this illogical concept, and why it is considered so important?"

She was a little surprised that, out of everything Ulquiorra would or could be asking her, he'd settle on matters related to the heart. His obsession with wars in their history had lead her to believe he'd be asking something else entirely. Unfortunately this wasn't any easier for her.

"I'm afraid I can't give an explanation that will make sense in terms of basic logic, because the heart in this matter isn't logical by nature. It's like trying to describe friendship is scientific terms. It's something that has to be experienced, rather than studied in an academic sense," Celestia replied. Ulquiorra didn't appear convinced. But then again it was hard to saw for certain. "Over the centuries, there've been a great many scholars who've attempted to explain the condition of the heart, and how it drives us to do things our brains tell us are illogical. Because of our hearts, we do things we normally wouldn't do because it feels right; or simply because it feels wrong to not act in such a manner. It's... very complicated."

"So it would appear," Ulquiorra replied as he went back to scanning the pages of the book in his hands.

"... Are there any other questions I can answer?" Celestia asked.

"It wouldn't be logical to conclude that my confinement to the Canterlot palace will be permanent in nature, especially since you've said matters of friendship and the heart must be experienced in person to be properly understood. At what point in time do you believe I'll be deemed fit to interact with the rest of your subjects that lay beyond the palace grounds?"

"... I'm afraid I don't have a definite time frame for that just yet. I'll have to give the matter some thought, before I have an answer for you," Celestia replied. "In the meantime, I'll need to get back to the throne room shortly. The Day Court waits for nopony, and the nobles are quite incessant on being seen about their demands."

"I take it you don't banish those that are annoying to the moon to serve as a warning for others to not cross you?"

"... Luna told you about that?" Celestia asked.

"She did."

"Our sister doth have a big mouth," Celestia thought to herself and frowned. But before she could even get a word of explanation out Ulquiorra continued.

"Based on the information presented, you made the most logical decision that your heart would allow under the circumstances. The fact she is back and co-ruling the kingdom so freely, would suggest it was the correct decision to make."

Had he just...did he really... was he...

Her thoughts were becoming jumbled at his words. She knew what it sounded like he was saying, what his words seemed to mean, but it didn't seem possible. Was somepony... somebody so bent on logical meanings, just saying that she'd made the right decision by listening to her heart, when he didn't even understand the concept of having a heart? Oh the irony of it all.

She really didn't need this forming migraine with all the nobles she had to face, she truly didn't.

"Thank you," she uttered quietly before turning to take her leave for the time being. This was a matter that would definitely require further thought and discussion. But it would have to wait for later. Right now she had to go babysit a bunch of uppity nobles who insisted on using her royal court for publicly airing their gripes against each other, and expecting her to give them preferential treatment. "I should've had my cake last night..."

Ulquiorra observed as she left. She did not need to know of the sheer degree of cruelty he saw in her actions regarding her own sister and fellow princess. If she was willing to banish her sister to the moon for a thousand years, and leave her vulnerable to what she had experienced during that time, there was no telling what else she was capable of; he did not need to tempt her to sentence him to the same fate. He wasn't stupid after all.

The day progressed as uneventful as any other day in Canterlot. Celestia's Day Court was filled with bickering nobles she didn't want to deal with, just as any other day was. Luna slept soundly in a way Celestia couldn't help but envy. Ulquiorra more or less remained in the library under guard, and read whatever book he deemed relevant to his studies on the land of Equestria, and the creatures it contained.

Some of the available texts were more useful than the previous had been. Unfortunately others were less than useful to him, and seemed to be recorded in a manner best suited for the entertainment of children. There were well over five thousand books present that he had access to, it was only logical that eventually he would find what he sought.

"We must say thou art a most avid reader. Hast thou been here the entire day?"

He hadn't even flinched at the sound of Luna's voice as she stood behind him. The smaller alicorn's approach was easily detected even at a distance, regardless of how silent her approach had been. Judging by her presence, it was safe to assume night would soon be falling, and Princess Celestia would be retiring for the day once more.

"Affirmative," he replied simply as he closed the current text and placed it back on the shelf.

"Hast thee found what thou art looking for?" Luna asked.

"At present time no. I have only been able to assemble a sketchy history and understanding of the land of Equestria. If no further information is found soon, I plan to switch to the history of the legal system to understand the laws and order of the land," Ulquiorra explained.

"Thou shouldst see the Canterlot attorneys for such an understanding, they art best versed in matters of the law. We can direct thee to some of the best," Luna offered.

"Unless they are in the palace such information is of little use. Presently I am forbidden from leaving the palace grounds, and under guard. Until Princess Celestia sees fit, I am to remain under these conditions," Ulquiorra stated.

"Our sister wouldst understand if we gave thee a royal escort to further thou's understanding of the world," Luna pointed out.

"It's not my place to question the terms I'm bound by," Ulquiorra replied.

"If thou truly feels as such, then we shalt abide by thy wishes," Luna replied and turn to leave. "Doth thou need anything before we take our leave to join our sister for our evening meal?"

"No."

"Very well then. A good evening to you, Ulquiorra Cifer," Luna replied and exited the library.

He was willing to accept that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were in charge of him now, and their rule was what he was under. However, if they insisted on utilizing his time, he couldn't help but wish it was for something of genuine importance, rather than just checking on him. The fact that his assigned guards continued to live and breathe should've been evidence enough that all was well.

Then again, he had to remember that he was an anomaly in this new world that was ruled by ponies. They weren't versed in the way of Hollows. Perhaps it was necessary to exercise more understanding with them than he did those that came to Hueco Mundo.

"Historical Accounts of the Dragon Uprising," he thought as his eyes scanned over the titles. Perhaps that would prove useful to him.

Celestia wasn't surprised to see Luna pop into existence via a teleportation spell. Considering the size of the castle, it made the most sense when one was in a hurry, and trying to move about without raising suspicion by galloping through the halls.

"He didst not even consider the bait before flatly refusing the offer," Luna stated as she trotted over to where Celestia was and sat down next to her. "T'would seem he is most loyal to thee's orders. Although we do resent being used in such an underhoofed manner."

"I apologize Luna, but I'm afraid it was a necessity under these circumstances. I had to verify if he was being honest," Celestia explained. However now she couldn't help but wonder if Ulquiorra had somehow seen through her gamble, and recognized it as a trap. He was very intelligent, and she couldn't put it past him. "It was also necessary to see if he was really trustworthy."

"Tia," Luna spoke up, "thou speak of loyalty and trust. But thou know as well as we, that these traits cannot be properly gauged under the current circumstances. While confined to the palace, Ulquiorra Cifer cannot be presented with opportunities to test his true nature, and determine such things as loyalty and trust. He must interact with our beloved subjects for such to be determined properly."

"I know, Luna, I know," Celestia replied and gave a brief nod of understanding. She knew that as long as the Arrancar was a caged bird, he would be on his best behavior. There would be no way to really tell what he was like or how he'd act. But the thought of letting him free, and seeing how he acted individually still left her concerned. Even when she set about having Discord reformed, he was under the careful watch of Twilight and her friends, who wouldn't hesitate to seal him back in stone again if necessary.

"What art thou not telling us dear sister?" Luna asked pointedly as she looked at her with a critical eye. "We know thou concealeth something from us, and we wish to know what."

"It's noth-"

"Dare not to lie to our face dear sister! We know that there is indeed something. And if thou doth not share it freely then we will have to prove to be every bit the annoying little sister we were in foalhood," Luna interrupted and smirked. "Thee can share the information of thy own volition, or we can resort to the royal method of torture to extract the information. And we are intimately familiar with each and every one of thee's most ticklish spots," she said as her wings flared briefly to both emphasize and reinforce the threat.

Her sister was threatening to tickle her into submission. It was a foalish threat indeed, but she laughed regardless at the lighthearted approach, and how it helped ease some of her concerns. Oh how she'd missed her sister so much.

"Very well, Lulu, very well," Celestia finally consented. She knew that if she didn't give in Luna would simply press the issue. Even if she could resist while conscious, there really wouldn't be anything to prevent her dreams from being probed, and the information gathered there. She really hated it when her sister played dirty. "When I first probed his mind, I discovered rather disturbing facts about Ulquiorra's past. Hollows are quite violent by nature, killing is quite common in their world, based on what I've seen. To some it's a second nature."

"He doth come from a violent past. 'Tis nothing Equestria hasn't seen before. The gryphons and the dragons are far from the most social of species we have dealt with, despite their violent natures," Luna replied. "Before the founding of Equestria, the three pony tribes also engaged in great violence against one another."

"You didn't let me finish. Killing and cruelty weren't the only things I saw, there was also cannibalism. Hollows eat the souls of others to try and satiate an intense hunger born from the corruption of their birth and existence. And when the hunger is overwhelming, they devour their fellow Hollows as well. This cannibalistic approach is what allows them to evolve to their higher levels; Ulquiorra's consumed many thousands of his own brethren to reach his level of evolution."

Luna sat silently as Celestia explained what she'd seen in his mind, blinking intermittently through it all. When it seemed her sister didn't have anything else to say on the matter, she finally spoke up. "While 'tis disturbing to know, Ulquiorra Cifer is not exactly the first to practice cannibalism in the land beyond our kingdom. Thou knowest the nature of the dragons and gryphons, and how they regard their own kind in past times. Their long distant... practices that were not to be carried over when they come to Equestria proper to live."

"I'm aware but that's different, they're not eating souls," Celestia stated.

"But is such not the fault of the Shinigami who oversee the souls of the departed? We agree, 'tis morbid in thought, but Ulquiorra Cifer himself stated they are lazy in their duties about ferrying the dead to the afterlife, and instead leave them to become corrupted. How is it any fault of his if he did what instinct dictated for survival? Wouldst be any different from the gryphons disposing of their dead in a similar manner during times of great famine and disaster?" Luna asked. She then looked around in a suspicious manner, before leaning in to whisper. "Thou were around for that particular incident in history last century. That one party trapped in the avalanche..."

Luna had raised the same point of thought she had last night. From what Ulquiorra told, it sounded like the whole reason Hollows existed was because the Shinigami were too lazy to do their job. It brought her back to the question of whether it was a deliberate act for darker purposes; not knowing enough, she couldn't rule it out as a possibility. There were just so many uncertainties and unanswered questions, and it was making her head swim.

"Wilt thou give him a chance dear sister? Please?" Luna asked softly. "Thou knowest as do we that everypony deserves a second chance, no matter what they may hath done in the past..."

Celestia extended a wing to stroke Luna's back in response to comfort her. It didn't do well to have her constantly brooding on the past. "I'll do my best in this case," she promised as she continued stroking her back. "I just want to be cautious on the matter. This is uncharted territory for all of us."

"We know," Luna replied as she closed her eyes.

"Sir."

Ulquiorra looked up from his book. The history on Equestria proper wasn't proving to be very rewarding. The records detailing the surrounding territory, and the history with other races, was another story entirely. Violent mass conflicts were more readily detailed and covered, and it was something that made sense to him. He'd been right in the middle of reading about the blood wars between the dragon and gryphon races, when a voice broke his concentration. Standing at the doorway was a male unicorn in gold colored armor, signifying he was a part of Princess Celestia's guard.

"Her Majesty requests your presence in the royal gardens, and has instructed that I bring you to her," the guard announced.

Curious.

"Very well," he replied, and after memorizing what page he was on, closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. "Lead the way then."

"One moment," the guard stated as his horn glowed. In the blink of an eye there was a flash of white light, and as soon as it faded Ulquiorra could see they were no longer in the library, but rather outside.

"How? That wasn't sonido, what was that?" Ulquiorra asked, now genuinely curious at what was transpiring. That was neither sonido nor garanta, nor was it shunpo or even hirenkyaku.

"Simple teleportation," came the response from Celestia to the west of their current position. "Thank you, that'll be all."

The guard gave a nod of understanding, before turning and leaving the garden area as instructed, leaving the two alone. To Ulquiorra, no other life signs seemed to register. Curiouser and curiouser.

"So what is my purpose here?" Ulquiorra asked bluntly.

"I wanted to talk to you in private, where there wouldn't be any eavesdropping. There are a few late arrival nobles who Luna's dealing with right now in the Night Court. The rest of my guard has retired for the night so it's just the two of us," Celestia explained.

"And what did you wish to discuss?" Ulquiorra asked.

"More about previously. As I've said, I need to be concerned about the safety, and wellbeing of my subjects, and all the little ponies I watch over. Knowing what I do about your past, and where you came from, I can't make any snap decisions," Celestia explained as she slowly turned away to face the night sky.

"And how do you propose verification?" Ulquiorra asked.

"I'm not entirely sure of that just yet. Nopony knows what happens after death, whether there's an afterlife or not. But the idea of a soul eater being loose in Equestria is still unsettling. I'm sure you understand that fact," Celestia admitted.

"You have no reason to trust that I won't succumb to the baser instinct of fresh Hollows. That's understandable, as I'm the first of my kind to be found in this land," Ulquiorra elaborated.

"So you can see my point," Celestia replied.

"I can. Is that why you're currently testing me?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Pardon?" Celestia asked as she turned her head around to face him.

"I don't have extensive knowledge of alicorn anatomy and physiology. But even I can see that you've allowed the tension in your muscle structure to release for the first time since my arrival here. It almost looks as if you're deliberately dropping your guard," Ulquiorra explained. "Are you attempting to evaluate my loyalty by presenting an opportune target in case I wish to attack you?"

"Now whatever gave you that idea?" Celestia asked curiously. What was he getting at?

"The lack of guards present to act as an interruption, the visual dropping of your guard, and having turned your back on one you have just informed you don't trust. All together are very suspicious in nature, and would suggest ulterior motives," Ulquiorra explained calmly as he kept his hands in his pockets.

"So it wasn't arrogance that I saw. He really is that smart," Celestia thought as she turned back around to face him directly. Had he simply not taken the bait because he knew that was the test?

"What did you expect me to do? Did you believe that I would draw my zanpakutō and cut your head off? Discharge my Cero? Devour your soul in a blind state of unrelenting hunger simply because you were not guarded?" Ulquiorra asked. "Make no mistake about it there are several members of the Espada that wouldn't have thought twice about taking the bait and launching an attack against you. However I'm not one of them."

Celestia remained silent as he more or less lectured her on the situation. Was he being arrogant or simply explanatory in nature? Was he going out of his way to mock how her test had been blatantly obvious to him?

"If this little exercise has concluded, then I ask to be returned to the library. It's reasonable to conclude that my refusal to strike hasn't assuaged your concern about me. In which case there's no use in my remaining here," Ulquiorra stated. He had no time for this.

"Very well. I'll have to escort you back myself as my guards are no longer available," Celestia replied.

The trip back to the library was much like the trip from the library, being carried out in a flash via teleportation. Ulquiorra merely went back to where he'd stood previously, and withdrew the book he'd been reading prior to the interruption.

"Is there anything you need before I leave for the evening?" she asked.

"I do," he replied after a momentary pause. "I have given this matter some thought. And I have reached a conclusion. If I'm to remain under your rule, then I request a purpose to justify my continued existence here in your world," Ulquiorra replied.

She blinked in confusion at what he was saying. "I'm afraid I don't understand," Celestia stated.

"In Hueco Mundo my purpose was to serve Aizen in any manner requested of me. He assigned me to protect Las Noches against any threat that may arise. Despite my best efforts I failed, and as such there was no continued justification for my life, or even my existence. Without a reason or purpose, my existence here is devoid of meaning," he explained.

"Oh..." Celestia replied, uncertain of what to say in response to the full weight of his words. "I'll... see what I can do about that, but I can't make any guarantees."

Ulquiorra said nothing, simply opening his book to the same page he was on and continuing to read in interest.

"Before I leave, I need to ask. Back in the gardens, would you have taken the bait if it wasn't so obvious?"

Ulquiorra cast her an aside glance. "No. Even if I were prone to backstabbing and treachery like the other Espada, an assault against you would still prove useless. Your reiatsu level is greatly in excess of mine. Regardless of whatever I could attempt, it would prove to be nothing more than a fruitless endeavor," he explained calmly. "I don't make judgements about those in a position in authority, as it's not my place to question their decisions. Even if you proved to be a tyrannical dictator, I have no aspirations of doing something about it."

"That's... reassuring I suppose..." Celestia replied awkwardly. "Do... do you believe I'm a tyrannical dictator? Have I done something to give that impression?"

Ulquiorra was quiet for a moment in thought. He had hoped this matter wouldn't come up. However it ha done just that, and there was no point in lying about it. He hesitated only slight before speaking up. "On the surface, you cultivate the image of benevolence, caring, and patience. Beneath that surface, however, I have reason to believe you possess all the qualities necessary to be a tyrannical dictator who rules her kingdom with fear and intimidation. The banishment of your own sister to a fate that many would consider to be one worse than any imaginable death, would serve as an effective tool of terror to quell any form of rebellion in your land, as no mortal being would feel motivated to experience eternal suffering with no hope of the release of death. My reading of Equestria's national history would suggest the banishment of the being Nightmare Moon is as widespread as it is respected, and feared. Even if you didn't intend to subject another to such punishment, all you would need to do to maintain control is allow history to speak for itself, and the natural fear of the living would do the rest. If you commanded there to be no wars, who would realistically oppose you, if they believed they would be banished to the moon for such an offense?"

Celestia was silent as she listened, letting his words sink in fully. They cut her quite deeply, as he explained how he considered her to be a tyrant that exploited her own sister for the sake of her rule. The truly cruel part was the fact that this wasn't a thought that was baseless in nature, but rather one that she'd had to entertain during her thousand years of solitary rule. She knew that there was the possibility of such thoughts floating around her kingdom, despite everyone then knowing about the evils of Nightmare Moon. And she'd done her best to quash those fears and thoughts through benevolence and love to reassure them that they wouldn't ever have to face the same fate. She'd hoped that her kindness had eased their fears, but she could never tell for certain.

And here he'd reopened those old wounds with his accurate observations, and he'd been here for just over a day.

"Well then..." she paused. He'd really given her a lot to think about, and more than likely he was going to be responsible for denying her another night of restful sleep. "I think I've interrupted you enough for the evening. I'll take my leave now, and leave you to your own devices," she replied and turned to leave without another word. However one thought in particular started nagging at her and she needed to get answers before she could leave. "So even though you consider me to be a tyrant, you wouldn't make any attempt to kill me?"

"I merely stated there was reason to believe you had potential to be a tyrant, not that you were. There's a difference between the two," Ulquiorra replied. "And in answer to your question, no I would not. As I have explained before, it's not my place to question those I find myself in service to."

Now she was more disturbed than before. Without another word she left the library to think over what had transpired during the course of the day. If it wasn't the various nobles being foalish, it was an otherworldly being stated that he'd follow her orders even if she was a tyrant. She could just tell she wasn't going to get any peace from this brewing migraine.

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

"Ulquiorra Cifer, a word please."

The hour was late but it wasn't of any concern to him; when you didn't need sleep the time was irrelevant. Not needing sleep meant there was more time for relevant matters like studying the history of this new land he was in. Even with his revelation to Princess Celestia about his observation of her character there were still unanswered questions. A tyrannical dictatorship alone wouldn't be enough to explain the relative peace the nation had been supposedly blessed with. Even if Princess Celestia had the intention of truly sending insurgents to the moon as punishment it wouldn't be a feasible approach of hundreds or thousands of potential workers rose up in revolt. Such an approach would risk massive depopulation of the available work force alone with the possibility of extinction of the race.

However his studies were yet again interrupted as Princess Luna entered the library and addressed him directly. The princesses seemed insistent on interrupting him at the most inopportune times as if everything was planned and orchestrated.

"What do you want?" Ulquiorra asked simply.

"Wouldst thou be interested in a snack break to thee's learning of our land?" Luna asked and levitated in a plate holding a slice of chocolate cake; a piece she'd squirreled away from her sister earlier in the day.

"No," Ulquiorra replied simply.

Luna frowned. "Dost thou always speak in such a blunt manner to everyone?"

"What would you suggest?" Ulquiorra asked.

"A measure of courtesy at times wouldst be appreciated," Luna pointed out.

"No thank you then," Ulquiorra replied. He expected that to be the end of it but Princess Luna remained. "I suspect etiquette wasn't the entirety of what you wanted to speak about."

"Didst thou truly accuse our sister of being a tyrant?" Luna asked curiously.

"I merely stated that it's not my place to question those who have authority even if others would. She asked during a moment of weakness and I explained how she possesses sufficient traits to become a tyrant if she so desired, nothing more. If she's emotionally shaken after being confronted with such an observation then it's no fault of mine," Ulquiorra explained and went back to focusing on his book.

"Thou art not exactly the first to make such an observation. But thee are the only one we know of to openly state it to her face and explained why. It was...upsetting..." Luna explained. Ulquiorra said nothing in response so she continued. "And to suggest that we were nothing more than a pawn to further her rule. We must admit we are not happy with thee right now."

"Do you plan on seeking retribution for my bluntness? Or are you simply venting to settle your emotional unrest?" Ulquiorra asked without so much as a second thought.

"Rest assured were we the primary ruler of Equestria the dungeon wouldst indeed be a possibility. But our dear sister doth not punish her subjects for their opinions of her regardless of what they may be. We shalt forgive thee thine's transgression this time. But we make no promise if there be a next time," Luna stated.

"Duly noted," Ulquiorra replied and flipped the current page to continue reading. "Thank you for your kindness and understanding."

Luna couldn't tell if the last part was genuine or merely sarcasm. His tone was always so even and flat and devoid of feelings it was impossible to get a good reading on him. For right now she'd leave it be as there were other matters to discuss.

"Our sister also told us that thou devoured the souls of others. Is this true?" she asked.

Another page flip. "It is. A long time ago."

"Doth thou remember who they were?" Luna asked.

"No I don't. Hollows by nature don't retain memories during their early, untamed time. Those we devour are nothing more to us than a rabbit to a gryphon. We're no more likely to remember them than we are to have regrets for our actions," he explained calmly.

Perhaps she was far too quick to take pity on this one with the sad eyes. She could understand why her sister was so cautious around him. His lack of remorse for previous actions wasn't very comforting to her. "Doth thou have any regrets prior to coming here?" she asked.

"My inability to fulfill my duty of protecting Las Noches," he replied simply, never looking up from his book.

There was silence in the library after that apart from the sound of the pages being flipped periodically. Luna didn't know what to say at that point and Ulquiorra wasn't inclined to talking.

"What were the other Espada like?" Luna asked after a long stretch of silence.

Ulquiorra paused and cast an aside glance. He reached up to his face by his Hollow mask and much to Luna's shock plucked out his left eye as if it were nothing more than a ping pong ball, before crushing it like a fragile crystal and allowing the pieces to scatter and form into a cloud before her. All she could do was watch in shocked silence as images were displayed before her while he narrated.

"Diez Espada Yammy Llargo. His aspect of death is rage. Loud, impulsive, arrogant, overconfident in his own abilities and quite stupid. Ranked the lowest of all Espada and holds the dubious honor of being the Cero Espada. He believes himself to be strongest of all due to this ranking however he's far from correct as cero is not a valid ranking but rather an explanation of his overall abilities. Among the Espada he serves the purpose of court jester. In simple terms he's nothing more than trash."

The image changed from the physically largest of Espada to one bearing a high collar and obstructive looking mask.

"Noveno Espada Aaroniero Arruruerie. His aspect of death is greed. Prideful, cruel sadistic in nature but reasonably intelligent. The only Espada of Gillian-class evolution but in possession of attributes Aizen deemed unique in nature. The Hollows he consume add to his repertoire of knowledge and abilities, providing him with a unique potential for growth and evolution not possessed by any other Espada."

The image changed to a scrawny looking being of pale coloration, pink hair and glasses and dressed far differently than the previous two.

"Octava Espada Szayelaporro Granz. His aspect of death is madness. Highly intellectual but this is outweighed by his narcissism, Crudeness, flamboyancy and melodrama. He possesses the unique ability to study his opponents and immunize himself against their techniques and abilities."

The image changed again to a tall and muscular being of dark coloration. Luna didn't know what it was but something about his appearance reminded her of Zecora to an extent.

"Séptima Espada Zommari Rureaux. His aspect of death is intoxication. Respectable intelligence overshadowed by arrogance. He regards himself as fastest in the art of sonido. Whether or not he deserves the title is questionable."

The image changed again to a being with blue hair and a sinister and wild grin on his face and pieces of animal jaw on the right side of his face.

"Sexta Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. His aspect of death is destruction. Impulsive, hot headed, short sighed, disrespectful, sadistic, brutal and rude. There is no shortage to negative aspects he possesses. Utter trash. He possesses no redeeming qualities whatsoever."

Despite his calm and even tone Luna could tell there was some bitterness to his words. However she remained silent as she was greeted by an exceedingly lanky character with an eye patch and a most disturbing toothy grin.

"Quinto Espada Nnoitra Gilga. His aspect of death is despair. Rude, crude, lecherous, disrespectful, chauvinistic, and exceedingly bloodthirsty. He regards his hierro as strongest of all Espada but that is a matter more of opinion rather than fact. Of all the Espada he is the most...unpleasant in nature."

The image changed again displaying another figure of dark skin, wild spiky hair and most of its face concealed beneath the high collar of its jacket. By far it wore the most revealing of all outfits.

"Tres Espada Tier Harribel. Her aspect of death is sacrifice. Calm, intellectual and analytical in nature. Unlike others she prefers not to engage in combat until she has gathered sufficient information to formulate an educated observation. Of all she is the most polite in nature. No outstanding specialties worth noting."

A grizzled and heavily worn face wearing a crown came into view next.

"Dos Espada Baraggan Louisenbairn. His aspect of death is time or more specifically aging. Former ruler of Hueco Mundo. Boastful, arrogant, stubborn and prideful in nature. He is easily provoked to anger and displays extreme short sightedness when aroused. He possesses the ability to control time around him and can age his opponents into dust; even Hollows who are eternal can die of old age in his presence."

The image faded away to reveal a tall and lean individual with brown hair and a goatee, standing next to a female being of diminutive size and build with pale green hair and one pink eye.

"Primera Espada Coyote Starrk. His aspect of death is solitude. Disinterested, lazy and unenthusiastic about nearly everything, preferring to sleep whenever possible, however he is loyal and obedient. Of all the Espada by far the strongest. His reiatsu is so intense and overwhelming that any Hollow below the level of Gillian dies merely by being in his presence. To try and alleviate this he divided every aspect of his being to create a secondary half known is Lilynette Gingerbuck, the two existing as individuals with unique personalities."

Luna was silent as the images came to an end and the cloud faded away. The creatures she'd seen were just as strange looking -if not even stranger- than Ulquiorra Cifer himself. She turned to look at him directly and ask if it was really necessary for him to destroy his eye to give the display but stopped before even the first word was formed. Sitting in his left socket was his eye and still intact and unharmed. How had he done that? Why had he done that? There were just so many questions she didn't know what to begin. Did all the Espada represent an aspect of death? Were they embodiments of their aspect? Some of them had numbers displayed...were their numbers indicative of their rank or were they the equivalent of cutie marks?

"Didst thou perform such a display for our dear sister as well?" Luna finally asked.

"Princess Celestia chose to probe my mind directly. Seeing memories without knowing the reasons behind them ultimately serves no purpose. Even if it did it would take far too long for her to sort through all of my memories to gather whatever information she believed was relevant. Solita vista does not possess a fast forward option," Ulquiorra explained.

"Were thou friends with the other Espada?" Luna asked.

"No. The concept of "friendship" was not something the Espada chose to recognize or practice. We were united by a common goal of serving Aizen to the best of our abilities and even at the cost of our own lives. Beyond that we shared no similarities that would allow us to be considered friends to one another. Even if the others did I do not; my aspect of death is emptiness."

Emptiness. The same word her sister had used to describe him. With this revelation it seemed as no wonder that he would be so empty to her if that was what he physically represented. However that thought gave her reason to feel bad for him. He was admitting that he truly was just a shell with nothing inside of him.

Ulquiorra merely returned to reading his book without another word.

There was an overwhelming sense of despair in the living room, it almost felt palpable in nature to Luna. It was deeply disturbing on a level she wasn't comfortable with. Without anything more than a mumble she turned and left the library, deciding to let her shadow guard have the dubious honor of keeping an eye on their guest, taking the cake away with her.

Another night without proper sleep. This was starting to become very old very quick. Celestia hadn't been forced to go through sleepless nights for a long time and she'd become accustomed to that blissful escape each night. Looking back maybe that was a mistake on her part considering how much trouble she was currently having. Once again her dreams were being haunted and disturbed by what she'd encountered in Ulquiorra's mind.

And she still had no idea what they were going to do with the Arrancar. How could she safely allow him to have access to Equestria? Could she safely allow him to have access to Equestria?

Grumbling she dragged herself out of bed and groomed herself, knowing the morning would once again subject her to the mercy of the uppity nobles who continued to selfishly demand that they be allowed more money for their own petty indulgences in society. Glancing over at the adornments she had to wear she pondered a rather mischievous idea. Maybe she'd open the Day Court while stark naked and demand that anypony who wished to air their grievances must do the same; see the look on their faces at being forced to shed their four or five figure value dresswears in order to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who were far more in need than they were.

The more she thought about that idea the more appealing it became. She might do just that.

However no matter what she thought nothing was going to change the conversation from last night. She was still somewhat disturbed by it all. She was left feeling outmatched by someone new to their world, how easily he'd caught onto her little test last night. And even though he hadn't stated outright that he considered her a tyrant she just couldn't get that thought out of her mind. Perhaps most disturbing was the fact that he said he'd serve her even if she was as it wasn't his place to question her rule. How could he state something like that with absolutely no hesitation?

"This isn't getting me anywhere," she muttered to herself and set her manebrush back down on the nightstand and thought.

Despite her hesitation and conflicting emotions there was something that she needed to remember first and foremost; regardless of who or what he was Ulquiorra was no longer in his own world or dimension. He'd been plucked out of what had been familiar to him -as well as death according to what Discord had said- and thrust into this new and strange world where his ways were unheard of. As much as she wanted to be concerned she had to remember that he also needed help. And if she didn't help him who could she expect to? It's not like she could just pass him off to somepony else to do the dirty work. She'd accepted him into her kingdom and now it was her responsibility to see it through.

"I'll just have to be more understanding and accepting," she told herself as she levitated her adornments on and into place. She'd seek out Ulquiorra before the Day Court was set to open and tell him that she'd do what she could for him. But the first order of the day was breakfast, she felt like she was starving right now and diplomacy never went well on an empty stomach.

The morning meal was much like the evening meal of the previous night, only this time around it was Luna that seemed more upset and somewhat detached, that fact wasn't lost on Celestia. Whereas yesterday Luna was more cheery today she was far more subdued and even withdrawn.

"Is something wrong Luna?" she asked while her slice of toast was in the middle of being buttered.

"No dear sister, nothing is wrong," Luna replied simply. Nothing physical anyway. Mentally she was still feeling upset by last night's conversation. But how did she explain that to Celestia and make her understand what she was feeling? The fact that he'd plucked out his own eyeball so readily and crushed it without hesitation didn't help either. And how had he regrown it? "Hast thou figured what to do about Ulquiorra Cifer?"

"I don't have an exact plan just yet, but I'm working on one," Celestia replied before taking a bite of toast. "Perhaps inspiration will strike me in the Day Court and I'll have an idea then."

"Perhaps that would be best," Luna replied and nodded in agreement.

"In the meantime I have to get the Day Court open...and some nobles to entertain..." Celestia stated and stood up from the table, a mischievous glint in her eyes at the last part.

Luna watched silently as Celestia left the dining hall; at least silently on the outside. On the inside the gears of an antiquated but exquisitely designed machine were turning in thought as a plan was being formed and just waiting to be set into motion. It was risky and there could be consequences to face afterwards. But it was worth the chance as far as she was concerned.

Spike didn't want to be mean, he really didn't. He had a great deal of love for Twilight, she was his family and had raised him from an egg. Sure she was bossy at times but that didn't change anything. But none of that changed the fact that she really shouldn't be singing.

Several days ago during one of Pinkie's random singing escapades Twilight had heard a song that got stuck in her head and she would just randomly start humming or singing it, and horribly off key to boot. He really should've said something but he didn't have a clue how to tell her that she couldn't carry a note for anything.

"Ugh," he groaned as his ears were assaulted by a particularly sour note being struck and mercilessly beaten to death with a blunt implement. Where were his earplugs when he needed them? This was no longer mere annoyance but all out misery, Twilight's singing was actually giving him indigestion right now. In fact if she kept it up he was in serious danger of...

A loud belch and a jet of green fire put an end to his thoughts as a scroll fell into his hands. Twilight's musical murdering was thankfully stopped at the delivery. Eager to keep it that way Spike quickly opened the scroll and scanned it, however there was no reading as his eyes moved back and forth rapidly.

"Spike? What's it say?" Twilight asked curiously.

"I think you'd better see this for yourself. Princess Celestia didn't send this, this one's from Princess Luna!" Spike stated and passed the parchment to her.

"Princess Luna? Really?" Twilight asked and levitated the parchment over so she could read it.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

A situation of a most unique and interesting nature hath arisen and we request thou's presence at Canterlot Castle immediately. We are deploying our personal chariot to Golden Oaks Library so that thou may arrive in short order. Please come if at all possible.

Signed,
Princess Luna, your friend and keeper of the dream world

P.S. Yes Spike may come too.

Twilight read over the letter at least twice just to make sure she hadn't missed anything important. It was definitely from Princess Luna but it was entirely too vague to explain what the situation was. How was she supposed to know how to respond when left in the dark?

"This is... weird," Twilight commented.

"Yeah. I thought Princess Luna was asleep by now, and here she is sending you letters asking for us to go to Canterlot just like that?" Spike asked in response. He was accustomed to weird stuff by now but this was a whole new kind of weird. "Whadda we do?"

"What do we do?" Twilight repeated in disbelief as she looked at Spike. Surely he didn't ask that. "Princess Luna requested an audience with us and went so far as to send her own personal chariot for us to take so we can meet with her. What do you think we're doing to do, Spike? We're going to meet with her! This has got to be of great importance!" she stated.

"I know Twi' it's just...well this is really weird and all, I don't know where to begin. Princess Luna didn't say anything other than to show up," Spike explained.

"I know, Spike, isn't it absolutely fascinating? Out of everypony to ask for us it's Princess Luna, the one who controls the moon and watches over the night. And what's more she's asked for us during the daytime meaning she's passing up on her sleep to talk with us! I can't imagine how important this must be! I'm absolutely giddy with excitement!" Twilight stated.

Spike was starting to feel nervous. An excited Twilight could prove to be quite dangerous at times. Right now she was bordering on Pinkie Pie levels and if the matter wasn't resolved soon she'd be crossing that border; then he'd have to deal with the equivalent of Pinkie Pie with unicorn magic and that was a terrifying thought. Fortunately his concerns were soon displaced as the sight outside the window greeted him; Luna's chariot was touching down just outside, two of her scary looking guards pulling it.

"Looks like our ride's here," Spike commented.

"Well let's not keep anypony waiting. C'mon Spike we've got a princess to go and see!" Twilight stated and galloped out the front door.

"Hey wait for me!" Spike called and chased after her, trying to keep pace the whole way with his short little legs. Whatever it was he didn't want to miss out on it.

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

During the trip to Canterlot Twilight couldn't help but think about everything going on today. First a message from Princess Luna, then an escort on her personal chariot back to the castle. Something was up but she couldn't put her hoof on it. Making matters worse what the fact that no matter how hard she tried to figure it out she simply didn't have enough information to arrive at a conclusion, and mass wild guessing wouldn't be productive.

Turning her attention back to the two stallions -or whatever they were- her mind came back to her initial conclusions. Despite their scary appearance they were really nice. They spoke with a velvety soft voice and had a politeness about them that eased a lot of her tension about approaching them. Now she was observing them fly, the manner in which their bat-like wings flapped compared to how she'd seen Rainbow Dash fly. The movements were similar, the strokes were similar, the way they flexed their muscles were definitely similar. But there were key minute differences that put them worlds apart. It was really fascinating and would make for an interesting study later on when she had more time.

"So Princess Luna didn't tell you anything about why we were needed?" Spike asked one of them, finding it necessary to speak up to be heard over the rushing of the wind and the wing beats.

"No Sir. Her Majesty simply instructed us to head to Ponyville and bring you back to Canterlot," one of the guards replied, his voice uncharacteristic for his form and managing to leave Spike feeling somewhat uneasy. If they were rough and gravelly sounding at least he'd expect that.

The rest of the trip back to Canterlot passed in relative silence except for the occasional rattle of the chains, or the leather-like flaps of the bat wings.

"We're approaching the landing strip now," one of the guards announced as their trajectory adjusted, bringing into view another angle of the castle that neither Twilight nor Spike were accustomed to seeing as it faced away from the direction of the sun most of the time.

The descent was quick, sharp and more than a little bit scary their first time out and sent Spike cowering on the chariot's floor, but the approach had been even and their landing smooth as the wheels touched down on the firm stone, squealing as they came to a full stop.

"Is it over?" Spike asked as he looked up from the chariot floor.

"Sure seems that way," Twilight replied before dismounting the chariot, Spike close behind. "I wonder where Princess Luna is."

"Wonder no more friends, we art here!"

Both looked upward to see Luna flying over to them and touching down with far more grace than her chariot had. "Put the chariot in the hanger, then you may go," she told her guards before turning to face Twilight and Spike, her wings tucking themselves in at her sides. "We are quite happy to see thee again. 'Tis wonderful to be among friends."

"Always happy to help out, Princess," Twilight and gave a polite bow before raising to face her again. "I'm afraid your note didn't explain much. What's this interesting event you spoke of?"

"T'would take hours to explain by ourselves when thou can observe directly. Follow us to the royal library and everything will be explained there," Luna stated.

"Really? A surprise in the library?" Twilight asked excitedly. Being summoned by Princess Luna and told that there was something in the library waiting for her was inducing a feeling of giddiness in her. Spike merely rolled his eyes and said nothing, choosing to follow in silence as Twilight was making enough commotion for the both of them.

Several books laid open and spread out over the floor of the library. In his quest for more knowledge of his surroundings Ulquiorra had happened upon a passage that warranted further investigation and made reference to a number of other books in the library for more in depth explanation. In the midst of them was Ulquiorra sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, his zanpakutō sticking out of his sash at an odd and mildly uncomfortable angle.

However his reading was disturbed by an approaching presence. The feel of Princess Luna's reiatsu was quite familiar to him by now, but there was another approaching with an entirely different texture and feeling. That was enough interest to warrant him standing back up and turning away from his studies.

"This way," he heard Princess Luna stating, the soft "clop" of her hooves not quite able to overshadow a secondary set on the hard stone floors. If he strained to listen he could also pick up another set of footsteps that didn't sound anything like hooves. She came into view first followed by what appeared to be a unicorn, smaller in stature and in a more unnatural coloring, a mix of dark blues, lavendar, dark purple and hot pink, strange symbols adorning its hindquarters. To the side was another strange being of even smaller stature, reptilian in appearance, its scales made up of light purple and green.

"We have a guest," Princess Luna announced and used her foreleg to gesture over to him.

Twilight looked in the indicated direction and nearly gasped at what she saw standing there. She'd never seen anything like this before and the scientific part of her mind was quickly taking over, pushing her into examination mode. Who or whatever she was looking at it was safe to conclude this was no pony. Standing considerably taller than Princess Luna in a bipedal fashion but possessing no tail to serve as a counterbalance indicating an entirely different center of gravity to maintain such an unnatural balance. Dressed neck to hoof in weird white clothing with black edgings and a black sash at what could only be presumed to be its waist and black hoofwear. The skin was unnaturally pale, its mane jet black underneath a partial crown of boney structure on the side of its head, teal green eyes and a flat expressionless face with two teal green streaks running downward. Tucked into the sash was something that remotely resembled a sword, but not any sword she was familiar with despite her studies of Equestria's history.

While the unicorn remained silent and staring at him with an open mouth Ulquiorra decided to make a few observations of his own. His pesquisa showed that this one's reiatsu was significantly below that of Princess Luna, the only noteworthy aspect being slightly higher than that of the guards present. But while the reiatsu wasn't impressive the reiryoku was another story entirely. This small unicorn appeared to have a deep well of reiryoku to itself, and it seemed reasonable to conclude that the felt reiatsu was nothing more than an unconscious exercise of force resulting from its sheer amount. Perhaps the well ran so deep the physical body was simply unable to properly contain it and the excess leaked out. That would explain the fluctuations he was witnessing in her detectable reiatsu; it was almost pulsing in nature. Much like his observations regarding...

+++

"That's not necessary. Kill her Yami," Ulquiorra stated simply. The human woman had presented nothing of interest that would warrant bringing her back to Aizen-sama. She was nothing more than utter trash at the moment and there was no reason to bother keeping her alive.

"Okay, then!" Yami had stated with far too much enthusiasm as he threw his massive palm forward to eliminate her. However he never even got close as his palm was stopped by the point of an incredibly sized zanpakutō held by a Shinigami with unacceptably loud orange hair standing before the human woman. "Who the hell are you...!?" Yami demanded in surprise and anger.

"Kurosaki-kun..." the woman spoke in her soft squeaky voice to the Shinigami before her.

"Sorry I'm late, Inoue," the Shinigami stated as he looked back at the woman in an apologetic manner.

"No...I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun...I...if I was a little stronger..." she squeaked as she looked back at the other two humans who were currently laying on the ground gravely injured.

"Don't apologize, Inoue. Don't worry either," the Shinigami spoke as he turned back around to face them directly. "Everything will be fine...after I beat these two!!"

Ulquiorra watched as the Shinigami brought his zanpakutō forward and took a two handed grip on the hilt, his reiatsu flaring dramatically as he spoke with authority. "Bankai!"

There was a massive display of reiryoku in the air kicking up dust in every direction that disappeared just as quickly as it came. The Shinigami now stood before them, his zanpakutō far smaller and less cumbersome in appearance, his Shihakushō an entirely different pattern and resembling more of a tattered overcoat. "Tensa Zangestsu!" he spoke with an authority in his voice. There was a pause before he continued, addressing the human behind him without turning around. "Inoue. Leave."

"Okay," the woman replied, barely audible in nature.

"Did he say bankai?" Yami asked as he scratched the side of his head. "Hey, Ulquiorra...is this guy...?"

"Yeah. It's amazing how your senseless ruckus lured him out so effortlessly," Ulquiorra replied as he focused on the Shinigami, or rather the human turned Shinigami. "The orange hair and black bankai...yes. He is our target, Yami."

"Suerte!" Yami bellowed excitedly and drew his massive fist back. "I've saved us the time to track you down!"

Yami's fist was fast and strong, but effortlessly stopped in place as the Shinigami raised his zanpakutō, the force of the impact shattering the ground around him while leaving him unmoved. Most curious.

"Are you the one...who ripped off Chad's right arm?" the Shinigami asked. "Then I'm going to take your right arm, too."

What followed next was a display of speed and strength that took both Espada by surprise. In the blink of an eye the Shinigami had easily cleaved through Yami's right arm with his zanpakutō, the severed limb falling to the ground with a thud.

"What!?" Yami yelled in surprise.

"That idiot..."Ulquiorra thought as he watched the battle unfold. Yami was without a doubt powerful, yet the Shinigami was far more nimble and agile. "I keep telling him to practice reading his opponents. Yet, he still just lunges out recklessly. Though it still is surprising that brat could cut through Yami's hierro and lop off his arm. I heard that he only recently acquired his bankai...and he already has such solid reiatsu. But still...at this level, he presents no threat to Aizen-sama."

Yami was left panting in physical exhaustion. The Shinigami had managed to land several serious cuts to his body while remaining unharmed himself. He was furious at this turn of events and even moreso at how the trash's face was mocking him!

"Damn you little shit...!" Yami bellowed.

"You're still standing! You're as hardy as you look," the Shinigami commented as he rested his zanpakutō on his shoulder.

"Looks like you're struggling. Do you want to switch?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Shut up!" Yami bellowed even louder as he grew angrier than before and took hold of his zanpakutō's hilt with his left hand.

"Hey. Hey. Is it really necessary to use a zanpakutō against someone like him?" Ulquiorra asked, the strange look on the Shinigami's face not going unnoticed.

"I told you to shut up!!!" Yami yelled back in response as he drew his zanpakutō. "Coming!"

However Yami didn't succeed in getting his zanpakutō unsheathed before the Shinigami began acting strangely, grasping the right side of his face, his body racked by his own wildly fluctuating reiatsu. "Go away!"

Yami grinned evilly and returned his zanpakutō to the sheath before kicking the Shinigami in the gut, sending him flying and collapsing on the ground.

"Kurosaki-kun!!!" the woman screamed and reentered the picture, desperately worried about her savior.

"Stay away, Inoue!!!" the Shinigami managed to order back, but far too late to prevent her from getting into range for Yami to slap her aside effortlessly. "Inoue!!!"

"Shut up!!!" Yami yelled and turned his attention back to him and began another brutal assault. "Hah!!! I don't know why, but he stopped moving!! Then die!! Die, you little shit!!!"

"How strange..." Ulquiorra observed as he watched Yami continue his relentless assault. "The fluctuation in the brat's reiatsu increased...the range of fluctuation is amazing. At the lowest point he is just trash. But at the highest point he is above me...where is the logic in this...?"

The Shinigami was a bloody and broken mess on the ground, barely able to move even in the slightest. Yami seemed to have grown tired of him at this point. "It's over, you little shit!!! I'm going to crush you into a bloody pulp!!!" **

+++

The entire flashback had taken less than a second to play out in its entirety. But it had been more than enough time to make an accurate comparison and observation and was sufficient to serve its purpose. This unicorn's reiatsu and reiryoku levels were indeed like those of Ichigo Kurosaki; the human who was responsible for him being here now. How was that possible?

"Cuatro Espada Ulquiorra Cifer, hailing from Las Noches of Hueco Mundo," Princess Luna announced to them, snapping the unicorn out of her dazed appearance.

"Ah!" it stated in a definitely feminine tone as it came back to its senses. "Saludos y Bienvenidos a la ciudad de Canterlot! Mi nombre es Twilight Sparkle, estudiante personal a Princesa Celestia!" she stated and bowed her head.

Unfortunately there was no response other than a long stretch of silence. A really long stretch of silence Curiously she looked up and saw the two teal eyes looking down at her, an unreadable expression all she was greeted with just like when she'd first walked into the room. It was almost like she was having a stare down with a statue.

"Um..." she paused as she raised her head again. "Did I say something wrong? Did I use a masculine pronunciation when I should've used feminine? Did I not roll my R's correctly?" she asked. She'd been practicing her pronunciations, she really had. But illustrations in a book provided little assistance in learning how to properly speak a new language, and without any skilled linguists in the area she was on her own on this one.

"I don't understand what you said just now," Ulquiorra replied.

Spike blinked. Now that voice sounded more appropriate for Princess Luna's guards than what he'd heard actually coming from them. It just proved to be another confusing aspect of everything going on around him.

"No? I'm sorry, I thought based on your name and where you're from you were fluent in one of the regional dialects I've been studying," Twilight apologized. The voice definitely sounded masculine, it was safe to assume this was a male she was talking to.

"Maybe he's from somewhere in Saddle Arabia," Spike suggested as she stepped forward. "Check out his sword. It's thin and curved like it's designed for a unidirectional trajectory, unlike the swords we've seen in the history books that're larger, straight and double edged. His looks kinda like their talwars*," Spike pointed out. "And look at what he's wearing. Saddle Arabia's a desert region and it's always hot there, the white robes would be used to prevent heat exhaustion by reflecting the sunlight away from the body and keeping the cool air in."

"A reasonable hypothesis considering what I've read regarding the nation. But it is incorrect. Las Noches and Hueco Mundo aren't located anywhere near this Saddle Arabia," Ulquiorra replied.

The little one was actually closer than it likely knew. Both Saddle Arabia and Hueco Mundo were desert regions and largely inhospitable to the unprepared. Arrancar robes were to some degree protective against the element whenever they had to leave Las Noches. However the similarities were limited.

"Well wherever you're from welcome to Canterlot. My name's Twilight Sparkle and this is Spike," she explained, gesturing over to her assistant before extending her foreleg towards him.

So this was the Twilight Sparkle that Princess Luna had referred to as Princess Celestia's dear student. Ulquiorra looked at the unicorn in uncertainty as it kept its leg extended. Glancing over to Princess Luna he could see she was glancing back in an expectant manner. Perhaps it was safe to conclude this was a pony's equivalent of physical greeting. And perhaps it was safe to conclude that this was one of the circumstances in which courtesy should be exercised as Princess Luna explained; if for no other reason than this unicorn holding a noteworthy position with his new and current ruler. Taking his right hand from his pocket he wrapped his fingers around her foreleg just above her hoof to return the gesture.

"That's...not a hoof is it?" Twilight asked as her mind was instantly snapped back into analytical mode at the strange appendage. It looked a lot like a dragon's claws but lacked the roughness they characteristically displayed.

"A hand," Ulquiorra replied and released his grip. Another fluctuation in her detectable reiatsu levels.

"Fascinating...could you...could you flex it so I could see?" she asked. She watched as Ulquiorra complied, flexing his hand in a number of different ways and into different shapes and showing just how far each individual point could bend, leaving her in stunned silence...for a moment anyway. "That's so incredible!"

"I don't get the fascination, Twi', you've seen me do stuff like that before," Spike pointed out. For his part he was confused at Twilight's sudden amazement. It didn't look like anything spectacular to him. He looked down at his own hand and flexed it in a similar manner, not seeing a difference.

"I know Spike but this is an entirely new level of physical dexterity that likely exceeds that of a dragon. The potential for fine motor skills is practically unlimited with how he can bend and flex his...his...all of these things that make up his hand. Entire books could be filled detailing their physical structure alone. This is an unprecedented discovery and we're right on course to the precipice!" Twilight stated.

Ulquiorra merely stared and remained silent, moving to tuck his hand back into his pocket but found it restrained by a lavender aura as Twilight stepped closer.

"Sorry about that," Spike apologized, knowing there was little else he could do. "Twilight's a scientist. Anytime something new and unfamiliar comes along she gets like this. She means well though...um...what was your name again?"

"Ulquiorra Cifer," he replied. He already knew he'd be introducing himself and making a long explanation yet again the way things were going. The way the unicorn was examining his hand like Szayelaporro Granz would examine a test subject, he got the feeling that there would be significantly more questions to answer this time around than ever before. Perhaps it would be best to begin with a question of his own. "What is that strange symbol she bears on her hindquarters?"

He had noticed the markings in the same region possessed by both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna but had thought nothing of it. Seeing as they were rulers and proclaiming titles of domination over the sun and the moon, respectively, it only seemed logical that they'd bear some symbol of their reign. But this one possessed no such indication as far as he could see. Perhaps hers bore some similarity to the numeric system of the Espada. Did she hold the position of fifth or sixth strongest in her particular group? Or perhaps it was an indication of some field she exercised domination over and was a representation of the stars in the night sky.

"You mean her cutie mark?" Spike asked.

"I'm unfamiliar with the term. What exactly is a "cutie mark" and what purpose does it serve?" Ulquiorra asked.

At this Twilight snapped out of her trance and looked up at him, releasing her magical hold on his wrist. "You don't know what a cutie mark is?" she asked. Then she remembered that he wasn't from around here so she could see how it wouldn't make sense. "Well a cutie mark is a special symbol all ponies get when they discover what their special talent in life is. Mine symbolizes that my special ability is magic, just like how Princess Luna's cutie mark symbolizes her control over the moon and the night sky. However cutie marks are sometimes open to interpretation and serve as a complimentary talent to what a pony already knows. My friend Rarity is very talented in fashion but her cutie mark symbolizes her skill with gemstones which she incorporates into her works," she explained.

"A rather interesting concept," Ulquiorra commented and tucked his hand back into his pocket now that it was free from its restraints. So the residents of this world were somehow branded with a visual representation of whatever labor they were most skilled in. While it would certainly make sense for specialized labor that required experts it made little sense if it applied to non-specialized areas that anyone could do. Was the janitorial staff branded in a similar manner with mops and buckets?

More interestingly was the question of just how limiting these "cutie marks" were in nature. Once branded was a pony limited to that particular field of work and denied advancement into any other area on the basis of not being specialized in that field? And what became of the workforce once a skilled worker of a particular field either died or retired? How were they replaced if others weren't branded in the same skill?

If this was the work of Princess Celestia then perhaps there was more evidence of her being tyrannical than he first assumed.

"Mr. Ulquiorra, Sir," Twilight spoke up, bringing his attention back to the present. However as soon as she had his attention she began to falter in confidence, her posture suggesting she was now nervous. "Um...could I...could I...study you?" she asked.

Author's Note

** Bleach chapters 192 and 193.

* A curved sword predating the scimitar.

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Ulquiorra blinked.

"Study me?" he repeated in case his ears hadn't properly been working and she'd said something else. However when Twilight nodded that possibility was quickly eliminated.

A disturbing thought quickly asserted itself in his mind. Szayelaporro Granz had died well before him, he'd sensed it take place and knew it for a fact. And while that had only been days ago he had no understanding of how the different alternate universes and realities worked in relation to one another. Considering Twilight's perceived nature it couldn't entirely be ruled out that she might in some way actually be the reincarnated soul of Granz and some of the former Espada's personality traits were shining through. Perhaps the way she'd been studying his hand just moments ago was an indication of this.

It was a disturbing thought to entertain, and entirely unsustainable with his current level of information. It wasn't a matter of logic but rather fiction and speculation. He decided to brush off the concern and forget the thought entirely, all in the amount of time between Twilight nodding her head and speaking again.

"I know it's a blunt question and all but you're utterly fascinating. There's not a single account of anyone or anything like you in Equestria's history that I can recall reading about. There are just so many questions that I'm coming up with while standing here and talking to you. Who you are, what you are, where exactly you're from, what kind of center of gravity you must have to maintain that strange posture...the sky's the limit on this one," Twilight explained.

Luna shook her head. She knew to expect something like this but she'd been foolish to estimate a reaction that was reduced from the current level of curiosity she was currently observing. She'd hoped that what Twilight had learned about friendship would be sufficient to abate some of her natural curiosity and allow for a smoother flow of discussion about various details but she'd been wrong. Her sister's prized student had shifted back into her previous self and it was leaving her concerned.

"Twilight Sparkle we art glad to see that thee has a most curious mind. But we didst not call thee here for such purposes. Ulquiorra Cifer is a guest not only in our land but our dimension thanks to the mischief of Discord. He is a stranger in a strange land and unfamiliar with all of the wonders that Equestria holds. We brought you here hoping that thou wouldst be able to help him in this matter," Luna explained, bringing Twilight's attention back to the present again. "Our sister wants to handle this matter gradually due to his foreign nature. We believe such a course is not necessary. And as our sister's prized pupil we believe that thou art the one who can most benefit Ulquiorra Cifer as you know better than anypony that the world cannot be fully experienced in a library."

"I'm sorry, Princess Luna, this is just so utterly fascinating I can't help myself. A new being here in Equestria from an unknown land, interdimensional travel, and now me being hoof selected to help him learn about Equestria? This is just so overwhelming, my head is almost spinning with thoughts of all the information that can be gathered and shared. There's so much to ask and so much to explain I don't even know where to begin!" Twilight stated.

The theory about this unicorn being one of the former Espada reincarnated into a new life seemed to lose whatever foundation it had as she spoke. Her tone and child-like curiosity were drastically different from the sadistic nature he knew that Granz possessed. In hindsight it seemed all the more ludicrous to consider such a possibility.

At the least she seemed well versed in the art of having a conversation. That was something he could respect.

"Then if I may I'll propose a starting point and a compromise. I'll answer all questions that I'm able to provided the same courtesy and cooperation is provided in return. Are such terms satisfactory to you three?" Ulquiorra asked.

"It sounds fair to me," Twilight replied and nodded. Spike nodded as well while Luna simply smiled.

"I wanna go first this time, I never get to ask the questions," Spike stated.

"Alright Spike you can go first," Twilight told him, both curious to see what would be asked and very eager to ask her own questions.

"Okay. Ulquiorra...right? Since Princess Luna says you come from a different dimension, and oh colt is that gonna be a big question later, I guess it's safe to assume your sword isn't a talwar or one of the different kinds native to Saddle Arabia and the surrounding territory. So what is it exactly?" Spike asked.

Twilight nearly giggled at hearing what Spike asked. Sometime during the course of his daydreams about being Rarity's knight in armor he'd developed an interest in armor, weapon and all things knight related. It only made sense that he'd ask something like this.

"This sword is what's called a zanpakutō, each one of them is unique to the wielder. Only the proper wielder can use their zanpakutō effectively, one does not transfer to another. My zanpakutō's name is Murciélago," Ulquiorra explained as he allowed his left hand to rest on the tsuba.

"Is it magically enchanted or something so only you can use it?" Spike asked as he eyed it from top to bottom.

Magic didn't exist in Hueco Mundo. At least nothing he would consider magic. Since his arrival here he'd begun to question the differentiation between the two worlds. "In a sense you could say that," he replied.

Spike was about to ask another question when Twilight quickly raised her foreleg and cut him off before he could even get the first syllable out. "Alright Spike that's enough questions about the sword, we've got important stuff to learn," she stated before turning back to face Ulquiorra. "Do you mind if I ask what species you are?"

"A ghost," Ulquiorra stated. He knew that if he stated he was a Hollow he would have to give the full explanation of what a Hollow was and what the evolutionary chain was. And chances were good he'd need to explain it anyway. But remembering Princess Luna's reaction and her conclusion he decided to get that out of the way first. "More accurately a conglomeration of many thousands of ghosts in corporeal form."

"A...ghost?" Twilight asked and tilted her head as she blinked in confusion. "You mean...actual disembodied spirits who've passed on from this mortal realm and went on to the afterlife?" She paused a moment before immediately launching into more questions. "What's it like? What's the afterlife like in your dimension? Is it nice? Are the good souls and bad souls segregated to different realms like it's believed they are here?"

"I'm unable to answer that question. Those souls that went into making my being never made it to the afterlife. Those tasked with escorting them to the next world never came for them," Ulquiorra explained. That wasn't the reaction he had anticipated from the unicorn. He had expected fear, apprehension, anything other than wonder and amazement.

"You mean you and all the others exist in a constant state of limbo?" Twilight asked. Her ears drooped as did her once excited expression as she considered the possibility of the one she was so excited to meet was existing in such a miserable manner. "I'm sorry..."

"You have no reason to be sorry. The facts of my existence aren't a source of displeasure for myself, they are nothing more than the facts of the matter," Ulquiorra replied. "Do you have more questions or is it my turn to begin asking?"

"Well this discovery warrants another question. The other thousands that're...in there with you...can you hear them or their thoughts? Is there a lot of commotion?" Twilight asked.

"Again I'm unable to answer that question. Only the most dominant of all personalities is able to emerge and take control. It's not known what becomes of the others. All I can say for certain is that whoever may have been unfortunate enough to become a part of me, I am unaware of their presence in my mind," Ulquiorra replied.

Another notable fluctuation in the intensity of the unicorn's reiatsu. It had moved from a notable pulse and was currently dimming to the point it was easily below the level of the guards. Perhaps her reiatsu was linked to her emotional state.

"It's now my turn to ask a question. What are the physiological properties behind magic and its practical application in this world?" Ulquiorra asked.

Almost immediately Twilight perked up, her bright mood returning and the intensity of her reiatsu with it. "Now that one I can answer easily!" she stated. "In its simplest terms "magic" is a catchall term for explaining the practical and deliberate application of free floating mana to achieve a desired goal. Some applications are passive nature and can be carried out in an instinctual manner while others have to be studied, learned and actively practiced like any other skill. However the proper application of magic is contingent on a number of factors. There are three main species of ponies; unicorn, pegasus and earth pony and each have their own unique way to utilizing mana and magic. Unicorns are the most fluent in the active use of magic and use their horns as a focal point for their spells for maximum effectiveness, which is the only way to cast the really advanced spells otherwise it's just a waste of mana to try. Pegasi actively utilize magic through their wings for flight and their hooves for moving and shaping clouds but they also possess the passive ability to rest on clouds as if they were physical constructs, which explains the city of Cloudsdale. Now when it comes to earth ponies their use of magic is passive and related to the matter of tending to nature, such as making plants and crops grow properly and requires no learned abilities or complex manipulations. By far earth ponies ironically have the easiest time utilizing magic due to this fact. Now this is where the field of magic really gets interesting; while unicorns actively exercise magic for all endeavors it requires a conscious effort like turning on a light with a switch, but with pegasi and earth ponies their magic requires little or no conscious effort depending on the application so in a sense their magic is on by default. It's a very interesting triangle of different strengths and weaknesses that keep each of the three working in a unique harmony with one another. Individually no race is truly superior but when they work in conjunction that's when the real magic begins."

Ulquiorra was silent during Twilight's explanation on the nature of magic, both listening to her words and noting how the pulsing of her reiatsu had returned during the lecture. There was definite reason to assume that it and her emotional state were connected in some way.

Right now she was sitting on the floor and trying to catch her breath but looking rather satisfied with herself, a slight smile in her face.

Luna for her part simply stood back and watched in silence. So far things were going quite well. Twilight Sparkle's friendly nature and desire to help others appeared to be in full swing right now. Perhaps this would properly address the problem of what to do with Ulquiorra Cifer while her sister hesitated and tended to other matters.

"So can you do magic?" Twilight asked.

"I've witnessed a number of incidents referred to as "magic" in my time here. Of the ones seen none come close to the techniques native to my original dimension. That said there are a number of techniques that could be considered "magic" in nature that various races can utilize. However I have declined to elaborate on my own abilities and your Princess Celestia had informed me that I'm under no obligation to do otherwise," Ulquiorra explained.

"She did?" Twilight asked, pouting at the prospect of not getting to see what magic was native to Ulquiorra's world and potentially learning some new magic herself. Why had she done something like that?

"So Ulquiorra...did you have friends back in this...Hueco Mundo place you came from?" Spike asked, deciding to try and change the topic so Twilight wouldn't press on with the subject of magic.

"I did not. Friendship was a concept I didn't understand and chose not to bother myself with. Back then it was nothing more than an intangible concept I deemed a construct of weak minds who simply wished not to be alone in the world and would look for any excuse to have company around no matter how limited the pretext," Ulquiorra replied. "In my world my eyes saw everything that existed. If my eyes couldn't see it then it simply didn't exist. That was the philosophy of my life."

"Nihilism?" Twilight asked. "You actually had the philosophical doctrine of nihilism in your world? The concept of nothingness being all there is to life, and by extension life is without meaning?"

"Correct," Ulquiorra replied and nodded once, a little surprised that the residents of this world would be familiar with a philosophical concept native to his world; even if it wasn't an entirely accurate explanation of the concept.

"Wow. I've read about such a philosophy but I could never wrap my head around it, it was always so uncomfortable to think about. I've never met anyone that actually chose to believe in such an outlook on life, it's just so depressing," Twilight stated and looked down at the floor.

"Doth thou still believe in such a concept of utter emptiness?" Luna asked.

Ulquiorra thought on the question. Emptiness was his aspect of death, his attribute. His life was empty and devoid of reason to justify his existence until Aizen provided him with a tangible purpose. But that had been in Hueco Mundo, and he was no longer in Hueco Mundo. He had others around that wanted to help him. There was no sense of familiarity in this world, no expansive deserts filled with emptiness as far as the eye could see.

"I'm not certain. At the very least I'm willing to consider alternate possibilities and outlooks on life," Ulquiorra replied and cast an aside glance at Princess Luna.

"Hey...Ulquiorra...I can accept that you're more or less a ghost of some kind, but earlier you more or less stated that that's because those tasks with escorting the dead to the afterlife didn't do their job. Who exactly is in charge of the escorting and why weren't they doing their job?" Spike asked.

He considered the question. Any other Espada would've taken the opportunity to poison willing listeners with lies about the Gotei 13 in order to swing them over to their side as supporters. That is if they didn't simply devour their souls for the simple fun of it. But he wasn't like the other Espada and not prone to their otherwise childish behaviors. Not that he had anything against willful deception, he'd engaged in such in the past without difficulty. But that didn't mean he had to go about it in an over the top manner like some would.

"Are you sure this is a question you want the answer to?" Ulquiorra asked, knowing full well what the tale would contain. Spike nodded. "Very well then. Allow me to explain to you the concept of the Shinigami race..."

For the first time in many years the Day Court had concluded and Celestia had a grin on her face at how well things had gone. The demands of the nobles were still as intolerable as ever before, but their delivery had made it all so entertaining. Their shock at being told how the court would proceed on this day and the looks on their faces had made listening to them well worth it.

It seemed the nobles and high society types were very attached to their expensive clothing and being told that all business would be conducted au natural induced an extreme amount of modesty and even embarrassment on them, while those lower on the social ladder had less hesitancy in complying; being informed that they'd be standing equal -it being silently implied they'd be regarded as equal to those they'd rather ignore- had taken some of the wind out of their sails and made the delivery of their demands very awkward and even timid in nature. More than once she had to bite her tongue, cheek or any other soft tissue part of her mouth to not burst into giggles at the pompous trying their hardest to seem dignified while standing naked in front of everypony.

Perhaps she'd implement this new tradition on a permanent basis as a way of properly connecting to one another without arbitrary barriers for differentiation. If the nobles adapted and could play nice then so be it. And if nothing else it would serve as a measure of compensation for what they insisted on putting her through every day.

Now that the royal duties were tended to for the day she had other things to tend to; namely Ulquiorra's presence in her kingdom. She truly hadn't given is as much consideration as she should've due to the antics of the Day Court serving as a distraction. But her earlier thoughts about needing to show him support in this new world had given her a few thoughts regarding an appropriate course of action. She was going to wind up largely playing this by ear.

As she approached the library she saw the guards were still present at the entrance, meaning Ulquiorra was still present as well. She nodded as she entered their line of sight and they silently nodded back, returning the greeting. However as she got closer she became curious as she heard something like a conversation going on inside the confines of the large room. Stepping inside and listening for where the sound was coming from she passed the various shelves until she found Ulquiorra in Luna's company and joined by -much to her shock and surprise- Twilight and Spike who were mostly carrying the conversation, asking a whole variety of questions about him.

"Wow!" she heard Spike exclaim, the question currently unknown to her but right now that wasn't important.

Celestia cleared her throat as she stepped further, drawing everyone's attention to her. Twilight's face beamed with incredible levels of excitement at seeing her.

"Princess Celestia!" she greeted and quickly bowed before raising her head back up again, a smile practically threatening to crack her face at this point. "It's good to see you again, Princess!"

"It's good to see you too, Twilight. I see you've met our guest," Celestia replied.

"Princess Celestia this is so incredible! We've been talking for hours and we've found out so much amazing information in that time. Do you know how many of Starswirl the Bearded's theories on extra-dimensional traveling have been confirmed just by Ulquiorra's presence here? Oh I really have to thank Discord for doing this!" Twilight stated excitedly. "And his hands! Princess you have no idea how much dexterity he has in his hands and how incredibly fascinating they are. And his fingers! Thumb, pointer finger, middle finger, ring and pinky finger! They're capable of such nimble and precise movements and his writing style shows such a level of control. He can do everyday tasks with the same level of skill only an experienced unicorn would be capable of!"

Ulquiorra in contrast was as blank in expression as ever, neither interested nor disinterested in the conversation that was going on before him.

"They seem most intrigued by Ulquiorra Cifer and all the knowledge he hath given them," Luna added.

"Well it's nice to see you've been getting so well acquainted," Celestia commented. "I must say I'm surprised to see you here today, I really wasn't expecting you."

"To be honest I didn't really plan on being here, but then I got a letter from Princess Luna asking me to come and visit and here we are," Twilight explained.

The change in atmosphere was almost tangible in detectability. Celestia's best efforts at a neutral but friendly expression suddenly gave way to a very serious look that was rarely displayed. And Luna unfortunately found herself on the receiving end of a most piercing gaze.

"What?" Celestia asked. "Is this true, Luna?"

"Dear sister-" Luna began but was interrupted.

"We need to talk," Celestia stated simply, causing her younger sister to visibly flinch at the words. She momentarily turned her attention back to Twilight, Spike and Ulquiorra. "You three stay here. Don't leave the library until we come back."

They were silent as they watched Celestia step out of the room, Luna following closely behind, her posture much like that of a child about to be scolded by an angry parent and maybe even punished. Whatever was going to happen it wasn't going to be pretty.

"So..." Spike spoke up after a long physically uncomfortable moment. "Do you play chess?" he asked as he turned to face Ulquiorra.

The atmosphere in the halls was painful as the princesses walking by in forced silence, Luna lingering behind, afraid of what she might be facing and yet worried if she stayed too far back her sister would drag her forward across the marble floors by her ears; a most painful experience she had no desire to experience once again.

"Get in," Celestia ordered once they'd arrived at their designation, her personal quarters. The door was opened quite easily by her magic as she stood there pointing a hoof for her sister to follow.

Luna reluctantly and hesitantly stepped into the room, Celestia soon following. The door was pulled shut and clicked into a locked position before a wave of magic washed over the room. Judging from its texture and intensity Luna could tell it was a high level soundproofing; something that didn't inspire confidence in her one bit.

"I'm not going to yell until I hear the full story. And I hope you have a good reason for your actions," Celestia told her, the tone of voice causing shivers to run up and down Luna's spine. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"We do. But we have a question and if we do not ask now we fear we may never have the opportunity to," Luna stated and breathed to steady herself. "Dost...dost thou still love us?"

As it turned out Ulquiorra did indeed play chess.

Procuring a chess set proved to be quite easy; it was really amazing what the guards would do once they were reminded who the little sister of the Captain of the Guard was...as well as a bearer of one of the Elements of Harmony and Princess Celestia's personal student.

The hard part was actually trying to best Ulquiorra in a game of wits. Both Twilight and Spike had some respectable aptitude at chess -Spike surprisingly had a slight advantage in terms of skill over Twilight- but compared to Ulquiorra they were both coming off as amateurs. Regardless of what color they played, no matter what maneuver they attempted neither one could get the upper hoof -or hand- on him. He didn't make any hasty or unguided plays, every single move and counter move was carefully plotted out and analyzed from all angles. Victory wasn't guaranteed for anyone in this case.

"So..." Spike muttered as he picked up his bishop and advanced it. "I know it's kinda a morbid question and all, but what do souls taste like anyway?" he asked.

"I don't recall if souls truly have a taste or not. It's been a long time since I was an Adjuchas and had any need to consume souls. Prior to becoming an Arrancar my Vasto Lorde form was devoid of a functioning mouth due to my hollow mask covering my entire face and I sustained my existence with reishi exclusively," Ulquiorra replied before moving his knight into position. "Checkmate."

"What!? Are you foaling me or something?" Spike asked as he looked over the board. How'd he do that so quickly? Had he been thinking about his move the entire time he'd been giving that explanation? Oh he was good...

Twilight's focus had been split inbetween observing each of their plays and keeping track of the time while Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were absent. What was supposed to be a simple talk had easily covered two hours and several rounds of chess and now appeared that a third hour wasn't an impossibility. She didn't know what was going on, and she wasn't sure how much she wanted to know. Already her mind was considering unpleasant possibilities.

Of course being the kind that had a multi-tasking mind made things unpleasant at times. Along with observing the game between Spike and Ulquiorra, and keeping track of how long the Princesses were gone, her mind was also going over what Ulquiorra had told them about the race known as the Shinigami. They were tasked with ferrying souls to the afterlife to prevent them from becoming Hollows that displayed cannibalistic tendencies due to their purely emotional and instinctual nature, you'd think that they'd be able to do that job to an acceptable level. But judging by Ulquiorra's presence, and the fact that he was only one of possibly hundreds of Arrancar-class Hollows it made her wonder. Just how many ponies...people...died in his dimension? Were the Shinigami simply overwhelmed with their duties by the sheer number of these and these thousands and thousands of souls simply the ones that slipped through the cracks? Were...were they actually talking a regular death toll in the millions?

"It's your turn, Twilight Sparkle," Ulquiorra spoke up, snapping her out of whatever held her attention as she came back to the present.

"Huh? Oh...alright," Twilight replied as she took her position on the opposite end of the chess board and began telekinetically bringing all the pieces back into their proper order, ensuring all of them were evenly spaced on the squares for the sake of uniformity. "I wonder what's keeping the Princesses. They've been gone a long while."

Right now anything that served as a distraction from the more unpleasant thoughts was quite welcomed. And chess -as well as wondering about what the Princesses were doing to each other- was much better than thinking about Ulquiorra's world right now.

"I'm not sure we really wanna know," Spike said as he looked back at the doorway to the library. That look in Princess Celestia's eyes was much creepier than finding out about Ulquiorra's nature. He could stand the fact that they were talking to what was more or less a legion of souls amassed into one bodily form, but Princess Celestia being angry was more than he could stand. For all he knew they were lucky that the castle was still standing.

The match was as silent as it was methodical. Two skilled opponents going against each other, both looking for an exploitable opening or a way in which to create just such an opening with a move of their own.

However they were only three or four moves into their current round before Ulquiorra looked up. "They're returning," he stated simply and stood up from his spot.

Sure enough both Celestia and Luna had returned, neither of them looking particularly happy at the moment. Celestia looked like she was struggling and barely suppressing a great deal of rage while Luna looked like she was trying to hold back her own sadness. It was quite obvious that they'd been fighting, but about what remained unknown.

"After a great deal of discussion on the matter we've finally arrived at a conclusion on how to handle this situation," Celestia spoke up as she looked over everyone present. "Ulquiorra Cifer. You asked to be assigned a purpose so your presence in our kingdom would have meaning. Considering that you're a foreigner to this land, to say nothing of this dimension, and unfamiliar with all the wonders it holds, as well as being under my rule, I've reached the conclusion that the best course of action available is to assign you the same task I assigned Twilight nearly three years ago. You're to educate yourself on the magic of friendship and all that it holds. You'll learn to make friends, you'll submit reports on your findings. You'll be allowed to travel beyond Canterlot grounds but only under escort. When Luna or I are unable to accompany you you'll be under Twilight Sparkle's control and follow her instructions as if they were my own, if necessary you'll be learning from her as well. Furthermore you'll be placed under a curfew. From sunrise to sunset you'll be free to come and go but you have to return to the castle for nightfall," she explained. She gave everyone some time to think the matter over before speaking again. "Are these rules clear?"

"They are understood and acceptable. Thank you for providing me with a purpose," Ulquiorra replied, evenly as ever.

She then turned to most loyal student. "Do you think you're up for this assignment, Twilight?"

"Princess...do you mean that you want me to teach?" Twilight asked. Celestia had only been halfway through a nod when Twilight bounded over and hugged her around the neck. "Oh thank you Princess! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've always wanted to teach others like you've taught me! I won't let you down, I'll do my absolute best on this assignment!" she stated happily.

Despite how she was currently feeling Twilight's joy and overwhelming enthusiasm were making it hard to maintain any negative feelings about this endeavor. She still wasn't entirely comfortable with the whole idea, Luna knew about that quite well and she would definitely be hearing about it again later on. But Twilight's state gave her reason to at least believe this would work out. She and her friends had done so many other wondrous things in just a few short years, maybe they could do something for this lone Arrancar as well.

"I know you will Twilight, you always do your best," Celestia reassured her. She then turned her attention to Luna. "And as for you little sister. You went behind my back and involved my dear student before I was ready to bring her into the mix. For your offense you're going to be punished and I believe I know what's quite appropriate for you under these circumstances. No sweets for a week."

Luna's reaction was far more fitting for being slapped across the face than being informed that her access to cakes, cookies, doughnuts from Doughnut Joe and other sources were being cut off. But those that knew her well would understand the nature of her reaction. "But sister-"

"I can make it two weeks if necessary," Celestia pointed out, silencing any protest she might've had to make. With a short sigh she turned back to face the three. "It's far too late in the day for anything meaningful to occur so I think tomorrow would work instead. Twilight, Spike, would you mind staying in Canterlot overnight and returning in the morning to escort Ulquiorra to Ponyville so he can begin his assignment?"

"Would we mind? Of course not, Princess, we'd love to stay the night. We haven't gotten to visit in so long it'll be good to spend time back here," Twilight stated. First their meeting with Ulquiorra, then finding out she was going to be teaching him about friendship, and now spending the night in Canterlot? Could this day really get any better?

"Hey if we're going to spend the night could I please get something to eat? I haven't eaten since lunch and I'm starving," Spike added, his stomach growling to emphasize his point.

Celestia chuckled. "That can be arranged. It's almost time for our evening meal, we'd be delighted if you'd join us," she replied. "If you'll excuse me I have to see the chefs for a moment. Luna has a date to keep with a big bowl of mashed alfalfa for everything she's done today."

"Mashed alfalfa?!" Luna shouted indignantly as her sister left the room, "dear sister surely thou must be jesting us!" she said as she walked after her with a quickened pace.

"Are the rulers of this land always so...jovial with each other?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Spike replied.

Twilight didn't know whether to shake her head and sigh or just plain laugh at the antics of the two sisters. For all their regal nature nothing changed the fact that they were still sisters and prone to the same matter of disputes as any other sisters. Finally shrugging her shoulders she turned back to Ulquiorra. "Are you going to join us for dinner?"

"As I've explained before your arrival that won't be necessary. There is sufficient reishi...mana in the area to sustain myself," Ulquiorra replied.

"Well Canterlot is a pretty magical place," Spike stated.

"It's not so much that, Spike, as the fact that Canterlot has long been recognized as a location with a great deal of mana concentration. Doing a side by side comparison between a Canterlot and a location like Fillydelphia you could almost say the mana is denser here than anywhere else," Twilight elaborated before turning to look at Ulquiorra again. "That said it might be best if you try and adjust yourself to actual foods. I don't know if the concentration of mana in places like Ponyville or any other city would be sufficient to meet your needs."

A valid observation. If Canterlot were truly unique in such a manner then perhaps it would be wise to adapt to the surrounding environment if he was to interact with it. He had partaken in meals back in Las Noches when it was necessary. Without a word he moved and stepped out of the library, the two guards following behind him.

"Well that was...unfriendly..." Spike commented.

"Yeah...but it's still early. We've got a lot to teach him so let's cut him some slack," Twilight replied. "Let's join them, I'm getting hungry too."

Hungry and so excited she was almost bursting at the seams over everything that'd happened today. So many new developments and potential studies that could be carried out, and on top of it Princess Celestia herself had assigned her to teach someone new, not just about the concept of friendship that she was so well versed in, but teaching in general! She was going to play the role of an educator and share knowledge and information with someone and potentially shape his mind.

This was going to be so much fun!

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

This was the second time Ulquiorra found himself being summoned -and subsequently teleported- to the royal gardens for a private discussion with Princess Celestia. It seemed odd as it had barely been a full 24 hours since their last conversation of this nature and in this location.

"So glad you could make it," he heard Celestia's voice from behind him. However he'd sense her reiatsu long before he'd ever heard her.

"I was informed my presence was requested," Ulquiorra replied as he turned to face her directly. It was a joke to believe that he'd come here of his own accord for some useless purpose. He'd been forcefully grabbed and whisked here with no discussion on the matter. "Do you have something you wish to discuss? Or have you conceived another scenario in which to try and verify whether or not I'll attempt to assassinate you?"

Celestia suppressed a wince. His bluntness was highly consistent. She'd earned the remark though with what she'd tried to evaluate previously in the week. But she couldn't let that get to her as she had other matters to discuss.

"Merely talking. I just figured the royal gardens would be best as Twilight isn't likely to come out here looking for you," Celestia explained, figuring that any time away from her most precious student would be enjoyable. The way she'd been acting all through dinner, focusing on Ulquiorra's presence as if she were studying every aspect of him, could certainly be unnerving at times. "I must say it was a bit surprising to see you at the dining table. Was everything to your liking?" she asked.

"In terms of sustenance the provided food was adequate. In terms of taste and texture it was...interesting," Ulquiorra replied simply, his tone suggesting he was disinterested in the conversation that was being had.

Interesting he said. Celestia couldn't help but think that he was giving an understatement considering how much he seemed to sample during the evening. Then again it probably would've been better enjoyed if Twilight hadn't been studying his hands as he made use of the supplied utensils with enough skill to suggest they were similar in his own dimension.

"I trust you didn't have me brought all the way out here away from the presence of your pupil simply to ask about the quality of the food served," Ulquiorra stated.

"Observant as always," Celestia stated. "What I had to speak about is sensitive in nature and not meant for prying ears. When I probed your mind to learn about you I learned far more than I ever wanted to. I saw the various acts you committed in the name of serving this Sosuke Aizen individual and following his orders. And to some degree I can forgive those acts. But what disturbed me was your resurrección. I both saw and felt what it was capable of. And while you claim my presence overwhelms yours you'll have to excuse me if I have trouble believing that as the honest truth. I can understand why you were forbidden from releasing it within the confines of Las Noches."

"What would you propose doing?" Ulquiorra asked simply. Trying to assure Princess Celestia that her kingdom wasn't in any danger would be a waste of effort until she learned it for herself and he refused to waste his breath in the meantime.

"The only thing I really can do is magically seal it off so it can't be accessed at your discretion. There are no serious threats in Equestria that would warrant its access. And it would be far easier than trying to separate you from your zanpakutō as it's technically a part of you," Celestia explained.

Seal off his resurrección through magic? It was preposterous in nature. There was no technique that could achieve such a goal. Not even the Octava Espada would perform such a restriction and he was able to suppress a Shinigami's bankai release in the confines of his library.

Then again he had to remember that he wasn't in Hueco Mundo. What functioned there didn't necessary function the same here. Perhaps Princess Celestia truly knew what she was talking about. In which case it would be in his best interest to agree.

"That is an acceptable options if it's indeed possible," Ulquiorra replied and nodded. Truth be told he was finding himself mildly curious at the proposal to see if it could indeed work.

"This should only take a moment. Sealing spells really aren't all that difficult as long as you know what you're doing. Now hold still please," Celestia said while her horn lit up as the brought it to his forehead. The glow increased dramatically before finally ceasing in a flash. "That should work. Would you mind trying and see if all went according to plan?"

"I decline. Releasing my resurrección at present time would be ill advised. I am willing to simply take your work for it that it actually worked," Ulquiorra replied.

Celestia frowned in response. "I could make it an order if you'd feel better about it. This is important and needs to be done in order to see if the spell worked. If it didn't then I'm not certain I can allow you to leave the castle even under escort. And I'd really rather not go that route," she explained.

Ulquiorra held back what amounted to a frustrated sigh. Princess Celestia was showing that she could be quite stubborn and insistent on cooperation when she wanted to be. Without a word he reached over and withdrew his zanpakutō from its sheath, holding it to the side away from the both of them.

"Enclose, Murciélago," he spoke. The sword's blade gave off a bright glow momentarily, before it dimmed as the appearance of chains wrapped around it and held firm. "If that is the intent of the spell then it appears to have been a success," he replied before sliding the sword back into its sheath.

Celestia was silent as she watched, the spell seeming to hold and restrict Ulquiorra's transformation in the way it was intended; at least the way it was intended after she'd done a little work to the long forgotten thing. What had started out as a miserable failed attempt at suppressing Luna from transforming into Nightmare Moon over a thousand years ago had proven successful in this case. That gave her reason to be thankful as she didn't know if it would truly work or not. If it hadn't...then there would've been a lot of trouble right now.

"Is that all you wished to see me about?" Ulquiorra asked as he returned his hands to his pockets.

"That should be all for tonight. Do you have any questions you'd like to ask before departing?" Celestia asked.

"Will Princess Luna be banished back to the moon for what she did in bringing Twilight Sparkle here without your permission?"

Her mind recalled the earlier discussion with Luna about her inappropriate actions. She was certainly sore with her sister doing something like that, but not sore enough she'd ever give serious consideration to actually banishing her from the kingdom yet again. There had been a lot of words said between them in her quarters and a lot of emotional flares during the discussion. But banishment was definitely not in the cards. Although more mashed alfalfa for a few days certainly would be considering how much she hated it; that would serve as motivation to think before she acted again.

"That won't be necessary. She and I had a long discussion on what she did and I think she understands," Celestia replied. "She's been denied a thousand years of emotional growth. It's to be expected as she still has much to learn," she explained.

In hindsight perhaps the tone set earlier in the day had been a bit over the top. Luna had simply desired to help and took the course of action she'd deemed more likely to achieve her goal. Unfortunately she hadn't thought things through fully when she'd decided to write Twilight herself and bring her up here. She'd been hoping to work at introducing Ulquiorra gradually to Equestria, perhaps at the end of the week, but that plan had gone right out the window when she realized what her sister had done. Oh sure she'd been sore with Luna at the time, but that would hardly be reason to subject her to cruel and unusual punishments.

"Are you ready to head back to the library?" she finally asked, deciding to change the subject.

"I am. However I request a walk back rather than teleportation. Knowing the route will make travel easier in the future," Ulquiorra explained.

"I think that can be arranged. This way."

She couldn't sleep, it was simply an impossibility she had to face. Maybe it was because she'd grown accustomed to her bed back in Ponyville and lost touch with her old bed in Canterlot. Or maybe it was because Spike was currently snoring as he enjoyed the sleep she couldn't. Or maybe it was just the facts of the day that were flying through her mind like Rainbow Dash flew through clouds and producing too much excitement for her body to reach the sufficient stage of comfort necessary to engage drowsiness. Whatever it was simply laying there in her old room wasn't proving to be a useful way of spending time.

Her mind was filled with far too much information to waste time on something as simple as sleep. Ulquiorra was a goldmine of new and uncharted information that was just begging to be excavated. She could spend days just on the translations of the terms of his world alone and comparing them to theirs. Hollows, the Espada, kido, spells that required lengthy spoken incantations, zanpakutōs and so much more. There was far too much excitement to properly contain.

A loud snore off to the side startled her. Fortunately Spike seemed more intent on sleeping than anything else right now. She remembered how he'd had so many questions about the Shinigami, and specifically about the group known as the "Gotei 13" and what role they served in the balance of everything. Or at least how they were supposed to keep things balanced. Considering Ulquiorra's existence it didn't seem all that balanced. So many thousands of souls making up his being...

Rolling over she knew that she wasn't going to be getting to sleep anytime soon. Silently she got up from her bed and made her way to the one location where she could make sense of things; the library. Anytime something didn't make sense the library was always the place to go. And with Ulquiorra currently residing there and reading endlessly thanks to his lack of a need for sleep -he was so lucky, not needing to let something like sleep get in the way of his studies, that was her opinion- it only made sense that she could find answers to the questions plaguing her mind right now.

"Shouldn't you be asleep at this hour, Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight jumped at hearing her name. Looking around she realized that she'd already crossed the distance from her old room to the library without even realizing it. It was like her body had been on auto-pilot while her mind wandered freely. When she came back to her senses and actually took in her surroundings she found Ulquiorra sitting on the floor, facing away from her and in the middle of a significantly sized tome.

"How'd you know it was me?" she asked.

"My pesquisa doesn't require eye contact to make an observation. Your reiatsu possesses a unique texture just as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. It's quite easy to know where you are when in the vicinity," Ulquiorra explained without even looking up.

"My reiatsu? Oh...you mean my magical signature. It's so amazing how you can do that," Twilight replied as she trotted over and glanced over his shoulder. "So what're you reading?"

"I believed it relevant to familiarize myself with the facts of Ponyville since we'll be going there in the morning," Ulquiorra explained as he flipped to another page.

"That's a really good idea. There's so much to know about Ponyville that you wouldn't expect from a town its size. There's actually a great deal of history to it and its founding," Twilight stated, her voice taking on an excited tone.

Another flare in her reiatsu levels.

"So I'm discovering," Ulquiorra replied, his voice as even as ever.

Twilight frowned in thought. She really shouldn't interrupt Ulquiorra's studies; she really hated when other ponies interrupted her own so she wanted to extend to him the same courtesy. But there were just so many questions she wanted to ask him about everything in her quest for knowledge. And his hands...oh his hands! The way they could turn a page the same way her magic could, the way they could provide support for holding the book at the desired angle for proper reading. His entire body was an intricately designed machine that the casual observer simply couldn't understand and she wanted to familiarize herself with every single aspect of it!

But for now he was busy with his own endeavors and she needed to respect that. With a soft sigh she admitted a temporary defeat in her quest for knowledge and simply sat down on the floor next to him, reading along with him in the chosen book. Or at least she tried to before he turned to the next page before she was even through the first full paragraph.

"What do you want?" he asked simply.

Twilight didn't even hesitate before responding automatically to the question. "Knowledge!"

"Pertaining to what?"

"To everything there is to know about you and where you came from, I want to know every aspect there is!" Twilight stated. "The sociopolitical climate of Hueco Mundo and what upset was caused by the presence of three Shinigami announcing that you were all working for them. Promotion opportunities for Privaron Espada. The molecular difference between your world's reishi and my world's mana. The biological mechanics behind converting raw mana into a source sustenance capable of maintaining life in the absence of food or water. The kido techniques of the Shinigami and how their zanpakutō differ from your own in terms of structure and capabilities. The physical mechanics behind your hands and their amazing dexterity. Muscle structure and center of gravity. Your world's lack of cutie marks. There's literally no end to how much knowledge you contain that could be beneficial to everypony. Your very existence could completely revolutionize our entire understanding of the science behind magic and our utilization of mana!"

In the back of the mind he could once again feel the thought of Twilight Sparkle being the reincarnation of the former Octava Espada. Her quest for knowledge seemed insatiable in nature and she was seeing him as nothing more than research material. Perhaps it was time to allude to such an observation and see where it lead.

"So you intend to disobey the instructions of Princess Celestia and use me as nothing more than a test subject that you'll dispose of once you've discovered all there is to know, caring nothing about what I may learn of this new world under your tutelage," he theorized.

"What?" Twilight asked and snapped back to reality, quickly shaking her head. "No, no, no, no! Nothing like that! I didn't mean to come off suggesting anything like that, I'm sorry," she apologized as her ears drooped.

Another fluctuation in her reiatsu. The intensity was definitely connected to her emotional state.

"Your apology is accepted," he replied and left it at that. He had accomplished what he'd set out to do by showing her the error of her ways and what he thought of her current thought process. That was sufficient for him.

Silence once again washed over the library as Twilight sat silently and simply observed him. However it was only a matter of time before she started reading the book alongside him.

"You have more questions I assume."

"I do. There's a lot of fascinating things about Hollows and the like. Like your mask, when a Hollow removes their mask they become an Arrancar. But what happens when an Arrancar removes the remnants of their mask?"

Ulquiorra thought on the question for a moment. Of everything that'd been asked so far that was one of the more interesting questions. "Once a Hollow transforms to an Arrancar they've attained their maximum status, further removal of their mask is unnecessary. However if an Arrancar's mask is forcefully removed they revert back to their original Hollow status, lose their humanoid shape, their strength and in some cases their intelligence," he explained. "The former Tres Espada, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, suffered breakage of her Hollow mask by then Octava Espada Nnoitra Gilga. The result was their reiryoku pouring from her body and her spirit body shrinking down to the size of a child."

"Wow," Twilight whispered in response to the new information, uncertain of just what to think about it.

Once again silence set in over the library, save for the occasional sound of pages being turned or light breathing.

"Am I correct in assuming your reading this tome alongside me is nothing more than a ruse?" Ulquiorra asked after a long stretch of silence. "Seeing as you live in Ponyville it would seem only logical that you'd already know most of the details that would be contained in here."

Twilight's cheeks turned crimson at how quickly Ulquiorra had caught on. How could he see through such a perfect cover in just a few minutes? And if he was that good what else could he do?

"Uhh..." she stammered in surprise, "maybe a little?"

"The living of this world are strange with their indirect approach," Ulquiorra commented and turned to face her. "If you wish something of me then state it directly, don't waste time with these games."

"I..." she started but paused in thought at what he'd said. He'd caught her off guard several times already without even trying by simply making uncannily accurate observations. Maybe he was right and the indirect approach was a waste of time; a mind as sharp as his could cut through the nonsense like it was nothing.

"Can you run through that list of words and phrases from your world again? I wanna try and understand the dialect better," she finally admitted.

As the personal student of Princess Celestia it seemed Twilight considered herself to be many things and involved in many fields. Scientist, physicist, chemist and now linguist. It was no real surprise that she'd want to familiarize herself with his manner of communicating since he would likely be here for a while, as well as interacting with her to some extent. If nothing else it would give him the opportunity to try and eliminate the annoying manner of the "pony" suffix that seemed to dominate the language.

Perhaps a few profanities from his world would do well to be learned along with other common phrases and words.

"Very well..."

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

The first thing Twilight became aware of when she awoke was how much her neck hurt. She must've slept crazy last night, or worse wound up kicking her pillow off the bed and just laying flat on the mattress without any support. She always hated when she did something like that.

The second thing she became aware of was just how hard the mattress was. It was all firm and lumpy and felt like there were bones in it. What was she sleeping on? Had Spike climbed into bed with her during the night and she'd wound up sleeping on him again?

"So you're finally awake."

The voice was strange and foreign to her as she tried to shake off the drowsiness she was feeling right now, trying to make her eyes focus in the direction the voice had come and the pale figure it'd come from.

"Ul...quiorra?" she asked, mumbling as she raised a foreleg to try and wipe the sleep from her eyes. "What're you doing here?"

"Several times after you came back to the library you wound up falling asleep in a sitting position, only to wake yourself back up again. Eventually you simply gave up and chose to utilize my leg as a headrest. As I would need you as my escort for today I simply allowed you to rest until you awoke on your own accord," Ulquiorra explained.

The third thing she became aware of when she woke up was his words, and the fact that she'd been laying on the hard library floor and treating his knee like it was a pillow. Immediately she shot up and off of him, the crimson glow of her cheeks shining through her lavender coat with ease.

"Oh Celestia I'm sorry! I had no idea I was doing something so rude!" Twilight apologized, and rather profusely too.

Ulquiorra merely stood up from the spot he'd been sitting on, set his book of choice down on the pile that sat next to him and dusted his jacket off. "You were tired. You weren't in full control of the cognitive process," he explained. "Are you in the habit of sleeping where you fall when studying?"

"...Sometimes..." she admitted hesitantly. Ulquiorra remained silent in response. "What time is it anyway?"

"I'm uncertain," he replied. "Perhaps you should make sure the others haven't awoken and become aware of your unscheduled absence," he suggested.

"Yeah that might be a good idea, I better go do that right now," Twilight replied, seeing it as a great excuse to get out of there really quick. She still couldn't believe she'd used Ulquiorra like a pillow!

"This is the method of travel?" Ulquiorra asked and cocked the eyebrow underneath his Hollow mask.

The time for departure to Ponyville had finally come, and if Ulquiorra was prone to emotional responses he'd be expressing that he was glad of that fact. The morning had been plagued with numerous and pointless wastes of time that had served no purpose other than being distractions. Countless discussions and reminders about what would be going on during this excursion, all of it redundant to him as he remembered it all quite well.

"Yep! Canterlot's finest method of travel," Twilight Sparkle replied as she proudly eyes the gold colored chariot, two of Celestia's finest pegasi troops hitched up and waiting to take them on their journey.

He had doubts as to just how "fine" the travel would be considering the rough amount of their combined weight and the chariot itself. Were the two pegasi sufficient to carry such an amount?

Celestia had escorted them to where they'd be departing from to give them a proper sendoff. And apparently she could pick up on Ulquiorra's uncertainty about the whole matter. "The chariot has a special low gravity enchantment so it, and by extension the passengers riding atop it, weighs less than it would normally on the ground," she explained.

"Fascinating," Ulquiorra replied evenly.

"You're sure you're ready to leave now? No last minute details that need to be worked out before departure?" Celestia asked the three.

"Everything's fine, Princess, really, we've covered all the bases. We'll be heading to Sweet Apple Acres first, then we'll find the rest of the girls and introduce Ulquiorra to them and get all the questions out of the way, and then we'll escort him into Ponyville proper and let the townsponies get to know him from there. It'll save all the trouble of going around and making introductions one by one," Twilight explained.

"A wise decision. As expected from my most faithful student," Celestia replied and smiled. "If you have everything in order then I bid you farewell for now."

"Forgive me if I'm speaking out of turn. But my assigned curfew specifies that I must return to Canterlot by sundown. If I'm to learn anything of significant importance in the time available perhaps we should dispense with the extended pleasantries and begin travel," Ulquiorra spoke up.

"Of course," Celestia replied after a moment. He did have a good point, they were essentially burning daylight by talking. And if he was going to learn anything about friendship and his new world he'd need all the time he could get. "Take care on your journey."

There were no more words said as the three stepped onto the chariot and departed from Canterlot on their journey, both to Ponyville and to Sweet Apple Acres. For the most part the trip was in silence.

"Hey Ulquiorra what's the matter? Do ya not like flying or something? You look kinda pale," Spike stated.

"Spike! That's not funny," Twilight scolded in response.

"Aw come on Twi' it's kinda funny," Spike replied.

Ulquiorra merely remained silent as the bickering between the two began. He could easily tune them out as he had tuned out far more annoying than the two of them. However he decided for another course of action. "How long will it take to arrive at our destination?"

The plan worked. Almost immediately the bickering between the two stopped.

"It takes about fifteen minutes to arrive at Ponyville by chariot. Although if it's an emergency the time can be cut down to five minutes. But since we're headed for Sweet Apple Acres first it should take only twelve minutes," Twilight explained.

"And this is the same Sweet Apple Acres that made the founding of Ponyville possible?" Ulquiorra asked.

"The one and only. Tastiest apples you'll find in Equestria and the only place outside of the Everfree Forest you'll find the legendary zap apples," Twilight stated happily.

Ulquiorra said nothing in response, merely observing the land from his vantage point as he stood still with his hands tucked into his pockets.

"Hey Twilight I've been thinking. Do you think we should figure out what we're going to tell everypony? We can't exactly tell them Ulquiorra's a ghost, Fluttershy might have a heart attack if she hears that," Spike pointed out. "And even if we had the time to give all our friends the full explanation and everything went perfect there's still the matter of everypony else in Ponyville. No matter how our friends respond once we step into town the others are going to notice him and get curious."

"An accurate assessment of the situation. It would be illogical to assume that order can be had evenly with all participants," Ulquiorra replied.

"Don't you two worry about that, I've actually been thinking about it since last night and I've got an idea. Just let me do the talking," Twilight told them.

The landing with the chariot provided by Celestia was a lot smoother than the one provided by Luna the day before; as to be expected from the like. They touched down in a clearing at Sweet Apple Acres before disembarking, and then unhitched the two pegasi guards that were to serve as the escort so they could stretch their legs as they'd be around for a while.

"Extensive," Ulquiorra noted as he looked around at the vast expanse of apple trees surrounding them from all angles.

"Yep! Sweet Apple Acres is nearly as big as all of Ponyville. Sometimes it's hard to believe that just three ponies handle it all themselves," Twilight stated. Ulquiorra continued to remain silent.

"So where's Applejack?" Spike asked, "you'd think the sight of a royal chariot descending in her orchards would bring her running."

"That's a good question..." Twilight paused as she looked around, scanning the horizon but seeing neither hide nor hair of her friend. "Ulquiorra do you think you can use your pesquisa technique to find her?"

"I can only identify sources of reiatsu, not determine who is whom without first meeting them," Ulquiorra explained. "However there is a sizable source of reiatsu approaching from the north. Current location approximately one quarter mile away."

All eyes turned north, catching glimpse of a quick moving orange dot approaching in contrast to the greens and browns of the surrounding trees and grass, the dot slowly gaining more details and morphing into an easy to identify pony wearing a hat. Based on the cutie mark it was safe for Ulquiorra to assume that this was Applejack.

"Applejack! We were just looking for you!" Twilight called in greeting her friend.

Applejack skidded to a halt and paused to catch her breath before addressing Twilight and Spike. "Nice ta see ya. Ah gotta tell ya Twilight ya took me by surprise showin' up in a royal chariot an' all. Ah thought Princess Celestia was paying me a personal visit er something," she explained inbetween breaths. It was only once she caught her breath and looked up that she noticed the other one and the really, really strange look they had about them. "Who's yer friend?"

"Applejack this is Ulquiorra Cifer, a visiting dignitary all the way from Las Noches," Twilight said as she made the introductions.

"Howdy," Applejack replied in a friendly manner and tipped her hat. "Ah never seen nopony like ya before 'round these parts."

"Well Ulquiorra isn't a really a pony. He's from a bipedal species known as Arrancar. He's up here in Equestria to try and establish diplomatic relations with our land and Princess Celestia has asked me to show him around Ponyville and the surrounding territory so he can meet all the ponies that make up this great land of ours," Twilight explained. "We thought that it'd be best to visit Sweet Apple Acres first since it would allow the girls to get introduced first and then we could go from there."

"Well if that don' beat all," Applejack stated. "Mighty appreciated ya picked our farm ta start out gettin' ta know everypony," she said as she turned her focus back to Ulquiorra. "Ya wanna step inside an' take a load off yer hooves? Give us a chance ta show ya some o' the legendary Apple Family hospitality."

Ulquiorra was silent, allowing Twilight to do the talking and give the explanation she thought was best. He merely observed the situation, listening as the earth pony spoke in a most unusual dialect that seemed easier to understand by instinct than simply from hearing it. The pronunciation of various words was choppy and incomplete, reminding him of the rather informal way Gin Ichimaru preferred to speak.

A cursory exercising of his pesquisa revealed that she was in possession of a significant amount of reiatsu that seemed to easily rival that of Twilight during one of her emotional high points. Perhaps this was the differentiation in magic between the races that Twilight Sparkle spoke of last night. If earth ponies exercised their magic in a passive manner it seemed logical to conclude that they would possess greater reserves than others species as there was no active depletion to take into account.

Now though she was speaking to him directly, meaning it was time to move from a passive role to active and interact.

"I must decline your offer. Your Princess Celestia has requested that I return to Canterlot castle by sundown. My time here is limited. While I'm certain much could be gathered by experiencing the hospitality your family has to offer, the knowledge gained wouldn't be relevant to the surrounding territory and the rest of the inhabitants," Ulquiorra stated as courteously as he could muster.

"Actually, Ulquiorra, it might be a good idea if you took Applejack up on her offer while we go and round up the others. It's gonna take some time to find everypony so you might as well be comfortable," Twilight explained.

"A valid point I suppose. Very well, I accept your invitation," he said as he turned his attention back to Applejack. "Will you be able to provide for our escort as well? Your Princess Celestia insisted on them accompanying us," he explained and brought the earth pony's line of sight to the royal guards that stood several paces behind them.

"Sure ah can do that, no problem. Twilight ya an' Spike go on ahead an' find the other girls an' bring 'em 'round, ah'll keep our guests entertained 'til then," Applejack told her.

"Thanks Applejack I appreciate that. Come on Spike let's go find the girls," Twilight stated.

They watched as Twilight galloped off, Spike riding atop her back toward Ponyville to find the rest of the girls. Hopefully she wouldn't be gone for too long. Looking back at their guests she tried not to cringe. That Ulquiorra fellow was polite enough but he sure didn't look the part, that blank and unfeeling expression on his face and eyes that just about cut through her. She really didn't know what to make of him, but that wouldn't stop her from doing her best to be polite to him.

"So...uh...yer name's kinda hard to remember an' all so ah'm just gonna call ya Mr. Cifer fer the time bein'. Do ya mind some tea while we wait?" Applejack asked.

"Tea will be fine. Lead the way," Ulquiorra replied.

"Straight ta the point huh? A'right this way," Applejack replied and lead the way back to the farmhouse, Ulquiorra following after her at his own pace and the two pegasus guards behind him.

"Twilight Sparkle has spoken favorably of you during out preliminary meeting. Can you elaborate on the nature of your relationship with her?" Ulquiorra asked as they walked along.

Applejack was a little surprised by the question. If she were a betting pony she would've wagered that Ulquiorra wasn't one for small talk; or much of any talk at that rate. But without even a hint of what might've been going on in his mind he opened the door to conversation.

"Well ah'm one o' Twilight's first friends from when she first came ta Ponyville on assignment from Princess Celestia. Ah'm also one o' the Elements o' Harmony jus' like Twilight, 'cept mine's the Element o' Honesty," Applejack explained as she trotted along.

Elements of Harmony? That was one topic he hadn't yet read about during his confinement to the Canterlot library. Now he was being informed that one of the ponies he was in the presence of possessed one of these mysterious elements? This was a matter that warranted curiosity. Beyond that it warranted further investigation.

"Matters pertaining to Equestria do not usually come to the attention of Las Noches. Are you able to elaborate on what the "Elements of Harmony" are?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Ya don' know what the Elements o' Harmony are?" Applejack asked in a surprised manner, nearly falling over herself as she turned her head to face him. He was as stone faced as ever, showing no signs that he was trying to engage in a practical joke. How could somepony not know about the Elements of Harmony? It didn't make sense. And yet he was standing there in all seriousness and saying that he didn't. "Ah'll explain it over tea. This is gonna be one long conversation," she stated and resumed her pace.

"Hey Twilight?"

The journey between Sweet Apple Acres and Ponyville wasn't exactly a long one, but it certainly seemed to be taking a long time right now as they traveled by hoof. Maybe it was just his anxiousness over the situation but he was starting to feel very aware of all the bumps in the road, which translated to bumps for him as he rode atop Twilight's back the entire way.

"Yes Spike?" Twilight asked as she continued trotting along.

"Is there a reason you didn't just teleport to Ponyville? Or at least closer to Ponyville?" Spike asked.

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked while continuing her journey.

"Well we both know teleporting's a lot faster than walking or running. And we both know that you've got enough magic to teleport the both of us like it's nothing. So why're we just trotting along like earth ponies?" Spike asked.

Twilight slowed her pace before coming to a stop as Spike's words sank in. He did have a very good point, why were they simply walking when it would take so much longer to get there? Ulquiorra was blunt about having a limited amount of time available before he had to return to Canterlot and spending most of the day with Applejack probably wouldn't provide him with what they needed.

The more she thought about it the more she realized how foalish it was to simply walk. She was engaging in a real world example of what she detested authors doing in their literary works; excessive padding that served no purpose other than to warrant a certain page count. How had she missed it? If she wasn't carrying Spike right now she'd kick herself for doing that.

"Sorry, Spike, I guess I just didn't give it any thought. I'll rectify that right now," she stated as her horn began to glow. In a bright flash of light and the blink of an eye they were gone.

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

It was interesting to watch as Applejack went about preparing the tea as she possessed neither hands nor magic. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, as well as Twilight Sparkle all compensated for their lack of dexterity through their magic. Spike possessed rudimentary hands that allowed him at least the basic skills of grasping and manipulation of various implements. Applejack on the other hand was able to suffice with her mouth and somehow her hooves.

Perhaps earth ponies possessed some measure of dexterity to their hooves that unicorns and other species of pony didn't. Perhaps that was how she was able to make use of a potholder for handling the teakettle. Or perhaps the displays of magic he witnessed were merely a form of exhibitionism to try and reassure themselves that they were superior to other races and didn't need to bother with such lowly techniques.

"We're outta cinnamon right now so the tea's not gonna be at its best, but it's still pretty good," Applejack explained as she walked over on three legs and set a tray of glasses down on the table.

The two pegasus guards were sitting comfortably and easily at the kitchen table while Ulquiorra stood. The chairs of the Apple family weren't really built for someone of his frame. Not that it mattered one way or another. Right now he was watching with interest as the guards picked up their own cups of tea to drink. Currently his theory regarding hoof dexterity seemed to be in doubt; at least as far as earth ponies having an advantage on all other species of pony. He'd have to study it out later to arrive at a more definite conclusion.

He sipped the tea, noting that its taste was considerably more pleasant than what Aizen served at the meetings. The food in general tasted better than what was available in Las Noches. Not that any of it was important to him, merely an observation of the available facts.

"Is the tea a'right?" Applejack asked, uncomfortable with the stretch of silence that was going on. This was a lot different from the silence Big Macintosh was known for.

"It is," Ulquiorra replied simply. However an afterthought occurred to him as he remembered Princess Luna's suggestion of exercising courtesy when approached by others. He truly didn't see the practical purpose in such trivialities. But it really wasn't his place to be arguing such matters currently. "Thank you."

After the tea the kitchen was back to being silent again. Ulquiorra definitely wasn't big on small talk, she could tell that easy enough. If there was any small talk that was to be had she'd have to start it up herself.

"So wha' do ya think o' Equestria so far?" she asked.

"I'm as of yet unable to formulate a proper opinion. My time here has been limited to the palace of Canterlot, specifically the library," Ulquiorra replied and set the empty glass down on the table. "I believe you said you would explain about the "Elements of Harmony" over tea. What can you tell me about them?"

"Oh. Well the Elements o' Harmony are these ancient artifacts the Princesses used fer fightin' evil a thousan' years ago, but then they got passed ta us girls an' we each represent one o' them. Like ah said mine's the element o' honesty. Then there's the others; Pinkie Pie's element is laughter, Rainbow Dash's is loyalty, Fluttershy's is kindness an' Rarity's is generosity. Then there's Twilight, hers is unique an' only works when the others comes together, her element is magic. Accordin' ta her it's a double meanin' considerin' that friendship is magic in its own right an' ya can't have friendship without harmony," Applejack explained as best she could. She really should've left the explanations to Twilight as she felt she'd managed to butcher it to some degree.

"So Twilight Sparkle's "Element of Harmony" is the weakest and needs the others in order to properly function?" Ulquiorra asked.

Applejack scratched her head in thought. She'd never really given much thought to that idea before, never bothered to analyze it. To her the Elements of Harmony were just sort of...harmonious and worked equally, none being stronger or weaker than the other. Without harmony and friendship things like loyalty, generosity, honesty, laughter and kindness really didn't amount to much. But without each of those things working in unison could you really have friendship in the first place?

"Ah never really thought abou' that before," she finally admitted.

Ulquiorra remained silent in thought, contemplating the available information. From the sound of it these "Elements of Harmony" were a powerful weapon designed to keep the peace in Equestria during times of great danger. While there was ambiguity on just what was considered "evil" it seemed illogical to believe that such a classification was necessary in order to use them. He couldn't rule out the possibility of these artifacts being able to stop Aizen if he were to ever discover this dimension.

On the other hand perhaps it was for the best that he wasn't aware of this dimension. From the sound of it the safety of Equestria was entirely depending upon Applejack, Twilight Sparkle and the four other named ponies continuing to be friends with each other. If such were truly the case then this nation's overall security was shaky at best. He wasn't sure what to think about that, other than the stupidity of such a pretense. What ruler would make the safety of their nation contingent upon something such as "friendship" or some other intangible concept that his eyes couldn't see?

"And how exactly do these "Elements of Harmony" work when dealing with a threat to the safety of Equestria?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Well ah don' really know the magical er mechanical aspects involved. But when we use 'em this massive wave o' positive energy comes forth an'...well ah don' know how ta explain it. When we used 'em against Nightmare Moon she was purified o' evil and turned back inta Princess Luna. But when we used 'em against Discord he got encased in stone," Applejack explained. "Twilight's a lot more knowledgeable about this stuff than ah am."

Another observation. Based on all the information he had access to it seemed safe to conclude that the "Elements of Harmony" didn't provide a lethal solution to known threats; the fact that he was here was proof of that. Or perhaps it was necessary for a threat to truly be "evil" in nature before it could actually be killed. Perhaps Discord and Princess Luna weren't the proper sort of "evil" to be permanently stopped.

"I've had the dubious honor of meeting Discord myself. It would seem the "Elements of Harmony" were insufficient," Ulquiorra replied.

"Well...that matter was sorta outta our hooves. Princess Celestia had the notion tha' we could reform Discord from his chaotic ways an' had us unleash him. Granted we succeeded but it sure wasn' easy ta do," Applejack explained.

"And how precisely did you go about reforming Discord? How does one tame the chaotic nature out of the "spirit of chaos" as he introduced himself?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Well ya see the five o' us really didn' trust Discord an' didn' wanna cut 'im any slack, but Fluttershy went about befriendin' 'im in ways we jus' couldn' an' when he got outta hoof she made 'im realize that if he didn' straighten up an' fly right he'd be losin' the only friend he ever had. After that he just sorta started bein' good on his own. Granted he's still a pain in the flank at times but his chaotic nature's been toned down a good deal," Applejack explained.

To say the least the tale was interesting, provided it was an accurate account of events that transpired, and provided this Applejack wasn't simply making things up. Simply because she claimed to represent the "Element of Honesty" that didn't amount to actual proof of anything that was being said.

"And these "Elements of Harmony" failed to purify Discord in the same manner they did Princess Luna?" Ulquiorra asked. "Are you able to account for this discrepancy?"

"Uh..." Applejack paused, finding herself further and further out of her areas of comfort and expertise. "Ah don' really know the answer ta that one," she admitted.

"Perhaps Discord wasn't evil to begin with," Ulquiorra replied simply.

"Say what?" Applejack asked and tilted her head in confusion.

"During Discord's time free what actions did he take that could truly be considered evil in nature? Whose lives did he put at risk by being disorderly to Princess Celestia's rule?" Ulquiorra asked. When Applejack didn't have any answers to offer up he continued. "Had Nightmare Moon been allowed to implement eternal night the world's ecosystem would be decimated by the lack of sunlight and billions would die from the resulting deforestation and starvation. Can the same be said for what Discord did?"

Applejack didn't have any answers she could offer up to his questions. Try as she might she couldn't come up with a single thing to say.

"Ah don' know," she said and hung her head, turning her gaze down to the floor.

He could press on with his verbal assault but there would be no real purpose to it. Applejack was already without answers to the questions presented, unable to explain why Discord had been labeled as evil and treated as such. For her part she at least seemed to be contemplating her words rather than blindly rambling a predetermined position. She at least seemed more reasonable than...

+++

His left hand was gripped around the throat of Ichigo Kurosaki, effortlessly keeping him lifted up above the ground. His body was battered and beaten, his reiatsu dropping substantially. And yet he continued grasping his zanpakutō in his right hand. Why?

"Why don't you let go of your sword?" Ulquiorra asked. "You can see the difference in our strength. Do you still think you can defeat me? The difference in our strength--"

"What about it?" Ichigo managed to ask despite the grip he had on his throat. "Do you think I should give up just because you're stronger than me?"

He was genuinely surprised by the human's persistence and stubborn refusal to give up. Even in the face of overwhelming odds he still proved unreasonably stubborn.

"I've always known...you were strong...Nothing I see now will change my mind..." Ichigo stated. "...I will defeat you...Ulquiorra."

"Nonsense," Ulquiorra replied and relinquished his grip, allowing the human to fall to his knees onto the hard ground beneath. "Ichigo Kurosaki, those are the words of someone that does not know true despair. So I will show you. This is what true despair looks like." **

+++

Ichigo Kurosaki, the stubbornest human/Shinigami he had ever encountered. Stubbornly refusing to admit defeat no matter what. And most infuriatingly the one who had defeated him, resulting in his being here. It was unforgivable.

At least Applejack was more reasonable than him and recognized what she couldn't offer up anything of actual substance to the questions he'd presented her. At the very least she was intelligent enough to recognize the fact that she had nothing to say in response.

"Then perhaps not all the pieces to the puzzle are present," Ulquiorra replied.

"I gotta tell ya, Mr. Cifer, yer one deep thinker," Applejack said as she finally looked up from the floor.

Ulquiorra said nothing in response, feeling neither the need to confirm or deny her statement. Instead her chose to pick up the tea pot and pour himself another cup while he waited for Twilight Sparkle to return with the others.

One of the problems with teleportation over an extended distance was never being fully certain where exactly you'd appear. You could find yourself on top of a rock, stuck in a tree, or even trapped on one of the arms of the local windmill and screaming helplessly for somepony to get you down.

Fortunately for Twilight and Spike none of the above was in the cards as they arrived in Ponyville. The teleportation had gone off without a hitch and deposited them right outside of Sugarcube Corner; perfection in other words.

"Wow Twilight, how'd you manage that?" Spike asked upon seeing the bakery.

"I don't really know Spike, I was just trying to teleport to Ponyville in general, not anyplace inparticular," Twilight replied and shrugged. "Oh well at least we found Pinkie Pie."

"I hope so. If she's out making deliveries we'll never find her," Spike stated.

The door chime sounded as Twilight trotted her way inside the bakery. Apart from a few of the usual faces enjoying the baked goods she could see Pinkie at the counter, and much to their pleasant surprise Fluttershy was also there. Two ponies down on the same visit, that made things a whole lot easier.

"Hey girls," Twilight called as she walked over to the counter.

"Oh. Hi Twilight," Fluttershy greeted back.

"Hi Twilight! Hi Spike!" Pinkie greeted with far more enthusiasm in her voice. "What brings you two around? Looking for some cupcakes? Or maybe some freshly baked doughnuts?"

"As tempting as that sounds I'm afraid not. We were actually looking for you two to see if you could come to Sweet Apple Acres," Twilight replied.

"Yeah we've got someone for ya to meet," Spike added.

"Really? Somepony new to Ponyville? Why didn't you say so in the first place?" Pinkie Pie asked excitedly. "This calls for a party!"

"Not yet Pinkie," Twilight stated, heading off Pinkie's excitement before it could get out of hoof. "They're not moving to Ponyville to live, they're here on official business. This comes all the way from Canterlot, from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna," she explained.

"Princess Luna!? Wow that's awesome! Must be something pretty big if Princess Luna's involved too," Pinkie replied, the excitement in her voice giving way to amazement as her demeanor became somewhat more serious. "So who is this VIP?"

"A visiting dignitary from a far off country. He's here on official business and the Princesses have asked me to show him around and help him get to know the ponies that make Equestria great. And who better to give him a good idea of what Equestria's like then let him get to know my friends first?" Twilight replied.

"Wow that's so cool!" Pinkie exclaimed and started to bounce in excitement. "Are you sure this doesn't call for a "Welcome to Equestria Foreign Dignitary" kind of party?"

"There's always time for a party later on, Pinkie, but right now probably isn't the time. He's still learning about what Equestria's like. At least give him a couple of days to get properly acclimated to everything," Twilight explained. "So can you be there for the meet and greet?"

"Oh..I don't know..." Fluttershy replied hesitantly as she rubbed at her foreleg. "What's...what's he like?"

Twilight paused in thought of how exactly to explain Ulquiorra to Fluttershy. She couldn't really tell her the full story, she was already stretching the truth with the "foreign dignitary" cover story. But in a way he was just that so it wasn't a total lie.

"Afraid," Spike spoke up, bringing their attention to him on Twilight's back. "He's in a new land surrounded by new and unfamiliar faces so right now he's kinda detached and analytical like Twilight right now. Sort've a coping mechanism I guess? He doesn't even have the same manner of talking that we do so he's really in need of somepony understanding right now," he explained.

Twilight smiled to herself. That was a good description of the situation, but she'd disagree with the notion of Ulquiorra being afraid of anything. Empty and unresponsive, sure, but certainly not afraid. Really she wasn't sure if he had any emotions to him.

"Really?" Fluttershy asked. "Oh that poor dear. Of course I'll be there for him."

"Me too! Me too!" Pinkie stated and bounced.

"That's good. Now to go get Rarity and Rainbow Dash," Twilight stated. However before she was even out the door she felt something pulling on her tail and keeping her from moving. Looking back she saw it was Pinkie holding firm. "Pinkie what're you doing?"

"Rarity and Rainbow Dash can't come. Rarity's really super swamped and won't let anypony into Carousel Boutique unless they have an appointment, and Dashie's attending a weather meeting in Cloudsdale," Pinkie explained.

"A-A-ACHOO!"

The lecture hall that was being used for the weather team meeting echoed with the sound of the abrupt sneeze, causing those that were present and trying to stay awake to suddenly jolt back to the land of the living. The pony in charge of the meeting, currently explaining the recent changes in the air currents and how it would be affecting their work, stopped in the middle of his sentence and looked back at the pony who'd interrupted him.

"Coming down with a cold, Miss Dash?" he asked.

"No sir," Rainbow Dash and sniffed. "I'm fine, really."

The stallion pegasus gave a grunt in response before turning his attention back to the charts, picking up right where he left off.

"They can't?" Twilight asked. That was certainly going to complicate things some. Being gone most of yesterday really screwed with her scheduling if she wasn't even aware of Rainbow Dash's weather meeting. Then again Rainbow Dash probably wouldn't even have told her unless she first came to the library asking for the next "Daring Do" novel.

"Then I guess we really can't have a Pinkie Pie Party if all our friends can't be there," Spike pointed out. He knew how much Pinkie loved to throw parties. But the thought of leaving her friends out would seriously make her think otherwise.

"Well we can at least make him feel properly welcome. Come on Fluttershy let's go!" Pinkie stated before hopping over the counter, grabbing Fluttershy's hoof and speeding out the door.

The entire thing had been...weird. Weird even by Pinkie Pie standards of weirdness and they were most certainly unique. Watching Pinkie drag Fluttershy off fast enough to leave behind a dust trail -which was even weirder as Sugarcube Corner never had significant amounts of dust to be found- left them speechless.

At least until Spike managed to find his voice again.

"Hey Twilight...something just occurred to me..." Spike stated.

"What is it?" Twilight asked.

"How's Ulquiorra gonna react to meeting Pinkie?" Spike asked. "Or better yet...how's Pinkie gonna react to meeting Ulquiorra?"

"That's...a very good question. We might just have to wait and see," Twilight replied. If those two polar opposite forces were to connect... "No use worrying about it, there's nothing we can do right now. But maybe we'd better catch up to them so Ulquiorra doesn't get overwhelmed by Pinkie's sudden presence. We might have to act like a buffer."

Spike nodded in agreement. If wouldn't be the first time one of them had to keep a newcomer from being subjected to the full magnitude of the Pinkie Pie experience on their very first day. They all knew she meant well but she was...really intense at times.

"Well then we'd better get going while there's still something left of Sweet Apple Acres to go to."

The house was way too silent. Nopony was talking. The pegasus guards were silent, Ulquiorra was silent, and Applejack was uncomfortably silent as she didn't know what to say. The tea really hadn't been much of a distraction and Ulquiorra wasn't much of a talker; by comparison the pegasus guards seemed more lively.

She didn't like it one bit and had to do something to change that.

"So...mind if ah ask what tha' thing on yer head is?" she asked, hoping to strike up some measure of conversation.

Explaining what the remnants of a Hollow mask were wouldn't likely be a conversation Applejack would be able to follow, Ulquiorra could tell that. Fortunately there was another explanation that he could give that would make more sense to her.

"An evolutionary leftover from a previous point in the history of an Arrancar. It ultimately serves no purpose but cannot be removed safely," Ulquiorra replied.

"So it's sorta like a bony appendix er somethin'?" Applejack asked.

Ulquiorra remained silent to the question, having no real answer to give to either confirm or deny the comparison. In a way the two were similar in serving no real function after a certain amount of time. The remains of his Hollow mask certainly had no true function now that he was of Vasto Lorde status. It was nothing more than useless ornamentation anymore. However his focus was drawn elsewhere by his pesquisa.

"Twilight Sparkle and Spike are returning with two others," he replied simply and set the empty glass back down on the table before turning around and walking back towards the door, ducking just enough to clear the top.

"Now hold on how jus' a minute, how can ya know that?" Applejack asked as she followed after him before the two pegasus guards could get up from their seats.

"Whoa..."

Applejack was left silent when she stepped out onto the front porch only to see Twilight and Spike coming back into view with Pinkie and Fluttershy following close behind. How had he known when he couldn't see out of the kitchen in this direction? This Ulquiorra was a really strange one, his name hard to pronounce, his tone of voice offsetting, his point of view really out there and now he knew the others were coming without even seeing them? Twilight was definitely gonna have to answer a lot of questions for her before the day was over.

Twilight panted as she came skidding to a halt in front of the porch, Pinkie and Fluttershy able to stop with far more grace and control. All of them were silent, uncertain of what to say or even think.

"Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, meet Ulquiorra Cifer from Hueco Mundo..."

Author's Note

** Bleach chapter 347

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

The silence was heavy enough one could easily hear an apple fall off its tree and hit the ground. Everypony present was just staring. Fluttershy and Pinkie were looking at the strange being standing on the porch beside Applejack while Ulquiorra looked at the bright pink earth pony with unkempt mane and the butter yellow pegasus with the flowing pink mane with the scared look on her face.

Twilight looked between the two parties, uncertain what exactly had gone wrong. Why was nopony talking or making an effort to strike up a conversation? Fluttershy had seemed motivated to come over when Spike had explained about Ulquiorra in the best way he could. Was his appearance scaring her? And what about Pinkie? Where was her usual joyful nature that could overcome any rocky start and bring out the best in anypony?

"Am I correct in assuming not everything went according to plan?" Ulquiorra finally asked, breaking up the stifling silence in the process.

"Something like that," Twilight replied, not knowing what else to say.

Ulquiorra said nothing in response as he continued to study the two ponies before him. The pink one looked at him in confusion and amazement while the yellow one looked at him in fear.

"No matter," Ulquiorra replied and stepped off the porch with his hands tucked into his pockets. "These two are the bearers of the elements of laughter and kindness?" he asked.

"How'd you know that?" Twilight asked, feeling stunned by the revelation.

"Applejack was quite informative and helpful, explaining how you and the others possess the "Elements of Harmony" and have used them against Princess Luna's alter ego of Nightmare Moon and Discord himself," Ulquiorra replied simply as he stepped closer. "I must admit I was fairly surprised to see that these two are element bearers. Considering how vital these artifacts are to the safety of Equestria I expected them to be in the possession of those who were older and considerably more experienced."

"Now jus' a minute here," Applejack spoke up when she finally found her voice and climbed down off the porch. "Ah don' know how things are where ya come from, but over here we've proved ourselves ta be pretty darn good at savin' the world an' all. We saved it like three times on our own so far. Ain't that right, Twilight?"

Twilight paused in thought and took stock of the number of times that would count as saving the world. The defeat of Nightmare Moon, sealing Discord back in stone, stopping King Sombra...definitely making Discord reform and change his ways. The Changeling invasion didn't count as that was her brother Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. Saving Ponyville from the sleeping dragon couldn't be counted either as that was local rather than regional.

"Four actually," Twilight replied.

"Right," Applejack said as she turned her focus back to Ulquiorra. "Four times we been heroes ta the world so don't go doubtin' us jus' 'cause ya ain' been around ta see us in action."

"I was merely making an observation about the importance the Elements of Harmony possess, not about your qualifications to possess them," Ulquiorra replied simply as she looked back at Applejack before turning attention back forward.

They didn't need to be informed of his opinions regarding the overall level of security Equestria had with the six of them holding what might amount to the most powerful weapons in the world or his doubts about their ability to protect the world if they couldn't maintain a cohesive group.

"Hey we're super duper responsible!" Pinkie finally spoke up, and she wasn't happy. "You're certainly a Meanie McMean Pants!"

Twilight could tell this wasn't going to end well. She knew Ulquiorra was honest and straight to the point, and he was often blunt about what he believed, but she hadn't seen him go out of his way to engage in simple cruelty or outright meanness. That was her evaluation of the Arrancar, and unfortunately the way things were quickly progressing she could see that this meeting -and failed blending- of the two cultures wasn't going to end well unless she pulled some kind of damage control. She needed to act fast to prevent everything going straight to Tartarus. No the way things were going this would go well past Tartarus, this would go all the way to his dimension's equivalent of Hell.

"Ulquiorra," Twilight spoke up and interrupted whatever trade was going to be had. "Could I see you for a minute?"

Ulquiorra quirked an eyebrow as he looked at Twilight. The tone in her voice had changed considerably and her facial features had become more hardened. Something about her posture must've been readable to everyone else as Spike knew enough to dismount her without even being told. There was an intensity to her that he hadn't seen from her before, an intensity he had only seen on the Princesses so far.

Wordlessly he followed her lead as she lead him away from the group towards the apple orchards. Finally after some measure of distance she turned and faced him directly.

"Look. I know you're not being mean or cruel, you're just being...well...yourself, to the point on what you observe. But my friends don't exactly understand that because they don't know anything about Hollows or Hueco Mundo. I don't know if they could handle those details," Twilight explained.

"And what would you propose as a solution?" Ulquiorra asked simply.

"Apologize. If for no other reason that appearance's sake. Defuse the situation," Twilight suggested.

"A useless gesture to perform," Ulquiorra replied. He had done nothing wrong and Twilight Sparkle acknowledged the fact that he'd done nothing wrong. So why would she be insisting that he apologize? It was simply illogical in nature.

"Ulquiorra," Twilight replied in a low and serious tone. "Remember how Princess Celestia instructed you to listen to me as you would her? Well I'm instructing you to play nice for the time being. Those ponies are my friends regardless of how nonsensical they can be at times. And sometimes that means swallowing your pride and consenting to something you don't believe in for the sake of the bigger picture. Dominating every single incident might have you right but you'll be alone, and that goes against your assigned purpose here; learning about friendship and making friends," Twilight explained. "This is lesson number one in friendship: tolerance."

He observed her as she spoke. She was determined and assertive whereas previously she had been curious and more malleable in personality. And as her personality hardened so did her reiatsu to the point being in her presence was causing his skin an unpleasant sensation. It appeared that simple logic wouldn't aid him on this matter as she'd already reached a conclusion on her own.

"As you wish, Twilight Sparkle," Ulquiorra replied neutrally before turning around and walking back to where the others remained. Perhaps agreeing to the terms of his release was premature on his part. Finally he stood before the small group again and prepared to carry out his orders. "I apologize if I came off as being cruel in my unfamiliarity with how things are done in Equestria. In Hueco Mundo if items as important as the Elements of Harmony existed they would be carefully safe guarded at all times and deployed only by the most experienced and seasoned individuals to guarantee that they couldn't be stolen and used by the wrong parties."

"Well originally they were secured in Canterlot where only Princess Celestia had access to them," Twilight added, her tone of voice just like it had been before their discussion. "But after two consecutive failures to acquire them during a crisis, Princess Celestia decided it'd be best if we kept them with us since only we can use them. Furthermore they've each been magically bound to us so nopony can steal them even if they tried," she explained.

Perhaps the most logical of decisions that could be made under the given circumstances. With the Elements of Harmony so far away from the only ones who could use them it only made sense if that distance was closed. And at least Princess Celestia had the foresight to safeguard each of the elements to their selected user so they couldn't be misused. Perhaps he'd been premature in making his earlier assessment.

"Maybe we got off on the wrong hoof, let's try this again," Twilight suggested. "Ulquiorra Cifer, these are two of my friends in Ponyville. Pinkie Pie, the most awesome party planning pony you'll meet anywhere. And Fluttershy, best known for her expertise in taming all manner of animal, big or small, herbivore or carnivore."

Pinkie grinned happily at Twilight's statement while Fluttershy made an effort to hide her face behind her mane.

"Girls this is Ulquiorra Cifer of Hueco Mundo, here to establish diplomatic relations with Equestria and getting to know the ponies that make this land great."

Ulquiorra nearly rolled his eyes. He had consented to let Twilight Sparkle handle the initial introductions but he hadn't suspected she would be engaging in such deceit. Diplomatic relations? Really? What sort of diplomatic relations could he truly engage in? And was the unicorn really this prone to dishonesty with those she considered friends?

Perhaps beneath that friendly veneer she harbored feelings of superiority and resentment towards the others and merely tolerated their presence for the sake of Equestria. He couldn't rule it out as being a possibility.

"Cool!" Pinkie stated excitedly. "Welcome to Ponyville Ulqy! If you need anything in the way of parties just lemme know."

Ulqy? He cocked an eyebrow at her selection of name for referring to him. He preferred Applejack's manner of address in comparison. However instead of saying anything he turned his focus to Fluttershy who seemed to shrink under his gaze. "Are you the one who reformed Discord?"

Fluttershy squeaked at being addressed directly and took a hesitant step backwards as if confronted by overwhelming danger. Not that it was an inaccurate comparison to make. Eventually she managed a weak nod and a barely audible "yes" in response to his question.

"You fear me," Ulquiorra stated bluntly. "You consider me a monster due to my differences from you and that's why you're afraid. Correct?"

Fluttershy's eyes went wide at the statement, stopping her in her tracks before she could back up any further. Was she really coming off like that? How terrible.

"No..." she whispered.

+++

"...I'm finally starting to find you guys a little interesting," Ulquiorra commented. How had it come to this exactly? Standing here in the process of dying, his body turning into ash after being defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki under control of his Hollow self after what should've been a fatal injury. And on top of that he was being denied a proper death by the human because of some misplaced belief in honor before reason.

The woman stood to his right, looking at him as he slowly faded away. Her eyes...they were filled not with fear or relief but rather sadness...sadness directed at him. Slowly he stretched his arm out to her.

"...Are you scared of me? Girl."

"I'm not scared," she replied, sadly yet defiantly.

Even after all he'd done to her and her friends she wasn't scared of him, she took no pleasure in his imminent death. He'd tried to kill Ichigo Kurosaki, torn off the Quincy's left arm, threatened to kill all of her friends if she didn't do exactly as he said in instructing her to come to Hueco Mundo. And yet she still took pity on him. He wouldn't be able to understand her even if he tried to, there was no logic to her.

"I see."

The last thing he could see was her reaching out to take his hand, the gesture causing his limb to disintegrate starting at his fingers and quickly racing back up to his torso.**

+++

"I'm...not afraid of you..." Fluttershy whispered with a bit more courage than her previous statement, although it still wasn't very convincing to those that didn't know her. "You're...you're not a monster..."

If only she knew how wrong she was in her statement. If these ponies had seen him back in Hueco Mundo would they be so quick to assume he wasn't a threat to them? If Princess Celestia had experienced him firsthand in his released state would she still allow him to interact with her subjects as freely as she currently was, their only provided protection being two guards with a significantly lower level of reiryoku than his own?

Most likely not.

"Fluttershy's always that way 'round new ponies," Applejack stated from behind. "Although ah still don't rightly know wha' ya are."

"Then we are in an equal position. I've been informed that you're all ponies but that tells me little about just what you are," Ulquiorra replied without even turning to look at her. "Nothing like any of you has ever been seen nor heard of in Hueco Mundo. It would be only logical to assume the same would be true when the situation is reversed."

"Hueco Mundo? Hey does that mean-" Pinkie began, only to be stopped by Twilight.

"I already tried when I first met him, Pinkie, he doesn't speak that language," she explained.

"Oh," Pinkie replied and gave a small shrug. "Whatever! Put 'er there Ulqy!" she said and stuck out her hoof.

He recognized the gesture from yesterday with Twilight Sparkle, knowing what she was expecting. However he felt less motivated to return the gesture with this one. He'd rather wait and see how long it took her to comprehend that he wasn't inclined to shake hands.

Nearly a full minute before she finally set her hoof back down on the ground and frowned in response.

"So...wha' exactly is an Arrancar anyway?" Applejack asked, figuring it was the best way to head off whatever might be brewing between Pinkie and their new guest.

"What exactly is a pony? What is it precisely that makes a pony a pony rather than a zebra, gryphon, dragon or some other species?" Ulquiorra asked in response and turned to face her. "We're all simply who and what we are and nothing more. Titles and species are nothing more than a way to categorize others into different types and sub-types for the purpose of maintaining artificial boundaries for separation."

"There he goes with that deep thinkin' again," Applejack thought to herself, unable to figure out what to say in response. What was the difference between an earth pony and a zebra? Or between a pegasus and a gryphon? And how much difference was there? One thing was for certain he really inspired a lot of thinking.

"Ooh! Ooh! Ulqy! Ulqy!" Pinkie called excitedly and bounced on her hind legs until he finally turned around to face her. "Cake?" she asked as she presented a large chocolate frosted cake with "Welcome to Ponyville!" written in white icing on top.

He was left confused at the cake being presented to him. The pink earth pony hadn't shown up with anything that could even remotely contain such an item, nor could she have gone to retrieve it when he was addressing Applejack without him becoming aware of it. Yet here she stood, reared up on her hind legs and using her forelegs to hold up the pan for his consideration.

"I was under the impression earth pony magic is passive in nature and can't be used for teleportation or materialization," Ulquiorra replied, unable to determine the exact location the cake had come from.

"Pinkie is...very random..." Twilight explained as best she could.

Ulquiorra said nothing in response, left uncertain as to how to go about interpreting the statement as it provided little in the way of hard facts. Randomness? Randomness didn't answer how the pink earth pony had produced a cake so fast. Even Twilight Sparkle couldn't have produced the cake without him feeling a fluctuation in her reiatsu as he'd felt in the other times she'd exercised her magic.

"Cake?" Pinkie asked again, still maintaining her level of balance without any significant display of tiring from the awkward position she was in.

"It would appear to be, however I'm unable to confirm whether or not it is," Ulquiorra replied simply.

Pinkie blinked in confusion at the statement, before snorting and bursting into a fit of laughter in response, nearly tipping over in the process.

"That's hilarious I've gotta write that one down!" Pinkie laughed. And just as easily as the laughing had begun it stopped and Pinkie was as serious as she had been previously. "So do you want some cake?"

"No."

"No?" Pinkie asked, unable to believe her own ears. Just like that he'd turned down chocolate cake without even the briefest of contemplation? "Not even a little piece?"

"No."

"Wow Ulqy you're a tough one!" Pinkie stated as sat down on her haunches in order to better balance herself. "No smiling, no hoofshake and now you're turning down cake? The next thing you know you'll be trying to tell us you don't have any friends."

"I don't," Ulquiorra replied.

The change in atmosphere at his words could almost be felt. Perhaps he'd said the wrong thing.

He could understand how different dimensions might have different standards of physics; he'd seen such when it came to the use of magic for basic levitation and even teleportation, neither of which existed in Hueco Mundo. Different standards of physics even made sense regarding the ability of the pegasus species of ponies to fly.

However he was certain that different standards of physics didn't explain how the pink earth pony's mouth could open far enough that her lower jawbone could actually make contact with the grassy ground beneath her; nor how she could so easily toss the cake and platter into the air where it came back down on her head and was cushioned by her mane and remained perfectly balanced as she literally picked her jaw up and audibly snapped it back into place.

"Oh...my..." Fluttershy stated in surprise.

"WHAT?!" Pinkie shouted in surprise. "No friends? You mean like never? Like never ever?" she asked. "That's terrible! That's super duper sad, like sadder than "not getting any of your birthday cake or presents when it's your own birthday party" sad! Girls this is a super duper Partycon Level 1 emergency! We've gotta get Ulqy some friends pronto!"

Ulquiorra blinked and kept silent, still trying to understand how the cake could remain so perfectly balanced on her head. He could understand the meaning of the words the pink pony was using despite how fast she was talking. But she was speaking utter nonsense. Simple illogical nonsense with no basis in common sense. She was rambling about things beyond her understanding and beyond his ability to care about. She spoke of friends as if they were a physical concept of great importance. Regardless of what Princess Celestia had ordered of him he still didn't grasp the concept. And until it could be proven otherwise it would continue to remain as such.

"I fail to see the emergency of the situation," Ulquiorra replied as evenly and unmoved as ever before. "My stay here is limited to the daylight hours only. I don't have the time to engage in wasteful indulgences."

"Actually Ulquiorra...it's not as wasteful as it might sound," Twilight spoke up, bringing the Arrancar's attention to her, knowing full well that if she didn't provide a necessary distraction then Pinkie could very likely go into meltdown mode.

"How so?" Ulquiorra asked as her looked at her.

"Well it's a long story. Before I came to Ponyville I used to believe the same thing. I was so busy researching the legend of Nightmare Moon and trying to warn Princess Celestia, but she insisted on sending me here to check on preparations for the Summer Sun celebration and telling me to make some friends. And that's how I wound up making friends with Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. That's how we obtained the Elements of Harmony, defeated Nightmare Moon and saved Equestria," she explained.

"...And you did all of this through the concept of friendship?" Ulquiorra asked, unconvinced of the notion. Twilight nodded in response, as did the others. They were all sticking to the story, to the notion that friendship had somehow aided them. Perhaps there was a measure of truth depending on what the Elements of Harmony needed in order to function properly. But the very idea still seemed preposterous.

"Ulquiorra Cifer. You asked to be assigned a purpose so your presence in our kingdom would have meaning. Considering that you're a foreigner to this land, to say nothing of this dimension, and unfamiliar with all the wonders it holds, as well as being under my rule, I've reached the conclusion that the best course of action available is to assign you the same task I assigned Twilight nearly three years ago. You're to educate yourself on the magic of friendship and all that it holds. You'll learn to make friends, you'll submit reports on your findings."

Preposterous...but it was still his purpose in this new world to learn about it. And as much as he may not see the point he was also under orders to exercise courtesy. He was beginning to wonder if the void really was worth leaving for this. Had he known what he'd be stepping into he might've stayed behind.

"Preposterous," he stated. Orders or not, that didn't mean he had to comply with them immediately. Not when there were still so many questions left unanswered. "Friendship is an intangible concept created by others in an attempt to convince themselves that they're not alone in life. The simple fact of life is that we're all alone in our existence, the only difference being to what extent we willingly admit this fact."

Twilight wanted to facehoof at Ulquiorra's words. He wasn't paying attention to Princess Celestia's instructions. Despite his words yesterday about considering alternative views he still seemed firmly rooted in his nihilism and unwilling to change. Was he really this stubborn? Was it by nature?

"...You're not alone..."

It was a statement barely above a whisper but everyone present still managed to hear it and tell that it was Fluttershy's voice. Currently and wordlessly she was hovering off the ground to place a foreleg on his arm.

"You don't have to be alone here while you're around us," Fluttershy stated.

He regarded her neutrally. Despite being the most scared of the five present she seemed to find enough courage to approach him and make actual physical contact. Twilight Sparkle had offered, as did Pinkie Pie, but Fluttershy was the only one to actually initiate the contact. Even as he looked at her with the same gaze that made her shrink away previously she didn't seem willing to leave. Curious. Where had she found this courage she'd previously been devoid of?

There was the remote possibility that what they were talking about really wasn't a matter of nonsense. He wasn't in Hueco Mundo anymore where loneliness and despair were the lay of the land. He had to at least consider the possibility that what they were talking about was serious in nature.

"I still possess doubts about the validity of what you're saying," Ulquiorra stated. "But I'm at least wiling to consider the possibility of alternative views on the matter..."

Now it was Twilight's turn to have doubts. Ulquiorra had said pretty much the same thing last night but so far hadn't shown any followup since coming to Sweet Apple Acres, he was still stubbornly maintaining the belief that anything he couldn't see didn't exist. But she had to be willing to cut him some slack as this was a lot to take in all at once; Pinkie was a lot to take in all at once. She hadn't exactly adjusted well on her first day either.

Speaking of Pinkie she seemed to have brightened considerably at Ulquiorra's statement; as if he'd just told her he wanted her to throw a huge party. One of these days she had to get the party pony down into her lab and figure out just how she could smile so wide without hurting her face.

"This is gonna be awesome!" Pinkie stated.

Ulquiorra meanwhile was observing the change in his surroundings. And what he was seeing was enough to make him question whether or not his pesquisa was still working properly. He understood that the intensity of Twilight Sparkle's reiatsu was in some way linked to her emotional state. But in the case of Pinkie Pie this seemed even moreso as her amount of reiatsu was increasing dramatically and flooding the area to the point it was overshadowing the others.

The strange aspect was the lack of density being presented. Whereas Twilight Sparkle and even Applejack had a measurable density to their own reiatsu Pinkie Pie's was the opposite, being relatively thin and airy in a way. It was like comparing wood or stone to a pile of feathers...or perhaps the human snack known as cotton candy would be more accurate. There was no overwhelming sense of unpleasantness being exerted against his skin as he stood in its presence. It was all...most curious in nature.

Despite her doubts Twilight was glad to see how things were unfolding. Slowly her friends were warming up to Ulquiorra's presence and no longer put off by his strange appearance or mannerisms. This at least seemed like a good sign, maybe it indicated the rest of the day would go well too. Even Fluttershy of all ponies seemed to be getting comfortable around him; even if he did kinda force the issue and accuse her of seeing him as a monster. But the important part was that the bonding process had begun! Ulquiorra's lessons could now progress, meaning her assignment could be achieved as well.

"So who's up for Ponyville?" Spike asked, desperate to make himself known before anypony else could strike up a long conversation and leave him out in the cold. "He's gotta see it sooner or later. And we might find Rainbow Dash and Rarity there too."

"Ah reckon Spike's got a point. Sweet Apple Acres is fine an' all but there's only so much ya can learn here. Ponyville's where ya wanna be headin' fer interactin' with other ponies," Applejack added.

"Then perhaps it would be best to go now. As I've said my time here is limited to the daylight hours. And I would rather not inform Princess Celestia that I was unable to complete my mission due to constant interruptions and distractions," Ulquiorra stated.

That seemed to strike a cord with the ponies. As far as he could see they at least understood the possibility that they were keeping him from doing what he came here to do, and if he had to deliver a negative report on his discoveries they'd be named as responsible for such developments.

"Well then what're we waitin' fer? Le's get goin'," Applejack stated.

"But what about Ulqy's cake?" Pinkie asked.

"I don't see the point in eating when not hungry for no other purpose than recognizing a kind gesture. Do with it whatever you please," Ulquiorra replied.

Pinkie considered his advice for a moment before throwing her head up, sending the cake airborne before gravity took over and brought the whole thing back down into her now awaiting mouth, allowing her to swallow it in a single gulp, platter and all. Ulquiorra had seen the entire display and blinked in surprise.

"Did she just-"

"Eeyup," Applejack replied.

"Does she know-"

"Probably," Spike replied.

"Will she-"

"Even I don't know for sure," Twilight added.

Confusion. That was the best way to describe what he was experiencing right now. The pink earth pony seemed to be a walking violation of physics regardless of what world he was in. There were certainly some Arrancar who could perform such a feat but this one was definitely no Arrancar. He really didn't know just what she was right now. This would definitely require investigation.

Investigation that would have to wait for later. Perhaps the town of Ponyville would hold some of the answers he currently sought.

"Twilight?"

The walk back to Ponyville for the second time today was proceeding in relative silence. Ulquiorra hadn't said a word since they left Sweet Apple Acres and neither had Fluttershy, but that fact wasn't surprising to anypony. Pinkie Pie was surprisingly keeping to herself, not talking endlessly abut anything but rather humming to herself, carrying on a tune only she herself knew as she bounced along to keep pace with the others.

So it was reasonably easy for Twilight to hear Applejack's whisper and notice that she wasn't exactly keeping pace with the rest of the group but rather hanging several lengths back, even further back than the pegasus guards escorting them. Taking the hint she slowed her pace until she was walking side by side with Applejack, Spike still silently riding atop her back.

"What's up?" Twilight asked.

"Does that Cifer character strike ya as a might bit weird?" Applejack asked. "Ah ain' talkin' 'bout appearance neither."

"Granted he's not exactly like we're used to seeing, but weird how? Anything specific?" Twilight asked.

"Well ah can understand him not knowin' 'bout friendship since he says he didn' have no friends. But before ya'll came back he already knew ya were on yer way back an' he knew ya were bringing jus' Pinkie and Fluttershy with ya. He didn' even see ya comin', he jus' knew," Applejack explained. "An' the way he don' talk much. Ah'm used ta my brother not talkin' unless he's got somethin' ta say, but the way that Mr. Cifer does it jus' feels unnatural," she continued.

Twilight could somewhat understand where Applejack was coming from. When she first met Ulquiorra yesterday there was a lot about him that she found very strange and...well weird was a good word for it. Of course over that small course of time she'd found out a great deal more information than her friends currently had access to so she and Spike had a better understanding of the full situation. She knew more about Hollows, Arrancars, the Espada, Hueco Mundo and the dialect of Ulquiorra's world than anybody...anypony...whatever... and more or less just took it in stride, adapting to the situation quickly. Even Spike was keeping pace with her and treating Ulquiorra more like an everyday sight that simply held great interest.

Maybe she'd gotten too ahead of herself in this and was too quick to introduce him like she had. Now they were asking questions she wasn't certain she could answer.

"Well he's...a little different from the rest of us. You've gotta remember, AJ, this is his first visit to Equestria. Maybe he's nervous?" Twilight suggested.

Nervous really wasn't a good way to explain the situation. Ulquiorra's lack of emotional interaction and his silent nature unless directly engaged in discussion could be a little off-putting to those that weren't familiar with it. He was like the direct opposite of Pinkie.

"Nervous don' explain how he knew ya were comin' without seein' ya. Tha's jus' freaky. He ain't got a horn like unicorns do so it can't be magic er anythin' lika ya could do," Applejack stated.

YES! Now that was a question she could answer and truthfully.

"Well I don't know if it's magic but it's a technique he calls "pesquisa." It's a lot like an advanced form of a bat's echolocation but instead of using sound waves to detect physical objects to allow him to maneuver about safely it locates a pony's magical frequency within a given area. It's really a fascinating concept and I've never seen anything like it," Twilight explained.

"Yeah and nopony can sneak up on him when he's using it. He can detect you no matter how quiet you're being. Even the Princesses couldn't get close without him knowing it," Spike added.

Up ahead Ulquiorra remained silent as he followed the lead to Ponyville, keeping his hands in his pockets as he walked along and observing his surroundings.

Pinkie Pie was bouncing around them in a large circle and humming to herself in an oblivious manner of her surroundings. How she could move in such an erratic manner without the platter she'd swallowed causing harm to her internal organs was still a matter of confusion; how she'd managed to consume the platter when it was larger than her head was even more confusing.

Fluttershy was walking beside him, her stride and posture suggesting she wasn't overcome with fear like she was previously had been.

Behind them the two pegasus guards followed silently. Behind them were applejack, Twilight Sparkle and Spike, their voices carrying enough for him to make out part of the details of their conversation and how it involved the earth pony's confusion over his being and the other two doing their best to explain him without sharing any of the more sensitive details they insisted on keeping under wraps. So far she seemed to be doing an adequate job at spinning half truths and outright dishonesty.

"Sir?"

His attention turned to Fluttershy who was now looking up at and addressing him. Whatever measure of courage she'd found in herself still seemed present as she didn't turn away when his gaze focused on her, although there was still a noticeable flinch.

Fortunately she wasn't shaken to the point that she lost focus of whatever was on her mind and she was able to carry on without his instruction to do so.

"Um...I was just wondering...what's it like where you came from? Are there any animals there?"

Brave but not very assertive. Her posture might have changed but the tone of her voice seemed to compensate for such.

"Hueco Mundo is a desolate and harsh location where one could walk for miles on end and never find anyone or anything. Those that are trash could never hope to survive in such a place. It's cold, lonely and unforgiving," Ulquiorra explained bluntly. Whatever measure of courage and optimism Fluttershy seemed to possess faltered at his words.

"Wow Ulqy! No wonder you don't have any friends, there were no friends for you to make in the first place!" Pinkie stated as she hopped in front of him. Ulquiorra simply ignored her and continued walking along.

"T-that really isn't very nice, Pinkie..." Fluttershy stated as best she could.

"Regardless it's an accurate statement. One can't hope to survive in Hueco Mundo if they occupy themselves with concepts such as being "nice" and "friendly." Outside of Las Noches the world is very unforgiving," Ulquiorra explained.

"Las Noches?" Pinkie asked as she stopped in mid bounce to look at him.

"What you'd call the capital city, like Equestria's Canterlot," Ulquiorra replied, before continuing to walk on and leave Pinkie where she stood.

"Ooh! What's it like? Are there lots of parties? Are there bakeries with lots of sweets?" Pinkie asked.

"No."

Any further conversation Pinkie tried to start up beyond that point was ignored. There were a great many things about the pink earth pony that Ulquiorra found curious in nature and worth exploring, but her conversation ability was definitely not one of them. Her high pitched voice and hyper nature was annoying and the less said the better.

"Lesson number one in friendship: tolerance..."

Author's Note

** Bleach chapter 353

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

"So this is the town of Ponyville..."

It seemed reasonable to conclude that the book he'd studied last night was several years out of date regarding its facts. The pictures included had shown a much smaller and much simpler town with specific landmarks, a limited market square and fewer homes. Even the most recent pictures included seemed considerably lacking compared to the pseudo-urban sprawl before him just across the bridge.

In some ways this Ponyville reminded him of Karakura Town in terms of size and magnitude, the differences in populace and structure notwithstanding.

Currently he stood just outside the town with his impromptu escort, observing as many ponies of every imaginable color combination scheme went about what he could only assume were their daily routines. It was strange to see them tending to matters without the use of hands for grasping and manipulating various objects.

"Sure is! An' hard ta believe it was all made possible thanks ta zap apples an' ingenuity," Applejack stated.

He suspected the word Applejack meant was "perseverance" rather than ingenuity but said nothing about it. He was more focused on those that made up the residents of the town, wondering how they'd constructed so much when the majority of the population had historically been earth ponies according to what he'd read. Some of the structures looked extremely intricate, involved and otherwise complex. Lacking hands couldn't have made the work easy.

"We can stay out here and stare at the town as long you as you want, Ulquiorra, but learning is better done in the town rather than outside," Twilight spoke up.

"A fair point," Ulquiorra replied. He must've gotten lost in his own thoughts; a dangerous practice to be involved in. There would be plenty of time to answer these questions later on. Without further discussion he began walking again toward the center of the town, the others not far behind him.

"Twilight?" Spike whispered as he continued riding along on her back. "I know I went along with this idea and all, but do you really think this is going to work? What if Ulquiorra can't learn about making friends? Or the Elements of Harmony? What if-"

"Now's not the time to be having such thoughts, Spike," Twilight whispered back as they lingered near the back of their group of friends. "Ponyville's a wonderful place to be. If he can find out anything about friendship it's gonna be here," she explained.

Spike didn't say anything in response as they continued walking Ulquiorra into the heart of Ponyville. Slowly but surely other ponies were starting to take notice of his presence, some stopping what they were doing to stare at him but he seemed to pay them no mind.

"So where should we start the tour first?" Applejack asked.

"Sugarcube Corner!" Pinkie stated.

"That might be better saved until later, Pinkie," Twilight replied. If Ulquiorra hadn't wanted any of the cake Pinkie was offering him at the initial meeting then the bakery probably wouldn't be his location of choice either. "We could try the Golden Oaks Library."

"Twi' ya know the library ain't no place ta be learnin' 'bout friendship. Ya gotta get out and experience first hoof," Applejack stated.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Pinkie was in the middle of saying. She'd had the perfect place in mind and was just about to say it when she was suddenly stopped by her body convulsing and her tail twitching like mad. She knew exactly what that meant. "Twitchy tail!"

Ulquiorra watched as everyone except for the two pegasus guards and Twilight scattered and hid under something close by. This was indeed strange behavior even for a world filled with magical equines. "Twitchy tail?" he asked.

"Pinkie's got something called the Pinkie Sense. She can sometimes predict when things are gonna happen. Twitchy tail means take cover because something's-"

She was interrupted by a loud commotion above her head that made her flinch. Looking up she saw that Ulquiorra was now standing right beside her, his left arm extended as his hand held firmly onto a large parcel. She could figure out that the package was dropped by one of the pegasi tasked with delivering mail to the area, and it would've fallen right on her head while she was explaining the situation. But how had Ulquiorra been at her side before she'd even finished speaking?

"-about to fall out of the sky..." she finished. "That was incredible! I never even saw you move!"

"Do packages usually fall from the sky?" Ulquiorra asked as he brought his arm in. He'd only just started to study the package when the sound of flapping wings could be heard approaching. Looking up he saw a gray pegasus mare with yellow mane and tail flapping her way into ear shot, making it very easy to make out her hat, what looked like a mail bag, and two eyes that couldn't seem to cooperate on a particular direction to focus, her cutie mark seeming to be a cluster of bubbles.

"Gee thanks Mister, nice catch there," the mare stated.

"Ditzy?" Twilight asked. Now it made a lot of sense.

Ditzy? A rather strange name even for a pony. And why exactly was she tasked with delivering such a large package?

"Oh hey Twilight. Sorry about that. Rush delivery to Canterlot, they just now realized it shoulda been sent out three days ago. They forgot to put it on the train so now I've gotta deliver it," she explained as one of her eyes focused on Twilight for the purpose of addressing her. "This a friend of yours?" she asked as she turned to look at Ulquiorra.

"Not exactly. Just someone we're showing around town. Meet Ulquiorra Cifer, Ulquiorra this is Ditzy Doo. She's one of the best mailmares in the area, currently holds a 95 percent delivery success rate."

"Most ponies call me Derpy. I don't know why though," Ditzy replied, acting as if she hadn't even heard Twilight complimenting her skills. "Could I get my package back now?" she asked.

He observed the strange mare. How exactly had she been tasked with mail delivery if her eyes couldn't properly focus? How was her success rate so high? And why wasn't she giving him a strange look like so many others had? Without a word Ulquiorra handed the package back to Ditzy, watching as she tucked it securely in her bag.

"Thanks. I better get goin' now. See ya later Twilight, see ya later Mr. Ulquiorra Cifer."

He watched as Ditzy left, effortlessly carrying the package with her in the direction of Canterlot. He turned his attention back to Twilight to inquire about a number of recent questions. However he was too slow as she was first to speak.

"Thanks for saving me, Ulquiorra, usually when Pinkie's tail twitches I'm the one who gets it," she stated.

He considered pointing out that she wasn't in any actual danger as the package wasn't all that heavy, although his physical strength might affect his judgement on that. Then he considered explaining Princess Celestia's prior orders of not harming any of her subjects -which could be construed as taking form in an active or passive manner- but decided against that as well. Instead he settled for gaining some answers of his own.

However before he could do that the other four came back out to speak with him. And slowly others that had been more wary of him were coming into the area after the spectacle.

"Ah tell ya Mr. Cifer that was some mighty quick actin' on yer part," Applejack stated as she stepped over to him. "Ah didn' know ya could teleport like Twilight could."

"Yeah I didn't even see you move. One second you were standing all the way over there and the next you're all the way over here before Derpy can finish dropping her package on Twilight's head! That's so cool!" Pinkie stated.

A simple flexing of his sonido skill and they believed he'd teleported. And simply following one interpretation of Princess Celestia's orders and they were treating him like he was some sort of hero. These ponies were such simpletons and idiots. His actions certainly hadn't been motivated by some foolish concept such as heroism but rather a personal interest in keeping his guide from being harmed and complicating his mission to learn about this new world.

"I've witnessed what you call teleportation several times. What I performed just now wasn't it. What you witnessed is a technique all Arrancar possess known as sondio, which is simple high speed physical movement that is faster than the eye can follow and the mind can process," Ulquiorra explained as he placed his hand back in his pocket before any of the ponies could asked him about it. "If we're quite through with the interruptions perhaps we can move onto more relevant matters such as the exploration of the town."

Twilight felt a little put off by Ulquiorra's otherwise cold response, but she was willing to shrug it off and let it go. Right now they had more important things to do and there was a whole lot of Ponyville to see. "Right this way then. I think I know right where to start the grand tour; the Ponyville Markletplace," she replied.

Wordlessly he followed behind Twilight as she lead the way, the rest of the group following close behind him and each with their own idea concerning the wisdom of this decision.

"Ah hope Princess Celestia made the right decision havin' Twilight escort Mr. Cifer 'round Ponyville," Applejack commented to the others.

The current noble jumped at the sound of Princess Celestia's unexpected sneeze, the sound reverberating and seemingly magnified by the throne room's walls. First he'd been subjected to this inane new rule of hers -in front of his fellow nobles as well as the commoner ponies- and now scared in such an undignified manner. It was as if she had absolutely no respect for proper social order. What else could go wrong on this day?

Under normal circumstances the Ponyville marketplace would be hustling and bustling and a considerable amount of commotion would be going on, to the point it would be hard to focus on something in particular unless you were paying close attention. Buying, selling and trading various goods and commodities meant a lively setting that required a decent amount of vigilance to avoid getting run into or running into someone else.

These were not normal circumstances.

As Pinkie, Fluttershy, Applejack, Twilight, Spike, Ulquiorra and the two pegasus guards strolled into the marketplace the normal hustle and bustle dropped in volume to the level of whispers as everyone became aware of the presence of the new and unfamiliar stranger in their midst. nearly everyone stopping what they were doing on the spot, some of them stumbling over each other in a dumbstruck manner.

Ulquiorra paid no mind to the silence and confused looks, they were nothing he wasn't accustomed to. Truthfully it was a sign of some measure of intelligence that the townspeople -perhaps townsponies was more accurate- didn't run up to welcome him as freely as Ditzy Doo had. She hadn't even given him a second look before treating him as an everyday sight; friendly but not overly intelligent.

"They're all staring," Fluttershy whispered as she looked around, feeling herself more unnerved by that fact than Ulquiorra's statement earlier.

"Ah reckon they're confused an' tryin' ta make sense o' what they're seein'. We don' really get many Arrancar 'round these parts," Applejack replied as she noticed the looks they were getting.

"How fortunate for that to be the case," Ulquiorra thought as they walked along. A loose Hollow in this world, guided by pure instinct, would think nothing of gorging itself on every last soul in this small town, each one of them charged with a surprisingly significant level of reiryoku that exceeded what most humans were capable of producing.

That thought brought his mind back to the pony called Fluttershy who was on his left side currently. Out of all those Twilight Sparkle had introduced as friends her reiatsu and reiryoku appeared to be the lowest; lower than even the dragon Spike. It was entirely possible she was borderline in terms of whatever passed for spiritual awareness in this world and would serve as a reference point for establishing a spectrum of strength.

If he had to speculate he would assume Fluttershy was slightly above the level of the human girl who had been able to resist Yammy's gonzui technique, if for no other reason then the fact that his mere presence wasn't overwhelming her and driving her to her knees.

"Ooh! I know! I know! Let's go visit the joke shop! There's always lots of fun stuff there guaranteed to get a laugh!" Pinkie chimed in as she bounced.

"I see no beneficial purpose in the act of laughing. To me it's nothing more than a useless gesture," Ulquiorra stated simply.

Immediately all whispers in the marketplace stopped when those present heard Ulquiorra's words to Pinkie. Surely he hadn't said that to her...right?

"Oh...dear..." Fluttershy whispered.

"...What?" Pinkie asked as she looked at him.

Applejack stepped back and pulled her stetson down over her eyes, not wanting to see just how ugly this was going to get. Ulquiorra was a goner for sure.

Ulquiorra turned and faced her before speaking. "I said that I see no beneficial purpose in the act of laughing and I consider it to be nothing more than a useless gesture. Regardless of whether or not it's your particular Element, I consider it a simple waste of time that could be better utilized otherwise. It is not something I would ever consider engaging in," he explained calmly.

Other ponies began backing away as they watched Pinkie sputtering and stuttering, her body twitching in ways they weren't accustomed to seeing with any of her Pinkie Sense predictions, trying to formulate coherent responses but coming up with nothing but utter gibberish and words nopony was familiar with, everything finally coming to a point as she fell over sideways like someone had just tipped a statue.

"My brain hurts," Pinkie whined pitifully as she lay on the ground, her back leg twitching.

Ulquiorra couldn't understand what had just happened, how Pinkie could so easily be floored with a simple statement about the ineffectiveness of laughter. She was certainly an unusual entity to interact with.

"Ulquiorra, could I see you for a minute?"

He looked up at Twilight's statement, the second time in less than an hour she'd addressed him in such a tone and manner. It was more than likely she wished to educate him on his lack of tact around those she considered her friends. Wordlessly he turned and followed after her as Spike and the others remained behind, obviously concerned with Pinkie's current wellbeing. He walked past the many stand keepers, assorted ponies and at least one zebra in what appeared to be a fedora to underneath a large tree as he followed Twilight's lead until they were well away from any prying ears.

"Am I correct in assuming your intent is to lecture me about my having committed some vague offense I wasn't aware of?" Ulquiorra asked, denying Twilight the option of the first word in the discussion. While she was left momentarily speechless he followed up. "If you intend to insist that I apologize for some transgression I've unknowingly committed then I decline."

Twilight was...well she was more or less dumbstruck by what Ulquiorra had just said to her. He was quick in deducing the reason she'd brought him over here, and just as quick at informing her that it wasn't going to be happening. But then again she knew he was smart after her discussions with him the day before well into the night, and the several rounds of chess they'd engaged in. She knew that this wasn't going to be easy; appealing to his emotional side wasn't going to work, and it was unlikely she could appeal to his logical mind on a matter he didn't fully comprehend. She was going to have to play hardball if she wanted to get anywhere...

"I could order you, you know," she pointed out.

"You could make such an attempt. However I will still decline to comply. If your friend became emotionally distraught over something I said that wasn't to her liking then it's no consequence of mine. I see no reason to apologize," Ulquiorra replied evenly, not even blinking at the notion of being ordered. "Furthermore I don't believe you would make such an attempt as you're aware of the futility of the situation," he continued.

"Say what?" Twilight asked as she blinked. What was he talking about now?

"Based on my observations yesterday it's safe to assume that you value the opinion of Princess Celestia over many others and have taken great pride in your assignment. If you order me to apologize and I decline the most you can do is order me back to Canterlot palace where I will be assigning a failed report of my findings regarding the concept of friendship, the results of which will likely reflect badly on your own performance as an educator. As you don't wish to jeopardize your own standing with your teacher I don't believe you'll attempt such a gamble," Ulquiorra explained calmly.

Twilight flinched at the revelation. His analytical skills were as sharp as any surgeon's scalpel and cut just as deeply, but in a far more painful manner. He was right that she couldn't risk sending him back to Canterlot this early in the day without Princess Celestia possibly thinking bad of her handling this assignment. She really couldn't punish his stubbornness in any effective manner, and failure to do so would simply let him get away with being rude to Pinkie in a manner that hurt her. He basically had her over a barrel and he knew it.

But then again...

"You're right. There's not a whole lot I can do unless I want to admit to Princess Celestia that I failed to be a proper educator," Twilight admitted. However she was quick to follow up with another sentence. "Except for submitting a report of my own detailing how you've been lax in fulfilling your assigned purpose and shirking your duties in learning about friendship. That wouldn't look too good for you either. So it appears we're at a bit of an impasse," she pointed out.

Ulquiorra didn't even blink in response. She was correct in the fact that they were at an stalemate moment, neither one of them able to do much without the situation coming back to bite them.

"Well played, Twilight Sparkle," he admitted, acknowledging that she had discovered something she actually could use effectively other than the threat of authority. Her observational skills were certainly acceptable. "What would you suggest?"

"He's me..."

Spike, Applejack and Fluttershy had remained behind to tend to the fallen Pinkie while Twilight had a word with Ulquiorra in private much like she had back at Sweet Apple Acres. During that time Pinkie had managed to right herself and sit up again, however her demeanor had changed considerably in that short amount of time. While she certainly wasn't in Pinkamena territory yet she definitely wasn't the happy pouncing pony that everypony knew and loved so much.

"What're ya talkin' 'bout Sugarcube?" Applejack asked as she turned her attention away from the other two party members and over to Pinkie's currently sitting form.

"Ulqy's just like me when I was growing up. No friends, check. No cake, check. Desolate location, check. Always frowning, check. Not knowing about laughing, double check! Ulqy's everything I was back on my parent's rock farm. He's what I could've been if Rainbow Dash hadn't done the Sonic Rainboom and we all got our cutie marks!" Pinkie stated.

The idea was more than a little disturbing and left her feeling uneasy, with herself and her surroundings. How had she not noticed it sooner? What if she'd never discovered the joy of throwing parties and making ponies happy? Would she be just like Ulquiorra was and lack a passion for life and everything else? Would she be cold and unfeeling and have a stare that made those around her wince and turn away from her? Would she have turned out just like the Arrancar?

"They're coming back," Spike stated and pointed, bringing their attention to the sight of Ulquiorra and Twilight walking through the crowd and back to their previous position.

"Ah wonder wha' they talked about," Applejack muttered.

There was silence as Ulquiorra approached slowly and seemingly methodically, coming to a stop in front of Pinkie and looking down at her. There was a great degree of tension in the air before her spoke again, addressing her directly.

"Perhaps during my stay in Equestria you can teach me about the importance of laughter?" he asked her. It wasn't a question made by his own decision but rather one Twilight had insisted upon. If he wasn't going to issue an apology -and he wasn't- then she was determined to correct the situation, the best way she knew how being to have him ask her friend about one of the key aspects to friendship and harmony and learn about them. And right now to Twilight, laughter seemed like a good place to start.

He observed how almost immediately the pink pony's bright and overly cheerful exterior returned in full force, and with it her unusual reiatsu flaring out enough to blanket a sizable area, erasing whatever measure of concern it seemed she was experiencing previously.

"Sure thing Ulqy! Put 'er there!" she said and extended her right foreleg again.

Ulquiorra nearly withdrew his hand from his pocket but stopped when he noticed something that hadn't been there previously; a band wrapped around her hoof. Something wasn't right. "And what pray tell is this you have on your hoof?" he asked.

"This?" Pinkie asked as she turned her hoof over in what should've been an impossible manner to reveal the contraption attached to the metallic band. "This is a joy buzzer."

"And how does it work?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Oh it's really simple. First you strap it on your hoof just like this," she said, referring to what she'd just done. "Then you get somebody to shake hooves with you, just like this," she continued and pressed her other hoof to it to give the demonstration of how a joy buzzer was used. It wasn't until afterwards that she realized what she'd done as her body was exposed by a significant degree of electricity, enough to light up her eyeballs and alternatively illuminate her skeleton, he mane and tail becoming more frizzed out than ever once the charge dissipated.

Ulquiorra watched the entire display without even blinking. She'd intended to use such a device on him? And if that was her intent why had she used it on herself instead?

"I fail to see why such a device would be referred to as a joy buzzer," he replied before turning to address Twilight. "Is this considered an appropriate situation for laughter?"

"Probably not..." Twilight finally replied as she looked at her friend. The black sooted face and coughing of black clouds at least looked funny, and the fact that she'd fallen for her own prank through a simple question was pretty funny. But laughing just didn't seem right in this situation.

Then again it wasn't all that funny when Gilda had fallen for the trick either.

"Wow," Pinkie coughed. She never realized it before but those things hurt!

Applejack and Spike were the only ones present to really find the entire situation amusing enough to chuckle at. Pinkie falling for her own prank wasn't something you saw everyday. The fact that Ulquiorra had caused it with nothing but a simple question just seemed all the funnier.

"It would seem things are not going according to whatever plan you had formulated when we set out," Ulquiorra commented as he turned his attention to Twilight. If she intended for him to be surrounded by new friends who were eager to greet him and make him feel welcomes right about now, then she was quite sorely mistaken.

"Maybe not but I'm not about to give up. Come on, I've got another idea on where we can go and get better results than we are here," Twilight stated. She had a brainstorm brewing and wanted to see it through before anything else came up.

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Rarity really did love her little sister, Sweetie Belle, she really did. And she would vehemently argue such a point to anypony who dared to suggest otherwise and insinuate anything less. Her little sister was one of the only ponies she'd truly trudge her way through the mud and muck for without giving any concern to what it would do to her coat and mane, or how it would ruin all her effort in stylizing herself to look simply gorgeous.

That said...during times such as these she was quite glad that Sweetie Belle lived with their parents rather than her. Her dear little sister had the annoying habit of getting underhoof when she was trying so hard to help out and be useful around Carousel Boutique. And with her current work order she couldn't afford such exhaustive and infuriating distractions. In some ways she was much like Opal...except Opal was just a simple animal and didn't have the ability to realize that her actions had consequences. Sweetie Belle was far from simple in such terms, she just...didn't think things all the way through.

She let out a sigh as she looked up from her current work, giving her neck a very unladylike but desperately needed crack. The stitches needed on this dress were as intricate as they were fine and required a delicate touch that her sewing machine simply wasn't designed for, meaning she had to do it all through continuous magical focus. It wasn't anything suitable for an amateur, and as much as she hated to admit it even she had trouble with it when going so long.

But at least that intricate little detail was finished.

"Oh Rarity, darling, you've really created a reputation for yourself that even you can hardly live up to," she told herself as she eased the glasses off her face and set them down on the work table.

She needed a break right about now. The intricate stitching was done and to the point where if she stepped away she wouldn't risk losing her place and becoming confused. She could really stand some fresh air and a little time away from the boutique. And right now she was having a craving for one of the Cakes' exquisitely delicious fudge cupcakes. A few minutes on break surely couldn't hurt.

Stepping outside one thing immediately came to her mind; the sun was exceedingly bright. She'd been cooped up inside for so long she hadn't thought to give it any consideration and needed to let her eyes adjust a little before stepping all the way out and enjoying a relaxing breath of fresh air. Already she could feel the tension knot beginning to ease; but for best results a direct application of succulent chocolate was indeed necessary.

It was really amazing what spending so many hours locked up inside could do to one's perspective. Ponyville was always a beautiful place to live but the deprivation just seemed to reinvigorate that beauty all over again. It was the kind of beauty that made one stop and take notice of everything around them...everything that is except for what or who was right in the path and resulted in Rarity falling face first into the dirt in a most ungraceful manner.

"Goodness who put that stupid rock there?" Rarity asked as she picked herself back up out of the dirt.

"I'm not a stupid rock!"

She recognized that voice. Turning and looking at what -or rather who- she tripped over she realized that it was Sweetie Belle!

"Sweetie Belle? Whatever are you doing there darling?" she asked as she magically lifted her younger sister up to give her a dusting off; the best she could do short of having her take a bath and cleaning herself up properly.

"Looking for you. You've gotta come to the park and see what's going on there," Sweetie Belle stated.

"Sweetie you know how busy I am, I'm only taking a few minutes off to clear my head. Can't you just tell me what it is you want me to see?" Rarity asked.

"I could try but as Applejack would say "y'all ain' gonna believe this"," Sweetie Belle said, pulling off a passable impersonation of the earth pony's southern drawl. "There's somebody there that you've gotta see for yourself," she explained.

"Did you just say "somebody"? That's a rather strange term to be using. Is that something new you found in that dictionary you've been reading lately?" Rarity asked, finding her sister's term to be...unusual.

"His term not mine," Sweetie Belle replied. "Trust me Rarity you've gotta see him. Some sort of dignitary visiting Ponyvillle from way far off. You've never seen anyone like him before!"

She wanted to remind Sweetie Belle about how busy her schedule currently was, how she didn't even have the time to talk to her about how her schoolwork went. But she remained silent as her sister's words began to sink in and were digested. A dignitary visiting Ponyville from a far off land? Weren't dignitaries usually ones that held high positions and worked with royalty or others of authority? The more she thought on it the more she arrived at the conclusion that maybe she could take a little break from her work for this.

"Is that so? Well if some...body... has come to Ponyville for a visit then it would be rude not to meet them. Lead the way, Sweetie Belle," Rarity stated.

Sweetie Belle grinned and trotted in place in excitement, both at having her sister follow her for this meeting, and the fact that she hadn't insisted on swinging back by the boutique to put together some elaborate outfit for the occasion; she knew from her own experience that such would take hours and they really didn't have hours available to them.

"Oh but what will I wear?"

Most of the time she was very polite to others around her and didn't do anything to deliberately upset them. But at her sister's words she so dearly wanted to curse out loud at her right now.

When he'd made his first official visit to Karakura Town to find the target Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki, their arrival had been in the town park.

It was ironic that Twilight Sparkle's idea for his first official visit with the Ponyville townspeople -townsponies he had to remind himself- was currently taking place in the town's park.

"What exactly did you do?" Ulquiorra asked as he watched two dozen or so ponies approaching his location from beyond the treeline. Ponies of all species, color schemes, sizes and apparently age ranges were showing up and slowly taking note of him. Some with surprise and confusion, such as the two lavender pegasi mares, and some with apparent fascination, such as the teal green unicorn that was currently grinning at his sight.

Standing besides him currently was Twilight Sparkle, grinning at everyone showing up, her reiatsu level pulsing brightly as she was pleased with the visible results of whatever she'd done. "I just asked some of the ponies I knew to come and meet someone new that was waiting in the park. Then they asked a few ponies they knew and things just...went from there," she explained. "Don't worry I didn't tell them anything about you. I figured we'd let them find out things for themselves."

At least Twilight had the sense to not go around broadcasting the concocted tale of him being a visiting dignitary looking to establish diplomatic relations with Equestria. Granted she had told it to the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony but that was a simple short term solution meant for them. If she went around telling the same story to everyone then they would feel compelled to interact with him regardless of what they felt. Their actions and manners would be stiff and carefully guided rather than being allowed to flow freely and naturally. She at least had an understanding of that fact and knew that it wouldn't be beneficial to him fulfilling his assignment and learning about the concept of friendship.

"There are undoubtedly going to be many questions to answer before this is over. How many more useless conversations am I going to be involved in?" Ulquiorra asked rhetorically as he saw the ponies getting closer. "Generally I have no dislike for in-depth conversations of relevance. Instead I'm being faced with the same basic questions in a repetitive manner. How much longer must this exercise in redundancy continue before everyone is sufficiently informed?"

"I know it seems kinda senseless but please be patient, it won't last much longer. Just answer a few questions and we'll see how it goes from there," Twilight said as she tried to reassure him. Truth be told she could understand how he was feeling right now, the repetitiveness of it all could be frustrating at times; she'd had to explain things to the ponies of Ponyville more than once so he wasn't exactly alone on the matter.

That thought really didn't sound right even if it technically was an accurate description of the facts. Nevermind she was starting to get off topic even in her own mind. Right now there were other important matters at hand...at hoof...great now she was actively starting to think in his dialect too. This was getting ridiculous.

"Hush now," Applejack instructed as the other ponies were getting close enough to be within earshot. "Howdy there everypony, glad ya'll could make it."

Ulquiorra remained silent and kept his hands tucked into his pockets, mentally preparing himself for what might come. Perhaps he should've just remained in Canterlot.

"Come on Rarity we're gonna be late," Sweetie Belle whined. Despite her best efforts she found it was impossible to dissuade her sister from going back to the boutique and putting together a fancy outfit for meeting the newest visitor to Ponyville. And she had definitely gone with fancy, a mix of fine fabrics and several pieces of exquisite jewelry, to say nothing of the makeup she'd made use of.

Right now her sister was vocalizing a defense for her actions, explaining how first impressions were very important and had to be done correctly, especially when that someone was important and might have ties to royalty. She really wasn't paying attention, mostly tuning out her excuses in favor of walking toward the park.

"I never did ask you, Sweetie Belle, what exactly is this dignitary like?" Rarity asked as she walked along, her pace casual but the tone of her walk suggesting it was restrained.

"Like I said you'd have to see him to believe him. I saw him before coming to get you and even I don't believe him," Sweetie Belle replied, uncertain how to explain the visitor to her sister. "I really don't even know if it really is a "he" it might be a "she" for all I know."

Now Rarity was confused. Intrigued but utterly confused. For her age Sweetie Belle was quite intelligent and she possessed quite a vocabulary, so the fact that she couldn't properly describe this visitor was a mystery. Instantly her mind began buzzing with possibilities, subconsciously crafting what she believed a foreign dignitary should look like and how handsome he would be: tall, masculine, well cultured and educated, perfectly polished teeth, his mane exquisitely groomed and his hooves shiny from a great deal of care for personal hygiene. It was all absolutely dreamy!

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes as she listened to the contented sounds coming from her sister behind her. She was lost in her daydreams again. Sometimes Rarity could be more annoying than Diamond Tiara, but in an entirely different manner.

Fortunately she didn't have to tune her sister out for very long as they were approaching the park clearing where everyone was currently gathered, and there were quite a few party members present for this meeting. She spotted Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Applejack easily enough. She caught sight of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo too and that wasn't really surprising. More surprising was Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon being present. Then there was Time Turner, and Caramel, Berry Punch and their teacher Miss Cherilee, Mrs. Cake, Mayor Mare and a lot of other ponies she recognized, but didn't really know them by name. And standing in the middle of the small crowd was the guest of honor who appeared to be having a conversation with the musician Lyra Heartstrings; one could only imagine what that was about.

"Oh my," Rarity gasped as she came to a stop.

Sweetie Belle bit back the smirk that she wanted to flash. She knew her sister well enough to know that her daydream had been about the princely type found in books about fairytales, one with a crown and maybe a flowing cape, designed to be the perfect stallion for every little filly to love. Instead she was greeted by someone that was pale, bipedal, lanky and...spooky. She didn't want to be mean but it was kinda funny.

"Oh my," Rarity repeated, "just who or...or what..."

"If I remember correctly his name's Ulquiorra Cifer and he's from somewhere called Hueco Mundo," Sweetie Belle replied, knowing her sister wasn't going to get a full sentence out properly. Seeing her sister stunned she pressed on. "Come on, Rarity, we don't wanna keep that visiting dignitary waiting and look inhospitable do we? He might not give a good report to whatever prince he works for," she said and chuckled, knowing her sister wouldn't want to do something like that.

Rarity shook her head to clear her mind. Sweetie Belle was right in the fact that there was no reason to be rude. Simply because this individual looked far different from anypony else she'd ever seen before didn't mean being impolite was acceptable. She'd come all this way to be hospitable and welcoming, the least she could do was see it through.

"I bet you could play some wicked tunes like no one else," she heard the DJ Vinyl Scratch comment as she stepped closer. Something else was said that she didn't quite catch before the blue maned unicorn took off running.

Rarity didn't let the crowd bother her, not the unusual things that were being said to the fellow that stood before her. She had poise and style, refinement and cultivated manners, she was certain to be smashing and a breath of fresh air compared to the otherwise laid back approach everyone else was indulging in. Finally she stood before him and bowed.

"Ulquiorra Cifer, greetings and welcome to Ponyville. My name is Rarity and it's a pleasure to meet you."

His experience with the pony race was understandably limited so it was difficult to gauge overall success when there was nothing to work with but short term results that had no long term analytical value. However it seemed reasonable to conclude that this impromptu meeting was progressing in a manner that made Twilight Sparkle pleased with the results.

Introductions were made and he was becoming familiar with the names of the various ponies that had come to greet him, some easier to remember than others. Each of them had a differing level of reiatsu as well as their own unique texture, most of them proving equal or higher to Fluttershy in comparison. He briefly wondered if the yellow pegasus was aware of the fact that some of the present foals had a higher level than she did.

It was a given that there would be many questions asked by those present. Questions regarding his attire, his zanpakutō, his manner of speech, what he was, where he was from, what he was doing here, how he stood on two legs without anything to counterbalance his weight, the remains of his Hollow mask, and a slew of other questions that ranged from legitimate to ludicrous. All were answered simply and honestly...at least as honestly as Twilight Sparkle would allow for, as she didn't yet believe now was the time to be explaining what Hollows were and how they acted.

The unicorn introduced as Lyra Heartstrings had been polite enough, although far more curious than the others and had to be told by Twilight Sparkle to let the others have their own turn. Then came the strange mannered white unicorn with an electric blue mane, ruby tinted sunglasses and a voice that easily left him wondering if there was any relation to Charlotte Chuhlhourne.

"I bet you could play some wicked tunes like no one else," Vinyl Scratch commented as she eyed his hands before they could be tucked back into his pockets.

"I have no concept of what you're talking about," he stated before turning his attention to Twilight for elaboration. "Wicked tunes?"

"Music. Vinyl's special talent is music and she's wondering how good of a musician you'd be since you have hands," Twilight explained.

"I wouldn't know. I've never engaged in anything related to music before," Ulquiorra replied.

"For reals bro? That's a cryin' shame! Hold on I'll be right back!" Vinyl stated and bolted.

There was one fact regarding this meeting that Twilight Sparkle wouldn't care to hear. Most of these ponies were little more than trash. They held no interest for him and he regarded his interaction with them as a waste of time. Answering questions about his hands and how he styled his hair weren't conductive to fulfilling his assigned purpose.

And then came another into his view, far different form the others. Unlike other ponies who didn't seem to bother with the concept of outer coverings this one -a mare based on what he was seeing- was covered extensively, her choice of wear being quite fancy in nature; fancier than anything he had seen either in this world or his own. Her attire went far beyond the role of basic covering or even protection against unfavorable elements of weather, that was most certainly a safe assumption to make.

Unlike the others she too seemed to possess some degree of manners as she bowed her head before speaking to him.

"Ulquiorra Cifer, greetings and welcome to Ponyville. My name is Rarity and it's a pleasure to meet you."

Her pronunciation of his name was off. It sounded as if she'd tried to pronounce it with "cure" instead of the proper structure. Perhaps it was due to her unusual accent. However it was preferable to some of the other interpretations he'd encountered so far. And as noted she possessed manners. She didn't automatically assume that she was going to be his new friend right off the bat and treat him as such. She had some measure of refinement to her; perhaps more refinement than Princess Celestia.

"So you're the one that bears the Element of Generosity," he replied, causing her to quickly look up in surprise and confusion. "Your friends have told me about you. That said, I find it interesting how you know my name. I don't think I ever told you my name though."

He'd said those same words before, not even six days ago. And in that situation someone had known his name without his formal introduction, primarily due to Yammy being a considerable loudmouth. Looking over and seeing the smaller white unicorn coming back into the crowd after running off earlier it seemed to make sense to some degree.

Rarity was flustered momentarily before continuing. "It's true we haven't had a proper introduction yet. I found out about you only through my little sister Sweetie Belle. And once she told me we had a dignitary visiting Ponyville I simply couldn't stay away, I just had to come down and meet you face to face," she explained.

Ulquiorra said nothing in response at first. Again with him being regarded as a dignitary. How much longer was Twilight Sparkle going to insist on maintaining this charade and purposelessly lying to those she claimed were her friends? Where was the final "Element of Harmony" presently so an end could be put to this nonsense? He was beginning to feel more annoyed by his surroundings than he felt having to deal with the human woman. He almost found himself wishing he was still standing on the dome roof of Las Noches, talking with the woman, the Shinigami, and the Quincy.

"So how're you finding our fair little town?" Rarity asked him.

"At present time I lack sufficient information to form an educated opinion," Ulquiorra explained as he kept his gaze on her. Nothing conclusive could be gathered from just these few interactions and his brief walk through the Ponyville Marketplace. Nothing conclusive could even be gathered on the few ponies he'd encountered.

Rarity flinched under Ulquiorra's piercing stare. Despite his eyes being the most magnificent shade of teal she'd ever seen anypony wear they were considerably uncomfortable to look at for any real length of time. She almost felt like she was an ant under a magnifying glass right now. His eyes didn't hold anything like she'd seen in anypony else before, no signs of joy or life or excitement, just...omnipresent emptiness, like an eternal void or a bottomless hole. It was a very chilling experience that sent shivers up her spine.

"You fear me," Ulquiorra stated bluntly without even blinking.

"What? Good heavens no," Rarity exclaimed, taken by surprise by his statement. How could he assume such a thing? Granted there was a small degree of truth to the statement, his piercing gaze was highly uncomfortable to be subjected to and his monochromatic and unnatural appearance didn't help matters any. But that still didn't mean she would attempt to be inhospitable during his stay here. She'd learned quite well from the Zecora incident that appearances shouldn't be the determining matter when meeting someone new.

Ulquiorra doubted her words and the sincerity behind them. He had seen much fear in his time and what she was displaying was certainly fear. However the revelation seemed to snap her out of whatever thoughts she'd been experiencing and forced her to try and bury her concerns under a poorly crafted mask of civility and refinement. He wasn't entirely certain how this one came to hold the Element of Generosity. Looking over to Twilight for elaboration it was his turn to be caught off guard and left silent at the sight of Spike, his eyes currently locked on Rarity and his face displaying something strange he'd never seen before, not among his fellow Espada or even those that invaded Hueco Mundo.

He turned his attention back to Rarity, studying her with his pesquisa just like he had the others. Reiryoku pools weren't overly impressive, reiatsu about average in comparison to the others, the most interesting aspect being the texture of her reiatsu. Every pony had their own unique texture and no two were exactly alike, although there were similarities between some. With some the texture was smooth like polished river rocks, others were more jagged like chipped shale, or rough like granite. And then there was Rarity, her spiritual texture being unique in that it was smooth in certain areas and pointed in others. She was beginning to prove mildly interesting as he'd never quite seen anything like this before.

Perhaps among all the trash present there was something akin to buried treasure within the ponies.

"Hey bro! Check it out!"

Then again the notion of digging through mountains of trash in the search of treasure held little appeal for him.

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Rainbow Dash was bored tired right now. The meeting concerning weather patterns for the coming week and what areas they'd have to work in order to compensate for the warmer southern air moving in had been a real snooze fest to sit through, and that speaker they had just droned on and on in a monotonous tone that practically sapped all energy from her pegasi frame. It was as if the stallion's words were crafted in such a way that they were designed to slowly but surely suck the life force out of everypony present and leave behind nothing more than withered husks; that was certainly how she felt right about now.

"Stupid warm southern air," she muttered only to be overtaken by a yawn. An incredibly loud, drawn out yawn that nearly sprained her jaw. Stupid air currents, stupid meeting, stupid boring speaker, stupid spreadsheets and complex charts, stupid everything!

All she wanted to do right now as she arrived back in Ponyville was grab the first stray cloud she saw, drag it over to the park and take a much deserved nap until dinner time, then grab something to eat and promptly go back to bed again. That was all she wanted to do. Was that seriously asking too much?

Considering all the commotion that was going on down below and interrupting her rest she certainly believed it was. She wasn't even halfway to her favorite napping spot when she became aware of the crowd down below. Normally a crowd wouldn't bother her, she always loved receiving the cheers from the masses and seeing their adoration for what she could do.

But this time was different. This crowd wasn't here for her but somepony else. Somepony was down there and hogging all the glory for themselves. She scowled. Her nap could wait as this intrusion meant business. The last thing she wanted was another Mare Do Well-type incident to be rearing its ugly head. Jumping off her cloud perch, she glided down, circling the perimeter before touching down on the soft grass and looking for a way to get through the crowd and get to the center of whatever was going on here.

"Rainbow Dash!"

She turned and looked down at the source of the voice, already knowing it was her number one fan. Somehow Scootaloo being present didn't surprise her any.

"Hey squirt!" she greeted back, "what's going on down here anyway? I'm away for one day to attend a weather conference and just about half the town is gathered in the park like I just did something awesome. I don't get it."

"Well something definitely awesome is going on, take a look up front with Twilight and the others, you aren't gonna believe it otherwise," Scootaloo responded as best she could.

Well this wasn't going to get her anywhere fast. She was wasting good napping time on this investigation. Shrugging she stepped forward to see just what the big deal was about, muttering apologies as she bumped and brushed against the various ponies to get through the crowd and wanting to flap her wings to drive them back and clear a path.

"Whoa..."

That pretty much summed up everything as she saw it. Short, simple, and straight to the point. Just plain old whoa. No other words were sufficient for this situation.

The conversation with the unicorn Vinyl Scratch had been long and tedious. Her absence hadn't been long enough before she returned with several cases of various instruments in an attempt to find one or more he was good at and could use in something she called a "jam session." He saw absolutely no use in it and hadn't even bothered trying to imitate the manipulations of the strings on a guitar when she was giving a demonstration of how to play it.

"I have no interest in music whatever," had been his response. Apparently to this pony that was a crushing statement and left her spirit deflated and motivated her to leave once again, much to the relief of his ears and his nerves. Some ponies were more trash than others.

"That really wasn't necessary," Twilight commented as she watched Vinyl Scratch leave the area, the musical instruments in tow.

"It was an honest and accurate statement," Ulquiorra responded, no longer paying any attention to the crowd. He would rather be left alone to contemplate his observations instead of answering more questions and entertaining foolishness. However there was a disturbance in his pesquisa that interrupted that. "There's a strange reiatsu approaching fast."

Almost as if on cue another pony made their way forward, a mare pegasus of cyan blue coloring and a hairstyle that seemed unnatural even for here. Polychromatic streaks to her mane and tail, a butchery cut and styling to it that made it look like she'd flown too close to something sharp. Based on hair coloration alone it would appear safe to conclude that this was Rainbow Dash and the final bearer of one of the mysterious Elements of Harmony.

"Whoa..."

Dumbstruck. It was a reaction he'd become accustomed to encountering during his time here. And if she was dumbstruck now then what he was about to do would easily drive the point homeward.

"Am I correct in assuming your name is Rainbow Dash?" he asked, causing her eyes to go wide in surprise. He was fully prepared to launch into a series of pre-formed answers to some of the various questions he'd been asked up to this point to leave her with little in the way that she could ask. However before he could open his mouth Twilight Sparkle was already talking to the latest arrival.

"Glad to see you could make it Rainbow Dash!" Twilight stated. "How'd the weather conference go?" she asked as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Uh..." Rainbow Dash paused and tried to properly structure her thoughts. Right now her mind was completely disorganized and normally that was just fine for her, but these were unusual circumstances and she almost found herself wishing she had a mind like Twilight's. "You know how they are, boring and lame," she finally replied before turning her attention back to Ulquiorra. "What's shakin'?"

An unusual choice of banter for an introductory statement. Somewhat appropriate for such an unusual world filled with unusual beings.

"At present time I possess no knowledge relating to any seismic disturbances that would lead to ground tremors and cause objects to begin shaking unexpectedly," Ulquiorra replied without even blinking.

Rainbow Dash's face was blank at first, and then filled with confusion as she scratched her head with her hoof, before finally turning to look at Twilight as if she had answers to everything. Considering what he'd learned about the lavender unicorn in the last 24 hours it didn't seem out of the realm of possibilities that she really did.

"Twi' what's going on here? Who -and what- is this...thing?" she asked, gesturing with her hoof, "and why's he talking all Eggheadian and whatnot?"

"First off that's not even a real word," Twilight replied flatly with a frown. "Second that's rather rude. Third this is Ulquiorra Cifer and he hails out the way from a far off land called Hueco Mundo, far beyond the boundaries of Equestria proper. He's never heard of Equestria before and he's here to learn about our land and the ponies that live here. And Princess Celestia said Ponyville was the perfect place to start," she explained.

"Awesome!" Rainbow Dash stated and beat her wings to bring her hovering up to eye level with Ulquiorra before addressing him again. "Princess Celestia was right, you couldn't find a more awesome place than Ponyville to start learning about Equestria, we've got everything that's cool right here, including yours truly. The fastest flyer in all of Equestria, master of the Sonic Rainboom, Element of Loyalty and future Wonderbolt, Rainbow Dash at your service. Put 'er there!" she finished and extended her hoof.

Just as Rarity being the one who represented generosity was a mystery, so was how Rainbow Dash represented loyalty. She seemed quite full of herself in her belief that she was somehow the best around.

"All self appointed I assume," he replied and didn't even bother to remove his hand from his pocket. He'd engaged in enough physical greetings for the day as far as he was concerned. Her arrogance certainly didn't help matters any.

Rainbow Dash frowned at being snubbed and insulted right off the bat. "I'll have you know my achievements have been recognized! I'm the Iron Pony! There's not a pony around who could hold a candle to me," she stated and retracted her foreleg to fold them both across her chest in indignation.

"Oh fer the sake o' peat moss, not this "iron pony" nonsense again, it's been two years," Applejack muttered as she pulled her hat down.

Ulquiorra chose to ignore Applejack and instead focus on Rainbow Dash currently. "Simply because you currently hold a title doesn't mean you have either earned it or deserve it."

Rainbow Dash was hovering close to his face and growling now, bearing her teeth in an aggressive manner suggesting she was looking for a fight. Ulquiorra remained unfazed by the sudden display of hostility and merely made observations. Out of all Twilight Sparkle's friends this one appeared to have the most control over her reiatsu. Comparatively speaking her reiryoku was somewhere around Applejack's level, but the pressure being exerted was of considerably greater density, as if she was familiar with her own limited magic and fully knew the extent of it and how to use it properly.

"You show up here brand new to Equestria, you don't know anything about what goes on here and you're passing judgement on us? You're really a jerk you know that!?" she shouted and narrowed her eyes at him.

There was something about this pony that annoyed him greatly. Something that reminded him of...

+++

Throughout Hueco Mundo the Espada were the most feared and revered of all Hollows. Every Hollow believed that they had what it took to become one regardless of what the facts said to the contrary. Unlike so many others they held the honor of being the current manifestation of the group; an honor they had held for barely a month. The Shinigami known as Sosuke Aizen had apparently seen much potential in them and hand selected them to be his Espada and ranked them accordingly to all the available information, from Primera Espada Coyote Starrk to Diez Espada Yammy Llargo.

"What's up, Ulquiorra?"

However simply because they were ranked according to the will of Aizen-sama didn't mean that all of them were happy with their placing. The current Sexta Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez was proof of that. He hadn't taken kindly to his relatively low rank and made no effort to hide his disdain from his fellow Espada; especially those that outranked him.

"What do you want, Grimmjow?" Ulquiorra asked as he stopped his pace in the hallway, his direction opposite from the path his fellow Espada had been headed.

"Betchya think you're something special don't ya?" Grimmjow asked rhetorically, a snide grin on his face.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ulquiorra replied and resumed walking.

A quick exercise in sonido later and Grimmjow was now standing in front of him, blocking his path. "Don't gimme that shit! Little fucker! How did an effeminate thing like you get to hold the rank of cuatro? What the fuck makes you so much better than somebody like me?!" he yelled angrily.

"Aizen-sama has made his decision on the matter. We've been assigned our parts and our roles according to his wisdom. It's not for us to question his decision," Ulquiorra replied calmly. "The simple fact that you hold the rank of sexta rather than cuatro is more than enough to suggest you are an inferior specimen or you would be ranked higher."

He moved to leave but was cut off again, Grimmjow punching the wall with his fist and cracking the stone used in its construction.

"How's about I shove your head up your ass!? I bet Aizen'd make me Cuatro Espada for sure then, seeing his little bitch bent like a pretzel!"

He was growing annoyed with Grimmjow. The only reason he didn't kill him was because he believed his continued existence was necessary to fulfill Aizen-sama's ultimate goal. The Sexta Espada didn't seem interested in simply letting the argument go nor releasing him to go about his business. Without a word he turned around and proceeded to walk back the way he came, deciding to take an alternate route rather than continue this senseless discussion.

"Don't you dare turn your back on me you little fucker!" Grimmjow yelled and roughly grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. Much to his surprise he was greeted by the back of Ulquiorra's left hand on the spin around, hitting him with enough force to daze him.

"I have no time for this discussion," Ulquiorra replied simply and walked right past Grimmjow as he held his struck cheek.

It took him a minute to realize just what transpired in the space of a few seconds, replaying the events he'd experienced. Finally the realization hit him like a ton of bricks all at once; he'd just been bitch slapped!

"You little fucker!" Grimmjow roared and spun around quickly, drawing Pantera from its sheath and swinging at Ulquiorra's neck.

There was a loud clang as events unfolded. Ulquiorra had turned and easily intercepted the crudely launched attack, stopping Grimmjow's blade with nothing more than his index finger, easily keeping the blade at bay as if it were nothing.

"I grow tired of your arrogance, Grimmjow. Aizen-sama has made his decision and declared your place. Nothing you can do will change that fact. Your should know that none of your attacks will ever be able to harm me no matter how hard you try. It's a useless endeavor and you should simply give up while it's still your choice," Ulquiorra explained calmly.

Grimmjow apparently had other ideas, using his free hand to charge his cero to launch an attack.

The next second unfolded faster than his mind could properly process, only becoming aware of an aching pain in his head and a lot of darkness. Then he realized what had just happened; Ulquiorra had slammed his head right through the fucking stone wall and left him there!

"Damn you, you little fucking girly bitch! When I get free I'm gonna kick the piss outta ya and shove your head right up your ass for this!" Grimmjow yelled as she struggled to pull his head free, only to feel the fractured stones in the wall pressing against his neck with each movement he made and holding him in place.

Ulquiorra was through with Grimmjow's shenanigans. With the trash currently dealt with he continued walking along, ignoring the howls of protest and the threats involving his liver being cut out and feasted upon. He had nothing to fear.

+++

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez..." he thought.

How had he not seen it before? This Rainbow Dash seemed to embody a great number of Grimmjow's less than savory qualities of personality. She was loud, boastful, rude, brash, impulsive and certainly more violence-oriented than her friends and comrades.

"I am merely making an observation based on what I know," Ulquiorra replied simply. Rainbow Dash muttered something unintelligible before finally turning and hovering off.

Under normal circumstances Ulquiorra would have simply let Rainbow Dash leave, having no interest in such trash. But this pony was different. This pony reminded him of one of his fellow Espada. She reminded him of the one Espada he had reason to dislike nearly as much as he did with Nnoitra Gilga. Something within him, buried deep, deep within, couldn't simply let her go after what had transpired.

There was a booming echo of static as Ulquiorra appeared in front of Rainbow Dash and blocked her retreat as he stood in the middle of the currently assembled -and now currently disassembling- crowd. "Simply because you presume to be spectacular at something doesn't mean that you truly are," he stated as he stared her in the eyes.

Rainbow Dash came to a sudden halt just short of crashing into him. How had he gotten there so fast? Turning back around she saw that he wasn't next to Twilight anymore but really in front of her. She hated to admit it but that was fast!

"Generally those that brag the loudest about their own sense of greatness are those most insecure with themselves," Ulquiorra continued.

Rainbow Dash blinked. He hadn't seriously just gone there had he?

"And I suppose you think that you're something special?" Rainbow Dash asked him.

"My own personal opinion of myself and my abilities is of no importance. I possess no insecurities that would encourage me to brag about my accomplishments and ambitions and appear arrogant to others. I am simply what I am, nothing more and nothing less," he explained calmly and evenly, his collected nature only seeming to infuriate her all the more.

"Maybe havin' RD meet that Mr. Cifer fella wasn' such a good idea afterall," Applejack commented from where she stood. Right off the bat the two had been involved in a disagreement with Rainbow Dash's temper flaring and Ulquiorra remaining as calm as ever as they traded statements back and forth.

Twilight felt inclined to agree with Applejack. Rainbow Dash and Ulquiorra were direct opposites not just in style and personality but even basic color schemes. Rainbow Dash was loud, proud, hotheaded and polychromatic, Ulquiorra was quiet, withdrawn, calculating and monochromatic. She couldn't see anything they had in common but she'd hoped they could at least get along somewhat.

However her thoughts were interrupted by the strangest sound she'd heard in a while. It was like a really static-y boom taking place and in the blink of an eye Ulquiorra was no longer standing where he had been for the last hour.

"Good gracious what was that!?" Rarity yelled in surprise, caught off guard at the sudden display.

"That was sonido," Spike spoke up, bringing Rarity attention to him. "Ulquiorra did the same thing back in town when Derpy dropped a package that was gonna hit Twilight. It's like high speed running rather than teleporting," he explained, remembering the conversation that'd taken place earlier.

"Ah don' know how he does it but if ah could learn that trick it'd really help when it comes ta applebuckin'," Applejack commented.

Twilight was inclined to agree. She hadn't really seen sonido performed yet but the mechanics behind it seemed fascinating. High speed physical movement had to have numerous useful applications and she'd love to study it and see if she could learn how to do it herself. It went without saying that Rainbow Dash would love to learn that trick too, seeing as she was all about speed.

Pinkie and Fluttershy were keeping quiet as they watched everything. Just about everypony present was getting uncomfortable and upset as Ulquiorra and Rainbow Dash maintained their back and forth banter with Rainbow Dash's voice seeming to grow in intensity and volume while Ulquiorra's couldn't be heard from this distance. The townsponies that'd shown up were slowly backing away and putting distance between themselves as the volume grew. So far they seemed to be the only two who were aware of this fact, the rest of their friends absorbed in their own little worlds.

"-then I'll show you awesome!" Rainbow Dash yelled, the first part of her statement going undetected before she took to the skies at high speed.

Ulquiorra glanced upward momentarily before calmly making his way back to where he'd been standing previously.

"Wha' jus' happened?" Applejack asked.

"Your friend doesn't seem to respond well to criticism of her personality. She's determined to show me "awesome" and intends to perform something she calls the "Sonic Rainboom" and claims to have mastered," Ulquiorra replied calmly before turning his eyes to the sky again, not noticing as all the other ponies did the same.

"Oh dear," Fluttershy whispered.

"Woohoo!" Pinkie cheered and bounced excitedly.

"Well this is probably something you'll want to see. I'll guarantee you Hueco Mundo doesn't have anything like this," Twilight stated and looked upward. Truth be told the Sonic Rainboom was something she did enjoy seeing whenever it was deployed.

Even at this distance Ulquiorra could still make out Rainbow Dash's position. By now he was seeing the mach cone beginning to form directly ahead of her and indicating high speed travel. But what was of more interest was the intense fluctuation in her reiatsu and reiryoku, the latter being diverted to different areas of her body while the density of the former was increasing greatly.

There was a sudden booming noise in the sky and an explosion of colors. The crowd down below cheered with excitement at the display as the multicolored shock wave traveled outward from its point of origin, a wave of vibrant colors zooming across the sky at high speed.

Ulquiorra remained silent and only blinked. The mechanics of achieving a sonic boom weren't that great of a mystery. However the fact that a living being could do such -and survive- was a matter of interest. Of greater interest was how the polychromatic spectrum had been accessed in such a display and with such uniformity, all six colors being equal. Whatever the mechanics behind this "Sonic Rainboom" were, it would seem Rainbow Dash did have extensive control over them. Deploying her reiryoku to her wings to generate greater speed, increasing the density of her reiatsu to protect her body and keep her flesh from peeling right off her bones, and withstanding the concussive impact of the air at the breaching of the sound barrier...he wouldn't admit to the display being "awesome" but it had certainly been intriguing in nature.

Perhaps even pieces of trash still possessed some measure of probative value.

"So what'd you think of your first Sonic Rainboom?" Twilight asked as she turned her attention back to Ulquiorra.

"An interesting display if nothing else," he replied as he finally turned away from the sky, following the now evaporating color trail as Rainbow Dash was making her way back to the crowd and hovering in front of him, a dopy grin on her face as her wings continued to flap.

"So how awesome was that for ya?" she asked as she caught her breath.

"The fact that your body managed to hold together speaks favorably for your ability to perform such a technique. However I don't see how you would be able to do that again," Ulquiorra commented as he studied her.

"Say what!?" Rainbow Dash yelled in surprise.

"I possess the ability to see the amount of mana all living beings possess and how it is utilized in the performance of certain tasks. So far yours has been the most unique; diverting mana to your wings in order to fly faster and harder, concentrating mana into your skin to provide a protective area in order to avoid being disintegrated by the forces you have to oppose in order to break the sound barrier. I will admit that you're capable of achieving speeds that exceed anything I could perform. However the costs to do such are considerable. Your display has consumed more than half of the mana reserves you possessed when you first arrived. You simply don't have what it takes to do that more than once at any given time," he explained.

It was a logical and reasonable explanation of what he'd observed. He'd been concise and straight to the point but hadn't been rude in his explanation of her limitations. But regardless of that fact his explanation just seemed to anger her further.

"Oh yeah!? You don't know what you're talking about! I could perform Sonic Rainbooms all day long!" she stated.

Ulquiorra remained unfazed by her tirade and continued talking. "There are two types of techniques in this world. Those that can't be performed after a certain point of exhaustion has been reached. And those that can continue to be performed until the user dies from exhaustion. Seeing as you claim to have mastered the "Sonic Rainboom" technique it stands to reason that you're aware of the fact that yours is of the former rather than the latter," Ulquiorra pointed out, his explanation seeming to reach whatever part of the pegasi's mind dictated logic. "Judging by your posture it's reasonable to assume you're already feeling the exhaustive effect of expending more than sixty percent of your reserves. Even you must realize that your technique is limited in application."

Rainbow Dash remained silent, her expression becoming sullen as Ulquiorra laid out the facts of the situation with a calmness that annoyed her to no end. More annoying was the fact that he was right. She'd performed the Sonic Rainboom enough times to know how taxing it was on her own body and how she couldn't do it more than once a day at most. But that didn't mean she didn't resent the fact that he was so freely pointing out her limitations for everypony to hear. This was so gonna bring down her coolness rating.

To Ulquiorra this pony was indeed like Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez in many ways. The density of her reiatsu had been enough to rival the strength of Grimmjow's hierro, surprising in and of itself. But unlike Grimmjow she at least seemed aware of her own limitations and shortcomings. She didn't continue to protest the fact that she couldn't perform her technique in a consecutive manner or fly into a rage-induced tirade when the facts were laid out for her. Rather she seemed to silently accept the fact that she wasn't as great as she made herself out to be. Perhaps there was some hope for her afterall.

"Did it at least look awesome?" she asked as she looked down.

And then again perhaps not.

"I have little concept of what amounts to "awesome" and cannot comment on such. However the mechanics behind the display were most unique. At the very least the "Sonic Rainboom" warrants further study."

Rainbow Dash really didn't understand what he was saying but to her it at least sounded like a compliment. Unique was good, but awesome would be much better. If she was gonna wow this...whatever he was...she was just gonna have to try harder the next time.

She was going to put a shocked and awed expression on his pale stone face if it was the last thing she did!

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

"...And this is my dad's store, Barnyard Bargains, where you can find just about anything you need," Diamond Tiara stated and gestured to the building in front of them.

Despite the initial rough patch of the park meeting, Ulquiorra's introduction to the rest of Ponyville was underway, being carried out with about as much smoothness as could be reasonably expected. Those that had been present -and not put off by his earlier interaction with Rainbow Dash- seemed comfortable enough around him to give the Espada a proper tour around town, showing off the various businesses and landmarks and other locations they felt were noteworthy. So far on the list had been Sugarcube Corner, Quills & Sofas, the Town Hall, the train station, the schoolhouse, the bowling alley, Carousel Boutique, the Golden Oaks Library, and now Barnyard Bargains.

If nothing else he was at least getting a good lay of the territory so he could find his way around should he ever become separated from the others. Although as devoted as the guards were to following Princess Celestia's orders it was unlikely that would ever happen.

"So Ulquiorra can really see mana huh? Who knew?" Spike asked as he hung back with the others.

While Ulquiorra was being given the grand tour by everypony else in Ponyville, Diamond Tiara currently leading the way, he and the girls had hung back and watched how things unfolded. So far so good...at least as far as trying to impress an emotionally detached ghost went in terms of being good. At least he hadn't tried to kill anypony yet.

"That's certainly a unique skill he has. I'd love to know how he does something like that," Twilight added. There were so many interesting things unfolding as things progressed, leaving her wishing she'd thought to bring along parchment and quill for taking notes.

"Seein' mana might be interestin' an' all but ah'd much rather learn how he goes about runnin' so dang fast ya can't even see it. Can ya imagine what that'd do fer harvestin' an' such?" Applejack asked. And what about the yearly rodeo competitions? If she could learn to move like that... "Shoot ah bet ah could finally keep pace with RD if ah could move like that!"

"Not if I learn it first!" Rainbow Dash stated from where she was seated. The sting of Ulquiorra's lack of amazement with her Sonic Rainboom still hurt. But she was willing to at least try and move on and let it go. Right now she was trying to find the good in the guy as he was being shown their quaint little town, but it wasn't easy when her friends kept going on about how great he was. This was like Mare Do Well all over again.

Rarity was remaining silent for the time being. The initial meeting with Ulquiorra had been disastrous -at least in her mind anyway- and hadn't much improved. The conflict with Rainbow Dash had been an ugly sort, and despite everypony's best attempts to give him a proper tour of Ponyville the outlook really wasn't shaping up. How the girls could be treating the whole thing so casually was quite frankly beyond her.

That wasn't to say that Rarity was dwelling solely on the negative aspect of today's first contact, far from it actually. She was also contemplating the potential positives that could be had from this, like spicing up Ulquiorra's drab and dreary wardrobe with something more appropriate...once she discovered just what that appropriate something was. His off-white skin would certainly complicate that discovery somewhat but she wouldn't let that stop her from trying.

"Hey Twilight?" Pinkie spoke up, bringing everypony's attention to her temporarily. "Now that we've got Ulqy all nice and introduced to everypony and all our friends are here can we see about throwing Ulqy a party now?" she asked, bringing up the subject of discussion from earlier in the day.

Twilight thought on it. Ulquiorra being the guest of honor -and center of attention- for one of Pinkie's epic parties was...a disturbing thought. She could just see him standing stationary and bored, staring off into infinity as everything unfolded around him. She had doubts about him engaging in any of the games even if ordered to, and she really doubted he'd even try the cake after what she'd seen back at Sweet Apple Acres. Knowing Pinkie such a disinterest wouldn't go over very well at the party, especially with her still trying to figure out how to get him to actually laugh.

"I don't know Pinkie..." she began, trying to think of just how to delicately phrase the statement that a party might actually make the situation worse; she knew from personal experience that bluntly stating such was a very bad idea. But Ulquiorra's bluntness could be even worse. What to do? "Ulquiorra's gotta return to Canterlot at sunset as per Princess Celestia's orders. I don't know if we've got enough time today to throw a proper welcoming party..."

It'd been the best she could come up with under such circumstances. There were only a few hours left before the curfew was due to set in and surely Pinkie wouldn't consent to such a limited time frame for one of her extravaganzas...right? Right?

"Ohmygosh Twilight you're right! I never thought of just how rude it'd be to Ulqy if he had to leave just when the party was gonna get started going!" Pinkie stated. "We'll just have to do it the next time he comes back instead! Then we can make it a really super duper party because it'll be a "Welcome to Ponyville" party and a "Sorry we missed the first party" makeup party too! That'll be so cool!"

Twilight bit back a sigh of relief. She'd managed to earn a very small reprieve from Pinkie's normal randomness and insanity, providing her with more time to properly think of a more appropriate stalling tactic. If the pink party pony knew just what they were dealing with there'd be no telling how she'd react.

Then again it was Pinkie Pie she was talking about. She might want to throw a party regardless. She'd thrown a party for Discord to celebrate his first real week of being reformed from the chaotic evil he was. Why should she think she'd be any different with Ulquiorra if she ever learned what Hollows were?

Fluttershy remained silent, having nothing substantial to contribute to the discussion. During her time spent with Ulquiorra she'd come to stop being uncomfortable in his presence, no longer shrinking away when he turned his eyes on her...well maybe just a little bit...but beyond that there was very little she could add. The others seemed to have the matter well in hoof, it wasn't like her input was necessary.

From where she stood it looked like he was taking the tour of Barnyard Bargains quite well.

"Twilight?" Rainbow Dash finally spoke up, bringing the unicorn's attention to her. "How much mana did I really burn through on that Sonic Rainboom? I mean I know it's a lot but he was kinda talking in...what is it...discernible amounts?"

Twilight was a little surprised by Rainbow Dash's use of a relatively complicated -for her anyway- term and paused to think on it a moment. "I'm not really sure, Rainbow Dash, I don't know how Ulquiorra's pesquisa technique works to be able to tell you in exact round numbers. You'd have to ask him yourself," she explained.

"Ehh...I think I'll pass, I really don't feel like talking to him right now after he told everypony about my limitations like that," Rainbow Dash replied. She'd been so careful in keeping that fact a secret and he'd gone and blabbed it like it was nothing, in front of a good portion of the town -which was likely spreading it to the rest of the town by now- and on top of it right in front of Scootaloo too! Her coolness was so gonna suffer for this.

"Yer a rotten liar RD, ya been staring at 'im off an' on since we came inta town fer the tour. Ah figure if ya didn' wanna talk to 'im none ya wouldn' be paying any attention ta 'im," Applejack pointed out rather bluntly, causing her to frown in response.

"There's something about him that's just...weird. I mean weirder than just the obvious, and it's really annoying because it's like it's right on the tip of my tongue but I can't seem to put my hoof on it. It's like something I should know but for the life of me I just can't figure it out. I know I'm missing something but what is it exactly?"

Twilight rubbed her chin in thought, uncertain of what to tell Rainbow Dash or what to think in general. It was definitely an interesting thought to be presented but there wasn't much she could contribute to it. For whatever reason something about Ulquiorra had stroked her the wrong way and it was something she'd have to sort out on her own. She'd love to help but unless Rainbow Dash knew just what was wrong there really wasn't much that could be done about it.

For now it was just a matter of waiting and seeing how things unfolded, for Ulquiorra and his learning about the town, the ponies that lived here and friendship itself. But more importantly for her friends and how well they handled this disruption of normality.

"Oh dear," Fluttershy squeaked, "the music shop looks like it's next on the tour."

Normally this wouldn't be a matter of any concern and not even bear mentioning. But the music shop was where Vinyl Scratch worked when she wasn't doing her DJ gig, and considering the earlier encounter...Twilight facehooved at that thought. This was either going to be very interesting or very ugly, she wasn't sure which.

"He'd better not make Vinyl cry," Pinkie muttered.

Princess Celestia would never admit it to any of her subjects as she'd never want to actually scare any of her precious little ponies, but she'd been worried the entire day during Ulquiorra's long absence. While he was in the castle she could keep tabs on the Espada and know what he was up to -not that it was much of anything- and exercise the proper amount of concern. But while he was in Ponyville she couldn't do any of that; her spies could only relate so much information to her at any given time. The lack of updates and information had been more troubling than she'd anticipated, the slowly building stress making the day seem to stretch on far longer than it truly did.

And that stress and worry made the day court far more intolerable than it was normally, mitigated only by the uncomfortable state the insufferable nobles were placed in for making their requests, demands and other observations about how to better their own privileged lives. She managed a weak smile at that thought.

That said she felt relieved -as well as a little surprised- to see Ulquiorra actually making his return to Canterlot a good half hour before the sun was scheduled to truly set. With his inquisitive mind she'd anticipated him being gone longer than this. There were a lot of things currently running through her mind as she watched the chariot approaching, things that might explain his early arrival, things that weren't exactly pleasant in nature, and the more she gave thought to them the more she realized she was driving herself nuts. Until he actually arrived it was nothing more than mere speculation and giving into fear.

Those several minutes until the chariot finally touched down proved to be some of the longest of the entire day. The squeak of the wheels as they finally arrived at the landing pad was almost calming to her, assuring her that this strange new being was back in a safe area where she didn't have to worry about him posing a threat.

"I must say you're quite punctual," Celestia commented as she approached while Ulquiorra stepped down off the chariot. "What did you think of Ponyville?" she asked.

"Your subjects remain unharmed," Ulquiorra commented. "As Equestria is ruled by a diarchy rather than a monarchy it would seem appropriate to submit any and all reports to both yourself and Princess Luna simultaneously."

He did raise a good point. As she co-ruled with her sister it was only fair that she be informed of his observations about Ponyville. And her little sister had more or less put everything into motion by going behind her back and involving Twilight in this matter far ahead of schedule, something she wouldn't soon be forgetting.

"If you'd like. Follow me," she said, leading Ulquiorra in the direction of the throne room after dismissing the two guards for the evening. The fact that they were so calm and collected gave her some measure of reassurance that things had gone well today, but she still wanted to verify that fact for herself before entirely dropping her guard.

The walk back to the throne room was one of silence other than the muffled footfalls -or in Celestia's case hooffalls- against the marble flooring. Try as she might Celestia just couldn't quite come up with a way of asking the question that was burning most in her; how exactly did one tactfully ask a guest if they'd felt compelled to consume any souls while they were out.

"We say no more! We cannot stomach another mouthful of this vile concoction!" came Luna's statement as they entered the throne room. From their position they could both see the lunar princess standing atop the highest point of the throne with her wings flared outward, more or less being spoon fed by one of the unicorn guards utilizing his magic to hold a spoon and a bowl.

"Orders from your sister, your majesty. If you won't eat your mashed alfalfa on your own accord then we're to feed you like a foal," the guard replied as another spoonful was scooped up and hovered in front of her face.

"You shalt be banished to the moon for this!" Luna protested through grit teeth. The guard said nothing in response, unfazed by the empty threats as he knew full well Princess Celestia would never allow any such thing to occur.

"This situation is most unusual," Ulquiorra commented as he stood by Celestia's side and silently observed the back and forth struggle. "I fail to see how this amounts to punishment for her actions."

"If you knew Luna you'd understand," she said before clearing her throat loudly enough for the guard to become aware of her position, stopping his task to salute her. "That will be all, thank you for your services," she said in a kind manner, dismissing the guard from his extra services. The mashed alfalfa could wait until later. "Come down from there dear sister, it's not yet your turn to begin ruling. Anyway Ulquiorra has returned from his visit to Ponyville and he has a report he wishes to submit to the both of us," she explained as she stepped further into the throne room.

Luna nodded and climbed down from her perch atop the throne, tucking her wings in as her hooves connected with the floor before taking her place next to her sister to hear the report. She herself was feeling quite anxious to be informed of what news there was to be had; she'd gotten herself in enough trouble to make it possible, she might as well see the end results.

"So tell us, Ulquiorra, what have you learned about friendship during your time in Ponyville?" Celestia asked.

"I have learned, as explained by Twilight Sparkle, that the first lesson to friendship is tolerance."

Silence. A long, long stretch of silence. Celestia and Luna had both expected Ulquiorra to have something to contribute other than just that simple sentence. Apparently they were wrong.

"That's it?" Luna finally asked in disbelief.

"Indeed," Ulquiorra replied simply.

Celestia tried not to sigh. While it was certainly an important lesson to learn surely that hadn't been all there was to the day. Surely he must've discovered something else, anything. "And what of the ponies you met today? Did you learn anything about them?" she asked, hoping there was something that could be salvaged about this expedition.

"I have," Ulquiorra replied and raised his left hand.

Having already seen the Solita Vista technique once before Luna knew exactly what was coming and averted her gaze, leaving Celestia to be disturbed as Ulquiorra plucked out his left eye as if it were nothing and crush it before them, creating a cloud of fine jewel-like particles encompassing the area. Immediately an image of Twilight was displayed in the cloud.

"Twilight Sparkle. Highly intelligent and observant, possesses a great thirst for knowledge, predisposed to assisting others. Her reiatsu displays intense and constant fluctuations in density and level especially during periods of emotional instability. She does not respond well to criticism and displays hostility when faced with a development she does not find favorable. The possibility of her possessing a murderous blood lust cannot yet be ruled out."

Celestia let out a soft gasp at Ulquiorra's opinion of her precious student but wasn't provided the opportunity to say anything as he continued talking, the cloud changing to display Spike.

"Spike. Reasonably intelligent and knowledgeable about various topics, appears to have a tactical mindset but he often fails to properly utilize it. He appears loyal to Twilight Sparkle but has a restrained rebellious nature and loyalty can't be properly gauged at this time."

The display changed from Spike to Applejack, the earth pony tilting her hat.

"Applejack. Hospitable, honest and informative. While reasonably intelligent she doesn't appear to actively consider various options and possibilities until they're pointed out to her."

Applejack faded from view and was replaced by her brother.

"Big Macintosh, Applejack's older brother. Quiet unless speech is necessary in a given situation and refrains from engaging in pointless conversation for no other point than having a conversation. Acceptably polite and courteous."

Big Macintosh gave way to the aged image of Granny Smith.

"Granny Smith, grandmother to Applejack and Big Macintosh. Her mental facilities would appear to be in a constant state of flux. During my interaction with her she continually referred to me as "sugarcube", "youngin'" and "whatever your name is"."

The image of the aged Granny Smith faded away as Fluttershy fazed into view.

"Fluttershy. Exudes kindness to others but possesses no assertive qualities, leaving herself vulnerable to exploitation by others."

Fluttershy gave way to Pinkie.

"Pinkie Pie. Try as I might I cannot articulate this one. She is described as "random" by her friends but this explains nothing. If I had to speculate I would assume she is the product of Discord dividing his being."

Pinkie gave way to Rarity in her attire from earlier in the day.

"Rarity. Well mannered and in possession of refined qualities to a greater degree than the others. Polite and respectable, however she possesses a considerable distaste for dirt and filth in general leaving her susceptible to stressful situations that render her useless."

The image changed again to display Rainbow Dash, a cocky grin on he face.

"Rainbow Dash. By far the most skilled in manipulation of her reiatsu. However her skill in such is devoted to her use of overly flashy techniques that possess no redeeming qualities. Her "Sonic Rainboom" technique consumes sixty five percent of her reiryoku reserves in one go. Added to that her personality leaves her...unpleasant. Brash, hotheaded, impulsive, quick tempered, and hostile. I fail to see any redeeming qualities to her."

And on it went. And on...and on... and on...

And on...

For an hour and a half Celestia and Luna were subjected to a dryly delivered report, his views and opinions of a good sixty ponies he'd had any interaction with. Ditzy Doo, Vinyl Scratch, Time Turner, Mrs. Cakes, Cherilee, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Colgate, Caramel, Lyra Heartstrings, Carrot Top, Diamond Tiara, Davenport, etc. The majority of those shown weren't given an overly favorable review, although a few were addressed relatively politely.

Try as she might Celestia was having a hard time staying focused on everything. The report was extensive in nature and a good portion of it she was already familiar with; she knew all of these ponies he was listing, and she knew them quite well. It was...redundant really, the only thing that stuck out was his opinion of them. At some points she found herself wondering if he was just trying to pad his own report by including the irrelevant details about each and every pony in an effort to space out what he'd learned.

Not that there was anything wrong with that. It was just...alright there was something wrong with that. But she really didn't want to interrupt his report right now.

But finally the report came to an end, at which Ulquiorra opened his left eye and revealed that his eyeball had returned, further creeping Celestia out. How had he done that?

"That was...rather detailed..." Celestia replied, uncertain of what else she could really say on the matter. "But perhaps next time a written report would do better. That technique is...rather gruesome..."

"Tell us, Ulquiorra Cifer, of those that thou hast met doth any strike you as outstanding for one reason or another?" Luna asked. She'd been sentenced to no sweets and mashed alfalfa just to be told that the residents in Ponyville were boring and lacked interesting qualities? Surely not! There must be something to justify this matter, something other than being told their subjects were trash!

"These individuals," Ulquiorra paused as several images were drawn up. Displayed in the still remaining cloud was Big Macintosh, Ditzy Doo, Lyra Hearstrings, Applejack and last Twilight and Spike. "Of all those met I have reason to believe that these six possess a unique potential to make them interesting and worth further interaction," he explained. After a pause he continued. "I still possess doubts about the notions you support, about friendship being tangible and worthwhile becoming involved in. However there have been certain experiences that have managed to pique my curiosity. Overall the town of Ponyville would seem to warrant further investigation."

Luna wasn't sure how to respond. That was probably as close as Ulquiorra Cifer was going to come to giving Ponyville a shining recommendation based on his experiences there. The fact that he'd found several ponies to be interesting suggested that maybe there was hope for him; especially if Twilight Sparkle and her friends could teach him more about the magic -and the basic concept- of friendship. If there was hope for him then maybe she could tolerate the mashed alfalfa.

Maybe.

The day had ended, night had descended, and Ulquiorra was back in the Canterlot library reading as if he had no concern for anything in particular. His first steps beyond the castle had been filled with new discoveries and many new faces. He couldn't particularly say that he cared for them. A few of the ponies he'd met today would warrant further interaction if allowed. Others had some potential to become interesting enough to warrant further interaction. The rest were little more than trash and appeared to be designed to take up background space and supply whatever degree of manual labor was necessary to keep the town running.

"Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide," he thought to himself as he read the cover of the book. This was a book he'd discovered not long after arriving but had passed on it due to the title. He had no concern for such a ridiculous concept...at least he hadn't earlier on, but now with the discoveries he'd made it seemed far more relevant. If these "Elements of Harmony" were truly one of the defenses of Equestria then it would pay to learn everything he could about them.

At least that was his thought until he felt his pesquisa tingling. Someone -no rather something- had managed to sneak into his detection area without him noticing. In a flash his zanpakutō was drawn, Murciélago's tip pressed against the tall intruders throat.

"Woe, easy there lad!" came the call as Discord raised his mismatched arms in a defensive gesture and took a step back to get the sword away from his neck. "I shaved this morning by myself, I'm old enough not to need any help but thanks for offering regardless."

Discord. The one who was responsible for him being here currently, his presence being all the more reason to keep his zanpakutō out and at the ready. "How you subverted my pesquisa is a mystery. Even if I asked you to explain I don't believe you would give me a concise answer," Ulquiorra replied evenly. "What is it that you want?"

"Why merely to congratulate you on a successful first day outside these drab, plain walls, that's all," Discord reassured him. Or at least he tried to reassure him, the look in his eyes suggested he wasn't convinced. Not that he minded one bit, it wasn't any concern to him. "So how long did it take you to figure out Celestia's ulterior motives this time?" he asked.

"To what are you referring?" Ulquiorra asked back. Was this misshapen assortment of various animal parts talking about the other night and the failed assassination attempt in the garden? Or was there something else?

"Don't be coy with me, you know what I'm talking about; the Elements of Harmony," Discord stated in a forced whisper.

"Soon after the pony called Applejack informed me of their existence, nature and purpose," Ulquiorra replied simply. There was no need to further elaborate in a redundant manner on the discovery. It certainly made sense that if Princess Celestia still considered him a threat that she'd put him right in striking distance of the country's defenses should he cause any trouble. Of course she probably hadn't counted on him discovering it so quickly through the helpfulness of her own subjects.

Would she have sent him there if she knew he would so quickly identify each of the six? Most likely not.

"And the way you sowed the seeds of uncertainty and chaos among those six, oh it was so beautiful!" Discord stated with a smile that, much to Ulquiorra's dulled surprise, wrapped completely around his face and met in the back. "I daresay I couldn't have been able to do better myself if I tried."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ulquiorra replied in a dismissive tone before finally resheathing his zanpakutō and turning his attention away from the spirit of chaos.

Discord stopped and thought. He'd been fully aware of the Espada's actions ever since he came to Equestria, especially his conversation with Applejack and the allusion to him not truly being evil but simply different. He'd managed to shake the resolve of the Element of Honesty and left her with questions that were bound to have far reaching repercussions in the future; and he was positively giddy to see what happened. And if Ulquiorra had set those consequences into motion accidentally rather than intentionally then it was even more scrumptious to consider.

"No? Nevermind then. Still I think you should be rewarded for your actions today," he replied before leaning in close and whispering. "I know all about Celestia's actions last night. Just so you know that's the first time her binding spell's ever worked on anything. And I know how to undo it because I've seen it. I can give you back your resurrection so you can use it anytime you want. Think of the fun that could be had."

"Resurrección," Ulquiorra corrected on the pronunciation before continuing, "I have no interest in anything you may have to offer me. My loyalty is to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. You are nothing more than trash; both in substance and appearance."

Discord blinked in surprise as he drew his head back. That was...unexpected even by his standards. "You're turning down the opportunity of absolute power? And for what, loyalty to Celestia? Are you insane or something, lad?" he asked.

"Correct," Ulquiorra replied and turned his attention back to the book he'd been reading before he was so rudely interrupted. He left Discord without any further conversation for as long as it took him to read over the entire page he was on. "When you return to see Princess Celestia kindly inform her the latest test of my character proved as futile and transparent as the last."

Discord frowned, utterly offended at being accused in such a manner. Did he really believe that Celestia would use him to initiate a test of such low standards? The nerve of it all!

"You're quite boring, you know that?" Discord asked. Ulquiorra said nothing and merely turned the page. Scowling the spirit of chaos snapped his fingers and disappeared just as he'd come, leaving no trace behind.

"Trash..."

It was amazing how many conversations seemed to take place in the royal gardens over the past few days. Perhaps she should officially reclassify the gardens as the outside meeting area for all future purposes, that would make much more sense. It was certainly a nice area, it'd provide for a nice relaxed setting for conversations and meetings and other discussions. Maybe she'd look into doing just that.

Of course it would have to wait until the coming migraine passed. The migraine...and the spirit of chaos that was currently standing behind her with a cheesy grin on his face.

"The hour is late, Discord, I really want to go to sleep. What news do you have for me?" Celestia asked, short on the pleasant formalities she'd exercised during the course of the day.

"He didn't take the bait," Discord stated simply. "I promised him unimaginable power with the restoration of his resurrection. Sorry, his "resurrección" and he still didn't consider it."

Celestia remained neutral in terms of expression at the news. Discord's promise for power and release had been turned down in short order just as Luna's offer of leaving the castle grounds had been turned down. Ulquiorra's loyalty was as consistent as his bluntness.

Seeing the smile that was slowly forming on Celestia's face Discord continued. "And that little rat, he had the nerve to tell me to inform you that your latest test of his loyalty and character was poorly crafted and extremely transparent...just like the last one," he stated and huffed, crossing his mismatched arms across his chest in frustration.

Celestia frowned. How had Ulquiorra known? How did he know she'd sent Discord to test him? Did he know that she'd done the same with Luna? Just how much did he know and what wasn't he telling her? She knew that he was quite observant and highly intelligent, but this was beginning to leave her feeling very unsecured. How was this happening? Where exactly had she lost control of the situation?

"Does he know about the Elements of Harmony?" Celestia asked hesitantly.

Discord grinned. "Only in an academic sense from the book he's reading. Fortunately he's blissfully ignorant of where they are or who has them. As far as he knows they're just an obscure relic," he lied. If Celestia was going to be using him for the sake of testing their guest then who was to say he couldn't have a little fun of his own? She didn't need to know the full truth. She wasn't the only one who could have ulterior motives for her actions; two could play at this game!

Fortunately his lie seemed to have the desired effect and Celestia accepted it without any question. If she knew what he knew then it would surely ruin everything. After all the work he'd gone through to bring Ulquiorra to Equestria he couldn't stand to see everything ruined. He had big plans for him, he couldn't risk the Arrancar being indefinitely confined to Canterlot castle. He'd have to play his cards carefully, perhaps even take a more active role in things so they could proceed smoothly.

"He's proving to be far more intelligent than I thought possible," Celestia commented, "this is going to take some considerable thinking."

"Quite so, my dear, quite so," Discord replied.

There was a lot of uncertainty in this world and he liked that very much. But there was something certain that he liked even more; for better or worse the land of Equestria was soon to get a whole lot more interesting!

It was at that moment that a scroll materialized above Celestia's head and dropped into view. Obviously one of her little ponies had sent her a message. Without a second thought she opened it to read it.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I'm happy to report that Ulquiorra's first visit to Ponyville was a success. He's quite rough around the edges but I have hope for improvement. While it's far too early to conclude that he's learned about the wonders of friendship I have sufficient reason to believe that my friends and I have managed to sow a few seeds on the matter. I also believe that further visits will help cement and establish a firm foundation on the subject.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

Celestia smiled to herself. Twilight's optimism was refreshing on the matter. Maybe things really would be alright if given enough time. Maybe all she needed was to be patient and let things progress as they did.

Right?

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Spike's ears were bleeding right now, not literally but figuratively. He was certain after yesterday Twilight had given up on that tune she'd been alternating between trying to sing and trying to hum to herself but he was very, very wrong. Right now she was in the middle of hitting all the wrong notes and it just made him flinch harder, and harder, and harder. He didn't know how much longer he could take it before he had to scream at her to stop for the sake of all things holy and melodious in nature. Vinyl Scratch would have none of this, so why should he have to tolerate it?

Fortunately he was blessed with the sound of knocking at the library door. A knock meant a visitor and a visitor meant a reason to interrupt Twilight's musical inabilities. "I'll get it!" he called as he dashed across the room as fast as his stubby little legs could carry him, rushing right past Twilight without another word.

Without another word was quite accurate in this situation. Twilight had heard Spike open the door but nothing after that. Now curious she spoke up to get to the bottom of this mini mystery. "Spike? Who is it?" she asked.

"Twi' I think you'd better come and see for yourself," Spike replied as he stood unmoving at the doorway.

Now she was really curious. What would be so surprising to Spike that he couldn't relay a simple message? Upon seeing for herself, she was much more understanding. Ulquiorra was standing in front of them, his left hand tucked into his pocket while his right hand was at his side and clutching a scroll.

"Greetings," he said simply upon making eye contact with her.

"Ulquiorra? What're you doing here?" Twilight asked and blinked. Looking around she didn't see any signs of a royal chariot or members of the royal guard being present. This was all striking her as very weird.

"Official business," he replied and held out the scroll to her. He watched her puzzled face for a moment before her horn glowed and the scroll was levitated over and unrolled to be read.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

It has come to my attention that a dragon has once again taken up residency in one of the caves of the mountain region to the east and is apparently settling in for a long nap. I know that I don't have to explain the severity of the situation to you as this incident has occurred once before and was dealt with marvelously. I must ask that you gather your friends and once again persuade the dragon to leave.

At present time the upper wind levels are keeping the smoke from heading westward and blanketing Ponyville, but I have it on good authority from the weather bureau that these winds won't last more than a few hours.

I know that you also have questions about Ulquiorra's presence and his delivering of this note rather than it coming through Spike. In order to assist his studies on friendship, I've allowed Ulquiorra to join you on this outing so that he might witness what Fluttershy can do and what wonders a little kindness is truly capable of.

You're in charge of this mission my dear student. Please proceed with caution.

Signed,
Princess Celestia

Twilight read the note silently, and then read it over again just in case there was something she'd missed on the initial read through. She had more questions than she had answers right now, and while finding the answers could be enjoyable this wasn't one of those times. A sleeping adult dragon was a hazard and they all knew that. But right now there were other matters that were nearly as pressing and needed to be addressed.

"Ulquiorra? Where's your escort? How'd you get to Ponyville?" she asked.

"Due to the severity of the situation Princess Celestia has provided me with the rare opportunity to travel solo as time is of the essence. That is all that must be known right now," he explained calmly. "Where are the other Elements of Harmony? More specifically where is Fluttershy?" he asked bluntly.

One thing was definitely for certain as far as Twilight could tell, Ulquiorra was consistent in being straight to the point. "Well the girls are all over Ponyville so it's hard to tell just where they are. But Fluttershy is likely at her cottage near the edge of the Everfree Forest and tending to her animal friends," she explained.

"Lead the way," Ulquiorra stated and stepped aside to let them exit the library.

Twilight wasn't certain just what was going on. Ulquiorra being able to find the library and not having questions about how the tree could still be alive when hollowed out, she could pass that off as being the work of Princess Celestia possibly explaining it to him on where to find her. But as she stepped out of the library to show him the way to Fluttershy's cottage...she wasn't certain. There was something to him, something subdued beneath that calm and orderly veneer that just felt...antsy and impatient. It was like he was trying to suppress a desire to find the dragon and quickly. Whatever it was this definitely wasn't right.

It wasn't a long walk to Fluttershy's house from the library, but with the degree of silence present it certainly felt long. The atmosphere felt tense around them as Spike rode on Twilight's back, Ulquiorra walking with them at an even pace. They both knew for certain now that something was up, but they really couldn't tell what it was. There was just something about his posture and movements that seemed...off...compared to the past two days. It was like some herky jerky motion interfering with the otherwise smooth flow of his body, like he was struggling to contain some inner force that was threatening to tear him asunder if he were to lose his hold.

"So...Ulquiorra," Spike began in an effort to break the silence, "How'd you get to Ponyville without an escort? It's an awful long walk from Canterlot to here."

"Using sonido it only took three minutes to travel from Canterlot to Ponyville," Ulquiorra replied as they walked along.

"Three minutes?" Spike asked in disbelief, nearly falling off of Twilight's back as he rode along. Had he really said three minutes? "Seriously, three minutes? That's...that's impossible, even Rainbow Dash can't travel from here to Canterlot in just three minutes. She tried it once and it took her five minutes at full burn to get there!" he stated.

"I've got to admit that's really impressive. More like outstanding really. I thought Rainbow Dash was at the peak of non-teleportation travel speeds but that theory's just been blown out of the water. Better not let her find out about that or she's really gonna be upset," Twilight pointed out.

"At present time I have no reason to be concerned if one suffering from extreme narcissism is displeased with the fact they're outclassed."

Twilight frowned at Ulquiorra's words. On the one hand...hoof...he was right about Rainbow Dash being narcissistic, what with always bragging about how awesome she was. But then again she'd proven that she did live up to her own legend or was at the very least capable of doing so with a little effort. But on the other hoof, he was being quite blunt about his statement and it was bordering on cruelty from what she could see.

Then again maybe he was right to not be concerned. There really wasn't much that Rainbow Dash could do in retaliation even if she tried; it wasn't like she could pound him into jerk cider or anything like that. Officially as far as her friends were concerned, Ulquiorra was still a visiting dignitary and even Rainbow Dash wasn't hotheaded enough to try and launch an attack against him, regardless of what he might say to upset her. Afterall she was hotheaded, not stupid.

"Two for the price of one."

Twilight was snapped out of her thoughts as she heard Ulquiorra's voice again, bringing her attention forward to see that they'd arrived at Fluttershy's cottage. And from their position she could see Fluttershy was in the front yard and tending to her birds, while Rainbow Dash was chatting with her about something she couldn't quite hear.

"Looks like we got lucky," Twilight commented. Or at least was in the process of doing so before Ulquiorra disappeared from sight, all that was left behind was the booming echo of static. "Where'd he go?"

The sudden sound of Fluttershy's terrified shriek was a good indication he just used sonido to cross the distance quickly.

"Fluttershy."

It had started out as such a nice day when Fluttershy got up. The birds were singing, all her little animal friends were happy and getting along so well, and her friend Rainbow Dash had shown up to tell her about some new confection Pinkie had dreamed up overnight and was currently in the middle of. From the description she thought it sounded absolutely delicious and something she should look into the next time she had to go into Ponyville.

However that all changed when a white blur appeared in front of her, startling her so much her heart nearly burst out of her ribcage as she fell back with a scream.

"Flutterhsy!" she faintly heard Rainbow Dash call as she quickly made her way over to her. "What the hay do you want?"

Looking back up she saw the white blur was more accurately Ulquiorra standing before her, still in the same standing position as yesterday and looking down at her, still with the same gaze as last time but lacking the overwhelming intensity. Right now she could hear Rainbow Dash being upset with him.

Ulquiorra paid Rainbow Dash no mind and continued focusing on Fluttershy instead. "Princess Celestia requires your presence on a mission of great importance. It pertains to your ability with animals," he explained calmly. "There's a dragon slumbering in the caves east of Canterlot in the mountain region. You're needed to convince the dragon to move elsewhere in order to prevent it from blotting out the sun with a century's worth of smoke."

A...dragon? Fluttershy's mind seemed to turn off after being informed about that part of it all. A big, mean, scary dragon? "Nonononono," she shrieked/whispered and darted behind Rainbow Dash for protection and cover. She couldn't go face down a dragon no matter who was asking her to, she just couldn't!

Ulquiorra blinked. Did Fluttershy truly believe she could cower behind Rainbow Dash and be hidden from view? Such ridiculousness in this world.

"Ulquiorra! Hold up!" Twilight called as she came charging up the path, Spike clinging to her to avoid getting bounced off. She knew nothing good was going to be happening when she heard Fluttershy's shriek of terror, and that was only confirmed when she saw Fluttershy duck behind Rainbow Dash and start trembling.

"She heard?" Spike asked as Twilight came to a stop by them.

"Indeed," Ulquiorra replied and turned his attention back to the two pegasi, one currently in terror and the other in confusion.

"Twilight what's going on here? What's this about a dragon? And what's he doing here?" Rainbow Dash asked as she gestured to Ulquiorra standing before them. After yesterday she really hadn't expected to see him again, especially not so soon. And she really hadn't wanted to see him either.

"Ulquiorra's here to see firsthoof just how Fluttershy can make the dragon leave its caves and go elsewhere, just like she did the last time. Princess Celestia gave it the green light," Twilight explained before turning to Fluttershy. However before she could speak Fluttershy spoke up.

"I can't do it," she whispered, "dragons are big, mean and scary, I can't face one again I just can't."

Rather strange. An animal care expert who was afraid to tend to animals? And how exactly did she explain her lack of fear around Spike if he was a dragon? Perhaps it was safe to conclude the fear wasn't based on the entire species, but rather specific specimens of such.

"But Fluttershy you have to!" Twilight stated, "Princess Celestia needs you, Equestria needs you! If you don't make that dragon leave he'll blot out the sun for a century!"

This was beyond ridiculous. Was Princess Celestia aware that her loyal subjects weren't quite so loyal? Were those that held the Elements of Harmony always like this? Would the Elements of Harmony even function in such a state of chaos? The four voices were almost unending in their nonsense and it was quite distracting. Glancing around he quickly began formulating a plan.

"You care for your animals, correct?" he asked. Through whatever means his voice seemed to reach Fluttershy and make her look up at him and nod in response. "If you don't fulfill your duties to Princess Celestia in this matter you will be directly responsible for their deaths. The only question will be whether they die slowly through starvation by the loss of plant life, or painfully from asphyxiation by breathing in the dragon's smoke."

Fluttershy didn't even hear the shocked gasps from her friends at Ulquiorra's words, her world had just faded away to her immediate surroundings and the animals before her. Her mouth hung open and all the color drained from her face as she considered his words. Her little animal friends were going to die if she didn't act? Her mind immediately began conjuring disturbing images of all the poor little animals slowly starving away to skin and bones, or choking in the thick clouds of black smoke, and eventually being replaced by an extensive graveyard filled with tiny wooden crosses. She couldn't let that happen, she just couldn't! Her little animal friends were all depending on her for their survival, she couldn't let them down just because she was afraid.

"I'll do it," she stated. However her soft voice wasn't heard over the argument that seemed to start up while she was distracted.

"Are you always this much of a jerk or are we just special or something?" Rainbow Dash yelled and threw her forelegs about wildly in Ulquiorra's direction.

"I'll do it," Fluttershy repeated but was still unheard.

"I'm inclined to agree with Rainbow Dash. That was pretty harsh just now," Twilight added.

"The direct approach was necessary. If we do not act immediately many will likely die. If Fluttershy is unable or unwilling to participate then I will have to report back to Princess Celestia and kill the dragon myself," Ulquiorra replied calmly.

"I'll do it," Fluttershy repeated but still no change.

"HA! You kill a dragon by yourself?!" Rainbow Dash asked is disbelief and amusement. "Nopony short of one of the Princesses could kill a fully grown dragon on their own, and you're definitely no pony and no Princess!"

Twilight wasn't sure how much of Ulquiorra's statement to believe. Slaying a full grown dragon -especially if it was a male dragon- was a...serious endeavor to engage in. It sounded more like the stuff of legend and adventure rather than a real event.

"QUIET!"

The loud scream was enough to silence the bickering that was going on between the four of them, the fact that it was Fluttershy who had raised her voice to such a level easily catching them off guard.

"I said I'll do it," she said in a far more normal tone than just a moment ago. Her animal friends were counting on her, she couldn't leave them hanging. And then when they were actually talking about...about killing the dragon...scared or not the dragon was still just a living creature, and she really couldn't just sit by and watch as one of them was senselessly harmed, it would go against her very cutie mark! "I-I'll talk to the dragon and convince it to go find another cave to stay in."

"Alright awesome 'Shy I knew you could do it," Rainbow Dash replied and turned around to hug her friend.

Ulquiorra said nothing at the display as Fluttershy's friends congratulated her for deciding to fulfill her duties to Princess Celestia. Instead he chose to ponder how such a ragtag bunch could reasonably be trusted with Equestria's safety.

"I-it looks really steep..."

Ulquiorra hadn't been anticipating the delay he'd encountered here. He assumed once Fluttershy had been located, informed of the pending emergency -and convinced to fulfill her duty to Princess Celestia- that they would be off to where the dragon was currently nesting.

Instead he'd been treated to what was surely the most useless waste of time to ever be encountered. Rather than immediately setting out to deal with the dragon that was threatening to plunge Equestria into a poisonous darkness they had insisted on gathering the remaining three members of their group beforehand.

Had the intent been to make use of the Elements of Harmony to combat the dragon it would make sense to maintain group unity, but that simply wasn't the case in this matter. He saw no beneficial purpose to the hour that was wasted in seeking out Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity, informing them of the situation -going into minute detail much to his chagrin- and gathering supplies for the long journey before setting out. Were all of these ponies -sans Spike who was staying behind to handle their pets for the time being- truly necessary to act as an escort to bring Fluttershy to the cave where the dragon currently nested? Surely not.

And now he found himself being held up by a pegasus that seemed afraid of heights. What was he destined to encounter next, a fish that was afraid of deep water?

"Fluttershy we've been through this before, it's a cliff, it's gonna be steep," Rainbow Dash replied, clearly annoyed with her friend's timid nature. At least he wasn't alone on the matter.

"Wouldn't it be easier to teleport?" he asked as he looked up the cliff face, seeing several of the others already a considerable distance ahead.

"Normally yes. But teleportation is a highly demanding spell and requires a significant level of mana, the cost going up when things like distance and mass are increased. Trying to teleport over a thousand pounds of ponies, gear and...you...would limit my maximum range to only fifty feet and leave me exhausted," Twilight explained.

Uselessness. Utter uselessness. He could tell that this was going to be a very long, very trying day to experience. Perhaps he should have simply remained in the library and ignored this event.

"Hey dude..."

The initial rough patch of getting Fluttershy to start up the mountain had been just that; the initial rough patch, for many more laid ahead of them on this long, difficult journey. More than once Ulquiorra found himself tempted to forcefully grab her and sonido far ahead of the rest of the group in order to speed things along. It was only because of the possibility that he might scare her to the point she couldn't function that he refrained from doing such.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the entire journey so far was the fact that Rarity was present. Yesterday he'd made the evaluation that her fear of filth and disorder rendered her useless during a time of importance. And yet here she was trudging along with the rest of them, her complaints relatively minor. Perhaps he'd misjudged her and when the chips were down she could rise to the occasion as well as anyone. Being confronted with one's own impending death tended to motivate individuals to do things they never would've done under normal circumstances.

His attention turned to Rainbow Dash, who unlike her yellow counterpart was hovering about openly as her wings flapped rather than sticking to the ground like an earth pony. It seemed she was addressing him, although "dude" was hardly the correct title for such.

"My name is Ulquiorra, not dude," he replied as he continued following the others, paying little mind to Rainbow Dash as she hovered about like an annoying overgrow mosquito.

"Yeah well your name's kind of hard to pronounce," Rainbow Dash pointed out. "Nevermind that though. Look there's something about you that's struck me as weird ever since I met you, and for the longest time I couldn't figure out what it is. Sure you look different from anypony else, but then again so does every species. And after spending the night wracking my brains out it finally hit me early this morning."

At her silence he was beginning to wonder if she was waiting for him to speak up before she informed him about what required such an exercise of whatever limited degree of intelligence she possessed. Fortunately that didn't seem to be the case as she began talking on her own again.

"It's that sword you've got at your side. It's a katana isn't it?" she asked.

Rainbow Dash was not a pony Ulquiorra found much interest in. She was a source of annoyance to him and the less he had to interact with her the better. But right now she had managed to capture his interest with the question. It was true that his zanpakutō did bear visual similarities to the katana-class swords of the human world, just as nearly all zanpakutō did.

Now that he stopped to think on it, it seemed curious as to why that was. Regardless of continent all earthbound souls eventually became Hollows. Why were these so few zanpakutō that were anything else? It was a question that was best saved for another time though, right now he was curious as to how this pegasus knew anything about an aspect of his world's culture.

"I read about them in a book "Daring Do and the Seventeen Samurai" and it described them pretty well. Long, thin, curved, handles wrapped in fabric in a crisscrossing manner," Rainbow Dash explained. "So is your sword of Neighponese origin? Are you like some sorta samurai or shogun or something?" she asked.

Neighponese? Yet another question to be saved for later.

"I am familiar with what you refer to. While it's true my zanpakutō possesses visual similarities to a katana that's where the similarities end. They are both constructed in two entirely different manners and not properly comparable to each other," he replied.

"Zanpakutō huh?" she asked, repeating the word slowly as she rolled it about to try and get an understanding on it. Finally she just shrugged and decided to fly on ahead with the rest of them, leaving him with a stretch of satisfying silence.

"Hey Ulqy!"

So much for satisfying silence. Somehow the strange earth pony Pinkie Pie had managed to appear right next to him without him noticing her absence from the larger group, her strange manner of bouncing/hopping keeping pace with his strides.

"What do you want?" he asked bluntly. What was with all of the interruptions all of the sudden?

"You mean besides a piece of Mrs. Cakes' awesome super delicious double chocolate chip cake?" Pinkie asked, "If you're a visiting foreign dignitary thingy isn't this the sorta thing you should stay away from? Dragons are big and mean and scary and above all dangerous! You can't make 'em laugh for nothing and most of them wouldn't think twice about swallowing a pony up in a single gulp!"

She was still very annoying to deal with. But this time her annoyance was focused on his own wellbeing. Commendable even if it was pointless.

"I'll take my chances in order to see what Fluttershy can do. She's referred to almost as if she were a deity amongst the animal kingdom. Such a feat much be witnessed to be believed," Ulquiorra commented. The one she should truly be concerned for was the dragon if things went south. The detectable reiatsu levels of the dragon weren't particularly worrisome at present time and he had little reason for concern. From his current position the reiatsu level felt on par with Zommari Rureaux, that was hardly enough to inspire concern.

Suddenly the ground was shaken for several seconds before the tremor finally passed, leaving the ponies concerned and him curious. "What precisely was that?"

"The dragon snoring," Twilight answered back.

A single snore being enough to cause the entire ground to shake? Perhaps his pesquisa truly wasn't working properly in this strange world. Perhaps the mana that permeated the area was many times more dense than reishi and those adapted to it were much more capable of dealing with it on a comparable level.

More disturbingly...perhaps Pinkie Pie was right to be concerned.

"Rest break y'all," Applejack spoke up.

The journey from Ponyville up the mountain had been long and quite tedious in nature. And apparently the affects of the journey were catching up with the rest of them as each of the ponies were slumping against something for support and looking exhausted, Ulquiorra being the only one unaffected by the long walk and climb.

Sometimes it was hard adjusting to the world of the living. Those with physical bodies made of flesh and bone had such finite stamina compared to Hollows. Looking upward he could easily see which hole the smoke was coming from, it wasn't more than a few miles from their current position. Why they didn't simply continue trudging on was beyond him. They still had the advantage of daylight and the dragons' snoring hadn't caused any further rock slides. Now was the time to be traveling.

"Hey Mr. Cifer, catch!"

His attention was drawn back to the group, more specifically the earth pony Applejack tossing him an apple that was easily caught in his hand.

"Ya'd best eat too, yer scrawny enough as is an' ya ain' eaten all day," Applejack stated.

He briefly considered explaining that he didn't need to eat to sustain himself, that he could survive on nothing more than the reishi in the atmosphere. But if he did then he'd have to spend more time answering more questions and it would only delay them further. The southern winds were no longer holding back the dragon's smoke and it was wafting its way over Ponyville and towards Canterlot. Right now the easiest thing to do was simply shut up and comply for the time being.

"Very well," he replied and bit into the apple, mildly surprised at the amount of flavor found within it. Were all the apples in this world like this or were they specific to Sweet Apple Acres? "The Shinigami would likely raid her orchards if they found out about these..."

"Really, Applejack darling, it's rude to inform someone that they're scrawny. Ulquiorra isn't scrawny, he's lean, he's sleek, he's svelte," Rarity replied, supplying a list of more appropriate terms to describe the Arrancar's physical build. "He's---"

"The smallest in stature to hold the rank of Espada," Ulquiorra interrupted before taking another bite of the apple. "Applejack's observation is quite accurate."

"...Espada? I'm afraid I don't know that term," Rarity stated after a moment's thought.

"A council of ten as it were. That is all that needs to be known," Ulquiorra replied. Now was definitely not the time to get into the finer points of Hueco Mundo and his dimension. They'd be here all night if the five of them were even half as curious as Twilight Sparkle.

The sun would be setting within two hours. It had taken most of the day to climb the mountain and avoid the hazards caused by the dragon's slumber but at long last they were a mere fifty feet from the cave's mouth where their quarry rested, blessedly ignorant of their position and existence.

"Crud that stinks!" Rainbow Dash choked out.

Unfortunately the same could not be said for them. Being in such close proximity to the dragon one thing above others became very apparent; the sulfur stench permeating the air from the dragon's breath. The closer they got the more intense and stifling it became. Each of the ponies was having their own trouble breathing normally, the only one showing no signs of affect being Ulquiorra.

Twilight Sparkle, much to Ulquiorra's mild curiosity, seemed the be the only one who had planned on such a potential development and was currently wearing some sort of breathing apparatus over her face. This world had gas masks?

"We're not gonna get anywhere like this, we need fresh air," she stated in a somewhat mumbled tone. "Rainbow Dash! Do your thing!"

"On it!" Rainbow Dash coughed and hovered off the ground, beating her wings with a great deal of force until she was churning up a huge amount of wind to blow the sulfur gasses out of the area so they could all breathe easier. Unfortunately it was only a temporary success as the gasses would return in short order until the dragon left the area and they all knew that fact.

"Let's get going everypony, it's going be dark soon," Twilight stated as she pulled off the breathing apparatus, trying to muster the troops onward into battle; or more accurately hostile negotiations. The dragon had to leave and there was no two ways about it. They'd all come so very far today, they just needed to go a little further and let Fluttershy do the talking.

"The dark is scary," Fluttershy commented nervously.

"Then let us not procrastinate any further," Ulquiorra stated somewhat forcefully. Right now all he wanted to do was sonido his way up to the cave and deal with the dragon himself. But he wasn't allowed to do that. He had to wait for the others to do what needed to be done.

It was strange how a mere fifty feet seemed to take longer than the entire rest of the journey. Despite climbing steep inclines and having to cross unforeseen chasms this last stretch of their journey was dragging on as if invisible weights were dragging them down. Of course Fluttershy's fear of the dragon and the darkness of the cave didn't help motivate her to move any faster. The only reason they'd gotten this far was him pointing out how many lives hinged on her succeeding in her mission.

"Somepony's gotta go in first," Applejack commented once they reached the mouth of the cave. After the last time of trying to chase out a dragon they realized the safest option available was to simply escort Fluttershy in rather than trying their hoof at it first. Her connection with animals made her the best candidate for such a mission, they just served as distractions.

Perhaps Twilight should've seen it coming, it was such an obvious setup and Ulquiorra had been acting strange all day. The minute Applejack pointed out that one of them needed to advance first, he had silently stepped ahead and began walking towards the dragon's cave as if he was devoid of anything even remotely resembling fear. His stride was like he was looking forward to this and had been the entire day. Was he really serious when he'd told Rainbow Dash he was going to kill the dragon himself? She'd been positive it was just boasting to try and motivate Fluttershy into action, but right now she wasn't sure one way or the other anymore.

"Ulquiorra wait up it could be-" she was in the middle of saying but stopped when she wound up crashing face first into the back of him when he suddenly stopped walking without any warning. Her muzzle hurt and she was disoriented now, wondering what had just happened.

"The dragon is currently awake," Ulquiorra stated as he turned his attention back to Twilight Sparkle over his shoulder. "And it would seem currently, it's very angry."

If she hadn't already come to a stop Twilight would've frozen in her tracks at hearing this statement. The dragon was awake? Granted her knowledge on dragon's was rather limited but she didn't ever recall anything that talked about dragon's waking up during their naps for no reason. Right now her mind was reeling with questions and possibilities as to what just happened here. Had Rainbow Dash's clearing the sulfur away disturbed it? Had they made enough commotion that the dragon had been awake the entire time? These were just some of the questions to consider. But right now there was a much more serious and pressing question that needed to be answered.

"What now?"

Ulquiorra said nothing as he stood facing the cave, observing whatever it was he was observing that Twilight couldn't see. And how had he known the dragon was awake to begin with? She'd really like to know that right about now. However it seemed he had other ideas because instead of answering he knelt down to ground level and began using his finger to sketch something in the dirt.

Twilight blinked as she tried to figure out what he was drawing. It looked a lot like ancient cave paintings that dated back to the mesoponic era of Equestria's history. There was a large semi-circle with a squiggly line in the middle and two dots near the open area. An arrow was drawn from one dot toward the squiggly line while another arrow was drawn from the other dot to a group of five dots. Then an arrow drawn from the five dots, taking a long curve around to near the open area of the semi-circle, then around the semi-circle and then into it behind the squiggly line into the enclosed area to a group of six dots. What exactly was Ulquiorra doing?

She looked at him in confusion as he glanced over at her. He looked back down at the crude drawing and gestured at it with his hands, indicating there was importance to it. But for the life of her she couldn't figure out what it was...until he drew out a six pointed star by one of the dots. After that everything clicked like a finely crafted and properly oiled machine and everything made sense. Nodding she dashed back to where her friends were standing and waiting.

"Wha's goin' on Twilight?" Applejack asked. She was feeling quite confused right now, having not been able to make out what they'd been talking about after Twilight had chased after Ulquiorra only to crash into him.

"Change of plans, girls, Ulquiorra's going in the front way, we're going around. Drop your saddlebags and follow me," she explained. She was about to elaborate on the plan as it was presented to her when her ears perked out at the booming echo of static again. Looking back she saw Ulquiorra was nowhere to be seen. "I've got to figure out how he does that..."

The plan was quite simple and easy to follow even if the instructions weren't presented on a full color spread sheet. The dragon was awake and aware of his surroundings. Ulquiorra would approach the mouth of the cave, evaluate the situation and provide a distraction while Twilight Sparkle and the others approached the long way around before teleporting into the cave at the back and approaching from behind.

His sonido had allowed him to approach and enter the cave undetected, only to come face to face with the dragon as if it'd been waiting for him the entire time. From what he could see in the dim light it was a considerably sized dragon, easily the size of a Gillian-class Hollow regardless of its crouched position. It frame was as heavily muscled as it was scarred, suggesting a male of considerable experience in combat, its skin dark and a row of bony points running down it head and along the spines like a mohawk, its golden eyes glaring down at him at it scowled through the darkness. From where he stood it appeared to have a quadrupedal frame, but he couldn't rule out the possibility of bipedal capabilities; the unicorn Lyra Hearstrings had demonstrated the significance of that fact yesterday.

"I wasn't expecting one so large," was all Ulquiorra could think to say. He was operating under the assumption that dragons weren't simply mindless beasts in the same manner as Hollows, and the only way to test that out was by talking to it and seeing how it responded.

The dragon continued glaring at him, blinking a few times and uttering a low growl, the noxious sulfuric fumes from his breath blowing past him. Much as he hated to, he had to agree with Rainbow Dash; the dragon's breath truly did stink.

Reaching out with his pesquisa he could feel the others approaching, slowly but surely getting into position. This would require some stalling in order to pull off properly. Unfortunately procrastinating wasn't one of his strong points. Continual talking to one that wasn't responsive wasn't something he was particularly skilled in; Princess Luna was better suited for that.

"I don't pretend to know your reasons for venturing so far into the territory of Equestria. Nor is it of any interest to me. However I am under orders to remove you as your smoke poses a serious health hazard to the ponies that live in the town below," Ulquiorra explained calmly. The dragon simply continued looking at him and blinking. Perhaps the vocal approach wasn't the best way to go. Perhaps the best course of action was to engage in a stare down and see which one of them would yield first.

"E-excuse me...sir?"

Ulquiorra was the first to blink at the voice. According to his pesquisa the six were now behind them near the back of the cave and slowly making their way forward. He'd focused so much attention on staring at the dragon to try and distract it he'd failed to notice the teleportation into the cave. Now though he was aware of Fluttershy's close proximity as she tried to address the dragon with whatever measure of courage she could manage. The dragon seemed equally aware of their presence as he turned away from the stare down to face the new voice.

"Sir...I know that you're really tired and all, and that all you really want to do is settle in for a long nap...but could you please...m-maybe find somewhere else to sleep? You see you're awfully close to Ponyville and a lot of ponies down below are---"

The dragon didn't allow Fluttershy to finish whatever she was saying and cut her off by violently -and loudly- roaring directly in her face, sending her flying backwards and crashing against the cave wall along with her friends who were unfortunately in the path with her.

That hurt a lot! All six of them were groaning and in pain from being tossed about so easily, each of their bodies more or less crumpling limply on the ground.

"That went bad," Rainbow Dash commented as her vision was swimming right now. How could an animal resist Fluttershy's nature? It didn't make sense to her, she'd managed to tame Discord and make him good so how could she not do the same with this dragon? None of it made any sense.

"Get your flank out of my face!"

"Move your leg!"

"You're squishing me!"

Things had gone from unfavorable to just plain bad in such short order that nopony could tell just what went wrong. The dragon had not only completely ignored Fluttershy's attempts at managing it, it went on the offensive and blew them out of the way with a single roar, leaving them in a pile on the cave floor, disoriented and trying to untangle themselves from one another.

"Real great plan Twilight! Whoever heard of sneaking up on a dragon?" Rainbow Dash asked sarcastically, unaware that the dragon was no longer paying any attention to Ulquiorra and instead was making its way over to them, a hungry look in its eyes as it licked its lips.

At least that's how it was until something caused them to stop fighting, a loud commotion erupting above them. They looked up just in time to see something shatter against the dragon's head in a cloud of smoke.

"I can't allow you to do that," they heard Ulquiorra say. Looking back as best they could they saw him standing with his right arm extended, some sort of red static energy dissipating around his hand and extended finger. "I have no personal care for their wellbeing. But I'm under orders not to allow any harm to come to them."

The dragon slowly turned away from them to face the original intruder again, giving them the time needed to untangle themselves and get back on their hooves.

"Cuatro Espada Ulquiorra Cifer. Fourth strongest Espada under the command of Sosuke Aizen. First strongest Espada under the command of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna."

The dragon stared down at Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra stared up at the dragon. It was another stare down just like a few moments ago. However this time the dragon reacted first by drawing in a deep, deep breath, and unleashing a torrent of flames that easily engulfed Ulquiorra before he could react or respond.

"Ulquiorra!" Twilight shouted in horror at having seen the entire display. He'd just saved them from the dragon only to meet the fate that was meant for them? The utter cruelty of it all! Now she turned to the dragon and was filled with rage over what was lost: someone who had never been blessed with knowing what friendship was, someone who had never known true kindness or what it was like to laugh, someone who was the greatest discovery in all the centuries of Equestria's history! How dare that dragon do something like that?

"Impressive."

At the sound of the voice all eyes turned toward the front of the cave and what remained of the fire and the burning rocks. What should've been present should've been nothing more than a pile of cinders and soot. But strolling out of the flames was none other than Ulquiorra, looking like he wasn't even singed and merely dusting his jacket off. How was something like that possible? He'd taken the full force of the dragon's attack and was completely unfazed; he didn't even look like he was suffering from an adrenaline high!

"You nearly managed to singe through my hierro in that attack. I was unaware that a living beast could generate such an intense heat. It is truly applause worthy that you were able to perform such a feat," Ulquiorra said calmly. He then proceeded to do what nopony had ever expected him to do and clapped. Three very slow and sarcastic claps of his hands before he put them back in his pockets and began walking forward again.

The dragon seemed confused at how such a puny thing had survived being burnt, but that confusion quickly turned to rage as it actually began mocking him with its clapping! Who did this runt think he was!? Letting loose a deafening roar, another stream of fire was let loose and completely engulfed the pale figure.

"Too slow."

From their vantage point the ponies were seeing the whole mess unfold and not believing a second of it. He'd been completely engulfed in pure dragon's breath fire that was known to be able to melt rocks in high enough concentrations. From that he'd emerged unscathed and actually went onto mock the dragon and anger it into attacking. At which point he'd disappeared in a flash of sonido speed and reappeared atop the dragon's head and was currently looking down on it as if with contempt, informing it that it was too slow to keep up with him.

The entire display was something that went completely over their heads. How could such a thing be possible? How could Ulquiorra be showing up such a vicious dragon -vicious enough even Fluttershy couldn't get through to it- and be doing it all in such a casual manner that it was like foal's play? The amount of questions they had just kept adding up, every new display and every new sentence just adding to the mounting pile.

Without further discussion Ulquiorra calmly lifted his left foot and brought it back down fast, stomping on the dragon's head with a loud crack, hard enough to send it toppling to the ground, leaping off almost casually and landing in front of it as it groaned, before reaching out with his left hand and grabbing it by the nose.

"You have displayed a limited measure of intelligence. It is likely you are intelligent enough to realize that you're incapable of harming me no matter how hard you try. You should be equally intelligent enough to understand the best course of action is to leave now while you're still able to move under your own power," Ulquiorra calmly explained as he kept his hold on the dragon's nose and tightened it.

To the others it was hard to watch. Ulquiorra was delivering an ultimatum to a monster of a dragon as he held onto its snout with one hand, seemingly trying to stare it down when his head didn't even come up to its nostrils, and bragging that it couldn't do anything to hurt him.

"He's...he's crazy..." Rainbow Dash stated.

The dragon seemed inclined to agree with her statement and violently pulled its snout free from Ulquiorra's hold and roared at him, before pulling back a massive fist and bringing it down and forward right on top of him.

The proper response to such an attack would be to dodge, as anything caught in its path would be reduced to a bloody paste in short order. Ulquiorra however, failed to do so. As the dragon's fist came down on his position he instead held his hand upward and caught it on the descent. The act effortlessly stopped its advancement, the force of the impact traveling around him and damaging the stone floor in the form of large cracks radiating outward from his feet, and chunks of debris flying in every direction as it gave way to the laws of physics that demanded such.

"That...that jus' ain't possible!" Applejack stated in disbelief as her mouth hung open. "Nopony's strong enough ta do somethin' like that! How can such a scrawny fella pull off somethin' like that?!"

Twilight watched in silence, stunned at just how many things were...wrong...with physics for such a display to be possible. How could Ulquiorra be displaying more strength than a fully grown dragon despite the sheer differences in their size and mass? The dragon had to weigh more than three hundred times what Ulquiorra did and was easily ten times taller at the shoulder, so why couldn't it do anything to overpower him? This was all very, very physically wrong...and not wrong like when Pinkie did something that seemed to defy physics, this was much worse than that! His skeletal and muscular structure shouldn't have been able to withstand that impact while the hard stone cracked beneath him. And even if it could there was no way his shoulder should've been able to remain in place with such a jarring blow; especially since the dragon had enough room to actually pull its claw back before throwing it forward for greater momentum.

What was his world of Heuco Mundo like for him to be able to do something like that!?

"He really is a monster..." she whispered in disbelief.

"Worse than that," Rainbow Dash stated, unable to turn away from what she was seeing.

They all immediately remembered how Ulquiorra had said he was the smallest of the Espada. And yet his small stature was proving to be more than the dragon could deal with. If he could do that all on his own then none of them wanted to see what the largest of Espada could do in a similar situation!

And as if that wasn't bad enough on its own it only got worse the more it was thought on. In addition to being the smallest of the Espada Ulquiorra claimed he was only the fourth strongest of the Espada. That meant where he came from there were three others even stronger than he was right now. And if that was the case it was a truly terrifying thought to give consideration to.

"As I have said you're incapable of harming me," Ulquiorra stated calmly, showing no visible signs of exertion at keeping the dragon's fist above him. "Simply by looking at you I can measure your strength. No matter how hard you may try to do so you'll never succeed at physically overpowering me. Your best and only course of action would be to leave the caves now. If you don't do so then I'll kill you..."

Whether it was because the dragon comprehended his words and took offense to them, or simply because it had become frustrated at the display of strength in its opponent Ulquiorra would never know what had triggered its rage. All he knew was that the ensuing roar in response to his statement was deafening. From what he could tell of the dragon's detectable levels of reiatsu and its increasing density it was preparing to direct its full fury against him. And based on these new readings this fight could indeed prove to be quite difficult.

It was safe to say that the shit was about to hit the fan.

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Some days it simply didn't pay to be a princess.

She looked up from rubbing the bridge of her nose to see Ulquiorra still standing there and waiting patiently, still with his hand bound by her magic. She decided it was best to release him right now as she thought over matters. What was she to do?

Luna's scowl could almost be felt from where she stood. That wasn't helping matters any.

"You understand how difficult a position this is for me?" she asked.

"I understand that you still don't trust me. A wise policy all things considered," Ulquiorra replied as he pocketed his free hand. "At the same time I have no reason to trust you yet I take you at your word that I will remain safe under your watch," he continued.

Celestia went back to rubbing the bridge of her nose, growing more frustrated by the minute. At one point she actually considered Ulquiorra to be a breath of fresh air, the break from royal decorum that he brought with him and such. But right now he was just another source of her growing headache and the day court wasn't even open yet.

"If I agree to this then you'll be under the direct command of Twilight while on the journey. You'll follow her orders like you would my own. If she tells you to do something I expect you to do it, understand?" she finally asked.

"Dear sister! Surely thou art not serious! Thee intends to let him go along?" Luna asked in disbelief.

"Ulquiorra raises several good points that're worth addressing," Celestia replied and materialized a scroll of parchment, a quill and an inkwell before quickly writing out a note and levitating it over for Ulquiorra to take. "Because of the severity of this situation I'm extending to you a limited reprieve from the rules established two days ago. You may proceed to Ponyville but your escort will be Twilight and her friends. Your role will be limited strictly to observational purposes only and won't involve combat. You're not to attack the dragon and are ordered to let Fluttershy handle the matter. And don't assume that I won't be aware of what's going on while you're away. Are we understood?" she asked.

"Indeed," Ulquiorra replied.

"Excellent. Once you arrive in Ponyville deliver this note to Twilight, it should sufficiently explain the situation to her and she can take it from there," she explained.

"Understood."

At that Ulquiorra disappeared from view, leaving nothing behind but two very confused Princesses and the fading sound of a booming echo of static.

Luna blinked and looked around. "We hath seen that technique once before when Ulquiorra Cifer first appeared in the dining hall, but we have not an understanding of what it is," she stated.

"You're not alone, dear sister," Celestia replied, already beginning to wonder if she'd done the right thing.

+++

As she sat on her throne and officially closed the day court, Celestia couldn't stop thinking about how this morning had begun and the events that followed. She was allowing a strange being free reign of her kingdom in the company of the Elements of Harmony and expecting him to abide by the honor system. She must've been out of her mind to consent to such a setup! And yet she had, just as she'd trusted the girls to reform Discord without her help. She must be getting senile in her old age, that was the only thing that made any sense. That's why she'd been worrying the entire day and unable to give the nobles the proper amount of attention that they were deserving.

Right now she was standing on the balcony, letting out a frustrated sigh as she observed the mountains in the distance. The smoke had subsided but she hadn't yet seen any dragon leaving; she wasn't entirely certain what to think about that just yet.

She could feel her sister approaching the throne room, obviously to check up on the situation. She'd been the most opposed to allowing Ulquiorra to leave with the girls due to her anger with his failure to recognize royal decorum. But even she had eventually seen the benefit that could be had if things progressed smoothly.

"You're up early," Celestia commented as she heard Luna's hooves clopping against the marble floor.

"We couldst not rest properly and eventually gave up any hope of a restful day's sleep," Luna explained as she approached and yawned. "What dost thou know of the situation with Ulquiorra Cifer?"

"Not much I'm afraid. They've finally reached the cave and the smoke is no longer pouring out but that's the extent of it. I'm waiting to see what happens next," Celestia explained.

Luna was silent and took up watching with her sister, standing up on her hind legs to look over the balcony railing properly and observe the distance for any trace of activity. Why were they not using the royal telescope in this situation when it was vastly superior? It wasn't even as if it was inaccessible at the moment but rather a mere five feet away from where they now stood!

A distant roar could be heard coming all the way from the mountains to the east. That really didn't sound good at this point, a roar indicated aggression and hostility. What was going on to warrant such? Had Ulquiorra Cifer interfered and not allowed Fluttershy to do what she had been assigned to do?

"Might we ask thee a question our dear sister?" Luna finally asked.

"Of course," Celestia replied and nodded.

"Why art thou standing naked in the throne room?"

The roar of the dragon was the most horrible thing anypony could recall ever hearing in their lives, the horrors magnified as the sounds reverberated off the cave walls and shook the entire ground. The horrors were magnified to an even greater degree than this already terrifying fact as large chunks of rock began to dislodge from the cave's ceiling, with stalactites falling like arrows and impaling themselves in the ground all around them.

"Cave in!"

It was an entirely redundant scream of terror but Twilight honestly couldn't think of anything else to say at the moment. Immediately her friends hunkered around her for safety as her horn glowed and she threw up a forcefield to avoid them being crushed to death, debris falling and bouncing off of it like large hailstones in a massive thunderstorm.

The commotion outside the cave was nearly deafening even behind the forcefield as the dragon was immediately on the move, throwing out huge clouds of dust and loose gravel as well as larger debris as it scrambled out the front of the cave, its massive wings unfolding as it took to the skies.

"At leas' the big fella's leavin'," Applejack finally spoke up as the cave in seemed to stop once the roaring did.

"Thank Celestia. Let's see about getting out of here before that dreaded beast comes back," Rarity added.

Twilight nodded in agreement and dropped her forcefield so they could leave. However before she even took a single step she noticed something; the sheer emptiness of the cave. Where was Ulquiorra? He'd been holding the dragon at bay single-handed -and in the most literal sense of the strange word she'd ever seen displayed no less- before the cave in had begun and...

"Ulquiorra!" she shouted as the realization finally came to her like a ton of bricks...or a grand piano being dropped from a Cloudsdale moving van. "The dragon's got him!"

Nopony would doubt that Ulquiorra was strong, and he'd been holding his own quite admirably, but now the dragon was out in the open where it had a greater range of movement. The Arrancar's small body and speed was no longer the advantage in this situation. There was a shared moment of terror at Twilight's words, as the horrors of the possibilities quickly sank into their minds at to what could be happening to him right now. Possibilities they didn't want to consider.

"No bucking way!"

There was no time for procrastination or discussion in this matter, they didn't have an hour to waste talking it over. Without so much as another word Rainbow Dash took off, flying out of the cave in the direction the dragon had headed, her tail flapping about wildly and uncontrollably as she did, blowing past the smouldering remains of fire and paying no attention to what her friends were saying behind her in protest of her actions. She was a pony on a mission right now and that mission waited for nopony! Unlike the others she was ready as she hurtled out of the cave mouth.

She was fast. She was incredibly fast! She was un-bucking-believably fast! She was the fasting bucking pegasus in all of Equestria and everypony knew it!

That said though, even she would admit the dragon had a considerable lead on her, and despite its massive size those huge wings were flapping hard enough to cover a significant distance in a short amount of time. She found herself having to flap her feathery wings as hard as she could just trying to catch up with it. Even as fast as she could move, it was still going to take at least an entire minute just to get in range to see the large ridges on the dragon's tail. That was a fact she didn't like to admit.

"You're not getting away from me!" she shouted, not that it did much good at either helping her actually catch up to the dragon or distract it in its course. She'd be surprised if she could even be heard at this distance.

She was getting closer. It was taking everything she had just to avoid being left behind but she was doing it. As she got closer she could definitely make out part of Ulquiorra's frame sticking out of the dragon's tightly clenched claw. Now she was presented with a difficult question; even if she could catch up with the dragon -which she definitely could, no doubt about it- how was she ever going to rescue Ulquiorra? It wasn't like she could pry the dragon's claws open and snatch him up, she wasn't that strong. There had to be something she could do.

She fell back in her pursuit and took to a higher altitude before pursuing after the dragon again, beating her wings with all her might to pick up the necessary speed to gain what ground she'd lost, and to pull off the only maneuver that would likely work in this case against such a huge beast. The only thing she was thankful for right now was how the dragon was flying in a relatively straight line, that would make it much easier to do this.

No time for hesitation, now was the time for being strong. The air erupted with a violent multi-colored explosion as her Sonic Rainboom was detonated in her approach, her trajectory hurtling her straight into the side of the dragon's back at unbelievable speeds.

The force of the impact against the scaly ribcage was significant as she ricocheted off to the side, spinning wildly out of control and off in a tangent, but it was enough to leave the dragon stunned and grasping the impacted area with its free claw, the hold on its quarry loosening enough that Ulquiorra fell free as their paths of travels diverged and became significantly different, the dragon continually flying away while he was in free fall toward the ground.

"Gotcha!"

At least he was until he came to a sudden jerking halt. Ulquiorra soon found himself free from the dragon's claw and in a much more awkward position, the cyan pegasi's forelegs wrapped around his trunk under his arms and keeping him from falling any further to the ground.

"Never fear, your friendly neighborhood Rainbow Dash is here!" she stated with a sense of triumph.

"You deployed your Sonic Rainboom technique against the dragon," he observed.

"That I did, U.C.," she stated proudly as her wings continued flapping to keep them in the air.

"Why?"

Her wings nearly stopped beating at the question. Why? He asked why? Was he serious?

"Are you foaling me or something? To rescue your flank from that thing," she pointed out.

"Why?" he repeated, only to be met by another confused noise from Rainbow Dash. "Yesterday you were greatly infuriated with me for not being impressed by the display of your "Sonic Rainboom" technique. Why would you burn through the majority of your mana and leave yourself vulnerable for the purpose of trying to rescue me?" he asked.

"Wha' the hay are you talking about? Did you think I'd just leave you to get devoured or something because you ticked me off earlier?" Rainbow Dash asked him. Was he really serious?

"Correct."

He was serious! Oh Luna!

"Look I don't know what things are like where you come from but here in Equestria that's not how we do things. We don't let ponies -or whatever you are- die just because we're upset at them. That’s not what friends do for each other, there’s no logic in that," Rainbow Dash explained. "Besides I haven't wowed you yet, I can't let you get eaten before then!"

"You're completely illogical," Ulquiorra stated simply, finding nothing else to make sense in this context.

"Thanks," Rainbow Dash replied, obviously oblivious to the meaning of what he'd just said. "You can thank me later, though, the dragon's coming back and we gotta get outta here!"

True enough the dragon had circled back around and was currently coming toward them, roaring angrily as it flapped its mighty wings and bearing down on them, prepared to unleash the fullest magnitude of its fury.

That is until a boulder came flying out of nowhere and shattered against its head and left it dazed and no longer directly focused on them.

"What the buck?" Rainbow Dash asked. She'd been prepared to engage in whatever fancy aerial maneuvers were needed to get them to safety, but the sudden intrusion by a rock left her confused.

Another boulder followed and slammed into the dragon's ribcage on its injured side and made its flinch in pain.

"Direct hit Twilight!" Applejack called as she looked through the binoculars, only to have them yanked away from her by Rarity's magic.

"Marvelous aim darling. But if you want another bullseye to the head you'll need to adjust your aim three degrees to the right," she explained.

They lacked Rainbow Dash's speed and powers of flight. But that didn't mean they were helpless in the situation. While Rainbow Dash was away making her grand rescue attempt they'd scrambled out of the cave and done the only thing they could think to do; improvise. Which in this case was Twilight magically hurling large stones at the dragon as hard and as fast as she could, Rarity providing latitude and longitude for each shot, and Pinkie fetching the boulders to be used for ammunition purposes.

Even if they couldn't cause any serious injury to the dragon at this distance they could at least provide a distraction to keep him from attacking Ulquiorra and Rainbow Dash.

"On it!" Twilight replied as she grasped another boulder and hefted it for another salvo, not even noticing the roar in the distance.

"Nopony gets away with hurting our friends! Not even if they're a dragon!" Pinkie yelled as she shoved another boulder into place.

"He's comin' back ya'll!" Applejack suddenly warned as she saw the dragon's figure getting bigger. Their distraction was working alright, just a little too well as it was now completely ignoring the other two and coming back for them!

Another boulder caught the dragon in the neck just below the jawbone, making it reach up and grasp its injured area. And from the sounds it was making it was easy to tell that it was very displeased with being pelted.

"Do your "friends" actually believe they can stop the dragon with such a petty assault?" Ulquiorra asked as another rock came hurtling into view and smashing against the dragon's shoulder.

"Beats me but it gives us a chance to get out of here," Rainbow Dash pointed out. She was just about to do that when the dragon unleashed another angry roar and took off flying again... headed right back towards her friends! "Horse apples!"

"Are you able to catch up to the dragon with me in tow before it reaches the others?" Ulquiorra asked her.

"...No..." Rainbow Dash replied slowly, not wanting to admit the fact. Her rescue attempt had drained most of her mana and trying to keep herself and him up in the sky wasn't doing her any good. She wouldn't admit it but she had her doubts at to whether or not she'd be able to catch up to the dragon even before it reached her friends. She was just about to ask Ulquiorra what he had in mind, when much to her surprise he did his boom thing and disappeared right out of her forelegs and out of sight. "How'd he do that?" she asked in confusion. And the better question was where had he gone?

Nevermind! That was a question for another time, right now there were more important issues at hoof like trying to rescue her friends!

There was a great deal of panic back at the cave as the five tried to figure out what to do. The dragon was coming in fast and there was nowhere safe to hide that they couldn't be found. It could easily tear up the cave looking for them and their legs would never carry them far enough away in time to avoid being caught.

"Ah think we bit off more than we can chew," Applejack stated as the dragon got closer. It was only a few hundred feet away right now and that distance was closing quickly.

And then the last thing any of them ever expect to see happen actually happened; Ulquiorra had appeared in front of the dragon and stopped it in its tracks. Actually that was an understatement as what truly happened was something they couldn't properly comprehend.

The idea behind the sonido they more or less understood but that was as far as it went. What they didn't understand was how he'd managed to sonido in front of the dragon, in midair no less, and had halted the dragon by using both hands to press against its snout and slow its progression to a standstill, his feet kicking up clouds of what looked like dust in the process as if he'd slowly ground to a halt against the hard stone of the mountain.

He was literally standing in midair right now, hundreds of feet above any solid ground, and somehow generating enough force to overcome the thrust of the dragon's wings and stop it from advancing any further, a mere fifty feet away from the cliff's edge the others stood upon. A feat that was supposed to be absolutely impossible to pull off.

So just how in the nine pits of Tartarus had that just been possible!?

"Did he just..." Rarity asked but was unable to finish the sentence, the entire display simply too unbelievable.

"He stopped the dragon," Twilight answered, completely dumbstruck.

"In midair!" Applejack added in utter disbelief. Had Ulquiorra done the whole thing on the ground it would've been impossible enough to believe, but this was like impossible squared or something.

The dragon seemed to share their confusion, going cross-eyed to look at Ulquiorra as he stood there, presenting an immovable object.

"I believe I've adequately explained that I cannot and will not allow any harm to come to these ponies," Ulquiorra calmly stated as he drew his left hand back and brought a fist down firmly on the dragon's snout.

Under the best of circumstances, if the pony in question was really strong, this act would cause the dragon momentary pain and disorient them. But these were not such circumstances, Ulquiorra was no pony, and the dragon wasn't disoriented. Rather the dragon was now howling in intense pain and falling out of the sky from the force of the blow.

Being around Pinkie long enough made one comfortable in the fact that things could happen that nopony could adequately explained. They just accepted it for whatever it was. But that said, nothing Pinkie could conceivably pull off could ever prepare them for what they were seeing right now. Were there any laws of physics that Ulquiorra wasn't currently violating? Defying gravity, pound for pound generating far more force than could even be conceived as possible, withstanding hundreds of degrees worth of heat without suffering any burns, moving faster than the eye could see, and single hoofedly beating the snot out of a fully grown adult dragon!

Twilight's mind was running wild with more questions than ever before, more than she ever thought possible. The things Ulquiorra was doing right now as he faced off against the dragon couldn't be explained no matter how hard she tried to. She was certain there was some logical, physical, scientific explanation for it all, something that could be found somewhere and broken down into easy to understand facts that would all make sense if they were really applied.

But right now she wasn't coming up with a single one of those things as she was far too busy watching everything unfold before her, just like the rest of her friends.

"How can anybody be so unbelievably strong?" Rarity finally asked, being the first to find her voice. The entire display was unlike anything she could ever remember seeing before. Not even the fantasy novels she sometimes borrowed from Twilight talked about something like this, it was simply too unbelievable to be taken seriously.

"Sure beats the tar outta me," Applejack replied, "can ya imagine what it'd be like if he worked at Sweet Apple Acres? There wouldn' be an apple left hangin' by the end o' the first day o' applebuckin' season!"

Having recovered from the blow the dragon was making its way back toward them with a vengeance. It was out for blood and revenge and was going to tear through anything in its path without discretion.

"Look out Ulqy that big mean dragon's coming back!" Pinkie called out loudly.

Ulquiorra said nothing in response, not even looking back at who spoke or looking down to confirm the facts. Instead he opted to sonido out of view and back into view in front of the dragon's eyes. No words were exchanged as he raised his right foot and forcefully stomped right between its eyes, not even bothering to take his hands out of his pockets in the process.

For the life of her Rainbow Dash couldn't properly wrap her head around what she was seeing during her approach. First he'd disappeared out of her forelegs and apparently traveled between there and her friends faster than even she could move, and then it looked like he was beating the crud out of the dragon all by himself. He was super fast and super strong? What was this dude made from, dark matter or something? How could he send a fully grown dragon into screams of pain with a single kick when even she couldn't do that?

And didn't he say yesterday that she was faster than he was? What was up with that?

As she made her way back to her friends she didn't know whether to be seriously jealous, or wowed by the sheer awesomeness of it all. He was kicking more flank than she ever believed possible.

"RD ya feather brained idjit get outta the way!" she heard Applejack yell as she got closer. Right now it really did sound like a good idea, the skies were too dangerous right now and she made a beeline for the group figuring it was safest with them.

"Am I really seeing what I think I'm seeing?" Rainbow Dash asked as she touched down, wincing at the sight of Ulquiorra actually slapping the dragon right across its beak with enough force to move its head to the side.

"That and a whole lot more," Twilight replied and nodded, cringing at the sound of a loud crunch as Ulquiorra dove toward the dragon and kicked it in the lower jaw, making its head snap back as it tumbled backwards. "That's gonna hurt in the morning..."

From their vantage point it didn't look like the dragon was in any position to be getting back up again. And it seemed Ulquiorra had reached the same conclusion as he turned and walked -on thin air no less- back to the group and stepped down onto the ground next to them.

For a long moment there wasn't a single sound coming from the ponies as they just stood there in stunned silence. Then after a long moment he was bombarded with questions and statements from all sides about everything they'd witnessed in the course of just a few minutes. How could he overpower a fully grown male dragon? How could he fly without wings? How could he walk on air? He could he withstand the dragon's fire? How did he get to be so awesome? And so on, and so on...and so on... coming from five of the present ponies, each of them trying to gain an advantage at being heard and hopefully getting their questions answered.

Pomf!

His attention slowly turned to Rainbow Dash as she stood there with her wings fully deployed and pointing upward, her primary feathers extended in a manner that didn't look particularly comfortable to be in. Slowly all eyes turned to her as she appeared uncomfortable with this development.

"Really Rainbow Dash?" Applejack asked in an incredulous manner at what she was seeing.

Rainbow laughed nervously. "What can I say? He's...awesome..." she tried to explain.

The significance of the entire display was lost on Ulquiorra, to the point he was willing to ask Twilight Sparkle to elaborate. However before he could even get the first word out their was a roar and a rush of wind behind them as the dragon once more came around, swooping up the side of the cliff and shooting over their heads at great speed.

"He jus' don' quit!" Applejack stated as she held onto her hat while looking up, only to go pale at the sight of the dragon preparing to unleash a massive fireball. "Hit the dirt!"

The ponies scattered from the scene as the fire came. Ulquiorra responded to the incoming assault by grasping the hilt of his zanpakutō and spinning one hundred and eighty degrees as he unsheathed it, a massive trail of his reiatsu following after the arching sweep and meeting with the fire, before cutting through the fire and dissipating the path all the way back to the dragon's mouth and slamming into the back of its throat.

To Twilight and her friends who saw everything it looked like he'd just overpowered the dragon's flames with nothing more than a single swing of his sword, the force of the swing traveling all the way back up to the dragon's mouth and causing its fire to peter out. As Princess Luna would say the awesomeness had just been doubled... Or at least that's what Rainbow Dash thought she'd say. To Twilight it was just another thing to add to the list of questions that needed to be answered.

Another burst of sonido and Ulquiorra appeared in front of the dragon, his left arm drawn back before his fist was slammed into the dragon's chest at full force and resulting in a very dull, very loud thud from the contact that could easily be heard from where they stood.

The dragon let out a loud groan of pain that suggested this had hurt it far more than any of the previous attacks, its front claws drifting to its midsection as it lost altitude and more or less crash landed on the hard ground in a collapsed fashion, groaning and panting heavily as if the wind had been thoroughly knocked right out of it.

"Did you girls see what I just saw?" Pinkie asked curiously.

"That Mr. Cifer fella sucker punching the dragon an' bringin' it down? Eeyup," Applejack replied.

"I don't think it's over yet, girls, look," Twilight stated and pointed as Ulquiorra disappeared from view and reappeared in front of the dragon, calmly resheathing his zanpakutō before speaking again.

"I grow tired of demonstrating the fact that you can't harm me. I have given you multiple opportunities to leave of your own volition but you've continued to respond in an overly aggressive manner. I'm unwilling to extend you anymore chances. Your very existence threatens the existence and wellbeing of countless others. And it is for that reason that you're going to die now," Ulquiorra explained to the downed dragon and extended his right hand, a ball of green energy forming at his fingertip.

The others had started to emerge from where they'd hidden in order to get a better view of what was going to happen next. They'd all heard the talk back in the cave but they'd assumed it was just a boast. But now with all the facts taken into account it no longer looked like that, it looked like he was not only serious but quite capable of doing such. Despite the facts and what they'd seen so far this idea horrified them.

Equally horrifying with the eerie green-hued glow the technique was casting over the immediate area and the shadows it was casting on the dragon's face, something about it was deeply unsettling and disturbing.

"Hey dude come on, the dragon's down for the count, it's not like he can get back up and attack again," Rainbow Dash stated in disbelief. Ulquiorra had already won, did he really need to press the matter further when it was already so obvious? She didn't even know exactly what he was doing but she knew it couldn't be good.

"Ulquiorra stop! What're you doing!?" Twilight shouted as she galloped over to him, the others not far behind her.

"What Princess Celestia herself will not do," Ulquiorra replied calmly and discharged his Cero at the dragon.

He missed.

His aim had been true and the dragon should've been reduced to a smouldering corpse. But instead his Cero was fired off toward the horizon as Fluttershy held onto his wrist with a single hoof and wasn't letting it anywhere near the dragon. She had spent this entire mission being quiet, scared, staying behind and doing everything else to convey her fear of the situation. He assumed her fear of dragon's outweighed her care for animals and she wouldn't have interfered. It appeared he assumed wrong as she was now doing everything in her power to actually defend the dragon from harm, including interfering with his Cero's trajectory.

Three things immediately came to his mind. The first being Fluttershy's speed and how she had managed to launch herself between him and the dragon just before the discharge of his Cero. He assumed her speed was enough to rival that of Rainbow Dash if she truly tried.

The second was something that seemed pointless currently but couldn't be ignored; while most of the ponies he'd encountered didn't quite come up to his waist at the shoulder, once they reared up on their hind legs the difference between their height and his wasn't even a full foot.

The third was her eyes. The look in her eyes as she stared straight into his was... intimidating. They were filled with a barely restrained rage the likes of which he hadn't seen since...

+++

"...I see. No mercy eh?" Ulquiorra asked rhetorically as he looking up toward the Shinigami that stood atop his head, a bright red Cero forming between his horns and aimed directly at his face. "How very Hollow-like."

Despite his best efforts he'd been incapable of defeating Ichigo Kurosaki and protecting the safety of Las Noches. Through a means he didn't understand the Shinigami had managed to survive having a hole blown through his chest via his Cero Oscuras technique and now stood before him -and on top of him- in triumph. He himself laid defeated on his ground, cut through from hip the shoulder, one of his horns severed and helpless to do anything other than look up at his own impending death.

"I don't care. I have no reason to live now that you've beaten me," he said bitterly as he watched the Cero being charged, his doom growing closer and closer by the second. "Do it." **

+++

...since he'd been Cero'd to the face by that brat.

How ironic.

"How dare you?" Fluttershy asked, oblivious as his Cero passed by her and disrupted the flow of her mane, the beam having come dangerously close to one of her flapping wings. "How DARE you?" she demanded as she stared at him, trying to burn a hole straight through him with her piercing gaze. "What gives you the right to decide who lives and who dies? How dare you try and kill something that can't even stand up against you? Can't you see that he can't even stand on his own feet, much less defend himself?"

It was ludicrous. In his time in Hueco Mundo he had stared down many who challenged him. His strength was recognized and subject to both respect and fear. His gaze was enough that even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were uncomfortable when staring him in the eyes and they'd attempt to focus elsewhere. And here he was, being stared down by the meek yellow pegasus who was easily the weakest in the group and finding himself unable to shake the feeling that he was the proverbial ant underneath the magnifying glass and being lectured.

The fact that she'd managed to even move his arm was amazing and most curious. Even more curious was how her reiatsu level had suddenly jumped when she'd intervened, and even now it was increasing dramatically as she spoke to him.

"All this poor dragon wanted to do was take a nap, that doesn't warrant death!" she stated, before turning her attention to the dragon itself. "And you! I can understand how badly you want a nap and how tired you are, but you can't nap here! You need to find somewhere else that isn't so close to a populated area where ponies and little animals are going to be breathing your smoke for the next hundred years. Now go on and shoo like we asked you too earlier. This whole mess could've been avoided if you'd just been a little more understanding the first time around," she scolded.

Ulquiorra watched -in great disbelief- as the dragon seemed to heed the words of Fluttershy and slowly stood itself back up on shaky legs, giving its wings a few cursory flaps before taking off into the sky again and setting off toward the east, far away from their current position until it was nothing more than a tiny dot in the sky.

His attention slowly drifted back to what was in front of him; namely a very pissed off looking Fluttershy, still glaring at him.

"It would seem Princess Celestia's trust in you was not misplaced," he commented, uncertain of what else he could say on the situation. What really was appropriate to say in this situation?

Author's Note

** Bleach chapter 351

Bonus chapter - extended dragon fight sequence

The plan was quite simple and easy to follow even if the instructions weren't presented on a full color spread sheet. The dragon was awake and aware of his surroundings. Ulquiorra would approach the mouth of the cave, evaluate the situation, and provide a distraction while Twilight Sparkle and the others approached the long way around. From there they would teleport into the cave near the back, and approach from behind where they would face the least amount of danger, comparatively speaking.

His sonido had allowed him to approach and enter the cave undetected, only to come face to face with the dragon as if it'd been waiting for him the entire time. From what he could see in the dim light it was a considerably sized dragon, easily the size of a Gillian-class Hollow regardless of its crouched position. Its frame was as heavily muscled as it was scarred, suggesting a male of considerable experience in combat, its skin dark in coloration, and a row of bony points running down it head and along the spines like a mohawk, its golden eyes glaring down at him as it scowled through the darkness. From where he stood it appeared to have a quadrupedal frame, but he couldn't rule out the possibility of bipedal capabilities; the unicorn Lyra Hearstrings had demonstrated the significance of that fact yesterday when she'd shown how she could balance on her hind legs and even walk about with only minor difficulty for several minutes.

"I wasn't expecting one so large," was all Ulquiorra could think to say. He was operating under the assumption that all dragons weren't simply mindless beasts in the same manner as Hollows -what with his interactions with Spike being all there was to go on so far, and the various historical accounts of some members of the species displaying considerable intelligence- and the only way to test that out was by talking to it and seeing how it responded.

"E-excuse me... sir?"

Ulquiorra was the first to blink at the voice. According to his pesquisa the six were now behind the dragon, near the back of the cave and slowly making their way forward. He'd focused so much attention on staring at the dragon to try and distract it he'd failed to notice the teleportation into the cave. Now though, he was aware of Fluttershy's close proximity as she tried to address the dragon with whatever measure of courage she could manage. The dragon seemed equally aware of their presence as he turned away from the stare down to face the new voice.

"Sir... I know that you're really tired and all, and that all you really want to do is settle in for a long nap...but could you please... m-maybe find somewhere else to sleep? You see you're awfully close to Ponyville and a lot of ponies down below are---"

That hurt a lot! All six of them were groaning and in pain from being tossed about so easily, each of their bodies more or less crumpling limply to the ground and in a heap on top of each other.

"That went very bad," Rainbow Dash commented as her vision was swimming right now. How could an animal resist Fluttershy's nature? It didn't make sense to her, she'd managed to tame Discord and make him good, so how could she not do the same with this dragon? None of it made any sense!

Ulquiorra wasn't surprised to see things proceed the way they had, he hadn't been expecting anything resembling a success from the meek pegasus addressing the dragon. However being right wasn't his primary concern right now, but rather the aggressive posture the dragon was taking towards them. That simply wouldn't do. Regardless of what Princess Celestia might have ordered him to do on this mission, it was no longer of any importance. There was a much bigger issue at hand and in need of being addressed.

"Get your flank out of my face!"

"Move your leg!"

"You're squishing me!"

"I can't allow you to do that," they heard Ulquiorra say. Looking back as best they could, they saw him standing with his right arm partially extended, some sort of red static energy dissipating around his hand and extended finger. "I have no personal care for their wellbeing. But I'm under orders not to allow any harm to come to them."

The dragon slowly turned away from them to face the original intruder again, giving them the time needed to untangle themselves and get back on their hooves and to a location that could be considered more secure than where they had been just a moment ago; like behind a chunk of large boulder.

"Cuatro Espada Ulquiorra Cifer. Fourth strongest Espada under the command of Sosuke Aizen. First strongest Espada under the command of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna."

The dragon stared down at Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra stared up at the dragon. It was another stare down just like a few moments ago. However this time the dragon reacted first by lunging forward and grasping Ulquiorra within its claw and picked him up off the ground, before turning and hurling him against the far wall, the stone cracking from the impact of the sudden stop.

The ponies gasped at what they'd just seen, the entire scene made all the more horrifying as the dragon was heard drawing in a deep, deep breath, and unleashing a torrent of flames that easily engulfed Ulquiorra's entire body before he could react or respond; if such a feat were even possible considering what he'd just been subjected to.

"Impressive."

At the sound of the voice all eyes turned toward the back of the cave and what remained of the fire and the burning rocks. What should've been present, should've been nothing more than a pile of cinders and soot. But strolling out of the flames at a casual pace was none other than Ulquiorra, looking like he wasn't even singed and merely dusting his jacket off. How was something like that possible? He'd been slammed against the cave wall at an incredible velocity, and taken the full force of the dragon's attack, and he was completely unfazed; he didn't even look like he was suffering from an adrenaline high! The heat of the flames didn't even look like they were causing him discomfort as he simply waltzed past them, his outfit not even burning.

How could something like this have been possible? It defied explanation.

"You nearly managed to singe through my hierro in that attack. I was unaware that a living beast could generate such an intense heat. It is truly applause worthy that you were able to perform such a feat," Ulquiorra said calmly. He then proceeded to do what nopony had ever expected him to do, he clapped. Three very slow and sarcastic claps of his hands before he put them back in his pockets and began walking forward again.

"Too slow."

By now even the dragon was aware that something was amiss. Turning its eyes upward as best it could, it could see its quarry perched just atop its head and looking down back at it.

Without further discussion Ulquiorra calmly lifted his left foot and brought it back down fast, stomping on the dragon's head with a loud crack, hard enough to send it toppling to the ground where it slammed its chin into the stone flooring and groaned at the sudden discomfort it was unexpectantly experiencing right now.

Ulquiorra said nothing, settling instead for leaping off of the dragon's head almost casually in nature, landing in front of it and turning around as it groaned, before reaching out with his left hand and grabbing it by the nose, taking hold of the soft tissue situated right between the nostrils.

"He's... he's crazy..." Rainbow Dash stated. She was known for being brash, and brazen, and on occasion even a bit crazy. But nothing she'd ever done had come close to this... not even the time she'd kicked the other dragon in the face, at least she could maneuver out of the way if things went south.

The dragon seemed inclined to agree with her statement and violently pulled its snout free from Ulquiorra's hold and roared at him, before pulling back a massive clawed fist and bringing it down and forward right on top of him.

The proper response to such an attack would be to dodge, as anything caught in its path would be reduced to a bloody paste in short order. Ulquiorra however, failed to do so. As the dragon's fist came down on his position, he instead held his left hand upward and caught it on the descent. The act effortlessly stopped its advancement in a full, dead stop, the force of the impact traveling around him and damaging the stone floor in the form of large cracks radiating outward from his feet, and chunks of debris flying in every direction as it gave way to the laws of physics that demanded such.

Fluttershy let out a terrified squeak as debris hit their hiding spot and ducked down. The rest of the ponies not faring much better at what they were seeing.

"That... that jus' ain't possible!" Applejack stated in disbelief as her mouth hung open. "Nopony's strong enough ta do somethin' like that! How can such a scrawny fella pull off somethin' like that?!"

Twilight watched in silence, stunned at just how many things were... wrong... with physics for such a display to be even remotely possible. How could Ulquiorra be displaying more strength than a fully grown dragon despite the sheer differences in their size and mass? The dragon had to weigh more than three hundred times what Ulquiorra did and was easily ten times taller at the shoulder, so why couldn't it do anything to overpower him? This was all very, very physically wrong... and not wrong like when Pinkie did something that seemed to defy physics, this was much worse than that! His skeletal and muscular structure shouldn't have been able to withstand that impact while the hard stone cracked beneath him. And even if it could there was no way his shoulder should've been able to remain in place with such a jarring blow; especially since the dragon had enough room to actually pull its claw back before throwing it forward for greater momentum.

And despite all of that Ulquiorra was indeed standing there, using a single hand to keep the dragon's claw away from him, his face displaying nothing that would indicate he was actually having to exert himself. If anything he looked... bored... like he had nothing to prove and was simply doing what he was doing for the sake of fulfilling some duty bound requirement to display his abilities.

What was his world of Heuco Mundo like for him to be able to do something like that!?

"He really is a monster..." she whispered in disbelief.

"Worse than that," Rainbow Dash stated, unable to turn away from what she was seeing. "Remember what he was saying on the way up here?"

And as if that wasn't bad enough on its own, it only got worse the more it was thought on. In addition to being the smallest of the Espada Ulquiorra claimed he was only the fourth strongest of the Espada. That meant where he came from there were three others even stronger than he was right now. And if that was the case it was a truly terrifying thought to give consideration to.

Their attention was suddenly brought back to the display rather than their own horrified thoughts. There was a cracking sound that was distinctly not stone that caught their attention. A closer look revealed that Ulquiorra had caught the dragon's fist on one of the joints of its clawed fist. Was the exertion causing strain on that particular joint for the dragon or was Ulquiorra actually making an effort to crack solid dragon bone with nothing more than a single hand?

"As I have said you're incapable of harming me," Ulquiorra stated calmly, showing no visible signs of exertion at keeping the dragon's fist above him. "Simply by looking at you I can measure your strength. No matter how hard you may try to do so, you'll never succeed at physically overpowering me. Your best and only course of action would be to leave the caves now. If you don't do so then I'll kill you..."

With that he allowed his arm to come lower, bringing the dragon's fist closer to his head, before suddenly thrusting it back upward and causing its arm to fly upward and away from him.

"He... he didn't just do that..." Pinkie stated in surprise. He'd just shrugged off the dragon, tossing its lumbering limb to the side like it was foal's play.

"He did," Twilight stated in disbelief.

Whether it was because the dragon comprehended his words and took offense to them, or simply because it had become frustrated at the display of strength in its opponent, Ulquiorra would never know what had triggered its rage. All he knew was that the ensuing roar in response to his statement was deafening. From what he could tell of the dragon's detectable levels of reiatsu and its increasing density it was preparing to direct its full fury against him. And based on these new readings this fight could indeed prove to be quite difficult.

It was safe to say that the shit was about to hit the fan.

The roar of the dragon was the most horrible thing anypony could recall ever hearing in their lives, the horrors magnified as the sounds reverberated off the cave walls and shook the entire ground. The horrors were magnified to an even greater degree than this already terrifying fact, as large chunks of rock began to dislodge from the cave's ceiling, with stalactites falling like arrows and impaling themselves in the ground all around them.

"Cave in!"

Ulquiorra observed the entire scene unfolding around him. The longer he drew this out the longer the bearers of the Elements of Harmony were put at risk of being killed by debris rather than the dragon itself. This location was hardly desirable for such a fight to be carried out. Something drastic needed to be done and quickly.

In a burst of sondio he appeared behind the dragon close to the mouth of the cave and discharged his Bala right into its back. The roar of anger halted as the dragon turned to face him.

The commotion inside the cave was nearly deafening even behind the forcefield and enough to drive them to try and protect themselves. They didn't even notice as the dragon's roar immediately died down, only for it to start up again. The commotion coming further from them near the outside of the cave was just as bad as it'd been as far in as they were due to the reverberations. The entire ordeal was rendered all the more frightening as the dragon was immediately on the move, throwing out huge clouds of dust and loose gravel as well as larger debris as it scrambled out the front of the cave, its massive wings unfolding as it took to the skies.

And then silence. After a long moment more silence. It was far too quite for any dragon to be present. Hesitantly they all stood back up and looked around, finding the cave absent of any signs of the dragon still being there.

"Looks like Mr. Cifer got the dragon ta get moseyin' on along all by 'imself," Applejack finally spoke up, the cave in seeming to have come to a complete stop once the roaring did the same.

"Thank Celestia. Let's see about getting out of here before that dreaded beast comes back," Rarity added.

Twilight nodded in agreement and dropped her forcefield so they could leave. However before she even took a single step she noticed something; the sheer emptiness of the cave. Whereas the others had been looking for the dragon her attention had been focused on something else; something much smaller in detail. Where exactly was Ulquiorra? He'd been holding the dragon at bay single-handed -and in the most literal sense of the strange word she'd ever seen displayed no less- before the cave in had begun and...

"Ulquiorra!" she shouted as the realization finally came to her like a ton of bricks... or a grand piano being dropped from a Cloudsdale moving van. "The dragon's got him!"

"Oh no," Fluttershy squeaked in terror.

Nopony would doubt that Ulquiorra was strong, and he'd been holding his own quite admirably, but now the dragon was out in the open where it had a greater range of movement instead of bunched up into a -comparatively speaking- small ball appropriate for a long nap. The Arrancar's small body and speed was no longer the advantage in this situation. There was a shared moment of terror at Twilight's words, as the horrors of the possibilities quickly sank into their minds at to what could be happening to him right now. Possibilities they didn't want to actually consider as they were all far too gruesome. Being devoured was only the beginning of such horrible possible thoughts.

"He's a goner," Applejack gulped. That dragon was already long gone by now and if it had a hold of him there wasn't a single bucking thing they'd be able to do about it.

"There's no way in Tartarus he is!" Rainbow Dash objected loudly and deployed her wings.

"Rainbow Dash, wait!" Twilight stated. Was she seriously going to try and--

"No bucking way!"

Locating the dragon in flight was easy, it was far too big to possibly miss. Immediately she set her sights on it and followed in pursuit, her tail flicking about wildly as the wind blew over and across her lean frame as she flapped furiously.

She was fast.

She was incredibly fast!

She was un-bucking-believably fast! She was the fasting bucking pegasus in all of Equestria and everypony knew it!

That said though, even she would admit the dragon had a considerable lead on her, and despite its massive size those huge wings were flapping hard enough to cover a significant distance in a short amount of time. It defied common sense that something as large and heavy as it could possibly be so far ahead of her in just the course of a single minute. She found herself having to flap her feathery wings as hard as she could just trying to catch up with it. Even as fast as she could move, it was still going to take at least an entire minute just to get in range to see the large ridges on the dragon's tail. That was a fact she didn't like to admit.

"You're not getting away from me!" she shouted, not that it did much good at either helping her actually catch up to the dragon or distract it from its present course, whatever it might be. She'd honestly be surprised if she could even be heard at this distance with the wind blowing back in her face.

She was getting closer. It was taking everything she had just to avoid being left behind but she was doing it. As she got closer she could definitely make out part of Ulquiorra's frame sticking out of the dragon's tightly clenched claw and confirming his actual location. But now that she'd verified the fact, she was presented with a difficult question; even if she could catch up with the dragon -which she definitely could, no doubt about it- how was she ever going to rescue Ulquiorra? It wasn't like she could pry the dragon's claws open and snatch him up, she wasn't that strong. There had to be something she could do.

And then a light bulb clicked on and got her thought process going again.

No time for hesitation, now was the time for being strong.

The air erupted with a violent multi-colored explosion as her Sonic Rainboom was detonated in her approach, her trajectory hurtling her straight into the side of the dragon's back at unbelievable speeds.

"Gotcha!"

At least he was until he came to a sudden jerking halt. Ulquiorra soon found himself free from the dragon's claw and in a much more awkward position; the cyan pegasi's forelegs wrapped around his trunk under his arms and keeping him from falling any further to the ground.

"Never fear, your friendly neighborhood Rainbow Dash is here!" she stated with a sense of triumph at her actions and achievements. She'd just tackled the dragon full force and rescued somepony in need. Today was definitely a good day to be alive!

"You deployed your Sonic Rainboom technique against the dragon," he observed, his tone completely unchanged and inappropriate for what he'd just been through. Not that she noticed really.

"That I did, U.C.," she stated proudly as her wings continued flapping to keep them in the air.

"Why?"

Her wings nearly stopped beating at the question. Why? He asked why? Was he serious?

"Are you foaling me or something? To rescue your flank from that thing," she pointed out.

"Wha' the hay are you talking about? Did you think I'd just leave you to get devoured or something because you ticked me off earlier?" Rainbow Dash asked him. Was he really serious?

"Correct."

He was serious! Oh Luna!

"You're completely illogical," Ulquiorra stated simply, finding nothing else to make sense in this context.

"Thanks," Rainbow Dash replied, obviously oblivious to the meaning of what he'd just said. "You can thank me later, though, the dragon's coming back and we gotta get outta here!"

True enough the dragon had recovered from the unexpected collision and circled back around, and was currently coming toward them, roaring angrily as it flapped its mighty wings and bearing down on them, prepared to unleash the fullest magnitude of its fury.

That is until a boulder came flying out of nowhere and shattered against its head, and left it dazed and no longer directly focused on them.

"What the buck?" Rainbow Dash asked. She'd been prepared to engage in whatever fancy aerial maneuvers were needed to get them to safety, but the sudden intrusion by a rock left her confused.

Another boulder followed and slammed into the dragon's ribcage on its injured side and made it flinch in pain.

"Rainbow Dash, wait!" Twilight called, but it was already too late as the hotheaded pegasus was already flying out of the mouth of the cave before she could protest any further. That stubborn, brazen, featherbrained idiot! Didn't she realize that she'd just volunteered for a suicide mission? "This is bad..." she muttered and shook her head, before running for the cave mouth, the others hot on her hooves to see what the status on their friend was.

By the time they got out of the cave their was a loud rumbling explosion in the distance. By the time their eyes adjusted to the natural brightness provided by the sun they could see the telltale signs of a Sonic Rainboom in the sky, the spectral trail that followed in Rainbow Dash's wake hurtling off into the distance.

"Good gracious what's going on over there?" Rarity asked.

Twilight said nothing as she magically withdrew a pair of binoculars from her discarded saddlebags, frantically trying to focus on what was happening. By the time she had a clear line of sight for what was unfolding she caught the sight of Rainbow Dash plucking Ulquiorra out of of the air and was now keeping him from falling helplessly to the ground.

"It's alright, girls, they're both safe," she stated and released a long held breath of tension. "For the moment."

"Thank goodness," Fluttershy whispered, "I honestly don't know what went wrong, girls, for some reason the dragon just wasn't listening to me."

"Don' be sweatin' it none, Sugarcube," Applejack said in a reassuring manner as she placed a hoof on her shoulder. They knew Fluttershy had tried her best, it wasn't her fault the dragon was as mean and ornery as a sidewinder. None of them could possibly have known that things would've gone as wrong as they did, it sure as cider wasn't Fluttershy's fault that the dragon had responded the way it did. Outside of the time Discord hypnotized those beavers, this was the first time she could really remember Fluttershy's critter managing skills had actually failed them.

"Hmm..." Twilight muttered as she observed the scene, now locating where the dragon was in relation to the others and how it was currently flying. "It looks like Rainbow Dash actually injured the dragon somewhat. It looks like its favoring its right side... I think she actually tackled it after using her Sonic Rainboom and rammed into it, possibly to make it release Ulquiorra. It's possible she managed to bruise or even crack a rib or two on the impact," she explained.

From a scientific standpoint it seemed to make sense. She remembered yesterday how Ulquiorra mentioned when Rainbow Dash used her technique, her mana was actively used to strengthen her body so it didn't disintegrate when breaking the sound barrier -which required traveling at a speed in excess of one thousand, eighty three feet per second second- so logically it could be concluded that the same process strengthened her body enough to allow her to survive a collision with a full grown, well muscled dragon.

Actually now that she thought about it, it made a lot of sense.

"Shoot ah always knew RD was hard headed an' all, but ah never expected 'er ta be that hard headed," Applejack stated.

"What's happening now, Twilight?" Pinkie asked curiously, eager to find out the state of her friends, all the while planning what kind of party to throw for them.

Twilight wordlessly turned her attention back to what was ahead of her, preparing to give a detailed report of events that were unfolding. However her preparations and plans fell apart when she realized that the dragon wasn't backing down but rather getting ready to advance upon their friends once again.

"Oh shit, oh SHIT!" she exclaimed without even realizing the slip in dialect. "The dragon's getting ready to attack them again!"

They were too shocked by the news to ask Twilight about the sudden use of the unfamiliar term. All the way out there and away from solid ground, what could they do?

The binoculars were dropped as Twilight began panicking, looking around frantically for anything that could be used actively or passively to save her friends. A large boulder sat conveniently on the ledge, likely dislodged when the dragon escaped with Ulquiorra in tow. Without further deliberation she picked it up in her telekinetic hold and hurled it as hard as she could at the dragon's soon-to-be current position.

"More rocks! We need more rocks or they're going to die!" Twilight yelled.

They needed to act quickly. Hurtling large rocks was good and all, but with a dragon this size all it would do was provide a mild distraction. But under these circumstances it was all that could be asked for.

All she could do was hurl rocks blindly and pray that they landed. She didn't have enough time to factor in wind resistance, cross wind velocity and aerodynamics, she had to act in pure desperation right now.

Without word or warning Pinkie managed to find and shove another large boulder into their field of view. It was quickly picked up and hurtled at the dragon again. By the time Applejack managed to pick up the binoculars she saw it collide with the dragon's side.

"Direct hit Twilight!" Applejack called as she looked through the binoculars, only to have them yanked away from her by Rarity's magic.

"Marvelous aim darling. But if you want another bullseye to the head you'll need to adjust your aim three degrees to the right," she explained.

Even if they couldn't cause any serious injury to the dragon at this distance, they could at least provide a distraction to keep him from attacking Ulquiorra and Rainbow Dash.

"On it!" Twilight replied as she grasped another boulder and hefted it for another salvo, not even noticing the roar in the distance.

"Nopony gets away with hurting our friends! Not even if they're a dragon!" Pinkie yelled as she shoved another boulder into place. Suddenly, growing up on a rock farm seemed like a blessing.

"He's comin' back ya'll!" Applejack suddenly warned as she saw the dragon's figure slowly getting bigger in the horizon. Even without the binoculars she could tell what was going on. Their distraction was working alright, just a little too well as it was now completely ignoring the other two and coming back for them!

"Do your "friends" actually believe they can stop the dragon with such a petty assault?" Ulquiorra asked as another rock came hurtling into view and smashed against the dragon's shoulder. Each boulder coming downrange was easily the size of a pony, but against a dragon of this size it was little more than gravel against a regular sized individual, comparatively speaking anyway.

Then again said gravel was coming in the form of large, several hundred to several thousand pound projectiles, crossing the distance between the mountains and here in a matter of just a few seconds.

"Are you able to catch up to the dragon with me in tow before it reaches the others?" Ulquiorra asked her.

"... No..." Rainbow Dash replied slowly, not wanting to admit the fact. Her rescue attempt had drained most of her mana and trying to keep herself and him up in the sky wasn't doing her any good. She wouldn't admit it but she had her doubts as to whether or not she'd be able to catch up to the dragon even before it reached her friends. She was just about to ask Ulquiorra what he had in mind, when much to her surprise he did his boom thing and disappeared right out of her forelegs and out of sight. "How'd he do that?" she asked in confusion. And the better question was where had he gone?

Nevermind! That was a question for another time, right now there were more important issues at hoof, like trying to rescue her friends before they got eaten!

"Ah think we bit off more than we can chew," Applejack stated as the dragon got closer. Despite it all, Twilight hurled another large boulder at the dragon and caught it in the side of the face, but it simply bounced off the angle of its cheek, any damage it could've done being comparatively minimal.

"What're we going to do?" Fluttershy squeaked in terror.

"I honestly don't know. But if we die today then we're going to do so with great difficulty," Twilight stated firmly as her horn began to glow brightly.

The barrage of rocks served no point now, instead Twilight settled for pure magical blasts being discharged in quick succession inbetween short charge times, sending a steady stream of magical beams downrange in the dragon's direction, each blast kicking up dust as it traveled over the solid ground and into the open air beyond them. If they were going to die today there really wasn't anything she could do about it. But that didn't mean she was going to take it laying down and without resistance.

Each blast made contact with the dragon. However they failed to do anything more than shatter against its tough skin. It was no better than trying to spit watermelon seeds in its direction, except it was making the dragon all the angrier.

The situation was, for lack of a better word, hopeless. Fleeing wasn't an option as the dragon could catch them in no time either in its claw or with a stream of fire. Standing to fight wasn't an option as they were far too small to pose a significant risk. And Twilight's mana reserves were being further and further depleted with each shot she fired. There really wasn't anything they could do except resign themselves to the possibility that they were actually done for.

Applejack accepted this fate calmly and quietly, seeing no point in getting upset. Fluttershy cried to herself and weakly apologized for everything being her fault. Pinkie and Rarity wailed and carried on rather dramatically. Twilight was hunched over and panting raggedly, stubbornly wearing a look of refusal on her face, her horn steaming as she began charging another blast to try and send down the dragon's throat when she saw its open mouth. Her intent was to be defiant to the very end and planned on cooking the dragon's guts from the inside out if it was going to eat them.

By now the dragon was only a few hundred feet away right now, and that distance was closing quickly and there was nothing they could do about it. The only option left was to say their goodbyes and share gratitudes for having known each other.

And then the last thing any of them ever expect to see happen actually happened; Ulquiorra had appeared in front of the dragon out of nowhere and stopped it right in its tracks. Actually that was an understatement as what truly happened was something they couldn't properly comprehend.

The idea behind the sonido they more or less understood, but that was as far as it went. What they didn't understand was how he'd managed to sonido in front of the dragon, in midair no less, and had halted the dragon by using both hands to press firmly against its snout. This resulted in slowing its progression to a standstill, his feet kicking up huge clouds of what looked like dust in the process, as if he'd slowly ground to a halt against the hard stone of the mountain itself.

Right now, right in front of their disbelieving eyes, he was literally standing in midair, hundreds of feet above any solid ground, and somehow generating enough force to overcome the thrust of the dragon's wings and stop it from advancing any further, a mere fifty feet away from the cliff's edge the others stood upon.

The tears and the sadness stopped as the five ponies stood with wide eyes and open mouths at what they'd just witnessed take place before them. It was a feat that, by every conceivable standard of the laws of physics that governed their world and the use of their magic, should be absolutely impossible to achieve. What they'd just witnessed was more befitting of a mediocre quality story meant purely for entertainment purposes without taking real world physics into account. It was something that had to be impossible, a fact hammered home with each continual flap of the dragon's wings as it stubbornly tried to move.

It was a thought that bore reiterating: what they'd just seen was a feat that was supposed to be absolutely impossible to successfully pull off.

So just how exactly in the nine pits of Tartarus had that just been possible!?

"Did he just..." Rarity asked but was unable to finish the sentence, the entire display simply too unbelievable.

"He stopped the dragon," Twilight answered, completely dumbstruck and eyes wide, her own fatigue forgotten at the moment.

"In midair!" Applejack added in utter disbelief. Had Ulquiorra done the whole thing on the ground it would've been impossible enough to believe, but this was like impossible squared or something.

The dragon seemed to share their confusion after a long moment, going cross-eyed to look at Ulquiorra as he stood there, presenting an immovable object.

Under the best of circumstances, if the pony in question was really strong, this act would cause the dragon momentary pain and disorient them. But these were not such circumstances, Ulquiorra was no pony, and the dragon wasn't disoriented. Rather the dragon was now howling in intense pain from the sudden cracking noise that was heard and followed the felt blow, and falling out of the sky from the force of the blow.

"Oh... my..." Fluttershy whispered in surprise.

Being around Pinkie long enough made one comfortable in the fact that things could happen that nopony could adequately explain. They just accepted it for whatever it was. But that said, nothing Pinkie could conceivably pull off could ever prepare them for what they were seeing right now. Were there any laws of physics that Ulquiorra wasn't currently violating? Defying gravity, pound for pound generating far more force than could even be conceived as possible, withstanding hundreds of degrees worth of heat without suffering any burns, moving faster than the eye could see, and single hoofedly beating the snot out of a fully grown adult dragon!

But right now she wasn't coming up with a single one of those things as she was far too busy watching everything unfold before her, just like the rest of her friends.

Down below and away from them the dragon flapped its wings to catch itself and stop its descent, shaking its head to clear its senses, wincing as the movement made its snout hurt worse.

Having successfully recovered from the blow that'd been delivered to it by something no bigger than its fist, the dragon was making its way back toward them with a vengeance. It was out for blood and revenge and was going to tear through anything in its path without discretion in order to get what it wanted.

"Look out Ulqy that big mean dragon's coming back!" Pinkie called out loudly at the sight of the dragon rising again.

"Ulquiorra! Get out of there, quick!" Twilight called out.

Fluttershy remained silent as she watched, unable to vocalize anything. Ulquiorra had just saved them from certain death twice, putting himself directly in the line of danger in order to do so. He was facing down a fully grown male dragon all by himself and exposing himself to danger all for their sake, and had done so even without being asked for help. He was... so heroic in nature. He was just like the knights in fairy tales, facing the ferocious dragon to rescue the princess and live happily ever after, except this time it was playing out in real life.

She'd never before felt so excited, and so terrified, then she was at that very moment.

Ulquiorra almost casually looked in the direction the dragon was coming from as it swooped back up in front of him, a claw drawn back in its approach and swung toward him to try and swat him out of the way like he was nothing.

Much like the first time this attack ultimately proved futile. As the claw approached from the side he calmly extended his left hand and caught it on the approach, stopping it in its track from moving any further.

"If you want to fight anyone else you'll have to kill me first," he explained calmly, before withdrawing his hand and quickly bringing it down on top of one of the dragon's fingers, resulting a loud cracking noise and the targeted digit sticking out at an odd angle.

"Did he just..." Rarity start to ask but failed to finish the question.

"He just broke one of the dragon's claws with a single punch," Twilight stated in response, not able to believe it herself. Dragons' claws were incredibly strong and resilient to damage, built for tearing and digging through solid stone as easily as Spike dug through dirt when he helped Rarity go gem hunting, to be exposed to lava without any consequence from the submersion.

And Ulquiorra had just effortlessly broken one of its bones right through thickened scales and toughed muscles, when said bone was twice as thick as his own arm.

Immediately the dragon roared in pain and clutched its broken claw.

"You're quite troublesome."

Despite the overwhelming pain it was experiencing the dragon looked up to see Ulquiorra standing right in front of its face and positioned right between its eyes. No further words were exchanged after that point, as he raised his right foot and forcefully stomped right between its eyes, not even bothering to take his hands out of his pockets in the process.

And didn't he say yesterday that she was faster than he was? What was up with that?

As she made her way back to her friends she didn't know whether to be seriously jealous, or wowed by the sheer awesomeness of it all. He was kicking more flank than she ever believed possible.

The kick between the eyes -at least that's what it looked like from her vantage point in her approach- had sent the dragon grabbing for its face as its wings cut out in mid-flap and it dropped in altitude.

If she had to rank this on a scale of awesomeness it would be right at or above winning front row tickets to watch the Wonderbolts perform. Or maybe Cloudsdale getting picked to host the Equestria Games tournament.

"Am I really seeing what I think I'm seeing?" Rainbow Dash asked as she touched down.

Her attention was drawn back to the battle as the dragon recovered from the attack and prepared to attack again, only to be slapped right across the snout with enough force to move its head off to the side. She winced at that display of strength and confidence, pondering how much force someone so skinny actually commanded if they could do something like that.

Applejack nearly did a double take. Did Twilight really just use a word like "gonna" to describe and refer to something? This whole situation must've been worse than she thought if her friend was breaking from the otherwise proper and fancy grammar she so normally used.

Or maybe she'd just been hanging around them long enough that they were finally rubbing off on her.

"He's so heroic, saving us like he did," Fluttershy mused contentedly.

"I understand that he's a completely different species from us... but isn't he just so dreamy?" Rarity asked in response. He was indeed a hero to put himself in danger like that just for their sakes. How could one possibly ask for anything better?

Twilight shook her head as she continued watching the display. The dragon seemed to have fully recovered from the blow to the chin and made an effort to gain greater altitude, only for Ulquiorra to sonido his way over to it and actually stomp on its back right between the wings, possibly hitting a nerve cluster in the process as this caused the dragon's wings to lock up and sent it falling to the ground below.

"No way!" Rainbow Dash stated, her eyes wide in surprise.

There was a loud crash below that shook them from their own individual thoughts and brought them back forward as the dragon crashed into the trees below in the forest, flattening anything that was in its path from the rough landing.

For a long moment there wasn't a single sound coming from the ponies as they just stood there in stunned silence. Then after a long moment he was bombarded with questions and statements from all sides about everything they'd witnessed in the course of just a few minutes as the six descended upon his position. How could he overpower a fully grown male dragon? How could he fly without wings? How could he walk on air? How could he withstand the dragon's fire? How did he get to be so awesome? And so on, and so on...and so on... coming from five of the present ponies, each of them trying to gain an advantage at being heard and hopefully getting their questions answered.

Pomf!

"Really Rainbow Dash?" Applejack asked in an incredulous manner at what she was seeing.

Rainbow laughed nervously. "What can I say? He's...awesome..." she tried to explain.

The significance of the entire display was lost on Ulquiorra, to the point he was willing to ask Twilight Sparkle to elaborate. However before he could even get the first word out there was a roar and a rush of wind behind them as the dragon once more came around, swooping up the side of the cliff and shooting over their heads at great speed.

"He jus' don' quit!" Applejack stated as she held onto her hat while looking up, only to go pale at the sight of the dragon preparing to unleash a massive fireball. "Hit the dirt!"

To Twilight and her friends it looked like he'd just overpowered the dragon's flames with nothing more than a single swing of his sword, the force of the swing traveling all the way back up to the dragon's mouth and causing its fire to peter out. As Princess Luna would say, the awesomeness had just been doubled.

Or at least that's what Rainbow Dash thought she'd say. To Twilight it was just another thing to add to the list of questions that needed to be answered.

Another burst of sonido and Ulquiorra appeared in front of the dragon, his left arm drawn back before his fist was slammed into the dragon's chest at full force. The impact resulted in a very dull, very loud thud from the contact that could easily be heard from where they stood.

"Did you girls see what I just saw?" Pinkie asked curiously.

"That Mr. Cifer fella sucker punching the dragon an' bringin' it down? Eeyup," Applejack replied.

The dragon groaned as it tried to push itself back up again, only to collapse onto the ground in failure, only managing to get its leg out from under its massive bulk as the rough landing had hurt it more. But the struggling had proven enough to display something none of the ponies had expected to see; blood. The punch to the chest had been enough not only to knock the wind out of the dragon but also break its skin bad enough that it was bleeding from the injury.

Comparatively speaking the injury didn't seem anymore threatening than a rose thorn prick to one of them. But that didn't change the fact that Ulquiorra, with a single blow from his fist alone, had generated enough force to actually make the dragon bleed. It was a scary thought to consider actually.

"I think it's safe to say this matter is over and done for," Rarity cautiously stated.

"I don't think it's over just yet, girls, look," Twilight stated and pointed as Ulquiorra disappeared from view and reappeared in front of the dragon and facing it, calmly resheathing his zanpakutō before speaking again.

"No..." Fluttershy whispered in shock at his words, being the first one out from the hiding spot they'd picked.

Everything had gone wrong, she didn't know where but it had. This whole mess had started out as a simple relocation mission to try and convince the dragon to leave because of the threat it presented. From there everything had gone downhill and fast. The dragon had been awake and highly aggressive, had attacked them without provocation, which had resulted in Ulquiorra stepping up and protecting them from harm at his own expense. And then the dragon had grabbed him and they needed to rescue him. And then after they'd gotten done rescuing him he'd gone and rescued them again and proceeded to pummel the dragon almost effortlessly in order to keep them safe and the dragon away from them.

He'd been so heroic to watch. He was so calm under pressure and collected in what he did, able to so easily tend to the dragon when they couldn't, so dedicated to keeping them safe from harm. It was all so incredible to watch.

And then suddenly they found themselves here. The dragon had been beaten quite thoroughly, and even quite violently. It was prone on the ground and laboring for breath before Ulquiorra, who stood coldly and dispassionately before it, informing it he intended to kill it for failing to leave in a peaceful manner, and even at this very moment was preparing what she could only assume was an attack capable of fulfilling his promise. In the space of just a few minutes he'd gone from being an observer, to a hero, to a ferocious and merciless predator who, even in the face of a weaker opponent that couldn't fight back, intended to press his assault to the very end to prove his own overwhelming dominance.

This dragon didn't present anymore danger to them at this point. She wouldn't deny that it had attacked them without provocation, but that was in its nature as a dragon; one of the reasons she was so terrified of them when they were bigger than Spike. But right now as she looked into the watery eyes of this dragon she didn't see rage, or hunger, or even a primal territorial nature that would drive it to attack others. She saw fear, she saw despair, and above all she saw the realization of absolute, overwhelming helplessness in the face of something it couldn't compete against. It was like a poor bunny facing down an enraged timberwolf right now.

"No... please don't do this," she pleaded, her weak voice cracking. Unfortunately her pleas appeared to be falling on deaf ears as Ulquiorra remained completely unmoved.

Equally horrifying was the eerie green-hued glow the technique was casting over the immediate area and the shadows it was casting on the dragon's face, something about it was deeply unsettling and disturbing and just magnified the thought that they were about to witness a true execution of another living being.

"Hey dude come on, the dragons' down for the count, it's not like he can get back up and attack again," Rainbow Dash stated in disbelief. Ulquiorra had already won, did he really need to press the matter further when it was already so obvious? She didn't even know exactly what he was doing but she knew it couldn't be good.

"No... please..." Fluttershy croaked but to no avail, the ball seeming to whine at this point of its formation.

"Ulquiorra stop! What're you doing!?" Twilight shouted as she galloped over to him, the others not far behind her. She couldn't let this happen. She couldn't face Princess Celestia and admit that she'd lost control of the situation and had allowed Ulquiorra to kill the dragon through her own inability to stop him. There had to be something that could be done, anything!

"Don't," Fluttershy pleaded, tears running down her face at her own helplessness of the situation. The dragon was going to die and it was going to be all her fault for not being able to do what she was asked to do.

"What Princess Celestia herself will not do," Ulquiorra replied calmly and discharged his Cero at the dragon.

He missed.

His aim had been true and the dragon should've been reduced to a smouldering corpse. But instead his Cero was fired off toward the horizon as Fluttershy held onto his wrist with a single hoof and wasn't letting it anywhere near the dragon. She had spent this entire mission being quiet, scared, staying behind, and doing everything else to convey her fear of the situation. He assumed her fear of dragon's outweighed her care for animals and she wouldn't have interfered. It appeared he assumed wrong as she was now doing everything in her power to actually defend the dragon from harm, including interfering with his Cero's trajectory.

The third was her eyes. The look in her eyes as she stared straight into his was... intimidating. They were filled with a barely restrained rage the likes of which he hadn't seen since...

+++

"...I see. No mercy eh?" Ulquiorra asked rhetorically as he looked up toward the Shinigami that stood atop his head, a bright red Cero forming between his horns and aimed directly at his face. "How very Hollow-like."

Despite his best efforts he'd been incapable of defeating Ichigo Kurosaki and protecting the safety of Las Noches. Through a means he didn't understand the Shinigami had managed to survive having a hole blown through his chest via his Cero Oscuras technique and now stood before him -and on top of him- in triumph. He himself laid defeated on dome of Las Noches, cut through from hip to shoulder, one of his horns severed and helpless to do anything other than look up at his own impending death.

"I don't care. I have no reason to live now that you've beaten me," he said bitterly as he watched the Cero being charged, his doom growing closer and closer by the second. "Do it." **

+++

...since he'd been Cero'd to the face by that brat.

How ironic.

It was ludicrous. In his time in Hueco Mundo he had stared down many who challenged him. His strength was recognized and subject to both respect and fear. His gaze was enough that even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were uncomfortable when staring him in the eyes and they'd attempt to focus elsewhere. And here he was, being stared down by the meek yellow pegasus who was easily the weakest in the group and finding himself unable to shake the feeling that he was now the proverbial ant underneath the magnifying glass being lectured.

"All this poor dragon wanted to do was take a nap, that doesn't warrant death!" she stated furiously, before turning her attention to the dragon itself. "And you! I can understand how badly you want a nap and how tired you are, but you can't nap here! You need to find somewhere else that isn't so close to a populated area where ponies and little animals are going to be breathing your smoke for the next hundred years. Now go on and shoo like we asked you too earlier. This whole mess could've been avoided if you'd just been a little more understanding the first time around," she scolded. "Get out of here, right now! Be smart and just go away!"

Ulquiorra watched -in great disbelief- as the dragon seemed to heed the words of Fluttershy and slowly, painfully stood itself back up on shaky legs, giving its wings a few cursory flaps before taking off into the sky again and setting off toward the east, far away from their current position until it was nothing more than a tiny dot in the sky.

His attention slowly drifted back to what was in front of him; namely a very pissed off looking Fluttershy, still glaring at him with a ferocity he hadn't seen displayed in this world before. These ponies continued to surprise him and leave him in a state of confusion.

"It would seem Princess Celestia's trust in you was not misplaced," he commented, uncertain of what else he could say on the situation. What really was appropriate to say in this situation when you were facing down what was supposed to be the weakest of the group, who now displayed a capacity for brutality that rivaled several of the more violent prone Espada, and seemed fully willing to use it in response to his actions?

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Celestia went silent at her sister's question to her. She looked at Luna for any signs that would suggest she was attempting to be humorous but no such signs existed. Rather she looked quite serious and confused.

"Pardon?" she asked.

"We asked why art thou standing naked in the throne room," Luna repeated herself.

She felt rather foalish right now as it just dawned on her that she still hadn't replaced her traditional jewelry after the closing of the solar court. The uneasiness of the nobles had been her one and only distraction during the day from her worries regarding everything else. She'd fully intended to put them back on afterwards but in her uncertainty over the mission and Ulquiorra's first truly unsupervised visit she'd simply forgotten about it. Now Luna was calling her out on it.

"It's not as if there's anything wrong with it. Most of our subjects are naked throughout the course of their days," Celestia explained.

"T'was not the question dear sister. Why art thou devoid of thine's royal adornments?" Luna asked as she looked her over with a critical eye. "We understand that thee doth wish to do away with royal decorum whenever possible but certain things are simply uncalled for, dear sister. Surely thou didst not entertain the nobles in such a manner."

Silence.

"Sister?" Luna asked.

More silence.

"Dear sister surely thou doth jest!" Luna stated in disbelief. The look in Celestia's eyes had told the entire story even if her mouth was silent. She truly had done such! "Stars above and beyond, dear sister, we doth know that thou are mischevious but 'tis a knew level even for thee," she said and sighed, shaking her head at it all before turning to leave. "We art going to get ourselves doughnuts from Doughnut Joe's shop. And we wouldst like to see thee attempt to stop us from doing so," she said as she turned her head to face her, her scowl informing Celestia that she was displeased with her, just daring her to try something in response.

Celestia for her part was left uncertain and uneasy. She really didn't believe that Luna would be so uptight about her actions. She'd had to deal with the nobles before and agreed that they were bothersome and a pain in the flank to put up with time and time again. She thought her sister would be more open to the idea of the change in decorum but apparently she was wrong.

Before Luna could leave though there was a loud boom in the distance that brought her right back to the balcony to see what was going on. Were they under attack?

"The Sonic Rainboom?" Celestia asked as she saw the polychromatic shock wave rip into existence. To the best of her knowledge Rainbow Dash was still the only pony who could use such a technique, so the only logical conclusion was that she was in the area. However what caught her eye was the rainbow trail that originated at the center of the shock wave and was hurtling toward...

...right toward the dragon as it was leaving? Whatever was Rainbow Dash doing?

Luna meanwhile had magically grabbed the royal telescope from its resting spot to get a better look at events as they unfolded, managing to catch a glimpse as Rainbow Dash impacted the dragon's ribs before bouncing off from the angle of her trajectory and wildly spinning out of control. Whatever had possessed the little pegasus to launch an attack against a fully grown dragon?

Whatever it had been it appeared that her attack had done some measure of damage to the dragon as it grasped its side and its flight course suffered greatly. And then she noticed as something fell out of its clenched claw. Not now something but somepony... somebody!

"Ulquiorra Cifer!" Luna shouted in surprise.

Celestia was curious and commandeered the telescope to see what her sister was talking about, observing as Rainbow Dash managed to match up with Ulquiorra's downward trajectory and pluck him out of the air so effortlessly. As best she could tell the dragon must've captured the Arrancar and Rainbow Dash had launched a rescue mission to get him back; a mission that had succeeded. Unfortunately now it looked like they had to contend with an angry dragon that was bearing down on them intent on devouring them right out of the air.

And then a boulder wrapped in a lavender aura entered the picture and shattered against the dragon's side and distracted it. It was safe to conclude that Twilight and her friends were now launching their own rescue effort.

"What dost thou see?" Luna asked and wrestled control of the telescope from her sister to see what was going on. She looked just in time to see boulder after boulder slamming into the dragon and annoying it greatly as they shattered from the impact and fell to the ground. Ingenious! "Twilight Sparkle and her friends are most resourceful," Luna commented. However her look of excitement soon turned to one of horror. "The dragon's now going after them! And... and..."

"And what? What's happening?" Celestia asked as she grew more concerned by the second at Luna's silence.

Luna said nothing and passed to telescope back to Celestia, allowing her to see for herself what was going on, herself finding the entire thing too unbelievable to entertain. But sure enough there it was before them, Ulquiorra Cifer using both hands and halting the dragon's approach as he stood in mid air as if on solid ground. Not even the flapping of its large wings seemed sufficient to overcome such a minute obstacle. While they'd both been present when he'd said he was capable of flight it was quite different to see such an act rather than just hearing about it.

And then the beating began. Celestia didn't know whether to cringe or rub her eyes in confusion. "He's... he's beating the tar out of the dragon all by himself..."

The very notion of it all. Luna didn't even want to consider the implications of it, she truly didn't.

"Might we make an observation dear sister?" Luna finally asked. Celestia turned away from the telescope to look at her. "We remember Ulquiorra Cifer stating that he was overwhelmed by our presence and our strength eclipsed his own even though we didst not realize such a thing were possible. But in light of certain recent developments..." she paused and glanced back in the direction of the mountains, "we doth believe that he is bullshitting us."

Celestia was a little surprised by her sister's choice of language and how bluntly she'd just said what she did, even moreso by the fact that it was a term native to Ulquiorra's world rather than their own. However before she could raise the issue she was cut off by a bright green beam effortlessly cutting through the slowly darkening sky.

"What just happened? Did Ulquiorra Cifer just..." Luna began but was unable to finish the sentence.

Celestia looked back through the telescope to evaluate the situation. "No... no it looks like... I really can't believe it myself, it looks like Fluttershy managed to prevent an execution from taking place... and now it looks like she's scolding both Ulquiorra and the dragon at the same time," she relayed.

Luna laughed. Despite everything that had been going on and all the concerns she had she found herself laughing out loud. She could mentally picture Ulquiorra Cifer and the dragon, both of them with horrible looks on their face as an angry Fluttershy flew back and forth between them, yelling at them about their wrongs and doing so in that petite voice of hers raised to new levels in volume.

"And now it would seem the dragon is leaving. It would seem Fluttershy succeeded in her mission," Celestia stated.

"Most excellent dear sister!" Luna cheered. "Shouldst we depart to collect Ulquiorra Cifer and the Elements of Harmony? Nightfall is destined for not long from now and the journey back to Ponyville is quite long."

"That sounds like an excellent idea. There are a few things I wish to discuss with them and the sooner the better," Celestia agreed and nodded.

"Then let us depart," Luna replied, but quickly flared her wings out as she stepped before her sister. "But first thou art finding thine's adornments. Thou art going nowhere in your state of undress. 'Tis undignified."

It was unsettlingly still and uncomfortably quiet. Fluttershy hadn't said so much as a single word in the minute that passed since the dragon had left. She hadn't softened her stare, she hadn't even let go of Ulquiorra's wrist. It was just a dead stillness in the air like before a massive rain dropped. It was uncomfortable enough the others were feeling it as they observed the two and waited to see who would blink first.

"The tension's thick enough ya could cut it wit' a knife," Applejack quietly commented.

"I don't think a slice of tension would make a very good snack. It's all tough and chewy like beef jerky," Pinkie replied.

The others gave the pink earth pony a confused look at what she'd just said. But then again that wasn't the weirdest thing she'd ever said, just one of the more unexpected things they'd heard so far. They'd let it go for now as they waited to see how things unfolded.

"I don't believe I've ever seen Fluttershy this upset before. It's positively eerie if you ask me," Rarity added and shivered.

Not far away Ulquiorra wasn't doing much better than the rest of them. It was inconceivable that Fluttershy would be able to meet and return his gaze with an effectiveness such as this. It was disturbing, unsettling, and very confusing. "Do you intend to release my arm before nightfall?" he finally asked.

"How..." he heard Fluttershy respond in a low and passively hostile tone, "how can you be so cruel and merciless? How could you be so serious about killing a living creature?" she all but demanded as her foreleg shook, her reiatsu level seeming to increase further.

"It was a calculated decision and the most logical conclusion. Surely one dragon does not outweigh the lives of everyone in Equestria, your "friends" and your animals included," Ulquiorra replied. The whole reason she'd agreed to this mission was because he'd pointed out her animals were facing the possibility of death if she didn't. Why was she so upset with him having chosen the best course of action? "Had I not acted you and the rest of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony would likely be dead by now and Equestria would have been left defenseless."

"That doesn't make it your decision to make!" Fluttershy angrily exclaimed and flung his arm free in frustration as she glared at him, folding her forelegs across her chest. "How can you be so heartless as to decide that you're going to kill something that you're obviously stronger than?"

Heartless. How appropriate a term to use to describe him. Perhaps Fluttershy knew far more than she was letting on. Or perhaps she truly didn't know what she was talking about and was simply lashing out due to fury over his methodology.

Or perhaps it was anger with herself. Did she finally understand that she'd just wound up defending the same dragon that tried to kill not only her, but the ponies she was closest to? Did she understand how close they'd come to dying what was a very unpleasant death in any world?

At least now he had his hand free again. Perhaps it was time to reveal the truth to these ponies and show them what they were truly dealing with.

"Because I truly am heartless by nature," Ulquiorra replied as he reached up to the top of his jacket to pull the zipper downward. "See for..." he paused and cast an aside glance to the west, "we have company."

It was at that moment that both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna came into view and touched down for a landing near the rest of the group. Ulquiorra observed as each of the ponies gave a respective bow to their leaders, even the greatly angered Fluttershy seemed to have the sense to observe whatever protocol was in place. He himself remained standing and simply pocketed his hands.

"Rise my little ponies," Princess Celestia spoke softly, casting him a glance before turning her attention to Twilight Sparkle. "What news do you have to report, my most faithful student?"

"Mission accomplished, Princess, Fluttershy managed to make the dragon leave and Equestria is safe once again," Twilight spoke proudly.

"And is that all there is to report? Nothing out of the ordinary happened?" Princess Celestia asked. "No unexpected developments occurred?"

Twilight was started to feel a sense of nervousness. What was Princess Celestia asking about? Did she suspect something? Was she displeased and looking for answers in order to determine if somepony was guilty of something in order to hoof out judgement?

"The dragon was awake."

Twilight blinked and looked over at Ulquiorra as he spoke in a calm and collected manner, showing absolutely no regard for royalty or tradition. But at the moment she couldn't muster the concern to care about that.

"By the time we arrived the dragon was already awake and quite hostile toward your subjects and attacked them. It was necessary to intervene in order to fulfill your original orders issued upon our first meeting. To not harm your subjects includes both direct actions that could amount to harm, or indirect action that would reasonably allow for harm to come by not directly interfering to prevent harm," Ulquiorra explained.

Princess Celestia frowned some. If Ulquiorra had disobeyed her orders and attacked the dragon as he'd intended to do back at Canterlot castle then it would've been one thing. Instead his actions had been defensive in nature and his attack was in response to provocation. She wasn't entirely certain what to think at the moment. However before she could go too deep into thought the others began addressing her.

"You shoulda seen it Princess it was awesome! The dragon never stood a chance against Ulqy!" Pinkie stated.

"Yeah first the dragon tried burning him and he just walked outta the flames like a boss and wasn't even singed," Rainbow Dash added.

"An' then he stomped on tha' dragon's head an' knocked it ta the ground, then had 'em held by the snout like he was wranglin' a bull wit' a ring through its nose," Applejack added.

"And then the dragon tried to smash him like he was a walnut and Ulqy just stood their like this," Pinkie paused to rear up on her hind legs and extend her left foreleg above her head, doing her best to imitate his permanent frown, "and stopped the dragon's claw from ever touching the ground! It was like hoofwrestling or something! It was so cool!" she squealed.

"It was an incredibly barbaric display," Rarity commented, "but at the same time I can't remember seeing anything so knightly in nature. To think one would put themselves in harms way to protect us from a dragon. Oh it was just so marvelous!" she stated and shivered.

"Well now. It would seem you all had a very big day," Princess Celestia spoke as she looked around at each of them and back at Ulquiorra. They were all quite excited while he remained unmoved and stone faced as ever. "The others have spoken fondly of you. Do you have anything you'd like to contribute?"

"I do," Ulquiorra replied. If Princess Celestia was expecting kindness and tact from him simply because of a few glowing reviews by her loyal subjects then she was about to be sorely disappointed. "In my time spent with your subjects on this mission I have reached the conclusion that placing the safety of Equestria on their shoulders is the most idiotic concept that could possibly be imagined. If it was your decision to do such then you are without doubt the most foolish one I have ever met and would question the wisdom of your rule of Equestria. Without intervention these six would have been summarily devoured and the country would be plunged into toxic darkness."

"Ulquiorra!" Twilight shouted in response to hearing what he was saying. How dare he address Princess Celestia in such an unacceptable manner?

"Had circumstances been different you would have issued these six their death warrant. They stood no chance of victory in the up front confrontation that arose. They were outclassed in every respect and aware of the fact," Ulquiorra continued.

Princess Celestia's frown was deepening, as were the frowns and displeasure of every other pony that was present. They didn't seem to care to hear the truth. Even now he could see Rainbow Dash's wings twitching as she prepared to deploy them, most likely to fly at him and launch a verbal assault over how he was wrong to look down on her and the others. But she never got the chance as he continued speaking.

"That said, despite being aware of how hopeless the situation was they still did not hesitate to launch a rescue attempt when they believed it was needed," he stated. That seemed to temper the hostility he was presented with. That would allow him to continue in relative peace. "They chose to engage the dragon in direct combat because they believed I was in danger regardless of the unlikelihood of their succeeding. I must say it was an impressive display. And regardless of their efforts being unnecessary I must express some measure of gratitude for their consideration and loyalty."

"Aw yeah!" Rainbow Dash stated and leaped off the ground to throw her forelegs up into the air. "We're awesome!"

"That doesn't change the fact that your endeavor was quite moronic in nature and a waste of your mana," Ulquiorra countered. As expected previously Rainbow Dash was quickly in his face and displaying her hostility.

"Hey dude I saved your flank!" she shouted.

"My "flank" as you refer to it was never in any danger. While the dragon was indeed several times stronger than I originally believed it was still below my own level of strength, as demonstrated earlier. While my capture was unplanned I was perfectly capable of escaping on my own. I was simply allowing for a safe distance to be reached to ensure none of you were harmed. Had I responded prematurely there's a good chance you six would've been buried alive in a cave in," he explained calmly.

Despite the logic of his words they didn't seem to be registering with Rainbow Dash. She was currently attempting to burn a hole through him with her stare as if she were Fluttershy. However she lacked the yellow pegasi's qualities and her efforts were lackluster.

And after a minute of attempting to cut through his own stare with hers it seemed she was slowly realizing that she wasn't cut out for this as she began to back down as she grew visibly uncomfortable.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had been reluctantly silent at Ulquiorra's words and interactions since their arrival. His words had been most unkind about them and their subjects and how matters were addressed in Equestria. For the most part they could be tolerated, he was a stranger in a strange land after all, he still needed time to adjust to his new surroundings. But the stare down with Rainbow Dash and Twilight trying to scold/lecture him and being ignored was too much and it became time to intervene in order to restore some degree of harmony.

"Is there anything else to add?" Princess Celestia asked, hoping to distract all parties before they quite possibly came to blows.

"Indeed," Ulquiorra replied and turned his attention away from Rainbow Dash in order to address her directly. "Upon the start of this mission I assumed your trust in Fluttershy had been misplaced. The entire way up here she displayed extreme fear and a strong desire to be anywhere else. Her fear of dragons is significant and I doubted the validity of what you were saying. However I was quite surprised when I witnessed her successfully make the dragon flee from this mountain range, while at the same time exercising far more understanding and kindness than I would be willing to do myself. She even went so far as to defend the dragon when I concluded it was far too dangerous to allow it to continue living due to the hostility it had displayed up to that point. Even after it tried to kill those that are considered her "friends" she still chose to believe it deserved to live. I can't begin to understand why."

"Ooh! Ooh! And you should've seen what he did up to that point! Twilight was throwing boulders at the dragon to keep it from eating Ulqy and Dashie, then the dragon was like "ROAR!" and came charging us, and then Ulqy got in front of it and made it stop in midair and then punched it out!" Pinkie rambled loudly, the words flowing from her mouth so fast it was almost all blending together.

"I don't even want to think of how many laws of physics Ulquiorra broke in the course of a few minutes," Twilight groaned and hung her head.

"And then he... hey Mr. Cifer wha' was tha' thing ya were doin' tha' Fluttershy stopped?" Applejack asked as she turned back to face him. "When ya did that thing ah could feel somethin' like lightnin' runnin' up an' down mah spine."

"The technique is referred to as "Cero." It is a blast of highly concentrated reiryoku, similar to but more powerful than the Bala technique I used to distract the dragon the first time around," Ulquiorra explained before turning his attention to the now grounded Fluttershy, the look in her eyes nowhere near as intense as it had been. "Had you attempted to block my Cero directly with your body you would have been incinerated. It is quite fortunate you merely altered my aim instead. I'm still curious at to how you managed such a feat."

"Ya'll shoulda seen it. He sucker punched the dragon right in the gut an' brought it down right quick," Applejack whispered.

Fluttershy seemed to shrink under his gaze and his words, her own rage seemingly burned off, her reiatsu level nowhere near as high as it had been just a minute ago. Were all of these ponies prone to such random and unpredictable fluctuations in the pressure exerted by their reiryoku?

"I just... I couldn't just stand back and let that poor dragon get hurt anymore than he was. Not when I saw the look in his eyes, all the pain, and the fear... and all the... despair... It just... it just seemed so... heartless..." Fluttershy all but whispered in response.

Again with the term. As well as her noting of the dragon seeing despair when facing him. This was starting to seem like too much of a coincidence. At present time he was uncertain just what grand plan Twilight Sparkle might have in mind but he didn't care. The time for this deception, this "foreign dignitary" charade, was over. It was now time for them to find out what he truly was and understand what they were dealing with.

"As I attempted to explain earlier I am heartless due to it being my nature. See for yourself," he said as he reached up to the collar of his jacket and drew down the zipper.

They all watched as Ulquiorra removed his long tailed jacket to reveal his frame underneath. He was indeed scrawny as Applejack observed, yet his entire build was covered in a toned muscular structure, the same chalky off-white as his face and hands. A large black 4 in an archaic font was on the left side of his muscular chest... with a large gaping hole set right in the middle of his chest; a hole that ran clean through to his back as they observed when his jacket fell to the ground and let the light shine through. The silence at the reveal was enough that one could hear a pin drop.

"Oh... my..."

Much to everypony's surprise -if they were indeed listening- the squeaky statement hadn't come from Fluttershy but rather Princess Celestia who stood there with her mouth hanging open. She'd seen such when she'd scanned Ulquiorra's mind and memories, but this was her first actual seeing of the hole possessed by a Hollow. She'd assumed that when Discord had brought Ulquiorra to this dimension his body had been changed in a way that was suited for life in Equestria but she could see that she'd assumed wrong.

Twilight stood silent, her mind racing with questions and her eyes nearly going as big as the hole in Ulquiorra's chest as he stood there as if nothing was wrong. How could he have a hole completely through his chest and be fine? The placement of that hole meant so many serious health complications! No heart for circulation of blood, no spinal column to support his lower body, a severely compromised ribcage, no direct passageway to the stomach, and countless other matters regarding biological impossibilities presented by this development. The world around her was spinning as she found herself feeling incredibly lightheaded.

There was a thud as Twilight fainted and hit the ground, not that any of them really noticed.

Author's Note

For those that wish to see the extended fight between Ulquiorra and the dragon, as well as greater character interaction between the cast see here.

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

"Mr. Cifer... jus' wha' in tarnation are ya?" Applejack asked when she finally found her voice. This was... was... she really didn't know what it was or what to think!

"I wouldn't exactly be that blunt but I'd like to know that myself," Rarity added. This new development was a great deal to take in. She was really surprised that Twilight had fainted, usually that was hers and hers alone to do.

"In simple terms you'd all be readily familiar with I could be described as a ghost," Ulquiorra replied. He noted the "eep" sound that only Fluttershy had the voice to produce, however he paid it no mind before continuing. "In more detailed terms, I'm a Hollow. An earthbound spirit that has remained in the world of the living for too long and succumbed to corruption, transforming into a wild, instinct driven beast that devours the souls of others in an attempt to fill the void created by the loss of their heart."

Of the seven that remained conscious there were looks of horror on the faces of the five mortal ponies as the news reached their ears. Even the brash Rainbow Dash bore a look of terror at hearing the truth of the matter. However that was no reason for him to stop informing them about the extent of the matter.

"When a soul becomes a Hollow their body reforms, their heart forming their mask to protect the wild instinct they devolve into, resulting in a hole in their structure where their heart used to be," he explained and traced a finger along the cavity in his chest for emphasis. "Among the Hollow race there are three levels of evolution. Gillian, Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde, each more powerful and more dangerous than the last. Each level is achieved through the devouring of many hundreds or thousands of fellow Hollows. I am currently of Vasto Lorde status."

The looks of horror only seemed to increase as the details sank in and their pony minds comprehended what they were being told; he'd just freely admitted to having readily devoured his own kind to evolve and become what they were currently seeing before them.

Rarity was the first to react and in what was likely the most appropriate manner, gagging and promptly vomiting on the ground where she stood.

Applejack was visibly the most horrified by what she'd heard, even moreso than Fluttershy was. "Twilight was right... ya really are a monster..."

"If you're expecting me to launch an attempt to justify my actions, and assure you that I present no threat to your well being, then you're going to be sorely disappointed. There is no point in denying the facts of who and what I am, and what I've done in the past, both of my own volition and under the orders of others," Ulquiorra replied. He knew that he could inform Applejack and the others of his promise to Princess Celestia to not harm her subjects. But if Princess Celestia didn't fully trust him he saw no reason why they would either. It would be a waste of effort on his part, and he didn't feel inclined to engage in it.

Applejack's entire frame was trembling now. Ulquiorra was a... a murderer and a... a cannibal! And worse than that he'd been in her house and around her family! They'd all been in danger, showing him what their hospitality was like. Her brother, her granny and her little sister, all of them! Right now her stomach was threatening to rebel and empty itself on the ground, much as Rarity's had, but she'd managed to choke the reaction back down where it belonged.

"You could've turned the whole town into soul stew!" Pinkie shouted and broke the silence.

As much as the others hated to admit it, she'd easily summed up the nature of their fears and concerns in one tidy -if gruesome- sentence. This entire time the whole of Ponyville could've been killed off and there would've been nothing they could've done to stop it; certainly not after seeing how he'd laid into that dragon not ten minutes ago.

"Despite the stupidity of your statement you're quite accurate. I could have indeed killed everyone in the town of Ponyville and devoured their souls if I was so inclined, I don't deny that. However I am not so inclined. At my current level of evolution the consumption of souls is nothing more than a useless indulgence. Furthermore, Princess Celestia has seen fit to place me under her rule and ordered me not to do anything to harm her subjects in any way," Ulquiorra replied.

"And just why should we be inclined to trust you after all we've just learned about your nature?" Rarity asked from her new spot, trying not to let the smell of her own mess sicken her any further. It was bad enough she'd been sick in such an undignified manner, but right in front of everypony as well?

Ulquiorra said nothing at first, simply reaching down and scooping up a stone in his left hand. Finally after a long pause he began speaking again.

"Just as the dragon was many times stronger than all of you, I was many times stronger than it, to the point I could have easily killed it from the very beginning if I'd been inclined to do so," he stated, letting the words sink in before continuing further, "The situation is no different for myself. I have seen Princess Celestia's strength, or at least a measurable percentage of it. The differences in our strength is vast. If she were to find displeasure with me and flare her full strength, I would be crushed under the pressure her magical force exerts on the surrounding area," he stated, the entire time slowly tightening his grip on the stone until it cracked and shattered in his grip. He opened his hand, allowed the powderized fragments to fall freely and be scattered like dust in the wind.

Each of the conscious ponies looked at Ulquiorra and then back to Princess Celestia in a state of disbelief, their minds trying to process the information, as well as the symbolism of the display. The notion that he could so easily be crushed by their ruler, just like the stone in their hand -especially after seeing how he'd so easily dominated the dragon, and while doing so with only one limb at a time no less- was both chilling and at the same time reassuring; reassuring in that their ruler was looking out for their wellbeing and would punish anyone or anything that would try to hurt them, yet chilling to think about if they ever decided to be bad little ponies. A group shudder definitely didn't go unnoticed.

"And just why should we believe you anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked bluntly, not swayed by his display or his words.

The pegasi's stubbornness didn't surprise him one bit. It would've been more surprising if she had simply accepted him just like that. "What you should and shouldn't do isn't a matter for me to decide," he replied simply, glancing back to the Princesses in a manner that they could follow.

Princess Celestia observed as she was put on the spot, her subjects looking to her for answers and reassurances, while Ulquiorra left the matter in her hooves rather than trying to explain it himself. A wise decision really... she just wished it'd occurred before this incident had gone so wrong.

"From what I gather, Ulquiorra did save you, my little ponies. Twice if I recall," Princess Celestia gently reminded them as they looked toward her for guidance. This was one of the situations she desperately wanted to avoid in his introduction. She'd wanted to avoid the panic that would be experienced if his nature was found out. But sadly it seemed it was unavoidable now. Now it was purely a matter of damage control and attempting to prevent panic from spreading any further than these five. "I know that this is quite a shock for you all. This is one of the reasons I wasn't entirely convinced that Ulquiorra should come with you on this mission, despite the benefits that could be had if he witnessed Fluttershy's kindness working wonders in a manner he's never seen before," she explained softly.

"We too had our reservations due to his utter rudeness and contempt for royal decorum," Princess Luna stated and hmphed. However after a moment she turned back to address them in a gentler tone. "But if he were not dispatched thou wouldst likely be dead now, according to thee's own accounts. If Ulquiorra Cifer were truly intent upon causing harm we wouldst wager a hefty sum that he would hath simply let the dragon do as it pleased and not interfered. And the fact that he didst indeed show restraint when he regarded it as a threat to the wellbeing of Equestria... well... doth we need say more?"

It was quiet again as Princess Luna finished speaking. None of the ponies seemed to have any complaints to raise, at least not immediately so. The main commotion that could be heard was the whistling of the wind and the scraping of hooves against dirt as Rarity tried to bury her mess in a discrete manner.

None of them -not even Ulquiorra- knew how much time had passed before there was a groan from behind them as Twilight began to come around after her fainting spell.

"Okay that does it," she groaned as she tried to sit back up again, "no more rose petals on my pizza, they give me nightmares."

Princess Celestia couldn't help but chuckle at her student's choice of opening statement for regaining consciousness. Determining that the situation wasn't about to go immediately catastrophic she stepped over and gently brushed her cheek against her student's. "Nightmares again?" she asked.

Twilight smiled at the contact, not even having to open her eyes to know just who it was. "Like you wouldn't believe. I dreamt that Ulquiorra had a huge gaping hole in his chest that went all the way through," Twilight explained as she finally opened her eyes to try and let them shift and adjust. "That's really so ridiculous don't you think? Nopony could possibly... have... a..." she slowed and paused as she looked around and laid her eyes on the shirtless Ulquiorra, a hole going all the way through his chest. She hadn't been dreaming! "That's not physically possible!" she yelled and jumped up in surprise.

Granted nothing about Ulquiorra really seemed to be physically possible when she stopped to think about it, but the hole in his chest was the final straw and she couldn't take it anymore. Everything about him was wrong in this world. She'd wanted to study him in an in depth manner when she'd first met him, but now she was finding that idea less and less desirable. It'd be like trying to analyze Pinkie's weird Pinkie Sense all over again, but much worse. Studying Pinkie had resulted in her getting hit with a grand piano; what might happen this time around?

"Of all the things you've seen that defy your world's limited knowledge of physics, it's interesting that you take issue with the hole all Hollows possess," Ulquiorra commented as he watched Twilight Sparkle's unsteady attempts to stand herself back up.

"Everypony's got to start somewhere," Twilight reasoned as she stepped closer, "trust me there's so many things about you that don't truly make sense I don't even know where to begin except with that hole..."

"Uh... Twilight," Applejack spoke up, "ah don' think the laws o' physics and whatnot were written with ghosts in mind. Afterall we ain' never encountered ghosts before, ah don' think anypony's ever actually seen a real ghost before, not even in the Everfree Forest."

Yesterday his observation concerning Applejack placed her intelligence somewhat above Ichigo Kurosaki back in his own world, because she recognized that she lacked answers to his questions and didn't deny the fact. And today she was the first to point out the fact he wasn't of this world would explain why Twilight Sparkle's understanding of physics couldn't properly explain what she'd seen with regard to the dragon. So far the earth pony was displaying a respectable level of intelligence.

However Twilight Sparkle seemed too detached to fully hear and comprehend what her earth pony companion was talking about at the moment. She was currently busy going on about how his "ghostly nature" wouldn't explain how he was fully capable of interacting with the surrounding physical structures encountered, or how he could so easily overpower a fully grown male dragon and not display any signs of physical strain while the surrounding territory was destroyed.

"Twilight darling," Rarity spoke up, "I truly understand how passionate you are about the science behind everything, but there's a more pressing matter you're unaware of. Ulquiorra has said he devours the souls of others," she stated and gestured over in his direction.

"Oh I know all about that. He told me the first day he came to Equestria," Twilight stated as if it were nothing, drawing the shocked reaction of every pony present excluding the Princesses.

Maybe she shouldn't have said that so openly.

"Ya mean ta tell us ya had that information this whole time an' ya didn' think ta tell us?" Applejack asked, the displeasure in her voice easily detectable at being left in the dark like she and the others had been. She'd been lied to in more ways than one, by one of the ponies she considered to be a good friend. What else had she been lying to them about and for how long? "Ya didn' think we deserved ta know that the thing we been talkin' to an' havin' in our homes around our families might be dangerous!?"

"Yeah Twilight! If Ulqy made soul stew out of Ponyville there'd be nopony for me to throw parties for anymore, ever!" Pinkie added frantically.

The situation quickly descended into madness from there, Twilight Sparkle's friends quickly ganging up on her at her failure to share what they deemed vital information. She tried her best to reason with them, to explain that her actions had been in an effort to reduce redundant chatter by getting her friends together in an organized and private manner before revealing his true nature to them in an controlled environment, informing them as a group rather than giving each the full story one by one, and sharing with them details that the rest of the town didn't need to know about his true nature as it didn't directly involve them.

Her efforts at explaining seemed to do little good to quell the arguments. If anything some of the ponies present were shouting even louder now as she tried her best to make sense of everything. Even the guilt-ridden Fluttershy had seemed to join in the outrage. Looking past them he could see even the Princesses were becoming displeased with the way things were developing and spiraling out of control. And from what he could see Princess Luna had reached her tipping point and acted.

"SILENCE!" she bellowed in the Royal Canterlot voice, the booming echo stopping all the chatter and drawing their attention to her as she worked on composing herself before addressing them any further. "Doth not turn thine fury against Twilight Sparkle over her actions regarding the matter of Ulquiorra Cifer! T'was WE that directly involved her in this situation. Verily when we didst learn of Ulquiorra Cifer's past and the nature of his world we didst take pity on him and wish that he be shown the same consideration that we didst receive from thee upon our return," she explained in a passionate manner. "We were the one to put Twilight Sparkle in this difficult position and force her to make such a difficult choice. She is not to blame for what thou were and were not told."

Princess Celestia had remained silent during her sister's speech, weighing her options of when best to contribute something. And right now seemed like as good a time as any.

"I had my own concerns when I first met Ulquiorra and learned about who and what he was. I worried about the wellbeing of all my little ponies and what could come from the presence of... him... and what might happen whenever he might venture beyond Canterlot palace," she said and grimaced slightly while talking. Glancing over she could see Ulquiorra still standing there emotionless as always despite the discussion being about him. Undaunted she continued speaking. "Nevertheless I want you all to know and understand something that's very important. What I saw of Ulquiorra's past I could see nothing to indicate that he was truly evil. Some of his actions were certainly... distasteful in nature... but many of them were the result of following direct orders from someone higher up, someone that I dare say was far worse than Nightmare Moon and Discord during the early days..."

There was a shared gasp between the six at these words. None of them had apparently given much consideration to the possibility of someone from another dimension being a greater threat than anything they themselves had encountered in the past. Even Princess Luna seemed disturbed. Based on his readings regarding Equestria's history Ulquiorra could hazard an educated guess that Princess Celestia's description of Aizen was indeed accurate. There was a reason the Hollows that served him out of fear were motivated to do such.

"Worse... worse than Discord?" Rainbow Dash asked hesitantly, "no foaling?"

"Much worse I'm afraid. This... Sosuke Aizen as he was referred to, was a being of indescribable evil and treachery, the depth of which I couldn't properly ascertain. He dethroned the previous ruler of Ulquiorra's world as if it were nothing upon first arriving. Not even Discord's corrupting influence could really compete with how he gained followers and held power," Princess Celestia explained hesitantly. This was definitely an unpleasant subject to discuss and she really hadn't wanted to talk about it, not when Ulquiorra first arrived and certainly not now. But her most precious student and her friends were in the midst of panicking and disharmony, and she knew she had to do something.

Granted she was exaggerating a few points for their benefits. She just wished she could say she was exaggerating far more than she was. Ulquiorra's world was indeed a frightening place to contemplate.

"...That's not all either," Twilight hesitantly spoke up, distracting her friends from whatever they were busy thinking... or trying not to think. Slowly she made her way over to where Ulquiorra stood and took up a position beside him. "What I have to tell you, a lot of it you're not going to believe. There are points that you're going to possibly be terrified by... but I believe it's important enough it needs to be heard."

Ulquiorra listened as Twilight Sparkle launched into an extensive and considerably detailed recollection of events and facts as she'd been made aware of them herself, along with her own theories of explanation for events that didn't fully make sense. His ability to sustain himself on the naturally occurring mana of their world, Hollowfication and hierarchical structure of the species, definition of Arrancar and what it took to qualify as such, structural order and rule of the Espada, the role and purpose of the Shinigami and the Gotei 13, and Aizen himself and how he betrayed his own people in order to rule. He had to admit that her memory and attention to detail was remarkable, as even after three days of distractions she was recalling details he'd brought up on their first meeting.

However as he listened to her speak, he couldn't help but make observations of her manner of approach. Her delivery of details seemed to be structured in a manner that attempted to portray him in a positive light. According to her he was a victim of circumstances beyond his control and forced to do what he did in order to survive, forced to serve under the mortal enemy of his own race and quite possibly the one who allowed him to become a Hollow in the first place. It was hardly the most truthful recollection of events, certainly not a recount that he would ever give if asked. But he said nothing to correct her.

Throughout the lecture Twilight Sparkle presented, the faces of her friends displayed shock, fear, sadness, confusion, amazement, and more than once he couldn't help but note how Pinkie Pie's eyes seemed to spin in their sockets in a manner that suggested most of what she heard was going right over her head.

And then came the mention of Discord and his involvement in their entire situation. How he'd crossed the dimensional boundaries to bring him here, conveniently leaving out the fact that it was only after he'd died. He could only speculate about her reasoning for such.

Among the other details not shared included his explanation of Aizen's motives as he understood them. Perhaps Twilight Sparkle felt her friends couldn't handle the notion of one willing to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of lives for the mere purpose of forging a key, all for the purpose of carrying out a vendetta against a higher being?

Now that he thought about it, he'd rather not think about it. He instead redirected his attention back to Twilight Sparkle and her continued recollection.

"...And that brings us to what brought Ulquiorra to Sweet Apple Acres," Twilight finished before falling on her haunches and panting desperately for it. By the time she was done she'd been talking nonstop and uninterrupted for over forty five minutes. A rather amazing feat really.

At first it was nothing but silence apart from the occasional wind. Ulquiorra assumed it was simply the calm before the storm. However he never anticipated the storm that struck would be in the form of a pink earth pony moving at unbelievable speeds, and enveloping him in what would be an otherwise crushing force bear hug with both forelegs, trapping his arms at his sides.

"Oh Ulqy I'm sooo sorry!" she more or less wailed as she clung to him. Trying to sonido out of her hold would prove useless as tightly as she was holding onto him.

"Mr. Cifer ah... ah reckon we owe ya a mighty big apology fer how we were treatin' ya jus' a little while ago," Applejack added, although her voice was hard to properly hear over Pinkie Pie's unabated crying.

Were these ponies truly foolish enough to believe that Twilight Sparkle's revelation of his past -colorful as it was by her recount- suddenly changed everything and it became necessary to adjust their perceptions and attitudes towards him? If that were the case then they were far closer to trash than he originally expected. He was a murderer. At one point he was a devourer of souls and Hollows alike. To him, killing was business as usual and his to do if it was necessary. And yet they were treating him as if he were a victim of some unspeakable tragedy in need of comfort and forgiveness. These ponies were as foolish as the human woman was. How could they believe that he was in need of mercy? It was completely illogical...

+++

"I'm afraid I can't give an explanation that'll make sense in terms of basic logic, because the heart in this matter isn't logical by nature. It's like trying to describe friendship in scientific terms. It's something that has to be experienced rather than studied in an academic sense," Celestia replied. Ulquiorra didn't appear convinced. "Over the centuries there've been a great many scholars who've attempted to explain the condition of the heart and how it drives us to do things our brains tell us are illogical. Because of our hearts we do things we normally wouldn't do because it feels right; or simply because it feels wrong to not act in such a manner. It's... very complicated."

"So it would appear," Ulquiorra replied as he went back to scanning the pages of the book in his hands.

+++

Again with matters of the heart. It seemed even in this world he couldn't get away from such an illusive and illogical concept. Was this what motivated them to regard him with pity rather than fear? The same thing that made the woman pity him during his last moments in Hueco Mundo?

"You just wait and see Ulqy! I'm gonna throw you the biggest, absolutely bestest "Welcome to Equestria" party you or anypony else has ever seen, because if anypony deserves it it's definitely you!" Pinkie Pie stated as she continued clinging to him as if for dear life.

Perhaps it was a matter of malice rather than mercy that motivated them.

And perhaps they had decided to take this present course of action simply to make Twilight Sparkle shut up before she could get her second wind. That was a possibility he wouldn't doubt.

"I would settle for simply being released," he replied, finding it strange how the pink earth pony was so effortlessly keeping his arms restrained.

In terms of reiatsu she was a mystery, but she was equally curious in terms of physical strength. The earth pony Applejack worked hard on a farm and had developed a considerably muscular frame. This earth pony worked in a confectionery shop and had more fat on her frame than her counterpart. So why exactly was she so strong?

"Yer prob'ly not gonna get outta it that easy. Pinkie's quite determined when it comes ta throwin' her parties," Applejack stated. Regardless of who or what he was, Ulquiorra didn't stand much chance of avoiding a welcoming party thrown by Pinkie. Especially under these newly discovered circumstances of him literally being new to entire world, if not the entire universe in this dimension.

However that didn't mean she couldn't lend a helping hoof and try to pry Pinkie off of him. Being the recipient of one of those hugs the first time out was a lot to get used to.

"Oh my!" Rarity gasped, bringing the focus back to her, "I just realized something. As late as it is we'll never make it back to Ponyville before nightfall. And this mountain is right in the Everfree Forest. Girls I do believe we have a situation here," she pointed out.

The others quickly realized Rarity was quite right. Even if all of these sudden developments over the last hour hadn't occurred they still wouldn't likely have made it back to Ponyville before nightfall. They'd spent quite a bit of time getting up the mountain, and now getting down at this hour was going to be most unwise.

"Ah reckon we're gonna have ta set up camp an' spend the night," Applejack commented. "We can use the cave fer shelter in case it rains an' set out fer home tomorrow when the sun's up."

"You mean sleep outside on the hard and dirty ground like animals?" Rarity asked, repulsed by the idea of such a barbaric practice.

"Are you serious? Some of the best naps are had in the wide open outdoors!" Rainbow Dash stated.

His earlier observation of Rarity seemed the most accurate. All the complaining she hadn't done on the way up seemed threatening to spill out now that they were presented with the option of staying the night.

And the irony of her statement. An animal -intelligent as it was- objecting to the notion of sleeping on the ground like animals.

There was always the possibility of him directly intervening and taking them back to Ponyville himself. Carrying two at a time and using sonido would have them back at Ponyville in a matter of minutes and they could find their way home on their own before the sun fully set. But such a tactic was dangerous as he doubted their bodies could sufficiently withstand the journey at such high speeds. And considering they were one of Equestria's few available defenses, such a decision might not be wise if he intended to earn Princess Celestia's trust.

Fortunately there was an intervention by Princess Celestia before yet another argument broke out between all the parties involved. "You could always come back with us and spend the night in the palace and take the train back to Ponyville in the morning. It wouldn't be appropriate to just leave you to stay out here after all you've done."

"Really?" Pinkie Pie asked excitedly at the prospect. Ulquiorra noted the unusual flaring of her reiatsu once again. All of them seemed to be experiencing a flaring of reiatsu levels at the prospect of spending time in Canterlot... all that is except for Fluttershy for some reason. Hers was strangely constant.

"Wait, what about Spike? He's back in Ponyville and probably worrying about us," Twilight Sparkle pointed out. "We should send him a letter letting him know about this development."

A letter? Was she expecting mail to travel at this time of day? He didn't see anything resembling a mailbox anywhere in the surrounding area.

"We have a better idea! We shalt go to Ponyville and fetch young Spike and bring him forth and meet thou at the palace," Princess Luna announced. "We shalt make a "slumber party" of the event."

"Slumber..." Twilight started at hearing Princess Luna's statement.

"...Party!" Pinkie finished. Immediately the two were side by side, forelegs wrapped around each other as they danced about on their hind legs, emitting excited squeals at the prospect in the most undignified manner Ulquiorra ever saw them engage in. "This is gonna be so awesome!"

The quiet sigh/groan and facehoofing by Rainbow Dash didn't go unnoticed by Ulquiorra, although he seemed to be the only one who did.

"Um... actually... if it's alright with everypony I think I'd rather go back to Ponyville and look after everyone's critters instead," Fluttershy spoke up, her voice raising only a few levels but surprisingly it was enough for everyone present to hear her.

"Really?" Twilight asked curiously as she untangled herself from Pinkie's embrace. The curiosity of the situation currently overriding her excitement of a slumber party with her friends at the palace. "Why?"

"Yeah Fluttershy, getting to spend the night at the palace is awesome!" Rainbow Dash stated.

"It's because of me," Ulquiorra stated, bringing everyone's attention back to him now. "Ever since my nature was made aware I've noticed Fluttershy's level of courage dropping steadily. All of you were affected by the news that I'm technically a ghost, however she has taken the news worst. The most logical conclusion available is to assume she has no desire to be around me because of this fact," he explained. Slowly he turned his gaze back to Fluttershy who was busy hiding behind Rarity at the moment, or at least trying to. "Am I correct?"

It was very small, almost imperceptible even to him, but the nod was there. She was indeed afraid of him being a ghost. So far she seemed to have the most sense out of the lot of them. The others looked at a predator and saw someone in need of a friend. Fluttershy looked at the same predator and saw something to be concerned by. Perhaps that's why her special talent was animals.

And perhaps that was why she had made an effort to protect the dragon from his Cero despite the fact it had tried to kill her and the others; because she recognized that he was the top predator of the situation.

Her own guilt over failing the task assigned by Princess Celestia was likely also a driving force behind her actions. Perhaps she didn't wish to be at the palace because it would require being in such close proximity.

"Hey so what?" Rainbow Dash as she hovered off the ground to better face him. Ulquiorra could tell she was looking for something to fight about and defending Fluttershy seemed to be the convenient option. "So what if Fluttershy is afraid of you for being a ghost? That's no reason to be mean about it!"

He felt tempted to roll his eyes in response to her statement. He had done nothing that would be considered mean or rude in nature regarding Fluttershy's well placed apprehension of him. She was the only one to see him for what he truly was apart from Princess Celestia. Perhaps he should amend his earlier observation about which ponies possess a uniqueness that would warrant further investigation.

Right now the best way to deal with Rainbow Dash was to ignore her and deny her the bickering that she seemed to crave. Instead of addressing her he turned to pick his jacket up off the ground and put it back on, the display of his rank and Hollow hole serving no further purpose beyond this point.

"Jerk," Rainbow Dash muttered and folded her forelegs across her chest.

"If there art no new business we shalt depart and escort dear Fluttershy home, and return to the palace with young Spike," Princess Luna said, taking the opportunity to excuse herself and stepping over to the butter yellow pegasus before they both disappeared.

"Now would probably be a good time to return to the castle as well," Princess Celestia commented. "Is everypony ready?"

"Not quite," Ulquiorra replied in stark contrast to the cheers of excitement and acceptance the others were giving. "Before we leave there is business to tend to."

Business? What kind of business could Ulquiorra be referring to that was preventing them from departing? Princess Celestia was just about to ask that question but was stopped by the sight of a familiar green glow coming from his fingertip. And they knew from experience that glow meant only one thing; he was getting ready to discharge a Cero blast.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Princess Celestia asked in a tone that left no doubt about it being a demand rather than a simple question. She was expecting an answer regarding his actions.

"Taking care of business," Ulquiorra replied and discharged his Cero without so much as a second thought.

Everypony had feared the worst when they saw he was charging his Cero, subconsciously worrying about what he'd do with it, who he might be turning his fury against. So it was only natural to be surprised when his aim had been for none of them but the cave itself, the beam hurtling through the mouth and effortlessly tearing through the roof, an explosion going off inside as the ground shook violently; violently enough for the entire cave to collapse in on itself and be left as nothing more than a pile of uninhabitable rubble.

"With the cave now destroyed no dragon can put Equestria at threat in the same manner again," Ulquiorra elaborated and slipped his hand back into his pocket. "Business is concluded."

"I've got to learn how he does that," Twilight stated to herself in a whispered tone.

The cave was leveled just like that. Anything that'd been left in there was buried and inaccessible now. He'd kicked the dragon's flank like it was nothing, brought down the cave with a single blast of his Cero, and pulled off one of the best one liners ever. That was just... so...

Pomf!

"Oh come on! Again!?"

"Really darling you should look into how to control that," Rarity commented, finding some measure of humor in it all.

Princess Celestia tried not to laugh. First the horror of having that frightening attack blow right past her and completely level the cave behind her, nearly scaring her bladder control right out of her in the process, and now Rainbow Dash's little...it was all too much for her as tired as she was. She was positive that when she was more awake in the morning she was going to be quite upset with everything that had transpired on this day. But first she had to actually get there.

"Now is everyone ready to go?" she asked. Getting no objections she cast the the teleportation spell, transporting the entire lot of them back to Canterlot palace. She had the distinct feeling that the excitement of the day was nowhere near being over just yet.

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

"If Hollows are souls then wha' was yer species before?"

"How's your sonido work?"

"How can your lower body function and keep you upright with no spine in the area of your Hollow hole when it clearly cuts through the most vital location of your body?"

"Do any of the Espada know how to party?"

"How come somepony as awesome as you isn't the lead Espada? What're the others like?"

"By any chance do you happen to know what the current fashion in Las Noches is?"

"You can actually transform!? Cool! What do you look like when you do?"

"How exactly does your pesquisa work? Is it something any of us can learn to do?"

"So these "Shinigami" have zanpakutō's like yours? How do you tell them apart?"

"What's that term you used when the dragon tried to set you on fire but couldn't do it?"

"You can eat mana? What's it taste like? Is it good on ice cream?"

"So there's millions of Hollows in this Hueco Mundo place and three Shinigami just waltz in and take over the place just like that? Seriously?"

"So you mean you punched the dragon right in the chest and it just toppled over in pain? And it was actually bleeding from getting punched?"

"It jus' don' sit right with me, a scrawny fella like ya being so much stronger than Big Macintosh. How'd ya get ta be so strong?"

"So what are the mechanics behind your air walking ability? And how'd you manage to generate sufficient friction and resistance to overcomes the dragon's weight-to-lift ratio of its wings and bring it to a complete halt?"

"Do you ever hear any of the other Hollows in there trying to talk to you or each other about stuff?"

"What do you mean there's no sun in Heuco Mundo? How does anything grow there?"

"So this "hollowfication" process that souls undergo restructures their body, and repurposes their heart to form their mask to shield themselves. If that's the case, then why does the surrounding bodily tissue in the chest area that surrounds the heart form the cavity?"

Those were just some of the questions he'd been subjected to upon the return to Canterlot palace. Why Princess Celestia and Princess Luna couldn't escort the ponies back to Ponyville just as had been done with Fluttershy, was beyond his understanding.

He was apparently the subject of great interest despite everything Twilight Sparkle had told them. Whatever measure of fear they had beforehand was completely overridden by curiosity once they arrived back at the castle. Spike's arrival and learning of his exploits had only complicated the matter, and he was questioned from six different directions over the course of three long hours, questions ranging from the serious to the insane, asking anything that could be thought of that he might have answers to. Questions that he was apparently expected to answer due to his knowledge on the subject.

It was a long three hours standing in place.

At the moment though he was blissfully free of the curious ponies and their unending stream of questions. The late hour had contributed to most of them turning in for the night, and those that had chosen to remain behind and awake were thankfully silenced by Princess Celestia informing them that it was time to retire.

Even if they were all currently awake, and currently hunting him down, he had little to be concerned about. Currently he stood atop one of the roofs to the palace, looking out over the horizon of the surrounding area, content in the knowledge that none of the ponies would be able to find him.

"Hey U.C. Dude!"

Correction. Almost none of the ponies would be able to find him. It seemed the annoying Rainbow Dash wasn't tired enough to the point of actually leaving him alone. How she managed to locate him was something of a mystery as he hadn't seen or felt her anywhere. Then again he hadn't felt particularly compelled to watch for her. Right now she was approaching him from behind. Perhaps if he ignored her she'd grow bored and leave; she did seem like the type that possessed a short attention span after all.

"Dude?"

Or perhaps she'd hover in front of his face and wave her foreleg about in an annoying effort to tell if he were awake or not, looking to see if he was blinking or giving any other signs of being conscious.

"U.C.?"

And perhaps she would get close to his face, close enough their noses were just about touching as she looked into his teal green eyes for any signs of life.

"My name is Ulquiorra," he stated firmly, the sudden signs of consciousness eliciting a startled yelp from the cyan pegasus as she flew back in surprise. "I am neither "U.C." nor "Dude" as you insist on referring to me. And I am certainly not known as "Ulqy" as the pink earth pony insists on addressing me by."

The initial shock was unfortunately not enough to keep the pegasus away from him, as once she recovered from the initial shock she was back hovering disturbingly close to him; in this case just outside of his arm's maximum reach.

"Yeah... well... your name really isn't easy to remember, or pronounce," Rainbow Dash pointed out. She folded her forelegs across her chest while resting her chin on her left hoof in thought. "The... Espada, they've got ranks like a military force or any other organization. Maybe I could just refer to you by your rank? You know... like calling somepony Colonel or General or something?" she suggested.

Not an entirely unacceptable suggestion. It was certainly better than the alternative being used by several of the other ponies who couldn't seem to understand how he preferred being addressed.

"It is acceptable," he replied and went back to watching the horizon. However Rainbow Dash showed no signs of leaving. "You obviously didn't go through the effort of finding me simply to discuss title or address. What do you want?" he asked bluntly.

"Aizen."

Had she even given any thought to what she said before she opened her mouth to speak? Most likely not. However it was only a moment before she began speaking.

"I don't get it, I really don't. You said this Aizen character and his two lackeys, whatever their names were, you said they were these "Shinigami" things that're enemies to Hollows, are directly responsible for Hollows being created by leaving souls stranded in the living world where they're most vulnerable, and they kill Hollows when they find them. So why exactly did you work for somepony... body... thing that's your enemy by every single definition?"

She was no longer hovering in a stationary position. She looked like she was pacing back and forth in her hovering.

"I mean... three Shinigami defect from their own group, whatever the hay it was called, head to Hueco Mundo or wherever, waltz in like they own the place, take over the place and nopony... no Hollow raises a hoof or claw or whatever in protest? That's just seriously, seriously wrong," she said as she stopped in front of him and turned to face him. "You said you've killed before, right? As tasteless as it is to me and the rest of the girls to even consider... well... why didn't you kill them on sight? How do you know they weren't there to wipe out every last Hollow they saw?"

He had been asked many questions since his arrival here in this dimension. Many of them were foolish in nature and didn't warrant an answer. So far only a handful of questions, mostly those asked by Twilight Sparkle, were intelligent in nature and seemed worthwhile giving a proper answer to.

However in the case of Rainbow Dash hers was a very valid question. She hadn't pressed him on anything concerning the physics of his dimension and how he could do the things he did, but rather the basic predator/prey nature of the current structural order of Heuco Mundo.

"Most Hollows that serve Aizen do so out of respect or fear for his power. It's not known precisely how a Shinigami became so strong, it's only known that he did. He exerts bravery in a world dominated by fear and predation. One could say he was recognized as the top predator of the food chain," Ulquiorra explained. The matter was far more complex than that but it was likely the pegasi's mind couldn't comprehend the finer details and he saw no point in wasting his time simply to be told she couldn't properly follow him.

"I don't see you as being the kind who's really afraid of anything," Rainbow Dash commented.

"As I said most Hollows. Those that don't fall into either of the above mentioned categories chose to serve Aizen out of gratitude for what he did to them. The Primera Espada-"

"You mean Starrk?"

"-Correct. He chose to serve Aizen because he could grant him an end to his loneliness, introducing him to Hollows that wouldn't crumble to dust simply by being in his presence."

"... What about you specifically? How'd this double crosser Aizen get you?" Rainbow Dash asked after a pause. "You don't seem like the type who wanted friends. What was it?"

She could be quite perceptive. But at the same time she could be quite nosy. Regardless of what she was, she was annoying. There was no denying that fact.

"Hueco Mundo is an expansive wasteland, nothingness stretches on for hundreds of miles in every direction. There's no warmth, no pleasant sights, no friendship or happiness, no reason to justify one's continued existence other than simply existing. When Aizen found me he gave me a reason to justify my existence. He gave me a purpose to live for and succeed at. Suddenly my life had meaning. There was no longer nothingness before me," he explained calmly.

"And you didn't have any problem with being his pawns? To be used and sacrificed at his whim simply because he believed he didn't need you anymore?" Rainbow Dash asked him. However she waited barely a second before continuing. "That doesn't... I don't know... sit uneasy with you? Knowing that the one who gave you a purpose could take it all away just for kicks?"

"Ultimately it was our purpose, even if it doesn't make sense to you. It is the reason for which the Espada were originally assembled. We were all aware of that fact from the beginning," Ulquiorra replied. "We were Aizen's to do with as he pleased. If he believed sacrificing us would best suit his purposes then it was our obligation to fulfill his orders..."

He was greeted by utter silence in response. Rainbow Dash seemed to have nothing to say in response despite opening her mouth several times as if trying to vocalize a point but no point came. All that was heard was blissful night time silence.

At least for a minute.

"Loyalty huh?" she asked as she set down on the roof not too far away from him.

"Indeed," he replied simply.

More silence. But not nearly as long as the last time.

"Looks like we both understand how it's not all it's cracked up to be..."

That was of interest. He didn't expect such a statement to come from the one who bore the Element of Loyalty. One of the other Espada would certainly think nothing of making such a statement, or even one of the lower class Arrancar that served Aizen even without being selected to fill the role of the Espada. At least one Arrancar came to mind immediately. But Rainbow Dash was most certainly no Arrancar, just a mere living pony.

He looked at her skeptically. Almost immediately her entire demeanor changed as if she'd been caught discussing top secret information. "Er... nevermind. I don't wanna talk about this," she stated quickly.

He looked down at where she currently sat with his skeptical gaze, noting as she flinched.

"If the matter was something you didn't want to talk about you wouldn't have brought it up in the first place even by accident. The very fact that you did would suggest it is something at the front of your mind and you're looking for any excuse to speak of it," he replied and continued his unblinking stare, causing her to flinch further. "If you have something to say then say it. Do not continue to waste my time by playing pointless games."

Rainbow Dash frowned in response. "You're as annoying as Twilight at times, you know that?" she asked in a manner even he could tell was rhetorical in nature. "Look... if I tell you about this is it gonna be in confidence or whatever? You're not gonna go running off to tell my friends or Princess Celestia that I said anything...right?" she asked.

"... During my time under Aizen's control there were many tasks I was charged with. However not one of them involved sharing secrets about my fellow Arrancar. Whatever you have to say I don't foresee it as being a matter that would warrant reporting."

It was a matter of truth that he never engaged in any "snitching" in Hueco Mundo. Primarily because he never had to as Aizen was quite aware of what was going on in his domain. However there was no reason to share that fact right now. What was most curious was why the pegasus wished to open up to him specifically.

The simple fact that his omission seemed enough to assure the pegasus that confidence would be maintained seemed to be what she was looking for. However, for whatever reason, she still insisted upon looking around as if someone were eavesdropping on her.

"... About a year ago there was an incident back in Ponyville. My... friends... felt that I was getting a little too boastful just because the townsponies were recognizing how awesome I was because of what I did. Saved a foal from a well, stopped a loaded carriage or two from going off the edge of a hill, saved some old folks from a falling balcony... you know, the standard hero stuff," she started. Seeing that he was listening quietly she continued. "So I started letting them know that they were right, that I was awesome and I was a hero. But my... friends... thought I was getting too full of myself or whatever. Rather than just talk to me about it, they decided that for whatever reason, I needed to be taught a lesson about my boasting, and concocted this elaborate scheme and created a ponysona known as "Mare Do Well" to show me up."

More silence from Ulquiorra. He wasn't even asking questions about what she was saying, like he was understanding everything as she laid it out. She didn't know whether to be thankful or weirded out. Either way she continued uninterrupted.

"Over the next couple of months my supposed friends, while in an elaborate disguise that only Rarity could create on such short notice, orchestrated an elaborate plot to prove to all of Ponyville that I wasn't as awesome as they thought I was. Applejack's incredible strength, Pinkie's ability to use her Pinkie sense to predict and intervene in tragedies, Twilight's control of magic, even Fluttershy's ability to fly. They crafted the image of an alicorn that was bent on stomping me into the ground in the most humble way imaginable, showing up to perform a heroic display whenever necessary and then disappear without a word being said. And when they weren't in costume and showing that together they were greater than me, they were talking up Mare Do Well like the greatest thing to come along since the Apple Family's legendary cider."

More silence from the Espada. While it allowed her to tell her story it was also annoying that it provided no distraction and instead left her to focus on the details exclusively. It was starting to get harder to share everything in a coherent manner.

"Scootaloo dismantled her fan club to me for Mare Do Well, Mayor Mare planned on honoring her as a hero, nopony even noticed me no matter what I did, and they wanted me to honor Mare Do Well for all the good she'd done. And then I... then I found out who Mare Do Well was...and what they did... a-and why they did it... and they, they actually had the nerve to make it out like it was my fault and I deserved it and they... they..."

Ulquiorra observed her in silence as she told her story. It was hard to tell if the current difficulty she was experiencing was due to sadness or anger. She was experiencing some kind of choking difficulty from what he could tell. More curiously was how her reiatsu was starting to flare as she recalled the details of her story, her body trembling.

"They just make me so mad! Anytime anypony else was showing they were good at something they didn't concoct some plan to show them up and prove to the town that they were nothing special! We didn't try and prove to Pinkie that she's not the best at throwing parties, or show Applejack that the rest of us are better at applebucking than her, or prove to Rarity that she's not the best at fashion, buck we didn't even try to show Twilight that her magic isn't all that great. But when it comes to me, suddenly it's open season and it's alright to engage in trickery and make me look useless. Me of all ponies, one of the Elements of Harmony, they picked me to trick because the town finally recognized I was awesome! They went and pulled the awesome right out from under my hooves and they were supposed to be my friends!"

It was definitely anger currently. Despite only possessing roughly half her normal level of reiryoku right now it was exerting a considerable amount of reiatsu on the surrounding area. And it seemed to be increasing.

"Some days I can't even stand the sight of them, much less hanging around them after everything they put me through! They're supposed to be my friends, friends don't do that to each others! There's nothing funny about what they did, it was cruel! They made me feel like I wasn't worth anything, like no matter what I did there'd always be somepony better than me just waiting right around the corner to stomp all over everything I've worked so hard for! And then they laughed at me and everything I was going through! And then they had the nerve to expect everything to go right back to normal like I wasn't hurt or anything, like there was nothing wrong with what they did... I just want to hate them so much for everything they did!"

The swelling of her reiatsu had been steady but significant, seeming to pique at her last statement before dropping substantially, like a fever breaking.

"Some days are better than others. Some days I can pretend like everything's alright and we're alright. Other days not so much... sometimes I wish I was the Element of Honesty because then I could tell them exactly how I feel about them. But instead I'm stuck as the Element of Loyalty and I have to live with feeling betrayed by them. I can't even tell them how I feel because they're supposed to be my friends, and if you aren't loyal to your friends even when they're jerks then you wind up being loyal to nopony..." she paused. A long, long pause before finally continuing. "Making matters worse is we're the Elements of Harmony. How can we expect to be harmonious when we need to if I tell them how much they upset me with their little stunt? Equestria could be in danger if I do that. All I can do is swallow my anger and wear the mask of Rainbow Dash: lazy good for nothing weather pony obsessed with being the fastest, joining the Wonderbolts and napping whenever I can..."

He would never admit it to anyone that might ask. But Rainbow Dash's story had left him... mildly surprised after hearing it. The fact that this unassuming world possessed the same issues as the human world was... intriguing. He hadn't believed that this world was as peaceful as Princess Celestia would have him believe and it seemed he was quite correct in his suspicions. But now he had some measure of tangible proof, proof that not all was as it seemed. Beneath their abnormally colored coats and child-like personalities these ponies were just as ruthless and un-peaceful as any of the Espada.

This was a matter that truly warranted further investigation.

"You're... you're not gonna tell anypony about this... are you?"

His attention was drawn back to Rainbow Dash as she was now looking up at him. Her entire demeanor had changed in the course of less than a minute. She was no longer bristling with anger and fury and as she looked at him her eyes looked quite irritated and wet.

"Somepony... somebody as awesome as you are... doesn't have to go telling what he heard some little pegasus talking about... right?"

"It is indeed a matter that Princess Celestia must be informed about," he stated. The look of terror on her face was immediate but she wasn't allowed to speak. "However I believe it is a matter reserved for you to discuss when you believe the time is right. It isn't something she needs to hear from me."

He could almost feel the pegasus relaxing before him at hearing the news. It was all quite pitiful really. Did Princess Celestia fully understand just who she had entrusted the safety of Equestria to when she provided these... ponies... with the Elements of Harmony?

Perhaps that was why Discord had seen fit to bring him here. Perhaps the agent of chaos held a similar view and believed a change was necessary for this world's safety. That was certainly something that would make some measure of sense... but at the same time it created new problems that didn't make sense and would need to be addressed.

"Thanks."

His attention was drawn back to Rainbow Dash yet again. She was a most curious pony to associate with. She quickly alternated in terms of opinions held towards others depending on various interactions. Earlier she was calling him a jerk, now she was confiding in him as if she could trust him despite the relatively short duration of their having known one another.

"Now it's my turn to ask the questions. Why do you not fear me? Out of all those you associate with, Fluttershy is the only one to see me for what I truly am. She is wise to have fear regarding me. You and the others may have concern, but you don't visibly regard me as a predator. Why?"

It was a matter that was completely illogical. They all knew what he was; a ghost, a devourer of souls, a murderer and strong enough to beat a full grown bull dragon into submission without even having to fully exert himself. And yet only Fluttershy seemed to truly regard him with the severity the situation warranted. It was a mystery that he wanted to get to the bottom of.

"Huh?" she asked curiously as she blinked, his question completely catching her off guard. "Well I can't really speak for the others and what motivates them. But me in particular? I dunno really," she replied and shrugged, "sure you're... different... but you never really struck me as that much of a threat to us. I mean sure you stomped the hay outta that dragon and everything but...I dunno. I can't really explain it. It's just sorta... seems right I guess?"

It wasn't an explanation that made sense to him. Despite knowing about what he was, despite seeing what he could do without even seriously trying, these ponies still didn't regard him as he should be. He wasn't even certain if Princess Celestia still regarded him with a healthy level of suspicion and distrust. Was this entire dimension built upon the concept of second chances being passed out to everyone and everything so freely? Were these ponies genetically engineered in a manner that rendered them predisposed to trying to find some measure of good even in the worst? Discord was alive. Princess Luna was alive. The dragon from earlier today was alive. He was alive. In Hueco Mundo such threats would be terminated immediately.

"There's a matter that must be tended to in the library. I must depart for now," he replied and disappeared in a flash of sonido, leaving nothing behind but a booming echo of static and one very confused pegasus sitting on the roof and looking around.

"I've gotta learn how he does that," Rainbow Dash stated.

Based on his preliminary observations it seemed safe to categorize Twilight Sparkle as partially nocturnal in nature. She seemed to keep stranger hours than the rest of the ponies and remained awake later in the evening than others for the purpose of reading. It seemed only logical that she would be in the library tonight while the others slumbered.

Fortunately that wasn't the case. On this night Twilight Sparkle was absent and that left him free reign of the unrestricted section of the library, the purple unicorn likely slumbering away like the rest of the ponies, minus Princess Luna's staff that currently stood by the doorway. Not that he expected anything less from one of the rulers, he was still a threat and rightly regarded as such. If Princess Luna had decided to engage in a different practice he would be... disappointed. At least Princess Luna seemed to regard him with more seriousness than Princess Celestia who allowed him to travel without an escort this day.

The absence of other ponies meant an uninterrupted chance to further study the history of Equestria. New questions and mysteries had arisen over the course of this day and they warranted further study; something that couldn't be done when being asked an endless supply of questions. But at the moment it appeared safe to conclude that such an interruption wouldn't occur.

Nevertheless he still chose to remain perched at the top of one of the taller bookshelves. Above the ground few would be able to locate him unless they knew to look all the way up in this particular spot of the library.

"Ulquiorra Cifer, art thou in here?"

So much for uninterrupted research. He'd sensed her long before he saw her, but he'd hoped she was simply coming in to pick up some reading material for a dull stretch of her watch when there were no duties to tend to. Sadly that was not the case as she was looking for him. Fortunately she didn't seem aware of him as she was currently walking past where he was perched. That... could have possibilities.

Without a word he closed his book and slid it under his left arm, stepped off the ledge and plummeted to the floor, landing feet first with a loud bang upon impact directly behind her. The sudden commotion in the otherwise quiet library startled the younger sister, and made her both jump and yelp, before turning around to see what the noise was.

"Thou art indeed a jerk!" Princess Luna stated and scowled at him, not appreciating the scare in the least. A scowl that failed to move him and instead was returned by his standard emotionless look. She was the first one to blink. She had more important things to tend to rather than attempting to stare him down in a useless manner. However he was the first one to speak.

"What do you want?"

Blunt and straight to the point. She expected no less of him. Nevertheless it was hardly enough to dissuade her.

"We came to see if all was well. Considering this night 'tis a slumber party thou didst depart quite early. Thou left before the "fun" could begin," she explained.

"The concept of "fun" is of no interest to me. It is nothing more than a waste of time and not worth engaging in for any reason," Ulquiorra replied and reopened the book to continue reading where he left off, paying no attention to the frown Princess Luna was currently giving him.

"Thou are most stubborn and unpleasant to associate with," she stated and continued to frown at him.

"And despite knowing that fact from the beginning, for some reason you felt compelled to directly involve your sister's student because you believed I was worth it for whatever reason. I can't help but question why," Ulquiorra replied as if her statement meant absolutely nothing to him. He continued reading through the paragraph he was on before casting an aside glance at her and continuing. "What was your motivation for going behind your sister's back to involve Twilight Sparkle and her company when dealing with me?"

"We believed that thee might benefit from experiencing kindness and friendship firsthoof. However we art no longer fully certain of that being correct. After all the goodness we ourselves experienced we didst have hope that thee might benefit in the same manner. But thou doth have no interest in such. We can see that we hath wasted our time," Princess Luna stated.

"You're lying," Ulquiorra stated simply and paused to slowly turn the page to continue the current paragraph. "If you have no desire to share the true motivations for your actions then it's of no consequence to me. However do not waste my time by spinning deceit as to what motivated you to go behind your sister's back in such a treacherous manner. I can only speculate that you must have had strong motivations to do such, knowing there would be consequences once your actions were found out."

Silence once again filled the library, neither party speaking any further. The only noises heard were the occasional turning of a page and Princess Luna's own breathing.

"Guards. Depart from here."

The shadow guards blinked at the command of their Princess breaking the still silence of the library. The order was confusing in nature but they did as ordered and left the entrance way to the library.

Princess Luna remained silent, monitoring as they left. Once she felt they were far enough away she turned to Ulquiorra and faced him directly. "What we hath to say may never be heard by anypony else under any circumstances. The ramifications could be most disastrous to the harmony of the kingdom."

Another one? Why did these ponies choose to view him as if he was a trustworthy confidant? He hadn't been in Equestria more than a few days, certainly not long enough to even try and craft the image of someone that could be trusted. Was this the work of Discord or were they naturally this trusting of strangers? Perhaps an inborn desire to want to trust others and see the good in them? If he pressed Princess Celestia would she have freely shared the facts relating the Elements of Harmony with him?

Considering her actions with Discord's rehabilitation it was entirely possible that she would have done just that.

"I understand," he replied. However he truly didn't understand the matter at all. It was all a mystery, but pressing her for details didn't seem promising. It was yet another matter he would have to further research at a later date.

"... Thou art not truly the first devourer of souls this land hath bore witness to," Princess Luna said as she looked him straight in the eyes, demanding his full and undivided attention as she spoke. Her entire posture was broadcasting the fact that he wasn't to speak while she was speaking. "One thousand and three years ago... when we became Nightmare Moon... we didst engage in such an act ourselves, but not of our own volition. The foul demon didst need souls to sustain its form and maintain control over our mind and body and to bolster its strength to properly contend with our dear sister," she explained, although not anywhere near a level that could be mistaken for calm. Her entire body was trembling as she spoke and her voice was shaky.

"By the time our dear sister was able to intervene it was already too late. The foul demon that possessed our body had devoured the souls of seventeen young foals that night in order to maintain itself... including the soul of young pegasus filly that was very dear to us... to me..."

He said nothing as Princess Luna spoke. However he did close his current book and tuck it back under his arm. This turn of events warranted his full attention.

"Our dear sister ensured that these facts were buried for she knew what harm would occur should they ever get out. She ensured the details of that night were buried with us, never to see the light of day again. And we art thankful that she did. But even though the demon that possessed us is forever gone, the knowledge of what we did is not. We will live on for eternity and forever remember the looks of horror on their faces; as we watched helplessly at what we were forced on that accursed night!"

Ulquiorra remained silent as Princess Luna talked. The story had some surreal quality to it and it seemed hard to believe. But her posture and body language told him that it was most certainly not any type of attempt at humor. The shaking of her shoulders as she dropped to her haunches wasn't the kind of shaking witnessed when one was attempting to suppress a laugh, that much he was certain of.

"Thou doth wish to know why we didst involve Twilight Sparkle as we did? Because we didst hope that if thou could find friendship and be forgiven even with all that thee hath done then... then maybe one day there wouldst be hope for us as well, and we too could be forgiven for all that we didst do!"

Rainbow Dash's confession had been about the betrayal by her friends in response to some insufficiently explained incident back in Ponyville. Leaving her feeling resentful towards them but forced to maintain a false image of everything being fine, the whole recollection being made in anger.

Princess Luna's confession had been about the entity of Nightmare Moon possessing her body and using it in the slaughter of their subjects for the simple purpose of sustaining its own life, to try and do battle with Princess Celestia, forcing its host to watch everything as it unfolded. Unlike Rainbow Dash, her recollection was made in sadness but delivered in neutral-to-anger terms, and lacked the same emotional resonance.

Rainbow Dash was able to resist crying, as she recounted how her friends had gone out of their way to engage in a cruel prank and attack not only her trust in them, but her own sense of self worth. Princess Luna was not as able, and now sat on the library floor, unable to control the tears that were currently escaping.

Why did these ponies believe he was so trustworthy? Why did they feel he could be confided in, and why did they believe he even cared about their problems enough to hear them? Did Princess Celestia know what her sister was doing right now? It was all very confusing to him.

Even more confusing -and outright disturbing- was the feeling of discomfort he was experiencing as Princess Luna cried freely. How -and why- was he being affected like this?

"Perhaps I was too hasty in accepting Discord's offer," he thought as he turned his attention back to the book to begin reading again in an effort to tune out the wails of the Moon Princess before him. "Perhaps I should have simply remained in the void and awaited my fate. Surely hell can't be as bad as this."

Morning once again returned to Equestria, once again bringing the change in rule as Princess Celestia raised the sun to begin the new day. It meant Princess Luna retiring for the day and no longer crying in his presence, lamenting over the actions of her alter ego a thousand years ago. The new day also meant the holders of the Elements of Harmony would be returning to Ponyville to continue about their everyday lives. More importantly though, the new day meant he would be able to continue his studies undisturbed and gain a better understanding of his surroundings.

"What is it you want?"

Or at least he could if Princess Celestia wasn't making her way into the library. A peaceful opportunity to study in silence seemed unlikely the way things were proceeding.

"The train back to Ponyville is leaving in half an hour," Princess Celestia explained, unfazed by the bluntness of Ulquiorra's manners of address. "I came to see if you wanted to see the others off before they returned home."

"No," Ulquiorra replied simply and turned his attention back to the book in his hands, saying nothing further despite feeling Princess Celestia looking at him. He had no reason and no motivation to watch the others leave. It was nothing more than a waste of time and a useless gesture to engage in. There were more important matters at hand right now.

Silence once again washed over the library except for the occasional turning of pages. Princess Celestia said nothing further, simply turning and leaving the library.

"Do you believe they'll talk about what they experienced yesterday?" Ulquiorra asked, waiting until she was just about to step out of the library before finally speaking up.

"How do you mean?" Princess Celestia asked as she stepped back closer to him, curious at the sudden breach of silence.

"Yesterday they were made aware of details pertaining to who I am, what I am and what I did back in my world. Do you believe they'll spread this information around Equestria through gossip or do you believe they'll refrain from such, and hide the fact that you have an unrepentant murderer as your newest subject?" he asked.

So that's what he meant. It was certainly a good question. So many new and unexpected details coming to light in such a short amount of time, some of her little ponies prone to talking about things that they shouldn't. It made sense that he'd be concerned about the possibility of such.

"I don't believe they'll go blabbing about what they heard. They're intelligent enough to understand that if all the details got out it would cause panic all over Equestria from those that are less informed. There are certain things the populace is better off not knowing and they're quite aware of that fact. I don't believe even Pinkie would want to go and terrify everypony with tales of a strange being whose exploits sound like something out of a story book. Your secret will be safe with them," she explained calmly.

"Hopefully they possess more restraint than Princess Luna when it comes to maintaining secrets."

"... Pardon?" Princess Celestia asked after a moment of confusion. What was he talking about? What had Luna been talking about?

Ulquiorra left her waiting until he was done reading the current paragraph before addressing her again.

"Your sister was all too willing to inform me how as Nightmare Moon she engaged in devouring the souls of several of your subjects before she was finally stopped. One would expect such knowledge would be more carefully guarded and not handed out so freely to someone new to the dimension. The ramifications to be had should such information ever become public knowledge would be quite disastrous. Your entire kingdom might tear itself apart with outrage and panic. The diarchy would suffer greatly and there would be widespread distrust to contend with, possibly a civil war as well," he explained calmly while slowly turning around to face her. "You're trusting your subjects with information of a most sensitive nature. Finding out about one murderer would be bad enough. I don't care to consider what the populace of this land would do should they ever find out there are two, one of whom is a ruler of theirs. For your sake and theirs I hope that you're right in the placement of your trust."

If Princess Celestia was prone to the same violations of the rules of physics as Pinkie Pie, he suspected her jaw would be on the floor by now. But for whatever reason she wasn't talking and he didn't feel compelled to ask why or even face her right now.

"Luna... Luna told you about that?" she asked after a long stretch of silence.

"Readily. I must say I'm mildly surprised, more by the fact that so many are so willing to trust me with their secrets than the details of what she did," Ulquiorra replied. However before Princess Celestia could get a word in edgewise he continued talking. "Do you now plan on having me executed after this revelation?"

She frowned. Was Ulquiorra deliberately going out of his way to taunt her with the fact that he knew more about the Diarchy than the rest of Equestria did? Was he challenging her? Was he trying to determine if she was soft in her rule and unable to make hard decisions when required? Even with everything she'd seen in his mind, there was still a great deal about him she didn't know or fully understand.

Why did Discord have to put her in such a position? Surely if he was interested in making her miserable there were easier ways to go about it.

"... At present I don't believe that's necessary," she finally replied and stepped closer. "The number of those who know growing from two to three really doesn't prove to be much of a threat. And so far you haven't given me any reason to believe that you aren't trustworthy or a blabbermouth. So long as I'm certain that the kingdom isn't in any danger I believe we can fully avoid any unpleasantries such as that."

The irony of her statement, was she even aware of how much her statement contained? She spoke of his trustworthiness despite having no trust of him. She kept him under watch through her guards, carefully monitored him during their interactions and engaged in various other methods of trying to gauge whether or not he was a potential threat and how much danger he posed. She regarded him as a security issue to the point she had bound his resurrección and prevented its release and even placed her student Twilight Sparkle in charge of him when he wasn't in their presence. And yet she spoke of trust when there was none on her part?

Most curious indeed.

"Then let us try and avoid unpleasantries," Ulquiorra replied and directed his attention back to the book at hand.

"Indeed," she replied and nodded, despite the fact he couldn't see it. "I believe I'll go see Twilight and her friends off now. Should I give them your regards?"

"Do whatever you wish, it makes no difference to me," Ulquiorra replied. If Princess Celestia desired to lie to her subjects who was he to stop her from doing so?

Without another word she turned and headed out the library, leaving Ulquiorra alone and to his own devices, with the exception of the two unicorn guards standing by the entrance. She trusted that he could keep himself busy enough in his research that she wasn't needed to guide him.

However when Luna awoke, she would definitely need to have another discussion with her about the importance of secrets.

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

"One week."

"Pardon?" Luna asked as she looked up from her current breakfast dish, being a bagel smeared with rich and decadent Fillydelphia cream cheese, a long withheld treat she was eager to re-indulge herself in all over again, and her sister interrupting her wasn't very welcome right now.

"It's been a full week since our little ponies learned about Ulquiorra's true nature," Celestia stated. It sure didn't seem quite like that amount of time, but it certainly was. One week ago she'd dispatched the Elements of Harmony to motivate a dragon to leave the area. One week ago Ulquiorra had proven his loyalty by saving her little ponies from harm and taking on the dragon himself. One week ago the Espada's secrets had unfolded before them.

And much to her relief there hadn't been so much as a single report of widespread riots or panicking among her subjects. It was safe to assume the secrets and details of last week were still secret amongst the seven; just as she'd expected from them.

"We art aware," Luna commented before returning to her bagel, before addressing her sister. "And what ist the status of Ulquiorra Cifer himself. Ist he still in the library reading?" she asked.

"Still in the library, standing up longer than any of the guards can hope to compete with," Celestia replied and chuckled, "I rarely see him out of there unless I have the guards bring him forward. You certainly weren't exaggerating when you talked about his reading skills."

Luna said nothing in response, choosing instead to focus on the delectable sweets of breakfast and making up for lost time.

Granted she could've enjoyed this treat at any time she desired such, Celestia's influence could do little to stop such from occurring. But immortality, combined with natural sibling rivalry, further affected with a mischievous streak, made for strange goings on from time to time. And what some would say amounted to a strange punishment was truthfully closer to being a dare. An exceedingly annoying dare actually. But one she had won nonetheless.

Breakfast continued in relative silence, apart from noises of pleasure Celestia was certain Luna was making for no other reason than to annoy her as she expressed her joy for the prohibition on sweets officially being lifted. But she'd let her sister get away with it... for now anyway. There were more important matters to tend to... such as the scroll that materialized above her head and was enveloped in her magic.

It was a rather large scroll. It was over a dozen pages thick if she were weighing it correctly. She knew Twilight could indeed be an avid writer and give detailed reports, but this was excessive even for her most times.

Perhaps it was from Rainbow Dash? Ever since Twilight had convinced her that books were for everypony she would sometimes make an occasional attempt at writing herself. Asking her to sample her work for review really wasn't out of the realm of possibilities with that wild pegasus.

"Doth thou plan on reading that or simply holding it?" Luna asked, wondering just what could be in the scroll. Usually Twilight Sparkle's friendship reports came later in the day after some excitement had been had. Perhaps she'd forgotten to send it yesterday and just now remembered? Most likely not, but one could never be absolutely certain of anything.

"Be patient dear sister, be patient," Celestia replied and unrolled the scroll, peeling the first outward sheet and starting to read it.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I regret to inform you that this isn't a friendship report but rather something of a different nature. As it's been a week since the last time any of us have seen Ulquiorra there's been more than a few questions asked. And since we aren't certain when he'll return to Ponyville several of us had the idea to send him a collection of letters so the ponies interested could ask these questions and get a response.

At least I hope they'll get a response. Knowing Ulquiorra like I do there's no guarantee how things will go. I can only hope that this doesn't turn out to be a waste of everypony's time, yours included.

Signed,
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle

"Oh my..." Celestia said as she finished reading the note, a slight grin creeping over her face.

"What is it, dear sister?" Luna asked curiously.

"Letters to Ulquiorra apparently. Those in Ponyville are apparently quite interested in him, and they decided to write him directly," Celestia explained and grinned further. "I wonder what his reaction's going to be when he finds out he's gotten fan mail."

"Truly?" Luna asked as she stood up and walked over to read the first letter over her sister's shoulder. "Hmm..." she frowned, "something tells us this will not go well. We wouldst wager fifty gold bits that Ulquiorra Cifer doth not reply to so much as one letter."

"You're actually betting on Ulquiorra's development within our world?" Celestia asked. That was... odd. Had the Espada particularly angered her and made her rethink her investment in the situation?

Luna nodded in response. "We are indeed. Ulquiorra Cifer is not one that would concern himself with sparing others their feelings should they annoy him. And we suspect that should he answer any they will most assuredly be harsh and unforgiving in nature."

Luna had a very good point. Ulquiorra had been quite blunt in all of her interactions with him, and quite quick to call her out when he suspected something wasn't right according to his views; he'd really let her have it regarding the failed assassination attempt in the gardens. She still couldn't look at him without remembering that conversation and how everything had gone.

"It's a possibility. But we'll never know without trying," Celestia pointed out, levitating the letters over to her sister. "Would you mind delivering these to him after breakfast?" she asked.

Luna looked at the roll of letters and frowned. Her go into the library to play mail mare? Hardly one of her sister's more unusual requests. But venturing into the library had the possibility of a nasty surprise waiting for her... unless...

"We shall do so, dear sister, it will give us a chance to have a word with Ulquiorra Cifer..." she said as she magically took hold of the letters, grinning mischievously to herself at the thoughts that were currently entering her mind.

Luna appeared in the library in a flash of teleportation, hovering high off the ground near the ceiling, grinning at the brilliance of her plan and how Ulquiorra Cifer would never be able to sneak up on her from this vantage point. Her plan was quite foal proof as far as she could see since she had the high ground at her disposal.

Now it was just a matter of locating that Espada and delivering the mail, and then going to bed for the day, leaving her sister to manage whatever headaches occurred after this point.

"Ulquiorra Cifer! A word-"

She was interrupted by the sound that was characteristic of the sonido technique, the Espada appearing in front of her before she could even complete her sentence, looking her right in the eye with those emotionless teal green eyes as if she'd disturbed him in the middle of something important.

The disturbing aspect of it all was how he was so easily looking her in the eyes when she was so high off the ground. And then she remembered the one little detail that was most crucial and went forgotten when she formulated her plan; Ulquiorra Cifer's airwalking ability. It still baffled her how he could do something like that without the use of magic, or at least without any of the appendages their subjects used when they delved into magic. No horn for casting spells, no wings for flight, no latent abilities like earth ponies, just... she didn't know how to describe it.

Of course him being able to pop out of nowhere in such an undetected manner didn't help matters any. It was unnerving how he could move about as such.

"'Tis most disturbing how thee can do that," she stated and frowned. He said nothing and continued his stare. How did he so easily make her feel so uneasy. "Where hast thou been lately? We hath not seen you in the historical section the past few days. What doth occupy thine's time as of late?" she asked.

"Anatomy of the three pony races. If I'm to be in this dimension for an extended period of time, it's only logical to know all I can about those I must interact with," he explained calmly.

"Truly?" she asked and tilted her head. "And what hast thou been learning?"

"Based on my studies so far, it seems safe to assume the one called Rainbow Dash is quite lecherous in nature," he replied. "You wished to have a word with me when you appeared in the library. Did it pertain to my studies of your world, or the bundle you have tucked under your left wing?"

In her haste to try and pop in on Ulquiorra Cifer in an effort to take him by surprise she'd nearly forgotten the reason she actually came here. Fortunately, he was aware enough to notice minute differences and that reminded her of the bundle of letters she was currently transporting with her.

"These are for thou. Some of our subjects hath seen fit to write thee and ask questions since thou art not present to be asked directly," she replied and levitated the bundle over for him to take.

"What do they say?" he asked without even taking hold of them.

"Seeing as they belong to thou it would be improper for us to read them. 'Tis a task reserved for thee and thee alone," Princess Luna responded and pushed the bundle against him until he finally took hold of them. "We must take our leave now. It has been a long night and we need our sleep. A good morning to thee, Ulquiorra Cifer," she stated and disappeared just as she'd come, leaving the Espada alone with his bundle of letters.

"Curious," he muttered to himself and touched down on the library floor. He was certain his trip into Ponyville had convinced the populace that he wasn't worth interacting with but it seemed he was quite wrong about that possibility. He could understand Twilight Sparkle and some of her friends writing him but there were too many sheets present to be just from those seven. Perhaps the best way to get to the bottom of this curiosity would be to unwrap them and begin reading. He peeled the first sheet off as it was the most logical place to start.

Dear Ulquiorra,

How've you been doing since our last interaction? I hope everything's going alright in Canterlot. I still can't believe you've got access to the library and have no need to sleep, I'm so jealous of that fact.

I'm sure Princess Celestia explained things to you, but just in case she didn't here it is: a lot of the ponies around town have been asking about you, and since your visits are more or less restricted we decided it would be best to send you letters to ask the questions they can't ask you directly. The idea was such a good one I had to get involved too.

The next time you come to Ponyville could you help me with some matters of scientific study and exploration? I'd love to understand the nature of the mechanics behind your abilities, but without your help there's nothing I can do except academic hypothesis. The amount of beneficial discoveries that could be had are quite possibly limitless, and there's simply not enough parchment available to detail what kind of benefits to all of ponykind could be had with your presence in Equestria. For instance if we could learn the mechanics behind how your body can absorb mana from the area, and replicate it in living beings, the hunger problems in areas beyond the border could be alleviated. And then there's the matter of your hierro and how it could be used to prevent injuries in the workplace.

Did I spell that right, hierro? Our languages being two different standards and bridged only by Discord's magic can really be troubling. Pronunciation is one matter, but attempts at translating and spelling on a written dialect are a real challenge.

Maybe for the sake of ease in communication I should just refer to it as your armored skin. It makes about as much sense and it's far easier to translate.

Anyway, if you could come it would be really appreciated.

Signed,
Twilight Sparkle

P.S. Did I spell your name right? Everypony else is using the same spelling based on our language's structure of phonetic pronunciation. If it isn't right I'm going to feel more embarrassed than when I actually considered not studying you at all because of how you so easily violated the laws of physics of our world. But as a scientist I shouldn't be discouraged just because a challenge is significant.

Sorry. I'm rambling again.

Somehow this didn't surprise him any. The fact that Twilight Sparkle was the first to write him and the fact she still wished to study him in a scientific setting were to be expected. At least her ambitions were relatively noble in nature rather than self-serving. No talk of using him to further goals of usurping control from Princess Celestia and ruling in her place, no talk of attempting to use him as a catalyst to trigger her own evolution and become a new breed of life form.

"Granz she is not," he muttered and set the page aside and peeled off the next one to read.

Dear Ulquiorra Cifer,

Do you like muffins?

Signed,
Ditzy Doo

He studied the letter for a minute before flipping it over to look at the back side. That was the entirety of the message from Ditzy Doo?

He recalled his initial observation of the pegasus mare. Not overly intelligent but at least she was polite when addressing him. And she manged the proper pronunciation of his full name right off the bat. He went on to the next letter.

Dear Ulquiorra Cifer,

I must say word of your defeat of the dragon has spread over Ponyville like wildfire, and you're being regarded as something of a celebrity. If you have time before you must depart back for your own land, would you have time to stop by the Ponyville Elementary school, and address the class about this amazing feat of yours? Many of them still can't believe the tales of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, and even with dear Twilight's assurance that most of what they say is perfectly accurate, I must admit even I have trouble comprehending the details.

Signed,
Cherilee

Speaking before a class full of children. Was the earth pony serious? It was most likely that she was indeed. It also seemed that Twilight Sparkle and her friends hadn't yet corrected their story about him merely visiting Equestria. Regardless he chose to press on.

Dear Mr. Cifer,

Your first name's harder to spell than it is to pronounce so I'm just gonna stick to your last name, I hope that's alright.

Anyway, folks around town have been abuzz ever since last week and I think they're right to. You're stronger than Big Macintosh and he once moved an entire house by himself when he was courting Miss Cherilee. Real long story there, you'd have to drop in and hear it sometime because it loses something in translation.

I'm still a might curious about just how strong you really are. I'd love to see what would happen if you ever tried to buck an apple tree. Maybe someday you can stop by Sweet Apple Acres again?

Signed,
Applejack

P.S. Anymore of that deep thinking going on that you'd like to share? I gotta admit being around you has been making me think harder than I'm accustomed to. Not that that's a bad thing.

Perhaps the one who held the Element of Honesty was looking to put him to work on her farm? At present time it at least sounded like a more promising purpose than simply studying the concept of "friendship" as Princess Celestia had assigned him. He shrugged and read another.

Dear Ulquiorra Cifer,

Being a unicorn my whole life the idea of not having magic, and yet still being able to carry heavy items and use an extremely fine level of dexterity, and control over even the most delicate of applications is highly intriguing. Having hands with fully articulate fingers like a dragon or a gryphon must be so awesome I can't even imagine what it's like to do what you can do without even thinking about it.

Is there a certain preference/dominance of your hands with one being more favored for use than the other or is there an ambidextrous symmetry to how you carry out physical tasks?

Signed,
Lyra Heartstrings

Somehow Lyra Heartstrings writing him was of no great surprise. She had taken a great interest in his hands and their untapped -to them anyway- potential for use. Had it not been for Twilight Sparkle mediating the first trip to Ponyville, the sea green unicorn would've dominated the conversation and prevented the others from having their say.

Dear Ulquiorra Cifer,

Seeing as you don't have a cutie mark of your own, we'd like to extend to you the invitation to become an honorary member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Having someone like you on board with us would be so awesome! Nopony would ever make fun of us again!

A word of caution though. Rarity is looking forward to the next time you come into Ponyville as she has plans on getting your measurements to start a new line and style of clothing. Watch your back.

Signed,
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo & Sweetie Belle,
The Cutie Mark Crusaders

Utter nonsense and childishness. Individually these three appeared respectably intelligent for their assumed age range. But when together that intelligence appeared significantly reduced.

From what he gathered of their organization their attempt at earning their cutie marks involved trying anything and everything of interest in the hope of more or less falling into their special talent. Did they not understand the repercussions they were dealing with? Did they have no concept of how many things could go wrong with such an approach? Why were the adults so useless in correcting them when it came to their own stupidity?

Dear Ulqy,

By the time I'm done you're going to laugh, smile, know what fun is like, and have lots of ponies to call your friends. That's a Pinkie Pie Promise!

Signed,
Pinkie Pie

If ever there was a piece of transcript worthy of being discarded and ignored this was most certainly it. He moved onto the next one.

Dear Ulquiorra Cifer,

I really must apologize for my un-ladylike behavior back on the mountaintop. How I reacted was uncalled for after all you'd done for us, how you put yourself in danger just to save us from that beastly dragon. It was all during a moment of most primal response, but that truly doesn't excuse my own bad behavior or my hostility after learning about your true nature.

By chance could you see about stopping by the Carousel Boutique at some point in the near future? I'd just love to craft you a new suit of clothing, one that isn't quite so drab in nature.

Signed,
Rarity

Surprisingly the crusaders had been right about their warning of Rarity. He moved onto the next letter in the pile.

Dear Ulquiorra Cifer,

The town council and I would be most honored if you could come to Ponyville sometime so that we might commemorate your heroism last week in saving the town and all its residents from the dragon that nested in the mountains to the south.

Signed,
Mayor Mare

Commemorate his heroism? Was she serious? These ponies believed that he was acting in the capacity of a hero, when they didn't know the details except for what they were told by the six ponies who were present? He was certainly no hero, he was merely abiding by Princess Celestia's orders. He moved onto the next letter.

I don't often say this about ponies other than myself, but in your case I'll make an exception: you're awesome!

What's your top speed anyway? Have you ever raced against anypony, and utterly dominated them and left them in the dust while you zoomed on ahead for the win?

Signed,
Rainbow Dash

P.S. How much mana DO I use up when I do the Sonic Rainboom? Not knowing is killing me!

It was rather amazing. The cyan pegasi's annoying nature didn't seem limited by the boundaries of in person interaction, but rather seemed to follow with the written word. Shaking his head he moved onto the next letter.

Greetings Sir,

If possible I'd like to set up an appointment to meet with you for the purpose of discussing the possibility of opening a branch store of Barnyard Bargains in Hueco Mundo. With a successful chain of stores in Ponyville, Fillydelphia, Manehatten, Las Pegasus, and as of recently Appleloosa I'd like to see about adding another location where ponies and others can benefit from great bargains.

Signed,
Filthy Rich

He remembered Filthy Rich. His hairstyle reminded him a great deal of Aizen's. He didn't particularly care for the stallion, but that was primarily due to how aggressive he seemed in talking up the greatness of his supposed empire. Without a second thought he moved onto his next letter.

You've so gotta come down to the club some night and hear as we rock out to some epic wubs!

Vinyl Scratch
A.K.A - DJ PON3!

...

Moving on.

Greetings Sir,

I regret to say that I was not able to make your acquaintance during your visit to Ponyville as I could not be reached. However, Twilight and her friends have spoken very highly of you, and I hope to one day rectify our missed opportunity. Whenever we meet I would love to hear more about your world and see how it compares to my native land, as I too am not from the territory of Equestria proper.

Signed,
Zecora

He was going to assume that this Zecora individual was of zebra descent. In this world the name would certainly seem to suggest such. This Zecora might have been the one he'd seen in the market place. Or perhaps there was a colony of zebras in the area; he was certain the one under the top hat had been a male and Zecora sounded like a feminine voice. Perhaps this one had some merit that was worth investigating, if for no other reason than to sort it all out. He moved on further.

Dear Mr. Cifer,

The answer to your question is yes.

Signed,
Time Turner

He flipped the letter over and studied the back of it but found nothing but blank parchment. Even holding it upside down showed no new information. He was confused now. He remembered the earth pony named Time Turner, but he certainly didn't remember asking any questions to the strange brown pony. He moved onto the next note.

Dear Ulquiorra,

Did you really have to go and teach Twilight about some of the profanity of your world? Do you know how she gets when she's frustrated in her studies? It's not pretty.

Signed,
Spike

...

Mission accomplished.

Overall the majority of the letters were of no importance. Their inability to speak with him directly were of no real consequence if this was all they had to say. It was fortunate that there was only one letter left to read before they could be dispatched with, and he could return to his studies on somewhat more relevant matters.

Dear Ulquiorra,

I'm sorry for how I acted back at the dragon's cave. I know that you're not a monster and I shouldn't have acted that way, even though I was really scared by the fact that you're a ghost, and upset over how you were dealing with the dragon, even though it was somewhat necessary considering everything. You really did save our lives and I should've thanked you for that fact, but at the time I just didn't think of it. I'm really, very sorry about that. I promise the next time you show up I'll try not to be so afraid around you, everypony deserves friends and understanding, even if they aren't ponies... even if they are ghosts.

And I'm so sorry for not being able to deal with the dragon myself. If I had just been stronger, more assertive before everything went wrong none of this would've happened. It's my own fault and I really don't have anypony to blame but myself. I never should've made you the recipient of my anger.

Signed,
Fluttershy

He felt something upon reading the last letter. He felt something, but he wasn't sure just what it was. He would admit that he was mildly surprised to see a letter from Fluttershy of all ponies. Considering how she had opted to return to Ponyville alone that night, he was certain he wouldn't be seeing or hearing from her again. She was scared of him, angry at him, angry at herself, and yet she still found the motivation to send him a letter along with the others.

These ponies were indeed full of surprises.

"And as you can see from the spread sheets detailing Chart 3A..."

She was trying very hard to stay focused on the current subject and what they were saying. She really was trying... but it was so very hard to maintain the regal appearance and not look tired and bored to tears. This one was completely unfazed by the new trial order of the day court and had come prepared with spread sheets like Twilight when she got geared up to give a lecture, and his droning voice made it so hard to stay interested.

It was a worthy cause this pegasus was currently representing, it really was. The use of treasury money wasn't motivated on the privileges of the wealthy but rather assisting the community, and she would gladly set aside the amount of bits that would be necessary as she could see how much good would come from it.

But the delivery, oh dear Faust, the delivery was so dry and detail oriented. So many facts and figures explaining not only why this was a good cause but how the money would be used, not just in the short run to get the project up and going, but also the projected next five years. If this kept up much longer she was going to fall asleep on the throne.

"Now if you'll direct your attention to Chart 4F..."

She wanted to groan right now and just hang her head. Couldn't somepony just make him be silent for even a minute? Was a timely interruption too much to ask for?

"And as you can see the requested funds will also be used for care and maintenance of-"

Boom!

"-Luna's mane!"

Princess Celestia suddenly found herself fully awake and alert, the sudden and familiar booming echo of static, the change in pitch of the pony's voice and their sudden outburst all combined to snap her back to what was at hoof. In this case it was a matter of Ulquiorra having suddenly appeared behind her current audience and startling them, finally breaking the droning nature of his voice.

She'd asked for an interruption and that was exactly what she'd gotten.

"Am I interrupting?" Ulquiorra asked evenly, a stack of parchment tucked under his arm as he stood there, paying no attention to the stallion in front of him.

"I must say you are," Princess Celestia replied in order to keep up the otherwise regal appearance. She then directed her attention to the stallion before speaking again. "The day court is in ten minute recess. As to you good sir I believe your proposal has a good deal of merit to it, I dare say it's even worth investing in. And I'll be sure to let my sister know that you thought of her wellbeing and grooming when you submitted your proposal."

The stallion was flustered but nevertheless nodded and moved to leave the throne room, continually glancing back at Ulquiorra in confusion, bewilderment and even a bit of resentment at being so rudely interrupted and so easily disturbed.

Princess Celestia waited for the audience to be cleared before magically shutting the throne room doors, after which she stood up from her throne and stretched, a series of creeks and even pops coming from her body as she did do. "I should scold you for interrupting the day court in such a manner when you could clearly see I had business to tend to," she pointed out in a manner that clearly showed her displeasure.

"If you must. However I doubt whatever lecture you have to deliver will be as dull and listless as the one you were being subjected to," Ulquiorra replied without even blinking. Even he didn't know for certain if he'd be able to stand through the entire presentation and maintain his stoic nature. This random pony had delivered more facts and figures than any briefing he'd experienced under Aizen's reign.

Observant and quick, a rather dangerous combination to have. He was certainly right that there was nothing she could do that would approach the proposal she'd been forced to sit through. But this was official business he'd interrupted by just appearing like that... official business that'd slowly been driving her closer and closer to unconsciousness until he'd appeared. Had the timing been nothing more than a mere accident? Or had he been watching and listening and deliberately chosen that moment to pop in?

"I believe you're right," she agreed and nodded, the only thing she could do to hide her own juvenile amusement at how funny the interruption had been. Shaking her head she turned her attention back to him and the parchment tucked underneath his arm. "I take it you've been reading your letters?"

"Indeed. At least some would appear to warrant a written response. The majority however were requests that I return to Ponyville at my earliest convenience," he replied, still finding the notion unbelievable. How did they still wish to interact with him?

"Really now," Princess Celestia replied in curiosity and amusement. It seemed he was becoming rather popular. This could be a good thing if the others still wanted to be friends with him. "Do you plan on attending?"

"I do not plan on engaging in any such foolishness. I lack the ability to travel beyond the castle walls in a free and unrestricted manner, the events of last week's emergency circumstances notwithstanding. There's no point in making plans and preparations for something that will never happen. I don't foresee any circumstances in the immediate or distant future under which you'll ever trust me to the point that I may travel like the others," Ulquiorra replied.

"You really think so?" Princess Celestia asked in a neutral tone with an equally neutral expression.

"I do. I foresee myself eternally tethered to a short leash and kept under close watch because of what I did back in Hueco Mundo, because regardless of your words, you still have no reason to trust me regardless of what I might do," Ulquiorra replied. He allowed Princess Celestia time to think over his words before continuing further. "I can only speculate on what your intention is. Perhaps you believe that depriving me of the opportunity to devour souls will drive me to the brink of starvation and bring out the primal instincts of my previous stages of evolution. Or perhaps you still believe I have the intention of assassinating you and want to keep a close eye on me. The reasons however do not change what the end result will most likely be."

Why? Why did she have to keep having conversations like this? And how? How did such a simple question bring up so much deep discussion on issues of trust and speculation? Was he doing this to her on purpose? Did he have some inherent ability to dig at her and strike below the surface with such ease?

Perhaps it was related to his predatory nature as to how he could so easily get at her.

She really, truly, honestly didn't know just what to do with Ulquiorra. It was so difficult to develop trust with someone in a situation like this. All of the tests she'd deployed up to this point had been spotted and called out immediately. How was she supposed to learn how trustworthy he was if she couldn't manage to outsmart him even once? He had no motivation to reveal his true nature if he could smell out a trap. It was like he was going out of his way to prove he had the superior intellect and wouldn't be made a fool of.

"Then we're at a stalemate it would seem. And as much as I hate to admit it I don't know what to do about it," Princess Celestia finally replied and hung her head, shutting her eyes tight in hopes of somehow being able to suffocate the migraine that wanted to form.

"How did you go about learning to trust Discord?" Ulquiorra finally asked in the silence of the throne room, causing Princess Celestia to look back at him. Seeing that he had her full attention he continued. "The spirit of chaos is not one that could easily be trusted, nevermind reformed from a blatantly destructive and unpredictable nature. Yet you and Princess Luna consider him a valuable tool and ally and he is not subjected to constant suspicion and surveillance. I can't help but ponder as to why," he explained.

She felt like her brain had shut down on her at being asked the question. Ulquiorra raised an extremely good point by bringing up Discord, and try as she might she had no answer to offer him up in response. How could she trust Discord after knowing his history and having personal experience with the kind of chaos he could reek, and yet when it came to Ulquiorra who she could -supposedly- easily overpower him just by displaying her magic, she couldn't do the same thing? Now that he'd pointed it out to her it didn't make any sense. She felt like banging her head against a wall.

"I'm sorry, Ulquiorra," she said as she closed her eyes again, "I don't have the answer that you seek. This is more complicated than even I would've originally thought."

He suspected that she was lying on the matter. But lacking further information he couldn't comment. Her trust of Discord likely had something to do with a saying of his own world, a saying relating to sticking with what you were most familiar even if it wasn't the most favorable of dealings simply because of knowing what to expect. Princess Celestia had over a thousand years knowledge of Discord, there was likely little about the spirit of chaos that she didn't know about. He was the familiar element in the equation, the one that she had some basis with even if it wasn't the best of arrangements.

He could also see that the discussion likely wasn't going to go anywhere. If that was the case then his presence here was no longer necessary. Princess Celestia had other matters to tend to other than simply answering his questions. Recognizing this fact he turned around and began walking toward the doors that lead to the hallway. "I'll inform your subjects that I won't be able to return to Ponyville."

"That... won't be necessary..." she spoke up just before he could grasp the door handle. He slowly turned and looked back at her skeptically. "You make some very good points, some of which I'm ashamed to say I didn't consider until now. And if we're ever going to get anywhere on this trust issue then I'm going to need to be more open to the idea of you interacting with my subjects in a natural manner. And...I also need to start thinking of you as one of my subjects rather than some strange being stranded in this world by the likes of Discord. If I don't... well we'll never get anywhere," she explained. Or at least she did her best to try and explain the situation to him. Why did he have to be so smart?

"You're quite certain?" Ulquiorra asked in an even tone, his voice giving no indication to what he might be feeling about what she was saying.

She nodded. "It's something that really does need to get done. Considering my actions with setting Discord on the path to reformation..." she paused at this, trying to figure out what to say next. "Does any of this make any sense to you?" she asked.

"Nothing has truly made sense since my coming to this dimension. One more thing added to the list is unlikely to make any difference," Ulquiorra replied and grasped the door handle. "What should I tell those who have asked? Would you suggest ambiguity and vagueness, or is a specific time frame able to be given?"

If she was ever to get anywhere on the trust issue with Ulquiorra she was going to need to start somewhere. Throwing random tests at him wasn't going to do anything, he'd made that point quite clear. It was time for a leap forward if they were truly going to get anywhere and she had to make that leap.

"Perhaps tomorrow morning would be a good time to depart. It'll allow me to make arrangements for a chariot and give you time to answer your correspondence," she replied. One more night would give her more time to think things over better. "For now though I must get back to my subjects. And please try not to scare anypony when you leave."

"I can promise nothing," Ulquiorra replied as he opened the door and disappeared in a burst of sonido, leaving Princess Celestia behind and alone with anxious petitioners eager to beseech her wisdom.

Spike let out a painful and pitiful groan as he held his scaly stomach while sitting at one of the tables in Sugarcube Corner. He hadn't felt right since sending Princess Celestia all those letters and now that it was mid-afternoon he was starting to feel worse; sick even. His gut was in churning turmoil and felt bloated, he felt worse than the time he'd wolfed down that entire gallon of ice cream because he mistakenly thought his future self would be the one experiencing the misery rather than him.

"Twilight," he moaned weakly, "Twilight I don't feel good, I feel like I'm gonna puke or something."

"Oh dear," Twilight replied at hearing Spike's announcement, not noticing the looks on her friend's faces. Anypony being sick was miserable, and a sick baby dragon was all the worse to deal with. Had he eaten something that didn't agree with him? Was there some illness going around or something? "Can you walk?"

"It hurts to even move, I can't make it," Spike replied weakly as he tried to breathe easily in hopes of easing the pain in his stomach but without much success.

"Alright Spike just hold try and stay calm while I get you to the bathroom," Twilight spoke in a reassuring voice as she used her magic to lift him up, at the same time trying to be quick to avoid getting dragon vomit all over Sugarcube Corner, that mess would never come out.

Unfortunately Twilight didn't get more than two steps away from the table before Spike could no longer hold it and let everything out, that being a very loud belch of green fire and over a dozen scrolls that dropped onto the table.

"Whew! I feel a lot better now," Spike commented and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He really hated sending large numbers of letters at any given time, and receiving them was even worse. But at least now it was over. "I'm hungry."

"Ya reckon Mr. Cifer wrote us back already?" Applejack asked as she looked over the scrolls on the table, each one of them with a name written on the outside.

"It could be," Twilight said as she set Spike back down in his chair and began sorting through the scrolls. "We'll need to deliver the ones to everypony that isn't here though," she pointed out before finally coming across her own scroll, picking it up and reading it.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

As you are likely to understand I'm not in the habit of using pleasantries when addressing others. However it has been impressed upon me by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna that doing so while here would be a good idea. Seeing as they are in charge I feel there is little choice but to concede even if I don't fully agree. For the time being I will employ the same pleasantries of address you and the others have in your letters.

Not all of the letters that were sent could be replied to. Whether or not that will be understood by anyone waiting for a response is not something I concern myself with.

To the best of my knowledge the spellings you have employed are accurate. The Equestrian language is nothing like that which I was familiar with and as such I can only make assumptions about the exact nature of how we can communicate as fluidly as we are. I suspect it to be the work of Discord in bringing me to this world.

The majority of techniques used by Arrancar-grade Hollows are largely instinctual in nature. Attempting to explain the basic mechanics behind their operation to one who is not familiar on some level with their workings may be difficult. I am uncertain if any successful attempt at replicating them can truly be made. However I am not opposed to the prospect should I ever find myself back in Ponyville. However others have made requests of me as well and I'm uncertain how much time can be devoted to any one individual when factoring in the matters of the commute and the curfew I am under as per Princess Celestia's orders.

Overall further communication would appear to be warranted.

Signed,
Ulquiorra Cifer

Twilight smiled as she read her letter to herself. This felt like progress was being made, real and tangible progress. The very idea of getting the opportunity to more closely analyze Ulquiorra's technique could yield significant scientific benefits for the entire world, and he was willing to cooperate with her studies. Or at least that was how she was reading his letter.

That was the reading she was going to go with.

Even now her head was swimming with excitement and she could barely focus on what was going on, visions of fame and academic recognition dancing wildly in her mind.

"Hey Egghead come on, what about the rest of us?!"

And then Rainbow Dash had to go and interrupt her little fantasy. Drat her luck. Scowling she set aside her letting and started looking through the rest of the pile.

"Here we go, Rainbow Dash, here's your letter," Twilight replied after giving it a quick glance and passing it to the cyan pegasus.

"Sweet!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed and grabbed her letter to read what he had to say.

Dear Rainbow Dash,

Upon learning of the fragile and delicate nature of your own mortality, and how your continued existence is contingent upon an answer to your question, I feel compelled to provide you with the answer you seek in order to sustain your life. I cannot deliberately allow harm to come to one of the six ponies who holds the fate of the world in the palm of her hands, or more accurately the cleft of her hooves.

The "Sonic Rainboom" technique you claim to have mastered consumes approximately sixty five percent of your overall mana reserves. Based on my observations of your status in the hours after the encounter with the dragon, I can say with reasonable certainty that your mana reserves are replenished at a rate of four percent per hour afterward.

In regard to your original question I am uncertain of my top speed as I've never been required to prove or display such. Perhaps "fast enough" is the appropriate answer.

Signed,
Ulquiorra Cifer

"That jerk!" Rainbow Dash shouted angrily, much to the amusement of her friends who were all laughing.

"I told you not to use that wording when you wrote him," Twilight pointed out as she chuckled. She knew Ulquiorra had no real sense of humor and wouldn't take to her letter structure the same way others would. But the fact that he'd gone out of his way to answer with sarcasm was quite interesting. "Alright who's next... aha, Pinkie your letter's next and... hmm..."

"What about mine, what about mine?" Pinkie asked excitedly as she bounced on her hooves, eager to see what kind of response she'd gotten. The fact Twilight was being silent and scowling in a confused manner only seemed to make things worse and filled her with an even greater desire to find out the details. "What's it say?"

"I think you'd better read it for yourself," Twilight replied and levitated the note over for Pinkie to read, the contents not making any real sense to her.

Dear Pinkie Pie,

Challenge accepted.

Signed,
Ulquiorra Cifer

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

The atmosphere in the halls was painful as the princesses walked by in forced silence, Luna lingering behind, afraid of what she might be facing and yet worried if she stayed too far back her sister would drag her forward across the marble floors by her ears; a most painful experience she had no desire to experience ever again.

"Get in," Celestia ordered once they'd arrived at their destination, her personal quarters. The door was opened quite easily by her magic as she stood there pointing a hoof for her sister to follow.

"We do. But we have a question, and if we do not ask now we fear we may never have the opportunity to," Luna stated and breathed to steady herself. "Dost... dost thou still love us?"

It was a cheap and shameless ploy, and Celestia could see right through it. Her little sister was attempting to appeal to her emotional side in desperation to saving her own flank. It was no different than a foal in trouble asking their parents if they were still loved despite what they'd done. It was a foalish maneuver that her sister was attempting to use on her with those big worried eyes of hers.

And unfortunately it was one that worked as well. Despite her own fury with her sister's actions, she couldn't maintain her anger with her sister herself. She found herself needing to vent her frustration with a sigh as she hung her head and shut her eyes.

"My dear little sister, I could never stop loving you even when you were Nightmare Moon, you know that for a fact," Celestia told her before opening her eyes and looking at her once again. "That said, I'm still upset with your course of action. Writing Twilight Sparkle directly is hardly upsetting to me, I'm really quite glad that you're finding ways to interact with our subjects and our friends. But this is another matter entirely."

"We are aware," Luna stated.

"You believe so? You're aware of how important this situation is right now? You understand how much danger the kingdom could be put in through your actions? You're aware of what you put in jeopardy by bringing Twilight into the equation? You know as well as I do how important she is and what is planned for her in the future. What do you think would occur if something happened to her at this stage in her development?" Celestia asked as she paced back and forth, the vented frustration coming back as she spoke.

"We would not let anything like that happen to Twilight Sparkle, she is our friend as well as thou's!" Luna stated.

"And how would you prevent any harm from coming to Twilight? Can you tell me that? Luna you haven't seen what I've seen, you don't know for yourself what Ulquiorra's world is like and what the status quo is. If he tried-" Celestia started but was quickly -and vocally- interrupted as her sister stopped her from speaking any further.

"If Ulquiorra Cifer had tried to lay so much as a finger on her he wouldst quickly find himself firmly embedded in the library wall!" Luna loudly stated and stomped her right front hoof on the hard marble floor, producing a fine spiderweb crack in the process as her wings flared out dramatically. "We love Twilight Sparkle as much as thee, if not even moreso, as she was the one who made it possible for us to be rescued from the demon! She is our friend and we wouldst never allow harm to come to her! We were there in the Crystal Kingdom, watching and waiting should she and her friends fail to stop King Sombra, we wouldst have ensured the Crystal Heart never fell into his hooves and that no harm come to the ones who hold the Elements of Harmony. Not even our niece Cadence couldst have stopped us should we have found it necessary to act!"

Celestia found herself taking a hesitant step back at her little sister's emotional outburst. She'd forgotten how truly frightening Luna could be when she successfully caught somepony off guard just as she'd done with her, going from quiet and reclusive to louder than life in less than a second.

"Do not assume we didst not weigh the situation carefully before we acted simply because we are the younger sibling, dear sister, for we did indeed. We believed Twilight Sparkle's involvement was most warranted under these circumstances and responded accordingly. You may not believe that we were careful in our actions but we most certainly were. Thou's student and our friend was never in any danger. Nor do we regret our actions for they were most certainly necessary," Luna said as she tucked her wings in at her sides.

Now that Luna's outburst seemed to have passed it was Celestia's turn to talk. And unlike her younger sister she didn't need to catch somepony off guard to be intimidating.

"Necessary you say? And how can you say that with such certainty?" she asked as she looked down at Luna.

"Thou hadst no intention of allowing Ulquiorra Cifer to interact with the outside world beyond the palace walls, we were most certain of that. We did not believe thee's course of action was the correct path and chose to intervene on his behalf. He is our subject now thanks to Discord, 'tis our responsibility to see to the matter properly," Luna replied, doing her best to present herself in a manner equal to her sister in terms of intimidating presence; an effort she was sadly failing.

"How I was dealing with the matter was my decision and mine alone. You don't seem to understand the severity of the situation, Luna; Ulquiorra is not a pony, dragon, gryphon or any other species we've had diplomatic relations with. He's the only one of his kind in this world and he presents a unique situation as well as a unique threat to those around him. He's-" Celestia lectured, but again was interrupted by an outburst from her younger sister.

"He is not the first devourer of souls this land hath encountered! Thou doth know that fact better than anypony!" Luna shouted directly at her sister, her emotions flaring about wildly. "Thou doth know what we did as Nightmare Moon on that fateful day! Doth thou not see thine's own hypocrisy in the matter at hoof? Our past actions were forgivable, but Ulquiorra Cifer's past actions are not!? We cannot allow ourselves to abide by such nonsense!"

She was left sitting on the floor of her sister's chambers, panting to catch her breath again after that last outburst. Her entire posture more or less silently stated that she wasn't done yet and her sister at least seemed willing to wait for her to get her second wind before saying again.

"Twilight Sparkle doth know full well about Ulquiorra Cifer's past and she doth possess no fear of it, rather fascination and intrigue. And we hath seen nothing to even suggest Ulquiorra Cifer has intentions to cause her or young Spike any harm. We art willing to state our continued rule on it."

Celestia remained silent in wait for her sister to finish her argument. And while she waited she couldn't help but think. Think back to the incident she was referencing. That was a very, very dark time indeed. A time that their little ponies could never, ever, under any circumstances, ever learn about. Many of them were still learning to trust Luna even now and that was the last thing she needed to get out. Word would spread like wildfire and panic would grip the nation. It wasn't unreasonable to believe that Equestria would tear itself apart at the seams if the truth got out.

"If thou doth insist on punishing us for our insubordination then so be it, there is nothing we can do to stop thee. But we doth not believe Ulquiorra Cifer deserves to be punished for actions that he was not in full control of at the time, for we know just what that is like; 'tis a most horrible experience to be sure. Thou wouldst be broken should it ever happen to thee."

+++

That was over a week ago. And yet it was a memory that just wouldn't leave her alone. For whatever reason it found motivation to keep coming back at the most unpleasant of times. Try as she might she simply couldn't get over how strongly her sister believed in defending the Espada to her, how much she had put on the line to try and help him because she believed he warranted it.

The whole thing ha been an ugly, unpleasant, and emotional episode. Yelling, shouting, screaming, arguing, and crying; lots and lots of crying. More than once hugging had been quite necessary; lots of hugging really, topped off with a great deal of reassurance. She was quite thankful she'd put up the soundproofing spell prior to things devolving into utter madness, as she didn't care to consider what would've happened had the entire palace heard their argument.

Eventually all was said and done, and the matter was settled as best could be expected. But the damage was done, and there was nothing that could be done after that point but damage control; something both of the Princesses were well versed in.

And now the only thing that could be done was wait and see how each day played out and hope for the best; something she was quite well versed in. It was unfortunately the only defense against another area she had much experience in, which was feeling helpless to control the outcome of things. For all of her powers and abilities, there were still areas even her strengths never amounted to enough. She could juggle the sun and the moon with such ease, and yet there were still so many things that she couldn't do.

She'd hoped that one more day of having time to think things over would ease her mind and give her some sort of insight to the matter at hoof, but so far there hadn't been any answers wanting to come forth. As she sat by herself in the royal gardens and looking up at her sister's night sky she felt frustrated, alone, and even scared of the possibilities that might unfold before her and beyond her control.

"Someone help me. Is that really too much to be asking?" she asked herself, knowing she wouldn't get a response from the hedge maze.

It was at this point in time that a clay flowerpot strolled over in front of her on three stubby little legs, an arm sprouting from the body with a full watering can and pouring its contents onto the dirt inside of it, the upper body of Discord popping out like a weed.

"Tell me my dear 'Tia are my ears smoking? Because right now they truly feel like they're burning."

"Discord..." Princess Celestia sighed and stood back up. Why him? Why now? Why her? "As much as I'd like to dismiss you I'm afraid that you could be of some assistance to me at this point..."

"Really now? Little ol' me?" Discord asked as he pulled the rest of his body out of the mobile flower pot. "And what might you need me for, oh dear Princess of the Sun?"

"Ulquiorra," Princess Celestia stated simply. "I don't know what to do with him. There are too many conflicting points to properly sort out. How much can I trust him? Can I even trust him? Is it wrong not to trust him when I find myself trusting you?"

"Let me ask you something dear 'Tia. Do you believe I'd do anything likely to bring harm to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, the two ponies I care about more than I do my own amusement at instigating disorder in the natural flow of things?" Discord asked in a serious manner. Princess Celestia remained silent at the presented question. And her silence meant he could continue. "Granted the lad has dangerous potential, even I won't deny that. But then again so does your dear student Twilight Sparkle, you know how unicorns can be and what's happened in the past. You remember the last assistant to ever serve under Starswirl the Bearded, you were there yourself. You know as well as anypony what could go wrong with that entire race."

She continued remaining silent. All very good points for consideration, that much was for sure. But it didn't make things any easier at all.

"I suspect you already know the proper answer, having seen so much in more than a thousand years of rule. You just want some reassurance from someone else," he pointed out, twisting his neck around into a loop as he looked her straight in the eyes. "Trust yourself my dear 'Tia, it's served you well in the past... even if you are far more of a stuffed shirt than I would care to freely associate with."

She scowled at him in response. "You aren't exactly the easiest to deal with either, being the living embodiment of a foal's scribbling attempts."

"Scribbling attempts? That's low even for you 'Tia!" Discord stated and frowned back at her.

It was a stare down between the two, each locking eyes upon the other. Princess Celestia was the first to growl and snarl. Discord followed her example without hesitation, the two inching their way closer to each other until their noses were practically touching. It was a tense moment and one that promised bloodshed and broken bones.

Or at least it would have if Discord's face hadn't morphed into something comical right before Princess Celestia's eyes, the results coming almost instantaneously.

Despite her best efforts Princess Celestia couldn't hold back her amusement and was soon reduced to a fit of laughter, falling back on her flanks until her fit finally passed.

"Discord you're absolutely terrible," she stated and paused to wipe a tear from her eye, "but I really do thank you. That's the first real laugh I've had in days, and I so desperately needed it after everything that's been going on."

"Always happy to be at your service m'lady," Discord replied sarcastically and gave a mock bow before straightening back up again. "I'm sure your sister could use the same, but she doesn't really share your unique sense of humor."

"I fear you're right," Celestia replied and nodded before standing back up again. "It would seem Luna has learned the hard way that simply because Ulquiorra claims loyalty, that doesn't mean he's willing to spare anypony their feelings. She wound up investing a great deal in this case and has very little to show for it except someone filled with great cynicism and little-to-no gratitude."

She still didn't fully understand Luna's motives behind it all. She suspected it had something to do with the shared similarities of the darker nature of their pasts, secrets that they couldn't allow their kingdom to become aware of. Perhaps Luna saw some part of herself in him and had tried to give him the chance she never had herself. She really didn't understand the psychology of it all, sometimes her little sister was far more complex than she cared to admit.

"I know, how about we put on some old bedsheets, make spooky noises and make Luna think the palace is haunted?" Discord suggested with a mischievous grin.

"That's rather juvenile even by your own standards, Discord," Princess Celestia pointed out and frowned once again. "If we're going to make Luna laugh, the way she really needs to, then we're going to need something more sophisticated than that, something far more substantial... This might require a couple days worth of planning..." she said as she used a wing to stroke her chin in thought.

"A-A-ACHOO!"

It was a well known but rarely discussed fact that due to the architectural design of the throne room there were certain areas where one could stand and the slightest noise would reverberate throughout the entire room; a fact that made the unsuspected sneeze quite surprising.

Of course when the sneeze in question was issued by somepony using the archaic royal Canterlot voice, the results were most spectacular, alarming, and frightening all at once.

And if such a forceful blast happened behind you when you weren't prepared, it could literally knock you off your hooves and to the floor.

"Bless you, Your Majesty," one of the shadow guards stated after recovering from the initial shock brought about by his commander. "Are you catching cold?"

"We art fine," Princess Luna replied and sniffed, stopping momentarily to readjust her crown after it was dislodged from the force of her own sneeze.

It was another beautiful day in Ponyville. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the sky was clear of pesky crowds, and it was her day off from working at the Ponyville post office. Yes indeed, for Ditzy Doo things were quite good. She was happily flying about high above the town, stretching her wings freely while she hummed a tune to herself. It was indeed the start to a very good day. The kind of day when simply floating about on the air currents seemed like the perfect way to relax with some private time.

Or at least it would've been if it wasn't for a royal chariot with two royal pegasus guards pulling it along cutting across her path, a very familiar individual riding on the back of it.

"Heya Mr. Ulquiorra Cifer," Ditzy greeted and waved a hoof as they came within earshot.

"Greetings Ditzy Doo," Ulquiorra said in response, his tone neutral and even as always. "I was operating under the assumption you were at work this time of day."

"It's my day off," Ditzy replied and gave a light shrug, "Cloudchaser and Raindrops said they'd go flying with me later today so I thought I'd practice some of my moves while I had the chance. What brings you by?" she asked as she began flying along to avoid being left behind as the chariot continued on its way.

"Princess Celestia has seen fit to dispatch me to Ponyville to interact further with Twilight Sparkle. Apparently there are matters she wishes to discuss in my presence," he replied. Was the pegasus really attempting to fly backwards? Or rather was she succeeding in her attempt? He wasn't entirely certain.

"Oh. Well have a good day then, I gotta get going now. Just one question though. Why're you upside down?" Ditzy asked.

"If you check, I believe you'll discover it's you that's upside down rather than myself," Ulquiorra replied as the chariot continued on, leaving the wall eyed pegasus behind.

"Huh..." Ditzy replied and looked up/down, "so that's why the ground was above me."

The meeting with Ditzy Doo had been uneventful if a bit confusing. Regardless, it hadn't slowed down his journey to Ponyville any and they'd be touching down momentarily. This was considerably different from the first two journeys he'd made to this area. The rules had more or less changed and everything was being played by ear at this point in time. He wasn't certain what would be done or what would happen, and he would have to approach cautiously in order to avoid any sort of disaster that might otherwise occur.

"One minute until we land, sir," one of the guards announced.

One minute. The time would be much shorter if he simply leaped from the chariot and landed feet first in Ponyville as he so easily could. The fact he had to rely on official channels proved to be a waste of time, but one he had to engage in regardless. Earning the ire of Princess Celestia was something he didn't fear per say, but she had the ability to blister his hierro with her presence alone. This situation had to be dealt with accordingly if anything positive was ever going to develop.

If nothing else it would present an interesting experiment to determine if Princess Celestia or Princess Luna truly believed they could trust him with more freedoms than previously.

The descent was silent, the landing and final stop smooth in nature and allowing him to disembark without issue. Almost at once the wiser of the ponies present took notice and began backing away from the area out of concern, seeing as none of them were the ones who had come to the initial meeting. At least they were intelligent enough not to come charging over to him an in effort to appear hospitable.

"I trust you were ordered to observe me throughout the day," he commented to the two pegasus guards as they were disengaging themselves from the chariot.

"Not in the strictest sense of the term," one guard replied.

"Her Majesty was... unusually vague in her orders this day," the other added. "Officially we're just here for the purpose of transport."

A rather strange development. His interaction with Princess Celestia was rather limited despite how much time he'd spent in this world. This seemed... out of character for her as far as he could tell. So many other matters had been subjected to specific orders and rules and yet this time was different. It was a mystery. It was yet another thing he would need to investigate upon returning to Canterlot.

For now though there were a number of other options available to him at present. He was familiar enough with about seventy five percent of the town to know where everything of importance was. The town hall, the elementary school, the various locations held and owned by the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and a number of shops that held no interest to him.

Perhaps venturing to Sweet Apple Acres would be a good way to start the day.

"Ulquiorra! What a surprise to see you today!"

Or perhaps addressing Twilight Sparkle as she approached would be best, as she had found him before he could leave. She was approaching from the west with Spike riding atop her back, a look of excitement on her face as she drew closer to him.

"I had no idea you'd be coming into town today. Why didn't you write?" she asked as she stopped in front of him.

Write and inform her that he was going to arrive in Ponyville? He didn't see how a fifteen minute journey between cities warranted the effort of sending a note in advance. Even if he did, it would still be foolish to announce his impending arrival, as it would simply give Twilight Sparkle and her friends to organize something in hopes of surprising him. And he truly didn't care for surprises of such a nature.

"The matter isn't important," he said dismissively, seeing no reason to really go into a detailed response about the foolishness of her question. "You and your friends have made a number of requests for me to return and Princess Celestia believed it would be a good idea for my studies regarding the notion of "friendship" and such. However I'm uncertain where to start," he explained.

He could feel the flare in the unicorn's reiatsu at the statement. For whatever reason she was becoming excited at his words.

"Don't worry I know exactly what to do. In the time I've spent in Ponyville I've gotten a really good grasp on friendship and what it's all about," she replied and turned around. "Rarity's shop is closest to here, it's a good place to start."

He was remembering the letter he'd received from the Cutie Mark Crusaders, specifically the part that was more than likely written by the young Sweetie Belle and her warning about Rarity's fashion and business-related motives, as well as Rarity's own letter more or less unknowingly confirming the warning. The notion of being subjected to whatever the snow white unicorn had in mind for him wasn't of any particular interest to him. But Twilight Sparkle was Princess Celestia's student and had more experience in this world than he did. Perhaps it was simply best to follow her lead for the time being.

However that didn't mean he had to travel in silence.

"Are those you consider your "friends" still displeased with you and how you chose to handle the matter of my nature?" he asked. Almost immediately he detected a dip in her reiatsu levels at the question as her ears drooped.

"You could say that," Spike commented as he rode along.

"They were upset for a few days after the fact, upset that I didn't involve them immediately with the full truth of the matter. I can't really say that I blame them. In my excitement of getting to be an educator and making Princess Celestia happy with my performance I forget lesson number two in friendship: trust. Tolerating other ponies and what they do is very important, but you have to go beyond that and actually trust them before you can make friends. Suspicion and secrecy really isn't the way to go, and I regret to say that I sort of forgot about that. I spent the last few days apologizing to them over and over again for what happened. They say they forgave me but... I still feel bad for violating their trust like I did..."

Ulquiorra said nothing in response to the purple unicorn's confession. He'd keep his observations to himself for the time being and how the referred actions related to what he'd heard from the others. The compare and contrast between Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash was at the least interesting. Perhaps the pegasus had used the situation to unleash some of her built up frustration at one of the targets of her displeasure.

"And what aspect of friendship inspires the willingness to put your life at risk in order to save others?" he asked as they walked along.

"That... I really don't know about that one yet..." Twilight replied hesitantly.

Just one more finishing touch... and... perfection!

Rarity stepped back and admired her hard work. It was an exquisite dress, the utmost petite of stitches, a wonderful accent of fine rubies without being overblown, and the highlights! Those oh-so-subtle but wonderfully noticeable silver highlights in the key areas! It was all a true masterpiece if she did say so herself. And it was destined for a very good friend and fellow socialite, Fancy Pants himself! She was positively giddy with excitement!

And then there was a knock at the door. An otherwise perfect fantasy unceremoniously interrupted and trampled on by the simplest of things. Curse the foul real world and all its unfairness.

"I'm sorry but we're closed unless you have an appointment!" she called, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice despite everything.

"Rarity? It's me, Twilight!" she heard back.

She sighed, figuring she could spare enough time for a friend if even just to tell her the same thing in a clearer fashion.

"I'm so sorry, Twilight darling, but I'm simply swamped right now. I'd so love to stop and chat but it's simply not in my schedule today," Rarity explained as she cracked open the door with her magic to see her fellow unicorn standing there.

"Oh?" Twilight asked, her ears drooping at the prospect, "I'm sorry I didn't know. I guess we'll just come back another day."

She really didn't want to be rude. But she really did need to get the next dress started. And as skilled as she was, it was simply better to do that without the distractions of any conversations. Nodding she closed the door.

"C'mon Ulquiorra, let's see what the others are doing," Spike stated.

The door was nearly ripped from its hinges as Rarity flung it open in barely restrained excitement. Ulquiorra was here in Ponyville? Really? The dresses could wait, this was really important!

"Oh I must really apologize I spoke too soon and was far too brash in my statement! Please everyone step right inside," she said quickly in an effort to keep them from scattering. "Can I get you anything?"

Ulquiorra gave a slight rise to his right eyebrow at her statement but said nothing, stepping inside after the other two did.

"Thanks, but we're fine. We're really just going around town to help Ulquiorra with the studies Princess Celestia gave him and thought you'd be the perfect first stop," Twilight explained.

"Why thank you for your confidence in me, darling. How can I be of assistance?" she asked and looked each of them over. Oh how much she wanted to fetch her measuring tape and notepad and jot down a few measurements for the Arrancar, there was so much potential sitting on those shoulders of his that she could barely stand it!

"Well on the way over I was thinking we could get everypony together and head on over to Sweet Apple Acres. It's usually a good place to go," Twilight suggested.

Truth be told Twilight had alternate plans in mind. She really, really wanted to learn more about Ulquiorra after everything last week, the shock and disbelief of his displays slowly giving way to pure scientifically based curiosity on the matter. Ghost or not, he was a walking treasure trove of valuable information that was just begging to be analyzed and uncovered. And the best place to do that was Sweet Apple Acres, far away from any other ponies and subject to lots of open space where the chance of collateral damage was minute. She really didn't want to think what kind of chaos there'd be if he ever discharged his cero inside of Ponyville where everyone could see it.

"Oh..." Rarity replied, trying to hide the let down at hearing the plans. Did they really have to go to Sweet Apple Acres? Today? Couldn't they do something nice in town instead? Maybe venture over to Sugarcube Corner? "Twilight I... really don't know how to say this without seeming rude but... I simply can't. If it were anything close at hoof, something for around Ponyville then perhaps, but all the way out to Sweet Apple Acres? Darling I'm sorry but I just can't do it..."

Another noticeable fluctuation in Twilight Sparkle's reiatsu, this time a significant drop in intensity. She was quickly approaching Fluttershy levels. Did she truly value these specific ponies so much that their unavailability at any given time faltered her this much? Why did she allow herself to become so affected so easily? Was she incapable of dealing with matters on her own?

What was this feeling he was suddenly experiencing? Where had it come from?

"Couldn't you stay for even just a few minutes? I know I said I'm busy but I could stand a break, it'd be a good opportunity to offer whatever help I might," Rarity stated before turning her attention to Ulquiorra. "Such as in your case good Sir. From what I understand, Discord brought you to Equestria with just the one set of clothing you have on now?" she asked.

"Correct," Ulquiorra replied and nodded once.

"I was afraid of that really. Such an uncouth being to deal with," Rarity muttered. "I really can't stand such an unacceptable thought. I'd so love to do something that might fix up your wardrobe a little, provide you with some variety since you'll need to have your uniform cleaned eventually. And... not to be critical or anything but your look is so... drab. You really could stand to do with some accessorizing of some sort, some color mixed in to offset your off-white skin."

Her reiatsu was currently bristling in an strange manner. She seemed to be working herself into a state of excitement concerning his uniform as she critiqued it and his appearance, while at the same time trying to appeal to him with regard to letting her design him new clothing. This was a strange, strange pony.

"Seeing as I'm not alive in the traditional sense, it matters little how few articles of clothing I have available. What I have is adequate," Ulquiorra replied.

"Oh but I must insist! I can't in good conscience simply do nothing. Even a new jacket would be quite wondrous really. The long coattails are certain in this year but... I can't even believe I'm saying this, but for last week they were simply uncalled for, you could've fallen off that mountain with a single misstep on them. Just hold still while I grab my measuring tape, I'll be right back!"

More bristling. It seemed she was quite determined about this and wasn't going to take "no" for an answer. This was quite the change from last week.

"Is she quite serious?" he asked, as he turned his attention to the other two present.

"You don't know the half of it," Spike replied, the same look in his eyes that he'd displayed at the first meeting with Rarity. It was still a mystery.

"Rarity's... very intense when it comes to being generous. Best just let her do something for you, or she'll spend the whole day going on about fashion-related things. Which kinda brings us to lesson number three in friendship: kindness. In order to have friends you need to be kind to them. I know it's a strange concept after everything I've seen but... well it's a little like the mercy you would've shown the dragon if it left willingly," Twilight Sparkle whispered in an attempt to explain everything before Rarity came back, a number of sewing-related items levitating right behind her. He decided now was an appropriate time to put an end to this foolishness. And seeing as she was business oriented there was one statement in particular that would put an end to whatever she had in mind.

"I lack any currency in order to pay you for whatever work you might do," he stated simply and evenly. If she was capitalist oriented that would be sufficient.

"Oh I wouldn't think of charging you for it, it'd be my pleasure to design a wardrobe for somepony... somebody of your uniqueness. Outside of my work for Spike I've never done anything for a biped before, this'll be a brand new experience that simply must be done," Rarity replied as she brought out her measuring tape. "Now this will only take a moment..."

He felt something at those words. Something that felt completely different from the previous unfamiliar feeling just a minute ago with regard to Twilight Sparkle. He couldn't identify it despite his best efforts. Right now as he looked at Rarity and her enthusiastic smile, there was only one thing that he knew for certain.

This was not going to end well.

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Two

Twilight's entire world had shrunken from the wide world of Equestria, to the immediate surrounding territory as events played out before her, the entire time unable to believe her eyes at what she saw.

Ulquiorra had done the unthinkable and attacked without provocation, directing the full fury of his assault against poor Fluttershy of all ponies, driving his entire hand all the way up to his wrist completely through her ribcage as she hovered off the ground, her wings stopping in mid-flap from the injury she'd just sustained, her eyes wide with panic and pain, unable to utter even a single world. The entire world was silent, except for the blood pounding in her ears right now, and the blood dripping from Fluttershy's wound and onto the ground.

Fluttershy was struggling right now, trying in a futile manner to use her hooves to pull Ulquiorra out of her, but he was easily far more powerful than she could resist in her current condition. The slickness of her own blood only aggravated the situation.

This was bad. This was very bad. The severity of this situation could in no way be overstated, as her friend hung there helplessly, and impaled like she was a hat on a hat rack. She needed to be rescued and taken to the hospital immediately if she were ever going to have any chance of surviving her injury.

She had to do something. She had to do something! Move, Twilight, move!

But she found that, despite her best efforts, she couldn't move. Her brain was firing of synapses at the speed of light, telling her to move, to react, to utilize her magic to save her friend! But no matter what her brain was telling her, she found that her body simply refused to react, like it was frozen to the spot. It was like being cursed as a living statue, completely paralyzed and incapable of interacting with the world around her.

It was like she'd just stared into the eyes of a cockatrice again. Why couldn't she move!? Why couldn't any of them move?! After all they'd faced together, all the threats they'd stared down, why could they do nothing but stand and watch now?

Ulquiorra began sinking his hand deeper into her chest now, the sound of flesh giving way to sheer strength impossible to ignore. The struggling quickly grew worse, and Twilight was helpless to do anything more than watch in horror, as Fluttershy gagged and vomited a copious amount of blood down her own front, on Ulquiorra's arm, and onto the ground below.

She had no idea a single pony's body could possibly hold so much blood!

She was quickly losing all hope of Fluttershy having any chance at continuing to live. Her own inability to move her body wasn't helping matters any, as she dangled from his arm helplessly, her blood still dripping from her mouth as she coughed weakly.

Move! Move! Move! Damn it just move already! Do something!

It was Spike's turn to vomit as they watched helplessly, as Ulquiorra effortlessly drove his arm deeper, until his fist ripped completely through Fluttershy's back, tearing out where her spine would be, and driving her into a silent scream.

Twilight knew that even if Fluttershy could receive emergency medical treatment at this exact moment, that type of wound would leave her paralyzed for the rest of her life, and confined to a hospital bed if she were lucky. Not that many could consider such a form of existence to be luck.

Fluttershy's struggling grew weaker and weaker with each passing second, until finally all movement ceased and she simply hung there, her limbs unmoving as her eyes slowly rolled back in her head, her neck going limp and falling back. It was all over now, there was no hope for her.

The entire gruesome display hadn't even taken a full eleven seconds from the moment of impalement to the moment Fluttershy's life came to an end.

It was a moment of silence, sadness and shock. They'd just lost one of their best friends and one of their fellow Elements of Harmony, and what's worst they'd lost her in a most brutal and horrific fashion, watching helplessly as she was murdered by this monster that stood silently before them. None of them could think of what to say or what to do.

And then Fluttershy's body twitched.

Technically twitching didn't properly detail what just happened. It wasn't so much a twitch as a... ripple? It was like the surface of a pond being disturbed. The disturbances grew greater as Fluttershy seemed to just melt away and leave behind... a large insectoid creature impaled on Ulquiorra's outstretched arm.

What exactly in the bowels of the nine pits of Tartarus was going on here!?

Wordlessly Ulquiorra withdrew his arm in one swift motion, the wet slurping sound of flesh sliding about following as his arm popped free, and the corpse fell to the ground in a heap.

"Wha' jus' happened here?" Applejack asked, utterly confused by what had taken place, being the first to find her voice as the moment of overwhelming horror and shock started fading, only to be replaced by a moment of utter confusion.

"Is that..." Pinkie started to ask, only to silence herself a moment later.

"It's a changeling," Twilight said as she stepped closer, more or less confirming the fact they all knew. Immediately she recoiled as the creature's scent found its way to her nostrils. She then turned her attention up to Ulquiorra, as he just stood there silently and shook the blood from his arm. "How? When? What?" she asked aimlessly as she tried to find the proper question to ask. Did Ulquiorra know when he'd impaled what they'd all assumed to be Fluttershy, or had he believed it too?

"It would appear you're all quite foolish if you can't tell when one of your supposed "friends" wasn't as they seemed," he replied as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"When did you figure it out?" Twilight asked. "And how?"

"The moment I saw it at the cottage I knew it wasn't the true Fluttershy. This creature's reiatsu is completely different from that of Fluttershy, both in terms of intensity and texture," he explained calmly. "That is to say nothing of the cues given. Her entire demeanor was incorrect for what I have seen of her. Even simple physical contact was more than sufficient to tell the full story. Rather than fur you could feel a hardened exoskeletal carapace just below the surface of the illusion."

A silence hung heavily over the area as the facts sank in, nopony saying so much as a word as they all regarded the dead changeling before them that just a few minutes ago they'd been treating as one of their own.

Maybe this is what he'd meant when he'd called them all trash? Were they trash for not being able to notice the difference on their own?

Rainbow Dash was the first to respond, and was by far the most violent in nature, flying directly at Ulquiorra and slugging him across the face as hard as she could, eyes wide and teeth grit in rage. Despite the force of the impact, and the sound of the blow that made the others flinch, Ulquiorra didn't even blink. Rainbow Dash immediately followed up with five additional blows, each driven with as much fury as the last one as she grunted. Ulquiorra remained as unmoved as the first time, reacting only by quickly intercepting the seventh blow with the palm of his hand before it could land.

"If you continue your current course of action, your leg will be broken long before my face," Ulquiorra explained calmly. He was greeted in response by a kick to face from one of the pegasi's hind legs, with nearly enough force to snap his head back as it connected directly with the underneath of his chin, while she pulled her foreleg free from his grasp.

"Why!?" she yelled directly in his face as she tried to stare him into oblivion. "Why!? If you knew it was a changeling and not the real Fluttershy then why didn't you say anything!? Why'd you let us believe that you just killed our friend right before our eyes!?"

Ulquiorra remained silent and unmoved by Rainbow Dash's outburst, returning her gaze with his own. However this time she didn't flinch, and didn't back away like last time they were involved in a stare down. It was commendable to some degree. This time he was the one to turn away, in order to address Twilight Sparkle.

"You identified this create as a changeling. I assume you've had previous encounters with them before?" he asked, completely ignoring Rainbow Dash now.

"Y'all could say that's an understatement," Applejack commented.

Twilight nodded before speaking again. "It was late last year when my brother Shining Armor was getting married to Princess Cadence. The whole changeling hive invaded Canterlot and nearly took over before they were expelled, and they were never seen again after that. Until now that is," she paused and looked back at the corpse laying on the ground, serving as proof that last time hadn't been the last time.

"Considering what I know about you, it's safe to assume you have familiarized yourself with the information held by the Canterlot library regarding the species since you've had prior experience with them," Ulquiorra stated. She nodded in response. "Then you are also knowledgeable regarding the theories on the hive mind concept, and the speculation presented on it."

He watched as Twilight Sparkle opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it as a look of understanding washed over her face and she smiled.

"Of course! It all makes perfect sense now! How could I have missed it?" she asked and bopped herself in the head with her hoof.

"Would somepony just tell me what the buck is going on already!?" Rainbow Dash yelled. There were too many eggheads intercepting communication, and not leaving any answers for her to get herself!

"It's quite simple Rainbow Dash," Twilight began as she turned to face the enraged pegasus. "It's a recognized fact that many social insect species have some form of telepathy, that allows the queen of each hive to control the various drones, and direct their movements and engagements. In the past, researchers have discovered this concept applies to the changeling species as well, but on an entirely different level. Nopony is really certain how it works in terms of basic scientific physics, but there's a great deal of speculation. One theory is that the Queen maintains a telepathic link with each individual drone, and this is how she communicates over vast distances with her workers, and directs them in an organized manner as they relate information back to her directly. It's almost like chess, but moving many pieces all at once. However another theory speculates that all individual drones are capable of independent thought, and possess a telepathic link with each other, and share information back and forth, while the queen simply maintains the hive and ensures the continued existence of the species."

"What's that gotta do with anything?" Rainbow Dash asked, finding it becoming harder and harder to remain focused and calm. Nopony was telling her anything! "Why'd he have to let us believe that he killed Fluttershy for no reason? Why couldn't he have said that it wasn't Fluttershy but a changeling in disguise? Why'd I have to think I lost my best friend like that!?"

Her best friend? Ulquiorra nearly quirked an eyebrow in curiosity at the statement. Perhaps that explained why she had attacked him without direct provocation. Right now it appeared as if her emotional state was unbalanced, as her body attempted to decide between being enraged and being saddened.

"Without delving too deeply into matters that're obviously beyond your limited understanding, it was necessary to maintain the illusion to prevent alerting any other changelings in the area that they have been discovered. If changelings are like the various species of social insects, where there is one there are bound to be more. If they possess a method of communicating with one another over long distances, then the events that transpired here just now will be relayed back to them. They will be operating under the assumption that I willingly killed the one believed by all to be Fluttershy, rather than the truth that an imposter was killed due to failure to blend into their surroundings. And they will respond accordingly."

He paused to let his words sink in. All of the ponies present as well as Spike remained silent, a look of realization crossing over some of their faces while confusion remained on the others.

"Uh... Mr. Cifer... ah don't reckon ah have the same understandin' o' things that ya do. But if Fluttershy wasn' the real Fluttershy an' y'all were gonna do wha' ya done did... couldn' ya've done it back at the cottage an' not in front o' the rest o' us?" Applejack asked as she took a step forward, glancing over in the direction of the dead changeling.

"Yeah, Ulqy, why wait until we're all out here together before doing something mean like that?" Pinkie added.

"The actions taken were quite necessary. Seeing as you hold the Elements of Harmony exclusively, and amount to one of the few defenses this land possesses, it was necessary to determine how many of you had been replaced, and respond accordingly. Once it was determined who was whom, the proper course of action was to eliminate the imposters as quickly as possible while maintaining the proper guise," he explained calmly.

"You're still a jerk!" Rainbow Dash stated, crossing her forelegs over her chest with a huff.

"Yeah Ulqy you're really a meanie pants, like the biggest meanie pants ever met!" Pinkie Pie added.

"It's of no concern what you may think of me. Right now there are far more pressing matters to tend to than your petty opinions," Ulquiorra replied.

"What sorta pressing matters?" Spike asked curiously, wanting to say at least something in this great big, convoluted mess of a day.

"Determining whether the changeling that replaced Fluttershy was acting in a lone manner, or if more ponies have been replaced as part of a second invasion attempt. If this is the case, then the wise thing to do would be remove them through whatever means necessary, locate those that are missing and secure their safety, then determine the level of threat we're facing. There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion after we have secured Ponyville and the safety of the residents," Ulquiorra explained.

There was a moment of silence between them. Suddenly it was a chorus of eyes going wide at their minds processed the information simultaneously.

"Oh buck!" Rainbow Dash stated immediately. "Why'd you have to be so right about this anyway?" she asked, not even waiting for a response before taking off in the direction back to Ponyville.

"Rainbow Dash wait!" Twilight called but it was already too late as the cyan pegasus was well out of earshot by the time she spoke. "This is so not good..."

"Then let us not waste time with pointless chatter," Ulquiorra replied and disappeared in a flash of sonido, Pinkie Pie's mane being disturbed by the sudden rush of air left behind in his wake.

"Dang."

Ulquiorra was the first to appear on the outskirts of Ponyville, observing the various ponies going about their business in town. He was in the process of discerning which of them were genuine ponies, and which were changelings in disguise. A process that was interrupted by a -relatively speaking- hard impact to his back, and a wave of what he could only assume passed for profanity in this world.

Rainbow Dash had arrived, and for the third time, failed to move him after crashing into him.

"I think I broke my muzzle," she groaned as she grasped her face with her front hooves as she sat on the ground in pain.

Ulquiorra said nothing in response. Rather he made a display that left her confused as he turned to face her knelt down closer to her level, slipping his hand between her hooves to grasp her muzzle, causing her to yelp both in pain and surprise at the same time and pull back.

"The bones remain properly intact. However some of the blood vessels have ruptured and caused swelling. I would recommend not landing on your head anytime soon if it can be avoided," Ulquiorra explained as he stood back up.

"Can it jerk! And keep your... hands... or whatever they are to yourself!" Rainbow Dash replied and climbed back up onto your hooves. "Just get outta my way, I can deal with this all by myself!"

"How?"

"Huh?"

"How do you intend to deal with the matter yourself? You lack the ability to distinguish between changeling and pony on sight alone. You can't prevent their escape once they realize their secret is out. And you do not possess the capacity that is necessary to kill without hesitation. The most you can do is complicate an already difficult matter and make the situation worse," Ulquiorra explained calmly and turned away from her. He didn't need to see her to know what her reaction would be, as he could easily feel it, her reiatsu flaring with her temper as she became angry at his words.

"Just because I'm cool doesn't mean I'm as dumb as you might think I am! Twilight's got the Elements of Harmony stored at the library. All we've gotta do is get 'em and we can handle this no sweat!"

"To what end?" Ulquiorra asked. He would admit that there was some recognizable level of intelligence, that she thought enough to consider using the Elements of Harmony, rather than simply attacking by herself. However she was still incredibly short sighted in her plan, and she was about to be made aware of that fact. "Assuming the logic of your plan is sound, what then? Will the Elements of Harmony be sufficient to deal with whatever changelings lay beyond the territory of Ponyville? Do they need time to recharge between uses, and if so how much? What if Canterlot is the primary target of the invasion, where would the wisdom be in such a situation? Deploying the Elements of Harmony without knowing all the details would be a most foolish endeavor. And that is to say nothing of the incomplete nature of your group. With Fluttershy absent, success is unlikely at best."

Rainbow Dash remained silent as he spoke, her demeanor slowly changing from enraged to confused, the flaring in her reiatsu adjusting accordingly.

"...So what do you propose that's so much better? If you try that... that... what you did back at Sweet Apple Acres, they're gonna flee aren't they? It's a small town, word travels fast, and there's gonna be a lot of panic if everypony sees you do any impaling in broad daylight," Rainbow Dash pointed out. Why'd he have to be so smart and so jerkish all at the same time?

She really hated to admit it but he'd brought up a thought she'd never given consideration to before; how often could the Elements of Harmony be used? They'd only used them three times in the past; once to defeat Nightmare Moon, once to defeat Discord, and again to release Discord. But there were significant gaps between each of those three uses. Was it really possible that they had to recharge between uses, and if they used them for Ponyville right now they wouldn't be able to use them if Chrysalis was trying to invade Canterlot again?

"Applejack was right. He really is a deep thinker..."

"Once Twilight Sparkle and the others catch up with us you will be informed," Ulquiorra replied before simply going silent and continuing his observations.

Rainbow Dash grunted in annoyance and re-parked her haunches on the ground. Sitting and waiting -and apparently being silent- really wasn't her speed for doing things. Why couldn't she just zoom in there and plow into a horde of changelings and send them flying in every direction like bowling pins? Stupid waiting. Stupid advanced battle tactics. Stupid logical eggheads. Knowing how fast the other girls ran, this was going to be a long five minutes waiting time.

"Perhaps you can better elaborate on something you said earlier."

She blinked and looked up as her mind wandering about was interrupted. Was he actually talking to her? Even if he wasn't facing her? That was... unexpected...

"On what?" she asked.

"Earlier you referred to Fluttershy as your "best friend." As I don't see the point in friends in general, the classification is a matter of confusion. How does one determine which of their friends is better than all the others?"

Rainbow Dash scratched her head for a moment, not really expecting anything like that. The Espada didn't strike her as the type that would be curious about friends. Was he pulling her leg? No that couldn't be it, he had no sense of humor from what she'd seen and experienced. Maybe he was serious?

"Well... out of everypony, Fluttershy is the one I've known the longest. She and I more or less grew up together back in Cloudsdale, attended the same flight school. Don't get my wrong, I like all the girls but Fluttershy's just special..."

"Even with the part she played in the "Mare Do Well" incident?" Ulquiorra asked. It seemed strange how Rainbow Dash could still exercise such trust after everything that had happened.

Why'd he have to go and bring that up? No seriously, why?

"It's not like I have much choice in the matter. We hold the Elements of Harmony, we've gotta stick together no matter what..." she paused, "is any of this making any sense?"

"Theoretically. You recognize there are bigger issues in the world than your own feelings, and have chosen to focus on them instead," Ulquiorra replied before pausing. "The others are approaching quickly. No changeling reiatsu signatures are detected among them."

It was another minute of silence before the rest of the group finally arrived at the scene. Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Spike showed no ill effects from having run all the way from Sweet Apple Acres, and seemed only mildly winded. Twilight Sparkle on the other hand was more or less exhausted and fell to her haunches as she panted and gasped for air as if she'd been submerged underwater to the point of nearly drowning. It was reasonable to conclude she was the least athletic of the group. However having run the entire way with Spike riding on her back certainly didn't help her performance any.

"Alright now that Twilight's here what's your big plan?" Rainbow Dash more or less demanded to know, her wings twitching from barely suppressed agitation.

Ulquiorra remained silent as he waited for Twilight Sparkle to regain her breath and composure. There was little point in going over the plan he'd devised during the wait if she wasn't aware enough to make sense of it.

"Huh? Did I miss something?" Twilight asked as her panting became lighter and she was able to better communicate.

"Merely discussing the possibility of an attack. Even from here I can tell there are a number of changelings present. Care must be taken to ensure they don't escape," Ulquiorra explained calmly before turning to face Twilight directly. "Your special talent is magic. Do you possess the skills necessary to seal off the town of Ponyville, and prevent any changelings from retreating before they can be eliminated?"

"You mean a forcefield?" Twilight asked, "well I'm not nearly as skilled as my brother when it comes to forcefields, but I'm really decent in their casting and application. Unfortunately the largest I've ever had experience in casting was just big enough to cover the entire library. But the entire town? I really don't know, I've never tried that before. To maintain integrity the power requirements would be enormous," she explained.

"What degree of integrity are you able to achieve when you shield the library?" Ulquiorra asked in an effort to map out her usefulness.

"It's... kind of hard to put into relative terms. Maybe... three direct lightning strikes in quick succession, four if I strained myself?" she offered in explanation, "but there's no way I could do anything of that magnitude for the entire town. For the power consumption rate to be kept manageable, I'd have to compromise the integrity. We're talking the minimum sustainable levels here for an area so large. And if I wind up stretching the mana too thin, it's entirely possible for the forcefield to crack under its own weight. I don't know how long I could maintain it if the changelings just try and plow right through it. It's really a tall order."

That explanation made a surprising amount of sense to him. Trying to apply a finite and given amount of resources, over an increased area, would certainly compromise integrity. However he gave serious doubts to what Twilight Sparkle was saying about her own abilities. He had seen the fluctuations of her reiatsu at its high points. Surely someone as powerful as her, could produce a powerful forcefield over the town if she were to try.

"Hey wait a second," Spike spoke up, bringing their attention to him. "Twilight how hard would it be to increase the opacity of your forcefield so it'd be easier to see?" he asked.

"I don't really know, Spike, I've never tried doing that before. In theory it should be relatively simple since it doesn't require a proportional increase in mana as translucence drops. It's just a matter of balancing everything to achieve the desired results. But why?" she asked. What was Spike asking for? And why did he know what opacity meant? She was certain he always tuned her out when she was talking to him about scientifically related matters.

"What if we don't need to keep the changelings from escaping by force, and we just make them think that they're trapped and can't get free? Sorta like how you meet Trixie the last time she was here," Spike proposed.

"Yeah! Slight of hoof and trickery, tha's the ticket. Ya completely overwhelmed that showoff with jus' paint an' puffs o' smoke," Applejack added.

The fact that Spike had come up with a plan of attack didn't surprise him. He knew from their games of chess that the dragon was far more intelligent than he let on, but he wasn't certain as to why he did what he did. The fact that Applejack had picked up on what he was suggesting also didn't surprise him. He knew that she too was more intelligent than she let on. The plan was relatively sound in nature; except for a single glaring error that needed to be addressed, and quickly before they decided to go ahead with the plan.

"Do changeling drones possess the intelligence to recognize a forcefield when they see it, and know they can't break through it?" he asked, causing the excitement to suddenly grind to a halt. "If they were ponies capable of the same level of intelligence and sentience you have shown, then it would likely work. But if they are reactionary and instinctual in nature, and don't recognize the forcefield, they'll simply try and crash through it, and succeed if it's a simple illusion," he explained and brought his attention back to Twilight Sparkle. "There are thirty seven changelings in Ponyville that I can detect. Assuming all thirty seven launch a continuous effort to escape the forcefield, how long would you be able to maintain it before the strain becomes too much?"

"Maybe... two minutes?" Twilight replied. There were way too many factors to go into detail about right now but she suspected Ulquiorra wasn't in the mood to hear about why she couldn't give an accurate measure of her forcefield's duration. All she could really do right now was throw out random and uneducated guesses.

"Two minutes will be sufficient for what needs to be done," Ulquiorra replied evenly. Two minutes would likely be more than enough actually. "Once I'm inside Ponyville, you may deploy your forcefield over the town. I will handle matters from there."

"Uhh... Mr. Cifer... ah reckon ah already know the answer ta the question an' all... but jus' wha' do ya have in mind fer doin' in this situation?" Applejack asked hesitantly.

Was she really serious in her question? What did she believe he intended to do to the changelings?

"I intend to kill them. If they're allowed to escape in the name of kindness, there is no reason to believe they won't retaliate with greater numbers," he explained simply. There was no use sparing them their feelings. If they weren't prepared for the ugly side of existence then it was their fault rather than his. Did they really believe that they could be the defenders of Equestria and not get blood on their hooves at least once in their lives?

Hooves? Their dialect was beginning to rub off on him, and he was finding it more difficult to differentiate between his and theirs. This was not amusing in any way.

The atmosphere seemed to change as his words of confirmation sank in, the group realizing what they were facing, and likely the thought of one of them being drafted to assist in what would surely be a massacre the likes of which they'd never before encountered.

"Isn't there any other way?" Rainbow Dash asked, being the only one who could manage to talk at the moment. The idea of initiating a bloodbath was... it was frightening even to her.

"No," Ulquiorra replied bluntly and faced the town. "Once I'm inside raise the forcefield. If you don't, anything that does not go according to plan will be your fault."

No more words were said as Ulquiorra began walking away from them and towards town to carry out the task he'd set for himself.

"I don't like this one bit," Rainbow Dash whispered to the others as she watched Ulquiorra making his way into Ponyville. "We're just gonna let him boss us around like this? And we're just gonna trust him to stick to his word and only go after the changelings? We're just gonna trust him not to hurt anypony else?" she asked.

"Ah don' reckon we got much choice in the matter. We all saw how he dealt wit' that dragon las' week, ah doubt the five of us could do much ta oppose 'im if we tried," Applejack pointed out. "All we can really do right now is trust 'im an' hope for the best."

Twilight remained silent, other than the shuddering of her breath as she tried to steady her nerves. The gravity of the situation was weighing heavily on her right now. Ulquiorra was enlisting her to be part of something that amounted to mass murder; simply because they were changelings didn't do anything to change that fact. If she did this then she'd be responsible for the loss of life; many lives actually. She couldn't do that, she'd never be forgiven for her actions.

And yet... if she didn't do it, Ulquiorra was promising a loss of life even greater than thirty seven. If the changelings got away and brought reinforcements, there was no telling how many hundreds would die here in Ponyville because she failed to act. Some of those hundreds might even include random ponies... even foals. No matter how she looked at it, she was going to wind up being indirectly responsible for a bloodbath of epic proportions. What choice did she have in this matter?

Ulquiorra was already in the heart of Ponyville now by what she could see, and was waiting for her in order to act. She really didn't want to be doing this... but if she didn't things could only be worse. Finally, and with much reluctance, she allowed her horn to glow as she deployed a large purple-tinged dome over the entire town, sealing it off from the outside world.

Almost immediately after the forcefield touched down, a chorus of horrified screams erupted from within and met their ears. Ulquiorra had wasted absolutely no time in going about doing what he said he'd be doing. From where they were standing they could see the chaos unfolding in a manner that would make even Discord uncomfortable. Ponies were screaming and running in terror in every which way, individually and in groups, Ulquiorra vanishing and reappearing in a manner that made it impossible to follow, his location a mystery except for when they'd see one pony inparticular fall as a massive shower of blood erupted from their backs, falling to the ground in a motionless heap.

Twilight had to shut her eyes, unable to stop the relentless flow of tears streaming down her face as she watched helplessly as desperate ponies came crashing headlong into her forcefield and pounded against it with their hooves, pleading to be let out. "I'm so sorry everypony," she wept as she kept her eyes shut. She couldn't bear to look into their eyes and see the sheer terror and desperation on their faces as they tried so desperately to escape. If her concentration faltered, then the forcefield would fail, and everything would be a failure.

Next to her Pinkie Pie wept uncontrollably as she hugged Spike like a teddy bear, not knowing what else to do. Off to the side Applejack and Rainbow Dash were silently holding each other, both of them feeling utterly powerless to do anything to help, uncertain of anything they could do to help or even who they could help. They were changelings... but up until the point their disguise actually fell, they were ponies as far as they could tell.

The end had come just as quickly as the beginning of it all, an eerie and disturbing silence settling over the town. There were no more ponies running back and forth screaming, no more desperate residents trying to break through her forcefield, only to be struck down in a shower of blood, and left crumpled on the ground in an omnipresent silence.

"Is it over?" Spike asked, almost nervous to hear the answer.

A sudden blast hit the top of the dome and sent ripples over the entire structure, the backlash affecting Twilight from the unexpected strain, catching her off guard, and forcing her to drop the forcefield as she fell to her knees. Had that been Ulquiorra's Cero just now? Or maybe it was his Bala since there was no massive trail of teal green energy after the forcefield fell?

"I'd say that's probably a yes," Rainbow Dash muttered. Out of everypony present, she was the first to begin stepping forward to survey the damage, and see if their trust in the Espada had been misplaced... see if they'd lost any of their friends in this horribly foalish idea.

There were corpses littering the ground in varying degrees of dismemberment, ranging from a simple stab wound through the head or chest, to being completely bisected and left strewn about. And the blood... oh there was just so much blood everywhere!

But out of all of the bodies they passed, not a single one of them was a pony. There was nothing to be found but dead changelings on the ground in this eerily silent town.

"Anypony seeing any ponies on the ground?" Spike asked as he looked about cautiously, trying not to be overwhelmed by the amount of death present on the streets.

"Not a one," Applejack replied. She really wasn't seeing any ponies anywhere, not even peaking outside of closed doors and windows. Where'd they all gone in such a short amount of time? It's not like Ponyville had any disaster shelters to run to in event of an emergency.

"Crud these things smell awful," Rainbow Dash complained as she held a hoof to her nose, wincing at the contact. Why did changelings have to stink so much? And why did the dead ones have to smell worse than the live ones? And for that matter how come that one imitating Fluttershy couldn't be smelt!? What was the reasoning behind it?

"RD ah think this'd be a lot easier without the nasal appraisal goin' on," Applejack commented, silently agreeing with the statement, but feeling it wasn't the proper time for such.

"I'm just stating the obvious," Rainbow Dash replied defensively and tried to wave the noxious odor away from her nose. "Smells like an outhouse in the summer."

Twilight's immediate response was to vomit right in the middle of the street, causing the others to jump in surprise. The combination of the smell, Rainbow Dash's vivid commentary, and the mental strain of knowing she'd been responsible for all of these deaths, becoming too much for her to tolerate. She coughed and tried to take a sharp breath, before retching and vomiting again. Rainbow Dash didn't even hesitate before moving to her side and rubbing her back.

"It's okay Twi', breathe, just breathe," Rainbow Dash told her, trying to focus on her friend's wellbeing, rather than the mingling of revolting scents taking place and trying to worm their way into her nose.

"Ah can't really say ah don' feel the same way mahself," Applejack muttered. This was all... really a whole lot to take in.

"Don't you worry Twilight, I'll go get you some of Mrs. Cakes ginger muffins, they're just the thing for settling an upset tummy," Pinkie said in a reassuring manner.

"Forget that, Pinkie, get her some water so she can rinse her mouth and get that taste out," Rainbow Dash stated as she continued rubbing her friend's back as she coughed and spat.

"Applejack!"

Applejack turned to her left at hearing her name called, just in time to see her little sister making a running tackle for her. She quickly reacted and Apple Bloom fell into her embrace. Bringing up the rear was Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and... Diamond Tiara? Seriously?

Casually walking behind them was Ulquiorra with his hands tucked into his pockets, not so much as a hair out of place. Smug looking jerk! Nevermind him, he was small potatoes right now.

"Wha's wrong little sister?" Applejack asked in a concerned manner.

"There were three changelings located at the elementary school when I arrived," Ulquiorra explained calmly in his approach.

Scootaloo nodded. "Twist, Featherweight and Silver Spoon were replaced and now they're missing. Miss Cherilee cancelled class for the time being."

"It was horrible!" Sweetie Belle stated.

Applejack looked between the fillies and down at Apple Bloom before scowling in Ulquiorra's direction. "If y'all traumatized mah sister, so help me ah'll-" she started but was quickly interrupted.

"Now is not the time. Your sister remains unharmed, as do all the ponies of the town. Now that all the changelings present have been eliminated, the time has come to proceed with the next step; locating those that were replaced, and ensuring their safety has not been compromised," Ulquiorra replied.

Why'd he have to know so much? Why'd he have to be so annoying and calm under pressure? And for that matter why did he have to be so right?

"How can I help?"

The question surprised them as it had been presented by the most unlikely one present; Diamond Tiara of all ponies. She looked quite concerned and quite serious, a massive change from her usual demeanor.

"Why do you even care?" Scootaloo asked, confused and annoying all at the same time. "You're nothing but a spoiled brat!"

"Look you know-nothing blank flank!" Diamond Tiara stated, her usual annoyed nature quickly returning. "Silver Spoon is my friend and if there's anything I can do to help her them I'm gonna do it, even if it means getting down in the mud next to the likes of you! Somepony just point me in a direction!"

"EVERYPONY SHUT UP ALREADY!"

The bellow had come from Twilight as she made her way over, finally recovered from her bout of sickness, and able to properly respond to the soon to be fight that was about to break out. She'd gone from despair to fury, and it was showing.

"There's gonna be plenty of time for all this bickering later, but now's not the time for it. We need to be organized, and not shouting at each other like a bunch of fucking idiots!" she stated and stomped her hoof.

Ulquiorra noticed as the looks on the pony's faces were either shock and fear from Twilight Sparkle's outburst, -along with a dramatic flaring of her reiatsu levels- or confusion at her choice of wording and use of terms native to his dimension. Either way she had managed to silence the bickering that was taking place. He almost felt the urge to clap.

Almost.

"Look. If we're going to do this, then we're going to do it right. The first thing we need to do is see who's present and who's missing. We need to go door to door and assure everypony that everything's alright, and inform them about what's going on. Once we do that, we can start getting volunteers to help in the search and rescue part while others focus on the cleanup around town," Twilight stated and looked over everyone assembled. "Rainbow Dash, can you take Apple Bloom and her friends around, and start reassuring everypony that everything is alright, and the situation is firmly under control? We don't need anypony panicking right now."

"You can count on me, Twi'," Rainbow Dash replied and saluted with her right hoof.

"Good. Once you get everypony calmed down, tell them to head to Town Hall and wait for us there. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, you and I will take attendance and figure out who we need to rescue, as well as chart out the surrounding territory for exploration, as well as determining a way to distinguish each other should more changelings be in the area, and currently laying undiscovered."

"Right behind ya Twilight," Applejack said as she set Apple Bloom down on her hooves.

"Right! One mass gathering, on it!" Pinkie added and saluted as well.

"Spike. Send Princess Celestia a letter and inform her about these developments, she needs to know if an invasion is really going on," Twilight stated.

"That won't be necessary, Twilight Sparkle," Ulquiorra spoke up, bringing the unicorn's attention to him. "Gathering ponies and keeping them calm will not be easy if I'm still present. I will return to Canterlot palace myself and deliver the message in person, and ensure the situation is under control. We will coordinate our efforts, and operations afterward, when we are secured on both ends."

She really didn't like being ordered around in this situation. Ulquiorra had caused who knew how much trauma to everypony, themselves included, forced her to participate in a slaughter, and was now intending to leave and go to Canterlot, away from the results of his actions?

But as much as she hated to admit it he was quite accurate in his hypothesis that search and rescue efforts would be hampered if everypony was afraid of his presence after everything that happened. It was going to take long enough to explain to them that the ones getting slaughtered were changelings and he'd been doing what he did for the good of Ponyville. Begrudgingly she nodded in agreement.

"Alright," she admitted. They'd do it his way for right now. But the minute this crisis was over she was so going to curse him out every which way she knew for everything he'd done wrong in this situation! "We'll send word once we have everypony located and accounted for. If the drones followed standard changeling behavior they were cocooned and stored somewhere in a secured location and left for later."

"Before I depart I will inform my escort that their assistance will be needed for the search and rescue efforts. You will likely need as much help as you can acquire," Ulquiorra replied.

"That'd be much appreciated. The more fliers we have the better chance we have of covering territory," Twilight replied. She was fully prepared for the Espada to take his leave but suddenly something occurred to her, something that would be vitally important for him to know. "Ulquiorra before you leave! If you find any changelings in Canterlot, any that're of bigger stature or have a green coloring to their exoskeletons, don't deal with them like you did here. According to the books I've read, such changelings are higher on the social ranking, and possess much greater intelligence and the ability to speak, serving as the queen's royal guard and advisers. If you find any maybe we can get some answers about the scale of the invasion."

"I will keep such information in mind," Ulquiorra replied before vanishing from sight, the only thing left behind was a booming echo of static.

"How'd he do that?" Diamond Tiara asked and tilted her head.

"That's a story for another time. C'mon we've got work to do," Rainbow Dash stated and took off, the fillies hot on her heels to assist in whatever manner they could.

"Uh... Twilight?" Applejack spoke up, bringing her friend's attention back to her. "Ah got a question before we get started. Jus' wha' exactly does "fuck" mean?"

"Admit the next petitioner," Princess Celestia commanded softly. The day court was in full swing, and it was business as usual for her. Ponies seeking out her council and wisdom, funding for various projects and goals, all the standard matters. The only change was this morning had started off light. This was the first time in over a decade she hadn't felt the nagging of a phantom migraine this early in the morning.

Unfortunately that peacefulness came to an end, as the moment the door was opened, none other than Ulquiorra appeared in a sudden flash, standing before her, not twenty feet away from the steps leading up to the her throne. He'd returned so soon? Obviously this couldn't be good.

And was he wearing a new shirt? It just had to be Rarity's work.

"Ulquiorra? What brings you back to the palace? Weren't you in Ponyville for the day?" Princess Celestia asked.

"I was. However a matter of great urgency has arisen, and you need to be informed of the development," Ulquiorra replied and paused. "Is the throne room secure? This news should not be heard by outside ears."

Princess Celestia nodded in understanding. Her horn glowed as the doors to the throne room were closed, and a magical shield deployed over them, preventing anypony from eavesdropping on them.

"Speak freely. What is this urgent matter?" she asked.

"There have been thirty eight murders in the town of Ponyville, each of them quite brutal and unexplained in nature. Among the victims is the one known as Fluttershy. When she was found her heart had been ripped out of her chest, and her spine was completely shattered," Ulquiorra stated.

Other than the gasp that came from Princess Celestia the entire room was silent. Not even the guards dared to breathe or move.

"H-how... w-who..." Princess Celestia asked in a shaky voice.

"By my own hand. I am the perpetrator. You were correct to fear me," Ulquiorra admitted. Before she even had a chance to respond he continued. "What's more-" he paused and disappeared from sight in a quick burst of sonido, appearing right at the foot of the stairs that left up to her throne. Quicker than she could respond to that, he delivered a roundhouse kick to the side of the head of the guard on her left, and delivered enough force to send him crashing into the wall. "-I am nowhere near done in my massacre of those around me. Many more will be dead before this day is over."

Before he could blink something strong had him around the neck, effortlessly lifting him up off the ground and squeezing tightly, and making it all but impossible to breathe. He could see Princess Celestia was very angry right now, her already immense reiatsu flaring out dramatically, and to a horrifying degree, the pressure being exerted against his hierro indescribable. Being in her presence right now was much like being in the presence of the sun itself, heat radiating off of her, and searing him in a way the remaining conscious guard seemed blissfully ignorant of.

"You come here to brag about murdering my little ponies and then have the audacity to claim more will follow, and you're stupid enough to believe that I won't do something about it?" she asked in a tone of barely restrained rage, tightening the hold she had on his neck. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you, shouldn't have given you the benefit of the doubt, shouldn't have listened to Discord when he brought you to me! I made a mistake, and right now I intend to correct that mistake..."

He couldn't breathe. His hierro was blistering. His internal organs were being pummeled. He could barely even keep his eyes open from the intensity of her reiatsu, as it was threatening to make them explode right out of his sockets. His death was most certainly close at hand this time. With great effort and great pain he slowly raised his right hand for the purpose of pointing over to the wall.

Princess Celestia was left uncertain of what he was doing, and gave an aside glance to what he was gesturing to. The remaining guard had dashed over to the side of his fallen comrade immediately after the attack, but was making no effort to revive him or assess his condition. It was...

Immediately she released her magical hold on Ulquiorra, drawing her powers back within her, to turn her full gaze to the sight before her. It wasn't one of her loyal guards that was laying unconscious on the floor, but rather a changeling that'd been knocked cold from hitting the wall headfirst! How was this even possible?

Her attention was drawn back to Ulquiorra as he was left in a kneeling position and gasping for the air he'd been denied previously, his off-white skin now covered in horrible red blisters. In her fury she'd wound up forgetting he was sensitive to the intensity of her magic, and she'd wound up hurting him without even realizing. Truth be told at the time she really hadn't even cared, considering what he was telling her. Now she was left deeply regretting her actions.

"I... I don't know what to say..." she whispered. Had the entire thing been nothing more than an act? Had her fury been unwarranted?

Ulquiorra slowly rose back to his feet, the blisters on his right cheek very obvious, as well as the singe marks to the remnants of his Hollow mask. But despite the amount of pain he was currently in, his face didn't convey such facts.

"If you paid attention, my wording was carefully and deliberately chosen. Not once did I ever state that one of your subjects was murdered, or that a pony had died," he explained, his voice calm and even as ever. "It was all quite necessary to not tip our hand too early. Knowing so little about the factual nature of changelings I chose to proceed with caution. Your reaction was... for lack of a better term of description... perfect. However this was not the only one present. There are at least one hundred other changelings present in and around the castle that must be dealt with."

Princess Celestia was left silent in response to his words, so many thoughts going through her mind all at once. The wellbeing of her subjects, the possibility of a full scale changeling invasion, and even what Ulquiorra had done, how he'd put himself in the line of fire to fool the changeling that had been in her own presence, that she herself hadn't even been aware of. He'd allowed himself to be mangled to deal with a spy she'd been ignorant of.

He really wasn't lying when he talked about his loyalty. And now she felt absolutely terrible; both for her actions, and for the smell of his burnt flesh reaching her nose.

"First thing's first, we need to see about getting you to the infirmary, and treating your... injuries... huh?" she asked in paused silence as she watched the blisters seeming to shrink and disappear in wisps of steam. What was going on?

"The damage you inflicted upon my hierro is minor. The internal organs your reiatsu bruised will heal as well. Right now my wellbeing is the least of our concerns. We have other pressing matters to attend to," he said as he looked over at the fallen changeling again. "A great many pressing matters if this is to be done correctly..."

"A-agreed. But where do we begin?" Princess Celestia asked, uncertain what else to say. Even after everything she'd done to him, he was taking it all in stride. How was she supposed to respond to such a being?

Hers was a good question indeed. There were several areas that needed addressing, and each one of them was closely interlinked with the others. Trying to keep all going at the same time would require a measure of delicacy, and proper timing if success was to be achieved.

Stealth had never been his area of expertise, he'd never really needed it to any significant degree. Stealth in his case meant performing a burst of sonido to arrive in an area, and delivering a fatal blow to the target faster than they could respond. In all other cases it'd been a matter of displaying the sheer overwhelming nature of his strength, and leaving the opponents crippled without hope. But this was an entirely different matter and he couldn't do that here. There were too many random variables to take into account, too many unknowns that had to be addressed up front. This would require a significant amount of work on all their parts.

"I rarely ever say these words, because they are rarely ever true. But at present, the only thing I can truly say, is that I don't know..."

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Three

His whole head ached. It felt like his exoskeleton was going to split apart at the seams if the throbbing didn't come to an end soon. What in the name of Equestria had hit him? Why did he feel like someone had used his head to try and break a wall? Did anyone get the number of that runaway carriage that ran over him from behind?

"So you're finally awake. Very good."

The sound of the voice in the room brought him into better focus of his surroundings. It was a dimly lit holding cell filled with one table, one chair that he was firmly tied to with ropes, and standing at the head of the table and looking down at him was Celestia herself. Just great.

"I'm rather impressed you managed to replace one of my guards without me noticing, I applaud your skill really," she stated as she stepped closer to the table where there was better illumination. "Your skills notwithstanding though, I have no real time for games. I want to know what Chrysalis is up to. What's her game?" she asked. "And don't bother pretending like you're a low level drone who can't even speak, I know that's not the case. A low level drone would never be assigned to infiltrate the day guard."

"I don't have to tell you anything," the changeling barked in response. "You'll know what Queen Chrysalis has planned when your time comes. I'm not telling you anything; except for the obvious that your flank is as big as a buffalo and twice as hairy!"

"Your objection to my rule is noted," she replied sarcastically and stuck her tongue out from the side of her mouth in a mocking grin. "In all seriousness though, I really do need to know. What does Chrysalis have planned? How many changelings does she have in Canterlot right now, and how many more are ready to be deployed? Where's your hive currently located?"

"You'll get nothing from me you ancient hag!" the changeling stated, before hissing and spitting in her direction in obvious hostility.

Princess Celestia just shook her head and sighed. She had so hoped this could be done the easy way, but the changeling had gone with hostility right off the bat. Why did they always want to go about the hard way of doing things? "I guess it can't be helped then. I'll just have to probe your mind, and take the information that I need," she said as her horn began to glow.

"You come near me and I'll show you a new place you can stick that horn of yours," the changeling snapped.

She said nothing in response and walked around the table, to where the changeling remained trapped in the chair, leaning down until her horn was touching its horn, as she concentrated to locate and find out the information she was searching for, just as she had done with Ulquiorra upon their first meeting.

Unfortunately Ulquiorra's mind was an open book compared to this one. The changeling's mind was a mess of jumbled voices, incoherent noises, and indecipherable static. It was like trying to find one particular face in a crowd of thousands. This had to be an aspect of their hive mind, it was the only thing that made sense. Frowning at this discovery she pulled away, again noting how changelings always seemed to want to do things the hard way.

"You'll get nothing from me you ancient, wrinkly old nag! Get your sagging buffalo flank away with me!" the changeling barked.

The one-sided banter was interrupted by a booming echo of static sounded outside the holding cell door. Unfortunately there was so little light it was hard to tell just what was outside... unless you were already familiar with the commotion by now. From the look on the changeling's face, she could tell he most certainly wasn't familiar.

"What news do you have to report?" she asked as she turned away, using her magic to open the cell door.

"The day guard is currently carrying out search and rescue operations as we speak. Of the one hundred and thirteen changelings that were found within the boundaries of Canterlot, one hundred and twelve of them have been eliminated. The only exception being our current guest," Ulquiorra spoke as he casually strolled into the cell and brought his face into the light, watching the changeling's expression change with recognition of him. "Have you gathered anything useful from the interrogation?"

"I'm afraid not," Princess Celestia replied and shook her head. "He only woke up a few minutes ago, and has been reluctant to share anything other than rudeness, and his opinion about my age and such. When I tried probing his mind, all I got was gibberish and interference. It would seem he's intent on doing things the hard way," she explained. "To be honest I'm quite amazed he's still even alive. I was certain you crushed his head with that kick."

"Then perhaps a firmer touch is necessary," Ulquiorra replied as he turned to face Princess Celestia. "I shall gather the information you seek, if provided the opportunity."

This, she just had to see. She found herself growing quite curious at how Ulquiorra planned to go about extracting information from one so stubborn. What did he have in mind?

"Be my guest," she replied and stepped to the side.

"I would recommend waiting outside. I can't guarantee the results won't be messy," Ulquiorra warned.

Messy? What was he planning on doing to get the information from the changeling? Then again perhaps it would be best to wait on the other side of the bars, just in case. Wordlessly she nodded and stepped outside, shutting the cell door behind her.

The changeling had been silent the entire time as he observed the interaction between the two white figures, one a horrid ruler, and the other a vicious monster he'd seen tear apart his comrades in their disguise as ponies. He'd seen from a first point of view how he'd savagely murdered the one that replaced the pegasus Fluttershy. He'd seen from the others how he wiped out every operative they had in Ponyville, and during their talk, he'd managed to confirm the loss of every last one of their troops in Canterlot. This bipedal being was quite a monster to be certain, the likes of which had never been seen before. Such intensity, such hostility, such unrestrained violence, it was all disturbing!

But disturbing or not, he couldn't let on. He just couldn't. If he let on how terrified he was it'd be all over. No, what he had to do was maintain his cool, any way necessary.

"You think I'm afraid of you just because you've got a sword? Don't bet on it bucko. If you kill me, you'll never find out anything, so you'll just be wasting your time," the changeling stated.

"So it would seem," Ulquiorra replied as he unsheathed his zanpakutō. Without another word he extended his arm, and without any warning as to what his intention was, brought the blade down and sliced off his own arm just below the elbow, sending the severed limb flying along with a spray of blood.

Princess Celestia gasped from outside the holding cell at what she'd just seen. Had that truly been real? Had he just... just... suddenly she felt quite ill.

The changeling's eyes went wide in shock and horror at what it'd just seen. He cut off his own limb just like that? What kind of insane monster was he facing? What kind of demon was he currently locked up with!?

"As you can see for yourself that was my own arm. I can assure you, the act was quite excruciating to experience," Ulquiorra elaborated, his voice never wavering as he maintained a neutral, and unreadable expression on his face. To hammer the point home, he presented the stump close to the changeling's face, allowing it to see the remnants of the musculature and skeletal structure beneath all the blood and skin. "Every single nerve ending in the stump is currently lit up, and transmitting the indescribable level of pain and suffering that's being experienced. The intensity is so overwhelming it's comparable to being burned alive, and I can barely stand it," he continued on as he gazed at the captive changeling while pulling the stump back. "Right now you must be asking yourself a very specific question. You must be asking yourself "If he's willing to do that to himself, without hesitation despite the amount of pain he will experience, then what will he do to one whose pain and suffering he can't feel?" Am I correct?"

The changeling was too shocked to say a single word, still looking at his stump, the severed limb, and the blood that dripped from the wound and was paid no mind whatsoever. Wordlessly he approached slowly, his zanpakutō still grasped in his remaining hand.

"This nation's history holds conflicting views of your species. You're either regarded as soul sucking evil monsters, or a race cursed by your dietary requirements being incompatible with the world around you. Whichever of these accounts is more accurate, I don't personally care. I need information pertaining to your hive. To the scale of the current invasion, and where the remaining troops are so they can be exterminated," Ulquiorra explained as he slowly circled the changeling. "I can assure you, that you will not be escaping this unscathed. The only question is, to what extent you're willing to suffer in your loyalty to your hive's queen," he explained as he came to a stop in front of the changeling. "I know very little about changeling physiology. If you don't tell me what I need to know, then I will simply experiment with you, finding out what I need to know one way or another. Perhaps I will determine the hardness of your exoskeleton with my zanpakutō..."

It was true he had no real firsthand knowledge about the physiology of changelings, he only knew what he'd read about in the library. But it was safe to say that the changeling was beginning to panic at the prospect of being dissected in such a manner.

"Are you able to regrow parts of your body like other insects? If I were to violently rip your wings off your back, would they eventually regrow or would they be gone for good?" Ulquiorra asked as he slowly circled around back behind the changeling, lingering there for several long moments, before finally coming back around to the front, the blade of his zanpakutō dragging across the table. "Are there any extremities you're not particularly attached to? Perhaps a leg you'd be more willing to lose, compared to the prospect of losing the other one?"

"Help!" the changeling screamed and began jerking about to try and break free. Suddenly Princess Celestia was looking very good right now.

Ulquiorra paid no mind to the outburst, opting instead to simply continue the interrogation.

"There are multiple ways to go about extracting the location of your hive, regardless of how much you resist. Perhaps I'll settle on simply, and slowly, ripping your exoskeleton away from the soft tissue underneath, in a manner that will make each and every nerve ending in your entire body, light up with excruciating sensations," Ulquiorra said as he slowly began walking around the changeling again, the edge of his zanpakutō dragging across its exoskeleton on this pass, and slowly biting into it. "I've always been curious if one could truly die from experiencing an overwhelming amount of unbearable pain. If you truly have nothing you wish to share, nothing that would convince us your life is valuable enough to spare, then now seems like as good a time as any to see if there's any truth to the rumor."

"Stop! Stop! I'll talk! I'll talk! I'll tell you whatever you want to know, I promise!" the changeling shouted as it shook violently in terror, its bravado and resolve completely shattered as it felt the edge of the sword starting to cut through it's outer skin. "Our hive is in the west, three miles into the Everfree Forest just past the river! I wasn't told how many would be doing what, I was only directed to infiltrate Celestia's guard and await further instructions, that's all I know, I swear it! Just please don't hurt me!"

He stopped. Wordlessly he eased his zanpakutō away from the changeling's exoskeleton, and brought the tip of the blade back to the sheath, looking it straight in the eyes as it did so.

"For your sake I hope your information is correct, and you haven't chosen to engage in dishonesty with me. With my speed, the journey from here to Ponyville can be made in three minutes. The reported location you give will take even less time. If I venture out to the described location, and don't sense so much as a single changeling, I will return shortly in order carry out retribution," Ulquiorra warned before leaning in closely to the scared changeling's face. "And if I must return because you fed me false information, I can promise that you will be made to suffer very soon. First I will peel your exoskeleton from the soft flesh underneath. Then I will baste you in garlic butter with a hint of lemon. And then, while you're still alive, I will devour you in a slow, and deliberate manner, bit by bit, so you can experience every. Last. Excruciating. Sensation. Involved in the process..."

It was a threat of such unbelievable nature, that it was simply too weird to be imagined, being delivered by someone who'd cut off his own limb just to prove a point, his entire tone dead serious and devoid of any malice, hostility or mercy. It was all too much to take, and the changeling fainted in the chair without warning.

Theatrics weren't his area of expertise. They were far more suited for the Octava Espada. But his less than stellar performance was sufficient to achieve the desired results, that was all that mattered right now.

Without a word, Ulquiorra walked over to the door and stepped outside, meeting with Princess Celestia in the hall, and noticing the blank look on her face. He couldn't be certain, but she seemed even whiter than before. And the odor in the air told him a great deal about what had likely occurred during his interrogation.

For a species that -scientifically speaking- wasn't supposed to be physically able to vomit, there was a great deal of vomiting taking place lately with these ponies. First the unicorn Rarity, then Twilight Sparkle, and then Princess Celestia herself.

"I trust you heard what information he had to say?" he asked, indifferent to her suffering.

"Your arm..." she choked out hoarsely and coughed, "how could... how could..."

"It served to make him open up about what we needed to know," he explained as he raised the stump.

Princess Celestia was absolutely horrified at how casual he was about the loss of his own limb. How could any being do that to themselves without any hesitation? She watched as he raised his limb and... she blinked at the disturbance of the stump. An eruption of unidentified material shot forth from the remnants, and she watched as the missing limb replaced itself, seemingly building itself from the skeleton up all the way through to the skin in just a matter of seconds. What kind of magic was this!?

"My greatest power isn't offense, it's regeneration. Most Arrancar trade their high-speed regeneration for greater strength. But among the Espada, I alone am able to quickly regenerate any part of my body," he explained calmly as he looked over his new limb, flexing each of his fingers, the newly formed joints cracking and popping in the process of being moved for the first time. Unlike the last time he made such a speech, he felt it was best to withhold the information about what areas he couldn't regenerate. "That is why my hierro healed so quickly once you suppressed the majority of your reiatsu; because it's in my nature."

"That's... rather informative... and quite convenient..." Princess Celestia commented and shook her head to clear away the surprise. It was only now that she remembered seeing something about that in his memories. How could she forget such a feat? She'd even seen it firsthoof when he'd plucked out his own eye, only for it to regrow not long after. "I must say you've been considerably more volunteering with information than when you first arrived."

"The circumstances have changed since my initial arrival. It is necessary to react and respond accordingly," Ulquiorra replied. "Right now the circumstances must be addressed. We know the location of the changeling hive. We know an invasion is in the process of being carried out. The only question is what course of action do you wish to take? Shall I depart and destroy the hive and all that are present? Or do you wish to maintain the ideological belief that a peaceful solution can be had?" he asked pointedly.

What was she supposed to do in this situation? She knew the changelings were a threat to the safety of her kingdom and her subjects. They'd already been spared once by Shining Armor when he'd jettisoned all of them from Canterlot, but the interruption of their invasion didn't seem to slow them down much. But on the other hoof, she really didn't want to see any further killing going on. Allowing Ulquiorra to exterminate the hundred or so that were present in Canterlot, in order to avoid them bringing reinforcements, that would lead to an even greater loss of life had been hard enough. But the entire hive? Possibly the entire changeling population? Could she really go through with that?

Some days it really, really didn't pay to be a Princess...

"Alright everypony quiet down and listen up," Twilight instructed, as she tried to quiet the growing murmurs among the crowd.

Immediately after Ulquiorra's departure, their small group had set out trying to round up other ponies to assist in the search and rescue mission. But before that could be done they needed to convince everyone that they were safe, the situation was under control, and that the Arrancar wasn't out to shed their blood; hiding around the corner, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. That was the part that took the most time to pull off, considering how many had seen the extermination take place; especially for those who'd been minding their own business only to see the pony they were walking with struck down in a pool of blood before reverting back to their true changeling form.

Needless to say it'd taken a long time to get everything calmed down and straightened out. But finally what had started out as unrestrained chaos and panic, had been reigned in and reformed to better resemble the level of organization and professionalism, generally seen only on Winter Wrap-Up Day. This meant they could take a proper head count, figure out who was present and who was missing, and get everyone grouped together to find the others.

And now that they were properly organized -as well as silent and paying attention now- they could get this search and rescue operation under way!

"Alright as you can see from the map," Twilight paused as she gestured to the map of Ponyville and the surrounding territory pinned up behind her, "the entire area has been sectioned off. Now everypony has been divided up into one of three teams, to search the surrounding area to try and locate the missing ponies. Does everypony know who they're going with?" she asked.

"We do," Applejack spoke up and stepped forward. "Miss Cherilee an' ah are gonna be takin' the Crusaders, Diamond Tiara, Time Turner, Lyra, and Caramel ta Sweet Apple Acres, where we'll meet up with Big Macintosh an' Carrot Top, an' a hoofful of other volunteers, an' comb the whole area, see if the changelings stored anypony in any o' the old out buildings on the farm."

"Very Good. Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked.

Rainbow Dash saluted before speaking. "I'm taking Flitter, Cloudchaser, Raindrops, the two guards from Canterlot, Thunderlane, and Rumble, as well as the rest of the weather team and flying over the whole area so we can provide a bird's eye view of the surrounding territory, and see if we can spot anything even remotely changeling related, at which point we either report back to another group or advance on ahead and lock down the location," she explained through her distorted voice thanks to the swelling in her muzzle from the earlier injury

"Alright," Twilight nodded and turned to the crowd, "everypony else who hasn't been selected for one of the other teams will help search Ponyville, and the area on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. We're going to need all the help we can get, because there's a lot of buildings to cover, and there's no telling what happened or when. They could quite literally be anywhere right now," she explained.

Spike climbed up on Twilight's back to get some altitude before addressing the crowd. "Now this is very important everypony. There's always the possibility that there are more changelings in the area, so proceed with caution. In case you get separated from your group, make sure to get audio confirmation. Most changeling drones can't speak our language, so it should be relatively easy. But just in case they actually do and we simply haven't realized it, you've all been assigned a password. Does everyone remember what it is?" he asked. The password confirmation had been his idea when Twilight had been experiencing difficulty with a spell that would allow everyone to tell in case someone got replaced. He'd opted to go with something obvious and simple.

"Inagaddadavida!" the whole crowd stated at once.

"Right," Spike nodded, "which is replied to by?"

"Bossa Nova!" the crowd added.

Twilight smiled. At the time she really hadn't thought Spike's suggestion would work, that it had too many shortcomings in logic, and a good magical spell was all they needed. But Spike had made one point very clear to her that she couldn't deny; time was of the essence for the missing ponies, and since changelings weren't known for carrying on intelligent conversations, there wasn't much chance of them being able to slip past the password system. She had to admit, he really was far more knowledgeable than she gave him credit for.

"Now every group remembers what to do if you find the missing ponies, right? Each of the land groups has a unicorn on hoof, if we find them we'll send up a beacon and everypony converges on that spot. Otherwise the air team dispatches a flier to each location to relay the information and we converge there," she explained. Everypony nodded in understanding. "Right! Let's go everypony!"

"On it!" Rainbow Dash stated as she and the rest of her squad took to the sky.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders Search and Rescue! Go!" came the excited yell from Applejack's group as the more excited fillies dashed off ahead of everyone else. Twilight just shook her head in response. If those three put half as much energy into practicing what they were already good at, as they did being ridiculous, they'd already have their cutie marks. But at least they had a lot of spirit to them.

Twilight looked back over the gathered crowd as the two other groups broke off. There was still plenty of helping hooves present, and they were needed considering how many buildings there were around Ponyville to go through. Complicating the matter was the lack of absolute certainty just how long the changelings had been active this time. Fluttershy's behavior had been off ever since last week's incident at the caves, but there really hadn't been a drastic difference until two or three days ago. Maybe if they'd been more observant, they would've noticed earlier on that something was wrong?

Ulquiorra had been right. They really were trash.

"Hey Twilight?"

She shook her head at the sound of Spike's voice, snapping her out of her daze. "Yes, Spike?" she asked.

"Well we know how things are going on our end, but what about in Canterlot? How do you think Ulquiorra and Princess Celestia are dealing with the situation, if they've got changelings there too?" he asked.

"I'd really rather not think about that right now," Twilight replied and shuddered. The thought of a repeat of the earlier incidents was not something she wanted to give any consideration to. She wouldn't even wish this on the changelings, regardless of what they'd done. The fact that it may very well be happening, right this moment, it was enough to upset her stomach all over again.

One thing was for certain. If Chrysalis really was behind this whole invasion, she really didn't want to be in her shoes right now.

Chrysalis really didn't want to be in her shoes right now, not with what was on its way, coming here towards her hive at this very moment.

It'd all started with the drone that had successfully replaced Fluttershy, and thus separated the fabled Elements of Harmony from one another. Everything had been going so well, until that strange, white, bipedal monster mercilessly killed it without any hesitation, killing Fluttershy in essence, right in front of the other Elements of Harmony.

That had been bad enough, it disturbed her greatly to see such brutality transmitted by one of her drones in its last moments. But then things had gotten worse, as this unstoppable force of violence and murder appeared in Ponyville, and made the announcement that chilled her blood.

"Good residents of Ponyville. I have come to kill all of you."

What followed immediately after that, had been the most terrifying display of violence and death she'd ever been forced to bear witness to. Each and every single one of her operatives had been wiped out and there was no telling if any of the other ponies had fallen beside them. For all she knew, the entire town of Ponyville was nothing but a mass graveyard now.

And then the reports from the operatives she'd managed to station in Canterlot without Celestia ever being the wiser. Sweet merciful Faust! She didn't want to even think about what happened in Canterlot! The last moments of terror experienced by her drones, the interrogation of one of her elites by the white biped who cut off its own limb just to prove a point, and the threats of incomprehensible torture. All the way through it, she still couldn't get a reading on whether or not this creature had specifically targeted her drones, or if it targeted indiscriminately, and simply killed whatever was in its path, drones and ponies alike.

And then... and then the report from her elite that chilled her to her very core...

"If you can communicate with your queen at this distance then relay this message to her. I am coming for you, Chrysalis, and it is my intention to kill you for what you have done here today."

That was the entirety of the message her loyal soldier had relayed to her, shortly before witnessing from his point of view his own execution at the point of a sword, most likely right through the eye and out the back of the head.

The majority of their hive was deep underground, unlikely to be found by anyone unfamiliar with changeling architecture. Regardless of the blood lust this creature possessed, it was highly unlikely to find their nest even with the directions it'd been given during her soldier's moment of weakness. However there was still the chance of it happening, no matter how remote.

Could they resist now that the element of surprise was gone? Despite the loss of a hundred and fifty drones -a hundred and fifty one counting her elite guard member- her hive still numbered in the several hundreds. They had a numeric advantage in case they were attacked, and her hive was quite furious when provoked. Yes... yes they'd be just fine.

"Just fine indeed..." Chrysalis grinned and flapped her wings in acknowledgment of the facts.

Facts that became irrelevant the moment the ceiling above them collapsed in a massive explosion, as a beam of green energy shattered the structure, and carved a large circle above them, sending her drones scattering in every direction in terror as smoke and debris flew about the area.

"Chrysalis I presume."

She'd been coughing so hard as a result of the explosion and all the dust that'd been kicked up she barely noticed the voice, but she instantly recognized the tone. Looking up as the smoke cleared her eyes went wide at the sight of what stood before her. The white bipedal figure that was directly responsible for the death of so many of her own.

"Ulquiorra Cifer. Quatro Espada in service to Princess Celestia. I have come here for the purpose of killing you, to ensure the safety of Equestria."

The air was filled with an unnerving sound as the sword was unsheathed slowly and methodically, easily intimidating and capable of shaking the resolve of anyone that heard it.

"Resist if it makes you feel better about your own impending doom. It makes no difference to me, as the end result will be the same regardless," he spoke calmly as he approached, his steps even and methodical.

Terror is what she felt as she was approached. Without realizing she began stepping backward until she bumped against the far wall and was left nowhere else to go.

There was a yell from the side as one of her drones launched itself in the enemy's direction. She couldn't even blink before witnessing the poor thing get completely bisected by a single stroke of the sword as if it were nothing.

So much for her resolve, her sense of superiority, and the belief that her hive could triumph over this monster. She was left with nothing more than panic and despair.

"This isn't fair! Equestria is supposed to be mine to rule! I defeated Celestia in combat, I deserve to be sitting on the throne in Canterlot! I claimed that right from her!" Chrysalis protested.

Ulquiorra slowed to a stop at her words and eyed her critically. "You defeated Princess Celestia? You are barely capable of even theoretically rivaling Princess Luna's level of strength. How did you defeat her elder sister?" he asked.

He... it was communicating with her, rather than executing her? This monster was actually taking an interest in her words, and giving her the opportunity to share her story with it? This couldn't be happening, and yet it was. Maybe... maybe she could use this to her advantage. Nervously she began to recount her tale.

"During the first invasion I gorged myself on the love of Shining Armor, the captain of Celestia's guards. His love for his fiance was so strong, I was easily able to overpower and dethrone her! Had my spell not been broken on the betrothed, I would currently be sitting atop that throne and ruling over all of Equestria, as my hive devoured all the love to be found in the land, and no longer be relegated to inhospitable territories, but free to reign in the most fertile areas of the land among all the others without fear! My hive would flourish as it so rightly deserves!" she recounted, all the while her eyes giving off a sickly, pale green glow that matched that of her horn.

This was a most surprising revelation. This entity before him, this queen of the changeling race, had bested Princess Celestia in overwhelming force and dethroned her?

She wasn't lying about her accomplishment, the fluctuations in her reiatsu weren't appropriate for dishonesty. Terror, yes, but not dishonesty. How was this a possibility? She had to be telling the truth... but it still didn't make sense.

But even if it didn't make sense, it didn't change the fact that he was addressing the one who had beaten Princess Celestia in combat. Just as Aizen had defeated the former ruler of Hueco Mundo, Baraggan Louisenbairn, and usurped his rule, forcing the Dos Espada to serve him instead. It hadn't even come down to a challenge of strength, but rather trickery and deceit.

He was duty bound to obey Princess Celestia. But he was bound by his own instinctive nature as a Hollow, to recognize the basic principle of survival of the fittest. And for better or worse, Chrysalis was the one who deserved the title of fittest. This simple fact changed everything on the matter, forcing him to reconsider everything.

He served Princess Celestia. That was a constant rather than a variable. If he were to betray her, then she would kill him for his actions. But he served Aizen faithfully, and had been killed for his loyalty and devotion to fulfilling his orders of protecting Las Noches against threats. His own loyalty was the reason he was here right now, and tasked with serving a new master. His loyalty was the reason he found himself in this predicament, struggling for answers on what to do.

What master was he supposed to serve? The one he'd sworn his loyalty to, or the one who was truly fit to rule this new land by defeating the previous ruler by force? Simply because the alicorn was stronger, that didn't mean she was right. But then again, he had never stopped to question if Aizen had been right.

Out of all the Espada, he was the only one who could achieve a second state of release. Rightfully he was the strongest of the Espada, yet he was ranked only on the abilities of his first release; even though he could fully kill at least the lower two who were ranked directly above him. The only one he truly possessed any doubts on was Coyote Starrk, he was a tough call.

Wordlessly, after much internal debate, he calmly resheathed his zanpakutō.

"Then it would appear I have allowed myself to fall into the service of the wrong figurehead," he replied simply and eased himself down onto one knee. "I have assigned my loyalty to the wrong individual, and I must correct that most glaring error. Allow me to serve you, and you alone, Queen Chrysalis, for you are the true and proper ruler of Equestria. Princess Celestia cannot be allowed to maintain her false rule, and I will ensure for you that she does not."

Chrysalis was left in stunned silence. Her spell... had it failed? Under normal circumstances a response indicating loyalty would never take this long. Had it failed to have the desired result, and yet the end results were just coincidentally the same?

This being before her had stormed into her hive, killed many of her loyal subjects as if it were nothing, attempted to kill her in the same unfeeling manner... and now he was swearing his allegiance to her, and promising to help her take the throne to Equestria for her? This was unbelievable, this was unforeseeable, this was... was... she knew she should be wary but the offer was so tempting and tantalizing, the chance to regain her proper rule dangling just in front of her and hers for the taking!

"You came here to kill me. Now you're asking me to let you serve? Why should I trust you?" she asked skeptically. If she had some kind of inkling that her spell had worked in the same manner it'd worked on Shining Armor, then it would be a different story. But this one was so different from anything she'd ever encountered before, its mind so unique, that she wasn't even certain her spell could work, yet had to be tried anyway. Had it been reflexive, or was he truly genuine in his sentiment about serving her?

"Because we have both been deceived and deprived of the proper order of things by Celestia's meddling," he explained. "Furthermore it is the only logical thing to do. What other choice do either of us have on the matter?"

He had a very good point. Here was this force of overwhelming violence and determination wanting to willingly serve her against a common goal, against their greatest enemy. It only made sense to agree. Yes, she could do that.

"Arise Ulquiorra Cifer! Arise and help me reclaim my proper place of rule in this land, and permanently establish my hive, and ensure its place in history!" Chrysalis commanded with glee, her smile threatening to crack her face if it grew any wider. She'd worry about his true loyalty later. As long as he helped her with her goals, that was all she cared about right now.

"Your wish is my command," Ulquiorra spoke as he arose to a standing position, "My Queen."

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Four

"Hey Twilight? Can we check Sugarcube Corner next?"

Each team had been assigned an area to check, with the instruction of going over every possible location with a fine-tooth comb, leave no stone unturned.

No seriously, leave no stone unturned, because knowing changelings that's where they very well could be hidden. And that was to say nothing of checking each tree, to see if it was hollow and acting as a secret compartment.

No beacons had yet been deployed from Applejack's team, and no fliers had swooped in from Rainbow Dash's team, meaning nopony was having any luck yet.

And in Twilight's case, she was having even less luck as she found herself having to deal with a hungry baby dragon.

"Spike we don't have time to be stopping for a snack. Those ponies are counting on us to find them," she reminded him. They'd stop and eat later on.

"I know that, Twilight, but I've heard rumors about there being a secret chamber in the basement, and I wanna see if it's true," Spike stated. In a small town like this rumors passed about easy, but confirming them was the hard part. And right now seemed like a very good opportunity to do just that.

Then he could make Snips and Snails shut up.

"You've been giving those silly stories consideration again? Spike what have I told you about listening to small town gossip and unsupported speculation?" Twilight asked him pointedly in a scolding tone. "There's no secret chamber hidden away at Sugarcube Corner. And I can assure you, all those other stories you might've heard relating to it aren't true either."

"You searched the Town Hall's records, relating to building blueprints, and construction permits for the area, didn't you?" Spike asked in a tone matching hers. Immediately he noticed her ears droop, indicating that he was painfully correct in his accusation. "So what was that about listening to unsupported speculation?"

"T-that's different!" Twilight stated in her own defense. "I was doing research to disprove the very notion of Sugarcube Corner hiding any secrets beneath the foundation. It's not like I actually believed any of those silly rumors you hear, whispered about in dark alleys by the misinformed."

"Uh-huh..." Spike replied incredulously. She was as bad as he was at times. "So how many more buildings do we have to check before-"

Spike was cut off mid-sentence as a loud, deep, thromming-type noise suddenly erupted, a bright sea green beam shooting up into the sky and spreading out like water poured on the floor.

"-Is that Lyra's beacon?" he asked.

"It must be, Spike, she was the only unicorn assigned to Applejack's team, and that's definitely coming from Sweet Apple Acres," Twilight replied. This was very good news indeed. The searching half of their mission was over, now they could proceed with the rescuing. "Let's go everypony!"

Diamond Tiara couldn't believe her eyes. Even though she'd seen everything unfold as she watched, she still simply couldn't believe her eyes.

Finding and saving Silver Spoon had been her top priority above all else, and she was willing to do anything to do just that... even if doing so meant associating with those three blank flanks and being stuck on the same team as them. She didn't know she'd have to tolerate so much stupid! Turning this search and rescue mission into an effort to try and get their cutie marks, had created its own brand of chaos that just complicated everything and made it all ten times worse.

And then what happened? What'd made for the perfect frosting on top of the burnt cake that was this day? Those three blank flanks had wound up finding the missing ponies. Purely by accident, but still. They'd wound up being the first to discover a massive nest of changeling cocoons stored in one of the old and dilapidated out buildings that really needed to be torn down, and hadn't seen much hoof traffic in recent time; all thirty eight of the missing ponies stored there in hibernative rest. How had those three managed to fall into so much luck and success?

Nevermind that, at least Silver Spoon would soon be safe. Then they could leave, and put some serious distance between themselves and the three blank flanked losers.

"There. Done," Lyra spoke as she cut off flow to the beacon spell. She was about to speak again, but stopped as she had to shake her head and steady herself. "Whoa. That spell makes you really dizzy when you cast it."

"Ya done good anyway, Lyra, that'll get everypoy here in no time. 'til then all we can really do is wait," Applejack replied as she turned her attention back to the nest of cocoons in the old building. How the hay had she not noticed this before? Granted it really wasn't used for much of anything anymore, but that really wasn't an excuse, Sweet Apple Acres was her property after all, she should be aware of what was going on around it.

"Aww we gotta wait? Why can' we jus' go ahead an' get 'em out now? We got more than enough hooves ta do the job," Apple Bloom complained. How were they ever gonna get their search and rescue cutie marks if they had to wait for somepony else to do what they could do themselves?

Diamond Tiara had to bite her tongue to avoid a sharply worded retort to Apple Bloom's utter stupidity; not that she wanted to, but with the blank flank's sister and Miss Cherilee in such close proximity, she couldn't get away with saying what she wanted to say.

"At least Silver Spoon's alright. That's all that really matters right now..." she told herself.

"So I guess our partnership is over?" she heard Sweetie Belle ask from beside her.

"Pretty much," Diamond Tiara replied. At least she was more intelligent than her two useless and dumb muscle friends.

"We did good work together though," Sweetie Belle pointed out.

"I guess," Diamond Tiara replied and shrugged. She didn't want to admit to the fact that these three had been integral to finding Silver Spoon and all the others, she really didn't. If she did admit the fact to herself then she'd have to acknowledge that they weren't as useless as they otherwise seemed.

Where the hay were the others!? What was taking them so long?

Celestia really didn't want to admit to the fact, but she was quite nervous right now, very restless, and unsettled by the events of this day.

She knew that she shouldn't have been surprised by the fact that Chrysalis would choose to launch another attack on the kingdom, it was to be expected from the likes of her. However she'd expected this much earlier on, perhaps she'd allowed herself to become complacent in the false concept of nothing occurring due to the lack of activity.

Unfortunately such thoughts brought her back to the thoughts regarding Ulquiorra and his actions... distasteful as they were to give thought to. The very thought of it all was... unsettling right down to her very core. She really didn't want to think about what he was doing at the changeling's hive right now... if indeed there was a hive.

Another disturbing thought entered her mind, that relating to earlier thoughts about the extent of the invasion. Supposedly a hundred and twelve drones had infiltrated Canterlot and replaced various citizens, those currently being sought out by the royal guard in a massive search and rescue effort. But what if there were more? What if, during Ulquiorra's absence, more changelings had arrived and were masquerading themselves right now, and she was none the wiser? She couldn't see their mana patterns, reiatsu or whatever he called it. How many of her loyal subjects weren't actually her loyal subjects right now? She hadn't noticed the last invasion, how was she supposed to recognize this one any better?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a disturbance. An incredibly familiar disturbance in the field of magic, in the form of a scroll materializing just above her head. Without a word she magically took hold and unfurled it to read what it had to say.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I trust Ulquiorra informed you about the situation here in Ponyville regarding the changelings. Please tell me that he did, otherwise this letter isn't going to make any sense.

I'm pleased to report that the missing thirty eight ponies have all been located and are safe and sound, Fluttershy included. All of them have been rescued from the cocoons and they're currently recovering nicely if a bit slowly.

I'm not quite as pleased to report that all of the changelings in Ponyville have been dispatched. Ulquiorra is quite efficient in his methods, but they're quite horrifying to consider. I'd rather not talk about those if that's alright with you.

How're things going on your end? Is the situation under control in Canterlot? What's the scope of the changeling situation?

Signed,
Twilight Sparkle

Celestia gave a faint smile as she came to the end of the letter. At least the situation in Ponyville was well in hand... hoof... that Arrancar's dialect was rubbing off on her. That wasn't important right now, what was important was that all of the Elements of Harmony were safe and together. As long as that was the case there was hope regardless of the situation.

This was a letter that required an immediate response.

Fluttershy groaned and rubbed her head with one hoof, and used her other to shield her eyes as she came around, slowly sitting herself up from where she laid on the ground. Everything was so bright, and loud, and it hurt her head like she was suffering from a migraine. What'd happened to her?

"Flutters!"

She didn't even have time to cringe at the volume of the voice, before she found herself being vigorously hugged by a bundle of colors. A bundle that she was slowly realizing was a very excited Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow Dash? What... what happened?" she asked.

"You don't remember?" Rainbow Dash asked as she pulled back to look at her friend's confused face. She really didn't remember. "You got replaced by a changeling. We just found you and the other missing townsponies not too long ago. You're the last one to come around and wake up," she informed her.

"A changeling? Oh my. Is everypony alright? Is anyone hurt?" she asked, finding new motivation to move her tired and aching body. Were all the other ponies experiencing the same thing?

"Fortunately nopony is hurt," Twilight said as she came into view and smiled at her friend. "We're so glad you're alright, Fluttershy, we were really worried about you."

"We were really lucky that Mr. Cifer was here today. He was the only one that managed ta see through the changeling's disguise, and know it wasn' the real you," Applejack added as she stepped up. "He wound up saving ya an' the whole town. We had a full scale invasion on our hooves fer a while."

Fluttershy blinked. It was Ulquiorra who saved her and everypony else? She had him to thank? That was... that was all very conflicting. So much hostility, aggression, and a willingness to kill others without hesitation... and he'd still saved them all? Just like that? This was all very confusing. She really would need to start being nicer to him now to properly thank him for what he'd done here today.

"Just don't ask how he did it," Rainbow Dash told her.

"Um... Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy spoke up as she looked at her friend, or more specifically the bandages on her muzzle. "What exactly happened to you?"

"You mean this?" she asked as she gestured to the bandages, "I wound up crashing into the guy when he stopped in front of me. His muscles are as hard as a mountain. I'm lucky I didn't break any bones, but I'll still be glad when the swelling goes down 'cuz I sound like a weirdo like this."

There was a shared chuckle amongst the group of friends, as well as a few other ponies who were close by. Although the laughing soon stopped as Spike released a firey belch and brought forth a scroll that landed in his claws.

"What's it say, Spike?" Twilight asked even as he was busy unrolling the scroll to actually read it.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

Yes Ulquiorra has indeed informed me of the changeling situation in Ponyville. I'm quite pleased to hear that all the victims have been rescued and are doing fine.

The situation in Canterlot is well in hoof and there's no need to worry. The royal guard is currently involved in its own search and rescue for the missing Canterlot citizens, but I have every reason to believe everything will go well. However I do request your presence and the presence of the others, as soon as Fluttershy is well enough to travel. While the situation is under control, it's best to explain it face to face in a properly structured situation. Since Ulquiorra returned without his escort, the chariot is still available to bring all of you to the palace.

Hoping to see you soon, my most faithful student.

Signed,
Princess Celestia

"Wow..." Twilight breathed as Spike finished reading the letter. That was all she could think of to say at the moment. Princess Celestia was requesting an audience with them. This was... incredible! "Wow..." she repeated.

"An audience with Princess Celestia? Simply marvelous!" Rarity stated.

"Yeah. Just great. For you guys maybe, but I've gotta stay here," Spike stated. "You might all be able to squeeze onto the chariot, but there won't be any room for me. And there's no way we can take the chest with the Elements of Harmony in it either, you can forget about that," he pointed out.

Twilight hated to admit it, but Spike had a very good point. The royal chariots really didn't have a great deal of room to them, and she really didn't know if all six of them could actually fit on it together; it was possible Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy would have to fly alongside. It was entirely possible Spike could ride on one of their backs to compensate for the lack of space. But that presented the possibility of him accidentally falling off if there were strong enough wind gusts. This definitely presented a difficult situation to be in.

Or at least it did until an idea came to her.

"Well Spike, if you're going to be here I've got an important task for you. We might've found all the ponies but there's still a lot of work that needs to be done here to ensure everyone's safety. And I think someone who's a skilled tactician would best be able to figure out how to keep everypony safe while we're away," she said as rested a hoof on his small shoulder.

"Really?" Spike asked, intrigued by the idea of being trusted with something of such importance.

"Really," Twilight nodded. "And if we need the Elements of Harmony, I'll send you a note and you can send them direct the same way you submit our friendship reports."

"That's a pretty tall order, Twilight, it's gonna take a whole lot of fire to do something like that," Spike pointed out. However he was quick to add, "but I can do it! It's just gonna take some extra effort to engulf the whole chest."

"That's the spirit, Spike, I knew I could trust my number one assistant to keep things going," she said as she nuzzled his cheek. Finally she turned to the others. "Alright girls. Princess Celestia asked for us to attend, what're we waiting for?"

This Ulquiorra Cifer was certainly strange. Not just in appearance and species but his basic personality. He'd come to her hive for the purpose of killing her, and instead he'd chosen to aid her in her goal of taking the throne of Equestria away from Celestia. He was even escorting her, and her hive's sizable forces, back to Canterlot to ensure their success.

Which brought up another strange aspect of him; flight. He was actually flying right beside her without the use of wings, the white material of his pants flapping about in the wind as he traveled along at an even pace with her as if it was nothing.

But still, there was something that didn't sit right, something she just couldn't shake...

"Ulquiorra Cifer. A word please," Chrysalis spoke up. His only response was an aside glance in her direction. She took that as a cue to continue addressing him. "Don't think that I'm not grateful to you and your willingness to help me retake Canterlot and all of Equestria for my hive. What I want to understand is why, when you originally served Princess Celestia. What changed your mind?" she asked.

"It was the only logical course of action open to me," Ulquiorra replied evenly as he affixed his gaze ahead. "You were the one who defeated Celestia. By all rights, rule is yours regardless of the fact you were ambushed by a third party, and she slipped back in during the resulting chaos. While I was loyal to her, it was a mistake on my part due to a lack of information to form an educated opinion of the facts. She is nothing more than a false ruler who deprived you of what is truly yours, and used trickery to gain my servitude. All that happens from this point on is setting things right."

Chrysalis listened in silence as the Espada -a term she didn't recognize but didn't feel like asking about just yet- explained his reasons for helping her. However her silence was interrupted as he shot forward, and turned to look back towards her directly... all the while flying backwards!

"There are also a number of aspects about Celestia's personality that I believe make her unfit for continued rule. She is too soft in nature, and unwilling to take a course of action, no matter how necessary, if the end result involves a loss of life. Her failing to kill you upon your first encounter is proof of such and now her mistake is coming back to her," he stated. She scowled in response. "I may have been loyal to Celestia but I did not respect her or her softness. You are quite different. I believe you have the character aspects far more suitable for a ruler, such as ruthlessness and a willingness to sacrifice a few of your own troops if necessary. It is only logical that you hold the throne of Equestria, since you are a true queen. Unlike Celestia, you I like."

He liked her... he liked her! He liked her? She didn't know whether to be highly intrigued, or absolutely repulsed by this announcement. Making the matter worse -besides the fact she still couldn't ascertain the true reason of his sudden loyalty- was how with no further discussion, he turned back forward to continue his escort, leaving her with an unobstructed view of his clothed backside in the process.

She'd sort it all out later. Right now she had a kingdom to retake and the force necessary to do just that! The days of Celestia were number for sure this time, and that number was down to zero!

"I still say we should've brought the Elements of Harmony with us..." Pinkie muttered.

Canterlot palace was eerily quiet as they stepped through the halls, a stark contrast to the chariot ride over that'd been filled with talking, and even some measure of laughing. The only sounds really heard was from their own voices, and the soft clopping of their hooves against the marble floors as they made their way to the throne room. The entire area seemed devoid of all life, both in guards, and servants, save for the scant appearance of one or two members of the staff occasionally encountered in an isolated manner. It was disturbingly morbid, like walking through a mausoleum or something of a similar nature.

"We could've worn them on the way up, like we did when dealing with Discord, and it wouldn't have taken up anymore room," Pinkie continued.

"Pinkie Pie," Twilight spoke as she turned to face the pink earth pony on her right. "Look. I know you're concerned and you've got a bad feeling about this. But Princess Celestia said the whole situation was under control. I really don't think she would've said that if we really needed to bring the Elements of Harmony with us. She's so much more thorough than that," Twilight pointed out.

Pinkie did have a good point. They simply could have removed the Elements of Harmony from their chest and brought them individually. Halfway up here to Canterlot she'd been the one to bring up the matter first, asking if it was really wise to leave them back at home with the changelings running around. It was surprising really, that she would've thought about it before anypony else.

But just as the matter with bringing Spike, bringing the Elements of Harmony in such a manner presented a new difficulty to take into account. While wearing them would've reduced the amount of needed space, it did nothing to secure them against being lost should turbulence be encountered. Just because Discord couldn't steal them, didn't mean something else couldn't happen to them.

"You've got to trust Princess Celestia, she'd never do anything deliberate to cause anypony harm," she added as they finally reached the throne room of the palace, finding it equally deserted, except for the presence of the aforementioned ruler who was in the process of pacing about. "Princess Celestia!" she called and more or less bounded over to her, her friends showing considerably more restraint.

Princess Celestia turned at the sound of her name and smiled at the sight of Twilight and her friends. "Twilight, it's so good to see you, I'm so glad you could come so quickly," she greeted as her student came to a skidding halt on the floor before her. "I trust you and your friends are all unharmed and accounted for?"

"Everypony's present and accounted for, thanks to Ulquiorra's assistance. I still can't believe he's the only one who saw through the changeling's disguise, and knew Fluttershy was missing. If he hadn't come to Ponyville today, I don't know what the situation would be," Twilight stated.

The irony of the whole situation. She'd dispatched Ulquiorra to Ponyville in an effort to show trust of him, and how did he repay her? By uncovering a changeling invasion taking place right under her nose. Right now she was quite glad she placed her trust in the Espada despite his nature.

"You aren't the only one that was fooled, dear Twilight, Canterlot has been afflicted as well. At least one of my own royal guard members was replaced, and even I didn't know any different; not even when they were in the throne room with me. The situation is indeed quite serious," Princess Celestia told her. "Currently everypony able and willing to lend a hoof, is assisting in a search and rescue mission, for the over one hundred ponies that aren't currently accounted for, the guards included."

"We can help!" Rainbow Dash stated as she and the others approached.

"That's very kind of you to offer, Rainbow Dash," Princess Celestia stated. She expected nothing less from the Element of Loyalty. However she was stopped as she noticed something out of place. "Rainbow Dash? Whatever happened to your face?" she asked at the sight of the bandage, tilting her head in mild confusion.

"I wasn't looking where I was going, and wound up crashing right into the dude's back when we were all running to Ponyville. He's a lot faster than I thought," Rainbow Dash replied, grumbling at the last part. The others chuckled in response.

"Hey speakin' o' Mr. Cifer where is tha' scrawny fella anyway?" Applejack asked.

"We managed to discover information pertaining to the location of the changeling hive, and had reason to believe was accurate. Ulquiorra went to investigate and deal with the situation if it proved necessary," Princess Celestia explained.

Almost immediately a group shudder was issued from the six. Dealing with the situation under Ulquiorra's standard was... nightmarish in nature.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I feel sorry for Chrysalis if she must face him on her own," Rarity stated. She'd only been informed of the details regarding the invasion of Ponyville after the fact, spared the firsthoof accounts due to being locked away in the boutique, and working her hooves to the bone. Having been informed of the situation afterwards had done nothing to spare her the horrors she'd encountered. And if a force like that was going to face the changelings right at their front door... she really didn't want to think about what would be encountered, her stomach really couldn't take it.

"Ya ain' the only one. Ah got no love fer Chrysalis, but tha' Mr. Cifer is absolutely brutal. Ya remember what he did ta tha' dragon las' week?" Applejack asked, shuddering in memory. That beating had been... savage to put it nicely. She still couldn't forget the crunch she'd heard when he'd so effortlessly broken the dragon's claw like it was kindling.

"Yeah! Ulqy's like a walking bug zapper!" Pinkie stated. The others chuckled in agreement with her analysis.

However the chuckling soon came to a stop, as the sound of buzzing filled the air and alerted everypony to a problem. Running over to the balcony window they could easily see just what that problem was; hundreds of changelings had filled the air above the palace, just like last time. This was very, very bad.

"I knew we should've brought the Elements of Harmony. But does anypony listen to me? Noooo!" Pinkie stated. Why is it whenever she knew what the right answer was everypony wanted to learn that fact the hard way?

"Looks like we got us a situation on our hooves," Applejack commented, uncertain of what else she could say on the matter.

"Indeed you do."

Everyone turned at the sound of the unexpected voice to see Ulquiorra standing at the entrance to the throne room with his hands stuffed in his pockets and... and much to their surprise, Chrysalis was standing not far behind him, looking completely unharmed, and in sharp contrast to what they'd been expecting to see.

"Ulquiorra? What's the meaning of this? Why is Chrysalis here and... more importantly why is she unharmed?" Princess Celestia asked.

"Queen Chrysalis is present to reclaim what is rightfully hers. And it is my intention to aid her in achieving that goal," Ulquiorra explained calmly as he began walking forward.

"Now jus' an apple pickin' minute here! Whadda ya mean wha's rightfully hers?" Applejack demanded to know.

"The throne to Equestria. Celestia was defeated by Queen Chrysalis, rightfully the kingdom is hers and hers alone. The fact that Celestia remains is an injustice that must be addressed," he explained calmly as he continued stepping forward.

"This is most glorious! Celestia you have no idea how much you've helped me, by sending this fine specimen after me. He was quite eager to help me out, once he learned the truth of the situation. I must say, if you didn't send him, I don't know what I would've done," Chrysalis cackled as she followed.

Princess Celestia's mouth hung open as her eyes went wide. It couldn't be true... and yet here was Ulquiorra, standing before her, and confirming it as being the truth. He'd gone over to Chrysalis' side just like that. "How could you?" she demanded to know.

"It was the only logical conclusion that could be reached under the given circumstances," Ulquiorra replied simply. "You were correct to be suspicious of my nature, and whether or not I could be trusted. Did you ever wonder why I was so quick to swear my allegiance to you upon our first meeting? Simply to ensure my survival, and continued existence in your presence. I recognized that your power was greater than my own at the time, it was in my best interest to keep you happy and placated. I had motivation to prostrate, humiliate, and kowtow myself to you, in order to make you believe I wasn't a threat, making you believe I was far weaker than I truly am, all in hopes you wouldn't analyze the situation too carefully. Imagine my surprise when it worked," he continued as he approached closer. "However the time for such deception has come to an end. I will no longer be humiliating myself in your name. I serve Queen Chrysalis now, and a new reign will begin."

Ulquiorra concluded by bringing his right hand forward and snapping his fingers. Immediately over a dozen changeling drones buzzed through the open window, and tackled those that held the Element of Harmony, pinning them to the ground before they could do anything in response.

"Quite marvelous isn't he?" Chrysalis asked with a smirking grin directed at Celestia. "It's a shame you didn't appreciate true talent when you first saw it."

"I knew I never should have trusted you when Discord brought you to me," Princess Celestia stated as she scowled at Ulquiorra. How could she not see the treachery in him?

"And yet you did. Your foolishness will be your downfall," Ulquiorra replied and grasped the hilt of his zanpakutō.

In a burst of sonido he was gone, leaving Chrysalis very confused at where he went, as well as what that noise was resulting from his disappearance. Immediately afterward he appeared in front of Celestia with his zanpakutō drawn back over his left shoulder, swinging it forward to cut off Celestia's head.

His blade never met its target as it was effortlessly stopped by another blade, resulting in an otherworldly clang. Apparently Celestia wasn't caught completely off guard.

She stood strong, a glowing double edged broadsword formed from her own magic easily holding Ulquiorra's sword at bay, despite the impressive strength he held in his small frame. They were close enough to each other they could easily see what their opponent held in their eyes. In Ulquiorra's nothing but treason and murder. In Celestia's nothing but vengeance.

"You'll pay for this, I promise you that. You'll pay for your treachery," Princess Celestia informed him before pushing her sword forward, completely overwhelming Ulquiorra, and sending him flying back, his feet skidding against the carpeted floor as he tried to stop himself from losing any further ground.

Princess Celestia didn't even wait before launching herself forward, her wings spread wide as she pressed the assault, her sword of concentrated mana crashing against his zanpakutō held in a one handed grip, a look of pure determination on her face. Unfortunately for her, her opponent wasn't losing anymore ground, nor was he moving from his spot despite the beats of her wings.

Ulquiorra responded by swinging his left leg upward to kick her in the side of the head. Or at least try to do so, if she didn't duck just in time, narrowly avoiding a direct blow to her horn.

Off to the sides Chrysalis watched, grinning in amusement and disbelief as events unfolded before her. Never would she have believed her good fortune. The slashes of swords and clashes of blades meeting as the two sides struggled for absolute dominance over the other. On one side Celestia, fighting for what the alicorn truly had no right to possess. On the other side Ulquiorra Cifer, fighting on her behalf and her entire hive. And the way he so easily appeared and disappeared from view faster than she could blink as he tried to get an advantage over Celestia! It was absolutely marvelous!

Or at least it would be, if it weren't for the sounds coming from the captured ponies, as they struggled in a futile attempt to get free from her drones that held them down so they couldn't interfere.

"Stop fussing so much and simply enjoy the show. It's not everyday you see a tyrant dethroned to allow the proper ruler to ascend," she told them and turned her attention back to the fight just in time to see yet another clashing of swords, in this case Ulquiorra's sword being blocked from completing a proper thrust by the blunt side of Celestia's sword.

She was quick, Ulquiorra noted. Celestia was able to easily intercept his attack as if it were nothing. However her reflexes would only aid her so far, there was nothing preventing her from being overwhelmed. Immediately he pulled back and pressed on with his attack, a series of continual rapid forward thrusts in Celestia's direction, easily overwhelming her defenses, and forcing her to backtrack as he pressed on, making her duck, dodge and move to avoid getting impaled.

"So much for you truly being immortal," Ulquiorra commented. Why would any being who couldn't die do everything in their power to avoid getting struck? It didn't make any sense. In a flash of sonido he was out of her sight, reappearing above her and in the perfect position to strike with a downward swing right across her exposed back.

If only it'd done some good.

Rather than a deep bleeding cut that severed her spinal column, and left her crumpled on the floor, his zanpakutō didn't even penetrate her skin, coming to a complete stop at her side.

It seemed the intensity of her reiatsu really was enough, that he couldn't hurt her even when she was caught off guard.

"Shit."

"Indeed," Princess Celestia replied and instantly snagged him around his scrawny neck with a golden magical band, easily throwing him to the floor before he had any chance to react. "You'll learn that those who threaten my kingdom and my subjects pay the price!" she stated as she reared up on her hind legs and stomped on his chest with her front hooves.

All the parties involved watched as Celestia repeatedly stomped on Ulquiorra's frame, slamming him against the ground with each successful impact, and all the while his body laying unmoving, except for the natural physical reaction to the incoming blows that shook his limbs. It was all very brutal and painful to watch.

Right up to the point where Ulquiorra reached up with his left hand, grabbing hold of Princess Celestia's right leg by her hoof, stopping its -and her- descent, followed by flipping his body up and out of the way, and delivering a brutal kick just under her chin, the action serving as a launching point to right himself and land on his feet. Then the display stopped being quite so painful to watch.

"You'd better hope I don't get loose from here or I'm really gonna let you have it!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she tried to throw the changelings off of her but without much success.

Ulquiorra remained silent as he quickly considered his available options. He needed to be quick, as Celestia was already recovering, and would soon be out for his head. Immediately he bolted for the balcony window, planting one foot on the railing, and leaping into the air to take off.

"I don't care how many times I see that, it still isn't right. Nopony should be able to fly without wings!" Rainbow Dash stated angrily.

Was she joking? Equestria was facing what was likely the greatest threat it'd ever known, and Rainbow Dash was upset that Ulquiorra could fly without wings? Twilight so wanted to facehoof right now.

It was necessary to get away from here. Celestia was far too strong for him to hope to beat in up front combat, and even in subversive combat, it wouldn't work as he couldn't manage to harm her. If he couldn't even cut through her reiatsu currently, what chance did he have as he was right now?

His thoughts were interrupted by a disturbance in his pesquisa. In a bright flash of light Celestia appeared before him in the sky high above Canterlot, easily cutting off his intended escape route.

"I won't allow you to escape me. Not after you've betrayed me like this, Ulquiorra. I intend to see to it that you pay for these crimes. And this time you will most certainly pay, I guarantee you that," Celestia told him firmly as she reformed her sword once again.

He didn't even blink before responding. "You're mistaken," he said before disappearing from her view in a flash of sonido, appearing both above and behind her by a good bit. "I have no intention of trying to escape your pursuit. Rather, I am simply gaining sufficient distance, to ensure Canterlot palace doesn't collapse in my presence, and cause harm to the true and proper ruler of Equestria," Ulquiorra stated calmly.

Celestia watched wordlessly as Ulquiorra lifted his zanpakutō and stretched his arm outward, the tip aimed directly for her, the look in his eyes...

"Enclose, Murciélago..."

Chapter Twenty Five

Chapter Twenty Five

At these words, Princess Celestia's mouth dropped, and her eyes went wide at the scene that was unfolding before her. She watched in horror as the chain bindings of her spell wrapped around Ulquiorra's zanpakutō, and provided a contrast to the glow of the blade, before violently shattering and exploding outward under the strain of what they were attempting to restrain.

"Oh shit!" she found herself saying without even thinking about it. The phrase from his world seemed highly appropriate for the occasion and these circumstances based on what she remembered from his memories.

From his position overhead, a massive eruption of pure black energy with a haunting teal green outline exploded outward like flames in a most violent fashion, the sheer magnitude sufficient enough to completely blot out her beloved sun from her view. Just looking at the display was enough to make her feel like her heart had stopped beating.

She could feel rain beating down on her body and her wings now. But it wasn't rain that was falling on her position, rain wasn't green, nor did it tingle against her skin like this! She could feel it running down her face, a drop landing on her tongue, her face screwing up from the sickly sour taste that instantly registered with her, and was quickly spat out in disgust.

Mana. Pure, highly concentrated mana. Ulquiorra's mana. His body was putting out so much mana, it was literally clumping together in the sky, and being given a physical form capable of interacting with the world surrounding it, simply due to its concentration. What kind of monster could release such huge amounts of energy at one time in such a wasteful manner?

She got her answer the moment the downpour stopped, and the flames cleared from the sky. And upon first sight of what remained behind, she wished she never asked. She had at least some understanding of what she was facing based on the memories she'd seen, but nothing could have possibly prepared her for actually witnessing it first hoof. Her eyes went wide with terror at what stood before her.

"Sweet merciful Faust!"

It was difficult to put into words the pain that they felt right now. Not from being forced to lay in an uncomfortable position on the hard marble floor, held down by changelings, who weren't exactly well known for their cuddly exteriors. Rather the pain they were experiencing right now was internal and emotional, the hurt of betrayal.

Ulquiorra had betrayed their trusts in order to serve Chrysalis, and without even the slightest hint that he doubted the legitimacy of Princess Celestia's rule. He'd so readily abandoned everything they'd been through together up to this point as if it didn't matter in the least. It was the coldest, most heartless manner that was physically possible. Even after saving them from the dragon, and discovering the changeling invasion, he'd still turned his back on them, and everything that could've been, in order to serve their enemy.

Making it all the worse, was how Chrysalis stood behind them and chuckled wildly as the fight unfolded. Even after Ulquiorra had departed, and Princess Celestia gave chase, she was still amused.

The laughter is what finally got to Twilight, driving her to the point she couldn't stand anymore. She grit her teeth and growled, her horn flaring to life and enveloping each changeling drone in her magical aura, effortlessly lifting them up and off of herself and her friends, before they were slammed together, heads butting up against heads, and knocking them unconscious, before they were finally cast aside like garbage, and allowing all of them to be free again.

Chrysalis wasn't laughing anymore. Instead she looked on with a shocked face; too shocked to respond a Twilight dove in a flying tackle, knocking her to the ground, and allowing her to stare down at her, her teeth exposed and lips drawn back in a violent snarl as her eyes narrowed.

"You put Ulquiorra under a spell just like you did my brother! Release him right now!" she ordered fiercely and stomped on Chrysalis to emphasize her demand.

Much to her displeasure, Chrysalis merely started laughing all over again, unconcerned by the stomp.

"You really are a foalish little pony," Chrysalis commented, her horn glowing neon green as Twilight was forcefully yanked off of her by the tail, resulting in a pain filled yelp in the process. "What makes you so certain your dear Ulquiorra Cifer is under a spell? Your friend chose to serve me of his own free will. When he heard of my plight, he was all too eager to willingly serve me, and escort my hive here so that we might reclaim what's ours."

"Tha's nothin' but a load o' horse apples! Mr. Cifer wouldn' do nothin' like that!" Applejack stated and stomped her hoof.

"Yeah Ulqy's no traitor!" Pinkie added.

"If you don't release him right now, Chrysalis, I'll... I'll... I'll blow your head right off your shoulders, and splatter your brains all over the back wall!" Twilight threatened as her horn began glowing brightly.

Chrysalis chuckled in an amused manner at the threat. "Oh dear Twilight Sparkle, you have so much spirit," she commented and yanked on the unicorn's tail again, causing her to yelp again and lose her concentration from the pain. "I'll enjoy breaking you, and your friends, of that spirit in due time," she said as she leaned in and licked her right across her lips. She already had big, big plans for Celestia's most prized student.

Twilight reached out to bite down on Chrysalis' tongue but missed by a mile, the changeling far too quick for her, and finding amusement in her actions.

However that amusement suddenly stopped as a massive wave struck them all at the same time, leaving Chrysalis to gasp at what she felt. It was like the air had suddenly become dense and incredibly hard, stifling in nature, and too thick to breathe. Turning her attention away from Twilight, she looked upward. The drones that hadn't yet descended to reclaim the city, or the palace, were falling out of the air like flies, unable to resist the sensations they were experiencing. What was happening? What was this overwhelming presence that left her with the sensations of millions of needles pressing against her exoskeleton?

"Get 'er!"

She was so distracted that by the time she realized just what was going on, it was far too late to respond to the five mares tackling her all at once, and driving her to the ground, breaking her concentration in the process, and leaving Twilight to drop to her hooves, and have an unobstructed view of the source of the overwhelming presence.

At first all Twilight could see was the darkness in the sky, and the green rain of concentrated mana falling from the sky, and deluging everything. And then it cleared, and her eyes went wide with terror at what she saw.

It was Ulquiorra... but at the same time it wasn't Ulquiorra. The Ulquiorra they knew didn't have wings, or a Hollow mask that was symmetrical and served as a helmet, or all encompassing white robes that displayed his Hollow hole rather than hiding it, or commanded a presence that left them feeling cold and full of fear just at the sight of him, and made it hard to breathe.

This wasn't their Ulquiorra any longer. This was something completely different.

Princess Celestia's lungs burnt with fire from holding her breath for so long. She hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath since Ulquiorra' transformation until then. Her mind simply couldn't properly wrap around the facts, all of it too hard to believe.

"How long?" she asked him hoarsely.

"Since the very beginning," Ulquiorra replied as he looked down on her from his position. "I have been able to utilize my resurrección since the moment you placed your restricting spell on me. I simply allowed you to believe you'd succeeded in sealing off my released state. As I said, I prostrated myself before you as a matter of my own survival. Showing you how you'd failed, and I was still a threat to you and your kingdom, wouldn't have been the wise thing to do," he pointed out. "Did you honestly believe that I would tip my hand so easily? You're more foolish than I assumed. All the more reason for a soft and uneducated figurehead to be dethroned. It's the only logical conclusion available."

"Well then..." Princess Celestia muttered as she tried her best to muster her courage and steel her resolve to see this through. It was far too late to turn back now. "It would seem you've made your decision. Now I'm making mine..."

Ulquiorra watched in silence, observing Celestia with his pesquisa at her words. Immediately he could both see and feel her reiatsu flaring dramatically around her, and stretching out into the immediate area, like the flames of a forest fire. If she was trying to crush him with her presence, then she was most certainly off to an impressive start of showing her full strength.

Up until a point anyway. Her reiatsu had skyrocketed to a point he'd never witnessed previously, before finally coming to a complete stop. Was that really the full extent of her strength? She was certainly quite strong, he couldn't deny that. But based on his earlier encounters, he was expecting much more than this.

"You're strong," Ulquiorra admitted willingly, "however you cannot possibly hope to defeat me through strength alone. Unlike you, I am honed in matters relating to armed and unarmed combat. You cannot hope to compete with me, having experienced nothing but peace during your reign. You're soft and undisciplined," he explained.

"We'll just have to see about that," Princess Celestia responded and once again summoned her sword of pure mana. So much for hoping to cause him pain and suffering with the presence of her magical strength, he wasn't even flinching. She was going to have to do this the hard way. "I might not have your experience, but it looks like you're at a considerable disadvantage. Even with your sword, you couldn't lay a scratch on me. What can you do now without it?" she asked him.

"You're quite foolish. In my released state I have no need for my zanpakutō, as I have other weapons at my disposal. Allow me to introduce you to my Luna," Ulquiorra spoke. Immediately a javelin of green energy formed in his right hand. "Luz de la Luna..."

Princess Celestia didn't even have time to blink, as Ulquiorra was immediately in front of her, his javelin slamming into her sword, and easily sending her hurtling backwards end over end, his physical strength unbelievably greater than before. Had he really gotten so strong in his released state, or had he simply caught her off guard? Quickly she righted herself, and ground herself to a halt in the sky.

She saw Ulquiorra coming in fast and headed directly for her. Immediately she readied her sword to parry the coming blow. Unfortunately in doing so she was deprived of her hoofhold, and she found herself easily being overpowered, and driven back as if it was absolutely nothing. She had no idea that it was possible for him to deploy so much overwhelming strength with such ease and skill that it looked effortless.

One thing was definitely for certain. This battle was going to get ugly long before it came to an end.

Chrysalis struggled on the ground. She'd been stomped on, sat on, jumped on, spat on, her limbs hogtied with rope in a most uncomfortable manner, and now Fluttershy was staring at her. And all the while she was trying her best to break free. How had these ponies gotten so strong, as to launch a successful fight against her when they possessed no significant magical aptitude?

"When I get free I swear you'll all pay for this! I'll banish you all to the deepest, darkest part of the mountain underneath Canterlot palace! Not even Celestia herself will ever be able to escape and the caverns shall become your tomb!"

Applejack grunted in response as she finished tying the knot with her teeth, making sure to tie it extra tight for maximum hold and discomfort on Chrysalis' part. "We'll jus' see 'bout that. Rar' ya mind bein' a dear an' doin' the honors?" she asked.

"Gladly dear," Rarity replied as she walked over to where Chrysalis lay. "This is quite unladylike, and even barbaric, but it's most certainly necessary under these circumstances," she stated before lowering her head, taking hold of Chrysalis' horn in her mouth between her teeth, and biting down as hard as she could.

Immediately Chrysalis' entire body jerked as she screamed in intense pain, howling like a banshee at having her horn bitten down on. Even casual injury would be excruciating, but this went far beyond that and left her with blurry and swimming vision, her voice stripped raw from all the screaming she was forced to do.

Rarity finally let go and spat to get the foul taste of changeling out of her mouth, finding it quite repulsive in nature, and easily capable of rivaling their offensive odor. "If our dear guest is anything like normal unicorns, she won't be able to perform any of her magic for hours now. And even if she tries, we'll just bite her again!" she stated over Chrysalis' continued screaming. "But somepony else will have to do it next time."

"Nice work there Rar'," Applejack commented.

The situation was well in hoof. For all intents and purposes, Chrysalis was defeated and unable to hurt anypony, all thanks to Twilight's friends.

However that wasn't enough to sit well with Twilight as she continued watching, oblivious to the acts of her friends, or their actions, due to her unyielding focus on the events above as they played out before her.

High up above Ulquiorra and Princess Celestia were flying about, their weapons clashing violently as they tried to strike each other down. Princess Celestia was holding her own against Ulquiorra so far... but as the battle went on, it seemed the balance of power was slowly tipping out of her favor.

Whenever Princess Celestia managed to get into the right position to land what just had to be a bone shattering kick, she could easily knock Ulquiorra sideways and out of the air, forcing him to compensate and right himself in order to reengage in combat, leaving him vulnerable to a counterattack.

But these moments of success were few and far between. Anytime there was a direct clash and Ulquiorra landed a hit, Princess Celestia was being exposed to more thrust than she could overcome, and she was sent flying back. Ulquiorra was flashing in and out of existence with his sonido, striking against her, and disappearing from view only to reappear in a completely different location, and strike at her again, before repeating the entire pattern in an unending cycle.

Even from down here, she could tell that Princess Celestia was having trouble just keeping up with his pace, as he slowly but surely wore her down. Her movements were slowly getting more sluggish and sloppy in nature, and she was having an ever more difficult time retaliating against him.

"Anything we can do to help out?"

Her attention was finally torn away from the battle between her beloved mentor, and her despised enemy, to see her friends standing next to her and looking just as concerned as she was.

"Or maybe anything that I can do to help out?" Rainbow Dash asked and stepped forward in the small group.

"I don't think you could even get close to him, Rainbow Dash," Twilight replied and shook her head, "Ulquiorra's body was putting out huge amounts of mana unlike I've ever seen before. I don't think there's anything we could do that'd amount to any good in this situation," she explained and turned her attention back skyward, just in time to see Ulquiorra appear from behind, and land a kick to Princess Celestia's back that sent her hurtling across the sky. "I'm afraid this is one battle that Princess Celestia will have to deal with on her own..."

Princess Celestia panted hard, using her wings to stabilize herself to avoid falling out of the sky. Ulquiorra had been quite accurate when he said he was honed in the art of combat, something she was sadly lacking right now. He was unbelievably fast, and incredibly brutal in his continual assault against her, not pulling any punches as he struck anytime an opening presented itself without any hesitation. It was becoming harder and harder for her to keep up with him, and he knew it as well as she did.

And this entire time, he had all this power available and simply hadn't used it. That was truly frightening to consider.

"You're burning through your reiryoku far too quickly. At this rate you'll die soon," Ulquiorra commented as he came into her view once again. "The strain of maintaining your sword's physical structure is quite taxing on you, I can see it as plain as day. Yet you can't drop it, for you know once you do, I'll kill you where you stand."

"Worry more about yourself," Princess Celestia panted, "once I get ahold of you, it'll be all over for you. I promise you that."

It'd been something she'd been trying to do since the start of this entire mess. If she could get Ulquiorra to hold still for just a few moments, she'd easily be able to snag him in her telekinetic hold, and prevent him from attacking further. All of his strength, speed, and skill would do little for him if he couldn't even move. And once she had ahold of him she could see about breaking whatever spell Chrysalis had him under. And if he wasn't under a spell... well she really doubted that his regenerative capabilities would be able to overcome his neck being snapped and twisted around.

Unfortunately Ulquiorra wasn't a foal, and seemed to understand what she was attempting to do. Every time she tried to grab hold of him with her magic, he'd sonido away before she could complete the process, and press an attack against her, forcing her to abandon her attempt, and instead opt for defending herself when he reappeared in striking range.

However she wasn't a foal either. Once she managed to figure out the pattern, she figured a way to utilize this and provoke him into attacking, allowing her to approximate where he'd pop into view, and direct her attack there, thus catching him off guard and sending him on the defensive for a change.

Unfortunately for her, Ulquiorra seemed to learn this tactic after the first couple of successful kicks she'd landed to his frame, and no longer attacked her close enough to be counterattacked. Instead he'd sonido from view, and then when she saw where he'd be, he'd do the same thing and attack from a new angle.

"Empty threats from one that no longer possesses sufficient strength to back them up. I grow tired of this pointless exchange," Ulquiorra replied dismissively. "The time has come for me to finish you once and for all," he said as he extended his left hand and pointed right at her.

Princess Celestia's eyes went wide. She recognized Ulquiorra's Cero from having seen it up close once before, but this was completely different. This Cero was of a totally black energy, with the same teal green outline as the flames of his transformation, the inward whirling trails of energy flowing like water towards a drain. This was without a doubt going to be very, very bad.

"Of all the Espada, this is my Cero and mine alone. No other Espada has proven capable of duplicating its fully powered nature," he explaiend calmly as his attack finished charging. "Allow me to show you, my Cero Oscuras."

Princess Celesia had no time to dodge or evade as the all-encompassing black wave of energy hurtled in her direction at impossible speeds, engulfing her entire frame without mercy or hesitation.

Or at least that's what would've happened under normal circumstances. In this case, however, it was a matter of Princess Celestia relinquishing her structural hold on the sword the moment she realized just what this attack was, and using the resulting mana to erect a shield capable of protecting against the assault. The sound of roaring flames rushing past her ears sounded as the Cero made contact with the outer wall of the shield, only to be parted upon impact, and going harmlessly around her where it presented no harm to her.

No harm except for leaving her exhausted as the attack came to an end, her shield dropping in response to the lack of outside stimuli to justify maintaining it. Trying to hold back the Cero Oscuras was like trying to hold back a tsunami.

"Rather impressive," Ulquiorra commented as she panted, "you're only the second in history to withstand direct contact with my Cero Oscuras. However doing so has cost you over a third of your reiryoku. Can you perform the same feat a second time?" he asked as he began charging another black Cero.

"And why do you think I'd ever stand still to let you hit me with it, when I know that it's coming?" Princess Celestia asked him pointedly. Did he really think she'd just remain in one place and take it? If he did then he was in for a very rude awakening. Now knowing what to expect when the attack was fired, she'd teleport in behind him, and strike when he was vulnerable to a counterattack. She could rip off his wings and send him hurtling to the ground like a stone before he could regenerate them.

"I already have an understanding of your nature. Including the knowledge that you would do whatever it takes to protect that which is most important to you," Ulquiorra replied and readjusted his aim from her toward Canterlot palace, not even noticing as her eyes went wide at the revelation. "Do you believe Twilight Sparkle possesses what it takes to be the third to survive my Cero Oscuras?"

He didn't even wait for her to answer, before discharging his attack again. She watched in horror as the black column raced forward... headed right for Twilight as she stood out on the balcony and watched everything unfolding.

"Hold 'er down y'all she's tryin' ta get free!" Applejack stated as Chrysalis thrashed about, trying desperately to break the rope that held her.

It hadn't even been three minutes since they tied her down, and kept her restrained, that the changeling tried to break loose again, thrashing about madly, and uttering all kinds of gibberish as she pulled against her bonds. In an instant Applejack and Pinkie were on her again and trying to keep her pinned down.

"I'm gonna snap her horn right off her head! Hold her still!" Rainbow Dash barked.

"It won't be that easy, darling, her horn is as hard as any bone would be. Strong as you may be, I don't think even you could successfully break it off," Rarity pointed out, horrified at the very idea of dehorning, but uncertain of just what she could do or say under the circumstances. She hadn't heard talk of such brutality in many years, and it left her easily caught off guard to think one of her friends would ever mention such an act so casually.

"Fine then!" she stated and turned her attention to Pinkie. "Hey Pinks you know where we can get a hacksaw, right? If we can't break her horn off, then let's just cut it off! Nice and slow too, so she's got time to really feel it." she said as she stared Chrysalis right in the eyes, a wicked grin crossing her face.

Twilight turned away from the battle above, at the sound of what her friend was talking about. Did she even realize the severity of what she was wanting to do? "Rainbow Dash!" she yelled in a horrified manner, "what's gotten into you!?"

"She's gotta pay for what she did to Fluttershy, and the rest of us! And she's way too much of a threat to keep around in her full capacity! I'm starting to think that traitor up there had a point before he turned on us, maybe we shouldn't be so forgiving to those that do us wrong like that," Rainbow Dash stated in response.

All further discussion was immediately ceased by an explosion going off overhead, and an eerie darkness creeping over the sky. Everypony's attention turned away from Chrysalis and Rainbow Dash's recommendation, in order to look up through the balcony window at what was going on to try and get a grasp of the situation.

"A black Cero?" Rainbow Dash asked, surprised that Ulquiorra could actually change the colors of his attack. And what was the significance of the color change? And what was he shooting at? Wait... was he actually... yeah he was, he was firing it right at Princess Celestia, but couldn't get through her shield. "Way ta go Princess!" she cheered.

"It's not good, Rainbow Dash," Twilight stated as the attack came to an end. She could see that Princess Celestia was exhausted by the way her wings sagged despite being raised, the way her feathers drooped, and her head hung. She might've been able to withstand the assault, but it'd taken a lot out of her; more than she'd ever seen. She'd been so engrossed in studying Princess Celestia, she didn't even notice as Ulquiorra was now aiming in her direction, and preparing to fire another Cero until it was too late.

"Scatter!" Rainbow Dash yelled as they all ran for cover. All except for Twilight, who was frozen in place in fear as she watched the Cero descend for her at frightening speed.

It never reached her.

She blinked. What just happened?

It took her a moment to realize just why she was still alive. Princess Celestia had teleported directly into the path of the Cero's trajectory, not even a hundred feet overhead with her shield deployed again. Only this time it was much bigger across, and instead of parting the cero around her like a large stone in a river the structure of the attack was forcefully split apart against the domed nature of the shield, licking at the edges like flames around a log tossed onto a campfire, its destructive powers divided and cascading over all sides, and being diluted to the point of presenting no threat.

Princess Celestia had just put herself in harm's way to save her yet again.

The Princess turned her head, just enough to see Twilight's unharmed status out of the corner of her eye, giving her a small smile of reassurance to let her know she was safe, before turning her full attention back to the shield, leaving Twilight to simply look on, beating her wings to overcome the push of the intercepted attack and to avoid losing any further altitude than she could help. She was already getting pressed further down toward the palace than she was comfortable with.

His assault on her, she could fully expect that. She was his primary target, the one who presented the most credible threat. Yet after seeing that she could withstand his Cero Oscuras, he'd unexpectedly directed his assault against the palace, and all who were inside, especially Twilight herself. The utter brutality to his actions were absolutely horrifying.

The attack stopped and Princess Celestia's shield dropped, leaving her exhausted and gasping for air this time. The effort of actually stopping such an attack, rather than simply parting it, proved to be highly taxing in nature, and leaving her unable to maintain any notion of decorum or order. She didn't know if she could do that again if she had to, and she really hoped that she didn't.

"Cero Oscuras."

She was exhausted and weak, but still had enough energy to be alerted, and horrified at the voice behind her. When had Ulquiorra managed to move directly behind her? Immediately she spun around, only to catch sight of him as he was disappearing from view.

"Made you look."

She spun back around again, seeing Ulquiorra standing there and pulling back his right arm, not to discharge another Cero, but rather to hurl his javelin at her. Immediately she drew on her mana reserves to summon another shield to protect her against the impact of the attack that perverted her dear sister's name.

Unfortunately she was a second too late, and a measuring of mana too short. While she'd erected a shield before her, it was nowhere near strong enough to completely protect against the resulting explosion caused by the Luz de la Luna detonating upon impact. The shield shattered on impact, bits of it flying in every direction, as the force of the explosion itself sent Princess Celestia flying backwards, crashing against the balcony, and just barely missing slamming into Twilight, as the bounced and rolled against the hard marble floor, skidding to a stop on her side with one of her wings trapped under her body.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight screamed in horror and dashed over to her teacher's side. She was covered in bleeding cuts, deep scrapes, and burn marks that left her smouldering, many of her feathers charred black or otherwise melted, entire patches of once magnificent white fur now barren and absent.

"Twilight," Princess Celestia replied weakly and coughed between labored breaths, "I'm so sorry for all of this. I didn't know this would happen."

"Princess Celestia don't be silly, you don't have to be sorry. We've just gotta get you out of here so we can get you better," Twilight stated anxiously. She needed to get her back up on her hooves, get her walking and get the hay out of the throne room, and do so quickly before Ulquiorra could arrive to finish what he'd started.

"That will not be happening."

All activity in the room froze at the sound of the voice. Turning they could see Ulquiorra standing on the balcony and making his way in at a slow and painfully deliberate manner, another javelin forming in his hand in the process. Up close he was even more terrifying than far away.

"The reign of Princess Celestia has come to an end. There is nothing any of you can do to stop it," he stated calmly as he made his way over to where Celestia laid, his wings folding to allow him easy entry through the balcony, before extending one again.

"We'll see about that!" Rainbow Dash stated and dove into a flying tackle in his direction.

The impact of her hooves was solid against him. Unfortunately the contact proved to be with one of his sizable wings that'd folded up in front of him and served as she shield. It flexed briefly, before unfurling and sending her hurtling backward, brushing her away like trash, and sent her crashing against one of the palace walls.

Twilight watched everything unfolding in horror. Princess Celestia was horribly injured. The Elements of Harmony were back in Ponyville, and they had no way of contacting Spike. None of her friends could come anywhere near the measure of strength necessary to oppose Ulquiorra. The situation looked hopeless.

But she wasn't about to give up without trying. To the last drop of her blood, she would fight for everything that was important to her!

"Don't you come any closer!" Twilight barked as she stood between Ulquiorra and Princess Celestia, her horn glowing brightly, to the point sparks were beginning to fall from the tip. Princess Celestia had protected her from harm so many times, now it was time for her to return the favor. Ulquiorra was not getting past her without a fight.

"No Twilight!" Princess Celestia protested. She watched as Ulquiorra stepped closer and closer with a murderous intent in his eyes. Her limbs were scrambled and weak, like burnt rubber bands, unwilling to move no matter how much she willed them, her hooves scraping against her joints as she tried to untangle them. Ulquiorra was right on top of them now, his javelin held high at the ready. With one last push of effort and determination, she managed to force herself upright just in time to extend her -mostly- unharmed wing and sweep Twilight to the side, taking the strike in her place.

Everypony watched in horrified silence as the javelin passed completely through her, cutting apart her chest in the pass. In an instance of a flash, all the magnificent coloring Princess Celestia was known for faded out of existence, as her now off-white body began crumbling like stone.

Twilight's eyes were wide, time itself seeming to slow down to a near standstill. Princess Celestia's magnificent body, a structure some would regard as the pinnacle of absolute perfection, was crumbling like a house of millions of cards coming undone from the top down. She watched helplessly as her teacher disintegrated, her horn and wings disappearing in little tiny crystalline structures no bigger than ash, the erosion and decomposition working its way through her body at a steady peace. Loose particles from her missing limbs fell to the ground and away from the main body, piling up in a massive heap on the floor, loose particles blowing outward, as if being carried away by wind. The royal adornments she was known for wearing so proudly, lay sticking out of the pile of dust, her crown falling atop the heap with a heavy and resounding clang against the floor, and scattering the main stack of her powdered remains, before being buried under the pile of ashen remains as the last of the body crumbled apart.

Princess Celestia was dead. Dead and reduced to nothing more than a pile of dust and ash. A single flap of Ulquiorra's right wing was all it took to scatter her remains about the floor. And there wasn't a thing any of them could do about it, except watch in muted silence.

"No," Twilight choked out, tears streaming down her face as she dropped to her knees and sobbed uncontrollably next to what remained of the pile of ash and dust. "No!" she wailed as the sobs became all out crying.

There was the sound of ropes snapping, and a triumphant yell as Chrysalis finally managed to break free and climb back to her hooves. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever believe she would actually see the downfall of Celestia in such a manner. She'd had dreams about seeing the alicorn imprisoned and forced to work in her hive for the rest of her life, but this... this was so much more rewarding! The mightiest being in the entire world was dead! And now there was nothing that stood in her way of absolute domination!

"Guards!" she called. Immediately more changelings came, heeding the call of their queen and flying in through the balcony window. "Seize these ponies," she ordered. All at once her drones dive bombed the six and forced them onto the ground just as the last batch did. "Wonderful, simply wonderful!" she cackled.

Ulquiorra was silent, allowing his javelin to disappear as he knelt down and scooped the crown out of the pile of ash, dusting it off with his hand, before standing back up again and turning around.

"All hail the true ruler of Equestria," Ulquiorra stated as he approached Chrysalis, Celestia's crown held in his hands. He stood before her and reached out, depositing the crown on her head before stepping back and to the side.

"All hail Queen Chrysalis."

Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Seven

"... Chrysalis..."

Where had everything gone wrong? What had they done wrong, that lead them to their current position of hopelessness? What had happened, that had allowed the overwhelming odds to actually overwhelm them this time, and reduce all of their efforts to utter trash?

All of their planning, struggling, teamwork, and resistance, hadn't amounted to so much as spit this time around, and none of them could seem to recall a time that appeared so dark and hopeless. Nightmare Moon, Discord, King Sombra, they'd all been walks in the park compared to their current situation. Princess Celestia was dead. The Elements of Harmony were scattered across the Everfree Forest. The changelings had taken over Canterlot without opposition, and death was waiting for them and couldn't be escaped. It was enough to make them give up and...

Wait.

Wait just a minute...

Farewell Chrysalis? Was that what they'd just heard Ulquiorra say?

"What?" Chrysalis asked in utter confusion as she stepped forward. What was she hearing?

The next thing the changeling queen knew, the back of Ulquiorra's left hand landed square center with her muzzle, dislodging the crown from atop her head, and sending her flying back, and crashing into the base of the throne with a loud, cracking thud. The pain of the impact ran up and down her spinal cord, blurring her vision terribly, and reigniting the misery of her injured horn. She hadn't even seen the attack coming before it landed.

"What's the meaning of this? What's going on here!?" she demanded to know, her voice already being distorted by the swelling in her muzzle.

Without warning there was a bright flash of light that made her look away. It quickly faded and allowed her to look back, only for her eyes to go wide at what she saw.

Princess Celestia was standing in the middle of the throne room, minus the royal adornments, but completely unharmed. Like a dog fresh out of the bath, she shook her entire frame, as if trying to rid herself of water that wasn't even there.

"What's going on here is you've been duped, my queen," Princess Celestia replied in a sarcastic tone.

Upon seeing Princess Celestia's return, Ulquiorra turned to face Chrysalis directly. "Did you truly believe I would willingly serve someone such as yourself? Or even succumb to your mediocre attempts at mind control? You're even more gullible than I was informed," he stated.

Chrysalis looked around the room with her eyes wide. Her drones would be of no assistance to her here and now, not against the likes of Ulquiorra and Celestia together. Escape was necessary in a situation like this! Quickly, she bolted for the window... unfortunately Ulquiorra was much quicker, and cut off her path of escape by appearing before her, and nearly causing her to slam into him in her haste.

"Escape is quite impossible for you," he stated simply as he looked her in the eyes.

"Indeed," Princess Celestia agreed, before turning her full focus to her little ponies in the middle of the room. With a flex of her magic, the drones currently on top of them were sent flying wildly and crashing into the walls, thus allowing the others to get back up again. "I'm so sorry, my little ponies, but there's no time to explain," she told them in a soft manner, right before Chrysalis went charging for the throne room doors, and blowing past her. "Ulquiorra she's getting away!"

"That is what she thinks," Ulquiorra stated calmly as he resheathed his zanpakutō. He could detect the reiatsu in the area, he knew who was present and waiting.

Chrysalis was at the doors quickly and wrenched them open physically, the residual throbbing in her horn from Rarity's bite still interfering with her magic. Unfortunately the doors didn't lead to her escape, but rather a confrontation with the Princess of the Night herself. And she looked very, very upset.

"DIDST THEE TRULY BELIEVE THAT THOU COULDST ESCAPE OUR WRATH AFTER PULLING THE SAME STUNT A SECOND TIME? THOU ART INDEED MOST FOALISH!" Princess Luna bellowed, the force of the royal voice being delivered right in Chrysalis' face, being more than enough to send her toppling, and skidding across the slick marble flooring like a foal's toy, before crashing into a decorative pillar and coming to a stop.

In the center of the room where the Elements of Harmony lay captured, there was much confusion to be had as events unfolded before them, each of them finding it hard to wrap their heads around what was happening. Princess Celestia was alive? Ulquiorra was betraying Chrysalis? Princess Celestia was alive!?

Everypony's head was swimming right now as things developed, especially in the case of poor Twilight, who could do little more than simply stand there and stare with her mouth hanging open in disbelief. She hadn't even noticed the absence of the changelings keeping her restrained. However the others certainly had, and were taking full advantage of the fact that they were free again.

"Twilight, what's happening?" Rainbow Dash asked as she came over to her. However there was no response to be had from her, not even when she waved her hoof in front of her face. "Looks like the Egghead is scrambled," she commented.

"RD that ain' funny," Applejack stated, shortly before the booming voice of Princess Luna shook all of them, as Chrysalis went skidding into a pillar before coming to a stop. The sound of the impact was more than enough to make her flinch in response. "Tha' had ta hurt..."

"So good of you to make it, my dear little sister," Princess Celestia stated with a smile as she looked away from her student and her friends, and toward the doorway.

"We wouldst not miss this for all the cake and sweet tea in Equestria, dear sister; not after what this one didst dare to pull the last time," Princess Luna stated as she stepped into the room and smirked evilly at Chrysalis, and her pathetic attempts at getting back up again. "Thou, however, will so dearly wish that we wouldst have not been invited to this gathering!"

Chrysalis grunted in pain, hacking and coughing up a puddle of blood on the floor, before getting back up into a standing position. "You think I'm beaten just because of this turn of events? Hardly! My entire hive is present in Canterlot, and outnumbers your guards ten to one. Even you can't argue with such numerical superiority!" she laughed, before coughing again, but remaining undeterred in her belief that victory could be achieved.

Ulquiorra's response to her statement was to appear behind her in a flash of sonido, followed up by slapping her on the back of the head with the back of his hand. The force of the impact sent her toppling forward, and easily flooring her once again, her chin slamming against the marble floor with a crunch as she landed. "You spend far too much time talking," he stated simply as he looked down at her.

Did she even possess an understanding of how easily he could've killed her at any point during which she was talking, and rambling on endlessly? Most likely she didn't, and was too blind by her own arrogance to consider such a possibility. She'd been blind to everything that'd been unfolding around here, even the most obvious things he was certain she would've spotted a mile away. And yet she hadn't. She'd been so obsessed with the notion of taking Equestria for herself and her hive, she'd allowed herself to be afflicted with tunnel vision, blinded by the crown, and throne, and ignoring everything else, her own drones included.

Whatever happened to her, happened because it was her own fault, and hers alone. She had no one to blame except herself for her own stupidity.

His attention was drawn back to Chrysalis' prone form, as she laid on the ground and groaned in obvious pain, making no effort to get back up from where she lay. Somehow it seemed highly appropriate for one such as her to be defeated in a whimper, rather than in a bang.

"Whether or not you know it, Chrysalis, all your drones are being rounded up and detained as we speak. Their superior numbers are doing little to aid their resistance. And everypony they've captured has been located and rescued. Your attempt at taking our kingdom away from us, has come undone by your own shortsightedness," Princess Celestia told her as she lowered her head to the changeling queen's ear. "I was really, truly willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, and believe that after you were defeated the last time, that you were trying to maintain a peaceful existence with the rest of Equestria. But it seems I believed wrong about you. Based on your actions here today, I truly don't see any hope of redemption for you. You've forced my hoof this time."

Princess Luna nodded as she approached the changeling's prone form. What was to be in store for her was most assuredly not a pretty fate. If anything, death would be the merciful option for her. "Dear sister we shalt deal with this problem from here on out. Thou wouldst be better at elaboration than we. We sense there art many questions that must be answered."

Everyone present watched as Chrysalis' form -as well all the other unconscious drones that were laying about- was enveloped in an aura of Princess Luna's magic and lifted up off the floor, before being escorted out of the throne room, certain mutterings coming from the younger alicorn that left the others more than a little uncomfortable, and not really wanting to consider what awaited the deposed queen.

"Princess Celestia?"

It was a tiny whisper that was heard, but it wasn't from Fluttershy this time. Rather it was from Twilight as she stood there, with eyes wide and legs trembling as she looked up at her mentor.

Twilight approached cautiously until she stood directly before her. This couldn't be real, it just couldn't be. Princess Celestia was dead and turned to dust, she'd seen it herself! This had to be an illusion, nothing but a simple illusion, brought about by a nervous breakdown, by a feverish mind so desperate for some source of comfort, that it hallucinated what it wanted, in order to compensate for it simply not existing.

She slowly, cautiously extended her foreleg to reach out and touch the figure before her. The contact was so, so light, so delicate, guided by a fear that the slightest disturbance would cause it to fade from existence, like a stone disturbing the serenity of a lake, and sending ripples out to distort the image.

Firmness. Her hoof didn't pass through what stood before her, but stopped on contact. Fur, muscle, skin, and bone. Actual heat, and the sensation of a pulse just below the surface. This was no illusion that stood before her, but a physical construct. And if it was a physical construct, then that could mean one thing and one thing only; it was really Princess Celestia in the flesh! She was alive!

"Yes, Twilight, it's me. I'm here," Princess Celestia replied with a gentle smile, confirming what her student wished to know. She watched as Twilight stood dead still for a moment. She could practically hear all the little gears and cogs turning as her mind tried to process everything.

She gave only the briefest of flinches at the sound of the breath Twilight took, her eyes beginning to water, and her mouth beginning to quiver. The next thing she knew, her student was instantly on her, holding onto her for dear life and crying openly. She only hesitated momentarily out of surprise, before sitting down on her haunches, and wrapping her wings and a foreleg around her shaking frame.

"Uh... Princess?" Rainbow Dash asked as she approached cautiously, bubbling over with curiosity right now. So many things had happened so quickly, she didn't even know where to begin. "Forgive me for being blunt and all, but just what in the FUCK is going on around here?!"

It was a word Rainbow Dash had no idea what it really meant. It'd been one of a number of strange, foreign words she'd heard mentioned by Twilight in the past week or so. But despite not knowing exactly what it meant, it still seemed somewhat appropriate to be using under these circumstances.

Rarity nodded. "I'm quite inclined to agree, even with the bluntness, to say nothing regarding the rudeness, of Rainbow Dash's question. There have been more twists and turns present, than I can hope to wrap my horn around. First Ulquiorra kills Fluttershy, but Fluttershy turns out to be a changeling, which leads us to discover a second changeling invasion taking place. Then after we find everyone that's missing, we learn that Canterlot was besieged in the same manner. Then when we come here, we're greeted with the development of Ulquiorra defecting to serve Chrysalis, and escorted her and her hive back to Canterlot. Then Ulquiorra does battle with you, and transforms into... something... before killing you before our eyes. And then after much running around, and a great amount of struggle and drama, we find out Ulquiorra actually betrayed Chrysalis' trust, and you're still alive and unharmed?" Rarity paused a moment to catch her breath. "Forgive me if I'm being rude, Princess Celestia, but... I'm having trouble understanding just what went on here."

"Yer not the only one Rar', ah'm more lost than a penguin in Saddle Arabia," Applejack added.

"Yes, I believe that I have much explaining to do," Princess Celestia replied and nodded while she stroked Twilight's shaking back, pausing briefly to softly whisper words of comfort and reassurance in her student's ear. She'd never expected her to react like this.

"Just one question before you start, Princess," Rainbow Dash spoke up, bringing the attention to her. "Can he really be trusted, after everything that happened?" she asked as she gestured a foreleg in Ulquiorra's direction.

Rather curious, Ulquiorra noted. Out of everything that had occurred, the one who held the Element of Loyalty was just now questioning whether or not he could be trusted? These ponies were even stupider than he first thought. It was possible they were even stupider than Chrysalis. They had no reason to trust him upon their first meeting, but had still done so regardless. Even after learning the truth of his nature, they still seemed to trust him; to the point some of them were willing to share matters of great personal secrecy with him.

Now that he thought about it, it didn't make sense. The acting on his part, as well as his overall performance, had been atrocious in nature. The dialogue he'd spoken had been cliched and over-the-top by any measure, and his course of action had been stiff and inarticulate. And that was to say absolutely nothing of the poor logic of everything that'd taken place, all for the purpose of fooling Chrysalis. Did they truly believe he would kill the one who supposedly regulated the natural cycle of the sun, and maintained life on the planet? Did they truly believe he'd been convincing in everything, and assumed he was truly the villain? If that were truly the case, then these ponies were indeed quite stupid.

However he kept his observations to himself, and simply allowed Princess Celestia to do the talking. She was better able to explain the situation than he was.

Princess Celestia considered Rainbow Dash's question concerning Ulquiorra and his trustworthiness. It was a very, very good question. To be perfectly honest, there were a great many aspects she couldn't be considered pleased with, when regarding the whole of Ulquiorra's actions; particularly how he'd been keeping such a huge secret as his release still being accessible and operational. And that was to say nothing of how he'd used Twilight as a pawn, and put her in such peril in the process. The simple fact that nopony had died, seemed to be the only blessing she was consciously aware of right now.

But she couldn't dwell at that at this point in time. Not when her subjects were looking for reassurance that everything was alright. They were scared, confused, and in need of stability right now. She would have to swallow her concern, and do what she'd done so well for the past thousand years; fake serenity for their benefit.

"I can assure you, Rainbow Dash, Ulquiorra is trustworthy. He was actually the key to everything working out as well as it did," Princess Celestia assured her, as she used her feathers to stroke Twilight's quivering frame along her spine. The lying... so much lying... "Everything that's happened here today, since the discovery of Chrysalis' actions, has been a carefully thought out, organized, and executed plan."

"Everything?" Pinkie asked curiously as she tilted her head to the side, finding it hard to believe that everything that happened had been planned out in advance.

"Well... almost everything," she admitted, "there were indeed a few curve balls that even I didn't anticipate. And even I was as surprised as everyone else," Princess Celestia elaborated and turned to Ulquiorra to look at him directly. "I was certain your resurrection form was thoroughly sealed and inaccessible. How did you break the restraining enchantment you were under?" she asked. She needed to figure out that mystery if she hoped to be successful the next time.

"As I stated, my resurrección has always been accessible. I simply chose not to use it, and allowed you to believe your spell worked in the desired manner. It was unlikely from the very beginning you would be able to manipulate something you didn't fully understand. It would be no different from Applejack attempting weather manipulation. However, when you instructed me to make my betrayal appear convincing to everyone, it became a matter of utter necessity to reveal the truth," Ulquiorra explained calmly as he slid his hands into his pockets. "Despite everything being an act to fool Chrysalis, there was a deal of truth in my words, regarding how my actions were motivated by self preservation; something I'm certain you can understand quite well. However that is a story for another time; a time when your subjects have been properly assuaged of their fears, and curiosity about everything."

Princess Celestia nodded slowly, almost absentmindedly. Despite her own inner turmoil, born from the newfound questions about everything, there were other important matters to tend to first; such as the six ponies before her, who had been put through so much in such a short amount of time. Right now they had to be her primary concern. She'd deal with the Espada later, after the situation and their fears were addressed.

"Make yourselves comfortable, my little ponies, this is going to be a rather long explanation of events..." Princess Celestia advised them.

Looking between one another briefly, the five sat down on the floor to listen, hoping for clarification on what had taken place over the course of the day.

+++

"The circumstances have changed since my initial arrival. It is necessary to react and respond accordingly," Ulquiorra replied. "Right now the circumstances must be addressed. We know the location of the changeling hive. We know an invasion is in the process of being carried out. The only question is what course of action do you wish to take? Shall I depart and destroy the hive and all that are present? Or do you wish to maintain the ideological belief that a peaceful solution can be attained?" he asked pointedly.

What was she supposed to do in this situation? She knew the changelings were a threat to the safety of her kingdom and her subjects. They'd already been spared once by Shining Armor when he'd jettisoned all of them from Canterlot, but the interruption of their invasion didn't seem to slow them down much. But on the other hoof, she really didn't want to see any further killing going on. Allowing Ulquiorra to exterminate the hundred or so that were present in Canterlot, in order to avoid them bringing reinforcements that would lead to an even greater loss of life, had been hard enough. But the entire hive? Possibly the entire changeling population? Could she really go through with that?

Some days it really, really didn't pay to be a Princess...

She closed her eyes and took a breath, only to open them and see Ulquiorra was still standing there and looking at her, waiting for her instructions. She briefly found herself wondering just how long he'd stand there if she simply said nothing, before his patience finally ran out and he chose to act on his own in a rogue manner.

Wait. That gave her an idea.

"A moment of your time, Ulquiorra, there's something that needs to be discussed before any course of action takes place," she explained as the tip of her horn began to glow as she stepped closer to him.

"What is your intention?" Ulquiorra asked.

Princess Celestia said nothing as she stopped before him and lowered the tip of her horn to his forehead and closed her eyes.

"Can you hear me, Ulquiorra?"

It was Princess Celestia's voice but it wasn't being registered by his ears. Was this mental telepathy she was engaging in right now?

"In case you're wondering if this is mental telepathy, it is. But you need to concentrate if you want to communicate," the voice stated.

This reminded him a great deal of his initial experience with Discord, back in the void he'd found himself in after the battle. In a way it was disturbing to experience all over again. He wasn't even aware such a feat was possible. However there were more important matters to tend to, than simply dwelling on such facts.

"You are indeed full of surprises. For what purpose did you choose to engage in this exercise?" he asked.

"I wish to discuss matters with you in private, and this seemed like the most secure option available. How certain are you that there aren't anymore changelings in Canterlot at the moment? How do you detect them, and tell the difference between who is who and what?" she asked.

"My pesquisa allows me to detect the differing reiatsu patterns. While a changeling may be able to replicate a pony's outward appearance, they are incapable of hiding this fact from me. The inability of the low level drones to communicate in a normal verbal manner adds to their detection," he explained. "That said, I cannot say with absolute certainty that there has not been a subsequent infestation in the city, while my attention has been directed elsewhere. Furthermore there have been several instances in the past, in which my pesquisa has not been one hundred percent accurate. It is theoretically possible that there could be changelings I failed to exterminate."

"And each one of those could be relaying information back to their queen without our knowing it. That's why this conversation requires secrecy," Princess Celestia replied. "The changelings have to be dealt with accordingly, I don't deny that. But even if I agreed with your motives, and allowed you to exterminate the hive, along with every single changeling present, that still wouldn't guarantee success. If even two or three changelings currently in hiding remain, they could still rebuild the hive, and the species, and it would only be a few years before they become a significant threat again," she explained.

"My knowledge of the species is rather limited. Explain," Ulquiorra replied after a brief pause. How exactly did two drones go about rebuilding an entire species into a sizable force?

"Like social insects, the role of the changeling queen is to ensure the continued existence of the species, although Chrysalis' goals go far beyond simple existence. Regardless, if she should die, the hive would sense her absence, and respond in seeking to create a new queen. Several prospective, sterile female drones, would be submerged in large vats of royal jelly to cause the necessary changes, to trigger evolution to queen status, and allow them to repopulate the species. And there's no telling how many changelings could be hatched in the course of a single year. Hundreds possibly," she explained.

He could see the difficulty in this situation. Total eradication of an entire species specializing in trickery would be difficult, even for him to pull off... at least without mass casualties among those that could be considered innocent in nature. Rather like cockroaches. And the possibility of spies relating information back to their commander could not be ruled out from the equation.

"What would you suggest as the proper course of action?" he asked. If she was bringing up these points, then surely she had something in mind.

"Chrysalis is hardly the most intelligent around, and likely would not extensively plan contingencies for her own downfall. But the selection of a new queen is entirely instinctual to the species, according to observations carried out over the decades. To prevent that, we'd have to take a course of action likely to draw every changeling out of hiding. We'd have to do something to make her believe they can be out in the open without fear... something that would make her believe total victory can be hers..." Princess Celestia explained.

Even though her voice was a mental projection, he could still hear the tone she was taking, and imagine the change to her facial features that would likely accompany such if she were actually speaking. The fact that her face remained neutral the entire time, spoke of her skill in hiding her emotional status when around others. She was up to something, but he couldn't yet tell what.

"Tell me, Ulquiorra, how skilled are you in the art of deception?"

He blinked, mentally as well as physically. That was a question he never anticipated before. "My ability to perform theatrics is quite poor. I'm genuinely surprised my performance was bought by the changeling in the first place," he explained. Surely Princess Celestia had something in mind when presenting the question. But what was it? "What exactly do you have in mind?"

"Something of a very unorthodox nature. It will be tricky to pull off properly, and will require the help of others, but I believe the rewards are worth any difficulties that might be encountered. You already know the possible location of the hive. Would you be opposed to traveling there, under the guise of defecting to Chrysalis, in order to serve her instead of myself?" she asked. When she received no immediate answer she continued. "Chrysalis is quite proud of herself, and egotistical in nature. She'll likely boast about how she defeated me in the past through an example of trickery, and how the rules of nature dictate that she's the only one who should rule Equestria, or something along the lines of such rubbish. If she were to believe she had gained an ally... someone who would willingly assist her in gaining what she wants, and believes she deserves... she might bring her entire hive with her to Canterlot, and they'd all be in one area where they could be dealt with accordingly," she explained.

"... One moment while I properly organize my thoughts," Ulquiorra replied slowly and paused, analyzing her words, and trying to properly structure them. "You wish for me to feign treachery, and deceit, under the assumption there are changeling spies infesting Canterlot that I haven't found and subsequently exterminated, for the purpose of tricking this Chrysalis into coming to Canterlot, and foolishly bringing the entirety of her available forces, all for the purpose of ensuring their nest is cleaned out, in order to prevent a new queen from emerging from whatever survivors lay undiscovered. And you wish me to do all of this, without killing them? And all of this in the hopes that this Chrysalis will be so short-sighted, and hungry for power, that she will trust me immediately after our first meeting, simply because I defect at the first instance of her bragging of defeating you... assuming she brags of defeating you in the first place?" he asked. Was she quite serious in this elaborate and overly complicated scheme? And if she was quite serious, to the point she believed it would work, then just how stupid was the changeling queen if she were to actually fall for such a ruse?

"Essentially that's correct," she replied and gave a physical nod. "I can understand if you have doubts about the likelihood of success, as it does sound somewhat convoluted and based on speculation. But I've had a history with Chrysalis over the years, I've come to have somewhat of an understanding of how she thinks and reacts. That's why I believe this plan will work as desired."

"And what of Twilight Sparkle and the other Elements of Harmony? Will they be made privy to this grand plan of yours, or will they be left in the dark? Assuming they are even involved to begin with..."

Princess Celestia suddenly went very, very silent at his words, nearly breaking the telepathic bridge in the process out of surprise. "How and when?" she asked once she finally regained her focus and her voice. She didn't see any reason to elaborate further on the question, since he more than likely knew the finer details of the matter.

"The moment the earth pony called Applejack chose to inform me of their status as the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and how they have been used in the past. In the future, you may wish to speak to your subjects about how much they trust others, and their willingness to talk. If such a revelation had been made to any other Espada, those six would have been killed almost immediately," Ulquiorra replied. "I suspected shortly afterwards that you had ulterior motives in sending me to Ponyville, shortly after this discovery. I suspected that it was your intention to put me within striking distance of this world's greatest weapons, should I prove to be a significant threat to you or anyone else," he explained, noticing the minute flinch at his words. And at the flinch, he proceeded onward. "Regardless of those facts, and the fact that should one die, the Elements of Harmony will cease to function, you will notice I have made no effort to harm any of them in any way. Quite the contrary actually."

Silence on her part. She had no immediate reply to the revelation he'd just made. Taking this as a cue, he continued yet again.

"That said, I don't believe this revelation will bolster your trust in me to any greater degree than currently. I merely wish to know what variables will be in place that will need to be addressed, and how well you wish for me to present this defection to the enemy. Do you intend to leave them ignorant of the facts that are transpiring, or do you wish to bring them to Canterlot where they may see things unfold in the event one of them has been replaced in my absence?" he asked.

She'd underestimated his intelligence far more than she'd originally thought, it seemed. His deductive reasoning, and the speed at which he'd arrived at the conclusion of her motives based on nothing more than a conversation with Applejack, was quite impressive, and enough to impress and disturb her all at the same time. And despite possessing the knowledge that Twilight and her friends could present a threat to him, he'd made no effort to bring any harm to them; to the contrary he'd actually protected them when a mission had gone bad. He hadn't even criticized her for her actions when he had every opportunity. She really didn't know what to think about all of this right now. She'd have to put this issue aside for later, and address it when the kingdom wasn't under the threat of siege.

"I think having them close at hoof would be best. But I fear leaving them in the dark will be necessary for the time being, until we can properly determine if the plan can be shared in a secure manner," Princess Celestia replied.

"A logical conclusion," Ulquiorra agreed. The Elements of Harmony being present would indeed be the best solution as far as he could see. Those six were the greatest defense this land had, and if this plan of Princess Celestia's failed, they may be needed. "Assuming Chrysalis plays her part as anticipated, and is as gullible as you would have me believe, to what degree do you wish for me to sell my defection once I bring her to Canterlot? She will likely flee if the facade is dropped immediately," he pointed out.

"That's something I've given consideration to. It's very unorthodox... but do you believe you could make an assassination attempt look believable?" she asked.

He was silent for nearly a minute at her words before finally replying. "I'm beginning to question your sanity for multiple reasons. The further you delve into this plan, the more I have doubts about your critical thinking skills. Despite the sheer difference in our levels of strength, you wish for me to launch a failed attack against you, in the hopes of tricking what is essentially a highly evolved cockroach, for the purpose of vacating her hive's contents and bringing them to Canterlot. This plan will fail the moment she sees my zanpakutō fail to cut through your skin, even after making direct contact," he pointed out, finding the entire proposition ludicrous. Ludicrous didn't even begin to go into the full depth of the stupidity of it all. Twilight Sparkle could formulate a more coherent and streamlined plan than this; of this he was absolutely positive. Even Rainbow Dash could possibly do better than Princess Celestia in this instance, and she had forgotten that the Elements of Harmony wouldn't work without Fluttershy being present.

He didn't even give her the opportunity of a chance to respond, before pressing onward to make it perfectly clear that he doubted her. "There are no attacks or techniques available to me that would even be capable of harming you. In the course of my studies I've read about your exploits, both prior to, and during Princess Luna's one thousand year banishment. I have a very good theory as to what your true strength is. None of my Ceros would even be capable of scorching your fur, but would rather cascade off of your body like water. And even if your physical body could, by some miracle, be injured by what I'm capable of, history's accounts of the strength of your shields, utilized for protecting entire groups during times of conflict and disaster, would suggest it would be futile to even try and overpower you..."

She really hadn't expected such an articulate rant to be delivered in such a short amount of time. And she really hadn't expected Ulquiorra to go into such detail to reveal that he'd studied her out. He was incredibly detail oriented in his explanation of why her plan wouldn't work. But at the same time, he'd been focused on the wrong aspect entirely.

"Despite your assessments, I still have reservations about the sincerity of your statement concerning the differences in our respective degrees of strength. But assuming it's accurate, you just need to leave the matter to me. I know a few instances of slight of hoof and trickery, a few teleportation spells that will leave Chrysalis convinced of my untimely demise, and her unopposed rule, if you simply sell it properly. She won't know the difference, and as long as you don't let on, neither will anypony else," she said as she did her best to assure him.

"Assuming everything goes according to plan what then? How will it be determined if this trickery has been successful, and how long will I need to play the part I am being dealt?" he asked, curious to see just how far out she'd planned this ruse. If those who held the Elements of Harmony were going to be present, did Princess Celestia even care if they were traumatized by her supposed death? There were ramifications to her actions that she wasn't considering.

"Once Chrysalis believes I'm out of the picture, I'll depart to the assigned coordinates, and conduct an investigation of the nest, along with a few specially selected guards. Once we've determined that all the changelings are in Canterlot, I'll deliver a signal that everything is going according to plan. After that, we'll return in full force, and deal with them in the appropriate manner," she explained.

Ulquiorra remained silent as he considered what to say next. He had lead her down this line of discussion to gather what he believed was relevant information, to get a feel for just what she was plotting out. He was already out of his element enough as is, and jumping to uninformed conclusions would only aggravate the situation. Now it was necessary for him to analyze everything he'd gathered up to this point, weigh it, and measure it out to arrive at the proper conclusion. On top of that it was necessary to determine what he could say, what he should say, and what he wanted to say. There were many areas in Princess Celestia's plan that amounted to gaps in logic, lapses in judgement, and so on. If Twilight Sparkle and the others were present, odds were good that they would be in possession of the Elements of Harmony, unless Princess Celestia planned on taking a course of action to discourage them being brought along. If they were used, there was no telling how he might be affected if he was within range. Had that fact been accounted for, and addressed accordingly? He didn't believe she would intentionally sacrifice him, but he couldn't be absolutely certain of that.

Another issue was Chrysalis herself. He possessed very little information on the changeling in question, and couldn't determine the nature of her character. If things proceeded in the manner Princess Celestia had hypothesized, what would happen once she wasn't there? How far would Chrysalis go in attempting to judge his supposed loyalty? Would she require him to harm one of the ponies to prove he was on her side? Amputate a limb? Sever a spinal column? Gouge out their eyes? Or would she possess a measure of sadism so significant, that she would demand he perform tasks on them that even Nnoitra would find distasteful?

And would she truly be foolish enough to want him to try and kill Princess Celestia, if she were truly the one who raised and lowered the sun each day? Or at the very least, was believed to be the one who did such?

Then there was the matter of his supposed treachery, in the presence of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Princess Celestia had instructed him to study and try to understand the concept of friendship; something that had occurred with those six ponies more than any others. Despite the Mare Do Well incident, he highly doubted that deceit was among the core lesson plan, regardless of what the intention was. Did she understand that this plan could jeopardize her other endeavors with him?

And that was to say nothing of the bearers themselves. Princess Celestia's plan, in order to trick Chrysalis, involved the staged display of her apparent death, and all in front of possibly the most important and influential ponies currently alive, and possibly with no forewarning of what they should expect. These ponies, unlike himself, were living beings prone to emotional instability, and not ruled by logic. The potential for mental trauma was considerable under these circumstances. Had she even considered that fact? Did she care that she may be scarring this world's best defense, all for the sake of stopping a single enemy without significant bloodshed? When all was revealed, would they be capable of understanding her intentions? And if not, what repercussions would be had?

Not that he truly cared about the ponies themselves. Despite what they might believe, they weren't his friends. If they were traumatized by this plan, it was their fault for being highly emotional in nature, and incapable of understanding what the bigger picture was.

He considered bringing all of these points up, one by one, and poking holes in Princess Celestia's plans, forcing her to see things from his perspective. If he so desired, he could easily put her in such a position, and make her agree that total eradication of the entire changeling species was the best course of action available. He could indeed go with such a route. Simply refuse her plan on the grounds of absent logic.

He could. However simply because he could, didn't mean that he should. Was it really his place to explain to a supposed immortal just why her plan would fail? Or should he allow her to learn these facts for herself? If she was forced to experience the consequences of her actions for herself, she would be less inclined to do so again in the future... assuming they all lived through this. Then he would be able to remind her of this incident in the future, and potentially use it as leverage against her.

Logically speaking... perhaps the best option available was to simply keep his mouth shut, and play along with what she wanted. If everything went to hell at some point, it would simply be necessary to respond as he saw fit. He couldn't be faulted for abandoning the charade if the situation became drastic in nature.

"I want you to know that I possess significant doubts concerning the wisdom of your plan. There are many factors that can go wrong. I predict this situation will not end well, regardless of what you may have in mind. Your subjects may not receive your plans as well as you hope. They are emotional in nature, prone to short sightedness. The fact this is so poorly presented does not inspire confidence," he stated firmly. "To make this grand charade of yours convincing, I can make no guarantees of what I will be required to do in your absence. If I'm ordered by Chrysalis to injure your subjects, to solidify her belief in me, the best I will be able to do, is ensure whatever injuries they receive are not permanently debilitating in nature," he continued before she could even get a word in edgewise. Going out of his way to harm others was not something he had any particular desire for. This was a conflict of interest she needed to be aware of. Briefly mentioning the previous considered complications couldn't hurt, should something occur during it all; at the very least it would absolve him of a responsibility to warn her of what could occur. "But regardless of those facts, I have been assigned a duty, and it is mine to carry out, regardless of how distasteful I find them. If you wish me to "sell it" that I have defected to serve this Chrysalis, then I will indeed sell it, and leave her totally convinced of what you want her to believe. There will be no doubt in her mind that you have been killed off, and she may rule free and clear. I will allow you to do things your way, regardless of my own personal doubts, and observe how they develop. But I will act accordingly if necessary, to carry out your original orders," he replied, seeing little other option available to them.

The conversation was interrupted by a groan coming from the holding cell, signalling the changeling was coming around after passing out.

"Excuse me a moment. If I'm to "sell it" with my defection, then I will start now," he stated.

Princess Celestia broke the telepathic link between them and stepped back, watching as Ulquiorra wordlessly turned around and drew his zanpakutō as he stepped back into the holding cell. She had a suspicion of what was going to happen, but she really had no desire to see it confirmed.

There was a startled yelp from the changeling almost immediately after.

"If you can communicate with your Queen at this distance, then relay this message to her. I am coming for you, Chrysalis, and it is my intention to kill you for what you have done here today."

That had been the entirety of the message before a sickening noise of flesh being pierced by steel silenced the changeling's outburst. After which Ulquiorra stepped back out, sliding his blade back into the sheath.

"Let us begin then..."

+++

Over the course of the next hour, the assembled ponies were made aware of all the intricacies of Princess Celestia's master plan for dealing with the changelings. Everything had been laid out for them. How Ulquiorra's defection had been a gamble to convince Chrysalis to assemble her entire hive in Canterlot, and how such had been motivated to prevent a secondary invasion should some of them escape their detection. How their combat had been staged for the purpose of selling his defection. How they had been brought to Canterlot to ensure they weren't targeted again. How her death had been a carefully orchestrated effort between herself and Luna, to replace her body with a replica made of ash, the slight of hoof performed at the last possible moment to ensure it was convincing. How their detainment in a low-level holding cell had been deliberate, to ensure they would escape. And how during the time after her supposed death, and her reappearance, they'd been at the changeling's hive, scouring every last inch to ensure it was completely empty; a significant feat considering how extensive the hive itself was.

"... And that's what brings us to now," Princess Celestia finished, her mouth feeling rather tired after such a long explanation.

The assembled audience had been mostly silent and captivated by the tale that was spun for them. None of them, with the exception of Ulquiorra, had even noticed as Princess Luna returned to the throne room. And over that time, Twilight had quieted down almost completely, other than the sound of her own breathing as she continued being held gently.

"Whoa..." Rainbow Dash breathed in amazement, being the first to find her voice in response to the extensive details they'd been provided with. Princess Celestia had really gone all out in her planning of events that'd occurred since their arrival. She wouldn't have even considered half of the things that'd come up in the explanation, like a drone evolving into a new queen, or the possibility of spies or anything like that.

Things like this made sense as to why Princess Celestia was the one in charge, she had the foresight to think these things out.

"I must say... that was all certainly quite an endeavor to engage in," Rarity stated, uncertain of what she could possibly add that was of any relevance.

"Not ta be second guessin' ya er nothin' Princess, but couldn' ya've given us at least some warnin' on what ya were plannin' on doin'?" Applejack asked curiously as she stood up from the spot where she sat. "Ah know ya did wha' ya did 'cause ya had good reason an' all, but ah nearly had a heart attack when we all thought Mr. Cifer turned ya ta dust back there," she pointed out, doing her best to remain calm. And to not give consideration to the fact that she and the others had more or less been lied to on a massive scale. She could understand the why, but that didn't mean she appreciated it any.

"I apologize for the concern I caused you and the others, Applejack. I truly did want to involve you all on the plan, and please understand my decision to not do so, wasn't reached lightly. I had to operate on the possibility that one or more of you had been replaced by a changeling. Only Ulquiorra can really tell the difference, and he was away carrying out the plan," Princess Celestia apologized. If she'd known for certain that they hadn't been compromised, and that there were no changelings to hear her plan, she would've told them in a heartbeat. But Ulquiorra's appearance had prevented that from occurring. "It was all a matter of absolute necessity. I had to ensure that Chrysalis would assume she'd won, and had no contingency plans in place, otherwise everything would've been for nothing. And as much as I despise Chrysalis I really didn't want her entire hive wiped out of existence..."

"Yeah... well..." Rainbow Dash muttered, "it still doesn't excuse him of the fact that he beat the tar out of us! Seriously, first he targets us with that black Cero of his and could've killed all of us, then he kicked Twilight right in the ribs, and punted her like a hoofball in the process. That's just taking it way too far!" she stated and angrily gestured in the Espada's direction. "And that's to say nothing of what he did to me..."

"You're quite foolish," Ulquiorra commented, speaking up for the first time since Princess Celestia began her explanation of everything. From the way the cyan pegasus was talking, she hadn't paid attention to what she'd been told. Now it was up to him to rectify that matter. "Did you truly believe that my Cero Oscuras would have been allowed anywhere near Canterlot Palace, if Princess Celestia was incapable of stopping it? She was given more than sufficient time to respond. If her strength wasn't capable of such a feat, she would've simply changed its trajectory, in the same manner as Fluttershy when the dragon was dealt with, rather than choosing to intercept and block it," he pointed out. When no rebuttal was offered, he continued with his explanation of their own shortsightedness. "As for my actions regarding the rest of you. Neither of you were in any danger of being seriously injured. You yourself were merely swept aside, while Twilight Sparkle was simply rolled over. If you were observant, you would notice the lack of any bruising around her ribcage, and even your neck," he pointed out. "Didn't you find it strange how you could so easily pick up and transport her, during your escape, without causing her significant pain?" he asked. From the look on her face, it was safe to conclude that she indeed did not consider such inconsistencies. Perhaps she could give Chrysalis a run for her money in the stupidity department.

"Everything that occurred here today, occurred for the purpose of carrying out the assignment. As I stated, I was merely following orders. And my orders were to be convincing to everyone in my supposed betrayal; you included," he explained. "That said, I must admit my surprise at how easily Chrysalis fell for everything. It hardly seemed like anything approaching a convincing performance. I'm not a skilled actor capable of such. With the speed at which I agreed to serve Chrysalis, and retake Canterlot for her, I was quite certain she would've seen through the numerous glaring errors in logic that were present. The entire time I was playing the treacherous lackey, I was certain she would discover the truth, and respond accordingly. The fact she didn't, does not speak favorably of her."

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! What about the Elements of Harmony!?" Pinkie asked quickly, "Ulqy said they were scattered throughout the Everfree Forest, don't we need to find them before somepony else does?"

"Did you really believe that in my efforts to be convincing, I would go so far as to genuinely compromise the actual defensive options of this world? Either through harming you directly, or by directing my focus on the Elements of Harmony themselves?" Ulquiorra asked as he directed his focus on the pink earth pony. "Merely another falsehood for the purpose of tricking Chrysalis, and luring her into a false sense of security. However unlike the other falsehoods, this one became necessary due to your own actions," he explained.

"Say what now?" Rainbow Dash asked in surprise.

"Princess Celestia's plans for events that transpired were rather extensive, including the matter of locking you six in a cell you would have the greatest chance of escaping, due to a combination of Twilight Sparkle's magical aptitude, and the lack of outside factors that would negate such. She believed that you six would launch some type of counterattack against the changelings, possibly keeping them occupied for an extended period, in order to buy time for the hive to be located, secured, and searched. But the possibility of trying to retrieve the Elements of Harmony was not considered. Once Chrysalis discovered your escape she was the one to make the assumption, and nearly dispatched a squadron of drones to intercept you. With these developments, it became necessary to hastily concoct the story that I could reach the Elements of Harmony first, and dispose of them before intercepting you. It was quite fortunate that she didn't choose to question my false sincerity. Otherwise everything might've been ruined. The bloodbath Ponyville experienced today would've been nothing compared to what could have potentially happened."

The whole room was silent after Ulquiorra's explanation of the events that transpired and what motivated them.

At least until Rainbow Dash decided to open her mouth. "Now just an apple picking minute here!" she stated.

"Tha's my line RD," Applejack objected. However the cyan pegasus didn't seem to pay her any mind as she focused exclusively on Ulquiorra.

"Are you saying that you're the one who saved the day, and made sure everything went according to some great big, convoluted plan?" she asked him as she hovered in front of him.

"Such a statement is not necessary for me to make. If you think back to before the elaboration, Princess Celestia made the statement herself, when you asked whether or not I could be trusted," Ulquiorra responded calmly and flatly.

Rainbow Dash frowned an growled in response. Here he was claiming responsibility for their victory status, and he was doing it in the most nonchalant manner she'd ever seen anypony ever brag in. She didn't know what was angering her more right now; his claim of victory, or the subdued manner he was claiming it. But either way it was infuriating to have to put up with.

"Jerk!"

"It was your own brash actions that forced me to act. Had I not, it would've been you that put all of Princess Celestia's work in jeopardy," Ulquiorra explained pointedly, all the while maintaining his even tone despite his annoyance.

He was finding himself highly annoyed by his interaction with Rainbow Dash, even moreso than usual. Her act first and ask questions later approach to doing everything, had nearly cost Princess Celestia the desired results. Had Chrysalis even been the slightest bit suspicious of him as he tried to defuse the situation, the entire incident would have ended with many, many more deaths than what had already taken place.

Not that such results were entirely unfavorable to him. Had the matter been left to him, he wouldn't have had any problem with such a genocidal approach if it were deemed necessary. But for whatever reason, Princess Celestia had wanted the situation resolved with as few deaths as possible. He possessed serious doubts about the logic of her actions and motivation, knowing that if the changelings remained alive they would present a significant threat to Equestria's wellbeing, no matter what was done with them.

But it hadn't been his call to make. It was Princess Celestia's command, and it was his role to carry out orders... just as it was his role to convince the human woman to come to Hueco Mundo through whatever means necessary... just as it had been his role to protect Las Noches at any cost. Up to and including his own life.

His thoughts were quickly interrupted by the flapping of wings, as an armor-clad pegasus guard flew into the room, and set down before them, before turning to address Princess Celestia.

"We have good news to report, Your Highness, all of the missing residents of Canterlot have been located, freed, and are doing fine. Furthermore, all the present changelings have been rounded up and secured," the guard stated.

"Most excellent news indeed. Thank you for the update," Princess Celestia replied before dismissing the guard.

"So what about Discord?" Rainbow Dash finally asked, deciding to change the subject. Arguing with the Espada wasn't going to get her anywhere, she was certain of that. "Did he play any part in this?"

"Oh. About Discord..." Princess Celestia said and paused in thought...

+++

"I don't like it, 'Tia, I don't like it one little bit," Discord stated as he paced back and forth across the floor of Celestia's private chambers. Being summoned for a conference was one thing. But what the alicorn was suggesting, what she'd summoned him from a particularly nice nap for, this was something else entirely! "You want to utilize my chaos powers, for something that ultimately amounts to just one big joke?!" he asked as he came to a stop and faced her directly, his left eye twitching as he spoke. "Nope, nope, nope, not gonna happen, nuh-uh, count me out! I refuse! I don't like the changelings anymore than you do, but this is distasteful even by my standards! And THAT is saying something! What you're planning is a wasteful endeavor for my abilities!"

Celestia flinched as Discord bellowed, quite thankful she had soundproofed her quarters prior to the meeting. If there were any changeling spies nearby, they'd most certainly hear him if she hadn't. This was a development she hadn't anticipated. Discord was actually turning down the opportunity to engage in chaos and practical jokes? That was strange even by all standards associated with him.

Next to her stood Ulquiorra, his hands in his pockets, completely unimpressed by the volume or the display Discord's tirade.

"This coming from the draconequus who once turned Applejack's entire harvest into cubes," Ulquiorra commented dryly in response. Discord's priorities were as strange as his appearance.

"Now you listen here, lad," Discord stated as he stepped closer and looked Ulquiorra in the eye, "cube apples pack and travel better than round apples. They don't roll off tables, you can stack more in crates... I was just doing Applejack a favor in the course of my reformation," he explained.

"Based on her accounts of events that unfolded, she was unappreciative of your supposed favor," Ulquiorra replied, unimpressed by Discord's defense of his actions. "As I recall, none of the ponies would buy her wares after you tainted them."

"Now you listen here, I-" Discord began, only to be silenced as Ulquiorra grasped him by his throat, pulling his head back down to his own eye level.

"Do you intend to assist on this matter or not?" Ulquiorra asked simply. He was in no mood for long discussions, when he could instead be off, and dealing with the changelings by himself. If he didn't have to entertain Princess Celestia's plans, the threat could over by now. If Discord was going to be of no assistance, then it was better to dispense with him immediately, rather than continue wasting time on him. "If not, then stop wasting our time and say such, before I attempt to force a definite answer from you."

Discord laughed in response to the threat, too amused to keep it to himself. "And what could you possibly do to me?"

"That is something you don't want to find out," Ulquiorra warned evenly, "that fact aside, you said yourself that you were aware of me. And as such, you are best likely to understand exactly what I'm capable of if necessary..."

Why her? Why now? She could feel a migraine coming on again. Seeing Ulquiorra and Discord at each other, Celestia sighed to herself and used her magic to forcefully pull them apart before they could come to blows. And knowing what she did about these two, those blows could be devastating. She'd seen what Ulquiorra could do to a grown dragon without even exerting himself. She'd seen what Discord could do with a snap of his fingers and a little imagination. And right now she really needed the both of them.

"Gentlecolts, we really don't have time for this," she explained as calmly as she could. With that said she turned her attention to Discord, since he was going to be quite needed for everything to work. "Discord, currently I'm very furious with you, and how you lied to me about Ulquiorra knowing about the Elements of Harmony. And don't try and worm your way out of the truth. But that's for another time. My own anger aside, I'm willing to forgive you, and your shenanigans, in exchange for your assistance. I truly don't understand what your objection to this matter is, and why you don't wish to help. But whatever it is, I need your help on this. Perhaps now more than ever before," she explained, "all I need from you are two things. First and foremost, I need you to shield Ulquiorra's mind to protect him, in the event Chrysalis attempts to brainwash him. I don't know how her spell might affect him otherwise, and I really don't want to find out."

Sound logic indeed, Ulquiorra noted. If Chrysalis truly possessed the same ability as Kyōka Suigetsu, then Discord's assistance would indeed be required.

"And the other thing?" Discord asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. In response a letter was plucked from under Celestia's right wing and hovered in front of him.

"I need you to place a passive enchantment on this document. One that, as the letter is read, Twilight and the others will feel a sense of calm. One that will motivate them to not bring the Elements of Harmony along with them. Too many things could go wrong otherwise. If they were to bring them, Chrysalis might direct an assault against them, and jeopardize everything. There's also the fact that, should they be used, I have no idea how Ulquiorra might be affected by them, not being native to our world," Celestia explained.

Ulquiorra remained silent at her words. Princess Celestia had given this matter more consideration than he had anticipated. However there were still other matters that she didn't seem aware of; matters that he would stay silent about, and observe how they played out.

Discord scanned the document, his eyes moving from left to right as he read it over. Finally he let out a disgruntled sigh and straightened up.

"Alright, 'Tia. I'll do these two favors for you. But keep in mind I'm not your own private galactic reset button. After I do these two things, I'm getting the buck out of here. I don't want to be present should everything go south. Once I leave you're on your own. And for your sake, I hope you have everything planned out properly. Otherwise I wouldn't want to be in your shoes once the smoke has cleared," he stated and snapped the fingers of his lion's paw.

+++

"... Discord was... not involved in this matter. He wanted to be well out of Canterlot, on the off chance the Elements of Harmony were used," she replied. She still had absolutely no idea why Discord didn't want to be involved in this matter. It was really most unusual. But that was another question for another time.

"Tha's ta be expected ah guess. Being' chaos an' all, he mighta gotten swept up along with Chrysalis an' the others if we'd brought 'em," Applejack commented. She really couldn't blame Discord for wanting to save his own flank in all of this.

"Oh my," Rarity spoke up, "I just realized something. Now that Chrysalis and her hive have been captured, what's going to become of them? If they're not going to be... executed... then what fate awaits them?" she asked.

"Yeah tha's a mighty good question there, Rarity," Applejack replied and turned to face Princess Celestia, "wha's gonna happen, Princess?"

It was certainly a fair question to ask. To be truthful it was a matter she'd been considering as well. What to do with an enemy that was a threat to the safety of her subjects, while at the same time not condemning them to death? Perhaps she should've devoted more time to thinking about the aftermath, than actually getting to this point.

"You don't need to concern yourselves with what the fate of Chrysalis and the rest of the changelings will be. Their punishment will be firm, but it will be fair," she assured them. For the time being the dungeons would work at keeping them from going anywhere or trying anything, and it would allow her time to better think things over. But for the time being, there were more important matters to tend to, such as the wellbeing of those who held the Elements of Harmony. Everything that unfolded here today would be a lot for anypony to deal with.

"I've gotta say, Princess, it feels weird not being the ones who saved the day and all. But at least in the end, everything turned out alright," Rainbow Dash stated in an effort to change the subject. She was really tired of the talk being about the changelings and all. And she really didn't want to think about the broader implications of everything.

Of course that still didn't mean she fully trusted the Espada after everything that happened today. Princess Celestia said he could be trusted. She'd explained why he could be trusted. But that didn't mean she did just yet. Even with his explanation, still nothing. Maybe she would sometime in the future, but right now she really didn't feel up to it. Just because he served as a pawn for Princess Celestia, didn't mean she wasn't still sore with him.

"Other than that big hole in the wall Twilight made when she tried to blast Ulqy," Pinkie pointed out, bringing everyone's attention to the aforementioned area of damage.

"A rather impressive show of force, to be certain," Ulquiorra commented dryly.

"Yes... well..." Princess Celestia replied slowly and looked back at the hole. That was a development she truly hadn't taken into consideration. Part of the wall, the balcony and even the royal telescope was completely obliterated from existence, to say nothing of the section of floor itself, cut out by her student's beam. She'd always known Twilight's potential for magic was strong, but this was surprising even to her. "Compared to what could've happened, the damage is little more than a divot. It shouldn't prove too difficult to repair," she replied reassuringly.

"Celestia..."

It'd been a whisper so soft and so quiet her ears almost didn't even register it. To be truthful she'd felt it more than heard it, when she felt the movement of Twilight's jaw against the feathers of her wings when she spoke. Most curious.

"Twilight?" she asked as she looked down at her student's still frame.

"Don't touch me..."

Another soft whisper. This time she'd properly heard what was said, but she had no idea what she meant.

"Twilight?" she asked again and leaned in closer.

"Don't touch me!"

It was a shrieking scream this time instead of a whisper, as Twilight fought and kicked her way out of Princess Celestia's embrace to stand before her, her eyes filled with conflicting emotions and hurt.

"You used us! You lied to us! You lied to me!" she shouted through her hoarseness. "I... I hate you!"

Without saying another word, or even waiting for a response, she turned tail and ran out of the throne room, crying all over again, and leaving the others in stunned silence.

"... Wow..." Rainbow Dash replied, too shocked to say anything else.

"Oh dear," Rarity added.

Princess Celestia couldn't say anything as she watched her faithful student run off in pain; a pain that she herself seemed responsible for causing. What had she done?

Ulquiorra said nothing as he watched Twilight Sparkle's exit, uncertain what exactly to think about how events had unfolded. While Princess Celestia's plan had played out very close to how she had anticipated everything -much to his surprise at such a fact- the aftermath had proven to serve as a possibility he'd predicted. Five of the six had responded rather well, and taken everything in stride -or at the very least, were more skilled at hiding their hurt and sense of betrayal, at realizing they had been nothing more than pawns to further a ploy- while the sixth did not. It was hardly surprising that Twilight Sparkle would be the one most traumatized, considering the bond the two shared with each other.

Slowly he turned around to face Princess Celestia directly. From the look on her face, he could easily tell that a verbal "I told you so" was entirely unnecessary, as she was fully understanding he'd been right all along, about how things could so easily go so wrong.

This would lead to interesting developments. Of that he was quite certain.

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Eight

Over the past thousand years, Celestia had cast a great many, many teleportation spells on herself and others, traveling great distances in short amounts of time, going from point A to point B with extreme precision, and masterful control, even with a full entourage of other ponies in tow.

That said, this was the first time in several long centuries that she'd cast a teleportation spell, and wound up missing the intended destination. Instead of arriving with her hooves firmly settled on the floor, she'd wound up teleporting just below the ceiling level. By the time she realized this fact, gravity had already kicked in, and she plummeted to the floor where she'd landed squarely -and quite painfully- right on her haunches with a loud crashing thud.

Then again, this was the first time in several long centuries she'd tried to cast a teleportation spell using the least amount of magic possible, in an effort to prevent her disappearance from being easily detected. Unfortunately that drop in magical consumption seemed to correspond with poor aim regarding the target destination, and that's how she got in this position.

Unfortunately knowing the why didn't make it hurt any less.

"Oh that hurts," she moaned/whined as she moved to lift herself back up and reach around to rub her aching flanks. It was then that her ears became assaulted by a most riotous commotion. Letting her eyes adjust to the dimly lit dungeon halls, she could see Luna laying on her back, legs stuck up in the air as she laughed her flank off. She couldn't help but frown in response. "It's not funny Lulu!" she stated firmly.

"We beg to differ dear sister!" Luna cackled in response as she rolled onto her side. "T'was most hilarious to observe!"

Celestia's frown only deepened as her sister carried on. She was having far too much fun at her expense, and detracting from the overall mission. It'd taken a great deal of effort to get this far, made possible only by rousing her sister her from slumbers, and informing her of the crisis, and securing her assistance. They really didn't have time for this foalishness!

Fortunately it seemed Luna understood this fact even without being reminded, as she soon calmed down on her own, clearing her throat as she stood back up. She was just about to address her when she stopped, her eyes going wide in the dim light.

"Dear sister what hast happened to thou!?" she asked and closed the short distance almost instantly. "Thou art severely injured! What hast Ulquiorra Cifer done to thee!?" she demanded.

Celestia looked over herself at the various injuries she sported from the conflict back up in the throne room. From her point of view she really did look like a terrible sight, like she'd gone ten rounds with a dragon, and just barely managed to escape with her life.

"Lower your voice, dear sister, it's all part of the plan," Celestia replied as the tip of her horn lit up, her injuries fading from existence almost immediately. The goal had been to sell the belief that she was dead. And such a sale would be hard to pull off if she didn't show some measure of damage to indicate that she was out of her league. Had they just seen her shatter without any inclination that things had gone wrong, it would've been completely unbelievable. And that meant having to cast the illusion of her being injured and weakened, and on the verge of death. However it was only a matter of seconds before her stunning white coat, and colorful flowing mane and tail, were returned to their natural glory. "Better?" she asked.

"Not quite dear sister, thou didst miss the blood on thee's back," Luna stated, pointing out the large patch of stained red fur just past her wings.

That was rather strange indeed. The illusions should've all faded simultaneously. Turning her head and looking at her back to the best of her abilities, she found the offending injury, and cast another dispel attempt but it remained unchanged. "Oh my," she said slowly as she looked at it more carefully, "that's not an illusion, Luna, that's real blood..."

"Thou were truly injured?" Luna asked in a concerned tone as she stepped around to look her sister's back over. The dim lighting truly didn't help, and even with an illumination spell cast it still wasn't enough assistance. "We cannot see a source of injury to explain the blood's presence. 'Tis a mystery," she stated.

"And we don't have time for games. Such a shame as I do love a good mystery," Celestia sarcastically replied with a sigh. Nevermind that though, she'd worry about the mystery blood later, right now there was important work to be done. "How did the substitution go with my double?" she asked.

"Absolute perfection dear sister. Thanks to our synchronization, thee's replacement was teleported into place the exact moment thou didst disappear from the scene. We didst even manage proper alignment with thee's royal adornments thou didst teleport out of," Luna replied. It was nothing short of luck that the slight of hoof had worked out in the manner that it had. Had either of them been too slow or too quick on their end everything would've gone horribly wrong, and the entire illusion would've been ruined.

And with Discord being unwilling to assist them in this plan, a fact that Luna still couldn't fathom, they had to go it alone, relying on each other, just like old times. Not that she was opposed to that or anything; she adored the chance to intimately work with her sister, even if the timing did interfere with her own sleep. She was getting away from the main issue, that being how the spirit of chaos had suddenly taken a very hooves off approach to this entire issue, based on what Celestia had told her. His flat out refusal complicated matters greatly, significantly increasing their risk of failure if they didn't pull everything off.

Fortunately that wasn't the case in the matter. So far everything was proceeding according to plan. "However we must say, 'twas not easy finding enough ash to magically construct a life-sized replica, all within the blink of an eye, and in the pose thou didst assume at the moment leading up to thou's teleportation. Synchronization issues aside, we were most certain we wouldst run out of ash before we finished crafting thou's backside," she smirked.

Celestia scowled in response to the comment, but said nothing. She'd deal with her little sister's wit later on when there wasn't a crisis occurring.

However the conversation once again turned serious as Luna began speaking again.

"Tell us, dear sister, what was that significant tremor of power we didst feel minutes ago? We hath never felt anything like it before, and 'twas detectable even down here in the dungeons."

Her little sister would just have to ask that question, wouldn't she?

"That was Ulquiorra I'm afraid," Celestia replied with a sigh, lowering her head and closing her eyes. "Apparently that binding spell I placed on him, failed to adequately restrain his resurrection state. He informed me during our staged combat, that he's been able to access it this whole time, and simply chose not to use it until now," she explained. It was unnerving to think that he could've done something like that, and simply kept the fact to himself. Incidents such as that interfered with her ability to trust him fully. Such secrets were dangerous, and she didn't know how to respond to such. Her shock had been truly genuine, and she had no need to act on that particular matter.

And then there was the matter was Ulquiorra's actions in their "combat." He had been fierce, incredibly strong, and even if he was pulling his punches, he was a force to be reckoned with. If he truly could unbalance her hoofhold with a single swing of his javelin, and he actually had been holding back, how strong was he when he felt like being serious?

And just what could he do if he used both hands during a fight!?

And then there was how he had targeted Twilight directly with his Cero Oscuras, correctly concluding that she would indeed put herself in harm's way in order to protect her student from danger. It more than likely added to the story that he had defected to Chrsyalis' side. And it was a tactic that had gotten her lined up with the balcony, in order for him to get her back into the throne room where Chrysalis would witness everything. But it was a tactic she'd have to speak to him about later on, to make it perfectly clear that he wasn't to do something like that ever again.

She remembered her earlier conversation with him. How he'd gone to great lengths to explain how none of his Ceros would be capable of hurting her, or even bypassing her shields should they make contact. Had he subtly been trying to tell her of what she should expect in this charade? Had his tactic of forcing her to protect Twilight, been nothing more than a ruse to further her own plans? Did he correctly assume that if she believed she couldn't overcome his Cero Oscuras, after first experiencing it for herself to gauge its destructive potential, that she would've torn his arm right out of its socket to prevent it from being fired?

There were far too many questions present right now. She felt like her head was swimming in a sea of uncertainty.

Her worries aside, however, she found it impossible to deny the impressiveness of how his tactics had been devoted to her own overall plan, despite his uncertainty of the overall validity, and his own criticism of what she was aiming for. He'd passed up opportunities to strike her body directly, and instead went out of his way to make contact with her sword.

His performance, coupled with his ruthlessness had been perfect, and there was no way Chrysalis could've doubted his sincerity after such a performance. His emotionless expression and flat voice had added greatly to selling the story that he was committing treason of his own volition.

She needed to stop thinking about her own amazement, otherwise she'd wind up forgetting that she needed to be upset with him.

"Truly?" Luna asked as her eyes went wide with surprise at the news. Her sister had told her about his released state, about the things she'd seen in his memories about his strength, his speed, his power and so forth, laying out exactly why she'd made the attempt to seal it off to begin with. And now THAT was loose in their kingdom with no restrictions holding it back. "Is it as bad as thou didst fear?"

Celestia remained silent for a moment in thought, uncertain of just what to say in response.

"The scary part is I really can't tell. I can't even tell if he was truly attacking with his full strength, or if he was merely toying with me, while making the entire performance look real in an attempt to fool Chrysalis. For all I know, he could've truly killed me if he wanted to. If he hadn't taken several opportunities to speak to me during our battle, and inform me of what the best course of action was, I would've sworn she really had swayed him," Celestia stated grimly and looked down at the floor. "If push came to shove, and the situation were truly desperate, it could've easily gone either way..."

Luna sighed and closed her eyes. This was a serious, serious matter they had to deal with right now. Ulquiorra Cifer had managed to severely complicate the matter at hoof, and introduce an element of potentially disastrous consequences by revealing his deception so openly. They were truly in uncharted territory right now, and it was terrifying to think about.

"... Enough talk about our guest and his deception," Luna finally stated. If they devoted too much time to the Espada, they would wind up losing themselves, and miss their opportunity to deal with Chrysalis. They had to prioritize right now. And right now the Espada was the least of their concerns. 'Tia was still alive and physically unharmed. For her right now, that was enough to suggest he could wait until later. "Discussing Ulquiorra Cifer further will prove futile until we can act, let us tend to matters that we can indeed affect. We hath tended to the guards after verifying who art what. They hath been disguised as other changelings, and are blending in with the rest either in the air or on the ground, and will launch a counteroffensive once they art informed the time is right."

"Most excellent indeed," Celestia replied and refocused herself on the pressing matters they were facing. That part of the plan had been one of the most difficult to pull off. Any one of the royal guard, either of the solar or the lunar division, could've been replaced by changelings, and prove to be compromised. However only the one from previous had been found and all the others had proven clean. They'd been whisked away to the dungeons, informed of the plan, and provided their disguises and their orders. Now there was only one part left to play. "Are you ready to proceed to the changeling hive and determine if it's empty?"

"Ready when thou art, dear sister," Luna replied and saluted, "let us cloak and depart, for we doth wish to be present this time when Chrysalis realizes she hast been had!"

"I couldn't agree more, Luna. I want to get this over with quickly, and get back to Twilight and the others before they wind up getting hurt," Celestia agreed. The sooner this matter was tended to the sooner they could return home and take care of everything.

"Twilight Sparkle? Thou's student and her friends art present for this charade? Hath they been informed of what we art up to?" she Luna asked curiously. That detail hadn't been a part of the overall plan.

"I'm afraid there wasn't enough time to tell them what was taking place. Ulquiorra and Chrysalis appeared not two minutes after they did, and I still wasn't certain if any of them had been replaced. By the time I knew they were the genuine article, we were already besieged. I'm afraid they were swept into the thick of it. All the more reason to get back as quick as possible," Celestia replied.

"'Tis bad dear sister. Art thou certain they will understand thee's intentions and the reasons behind them, and not feel betrayal themselves?" Luna asked. Things could so easily go bad the way they were going right now. Anything could happen and go wrong, and there would be little they could do to stop it from here. "They hath never been put in such a situation before. For everypony's sake, we hope that they art most understanding, dear sister. 'Twouldst be most ugly otherwise," she said as her horn lit up and cast an invisibility spell over the both of them.

+++

Why did Luna's words have to ring so true; especially in a situation such as this?

Her little sister had warned her about the potential for things to get ugly and go wrong if they weren't careful, that Twilight and her friends might not see things from their perspective, and instead might feel violated and used. She had so dearly hoped that Luna was simply being overly cautious, and no real harm would be done. But as she sat before the door in front of her, she realized that Luna had a better understanding of things than she herself did.

"This is all my fault," she told herself and hung her head and continued to sit in front of the door to Twilight's old room. Everything had gone so, so wrong. Chrysalis had been defeated and the changelings had been rounded up, and all of their victims had been located, rescued, and were doing well after recovering from the shock of everything that happened to them.

Unfortunately all of that seemed to pale into comparison to what hadn't gone according to plan. In her zeal to address Chrysalis' threat, she had utterly failed to take into consideration the emotional attachment Twilight had with her, and how it could so easily be fractured without even realizing it.

"Twilight please open the door," she more or less pleaded, but was given no verbal response. Not that she could blame her. She'd realized her mistake far too late to correct it, and now her student had to pay the price for her actions.

"Your student appears to be quite stubborn," Ulquiorra observed as he approached the door Princess Celestia had been speaking to for the past five minutes.

She really didn't need his cold and calculating approach to life in general right now, she really didn't. She didn't care to hear what he had to say on the matter, about how everything was illogical, and unsound, due to the heavy reliance of emotion. If he were to say anything of that sort, she couldn't guarantee what he'd be on the receiving end of. She was still quite sore at him for so many reasons.

"She's quite upset, I'm afraid. She's been crying the entire time and won't let me in. The door is quite sufficiently locked, and she's maintaining an active field to prevent tampering. To be honest I'm quite surprised she can maintain such concentration in her state," Princess Celestia replied. She wasn't proud to admit it, but in her reign she'd indeed made some unsettling and hurtful mistakes, mistakes that she still regretted to this day. It appeared she had one more to add to the list with regard to her precious student.

Ulquiorra truly couldn't understand the situation. Princess Celestia had vast magical strength, and considerable rule over Equestria. Canterlot palace was hers to manage as she so pleased, and those in her service were required to obey her. And yet, when it came to Twilight Sparkle, her approach was as if she had no magical presence, and couldn't command cooperation. Whatever relationship she had with the lavender unicorn, it seemed paralyzing in nature when it came to doing something that might upset her.

It was truly a mystery.

With no further word he stepped forward, withdrew his hand from his pocket and knocked firmly on the door. When he got no response he spoke. "Twilight Sparkle. If you fail to open this door, then I will open it myself."

Nothing but the muffled sound of the unicorn's unabated crying. This was ridiculous.

"I don't know if you'll be able to get the door open without magic," Princess Celestia told him, doubting the entire basis of his statement.

"We shall see. Step aside please," he replied and stood directly in front of the door, waiting until she did as requested before acting. He shifted his weight to his left leg while using his right leg to deliver a brutal side kick right to the middle of the door, delivering enough force to shatter the structure, and send millions of splintery pieces flying wildly.

At least that's what should have happened.

Instead of being reduced to kindling, Ulquiorra watched as the surface of the door wiggled, waves spreading out from the point of impact, and making their way to the corners and sides of the door like ripples in a pond where a stone had been dropped. It seemed Twilight Sparkle was prepared for what might happen. Ulquiorra could only speculate as to the nature of the spell, and its intended purpose, having no true experience in the field of magic himself.

"If you believe a kinetic force dampening spell will be sufficient, then you are-"

He was interrupted as the waves that had spread out immediately reappeared, and flowed backwards to the point of impact, being his foot that was still pressed against the door.

It was a well known fact, that Newton's Third Law of Motion stated when one body exerts a force on a second body, the second body simultaneously exerts a force, equal in magnitude, and opposite in direction to that of the first body.

Another well known but seemingly unnumbered law of motion dictated all force travels along the path of least resistance.

In this particular case, the path of least resistance was him, as the door exerted enough force to send his one hundred and twenty one pound carcass flying backward, and skidding on his back along the marble flooring of the hallway, before coming to a dead stop upon crashing head first into an opposing wall with a loud thud.

"-mistaken..."

Princess Celestia watched the entire event unfold in complete disbelief. It wasn't a force dampening spell her student had used, but rather a force reflection spell. The harder one tried to push against it, the harder the spell bushed back. And looking at Ulquiorra's temporarily prone form against the opposite end of the hallway, it went without saying he'd pushed quite hard against it. The fact that Twilight had the foresight to use such a spell, as well as the concentration to maintain it, even in her current state, spoke volumes for her talent in magic; something that would serve her well one day in the coming future. Provided she ever recovered from this.

"Your student seems quite prepared," Ulquiorra commented dryly as he picked himself up off the floor. She was also quite frustrating in nature, but it was more than likely that Princess Celestia already knew of this fact.

Princess Celestia nodded silently, the physical gesture being her only response as she continued standing in front of the door.

"There are a great many aspects I fail to understand pertaining to this situation," he stated as he approached again and stood by her side. For the last hour since Twilight Sparkle's departure, he'd experienced nothing but utter confusion. "Among I believe the best places to start, is your own inaction. You possess vast magical strength, and a reiatsu level and structure that could crush me. I find it highly unlikely that Twilight Sparkle could in any way overpower you. Why do you not simply wrench the door from its hinges, and march in there, since you have the authority to do so, and explain to her that the safety of your kingdom is of greater importance than her own personal feelings?" he asked.

She could. If she truly wanted to display the authority of her rule, she could simply undo all the spells Twilight had placed on the door, march right in there without a problem, and explain the full gravity of the situation that they had faced up to this point. There was nothing stopping her from doing just that.

Except for the fact that she didn't want to take that route. She would never exercise such a display, and especially not regarding Twilight.

"Despite your observations about my character and potential, I have no desire to engage in the tactics of a tyrannical dictator. I've ruled over a thousand years without having to resort to such, and I have no intention of starting now. My actions have already done enough harm regarding Twilight, there's no need to add fuel to the fire," Princess Celestia responded and hung her head.

A strange reasoning. Princess Celestia seemed to care more about her subjects than her own authority. When she'd first told him of her plan for dealing with Chrysalis, he'd seen certain aspects of Aizen's personality in her own. The plan was elaborate and overly complex, but the very basis seemed reasonably similar to some of Aizen's previous gambits, if not far more ridiculous. But now in the aftermath, when the threat had been neutralized, her concern was directly on the wellbeing of her subjects.

He was starting to see less of Aizen, and more of Tier Harribel, in her personality now. Out of all of them, the Tres Espada was the only one who really showed any actual concern for the wellbeing of her fracción, and didn't treat them as servants, slaves, or otherwise cannon fodder. Perhaps it was why her subjects were so loyal to her; because she was loyal to them in return.

At the moment though, it was little more than an observation, made in an attempt to better make sense of the entire situation. There were more important matters to tend to right now.

"As ruler you're certainly entitled to such a decision. I however, favor a more direct approach for handling the situation."

Princess Celestia watched curiously as Ulquiorra approached the door, as if he was about to try and kick it in again. She knew that a rebounding spell like this would produce the same results no matter how many times he might try and bypass it, and would continue to do so until Twilight allowed it to cease. She had doubts that even his Cero would breach it. But much to her surprise he wasn't trying to force it open, but instead was drawing his hand over it, his fingers curled in a manner like he was trying to open a large zipper sideways.

After several such passes she finally had to speak up. "What exactly are you trying to do?" she asked him.

"All Arrancar possess an ability known as descorrer, which allows for the opening of gateways between dimensions. Hollows use this or a similar technique to travel freely between Hueco Mundo, the living world, and Soul Society, via the pathways separating the three worlds," Ulquiorra explained calmly before slipping his hand back into his pocket. "It would seem my own descorrer ability doesn't work in this world, for reasons I can't yet determine."

It was disturbing to suddenly find out one of his abilities was either missing or non-functioning, while being left with no clue as to why. Perhaps there were no outer dimensional boundaries connected to this world, and thus there was nothing for his descorrer to open up? Or perhaps when Discord had brought him here, he had decided to engage in mischief, and deliberately leave him incomplete?

Regardless of the exact reasoning for the lack of his ability, it would have to wait until later. Right now he could feel Princess Celestia's attention focused on him.

"Another secret you've been keeping from me? Just like the fact you've been able to reach your resurrection stage at any time you wished?" she asked him directly, the displeasure obvious in her voice. She'd been so preoccupied in her worrying about Twilight, she'd completely forgotten about that part. Now that she was no longer distracted and her attention brought back to the other facts, she was feeling anger.

"You didn't ask if my released state was not accessible should I find the need to actually utilize it, despite your sealing spell being in place," Ulquiorra pointed out flatly. It was the full truth on the matter, she'd simply assumed that his failure to achieve release back in the garden had been a sign of success, rather than an indication that he simply wasn't trying. What purpose would there be in making a dedicated attempt? Had he done so, he could've leveled the entire palace. "You yourself said I was under no obligation to share with you, information I believe is sensitive in nature. As I recall, you said I was well within my rights to refrain from revealing such material. And seeing as how revealing such information could potentially jeopardize my existence, I saw no reason to point it out."

She had indeed said that upon their first meeting when Luna took offense to his evasiveness. However she had no idea he'd be throwing it back out at her in such a manner, and especially not so soon. It was all very unpleasant; especially the oh so subtle way he was suggesting that it was her fault for not thinking to ask if he was lying to her.

And that was to say nothing of the insinuations he was making, regarding the security of his own skin. Did he truly think that she would kill him? Or was he merely using that as an excuse to justify his secrecy?

"You realize that this development makes it harder to trust you, right?" she asked.

"I am aware," Ulquiorra replied dryly. Was she aware of the irony of this current line of discussion about how it was hard to trust him, after assuring the Elements of Harmony that he was indeed trustworthy? He could point out the contradiction to her, but he had sufficient reason to believe that such a revelation would only make the situation worse.

"This is likely going to have an adverse affect on the progress of your integration with the rest of Equestria," she pointed out.

"I am aware of that as well," Ulquiorra replied, unfazed by this news. Did she expect him to feel bad about the fact that he was going to be under greater suspicion? Or to grovel and seek forgiveness for his deception? He'd known from even before the moment of "Enclose..." that things could go quite bad from here on out. Regardless of that fact, he'd made the decision to go ahead with the reveal, in order to comply with Princess Celestia's order to make the whole charade look believable and convincing. "I didn't foresee this situation ending without consequences for at least some of those involved, myself included. I don't expect the claim of "I was merely following your orders" to be an excuse, or a justification for the actions I took. Nor do I believe I'll be shown any leniency for putting the safety of your kingdom above all other concerns, in order to stop the threat presented by Chrysalis' presence. If there are to be consequences for my actions, then there is nothing I can do about it," he explained calmly in an unflinching manner.

How could anyone so calmly accept their fate like that? He was unflinching, and unapologetic about the fact he was currently in trouble, and just approaching it so casually. Before she could even begin asking questions, he started speaking again.

"That said, I will not refrain from reminding you that it was your request, that I make my defection look believable, which necessitated the action I took. The moment Chrysalis saw that I failed to cut you, demanded desperate measures for the ruse to work. Nor will I refrain from questioning how you were unaware of my falsehood, when we were engaged in telepathic communication. You too bear responsibility for the events that transpired in the manner they did, because of your over-zealousness that bore remarkable similarity to a personal vendetta against Chrysalis. You didn't even seem to consider the trauma you would inflict upon the uninitiated. I can't help but question if you were looking out for the kingdom... or if you were simply after revenge for your earlier encounter..."

"That's enough," Princess Celestia spoke firmly.

"It is quite ironic," Ulquiorra continued regardless of the order. What he had to say needed to be said, needed to be heard. He believed it was relevant to the conversation right now, and his point would be made. "When we first met you regarded me as a monster, as a soul-sucking demon. You feared me for what you saw of my abilities. You understood that I was an unapologetic murderer. And yet, even from the beginning of our interactions, I possessed more concern for the wellbeing of your subjects than you yourself. I was willing to handle problems by myself, and shield them from what could harm them. Even before this entire situation played out, I recognized the potential for harm that your subjects might face at how things played out. My actions, if undisturbed, would leave them blissfully unaware of what would come. I cannot help but wonder, which of us is the true monster here..."

"I said that's enough!" she repeated, far firmer and harsher than before, and with a corresponding flare of her reiatsu.

It appeared he'd managed to strike a nerve with her in his observation. Never before had she flexed her strength in order to silence him. And while it wasn't of the same magnitude as when he'd made his first display in the throne room, he could indeed feel the burn against his skin beginning. She was quite angry, but doing her best to remain in check, and not go overboard.

"I'm very displeased with you, and your actions, at the moment. But at the moment I don't have the time to deal with you in the manner I feel is most appropriate. My primary concern right now is Twilight's wellbeing. But rest assured, you and I will most certainly be having a lengthy, and most likely unpleasant discussion, after everything has settled down. You're dismissed until then. And don't try to leave the palace."

She was thankful, and relieved, when Ulquiorra simply turned and left, rather than continuing to talk. Right now she didn't need the added frustrations he could present, she had enough problems going on behind the door as her student cried helplessly, her heart aching anew with each audible sob.

Aching worse still, because she knew he was right, and she was partly responsible for what had happened. She had nopony to blame but herself for how Twilight was feeling right now. Out of everything she'd taken into consideration in laying out her plan, her student's psyche hadn't been among them.

She didn't know what had her the angriest right now; Ulquiorra's secrecy, his accusations that she was a monster too focused on revenge to consider other possibilities... or that he had pointed out this possible development, and she'd been too blind to see it; too blind to even consider it as actually being a possibility.

"Am I the true monster?" she asked herself in a whisper.

The only answer she received was the continued, unabated crying from behind the door.

Finding Princess Luna in the company of the other five holders of the Elements of Harmony wasn't a surprise to him; so much reiatsu in one spot could easily be detected over ten miles away even by even the Diez Espada. They had been together at Twilight Sparkle's untimely departure, it only made sense that they would still be assembled. The real curiosity of his unintended meeting with them, was why they had all converged in this particular hallway, and remained just behind the corner. If they too were seeking Twilight Sparkle, then they were a considerable distance away.

"What hast thou discovered?" Princess Luna asked, being the first of the group to speak up after spotting him.

"Twilight Sparkle has been located, and is currently in an emotionally distraught state, and will not speak with anyone. Princess Celestia wishes for her student to exit the room she has sealed herself in of her own accord, rather than forcing her way in. My own attempt to opening the door proved futile. And Princess Celestia has dismissed my presence until the situation with Twilight Sparkle is firmly under control. Furthermore, my permission to leave the palace has been rescinded, and I am once more confined to the grounds for what offenses I have committed here today," Ulquiorra replied, covering the relevant details in hopes of eliminating any redundant discussion about what events had transpired in the last hour.

"Oh dear," Rarity stated at hearing the news.

"Oh my," Fluttershy added in her usual tone.

"'Tis not good. We didst fear that something of this nature may happen the way our dear sister didst plan everything. However we didst hope that we were merely being overtly concerned about nothing. 'Twould seem we were not," Princess Luna replied.

Why, oh why, did Celestia insist on these gambles of hers? What had happened during her absence, that brought about such a course of action?

Silence crept over the hallway after this, the news about their friend -or acquaintance- being upset enough to not talk with any of them. For most it was very depressing news.

"Ah'm gonna go talk ta her," Applejack finally spoke up and broke the silence. She was just about to set off down the hallway, and try to find her friend and give her a much needed talking to, when Rarity stopped her from moving so much as a step.

"Applejack dear I know you're concerned, but I believe what Twilight needs more than anything right now, is the time to cool down before any of us go to confront her. The poor dear is likely still quite volatile right now, and regardless of what we intend, our efforts might just upset her even more," Rarity pointed out.

A surprisingly well thought out observation by the seamstress pony, Ulquiorra noted. Emotions were not his area of expertise, nor even something he himself had any real experience with, as he didn't truly have them. But the logic was sound enough to make some measure of sense to him. She as well as the others continued to present surprises in terms of intelligence.

Unfortunately there was the habit of them presenting stupidity right after intelligence. He estimated one of the other four would do or say something idiotic within the sixty seconds that followed Rarity's observation, if the currently established pattern was followed.

"So you mean we've gotta let Twilight be a saddie pie until she's feeling better?" Pinkie asked, not the least bit happy about the idea of leaving one of her friends sad and alone. That was a position she'd been in way too many times to wish it on anypony.

"I'm afraid so dear. Right now, only Twilight knows how she's feeling. We can still be there for her, but she has to be ready and willing to accept our help. Until then, all we can do is just wait patiently," Rarity replied as she closed her eyes and sighed. "The same would go for all of us. After everything that's happened, I believe we're all in need of time to cool down, and properly think things out. What happened today wasn't easy on any of us."

"Well that just stinks!" Pinkie replied with a "hmph" and reared up on her hind legs to cross her forelegs over her chest.

"Yeah I'm with Pinkie on this one, we're Twilight's friends, we should be in there trying to help her out, not standing around twiddling our hooves with dopey looks on our faces," Rainbow Dash stated.

It was strange to observe these ponies. They had all been present for the revelation that Princess Celestia had used them to further her plan of dealing with Chrysalis. They all had equal reason to be infuriated with Princess Celestia, and react in a similar manner to Twilight Sparkle at learning that they were nothing more than pawns in a complicated game of chess, more or less sacrificing them for the sake of allowing her bishop -in this case himself- to move into the proper position to achieve a checkmate.

And yet despite the revelation -minus the complicated chess analogy- none of them had shared their associate's outrage at the reveal. Even Rainbow Dash, who had the most reason to feel betrayal due to her Element of Loyalty status, hadn't seen fit to take a route similar to that taken by Twilight Sparkle.

It was truly something he couldn't quite wrap his head around. Why were these five so willing to accept Princess Celestia's actions, and accept them so calmly?

Then again, Rarity was advising a cool down period. Perhaps their tempers ran far deeper than he was giving them credit for. Perhaps she was attempting the logical course of action, for fear of what could go wrong if they simply responded without thinking.

"Unless you can bypass the spells Twilight Sparkle is currently maintaining, you will likely be unsuccessful at doing anything beneficial. I attempted to force the door open with a kick strong enough to kill a Gillian, and it refused to budge," Ulquiorra commented, deliberately leaving out the part about how the door had budged him; he really didn't want to deal with Pinkie Pie's potential amusement at being hurled down the hallway and possibly asking to see it done again.

"Tha's a lot o' force then?" Applejack asked. She remembered that term referred to a higher evolution of Ulquiorra's race, but where exactly it fit in with their world in comparative terms was still a mystery to her.

"A great deal more than any living pony could ever hope to generate. Twilight Sparkle's spell completely negated the force of the impact as if it were nothing. Forcing the door open will likely not be possible. And unless Princess Celestia is willing to override her student's magical field, it's little more than a waiting game," Ulquiorra explained.

"What about the wall?" Pinkie asked after a pause. "Twilight's spell is protecting the door, but couldn't we go trough the wall if we chip away at the masonry and just pull some stones loose?"

A rather interesting and intelligent thought to entertain. If the whole of Twilight Sparkle's focus was directed at the door exclusively, the surrounding architecture would remain unaffected, and even accessible if given enough effort. Furthermore it would be logical to assume Twilight Sparkle's focus hadn't been on the entire room, as it would require her to exert considerably more reiryoku and concentration.

It would also be logical to assume that Twilight Sparkle, even if perfectly calm, wouldn't anticipate someone attempting to come through the wall to reach her.

The surprising aspect of it all was that Pinkie Pie had come up with the idea. Perhaps she was merely obfuscating her stupidity?

"Tha's not a bad idea Pinkie. An' if there's a window in the room, Rainbow Dash could fly in an' talk ta Twilight direct," Applejack added.

The scene was quickly devolving in nature. The other holders of the Elements of Harmony seemed quite intent on ignoring Rarity's observation that the best course of action was to simply leave Twilight Sparkle alone for the time being, in favor of gaining entry to her room through force, and confronting her directly. What type of emotional state possessed them, that they would willingly walk into a volatile situation, and risk making everything worse?

"We wouldst not recommend such," Princess Luna spoke up, the others immediately ceasing their bickering about the best course of action to take and instead focusing their attention on her. "Our friend Twilight Sparkle is upset enough. We need not to further disturb her during this sensitive time. Our dear sister likely doth have this matter well in hoof. It wouldst be best to simply stand back, and allow her to deal with the problem in her own matter. She hath set things into motion. 'Tis only fitting to let her deal with the consequences of her own actions. We doth not need to make her angrier than she art already."

"Ah this blows!" Rainbow Dash stated and stomped her hoof on the ground. "Twilight's our friend, and we can't do anything to help her when she needs us?"

Pinkie reared up on her hind legs again, her forelegs tucked at her sides with a scowl on her face. "It would seem in this chapter of life, we find ourselves relegated to the status of background characters who play no part in the main storyline," she stated in a dull and even tone.

"... Say wha'?" Applejack asked, confused by what exactly Pinkie was talking about.

"That's my Ulqy impression, pretty good huh?" Pinkie asked before setting back down on all four hooves and turning to face Ulquiorra. "How was I? Pretty good?"

There was a great deal of nonsense in Pinkie Pie's words. Did she truly believe she was pulling off a convincing imitation of his personality, or was she merely trying to lighten the tense mood with her randomness, and distract them from the fact that they were currently useless?

Five hundred and eighty three seconds. A rather impressive record, all things considered.

"Anyway..." Rainbow Dash spoke up, deciding a change of subject was in order. She really didn't want to continue with this current line of discussion, it was unpleasant enough as it was. "Look. I'm as loyal as the next pony. But if we can't do any good here, then I'm just gonna head on home. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted after all the adventure we've had today, and it feels like I've been up for nine weeks straight," she paused and yawned. "I'm gonna get some shut eye, and try and put some of this on the back burner for the time being. What Rarity was saying, cooler heads prevailing or something like that."

"And I really need to get back to my animals, and make sure they're all alright. They've been on their own for two days, and I'm scared to think of how terrified they must've been with that changeling playing as me," Fluttershy added. At that she slowly turned her attention in Ulquiorra's direction and looked up to make eye contact. "I never did get the chance to say it before everything seemed to get out of control. But thanks for saving me. If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be in that pod with everypony else, and nopony would've known until it was too late."

"Yes I must say your timing was quite impeccable. To think that so many changelings were running about, and we didn't know it," Rarity replied and shuddered.

Ulquiorra remained silent at their words, submerging himself in deep thought. Impeccable timing and coincidence didn't seem like a possible solution to the question before him. There had to be something more to it.

"Mr. Cifer?" Applejack spoke up, bringing his attention back to her, "ya got that look on yer face like ya got some deep thinkin' goin' on again."

"How can you tell?" Pinkie asked, confused at to how Applejack could come to such a conclusion when the look on his face never changed.

"At present time I'm uncertain..." Ulquiorra replied slowly.

The night had fallen not long ago, the sun dipping down to give way to Princess Luna's moon, and a corresponding reduction of outside ambient light to go along with it.

However this fact had no relevance to Twilight at all, having no care for whether it was day or night right now. She lacked the energy necessary to work up to caring as she laid on her old bed, her frame completely still, and her eyes bloodshot. She'd run out of tears long ago and her body was no longer wracked by the constant sobs; just the utter stillness and silence as she laid there in the darkness of her old room. She was exhausted physically from crying, and mentally from exercising her magic so hard, and for so long in an effort to maintain her isolation. Right now there was nothing to keep out anypony who tried to gain entry, other than the possibility that they still believed the room was inaccessible.

The door opened silently, the hinges behaving as if they were well oiled, and not issuing so much as a squeak. The only indication of the disturbance being the sudden invasion of light from the hallway, the stream interrupted by the silhouette of a tall horned pony, before the door was gently closed again.

"Twilight?"

She said nothing in response. She didn't want to speak to the one in the room right now. She didn't even want to see, think about or even smell the one in the room right now. She wanted to be left alone.

"Twilight?"

She tried closing her eyes and willing the invader away, trying to make them vanish through the power of her mind alone. Unfortunately that didn't seem to be doing any good whatsoever, as the imposing pony remained, and seemed unwilling to move.

She truly didn't want to do it. But she knew the only option she really had, was to confront the intruding pony directly. If she didn't, then the disturbance to her isolation would never end. She slowly lifted her head from where it lay on the mattress, and turned her glare to the source of her unhappiness, hoping the misery in her eyes would warrant silence.

No such luck unfortunately. She was still there looking at her; Celestia remained, and wasn't moving from her spot. The Princess' patience would likely not run out anytime soon. Direct confrontation was the only thing that was available to her now.

"Twilight?"

"Get out," Twilight whispered in a low raspy tone.

"Twilight I-" Celestia started but was interrupted.

"I said get out!" Twilight shrieked louder, causing the alicorn to falter before even taking a step forward. "I don't want to speak to you! I don't even want to look at you! Get out! Get out! GET OUT!"

Celestia remained, standing silent as her student screamed at her, moving only when she stopped to take a breath, her head hung low as she moved closer. "Twilight I know you're upset with me. And you have every right to be. Today was incredibly stressful to go through, I can understand that fact. But unless I know exactly what I did that was wrong, there's no way I can help you," she spoke softly in her approach.

"Help me? You think that you can help me? You can't help me, nopony can help me! You took everything away from me today! You destroyed everything I knew with that stunt you pulled earlier, and you didn't even care about it!" Twilight shouted angrily, unconsciously using her magic to hurl a pillow directly at her. Not that it made any difference. It'd wound up smacking her directly in the face, before simply falling to the ground, the impact doing nothing to make the alicorn blink nor even budge from her spot.

Despite being exhausted, she felt a new surge of energy running through her frame, and allowing her to climb down off the bed into a standing position. "Do you even know how much damage you caused today? Do you know how traumatizing it is to watch somebody you care about, crumble like stone right before your very eyes? Do you even care? DO YOU!?" she asked/demanded. "You destroyed my sense of trust in you, and everypony else, when you made me think you died saving me. You completely destroyed my sense of order, and not ten minutes after I got done telling Pinkie Pie that she needed to trust you better, because you'd never mislead us on anything! You lied to us, and treated us like we were disposable junk not worth keeping! Now I don't know what to believe anymore, and it's all thanks to you!" she screamed as her body strained for breath with every word uttered.

Celestia closed her eyes and lowered her head at her student's words, now understanding the source of her pain. Through her own actions she'd managed to disrupt Twilight's sense of order in the world, and left her confused and uncertain about everything. Twilight's trust in her had apparently been a pillar on which she built her outlook on the rest of the world, and she'd managed to shatter that pillar without even realizing it. Now she was lost, hurt, scared, and feeling alone.

Perhaps the Espada had been right all along. A truly disturbing thought.

Unfortunately for her, Twilight seemed to just be getting warmed up, as she started ripping into her again like a rabid animal.

"How many other things have I taken at face value, and on blind faith, that you've been misleading all of us on?" she asked/demanded to know. "How many of the rumors that I've heard about you are true? Do you not raise the sun, and it's just a naturally occurring phenomenon that you take credit for!? And what about those horrible "Molestia" rumors so many other ponies have talked about, are those true too!? Did you lock Discord away because he wouldn't fuck you!" she shouted and stomped her hoof, her choice of language drawing an audible gasp from the alicorn. However she didn't take the time to stop and admire her work of causing the immortal to flinch, but rather continued without distraction, attacking like a bloodthirsty beast with its sights set on injured prey. "Is that it? Is it!? Did the spirit of chaos not want to succumb to your sexual advancements? Did you do it because he preferred your little sister instead of you? And while we're on that topic, what about Princess Luna herself? Did she get sent to the moon because she didn't want an incestuous relationship with her own sister? Did you make Cadence your niece for molestation purposes? How many royal guards have you bedded and banged over the centuries, by telling them they'd be charged with treason if they didn't fuck you? Did you fuck Shining Armor too!? What about me? Was I the next in line to get fucked senseless by you, by being made your faithful student!?" she shouted angrily. "What do you clop to at night!?"

Celestia remained silent throughout Twilight's outburst, no matter how painful it was to hear her prized student accusing her of such heinous and despicable acts. Acts that she would never consider performing, acts that she'd never consider even thinking about. Her words cut her quite deep, and all the while she just remained still and silent as Twilight vented angrily, unleashing the full amount of her rage at the only one she could.

But as deep as they cut, they were nothing but accusations. The cuts Twilight had felt, they weren't accusations, but rather acts that had indeed taken place.

Fortunately her student seemed to hit the point of needing air, and began sucking in deep breaths to try and counteract the dizziness that was setting in, thus bringing a detour to the tirade of statements she knew Twilight would never dream of using if she were calm. This was the opportunity that was needed to try and address her.

"I can now understand how much I've hurt you, Twilight, and I can't hope to apologize enough for how my actions affected you, no matter how hard I might try," Princess Celestia apologized, unable to do much else right now. "If you feel the need to strike me for what I've done-"

She was silenced as a purple hoof connected with the left side of her face and took her completely by surprise, moving her head to the side in the blink of an eye. Twilight hadn't even hesitated before taking the opening presented to her. To be honest, it was surprising how much physical force her student could generate, especially considering she was standing on her hind legs in an unsupported manner.

The initial blow was followed up by a backhoofed slap, moving her head back in the other direction, and then another that moved her head back into the direction from the initial impact.

"You destroyed everything I knew!" she panted through ragged breaths as she set back down on all four hooves, the angered and hurt glare never leaving her eyes. "I had so much respect for you. I looked up to you. I trusted you with my life. I would've gone to Tartarus for you if you'd asked me to do so. I loved you! I loved you just as much as I did my own mother. I even loved you more than Cadence! I would've done anything you asked me, absolutely anything! I would've been your concubine if you'd asked me, and I wouldn't have thought twice about it! And what do you do? When Equestria's in danger, you don't even tell us about what's got to be the most traumatizing thing you've ever done to any of us, and make us think you died in the process of trying to defeat someone you told us we could trust! I almost killed Ulquiorra because you made us think he was the one that betrayed us! I almost murdered a friend because you forced him to pretend to go bad! Do you have any idea what that realization feels like!?" she shouted as she found her second -or third- wind. "We were loyal to you, and this is how you repay us? By turning our world upside down, and leaving us not knowing what to believe anymore? Driven to the point that we'd murder another in retaliation for your death!? I hate you! Do you hear me, I! HATE! YOU!" she shouted right in her face, stomping her hoof with each punctuation to emphasize the degree of hurt she was experiencing right now.

Over the centuries of her rule, she'd been accused of many hurtful and heinous things. But never before by one she cared so much for. And the fact she had chosen to integrate bits of the Arrancar's native language into her verbal tirade, had just seemed to make it all the more painful to hear. She found herself flinching at every single foreign profanity hurled at her; a subtle indicator that her student saw more trust in the Espada than in her. She could practically feel Twilight's rage boiling right now as she vented her pain and her frustration, practically see the boiling affect in her magical aura and the wafts of steam-like energy coming off of her small body.

"I-" she started, but never managed to finish. The next thing she knew, Twilight had flown into a physical rage, and proceeded to wale on her with her front hooves, delivering blows to her body like she was in a street fight, or engaged in some boxing match gone horribly wrong. She'd been caught completely off guard by this uncharacteristic turn of events.

But even if she had seen it coming from the beginning, she still wouldn't have done anything to the contrary. Twilight was hurting far more than she could fully understand right now. Hurting from betrayal, and having her outlook on the world turned completely on its axis, and desperately looking for an outlet of any sort to try and make sense of it all. And seeing as she was the one responsible, it only seemed acceptable that she be the one to serve as her outlet. Taking a few minor bruises -and much to her own surprise, a bloody nose- for her student's benefit was the least she could do.

Twilight's punches and blows were steady but uncoordinated. They were guided by anger and fury, rather than an informed knowledge of how to cause the most damage possible. Celestia didn't even flinch as she served as Twilight's punching bag, her body absorbing the slowly weakening and tired blows, as she exerted herself to the point of complete exhaustion.

And then it happened. Much like a fever hitting a high point before breaking and the body's temperature falling back to normal, Twilight's anger seemed to hit a high point with a particularly loud scream, and one final blow, before finally breaking and giving way to another emotion; sadness. Her body was now slumped and her head hung low as she went silent, other than her heavy breathing.

"I know that I've hurt you quite badly, Twilight, but I had no idea just how badly until now," she said softly, "I'm not proud of what I did today. I acted in a manner I believed would allow me to best serve and protect everyone at the same time. But instead of that, my actions wound up costing me one of the few things I value more than anything..." she said with a sigh. Never before could she remember such a bad situation with a past student. Never before had she made a mistake this big. "Being eternal doesn't mean you're perfect, it simply means you have time to discover new ways to fail, despite your best intentions. I'm sad to say this isn't the first plan I've had in my reign that has gone horribly wrong. And sadly it won't be the last either. There are times I'm going to make mistakes. And when I do there will be consequences involved," she admitted.

"And that's supposed to make everything better? A weak apology and telling me that sometimes you suck? You think that sets things right after you successfully destroyed my entire outlook on life, and left me uncertain if I can even trust my friends now?" she asked bitterly, not even looking up from where she sat. Rather she simply turned her back to her and faced the wall. "You might as well just banish me to the moon right now, or wherever else it is that you stick us mortal ponies, because you know what? I just don't fucking care anymore, I don't have the energy necessary. I don't regret what I said to the ruler of Equestria. I don't even regret hitting you..."

A long stretch of silence, the only audible noise coming from the soft scratching of a hoof pawing against the floor.

"I know there's nothing I can ever say that will make things better, Twilight, it's just not possible. You grew up trusting and respecting me from the beginning by default, because that's what was expected of you. But trust and respect have to be earned rather than expected automatically. And that is something I've been quite lax in. I have no doubt my subjects will forgive me for what's happened here today, but those I consider to be my friends and loved ones are another story. I'm going to have to earn back what was lost here today. It's going to be a long, difficult journey to engage in, and I have to do it alone. All I can do, is ask for you to please allow me the possibility, and the opportunity to earn your trust back, my faithful student... and my dear, dear friend..." Celestia spoke softly, the strength of her voice wavering throughout.

"... You're asking an awful lot of me, you know that?" Twilight asked weakly after a long, awkward pause. She didn't want to consider Celestia's words right now, she didn't want to have anything to do with her right now, especially not after everything she'd said to her. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to trust you again. I can't even forgive you right now after what happened today," she stated. She remained silent a while, waiting to see if any response was given.

How could she forgive someone, when their actions had driven her into a homicidal rage? What if she hadn't stopped at Ulquiorra? What if she couldn't have stopped? What if she'd been overtaken by her magic again, just like she had been during her entrance exam, and killed not only her friends, but everypony in the castle? What if her rage had extended beyond the castle, and all the way back to Ponyville, and leveled absolutely everything between here and there? Did Celestia even consider those possibilities beforehoof when she decided that this was a good idea at the time? How could she possibly forgive and forget?

That was one of the things that truly terrified her about this whole ordeal. As a filly her untapped magical strength had been unbelievable; to the point that only Celestia could suppress it at the time. And now, after so many years of study and practice, that strength had only increased, to a degree she didn't even know about. What if... what if it had gotten to the point that it truly couldn't have been suppressed, even if Celestia had been there to help? How many could've died by her hoof?

When no response came forward she spoke again. "I'm not going to make any promises about what I will or won't do, because I can't make any promises right now. I can't say I'll ever forgive you for what happened here today. You can try, but don't expect any miracles," she all but whispered. "But even if I do. Even if I could find it in myself to forgive you right this second for what you've done to me, nothing is ever going to be the same again..."

Another uncomfortable silence came over the room, neither party saying anything nor looking at each other.

"Dear Twilight Sparkle," Celestia began, causing Twilight to slowly blink at what sounded like the beginning of a letter. "Knowing you has provided me a great opportunity to learn about the true importance of friendship. Today I learned a most important lesson, and I fear I learned it the hard way, this lesson costing me a hefty price. Friendship, as with all other relations, is founded on the concept of trust. Trust is unbelievably strong, and capable of holding others together when nothing else will. But despite this resilient aspect, trust itself can be quite delicate and fragile in nature, and it can be undone without us ever realizing it, because of one stupid, horrible mistake we made, without ever thinking about it. Sometimes when we do what we think is the best course of action for everyone involved, we wind up making terrible mistakes that destroy that trust. And once that trust is gone it can be very, very difficult to get back, regardless of how hard one tries," she continued, pausing to take a breath. "Sincerely, your faithful student, 'Tia."

Twilight blinked again, utterly confused by what she was hearing. "Seriously? 'Tia?" she asked, looking up at the alicorn who sat before her, and whose fur around her muzzle looked wet and matted from her own shed tears. Now that she was actually looking at her she looked so much different from her usual self. She hadn't even noticed it, either during the yelling, or even the beating, she looked like a mess devoid of regal nature. No fancy jewel encrusted adornments, no ethereal flow to her mane and tail as it laid limply against her, and now thanks to her own outburst, a bloody muzzle.

In terms Ulquiorra would likely use without hesitation, she looked like shit.

"And you... my faithful student?" she asked. The absurdity of it all was creeping under the residual layers of rage, sadness, anger, and betrayal that was currently coating her, acting like a figurative paint stripper, and allowing curiosity to slowly peak through, one pinprick-sized hole at a time. "This isn't some kind of joke is it? Because if it is I'm-"

Celestia shook her head, quelling whatever was going to be said next. "I believe a casual term of address is appropriate under these circumstances. For the time being at least," she replied. Now wasn't the time for titles of formality. Hopefully it'd help her student relax better. "And if I'm to be the one learning, I'd say it's very appropriate, since you're more well versed in the matter than I. Wouldn't you say so?"

"I... guess so... 'Tia," Twilight replied, hesitant about using such an abbreviated form of address. It sounded so strange...

This was all an uncomfortable situation to be in right now. So many things had gone terribly wrong in such short order, and now she found herself in unfamiliar surroundings, looking for some bit of stability to grapple onto, the contents of the impromptu friendship report played in the back of her mind.

Without warning her head shot up, eyes going wide as she let out a gasp. "There's something I need to take care of. Are the others still here?" she asked as she stood up from her spot on the floor.

"I'm afraid not. They left for Ponyville some hours ago when it started getting dark out. They wanted to stay, but they had matters to tend to," Celestia replied. "What's come up?"

"Let's just say you helped me realize something very important; a major fuck up on my part that I need to tend to right away," Twilight replied as she moved to stand up. She moved to leave the room immediately... yet for some reason she didn't fully understand, she stopped to face her teacher. Perhaps it was due to some compulsive need to engage in closure for the sake of organization. Maybe some obsessive compulsive desire that was overwhelming her own foul mood right now. Whatever it was, she found herself once again addressing her teacher. " Maybe... maybe one day, I'll be able to come to terms with everything, and find I can forgive you. I don't know. Maybe some day, something can come from all of this horror that's unfolded today."

Despite all the pain that was involved with today's events, some already had come from this whole horrible event as far as she was concerned. One small beacon of light and comfort, in this sea of hurt and sorrow she found herself in. Through everything that had occurred, Twilight finally realized that she wasn't perfect, that just because she raised and lowered the sun, it didn't mean she was any different from her. Her image of being the perfect ruler was tarnished... and she was alright with that, because she truly wasn't. Nor did she have any desire to be regarded as such.

And perhaps... just perhaps, Twilight would realize that nopony had to be perfect in order to be a ruler; a valuable lesson for one day.

"Maybe some day," Celestia replied and nodded. "I won't keep you any longer than necessary, seeing as you have other matters to tend to."

"Actually... 'Tia..." Twilight began slowly, giving the new title another test, "I can't even believe I'm saying this, but... could I ask you for one favor? There's something I really need to take care of, but it's going to take an awful lot of magic, and I don't know if I have it in me right now to do it on my own. I... I need your help..."

She really didn't feel right about this, asking... 'Tia... to grant her a favor after everything that'd happened. All the yelling, the cursing, and accusations, the assault and battery... and so... so much betrayal. But this was an important matter at hand... hoof... and right now the alicorn before her was the only one who was capable of assisting her.

"Anything, Twilight, how can I help?" Celestia asked.

+++

"Nice thinking Twilight! What was that back there anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked as they flew along at greater speeds. Ulquiorra was way too much of a threat to face up close, their only hope right now was speed and maneuverability to outpace him, and get the Elements of Harmony before he could catch them.

"It's called a flash bang blast. It disrupts the visual and auditory senses and leaves the recipient dazed and confused for as much as twenty seconds before it clears. After seeing him withstand that blast back at the castle, I didn't think I could overpower him, so I just distracted him so we could get by. Hopefully it buys us enough time," Twilight explained, finding herself have to shout to be heard over the wind.

"Twilight please! This is me we're talking about! Twenty seconds is more than enough time to get away. Why I bet he's... oh horse apples!"

She'd made the mistake of looking back behind her, believing her speed was superior, and Ulquiorra wouldn't be anywhere in sight. She couldn't have been more wrong if she'd tried. Instead of being nowhere, he was right on the edge of her vision, and slowly creeping inward, easily keeping pace with her. So much for a twenty second lead and Twilight's knots keeping him distracted.

"He's on our tails! This is bad!" she stated. What were they gonna do? What were they gonna do? If they kept doing what they were doing now they were gonna be done for. She needed to come up with a plan and fast. "Twilight, you said your magic's recharged? Teleport outta here!"

"What?! Rainbow Dash you're crazy!" Twilight stated.

"No I'm not, hear me out on this one! Without your weight I can fly a lot faster, and can serve as a distraction, and keep him occupied. If the Elements of Harmony really are scattered like he said, you're the only one of us that has any chance of being able to locate and reunite them again. Leave the traitor to me, I'll keep him busy for the time being. When you do find them, head for Sweet Apple Acres, and I'll meet up with you after I lose him, and then we'll go back to Canterlot and save the day! It'll work!" Rainbow Dash stated, all the while beating her wings as hard as she could. "Lemme do this, Twilight, I couldn't do anything to save Princess Celestia, let me at least save you, alright?"

"... Alright," Twilight agreed and nodded, "but I still don't like this."

"I don't like it either. But if we stay together, we're likely going to die together. And I don't want that on my conscience," Rainbow Dash explained.

Twilight nodded silently in understanding, her horn lit up as she teleported away, immediately freeing her up to continue flying at greatly increased speeds. Now she'd have a fighting chance against Ulquiorra, and wouldn't have to worry Twilight in the process.

"Now he's really gonna get it! He's gonna learn why Rainbow Dash is a hero!" she stated to herself.

Without Twilight slowing her down she could pick up some much needed speed, and really shoot ahead and set up what was bound to really slow Ulquiorra down big time. No matter how strong he was, there was no way he could stop this one.

She took the chance and glanced back. Ulquiorra was still on her tail, but didn't seem to be closing the distance any. At least that meant he was locked on her instead of going after Twilight. Maybe this could actually work out. Turning back to face forward, she adjusted her angle of travel upward and far above the treeline, knowing what needed to be done.

The Espada had seen the Sonic Rainboom from a distance, he hadn't been impressed. The Sonic Rainboom had been used in his rescue, he hadn't been impressed. This time he was gonna see the Sonic Rainboom as up close as one ever could, and if he was still unimpressed then that was just gonna be too bad for him!

She veered right as hard as she could, making a hundred and eighty degree turn before flying straight at him, her wings beating hard before extending fully outward and locking in place, her blood pounding in her ears, the air kicking off of her as she could see the mach cone forming around her as she approached the velocity of the speed of sound. Up ahead was Ulquiorra, directly in her flight path, merely standing there in the sky and unmoving as he stared at her, as if he'd been waiting for this the entire time. Target acquired.

Wing position, optimal. Speed, one thousand sixty feet per second and accelerating. Angle of approach, twenty two and one half degrees. Distance from target, eleven seconds and counting. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, speed approaching one thousand eighty three feet per second.

Five, four, three, two, one!

Target engaged!

"Booyah!"

The Sonic Rainboom erupted behind her just a split second before she plowed directly into Ulquiorra at full force, her hooves slamming into his chest near the shoulders, and driving him back with more thrust than he could overcome.

The tree ahead of them shattered as Ulquiorra's back met with it, tearing a large section of canopy off in the process. The same occurred with the second, and each subsequent tree that was impacted along the flight path, bark and the underlying wood splintering and sent flying in every direction, limbs crashing to the ground as they were severed from the trunk being obliterated, entire canopies crashing to the ground as their flight path gradually took them lower and lower toward the ground. They'd completely cut through more than two dozen trees before they were out of the wooded area, and into a clearing.

"You aren't like the others," Ulquiorra stated in a calm tone, his voice carrying no hint of him being in any amount of pain despite it all, like crashing through trees was no problem at all. "I was wrong in my earlier evaluation. Unlike your friends, you possess the willingness to do whatever is necessary for the sake of others, even if that includes murder. I can see it in your eyes," he said in a casual tone that just made her blood boil all the worse.

"Shut up!" she yelled.

"Twilight Sparkle's desire to kill me was fueled by her rage over the loss of her mentor Celestia, and her own helplessness to do anything about it. Yours is far different from hers. You possess the willingness to kill due to a far more sinister aspect of your own personality. It is in your nature, just like it is for an Espada. I must admit that I never before believed you could be so Hollow-like in nature," he continued, his tone of voice and pacing of speech completely improper for the fact he was on the receiving end of a major beating from the back and the front. It was all so casual and collected as if he was carrying on a conversation in the same manner she would with her friends.

"I told you to SHUT UP!" she yelled louder.

"Make me," Ulquiorra replied defiantly, completely unimpressed by her rage. "You can't deny the truth. You and I are similar in nature."

"I'm nothing like you! I'm not and I never will be!" she stated as she continued flying along at top speed. "My friends are counting on me! They need me! I'd do anything it takes to help them because they're my friends! Even if that means killing for them, even if that means dying for them! I'm nothing like the monster you are!" she shouted.

"Indeed you're not," he replied calmly before grinding himself to a halt much as he had done with the dragon, leaving her stuck in midair, and unable to overcome his resistance. In an instant he reached out with his right hand, and grabbed her by the neck, hoisting her up with ease. "You're weak and emotionally unstable, short sighted, and quick to anger, and devoid of any logical thinking capabilities. Your misplaced devotion to those who, by your own admission, have betrayed you in the past, leaves you weakened and easy to outsmart. Instead of fleeing, you chose to stand and fight, to buy Twilight Sparkle more time in a useless attempt to locate the Elements of Harmony. You should have saved yourself instead."

The grip on her throat was too much to resist, his strength was too much for her to struggle against no matter how much she tried. He was choking all the air out of her, and she couldn't even reach him to punch him in the face in an effort to break loose. She couldn't breathe, and quickly everything was turning dark. Very, very dark.

"Such is the price you pay for your loyalty..."

+++

No matter how many times she closed her eyes and tried to put the thoughts out of her head, they refused to go away. They kept resurfacing over and over again, disturbing every effort she made to get some sleep. She felt exhausted, yet she just couldn't rest properly, her mind wandering back to the events from earlier this morning.

It wasn't the fact that she'd wasted three Sonic Rainbooms on the Arrancar that upset her; not really anyway. It wasn't even the matter of how he'd so effortlessly fooled them into believing he'd gone over to Chrysalis' side, she understood that he was acting under Princess Celestia's orders to be convincing until he was ordered to drop the charade; she could accept that. There were far, far more pressing and disturbing matters at hoof that were keeping her from being able to get the sleep she really wanted to enjoy right now at this late hour.

Fluttershy being replaced by a changeling was weighing heavily on her mind right now. None of them had noticed the switch and that was disturbing enough, but for her it was so much worse. Here Fluttershy was her best friend, her oldest friend, and she hadn't even noticed that she wasn't herself. What had she done? She'd brushed off the inconsistencies as Fluttershy just being Fluttershy, and still being spooked by the Espada being a ghost. The only one who noticed the -now painfully- obvious differences, had been said Espada, and he knew almost nothing about what Fluttershy was like. He'd known something was wrong the instant he'd seen her. What kind of friend was she to not notice how her friend wasn't who she was?

But even more disturbing than her poor status as a friend, had been his words directed towards her, his comparing her to a Hollow, his stating that she was like a heartless soul-sucking demon no different from him. There was no way they were similar in any manner, it just wasn't possible!

And yet... most disturbingly... what if he was actually right? What if there was some aspect of her personality and nature that dwelt just below the surface and was lurking, just waiting for an excuse to be let out? What if she really was a heartless, soul-sucking demon who had no qualms with murder, and she just didn't know it yet? She remembered her conversation with Rarity back in the holding cell, how she'd readily said she'd kill for the good of Equestria without giving it any thought. What if she was absolutely serious in her statement?

"Snap out of it, Rainbow Dash, that's not who or what you are. You heard him and Princess Celestia, everything was just an elaborate plan to trick Chrysalis and nothing more. You're no monster, there's no hole in your chest where your heart belongs. He was just being really, really convincing," she mentally told herself.

However this was the fifth time she'd told herself such and it still hadn't helped her rest yet.

Would she really, really kill another if her friends were depending on her? Could she actually bring herself to do that, end one life for another? She didn't know, and right now she really didn't want to think about it either.

What was really weird, was how a conversation they'd had while he was engaged in trickery, was more disturbing to her than the fact that Princess Celestia had played them, even though it was for a good cause. Or perhaps even worse, that what he'd said in charade was more disturbing than what was talked about in the hallway, after the charade was dropped.

"This isn't working," she sighed as she sat up on her cloud bed. Sleep was determined to stay away from her for the time being, unlike Tank, who was snoozing along quite comfortably, blissfully unaware of anything going on around him. "If you can't sleep, you might as well get your Daring Do fix and do something productive," she told herself as she climbed off her cloud bed and decided to do the egghead thing, and catch up on some much deserved reading. She still had that one book in the series she hadn't even gotten past the first chapter in.

If there was one thing she could count on with Daring Do, it was the book always being able to make her forget her problems, and instead focus on something else. She could just submerge herself in the adventures of the pegasus archeologist, and forget about all the stresses and problems of the day, for as long as she could spend reading.

Or at least she could, if it weren't for a knocking at her front door interrupting her train of thought.

Who could be visiting her at this time of night? Fluttershy maybe? No, she didn't like to fly after dark. Derpy perhaps? Possible, but that wasn't the knock she usually used, hers was something of an odd tune she said Lyra taught her. Raindrops? Couldn't be ruled out.

Standing here and speculating wasn't going to get her anywhere, she knew that well enough. With a sigh, she set her book aside and walked out of her room, down the winding staircase, and over to the front door to find out who the mystery guest was.

The first thing she noticed in her line of sight was her friend Twilight, who was currently looking quite haggard.

The second thing she noticed was her flapping wings. They looked like they were really big butterfly wings, expertly carved from solid ice, and holding countless archaic runes the likes of which she'd never seen before, and what she could only assume were complex calculations and permutations of various scientific figures... or something science-sounding like that.

"Twilight?"

"Rainbow Dash... I'm so sorry!"

"Huh?" Rainbow Dash asked and cocked her head. What was going on here? "Sorry about what?"

"Mare Do Well," Twilight stated without hesitation, "it was all my idea, I was the one that came up with the concept, and orchestrated the whole mess. I even came up with the basic idea of a costume for all of us to wear. I thought you were boasting like Trixie, and I didn't want that, none of us did. We just wanted you to understand something about being humble, we never thought that what we were doing would hurt you so much," she said as tears started dripping down her cheeks again while she paused to try and compose herself.

"We were so, so wrong to do it Rainbow Dash, we violated your sense of trust, and risked our friendship when it wasn't our call about what you were doing. We should've just kept our noses out of your business and let you enjoy your fame, you deserved it. Instead all we wound up doing was hurting our friend, and it was all my fault, and I'm so sorry!" she finished before breaking down and crying all over again.

Rainbow Dash was left silent at the unexpected confession, pulling Twilight into a hug more out of instinct than conscious thought. Here was Twilight on her front porch, discussing the Mare Do Well incident with her, and apologizing for all of the pain they'd caused her, and even admitting that she was the mastermind behind that whole ugly incident. No attempts at justifying her actions, no efforts to blame her for deserving what she got, just pure confession and apology.

"I was a horrible, horrible pony, Rainbow Dash, I'm so sorry!"

The cyan pegasus didn't know what to say and was left in stunned silence. Here was Twilight Sparkle, one of her supposed best friends, bawling her eyes out into her shoulder, and confessing to so many things she'd wanted to point out ever since the Mare Do Well incident, and taking full responsibility for it all. This was all very weird to be experiencing.

"Hey... come on Twi' stop crying," Rainbow Dash said as she rubbed the unicorn's lower back as she cried into her shoulder. "Yeah it was bad, and yeah I was upset, who wouldn't be? But I'm not mad about it, not anymore anyway," she stated, unsure of what else she could say. Ever since Twilight started spilling her guts and apologizing, she could feel all the months of frustration starting to seep away. She had no idea what set this bomb off... but she was glad it had been. Now she just had to tend to her friend. "It's gonna be alright, Twilight, it's gonna be alright," she said softly. This whole situation was leaving her really uncomfortable right now.

And yet despite all the discomfort she was feeling right now, she still felt better than she had in a long, long time. This was... therapeutic in a way.

"I'm sorry," Twilight whispered as her latest wave of crying finally came to an end.

"I know, Twilight, I know. It's alright now, you don't need to cry anymore," Rainbow Dash replied and stroked the unicorn's long mane.

"No, it's not alright. Not yet anyway," Twilight replied and sniffed as she moved to untangle herself from the pegasus. "You've got to come to the library. Tonight. Right now if possible. Please."

"What for Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked, confused at her friend's sudden change. What exactly was so urgent that it couldn't wait until tomorrow after she had the chance to get a few hour's worth of shut eye?

"I'm going to get the others together, and we're going to give you the proper apology that you deserve. I might've been the mastermind, but they were all willing participants. We're all guilty on this one," Twilight explained as her wings lifted her up off the cloud and back into the air.

At this hour? Twilight was seriously going to go all around Ponyville, round up their friends, haul them all back to the library, and make them apologize for being involved in the Mare Do Well incident? Was she serious?

What was she talking about? This was Twilight of all ponies, of course she was serious!

"If you say so Egghead," Rainbow Dash replied and shrugged, before flapping her wings, and joining her friend in flight. It seemed rather amazing, for a pony who'd never spent a day in her life flying she seemed to have the whole thing pretty much down pat. No wobbling or struggling to stay up, just smooth sailing and flapping.

Probably magic. Yeah that made sense, no way Twilight knew the fine details of flying on her own. Maybe the skills were built directly into the wings.

"Hey Twilight? Not that I'm not thrilled about this decision of yours but what exactly brought it about? I thought the matter was long closed," Rainbow Dash finally stated. This was way too much of a coincidence given recent developments. Had Ulquiorra been talking after he said he wouldn't? If he had he was so gonna get it the next time she saw him.

"Trust me, Rainbow Dash, that's not a story to be shared right now. I'm gonna wait until I get everypony together, before I approach that hornet's nest. It's a story best heard with friends... and if everypony's willing... maybe some nice hot s'mores to serve as comfort food. I have a feeling we're going to need them before the night is over," Twilight replied.

S'mores? Usually Twilight didn't talk s'mores unless... oh that sneaky unicorn! Was she actually and actively going to use this whole situation as an excuse for a slumber party at the library? Ge them all together, emotionally unsettle them, and suggest that they spend the night together for comfort's sake? Clever filly if that were truly the case.

"Whatever you say, Twilight," Rainbow Dash replied with a grin of genuine amusement.

The only question now, was how Twilight would be reacting to the major news they had to share with her?

Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Twenty Nine

The throbbing in her horn from when that accursed snow white unicorn had bit her was no longer excruciating to the point of her vision being blurry, having calmed down considerably to simply being miserable in nature. She still couldn't perform any feats of her magic, as it would just reignite the pain, and start throbbing all over again. However it was a moot point as she couldn't perform any magic while confined in this dimly lit cell anyway. The entire area was blanketed in a magic cancelling field, and there was nothing she could do in response to it.

She'd been bitten, stomped on, spat on, sat on, kicked, her horn bitten and threatened with cutting off, effortlessly played for a foal, sucker punched and left with a busted muzzle, the back of her head nearly broken, and now locked in a cage. And on top of that, she'd been tricked into involving her entire hive, the entirety of the current generation of changelings. She'd so easily fallen for the words of a stranger she'd just met, promising to assist her in retaking Equestria for her hive, and this is how things turned out.

And now here she was. Locked in a poorly lit cage, her loyal drones on another floor entirely, left alone to wait out their fate. What Celestia had in mind for them was truly heinous in nature, and made her wish she'd actually been killed instead of simply imprisoned.

She'd found out from Luna that she and her entire hive would be exiled from Equestria proper, to a facility that had the dubious honor of being referred to as "the waiting room to Tartarus." A penal colony located deep inside gryphon territory, and known for the unusual magical qualities of the area it was built in; simultaneously able to magically sustain whatever or however many inmates were sentenced there, while at the same time negating any attempts at magic carried out inside the facility to prevent escape. A facility that was rarely used, except for when dealing with the most violent of all violent criminals, who presented a true risk to society, and couldn't be placed anywhere else; even the gryphons, who were known for the penchant at hostility, rarely encountered a criminal severe enough to be sentenced there.

And unfortunately, she and her hive had drawn a life sentence at the facility for their actions here on this day.

"Chrysalis you foal," she said to herself as she rested her forehead against the bars of her cell, her voice sounding distorted from earlier, mentally kicking herself for everything that'd happened. Why had she allowed herself to trust a being she'd never seen before, when he came promising to help her retake Equestria for herself? Why had she allowed herself to be so gullible and let her guard down?

Then again what could she have done to the contrary? He'd thrown her across the throne room without even trying, it wasn't like she could've actually stood up to him and fought him off. He'd slapped her on the back of the head, and nearly broke her jaw against the marble flooring from the force of the impact of landing. She couldn't have resisted even if she'd tried. Even her attempts at mind control had been futile.

She'd been flankbucked once again it seemed. Fate was so, so cruel at times.

Her thoughts on self pity, and how unfair life in general was, were interrupted by the sounds of hoofbeats coming down the hallway. Perhaps guards carrying out searches to ensure none of them had escaped? Maybe there was a unicorn she could sweet talk into assisting her? Unfortunately no such luck in this case, the source of the hoofbeats entering her view, and she saw that it was Celestia's little annoying sister Luna, and the even more annoying stone faced Ulquiorra. This truly couldn't be good for her.

"Two of the three responsible for my situation. Such an unfortunate meeting," Chrysalis commented as she rested her forelegs against the bars and used them to support her weight in a lean. She scowled particularly at the sight of Ulquiorra. "I have nothing to say to you, biped."

"I have questions," Ulquiorra stated simply.

"That doesn't concern me," Chrysalis replied and stepped back from her perch, and walked over to the far wall of her cell consisting of stone rather than metal. She had no desire to talk to the one who'd betrayed her and tricked her into her current position.

"These bars will offer you no protection should I choose to come in there and demand answers," Ulquiorra explained, taking his left hand out of his pocket to give a demonstration, showing as he began bending one of the bars out of shape as if it was nothing, causing Chrysalis' jaw to drop at the sight of it. Perhaps he should go ahead and rip the entire section of bars from the masonry that held them, to prove to her that he was not to be trifled with.

"We doth advice thee not to anger him Chrysalis, when Ulquiorra Cifer doth get like this, we cannot control him. We hath seen him angered before, and 'tis not a pretty sight. One time before, he didst become like this, and we did bear witness to him jerk a being's spine out of their back, and show it to them. There was nothing we could do about the unfortunate incident, as we were forced to go vomit at the sight of what we didst see," Princess Luna explained.

Ulquiorra stopped his demonstration of strength, but failed to remove his hand from the bar, as he turned his attention to Princess Luna at her words. What nonsense was she speaking of? He hadn't ripped anyone's spine out of their back in his time here. Nor was he particularly motivated to do such, as it was an entirely wasteful manner at killing, when impalement through the chest was so much more effective and straightforward.

Then there was the practicality issue of actually trying to separate the spinal column from where it joined to the pelvic bones and ribcage; the spinal cord that the individual vertebrae were designed to provide protection to, as well as the tissue that linked them together, would never withstand the amount of force necessarily to rip that particular section of the skeletal structure out of the body. Even if he would engage in such a tasteless manner of execution, there was the distinct possibility that should everything go right, and the entire spinal column come free without a hitch, the skull would come along with it, thus ripping the victims eyes out, while in the process of turning the remains of the head inside out from where the tissue connected to the bone structure. In such a case there would be nothing left to show the spine to as the eyes would see nothing but the collapsed fleshy remnants of the head and face.

Such a procedure could indeed be performed, but only through significant surgical effort, and only after the individual it was performed on had died. If the victim was still living, they would've died from the traumatic shock long before they were able to see their own innards being displayed, in a morbid and ultimately redundant manner of telling them they were soon to die.

Princess Luna appeared to catch his gaze in her direction, laughing nervously as her serious look faded and gave way to one of far less professionalism. "We didst believe some degree of levity would assist thee," she said in her own defense.

Ulquiorra ignored her and turned back to face Chrysalis, who appeared equally dumbfounded. "When did you decide to launch a second attack on Equestria?" he asked simply.

"And what concern is it to you?" Chrysalis asked defensively. Why did he care after all he'd done to her already?

"I possess questions. You possess answers. And the dragon from earlier is in no position to speak, so my options are limited to you," Ulquiorra explained evenly despite her obstructiveness. Right now he had to put up with her, as she was the only link they currently had access to that could communicate intelligently. At present time she was too valuable to risk losing.

"Dragon?" Chrysalis asked and blinked in confusion. What dragon was he talking about? When?

"Thou doth not want to know," Princess Luna replied in a low tone. This wasn't getting them anywhere. "Queen Chrysalis," she spoke up, "as one member of royalty to another, we ask that thee answer the questions presented. We suspect that thou hath been made into an unwitting pawn, and art innocent of the charges against thee. If thou doth help us with this mystery, we shalt speak to our sister about thee's sentence. But thou must be honest with us, if thou art deceitful thee's fate will be most unpleasant as a result."

Much to their surprise Chrysalis began cackling madly at Princess Luna's words, her head thrown back as she howled with laughter.

"A most unpleasant fate you say? My entire species is being shipped off to some remote penal colony, far beyond the bounds of what's come to be our home, stored away from the light of day for what's going to prove to be a very long time. Do you know what the average lifespan for changeling drones amounts to? Fifteen years. While I'll live considerably longer than that, my children most certainly won't, and without any available males to enable repopulation, my entire species will go extinct in Tartarus' waiting room! And because of my long lifespan I'll have the dubious honor of experiencing all my children dying around me, and knowing that once the current generation is gone, there won't be any others. The only option I'll have to spare myself this suffering, will be to end my own life, and traumatize them in the process by depriving all those hundreds of changelings of their mother, and them realizing that there's no hope for their species!" Chrysalis stated as she directed her gaze in Luna's direction. "So tell me, Nightmare Moon, what can you possibly do to me, that will be a more unpleasant fate than spending every day of the rest of my life, knowing that my race has been sentenced to extinction, and forced to watch it occur?" she asked, her tone indicating a challenge.

Ulquiorra observed as Princess Luna sputtered at the taunt and the title of her past self, likely a severe insult to be hurled at her. The fluctuations in her detectable reiatsu were considerable, and he half expected to see her reiryoku arcing off her body like lightning at some point.

"I've already been sentence to a lifetime of misery, sadness, and death. Nothing you could possibly do could be any worse than that," Chrysalis taunted.

"We shalt see about that," Princess Luna stated in a vicious tone, malice and ill intent practically dripping from her lips with each word uttered.

"Princess Luna," Ulquiorra spoke in an even tone. He could see what Chrysalis was doing, and how the alicorn was taking the bait being dangled in front of her. “Now is not the time for pettiness,” he explained in a calm manner.

He waited until Princess Luna turned her attention to him, and nodded her understanding that he was right, before finally turning his attention and focus back on Chrysalis. “I make no claim of knowing what this facility is like that you will be departing to. But I’m quite certain your presence there will be rendered far more intolerable, if your hind legs are paralyzed and you must drag yourself along the floor by a single functioning limb in order to be mobile. How long do you believe it would take for your exoskeleton to erode away against a rough stone structure, and leave the soft tissues underneath exposed?” he asked her. "I've heard that septicemia is a truly insufferable condition to contract and leave untreated..."

The nervous gulp that came from Chrysalis was quite audible in nature, the changeling queen understanding exactly what he was saying, and believing that he had no qualms with doing such; after what he’d done to so many of her changelings, she had no reason to doubt him, and the way his voice remained so neutral and even just made it all the worse.

“What is it you wanted to know again?” Chrysalis finally asked.

“When did you decide to launch a second attack against Equestria? Ulquiorra asked.

Chrysalis sighed something unintelligible, before sitting down on her carapaced haunches to get into a semi-comfortable position. She cleared her throat before speaking again. “The decision to make a second grab for Equestria had been in the planning process for months before actually being carried out. It started off slowly, a drone here, a drone there, nothing too major that might alert anyone’s attention. We started by targeting isolated and lonely ponies who wouldn’t raise much concern if they didn’t talk much, didn’t interact with others on a significant level, or seemed a bit strange. We even targeted old ponies that'd died previously and hadn't been discovered yet. From there, we began looking for other targets of opportunity who could be safely replaced, to aid us in our gathering of reconnaissance of Ponyville and Canterlot to determine the best course of action,” Chrysalis explained.

“How did you come to the idea of targeting the holders of the Elements of Harmony and replacing them?” Ulquiorra asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? The Elements of Harmony are the most powerful force to be found in all of Equestria. If we could separate them then even if we were found out it wouldn’t make any difference as they couldn’t be used,” Chrysalis stated. It was a fairly obvious solution to the conundrum; six individual ponies, six different targets to pick apart, six easy ways to render the Elements of Harmony useless. It was amazing how nopony had thought of such before.

“Why was Fluttershy specifically targeted?” Ulquiorra asked.

“Out of all of the Elements of Harmony, Fluttershy was the easiest to secure. Quite, isolated, meek, and often left to her own devices while other ponies go about their daily lives, completely unaware of the presence of the meek yellow pegasus who can’t even be heard talking, even when she’s surrounded. It was the most logical choice, to focus our attempts on her than any of the others. And once we had the Elements of Harmony separated, it was easy to engage in the next part of the plan, increasing the number of changelings in each of the cities, targeting and replacing other ponies who could either directly or indirectly affect the other Elements of Harmony. Friends, family members, loved ones, anypony that could prove to be disruptive to them, and beneficial to our goal,” Chrysalis explained, a grin crossing her features as she thought back to the elegance of it all.

“A rather pragmatic approach to the situation,” Ulquiorra commented. Subterfuge and destabilization could indeed lead to devastating developments if not stopped immediately. It was quite fortunate he’d been so quick to discover what was up; even more fortunate that Princess Celestia had allowed him to depart when she had. “Had I not become involved, how long would it have been before you launched a full scaled attempt?” he asked.

“If everything had gone according to plan,” she paused to scowl directly at him, “another three days would’ve been more than enough to allow us to have sufficiently secured both cities. Not that it makes any difference now,” she grumbled.

“What was the significance of your timing?” Ulquiorra asked. Chrysalis responded with a confused look at the question. “Why did you wait until you did in order to replace Fluttershy with a changeling? What was the significance of the three days before the planned assault?”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about. You’re asking why we chose to perform on a specific day?” Chrysalis asked.

“Correct. It has been estimated Fluttershy was replaced two days ago. What was the significance of waiting until then instead of choosing any other day? Why didn’t you choose to make such a move last week?” Ulquiorra asked.

He observed Chrysalis as she tried to formulate an answer. Changeling body language wasn’t too particularly different from that of ponies, and it became quite obvious that she had no idea what he was asking about. She lacked the answers he was looking for, that would lend credibility to his theory. This lead to three possibilities:

One: The changeling attack had no connection to the dragon, and was separate and not indicative of any discernible pattern of behavior, and it truly had been a matter of coincidence.

Two: While the changeling attack may have been planned out months in advance, the timing and decision to proceed could suggest that it was still directly related to the incident regarding the dragon, and was yet another attempt against the holders of the Elements of Harmony, and Equestria as a whole.

Three: If Chrysalis had been involved by an outside force, her lack of knowledge could be sufficient to suggest she wasn’t conscious of the fact she was to play a role. It would also suggest the outside force possessed a sentient nature, as well as enough intelligence to not leave behind any information that would constitute a loose end that could be traced back to a source of origin, and possibly unravel whatever operation was currently in the works.

Of the three possibilities these facts could be read to support, he favored possibilities two and three. The thought that two attacks on the holders of the Elements of Harmony within such a short amount of time, holding no connection to one another, didn’t seem logical to him.

“Then thou art of no use to us. Come, Ulquiorra Cifer, let us depart,” Princess Luna stated and turned to leave.

“There is still another question to ask,” Ulquiorra stated in response and made no effort to move from his spot, keeping his attention focused on Chrysalis. “When I arrived at your hive, you said something that didn’t make sense. At first I assumed it was some standard speech, similar to boastful concepts of conquering the world. Afterward, when I had time to rethink the structure of your statement, I came to inconsistencies between this assumption and your words. I need clarification,” he explained. Chrysalis said nothing so he continued speaking. “Your term of “devouring love” is most confusing. Your phrasing seeming to treat the notion of love as something of a real and physical nature, such as wood or stone, rather than an intangible emotional concept like hope or happiness. Your terminology didn’t suggest bringing despair to the optimistic, and crushing their will to live, but rather depriving them of something real. Can you elaborate on what you meant with your selected terminology?” he asked.

"Oh love is quite real in nature, quite real indeed, and very much physical in construction. Love is as real as the air we breathe, and it's just as vital to the existence of life; especially to those that feast upon it for nourishment, such as us. Equestria is surging with the most love to be found in any region of the land, and is a veritable paradise... a paradise that my kind seems unwelcome in," Chrysalis stated. When Ulquiorra said nothing in response she continued. "Do you have any idea how long we've been searching for a suitable location to live in? How many generations have been spent on the move from place to place, searching for any establishment of sentient life with enough love to sustain us like a civilized society? Equestria is the only place capable of doing that and so much more! But we've been rejected from this paradise because those who rule feel we're too parasitic for their perfect little world. Celestia and her like want to keep all of the love for themselves, and not share it with anyone they have no liking for. We've tried so many times to implement diplomatic negotiations over the years, but we've always been rejected. Time and again we've been given no consideration, our needs have gone ignored for so long," she moaned.

Princess Luna looked between Ulquiorra and Chrysalis, the look on her face one of confusion at what she was hearing. Her sister had been engaged in diplomatic discussions with the changelings in the past during her absence?

"'Tis a lie! Our sister wouldst not keep something of such from us!" she stated.

"You obviously don't know Celestia as well as you think you do. But then again you weren't around a hundred years ago, so you wouldn't know," Chrysalis stated in response. Her attention was no longer on Ulquiorra, but rather the younger of the two sisters. "My hive has slowly but surely been starving for years! Do you know what it's like, having to hide yourself from view, and surviving on scraps when others are free to feast to their heart's content? We've tried asking, we've tried begging, we've tried pleading! And each time we've been shot down and summarily rejected! We've grown desperate, and have been forced to take drastic measures to survive, because of the likes of Celestia and her greed! We had no other choice but to take the course of action we took if we were to survive! My own children are perishing, one by one, because we have no food for ourselves, and yet we're tortured by the delicate aromas in the air that just remind us of how hungry we are! The only reason I'm still alive and standing before you, in order to answer your questions, is because six of my own children decided to sacrifice themselves in order to sustain me, and allowed themselves to die instead! They loved their mother so dearly, that they couldn't bear the thought of continuing on without her. And now it would seem their sacrifice was meaningless as we'll all die soon enough..."

Ulquiorra stood silently and listened as Chrysalis talked, observing her reiatsu intensity as she shared her tale. His statement about her strength in comparison to Princess Luna's had been something of another falsehood, necessitated by carrying out Princess Celestia's orders. While Chrysalis' overall level of strength couldn't have truly competed with Princess Luna, it had been significantly greater than currently. Somewhere between now and their initial meeting Chrysalis' reiatsu had dropped considerably. It almost even had a different texture to it.

In her current state, the earth pony Applejack would've been able to go toe to toe -or perhaps hoof to hoof was more accurate under these circumstances- and come out victorious in a physical altercation. Twilight Sparkle was more powerful than Chrysalis was currently, even without resorting to her magic. If her hive was indeed starving as badly as she was suggesting, it would reasonably explain the utter desperation of her decision to invade Equestria, and make a grab for rule; it was a simple matter of preservation of the species, and no different from a pack of wild dogs attacking a herd of larger animals. It wasn't even much different from Hollows with insatiable hunger turning on their own and evolving into Gillians.

Still. The notion of an emotion actually being tangible in nature, and a source of sustenance, sounded ridiculous to him. But all things considered, it wasn't the most ridiculous thing he'd heard since arriving here.

"Oh please! Thou art attempting to tug at our heart strings!" Princess Luna replied, disgusted with the tale that was being weaved before them. How dare Chrysalis slander her sister's rule with such a disgraceful tale? She had half a mind to unlock the door and nag slap her where she sat.

"Believe whatever you wish to believe, because right now I don't have the energy to care. I'm tired, I'm defeated, and the only reason I have left to go on living, is to try and keep my children from panicking," Chrysalis replied and laid down on the floor of her cell, using her forelegs as a makeshift pillow. However it wasn't two seconds later before she brought her head back up. "Oh drat! I suppose it's too late now to ask for a final request while there's still time..."

"And what kind of request couldst thou have the nerve to make after insulting us in such a manner?" Princess Luna asked. She certainly had some nerve.

"I would like to negotiate for the release of my hive," Chrysalis replied simply.

Princess Luna quirked an eyebrow at this. "Surely thou doth jest. Our sister will not release thee no matter what thou might say," she stated.

"My hive, not myself. I don't deny that I'm responsible for what I did or that I did it. But my children are innocent of whatever charges they face, merely doing as their mother told them as that's how our species works. I can quietly resign myself to whatever fate I'm destined for, but they don't deserve to share it with me, for the duration of their lifetimes. Surely you and your sister have enough kindness in you to at least let me plead my case," Chrysalis explained.

"Really now? Thou doth expect us to believe such?" Princess Luna asked skeptically. Did Chrysalis take her for a foal?

"I don't really expect you to do anything. I'm just asking that you inform your sister, and let her deal with the matter. A mother has to try and do what she can for her children. Surely you'd do the same thing to protect your own subjects if faced with a similar situation," Chrysalis replied.

"Assuming the unlikely possibility of Princess Celestia granting your request what then?" Ulquiorra asked, interrupting the back and forth conversation between the two. The emotional drivel being traded right now was thick enough it could be cut with a knife. "You've already attested to the fact your hive is starving to death. Assuming you can secure their freedom, what will change this fact?"

Chrysalis chuckled to herself. This one was quite observant in nature. "I intend to make one last plea for my hive to be granted refugee status in Equestria. Surely there's somewhere Celestia will allow them to nest and live in peace with her subjects. There's got to be someplace in this vast land where my children can live, without suffering from constant starvation," she explained.

"And why doth thou believe this time will be different from any other time that thou hast mentioned?" Princess Luna asked.

"Because unlike all the previous times, I intend to offer Celestia something that's never been put on the table before; my life, in exchange for the freedom of my hive," Chrysalis replied simply.

The resulting silence in the dungeons was so stifling a pin could be heard dropping from the other end of the hall.

But that lead to the obvious question of who would be down there, and playing around with pins in the first place?

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

Her eyelids were drooping as she walked through the halls, emotionally and physically exhausted from everything that'd happened today. An invasion, betrayal, consequences and damage control, and a roller coaster of emotions. As far back as Celestia could remember, this felt like one of the longest days she'd experienced in a good five hundred years. This day felt like it'd lasted nearly three months, and such a length of time was absolutely ridiculous. All she wanted to do right now was wish Luna a good evening, go back to her chambers, and collapse on her bed.

"Princess Celestia."

She gave a startled yelp and faltered backward at the sudden and unexpected booming appearance of Ulquiorra directly in front of her, her exhaustion temporarily abated by the sudden surge of adrenaline that came from him giving her such a scare. Coffee would've been the preferable option for fighting off drowsiness.

"A situation has arisen," he stated calmly.

Celestia sighed and used her wings to rub her face. "Ulquiorra, I'm in no mood to be dealing with you right now. It's been a very hard, very long day, and all I want to do is go to bed. I'll tend to you when I'm better rested and not so testy; I don't wish to make any snap decisions right now that I'll wind up regretting once morning comes. I've already made enough of those, and I wish no more," she stated. He certainly had some nerve showing himself right now when she was still furious, not only with his deception, but his accusations about her being a monster bent on revenge, to the point that she'd intentionally put her subjects in harm's way just to get what she wanted. He truly had no idea just how difficult these matters were for her. Did he think she did these things for fun?

"The situation pertains to Chrysalis rather than myself. She's requesting your presence in the dungeons. Princess Luna is with her now," Ulquiorra explained.

She looked up at him. He now officially had her attention, fuzzy as it might be. "And what exactly were you doing in the dungeons with Chrysalis?" she asked. What kind of business could he have with her?

"Conducting an interrogation, in an effort to gather answers to certain anomalies that were noticed earlier in the evening. During a conversation with the holders of the Elements of Harmony, both Fluttershy and Rarity made mention to something that-" he started explaining.

"Ulquiorra. I'm sure it's all quite interesting, but to be blunt, could you please just cut to the chase? I really don't feel like standing around for a long period of time, and hear the explanation that you have to give," Celestia interrupted. Listening to him try and explain a situation was going to make her fall asleep on her hooves the way his voice was so dull and even.

He weighed his available options. Princess Celestia did need to be read in on the theory, and made aware of the circumstances that resulted in its discovery. But he doubted she had the mental focus necessary to consider the intricacies of everything. Perhaps the best option was to put it off for the night, and focus on the other matter at hand.

"Chrysalis has requested your presence in the dungeons. She wishes to attempt negotiations in order to secure the release of her hive, in exchange for her own life," he explained simply.

Celestia blinked at his words. Two thoughts immediately came to her mind. The first thought was that she was far more exhausted than she originally thought, and she simply hadn't heard him right. The second thought was that she had indeed heard him right. and Chrysalis was up to something. Whichever was correct, Ulquiorra obviously thought it was important enough to chance a meeting with her when she still hadn't summoned him yet.

"What exactly has been going on around the palace while I was away?" she asked out loud.

"That is something that would take far too long to explain at present time," Ulquiorra replied simply. "I merely came to deliver Chrysalis' message. Do you intend to grant her an audience? Or should I return and tell her no meeting will take place?" he asked.

All she wanted to do was go to sleep for the night. and enjoy a few hours of blissful nothingness. to distract her from the turmoil of the entire day. Was that really asking for too much right now?

Apparently the answer to that question was a big fat "yes", as she found her bed seeming further and further away with each passing moment.

"I'll be right there... right after I swing by the kitchen for a big cup of coffee," Princess Celestia replied with a low grumble, "I'm going to need it..."

"Very well," Ulquiorra replied before flashing out of her line of sight, the characteristic sonido boom left behind in his wake.

"That gets very annoying after a while," she muttered to herself and set off for the kitchen and her coffee... and maybe a danish for the added boost of energy the sugar would bring with it.

Luna paced uneasily outside of Chrysalis' cell. She would never admit it out loud to anypony else, but ever since Ulquiorra had departed to find her sister, she'd been unable to stop replaying the changeling's words in her mind. It had to be nothing more than filthy lies and trickery, it just had to be!

And yet she couldn't shut her brain off, and stop going over Chrysalis' words, about how she'd tried to establish residency for her hive within Equestria's borders, only to be refused time and time again over the past hundred or so years. It had to be a matter of nothing but absolute lies, her sister would never do anything like that!

And yet... what if there was even some measure of truth in Chrysalis' words? What if she truly had tried for a peaceful coexistence at some point in the past? What had gone so wrong in her absence that this proved to be impossible? Had she truly been underestimating her sister? Had Ulquiorra Cifer been right in his observation of her and her potential?

Her thoughts were -thankfully- interrupted at the sound of approaching hoofsteps and... no wait, they were muffled and in a pattern of two rather than four. Those weren't hoofsteps but rather footsteps. Ulquiorra Cifer was returning alone.

"Didst thou find our sister?" she asked as the Espada came into view.

"She will be with us momentarily," Ulquiorra replied before returning the spot he'd been standing during the interrogation in order to wait for the arrival.

"Good," Chrysalis muttered from inside her cell. She'd rather not be left waiting for an indefinite period of time, left to get her hopes up that everything would go well, and that this would actually work out for everyone involved, only to have her hopes dashed against whatever hard rocks Celestia had to throw against her. That would be absolutely cruel.

Unfortunately the growing silence made it hard to stay focused when coupled with her nerves about the coming discussion. "So do you mind elaborating on what you were discussing earlier? I believe I have a right to know, since it pertains to me in some manner," she commented.

Ulquiorra considered it. On the one hand, there was the fact that Chrysalis had resigned herself to death in order to save the lives of the other changelings. Assuming Princess Celestia accepted the terms of this agreement, her time was quite limited, and there seemed to be little reason in explaining matters to one who wasn't long for this world, as it would be a waste of breath.

On the other hand, he and Princess Luna had been willing to discuss the matter with Chrysalis in order to obtain information from her in the first place. The fact that there was no information to be had didn't really change the fact that they were sharing this theory with her. It wasn't as if there was any hard information that would compromise their current situation, even if she were to somehow get loose, which wasn't a possibility for her.

"We have reason to believe the holders of the Elements of Harmony are being targeted in a specific manner. Eight days prior to the discovery of Fluttershy's disappearance, a dragon took up residency close to Ponyville. From what I'm told, this is not an uncommon occurrence. However it is uncommon for them to be awake and alert, as if it was waiting for their arrival in order to carry out some ulterior motive," he explained.

Chrysalis' aching jaw hung open at Ulquiorra's words. Was he serious about this? "And... you think there's some sort of connection between that, and our actions here on this day?" she asked slowly to try and make sure she was understanding him properly.

"It's a possibility that can't be ruled out as of yet. There's presently no hard physical evidence to indicate such, so it's little more than theory and assumption. That was what we were trying to find out when we came to question you," Ulquiorra explained, not once directly facing the inside of Chrysalis' cell.

"'Tis indeed most disturbing to consider," Princess Luna added. She didn't want to think about the possibility of there being something worse than Discord loose in this world and causing all kinds of havoc; especially the kind of havoc that could result in death. As bad as Discord was, he was more foalish in nature, and did what he did for the sake of his own entertainment. And while she remembered the dark times more than a thousand years ago, even then Discord's actions didn't seem like they were intended to end the life of anypony.

Chrysalis remained silent at this, uncertain of what else to say on the matter. Saying nothing seemed like the best course of action right now.

Unfortunately her not talking seemed to kill off any measure of conversation that was going on. Without her contributing anything, Luna went back to pacing silently while Ulquiorra simply learned against the wall in wait. Maybe she should've added something when she had the opportunity.

"When did our sister say she would be present?" Princess Luna asked as she turned to face Ulquiorra again.

"I'm not entirely certain," Ulquiorra replied after settling in for the wait. "Sometime after coffee."

"Oh dear," Princess Luna groaned and hung her head.

Hot coffee and a sweet danish. Usually that was a mid-morning snack for her during recess from the day court. Right now it was her fuel, to keep her alert and awake for this despicable meeting with Chrysalis that was cutting into her sleeping hours. If this was nothing more than a joke, there would be consequences for such. Tartarus would be sending a bill.

Unfortunately, with this being a meeting held in an official capacity, that meant some degree of proper decorum had to be observed. That meant finding the royal adornments that'd been abandoned in favor of tending to Twilight. And that meant spending part of her caffeine boost getting herself properly situated and halfway groomed.

Sometimes she really did wish that she had the vast powers and position that many of her subjects seemed to mistakenly believe she held, by virtue of being the one to raise the sun. If there were truly a reinvigoration spell, that could make a pony feel as awake and alert as if they'd just gotten eight hours worth of sleep, she'd have it memorized and cast it constantly. But sadly she wasn't in such a position, and instead had to settle for what was at hoof.

She made her way into the dungeons via a teleportation spell, not wanting to burn off anymore of her alertness during the walk there. A good plan, except for one glaring fact; she'd specified the destination as being the dungeons in general rather than where her sister and the others were. That meant walking the distance to find them.

"Thou art late."

Fortunately the walk wasn't an extensive one. Chrysalis' cell was on the top floor of the dungeon, while the cells of the others were on the lower levels. Unfortunately that didn't keep her little sister from being displeased with her arrival; she apparently wasn't happy with the waiting aspect of it all.

"I was a little distracted," Princess Celestia replied in as calm a manner as she could muster under the circumstances, as she approached where Luna and Ulquiorra stood, bringing her to where Chrysalis was held. "So what exactly is this situation we have on our hooves right now? I must say I still don't fully understand it."

"We doth believe a matter of trickery is at hoof. But we shalt allow the prisoner to speak for herself," Princess Luna replied and gestured in Chrysalis' direction.

"Yes that would likely be the best course of action," she replied as she turned to observe Chrysalis as she got up from where she laid on the floor to approach the bars. "So tell me, Chrysalis, what's your game this time?" she asked.

"Oh please, Celestia, I'm too tired for games right now," Chrysalis replied dismissively, "the matter at hoof is quite serious in nature, I'm sure you're aware of it." Celestia remained silent at her words. Undeterred she continued. "I'm quite certain there's no love between us, all things considered; certainly none that I can feel anyway. But regardless of what you may think of me I'm not a monster, I do care about others, especially those that're my children. Regardless of how you may feel about me specifically, I ask you not to hold anything that happened today against my hive, they were merely doing as instructed to do. If someone must be punished, then I humbly ask you to spare them, and instead direct your fury at me specifically."

Princess Celestia remained silent as Chrysalis spoke, attempting to make her case to the best of her abilities, her expression remaining neutral throughout as she listened.

Finally she was presented with a stretch of silence that she took as a cue to speak. "You'll have to forgive me if I'm having trouble with believing your sincerity on the matter, Chrysalis, you're not exactly the most trustworthy of beings I've ever had dealings with over the years. Ours isn't the most pleasant of histories together," Princess Celestia pointed out. She considered pointing out a number of examples, but decided against such as it would take up too much time. "Assume I did take you at your word. What assurance would I have that you couldn't command your hive from a distance to launch a third attack on Equestria and my subjects?" she asked.

"Because once I manage to secure the release of my hive, I plan on abdicating my rule to a new queen. With any luck, someone new to the scene can better negotiate for the peaceful integration of the changeling race into Equestria's territory than I can," Chrysalis replied. "If it'll make you feel better, you can even select the successor of your choice, to ensure that there's no trickery. There are a few hundred potential candidates to choose from, making it impossible for me to stack the deck in my favor."

"You were never known for being highly logical, Chrysalis, but you're making even less sense than usual," Princess Celestia stated. Then again maybe it was her own tired state that was responsible. For all she knew Chrysalis could be making perfect sense and she simply wasn't realizing it.

"You'll have to forgive me, the past year hasn't been kind to either myself or my children. My muzzle is likely broken, I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I'm cranky, doing my best to be diplomatic with somepony that's already made it clear they have no reason to trust me, somepony who deceived me and my entire hive, into believing we finally had a shot at a new home where we wouldn't be relegated to the shadows, and subsisting on whatever scraps of love we can come across and pick up. Eloquence isn't exactly my strong point right now," Chrysalis replied with hostility in her voice. "If you want the bottom line then it's as follows: I only want what's best for my children, that's all I've ever wanted. In all the times we've come before you, that's all we've asked for. So I ask you one last time; if you can see fit to grant them refugee status within your territory, and pardon them for what they did here today, then I'll gladly accept whatever punishment you have to hoof down in their place, even if that punishment is death."

Again Princess Celestia remained silent as she listened to what Chrysalis had to say. She focused on the changeling queen as hard as she could, studying her for any visible or otherwise perceptible signals to show that she was up to something, that she had some treacherous measure she was hiding. Unfortunately she found nothing to suggest such. Then again she too was tired and her focus wasn't in top form right now but still.

"You expect me to seriously believe your words after everything you've done?" she asked skeptically and frowned.

"Truthfully? No I really don't, you've got no reason to trust me," Chrysalis replied before going back to laying down on the floor. "But I truly have nothing left to lose. What awaits my hive is death and extinction if things continue as is. If they were merely set free. death by starvation is only a few months away unless something is done. And being banished to this accursed facility you have picked out for us... well most of my children are getting up their in years, they don't have a lot of years left to live. Unless I can give birth to a new brood, you're looking at the last generation of changelings that'll ever exist. Surely your fury towards me isn't so strong, that you'd see fit to punish all of us with extinction... right?" she asked, "you're... not a monster like I am... y-you wouldn't force a mother to watch as her children died off all around her, because she was doing only what she needed t-to save them..."

She remained firmly silent at Chrysalis' words. The changeling queen was known for treachery, trickery, deceit and subterfuge. No matter what she said, or how much appeal she put into her efforts, she needed to remain firm. She couldn't falter after everything that'd happened. She had to be strong for her subjects!

And then Chrysalis did the one thing she never thought she'd ever see the changeling queen do; she started crying. Just utter nonstop crying, tears falling freely down her cheeks as she squeezed her eyes shut and blubbered.

"Please don't let my children die! Don't punish them for what I did! I'm the one that's responsible! Do whatever needs to be done to me, but please don't hurt them! Please, Princess Celestia, please!" she bawled from her position on the floor.

It was a trick. Nothing more than a well rehearsed, carefully orchestrated display designed to play upon her emotions and leave her with deep regrets over her hostility upon seeing the redeeming qualities to a monster. It was nothing more than a sham Chrysalis was putting on, Princess Celestia was absolutely positive of it! There was no way somepony like Chrysalis could truly have such a heart, and care for anyone except herself.

So why wasn't it halting?

She was certain Chrysalis' theatrics would expire once she realized nopony was feeling any sympathy for her; not herself, or her sister, nor Ulquiorra, not a one of them was falling for it. None of them was foalish enough to believe the strangled pleas as her body was wracked by her choking pleas. All they had to do was wait for her to realize her ploy wasn't going to work. A good kick to the side of the bars to startle her out of her performance should do the trick.

Except it didn't. The clang of her metal shoe against the bars seemed to go unheard by the intended target.

How could she maintain her performance so well? How could she put so much fake passion into her acting? Why wasn't the charade letting up, when none of them were saying a word, and just letting Chrysalis wallow in her misery?

"Sister? Where art thou going?"

And why was she feeling the sudden and overwhelming urge to immediately leave the dungeons?

"I need time to think," she hastily called back in response, leaving her sister and Ulquiorra behind and standing in silence.

"... Didst thou see that one coming?" Princess Luna finally asked as she turned to face the Espada.

"I admit, I did not," Ulquiorra replied. He hadn't expected Princess Celestia to be so affected by what was unfolding here; it seemed Twilight Sparkle's reiatsu intensity wasn't the only one linked to her emotional stability. Turning his attention to Chrysalis, it seemed she too was a part of whatever percentage of the population suffered such. The fluctuations in her reiatsu were too significant to write off as a willful attempt at suppressing their natural intensity; from what he'd seen, very few in this world had the ability to consciously suppress such.

"Thou can stop thee's theatrics now, Chrysalis, our sister hath left and can no longer view thou's performance," Princess Luna stated, obviously annoyed by it all. She became even more annoyed when Chrysalis seemed to not hear her words at all, not once looking up or around her.

And the longer it went on the more uncomfortable she herself became...

"We must depart, there are urgent matters we must tend to," she stated and teleported away, leaving Ulquiorra behind with the still crying Chrysalis.

Ulquiorra gave no pretext for leaving the dungeons, settling for silently turning on a heel and walking off at a leisurely pace, leaving Chrysalis behind in her misery. There were far too many criers in this world for his tastes.

By the time Luna finally caught up with her sister, she found her leaning against a pillar for support, and trying to get her breathing under control, as if she'd just come off of a most traumatic experience imaginable. It was a terribly uncomfortable sight to see when she herself wasn't feeling all that emotionally stable right now.

So much for asking her sister directly about Chrysalis' tale about past involvements together. What she'd picked up during their confirmation suggested there was something between them, but nothing that amounted to positive proof.

"Sister," Luna said softly as she approached, "what is wrong?"

Celestia remained silent, other than the sounds of her breathing, seemingly not hearing Luna's words. She continued remaining unresponsive until she felt the soft touch of her sister's cheek brushing against her exposed wing. It was of small comfort, but right now any comfort was better than none. Without a word, she unfurled her wing and draped it across her younger sister's back.

"Sister. Please tell us what is wrong. We doth need to know," Luna stated as she moved closer.

"In my many centuries of ruling alone, I've encountered many things, Luna. Many things that've made me question my resolve during certain campaigns; campaigns that I'm not proud of. There've been so many things that occurred in your absence that I so dearly wish had occurred a different way. But this... this development with Chrysalis... I don't know what to do anymore. I just assumed it was yet another attempt at a coup, but... oh Luna what do I do now? So many things are unfolding around me right now, and I feel so lost right now, and I don't know what to do anymore!" she huffed and plopped her backside on the floor in frustration.

Why did she have to grant Chrysalis an audience when she was so tired? Why didn't she simply refuse, and not be presented with this possibility that things weren't as simple as they appeared on the surface? Why did Chrysalis suddenly have to be presented in a third dimensional manner?

"You are tired, dear sister, you need your rest. Everything will seem clearer in the morning, once you have gotten some sleep to clear your mind," Luna said as she nuzzled Celestia's neck in a comforting manner.

Celestia blinked. Luna had dropped her old world manner of speech in addressing her. That was quite unlike her. This situation must've been a lot bigger than she thought if her sister was speaking in the modern dialect so freely.

"Come, dear sister, everything will be better after you have slept. Tomorrow things will make much more sense. As always, I shall guard the night, and watch over the kingdom, and our subjects. You have done enough for today," Luna told her as she used her magic to bring Celestia back into a standing position.

Celestia sighed as Luna took the lead away from her, escorting her back to her chambers like she herself had done for her so many centuries ago, when they were both so much younger, so much more carefree. The irony of it all. Somewhere along the line, Luna had grown up and matured considerably, and wasn't hesitating to show such right now. Even if she wanted to drag her hooves, she suspected it wouldn't do any good to slow her down.

The next few minutes were a blur, Celestia barely catching what was taking place before her. Somewhere along the line, Luna had managed to bring her back to her chambers and tuck her into bed, pulling the covers up over to her neck before casting a sleep spell on her in order to guarantee she slept rather than laying up all night worrying.

"Clever little filly," was the last conscious thought to go through her mind.

"Rest, dear sister, leave everything to us..."

The throne room was empty except for his presence. Not even laborer ponies were present to fix the aftermath of Twilight Sparkle's fury.

Then again he wasn't entirely certain how anyone would go about repairing this degree of damage. The fact that the marble structure along the floor had been melted indicated a significant amount of heat involved with her attack; over fifteen hundred degrees Fahrenheit was necessary to perform such a feat, and leave behind nothing but a long trail of polished stone as smooth as glass.

Perhaps Twilight Sparkle truly could have killed him in that instant if he was in his present state. If she had focused such a wide beam into a concentrated area, he had doubts that his hierro would've been able to withstand the sheer cutting force behind it. It would seem he'd managed to escape death yet again.

Or, considering the intensity of Twilight Sparkle's rage, at the very least he'd managed to escape having his skin peeled/burnt from his frame all the way down to his musculature.

"What's the current state of Princess Celestia?" Ulquiorra asked without even turning from his crouching position, as he continued inspecting the floor, causing Princess Luna to stumble in surprise. Did she truly think she could sneak up on him? Surely she would've learned to give that up by now.

"Currently asleep and getting the rest that she ist in desperate need of," Princess Luna replied and sighed, also feeling tired from the day's events. She'd been awakened far too early, and gone through a great deal herself. She'd be retiring early this evening, maybe leave a note asking her sister to lower the moon for her due to exhaustion. But first, there were other matters at hoof to deal with. However, her sister's past with Chrysalis was not one of them. She would more thoroughly question her at a later time when they were both more rested than currently, and less likely to snap at one another. "How do we proceed from this point?" she asked as she stepped closer to him.

"How do you mean?"

Princess Luna blinked at his words. "What doth thou mean by how do we mean? Hast thou ceased thine investigation into this matter already?" she asked.

"I have not. However at current time I'm without any leads to follow up on, and a proper investigation can't be carried out while confined to the palace and on my own. My intellect doesn't render me unstoppable," Ulquiorra explained.

"Thou art not alone in the matter. Even if the Elements of Harmony art away in Ponyville, we art still here to assist thee," Princess Luna stated.

Ulquiorra slowly stood up from his crouching position and turned to face her, studying her closely at her words. He truly hadn't seen this one coming. "You still trust me, despite everything that's happened here today? Even when Princess Celestia does not?" he asked flatly, finding the notion difficult to believe.

"Our sister didst initiate much that occurred on this day. We didst warn her that things could go wrong in her gamble. She doth share part of whatever blame doth go around. Rest assured, we art not at our happiest with thee's actions today. Thy deception, while warranted based upon what we hath heard others speaking of, hath left us with a measurable uncertainty and unease. But thou hast protected our friends at least twice, and saved them from harm. We art willing to ignore the less than tasteful actions thou hast engaged in, in recognition of such feats," Princess Luna responded. "Furthermore if there truly is a threat worse than Discord loose in this world, we shalt need all the help we can get, in vanquishing it to protect Equestria from future harm. This situation, 'tis bigger than all of us. We cannot bicker about unimportant matters if we are to be successful."

It was a highly logical way of looking at the situation. Princess Luna certainly had no real reason to trust him after everything that'd happened. Yet she recognized that the nation itself might be under the threat of siege, and was willing to set her personal feelings aside in favor of the greater good. That would be quite beneficial in this situation. There was no need to be "friends" to accomplish this goal; he certainly hadn't been "friends" with the other Espada, and it hadn't interfered with their ability to accomplish their assigned tasks.

"Thou might not be permitted beyond these palace walls, but there art more ways than one to communicate with the outside world, and our subjects within it. Art thou interested?" Princess Luna asked.

"More magic I assume?" Ulquiorra asked. He hadn't seen any signs that would indicate this world possessed anything similar to telephones or computers, and he had his doubts about the mail services at this hour; surely the dragon Spike didn't serve as the community mailbox at all hours of the day.

Now that he thought about that, it still seemed strange how he could be used to send and receive letters via enchanted blasts of fire. Even after he'd seen a demonstration, it still seemed preposterous.

"Magic like thou hast never seen before. Prepare thyself for journey Ulquiorra Cifer, for the world thou art about to see is unlike anything else this world will have to offer..."

Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty One

Deja vu. It was the best way he could think of to explain what he was experiencing right now. It was a dark, boundless void of absolute nothingness, stretching on as far as his eyes could see, and infinitely beyond even that extensive unit of measure. There were no sights, no sounds, no smells, no physical sensations of any sort to experience; not even ground beneath his feet.

An absolute nothingness, with only his presence, and that of Princess Luna beside him, to provide contrast.

"What is this place?" Ulquiorra asked, noting that unlike the last void he could hear his own voice and was not limited purely to his own thoughts and observations.

"This, Ulquiorra Cifer, is a world that few art ever allowed to experience. 'Tis the realm of dreams, and 'tis our domain to watch over during the night. Thou hast been granted passage here due to the severity of the situation," Princess Luna explained.

A strange explanation. The realm of dreams? During his conversation with Princess Luna in the Canterlot throne room she'd touched his forehead with her horn, he sensed her reiatsu increasing...and then they were here in this endless blackness that didn't even seem to have a floor to it.

Then again with everything he'd seen in a period of less than two weeks -the most recent encounter being a large sentient insectoid that explained how they fed on intangible emotions like other species did vegetables- perhaps this wasn't all that hard to believe. Perhaps it was time to stop being skeptical about everything. Could it truly be that in this world, things really were as simple as they appeared, and there were no underlying connotations to wrestle with?

Unlikely. But for now he was simply an observer and nothing more.

"For what purpose?" Ulquiorra asked. What good would this do him right now? As he spoke he noticed the void beginning to fill with what appeared to be wisps of semi-dense fog.

"Due to the circumstances we find ourselves in, we believe communicating with our friends at once is most prudent. And a resting mind is infinitely sharper than one suffering from sleep deprivation. Hence a conversation in the realm of dreams is the proper way at current time. Now be silent, we must concentrate in order to locate the dreams of our friends, and bring them forth. 'Tis not an easy task."

Ulquiorra watched in silence as Princess Luna closed her eyes and sat down on whatever served as ground in this darkened emptiness, her horn glowing as wisps of the fog-like structures began moving back and forth in front of her, being sorted through like the card holder drawers at an old library. It appeared she knew what she was doing, but to him it was all a mystery, as he saw no inner details to indicate what she was seeing, sensing, or otherwise trying to locate.

"Huzzah! We hath found Rainbow Dash!" Princess Luna stated with excitement as she opened her eyes. However once she did her eyes went wide with surprise. "Oh dear. Thou may wish to-"

She was interrupted as a multicolored blur came hurtling through the fog, with all the excitement of a body crashing through a plate glass window, bits of the ethereal material flying in every direction like shrapnel.

"-duck," Princess Luna finished.

A loud thud immediately sounded as the multicolored blur came to an immediate halt against Ulquiorra's frame, making it very easy to identify the source of the destruction as Rainbow Dash herself, dressed in a brightly colored blue and yellow spandex getup, symbols of confusion flying around her head like planets orbiting in a solar system at high speed.

"Who put that mountain there?" Rainbow Dash asked as her head bobbed about freely.

"That's the second time you've regarded me as a mountain after having crashed into me," Ulquiorra commented as he looked down at her, "and what precisely are you wearing?"

At hearing his voice, Rainbow Dash shook her head to rid herself of the dizziness and the spinning confusion symbols, before looking up at him through the goggles that still hung on her face. "Hey what're you doing here? And get your hands off the Wonderbolts greatest Captain ever!" she stated and leaped away from him. "You could get arrested for doing crazy stuff like that!"

The strange outfit, the title of Captain and the name of the organization he recognized from hearing once before. It was enough for him to get the jest of what her dream had been about. Without a word, he pointed behind her until she turned and saw Princess Luna looking back at her.

"Princess Luna? What's going on here?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"We art afraid 'twas necessary to interrupt thou's dream of excellence, Rainbow Dash. Due to certain circumstances, we didst believe conversing with everypony at once, and immediately, was the best option. And to avoid disturbing anyone's sleep, a meeting in the realm of dreams is the only way to achieve such," Princess Luna explained.

"Hold up. This is a dream?" Rainbow Dash asked, finally stopping to remove her goggles and peel back the hood of her Wonderbolts uniform. "So I'm not the greatest Captain ever?"

"Not currently, but perhaps one day thou shalt be. For now though, thou art our friend, and 'tis a matter of importance that we speak with all our friends," Princess Luna explained. "If thou wilt be patient, we shalt set out to locate the others now."

Rainbow Dash watched curiously and scratched her head in confusion, as Princess Luna went back to browsing through the fog to find the other ponies that made up the Elements of Harmony. She then turned her attention to Ulquiorra as he stood and observed in silence.

"So how'd you get here anyway?" Rainbow Dash finally asked in a low whisper. "I thought you said you didn't sleep. And if you don't sleep you can't dream... at least I don't think you can..."

"Royal escort. Apparently the situation has changed," Ulquiorra replied simply and left it at that. Princess Luna requested silence as she worked, he intended to allow her such.

More silence between them, as Princess Luna worked to locate the others. Silence that Rainbow Dash seemed intent on disturbing and violating, in the same way her mane violated the basic laws of biology.

"Um..." she mumbled as she looked in his direction again, uncertainty apparent on her face as she did so. "Look I've tried ignoring stuff, but it's not working, and I really need to know. What you said earlier during the chase... did you really mean all that stuff back there? About me being like... like you?" she asked.

He studied her in silence as she waited for an answer. The fact her muzzle was no longer bandaged, and her voice was no longer distorted, at least lent credibility to the notion of this truly being the realm of dreams rather than real life. He'd inspected the damage himself, there was no way the swelling would've gone down that fast after everything that'd happened today; especially not after she crashed into him again just a few minutes ago.

"Does it disturb you to consider the possibility that you don't know everything about yourself?" Ulquiorra asked her. It was an entirely rhetorical question to ask, as he knew full well it was a source of discomfort and disturbance to many, to be confronted by facts about themselves, that they had never given consideration to for whatever reason. It was no surprise that the pegasus was disturbed by his observation regarding her personality and her nature.

"More than I care to admit," Rainbow Dash mumbled. "I've gotta know. Please? I have to know if that's what I'm really like."

Ulquiorra now found himself in an interesting situation. What exactly should he do? Should he be brutally honest with Rainbow Dash in answering her question, and let her deal with the aftermath since she wanted to know so badly? Or should he exercise self-restraint, and make an effort to spare her feelings, in an effort to maintain whatever group cohesion they possessed as he still needed their help? Like it or not, he needed these ponies, just as they needed him. He had to adjust his manner of behavior accordingly to ensure success, or the consequences to be had would be disastrous.

However before he had the chance to say anything in response Princess Luna spoke up as she turned her attention toward them. "We require silence in order to perform the task at hoof. If we art to locate the rest of our friends, we must be able to concentrate properly. We request that thee keep thy discussions to thyself until all art present and accounted for," she stated, her voice carrying an edge of tone that indicated it wasn't a mere request to be considered and potentially ignored, but rather an order of conduct to abide by.

The two watched in ordered silence as Princess Luna returned to the task at hand -or hoof depending on who was questioned- of trying to locate the others bearers of the Elements of Harmony, various wisps of fog being sorted through, and pushed aside in favor of new and unexplored ones.

It was likely going to be a long wait in this strange, strange world.

Rarity. Applejack. Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy. Spike. Twilight Sparkle. One by one each of them was brought forth from their own dreams, in a state ironically looking like they were being telepathically carried through, while still in their sleep, and gently placed on whatever served as the ground. Ulquiorra assumed that once the six had been located and brought forth, that would be the last of it, and the meeting could be started.

That is until Princess Luna brought forth Princess Celestia, just as she had the other six, and deposited her off to the side. Most curious.

"Our sister doth need to be read into what is taking place. And as said, a resting mind is far sharper than one that is deprived of sleep," Princess Luna stated in response to the unasked question.

It made a considerable amount of sense. During his efforts to inform Princess Celestia of recent developments, discoveries, and theories she'd been short and not allowed a proper explanation. Considering the potential sensitivity of the situation, it was only logical to bring her in as well.

He observed as one by one, the others began to rouse from whatever slumber had been induced upon them by Princess Luna, likely for the purpose of avoiding another run in as was experienced with Rainbow Dash. The fewer redundant explanations he had to carry out the better.

"Wha's goin' on?" Applejack mumbled as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "An' why's it so dark?"

"This doesn't look anything like the lecture on the realities of transdimensional theory I was giving at Canterlot University," Twilight mumbled in a similar manner, before shaking her head to try and clear the drowsiness away. Looking around, she didn't see anything familiar except for her friends and... why was Princess... why was... 'Tia... here as well?

"Welcome back dear friends," Princess Luna spoke up, hastening the transition into a fully awake status. That was assuming one could truly be awake in the realm of dreams. Perhaps it was best to instead classify their presence, as a conscious-like state suitable for communication in a dream realm crossroads meeting.

That didn't sound right. That didn't sound right at all...

"My word, whatever happened?" Rarity asked as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. The look on her face easily told her confusion as she looked around. "Before we turned in, weren't we all at the library at Twilight's insistence?"

"I think so," Fluttershy replied and rubbed at the back of her head, feeling like she'd landed on it.

"Yeah, Twilight called us all over to apologize to Dashie about the whole Mare Do Well thingy, and then we settled in for a sleepover," Pinkie stated, seemingly the least fazed of all of them.

"I'll take your word for it," Spike replied as he stood up finally. "What I wanna know is why we're all here in this black... place..." he said as he looked around and found nothing but themselves present.

"Thou art all still sleeping so there is no need to worry. Thou were brought from thine own dreams, into the realm of dreams directly, so that we might speak with each of thee without disturbing thy much needed rest," Princess Luna explained.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Pinkie Pie stated and bounced enthusiastically. "That means we can have a dreamland pajama party!"

Ulquiorra found himself caught off guard as the entire area was flooded by a blinding flash of light that faded away as immediately as it came, leaving all of the ponies -and Spike- behind and dressed in what he could only assume passed for night clothing in this world. The mortals of the group were wearing what appeared to be T-shirts that were color coordinated to fit each of them. The Princesses were dressed in a similar but significantly more regal manner in terms of shirts, and for some reason, they had socks on their hind legs as well.

"What happened?" he asked evenly as he faced Princess Luna... who seemed to be having a hard time controlling her emotional state.

"Lucid dreamers," she snorted, "sometimes have considerable," she tried to suppress a growing chuckle, "control over the way things play out in the dream world," she finished, sounding as if she was in a rush to complete her sentence before a bout of giggles could overtake her.

Rainbow Dash's response was far more vocal, and floored her as she roared with uncontrollable laughter that left her powerless to speak.

"What exactly is so funny?" he asked. He was responded to by a mirror being summoned before him.

His appearance had been utterly defiled.

Just as the others had been dressed in a manner he assumed was appropriate for sleep, he too had been dressed. Fluffy white bunny slippers on his feet. A two piece pair of dark blue pajamas with stars, crescent moons, and clouds. And a night cap with a fluffy white ball on the very end of it.

By now all of the others were joining in on the hysterics, even Twilight Sparkle. For whatever reason, the ludicrousness of his getup seemed to have a paralyzing effect on them.

"Leave me out of whatever nonsense you find amusing," Ulquiorra replied simply, grasping the neck of the top by two fingers in the collar, and ripping it off his frame, the pants and slippers in tow, and leaving him behind clad in his normal Espada garb -jacket included- the nightcap nowhere to be found. "Now is not the time for foolishness."

Princess Luna continued chuckling for several more seconds, before finally getting ahold of herself and straightened up, coughing and clearing her throat to get the attention of the others, and more or less bring them under control.

"Ulquiorra Cifer is correct. 'Tis quite serious, and not the time for joyous laughter," she stated, "the matter at present requires all of us to be on the same page, and at the same time due to the complexity of what we art currently facing."

"And what exactly are we facing, dear sister?" Princess Celestia asked, speaking up for the first time since her arrival here. It'd been a very, very long time since she'd last been here with Luna.

Princess Luna looked over at Ulquiorra and nodded once. He regarded her for a moment, before finally stepping forward to address the gathered masses.

"Six of those present have already been made aware of the situation and the theories regarding it. This explanation is for the benefit of the other three who were not present originally, as I can't verify their level of knowledge," Ulquiorra explained as he faced Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike. He waited a moment to ensure they understood, before continuing the briefing.

"Due to several statements made by the ponies Fluttershy and Rarity, a matter too significant to be passed off as merely being coincidence, has been brought to our attention. My arrival in Equestria occurred approximately thirteen days ago, due to the deliberate actions of Discord. For reasons completely unknown to us, the spirit of chaos chose to cross the boundaries between dimensions, in order to locate me, and bring me back to life here in this new world. In that time, two specifics events have occurred within closer proximity to one another. The first occurred four days after my arrival, and came in the form of a dragon taking up residency in caves nearby; not an entirely unusual occurrence from what I've heard. However no one present seems to remember the last time a dragon settling in for a nap awoke a mere ten hours into it; a time that strangely coincides with the arrival of a group of six ponies sent to motivate it to leave."

He paused briefly in his explanation to evaluate the three who were most likely to benefit from his words. So far they seemed to be paying attention to his words, and didn't appear to be hopelessly lost. That was good. He could continue.

"Eight days afterward brings us to the second event that has occurred, that being the changeling invasion. Again this is not an impossible or unlikely occurrence from what I've heard. However the timing of this event is highly suspicious. Individually either one of these occurrences could simply be regarded as a normal occurrence, or a matter of simple coincidence, as they have taken place in the past; however not with such frequency. From these two separate incidents, we can gather three specific similarities. They are-" Ulquiorra began but was interrupted as Twilight Sparkle began speaking.

"Both events resulted in us being targeted, and directly involved in a manner that could cause the Elements of Harmony to become unusable, and render Equestria defenseless. Both events also occurred within a period of less than twenty four hours that coincided with each of your two visits to Ponyville, and meeting with us. And both events didn't occur until after you arrived in Equestria," she stated.

Silence. Utter silence as everyone looked at her in either surprise, confusion, or amazement.

"Am I right?" she asked as she looked back in his direction. "Listening as you talked, it seemed like the only three things that really made sense, and directly corresponded," she explained.

Quite impressive. Twilight Sparkle had been able to correctly extrapolate the three significant factors from each of the two events, simply by listening to him give a briefing of what each event consisted of, and how the timing was suspicious when viewed by someone who wasn't native to this world, or accustomed to whatever routine was had. A rather respectable degree of critical thinking.

"That is correct," he replied and nodded once. That saved him from needing to give the details. "You can see why this appears to be suspicious," he said, more to Princess Celestia than anyone else present.

"I'll admit that when the matter is presented in such a way it... does seem rather strange. Now that you mention it, it's quite strange. I don't really seem to remember a frequency of crises occurring like that before," Princess Celestia stated and rubbed her chin with her hoof. "But ultimately what do you think it means? Do you believe there's a significance to all of this?" she asked.

"I do. However I see little point in explaining the matter to you specifically at present time," Ulquiorra replied flatly.

"Say wha'?" Applejack asked, utterly surprised by what he'd just said.

"Ulquiorra Cifer, what art thou getting at?" Princess Luna more or less demanded to know.

Ulquiorra chose to ignore their questions directly, opting to address Princess Celestia directly instead. They would get their answers, but only in the manner that he determined to be most appropriate. "To put in simple terms you don't trust me. This in and of itself is a wise policy to maintain, but your distrust wavers considerably from one moment to the next, and is unacceptable. What has to be said is of considerable importance, and there is no room for indecision. You need to commit fully to a single standard. Either distrust me, and I will work with those present that are willing to assist. Or drop your suspicions, and accept the facts that you have seen for yourself. Twice since my arrival, I have taken actions that have saved the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, despite knowing that while they remain alive, my existence could one day be threatened by them. Twice I have essentially saved the world of Equestria through my own intervention, when you have been unable to do so on your own," Ulquiorra explained, pausing to let his words sink in.

He could hear the mumbles coming from the others present, but his focus was primarily on Princess Celestia as she remained silent. And seeing as she was saying nothing in opposition, he pressed on in his address.

"There's nothing I can do that will make you trust me. I'm not naive enough to believe that a few good deeds, regardless of their size, will undo what you've seen when you've scanned my memories. But like it or not, this is an impasse that cannot be addressed without cooperation. Regardless of how you may feel about my actions during our staged combat, this is an issue of true severity that we're all facing right now. Like it or not, there's reason to believe that I'm your best hope of protecting Equestria from future dangers."

Celestia remained silent as she listened to Ulquiorra talk. She had to admit that he was technically correct, about how his actions had saved Equestria twice already. Had the dragon killed Twilight and her friends... or had Fluttershy remained undiscovered as the changelings increased the density of their invasion... she knew what the answer was to both scenarios, but she didn't want to think about it.

"And what brings you to this conclusion regarding your continued importance to this world?" she asked cautiously. He was presenting her with a rather demanding and tall order right now.

"Because you apparently trust Discord, despite the nature of his being, and what he's capable of doing if he so wishes. And for whatever reason, Discord has seen fit to bring me into this world. This brings us back to the topic of earlier discussion concerning the statements made by Fluttershy and Rarity. These statements have resulted in the discovery of five very specific questions for which we currently have no answers," Ulquiorra explained.

"Five? I thought you said there were only four questions," Rainbow Dash stated.

"Yeah, Ulqy, what gives?" Pinkie asked.

"The fifth question was discovered after you left for the evening to return home," Ulquiorra replied, before returning his attention to the three who hadn't been present the first time around. "Do you care to hear the questions?"

It was entirely rhetorical in nature as he planned on informing them regardless of what they wished. The matter was far too big for this group to be fragmented, no matter how much he might try on his own to make it work. From what he'd seen, these ponies relied on teamwork almost like they relied on air or food.

And swaying Princess Celestia over to their side would be quite beneficial if it could be done. To have the support of both halves of the diarchy would greatly bolster their chances of success.

"...What are these questions?" Princess Celestia finally asked, wanting to get to the bottom of his whole matter at once. Once she had a better understanding of what Ulquiorra was thinking, she could better decide how to proceed from here on out.

"Keeping in mind the two previously mentioned events, regarding the dragon, and then the changelings, the first question is whether or not Discord knew of these events, and how they would transpire if they were allowed to play out uninterrupted. Did he know that these six would die, or that Equestria might fall if something wasn't done to change the events of the future?" Ulquiorra asked.

The others had already sat through this and three other questions, and were very familiar with what was up. Instead of worrying about the details, they watched the other three to see what reactions they'd have. So far just blank looks and silence.

Ulquiorra took it as a cue to continue speaking unopposed.

"Assuming the first question is accurate, and he was taking preventative measures, the second question is why Discord chose me specifically. In my world alone, four other Espada died before I did, along with countless other Arrancar. I don't even want to consider what the available stock was, if the spirit of chaos was actively browsing who knows how many other different worlds and realities. What exactly was it about me specifically, that caused him to decide I was right for the job?"

Celestia had no answers to offer up at this question. Why exactly had Discord selected Ulquiorra? She suspected it wasn't the simple matter of him being interesting in nature, and a perfect candidate for learning about the magic of friendship; at least not entirely. Now here he was, asking the same question she was suspecting. What had made Ulquiorra so special? What separated him from the other Espada?

Then again, from Ulquiorra's own report, out of all the others he seemed to be the most calm, cool, and level headed, as well as the one most likely to follow orders that were given by one in charge. And his strength was quite noteworthy; that was impossible to deny, even if she hadn't given the matter her utmost priority. Perhaps he was selected for being a near-perfect blend of all the above, and those traits allowed him to best fit whatever Discord had in mind?

Off to the side she saw Twilight heavily engrossed, a chalkboard hovering in front of her, as she scribbled about like mad on it, her tongue cocked out of the side of her mouth in concentration. However she had little time to observe her student's work, as Ulquiorra began speaking again.

"Assuming Discord was indeed taking preventative measures in order to protect Equestria, the third question is why he himself is not able to act in a direct manner. From the research of Equestria's history regarding his last appearance, it seems safe to assume Discord's powers and abilities are limited only by the boundaries of his own imagination and self restraint. If Discord's abilities are as vast as they seem, why would he be unable to directly interfere with future events that would soon transpire? Why would he need the help of an outside party, if a simple snap of the fingers and the will to do something, was all that was needed?"

Now Celestia felt the sensation of nervousness running up her entire spine. She'd never stopped to consider the notion of something being beyond Discord's control. It was true he kept his powers in check, and had never directly targeted other living beings in a manner that would kill them... at least not to an extent she was ever aware of. Could it be true that Discord's powers couldn't be used in a manner that would directly cause death, and that's why he hadn't done anything regarding the dragon? No that couldn't be it, Discord wouldn't have had to kill the dragon, he could've just made it leave the caves and head elsewhere via teleportation.

Or, knowing Discord's penchant for random chaos, he could've simply turned the dragon's smoke into cherry pie filling.

Off to the side she heard the loud gulp of nervousness coming from Spike as he began to bite at his nails. Twilight seemed too stunned to do anything but stare, the chalk she'd held now resting on whatever served as the floor here.

And just like a predator detecting blood and injury, Ulquiorra continued even further, unabated by the fear around him.

"Assuming Discord did know of the events that were about to occur, and needed an outside force to act in order to save not only Equestria, but those that hold the Elements of Harmony, the fourth question is how much he knows. Specifically, what events does the future hold, that he himself is incapable of dealing with despite his vast powers? If the spirit of chaos was incapable of dealing with either a solitary dragon, or the changeling invasion, then what will the third event be that he's powerless to affect?"

"W-w-what!?" Twilight shrieked at his words. Discord powerless to do something? It was impossible! Discord was quite possibly the most powerful being in existence, bound only by the depths of his own imagination, and able to do whatever he wanted, the only thing more capable than him being the Elements of Harmony themselves... well that and his friendship with them, especially Fluttershy and Pinkie, but still... the idea of Discord being... being... she gulped nervously, unable to finish that thought.

She suddenly felt something very soft and downy laid across her back. Looking up she saw Princess... she saw 'Tia... sitting next to her, and extending a wing over her out from under the shirt Pinkie had dressed her in. Apparently she could tell how upset she was and, was responding accordingly.

Right now, despite everything that'd happened previously, she really didn't feel it within her to shirk away. Right now it was all so comforting, as her mind considered the possibilities she was presented with. The terrible, horrible, frighting possibilities that just oozed pure, unadulterated nightmare fuel!

"These are certainly some disturbing thoughts to entertain," Princess Celestia stated, uncertain what else to say as she tried her best to be both comforting, and sagely at the same time. "So you have reason to believe that what's happened so far, is just the beginning of whatever events might be unfolding?" she asked.

Now it was Ulquiorra's turn to be silent in thought. For a moment anyway.

"I believe it's the safest assumption to make," he replied, uncertain of what else to say in response to the question. What reason did they have to assume that only two incidents would be all there was, and the matter had been concluded? Things simply didn't work that way... at least not back in the dimension he came from. "At present time the hypothesis can be neither confirmed nor denied. However the timing of everything that's happened up to this point is highly suspicious; too suspicious to be coincidental."

"So there are no new theories on the matter?" Rarity asked.

"At present time no. The interrogation of Chrysalis revealed nothing beneficial. If anything it only deepened the mystery at hand," Ulquiorra replied.

"Wait a second," Twilight spoke up, "Rarity? You and the others knew all about this already?" she asked.

"Quite so, darling, Ulquiorra read us in on it after you left our little group. I must say it's rather dreadful to consider," Rarity replied. "We intended to tell you and Spike about all of this at Ulquiorra's request. But last night... well tonight actually, was so chaotic in nature, we all figured it would be best to wait until you were better rested and able to focus, before dropping this unpleasant discovery on you," she explained.

"Making this a most proper setting, as everypony is thinking clearly at present, and not overcome by emotion or exhaustion. If we doth wish, we could spend the entire night discussing, and thou wouldst not feel the least bit tired," Princess Luna explained.

"If y'all don' mind, ah'd like ta hear jus' what this fifth question is that Mr. Cifer was talkin' 'bout earlier, before we move onta anythin' else," Applejack spoke up.

"Thou may think otherwise after hearing it," Princess Luna muttered, before turning to the Espada and nodding for him to inform them of what he had her, hoping that they could cope with the revelation on top of everything else.

Ulquiorra nodded in response before stepping back out of the crowd to address all of them directly. "The entire basis for the original four questions, has been the assumption that the two incidents over the last eight days were separate incidents, the only connection being those that hold the Elements of Harmony being targeted and threatened. We cannot ignore the possibility that this hypothesis is entirely incorrect. We must also consider the possibility that these two incidents are actually connected directly. If such is the case, we are presented with the fifth question; is another party involved in the matter? If so, then we must ask who, or what, this other party is. Further, we must ask how this party relates to Discord; specifically, what type of entity has sufficient influence that Discord himself cannot directly interfere, with whatever plan has been put into motion? And if this is truly the case, then how is my involvement beneficial?"

There were many different types of silence that would be experienced. The current silence that overtook the group, was what could best be described as a dead silence. Not a single word from anyone present.

Being that they were all... he wasn't entirely certain what they were right now. Dream representations of their physical beings perhaps? Whatever they were, he found that it was impossible to utilize his pesquisa here to gauge the fluctuations in their respective reiatsu levels. He couldn't even establish a baseline reading right now; he might as well be staring at a pile of rocks right now.

"You believe..." Princess Celestia began, being the first to actually speak up after being presented with the last question, "that somewhere in this world, there's a mystery being with enough power to eclipse Discord, and is actively targeting Twilight and the others, because they hold the Elements of Harmony?" she asked.

He examined her. Reiatsu wasn't detectable in this world, but facial expressions were. Hers were minute in nature, not the stone chiseled appearance she attempted to maintain throughout the day when dealing with her subjects and petitioners. If he had to guess, he would say hers were of concern. Perhaps she was seeking to assure the holders of the Elements of Harmony that such a situation was an impossibility?

"It is merely a theory to try and make sense of what has been happening, and provide a logical explanation for everything. Right now the "bigger fish" hypothesis seems to make the most sense, in explaining what has happened over the course of the last thirteen days. My appearance in your world, preempting two serious incidents, either of which would cause devastation to Equestria and the surrounding territory? If you possess a more likely theory I would be interested to hear it," Ulquiorra replied. If there was something to believe in he would much rather believe that someone or something was directly responsible for everything that was going on, rather than the notion of everything truly being random chance and coincidence.

"Um..." Fluttershy spoke up, "I guess I could always ask Discord if something's up. If he knows then surely he'd tell us... I think..."

"Would he?" Applejack asked as she stood up and faced the shy pegasus. "Ah know Discord's reformed an' all, but ah still don' trust 'im all that much. Ah don' think he'd be honest even if we asked 'im directly. Y'know how much he loves his games an' all," she pointed out. "Jus' 'cause he ain' exactly evil, don' exactly mean he's good either."

She hadn't forgotten about the conversation she'd had with Ulquiorra at their first meeting; she wasn't certain she actually could forget something like what he'd dropped on her so casually. She'd never before considered the possibility that Discord wasn't evil, and now that she had given it consideration, she wasn't certain what to think anymore. It did kinda make sense when you looked at it; Nightmare Moon had been destroyed by the Elements of Harmony and left Princess Luna unharmed, and Nightmare Moon's goal of eternal night would've had the effect of depopulating the world through mass starvation, so she could've been seen as evil. But Discord? If he was evil, then how come he was only encased in stone rather than being destroyed?

Unfortunately that line of thinking had the unintended consequence of leaving her questioning a lot of other things since then. What if this entire time, she'd been looking at things wrongly? If Discord wasn't evil then who was? Were the changelings evil? And if they were, did that make locusts and grasshoppers evil as well? They all more or less behaved similarly in the name of survival, choosing to focus on themselves than those around them that might be affected by their actions.

And if Discord wasn't evil, and the changelings weren't evil, then what in this world truly was evil?

Ulquiorra remained silent and observed their interactions. He was certain that the hypothesis of there being something worse than Discord loose in their world would have driven them into hysterics; the original four questions had certainly disturbed the majority of the group earlier on in the evening. Perhaps not having physical bodies was what kept them calm right now. Without a physical body hardwired to engage in the fight or flight response, and no corresponding adrenal gland, perhaps it was impossible to panic. Then again that theory didn't explain Spike's nervous reaction only a few minutes ago.

He could speculate as to the perceived inconsistency... but at the moment he became distracted as Rainbow Dash spoke up.

"So lemme see if I get what you're saying, because I'm kinda lost here," she stated as she stood up from where she'd been sitting. "In addition to your theories that Discord decided to involve you to prevent disasters in Equestria, you also think there's something out there right now that's worse than Discord, using various villains and threats against us, is just getting started, and can somehow prove resistant to what Discord can do, when we don't even know the full limits of just what Discord can do?" she asked.

"Correct," Ulquiorra replied. A rather vague generalization of what he'd been explaining up to this point, and devoid of the finer points of discussion, but correct nonetheless. At least Rainbow Dash was able to follow along with the train of thought.

"Ha! I knew it!" Rainbow Dash yelled excitedly and turned to face Twilight. "See, Twi', I told you so! That means it's gotta be real; Slender Mane DOES exist!"

Slender Mane? A most curious statement for the cyan pegasus to be making.

"Ugh," Twilight groaned and hung her head, "Rainbow Dash, we've been over this before; numerous times in fact. "Slender Mane" is nothing more than an urban legend designed to keep foals from trying to venture into the Everfree Forest. No such creature could possibly exist," she stated.

"Oh yeah, sure, an urban legend to keep foals out of the Everfree Forest, as if it isn't dangerous enough with what's known to be inside there. Come on, Twilight, that's just a stupid coverup story to hide the real truth of the matter," Rainbow Dash objected. "You've got all those books in the library that talks about this very subject. Creatures of old from beyond the stars just lying in wait, creatures that could make Discord burst into flames just by looking at him. How can somepony as well read as you, not believe in Slender Mane?" she asked.

"Rainbow Dash, those are nothing more than works of fiction. H.P. Lovecolt was a fictional writer, not a scientist, or even an archeologist. His works were meant as a source of entertainment. They're not meant to be taken seriously. I can say with certainty that nothing like Slender Mane, or anything from Lovecolt's novels, exists in this world," Twilight stated firmly.

Ulquiorra quirked an eyebrow. Were these two quite serious about whether or not fictional creations existed in this world?

Then again, he was asking his question about the interactions between a pegasus and a unicorn... in the presence of a dragon, two alicorns, and a handful of other talking ponies. Who exactly was he to be passing judgement in this case?

"Oh come on, Twilight, you can't just write it off as being the work of fiction. They could exist and nopony knows, because anybody who sees them goes mad from the revelation. They could be out there in the Everfree Forest right now, hiding in plain sight, and anybody who sees them goes insane and is never heard from again!" Rainbow Dash protested.

"Rainbow Dash," Twilight muttered through grit teeth, stopping only to take ragged breaths in an effort to calm herself before she said something she'd regret... again. "The physical requirements for such a creation to exist would be astronomical, to the point of physical impossibility. The size of such, able to dwarf even a large dragon, would require a massive bone density, to ensure their skeletal structure doesn't snap under their own weight. The density needed to support their frame would cause them to weigh so much, simply trying to move would cause a fatal heart attack to occur from just trying to move a single limb. And with each step they could successfully take, if they existed, they'd cause the ground to quake, and everypony would notice it. What makes you think such a being could possibly exist in this world, when they're scientifically impossible?" she asked, hammering the physical impossibilities home as hard as she could.

"Exhibit A," Rainbow Dash replied without missing a beat, gesturing with her foreleg in Ulquiorra's direction. She'd seen the physically impossible things he'd done in his time here, ranging from the dragon, to the flying, to withstanding her Sonic Rainboom, and withstanding his fight against Princess Celestia. That had to amount to proof of concept or something... right?

Rather curious. Rainbow Dash was using his presence and existence, to try and prove her theory about fictional creatures existing in their world was a possibility? Rather well played actually.

Off to the side, he noticed as Pinkie Pie burst out laughing, clapping her front hooves together in absolute amusement, as Twilight Sparkle sputtered in response. It would seem the one regarded for being the most intelligence had been bested by the one regarded for being... not the most intelligent. Had Rainbow Dash set this entire discussion up at the mention of "Slender Mane" and lead the unicorn into a trap? He wouldn't admit it out loud, but even he was mildly impressed if that was truly the case.

The mayhem, however, was interrupted as Princess Luna brought her wings forward, placing her two forward primaries between her lips, and performed what he could only assume was a whistle in the archaic royal voice, bringing everyone's attention back to her, instead of what else was currently going on.

"As much as we art entertained by this witty banter, we wish to make something quite clear. What is being discussed is nothing more than speculation and unconfirmed hypothesis. We can assure thee that throughout history, there hath been no beings in existence who couldst overpower Discord. There is no reason to be concerned or afraid of such a notion," Princess Luna said as she did her best to reassure them. "We called all of thee here, so that thou might be brought up to date on the matter in an organized manner. Not so that thou may be terrified by ghost stories... even if it is the ghost telling the stories," she finished and chuckled weakly at her little joke. Sadly none of them seemed to share her humor.

"So then ultimately we've got five very good, and very disturbing, questions to which we have no answers, and a great big mystery on our hooves that deals with a lot of coincidence, that might or might not be connected with your appearance in this world," Spike elaborated, getting the gist of it all rather quickly. "Now that we've all got an idea of what the theory is, what're we supposed to do exactly?"

"One of two things," Ulquiorra began as he stepped forward into the middle of the gathered group. "The first available option was to read you, Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia in on the theory, and present each of you with the questions in an effort to gather knowledge. You and Twilight Sparkle were specifically informed, due to the simple fact I have found myself in a position where I need your help, strange as it may sound. As it was explained to the rest of your group, you're far more knowledgeable about the day-to-day occurrences in Ponyville than I am. If something were out of place, you would be far more likely to notice it than I would. I need you seven to keep me informed, and alert me of anything that stands out as being unusual," he explained, hoping this would be the last time such an explanation was necessary.

Twilight blinked. "Did you just say you needed us?" she asked.

"Trust me, Twi', it isn't easier to believe the second time hearing it," Rainbow Dash stated before turning to face Ulquiorra directly. "You said one of two things. If that's the first, then what's the other one?" she asked.

"Currently my permission to travel has been rescinded, due to the matter of my resurrección still being accessible, despite Princess Celestia's attempts at sealing it off. This is a result of trust issues, complicated by emotional and physical exhaustion from the day's events. And while she's free to do as she pleases, for whatever reason she wishes, I believe the current situation necessitates my free travel, if I'm to continue protecting you from the unexplained, and unexpected dangers that are potentially coming. If there truly is something making a move against the kingdom then, logically speaking, we will need to work together in a unified manner," he explained. He then slowly -almost deliberately slow- turned his attention to where Princess Celestia sat silently. "Wouldn't you agree with that assessment of the situation, Princess Celestia?"

On the outside, Celestia was the picture of calm and serenity, showing no visible signs of anything at all being wrong. It was the same veneer she wore when hearing petitioners from all walks of life, for long hours without end.

On the inside, however, she was a raging mass of absolute fury. She saw what Ulquiorra had done over the course of this conversation of his, and how he seemed to have done so without any effort. He'd made her ponies scared with his theories, and then more or less placed everypony's focus directly on her, putting her in a predicament where she had to make an unfavorable decision, and make it in a specific way, or she would be seen as the bad one; that was provided she wasn't already seen as such for what she'd done. Making her all the angrier, was the fact that Luna had helped him orchestrate the entire confrontation.

Was this his idea of payback for something she'd done to him over the course of his stay? Was that what this was about? She certainly hadn't seen anything vindictive in Ulquiorra's personality, but then again she hadn't seen the fact that he'd been hiding his release from her either. She wasn't entirely certain what to believe anymore. Right now she felt like she was facing off against him in a game of chess, and he was awaiting her next move, while already being fully prepared to counter no matter what piece she played.

Begrudgingly, she had to admit he was intelligent. To come up with something like this, while she'd been distracted trying to tend to Twilight's emotional meltdown, wasn't likely the easiest of things to do.

Her thought process however was distracted by the feel of something touching her foreleg. Looking down she found it to be Twilight, her hoof resting on her leg as she silently looked up at her, the look in her eyes quite similar in nature to those of a foal that was looking for acceptance from its mother. There were so, so many things she could say right now on the subject, and some of them were not very appropriate for young ears; not even those of someone with an extensive vocabulary of vulgarities, as Twilight had demonstrated possessing. But looking into those eyes, the eyes of the little filly she'd wound up causing so much unintended pain, only one thing came to her mind right now, only one conscious thought that she could hear above all others.

Checkmate.

"You present an interesting situation for consideration, Ulquiorra. I admit I hadn't considered the possibility of another party actually getting involved, and manipulating others to attack the Elements of Harmony, in an effort to throw Equestria into chaos. Perhaps bringing Discord under control has blinded me," she stated as she closed her eyes and sighed, doing her best to exercise diplomacy. "I have to admit that you have indeed saved the country, and quite possibly the world, twice already, and I should trust you more than I have been. I apologize for that. I will... reinstate your freedom of travel."

She hated being put in this predicament. But at the moment there was very little she could do in response. She'd have to wait for the proper opportunity to present itself before she could really do anything. Right now the only option available to her, was to allow things to happen at their own pace, all the while waiting and watching for the proper opportunity to respond accordingly.

"Yay!" Pinkie cheered excitedly. "This calls for a party! The biggest and bestest blowout Ponyville's seen yet! We've gotta make up for Ulqy missing his "Welcome to Ponyville" party and his "Welcome to Equestria" party and both of the "Ulqy saved the world" parties we missed out on!"

"Such extravagances aren't necessary," Ulquiorra commented dryly.

And perhaps the proper opportunity had just presented itself, in the form of the pink earth pony's obsessive focus on celebrations. This could have potential. She would've stroked her chin, if she didn't think the display would attract unwanted attention.

"Yes, Pinkie, a grand celebration to recognize our newest resident of Equestria, as well as our newest hero, does sound quite appropriate. We shall all be in attendance for this get together, once you can get it organized and kicked off. The only question is... should it be hosted in Ponyville or in Canterlot?" Princess Celestia asked as she slowly turned her gaze to Ulquiorra, grinning a small but mischievous grin at the Espada.

He didn't like parties? Well that was going to be too bad for him, as she intended for him to attend, and be not only the guest of honor, but the center of attention. And she was going to ensure his attendance, by being there as well. All things considered, it would be quite minor compared to everything that'd happened today. But in a way it felt quite fitting.

"You can count on me, Princess, this is gonna be the biggest blowout anypony's ever seen before!" Pinkie stated and bounced excitedly.

Ulquiorra remained silent in response. What could be said in response to this latest turn of events was something even he wouldn't say out loud.

He'd made the mistake of underestimating Princess Luna, and she'd nearly crushed him with her presence. Here he was eight days later, and his underestimating of Princess Celestia had him condemned to experience whatever it was that served as Pinkie Pie's obsession with noisy and colorful celebrations.

Well played, Princess Celestia, well played indeed.

Chapter Thirty Two

Chapter Thirty Two

"Um... Princess Luna?" Twilight spoke up, bringing the attention of the night princess to her. "Is there any way that I could speak to someone privately? Away from the others?" she asked.

Luna tilted her head in curiosity at the request. "We apologize, Twilight Sparkle, but attempting to maintain a cohesive environment, at the same time as sectioning it off, is not a possibility. If thou doth have something to say in private, thou couldst wait 'til morning comes. Or thou couldst trust thy friends to be understanding and respectful of what thou doth have to say," she replied.

Twilight looked around, her cheeks feeling warm as she considered what to do. What she had to say was really, really important. But at the same time, what she had to say was private in nature, and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted the others to hear it. But then again if she didn't say it now, she didn't know when she might have the opportunity to say it again.

She found herself feeling like she was being asked to perform on stage in front of others. She felt like she was in Trixie's place, but lacking the showmare's confidence in what she did in front of others and being the center of attention. Even if these were her friends and she still trusted them, that didn't exactly make it any easier. Making matters worse was the fact that all eyes were on her currently, expecting her to say something after hearing her request. She couldn't exactly say nothing now, not under these circumstances.

"Do we have enough time to talk? When exactly is dawn?" Twilight asked, wondering if everything could be postponed.

"Time, like all other things, Twilight Sparkle, is relative here. We hath seen entire years play out in the course of a single night. Thou art in no danger of running over an allotted time for the night. Speak freely and without worry," Princess Luna insisted, doing her best to ease the younger unicorn's worries.

So much for that idea. Looking around at all the faces looking back at her, she realized that there wasn't much else she could do other than be honest; anything less and somepony might be suspicious about why she asked about a private setting. So she took a breath to steady herself, and summon her courage before addressing them.

"What I wanted to do was apologize. But thinking over it, I've come to realize that I've got a lot of ponies to apologize to for everything I've done," Twilight said slowly. So far no interruptions, that was a good start. She turned to face Rarity and the rest of their little group of friends first. "Girls... I'm so sorry for not telling you about Ulquiorra in the first place. I always planned on letting you all in on it from the beginning. I was going to tell you the first day at Sweet Apple Acres... but Rarity, you were busy and I didn't want to disturb you with all your work. And Rainbow Dash, you were at a weather conference and I had no way of getting in touch with you. And I didn't know if we could just wait for you to not be busy, and Ulquiorra had to return to Canterlot before sundown, and I didn't know when he'd be able to make a return trip. I guess I could've just told Applejack, Pinkie and Fluttershy, but then we'd need to explain everything a second time, and be asked the same questions, and get the same shocked reactions again. It just seemed so... redundant to do. And then when we did get everypony together, we were all surrounded in Ponyville, everypony was practically hanging onto him, and there was no good time to drop that information, otherwise there'd be pandemonium. So I had to concoct the "foreign dignitary" story for the time being, and it was kind of true at the time. And I know it wasn't right to lie, but I didn't know what else to do at the time and... oh girls I'm so sorry!"

It was an honest, heartfelt apology they were viewing right now; a lot different from the apology they were issued at the top of the mountain in front of the dragon's former cave. No attempt at justification of her actions, no attempt at making herself look like the good filly, just pure apologizing for what she'd done. Without a word, Applejack stood up from where she was sitting, and walked over to her, before pulling the unicorn into a comforting hug.

"It's a'right now, Sugarcube, we understand. Or at least ah do anyway. Ah reckon it would be a might strange tryin' ta explain Mr. Cifer ta me, and then turn right around an' try givin' the same explanation ta the others. But jus' don' do it again, a'right?" Applejack asked.

Twilight just nodded in response, the gesture seeming to be enough for Applejack as she soon untangled herself and went back to her previous spot, allowing Twilight to properly see the four other faces of acceptance and understanding of her friends.

That had been the easier of apologies. Now came the more difficult one. Slowly she turned her attention to Ulquiorra as he stood by Princess Luna's side.

"Ulquiorra I... oh I don't even know how to do this one. Lying is one thing, but I didn't lie to you, I attacked you not once, but three times. I did more than attack you, I tried to kill you, and you didn't even do anything wrong that would remotely justify my actions. Even after what happened earlier in the day back in Ponyville, it's still no excuse. I still feel terrible just thinking about that, both by the facts and by my own actions."

Ulquiorra stood and observed silently. He failed to understand exactly why Twilight Sparkle and the others felt the need to apologize in a profuse manner for something that amounted to a misunderstanding. He also failed to understand what motivated Twilight Sparkle to stand up and approach him. And he certainly failed to understand whatever possessed the unicorn to rear up on her hind legs, and wrap her forelegs around his frame in the manner she was doing right now.

If nothing else, at the very least it provided an opportunity to make an observation on the contrast between her and Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie possessed surprising strength from what he could tell; had she attempt to deliver the same bear hug to Yammy Llargo that she did to him, it wouldn't be an unbelievable exaggeration to assume the Diez Espada would find himself completely overwhelmed, his hierro cracking from the strain put upon it.

Twilight Sparkle, on the other hand, had made the deliberate move to avoid entangling his arms in her embrace, and by comparison was barely applying any pressure at all. She seemed perfectly content to simply apply the minimum amount of force necessary to hold onto him for the time being.

"I'm sorry, Ulquiorra," she stated, her voice muffled as her face was currently against him.

"I see no reason why I should forgive you for what you did yesterday," Ulquiorra replied as he looked down at her. She looked back up with sadness in her eyes to meet his empty gaze. Sadness and disappointment. "To forgive you would first require me to blame you for something that was done. I do not. In my opinion you've done nothing wrong, so there's nothing that needs to be forgiven," he explained.

Curious. The look of surprise and doubt on her face at hearing his words.

"But I... I..." she stammered in uncertainty, "I attacked you. I intended to murder you where you stood for what you did. Or for what I thought you did."

"And currently I'm alive and unharmed. I fail to see why a continued issue must be made of what transpired," he stated. "If there is no new business to warrant this continued position, then I request to be released."

Twilight remained silent, but gave a small nod and slid her forelegs away from his frame and set back down on all fours again. Slowly she turned around to face... 'Tia. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it instead. This went on several more times, each time an effort being made to say something but coming up with nothing that seemed appropriate.

"I..." she finally got out, but that was as far as she could actually get into her attempted apology.

There was the old saying that hindsight was twenty/twenty. And now that she was here, she was agreeing with that saying. If she had simply managed to stay calm, keep a cool head and not succumb to so much hostile emotion. If she could have simply put more thought and less feeling into what she had to say, this entire situation could've played out so differently, been resolved so much better than it had been.

"You don't need to apologize to me, Twilight, it's quite alright," Princess Celestia stated in a reassuring manner.

For Twilight this was a dividing moment. On the one hand... hoof... she was being told by the one that caused her so much grief, that she had no obligation to apologize for what she'd said and did. Her objections were more or less being validated before her.

But on the other hoof, when she thought about the things she'd both done and said, she felt the need to apologize. She'd reacted when she was emotionally destabilized and not thinking things through properly, reacting in a blind manner full of hostility. She'd accused the sun princess of doing horrible things, yelled in her face, cursed her out, physically assaulted her, and then more or less dared her to send her to the moon. Now that she was thinking much, much clearer and wasn't so excited, she really did feel horrible for what she'd done; horrible enough she wanted to crawl into the deepest hole she could find, and just hide herself away, ashamed of what kind of monster she'd been.

"I should, though," she muttered quietly.

"Alright, I'm confused now. What exactly happened?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Is this about what happened earlier in the throne room?"

"In a way it is, I'm afraid," Princess Celestia replied with a sigh. She was going to have to approach this subject carefully. "Today Twilight learned a very important, but also very hard, lesson. And I'm afraid the way in which she went about learning it, was under less than desirable circumstances. And I'm equally afraid that I'm to blame for such," she explained.

Three mentions of "afraid" in a single statement, rather interesting really, as far as he was concerned. Perhaps it was worth seeing how this played out.

"What're you talking about, Princess? What're you to blame for?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"In all honesty I'm to blame for a great, great deal of pain and suffering that occurred today. It was no emotional exaggeration when Twilight said I used you six, I truly did. I had you all come to Canterlot in order to try and ensure you were still yourselves, and hadn't been replaced by changelings. And in the process of attempting to safeguard you, I wound up utilizing your presence to further convince Chrysalis that Ulquiorra had indeed betrayed us, and that I was no more. By not informing you about this, I can't even begin to consider how much emotional, and potentially psychological, harm my actions might've caused. I can't begin to apologize enough for what I've done, nor do I have any right to ask any of you for your forgiveness," Princess Celestia replied and looked down at what more or less served as the ground.

She allowed her explanation to sink in for a moment before continuing to address them.

"Perhaps what I should regret most, out of everything worth regretting so far, is the fact that I didn't, until just now, consider just how severe the possibility of psychological trauma was. As unusual as he is, Ulquiorra is still one of my subjects by virtue of being in Equestria. And as one of my subjects, I ordered him to fake defection over to an enemy force, and make it convincing to everyone involved. As bad as that was, I can't even begin to say how sorry I am, if I wound up making any of you believe that I might one day ask the same from any of you; make you go on some mission, and leave even your friends wondering if you'd really betrayed everything. And to think of it now... oh my little ponies, I'm so, so sorry if any such thoughts occurred here today. I swear, on the honor of the royal diarchy itself, nothing of that nature will ever be allowed to transpire," she stated.

A statement of such a nature piqued Ulquiorra's interest. He wouldn't vocally confirm it, but the possibility of such wasn't something he'd truly considered occurring. If asked, he would assume the ponies would be upset more with the sum total of Princess Celestia's actions, rather than the possibility that they might be used in the same way he was. And while he truly doubted she would ever do something like that, that wouldn't prevent the possibility of such a thought entering their minds. Of all the things the Elements of Harmony could choose to be upset about, that one was out of left field even for him.

Perhaps she'd given this more thought than he'd assumed.

Off to the side, he noticed as Applejack's posture softened, a look of relief crossing her features. Perhaps such a thought had indeed entered their minds.

"I'm not perfect, not by any measure, no matter how much my subjects wish I was. Wisdom and age doesn't mean you don't make mistakes, and I've made quite a few mistakes in my rule; and I'm afraid that I'll make many more before my rule eventually draws to a close. I'm not proud of what I've done in the past, and I'm quite certain I won't be proud of what I do in the future when I make mistakes. I'm going to mess up, and my subjects won't take the revelation well, and there's sadly nothing I can do to stop it from happening," she paused and raised her head to look back at them. "But you, my little ponies, I prefer to think of you as my friends rather than my subjects. And my actions today were not how a friend should act. It was so, so wrong to trick you like that, no matter what the reasoning was behind it. I can't expect you to forgive me for what I did. I can't even ask you to forgive me. All I can rightfully do is apologize for my actions, and whatever suffering I might've caused, and try to earn back the trust you once had in me. Even then, nothing will ever go back to the way it was, that's an impossibility," she concluded.

Everyone remained quiet at this, not saying a single word. Not even Luna or Ulquiorra spoke up. It was as silent as the surrounding was dark and oppressing.

Finally Rarity took it upon herself to break said oppressing silence. "Princess, I-" she began, but was summarily interrupted before she could go any further.

"Please, Rarity, I would appreciate it if those I consider to be my friends, wouldn't feel the need to use such formalities around me; not after what I've put all of you through," Celestia stated with a sigh. As if to emphasize her point, one by one, the royal adornments she wore so proudly dissolved and were blown away like ash by an unseen and unfelt breeze, leaving nothing but her, and her alone behind. "There's nothing that would be considered rude, wrong... or even blasphemous, to refer to me by my given time, or some variation thereof. If anything it would be a big help to me, to better be among others, and not so revered all the time," she explained.

"You mean... you want us to simply refer to you as "Celestia" like you're nothing more than the average commoner pony?" Rarity asked, finding herself feeling quite baffled by this sudden development. "Oh my... I must say that will certainly take time to get adjusted to."

"Let me see if I've got this straight," Rainbow Dash spoke up now that the ball had gotten rolling. "You're abdicating? No more "Princess Celestia" looking over Equestria? Is... is that even possible?" she asked. The very ideas was... scary actually.

"No nothing like that, I'm not abdicating my throne and tasking Luna with watching over both the day and night, that would be utterly cruel," Celestia replied and shook her head. The last thing she needed was her ponies getting anymore scared than they might already be. "For better or worse, my rule will continue. What I ask of you, however, is not to see me as some ruler of high authority, but just another pony who's as prone to errors in judgement as anyone else. And... someone in need of a group of understanding friends... even if she doesn't deserve them."

Twilight watched as her friends approached, moving to the side to give them room as they came up to Princess... to 'Tia to offer her their forgiveness and support. They had... a lot more forgiveness in them than she felt she had in herself right now. They were taken in by the words and the demeanor and... well everyone could see that they were all willing to oblige in her request to treat her like a regular pony. Did she think that a few words could undo what'd taken place? Did they believe... nevermind, she really didn't feel like considering it right now. She just shook her head... and promptly smacked her muzzle against Ulquiorra's arm. She'd wound up walking over to where he and Princess Luna were standing and watching the scene unfold with neutral expressions.

"Lesson number four," she mumbled to herself.

"Pardon?"

It came as no real surprise that Ulquiorra had managed to hear her, his ears were deceptively sharp despite the fact they were pressed against the sides of his head rather than mounted up top where they'd have a greater range of motion. He'd effortlessly heard her this time just as he had when she'd mused on the possibility of his Hollow hole being an illusion.

"Lesson number four in friendship: apologize," Twilight stated in explanation, gesturing with her head over in the direction of her friends who were all close at hoof to offer 'Tia whatever she needed. Currently it was Rainbow Dash pulling her into a hug as she hovered off the ground. "And by the looks of it lesson number five: forgiveness."

Ulquiorra looked away from Twilight Sparkle's current position and back over to Princess Celestia, the rest of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and Spike as well. They all seemed quite loyal, supportive, and comforting in nature.

So long as it wasn't him at the center of the pile.

"I see no further reason to remain here. The others have been briefed on the theory, informed of how they're needed, business has been concluded," he stated simply, his voice carrying enough firmness that it disturbed the emotional fest taking place.

"Business hath not yet been concluded. There art still several topics that need to be discussed," Princess Luna replied. Ulquiorra said nothing in response, and went back to is silent observations. She took it as an opportunity to speak, since now everypony was more or less focused on her. "We wouldst ask..." she started, but paused and cleared her throat, before working her jaw back and forth as if to make it pop. Finally she spoke up again. "I would like to ask that you, all of you, extend the same consideration that you would my sister. You are all my friends as well, and I would like to be treated in the same manner. I wish to be known simply as Luna by my friends, rather than "Princess Luna" all the time. Being royalty is lonely business," she explained.

"Oh my. My head is starting to swim with these sudden developments," Rarity commented. However her demeanor quickly changed as her appearance brightened. "But it really is such an honor, to find oneself in a position where they can regard royalty as friends, and address them in such a manner. I for one shall be quite happy to fulfill your wishes, Luna."

"Me too! Me too!" Pinkie stated and bounced in place excitedly.

"Marvelous!" Luna stated and pulled Twilight into an excited hug, easily lifting her right off the ground, and resulting in a startled squeak from the smaller pony. "We... I apologize, Twilight Sparkle, I found myself carried away for a moment," she said as she set her back down.

To Ulquiorra it was all quite curious to observe. In every conversation he'd been involved in with Princess Luna, she had spoken in an ancient and archaic version of the current language, and referred to herself in the sense of being multiple entities speaking as one. Currently she was speaking in a modern dialect, and using a singular reference with regard to herself. He couldn't help but wonder the reasoning behind this. Perhaps it was due to being banished to the moon for one thousand years, and left unable to adjust as the common dialect changed, and simply continued speaking in the same manner she had for what was likely the majority of her life.

"Let there be hugs all around!" Luna stated happily.

"I choose to refrain from such," Ulquiorra replied simply and took a step back. He'd already been engaged in more close physical contact with others in his time here than he ever had back in his own world. And it was quite enough for him.

There were amused chuckles all around in response. He paid them no mind.

"Um..."

It was a quiet little statement, but one that was still heard nonetheless. A statement that'd come from a concerned looking Fluttershy, currently situated next to Pinkie Pie.

"I know that we've done apologies and all already, but... well I... there's something that I kind of need to say... if nopony has any objections, that is," she said softly.

"You?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously, "what've you got to apologize for, Fluttershy, what'd you do wrong?" she asked.

"It was... back at the dragon's cave last week. I was so terrified at the thought of having to face that big, mean dragon, that I just wanted to get out of there so badly. I tried talking to it, I really did, but it didn't seem to do any good. I thought for sure we were going to get eaten... but then Ulquiorra stepped in and distracted the dragon to keep it from hurting us. He was so, so strong, and fearless, and I suddenly didn't feel afraid anymore, because I just felt like the situation was under control. But then things went wrong, and the dragon captured him, and suddenly I was scared all over again. And then... then when Ulquiorra actually started beating the dragon without even trying I didn't feel scared again. But then I saw the look in the dragon's eyes. He looked so scared, so terrified and hopeless, so full of despair as Ulquiorra just so effortlessly overpowered him. Suddenly this big, mean dragon, was finding out what it was like to be weak and helpless against somepony even stronger than he was, and there wasn't anything he could do about it. It was like the dragon suddenly became this... really big bunny rabbit or something and..." she paused to try and compose herself before continuing any further.

"The dragon could've hurt us all, could've killed us all, and all because I wasn't assertive enough to do what I was asked to do and make it leave. And when Ulquiorra had to step in and save all of us, what did I do? Suddenly when it's the dragon that's in trouble and not us, I defended it instead of my friends, because I felt sorry for its predicament, because I didn't want to feel guilty over my own weakness being the reason it was going to die. I know it was wrong, but... but I just couldn't stand to see it be killed, and know that it was all my fault," she stated before turning her attention to where Ulquiorra stood. "And you Ulquiorra, I'm so sorry for how I treated you. You saved us, but at the time I just didn't see it, all I saw was the look in the dragon's eyes when it realized it was helpless. I was so mad with myself, but I didn't realize it until long after I yelled at you and... I'm a... I'm a bad pony!" she wailed, her voice much higher than was normally characteristic for her.

The more Ulquiorra observed, the more he doubted the legitimacy of Princess Luna's statement about their minds being well rested. Fluttershy's demeanor didn't appear to be that of someone who was physically and emotionally calm. It was entirely possible they'd been brought here in a calmed state, but that seemed to be the extent of it.

Rainbow Dash was the first pony to go to Fluttershy's side, and try to reassure her that she wasn't a "bad pony" as she put it. Perhaps it was due to the "best friend" status she mentioned earlier. The others weren't far behind her.

"Has this matter been concluded now?" he asked as he turned his attention back to Princess Luna, and away from the scene of Fluttershy resting her head on Rainbow Dash's shoulder.

"You are quite an impatient one, Ulquiorra Cifer," she stated in response, not pleased with the Espada's perceived anxiousness to leave. "We are quite close to being finished. But one matter still remains that must be addressed directly, and we believe amongst friends is the best. This matter pertains to Chrysalis," she explained.

"Chrysalis?" nearly all those present asked in unison. Were they rehearsed in expressing their surprise, or was it simply a matter of coincidence?

"Luna? Do you really believe this is the appropriate setting for such a discussion?" Celestia asked curiously.

"Why not? We have made ourselves seven new friends who we regard as being of equal importance as ourselves. If not among them then who? And if not now then when?" Luna asked. Her sister made several attempts to say something in response but in the end she chose to remain silent instead. Seeing as everyone was looking back at her, she chose to continue in her address. "During our interrogation of Chrysalis to try and gain information regarding Ulquiorra Cifer's theories, Chrysalis requested an audience with our sister, wishing to negotiate for the pardoning of her hive in exchange for her own life."

Not so much as a word was being uttered in response. They were all staring at her, like she'd burst into some foreign language. Only her sister and the Arrancar weren't wearing confused looks on their faces. Undeterred she pressed on with the explanation.

"Chrysalis is claiming that she was acting as a mother to protect her children, those being her hive. She is claiming that they were starving to death at the time, and their attack was one of utter desperation for basic survival. And now she is pleading on their behalf, willing to end her own life for their benefit," she concluded.

"It's gotta be a trick," Rainbow Dash stated quickly and dismissively, not buying it for a moment that Chrysalis could possibly be remorseful and in possession of redeeming qualities. It was impossible! "She's gotta be lying, planning a coup or something."

"It's indeed a possibility. However the fluctuations in her reiatsu didn't match those of someone who was feigning remorse or despair, in an effort to arrange a counterattack at a later date," Ulquiorra replied as he stood with his hands tucked into his pockets, his posture and position more or less unchanged since the moment everyone had arrived.

"Wait a second," Pinkie spoke up, "you mean you can tell when somepony's lying just by looking at them? You're like a living polygraph or something?"

Polygraph? In this world?

After seeing Twilight Sparkle in possession of a respirator, he really couldn't doubt the possibility of such technology existing in this world.

"Not quite. I can detect the fluctuations in a being's reiatsu that coincide with their emotional state. While it isn't infallible, I find it difficult to believe that any individual could consciously produce such fluctuations deliberately, when they have no knowledge of the concept of reiatsu to begin with. It would be no different than Rarity attempting to perform a Kidō right now," Ulquiorra explained.

"I'm afraid I really don't understand," Rarity replied and tilted her head. She got the basic gist of it all, but hardly anything else.

"Precisely. You possess no knowledge of the mechanics of Kidō, and could no more perform a Byakurai, than Chrysalis could willingly force her reiatsu to fluctuate in the manner I witnessed. I believe it's safe to assume Chrysalis is being truthful, in her desperation about the current suffering of her hive," he stated. Whether or not she was talking about the plight of the entire changeling species, or just her own hive, he wasn't certain yet.

It was an explanation that made sense to Twilight. Like in her case, she knew about Ulquiorra's sonido, his pesquisa, his hierro, and lastly his Cero. But just because she knew of them, that didn't mean she could replicate and use them herself... at least not yet anyway. But the concept of a pony's mana exerting a very real physical pressure on the surrounding territory that could be felt to the point it could cause discomfort to others wasn't something anypony outside of their little group had any knowledge of; at least no knowledge she'd heard of. If the intensity of the felt reiatsu that Chrysalis could produce was indeed in flux, and such fluctuations were tied to true emotional disturbances, then scientifically speaking it's possible she did have some sense of remorse.

Scientifically speaking anyway.

"So... Chrysalis ain' specifically evil... Huh. Didn' really see that one comin'," Applejack replied and scratched at the back of her head.

"You're telling me," Rainbow Dash stated, "somepony like Chrysalis, motherly and caring? She strikes me as more the kind to be sadistic, cruel, ruthless, heartless and..." she came to a stop in her description when she turned her head and realized she was using terms that could easily apply to Ulquiorra just as well as they could Chrysalis. "Uh... no offense."

"None taken," Ulquiorra replied. At least they were catching on to what he was and understanding it better.

"Mind if ah ask a question?" Applejack spoke up. "While this is interestin' an' all, what ah don' get is why we're bein' told 'bout it. Wha' exactly are we supposed ta do with this information?"

"This is... a sensitive and complicated matter we're currently facing. With this new information, I don't believe this is a decision that can be made alone. All of you are our friends. I'd like to know your opinions on what's the best course of action to take," Celestia explained and looked around at all of them before continuing. "Located within gryphon territory is a special facility we'd planned to send the changelings to. They would be housed, properly fed through the magical properties unique to the particular geography in question, and prevented from escaping, while at the same time being allowed to live. But Chrysalis has informed us that her hive only has a few years left to live unless she gives birth to a new brood; something that wouldn't be possible at the facility due to gender segregation. And even if she were to now, it's likely that the changelings would eventually go extinct within the facility. And with this new information, I find myself at a moral crossroads. I feel Chrysalis must pay for what's occurred, and all of the ponies she put in harm's way. But the death of her entire species isn't something I believe is reasonable. But I honestly don't know what to do with them. I can't simply banish them from Equestria, because there's nothing to prevent them from returning yet again, just as they've done in the past. And even if Chrysalis truly did wish only for the wellbeing of her hive, there's nothing to say that ten years down the line, she wouldn't make yet another power grab. And after so, so long of ruling alone, I don't feel comfortable making such important decisions all by myself anymore. This matter is too big for one, or even two, to make on their own. I need to ask you for your advice, my friends. What do you believe we should do?"

Spike and the others remained silent and looked at each other. First they were welcomed into the fold as being friends -not subjects but friends- to the Princesses of Equestria, and told they could refer to them by name in a completely casual manner, and now they were being asked to weigh in on an important matter like this? That was both quite awesome, and quite intimidating at the same time.

"What exactly are the available choices?" Spike asked, wanting to know just what he was getting into before he actually suggested anything.

"There are several options to choose from, but none of them are quite simple," Celestia stated in explanation before continuing on to explain what could be done. "The first option is to simply proceed as intended, and ship the changelings to the facility, and let them deal with the matter. The positive is that Equestria won't have to worry about another invasion. However the negative is the possibility of the extinction of a somewhat sentient species."

They were quiet while waiting for Celestia to list off the next option. While this one would certainly get the changelings out of their manes, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't eventually find a way to escape. The confines were physical in nature, and everything physical, no matter how well secured, wasn't impenetrable. At best it was a temporary solution. But how long would temporary be? Would the walls outlast those they had to hold?

"The second option is to assume Ulquiorra's theory is correct, and Chrysalis wasn't acting on her own but was being used. In which case we forgive them and set them free, and hope the kindness they're shown will convince them to not try any hostile takeovers again," Celestia continued. Nopony said anything just as before. But the looks on their faces suggested skepticism. She couldn't really blame them, even she was skeptical, considering her history with Chrysalis. Undaunted she continued. "The third option is by far the most distasteful available. We fulfill Chrysalis' request to select a new queen, and try to establish a peaceful coexistence with the changeling race, and hope that a peaceful integration is at all possible."

"Uh..." Rainbow Dash muttered and scratched the back of her head with her hoof, "why exactly is that one distasteful?" she asked.

"Because, Rainbow Dash," Celestia began and sighed, "if we were to allow Chrysalis to select a new queen to take her place, it would require that she die first, for a new queen to be born. Social insects like the changelings won't have more than one queen per hive. Chrysalis pleaded on behalf of her hive, and offered her own life in exchange for their freedom and wellbeing. As much as I wish there was another way, I really don't believe it's a possibility. Chrysalis may be a mother, she may want what's best for her children, but she's still quite proud and greedy. It would only be a matter of time before she eventually starts asking for greater and greater concessions. I don't believe long term peace could be had with her alive. Maybe another queen, but not her..."

Everyone present was silent at Celestia's words, and even long after she finished talking none of them made so much as a peep, her words weighing heavily on their minds. Was she really asking them what they all thought she was asking?

"Then ultimately the choice is the death of the entire changeling race, or the death of Chrysalis. Regardless of how the matter is phrased, those are the only two options that can be arrived at," Ulquiorra elaborated plainly. Princess Celestia had used far too many words in trying to cushion the blow that was dealt to her subjects in trying to seek out their advice on the matter.

More silence. At least until Rainbow Dash decided to break it by being noisy.

"I have to refuse. I'm not gonna actually vote on killing somepony. I'm no murderer," she stated firmly and stamped a front hoof. She didn't care what Ulquiorra said earlier, she was going to prove him wrong no matter what!

"I can't do it," Twilight added quickly, "I can't, I just can't, I'm sorry. I can't face that again, not after what happened today already. Please don't make me do this," she pleaded as she began breathing at a much quicker pace.

Luna extended a wing to stroke Twilight Sparkle's back and pull her into a calming hug, curious as to what exactly had happened today that she'd missed out on. Was she still this upset over what happened with regard to Ulquiorra Cifer? Or had something else taken place and caused her trauma?

"You are under no obligation to partake in the matter, Twilight Sparkle. It is not a matter of voting, but rather asking for your own opinions and advice. We are not taking tally, and deciding the fate of the changelings based on a matter of ballots," she said softly.

Ulquiorra nearly quirked an eyebrow at seeing Twilight Sparkle's reaction. Was her current predicament the result of his utilizing her forcefield to keep Ponyville contained, in an effort to dispatch the changelings? Were all of the residents of this world so caring, that they felt sorrow even for the loss of an enemy, that saw them as a source of food and something to exploit? If that was the case, then he wondered if he could truly rely on them when he couldn't be present.

The more he observed these ponies, the more he found himself doubting the notion that they possessed any redeeming qualities. Emotionally they were unstable, and seemed to fluctuate from one extreme to another with very little warning. When it came to a logical discussion about the possibility of killing an enemy, they found it distasteful, yet in the heat of the moment, they were as violent as any Arrancar. And in their interactions it almost seemed like they felt a compulsion to apologize to, and forgive others, regardless of what had been done. He had forced Twilight Sparkle to aid him in exterminating all the changelings in Ponyville, and she had wound up apologizing to him for attacking him in Canterlot.

There was also the issue of the other ponies regarding Princess Celestia's actions, and his own supposed betrayal. Forgiveness seemed to be serious business in this strange world. He couldn't help but find himself curious as to what the outcome would be should one refuse an apology, refuse to forgive for some transgression. It all made for an interesting thought exercise, but practical application would have to wait for another time; another time when he wasn't trying to figure out what the Princesses would seek the counsel of these seven, who were emotionally weak, and unprepared to face such a question.

And then, like a Cero to the face, it hit him. What if they weren't truly seeking the counsel of these ponies and the dragon? What if it was, instead, an effort to teach these seven about the brutality of the real world beyond their comfort zone, and get them adjusted to making hard and painful decisions about sensitive matters? If that were truly the case, then a great deal of what Princess Celestia had been doing up to this point suddenly made a lot of sense when applied to that context. If this had ultimately been the goal, then it was logical that she wouldn't give heavy consideration to the potential for emotional trauma, as it would simply be par for the course.

This matter would require a great deal of reevaluation. That much he was certain of.

Rainbow Dash was the first to raise her hoof and speak up, interrupting the silence that surrounding all present.

"I just got an idea," she stated quickly and turned to face Twilight, "Twi', without going into totally complex and Eggheadian terms, how much power do you think Discord would need to use to cross dimensions?" she asked.

Twilight frowned at Rainbow Dash's choice of wording. But it was indeed a legitimate question, so she chose not to scold her on using made up terms. "I can't say for certain, Rainbow Dash, all I can say for certain is that the requirements to do so would be substantial. Starswirl the Bearded had a great deal of theories regarding interdimensional travel, and what alternate realities and universes might be like, as well as the process for opening and maintaining a gateway between the worlds. But they were only theories, as even he didn't have the magic strong enough to actually put his theories to the test. So... assuming Discord didn't simply bypass the magical requirements through an act of chaos, I guess he must've used a great deal of magic to do something like that. But why, Rainbow Dash? What's this have to do with your idea?" she asked.

"I'm getting to that. Chrysalis launched this attack due to hunger and starvation, right? Meaning they needed something to eat, right? But changelings only eat love, right? Well if Discord has enough magic to bring him," she paused and gestured to Ulquiorra, "here from his own dimension, and bring him back to life in the process, then wouldn't he have enough magic to make it so the changelings could eat and survive on other stuff like other ponies do? If the changelings could make it on fruits and vegetables, wouldn't that solve all the problems we're facing with them?" she asked.

"I'm afraid it's not quite that simple, Rainbow Dash," Celestia replied, a touch of sadness in her voice as she closed her eyes. The idea presented was certainly one that was worth thought. However it was a solution that could make an already difficult problem all the worse if implemented. "Chrysalis' hive is much, much smaller than it was when they launched their invasion against Canterlot during the royal wedding. But there are still hundreds of changelings currently alive, that would need to be taken into consideration. Could the current state of the crops sustain two hundred more mouths to feed, and ensure nopony starves once winter sets in?" she asked. "And the matter of feeding them, doesn't even take into account the need of housing them."

Rainbow Dash had started out very enthusiastic about her idea. But hearing Celestia talk quickly brought her down from her emotional high, as the words of wisdom easily sunk in. She'd never stopped to consider the possibility that they might have to share their own food supplies with the changelings if they were converted. The idea of everypony starving had never even entered her mind.

However she wasn't about to simply let the matter go just like that.

"I'm not saying that they'd have to live here in Ponyville with us. Equestria's a pretty huge place, lots of territory out there, surely they can find somewhere to set down and develop in," she quickly suggested.

"Even if that could work, Rainbow Dash, there's also the moral and ethical issues that would be involved in such a decision," Twilight pointed out, "the changelings have been what they are, been doing what they've been doing for as long as they've existed. It's all they've been, it's all they know. Is it right to force them to become something completely new, simply because we'd find it more convenient for ourselves to deal with? How would that make us the better of the two species?" she asked.

Rainbow Dash groaned internally. Why was this so hard to do? Why couldn't everypony just quit thinking of how to make things difficult for her?

"Hello," Rainbow Dash said as she waved her hoof around in the air, "we don't go around feasting on others like they do. We're trying to look into a way to actually help them out here. What's the harm in changing their dietary needs, in favor of something that's more common and less harmful? You can't seriously be telling me that the better option is to leave them as they are, Twi'," she stated.

"That's not what I'm saying at all, Rainbow Dash, I'm asking about the ethical matters of upsetting the natural order of an entire species, and potentially affecting the surrounding environment and ecosystem in the process. Who are we to say that we're the right ones to be making this sort of decision all by ourselves?" Twilight asked, not even waiting for a response before continuing on with her verbal assault. "If we do this, then what comes next in the name of improving conditions from our viewpoint? What species would we target next, because we've determined they have deficiencies that need to be addressed? Where does it all end?"

It was an interesting contrast between the thought processes of the two ponies. Whereas Rainbow Dash focused on idealism, Twilight Sparkle focused on the scientific aspect to explain why simplistic thinking wasn’t called for in this situation, and what could go wrong with attempting such a recommendation.

Unfortunately the cyan pegasus didn’t respond kindly to being politely informed that she was nonsensical and devoid of critical thinking skills. What ensued was a back and forth argument between the two ponies, that quickly escalated from simple arguing, to all out shouting at each other. What was right, who was right, what was the proper course of action under these circumstances? Did saving the lives of an entire race, and allowing them to peacefully coexist with the rest of the world, justify what was suggested about being done?

Intellectually speaking it was all quite interesting from his point of view. However he could certainly do without the method of delivery. The fact the others were silent and simply observing, heads moving back and forth as if watching an organized sport involving a ball being served between two competitive participants, did nothing at all to help the matter.

Making matters worse was the fact Ulquiorra knew that once logical points could no longer be pointed to, the two would stoop to insults and personal attacks against one another, and degrade into petty bickering. He didn't even want to guess at what the two would find at fault with the other, and throw it out in retaliation.

And with his current position, he was more or less at the physical center of the shouting match.

The veins in his head and neck so desperately wanted to throb right now.

Instead he settled for a single stomp on whatever it was that served as the ground of this world. A stomp that resonated like a clap of thunder directly overhead, effectively silencing all the participants, startling others who hadn’t been participating, and eventually bringing their attention back to him.

To be perfectly honest with himself, he'd been surprised at how effective it had been. Perhaps it had been Princess Luna's handiwork? Or did his Espada powers continue to function in this world? As much as he'd like to explore it, he unfortunately had to leave it be for now, and address the more important matter at hand.

"I didn't choose to come to this world for the purpose of listening to your bickering," he stated calmly, "you have no desire to be instrumental in the death of an entire race. That fact is noted and understood. That doesn't change the fact, however, that something must be done about the situation at hand. The only reason Chrysalis and the rest of the changelings are still alive, is because Princess Celestia requested that I follow some convoluted plan to allow for their capture rather than extermination. And now that all the facts are in evidence, it would appear ultimately that same fate is going to befall them regardless. Death is ultimately the answer that will be arrived at, the only questions will be where will it occur, and how quickly will it occur?" Ulquiorra asked in a rhetorical manner, cutting to the bone of the matter in short order. "The logical course of action would be to kill the changelings rather than allow them to live. Simply because they're destined to die doesn't make them any less of a threat to the kingdom's safety. That, is ultimately, the long and the short of the matter. You can quibble over the details all you want, but eventually you'll all arrive at the same conclusion."

It had been a long, wordy way of relaying the simple message of "shut the fuck up" but it felt appropriate to do so in such a manner. These ponies were bickering far too much over what should've been a simple decision. Leaving the changelings alive would only provide them the opportunity to escape and attack again sometime down the line.

Perhaps the most confusing matter at hand regarding these ponies, was Princess Celestia herself. She had gone out of her way to convince him to not eliminate the changelings and their hive. She had planned on their capture and imprisonment in some far away facility, where ultimately they would all die regardless, the only difference would be the speed at which this came about; years of misery opposed to being gone in an instant. Did Princess Celestia simply not wish to give the order that would result in them being wiped out?

Or... did she have no qualms with seeing them die, and simply wished for it to be a matter that would result in them suffering for years? Perhaps his observation about her potential for tyranny wasn't that far off after all.

And now that he had gone down this path of consideration, a new possibility was presenting itself. What if in her planning, Princess Celestia hadn't simply not taken the emotional wellbeing of her subjects into consideration? What if she truly had, and chose to go ahead regardless, knowing full well that they would be disturbed? Had everything that occurred been part of a grand effort to educate these six on the brutality the world was capable of, and motivate them to become emotionally numb to what took place around them?

If that were the case, then he would truly need to readjust his outlook on many, many things in this new world.

Celestia tried not to groan too loudly. While a number of good things had come from this dream meeting of Luna's, frustration and the threat of a migraine was turning this experience into a nightmare. She hadn't wanted things to so quickly devolve into this bickering and issuing ultimatums as it had. And putting Twilight and her friends in this position truly hadn't been one of the better ideas they had. She needed to step up and do something while it was still an option.

"I apologize for dragging all of you into this matter. There's no excuse for getting you involved in something so sensitive and complicated. I won't ask you any further on the issue with the changelings. I'll figure something out tomorrow. But thank you for at least hearing the situation, it means a lot to me," she stated.

"Perhaps now would be the proper time to conclude tonight's meeting. I have doubts that anything meaningful could be further added at this point," Luna stated as she stood up, preparing to send those assembled back to their own individual dreams. There were other matters that needed to be tended to anyway.

"Tha's prob'ly a good idea," Applejack agreed and gave a nod.

Seeing as things were about to be split up, Twilight turned her attention back to Rainbow Dash, knowing there was something that needed to be tended to first.

"No hard feelings over what was said?" she asked hopefully. She felt bad enough about the whole Mare Do Well incident, she didn't need to feel bad about their shouting match as well.

"No hard feelings..." Rainbow Dash agreed and left it at that.

Ulquiorra had assumed that would be the end of it. However it seemed Princess Luna had left time for one last hug between the ponies before the meeting was dispersed.

The next thing he knew, he was back standing in the throne room, Princess Luna by his side, and the channel in the marble still unattended.

"Most unusual," Ulquiorra commented, uncertain of what else to say on the matter.

"It can be to those that are uninitiated," Princess Luna agreed, "what now?"

"We see what develops in the morning. Until then we wait..."

The stone floor of her cell was cold, and seriously uncomfortable against her carapace. And the bunk that came furnished with the room was far too small for her to fit on it. That amounted to a long and unpleasant night, filled with no dreams, and utter misery.

The floor could've been tolerated if that was all she had to put up with. Left to her own thoughts and misery, she could've eventually fallen asleep, restless as it might be.

Unfortunately for her, the hard floor had been the least of her problems. These cells might be enough to suppress her magic, but nothing could suppress her connection to her hive, to her children. Throughout the night she could feel everything they were experiencing. Their terror, their desperation, and even their deaths. Many of them had sadly not survived the night, what little reserves they carried with them, utterly exhausted by yesterday's actions. And here she'd been by herself, unable to do anything to console her children as they called out for her, begging her for help.

Her misery, however, was distracted at the clip-clop of hooves against stone flooring coming in her direction. Casting a wayward glance in the direction of the sound, she eventually saw Celestia approaching, an iron key wrapped in her magical aura and inserted into the lock, allowing the door to be opened before she finally stepped inside.

"After giving the matter much thought," she began slowly, "I've determined to allow you and your hive to leave Equestria's borders in peace. No harm will come to you, and you'll be allowed to find a new location to live," she explained.

Chrysalis tried to chuckle at her words, but the only noise that came forth were soft rasps.

"A fat lot of good your kindness does us now," she whispered, "most of my children died last night. I myself am so weak from starving myself for so long, I can't even move anymore. We're dying, Celestia, setting us free now hardly seems worth it..."

Celestia sighed as she stepped over to Chrysalis' prone form and sat down on her haunches. There was nothing she could say that was appropriate in this situation after she'd caused so much pain, suffering, and misery. Instead she remained silent and closed her eyes, as she lowered her head, touching her horn to Chrysalis' horn. Immediately a pink aura appeared around her body, and began flowing into the changeling's body, like it was fog being sucked up by an exhaust fan.

"There's nothing I can do to make the situation right. But the least I can do is supply you and the others, with provisions for your journey," Celestia explained. She had over one thousand years worth of love in her, to give freely in whatever manner she saw fit. She had more than enough to spare the remaining changelings, so starvation wouldn't be a main concern for at least a while. It was the very least she could do for them, before sending them out into the world.

Chrysalis remained silent, utterly stunned by Celestia's generosity in giving her own love so freely in order to feed her, and by extension the rest of her children. At the first whiff of such a delectable delicacy, she eagerly lapped at the flow to quell her own overwhelming hunger, and to stash away as much as she could for later, in an effort to make up for so, so long of going without.

It was a slow but steady flow that continued for several minutes before finally terminating, Celestia letting out a winded sigh as it ended. Being fed on, even voluntarily, proved to be a tiring experience to take part in, on par with any involved physical activity. But it should prove to be sufficient for the intended purpose.

"Despite everything that's happened between us over the years, Chrysalis, I never wanted to see you suffer needlessly. I take no joy in your misery," Celestia said soothingly as she stroked the changeling's mane with a wing.

"Closer..."

It was a hoarse whisper, but still loud enough she could hear it. Barely. Curiously she leaned in closer.

"Closer... please..." Chrysalis croaked weakly, unable to manage enough strength to raise her voice any higher than it was.

Celestia leaned in closer still, to better hear what Chrysalis was trying to say, barely a foot away from the changeling's face at this point.

Without the slightest bit of warning, Chrysalis projectile vomited some thick green goo in her face, sending her stumbling backwards, and falling over in surprise at the sudden act. She tried desperately to clean the filth off her face, only to find that it'd already hardened in place, and now had the consistency of plaster. She realized only too late that this wasn't vomit, but rather the goo changelings excreted to hold ponies prisoner. Immediately she tried to cast her magic, only to feel the reverberations of her horn from being firmly encased in the hardened mixture and rendering her powerless.

It was only after her failed attempt, that she remembered the insides of the cells were insulated to negate the use of magic. Even if her horn was free, she still wouldn't have been able to do anything.

Complicating matters, was the goo was enveloped nearly her entire head, the only exception being her eyes, with her mouth firmly held shut, and leaving her unable to call for help; unable to even breathe! And she'd come here without an escort of guards because she hadn't believed it would be necessary. How foalish of her.

"My dear Celestia, you truly are an idiot," Chrysalis cackled as she stood back up to her full height. "You just provided me with a rather substantial meal out of the kindness of your heart. Did you truly believe I'd be so weak, I couldn't speak above a whisper? You're quite gullible in nature to fall for such a trick."

Celestia tried to move, but quickly found herself pinned to the ground, Chrysalis standing over her and peering down at her with great excitement. "You really fell for that sob story, like I said, you're quite gullible. I made you feel sorry for us and our plight, and you willingly walked right in to give us your unconditional love, ready to save us even after all we've done to you. I really should thank you for accepting that we were starving so badly we were on the verge of death, it made everything so much easier," Chrysalis gloated and chuckled further. "Now my dear princess, I intend to take every last ounce of love you have to offer for your subjects, and give it all to my children! No longer will they have to worry about starving to death, or compete over what food is available, we'll no longer have to resort to cannibalism to survive! Those of my hive that're still alive will soon know the beauty of life!"

Celestia could feel herself being forcefully fed on at this point. Through the haze of the goo encrusting her face, she could see the pink fog-like field of her love being drawn into Chrsyalis' body again, driving the changeling queen to greater and greater heights of ecstasy and excitement as she gorged herself. This situation was going very bad, very fast, and all because she had a heart. Immediately she began kicking to try and get away, knowing that if Chrysalis gorged herself on enough love, her strength would return in full, and she'd be a substantial threat to everyone all over again.

"Struggle all you like, Celestia, it won't do you any good. I'm not stopping until I've absorbed every last drop of love you have in you," Chrysalis stated and grinned evilly.

And then a white hand was driven completely through her chest, as if she were nothing more than tissue paper, quickly entering Celestia's view with a loud, wet, visceral crunch as the exoskeleton and underlying soft tissue gave way to the greater force. Immediately the feeding stopped as Chrysalis gasped in pain and surprise.

"What?" she croaked out, struggling to turn her head around.

Ulquiorra had appeared directly behind her without her even realizing it, and impaled her with his own hand, the booming staticy echo of his sonido trailing behind him.

"As I said yesterday, you spend far too much time talking," he stated simply, twisting his blood covered arm in her chest before forcefully ripping it back out, her body being dragged along for the ride as hooves dragged against the stone floor, before popping free, the action causing Chrysalis' body to slide across the floor, before slamming against the bars of the cell, and dropping to the floor like a stone.

Celestia could say nothing, only watch helplessly as events played out before her, while her mind raced at everything that had happened; not the least of which being the fact Ulquiorra had just saved her. Even after everything she'd done, he still saved her. Immediately she scrambled to her hooves and tried to get the changeling goo off her face again.

"Hold still."

She felt as Ulquiorra placed a hand on her withers, the other she could feel groping around on the mask of hardened goo that covered her face. She barely had time to assume he'd found a seam or something to grab onto, as the next thing she knew the mask was broken and forcefully ripped off. She could feel bits of fur being ripped from her face in the process, the goo having solidified over some of the longer and less maintained hairs and entangling them into the mix. But at the moment she was too preoccupied with sucking down deep, ragged breaths of air to actually voice her discomfort.

Fingers, it seemed, came in quite useful. Perhaps he had good reason to doubt the idea of them having built this world with their hooves and their magic.

"How," she panted, "how long?" she asked. When had he arrived and when did he make the decision to actually step in and rescue her rather than letting her be feasted upon?

"Once I realized the matter had escaped your control," he explained and dropped the solidified remnants, the structure cracking and breaking against the hard floor. He then briefly turned his attention to Chrysalis as he heard her ragged gasps for air, before turning back to Princess Celestia. "Despite everything that was discussed last night, I still possessed doubts about the truthfulness of Chrysalis' pleas. When I realized you were going to the dungeon unescorted, I decided to follow and observe. Changelings by nature are infiltrators, it would make sense if deception was their special talent. It would seem she managed to fool everyone involved... myself included," he admitted.

"Celestia..."

Both of their attentions turned away from the matter at hand in order to look down at Chyrsalis' prone and bleeding form. Considering the injury she sustained, it was remarkable she was still alive and breathing, nevermind the miracle that she could still talk.

"Don't punish my children, please... there's only a few left alive..." she coughed weakly. Slowly she turned her attention back to Ulquiorra as he stood over her, looking down at her with those cold, empty eyes of his that had left her unnerved since she first saw them.

"The one," she stopped to try and breathe and swallow, "the one that... that motivated the attack on Canterlot. It was... it was... was..."

They remained silent as Chrysalis strained herself to speak. Unfortunately she never managed to reveal the name she was trying so hard to say, as her injury finally caught up with her, leaving her desperately gasping her air, her body twitching... and then nothing. All the tension in her body was released as she went limp against the ground, giving one last exhale as her green eyes rolled back in her head.

Ulquiorra remained silent as Princess Celestia stepped forward to examine the lifeless body, confirming the fact that Chrysalis was indeed dead instead of playing another trick.

"She's gone..." she said as she slowly stood back up and hung her head.

"And with her, our only lead," Ulquiorra replied.

It had been nothing more than a theory, the basis of which being the two events he'd been present to partake in, and minor statements made by those involved about the uncanniness of his timing. His logical mind demanded that there be some sort of connection, something to make sense of the seeming randomness of it all. With her last words, Chrysalis seemed to have confirmed that there was indeed another player involved, but had died before she could properly share what she'd known. Whoever or whatever was out there and engaged in this game of chess against them, Chrysalis had taken that information to the grave with her.

In his haste to save Princess Celestia, had he just condemned Equestria?

Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Three

Twilight jolted awake, her sleep disturbed by a sudden commotion in close proximity to her ears. It was silent again as her eyes adjusted to the dim light supplied by Luna's moon at this pre-dawn time of night. Once they finally adjusted and she no longer had to squint to make out the various objects around the room, she could hear the same disturbing noise again. As she looked around the room she realized that the disturbing noise turned out to be Rainbow Dash snoring... with her face pressed against her chest and holding her close, her forelegs wrapped firmly around her.

It took her a moment to recall everything that'd happened, most of it being very bad in nature. But despite all the bad, a lot of good had still come of it; such as repairing a friendship she had absolutely no idea had been fractured to begin with. If nothing else, she could at least say that the relationship she and the others held with Rainbow Dash had been strengthened. They had that at least.

The irony of it all. If she hadn't experienced the meltdown over what 'Tia had done to them, she might never have learned just how upset Rainbow Dash had been. It was almost like that saying, what was it again? One of one thing, half a dozen of the other?

Rainbow Dash gave another snore against her chest, the commotion seeming to set off a chain reaction that caused the others around them to snore or otherwise mumble but not wake up. All in all it was cute, really. But cute or not, this wasn't exactly the sort of situation she was entirely comfortable waking up in, with one of her friends utilizing her as a pillow, rather than sleeping in/on their supplied sleeping bag.

Maybe she'd crept over in her sleep during that last hug during their meeting in the dream world with Ulquiorra and the others? It would at least make some logical sense out of everything. But regardless, she still needed to get the pegasus off of her; especially with her muzzle still bandaged up and swollen. Sleeping like this really couldn't be all that good for her recovery.

"Rainbow Dash, wake up," Twilight said as she nudged her friend. The pegasus snorted a bit but simply readjusted her position, resting her face back in Twilight's chest again and continued snoring away, oblivious to what was going on.

Twilight frowned some. She knew Rainbow Dash was a heavy sleeper and all, but she really couldn't just leave her in this situation all night. She decided to roll out the heavy artillery in this case.

"Oh Rainbow Dash," she whispered and craned her neck to bring her next to her friend's ear, "I just got a copy of the latest "Daring Do" book..."

Rainbow Dash snorted in a startled manner and popped her head up, eyes half lidded as she proceeded to look about the darkened room.

"Huh? "Daring Do"? Where? Where?" she asked as she moved her head from side to side. This continued until her ears detected Twilight's giggling, and her sleep clogged mind slowly putting the pieces together. She blinked her eyes a few times before scowling at her. "Very funny, Egghead," she grumbled, "what's the big idea anyway?" she asked before pausing to yawn, mumbling something about how well she was sleeping and how it was far too early to be up and awake.

"The big idea was to wake you up because this isn't your sleeping bag. You were sleeping on top of me," Twilight stated.

Rainbow Dash blinked in confusion for a moment and looked down, realizing that indeed it wasn't her assigned sleeping bag from last night, but rather it was Twilight's sleeping bag and the aforementioned unicorn that she'd been sleeping on.

"Oh. Sorry about that," Rainbow Dash replied, but made no immediate move to get back up and off of her. "I wondered why my pillow was so soft. I tell ya, Twi', you're kinda plushy."

Twilight blushed at Rainbow Dash's comment and how casually she just tossed it out there, as if they were having a conversation about books or food or something run of the mill. But instead of run of the mill things, Rainbow Dash was talking about her being plush and soft like a pillow or some piece of furniture.

Adding to her confusion and embarrassment, Rainbow Dash seemed perfectly content to settle in against her, and get comfortable for going back to bed all over again.

"R-R-Rainbow Dash," Twilight objected as the pegasus settled her head on her chest and shut her eyes. She wanted to object at a much higher volume, but doing so would disturb the sleep of their friends. And after everything they'd gone through today, they all needed their rest.

"Oh lighten up, Twilight," Rainbow Dash replied with a chuckle as she opened her eyes again and climbed off of her, "I'm just having a little fun with you, that's what friends do with each other. Not that you aren't cozy or anything," she said and gently poked Twilight's exposed belly with her hoof.

Twilight's forelegs jerked as she covered her belly in response to the poking. She gave the mischievous pegasus a disapproving frown, but it was short lived as she truly couldn't bring herself to be displeased with Rainbow Dash's antics. The least she could do was allow her friend to have her laughs. In hindsight, after the whole "Mare Do Well" mess, they were fortunate Rainbow Dash was even still talking to them. They'd all apologized, but she still felt that they were going to need to do a lot more than simply say they were sorry to make everything right.

"Maybe I need to stay away from Sugarcube Corner for a while," Twilight commented before rolling over onto her stomach to get into a more comfortable position.

"I wouldn't go that far, I didn't say you were fat or anything. Plush, not plump," Rainbow Dash pointed out. There was a huge difference between being fat and being soft. Pinkie was... well not to be rude but Pinkie did have a fair amount of pudge to her from all the sweets she gobbled down. Twilight on the other hoof didn't carry much extra weight on her bones, but she was still physically soft, like a big cuddly stuffed animal or... wait, what was she thinking!? Immediately she shook her head in an effort to clear away those thoughts about her friend. "Bad Rainbow Dash, bad!" she thought to herself.

A change of subject was needed. Yeah, that was it, a change of subject. Something that could be discussed other than their physiques.

"Hey... Twilight?" she asked in a whisper as she sat down next to her friend, opting not to go back to her designated sleeping area just yet. "Did you have a really weird dream before you woke up?"

Twilight thought on the question, trying to recall what she'd experienced during her slumber, between the apology they'd all issued to Rainbow Dash, and now during this conversation. She could vaguely recall a dream where she'd been giving a guest lecture at the most prestigious university in all of Canterlot, but that was drastically overshadowed by what came next, by the meeting between herself, her friends, the Princesses, and Ulquiorra. They'd all been there in some darkened area and, discussing matters pertaining to several theories about Ulquiorra as to why he was here in their world, why Discord had brought him here, if the dragon and changeling incidents had been connected, and who could possibly be behind it.

All in all it had been a really weird dream to experience.

"Now that you mention it, yes I did. Everyone was in it and talking, and you were wearing a Wonderbolt uniform," Twilight explained.

"Okay now that's creepy. I dreamed that I was the Captain of the Wonderbolts, I was doing my aerial maneuvers over Canterlot, and then the next thing I know I'm crashing into what's his name and Princess Luna is there, and then each of the girls were brought into the dream for some kind of great big meeting," Rainbow Dash whispered. "When Princess Luna brought you in, you had your mane done up in some kinda bun, red rimmed glasses, and a really ugly necktie."

Twilight blinked in surprise. That was how she dreamed herself being when she was giving the lecture. Well except for the necktie of course, she thought it looked good. But the similarities were way too coincidental to just be isolated dreams held by them individually.

The only logical, scientific conclusion she could come up with, was that Princess Luna had brought them all together just as she'd explained in the dream. Meaning they'd all had the same conversation and heard the same facts, terrible and disturbing as they might be.

"Did I hug Ulquiorra?" she finally asked, one last effort of hoping it had all just been one wild dream.

"Did you ever. Not that he accepted the apology you gave, the big jerk," Rainbow Dash replied, louder than she'd intended but thankfully not enough to disturb the others. "So it was a dream, but not a dream. It's times like this I'm glad I don't use unicorn magic, it gets way too confusing," she stated.

Twilight ignored Rainbow Dash's comment, instead choosing to think on what had been said during the meeting. Right now she wasn't entirely sure just what to focus her attention on more; Ulquiorra's theory about them being targeted in an organized manner, or Chrysalis' plea for the other changelings. Either way it was something grim to be considered.

However her thought process was interrupted as Rainbow Dash started talking again.

"So the dude can beat a dragon all by himself, and he actually needs our help. How awesome is that?" she asked.

"More like terrifying actually," Twilight replied. Ulquiorra had brought up theories based on observations and snippets of conversation that, when revealed, made a great deal of sense and left her wondering why she herself hadn't realized it beforehoof. The dragon, the changelings, his arrival here in Equestria, it was all too coincidental to just scientifically be written off as purely coincidence. "What if Ulquiorra is actually right? What if there's someone orchestrating attacks against us and the rest of Equestria? That's... that's..." she paused, unable to come up with the proper word.

"Heavy?" Rainbow Dash suggested.

"That's not exactly the term I would've gone with, but yes, that thought is... heavy... in nature," Twilight stated.

"You're worrying too much, Twi', after all we've been through, is there really anything left that could be thrown at us that we couldn't deal with?" Rainbow Dash asked casually. "We hold the Elements of Harmony, the most powerful force in Equestria. We defeated Nightmare Moon and saved Princess Luna, we beat and reformed Discord over to our side, you're the prized student to Princess Celestia, we're friends with the two most powerful ponies in the whole world. And on top of that all, we've now got U.C. thrown into the mix, who's not only strong enough he can beat the living daylights out of a dragon without even trying, but he can freakin' transform to get even more powerful! We've got this situation well in hoof and in the bag, there's nothing that can be thrown at us that we can't deal with easily," she stated, barely able to keep her voice at a whisper the more she went on.

Twilight really wanted to believe her friend's optimism, that no matter what the situation was well within their control and there was nothing they could face that they couldn't deal with. They had the Elements of Harmony and possessed the ability to neutralize any threat they encountered. Celestia and Luna -it felt really weird to think of them without including their title as Princess in their names- possessed enough magical strength to move the sun and the moon respectively. Discord regarded them as his friends and would likely do whatever was necessary to keep them safe, and he possessed reality warping magical abilities. And now there was Ulquiorra, somebody with so much strength and skill it just boggled the mind how such a small frame kept it all in check. All in all they were a group of eleven very strong, very powerful beings. Was there anything in Equestria they couldn't face and defeat?

"I hope you're right, Rainbow Dash," Twilight replied and yawned, "we should really see about going back to bed. Tomorrow we've got a lot of work to do; even more than usual," she stated.

"Yeah? How do you figure?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Considering everything that happened yesterday, we may need to see to damage control. Changelings or no," Twilight paused to yawn again, "a lot of Ponyville likely still thinks Ulquiorra was serious about trying to kill them. If he's going to be visiting Ponyville again in the near future, and perhaps regularly, then we need to do everything we can to assure the rest of the town they're in no danger from him. And that's to say nothing about them possibly seeing him actually fighting against Celestia way up above. This whole situation," she yawned again, "could be a whole lot bigger than we thought," she explained.

"Oh. Yeah. Good point, I forgot about that," Rainbow Dash replied. It really wouldn't be all that good for all of Ponyville to go scattering and hiding like they had with Zecora. "I guess expecting everypony to just forget what happened and come to that party Pinkie's gonna throw for him, would be a bit much."

"Probably," Twilight stated and yawned. The excitement was dying down and all she wanted to do right now was sleep. She rolled over, fluffed her pillow until it was just right, and promptly collapsed face first onto it. That was that.

"... Hey Twilight?"

Or maybe not.

With a groan Twilight raised her head and glanced over at Rainbow Dash through a single opened eye, the unseen frown more or less demanding an answer as to why her slumber was being violated. A fact that was more or less lost on the cyan pegasus.

"Was my idea for the changelings really that terrible?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight let out a very tired sigh as she began tiredly running calculations, trying to measure if the effort to raise her head was a worthwhile employment of power just so her voice would be clear. Eventually she determined it was.

"From a detached perspective dealing with facts and figures, the idea of converting the changelings so they can eat pony food leaves many questions unanswered and simply opens the door to a lot of headaches that would need to be ironed out before it could ever be implemented successfully," Twilight explained, pausing briefly to stifle a yawn. "However from a perspective of heart and kindness, I thought it was a very touching idea and I liked it. It's just," she yawned again, "it's just not something that can be implemented just like that. Not without taking everything into account and... oh forget it, I'm too tired. Rainbow Dash, you're a very caring pony, and I'm glad, and very lucky, to have you as a friend. That's all that's important right now."

"Thanks Twi'," Rainbow Dash replied, touched by her friend's kind words.

"Now please, please, please shut up and let me go back to sleep," Twilight pleaded.

"Oh. Right. Goodnight, Twilight."

"Goodnight..."

It had been raining since early this morning, the overcast sky shutting out her magnificent sun. For once Celestia was perfectly alright with that, the weather was highly appropriate for how she felt right now. On this day her magnificent sun brought her absolutely no joy.

She didn't want to admit to the fact that this morning's incident with Chrysalis had shaken her and greatly disturbed her; far more than she cared to think about. The day court had been cancelled early on this day, just before noon, due to the nature of the petitioners proving to be too much for her to bear in her current state.

Making matters worse was the fact that it was all her fault, and she had nopony to blame but herself.

The usual petitioners were no problem to deal with. She'd been putting up with them for a thousand years by herself through both good and bad, this day was no different.

The real problems had started when the petitioners came in search of answers regarding yesterday. The changeling invasion, the green rain, the sudden appearance of the strange white biped who did battle with her high above in the sky -apparently not high enough to escape the watchful eyes of whatever subjects had escaped changeling capture- and the status of the kingdom's security. How could she possibly tell them the truth? How could she inform her own terrified subjects that yesterday had all been an elaborate plot of hers to deal with the changelings once and for all, while at the same time avoid throwing the kingdom into a panic at the revelation that even she was prone to stupid ideas just like everypony else?

While she was on that subject, how could she possibly explain the nature of Ulquiorra to them in their current state. There was only so much damage control she could do right now.

And then the critics had come. Those that seemed to draw an almost perverse pleasure in making her squirm under their scrutiny and accusations, pressing her on matters of great sensitivity. Only this time their accusations had hit much closer to home than they usually did. It was with them that she tried closing the day court.

It was one of the few, few times in recent history, that she'd ever taken a serious and authoritative stance with her subjects, and ordered them to do something, and informed them there would be repercussions for disobedience. After that they couldn't wait to get out of there.

The divot left by Twilight's period of undiluted rage hadn't helped matters one bit. And with the skilled stonemasons currently unavailable, simply regenerating the melted marble via magic wasn't an available option. It was currently being replaced the old fashioned way.

Right now she was standing silently outside the office of Canterlot's chief medical examiner, regarded as the best in his field of expertise, conveniently located just a mile from the palace.

To her side was Ulquiorra standing just as silently as she was, the Espada being unusually attentive to her on this day. And by that she meant he hadn't taken his leave from her presence except when it was necessary. It was strange, almost disturbing, how he'd been violating his own usual pattern of behavior so readily. And while he hadn't been fretting over her wellbeing, his cold silence and emotional distance didn't seem to possess the same nature it normally did. It was... all quite strange really. It was like he could exercise concern, but had no desire to actually show it.

"You didn't have to follow me here, you know," she pointed out, finally breaking the silence in the room that seemed to easily grow in thickness and tenseness.

"There are questions that need to be answered. That would not be possible back at the palace," Ulquiorra replied simply.

Princess Celestia's decision to release Chrysalis and her hive, as well as the decision to subsequently feed them, had been entirely illogical in nature. But it had been her decision to make. However it had been his decision to intervene when Princess Celestia had lost control of the situation, and fell victim to Chrysalis' attack.

Sometime after that, Princess Celestia had sent for the medical examiner for the purpose of performing an autopsy on the changeling queen; a process he saw no beneficial purpose to, as the cause of death seemed quite obvious, seeing as he was the one who administered it. But then again, it wasn't his place to question her decisions on the matter.

"I assumed you'd come to insult me for my moment of weakness, and my decision to release Chrysalis and what remained of her hive. To hammer home the point that my heart makes me weak, about how I'm illogical, and soft, and how this entire mess could've been avoided if I'd simply allowed you to exterminate them from the moment they'd been discovered," she replied. Ulquiorra said nothing in response. Even after she waited he still said nothing, it was disturbing. "What? Nothing about how if I'd let you do the logical thing, the entire mess with Twilight could've been avoided, and a lot of misery wouldn't have had to happen? How I was out for revenge for some as of yet undisclosed incident in the relatively distant past, and was blinded to what might happen to those around me in carrying out this whole elaborate and convoluted plot? Nothing about how badly things could've gone from my decision to actually feed Chrysalis, and her resulting actions?" she asked him pointedly.

"From the structuring of your questions, it would seem that you have already given consideration to such possibilities. There would be no purpose in me saying anything along such lines at this point," Ulquiorra replied simply, not once turning his gaze towards Princess Celestia, nor making any efforts to look beyond the remnants of his Hollow mask.

She wanted to say something, anything, in response to Ulquiorra's cold logic, something that would take the edge off this day. But she couldn't. Despite how she felt, taking out her frustrations on another was too undignified, even for her own lax standards. Ulquiorra really hadn't done anything to deserve her anger being directed at him; at least nothing new since yesterday when he'd accused her of being obsessed with revenge.

For now it was just more silence, stretching on without any readily identifiable end.

Minutes ticked by like hours as the two simply stood, Celestia being the first to yield and actually sit down as the waiting continued.

Eventually though patience won out, as the medical examiner -a gray unicorn stallion dressed in standard doctor's garb- stepped out into the hallway, a clipboard grasped in an alabaster aura.

"Doctor, what have you learned?" she asked almost as soon as the examiner was out of his office.

He looked at Princess Celestia, sparing only a momentary glance at Ulquiorra, before shrugging and answering the question he'd been asked.

"As per your instructions, Your Majesty, I was quite thorough in my examination of the body. The cause of death was due to severe organ trauma caused by impalement by a large implement. Death would've been quite sudden in nature," the stallion explained as he looked over his notes before passing them to her. "Along with immune system indicators that would suggest long term viral infection of some sort, I also discovered signs of malnourishment that suggest this changeling hadn't fed for an extended period of time. Considering the severity of the damage to its internal systems I believe that had she not been killed, she would've died regardless within a week at most. Even if you'd given her all of your love, Your Majesty, there was nothing you could've done to save her," he explained.

Celestia sighed and closed her eyes while lowering her head. When she'd sent for the medical examiner to have an autopsy performed on Chrysalis' body, this was definitely not the kind of information she'd been expecting to hear. She had no idea the situation had been so bad, so desperate.

"I see," she replied slowly.

Ulquiorra remained silent as he listened. This report made some sense in explaining why Chrysalis had been so weak at the time he'd found her, and why she had gotten weaker and weaker as the day went on.

"That's not all, either," the doctor explained as he flipped to another page, "as per your instructions I was thorough. Among other areas explored, I also examined the changeling's brain. It's really a fascinating organ compared to a pony's brain, remind me to show you the differences sometime. Anyway. I examined the changeling's brain and found something of great interest. While there are many and startling differences, you'll notice my observations. As you can see, I noticed signs of considerable mental instability. And from what I've seen I'd venture a guess and say that at some point in the recent past, the changeling experienced some sort of violent traumatic event that caused her to, for lack of a better term, snap. And I truly don't believe she ever recovered from whatever psychotic episode took hold of her on that day."

"What you're saying is Chrysalis was insane," Ulquiorra elaborated. Was it truly necessary to use such a complicated manner of explaining the situation when a simple "she was insane" would have sufficed?

The doctor remained silent for a moment, stopping to nod before flipping his notes to the next page. "In simple terms, yes. However there's far more to it than that and I'm... not entirely sure what to make of it. Present alongside the physical indicators of a mental disorder, are signs of a severe physical disorder that has damaged the various lobes of the brain and nervous system to varying degrees. I've never seen anything like this in a real world setting, only in medical text books, and even then only when dealing with other species. But if I had to hazard a guess I would say the changeling was suffering from an advanced stage of... spongiform encephalopathy..."

"I'm unfamiliar with that term," Ulquiorra stated simply, finding himself mildly interested in the doctor's statement about Chrysalis suffering from some form of brain damage.

"Spongiform encephalopathy is a brain disease, but unlike psychosis which deals with the mental aspects, spongiform encephalopathy deals with the physical aspects of the mind, causing lesions and deterioration of the brain tissue. It's incurable and untreatable in nature, and those who contract it die a very debilitating death. However I'm uncertain how she came to contract it in the first place. Changelings possess no traditional functioning digestive system like ponies, making digestion of any sort of food impossible, which should make spongiform encephalopathy impossible to contract. The only way one becomes afflicted with it, is engaging in the act of cannibalism," he explained.

Cannibalism? The utter irony of it all. That was an area he was well versed in, as it was a part of his very nature; the reason for his own existence and level of evolution. But to hear confirmation of it actually taking place in another species. Now last night's conversation suddenly made a greater amount of sense. Chrysalis has said a number of the other changelings had sacrificed themselves in order for her to live on. If love were truly physical in this world, and served as a source of nutrition for the changeling species, then perhaps they had used their love for her to ensure her survival, and left nothing for themselves. And in the process they must have caused her to contract this disease. Perhaps that was the traumatic event that caused her to lose her sanity as well? A veritable double whammy as it were; losing one's children, and contracting a fatal illness for their efforts without even realizing it.

There were many questions to figure out currently. When had the changelings sacrificed themselves for Chrysalis? When had she experienced her psychotic break? When had she contracted the spongiform encephalopathy, and for how long had it been ravaging her system? If she was brain damaged on top of being insane, then how well could they trust what had been said by her?

He'd assumed that whatever entity had used her as a pawn hadn't been smart enough to remove any traces of itself from her mind, and thus left behind loose ends that could lead back to it. Now, however, he could no longer be certain of such. For all he knew her efforts to name someone as responsible were nothing more than the delusional ramblings from one who was both insane, and going into shock from traumatic injury and severe blood loss.

"Doctor, just before Chrysalis died, she was trying to say a name. You're regarded as the best in your field of medical examination. Is there any way you could recall this information? Any way at all?" Celestia asked him hopefully/desperately.

"I'm afraid not," he replied with a sigh and closed his notes, "I possess a great many skills in the realm of medical examination, but sadly that's not among them. I could tell you almost anything else about the changeling's body and its state before she died, but matters pertaining to the mind are beyond my expertise. As ravaged as it was I'm not certain any information could be retrieved even if I knew the proper expert to name. Truly it's a miracle she was able to function at all," he explained. "If she had anything to say, I'm quite certain it was unintelligible gibberish at this point."

Bad news meant different things to different individuals. In this case it was no different. For Ulquiorra, this news meant that they were officially without any leads in the mystery pertaining to who or what was behind the two attacks against the holders of the Elements of Harmony. They had a mystery on their hands, and there was nothing they could do but wait and see what was down the line, just waiting to strike when they least expected it.

To Celestia, however, bad news of this magnitude meant far more and far worse; at least with regard to herself. Ulquiorra was out one unconfirmed theory based around his own random observations. But to her, discovering the truth about Chrysalis' condition left her feeling devastated. She had no idea the situation had been so dire, that the changelings were so close to extinction and this had more or less been their last attempt at saving themselves from total annihilation.

And what had she done? She'd hastened their suffering without even realizing it.

"Thank you for your work, Doctor, you've been most helpful and informative in the matter," Celestia replied, "come, Ulquiorra."

"Just a moment, Your Majesty," he spoke up, "what do you want me to do with the body?" he asked.

"For the moment just leave it in cold storage. I'll be back later, once I have the opportunity to make the proper arrangements," she explained. He nodded in understanding of her request. With no new business to tend to she took her leave, teleporting away with Ulquiorra in tow. There was plenty of business to tend to back at the castle as it was.

"I possess significant doubts that I will ever become accustomed to this method of transportation," Ulquiorra commented upon their return to the palace throne room.

The very notion of instantaneously disappearing from one location and arriving at an entirely different location was quite strange, completely different from his own sonido or any other method of travel. Not knowing the mechanics behind it didn't help any. Being thrust into a location he didn't properly understand wasn't on his list of desirable activities. Nor was finding himself stuck inside a wall if something went wrong.

"It's preferable to being rained on," Celestia pointed out.

Ulquiorra said nothing in response. Debating the benefits of teleportation compared to other means of travel wasn't what he wanted to do right now. Instead there was another matter in need of discussion.

"In light of this new information, what is your intended course of action concerning the remaining changelings?" he asked bluntly.

"In light of this new information..." Celestia paused, "I intend to show mercy on this matter. With so few changelings left alive, I simply don't see the point in going through all the red tape to have them shipped off to some penal colony facility. Nor do I wish to accumulate anymore blood on my hooves than I already have. I intend to ask Discord to implement Rainbow Dash's plan from last night, and enable them to survive on regular foods like anypony else. After that they'll be escorted out of the borders of Equestria proper and allowed to go wherever they wish," she explained.

Mercy? Princess Celestia believed that this course of action was one of mercy? True mercy would be a swift death to end their misery, not allowing them to continue existing in such a pitiful state. If the changelings had succumbed to their own hunger and resorted to cannibalism against one another, then it stood to reason that they were all in a similar state as Chrysalis.

But then again, he wasn't the one in charge. If Princess Celestia had made up her mind there was little he could do. Little except for questioning the wisdom of her decision.

"You're aware that by leaving them alive, a new queen will rise, their numbers will multiply, and they might launch another attack at some point down the line, correct?" he asked, referencing the reasons she cited when convincing him to go along with this charade in the first place to prevent a full scale, full frontal attack for the purpose of decimating the hive and every changeling present.

"I'm aware of the possibility. But it's a chance I'm willing to take, in hopes that the gesture and the newfound food sources, will be enough to satisfy them. Once a new queen evolves, then maybe a proper diplomatic relationship can be entered into," Celestia explained.

Ideological nonsense and nothing more. He would need to begin questioning Princess Celestia's mental stability if she kept spouting off such ridiculous statements and expecting others to consider them valid. She wasn't being logical in the slightest.

But again, what could he do on the matter? There was very little that he could actually hope to accomplish on his own. He would simply have to abide by whatever her decision was, and be prepared to act for whenever things went horribly, horribly wrong, just as they were destined to.

"Very well then," Ulquiorra replied and left it at that. He knew when it was time to let a topic of discussion drop, and when to attack it viciously. And right now this was the former. "And what of my own fate, now that there is no longer a crisis taking precedent?" he asked.

To some, his present course of action might seem strange. Princess Celestia had informed him that once everything settled down, she would be dealing with him and the trust issues that resulted from his secrecy... and more than likely, the way he'd sold his supposed defection to Chrysalis. What he was doing right now, was going out of his way to remind her of the fact that she was supposed to be upset with him, and make her return to an earlier promise of dealing with him for his actions, and issue whatever consequences were going to be coming his way.

But as always, there was a methodology not only to what he did, but also why he chose to do it. And in this case it was a necessity to determine future interactions, and how to proceed from here on out. It was necessary to gain a greater understanding of Princess Celestia's character, and her degree of reasonability.

Celestia thought on his words. There were so many conflicting things going on right now, that she really had no idea just where to begin on thinking things through, and determining how to respond accordingly. She knew that she had reason to be upset with Ulquiorra... but after everything that had happened up to this point, she couldn't help but wonder if they were good reasons.

First there was the matter of his deception, and how he'd deliberately kept the status of his resurrection from her. He'd allowed her to believe that her binding spell had been successful, and that unpleasant aspect of his character had been safely, and effectively, locked away and no longer something to worry about.

And then he'd gone and shown her that she was wrong in that assumption, that she'd failed in her attempts, and he'd simply been playing her for a foal the entire time.

He'd tried to pass his secrecy off as a matter of self preservation, reasoning that if she knew about how her spell hadn't worked, she'd treat him as a hostility to her world and her subjects; possibly to the extent that she might actually kill him if the truth was known.

But then she stopped and thought about the matter, about his words during all their interactions. Right now she was remembering the conversation they had the day after Ulquiorra had visited Ponyville, how he explained that he and the three Espada ranked above him were forbidden from using their resurrections within Las Noches, as the release in power from any one of them could destroy the entire city. And then how he'd fled Canterlot before using his resurrection, explicitly stating that it was to prevent the palace from collapsing around them. And after what she'd felt of his strange, unique nature, she could see the reasoning behind that.

Such thoughts brought her back to the garden, and how his attempt at using his release -something that she'd insisted upon- had failed. He'd been faking the entire time... possibly because he knew actually completing the act would prove catastrophic for them to experience. Perhaps... perhaps his deception hadn't been so much for protecting his own skin, as it was theirs.

The second matter was their combat high above Canterlot. Or more specifically, how he'd utilized Twilight's presence during that instance. Instead of focusing his attention on her, as she was the primary target for that part of the deception, he'd instead turned his attention toward her student and attacked without mercy, and with an attack that could've killed everyone in the throne room; a fact she knew for certain, having felt the incredible force behind the Cero Oscuras for herself. That alone would be sufficient to hold against him... until she once again stopped and thought about it. That was something that'd been going on since last night's conference, and it was complicating everything.

The combat had... now that she thought on it, it'd seemed very strange to encounter. If Ulquiorra had really intended to kill her with the Cero Oscuras, wouldn't he have simply utilized his sonido to appear in close proximity to her before releasing it? Instead he'd taken the time to explain exactly what she was going to be facing off against, giving her ample opportunity to prepare for a dodge or block with her shield. And on top of that, he'd attacked from a distance, thus adding to the time she had to react. If he'd been serious from the start, she suspected he would've gone with a very different approach.

Of course his clashing with her wasn't what had her upset, but rather when he'd chosen to involve Twilight. He'd correctly gathered that in order to protect her student, she'd throw herself in harm's way without hesitation. But everything that lead up to that moment... he'd been so slow in adjusting his aim toward the palace and where Twilight had stood on the balcony. He'd directly asked her, if Twilight was strong enough to withstand his attack. He'd asked her and then actually paused, before actually discharging it, giving her the necessary time to prevent any harm from occurring... and all after first confirming that she could indeed do such. He hadn't charged headlong into the matter, and simply determined that it was safe to attack Twilight directly; instead he'd felt everything out in a methodical manner, determining the best course of action to minimize casualties, in his own unique way.

Add to that was the fact that her own deception had relied upon being in the presence of Chrysalis. And one way or another, he'd gotten her back into the throne room where her ashen replica was designed to be for the swapping. If he hadn't gone with the course of action taken, it's possible things might not have succeeded.

Then there was the third matter, of the conversation they had afterwards. How Ulquiorra had accused her of being a monster, uninterested in the emotional wellbeing of her subjects and friends, accused her of having no concern for the psychological trauma her actions could result in for everypony involved in their deception, and accused her of simply being out for revenge against Chrysalis. That, more than anything, left her the most furious.

But after much thought, she realized it wasn't the Espada that she was truly angry with. He'd been the recipient of her fury, but not the intended target of such. It'd taken her so long to understand that the one she should truly be angry with right now, was herself. It had been her plan to proceed in the manner they had. It'd been her that brought Twilight and the others here, and left them uninformed of everything. It'd been her that told Ulquiorra to be convincing in his performance. All he'd done -other than criticizing her tactics- was follow the open-ended instructions she'd given him to go by.

She supposed she could hold his actions in last night's conference against him, how he'd utilized terror of the unknown to secure his unrestricted travel. But that thought died nearly as fast as it'd come up. She'd been present as Ulquiorra explained how he saw the situation, what had caused him to formulate the theory, and why he believed it to be accurate. And looking at it from the perspective of coincidences not occurring -at least not in rapid succession- even she wondered if he was onto something that she'd missed.

Chrysalis' dying attempts at a final statement had certainly lent credibility to the notion, regardless of what the doctor might've said about her mental state.

Of course that didn't mean she was happy with how he'd conducted himself and backed her into the proverbial corner. But she could at least understand the reasoning behind it. And in light of everything that'd happened, she could do little more than be sore with him for his choice of tactics; just as she'd been sore with Luna for going over her head, and bringing Twilight into this mess in the manner she had. But being sore and resenting one's actions, didn't justify significant consequences for such.

"I've given this matter a lot of thought and consideration. What we find ourselves in is a very difficult situation, full of uncertainty. What I said yesterday, was said during a moment of emotional instability, and a period of being distraught with how things had progressed. Had I been approached when I was calmer, I don't believe I would've acted anything like I did yesterday. I'm sorry, Ulquiorra, making you the recipient of my anger wasn't appropriate. Nor was it appropriate to deal with the matter in the way that I did. I was upset, but I should've been upset with myself rather than you," she explained and hung her head.

Ulquiorra remained silent as he observed Princess Celestia. She was soft in nature. Full of doubts and uncertainty, and a good deal of remorse for what she did. She recognized when her actions were wrong, but apparently that recognition only came after they'd been carried out, and the consequences could be witnessed.

He could so easily exert psychological control over her right now if he were motivated to do such. Allowing her to see the error of her ways, while pointing out prior to and after things had gone wrong, would establish his credibility in the future for whenever the next incident should arise, and her notions differed from his own. But timing was everything, and right now he didn't believe the timing was right to go through with such a strategy. He would instead wait and see how things played out on their own, without his influence.

"Since you first arrived in this world, you've been a hero at least five times already, and it hasn't even been a full two weeks yet! You've saved Twilight and her friends, my subjects, you even saved me when I was too naive to suspect Chrysalis' last act of deception. I honestly don't know what is appropriate to say in this situation," she stated.

"Then perhaps it's safe to conclude this matter," Ulquiorra replied. Why some believed that talking was a constant necessity was beyond him. "And if these two matter have officially come to an end, I will need to return to Ponyville at the earliest convenience. There is still one more matter of importance to tend to," he stated simply, deciding to change the subject of discussion. He also needed to evaluate whether or not she was being sincere when she told the others she would reinstate his permission to travel; to say nothing of her seriousness when she claimed to supposedly forgive him, in light of her rethinking things.

"Oh? What kind of matter?" Celestia asked, curious about what could've brought up such a sudden change of topic. Maybe it had to deal with his theory, and the belief that he needed to be present and available anytime a significant crisis arose?

"The unicorn Rarity still possesses my uniform jacket from yesterday. I wish to retrieve it before she makes any attempt at modifying it to suit her tastes, or to make it conform to her sense of fashion."

His... jacket? That was the matter of importance he had to tend to? Was he joking? That was the thought, but it only took one look at his expressionless face to tell her that he wasn't. Unfortunately his deadpan deliver just added to the unintentional humor of it all, forcing her to try not to laugh.

"Proceed then," she said simply. If he was that set on retrieving what was his, who was she to refuse under these circumstances. He gave a brief nod, before disappearing in a burst of sonido, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Thoughts that she didn't necessarily want to be left with, without a distraction from them. Despite all the work that had gone into patching everything up, that didn't mean the sting of everything was gone. There were some aspects that would take considerably more time to heal than others.

Her attention was drawn to a sudden tingling occurring just overhead, as a scroll materialized before her. Curiously she opened it to read who had sent what.

Dear Celestia,

I just want to start off by saying, that feels as weird to write out as it does to say.

I've thought a lot about everything that's happened since yesterday. And through all of that thinking, I've managed to realize something important. While I might be mad over how things proceeded, you still deserved better than what you received. When we spoke last night I wasn't thinking, and instead let my emotions guide me. The proper response should've been after everypony had sufficient time to calm down, sort things out, and determine how they really felt. But I was too upset to remember that fact. So to make up for that I'm submitting this to cover what was glossed over, left out, or otherwise forgotten in the heat of the moment.

I was upset with what happened, and for multiple reasons. It's not every day you watch somepony supposedly die and crumble to dust because they were protecting you from harm in the process. And it's not every day you find out that the death you witnessed was nothing more than the equivalent of one big joke.

To put in simple terms, you hurt me, Celestia. You hurt me in ways that I truly didn't believe were possible until I actually experienced them for myself. I can't even begin to describe the emotional state that I was in at the time, because I truly don't even know what it was. Deception, anger, sadness, etc. they were all being experienced at the same time. Every single emotion I was experiencing was fighting for dominance over the others in some weird contest.

Even now, when I think about what happened, I still feel hurt. I understand why you took the course of action that you did; at least I do now after I've had a chance to talk with everypony, and do a little independent investigation on my own to verify everything. But simply knowing the why doesn't change what was experienced. It puts it into context, but that's about it. I hate to say it, but there really are some things for which books can't properly address.

I don't hate you. I can say with all honesty that the statement to the contrary was a mistake on my part. If I could recant it I would. In all honesty I don't believe that I could ever hate you. I can be upset with a course of action you take, but that doesn't translate into being upset at the pony directly. You've done so much for me in the past, been a teacher, adviser, and even the one who helped me have friends in the first place. The sheer wrongness there would be in hating you can't even be covered in ink and parchment. I should know, I've been trying to do just that and failing miserably.

Knowing that you aren't perfect in your rule... it makes it easier to talk to you. I'm not so scared of messing up around you anymore. I understand that you're a Princess, but knowing that you make mistakes too, makes it seem easier to relate to you now. It's not so terrifying to think about that fact anymore. It might sound strange, but I actually feel like a weight has been lifted right off my withers.

Last night when you talked about wanting to be regarded as a friend, I admit I was skeptical about it. But now, as I think about it with a clear mind, I think that it's something that can be made to work with a little effort. As I've learned, friendships aren't perfect in nature, but the ones that are invested in are the ones worth maintaining.

There are so, so many things that I wanted to say when I started writing this letter. But some simply don't fit the overall flow, and others I just can't seem to put into actual words. It's almost like trying to describe the color of red to a pony that's blind; some things simply don't translate. Complicating the matter is that I can't ask others for advice on this particular problem. I don't know if I was justified in my anger and what I did, it's just so complicated. I don't even know if it's appropriate for me to still feel negativity toward you when you've chosen to not feel the same toward me.

Any advice on this matter would be welcomed right about now.

I wish there was more I could say. I really do. But at the moment this is all I have that I can contribute.

Your friend,
Twilight

Celestia read over the note silently. She could understand Twilight's uncertainty over everything; uncharted territory tended to cause that in ponies. Even for her, in all of her experience, there were things she didn't know how to address properly. And right now the exact manner in which to proceed was one of them. Here Twilight was reaching out to her for guidance, and yet she had nothing to offer in response. Try as she might, she couldn't think of any advice that seemed eloquent for this.

Not eloquent, but perhaps relevant. Conjuring quill and parchment, she began writing a response.

"Dear Twilight," she dictated as the quill went to work, etching out the words she spoke. "If there is any proper advice to be had on the matter, I would most certainly welcome it myself right about now..."

Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty Four

June 11, 0002 ANM

Dear Ulquiorra,

To begin with I really don't believe that this casual and informal approach is really the best way to go about relaying information of such an important nature. But as part of the group I was outvoted by a significant margin when it came to including the dates, report numbers, and various other important information. Apparently the others believe it's not important to mark the date since your arrival in our dimension seventeen days ago. They seem to think that your arrival being the twenty sixth of last month is enough to know.

Excuse me. Spike says I'm rambling about proper decorum and organization again. I guess I am.

As per your request, the others and I have been keeping tabs on everything going on around Ponyville to try and discern if there's any pattern that could predict possible attacks in the future. I'm happy to say that we're leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to be thorough.

I'm also sad to say that I literally mean no stone is being left unturned in our search. You can blame Pinkie for that one...

Having learned from the changeling encounter we're also performing daily check-ins with each other to ensure nopony in the group has been replaced or otherwise compromised. Unfortunately, we're still entirely uncertain of just how to go about verifying each other. Not that we have any distrust among us, we're just trying to figure out the best course of action. Spike suggested we simply continue relying on the password confirmation system we used prior to Chrysalis' capture. While this can work just fine in most instances, there's always the possibility of a potential imposter eavesdropping and hearing the word at some point. If you have any recommendations we'd like to hear them.

Getting back to the report. The others and I have been compiling our observations into lists to try and discern any type of pattern, anything that might coincide with the days of the previous two incidents. In my case, however, I've gone further back to analyze everything that's happened since the day of your arrival to see if there's been any noticeable activity that could raise a red flag.

Most of the details we've seen are mundane. Really, really mundane. Interactions with certain ponies, the usual happenings that might be expected in a town of this size, occasional unexpected events but nothing that would seem out of the ordinary. Even Pinkie's ability to sense what's about to happen isn't detecting anything.

I've looked back to the days prior to discovering Fluttershy's replacement by a changeling. According to Applejack, two days prior, there was something that greatly disturbed the timberwolves that prowl the Everfree Forest at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. However I'm not aware of anything that could disturb timberwolves in a manner like she described, and there have been no other such incidents with them.

The most outstanding incident that's occurred locally in Ponyville since your arrival, at least that any of us has been aware of, was a ten degree difference between the estimated and actual temperatures seven days ago, or the day after the timberwolf incident. This might not seem particularly outstanding to you, as weather by nature is very hard to predict. But our reports come from Cloudsdale directly, and their estimates and predictions of the temperature are accurate to within a three-to-five degree margin of error, so TEN degrees difference is highly unusual. So far none of us are certain of the significance of this deviation. Whether or not the deviation in weather is even tied to the timberwolves is a mystery in and of itself. The only time I've heard of timberwolves acting up is during Zap Apple season, and right now that's months away, so it couldn't be that.

This is a really frustrating report to submit to you, Ulquiorra, due to the fact that we have so little to actually report. This whole report more or less states that we have nothing to report, which really removes the whole reason for it to even exist, other than to satisfy some requirement for paperwork to actually exist. Of course if we were going with that route then numbering and dating would be necessary. No worries, I can have the reports numbered correctly if that's it.

Rambling again. Sorry.

So cutting straight to the bone of the matter, there's very little to go on. The fact that we've lost Chrysalis leaves us devastated, both in a professional manner and an individual manner. I certainly had no love for her after what she did to us, but to find out the situation was so dire... even I can't bring myself to hate her. To think that they might've been in that state the first time they showed up and we just kicked them out so brutally...

Right. Sorry. Professionalism.

I can't even begin to imagine how things are from your perspective, and how the details about the changelings are computing with your logical outlook to life. To think that the changelings would encounter a love that was so pure, it ultimately proved to be their own undoing. Perhaps they truly weren't the mindless beasts we thought they were.

I wish I had more information to report, but sadly I have nothing. I don't even have a thousand words for submitting a halfway decent report on the activities around Ponyville. So I'm going to close out this report for the time being, and will continue to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

Signed,
Twilight Sparkle

Ulquiorra scanned over the page before setting it down, contemplating this day's reports. Twilight Sparkle was nothing if not thorough in nature, even if that thoroughness entailed explaining how she had nothing to report and apologizing for such.

The holders of the Elements of Harmony, as well as Spike, were taking their fracción duties surprisingly seriously. That was both good and bad for many different points.

One of the bad points was the varying degrees of seriousness they employed. While they all had enough sense to compile group reports to submit for his reading, most of the others saw fit to submit their own individual reports of what they experienced on their own.

The majority of what was written was trash. However there were exceptions. The reports submitted by the unicorn Rarity, were quite detailed in nature, however those details tended to become bogged down in irrelevancies that had no bearing on anything other than her work and social interactions. Unless she believed her weekly spa sessions with Fluttershy could give insight into establishing a pattern, he really saw no point in the inclusion of details relating to mudpacks, hooficures, and mane styling.

While Rarity's reports tended to be bogged down with rather excessive detail about irrelevancies, the reports Rainbow Dash submitted tended to be the direct opposite, the information contained being sparse and disorganized. Half of her first report had been spent asking him to teach her the same profanities he'd taught Twilight Sparkle on their first meeting. The fact she was so much like Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez already served as effective motivation to keep him from doing such.

Fluttershy's reports were difficult to categorize, due not only to their nature, but also the nature of the pony who submitted them. Apparently her ability to communicate and work with animals was a two-way street. According to her initial report she had deputized her "animal friends" as it were, and told them to keep her informed of any strange activity they might encounter. So far there was nothing they had to report. Not that he was truly surprised by that fact.

The reports submitted by Pinkie Pie were by far the most... bizarre in nature. He'd believed Rarity and Twilight Sparkle to be competing for having the longest reports, but neither of them had anything on Pinkie Pie. The pink earth pony's first report had been well over one hundred pages long, and included charts and graphs, details about the various ponies that lived in Ponyville, as well as various details about the town that had no logical importance. Notes on ponies who moved to town, who moved away from town, the usual day-to-day activities and who was doing what, and where they were doing it. There were even star charts, and a map detailing the position of the moon in the night's sky.

And all of that had pertained only to the information he could readily decipher; there were still many things he couldn't yet. And considering it was Pinkie Pie, he wasn't entirely certain he wanted to. There were some things in the world that the mind simply wasn't meant to know.

"How long do you intend to remain there, before speaking whatever you've come to say?"

However a lack of coherency and understanding of the enclosed documents did nothing to affect his pesquisa and prevent him from knowing when Princess Luna was lurking around the corner to the library.

"How you can always tell when somepony is near by, it is quite annoying," Luna commented as she stepped into the room. She'd been so quiet in her approach, not even touching the ground this time as she stepped on a cushion of condensed air. And it had all been for naught, as she'd been discovered all the same. "Another late night of reading, it would seem. What do your friends have to say this time?" she asked.

"The bearers of the Elements of Harmony are not friends of mine," Ulquiorra replied simply. "Pertaining to what reports they have submitted, quite little of any relevancy or usefulness. If there is any useful information to be found in these documents I have not yet located it," he explained as he turned his attention back to the stack of papers he had in his hand.

Luna remained silent as she looked about the library, documents spread about the room in some manner she sure had some semblance of organization, but she had no understanding of it herself. From her perspective it was just clutter.

"Have you had any success in cross referencing what they hath submitted, with the information housed in the royal library?" she asked.

"Not at present time," he replied.

"Then perhaps now is the proper time to make such an announcement. Since your arrival in our world you have spent every day in the library, studying in a manner that would make Twilight Sparkle turn green with envy. While you may feel this is adequate, others do not feel the same. We have arranged for a set of quarters for thee so that you do not have to spend every moment in here," Luna explained.

"I do not require rest in order to survive. As such personal quarters serve little use to me," Ulquiorra replied without hesitation, "and I believe ever since the meeting, you've been attempting to adjust to the modern dialect, and no longer refer to yourself in a collective sense."

"WE as in my dear sister and myself, smartass," Luna replied with a wry grin at his comment. So few ponies seemed to understand just how hard it was to change from a manner of speech that was all one had known for a thousand years. Old habits were quite hard to break, and hers was perhaps one of the oldest. "Be that as it may, you do have a set of quarters to retire to, so that you do not need to stand at all hours of the day as a statue. It is... how to put this without it being insulting... quite disturbing to others who visit the library."

His intention was to point out that it was none of his concern, or his fault, if others were disturbed by his mere presence. He was a resident of this dimension thanks to Discord's actions, if those native to here couldn't accept that fact then perhaps it was their issue instead.

However he stopped just short of vocalizing such a fact. The diarchy wouldn't have arranged quarters for him simply because his presence in the library was disturbing. It would make no sense. Something else must have been up for such a development to take place.

"You're aware the prison cells are physically incapable of holding me, correct?" Ulquiorra asked, reminding her of what she had bore witness to just five days ago during their last communication with Chrysalis.

Luna chuckled in an amused manner at his words. "Do you truly believe you would be confined to the dungeon?" she asked. He said nothing and simply continued reading the documents held in his hand. "After all of the good that you have done for Equestria, I will not allow something like that to happen even if my sister did try such. No, Ulquiorra Cifer, we have picked out quarters much more suitable for someone of your hero status," she explained.

"Hero?" Ulquiorra asked as he lowered the notes and turned to look at her. "I still find it ludicrous that I would be considered a hero. You and the others are aware of my history and my nature of being. I do not qualify as the hero type. I don't act out of noble intention, or a desire to save others because they're in harm's way. Nor do I desire fame and fortune for my actions. I am merely doing as I was instructed upon my initial arrival in this world. The simple fact that several of my actions have been considered heroic is nothing more than a matter of coincidence," he explained bluntly.

"And yet here you are, pouring over notes submitted by those that hold the Elements of Harmony, looking for any possible clue to explain just who or what may be putting Equestria at risk of harm, even though you are not required to provide such assistance. If that is not the actions of a hero then we know not what would be," Luna explained and shook her head. Ulquiorra seemed unconvinced and simply shuffled to a new page to read. She frowned but decided to try again. "Tell me, Ulquiorra Cifer, you know of my past better than anypony... anybody apart from my sister. Do you believe that I deserve to be respected and loved by our subjects after what I did more than a thousand years ago?" she asked.

"The two matters are not similar. One thousand and three years ago you were possessed by the entity that transformed you into Nightmare Moon. As you explained, you were forced to do what you did, as you had no control over your body. I do not have a convenient excuse and was responsible for my own actions. In your case you were possessed by a demon, in my case I am the demon," Ulquiorra replied, not once taking his eyes off the notes he held in his hands.

"That does not change the fact that since your arrival, you have been a hero to many. It is not an understatement to say that without you, Equestria would likely be in a very dire position right now. You have saved Twilight Sparkle and her friends, you have even saved my sister. You can claim you were simply following orders, nopony will care. Some of history's best heroes were simply following their orders at the time," Luna replied.

Ulquiorra remained silent for nearly a minute after Princess Luna's statement, all the time trying to discern the page of Pinkie Pie's notes. After being unable to determine the importance of cake frosting, he spoke again. "The difference between someone who is a hero, and someone who is a war criminal, often depends on which side is asked."

Luna frowned in response to Ulquiorra Cifer's words. If he was suggesting he was a war criminal, then what did that say about her sister? She could give a number of retorts on the matter but stopped herself. Arguing with the Espada was an exercise in futility, his intelligence as well as his analytical nature, had already been underestimated far too many times. If this back and forth trade of points was continued they would be here all night trying to leave the other speechless. That or he'd just decide he had nothing left to say and go back to reading, and utterly ignore her presence.

"Have it your way then..."

Ulquiorra turned back to his notes, assuming that was the end of the discussion. However he soon discovered that while the discussion was over, the matter was not. The next thing he knew he was subjected to a most unusual sensation, as his whole body was enveloped in a blue aura, and he found himself floating off the ground, along with the discarded pages that laid about on the library floor.

"You wish to do this the hard way, Ulquiorra Cifer? Then we shall do it the hard way," Luna stated and smirked. "You may have no need for your quarters, you do not even need to use them. But at least be aware of where to find them," she stated and trotted out of the library, the Espada firmly in tow.

Ulquiorra was silent as he took stock of the situation, and weighed his available options. Currently grasped in the magical field of the second most powerful being in this world -that he could detect anyway- and being forcefully taken to see a room he hadn't requested, and had absolutely no need for. His available options for response were quite scarce. There was little more he could do in this situation other than go along and silently wait to be released, at which point he would return to the library and continue his work uninterrupted.

"Rather extravagant."

Luna had been expecting some sort of statement in response to the Espada seeing the quarters that had been selected for him. However what she'd gotten was... underwhelming in nature. She'd expected something considerably more than just those two words as he was set down inside the room.

"We were not quite certain how you would like your room to be furnished, so we erred on the side of caution. If it is not to your liking it can be changed accordingly," she explained as she placed the various notes down on the desk.

Ulquiorra looked around the room. On the east wall was a large picture window, beneath which was a writing desk and simple chair. North sat a bed of simplistic design, its frame large enough to hold his own if he were to use it. To the right was a large wardrobe, a most curious sight seeing as he only had the one set of clothing with him. The west wall featured a closed door, to the right of it was a green sofa next to an empty book case. On the south wall was the doorway that lead to the room, next to it a light switch. It would seem logical, that if this world had electricity from hydroelectric dams, that Canterlot palace would be supplied with such. Glancing upward revealed a rather intricate light fixture dangling by a chain interlaced with electrical wiring.

"I'm not certain as to the importance of the sofa," Ulquiorra commented as he stood in the center of the room. Everything else served a purpose that he could understand and accept. Except for the sofa. "I can see the use of the bed. However the sofa and the chair seem superfluous in nature."

Luna blinked at Ulquiorra's statement. In his mind, the chair and the sofa were excessive and extravagant in nature? The room was quite spartan in nature and very plain, far more stripped down than they would be for anyone else that would be afforded quarters. And yet in the Espada's mind even this barren setting was in excess. It was... depressing to hear, saddening even.

"It is always possible that you might one day have guests to stay over. The sofa folds out into a bed," Luna explained, hoping the suggestion would inspire him to consider the possibility. The look of response on Ulquiorra's face told her that he doubted the legitimacy of her statement. Undeterred, Luna pressed on. "Ulquiorra Cifer. You may have doubts, but you will have friends, even if you do not believe such."

Ulquiorra remained silent. Princess Luna's words held no relevance for him. Despite everything he'd been through in his time here, he still had reason to doubt the legitimacy of her claims about friendship and such. He had reason to reevaluate his previous outlook. He even had reason to at least give consideration to what was being said. But as of yet he had seen nothing of significance, that would actually make him stop and readily embrace what he was seeing as truly valid. At best it was merely a curiosity that might warrant being further explored at some point.

"We shall see," he replied simply. Now it was Princess Luna who was silent as she approached him, stopping only once she stood before him.

Ulquiorra quickly found himself in a position not unlike he was four days ago in the dream world, the pony enveloping him in an unwanted hug. However unlike with Twilight Sparkle, Princess Luna's height was enough to allow her to easily wrap her legs around his neck and rest her head on his shoulder.

"You may represent emptiness, Ulquiorra Cifer, but we shall not allow you to be condemned to remain in emptiness. We all see you as more than a living weapon. You are not intended to be used during times of crisis, and then discarded when no longer needed," she explained, before releasing him and setting back down on her hooves. "I must take my leave for the evening, and tend to my royal duties now. In recent times there have been a great many bad dreams in need of address. A good evening to you, Ulquiorra Cifer," she told him before turning around and exiting the room.

Ulquiorra stood silently as Princess Luna exited the room, leaving him to his own devices as she was needed elsewhere. There was an irony to her words and actions. Whether or not she was aware of it, he didn't know, nor did he truly care.

These ponies continued to provide a source of interest to him. As well as confusion, and even irritation. Despite everything they knew, they still stubbornly chose to believe that he was someone in need of friends and company. They had discounted the unpleasantries of his past, and even his basic nature. They had chosen to believe that he wasn't a monster that was beyond reform, but someone who deserved the companionship of others. And they chose to maintain this belief, despite knowing full well that he could easily kill all of them if he was so inclined.

If any of the lower ranked Espada had been brought to this world instead of him, all of these ponies would be dead by now. Equestria would be little more than a mass grave, with only Princess Celestia and Princess Luna surviving to tell the tale.

Perhaps that was why Discord had selected him specifically. Perhaps the spirit of chaos knew full well that he wasn't inclined to harm others in response to the irrelevant annoyances they could present. However that still did nothing to answer the question of just why he'd been brought here in the fist place. What mission did he have to fulfill?

He could ask the same questions over and over again, devoting entire months to the subject, and still he wouldn't be any closer to the answers he sought. The only one who likely knew was Discord, and the spirit of chaos was nowhere to be found since the last time Princess Celestia had summoned him for the purpose of setting the changelings free; something he had regrettably been absent for, as it had occurred when he'd gone to retrieve his uniform jacket from Rarity's shop. Without the spirit of chaos being present, there were many things he was left unable to sort out.

The situation was the metaphorical equivalent of banging his head against a stone wall.

There were many, many questions right now, and not a single viable, tangible answer for any of them. Even with enlisting Twilight Sparkle and the others, it did nothing to clear off the many mysteries he was facing. Even with all he'd read about this land and the strange beings that dominated it, he was no better off than he had been upon his initial arrival in Equestria. Not with those five questions hanging over their heads just as the sword of... the sword of...

What was that tale of legend?

Yet another question to add to the pile.

Without a word he picked up the stack of notes and began sorting through them to regain his previous place, trying to make sense of what the pink earth pony had reported on. To some, this information would seem as a massive invasion of privacy. Would those mentioned be consenting to such if they knew it was all in an effort to save them and their friends?

Friends. Yet another mystery this world held. For all his efforts to understand it, it still remained elusive, incapable of being unraveled. It was something he saw no practical need for, and yet it was embraced by the residents of this world as if it was vital to life. It made no sense at all. It was through "friendship" that Rainbow Dash remained loyal to the others even after Mare Do Well. It was through "friendship" that the holders of the Elements of Harmony remained united through good times and bad.

At one point in time, his eyes saw everything that existed in the world. Everything that could be explained was plainly visible to him. It was simple, it was logical, it was right.

And then Orihime Inoue had, in a very roundabout manner, made him see that this perspective was incredibly limited, and there did indeed exist things that were beyond the physical limitations of his eyes.

He couldn't see love. Yet, in this world, love not only existed, but was physically tangible in its own right; a fact he had to accept when he witnessed Chrysalis feeding on Princess Celestia, both with and without her consent. The two had been involved in a display the likes of which he'd never seen before, and as much as he didn't want to, it was a fact he had to accept.

Just like love, he couldn't see friendship. And yet, just like love, friendship supposedly existed in this world, and was apparently tangible in its own right. It was a concept that was so foreign to him, so impossible to consider, and yet in this world it was accepted as existing and wasn't even questioned.

There was no logic to it at all.

+++

"Friendship isn't something that's easily defined from an analytical standpoint, my student Twilight had to find that out firsthoof. Friendship is something that has to be experienced to be understood, and even then it isn't understood in simple black and white terms, there are no clearly defined boundaries or prerequisites for categorization. I'm afraid the best concrete answer I can give you is that friendship is a relationship of mutual care and affection shared between two or more individuals."

+++

Princess Celestia's words ironically echoed in his mind at that exact moment. It was almost as if she'd known from the beginning about what he would encounter in his quest for knowledge.

And now Ulquiorra found himself presented with another question, this one dealing with Princess Celestia. Had she known? Did the alicorn know full well that his quest would prove fruitless in nature, and simply allowed him to discover this fact for himself? Did she know that his analytical nature wouldn't serve him here in this new world, and simply stood back to let them realize the fact for himself?

The questions were piling up higher than ever now. The more he thought on everything, the more he soon realized didn't make much-to-any sense.

"Perhaps this is a matter that I cannot simply think my way out of. This very well may be a situation that requires submersion and participation to truly understand..."

...

Did he really just think that? Was he seriously considering a hands on approach to try and understand what friendship really was, and if it truly had any merit?

"If nothing else, making them believe I've committed myself to the endeavor may serve as an aid in getting to the bottom of the five questions, and discovering my true purpose in this world. If they no longer have to distract themselves with the silly notion that I need to have friends, there will be more time to devote to important matters."

From what he could see, the decision reached was a simple, logical conclusion to arrive at, based on all the information he had available. It would provide a learning experience to uncover one mystery -in the process, perhaps showing these ponies that friendship wasn't a valid concept, and they were merely deluding themselves with nonsense- and potentially assist in uncovering another, much greater mystery.

From what he could see there were few negatives to the plan. If he was correct then these ponies would learn a hard, but much needed lesson about the realities of existence, and they could focus on more important matters. If he was incorrect... then perhaps he would be one step closer to understanding the heart; that mystery of an intangible concept he had been so close to having a grasp on back in Hueco Mundo.

With his notes in tow, and without further discussion, he proceeded back to the library, in hopes of being able to garner some information that would actually be useful.

Luna was silent as she walked into the throne room. The matter pertaining to Ulquiorra Cifer was indeed a complex one with no easy solutions available.

On the one hoof they were faced with the simple fact that the Espada didn't believe he had friends in Equestria. But behind the simple fact of the problem was the complex issues of how to go about correcting it. Was it really their place to meddle in the matter? Ulquiorra Cifer had said he didn't have friends, however he had not said that he wanted friends... but at the same time he never conclusively said that he didn't want friends.

There were many options available for them to use, but was it really their place to actually go about using them, simply because they believed they were right in doing it? They could try any number of things to make him friends, but if he had no desire for friends was it even right to try? How right was it to meddle?

Her sister's actions with Twilight Sparkle had been a necessity. Had she not been guided into friendship with others, the soul devouring evil of the foul demon Nightmare Moon would... she'd really rather not think about that right now...

But Ulquiorra Cifer was different. He couldn't possess one of the Elements of Harmony, nor was she aware of a single prophecy that could in any way be connected with him. While there was a magic in friendship, she found herself wondering if there was truly an urgency that needed to be addressed in this case.

All of that dealt with the matter of the one hoof. There was an entirely different hoof and corresponding different matter to address.

Beyond the simple matter of Ulquiorra Cifer and friendship, was the mystery that had been uncovered during the conversation with the ponies Rarity and Fluttershy. The five burning questions for which they had no answers. The five questions that all seemed tied to Discord, who was conveniently absent and unable to answer a single one of them. Was it deliberate on his part? She'd learned long ago to not put anything beyond the spirit of chaos.

She would assist the Arrancar in any manner she could on this matter. Twilight Sparkle and the others would most assuredly be assisting on the matter as well. Even her sister would be assisting how she could. Two alicorn Princesses, one dragon, and six exceptional ponies amounted to a considerable force to reckon with. Surely between them all they had to uncover something that would make some sense out of everything.

"My sister is right," she said to herself as she slowly ascended the stairs to the throne, "some days it truly does not pay be be a Princess. Matters of this great complication should not be experienced by anypony..."

With a sigh she closed her eyes, turned around and sat down to begin her royal nightly duties...

... And immediately leaped back up to her hooves on the stairs as the throne emitted a sound most undignified in nature, surprising her in the process and causing her cheeks to redden.

"Good gracious!" she stated. That hadn't been her, had it? Immediately she turned around and began scanning the throne, quickly finding something that was out of place. There, placed underneath the plush cushion that sat naturally on the throne was something entirely foreign, something made of rubber.

"A cushion of whoopee?" Luna asked in disbelief as she levitated it up to her. When had that been placed there? It must've been done before her shadow guards came on duty so... "Oh dear sister, this is without a doubt your hoofiwork, thou mischievous sprite. But 'tis crude even for thee," she growled as the gag item fell to the floor, another obscene sound coming from the device upon impact.

Behind her she could hear the snorting of barely repressed snickering. Her guards were laughing at her plight, and doing a poor job at trying to hide the fact. She scowled in response and disappeared in a flash as she teleported in front of them.

"Thou doth find this funny? That thou's Princess has been made a mockery of with such a foal's toy?" she asked them. Both guards were extremely tight lipped, doing their best to look dead serious... and struggling not to think of how things had unfolded as it would simply get them going again.

Luna didn't fall for it for a second. If anything their stone faces only drove her onward with a wry smirk. "Thou didst not take humor in it? Thou were not biting back laughter at the fluster of thine's Princess being taken by surprise in such an undignified manner?" she asked pointed as she paced before and between them, eying each of them as she passed by them slowly. Finally she stopped in front of the guard on her right and looked him straight in the eyes. "Thou didst not giggle at the perverse noise of this toy?" she asked as she levitated the whoopee cushion over in front of him.

She observed the guard do his best to bite his tongue and remain stone faced. She smirked wider to herself as she used her magic to squeeze the device and make it sound off, loudly, several more times. By now the barely suppressed smile of the guard was twisted in misery and he was going cross eyed in a desperate effort not to laugh; his partner was hardly doing any better at it. Slowly she walked over and faced the guard on her left.

"Thou doth look like one who wouldst enjoy a cheap laugh," she said as she leaned in closely until their noses were almost toughing. "A little amusement at some unsuspecting pony's expense. Thou didst not derive amusement from such a cheap tactic?" she asked a she brought the whoopee cushion forth and squeezed it, quite slowly to drag out the rude sound it made to a ridiculous degree.

By now the poor guard's eyes were starting to roll upward as he desperately tried not to laugh, to snort, to chuckle, to do anything that would inform his ruler that he was indeed amused to no end, and her inquisition was only worsening the matter.

The guard on the right was less fortunate and collapsed in laughter, unable to contain his amusement another moment. Luna looked at him, and then back at the other guard, who by now looked close to wetting himself. "Thou aren't most naughty little colts we find ourselves tasked with," she scolded in a disapproving manner, "thou shalt be punished for thee's actions here this night..." she warned.

And then went with a deliberate mood whiplash tactic of sticking her tongue out and crossing her eyes before him, blowing a long raspberry and sending the guard over the edge in hysterics as he pounded his front hooves against the hard marble floor. Luna merely looked down at him and smirked.

"Once thou doth regain thine's composure, makest thou ready, for we hath much work to do. This act was a declaration of war against us, and we must meet with a proper response. Our dear sister doth wish to prank us? She doth not know what she hath started," Luna explained and shook her head disapprovingly. But not disapproving of the guards and their foalish amusement, but rather that of her sister's antics. "Our dear sister, thou doth wish for a war, thou shalt have war, for it! IS! ON!"

Chapter Thirty Five

Chapter Thirty Five

Tuesday, June eleventh, second year of the new calendar: After Nightmare Moon

Observational notes pertaining to the mysterious concept known as "friendship" and other curiosities in the world of Equestria

Entry One

I have arrived at a conclusion. To properly organize my thoughts and observations about the strange aspects of this world, the most logical decision is to keep written notes, for future reference and easier recollection. Despite my intelligence, as well as my keen analytical nature, my mind is simply not a computer capable of perfect recollection of every detail at any given moment. I make no claim of being perfect, nor have I been accused of such. I am aware of my own shortcomings and know what my limits are. I do not maintain the nonsensical belief that I am perfectly capable of doing anything I set my mind to, or because I wish to arrive at a specific outcome; I am simply not that foolish.

There are a great many observations that could be made on my new surroundings, both the place and the beings that serve as the dominant species. However I don't believe they possess any true relevance to the matter at hand.

The unicorn named Twilight Sparkle has identified five specific lessons regarding the concept of friendship. In numerical order they are: tolerance, trust, kindness, apologize, and forgiveness. Supposedly, these five lessons are regarded as crucial to maintaining a successful friendship. To some degree I'm able to understand this. Out of the five lessons shared, I have arrived at the conclusion that tolerance is the primary key, and the one necessary to hold all other parts together.

To form a friendship with others, there is a need to tolerate their idiosyncrasies and habits that you would otherwise find distaste with. This makes the most sense, as perfect cohesion of any group is impossible, a fact I am keenly aware of with regard to the other Espada.

Tolerance was tested during the initial visit to Ponyville, during the assembly orchestrated by Twilight Sparkle. Despite my efforts to convey my disinterest with everything they had to present for consideration, a majority of the ponies refused to write me off as not worth their time.

The other four lessons seem dedicated to maintenance and upkeep. To some degree it is understandable, as everything needs maintenance at some point, be it the walls of Las Noches, or six ponies with the ability to speak.

The concept of friendship appears to be as foreign in nature as the beings that inhabit this world. Unlike a simple partnership between parties sharing a mutual interest, and where there must be some mutual benefit to maintaining the partnership, the concept of friendship seems to be devoid of anything resembling such compensation. The pony Filthy Rich has explained the mutually beneficial nature of his business partnership with a number of others who contribute to the success of Barnyard Bargains, and how he in turns contributes to their monetary success.

The friendship between the ponies who possess the Elements of Harmony displays no such mutually beneficial form of compensation that I can see. A friendship with the pony Applejack doesn't yield free apples from her farm at any given time. Nor does a friendship with Rarity yield free clothing or services at any given time. And a friendship with Rainbow Dash would seem to yield nothing at all, as those she seems physically closest to, are the ones most subjected to her boisterous attitude and egomania.

Rainbow Dash serves as a complication to the understanding of the mystery. The other five she associates with chose to engage in trickery and deceit behind her back, the act of which filled her with considerable resentment toward them, but she did not terminate her friendship with them, despite not forgiving them until just recently.

I suspect the above mentioned complication has something to do with how they possess the Elements of Harmony, and how they must work together to utilize them. However I possess no understanding of how a group can employ harmony when individual members harbor resentment and even hatred towards one another. The Espada were anything but harmonious in nature, the only unifying force to the group being Aizen's position as ruler. Even then, conflict was regular, and most members chose to work alone rather than partner with another Espada.

Yammy Llargo is the exception rather than the rule.

Back on the topic of these ponies tasked with bearing the Elements of Harmony, these "mane six" as I have heard them be referred to by others. They are as strange and complex as the notion of friendship itself, and filled with just as much nonsense, if not more.

The unicorn Twilight Sparkle possesses considerable intelligence, as well as a thirst for knowledge that seems to know no bounds. She has taken an incredible interest in my basic physiology and the nature of my being. Even after being horrified at how easily I do not conform to the natural laws of their world, this horror was short lived as her scientific mind reasserted itself. She serves as a walking contradiction at various times, a significant curiosity in this world full of curiosities. She makes attempts to get along with others, but at the same time does not willingly suffer fools gladly. She possesses an incredible degree of hostility and a penchant for violence, and yet when tasked with assisting in the extermination of a changeling infestation, became physically ill and displayed signs of emotional trauma. This is the same pony who made every effort to kill me just hours later when she believed Princess Celestia had been killed. The same pony that felt a deep sense of regret afterword, and felt compelled to apologize for her actions.

The pegasus Rainbow Dash possesses a much greater propensity towards murder than Twilight Sparkle. Along with this she possesses a significant degree of general hostility and a quick temper, perhaps even greater than she herself realizes. Comparatively speaking she's not too dissimilar from Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, as they both seem to possess the same negative personality traits. The cyan hair, as well as the density of her reiatsu when performing her "Sonic Rainboom" technique are also quite similar. Despite this observation, I can't help but wonder if her first actual kill will be a conscious decision on her part, or the result of losing control of her volatile temper, and taking her aggression out on whoever is unfortunate enough to be within the vicinity.

I must also question if this fury of hers is inherent to her nature, or if it's the result of the trickery carried out against her by the others. Reevaluation may be necessary.

The earth pony Pinkie Pie continues to remain a mystery in all regards. Despite taking issue with how I violate the known laws of physics of this world, Twilight Sparkle seems to simply accept the violations this pony causes on a daily basis. My preliminary evaluation of her being a portion of Discord still stands, seeming to be the most logical explanation available. There are many questions surrounding her. Questions I can't find answers for, just as I'm unable to evaluate her own capacity for murder and blood lust. There is something about her, but as of yet I don't know what.

Unlike Rainbow Dash, reevaluation will be necessary. The question I find myself asking is if the gain in information will be worth tolerating her presence and idiosyncrasies for a lengthy period of time.

Then there is the pegasus Fluttershy and her contradictory nature. On the surface she is calm, meek, and unimposing; seemingly kind to others without consideration for how her actions may adversely affect herself. Below that surface is a beast of such fury that, upon my first encountering with it, I found myself taken completely by surprise and rendered temporarily speechless. Such fury that she was able to force a -supposedly- full grown bull dragon to leave its cave merely by scolding it, when I myself was incapable of doing the same through physical superiority. It is quite possible that her capacity for murder is the greatest of the six.

Current theory would suggest Fluttershy's propensity for murder is so great, she herself is terrified of what she is capable of doing, and makes every effort to bury this fact as deep as possible, to the point she can't call upon it at will. This would explain her outwardly timid nature. It would also explain her kindness towards others, as it would serve to further deny what she truly is, both to herself and to the outside world. Despite her best efforts, I believe the others are aware of her true nature, and actively attempt to utilize it whenever necessary.

The earth pony Applejack, and the unicorn Rarity, as of present time, do not display any significant indicators of a propensity towards violence and murder. This does not mean that such a propensity is not possessed by them, however, as that would be a foolish assessment. At best it would mean they are more capable of concealing whatever dark secrets they possess, compared to their associates.

The dragon Spike is another curiosity of the group. Although he does not possess an Element of Harmony on his own, he seems to be contingent to a number of endeavors the six engage in. Based on several observations I would estimate his level of intelligence to be on par with Twilight Sparkle herself. His skill in chess, as well as his tactical mindset as seen during the changeling outbreak, would suggest he is regarded as an important asset by the others. However as an asset he seems to be quite mismanaged, as the others prefer to utilize him for mundane purposes such as cooking, serving, and general runabout work, to say nothing of tasks that require actual hands rather than hooves. I can't tell for certain whether he resents this or not. If he truly does resent his treatment, then eventually there must be a breaking point to observe.

The unique personalities of each of these individuals serves as further confusion when attempting to understand their friendship with one another. If I were asked to speculate on the matter, I would point out situations in which conflict would likely occur, and any attempts at a successful partnership would fall apart through strife and distrust. I have identified multiple situations in which this would occur in any given interaction. And yet, despite my calculations, they continue to surprise me by defying logic, and trusting each other to a greater degree than would seem possible.

Perhaps more surprising than the group cohesion they seem to exert in opposition to all logical odds, is their willingness and even desire to associate with myself. I am their physical antithesis, the embodiment of what is opposite of them. They believe in peaceful solutions, I believe in logical solutions regardless of their nature. they value the lives of others, I do not see the value in the lives of those who present a threat. They hug, I do not.

Curiosity is a viable theory of explanation. Each of them appears to have found something to my character they wish to explore further.

Another theory is Princess Celestia has ordered them to associate and interact with me, for the purpose of furthering my own orders of trying to understand friendship. I certainly wouldn't put it past her, but if that theory has any grounds I must question why, if they're acting under orders, they are so nonsensical in nature in how they carry out their instructions. There is no professionalism with them unless it pertains to their own work in my absence.

However this theory does not withstand scrutiny when considering their status and importance. As the ones who possess the Elements of Harmony, and thus amount to this country's best defense, it is highly unlikely Princess Celestia would order them to be in my presence for any reason if she still possesses doubts regarding my sincerity. But at the same time this scrutiny does not stand up to the fact that Princess Celestia chose to release Discord from his stone entombment in the belief that the pegasus Fluttershy could reform him. Her course of action could have resulted in the six being wiped from existence in the blink of an eye, or the spirit of chaos could have chosen to cause the diarchy to cease to exist. There is no end to the chaos that could've been implemented during that window of opportunity.

I also find myself questioning the sanity of Princess Celestia herself. In addition to the above mentioned actions, there are the numerous endeavors she's made to determine if I have any inclination to strike her in a treacherous manner. Each of her attempts has been incredibly transparent, and each of them has been addressed accordingly, with a note made regarding her lack of tact and the futility of her attempts. Regardless of how many times she is informed about my loyalty, she refuses to accept it as the truth. To some degree this is understandable and logical. However that does nothing to make it any less annoying. This game of chess she insists upon playing will need to come to an end at some point in the future. If not, then it will be necessary to explain the contradiction to her in an effort to force her hoof hand and make her cease the illogical behavior.

All of this pertains only to the mysteries native to this world and its inhabitants. There are mysteries that relate to myself and my presence here that leave me, for lack of a more appropriate term, concerned.

The location of my Hollow hole does not seem to be the same as it was prior to my death. I remember it originally being set higher in my chest than it currently is. I have no idea how this has occurred, or what the significance is. I have no idea whether it is merely my perception and memory that was off, and my physical structure remains unchanged, or if something else is occurring with my body.

But if something truly is occurring with my body, what exactly is it? What is occurring, for what reason, and perhaps more importantly, is it something that can be stopped?

I have thoroughly inspected the abilities natural to my body. Everything seems to be in check, with the exception of all garganta-related abilities. As of yet I'm unable to determine the significance of this and can only speculate. If Discord truly brought me to this world to fulfill some specific mission, then it would seem to make sense that he would attempt to keep me here until I do just that.

Which brings about the next point of curiosity. After several incidents have occurred I have engaged in meticulous examination in an effort to discern an explanation for what has occurred. To the best of my abilities I have examined the levels of my strength, both back in Las Noches and here. I can discern no differences in the nearly three week period between then and now. Perhaps that is why this is all the more disturbing to encounter and give consideration to.

The dragon encountered on my fourth day in this world possessed a level of reiatsu and physical strength on par to Quinto Espada, Nnoitra Gilga. Defeating it proved to be only minor in difficulty, and then only due to the need to safeguard the holders of the Elements of Harmony, and keep them from being killed in order to follow Princess Celestia's orders. Despite this fact, however, I experienced a complication I never expected to encounter; pain. The dragon's fire failed to burn or even singe my skin, yet I still experienced the pain of the burn. It proved to be quite unpleasant.

Pain was also present upon stopping the dragon's fist. It was nothing that couldn't be tolerated, but the discomfort ran from my palm, to my shoulder, all the way down to my lower back. How such a weak opponent could present such difficulty is beyond my understanding.

The next situation proved to be my encounter with Princess Celestia during the changeling invasion. During my attempt to make my treachery look convincing, I made an effort to strike her down with a cut across the back. As I predicted, the attack caused her no harm, as her reiatsu was far too dense to cut with my zanpakutō. Instead the injury was mine, as the palm of the hand I was using to hold Murciélago became cut instead. Such is the nature of a clash between two bodies of reiatsu, the weaker taking damage from the physical blow.

Ordinarily this wouldn't warrant mentioning. The only reason I have chosen to write it down is due to the fact the injury occurred despite the use of comparatively little force in delivering the blow; it shouldn't have been enough to result in any injury on my part. Despite that fact, an injury did occur. Were I not in possession of my high-speed regeneration the damage to my palm would've taken considerably longer to heal than it did.

One possible explanation for this is the reishi-like substance of this world referred to as "mana." The two appear quite similar in nature as I'm able to feed and sustain my existence off of it with relative ease. Mana also appears to have a much greater density than reishi itself, at least in the capitol city of Canterlot. However this means little. Despite being similar the two are not perfectly identical. Perhaps my body has not yet adapted to this new world and can only gain partial sustenance from the mana in the area, and with time the acclimation process will resolve this inconsistency. Or perhaps mana is simply not as nutritious in nature as reishi. Perhaps mana is more akin to what's known as "junk food" and can only provide minimum sustenance and my body is reacting accordingly. This would seem logical to some degree, as mana is used for the casting of various magic spells in this world. To date I haven't encountered another being who actually consumes mana.

Back to the discussion of pain. The presence of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, primarily when they're together, is quite painful to experience. It is difficult to explain in an adequate manner what it's like to experience their reiatsu levels when they aren't restrained to a tolerable level. Princess Luna's reiatsu is rather concussive to experience. When she flexes her strength to a significant degree, I can feel it exerting force against my body, it's almost suffocating in nature. The first time I encountered her fury I found myself completely unable to breathe until I left the area.

Princess Celestia's reiatsu is considerably more destructive in nature, and more hazardous to encounter when she is angered. When she directed her fury against me, her reiatsu caused significant burns and blisters to my skin, easily causing damage to my hierro, and bruising my internal organs in the process.

Primera Espada Coyote Starrk's reiatsu was intense enough to cause lesser Hollows to die merely by being in his presence. It's not a matter of doubting the existence of reiatsu levels with greater intensity than my own, I'm fully aware that they exist, I have even encountered them for myself. The matter of concern is the fact that Princess Celestia's reiatsu can cause physical damage to my body if she chooses to flare it. I'm not certain what to make of this fact as of yet.

Three theories exist to possibly explain this mystery. However none of them can as of yet be substantiated with any direct physical evidence.

The first theory pertains to myself. If my body is still made of highly concentrated reishi -and by extension of my presence here, mana as well- particles, it's theoretically possible that I'm more vulnerable to the forces Princess Celestia can exert on the surrounding territory, while the other ponies remain blissfully ignorant of her destructive potential due to their flesh and blood construction.

The second theory pertains to Princess Celestia herself. Her special talent appears to be control over the sun itself, deciding when it raises and when it lowers, and doing so by herself. According to the history of this world, the task was originally carried out by a team of the thirteen strongest unicorns known to exist, indicating it was a considerable task to perform. Yet because of her special talent relating to the sun, she seemingly performs this feat by herself with great ease. If she's somehow connected to the sun, perhaps it's possible the sun is able to exert feedback through her body, and during times of emotional unease this feedback is more readily detectable. Perhaps I burned because it was the equivalent of standing next to the sun itself. However that wouldn't explain why the guard that was present remained unharmed.

The third theory involves Discord himself. Perhaps the spirit of chaos modified my body in some way to make me vulnerable to Princess Celestia's reiatsu in an effort to keep me under her control, because he believed it necessary. It would be quite foolish to put anything past Discord. According to Princess Celestia, he's responsible for me in the same way a child is responsible when they receive a pet; if I'm bad then he will be punished. Perhaps this is his equivalent of attempting to train me to behave myself.

However it must be remembered that what these ponies possess is not reiryoku, but rather something else entirely. Just as mana and reishi are not identical, what these ponies possess is certainly not true reiryoku. And what force they exert when flexing their strength is more than likely not the same as reiatsu. What it truly is, I don't know. But it is the only comparison that I can make.

There are no answers to be had for any of these questions. All that is present are unsubstantiated theories and speculation. I have devoted a number of days to little more than extensive research and unguided speculation. Even I have lost count of how many hundreds of books I've read in what would be considered a desperate attempt to garner some helpful piece of knowledge to make sense of my situation. In all of those books I have found nothing that would make sense of my presence, nor have I found anything that would assist in making sense of the concept of friendship.

I have arrived at what I believe to be the most logical conclusion available under the present circumstances. As strange as it may sound, I believe that I am in need of the others. With Discord nowhere to the found and questioned, and the Princesses potentially having their own agendas, Twilight Sparkle and the other ponies are likely the most qualified to assist in solving these mysteries.

My intention is to head for Ponyville first thing in the morning. If there are answers in this world, they will likely be found there. Twilight Sparkle's intelligence makes her a valuable asset right now. Perhaps with her help I can get to the bottom of at least some of these mysteries.

If nothing beneficial occurs from my exploration, I will at least be present should the third incident somehow coincide with the timing of my arrival just as the last two did.

End of report

Subsequent entry: See about locating a functional pen in this world if at all possible. Quills and ink wells leave much to be desired.

Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Six

It was way, way, way too early to be up this morning. It was as simple as that, just way too bucking early to be up and awake. All Rainbow Dash wanted to do right now was just get another hour or so of sleep to compensate for what she'd lost last night.

But sadly she wasn't getting that right now. She had to perform her early morning weather duties, check in with Twilight and the others, carry out her assigned weather duties for the day, keep an eye out for anything weird around Ponyville and the surrounding territory, and then see what her friends were up to for today.

Having all that to do in her state meant getting awake in a hurry. And unfortunately there was only one sure way to go about doing so, that made sense in her sleep deprived mind.

She needed to take a cold shower. Meaning she had to go outside to locate a stray cloud and give it a good, solid kick to bring down a deluge of rainwater that was just short of freezing from setting outside overnight.

"Stupid early morning weather duties," she mumbled and yawned, scratching at her side with her hoof as she flew along, eyes barely open enough to keep her from crashing into anything. "Stupid mysteries, stupid reports, stupid, stupid, stupid..." she yawned more as she made her way over to a cloud that looked like it had enough rain for her needs.

The haphazard buck given had the desired effect of triggering a downpour of cold rainwater, the chill causing a shrill scream of surprise as it easily beat through her fur and against her skin. She hated that! But at least she felt more wide awake and alert now.

Once the initial shock was over, it really wasn't all that bad. And once the rain actually got moving, it wasn't really that cold. Since she was here she might as well finish with getting cleaned up, it really wasn't that big of a deal. Humming an offbeat tune to herself, she proceeded to wash up and get herself ready for the day, letting the rain pelt away at her wings, mane, and face.

Most of the one sided conversation with herself was held in unintelligible mumbles, serving as a vocal outlet as she figured out what today was going to involve beyond her assigned duties and responsibilities. Today was Wednesday, so she had her race with Applejack later this afternoon, but she didn't know what else there was. Shrugging, she threw her head back to catch a mouthful of rainwater to gargle with.

"What exactly are you doing?"

Rainbow Dash coughed at suddenly hearing the unexpected voice, nearly choking in surprise from swallowing wrong. After a particularly hard cough, she finally turned around to glare at whoever it was that decided to sneak up on her.

To her surprise it was none other than Ulquiorra, standing there in the middle of the sky as easily as she stood on clouds, his hands tucked away in his pockets, looking at her in the way only he could.

"Dude that's not funny!" she yelled. She was cold, she was dripping wet, and her awesome mane was matted against her head in a very uncool manner, and this jerk had managed to sneak up behind her with ease and take her completely off guard. She had plenty of good reason to be furious with him right now.

"I apologize then," Ulquiorra replied simply, his expression completely unchanged.

Rainbow Dash frowned again. "Yeah? For some reason I don't think you mean that," she stated in response as she eyed him incredulously.

"A correct suspicion, as I did not," Ulquiorra replied, "where can Twilight Sparkle be found at this time of day?" he asked.

There were a lot of things Rainbow Dash wanted to say right now. A lot of things she could say to try and put the Espada in his place for interrupting her shower, nearly drowning her mid-gargle, and then trying to pump her for information about her friends. Yes indeed, there were a lot of things she wanted to say.

But she wasn't going to say any of them. She knew from the beginning that the Espada was a jerk and that it was in his nature, yelling at him wasn't going to change that, and it'd just get her all the more riled and bristled, and it wouldn't even make her feel good. She was just going to have to let the issue drop. At least he was asking and not demanding, that was something.

"Knowing Egghead she's probably at the library, but I don't know what she's doing right now. She could be reading or sleeping, or knowing her she found a way to read in her sleep," she replied and shrugged, "what brings you by Ponyville at this time of day?"

"Questions for which no answers appear to exist in Canterlot's library. Continued scouring of the many hundreds of books available in an unguided manner would serve little to no purpose," Ulquiorra explained.

He'd spent days reading. Hundreds of books being read through in search of answers, some small sliver of information that could help put everything into perspective. Some passage of history to explain Princess Celestia, to explain Discord, to possibly reveal if there was another player in the world. And despite all his efforts he'd only been able to cover a small portion of the total number of books gathered.

It was too early to write off the entire library as useless. But as it was currently, he was doing little more than metaphorically beating his head against a wall. He didn't doubt his own ability to gather answers, but what he did doubt was the effectiveness of doing such. Time was likely not on his side, and he doubted he had months to go about it on his own. There was little choice but to ask for help from others; a fact he'd more or less been forced to recognize and admit to when he'd made these ponies his fracción. And now here he was, forced to call upon them for assistance once again, because he didn't have enough time to do it all himself.

"Yeah? Well good luck then. I'd talk more but I've gotta get ready for work, we've got rain scheduled for after midnight tonight. I'll try and swing by later though," Rainbow Dash stated.

Ulquiorra said nothing in response. The primary reason he'd sought out Rainbow Dash was to gather Twilight Sparkle's location. The fact that he'd identified her reiatsu signature first had been nothing more than a coincidence. He was just about to sonido away, when a startled yell from the cyan pegasus gave him reason to pause momentarily.

"Before you leave, did you say anything to Twilight or anypony else about what we talked about? Y'know... about Mare Do Well?" she asked.

"I did not," he replied simply.

"No?" she asked, not entirely sure whether she should believe him or not. He was always so... even when he spoke, his voice never carrying any hint of what he might be feeling or thinking. It was grating on her nerves! "Okay that's strange, and not Pinkie Pie strange either. More like weird strange. The same day as the changeling invasion, Twilight came by my house and practically broke the door down to apologize for it. She even made all the others apologize too. I didn't tell anypony about that, so how'd she know?"

"I am uncertain, just as I am uninterested. Perhaps Princess Celestia's ruse showed Twilight Sparkle what it's like to be betrayed by the one she trusts most, and from there she pieced the rest together herself," Ulquiorra suggested. With that exchange finished, he left to tend to matters of a greater importance, leaving the cyan pegasus behind in a burst of sonido.

Rainbow Dash just scratched her head in confusion. There were way too many things going on around here to keep track of. She confides in the Espada about her problems, then her problems resolve themselves, and he didn't play any part in it? What exactly was he, a plot device or something?

"Forget it, I'll ask later," she muttered to herself as the improvised shower stopped, allowing her to proceed with shaking herself dry.

Spike hummed to himself as he went about getting ready for the day and whatever it might bring. He was the first to wake up this morning, Twilight still slumbering away from her usual late night studying session. It was the usual, normal routine to be encountered. The only thing different was that Twilight wasn't studying some ancient tome to garner a better understanding of old magic, or some unexplained mystery of Equestria's history. Instead this time around it was due to Twilight trying to spot a pattern in all the random, day-to-day events that went on around Ponyville.

If there was a pattern to be established, he sure wasn't seeing it; none of them were really. Try as they might, none of them could really discern what events were the ones that needed to looked out for. Not even Pinkie, the master mare of randomness, could make out anything of relevancy. And that fact was slowly, but surely, starting to drive Twilight nuts! He could see the warning signs early on, he knew full well what was coming down the lane. He was doing everything in his power to head off the coming panicked meltdown and inevitable relapse, but unless there was some type of break soon... things were going to get very, very ugly. He wasn't even sure Princess Celestia could help this time.

His melancholy thoughts and even his early morning routine actions were interrupted by a knocking at the front door, bringing his mind back to the present. Who could it possibly be at this time of day? The library wasn't even supposed to open for another hour for crying out loud!

"We're not open yet!" Spike called back, not even bothering to walk out of the kitchen. For a moment it was silent again, other than the normal noises that were associated with morning business. Thinking nothing of it, he went back to getting breakfast ready.

Another knock occurred. Whoever it was at the door, they didn't seem to listen to his words.

"I said we're not open yet!" Spike called back, louder this time.

Once again silence. Spike poked his head out of the kitchen doorway and looked at the front door, expecting another knock to occur. He watched, and watched, and watched some more. Finally when he was convinced the knocker had moved on, he went back to the kitchen to finish cooking.

And then a frightened scream from outside the library caused him to jump in surprise. Where'd that come from? Curiosity got the better of him and he went to investigate, unlocking the front door and opening it to see where the scream had come from.

"Greetings."

Spike looked up at the voice. Standing before him was Ulquiorra, his hands tucked into his pockets as he just stood there, his face expressionless as he looked down at him.

"Ulquiorra? What're you doing here at this time of day? Did you see who was knocking? And what was that scream I heard just a minute ago?" Spike asked, finding the whole thing very confusing right now.

"Trying to locate Twilight Sparkle. I was indeed the one knocking. As to who was screaming, I believe it was the earth pony Bonbon. I can only assume my presence is still a matter of concern, for those who were present for the changeling extermination," Ulquiorra responded.

"Yeah I could see that," Spike replied. He'd been left behind in Ponyville to oversee the operation as Twilight and the others headed to Canterlot at Princess Celestia's request. And while he only learned of the gory details of that event from what the others told him, his experience here back at home hadn't exactly been much better.

He hadn't witnessed the supposed death of Princess Celestia, but what he'd been present for was far more chaotic. He'd been put in charge of more or less the entire town; left to try and keep everypony calm, and reassure them everything was going to be fine. Even after they'd all learned the truth of the matter, about the changeling invasion that had beset Ponyville, many of them had still been worried that Ulquiorra would be returning to kill the rest of them, that he'd just been saving them for later, all to strike at a more convenient time.

Even with the Cutie Mark Crusaders doing their best to help out, along with Big Macintosh, and a few others who possessed a more commanding presence than himself, it was certainly no slice of cake. Did anypony really have any idea how hard it was to keep over a hundred ponies from panicking, after witnessing a massacre up close?

And then had come what the town had collectively referred to as "The Event." What he'd later learned was Ulquiorra transforming, had been seen as far away as Ponyville. And it'd absolutely terrified everypony, and sent them running back to their homes to hide. They didn't have a single clue what they'd been experiencing, only that its appearance on top of everything else that'd happened, was something they didn't want to face.

He wouldn't admit it to anypony who asked, but not knowing what was going on at the time, even he'd gotten scared and hid behind Big Macintosh, feeling some sense of safety with the big, strong, stoic stallion.

What he couldn't figure out was how word of Ulquiorra's actions wasn't sweeping the country like a wildfire in the middle of a dry summer. He knew how gossip worked and how fast word could travel. By now everypony in Equestria should be talking about the event. The only thing that he could figure, was that maybe the changeling invasion had taken center stage. Maybe there were mitigating circumstances that led to the overshadowing of Ulquiorra's involvement; like ponies being held in cocoons, or mass hypnotism or something.

Oh well, standing here and just thinking to himself wasn't going to get anything done.

"Might as well come in, no use standing outside," he finally said as he opened the door wider, "care for a cup of coffee?" he asked.

Ulquiorra stepped inside, silently agreeing that there was no use in standing outside, as his unattended presence would merely cause more terror to the town's inhabitants. "I've heard the term used by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna on several occasions, but I have little understanding of just what it is," he replied as the door was closed behind him.

"Really? That's a shame. Come on, let's get you a cup so you can see what you've been missing out on," Spike stated as he jogged back to the kitchen.

Ulquiorra followed at his own pace, observing as Spike made use of a step stool to get a third mug down from the cupboards and set it on the table next to two others, before grabbing a potholder and pulling some strange looking kettle off the stove and pour a steaming liquid into each of them.

"You're in for a treat, this is a special blend. We get the beans fresh and I roast them myself," Spike explained as he set the percolator down on the counter. "The secret to a great blend of coffee is all in the grind. Can't be too coarse, can't be too fine. This, Ulquiorra, is a science that anybody can appreciate," he stated as he pushed the cup forward.

From Spike's description, this "coffee" sounded like a dedicated endeavor. It looked a great deal like tea, however it smelt nothing like tea. With his curiosity mildly piqued, he picked up the offered cup to sample the strange brew.

He was quite thankful he'd only sipped the strange beverage.

Despite the strong smell, he'd still expected to encounter something that was at least similar to the tea served by Applejack on their first meeting. Instead his taste buds had been greeted by what had to be the liquid equivalent of a punch in the face from the rainbow-maned pegasus. It was stout. It was strong. It was mildly bitter. He found himself briefly wondering if the brew was capable of serving as both a paint stripper and rust remover. This was supposed to be a beverage that was enjoyed?

"Coffee..."

It was a tired mutter coming from behind him. Turning his head he saw Twilight Sparkle approaching slowly, her mane in an unkempt mess, her eyes mostly closed with circles beneath them. Her entire appearance suggested she was still asleep. It was an observation reinforced by the fact she walked past him, saying nothing except mutterings for coffee as she approached the table. Her movements contained a sense that suggested this was nothing unusual for her, and something she'd gone through numerous times, to the point she had no difficulty navigating in an impaired state.

"Coffee," she muttered again as she stood up, resting her forelegs on the table and pulling the steaming mug over to her, tiredly but eagerly picking it up with her magic and sipping at its contents. "Ahh that's the ticket," she sighed with contentment, a look of relaxation crossing her face.

Ulquiorra silently regarded the entire display, and then the partially full cup held in his hand. Twilight Sparkle had no problem tolerating the volatile brew, and even seemed to take great pleasure in its consumption. She was displaying no signs that suggested it was a caustic concoction. Curiously, he took another sip.

Perhaps it was simply an acquired taste. It would make the most sense.

Twilight sat silently as she nursed her cup of coffee, several more sips through closed eyes and contented smiles. Nothing like a good cup of coffee to start off the day. "Spike, I'd be lost without you," she said as she finally opened her eyes, feeling the caffeine jump starting her system and getting her primed and ready for the day and whatever it might bring.

And then she saw Ulquiorra standing there and looking at her. She nearly dropped her coffee cup on the ground in surprise.

"Ulquiorra? What're you doing here?" she asked curiously. Suddenly her curiosity was replaced by a sensation of mild panic. "Wait, is there another dragon on the loose? Is an Ursa Minor wandering around and destroying the surrounding territory?!"

"Not to my knowledge," Ulquiorra responded calmly, completely unfazed by her sudden anxiousness. Had any such incident occurred he would've dealt with it personally, rather than bothering to involve the ponies and put them at risk of harm; a process that would result in handicapping him and forcing him to take precautions to protect them, while at the same time trying to stop the threat. And all while trying to remember that he wasn't supposed to kill as a first resort. "My purpose here is of a different nature. I've come to the conclusion that there are questions for which there are no answers in Canterlot's library. And I fail to see the logic in continuing pointless studying for something that either doesn't exist, or is buried in some obscure tome behind thousands of others," he explained.

"Oh?" Twilight asked curiously before taking another sip of her coffee. "Is this about the mystery at hand? About why you're here and what the next big event against Equestria might be?" she asked.

"Partially. But based on your report, I don't foresee my presence positively contributing to any sort of discovery. Rather I come about something far more confusing, an area you appear to be an expert in," Ulquiorra explained, finishing the cup of coffee and setting the cup down before continuing. "What you and the others call "friendship" continues to elude my understanding. There are no similarities I can draw between it and what I know. The business partnerships of the earth pony Filthy Rich make sense, they are mutually beneficial in nature, and the parties involved profit from being united, rather than being apart. Your friendship with the others doesn't appear to offer anything that is mutually beneficial in nature. Try as I might, I can see nothing that would explain your continued association with one another. Even holding the Elements of Harmony does nothing to provide a logical explanation. The relationship you have with the others appears very high maintenance in nature, and more trouble than it's worth, when you receive no compensation for the investment of your time. What conceivably brings you together? And in logical terms, what binds you together, and serves as sufficient motivation for your continued association and interaction?"

The room was strangely silent. Ulquiorra observed Twilight Sparkle and the strange appearance on her face. This was confusing, in that he'd expected the unicorn to launch into an in depth explanation about the topic, and what she'd learned about it in her time in Ponyville. Instead he was greeted by silence, broken only by her gulping down the rest of her coffee in one gulp. He nearly asked her how her stomach lining didn't corrode away when exposed to high concentrations of such a caustic substance, when she interrupted that train of thought by finally speaking.

"That's a... very good question actually," she said slowly as she set the cup down on the table and looked at him, carefully weighing her options and how to proceed. Leave it to Ulquiorra to ask the difficult questions. Right now he was making her feel uneasy, like a teacher asking her a question she hadn't prepared for. "I think I can see why you're having trouble understanding this."

"You can?" Spike asked curiously.

"I think so. But don't hold me to that just yet, I might be wrong," Twilight said to Spike, before turning her attention back to Ulquiorra again. "You're looking at this from the point of view of a scientist: detached, clinical, trying to observe a cause and effect correlation in order to explain how Action A leads to Reaction B, and understand all the various steps involved with arriving at these results. Trying to pick apart a concept, and not only separate its various factors and standards for organized study, but also boil them all down to their individual, primary components, and determine the science behind their function," she explained before pausing. A rather long pause really. "Am I right?"

Ulquiorra considered her words and how she'd structured her explanation of the situation. He had to admit that she was indeed right about the thought process that was going on. It was mildly surprising how she was able to easily understand his analytical nature.

"So far," he stated simply. He was finding himself curious as to where this went.

"Right. That's where the problem is coming from," Twilight stated as she got down from the table and walked around, back into the main portion of the library. Ulquiorra turned to observe her, as she brought over chalk and a rolling blackboard.

"Before I begin there's something I want to say. If there's a quintessential definition of friendship that exists, then it's something I don't possess. The best I can do is share with you what I've learned about it, based on my own experiences and discoveries. Some might make sense, some might not," she explained as she stepped in front of the blackboard.

"Wait a minute! You're going to give a lecture now!?" Spike asked as he came jogging out of the kitchen and past Ulquiorra. "Twilight, you haven't even had breakfast yet, is this really a good idea?"

"I'll be fine, Spike, go ahead and eat without me. This is a little more important than breakfast... unless you'd like to join us first," she said as she directed the proposition at Ulquiorra.

"Perhaps another time," he replied, not particularly interested in anything that made use of actual flowers as an active ingredient. The reishi in the area was more than sufficiently sustaining for the time being.

"Alright," Twilight replied and nodded, barely noticing as Spike slowly walked back into the kitchen. Now it was a matter of finding how to word this properly. "You remember how I came to be living in Ponyville, right?" she asked.

"I do," Ulquiorra replied. He remembered the tale of how she'd been set to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun festival, and in doing so, meeting the others who would come to hold the Elements of Harmony. It had been that fact, that exercise in careful orchestration on the part of Princess Celestia, that had allowed for the defeat of Nightmare Moon. It had also served as the catalyst to Twilight Sparkle studying the same concept that he was currently attempting to figure out. "Is it relevant to this?"

"More than you'd ever guess. Before I came to Ponyville, I actually had a similar way of thinking. Everything that was worth knowing about was something that made sense. Don't get me wrong, things that don't make sense are still worth devoting time to; I'm a scientist, and I'd be lax in my duties to turn my back on something just because I couldn't understand it. But on the topic of friendship, and friends in general... well... at best I saw it as a waste of time. Time that could be better utilized for more important matters like reading, studying and learning new things. At worst... I considered friends to be nothing more than ponies who got in the way and complicate a situation beyond reasonable degrees, and all because they were too stupid to realize what they were getting into was way over their heads, and best left alone by them," Twilight explained, regretting the fact that she was ever so blind with regard to others. It was a shame of hers that she'd love to erase if possible.

"What changed your mind?" Ulquiorra asked. Twilight Sparkle's tale of herself was proving to be interesting, much to his own surprise. This pony did have a similar outlook to his own, something he'd never expected to encounter in this colorful world. What exactly had occurred to change her?

"In simple terms, Nightmare Moon happened. My studies had pointed out how the thousand year banishment would be ending on the night of the Summer Sun celebration, and it did. Princess Celestia was nowhere to the found, and the terror of legends of old was free to enact eternal night, unopposed by mortal ponies. My research on the matter pointed out the location of where the Elements of Harmony were held at the time, deep in the old castle ruins of the Everfree forest, and I knew they'd be our best chance of stopping her. I set out to try and retrieve them on my own, as I was the only one who knew full well what had to be done. But I didn't remain on my own for very long, as the others had decided to tag along, regardless of my protests, or my hostility toward them. I thought they'd just get in the way, but they wound up being the key to victory. Each one of them helped me get past a specific obstacle Nightmare Moon threw at us. Dangerous animals, treachery, terrifying illusions, a collapsing ledge, a broken bridge... they helped me past each of them, putting themselves in harms way in the process, and even remained at my side when facing down Nightmare Moon herself. That... was something else..."

He remained silent as Twilight Sparkle explained the details of the event in question, pausing momentarily to catch her breath. He still possessed doubts about what she was saying, but not anything pertaining to the facts of the events that transpired, he'd accepted them as the truth. What came into question dealt more with how the actions of Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, had caused the unicorn to change her outlook on life, and be what she is right now. If it were him in the situation, he would assume the five ponies had become involved, for no purpose other than attempting to save their own lives, seeing as eternal night would affect them all equally. Had they not contributed they would have nobody to blame for their fates but themselves. He would even speculate that their motives may have been due to cowardice; that they had tagged along in hopes of a quick death rather than a slow one.

"Don't get me wrong. I didn't automatically reach the conclusions about friendship that I have today. At first I didn't know what to make of it. I thought maybe they were simply tagging along in an effort to save their own lives, seeing as eternal night would affect them all equally. I... don't really want to acknowledge it, but a darker part of my mind wondered if... maybe they tagged along because they thought it was a suicide mission, and they were looking for an easy way out of a dire situation. I'm... ashamed of the fact that I had those thoughts at all..." Twilight explained once she began talking again, hanging her head at the last part.

Her words and observations being remarkably similar to his own thoughts. It was remarkably disturbing. Perhaps more disturbing was the fact that it felt incredibly familiar to him. Why was that?

He didn't even have the chance to inquire about the mystery, as Twilight Sparkle was already talking again, and dominating the conversation.

"Before you ask what the relevance of this story is, I'm getting to that. After everything was said and done, and a lot of confusion was finally over, I found myself living in Ponyville with five new friends, but very little actual understanding of friendship itself. That's why I submit friendship reports to Princess Celestia whenever I do learn something about it. For all my scientific knowledge, my ability to recite complex mathematical formulae from memory, I might as well have been the village idiot at the time. Even now, after all these years, there's still a lot of it that I don't fully understand. I understand basic bits and pieces, enough to have a rudimentary grasp on it... but it's something I haven't mastered yet. It's like trying to figure out calculus without knowing basic mathematics, or studying quantum physics without an understanding of even basic physics," she explained.

"What you're trying to say, is that you won't be able to assist me on the matter," Ulquiorra elaborated, cutting her off before she could go any further in this one sided discussion. Spike had been quite correct when he'd predicted a lecture would be occurring.

"What? No! No, no, no, no!" she objected quickly at hearing his words, her reiatsu flaring about in the process. "I'm not saying that, anything but! What I'm saying is, or at least what I was trying to say is..." she paused a moment in hesitation as she pondered, "this isn't something for which a definite answer exists. That's something that gave me the hardest time before I finally started to understand it myself. Friendship means different things to different ponies. It's not something that can be categorized and boiled down into simple facts and figures. Friendship isn't something that can be deduced by the mind, it's... it's something that has to be understood with the heart."

"The heart," he repeated slowly.

It was a matter that seemed impossible to escape, even in this world. It was a matter of cruel irony really. Back in Hueco Mundo, the heart was a concept introduced to him by the human woman. He'd discounted it as nonsense, regarded the heart as a source of pain, as a cause of pointless suffering and death. And yet despite it all, bit by bit, her words had chipped away at his mind, tantalizing his curiosity, and driving him to question her further. Part of it had been an effort to destroy her beliefs in such nonsense and show her the futility of her own hope; which would in essence assuage his own curiosity on the matter. But another part of it had been his own desire to make sense of what she was saying.

How ironic that it was a concept he'd just started to understand in the last few seconds of his life.

And now here he was, being told that one concept he had no true understanding of, was connected to another concept he was equally confused by.

"Then it would appear hopeless for me, as I possess no heart with which to understand the concept of friendship," he commented. Did she possess a response to such a fact? Perhaps some effort of trying to convince him that it was indeed something he could learn if he attempted? Or would she recognize the futility of her own attempts and simply resign herself to letting the matter go?

He observed her as she remained silent, a pensive look on her face, evidently giving serious consideration to what her next words would be in this difficult situation.

"You know what? I'm calling bullshit on this one," Twilight stated as she finally spoke up again, "I've never been to Hueco Mundo, and I don't know how things go there, beyond what you've told me about it, but I really doubt that you're incapable of learning about friendship, or any other subject that you seriously wanted to. I managed to learn about the importance of friendship, hell, even Discord learned about the importance of friendship. I just can't accept that it'd be impossible for you," she explained, "I think we just need to figure out a way to help you make sense of everything. It's... it's like adapting a lesson plan to specific students to better make sense of the material. Yeah, that's it... Pri-- Celestia tasked me with being an educator to you, I'd be lax in my duties if I didn't do everything I could to help you on this one."

Ulquiorra felt the urge to raise an eyebrow at her words. She seemed dedicated to this cause, nonsensical as it was. He wasn't certain whether he should try and dissuade her or not. She was willing to invest a significant amount of time and effort in this endeavor. She also seemed quite convinced that this was a worthy cause to become involved in; worthy enough to distract herself from attempting to determine the pattern of events he'd tasked her with. He doubted that anything nonviolent he could attempt, would be sufficient to convince her otherwise.

Nor was he fully convinced that he should. He'd come here to try and solve the various mysteries he was faced with, not disregard them simply because he found them difficult to accept. He was going to need to exercise some degree of openness, and restrain some degree of skepticism.

"You're welcome to try," he said simply, "perhaps we should begin with the basics. What do you get out of your friendship with the other holders of the Elements of Harmony? What form of compensation do you receive from associating with them? What form of compensation do they receive from association with you? How is it mutually beneficial to everyone involved?" he asked.

Twilight... she wasn't sure what she wanted to do in response to his questions. Maybe facehoof? Despite all of Ulquiorra's intelligence, it was almost like talking with a foal who simply didn't understand what he was being told. He was still trying to compare friendship with a business partnership, despite everything she'd just told him. If she was going to do this right, she was going to have to take things slow, and carefully think over what she'd learned in her three years here in Ponyville, surrounded by those she considered friends. Maybe they could both learn something from this, and unravel mysteries together.

"In terms that would qualify as physical or monetary compensation, not a darn thing. We occasionally treat each other at our own expense, but whatever we get out of the act wouldn't be enough to either justify or sustain our association over the long term," she elaborated. That was probably the wrong way to start things off, but she didn't care, it had to be addressed.

The look Ulquiorra was currently giving her told her he was having trouble accepting her explanation. Undeterred, she continued.

"I can't speak for the others, only for myself. What I get out of my friendship, and my continued association with them, is a great deal more important to me than any form of physical reimbursement for my investment. I've got five very great, and very diverse companions, who are there for me when I really need them. Five ponies who are willing to drop what they're doing and help me out of a jam when they recognize that I'm in trouble, and that things have escalated to the point where I can't deal with it on my own. They're there for me when I'm sad, or scared, or hurt, or alone, or even when I just need somepony to bounce ideas off of, and engage in intelligent conversation about whatever. They're willing to put up with my idiosyncrasies and look beyond them, even when I wind up driving them nuts without even realizing it. They've helped me realize that there's a wide, wide world out there that's worth experiencing for myself, rather than just reading about from the comforts of the library. They've helped me grow as an individual, and expand my mind to consider things I otherwise would've discounted, and they never asked for a single thing in return. I trust those girls with my life; I've actually done that several times so far. Without them I don't even think I'd still be alive right now," she explained.

Ulquiorra remained silent and unmoving at her words, his lack of reaction causing her to frown in response. She'd put a lot into that speech and was hoping for something in return other than disbelief and simple skepticism. Perhaps she was expecting too much, too early on. Maybe she needed to try again.

"That amounts to friendship to you?"

And then again maybe she didn't. Maybe he really had been paying attention, and had simply waited for her to finish talking.

"Well sort of, but it goes a lot further than that. We care about each other, we're there in case we need each other, and when one of us is in trouble, we worry about them and do whatever we can to help out. It's like the time Rarity got sick with the stomach flu, we all did what we could to help her get better, or at least try and make her feel a little less miserable during her recovery. We didn't stop and worry that she might be contagious, or that we might be putting our own health at risk, we just did what we thought was right," Twilight explained. She was getting the feeling that things were starting to spin out of control, and that she was at risk of losing him due to disbelief. She had to think of something to help him understand! "Being a friend also involves doing nice things for each other, even when you have zero moral or legal obligation to do so; it's something you do because you care about the pony, and don't want something bad to happen to them. We've all done it countless times with one another, or somepony else that was in need at the time, and we never bothered to ask what was in it for us."

"You act because of the concern that lies with others rather than yourself, because it is the right thing to do," he elaborated. In more accurate terms it was a guess on his part to see if he was understanding what she was trying to say.

"Exactly!" Twilight exclaimed in excitement and optimism. He really was starting to understand! This was so great!

"Then it was out of concern for Rainbow Dash, that you and the others created the persona of Mare Do Well, and used it against her in a way that wound up traumatizing her," Ulquiorra replied.

And there went her excitement as easily as it'd come. Being reminded of Mare Do Well was bad enough, but being reminded by him out of anyone else had made it hurt much worse. Her ears flattened and her posture dropped at his words.

"... Rainbow Dash told you about that?" she asked. It was the only way she could think of that Ulquiorra would know anything about it. And if she'd told the story as upset as they'd found out she'd been...

"She did. However I can only speculate as to why she chose to trust me with a matter of such sensitivity," he responded. It was a matter he'd been questioning periodically since that night. Perhaps it was simply due to the fact he had no reason to judge her as being anything more than trash, and wouldn't make an issue out of it. Or maybe it was due to some pressing need to talk to anybody and he was merely a matter of convenience. For whatever reason, it wasn't important to him. "What aspect of friendship is it that dictates backstabbing, trickery, deceit, and traumatizing others?" he asked pointedly. Her reiatsu had been dipping ever since he'd brought up the past incident, and now that dipping was coming even faster.

"That... that was a horrible, horrible mistake on all of our parts. I never should've come up with the idea, and none of us should've ever carried it out. We should've realized from the start just how bad of an idea it was. We could've talked to Rainbow Dash, told her we were concerned about how she was acting. We could've addressed that situation in any number of different ways than we did," she said as she hung her head and closed her eyes. "And Rainbow Dash, oh poor Rainbow Dash, I didn't know we'd hurt her so bad. I don't even want to think about what she went through for so many months, feeling like she couldn't trust us when she needed us most," she paused. A long pause. "Rainbow Dash is one of those ponies who measures her sense of importance by her ability to be exceptional at what she does. And we just come in, and destroy all that because we found her boastful in nature, because we thought we knew better than her. We could've caused severe, long term psychological trauma to her with our actions, and we were too blind to see it..."

Ulquiorra remained silent throughout the explanation, uncertain if there was anything worthwhile to contribute. At present time he could think of nothing.

"We all apologized to her once we discovered just how wrong we were. And she said she forgave us when she realized how sincere we were... but I think it's going to take a long, long time for the hurting to finally stop..."

Silence. Nothing but long, monotonous silence, broken up only by the sound of cooking coming from the kitchen.

"If there's one thing the Mare Do Well incident taught me more than anything, it's a very important lesson about the magic of friendship. This is one lesson that I was never able to submit to Celestia because I couldn't make it sound right. But with you, Ulquiorra, I don't think the bluntness would bother you," she said as she opened her eyes and lifted her head to look at him in a more direct manner. "Sometimes friendship is about being assholes to one another, yet still being there for each other regardless of the fact.* Friendship isn't perfect, there are going to be bumps in the road, and difficulties ahead that will test the bonds that unite you. And you're going to be both surprised, and grateful, when those bonds withstand whatever trials and tribulations you go through together. When you're willing to let go of your own pettiness because somepony needs you, that's friendship right there."

"Obtuse, eloquent, and reasonably logical all at the same time," Ulquiorra thought in response to the explanation. Twilight Sparkle had a way with words, even if she tended to use far more than were truly necessary. Was she simply padding her statements to add to the effect?

"What you're trying to eloquently say, is that friendship amounts to knowing who precisely has your back, when all has gone to hell. Correct?" he asked, hoping to cut through her wordy explanation and get to the heart of the matter.

"Er..." Twilight paused in thought at his words, "that's... actually not that far off. It's a little basic in nature, but that sounds a lot like what the core of friendship really is. Maybe we actually got somewhere," she said with a sense of pride and smiled.

Now that she thought on his words a little more, that sounded a lot like her early experience regarding friendship. The girls had her back when everything had gone to hell, or more accurately, Tartarus. They'd been there to help her despite all the danger they faced just by being there, by daring to defy Nightmare Moon and attempting to find the Elements of Harmony. They had her back, just like she had theirs.

"Then progress has at least been made in one area," Ulquiorra replied, his voice lacking the pony's enthusiasm.

"I can't wait to share this news with the girls," Twilight stated, shortly before her stomach began growling, causing her to blush and chuckle in an embarrassed manner. "But maybe I actually should wait and have breakfast first..."

"Sound logic indeed," Ulquiorra commented.

Once again Twilight Sparkle's reiatsu was flaring, wildly at the prospect of sharing some discovery with the other ponies. Exactly what series of events had he unknowingly set into motion on this morning?

"Gonna be a few more minutes, Twilight," Spike called from the kitchen as he flipped the pancakes he was currently cooking.

"Oh..." Twilight replied. At the news her stomach started growling again, causing her to frown down at it, like she could make it behave through the power of her own annoyance. What to do until it was time to eat? She thought on that. And hunger or not, she was starting to realize something of importance. For all this talk about progress and such, there was something they were missing; something that was pretty big.

"Ulquiorra, there's something I'd like to ask you. Something that's pretty important, and related to the matter at hand... hoof... whatever, it's important, and it's relevant," she explained.

"And what is it?" he asked, mildly curious now. Instead of answering him right away, she approached him and extended her right foreleg towards him, much as she had during their initial encounter back in the Canterlot library.

"Will you be my friend, Ulquiorra?" she asked him simply.

He remained silent at her words, a mix of confusion and curiosity at her question, and uncertainty of the proper way to respond. Should he go with the standard approach and point out how there was no relevancy to the request? Perhaps question if she was quite serious even after everything had happened? He was quite sure that if she were reminded of the part he made her play with the changelings, she wouldn't be so inclined to ask such a question so freely.

However if he did attempt such an approach, she might cite lesson number five again, as justification for making the request. Forgiveness was... interesting, to say the least.

And then he started considering the nature of the request. If friendship was truly about knowing who had your back, then it could be argued that their friendship status was already confirmed between them, strange as it might sound. Perhaps the request was born from some sort of formality or ritual to confirm said status.

And then it was back to his earlier thoughts, about his own motivation on the matter, and the reasoning for why he came here in the first place. With that in mind, only one course of action truly seemed logical to him at this moment.

"If you'll have me as a friend," he finally replied, sliding his hand out of his pocket, and wrapping it around her hoof to return the gesture. With that his commitment to this strange, new endeavor had been sealed. There was no telling how things would go from here on out, without waiting to see how things progressed.

Author's Note

* Contributed by Ryanmiaku. Truer words have rarely been spoken.

Chapter Thirty Seven

Chapter Thirty Seven

Things were a might bit strange right now. That was Applejack's observation of the morning at the market.

She'd pulled market duty this morning, tending to the stall to sell their apples to whichever ponies cared to buy them up. Normally it was a position that required relatively little work once the initial setup was done. After the apples were hauled in and set out for display, and the stand was erected and deployed, it was just a matter of patience and getting their attention, and their wares usually sold themselves.

But today things were different for some reason. Things had started out decently enough, but after the third customer things had suddenly stopped. Now that she thought about it, the entire marketplace seemed quiet, nor nearly as many ponies out and about as there had been just a few minutes ago. It was eerily similar to when Zecora still scared ponies anytime she came into town.

"Somethin' definitely ain' right," she muttered to herself. Where was everypony?

"Of that I'm certain."

The voice behind her caused her to spin around and see just who'd managed to sneak up on her. She hadn't heard any approaching hoofsteps, she hadn't even smelt anypony that might be approaching her from behind.

The first one to come into view was Twilight. Standing next to her was Spike. Standing behind the both of them was Ulquiorra himself. Just when had they gotten there?

"The question, however, what is this curious thing that isn't right in this unusual world?" Ulquiorra asked her directly.

"Mr. Cifer? Boy howdy, ah sure didn' expect ta see ya here in town today. Wha' brings ya by?" Applejack asked him, her concern relieved at seeing just who'd been behind her the whole time.

"Questions for which I possess no answers. Twilight Sparkle and Spike have been doing their best to answer them," Ulquiorra explained as he stood with his hands in his pockets.

Twilight nodded. "Ulquiorra's been making great headway in understanding friendship. We had a significant breakthrough already," she stated excitedly.

Ulquiorra remained silent at the unicorn's enthusiasm, not wishing to go as far as she had in her take on the situation.

"Really now? Well ain' that fantastic. Ah didn' wanna sound like the doubtin' type, Mr. Cifer, but ta hear yer actually figurin' out friendship an' makin' progress is something else!" Applejack stated and smiled. "If ya don' mind ma pryin', what've ya figured out so far?" she asked.

"That friendship is knowing who has your back, even when there is no obligation for them to do so," he explained. So far that was the explanation that made the most logical sense. From his limited understanding, one that qualified as a friend was one who was there to help you, even if such help wasn't necessary, and was doing so of their own free will, rather than because they expected to be compensated for their involvement.

That wasn't to say friendship was anymore logical in his view than it was yesterday. If anything, it seemed even more confusing, as he still couldn't seem to understand the concept of assisting one when it wasn't necessary; why bother when it didn't have to be done? And why assist if there was no guarantee of getting something in return?

But at least it was somewhere to start, some piece of information to help him make sense of things that currently made no sense. Having this starting point would allow him to better reach an informed conclusion. And if nothing else, this endeavor would likely save him the difficulty of trying to convince the others to focus less on him, and more on their surroundings.

It would also save him from having to explain the importance of situational awareness to the ponies, and how the opinions of others regarding him was of no true value. If he made such an attempt they would likely brush him off, and insist on going about whatever they were attempting to do in the first place.

Applejack was silent at his words. When she'd heard Twilight's statement, she'd been expecting something more of a revelation than just that. Not that he was wrong in his analysis or anything; friendship really was a whole lot of what he said, but it was so basic and boiled down, that to her it just seemed to go without saying. But then again, the Espada was more or less learning things from the ground up, meaning he was giving it serious enough consideration to actually bother with it in the first place. Maybe for him, this simple fact really did amount to a significant revelation.

"Ah tell ya what, tha' sounds like a major discovery ta be makin'," Applejack commented, uncertain what else she could say.

"Only time will tell. Opportunities to exercise this discovery have been scarce," Ulquiorra replied and glanced around the marketplace. "It would seem many have not recovered from what they witnessed unfolding here."

"You can't really blame them," Spike commented. He hadn't seen what the others had seen, but his vantage point at the time had been terrifying enough. First he'd heard the reports of how Ulquiorra had utterly dominated the dragon like it was foal's play to do so, and then the changeling massacre... in a way it was scary to think of what the Arrancar next to them was fully capable of.

Even more terrifying to him, all that had been done when Ulquiorra wasn't even in top form. What could he do if he really wanted to open up?

"I don't blame them. They're wise to fear me after witnessing everything, just as Fluttershy was wise to fear me," he replied without even looking back. "There are only ten in this world that know of my true nature. The others still believe me to be of this world and its known physics. If they were to know the truth they would experience the truest form of fear and despair," he explained calmly.

Twilight unconsciously shivered at his words. Sometimes it was so easy to forget that Ulquiorra really wasn't one of them. Well... not so much forget, as simply not consciously recalling the information, and not remembering to actively apply it in the present situation. She didn't really think she could ever truly forget what Ulquiorra was. Information like that just didn't disappear, at least not without some outside force acting to...

She stopped thinking and frowned. She was rambling to herself now! If spike could hear what was going on inside her head right now, he'd be laughing.

Regardless of the distraction she'd caused to herself, by getting hung up on technicalities, she couldn't help but agree with what Ulquiorra had said. Everypony other than them believed that he was native to this world, indigenous to another location, but still bound by the same rules of physics, science, and magic that all others were bound by. They didn't know anything about Hollows, or Hueco Mundo, or anything else that was tied to him. If they were still this scared of him while thinking he was just another native of the world, how would they react if the truth ever came out and his otherworldly nature was revealed to them?

Pandemonium wouldn't even come close do describing what would befall Equestria if the truth came out at the wrong time. Pandemonium would be what they had after the rioting and widespread panic of the reveal had calmed down.

"Well shoot," Applejack spoke up, the sound of her voice snapping Twilight out of her thoughts. "Mr. Cifer, ah can't speak fer the rest o' Ponyville er nothin'. But ya've done a whole lotta good since gettin' here, ah-"

"If your intention is to give some motivational speech, pertaining to how my actions amount to heroism, there is no point. Simply because I've kept you six from being harmed does not amount to my being a hero. My actions are nothing more than abiding by Princess Celestia's orders, and nothing more. At best we are nothing more than allies, working together to address circumstances beyond our control," Ulquiorra explained, cutting off whatever Applejack might've intended to say. Simply because his actions might be seen as good, that didn't mean he was a hero. He didn't need to be adored by the natives of this world, he simply needed to get to the bottom of the mysteries at hand.

"You keep saying that," Twilight spoke up. Her focus had gone from worrying about the possible explosion of widespread panic over the truth of Ulquiorra's nature being revealed, to his pessimistic outlook on things around him. "You keep saying that you're simply following Celestia's orders. That you don't have any real concern for our wellbeing, and that you're simply keeping us from harm because you're required to. But I really have to ask; why'd you interpret Celestia's orders in such a manner?" she asked.

"You know, that's a really good question," Spike added as he looked to Ulquiorra for answers. "The first time Twilight and the others were put in harm's way when they faced that dragon, you didn't simply distract it and lead it far away where it wouldn't do any harm. Instead you beat the snot out of it, so that it couldn't cause any harm to anypony. Isn't that going above and beyond the call of carrying out a simple duty?" he asked.

"Huh," Applejack muttered and scratched her head with her hoof, "y'know ah never stopped an' thought about it like that. Ya did go outta yer way ta demonstrate ta the dragon tha' ya were the stronger o' the two; ah still don' have a clue wha' the dragon was thinkin' when he failed ta pound ya inta the ground like a tent stake back there. Why did ya go that route anyway?" she asked.

He would admit that it was a reasonable question. Fighting the dragon in the manner he had chosen wasn't an absolute necessity to protect the holders of the Elements of Harmony. There were other available options at the time he could have selected, in order to neutralize the immediate threat it presented to them.

But ultimately those options would do nothing to address the larger problem.

"I could have done so. But at the time there were too many variables to account for. Would the dragon have detected my scent if I used my sonido, and tracked it back to the caves? Would it have given up the search for the one that angered it, and simply returned to its established home to begin napping again? Would it have returned to the cave regardless of how far away it was lead?" he asked, causing them to remain silent in thought. These were all things that needed to be considered, all of them viable answers to their questions. Seeing them in thought, he continued. "That is to say nothing of the theory of the dragon being targeted at the six of you. Had I simply fled there is no reason to believe it would've given chase. At the time I was nothing but an unknown. If the dragon was on a mission to kill you six, why would it have bothered with me, unless I was proving to be an insurmountable opposition?" he asked further.

No answers were coming from any of the three present. They were silent as looks of confusion and thought crossed their faces. All their speculation, postulating, and theorizing, didn't stand up to the simple facts he presented. Not that he cared any.

"The course of action I took at the time was necessary to abide by Princess Celestia's orders. Nothing more, nothing less," he concluded.

"Alright..." Spike said slowly in response to this new information as he thought. "Assuming all that's true and there's nothing more to it than that. Would you have done the same thing for anypony else in a similar danger? Hypothetically speaking, if you were assisting on a field trip with Ms. Cherilee, and you'd encountered a ground dragon, and it displayed the same level of hostility, would you have beaten it in the same manner, simply to follow Princess Celestia's instructions of not letting harm come to any of her subjects?" he asked, causing Twilight and Applejack to look at him in waiting for answers.

Ulquiorra would admit there were things he couldn't foresee coming. From time to time, he was presented with developments he couldn't predict, and could just as easily be caught off guard as anyone else under the correct circumstances. This was just such a circumstance. Spike had asked a question for which he had no ready answer. Princess Celestia's instructions to him was to neither attack her subjects, nor do anything to cause them harm, or put them at risk. These instructions had been rather malleable in nature, depending on how they were looked at. However he had given it no amount of extensive thought, beyond how it related to protecting those who held the Elements of Harmony, and how, by extension, preventing them from dying served to protect Equestria itself from harm.

But what about those who didn't hold the Elements of Harmony? What was his obligation to them in abiding by his orders? Within the circumstances of the hypothetical situation Spike had crafted, would Princess Celestia have seen his actions as necessary for protecting a group of regular everyday ponies? If she did see such, would she take action if the dragon had been killed by him? To the best of his knowledge, Princess Celestia didn't maintain rule over dragons native to beyond the borders of Equestria proper. Technically they couldn't be considered her subjects, and thus exempt from her instructions. But would he go to the same lengths he had for the others?

For one who was still regarded as being so young, it was hard to deny Spike's intelligence. Well done really.

"I'm uncertain," he finally stated and left it at that.

There were a number of things that could be said. Things to belittle their belief in him being a hero. Things to point out that he was doing nothing more than abiding by Princess Celestia's orders, and he had no true care for whatever might happen to them. If they didn't possess the Elements of Harmony, he wasn't certain he would've taken the course of action he had. He could so easily point those facts out to them.

But he chose not to. He was here today under the guise of trying to understand the concept of friendship. Belittling them for their own stupidity would more than likely be counterproductive to what he was aiming to achieve. Which would in turn hurt his efforts to uncover whatever mystery warranted his presence in this world. His current course of action was overall necessary.

For the time being he would need to bite his tongue, and keep his more negative opinions to himself. He was going to need... to play nice... regardless of how foolish it seemed to him. Perhaps later he'd refresh their memories, and thoroughly remind them of just what he was.

"Say, Applejack," Twilight spoke up. She could feel the unease in the air around her, the current line of questioning somehow proving to be uncomfortable in nature. A change of topic was necessary. "I just thought of something. To help Ulquiorra get a better understanding of friendship, we're asking other ponies what it means to them. It'd be a big help if you could tell us what friendship means to you," she explained.

"Wha', me?" Applejack asked, slightly confused by the sudden question. A nod from her friend confirmed it. "Ah tell ya wha', Twilight, tryin' ta put that inta words is like tryin' ta do the whole applebuckin' harvest by mahself; it's a tall order," she explained and paused in thought. How would she describe this in a way that their guest would understand? Think... think...

"... Ah guess one way o' puttin' it is... friendship means knowin' ah've got ponies who look out fer me when ah get too distracted with other things. Sometimes ah get so focused on what ah'm doin', ah wind up gettin' forgetful 'bout things tha' need ta be done. Or sometimes ah'll get so far in over mah head ah can't find mah way out on mah own, an' these girls are there ta make sure ah don' get lost," she explained.

One explanation by Twilight Sparkle, one explanation by Applejack. The two had a number of similarities and amounted to little more than minor variations of a single account. Overall what could be gathered from Applejack's explanation was of only minor difference from what he'd already been told. However he said nothing, and Applejack started talking again.

"Ah tell ya, ah don' know jus' where ah'd be without mah friends. They helped save the farm once when mah family got in over our heads an' couldn' do it alone. They didn' even wait fer us ta ask before pitchin' in an' lendin' a hoof. If that ain't friendship then ah don' know what is," Applejack stated.

"Then you've received some form of physical or monetary compensation for your association with the others?" Ulquiorra asked. This new explanation by Applejack seemed to make more sense, seemed to be something he could understand better than the more vague concepts shared by Twilight Sparkle.

"Well... ya could say that. But that ain't why ah'm friends with 'em, friendship ain't about wha' ya can get outta it. There's some things in this world tha' jus' can't be measured in the context o' bits an' such," she stated.

This concept appeared to be a running theme in this world; anything that couldn't be broken down into easy to explain values was described as being something that couldn't be measured, labeled, calculated, and typified in physical terms. It was a concept that he was very slowly, very begrudgingly, being forced to accept as a possibly valid explanation; especially after everything that'd happened in Las Noches.

That matter aside, there was a specific similarity he noticed between the two explanations; both of them were structured in a manner that supported and emphasized the importance of companionship.

Perhaps that was truly why he couldn't understand friendship himself. He'd never had any need for companionship before. Perhaps his aspect of emptiness is what prevented his understanding of the matter. He never had any true need for companionship before, he'd done fine on his own. The only reason he worked with the other Espada, was for the purpose of serving Aizen.

With that as a consideration, he was left to wonder if this would need to be reported to Princess Celestia. What point would there be in attempting to study and understand something if he wasn't physically capable of understanding it?

But then what? Princess Celestia had assigned him the task of studying friendship. It was his primary purpose in this world. What would become of him, if he were to tell her that he couldn't fulfill his purpose? He wasn't the type for giving up when things proved to be difficult. Even when things had gone very, very wrong back in Las Noches, he had still dutifully done his best to complete his assigned mission, futile as it had proven.

"You know, I just thought of something," Spike spoke up. He could see this conversation likely wasn't going anywhere; not with the way the conversation back at the library had gone. A change of topic was definitely necessary. "Pinkie's pretty much an expert on when it comes to friends. I bet if anyone could explain it, she could do it," he suggested.

Twilight blinked. Spike hadn't seriously just said that, had he? Pinkie Pie and Ulquiorra were like polar opposites in nature. Could Ulquiorra really make sense out of anything the pink party pony would have to say on something as complicated as friendship? Something that she herself still didn't get all the time?

"Perhaps that would be most prudent. If this "Pinkie Sense" you referred to is a real condition, it would seem wise to presume she's already aware of my arrival in Ponyville, and preparing another surprise in some vain hope of making me smile. Delaying the inevitable would serve no purpose, and may only put others in the line of fire if said surprise goes wrong," Ulquiorra replied as he tucked his hands into his pockets.

"Knowin' that girl, ah wouldn' be surprised one bit. When it comes ta Pinkie she's always wantin' ponies ta be happy an' smiling, goin' outta her way ta make it happen," Applejack explained.

"I think she's got her work cut out for her when it comes to Ulquiorra," Spike commented. However it wasn't until after the words came out of his mouth, that he actually thought better about what was said. "Uh... sorry, no offense."

"None taken. It's an accurate assessment," Ulquiorra replied evenly. If Pinkie Pie were truly obsessed with making him laugh, or even smile, she would be facing a significant uphill battle ahead of her. He had never laughed before, never smiled before. He had no reason for such irrelevancies in his life. Perhaps one day she would realize that fact and drop her wasted efforts.

"Now that you mention it... if you don't mind me asking, Ulquiorra, how come you don't smile or laugh?" Twilight asked curiously. It couldn't simply be that he refrained from either due to his nihilistic outlook on life; nihilism couldn't override someone's natural physical responses to outside stimuli.

But then again what if it could? She didn't know anything about the physical nature of Hollows, with the exception of what Ulquiorra had freely shared with her when asked. Of all the Espada his aspect of emptiness, just as Applejack's Element of Harmony was honesty. Applejack was an absolutely terrible liar, even before she'd been selected as a bearer. Maybe it was similar for Ulquiorra? Maybe he didn't laugh because there was literally nothing to him?

No that couldn't be it! Nothingness didn't observe a sense of duty. Nothingness didn't go out of its way to protect others that were regarded as important. Nothingness didn't... now that she thought of it, nothingness shouldn't display any curiosity about what surrounded it, and at the same time defined it by its absence. There was definitely more going on here than meets the eye.

A sudden thought occurred to her; what if Ulquiorra was wrong about his outlook on life? Not wrong as in choosing the wrong belief system, but rather in his own understanding? Nihilism was the belief that nothing has any meaning because nothing truly exists; an absence of anything that holds true value or merit to justify a reason for its existence. If that were Ulquiorra's outlook to life, then why would he spend all his time in the library and read about Equestria and all it had to offer? Why would he care about what might happen to them? Why would he care if Celestia found displeasure with him and his actions? For that matter, why would he ask Celestia to provide him with a reason to justify his existence? None of it made any sense to her. The only thing that seemed to make sense, was the possibility that Ulquiorra might have made a premature decision about his outlook on life.

Maybe he'd confused the concept of nihilism with the belief of minimalism. That was entirely possible, and a logical explanation for the inconsistencies she'd seen since the Espada's arrival. But she needed to follow up that theory with facts.

"What I mean is... is it because they're irrelevant? Or is it because you haven't yet found anything that would warrant such a response?" she asked, finishing up the initial question that'd been paused by her thoughts.

Ulquiorra remained silent in thought. It was a valid question to ask. It was a specific question, and phrased in a specific manner, that he hadn't ever given consideration to asking himself. At one point in time he would've simply disregarded it as the nonsensical curiosity of an emotional and illogical being, trying to make sense of their surroundings, in an effort to grasp some intangible lifeline to maintain their sanity.

However he wasn't certain if that logic still applied now. He had been confronted with so many new concepts in his short time here, that he wasn't quite certain what exactly to believe in anymore. Magic, talking animals, friendship, exceedingly bright colors... everything standing in stark contrast to what he'd once accepted as the borders that defined existence.

There was certainly nothing in the realm of Hueco Mundo that would warrant such a useless gesture to show something that would be regarded as interest. Perhaps that was part of it. Perhaps there were aspects to himself that even he didn't fully understand.

"Yet another mystery to add to my next report," he thought to himself, before addressing the unicorn in response to her question. "At present time I have no readily available answer. Perhaps it's something else that will need to be discovered, in order to be adequately answered."

Twilight tried not to frown. It was an answer, but it was pretty much a non-answer and didn't amount to anything. This was going to be harder than she thought. But regardless, she remained optimistic that they could discover something beneficial down the line, it would just take some measure of diligence to get there.

"Well... if anypony has the answers we're looking for, Pinkie's probably a good candidate. If you haven't smiled simply because you haven't found anything worth smiling about, she'll probably be the one who knows what'll do the trick," Spike suggested.

He possessed significant doubts about Spike's take on the matter. It was highly unlikely that Pinkie Pie would be able to make him smile or laugh simply by presenting him with something that piqued his interest to a significant degree.

Unlikely, but not impossible. He'd been taken completely by surprise before. Who was he to say that him smiling was something that wouldn't happen?

"We shall see then," Ulquiorra responded and began walking in the direction of Sugarcube Corner.

"Hey jus' a minute now," Applejack spoke up, causing Ulquiorra to stop in his tracks, and turn to face her. "Mr. Cifer, ah gotta work the market fer most o' the mornin', but sometime this afternoon, could ya maybe swing by the farm? We... we sorta got some work on the barn that needs ta be done, an' yer strength'd be mighty useful," she explained.

Once again with the prospect of manual labor. Not that he was opposed to the notion. Being able to do something physical in nature had a certain appeal to it, something that couldn't be achieved with these supposed studies. Perhaps it would be worth exploring.

"If there's time in the day," he replied, before setting off for the bakery again.

"We'll see you later, Applejack," Twilight replied before following along with Spike in tow.

Applejack watched in silence as the others left the marketplace. The conclusion of the meeting hadn't exactly been how she'd wanted it to be, but there really wasn't much she could do about it. There wasn't much she could continue adding to the discussion, and as long as Ulquiorra remained in the marketplace, traffic would be ground to a halt. She didn't want to be unfriendly or anything, but business was business. Mr. Cifer likely understood that fact, he was all about being logical and such; she couldn't see him taking offense to being informed of the situation and asked to assist by not being present. And if he did... well she'd try and make it up to him later.

Right now though, she had to get back to business. Ponies were starting to show up again, and ponies meant the possibility of getting apples sold.

"Apples! Nice red, delicious, juicy apples!"

Chapter Thirty Eight

Chapter Thirty Eight

Pinkie Pie knew that something was up. She had to know, as her Pinkie Sense was working, and it was a strong one this time. Out of all the times it'd kicked in to alert her of something happening, the combination of left ear twitch, right forehoof ache, and double sneeze, had only happened twice so far. And such a combination meant a very specific event was taking place right now.

Ulquiorra was back in Ponyville!

And if Ulquiorra was back in Ponyville, then it was another opportunity for her to try and make him laugh. And she wasn't about to waste such an opportunity. Eagerly she worked on the latest attempt to make the Espada grin, then ducked down behind the counter of Sugarcube Corner with only her tail exposed to indicate her current location. The few patrons that were present, were far too engrossed in their baked goods to pay her much attention.

At least until her tail started to twitch like mad. That was a Pinkie Sense she really hated experiencing, as it meant something was about to fall, and potentially hit some poor pony right on the head!

"Oh dear! Oh dear!" she stated as she stood up, the surprise she'd been working on forgotten about as she launched herself over the counter, preparing to run outside to warn everypony about what was developing. She couldn't forgive herself if she let some poor, unsuspecting pony get hit right on the head by something if it could be avoided.

However by the time she managed to cross the distance between the counter and the door, the door was already opened, and the sound of a flowerpot shattering on impact against something hard, telling her that it was too late to warn anypony about what she'd known was coming. But she was distracted from that fact by bits of clay shrapnel flying freely into the bakery, in a manner consistent with a flowerpot being tossed horizontally rather than falling vertically.

What exactly was going on here? This was strange... strange even by her standards of strangey strangeness.

"Get in! Get in!" a voice called as Pinkie found herself being herded back into the bakery and the doors slammed behind them, but not before another flowerpot had come hurled through the opening. However this time there was no crash involved, leaving her even more confused than before.

She looked around and quickly realized what was going on. Spike, Twilight, and Ulquiorra were all present, the former two panting and out of breath, the latter as perfectly composed as ever, and strangely holding a potted plant in his hand.

"What?" she asked and tilted her head to the side. Even she hadn't seen this one coming.

"Roseluck," Twilight panted in response.

"We were just walking by, and without warning she just started throwing potted plants at us," Spike elaborated inbetween breaths.

"Myself specifically. I believe the others were merely regarded as collateral damage for being in the vicinity," Ulquiorra replied and set the intact potted plant on the ground, some of the dirt and shards of broken clay falling from his hair and shoulders to the floor in the process.

"Seriously? What could've made Roseluck turn into such a big meanie pants just like that?" Pinkie asked, quickly appearing behind Ulquiorra with a feather duster, and standing up on her hind legs to sweep the remaining clay and dirt off of him. "Usually she's such a nice and friendly pony. This is completely unlike her."

Ulquiorra chose not to question just where Pinkie Pie had managed to procure the feather duster. It hadn't been in her possession at the time when she was at the door. And she'd had no time to go and acquire it even if it had simply been behind the counter.

"I know, Pinkie, it's a complete mystery to me," Twilight added. Maybe this was the precursor to the third event Ulquiorra had theorized coming? If it was then it was... rather underwhelming to experience. "You three wait here. I'm going to go back out there and talk to her, and see if I can get to the bottom of this," she stated.

"Oh no. Twilight, you're not going to sing Roseluck a few bars of the four-letter word chorus, are you?" Spike asked. No matter how much he considered it, he still didn't like it; Twilight and profanity simply didn't mix.

"Don't be silly, Spike, I'm simply going to approach and have a nice, reasonable, intelligent conversation with her, and find out why she started throwing potted plants at us. And then I'm going to ask her if she needs any help putting them back together again. A gesture of good will, despite being on the receiving end of her tirade, should help do some good," Twilight explained, before picking up the intact potted plant with her magic and trotting her way back out the door, effortlessly closing it behind her in order to prevent anything else from getting inside.

The inside of the bakery became quiet once Twilight had left, apart from the hushed murmurings of the patrons who'd been present previously. All the excitement had broken them out of their morning routines and left them curious about these recent developments.

"Boy Ulqy," Pinkie spoke up as she continued her efforts to clean the Espada off, "I tell you what, I'm gonna need a toothbrush or something, you've got a lot of grunge inbetween these ridges on your mask thingy," she pointed out.

"It would be appreciated if you refrained from such. I'm perfectly capable of tending to matters related to hygiene by myself," he replied, but made no move to stop the pink earth pony as she brushed him off. He was trying to exercise and observe lesson number one right now, and not brush her away like she was trash. However it was proving to be quite tempting to do such.

"So Ulqy, what brings you to Ponyville this time?" Pinkie asked, completely oblivious to the previous statement as she continued to dust him off.

Seeing as the pink earth pony wasn't about to heed his request, he remained silent and exercised a burst of sonido to step out of her reach, turning to face her in the process before he spoke again. "Attempts to better understand the concept of friendship. So far I've learned that every pony has their own interpretation, and there is no definite answer to what constitutes friendship, other than knowing that someone has your back when things have gone very wrong," he explained.

Spike nodded in agreement, but couldn't think of anything to really add on the matter. Despite his best efforts at racking his brain, trying to add something that would be meaningful to what Ulquiorra had learned so far, was proving to be quite difficult. Trying to explain friendship was... well it was harder than his attempts back in Canterlot of trying to convince Twilight she needed friends.

Pinkie blinked at Ulquiorra's sudden movement, but dismissed it as easily as she did the feather duster, finding herself far more intrigued by what he was saying about friendship.

"Ooh! Well for me, friendship means parties, and fun, and lots of laughing, and making sure nopony ever has to be a saddie pie," she explained.

Ulquiorra accepted the fact that Pinkie Pie was quite nonsensical in nature, despite what he could only assume were her best efforts. But her concept of friendship was far different from what he'd been expecting to hear.

In the case of Twilight Sparkle and Applejack, their definition of friendship entailed support from one another, in one form or another. He would admit that, to some degree, their definition made sense to him. When all the points were boiled down to remove matters that amounted to irrelevancy, their definition of friendship basically amounted to maintaining peaceful relations with potential allies for in times of need. It was a concept that required one to be aware not only of their own strengths, but also their weaknesses, and appropriately responding to such.

In some way, he was already conforming to their definition of what friendship meant. He recognized his own inability to keep these ponies safe, due to the various circumstances that worked against him, and had responded in turn by calling upon the holders of the Elements of Harmony to assist him in the matter. They kept tabs on the town, and surrounding territories, and he would provide protection should a threat be discovered. In some strange way, it all made perfect sense to him.

In the case of Pinkie Pie, however, there was no such mention of support, but rather matters he had no experience with. What could she possibly gain by trying to instill these ideas of nonsense in others?

"Sadness and despair are basic aspects of existence, and tied to the heart. They are not something that can simply be escaped or pushed aside," he pointed out.

"Oh trust me, I know all about sadness and despair. Sadness and despair are what I grew up in. If anypony knows about them then it's definitely me," Pinkie replied.

He stared at her in response to such a statement. What could this pink, ever-smiling pony possibly know about despair? What was her experience that she could claim to be an expert on the topics?

"Explain."

"When I was just a filly I grew up on my parents' rock farm. It was just me, my sisters, and our parents. There was no talking, there was no smiling, there was no happiness. Just rocks, rocks, and more rocks, as far as the eye could see, surrounded by the dullest and most lifeless trees you ever did see. Every single day it was nothing but moving rocks from one location to another. There were no sights to see, there were no parties, there were no birthdays, no visitors or friends, just rocks. This is the world that I grew up in. This was the world that I spent most of my early life in. Nothing but rocks and utter despair in every single direction," Pinkie explained, wincing at the unpleasantness of the memories that were being brought back.

Ulquiorra remained silent, allowing the story to be told uninterrupted. Truth be told he was mildly curious at this point, wondering exactly what events had needed to unfold to result in Pinkie Pie being who -and what- she is today. At the very least, her story gave some measure of insight into the issue of her strength. If she'd grown up working on a rock farm, likely moving heavy stones about, that would explain how her strength rivaled Applejack's.

"You see, Ulqy, I've been thinking about this since the first time we met, and I finally realized something. You and I, we're a lot alike. We both know what despair is, the only difference is how we each deal with it. You see sadness and despair as things that can only be accepted. I see sadness and despair as things that nopony should ever be left to face alone, things that nopony needs to experience," Pinkie explained as calmly as she could. She didn't want to admit the fact, but this really wasn't easy to go into detail about. Taking a steadying breath, she continued. "What's my definition of friendship? Not leaving anypony to experience the sadness that I did while growing up. I might not be able to eliminate all the sadness and despair in the world, but if I can make ponies happier in their day-to-day lives, then that's what I consider to be a job well done."

Ulquiorra continued remaining silent, even after the story was concluded, uncertain exactly what to make of it or the strange pink earth pony that told it. She didn't deny the existence of sadness and despair -either in herself or in the world around her- but rather chose to regard them as nonessential in nature, and simply ignore their existence.

Pony psychology was not one of the subjects he'd versed himself in during his time in the Canterlot library. Physiology, yes, but not the psychology of the three races. But if the psychology behind Pinkie Pie was anything like the psychology of humans, he could at least hazard a theory behind the motivations for her actions; a matter of wish fulfillment by proxy. Perhaps in attempting to ensure happiness in others, she was attempting to erase a past that was less than pleasant for her to experience. Perhaps by giving others the memories she wished she herself had, she was surreptitiously erasing her own past through denial; if others around her were happy, then she must be happy too. And if those around her were happy as children, and had the memories she wished that she herself had, then her own memories did not exist because they would serve as an unacceptable point of conflict.

At present time it was nothing more than a theory. There was no evidence available that would actually support such a theory, but it was the only thing that came to mind right now.

And now that he gave thought to it, something else was becoming apparent to him. If the above theory was accurate in nature, then he could see her possessing certain similarities to Aizen, and how he went about his business in Hueco Mundo. Which in turn gave rise to another thought; what exactly would a meeting between Aizen and Pinkie Pie involve?

However he never got the chance to give serious consideration to what possible disasters could occur from such an encounter, as his thoughts were interrupted by the approach of Twilight Sparkle. Whatever matters involved the earth pony Roseluck, it was likely safe to say they were concluded since she was approaching alone.

"So what happened, Twilight?" Spike asked as the mare walked through the door. Even if he wasn't familiar with emotions, he could tell that the look on her face was not one associated with pleasing news. "Did you find out what's up with Roseluck?"

"I did," Twilight began slowly as she approached and sat down on her haunches next to them. "It would seem that when the changelings were... eliminated... a few innocents were caught in the line of fire and suffered the same fate," she explained.

"I was informed all thirty eight missing Ponyville residents were located and in good condition. The only ones to die were the changelings present. Of that I am absolutely certain," Ulquiorra stated.

He had acted quickly in killing each of the changelings present, picking them out of wherever they'd been hiding, eliminating them with great speed and efficiency. He had personally identified each of the thirty seven changelings located in Ponyville and tended to them himself. No ponies had been targeted, nor had they been harmed. All that were dead were those regarded as the enemy. Of that there was zero doubt in his mind.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Ulquiorra. You might not've killed any ponies, but innocents were still harmed," Twilight explained as she looked up at him, "you told us some of those changelings were here for months as part of the full-scale invasion. And apparently one of those changelings took the form of a pegasus pony that Roseluck developed feelings for."

"What?" Pinkie asked in surprise.

"Seriously?" Spike asked in utter disbelief? "But... but how would that even work? I mean... how could Roseluck not know something was up when they suddenly couldn't talk?"

"According to what Roseluck said, their special somepony was new to town and functionally mute from the very beginning, but that didn't stop her from caring," Twilight explained as she looked at Spike. And then she slowly turned her attention back to Ulquiorra. "And apparently on that day, she was present and witnessed what amounted to her special somepony's execution. According to her account you literally appeared out of nowhere, skewered them through the head, and disappeared again, leaving her alone as the pony she cared about so much died right in front of her, before reverting to their true changeling self. And when she saw you in town again today, she just lost it..."

The bakery became silent at this revelation, nopony and nothing daring to say a word in light of this new information. To lose somepony was hard enough on its own. But to lose somepony in such a gruesome way, only to discover that they were an imposter, it was something else entirely. It was a whole other level of gruesomeness that they didn't even want to consider.

"But... but it was a changeling," Spike stated as he tried to wrap his head around it. How could Roseluck feel such sadness for something that was never true to begin with? It was just so... impossible! "Doesn't she understand that it wasn't real? That she was just being tricked by Chrysalis? How could... why... she... she..."

"The heart wants what it wants," Ulquiorra stated, interrupting Spike's inability to properly articulate his thoughts. It was strange to actually be using such a statement so freely, and he could see that the others shared his doubts, as they were all now looking up at him in confusion. "It is a saying from one of the plains in my dimension. An explanation for why beings desire something that's completely illogical in nature. To explain why one yearns for something to the very depths of their being, despite consciously knowing that nothing good can ever come of it," he explained.

Yet another reason he still held doubts and confusion about the concept of the heart. Here was a viable option of how the concept has easily and completely overpowered the logical aspect of the mind. Roseluck's feeling for the changeling that had truly been the pony she cared for, were doing little to help convince him that it was worth learning about. She was deliberately ignoring the parasitic aspect of the changelings, and how she had been put in a position of great danger, choosing instead to focus on what she believed was really the truth of the matter.

Did he possess resentment for Roseluck, and her choosing to see him as a monster that murdered the one that was special to her? No he did not. He held no resentment for her or any other pony, regardless of how they chose to perceive him. They were living, emotionally driven beings, vulnerable to their own illogical nature, and motivated to do things an outsider such as him would find doubt with. Resentment for them would serve no point.

"That's a... rather astute explanation of the situation," Twilight replied as she looked up at the Espada, more out of surprise over the use of the phrase, than the explanation given. His world had the same saying? That was... highly coincidental in nature. How many other similarities were there between their two dimensions?

"Merely an analysis of the facts in evidence," Ulquiorra replied, "that being said, I don't believe any attempt at an apology would be accepted. Therefore I see no beneficial reason to bother with such at present time," he explained, effectively shutting down any attempt Twilight Sparkle might make in trying to suggest such a course of action.

Twilight was silent, unprepared for Ulquiorra's preemptive response. It was true she was going to suggest an apology from him, but he made a good point overall with his two statements. Roseluck was emotionally raw right now, and being in that position herself barely more than a week ago, she could see the logic in refraining from such. If Roseluck felt even half as bad as she had when she'd cursed Celestia out, and accused her of some of the most heinous things she could imagine, then getting through to the florist pony would be like talking to a brick wall.

"I agree with Ulqy on this one," Pinkie announced, causing all three heads to turn and look in her direction. "Matters of the heart are a real fickle pickle to be dealing with. Right now Roseluck needs a cooling off period in order to start feeling better. Otherwise we'll just make her more upset than she is."

He hadn't seen that one coming. To think Pinkie Pie would agree with his logical outlook on life, was something he had never given consideration to. Her randomness and seeming lack of critical thinking skills, had lead to him discounting her potential for intelligence, only to be surprised now.

Perhaps it was necessary to be more careful around her from here on out.

"So what now?" Spike asked finally. Leaving Roseluck alone, he could agree with that, he really didn't want to get hit by anymore potted plants today.

"Good question," Twilight replied as she thought, "maybe we should go and see what Rarity's doing?" she suggested.

"I was under the impression that Rarity's workload was substantial in nature. Would it not be considered a better example of friendship to not disturb her work process if she's busy?" Ulquiorra asked, seeing it as a sufficient opportunity to test the theory. If the unicorn Rarity was busy, disturbing whatever train of thought was currently in place, sounded far more appropriate for one who was a nuisance in nature.

He also had no interest in being measured and examined any further than he had been so far. But he saw no reason to mention that fact.

"I think he's getting it," Pinkie stated with a smile, "but Rarity's had a lot of time to get caught up on most of her work. She was in here not too long before you got here, to pick up a snack before getting back to what was left," she explained. "You three go on ahead, I've got a lot of work to do. First I've gotta deliver a get well cake to Wheelie over at The Wagon Depot, his lumbago's acting up again and he can't do any work on wagon wheels until he gets better. And then I've gotta tend to some stuff back here with Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Probably gonna be busy for the whole morning, and most of the afternoon too."

"Well if you say so. See you later, Pinkie," Twilight replied, a little unsure by the pink pony's sudden enthusiasm at sending them away, and just what she could be working on. But she'd learned long ago to be cautious on what she questioned her about. And even though she couldn't use the Pinkie Sense herself, she did get a strange sensation that now wasn't the time to be asking questions.

"If we're going to get moving, now would be a good time. Roseluck's reiatsu pattern isn't in the immediate area," Ulquiorra explained.

"That's probably a good idea. Although if you could just sonido us out of here, it wouldn't matter where she was right now," Twilight pointed out.

"As I explained, I have no idea how well your body would stand up to the speeds at which you would be traveling in such a situation," he replied. Why exactly was it so hard for her to understand such a fact?

"I know, I know. But I've been thinking about that. The only way to find out if it's safe is to actually try it. I'm not saying you'd have to cover a long distance or anything. Maybe just three meters for the initial endeavor?" she suggested.

An interesting thought. Using sonido, it was possible to cover considerable distances in the blink of an eye. But utilizing it for short term movement to determine the resilience of a foreign body... He would admit that it wasn't something he'd given serious consideration to before.

"Another time, perhaps. For now, if our intention is to seek out Rarity, I would recommend we do so before any other Ponyville residents decide to take up implements of convenience against us," he explained.

"Well then let's get going already!" Spike spoke up. If they were going to leave then they should get going, rather than just standing around and talking about how they should get going. The longer they stood around talking, the more opportunity it gave Roseluck to come back and pelt them with potted plants.

Pinkie watched as the trio finally left Sugarcube Corner in search of Rarity. The moment they were out the door, she was off like a shot, disappearing into the back of the bakery. As much as she wanted to be with her friends right now, it simply wasn't an option at the moment. There were a lot of things that needed to be done, and not a lot of time with which to get them done. But considering what the potential payoff was, she was willing to make the sacrifice in this case.

"Geronimo!"

Chapter Thirty Nine

Chapter Thirty Nine

Rarity hummed contentedly to herself as she went about her business, pinning the pieces of a dress pattern to the selected material in order to go about making her cuts, and starting with the initial fitting. There was a lot that needed to be done, but she felt quite relaxed as she worked. Granted this wouldn't be the easiest of dresses to make, the client having a unique body tone all her own, but she was confident the adjustments she'd made when taking the measurements, would be sufficient to compensate for any potential difficulty.

Now that she thought about it, she was quite confident in her abilities to compensate for unforeseen difficulties. She was a professional fashionista afterall, unusual body types posed no great difficulty for her! She was Rarity! If anypony could do it then she was most certainly the one!

Her well placed confidence in her own skill was inspiring her, she could feel it surging through her veins, and pulsing just below her skin right now, making her fur stand on end. She was boiling over with ideas right now just begging to be released!

This called for a new tune to hum, something with a little bit more of an octane rating to match her current mood.

She made her cuts to the material with great precision, exercising poise, grace, and a sense of elegance that spoke of her skill with a set of scissors. There were no snags, no torn threads, no unsightly burrs between the cuts as she made corners, and met both gentle and sharp turns. All the while humming a gentle melody that wouldn't be out of place at a concert hall in Canterlot; a piece that could truly only be experienced to its fullest from the gentle delicacy of a talented unicorn musician playing a well tuned grand piano. A tune she was absolutely positive Octavia would have appreciated hearing.

And then, as the last scraps of unnecessary material gently fell away from the main cuts, she immediately switched the uptick to something that sounded more appropriate for the kind of musicians Vinyl Scratch would associate with; something with a comparatively violent, and pounding, but fully controlled beat.

All at once a maelstrom was unleashed within the confines of the Carousel Boutique. A whirlwind of parts of fabric, lace, sheers, needles, pins, colored threads, and gemstones circled about her, matching the pounding rhythm she hummed that left her lips tingling like mad.

The nearest ponnequin was adorned and draped with the various bits of fabric falling into place, seems butting up against each other, held firmly in place by an aura of baby blue magic. A battalion of white headed pins quickly entered the dray, darting in and piercing the fine material up and down the folds, securely anchoring them in place to give the pile of bits of fabric a crude shape, something that ultimately worked towards a physical proof of concept.

The melody coming from Rarity's lips suddenly took a steep fall and became a much gentler tune as she examined her work carefully, eying each seam, each line, every individual joint of her work, looking for any glaring errors that would need to be addressed, to be re-pinned before stitching could begin. Little corrections being made for the proper fit and finish that her work demanded. She expected nothing short of absolute perfection in her work, why should her customers be given anything less?

The speed and beat of the rhythm picked up once again, unconsciously bringing Rarity to her hind legs, her hooves held above her head, the creation pulled loose from its mount as she swung her forelegs in the direction of the sewing machine. The fabric was gracefully slid into place, as the correct bobbin and thread were applied with ease. Another change in the rhythm, corresponding with a movement of her foreleg as the sewing machine roared to life to stitch down the first of many fine seams.

She spun on her rear hooves in a circle, her eyes closed as the beat of her hum overtook her. She was no longer simply stitching a dress for a client. Instead she was the conductor of an entire orchestra, one filled with colors, sights, sounds, and physical sensations of all different blends. The steady tacking of the sewing machine in the background, paused only as one seam was switched for another, and another, matching the melody of her mind, and her inspiration.

The frills, the tucks, the lace, each tacked on and stitched down with the smoothness of fine crystal that was born from many years of experience in the field, standing in stark contrast for the organized chaos that was the piece her symphony was currently playing out.

The ponnequin quickly became draped again, the physical proof of concept showing all the signs of well hemmed and stitched seams, and finely tuned edges. Immediately it was assaulted by a barrage of gems embedding themselves into the material at her command. To someone without proper knowledge of things, such a display would look crude, suggesting they were nothing more than an afterthought, and to do nothing more than try to cover up an overall lack of quality. But that was why they were without proper knowledge, because they truly wouldn't see the fine details she'd seen in her mind's eye, and how her vision was coming to life before her, perfectly in step with the melody within her.

And just as it had all begun, the magnificent maelstrom, born of creativity and inspiration from her own confidence, the project was concluded. And it was nothing short of utter wonder. Everything had come together so beautifully, a symphony of silk, lace, and jewels to accentuate each beautiful aspect it had to hold.

"Magnifico!" she spoke joyously as she set back down on all four hooves, and stepped closer to admire her own work.

"Quite impressive."

Rarity let out a startled noise as she spun around to see just who had come into her shop without her knowing. And if she hadn't been surprised prior to this moment, she certainly would be now as she found both Twilight and Spike, standing in the doorway and applauding. Behind them stood Ulquiorra and... well, he at least looked like his interest had been captured by whatever he'd seen. Something told her their applause hadn't been for the dress itself.

"Twilight, darling," she began as she worked to regain her composure, "not that I don't love having you over, but whatever are you doing back here? I didn't even hear you come in," she stated.

"Sorry, Rarity," Twilight apologized as she stepped forward, "when we came here, the front door was left ajar when we got here. And when we didn't see you we thought something might be up so we just let ourselves in. Then we found you at work and... all I can say is wow," she explained.

"It is quite rare to make such a statement, but I found myself rather amazed by the degree of skill being exhibited just now," Ulquiorra added in his usual calm tone. Nevertheless, he had been amazed. The manner in which Rarity flexed her reiryoku, exercising considerable finesse in what she did. He had no knowledge of what amounted to fashion, but he could at least appreciate competence when he saw it. She had effortlessly kept more than two dozen different items afloat in her telekinetic field, guiding their movements in a grand, but carefully orchestrated manner.

And all while splitting her focus not only on her work, but the strange tune she'd been humming, and her own coordinated physical movements. The end results spoke well of her skills.

"Oh my," Rarity stated in surprise. Ulquiorra was actually commenting favorably on her work? "You are?" she asked.

"Lying in order to spare the feelings of others isn't a specialty of mine," Ulquiorra responded, "in my studies concerning unicorns and the implementation of magic, I have learned a considerable degree of concentration is needed for successful endeavors. Despite splitting your focus on four specific tasks without any observable connection to one another, the manner in which you constructed the garment speaks highly of your own individual abilities," he explained. "I would even go so far as to say your degree of focus and concentration exceeds that of Twilight Sparkle, based on what I have observed."

"Huh?" Spike asked in surprise. Had he just heard right? Did Ulquiorra really just say that Rarity could concentrate better than Twilight could? Was he... was he really serious?

Not that he was putting down Rarity or anything! But still, it was Twilight he was talking about. Twilight, Celestia's prized student, the one who overcame an Ursa Minor when nopony else could. The one who saved Luna from Nightmare Moon by figuring out the mystery of the Elements of Harmony. The one who figured out how to overcome Discord's second reign of chaos and put him back in stone where he belonged. And Ulquiorra was casually saying that Twilight's degree of concentration was exceeded by Rarity?

He really wasn't sure what to think about that...

"That's likely an accurate assessment," Twilight added, "I could probably do some of what you did, Rarity, but I know I couldn't do everything that you were doing. At least not all at the same time. And what was that tune you were humming during it all?" she asked.

Rarity blinked at the surprise of actually being complemented by Ulquiorra on her work, now noticing that she was being addressed by Twilight. Clearing her throat, she turned to address her friend. "Oh it's just a little melody, darling, something that just seemed to pop right into my head along with my inspiration on this dress. It's not exactly something you'd find at the music stores. It's just... one of those pathways where inspiration takes you when you allow it to."

Spike said nothing. Ulquiorra noted that once again, the young dragon had the same strange look on his face as he had the previous time. He really needed to inquire about it sometime, in order to understand what it was about the unicorn Rarity that caused such a reaction.

"Anyway, Twilight, as I said, it's not that I don't enjoy your company, but what exactly is everyone doing here at this hour? There isn't another crisis occurring right now is there?" Rarity asked.

"No, fortunately it's nothing like that. Ulquiorra came to Ponyville to get a better understanding of what friendship's all about," Twilight explained.

"I have been given several definitions and explanations of what friendship amounts to, each one differing based on who the explanation has come from," Ulquiorra elaborated.

Twilight nodded. "Applejack, Pinkie, and myself all have a different take on how to explain it. So we were wondering if you could contribute something as well."

"Oh dear," Rarity replied in surprise, "that's... quite the question to be asking right off the bat. I don't really know if I can just suddenly start explaining what friendship is from my own point of view. It's not like coordinating colors, and determining the line between tasteful and garish when it comes to applying sequins. I'm afraid I'll need some time to think on it, in order to give a proper explanation."

It was a rather strange development to encounter, Ulquiorra noted. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie had no trouble giving an explanation of their own definition of what friendship was. Yet when it came to Rarity, she could not do the same when asked, and instead needed time to compose an answer. What was the reason for this irregularity? Perhaps her views were similar to his own?

If that were truly the case, then things had suddenly become more interesting to him.

"Then I see no reason to further waste your time with this inquiry," he replied, "I will leave you to your work, undisturbed," he said as he turned to leave.

Twilight frowned, uncertain of what to think. Ulquiorra's method of delivery was still incredibly blunt in nature, but on the other hoof, he'd at least explained that his decision to leave was based on not disturbing Rarity's work.

Then again, she was finding herself curious as to why Rarity wasn't able to answer a simple question. Maybe she was currently so task oriented on her fashion obligations, that she needed time to cool down and refocus her thought process? If that were the case then she could certainly understand it. That was a situation she'd been in more than once.

"Before you leave, Ulquiorra, a moment of your time," Rarity spoke up as he turned. She was thankful that he had some understanding of how stressful her work could be, and how sometimes an artist simply needed to be left to their own devices. However there was something to tend to first. Something she hadn't been able to address when he'd come to reclaim his jacket, and leave just as quickly as he'd arrived. "When I had access to your jacket, I was quite thorough in my studying of it. From what I can tell, the only method available to you for carrying goods, are the two pockets on the pants of your uniform."

"That is correct," Ulquiorra replied, uncertain exactly where she was going with this. Usually stating the obvious was his to do.

"That's what I was afraid of. And knowing that your stay in our world would likely be extended, I simply couldn't let such a travesty occur. So with that in mind..." she trailed off, her horn glowing as the supply closet doors parted, allowing for a parcel wrapped in white tissue paper to be brought forth in her baby blue aura, and be presented to him. "I hope this is to your liking."

Curiouser, and curiouser. Taking hold of the presented parcel, he peeled back the tissue paper to see just what Rarity had spent her time on.

At first glance it appeared to be a modified saddlebag. But a closer inspection revealed no similarities to suggest this was what had been done. Instead it resembled a satchel of some configuration. It was a black, heavy, likely water repellent duck canvas, that was used in its overall construction. Upon even further inspection it was easy to tell that this was not a simple, one-compartment bag with a flap. The sides were held by a zipper, likely to allow for expansion depending on contents. There were also what appeared to be mounting points with reinforced stitching, possibly to allow for items to be carried outside the main compartment. The flap was secured by two side snap release buckles, the straps on the bottom held by two adjusting slide buckles should greater length be needed. A compartment zipper was present near the top front of the flap, and a second zipper on the back of the body. A wide, adjustable length shoulder strap -as well as a moveable padded shoulder rest- was affixed to the sides with steel hardware, in contrast to the plastic fixtures used to hold the flap shut.

Below the flap were numerous pockets, small compartments, and a divider and organizer held to the main body by six snaps, the male halves sewn into the canvas liner of the satchel's interior, and completely hidden from the outside. At the bottom were two brass... he wasn't sure what they were. They appeared to be grommets, but with a mesh netting in the centers. Perhaps they served as drain holes, should liquid ever find its way inside?

It was well designed, and well made; the stitches were quite small from what he could tell. Everywhere there should be an edge appeared to be rolled under twice to prevent fraying. And the bottom and sides looked to be reinforced, should considerable weight be carried. Yet it was also simple, and incredibly utilitarian in nature. There was no useless excessiveness to its design, nothing that amounted to flash, or useless kibble. The only decorative aspect he could see on the entire structure was a small number 4 embroidered on the top right-hand corner of the flap's front, done in teal green thread, and in the same archaic font as his own ranking.

"A satchel?" he finally asked after a long, silent period of studying its design. He wasn't entirely certain of what else to say on the matter.

Rarity nodded. "Something I came across in my studies of far away fashions, utilized by races that can't properly make use of saddle bags. It seemed rather appropriate," she explained. "That said, I must say that attempting to construct something purely spartan in nature, devoid of any flare or individual touches, is quite a unique experience for me. But knowing the target audience and adjusting appropriately is what's truly important."

He could see the practicality of the satchel. And based on what he'd learned so far, he was reasonably certain that he had a greater measure of understanding regarding Rarity's motivation, than he did have days ago. Hers was the Element of Generosity, and from what he understood of her, she was generous in nature with others... up to a certain point anyway. His possession of only two pockets, would logically lead her to believe that a solution was necessary, even if he never truly had a need for such.

Twilight stepped forward to examine the satchel herself. There were aspects of the design that she could see the practicality of. But at the same time she saw certain areas that she really had no idea what they were about. But her own observations weren't the primary thing on her mind right now; rather she was curious as to how Ulquiorra would react to such a gift.

"... Is it, to your liking?" Rarity asked, uneasy after the long, awkward pause. She'd tried so hard to stay focused on what she believed -or at least assumed to believe- was attuned to his tastes. And if it wasn't... then she'd just have to start over and try again.

Ulquiorra remained silent as he considered everything. There were a number of things that could be said in this situation; some of them more appropriate than others. And in light of his recent efforts, only one thing that could be said, seemed truly appropriate in nature.

"It is," he stated simply. At the very least, the simplicity of the design could be appreciated from a minimalistic point of view. Wordlessly he slid his right arm through the strap, slipping it over his head, and allowing it to come to a rest on his left shoulder, the main body of the satchel reaching his right hip, and resting in a manner that didn't interfere with his ability to place his hands in his pockets. Available, yet unhindering, and out of the way until it became necessary.

"Oh that's so good to know," Rarity stated with a sense of relief. Assuming something was to somepony's liking was one thing. But to get actual verbal confirmation was so much better. And as Ulquiorra had stated, lying wasn't his specialty. And even if it was, she certainly doubted he would ever consider sparing someone their feelings in the name of politeness.

"For your troubles," Ulquiorra said simply as he reached inside his right pocket.

"Oh no," Rarity chuckled, finding herself amused at the misunderstanding. She'd constructed the satchel in a friendly gesture, and had never expected anything in the way of payment for her services. However as she attempted to explain that fact, the words were silenced upon seeing just what Ulquiorra had set down on her sewing machine stand. "Oh... my... word..."

Twilight blinked in confusion. What exactly was she looking at?

Spike's nose immediately began twitching. All day long he'd been smelling something, but unable to tell exactly what it was. But now, with the the strange object separated from Ulquiorra, his nose was better able to discern exactly what had been tickling it this whole time; a sizable chunk of corundum mineral. In simple terms, a gemstone!

Rarity's eyes were wide, her mouth hanging open in surprise, shock, and awe at the gem that sat on her stand. In terms of size alone it had to be fifty carats at least, the whole body exquisitely cut. But its coloring, the sheer depths of the redness it possessed were unlike anything she could remember encountering. She would dare say it was even more vibrant than the fire ruby Spike had given her.

"Where in the world did you ever gain something like that?" she finally asked, unable to hold her curiosity in any longer.

"A gift from Princess Luna," he replied. It was the most accurate answer he could present. In truth he had no idea who it had come from. He'd only become aware of its existence the night before when he'd examined the desk in his quarters, and found it tucked away in one of the drawers. He could only assume it had come from Princess Luna; possibly some gratuity for saving Princess Celestia from Chrysalis' feeding.

Whatever the reason for its presence, it was something he had no true use for. He'd brought it along with him simply for the possibility of it coming in handy during his attempts at understanding more about the concept of friendship. Perhaps some pony he encountered would be able to make better use of it than he could. Parting with it would be of no significant consequence to him, regardless of whatever monetary value it might hold. Giving it away was little more than tossing out a useless piece of rubbish to him.

"A dragon's blood ruby," Twilight stated as she approached to get a better look at it, but suspecting she knew exactly what it was even from halfway across the room.

"A what now?" Spike asked as he turned to look at her. Did she just say what he thought she said? Dragon's blood?

"A dragon's blood ruby," Twilight repeated as she stepped closer to examine the gem more carefully, "like all rubies they're made of exquisitely cut corundum mineral. But dragons' blood rubies are renowned for the deep, vibrant red coloring they possess, that sets them apart from all other rubies. You could set one next to any other ruby you want, and it'd look pink in comparison," she explained.

"Oh my," Rarity replied. Was this really real? "I don't think I've ever heard of a dragon's blood ruby before. Which is quite strange, all things considered," she said, mumbling the last part, "are they rare in nature?"

"Well they're not as rare as some gems I've heard about, there are some types out there so rare, only one or two of them are known to exist in the whole world. But dragon's blood rubies are certainly up there in terms of rarity; especially at this size!" she explained as she turned her attention away from the ruby and back to Ulquiorra. "Ulquiorra, that gem that Luna gave you... based on the size, and the rare nature of its type, on the open market, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities to say that it might fetch a literal million bits to a collector."

"Oh my!" Rarity stated in surprise. Was this real? Was this actually happening? Ulquiorra had actually presented her with something that was worth a literal fortune, and done so without a second thought? This was really too unbelievable. "Twilight, darling, are you serious about this?" she asked.

Twilight nodded. "Trust me, Rarity, gemstones might not be my specialty, but they are something that I've read about. I have at least a general idea on the topic," she explained before turning back to the Espada again. "Ulquiorra... are you really sure you want to part with something like that? The fact that Luna saw fit to give you something like that is... is... it's unprecedented!" she stated.

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" Ulquiorra asked in an even tone as he looked at her. He would admit that the notion of the ruby possessing such value was mildly interesting. But not interesting enough to warrant him maintaining possession of it. No good could come from him simply keeping it. The use of trophies to conjure memories of sentimentality was a practice he truly couldn't see as beneficial in nature. And something that held value to a collector, was useless unless the proper collector was available to supply demand for it. "My aspect of death is emptiness, not greed. I have no need for possession of such an item, regardless of how much of a monetary value it might possess. I am not the Noveno Espada, Aaroniero Arruruerie. It's loss means nothing of significance to me," he explained, "if another can benefit from it, then so be it."

They flinched at the mention of death. It was so easy to forget that Ulquiorra was a... whatever he was. He was technically a ghost, but he had an actual physical mass, along with everything else usually encountered in a living being. And so long as his Hollow hole remained obstructed from view, they could continue treating him like he was anyone else, and forget the unpleasantries of the matter.

Spike groaned and held his stomach with both hands, an unpleasant look crossing his features. "Could we please stop talking about how it's a dragon's blood ruby? It's making me sick to put those two thoughts together," he moaned and left forth a belch of a foul nature.

A matter of curiosity. Ulquiorra looked to Twilight Sparkle for clarification, wondering just why Spike would be feeling ill over the name of some gemstone.

"Dragons eat gemstones," Twilight said in response, not even needing to hear what the question was, before knowing exactly what it was that he was wondering about, "they're sort of a dragon's equivalent of candy."

"I would assume they'd be considered more of a delicacy as rare as they are," he replied. He found it hard to believe that a dragon like Spike could actually eat and digest hardened minerals like those that made up rubies. He'd assumed the sapphire ice cream present during their first meeting in Canterlot had been nothing more than a name based on the coloration of the presented treat, and the rough looking toppings were nothing but sprinkles. "Assuming gemstones are rare in this world."

"That's actually an interesting topic of discussion," Twilight stated. She never stopped to consider that other worlds might not share the same mineral structure as their own, or that gemstones of various kinds might not be as readily available as they were here. She was fully prepared to launch into a long, articulate explanation about the nature of their world, and the naturally occurring nature of the various gemstones native to their world. But the look on Ulquiorra's face was enough to stop her dead in her tracks. She decided to give it some more thought, and change course. "Well... to put in simple terms, there are both rare and common gems in our world, and both are naturally occurring. Whether rare gems occur less frequently than common gems, or whether they're rare because dragons favor them to a greater degree, and thus seek them out more eagerly, is a matter of debate. But suffice to say, dragon's bl- DBR's are regarded as rare due to how hard it is to actually find them in nature," she explained.

Rarity nodded in agreement. "Sometime when you're free, I'd be happy to show you some of the best areas I've discovered for gem harvesting. There are untold hundreds out there, just waiting to be discovered and made use of."

Strange. The more he observed in Ponyville, the more mysteries he found himself presented with for consideration. Mysteries he wasn't certain on whether or not they were worth exploring. They would either prove as a useful investigative tool for getting to the bottom of the mystery, or they'd prove to be nothing more than a useless distraction.

"Perhaps," he eventually replied, "for now though, it would be best to depart. There are other matters that can be tended to while you tend to whatever work is pressing," he explained.

"Just a moment, Ulquiorra, before you take your leave there's a matter I really do need to tend to," Rarity replied, once again preventing him from leaving. Seeing him looking back at her, she continued. "As much as I'd really like to, I don't believe I can accept this dra- this magnificent gemstone; not for the satchel, and certainly not for the shirt I made you either. The gesture is greatly appreciated, but for it to be fair I'd have to do much, much more work than I'd ever have time for, in order to not feel like I'm taking advantage of you," she explained.

"Then perhaps I'll be motivated to take the difference out in trade," Ulquiorra replied. Rarity was indeed a strange unicorn. And if she insisted on making this an issue, then he'd respond accordingly. "I'll consider it a matter of even trade if you can provide me with certain, specific information about a topic of importance. Quills and inkwells leave much to be desired. If I'm to engage in extended correspondence, I will need to know where I can locate a pen."

"... I'm... sorry. Did you just say a... pen? Like the structures Applejack and other farmers use for corralling those filthy pigs?" Rarity asked, completely confused by what he was asking. "You'll have to forgive me. I'm confused as just how something like that could be useful for the purpose of correspondence."

Ulquiorra paused in thought to consider the next response. Either he hadn't been specific enough, or this world didn't possess ink-based writing implements besides quills. He'd have to try a different approach.

"A pen, much like a quill, is a pointed writing implement. However the pen differs by utilizing a self-contained, no spill, ink filled cartridge attached to the point, housed in a tubular construction body of similar size to a drinking straw," he explained.

"Really?" Twilight asked upon hearing this description. Self contained ink cartridges? On the one hoof, that sounded like it would save time when writing, as it would prevent the need to dip the quill when starting a new line. And it sounded like spill accidents would be eliminated. But on the other hoof, it also sounded wasteful in nature. A quill could be utilized through numerous inkwells, but Ulquiorra's description didn't sound like there was any option for refilling. "How many pages can you write with one of these pen things before they run dry?"

"Presumably several hundred," Ulquiorra responded. Truthfully he had no idea himself and could only presume. Immediately he noticed a change in the unicorn's posture and temperament.

"Se-se-se-" she stuttered, her eyes wide with surprise, "se-se-se-several hundred pages!?" she asked. Immediately, in the blink of an eye, Twilight was on him, standing on her hind legs, and holding onto his shoulders with her hooves. "Ulquiorra, these things you speak of, does your world have them? Are they common? Are they expensive? Can we go to your world and get some!?"

Despite Twilight Sparkle's sudden burst of mania over something as mundane as writing pens, he didn't flinch or blink. He'd been on the receiving end of far more disturbing displays while still keeping his cool.

"If I were able to return to my own world dimension, I would have before now," he pointed out. He observed the momentary pause between his words, and the drop in the unicorn's emotional display, her ears drooping as the realization of his words set in; he couldn't return to his home of Hueco Mundo.

"I'm really sorry, Ulquiorra, I forgot all about that," Twilight said as she released him and set back down on all four hooves again. How could she be so stupid as to ask him something like that? How could she allow herself to be lulled in by the prospect of being able to write several hundred pages of notes, with something no bigger than a drinking straw, and in the process forget that Ulquiorra didn't have a home to return to!?

"It's not a matter of consequence," Ulquiorra replied. Truthfully he was uncertain if he even wanted to return to Las Noches. Considering the severity of his last fight there, the city had suffered considerable damage prior to his death. There was no telling what had occurred in his absence. Would he really care enough to survey the wreckage and rubble?

Perhaps not. And there was no telling what consequences would be had, should he ever do something like that. There were still too many mysteries in this world to unravel.

"I assume pens aren't available in this world then," he said as he returned his attention to Rarity, getting back on the subject of proper writing implements. "When I was exterminating the changelings hiding in the school building, I noticed numerous pencils present on the desks. Perhaps you can inform me where they can be acquired instead?" he asked.

"Pencils?" Rarity asked, a little confused at how things had suddenly taken such a twist. She thought for a moment before answering. "If I remember correctly, Barnyard Bargains usually stocks them with the rest of the scholastic and office supplies. They were on sale last fall when I had to take Sweetie Belle and get her properly equipped for the new semester," she replied, although it hardly mattered as it still didn't make much in the way of sense.

Ulquiorra had willingly supplied her with a ruby of considerable value when he hadn't even been required to, and now he was willing to consider the matter closed so long as he could acquire some pencils? She really had no idea what was going on. Was this all really real? And of the questions present to her right now, just what was she going to do with such a gem? At the moment she only had Twilight's word to go on, but if her friend was accurate in her speculation, a literal fortune was sitting right on her sewing machine stand right now. This was... this was a great deal to take in.

"Then it would appear Barnyard Bargains will be among the stops made today," Ulquiorra commented. He was prepared to leave, but suspected that as soon as he attempted, he'd be stopped for another question. Instead he was stopped as a gemstone, green in color, and considerably smaller than the one he'd given to Rarity, was levitated into his field of view, enveloped in the same color of aura as that which was used in the construction of the dress.

"For your troubles, good sir. Feel free to stock up on whatever you might need," she told him, her voice taking on a tone he wasn't familiar with.

He considered what he was being presented with, and the significance of the gesture itself. Having no understanding of how the economy in this world was structured, he had no exact understanding of precisely how much this small emerald now resting in his hand was worth. It could be considerable just as easily as it could be petty for all he knew about it. Having no understanding of the bits-to-yen ratio of conversion was of equal difficulty in understanding.

However he possessed doubts that Rarity was the type to present something of petty worth to another; at least to one who she considered significant. And it seemed unlikely that she would provide him with something that couldn't be broken, and change provided for.

For the time being he would have to speculate. He'd make the conservative estimate that one bit held approximately the same value as one hundred yen, and that the emerald held a market value of approximately thirty bits.

"Thank you," he eventually replied. If he was truly going to get a grasp of what friendship meant, he was going to need to get into the habit of using pleasantries. A relatively small price to pay, all things considered. Without any further discussion he pocketed the emerald and turned his attention back to Spike and Twilight Sparkle. "Shall we take our leave now?"

"That's probably a good idea," Twilight agreed and nodded. The idea of getting moving again would serve as a good distraction to the screw up she'd just committed. "Thanks for your time, Rarity."

"Anytime dear. And I'll try to have an answer to that question by the next time I see you," Rarity replied before finally turning her attention back to the dress at hoof, smoothing out the fabric and taking one more look at it, just in case she'd missed something the first time. It simply wouldn't do to have the presentation messy for when her client showed up. And beyond that it gave her something more concrete to focus on for the time being; something that she could actually address in an orderly fashion. The ruby itself would simply have to wait for the time being.

Ulquiorra observed Rarity in silence. The fact she returned to her work suggested there would be no more interruptions to experience. That suited him just fine.

"To Barnyard Bargains then."

Author's Note

Moondance, by Nightwish

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty

"Let's see..."

Fluttershy studied the list she held between her front hooves. There were quite a few supplies she needed in the way of fruits and vegetables, as well as other food items for all her animal friends. Fresh worms for the birds, fish for the otters, to say nothing of Henry the bear, feed for the chickens, nuts for the mice and squirrels, and that was to say nothing of everything she needed to get for the salad that Angel Bunny wanted for his dinner tonight.

She just hoped the marketplace up close, wasn't as crowded as it looked from near the edge of Ponyville. Some of the items she had to get were more pressing than others right now; primarily the fixings for the salad.

However her thoughts were interrupted by a booming echo of static coming from the left, causing her to issue an "eep" and jump in surprise at the sudden noise.

"Woohoo! This is awesome!"

She blinked, surprise temporarily overpowering startlement. That was Spike's voice, but what could he be talking about? Looking over to her left, she saw Spike... and he was tucked under Ulquiorra's arm in a manner not too dissimilar from a piece of luggage being carried. But despite that fact he looked quite excited, like he was having the time of his life.

"Ulquiorra? Spike?" she asked curiously.

"Greetings Fluttershy," Ulquiorra replied.

The next thing she knew, she could hear the sound of hoofsteps and panting approaching from the right. Looking in that direction she saw Twilight come running up, and looking like she was out of breath.

"You two," she panted as she came to a stop, "whatever happened to three meter bursts, for the purpose of carrying out experimentation in a safe and controlled manner?" she asked and frowned.

"Aw come on, Twilight," Spike moaned.

"Spike," Twilight groaned, preparing to launch into a detailed explanation. However she stopped when she noticed Fluttershy standing between them and looking very confused. "Hey Fluttershy, how're you today?" she asked, her tone of voice changing completely, from one meant for lecturing and scolding, to one intended for pleasant interactions.

"Oh, hey Twilight," Fluttershy replied slowly, "I'm alright. Just going to the market for a few things. What about you?"

"Well it's all very interesting really. Ulquiorra came to Ponyville to get a better understanding of what friendship is. And so far we've gotten three very good explanations from Applejack, Pinkie, and myself. Then we went to Barnyard Bargains to stock up on some writing supplies for Ulquiorra," Twilight explained, smiling the entire time as she gave a basic overlay of what they'd been occupying their time with. "And right now we're carrying out some experiments," she said, pausing as her frown returned, "or at least we were until somebody decided to go joyriding instead,"

"Aw come on, Twilight," Spike repeated and groaned further, "you said we needed more information, didn't you?"

"That's not the point, Spike, there's a proper order for doing things," Twilight stated.

"I'm confused," Fluttershy stated and blinked as she looked between them. What exactly was going on here? And had she walked into this, or had it found her instead?

"Twilight Sparkle has been attempting to analyze the mechanics behind my sonido," Ulquiorra answered simply. If he allowed the unicorn to explain the situation to Fluttershy, they'd be standing around a good fifteen minutes, waiting for her to reach the conclusion. Even then, it was likely Fluttershy would need clarification of just what was said.

Sometimes a high degree of intelligence could be a hindrance.

"More accurately, I've been analyzing the mechanics behind his sonido," Twilight corrected. "With the mage's sight spell, I can see the flow and distribution of mana that goes into it. Although at first it was hard to do so accurately. Even just moving three meters at a time, it's hard to follow Ulquiorra's movements precisely. But after the initial rough patch things have proceeded rather smoothly. I think I finally have enough data to perform a more in-depth analysis, and construct a theory behind how ponies might be able to duplicate the technique," she explained.

Ponies being able to utilize sonido in the same way an Arrancar could. He truly doubted the legitimacy of her claim. But perhaps it was best to let her learn that fact for herself. Sometimes being forced to experience failure was the best educator in existence.

"Oh," Fluttershy replied flatly at the explanation. She... guessed she could understand it. "But why is Ulquiorra carrying Spike around?" she asked.

"That was the next step in experimentation. Ulquiorra has doubts that a pony's body could withstand the forces experienced when he engages in his faster than sight movements. It's the reason he didn't carry us back from the mountain top after the dragon left. And as I correctly pointed out, the only way to make a determination is to attempt such and see the results. That's why we limited the test range to three meters, as it should provide sufficient room for experimentation and study, while not being such an extended distance, that the travel could cause harm to the body. It's still far too early to make any determination of what the long term effects of sonido travel will be," Twilight explained. Then she turned her attention back to Spike and Ulquiorra, a frown returning once again. "That was really dangerous, Spike, you two going so far without letting me know anything!"

"But nothing happened! I'm fine, see?" Spike protested.

"Okay... but why is Ulquiorra carrying Spike around?" Fluttershy asked again.

"Based on the exploits I've been informed of, provided they're accurate, Spike's body is the most durable available. The ability to digest gemstones with ease, as well as be exposed to lava without experiencing harm, made him the best candidate for initial testing. It was determined that if anyone can withstand the effects of sonido travel, he would be the one," Ulquiorra elaborated.

"And it's awesome!" Spike added with much gusto. "This even beats the time Rainbow Dash took me flying!"

He considered Spike's words. But more importantly, he considered the sensations that resulted from such words. He briefly felt the urge to remark with the statement of "high praise indeed" to being compared favorably to Rainbow Dash and her own exploits. Perhaps he was spending too much time associating with these ponies, and their personalities were slowly beginning to rub off on him.

"So where to next?" Spike asked eagerly.

"For the time being I believe enough travel by sonido has been performed," Ulquiorra responded flatly. Before Spike could even get a word in edgewise in protest, he started talking again. "Twilight Sparkle's concerns are well grounded in reality. Regardless of the fact you've withstood a grand total of sixty meters worth of travel with no ill effects, there's a difference between being thorough, and being reckless," he explained.

Spike sighed and mumbled in response, not liking that this was the end for his high-speed travel excitement. But like it or not, there wasn't much he could do about it in protest. With a grumble he slipped loose as Ulquiorra loosened his hold and landed on his feet on the ground.

Twilight tried not to sigh in response to Spike's mood. She could understand that he was excited about how things were progressing, but she still wished he could understand the concepts of moderation and safety. That was why she insisted on three meter bursts.

Then again maybe this was her fault. After the first few attempts had proven successful, she'd become very excited. However unlike Spike's adrenaline induced high, her excitement was due to how much she was learning, and the notes she'd been able to take on what she'd seen. And with any luck... the possibility of being able to replicate his sonido and do it herself. She'd seen the way his mana fluctuated and flowed, now she just needed to figure out how to replicate it in herself. Maybe her own excitement had spurred Spike on to suggest they go further in the next burst, leading up to her having to go chasing after them when Ulquiorra had traveled thirty meters without warning.

Maybe it'd be best to classify this one as a mutual screw up on both their parts.

Shaking her head, she decided a change of topic was necessary. And seeing how Fluttershy was still present, she couldn't think of a better place to start than with her. "So, Fluttershy, what're you picking up from the market today?" she asked in as pleasant a tone as she could manage.

"Oh. Um..." she paused, caught off guard by suddenly being involved in the discussion again. "Just some food for all the animals. You wouldn't believe how many different things need to be kept stocked to take care of them all," she replied.

"And now another mystery," Ulquiorra stated, presenting it more to the group than anyone in particular.

"What, another one?" Spike asked in surprise.

"Oh dear," Fluttershy whispered, uncertain she wanted to stick around for this. Anytime Ulquiorra started talking about mysteries it made her really nervous.

"During our time spent with Rarity, she made a statement I thought nothing of. Now that Fluttershy mentions food for her animals, the statement has suddenly become much more relevant than previously," Ulquiorra replied as he looked over them. Fluttershy's look was one of confusion, potentially from trying to understand the meaning of his words. Confusion was also worn by Spike and Twilight Sparkle, but due to different reasons. "Based on Rarity's statement, Applejack and other ponies engaged in the agricultural field raise livestock. But ultimately for what purpose? It would seem safe to assume ponies are vegetarian in nature. But ultimately the purpose of raising livestock is for a source of food; more specifically meat. So it must be asked, who precisely is supplying the demand that warrants the cost of the endeavor?" he asked.

Silence. Nothing but utter, stunned silence. Was this another topic they never gave consideration to?

After several moment's worth of pause, Twilight Sparkle spoke up in response to his question.

"Well... technically speaking, ponies are indeed vegetarian in nature. Or at the very least, that's how they prefer to be. Ponies themselves usually raise livestock for the secondary sources of food they provide; eggs from chickens, milk from cows and goats. As to the... the meat..." she paused in discomfort, "Equestria engages in trade relations with the Gryphon nation. The majority of their land is considered rough terrain, and it's hard for them to properly raise livestock in their own borders. So they trade with us since Equestria holds flatter, grassier areas," she explained.

Ulquiorra remained silent as he listened to her explanation. It made sufficient sense to him. It was a business partnership that he could understand, and it was mutually beneficial in nature, and easily withstood logical scrutiny.

However before he could say anything, Twilight Sparkle continued speaking. Apparently whatever she had to say was... extensive.

"That said... there are ponies who choose to engage in the consumption of meat... either as a side dish, or as a main dish, depending on individual preference. It's... it's not a widespread practice, even though there's nothing technically wrong with it. I guess there's enough of a pony subculture to engage in such, that it provides sufficient demand for a product within Equestria's borders. But it's... it's just not commonly done," she explained uneasily.

He could detect the discomfort coming off of Twilight Sparkle during her explanation. For whatever reason, this appeared to be a difficult subject for discussion. Was it an activity she'd engaged in at some point? Perhaps her unease was because she was explaining it in front of Fluttershy, a pony known for caring for animals? He could press the issue and seek clarification on the matter. But simply because he could, didn't mean he should. If he was going to make this friendship concept work, he was going to need to operate below his usual level in order to appear more civil in nature. He could always revisit the issue later.

For right now the unicorn had earned herself a reprieve. She should consider herself lucky.

"Fascinating," he finally said in response. He then turned his attention towards Fluttershy, who looked mildly uncomfortable with the whole situation. "When we approached you with regard to the dragon, I noticed several species of carnivorous animals on your property, including what appeared to be a grizzly bear. Assuming they're in your charge, is it a matter of discomfort for you, that they engage in the consumption of other animals?" he asked.

"... No..." Fluttershy answered, her voice barely above a whisper, a slight disturbance in her mane resulting from a barely detectable shake of the head. "They're just doing what they're instinct tells them. It would be wrong of me to be upset at them for simply listening to what they are. I couldn't care for them if I had to scold them for doing what's in their basic nature. It'd be no different from getting mad at Twilight for liking daisies on her sandwiches instead of daffodils, or Rainbow Dash for liking to fly instead of walk... o-or even you, for being... being..."

"Cold and merciless?" Ulquiorra asked, assuming that was what she was getting at, but lacked the courage to vocalize for fear of possibly offending him. She gulped nervously, but nodded regardless. Hers appeared to be a pragmatic outlook in life, realizing that certain things simply couldn't be changed, and thus choosing not to get upset by them. "A logical approach," he concluded.

Once again, another stretch of silence. It would appear the four of them had no idea what to speak of next. Perhaps it was best to conclude their interaction now.

"Um... h-how are your studies in friendship going?" Fluttershy finally managed to ask.

So much for concluding their interaction. "As Twilight Sparkle explained, I have been given three different interpretations of what friendship is, with a promissory note for a fourth from Rarity, once she arrives at the best explanation she can give. Furthermore, I have been able to grasp a basic understanding of what the concept of friendship amounts to. However each pony we've interacted with have given differing accounts from their own perspectives, necessitating reevaluation. Perhaps you could contribute something for further consideration?" he asked. If they were going to go about and collect friendship interpretations from the other holders of the Elements of Harmony, they might as well get Fluttershy's while they were here.

"Oh. W-well..." Fluttershy stuttered. Ulquiorra was asking for her help again. That was definitely surprising. "I guess... if I had to try and explain friendship, I'd say it's being kind to others around you. A-and being understanding of what they're doing, and supportive in what their endeavors might be, even if you don't always agree with them, or what they're trying to do. B-but it's... it's also necessary to know the difference, of when to be supportive to a friend, and when to be firm and object to something when you're worried, because you think they're putting themselves or others in danger..." she explained as best she could. "It's... well it's not really easy... trying to remember that being firm and not taking the easy way, is another aspect of friendship. Sometimes... sometimes one needs to be emotionally strong, to help someone who isn't or can't be strong on their own..."

An interesting explanation if nothing else. The explanations provided by Twilight Sparkle and Applejack more or less focused on utilizing the support provided and made possible by others. The explanation provided by Pinkie Pie seemed to -in theory at least- focus more on bolstering the morale of others, which may or may not serve to bolster her own morale as a result. And now the explanation by Fluttershy, which seemed to focus on tolerating others and whatever insanity they subscribed to, while speaking up in opposition when it was necessary to prevent harm from possibly occurring for one reason or another.

He could start formulating a theory based on the information he had, but perhaps the best option was to first wait and obtain the missing third of available data from these ponies first.

"So that's four down, and two to go. Maybe we should try and find Rainbow Dash next to get her definition of friendship," Spike suggested as he spoke up.

"That was a meeting had earlier this morning on my way to Ponyville. I believe at the moment she's still tending to the matter of her job," Ulquiorra replied. He doubted it would be considered friendly to interrupt someone's work for the purpose of simply asking them a question. And then there were other factors to consider. "Furthermore, I'm uncertain if Rainbow Dash can be trusted to give an unbiased answer on this matter."

"Uh..." Twilight started but paused in surprise, "say what exactly?" she asked and quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

"Based on previous interactions and what they've entailed, I believe Rainbow Dash may have an emotional or physical investment in the matter at hand, and would either consciously or unconsciously attempt to structure results in what she would consider a beneficial nature," Ulquiorra explained.

"O... okay?" Twilight replied, uncertain of what he was getting at here. "And what exactly are you basing this newfound theory of yours on?" she asked. What exactly could the Espada have seen to make him believe that Rainbow Dash had an agenda?

"Context applied to three previous events. The first event occurred the day after we all met and coincided with the dragon, consisting of two separate displays of penna tumescence, the significance of which was only understood afterward when I began reading on the anatomy and biology of the three pony species. Then there was her declaration that I was considered "awesome" by her. The significance of which was only discovered in the second event, that being the letter received the day before the changeling situation was unearthed. Along with a second declaration of being "awesome" she confirmed that it is a statement usually reserved for herself. The third event occurred the day after and coincided with our arrival at Sweet Apple Acres, and consisted of Rainbow Dash's supposed trip and fall, leaving her in a compromising position against me," Ulquiorra explained, laying out the available evidence for consideration and review.

"Penna wha'?" Spike asked, utterly confused by what exactly he was being told. Lost, he looked to Twilight for clarification. If anypony knew what fancy words Ulquiorra was using, she would definitely be the one.

"Penna tumescence, Spike," Twilight began, "it's a medical term that refers to the condition when a pegasi's wings stiffen in response to mental or physical stimuli, signifying a state of significant physical arousal and-"

Twilight immediately covered her mouth with her hoof. At being presented with a question, and lack of understanding on a subject, her brain had immediately launched into explanation mode, calling up the relevant information to the question presented. She'd realized only too late just what she was saying, as the more logical part of her brain immediately issued the "shut the fuck up!" command to silence what was saying. Spike didn't need to be hearing about the finer details of pegasus anatomy at his young age. What was she doing!?

"Wait, wait," Spike stated and immediately turned to Ulquiorra, "are you saying you think that Rainbow Dash wants you to rut her because she popped a wingboner?" he asked. The Espada didn't even have a chance to respond before Spike succumbed to riotous and amused laughter.

"Spike!" Twilight shrieked in surprise -and embarrassment- at what her assistant had just said, and in such a blunt manner as well. "What're you... when did... do you... where did you learn about stuff like that?!"

Spike, upon hearing the tone in Twilight's voice, managed to straighten up and become halfway more serious than he had been just a few moments ago. "Just because I'm a baby dragon, doesn't mean I'm a baby by default, Twilight. I've heard and seen a lot of stuff, I've got an idea of what's going on."

Twilight didn't know how to respond to this information. She'd always seen Spike as being so innocent in nature, he was so much younger than she was, and there was still so much that he didn't understand yet; he didn't even know what a bachelor party was for crying out loud!

"Just great," she groaned and facehooved. She sighed inwardly, knowing that this matter would have to be addressed one way or another. And like it or not, she had to accept that Spike was knowledgeable in some less than savory facts. She was going to need to ask around town and find out just who he'd been talking to about these things. And then she would need to have a word with them about appropriate discussion. But first she had to tend to something more pressing. "That doesn't mean you should go broadcasting stuff like that. Plus you could be a little more subtle about the things you know; some things just aren't polite the say out loud," she pointed out.

Spike gave her an incredulous look in response; the kind of look that dripped with "you did not just say that" at hearing her words.

"Twilight, have you heard some of the things that've been coming out of your mouth lately?" he asked her. Almost immediately he could notice her posture starting to change, as realization finally started setting in. "You never used to use profanity before. Not even when a situation was really bad and would warrant it. But ever since you met Ulquiorra, you've slowly started becoming a Miss Swears a Lot. And you're taking issue with me simply asking if Ulquiorra thinks Rainbow Dash wants him to bend her over and-"

Twilight cleared her throat -loudly- interrupting what Spike had to say next, and she was glad it did, as she really didn't want to hear it. She would have to concede that he had a fair argument to make. Even she was starting to notice the change occurring within herself. What had started out as nothing more than pure curiosity regarding the variances in dialect between two differing races, had somehow lead to her having what would be considered socially unacceptable outbursts, and at totally unacceptable times. If the others had known just what she'd been saying all those other times... she really didn't want to think about it.

"Noted," she said and sighed, doing her best to pinch the bridge of her muzzle in frustration. This was a wrinkle in everything that desperately wasn't needed to be experienced.

Off to the side Ulquiorra silently observed their interaction. Despite Twilight Sparkle's objection to Spike's bluntness, it was indeed an accurate assessment of the situation, and how he saw it himself. Rainbow Dash's actions, when examined from the context of recently acquired knowledge regarding pegasus biology, would suggest a carnal desire on her part... or at least lend credibility to the notion of it being a possibility. The displays of physical arousal in recognition of his superiority, the declaration of being "awesome" to inform him of her interest. And -accidental status notwithstanding- presenting herself to suggest availability and willingness. It was a possibility that couldn't be discounted, even if he would like to.

But still... wingboner? That was an actual term?

Tuning out the banter going on between the unicorn and dragon, he looked over at Fluttershy, and it was easy to determine that she was experiencing a significant degree of discomfort with everything she was witnessing, and the subject matter that was being discussed in front of her. Pony body language was certainly easy to read once one became initiated and learned what to look for; it was almost as easy as human body language.

And then his pesquisa detected something that grabbed his attention, interrupting the way this discussion could've gone otherwise. "There's a strange reiatsu approaching Ponyville's marketplace from the east," he announced, ceasing any private thoughts and personal bickering that was going on. Suddenly all eyes were on him and seeking clarification. "The approach is slow, consistent with a pony casually walking from one location to another. But the reiatsu does not coincide with any species I've encountered so far. Not any of the three pony races, nor alicorn, dragon, or even changeling."

"Oh dear," Fluttershy squeaked in fear.

"How strong?" Twilight asked.

"Strong. The exact degree of which, however, I'm uncertain," he explained. It was one of the difficulties of trying to properly gauge one's strength based on their reiatsu, when every species encountered produced differing patterns and textures.

"I'm not sitting this one out," Spike declared. He'd missed seeing Ulquiorra demonstrate his strength when facing off against the dragon at the caves. He'd completely been absent for everything that'd happened with the changelings, and missed seeing Ulquiorra's transformation. But he was gonna be bucked if he missed out on the third time around.

Spectators. Just wonderful. Ponies acting as spectators to whatever may be coming would mean he would have to restrict himself to avoid unnecessary casualties. And that was something he could do without. And yet, if he were to leave them behind to investigate this approaching presence, he could be walking right into a trap that was set just for him. What if whatever entity was hiding behind the scenes, had been observing his actions, and sent out a decoy that he could detect, to distract him from what he somehow couldn't detect?

"Gah! Drat this stupid cart. Picking right now to fall apart!"

His thoughts on various possibilities were interrupted by the strange voice, obviously close at hand judging by the volume. To the side he noticed as Twilight let out a relaxed breath.

"Stand down, Ulquiorra. That strange reiatsu you sensed just now, that probably belongs to Zecora. That's her voice, I'd know it anywhere," she explained.

Zecora? So the strange letter writer had returned to Ponyville. Perhaps it would be prudent to meet the mystery mare and learn more about her, to determine if there was a threat level to her. Simply because she was an ally, that didn't mean she hadn't been utilized for malicious purposes.

"And judging by what she's saying, she's having some trouble. Maybe we should go and help," Twilight suggested.

Even he saw that one coming, and he was the stranger here.

"Lead the way then," he replied, having an idea of just what would be involved in this meeting.

Much to his surprise, the walk was incredibly short before they found the source of the mystery reiatsu. This Zecora had managed to come much closer to their presence than he was comfortable with, considering just when he'd detected her. The proximity was far too close for his liking, and greatly reminded him of how Discord had managed to subvert his pesquisa for the first time.

What the group of four came upon was undoubtedly a zebra, mare in nature, wearing an old cloak, her frame adorned with numerous gold rings, her mane done up in a mohawk, and trying hard to move a broken wooden cart all by herself, one of the wheels completely off of the axle, and a corner firmly embedded in the ground. And all the while muttering to herself in a rhyming nature.

He wasn't sure why, but something about the one before him reminded him vaguely of Zommari Rureaux.

"Zecora, it's so good to see you again," Twilight greeted as she quickened her pace over to the zebra, interrupting her grumblings in the process. She'd heard something along the lines of "stupid part, just my luck" and suspected how she knew the rhyme would end. But at hearing her voice, Zecora looked up and her mood seemed to brighten considerably.

"Ah, Twilight my friend, such a pleasant sight. I regret to say, currently I'm in a bit of a plight," Zecora greeted in response at seeing the unicorn approach. "My cart, sadly, is quite old. Perhaps it's time to look into replacing, truth be told."

"So it would appear," Ulquiorra found himself commented as he stepped closer. Now that his attention was on the cart rather than the zebra pulling it, he could see it was indeed in a worn condition. The wood looked incredibly old, cracked, rotten in some areas, coming apart at the grain in others. On top of that it looked crude in nature, and he couldn't help but wonder if she'd made it by herself. It looked like a miracle it'd made it for as long as it had.

"Where are my manners?" Twilight asked rhetorically as she saw Zecora's surprised reaction. "Zecora, this is Ulquiorra Cifer. He's the one we told you about the last time you came to Ponyville."

"Ah," Zecora muttered absentmindedly as she looked him over. Such a strange, strange looking being to encounter. So little fur for keeping warm, such a strange method of locomotion, and... such a strange attire. "My apologies if I did seem rude, good sir. But with everypony's hoop and holler... I must admit, I did expect you to be much taller."

Stranger and stranger. Did she always speak in rhymes? And if so, for what reason?

"I have heard of your exploits with the dragon. But I must admit, it is a feat that I cannot fathom," she stated upon seeing that he wasn't talking in response. Someone that was so small, he didn't even look like he weighed as much as Applejack did. So how could he be so strong, if the farm pony's account of events that transpired were to be believed?

"You're not the only one," Spike added in agreement. Simply hearing about what Ulquiorra could do, it simply didn't do justice.

"Trust me, Zecora, seeing it didn't help make any better sense of what happened," Twilight told her. She could go into detail about how what she'd seen defied all measure of logic, both in the realms of science, and even her understanding of magic. But she didn't think the shaman would properly cope with the information that Ulquiorra wasn't naturally occurring in their world. Instead she decided to change the subject to something a little more pleasant in nature, and not so focused on Ulquiorra himself. "So what brings you back to town so soon?"

"My own carelessness, I must confess. The greater humidity of the forest, left some supplies in quite a mess. I thought I stored them properly, but I did not. And due to my carelessness, they have succumbed to rot," Zecora explained glumly.

"Eww," Twilight stated in response. She didn't even want to consider what kind of a mess she had back in her hut if some of her stuff was rotting due to high humidity levels. It was reasons like that, that she wished Zecora lived in Ponyville instead of the Everfree Forest.

A greater degree of humidity in the forest than in Ponyville? Theoretically he could understand it to a degree. But to such an extent, the difference was enough to cause items to rot within the forest? Rather curious in nature. But if that was the case, it would certainly explain the rough condition of the cart, looking as if bare wood had been left to sit in the rain for years, the water soaking in and causing it to crack, split, and warp.

Stepping closer, he looked closer at the cart and its condition. There was a lengthwise crack visible and running down the middle of the axle on the side the wheel had fallen off. Theoretically he could see the crack causing the tension holding the wheel retaining peg to come loose, and if the journey was bumping, it wasn't impossible for it to be knocked loose and fall away. The wheel coming off, however, was still a mystery. Unless she'd made a sharp turn, and the ground hugged the wheel more than anticipated, and wrenched it off.

"This axle is damaged," he stated bluntly.

"And according to Pinkie, the pony that does wheel-related repairs at The Wagon Depot is down with lumbago, meaning he can't help us any," Twilight said and sighed. This wasn't good.

Ulquiorra remained silent as he considered the situation. On the one hand, he had absolutely no obligation to be of any assistance to Zecora, despite her friend status with Twilight Sparkle and the others. It wasn't his problem to get into, and none of them had asked him to provide a solution to the matter. Nobody could truly be upset with him if he simply walked away without another word.

Yet on the other hand, he was presented with a unique situation. If he was going to convince these ponies that he was gaining an understanding of friendship and what it meant, he was going to need to do certain tasks uncharacteristic for himself. And right now, he was being presented with a situation in which this could be done.

"I can repair the axle," he stated simply.

"You can?" Spike asked, surprised by the statement.

He'd just committed himself to this little experiment of his. Now was the time to make it believable. With that in mind he nodded. "With a few supplies from Barnyard Bargains, and some time; during which Zecora can gather what she needs," he explained.

"What do you need?" Twilight asked. Ulquiorra actually volunteering to help had significantly thrown her, and left her uncertain of just what was going on. But if he was actually putting his friendship lessons to the test, then she was going to do whatever it took to help him out in the matter.

One roll of fourteen gauge bailing wire. Twelve wood screws, with a depth of no more than one inch each, and a thread diameter of three sixteenths of an inch. One dowel rod, seventh eighths of an inch in diameter. And one phillips head screwdriver. These were the materials Ulquiorra had requested, and they were what Spike had been tasked to go and acquire while Fluttershy and Twilight helped Zecora get what she needed that was available. And as Ulquiorra worked, Spike watched in wonder.

The wheel had easily been shoved back into place on the axle. After that the dowel rod had been cut down to size with a single chop of his zanpakutō, the shortened length stuffed into the peg hole on the cracked side of the axle to serve as a retaining peg. Five screws were place around the axle at various locations, tightened down to a certain extent, before the bailing wire was looped around each of them, while the axle was squeezed to the point the crack closed, the wire pulling tight to prevent easy separation again. This was followed by the axle being wrapped a dozen more times, the wire being cut in the same manner as the dowel rod, and the loose end firmly wrapped around a sixth screw that was tightened into place.

And once Ulquiorra was done with the process, he repeated the screwing and wire wrapping process on the side of the axle where the wheel hadn't fallen off. Spike had no real idea as to why this was done, but seeing as how Ulquiorra had given him the money to acquire everything, he figured that there must've been a very good reason behind it all. Maybe it was to prevent further cracking and breaking from occurring along the axle. Or maybe it was due to the symmetry of it all. But whatever the reason, Ulquiorra had worked as silently as he had proficiently, until the task was completed.

"Is that it?" he finally asked.

"It is," Ulquiorra confirmed, "the dowel will prevent the wheel from coming off again, while the wire wrap will prevent the crack from opening further, resulting in a compression fit to prevent the new peg from falling out. The nature of the repair work is basic, but should suffice so long as the wood doesn't deteriorate further," he explained.

"That's pretty impressive," Spike stated as he looked over the work done, "where'd you learn to do stuff like that anyway? No offense, but you never struck me as the carpenter type."

"Memories prior to my ascendancy to Vasto Lorde status are few and far between. Even I don't know for certain, what I did prior to that point. For all I know, at some point in the past, I was an architect," he explained. Looking down he realized that he still possessed the screwdriver. That was one thing he hadn't accounted for. Perhaps he should've asked Filthy Rich if he possessed a toolkit that could be borrowed instead. Seeing nothing better to do with the tool, he pocketed it in the satchel, should it ever come in handy again at some point in the future.

"Looks like the others are coming back now," Spike stated as he looked in the direction of the marketplace. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Zecora were returning, carrying various bags of supplies, and with Applejack in tow to lend assistance in carrying everything. They must've really been loaded down with weight. Right now he hoped the old rickety cart was up to the challenge that laid before it.

"Whoo doggy," Applejack stated as they approached, her pack of supplies being the heaviest of the four. She liked Zecora, and she had absolutely no qualms about lending a helping hoof to a pony in need. But this had caught her completely off guard, necessitating temporarily closing down her market stand, in order to put her strong frame to work in carrying the supplies that were needed. And truth be told, some of this stuff was heavy even by her own standards.

"We're back," Twilight announced, pointless as it might be. She could see that Spike and Ulquiorra were looking in their direction and were aware of their presence. But she still felt the need to say something. "How's the cart repair coming?" she asked.

"Completed," Ulquiorra stated simply, seeing no reason to use excessive words to get the point across.

Twilight tried not to sigh. Ulquiorra's bluntness seemed to be a permanent aspect of his personality. But at the same time, he'd gone out of his way to not only volunteer, but actually fix Zecora's cart; something he'd had absolutely no obligation to do. He'd even gone so far as to spend his own money for the supplies needed, and as far as she knew, he didn't have anything except for what was in his pockets, leftover from the emerald Rarity had given him. If that wasn't a selfless act of friendship, she really didn't know what was.

But still... she wished his personality wasn't quite so abrasive at times. How did he expect to make and keep friends, if he was so cold at times? She could see more than just the surface of a matter, and discover the more difficult matters that others couldn't quite understand. But that didn't mean other ponies were as blessed; they wouldn't as easily be able to see in Ulquiorra, what she herself had seen.

Applejack stepped closer to examine the supposed repair work. It was definitely not something one would ever catch Rarity doing. But it had an appearance that reminded her a great deal of work on the farm, when a more proper repair simply couldn't be done. It was basic, it was utilitarian, but it was functional despite its unassuming appearance. In a lot of ways it was just like Ulquiorra himself.

"Tha's real nice work, Mr. Cifer, looks nice an' sturdy," she commented, "fourteen gauge wire?"

"Correct," he replied. It didn't really surprise him that Applejack would be able to identify wire gauge on sight alone. Farm work consisted of more than simply kicking trees to harvest apples, and if she wasn't proficient in her work, whatever it might entail, then the farm would fail. Knowing the tools and materials used in your trade, and how to use them properly, as well as effectively, was a necessity.

"Good sir, you have reinvigorated this old cart. While I did not witness it, your skills are like an art," Zecora commented as she brought her share of the supplies over, surprised to see what had been done in their time away. With her cart repaired, perhaps this would turn out to be a good day. Without another word she eased the bag of supplies off her back and into the back of the cart.

One by one the supplies were loaded up into the back of the cart, each new amount of weight causing the cart to creak quietly, until everything was fully loaded up.

Unfortunately the creak had been an indication that the cart wasn't up to the task it was presented with; a fact made obvious as the creak grew into the sound of wood cracking, which soon turned into the bottom boards breaking under the strain, the bags falling out beneath what remained of the structure.

For a moment, nopony even breathed at the sight before them.

Just for a moment though.

"Gah! Stupid cart, I do not believe it-"

"What a worthless piece of---" Twilight stated, inadvertently about to finish the rhyme for Zecora, only to be interrupted as Spike covered her mouth with his claw before she could finish, giving her a disapproving glare at knowing where this was going. It was enough to convince her that it wasn't the proper route to go. "Sorry..."

"Applesauce," Applejack grumbled, "well. Looks like we're gonna have ta go with Plan B then. Everypony grab a bag an' we'll help carry 'em back ta the hut."

More thoughts ran through Ulquiorra's mind as he considered everything that happened. The cart had been in far worse condition than he'd thought, to simply fall apart in such a manner. Perhaps termites were the root cause rather than humidity and water damage.

Whatever the reason, however, it was of no relevance. What was of relevance right now, was how the others had made the determination to help Zecora carry her supplies back to wherever she lived. Ultimately that meant venturing into the Everfree Forest, a location well known for its dangerous nature.

"There will be no need for that," he stated simply, interrupting the unloading process they were engaged in, and bringing their attention back to him. "I will tend to the matter by myself."

It was a calculated decision to make, but not an easy one, as there were multiple factors to consider with this situation. On the one hand, there was the possibility that Zecora was a mole operative, and was being used for the purpose of luring these three into the Everfree Forest, where they would be put at threat of harm or death, from the various creatures that lurked in there. Even if he were to follow, there would be no guarantees that he could provide sufficient protection from the various unknowns. And if Zecora was being used for such purposes, she would have grounds to object to the prospect of going with him instead, as he would not be the desired target.

On the other hand, there was the possibility from earlier. There was the possibility that Zecora wasn't a mole, but rather a decoy, the nature of which being designed to draw his attention to her, and leave him distracted enough that the others could be targeted when his guard was focused elsewhere. It was a classic strategy to engage in, and effective against those who didn't pay attention to all the various details. If she was intended as a decoy, she wouldn't object to his company.

But at the same time, there was the possibility of such a strategy failing, as the others knew that there were hidden dangers to be on the lookout for, so catching them off guard wouldn't be as easy as it would've been before his arrival. At the very least, they were slightly more aware of the world around them.

"By yourself?" Spike asked curiously. Having only heard about what the others had seen Ulquiorra do, it was still somewhat hard to fully believe his strength.

"Mr. Cifer, ah know yer strong an' all, but it's a long walk ta Zecora's an' those bags're kinda-" Applejack protested, only to be silenced as she watched Ulquiorra effortlessly lift the bags as if they held nothing but raw cotton.

Now that she thought about it, she really should've known better than to doubt him. He'd carried Twilight and Rainbow Dash, each under one arm, when he was faking out Chrysalis, and that was between three and four hundred pounds total. And he'd flown back with them in tow, suggesting his strength was long term in nature, rather than just short burst. Now she felt like a foal for even speaking up in the first place.

"Lead the way," Ulquiorra said as he turned his attention to Zecora, who had a look of amazement at the feat of strength she was witnessing. As to be expected from someone making such a discovery.

"Uh, before ya go, Mr. Cifer," Applejack spoke up again to get his attention back, "the walk ta Zecora's is a way's off. Ah'll prob'ly be done here by the time ya get there an' back. Bu' when ya do, would ya mind swingin' by Sweet Apple Acres?" she asked him hopefully.

Again with a request to stop by Sweet Apple Acres. Whatever was there, it must've possessed significant importance to Applejack for her to be asking about his presence a second time.

"Should I return to Ponyville and be unable to locate you, I'll head to Sweet Apple Acres then," he replied. The smile seemed to indicate that it was the answer she desired. With that matter addressed, he now turned his attention back to Zecora.

"Follow good sir, and I shall show you the way," Zecora stated before turning to guide him toward her hut, still surprised that he'd been so willing to help after just meeting her. First working to repair her cart, and now carrying everything for her, and all without being asked. "For such generosity, I will promise fair pay."

He considered explaining how monetary compensation for his efforts was of no interest or use to him. But taking the time out to actually explain such a fact, would mean delaying whatever discovery would occur on this journey, and potentially putting others at risk. He'd have to wait and explain the matter adequately until they arrived at their destination. For the time being he simply said nothing, and followed behind the zebra who was acting as his guide.

"Y'know, that Mr. Cifer's really changed a lot since we first met him," Applejack commented as they eventually disappeared from view.

"He really has," Fluttershy added and gave a nod.

Twilight didn't say anything in response to the statements of the others. Ulquiorra wasn't the same entity that they'd met on his first arrival. A lot had changed in their short time together. He'd gone from being cold and dispassionate about everything except learning, to going out of his way to protect them from harm when recognizing that the world was in even more danger than they thought. And on top of that already impressive fact, he was taking the study of friendship seriously, and gaining an understanding of it. He was slowly, but surely, moving away from what he used to be.

And maybe... just maybe... he was getting to be a little less empty.

Suddenly, before any of them knew what was going on, the four were grabbed and dragged off by an unseen force before they had any chance to respond, a crazy and demented laugh echoing as they vanished from view, without a trace being left behind.

Chapter Forty One

Chapter Forty One

"Why are we diverting from the main path?"

The walk back to where Zecora lived had been carried out largely in silence, neither party speaking along the journey. Ulquiorra possessed little motivation to engage the zebra in any conversation, primarily due to her strange manner of speech. And whenever Zecora looked back at him and saw his neutral expression, she changed her mind about actually speaking up.

For a considerable portion of the time the two journeyed together, the only distraction was the sound of feet and hooves against the ground, occasionally the snapping of a crushed twig, and eventually the sound of crunching grass, as Zecora moved away from the well-worn dirt path that indicated heavy traffic in this area; heavy enough that all the grass had been completely eroded away.

"A matter of much necessity I fear. Poison Joke it seems, to the path, grows very near. A detour we do need, or we will be exposed to the weed," Zecora explained as she paused to address him, before walking again.

Poison Joke? That was something he remembered reading about, as he studied about his surroundings, and how they were detailed in the Canterlot library. A very strange plant no matter how it was looked at. There was no real history as to where it came from, or how it came to be in existence. There was a great deal of speculation about its nature, theories that it was a creation of Discord's from long ago, but ultimately it was little more than guess work. The only confirmed information available dealt with the nature of its effects on others, signs exibited by those that had come into contact with it, and the available treatments for those that were infected by its pollen.

All in all, a most unpleasant bother to encounter. Right now he'd rather avoid seeing what it would do in reaction to his Arrancar nature. Without a word he followed the change in direction.

"Perhaps some herbicide would be a wise investment," he stated as they continued along the new path.

"What you speak of is an unnatural way. It is not something I would consider, even on my most frustrating day," Zecora replied as she stepped to avoid a fallen branch.

Another rhyme. Another uncertainty in this world. Another opportunity to simply remain silent and continue walking. The sooner they arrived at the designated location, the sooner he could determine if Zecora was a distraction. And the sooner he could return to Ponyville and continue his efforts there.

"If I may ask, however did you get assigned the dragon task?" Zecora asked as she turned to face him curiously. "Considering you are a dignitary, I would believe Princess Celestia would be more wary."

There were a great many things Ulquiorra encountered, and had to deal with in his day-to-day interactions with others. Some of these things were easy to tolerate, and others not so much. If he were to categorize everything on a scale of differing levels of intolerance, the cover story told by Twilight Sparkle would rank high on said scale. From the very beginning he'd allowed the unicorn to act as his guide, allowed her to spin the tale of him being a visiting dignitary from a foreign land, here to establish diplomatic relations with Equestria. Even from the beginning he'd objected to such, as it would interfere with his interactions with others. If they believed he was a dignitary then their actions would be guarded, stiff, artificial, and not give an accurate measure of what exactly he could expect in this strange world.

He had tolerated such nonsense for a period of no more than two days, before finally dispelling the notion entirely, and quite brutally in the process. He had no interest in being regarded as something he wasn't. Whether the rest of Ponyville had been made aware of his true nature after last week, or whether they still believed what they'd been told, he was uncertain. And right now he was uninterested, as he didn't have to specifically deal with them. But Zecora was another matter entirely, and she would have to be dealt with appropriately.

"The story shared with you by Twilight Sparkle and the others was not a matter of truth. I am no foreign dignitary, nor am I here to established diplomatic relations with Equestria, or any other country in this world. My presence here is the result of Discord's interference in the natural order of things," he explained bluntly. "In simple terms, the spirit of chaos chose to rip me from my own world, my own dimension, and deposit me here in this strange world."

He knew that by sharing such information freely would complicate the matter at hand. If Zecora was truly being utilized for nefarious reasons, revealing the truth of his origin could have adverse affects, whatever they might be. But at the same time, if whatever had sent the dragon after the holders of the Elements of Harmony, was actively using this zebra as a source of information, then there was the possibility of the revelation causing said mystery force to rethink its approach.

That was, of course, assuming his true nature wasn't already known by whatever he was up against. In hindsight, perhaps utilizing his released state had been a mistake on his part. Perhaps even now, this possible entity was attempting to concoct a countermeasure just for it.

As his attention settled on Zecora rather than his own thoughts, he noticed as she remained quite still, with her mouth hanging open at his words. It was safe to say she hadn't seen that one coming. And the fact she wasn't speaking suggested she had reason to believe his words. Perhaps it was appropriate to continue the matter, and show her just how far off base she'd been in her beliefs.

"What I am is a Hollow. An earthbound spirit subjected to the taint of the living world, mutated into a beast of pure primal instinct, driven to devour the souls of others in an effort to satiate the hunger caused by the loss of their heart. When this hunger becomes too great, some Hollows will turn on other Hollows and devour them in turn. Those that survive and devour enough Hollows will eventually evolve to new, more powerful levels. I am of the highest possible evolutionary level; Vasto Lorde," he explained, giving the stunned zebra a basic rundown of the facts of his nature.

Silence. Other than the background noises of the forest, there was nothing but silence to be heard. Except for laughing. Zecora's silence was soon replaced by her throwing her head back and all-out laughing. Did she find his story amusing? And if she did, was is truly that amusing? This was most unusual. He'd encountered a number of reactions to the truth about himself being revealed, but humor had never been one of them.

The laughing continued for several long moments before Zecora finally managed to regain control of herself, wiping away the tears that had started to fall from her unrestrained amusement. She could tell just by the look he was giving her that he didn't share in her amusement.

"I apologize if I seemed rude good sir, I merely found your sense of humor amusing as it were," she explained in an effort to justify her actions. "While it is an interesting story that you tell, I'm afraid I must say no sell. While you can possibly tell it best, tales of such beings are very common in my homeland to the west. And from what I can see standing before me, you are no roho mlaji."

Roho mlaji?

Without any doubt, this was a most unusual conversation to be having. That was about the only thing he could say for certain. Through all of her rhyming, had Zecora just told him that beings who devoured souls were regarded to exist in this world? Perhaps he was truly not the first Hollow to ever set foot in this dimension?

Unfortunately he didn't have any answers to such technical questions. To do so would require extensive knowledge of the spiritual equivalent of quantum physics, in order to postulate and speculate about the boundaries that separated various dimensions, and how their overall integrity might be affected at certain points of time. Perhaps Hollows at some point in the past had managed to fall through a weak point in the dimensional fabric when utilizing garganta travel, and wound up here?

Princess Celestia had stated that he was the only Hollow to ever be present in her land. However it was entirely possible she was speaking exclusively of her own knowledge and personal accounts. Perhaps wherever Zecora hailed from, it was beyond the boundaries of Equestria proper, and what happened there was beyond Princess Celestia's awareness.

Whatever the reasoning was, it prevented a curiosity. Perhaps further investigation at a later point was necessary.

"Do you possess a logical explanation as to how I was able to defeat the dragon, in the manner that was described to you?" he asked simply, deciding to veer back to the original discussion at hand. Discussing whether or not other Hollows existed in this world would do little until more information could be gathered.

"Ah... about that, I must admit, if there is a reason, I do not see it," Zecora sheepishly admitted. She'd gotten so carried away in his tale about what he was, that she'd completely forgotten about that topic. "This way," she finally said and began walking again.

Ulquiorra remained silent and continued following the zebra. The questions-to-answers ratio was becoming further and further unbalanced with every step he took. And every interaction with new -and untrusted- individuals simply deepened the overall mystery.

It was getting to the point of ridiculousness. If he were any of the lower ranked Espada, right now he would be at the point of screaming obscenities and demanding answers. Even if he was himself, he couldn't deny that such actions sounded minutely appealing to consider.

"I possess questions for which no answers exist. Perhaps you can be of assistance," he finally spoke up. If he wasn't going to get to the bottom of his on his own by just standing around, then perhaps it was time to utilize the proverbial shovel and start digging. "The first question relates to you and your method of speech. Is it due to a neurological condition that affects your ability to verbally communicate with others? Or do you possess the ability to communicate in a normal fashion, and instead it is a deliberate decision to construct rhyming sentences?" he asked.

"On that matter, I am quite happy to report the latter. To construct a proper rhyme, one must invest thought and time. To do so readily, one must practice steadily," Zecora replied as she walked along.

Ulquiorra was about to speak again, but stopped himself before ever opening his mouth. He could try and seek confirmation of Zecora's rhyming exercising being nothing more than an exercise to keep her mind active and such, but doing so would ultimately be of little overall value. The fact that it was deliberate meant she did indeed have the ability to communicate in a regular manner, and right now that was of far more probative value than anything else.

"For the next question I will require a straight answer without any attempts made to rhyme, as the information could be of a most crucial nature. These roho mlaji you speak of, what do they look like? What pattern of behavior do they engage in? And how are they killed?" he asked. If these creatures Zecora was referring to were truly Hollows by another name, then it was information he would need to be made aware of, so he could alert Princess Celestia and the others of the fact.

He could hear the sounds of Zecora's attempts at thinking -why she was making so much noise while thinking, he wasn't sure- before finally taking a deep breath to address him. "They have no appearance. The roho mlaji are nothing but tales from my country, told to advise others to not live a life marked with regret, for such may prevent them from eternal rest, and drive them to great resentment in the afterlife. The roho mlaji are proverbs, not creatures of an actual existence," Zecora explained calmly, doing her best to do so without any rhymes; a feat surprisingly more difficult than she first thought. Perhaps it was something she could practice more often.

"You're quite certain of that fact? No historical accounts regarding white skull-like masks? Misshapen bodies with large, gaping holes in their chests where their heart would be?" he asked, pressing on further in his inquiry. Whether or not Zecora was being utilized as another pawn, there were more important matters at hand right now. He couldn't afford to be so guarded and cautious in how he proceeded, that he wound up passing up valuable information in the process.

"Quite certain," Zecora said as she slowly stopped walking and turned to face him with a critical eye. "Why are you so curious about an old tale from a faraway land? What significance do you believe it holds to you?" she asked him.

He considered being quite frank with Zecora at the moment. He gave serious consideration to going into detail to explain the situation to her, and the importance of her answers and information. Making her aware of the world of Hueco Mundo and everything that it held, would possibly convince her of the severity of the situation, and why he was so interested. If there were tales of creatures like Hollows in this world, then at some point there must have existed something to serve as the catalyst of such tales.

He gave such facts consideration. However he stopped himself before ever bringing any of these up. He realized that the more time he devoted to Zecora, the longer he was away from Twilight Sparkle and the others. And if Zecora had truly been sent as a decoy, then that was exactly what was wanted!

"Morbid curiosity," he finally replied and began walking again. Dropping everything now and sonidoing his way back to Ponyville would be the prudent decision to make. But if he did that, if Zecora was in communication with the mysterious force, then his sudden absence could possibly alert it to the jig being up. He would have to bide his time, continue escorting Zecora to the designated location, and then hurry back to the others. "Perhaps we should proceed before anything else of value suffers from the humidity of the forest."

Zecora said nothing and simply nodded as she once again began walking, Ulquiorra keeping pace easily. The sooner this matter was settled, the sooner he could return to Ponyville, and the better off they would all be.

The experience of being grabbed from behind and roughly jostled, while in the company of two other ponies and one dragon, was far removed from the list of experiences that Twilight would ever consider to be pleasant in nature. But had she been asked? Had her abductor possessed the pony decency to first ask her beforehoof, if she minded being scared half to death by being grabbed from behind without warning? Fuck no! She and the others had just been grabbed like fruit in a fruit stand heist. And when confronted with such facts, there were only two words in the Equestrian language that seemed to adequately confer just how upset she'd been over it all.

"Pinkie Pie!"

Did the pink pony have any idea just how uncalled for her actions truly were? The timing of her snatch and grab couldn't have possibly been worse if she'd tried. Did she understand the fact that she could've had her head bucked right off her shoulders by surprising them in such a manner, during a time when they were all on high alert? She'd put herself in serious danger with that little stunt. Did she really have no concept of that simple fact?

And just how did she go about bringing all four of them from the Ponyville marketplace, all the way to Applejack's barn at Sweet Apple Acres? It was several miles worth of distance to cover, and somehow she'd done it all in what seemed like just a few seconds. And as long as they were on that topic of discussion, when did...

"Don't ask that question, Twilight, you know you'll regret whatever answer you get," Twilight scolded herself. There were some questions best left unasked, and some that needed to be unanswered.

Fortunately the bubbly pink party pony seemed to understand that something was wrong, as she stopped bouncing about -in mid bounce no less- and turned to address her directly. "What's up Twilight?"

"Can I ask this one, Twilight? Please?" Spike asked, interrupting before she could finish drawing a breath.

Twilight looked at Spike, curious about why he was volunteering, but equally curious at just what he was going to go about asking. Regardless she nodded to give him the go ahead.

"Okay," Spike said in a manner that practically dripped of eagerness, despite his best efforts to appear serious. He cleared his throat before turning to look directly at Pinkie. "Pinkie... just what the fuck were you thinking by grabbing us like that!?"

"Spike!" Twilight protested, completely unaware of Fluttershy's squeak in surprise, or Applejack's statement that sounded like "whoa nelly" or something along those lines. When exactly did he start using such language? First him knowing about wingboners and rutting, and now this?

Spike turned back to face Twilight again, an incredulous look on his face. "What's the matter, Twilight? Don't like hearing it coming from me? Well that makes two of us. So let's make a deal. I'll stop if you stop, is it a deal?" he asked.

He didn't know the full extent of whatever foreign profanities Ulquiorra had taught Twilight on that night in the library, or even why such an otherwise logical individual would feel such subject matter was appropriate to engage in. And he didn't even know what all of the words meant either. But he figured none of it was stuff that should be said in polite or mixed company. And whatever possessed Twilight to start using it, he wanted it to stop. She was the older of the two, she should be setting the example for him to follow, not the other way around. Which brought him to this idea of his. If certain things were alright for her to say, then they should be alright for him to say too, and with as great a frequency. And if she didn't like that idea... well then she had the ability to stop it right here and now.

Twilight looked at him with uncertainty, before finally closing her eyes and sighing. "Deal..."

Applejack just shook her head, deciding to let those two have their own issues themselves. She also decided to do the interrogation thing herself, and turned to face the confused looking Pinkie.

"So Pinkie, wha' exactly's the big idea o' grabbin' us an' bringin' us all ta mah barn?" she asked. She wanted to get to the bottom of that curiosity, and get back to town to tend to the apple stand. That back in five minutes sign wasn't going to keep the customers waiting forever. She'd put it up when she saw Zecora and the others having trouble carrying everything that they were trying to carry, in order to lend her natural earth pony strength to the endeavor. But this was turning out to be a lot more than five minutes. If she didn't get back soon then customers would be getting upset, and some of the less than honest townsponies -there were always a few of them in every city- might start stealing her wares.

"To get ready for Ulqy's party silly," Pinkie stated and grinned quite hard, her tone suggesting that it was an obvious question with an even more obvious answer; as if it required no explanation whatsoever.

"... Say wha' now?" Applejack asked, confused by the answer.

"Don't you remember back in the dream thingy when Celestia said Ulqy should get a big blowout of a party? Well what better time to do it when he's both here in Ponyville, and away and distracted carrying out an escort mission with Zecora? He's here but he doesn't know what's going on so we can surprise him!" Pinkie answered excitedly as she started bouncing about again.

The four assembled looked between themselves in confusion as Pinkie began diverging from talk purely about parties, and started talking about stuff they had no understanding of. Escort missions? HUD? Two player support? And what exactly did Luna have to do with any of this? And that was just the few words of gibberish they could get from the pink pony, her rapid fire manner of speech even more difficult to understand than usual. It was like she was having a high level sugar rush, on top of her own natural hyper nature.

Twilight couldn't help but wonder. If Pinkie met a steel plate in her current condition, could she bounce enough to vibrate her entire molecular structure right through the plate?

"Twi' do ya have any idea wha' she's talkin' 'bout?" Applejack asked.

"I got lost after "post-hit invincibility" whatever that means," Twilight replied. They weren't going to get anywhere like this. Igniting her horn, Pinkie was quickly grabbed in her magical aura and lifted up off the ground to keep her restrained, and brought her closer for conversation. "Pinkie!"

"Yes?" Pinkie asked, the sudden burst of hyperness gone as she now conveyed a high state of awareness of her surroundings as if nothing were out of the ordinary. Twilight just shook her head in a confused manner. She decided to skip all the possible stuff she could ask about, and instead cut to the chase on the matter.

"Pinkie, I get that you're excited about throwing Ulquiorra a party. I even get why you're excited about throwing Ulquiorra a party. But just grabbing us out of the blue like that was incredibly dangerous and you could've gotten hurt doing it. We've all been on high alert for nearly a week now. Not knowing it was you, one of us could've wound up hurting you because we thought something bad was happening," Twilight pointed out as she maintained a firm hold on Pinkie, hoping it would also serve to hold her concentration throughout the explanation.

Pinkie blinked a few times, as if she was being presented with a foreign concept she simply couldn't wrap her head around, and had wound up getting lost in attempting to listen. However as she blinked the look of confusion in her eyes was slowly replaced by one of understanding, as the concept of Twilight's words fully sank in.

"Oh..." she replied, her tone accompanying a change of demeanor. "Sorry everypony, I got carried away because I was so excited about Ulqy's party," she apologized.

Applejack sighed as she approached. "Tha's a'right Sugarcube, we understand why ya did it an' all. But nex' time try an' be a bit more careful, a'right? Ah'd feel like a pile o' manure if one o' us wound up hurtin' ya 'cause we didn't know it was you," she said as she rested a foreleg on her withers.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie replied, her demeanor brightening at Applejack's kind words.

"It doesn't look like much of a party right now," Spike pointed out as he looked around the barn. He'd been in Ponyville long enough to know that when Pinkie did a party, she did things big and loud, and the barn was anything but. It was... disappointing really.

"That's because we're not ready yet. When I was going over everything I found out I'm gonna need your help. We need to get everypony to show up, and the refreshments, and decorations, and gifts, and we gotta get Ulqy in here, and the more hooves the better!" Pinkie stated.

That was... unprecedented. Pinkie actually saying she needed help throwing a party? Right now that was either an honor, or reason to be concerned.

"Just one question... at the moment," Twilight replied as she set Pinkie back down and released her hold on her, "is this supposed to be a surprise party? Because if it is, I don't see how it's going to work. Ulquiorra can detect mana from vast distances. He's going to know something's up for sure," she pointed out.

"And that's where you come in, Twilight, I've got something extra special in mind for you. Listen..." Pinkie said as she stepped closer to fill her friend in on what was expected of her.

Somehow the tree before him failed to prove to be a surprise. The library that served as Twilight Sparkle's home was made from a tree despite being set in a town. Zecora's home consisting of a tree in the middle of a forest only seemed fitting. The only outstanding aspect of the entire presentation were the tribal masks hung about the tree in some fashion. Their overall design, combined with the fact Zecora was a zebra, left him relatively certain that her native land to the west was in some way similar to the continent of Africa. Or at the very least, the concept of Africa that he was familiar with.

However there were more pressing matters at hand, such as returning to Ponyville. Zecora had been all too willing to simply walk the distance, and he'd been forced to keep pace with her, rather than doing anything that might rouse suspicion. Had he known of the location beforehand, and carrying fewer items, he would've lifted her up off the ground, and taken to the skies to travel at a far quicker pace, and be done long before now.

Being considerate of others had significant drawbacks, it seemed. And so did taking considerable steps to not raise the suspicions of an unfamiliar, when they themselves were considered suspicious in nature.

Perhaps the most frustrating part of this entire endeavor was the fact he'd volunteered to do it of his own volition, rather than being asked or ordered to do so. But then again that had been due to his own motivation more than anything else. It wasn't friendship or compassion that drove him to take on this mission, but rather the need to determine the current threat level. And if nothing else, it at least lent credibility to the notion that he was better understanding friendship, and would be more able to sell his story to the others. Which would in turn divert their attention away from the ridiculous notion that he needed to be taught about friendship, and thus be better able to focus on identifying disturbances that would help establish a detectable pattern.

The only point so far that could be considered good, was the lack of any detectable reiatsu patterns that could give him cause for concern. Other than the patterns of various low-level wildlife, the only reiatsu he could detect belonged to Zecora herself. Perhaps she truly hadn't been sent as a decoy to divert his attention.

"That is the last," Zecora said and let out a long tired sigh as she walked out of the doorway. She was quite thankful for all the help she'd been provided with on the journey back to her home. Unfortunately the organization was something that only she could tend to, as only she knew full well just where everything went. And sometimes that took considerable effort. "Never did I believe I would be done so fast. Had it not been for you, I do not know what I would do."

Once again back to the rhyming. But there was nothing he could do about that except accept it for what it was. His task here had been done, there was no longer any need to remain here.

"Then I will be taking my leave now," he said as he slid his hands back into his pockets.

"Ah. Before you set out for your destination, we should first discuss compensation. For all that you have done today, it wouldn't be right to let you go without pay," Zecora stated as she stepped closer.

More interruptions, thus forcing him to maintain appearances to avoid rousing suspicions. This was more tedious than fooling Chrysalis. And on top of that it was preventing him from returning to Ponyville to ensure the safety of the others. That simply wasn't acceptable.

"Another time perhaps. For now I really must be leaving," he stated, concluding such with a burst of sonido, and leaving a confused Zecora behind in the process.

He'd spent too much time away, investigating the nature of the zebra and her trip to Ponyville. He truly hadn't intended to be away for so long.

As she waited just outside of the library, Twilight paced back and forth anxiously. Why her? Why her? Why her? Why did she have to get assigned the part that she did? Didn't Pinkie know what she was asking of her right now? There was no way this was going to work, it just couldn't work. How could it possibly work?

"Calm down, Twilight, calm down," she scolded herself during the most recent turn to face the direction she'd just paced along. "You're getting yourself far too worked up over something that isn't even worth it. All you need to do is find Ulquiorra and get him to come to Sweet Apple Acres. You can do that easy enough, he's very logical, he'll listen to reason. It's not like he has to be convinced to do anything unusual. It's not like he's going to have any reason to be suspicious. Just... just be patient, be yourself, and everything will go fine."

That's what she told herself. If only it were that simple to be calm, cool, and collected about things. But sadly it wasn't, and the longer she waited, the more anxious she got. The hard part about all of this was actually waiting for Ulquiorra to make his appearance before proceeding with everything else. Waiting could be so darn frustrating!

And unfortunately, when you waited while being anxious, your mind tended to wander. And where it wandered to wasn't always pretty. Case in point, Ulquiorra being gone for so long. She'd been to Zecora's hut plenty of times to know about how much time it took to walk both there and back to Ponyville, and it shouldn't be taking this long. The way Ulquiorra had so effortlessly lifted everything out of the broken cart with just his two hands like it was nothing, she just knew it couldn't be taking long because he would need to stop and rest.

And that was saying nothing about how he'd so effortlessly forced an adult dragon into a dead stop... while standing in midair at the time! Somebody who could do something like that, after spending twelve hours hiking up a mountainside without even the slightest hints of fatigue, could surely walk to Zecora's hut and back without getting tired from carrying a few supplies.

But what if it wasn't that? What if they'd run into trouble out there? The Everfree Forest was a dangerous place, full of animals that they still hadn't cataloged at this point in time. What if one of those unknown creatures had discovered them, and right now Ulquiorra and Zecora were captured and about to be eaten? What if Rainbow Dash was right!?

"What am I thinking!? This is Ulquiorra we're talking about! If he'd encountered anything in the Everfree Forest that he couldn't handle, we would've seen evidence of it before now. We would've known if he'd discharged a Cero, or if he had to use his resurrección," she thought, pointing out the absurdity of it all, and scolding herself for being so unreasonable. It had to be a far more mundane reason to explain what was taking so long.

But still, that didn't make waiting any easier to deal with. She had no idea where he was right now, and he could literally be anywhere. Why didn't she put a tracking beacon spell on him when she had the chance? At least then she'd have an idea of his general location.

That was a frustrating aspect of Ulquiorra as far as Twilight could see. He somehow had this habit of not being noticed until he wanted to be noticed. He could so effortlessly appear behind somepony in near silence, and they didn't know he was there until he spoke up and startled them in the process.

"Wait a minute..."

With that thought in mind she smirked. He liked sneaking up on ponies? Well she'd fix that in very short order. Standing firmly she place, she whirled her body around as hard and as fast as she could, nearly popping her neck in the process, letting out a loud yell of "Caught you!" as she faced... empty space...

Ulquiorra hadn't been behind her at all.

What was going on here? A subverted running gag or something? She sighed in anxious frustration and outright annoyance.

"Damn it, Ulquiorra, where are you when a pony needs you?" she asked no one in particular.

It might've been fate, chance, coincidence, or just sheer dumb luck. But whatever it was that seemed to be controlling actions around Ponyville, as soon as she asked the question, Ulquiorra appeared directly in front of her in a flash. And that unnatural timing and close proximity was enough to bring a startled yelp from her, as she fell backward and landed on her haunches.

"That's not funny," she grumbled as she climbed back to all four of her hooves.

"It wasn't my intention to be humorous," Ulquiorra replied as he looked at her. "Has anything noteworthy transpired during my absence?"

He would just have to phrase his question in that manner, wouldn't he? Phrasing it that way, after letting them all know that he can spot deception, that was just great. She was going to need to be calm to sell the story.

"Not really. Just more of Pinkie being... Pinkie," she replied, figuring it was quite true and quite worth telling. "Now that you're back, should we head to Sweet Apple Acres and see what it is Applejack was asking about?" she asked him.

"At present time I fail to see a reason not to," Ulquiorra replied. At least if it were manual labor, it would be something he could properly grasp. Without another word he set off for the farm, Twilight following close behind him.

"So how did things go with Zecora?" she asked as she walked alongside him, glad that the Espada hadn't simply flashed out to shorten the journey.

"There were no unforeseen interruptions. The fact no incidents have occurred during my absence, would suggest Zecora was not utilized as a decoy for the purpose of luring me away from Ponyville," he explained, noticing how Twilight nearly tripped in the process.

"Say what? You... you thought Zecora was a... like a trap or something?" she asked him.

"Under current circumstances it was hard to consider otherwise. Hence my decision to proceed. If Zecora had been dispatched to Ponyville with the intent of luring several Element holders away into the forest, my volunteering to proceed alone would be objected to and refused, indicating something was amiss. At the same time there was the possibility that Zecora was being utilized as a decoy, specifically to lure me away from the town, leaving it vulnerable to attack, while at the same time trying to gather information about my nature. However, based on all available information, it would seem safe to determine Zecora played no part in any nefarious schemes," he explained as they walked along.

Twilight thought on his words as they walked. She wanted to write it off as him simply being overly suspicious of the unknown. But to do that she'd have to disagree with him on the matter, and try as she might she simply couldn't. His theory that Chrysalis had been used as a pawn, would certainly suggest Zecora wasn't above such a corrupting influence either. But she really didn't want to go around and be suspicious of her friends anytime they talked to her, or asked her to do something to help them.

"Another mystery may have also been uncovered," he stated during the following silence.

"Oh no..." Twilight groaned, "another one? I'm almost afraid to even ask. Please... please tell me it has to do with her rhyming and not something else..."

"That is not something I can do, as it does not," Ulquiorra replied. "During our travel back to her home, Zecora mentioned an old tale of beings called roho mlanji. She insists they're nothing more than folk tales to motivate others to live a life without regrets. But from her explanation they possess a remarkable similarity to the basic nature of Hollows," he explained, adjusting his gait when he noticed her beginning to fall behind. "I believe the matter is one in need of further research."

"You mean... you think Hollows have found their way to Equestria in the past? But... but how could that even be possible? Didn't Celestia say something about you being the only Hollow to ever set hoof... foot... whatever, in Equestria?" Twilight asked, feeling utterly confused, scared, and intrigued all at the same time.

"I can't comment on the physical possibilities of such. I don't have access to the proper fields of physics to explain interdimensional travel by non-corporeal beings across the planes of different realities. At present time all I can do is speculate about the reality of everything we've encountered so far," Ulquiorra explained. "Despite her longevity, it's unlikely Princess Celestia is aware of every single detail that occurs throughout the entire world. If there are old tales of monsters that devour the souls of others, there must be a point of origin for them. And if Hollows truly have visited this world at some point in time, then it is possible some races have developed abilities to neutralize them. In which case it would be wise to learn them, just in case."

"Don't think about it, Twilight, just don't think about it," she mentally told herself, desperate to head off her own mind and prevent it from going down the course that it naturally wanted to take after being presented with this new and terrifying information. First there was the theory Ulquiorra developed when conversing with her friends, and then this new theory that Hollows have come into this world in the past? She really needed to stop leaving the Espada unattended, he just kept getting into trouble when she was gone! And that trouble just kept causing more and more worry.

"Maybe Celestia will let me talk him into moving into the library so I can keep an eye on him," she thought as she walked. That way he couldn't get himself into any trouble when he was left unattended. However almost immediately after she considered such, she shook her head. "What am I thinking!? Ask Ulquiorra to move in with us? Oh that's real bright thinking right there, Twilight. He's already more or less said that he thinks that Rainbow Dash might actually be physically attracted to him. The last thing you want to do is add fuel to that fire. You don't want to make him think that you're after him too! You don't want to give him the insane idea that you and your friends want to be his harem!"

Now that she thought about it, that line of thinking was just too weird to even consider. Not the thought about being in a harem of sorts, there was nothing actually wrong with polygamy; not legally anyway. It wasn't uncommon for some ponies to partner up in groups of three or more when forming a family. The real headache came when two or more of the participants were friends prior to the arrangement, and if the relationship went bad, it usually tended to spoil the friendship and left the participants bitter. That was one reason she was careful in her interactions with others. It was one reason she never did anything that might be considered flirting with Thunderlane, just in case there was something between him and Rainbow Dash.

And it was for that reason, that she was careful when she interacted with her friends, to not do anything that would suggest she had any romantic feelings for any of them. There were simply too many things that could go wrong there.

No. There was nothing wrong with the idea of several of them being in a consenting relationship. The real problem with the thought was the prospect of who they'd be involved with. Them being physically attracted to Ulquiorra? They weren't even the same species. Not that there was anything wrong with that, she wasn't intolerant of mixed couples or anything. There was certainly nothing wrong about relationships between ponies and gryphons, or even ponies and buffalo. But ponies and Hollows? That was... was... it...

"Don't think about that either!" she yelled to herself in frustration. She could see why Celestia got so upset with him at times. He was starting to drive her to a frazzle, and he really hadn't even done anything yet! It was bad enough that she wanted to start pulling her mane out. And then after she got done with pulling it out, she wanted to put it right back in, according to both hair length and color hue. That was assuming she didn't take the time to borrow a pair of scissors and clip each hair to an equal length with one another.

"... Twilight?"

"Huh?" she asked and blinked in confusion. Had he said something and she'd been too distracted to hear? That must've been it. Curiously she looked up at him for clarification, and he was looking back at her. In fact he'd turned completely around to face her in order to address her.

"I asked if there was a problem. Your entire demeanor is consistent with one under great mental strain," he elaborated.

"Oh," she replied, "let's just say these theories and mysteries you come up with are disturbing to consider. Before you came here, we never would've thought twice about any of this stuff. It... it's a lot to get used to," she explained. And that was putting it very, very mildly.

"That is a matter we both share. Yours is a world that serves as an antithesis to everything I once regarded as normal and acceptable. There are contradictions I cannot yet reconcile, despite my best efforts," he replied. Seeing that she was beginning to walk again, he turned and continued. "Many contradictions, and many mysteries."

"I don't mean to be critical or anything, Ulquiorra, but sometimes I wonder if you see mysteries where there are none," Twilight commented as they walked along.

"Mysteries exist regardless of whether or not one actively looks for them. Such as why there is a significant amount of reiatsu in the same direction as Sweet Apple Acres," Ulquiorra replied as he once again turned to face her directly. "What exactly are you not telling me?" he asked her pointedly.

He observed as her entire demeanor changed, as she grinned and giggled nervously, looking from her right to her left with quickly shifting eyes. It was more than apparent that he'd caught her doing something. The only question was just what that something was.

Without warning she quickly stood up on her hind legs and wrapped her forelegs around him, her horn glowing brightly in the process.

"SURPRISE!"

During his time in Equestria he'd been subjected to several teleportations, and each time was the same; a strange tingling sensation, followed by an immediate change of scenery following a brief period of sensory distortion affecting the audio and visual organs. So it went without saying that he'd just been subjected to a surprise teleportation on Twilight's part. However it took a little longer to determine that he'd been teleported to the barn on Sweet Apple Acres. For whatever reason, he was uncertain.

Just as he was uncertain about the exact decor of the barn itself. Or why a significant number of ponies were present and yelling at him, in a manner that suggested enthusiasm rather than terror. Looking around he could easily identify the majority of them as being the same ponies who had come to meet him in the park during his first trip here.

And he was quite uncertain as to why Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were both present and accounted for. With no answers as to what was up, he turned to Twilight as she set back down on all four hooves, again looking at him nervously.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"It's your party, Ulqy!" he heard Pinkie call as she appeared right next to him, a smile on her face of such considerable size, he wondered how it was physically possible in the first place. "Everypony gets a "Welcome to Ponyville" party, and you missed out on yours, so we're making up for that one right now! And then later we're gonna make up for all the other parties we've missed in your time here!" she stated and blew an extending party horn in excitement.

A party? For him? And with the diarchy present... he was just now recalling the exchange that was had during that conference from several nights ago. It would seem Princess Celestia and the rest had been quite serious about them being in attendance. Serious enough that Twilight had been utilized to hijack him... much in the same way Coyote Starrk had done with the woman Orihime back in Hueco Mundo after that unexpected turn of events. And much like the Primera Espada, he could tell that she wasn't exactly happy with what part she'd played.

It was time to stop and take stock of his situation. He was surrounded by ponies who should be terrified of him. He was in the presence of both members of the diarchy. He had just been forcibly brought here by the one who held the Element of Magic. And everyone seemed intent on him being the guest of honor for this party. Escape seemed quite impossible under these circumstances. And from his vantage point it seemed he had little option but to be present for this celebration.

This could not end well.

Chapter Forty Two

Chapter Forty Two

If he were to count the diarchy, he was currently in the presence of sixty five ponies, spread out over a wide range of age ranges. Considering Spike was also present, and often spoke in a dialect that failed to differentiate his dragon nature from those he was surrounded by, that made the total sixty six. All in all it was a considerably sized group for the one building to house all at once. And that was on top of the various tables holding assorted types of refreshments.

He looked back at Twilight once again. Based on her demeanor, he could assume that this hadn't been her own idea. Her posture didn't suggest that she was particularly proud of herself or how things had turned out; nothing to suggest that she'd intended from the beginning to surprise him with this social gathering he found himself at. Perhaps it had been a matter of coercion on the part of the others to make her bring him here. If that were the case then he couldn't blame her for resorting to such tactics.

He began weighing his options again, and what he could do in response to this turn of developments. He'd already ruled out the possibility of simply leaving this gathering.

But at that thought he stopped, and then started to ponder. Why would he give serious consideration to leaving, after everything he'd been through so far? What served as motivation to be absent from this gathering?

Was it due to how nonsensical these ponies could be at times? Such information was certainly nothing new to him; he'd been aware of their nature from his first meeting with them. That was one aspect many of them shared with six other Espada, to say nothing of the many Números that served Aizen. But it wasn't an aspect of their nature that he actively chose to hold against them; certainly nothing that would motivate him to leave.

It was certainly ludicrous that these ponies seemed to consider it a necessary endeavor to actually throw him a party of any sort. Such an exercise didn't seem beneficial to him in any manner. And yet for whatever reason it was, these ponies felt that it was worth coming together and being present to do just that, despite having every reason to be afraid of him.

Celebrations, much like forgiveness, appeared to be serious business with these ponies. On that note he examined his surroundings more carefully. A good portion of the assembled ponies, he wasn't surprised to see. Twilight and the others being present, that made sense to him. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna being present, that made less sense, but not so much that he couldn't understand it. As royalty they were entitled to be present for whatever it was they wished, it was their prerogative. Even ponies such as Filthy Rich, Ditzy Doo, and even Lyra, he could in some way understand them being present for this gathering, as they were among those least put off by his nature. If any of them would be present, it was most certainly them.

But all the others made varying degrees of less sense as he went over each and every pony present. Some of them, such as the three who made up the Cutie Mark Crusaders, he believed he could make sense of that. But those such as the pony who operated the Quills & Sofas shop, or the blue mare that was co-owner of Sugarcube Corner, or even the red-maned filly who wore purple-framed glasses and spoke with a lisp... those and many others were the ones that truly confused him with their presence. What is it that interested them in him so much? Why did they not fear him? Or at the very least, why did whatever fear they might possess, prove so insufficient to keep them away from him?

However the mystery of why these ponies were present, did nothing to address the mystery of why leaving was considered in the first place. In his time -both here and in Las Noches- he had exhibited a considerable tolerance for trash, and possessed considerable patience for when it was a necessity. He was hardly the type to be driven away by mere nonsense and outright idiocy.

Another look around the room. All of them were more or less staring at him at this point. They seemed expectant of him to do or say something, suggesting they saw him as the center of attention for this gathering. He briefly wondered just how long they'd be willing to remain waiting if he simply remained silent and did absolutely nothing. It was more than likely that his patience would win out if it came down to it.

But at present time he didn't feel inclined to take such a route. He was admittedly curious about everything taking place right now. Perhaps the best course of action was to simply see how things progressed. There was certainly nothing in his area of detection that struck him as unusual that would warrant his immediate attention. And then there was the matter of what he'd set out to do today. Perhaps this would be the best way of going about doing just that.

"And what precisely does one do at a party?" he asked as he turned his attention to Pinkie, her grin never seeming to leave her face throughout his silence.

"What they do, Ulqy, is have fun! C'mon I'll show you!" she stated eagerly and took hold of his wrist -how such was done with hooves, he still didn't know- and proceeded to pull him in the direction of the others.

What had he gotten himself into?

Twilight's entire body felt as if she'd been holding a breath for several minutes, despite the fact she knew full well that she hadn't been. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her body at high speeds, fueling the primitive fight or flight response that was genetically leftover from a time long, long ago in their course of evolution. She'd been so tense during her wait for Ulquiorra to appear, she'd become even tenser when he'd actually appeared and it was up to her to execute the next part of the plan, and now that he was following Pinkie she felt everything come crashing down against her. She had to sit down and catch her breath before she passed out.

So many things could've gone wrong in the whole execution of Pinkie's plan. There were so many points that relied on luck and chance, and she knew beforehoof that everything would've fallen completely apart. That wasn't how things were supposed to go! There had to be structure, and order, and contingency plans in place in the event of failure! That's what made it all the more surprising when things had progressed as Pinkie had -more or less- intended. Ulquiorra was present, a good number of ponies were present, her obligation was done. Now all she wanted to do was find a quiet spot to take a long nap and let her nerves recover.

Something soft and downy landed on her back. Looking over her shoulder she realized that it was Celestia's left wing draped over her like a comforter, a neutral-to-caring look on her face.

That was another mystery that Twilight didn't understand. Anytime the Princesses came to Ponyville, it was treated as a very big deal. And with both of them present at the exact same time, even moreso. So how exactly were they both present and nopony was fawning over them like usual? Pinkie had her have Spike send them the notice and invitation, to which they'd gladly accepted. But she'd been absent for their arrival, as she was tasked with fetching Ulquiorra and bringing him back here.

Was it some sort of incognito enchantment, that when cast affected everypony present in the area, and her absence had shielded her from the affects? Or... had the lingering animosity prevented it taking hold on her? Whatever it was that served as an answer to the question at hoof, all she was aware of right now was the fact that Ulquiorra seemed to be getting the most attention out of anyone present.

"How am I supposed to address you in public?" she asked in a hushed tone. That was another question to which she had no answer, as she'd never stopped to give it any actual consideration. She'd never stopped to consider such a situation, because she honestly never thought that Celestia would have anything to do with her in a public gathering after everything that happened.

"However you're comfortable with," Celestia replied in an equally soft voice. She understood the predicament well enough to understand Twilight's uncertainty. Regardless of what had happened between all of them, there was still the expectancy of others to observe a certain type of decorum in a public setting. Unfortunately there were no easy or concise answers to give right now. "We're not here in an official capacity. I don't believe there's anything wrong with a casual approach."

She nodded absently at Celestia's words. There was nothing of any real use in her words, but she still filed the information away for use at a later date, in attempting to formulate her answer. But for now there was a more pressing question that she wanted to ask. Or rather, questions.

"How did you get everypony to be so relaxed around you?" she asked as she looked around. She'd never seen so many look so relaxed when in the presence of royalty.

"A little beseeching on our part, and informing them that the guest of honor was far more in need of their attention than ourselves," Celestia explained as she continued using her wing to stroke Twilight's back, thankful that she didn't seem inclined to refuse her gesture.

At one point in time, Twilight would've taken the answer given at face value. Who could refuse a request from the Princess of all ponies? But that point in time was no more. After what happened with the changelings, she'd developed a sense of cynicism regarding multiple things. And as a result she doubted that things were as simple as that. But grilling Celestia right now would lead to nowhere. Right now there was another question that needed to be asked.

"So how come everypony isn't afraid of Ulquiorra? All day long they've been taking steps to avoid him like he was the cutie pox. But now they seem like they did at their first meeting. Is that a result of beseechment... or brainwashing?" she asked, whispering the last two words so only Celestia could hear. And judging by the change in rhythm of her back being stroked, she felt it safe to assume she wasn't far off in her line of questioning.

"... I guess you could say it's a little of both," Celestia replied as her wing remained still, before it was finally withdrawn and tucked in again. "What it is, is a therapy technique that was designed to treat ponies with phobias that are potentially debilitating in nature. Their fear is suppressed, and they're exposed to the supposed cause of their phobia in a carefully controlled environment, allowing them to associate it with pleasant experiences, in an effort to dissolve the fearful response," she explained. She noticed Twilight's demeanor change to one of curiosity. If there was anything that could interest her student, it was learning about new kinds of magic. And for that she was thankful. "Normally it's a process spread over numerous appointments to address long term problems, problems that've plagued ponies for years on end. But I believe this is the first time it's ever been used to try and address an issue that's been short term in duration."

Twilight's expression was... extremely neutral in nature, almost unreadable really. It was surprising that she could maintain such an expression. And Celestia honestly couldn't tell just what she was thinking right now, as she sat there and silently looked up at her from where she sat. It was... unnerving to be unable to tell if her student currently found disfavor with her actions right now.

"Do you think that's the best course of action to take?" Twilight finally asked after a long stretch of silence between them -silence in general overall at this party was impossible- as she turned her attention back to Pinkie and Ulquiorra as he was more or less examining the refreshment table at this point. "Mass mind control?"

"... Despite everything that's happened up to this point, I don't believe Ulquiorra deserves to be feared and shunned by the others. Not anymore at least," Celestia replied after a thoughtful pause. It didn't serve as justification for her actions, but it didn't amount to condemnation either. "If Ulquiorra really is trying to learn about friendship, we owe him a helping hoof. How we go about providing that is a judgement call, just like everything else we do in life. And sometimes, it's the wrong judgement."

There were no comforting words to be had from Celestia's explanation. But anymore Twilight had come to expect that as a possibility. It was a long, involved way of saying "We all make mistakes at times" and structured in a way to try and cushion the blow of the statement. She couldn't deny that Ulquiorra could stand some good PR right about now, what with all the good he'd done. However the method used in going about it still didn't set well with her, even if she could agree that it did seem like the most logical course of action.

There was really nothing she could say in response. Nothing that hadn't already been said anyway. Nothing that was polite enough to share here in front of the others.

Add to that, nothing that'd been said up to this point had done anything to soothe her nerves. She still felt uncomfortably frazzled right now from the lack of structure and order.

"I need some punch," Twilight stated as she got up to walk over to the refreshment table.

He had allowed himself to be lead by Pinkie over to where a number of other ponies stood, all the while trying to make sense of everything that was occurring. How exactly these ponies weren't running in terror like they had been earlier, it was a mystery to him. They were treating him like an everyday occurrence rather than what he truly was.

Were the inhabitants in this world truly so forgiving in nature, that even his actions could be looked past? Did they realize that his course of action had been necessary for their own safety? Or had they simply realized that they were not the intended target of last week, and come to the conclusion that they had nothing to fear from his presence? Whatever the exact reasoning was, it continued to elude him much as a fox did a hunter.

Perhaps the best course of action was to simply not focus too heavily on the particular mystery at hand. If he did then he very well might become distracted and lose sight of something important. Already the voices of the ponies around him was being interpreted as nothing more than unintelligible background noise. There had been some type of discussion going about for the last five minutes that he hadn't given much notice to, due to his focus being elsewhere. He could very well be missing out on something of importance by not paying attention.

"-and then the doctor says "Wait a minute, if this is the thermometer, then where did I put my quill!?""

And then again, perhaps he hadn't.

As best he could tell, Pinkie had just finished telling some kind of joke that had reduced her to hysterics, several others joining in her amusement and laughing to various degrees. It would seem he'd chosen to pay attention just as the punchline was told, and he'd missed the entire setup. Not that it truly made any difference in his case, as humor wasn't an area he had any expertise in.

Off to the side Rainbow Dash was laughing up a storm, hovering upside down with her forelegs holding her abdomen as her frame was racked. It was safe to say she was one of those who had greatly enjoyed whatever the joke had been. Spike appeared greatly amused as well, although he still managed to remain upright.

Rarity, on the other hand, appeared quite indignant and was showing no signs of amusement.

"Pinkie, darling, do you truly believe such a vulgar joke was appropriate?" she asked pointedly as she frowned at the oblivious party planner. "And that's to say nothing of the obvious discomfort that such a situation would cause. Quill points are quire sharp! How is such a situation funny in the first place?"

"Aw lighten up, Rarity," Rainbow Dash laughed as she rolled over to right herself, "stuff like that is classic humor. What's not to like?"

He could easily tell that this conversation wasn't one necessary to be listening to, and that his attention could be better focused elsewhere. Such as the minor curiosity of one of the refreshment tables actually holding numerous pieces of silverware. He truly hadn't expected to see such present, but there had indeed been stacks of knives, forks, and spoons present; something that brought him back to his earlier observation regarding the dexterity of hooves and how they could be used in manipulating small items. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, as well as Twilight, had made use of utensils via manipulation of magic. Spike had done so through use of his hands. But he truly didn't remember seeing any pegasi or earth ponies using such during his previous visits. Perhaps this would be interesting to observe, as none of the books he had read up to this point had adequately explained the matter of hoof dexterity. It was still a mystery to him at this point.

However the curiosity of how an earth pony like Applejack could make use of a knife and fork, soon gave way to another curiosity. As he looked down the rows of tables that held the various refreshments, he noticed Twilight doing... something. From where he stood it almost looked like she was trying to arrange everything in a specific order, one section at a time. Was she... was she actually sorting the loose candy bowl right now?

"What precisely is she doing?" he finally asked, unable to reach a conclusion on his own. Perhaps the others knew something he didn't.

Rarity stepped forward and looked in the direction she saw Ulquiorra looking. What she saw was quite disturbing to her, as she knew this wasn't good. To say the least, it could interfere with the party that Pinkie was throwing. To say the most... oh poor, poor Twilight...

"I'm afraid she's experiencing a bit of a private crisis at the moment. Twilight is... let's say sensitive about certain matters, shall we? She doesn't exactly do well in an unstructured environment that's devoid of at least some kind of order. When she's exposed to certain events that disturb her, she succumbs to certain obsessive compulsive tendencies as a coping mechanism to try and alleviate her stress," Rarity explained. "I'm not even certain if she's consciously aware of her current actions."

Rather strange. Twilight was a pony brave enough to trek up a mountain in order to face a grown dragon at the request of Princess Celestia... and yet she was incapable of being within unstructured environments without making an effort to structure them to her liking? It was all quite paradoxical in nature, not something he'd ever expected to encounter. All this time he'd simply assumed she was tidy and orderly in her endeavors. Instead she was more like a prisoner to certain unreasonable idiosyncrasies.

It also seemed rather... contrived in nature, that such a fact was being mentioned just now. Twilight was the first outside pony he had met, and he hadn't been aware of such a fact in any of their interactions together. He recognized that she was detail-oriented in nature, but nothing like this. It seemed unusual that such would be making an appearance just now.

Then again he hadn't asked if she possessed any neurological deficiencies of such a nature. Nor had he taken any interest in what she chose to do in her own time. So long as she was able to function and fulfill her duties, and keep him properly informed about what was going on around Ponyville, he truly didn't care what she was like.

Perhaps the lack of mention was due to it being something not openly discussed in the same vein as matters such as the weather. In this world that would likely make the most sense.

Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement to Rarity's statement as she flapped her way over to them in order to watch Twilight's actions. She really didn't want to admit it, but seeing the familiar fidgeting of her friend was starting to make her nervous. She'd seen both the meltdown and the fallout that had occurred the last time the unicorn got upset like this, and she really wasn't looking forward to such again; especially if this was something more pressing than not being able to keep to a self-imposed schedule.

"I thought we'd gotten her past this point," the cyan pegasus muttered as she flapped.

Spike said nothing as he climbed up on Pinkie's shoulders to get a better view of everything, before simply shaking his head. "I've seen Twilight like this before. If we can get her distracted with something else, even something small, she should calm down enough to go back to normal," he explained.

"Yeah? Like what?" Rainbow Dash asked. Getting Twilight calmed down sounded like a really good idea right now.

"Whatever we do, we'd better do it fast. I think Twilight's getting ready to try and even out the icing on the cupcakes!" Pinkie stated, her tone suggesting far greater urgency than her statement commanded on its own.

"Oh not this again," Spike groaned. Getting covered in flying frosting might be tasty, but if anypony asked him for his opinion, he'd much rather eat the cake normally.

"Don't worry, little dude, I've got a plan," Rainbow Dash stated in a confident manner, before turning to face Ulquiorra. "Are you game for this?"

"Twilight?"

Much to her displeasure, Twilight was discovering that the punch supplied for the party was doing very little to soothe either her nerves or her mind. There were just far too many chaotic things going on right now for her to be able to properly structure her thoughts in a way she felt was acceptable.

"Twilight?"

First there was the whole aspect of what Pinkie had asked her to do, and how she'd involved her in this plan. Not that she was completely opposed to the chaotic randomness that was Pinkie Pie and all her inner workings. She'd been involved in random plans before, seen how things have managed to work when she was certain it was an impossibility; she still had the scars from when she tried to figure out how the Pinkie Sense worked. But this was the first time she'd ever been directly involved in a snatch and grab type of operation.

Or at the very least, the first time she'd ever been tasked with being the one to do the actual snatching...

Grabbing Ulquiorra and teleporting him directly to the barn of Sweet Apple Acres in order to surprise him? Had Pinkie possessed even a mild understanding of just what could've gone wrong with such an approach? Did she even care?! And what did Ulquiorra think of her now for the part she'd played in all of it?

"Twilight?"

And then on top of that already unpleasant aspect of the day, there was her discovery that Celestia had more or less brainwashed Ponyville in order to control and structure their behavior. She hadn't even bothered to hide such a fact when pressed on the matter!

But that wasn't the most disturbing part of it all. Suppressing their fear of Ulquiorra so they could interact with him in a comfortable manner in order to get over their concern. According to Celestia that was the only goal she had in mind in doing this. Whether or not that was believable, she didn't know right now. The disturbing part was that the more she thought on it, the more she found herself actually agreeing not only with it, but also supporting the overall merits to be had. If a phobia was allowed to take root it would prove incredibly difficult to treat down the road, so the most logical thing to do was prevent it from becoming established, and doing so as soon as possible, by removing the aspect that caused the fear of the event.

However Celestia hadn't simply made them forget the event that caused their fear, but rather gone a step beyond that and actually suppressed their fear of the event.

Right now she wasn't certain what disturbed her more. Was it Celestia's actions here today? The fact that she could agree with the motives for such? Or the fact that, when looked at in the right kind of context, her efforts to introduce Ulquiorra to Ponyville was hardly any different in nature? Both had involved trickery and deceit against the unknowing. So what really separated them from each other? Was she as manipulative in nature as Celestia herself?

"Twilight!"

"Huh?" Twilight asked, shaking her head to clear her senses. She looked and saw Rainbow Dash, standing off to her side right now and looking rather concerned.

"Twilight, what exactly are you doing? You're making everypony nervous," Rainbow Dash pointed out.

Twilight blinked in confusion. What exactly was Rainbow Dash talking about? She wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary that would make anypony nervous. All she was doing was just sitting and thinking over Everything that had been going on up to this point. How could that make anypony nervous? It wasn't like she was... she blinked again as something came into her field of vision. Why was she using her magic to hold a butter knife covered in chocolate frosting and bits of candied sprinkles?

That was enough to give her pause, to say nothing of confusion. Setting the knife down next to the tray of cupcakes -apparently a victim of her own lack of attention, judging by the way the icing looked- she looked at the rest of the table she was standing in front of, and began to notice how everything looked. It looked very organized. And then she started to realize exactly what had been going on that caused their concern. She'd gone off on one of her tangents, and started mucking up the order of things in an effort to organize them better.

She sighed and closed her eyes, not as much out of surprise as it was disappointment. She was doing it again...

If anyone asked, they would be told of how she liked to have order and structure in her life. She liked things that went according to plan and by the book. she liked it when things came together in the manner that they should, and she really hated it when things didn't. She was neat, clean, tidy, orderly, organized, and very proud of it!

Unfortunately she had learned the hard way that organization, while good, had consequences. She had learned firsthoof how organization, when left unchecked, could become the equivalent of an autoimmune disease and cause debilitating effects to its host. When a mind bent on organization didn't have disorder to straighten out, that absolute need to organize didn't simply resign itself to the notion of a job well done, but rather started looking around for anything that'd been missed in the previous run through and needed to be addressed. Anything that stuck out as wrong regardless of the fact that just five minutes ago it'd been proper and decent.

Even the number of friends per species wasn't immune from such organization. Their little group, not counting Spike, had consisted of two unicorns, two earth ponies, and two pegasi. Everything divided up into neat, even little pairs. But if she made a friend with an outside earth pony, she found the need to do the same thing with an outside unicorn and pegasus as well, in order to try and keep the balance. The only reason she hadn't done the same with regard to Spike was because there were no other dragons to approach.

It was that overwhelming need for organization and structure that she attributed to her major screw up. To the event that had involved her making use of the "want it need it spell" in order to construct a friendship crisis for her to solve, in order to submit a friendship report to Celestia before missing her self-imposed Tuesday deadline.

After that things had been different. With the help of her friends, she'd realized that there had been a serious problem in need of being addressed. And along with that help there had been support, as they did everything in their power to help her try and relax, try and loosen up and let go of the need for absolute order in everyday life. That in itself had been a long, serious struggle, and had taken months of effort. They had done their darnedest to help her learn how to let go of controlling everything.

And to an extent they'd been able to do just that. With their help she'd been able to step down from the number of checklists she needed for day-to-day activities. She'd even been able to reduce the overall length of some of her checklists. And for less important matters, she'd even been able to bring herself to write her lists in shorthoof, rather than spelling everything out in extensive detail on the off chance that she forgot something to the extent that she needed to be walked back through the process of remembering it all. In her own opinion she'd made considerable progress in relaxing, even if others didn't see it. They had to understand that significant degrees of change took time to accomplish.

But now as she looked at her own work, she realized that maybe her progress wasn't as far along as she would've liked. Oh sure, she'd learned how to work on the fly when it was needed, but if she was unconsciously straightening things up around her, it was obvious that she had a lot of work to do on herself. This had to be the result of everything happening today in the way it had. As the saying went, old habits die hard. And if she was slipping back into old habits after so long, there must've been a good reason for it.

"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash," she said and sighed as she opened her eyes. She couldn't blame the others for being concerned. She was about to say something else, but never got the chance to. As soon as she'd opened her mouth, she found it stuffed as one of the cupcakes on the tray had more or less been shoved in, with enough force driving it that she automatically closed her mouth in response, but not quick enough to bite down on whatever had done so. She immediately wanted to object to such treatment... but stopped short as the rich, delicious, chocolatey taste met with her tongue and served as an override switch to the more logical parts of her mind. Instead of a verbal complaint to being force fed, a contented "mmmm" of taste satisfaction was heard as she chewed, a look of temporary contentment on her face as her eyes drifted shut while she savored the flavor.

"I told you it'd work," she heard Rainbow Dash state confidently to nopony in particular.

"Surprisingly you were correct."

Rainbow Dash's statement wasn't anything out of the ordinary to Twilight. She was accustomed to Rainbow Dash's boasting and antics about one thing or another. However it was the following statement that caused her to pause in mid-chew and turn around to see it was Ulquiorra standing there. He'd been the one to stuff the cupcake in her mouth. Why exactly had he gone and done that?

"It would seem I was wrong to doubt you," he said as he looked past her and in Rainbow Dash's direction, before turning his gaze back to her, causing her to swallow anxiously out of reflex, downing the cupcake in the process as she met his eyes. And as she met his eyes she noticed that they somehow seemed... different. However she didn't have time to question this fact, he began addressing her directly. "Whatever has caused your concern, perhaps now isn't the most appropriate time for such."

Twilight couldn't help but look at Ulquiorra in a confused manner. This was so... so unlike him. Was this something that could be attributed to him taking his studies in friendship seriously? Or maybe he'd always been like this, and the previous cold and merciless approach had simply been an effort to maintain separation for whatever reason? It was all a mystery she couldn't answer right now. But at least it gave her something constructive to focus on. Wordlessly -and she'd admit, a bit dumbly- she nodded in agreement with his suggestion, all the while wondering just what exactly it was about him that seemed out of place. She couldn't put her hoof on anything specifically, whether it was his manner of speech, or his mannerisms, or even his posture, but there was just something about him that was... off...

For Ulquiorra it was strange to observe. How one cupcake could serve as sufficient distraction to interrupt behavior brought about by a psychological issue, he didn't have a clue. To interrupt obsessive compulsive behavior, the confectionery goods supplied for the party must have some significant quality to them. Perhaps there was more to their unappetizing appearance than he first assumed.

However that was neither here nor there. Whatever crisis had been starting to form, seemed sufficiently under control right now, and his immediate presence was no longer necessary to maintain order. There were a great many ponies suddenly interested in his presence again, and a few questions that could stand to be answered. With that in mind he slipped his hand back into his pockets and turned to take his leave.

Unbeknownst leaving a silent, wide-eyed Twilight staring at him as he walked away.

"Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked at seeing her friend be so still and so silent. Had they wound up doing something wrong, in trying to prevent a neurotic meltdown, and wound up making things worse? Was all of this her fault, as she was the one who talked Ulquiorra into using his speed to pop a cupcake into Twilight's mouth? She figured that if Twilight couldn't launch into some kind of explanation she'd have to focus on something else, and it'd be enough to stop her from slipping back into old habits. At first it seemed to work, but now she wasn't sure.

"Are... are you okay?" she asked.

"... He called me Twilight..." she stated slowly, never turning around to face her directly.

"Yeah? So? That's your name, right? Why wouldn't he call you Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked, now finding herself more confused rather than concerned. What was her friend going on about this time?

"Rainbow Dash," Twilight said as she turned around to face her with a look of concern, "I need your help in finding the others, but doing so in a tactful manner. Something is definitely up, and it could turn out to be something very bad if we don't get on top of it quickly..."

One by each, each member of their little group had been pulled away from what they were doing at the party. Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, Spike, Fluttershy, and even Celestia and Luna had been collected from their own endeavors. Such was hardly as easy feat to perform, all things considered, but it'd been done regardless. And once they were all gathered, they were lead off to a less occupied corner of the barn at Twilight's insistence, giving them some measure of privacy without causing suspicion like walking out of the building would.

"Okay, Twilight, what exactly was this all about?" Rainbow Dash asked from where she stood. Trying to drag Pinkie away from a party, and quietly at that, was hardly the easiest thing in the world to do. Whatever it was that got the unicorn upset, it'd better be good. If there wasn't some immediate crisis right now then she was going to be upset.

"I think Ulquiorra's suffering from poison joke exposure," Twilight stated quietly yet bluntly. She was met by eight surprised and disbelieving faces in response to her statement, and an assortment of varying noises of confusion. But thankfully there were no loud outbursts that would cause shock throughout the entire barn. Taking that as a good sign, she continued. "I saw something on his wrist just as he was putting his hand away in his pocket, something that wasn't there before. Something partially obscured by the sleeve of his jacket, I think it was a blue spot but I couldn't be sure," she explained.

"A blue spot? Just one? That seems kinda weak to go on," Rainbow Dash pointed out. "When we traipsed through poison joke the first time, we were covered in blue spots. Shouldn't he be too?" she asked. She considered asking if it might be something like a tattoo that was seen. But she'd seed the Espada without his jacket on and knew for herself that the only marking he had was that number on the left side of his chest.

Twilight shook her head in response. "Not everypony who suffers from poison joke develops the telltale blue spots. You didn't, and neither did Applejack. It's not an exact science like mathematics, it's all dependent on multiple unexplained variables," she explained. That was one of the things that made poison joke exposure so hard to diagnose. Just because there were no spots on Ulquiorra's face, that didn't mean he wasn't infected.

"But Ulquiorra Cifer is not of this world, nor even of flesh and blood. How can a Hollow be affected in such a manner?" Luna asked curiously.

Truth be told Twilight was very curious about that as well. Ulquiorra's otherworldly nature left so many questions that just didn't seem to have any answers right now. She wasn't even sure if it would be possible to get any answers about how he interacted with the world around him. She wanted to explore that question in depth, but before she could get a word out edgewise, Applejack started talking and derailed her train of thought.

"So blue spot aside, wha' exactly makes ya think Mr. Cifer's been affected. He don' really seem any diff'rent than any other time," she pointed out.

"And I know that I'm no chemist, physician, or anything else that requires such a degree, but doesn't exposure to poison joke require the better part of a day for symptoms to manifest? Ulquiorra wasn't gone even two hours in the Everfree Forest. How could he be affected so quickly after possible exposure?" Rarity asked.

"That... is a very good question. I honestly don't have an answer though. Maybe he's just started being affected and it's still in the early stages. Maybe not being of this dimension makes him easily susceptible to it," Twilight replied. It was certainly a good question to ask. She knew from her own experience that out of all of them, Spike had a significantly greater allergic reaction to poison ivy exposure; so significant that he would start developing the telltale rash less than fifteen minutes after coming into contact with it, whereas they didn't. Maybe it was the same for Ulquiorra. But nevermind that right now, there was another question to answer!

"Look. I know that Ulquiorra still seems like this usual self. Cold, merciless, blunt and such, but there's something about him that's off. Something that I should've noticed on the way up here when he referred to me by my first name," she explained. Nopony seemed to catch on, meaning she had to continue in explanation. "From the moment I met him, Ulquiorra has been nothing if not consistent in his method of address. When he addresses someone, it's always by their full name or title, just like he was first introduced to them. But on the way up here it was just "Twilight" not "Twilight Sparkle" or anything like that. It's just... it's not him."

Slowly all nine heads turned in Ulquiorra's direction, observing his interaction with the others at the party. None of them could hear just what was being said, but it looked like he was having a conversation with Mrs. Cake at the moment.

"It's not just his manner of address that's off, either. Look at him. His posture isn't as rigid as usual. His facial features aren't as hard set as they usually are. And his eyes aren't as piercing as they were earlier in the day. And he's actually mingling with the others! It's like he's... relaxed or something," Twilight pointed out.

"And that's a bad thing?" Pinkie asked.

"Yea, Twilight, is it?" Spike asked. She was making it out to be a serious problem, but the way she was talking just didn't seem to match up with what she was trying to sell. It was like she was trying to explain two different books at the same time, but one kept overlapping the other and prevented it from happening in the way she wanted. "Ulquiorra's been serious from the moment he's gotten here, rigid as a piece of wood, and always suspecting that something wrong is going to appear just around the corner. Is it really a bad thing if he's suddenly calmer than before?"

"But he's not calmer, Spike, it's not of his own volition that he's acting this way. If he's suffering from poison joke exposure then his current actions aren't guided by his own desires, but by the fact that he's been drugged and is currently in an impaired state. Right now he's no different than a pony suffering from the side effects caused by narcotics," Twilight pointed out. How could anybody think that this was currently a good thing? This wasn't the Ulquiorra that they'd come to know. Just because he wasn't experiencing a drastic change like they had, that didn't mean that it wasn't wrong. Ulquiorra was sick and in an impaired state. "We need to go to Zecora's and get a poison joke antidote," she declared.

"Do we really need to?" Rainbow Dash asked, bringing several eyes toward her in the process. "I mean, I get that the dude isn't exactly himself, but is that really a bad thing? Look at him," she said as she gestured to where he stood, now apparently interacting with Ditzy Doo's two daughters, Dinky and Sparkler. From their vantage point, they didn't seem all that put off by him. "He's not acting like such a huge pain in the flank anymore. He's not hurling terms like "illogical" or "irrelevant" about all the time. He's actually taking an interest in the things other ponies are doing. How can that be a bad thing?"

"Are ya serious?" Applejack asked in surprise, her tone barely suppressed as she faced the cyan pegasus. "Mr. Cifer ain' 'imself. Jus' 'cuz he's bein' nicer don' mean that it's a'right ta leave 'im as is. He was finally takin' a good hard interest in wha' friendship is, and ya actually wanna leave 'im all doped up an' wacky 'cause ya like 'im tha' way? Tha' don' sound like friendship ta me one bit," she stated. And that wasn't saying anything of how dishonest the idea was.

Were there aspects to Ulquiorra's personality that she didn't like? Hay yes! But that didn't mean she wanted to use something like poison joke to change his abrasiveness into something more appealing. She would never even consider such a thing, never! And it appalled her to think that one of her friends would actually suggest such a thing; least of all the one who represented the Element of Loyalty. Where was the loyalty in using somepony like that?

"I'm quite inclined to agree. Leaving someone in need in an impaired stated simply isn't the proper way to do things," Rarity replied with a huff. However a moment later her expression changed to one that wasn't quite so indignant. "But at the same time, I must also admit that my curiosity is piqued on the matter. Just what is our dear guest like in this state? Shouldn't we at least evaluate the situation, gather information, and then determine how immediate a response is necessary?" she asked.

"Say what?" Twilight asked, confused now by what her friend was saying.

"When it comes to alcohol, there are ponies who can tolerate it, and there are those that can't. Some become tipsy after as little as a sip, others can down an entire magnum of champagne and carry on a perfectly intelligible conversation without missing a beat. And while Ulquiorra isn't a pony, and it's certainly not alcohol he's being affected by, I believe the principle is the same. We've only just suspected that he's under the affect of poison joke, and so far he's not displaying anything that would be considered dangerous or inappropriate behavior. No Ceros through the roof, no picking up and hurtling ponies across the room in a show of strength. We all know that he's immeasurably strong, but so far he seems to have sufficient control of his cognitive abilities to not be posing a threat to anyone present," Rarity explained as she looked back in his direction, noting how Dinky seemed to be laughing about something that was said. Somehow that tiny act seemed like proof of her concept as far as she was concerned. "I'm not saying that we should leave him this way, as it simply wouldn't be right. I'm just asking if we truly need to treat the situation like it's a full blown emergency. One spot and a slight change in demeanor does not a crisis make."

Twilight nodded slightly in understanding of what Rarity was saying. She'd read about the effects of alcohol on ponies, and how body chemistry, diet, and even time of consumption could all contribute to a pony's rate and degree of inebriation. But this was still uncharted territory to be in. Poison joke was unpredictable and there was no way of telling just how Ulquiorra might be affected. He might be just fine, but then again he might not. Waiting around could be risky.

"Um..." Fluttershy mumbled, almost too quietly to be heard over the background noise of the party. But regardless of that fact she had indeed been heard by those closest to her, all of whom were now watching her. Now she really wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. But she'd started to say something important, and she needed to finish it. "Is there... I mean... is it... um... would it really be a bad thing if we left Ulquiorra as he is? Just for a little while?" she asked.

Twilight was about to say something, but Luna raised her hoof in silent objection, signalling to let Fluttershy continue speaking without interruption.

"W-what I mean is..." she stuttered, pausing out of nervousness, "Ulquiorra's never gotten to experience happiness. You can tell just by listening to him talk. He doesn't know what it's like to have friends or anything like that and it's... it's just so sad. If we, I mean maybe we should, I mean..." she stopped and took a deep breath in an effort to steady herself. This was proving really hard to say. She needed to dig deep down and find the necessary strength to finish what she was saying. "Is there any harm in letting Ulquiorra stay like he is? Just for a few hours? If the poison joke is really relaxing him, and he's experiencing what it's like to not be uptight at all times... maybe he'd be able relax on his own when we get him the antidote? Maybe... maybe he could actually learn how to be happy?"

It'd taken so much strength to get it all out. And now that she had, she felt like she was going to collapse where she stood from sheer exhaustion. She felt something soft touching her back shortly after she finished speaking. Looking up she saw Luna's wing extended and draped over her back in support, a comforting smile on her face.

It wasn't the most eloquently worded argument Twilight had ever heard. But regardless of that fact, Fluttershy had added her two bits to the debate, and the reasoning behind her position. She would admit that it was certainly a novel idea to consider. But there was simply no way of telling what would happen. There was no way of even telling if Ulquiorra truly was relaxed, or if he simply appeared that way due to the poison joke's influence.

Right now there were a lot of differing opinions coming from everybody, and she didn't know how to sort this out. Right now there was only one option that came to mind that made sense. She turned to look at Celestia, seeing as she had the greatest deal of wisdom on difficult matters like this.

"What should we do, Princess?" she finally asked. She hadn't used that term of address with regard to Celestia in a while, and it felt strange to do so again after such an absence. But at the exact same time it felt right under these circumstances. They were in need of a ruler right now, not a friend.

"What do you think we should do, Twilight?" Celestia asked after a momentary pause, putting the question right back on her. "This is a very unique situation right now. This is the type of situation a ruler must face every day, where there are no easy answers available. I could certainly give my opinion on the matter, but as I said we're not here in an official capacity," she explained.

"But-" Twilight began to protest but was cut off.

"Just for the time being, Twilight, let's pretend that you are a Princess, and must make a decision for your subjects since they've sought out your wisdom," Celestia stated. The amused look on Luna's face at her statements was certainly not missed by her, but she chose to ignore it for the time being. "You've been presented with a problem, and the others have all presented their points of view. We know that we can't allow Ulquiorra to be impaired indefinitely. Nor will we consider such an approach The question relies purely on the short term right now. How do we best address the problem, and what should our course of action be? How do you believe we should address the situation?"

To put in simple terms, Twilight didn't know exactly what to think right now. This reminded her a great deal of the setup to the entire Crystal Kingdom mess. She'd been told that she had to face an important test, freaked out over it, and then discovered just what that test was.

But that had been before the major cluster fuck of last week where everything had been turned upside down, to an extent that even Discord would turn green with envy over. After that complication she didn't really know how to feel. This question she was presented with didn't generate the same freakout response she had back then.

Not that such a fact made the situation any easier to deal with. It just changed the feel of everything. In the end they were still faced with the same problem as previously; Ulquiorra was more than likely suffering from poison joke affliction, her friends were divided over just what the proper course of action was, and Celestia thought that it was best to put her in charge of the decision making.

"Come on, Twilight, this is where the rubber meets the road. It's decision making time, and apparently your intellect is the one everypony is counting on," she told herself in an effort construct a motivational speech. Unfortunately it wasn't doing much good. "Alright forget the motivational speech. Try to stop thinking about the fact that Ulquiorra's a friend, and everypony is wanting to leave him as is for one reason or another. Let's look at this from a logical, scientific approach. We've got Ulquiorra, an Espada, a life form not indigenous to any region of Equestria, and he's been exposed to poison joke. We have no idea how he's being affected, or even if he is being affected. It's all just mere speculation at this point. There's no telling what the long term of this situation is. For all we know Ulquiorra's Hollow nature might allow him to overcome infection at an accelerated rate... meaning that even if we went to Zecora's right now, he might be cured by the time we get back. Maybe... as much as you hate to admit that you're thinking about it right now... maybe this is a good opportunity to gather scientific evidence first..."

So much for trying to sort things out in her head. She was quickly realizing that she was as bad as the rest of them. Here Ulquiorra was afflicted and possibly suffering, and she was willing to make an experiment out of him for her own selfish purposes. What kind of friend was that?

At least she wasn't completely alone in such a fact. Maybe she could take solace in that fact, as she turned to face them all directly.

"Alright," she said and paused to take a breath, "the first course of business is talk to Ulquiorra and see how he currently feels. If he doesn't show any signs of distress, then we'll step back and observe, and allow him to continue operating in his current state as we observe. If all is well with him, we'll give him the duration of the party so he can continue his interactions, in hopes that his time under the poison joke will be somehow beneficial once he's cured. Maybe he can learn new experiences, maybe not. I just don't know. But how we respond should be based upon what's best for Ulquiorra right now, not what is it that we want. If he expresses discomfort for his current state, we go for the antidote. If he starts displaying any signs of becoming dangerous, we immobilize him and go for the antidote before he can hurt anypony. But until then we just play it by ear, observe, and hope for the best," she explained, finding it quite easy to slip into the leader role despite her own uncertainty. "And may Faust forgive me for deciding to use Ulquiorra as a lab rat. I am so, so sorry..."

Celestia said nothing, but gave a comforting smile as she reached out with a feathery wing to stroke her mane along her neck. She really didn't want to put Twilight in such a difficult position, but such positions were common for those in charge, and that was something that she'd need to learn and understand, and do so soon.

"And how do we determine if Ulquiorra Cifer is under the affects of poison joke without rousing suspicion?" Luna asked them. Now that the decision was made, she wanted to see what happens next.

"I'm quite certain that we'll figure something out. In the meantime though, we should probably get back to the party so as to not rouse suspicion. If we simply loiter here in the corner others will wonder what's up," Rarity replied. And besides being suspicious, she really didn't want to appear as standoffish.

They had a plan and a course of action selected. Now all they needed to do was wait and see how things progressed before moving any further. With a nod the nine went back to mingling, acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary, leaving none the wiser as to what was gone on.

None except for three sets of ears that had just happened to be at the right place at the wrong time, unseen the whole time as their presence had been obstructed by several large bails of hay...

"So what exactly are we doing out here?"

Outside of the barn, and away from the festivities, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had gathered in order to talk uninterrupted by what was taking place inside. There were simply too much noisy adults present for them to have a conversation without being interrupted or eavesdropped on. Often times that was par for course with them. But what wasn't par for the course was the fact that both Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were also present; being more or less dragged out of the barn had left them little choice in the matter.

"And why exactly did you dumb blank flanks have to involve us anyway?" Diamond Tiara asked, annoyed beyond all measure at how she'd been so unceremoniously involved in all of this.

"Wha's goin' on is Mr. Cifer's sufferin' from poison joke. An' the adults 're jus' leavin' him tha' way," Apple Bloom explained. Even after saying it, even after actually hearing it for herself, she still couldn't believe that it was the truth. Even her own sister was going along with such a scheme? That was just plain unacceptable, "So wha' we're gonna do is take care o' business ourselves. An' you're gonna help us do jus' that," she concluded, emphasizing the last part by pointing her hoof at the two stuck up fillies, much to their surprise and disbelief.

Scootaloo nodded in agreement. "You're gonna come with us to Zecora's, you're gonna help us gather ingredients for a potion, and you're gonna help us bring back an antidote to cure him," she added.

"Oh yeah? And why should we do any of that for the likes of you?" Diamond Tiara asked.

"Because ya owe Mr. Cifer, tha's why. If it weren't fer him ya never woulda known Silver Spoon was replaced by a changeling," Apple Bloom pointed out.

"What?" Silver Spoon asked as she turned to face her best friend. "Diamond is that true? You honestly couldn't tell me apart from one of those icky changelings?"

"I thought you had a sore throat and that's why you weren't talking," Diamond Tiara protested in defense of her actions.

"And besides owing him, you owe us. Don't forget that we're the ones that actually found where they stashed Silver Spoon and the others," Scootaloo was quick to point out, not even stopping to consider that they finally had something to hold over their heads. Not even stopping to let the drama play out between the two over the revelation that one friend couldn't recognize when the other wasn't who they were supposed to be.

Sweetie Belle nodded. "Helping us help Ulquiorra would be the best course of action for everyone all around. I really don't think it would be a good reflection on the two of you, if it were ever discovered that you two didn't at least try to help somebody that's regarded as a national hero two times over," she pointed out, deciding that if they were going to make use of their assistance, the best course of action would be to paint the situation in terms that they could fully understand. "What would the rest of the class, nevermind the town, say if they found out it was three blank flanked fillies who were the only ones that chose to do the right thing, while everyone else let a hero continue to operate in an impaired state?"

"Not that we've got anything against that. If you wanna hang back and miss out on the awesomeness of being heroes, that's fine by us. But things would go a lot faster with a couple extra sets of helping hooves," Scootaloo stated. It was definitely an interesting situation to find themselves in; either they could keep all the glory for themselves and do the right thing, or they could share the glory and see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon covered in mud, tree sap, and whatever else they had to crawl through in order to get the necessary ingredients.

Either way they really couldn't lose. It was more or less a matter of preference, like choosing between rocky road or chocolate chunk vanilla ice cream; you couldn't go wrong regardless of the choice.

"But that witch lives in the Everfree Forest. It's too dangerous for a bunch of fillies like us to be running around in unsupervised," Silver Spoon pointed out.

Apple Bloom frowned at this. "First off Zecora's not a witch, she's a shaman," she stated, not liking the term that'd been used to describe somepony she liked to consider as a friend. "Second of all, fightin' dragons is dangerous too, but Mr. Cifer did tha' regardless o' the fact. He saved Ponyville an' all o' us at the very least. If we can' rise ta the occasion when he needs somepony's help, wha' exactly does that say about us?"

Nopony said a word in opposition after that, knowing full well that Apple Bloom was right. They were dealing with somepony -somebody as he would say- that was a hero in so many ways, who was experiencing his own time of need, and the others were doing nothing to help him despite knowing that he was in need. And if the adults weren't going to do anything beneficial, then it fell on them to pull up the slack! At least that's how the Crusaders saw it from their own view of the world.

"But shouldn't we at least let some adults know what we're going to do, before we actually do it?" Silver Spoon asked. The three turned to look at her as if she'd just asked the dumbest thing that could ever be asked. "I mean, we're talking about heading into the Everfree Forest by ourselves, without adult supervision. Don't you think it'd be wise to have somepony know in case they need to start looking for us next?"

"Don't be a foal," Scootaloo replied dismissively as she gestured toward the barn and through the space between the barely open doors. "Haven't you seen what's going on in there? All the adults are under some kinda spell or something. They like him this way even though it's not the real him. If we told them what we were doing they'd probably stop us from doing the right thing."

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked at each other and blinked in disbelief. Trying to talk sense into these three was impossible! They were dead set on this crazy idea, and there didn't seem to be anything they could do to stop them from going through with it.

"Stay here, go, I don't care really. Standing around and talking won't get us anywhere. I'm outta here," Scootaloo stated and took off at full gallop, anxious to do something constructive.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle didn't say anything as they took off, eager to catch up with their friend and fellow crusader. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon just continued to look at each other.

"Well Diamond, what do we do now?" Silver Spoon finally asked. Sometimes it was wise to lead, but in other times -times like this- it was best to follow. Surely Diamond Tiara knew what the best course of action would be; she was the oldest after all.

"... You know they're right, don't you?" Diamond Tiara asked after what felt like a five minute pause, as she desperately tried to make sense of everything. "It'd be bad for us if they got the glory and we didn't. That'd make it so much harder to say anything to them if they got a medal or something," she pointed out, feeling repulsed for just thinking of such a ridiculous thing. "Besides that, if they go get themselves killed, all our hard work won't even amount to a pile of manure."

At that statement Silver Spoon frowned, and she frowned hard. Diamond Tiara had a very good point right there. And it was a point she knew better than almost anypony.

To an uninitiated outsider, what she and Diamond Tiara did to others might look like stereotypical bullying done by the well off at the expense of those decidedly less well off, all for their own amusement. And while neither one of them could -or would- deny that at least part of what they did was based on that simple concept, there was a much deeper aspect to their interactions. Perhaps the simplest way of trying to explain it was to say it was a form of tough love. Locate a target, infuriate them with criticism over some field of insufficiency, then stand back and observe the resulting developments. Sometimes the only way to get others motivated to succeed in their endeavors, was to get them riled up to the point they strive for success out of pure spite. Some cases were just difficult like that.

Besides, considering how nonsensical those three could be, they needed all the motivation they could get if they were going to succeed at anything; especially if that was getting their cutie marks. Sometimes they were simply too apathetic to strive for success on their own.

They'd invested far too much of their own time into those three blank flanks, laughing at their expense while simultaneously driving them to try harder at what they did -which sometimes lead to very amusing results, again at their expense- to just throw it all away now. Besides that, if they got killed then they'd never have the chance to rub it in their faces how they'd been the driving force that motivated them to get their cutie marks.

"Well what the hay are we waiting for?" Silver Spoon asked before charging ahead to catch up with the others. She wasn't about to throw away all her hard efforts for nothing.

Diamond Tiara didn't say anything and simply followed after Silver Spoon, to make sure her friend would stay alright, and to make sure the others didn't die on this ridiculous quest.

"There'd better be a medal and recognition for doing this..." she thought to herself, before following after them.

Chapter Forty Three

Chapter Forty Three

"I'm tellin' ya, bro, with the level of digit dexterity ya got, ya could crank out some wicked tunes on any instrument ya pick up!"

As far as Ulquiorra was concerned, this entire gathering was most odd in nature. The level of interaction he was having with others greatly exceeded anything he assumed would be realistic, all things considered. He was more or less sought out and pulled into conversations about varying topics, with an enthusiasm that was all too unusual from his perspective.

Filthy Rich wished to discuss business propositions with him, despite the fact that he'd witnessed a relatively brutal slaying to one changeling right inside Barnyard Bargains.

The next interaction he had was with Cup Cake of Sugarcube Corner. She was mostly interested in how he was faring, and how their fine land compared to his foreign land. All in all it was a rather strange interaction.

Ditzy Doo's youngest daughter, Dinky Hooves, had enjoyed questioning him about unusual things, and laughing at the way he talked when he provided answers. Apparently his particular style of speech served as a source of amusement to the filly, much to her older sister's chagrin.

The pegasus colt by the name of Rumble hadn't been sure of just what he wished to discuss, and terminated his interaction shortly after initiating it.

And now the unicorn Vinyl Scratch was talking about his potential for musical aptitude due simply to the nature of his hands. Apparently the only other ones who had the potential to match him, were either unicorns or gryphons. For whatever reason, she seemed the most intent on conversing with him at the moment. Even after their initial meeting in the park, she still seemed to possess incredible intent when it came to interacting with him.

"I would assume musical inclination to be the more important of the two factors. And it is a factor I don't possess," he replied. How long did she intend to keep up this nonsense before acknowledging that it was a lost cause. "Furthermore, I fail to see how anything could be cranked out, as none of the instruments you've shown me possess anything even remotely similar to a crank mechanism."

He was certain that would be the end of the discussion. Unfortunately his statement seemed to do nothing to deter the white unicorn, as she simply started laughing in response to his statement. He no more understood it than he did Zecora's amusement. What exactly was so funny on this matter?

"Vinyl."

His attention turned away from the white unicorn before him, to Twilight as she approached. Perhaps the question of what exactly was so funny, was one that wouldn't be answered anytime soon.

"Oh hey Twilight, how's it shakin'?" Vinyl asked as she turned her attention towards her and away from Ulquiorra.

"Uh..." Twilight paused, uncertain of just what that particular usage of slang meant in this particular situation. Sometimes she wondered whether Vinyl Scratch or Rainbow Dash were the worst offender of such language indecency. But she continued regardless. "I'm just seeing how everything's going. Making sure the guest of honor is enjoying himself," she explained as she turned her attention to Ulquiorra.

Guest of honor? That was certainly a title he never thought that he would ever hold. But then again that was nothing new, as he'd been experiencing a lot of strange things lately.

"So how is everything going, Ulquiorra? Are you enjoying your party?" Twilight asked him.

"At present time I'm uncertain. This is the first gathering of this kind that I've ever been privy to, making it difficult to determine how things are proceeding. Furthermore, no one has ever taken the time to ask me about my own state of enjoyment before. It's a question for which I have no available answer," Ulquiorra replied. It was certainly a unique question, if nothing else.

"But you believe everything is alright, right?" Twilight asked further. "Nothing like dizziness, disorientation, dry mouth, or itchy skin to distract you from the party?"

"None," Ulquiorra replied, becoming mildly curious at this line of questioning he was being presented. "Why?" he asked, noting a shift in Twilight's posture at his own questioning. This was starting to remind him of his own questioning of Zecora in an effort to gain information regarding her tale of roho mlanji.

"Let's just say that Pinkie's parties can be kind of disorienting to someone who's not accustomed to them. I know I sure was when she threw a surprise party the first day I moved to Ponyville," Twilight replied.

Vinyl nodded in agreement with her statement. "Ain't it the truth. Pinkie's a nice mare, but sometimes being around her when she's excited makes my ears ring something fierce. Might wanna add that ta the list o' things."

He would admit that was a reasoning he could fully understand. Pinkie was an anomaly that he didn't fully grasp, nor was he entirely certain that he truly wished to attempt and grasp. There were certain things that were better off being left undisturbed and unapproached. And at the moment the pink earth pony would seem to qualify as one of those things. Or at the very least she sat on the fence of such a classification.

Again he found himself wondering about what kind of chaos could be had should Pinkie ever find her way to Las Noches. What would the ultimate planning abilities of Aizen amount to when put up against the unpredictable nature of the pink earth pony?

Perhaps that would be the invariable meeting between the irresistible force and the immovable object. It was... almost amusing to consider the kind of chaos that could be possible in such a situation. The meeting between Pinkie and Yammy Llargo by itself would likely yield significant interest, as the Diez Espada lashed out against the perpetually cheerful earth pony.

Of course that was assuming anyone was still alive in Las Noches to begin with. The destruction to the city caused by his fight against Ichigo Kurosaki, as well as whatever else had occurred during his absence, left him wondering -or more accurately, doubting- if anything was actually left that could be returned to.

Now that he stopped and thought on it, what could the current state of his own dimension be if Aizen had succeeded in his mission? What would occur should the Spirit King actually be killed? And what would Aizen do once he actually achieved his goal?

Were any of the other Espada still alive? What of the many Arrancar that had been gathered to serve? Had they survived their clashes with the forces of the Gotei Thirteen? And if they did, had they survived Aizen himself? If he had accomplished his goals, and thus no longer had need of their services, had he eliminated them? He was a Shinigami after all, it was in their nature to do such. And if he had no more need of them, it stood to reason that he would do such.

That brought about another thought. But unlike all the previous ones, this was one of a truly disturbing nature. What if he was the last living Hollow to be found? What if all of Hueco Mundo, and everything that was present, had been utterly wiped out of existence.

He had no idea just why the thought was disturbing in nature. That in itself was an utter mystery. All he knew for certain, was that it was disturbing to give any consideration to.

And perhaps even more disturbing than that possibility, was the fact that he'd just discovered that his mind had been wandering. What started off as simply agreeing with how Pinkie Pie was a mystery, had left him pondering on whether or not there were any other Hollows left alive back in his own dimension; two topics that were supposed to have absolutely nothing to do with each other, and yet one had indeed lead him indirectly to the other.

"These ponies are more of a corrupting influence than I initially suspected. It would seem that even I am not immune to their innate ability to spread nonsense, as if it were the common cold," he thought.

"Ulquiorra?"

His attention came back to the present and his surroundings. Had his mind wandered to an even greater degree than he had been aware of? Looking over he saw Twilight as well as Vinyl looking at him in a confused and uncertain manner.

"Are you alright?" Twilight asked as she stepped closer to him.

"Ya kinda zoned out on us there. First we were talkin' about Pinks, an' the next thing I know you're standin' still like a statue in the park." Vinyl elaborated, "something botherin' ya?"

Very strange. He must have been distracted for more than just a few seconds if others had taken notice. Usually his thinking process was much faster than that. Thinking back to the conversation he'd had in Canterlot palace in the immediate aftermath of the changeling incident, he'd been able to deduce five very complicated questions in a relatively short amount of time.

It was something that would need to be addressed later. For now there were other matters at hand to deal with.

"Merely absorbed in my own thoughts. There are a great many things going on right now, and I'm uncertain exactly how to respond accordingly. Being the first gathering I've ever been present for, I'm left lacking much information on what's appropriate," he elaborated. That seemed to be the most accurate recollection he could give currently. There were too many ponies around who hadn't been vetted, to go into greater detail at this point. There was only so much that could be said around them without resulting in a breach of security.

"But you're alright?" Twilight asked again as she came a step closer to his position.

"To the best of my abilities to make such a determination, I believe so," he replied, "what of yourself?"

"Huh?" Twilight asked in uncertainty.

"The others explained that when subjected to times of great stress, you succumb to obsessive compulsive tendencies in order to introduce structure to what is perceived as a chaotic environment. Being uncertain of which stressor was responsible for your episode, I can only speculate. What is your current condition?" he asked.

To Twilight that was a question she truly didn't expect to be presented with. Ulquiorra was actually taking an interest in how she was? He was asking how she was doing? That was... highly unusual for him. And it just lent credibility to her theory, on which she'd been trying to gather more information.

But at the same time she couldn't really deny that him taking an interest in her wellbeing -artificial as it might've been- was a nice change from the usual.

"Oh," she replied and thought for a moment, "I'm alright now. Thanks for asking. It's just been really stressful lately. A lot of things going on, one thing leads to another, you know how it goes," she explained.

"Truly I don't. The fact that such a problem hasn't arisen until just now strikes me as very odd in nature. Looked at from a certain point of view, it seems contrived. As if it were a random thought that would be added to a story with no buildup to suggest its prior existence before that point in time. Almost as if it were nothing more than an afterthought," he explained.

Twilight blinked, unprepared to be presented with a statement structured in such a manner. "That's a... very literary way of explaining things. Do you do any creative writing?" she asked, highly intrigued by the notion of the Espada actually having a creative side to him. Maybe this poison joke incident could actually give them some insight into his character. Maybe the others were right for wanting to wait before acting.

"I do not. However the principle is still the same," he replied as he looked at her. "Why was this matter not brought up before now?"

And then again, maybe even poison joke couldn't make him do something he didn't want to do. There were way too many variables going on right now to tack them all down in a coherent manner. But she'd worry about that later, she had other matters to tend to; such as this potential invasion of privacy she was being faced with.

"First and foremost, it's not exactly something you bring up during the introductory phase of meeting someone new. It's rude, unnecessary, and could be construed as an effort to generate sympathy from someone, or as a leverage tool to inspire greater willingness for interaction than would be had under normal circumstances. It might even be construed as an attempt to gain pity. I'd much rather be treated by others as an intellectual equal rather than a charity case. And if I've done anything to suggest otherwise then I apologize for such," she explained. "Secondly, it's not something I like to discuss openly. I'm aware that I have a problem sometimes, that I get carried away in my need for things to be organized. But that doesn't mean I want it to be constantly addressed, as if I believe others have to be reminded of the fact. It's rude, and highly counterproductive in establishing communication with others. Thirdly, it's something that I believed I had under control, and thus didn't need to constantly discuss it like it was a fresh, ongoing problem that was in need of address. It's an issue I've been working on and getting help for, but it doesn't define who I am. Sometimes slips and relapses just happen when we're not thinking straight. That doesn't mean it's a serious issue though. Nor does not mentioning it previously mean that it's some contrived issue that was just thought up on the fly."

This really wasn't something she wanted to talk about. not out in the open and around other ponies anyway. But Ulquiorra had pressed the issue, necessitating her to speak up. Trying to move him to a less occupied spot of the barn simply wouldn't have been a possibility, meaning others would have to hear what it was that she had to say about herself. Whether or not that would affect future interactions, and to what extent, it would meaning waiting and seeing.

"You're not the only one," Vinyl replied quietly, speaking up for the first time since the two had begun their conversation. Twilight was looking at her more than Ulquiorra currently. "I've kinda got a thing of my own. I count steps."

"... Say... what now?" Twilight asked. Where had that come from, and what was she talking about?

"Steps. I count each step in every set of stairs I go up or down. But it's not something I like talking about to just anypony because..." she paused as she looked around the room in an effort to judge the current concentration of potential eavesdroppers before continuing in her elaboration. "It doesn't matter how many times I go up them or down them, I still count them. It's like I can't do one without the other. Sometimes... sometimes I feel like I need to count them backwards too... like one might've disappeared on me when I wasn't looking. There are fifteen stairs to the stairwell in my house that lead to the second floor, and I still count them. And it's not just the stairs either, it's the floors too. There might be fifteen stairs, but there are seventeen steps that have to be climbed," she explained, loud enough for the two of them, and only the two of them, to actually hear what she had to say.

Twilight blinked. That had been incredibly weird, and to say nothing of random. Where exactly had that come from? The disc jockey pony was just standing there and admitting to having some idiosyncrasy that she supposedly had? Now that seemed contrived in nature. This sudden revelation was very random, very out of left field, very... nice of her to do, to try and make her feel like her need for organization wasn't the weirdest thing out there.

"Note to self: See about talking with Vinyl more often," she thought as she smiled. "That's actually rather interesting. Tell me, Vinyl, why count the floors as additional steps when they're not actually integrated into the structure of the staircase?"

Ulquiorra simply said nothing about the strange revelation being made. He'd been aware from the beginning that these ponies possessed strange idiosyncratic behaviors. However he wasn't aware of the true depths that said idiosyncrasies ran. Nor was he able to find any reason to be interested in learning about such.

However Twilight's reasoning did make a good deal of sense to him, leaving one less mystery to address. It seemed reasonable that she wouldn't want to be known by her disorder, whatever it might be. However, as he addressed an itching sensation at his neck just under the collar of his jacket, he couldn't help but wonder how many others were going to arise before another could be adequately addressed. What exactly was going to be happening next in this strange world?

To put in the simplest terms available, absolutely every single part of Diamond Tiara's body was aching right now. Her legs ached with every step she took, her back was screaming at her, her lungs burnt and strained her ribs, and if she wasn't allowed to rest very soon, she was going to start heaving her guts out from severe physical exhaustion.

Next to her, Silver Spoon didn't appear to be doing much better. This was shaping up to be a stupid, stupid idea! Traipsing through the Everfree Forest to keep three dumb, useless, blank flanked fillies from getting eaten by something? Why had they even agreed to do this in the first place!?

Making it all the worse was the fact that said dumb, useless, blank flanked fillies weren't showing any signs that would indicate them experiencing the same physical exhaustion. They still seemed just as fresh as when they'd started on this journey of theirs. It was like perpetual motion of something, it was just plain unnatural!

"I need to rest," Silver Spoon panted as she trudged along. Keeping pace with the other three was proving to be outright impossible, but keeping sight of them was starting to become an equally impossible goal to achieve. If something didn't change then they were going to get left behind.

"Ain't no time fer rest," Apple Bloom commented as they kept walking along like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"If I don't get a chance to sit down and catch my breath, I'm gonna puke," Diamond Tiara whined through her exaggerated gasps for air.

"That's not our problem," Scootaloo stated as she stepped under a low hanging branch.

"How come you three aren't the least bit tired? We must've been walking for hours by now," Silver Spoon complained.

"Fifteen minutes actually," Sweetie Belle corrected as she slid around the side of a rock in their path.

"This ain't nothin'. We do more running around than this in a single day when we go out crusadin'," Apple Bloom pointed out. Compared to some of their efforts this was like a walk in the park... even if the particular park was the Everfree Forest as they walked to Zecora's. The only reason they weren't currently galloping was because they couldn't take the risk of the two slackers getting hopelessly lost on the way.

Behind them Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara groaned. Both from the fact that there would be no rest for the weary, and because of the revelation that'd come from Apple Bloom's word sinking in. They were saying the reason they were so strong was because of how much exertion they put into getting their cutie marks! They'd wound up creating this problem themselves, and now they had to pay the price for it! They were being hoist by their own petards!

"We've created three monsters," Silver Spoon moaned and hung her head.

"Three blank flanked, strong as a bulldozer, monsters," Diamond Tiara stated, feeling the distance between them growing wider apart. Unicorns and pegasi weren't meant to have so much physical strength to them!

"Diamond," Silver Spoon panted, "do me a favor. Find a rock, and put me out of my misery..."

Diamond Tiara ignored her friend's theatrics, instead trying to focus on not losing sight of the three up ahead of her. Getting left behind had no appeal to it. Apple Bloom had already threatened to tie them to a tree and leave them behind like mutts if they couldn't keep up.

There had better be a medal in it for them after all they were going through.

There were a lot of things that Celestia truly had no care for. Among them was the use of widespread magic over her subjects, for whatever reason. She had tried to reconcile her actions with herself, telling herself that the course of action she'd taken had been necessary. But despite her best efforts, she couldn't truly do that.

Twilight was aware of the one spell she'd used on the ponies in the immediate area, the one that suppressed their fear of Ulquiorra in order to allow for unrestricted interaction with the Espada at the party currently taking place. However she hadn't been informed of the second spell that was in place. The one that had been cast on the assembled ponies, that was designed to leave them relaxed around the diarchy, and treat them like they were just any other ponies. She told herself that it was the best course of action to take for everyone involved, but that didn't necessarily mean that she actually believed her own words.

Being in charge was such a pain in the flanks at times.

That didn't even take into account all of the efforts being made to keep things running smoothly with regard to Ulquiorra. The powers that be were more or less working overtime to keep the rumor mill in check, and prevent panic from overtaking the land. The fact that anypony had asked about the incident from several days ago, meant that she hadn't had everything under control. And now she was doing damage control to prevent panic.

But that would only work for so long. Even with everything she commanded, only so much could be done. Sooner or later she would have to address the matter openly; maybe even release a press statement.

"I think Twilight might've been right about it being poison joke."

It'd been a hushed statement that snapped her out of her own thoughts. Looking to her side she saw that it was Rainbow Dash addressing her as she sat. That was a little bit unexpected, she was certain it would've been Twilight updating her on such.

"Are you sure?" Celestia asked as she turned her attention to the cyan pegasus.

"Kinda. I think I saw spots under his collar when he was scratching his neck. Twi' might know what she's talking about," Rainbow Dash explained as she looked over to where Ulquiorra currently was, that being in a conversation about Pinkie regarding something or other.

"Has he displayed any strange behavior that might be grounds for concern? Anything that might actually confirm our suspicion?" Celestia asked. The fact that he was actually conversing with Pinkie in and of itself struck her as strange in nature, but not necessarily as something to actually cause concern. At least not just yet.

"Nothing yet. So far he's just mellow and stuff. It's weird seeing him like that," Rainbow Dash replied she said as she watched with Celestia, before turning her attention elsewhere. "Even weirder how only Twilight noticed something possibly being out of place."

"Yes, I can understand how such a revelation could be disconcerting to consider," Celestia replied as she gave a nod. "We like to think that we have a firm grasp on the world around us, that we'd be aware of something being out of place. And yet when it comes down to it, we're just as oblivious of such as rocks are to the wind."

That was a little deeper than Rainbow Dash was expecting to encounter. But she nodded in agreement even if she didn't completely get it, figuring it was better than looking dumb and asking her what exactly she meant. Simply because they were on more relaxed terms, that didn't mean that she wanted to appear as a complete idiot around Celestia.

"So what exactly is Pinkie doing right now?" Celestia asked her.

"I think she's trying to teach the dude some party games..."

Ulquiorra looked down at the strange implement currently resting in his hand, consisting of some piece of fabric and what looked like a push pin. To say he didn't understand it would be an understatement.

"What exactly is the purpose of this?" he finally asked. Whatever Pinkie was up to, there would need to be greater elaboration before he could do anything one way or another.

"It's for a game of "pin the tail on the pony" Ulqy!"

Hardly elaboration to any significant degree. If anything it just lead to greater confusion, as he looked around the room.

"All of the ponies present appear to be in possession of their tails," he replied, pointing out what should be rather obvious, "furthermore, I fail to see how such a concept could be considered a game. Wouldn't using a push pin result in bodily harm to the recipient? I don't foresee anyone volunteering for such a duty."

It was a concise, logical explanation of how he saw the situation. The only thing that had been left out was how, if any pony was truly missing their tail, the reattachment was best done in a hospital following proper medical procedures, rather than attempting to tack it on in a manner that would never heal and rather serve as a useless, lifeless stump that would rot away and potentially cause serious infection in the process.

Adding to his uncertainty over the whole matter, Pinkie merely laughed in response. He was apparently missing something, but he wasn't sure just what it was yet. Adding to the confusion was how other assembled ponies were also laughing.

"You don't play it with a real pony, silly, the idea is to try and pin the tail on the picture of a pony while blindfolded," she stated and gestured over to the other side a room, where a rough caricature drawing meant to represent a pony -minus its tail- was being pinned to the barn wall.

He looked at the drawing, and then back at the mockup tail that rested in his palm. The general idea of this whole thing was beginning to take form in his mind. But that still didn't mean he possessed a sufficient grasp of just how it was supposed to be entertaining to engage in.

However, judging by the look in the pink pony's eyes, he was about to be shown why others found it entertaining, even if it truly wasn't.

Perhaps he shouldn't have agreed to go along with what the foals had asked about.

"This can't end well, can it?" Celestia asked.

"Probably not," Rainbow Dash replied as they watched.

"Do you think we should intervene before something happens?" Celestia asked.

"I don't think it's reached that point yet. I think we should wait and see where this goes first. Who knows, we might be pleasantly surprised. Right now I'm gonna grab a cupcake, settle in, and catch the show," Rainbow Dash commented. However no sooner had she spoke, did a cupcake present itself before her, wrapped in a golden aura. Looking up she saw it was Celestia's work, snagging each of them a cupcake to snack on. "Thanks."

"No trouble at all. That's what friends are for," Celestia replied before taking a bite of what promised to be a most delicious frosted chocolate cupcake.

Except it didn't taste all that delicious. And it most certainly didn't taste like chocolate. This cupcake was tainted by something that was a sickly shade of green oozing out of the center.

It was okra paste!

There was only one pony in all of Equestria that would have the unmitigated gall to even dare and defile her confectionery treats with a source as wicked and vile as the much hated/feared/loathed okra paste!

"LUNA!"

It was a bellow from across the room that met with such intensity of force against Luna's mind, that she was nearly blown over from the nonphysical impact of it. Her pleasant conversation with Fluttershy and Rarity had been interrupted with great malice that was felt rather than heard from audible words. It was the kind of bellow that could only be experienced through the magic of a telepathic link shared by two alicorn sisters for discrete communication, in situations where conversation along more traditional routes wasn't a possibility.

Looking over to where Celestia sat, Luna took in her appearance. She was calmly sitting down, maintaining the usual face she did when dealing with their subjects in an official capacity. It was one of the best poker faces in existence, as it gave no indication of how she was really feeling right now. The serenity she attempted to portray stood in direct contrast with the tone of her telepathic voice.

This could either be a source of great fun, or great misery. she wasn't sure as to which just yet.

"Is there a problem, dear sister?" she asked along the same telepathic lines that had been opened.

"You know very well that there's a problem. Nopony else would think to use okra paste to defile sweet baked goods," Celestia replied angrily, wanting so angrily to crush the cupcake within her grasp right now.

"Oh. That," Luna replied. Suddenly trying to maintain her own poker face was proving incredibly difficult, as she so dearly wanted to laugh at imagining the kind of face her sister so dearly wanted to be showing right now. "Thou didst bring it upon thyself. Thou didst start this war of pranks, we art only abiding by the rules of engagement," she replied, before quickly adding, "besides, thou didst most certainly deserve it! Thou knowest how much we hate mashed alfalfa!"

Celestia was left mentally stammering as she attempted to construct a proper response. She could feel the veneer of serenity cracking before her right now, and the urge to engage in truly juvenile behavior right here and now, was growing stronger by the second.

"Thou art in so much trouble once we return to the palace, thou little brat," she shot back.

"Then perhaps we shalt have our fun now while the opportunity is still present. If we art to be punished, then 'tis only appropriate we are punished for something significant," Luna replied, unfazed by what her sister was telling her.

"Laugh it up, Lulu, just you wait," Celestia warned.

"Thou may wish to laugh it up thyself, dear sister. It doth promise to be a long night indeed, and thou wilt fall asleep long before we retire with the rising of the new day's sun. Thou cannot stay awake all the time. Anything could happen," Luna replied, the grin she was mentally giving practically being felt over the telepathic link.

Silence. Utter silence crossing the link, yet Luna could tell that the horrors of her words were properly sinking in and getting the point across. She could feel her sister's uneasiness, and could only imagine the look on her face just beneath that veneered poker face she was trying so desperately to maintain.

"... Oh fuck me..."

At that squeaky little comment from her sister, Luna lost it and burst out laughing, much to the confusion of those around her.

"... And tha's the story, Zecora," Apple Bloom said in conclusion of her tale to the zebra shaman, explaining the perceived severity of the situation, as well as why they'd ventured so far out to find her.

Zecora listened quietly as her guests explained the matter. She didn't exactly know how Ulquiorra had managed to become afflicted with poison joke, as she'd made sure to show him the path around the current growth of the season. Yet according to them he was suffering from it, for whatever reason. Had he not heeded her warning and simply traipsed through it without regard for its presence?

Or... could it have been exposure to the pollen? It seemed absurd to give any consideration to. Poison joke affliction from pollen alone was so rare it was almost unheard of, as pollen itself hardly ever managed to carry the contaminating aspects of the plant itself. And when it did, it was in such small amounts, that only the most vulnerable could become afflicted. And Ulquiorra hardly seemed like the type to be highly susceptible to such.

But as unlikely as it seemed, it simultaneously made the most sense out of all the possibilities open to them.

"This situation is quite bad, there is good reason for concerns to be had," she replied as she stepped into her hut in order to consult her books, the five fillies venturing behind her. Where was that one tome? "Your friend is indeed a plight, thank you for bringing this fact to light."

"Does she always talk like that?" Diamond Tiara asked Scootaloo.

Scootaloo frowned. Part of her wanted to ask Diamond Tiara exactly what she meant, to suggest that she saw nothing wrong with the way Zecora spoke. She'd been around the zebra so long that understanding her rhymes was easy. But another part of her, the part that had to put up with the uppity earth pony's whining and slow pace, the part of her that was currently stronger than her logical part, chose instead to knee her in the shoulder. She was met with a grunt of protest but give the command of "hush"; something she never would've gotten away with doing back in school, or even in Ponyville.

"Let us see... let us see. Apple Bloom, might you assist me? To prepare an antidote I will need my book, but there are several piles through which to look."

"On it, Zecora," Apple Bloom replied and moved over to where the zebra kept her reference material. If she needed to consult a book for a potion that should be standard around these parts, something must've been up.

"The rest of you, I may need help from you all. This potion, it must be delivered before nightfall," Zecora announced.

"Why by nightfall? Will Ulquiorra's infection become permanent if we don't get it to him by then? Is he going to be under the influence of poison joke forever?" Sweetie Belle asked, suddenly finding herself very nervous as the prospect of there being a time limit in place. Already she was starting to anxiously look about the room for anything that might aid them in their efforts.

"No. The Everfree Forest is quite dangerous at night. You fillies should try to be home while it's still light," Zecora replied, an amused grin on her muzzle as she explained.

The party game of pin the tail on the pony hadn't quite been what he'd been expecting it to be. Under the proper context he could see how it might be considered an interesting exercise, meant to test balance, coordination, muscle memory, equilibrium, and the ability to make course and directional adjustments based on vague units of measurement that possessed no correlation with a ruler. And all while being blindfolded.

Being effortlessly spun about by Pinkie had also been a strange experience. She was deceptive in her level of physical strength, and continued to leave him confused.

Of the dozen or so that partook in the game, his placement had not been particularly outstanding. There were those far more skilled and seasoned in the event than himself, while others seemed graced by the luck of the draw as it were. Which category Ditzy Doo fit into with her perfect placement, he wasn't certain.

Having taken part in it, he still couldn't understand what exactly made it fun to experience. However he did see that it might possess some useful aspects if applied in the correct manner. Knowing how to regain one's center of balance after being forcefully spun about in a disorienting manner, certainly had practical applications. However being made to rely on others for guidance was less than appealing.

There were other activities currently taking place inside the barn. Some of them he could find to be mildly interesting, such as the throwing darts competition that Carrot Top and several others were engaged in. Watching the game be played by those that possessed no fingers had been informative, while at the same time confusing.

Others, such as Toss Across being played by Dinky and several other foals, not quite as much. While there was the matter of hand/eye coordination, and determining how much strength was necessary to launch a beanbag to a desired distance, it simply hadn't been enough to hold his interest.

And then there was the matter of the game of horse shoes. He really didn't know how to describe that one. Equines playing a game with what amounted to actual footwear for them. That would be like humans playing the game, but making use of sneakers, sandals, slippers, galoshes, and whatever else they wore to protect their feet.

As for himself, currently he was being served a slice of cake provided by the mare named Cup Cake. Whether it was a matter of irony or pun, he wasn't entirely certain.

"So, dude, how's the party going?"

His attention was drawn to Rainbow Dash as she hovered over in approach, followed closely by Twilight. This was a question he'd been getting with some degree of regularity from other ponies. What their fascination was with his perception of the party's progression, he wasn't certain.

"There have been a number of developments that are mildly interesting in nature. However if you're asking if I'm enjoying myself, I truly can't say, as it's a foreign concept to consider," he explained.

Rainbow Dash tried not to frown. Fun obviously wasn't in Ulquiorra's dictionary, but she'd at least suspected that for a while now. The way he explained things was like listening to a live reading of an encyclopedia. She'd thought the poison joke might've livened him up at least a little bit, but apparently not. What did Twilight see in this guy anyway?

But she remained undeterred, and continued in an effort to have a conversation with him. "So Twi' tells me you've been learning about friendship. How's that going?"

"So far I've been given several definition of what friendship amounts to, given by different ponies with different points of view. Some have been more useful than others," he replied.

Twilight nodded in agreement. "Applejack, Pinkie and Fluttershy have all been helping. What about you, Rainbow? If you had to describe what you considered friendship, what would you say?" she asked.

"Well that's a toughie, Twi'," Rainbow Dash replied as she scratched her head in through before turning to face Ulquiorra. "If I were asked this question a few months ago, I might say friendship is knowing that those you hold closest to you, would never do anything to trick you into believing you're worthless to everypony around you."

Twilight flinched at Rainbow Dash's words, even if they weren't directly aimed at her while she was talking. They hurt to hear, but it was really no less than she'd deserved.

"However that was then. Now though, I'd say friendship is having ponies who, when they realize that they did something that hurt you, even unknowingly, they'll go out of their way to make it up to you, and prove that they're not a bunch of heartless jerks," she stated. "Anypony can screw up, do something that they thought was warranted at the time. But how they deal with their actions when they realize they made a mistake, that's when you know how you've got friends."

Ulquiorra observed them silently, noting Twilight's physical reactions to Rainbow Dash's words. It was all more than likely related to Mare Do Well and the fallout from such. The flinch and corresponding drop in detectable reiatsu from Twilight indicated hurt, while that which immediately followed indicated a positive feeling.

"Lesson numbers four and five I presume."

"Pretty much," Twilight replied with a shrug, uncertain of what else to add.

It was all mildly interesting to observe. However it also suggested that maintaining a friendship was very labor intensive, and required a great deal of thought and precaution being exercised at any given time. In that regard it really wasn't all that different from a basic business partnership.

He turned his attention back to Rainbow Dash as she continued to hover in place. The fact she was flapping her wings so little in doing so would suggest she shouldn't be airborne at all, and yet she was. But the most confusing aspect to her presently was her eyes. There was a hardness missing from them that had been present previously. They didn't possess the same intensity and ferocity that they once held. Something about her had changed, but what was it?

"You ponies continue to provide many mysteries for consideration," Ulquiorra replied as he picked up the supplied fork to sample the piece of cake on his plate. The way things had been progressing over the course of this day, sampling the provided sweets hardly seemed out of the ordinary.

The cake was... strange to encounter. The dark layers wedged in between the white icing possessed a certain viscous quality, like a combination of lightness and moistness, but not able to be properly categorized in one manner or another. There was also a bitter quality to it -nothing like the coffee from previously, but still noticeable- but it was counterbalanced by the utter sweetness of the icing that bound it together, the two working together in tandem to provide a more mellow flavoring. All in all it was... unique to experience.

"Is it good?" Twilight asked him. Watching Ulquiorra actually eat was... strange. Not just in how he manipulated the utensils to carry out the task, but just plain eating in general. It just seemed... odd... for a ghost to actually do something like that. There were just too many areas where there were gaps in scientific knowledge.

"Rather sweet in nature. But not entirely unpleasant," he finally replied.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked at each other. That was probably as close as they were ever going to get to Ulquiorra saying that he liked something. But then again he was going back for another bite of the cake, so that had to be worth something.

Apple Bloom felt herself going cross eyed as she stared at the corked bottle before her. The brew inside was a thick, olive green sort of concoction, and didn't look anything like what she'd helped concoct the last time. She was also pretty sure that some of the ingredients she'd helped gather weren't there the last time either.

"Uh... Zecora? Ah know yer the expert on stuff like this. But is this stuff really gonna work and fix Mr. Cifer? It don' really look like enough ta bathe him with," she pointed out as she eyed the mysterious mixture with uncertainty.

"This is not a potion with which you bathe, Apple Bloom. Rather, it is one your friend must consume," Zecora explained as she slid the bottle into a leather pouch, pulling the drawstring shut around it and sliding it over her head and onto her neck.

"Ugh, I'm glad I'm not him," Scootaloo grunted, remembering the smell that was involved in the potion being mixed. If it smelt that bad, she didn't even want to think about what the taste would be like.

"Let's just get it back to Ulquiorra and let him worry about it. We've got a long way to go, and it's not getting any earlier out," Sweetie Belle replied.

From behind them she could hear the discontented groans of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, obviously not pleased about having to get up from their resting place in order to get running back home again. They'd done nothing but complain all the way out here, and slowed down the entire group terribly. And she was really wondering if the time that was saved by them helping gather ingredients, was really worth the time spent bringing them out here.

"Do you dance?"

Among the many things that left him confused at this party, it was safe to say the question currently being asked by Lyra was certainly in the running. It was confusing enough to warrant him actually setting down his empty punch cup before addressing her.

"Dance?" he asked as he turned to better face the green unicorn that stood before him. She nodded as she grinned in response. "It's something I've never had reason to engage in. Furthermore, I'm uncertain if it would even be a physical possibility. The differences in our height, to say nothing of our basic anatomy, would suggest that it would be incredibly difficult to do together efficiently," he explained.

He could see Lyra thinking over his words, her mouth twisted off to the side as she considered the points he raised. Finally he observed as she reared up onto her hind legs, using her forelegs to try and balance her posture, before apparently finding the equilibrium necessary to support her upright nature. He couldn't help but wonder if she made it a regular habit of attempting a bipedal method of locomotion. It would at least explain how she could so easily do it compared to the other ponies.

"Is this better?" she asked him as she eased her forelegs down to her sides, now confident that she wasn't about to lose her balance anytime soon.

Ulquiorra observed her as she stood. The height difference was significantly reduced, but there were other matters to be concerned with. There was still the difference in basic anatomy to consider, such as how their own individual limbs bent, and the multiple joints to her hind legs. Then there was the matter of stability. Simply because Lyra could maintain her balance in a standing position, or engaged in a slow walk, that didn't mean she would be able to do the same thing when engaged in any sort of dance, especially if rapid movements were required. There was the distinct possibility that her balance could give out at any moment and result in potential serious injury.

And that was to say nothing of how her frame may not be able to support all of her weight being in an upright fashion, regardless of the fact that she had become skilled in her balancing act. Prolonged exposure and use might result in damage to her skeletal structure.

"Perhaps if I knew what was involved, I would be better able to make an informed decision about participation," he finally replied.

"Well let's see what we can do about that. Vinyl! How about something with a bit of an octane rating?" Lyra asked.

"On it Ly'!" Vinyl called back and bounded over to the music system. She sorted through the selection, made sure all the instruments were in proper check, cranked up the dials, and brought the barn to life with a pulsing beat belting out from the speaker system.

Ulquiorra was torn over what to focus on more. On the one hand there was the synthesizer equipment Vinyl was using, which appeared to make use of complicated electronics and computer programs, which he was certain this world hadn't developed considering the overall state of technology he'd seen up to this point.

On the other hand was Lyra's particular style of dancing. Whereas the other ponies who were participating right now were more than content to dance with all four of their hooves on the ground, the green unicorn's style was one all her own. Apparently her skill in bipedal motion ran much deeper than he first anticipated. However the longer she continued, the more... disturbing... her movements became in nature.

Was she really... did she just... was it... shouldn't that step be physically... did...

"Just how outdated are those anatomy books?" he asked himself as she watched Lyra's movements. "I think I'll sit this one out..."

"We should've gone by scooter, we could've been back home by now," Scootaloo grumbled.

Heading out to Zecora's had been a relative breeze, all things considered. They'd been fresh, it'd been early in the day, it was all good. But now as they were heading for Sweet Apple Acres to accomplish their goal, things were starting to work against them. It was almost like the road had become more unforgiving, and there were more low hanging branches to watch out for. Maybe it was all a matter of perspective, but she really didn't care, she just wanted to get back to the farm, get out of the forest, and get away from the two dead weights that could barely trudge along at this point.

"Don' be silly, Scootaloo, we couldn' all fit in the wagon. An' even if we could, we didn' have enough helmets fer everypony either," Apple Bloom pointed out as she ducked underneath a low branch.

"That's why we should've gone on ahead by ourselves and left those two out of it. They're nothing but dead weight. If we'd gone by ourselves we probably would've been done and back at the party by now," Scootaloo pointed out before turning her head to look behind her. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were pitiful as they tried to keep up. This was a bad idea from the very beginning. "FAT dead weight!" she yelled back to them.

"Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle stated in protest. Sure they didn't care much for either Silver Spoon or Diamond Tiara, but there was no reason to be getting rude about it.

"What? They are! They're fat, they're soft, they're useless and sorry excuses for earth ponies. If they don't like it then they should pick up the pace and burn off some of that weight they're carrying around," Scootaloo stated.

"Scoots, don' start it up, please? Le's jus' get back ta' the farm so we can get Mr. Cifer his cure. Tha's what we set out for ta begin with," Apple Bloom stated. As much as she'd like to agree with Scootaloo that those two really were overweight, especially Diamond Tiara, she knew that the longer they spent arguing, the longer they were going to be stuck in the forest, and that didn't do anypony any good.

"Fine, fine," Scootaloo grumbled in surrender, "but if something comes along and tries to eat us, we're leaving them behind."

"It doesn't look like too bad of a sprain," Redheart said as she eased the icepack onto Lyra's injured leg, "but I wouldn't try dancing like that again for a while."

This was a development Ulquiorra had suspected of being a possibility. He'd watched the seemingly spastic movements of Lyra's dance routine, made all the more unpredictable by Pinkie's decision to toss her a hula hoop, all the while knowing that something was bound to go wrong. That something manifested itself in the form of her right hind leg giving out of her, and causing her to collapse on top of herself. To say the least, the results weren't pretty. She was quite fortunate that it was only a sprain and no bones had been broken in the process.

Perhaps next time, if he participated then, a slow dance would be in order. Perhaps if he had done so this time, Lyra's injury wouldn't have occurred, as she wouldn't have needed to overexert herself.

Had this injury not occurred, he very well may have participated, provided the beat was something slower.

"Now that's a party bummer," Pinkie lamented. Things had been such fun up until now. Maybe she really shouldn't have tossed Lyra that hula hoop so she could accentuate her performance. But she'd just been having so much fun at the time...

"Perhaps it would be appropriate to bring this gathering to a close," Ulquiorra commented. It seemed like a logical conclusion to reach. With one of them being injured, it seemed unlikely that the others would consider it in good taste to continue having "fun" while the other watched helplessly. His concept of friendship might've been vague at best, but even he knew that such a practice would be considered mean. And while he was quite capable of being mean, he simply didn't feel the need for it under these circumstances.

"No, no," Lyra protested as she moved, letting out a pained noise in the process, "that's not necessary. We can keep partying, I'll just sit it out and watch."

Rather interesting. If he were asked, he would assume now was as good a time as any to bring an end to everything. And yet they still wished to go on. Were the parties thrown by Pinkie considered so worth experiencing, that even personal injury wasn't enough to discourage their participation?

And with that thought in mind, he found himself wondering about something else entirely. Did these ponies possess an equine equivalent of the word personal? It was certainly an interesting thought to give consideration to, even if it truly didn't amount to anything of substance.

His attention was brought back to the present as Lyra was helped onto a hay bail near one of the walls, allowing her to sit without aggravating the sprain she suffered, while still being able to watch anything that happened around her.

"If this party is to persist, what happens next? Is there more dancing to be had, or are there other activities planned?" he asked as he turned his attention to Pinkie, the look of optimism on her face failing to be removed despite everything that'd happened.

However she didn't even get the chance to say something after taking a deep breath, before there was a crash at the barn doors that drew everyone's attention to them.

As the doors parted, in stepped five very dirty, very exhausted, very familiar fillies. Each of them was displaying varying degrees of exhaustion, and each of them was covering in varying degrees of filth, and each of them more or less leaning on one another for support. Diamond Tiara was currently slumped against a trudging Apple Bloom, her trademark tiara still on her head only because it was currently tangled in her mane. Silver Spoon was more or less serving to support Sweetie Belle and keep her from collapsing onto the ground, leaving Scootaloo to simply drop where she stood. Not a single one of them wasn't panting or otherwise gasping for air.

As far as strange developments went, this was one Ulquiorra truly hadn't been expecting. He had been aware that at some point the three who made up the Cutie Mark Crusaders had left the party, as he neither saw nor sensed their presence after the initial meeting. However he hadn't noticed the disappearance of Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon, nor had he really cared. He had assumed the three had ventured off in yet another effort to gain their cutie marks; the current state they were in -as others gave cries of surprise, and concern, and rushed to tend to them- was certainly not out of the realm of stories that he'd heard about their efforts. However considering the animosity present between the two groups of fillies, he had sufficient reason to doubt the notion of them tagging along for whatever reason.

And what kind of exertion could they have engaged in over such a short period, that they were as exhausted as they currently were? As far as foals went, their reiryoku levels were certainly respectable.

"What exactly is the meaning of this?" he finally asked as he stepped forward.

"Tha's a darn good question," Applejack replied as she turned back to face her sister. "Jus' wha' in the wide world o' Equestria ya been up ta, Apple Bloom?"

There were a lot of things that Apple Bloom wanted to say right now. Things that sounded very thought out and intelligent. Things that conveyed a sense of wisdom that was beyond their own ages, and would leave others surprised that foals could think to such a degree.

But in her tired state, as she reached to undo the pouch Zecora had hung around her neck, none of those things were coming to mind right now. Instead she had to opt for something that was more straightforward in nature. "Doin' the responsible thing," she panted as she slid the bottle out from its leather wrapping to sit on the floor. "Fetchin' Mr. Cifer a poison joke antidote."

Scootaloo nodded in agreement and moved to stand back up, but thought better on it and simply remained on the floor, moving only to reach over and scoot the bottled potion closer.

"We heard what the adults were saying, they were gonna leave you infected because they liked you the way you are right now," she stated.

"So we went and got the antidote ourselves," Sweetie Belle stated in conclusion.

A combination of stifling silence and hushed whispers fell over the barn at the revelation made by the three fillies. A strange combination that only grew stranger as Ulquiorra slowly turned to face the Elements of Harmony for clarification, noting how each of them flinched under his gaze. However it wasn't the kind of flinch associated with surprise, but rather the kind given when one realized they were in trouble and had been caught doing something they shouldn't have.

"Is what they say true?" he asked flatly. However they truly had no need to answer him, as he could already tell by their body language that it was. None of them, not even the Princesses, was presenting a body posture that suggested they were particularly proud right now. "Did you truly intend to leave me in an impaired state after making the discovery that my condition had become compromised?"

"It's not how it sounds," Twilight replied slowly as she hung her head.

"Then explain how it truly is so that I may comprehend," Ulquiorra stated as he turned his attention on her.

"Well... at first it was just a suspicion, when you called me by my first named something you'd never done. But then... then we noticed the spots that go with some cases of exposure, then we knew for certain," Twilight explained.

He hadn't noticed any spots on his person. On a hunch he rolled down his right sleeve, only then noticing a number of them all up and down along his arm, with more slowly beginning to fade into existence, and stretching up onto his palm. Strange how they had hidden so well. Perhaps that was what had caused his neck to itch, rather than the power of suggestion. Without any prompting on his part, Twilight started speaking again.

"We didn't automatically decide to just leave you be, that would be dangerous and irresponsible since we didn't know what the long term effects might be," she stated.

Applejack was torn on what to contribute. On the one hoof she felt her natural honesty wanting to make it clear that she'd been outright opposed to the idea of leaving Ulquiorra the way he was, and that she'd been outvoted. That was primarily why she hadn't interacted with him too much during the party, because trying to keep it a secret in his face would've been too much for her.

But at the same time there was another matter. Rainbow Dash might be the one who represented loyalty, but that didn't mean that she wasn't loyal in her own right. And being loyal to your friends meant not selling them out just to save yourself. It was one of those cases of being stuck between a rock and a hard place. For better or worse, she was in it as deep as her friends right now, sticking it out through thick and thin.

"It was my idea..."

And then much to Applejack's surprise, it was Fluttershy who spoke up next, the shy mare taking a cautious few steps forward in her address. Somewhere, she wasn't certain just where, her friend had managed to find her courage once again.

"You just seemed so relaxed... so laid back, like you could... like you could actually enjoy what you were experiencing. I just... just thought that it might be a good experience. That you didn't have to be so tense all the time. I just... hoped that maybe... just maybe... y-you could understand what it's like to have fun..." she explained.

"Now, darling," Rarity spoke up as she approached and put a comforting hoof on her withers, "you aren't solely to blame. Despite all of us holding a different opinion, we still all agreed to go with the course of action that we did, in addressing this matter. If anypony is to blame then it's all of us, not any one of us."

"It wasn't your fault, girls, I was the one who had the bright idea that we wait," Twilight spoke up as she moved forward, "if anypony is to blame, it's me. I was the one that decided we should wait before proceeding. We didn't have much information at the time, and we wanted to make sure before proceeding. We all agreed that we would go and get the antidote if you were showing any signs of distress or discomfort. But since you weren't showing any indication, we agreed to wait for the party to be over before we responded, due to the time that would be invested in going to get the antidote, and the uncertainty of whether or not your Espada nature would cause you to heal on your own without any intervention," she explained as she looked at the floor, uncomfortable with looking him in the eyes. "And... then there was also the idea that... maybe this was a good thing. If you really were relaxed, we thought a short break from the everyday standard would do you some good, like a vacation."

"We really were gonna change you back, dude, we just... thought we should wait and see. You know... don't rush in without a plan? Don't cause a panic by just casually mentioning poison joke and whatnot," Rainbow Dash offered up in explanation.

He remained silent as he observed them, listening to their words. There were a lot of things that could be said and done under these circumstances. They had used him for the purpose of experimentation, to determine the extent of his Espada abilities, and to see if these unique circumstances could in any way affect his standard outlook on life and the world around him.

And out of all those that had known about his condition, and been in a position of being able to actually do something about it, it had been five small children who had ventured into the forest to seek the antidote for his condition, and at their own personal risk. It was all quite fascinating to consider.

"We're really sorry, Ulquiorra, we really didn't deal with the situation like we should have. You're our friend, and you were in need, and what did we do? We decided to experiment on you like you were a lab rat," Twilight apologized as her head hung.

There were a lot of things that could be said and considered with these revelations taking place. But before any of them could be addressed properly, it would be wise to make use of the antidote that had been procured for him. If the poison joke was truly affecting him, and not in a physical manner, then it had to be mental in nature. It would be logical to tend to the problem and determine the extent of the damage before doing anything else. Without a word he stepped closer and picked up the bottle, popped the cork, and downed the contents.

It was a brew of such a revolting nature, its taste made him want to voice his disgust. This foul concoction was of such a pungent nature, that Spike's special blend of coffee was like a mild brew of tea in comparison. It was truly surprising that something of this stoutness could be contained by a simple cork.

At first he was unaware of anything different. He looked at his arm and the spots that remained, which slowly began to fade shortly after he consumed the potion. And as the spots faded he began to feel his mind growing clearer. Whatever fog-liked stupor had been bestowed upon him by his traipsing through an area infested by poison joke, and all without his realization, he could actually feel it fading away. He could feel his senses returning to their former level of clarity and sharpness. Now he could think clearly, and address the others in a proper manner.

And from what he could see, they were equally aware of this fact. The flinch given as he slowly turned his gaze on them, was like they were bracing for a physical blow to be delivered.

"There are a great many things I could say on this matter. I could easily berate all of you on the decisions you made, and how you handled the situation. Along with your tactics being underhanded, your reasoning was quite childish in nature. You believed that anything I experienced while in an impaired state, would influence me when I was no longer under the influence of poison joke? Did you even give consideration to the possibility that what you were doing, might give rise to the equivalent of a drug addition? And for what? This concept that you call friendship. How exactly is it considered an example of friendship to take advantage of one who is both incapable of making an informed decision, and giving informed consent?" he asked them pointedly. Not a single word was said in defense of their actions. Not by Twilight Sparkle, or Spike, and not even by Princess Celestia or Princess Luna, who were technically in a position of being able to do so.

Their silence was contrasted by the muttered whispering of the other ponies in attendance. They didn't appear very pleased with the news that the holders of the Elements of Harmony could resort to such tactics. And that displeasure was about to grow, as he continued on.

"You six are very well renowned for your feats in protecting Equestria, and the lengths you've gone through to help others in their time of need. And yet this time around, it was five children who rose to the occasions when others did not, putting themselves in harms way to help out another. By venturing through the Everfree Forest where they could've been killed by any one of the seven hundred and fifty known and cataloged dangerous species that regard the forest as their home. It seems amazing that the youngest, and most unorganized, of all those present, were the only ones who reached the conclusion to do what they believed was the right thing. Because they apparently don't share your skewed views on the matter."

Not a word. Not a single word was offered up in defense of their actions by any one of them. They all at least appeared to realize that he was correct in his observation, questioning their status as national heroes if this was how they truly acted. The reiatsu throughout the barn was steadily dropping as he continued; even from the Princesses. If they were reacting in such a manner, it seemed safe to conclude that they were in on it as well to some degree.

"All that said, I should probably commend and congratulate you," he stated, causing those in attendance to go from experiencing guilt to experiencing confusion. And after a few seconds for the obligatory questions of surprise were voiced, he continued. "In all my time here, I never expected to discover that you ponies possessed such guile. I had believed that I'd come to learn as much about you as I realistically could, and what could be learned was of limited use and viability. So I find it quite fascinating to make this discovery. The fact that you were willing to exploit the impaired condition of another for your own benefit, leaves me quite intrigued. It's truly a fascinating discovery to make, and warrants further investigation and interaction."

"Did... any o' ya see tha' one comin'?" Applejack finally manged to ask, this turn of events easily taking her off guard.

"Even I couldn't predict that one," Pinkie commented, utterly stunned by it all.

Out of all the possible ways things could've proceeded, this had to be the strangest possibility by far.

First the discovery that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been eavesdropping on their conversation -and getting the details wrong in the process- and deciding to set off into the Everfree Forest to find Zecora themselves, because they didn't have a full grasp of the situation and what was going on.

Then they discover the absence of said Crusaders, only after they return covered in mud and tree sap, and tell Ulquiorra about what they heard, and most likely misinterpreted, forcing them to come clean about what was going on, and why they chose the course of action they had.

Then they were scolded by Ulquiorra for their actions, as he laid out just why they were wrong to do what they did... which quickly took the strangest turn yet, as he congratulated them for doing what they did, right after he got done scolding them.

The number of questions just kept racking up by the moment, and it didn't look like there were any answers to be had anytime soon. Ulquiorra's monotone delivery of whatever he had to say, whether it was scolding or congratulating, made it very hard to tell whether he was being honest, or sarcastic, or anything else. They couldn't even tell if he was upset with them, as his expression never changed. Was it possible to get any straight answers?

Unfortunately that was a question that could only be answered in the affirmative. Before they could even begin looking for answers to the other questions facing them, the beaten and bloody body of some unidentified colt stumbled in through the open barn doors, and collapsed on the ground.

"P-P-Ponyville's being attacked!" he cried out weakly.

Author's Note

Deleted Dance Scene with different music

"Do you dance?"

"Is this better?" she asked him as she eased her forelegs down to her sides, now confident that she wasn't about to lose her balance anytime soon.

Ulquiorra observed her as she stood. The height difference was significantly reduced, but there were other matters to be concerned with. There was still the difference in basic anatomy to consider, such as how their own individual limbs bent, and the multiple joints to her hind legs that were absent from his. Then there was the matter of stability. Simply because Lyra could maintain her balance in a standing position, or engaged in a slow walk, that didn't mean she would be able to do the same thing when engaged in any sort of dance, especially if rapid movements were required. There was the distinct possibility that her balance could give out at any moment and result in potential serious injury.

"Perhaps if I knew what was involved, I would be better able to make an informed decision about participation," he finally replied.

"Well let's see what we can do about that. Vinyl! How about something with a bit of an octane rating?" Lyra asked.

On the other hand was Lyra's particular style of dancing, as she demonstrated the movements involved for him. Her forelegs were crossed in front of her, cannons resting on top of one another as they were held just below her chest line, pulsing her pasterns and hooves up and down in a floppy manner. This manner of movement was combined with what looked like a series of small jumps from one hoof to the other in a seemingly random pattern; right, left, right, right, left, right, left, left.

After several repeats of this particular pattern, Lyra lifted her right foreleg up and rotated her pastern.

"Alright I love this song! C'mon" Rainbow Dash stated as she came over from the side to watch Lyra dance. Without any further discussion she hovered over next to Lyra and proceeded to join in the display.

Ulquiorra observed them silently, the two mares failing to move in a properly choreographed manner, but in sync enough that there was little difference between their movements, which as this point consisted of them holding their front hooves on their hips, their heads slightly turned upwards and to the right as they stomped out an alternating left, right, left right pattern, with a tendency towards taking little steps to their right, and dragging their right left over to meet with their left.

More ponies were beginning to join in on the dance now. And the number of non-pegasi displaying bipedal capabilities was beginning to become surprising in nature. At this point the dance moves consisted of the ponies crossing their front hooves over their left hip, spreading and flexing their hind legs, moving their upper bodies in an up and down motion three times, two quick movements of their hips, and three rotations of their right legs.

"Come on, Ulqy, it's a lot of fun!" Pinkie stated as she bounded over to Lyra's other side to join in. At this point all the ponies involved turned to the side, spreading their forelegs out while raising their right hind leg as high off the ground as they could manage. The next movement was them bringing their right leg back down and kneeling down on it, while flexing their left leg, and resting their right front hoof against their chin.

And just like that, the music looped back and began to repeat. And along with it, the movements displayed by the ponies who were participating in the dance. And this time around there was the added surprise of Fluttershy actually participating with the others.

Off to the side he observed Applejack more or less filling the role of a spectator, tapping her right front hoof and moving her head and upper body to the beat of the music. The only ones of the mane six not participating to some degree at this point were Twilight and Rarity.

"I can't dance like that," Twilight offered up in response to the unasked question before her. Unlike the others who had succumbed to the beat of the song, she was without the ability to remain on her hind legs for any extensive period of time. If she tried copying their movements, she knew she'd just fall right over. She'd be much better suited for a slow dance with a partner if using such a style of posture. "Truth be told... I can't dance at all."

"It doesn't strike me as much of an actual dance really. More like wild, obscene gestures of the body," Rarity commented from where she sat, finding the entire concept to be somewhat leud in nature.

Ulquiorra simply continued to remain silent as he observed the display. Not being an expert when it came to dancing, he couldn't comment on Rarity's position. It was certainly no style of dance he had ever seen. But then again that was to be expected. However his thoughts were interrupted as Ditzy hovered into his view.

"Come on, Mr. Ulquiorra Cifer, it's lots of fun," she told him in an effort to get him joining in.

Ulquiorra continued his silence as he pondered the matter, and what the appropriate response would be. Pinkie had explained that fun was the purpose of a party. According to them, dancing in this manner was supposed to be fun. Could their truly be any harm in indulging in something that was so ridiculous in nature, while in the company of others? He truly couldn't see a point in actually doing it. But at the same time he truly couldn't see any particular reason to not attempt such. Some things, he would admit, had to be experienced to truly be understood.

Once again the music looped back for another repeat. It was on this particular loop that he could feel his foot starting to move with the beat. And from that point his right leg, and soon the rest of his body, began to succumb to the apparently contagious tune reverberating off the structure of the barn.

He knew the steps involved from watching the others engage in the odd style of dance. Mimicking them shouldn't prove to be all that difficult. The most difficult part would likely be not putting his full force into his jumps, as such could possibly bring the barn down around them.

Applejack, Twilight, and Rarity all looked at each other in a confused manner, then back at Ulquiorra, and then back at each other. They were experiencing a state of shock at what they were seeing. If there had been bets placed, none of them would've put their bits on the Espada actually attempting to dance. And yet here he was doing just that. His movements were rough and stiff, obviously not in the same degree of sync as they were for the others, but it was still dancing nonetheless.

"It's definitely poison joke," Twilight whispered to Rarity. If Ulquiorra was actually dancing, there wasn't any other excuse that she could think of.

"Unequivocally," Rarity agreed, unable to do anything more than watch the display that was going on in front of them, as Ulquiorra hopped from foot to foot, his hands bouncing roughly in beat with the music.

"Why do ah get the feelin' that he should be holdin' a lasso right 'bout now?" Applejack asked as she watched him rotating his right arm freely. Seeing someone with hands doing this dance made things look a lot strange than when ponies were doing it and just waving a bare hoof around.

Chapter Forty Four

Chapter Forty Four

Ulquiorra was not one of those that could be easily fooled. His mind was sharp, keen, analytical to a fault. Where others would notice nothing, he would notice minute details that held considerable relevance to what was going on around him. He was highly aware of his surroundings, and surprise was not something he easily succumbed to.

Those facts in evidence, however, even he couldn't have predicted this development occurring.

During the time that was spent escorting Zecora from Ponyville back to her home in the Everfree Forest, an exercise during which he spent his time gathering greater reconnaissance, and determining whether or not the zebra could be properly trusted, there had been no attacks. Nothing had occurred against Ponyville itself, or even the holders of the Elements of Harmony. Everything had been peaceful for lack of a better word.

Yet during his time spent attending a party at Sweet Apple Acres, a location that was quite literally just down the road from Ponyville in terms of distance and location, some force had apparently decided to launch an attack.

Was there a relevance to the timing of the event? Had it been a specific decision to prove a point, that it could strike anywhere at any time without fear? Was it doing this to prove that he couldn't be relied on for safety? Was it even connected to the theories developed during last week? Was it a matter of true coincidence? Had their been no relevance to the timing, and whatever was responsible, was simply unaware of his nearby presence?

"PIPSQUEAK!"

His thoughts and confusion were interrupted by the excited yell being issued by Princess Luna at the sight of the injured colt at the doorway. The next thing he became aware of, was being shoved from the spot he'd been standing, as she rushed past him in a frantic manner. He hadn't been knocked off his feet, and sent stumbling for a stable foothold, in a considerably long while.

None of this was making any sense. There were too many unknowns to address. Why would Ponyville be under attack? The holders of the Elements of Harmony were all present and accounted for. There were no other high-value targets in the town that would warrant an attack...

... Except that there were.

It was true that the holders Elements of Harmony were all present and accounted for at Sweet Apple Acres. But the actual Elements of Harmony themselves were back in Ponyville, and thus vulnerable. His attention had been diverted, forced to focus on one target rather than another. His focus had been on the safety of these ponies for so long, he'd never stopped to consider that they wouldn't be the primary target.

The entire revelation had occurred within the time frame of the first three seconds after being informed that Ponyville was being attacked.

Unfortunately that was three seconds longer than it should have taken for him to arrive at the conclusion, and realize the mistake he'd made.

"Damnit."

With that he was gone in a flash of sonido, leaving the ponies behind before they could protest, ask questions, or even insist in coming along to help. The fewer distraction he had to deal with right now, the better off they all were.

This couldn't be happening, this just couldn't be happening! There was no way any of this should even be allowed to happen!

One moment they were all having a party without care, and the next, the first foal in over a thousand years to truly appreciate her nights comes stumbling through the doors, bloody and badly injured, clinging to life like she clung to him right now. There was too much blood to know for sure just how bad his injuries were, but from what she could tell one of his ears had been violently ripped off, and one of his eyes had been gouged out, leaving behind nothing but an empty, gaping socket.

She was of two minds right now. One was desperately worried for Pipsqueak's condition as she held him, his blood staining her coat in the process as she kept telling him to stay with her, to not leave her. His little body had taken so much injury, it was amazing that he was still even breathing, weak as it might be.

But the other mind was one filled with desires for righteous vengeance. Whatever force had injured Pipsqueak would pay for its offenses. If she wasn't so concerned for the young one right now, she would've set off to take care of business herself! Right now he was the only thing keeping her calm and able to think clearly.

"Sister! We must get him to a hospital immediately!" she called.

"I'm afraid that we can't, Luna," Celestia said slowly as she approached her sister's position. She could see her sister tense up, but continued speaking before she could react. "Pipsqueak said that Ponyville was being attacked, but we have no idea by what. If we took him to the hospital we would just be putting him in danger of whatever is currently there. And if we left now, we would be leaving our present subjects vulnerable. Ulquiorra may be addressing whatever is currently in Ponyville, but we know nothing of what's currently taking place. Ponyville may be only one of the targets of whatever is going on," she explained, hoping that a calm, cool, and collected outlook on the situation would help her sister calm down. She understood how her sister felt about foals like Pipsqueak, but being emotional right now would get them nowhere.

Unfortunately she hoped wrong, as Luna's temper just seemed to flare at her words.

"Then what would you suggest? We simply let Pipsqueak die as we wait for something that may not even come!?" she bellowed furiously. "Protecting our subjects means far more than you are willing to consider, sister. When they are in need we must arise to the occasion, and Pipsqueak is truly in need!"

It was a tense scene as the two Princesses verbally battled it out over what the correct course of action was right now. Tense enough that everypony else was backing away, slowly moving to the far walls of the barn in case something bad happened.

Everypony except for one earth pony who dared to stand in the middle of the two and clear her throat loudly to get their attention; that being Nurse Redheart.

"Perhaps we should examine him before deciding to pull the sheet over his head," she suggested.

Celestia felt relief when she saw her sister finally calm down and let the nurse examine Pipsqueak. She would thank that nurse greatly once everything had been addressed. With her sister not panicking at the moment she could focus on other matters. Such as the commotion going on behind her.

The commotion that... involved Rainbow Dash laying on the barn floor, with Pinkie sitting on her back as she struggled and fought? She knew Twilight's friends could be silly at times, but this didn't look like the usual brand of silliness she'd come to know and enjoy.

"Get OFF me Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she tried to fight her way free.

"Not gonna happen, Dashie," Pinkie replied.

"Rainbow Dash, charging off without a plan is incredibly dangerous right now," Twilight lectured.

Celestia now had an idea of what was going on. Rainbow Dash wanted to go flying off, either to get a better idea of what was going on, or join in the fight herself. Her friends, however, didn't want anything like that, and were preventing her from leaving to do such. Now it all made sense.

"Your friends are correct, Rainbow Dash," Celestia said as calmly as she could in her approach, causing the cyan pegasus to go silent as she looked up at her. "Venturing out now without knowing what we're up against, could just complicate the matter. The best course of action would be to just stay here and wait," she explained.

"But," Rainbow Dash grunted as she struggled to get a foreleg out from under Pinkie, "if we're just waiting in here, how're we gonna know what's going on? We need eyes in the sky!" she pointed out.

"That may be true, Rainbow Dash, but under these circumstances, perhaps someone a little more durable would be best at doing such," Celestia explained, "leave this one to me, friends. I'll find out just what Ulquiorra is up against."

It was the sounds of chaos that assaulted his ears as he arrived in Ponyville. The town had truly been subjected to attack, but by what?

Glancing upward and all around him showed no threats of considerable physical size. That, combined with the absence of piles of cinders where buildings stood, and no significant spikes in reiatsu, ruled out the possibility of it being a dragon. Furthermore the scale of this damage was far too small for one to cause. The claw marks on the buildings alone was enough to discount the idea.

He scanned the area. Whatever was here had to be smaller than a dragon, that much was obvious. But to be hiding from his sight, it would have to be smaller than a house, as well as possessing a reiatsu that wasn't significantly greater than that of the ponies still present.

Small enough to hide its frame behind a building without a significant degree of effort. Reiatsu that wasn't significantly greater than some of the stronger ponies he'd encountered during his time here. Attacking with four primary claws per limb, and a trail consistent with a secondary claw that got in the way; almost like dragging nails down a chalkboard, yet able to easily cut into trees, and even stone. Something that was hiding from him, and yet sending all the ponies around him running about and screaming in terror. What could this threat be?

An excited scream from his left caught his attention, as a yellow pegasus filly with a purple mane and tail nearly flew right into his head, stopped only as he moved out of the way to avoid the collision, and quickly stop her approach with one hand. Perhaps this one had some usefulness to her.

"What is attacking Ponyville? Where is it currently?" he asked bluntly. He needed to know exactly what was going on.

Unfortunately it seemed the filly's terror of what was going on, didn't manage to override her fear of him, because as the revelation set in such began struggling more than ever, and babbling incoherencies.

"I have no time to coddle you out of your state of fear. I need answers, and I need them now. Where. Is. It?" he asked again. He was doing his best to be patient, tolerant, and understanding of these ponies, but right now he was in need of information rather than terror.

He didn't want to admit it, but perhaps Twilight Sparkle and the others were correct that his image needed to be improved. If he couldn't extract vital information from the populace when it was necessary, then maybe the unicorn and the others did have a point he was entirely unaware of.

However such thoughts were interrupted by another terrified scream coming from his right. But this wasn't like others of simple terror, this was a scream filled with utter pain.

"Hide," he commanded as he released the filly. He now had an idea of where to start his search. Quickly he crossed the distance and rounded the corner behind the store from which the yell had originated. And just as quickly he halted his pace upon discovering the source of the scream.

According to the seventeenth edition of the book "Everfree Forest Bestiary" there were eight hundred and seventy nine known and cataloged species of animal indigenous to the wild. That which stood before him, looking roughed up currently and with a damaged left wing at an odd angle, was number four hundred and ninety seven - the manticore. Regarded as dangerous for the blend of physical strength, land speed, maneuverability that outpaced its lumbering size, limited flight capabilities that were used to enhance the aforementioned ground-based abilities, respectable durability, and the ability to inject its victims with a deadly toxin that caused total muscle paralysis, leaving the victim to die painfully and slowly from suffocation, as the muscles in the chest simply wouldn't allow for the respiratory system to perform its duties.

A fact that the pink pegasus foal currently pinned to the ground and impaled on its stinger, would soon be learning for itself.

A rescue at this point in time was quite impossible. Death had been guaranteed from the moment the skin had been pierced by the stinger. If he was the merciful type, the best he could do was shorten the duration of the suffering that would be experienced, by delivering a single terminating blow to the skull, and ceasing all brain activity in an instant.

But at present such charity couldn't be afforded. The individual suffering of others came second to both securing the village, and ensuring the Elements of Harmony themselves remained safe.

However, he stopped in his tracks before even proceeding to do such. The first instinct was to eliminate this threat outright. But that instinct could no longer be relied on like it had in the past. Not if there was the possibility of gaining new information from an interrogation of such. Taking it alive would be necessary, and that significantly complicated the situation.

"How fun," he thought to himself at realizing such a fact.

With this determination in mind, he observed as the manticore withdrew its blood-covered stinger from the chest of its unfortunate victim. This matter would need to be addressed carefully, and with an intense degree of delicacy; neurosurgery as it were.

Getting her subjects calmed down, and assured that everything would be alright, wasn't always the easiest thing to do when there was a crisis going on. And news of Ponyville being under attack certainly qualified as a crisis. The entire ordeal had taken a lot more time than Celestia had anticipated, and not being able to leave Luna in charge during her absence -short as it would be- hadn't helped any. Her sister was far too preoccupied with the injured Pipsqueak to be able to think coherently at this point in time.

Of course the most difficult part of it all, was the risk of some of the more adventurous ponies trying to head out once her back was turned, feeling that without her presence, that justified it being a free-for-all where they could run wild. Simply because Rainbow Dash was being held down by Pinkie, that didn't mean everything was well in hoof.

What she wouldn't give for a good foalsitter right about now, as she made her way to Ponyville to evaluate the situation for herself. Much as she'd like to believe that Twilight had the situation well in hoof, her friend was only one unicorn, and simply couldn't overcome several dozen excited townsponies if they all panicked at once. She was going to need to take care of this matter as quickly as possible.

However, as she descended and came to land, she became aware of the fact that such a task might be easier said than done. The town certainly wasn't leveled, not by any stretch of the imagination. But there was a significant amount of damage done to various buildings and other physical structures. Nothing that a few days worth of cleanup efforts couldn't tend to. But that wasn't what concerned her right now.

All around her were the sounds of suffering, and the sounds of loss. Whatever had occurred prior to her arrival, had caused a significant amount of death and suffering to the ponies who were present. But of it all, how much had been prior to Ulquiorra's arrival, and how much had occurred as a result of his presence?

And for that matter, where had the Espada gotten to? Where had the attacking threat gotten to?

The answer to the first question was more or less provided by the telltale boom off to the side of her, revealing Ulquiorra returning. If he was using his sonido, it stood to reason that he'd traveled a considerable distance prior to her arrival.

"What happened?" she asked plainly, having little patience to go into detail in voicing her curiosity on everything.

"Two specific incidents. The first was a manticore coming into town and attacking any pony it could find. The second has the potential to be far more disturbing in nature; the theory we've been working on over the past few days, was just shot to shit by today's events," he explained simply. Nothing about today made any sense at all, and that fact was far more unsettling in nature than any attack could be. If something could be understood then it could be adequately addressed, regardless of its scope or intensity. But that which couldn't be explained couldn't be adequately addressed, leaving them at its mercy for the time being.

"A manticore?" Celestia asked in disbelief. Was he serious? Did he even know what a manticore was? "But... but they live deep in the Everfree Forest. It's almost unheard of for one to ever leave the forest and venture into an established settlement," she stated.

"A fact that only deepens the mystery at hand," Ulquiorra replied, "but there are other matters to address. I'm quite certain the wellbeing of your subjects at the moment, is far more pressing to you than anything I might have to say," he theorized.

He was quite right, Celestia noted to herself. He had a way with theories that was quite involved and logical. But right now all she truly cared about was the current state of her subjects. She knew that there were injured ponies to tend to in the here and now. The Espada's mind was sound in nature, she was certain of that. Anything he was currently thinking wasn't likely to be forgotten about if forced to wait. It could wait until a time that was a little less chaotic. A time when there wasn't a broken and blood-stained beanie cap laying at her hooves.

"And what of the manticore? Is it safe to bring the others back to Ponyville?" she asked him.

"... At the moment, the town is safer than it was prior to my arrival. The manticore will not be presenting anymore threat. As to the others, it would be wise to have them all present and accounted for, where they can be observed. Assistance will likely be needed for those that are currently injured and dying," he explained.

Ponyville General Hospital was currently the busiest place in town. Nurses and other staff rushing back and forth, gurneys being moved down the halls carrying those that were too badly injured to move under their own power. Those that were less seriously injured than others were in the process of being tended to in the hallways, to make room for those that were more seriously injured and in need of significant care.

And all the while, one lunar princess anxiously paced up and down, while her friends and family watched on in concern from the receptionist area, as they stayed out of the way of all the chaos unfolding around them; both for their own safety, and to allow the hospital staff to move about unimpeded.

When Celestia had come back to brief them on what was going on, nopony had truly known just what to expect when they actually returned to Ponyville. Imagination and uncertainty had run wild, cooking up wild and impossible scenarios. But even the most brutal of scenarios that they could concoct in their own imagination, could do little to prepare them for what was truly experienced once they arrived back.

Able-bodied adults were more or less drafted into assisting in the search and rescue operation that was being carried out all over Ponyville. To some it was frighteningly reminiscent of searching for the missing residents during the changeling outbreak. But this time there wasn't any searching through attics and basements for cocoons. Instead it was more like sifting through piles of rubble, broken carts, and toppled trees to find those that were injured and in need of help... and those for whom help was too late in arriving.

After location came transportation to the hospital. An arduous task as it had to be done with great care. Simply grabbing survivors and pulling them only risked greater injury than what they'd already experienced, meaning they had to be carefully extracted and loaded onto stretchers for slow transport and loading onto gurneys. After that it was all up to the hospital staff, as the rescue workers tended to other matters as they could.

Regardless of rank, social position, or any other aspect that might lead some to believe they would be excluded from such work, nopony had opted for such. Twilight and the others hadn't hesitated to help out in any way they could, clearing rubble and keeping an eye out for anyone unaccounted for. Spike, along with Cheerilee, had been assigned the task of looking after the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the other foals present and unharmed, keeping them at the schoolhouse for the time being. Even Celestia hadn't hesitated to get down and dirty like the others, staining her white coat without the slightest regard for royal decorum as she sifted through whatever mess needed her attention.

But the most surprising aspect of the entire search, as far as they could tell, was the fact that Ulquiorra had taken part in everything. That being he'd worked right alongside them in clearing debris while finding survivors, tending to the more physically involved rescues that they couldn't on their own; like lifting an entire fallen tree and hurling it into a clearing where it wouldn't cause trouble. Or lifting a section of building to allow them to search underneath it. Whatever fear they had of him based on previous experiences, seemed greatly displaced by what they'd been observing take place on this day.

Currently he, much like the others, was standing in the reception area and silently waiting, watching, and staying out of the way.

And all the while, Luna continued her anxious pacing in the halls.

Celestia sighed as she watched her sister pace. She'd been a mess ever since Pipsqueak had managed to find his way to Sweet Apple Acres and inform them that Ponyville was being attacked. She knew that her sister had special feelings for this colt, him being the first one since her return to really show that she was loved by her subjects. She'd heard her speak of him favorably in her tales recounting her visits in Ponyville. And as a result of finding her favorite subject wounded, she'd nearly gone to pieces. She hadn't even been able to assist in the search and rescue, far too focused on the matter resting in her blood-stained forelegs.

"Luna," she spoke calmly as her sister turned to begin her new lap at pacing. However she seemed to go unheard. With a frown, and a little magic, she gently picked Luna up off her hooves and set her back down in a sitting position facing her. "Luna. I understand that you're upset. But pacing back and forth isn't going to do any good. The doctors aren't going to come out here any sooner, and you're simply going to make yourself a nervous wreck in the process," she explained calmly.

"I cannot bring myself to relax as easily as you have, sister. It is a feat I find to be impossible," Luna replied as she moved back into a standing position. "Our dear subjects were attacked, practically in our presence no less! I cannot believe the audacity that was to be had as a result of such a move! To hear of them being attacked from a great distance is one thing. But we were spitting distance away and still Ponyville was attacked. I simply cannot be calm when thinking about such!" she protested furiously.

This was a matter on which Ulquiorra was in full agreement. However it wasn't a matter of audacity that he was questioning right now, but rather the basic logic -or lack thereof- behind it all. The timing behind everything failed to make sense. What was the reasoning and significance behind it all? There had been no attack or hostile activity during the time he was deep in the Everfree Forest, and unable to respond due to other matters at hand. That would've been the near-perfect opportunity to launch an attack against these ponies. And yet it was an opportunity that wasn't exploited.

"What is your theory on the matter, Ulquiorra Cifer?" Luna asked him pointedly, bringing him out of his own thoughts. "Your mind is always working in manners we do not see coming. What do you have to contribute?"

Some would have likely flinched at being questioned in such a direct and abrasive manner by one who held such a position and power. However he wasn't one to do such. Princess Luna's hostility did little to disturb him, and his reactions showed such as he calmly turned to address her.

"Elaboration will require a location significantly more secure than what we currently have access to. There are a number of details that are best left unheard by some. Both for the purpose of security, and to prevent a possible panic," he explained.

Luna blinked. That wasn't the answer she'd been expecting to hear, nor was it one that pleased her. If anything it just left her more worked up than she had been previously, since it suggested that he knew something, but was refusing to tell her just what he knew. She wanted to yell, to scream, to curse him out for his stubbornness, to bring down the full wrath of her royal rule down on his head for his insubordination.

However she soon found that juvenile desire abating itself, as her attention was drawn to something more tangible in the immediate area; that being Pinkie Pie hugging her around her neck.

She'd been so distracted she hadn't even noticed her friends being by her side until just now. All of her attention had been focused elsewhere on this horrible, horrible day. And if it wasn't for the pink earth pony currently rubbing her back in a soothing manner, she still might be ignorant to the fact that she wasn't alone. Gratefully she returned the hug. "Thank you, my friend."

Twilight herself didn't know what to say as she just stood and watched. So many things had happened today; things that her morning cup of Spike's special blend of coffee simply hadn't been sufficient to prepare her for. And as much as her mind desperately wanted to run through the list of everything that happened and organize it -both chronologically, and in order of severity- her heart simply wasn't in it right now.

Maybe she should try and focus on something else at the moment, like how Ulquiorra had willingly assisted them in looking for victims of the manticore assault. She honestly hadn't expected that when she came to Ponyville to assist in the search and rescue efforts; not after everything he'd gone through because of them. She couldn't help but wonder if he truly wasn't upset with them for their actions, or if he truly did hate them for what they'd done, and was simply a master of hiding his contempt and emotional state from them.

That was assuming Ulquiorra even had any emotions to begin with. Half the time she truly didn't know what to believe regarding the Espada, based either on her own observations, or what he told her when queried.

"So whatever happened to the manticore anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked from where she stood at the side. Even she knew when a change of subject was needed. Some of the time anyway. "They're not exactly the easiest beasts to deal with."

Applejack cocked an eyebrow at hearing her friends' words. "This bein' said ta the guy that beat a dragon senseless like it weren' nothin'."

"Hey a manticore's an entirely different kind of beast," Rainbow Dash replied defensively, opting to hover off the ground and cross her forelegs over her chest. "Sure the dragon was big and strong. But manticores have a lot less mass to contend with against gravity. They don't have to devote as much strength to remaining mobile, and instead can devote it to nimbleness and agility," she explained.

"A very accurate assessment of the facts," Ulquiorra spoke up, interested in how Rainbow Dash seemed to understand the matter of basic physics in this matter. He had assumed that if this discussion came up, the cyan pegasus would focus on the dragon's build and strength rather than the manticore's attributes. Perhaps it had to do with her own nature, allowing her to recognize that muscle mass didn't directly translate into strength. "When first encountered the manticore attempted to stand its ground and fight. However that bravado soon gave way as it realized it was no longer the dominant predator. What occurred afterward was of a most curious nature, as it appeared to be trying to decide whether to stand and fight, or outright flee. In all my time I can honestly say I don't recall ever seeing such a conflict in the fight or flight response all animals possess. Hesitation, yes, but never this degree of indecisiveness. It was almost like a struggle between the conscious and unconscious mind, going on at the same time. I honestly don't know what to make of it."

"That doesn't really explain what happened to it. Did the manticore get away?" Twilight asked.

"Not quite. When primal instinct won out the manticore made an effort to flee; a wasted effort as it were. Allowing it to escape would ultimately present it with the opportunity to return at a later date. It has been eliminated through a simple snap of the neck, and left just outside the village should an autopsy be desired, to determine if its body can reveal anything of use. Perhaps it can tell us something where the others did not," Ulquiorra explained.

"Oh my," Fluttershy mumbled. However that was all she had the nerve to say at the moment. There was just... so much brutality going on right now, it was hard to even think about. And if it wasn't brutality against ponies, it was brutality against others. She couldn't help but wonder just what had happened to the world in such a short amount of time. She certainly didn't remember it ever being quite like this. Surely Ulquiorra wasn't behind all of this... right? It was all just a matter of outright coincidence that things were progressing the way they were right now... right?

It had to be Ulquiorra's theory at work, right? His theory that Discord had known that there was something wrong in their world, and that was why Ulquiorra had been brought forward, because his help was needed.

Ulquiorra regarded her but ultimately said nothing in response. Her concerns weren't his own, he was under no obligation to address them. Hers were most likely concerns that laid with the wellbeing of animals like the manticore, rather than the wellbeing of her fellow ponies. But her misplaced priorities were her own prerogative.

Right now his interest was being held by the presence of a familiar reiatsu pattern. A pattern that belonged to a unicorn -Dr. Stable as he'd been introduced- coming down the hallway, Nurse Redheart following close behind. And from what he could see, neither of them was particularly cheerful or upbeat in their approach. If he were to wager as to the nature of what news they had to share, he would place his bets with the possibility of this being a report about how the more seriously injured ponies had died from their injuries. All around him he could detect different reiatsu patterns and textures, meaning he was aware of when one or more of them simply faded away.

"What news is there to report?" he asked before either of them could even open their mouths to speak, seeing no reason to wait as it simply wasted potentially valuable time.

Dr. Stable found himself a little confused by being addressed in such an abrupt manner, and by one so strange in nature as well. Usually he was greeted in a more respectful manner than such. He wanted to respond, but a look from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna was enough to tell him that nerves were running high for all of them. He decided to drop the matter and simply give them the details that were being asked of him; but only to the Princesses.

"To be frank we have numerous wounded, ranging from simple skin abrasions, to severe internal injuries, some of them in emergency surgery as we speak. Others weren't so lucky, I'm afraid. I don't even want to begin tallying up the ratio of dead-to-living just yet, as I have no idea which patients will survive, and which won't," he explained solemnly. Delivering such news was never easy, even if it wasn't being delivered to family members and loved ones. Simply admitting to such difficult in itself, as it meant vocally acknowledging to others and oneself that all of their medical expertise sometimes amounted to absolutely nothing.

"Doctor, what of the foal Pipsqueak? Will he be alright?" Luna asked him anxiously.

"Pipsqueak is currently in stable condition, and we're cautiously optimistic that he'll survive. But I'm afraid he'll need a lot of supportive therapy before he makes a full recovery. He'll have to learn how to compensate for his lack of depth perception, and he may experience a loss of balance and coordination due to the damage of his ear. Only time will tell for certain," he explained, his calmness serving as a contrast to Luna's own disturbed nature.

Luna didn't know what to think, or even say. The good news was that Pipsqueak was alive, and would likely remain that way for a good while. But the bad news soured the happiness she was experiencing, as she worried about what kind of life he may have to live from here on out. Foals were incredibly hardy and could bounce back from much due to their youth, but there were some things that simply couldn't be overcome; at least not easily. Would Pipsqueak feel remorse over his new inabilities in life? Would he experience depression? Would he... would he...

"What of the pegasus foal? The one unfortunate enough to be stung by the manticore?" Ulquiorra asked, interrupting Luna's thoughts in the process. "And spare whatever positive spin you may attempt. I don't deal in optimism, only facts."

Dr. Stable frowned in response to the manner of address. He was also slightly confused as to why this one would care about another, especially after all of the stories he'd heard about his actions last week. Maybe there was more to it than he'd heard?

Regardless, he'd been asked a very important question, and an answer was needed. "The prognosis... isn't good, I'm afraid," he said as he addressed the group rather than any one individual. "As you all know, manticore venom is something we have no cure for, no antidote. Even as we speak, the paralyzing nature is taking its toll on the body, first affecting the outer extremities, before eventually migrating to the main body, preventing the muscles in the chest from expanding with the lungs, and eventually the victim dies from internal suffocation. It's a very slow, painful way to die, and I'm afraid with the amount of venom introduced into their system, the end is still many hours away," he explained slowly.

"Oh no," Pinkie wept.

"Isn't there anything that can be done?" Twilight asked hopefully. "Simply because medical technology isn't up to snuff, that doesn't mean magic can been ruled out. Just the other day I was reading about a procedure developed by the Neighponese ponies for utilizing medical magic to purify the body of toxins. Couldn't we do the same thing in this case?"

"I'm afraid it's not quite that simple, my dear. Such a technique hasn't yet been recognized as medically legitimate, or peer reviewed and included in medical journals. And removing the various toxins a body accumulate through living, doesn't mean that it can remove venom as well. I'm sorry, but there are some things for which magic is useless," Dr. Stable explained, a hint of sadness creeping into his voice as he did so."I'm afraid all we can do is try to make the time left as painless as possible."

"So... so they're really gonna die? There's nothing we can do for this foal?" Rainbow Dash asked cautiously.

"I'm afraid not," Dr. Stable replied.

Ulquiorra listened silently as the doctor spoke, laying out the specifics of the situation before them. He knew that, if this was back in the human world, there were medical procedures that could indeed save the injured foal. But he only knew of these procedures in a rudimentary nature, and even if he were to speak up and be ordered to proceed, he lacked the necessary skills to perform such. The Octava Espada could certainly perform such a procedure if he'd been present.

Who was he fooling? Granz could likely synthesize an effective antivenom if he felt so inclined.

But even if the procedure could be performed successfully in this world, he truly doubted that they possessed the necessary sterile conditions to prevent contamination/infection from actually removing the lungs from the chest cavity, and leaving them to expand and contract outside of the body. Even if he spoke up, death would still likely occur in the immediate future.

With those facts in mind, there was only one course of action he could think of that truly made sense to him right now.

"Then perhaps it's the proper time to begin considering alternatives," he stated.

"I'm sorry but we're already doing everything medically possible for the suffering. There's nothing else we can do," Dr. Stable replied.

"I beg to differ. There is an alternative that's available under these circumstances. We can put an end to their suffering," Ulquiorra stated as he prepared to elaborate, withdrawing his right hand from his pocket in the process. "There is a procedure I know of that can do just that. Rainbow Dash, would you mind turning around?"

Rainbow Dash blinked in surprise and confusion at being addressed, uncertain of what to think, but turning regardless. If he was actually asking her for help -again- then who was she to refuse? Giving a brief nod she turned in the air until she was facing away from everypony.

"Here," Ulquiorra stated as he stepped closer and gestured to the spot on Rainbow Dash's neck that met with the base of her skull, the coarse hair of her multi-colored mane brushing against his hand in the process. "This location would be key. One swift application of force would be more than sufficient, detaching the brain from the brain stem, and terminating all life functions in a time frame of less than sixty seconds," he explained.

"W-W-WHAT!?" Rainbow Dash yelled as she immediately spun around and recoiled in fear at hearing his words. "Y-y-you're actually talking about... about killing some poor foal? Just like that? Like it's nothing!?"

"Correct," Ulquiorra replied, not the least bit surprised by the reaction of the cyan pegasus, or any of the other ponies in the immediate vicinity. Considering the decibel level she was utilizing, he shouldn't be surprised by the actions of anyone in the entire hospital.

"Oh my word," Nurse Redheart breathed in a gasp, not only due to the nature of his statement, and the coldness it was delivered in, but the nonchalant attitude he had about him. How could he be so callous about life, that talking about ending it came about as easily as conversations about the weather?

"Ulquiorra," Celestia spoke calmly as she took a step forward, recognizing that this had all the makings of a very bad situation. "I don't want to rush to any judgements, either one way or the other. But I'm going to need to ask you to elaborate on what precisely you're talking about. The way you're presenting your case so far leaves much to be desired," she explained. She needed to do something to keep the others calm, to prevent too great a level of panic from setting in. There were too many injured present for such.

He would admit that he hadn't expected Princess Celestia to be so calm about what he was saying. He'd predicted a far, far more emotional reaction to come from her at the suggestion of actually killing one of her subjects, in defiance of her original orders of not harming her subjects. The fact that he hadn't been simultaneously floored and subjected to the hierro-burning fury of her intense reiatsu, left him momentarily stunned. But only for a moment, before he spoke up in address as requested.

"It's true that I'm heartless, just as it's equally true that I'm a monster. But these two facts don't necessarily go together like complimentary goods, nor do they indicate a sadistic nature," he began. The fact that he was being heard out at all suggested a great deal of reasonability. Maybe even the opportunity to lay some beneficial groundwork on his part. "According to your medical professionals, there's nothing that can be done to save the foal in question. Your own experts have verified that death cannot be prevented in this case. In fact they have gone one step beyond that, and confirmed that death for this one will be a most miserable experience. What is being suggested is nothing more than sparing pointless suffering where such is possible," he explained calmly.

"What's being suggested is nothing short of murder," Dr. Stable replied, appalled at what he was hearing. Surely Princess Celestia would never go along with such a plan, and would instead throw this self-confessed monster out on his one visible ear that was tacked to the side of his head.

Ulquiorra turned away from Princess Celestia to face the doctor, noting the flinch in his posture as he met his gaze; an appropriate response as far as he was concerned. "The truest definition of murder is the unjustified taking of life through an act of malice. What is being suggested, is an act devoid of any malice. In fact it could be argued that suggesting to the contrary would be the truly malicious act, as it would serve to only inflict greater suffering on one that is helpless," he explained calmly. "Furthermore it is the most logical suggestion. Not being forced to expend finite resources on one that has already been condemned to death, they could be devoted to others who still have the potential to live."

It was the most logical conclusion that could be reached. Spending time and resources tending to the dying, in order to try and keep them alive for a little while longer, ultimately would serve no beneficial purpose, and do nothing to better anyone. But even though he'd laid out everything in basic, logical details, he truly doubted that it would be so easy to sway these ponies. It was more than likely that they valued the life of their own kind to such an extent, that even if one was suffering miserably, and unable to contribute anything else in what little time they had left, they would still fight with all their might to preserve the believed sanctity of those last few hours.

It was truly a pathetic notion.

"How can... how can... how can you even suggest something like that?" Nurse Redheart stammered in surprise. Was he really reducing lives to matters of logic? Did he really think it was that easy to view matters of the world? "How can you hold no sanctity for life, after doing so much to help so many? You helped bring the injured here! You carried foals in here like the precious commodities that they are! And now... now you're suggesting euthanasia, like we're talking about a sick dog?! How can you possibly be so heartless? So callous?"

He truly wasn't disappointed. This was the response he'd fully expected to be greeted with. It was true that he'd provided his services however they were necessary, ranging from locating victims, to making them accessible, to even carrying them when necessary, simply because no others had been available. He'd exercised concern to avoid causing unnecessary injury with his great strength, in handling these ponies and their fragile bodies. But that didn't mean he held their life in any high regard. He was merely following the most logical course of action.

But it wasn't Nurse Redheart that needed to be convinced he was correct in his observation. Instead it was the diarchy that stood silently in the reception area, letting him speak freely. Slowly he turned to face them.

"As I've admitted, I am indeed heartless in nature. But even I possess a limit as to what I can tolerate. And needless suffering and pain is not something that I can easily or willingness tolerate. There is no benefit to what this foal is going through. And if the only reason others are arguing in favor of leaving them alive to suffer it out, is to fulfill some ideological belief pertaining to morality, then that is truly heartless. Some would even say sadistic," he pointed out.

At the very least it was partially true in nature. He had nothing against seeing others suffer miserably, it truly did nothing to bother him. But that only pertained to situations in which the sufferings of another could be truly beneficial in nature; such as extracting information from a potential source of information. But one suffering because they were subjected to torture, or the realization that they were in a hopeless situation, was wholly different from what was presented before them right now. This was suffering for the sake of the most revolting kind of sadism known; for the simple purpose of making others feel better about themselves. For maintaining foolish notions that weren't even necessary.

Suddenly it was like the entire village was full of the like of Nnoitra Gilga. He was certainly one that would have no problem is leaving another alive to suffer, simply because it would amuse him to no end. He would torture someone even if they didn't have any information, and do so simply to prove the point that he could do so.

"I make no effort to hide or deny the fact that I have killed in the past. Many have even witnessed my actions. However, with only two exceptions, every death has been efficient and incredibly swift. Not even the changelings were left to linger on and suffer. Why should a pony be shown any less consideration for their plight?" he asked. Again it was at least partially true. Whenever he killed, he preferred to do it quickly and efficiently. But that was primarily due to neutralizing a threat, rather than any desire to show mercy. Even a wounded threat was still a threat to contend with; he'd learned that the hard way.

Celestia listened silently as all the parties present spoke, supplying their input on the matter, and how they felt the situation was best resolved, all the while withholding her own opinions to avoid undue outside influence on the matter. They weren't yet asking for her to settle the matter, so she didn't feel inclined to step into the mess just yet. She would let them say what they had to say, listening to each side explain their position -either calmly or not- before rendering her verdict.

It was like being back in the day court.

"And you're quite certain that there's nothing that can be done?" she asked as she turned her attention to Dr. Stable. "There's no medical procedure that might make any difference?"

"None, I'm afraid," he replied and sighed, closing his eyes momentarily, "the most we can do is keep them comfortable, and let things take their course."

"And how long do you believe it would take for things to take their course?" Celestia asked.

"I'm afraid there's no exact answer. It could be as few as three hours, or as many as thirty. Determining the exact rate isn't an exact science, there are too many variables to take into account," he explained.

"And," she began as she turned her attention back to Ulquiorra, "you're certain that what you're proposing is the more merciful option? More so than keeping them sedated and on painkillers so they aren't aware of how much pain they're bound to experience?" she asked.

"Far more merciful than being left to suffocate slowly over the course of thirty hours, during which time hospital staff and resources will have to be utilized for a cause that's ultimately pointless. All the while taking time, care, and resources away from others that may still be able to continue living beyond thirty hours," he explained, calmly and logically. "Furthermore, the process would be as painless and bloodless, as it is swift."

"P-Princess!" Dr. Stable stammered in surprise. Was this really happening? "You're actually considering what this killer, this monster has to say?"

"You would dare speak to my sister in such an impudent manner?" Luna asked, unable to keep herself calm at what she was hearing. She'd been patient ever since the news of Pipsqueak's state had been presented to her, and listening as the matter of the suffering foal was debated back and forth. But to hear such a manner of address was cutting against the grain for her, and she could no longer keep her mouth shut.

"It's quite alright, Luna," Celestia stated calmly as she extended a wing towards her sister. "As a physician trained in caring for others, he would be quite remiss in his duties if he didn't raise his objections to what was being discussed, regardless of who it was discussing them," she explained, noting that the frown on her sister's face remained. Regardless, she turned to address the stallion before her. "I can understand that this isn't an easy question to address; it certainly hasn't been easy any of the other times that it's come up during my rule. Euthanasia of the dying has always been a hotly contested subject, filled with passionate discussion on both sides of the aisle. So many well thought out points being raised in support and opposition of such a procedure. And, fortunately or unfortunately, it's one of those topics I can neither condemn nor condone. It's a topic far too big for only one pony to set policy on for the entire nation. I too lack the perfect and infinite wisdom necessary to pass such judgement for everypony. I don't even believe such judgement would be possible to make flawlessly."

Another case of passing the buck, Ulquiorra noted. Somehow it didn't surprise him. If Princess Celestia truly had no inclination of ruling her subjects through fear and oppression, as she had so claimed before, then it would seem reasonable that she would seek to avoid garnering the image of either wanting her subjects to suffer, or possessing the desire of seeing them killed outright for whatever reason.

Unfortunately her unwillingness to commit to one side or the other, inhibited his ability to act in this matter. He couldn't do the most logical thing, as these weren't logical beings. His actions would have consequences for himself, if he didn't first get clearance to proceed.

"Ah... ah wanna say somethin'," Applejack spoke up slowly, quietly, "ah mean... ah don' wanna say somethin', ah feel like ah have ta say somethin'..."

Ulquiorra now turned his attention to Applejack, as did everyone else present. What could this earth pony have to say, that she felt so strongly about, she actually felt the compulsion to voice her opinion?

"Ah... ah agree with Mr. Cifer on this one," she stated slowly, "ah don' think it's right ta be makin' some poor foal suffer. Ah can't quit thinkin' about, what if it were Apple Bloom who'd been stung? Ah... ah couldn' stand it if it were mah little sister who was the one dyin' like that an' such. Ah couldn' look 'er in the eyes an' tell 'er everythin' was gonna be alright when it wasn', ah jus' couldn' do it. A-an' ah'm real sorry if any o' ya didn' wan' ta hear such, but it's jus' how ah feel on the matter, but ah jus' couldn' keep it ta mahself any longer," she explained.

Twilight had to fight to stifle her gasp at Applejack's words. When it was Ulquiorra suggesting such it was one thing, but never did she actually believe she'd hear Applejack agreeing with him that killing another pony was right, regardless of the circumstances behind it. Ulquiorra was the living, breathing -sort of anyway- equivalent of a killing machine, it only made sense that he'd suggest what he did. But this was Applejack they were talking about! The one who held the Element of Honesty, and one of the best pony friends anyone could ever find themselves having. How could she seriously be siding with him on the matter? And how could she do it with such calmness?

"Um..." Fluttershy whispered, causing Twilight's neck to practically snap as she spun to face her. The look on her friend's face made her flinch, but she couldn't stop talking now. Summoning her courage, she pressed on. "I... I actually agree with Applejack on this. I... I think it would be the right thing to do. We need to think about what's best for the one that's actually suffering, n-not about what we want for ourselves."

"W-what?" Rainbow Dash practically squeaked in surprise. She couldn't believe her ears. "Fluttershy, what're you saying? H-how can you be saying something like that?" she asked. Was everypony suddenly going bloodthirsty around her?

"Because I..." Fluttershy gulped nervously, "because I think it would be for the best. It's just like with the animals I take care of. Nature doesn't always deal with success stories. Sometimes... sometimes nature can be very cruel, and you have to be the one to do what's best, even when you don't want to. It's s-something that I've had to accept in being a caretaker, and... s-something that I've had to tend to... Sometimes there are no easy solutions, only hard ones, and as ponies it's our responsibility to make them for those that are unable to themselves," she explained as calmly as she could. "I know it sounds cruel. B-b-but sometimes life is cruel, no matter how much we wish that it wasn't."

Ulquiorra would admit that he hadn't seen either one of those opinions coming forward. He'd expected all those present to be in objection to the notion of what was being discussed. And yet Applejack and Fluttershy were actually agreeing with him.

The more he was certain that he fully understood these ponies, and all that there was to know about them, the more he wound up discovering about them. Interacting with them was almost like peeling an onion.

"But... b-b-but Fluttershy, you were the one who kept Ulquiorra from killing that dragon! Why is this situation different? Why is it okay when we're talking about a pony?" Twilight asked. She was positive Fluttershy would've objected, she would've wagered money on it. How was this happening? Did she really not know what her friends were like?

"That was a different type of situation, Twilight, that one way my fault. My being scared is why the dragon attacked us. I wasn't assertive enough. Ulquiorra was just doing what he believed was right, it wasn't his fault that he treated the dragon as a threat. If I didn't stop him, that dragon's death would be my fault because it could've been avoided," Fluttershy explained. "But this isn't the same. We're not talking about a death that could be avoided. We're talking about the suffering of another, who we know is going to die no matter what we do. And if it's unavoidable... I don't think it would be very kind to just drag things out unnecessarily. And besides that, it's really not fair to the one who has to deal with whatever decision is made."

"But it's not really our decision to make, is it? We're treating this foal like they're an orphan, but so far nopony has looked to see about the parents. Shouldn't any decision being made be up to them?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yes! Parents! Brilliant, Rainbow Dash! This is a decision that the parents should be making, not us!" Twilight mentally yelled. Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder if Rainbow Dash was simply obfuscating her stupidity, purely so she could surprise others with her intellect later on. It would certainly make sense.

"That will be an impossibility in this case," Ulquiorra replied calmly, once again entering the fray. "Along with being able to detect and measure the levels of an individual's reiatsu, I can also detect their specific patterns and textures. Textures that bear similarities with certain family members. Textures that remain even after death. Textures that indicate the two with the closest similarity are already dead, and cannot be consulted on what it is they want," he explained. There would be no passing the yen -or bit- on this matter. Nor would there be any opportunity for them to feel better about this matter. However he would give them a moment to let the facts sink in. Slowly he turned his attention to Princess Celestia before beginning to address her. "You have said that you will neither condemn nor condone the notion of euthanasia. That discussion aside, do you have any intention of preventing it from occurring without your consent?" he asked.

Celestia remained silent, carefully considering her words before attempting to speak up. She'd learned by now that one had to be careful when dealing with Ulquiorra, and that was exactly what she intended to do. On the surface it looked like he was truly sincere about wanting to spare an innocent foal any unnecessary suffering. If she didn't know any better she would suspect that he was making a genuine effort to be merciful in nature. But she'd seen the Espada's memories, and mercy wasn't something that she remembered witnessing on his part. But at the same time she hadn't really witnessed anything that would suggest he possessed an interest in killing for the simple sake of killing. Nor had she witnessed any truly sadistic personality traits.

There was also the matter of how he was taking ample time to calmly lay out just why the proposed course of action would be in the best interest of the foal, as well as others. She was positive he was simply making an argument from a logical perspective, just as he did in any other situation. But even with everything she knew about him, she couldn't help but feel that he was being sincere about what he was saying, despite his monotone delivery.

And then there was the matter of his current question to her. Was he deliberately giving her a way out of making such a difficult decision, about a topic she had been so careful to avoid? Or was he simply challenging her to try and stop him? Why did he have to be so infuriating all of the time?

"It would seem that no matter what course of action is taken, there will be repercussions to be had. But regardless of that fact, a decision has to be made," she said as she slowly faced Ulquiorra. "Do... do whatever you believe is necessary..." she finally stated with much unease. She really hated doing this.

Dr. Stable frowned and simply walked away, muttering something under his breath, and wanting no part of this. He could object, he could protest, but it would do little good when the one he was objecting to was one of the rulers of the land.

None of the others present spoke up either, after hearing what Celestia had to say. They could all raise points of objection, argue about how wrong it was to be considering this line of thought. But ultimately it would be little more than registering their complaints, in an effort to make themselves feel better. Ultimately their efforts would do little more than serve as an effort of self-comfort, to convince themselves that they played no part in such gruesome business. Deep down each of them more or less understood that fact.

Nurse Redheart let out a quiet sigh at how things were turning out, muttering a quiet "this way" as she turned around, preparing herself to lead the way to the room where the foal in question was waiting. She wasn't anymore happy with this turnout than Dr. Stable was. The simple fact that she could see both sides of the argument didn't help any either. Both sides had made very good points in the debate. But there was little she could do about it, other than serve as an escort, and keep him from wandering into the wrong room and scaring patients in the process.

Ulquiorra remained silent through it all, walking behind the earth pony as she lead the way. There was far too much discussion for something that should've been such a simple choice.

"Twilight? Where are you going?"

He briefly paused at the question and turned around to look behind him. Sure enough Twilight Sparkle was walking in the same direction, currently several paces behind him. Rather curious.

"To bear witness to what's about to occur," Twilight replied without looking back to the others. "All of our actions have consequences that we have to live with. Even if others can't. And this is the consequence of my actions. I was the one who actually brought Ulquiorra to the party at Sweet Apple Acres, leaving Ponyville vulnerable for attack. If I hadn't gone along with such, this entire mess could've been avoided. The manticore could've been stopped before anypony died. I'm responsible for everything that happened here today, everything that went wrong. And I need to see this, so I won't make the same mistake in the future," she explained.

As he had said before, rather curious. For whatever reason, Twilight Sparkle had reached the conclusion that she was in some way directly responsible for the manticore attack, and needed to be punished as a result. Guilt was apparently overriding whatever logic would otherwise be guiding the unicorn in this case. It was true that she had taken him away from Ponyville, but even he possessed doubts that in doing so, she had allowed everything to happen as it did. The events that transpired today didn't coincide with anything related to their theory. And while the theory was still inconclusive and formed from only two incidents, nothing matched up with what had taken place. Blaming Twilight Sparkle for the manticore attack was no more logical than blaming Fluttershy for the changeling invasion.

"Twilight that ain' nothin' but a load o' manure righ' there. Ya ain' responsible fer wha' happened. Ya didn' know wha' was gonna happen, none o' us did," Applejack protested.

"Yeah, Twilight, even I didn't see this one coming, how could you be expected to know a manticore was gonna attack?" Pinkie asked.

"C'mon Twi', you don't wanna do this. We've already seen so much death going on, more than we ever expected to experience," Rainbow Dash pointed out.

"And we're bound to see a lot more before everything is said and done, Rainbow Dash. Something is out to kill us. Things aren't like they used to be," Twilight replied. "But you're right, I don't want to do this; I have to do this. Just because I didn't know this would happen, doesn't make me any less guilty in the matter. This has to be done."

Ulquiorra said nothing as he listened to the discussion. He possessed doubts about the validity of Twilight Sparkle's words and reasoning. He also possessed doubts about any of the ponies possessing the mental strength necessary to observe one of their own being killed, for whatever reason, and knowing that there would be no twist or surprise reveal at the end. If she were to witness this, it was possible she would suffer.

But then again he'd been surprised before by the hidden depths of these ponies. Perhaps Twilight Sparkle wouldn't go all to pieces upon witnessing this.

For now though he would simply leave her to sort out whatever she was trying to deal with. He began walking again, following after Nurse Redheart as she once again lead him down the hallway to the patient in question, a second set of hoofbeats lightly echoing off the walls further on down the line, indicating that Twilight Sparkle had made her decision to come along.

"This isn't right," Rainbow Dash mumbled as she watched her friend slowly disappear down the hallway. Quickly she turned to Celestia. "Princess? Isn't there something you can do? Can't you say something to Twilight, to make her understand that this is a bad idea?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not, Rainbow Dash," Celestia replied as they watched Twilight walking away from them. "This is something that Twilight has to sort out for herself. She blames herself, and believes she has to make some sort of amends for her actions. I could try and talk her out of it, explaining how she's not responsible for anything that's happened here today, but unless she truly believes it, it would do little good. Interfering might actually make things worse for her, possibly driving her into a state of depression and guilt, which could motivate her to do anything if left unchecked. I'm afraid that all we can do is wait, and give her the room that she needs..."

"She's in here," Nurse Redheart said uneasily as she opened the door to the last room on the left of the hallway, before stepping back to allow the two of them inside to do what was necessary.

Ulquiorra remained silent as he stepped into the sickly green-colored room, vacant except for the foal in question currently laying on a gurney, her side bandaged and wrapped, slowly being stained red from the injury it covered. An IV drip was attached to her left foreleg as she laid there, her breathing labored as she struggled in a futile manner. Already the venom was working its way through the main body. It seemed unlikely that the foal had thirty hours to suffer at the rate things were progressing. It was likely that the sparseness of the room, and the lack of extensive medical equipment like he'd seen with other ponies, indicated that the staff recognized the case as being hopeless.

Even over the labored efforts of the foal to try and breathe, he could still hear the soft gasp that Twilight Sparkle issued upon confronting what she believed was the consequences of her actions. However, he failed to detect anything that would coincide with a weakening of her resolve. To the contrary, she seemed to be making an effort to harden her determination to see this through.

"H-hey there, little one..." she said shakily as she entered the room and approached the gurney cautiously, her demeanor like she was afraid to make a great deal of noise. "What's your name? H-how're you doing?"

"Cupid," the foal breathed weakly as she tried to move her head to look over, but found it very difficult to do at all. "I hurt," she whimpered as she gave up any attempt to move and simply let her head flop back onto the gurney. "Are my mom and dad here? Can I see them? Please?"

Twilight felt her heart sink at Cupid's words. There was no way she could tell this poor foal that her parents were dead. She'd have to do something else.

"Maybe later. But don't worry, they're safe and sound. N-no one can hurt them, now that Ulquiorra is back in Ponyville," she replied as calmly as she could. It wasn't exactly a lie, was it? It wasn't like the dead could be harmed. And... maybe after this was all over, Cupid would see her parents again.

"I hurt," Cupid whimpered again, "and I can't breathe. It's hard to even catch my breath..."

"I know, little one, I know," Twilight replied as she stood up on the gurney to stroke Cupid's mane in a comforting manner. "But it's going to be alright, we're here to help. This is my friend, Ulquiorra, and he's... he's going to make the pain stop hurting so much," she explained, earning a weak smile from the foal in response. "Just... just close your eyes, and try to relax. Y-you'll be alright."

"Promise?" Cupid asked her.

"I promise... after this you won't be having anymore pain. A-and no more broccoli either," Twilight replied as she tried to keep herself composed.

"But I like broccoli," Cupid protested weakly.

"S-sorry, I didn't know. No more spinach then?" Twilight asked.

"Eww. No more spinach," Cupid agreed, causing Twilight to giggle weakly in response, the only thing she could do without breaking down into tears right now.

"Just close your eyes, and before you know it, you'll feel so much better. You'll be able to relax more easily."

"Okay," Cupid agreed and closed her eyes just as told.

Ulquiorra was silent as he remained back with Nurse Redheart, exercising a measure of professional courtesy as he allowed Twilight Sparkle to say her peace to the foal named Cupid. While it would be far better to have this matter done with as soon as possible, he would allow her a few minutes to do what she believed was necessary.

And once that time passed, and he was certain she had no more words to offer in comfort of the dying, he stepped forward and stood next to her, looking down at the pony before him, and her struggles to breathe.

Unlike Twilight Sparkle, he had no words of comfort or consolation to offer up, as it simply wasn't his place. His task was far more straightforward and productive in nature. Slowly he withdrew his left hand from his pocket and placed it over Cupid's eye that faced upward, both to hold her head still, and prevent her from seeing what would happen next, as he withdrew his right hand in preparation. If Twilight Sparkle wished to leave the room, or simply avert her gaze, it would be a decision she had to make on her own, without him assisting her in the decision.

Twilight looked on as Ulquiorra formed his right hand into a fist and placed it at the back of Cupid's neck, holding it right at the base of her skull, before drawing back about an arm's length of distance, and swiftly bringing it forward again.

She jumped at the sound of the blow landing, surprised more by what she had heard, rather than what she hadn't heard. She'd been expecting to hear the exaggerated snap of bones breaking under incredible force, sounding like the snapping of fresh produce like carrots or celery. And she'd expected to hear a sort of squelching sound like flesh tearing apart, almost like an overripe tomato being smashed. But she hadn't heard anything at all like that when Ulquiorra's fist connected against the base of Cupid's skull. If anything it was just a dull thud, almost like a hoof clop against a sizable block of wood. It was... underwhelming from what she'd read in books that discussed death scenes.

She'd also been expecting a lot more than what she saw. Cupid's body had flinched from the impact, but it was more akin to a foal reacting to being tickled in surprise. It hadn't been at all like the idea she had, about the entire body being violently shaken from the blow it received. And her head certainly hadn't come completely off her neck either; something that she'd almost been expecting to happen, considering the sheer degree of strength Ulquiorra commanded. She'd just been expecting something... different, something that would scream "dead" to her. Not... not this. As he withdrew his hand from her head, it almost looked like Cupid was sleeping, like she could simply wake up at any time.

It was... it was almost too peaceful in nature to simply observe, something that'd happened in the space of just a few seconds, with no fanfare or dramatic flare, simply devoid of everything that would in some way emphasize what had just happened. It was just... so hard to believe; more so when she remembered the absolute brutality Ulquiorra had been capable of when dealing with the dragon. And yet the one whose body could generate such unmeasurable brute strength, at the same time could command such a delicate touch when it was truly needed.

"It's done," Ulquiorra stated simply, snapping her out of her stunned state in the process, and bringing her back to the present as the facts began to sink in. She'd been so absorbed by how things had happened, she'd completely forgotten just what was happening. But now the facts were beginning to sink in, and she began to realize just what it was that she'd witnessed.

"She... she doesn't look like she's dead," she stated in disbelief. As far as she could remember, this was the first time she'd seen another pony that was dead. "She just looks like she's sleeping..."

"I can assure you that she is not," Ulquiorra replied calmly as he slid his hands back into his pockets. "If you wish to examine her corpse to verify, feel free to do so."

Twilight looked back at Ulquiorra, and then back down at Cupid's prone form in contemplation. Slowly her horn glowed, as a wide, thin beam of magical light shot forth from the tip and shown down on the pegasus before her. Slowly it ran from the tip of her muzzle down to the end of her tail, scanning her body in one direction and then the other. She could tell that Ulquiorra's explanation of what would occur had been very accurate. The blow he'd delivered had easily and cleanly severed the point where the brain was connected to the brain stem, terminating any and all signals that would travel to the rest of the body and maintain proper function. Even the heart had ceased any residual beating it might've had to carry out, as the last energy supplied by the firing synapses within the brain expired throughout the body.

"She... she really is... gone..." Twilight mumbled as the scan cut out. Slowly she set back down on all four of her hooves, looking down at the floor.

"I must say, I was expecting a far more emotional reaction out of you, at witnessing the death of one of your own," Ulquiorra commented.

"I don't have any right to be sad and crying like a foal about this. Not when it was my fault that this whole mess happened," Twilight replied as she slowly turned back around to face him.

He still doubted her words, failing to see specifically how she could be blamed for everything that transpired this day. She could be blamed, but that didn't mean the blame would be accurate in nature, or that it was something she had truly earned. However he wasn't about to try and argue such a point with her. At present time her sense of guilt wasn't doing anything to negatively affect her. Until such a time did arise, it mattered little just what she chose to believe.

"That is your decision to make. But for the time being I will need you to stay focused. There is another matter to tend to, and it is one of great importance," he replied.

"What is it?" Twilight asked.

"With everything that's transpired here today, it's safe to assume we have a new mystery on our hands. And we will have to unravel it," he explained.

"A... another mystery?" she asked. Already she could feel the sensation of her mind swimming from the possibility. There were already so many mysteries to be keeping track of, it felt like the equivalent of trying to keep a dozen spinning plates properly balanced all at once, and doing so without using any magic.

"Correct. Four days ago we established a pattern of events that coincided with the last two attacks we faced. Today that pattern was not simply broken, but outright defied. We must determine not only the why, but the how as well."

Chapter Forty Five

Chapter Forty Five

"This just isn't right," Rainbow Dash muttered as she paced in the hallway. Despite being separated from Twilight only for a couple of minutes, it felt like they'd been away for hours. Why did time have to be such a fickle thing to deal with? "Right now, Twilight's alone in there, watching that dude actually... kill another pony. How come I'm the only one that's not okay with that?" she asked as she turned to face the others, who were currently all too content to just sit or stand in place like it was nothing. "And how come none of you made a good argument against it? How come you didn't try and talk her out of actually doing this?" she asked them with equal parts confusion and hostility.

"As I said, Rainbow Dash, this is something that Twilight needs to sort out for herself. We can't make her decisions for her, simply because we wish to spare her what we consider to be avoidable hardships," Celestia explained calmly from where she stood, simply waiting much like everyone else was.

"But you two are the Princesses in charge of Equestria. It's your job to govern ponies. Couldn't you, like, order her not to go?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"You present an interesting argument for consideration, Rainbow Dash," Luna spoke up, "it is true that we do govern the land. And we do offer guidance when it is sought. But we do not govern the day-to-day events of our subjects and what they go through. We are not dictators, we do not step in and stop behavior on the simple basis that we do not like it. And there is certainly much behavior going on in Equestria proper that we do not like... such as mismatched socks being seen as acceptable."

Nopony said anything in response to Luna's statements. None of them were really certain what sort of a comeback to offer up to what they'd just heard, finding it to really come out of left field.

"Say... wha' now?" Applejack asked, too confused to think of anything else to say.

"Did I say something wrong?" Luna asked as she turned to Celestia for clarification on the matter.

"No, Luna, but perhaps making an attempt at humor wasn't the best option right now," Celestia replied. Even if she did find the notion a bit humorous, and a fine tension breaker. But sometimes laughing just wasn't appropriate. "The point remains, however," she continued as she turned back to face the others, "that we don't oversee every single aspect of an individual's life. We don't stop them from making bad decisions, just as we don't make them choose good decisions. It's not our place to say. The best we can do is offer our guidance when advice is sought. And although we could advise Twilight to not make this decision, there's nothing we could do to actually stop her from such," she explained calmly.

"Okay... that makes sense I guess," Rainbow Dash slowly replied, turning her attention away from Celestia and Luna, and more towards the others. "But that still doesn't explain why none of you gave her a reason for why she shouldn't be doing this. Rarity, you said Twilight was a sheltered pony, how come you didn't object? Won't something like this break her, leaving her a crying, drooling, babbling mess?"

"Really, Rainbow Dash," Rarity huffed at her friend's own brand of theatrics, "simply because I said Twilight was sheltered, that doesn't mean she's as fragile as the glass to a light bulb. She's not so delicate that she'll shatter at the slightest unsettling disturbance she meets with. Twilight's a mare of a refined strength; she'd have to be in order to serve as Celestia's student. I daresay, after everything that's happened in the past week, she's far stronger than we give her credit for; stronger than even she may give herself credit for."

"Alright, alright, I'll admit that's a good point," Rainbow Dash relented, knowing that she couldn't win this argument with Rarity. She'd seen what Twilight had been capable of before, and categorizing her as weak really didn't seem appropriate. Somepony who was weak certainly couldn't blow apart a wall, floor, and who knew what else that was behind it. Or shake the castle by yelling. "But I still don't get why nopony tried to argue against it. How come there wasn't one single reason offered up for why Twilight shouldn't go see it happen?" she asked. She'd made the best argument against it that she could have at the time, but why hadn't the others? Why hadn't they explained to her why this was a bad idea? Why hadn't any of them been able to relay the downside of watching an execution take place?

"Prob'ly 'cause o' what Twilight said, 'bout somethin' tryin' ta kill us. Like she said, we're prob'ly gonna be seein' a lot more death before everything is said an' done. This might be somethin' we're all gonna have ta face at some point down the line. She's jus' pickin' when she starts confrontin' the ugliness of everythin'," Applejack replied. Right now it seemed like the most logical answer she could give. At least the one that was most logical to her.

Rarity nodded in response. "I'm afraid I must agree, no matter how much I wish I could do to the contrary. This is a beastly situation we find ourselves in, and we may be forced to confront some utterly horrifying concepts and realities that we never before had to even consider."

All of the others more or less nodded in agreement to Rarity's statement, but contributed nothing further to the discussion, each of them with their own reasons for refraining from such, beyond the obvious reason of the whole talk being rather depressing.

"So... how come I'm the only one who's not alright with all of this? What is it? Am I... am I the sheltered one of this group or something? How does something like that even happen?" Rainbow Dash asked. How could something like that even be possible? She was the one who could utilize the Sonic Rainboom. She was the one destined to be a future Wonderbolt. She was the one who not only kicked a dragon in the face, but faced down Ulquiorra. So how come she was the one most disturbed by the topic of death?

"Ooh, ooh! I know, I know!" Pinkie stated as she bounced excitedly, before landing on her hind legs and rearing herself up, folding her forelegs over her chest in the process, and clearing her throat before she spoke up again. "A literal case of having your head in the clouds," she stated in a low, completely serious, deadpan manner. Before eventually devolving into barely suppressed snorts and giggles.

"Another impression o' Mr. Cifer?" Applejack asked as she cocked an eyebrow at Pinkie's antics.

"Yep!" Pinkie replied before setting back down on all four hooves again. "How was it? Pretty good?"

"Almost intelligent."

They all jumped in surprise at the unexpected voice, turning to see Ulquiorra and Twilight approaching as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Perhaps the most surprising matter was how Twilight looked... reasonably alright.

"Citing pegasus abilities to manipulate not only weather, but the clouds themselves, in order to reference an old saying about one not being grounded in reality," Ulquiorra elaborated as he approached, hands still tucked into his pockets. "However if the ultimate goal is to imitate me, considerably more work will be needed before any measure of success can be had."

Rainbow Dash knew that she could say something in response, but right now her mind was on something more important. Without a word she glided over the short distance and landed to hug Twilight around the neck. After everything her friend had gone through -or might've gone through- she was probably in need of a hug right now. Or at least one at the very minimum. She was very thankful when the hug was returned, as that indicated Twilight had enough brain functioning to be aware of her surroundings, and how to respond.

"You okay, Egghead?" Rainbow Dash asked her. But right after she asked the question, she thought better of it. "No of course not, not after that. What I mean is-"

"It's alright, Rainbow Dash," Twilight replied, cutting the cyan pegasus off before she could try and stammer about aimlessly. "It's done. And it was... almost peaceful actually, as strange as that might sound. Just one tap and it was over," she explained. She didn't really know just why she felt so calm after witnessing what she had. Was it shock and the gravity of the situation hadn't fully set in yet? Or maybe it was something else far more pressing. "I'm... I'm alright, right now. But Ponyville might not be."

"Say what?" Rainbow Dash asked as she pulled back and disengaged the hug to look at her friend. "Is this about the manticore attack? But the dude said he broke its neck," she pointed out.

"The manticore may have been terminated. But that doesn't mean any threat has been stopped, or that any mysteries have been solved. And we find ourselves with yet another mystery that must be addressed," Ulquiorra replied from the side.

"Another one?" Rainbow Dash asked in disbelief. There was just no way this could actually be happening. It was starting to seem like every single time they turned around, there was another mystery just waiting to slap them in the face and catch them off guard. "Do I even want to know what the details are to this one?"

"There is a strong likelihood that you won't. But it will need to be done regardless," Ulquiorra replied calmly, unaffected by the theatrics before him relating to her exasperation. "However that is a task best dealt with in a more secure location, such as the library, and after Spike has been reacquired. All those that are informed should be present for this briefing."

Cheerilee tried not to sigh. She really, truly, loved her students. All of them, from the very bright like Twist, all the way to the other end of the spectrum, occupied by those like Snips and Snails.

That fact aside, however, love did little to calm her current exasperated nature, the result from having had to try and clean five very dirty fillies who had run into the Everfree Forest unsupervised, and came back covered in dirt, mud, tree sap, and a host of other substances. All of which had to be washed and hosed out of their coats, manes, tales, off their hooves, and just about everywhere else it could hide. And being one of the temporarily assigned caretakers at the moment, that task befell her primarily, as Spike's small size served to be more of a hindrance than anything else, despite his best efforts.

And at the moment, he appeared to be suffering the torture best known as the pre-sneeze purgatory, trying to alleviate his suffering by attempting to force it to happen.

Cheerilee could certainly sympathize with the young dragon. That was a measure of misery she'd experienced all too often.

However that was doing little to answer a specific mystery. Apple Bloom and her two friends venturing off into the Everfree Forest, she could understand that. Anytime there was a yell of "Cutie Mark Crusaders" there was bound to be trouble to some degree. But how in the world did Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon get involved in this mess? The two groups really didn't get along at all, making it seem unlikely at best that the two would work together on anything, unless they were made to do so by an outside force.

"A-a-a-"

"Uh oh. Y'all might wanna duck," Apple Bloom stated and promptly dropped to the floor without any further discussion. Anypony who'd been around Spike long enough to see what it was like when he had to sneeze, knew to keep a healthy distance away from the front -and sometimes the sides- of his head.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle didn't need to be told twice, or even have the situation explained to them. Seeing Spike about to sneeze, both dropped to the floor just as a flash of green flames erupted overhead.

"Bless you, Spike," Cheerilee stated after seeing the display, and being thankful nopony had been anywhere nearby at the time. "Are you catching a cold?"

"No," Spike sniffed, "somepony's probably just talking about me."

"Say wha' now?" Apple Bloom asked, pausing momentarily before finally standing back up again. "How's that even work?"

"You know how the old superstition is a pony's ears are burning if they're being talked about? Ulquiorra says where he comes from, the superstition is you start sneezing if somepony's talking about you," Spike explained.

"That's just ridiculous," Diamond Tiara commented from where she sat, bored out of her skull with having to be stuck at the school, and desperately wanting to get home and take a proper bath with the proper mane shampoo her family bought. The only shining spot of this whole mess was the fact that she wasn't sticky right now. "Ponies talk about me all the time, and I never sneeze."

"Maybe it only works if somepony has something nice to say," Scootaloo mumbled to herself, just loud enough for some eavesdroppers to hear. As expected, Diamond Tiara immediately fell for the presented bait. Sometimes that filly was easy to predict.

"You've got some nerve, blank flank, don't forget that I was the one that saved us. When that timberwolf came after us, I-"

"Fell down and tripped it with your fat flank, making it smash its head against the tree. Some rescue mission on your part," Scootaloo interrupted, further angering the uppity earth pony bully, and causing a nice shade of rage red to appear under her coat.

This wasn't happening. This simply wasn't happening. Cheerilee sighed and grumbled to herself, pinching the bridge of her muzzle as she tried to remain calm. She might love each of her students, but love only went so far. Right now these girls were testing her patience, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep her cool before she did something she was certain she'd regret.

However before things could get too far out of hoof there was a knock at the schoolhouse's door, serving as a much desired interruption to the constant back and forth squabbling.

"Thank Faust," Cheerilee thought as she approached the door, currently locked for safety purposes; a necessity when she had to be out back and clean up those five. "Who is it?" she asked.

"Miss Cheerilee. If you could open the door."

It certainly wasn't the answer she was expecting. But the voice was easily recognizable to her. Walking over, she undid the latch bolt and opened the door, allowing her to look out and see that it was indeed Ulquiorra standing on the other side. With everything that had been happening so far, his presence was comforting to see.

"Mr. Ulquiorra, it's good to see that it's you. What news do you have to report?" she asked.

"Spike's presence has been requested at the library, in order that we might sort out this matter, and determine not only what occurred here today, but why it occurred," he explained calmly through the narrow opening he was presented with.

"I see," Cheerilee mumbled, not exactly keen on the prospect of losing the only one who'd been present to assist her through this all. "So is there any information about those that were caught in the attack? Any prognosis on how they're doing? Is there any word on Pipsqueak's condition?" she asked as Spike approached.

"The hospital staff report that they are optimistic Pipsqueak will survive. However regarding the others, I haven't been authorized to say as of yet. A final confirmation of survivors and fatalities has not yet been taken, and there is no point in preliminary speculation," he explained.

"Oh..." Cheerilee replied, trying her best to sound neutral, although uncertain if her efforts were successful. "What about my students? Is there any word on when it'll be safe to let them return home?" she asked.

"Not as of yet. But with the manticore disposed of, and no others detected in the immediate area, it, will likely be safe to release them once their families come to pick them up," he replied. He could to some degree understand her desire to be free of her charges; it was something he too had experienced when the ponies around him reached some of their more nonsensical levels of behavior. However he wasn't there for the purpose of relieving her of her misery; her suffering would have to be dealt with on her own.

"Mr. Cifer? Can we come too?"

It was a question from Apple Bloom as she stood just a few paces behind Miss Cheerilee, along with the other two of her organization. Their approach was slow, and the look in their eyes being one of hope.

"You're going to be talking with our sisters and their friends, right?" Sweetie Belle asked as they approached closer. "Couldn't we come with you and Spike and meet up with them at the library, rather than waiting around for them to come and get us? Just waiting seems rather... pointless."

Of the three who made up the Cutie Mark Crusaders, each of them possessed their own respectable level of intelligence for ones their age. However Sweetie Belle appeared to be the most intelligent at the moment, recognizing the futility of the situation at hand. Him traveling to the school to pick up Spike, return to the library for the discussion, then the others coming here to pick them up and take them back home, would indeed seem like excessive travel and waiting.

However that wasn't his problem. At the moment there were more pressing matter at hand than pointlessness and futility.

"That will not be possible. The matter needing to be discussed is of a sensitive nature. And despite your efforts in the Everfree Forest being beneficial to Ponyville, it isn't a matter appropriate for ones so young," he explained. The last thing needed were three potential leaks that would let sensitive information out into the general populace.

"Say what?" Scootaloo asked and blinked in confusion. What did he mean about their efforts being beneficial?

"Our efforts? You mean us going in and getting you the antidote from Zecora?" Sweetie Belle asked. Was he saying... what it sounded like he was saying?

"Are ya sayin' that... that we mighta actually saved Ponyville?" Apple Bloom asked.

"It's not out of the realm of possibilities. Being unfamiliar with poison joke affliction, I can't say for certain how things would've progressed," he explained. He then paused momentarily in thought. It was certainly not within his character to do what suddenly came to mind. But if he intended to keep up the appearances he had been maintaining upon his first arrival, perhaps it would be appropriate. "With that fact in mind, perhaps your presence would be most beneficial here, in assisting Miss Cheerilee with the others until such time that their families can arrive for them."

Cheerilee wasn't quite sure how to react to these words. On the one hoof, the idea of Apple Bloom and the others thinking that they played a part in saving Ponyville could lead to disastrous consequences. But on the other hoof, what Ulquiorra was presenting seemed like a novel and ingenuitive way of keeping the girls under control and attentive. If they felt that if they had important role to fill right now, they might actually buckle down and be serious in what they do.

"You... you actually want us to do something with actual responsibilities? Like we're actual adults and not just foals?" Scootaloo asked. She never saw something like this coming before. Even before Ulquiorra could get an answer out, Sweetie Belle squealed with excitement at the prospect.

Near the back of the school, where they watched everything unfold before them, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara groaned.

"Woohoo!"

Having been around Ulquiorra for so long, it made sense that the booming static-y echo of his sonido would eventually become a commonplace noise, and no longer disturb those around that heard it, catching them off guard and leaving them momentarily confused.

Spike's excited yell upon arrival, was an entirely different matter, and caused a fair amount of surprise as it disturbed the relative silence of the eight ponies currently in the library, even amongst the diarchy. And more confusion when they saw Spike actually being carried under Ulquiorra's arm like a piece of luggage.

"That's awesome!" Spike cheered.

Ulquiorra simply said nothing in response, having heard Spike's cheers of excitement beforehand earlier in the day, and simply set him down on the floor. Now that this impromptu group was assembled, they could begin.

"What's awesome, little guy?" Rainbow Dash asked as she hovered on over.

"Traveling via sonido. Talk about an adrenaline rush!" Spike stated.

And then again, perhaps not. He could already feel just how this conversation was going to proceed, and it was going to be a waste of time. He would need to head it off before anything could actually come of it, and amount to a distraction to why they were actually here.

"Let's try and stay focused, shall we?" Twilight spoke up, cutting Rainbow Dash off before she could say anything in response to Spike's statement. She understood that time was of the essence, the day beginning to stretch into the late afternoon and all, so it made sense that they might travel by way of the Espada Express and... Espada Express? Great, now she was starting to think like Pinkie. Nevermind, they had more important work to deal with right now. "You two can discuss sonido all you want, but only after we get to the bottom of what's going on around here."

Ulquiorra paused at Twilight Sparkle's words. This was the second time today that the unicorn's words had compared to his own thoughts. He was seriously starting to wonder if she possessed telepathic abilities, or if she was simply like-minded to him. But it was something that was best saved for another time. For now there were more important matters to address.

"Ulquiorra? Do you want to take the lead on this one?" Twilight Sparkle asked as she looked at him.

"I believe I'll allow you to take point on the matter at hand. Perhaps you have observed something that the rest of us have not," he replied. However if he were being completely honest, his decision had more to do with keeping the unicorn focused on important matters, rather than allowing her the opportunity to become distracted by less important issues, and potentially become of a reduced capacity in terms of usefulness. For now he would simply stand back and observe.

"Alright," Twilight breathed, a little taken off guard at basically being given the reigns in this one. But she wasn't about to disappoint. With a flexing of her magic, she brought over a large rolling chalkboard behind her, before she began speaking again. "So everypony remembers how, five days ago, Ulquiorra discovered some very disturbing news that pertains to us. Two attempts on our lives with potentially lethal results, both of them within the space of barely more than a week. And as we discussed, both of these events have three things in common. Both events resulted in us being targeted, and directly involved in a manner that could cause the Elements of Harmony to become unusable, and render Equestria defenseless. Both events also occurred within a period of less than twenty four hours that coincided with each of Ulquiorra's two visits to Ponyville, and meeting with us. And both events didn't occur until after Ulquiorra arrived in Equestria. And ever since that revelation, we've been attempting to discern some type of pattern that could be used to predict future events. Unfortunately we haven't discovered anything. We're no closer to being able to recognize danger now than we were last month! The way things have been going, it's a miracle that we're still even alive to wield the Elements of Harmony! Despite our best efforts we have absolutely no information to go on, as we attempt to protect ourselves from one day to the next. We've attempted to analyze everything from variations in temperature, to the position of the moon in the night sky, all the way down to inconsistencies in hoof traffic in and around Ponyville, and we don't have the slightest piece of information to go on. This is absolutely pathetic."

As he listened to Twilight Sparkle speak to the others, he would admit to himself that he was mildly surprised by the subject matter being discussed. He hadn't expected her to basically be beating them over the head with the fact that they had no information to go on, and to do so in a manner that could be considered hostile. Even knowing everything that he did about her character, that still seemed uncharacteristic for her to engage in. Perhaps a well timed interruption was needed, before she began to berate them in depth for their shortcomings, and render them uncooperative.

"Twilight Sparkle," he interrupted, "a simple statement regarding the lack of information would have been more sufficient. However such a statement would be inaccurate, as we do possess new information with which to work," he explained.

"Wait, we do? Seriously?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Correct. However a map of the layout of Ponyville, as well as the surrounding territory, will be necessary for a proper explanation to be given," he replied.

A map? Twilight really wasn't certain just what he needed a map for, but she didn't ask. Instead she picked up one of the pieces of chalk and went about sketching a map of Ponyville. Not an overly accurate or particularly to-scale interpretation of a map, the chalkboard simply wasn't big enough for that, and she really didn't like that fact. But anyone with even a basic understanding of some of the landmarks could use it to triangulate their position on it.

Finally, after several minutes of quick sketching, she was done, the chalk stick worn down to nearly half of its original overall length. "How's that?"

"Serviceable enough," he replied as he looked over the end results. Saying nothing more, he took hold of the chalk stick, and began modifying the drawing. His movements were much quicker than Twilight Sparkle's consisting of quick, rapid, precise movements as he would move in to make a strike, before moving to a new location and repeating the process until he was finally done. At which point he stepped back, allowing the others to see the inclusion of X's, five-pointed stars, and check marks across the map of Ponyville.

"And what exactly are we looking at here?" Celestia asked as she studied the map in confusion. She knew there had to be some meaning to it, as Ulquiorra wasn't the type who engaged in pointlessness for whatever reason. But right now that meaning was lost to her.

"A map of today's incidents. The stars indicate buildings and locations that I visited during my time here today. The check marks indicate which buildings were damaged during today's attack, and the X's indicate where each victim was located in the immediate aftermath," he explained as he turned back to look at them.

"Ah really don' see jus' how this is supposed ta help us," Applejack commented as she looked at the map.

Ulquiorra ignored the comment before continuing to speak, addressing the group overall rather than any individual member. "During a significant portions of the day, I was outside the borders of Ponyville. During this time, I was escorting Zecora back to her hut, with her supplies in tow," he explained as he drew a line into the area designated as the Everfree Forest on the map, stopping to mark it with a capital Z. "During this time, I was away for a period of more than one hour, and unable to respond should an attack be launched. The distance between here and Zecora's hut is significant in relative terms. This would have been the optimum time to strike. Instead an attack didn't occur until I had returned, and was brought to Sweet Apple Acres to attend a party. What's more, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were also in attendance. This presents us with a significant mystery-"

"Ah think ah know wha' this one is," Applejack interrupted. When nopony immediately spoke up in response she continued. "That bein' jus' why did this happen when ya were within spittin' distance o' Ponyville, instead of when ya were further away an' not as able ta respond."

It was a rather simplistic interpretation of the events that had transpired here today. But nonetheless it was at least accurate in what was covered. Once again Applejack was displaying her intelligence.

"Partially. However the mystery goes far deeper than the simple fact that it occurred so close to our presence. There are a number of facts that are inconsistent with both of the previous events we've faced up to this point. First and foremost there is the fact that none of you were selected as targets this time around. As the holders of the Elements of Harmony, it goes without saying that you six would be considered a prime target for attack, due to the delicate nature of your continued existence being tied to the safety of this world. Should something happen to any one of you, the Elements of Harmony would become useless. And yet none of you were put in a position of danger this time. Instead," he paused and glanced back at the board, the others following in the direction he was looking, "this was the scope of the damage, and the targets on the receiving end of the attack."

Rarity raised her hoof, much like a foal would when asking a question in class. "I'm sorry, but couldn't this simply be explained as a matter of timing? Perhaps we were the intended target, but were saved by Pinkie's idea of having a party at Sweet Apple Acres?" she asked.

"Theoretical but unlikely. If you six were the intended target of an attack, I fail to see the logic in simply attacking random ponies and locations in an incoherent and unguided manner. Nothing beneficial could come from such a tactic of approach. Once it was determined none of you were present in Ponyville, the logical course of action would've been to proceed to Sweet Apple Acres in hopes of locating, isolating, and exterminating at least one of you," Ulquiorra explained.

"Wouldn' that be pretty much like walkin' right inta a death trap er wood chipper er somethin'?" Applejack asked him. After he'd pointed out how he, Celestia, and Luna were all present at her farm at the same time, it just didn't seem all that logical that something would just walk up to them and start a fight.

"It would be. However, I have failed to witness anything that would suggest whatever third party we're facing holds any regard for the wellbeing of those that are utilized in attacks. If the primary goal was to eliminate one or more of you, and thus render the Elements of Harmony useless, then it wouldn't matter what the cost of such was; especially when the cost is but a proxy," Ulquiorra replied.

"Wait a minute, that doesn't make any sense," Twilight spoke up. There were a number of confusing points coming about, and she felt that if she didn't say something now, then she was going to get lost. "We've been discussing how it seems strange that this attack occurred while you were at Sweet Apple Acres rather than on the way to Zecora's, even though Sweet Apple Acres is closer in terms of distance. So if the loss of a proxy isn't considered a major loss, why would it matter just where you were when the attack was launched?" she asked.

"A matter of timing and opportunity," Ulquiorra replied, "the loss of a proxy wouldn't be considered a significant cost. However the loss of an opportunity to strike would be. Should the objective be achieved, whatever was used would likely be discarded after serving its purpose and outliving its usefulness. However if the objective is interrupted before the goal can be obtained, then it's another matter entirely. An attack on you six at the time was likely not launched due to the proximity of a superior force that could cut short whatever would be attempted, rather than out of any measure of concern. It may also have been due to efforts to maintain secrecy; efforts that we will determine once an autopsy is performed on the manticore."

"Which brings us back to one of the original questions. If this was an orchestrated attack, why was it launched when the three of us were so close by? Even if we were distracted at the time, it was a risky gamble to take," Celestia pointed out. "Even more curious is the question of why Ponyville was attacked in the first place, when Twilight and the others weren't present. If they're the primary target of everything, then why did everything unfold in the way it did?"

Celestia hadn't wanted to admit it outright, but she had maintained some small measure of doubt about Ulquiorra's theory ever since first hearing about it. The report about Chrysalis suffering from insanity had given her some reason to believe that the Espada was simply being paranoid in his beliefs; there was always room for some measure of hope. But today's actions seemed to do little more than confirm that his theories held merit. Two incidents in close succession could theoretically be possible. But three incidents was far too many to be a matter of coincidence. Like it or not, she would have to fully accept that something was up, and very wrong. And that thought left her very uneasy.

"A very good question. One that presents us not only with an excellent theory, but also another mystery," Ulquiorra replied. He was interrupted only briefly by the groaning, grumbling, and statements of disbelief at being confronted with this statement. He used the interruption to glance over to his left. "That glass display case by the stairs. The one that holds and proudly displays the Elements of Harmony. How many are aware of its presence here?" he asked.

"Anypony that makes use of the library," Twilight replied, uncertain of exactly what it had to do with whatever theory he had in mind.

"Then their location isn't a national secret, nor are they apparently treated like a national treasure. Which presents us with two inconsistencies," Ulquiorra stated and glanced back at the board again briefly. "Our attention was focused on protecting those that were chosen to wield the Elements of Harmony, keeping them safe from what might seek to harm them. In the process of doing that, however, all of us left the actual Elements of Harmony unguarded and vulnerable. In essence we were taken in by the equivalent of a shell game," he explained.

Nopony said a word in response to Ulquiorra's revelation. At least not at first. This was a blow they hadn't been expecting to encounter. So much focus had been on them, none of them had stopped to think that the Elements of Harmony might be treated as a target rather than themselves. It was something that made so much sense it had to be blatantly obvious, and yet at the same time it was something that hadn't been considered.

"So what exactly is this first inconsistency that you have noticed?" Luna asked, being the first to speak up.

"It's the location of everything," Twilight spoke up, "look at the map. All the places that were attacked. Everywhere that a pony was injured. None of it was anywhere near to the library. There's nothing to even indicate a systematic approach to trying to locate the Elements of Harmony. There's no rhyme or reason, the entire layout is completely random. It's like the objective was just to kill and terrify. To show that there's no predictable or detectable pattern," she explained.

"Correct," Ulquiorra replied, noting how Twilight Sparkle continued to remain focused on the matter at hand. Her focus would keep her competent during this time, and not allow for a breakdown to occur. "From what I've been told, the Elements of Harmony have been housed in Ponyville, and on display for all to see, ever since Discord's reformation. This openness means their exact location is known by at least some of the residents; possibly all, based on the nature of gossip and word of mouth travel. And yet this location remained untouched by the manticore, while all other locations were struck. The music shop, the bowling alley, Quills and Sofas, Barnyard Bargains, etcetera. All out of the way locations, devoid of any significance, with no connection or pattern. Even the ponies themselves that were attacked, there is nothing to suggest any sort of connection between them. It is nothing more than indiscriminate and inconsistent damage," he explained.

"So what exactly does all of this mean?" Celestia asked bluntly, wanting to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible.

"At present time I'm uncertain of exactly what this new information means. The only thing I'm certain of is that we now have five new theories that must be considered and addressed," Ulquiorra replied.

"Oh my," Fluttershy mumbled.

"Oh dear," Rarity added, not liking where this was going at all.

"Here we go again," Pinkie stated as she pulled a hoofball helmet down over her head, struggling some to get it down past her unkempt mane before it finally slid into place with an audible pop.

Rainbow Dash regarded her friends before shaking her head and turning to face Ulquiorra. "Alright, we're not getting any younger, let's hear them."

"I agree. Let us not hesitate due to our own discomfort. Speak, Ulquiorra Cifer," Luna added.

"Very well then," Ulquiorra replied. At least some of these ponies weren't afraid to face the ugliness of what this world had in store for them. "The first theory relates to today's attack, as well as our efforts over the last five days. We have attempted to analyze and recognize some discernible pattern that would give us indication of future attacks. Some telltale sign to serve as an early warning system. And yet we haven't been able to do that. The random nature and lack of organized structure relating to today's attack, gives us the theory that there is no pattern to recognize, and it will be necessary to remain on high alert due to the fact that anything can happen at any time," he explained.

Silence. He expected as much from them being informed that they were in constant danger; such news was always disturbing, no matter who was informed. Undisturbed he continued.

"The second theory is that the randomness of this attack was deliberate. It's possible that whatever force is at work has become aware of our efforts, and is responding in turn, by making an effort to hide any potential warning signs, and leave us guessing wildly."

"Ya think that maybe we managed ta spook whatever's pullin' the strings?" Applejack asked curiously. That at least sounded like what he was saying.

"Unlikely, but it can't be said for certain. A change in tactics might suggest the ability to become startled at being detected. But it could equally suggest a mindset that views everything as a source of entertainment," Ulquiorra replied. "The third theory deals with the timing of the attack, as well as the location. The fact the attack occurred just a short distance away from us, could suggest either arrogance or professionalism. Perhaps the entity responsible for everything took this course of action to demonstrate that it's fully capable of causing death and devastation at any time and any location, and is not deterred by a strong presence. Basically instituting terror in an effort to make everyone afraid of their own shadows."

"What about bad timing? Isn't it possible that whatever it is, it just wasn't aware of your proximity at the time?" Twilight asked.

"Again it is a matter that's unlikely. I can't believe that whatever force is responsible for everything, it could be outwitted by a simple party, regardless of how random the timing was," Ulquiorra replied, shooting down Twilight Sparkle's own theory in short order, before he continued speaking as if he hadn't even been interrupted. "A fourth theory would suggest that this entire attack was a display of superiority. To suggest to us that the Elements of Harmony are not an inhibiting factor, and would not amount to an effective defense. Considering the lack of secrecy regarding their location, it would be foolish to believe that this entity is ignorant of their location, and simply missed them due to oversight."

"That... that just can't be," Pinkie Pie stated in disbelief as she pulled her hoofball helmet off her head. "The Elements of Harmony can't be useless, they just can't be! They're like the most powerful force in Equestria, the only thing capable of stopping Discord! How could they possibly be useless!?" she yelled.

"It's merely a theory that must be considered. My knowledge of the Elements of Harmony is limited to what I have been told by others, and that information is lacking in nature. Has any effort been made to scientifically understand not only what the Elements of Harmony are, but how they operate, and what limitations even they must abide by?" Ulquiorra asked as he turned his attention to Twilight Sparkle, seeing as she appeared to be the most scientifically inclined present. The only response he got was a shaking of her head from side to side, and incoherent mumbling. "The simple fact is that we possess no hard knowledge of their nature. Is their source of power finite? Do they need to recharge between uses, and if so for how long? Do they cause harm to the body when used? Why did they succeed in purifying Princess Luna of the malevolent Nightmare Moon entity, but Discord could only be imprisoned? Exactly what is the definition of "evil" that they work against?" he asked, listing off the various points for their consideration. These were all questions that needed to be answered, and they needed to be answered quickly.

"At this point I'm not sure if I even want to know what the fifth theory is. The other four have been terrifying enough," Rarity commented.

"Ah don' think we have much choice in the matter, Rar'," Applejack replied and turned her attention back to Ulquiorra. Not that she was really comfortable hearing these theories being laid out, as it was reminding her a great deal of last week's conversation. But like it or not it had to be asked. "Wha's the fifth theory ya got on this?"

"The fifth theory regarding today's attack is the most unlikely, but it can't be discounted. It's the possibility that today is completely unrelated in any way, and is simply a matter of coincidence. The laws of probability dictate that at least some unexplained events are unrelated and have no connection. Nature is predisposed towards being wild and unpredictable, it would be foolish to assume that absolutely every animal attack is somehow relevant," he explained.

The fifth theory was one that he truly didn't buy. It seemed very unlikely, and relied too heavily on the concept of coincidence for his liking. The notion that a wild animal could break established patterns and venture into a village so far removed from its usual territory, and attack random ponies in an unprovoked manner, simply didn't seem possible. And its seemingly indecisive nature when he'd confronted it, had been a matter of great curiosity. The only reason he'd included the theory in the first place was for the sake of completion, as he didn't want to rule it out simply because it was weak in nature.

"Hold up," Rainbow Dash stated, "let me get this straight. After you take the time to lay down these theories, and scare some of us half to death with the possibility that the Elements of Harmony are actually useless... you just throw out this last one that everything was just a random animal attack?" she asked him, clearly not happy with the whole idea. She didn't even give him the chance to explain himself before she started talking again. "Are you such a jerk by nature? Or is it just with regard to us?"

Ulquiorra remained silent in response to the outburst. It was no concern of his how he was regarded by these ponies. More than once the cyan pegasus had informed him of how she considered him to be a jerk. Did she truly believe he was unaware of this fact? Or did she even remember her declarations against him? Either way it wasn't a matter of any importance.

"RD, now really ain' the time ta be gettin' inta this. There's ponies dead 'cuz o' wha' happened here today, an' we don' know squat about why. So jus' save the bickerin' fer another time, a'right?" Applejack snapped. Was she the only one remembering that gruesome fact right now? Rainbow Dash should've at least remembered that fact, especially after the fit that she'd raised at the hospital. Simply because she hadn't objected to what Twilight had done back there, didn't mean that she was alright with everything. "Now we got a tough question facin' us. Exactly wha' are we gonna do about this?"

The room became quiet after Applejack's statement, none of the ponies having anything foolish to offer up after being reminded about the severity of the situation. At least she was somewhat grounded in the reality of the situation, again emphasizing the fact that he'd found her interesting enough to continue basic interaction with.

It was at this point, that Princess Celestia stepped forward and cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Perhaps the time has come for a different approach, my little ponies," she spoke calmly, before turning her attention towards him and speaking again. "Ulquiorra, before I say what I have to say, I have an important question to ask. During your time here in Equestria, what have you learned about friendship?" she asked.

He remained silent as he regarded the strange nature of her question. She was selecting now of all times to ask such an off topic question? He significantly doubted that she was so scatterbrained in nature, that she would actually ask such, unless she had something specific in mind. Perhaps this was another test of hers, and she was goal oriented at the moment. Perhaps the question she was presenting, was the intellectual equivalent of a carrot on a stick, and if what he had to say pleased her, then perhaps there was something in it for him that could be regarded as beneficial in nature.

With that thought in mind, he began to consider everything he'd been made aware of during his time in this strange world, in an effort not only to formulate an adequate answer to give, but also give it in a tactful manner, and see how things progressed from there. With a cautious approach, he began speaking in response.

"To the best of my understanding of all facts in evidence, the concept of friendship is not only a matter of tolerating the idiosyncrasies of others, but also a matter of trusting them to behave in an efficient and appropriate manner when it's required of them. Friendship amounts to knowing who has your back when everything has gone to hell around you, and who is loyal to the cause you support, who is willing to lend you their strength when your own is inadequate. Friendship is providing assistance to others even when you have no binding obligation to do such, and not asking to be compensated in return for services rendered; however there is nothing to prevent the providing of compensation to others as a form of gratitude or kindness. Friendship is being honest with others, but not honest to the point of seeming cruel, even if the facts support your position and degree. Friendship is knowing when to be supportive of others in their endeavor, and when to withdraw support when their endeavors can have serious consequences if allowed to go through unhindered. Friendship is looking out for the emotional wellbeing of others. Friendship is refraining from exploiting openings that are presented amongst one another. Friendship is also being willing to forgive others for actions that would be considered stupid or hurtful, and moving on from that point, rather than lingering on what happened and can't be changed. But perhaps the quintessential aspect of friendship, is the existence of bonds and relations with one another that can't be adequately explained to outsiders, but are regarded as important regardless of that fact."

It was a culmination of information drawn from not only the various explanations he'd been given over the course of the day, but also things that he'd observed through various interactions around town. Some had been very straightforward and easy enough to understand. Others had been less than clear in nature and were the result of assumptions and guesswork on his part.

However simply because he was relaying this information didn't necessarily mean he agreed with it. Everything being covered made it easier for him to understand the concept of friendship, but that didn't necessarily mean he understood friendship itself. He could see how some may have a need for it, but that didn't mean he had a need for such. Simply because some of these ponies believed that he was their friend, didn't mean he believed the same was true for him. The concept of friendship might have its uses to others, but to him it seemed far too fragile in nature to truly regard as a viable option.

Then again he had never been ordered to actually form friendships. The extent of his orders in this area had been to learn about friendship and how to form it with others. And he had indeed educated himself with what he regarded as being the most important aspects involved with the formation of such bonds. As far as he was concerned right now, he had done just that. And in the process of his learning, he had given these ponies reason to believe that he had taken their notions seriously, thus removing whatever motivation they might've held to try and further socialize him.

Regardless of his own inner feelings, however, he thought he saw something resembling a smile on Princess Celestia's face. Perhaps his answer was what she'd wanted to hear after all.

"That's a very good answer, Ulquiorra, you've managed to learn far more than I believed possible. And that makes what I have to say next, so much easier to actually say," she explained. In truth his answer was a relief to her. "When Discord first brought you to our world, Ulquiorra, I admit that what I saw of your memories was disturbing; terrifying actually. Yours was a world so alien to ours, it seemed inconceivable that you would be here. Where you came from, death and violence was the norm for everyday life. It scared me to think about that being introduced to Equestria. But then you surprised me, asking to be assigned a new purpose in life to justify your existence. It was then that I saw the possibility of hope. I saw an opportunity that I hoped could be used, to try and retire you from your old ways, to assign you a more peaceful purpose in our world. I truly believed that I could decommission your violent past, and provide you with a new opportunity to go along with the new world. But in light of everything that's been going on recently, I believe that my initial assumption was premature," she explained.

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to say something, confused by exactly what Celestia was saying, and attempting to ask for clarification. But before she could even get the first word out, she was effectively silenced by Applejack unceremoniously stuffing her hoof into her mouth, cutting off what she was about to say, and leaving her to mumble around the foreign object.

"What I'm about to ask of you Ulquiorra is something that goes against the teachings of Equestria, and I don't do this lightly, but it's something that must be done, that much is clear. Due to everything that's transpired over the past few days, I must ask you to take on a new assignment. I need you to take on the role of a protector to our subjects, and keep them safe from whatever it is that's trying to harm them. Luna and I are rulers, not warriors, and it's simply not a role we're very well suited for, despite our own strength. Compared to you, Ulquiorra, we're quite soft in nature, and there's not much that we can do about that; at least not without terrifying our subjects in the process of trying. As unpleasant as it may seem to consider, we find ourselves in need of someone with your qualities," Celestia explained calmly.

This wasn't something that she wanted to admit to. But it was something that needed to be admitted to, she realized that fact. Whatever was responsible for this siege on Ponyville had chosen to attack practically in their presence, whatever the reasoning was. Depending on how one looked at it, it could practically be considered a declaration of war against them. Such a brazen act, it practically defied all logic. And if her little ponies were going to be made into targets right under her very nose, then these were times that called for desperate measures. And right now she couldn't really think of anymore desperate a measure than giving the Espada permission to return to his old warrior ways, and use whatever measure was necessary to actually protect the ones important to her.

Ulquiorra remained silent as he considered Princess Celestia's words. He was all but certain that he knew what she was talking about. But was she certain of what she was talking about? That was the question at hand. Perhaps it was best to approach with caution to try and determine the exact nature of the statement.

"If I understand what you're saying, you need me to return to my old ways -ways that you hoped could be put behind me- due to these new developments. And you're making this statement, understanding full well that there will be situations where lethal force is the only option that will be available to prevent a greater loss of life to your subjects. Am I correct?" he asked her pointedly, wanting to make sure she knew exactly what she was asking of him; as well as wanting to know if he was understanding her correctly. From what he was hearing, it almost sounded like she was publicly condoning his previous behavior in following her orders; that being to not harm her subjects. An order that he'd interpreted in a manner that supported the use of force.

Celestia nodded slowly and solemnly in response to the question. "You are. As I said, I'm not asking this lightly. If I had reason to believe that this matter could be addressed any other way, then I would insist on doing so. But sadly I don't believe we have that option, otherwise I wouldn't be asking this of you. I understand that there are going to be times when killing will be necessary, and all I can do is ask that you try and refrain from such whenever possible."

"That is understood," Ulquiorra replied, being the only break in his continued silence. He would admit that this wasn't a development that he would've predicted; at least not in the immediate future. Whatever had happened with Princess Celestia over the past few days must have been significant if she was willing to let him handle matters as he saw fit, and no longer insist that he abide by some silly notion relating to the concept of friendship. Perhaps his explanation has satisfied her to a sufficient degree. But whatever the reasoning, if her only instruction was to refrain from killing unless it was necessary, then he wasn't about to argue with her. She was leaving much to his discretion in her reinstating of him as a warrior. "I will do my best in this matter, Princess Celestia."

"I have no doubt of that," Celestia replied, "as the first detail of your new assignment, I'd like you to remain in Ponyville for the next few days. Possibly for a week, just in case. The manticore that caused today's attack might have been dispatched, but if one of your theories is correct, there's nothing to suggest that was the end of it. And if that's the case, I'd rather have you present where you can provide the most immediate response, rather than in Canterlot and waiting for a distress call," she explained.

Spending a week in Ponyville, waiting to see if disaster was going to strike again sometime in the next few days. He could think of worse ways to be spending his time; matters of far less productivity. But he could see the logic of being present. At the rate things were happening around them, one week might be more than sufficient to intercept whatever was coming next. And then there was the practical reason for him being present; the Elements of Harmony were also present. Six individual artifacts, and six individual ponies chosen to wield them. That added up to twelve targets that had to be protected from whatever was working against them.

The Elements of Harmony themselves could realistically be relocated back to Canterlot palace and kept under lock and key, rendered inaccessible to whatever was out to render them useless. But as for the ponies themselves, that wasn't as easily done as said; not without significant disruption and possibly causing greater suspicion. These six were far too integrated in the day-to-day activities of the town to make it possible to relocate them. His relocation, however, would present considerably fewer headaches to deal with.

"I'm going to help out, too."

His attention turned from Princess Celestia to Twilight Sparkle. And apparently the attention of everyone in the room did as well.

"Twilight?" Celestia asked, confused by her statement.

"I said that I'm going to help out too. However I can," Twilight repeated.

There were a lot of things that Ulquiorra could say right about now regarding Twilight Sparkle's statement. There were also a lot of assumptions he could draw, and conclusions he could reach. But he decided to refrain from such until he gathered more information about exactly what she had in mind.

"Ulquiorra's going to be in town now, that's fine, but what about when he leaves? We can't expect him to stay here all the time just because we might get attacked, it's simply not a possibility. And we can't expect him to come running when things go bad; if something happens to Spike we couldn't even get word to Canterlot in an orderly fashion. We got lucky this time, but what about next time? Or the time after that? The minute Ulquiorra leaves to return to Canterlot, we're as good as sitting ducks as it is. We can't consider this acceptable anymore, we need to take responsibility for ourselves, so when Ulquiorra isn't here we aren't as good as dead," she explained, doing her best to present her case is as a calm and rational manner as possible. "We got lucky today, but ponies still died. And there's no telling how many more are going to die before everything is said and done. And I know that there's nothing we can do to stop that from being a possibility, but that doesn't mean we have to just sit back and take it. If there's anything we can do to prevent a loss of life, then I think we should do just that."

"That's a very pragmatic outlook, Twilight," Celestia replied cautiously at hearing her words. Had this all come about from her decision to observe Ulquiorra's actions at the hospital? Perhaps something born from a sense of guilt? Or had this been a long time coming, as her student learned that the world wasn't always a nice place? "What did you have in mind for this new strategy of yours?" she asked.

"Well..." Twilight replied a bit hesitantly. Having the courage to speak up was one thing, but the courage to elaborate was something else. "I can't speak for the others. I can't even ask them to help out on this. But for myself, I want to learn more effective spells, more advanced spells. Spells that can repel a dragon or a hydra in case we encounter one. I... I'd like to see some of the books in the restricted section of Canterlot's royal library, like "Advanced Arcane Arts of Magic and Defense"," she explained.

Celestia remained silent. Did Twilight know the full extent of what she was asking right now? To those that didn't actively use magic the request might not seem like much. But the tome she was referring to wasn't exactly known for passive defense spells. This was offensive magic she was asking about, usually reserved for those who engaged in high-risk missions, and who had to go into dangerous locations on a regular basis, where confrontation couldn't be avoided. This was magic that would be used against large, powerful dragons to drive them back or... permanently cripple them at the very least. This wasn't anymore of something to enter into lightly, than her own course of action with Ulquiorra.

Unfortunately it wasn't something she could flatly deny. She could try and ease their worries by explaining how the royal guard could be diverted to Ponyville to guard everyone, or how she and Luna could spend more time in town. But ultimately it wouldn't do anything to address the point Twilight had made; they were pretty much on their own when one of them wasn't here. And if they didn't exercise responsibility for themselves, then who would?

"I'll see what I can do about having it sent as soon as Luna and I return to Canterlot, both to return to business as usual, and to have the manticore thoroughly examined to see if there are any clues that can be found," she stated. It went without saying that the book itself was highly important and needed to be guarded carefully; she knew she could count on Twilight to exercise extreme caution, and not simply leave it laying around where anybody could find it.

Anybody? Ulquiorra's dialect was continuing to rub off on her. He hadn't even been here for a month, and already his manner of speech was slowly but surely beginning to offset and replace their own in certain situations.

Ulquiorra was of mixed opinions on this matter. Twilight Sparkle wishing to assist was something that he could easily predict, as it was a basic part of her nature. Currently her ability to assist in a matter such as this was limited in nature, best reserved for a passive role by providing intelligence, and allowing the more skilled to handle it. She likely seemed aware of that fact, as she was requesting access to the restricted sections of the library in order to address her own shortcomings. Whether or not she could advance her own usefulness would require patience to determine.

"Ah'm in too," Applejack announced, "ah might jus' be a simple farmpony who can't do magic, but ah'm not gonna let that slow me down any."

"Well if Applejack and Twilight are gonna be stepping up then so am I. I'm not gonna sit on my flank during all this," Rainbow Dash stated.

Ulquiorra observed as all around them, the others present made similar declarations, to varying degrees of bravado. He had significant doubts that the majority of them could contribute anything beneficial beyond the role of intelligence gathering. But attempting to tell them that right now would likely be a waste of effort.

This was likely not going to end well. Of that he was quite certain.

Chapter Forty Six

Chapter Forty Six

"The hour grows late, dear sister. We will soon need to return to the palace in Canterlot and attend to the most crucial of our royal duties," Luna explained. There were a great many things that the two of them could do as royalty and get away with it, at least as far as the short term was concerned. But when it comes to raising and lowering their own respective celestial bodies, that was a duty that simply couldn't be shirked. If they didn't keep on schedule then their subjects would begin to worry about the imbalance. The last time that had happened, the farming guild had been quite vocal in their concern about how fifteen minutes more of darkness could adversely affect their crops. It was something she truly didn't get, but she would take them at their word simply to avoid such a headache again.

"I'm afraid you may be right, Luna, duty calls," Celestia replied. Much as she'd love to spend the night here with her friends, she had obligations to tend to. "I'll be along momentarily, after I collect the manticore's corpse. It wouldn't do to let the scavengers have it, and deprive us of whatever clues its carcass might contain."

"That may not be the most prudent course of action available to us at this point in time," Ulquiorra commented. He only paused long enough to ensure he had their attention before speaking again. "My new assignment requires me to be present in Ponyville for the next few days, just in case the manticore wasn't the end of this attack. But at present there are thirteen high-value targets in need of protecting with extreme caution. Instead of simply relocating the dead manticore, the most practical decision would be to relocate the Elements of Harmony, their corresponding bearers, and Spike, back to Canterlot palace where they'll be much more secure, compared to an open village," he explained.

"Ya mean pack up an' jus' leave Ponyville fer Canterlot? Jus' like that?" Applejack asked in a confused manner. It certainly sounded like that's what he was suggesting. "Mr. Cifer, ah know yer looking out fer us in yer own way an' all, but ah can' be gone from Sweet Apple Acres fer a whole week. Ah got way too much work ta do around here. There's duties an' responsibilities involved here," she explained.

"I can't really leave either. There are a lot of animals that count on me, and most of them are still recuperating from when that changeling was here. I just don't think I can do it," Fluttershy added.

Ulquiorra remained silent despite their objections. On the one hand these ponies were being very foolish. Their continued safety was directly tied to the safety of Equestria, and if something were to happen to them, then the entire nation would suffer as a result. They were essentially the equivalent of a carotid or femoral artery. Their silly notions should be the least of their concerns right now, as they had a responsibility to something far bigger than their own limited view of the world.

On the other hand, he could understand their reluctance to leave, despite the urgency that they do just that. He understood what it meant to have duties and responsibilities that needed to be filled, even when others would suggest abandoning ship to save their own skin. It was that understanding, that sense of duty and obligation, that was responsible for him being here right now. Even when he had the opportunity to flee the battle over Las Noches and save his own skin, he'd declined to do so in the name of fulfilling his orders from Aizen. A lesser Espada would've chosen to flee their post and live to see another day.

With that fact in mind he really couldn't berate them for their decision to stay, despite the danger that they would undoubtedly face in doing so.

"Then if your intent is to remain, we should discuss how to reduce the number of locations that will need to be guarded," he replied simply.

Rainbow Dash blinked in confusion. Had he just given up on making an argument? If he had then that was kind of surprising. But nevermind that, an idea just came to her, and she needed to make it known before somepony else said something and got her distracted.

"We could all head back to my place. Nothing would think to look for us there," she suggested, "and even if they did think to, there's nothing that could really reach us so high up. Besides, nopony's truly known what a good night's sleep is until they've slept on a cloud."

"A situation that would likely cause even more difficulties than simply venturing to Canterlot," Ulquiorra replied.

"Say what?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"If you'll remember, you pointed out your home during my first tour of Ponyville. While being perched significantly high off the ground would provide some measure of security, the practical difficulties are numerous. Assuming Twilight Sparkle's cloud-walking spell lasts for more than a few hours-"

"Three days. However the duration can be extended if necessary," Twilight interrupted.

"-simply traveling from one location to another would present considerable, time-consuming difficulties that would need to be addressed. And securing you seven, along with the Elements of Harmony, would do nothing to translate into securing Ponyville as well. For me to be present in one location would result in the other being unguarded and unmonitored as my pesquisa doesn't extend outward to an infinite degree. And that doesn't even go into the lack of defense against flight-based attacks; should another dragon be mobilized, cloud matter will provide no protection from its fury."

"Wow Ulqy," Pinkie breathed in response, "Applejack said you were a deep thinker. But I didn't think you actually thought so far in that you came out the other side. You actually came up with all of that in just a few seconds?" she asked.

"Correct," Ulquiorra replied simply.

"Then we shall need a new solution to the problem at hoof," Luna commented as she shifted her stance. Unfortunately recognizing such was the extent of her knowledge right now.

"I actually might have one," Twilight spoke up, bringing everyone's attention to her. "We need to secure not only ourselves and the Elements, but Ponyville as well. But we're faced with the difficulties of ourselves being too integrated into the town to just pick up and leave at the drop of a hat, and how we can't go too far without leaving Ponyville vulnerable. But what if everypony spends the night here at the library? It's a fixed location, easy to secure, close to everyone's home, and Ulquiorra wouldn't have to leave Ponyville exposed to another attack while safeguarding us. Everything and everyone could be guarded at the same time with very little in the way of difficulties," she explained.

"Hmm," Celestia muttered in thought, stroking her chin with one of her wings. "That sounds like a viable option. What do you think, Ulquiorra?" she asked.

Ulquiorra considered the possibility. If the others weren't going to willingly leave Ponyville, then having them all present in an easy to protect area made the most amount of sense. From this specific location in town he would be able to detect any disturbances within its borders. All in all it seemed like the least objectionable option that was available to them.

"Considering our limited options, it may be the best choice open to us at present," he replied.

"Oh my. Something just occurred to me," Rarity spoke up, "we might be here, safe and sound in the library thanks to Ulquiorra's presence? But what about our sisters? What about Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom?" she asked.

"Hey yeah, and what about Scoots? We might not be related, but that doesn't mean she's in any less danger than the other two," Rainbow Dash quickly added. How could she have possibly missed such an obvious fact?

"Oh my gosh! The Cakes! They could be in just as much danger because I live with them! The twins could be gobbled up in the middle of the night!" Pinkie stated in terror.

"And what about Angel Bunny? Something terrible could happen to him and all the other little animals," Fluttershy added.

Twilight tried to be calm, tried not to lose her temper as her friends voiced their concerns about friends, relatives, and other acquaintances, and how they might be in danger simply by knowing them. And for the most part she was doing well at holding her tongue. But when the discussion turned to the absurd notion of bringing everypony into the library for the night, that was when she just lost it.

"EVERYPONY JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!" she bellowed as loud as she could, immediately bringing a complete halt to the bickering going on back and forth. That was better. A lack of chaos meant she could get a word in edgewise. "I-" she started, but could only cough in response as she tried to clear her throat. "Oh wow, that's really hard on the throat," she commented, before trying again. "Look everypony, I know we're all worried about those that're important to us. But there's no way in Tartarus that we can fit so many ponies into the library at once. We need to approach this situation calmly and rationally, not running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. If we start panicking now, we're bound to lose. We-" she tried to explain, but started coughing again before she could get much further in detail. She never should've bellowed like that.

Luna decided to step in, seeing her friend unable to continue with whatever explanation she was intending to give. She couldn't help but admire her efforts at mimicking the royal voice in an effort to regain order, even if the results were lacking. And now she was learning about the hazards of speaking in such a manner when ill-prepared.

"Twilight Sparkle makes an excellent point. Concern for loved ones is fine, but it is dangerous to let such concern run unchecked. We... I mean I may have a solution to the problem at hoof we are facing. For those that live outside of Ponyville and may be in danger due to their relation, I believe a solution is available. While Ulquiorra Cifer guards Ponyville and those present, I will dispatch a number of my own guards to patrol the areas, both to ensure nothing unusual occurs, and that no harm comes to anypony present. The night is my domain, and I will not allow such a travesty to occur on my watch," she stated firmly.

"That's quite a decision to be making, Luna," Celestia commented at hearing the determination in her sister's voice. It was... almost frightening how she could so easily switch between friendly and serious without any warning. "But are you sure it's wise? Not knowing what we're up against, it might be dangerous to do something like that," she pointed out.

"Rest assured, dear sister, those that guard the night are not the type to slouch about. They are well equipped for duties that your own day guards are not. They shall be fine, as will those that are under their watchful eyes," Luna explained in a reassuring manner, before turning to address the others. "Before we take our leave, are there any other points that you feel need to be raised? Any details that need to be hammered on?"

"Hammered out," Twilight quickly corrected without even giving it any thought.

"I can think of none," Ulquiorra replied, unconcerned with the nonsense that was going on about him. However Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle stepping in to prevent a certain percentage of the entire town being brought into the library to be watched over, was something that he could be thankful for. Simply because he could tolerate these ponies, didn't mean he wanted to do so in large numbers for long hours; he would be doing enough of that over the course of the week without being housed in the same building as them.

Then again there was nothing saying he had to stay confined to the library. Truthfully he would be more useful above the library where he could have an unimpeded line of sight. It would also grant him some measure of solitude.

However that solitude would hardly be impenetrable. Two of the ponies that would be present possessed the ability to fly, and could easily reach him if they so desired; just as he'd experienced back in Canterlot. There would be nothing to stop Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy from setting out for the purpose of seeking him out, either to seek his counsel as if he was a caring individual... or worse, because they intended to hug him...

All around him the ponies looked at each other in an attempt to figure out if there were anymore points that needed to be raised while Celestia and Luna were still present, and actually able to address them in an order manner. Hopefully there wouldn't be, and all further discussion could be brought to a halt.

"Well... something just occurred to me. Where is Ulquiorra going to sleep? Twilight has spare pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags for all of us whenever we stay over. But Ulquiorra is... taller than all of us. I don't think there's any way he could actually get comfortable and rest properly," Fluttershy pointed out.

Fluttershy's statement did little to truly surprise him. Knowing that her attribute was kindness, her concern for him likely didn't surprise anyone that was present.

"Hollows don't need sleep in order to survive or function. To warrant sleep, it would be necessary for there to be absolutely no better way to occupy my time; no duties to fulfill, no research to conduct, no threats to address. Since that is unlikely at best, I will have no need for accommodations; especially since I will be keeping watch outside during the course of the evening," he explained.

"I'd recommend against that. We're gonna be getting rain after midnight," Rainbow Dash pointed out, "you might be able to just waltz right through dragon fire like it's cotton candy, but I doubt even you could stand out in the rain and not get soaked to the bone."

He didn't want to admit to the fact that he'd forgotten that piece of conversation from earlier in the day when he'd first arrived in Ponyville. Now that she'd mentioned it, he remembered Rainbow Dash mentioning something about having to get ready for rain overnight. He also didn't want to admit to the fact that she was correct; his hierro would protect him from a number of different types of harm, but being drenched by rain was definitely not on that list. Not that it would impair his wellbeing in any way, but wearing soaking wet clothing was something that he didn't feel particularly motivated to experience again.

That fact, combined with the fact that his air-walking ability would do nothing to keep some of the ponies away from him, would suggest that perhaps the best option available was to simply remain present for the night. If nothing else there was always the possibility of some books being present that would be more useful to him than the ones in Canterlot's library. At the very least it would serve as a distraction from their insanity.

"Noted," he replied, "it would appear I will be present for the evening."

"Yay! Slumber party!" Pinkie cheered excitedly.

"There will be much work needing to be done before any attempt at another party can be had. If everyone is to be present then the building will need to be fortified. All the doors and windows will need to be secured, in order to prevent unauthorized entry. Furthermore-" Ulquiorra explained. However his explanation was cut short by a loud grumbling making itself known. It was a grumbling that sounded consistent with a large, vicious beast making its presence known in order to induce terror in its prey. And yet there wasn't a single foreign reiatsu presence anywhere that could be detected. "What precisely was that?" he asked.

"Sorry, that was me. I'm getting really hungry," Pinkie replied with a sheepish grin.

"You're not the only one," Rainbow Dash stated as she rubbed her stomach.

"Same here," Applejack added.

All around him was the agreement of experiencing a state of hunger. Yet another shortcoming of living beings. But there was little that he could do about that. That meant either postponing the fortification, or doing it by himself. However even he realized that there was only so much he could realistically do without the magical intervention of Twilight Sparkle; assuming his assessment of her skills was accurate.

"If there are no other pressing matters then we truly must be taking our leave now. Sunset and moonrise cannot be postponed," Luna stated, growing visibly distressed the longer they unnecessarily remained in Ponyville. She enjoyed spending time with her friends as much as anypony, but she understood there was a difference between having fun, and being responsible.

"Calm yourself, Luna, we'll be departing in just a moment," Celestia said in an effort to calm down her younger sister. They still had plenty of time to get back to Canterlot and deal with their duties. It wasn't like they were being pressed for time currently. And there were still other matters that needed to be tended to before she was comfortable with taking off just like that.

"There are certain matters that cannot wait a moment, dear sister. Certain urgent matters that must be tended to quickly," Luna stressed.

Celestia, for the life of her, couldn't figure out just what it was that had Luna so agitated. It wasn't so late in the day that the moon had to be raised. She was about the press her on the matter, until she finally saw the desperate look in her little sister's eyes, and suddenly realization dawned on her; Luna was in need of a potty break, and didn't wish to use the local facilities, as she was doing her best to appear discrete. That certainly explained much, such as the constant little shifts she'd made in where and how she stood throughout the conversation. Considering how upset she'd been all day since finding out about Pipsqueak, is was no wonder this was happening.

"Very well then, Luna, we'll be taking our leave now," Celestia reassured her, before turning to the others once more, "take care, my little ponies. We'll be doing our best to try and figure out this mystery, and get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible."

She could certainly say a lot more, but at the moment she couldn't see the point in such. Telling Ulquiorra the obvious about the importance of protecting Twilight and the others would be a waste of time, and going into long-winded speeches would serve no point except for making Luna dance about in a desperate manner. For that reason she would cut this short. Some things were just too important to wait.

Twilight preferred to eat healthy whenever possible. It was as simple as that. She didn't subscribe to the notion of fast food being an acceptable alternative to a meal consisting of proper ingredients measured and mixed in the proper proportions.

But on top of the day they'd had to far, none of them really felt like waiting the half hour or more for a proper meal to be prepared and cooked. On top of that, she really couldn't see on insisting that Spike do the work himself in this instance. And any of them actually trying to lend assistance in the kitchen... no. Just no. So instead of all that hassle they opted to do something that he rarely ever gave consideration to; they ordered takeout from one of the fast food places.

The order had been from a place recommended by Rainbow Dash, the food consisting of crispy hay fries that had literally been fried in grease, and some kind of sandwich consisting of a vegetable mix of indeterminate construction actually compressed into patty form, and served on a bun covered with sesame seeds. All in all it struck her as unusual, and not the most transparent of meals that could be experienced, what with the insides of the sandwich being compressed food bits, and there being no way of telling just what parts of what plants had been used.

But despite it all she had to admit one thing above all else; for fast food it tasted very good even by her standards. Especially when there was ketchup to dip her fries in.

"I told ya you'd like it, Egghead," Rainbow Dash commented as she watched her friend more or less dive into another bite of her hay bacon cheeseburger.

"And you were right," Twilight replied in between wiping her mouth with her napkin to clear away all of the ketchup that had accumulated. Tidiness be damned, this was good. "This is actually pretty delicious. I can't believe I've never heard of the Hayburger before."

"Ah don' know. It doesn' really have much taste to it compared ta home cookin'," Applejack commented. This type of food might've been fine for some others, but it just wasn't her cup of tea. Everything tasted dry and overcooked to her, even the lettuce that was included. And no amount of ketchup or mayonnaise was gonna help that any.

"Quite frankly I agree with Applejack. This fast food leaves much to be desired, both in taste and quality," Rarity added. Out of all her friends she was the least satisfied with tonight's meal, her burger sitting untouched in its wrapper, and only nibbling at the hay fries. Although to a trained observer, they might notice that her efforts suggested she was currently trying to hide a guilty pleasure in front of everyone.

Fluttershy's position was silent and more visual in nature. Unlike the others she was content to simply munch on a fresh apple from Twilight's kitchen, rather than eat anything from a fast food place.

Rainbow Dash just shrugged in response. More for her, Twilight, Pinkie, and Spike then.

"Hey wait a minute, aren't we forgetting about something important?" Spike asked as he spoke up. "What about Ulquiorra? He hasn't had anything to eat since the party," he pointed out, gesturing over his shoulder to where the Espada in question stood by the front door, facing away from them.

Each of them stopped and looked over to where Ulquiorra stood, not saying a word as he kept his back to them while he guarded the front door. They all more or less understood that he didn't have to eat in the traditional sense in order to sustain himself. However not offering him anything probably wasn't the nicest thing they could've done under the circumstances.

"I don't know, he doesn't strike me as much of a vegetarian," Rainbow Dash commented. If they'd offered him anything for dinner, she had her bits on him refusing.

"A correct observation," Ulquiorra announced from where he stood, causing them to flinch at the revelation that he'd been paying attention the entire time. They'd really have to watch what they said around him, lest they say something they'd regret later on.

"Yeah I thought so. You're probably the type to favor a nice juicy cut of steak or something," Rainbow Dash replied.

"Really Rainbow Dash," Rarity huffed in response to her friend's statement. "This is hardly appropriate mealtime discussion to be having. It's simply revolting."

"Regardless of such, it is an accurate assessment," Ulquiorra replied calmly without even looking over his shoulder. "Due to aspects of a Hollow's nature, there is indeed a certain propensity towards carnivorous practices when it comes to eating," he explained.

"Yeah, only trouble with that is there's no place around here where you can get a good porterhouse cut," Rainbow Dash commented before turning her attention back to what remained of her meal.

"RD, ya really shouldn' go an' talk 'bout stuff ya don' have an understandin' of. The way yer talkin' right now, somepony might think ya actually ate meat before," Applejack pointed out.

"And who says that I haven't?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Ulquiorra would admit to anyone that might ask, that the way the conversation had been going lately, it was all just trivial dribble that could be tuned out without missing anything of importance. However when it came to Rainbow Dash's question, it was enough for him to take interest as the rest of the library went silent. In fact it was enough that his interest demanded he turn around and face the lot of them. Twilight Sparkle had explained how some ponies did indeed engage in the consumption of meat, but he truly hadn't expected to find out that the cyan pegasus was one such pony.

"Wait," Spike spoke slowly in disbelief. Was he actually hearing this correctly? "You've actually eaten meat before?" he asked her.

"What can I say? I used to be friends with Gilda, remember? And if you're friends with a gryphon, eventually you're gonna be invited over to their house for dinner," Rainbow Dash explained and shrugged. "When you're a filly you don't think about these things as much."

Even from where he stood Ulquiorra could tell the others were uncomfortable -even repulsed- with what Rainbow Dash was talking about. Twilight Sparkle was not a part of the group, as her reiatsu levels were bristling and fluctuating, indicating an interest in what was being discussed. It also suggested a disregard for the well being of the others present, in favor of gaining information that could benefit herself.

"Really? Can you go into more detail? What was it like?" she asked, barely able to contain her excitement.

"Let's see..." Rainbow Dash replied as she rubbed her chin with her hoof in thought. "This was years ago, back during junior speedster camp. I remember there was more than one kind of meat... I think it was chicken, pork, beef... and venetian. Out of them the beef was the tastiest, followed by the venetian, pork, and then the chicken in that order. But the beef was also the toughest to chew at the time. Plus there's the indigestion to deal with, that's a given. But if you can get past all that, it's not too bad," she explained as best she could.

"Fascinating. What about now? Is this a practice you still engage in?" Twilight asked.

"Well..." Rainbow Dash hesitated as all eyes were on her, and some of them didn't look all that friendly right now. But then again some of the things she'd found out about her friends today hadn't been all that comfortable to her, so they really shouldn't be judging her. "Sometimes, when there's a joint conference with the weather teams that oversee gryphon territory. But it's not like I'm going out and acting like a vulture," she explained.

Rarity remained silent as she listened to Rainbow Dash's explanation of the events of her past. She would admit that the idea of such an act was revolting to consider. However, browbeating her for her decisions wasn't the proper thing to do. It wasn't Rainbow Dash's fault that she'd been corrupted by that detestable gryphon.

But while she wouldn't lecture Rainbow Dash, hearing the cyan pegasus tell her tale had caused her to think about something. And as far as she was concerned, that something was worth exploring in better detail.

"If you don't mind my asking, darling, something just doesn't seem to add up. You seem to be the only one present that has no problem with... eating meat... yet you were the most vocally upset about the idea of euthanasia. Why is that?" she asked.

"Wait, what? What'd I miss out on?" Spike asked, taken by surprise by the way this conversation was going. First it was meat, and then they were on the topic of euthanasia? What kind of events had been going on while he'd been helping take care of Apple Bloom and the others?

"Because the two aren't related to each other," Rainbow Dash replied, ignoring Spike's question in order to address the unicorn. "I never went out and hunted down something for a meal. The meat was already processed, marketed, and bought in those cases. It's not like me abstaining would've made a difference, just like it's not like how I created a demand for it. I didn't do anything except be polite in those cases," she explained.

Now that Rarity heard it actually be explained, she would admit that it did make some greater amount of sense to her. As Rainbow Dash had said, she didn't go out and hunt down her meals when she wanted meat. It wasn't really the same as the predatory habits of others if she was simply being polite to her hosts; that was something she'd had to put up with so many times before, she knew how it went.

"Wow, Dashie, I had no idea you were omnivorous!" Pinkie stated excitedly by this new revelation. This was big news; big, BIG news!

"Like I said, Pinkie, it's not something I do regularly. It's just one of those things, you know?" Rainbow Dash asked, making an effort to calm whatever had excited the pink earth pony. The last thing they needed right now was anything resembling a party due to this revelation.

"Hold up!" Spike called loudly to get their attention. He had questions that he wanted answered, and he was getting tired of being ignored in favor of discussions about diets. "What euthanasia? What's been going on around here that I've been missing out on?"

Ulquiorra considered the situation before him. Spike amounted to an important member of their little organization, serving as a direct -and expedient- line of communication to Princess Celestia. And yet the others were treating him in a manner that was inconsistent with his potential value. He was asking a legitimate question, and the others were all hesitant to answer in an honest fashion. Was it simply due to their own discomfort with talking about such? Or was it a psychological matter, as they all attempted to protect the youngest among them from some of the more unsavory facts of life? Whatever the meaning behind their actions, it was something that would need to come to an end.

And much to his mild surprise, Twilight Sparkle seemed to be taking just such an initiative as she began speaking up.

"... One of the ponies attacked by the manticore, she was stung and injected with it's venom. T-there was no antidote or treatment available. And rather than let the foal suffer, Ulquiorra..." she paused as she looked back at him, and then back to where Spike sat. Even he could tell that she was trying to think of how to word this delicately, while still being honest. "He did the merciful thing under the circumstances..."

"You mean he... he actually killed a pony?" Spike asked.

"An operation sanctioned by Princess Celestia. She agreed that it would be the most merciful option available, as the alternative was a protracted death by suffocation," Ulquiorra explained calmly, keeping things simple so Spike could properly grasp what was being said. Due to his youth, he would require a significantly more cautious approach than the others.

Spike remained silent at hearing the Espada's statement, uncertain of what to say, uncertain of what to even think about what he'd just been told. This was deep on a level of deepness he couldn't remember ever being before. It was enough to make him feel like his stomach was doing somersaults. Painful, contracting somersaults that could tear the tissue apart from the inside out and-

He suddenly let loose a large, painful, noxious belch of green fire into the air, a large tome materializing just overhead. A tome that Twilight quickly enveloped in her magic, as he let out a sigh from the tension leaving his body, and his stomach once again feeling relaxed; relaxed to the point that he was hungry again.

"Is that the book you were asking about, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.

"It is. "Advanced Arcane Arts of Magic and Defense" just as requested. It looks like I've got some studying to do after dinner," Twilight replied as she looked at the cover.

"Ugh. When you say stuff like that, Twi', you give me flashbacks to when I had to do homework after dinner. You get way too excited about stuff like that," Rainbow Dash stated.

"Well this homework, Rainbow Dash, may wind up saving our lives at some point down the line. Ulquiorra can't stay in Ponyville all the time, and we have to be ready for anything. According to everything I've read, there are incredibly powerful spells housed within these pages," Twilight explained.

"You mean even more powerful than what you hit Ulqy with last week in Canterlot?" Pinkie asked.

Twilight was about to speak, but she stopped just after opening her mouth in order to think. She remembered what Pinkie was talking about, that rage-induced attack she'd launched in an effort to kill Ulquiorra for what she'd believed he'd done to Celestia. It had been a devastating, terrifying thing to engage in. It scared her even to think about it.

"I don't know about being more powerful, but they're definitely more efficient in nature. And they're likely much safer to use as well," Twilight replied.

"Safer? Ah don' think ah follow. Wha' do ya mean by safer?" Applejack asked.

Twilight sighed as she carefully set the book down next to her, before turning to address her friends. "Remember the conversation that was had when Ulquiorra wasn't impressed by the Sonic Rainboom? There are two types of techniques in this world. Those that can't be performed after a certain point of exhaustion has been reached. And those that can continue to be performed until the user dies from exhaustion. The Sonic Rainboom fits into the category of the first technique, whereas what I did would be categorized as the second. I didn't realize it at the time, but that's why it took me so long to recover. What I did when I unleashed that attack, if I'd tried to make it any stronger at all, I would've died as a result from draining all of my mana. There would've been nothing left to maintain my body's functions. It's like Ulquiorra said back then, how I barely had enough mana left to even stand after that," she explained.

Rarity did her best to suppress any noises that would indicate her surprise and terror at Twilight's explanation. She remembered back to their confinement in the holding cell, how she'd observed her friend's weakened condition, her labored movements as she fought for consciousness while addressing them. She'd been so concerned about how her friend had looked half dead in the immediate aftermath of her fury. And now she felt horrified at the revelation that she had come so close to being completely dead as a result of her own actions.

"And you believe these new spells will be safer to use?" she asked cautiously.

Twilight nodded in response. "They will be, since they aren't techniques that consist of exerting pure mana energy for the purpose of simple destruction. Spells don't allow for exhaustion to the point of death, because safeguards are woven into their makeup to prevent such, effectively moving them into the first category. If a pony doesn't have the necessary mana to cast the spell, it simply won't work, rather than literally draining the life out of them. The chances of dying in such a manner from casting any spell are... well I won't say they don't exist, because there's always the chance for something to occur. But the chances are statistically minute, to the point of being insignificant in nature," she explained, doing her best to make it clear that what she was about to attempt wouldn't be nearly as hazardous as what she'd attempted previously. Just thinking back on it was enough to make her uneasy. To consider everything that had happened, and the reasons for why they happened... she had to tune those thoughts out now, before the shivers started running up and down her spine in an unrestrained manner.

"And precisely what type of spells are we talking about?" Ulquiorra asked.

"To be honest I really don't know. There was a lot of reference material about the book to read, but nothing specific about what was housed within. But then again that's to be expected, all things considered. I won't know until I actually buckle down and start reading," Twilight replied, before popping the last of her burger into her mouth to finish off the meal. "And speaking of which I really need to get started. I've got a lot of reading to do, and I need to find a place to secure the book for when I'm not reading it."

"Before you do that, Twi', do you think we should write Celestia first?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I'm not sure, why?" Twilight asked curiously. What was Rainbow Dash getting at with such a question? She knew it certainly wasn't about letting Celestia know that the book made it through just fine, that would be redundant ever for herself to do.

"Canterlot palace keeps meat in stock for when the gryphon ambassadors show up for important meetings and stuff, right? Maybe they could spare a steak for our guest?" Rainbow Dash suggested.

Now that was something Ulquiorra hadn't seen coming. Out of all the possible forms of interaction that could be had with any one of these ponies, either individually or in a group fashion, Rainbow Dash actually inquiring into acquiring a steak for him was definitely not on that list. Yet again, these ponies were proving to be more interesting than they appeared.

"Oh honestly, Rainbow Dash, now you're just trying to be vulgar on purpose," Rarity huffed, disgusted with the direction this conversation was slowly but surely headed.

"Am not," Rainbow Dash retorted as if it was truly valid in nature, and fully adequate as a rebuttal. "I'm just trying to be friendly here."

It was at this point that Ulquiorra decided to speak up and interrupt the conversation that was being had. The way things were currently going, he couldn't see anything more beneficial being had right now.

"Assuming a steak could indeed be acquired, it would become necessary to first make sure contamination by poison joke did not take place. Deliberate or otherwise," he pointed out. Immediately all discussion ended when he mentioned poison joke, reminding them of what they'd done to him earlier. Some looked at him, while others couldn't bring themselves to make eye contact at their ears drooped, indicating discomfort with what he was saying.

"We deserved that," Twilight commented, knowing there was no way to deny the implication that they might try and drug him. After what they'd done to him at the party, he had every right to be suspicious of them and any of their future actions. "You've got every right to be angry at us over that..."

Ulquiorra remained silent momentarily to consider his options. This was necessary due to one of the immediate thoughts that came to his mind, being the notion of sarcastically thanking Twilight Sparkle for her permission to hold a grudge against them for their actions. It was certainly a possibility, but it simply wasn't his style of doing things. At least not to that extent anyway. A different approach was needed in this case.

"And yet I bear no anger towards any of you for your actions today. It would be a useless gesture with no beneficial results. Showing displeasure would not undo what occurred," he explained calmly. If they were looking to be rebuked for their actions in an effort to make themselves feel better, then they would need to continue looking. "As I believe I explained at the party, your small group managed to surprise me with your hidden depths. Prior to today I didn't believe any of you had the guile necessary to make the decisions that you did. You saw an opportunity that you believed would benefit you at the expense of another who made themselves vulnerable, and you chose to exploit it. It was a pragmatic decision on your parts. It was a decision I would have made. The fact that you chose to perform the actions you did, means there is more reason to interact with you than simply serving in a protective role."

Silence. That was expected considering the subject material that was being discussed. Receiving a compliment rather than condemnation had definitely not been what they'd been expecting to take place after being reminded of their actions in the first place. And being compared to him -which by extension, involved comparing their actions to everything they knew that he was capable of- had likely shocked a few into remaining that way.

Of course that wasn't his problem. If the others were unprepared for his observations about the darker aspects of their nature, then it wasn't his fault. They could stand some toughening up if they were going to survive what the world might throw at them.

"Hold up, this is tough to swallow," Rainbow Dash spoke up, being the first in the group to do so. "How can you not be upset when we basically took advantage of you in the way we did? You said it yourself, we were willing to sacrifice Equestria's security for our own short-sighted purposes. And we did it when you were drugged and not yourself. Doesn't that make you at least a little upset with us?"

He remembered the conversation had at the barn of Sweet Apple Acres. He had belittled them for their childish, short-sighted nature. He had even complimented them on their actions, as he had been genuinely surprised by such an unforeseen development taking place. But he hadn't mentioned anything about Equestria's safety and security during that discussion. He had chosen to focus more on how they violated their own notions of friendship, rather than the more serious issues that could've been involved, simply because he didn't know how the poison joke would've affected his effectiveness at the time. Had Pipsqueak come through the door first, he wasn't sure how he would've responded.

Based on her words, it seemed reasonable to conclude that the cyan pegasus had been giving the matter some measure of deep thought on her own, even if she was misrepresenting some of the relevant details. In which case the surprises simply continued to mount as this day continued.

"No," he replied simply.

It was interesting to observe these ponies. The more sedate he was, the more upset they appeared to grow with his lack of a reaction. Perhaps they had all arrived at the conclusion that they deserved to be struck with retribution for their actions, and his refusal to drop the proverbial hammer was simply making matters more unbearable for them?

He briefly considered that possibility for a moment. Under the guise of friendship, perhaps it would be appropriate to berate them for their various actions, and give them whatever sense of punishment they felt that they had earned, assuaging them of whatever guilt they were carrying around, in order to help them focus on the more important matters at hand.

He considered such. But ultimately decided against it. Whatever pain they were in, they had earned it. And it would serve as an effective educator, and motivate them to not do something similar again in the future.

What could be better justified under the guise of friendship, than taking a course of action to try and teach them how to be strong on their own?

"Why not?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Was she quite serious with this line of questioning? This was rather unusual behavior to engage in. He couldn't help but wonder what currently drove her, spurring her onward in her quest for answers as to his reasoning.

"In your own words on the subject of friendship, the true measure is how others respond after realizing they have done something wrong. You have come to the conclusion that what you did was wrong, that point was reinforced by what happened to Ponyville during our absence, and it's unlikely that you would ever take such a course of action again," he explained calmly. Not that he doubted their potential for stupidity and short-sightedness. But after realizing that other ponies died while they had him distracted, he doubted even they would forget about that.

He waited. There was no immediate response from Rainbow Dash, nor any of the others at present time. With no disturbance he continued speaking once again.

"There is also the matter that I am at least partially responsible for the events that transpired. During my journey into the Everfree Forest I was warned about the presence of poison joke by Zecora. She warned to avoid the main path due to overgrowth, and instead take a longer route for the purpose of safety. Suspecting that something may occur during my absence, I chose to disregard her words and travel the shortest path, believing that my sonido would prove adequate against its presence. Knowing that such is not the case, that is a course of action I will not be taking again. Had I not presented such an opening in the first place, there would have been nothing for you to exploit. Therefore the only thing appropriate for me to say in this situation is touché," he explained calmly.

He couldn't deny that he was at fault to some degree, it would be a matter of being dishonest with himself. However he didn't necessarily have to admit to such a fact either. The only reason he had done so right now was to try and make an effort to put an end to this current line of discussion. Pride was never a strong point of his anyway.

More silence around the room. A longer stretch of silence than what he'd been met with previously. Perhaps it was safe to assume the discussion was now over, and he could return his attention not only to the front door, but also the territory surrounding the library.

"Now wait just a second here!"

This time it was Pinkie Pie that spoke up and brought his attention back to them. The way things were proceeding currently, this could be a very long conversation that was being had.

"If you don't think we're gonna use poison joke on you on purpose, then why'd you even mention it in the first place? What was the point of all that?" she asked him.

It was a fair question to ask, all things considered. She did raise a good point. Why bother bringing up the possibility of poisoning, only to inform them that he didn't believe they would stoop to such a tactic?

"Merely to serve as motivation to not try such, even if at some point down the line it may seem like a valid notion," he explained. He felt the urge to go further in his explanation, to point out that such a tactic hardly matched up with all the explanations and definitions of friendship. However he knew that such would be redundant at this point in time, and thus saw no reason to truly do such.

"You jerk," Reainbow Dash growled in response to his statement and banged her hoof on the table, clearly dissatisfied with him. "And to think I was willing to see about getting you a nice big juicy piece of meat..."

There was a snickering that followed Rainbow Dash's statement, followed by a crashing noise, and intense, riotous laughter immediately after. All eyes turned to see the source of the commotion, and found Spike to be rolling about on the floor after having fallen out of his chair, laughing uncontrollably as he gripped his stomach and sides.

"Okay I'm lost, what's so funny?" Rainbow Dash asked, utterly lost by this sudden change of events.

"Yeah Spike, if there's something so funny that you fell out of your chair, then you should share it with your friends, they might wanna laugh too," Pinkie pointed out. Not that it did much good though.

Twilight didn't share the same interest in Spike's current laughing fit as her friends. While they might be in the dark about what was going on, she at the very least had an idea on what her little dragon was laughing at. And it was anything but polite in nature. She wanted to scold him at least a little for his crudeness, but at the same time she knew that it really wasn't his fault. Ulquiorra had presented the setup to them for consideration, and Rainbow Dash had unknowingly contributed with a line that could so easily be misconstrued as something else. If she got upset with him, then she'd have to get upset at both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie for that belching contest last month; which would involve being upset at herself, as she had allowed herself to get drawn into it and actually participate. It'd been rude, crude, obnoxious, and burnt her nostrils when she'd choked, but she'd participated regardless. She really couldn't go acting all high and mighty on this.

So instead of doing anything hypocritical, she simply levitated Spike off the ground, dusted him off, and righted his chair before sitting him back down again.

"I fail to see the humor of the situation," Ulquiorra commented dryly.

"Yer not the only one," Applejack replied before she turned her head back to face Spike again. "Wha's so funny anyway Spike?"

Twilight tried not to frown at the way things were progressing. Spike's riotous behavior was going to make it incredibly difficult to exercise any measure of decorum with these proceedings. Everyone was becoming very interested in what Spike had been laughing at, meaning they were looking for an explanation. Unfortunately an explanation was going to mean everyone finding out about Ulquiorra's theory, and embarrassing Rainbow Dash at the same time. She'd hoped that she could explain the situation in private to her flying friend, but even if she found a way to excuse herself and lure Rainbow Dash to a more private setting, that would leave Spike unsupervised, and he might think nothing of making a crude revelation. She was, regrettably, going to need to do something to prevent that... or at least mitigate the damage somehow.

"Earlier in the day Ulquiorra pointed out several specific instances he noticed that, when viewed in a certain context, would suggest there's a certain carnal desire in effect that may lead to-"

"Egghead, just spit it out already," Rainbow Dash interrupted, not having the patience to listen as her friend worked up to whatever she was trying to say. "What's wrong with simple, easy to understand terms that everypony can understand?" she asked.

Now Twilight was getting mad. She was trying to explain the situation cautiously, delicately, and with as much tact as possible when considering just what was being discussed. But Rainbow Dash apparently didn't have enough patience for that approach, nor appreciation for the fact that she was trying not to embarrass her. But apparently she wasn't in the mood to appreciate the gravity of the situation.

Well if that was the case, then there was nothing she could do but give Rainbow Dash exactly what she wanted, and let her deal with the consequences for herself. That thought almost made her grin wickedly.

"Alright then, Rainbow Dash," she replied. Rainbow Dash wanted simple, easy to understand terms? Then she was going to get them. "It would seem that you've given Ulquiorra the impression that you want him to bend you over, and rut you until you can't even stand up."

Spike, who had been calming down from his laughing fit at this point, had stared in utter disbelief at Twilight's words and the bluntness of them, before immediately starting to laugh all over again. The others had settled in simply staring in shocked disbelief, except for Rainbow Dash, who nearly choked as a result.

"W-what!?" she croaked loudly. Was this Twilight's idea of a practical joke? Was she trying to prove that she could keep pace with both her and Pinkie? It had to be something like that, Twilight would never say something like that normally. "What the... h-how... who the... but I... and they... what in..." she stuttered incoherently in response, her attempts at communication intermixed with random sputtering from disbelief. Finally, and with much effort, she managed to construct a coherent response. "Where'd he get such a dumb idea in the first place!?"

"I believe the slang term "wingboner" was used to describe part of the relevant behavior of this case," Ulquiorra replied simply. He truly hadn't expected this development to occur, but now that it had, he was mildly curious to see where this would lead. But so far it was doing nothing but causing a notable blush to develop and bleed through the cyan mare's coat.

"W-wingboners?" Rainbow Dash asked in disbelief. Where'd he learn that term? Who'd he been talking to? No, seriously, who had he been talking to? Who had been talking to him? How did something like that even come up in a conversation? And how would it come up in a conversation that he'd take part in?

Off to the side she suddenly heard some dainty laugh taking place, and spun her head around to glare at Rarity as she hid her mouth behind her hoof. As if that was actually fooling anyone. "And just what's so funny?" she demanded to know.

"Nothing at all, darling, I assure you. I'm being quite serious about this new development," Rarity said as she cleared her throat and attempted to calm her friend down. "I'm just wondering if my services will be needed in the near future, that's all."

"Say what?" Rainbow Dash asked, instantly going from annoyed to outright confused by that statement.

"Well if your interest in Ulquiorra is really that strong, I would hope you would go out on at least one date beforehoof," Rarity explained as she did her best to be serious. "So tell me, darling, could I interest you in a nice dress for your big night? Perhaps a nice black silk number to contrast with his standard clothing? Or do you favor plain white with black edging?"

Rainbow Dash didn't know what came first; her surprised sputtering at what Rarity was suggesting, or the riotous laughter from her friends around her at what the fashionista was saying. She was quickly moving away from confusion, and back towards anger once again from the teasing she was on the receiving end of.

She quickly took a headcount of what was going on around her. Over by the door Ulquiorra was standing as stone faced as ever, not showing any sort of reaction from what had been said. That nearly scared her worse than if he had reacted, as that blank slate expression made it impossible to determine what was really going on inside his head. Was he upset? Was he embarrassed? Was he actually liking the idea?

Next up was Twilight herself. She looked somewhat amused, but not nearly as much as the others. Was this payback for interrupting her explanation of the situation? Then again she didn't look like she was having the most fun here, so she didn't know what to make of it.

And then there was Fluttershy. Out of those assembled at the table, she seemed the least amused. If anything she looked uncomfortable and even embarrassed. At least there was that. At least one of her friends had some decency to her. She couldn't say the same for Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, or even Spike. They were having way too much fun with this at her expense.

And then, like a buck to the face, a thought came to her. It wasn't exactly the nicest of thoughts to ever cross her mind, that much was certain. But right now she wasn't feeling all that nice, so she was willing to work with it.

"Alright you ponies, laugh it up," she chided them, before turning her attention back to the giggling Rarity. "Crack whatever jokes you want. At least I'm not the one who decided to make him new clothes to wear." That got Rarity's attention. Perfect. "I bet you had a lot of fun using that measuring tape on him, huh? How close did you have to get for those measurements? Did you take them with his jacket on? Or did you make him take it off so you could get a better look at his physique first? How much ogling went on during that time, under the guise of genuine research?"

Now it was Rainbow Dash's turn to smirk as Rarity's demeanor changed from amused to embarrassed, the coat around her cheeks staining a nice, vibrant pink from the blush underneath her fur. Off to the side she noticed as Spike's own laughing came to a halt as well. Two for the price of one, and now onto the next one as the fashionista attempted to protest. Applejack would be next.

"And at least I never planned on putting him to use in order to get my chores done," she stated, bringing the farmpony back into the realm of seriousness. "So what was it behind your motivation, AJ? Was it the idea of him being able to buck trees at the speed of his sonido that got you excited? Or the possibility of him getting all hot and sweaty in the afternoon sun? What, some farmer's thing about manual labor and such? What other kind of physical activities did you have planned for him?"

"W-what in tarnation!?" Applejack choked in protest as her cheeks nearly turned as red as her own cutie marks. What was that featherbrained pegasus even talking about? Off to the left of the table the only one left laughing was Pinkie. And the fact that she was laughing at their own flustered status was quickly becoming annoying. Now she had an idea of what Rainbow Dash had felt like just a minute ago.

Rainbow Dash smirked as she turned her attention to the last one laughing at the table, ready to let her have it as well. But then she stopped in her proverbial tracks. She was coming up blank on just what she could bring up, that could possibly have such connotations that would indicate physical attraction between her and the Espada. Darn it!

"Uh... somepony help me out here?" she asked.

"Pajamas?" Spike offered up without even thinking about it. That was an unfortunate side effect of being tasked with assisting others; sometimes you wound up speaking up when you should've just kept quiet.

Rainbow Dash thought for a second about what Spike had said, before remembering what he was talking about. Now that was some good material to work with,

"Right. Seriously Pinkie, you stuck the dude and yourself in pajamas without any hesitation," she pointed out, immediately bringing an end to the pink pony's laughter. "Pajamas. Maybe you were trying to tell us something back there? Maybe hinting at a little wish fulfillment perhaps?" she asked, watching with interest as Pinkie squirmed in discomfort at what was being suggested. And then she decided to go a bit further. "Maybe Pinkie could use your services more than I could, Rarity..."

Twilight would admit that she hadn't seen this development coming. She hadn't expected nearly this much humor to come about from her bluntness. But at the same time she was glad this was the way things unfolded, as it meant a lot less drama and difficulty would be experienced, from the notion of cross-species physical romance. As long as they could all trade laughs, things could be kept running smoothly.

That is, so long as nopony started getting cruel. Intervention might become necessary if Rainbow Dash started to really push the envelope here. Turnabout was fair play and all, but everything had its limits.

"Alright then, we've all had a chance for a good laugh. And I think we can all agree that, under the right circumstances, and in the right context, we've all done some things that could easily be misconstrued as something that they're not," she stated, making an effort to prevent things from turning ugly.

"And what did you do?" Rainbow Dash asked as she turned her attention toward her. She'd only been interested in making herself not be the center of attention in this particular case, and had gone about doing such by embarrassing the others in the same manner she'd been. But at hearing Twilight's words, she now became very curious. And at seeing her now flustered nature, she was getting even more curious.

"Me?" Twilight asked as she blinked. This certainly hadn't gone like she'd intended. But... there really wasn't any harm in sharing, was there? It's not like there was anything inherently wrong with it. And after everything that'd been said about their behavior, hers might pale in comparison. "Well on the first night we met, we were studying in the library and I sort of... fell asleep leaning against him..." she admitted sheepishly.

Rainbow Dash's response was to snort and snicker at her confession, obviously amused by what she had to say. Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy were neutral in appearance, and didn't do anything to suggest to her that they were taking any amusement from her story. However when it came to Pinkie she looked... confused. Confused and tilting her head to the side, much like a dog would do.

"What's so bad about that?" she asked, not getting it at all. "When I get tired I can sleep just about anywhere. There've been times I've fallen asleep standing up and in mid-sentence. Sorry, Twilight, I'm just not seeing it."

"I have to agree with Pinkie on this one, darling, we all know how devoted you can be to your studies. You falling asleep against something conveniently located is... more to be expected than seen as a source of amusement," Rarity replied.

At seeing their subdued reactions to her tale, Twilight didn't know whether she should feel relieved, or embarrassed. She'd thought that it was a pretty good story for comparison purposes, and she'd expected at least a little teasing to be had. But at the same time she was glad nopony had made an issue of it.

"I guess you're right. It's not like any of us have actually done anything questionable in nature," she agreed as she allowed her body to visibly relax.

"Maybe not, but I still feel weird for actually making somepony think I was interested in doing something like that," Rainbow Dash said as she turned her attention to Ulquiorra. "No offense, dude, you're awesome and all in what you can do, but I just don't go that way. The whole interspecies thing is just..." she paused as she tried to find the right word to describe the situation. Ultimately she couldn't do that, and rather than ask Twilight or Rarity for the appropriate phrase, she just continued on without it. "Earth ponies and unicorns, there's no issue there. The three pony tribes have been united for so long, nopony would even think twice. Zebras, still no issue, they're still equines and all. Gryphons... that's where it starts getting a little tricky. At least for me anyway. I was friends with Gilda and all, sure, but... ugh, I should've just kept my big mouth shut..."

"It's alright, Rainbow Dash, I think everyone gets the point you're trying to make," Twilight told her. She wasn't entirely sure about the others, but at least she had an idea of what her friend was saying. "But there's really nothing wrong with interspecies relationships, history is full of them. But those tend to involve members of species we've had long, long periods of interaction with; species that have been fully integrated and normalized into our society. Species that we've grown up with, and come to know about as well as we know ourselves."

"Geez, Egghead, way to beat a concept right into the ground like a tent peg. I think we get it already," Rainbow Dash complained. She almost preferred it when Twilight was being blunt and straight to the point, even if what she did have to say could be embarrassing. At least then she didn't feel compelled to keeping hammering it over and over again.

"... I'm a little confused. How exactly did we wind up having this discussion anyway?" Fluttershy asked as she finally spoke up.

"In simple terms, a series of events that involved numerous misunderstandings, including aspects of the carnivorous lifestyle, poison joke affliction, and certain displays and statements that could be misconstrued as signs of physical attraction," Ulquiorra replied. He'd been listening silently to the banter going about around the table, as the ponies attempted to embarrass one another by pointing out various behaviors on each of their parts, and how they could easily be interpreted as something that they weren't intended as. None of it truly held any relevance to him. The only reason he'd spoken up in the first place had been to cut through the foolishness in an effective manner.

At least this misunderstanding was now behind them. It would be one less thing he had to concern himself with. Although it was a little curious how his species was seen as important, but his ghostly status wasn't. Perhaps the concept of necrophilia was treated differently in this world.

"Okay, I guess that makes sense. But I still don't understand what got Spike laughing. I didn't say anything that funny, did I?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight knew that if the situation was explained from their perspective, Spike was going to start laughing again. So she decided it would be best to cut the little dragon off at the pass. Her bluntness last time hadn't yielded any significantly negative results, so maybe a second time wouldn't do any worse. It'd probably go over better than what she'd been saying just a minute ago. Maybe she just should've gone with "there's nothing wrong with ponies boning gryphons, or vice versa" or something like that. Oh well, that was neither here nor there. Right now she had something else to tend to.

"Well when looked at in the right context, what you said to Ulquiorra earlier in the conversation, about meat, could be construed as having a significantly perverted meaning to it. Something that isn't exactly discussed in polite company," Twilight explained, doing her best to keep her tone even and civil, rather than betraying her own amusement.

Alright so that wasn't exactly the most blunt of deliveries that could be given. She needed to give at least some consideration to the others present; or at least Rarity and Fluttershy. Spike might be a lost cause at this point, considering what he seemed to know despite his young age.

Rainbow Dash was silent, her confusion only growing, as she tried racking her brain in an effort to get what Twilight was saying. What had she said that could possibly be misconstrued and made into something perverted? All she could remember saying was... was...

She didn't even need a mirror at this point, she could feel her face contort in surprise as the realization suddenly came up and smacked her in the face full force. And once she realization was made, she couldn't help but vocally groan at her own stupidity, and lack of critical thinking. "Oh fuck me..."

"I believe you already explained that you weren't interested in such an endeavor," Ulquiorra replied dryly. However he stopped short of asking her what had changed her mind, as he truly wasn't interested one way or the other.

Immediately Spike started laughing all over again. Or at least he would've been, if he wasn't using both of his hands to desperately keep his mouth clamped shut. And was currently losing the struggle.

"What?" Rainbow Dash asked, both confused and annoyed now.

"You're really not helping yourself with stuff like that, Rainbow Dash," Twilight pointed out, doing a better job of keeping her amusement to herself at that point. But just barely.

"Wait, what?" Rainbow Dash asked. She was beginning to get very, very frustrated at what felt like being on the edge of an inside joke, and constantly delivering the punchline without even realizing it. Everypony was having a laugh at her expense. "Are you saying... wait, that's what that means!?" she asked, taken by surprise at what was being suggested.

"It's an amazingly versatile and flexible word," Twilight said simply and shrugged in response. And it really was amazing. She remembered her conversation with Ulquiorra when he'd agreed to teach her some of the words that were native to his own world. And when that word in particular had come up, it had been difficult to get a proper grasp on the proper context, when it had such a simple meaning. Why exactly did a word that basically meant fornication, get used not only as a noun, but also as a verb, a adjective, and an adverb? It violated all the basic rules of grammar.

And yet despite that fact, she had found that it seemed so, so appropriate to use in a number of circumstances.

"Well then," Rarity said slowly, "if Ulquiorra's dialect is going to be integrated into our own, due to continued interaction on all of our parts, perhaps it would be best to learn the full meaning of it. After all, a lady doesn't go about hurling profanities at the drop of a hat, even if she has no idea what they mean."

Across the table Rainbow Dash just groaned and rested her head on the smooth wood. Why couldn't Twilight have told her about all this beforehoof? Why did she have to wait until now, after she'd embarrassed herself, to let her know what she was saying? Worse than that, why did she have to wait until after she'd practically cursed out Princess Celestia!?

"Note to self. Don't be saying any of these words around Scoots, or the other Crusaders," she told herself. The last thing she wanted to do was teach those fillies dirty words and get in trouble for it. She could get herself in trouble just fine without the help of others. And she really didn't need to be blamed with corrupting the youth of Ponyville, by teaching them fancy foreign profanities and expletives.

That was all the more reason to agree with Rarity. If Twilight would teach them what she had learned from the Espada, then they could avoid any similar unpleasant situations in the future.

Ulquiorra simply continued his silence. None of this held any relevance to him. And unless there were anymore surprise developments, he could go back to performing his duties in an undisturbed manner. Was that really too much to ask for?

Author's Note

The really annoying part about this chapter is that I had Twilight's newly discovered love for fast food drafted weeks before "Twilight Time" came along and made it canon to the show. What started as an uncanny prediction about possible character depth now looks like I'm just acknowledging the source material.

Chapter Forty Seven

Chapter Forty Seven

"Hey girls, wait a minute! I just thought of something really super duper important!"

Apparently the answer to his question was, yes, being left undisturbed to carry out his assigned duties was indeed too much to ask for. The excited chatter of Pinkie Pie from behind him was enough to distract almost anyone. He had to focus harder on tuning her out, and not allow her to serve as a distraction.

"Ulqy said he got exposed to poison joke when he just boomed right through it on the way back from Zecora's didn't he? Doesn't that mean that, at most, it only took fifteen minutes for him to have a full blown case of it? That's really, really fast to go from exposure to affliction. That's like anaphylactic shock speeds isn't it?"

And just like that, he stopped focusing on trying to ignore the pink earth pony in favor of what was going on outside the library. He could speculate on how this world knew about concepts such as anaphylaxis, but he was more curious as to just where Pinkie Pie was going with this.

"I know that nopony's immune to poison joke, but when we get exposed we at least have a few hours delay before the onset of any symptoms starts. But if poor Ulqy gets exposed he's affected immediately. And what if it's not even the plants responsible? What if he's vulnerable to the pollen!? If that's the case then it's not safe for him to go into the Everfree Forest at all."

Curiouser, and curiouser. This was not a development he could have foreseen taking shape. Was this in response to his earlier remark suggesting that they might stoop to poisoning him for their own benefit? It seemed unlikely at best, but nothing could be ruled out just yet.

"I honestly don't think things are quite that serious, Pinkie. At least not quiet yet. It's true that the exposure to affliction time frame was incredibly short under these circumstances. But it's incredibly unlikely at best, that Ulquiorra is so hypersensitive to poison joke, that he's vulnerable to the pollen itself. There's never been a reported case of such a serious allergic reaction before; either here, or anywhere else in Equestria that we have contact with. It's... unprecedented," Twilight explained calmly.

"No offense, Twilight, but ah kinda think this whole darn situation is unprecedented. Ain' never been another Hollow in Equestria before. We don' know sick 'um 'bout wha's normal and wha' ain't," Applejack pointed out. This whole conversation was starting to remind her of the first time they'd seen what Ulquiorra could do, and how effortlessly he could do it if he pleased. Twilight had objected to how badly Ulquiorra had violated the known laws of physics in his fight with the dragon, and it'd been her that pointed out how him not being native to their world meant he probably wasn't bound by the same rules that they were.

Granted this was a different situation entirely. In the first case it'd been a way of explaining just how Ulquiorra could easily kick so much flank, on top of walking on air the same way Rainbow Dash walked on clouds. It'd been a way of justifying how he could demonstrate a degree of strength that exceeded what the size of his muscles would suggest being possible. But this time around it was a matter of explaining just why the Espada might be vulnerable to poison joke, in a manner that made him far more sensitive to it than any of them were. Right now it was the only thing that really made any sense to her.

"Hmm..." Twilight mumbled as she rubbed her chin. Applejack did raise a good point with that. There was still so very much about Ulquiorra that they simply didn't know. Everything so far had been nothing but assumption, with occasional peeks at what was just below the surface. And sometimes that lack of information could just be so frustrating to contend with, as it made it very difficult to know the safe limitations of his abilities, and how he could be properly utilized.

No wait, that sounded far too cold. That train of thought made it seem like Ulquiorra was nothing more than a tool, no different from a hammer or a hacksaw. But he wasn't that, he was an intelligence, sentient, living -somewhat- being. He was their friend... or at the very least he was her friend, he'd said so himself. They weren't trying to use him like he was just a throwaway commodity, but rather they were trying to figure out how to best utilize his strengths, in situations where their own was inadequate. And in return they would do the same for him... once they determined what he was inadequate in dealing with. That's what friends did for one another.

"You raise a very good point, Applejack, we really don't know how Ulquiorra might be affected by poison joke. We have no idea what his level of resistance is, nor do we know if environmental conditions play any part in it," she admitted.

"... So what exactly are we waiting for? Let's do it! Tomorrow morning I'll fly out to Zecora's and get her to whip up some more antidote, and then we can go from there," Rainbow Dash stated.

"Rainbow Dash, are you actually suggesting we experiment on Ulquiorra like he's a lab animal?" Twilight asked incredulously. Was her friend seriously suggesting that they have a repeat of earlier today? Had she forgotten how much trouble they'd gotten into for what they'd done? "Didn't you learn anything from earlier today?"

Rainbow Dash frowned momentarily in response to Twilight's question, as well as her attitude. Here she was making a serious suggestion, and she was getting nothing but hostility in response. But undeterred, she continued onward. "You don't think I learned anything from what went down today? Trust me, I learned plenty. That's why I suggested getting the antidote first. We've got a flank-load of questions with no answers, and I suggest that we do something productive about that, instead of just sitting around and twiddling our hooves," she stated as she stood up from where she sat, resting her front hooves on the table to get more altitude as she addressed Twilight. "We're not experimenting on him. Or at least not for stupid, selfish reasons this time. He's putting himself on the line to keep us safe from whatever might be trying to kill us. Don't you think we owe him, in trying to figure out just how much of a risk he's at?"

"I'm inclined to agree with Rainbow Dash on this one. It's something that we need to know, and it's also something that Ulquiorra deserves to know. It needs to be determined how much of a threat he's facing just by being here, in such close proximity to the Everfree Forest, and who knows how much poison joke currently in bloom. If he's vulnerable to a northbound wind then I'd say that's quite important," Rarity explained.

Ulquiorra listened as the group discussed matters that related to him. They were actually displaying concern for his own wellbeing. He could easily write it off as an exercise of what was in their own best interest, with them realizing that should he become incapacitated, their lives -and Equestria itself by extension- would be put at risk. It would be a logical conclusion to reach under any circumstances, seeing as he was quite possibly the only thing keeping them alive right now. They couldn't be faulted for considering what was in their best interest; not when there was so much at stake. With the wellbeing of the world tied to their own wellbeing, it was all the more logical that they would be concerned.

And yet the manner in which they were carrying on, didn't specifically sound like such a train of thought was what they were engaging in. There were too many references to his wellbeing and such. Were they genuinely concerned more about him than his abilities, and what they stood to get out of them?

Was this what it was like to actually have friends? To have others concern themselves with your condition rather than their own, even if they were the ones that faced the most danger?

"-and that's why I don't buy discount mayonnaise anymore!"

Sometimes, he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he became too absorbed in his own thoughts. This was at least the second time he'd missed whatever Pinkie Pie had been saying. But if she was merely talking about her foodstuffs buying habits, he truly couldn't see the importance of it all. However paying attention from here on out would probably be a very good idea.

At the table where she sat, Twilight was currently pinching the bridge of her muzzle with her hooves. With the exception of Pinkie's little contribution, each of her friends had made very good points as to why they should go through with this idea of theirs. They had all provided a coherent, well thought out justification for why they should experiment on Ulquiorra. This was a lot like earlier today, regardless of the reasoning and motivation behind their respective positions.

"So what do you think we should do, Twilight?" she heard Rarity ask. She looked up at her friends with a tired expression as she considered everything.

"I think it's Ulquiorra's decision, seeing as he can actually give or withhold informed consent under these circumstances," Twilight replied as she turned her attention to the Espada by the front door. These proceedings involved him directly, so it was only fair that he be involved as well. "What do you want to do, Ulquiorra? What's your opinion on the matter?"

And now it was back to him. It seemed like he was going to be directly involved in this discussion no matter what approach was attempted.

"A number of good points have been made so far," he spoke as he walked toward the table where the others sat. "We have very little information to go on. We know that I'm vulnerable to poison joke just as everyone else is. However we don't yet know just how vulnerable. It's a valid point that the only way to determine the level of vulnerability is controlled exposure, to ever-increasing amounts in order to determine the precise threshold. To choose not to proceed would pose as a breach of security, and gross negligence on my part," he explained as he stood before them, looking over at each of them as he spoke. "And as you have pointed out, unlike last time, I am fully able to give my consent to these proceedings, and make an informed decision about how to proceed. Furthermore I would be lax in my duties if I were to refuse. And as Rainbow Dash has said, we'll have the antidote on hand for when it's needed. Everything will be a controlled situation this time around."

Twilight didn't know how precisely to take Ulquiorra's consent to the proceedings. On the one hoof it was a perfectly logical decision to make, and she knew that if Ulquiorra had any personal opinions on the matter, he wouldn't allow them to get in the way of his duties to Celestia, because that would be an emotional reaction fueled by spite. And both spite and emotion were two things Ulquiorra wasn't about.

But on the other hoof, Ulquiorra appeared to more or less be consenting to letting them drug him, and trusting them to not have their way with him... Alright that sounded incredibly dirty. She needed to rephrase that. Perhaps she should say that Ulquiorra was actually willing to trust them to be responsible with this newfound position of control that they might be gaining over him and... no that didn't sound any better. This was all Rainbow Dash's fault, she had to go and use that double entendre that got this whole mess kicked off in the first place.

Alright, time to try this one more time. Ulquiorra was willing to trust them, to not become corrupted by this newfound power that his potentially impaired condition might grant them. He was actually trusting them to be responsible. Yeah, that sounded much better in her mind. Then again while it didn't sound as dirty, it sounded quite preposterous in nature. Ulquiorra actually willing to exercise friendship lesson number two with them? Seriously? There was a great bit that could be drawn from that. Either he really was understanding what friendship was about, and he was demonstrating that fact right now... or he was recognizing the dire nature of the situation, and simply responding accordingly. Whatever the exact reasoning, it was going to be interesting.

"Well then, I guess tomorrow we're going to be busy," she stated.

"Perhaps even more so than we assume," Rarity replied, "in the event that we discover Ulquiorra is sensitive to the pollen of poison joke, perhaps we should have another set of clothes on hoof. Zecora's antidote might take care of whatever symptoms come about, but it won't do anything to get the pollen out of his uniform. Under the worst case scenario, he may need to have it washed after every visit. And for the sake of modesty for those that value it, a change of clothing would definitely be a good idea."

"Isn't that just a bit excessive, Rarity? I get that whites are hard to keep clean and all, but seriously? Washing his clothes after every visit? What in Tartarus for?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"To remove whatever pollen he might pick up during his time here, Rainbow Dash. The antidote might cure him, but it can't render someone immune against continuous exposure. Any pollen stuck to his clothing is bound to come into contact with his skin, and merely reinfect him," Rarity explained.

"So how come he's not covered in spots again already?"

Everyone looked to where Spike was currently standing. He did raise a very good point with his question; good enough that Ulquiorra was already rolling up his sleeve to inspect his skin for any new spots. If he were truly hypersensitive to poison joke pollen, why was his skin currently clear? Perhaps the affliction only generated spots some of the time? It was possibly, but there was no definite answer to be had currently.

"Metabolism perhaps? He drank the antidote rather than bathing in it, maybe it's still coursing through his system and hasn't broken down yet, meaning it could be preventing reoccurrence at the moment if his clothes are currently saturated," Twilight suggested. It seemed to make the most amount of sense right about now.

"Then perhaps it would be best if I go back to the Carousel Boutique now, and start work on a new set of clothes for Ulquiorra. He may be in need of a shower sooner than we thought," Rarity replied as she stood up from where she sat, ready to head back out and get to cracking right away. She was in a situation where her special talent was quite necessary, and she simply couldn't ignore that fact.

"I'd recommend against that. As late as it is, it's going to be pouring out there by the time you get done making the dude a new set of clothes. You're gonna be soaked, and then we'd never hear the end of how your mane's styling has been ruined by the deluge," Rainbow Dash objected, more so out of wanting to avoid hearing Rarity's incessant complaining about the matter than anything else.

"There are some things more important than my coiffure, darling, and this is most certainly one of them. I would be undeserving of the Element of Generosity if I allowed something like my mane to stand in the way of ensuring the wellbeing of another," Rarity explained.

Applejack just shook her head and silently stood up. She and Rarity might not get along the best out of everyone, but she still had an understanding of how her friend's mind worked. And as a result she knew that trying to talk her out of a generosity kick would take more time than it would to simply let her do what she was setting out to do.

"Ah might not be a fancy seamstress, but ah'll go with ya anyway, jus' in case somethin' happens," she explained. If something did occur and Rarity was targeted while she was away, at least she wouldn't be on her own.

"Separating isn't advised under the present circumstances," Ulquiorra spoke up. Division meant greater security risks to contend with. That was why all eight of them would be spending the night together. Had they already forgotten as much?

"Well... we could all go with Rarity over to the Carousel Boutique while she works. Then we wouldn't be separated and at risk. And it's really not much different from being here at the library," Fluttershy suggested.

"I can't," Twilight stated in response. There was nothing wrong with Fluttershy's logic as far as she could see. But there was more involved than simply remaining together. To emphasize that fact the levitated the ancient tome into view again. "I have to stay here and study this. And considering its importance I don't want it to leave the library, not even for a little while. Anything could happen."

"The matter goes deeper than simply being in the company of each other. Even if everyone is present and accounted for at Rarity's place of business, the Elements of Harmony would still be present here, and once again left vulnerable. It would be necessary for myself to remain here and safeguard them," Ulquiorra pointed out. That was about the only shortcoming in the logic of Fluttershy's suggestion. And if Twilight Sparkle was going to be present, then he would need to remain behind even more so. However it was looked at, splitting up presented a security risk.

"Oh I don't think you'll need to worry about that anytime soon, Ulquiorra, the Elements of Harmony are well secured where they are. In truth I don't think even you could gain access to them currently," Twilight stated in an effort to assuage his concerns. However all she got for her efforts were seven sets of eyes upon her, and looking at her in disbelief. Perhaps she should've phrased that a little differently. "There's a number of spells in place to prevent them from being stolen. If you don't believe me, just try and lift the case and see what happens," she explained.

Ulquiorra remained silent as he listened to the explanation, and the resulting challenge to disprove what was being said. He looked over at the glass case that proudly displayed the Elements of Harmony, standing openly by the stairs that led up to the second story of the library. He'd been in this world long enough to know that not everything that existed could be seen. But he still doubted the legitimacy of Twilight Sparkle's words. Wordlessly he stepped over to the case and stood before it, before reaching out with one hand in an effort to lift the case off its pedestal.

Much to his surprise the case refused to budge from its resting place. This was rather curious in nature. He flexed his muscles a little more in an effort to overcome whatever resistance it was the held the case in place. There was still no response to be had. Now he was becoming very intrigued by this development. He could easily overpower a dragon with one hand, and yet this case couldn't be moved?

"I'd suggest using both hands if you still have doubts. But if you did, the wood of the floor might give way first," Twilight spoke up. She could tell that Ulquiorra was actually struggling in an effort to lift the case from its pedestal, and getting nowhere in the process. It was actually odd to observe, someone being so strong, and yet being incapable of doing anything with all of that strength he had under his control. She could've let him continue struggling, but she didn't want to actually see him get frustrated, and by extension, see what he might do as a result. "The glass itself is also heavily shielded by magic. It's protected by a constantly active, passive forcefield, that draws mana from the surrounding territory to maintain itself. When any kinetic force is detected on the surface area, the forcefield switches to active use, and goes about converting kinetic energy into is fuel source to sustain itself," she explained, her words carrying a sense of pride with them.

"Meaning... what exactly?" Rainbow Dash asked, utterly lost by her words.

"In simple terms, Rainbow Dash, the harder you try and hit it, the stronger the shield becomes as a result of the force applied to it," Twilight elaborated.

"Fascinating," Ulquiorra replied and gave the glass an experimental flick, the simple gesture failing to display the sheer degree of strength that was transmitted through his fingers. Immediately the surface was distorted by a flickering magenta energy field coming into full view. Quite fascinating. "A creative safeguard. However what safeguards are in place should someone not attempt force to gain entry? What if someone were to use a glass cutting tool in an effort to steal the Elements of Harmony?" he asked her.

"A forcefield on the inside of the glass, working in tandem with the forcefield on the outside," Twilight replied simply. "Some of it is Celestia's work, the rest is mine. Unless all the spells are deactivated, I honestly don't believe that anything could get through. I don't even think you could get through."

"I don't know, Twilight, Ulqy's pretty darn strong. I've got twenty bits that says he could do it if he really, really wanted to," Pinkie replied.

"Yeah, sorry Twi', but I'm with Pinkie on this one. Anyone that can punch out a dragon isn't going to be stopped by a simple forcefield. You saw what he did the last time he was up against one, even if it was stretched kinda thin," Rainbow Dash added.

"That was a forcefield I was actively maintaining by myself, Rainbow Dash. It was limited by what I could do on my own. This one is self-supporting in nature, and would draw their strength from whatever Ulquiorra could do in an effort to gain entry. It's not that I doubt his strength, I really don't. It's just that the nature of the spells negate that strength. You're talking about matters that are more or less of an impossibility in this case," Twilight explained, doing her best to remain calm about the notion of her friends actually gambling on the matter of whether or not Ulquiorra could actually bypass the forcefields.

"Then perhaps it is a hypothesis that deserves testing," Ulquiorra replied as he stepped away from the pedestal and looked back at them. "You're quite certain the Elements of Harmony are in no risk of being pilfered?" he asked as he turned his attention to where Twilight Sparkle stood.

"... Certain enough that I'd rather not see you possibly break your hand while trying to prove otherwise," Twilight replied slowly, uncertain on whether or not Ulquiorra might actually try something like that in the name of being thorough. She certainly couldn't put it past him to try something like that.

That... that was a new one, Ulquiorra noted. He was fully prepared to do just that if it was necessary to test the stability of her security measures. What was a hand to him, when he could easily make the damaged tissue and structure repair itself? He knew that they couldn't tell of his high-speed regeneration abilities, as they hadn't been informed of such an ability before. But regardless of that fact, these ponies were starting to show more concern for his wellbeing, even if that concern would put their own wellbeing at risk in the process.

"Is this what it's like to have friends?" he asked himself curiously as he looked over each of them, trying to make sense of these strange developments. There was a great amount to take in and try to analyze. "Does having friends mean that they will willingly disregard concern for their own wellbeing, in order to focus on your own?" he asked himself further. The descriptions of friendship that they had given him over the course of the day would certainly suggest that such was the case. However actually seeing them being employed before him was something new to experience. It was a practice that struck him as odd. These organic, living, frail beings were showing more concern for him than they should. He was more or less dead already, so what difference did it make it he was harmed in some manner? His ultimate purpose in this world was to protect these ponies and their corresponding Elements of Harmony from harm. His level of comfort and wellbeing was ultimately inconsequential.

So why couldn't they see that for themselves? Was it a matter of guilt over what had happened earlier today? If it was, then it was ultimately a futile gesture on their part. Why was it so hard for them to understand that he didn't hold a grudge against them? If he held any negative position on the matter, it was simply with how they had taken a course of action that put them at such risk; a course of action that had been corrected by the Cutie Mark Crusaders taking it upon themselves to do what the adults of their world had not done.

"To think it would be five children who demonstrate the first truly selfless act of friendship," he thought to himself. Perhaps it was irony, or perhaps it was something else. Whatever it was, it was worth noticing. The others, Twilight Sparkle and the rest, it could be argued that they all had something to gain from their interactions with him, and were either consciously or subconsciously working towards goals of their own. Apple Bloom and the others, however, didn't appear to harbor such from what he could see, and had set out to acquire the antidote simply because it had been the right thing to do. Perhaps they were simply too young to understand the finer points of quid pro quo. Whatever the reasoning, there was nothing to do about it right now. There were bigger issues at hand.

"Assuming you're correct about the safeguards in place to protect the Elements of Harmony, what of yourself? Can you adequately split your concentration, to not only deploy and maintain a forcefield, but also focus on learning what the tome in question has to offer?" he asked the lavender unicorn.

"Easily," Twilight replied without even stopping to think, "Rarity's not the only one skilled with multitasking abilities."

He was well aware of that fact. However there was still a lack of certainty over just how much concentration was needed to maintain a forcefield, and if that concentration was dependent upon both the size and the supplied power. Could the library be shielded if her concentration on one area wavered in favor of another? Would she become distracted by a complicated spell and opt to drop the forcefield to free up her thought process? There were too many variables present to account for currently. Too many things that could go wrong.

"A change of clothes and a shower can wait until later. The hour is too late to justify such an endeavor," he stated simply.

"But Ulqy," Pinkie Pie began as she gave him a look of concern. It was almost strange to observe such. "What if you're covered in pollen and break out in the middle of the night when we can't get out and get you an antidote? Twilight might be able to whip one up, but some of the ingredients can only be found in the Everfree Forest. It'd be too dangerous to go out in the middle of a storm to get what we'd need," she explained.

"Should I once again become afflicted with poison joke during the course of the night, then the theory presented by Rarity and the others will be confirmed as a matter of fact rather than mere speculation. We will be able to determine that whatever level of saturation my clothing has suffered, is either enough to trigger a response, or it is not," he explained, mainly to try and keep everyone from rushing off in a manner that would leave them vulnerable and exposed. The hour was growing later and later, and even with his pesquisa, the dark shrouded many things that weren't always there in the light. Simply because he could see them and sense them, didn't mean that he was willing to take the chance if it could actually be avoided.

"Are you really sure you want to do that?" Fluttershy asked him. When he turned his attention to her she flinched under his gaze. As to be expected. "What I mean is... it's really not any trouble for us to go ahead and go over to Rarity's to get you some new clothes made," she explained.

"My assigned duty is to provide protection to your group, as well as Ponyville in general for the time being. Looking out for your wellbeing is not something I can adequately do, if you're all running around in an effort to try and look out for mine," he stated simply.

"But that's what friends do for each other, silly, they look out for each other when they're in need," Pinkie replied.

"Friends," Ulquiorra mentally repeated to himself. Pinkie Pie had simply hurled it out with such disregard and optimism, as if it meant absolutely nothing to present the title to one or another. Even after everything it still struck him as foreign. He had an understanding of the basics that went into structuring the concept that amounted to friendship. But it was nothing more than a basic understanding at best. He could see how it might apply under these circumstances. He could even understand how these ponies might believe that they all were friends with one another. But none of that meant he could truly grasp the depths of the understanding that could be had.

When he'd started off this endeavor in the morning, it had been for a simple overall purpose. He'd set out to make these ponies believe that their efforts in helping him gather an understanding of friendship had been successful, which would then be used to motivate them to let the issue drop, in order to make them resume their responsibilities of keeping him informed about the day-to-day occurrences happening around Ponyville. It had been nothing more than an effort to make them straighten up, fly right, and stop focusing on irrelevant matters that had no bearing on more important issues that simply couldn't wait.

However things were no longer that simple. What had started out as an attempt to make these ponies focus, had quickly become muddled by unexpected discoveries, an unforeseen poisoning, a brazen daylight attack practically in his presence, and a significant number of deaths occurring as a result. And now they all found themselves here, trying to make sense of everything that'd happened over the course of the day, and addressing a number of varying topics that seemed to bear no relation to one another.

To say that he wasn't entirely certain what to think right now, would be an understatement.

"And you do pretty much need us right now. You said that yourself back in Canterlot," Pinkie pointed out.

She was correct that he had made such a statement in the immediate aftermath of Chrysalis' defeat, when he'd realized there was far more going on than originally suspected. He had needed these ponies to keep him updated on what took place when he wasn't present. However he hadn't meant to suggest that he needed them for other matters unrelated to reconnaissance gathering. They could prove very useful as sources of information, but that didn't translate into being necessary for everyday things. At least not in his mind anyway. Perhaps he hadn't properly phrased that to them, and the misunderstanding was his fault rather than theirs.

"It's true that I did make such a statement. However that was with regard to gathering information that could be used to ensure not only your continued safety, but the safety of Equestria itself. I possess no need for creature comforts, which is what a new suit of clothes would qualify as. And even though you believe they are warranted, I can't allow them to take precedent and create a breach of security," he explained in an effort to diffuse their argument. However it wasn't his intention to simply stop there. These ponies had given him a significant bit of information over the course of the day; information that he could use in this situation. "And if you truly believe that we are friends, you won't continue to press this issue, knowing that I'm uncomfortable with what you're suggesting."

Twilight frowned at hearing Ulquiorra's words. To her it didn't really sound like an appeal to friends, born from discomfort with what they wanted to do; it certainly wasn't like what Fluttershy's explanation had been. To her it sounded more like an attempt by the Espada to weaponize the concept of friendship, in order to control their actions in a manner he deemed fit. It was really hard to tell for certain, but that's what it basically sounded like to her. But she really couldn't blame him for taking such a course of action, when his previous attempts at dissuading them from their intended course of action weren't yielding the desired results.

"Note to self: have a conversation with Ulquiorra on that later," she mentally told herself, putting that particular note above the note about talking with Vinyl Scratch later on, in response to what she'd done at the party for her.

"... If tha's wha' ya want, Mr. Cifer, ah guess it's best ta respect yer wishes," Applejack slowly replied in defeat. How exactly was she or anypony else supposed to argue with that line of reasoning? They could try and make any number of varying arguments about how it was in his best interest -and by extension, theirs as well- to get him into some clean, non-pollen contaminated clothing for the night. But ultimately it was his prerogative if he wanted to stay in that condition. Unless... there was another way of getting motivation. A certain, sneaky, underhoofed way of getting the point across.

She considered it. Considered using the whole interspecies thing to suggest Rainbow Dash might not be able to keep her hooves to herself in case he suffered a relapse in the middle of the night. But almost as soon as the thought entered her mind, she discounted it entirely. It was far too cruel, and too tasteless, for her tastes. She couldn't be that mean to one of her friends. Much as they didn't like it, it seemed that they'd have to let Ulquiorra do as he pleased in this case.

"Can I say something about this?" Spike asked as he spoke up. He was fine with letting the others talk and all, but every now and then he felt the need to contribute something to the discussion. At seeing no immediate objection, he turned his attention to the Espada. "Ulquiorra, when you were under the affects of poison joke, what was it like exactly? Maybe if we knew, we'd know what to look out for overnight," he suggested.

"That's... actually a good idea, Spike," Twilight commented. Sometimes it could be surprising how many good ideas Spike had going on. "What was it like while you were afflicted, Ulquiorra? Can you describe it? Any noticeable differences that you can recall?" she asked.

Cooler heads were starting to prevail once again, he noted. No discussion of running about under cover of darkness, left exposed to who knew what in a blind panic. Now they were instead attempting to focus on how to address the situation at hand, with the limited resources they had directly under their control. And thanks to Spike, they were now attempting to gain answers to a question that had yet to be addressed. And now that the ball was in his court, so to speak, he proceeded to think on the question in an effort to provide the desired answer.

"It's difficult to codify what was experienced into simple words and terms. Not even being aware of my own impaired condition at the time adds greater complication to the issue at hand. Terms like foggy, and hazy, seem most appropriate to serve as a basic description. Disorientation would be an appropriate term to use under these circumstances, or even a sense of disconnection from reality. My focus on my surroundings was hampered, as were the full extent of my mental facilities. I lost focus on what was genuinely important, and allowed myself to become distracted by irrelevancies unfolding around me. As said, it's difficult to describe in simple terms. In hindsight it could almost be described as having my senses numbed or dulled," he explained.

As said it was very difficult to properly explain. It wasn't even due to trying to simplify what he'd experienced so they could understand it properly. Rather it was due to his own lack of understanding on the intricacies of what had taken place. He'd been drugged, used, and utterly confused. That was the simplest way he could think of putting it.

"Is that why you took part in the party games?" Pinkie Pie asked him in a curious tone. However she didn't stop there, but rather continued with further questions. "What about the cake? And all the conversations? And the dancing with Lyra? Was any of that your inclination? Any at all?"

He'd heard that tone before, not just here, but back in his own world. It was one that combined desperation with the hopefulness of the supplied answer being what they wanted to hear. Even he could see the desperate look that her eyes held, as she tried to salvage something about this day.

"No," he stated simply. There was no reason to go into excessive detail about how the only reason he'd participated was due to his impaired state. They understood it, they didn't need to be obsessively beat over the head with that fact. Had he been able to focus properly, he wouldn't have engaged in any of today's foolishness. But on the other side of that coin was another matter. Had he been able to focus properly, he wouldn't have discovered that not everything was quite as foolish as it had appeared on the surface. But that was another tale for another time. And possibly reason for further interaction once this crisis wasn't hanging over their heads.

"Oh..." Pinkie replied slowly, not happy about this change of development.

Twilight decided to hold her tongue on this one. She had some measure of suspicion about Ulquiorra's recent statement, but she didn't think engaging him in a debate right now was the best of ideas. A battle of wits certainly made for lively discussion, but now simply wasn't the time. Right now she could be utilizing her time in researching the spell book that Celestia had sent her.

"Okay girls, if there's no new business to discuss, I'm going to be down in the basement doing some research," she announced as she stood up from the table, once again picking up the tome in the process. As far as she could see there was nothing to justify her being up here. And unless something developed in the next ten seconds, which was an occurrence even she doubted occurring, there was simply no sense in hanging around while the others lamented how Ulquiorra hadn't enjoyed himself at the party.

Then again considering everything that'd happened at the party, it really wasn't that much of a surprise. Even if he didn't hold a grudge against them for leaving him impaired for their own amusement, that didn't mean he appreciated their efforts. And that was on top of his stoic, logical nature, which would naturally preclude him from emotional reactions of any sort.

Whatever. All this thinking on the issue was giving her a headache. And right now she could think of better uses of her time than just sitting here, and constantly running over what had already happened, while at the same time getting absolutely nowhere. She'd try and decode the Espada later on. For now she had new spells to learn.

"Actually Twi', there's something I'd like to bring up for discussion, and we're probably gonna need you for it, being the brains and all," Rainbow Dash spoke up.

Twilight tried to keep her cool. She was starting to have an understanding of how Ulquiorra felt on his first trip to Ponyville, when he'd asked her how many more pointless conversations he'd have to engage in. And right now that's what it felt like she was being engaged in by the others. Didn't they understand how important it was that she learned these spells before Ulquiorra had to leave? They only had a few days time in which they could count on him immediately responding to danger.

Slowly she turned her attention to Rainbow Dash, the silent command of "get on with it already" practically dripping from her features like water right after a shower.

Seeing that she had Twilight's attention, Rainbow Dash turned to address Ulquiorra. "So just how strong are you anyway? I mean, I get that you can take on a fully grown dragon by yourself and beat the crud out of it like it's foal's play, but that doesn't tell us much. And then there's the fact that you can transform, and get even stronger than before. When you did that back in Canterlot, the shock wave that came from it literally knocked the wind out of me, and I wasn't standing anywhere near you. But that still doesn't tell us anything. So just how much stronger do you get when you transform? Are there any round numbers here so we have at least some idea of what we're dealing with?" she asked.

This is what Rainbow Dash wanted her around for? There had better be something significant planned for this line of discussion. That's all Twilight could think about the matter right now.

Ulquiorra remained silent in thought, considering what to say in response. Simply because an answer was desired didn't mean that excessive honesty was warranted. There was only so much he was comfortable with sharing openly. Depending on what entity -or worse, entities- was working towards their deaths, and to what extent of observation it was capable of, simply having a conversation about his abilities could tip the balance further out of their favor than it already was. He had no doubt that his resurrección was already common knowledge to the enemy. Depending on the level of integration and saturation, the same could be said for his high-speed regeneration; a fact that made him all the more glad he hadn't discussed its limitations with Princess Celestia.

There were many, many ways that things could unfold, positively or negatively. But a lack of information, and a resulting uncertainty that nearly bordered on paranoia, wasn't exactly the best justification to shutting down relevant communication entirely. These ponies were his allies, and this was information that they needed to know; especially if Rainbow Dash truly did have something up her sleeve, and she first needed information of her own in order to proceed.

"There is no exact science for determining the increase of strength an Arrancar gains when utilizing their resurrección. Their released state can be as little as two time stronger than their sealed state. However there have been rare occurrences where the resulting multiplication in power was as high as twenty. In the case of my resurrección, the increase in overall strength is approximately five times greater than my previous state," he explained, leaving the details relatively vague and without anything specific. If they were being eavesdropped on, perhaps it would be possible to frighten the entity with overwhelming levels of information, detailing just what was being faced.

"F-f-five times stronger!?" Rainbow Dash asked/croaked in surprise and disbelief. Was he being serious? There was that big of a difference between his sealed and released state of transformation? She could already feel her wings bristling and tensing up from this revelation. "Y-you mean you can go from beating up on a dragon like it's nothing, to five times that degree of awesomeness?"

"Correct," Ulquiorra replied simply. He noted how the cyan pegasus gulped and readjusted the position of her forelegs at her sides, as if she was attempting to pin down her wings to prevent another embarrassing display from occurring in front of everyone; a situation likely made all the more embarrassing by Twilight Sparkle's revelation that he was aware of the significance of such. Not that it meant anything to him. And especially not after Rainbow Dash herself had said that the situation was not as it appeared to be.

"Huh," Applejack replied simply and adjusted her stetson. Maybe it was true what other ponies said about the strong, silent types. And she couldn't think of anyone that was as silent as Ulquiorra was; not even Fluttershy could hold a candle to him. In fact, now that she thought about it, if one were to compare the two side by side, Fluttershy would be a veritable chatterbox like Pinkie. That was definitely a weird mental image to conjure up.

"Okay now I'm confused," Spike spoke up, "five times stronger, I understand that, even if it does kind of boggle the mind to think about. But what Twilight and the others told me about the whole changeling mess in Canterlot... are you as strong as Celestia when you're in your released state?"

At one point in time, Twilight would've considered such a question to be utterly ridiculous in nature. She might've even considered it borderline blasphemous. The idea that anyone could possibly rival Celestia in strength was unthinkable. She was their ruler, and the one who, for a thousand years, juggled the celestial bodies of the sun and moon all by herself. How could anypony rival her in terms of strength?

And then that state of worship had come crashing down against the hard truths of reality, when she learned that their perfect ruler truly wasn't so perfect after all. And now, hearing that question from Spike, she too was curious about the truth. She'd seen a good portion of the fight for herself, witnessed how easily Ulquiorra had batted Celestia about like it was nothing. And even though she now knew it wasn't real, she couldn't help but wonder just how much was an act, and how much was truth.

"Is something like that even possible?" Rarity asked. However as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt the need for an immediate followup. "No offense to you, Ulquiorra, I don't mean to come off as being rude. But... you just don't strike me as the type who could raise and lower the sun as she does. It's... you have to understand what's being suggested here. For over a thousand years, Princess Celestia has been the one to bring forth the sun and usher in the new day. The idea of anyone, even yourself, being able to rival her is just... a difficult concept to accept," she explained.

"No offense is taken. It's understood why the concept as difficult to accept, as formulating an answer is equally difficult," Ulquiorra replied. They had no idea how difficult of a question it was. But they were about to... perhaps. "There is a great deal of difficulty in determining overall strength. It must be stated that what you ponies possess is not reiryoku or reiatsu. I simply use those terms to make sense, as what you do possess is similar in nature. However that similarity doesn't allow for proper determination of overall strength, as I have no way of telling whether or not what you possess is of a greater or lesser concentration to the matter of my world. Every observation made up to this point, has been based on the assumption of mana and reishi possessing a one-to-one ratio with each other. Without any ability to confirm or deny this assumption, everything amounts to guesswork," he explained.

Twilight nodded in understanding. What Ulquiorra was saying was perfectly reasonable and logical. Attempting to formulate definite answers while lacking definite information was indeed a difficult endeavor to engage in. And unless Ulquiorra or one of them suddenly found themselves possessing the ability to gain specimens of each material, and conduct a molecular breakdown of the two in a side-by-side fashion, all they really had to rely on was guesswork.

"Assuming the two materials to possess a one-to-one ratio in all the relevant areas, what's your observation on the comparison between your strength and Celestia's strength? Which one of you would you consider to be the stronger of the two?" she asked, finding herself more and more curious as to what the answer could be.

"Again, attempting to formulate an answer is quite difficult due to numerous factors. To perceive someone's reiatsu level, it needs to be within a range that can be comprehended by the one attempting to sense it. If a target's reiatsu level is too intense to be detected, the seeker won't be able to register anything, and receive a negative reading. It's like trying to take in a wall-sized painting while looking at an area no bigger than one square inch. That-"

"So you can't sense Celestia's power?" Pinkie asked as she interrupted the explanation.

"To the contrary, I'm quite able to sense it. The difficulty lays in determining just what I'm sensing at any given time. Princess Celestia has displayed varying levels of reiatsu intensity, depending on her mood, and the situation in which she is in. And lacking clarification on exactly what levels she's been displaying, I can only speculate as to how deep her true level of strength runs. For all I know Princess Celestia could have been flexing only thirty percent of her total strength during our staged combat over Canterlot; possibly in nervous response to discovering that my resurrección was still accessible. Whatever percentage she utilized, it was nearly the highest I have experienced yet," Ulquiorra explained.

"Wait, wait, I'm confused now," Rainbow Dash spoke up, "I kinda get that you need to do your whole resurrection thing to get stronger after a point, but Celestia only has the one form, and can call on extra strength at will. So how exactly did you go about, battering her about the sky like you did, if she was only using thirty percent of her strength? Was any of that fight real?" she asked.

He could feel himself beginning to grow frustrated with this line of questioning. How many times did he have to explain that the situation was difficult? What they were asking were question that couldn't be answered in simple black and white terms.

"As explained, I'm uncertain of how much of her strength Princess Celestia was actually using. And seeing as our combat above Canterlot was not real, the matter is further complicated. There are a number of unexplained and undefined variables. All I can say for certain is that having vast reserves of strength, is not the same as having access to that strength. For example, one quirk of human biology is that their musculature can generate far more physical strength than their own body can withstand. If it weren't for biological restrictions keeping their overall strength to a manageable ten percent, the resulting strain would snap tendons and tear muscle from bone. I suspect the matter is similar in the case of Princess Celestia; simply because her reserves run deep, she may not be able to freely call upon them just because she wants to," he explained.

"Now hol' on there," Applejack spoke up, "somethin' here jus' don' make any sense. Back at the royal weddin' when the changelings invaded the first time, Celestia fought with Chrysalis an' lost. Then las' week when Chrysalis shows up again we beat the crud outta her ourselves. Now if Celestia's as strong as yer suggestin', how's somethin' like that even occur? Shouldn' she've been able ta crush Chrysalis like a bug the first time around?"

"Yeah that's a good point. I mean, Celestia's strong enough to move the sun, but Chrysalis is too much for her? I get it that she gorged herself on love and stuff, but still, it's Celestia of all ponies!" Rainbow Dash stated.

And now they were beginning to get into the questions that he himself had been asking. There were far too many inconsistencies going on around here. There were many things that didn't seem to make any sense. And while further investigation was warranted, he had no idea just where to begin.

"When you encountered Chrysalis last week, she was already dying from starvation, and in a weakened condition. According to the medical examiner in Canterlot, she would have died within a week; this is likely why you were able to overpower her in the way you did," he explained, reminding them of what he had assumed Twilight Sparkle had informed them of earlier in the week. "Not being present for the first changeling invasion, and limited only to what details have been shared with me, I can't properly comment on events that unfolded. If others were in attendance, yourselves included, one possible theory is that Princess Celestia was restraining herself in order to avoid collateral damage and potential casualties. Eliminating an enemy is not cost effective if the resulting loss of resources is significant. The scorched earth approach is rarely ever warranted, due to the devastation it causes. Another possible theory is that while alicorn magic is of greater concentration in terms of strength, it's also slower to respond, and by the point Princess Celestia realized she couldn't keep pace with Chrysalis with the amount of magic she was using, she simply didn't have enough time to respond and adjust accordingly."

"Slower?" Fluttershy asked, confused by what he was saying.

"Like molasses in January slow?" Pinkie asked.

"This is the first time I've ever heard of something like this," Twilight added in confusion, before turning her attention to Ulquiorra. "Can you explain this theory in better detail?" she asked.

"Without further information that would be difficult. How much information is available relating to alicorn magic? How much study has been devoted to the subject?" he asked.

"Um... not much, I'm afraid. A-almost none, actually," Twilight replied slowly, almost ashamed to be admitting such. "There really haven't been that many alicorns around for scholars to study. For a long time throughout our history, only Celestia and Luna were known to exist. And in recent history my sister-in-law, Cadence," she explained.

"Perhaps a confirmation of theory then," Ulquiorra noted. There was no way it could be mere coincidence. "Three alicorns throughout your world's recorded history, each of them filling what is essentially an administrative role. Maintaining a position of authority in which their considerable but sluggish strength wouldn't pose an undue burden to those around them."

"Wait, wait, I'm getting confused all over again," Rainbow Dash stated as she flapped her wings to set herself into a hover just off the ground. "Are you saying that Celestia's too strong to be a good fighter? Or is she too slow?" she asked, trying to get a bead on just what was being said.

"RD, jus' how in the hay can anypony be too strong ta be a good fighter? Ah know ah'm not a dedicated scrapper er nothin', but that jus' doesn' make much sense ta me," Applejack pointed out. The whole notion sounded ridiculous. Being too strong to fight sounded like being too strong to do your chores, and that just couldn't be a physical possibility.

"By not being able to adequately control that strength. Strength, without the necessary finesse to properly utilize it, amounts to nothing more than blind destruction, and presents far more harm than good to that which is in need of protection in the first place. If someone is unable to control their own abilities they're nothing more than a bomb," Ulquiorra explained calmly in response to Applejack's question. He then turned to face Rainbow Dash in order to address her. "In response to your question, the answer is potentially a combination of both categories. Seeing what I have seen, experiencing what I have experienced, it's possible that Princess Celestia's strength is so sluggish in nature because even she cannot adequately control it."

"WHAT!?"

Ulquiorra looked around him. All seven present speaking with such unity in their surprise was hard to believe. Sheer coincidence? Or perhaps their insanity ran much deeper than he thought.

"Um... h-how is something like that even possible?" Fluttershy squeaked out.

"Yeah Ulqy. I've heard of some pretty outrageous stuff before, but that's really out there even by my standards, and that's saying something," Pinkie added.

A rather strange statement for the pink earth pony to make. That was almost precisely what Discord had said in response to Princess Celestia's plan during the changeling invasion. She was not currently helping his speculation that she and Discord were actually divided beings.

"For our world's recorded history, Celestia has been faithfully and dutifully raising and lowering the sun every single day for more than a thousand years. That's more than three hundred and sixty five thousand controlled exercises of her magical abilities. How exactly could she not have adequate control over it?" Twilight asked. Something was wrong here, but she didn't know what it was. She could feel herself starting to grow agitated by what the Espada was saying, but she didn't have a clue as to why. After everything that had happened up to this point, why was this upsetting her?

"We are merely discussing unconfirmed theory, nothing more," Ulquiorra replied calmly, before continuing further with such. "Simply because Princess Celestia has adequately learned how to perform her duties, does not mean she has learned how to adequately and safely use the full extent of her total strength. Currently there is no way for us to accurately determine just how much raw magical energy Princess Celestia has access to. What we have seen up to this point could simply be whatever portion she has learned to safely utilize up to this point," he explained.

"Do I sense another simile to your world coming?" Pinkie Pie asked him. He remained silent for several moments in contemplation, before speaking up again.

"You remember the details of the human turned Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki, correct?" he asked. Most of them nodded, the only exception being Fluttershy. That didn't surprise him, as she had requested returning to Ponyville, rather than spending the night at the palace after the defeat of the dragon, due to her disgust with his tactics and outlook, and his ghostly nature. "Aizen kept extensive, detailed records on his growth and development. As a human, he possessed a considerable level of reiryoku; far more than any low-level Shinigami would possess. So much so that often what was felt by the others around him, was merely the excess that bled off from him, that his body could not contain. He was literally overflowing with reiryoku, like a water spigot in need of a new rubber gasket. His reserves ran so deep that he simply didn't have the skills necessary to exercise proper control over it. This was a fact that was exemplified by his first encounter with a Gillian-class Hollow. According to the available records, Ichigo Kurosaki was able to repel the resulting Cero of the Gillian with only minor difficulty, and drive it back to Hueco Mundo. However the resulting exertion triggered a massive release of reiatsu that neither his body, nor his zanpakutō, were prepared to encounter. If it weren't for Quincy intervention bleeding off the excess reiryoku, the resulting explosion from the both of them would have been quite... significant," he explained, emphasis on the last word in the sentence.

Silence all around the room, most likely due to surprise at his tale. That was perfectly alright as far as he was concerned. Some concepts needed to be thought on silently in order to be properly understood.

"And... you think that Celestia might be in a predicament of a similar nature to this Shinigami you mentioned? Unable to control her own strength, because there's so much of it?" Rarity asked curiously, wanting to have an exact understanding of just what he was saying.

"Is that what he was saying? If anything I thought it'd be like that top Espada, Starrk was it? You know, the one so strong he could kill other, lesser Hollows just by being in the same area as them. That would make more sense, right? Celestia's got all that magical strength to her, but she can't open up with it because she might hurt others just by being around them," Rainbow Dash suggested. "The dude said it himself, Celestia could crush him if she wanted. And if he could be crushed by her, the same one who punched a dragon and made it bleed, then wouldn't us ponies be like dust in the wind?"

He wouldn't admit it to anyone if he were queried, but he was mildly surprised by how Rainbow Dash had remembered that piece of conversation from back then. He had figured that if any of these ponies would remember, it would be Twilight Sparkle. However, since she had been unconscious at the time, it made sense that someone else would remember it. And Rainbow Dash had displayed surprising degrees of intelligence at points in the past, including how she'd managed to lure the lavender unicorn into an intellectual trap. He truly couldn't continue to underestimate the cyan pegasus.

That fact aside, the ponies engaging in an intellectual discussion about the nature of their rulers could be considered a good sign. It indicated a willingness to look past what had simply been accepted at face value by default. It indicated a willingness to learn and grow.

"Actually..." Twilight Sparkle spoke up slowly, suggesting she was thinking even while she was in the process of speaking, "between those two theories on possibility, that might make the most sense. Celestia has been alive for over a thousand years. And maybe it's just me, but I find it difficult to believe that in that time she's been unable to master her own strength, regardless of how much she might command as an alicorn. Possessing such intense magic, that the full magnitude is harmful to others, just strikes me as being more believable than the notion that she's magical incontinent."

"It's certainly a possibility that must be considered. However it's a possibility that relies on the supposition that Princess Celestia has actually had ample opportunity and practice to master her alicorn strength. Your own history details how she was forced to take over the responsibilities of Princess Luna, royal and otherwise, in addition to her own for a thousand years. An increase in responsibilities of that magnitude would likely leave little opportunity for honing skills unrelated to diplomatic rule," Ulquiorra explained. That was one thing he had considered right off the bat during all this discussion of hypothesis. Simply because one possessed significant amounts of time, didn't mean that they truly utilized it in a responsible manner. Coyote Starrk was a fine example of such; sufficient amounts of time, and he chose to utilize it by lazily sleeping away every moment he could.

Princess Celestia on the other hand was a different matter. He truly didn't want to consider how many bills, laws, motions, and other technical aspects of rule she'd been required to commit to memory. All of the petitions she had to hear day in and day out. Even his own patience wouldn't have sufficed for such a long stretching obligation.

"Noted," Twilight Sparkle replied as she rubbed the bridge of her muzzle. "And what's your theory on this enigma? You've always got some sort of interesting thought process going on. Which category do you believe is most likely?" she asked him.

"Truthfully I don't know what to assume at this point. The ability to detect reiatsu, or similar properties, can complicate matters. When the amount of reiatsu being exerted increases, so does its texture, becoming harder and more violent. When Princess Celestia raised her levels during our skirmish over Canterlot the density and texture increased greatly... up to a point. After she went beyond a certain point, the texture changed and became more... I'm not entirely certain how to adequately describe it. It was almost ragged in nature, like fabric that had been torn and started to fray at the edge. It was wild and unrefined, almost like a raging bonfire. That in itself would support the possibility that Princess Celestia has only learned how to properly utilize a portion of her strength. However, what I encountered prior to that engagement would suggest the intensity of her strength is enough to cause harm to others," he replied.

"And that was... wha' precisely?" Applejack asked him.

He remained silent momentarily as he contemplated exactly what to say on the matter. What he had to say would likely yield many more questions. But sometimes that was simply impossible to avoid.

"When I arrived to brief Princess Celestia, a changeling was present in the guise of one of her guards. The explanation I gave before knocking out the intruder proved to anger her, and the resulting flare of reiatsu was enough to cause significant bodily harm to myself; bruised internal organs and third degree burns to a significant portion of my skin. The pain experienced was... quite intense," he explained.

"Now that's a load of manure!" Rainbow Dash spoke up, and quite loudly in the process. "We saw you later that day. You didn't look the least bit burnt. How could you do everything you did if you got hurt in such a manner?" she asked.

"I'm inclined to agree with Rainbow Dash," Rarity commented, "if Celestia's presence did cause you such serious injury, how were you still able to be up and walking around?" she asked.

As to be expected. At least this time around the answers would be simpler to give. "High-speed regeneration. Most Arrancar choose to trade this ability in exchange for greater offensive strength. I did not. That fact provides a significant tactical advantage in combat. The loss of a limb is of no consequence when it can completely regrow in a matter of minutes."

"... Regrow a limb?" Rarity asked, uncertain as to whether she should be horrified by the prospect, or simply stunned by the notion of what he was saying.

"As in complete replacement of all joints and bones in addition to tissues, regardless of size of complexity? And without the need to retrain and recondition the new muscle tissue, to bring it back up to the quality of what it replaced?" Twilight asked, her interest piquing by the second. Immediately the concept of salamanders was coming to mind, attempting to draw parallels between the two.

"Correct," Ulquiorra replied, "however there will be no demonstrations of such. Regrowing lost mass requires significant resources that could be better utilized elsewhere."

Twilight tried not to look disappointed at Ulquiorra's announcement. Did he really think that she would ask him to cut off his own arm just so she could observe his regeneration in action? She was a lot of things, but even she wasn't that callous and thoughtless towards others and their wellbeing. Granted, watching such a feat would be incredibly educational in nature. But she really couldn't see herself asking Ulquiorra to go so far just for her.

"And I'm not about to clean up the mess," Spike added bluntly, "I do a lot of things around here. I do that without a lot of complaining. But I absolutely, positively draw the line at disposing of severed body parts," he stated and folded his arms across his chest. He didn't get paid nearly enough for such nonsense.

"Now don' worry, Spike, ah'm sure Twilight wouldn' ask ya ta do somethin' like that," Applejack said in an effort to reassure him. Although she truly had no idea for certain just what Twilight might do in such a case when nopony was looking.

"Um... I don't mean to interrupt or anything. But something just occurred to me," Fluttershy spoke up as she turned her attention to where Ulquiorra stood. "You said Celestia hurt you when she got mad, that you got burnt in her presence. I'm just wondering what happened to the changeling? And what about the other guard? Usually there's a minimum of two guards in the throne room at any given time. Assuming you were in the throne room at the time, that is. Were they hurt too?" she asked.

The number of intelligent questions coming from ponies other than Twilight Sparkle was beginning to become surprising. Yet again these ponies were proving to be quite interesting to interact with.

"That is where things become strange. Neither the other guard, nor the changeling, were bothered by the flare of Princess Celestia's reiatsu. There is a significance to that fact, but I am uncertain of just what that significance is. At present time I can only speculate and theorize," he explained.

"The more I hear going on, the more my brain hurts from things getting complicated. Every single time I think we understand something, something else comes along and turns it on its head," Rainbow Dash grumbled.

"I can sort of relate to that," Twilight added and sighed as she stood up from where she sat. "All of this discussion has been very interesting, as well as very educational. But it needs to stop. Or at the very least, I need to stop participating. If I allow myself to get distracted, I'm not going to get anywhere in studying the tome Celestia sent me, and I simply can't have that," she explained as she held up the book to emphasize her point. It wasn't an easy decision to make either. Either learning new and advanced spells, or sitting and talking with Ulquiorra more and exploring his theories in greater detail. It was a tough choice to make. But if she didn't fulfill her responsibilities, then they might not be around to have any other discussions. Much as it pained her, she had to tear herself away from her friends, and get cracking on what was seriously important. "Now in case anypony needs me for something far more pressing, I'll be down in the basement studying."

She waited momentarily to see if anybody truly did speak up and try to distract her. None of them did, and for that she was thankful. She turned to leave and head to the library's basement where she could study in peace, but then stopped and turned to face Ulquiorra again. Slowly she walked over to him, as she had business to tend to first. Business that she wouldn't feel right leaving unresolved just yet.

"I know that you don't have much need for gratitude, and I can respect that. But there are still times that I think gratitude is warranted. Like right now for example. After everything that's happened, something specific has to be said. You don't have to say anything in response, but I still have to say it," she explained. At seeing him not offering up anything in objection she continued, holding out her right hoof. "Thank you for being my friend, Ulquiorra. Even after everything that happened today."

Ulquiorra considered what to do in response to this gesture. He was under no obligation to say anything in response, and she had acknowledged that fact. Even if he was under some sort of obligation, he wouldn't know where to begin in even voicing a response. After much consideration -all occurring at incredible speeds- he simply withdrew his right hand and grasped her hoof, just as he had done when he'd accepted her request, strange as it had been. If it would allow her to better focus on what was actually important, it was of no consequence on his part.

Chapter Forty Eight

Chapter Forty Eight

Due to a number of various factors, the basement library was a very isolating place to be in. Other than the muffled commotion emanating from the upstairs and weakly filtering its way downward, it was relatively silent and free of distractions down here. And for that fact, Twilight was very thankful.

She had known even before receiving this book that the spells contained within were very advanced and difficult in nature; definitely not something for a novice to be attempting. But she was no novice. She was the protege of Princess Celestia, and if any unicorn could decipher these arcane spells, and properly understand the mechanics behind their casting, then it was without a doubt her. That wasn't even a matter of arrogance, that was a matter of absolute fact!

But it was also a matter of fact that these spells were still going to be difficult to not only learn, but also master. She was going to need to do far more than simply get the gist of the mechanics behind each of the spells she was attempting to learn. She had to be able to do far better than simply being able to recite the aspects from memory at the drop of a hat. With each of the spells she was attempting to learn, she was going to need to become intimately familiar with all of the intricate little details that went into the proper casting and maintaining involved. That would require equal amounts reading and actual practice. However practice would be difficult in this case, as it would require large, open areas for the purpose of safety. Getting any one of a number of factors wrong could lead to a serious backfiring of highly charged magical energies.

That was why it was necessary to study, study, and study some more. This wasn't going to be any simple walk in the park, not even for her.

"What do you want, Pinkie?"

Of course that would be easier if there weren't any interruptions to deal with; especially the kind of interruptions that came looking for her. And as much as she loved her friends, there were times when she could really stand to be away from them. Like right now damn it!

"How'd you know I was there? I was being extra special, super duper quiet! Even I couldn't hear myself coming!" Pinkie stated as she stopped in her tracks, utterly surprised by how easily she'd been caught creeping down the stairs. She'd approached with such a softness in her steps that nopony should've heard her. So how exactly did Twilight find her out? "How'd you hear me coming?" she asked.

"I didn't hear you, I smelt you. You smell like cotton candy, Pinkie, you have since I met you," Twilight explained as she looked up from the book. The sooner she got this interruption over with, the sooner she could get back to what was actually important. "So what's so important?" she asked.

"You've been down here for four hours, Twilight, it's really late. Don't you think you should come upstairs for bed? Spike's already fast asleep," Pinkie stated as she began approaching again.

"I can't, Pinkie," Twilight replied and sighed, "these spells are incredibly complex in structure. They have to be studied out very thoroughly if I'm going to actually learn them. I can't just breeze through them like they're any other simple spell. It's not like we're talking about anti-gravity here," she explained.

"Oh..." Pinkie replied. However she didn't turn to leave just yet. There were still other things to try and convince her friend to turn in for the night. "Do any of them involve utilizing the magic of nearby earth ponies to achieve the desired results?" she asked. Maybe if she could get Twilight to explain the complexities to her, she'd realize that she needed sleep. Like how Discord had made himself realize that using unrestrained chaos magic would lose him Fluttershy as his friend. It was worth a try.

Twilight shook her head. "No. At least not in the section I'm in. I don't know about up ahead though. As complex as these spells are, skipping ahead really wouldn't be advised."

"Oh," Pinkie replied again. Oh well it was a long shot anyway. Silently she stepped closer until she stood to the side of Twilight, and eased herself on the ground to lay next to her. "So what spell are you working on learning?" she asked.

"It's a spell that creates lightning by utilizing the ionization in the air," Twilight replied, shifting the tome a little to let Pinkie get a better look at the page, even if it wouldn't make much sense to her. "It's a very potent, offensive spell."

"Isn't that like weather manipulation? Doesn't that kinda intrude on pegasi duties and responsibilities?" Pinkie asked curiously, tilting her head to the side at the impossible to comprehend details on the page she was presented with.

"No not really. Pegasi usually manage the clouds which bring about snow, rain, thunder, lightning, and other elemental aspects. But pegasi don't create or control lightning themselves, just as they don't create clouds with their own four hooves from the latent moisture in the air. Yes it's done at the weather factory, but that's through specialized, purpose-built machinery intended to perform such tasks," Twilight explained, turning away from the page momentarily in order to address her friend's question. At least she looked like she understood what she was explaining. Deciding to take that as a good sign, she turned back to the book. "Also pegasi don't have a corner market on weather manipulation. It's not all that common, but I've read about small remote towns tasking a unicorn or two with such duties if they don't have the money to pay a fleet of pegasi. Although they experience less scheduled weather as a result because they're limited to what's provided through nature."

"Wow, Twilight, that's pretty amazing to learn. I thought for sure there were rules and red tape in place to prevent things like that. Not that I'm sure why it's called red tape, I'm pretty sure tape isn't good for paperwork," Pinkie stated. She moved to sit up again, but grunted as she pushed herself up in an effort to rotate her withers properly, resulting in an audible pop sounding. "Wow, Twilight, that's some super bad posture to be in, I've already got a catch in my back. I can't imagine how many knots you've got in your back."

"It's fine, Pinkie, I-" Twilight tried to say. But before she could even get a proper word out, Pinkie had once again decided to show just how random she could be. Instead of vocally interrupting her, the pink earth pony had leaned over her, and started rubbing at her back with her front hooves. That effectively put an end to what she had to say in response, as the only thing to come out of her mouth was a contented moan/whine from what she was experiencing. She couldn't believe how incredibly good that felt right now.

"See what I mean, Twilight? This wouldn't feel nearly as good as it does, if your back wasn't just chock full of deep tension pockets in need of alleviating," Pinkie explained as she carried out her impromptu massage. "One thing you'll learn about earth ponies, Twilight, is that they make the best masseuses around because they've got lots of stamina, and their physical strength lets them really apply the pressure where it's needed," she explained, emphasizing the statement with a particularly firm push into her friend's lower back, earning a particularly high pitched squeak. "Just don't tell Aloe and Lotus about this. Trade secrets and all that."

Twilight moaned as she laid her head down on the ground, resting on her chin like a dog would, as Pinkie worked her over. She could feel all the tension practically oozing out of her body like it was sweat, leaving her in a state of comfort she couldn't remember experiencing before. It was starting to prove really difficult to keep her eyelids up, and equally difficult to concentrate on anything more than the kneading to her back that was currently going on.

Pinkie giggled at seeing Twilight's posture. She couldn't help but imagine the silly look she probably had on her face right now; eyelids drooping and eyes unable to focus, mouth open crookedly with her tongue hanging out of the corner, her ears half drooped and hanging limply. She's have to try and get a picture of that face one of these days.

"Like it, do we?" Pinkie asked rhetorically as she trailed her hoof down Twilight's spine. Twilight's response consisted of her right hind leg twitching and spasming, her hoof tapping firmly against the hardwood floor of the basement. Pinkie giggled more at seeing this and made another pass over the vertebrae ridges, and bringing more ecstatic twitching and tapping. "That's it, Twilight, you just relax and let little ol' Pinkie Pie take care of it," she cooed as she moved up her back and rub circles in between the unicorn's wither ridges.

At this point Twilight couldn't even think about speaking. Her mind was currently mush, and anything more complex than an incoherent moan was out of the question, as she pressed the side of her head against her foreleg as a makeshift pillow.

"That's it, Twilight, you just relax. Just close your eyes and go to sleep, and everything will be alright in the morn-"

Pinkie's soothing voice was broken as she felt herself immediately lifted off of Twilight, and found herself suspended off the floor in a magenta colored aura. That wouldn't have been too objectionable, if not for the fact that the sudden sensation of being lifted up so quickly had made her squawk in surprise. And now she found herself face to face with an annoyed and fully alert looking Twilight.

"Pinkie, what were you doing? Were you trying to make me fall asleep?" Twilight asked her.

Pinkie tried to look away, feeling herself grow uncomfortable with Twilight's eyes on her in such a manner. But try as she might she couldn't escape her gaze. It was almost like looking Ulquiorra in the eyes right now, and she didn't like that one bit. The only thing she could do right now was come clean, must as she wished she could do otherwise.

"Yes," she mumbled in an admission of guilt.

"Pinkie," Twilight sighed as she stood back up and set her friend back onto her hooves, "this is very important work I'm doing. You know that."

"I know, I know, but we're all worried about you, Twilight. Well actually you've got the others worried, but I'm worried and scared. I'm scared of what's happening to you. You've got so much going on right now, and there's nothing I can do to help you. There's nothing I can do to even try and help you. This morning you were trying to help Ulqy learn what friendship is all about. You were trying to help him learn the same valuable lessons that you've been learning. And now... now you're studying spells that're meant to be used for hurting others, for killing others! Everything is just changing so much and it scares me. It makes me wanna go curl up in a hole somewhere and hide. You're changing too, Twilight, I can see it. You're becoming more like Ulqy is," Pinkie stated.

Twilight wanted to respond to Pinkie's statement, or objection, or whatever it was. She needed to understand the seriousness of the situation, and that things needed to change when it was necessary to address an unforeseen situation that arose, and drastically shook up the status quo. There were so many things she could say to hammer that point home. But that last sentence made her hesitate. That hesitation was quickly pounced upon by Pinkie as she started talking again.

"You're becoming something that you're not, Twilight, and you're scaring me. Friends shouldn't do that to one another. I don't want you to be a killer, and I don't want you to have to kill either. If we get so scared that we change ourselves completely, we're going to lose sight of what's really important to us," she stated as she slowly turned her gaze down at the floor. "What happens after this point, Twilight? How far do we go? Do Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake have to grow up in a world where there's a monster around every corner, hiding in the shadows and just waiting to pounce? Do we become paranoid enough that we all have to become willing to kill others because we think they're a threat to us? How far does this have to go, Twilight? And more importantly... how far can it go before it destroys our friendship completely?" she asked.

Twilight had been ready to launch into a response to Pinkie's nonsense, picking apart her hyperbole bit by bit, and carefully explaining in detailed facts as to why she was making a whole lot out of nothing. But the more she listened, she had to stop and think on what her friend was actually saying. She found it necessary to let her words sink in and simmer a bit, rather than just responding to them with a dismissive approach.

She wanted to approach the matter with a clinical, scientific perspective, and explain to Pinkie how change and adaptation to new surroundings was a necessity in order for a species to survive, and how failure to respond accordingly could result in extinction. But something told her that such a detached approach wouldn't have the desired results. If she was going to get Pinkie to understand all of the important details, her approach would need to be tailored to something the earth pony would understand.

"If you want to know the truth, Pinkie, you're not the only one that's scared," she started, "I'm scared too. Really scared actually. When I think about what happened here today, about all the ponies that got hurt, and how easily we could've been present for that," she paused and gave a shiver to emphasize the point. Not that she was lying or anything like that. But sometimes with Pinkie, a little bit of theatrics was necessary. "We were asleep at the switch, and we paid for it dearly. We know there's a threat against us, and what do we do? We decide that the best course of action available to us is to throw Ulquiorra a party. We didn't take his warning seriously, and look what happened."

"But Twilight, none of us could've known that was gonna happen. Ulqy himself said it didn't match the pattern we were working on," Pinkie protested, not liking where this was going at all.

"Let me finish, Pinkie, I'm not done yet," Twilight said as she raised her hoof to silence whatever her friend might have to contribute. "I'm not saying that we shouldn't have parties anymore. I'd never say that, and especially not to you. I'm just saying that we have to be more vigilant from now on, and we have to be prepared to take responsibility for ourselves, rather than waiting for someone to come to our rescue. We've done it before, we just have to do a little more of that now. Times are changing, and we've got to meet them accordingly. And since this whole clusterfu--- this whole mess was my fault, it's only appropriate that I take responsibility for what transpired."

"You keep saying that you're responsible, but I'm not believing it," Pinkie said slowly as she stepped closer to where Twilight stood, looking her directly in the eyes. "Twilight, I honestly don't know what your thought process is, but you're not responsible here. You didn't do anything wrong. If you did something wrong by bringing Ulqy to the party, then I did something wrong too, by actually throwing the party for him in the first place. That would mean I used a party to cause harm to others, like deliberately and on purpose. Now if you think that you need to be blamed, then you just blame me too. I'm not letting you heap this responsibility on your withers alone. Not this time. That's not what friends do. Either we're both responsible for what happened to the ponies in Ponyville, or neither of us is responsible, understand?" she asked as she slowly leaned in even closer, the action causing Twilight to take a step back and fall onto her haunches.

Twilight didn't want to admit it, either to herself or anyone else. But at that moment Pinkie was actually scaring her. She'd couldn't remember the last time her friend had exercised this significant a degree of seriousness. She couldn't help but flinch at trying to look into those currently piercing blue eyes. Her friend had adopted a gaze that could easily rival Ulquiorra's, and even give Fluttershy a run for her money. There was certainly no malice behind them that she could see, but that didn't make it any less unpleasant to be on the receiving end of.

The next thing Twilight knew, Pinkie had grabbed hold of her and enveloped her in a firm, unyielding hug.

"You're not alone, Twilight. You're not and you don't have to be. No matter what you might think about your own responsibility, you don't have to do this alone. We'll be there for you. Even if the others won't be, I will be, no matter what happens," Pinkie told her, showing no signs of discontinuing the hug anytime soon.

Twilight wasn't entirely certain what to say in response to Pinkie's statement. It was made of equal parts firmness, comfort, and support. Whatever the reasoning was behind her thought process, she seemed convinced that what was being done down here, was... Twilight really didn't know how to finish that thought. Did Pinkie assume that she was punishing herself with her selected course of action? Did she assume she was heaping too much responsibility on herself again, just as she'd done in the past before?

Whatever it was that guided the pink mare's actions, she seemed quite sincere about not leaving her alone to her own devices on this matter. She also seemed completely unwilling to end this hug anytime soon, as she began rubbing her back with her hooves.

A hug that she eventually found herself returning, easing her chin down against her, allowing her to breathe in the cotton candy scent of her friend's mane.

"Thanks, Pinkie, I really appreciate that," she told her as she allowed her eyes to rest. Knowing that she wouldn't have to do everything by herself meant a lot.

"Come on upstairs, Twilight, you need your rest too. You can't burn the candle at both ends. Well actually you can, but that makes it very difficult to hold onto, as you've got hot wax dripping down your leg then," Pinkie stated.

"Sorry Pinkie but I just can't do that," Twilight replied as she untangled herself from the embrace. Considering it was Pinkie involved in the embrace, it was a literal example of untangling she had to be involved with. "Studying these spells is really important, and it's something that needs to be done."

"But-"

"I really appreciate what you said, Pinkie, but there are certain responsibilities that have to be tended to, friends or no friends. But at the same time that perfectly illustrates why there's no need to worry about me; because I have you and five other very good friends looking out for me. I know you won't let me dig myself into a hole that I can't get out of. And that fact means a great deal to me, especially right now. But right now I really need to study these spells because there's a lot at stake. You and the other girls are my best friends, and Ponyville is a place I've come to regard as being my home, not a temporary assignment from Celestia. And I'm not about to just stand idly by as some unknown threat tries to come into my home and harm my friends. Knowing that I've got friends who've got my back means more to me than I could ever say. But I need to have their backs in return, and the only way that can happen is if I can learn these spells, so we don't have to rely on Ulquiorra all the time," Twilight explained as she looked Pinkie in the eyes, effectively cutting off whatever protest she had to give in response. If there was one thing Pinkie would understand well enough, it was the need to help friends.

"... Okay, Twilight, if you say so," Pinkie said slowly as she stood up from where she sat and moved to head back upstairs. She really couldn't argue with Twilight if she believed she was trying to help out her friends when they were in need. She honestly couldn't say that if the situation was reversed, that she wouldn't do the same thing if presented with the opportunity. There were very few things that she wouldn't do in the name of helping out a friend, so she kind of understood where Twilight was coming with this. It was like a mutual understanding was shared between them at this point. And if that was the case then she wasn't about to jinx it. Even Ulquiorra seemed to understand that there was a time when you needed to back off when a friend was committed to something. And if he could understand that, it wouldn't do at all for her to not do the same. "But if you need anything don't hesitate to ask, even if it's just something like a drink of water, or maybe a pillow... or if you need to stay over for a couple of days because of a bedbug invasion," she called back as she ascended the stairs back up to the main floor.

"Thanks, Pinkie, I-" Twilight was in the process of saying, but stopped in mid sentence as the words sank in. A bedbug invasion? Did Pinkie know something she didn't?

Actually that was a stupid question. Pinkie always knew something that she didn't. And sometimes the stuff that Pinkie knew, she didn't want to know as it scared her. Nevermind that though, she had more important stuff to focus on. She still had a long way to go on understanding this spell before she could move onto the next one.

She was thankful that Pinkie had taken her explanation so easily and without much resistance. If she had argued the matter, she wasn't sure that she could've kept the matter completely friendly in nature. The explanation that she'd given had dealt with facts, just not all of the facts. She knew that if she went into all of the details involved, Pinkie might not be able to adequately deal with them. It's for that reason she had to keep the discussion civil, to not bring up the matter of Cupid, or Roseluck, or any of the other ponies who had been hurt on this day.

But she was also thankful for Pinkie's little interruption, as it reassured her that she wasn't isolated in this matter. She knew her friends would be there for her, but actually hearing it confirmed made her feel much better.

And that back massage Pinkie had given her, had made her feel reinvigorated. She felt like she could study for hours without interruption now. And with the severity of the situation they were presented with, she was going to need that. There were too many ponies counting on her right now, and she couldn't afford to let them down. Too many had already been let down because of her, and she was going to have to live with that fact. All she could do now was try and prevent that from happening anymore, and pray that her efforts did some good.

"Faust, please don't let anymore ponies die because of me..."

"It didn't work."

It was getting late in Ponyville. Late enough that most of the rest of the town had turned in by now, indicated by how many homes were now dark when looked at through the windows of the library. The darkness presented by the lack of lights coming from inside the various homes was offset by the brightness of the full moon, illuminating the fog that was rolling low against the ground. And as it grew later and later, the others had grown proportionally more concerned about Twilight's wellbeing as she remained isolated down in the basement. It was that concern that motivated them to try and convince her to come back upstairs and get some sleep. And it was that concern that had motivated Pinkie to volunteer for the assignment at hoof, and bring Twilight back from her pit of isolation.

Unfortunately, as they were finding out as the pink earth pony came trudging back up the stairs, her best efforts -the only efforts she ever made with anything- simply weren't good enough in this case.

"It didn't?" Fluttershy asked, unsure of whether she should be confused or scared about this revelation. How could Pinkie not succeed at something like this?

Pinkie nodded glumly. "I told her how worried we were about her, and how we were all there for her, I even tried that super duper back massage technique I learned from watching Aloe and Lotus do it hoping she'd fall asleep and we could carry her upstairs and put her to bed. None of it did any good," she explained before sitting down on the floor and pouting in defeat. "Twilight won't listen to us. She's convinced that she has to be doing this; that she's responsible for everything, and has to pay the price. I tried to talk her out of it, but she's not listening. Instead she wound up talking me out of trying to help her."

"Oh dear," Rarity sighed at hearing the news.

"Okay that does it. We tried the nice approach, that didn't work, it's time to try the firm approach," Rainbow Dash stated as she marched over towards the door to the basement. "If Twilight doesn't want to listen to us, then I'm gonna drag her out here with the rest of us."

"Knowing Twilight Sparkle, you will likely be the one forcefully ejected from the basement first," Ulquiorra commented from where he stood by one of the bookshelves.

The hours that followed the evening meal hadn't been allowed to be wasted on matters of uselessness. With hunger no longer being a valid excuse, and no valid reasons for the ponies to be returning to their individuals homes for one thing or another, the library being secured against intrusion had been the top priority. The doors had been locked and bolted, as had all of the windows in addition to being shuttered. This on its own would ultimately do little to deter intrusion, but it presented a medium that would give significant warning should forceful entry be attempted.

Only two things were lacking from total security at this point. Or at least as total as was possible under the circumstances. The first and the most important was a forcefield deployed around the entire structure, and prevent entry from any attempt that wasn't subterranean in nature. However that wouldn't be possible without the assistance of Twilight Sparkle, as only she possessed the sheer magical strength that was necessary to deploy a shield of sufficient size.

That was, of course, assuming Rarity even possessed the ability to use forcefields at all. Twilight Sparkle had explained that her brother was a specialist in forcefields, but there was nothing in her explanation of the facts that would adequately explain just how common the ability was among the unicorn race. He could understand Twilight Sparkle possessing knowledge of such spells, seeing as her sibling possessed such knowledge. Perhaps it was a talent that was specialized in by her entire family. However, other unicorns were another matter that were as of yet unverified. But assuming forcefields were as common as telekinesis, that still left the matter of sufficient overall magical strength; again, something that only Twilight Sparkle possessed as far as he could determine.

The second option was of significantly less demand in terms of power necessary to achieve, to the point even Rarity would be able to adequately perform such. That was what he had come to understand as being a "shall not pass" charm, and consisted of either a kinetic force negation spell, or a force reflection spell, being applied to all entrances and exits of the building. And while such an approach would do nothing to prevent unauthorized entry through a wall, it would certainly increase the difficulty of gaining entry into the building, and reduce the number of weak points in need of being guarded.

That being said, however, he was presented with another difficulty. Even though Rarity possessed sufficient reiryoku for applying such charms to the various entrances, she had declined to do so. The explanation given was that she had no desire to exercise her own influence over what was under Twilight Sparkle's control. The logistics of such he truly didn't grasp. This was a matter of safety and survival; desires and comfort were of no relevance. And yet he couldn't properly force the issue to make the white unicorn comply. Any such attempt on his part might yield to substandard results on her part, and might actually interfere with Twilight Sparkle's ability to perform such a spell whenever she was available. For the time being he would simply have to let the issue rest.

After the library had been secured to the best of their abilities, he had more or less paid the ponies no mind, and instead focused on the assortment of books that were available for reading. He would admit, more to himself than anyone else, that the books contained in the Golden Oaks Library provided an interesting change from what he'd read in the library of Canterlot palace. Some of them present dealt with the town of Ponyville more than anything else. But proper reconnaissance work wasn't glamorous in nature, and often involved considerable amount of study regarding run of the mill details, in order to gather information in a cumulative manner. It wasn't like what was often portrayed on the ridiculous television programs humans seemed to be fanatically obsessed with.

If he was to be bound to this dimension indefinitely, that was one thing he could be thankful for; the lack of electronically-based media saturation. These ponies seemed perfectly content with books for information gathering, and that was just fine with him. He had seen how humans could be when exposed to portable technological advancements. It was a wonder more of them didn't die every single day from being hit by a car, as they crossed against the lights when traffic had the right of way.

But for every positive aspect, there was a corresponding negative to take into consideration.

Whereas humans were obsessed with everything electronic and technological, those that truly deserved to be considered trash possessed a remarkable talent for removing themselves from the gene pool. Theses ponies, while not obsessed with technology to the point of needing it to even function from one minute to the next, didn't seem to possess such an innate ability. Those that were foolish and idiotic didn't seem as prone to terminating themselves as the human species. Perhaps it was due to fewer distractions, leaving them with greater situational awareness.

Whether or not that possible situational awareness has contributed to the results of today's attack by the manticore, he wasn't certain. Perhaps some lives had been saved due to the lack of portable electronic distractions. Or perhaps that awareness had been inadequate to save anyone from an attacking manticore. Considering how fast the beast could be when in pursuit of prey, that possibility was entirely likely.

For the most part his attention had been elsewhere, apart from occasionally listening up and catching bits and pieces of whatever was being discussed around him. Most of what was said was nonsense, but the majority of them had enough sense to leave him alone and not try to strike up useless conversation. At some point during the passage of time Spike had turned in for the evening, but the ponies had not. It could be understood, seeing as he was still the youngest of the group. And since there was nothing of significance to preoccupy themselves with, his decision to retire was of no significant consequence.

However he did begin to pay more attention as the talk slowly turned from nonsense, to bringing Twilight Sparkle back to the upper levels of the library for the night. The concern displayed by the others for her wellbeing was slowly becoming more noticeable to him. But he held his tongue, not seeing it as a worthwhile use of his time to interrupt them. Even after Pinkie Pie descended the stairs to enact some convoluted retrieval plan, he kept silent.

Up to the point of Pinkie Pie's failure, and Rainbow Dash's decision to escalate matters with the use of force. That was enough to make him close his current book, after memorizing what page he was currently on.

"If she does not wish to be disturbed, then it would be best to abide by her wishes and not disturb her," he pointed out, before deciding that a follow up was necessary. "Fluttershy's explanation of friendship covered her being a friend involved knowing when to allow someone to go about their business unimpeded. Why is that fact being ignored under these circumstances?"

"It's really not all that simple," Rarity began as she walked over to where he stood. "The others and I have been around Twilight for years, you could say we've gotten a feel for her idiosyncrasies as it were. We have something of an understanding of her inner workings. At least to some degree. She's a... very complex mare despite her appreciation for the simple and mundane. She has an unhealthy tendency to automatically assume that, because she was Celestia's student, she has a moral obligation to be the one to try and solve the problems of everyone else. And even though she's been getting better at it, she still hasn't been able to completely let go of this notion of responsibility. Sometimes she can get so focused on something that she develops tunnel vision and becomes blind to everything around her. And it's our concern that that's what might be taking place now. If she believes she's responsible for everything that happened today, there's no telling what length she'll attempt to go to in an effort to assuage her guilt, or meet some intangible sense of responsibility that she's taken upon herself," she explained, detailing the importance of keeping their friend in check. However it still felt strange to be talking about such so freely when there was very little to keep such a conversation from filtering its way down towards the basement. "I truly don't want to speak ill of the dear, but such behavior can be incredibly self destructive if not properly kept in check."

More developments that he didn't foresee coming. This was not good to know. In fact this could prove to be downright disturbing. This matter would have to be addressed.

"You're claiming that Twilight Sparkle is predisposed towards tendencies of self-mutilation and suicide?" he asked. If this was what was being said, then the situation was worse than he'd assumed. His evaluation of the lavender unicorn had been that her potential for destruction and bloodshed faced outward rather than inward. What if he was wrong?

"Oh goodness no, nothing like that!" Rarity quickly stated, horrified by what he was saying. "Twilight is simply not the type to do such things. At least not intentionally. What I meant to say is that her behavior can be detrimental to her overall health if she's left to her own devices. If she didn't have Spike as her assistant, I truly believe that she would forget to take breaks from her studies in order to eat, sleep, and tend to her own hygiene. Sometimes the dear just needs a reminder of when to step away for her own good."

Applejack nodded. "Twilight's usually got everythin' under control when Spike's around ta help out. But sometimes she jus' needs a helpin' hoof in keepin' everything straight. We've all been there at one time er another. But tha's one o' the good things 'bout havin' friends; ya don' have ta be stranded when yer in over yer head."

He remained silent as he listened to Applejack's words. Words that...

+++

Ulquiorra remained silent and unmoving at her words, his lack of reaction causing her to frown in response. She'd put a lot into that speech and was hoping for something in return other than disbelief and simple skepticism. Perhaps she was expecting too much, too early on. Maybe she needed to try again.

"That amounts to friendship to you?"

And then again maybe she didn't. Maybe he really had been paying attention, and had simply waited for her to finish talking.

"Exactly!" Twilight exclaimed in excitement and optimism. He really was starting to understand! This was so great!

+++

"Well... ya could say that. But that ain't why ah'm friends with 'em, friendship ain't about wha' ya can get outta it. There's some things in this world tha' jus' can't be measured in the context o' bits an' such," she stated.

+++

... rung with a familiar echo from earlier in the day. What could have been discounted as simple nonsense from illogical beings at the time they were mentioned, was now being repeated with a new context. It was almost interesting to watch unfold.

But interesting or not, there were still matters that he could point out to them. And seeing as Applejack had an interest in the type of thought process he possessed and engaged in, there was no reason to not bring them up.

"Would it not be more logical to encourage her to develop her own strengths, so as to not constantly need to rely on others for assistance?" he asked. The more he learned about friendship, the more he wondered if it was really worth all of the effort that went into it. It sounded more and more like an excuse to be weak, a justification for being weak. Was friendship even recognized by those that weren't weak? "Surely being required to drop your own endeavors for the purpose of coming to her assistance, is not a productive use of your time. Even friendship must possess some limits of what's acceptable."

"Like we haven't already considered that?" Rainbow Dash asked as she hovered over to where he stood. She then proceeded to look around the room as if she she someone was possibly eavesdropping on her, before hovering closer still. "I might not be the smartest here," she began in a low whisper as she leaned in for him to hear, "but I have read some books, and I have a theory. I think it's psychological with her."

Ulquiorra could do without the close physical proximity he was forced to share with Rainbow Dash, as she attempted to keep her voice low during her explanation. However the theory she was presenting was intriguing enough to warrant his tolerance for the time being.

"Explain," he replied.

"Twilight told you about her past in Canterlot, right? About not needing friends and such?" she asked him. He nodded once in confirmation. "I think that pendulum thing kinda swung too far the other way. I think she went from being convinced that she didn't need friends at all, to being convinced that she does need friends. And... I think she might kinda be subconsciously trying to maintain that belief, because she doesn't want to think that she doesn't need friends," she explained.

To say Rainbow Dash's theory left much to be desired would be an understatement. While she did have a thought that she was trying to convey, the structure in which she presented it left out many coherent details to explain just why she believed her theory was correct, or why it was even relevant in this case.

But that wasn't to say that her attempts at conveying her thoughts had been inadequate to get his own going. While her theory wasn't precisely fleshed out to a manner he would consider acceptable, it was enough to at least get him thinking on her words. If a change in perspective was in play here, then it could possibly explain things. But as in the case of analyzing Pinkie Pie's explanation of friendship, a lack of knowledge of pony psychology limited his ability to do little more than hypothesize and speculate on the matter.

Rainbow Dash's theory -for the time being he was willing to classify it as a theory- was essentially that Twilight Sparkle was unconsciously hindering her own performance abilities and handicapping herself, in order to prove to herself not only that she was in need of the assistance of others, but also that she was incapable of succeeding on her own in various activities to various degrees. Was the desire for companionship truly so strong, that these ponies would willingly feign weakness and incompetence simply so they wouldn't have to be alone? Even for a relatively short term duration?

If that was the case, then it was truly a strange concept for him to consider.

"And you possess some evidence to support this theory of yours?" he asked her.

"About as much as you do for yours," she replied and shrugged.

It seemed that for the second time today, "touche" was the only appropriate response he had to give. The theories he had come up with over the last several days hadn't been based on hard, physical proof that was readily available for review, but rather speculation and circumstantial evidence, along with a healthy dose of suspicion. There had been very little in the way of definite confirmation to support his theories. Perhaps the same applied in this situation. as well.

"RD, ah really don' think it's like that," Applejack interjected from where she stood, before approaching them. "Ah don' think tha' Twilight would jus' purposely do somethin' like that."

"That's just it, Applejack, she's not purposely doing it, she doesn't even realize that she's doing it," Rainbow Dash replied as she set down on all four hooves in front of her. "That's what subconscious means. She doesn't want to think that she doesn't need us. And she sure as hay wouldn't want us to think that she doesn't need us for anything, like she's some sort of snob or something. It makes perfect sense."

"I'm sorry, darling, but I just don't believe that Twilight would ever do something like that, either consciously or unconsciously," Rarity replied in a soft tone as she approached, further distancing herself from the basement doorway. "For your theory to work, Twilight would have to be willing to exploit our natural good nature, and take advantage of our willingness to help each other when in need," she explained.

"Unless she doesn't even realize she's even doing it. Like I said it's subconscious. She's not doing it on purpose or anything, she's just trying to make us feel like we're needed, and reassure herself that she's not slipping back into her old routine," Rainbow Dash shot back, trying to defend her position from the two who were attempting to pick it apart like birds with a piece of bread.

Ulquiorra merely kept silent as the three ponies around him discussed back and forth, with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie being silent off to the side, observing their three friends with varying degrees of interest and concern. What was being presented was a mildly interesting theory about the lavender unicorn, but without actual evidence to either confirm or deny the theory, it was nothing more than speculation. It didn't even possess any probative value that he could use in his own theories on the matters they were facing. If anything it simply made Twilight Sparkle appear to be a liability in terms of group integrity.

He would need to speak with her on the matter later. Personally. If she truly was handicapping herself, then it was a habit that she would need to break in very short order.

And if that were the case, then he would need to give Rainbow Dash more credit in the intelligence department.

However, as he opened his eyes again, he became aware of a disturbance in the room. In the brief moment his eyes had been shut in thought, something had changed. Something that should've been physically impossible to occur during such a short amount of time. And yet as he stood there watching, it had indeed happened.

"Precisely what are you doing?"

Pinkie Pie turned her head to look at him curiously, stopping the activity she'd been engaged in just a moment before. For whatever reason that motivated her actions, she was currently laying on her back on the floor, and attempting to use her front hooves to pull on what appeared to be a pair of socks over her hind legs. Blue and white striped socks that looked like they could stretch past her gaskins.

"Getting ready for bed. Staying up late at a slumber party is no fun if your friends are too busy to actually have fun with you," Pinkie replied and went back to pulling the one sock down all the way, wriggling her hoof until it was a snug fit. With that one done she proceeded into the next one. "So I might as well turn in. We've got work to do tomorrow and I don't wanna miss out."

"A fair point," Ulquiorra replied, deciding it simply wasn't worth it to try and debate the matter any further than that. "But what is the point of the socks?" he asked. Strange as it may seem, he was finding it a matter of greater curiosity as to why she was deciding to wear socks, rather than where she managed to procure them in such a short amount of time. There were simply some things that shouldn't be questioned.

"I like wearing socks to bed. They feel so nice and soft against your hooves. And besides, it's easier to keep them clean that way since you're not walking all over them all the time," Pinkie explained as she struggled to pull the second sock down all the way on her leg, before finally rolling over onto her side and looking over at them again.

There was a moment of awkward silence shared between them. It was then that Ulquiorra became aware of the sudden disappearance of Rainbow Dash, and the slamming of some inside door in the distance, followed by the muffled sound of running water.

Applejack just shut her eyes and shook her head. "Ah don' wanna know..."

"We are in agreement then," Ulquiorra replied dryly. In this world there were some things that simply shouldn't be questioned. And then there was the matter of some things that he simply didn't want to question.

And then there was a flash of lightning, and a crash of thunder coming from outside the library. That was soon followed by the sound of rain beginning to fall.

"Oh dear. This is certainly going to complicate the cleanup efforts for tomorrow," Rarity commented.

"Perhaps it should be asked why, in light of the attack launched against Ponyville, the rain was not postponed for a more convenient time," Ulquiorra commented. Under normal circumstances that kind of statement would seem nonsensical to make. But under normal circumstances the weather wasn't managed by ponies gifted with wings and the ability to fly.

"Oh. Um... it's not really that simple," Fluttershy spoke up as she stepped closer. "Ponyville's weather is managed by a team of pegasi. And for something area-wide it takes all of them to manage all of the clouds. A scheduled rainfall isn't exactly something that can just be called off at a moment's notice," she explained.

"Noted," Ulquiorra replied. It was an explanation that made sense to him; far more sense than the notion of ponies being able to manage absolutely everything around them in this little town of theirs. Their were limitations to what they could do. And the fact that these ponies were incapable of controlling absolutely every aspect of their lives was fine to him. Them learning how to work with and through adversity, how to address that which couldn't be managed through a simple flexing of magic, would serve them well if they were to survive. Learning how to address struggles would do well for the strength of their character.

"Whew," Rainbow Dash breathed as she reentered the room, her mane -as well as the fur on the rest of her head- showing traces of having been wet down and dried off in a hasty manner. "What'd I miss?" she asked.

"Discussion of how the rain will be affecting tomorrow's cleanup efforts," Ulquiorra replied, not interested in whatever the cyan pegasus had been up to. He could speculate, but he truly didn't want to.

"Yeah sorry about that. If we hadn't been corralled like we were, maybe I could've poked a few holes in the clouds so the town wouldn't get hit by the full load. But we were and I couldn't get the word out," Rainbow Dash replied. She'd certainly wanted to do something about the pileup of everything that they were going to be facing, but the circumstances of the day had been beyond her control. "I mean, I guess I could head out and do that over the more serious areas of Ponyville, pull an emergency sky clearing and in the morning file a 1031-C with the weather bureau, explaining why it was necessary to interfere with a scheduled storm, and why it had to be done without clearance from them. Only problem is-"

The explanation of details Rainbow Dash was currently involved in was interrupted by a loud clap of thunder directly overhead, causing the library to tremble from the proximity, and both Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie to shriek in terror.

"-that. Those clouds are heavily charged with static electricity to help the nitrogen in the soils. Punching holes in them is... hazardous. Pegasi can withstand some significant elemental conditions in the line of weather duty, but getting struck by lightning isn't among them," she concluded, the thunder serving as perfect emphasis of the point she was trying to make to the others.

Ulquiorra considered her words. The explanation given seemed to make a decent amount of sense to him. Running around in a lightning storm was bad logic no matter how it was explained, even if it was to try and break up pockets of the storm itself. Even if it was wise, it would require that the cyan pegasus venture out into the dark on her own, leaving her vulnerable to whatever might be out there and working to avoid detection by his pesquisa. Perhaps the lightning would have the unintended benefit of presenting a threat to whatever was present that shouldn't be, and discouraging anything that would threaten the town under cover of nightfall.

However that thought gave way to another thought, and that one was far more disturbing to consider.

"Is it really a wise decision to be inside of a large tree during a lightning storm?" he asked. Lightning had a strong tendency to strike tall targets like trees. The library might be a sitting target as they stood here. Perhaps all of them going down to the basement would be the best option for their safety.

"Magical lightnin' rod," Applejack replied casually, "Rarity an' ah've been through this once before. Library's perdy safe in weather like this. Especially since Twilight reinforced the windows ta not break so easily," she explained.

One less thing to concern himself with. However he was now presented with another question: if the library itself was protected against lightning strikes, why would Twilight Sparkle possess the knowledge that her forcefield could withstand several consecutive lightning strikes?

Then again it was Twilight Sparkle. She possessed a certain thoroughness about her that would almost make him question why she wouldn't do something in the name of accuracy. It could even be assumed that it was out of concern for protecting buildings other than the library during a storm. Considering her character that seemed reasonable.

"Back to a previous question though, what're we gonna do about Twilight? Just how long are we supposed to leave her alone down in the basement?" Pinkie asked as she approached.

"You've got me there, Pinks, I don't have any answers," Rainbow Dash replied. There were nothing beneficial that she could contribute in this matter. Or at least nothing that was coming to her mind right now. "I know I said that I think Twilight's doing this out of some need related to her belief on friends. But I'm also wondering if she's doing this because she... well, because maybe she thinks she needs to be punished."

"Punished?" Applejack asked as she quirked an eyebrow, not sure what exactly she was talking about.

Rainbow Dash nodded. "You heard Twilight back at the hospital. Don't tell me you haven't considered it being a possibility," she replied. She already knew that the others had questions to ask about what she was suggesting. So she decided to cut them off before they could actually ask them. "Think about it. If she thinks that she's responsible for all the death and suffering Ponyville's been struck by, don't you think she's going to do something to try and make herself feel better about it? Something that'll make her feel like she's paying some sort of price for what she believes she did, to make it up to the others?" she asked.

"Darling I think we've already covered that theory," Rarity pointed out, only to have Rainbow Dash shook her head in response.

"That was about Twilight needing help when she's stressed. What I'm saying is different. I'm saying that she's got a lot of guilt going on inside of her, and she's looking for some kind of outlet for it. She thinks she did something wrong, and now she's looking for some way to make it right, but doesn't know how to do it. Studying those spells is to prevent a reoccurrence of today, but that's future tense. She needs something for the past tense, for what's already happened and can't be changed no matter how much she tries. I think if she gets that outlet she'll feel a lot better, and more open to reason," Rainbow Dash explained as best she could.

Rarity listened in silence as Rainbow Dash explained her theory relating to Twilight's current condition. She would admit that she'd never considered such a possibility before. But if she did then she would feel the need to immediately follow up with the question of just where Rainbow Dash had come up with such a theory that dealt with a matter as complicated as psychology. Maybe it would be best to question her later, when the situation wasn't quite so serious.

"Well I suppose it's technically possible," she replied.

"Guilt does kinda make ponies do funny things. Ah reckon it's a possibility, even if she's no foal," Applejack added.

"Um... if this is really the case, then what do we do to help Twilight?" Fluttershy asked them, uncertain of the best way to proceed from here.

"Don't worry about that, Flutters, I've got a plan. You girls might wanna head on up to bed, this could take a while," Rainbow Dash replied and started to walk towards the basement door.

"Assuming your theory is accurate, and Twilight Sparkle's current course of action is due to feelings of guilt and personal responsibility, how do you intend to handle the situation? None of you possess training in the field of psychology," Ulquiorra pointed out. He hadn't seen fit to entirely discount this new theory, as it did make some degree of sense; at least in an academic sense. But in how it would be addressed was another matter entirely, as any mishandled approach could have significant consequences to address. The last thing that any of them needed right now was Rainbow Dash potentially planting notions in Twilight Sparkle's mind that weren't there to begin with.

"Like I said, I've got a plan in mind. But before I go into details I need to know something. What exactly does "handle" mean?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Of course," Ulquiorra thought to himself. The predominant species of this world lacked hands, it would only make sense that any derivative words wouldn't be in their language either. "In this specific context it refers to having a situation under control when addressing it. To deal with something, and take responsibility for its management," he explained.

Rainbow Dash gave a curious look at his explanation, before finally nodding and shrugging, deciding that it made enough sense. "Anyway I plan to "handle" this by talking to her. If it is guilt then the first order of business is to get her to recognize it for herself. Once that's done then we can proceed from there, however necessary," she explained.

"Uh... talk? Yer jus' gonna talk ta her?" Applejack asked, not entirely sure she was hearing this right. This was the same Rainbow Dash who kicked a dragon in the face. The same Rainbow Dash that tackled a dragon head on, and tried to knock Ulquiorra right off his feet with multiple blows to the face, before going off and yelling in his face. And she was seriously planning on just talking to Twilight? "Ya sure yer not a changelin' er somethin'?" she asked.

"Very funny," Rainbow Dash replied and frowned. But then again if she'd heard herself ask the same question a couple of years ago, she might be asking the same thing of herself. "Talk has gotten us pretty far up to this point, even I can't deny that. Might as well give it a try."

"You do have a point, darling, but are you sure you're the best candidate for this task? I don't mean to be rude, but you've really never been the most patient of ponies. Don't you think that maybe I should be the one to try and talk to her?" Rarity asked her.

"No offense, Rarity, but you're not cut out for this. If Twilight needs a push she's gonna need somepony who's not afraid to just push. You might have better patience, but I'm a lot more stubborn than you could manage," Rainbow Dash stated before finally moving towards the basement door again. "Like I said, you girls might wanna head up to bed. This could take a while, and there's no sense in all of us losing sleep."

The others watched in silence as Rainbow Dash made her way over to the basement stairs, turned, and pulled the door shut behind her with a click, leaving them alone in the resulting silence of the library.

Alone in the silence, with the exception of the continual sound of rain beating against the outside, and the low rumble of thunder off in the distance.

"So..." Applejack began as she slowly spoke up, breaking what was beginning to become a stifling silence to experience. "Someone mind explainin' jus' what went on here? Ah know wha' we all saw, but ah'm feelin' kinda lost right now..."

"I'm afraid you're not the only one, Applejack, I feel a bit lost myself. That... that didn't seem like the Rainbow Dash we've come to know and love. She was so... assertive, and yet at the same time... it was almost like she has an actual plan for how she intends to proceed, rather than playing things by ear in a Discord may care approach," Rarity replied. The idea of Rainbow Dash's change in approach was... well... it was almost like she'd suddenly matured considerably or something.

Ulquiorra merely remained silent as he considered everything that had happened over the course of the day. In the matter concerning Twilight Sparkle's reaction to today's events, they had progressed from the theory of her obsessive compulsive behavior affecting her judgement, to the theory that she was subconsciously hindering herself in the name of friendship, to the possibility that she was being driven by unrealized guilt. Varying -and sometimes absurdly wild- theories were nothing new to him, but the fact that two of the three theories had come from Rainbow Dash rather than any other pony had been the most unusual aspect of it all.

Every single time he thought he had these ponies properly figured out, they went and proved that there was something else to them that contradicted earlier preconceived notions.

He couldn't help but wonder if the other ponies in this town held as many surprises

Once again the silence returned. A stifling silence that just seemed to grow all the more intolerable with each passing second. It finally reached the point where Applejack once again couldn't take it anymore.

"So... we jus' turn in now? Jus' like that?" she asked the others, uncertain of just what was proper under these circumstances.

"Well I really don't want to, but I kinda need to," Pinkie replied reluctantly and yawned. "If I don't get at least four hours of sleep then I'm no use to anypony. And considering what tomorrow might bring, I'm gonna need those four hours," she explained.

"I'm afraid I have to agree. As much as I care for Twilight, I simply can't afford to stay up the entire night in hope that Rainbow Dash will be able to talk her into coming back upstairs to bed," Rarity added.

"And I really do need to get up early to tend to all the critters in my care. I don't know what they'd do without me being there," Fluttershy stated.

"Well than ah guess tha's that," Applejack replied and shrugged, "ya girls can head on up ta bed, ah think ah'm gonna hang back here wit' Mr. Cifer a while longer an' wait. Jus' in case RD can't, um, handle things on 'er own an' needs a little backup."

The pattern of Ulquiorra remaining silent due to a lack of anything relevant to comment on remained intact and unbroken, despite this change in development. With the nature of their work and responsibilities taken into account, he would have anticipated Pinkie Pie being the one volunteering to stay up while the others turned in for the evening. Not that he had truly anticipated any of them choosing to wait up in the name of helping another. But he would have assumed the hyperactive pink earth pony would be the one to fill such a duty.

Regardless of this unforeseen development, it was of no importance at this point in time. So long as no threats managed to disable them, which in turn would put Equestria itself in harm's way.

Pleasantries of an irrelevant nature were exchanged between the four ponies, before Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie eventually made their way up the stairs to the second floor of the building, leaving him behind with Applejack.

"And then there were two," he thought to himself.

Chapter Forty Nine

Chapter Forty Nine

It certainly wasn't a heavy rain that was falling just outside of the library, but it was a steady rain that didn't sound like it would be letting up anytime soon. For some ponies the sound of rain falling was relaxing and soothing, something to be listened to for the purpose of falling asleep peacefully.

For Applejack, it just served as a reminder that she should probably use the restroom soon. The way she was feeling right now, as she sat in the dimmed library, the only significant amount of light coming from sporadic flashes of lightning, there was no way in Equestria that she was going to be able to rest anytime soon. There was too much concern boiling inside of her gut and just under her skin, for her friends, to be able to relax right now.

Concern, and agitation at the occasional sound of pages being flipped just a few paces away from where she sat. The fact that Ulquiorra had opted to ignore her in favor of reading one of Twilight's many books wasn't exactly helping matters any. Wasn't he supposed to be on guard duty or something?

Then again considering how he didn't even seem to get visibly disturbed over anything they encountered, it was entirely reasonable to believe that the book was doing nothing to distract him from his task. Multitasking really didn't seem out of the realm of possibilities for him. And she really couldn't put her hoof on it, but something about his demeanor just seemed to remind her of a coiled and cocked spring. Like at any moment he could go off with frightening results if it was necessary.

The ticking of the clock really wasn't helping her either, as it just served as yet one more thing to wear on her nerves during this long stretch of intermittent silence. Between the ticking of the clock, and tapping of the rain occasionally accented by a clap of thunder, and the Espada's page flipping, Applejack was about ready to get snippy in an effort to vent her current frustrations. She really wanted to, but she couldn't do something like that. She was far too polite -and intelligent- to be acting so irrationally simply because of her concerns.

Looking over at the clock she saw how late it was getting. How late, and nary a peep from the basement. This was definitely unexpected. Knowing Rainbow Dash and Twilight like she did, she'd been generous in allotting a full ten minutes of time before expecting to find the pegasus back in the main room, either under her own power, or being escorted out by Twilight's magic. But that ten minutes had been a good while ago, and now she really didn't know what she should be expecting. This was uncharted territories to her. Did the silence and lack of activity emanating from the basement mean things were going according to plan? Or were things going very wrong down there?

Another page flip. She wanted to sigh in frustration right now. Just sitting here in silence, unable to do anything but wait, wasn't sitting well with her. Her farmer patience was doing little to assist her in this matter, and she wondered if she should've gone up to bed with the other girls. If she'd known Twilight and Rainbow Dash would be taking this long to be doing whatever they were doing down there, she just might have done that.

Another page flip. She looked over at the Espada, still standing as silent as ever, seemingly absorbed in his book of choice. What he was reading that was so fascinating, she really didn't know. In the dim light she couldn't read the cover even if it was visible, and she really wasn't certain that she wanted to actually ask about it. Getting an answer she really didn't want was entirely possible, and she knew that full well.

But still, simply sitting here with nothing to do but wait, and try to keep her patience as all the noises around her served as a point of aggravation, just didn't seem like a worthwhile endeavor to her. So she decided to take a different course of action.

"Mr. Cifer," she spoke up, "ah hope you don' think ah'm pryin' too much. But wha' do ya do fer relaxation?" she asked him. To her it seemed as random as something that Pinkie would come up with. But right now she couldn't think of anything else to ask, and just continuing to sit there in silence just didn't sit right with her. Something random was better than nothing... right?

"Relaxation?" he asked as he paused his reading, keeping one of his fingers placed at a specific spot as he turned his attention to her.

"Yeah. Ya know, unwindin' an' such? Jus' doin' nothin' an' takin' the opportunity ta let the stress o' the day jus' melt away," she explained, not really prepared to be giving a proper explanation of just what relaxation meant. She never even stopped to consider that he might not have any sense of such a concept. Everypony that she knew, knew something about relaxation, so why should he be any different?

"I can't say that I've ever seen the usefulness of such a practice. Simply doing nothing seems like a waste of time that could be better utilized elsewhere," he replied.

Applejack wasn't sure whether she should frown or not. That really wasn't the kind of answer she was expecting to get. In some ways it reminded her a lot of Twilight during her early days here in Ponyville. Back when she saw friends as being a waste of time because of what she felt were more pressing matters to tend to. And in some ways it reminded Applejack of herself at times, when she'd become so task oriented on work, she couldn't see what else was going on around her. And it was times like that, that she was very glad she had friends to help shake that tunnel vision from her mind.

"Furthermore, relaxation is a luxury that can't be afforded during this current time. There's too much at stake to simply stand around doing nothing," he continued.

"Fair enough," Applejack replied, not wanting to argue that particular point with him. "But one o' these days, yer gonna run out o' books to read in Canterlot's library, an' we won't be faced with certain death from an uncertain enemy. Wha' do ya plan on doin' then?" she asked.

That question gave Ulquiorra reason to pause in thought. What would he do should a day like that ever occur?

"A fair question. One for which I have no answer," he replied, before turning back to the book in his hands.

Applejack frowned. After getting that answer the silence once again returned. Glancing over at the clock that worked in tandem with preventing a perfect silence from being what was experienced, she wanted to groan at seeing just how little time had actually passed. This was going to be a long night, she was certain of that. Longer than the nights when she'd had to sit up with a sick Apple Bloom.

"And now a question for you," Ulquiorra spoke up, "earlier in the day you asked me to assist with some matter at Sweet Apple Acres. Was there truly a task to tend to, or did Pinkie Pie task you with lying to me, in order to bring me to the party she threw?" he asked.

"Uh..." Applejack paused, caught off guard by the question. Did he really think that she'd lie to him like that? Then again she doubted he'd ask if he didn't suspect otherwise. "It was fer a real reason. One o' the joists supportin' the hayloft is startin' ta show signs o' rot an' needs ta either be reinforced er jus' replaced. An' ya'd prob'ly have an easier time than an earth pony tryin' ta climb up a rickety ladder, while tryin' ta hold onta nails an' a hammer, an' all the while tryin' ta keep yer balance an' not go splat down below," she explained.

Ulquiorra considered her explanation. The mental image that had been conjured by her words wasn't exactly the most appealing of things to consider. Despite Lyra Heartstrings' talent with bipedal locomotion, he doubted that any pony would be able to adequately scale a ladder placed at a sixty degree angle, and all with half of their limbs not being fully accessible at the time. Even with the prospect of a tool belt for keeping nails contained, he didn't see how it would be a possibility; at least not without a significantly more involved process.

"Does it qualify as an emergency situation?" he asked.

"Er... no not really. So long as nopony goes traipsin' aroun' up there, it should be fine fer the time bein'. But still ah'd rather get it tended to rather than jus' let it go," she explained, caught off guard by the fact that he'd taken an interest in the matter at all. She'd expected something along the lines of blunt dismissal, saying how matters of hers were irrelevant to him, and not a worthwhile use of his abilities.

"Ultimately my purpose here is to protect the ponies residing in the town and the surrounding areas. Not to engage in construction and renovation of various buildings," he replied, before turning his attention back to the book. "That being said, should I come across a potential hazard during my patrolling of the area surrounding Ponyville, I would be negligent in my duties if it was left unaddressed."

Applejack looked over at Ulquiorra curiously, uncertain of just what to think about the answer that he gave. Was he saying that he could tend to the barn joist? Or was he... she shook her head, trying to clear the confusion. Sometimes she could understand Rainbow Dash's reaction to him. But she decided to not make a big deal out of the matter right now. When she got tired she wasn't always thinking properly. She turned to look at the clock again and noted the time, marveling that the cyan pegasus hadn't been hurled through the basement door yet. Maybe she really knew what she was talking about.

It was a simultaneous clap of thunder and flashing of lightning that snapped Applejack awake, causing her to let out a startled snort of a snore, bolting upright from what she didn't even realize was a slouched position against the nearby wall. She looked around in confusion, eyes wide from the sudden burst of adrenaline she felt from being startled, before finally recognizing where she was, and letting out a sigh of relief as she slumped back against the wall, feeling her body relax again.

"Ah fell asleep?" she asked herself, not believing that she'd really done so. She remembered closing her eyes, but that had been simply to rest them, not to try and actually sleep. Wait, had she actually fallen asleep? It seemed like only a second ago that she was listening to the clock ticking. "How long was ah out?"

"Approximately two hours."

It took Applejack a moment or two before finally recognizing the voice as belonging to Ulquiorra. Looking over to the side she saw the Espada, still in the same position, but at a slightly different location of the room, and reading what looked like a different book. Had he really been reading that entire time while she'd been asleep?

"Why exactly are you doing this?" he asked her. Applejack blinked, uncertain of what he was asking. And for that matter, why would he even ask her anything to begin with? Before she could even get a word out to let him know just how confused she was, he continued talking. "Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash have no way of knowing that you remained awake in case you were needed, while the others headed off to bed. You have nothing to gain from exhausting yourself. And the nature of farm work would suggest there are only a few hours before you will need to rise in anticipation for the new day. So why do you choose to do something that is simply illogical in nature?" he asked.

Applejack listened to the question she was presented with, thinking on it momentarily, before simply shrugging. "Wouldn' exactly be the first time ah've gone without sleep an' had work ta do the next day. When we lost our folks, Big Mac an' ah perdy much had ta raise Apple Bloom ourselves. She was a colicky foal too, so we didn' get much shut eye fer a long time. Ah don' know how we managed exactly, but we did," she replied, before stopping to yawn and stretch, shaking her head in an effort to render herself more awake and alert.

There were several points Ulquiorra could make regarding Applejack's statement. Simply because she could go without sleep during an earlier point in life didn't mean that she would be able to do the same now that she was older; especially if she was out of practice. However that wasn't a discussion that he felt particularly inclined to have.

"That still doesn't explain your motivation to actually do such. I fail to understand the reasoning that justifies such an endeavor," he stated, becoming slightly more curious as to what drove the earth pony to engage in such an illogical behavior. He understood that there was some reason for such, but just what was that reason?

Applejack looked at him, before simply shrugging. "Ah reckon fer the same reason yer around but don't participate in the stuff goin' on around ya; ta be available in case somethin' happens so ya can address it in a timely manner. Plus it wouldn' hurt ta be awake in case the theory on poison joke pollen turns out ta be accurate."

As far as Ulquiorra was concerned it was nothing more than pure speculation on Applejack's part. But speculation or not, there was a certain logic to it that he had to note.

"Fair enough," he replied. If she wished to continue remaining conscious then it was she who would bear the consequences of her actions, not him.

More silence, except for the rain, the ticking of the clock, and the page flipping. Applejack frowned, not liking it one bit. There had to be a better way of utilizing time than just sitting around and trying to fend off sleepiness.

With that thought in mind she couldn't help but wonder if Rainbow Dash and Twilight had managed to fall asleep downstairs. That would certainly explain the quiet that was coming from the basement. Curious about that prospect, she walked over to the door and tested the handle, but found it to be locked. Getting in under her own power wasn't going to be a possibility without breaking the door down, and she'd rather not do that. There had to be another way of finding some answers.

"Mr. Cifer?"

He didn't stop reading the book detailing the surrounding territory, but he did give an aside glance to indicate that he was at least paying attention.

"Do ya have any idea o' what they're doin' down in the basement?" she asked him.

"I do not," he replied bluntly and turned back to the page he was on.

"But wha' about tha', um, tha' sonar thing ya can do? Ya knew when Twilight an' the others were comin' back from town, and there wasn' a window ya could look through," she replied.

Ulquiorra was about to point out that his sonido was high-speed movement, not some form of x-ray vision that allowed him to see through various substances and what was beyond them. But he paused and gave the matter greater thought. Perhaps her use of the word sonar hadn't been a mispronunciation of sonido, but meant to refer to his pesquisa, which Twilight Sparkle had explained was similar to the echolocation of a bat. The two were similar enough in concept to be a believable theory.

"As Twilight Sparkle explained, pesquisa is similar to a bat's echolocation. But instead of utilizing sound waves to map out physical obstacles, it uses a ping of reishi to locate and identify reiatsu, as well as similar energy patterns. Physical objects don't serve as a hindrance of the process, but that isn't the same as seeing through them. Simply because I am aware of their presence in the basement, that isn't the same as being able to see what they're doing," he explained. After giving a pause so that she would have time to comprehend his words, he continued. "That said, I can tell that Twilight Sparkle's reiatsu pattern is significantly more stable than it was during the time you were asleep. This at least suggests she is experiencing a corresponding state of greater emotional stability."

"Really?" Applejack asked. He could really draw such speculation and whatnot just by detecting Twilight's magic? It sounded familiar, like she'd heard him give such an explanation before, but right now it just wasn't ringing any definite bells. Maybe she was more tired than she realized. Maybe he was right that she did need to go to bed. "Ya reckon RD knew wha' she was talkin' about?"

"I'm uncertain. Every time I believe that I've reached an accurate conclusion of the facts, you ponies manage to prove me wrong by presenting previously undiscovered information, that necessitates reconsidering everything," Ulquiorra replied.

More silence. He was alright with that. Silence allowed him to better focus on his surroundings. Silence would possibly inspire Applejack to turn in, and give up her futile efforts of remaining awake for no reason.

"Mr. Cifer? Do ya mind if ah do a little speculatin' about ya?"

It was a matter of curiosity that motivated Ulquiorra to pause from reading his current book of choice, and turn his attention to where Applejack sat. He assumed that she had simply gone back to sleep during the period of silence that had been experienced. Whether she had, or had simply gone back to sitting silently and thinking, he wasn't certain. However it wasn't important enough to concern himself with.

"I don't," he replied. It might be interesting to see what she had to say about him. Applejack was, after all, one of the ponies that had a respectable degree of intelligence about her.

"Well... ya don' exactly strike me as the kind tha's deliberately standoffish an' cold fer the sake o' being such ta others. Ya sorta strike me as somepony, ah mean someone tha's the philosopher type, curious 'bout wha's goin' on aroun' ya since it's all new an' such, but not knowin' jus' how ta go about interactin' wit' others an' wha' they're doin'. And that not knowin', an' maybe a bit o' hesitatin' motivates ya ta hang back an' jus' observe things while tryin' ta get a feel fer things," Applejack stated.

Ulquiorra listened as she spoke, analyzing her words and what she was saying. Hers was at least an interesting theory regarding his nature. There were certainly a number of inaccuracies about how she interpreted him and his nature, but there had also been a few points that were truthful; such as not being deliberately cold to others. Simply because he chose not to interact with others when they displayed irrelevant, nonsensical behavior, didn't mean he had some overt desire to inflict misery and suffering on them. Needless cruelty ultimately served no purpose.

"An interesting theory at the very least. But matters are not quite as complicated as you believe. There is simply no point in becoming involved in needlessly irrelevant matters," he replied as he turned to the next page.

"Irrelevant in what way?" Applejack asked him. She grunted as she stood up out of a sitting position, stretching her tired muscles in the process, before slowly walking over to him. "From wha' ah remember durin' our second meetin', yer not workin' fer that Aizen character no more. Until yesterday, officially, yer mission was ta learn about friendship an' such. Now ah can understand that somethin' like that might be a bit strange to ya, but how could anythin' actually be irrelevant ta learnin' such?"

That gave him reason to pause his reading, reason to look up from the page he was on, in order to better look at Applejack, and to better think over what she'd said. It was a fair point that she was currently making. His services to Aizen had certainly been terminated upon his death, his days of a warrior officially ending at that point in time. Discord had informed him that he was free of his previous duties, and Princess Celestia had assigned him a new purpose to go along with his presence in this new world. Strangely it was a purpose he hadn't expected to encounter, a role he hadn't expected to fill; that of a student.

Now that he gave the matter a greater degree of thought than before, he wasn't merely another student assigned difficult to comprehend material; certainly not like the students that attended Miss Cheerilee's classes. By placing him under her rule, and assigning him the original task, he had more or less become Princess Celestia's student. In simple terms, he and Twilight Sparkle shared a title and position. And while Princess Celestia had seen fit to request that he return to his old ways in order to protect her kingdom, in recognition of the fact that they were up against a genuine threat, she hadn't officially ended his apparent apprenticeship under her. It was always possible that once this crisis had been addressed, she would insist that he return his previous purpose in this world, and once again begin his studies of the concept of friendship.

That was a thought that he had truly never considered. If this matter hadn't been pointed out to him, it was entirely possible he would've passed it over. It was just like the situation back in Canterlot, where little snippets of conversation from Rarity and Fluttershy had given birth to the -apparently confirmed- theory that something was out to kill them. And if it wasn't for the insight of Applejack on this matter, he might never have given any actual consideration to it at all.

"You present an interesting outlook, for hypothetical consideration and analysis, if nothing else," he replied, "what would you suggest as a solution?" he asked, curious to see what advice she might have to offer.

"Well ah'll tell ya right now, there's a piece o' advice that Twilight had ta learn the hard way, an' she would've saved herself a lot o' trouble if she'd just taken it sooner durin' her studies: stop thinkin' so dang hard 'bout stuff," Applejack stated. However she was quick to continue before he could interrupt. "A lot o' ponies an' others make things out ta be more complicated than they really are or really need ta be. And if yer the thinkin' type ah could see why ya might be doin' the same. But there are times when ya jus' don' need ta be doin' such," she explained.

"And you believe this simplistic outlook on life is sufficient in nature? To simply not give consideration to various matters?" Ulquiorra asked in response. That was the piece of advice Twilight Sparkle had to learn? Was she quite serious?

"It's worked out perdy well fer me so far. Some things aren't nearly as complicated as others want ta believe they are. Sometimes ya jus' gotta take things at face value an' not worry so much," Applejack replied before giving a light shrug. "What ah'm tryin' ta say, more er less, is that sometimes ya gotta do less thinkin', an' more participatin' even if it don't make a whole lotta sense. Like when you an' Carrot Top were playin' darts back at the barn. Ah know that wasn' exactly yer idea, but fer the sake of reference ah think it works."

Ulquiorra was silent in thought as he considered Applejack's words of advice. Could things truly be as simple as she was making them out to be? The very idea seemed preposterous to even give basic consideration to. And yet Applejack was presenting such a notion of simplicity as being a motto she apparently lived by.

Was it truly possible that he was overthinking matters that simply didn't need the fullest scope of his attention? It was a possibility that couldn't be ruled out, even if it did seem quite unlikely, to the point of being preposterous. But then again he was dealing with a world where the dominant intelligent species had hooves, believed in -and used- magic, and could actually see and interact with him as if he were a physical entity. And that was to say nothing of how even the weakest of ponies didn't seem like they would be crushed by his mere presence. This wasn't the first time he had to consider that the standard rules of logic didn't apply here; at least not to the same degree it did back in his own world.

"I'll take it under advisement," he finally replied, "but it will have to wait until the situation isn't as serious as it is currently. Until then it will have to wait while more relevant matters are addressed," he explained as he turned back to the book and turned the page. Simply because he was willing to give the matter further consideration at some point in the future, that didn't mean he could lose focus on what was currently important.

"And somethin' like, uh..." Applejack asked as she tilted her head to better read the title of the book he held in his hands. "How's geology relevant in this case?" she asked, not really seeing it herself.

"Knowledge pertaining to the nature of the surrounding territory can be quite relevant in any situation. The most common mineral deposits in the territory around Ponyville are limestone, quartz, feldspar, mica, and granite. Knowing what deposits can be found in what locations, could prove crucial at some point in time," he explained.

"How so?" Applejack asked, not really seeing what he was saying.

"This world is full of unknown and potentially dangerous creatures, any number of which could be utilized against us. Should some burrowing, subterranean carnivorous beast be utilized, being able to reach a deposit of granite might mean the difference between life or death," Ulquiorra explained. "Based on my research back in Canterlot, such a situation occurred in the Neighvada desert a number of years ago. The creatures responsible were able to easily burrow through the loose soil making up the ground, but incapable of getting through solid, dense pockets of rock."

"Huh," Applejack replied, not entirely certain what else to say after hearing that. "Learn somethin' new everyday ah guess."

Applejack hadn't been expecting the following silence. She'd expected some sort of sarcastic remark to her statement about learning something new, or even some measure of cynicism. Even a touch of snark wouldn't have been blinked at. But the simple silence had left her feeling... a little disappointed actually. Ulquiorra having no qualms about giving up the last word just seemed to give a sensation of incompleteness.

Oh well, that was neither here nor there. Right now she had more important things to focus on that witty banter with the Espada; namely her friends.

There was a hollow, cracking thud in the darkness of the library.

"Yeowch! Worthless inbred son of a nag!"

Followed by a string of Equestrian profanity. That was enough to gain Ulquiorra's interest and bring his attention to where Applejack currently sat, rubbing her jawbone as she mumbled various words. He could easily assume that the earth pony had once again fallen asleep where she sat. But instead of leaning against the wall like the last time sleep had tried unsuccessfully to claim her, it seemed likely that her body had relaxed and she'd fallen forward, slamming her jaw against the hardwood floor of the library, which resulted in her snapping back to consciousness again.

"Your dedication to your cause is respectable. But ultimately there's no point in your continued efforts to remaining awake. It's quite impossible for you to aid the others, and your efforts are doing nothing but causing you harm," he pointed out, the injury she'd just sustained perfectly proving it to be a matter of fact. "Go to bed, Applejack."

"Yer concern is touchin' an' all, Mr. Cifer," Applejack replied as she rubbed her jaw. "But even if ah did turn in, ah probably wouldn' be able ta actually sleep. Ah'd probably jus' wind up lyin' there an' thinking 'bout RD an' Twilight. At least if ah'm awake, ah won't feel guilty fer not bein' able ta actually do anything," she explained. She then paused to yawn, even if stretching her mouth that far caused it to hurt. "Might not make a whole lot o' sense, but it's somethin' friends do fer one another. We make sacrifices 'cause we care. Shoot, ah'd stay up fer the girls all night if ah had ta."

Ulquiorra considered reminding her that he was well versed in the matter of making sacrifices, going so far as to reference several key examples. But ultimately he decided against it. He had already made such a point to her and the others in the past. It was more than likely she was overlooking such a point in her sleep deprived state. Maybe he could use that to his advantage, and present her with something that would convince her to turn in due to its complexity.

"Then perhaps you can provide assistance with a question for which I have no answers of my own," he replied.

"Well ah'll help however ah can. Wha's on yer mind?" Applejack asked, curious to see just what the Espada was talking about. What kind of question could he have, that he was actually willing to ask her for help?

"The concept of friendship in general is a matter of confusion and complication, with some aspects being even more so than others," he began, "you're aware that Twilight Sparkle considers me to be her friend. Her sentiment, I'm relatively certain, is shared by several other members of the group. But specifically how does one go about considering another to be their friend? Hypothetically speaking, if I take this matter seriously, how would I know if someone is my friend?" he asked her.

Applejack blinked at Ulquiorra in confusion, her mouth slightly agape as the confused "uhh..." went unissued. This was what he needed her help with?

"Mr. Cifer... ah don' wanna be rude, but ah feel like ah jus' got asked ta describe colors by a blind pony," she stated uncertainly, "that... ah don' know how ta answer. Ah'll try an give ya an answer, but ah don' know if it'll be the one yer lookin' for," she explained. This was going to be a difficult one to try and address. She was going to need a minute or two in order to think it over, and try to structure her answer appropriately. How exactly did you go about explaining something that was so basic, it was right up there with breathing? Some of this stuff just plain had to be felt rather than explained.

She couldn't help but wonder if it was better that he asked her instead of Twilight. Knowing Twilight, if she was asked, she wouldn't be able to answer without extensive diagrams, and various books referencing the subject.

"Well... fer starters, friendship sorta works like a two-way street. Two pon--- two individuals can't really be friends without some level o' reciprocity goin' on between 'em. It's sorta like a dance, there's gotta be cooperation an' trust an' such. It's... well it's kinda like the business deal between the Apples an' the Riches. It's mutually beneficial an' all, but we never let matters like profit get in the way o' what we got with one another. Considerin' someone a friend means bein' willin' ta not let the little stuff get under yer skin an' drive ya apart; like puttin' up with Twilight when she would insist on reorganizing mah apples based on color hue," she explained, chuckling at the last part as those memories forced themselves forward. She was appreciative of the desire to help, but not when she was trying to sell them at the market!

"That doesn't specifically answer the question of how one knows when someone is their friend. What are the telltale signs to observe, for making such a determination?" Ulquiorra asked. The explanation given was of little value in this matter. If his originally assigned purpose ever became relevant again, how was he to fulfill it if he couldn't even answer what was likely the most important question? And why hadn't Princess Celestia thought of that beforehand?

Applejack tried not to frown. He was a tougher nut to crack than she thought. This was going to have to involve kicking off the proverbial boots and rolling up the proverbial sleeves if she was going to get anywhere in helping him.

"A'aright then," she began, "ya've gotten to know a fair number o' ponies, right? Are there any ya'd prefer ta spend time with more than others if ya were given the option? Any ya don't feel duty bound to fer one reason or another?" she asked, figuring that was as good of a way of presenting the case as any.

Ulquiorra considered the question, mentally running through the list of every pony he'd come to know, and to what extent he knew them. Out of that entire assortment, were there any that he would put above the others, when presented with a situation in which he didn't have to concern himself with either their immediate wellbeing, or the wellbeing of Equestria itself? Certainly, some of them were interesting individuals to associate with. But did being interesting warrant a significant investment of time?

"There are several," he eventually replied, seeing it as the best answer available. Flat denial didn't seem appropriate right now.

"Well then, sounds like ya might actually have yerself a few friends," Applejack replied and smiled. Things were really, really starting to look up around here as far as she could see. But with that thought came another one. It didn't seem exactly in line with the others, but it did manage to strike her as potentially being important. "But jus' so ya know, it is possible ta be friends with some ponies in a group without bein' friends with others. Jus' because they've got certain friends doesn' mean yer obligated ta have 'em as yer friends too, it don' work that way. Sorta like with Twilight, ya could be friends with her without necessarily bein' friends wit' Pinkie, RD, or even mahself. Freedom of association an' such," she explained.

That statement in itself could easily answer several potential questions. And it gave reason to listen further, disregarding the notion of using the question as a tool of motivation to convince Applejack to turn in for what was left of the night.

"Another way of knowin' if ya got friends er not, is the difficulty experienced when it comes time ta end the friendship. Ah know it might seem simple ta do, outside lookin' in an' all, but it really ain't. Like it er not when ya get to be friends wit' somepony, ya get attached to 'em an' the company they provide. An' when they do somethin' tha' hurts ya in ways ya jus' can't forgive an' forget, ya jus' gotta call it quits, no matter how much ya desperately wish it didn' have ta be done," Applejack continued, her voice and outward expression no longer as upbeat as it had been early in the conversation. It was a detail that failed to slip past Ulquiorra's perception unnoticed.

"The concept of friendship sounds quite similar to the concept of the heart, and the potential it has for causing harm and suffering to others," he pointed out, "is it worth it? The potential for harm seems significant in nature, and I can't help but wonder why anyone would willingly put themselves through such a gamble," he continued, finding the presented situation too good to pass up on asking the question.

"Well ah can't speak fer everypony on this, tha's jus' not possible. But fer mahself ah think it is. Somethin' Granny Smith told me growin' up, there's two ways o' goin' through life. Ya can either always be guardin' yerself an' scared o' gettin' hurt, never really takin' a chance. Or ya can be willin' ta take take yer chances an' the lumps that're thrown at ya along the way. Jus' because somethin' could end badly doesn' mean that it will, an' ya can't always plan on the worst case scenario. Ya gotta have a little optimism in life... difficult as it might seem," Applejack explained. She truly hadn't been caught off guard by Ulquiorra's position on the matter. She'd had a number of conversations with him ever since their first meeting, and a few things had come up over during those encounters. Truth be told, she would've been surprised if he hadn't been somewhat pessimistic about it. "Life's a gamble. Sometimes ya come out on top, other times ya don't. Ain't much more to it than that."

"A fair point," Ulquiorra replied, recognizing the fact that she had a point. There were very few certainties when it came to life, regardless of who or what you were. Even with every precaution he had taken, in meticulously planning out every detail that could possibly need to be addressed, there was still no guarantee that anything Aizen had planned had worked out as intended. And although it was likely that it had, there was still the possibility that something unexpected had occurred, and thrown everything out the window; something like Ichigo Kurosaki's Hollowfied form. "Was that also something you were aware of, Aizen?" he thought to himself in contemplation. If even his own Lanza del Relámpago could do nothing to harm that monster, he couldn't help but wonder what Aizen could do against it.

"If ya don' mind Mr. Cifer, ah've got a couple o' questions ah'd like ta ask," Applejack spoke up in an effort to ward off the silence that she knew was coming. She saw him move his eyes away from the pages of the book and over to her, indicating that she now had his attention to at least some degree. "Ah really don' mean ta be pryin' inta matters, but ah'm a might bit curious. Those several ya mentioned... am ah one of 'em?" she asked.

Ulquiorra considered the question carefully. Originally the earth pony had asked about those he didn't possess a specific duty or obligation to. Those that Princess Celestia hadn't tasked him to safeguard against harm. Technically all of Ponyville was under his protection, and he was obligated to all of them. Only technically, however. Regardless of the assignment, the ones present in the library were his true obligation. But how did that obligation coincide with the concept of friendship? If he was obligated to protecting these specific ponies, could he truly interact with them in a free manner?

Perhaps it would be simpler to just assume that the rules of interaction applied to the bearers of the Elements of Harmony as well. If he were to assume such, then it could simplify matters to a significant degree.

"You are," he finally replied. If he was honest with himself, Applejack was one of the six he would prefer spending time with if that specific opportunity was ever presented. Some of the other were far less desirable. But her reaffirming that he was under no true obligation to associate with all of them, and especially not at the same time, reduced the number of complications that were present in this entire friendship concept.

Applejack smiled at his words, feeling more relaxed than when she asked the question. That was good, good news to be finding out, as it made the entire conversation easier to have.

"A'right, now fer the next question," she started as she stepped a bit closer. "Do ya mind gettin' hugged by a friend?"

Applejack wasn't sure quite what it was, but something about the ensuing silence and Ulquiorra's stillness was making her nervous. Had she just asked him the wrong thing? At the time it really didn't sound all that bad to her. But now that the words were actually out there in the open, she was now having doubts about whether or not she should've even approached this subject. And as he slowly turned his head to look at her once again, she tried hard not to flinch under his gaze.

"I fail to see why there is so much obsession over such a meaningless gesture," he finally replied. It was yet another mystery his logical mind. How did such a simple example of physical contact mean so much, that it was a point of interest to others? "I am also curious as to why you would bother to ask, when the others feel no such obligation before going ahead with what they plan to do."

Applejack shrugged, doing her best to stand her own ground, and not feel intimidated into backing down. "Didn' feel like doin' any grabbin' on ya if it wasn' welcome," she replied. That was one thing she and Pinkie never really saw eye to eye on, what with the pink earth pony favoring surprise and spontaneity when issuing most of her hugs; something she knew for certain that Ulquiorra had found out for himself. "Blame it on a pony bein' stubborn an' not turnin' in when she needs to," she said and shrugged again, "ah'll make ya a deal. Ah get a hug outta ye, an' ah'll turn in fer wha's left o' the night. How's that sound?" she asked, putting her proposition forward. Something she probably wouldn't have done if she hadn't been so tired right now.

Ulquiorra considered her words. Truthfully it made no difference to him whether or not Applejack went to bed. She would be the one experiencing the consequences of her actions rather than him.

But in considering that fact, another one came to mind. These ponies would be returning to their everyday lives once the new day officially began with the rising of the sun. Or within a few hours of such occurring. They would once again be vulnerable to the outside world, and need to fend for themselves if he wasn't there. That would be difficult to do if the ability to react in a timely manner was hampered by exhaustion.

There was also the matter that, regardless of what she was asking for, her proposition had a certain capitalist structure to it. Intangible goods aside, she was displaying a materialistic approach to doing things, and offering to swap goods in what she considered to be a mutually beneficial manner. It was almost like a business deal. It was a... respectable endeavor.

With that thought in mind, he memorized the page he was on, before closing it, and sliding it nearly all the way back into its available space on the bookshelf. "It is acceptable."

"A'right then," Applejack replied as she shifted about before rearing up on her hind legs... before falling backwards and landing squarely on her flanks with a resounding thud before she could right her balance. "Dangit, that hurt," she grumbled as she climbed back to her hooves. She tried again, carefully shifting her weight upward and rearward to bring her onto her back hooves only. This time she was met with much better results. For a period of two seconds, before she fell over again. "Dagnabbit! How in the hay does Lyra make this look so danged easy?" she asked, both in frustration and pain. This really wasn't working out as she'd hoped.

It was a fair question to ask. Even Ulquiorra wondered about the answer to such. One possibility was that Lyra Heartstrings possessed less weight than Applejack, both due to the difference in species, and the corresponding difference in muscular structure and fat content, and this physical difference resulting in a better distribution of weight, allowing for differences in overall balance.

Another possibility was that Lyra Heartstrings had devoted extensive time and practice to being able to not only stand, but also walk -and even dance- on her hind legs without difficulty, learning the intricacies of how to carry her weight efficiently. The exact reason for why she might practice such an exercise in the first place was a mystery to him; one that he had failed to adequately address when presented with the opportunity. Perhaps he would address that at some point in the future, assuming their paths crossed again on their own. If they didn't then there was no reason to simply seek her out for that specific reason.

He watched as Applejack climbed back onto her hooves, muttering certain things to herself as she once again tried to stand on her hind legs. Unlike the last two times, this time she hadn't shifted her weight all the way back, and was keeping her forelegs forward. Although her posture was unsteady in nature, this was the longest she'd been able to remain on just two legs without toppling over. She shifted about uneasily, trying to use her forelegs to steady herself, before taking a tentative step forward. When she failed to fall down, she took another. Unfortunately her balance gave out on that second step, and sent her toppling forward.

Fortunately the fall was short in nature, as she was close enough to the Espada to hold onto him and avoid meeting the floor a third time. And it'd been a miracle that she'd managed to miss hitting her face against the hilt of his zanpakutō.

"Ferget it, it's overrated," Applejack muttered, really not seeing the point in the method of locomotion. It was then that she remembered she was learning against Ulquiorra for support, and noticed the firmness involved. Curiously she poked at his abdominal area with her hoof. "Wow. Yer really all muscle, huh?" she asked.

"Comparatively speaking," Ulquiorra replied as he looked down while she poked at him. "I still don't understand the significance of such a physical gesture. Ultimately what purpose does it serve?" he asked her.

"Huggin'? Well it's not really somethin' that means one thing er another, it's sorta a catchall gesture. Ta some it's a way o' showin' trust ta one another, 'cuz ya really wouldn' be huggin' someone if ya don' trust 'em ta some degree," she replied, pausing to let the information sink in before continuing. She wanted him to understand that fact first and foremost. "Fer others it's somethin' more important. When somepony's panickin' over somethin' an' can't calm 'emselves down 'cuz emotions are runnin' high, sometimes a well timed hug helps ta ground 'em back in reality. Helps take the terror outta the situation an' remind 'em that they're not left ta fend fer themselves," she explained.

On the issue of trust, Ulquiorra could understand the significance of the gesture, and Applejack's actions. Making yourself vulnerable to one that wasn't trustworthy was quite unwise. The fact she was acknowledging such a fact indicated that, despite everything that had happened, she still saw fit to trust him. Whether that trust was due to what he could do for them in terms of keeping them safe, or for other unrelated matters, he wasn't entirely certain right now.

On the issue of providing emotional stability to one in need, he wasn't quite as certain about that one. He had certainly witnessed what could've been considered as such an act, between Pinkie Pie and Princess Luna back at the hospital. But at present he couldn't foresee any situation in which he'd ever have reason or motivation to engage in such a notion himself.

"Jus' so ya know, Mr. Cifer, it really ain't a hug unless both parties are doin' it," Applejack pointed out, feeling a bit silly that she was the one doing all the embracing.

Ulquiorra continued looking down at the pony in contemplation, before finally relenting, and bringing his arms up and around her, reminding himself that he was doing this in an effort to better ensure their safety, and the continued survival of Equestria. That was the only reason he was willing to consent to this ridiculous behavior.

It was then that he noticed Applejack seeming to sink deeper into the insisted upon embrace, rather than breaking it. That wasn't a part of the deal.

"I have fulfilled my end of the deal. It's now time for you to do the same," he pointed out as he withdrew his arms.

"Fair enough ah guess," Applejack replied and yawned as she set back down on all four hooves again. "Thank ya kindly fer yer time, Mr. Cifer. Ah'd wish ya a good night an' all, but ah don' think it'd make much difference to ya."

She really didn't want to go to bed, not while Twilight and Rainbow Dash were still in the basement by themselves. She wanted to be up here to greet them when they finally came back up, and make sure everything was alright. But in her tired state she'd made that specific deal, and there was no honesty in squirming out of it now. So with a measure of reluctance she began to walk towards the stairs.

And then she stopped as her ears perked up and twitched at the sound of a doorknob being worked, and it was coming from the door that lead down to the basement! She turned around just in time to see the door open, Twilight coming up the stairs first, followed shortly by Rainbow Dash clutching something wrapped in cloth in her teeth.

Once the two of them were out and back in the main library, the basement door slowly swung itself shut, the front of it seeming to melt as its appearance changed to look no different than the side of the wall it was built into. Having seen the door opened earlier in the evening, it answered a very good question that Applejack had, but never really got around to asking. She'd always known that there was a basement to the library, but until she actually saw the door itself, she had no idea just where the stairs to it were located. According to Twilight it was a security precaution for safeguarding the more sensitive things located in the library. Why the Elements of Harmony themselves weren't stored down there as well, she didn't know for certain. But considering the double forcefields in place, and combined with Ulquiorra's own inability to lift the case itself, they were probably safe where they were right now.

Applejack opened her mouth to say something, but immediately closed it again when she looked at Twilight's current condition. In simple terms she looked like a mess. The fur on her face looked matted with tear stains and other traces of something or another, and her eyes had traces of a bloodshot state to them. When Ulquiorra had talked about Twilight and the matter of emotional stability, she didn't think to expect that it would possibly involve the unicorn crying her eyes out down there.

"Uh... hey there, Twilight," she greeted, caught off guard and uncertain of just how to proceed on this matter. "How ya holdin' up?" she asked.

"I'm alright, Applejack, now anyway," Twilight replied as she uncomfortably shifted her weight about with her hind legs. "I'm doing better than I was. All thanks to Rainbow Dash's help."

Rainbow Dash set the cloth-wrapped item down on the floor, before wiping her mouth with the back of her foreleg to try and clear away some of the stale dust that had proven to be an occupational hazard in this case. Having hands would've helped big time.

"Eh. It's not like I did anything major, Twilight. I was just there, you were the one that had the breakthrough to get through," she replied.

Applejack blinked. Was Rainbow Dash actually being modest for a change? That was a little unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome.

"Nothing major?" Twilight asked, her tone of voice clearly showing her lack of belief regarding the statement that had just been made in front of her. "You were there for me when I needed you, Rainbow Dash, even when I didn't know that I needed you. You came to my rescue and helped me. That was not nothing," she stated.

Applejack blinked again, confused and lost. "Wha' exactly happened down there?" she asked.

"Nothing happened," Rainbow Dash stated quickly, cutting off whatever Twilight might have had to say in response. "All I did was provide a wither to cry on when it was needed. I was just doing what any friend would do, and returning the favor from when Twilight helped me with a problem a few months ago. It's not like I did anything special," she said dismissively.

Applejack thought on that. Or at leas tried to think. What exactly was Rainbow Dash talking about? What favor was she using to try and justify/excuse the fact that she could be just as soft and caring as any of them? She certainly couldn't remember anything in the last few months that had been a problem Rainbow Dash had been going through. But then again living outside of Ponyville proper, she wasn't always up on everything her friends did when she wasn't in their company.

Looking between them she could tell there was some degree of discomfort going on. So she decided to do something about that; change the dang subject. "So wha's the thing RD brought up here?" she asked.

"Oh. That," Twilight spoke up, remembering the object from earlier, and lifting it up with her magic. "Something for tomorrow. Something that I'll need Ulquiorra's help with," she explained.

"And precisely what is that?"

Twilight nearly jumped at hearing the Espada's voice. How she wound up forgetting about him being there, she didn't really know. But nevermind that, it wasn't important right now. Right now him actually being there was beneficial, as she wouldn't have to explain the matter multiple times. In response to the questions she was presented with, she carefully unwrapped the parcel to show what it contained.

Ulquiorra examined the object with all the care and attention he usually exercised when a matter was important. But he truly couldn't see why this was important. Or how he could be of any use.

"A lantern?" he asked as he looked at the old, antiquated light source. It appeared to be constructed of steel, with a domed top and a thick wire handle that would swing freely, approximately the size of a one gallon can, and possessing a round glass lens at the front mounted on a small hinged door. It looked quite old and discolored, and he briefly wondered if it even still worked. "And precisely how does an antiquated bullseye lantern figure into anything?"

"Yeah ah'm kinda wonderin' that mahself," Applejack added. It wasn't that lanterns were uncommon in Equestria or anything like that. Most ponies still used them for the purpose of illumination. But with the advent of electrical lighting being made possible from hydroelectric dams and stations, especially in the much bigger cities like Manehattan and Canterlot, the use of lanterns was usually reserved for power outages or camping purposes. But at places like Sweet Apple Acres and other farms where electricity didn't run, lanterns were still frequently used.

But certainly nothing like the one Twilight was currently holding. The entire structure looked like it was meant for focusing light in a very narrow area. As far as lanterns went, Applejack preferred the kerosine variety, with the metal frame and glass globe, as the design allowed for a greater degree of area lighting, making it much easier to see when it was necessary.

"Actually it's not a traditional lantern, although it's easy to confuse for one. What it is, is a containment lantern. When the lens door is opened, the enchantments placed on the inside of the housing create a special vacuum that draws in and, as the name suggests, contains, various forces like a dragon's fire, or pure concentrated mana, by holding the material in a stasis field. This primarily served three purposes. First, it could be used as a method of long term illumination. Secondly, it could be utilized for defensive purposes, by absorbing dangerous spells or dragon's fire, and preventing harm from taking place. And third, when the front lens hatch is opened, the contained force could be utilized offensively if need be, by sending it right back at the caster," Twilight explained.

"Wow," Applejack replied, not certain what else to say in response. "Sounds like a mighty interestin' thing ta have on hoof. Are they rare er sometin'?"

"Sort of, Applejack, but that's primarily due to the labor intense nature of their construction than anything else. Properly applying the enchantments to the inside of the lantern is something that takes a great deal of skill, patience, and experience. As a result containment lanterns tend to fetch high prices, and those that own them aren't often likely to part with them if they don't have to. The only reason I have one is because Celestia provided one when I moved here from Canterlot. That way if Spike was in Canterlot or otherwise unavailable, I could still submit a report so long as I had him breathe into the lantern first. But since Spike hasn't had to go to Canterlot on business in a long while, I haven't had much use for it, so it's just been in the basement gathering dust," Twilight elaborated, using the cloth it'd been wrapped in to try and wipe some of the dirt away from its shell.

"And how does this matter involve myself?" Ulquiorra asked them. He would admit that the notion of the lantern's construction was mildly interesting. But what purpose did that serve them now?

"Well, with your permission of course, I'd like to try and use the lantern to try and contain one of your Ceros. The way I see it, Ulquiorra, is that if we do such, then should whatever it is actually comes for us, we'll have a better fighting chance than if we're left to our own devices," Twilight explained. It had seemed like a logical conclusion to reach, just in case her work at learning these new spells should fail. With the destructive potential of a Cero on hoof should it be needed, they'd stand a much better chance of survival.

"I have serious doubts about the notion of this artifact withstanding the forces it will be subjected to," Ulquiorra replied as he looked away from them and to the lantern itself. "But you present a unique situation for consideration. If you truly can do what you propose, then it may be a worthwhile endeavor to engage in," he stated. He could certainly see the practicality of the proposal. But he would still need to see this for himself in order to believe it.

"Well, girls," Applejack spoke up, pausing in order to yawn. Now that they were up here and alright, she could really start to feel the exhaustion weighing on her. "Ah'm glad yer alright an' all, but ah really need ta turn in now. It's gonna be dawn in a few hours."

Twilight turned to face Applejack and frown at what she said. It was the type of frown that marked both confusion and concern. "You've been waiting up for us all this time?"

"Eyup," Applejack replied and gave a brief nod and closed her eyes, feeling too tired to put any serious effort into giving an answer. Sometimes her brother had the right idea on things by keeping it simple. However she opened her eyes again when she felt something around her, and saw Twilight hugging her firmly.

"I really appreciate you doing that, Applejack, it was really nice," Twilight told her.

Rainbow Dash just grinned from where she stood, watching everything unfold. Applejack sitting up all these hours just to make sure Twilight was alright wasn't the kind of thing that just anypony would do. But then again her own sitting up with Twilight, holding onto her as she cried her eyes out, and getting her awesome cyan coat messy in the process, also wasn't the kind of thing that just anypony would do.

"Alright, enough of this mushy stuff," she spoke up to get their attention, before stretching her wings as she yawned. "I vote we all turn in. I don't know about you, but I'm gonna need to get up early and clear those clouds away for tomorrow morning. We're gonna need the sun for everything we need to do," she explained.

"Yer not the only one," Applejack replied as she untangled herself from Twilight. "Ah'm glad ya girls are alright. An' ah'm even gladder we can turn in now," she said as she yawned yet again. "Dawn waits fer nopony."

"You girls go on up, I'll be there in just a minute. I need to get a drink of water first," Twilight told them.

"Alright Twi', we'll save you a pillow," Rainbow Dash replied, before looking directly at Ulquiorra. "Don't let her try and sneak back down into the basement. I wouldn't put it past her to try something like that," she told him, before turning around, giving a muttered "C'mon AJ" as she walked past, heading for the stairs that would lead them up the stairs.

Twilight watched as her two friends tiredly walked up the stairs -so tiredly that Rainbow Dash didn't even try to fly up the distance- to the sleeping area, staying silent until they disappeared around the corner. At that point she turned to face Ulquiorra, who was currently looking back at her. But it wasn't the kind of look that suggested concern, rather it was the kind that suggested curiosity with why she was still standing there. Now that she was certain they were alone, she could speak up.

"I'm sorry, Ulquiorra," she said and sighed as she looked down at the floor of the library. "I tried my best to be strong, I really did. I tried really, really hard to be emotionally strong and untouched by everything that happened here today. I tried to be hard, tried to not pay it any attention, tried to tune it out and not let the suffering of others get to me. But despite my best attempts I just couldn't do it; not for long anyway. I couldn't even pretend that I could be hard, because I wound up falling apart at Rainbow Dash's prodding. I just started crying like a newborn foal and couldn't stop myself. I don't even know if I could've tried to stop myself. I..."

Ulquiorra observed as she paused her explanation and apology as she made an effort to get her breathing under control. He could see that she had been growing agitated throughout her speech, reaching this point where she needed to pause.

"I... I just don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can actually bring myself to kill. I know what we're up against, but that doesn't make it any easier to actually consider it as a viable possibility. I think about what I might have to do, what distasteful things might become necessary, a-and I don't know whether to cry or throw up at the thought of it. I just... I just..."

"Twilight Sparkle," Ulquiorra spoke up, interrupting whatever she was attempting to say. "I have no expectations of you being a murderer. Nor do I believe that what lies ahead will be a simple matter to address. We're all facing unfamiliar territory, you and your friends, as well as myself. If there was a comfort zone experienced beforehand, this entity we face has forced us well beyond it," he explained calmly.

"But I thought-" Twilight attempted to protest, only to be interrupted yet again.

"It was you, Twilight Sparkle, that explained how friendship provided a source of strength when your own was insufficient. And while I still find this to be ludicrous in nature, it is your own advice. Whether or not you actually take your own advice makes no difference to me. I'm merely pointing out the obvious," he explained, presenting a point of argument that he didn't foresee her having the ability to argue. He was merely referencing her own logic from earlier in the day, faulty as it may seem. "At present time you're exhausted and incapable of observing the situation in an efficient manner. Go to sleep. The matter can be better discussed tomorrow morning when you're sufficiently rested."

Twilight stood silently as she listened to Ulquiorra's words. She truly hadn't expected something like that. She'd been expecting any manner of other responses that would possibly demean her position for being weak and non-conductive of survival. But instead of that he seemed to be supportive to some degree. Maybe she was even more tired than she realized.

"Alright," she replied and nodded. "Goodnight Ulquiorra."

No response given. She wasn't really surprised about that. Exchanging pleasantries was a very inconsistent thing with him. Oh well it was no matter. She turned around, wincing in the process, before slowly and softly walking off towards the stairs.

Ulquiorra observed her slowly ascend the stairs along with the others. Once he was certain she wasn't about to come back down again, he withdrew the geological book he'd been studying and turned back to the page he'd been on.

What remained of the night passed in relative silence and without incident. The rain had ended around four in the morning. And no assaults or attempts at gaining entry had been made against the library. Whatever that fact meant, Ulquiorra wasn't certain. Whether the manticore was a fluke, or simply the precursor of something bigger, it would need to be waited on to see.

A fact that may prove easier as daylight was now making itself known, with the rays of the sun creeping in through the cracks in the shutters. Daylight meant a greater field of visibility, greater alertness, fewer places for potential dangers to hide.

For him it wasn't that much of an issue. Both of his eyes and pesquisa were fully capable of discerning threats either in the light or the dark. But for those whose company he was forced to share, the difference between day and night could literally mean the difference between life and death.

However that wasn't a matter he particularly held against them. He too was faced by certain limitations to his abilities that he didn't fully comprehend; specifically the number of times his pesquisa had failed to reveal details that would have otherwise been noticed. There was the simple fact of existence that physical limitations were something that couldn't be overcome simply through hard efforts.

At least in most situations. While physical strength could be augmented through extensive exercise, there was a limit to just how much it could be augmented. The earth pony Applejack was a fine example of this fact. Hers was a body that had been toned and hardened from many years of physical exercise, and she possessed great physical strength as a result. But despite this fact, there was only so much that could be done. One day she would reach her physical pique, and no amount of hard work and determination would allow her to go beyond the limitations of her body.

Even he wasn't exempted from this fact. Regardless of how much strength he possessed, how he could easily lift forty pounds of weight to every pound of body mass he possessed, it was impossible for his sealed state to become any stronger than it was currently. Unless he utilized his resurrección he was already at the pinnacle of his own strength.

His thoughts were interrupted by the quiet but noticeable sounds of stirring from upstairs, indicating that the others were waking up from whatever degree of slumber they had acquired. Soon they would be descending to the main floor of the library, and seeking to return to their duties around town, whether they were their own, or those that they volunteered for after the events of yesterday.

That was a matter he still didn't particularly favor. He understood that they had duties and responsibilities for various reasons, and that they couldn't be avoided simply because there was a risk of danger involved with carrying them out. But the matter was still unfavorable in nature. Them splitting up required a much greater deal of vigilance to be exercised in order to cover all eight potential targets.

Unfortunately there was very little that could actually be done about that. He had been tasked with performing a specific mission within a set of limitations. And he had little option but to do just that, to the best of his abilities, regardless of how they might be hampered.

As some might say, just another day at the office.

"Are you sure you girls don't want to stay for breakfast at least? Spike's making pancakes."

The night had been long and rough, but as far as Twilight was concerned it had been alright, because she'd had her friends there with her. They had helped her out immensely during her time of need. And naturally she was reluctant to end the gathering. One by one each of them had gotten up and around as the sunlight of the new day filtered in through the bedroom windows, and got themselves ready for what was ahead of them.

But that still didn't mean she couldn't try and convince them to hang around a little longer. And what better offer than Spike's famous pancakes? Who could pass those up? And out of those that could, how many of them could continue their resistance once chocolate chips were introduced to the equation?

"Much as ah'd like to, Twilight, ah really gotta get goin'. Big Macintosh got stuck with quite a bit o' work yesterday wit' everythin' goin' on. An' ah really wanna check on Apple Bloom an' make sure she's alright," Applejack replied.

Pinkie nodded in agreement. "The Cakes are gonna be putting out coffee and doughnuts for the volunteers. I've really gotta get there early and help with the setup. There are ponies counting on us to help them, and that help comes in many forms."

"No time for breakfast for me," Rainbow Dash added, "first thing's first, clearing the early morning fog that rolled in with the chill that last night's rain caused. Then I've gotta actually get the clouds cleared away to let the sun in. And then I need to get to Zecora's and pick up some more poison joke antidote so you can do those tests. I'm probably just gonna quick grab a doughnut or two later."

"And I really don't want anypony to think that I'm being rude by not staying. But the animals really need me. I usually feed them first, and I can't keep them waiting. Some of them are really fragile, and Angel Bunny can't take care of them all on his own," Fluttershy explained. "But I'd like to, I mean, if it's alright, stop by for lunch."

"I'm sorry, darling, another time perhaps," was all that Rarity had to offer.

"Alright then," Twilight replied and tried not to sigh. She understood that they all had to go and tend to their own lives. Of course there was the possibility of them all spending the night again tonight, if Ulquiorra thought it would be in their best interest. That thought gave her some reason to be happy.

But first there was another matter that needed to be addressed.

"Actually, Rainbow Dash, you might not need to right now. I wanted to have a word with you about that first," she stated. When she saw that she had her attention, she turned to face Ulquiorra where he stood. "Ulquiorra, I know I said that we'd start on the poison joke tests today. But... would you be upset if we postponed that until tomorrow? The spells I studied last night were more complicated than I originally considered, and I'd like to try and practice them while they're still fresh in my mind and easy to remember."

Ulquiorra considered the question. It was an interesting situation to be in. On the one hand there was the matter of his own vulnerability in this world, and it being further explored to determine its fullest extent. On the other hand was the matter of these ponies learning how to better fend for themselves when he wasn't available.

When it came down to the two options available, these ponies learning to fend for themselves took priority. His condition would remain unchanged regardless of how much time passed. The same couldn't be said for them. When it came down to that, them being the ones that held the Element of Harmony took priority. He could still function to some degree when he was impaired, but the same couldn't be said for them.

"I have no objection to such," he replied, "however I do possess a question. Why is it necessary to clear the fog, rather than moving the clouds and allowing the sun to evaporate it?" he asked. It wasn't a matter of genuine curiosity pertaining to how weather duties around Equestria were managed. Rather it was a matter of recognizing a possible redundancy in the way things were done.

Rainbow Dash didn't even blink before answering. "Because under the right atmospheric conditions, fog acts like a refractor to the sun and can potentially blind ponies. It works best to knock out the fog first, even if it is kinda gummy compared to regular clouds and a real pain in the flank to do."

"Fair enough," Ulquiorra replied, seeing the point in what she was saying. Although he doubted that the matter was truly as serious as she was making it out to be. But then again stranger things had happened, and he hadn't gotten around to studying the weather of this world yet, beyond the fact that pegasus ponies were tasked with keeping it in order.

Small talk and pleasantries were exchanged between the ponies, along with promises between them to see one another during the day. Finally the other five walked out the front door, leaving him alone with Spike and Twilight Sparkle, the latter of which was now looking at him.

"Will you be joining us for breakfast, Ulquiorra?" she asked him.

"Perhaps another time. At the moment there are other matters that need tending to," he replied and started to turn away. While the others preoccupied themselves with food, he could do more research.

"Oh?" Twilight asked as she blinked and subtly tilted her head to the side as she looked at him. "Well if you say so, that's your decision to make. But do you really think that's a good idea after going the entire night while neglecting your mana intake?" she asked, noting how the question caused Ulquiorra to pause in place.

"Twilight? What're you talking about?" Spike asked, scratching the scales on his head in confusion.

Twilight didn't directly answer Spike's question, or even look right at him, but rather kept her attention on Ulquiorra as he looked back at her.

"You stopped right after finding out that the forcefields protecting the Elements of Harmony absorbed the ambient mana in the area, because you didn't want to weaken their protectiveness in case something happened, right?" she asked him. When no immediate answer was given, she continued with the interrogation. "You went without because you believed it to be prudent, even though you were likely getting hungrier and hungrier at the time, right?"

"And how did you arrive at this conclusion?" Ulquiorra as he turned back around to properly face her. This was quite an interesting theory she was presenting for consideration. What was more interesting than her theory, however, was the fact that she was correct.

Trying to precisely measure the substance known as mana was difficult, as there were no hard defined units of measure to reference. Or at least none that he was aware of; it wasn't like there were any books he'd come across yet that talked about mana being measured either by the cup or by the pound. He'd had no way of knowing just what the power requirements were for the dual forcefields -along with whatever enchantments were in place- currently protecting the Elements of Harmony. And he'd had no desire of shorting them out by creating a vacuum with his own consumption, so he'd made the conscious decision to defer priority to it rather than himself.

However there was still the matter of the question that hadn't yet been answered. Just how had she known in the first place?

"Mana sensitivity. Since my special talent is magic itself, I'm better versed in the field than most, so I'd have greater reason to be aware of the different levels of ambient magic in an area. Not that I'm bragging or anything. Anyway, when we first met, I noticed that the air felt... different, and I had to concentrate harder to use any magic that utilized ambient mana rather than direct mana. And when you explained that you could draw sustenance from the mana in the area I just put two and two together," Twilight explained before pausing to let her explanation sink in. After a moment of silence she continued in her explanation.

"Being around the forcefields as they guard the Elements of Harmony, I've become aware of just how much mana they absorb to maintain themselves throughout the day, and I've learned how to compensate for such. So naturally I could tell the difference of when you were, for lack of a better term, eating. The drain was significantly greater. So it was easy to tell that you stopped, and that you did so not long after finding out about their nature. So it seemed only natural to assume that you fasted for our sakes. And I have to say, I didn't know just how much mana you normally absorbed at any given time. It was actually surprising. But I didn't want to say anything at the time, because I didn't want you to assume the wrong thing, or for me to not properly explain everything."

So that was it. He hadn't given this unicorn enough credit if she was truly sensitive to the ambient levels of mana in the area, and could detect such changes to her surroundings. Her deductive reasoning was certainly of a respectable level if she could take so little information, and be so right in her speculation.

"After everything you've done for us, Ulquiorra, the very least we can do in return is supply you with a suitable breakfast to make up for your loss. We don't know just what we might be facing today, and you might need to be at your full strength at some point. And I doubt you can make up for more than ten hours of fasting in less than an hour," she pointed out.

He listened as Twilight Sparkle explained the situation to him. She had a number of good points on her side of the discussion. It would be hard to argue with her on what she was saying. He was in a position where he could do little more than simply agree with what she was saying.

"Very well then," he replied, acknowledging defeat.

"Alright then! You heard him, Spike, pancakes all around!" Twilight called excitedly.

"On it," Spike agreed and saluted, before turning to face Ulquiorra directly. "So... butter or syrup?"

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty

This was only the second time that Ulquiorra had actually sat down to engage in a meal with them. And from the first time back in Canterlot, Twilight knew that he could eat a pretty big meal with ease if he wanted to. So it struck her as odd when he'd silently pushed his plate away from where he sat after just two pancakes. She knew they weren't all that filling, especially not at the size they were made; not when she herself could easily eat six without even trying. Something was definitely up, that much was obvious.

"Ulquiorra, is something wrong? Are the pancakes not to your liking?" she asked. He'd eaten in relative silence, and he'd polished off the two pancakes that Spike had whipped up for him without any measure of complaint. But it still didn't seem right. "Do you want butter on the next one? Syrup? Fresh fruit?" she asked.

"The food is fine as it is, Twilight Sparkle. There is no need for pointless indulgences," he replied calmly, cutting her off before he could be allowed to build up sufficient room for panic or worry. "While the idea of breakfast to compensate for the lack of mana intake over the night was well thought out, the results are simply not panning out as anticipated. Your gesture and kindness has not gone unappreciated or unrecognized, but the effort is unfortunately lacking. The amount of mana being gained is negligible in nature, and it wouldn't be very effective to consume the potentially several hundred pancakes necessary for total compensation to occur. The foodstuffs of Ponyville don't appear to be as saturated with mana as what was presented back in Canterlot," he explained.

It was a situation that presented something of a mystery. He had seen the ingredients used in the construction of the pancake matter, and the inclusion of eggs and milk would suggest that the latent mana found within should be more plentiful. Perhaps the cooking process caused a breakdown that resulted in it being lost. He couldn't be certain, at least not without some closer examination of the details. Perhaps if he'd examined the cooking process more closely, he could've garnered more useful information. Perhaps a compare and contrast of the food preparation procedure, both for here and Canterlot, would be necessary.

"That... that doesn't make any sense," Twilight replied, uncertain of what else to say. How could the food they produced locally, possibly possess less mana than the food found in Canterlot? Most of it was imported from all over the world, it wasn't like it was rich by virtue of being within the border of their capitol city.

Spike just frowned in response. "Had I known that was gonna be the case, I would've just whipped up a batch of tack instead..."

"Spike, be nice," Twilight told him.

"Tack?" Ulquiorra asked, uncertain as to what he was saying.

"It's sort of a cross between a biscuit and a cracker. Long ago it was a regular food staple, but these days its usually regarded as emergency food," Twilight explained, her brain kicking into explanatory mode by default when presented with a question. "Generally it comes in two variants, hard and soft. Hard tack is usually made from just flour, water, and a pinch of salt. Because of it's simple construction and how hard it bakes, it has a long shelf life and can last years without going stale, but it's not really easy to eat plain. Soft tack uses shortening as an ingredient and is easier to eat, as well as tastier, but it doesn't stand up as well and can perish in a matter of months if not stored properly."

"Well it's not like he's absorbing the actual nutrients in it," Spike offered up in defense of his suggestion. Why go through all the extra effort if it wasn't going to be worth it? "Sure it could use some jam when you eat it, but it's not all that hard."

"Said the baby dragon who loves his corundum," Twilight quipped. Had Spike forgotten about the fact that he could easily eat things that nopony could?

Spike frowned at Twilight again. It was the kind of frown given whenever she overlook something obvious. It was the same kind of frown he'd given her just yesterday.

"Something tells me that a hard baked biscuit wouldn't be enough to slow Ulquiorra down any," he quipped.

"If such were to occur, I would indeed be surprised," Ulquiorra replied as he stood up from his seat at the table. The banter between the two had been entirely unnecessary. "Spike's logic is sound in this case. If proper nourishment is not possible, the extravagances of pancakes would present no practical benefit over a simpler foodstuff. But ultimately it's of no matter. I will simply resume once we're no longer in the vicinity of the forcefields. That should allow both to operate without risk of overlap," he explained.

Twilight silently nodded, acknowledging that Ulquiorra did have a point in what he was saying. But she still couldn't help but wonder about why the pancakes weren't doing any good. Maybe the ingredients weren't fresh enough? If that were the case then maybe a few apples from the market would be in order. But just how many would that few apples turn into?

Then again, maybe they wouldn't need to resort to that. Maybe there was another option available, and she simply hadn't thought of it yet. What was that old saying, about the solutions being right under your nose? Or maybe in this case it was more appropriate to say right on your head.

"Maybe there's another way," she said as she stood up from her seat to approach him. "Back in Canterlot, when the changeling situation was going on, Rarity did a mana transfer for me when I was in need, and likely saved my life in the process. And considering all that you've done for us, both actively and passively, I don't see why I couldn't do the same for you. Ponies might use mana for their various fields of magic, but you're the one that needs it for sustenance. It's not right to hog it," she explained. "Just take what you need, it'll be alright."

That was a development Ulquiorra hadn't seen as being a possibility. And it was enough of an unforeseen possibility, that it gave him reason to pause in thought. Did Twilight Sparkle understand the significance of the fact that she was more or less inviting him to feed on her like a parasite? He wasn't certain how to feel about such a proposal.

Nor was he certain that it should be referred to as a proposal. That sounded wrong even to him, logic notwithstanding.

"Hold it, Twilight, you can't do that. Not with all the spell practice you've been talking about doing today," Spike protested. He understood what she was saying, but he also understood that she could be short sighted at times with her planning. That was one of the many, many reasons she relied on him for help. "I'll do it instead, that's the better option," he added before she could protest his protest.

Twilight blinked, momentarily caught off guard by what Spike was saying, before finding her voice once again to speak. "That's really nice of you, Spike, but it's alright, really. I have far more mana to give," she explained.

"And I can't use magic, so I don't need all of mine nearly as much as you do yours," Spike pointed out. "I'm your number one assistant, so let me assist already."

Curiouser, and curiouser. If he didn't know what to think about Twilight Sparkle's... proposition, then he really didn't know what to think about the proposition of Spike. The two of them were actually disagreeing in a manner as if it was to be an honor to have him absorb their mana into himself.

Exactly what breed of insanity was this?

He watched the back and forth banter continue for several minutes, each of them doing their best to make their point to the other on just why they were best suited for what they were attempting. He would admit that each of them did raise several good points to defend their position. But he truly doubted that they understood what was really being argued.

Did they truly believe that this was both relevant and necessary? If they were all stranded in a region where the ambient mana was so minute it would qualify as nearly nonexistent, then he could better understand their reasoning and justification. But Ponyville didn't qualify as such a region. Indeed, no region that he'd been to would qualify as such. His capability truly hadn't been reduced to that significant of a degree. The only thing acting as an inhibitor right now was the passive enchantments protecting the Elements of Harmony, and that matter would be resolved once they left the library.

"These ponies take the concept of friendship and helping one another to an extreme," he thought to himself. Was this gesture of good will truly so important to them, that they were unwilling to wait the few minutes it would take to actually leave the library? If it were a matter of true importance, he could simply sonido his way to Sweet Apple Acres, and proceed to absorb as much mana as necessary, since the area possessed an abundance.

Was it possible that this... endeavor they were arguing about, could be connected to last night's conversation regarding relationships? Maybe there was something subconscious at work here?

He would rather not think about that.

"Am I to assume this is another aspect of friendship?" he asked, bringing the exchange between the two to a complete halt as they turned to look at him. "I would be lying if I said I didn't find the situation fascinating to some degree. And while I'm certain there is some justification for what you're proposing, I truly don't believe the situation at hand warrants such desperate measures being taken as of yet. To the best of my ability to determine, Ponyville itself is rich with a sufficient degree of mana, that feasting on one another is simply unwarranted."

Twilight and Spike looked at each other, and then back at Ulquiorra where he stood. They could both agree that he had a good point. And now that they weren't involved in a tug of war over who should take point on the matter, they could see the wisdom in what he was saying. And now they could also feel silly for being willing to take such extremes, without first considering the more mundane options available to them.

"Sorry," Twilight replied sheepishly.

Ulquiorra paid it no mind. The discussion of cannibalistic behaviors was over, and now it was time to focus on more important matters. "What activity has been planned for the day?" he asked, figuring it would be far more relevant than anything else that could be discussed. If he was to be spending time with these two, then he should have some idea of how his time would be managed throughout the day.

"Oh. I was thinking that we might head to Sweet Apple Acres to carry out the experiments. A wide open area would be the best setting for practicing these spells and such, and I can't think of anywhere more wide open than there," Twilight explained, figuring it was the best option available.

"Then am I to assume you've successfully resolved your personal issues from last night, and are ready to proceed?" Ulquiorra asked, mildly curious as to how things might be proceeding. If Twilight Sparkle's time resting had allowed her to adequately address whatever mental demons she was facing, then all the better.

"To be honest... no I haven't," Twilight replied slowly as she shook her head. "When I made the determination to take this course of action, I had a lot more resolve than I do now. At least I think it was resolve, it might've been a state of shock, or even denial. But now that I'm thinking instead of reacting, I honestly don't know if I can actually go through with this course of action," she explained as she hung her head. There was so, so many thoughts going through her mind right now. So many thoughts that she truly didn't want to play host to. So many thoughts that she just wished could be shut up and shut out.

But she couldn't afford to focus on that right now. She couldn't afford to focus on despair and let it consume her. There were ponies counting on her and the rest of the girls. She needed to keep her head up in this situation and think things through. From a purely technical perspective, the situation they were currently in really didn't differ that much from all the others they'd been in, when Equestria was in danger and counted on them. Certainly there were details that differed. But overall the mission still remained the same as every other time; confront the enemy, kick some flank, save the world. She had to remember that, and not get bogged down with the more intricate -and possibly superfluous- details.

"But whether or not I can do this, that doesn't matter anymore, because I have to do this. We don't get to choose our responsibilities, and we don't get to call timeout when ponies depend on us to do what they can't. We need to set aside our own... um... what's that word mean? Personal?"

Rather strange, Ulquiorra noted. Twilight Sparkle was stopping her speech to query him about a foreign word and its overall meaning?

"Relating to the affairs or matters that deal with a particular person. Although if a person is unavailable, such as in this case, a particular individual will suffice and serve the same purpose," he replied in explanation.

"... Right then," Twilight replied and nodded, "we need to set aside our own personal comforts in situations like this. It's just like Fluttershy facing the dragon; both of them. She was terrified, but we needed her to do it. This situation is no different for me, for any of us."

+++

"You should fear my power, yet you still fight like you think you can win. I don't understand you," he stated as he pursued Ichigo Kurosaki, the Shinigami flying backward from the force of the impact, unable to correct or even adjust his ballistic trajectory. Not even the summoning of his Hollow mask was proving to be of any assistance to him on this matter.

Not even the feeble attempt to block his hand with the blade of his Tensa Zangestu proved to be of any use, as the Hollow mask cracked under the force of his grip like a brittle ceramic plate. He pulled back and hurled the Shinigami straight at one of the freestanding pillars, the force of the impact easily shattering its structure, and sending him hurtling into the one directly behind it.

"If that's because of what you call a heart, then it is the heart that causes you pain. It is because of your heart that you will die," he stated. After seeing the overwhelming odds that he was up against, surely the Shinigami would drop any foolish notion of being able to defeat him. It would make his death so much easier if he would just give up right now.

Unfortunately it seemed logic was completely absent from this one. As the smoke cleared, he could see Ichigo Kurosaki was still standing, and looking at him with the same eyes. Nothing had changed in him at all. Whatever stubbornness this Shinigami possessed, it apparently hadn't been beaten out of him yet.

"I don't fight because I think I can win... I fight because I have to win!" **

+++

Three times. Three times now, Twilight Sparkle had displayed certain traits that reminded him of Ichigo Kurosaki to some extent.

The first time had been during their initial meeting in Canterlot, and was the result of her reiatsu fluctuating in a highly unstable manner.

The second time had also been in Canterlot, and occurred during the changeling invasion. That time it had been the look in her eyes, and the beast that laid just below the surface, making itself known during a time of absolute disregard for everything and everyone around it.

And now the third time, as he listened to her explain how she was presented with a definable need to succeed at a specific goal, regardless of the fact that she might not be physically able to achieve such.

Despite her significant level of intelligence, she still possessed an almost primal degree of stubbornness about her, that seemed to refuse to acknowledge the futility of struggle, that refused to consciously address her own fear and...

"Perhaps her similarity to Ichigo Kurosaki isn't such a bad thing after all," he thought to himself. Perhaps the lessons learned from facing the Shinigami back in Las Noches could be effectively applied in this situation. Domination through force might prove unnecessary, if the same domination could be had through a simple exercise in logic.

"You're afraid, more so of the abstract, currently undefined possibilities of what this course of action might entail for the future, rather than the course of action itself," he hypothesized as he looked at her. The manner in which her eyes went wide would suggest his hypothesis was acceptably accurate. With that fact in mind he chose to press onward. "It isn't the act of killing that scares you. Nor is it the emotional reaction you would face after having to take a life. What truly scares you is the thought that one day you might not feel anything. You look at me, and the ease in which I have killed others, and it scares you to think that you might become like me. You fear losing the regard you hold for the lives of others, and will have no qualms with murdering them for whatever reason. That if you proceed down this path, one day you might even come to... enjoy the prospect of murdering someone."

For the majority of what Ulquiorra had been saying, Twilight had simply sat still, eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open. However the conclusion of his speculation had been enough to cause her to gasp and physically recoil, as if he'd just delivered a physical blow to her.

"How... h-h-how did you know?" she asked, completely lost for an explanation. How could his words cut not only so deep, but also with such precision? She suddenly felt very uncomfortable and very cold as she looked at him. It was like he wasn't looking at her, but rather through her. She felt like she was transparent right now.

Spike, for his part, remained silent where he sat, unable to do anything but look on and watch as Ulquiorra went about verbally picking Twilight apart with frightening and unrealized accuracy. The Espada was picking up on things that he never had, and he was the one that knew Twilight best. Shouldn't he have been the one to know when she was in trouble and suffering?

"You aren't the first to experience such thoughts. Nor will you be the last," Ulquiorra replied dryly, seeing no point in going into the details of how he arrived at his -correct- conclusion of the facts. The fact she wasn't denying anything he said was enough confirmation for him. And now that he had recognized the problem, it was time to proceed with the next part of the problem. "Would you be surprised to learn that killing is not an activity I take pleasure in?" he asked her.

"Wow... really?" Spike asked, suddenly finding his voice since this whole for today began.

"But I thought that... that..." Twilight stammered as she tried to find the appropriate words for the situation.

"That because I'm so efficient at it, and can do such so casually, it must be something that I enjoy doing, correct?" he asked. However it was entirely rhetorical in nature, as he already knew the answer. "You're attempting to apply your world's logic and values to a wholly alien matter. Enjoyment and a sense of fulfillment aren't requirements for being skilled in a particular field. Killing is not something I have any particular care for, I merely do it because it proves to be a necessity. You have to remember, killing is an everyday necessity in Hueco Mundo where only the strong survive. Only the strongest Hollow may assert control of a Gillian and seek to evolve into a Vasto Lorde. There is no room for hesitation or reluctance," he explained evenly.

"So... I'm not weak for not wanting to go through with... all of this?" Twilight asked him, curiosity temporarily overriding everything else she was experiencing. "You're not disappointed in me?

"If I was, would it truly make a difference? Would learning of my disappointment serve to make you overcome your fears? Would you be able to kill something if it was in the name of pleasing me?" Ulquiorra asked her. Half spoken utterances of "uh" and "um" were the only audible response that Twilight could manage in response to the question. "The matter at hand is quite serious. If you truly intend to go through with this, then make sure it is for the right reasons. Do not seek out praise, or revenge, or even attempt to avenge those that have already died. Do not act out of anger, or fear, but rather because you believe it's the correct decision. Do it because you believe the act is justified by the circumstances, because no other alternative is feasible. And if you can't do that, then acknowledge the fact early on while you still have the chance to make the decision, rather than attempt to wait until it's too late."

He could imagine what a number of the other Espada would've given for advice in response to Twilight Sparkle's question. The more violent members would have berated the unicorn for her weakness, and quite possibly going far beyond that. But he wasn't like the other Espada. Killing was a matter purely of business and necessity, not a source of excitement or enjoyment. At least in his case, he didn't particularly care to engage in the analysis of the motives of the others.

"That... that actually makes me feel a little better..." Twilight stated slowly.

"Wait, it does?" Spike asked as he turned to look at her.

Twilight looked back at Spike and nodded slightly. What Ulquiorra was saying, it actually made a lot of sense once she started thinking on it. Or at the very least she thought that it made sense. Perhaps she was reading something into his words that wasn't there, in some unconscious effort to view his statement as a source of comfort during this difficult time. Or maybe she just wanted to believe that his words carried some wisdom that she hadn't considered on her own.

But whatever the reasoning was behind it actually was, his words had helped her, one way or the other. When she'd made the determination to take this course of action yesterday, her mindset had been different. She didn't want to admit to the fact, but she had been entertaining certain thoughts that she certainly wasn't proud of. Thoughts that scared her in the light of the day. Thoughts that made her bawl her eyes out with Rainbow Dash's help, and left her shaking in the aftermath. Thoughts that she wanted to violently expel from her mind, and never again admit to them being her own.

But not being able to do that, she instead had to settle for refocusing her priorities. Cupid was dead, as were her parents. As were possibly many other ponies that considered Ponyville to be their home. There was nothing that she could do for any of them now. Instead she had to focus on the here and now, and on the ponies that could benefit from her intervention. She had to think of what they needed right now. And what they didn't need was the personal student of Princess Celestia, engaging in a bloody campaign to try and exorcise her own emotional turmoil, of self hatred, fear, and poorly defined rage.

"I'm afraid I don't have an answer to that one, not yet anyway," she finally said as she turned her attention back to Ulquiorra. "Can I have more time to think on it? This is... as Rainbow Dash would say, heavy stuff to consider."

"The sooner a definite answer can be arrived at, the better off we'll be," Ulquiorra replied. Sooner or later Twilight Sparkle would have to face the matter head on, no matter how uncomfortable she was with it. The most he could do was give her advice, he couldn't hold her... hoof, through this situation. "You can have the time you need to arrive at a conclusion, but only if you're truly using it for legitimate deliberation. Don't assume that you can procrastinate freely," he warned.

"Something tells me you won't have to worry about that happening," Spike quipped, unable to keep his sarcasm restrained. Twilight procrastinate? The very idea was hilarious to even consider.

Twilight just shook her head, not wanting to say anything else on the matter. "I might be able to give an answer better after I've actually tried practicing these spells. There's really not much sense in getting all excited and prepared for something, if it's not a physical possibility to actually do it, right?" she asked.

The point being raised, much like others in the past, was fair in nature. If Twilight Sparkle truly could not wield these spells she was studying, then there would be little point in significantly involving her in the matter. Up to this point they had all simply been assuming that she was able to perform as required. They had yet to receive actual confirmation. That had been an oversight on all of their parts, his own included. How could he make such a careless mistake?

"Then perhaps we should proceed. The sooner we begin, the sooner we can arrive at a definite answer, and we can proceed accordingly," Ulquiorra replied. And the sooner they arrived at a definite answer, the sooner he could determine how much responsibility he truly needed to take up for himself.

"Rather strange."

The saddlebag that Twilight Sparkle wore rattled and clinked as they walked, filled with the supplies she said they would be needing over the course of the day. In addition to a number of hastily scribbled notes -she claimed that they were hastily scribbled, but he was unable to tell such- and assorted goods that ranged from packed food to strange looking scientific instruments, there was also the lantern from last night riding around inside the canvas structure. Anything that she couldn't carry herself had been relegated to the backpack that Spike possessed.

The fact that this world possessed backpacks was mildly interesting in and of itself. Even more so was the fact that the design of the backpacks in this world bore a remarkable similarity to the backpack designs of the human world. However he had noted a number of other similarities between the two worlds, so it wasn't all that unusual. What was more unusual -assuming that Rarity hadn't created the backpack for Spike- was the fact that apparently there were enough species in this world that could actually utilize the construct, to warrant them being regularly available.

That fact notwithstanding, the primary curiosity of the moment laid with Ponyville itself. Or perhaps more accurately it was the residents of Ponyville that were the primary curiosity, as they went about their daily routines.

"What's strange?" Twilight asked, turning her head to look back at him as she walked on his left side, while Spike walked more to his right.

"The general atmosphere is... sedate in nature. Such a development is unexpected," Ulquiorra explained.

From the moment they'd left the library, he could tell that something was off. There were too many ponies out and about. Those present and helping both with assessing the damage from yesterday's attack, and cleaning up the resulting debris, were expected to be seen. But those that had not volunteered for such duty, but proved to be present regardless, left him confused. It almost looked like they were going about their daily lives as if nothing had happened. Considering how sensitive these ponies appeared to be he'd expected an entirely different reaction.

"Had an attack of this magnitude occurred in the human world, the entire area would be subjected to increased security, a heightened presence of armed authority figures attempting to control the situation and restrict civilian interference, and many more onlookers. There would also be significantly more machinery present to assist with the cleanup and restoration," he continued, giving a mildly detailed picture of the contrast between how each world handled their affairs. "And that is to say nothing of the countless reporters that would be present, and asking questions for which nobody has any answers..."

"But I thought you said most humans weren't spiritually aware and couldn't see you. How could they be asking you questions? Especially if you don't have to remain in the human realm, but can freely travel back and forth?" Twilight asked, utterly confused by what he was saying. This seemed highly contradictory. She definitely remembered Ulquiorra say that only one out of approximately one hundred thousand humans possessed the spiritual awareness necessary to detect and react to the presence of Shinigami or Hollows. That was one thing that'd been discussed very early on after his arrival.

Of course that left a lot more questions rather than answers; like how they could see and interact with Ulquiorra? Were ponies more spiritually aware than humans in general? Or had Discord altered him in some way so they they could see and interact with him?

"They aren't. However being able to view a Hollow has no bearing on interviewing their fellow humans, and forwarding their foolishness to others," he explained.

"So wait a minute. Are you complaining that we're not like humans? Or complimenting?" Spike asked. The way Ulquiorra was talking, it was... really hard to get a bead on him properly.

"Merely commenting on the differences witnessed. Relatively speaking, this world appears to be subjected to constant adversity and risk. Yet the reactions of those under threat don't appear to match up with the reality of what could happen. Approximately one week ago, Ponyville witnessed a massacre where numerous residents were cut down where they stood. It was only after the fact, that anyone realized they were changelings. Despite that fact, the status quo of everyday life seemed to reestablish itself, and in an almost seamless manner; individual exceptions notwithstanding. Filthy Rich seemed relatively cordial during the acquisition of writing supplies, despite witnessing a decapitation inside his store, with the head rolling to a stop at his feet. Even you yourself seem to have recovered from the trauma you experienced, from knowing that you helped facilitate the massacre. I can't help but question why exactly this seeming acceptance of things as they come is commonplace, while other species react to such occurrences in desperate attempts to prevent a repeat of the events from ever occurring again, because they were too traumatized the last time and don't want to face such a second time," Ulquiorra explained as they walked along, casually stepping over a loose piece of debris that had been dislodged during yesterday's attack, and not yet picked up. But at the size it was, leaving it where it lay presented no hazards.

But right now the pieces of debris that had yet to be picked up were of no interest to him. At the moment he was more interested in how these ponies could be so relaxed and secured in their environment, that they required very little recovery time to apparently get over whatever was a source of concern to them. He hadn't been present for the aftermath of the dragon attack, so he didn't know exactly what the recovery process had involved. Nor had he been present the last few days in order to tell just what had transpired in the wake of the changeling massacre. There had certainly been ponies that screamed at his sight and ran from his presence. But those reactions hadn't been shared by every pony he'd encountered.

Perhaps they had recovered due to understanding that they were not the intended target, and instead had simply been lead to believe otherwise in an effort to maintain secrecy?

"What other choice do we have?" Spike asked him as they walked along. "I know that I'm not exactly the brightest, but isn't the only other alternative to more or less lock yourself in a room and just wait in terror for something to come and find you? That doesn't exactly sound much like living to me. What... what exactly is the point in going on living if you're just gonna spend your time in a constant state of fear?"

Twilight meanwhile wasn't hearing the conversation going on between Spike and Ulquiorra. At the moment she was deeply absorbed in her own thoughts, her body running on autopilot as they walked. She didn't want to admit it, but the Espada had raised some good questions, and she found herself lacking some good answers.

Her and the other girls, they'd been through a great deal together ever since they first met. Nightmare Moon, an encounter with a dragon, Discord, the changelings, Sombra, parasprites... and that was to say nothing to everything that'd happened since Ulquiorra arrived in their world. He hadn't even been here for a full month yet, and so far there had been more going on in that limited amount of time, than she had ever seen here in Ponyville over the past couple of years.

All that in mind, it would seem to make sense why their small group would be able to recover relatively quickly from whatever had been thrown at them. Being the ones tasked with keeping Equestria safe, it kind of went without saying that they'd need to be able to adapt to what was going on around them, lest they let the world down when they mentally shut down and became babbling foals from the mental overload.

But what about the others? What was there to explain how all the other ponies in Ponyville seemed to take all kinds of disaster in stride, with only minor difficulty? Granted, the rest of the town hadn't exactly been brought up to speed on the second dragon being present. And they had done their best to see about damage control in the aftermath of the changeling invasion in order to keep them from being terrified of Ulquiorra the next time he came to town, because they understood that he was simply trying to keep them all safe... he was just doing it in his own unique way, that was all.

But still, damage control aside, Ulquiorra did raise a very good point. As she observed various ponies walking or cantering, foals galloping on their way to school, she couldn't help but think on it. Were they simply well adjusted to disasters in general, and learned how to take them in stride once the initial excitement had worn off? Maybe something linked to basic, primal instinct that was passed down from generation to generation, dating back to the time long before Celestia and Luna took rule? Maybe it was a learned behavioral response developed in the wake of all sorts of adversity they simply couldn't overcome, and had been developed as a coping mechanism? Something to keep themselves from going mad when facing the possibility of having your neighbors be dead the next day?

She knew that yesterday's party had been possible due to Celestia's involvement, her "therapeutic approach" as it were, that involved suppressing the sensation of fear in those present. But that only explained the ones at the party. It didn't do anything to explain the aftermath with the ponies who hadn't attended.

Maybe Ulquiorra's own actions yesterday had done much to ease the fears of the percentage of ponies that still ran when they saw him? He had assisted them in finding those that had been hurt. And it hadn't just been the heavy lifting where he would pull a piece of building or a fallen tree off of them either. She still couldn't believe how she'd seen him actually carrying the injured to the hospital when all other available hooves were full. It just seemed so out of sync with the mental image she'd had of him up to that point. It was like he was displaying actual kindness of his own volition.

This was going to require some seriously extensive research to try and get to the bottom of.

"Twilight?"

But that would have to wait until later, as right now there were more important matters to tend to.

"Sorry, Spike, I wasn't paying attention. I had something else on my mind," she replied and shook her head. It was only then that she noticed how she'd fallen behind the others and was now bringing up the rear. Oh well, that really wasn't important right now. "Ulquiorra," she spoke up, drawing the Espada's attention to her as he glanced over his shoulder back at her. "There's something I need to speak with you about. But I think it would best be saved until we get to Sweet Apple Acres," she explained.

"Very well then," Ulquiorra replied and turned his attention back forward then. Why Twilight Sparkle had felt the need to mention such a fact, rather than simply waiting to mention it once they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, he really didn't know.

The rest of the walk proceeded in silence, none of the three really having anything more relevant to add to the discussion.

At least until Spike moved to round the corner of the building they were walking back, and promptly fell backwards from colliding with something hard, and letting out a yelp of surprise and pain as he rubbed his nose.

"Sorry 'bout that!"

At seeing Spike fall, Twilight moved ahead to make sure he was alright, and came face to... neck... with the loud pony in question that'd caused Spike to be knocked to the ground.

"Snowflake?" she asked at seeing the tall, muscular -very muscular- white pegasus pony standing before her, a bandage wrapped around the top of his head and underneath his chin.

"Aw come on, Twilight," the muscle bound pony groaned, "you know my name is Bulk Biceps," he complained.

"Right. Sorry. I don't know why that's so hard to remember," Twilight apologized. What was so hard to remember about that name? Just looking at him should be enough to remind her of who he really was. "What happened to you anyway? Did you get hurt?" she asked.

"Yeah somethin' like that. Yesterday when the manticore attacked everypony was tryin' to get away, but one little squirt of a colt got caught. And I couldn't just stand by and watch so I swooped down and attacked so the foal could get away. I pounded it and managed to break a wing, but all I got for my troubles was hurled right into a building," Bulk Biceps explained.

To Ulquiorra it seemed strange to observe the conversation that took place. These ponies were, by their very nature, easy to scare or otherwise startle, and the great majority of them seemed incapable of overriding their prey instincts. When presented with the type of situation that demanded fight or flight, flight was almost exclusively selected.

And yet despite that fact, this pegasus with diminutive wings, and an aerodynamic status that looked like it could rival a bumblebee, who looked like a stereotypical caricature for those that abused anabolic steroids, had managed to break the pattern of behavior by actually attempting to face the manticore by himself, despite the futility of the situation. That would certainly explain the damage it'd displayed upon his arrival, thus answering one of the many, many mysteries that seemed drawn to him like flies were drawn to decay.

It was quite possibly due to this pony's efforts that Pipsqueak had succeeded in getting to Sweet Apple Acres, to warn them of the attack that had been underway. By directly interfering where others chose to flee, it was possible that Bulk Biceps had managed to save the majority of Ponyville through his actions.

He may have to revise his list of ponies he deemed interesting enough to warrant further interaction.

"Well that was very brave of you to do, Bulk Biceps, you should be proud of yourself," Twilight replied and smiled at him, causing the tall pegasus to blush at the compliment, taking on a nervous demeanor. "Lu- Princess Luna will likely want to thank you personally for intervening and saving Pipsqueak's life," she stated, stopping short of addressing Luna in an informal manner. Around friends it was one thing, but around others it was another entirely.

"P-P-Princess Luna? Seriously? She... I..." Bulk Biceps stammered in surprise at what Twilight said. One of the country's ruling actually wanting to thank him for something he'd done? This was too much to believe. This was... it was... in light of this new information, he did the one and only thing that was clear in his mind at this particularly point in time. "YEAH!"

"Then again, perhaps not," Ulquiorra thought to himself.

Applejack stopped her examination of the apple tree in order to let out a yawn that was desperately pleading to be vocalized. She idly noted that Ulquiorra had been right when he'd told her to turn in for the night, as she was paying for it now. But that was neither here nor there, as she still had a mountain of work to do. Yesterday's distractions had set them back a fair bit, and now it was time to be playing catchup.

"The things we do for our friends when we don't think about it," she thought to herself and rubbed her eyes.

But being tired from a lack of sleep was only part of the problem she was dealing with. In addition to being tired and wanting to take a nap, there was the issue of her butt still hurting from falling flat on it twice in a row last night. She wasn't some soft, delicate little filly who couldn't take her lumps when they came, but that still hurt darnit! Sleeping hadn't been so bad, but walking home when the full ache of her ungraceful landings had set in hadn't been the most enjoyable of things to do. And she really wasn't looking forward to trying to ignore the ache she'd be experiencing when she did her bucking.

He would have no idea just how so, but she was thankful that her brother had enough sense in his head to not ask why she'd been walking so funny when she'd made her way home. That would've been one awkward conversation to have, and even more so if Apple Bloom had wandered in to it. She didn't even want to be considering just how awkward it could be, and how the conversation might somehow turn to whether Ulquiorra was harder than the floor and...

"Now don't go and think stuff like that, AJ, that just plain sounds wrong," she told herself. After that little revelation last night that involved Rainbow Dash, things were definitely going to be different. Different and just plain wrong.

Oh well her rest break was over, now it was time to get back to work. Which in this case involved a mighty buck to the base of the tree. Unfortunately the only response she got was the dislodging of a half dozen or so leaves.

"Wha' the?" she asked herself. That hadn't turned out at all like she planned, she should've gotten a lot more than that. Undeterred she pulled back and tried again, putting her full weight into it. This time she was rewarded with a greater yield... unfortunately it was in the form of a broken branch toppling to the ground. "Aw c'mon! Dern stubborn tree! Give already!" she growled as she looked up at her opponent.

"There are no apples present on the tree to give."

Applejack spun around in surprise at the sudden voice behind her, even though she knew by now that it had to belong to Ulquiorra. But simply knowing who it belonged to didn't make it any less surprising when it came out of nowhere. She'd known Pinkie for years and still jumped when the party planner would appear out of nowhere and give an excited yell.

Ulquiorra being able to sneak up on her didn't surprise her any. Truth be told she'd be surprised if he didn't manage that a time or two. He was lighter than anypony, his feet were padded with whatever those things were that he wore, and he had that ability to walk on thin air like it was paved ground. Everything about him just spoke of stealth.

Twilight and Spike on the other hoof was another matter entirely. How had she not noticed them approaching? Was she too absorbed in her work to be paying attention? Or was it simply that she hadn't expected to see them so soon after leaving the library?

"Well howdy there," she greeted, slightly less enthusiasm in her voice than her friends normally received when being welcomed. "Wha' brings y'all here so early in the mornin'?" she asked.

"As it was explained to me, matters pertaining to scientific discovery, and magical experimentation," Ulquiorra explained calmly, preventing Twilight Sparkle from launching herself into an in depth elaboration of today's plans. She herself had decided to cut today's plans in half in order to save time, so there was no point in her getting off track and distracted by pointless conversations.

Twilight nodded in agreement. "We were wondering if we could use Sweet Apple Acres to conduct some experiments, since they require a wide open area and can't be performed inside. And it's hard to find any area wider open than here," she explained.

Applejack thought on the matter and rubbed her chin. She didn't have any objection to her friends wanting to spend time on the farm for one reason or another. But when it came to Twilight and experiments, she felt herself growing nervous about the prospect. Normally she'd insist on being present just in case something went wrong, and Twilight's scientific knowledge failed to take into account certain basic logic that could only be learned from working on the farm. But right now she really didn't have the time to be observing them, and making sure they stayed out of trouble. She had way too much work to get done. And as much as she wanted to be friendly, some things just simply took precedent.

"Much as ah'd like ta say yes, now's not really a good time fer such," she replied, "ah've got an awful lot o' work ta do. This poor tree's showin' signs o' blight contamination, an' it can be a health hazard ta the rest o' the orchard. Much as ah hate to, ah gotta bring it down. Darn shame too, seein' as it's always been a good producer," she explained.

To Ulquiorra it now made sense why Applejack was trying so hard to kick a tree with no produce to it. She was trying to bring down the tree herself, although he didn't exactly see it being a possibility. She was strong, he wouldn't deny that fact, but he wasn't sure just how much of her strength would be necessary for such a feat. He truly hadn't seen a serious exercise of her reiatsu, and thus could only detect what was at the surface.

"Hmm..." Twilight mumbled in thought. Then she got an idea. "We might be able to help. With just a slight modification, we could conduct our experiment, and bring down the tree. With your permission of course."

"Yeah?" Applejack asked, now becoming intrigued by the idea. Magic really wasn't her thing, that went without saying. But it couldn't hurt to hear her out. "Wha' ya got in mind?"

"Well in simple terms, I guess I'd call it a controlled lightning strike," Twilight replied, getting geared up not only for the explanation to follow, but also the task of structuring it in a way that would make the proposition seem reasonable to Applejack. "One of the spells I was studying last night was how to summon lightning, utilizing just the static electricity in the air. But it can only be done in an open environment, like Sweet Apple Acres for example. Now modifying today's plans accordingly, if the spell goes accordingly, it should not only bring down the tree, but also add nitrogen to the soil and produce a better yield of apples when it's time to harvest them," she explained.

Applejack looked back at Twilight in an incredulous manner at the explanation. "... Yer sayin' ya wanna hit mah orchards with a lightnin' bolt? An' ya thought ah'd be alright wit' that idea?" she asked, doing her best to sound neutral about the idea. She always knew that Twilight was... a tad bit unusual in nature, but this was just plain weird. Actually it sounded downright crazy! "Ah'm gonna have ta say no. Sounds like too much of a risk ta the rest o' the orchard ta be takin'. Lightnin' ain' no toy ta be playin' with," she stated. "If ya don' mind ah'm gonna have ta ask ya ta leave. Ah've got chores ta be doin' right now."

Twilight couldn't help but look on in silence. Applejack was actually asking them to leave Sweet Apple Acres? Just like that? She'd never done anything like that before. The whole thing had left her speechless and unable to respond, as she watched the earth pony return to trying to bring down the tree by herself, and not having much success in the process. That was even more odd than the cold reception she was giving them. Twilight had seen Applejack easily bring down trees on her own before, so why was this proving so difficult? Was it because she was sleep deprived?

She looked over to Ulquiorra, who caught the movement of her head out of the corner of his eye, and looked back at her. She didn't say a single word to him, but rather gestured with her head in the direction of Applejack and the tree. Since they'd made the trip all the way out here, it would be a shame to go back without doing something, after taking the time to actually seek out Applejack. The least they could do was lend a hoof of assistance before actually leaving.

Ulquiorra looked between Twilight Sparkle, and the struggling attempts of Applejack. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together; she wanted him to help Applejack bring the tree down, and save her some of the work she would otherwise have to do on her own.

On the one hand he was under no obligation to truly help. He had already managed to convince these ponies that he understood matters pertaining to friendship, and thus had little reason to maintain the appearance of one who was truly attempting such studies. Furthermore, if Applejack's request that they leave was anything approaching normal interaction, periodical lack of compliance wasn't out of the ordinary. His refusal wouldn't be considered out of the realm of normality.

On the other hand, however, there was still the need to maintain appearances to a limited degree, that would indicate a conscious practice of what he had learned. All the necessary price of keeping these ponies useful to him, illogical as it might be.

He considered the available options before him. And in the end he arrived at the conclusion... that he couldn't determine a valid reason to not assist while they were present.

"If I may, Applejack..."

The sooner the matter at hand was addressed, the sooner they could tend to more pressing matters that actually had some bearing on their wellbeing.

When Ulquiorra had faced down the dragon high atop the mountains, Spike hadn't been able to watch, as he was tasked with looking over everypony's pets and keeping them out of trouble.

When Ulquiorra had faced off against Celestia high above Canterlot in order to fool Chrysalis, Spike hadn't been able to watch, as he was tasked with keeping Ponyville's search and rescue operations running smoothly.

When Ulquiorra had faced down the manticore inside Ponyville, and assisted in the search and rescue efforts for injured ponies, Spike hadn't been able to watch, as he was tasked with helping Cheerilee keep the foals safe and sound at the schoolhouse, due to his -comparatively speaking- heightened level of durability.

In each of these three incidents he had only been able to hear stories about the exploits of the Espada, and how he had displayed unbelievable degrees of strength. Stories that didn't seem to do a justice to the events as reported.

So for him it was something of a treat to watch how Ulquiorra had uprooted the entire apple tree, literally ripping its massive roots right out of the ground, with a single firm kick to the base, performing a task that Applejack had been trying her hardest to do, and all the while getting nowhere. He had cheered to a ridiculous degree at watching how he had so easily toppled the tree like it was nothing, and how he'd removed it from the orchards like it was foal's play

Unfortunately, good deed or no, they still had to leave Sweet Apple Acres at Applejack's insistence. He still didn't get what the big deal was. But he really wasn't in a position to be protesting, and simply continued to walk along with Twilight and Ulquiorra. If they couldn't use the farm for these experiments, then they'd just find another area to set up and try. It's not like they were limited in terms of out of the way, wide open fields where they could operate without interruptions.

"I still don't get why Applejack wanted us to leave. I've never seen her act so... unfriendly. Even when she was trying to harvest the entire orchard by herself, she was still friendly and volunteering to help others when they needed it. I just don't get it," Twilight stated as she shook her head, walking on in confusion over it all. "Ulquiorra? Did you detect anything strange while we were there? Anything that stood out to you?" she asked as she turned her attention to him, hoping that maybe he was aware of something she wasn't.

"Nothing," Ulquiorra replied as they walked along, "but if I were to speculate on all the available information, however, I would theorize that Applejack is prone to astraphobia."

"Astraphobia?" Spike asked.

"Even I don't know what that one means," Twilight stated as she looked to Ulquiorra for clarification.

"In simple terms, a strong fear of lightning. During last night's storm, it was impossible to be unaware of the disturbances to her detectable reiatsu that coincided with each lightning discharge, regardless of how hard she attempted to remain calm. Furthermore Applejack's change in mood occurred only after finding out what the experimentation would involve," Ulquiorra explained. "In simple terms-"

"In simple terms, I was completely insensitive to something that's disturbing to one of my friends," Twilight interrupted and frowned at the thought. How could she be so insensitive and oblivious?

"Wait a minute. Applejack's one of the bravest ponies we know. How could she be scared of something like lightning? And wouldn't we have known before now?" Spike asked, finding the whole idea preposterous. Applejack did embody honesty after all, it wasn't like she could just lie about her fears to them.

"I don't exactly know the how, Spike, all I know is that fears and phobias are funny things. The research I've done on the subject of phobias in general would suggest that it's possible to overcome them to some extent, but traumatic encounters can cause them to resurface unexpectedly. And let's face it, yesterday was traumatizing for everypony. It's possible that Applejack is suffering a relapse in a previously conquered area. However it's equally possible that she simply never said anything because we never asked her," Twilight explained. Of course it probably wouldn't have been such a big issue if she hadn't done the bonehead thing, and try to bring lightning to what was Applejack's home. Granted she didn't know, but that didn't mean she wasn't still at fault. She'd have to apologize later on, and profusely too.

Ulquiorra remained silent during his observation. Twilight Sparkle and Applejack served as an interesting compare and contrast with one another. Twilight Sparkle's obsessive compulsive tendencies, and a need for some level of structure and organization, had only recently come to his attention, and were likely due to the amount of stress she had been under the past few days. Applejack's fear of lightning was similar, but far less pronounced, and much less likely to interfere with day-to-day activities. It was also interesting how Applejack was able to resist her fears, while Twilight Sparkle's tendencies towards order proved to be more difficult.

It was an interesting thought to consider. And he would've done just that, if not for the fact that Twilight Sparkle had stopped ahead of him, serving to prevent him from moving any further without physically meeting -and potentially injuring- her.

"Why have we stopped?" he asked.

"I think this area would work well enough. I haven't seen any ponies for the past few minutes, so I don't think anyone would get hurt if we set up right here," she explained.

Ulquiorra glanced around them, scanning the area with his pesquisa. This unincorporated area of the territory separating Ponyville from the Everfree Forest didn't show any immediate signs of intelligent life. Proceeding with what Twilight Sparkle was proposing would most likely not lead to any significant damage or loss of life.

"Very well then. How do we proceed?" he asked.

"In order. Step number one, locate an area. Step number two," she paused and levitated her saddlebags off and set them down on the ground, "get comfortable. Step number three, deploy the necessary equipment."

Another pause as she went to work, her horn glowing as she cast a spell, causing a long metal stake to flash into existence, and fall to the ground, partially burying itself in the soft dirt and grass a good hundred feet ahead of them.

"A lightning rod?" Ulquiorra asked.

"In a way. Lightning is unpredictable, so something is needed to attract and guide it in a safe manner," she explained as she sat herself down on her haunches, rotating her neck until an audible pop was heard. "Onto step number four; proceed with caution. Now I'm going to need to concentrate, this is a difficult spell, especially since I have no experience with it," she explained.

Ulquiorra understood the subtlety of what Twilight Sparkle was saying, without actually having to say it. It was essentially the same statement he was making during their meeting in the dream world. However hers was a more straightforward and less wordy way of politely telling someone to shut their fucking mouth and not interrupt what they were engaged in. He could accept and respect that.

"Let us proceed with the experimentation then," he said as he slid his hands into his pockets, preparing to observe in silence.

Author's Note

** Bleach Chapter 348

Last breather chapter before the shit starts hitting the fan again.

Chapter Fifty One

Chapter Fifty One

Twilight moaned as she sat on her haunches on the floor of the Carousel Boutique, her left eye currently bandaged and hidden from view. A towel hung limply around her neck, while a wastebasket sat next to her on a matching towel spread out on the floor should she need to make use of it. However she was quite certain there was nothing left in her to actually vomit. Right now she was delicately rubbing at her aching belly, hoping to sooth her stomach and make it stop its near-constant flip flopping.

Intellectually she knew that the gesture would do nothing to soothe the nauseated feeling she was currently experiencing. But that still didn't stop her from trying it, in a desperate attempt to ward off the sickening feeling she was trying to not pay any attention to. Right now she was motivated to try anything that would even be rumored as capable of stopping her dry -and painful- heaves from continuing.

"Try this, darling," Rarity said as she approached, a porcelain cup of still-steaming tea being levitated in front of her. "I find that a nice hot cup of ginger tea is highly effective for settling an upset stomach," she explained.

The way she felt right now, Twilight really didn't want to drink anything. But at the same time she was desperate enough to actually try it. She reached out with a hoof, before rethinking the matter entirely, and wrapping the cup in her magic instead, and levitating it over to her.

"Thanks," she mumbled, before giving the tea a tentative sip, both due to the heat coming off of it, and to try and avoid upsetting her stomach any further. She couldn't help but wonder if the tea was a special recipe that Rarity got from Zecora, as the brew was already starting to make her stomach feel a little better, giving her motivation to take another sip.

"No trouble at all, Twilight," Rarity replied reassuringly, "although I must admit that I'm curious. What exactly happened that caused all this?" she asked. The entire morning had been strange since leaving the library. And as they sat here in the Carousel Boutique, she couldn't help but wonder just what had gone on while she'd been otherwise occupied.

Some may have assumed that she'd left that morning to tend to dress orders for her various clientele. And truthfully she had done just that. But those plans had changed upon seeing how the others around town had been pitching in to assist with getting the town back to normal after yesterday's events. Being the generous type that she was, she had volunteered what services she could to assist, dirt and filth be damned. There were ponies that needed all the help they could get, and what kind of Element bearer would she be if she didn't come to their aid? If she could help out with yesterday's efforts, and all the horrors that were contained there, she could certainly help with this.

And that was just what she'd been doing for most of the morning, ever since the clouds had been cleared; sorting through rubble for transportation and cleanup. Although at times she would admit the difficulty was intense. Moving rubble for cleanup was supposed to be done in an organized manner that contributed both to safety and effectiveness. Organizing the rubble in a particular way was something she sometimes had to remind herself to save for another, less chaotic time.

And then there was the matter of how her usefulness wasn't static. She hadn't simply been assigned to one particular area and left there, to perform the same task over and over again. Everypony involved was working in shifts, in tandem with one another, volunteering or otherwise being assigned specific tasks to carry out, differing based on the situation.

That assigned task in this instance, had been her and several others moving wheelbarrows full of debris to a designated dumping ground just on the outskirts of Ponyville so the area could be better cleared, as there would be fewer hazards on the ground to address; the likes of which primarily being broken glass and old, rusted nails that'd come loose during all the chaos yesterday.

In her own mind she'd performed her task admirably with others, even if she had been slower than the more physically capable stallions she was working alongside. It wasn't entirely her fault she was the last to arrive at the dumping location. Or that she would be the one that would be last to leave after emptying her wheelbarrow. It was just how things were.

However it was that status at end of the line, which had likely lead to this latest development.

She'd been trying not to complain, to not focus on how the working conditions were absolutely ghastly when it came to her hooficure, and how she would need to visit the spa again when everything was settled, as she struggled to upend the wagon in her tired state. And it was during that exertion, that she'd heard the unmistakable sound of Ulquiorra's sondio not too far from where she'd been at the time. Being curious -and in truth, wanting a short break from the toils of such hard physical labor- she'd naturally gone to see just what was going on. And it was that curiosity that had lead her to find Ulquiorra, Twilight, and Spike present all at the same time, with Twilight being violently sick where she'd stood, and poor Spike being the unfortunate victim of such a fact, his front completely covered in vomit.

Naturally under such circumstances, she couldn't simply leave them in the state they were in. So hastily returning the wheelbarrow, she excused herself from any further volunteer work in the cleanup, citing more pressing matters that needed to be tended to. Which lead them to where they were now, with Twilight getting tea to soothe her stomach, and Spike being given access to her bath -and her various soaps- so that he could clean up, and avoid any risk of his scales becoming horribly stained from what he went through.

"It's a really long story, Rarity," Twilight replied, pausing to take another sip of tea. It was really starting to make her feel a lot better. And if Rarity really intended to hear the full story, she would need her stomach properly relaxed so she could talk without the risk of being sick again. "Are you sure you have the time to hear it?" she asked.

"I've always got time for my friends, darling, don't fret yourself about it," Rarity replied and motioned for her to go on.

"Alright then," Twilight replied, stopping to finish the tea and set the cup down on the floor. "It's sort of like this..."

+++

Spike was doing his best to remain quiet while Twilight sat and concentrated on the spell she was trying to cast. He'd had a lot of experience with keeping his mouth shut from the number of years he'd been assisting her. But still, when the experiment was something that managed to excite him, being quiet proved to be more difficult.

He looked over to where Ulquiorra stood, stoic as ever, and looking like he was utterly bored as he stood at attention in observation. How could he be so calm at any given moment? It just seemed so baffling to him. Didn't anything excite the guy?

That thought was interrupted as Twilight murmured to herself in concentration, sitting stock still with her eyes closed, and head aimed upward towards the sky as her horn continually glowed. As he waited for something to happen, he couldn't really remember any past time when he'd seen her take this long to cast a spell. Was something wrong? Was the spell not taking? Did it take more mana than she had to give?

He then became aware of an... he wasn't sure just how to describe the sensation that was against his scales. Itchy didn't really seem to adequate describe it, because it wasn't painful in nature. But tingly didn't do it justice, as it commanded more of a presence than that. Just... just what in Tartarus was going on here?

Suddenly, and without any warning to signal its coming, a massive bolt of lightning flashed into existence in the distance with a loud crackling noise, striking the lightning rod in front of them, and then disappearing in an instant, leaving behind nothing to indicate it ever existed, other than smoke wafting up from the metal stake.

The flash might've lasted only an instant, but it was more than enough to get Spike's heart racing. The close proximity that'd been shared with such a powerful force was really intimidating to experience. He was really glad Applejack had asked them to leave Sweet Apple Acres now, uncertain of just what kind of reaction the earth pony might've had if she'd been so close to so much raw natural power.

"Woohoo!" Spike cheered after a delayed moment, the terror giving way to absolute excitement. Now that he wasn't quiet so scared stiff, he could admire just how awesome that'd been to experience.

Twilight's response, however, consisted of heavy and exhausted panting as she slouched, no longer looking composed and in control of the situation. As her head hung low, Spike couldn't help but feel concerned for her wellbeing.

"Twilight? A-are you okay?" he asked nervously as he stepped over to where she sat.

Twilight continued to pant, before finally managing a nod. "I'm alright, Spike, really" she panted, "I'm just winded. That spell takes a lot more than I originally believed."

"At least we know it works now," Spike replied as he rubbed her back.

"It does. But not well enough," Twilight replied as she moved to sit up properly. "If I ever have to use that spell for real, we can't afford to wait ten minutes in order to cast it. I need to keep practicing it in order to get faster. It needs to be something that can be cast in less than a minute. It has to be instantaneous, something that can be cast by reflex if at all possible," she explained.

Ulquiorra said nothing as he observed. The lightning had been significantly greater in magnitude than what he'd anticipated to see. The fact that the lightning rod hadn't melted from the heat it was subjected to was somewhat surprising.

However that didn't change the fact that the requirements to use it were significant in nature. Besides the ten minutes that had been spent waiting, the spell had required fifteen percent of Twilight Sparkle's total reiryoku to be cast. It definitely wasn't a spell that could be utilized quickly or efficiently. For it to be viable in its current form would require significant advanced planning. Currently Twilight Sparkle would be best utilized as a specific resource rather than a front line force; something along the lines of a mortar or a howitzer.

In simpler terms she did have her usefulness. But only if she worked in tandem with others who could withstand ten minutes of assault. Meaning that without his assistance, she wasn't of much use.

"Stand back, Spike, I'm going to try again, see if I can cast it any faster this time," Twilight instructed. She's already moved from hypothesis to proof of concept concerning the actual casting of the spell. And now that she had the knowledge of how to successfully cast it and rain down lightning without the need for clouds or pegasi intervention, she just needed to figure out how to go about streamlining everything to speed up the process. And the only way to do that was practice, practice, practice!

Ulquiorra continued to remain silent and observe things unfold, noting the fluctuations displayed in Twilight Sparkle's reiatsu and reiryoku levels, as she went about attempting to recast the spell, in an effort to yield better and more efficient results.

Twice more, he observed as the lavender unicorn successfully cast the spell, raining down lightning on the designated target, and subjecting it to greater abuse. After the third lightning strike had landed, he could see signs of metal fatigue becoming present, as it slowly began to sag to one side. If the strikes had been back to back, he had no doubts that signs of melting would be present at this point in time.

Each successive casting was also growing shorter, bit by bit. The second lightning discharge had come after just nine minutes of effort, and the third after eight minutes. She was indeed learning how to become more efficient through continual practice. But the effort involved was significant. Each successful casting was leaving her physically exhausted and drained, leaving her gasping for air, and nearly collapsing on the ground in the aftermath.

At the current rate of depletion it was highly unlikely that the unicorn would be able to kill herself from exhaustion, regardless of how haggard she appeared afterward. But regardless of that fact, he decided to intervene after the fourth successful casting of the spell. She might not die, but near-total exhaustion wasn't acceptable either.

"Twilight, stop! You're bleeding!"

However before he could intervene, Spike was already in the process of doing just that. At hearing she was wounded, however, he stepped closer, and observed that blood was dripping from her nostrils as she hunched over, gasping for air as if she'd been running for miles.

But on closer inspection there was more going on than a simple nosebleed. As he rotated her head upward to look at him, he noticed the white of her left eye was also turning blood red. Demonic possession not being a valid theory, the most logical explanation present was that all of the straining she'd done had ruptured several blood vessels, and that was the source of the bleeding in her eye and from her nostrils. Hardly grounds to be concerned, but it was an indicator that her efforts were harder on her than she'd anticipated.

"I'm alright, Spike, I-" she panted as she moved to sit back up again. But as she tried to reassure the young dragon that everything was perfectly alright, she gagged as the blood dripping from her nose came into contact with her tongue. She coughed hard and spat onto the ground to the side, before wiping her mouth and tongue with her foreleg to get try and get rid of the coppery taste. "I'm alright," she repeated again, "you two might want to stand back. I'm going to give it another shot."

"I would advise against that," Ulquiorra warned as he straightened up, "the costs of the spell are significant. You've already drained sixty percent of your reiryoku. You would only be able to successfully cast the spell two more times at best, leaving yourself severely weakened. And not knowing what may be encountered later in the day, it would be wise not to engage in total exertion simply to practice a single spell," he explained.

Twilight wanted to protest Ulquiorra's observation of her abilities and her current state. She wanted to argue that she was fully capable of continuing so long as she had a few minutes to catch her breath, and maybe something to drink as well.

But deep down she knew that any attempts at arguing with Ulquiorra would be pointless. Trying to convince him that she hadn't bled most of her mana out in casting those lightning spells would be an impossibility. The fact that he could see and measure stuff like that put him at a considerable advantage over everyone else. His eyes could see things that theirs were incapable of seeing. On his very first meeting with Rainbow Dash, he could easily tell that her Sonic Rainboom could only be used once a day. Not only that, he could tell just how much mana she absorbed per hour, as her body replenished itself. That was information that she had never been able to determine on her own!

That had been on their first meeting, when he barely knew anything about her. And if he could so easily determine so much with so little, what chance did she have of him being wrong after so much interaction?

"Alright. You win," she replied and nodded in defeat, knowing there was no way to win the argument. He had her at a tactical disadvantage. But regardless of that fact, she wasn't ready to throw in the towel just yet. "So if we're done with the magical aspect of today's practices, should we move onto the next part? Should we see if the containment lantern can actually contain your Cero?" she asked.

"I still possess doubts about the effectiveness of the properties of your lantern," Ulquiorra pointed out. He could easily foresee the artifact being destroyed in this exercise. "However doubts are not scientifically valid. Unless we try, we will know nothing. The results may be surprising to all of us."

Twilight couldn't help but smile at Ulquiorra's words when he started talking about scientific validity. Now he was really speaking her language.

"No."

Twilight turned her head in Spike's direction since he was the one objecting. He had a look of determination on his face that she'd only seen a few times before; one that suggested an age greater than what his actually was.

"We should be getting Twilight to the hospital, her eye shouldn't be red like that," he pointed out.

"Ultimately for what purpose? To divert resources from those in genuine need of medical attention?" Ulquiorra asked calmly, serving as a contrast to Spike's anxious state. "Subconjunctival hemorrhages can occur from sneezing or coughing. In this case it most likely occurred from the strain Twilight Sparkle was exerting on herself in order to cast the spell. The blood vessels of the eyes are particularly fragile in nature and rupture with great ease. Assuming you could even get in to be seen, you would most likely be sent home and told to rest," he explained.

"How exactly do you know all this stuff?" Spike finally asked, finding it hard to believe that the Espada seemed so knowledgeable about everything. It wasn't even the cocky, arrogant type of knowledgeable that some ponies would display when they went spouting off about how they knew something. No, this was the calm, calculated, analytical type of knowledge that was displayed by someone who was well-read in a particular topic. And if it was one thing or another that Ulquiorra had chosen to comment on, he could believe it. But with everything?

"When I was first brought to this reality by Discord's intervention, I arrived at the conclusion that I should familiarize myself with anything that may be of relevance if I was to remain here for an extended period of time. When it was determined that the majority of my interactions with others would involve ponies, I expanded my studied to include relevant matters such as the anatomy of the three races," Ulquiorra replied calmly. Was it really that hard to believe? "I will admit, however, the medical wing of the royal libraries is extensive. There are a number of books I haven't yet gotten around to reading, due to more pressing matters demanding my attention."

Twilight was pretty certain that Spike had some kind of retort in mind for Ulquiorra. So she decided to intervene and stroke Spike's head to the side of his green ridge. Sometimes he was cute when he was worried.

"It'll be alright, Spike, I'll just put in some eye drops when we get home. And if necessary, I remember where Pinkie keeps her eye patches," she said as she did her best to calm him down. They were getting far too distracted. "But right now, could you get the lantern out? We've got important research and preparation to engage in, and that takes precedent over a red eye."

Spike grumbled, not really liking the fact that his concerns were being brushed aside so easily. How exactly was he supposed to be a good assistant if he couldn't even assist? But for better or worse, he was being outvoted on the matter of how best to address Twilight's wellbeing, and he was left with little choice but to sigh, mutter an "okay" of defeat, and go to fetch the old lantern from her saddlebags for what she was planning.

"Just one question. Where exactly should we set it up? From what I've heard this is gonna be... pretty big. And if things go wrong, somepony might get hurt if they're in the blast zone," Spike pointed out. Just because he couldn't get Twilight to take it easy, didn't mean that he had to keep his concerns and observations to himself.

"Hmm..." Twilight mumbled as she rubbed her chin in thought, before turning to look at Ulquiorra. "It is a good point. We need to determined the best location for setting up to prevent such."

"Twenty two degrees southeast," Ulquiorra replied, after taking the time to scan the surroundings to the best of his abilities. And after a moment's pause, he gestured in the direction, just in case neither of them understood. As far as his pesquisa could detect, there was no life in that area that would be harmed should everything go wrong.

Strange as it might seem to outsiders looking in, he did have some measure of concern for the wellbeing of these ponies. But then again it was his assigned purpose. So perhaps it really wasn't all that strange after all.

However before Spike could even take the first step in the specified direction, he spoke up in interruption. There was an unforeseen development about to occur and needed to be addressed.

"We're about to have company," he stated simply, alerting them to the fact.

"How many? Friend or foe?" Twilight asked in response, wanting to know exactly what they were about to be facing.

"There will be no need for combat in this particular encounter," Ulquiorra replied and replaced his hands back in his pockets. There was no way of misidentifying these particular reiatsu signatures.

Twilight and Spike looked at each other, although Spike had to look away as the sight of her one bloody eye was making his hurt and water, and required him pinching his own shut. Never mind that now though, there was still the matter of just who might be coming, and why Ulquiorra seemed so calm about it. Were the girls coming out to find them? Did some of the other ponies from town come to investigate the bolts of lightning that'd been coming down over the last half hour?

And then she heard the faint buzzing in the distance.

Living in Ponyville long enough, there were certain instances and events that one came to be intimately familiar with. Certain sounds that were unmistakable in nature. So it really proved to be no challenge to know that three certain fillies would be crossing their path any second now.

Running into the Cutie Mark Crusaders was nothing new, what with their penchant for being anywhere and just about any given time. But the odd part was the timing of it all. Why exactly would they be out and about at this time of day when school was in session?

"This can't end well," Spike groaned.

"Just be nice, Spike, everything will work out," Twilight told him, trying to stay calm, despite the potential for disaster that was going to be present now.

Disaster that, as she observed, manifested during their approach.

She knew the hookup of their wagon to Scootaloo's scooter had never been the most secure of hookups, regardless of how much it had proven capable of withstanding with those three. However, as they approached quickly, she never expected that the wagon hitting a partially obscured rock would be enough to buck the frame with enough force that it would send a now terrified Sweetie Belle flying, as if she'd just been tossed by a catapult.

"Oh shit!"

It was a statement shared in unison by both Spike and Twilight Sparkle, despite the former's reported dislike for the use of profanity. Ulquiorra wasn't sure what to think of that fact, as his mind was more focused on the fact that Twilight Sparkle was simply watching, rather than making any conscious effort to prevent the inevitable. Perhaps it was due to the suddenness of it all preventing that thought process from engaging. Perhaps the type of magic that was needed, wasn't the type that acted upon basic instinct. But whatever the reason, he could tell that the screaming filly's trajectory was beginning to be affected by gravity, and impact with the ground was imminent.

Those facts in mind, he was the quickest to respond to the situation at hand, by stepping forward, and catching the falling Sweetie Belle in his arms before she could make contact with the ground, and possibly break something in the process. Instead of landing with a sickening thud and wet squelch, what was heard sounded much more like the squeak of a rubber toy. Whether it was an audible statement from her, or a result of how she came to a stop against his frame, he couldn't really be sure. Nor could he muster the curiosity to actually care.

"Ya a'right Sweetie Belle?"

Ulquiorra looked up from the unicorn filly in his arms, her eyes still squeezed shut as her body displayed signs of still bracing for the impact that wouldn't come. For whatever reason, she seemed to have failed to register the connection her body had made against his musculature, despite the fact that it should've felt much harder than the ground itself.

That matter wasn't important at the moment. He looked up and saw the other two young ponies, quickly dismounting their transportation and haphazardly discarding their helmets as they galloped over to them to check on their comrade.

Sweetie Belle looked up from her balled up, cowering position at the sound of her friends' voices and approach, and came face to face with him, her expression going from shocked to utter embarrassment in very little time once she made the realization of what had just happened.

"Sorry," she stated quickly, her voice cracking and squeaking in the process.

He said nothing in response, and simply set her back on her hooves on the ground as the others approached.

"That was an awesome catch!" Scootaloo stated excitedly as she came to a halt in front of them.

"Yeah that was perdy cool, the way ya didn' have ta dive er nothin'. Jus' stepped right up an' caught Sweetie Belle like she was a fly ball," Apple Bloom added.

Twilight wasn't sure exactly what to say. On the one hoof the interaction between Ulquiorra and the three fillies was interesting to watch. But on the other hoof, her mind was burning with questions as to just what they were up to, and why exactly they were present. Shouldn't they be in school right now? Were they engaged in truancy?

"What're you girls doing here? What about school?" she finally asked, wanting to get to the bottom of this whole mystery.

"Miss Cheerilee gave the class the day off on account o' all the ponies tha' got hurt yesterday. Not even half of 'em managed ta show up today," Apple Bloom explained. She agreed in this case, as there wasn't much point in having school if only a few of the students could actually make it to class.

"I don't even want to think about how many of them we're not gonna see again," Scootaloo stated as she looked at the ground. These were unpleasant thoughts to have thrust upon them at their young age.

Spike winced at Scootaloo's statement, not wanting to think about that either. Thinking about it brought back memories of last night's conversation. Unlike them he actually knew what had gone on, even if he hadn't seen it for himself. But not seeing it happen hadn't made things any better. In fact, knowing what happened but not witnessing it had actually made things worse, as his imagination had worked to try and fill in the blanks.

"We were going to spend the day at the park, but there's still cleanup going on over there. So we just decided to come out here for a while," Sweetie Bell explained in an effort to break the silence that resulted from Scootaloo's statement. They should be spending their time worrying about getting their cutie marks, not about how they'd never be seeing their other classmates again. "So what're you three doing out here with that old lantern?"

Twilight looked between the three fillies and then back over at Spike as he held the containment lantern in his claws. She'd very nearly forgotten about it upon discovering they weren't alone, and watching everything that had unfolded. How exactly could she explain this situation to them properly? And more importantly, how did she convince them to not try and help out?

"What the hay happened to your eye?!"

And along that same vein of thought, how exactly did she explain the matter of a subconjunctival hemorrhage to these three, when they weren't exactly regarded for their patience?

"Oh it's nothing serious," she said as she waved her hoof dismissively, "I was just trying too hard to cast a particular spell, that's all. It looks worse than it is," she explained.

"Actually... it looks kinda cool. Real freaky and stuff. Is that something anypony can do?" Scootaloo asked.

Well that sure wasn't how she figured things might play out. She expected a reaction more akin to fear, not fascination and interest. Every single time she thought she had these fillies figured out, they managed to go and surprise her with something new.

Sweetie Belle just shook her head. Looking at Twilight's red eye was making her own eyes hurt and water, and she really didn't want to think too much about it. It was really starting to freak her out.

"So what's with the old lantern?" she asked again.

"Oh... just a little science experiment with Ulquiorra's help, that's all," she replied, hoping that they'd take the hint to not get too nosy about what was going to happen. After Applejack had asked them to leave the farm, they'd picked this spot for their project due to the fact that, should anything go wrong, there wouldn't be any innocent bystanders who could get hit by a an errant bolt of uncontrollable lightning, or a rogue Cero, or possibly the shrapnel from a defective lantern if it couldn't contain the forces it would be subjected to. And if something were to go blooey -she knew it wasn't the scientifically accurate term for things going horribly wrong, but it still seemed appropriate- the fewer ponies around to potentially get hit, the better.

"Is it alright if we watch? It's not like we've got anything better to do right now," Scootaloo replied, "there's no school to go to. And the adults won't let us help with the cleanup work. Something about not being big enough, or responsible enough, or whatever."

Twilight wasn't sure how to respond to that question. Having the three around could be dangerous, but she also knew from previous experiences that trying to motivate them to leave could be tricky. If they didn't play it right and came off as being secretive, they'd just sneak off to observe from some other place, and quite possibly get hurt in the process. That was entirely unacceptable. She looked up to Ulquiorra for answers to the problem at hoof, hoping that his degree of wisdom could assist on this matter.

Ulquiorra could see the predicament Twilight Sparkle was in. To some extent anyway. If yesterday's actions of these three fillies were any indication of regular behavior, carrying out today's experiments could prove difficult. He would prefer to avoid any unnecessary and avoidable deaths if at all possible.

And perhaps there was actually a way to do just that. A way to show them just how dangerous the situation truly was, and why they would be wise to keep their distance as this was carried out.

"In recognition of your services rendered yesterday, you will be allowed to observe. Provided you maintain a safe distance with Twilight Sparkle. The potential for injury is significant if safety precautions aren't observed," he explained as he looked at them, and then back at Twilight Sparkle where she stood.

Twilight stood in silence, her jaw nearly falling open in response to what Ulquiorra had said. Was he serious about letting the Cutie Mark Crusaders stay and watch what they were about to do? Did he know just how many things could go wrong? She wanted to say something in protest, but the look he was giving her didn't exactly look like the kind of look someone would give when they were actually open to debate. Something about the way he was looking at her right now just seemed to suggest that the best course of action to take was maintain silence, and actually agree with what he was saying.

"Okay, girls, you can stay and watch. Stand over here by me," she reluctantly instructed. She could get a passive use shield going in a matter of seconds, so in case anything went wrong they'd have a good chance of not getting injured. "Spike, could you take the lantern out about one hundred paces and set it down? Make sure the door is open and facing this way, we've only got one shot at doing this properly."

"On it," Spike said as he clutched the lantern tighter and took off at a jogging pace to get to the designated location.

"... So wha' kind o' science experiment is this yer doin' anyway Twilight?" Apple Bloom asked, confused as to how a lantern could be of any use; both so far away, and obviously empty. Even if it wasn't the both of those things, it was still morning.

Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but then shut it again. How exactly did she explain the intricacies of what they were attempting to do, and make it understandable to these three? That gave her plenty of reason to pause, as she tried to formulate an answer.

"You'll just have to wait and see, my little ponies, you'll understand it better that way," she finally stated, seeing it as the most logical answer available to them.

The three looked at each other in confusion, before simply shrugging and sitting down next to Twilight, as they watched Spike run out to the requested distance, before setting the lantern down on the ground, and making his way back over to them at the same pace he'd set out on.

"Hmm..." Twilight muttered as she rubbed her chin in thought, before turning to face Ulquiorra. "Is that too far out for you?"

"Not at all," Ulquiorra replied simply, waiting for Spike to get out of the danger zone before proceeding. Why Twilight Sparkle had not simply levitated it out on her own, he wasn't certain. But at the moment that was neither here nor there. Questions could come later on when the matter was settled down.

The wait for Spike to return was relatively short, all things considered, before he finally rejoined the others, panting as he sat down, winded from the long jog.

"Okay everypony, stand back. To the sidelines and the rear is definitely safest in this case," Twilight announced and prepared her shield should it be needed. The only downside to such was that she couldn't cast it and the mage's sight spell at the same time. She really wanted to study his Cero as it was charged and fired, and learn the mechanics that went into it so she might be able to replicate it in herself. But then again, perhaps it was best if she didn't try such. She already had her own spells to attempt and learn, she really didn't need the added hassle of Ulquiorra's techniques added to her plate. Not right now anyway. "Ready when you are Ulquiorra."

"Very well then," Ulquiorra replied as he withdrew his right hand from his pocket and pointed in the direction of the lantern.

The three fillies sat by Twilight and watched curiously, uncertain of just what they were supposed to be looking at. What kind of science experiment was this anyway? Was something supposed to happen? And if so, then when was it actually going to happen?

Such thoughts, however, were interrupted by the glowing green orb that flickered into existence just past Ulquiorra's fingertip, and began to grow outward in size, whirling trails of same colored energy seeming to flow into it, much like water flowing down a drain.

There was the natural urge to ask questions about what they were seeing, about what Ulquiorra was doing, about what that strange noise was, and the haunting teal tint that he was giving off right now. But that urge never go to be acted upon, as the discharge effectively silenced them, dirt being kicked up in every direction from the beam hurtling down the clearing at a breakneck pace, the resulting shock wave easily felt by them from where they stood, and leaving them certain that they would've been blown over if they were taller.

Further downrange where the lantern rested, the Cero connected with near pinpoint accuracy. In the flash prior to that connection, the enchantments went to work, latching onto the mass of reiryoku energy, and forcefully drawing it inside of its constructed casing, much like a turtle pulling its head back into its shell, or something else along those lines.

When the dust settled, and the Cero faded, Ulquiorra was left uncertain of just what to think. He had expected the lantern to be obliterated on contact in a sizable explosion from the point where his Cero contacted. Instead he had just bore witness to the lantern swallowing his Cero like it was nothing, and the door swinging shut and latching itself automatically. This was truly an unexpected turn of events.

"Wow!" Spike stated in utter amazement and disbelief, this being the first time he'd ever seen Ulquiorra's Cero in actual use before. The sheer amount of force he controlled, while simultaneously making it look so easy, was simply unbelievable.

Pomf.

He hadn't heard that noise. There was no physical we he could've heard that noise.

And yet it had been there as plain as day. Turning to face the others, Ulquiorra saw them staring at him. Apple Bloom looked at him in confusion, Sweetie Belle in terror, and Scootaloo in utter amazement, with her eyes nearly as wide as her grin, her tiny wings sticking straight up.

"That... was so... AWESOME!" she announced, her voice cracking on the last part of her statement, causing both Twilight Sparkle and Spike to cover their ears due to their proximity.

"I know, right?" Spike asked once he was certain it was safe to uncover his ears again.

"Is that how ya beat the dragon Mr. Cifer?" Apple Bloom asked curiously.

"In all honesty it was Fluttershy that defeated the dragon. I merely injured it to the point that it would actually listen to reason and do as instructed," Ulquiorra replied. However he'd purposely decided to leave out the part about how he'd nearly succeeded in killing the dragon with his Cero, and how it only still existed because Fluttershy had intervened on its behalf due to her own guilt. And he'd certainly left out the part about how the entire display had been preposterous to the highest order. Why the dragon had refused to recognize the hopeless of the situation and flee for its own life, he would likely never understand. All he could do was speculate that it wasn't in control of its own actions, and wasn't presented with the opportunity to actually flee when confronted by a superior opponent.

"I have no idea what that was you did, but I felt it running all up and down my spine! That was absolutely incredible!" Scootaloo stated.

Ulquiorra couldn't help but think on Scootaloo's words. They possessed a similarity to a statement made by Applejack much earlier on, regarding a sensation running the course of their spines when in the proximity of his Cero's discharge. Perhaps the matter of the wing deployment was nothing more than an involuntary muscle spasm brought on by atmospheric stimuli, generated by his Cero; similar to the disturbances in the atmosphere created by a lightning strike. Seeing as pegasi ponies were tasked with manipulation of the weather, it would make sense that they might possess a greater sensitivity to atmospheric changes than the others. However that failed to explain why Fluttershy's wings remained at her sides when she had been present for the discharge. Nor did it explain the display on Rainbow Dash's part prior to that.

"It was you... y-y-you were the one..."

His thoughts on the matter were then distracted by the squeaky, shaky statement that came from Sweetie Belle. Unlike her two companions, she was displaying no signs of amazement, but rather terror, as she tried to hide behind Apple Bloom and Scootaloo for protection.

"You were the one from last week, the... the thing that blotted out the sun with utter blackness over Canterlot. You're the eclipse, the... t-t-the monster!" she squeaked in terror.

Ulquiorra remained silent in thought. This was certainly not an unforeseen development that was occurring right now. Truth be told he'd been expecting to encounter a situation like this ever since the changeling incident. What left him uncertain, however, was how long it had taken for this to actually develop. The fact that in the days following, such a reaction hadn't been widespread in all the ponies he met, left him wondering if Princess Celestia had some hand in the aftermath. Perhaps she was exercising crisis management and suppressing sensitive information that could cause a panic? It was a possibility that couldn't be ruled out; not after everything he'd seen occur, and certainly not after everything he'd read up to this point in the royal library.

"Sweetie Belle don' be silly. Mr. Cifer ain' no monster."

But at the moment, Princess Celestia and whatever part she was playing, was a matter of neither here nor there. He would question her another time when there were less pressing matters to tend to.

Right now, however, he was present and currently in the middle of what he could foresee being a minor crisis with these ponies. He could practically feel Twilight Sparkle's desire to diffuse the situation for whatever reason. And she most likely wanted him to play some part in the diffusion. But he would deny her that ability to insist upon it.

"Your young friend is correct in her observation. I really am a monster," he stated casually. What use was there in denying the truth?

"What?" Apple Bloom asked as she turned to look at him.

"You are?" Scootaloo asked and followed. "How?"

"I don't deny my nature. However things are not as simple as all that. Monsters are unfamiliar entities, who are generally recognized and cataloged into one or or more of three specific categories in which they possess the potential to cause harm to others: the nature of their outward appearance, the nature of their abilities, or the nature of their character. I fall into the second category, for reasons of which you are already aware. The dragon, the changelings, the manticore, the aforementioned eclipse, and now the witnessing of my Cero being discharged up close and personal," he explained calmly.

His interaction with these three ponies had been limited. However his experience with Sweetie Belle, while limited, had given him some reason to believe that she possessed a reasonable degree of intelligence. Her manner of speech had included some degree of complication and refinement that the other two didn't share. Perhaps logic would indeed work in this situation. But considering the age range, he may have to simplify it to some degree so it could be more easily understood; just as Twilight Sparkle had simplified the explanation of what nihilism truly meant.

However at the moment, all that had been accomplished from his explanation, was the unicorn filly barely peaking out from behind the other two in order to regard him. Undaunted with the results, he continued in his explanation.

"Your fear is reasonable in nature, and even logical. However in this instance it's unwarranted. Despite my being a monster, Princess Celestia has seen fit to trust me; to the point she has tasked me with keeping Ponyville safe should a repeat of yesterday occur," he stated. If they trusted Princess Celestia, then they should have reason to believe him. However he wouldn't be surprised if they were still suspicious of him, as the holders of the Elements of Harmony had been after learning about his true nature.

"Ah don' get it," Apple Bloom spoke up as she tilted her head to the side, the large bow the held her mane together flopping and bouncing from the motion. "How can ya be a monster if yer doin' good things and not hurtin' nopony?" she asked.

Ulquiorra said nothing at first as he looked at Apple Bloom and the other two young ponies. Unlike the adults of this world, their lack of knowledge regarding the finer details of life could truly be excused due to their youth and corresponding lack of real world experience. It wasn't truly stupidity that kept them from understanding things. They lacked the experience that would help them understand that doing good deeds didn't truly mean anything, as anyone could truly do such if they wished. The concept of affably evil apparently didn't exist to them. Even Aizen could've been accused of doing good deeds, depending upon how his actions were viewed by others. But nobody would argue that Aizen himself was actually good.

He considered explaining the fact to them, pointing out how good deeds didn't necessarily make a good individual. But he ultimately chose against going with that particular approach. Not due to the subject material, but more out of the difficulty in explaining the situation, and the time that would have to be invested in such. And right now time was something that had to be managed more intelligently.

He would explain things in finer detail to these three later on. But for right now he would have to customize his explanation into terms they might readily identify with.

"While it's true that evil individuals can be considered monsters, not all monsters can truly be considered evil in nature. The definition of "monster" is incredibly vague and subject to interpretation, depending not only on who is asked, but just how the question is worded and structured. As explained I am certainly a monster, but I am not the type of monster that causes needless suffering to others. For every action there is a reason to justify it. And I foresee no reason that would amount to sufficient justification for causing harm to any ponies," he explained.

"So..." Sweetie Belle spoke up slowly as she further peaked out from behind her friends. "All the rumors that were going around town, about there being a monster being sent to throw Equestria into ten thousand years of darkness... none of that's true?" she asked, somewhat less scared and more curious than she had been just a couple minutes ago. Could he really be a monster, and so eloquent and intelligent at the same time? Just because he said he was a monster, that didn't make him one... did it?

The utter foolishness of these ponies. Ulquiorra nearly quirked an eyebrow at what he heard. What kind of rumors had these ponies been spreading to one another as if it were no different than the common cold? He would have to address that matter.

"None. What was witnessed, was nothing more than a side effect of dealing with Chrysalis and her changelings. Although I will admit, I find myself rather curious as to how exactly you correctly arrived at the conclusion that I was the one responsible for the incident," he replied, wanting to get to the bottom of this new mystery. He didn't doubt that, had anyone been looking toward Canterlot at the time, they would've been able to see his resurrección occur, even if they wouldn't be able to see his form. But the massive release of reiryoku that exploded around him when he revealed his resurrección differed so much in appearance from his base Cero, that the connection shouldn't have been made based on sight alone. There was certainly more going on than meets the eye, but he wasn't yet certain of just what it was.

"Well a lot of us saw the eclipse when it happened. Something big and black blotting out the sun is kind of hard to miss. And I don't know about anypony else, but I kind of felt it too. It was really frightening to have that feeling just suddenly wash over you like it's a tidal wave. And when you did that thing just now I noticed how similar that feeling was, and then I just put two and two together," Sweetie Belle explained as she slowly stepped out from behind her friends.

Truth be told, as far as Sweetie Belle was concerned, frightening didn't even begin to describe what she'd experienced. It was more like terrifying. It was like coming face to face with the physical ponyfication of fear itself, as it reached out and swept over everyone present. She really didn't know just how to go about properly elaborating on what she'd experienced during that brief period of time, when the sun hadn't been visible from their vantage point. She knew a lot of fancy and complex words that other ponies her age didn't, but that knowledge was really failing her right now. It was like trying to explain what a tree was to somepony who had never even seen a plant of any sort.

And then when she'd seen what Ulquiorra could do, and felt what he could do, a sudden flashback to that panic-stricken moment had come right back and bit her right on her blank flank. The only thing she could be mildly thankful for, was the fact that the sensation experienced when he'd shown what he could do, didn't carry the exact same stifling intensity as the last time. But that hadn't exactly made it any easier to actually sit through.

"Fascinating," Ulquiorra replied. He truly hadn't believed that the reiatsu of his resurrección would be experienced as far away as Ponyville. Not with how every single pony he'd encountered seemed to able to tolerate his presence, when any human right even a slight spiritual awareness could so easily be floored in the same circumstances. Perhaps it was due to Sweetie Belle being a unicorn, that had allowed her to actually feel his reiatsu from such a distance. The way she described it as a tidal wave would suggest that he could still overwhelm them, just as Rainbow Dash's statement last night would suggest the same. And yet none of them were sent to their knees while in his presence. This was certainly a peculiarity to be encountering. Perhaps another of Discord's examples of trickery? And if it was, then ultimately for what purpose?

"Okay I'm a little confused now," Scootaloo spoke up, breaking his train of thought, and bringing his attention to her. "How'd you cause that eclipse thingy to happen anyway? As high up as it was, wouldn't you have to fly to do that?" she asked.

"Correct. And it is for that reason that I did," Ulquiorra explained.

Scootaloo snickered at the answer given, before bursting out laughing. The answer given had been so ridiculous, and delivered in such a deadpan and serious manner, that it was impossible to not be highly amused by it.

However that amusement soon died down, as she realized nopony else was laughing. Ulquiorra, Twilight, and Spike all looked quite serious in nature, giving no indication that would suggest it'd been an attempt at humor. No laughs, no chuckles, no smiles or grins, not even a smirk. Everyone outside of her and her friends were quite serious in nature. Almost dead serious.

"You mean... you actually can fly? Without wings?" she asked.

"Correct," he repeated, just as calm as the first time.

"But how can... how... what the... but..." she stuttered in disbelief. There was no way that this could be possible. Nopony could fly without wings! But Ulquiorra wasn't a pony... but he didn't have wings, but he flew, but... but... "This stinks! Pound Cake can fly and he's just a baby! You can fly and you don't even have any wings! Every single pegasus in Ponyville can fly EXCEPT for me! None of this is any fair!" she shouted, utterly frustrated by it all.

Ulquiorra remained silent as he observed the three fillies talking back and forth, with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle trying to bring Scootaloo's mood back up, either through reassurances that she would learn how to fly, or pointing out that they too couldn't perform certain tasks that they should be able to at their age. He turned his attention to Spike and Twilight Sparkle who had moved to the side before this point, and they looked back at him, presenting nothing that might be productive in this matter.

"Show me," he finally stated, bringing the back and forth bickering to a halt, and bringing their attention back to him. "Show me how you attempt to fly."

"Um... okay..." Scootaloo replied and slowly stepped forward. Taking a deep breath, she started flexing her wings to loose them up, before beginning to flap them, and gradually picking up speed until they were buzzing at a considerable rate. Before long they were going the fastest they'd ever gone before. And slowly, very slowly, her efforts were beginning to pay off, as she could feel her hooves leaving the ground.

However just as soon as she felt the grass no longer under her hooves, her wings gave out and she crashed back to the ground with a thud, panting and wheezing from her efforts.

"That's pretty much as far as she gets when she tries flying," Sweetie Belle explained as she looked up at Ulquiorra. Apple Bloom silently nodded in agreement.

This was a matter that wasn't right. Of that fact, Ulquiorra was quite certain.

"And where did you learn that?" he asked. Surely in a world such as this, where the inhabitants were blessed with second chances and friendship, surely there were those that specialized in teaching pegasus ponies the proper manner in order to fly. Somehow the notion of such things being left purely to animal instinct didn't register with him as being a likely possibility. Survival of the fittest didn't seem to apply outside of the Everfree Forest. Instead it seemed like the concept was survival of just about everyone through the help and intervention of others.

"Well... nowhere actually," Scootaloo replied as she slowly climbed back to her hooves. "Rainbow Dash is teaching me though. Or... she will be when she's got some time. But I've been watching her when she's flying and what she does."

"Do you now," Ulquiorra replied as he looked down at her. "Have you truly been watching her as she's flying? Or have you simply been observing her in flight?" he asked.

"Say what now?" Scootaloo asked.

"Is that a trick question er somethin'?" Apple Bloom asked, not getting what he was saying.

"The manner in which you were attempting to fly is far more appropriate for a bee hovering about a flower. Have you even observed other pegasi taking off in flight? Or have you simply observed them when they're already flying? The movement of your wings may be conductive of locomotion while on your scooter, but it's entirely wrong for attempting flight. Proper flight requires rotation of the wings in addition to up and down movement, to be propelled forward through the air via manipulation of the air currents," he explained.

"Rotation?" Scootaloo asked. She looked back towards her wings, giving them another set of warmup flaps to get them moving again. She tried to move them like he was talking about, but it was hard to get them to do anything flap up and down. As she tried to move them, she couldn't help but think that it was weird how they didn't respond. It was almost like they weren't even her own wings, and she was looking at the wings of somepony else. "I can't do it. I don't get it, are they broken or something? Why's it so hard to make them move?"

Muscle memory was the first possibility that came to Ulquiorra's mind. Based on what he'd observed, Scootaloo's primary method of getting around town was riding on her scooter, using her wings to generate movement in the same fashion an on-board engine would. If it was something she had been utilizing for years, then it was likely the movement she was most familiar with, and most likely to rely on by default.

There was also the possibility of skeletal deformation being at work. But that was quite low on the list of possibilities, based on the way he'd seen her move and flex her wings in other situations.

He briefly considered the possibility of it being psychological in nature. Perhaps a fear of heights? But he quickly discounted that notion entirely.

"A lack of practice is more likely. If you're serious about learning how to fly, then you'll need to come and understand that it takes far more than simply trying to muscle your way through like the Diez Espada would," he explained.

"Who?" Sweetie Belle asked, confused with the term he'd just used.

"A large, stupid, brutish individual I was tasked with working alongside. Comparatively speaking, a living sledgehammer. No finesse, no intelligence, just dumb muscle with poor impulse control, and a tendency to shout at inappropriate times," he explained. He noted how the description given caused some amused chuckles, but he paid it no mind.

"So what you're saying is... practice, practice, practice?" Scootaloo asked.

"Correct," he replied, feeling no need to elaborate further. If this pegasus truly wished to take to the skies, then she would need to work towards it with genuine interest; not the same half-assed approach that was used by these three when they attempted to gain their cutie marks. "Perhaps at a location less likely to experience explosions, and dangerous scientific experiments that could level an entire mountain."

+++

"I'm sorry, darling, I don't mean to interrupt your story, as it's quite riveting in nature. But are you quite serious? Ulquiorra was being sociable with Sweetie Belle and the others? Even after they interrupted what you were doing?" Rarity asked. She certainly didn't want to suggest that Ulquiorra was mean-spirited or abusive in nature. But she knew from her own experience that he didn't possess the greatest degree of tolerance for when important matters were sidetracked by what he considered to be nonsense. And if there was one thing the Cutie Mark Crusaders did better than anyone... it was most certainly nonsense.

"I know it seems strange to hear. I was there and watching it, and it was definitely strange to watch. But that's how things went. I always knew that he could be patient, but I didn't know that he could be so... compassionate," Twilight replied. The way Ulquiorra had been so calm when talking with Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle still seemed so strange. From the Espada's efforts to calm Sweetie Belle when she was scared of his unbelievable strength, to giving Scootaloo hope in overcoming her inability to fly. None of it had been anything he'd been required to do, or asked to do, but rather it had all been of his own volition. She could supposed that his actions yesterday had been due to how they had been the ones to get him the antidote. But the degree he'd exercised didn't seem like that was all there was too it. If it was anyone else then she'd believe it. But Ulquiorra didn't deal in excessive gratitude or coddling. It was... really strange. Strange enough she almost wondered if he'd truly relapsed from poison joke. But then she'd discounted that notion as being ridiculous, as he hadn't been acting like that yesterday. "No offense."

"None taken," Ulquiorra replied from where he stood in the Carousel Boutique, listening silently as Twilight Sparkle recounted the events of this morning to Rarity. He could interrupt and elaborate on the parts that weren't being recalled with full accuracy, but ultimately there was little point in doing so. It truly didn't matter to him if her recollection was being guided by personal opinion rather than actual fact. While he had exercised civility towards the three fillies, he hadn't been quite as civil as she was making him out to be. But that was neither here nor there. However it could be seen as possibly giving some insight into how her mind worked at times.

"Whew!" Spike breathed as he walked into the main room, fresh from the shower he'd taken, smelling lightly of talcum powder, and feeling greatly refreshed from earlier. "That's much better. Thanks for letting me get cleaned up, Rarity, I'd hate to have to walk home like that."

"No trouble at all, Spike, what kind of friend would I be if I left someone in such a state?" Rarity replied.

"Spike, I'm so sorry that I threw up on you," Twilight apologized upon seeing him return. She hadn't meant for something like that to happen, but it had all happened regardless. It'd all happened so quickly that she didn't even have the chance to avoid hitting him. She hadn't been able to warn him, or even turn her head to the side.

"Hey, these things happen. It's not like you did it on purpose," Spike replied, wanting to put the whole ugly incident behind him. The less he thought on things, the better off he felt. "So what'd I miss?"

"Twilight Sparkle has been bringing Rarity up to speed on the events that occurred this morning, that lead to our meeting," Ulquiorra replied, seeing no reason to elaborate any further than that.

"And doing a beautiful job at it. Although I must admit, I still don't quite understand how all of that lead up to our meeting. What happened then?" Rarity asked curiously.

"Right. I was just getting to that point," Twilight replied, "anyway. After the Crusaders left..."

+++

"Spike, could you go retrieve the lantern? And be careful? I'd hate it if something bad were to happen," Twilight stated, concerned more for the wellbeing of her assistant than the lantern and its contents. Losing their experiment would be bad, but compared to losing Spike it would be nothing more than a minor-to-moderate setback.

"Alright, I'm on it," Spike replied as he took off at a jogging page over to where the lantern had been placed.

Ulquiorra simply remained silent as he watched. There had been a great deal of unforeseen developments occurring on this day. He truly hadn't expected to be encountering the Cutie Mark Crusaders today. Truthfully it was strange that any foals would be allowed out after what happened yesterday. He could only speculate as to what possessed the adults to carry on their everyday activities with only mild adjustments.

But at the moment that speculation would have to wait for another time, as he became aware of the fact that Twilight Sparkle was looking up at him and smiling. It wasn't the wide, ear-to-ear and teeth exposed type of smile that Pinkie Pie was famous for. But nonetheless it was a smile.

"What?" he asked, curious as to why she doing such.

"Are you sure you don't have a heart? What you did for Sweetie Belle and the others, that was a really nice thing to do," she stated.

"I believe it's already been explained how being heartless, and being a monster, do not necessarily go hand in hand. Nor do they indicate a personality bent on sadism and ensuring the suffering of others through the exercising of cruelty," he replied simply. The three had truly done nothing that would warrant harshness on his part. "Truthfully they would be wise to fear me. However if they wish such, it would be wise that their fear be for the appropriate and correct reasons," he elaborated.

"And you helping Scootaloo, helped them realize that fact, how?" she asked him.

"Merely pointing out a glaring error in her technique. An error that apparently no one else either recognized, or simply chose not to point out. The exact reason for such a lapse in judgement, I'm uncertain," he explained. Did she truly believe that his informing Scootaloo that she was foolish in her approach was a kind gesture? Hardly. What he had done with the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been no more and no less than what he had done in any other interaction, when faulty logic had been presented for consideration; he called them out on it, and explained the fallacy of their logic. The simple fact that he hadn't berated them to the extent he could have, meant absolutely nothing of significance.

Ulquiorra could claim whatever it was that he wanted about the situation. He could claim that he was being logical, or that he was simply doing what came natural to him. But from Twilight's point of view, he was actually starting to understand friendship better. He hadn't been hostile towards Apple Bloom and her friends, hadn't chased them off from the location in which they were conducting their experiments, or even belittled them for their lapses in logic. He'd been relatively cordial in nature, all things considered. It was entirely possible that his behavior was in recognition of how they'd helped him yesterday during his time of need. Or it could simply be that everything he'd learned about friendship up to this point was actually starting to click, and he was actively referencing it in his interactions. Maybe what she'd been witnessing was his own attempt at exercising kindness.

However her train of thought was interrupted as Spike came back, carrying the containment lantern in his claws and panting.

"This thing is still warm. Is that even normal? Shouldn't it have cooled off by now?" he asked as he set it back down on the ground.

"Containment lanterns always run warm when they're in use, Spike, it would be a violation of basic physics if they didn't radiate at least some heat from what they held inside of them," Twilight explained as she observed the teal green glow shining through the lens on the front. The fact that the lantern was still intact and showing no signs of excessive strain were all very good indicators that it was perfectly up to the task of keeping Ulquiorra's Cero under control, and unlikely to explode. And that meant it would be safe to store back in the library.

"If you say so," Spike replied and shrugged, "so now what do we do?"

"Actually, I was thinking on that," she replied as she turned her attention back to where Ulquiorra stood. "I know you have your hesitation on the subject, but I'd like to try and understand your sonido faster. More specifically, I'd like to see how it might affect a pony's body. And I'd like to volunteer for that," she explained.

Somehow this turn of events didn't surprise him any. Twilight Sparkle's desire to understand anything even remotely related to science was strong, and he knew that full well. And apparently it was strong enough that she was even willing to put herself at risk of bodily harm to get the answers she desired. Did she truly grasp the risk that she would be subjecting herself to in this experiment? Organ failure and tissue disruption couldn't be ruled out as potential outcomes.

"I think if we follow yesterday's protocol, we should we alright. Start out with a short, three meter burst, and then stop and examine what results are had. If there are no signs of physical harm, then we continue in a controlled and cautious approach," she explained further, presenting her case for his consideration. "I'm willing to take the risks, as I believe this could be potentially vital research. And I don't feel right about asking somepony else to serve as the lab rat for it. If I can't step up to the situation... then I'm not really worth my salt, am I?" she asked.

He was quite certain that no matter what he said, Twilight Sparkle wasn't about to simply forget this idea of hers, and would not let the issue drop until she got what she wanted, regardless of the dangers that she would face in the process. Didn't she understand that simply because Spike was durable enough to withstand the forces of instantaneous physical movement, that didn't mean she could claim the same? There was no reason to believe that any pony had the physical constitution necessary to come out of this alive, and with their physical body still fully intact.

"You're quite certain that you wish to proceed with this plan, even in your current condition?" he asked, giving her one last opportunity to let the matter drop entirely.

"We don't always get to wait until we feel that we're ready. Sometimes we just have to go when things the opportunity presents itself, even if the conditions aren't right," she replied.

He couldn't argue with that logic, as it was reasonably sound. Often times it was necessary to proceed regardless of the readiness of the individual. Sometimes failure was had, sometimes not.

"Very well then," he replied as he stepped closer to her. "For this a firm and secure hold will be necessary. Remain still," he instructed.

The way Ulquiorra picked her up was quite different from the last time he'd done so, during the changeling invasion when he'd had to pretend to defect to Chrysalis' side. In that instance his approach had been one to suggest a certain degree of roughness, with little regard for the wellbeing of the one getting carried. It was likely born from a necessity to convince the changeling queen that he was truly devoted to her. But this time around it was completely different, as he was using both of his arms to not only hold onto her as he picked her up, but also support her weight in a manner that felt like it wouldn't put any undue strain on her body. None of her limbs were left exposed and hanging out; but then again that made sense, as they would be subjected to what just had to be significant physical strains.

It was... actually nice, all things considered.

"I think I'm ready," she replied, once she was certain she was settled in properly.

"Very well then..."

+++

"... and that's pretty much how it happened," Twilight stated in conclusion as she eased the towel off her neck, feeling far better than when she'd arrived here in the first place. "More or less," she said as she stood up to stretch her legs and let her muscles flex better. She'd been sitting down for way too long as it was.

"Well I must say that's quite an interesting story, and it does explain quite a few things. But I can't help but wonder something; just what was it like when you were being carried around by Ulquiorra?" Rarity asked her.

"Well in simple terms it's very... educational. It turns out movement faster than the eye can perceive works both ways, and when you're the one moving at such a rate, you don't see where you're going. One moment you're standing in one location, and the next it's a completely different location, and you have no idea what route you took in getting there. It can be very disorienting to experience if you're unprepared, but that's as far as it extends... for the first few attempts anyway. It's sort of like teleporting long distances, but more physically taxing to experience. When we realized that I wasn't experiencing any physical damage from the sonido, we started going further distances with each use. And that's when I started to feel... funny. At first I just attributed it to being a massive influx of adrenaline due to what we were doing. But it seems I was wrong," Twilight explained.

"You could say that was an understatement," Spike commented, causing Twilight to flinch in an uncomfortable manner. "I don't get it, Twilight, how'd you get sick anyway? I didn't when I was the one being carried around," he pointed out.

"I'm aware of that, Spike, and I'm really not sure. But I do have a few theories that might explain it," Twilight replied. And all of them were very sound theories. First and foremost, her body wasn't accustomed to such rapid movement, and it had responded the way it did due to that fact. Secondly, attempting her sonido travels that soon after breakfast -consisting of heavy pancakes and rich maple syrup no less- hadn't been a good idea, and if she'd waited a few more hours, things might've gone better. Thirdly, it was possible that in her exhausted state from her own experiments with the lightning spell, her already weakened state hadn't been up to the strain she would be put under, and her motion sickness had been an unfortunate side effect. Forth, but highly unlikely, was that in the position she was being carried, Ulquiorra's hand had been pressing against her stomach at just the right location, that the combination of it and the high-speed movements had triggered an emetic effect.

No matter what the answer was, it still lead to the same unpleasant results.

"But we did learn something very important today," she stated, "Ulquiorra's concern that a pony can't withstand his sonido travel are without ground. Despite the end result, my body didn't suffer any serious damage, like organ rupture or internal bleeding. That means, theoretically at least, it is safe to utilize such movement if necessary. It might be unpleasant, but that doesn't mean it's unsafe. And with continued exposure, my body might be able to adapt to the conditions, and won't be fazed by it anymore," she explained, before pausing to think a moment, and then turn her attention to where Ulquiorra stood. "That is, if you don't mind."

Ulquiorra couldn't deny that the result of today's events had earned his curiosity. Learning that his sonido didn't instantly cause serious bodily harm to these ponies -or more specifically, a pony that was as physically soft as Twilight Sparkle- had been somewhat... surprising to discover. However today's results only provided them with a new theory, not an actual proof of concept. The fact that the limited distance they'd covered did nothing more serious than cause motion sickness, was of limited value. There was nothing to say that traveling longer distances, such as from here to Canterlot, would be safe to engage in; either now or in the future. It was possible that continued exposure may result in her body becoming more resilient to the strain it would be put under, making her more able to withstand extended travel.

It was even enough to make him wonder about the physical resiliency of pegasi and earth ponies, and how it might affect their efforts at travel.

However his thoughts were interrupted as his pesquisa detecting a quickly approaching reiatsu of a very familiar texture, and the ringing of the bell above the front door of the Carousel Boutique.

"That's strange, I could've sworn I left the "closed" sign up this morning," Rarity commented, shortly before the pony who'd invaded her store came into view. "Rainbow Dash? What're you doing here, darling?" she asked.

"You..." Rainbow Dash growled as she locked her eyes on Rarity where she stood. "I'm gonna KILL YOU!"

None of them had the opportunity to respond to, or even comprehend, Rainbow Dash's statement, before the cyan pegasus flew into a rage as she flew forward, and slammed into Rarity with full force, sending her flying backwards and crashing into her work table, toppling it and sending the tools of her trade flying in every direction.

Rarity crashed hard to the ground with a cry of pain, landing roughly on her back as she slid along the floor. However she had little time to recover, as Rainbow Dash landed on top of her, effectively pinning her to the floor and leaving her unable to move.

Rainbow Dash glared down at her as she raised her right foreleg, before bringing her hoof down on her face as hard as she could, eliciting a pain-filled scream to accompany the sound of her hoof connecting with her skull. Another quickly followed, and another, and another, and another, each one bringing an accompanying scream. Rarity's attempts at shielding her face and head with her forelegs was ultimately proving futile.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight yelled as she approached, far too stunned to be able to construct a more appropriate response to the situation unfolding before her. She didn't have the time necessary to think about what was happening, all she knew was that she had to do something.

Unfortunately Rainbow Dash was in absolutely no mood to talk, and Twilight found that out as she got right within striking range of her friend. She never even saw the blow coming that landed on her face, but she certainly felt it after it landed, finding herself actually sent sailing from the force behind it.

How in Equestria did a pegasus get to be so strong!?

Rainbow Dash seethed as she turned her attention back to Rarity below her, her face and head bloody and bruised as she screamed and cried in both terror and pain, unable to open one eye due to the swelling and bruising already developing around it, while blood leaked from her muzzle and stained her white fur. But it was far from over, as the next thing she became aware of was a pair of scissors laying close by, sent flying by the impact against the table. Without a single word she reached out and grasped them in her right hoof, and lifted them up over her head, before jamming them down as hard as she could, aimed right for Rarity's exposed snow-white neck.

Filler - an unanticipated encounter (one)

Unfortunately it seemed that he would be denied that knowledge. Before Twilight Sparkle could even begin to inform them of what her plan was -even before he and Spike could begin their requested approach- a loud, piercing scream sounded from somewhere outside the library. A scream that had the potential to be blood-curdling, if hyperbole were to be considered valid.

And it was, apparently, a scream that Twilight Sparkle saw fit to issue her own scream in response to upon hearing it. Which in turn caused Spike to jump in terror.

Perhaps that knowledge wasn't as desirable as he originally thought. How valid could it be, coming from one who was easily terrified by the scream of one that wasn't even close at hand?

"Oh just great! What now?" Spike asked as he tried to steady his breathing and slow his heart rate, before it managed to slam out of his chest.

"I don't know, Spike," Twilight replied. She wanted to point out that whatever it was, the timing couldn't have possibly been worse. As they were being escorted out of Carousel Boutique, she'd heard Celestia say something about Rainbow Dash spending a few days in Canterlot away from the rest of them. And with Rarity still at Ponyville General in indeterminate condition at the moment, they were down by two if they were faced with a situation that warranted using the Elements of Harmony.

But then she stopped herself from making just such a statement. At the moment they had no real reason to assume that the scream was a sign of genuine danger. This was Ponyville for crying out loud! If that scream had come from any one of the flower trio sisters, the odds were very good that it was a gross exaggeration of the situation; like their response when the town had been stampeded by bunnies of all things!

Right. Just a gross over-exaggeration of something utterly trivial in nature, that could be addressed with five minutes of discussion. That had to be it. The odds of disasters being stacked on top of one another in such quick succession, were so statistically minute, that they didn't even bear mentioning. There was no way in the world that they could be subjected to an attack by a manticore yesterday, Rainbow Dash's mind screwing today, and then some other attack right now. It was so close to being physically impossible that it was almost laughable.

"But I'm about to find out," she continued as she made her way towards the door in order to check.

What she didn't mention, however, was that if it really was nothing more than a false alarm, then she was going to find out who was responsible, and then she was going to kick their ass. She was even going to go one step further than that, and make use of Applejack's patented apple bucking technique; she'd seen it in action plenty of times, she was fairly certain that she could achieve the appropriate results with her level of knowledge.

Yeah. That was exactly what she was going to do to whoever was pulling her leg. That was just the kind of mood she was in right now; the kind of mood where she just simply had no tolerance for stupidity.

But she never managed to get that far. As she opened the library door, prepared to seek out whoever was making all the unnecessary racket, she immediately froze in her tracks at what she saw, and screamed herself.

"Ulquiorra get out here right now!"

It was a scream of sheer terror. Even he could recognize that. But just what could the unicorn have seen in opening the door to the library, that he himself couldn't readily detect with his pesquisa? Therein laid the mystery. Mildly curious, he approached the doorway and stood behind her to see what she saw.

He wasn't prepared to see what she saw.

It was bipedal. Humanoid actually. And it was tall. Far taller than him, nearly seven feet in height, but not quiet as tall as Yammy Llargo. But whereas the vast amount of the Diez Espada's bulk was solid muscle, a significant portion of this one's bulk was fat. Three hundred pounds wasn't outside of the scope of possibilities. It looked much like a human in nature. But the number of physical deformities it possessed was enough to suggest that it wasn't a human.

Black shoes and black pants were immediately recognizable, made from some material he couldn't identify, but he wanted to say denim. Red gloves of a significant length, going far up the arms, and looking to be made of leather. The stitching on the side gave the impression that if its muscles were significantly flexed, the physical strain would cause the seams to explode.

The front was obstructed by an apron made of tattered black material, and literally saturated with dried blood; saturated to the point that the black barely registered as even a default color. He truly had no idea that it was possible for such a color to be so physically overwhelmed in such a manner.

The head, and by extension the face, was covered in a hood made of the same blood-soaked material, obscuring any attempts at visually identifying just who or what this entity was. And it appeared as if it was there to stay, as the hood and -most likely, although he didn't understand how- the head underneath was skewered by a number of large nails.

The skin, what was visible, and along with being utterly dirty, was a most unusual coloring, something of a blend between gray and lavender, covered in large scars that looked both infected, and stitched up in a most haphazard fashion. And in between those scars were many, many more large nails sticking out in every direction. And perforating the skin through the lower back were what looks like three giant-sized fish hooks. Hooks that should've left it utterly paralyzed, and unable to move about in the manner it was currently.

But perhaps the most outstanding aspect of what he saw before him, was the weapon it was currently yielding, and utilizing a downward swing to effortlessly reduce an unfortunate gray earth pony to nothing more than a fine red paste, garnished by bone fragments.

The wooden shaft should've been shattered by the obscene amount of weight that the head had to possess. How could it even be lifted without shattering? One side of the head was large, wide, and stuffed by many large square spikes, making it look like a giant meat tenderizer. The other side was large, much like a bearded axe, but with an overly long cutting edge, the entire front portion extremely jagged, as if it'd seen the severest of severe abuse. Huge chips were missing, with the present portions reground to look like giant saw teeth. And both sides appeared to be wrapped tightly in chains to hold it together.

Just what was this thing, that was currently throwing Ponyville into chaos? And why could he not sense it with his...

Wait. Now he was picking it up with his pesquisa. But it was odd. The readings were all over the map, and utterly impossible to lock down. If what he was reading was accurate, then this thing was anywhere from Diez Espada level to... to his own...

This thing standing before them, swinging an obscenely large weapon around -despite the fact that the wooden shaft should've cracked apart from the strain of moving what had to be five hundred pounds of steel at the end- could quite possibly be just as strong as he was right now. As ludicrous as it sounded, that was the reading he was getting right now.

He didn't know whether to regard this as being the truth, regardless of how implausible it seemed, or to simply disregard his pesquisa entirely for being utterly unreliable.

"Ulquiorra, just what the FUCK is that thing!?" Twilight asked frantically, horrified at what she was seeing. The stallion hadn't even had a chance to escape before being crushed like a piece of rotten fruit, and reduced to nothing more than a greasy spot on the street.

She'd been wrong about the statistical odds of this happening. Very, very wrong indeed...

"At present I'm uncertain," Ulquiorra spoke in response, bringing her out of her fear-induced stupor. "Stay inside with Spike, and get to the top floor of the library. Don't come out for anything," he instructed. This wasn't a situation in which she could assist him. If she tried then she would simply get hurt, further weakening the overall situation for Equestria. "I will deal with this matter. Personally."

No further words were exchanged as he stepped past Twilight Sparkle, and out into Ponyville at large. And he remained there until finally hearing the door to the library shut, and the lock clicking into place. Not that it would do much good against that... thing... should it turn its attention towards them. But it was better than just leaving the door standing wide open, and inviting trouble in.

He observed the strange humanoid's movements. It went without saying that it was male, judging by the way the body moved. It was also exerting a great deal of effort in swinging its axe about, leaving him to question just why it was carrying such a cumbersome and unwieldy implement. All that weight on the head was working against it in terms of leverage. But regardless of the perceived physics on the matter, the humanoid was indeed lifting the axe up, preparing for an overheard swing down onto an unfortunate pegasus stallion who had become frozen in place through sheer terror, and was about to be reduced to a bloody mess.

That simply wouldn't do.

The distance between them was crossed in a flash of sonido, Ulquiorra appearing directly in front of... whatever the strange humanoid was. Without a single word exchanged, he withdrew his right hand from his pocket, and delivered am open-palmed blow to the fat gut with enough force to send it stumbling backwards, ruining the balance it'd been trying to maintain while simultaneously holding the giant axe in its hands. Why it simply didn't let go of the axe in an effort to regain its own balance, he didn't know.

"Leave," Ulquiorra told the pegasus, briefly turning his attention away from the opponent to make eye contact with the pony. He could do far better without a vulnerable target directly behind it.

Fortunately reason seemed to win out over terror, as the pegasus nodded, before taking off as fast as it could. And just in time too, as the axe-wielding giant was already recovering from the delivered blow.

So much for the theory that this thing was as weak as the Diez Espada. That blow would've been sufficient to completely remove the lummox's head from his neck. This was going to require a trial and error approach to doing things.

Spike didn't know what to say as he watched Ulquiorra step out of the library, before Twilight hastily slammed and bolted the door shut behind him. First the screams, then the erratic behavior? What exactly was happening? And perhaps more importantly, what was going to happen next?

"Twilight, what's going on out there? What's happening?" he asked, almost more terrified of the unicorn's current actions, than the unknown that was more or less just beyond that door.

"Ponyville's under attack, Spike, there's a monster out there killing ponies left and right with a giant axe!" Twilight explained quickly as she ran about the lower floor of the library, shutting and latching each of the windows. She had no idea if doing such would do any good, but she wasn't going to let uncertainty stop her from being thorough.

"So what's the panic about? This'll take Ulquiorra, what a minute? Thirty seconds? Doesn't he pretty much have this in the bag already?" Spike asked, not seeing the logic behind Twilight's current course of action. What could possibly oppose Ulquiorra with a track record like his? Dragons, changelings, manticores... what exactly could have Twilight so worked up?

"I don't know, Spike, I think this might actually be something Ulquiorra can't easily handle. He said to stay inside and get to the higher floor of the library. That really doesn't sound like the words of advice coming from somebody who's got the situation well in the palm of their hand," Twilight pointed out.

She stopped to look around the main room of the library, realizing that she had secured all of the entrances and exits of the first floor. Or at least secured to the point the latches and bolts would permit; she highly doubted any physical structure could withstand the impact of that axe. With that thought in mind, she scooped Spike up in her magic.

"Let's get upstairs, just in case," she told him.

"Can we at least watch what's going on? I don't wanna be left in the dark again!" Spike protested as he found himself not so gently being carried up the stairs to the loft. He really wanted to see what was going to develop, after missing out on the last three incidents where Ulquiorra had been involved.

Dodging -if it could really be called that- the giant axe on the downward swing was a matter of utter simplicity, and involved little more than stepping one foot to the left, and turning his body sideways just as it began to fall, leaving his opponent absolutely no time to compensate for his new position, before burying the jagged axe head into the ground.

Ulquiorra's followup move was far simpler, less dramatic, and consisted of an uppercut to the chin, sending his opponent staggering back from the impact, the axe head being ripped free from the ground as a result, and dragged along the soft ground, cutting a trench in the process. A groan of pain was also earned for his efforts.

Unfortunately the groan and the staggering was all that he'd earned for his efforts.

Upon learning that the initial readings of his pesquisa had been inadequate, and this opponent was considerably stronger than the Diez Espada, Ulquiorra had stepped up his game. Instead of attempting to properly feel out the strength of this one through a gradual increase in the strength of his blows, he'd gone right to utilizing enough force to cripple -or potentially outright kill- the Quinto Espada. Nnoitra Gilga could brag about his hierro being the strongest of all of Hueco Mundo, all that he wanted to, but that uppercut would've still been enough to remove his head.

Instead it only seemed to daze the one standing before him. And he was already recovering from the blow. This was not looking promising.

It was entirely possible that he was indeed facing an opponent that was just as strong as -or, disturbing as it may be, even stronger than- he himself was in his current sealed state. There was still a number of available options to choose from if that were the case. But utilizing any of them here in Ponyville would have the unintended consequence of potentially adding to the body count. And he would rather avoid that right now if at all possible. There was a large difference between these ponies dying, and them dying for no reason.

He was going to need to gather more information before coming to a conclusion. And as his opponent once again readied his cumbersome weapon for a strike -this time it appeared the meat tenderizer end was going to be used- he knew what had to be done.

He met the swing, allowing his right hand to be struck this time, as he brought the weapon to a complete stop.

The force of the swing was considerable, he would admit that. It was easy to see how the pony who had been struck had been turned into a bloody paste. It was nearly enough to rival his own strength, as he actually had to put some measure of effort into actually halting the swing. And even then, it had still been enough to actually dislodge him from his position, and cut two channels in the ground. They might've been short, but they were still evidence of the physical force he was up against.

"Impressive," Ulquiorra commented. Before disappearing in a flash of sonido, and kicking his opponent right in the face, the toes of his foot connected right with the chin.

The force of the kick was enough to send the larger of the two tumbling backwards, falling ass over teakettle, before eventually coming to a complete stop in a position that just screamed extreme discomfort. If the spinal cord wasn't severed, he would be quite surprised.

With his opponent down, he glanced down at his palm. There were a number of small abrasions from where the spikes had come into contact with his skin. The fact that his hierro had been defeated, if only to a minor degree, was not overly surprising. But the fact that it had been a normal weapon that had done it, that was the truly surprising aspect; even more so was the fact that it had survived the impact, and remained intact.

At the moment though it wasn't a matter of importance. The minor abrasions were already healing over, and the enemy was...

... getting back up again...

Just how hard did he have to strike this thing to make it stay down?

And perhaps more importantly... would he actually have to use both hands?

Speaking from a purely technical standpoint, watching from the balcony didn't actually count as being outside of the library. The balcony was a part of the library's basic structure, it was just... open air in nature. It wasn't like they had walked right outside and actively put themselves in harm's way. They had simply opened the doors and... walked into an area that wasn't as structurally enclosed as other parts of the library were.

Yeah. That was it. It was all a matter of technical readings and interpretations of the structure of the wording.

"Oh come on! Ulquiorra should be able to pound this thing into the ground! What's he doing down there? Why isn't he trouncing it?"

Her thoughts on the matter soon became irreparably interrupted by the complaints coming from Spike as he sat atop her back to get a better vantage point at looking out over the balcony railing. And she couldn't help but frown at his position on the matter. She had legitimate concerns about the safety of so many who were involved, and Spike was treating this like a spectator sport.

"Spike, be serious! This is a dangerous situation we're in," Twilight scolded him.

"I get that, Twi'," Spike stated in defense of himself, "but just look down there. How can Ulquiorra seriously be struggling against that thing? Is he actually playing around, or is he really having trouble? Why doesn't he just kill it already?" he asked. From all the stories he'd heard about Ulquiorra's exploits, the struggles going on down below just didn't make sense to him. How could that punch not take its head completely off the neck?

"You'd think he's restrained or something. Like he can't move around in his own skin or something," Spike commented.

Something inside Twilight's mind suddenly clicked at Spike's words. It was like a mystery finally being solved before her, and she hadn't even seen it happening.

"Spike you're brilliant!" she stated.

"Naturally," Spike replied and beamed with pride at being recognized for something. For about two seconds, before confusion washed over him. "Wait, what? What'd I say?"

"It's like you said, Ulquiorra's restrained here," Twilight stated as she turned back to watch the fight unfold, and wincing at the blows that were currently being traded. "Ulquiorra has unbelievable offensive capabilities, but they're incredibly destructive in nature. You saw what his Cero could do. But he can't open up like that in Ponyville, there's too much risk of collateral damage if he does. He can't give it his all, so naturally he can't dominate the field," she explained.

Suddenly it all made absolutely perfect sense. That was why Ulquiorra couldn't blast this thing with his Cero. And even utilizing his resurrection might have destructive potential, with the possibility of leveling a number of buildings around Ponyville. The risk was just too great, and he was consciously aware of that fact. That must've been why he hadn't actively utilized any of the landscape to his advantage; like slamming that ugly thing right into the nearest building, and letting it feel what it was like to land on a pile of hard stones. the force of the impact would've utterly destroyed the building in the process.

"Okay then... we know the why behind it. So what do we do with it?" Spike asked, his confusion just growing by the minute. What exactly were they supposed to do anyway? Go down there and use themselves as bait so Ulquiorra could take the fight outside of town?

"We get involved and level the playing field, Spike," Twilight replied with a knowing grin, as her horn started to glow.

Right cross. Left cross. Right jab. Left jab. Right hook. Left hook. Liver shot. Uppercut. And finally a haymaker, sending the giant toppling to the ground like a felled tree, and falling on his back, crashing onto the giant fish hooks.

Boxing wasn't a field that Ulquiorra was particularly skilled in. It was never something he ever had any need for, as he had never encountered an opponent who could withstand the assault he was capable of delivering from just strength alone. Or at least not until he had gone up against Ichigo Kurosaki.

And now this thing as well.

But regardless of those facts, the moves themselves were known to him on at least some rudimentary level. And so far they were serving their purpose of delivering an effective beat down.

Or at least they were, until he heard the thing groaning, as it began to stand back up again. Pounding away at this opponent was like trying to tenderize beef jerky; an exercise in futility. Underneath all of that fat was a surprisingly well developed musculature that refused to fall to the mercy of his fists, and even his feet.

Perhaps it was time to stop treading so lightly, and go right for the kill, by twisting its head around until he succeeded in breaking its neck.

That thought, however, was quickly interrupted. He felt the disturbance before actually seeing the evidence of such, consisting of the creature being enveloped in a magenta aura. Now it was struggling and grunting, aware that it was being directly targeted. This made him keenly aware of a simple, undeniable fact that had developed.

Twilight Sparkle had gotten involved in the matter.

Looking back over his shoulder, he saw her standing on the balcony of the library, and looking out over the battle.

"Ulquiorra! No time to explain, I can't hold onto this thing for long!" Twilight yelled to him as she struggled to maintain her concentration, and fight against the strain her field was being put under. "When I give you the signal I want you to hit it with your Cero and go all out! Understand?"

Ulquiorra didn't know just what the lavender unicorn was planning. He had instructed her to stay inside and not get involved, and yet she was doing that regardless. She seemed to believe that she had some sort of plan ready to set in motion, and it involved him utilizing a Cero near the middle of Ponyville. What exactly was she planning?

The incoherent protests of the creature in front of him drew his attention back to it, and he could now see that it was actually being lifted off the ground, but only by a small degree, and that degree was constantly fluctuating as the distance from the ground increased and decreased with its physical struggling.

He soon began to have an idea of just what the pony was planning. In recognition of what he believed was being set into motion, he partially withdrew his zanpakutō, and split the tip of his left pointer finger open.

"On your command, Twilight Sparkle," Ulquiorra replied.

Even from where he stood, he could tell that the strangulated growl coming from the lavender unicorn was significant. It sounded far more appropriate for one who was exercising genuine physical strain to try and perform a difficult task, and putting on a great deal of show to demonstrate that their exertion was real. In short it was far more appropriate for show than anything else. But then again his knowledge of magic was limited, and it truly could've been a matter of significant exertion on her part, as she hurled the creature vertically into the air at what had to be a speed of several hundred feet per second, its garbled howls of protest quickly dying out as it got outside of audible range.

"NOW!"

As he began charging his Cero, his Gran Rey Cero to be specific, he would acknowledge that this plan of Twilight Sparkle's had a significant degree of merit to it. Skyward there were no targets that would become collateral damage, meaning he didn't have to concern himself with the wrath of Princess Celestia for exercising a measure of his real strength. There would be nothing this time to prevent him from making use of his own forbidden technique.

"C'mon Ulquiorra, hurry! Gravity's gonna bring that thing back down any second!" Spike called from where he stood next to Twilight, not even paying attention to the eerie shade of violent light coming from the sphere that the Espada was powering up.

"Of that fact, I'm well aware," Ulquiorra replied as he calmly raised his arm skyward.

The report of the Gran Rey Cero being discharged was considerable, even by his own standards. And the resulting flash of deep violet light was of a similar nature. There were elements in its display that looked a great deal like a lightning strike had just taken place. And the degree of reiryoku that was released with its discharge... well, it was quite easy to understand why the Gran Rey Cero was forbidden within the dome of Las Noches.

And just as quickly as it had come, it was over. The flash of violet light had dissipated, once again allowing for a clear view of the blue sky. And the falling remnants of the former enemy, tiny bits of charred and unidentifiable debris landing all around him. It went without saying that there was no getting back up from this one.

Next to him there was a flash of light, as Twilight Sparkle materialized in his view, with Spike riding atop her back. She was currently panting and gasping for air, looking much like she had when she had run from Sweet Apple Acres to Ponyville during the changeling invasion. In short she looked like she was about to collapse where she stood.

"One word," she panted, silencing him before he could even start to speak. "You say one word about us not staying in the library like we were told," she continued, "and I swear, I'm going to paint your tongue blue," she finished as she continued to pant.

It was a threat that was of such a ludicrous nature, Ulquiorra really didn't know how to respond to hearing it. It was so preposterous in nature, it almost warranted laughing. Almost.

"Noted," he finally stated in response. There were more important things than dominating a discussion. And he had to admit, without Twilight Sparkle's assistance in providing an opening for him to exploit, he would likely still be fighting that opponent right now. That was enough reason for him to simply let the matter rest.

"Ulquiorra? Just... just what was that thing?" Spike asked as he climbed down from Twilight's back and proceeded to look around at the wreckage, some of which was still smouldering from it being hit by the Cero. "It looked like you. I mean, not exactly, but its frame was... was..."

"Humanoid in nature. I'm aware," Ulquiorra replied, "however I have no idea what it was. Physically speaking, something like that shouldn't have even been able to move. I'm left as confused as you are," he explained. There were way too many questions present, and no answers available. And it was getting to be quite infuriating. Even his own patience was beginning to wear thin.

"So what now?" Twilight asked as she straightened herself up somewhat, and her breathing now under better control than just a few seconds ago. "Do we look for clues that'll help Rainbow Dash? Or... do we investigate this matter, and see if there are other... whatever that was... that has to be contended with?"

It was a good question. So far they'd been facing one crisis after another, in a back to back fashion. But now they were facing two crises at the same time. Rainbow Dash's mind had been compromised, and she'd been turned against her friends, believing them to be her abusers. And now, not even a full hour later, they were faced with this unforeseen development. Which one needed to be given top priority in this matter?

"Zaidi ya hapo! Makafiri!"

Perhaps it was a question that had already been answered for them. A quick flexing of his pesquisa was giving unfamiliar readings in the area. In the entire area actually. Dozens, no, hundreds of them. They were, for lack of a better term, surrounded. Quickly his eyes began scanning their surroundings to try and gain some visual confirmation of just what they were up against.

But once he actually had visual confirmation, he didn't actually believe what he was seeing.

The enemy that currently had them surrounded, and was slowly advancing on their position, appeared to be humans...

Filler - an unanticipated encounter (two)

"Ulquiorra, what are they?" Twilight asked nervously, instinctively moving closer to where the Espada stood. All around them were hundreds of "humanoids" as Ulquiorra described them, and all of them were saying things that made no sense to her. Many of them were carrying what looked like tools, or weapons or some sort. She seriously doubted that they were here to fix leaky pipes with those wrenches, or help Ponyville with its gardening with those shovels they were carrying.

"They look to be humans, from some portion of the African continent. But their reiatsu doesn't possess the same texture as the humans I encountered back in my world," Ulquiorra explained calmly as his eyes shifted about, taking in the details of their surroundings. There was absolutely no uniformity between them. Their manner of dress varied greatly, as did their armaments of choice. In terms of strength they were all little more than trash. Individually they were of only minute significance; if they were to go up against a pony like Applejack, they would lose quickly. But he highly doubted they would take turns in attacking any particular target. Just the way they moved seemed to suggest a swarm mentality of attack.

And he highly doubted that they would settle on swarming him exclusively. That would've made things far too simple.

"I would recommend retreating back to the library."

"No good. We're cut off," Spike stated nervously and gestured in the direction of the building. There were humans over there too. Lots of them. And they didn't look the least bit friendly in nature.

Ulquiorra calmly shifted his eyes from side to side, weighing his options of approach.

The first option was to utilize the gonzui technique, and simply pull the souls right out of the humans, thus immediately ending the threat they posed. All of them were so weak as far as he could see, it would prove trivial to end their potential threat in such a way. But there were two problems with such an approach. The first was that he truly hadn't evaluated whether or not he actually still possessed gonzui since getting here, as he had no need to determine whether or not he could suck the soul out of a pony. Attempting it may fail, and at a crucial time too. The second was the remote possibility that the technique would also suck out the souls of at least some of the ponies in the area. And while that could be explained away as collateral damage, it wasn't something he particularly wanted to engage in right now, seeing as there was no way of telling just which ponies might become affected. For all he knew Twilight Sparkle would be one of them. And that would mean his head on a platter.

The second option was to utilize his sonido, and send these humans flying as he plowed into them and through them, scattering them like dust in the wind; bowling as it were. But even with his speed and such an approach, there were hundreds to contend with, and slowly working their closer, poised as if they were ready to pounce at any second. Even as fast as he could move, there was no way of ensuring the ones he struck would be the ones about to attack. He could easily wind up taking out a large group of them to the west, while one from behind could exploit the opening presented. And he highly doubted that either Spike or Twilight Sparkle would have the constitution and initiative to retaliate in his absence.

The third option was, again, to utilize his sonido, but this time for the purpose of scooping up both Spike and Twilight Sparkle, and depart to higher grounds. He had already confirmed that both were physically capable of withstanding the forces they would be subjected to, for the duration of the distance they would need to travel. But even retreat was risky under present circumstances. Spike's small size, combined with his draconian durability required very little in the way of securing him for travel. Twilight Sparkle was another story, with her greater degree of mass. He couldn't simply tuck her under his arm and be off, as there were too many unknown variables to account for right now; significant internal damage, and even death, couldn't be ruled out as a possible outcome of such a course of action.

There was also a fourth option, but it reeked of utter desperation, and wasn't worth the time it took to actually think out.

He could feel a disturbance in the ambient mana in the area, and he became aware of Twilight Sparkle encasing the three of them in a small forcefield.

"We're not going to be able to talk our way out of this, are we?" she asked him as she moved closer to where he stood. It almost looked like she was trying to hide behind him for protection. For a forward assault it would likely work, but they were surrounded.

"I have significant doubts. Even if we could understand what language they were speaking, I doubt they would be willing to listen to us," he replied. They seemed undeterred by the presence of the shield, and still continued their advance towards their current position.

"So... what's the game plan now?" Spike asked nervously, afraid of what the answer might be.

"You and Twilight Sparkle will remain behind the shield. I'll tend to this matter, and clear a path to the library so you can get to safety," Ulquiorra replied.

"No good. Even if we can get to the library, I doubt the door's going to keep them from getting inside. Not with axes and picks at their disposal. The door will be reduced to kindling in no time. And I don't have enough mana to expand my shield to encompass the whole building," Twilight stated, "I don't even know how long I can keep the shield up if they push the assault."

Ulquiorra observed her. Her overall reiryoku levels had been reduced to just under one third of what they had been at the start of this morning. The continual practicing of the new lightning spell, the teleportation, the use of the shield, and even sending the last opponent flying, had significantly weakened her. And even though her current reserves still put her above a regular unicorn in terms of strength, she still wasn't anywhere near her top form in terms of performance. Even if she could grab Spike and teleport the both of them away, there was no way of determining what distance would be needed to achieve safety.

In simple terms, this wasn't a good situation to be in.

"Then it appears we'll have to fight our way out," he commented.

"Fight? As in... kill?" Twilight asked as she looked up at him for clarification.

"Potentially," Ulquiorra replied.

Twilight tried not to frown. That wasn't exactly the answer she'd been looking for when she'd asked. She had hoped -ridiculous as it was- that Ulquiorra might offer up some other answer. Something, anything, that wasn't all but actual confirmation of the fact that they might have to actively shed blood and end lives themselves. Despite his advice at breakfast, she really wasn't sure if she could bring herself to actively, and deliberately, kill another individual, even if it was necessary. She understood that humans were bastards in nature, but didn't even bastards deserve to live?

And then an old glass bottle shattered against the outside of her shield, engulfing the whole thing in a cascade of fire. Her legs nearly buckled, and her concentration nearly faltered enough to let the shield drop.

"I don't think they're gonna give us much choice," Spike commented grimly as he looked out around them.

Ulquiorra remained silent as he considered their available options. There were a great many to choose from, but almost none of them were any good, or would be of any use to them in this situation.

And then he heard something. Something that sounded mechanical.

And then he saw what it was that he'd heard. One particular human was working its way through the crowd, with much darker skin than the rest, wearing a burlap sack over its head, and wielding... a chainsaw of all things...

The human gave an excited yell as it leaped forward and brought the chainsaw down against the shield, causing sparks to fly in every direction as the cutting chain was ground against the dome.

"I... I-I don't know how much longer I can hold out," Twilight stated as her stance began to falter, and her legs began to buckle. There was way more strain being applied to her shield than she'd anticipated, and she was having a lot of trouble compensating for such.

"Then don't. Allow your shield to drop, and we'll proceed with a new approach," Ulquiorra replied, "I'm about to release a significant portion of reiatsu. As weak as these humans appear to be, they should succumb to being subjected to a greater concentration, causing them to falter. As soon as they are, drop your shield and proceed as necessary," he instructed.

Up until now these ponies had only been exposed to the amount of reiatsu that his body couldn't perfectly suppress on its own, due to the sheer magnitude of it all. They had yet to experience just how dense that reiatsu truly was. And if these humans were anything like the ones he had experience with, they would easily be sent to their knees in seconds, and be left unable to move. The weaker one might even die off immediately from having their souls crushed by the pressure they were subjected to.

Twilight tried to reply, but didn't even get the chance to get a word out before she was suddenly subjected to an overwhelming, stifling sensation. It was like the air had suddenly grown both heavier and thinner at the same time. The last time she felt something like this, it'd been during the changeling incident. But this seemed a lot more concentrated than the last time around. If the last time had nearly knocked the air out of Rainbow Dash's lungs, she didn't want to consider what this would've done to the cyan pegasus.

But as she looked outside, it looked like it was having the desired effect. The humans were starting to drop to their knees, the fight being taken out of them from what they were subjected to. It looked like they were being deprived of air.

All except for the one using the chainsaw, and trying to cut downward through her shield. The one seemed a lot hardier than the rest of them.

"Drop your shield now," Ulquiorra instructed.

And the moment the shield dropped, he went into action.

The chainsaw was easy enough to stop with the palm of his left hand, the teeth failing to cut through his hierro as they easily glided over the skin, all the while casting sparks in every direction.

The one eye that was visible through the hole in the burlap bag, which had gone wide at what was being witnessed, went even wider as he easily leveraged the chainsaw back on its wielder, pressing the rotating chain against the outside of the bag, and then right through its skull. As the machine was turned against the one holding it, sending blood flying in every direction, along with bits of bone and brain matter, and showering him in the process of it all, he couldn't be sure which was louder to hear; the roar of the motor, or the screams of agony as the human's brain was cut through, until its entire head was split in half all the way down to the neck.

As the human collapsed on the ground, his body twitching from the nerve impulses still running through it, Ulquiorra noticed that the others were starting to look like they were overcoming the presence of his reiatsu and getting back up again. That simply wouldn't do...

All around Twilight and Spike, bloody carnage, and general chaos, was unfolding at incredibly high speeds. They hadn't even had time to look away before the first human was killed in a showery spray of bodily bits, before getting at least partially coated in it themselves. The only thing staving off the nausea at the moment was the high degree of adrenaline coursing through their systems.

And just as quick as the one human was down, and no longer able to make any noise, countless others all around them were sent either flying or falling. Ulquiorra was nowhere to be seen now, traveling at speeds faster than their eyes could perceive. And considering the carnage that was unfolding around them, neither one of them was certain that they actually wanted to follow. Some things were better left unknown... like the mystery of the severed arm landing next to them, still clutching the spade its previous owner had held in life.

"Spike," Twilight gulped, trying to hold back that ever-growing sense of nausea, while trying not to look at the bloodied stump of a limb. "I think we're fucked."

"Well you know what they say," Spike replied as he grabbed for the spade, fighting to pry loose the hand that gripped the shaft. "When the going gets fucked, the fucked get going!"

Twilight didn't know how to respond to Spike's comment, or his use of language, or even the way he was acting. She suspected it was some sort of disassociative coping mechanism in response to the sheer degree of stress they were currently facing. From a psychological standpoint it made sense, as she truly didn't believe he'd ever normally act like this on his own.

Her thoughts, however, were interrupted as a bladed implement went flying just over her head, spinning end over end, before the cutting edge firmly embedded itself in the face of a human armed with a wrench that had been charging right for them, and went unnoticed by her until just now.

The force of the impact had snapped the head back, while the body had continued forward as all the tension was immediately released, causing it to fall to its knees and then topple over backwards, trapping its legs underneath its body, the pipe wrench dropping to the ground with a clank, its twitching hand no longer able to hold onto it, what with the curved blade buried so deep into its skull.

"Come on, Twilight, pick up the pace already! I can't watch your back and mine at the same time!" Spike stated as he took a good two handed grip on the spade and prepared to make good use of it.

Twilight blinked and shook her head, trying to clear the confusion from her mind. She looked between Spike as he shouldered the spade, and then back at the dead body before him. They were pretty much already up to their necks in carnage right now. And escape was pretty much impossible. With that thought in mind she looked between the wrench,and the curved bladed implement, trying to settle on which one to grab.

What Ulquiorra was in the process of doing to the humans before him couldn't truly be called fighting, as the term would at least suggest some sort of struggle was occurring. But for him, with the speed of his sonido, and their inability to respond to or even see his movements, he might as well have been cutting down overgrown plants. What he was facing didn't even warrant unsheathing his zanpakutō.

It didn't even really warrant using both of his hands. But regardless of that fact, there was undeniably a sense of primal satisfaction to doing just that.

Humans were being scattered like flies left and right, and he really wasn't even trying all that hard. His attacks were very basic in nature, consisting of a backhand slap to the face, a punch here, an kick there, a knee or elbow strike to a vulnerable target, and the occasional impalement of his fist through a chest or two, just to break up the monotony. If he were feeling an urge to exercise the dramatic, he'd switch to using his foot to hook a human at the back of their neck and fling them away in a random direction, or sweeping a human's leg out from under them and stomp down on their head, crushing the skull in the process... and even grabbing one upturned human by their leg, and swinging him about like a club for knocking down a group of several or more that has clustered together, before discarding him after having served his intended purpose; and serving it admirably.

He spared a glance back at Twilight Sparkle and Spike. Spike was at least trying to make an effort in procuring himself a weapon, but Twilight Sparkle seemed frozen on the spot, and unaware of the human running towards her while brandishing a wrench.

A sudden yell brought his attention back forward, and he became aware of the human charging towards him, while waving a... his mind wanted to call it a kukri for some reason, but he couldn't tell for certain. But that was neither here nor there right at the moment.

"Excuse me."

In one quick movement he snatched the large, curved knife right from the human's hand, turned back around, and flung it in the direction of the human with the wrench. He watched as he spun end over end, well over Twilight Sparkle's head, before firmly burying itself in the human's head, right between the eyes. The results in this matter were satisfactory in nature.

"Thank you."

And then he turned back and punched the other human in the face with enough force to completely remove his head from his shoulders, and sent it flying into the chest of an another unsuspecting human.

It was results that he truly hadn't expected to happen. But he wouldn't object to the way it had turned out.

Twilight was certain that bones were broken as she slammed the wrench down on the human's exposed foot. It should've been an excruciating things to be subjected to, but the response she'd gotten had only been temporary in nature, consisting of an angered yell, a bit of hopping around, and a return to hostility. It was absolutely nuts!

However it became a matter of irrelevancy as Spike was there to pick up the slack, and slammed the flat part of his commandeered shovel against the human's face, sending them toppling over.

"Stay!" Spike stated as he slammed the spade down on the human's face. "Down!" he continued as he repeated the blow. "Damnit!" he yelled as he rotated the spade ninety degrees, and brought the edge down onto the human's chest, cutting deep into his tissue, and earning a pain-filled yell, before the body went limp.

The sheer degree of casualness Spike was exhibiting about the unrestrained violence they were forced into... that was a major concern for Twilight right now. He was adapting to this matter way too easily for her tastes. It was almost like he was enjoying himself. He was far too young to be entertaining such disturbing thoughts, and actually looking forward to doing this stuff.

She flinched as Spike ripped the shovel out of the chest cavity, pulling blood and certain bits of bodily tissue in the process. And that brought her up to another matter of why she simply couldn't get her head into the game; possibly the reason why she couldn't adapt to everything as easily as Spike was.

Death wasn't unknown to Equestria. But the mechanics involved in this case were confusing to no end. Every single living organism in the world hosted countless strains of bacterial contaminants, held in check by the host's immune system preventing the rapid multiplication of such. But upon death, and the immune system shutting down, these bacteria were given unfettered access, allowing them to quickly multiply, and break down the host tissue. This allowed for the host to be reabsorbed by the many various parts of the ecosystem and serve as nutrients, allowing for said ecosystem to continue thriving and prospering. It was the true cycle of life. Through death their was rebirth.

But the process was a complex one and could take anywhere between days and months, depending on the environment in which the death occurred. And it only applied to the soft organic tissues that made up the musculature and related structures, not the bones themselves.

Therein laid the source of the confusion. These humans didn't seem to be abiding by the rules of nature. When one of them died, it was only a matter of minutes -or sometimes just seconds- before their bodies seemed to begin decomposing into a thick, bubbling, tar-like substance, and evaporating away like water on a hot frying pan. It wasn't just their flesh, but also bone, and even clothing! Such things were supposed to be physical impossibilities! And yet they were happening all around them without fail.

"Twilight!"

Her thoughts on the impossibilities of what she was seeing unfold all around her, were interrupted by the yell coming from Spike, alerting her to the fact that a human wielding a wood cutting axe was coming right at her. She immediately yelped and fell backwards on her haunches, barely missing the axe cit colliding with the side of her skull, and nearly toppling over backward in the process. But she had no time to recover herself, as the human had already recovered from his swing, and was bringing the axe bit down.

Immediately, out of some form of instinct she really didn't comprehend at that point, Twilight parted her hind legs, just as the ax bit was firmly buried in the ground right between them.

The axe bit had come within less than an inch of nicking something important to her. And if she had been born a stallion, something very important would have been more than just nicked...

Now it was personal. That was more than enough motivation to get her in a fighting mood, as she retaliated by swinging the wrench around and smacking the human upside the head with it, knocking them right off their feet.

As Twilight climbed back to her hooves, she determined that she would worry about the consequences of her actions later, when they were all alive and able to worry. But they had to stay alive to get to that point, and that's just what she intended to do!

Ulquiorra spared a glance back at the others. His attention had been directed elsewhere during the time, but Twilight Sparkle had apparently overcome whatever stumbling blocks she had been faced with, and was now getting as involved in the matter as Spike was. She was beginning to take things seriously now, and fighting back with increased ferocity. That was far more conductive of actually surviving this matter.

He observed as the lavender unicorn took a particularly aggressive approach to one human, consisting of knocking them down, straddling their chest, and proceeding to unmercifully beat their head in with the wrench she had made use of. With that fact in mind, he returned his focus to his own matter, and snapped the neck of the human nearest to him as easily as he would a twig.

Unfortunately things went wrong in that short amount of time, as they next thing he heard was a frightened scream from Twilight Sparkle. Turning around, he saw her now laying on the ground on her back, grappling with a human that was firmly holding onto her pasterns... and sprouting four, writhing, barbed tendrils from its mouth as it tried to bite at her face.

In a flash he crossed the distance, and delivered a sweeping kick to the human's face, shattering the head and reducing it to a mess of red chunks and blood spray that flew everywhere.

And then there was an eruption of tissue as an enormous creature, similar in appearance to a centipede, erupted from the stump of the neck. Only it was much, much bigger than any centipede he had ever seen before; far bigger than should've been possible for the human body to house in addition to its normal physical structure.

This... was as far from normal as he had ever seen. Exactly what the hell was going on around here?

A roar of green flames, courtesy of Spike, quickly entered his line of sight, engulfing the strange creature with ease, as it writhed about and screamed in agony.

Ulquiorra's approach was considerably lacking in terms of flash when compared to Spike's approach. But it was far more effective in nature, consisting of the discharge of a Bala at the base of the neck -or whatever it was- and more or less disintegrating the creature entirely.

Entirely, and quite messily, as various bodily fluids were sent flying in every direction, suggesting this creature was of a particularly juicy nature.

Twilight rolled onto her front as she retched, trying hard to get something out in response to being covered in unidentified viscous materials that reeked like nothing else she'd ever smelt before, and being front and center for a brutal butchering of a slaughter.

"Ulquiorra?" Spike asked, ignoring the fact that Twilight was trying her best to be violently ill on a hopelessly empty system.

"Yes?" Ulquiorra asked in response.

"None of that was normal for humans, was it?" Spike asked.

"Not even close to normal," Ulquiorra replied. He was hopelessly confused by everything that had happened up to this point.

And then there was a loud echoing crack, and he was struck in the side of the head by something.

On an unconscious level, Ulquiorra had been aware of the fact that, through a combination of all their efforts, the assortment of humans present had dropped from potentially hundreds, to almost none. The only evidence left behind of their presence had been their assortment of various weapons, and the minute traces of their reiatsu from where they had fallen, and subsequently dissolved away.

But while the crowd had been thinned out considerably, there were still a large number present, and they were of a significantly different appearance.

Up until now, they humans they had been fighting looked like angered civilians from some remote village, who had simply grabbed whatever had been handy, before marching off as an angry mob to confront them and kill them.

The ones that were currently falling into place, however, wore what appeared to be uniforms of some paramilitary organization, and carrying far more modern and effective weapons. Rifles were present, along with large metal riot-type shields, adorned with various decorative images likely intended to intimidate, and electrified batons that crackled with electricity.

The situation had grown progressively worse with the arrival of these soldiers. Or perhaps they were mercenaries of some sort. He really didn't care just what they were, one way or the other. Their weaponry could cause far more damage from a distance, and there was little he could do to stop that from occurring. He was fast, potentially faster than a speeding bullet, but even he couldn't outpace hundreds of speeding bullets.

Through one course of action or another, this situation had just degraded into a turkey shoot. And they were in the middle of it.

"Fuck," he muttered to himself.

Chapter Fifty Three

Chapter Fifty Three

Celestia looked down at the page before her and frowned, deeply upset with what it had to say.

June 14, 0002 ANM June 18, 0002 ANM

.

This wasn't a report that was sent to her for inspection and consideration. It wasn't a part of the everyday headaches involved with running a country. Instead it was something of a considerably more difficult nature; her own private journal. She had been -unsuccessfully- trying to maintain these daily records, detailing what happened throughout her day. It had been a naive endeavor from her youth, back when the kingdom had been much smaller, and much simpler. Back then she could easily keep pace and fill pages each night with so little effort. But as the kingdom grew, both in size and complexity, that task wasn't as easily filled due to more and more time needing to be devoted to the intricate details of keeping everything running smoothly.

She knew it was a foolish notion to try and make up for her laxness. She knew that there was no realistic way she could ever keep a running journal going. Even when it came to important details, her ability to write about the day's events escaped her.

Case in point was her latest journal entry, consisting of nothing more than the date, and a dot of ink that was intended to be the start of a capitalized letter. She'd intended to write about bringing Rainbow Dash to Canterlot to oversee her wellbeing. But after four additional days she still hadn't been able to do just that. And even if she had the time to actually sit down and try to write, she simply couldn't figure out just how to write such. How exactly did one go about detailing the events of five days ago, and what she had to sit through one of her friends accusing her other friends of doing to her?

It was questions like that, that provided further and further motivation to drop this foolish notion of trying to maintain a journal for her own benefit.

She wasn't entirely sure why, but Ulquiorra's opting to remain in Ponyville just seemed to add to the difficulty she was experiencing.

According to what she'd grasped, Twilight had managed to lasso him into assisting with a plan she had concocted; a plan that she believed would somehow help Rainbow Dash's recovery. However her student had been in such a manic state at the time of explanation, she'd truly only understood about half of what had been said. And being pressed for time, she couldn't seek clarification if it ran longer than a few minutes.

However that inability to seek clarification only extended to being in the flesh within Ponyville. She had sent a letter asking for better detail of just what Twilight had been planning, but so far she had received nothing back. She was literally in the dark as to what was taking place in Ponyville, as her entire attention was focused on what was occurring inside the palace.

"Forget it," Celestia sighed to herself, returning the sorry excuse for a journal to its resting place in her chambers. Who was she foaling? Herself? This was a useless endeavor. With a grumble she stood up from where she sat on her bed, and walked out of the room, the double doors swinging shut and locking themselves behind her. There were far more pressing matters to tend to right now. Matters that could actually benefit from her presence and involvement.

"Princess Celestia."

She stopped dead in her tracks at the dull, monotone voice that came from her left. Turning her head, she came face to face with Ulquiorra as he stood in the hallway several paces away, his hands tucked into his pockets as usual.

"Ulquiorra," Celestia replied in exchange of greeting, "you might find it strange, but I'm actually glad that you're back," she stated. Perhaps his calm, logical approach to things could prove to be beneficial in this matter.

"The matter at hand has truly become that serious, then?" Ulquiorra asked, mildly curious by the announcement. He never considered the notion of Princess Celestia actually being glad for his presence. Seeing him as beneficial in certain circumstances was one thing, but glad was another. He wasn't exactly certain how to interpret such a statement, unless it was in relation to a situation getting out of control and needing swift -and potentially brutal, all things considered- intervention to stop it from spiraling any further.

"Sometimes I have grounds to wonder," Celestia replied. These past few days had been so difficult. "Can you tell me what's been going on in Ponyville the last few days? Twilight has been... less than clear on everything, and I'm not sure why."

"An extensive investigation of Ponyville and the surrounding territory, utilizing my ability to detect residual traces of reiatsu to determine the locations Rainbow Dash was present at on the thirteenth of this month, and gathering any relevant eye-witness testimony to corroborate the evidence," Ulquiorra explained, giving a simplified account of what had happened ever since the departure. When Princess Celestia didn't immediately speak up, he continued with his explanation. "The purpose of this endeavor was two-fold in nature. To determine if anything unusual occurred that would explain the unpredicted change in not only behavior but also thought, and to thoroughly debunk Rainbow Dash's preconceived notions of what she experienced five days ago and prior, while also proving the innocence of those she considers to be her friends," he finished, filling her in on exactly what had been taking place for the past five days on his end.

"I see..." Celestia replied slowly as she took in the details of the story. She wasn't certain whether the idea was the result of Twilight's mind being at work, or Ulquiorra's. If the two were working in tandem with each other then either one of them could have come up with this strategy. But at the moment it wasn't important. Whoever was deserving credit for the approach could wait for another time. She also suspected the "proving the innocence" angle was about proving it to Rainbow Dash rather than anyone else. "So what did you find out in your investigation? Anything beneficial?"

"Unfortunately no. Despite the thorough nature of the search, nothing conclusive was found. I've been unable to detect anything that would be out of place from the very first time I visited Ponyville. Other than the damage caused by the manticore attack, nothing out of place could be found. Whatever unexplained event is responsible for warping Rainbow Dash's mind, and turning her against her friends, I have been unable to find any trace of it. This unfortunately raises numerous questions. Was this unexplained event present prior to my arrival in your dimension? Did the encounter occur in the air where there would be nothing for residual reiatsu to cling to, and thus rendering it undetectable to my pesquisa?" Ulquiorra asked, more rhetorical than anything in order to elaborate on the difficulties that had been encountered. Those were just some of the questions that had to be asked, some of the possibilities that had to be considered. Truthfully those were some of the less disturbing possibilities that had been entertained over the past few days.

"Then ultimately you've come all this way to report that you've found nothing?" Celestia asked, unsure of how to interpret such. Surely if that was the case, Ulquiorra would've done the more practical thing and simply submitted a written report via Spike, rather than taking the time to actually travel such a distance; especially since his presence here left Ponyville unguarded.

"To the contrary, I have found something. Essentially a map of every single land-based location Rainbow Dash has visited over the course of a week. Every location in which residual traces of her unique reiatsu pattern was located has been documented and mapped out," Ulquiorra explained.

Celestia blinked in confusion at Ulquiorra's statement. "But I thought you said you couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. How does knowing where Rainbow Dash has been help us in this case?" she asked.

"It doesn't. Our situation does not benefit from knowing which trees appear to be preferred napping locations to a lazy, opinionated, egotistical pegasus. However it may benefit her by serving to discount her false beliefs about the timeline of events, by forcing her to confront actual, irrefutable facts, corroborated by multiple eye witnesses willing to testify not only to seeing her, but also interacting with her, and being aware of her general demeanor," Ulquiorra explained.

Back in Ponyville he had refrained from picking apart Rainbow Dash's recollection of events from her point of view, simply because he was uncertain how his actions might affect her mental stability. He had chosen to refrain simply due to a lack of relevant information, and an inability to make an educated decision.

However that caution of approach had been put to an end when he'd witnessed Princess Celestia not refraining from pointing out the inaccuracies of the tale of events. She had exercised no concern in the matter of potentially causing trauma when bringing up the inconsistencies of memory, and the impossibility of the events occurring in the way they were described. And if his restrained method of approach to the matter was unwarranted, then there was sufficient reason to abandon such.

"While your approach does have merit at first blush, I'm not certain of its validity. What we're dealing with isn't a simple matter of Rainbow Dash experiencing amnesia," Celestia replied with a sigh as she stepped forward. "We haven't exactly been sitting on our flanks here back in Canterlot the past few days, being waited on, and fed sweets. Both Luna and I have been putting a great deal of effort into looking after Rainbow Dash's wellbeing, and trying to help her however we can. Unfortunately we have nothing to show for all our efforts," she explained.

Ulquiorra considered asking just what the diarchy had been attempting in order to address the situation at hand. For some reason the immediate images that came to mind involved lots of hugging and kind words, hugging her while she cried hysterically. If coddling was their idea of help, then Rainbow Dash would never get better. If anything it might only serve to deepen her current state of being.

"And what specifically has the regimen of treatment consisted of up to this point?" he asked.

Celestia tried not to frown at the question being asked, and the exact tone in how it was presented. It seemed innocent enough in nature, but how things seemed and how things were, were two entirely different matters. With that doubt in mind, she wasn't entirely certain that she liked the question being asked, or what he might be alluding to. But at the moment she really didn't feel up to having an argument with him. She'd let it slide for the time being, as there were more important things to address.

"Apart from assuring her that she's secure here at the palace, we've been attempting to address the matter of her memory. But so far we've run into... complications. Whatever it is that's affected her recollection of events, it's unlike anything either Luna or I have ever experienced in our time. And not knowing what we're dealing with, it's too risky to attempt any memory-related spells. Attempting to suppress or otherwise wipe the false memories could have serious, long-term consequences. If we don't exercise extreme caution on this matter, we could accidentally wipe everything from her mind. And removing knowledge is far simpler than attempting to return it," she explained, leaving Ulquiorra to figure the rest out for himself. It went without saying that a total mind wipe was a terrible idea to even give consideration to, seeing as it more or less killed the individual it was performed on.

And making that matter all the worse, was the fact that such an approach might not even work at removing the source of the issue. For all they knew those retched, implanted memories could still remain, and continue tormenting what was essentially a foal trapped in an adult's body. The potential for psychological harm was far too great to give any serious consideration.

"If such serious measures are being considered, am I correct in assuming that simpler options such as hypnosis have been considered, and subsequently discounted?" Ulquiorra asked evenly, more out of curiosity rather than concern.

Once again Celestia shook her head. "The notion of hypnosis possessing any therapeutic value is highly misleading. It's a party game, meant to entertain guests as the hypnotized is convinced that a piece of ice is as hot as lava, or that a feather weighs hundreds of pounds. But in the realm of therapy, its use is limited. Under the right conditions it can be valuable, but not when it comes to the matter of memories. It could be used to reassign certain reactions to certain stimuli, but not to make someone forget what they experienced, or believe they experienced," she explained.

If only things were as simple in real life as they were in fiction books. If hypnosis truly worked in the manner so many authors believed it worked, it would've been attempted already. But sadly that wasn't the case, and they had many, many difficulties in front of them to address.

"Then precisely what methodology of treatment has been utilized during my absence?" Ulquiorra asked bluntly. The way things were being described to him, he began to wonder if anything was being done at all. Were they even addressing the problem? Or were they simply waiting to see what would develop on its own?

"A number of varying approaches, intended to keep Rainbow Dash's mental state stable. Canterlot palace provides the perceived safety of distance from the others, and a number of royal guards who are always on duty to fill her with a sense of security. Rainbow Dash knows that she can turn to either Luna or myself anytime she needs to talk, regardless of what she has to say, no matter how vulgar it might be at the time. During her waking hours, we provide emotional support. And Luna has been tending to the matter of her dreams when she sleeps, preventing the formation of nightmares based on these questionable memories, and instead presenting her with dreams based on pleasant memories with her friends. The idea is to let her recover under her own power, while providing the support she believes she needs, while subtly trying to guide her back to where she needs to be," Celestia replied calmly, laying out what the plan had been since their departure from Ponyville.

Or more accurately, what they had switched their plans to, after learning how they couldn't adjust the malicious memories Rainbow Dash was unwillingly harboring. If directly dealing with those implanted memories wasn't a possibility, then they had to go about doing it in a different way. If direct intervention on their part wouldn't prove beneficial, then they would provide supportive care, as well as provide Rainbow Dash with what she might need to overcome the trauma herself.

"If you don't mind my asking, Ulquiorra, what're you doing back in Canterlot? I didn't believe you'd be leaving Ponyville unattended unless so ordered. And I don't believe any serious matters have developed that would warrant you coming to fetch me, otherwise you would've mentioned them immediately, and only if Spike was unavailable to send an alert. So I can't help but wonder what brings you here, after everything that's happened already," Celestia pointed out. She knew that something was out of place, and she was growing curious as to just what that something was.

A correct observation on her part, Ulquiorra noted. As was to be expected from one who held her position.

"An accurate assessment of facts. Leaving Ponyville and its inhabitants unguarded for any extended period of time would be unwise," he replied. Despite all efforts made over the last few days by a handful of individuals, motivated to prevent another incident similar to the manticore attack, and motivated strongly enough to put their own natural fears aside in the name of a greater good, the results were still lacking. For all intents and purposes, Ponyville was still soft. Comparatively speaking, the difference made by these motivated individuals amounted to using suede work gloves in a fistfight, as opposed to going at it bare knuckled boxing style. "The intended purpose of my presence was to submit my findings for consideration, and to verify Rainbow Dash's current state of wellbeing, due to the mounting curiosity being expressed through town. The sooner these tasks can be addressed, the sooner I can return before something happens in my absence." he explained.

Normally standing around and talking was something he wasn't opposed to. But the more time spent here, the more time he spent away from Ponyville and the vulnerable targets located there. And despite numerous investigations of the territory that surrounded Ponyville, in an effort to scour the countryside for anything resembling a conceivable threat, and turning up nothing concrete, his extended absence was still unwise.

How simple things would be if he still had access to his Descorrer. All the more reason to interrogate Discord, should the spirit of chaos ever choose to make himself known again.

"I see then," Celestia replied calmly, understanding what he meant. However there were still questions at hand to address. "I certainly don't mean to take up anymore of your time than necessary, but I have to ask. Why didn't you simply submit your findings through Spike? His fire is much more effective for long distance communication, than making the journey, even at your speed," she pointed out. She knew that he must've had good reason to engage in the course of action that he did. But she just wasn't seeing them right now.

"An accurate assessment of facts. However sending reports through Spike would be insufficient in this case. Merely submitting a written report for her to read would do nothing to motivate Rainbow Dash to consider that her recollection is incorrect. Instead a more persuasive argument will have to be made. One for which the explanation of such would best be given while traveling in order to save time," Ulquiorra pointed out.

Celestia could easily pick up what he was getting at; the basic message of stop wasting time. With a nod she began walking, with him accompanying her.

"So how exactly do you intend to present this "persuasive argument" of yours to Rainbow Dash, so she might understand what it is you've found?" she asked now that they were underway.

"Unlike the other Espada, I possess a unique talent. Solita Vista, which allows me to give a visual display of what I have witnessed and experienced. A written report may be easily disregarded during a period of emotional instability. But witnessing a televised account of everything is far more difficult to ignore," Ulquiorra explained, referencing the same technique that had been used when submitting his first report on Ponyville.

"Televised?" Celestia asked, unfamiliar with the term, and curious with what he meant.

"A series of moving images projected on or against a flat surface. More specifically, a firsthand account of my findings, witnessed through my own eyes," he elaborated, giving a simplified account in order to avoid having to explain the human concept of television. That was a conversation for another time, far removed from now.

Celestia remained silent as they walked. Now she had a proper name to apply to the technique Ulquiorra had sprung on her a good while ago. Unfortunately knowing what it was called, didn't make it any less painful to remember watching how he'd plucked out his own eyeball, a crush it into a fine dust like it was nothing. She didn't know what was the worst part of it all; watching the display itself, or how he just carried on with that empty socket until his eye grew back.

With that thought in mind, she really didn't know just how the Solita Vista technique would affect Rainbow Dash. But if there was the chance of it working, it had to be given consideration. A visual recount would certainly carry more weight than some coldly written report dealing in statistics, or whatever it was.

"It certainly sounds like an interesting approach to attempt," she commented as they walked along, not knowing what else to say at the time. It was hard to properly comment on the unknown. "So what can you tell me about the state Ponyville was in when you left? Reports on everything have been sparse the past few days," she explained, hoping to change the discussion to something she would have an easier time discussing.

"Cleanup has been completed, and reconstruction has begun. Ponyville General Hospital is still being tight-lipped as to the official figures regarding victims of the attack. In exchange for my focus on the matter pertaining to Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle has been focusing almost exclusively on better learning the spells found in the tome you delivered. She expends large amounts of mana to the point of exhaustion, then initiates a recharge spell to allow for the collection of large amounts of mana, and then repeats the process," Ulquiorra explained, giving the highlights of the past few days on his end.

"That certainly sounds like one of Twilight's method of doing things; repetition to the point of utter exhaustion," Celestia replied and tried not to smile too much at the nature of her student's -correction, her friend's- efforts. "Can you elaborate on which spells Twilight is trying to learn?" she asked.

"I'm unfamiliar with what the proper names are. But the spell that has received the majority of her focus is for the purpose of summoning lightning. What began as ten minutes of effort to cast it once has, through constant repetition and practice, been reduced to two minutes of effort. It would seem Twilight Sparkle's talent for magic is more considerable than even I could have anticipated," he explained. However to save time he'd opted not to inform her of the other efforts Twilight Sparkle had been engaging in.

One endeavor she had expressed interest in undertaking -and he suspected, likely the reason she had requested this specific tome- was attempting to recreate Princess Celestia's mana sword on her own. But it was a highly complicated process; far more complicated than generating raw lightning. Giving raw mana a defined form outside the body required constant and intense concentration in order to hold the shape, and the power requirements were considerable. If there was too little mana in the area, then it needed to be provided by the caster. And according to Twilight Sparkle's expertise, the required density of the mana particles needed to be of the same density of tungsten alloy in order for it to be effective at cutting or blocking.

The very first time the lavender unicorn had tried to cast the spell, the results had been lacking. The construct had barely qualified as a dagger in terms of size and appearance, and the duration of its existence had barely been two seconds before it violently shattered and dissolved, leaving Twilight Sparkle mentally and physically exhausted, collapsing where she'd stood.

After that unfortunate development, she had decided to stick solely with the lightning, until she reached a level of skill that she believed was adequate in its casting and deployment.

Nor was he entirely certain that he should be informing her of the activities of other Ponyville residents. However that was a matter more of saving time, rather than operating in secrecy. There was no reason for her to not know what was going on, but it didn't necessarily have to be him that brought the matter to her attention. She likely had her hands full enough as it was with what was already on her plate.

And with that thought in mind, now it was time for him to ask a few questions, and for Princess Celestia to act as the source of information.

"Along with information pertaining to the condition of Rainbow Dash, there is growing curiosity pertaining to the manticore. Has any relevant information been discovered yet?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not. Despite the thoroughness of the medical examiners, nothing new has been garnered. No latent magical signatures to indicate an outside involvement, no physical abnormalities to suggest genetic modification, no brain lesions, no signs of viral affliction, and no signs of a fungal infection that would explain its actions. As far as the finest medical professionals available are concerned, what we have on our hooves is nothing more than an everyday, run of the mill manticore, with a broken wing and a broken neck from when you brought it down," Celestia explained, bringing him up to date on their discoveries, and the lack thereof.

He had no hard proof for support, but based on the tone Princess Celestia used, Ulquiorra believed that she disagreed with the diagnosis of the medical examiners who had been tasked with the examination. He too had reason to disagree with those who were in a position of authority for making such a determination. But without the ability to detect actual magic, and having absolutely no idea just what to be looking for that would be considered out of the ordinary, he was limited to relying on others for help; regardless of how revolting such a thought was.

"And what is the state of Rainbow Dash?" he asked simply, opting to steer the conversation into a more relevant topic of discussion.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not one hundred percent certain about her current state. Physically she's alright, but mentally it's another story. Even after the inconsistencies in her memories were pointed out, she's still convinced beyond reasonable doubt that she went through everything she remembers experiencing, and that her friends have betrayed her in the worst possible way," Celestia replied and let out a tired sigh. "We're doing our best to try and help her, but I don't know if we're doing any good. To say she's deeply upset would be a serious understatement. I could try and explain the situation to you, but I have the feeling that seeing her for yourself would work far better than anything I can articulate in my own words," she explained.

Ulquiorra said nothing in response. A great deal of information could likely be gained from observation on his part, rather than listening to the secondhand accounts of an untrained observer. He could more easily discern things that others couldn't, and make observations about her state that others would miss.

The only information he could truly gain from further questioning of Princess Celestia, was just how she could tend to Rainbow Dash while simultaneously tending to her royal duties. But at the moment he had no interest in such information; bureaucracies and their managing was an acquired taste. So he instead opted to maintain his silence, and continue his walking as he was escorted to where the cyan pegasus was.

The gardens of Canterlot palace were certainly not the location Ulquiorra had expected to find Rainbow Dash in. Considering her condition, he had expected her to be isolated in the infirmary and subjected to round the clock observation in order to prevent her from harming herself. He had expected professional medical staff with degrees in psychology and psychiatry being called into to address the matter, and try to aid in her recovery.

Instead of a professional, clinical approach, Ulquiorra was met by sunshine, gentle pre-summer breezes, and wide-open green spaces.

The sheer number of things that could go wrong with this approach were limitless. He was aware of that fact from even before they stepped out into this area. Was Princess Celestia aware of the same facts? Did she even care about such possibilities? Or did she have countermeasures in place, should something either go wrong or appear to go wrong?

"The first few days here, she spent crying and screaming, breaking down, and scrubbing herself in the hottest showers possible; hot enough she eventually burned herself, and we had to magically cap the maximum allowed temperature of the water supplied by the plumbing. The past few days, however, have been marked by a lack of crying, and instead have been replaced with a great deal of negativity. She's swung away from sadness over believing she's been betrayed, to outright resenting the others for what they did to her. In her mind she was robbed of her dignity, her pride, and her dreams. She's convinced that she's nothing more than an empty shell of her former self, and there's nothing left to her but bitterness," Celestia explained as they stepped into the gardens, doing her best to give him an idea of what he'd be facing here.

"And knowing this, you deemed it best to allow her access to an unsecured area, and by herself?" Ulquiorra asked bluntly as he turned to look at her directly. Surely she couldn't be this foolish, as such would defy the logic of even basic physics.

"Despite your doubts as to my intelligence, Ulquiorra, I'm not as stupid as you might have concluded," Celestia replied simply, letting his covert insult slide. She had no need for being petty right now. "It's all a part of the treatment, getting her out into the sun and fresh air for at least one hour every day, instead of letting her brood in her room, isolated and in the dark. Plus she's not unsupervised, as one of our best nurses is accompanying her, and ready with a sedative spell should it prove necessary to prevent her from doing something harmful," she explained.

She knew full well that so many things could go wrong out here in the garden if she wasn't careful. But she was careful, and hadn't allowed things to be left to random chance. There were security measures in place for various circumstances and locations. So it was highly unlikely that Rainbow Dash would be able to hurt either herself or somepony else.

Ulquiorra said nothing in response. He doubted that the cyan could be stopped from doing anything by just a single nurse, regardless of what magic was possessed. Twilight Sparkle had proven incapable of stopping the cyan pegasus from beating Rarity due to a sudden blow to the face, and it was only through Spike's timely -and surprisingly overpowering- intervention that she'd been stopped. One unicorn, taken by surprise, would likely yield little more than a speed bump to a motivated pegasus.

"Per chance do you know where in the garden the two might be?" he asked, not able to pick up any signs of any pony present, with the exception of who he assumed to be a gardener, who was in the process of tending to a wild rosebush.

"Hmm..." Celestia mumbled as she rubbed her chin and scanned the area with her eyes, trying to find some sign of the two mares. "Truthfully I don't. But I don't believe we have any reason to worry. Nurse Goodwill usually reports that Rainbow Dash spends her time sleeping in one of the trees. And she would report to me if something should happen," she explained, having great confidence in her selected nurse. She had served the diarchy well in her time, and it wasn't likely that she would be unable to do the same here and now.

Ulquiorra said nothing at first, opting to scan the area with his pesquisa, as it was far more thorough than any eyesight might be.

"This Nurse Goodwill you speak of. It goes without saying that she's a unicorn, correct?" he asked her.

"She is," Celestia replied and nodded.

"As I thought," Ulquiorra replied, "I believe I have located her position. But I cannot say the same about Rainbow Dash," he elaborated as he turned to face her. "Rainbow Dash is nowhere to be found in the royal gardens. Nor is she anywhere that is within range of my pesquisa. In simpler terms, she is nowhere to be found within the palace," he stated.

It took a moment for Ulquiorra's words to register with her. But when they did, they hit with all the force of a ton of bricks landing right on top of her. That simple statement had hit with an incredible degree of bluntness, with greater force than any browbeating he could deliver for her perceived foalishness.

"You're... y-you're certain?" she asked, unable to think of anything else to say.

"Quite certain. Rainbow Dash is gone, and your contingencies have failed to keep her safe and secured. Because of your approach, we have no idea where she has gone, no idea when she left, or even if she left of her own volition. What we do have, however, is another mystery, and a missing mare that must be located as quickly as possible. If we fail to do so in a timely manner, there is absolutely no telling what could happen," Ulquiorra stated bluntly.

In simple terms these developments placed them squarely up shit creek. The only thing that prevented them from being devoid of a paddle for maneuvering said creek, was the fact that he could tell Nurse Goodwill was still alive, and that meant she could possibly answer questions as to what had become of Rainbow Dash in the first place.

And while the number of questions they were facing were quickly becoming significant in nature, he could think of one in particular that was facing them imminently. Would they be able to find Rainbow Dash in time, or would they be finding a body?

Chapter Fifty Four

Chapter Fifty Four

Pain.

Pain was what she was aware of, the only discernible thing in the dark void she found herself in. Nothing but pain... and then an overwhelmingly bitter smell entering her nostrils that brought her back to consciousness as she bolted upright and coughed, leaving her utterly confused as to not only where she was, but what was going on around her.

"Easy now, my little pony, easy," she heard a calm, comforting voice say, as a foreleg was eased against her creamy yellow midsection, gently pushing her back down into a sitting position against something firm; something that felt like it had the consistency of tree bark.

As her senses cleared and the vile stink faded, she became more aware of just who the voice had come from. That being Princess Celestia, as she looked down at her with a kind but worried face. And standing next to... she gulped. Princess Celestia was standing next to the strange white biped whose name she couldn't remember the proper pronunciation of, but knew full well that his gaze was enough to give her the shivers anytime she made eye contact with him.

And right now, as he looked down at her with that flinch-inducing gaze that made the blue hairs of her mane feel like they were standing on end, she couldn't help but wonder if her mother had been right about wanting her to become a lawyer instead of a nurse.

"Nurse Goodwill."

Fortunately her focus on the scary one was broken by Princess Celestia's voice resonating in her ears, bringing her attention to a much more preferable individual to deal with.

"Can you tell me what happened here?" Celestia asked calmly, but with a hint of concern in her voice as she spoke.

"I... I don't know. What exactly happened, Your Majesty? Why am I here?" she asked, still confused by what was going on. Why were they hovering over her with concern? And why was she sitting up against a tree?

"We were hoping that you might know. When we came to the gardens, we found you propped up against a tree and unconscious, and Rainbow Dash is gone. Do you remember anything that happened?" Celestia asked.

Goodwill thought on the matter, trying to concentrate and figure out the answers to the questions she was being presented with. Unfortunately her memory was fuzzy right now, making it hard to concentrate.

"I... I don't really remember. The last clear memory I have before waking up here, was needing to console her when she just started crying for no reason. She was holding onto me for dear life, and I thought for sure she was going to suffocate me... and then... then it was overwhelming pain. It felt like my horn was on fire. I think I passed out from some sort of sensory overload, or something along those lines. That's... that's all I can remember, I'm sorry," she replied.

"It's alright, my little pony, you're not to blame," Celestia said in a reassuring tone as she stood herself back up again, before turning her attention to Ulquiorra. Outward she was as calm and serene as anything. But on the inside she was a raging mass of concern and worry. Rainbow Dash was missing, and they had no idea where she was. They didn't even know for certain if she'd left of her own volition, as Goodwill's recollection could be interpreted as anything.

To say the situation was bad would be an understatement, as well as utterly redundant. Rainbow Dash had been in her care, and now she was going. She'd been as good as foalnapped from right under their noses. Those that held the Elements of Harmony were divided, and now one of them was missing. Could this situation get any...

NO! She had to stop herself before she could finish that thought. That was not the question that anyone should ever ask, because invariably once it was asked, or even considered, matters found a way to progress in just such a manner. She needed to maintain some degree of levelheadedness, otherwise they would never get anywhere. Nothing good ever came from panicking in a situation like this.

"So how do we proceed from here?" she asked, directing the question at Ulquiorra. If anyone knew the answer to the question at hoof, it would be the Espada. Of that she was certain.

"At present I'm uncertain. Being absent five days has left me unaware of Rainbow Dash's current mental stability, making it difficult, if not outright impossible, to determine what motivation was at play. The only thing I can say for certain is that Nurse Goodwill was not accosted by a third, as of yet unidentified party, but rather by Rainbow Dash herself," Ulquiorra stated.

"And how did you arrive at such a conclusion so quickly?" Celestia asked, somewhat baffled by how he'd just thrown that out there for consideration.

"Residual saliva on her horn, containing traces of Rainbow Dash's reiatsu signature are still present, along with teeth imprints in the keratin, showing she bit down considerably hard," Ulquiorra elaborated as he gestured towards the unicorn's horn. "From this we can speculate that the intended purpose was to render Nurse Goodwill unconscious, as she was the only one present who could prevent her from leaving. Furthermore, the imprints show the greatest degree of force was applied near the tip of the horn, which is the most potentially sensitive location of the entire structure, due to the cluster of nerves present just below the surface at this point, and even a minor blow can be quite painful. To actually leave imprints in the keratin, the pressure of her bite would need to be considerable, and a deliberate action. However, information like this allows us to conclude that Rainbow Dash's actions were her own, rather than the actions of said third party possessing, and manipulating her like she was a marionette," he explained in detail.

Celestia listened quietly as Ulquiorra explained the matter to her, pointing out what he'd observed, and the hypothesis that formed from said observations. For the most part she could see what he was saying, but he managed to lose her at the last point. How exactly could he conclude that Rainbow Dash was acting on her own, and not subject to some sort of mind control?

Her expression must've betrayed her, as Ulquiorra began explaining matters again without any verbal prompting on her part.

"These actions on Rainbow Dash's part were indeed deliberate, but they were not guided by malice. Note the placing of Nurse Goodwill while unconscious; propped up against a tree in a shady spot after being rendered unconscious. Considering her actions with Rarity, there is little doubt to believe that Rainbow Dash could kill if she believed it necessary, and she would do so willingly. The imprints in the keratin indicate significant biting force on her part; surely enough to tear out a throat if such a move was believed to be prudent. And if the hedge maze was utilized for disposal of the body, no one would be aware for some time; possibly not until buzzards began to circle above head. Instead, however, she simply knocked her out, and then hid her in an out of the way location where she wouldn't be immediately noticed, and placed her in what would most likely be considered a comfortable position, where she might be awoken by a smelling salts spell. These are not the actions of one that wouldn't think twice about murdering foals left and right, for no other purpose than to spread terror. The fact we didn't find Nurse Goodwill disemboweled, and strung up by her entrails, speaks volumes, and tells us much. But for all it tells us, there is much that it doesn't tell us; such as where Rainbow Dash might have gone to? Why did she decide to flee? What was the significance of her timing? And the list just goes on," Ulquiorra explained calmly, despite the seriousness of the whole situation.

Celestia remained silent, terrified by what Ulquiorra was telling her. She wasn't sure what scared her the most; the few details that they did know, or the vast unknown that was staring them down. Regardless of what it was, there was a lost and frightened pegasus out there somewhere, and desperately in need of being found.

However that mindset was quickly changed by the sound of crying, bringing her attention to the blubbering Nurse Goodwill that sat between them as she soon began to succumb to hiccups.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry," she sobbed and hiccuped as she hung her head, looking down at the ground. "Y-you trusted me t-to look after R-R-Rainbow Dash, and I," she paused and hiccuped again, "I couldn't do it. I-I couldn't s-stop her from leaving b-because she... she..."

Celestia's heart ached right now. It ached for Nurse Goodwill, and her blaming herself for Rainbow Dash's disappearance. She could understand how she might believe she was to blame for what had happened. But that didn't mean she agreed with the assignment of blame in this case. It hadn't been her fault that Rainbow Dash had taken the course of action that she had.

"You aren't to blame in this matter. You were blindsided and randomly assaulted. You can hardly be held responsible for the actions of a mentally unstable patient, who you assumed was in need of simple comfort," Ulquiorra spoke up. Offering words of comfort and condolences wasn't his style of doing things, but even he could recognize that Nurse Goodwill's emotional stability was important at the moment. She likely had the most interaction with Rainbow Dash over the past few days compared to anyone else. Perhaps there were clues that could be gained from her.

And to get those clues, he would do what was necessary. Even if meant offering some measure of comfort to yet another crying female, of which there were too many in this world for his tastes.

It was plainly obvious to him that, once again, he was tasked with cleaning up Princess Celestia's mess. He had made the decision to stay behind in Ponyville, for the purpose of safeguarding the others, and carrying out the investigation. In doing so he had allowed himself to believe that Princess Celestia was capable of managing a single mentally disturbed pegasus without significant complications. And he had apparently believed wrong. The palace was no place for safeguarding a mental patient, when only one nurse was on hand to serve as an escape deterrent; especially in an open air environment.

There would be time for berating on that point later. Right now there was a crisis to address...

Celestia remained silent, partially out of surprise from Ulquiorra taking the initiative, and to see just where things went. She knew that Ulquiorra was up to something, but she didn't know just what it was yet. For now she'd have to wait and see, and let the Espada work whatever magic he had up his sleeves.

And as she maintained that silence, a thought entered her mind. Right now they had a lot in the way of theories, but not much in the way of definite facts. They knew how Rainbow Dash had fled, but not the why. Had she left of her own volition? Or had she been coerced? And to where exactly had she gone? Naturally she knew they had no answers to those questions. But those questions gave grounds to another question popping into her mind; what if Rainbow Dash was heading back to Ponyville? Could she have actually set out to finish what she'd started with Rarity? Did she even currently possess the mental clarity to make such a decision?

As disturbing of a thought as it was to give consideration to, it was one that they couldn't discount as being a possibility.

But then in giving consideration to that possibility, they had to question why Rainbow Dash chose to spare Goodwill at all. She had certainly had ample opportunity to kill her, but hadn't. Was it because the nurse unicorn who had been looking after her, hadn't been present for her implanted memories, and thus could be considered innocent of any wrongdoing?

There were far too many questions, and not enough answers to go around. And in addition to that fact, they were faced with there not being enough time to sort them out. The top priority right now had to be finding Rainbow Dash and securing her. They'd worry about everything else afterwards.

She considered dispatching Ulquiorra to Ponyville right then and there. But she immediately reconsidered that approach, upon realizing that Ulquiorra's mind could be of more use here than in the field. There was no way of even knowing if she'd be dispatching him to the right location. If she sent him off she wouldn't be able to consult him. Nor could she call him back. She couldn't go through with that approach; not yet anyway.

A scroll and quill were conjured before her. Sending Ulquiorra to Ponyville was one approach, but sending word to alert Twilight and the others was another, and far more practical. And as fast as the Espada was, nothing was faster than a scroll being delivered via royal channels.

Spike panted. Spike grunted. Spike made all kinds of noises as he was involved in the process of unceremoniously heaving Twilight up onto her bed. He really didn't want to be rude, but she was heavier than she looked, and having to move her with his -comparatively- diminutive size wasn't easy. Strength alone could be wonderful, but physics still worked against him; such as trying to manage all four of her legs while avoiding dragging her. To say the least, it wasn't easy.

Twilight's being unconscious hadn't helped matters any either, since she amounted to dead weight. Although it had kept her from protesting as he'd carried her back to the library.

Unfortunately that peace and quiet was broken when he'd successfully shoved her onto the bed, the jostling proving to be enough to snap her out of whatever degree of unconsciousness had been in place.

How that had done it, but him carrying her all the way back here hadn't, he didn't know.

"Spike? What're we doing back here?" Twilight asked curiously as she sat on the bed.

"You passed out from exhaustion, Twilight, and rather than leave you where you were, I thought it'd be better to bring you back to the library where you can rest," Spike explained, groaning as he arched his back until an audible pop was heard.

Finding Twilight passed out wasn't exactly new to him. Being her number one assistant, finding her asleep in front of a book was common. Sometimes he wondered if she'd even remember to go to bed without him helping to remind her from time to time. But falling asleep while reading, wasn't exactly the same thing as passing out from exhausting oneself, through extreme exertion to master a new and highly advanced offensive spell.

He really didn't understand all the details that were involved. All he knew for certain was that Twilight had been heavily applying herself to her spell practice the past few days, while Ulquiorra carried out his investigation of the others. Something about Twilight being too close to be objective or something, and how her skills could be better utilized elsewhere.

"It didn't seem right to just leave you laying out there in the clearing," he pointed out.

"That was really nice of you, Spike. But I'm alright, really. I'm good to keep going," Twilight replied and moved to get off the bed. However as she moved to get up, Spike surprised her by pushing her back down onto the bed. "Spike?" she asked, confused by his current course of action.

"I can't let you do that, Twilight, you're not going back out there," Spike stated firmly and folded his arms across his chest.

"Spike?" Twilight asked again, now more confused than before. What exactly did he think he was doing?

"Twilight, look at yourself! You look like... like... you look terrible! When was the last time you slept anyway? I mean really slept, and not just catnapping and sucking down coffee?" Spike asked her.

"Spike I-" Twilight tried to explain, but quickly found herself interrupted.

"You've been burning the candle at both ends, Twilight, I know it. I know it because I've been there watching you. I get that this is some pretty important stuff, but more important than your health? I get that it upset you, how you couldn't help Ulquiorra with his investigation, and that's why you applied yourself so hard to learning new magic. But you're not gonna be able to help anyone if you make yourself sick. And I'm not going to just stand by and let that happen," Spike stated firmly.

"Spike I-" Twilight tried to say again while in the process of sitting up again. However Spike interrupted her again, both by pushing her back onto the bed, and talking over her again.

"No. Just plain no. You're not getting up until you've gotten a few good hours worth of sleep. And then you're not doing anymore practicing until you get a good meal, and a hot bath. That's just gonna be how that is. Now we can do this one of two ways; you can either go along with it voluntarily, or with me pinning you down by sitting on you," Spike stated as he climbed up on the bed, and then over on top of her, straddling her hips as he pressed his full weight down on her, and pushing her forelegs down with his hands. Granted he knew that she could easily lift him if she wanted to. But this wasn't exactly a good position for leverage on her part.

"So what's it gonna be? Do we do this the easy way, or the hard way?" he asked her.

Twilight didn't know exactly what to think right now. When had Spike become so strong, not only in body, but also in mind? Where had this sudden assertiveness come from, that seemed to deem it appropriate for him to order her around, and make ultimatums for noncompliance? When exactly had her little assistant grown up so much?

And why exactly was she feeling the need to comply with him on this matter?

"Alright, Spike, you win. We'll do it the easy way," she finally agreed and nodded, seeing that any effort on her part to talk Spike out of this wasn't going to work. Truthfully she wouldn't even know how to start under these circumstances. He'd taken her by surprise, and hadn't left her with much opportunity to get her bearings straight.

"That's a good filly," Spike replied with a grin. Twilight frowned in response, to which Spike responded by taking hold of her cheeks in his hands, and kissing her forehead to the left of her horn. "Now you stay here. I'm gonna go make some nice relaxing tea so you can rest properly," he told her as he climbed down off the bed.

As she watched Spike leave the room and head down the stairs, Twilight really didn't know just what to make of this situation. It was all too weird for her. But as she laid on her bed, a nice pillow with just the right blend of fluffiness and firmness resting under her head, it was becoming harder and harder to deny that a rest sounded like a good idea right about now. She'd been so very busy the past few days, running around from one place to another, helping out one pony or another, she honestly couldn't answer Spike's question if she tried.

"I'll just lay here for a few minutes. Surely Ponyville won't experience any other calamities in that time," she muttered to herself as she closed her eyes. "The statistical probability of such occurring is..."

Spike hummed to himself as he went about preparing the tea, making sure to use the leaves that he'd gotten from Zecora, rather than the usual assortment. The zebra, much like himself, was aware of Twilight's unhealthy studying habits, and had made it a point to give him an assortment of leaves that, when used in a tea brew, would have a sedating effect on the drinker. And he knew from his own experience -personal experience, going by Ulquiorra's explanation of the term- that it worked wonders. All he had to do was give Twilight the tea, and she'd be out for hours.

Not that he was particularly fond of the idea of just drugging Twilight. But sometimes, desperate times called for desperate measures. And while this situation wasn't desperate desperate in magnitude, it could certainly reach that point if he didn't intervene on Twilight's behalf. And knowing how Twilight could get if left to her own devices for too long, he really didn't feel all that bad about slipping her some of Zecora's special brew every now and then.

"Twilight, you'll thank me for this later," Spike said to himself as he walked out of the kitchen, carrying the cup of tea in his hands.

He was careful as he ascended the stairs, not wanting to trip and send the tea flying -and spilling- because he missed a step, or wound up stubbing a toe because he misjudged a particular distance. All the commotion and clutter would just get Twilight all worked up again, and that was everything he didn't want happening right now.

Thankfully his potential for clumsiness didn't rear it ugly head this time around, and he managed to make his way up to the sleeping loft without any trouble, and without any tea spilled.

However his good fortune didn't seem to matter much right now. By the time he made it up the stairs, cup of steaming tea in hand, Twilight was already sound asleep, the covers kicked back except for the one sheet partially pulled over herself. So much for all his work making the tea.

"Oh well," Spike muttered to himself. He walked over to the bed, setting the tea down on the nightstand next to the lamp, before climbing up onto the bed to better pull the sheet up to Twilight's neck to more properly tuck her in. He couldn't deny that she looked so peaceful when she was genuinely sleeping.

However his observations were disturbed by a sudden rumbling in his gut. Quickly he turned away from her, just in time to belch up a scroll.

"Now what could this be about?" he asked himself rhetorically, before unrolling the parchment to read it.

Dear Twilight,

We recently discovered that Rainbow Dash is no longer in Canterlot palace. And though we're doing our best to determine where she currently is, so far we have no leads to follow up on. Ulquiorra is doing his best to assist in the search for her, but Equestria is a large area to cover with many, many cities. I'm writing not to alarm you, but to alert you on the remote chance she should return to Ponyville while we contemplate the more distant options. Be alert, be aware, and be ready to notify us if you should discover her.

Signed,
Celestia

Spike was silent as he read the note, and even long after he finished reading. This was partly out of courtesy to not wake up Twilight -especially now, since she couldn't handle this matter in her current condition- but also partly from the shock of the words contained on the sheet of parchment.

Rainbow Dash was... missing, and nopony knew where she was... and there was the minute possibility that she was making her way back to Ponyville? But why would she do that? Why would she come back here after what she believed the others had put her through? Why would she come back here, willingly returning to what she believed was the source of her suffering?

Unless... it was to finish what she'd started last week...

Rarity!

Immediately Spike leaped up to climb off the bed. If Celestia was right and Rainbow Dash might be returning, then he had to find Rarity and let her know about this. He had to let her know that she was possibly in danger from the deranged blue pegasus.

Unfortunately he never even made it to the floor in terms of his plan. As soon as he had gotten to his feet, two lavender forelegs quickly wrapped around him from behind, and pulled him back down onto the bed.

He had no idea of the why, but he certainly understood the what. The what in this case was Twilight cuddling him with a vice-like hold that he would daresay rivaled his own firm grip.

Under normal circumstances this wouldn't be all that bad, since it was a cozy position to be in. But now wasn't exactly normal circumstances; not when his heart was racing, and he felt the strong need to go and find Rarity.

"Teddy..." Twilight mumbled and tightened her grip around Spike's body, while at the same time nuzzling into him.

"This is so not good," Spike grumbled to himself as he tried to slip, twist, and wriggle out of Twilight's hold on him. Why did he have to climb up onto the bed to tuck her in? Why had Celestia picked that time to send them a scroll? How was he supposed to help Rarity like this? As deep of a sleeper as Twilight could be at times, there was no way of waking her up gently. And even if he could, doing so might just make a bad situation worse. If he woke Twilight up now and she found the note, she'd feel compelled to get involved, and organize a town-wide search party, and heap all of the responsibility on herself.

Why... why...

"Why me, damnit!?"

Rarity winced as she looked at herself in the mirror, repulsed by her own appearance. Despite having five days to heal -five days which had been augmented by healing magic, courtesy of the care provided by the hospital- she still looked like quite a sight, with her one eye still bruised and swollen, and her lower lip still not completely healed up just right. However was she supposed to properly kiss somepony with such a scab there?

Despite it all, however, she was still very thankful for what she had. Considering what had happened to her, she considered herself lucky to even be alive right now. Rainbow Dash had beaten her so, so savagely, and without any provocation on her part. If Spike hadn't been there... well she'd rather not think about that right now; especially not after everything that'd happened the past few days. All she wanted to do right now was flip the store sign to "closed" and slip into a nice, hot bubble bath. She didn't even feel like getting any refreshments from Berry Punch right now, as the day had simply been far too strenuous for her.

"Hello Rarity..."

Rarity jumped at the unexpected voice from behind her. How had somebody gotten in without her noticing? How could they have managed to sneak up behind her when she'd been consulting her mirror? She didn't even bother with the reflective thing, but instead opted to turn around and face the intruder herself.

That move caused her heart to nearly seize up in her chest at who she saw.

"R-Rainbow Dash?" she asked, not expecting to see the polychromatic pony back in Ponyville, or even in the boutique.

"Nice to know you still remember my real name, Rarity," Rainbow Dash replied as she slowly stepped forward, her voice dripping with venom at the mention of her name. "Or should I call you Mistress?" she asked as she slowly moved closer.

"... This isn't a social visit, is it?" Rarity finally asked, unable to think of anything else to say after hearing the question, and the tone used to emphasize the last word. Rainbow Dash wasn't better or well at all. She was still suffering from whatever had plagued her in the first place. And that fact, and the glint in her eye, caused her to slowly back up, until she found herself pressed against the far wall of the room.

"Nope, this is all business," Rainbow Dash confirmed as her folded wings bristled and twitched at her sides. "I came here for one reason, and one reason only. I'm gonna kill you for what you did to me. And nothing's gonna stop me this time..." she warned as she stepped closer, drawing the moment out to watch Rarity squirm uncomfortably.

She was going to kill Rarity. The exact method of which, she wasn't sure yet. But the end result was going to be the same regardless. The only question was how much she'd drag it out, before finally ending the white unicorn once and for all...

Chapter Fifty Five

Chapter Fifty Five

Rarity really didn't know how to deal with this situation. Rainbow Dash's approach was deliberately slow, meant to terrify her with a sense of overwhelming and inescapable dread. And it was working masterfully. That wicked, murderous glare as she slowly inched her way closer and closer, as her hooves scraped against the floor. Right now she felt like she was locking eyes with a timberwolf.

"Is... i-is there any way we can talk this out? Pony to pony?" she asked, hoping she could appeal to some logical part of Rainbow Dash. Some part that was still willing to listen. Whatever part had been willing to talk to Twilight down in the basement of the library. Surely there was still some reasonability left to her, even in this current state.

"Talk?" Rainbow Dash asked incredulously and arched an eyebrow, pausing in her stride. Surely she wasn't serious. "You want to talk? You think you can just talk away what you did to me?" she snapped as she once again worked her way closer and closer to where Rarity was currently frozen in terror.

And then she stopped in her tracks again, mere feet away from the unicorn, and looked at her in thought. But not thought of what she was going to do to her in order to inflict the most amount of pain possible before killing her. Rather she was thinking of something else entirely.

"On second thought, that's actually a good idea, let's talk. You can start by explaining just how you thought what you did to me was a good idea! I wanna hear you try and justify how locking me up, and RAPING me was supposed to be a good idea! Exactly what part of beating me with a whip, and CUTTING MY EAR OFF, struck you as being an appropriately good idea!?" Rainbow Dash demanded to know, shouting loudly in Rarity's face, and in the process exhausting the air in her lungs, forcing her to stop and catch her breath.

Rarity held her ground where she sat, unflinching in posture, listening to the accusations and emotional outburst of the cyan pegasus in front of her, merely blinking silently as she panted and heaved to try and catch her breath again, and remaining silent in response.

It was that silence that seemed loudest to Rainbow Dash.

"Well? What've you got to say for yourself?" Rainbow Dash asked/demanded.

"I'm sorry, darling, words seem to be failing me right now. Try as I might, I can't come up with so much as a single word of justification for what you went through," Rarity replied slowly, after a long and difficult pause. She understood that Rainbow Dash wanted answers for what she couldn't comprehend. But sadly there was nothing she could do to help her friend out in her time of need.

"You... y-you what?" Rainbow Dash asked in disbelief. Rarity didn't have anything to say to her? Nothing at all, to try and justify herself? No excuses to offer up to suggest she was at fault on the matter? Absolutely nothing?

"I said that I don't have the answers you're seeking, Rainbow Dash. There are no words to defend what you experienced, because what you experienced is absolutely indefensible. Nopony deserves to experience what you did," Rarity stated calmly.

Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, was positively animated in nature, as she sputtered in response to Rarity's simple statement. She'd expected the white unicorn to have far more to say for herself than just that.

"You... you... after all you put me through, you can't even tell me why!? You can't explain just what was going on in that twisted mind of yours!?" Rainbow Dash yelled angrily. Rarity just continued to remain silent, slowly looking down at the floor. "Fine. You know what? Fuck you. I don't need you to talk. I didn't come here to talk, I came here to kill you. I don't need you to talk to do that," she stated firmly.

"I see..." Rarity replied slowly, never looking up from the floor. "So there's nothing I can do to change your mind? Nothing that I might be able to say that would convince you to take a different course of action?" she asked, hopefully but all the while knowing that such was an impossibility.

"You can talk until your tongue falls off, I'm still gonna kill you. And then when I'm done with you, I'm going after the others next. All five of you are gonna be dead, the only thing I don't know yet, is which order I'm gonna do it in," Rainbow Dash stated as she started stepping closer again.

Now Rarity looked up in surprise and horror. It wasn't bad enough that Rainbow Dash fully intended to murder her in her own shop, but she was going to do the same to the rest of their friends? That thought terrified her more than any thoughts concerning her own fate. That was a possibility that she simply couldn't allow to come into fruition. She had to do something, anything, to try and prevent that, no matter how what that something was.

And whatever she was going to do, she needed to formulate it in the next few seconds, while she still had the ability. Once Rainbow Dash reached her, all logical thought was going to go right out the window.

"Then perhaps there's still something left that can be said," Rarity spoke up, her mind racing nearly as fast as her heart currently was. "Their lives in exchange for mine. You can do whatever you wish to me, I won't fight you. But please leave the others alone, they didn't do anything wrong," she pleaded, all the while trying to keep her breathing manaegable enough to speak.

"They're just as guilty as you!" Rainbow Dash yelled in response and stomped her hoof, not paying attention to what Rarity was saying.

"Perhaps that might be true. But they were merely participants in the endeavor. Surely you'd want the queen, rather than a few lowly pawns, correct? Go after the main dish, rather than a few appetizers, right?" Rarity asked. She had to keep Rainbow Dash distracted and focused on her. She couldn't allow her focus to shift to the others. That meant doing absolutely whatever it took in order to achieve that goal, no matter the cost. And no matter the consequences. "Or did I not beat you enough for you to understand that, my Pet?"

The details that she had been made privy to regarding Rainbow Dash's condition were... unpleasant to say the least. They were hardly anything she could imagine being done to anyone. And to hear that Rainbow Dash believed that she would willingly do them to another sickened her greatly, horrifying her. It was true that she had exotic tastes, but never would she considered something that exotic.

But perhaps... just perhaps... there was something in those gruesome details that could be used to control the situation. Something that could be used, in order to keep Rainbow Dash from turning on their friends. She had to chance it. She had to risk it for their sakes.

"Did you really think that they had any actual say in the matter? Did you foalishly believe that I'd willingly allow four uncontrolled variables into what I did to you? They were all as weak and powerless as you were, Pet, they didn't have any say in the matter. You think they raped you? I made them rape you! And if you hadn't escaped when you did, then-"

Rarity ducked just in time to avoid her head being slammed into the wall with a connected blow from a cyan hoof. Instead the wall bore the full brunt of the blow, as Rainbow Dash shattered the drywall in her flying tackle. Fortunately for herself, however, she'd been in full control of her mental capacities rather than consumed by anger, and had picked up on the telltale signs of a rush coming. That had allowed her to respond in time, and avoid getting anymore serious injuries, as she rolled out of the strike zone.

She could see that Rainbow Dash was a bristling ball of short-sighted rage at the moment. She was very sloppy, and easy to trick, and that gave Rarity the upper hoof in this matter. If she could keep Rainbow Dash distracted and focused on her, then she could keep the others safe. She just needed to keep pushing her buttons, and hope that she could keep dodging long enough to see this through.

Fortunately for her, Rainbow Dash's hoof appeared to be stuck in the wall at the moment. That gave her the perfect opportunity to reach out and ensnare her in her magic, effectively cutting off any hostile movement on her part.

"It appears you still need more motivation to behave," Rarity commented as she pulled the hoof loose from the hole in the wall. "So much disrespect. And not just for other ponies, but also their possessions. That simply won't do. Not at all."

"Fuck you! You're nothing but a monster!" Rainbow Dash retorted as she struggled and fought in an effort to get loose.

"I'm sorry about this, darling," Rarity thought to herself, before roughly flipping Rainbow Dash onto her back. "Language, Rainbow Dash," she said as she stepped forward, and pressed her hoof down on the struggling pegasi's chest. "You're right about one thing, however, I am a monster. An unrepentant, remorseless monster, who saw nothing wrong with inflicting pain and suffering on another, for no justifiable reason. But what I did to you was nothing compared to what I did to the others," she stated, using her hoof and magic to hold Rainbow Dash's head steady in order to maintain eye contact; to try and maintain dominance over her.

Her stomach was churning as she spoke, aching from the words that were being allowed to freely pour from her mouth. Nothing could be further from the truth. And yet it was what Rainbow Dash believed, and was allowing to guide her actions. She had been unwillingly assigned the role of the villain in this matter. And although it was a part she had no desire to play, it was a role she had to play, in order to keep the others safe.

"I can't change who or what I am, darling, anymore than you can. I failed to beat your stubborn nature out of you, despite my best efforts," she continued. Rainbow Dash started to struggle more now, forcing her to strength her hold on the upside down pegasus and readjust her head to reestablish eye contact. "But being a monster doesn't make me a coward. Nor does acknowledging the fact mean that I'm particularly proud of it. And while there's nothing I can really do to stop you from killing me, that doesn't mean I can simply stand by and let another wrong be committed. So I say again, their lives in exchange for mine. Kill me if you want, but spare the others the same fate. They simply don't deserve it. If you insist on slaying a monster, then all I ask is that you slay the correct one..."

Rarity had no more words to say in an effort to convince Rainbow Dash to not follow through with her intended approach. She knew that she couldn't keep the pegasus restrained forever, and the more she struggled, the more taxing it became to try and keep her still. But maybe, just maybe, a show of goodwill would do more than any words could. With that thought in mind, she cautiously withdrew her hoof and slowly released her magical hold keeping her pinned to the floor.

She knew that she was taking a very risky gamble in releasing Rainbow Dash from her hold. But she also knew that it wasn't a matter of her choice. The strain of Rainbow Dash struggling to get loose was taxing on both her magic and her concentration. Unlike Twilight, her magic was far more limited in scope. Keeping her restrained would exhaust her in a matter of minutes. And at the moment she was too wound up to think of just who to be going to with this problem. Trying to drag Rainbow Dash through town might only make things worse than they already were; especially if the cyan pegasus struggled hard enough to do herself harm.

There was always the possibility of binding her limbs to keep her restrained. But she knew immediately that doing something like that would just risk permanently cementing the false notions in her mind, and potentially causing further trauma to occur.

Those facts left her with little choice, except admitting defeat, and relinquishing control of the situation.

Rainbow Dash immediately scrambled to her hooves, experiencing an equal mixture of both anger and terror at the same time, and currently shaking over everything. She'd come here to kill Rarity, and instead the unicorn had gotten the drop on her and once again left her bound and helpless. And when she'd had her in the perfect position to strike... she'd let her go just like that. And on top of that, she was explaining why she should be the one to suffer rather than the others. She was heaping large amounts of confusion right on top of her, and doing so with incredible ease.

"And why should I believe a single word you're saying?" she asked as she tried to sort out everything.

"You've known Fluttershy the longest. Do you truly believe that she would ever do anything like that, unless somepony was making her? Surely such a noticeable detail couldn't escape your fine level of attention, right?" Rarity asked, figuring Rainbow Dash's friendship with the timid pegasus would prove the point. It was very difficult for two friends to more or less grow up together, and not have an intricate level of knowledge concerning each other.

It seemed that her question was having the desired effect of making Rainbow Dash stop and think, as she wasn't retorting with anything of great hostility. With that fact in mind she started speaking again.

"I do have one addendum, however. If I'm to die today, I don't want it to be here. Perhaps we can move it somewhere else, more remote in nature. Sweetie Belle will be coming over tonight, and I don't want her last memories of her sister, to be finding her bloodied corpse spread out on the floor. I might be a monster, but she doesn't deserve to see something like that; and especially not if Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are with her when she arrives. No filly should have to come across such a ghastly discovery..."

Rainbow Dash frowned, not wanting to concede that Rarity was right; both about Fluttershy, and about Scootaloo and the other fillies. It was infuriating how, after everything that had happened, she could still be right in her observations. She was worse than the Espada, being able to so easily pick things apart, and simultaneously filling her with such fury and rage.

"Fine. We'll do things your way then," she grumbled as she approached. Quick as could be, before Rarity could speak again, she delivered a sucker punch right to the head, catching her square in the horn. She watched with satisfaction as the response was instantaneous, with Rarity falling to the ground and yelping in pain as she cradled her horn. That would keep her from being able to perform any magic for at least an hour; plenty of time to get things done. "Now get up. We're leaving," she commanded.

Nopony was going to stop her from taking care of business. Absolutely nopony.

Spike grumbled as he strained, trying to untangle himself from the unwanted embrace he found himself in with Twilight at the moment. Her bookworm, plushy, lavender exterior betrayed just how much physical strength she seemed to unknowingly possess. It had to be from years of carrying around saddlebags loaded to the bursting point with heavy, hardback books. That was the only thing that made any real sense to him right now. He'd been struggling for what seemed like a good half hour now, and was no closer to being free than he was when he started. If anything he was actually worse off, as Twilight had just snuggled into him tighter, and his exhausted condition was making it all the harder to effectively struggle.

Why did he have to be so concerned about Twilight? If he wasn't worried about her wellbeing, he probably could've been free by now if he'd just tried to wake her up. But waking her up meant risking getting her involved in her tired state, and facing whatever her sleep deprived mind tried to create of the situation, and subsequently complicate matters beyond the point of being properly addressed. If it wasn't for that concern, he might be free by now. That concern was the only thing tempering his mad desire to get to Rarity as fast as he possibly could. He didn't think he could live with himself, if he'd managed to put Twilight at risk, by putting her in the possible position of having to face off against Rainbow Dash again. In her current tired state, she'd be too slow to respond against an attack.

"This is hopeless," Spike panted. If he ever got out of here, he swore to himself that he was never going to underestimate Twilight's strength again. No more soft unicorn jokes, ever.

But first he still had to actually get out of here, and find Rarity while there was still time. Even if Rainbow Dash wasn't actually confirmed as coming here, he'd still feel much better if he was there, or if she was here. Strength in numbers and all that. And to do that... he might just have to take some desperate measures with Twilight.

One such desperate measure involved trying to get himself worked up and draw on the naturally greedy nature of his species, and utilize it to force his body to grow and expand. No matter how strong Twilight might be, that would do nothing to keep his body from decompressing outward, to the point she could no longer keep her forelegs wrapped around him. Plus it would mean longer limbs, and greater leverage than he had now.

But while that might work, it brought its own set of complications with it. If he allowed himself to become greedy to that point again, he might not be able to control his mindset. His desire to find Rarity might be overridden by his unintended desire to start hording crap he didn't want or need. That was a distraction he simply couldn't afford to risk at present time. There had to be another way.

And then he smelt it. Whether it was due to a slight shift in the wind or something else, the aroma of cotton candy was coming through quite loud and clear right now. And where there was the aroma of cotton candy, there was usually Pinkie Pie.

But what good did that do him now? Sure, if he could get Pinkie's attention, then she might be able to help him out of this mess, by prying him free of Twilight's hold. But how exactly was he supposed to go about getting Pinkie's attention from way up here? The windows were open, but could his voice really travel that far, when there was no telling just where she might currently be? For all he knew she was all the way on the other side of Ponyville, far away from the maximum distance his voice could carry.

But right now he really didn't have much choice in the matter. He couldn't just assume that it was futile and not try. Not with everything that was at stake right now. So he took a deep breath in preparation, and let loose a bellow of "Pinkie Pie!" as loud as he could.

He listened quietly, hoping to hear something in response; anything that would indicate his plea for help had been received, and that he wasn't on his own in this case. Hoping that by some miracle, the most random pony in town had been able to hear him, and would come to his aid.

His draconian ears were greeted by the sound of the front door of the library opening, the hinges giving a telltale squeak from the neglect of not being oiled in some time. Right now though he was glad he hadn't gotten around to oiling that hinge, as he might've been left ignorant of the fact of somepony else actually being here. Sompony who could definitely hear him.

"Help!" he yelled loudly, hoping to alert whoever was downstairs.

"Spikey?"

He knew that voice. And he knew the bouncing sound that was working its way up the stairs. That knowledge made him both grin and relax, as help was finally here, and he was no longer struggling on his own.

"Pinkie!" he called excitedly, smiling at the first signs of that bouncing pink mane appearing up the stairs. "Oh am I glad to see you! Quick, help me get outta here!" he called and started squirming again.

Pinkie blinked, confused by what was going on. But nevertheless she walked over to the bed, and through a display of superior earth pony strength, pried Twilight's forelegs apart so Spike could squirm out. Immediately she was greeted by an enthusiastic hug from Spike as he leaped at her. A hug she was all too willing to return, even if she didn't understand what was happening, or even why it was happening.

"Spike, what's going on? Things are making less sense than usual around here, even by my own standards," she stated. And that was definitely saying something.

"No time to talk, Pinkie, I've gotta get to Carousel Boutique fast, like fifteen minutes ago!" Spike stated as he tried to untangle himself from the pink earth pony.

"Well then climb up and just hold on tight little guy, you can count on the Pinkie Pie Party Express," Pinkie stated as she released Spike and leaned down so he could climb up on her back. "Sorry, but there are no inflight snacks to be had."

Now it was Spike's turn to be confused by the events that followed, with things becoming really weird right after climbing up on Pinkie's back. He was sure the glass to the door that lead out to the balcony would've shattered from how hard it was opened as they exited. And he had no idea just how Pinkie had managed to fit all four of her hooves onto the balcony's rail, or how she'd done so as quick as she was moving. But he was certain when she performed her high jumped with him clinging to her for dear life, that down below on the ground level of Ponyville, the display looked so, so awesome to anyone looking up at the time as they soared above head, and over to where they landed on the roof of a building he was certain was too far out of their reach.

Twilight merely mumbled to herself, before rolling over onto her other side, and snuggling further under the sheet, the smile never leaving her face.

Spike clung onto Pinkie for utter dear life as she was carried along on a journey across various rooftops, large distances covered in a single perky bound, the impact of each and every single one of the landings being felt as it traveled up Pinkie's body and into his own. At several points he was utterly amazed that he hadn't been thrown off, and Pinkie didn't seem the least bit bothered by it. How could she take these brutal impacts with such ease and seeming grace?

However such thoughts were abandoned once the Carousel Boutique came into view. Just a few more seconds... just a few more seconds...

"We're here!" Pinkie announced upon landing in front of the building. Or at least she would have, if Spike hadn't jumped -or maybe he'd been thrown from the impact of the landing? It was so hard to tell, based on the angle and trajectory he'd taken before landing- off her back, and more or less dove head first through the diamond-shaped pet door in the front. She didn't have time to laugh at his hips getting stuck momentarily, before he got his legs moving, allowing him to get all the way inside, and disappear from her view.

By the time Pinkie made her own way into the boutique, Spike was already scrambling about the building as fast as his little legs could carry him, frantically yelling out "Rarity!" as he ran from room to room. This just left Pinkie all the more confused; usually she was the one who did random and unexplainable stuff.

"Rarity!" Spike called as he dashed down the hallway, only to find himself enveloped in Pinkie's forelegs as she swept him off his feet and held him off the ground to keep him from moving.

"Spike, what's going on? You're starting to make me nervous," she stated as she looked at him, wanting to know just what was bothering him, and how she might be able to help him.

Spike struggled and squirmed within her grasp to get loose, before eventually accepting the fact that he wasn't anymore likely to get free from Pinkie, than he was from Twilight.

"Celestia wrote and said that Rainbow Dash isn't in Canterlot anymore. She thinks she's on her way to Ponyville," he explained as calmly as he could.

"That's wonderful!" Pinkie stated excitedly and hugged Spike tighter. "This-" she started, only to have Spike pin her lips shut to keep her from talking any further.

"No Pinkie, this is terrible! Rainbow Dash wasn't discharged, she escaped! She's not better, she's not well. And if she escaped from Canterlot, there's the possibility that she came back here to finish what she started. And that means we need to find Rarity, and warn her before Rainbow Dash can get to her," he stated. The last thing he needed right now was Pinkie thinking that this was a matter that called for celebration, when it reality it call for anything but. This was a serious, serious issue, and he was going to need all the help he could get. And like it or not, Pinkie was apparently the only one that could help him right now.

"Now," Spike said as he let go of her mouth, "can you help me?" he asked, doing his best to be serious and mature in this matter.

It was a desperate, pleading expression that Pinkie saw on Spike's face as he looked at her. Despite his best efforts at sounding mature and in control, she recognized the fact, that he recognized the fact, that he was in over his head, and in desperate need of help from an outside participant; an outside participant that likely wasn't Twilight, seeing as how she was currently sleeping. And he was currently directing his plea right at her. How in Equestria could she possibly turn him down, even without that face?

"Sure thing, Spike, where do we start?" she asked as she set him back down on his feet.

Spike opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again almost immediately. For all the thought he'd given on how to get over here, he hadn't really given any thought to what he'd do once he actually got here. He'd been more or less planning on grabbing Rarity on sight and trying to drag her back to the library where she'd be safe. He'd never stopped to consider that he'd get here too late. That put him in a difficult position, as he tried to think of how to proceed.

"Help me find Rarity. She's gotta be here somewhere... I hope," he finally replied, hoping that the silence of the Carousel Boutique meant that it was empty, rather than the possibility of it housing a corpse somewhere. He didn't even want to being considering the possibility of happening upon that.

"You can count on me, Spike," Pinkie replied and saluted with her right foreleg, "I... hey wait a second. What's that over there on the wall?"

Spike wasn't sure what to think. Was Pinkie being a clown again? At a time like this!? He was just about to yell that they didn't have time for games, but his own youthful curiosity managed to get the best of him, and he looked in the direction she was gesturing. And instead of seeing something nonsensical, he saw something that could be quite important; a large jagged hole punched right through the drywall, and left unpatched as it displayed the insulation that was behind it.

"Nothing good," Spike mumbled as he stepped closer to examine it, hoping that its presence would hold some measure of evidence that would seemingly jump out at him. Maybe the circumference of the hole could tell him what had been used to make it in the first place.

And then something caught his eye. Something that was small, and almost imperceptible in nature. Something caught on a rough spot of the broken drywall, and jutting out in a manner that just didn't seem natural in this matter. Carefully he reached into the hole and plucked it out, bringing it into the light for a better look.

It was a small tuft of fur. Blue fur. Cyan blue fur to be precise.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Pinkie asked as her head hovered over his tiny shoulder in an effort to get a better look at what he held, and not liking what it looked like.

"That Rainbow Dash got here first? Y-yeah..." Spike replied shakily. They were too late. What were they going to do now? What could they do now? "This is very, very bad..."

"Is it?" Pinkie asked him. When he turned around to face her, she raised her hoof to keep him from talking. "Look around, Spike, what do you see?"

Spike blinked, not getting what Pinkie was saying. He looked around the room, but didn't see anything out of place. What could she be seeing that he wasn't? Had she slipped back into random mode again or something?

"I don't see anything," he finally replied, stumped at what she was getting at.

"That's just it, Spike, there's nothing out of place, except for the hole. We both know Dashie's not organized, she wouldn't have cleaned up whatever mess she made before leaving. So where exactly are the signs of a struggle occurring here?" she asked.

She really didn't want to speak ill of one of her friends, and especially not when they weren't present to defend themselves. But it was a simple truth that Rainbow Dash had some serious slob tendencies to her, and if she'd been here and had gotten to Rarity first, then there's no way the boutique would be this clean and in order. It just wasn't a physical possibility; or at least not one that possessed any great likelihood of actually occurring.

It took Spike a minute to realize just what Pinkie was trying to say. But he was seeing what it was she was saying. The boutique was way too pristine for anything to have happened here. Maybe Rarity had managed to escape on her own? And if that was the case, then there was the chance that she was still alright!

But... at preset time it was just a theory. Just a random possibility. They had no hard evidence to prove the idea of Rarity still being alive and unharmed, nor did they have any evidence to show that Rarity was... was... Spike didn't want to finish that thought.

"So what now?" he finally asked, hoping that she had some idea of how they should proceed.

"Hmm..." Pinkie mumbled as she rubbed her chin in thought. That was a very good question. "Dashie's hard to not notice. Maybe she should ask some of the townsponies if they saw her and where she might've gone? Maybe ask if Rarity was with her?" she suggested, seeing it as the best option available to them.

Spike tried to think, trying his best to be logical, reasonable, and intelligent in the matter. He really did try, but at the moment all he could think about was trying to find Rarity before it was too late.

"The heart wants what it wants," he remembered Ulquiorra saying, regarding Roseluck's love for her changeling special somepony. And right now that was what he was facing. He knew that they should get Ulquiorra alerted and involved since he could help with the search. But he didn't want to do that if the Espada was going to come in and take over the operation like some obstructive bureaucrat, who let red tape get in the way of common sense. He didn't want to be benched on the sidelines, and left to do nothing but wait.

Fuck that!

"Sounds good to me," Spike replied, before climbing up onto Pinkie's back again. "Let's get going!"

Chapter Fifty Six

Chapter Fifty Six

Rarity's pace and gait were slow as she traveled. Her hoofsteps weren't very well paced, much like a bad little foal who was trying to postpone their punishment for as long as possible, trying to buy a few more seconds of what could pass for freedom.

Off to the side was Rainbow Dash, whose hoofsteps were resonating with a greater degree of force as she marched along. And therein laid the complication of everything; Rainbow Dash's presence. With her horn currently throbbing like it was, there was no way she could utilize her magic right now in order to aid her in an escape. And if she were to suddenly just break and make a run for it, the cyan pegasus would be on her like a diamond dog on a diamond, what with the difference in their speeds. Trying to run would likely just make Rainbow Dash all the angrier, and that would translate rather poorly for her.

Then again, she wasn't really trying to make any efforts of escaping. She could certainly make an effort, but that wasn't exactly what she had in mind right now.

And even if she did manage to get away, and by some chance managed to evade her pursuer, Rainbow Dash might go after the others in her place. And that simply wouldn't do. The fewer unaccounted for variables that were in play right now, they better off they all were. So long as she had Rainbow Dash here with her right now, she could exercise at least some miniscule amount of control over how the situation developed.

And speaking of control, she needed to begin exercising some of that right now.

"So..." Rarity spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had been had since leaving the boutique. "You've obviously been giving this matter a lot of thought, since you've come all the way from Canterlot to tend to this matter. So I can't help but wonder what you plan on doing once you've actually done it."

"Shut up and keep moving," Rainbow Dash grunted in response.

"Sorry, just trying to pass the time," Rarity commented as she continued to trudge along. She really had no idea where Rainbow Dash was leading her just now, and she couldn't help but be curious as to where the cyan pegasus intended to do the deed. All she knew for certain was that it wasn't going to be within the borders of Ponyville. She had suspected from the beginning that the Everfree Forest was a likely destination. But just how far in would they be traveling? "You do know that if you go through with this, there's bound to be severe consequences to be had, correct? Legal repercussions and all that..."

"I don't care. None of it can be worse than what you put me through already. Nothing could possibly be worse than that," Rainbow Dash growled.

Rarity winced at Rainbow Dash's answer, the hurt of the accusations still quite painful to experience, despite knowing full well that it was false.

"Perhaps not, but there are others besides yourself involved in this. What about Scootaloo, and what she'll be put through?" she asked as she slowed her pace to a stop, just behind Rainbow Dash as she too came to a stop. "How will she react if she finds out you're being tried for murder? And if you plan on fleeing, how would she react if she believed you'd abandoned her without notice? Surely that must be taken into consideration, right?" she asked, hoping the mention of Scootaloo would cause Rainbow Dash to stop and think about more than just simple revenge. Surely there was some part of the mare's mind that wasn't obsessed with violence, and could still see her hoof before her face. If she cared about anything, it had to be Scootaloo. If she could just get her to stop and think for just a few moments, then perhaps she could achieve that goal, and help her friend realize her errors.

"Don't you dare try and drag Scootaloo into this! You've got no business even mentioning her name. She's not your pawn to play with anytime you want," Rainbow Dash growled as she turned to face her, her lips curling back to expose her teeth as she snarled. "You mention her name again and I'm gonna knock your teeth down your throat..."

As unladylike as it would be, Rarity nearly snorted in response to the threat Rainbow Dash was making. If the cyan pegasus was full intending to kill her, did she believe administering what would be temporary injuries, would be enough to intimidate her into silence? The utter foalishness of it all. It was right up there with how in so many stories, the villain of the scene would demand that the protagonist stop running and come back of their own volition, as if they were scolding an unruly foal.

"Tell me something, darling. Considering just who she's friends with, what will you do should Sweetie Belle come to you, asking you to help in finding me?" she asked, showing that she was unfazed by the threat made against her. "You might be able to get away with what you're about to do, seeing as there are no witnesses. But the law is not the only thing you'll have to face. You really won't be able to stay in Ponyville, will you? Not with Applejack, Pinkie, and the rest of the girls here, going about living their lives as if nothing's wrong, being seen as pillars of the community. How will you ever be able to go about your days, when you have to interact with them on a regular basis? Will you ever be able to think of cupcakes again without thinking about Pinkie? And what about reading? Will you ever be able to look at the "Daring Do" series without thinking about all the things Twilight subjected you to? Do you really think that killing me will make everything alright?"

"S-s-s-shut up!" Rainbow Dash stuttered, not wanting to hear what Rarity had to say. If she paid the unicorn any mind she was going to start doubting herself and her conviction, and she couldn't allow that to happen.

"We both possess Elements of Harmony, Rainbow Dash, we're both of very great importance to Equestria. Do you really think that either one of us can just disappear like regular ponies, and not be found? Do you really think Celestia or Luna will allow either one of us to go missing, and not exhaust considerable resources in searching for us?" Rarity asked, pressing onward with her vocal assault. Rainbow Dash was starting to have serious doubts, and she could see that fact for herself being reflected in her demeanor. Her conviction to what she believed was being shaken. She needed to press onward. "And that's to say nothing of Ulquiorra himself. Do you honestly believe that, as devoted as he is to protecting Equestria from harm, that he would ever stop searching for us?"

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up! You're just trying to save your own flank! You don't care about anything, you're just trying to confuse me!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she tried to grasp her head and cover her ears with her hooves, trying to drown out what she was being told. She didn't need these thoughts in her head right now. She didn't need to be doubting the legitimacy of her quest; not after everything she'd been through up to this point.

Rarity observed Rainbow Dash's reaction. This certainly wasn't exactly what she'd been expecting to occur. She'd been trying to cast doubt, and it looked like the results had gone considerably further than what she'd intended. It looked like Rainbow Dash was starting to panic, what with her wings bristling and twitching, and how hard she was starting to breathe. Introducing doubt was fine, but initiating an anxiety attack wasn't. She hadn't foreseen this development occurring, and as a result she needed to respond accordingly. This was going to require a different approach to things, unorthodox as it might seem.

Without a word, Rarity moved to behind Rainbow Dash while she was distracted, and wrapped her forelegs around her exposed midsection in order to pull her into an embrace.

"Easy now, darling, easy, easy," she said in a gentle voice as she firmly held Rainbow Dash to her. "Slow, deep breaths now. You don't want to hyperventilate, you'll pass out if you do."

She knew the matter had to look weird. Rainbow Dash had come all the way to Ponyville for the express purpose of killing her, and what was she doing right now? Instead of taking advantage of the situation, and utilizing the opening presented by said pegasus, she was actively trying to keep her calm before she hurt herself. And considering how stiff Rainbow Dash's body was getting at the moment, that wasn't going to be easy.

"It's alright, Rainbow Dash, it's alright, just breathe and relax. Slow and deep, just like when you're preparing for one of your marvelous aerial displays," she instructed as she held her.

She understood that Rainbow Dash would have reason and motivation to resist her, to fight her, to refuse her advice as she tried futilely to struggle against her being in a blind spot that couldn't be reached. That was part of the reason she'd gone with a from behind embrace to begin with; a solid hit to her body wouldn't be likely in this position. But she also understood that the physical need for air, combined with soothing words, and a gentle voice on top of it, would eventually win out. Right now it was just a matter of waiting for it to actually happen.

A wait that, thankfully, was short in nature, once she felt and heard Rainbow Dash finally stop struggling, and begin breathing deeply.

"That's right, darling, just like that. Slow, deep breaths. Just close your eyes, and think about the Wonderbolts," Rarity said as she felt Rainbow Dash's body stop being quite so tense. She could feel her starting to sag against her instead of being stiff like a plank of wood.

"Why?" Rainbow Dash wheezed as her haunches rested against the grassy ground. "Why're you doing this? I-I came here to kill you," she pointed out, confused by this current course of action that was being taken. Her head had been spinning before all this started, but now it was threatening to come right off at the neck.

"Because I care, regardless," Rarity replied simply, as the embrace slowly morphed into something more akin to a hug. So far so good. Now it was time to proceed deeper. She needed to lay more doubt to what Rainbow Dash currently believed. "Do you remember the first time we met?" she asked.

"Shut up," Rainbow Dash stated, but without the previous firmness of her earlier statements.

"You came into my humble little shop, looking for the "sewing pony" on duty, and carrying everything you had to your name, in a set of threadbare saddlebags that looked like they could give out at any minute. A quart jar of liquid rainbow, a small bag of bits, a limited edition foil-back Wonderbolts poster, and an old ripped T-shirt, autographed by the former Wonderbolts captain Swifthoof. You asked me if I could fix that old shirt that had gotten damaged the day before during the move you made to Ponyville. I remember suggesting that it be thrown away, due to the condition it was in, but you wouldn't hear of it. I saw that look of utter desperation on your face; the look of a mare who was between a rock and a hard place with no easy way out. No matter how hard I try, I don't think I'll ever be able to forget that look on your face, when you were faced with the prospect of losing something that was so dear to you," Rarity continued, paying no mind to Rainbow Dash's objection.

"Stop it..."

"I never told anyone this before, darling, but I nearly cried when I learned that small bag of bits you offered up as payment was all you had left after buying your new home here, and would have to serve as the entirety of your food budget for the next two weeks, until you finally started getting your paychecks from the weather bureau. How could I possibly ask even one bit from you when I learned of such a predicament? What kind of soulless monster would prey on another in such a despicable manner, exploiting their emotional state just to make a profit?" Rarity asked rhetorically. When Rainbow Dash said nothing in response she continued. "Do you remember that, Rainbow Dash?"

"Stop... please stop..."

"But you didn't want to rely on what you perceived as charity. So what did you do? You met Applejack for the first time, and took a second job at Sweet Apple Acres to earn extra money, and proceeded to pay off the amount, a little every week, even after I made it clear that you didn't have to. You said you didn't want to welch out on what you owed others. Even back then, such devotion to what you believed was right. Such loyalty..." Rarity continued, ignoring the pleas being issued. "That was something I always admired about you, darling. Your strength of character, your devotion to what you believe is right, even if others don't agree with you on it."

By this point Rainbow Dash was no longer objecting as she spoke.

"How many times has your dedication to what's right, been instrumental in getting us out of trouble?" Rarity asked her.

"Stop. Just... just stop already. Why're you doing this?" Rainbow Dash asked in response, her voice trembling as she spoke.

"Because I want you to understand something very simple," Rarity replied as she leaned in closer, her lips almost brushing against the fur on Rainbow Dash's ear in the process. "I trust you..." she whispered softly.

Rainbow Dash tried to breathe. But she found her breath caught in her throat at Rarity's statement of trust.

"W... w... what did you say?" she wheezed out.

"I said that I trust you," Rarity repeated, the embrace morphing into what could more accurately be described as a hug. "I don't always understand the why of what you do, Rainbow Dash, but you always do the right thing regardless. And that's why I trust you, because I know that you'll do what's right. You wouldn't have set out to do this if you didn't believe it was the right thing to do," she explained as she slowly withdrew her forelegs, thus allowing Rainbow Dash to go and move about freely of her own volition.

Rainbow Dash remained silent as she slumped forward, coming to rest on all four of her hooves once again, as the words replayed in her mind. Rarity... trusted her? Even when knowing exactly why they'd come out all this way, she still said that she trusted her, and believed that whatever course of action was taken, she was alright with it because she believed she was making the right decision? She... she...

"I think I'm gonna be sick..."

As much as Rainbow Dash's statement filled Rarity with a desire to be anywhere else but here right now, she couldn't exactly excuse herself from the situation. But that was due to a number of factors more than any one single or specific thing. She watched with her body tense, as the cyan pegasus stumbled over to the closest piece of undergrowth in the area, her body trembling as she coughed and retched, before finally managing to vomit where she stood.

Rarity didn't want to be here at all. She detested the smell, and she absolutely abhorred the sound of it all. But despite her own apprehension, she couldn't bring herself to turn and run away when Rainbow Dash was so vulnerable. She was left with little option but to grit her teeth behind her lips, will her stomach to stay settled, and approach in order to rub Rainbow Dash's exposed back as her body shook and heaved.

It was little more than support work she was doing right now, filling the difficult role of being there to supply compassion and comfort to one in need, and offer gentle words advising Rainbow Dash to stay calm, even when her body was fighting against itself for air, and the ensuing struggle was choking her.

Finally though, Rainbow Dash's vomiting episode came to an end and she slumped back on her haunches, nearly falling over backwards in the process, her body racked by her efforts at breathing, with tear stains running down the fur on her cheeks from everything that'd just happened.

"It's alright now, darling, it's alright," Rarity reassured her and rubbed her back again, even if Rainbow Dash herself didn't believe it. And her being a mess didn't really help matters any. She attempted to flex her magic, and was surprised to see that she could muster basic levitation without too much pain from the blow she'd taken to her horn. She gathered up a clump of leaves, and used them as a makeshift rag to wipe Rainbow Dash's mouth off to the best of her currently limited abilities.

Rarity knew that she was partly to blame for this whole mess. Ever since encountering Rainbow Dash back at the carousel Boutique, she'd been switching from one argumentative position to another with the cyan pegasus, keeping her unbalanced and distracted in an effort to keep her focus away from an area where she could do some real harm. With all the contradictory statements she'd made in such a short amount of time, forcing Rainbow Dash from one emotional standard to another without warning, it was no wonder that she'd gotten sick.

"Come with me back to the boutique, darling. You could use some fresh tea, a warm bath, and a soft bed. You've been through so much already, there's no need to keep struggling. You don't want to do this, I know you don't," Rarity told her as she discarded the bunched up pile of soiled leaves.

"For once you're right," Rainbow Dash mumbled as she climbed back to her hooves again, slightly unsteady in the process before she finally regained her balance. "I don't want to do this, I really don't. But I have to do this. I don't have any other choice in the matter," she stated.

Rarity blinked, confused by the statement. "I'm sorry, dear, but could you clarify? I really don't understand."

"Yeah I'm not surprised by that. You wouldn't be able to understand it on your own," Rainbow Dash grumbled. "What you and the others did to me, that was unforgivable. Just absolutely unforgivable. I don't care what Celestia said on the matter, or that she's not taking it seriously, I know what happened, I know what I experienced in your basement last week, and nothing's going to be able to convince me otherwise," she growled as she leaned in closer, her face inching towards Rarity's as she stared her in the eyes. "What you did to me was unforgivable. But if it'd just been me, it would've been different. But you couldn't leave well enough alone, and you just had to cross the line by threatening Scootaloo. That was where you went too far. That's when I realized there was far more at stake than just my future. That's when I made the decision that, no matter the cost, I would do whatever it meant to protect Scootaloo... even if it meant killing you and the others..."

Rarity coughed, trying not to breathe in the stench that Rainbow Dash's breath carried with it. But what hurt was her inability to respond to the accusations right now. All she could do was allow Rainbow Dash to keep speaking in an undisturbed manner.

"Do you get it now? Do you get why I don't have any choice in the matter? On why this is so fucking hard for me? That little filly is important to me. She's the one thing in this world I would actually consider putting ahead of the Wonderbolts. And you just had to go and threaten her safety in order to control me. So do you finally get it!? Do you get why I have to kill you now!?" She asked, her voice growing in both level in ferocity as she spoke. "I'd rather be anywhere else, doing anything else right now other than this. I don't want to be a killer, but it's the only way I know of that'll keep Scootaloo safe! You die, and nopony will be cutting off her wings. It's that simple!" she shouted as new tears began to spill down her cheeks, running along the already established pathways from the last bout. "Why did you have to be one of my friends? Why did it have to be you that did this? Why couldn't you've been mind screwed by Discord again?"

The questions were entirely rhetoric in nature. She never expected anything resembling an actual answer being given to anything she asked. And with Rarity crying right now, she really didn't expect to get anything resembling an actual answer out of her. Never mind though, it wasn't important right now.

"Let's just get this over with. If I spend any more time thinking about it, I might not be able to do it," Rainbow Dash spoke up. "Turn around. One blow to the back of the skull, it'll be quick, and it'll be painless. For the both of us," she instructed, hoping Rarity wouldn't fight her on the matter any. This was hard for all of them.

The irony of this turn of events wasn't lost on Rainbow Dash, even in her current state. She was getting ready to use the same technique for execution that Ulquiorra had used to end Cupid's suffering in the aftermath of the manticore attack. But now wasn't the time for such observations. Now was the time for action, while she still had the nerve to go through with it.

"That's right, kill her..."

Rainbow Dash stopped where she stood. She hadn't thought that. She hadn't thought that. That wasn't the voice she was familiar with when she thought of stuff. When she was thinking of things, it was her own voice she heard. Or at least something resembling her own voice, maybe a little deeper in nature, but it was still hers.

But that which had crossed her mind just now. That didn't sound like any voice she was familiar with.

"What are you waiting for? Kill her..."

Definitely not any voice that she was familiar with.

"Kill her..."

"Shut up!" Rainbow Dash yelled in response as she looked up, trying to find the source of just where that voice was coming from. Who or what was speaking to her right now, and whispering in her ear?

"What are you doing? The longer you wait, the more time you give Rarity to work her unicorn magic on you..."

"Go away," Rainbow Dash grumbled and swatted at the air around her right ear, like she was being pestered by a mosquito that simply wouldn't go away.

Rarity, meanwhile, was utterly confused about what she was witnessing. Confused to the point that she was no longer crying, as other emotions were bubbling to the forefront of her mind right now. What was going on with Rainbow Dash? Why was she talking to herself, and acting like she was being physically pestered.

"Rainbow Dash?"

"Leave me alone!"

"What are you doing? Stop procrastinating. Do you actually want Scootaloo to be raped by this unicorn who claimed to be your friend? Your adult body could withstand the torment, but her little filly body will be ripped asunder fifteen minutes into it all! You know what you have to do, now do it!"

"Leave me alone!" Rainbow Dash yelled angrily and vigorously moved her head from side to side, trying to find the source of the noise. It was halfway between a voice being heard, and a voice being thought of and remembered. That was the best way she knew of how to describe it right about now.

"Come on, stop procrastinating. Kill Rarity already. Be a good little mare already. Kill her and then we'll have pizza, with margarita shooters..."

"Rainbow Dash?"

"Shut up!" Rainbow Dash yelled angrily, followed by countless repeating of the same statement as she started to rear up and slam her forehooves against the forest floor.

Rarity wanted to say something. Anything. She wanted to ask what was wrong. To apologize for whatever she did to upset Rainbow Dash. She wanted to grab her and hug her for dear life and try to calm her down. She just wanted to help the poor dear right now.

Without warning Rainbow Dash took off running, slamming head first into the nearest tree. The sound of the impact caused Rarity to flinch, and she couldn't help but wonder just how she remained standing afterward. How could her entire frame have not been shaken from such a blow?

Unfortunately she didn't have the chance to ask, as before she knew it, Rainbow Dash had pulled back and slammed her head into the tree again. What was going on here? And was it actually possible for this situation to get any worse?

"... And that's all I know, Sir, I swear. That's all I remember before you found me in the gardens. I honestly don't know anything else..." Goodwill answered nervously as she sat on the chair in the infirmary, her horn currently bandaged to help reduce the throbbing she'd been experiencing since regaining consciousness.

Since the moment she'd been brought to by Princess Celestia's smelling salts spell, everything had been uncomfortable to experience; especially the interrogation she'd been subjected to since being bandaged up by her fellow nurse.

Then again, she wasn't entirely sure this could be considered an interrogation. The Espada -she still couldn't understand how to properly pronounce his name- hadn't subjecting her to any harsh lights, uncomfortable conditions, or making threats of violence for failure to comply. Nor was he being rude or hostile towards her during her apprehension. In fact he hadn't really done anything except ask her questions about her interactions with Rainbow Dash. At times some of the questions didn't make sense to her, or even seem relevant.

The only thing he really did that made her nervous, besides turning his stare towards her at times and causing her to flinch away, was when he would walk around her and spend an uncomfortable amount of time standing behind her. That inability to see him made her tense up in fear of being smacked on the back of the head for some issue she wasn't even aware of committing. Now that it had happened, but it still gave her a strong sense of apprehension and unease.

She didn't know what was going on for sure. But she suspected that if something bad was going to happen to her, Princess Celestia would've objected to such, seeing as she was in the room as well.

All in all, it had been a very uncomfortable twenty minutes.

"I have little doubt towards that assessment of fact," Ulquiorra replied, unable to detect any reiatsu fluctuations that would be consistent with -or at least suggest- the unicorn lying. Why she might lie was another question entirely, and best reserved for another time when things weren't quite so dire. "I have no more questions at this time."

"You... you mean that I'm free to go? Just like this?" Goodwill asked, not entirely believing what he was saying.

"That is a call only Princess Celestia is authorized to make. However I see no reason as to why you wouldn't be allowed to leave," he replied. While it was true the unicorn nurse had been tasked with looking after Rainbow Dash, it would be very difficult to make for how she could've been held responsible for letting the cyan pegasus escape. She had been blindsided in the matter, and couldn't be held accountable anymore than someone who had been knocked unconscious with a rock from behind.

Assuming they lived through such an experience, that is.

Celestia nodded. "That will be all, my little pony. I'll send for you if you're needed further," she explained, allowing Goodwill to leave the infirmary. Once they were alone, she turned her attention to where Ulquiorra stood. "So did you manage to gather anything useful from that line of questioning?" she asked him.

"Very little," Ulquiorra replied. Despite his earlier observations and assessments of Rainbow Dash, she was proving to be far more intelligent that she was originally given credit for. The little information she had shared with Nurse Goodwill -what Nurse Goodwill could actually recollect during questioning- had contained scarce details; nothing that might suggest a predictable course of action, or location that she might have fled to.

His questioning hadn't even been able to provide a more in-depth view into Rainbow Dash's current mental state. The answers he'd gotten had been nothing more than the observations and interpretations of another. And the truth of the matter was that Nurse Goodwill simply wasn't trained in an adequate manner that would help him; she was a healthcare provider, but only when it came to basic physical health. Mental health was en entirely different matter, and would require evaluation in person.

"What of your letter to Ponyville?" he asked her.

Celestia blinked, both in surprise and confusion. She hadn't told him anything about writing a letter to Ponyville; he'd been preoccupied with other matters at hoof during that time. She opened her mouth to ask him exactly how he'd known about that. But before she even got a syllable out, she closed her mouth again. She could just imagine him scolding her regarding a matter of ignorance. She could just imagine the kind of response he might give her if she asked. "Instead of spending time to question how I am aware of your actions, it could be better utilized by supplying the requested information." Or something like that.

And realistically she knew that he would have a point. How he knew about her activities wasn't exactly important right now. She'd question him later.

"No response as of yet. Which, much like everything else that's happened up to this point, could literally mean anything," she replied. Sometimes the notion of no news being good news, was just so wrong it wasn't even funny.

Ulquiorra said nothing in response, seeing nothing else that really needed to be contributed to this particular discussion. Princess Celestia had already said everything that needed to be said.

That thought, however, was soon displaced by something making itself noticeable to him. The next thing he knew, a clump of loose feathers flashed into existence in front of Princess Celestia, her telekinetic hold being the only thing to keep them from falling to the floor and scattering.

"Are those... could those be Rainbow Dash's feathers?" she asked curiously.

On sight alone the answer was impossible to answer. Despite them being cyan in coloring, Rainbow Dash wasn't the only cyan-colored pegasus he had seen. And with them currently in her hold, it was equally impossible to get an accurate reading on the reiryoku they contained. With that fact in mind he plucked one out of her field to examine it, holding the quill portion between his thumb and forefinger, allowing him to rotate it.

"They are. Several of her secondary and tertiary feathers, based on their size. With a reiryoku concentration that suggests they were found only a short time ago; no more than an hour at the very most. They were likely yanked right out of the wing, which might suggest some sort of struggle occurred," he explained as he examined it. The freshness of the feathers, combined with the flash of green flames that had delivered them, amounted to circumstantial evidence that would support the belief that Rainbow Dash had indeed returned to Ponyville. But there was still much that they didn't yet know.

"This is enough to suggest that Rainbow Dash is back in Ponyville, as they were sent via Spike's flame. However it is not actual confirmation, as Spike's location could be anywhere in the surrounding territory. He could be far out of the range of my pesquisa in any direction," he pointed out as he allowed the feather to drop.

"I suppose that's a possibility. But fortunately there are ways around that," Celestia replied as she moved the assortment of loose feathers over to one of the tables. "When Spike was made Twilight's assistant, and his flame enchanted to work as a messenger system, a beacon spell was also placed on him so back and forth communication could be achieved. We merely have to hone in on that beacon, and we'll be able to arrive at his exact location instantly," she explained.

That was certainly a development Ulquiorra hadn't yet anticipated as a possibility. But if things could truly be done in such a manner, then who was he to complain about such not being brought up earlier on?

"More teleportation then?" he asked.

"It's the fastest way to travel," Celestia pointed out. "It doesn't make you sick, does it?" she asked, partially out of curiosity over the possibility of such a development occurring. Maybe they needed to pick up some Dramamine before heading out?

"A matter of no consequence. We should be focusing our concern and efforts on finding Rainbow Dash before she can either escape, or commit harm to someone else in her present state; not on whether or not teleportation between two points can induce motion sickness," he pointed out. The things these ponies chose to worry about...

Celestia said nothing in response. She knew that Ulquiorra had a good point. Time was of the essence in this matter if they were going to find Rainbow Dash. With a nod of understanding, her horn flared to life, and in an instant they were both gone.

Author's Note

Next week: Mysteries, answers, ass kicking, fighting, and more of Ulquiorra being an all-around badass.

Chapter Fifty Seven

Chapter Fifty Seven

Rarity's attention immediately snapped to a loud rustling coming from the undergrowth behind them, causing her to tense up once she remembered that they were currently in the Everfree Forest of all places. That meant whatever was coming from behind the underbrush could quite literally be anything. How many hundreds of dangerous animals did Ulquiorra say made the Everfree Forest their home? That meant the odds of a carnivore being the one they'd encounter were quite good right now.

She knew that it was believed to be a jinx to ask what, in any particular situation, could possibly go wrong. And it was for that reason that she hadn't voiced such a statement out loud. She had the savyness to know that if she did such, she would essentially be setting herself up to fail.

But despite that effort, the situation at hoof was indeed going very wrong. Rainbow Dash was reacting to something that she could neither see nor hear, leaving her unable to help her friend. They were likely to be confronted by a vicious, pony-eating wild beast that could devour the two of them with ease. And her magic was still too weak to mount an effective defense against whatever it might be.

She knew that it was believed to be a jinx to ask what, in any particular situation, could possibly go wrong. And it was for that reason that she hadn't voiced such a statement out loud. But she had absolutely no idea that simply thinking such a question could have such an effect!

"Shut up or you're gonna be the one to die," she heard Rainbow Dash growl, bringing her attention away from the ever-growing rustling. Her distraction was just going to make the situation worse.

"Darling, I fear that we might both die if we don't get our act together. Something's coming for us!" Rarity stated firmly as she poked the cyan pegasus in the ribs to get her attention, before gesturing over to the shrubbery. "We need to work together. Killing me won't amount to anything if you die as well, will it?" she asked, hoping to snap her friend back into the here and now, and get her focused on something far more important at the moment. There was no chance in Tartarus of her being able to deal with this all on her own. And even though Rainbow Dash might be reluctant to help her with anything, she had to at least try and appeal to whatever sense of logic she still had about her.

Rainbow Dash blinked and shook her head, looking between Rarity and at the rustling bushes. She then looked between them again, and then yet again, in an effort to determine where her focus should be. Who or what should she try and deal with first and foremost?

Finally, with much uncertainty, and a grumbled "fine" she finally settled on turning to face the shrubbery, arching her back to get into a battle stance, and flex her wings for action. She'd deal with Rarity later...

The two stood side by side, shoulder to shoulder, and wither to wither, ready to face whatever threat might be coming through those bushes in search of them.

Or at least they did... until what came stumbling and tripping through the bushes with a startled yelp wasn't some carnivorous monstrosity that shouldn't even exist, but rather were three familiar faces, belonging to Spike, Pinkie, and -surprisingly enough- Ditzy. And after that discovery the tension began melting, and giving way for the utter confusion to set in.

"My word," Rarity stated in disbelief, "what're you three doing out here?" she asked as she trotted over to them in order to begin plucking the leaves and twigs off of them that they'd managed to get tangled in. Spike himself wasn't so bad, as his scales didn't lend themselves to picking up random particles of filth. A cursory dusting off would work for him. But as for Ditzy and Pinkie, oh those two were going to need special attention to get them cleaned up.

Spike wheezed as he pushed himself up into a standing position, before leaning forward and throwing his arms around Rarity's neck, too relieved to form any intelligible words at this point. Rarity returned the embrace by wrapping a foreleg around Spike's tiny shoulders.

"Don't think that I'm not glad to see you, Spike, but what exactly are you three doing so far out here in the forest?" she asked, hoping to get some kind of answer.

"We came looking for you," Pinkie replied as she climbed back to her hooves, "when we didn't find you at Carousel Boutique we got worried and came looking for you," she explained.

Ditzy nodded in agreement with Pinkie's explanation. "They asked me to help since I can actually see above the treeline. So I was out flying around, and then I saw you and Rainbow Dash walking, and relayed the information back to them."

"Yeppers! Ditzy was the eye in the sky for me and Spike! We never would've been able to find you without her help. I mean, like, ever!" Pinkie stated and nodded excitedly.

"Aww," Ditzy replied and waved her hoof dismissively, unaccustomed to the high degree of praise that was being heaped upon her. "I didn't do anything all that special."

"Didn't do anything special?!" Pinkie asked in disbelief, practically appearing right in front of Ditzy in the blink of an eye. "You pointed out right where they were! You lead us right to them! You were terrific!" she stated and proceeded to hug the gray pegasus for all she was worth.

Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, was as confused as all Tartarus by what was happening. What was happening? Where had the others come from, and how did they find them all the way out here? She could've sworn they were deep in the Everfree Forest by now.

"Could I go home now? Dinky and Sparkler might start getting worried if I'm gone too long," Ditzy finally managed to wheeze out, causing Pinkie to stop the intense hugging process.

"Sure!" Pinkie replied and let her go, her forelegs flying open as if they were spring-loaded to let the pegasus go. "Come by Sugarcube Corner sometime, I'll see to it you get a ton of muffins!"

"Woohoo!" Ditzy cheered in excitement at the prospect of muffins. Or more specifically, Sugarcube Corner muffins. How awesome was that?

Rainbow Dash watched in silence as Ditzy took off into the air, her left eye twitching the entire time. This... she didn't know what it was. Her mind was having trouble processing what was going on.

However a sudden -and very excited- yell of "Dashie!" from the side brought her attention back to the present, just in time to catch sight of Pinkie headed toward her at top speed. Giving her just barely enough time to flap and propel herself off the ground, and avoid what would've been a bone-crushing embrace.

"Stay back! Don't touch me!" she yelled.

"Dashie?" Pinkie asked, confused by the sudden display.

"You heard me! You stay away from me, or things're gonna get real ugly, deal or no deal!" Rainbow Dash stated firmly, gesturing firmly with her foreleg as she maintained her distance from the others.

"Rainbow Dash!" Spike yelled to get her attention, once he managed to find his voice, and once he finally managed to untangle himself from Rarity's embrace. "Nobody wants to hurt you. We didn't come here to hunt you down, we just came to make sure Rarity's alright. Can't we just go back to Ponyville, sit down, and talk this out like rational ponies?" he asked, trying his best to reason with her.

"No we can't. You don't get it, little dude, you have no idea what happened," Rainbow Dash called back down.

"Bullshit!" Spike called back up to her. "I heard everything you told Celestia about what happened to you, about what the others did to you. You think I'm some ignorant little baby dragon?" he asked rhetorically as he looked up at where she hovered. "I get it. I really do. But that doesn't mean I can just stand by, and let you hurt Rarity, or anyone else for that matter..." he stated and paused to gulp nervously, trying to steady his nerves. "And... if I have to... I'm gonna stop you myself..."

Utter silence followed Spike's statement, nopony really knowing what to say in response to his declaration of intent.

At least until Rarity finally found her voice.

"Oh my," she stated slowly, his words sinking in, "Spike, as much as I appreciate your chivalry and dedication, I really don't think this is the right course of action," she warned.

"Yeah, Spike, fighting's not the answer," Pinkie added as she bounced over to where he stood. "We should be trying to help Dashie, not hurting her."

"I really don't think she's gonna be giving us much choice in the matter," Spike replied, mentally trying his hardest to summon the courage and strength that he would need to address this problem. He had to remember the two specific motivators driving him to this course of action; his friends, and more specifically Rarity. He was doing this for them... for all of them. That included Rainbow Dash as well. He didn't want to be the one tasked with hurting his friends. But if she didn't abandon this foolish quest of hers, then he would have no choice but to try and smack some sense into her.

"Don't do this, little dude, I don't wanna hurt you. You didn't do anything wrong, there's no reason for you to be getting involved in this. Just turn around and go back to Ponyville, and let the adults sort this out," Rainbow Dash told him. She really, really didn't want to hurt Spike. Why'd he have to go and get involved in all of this anyway?

"Not gonna happen," Spike replied without missing a beat, "if you want Rarity... then you're gonna have to go through me first," he stated and made his right hand into a fist, his voice carrying much more conviction now.

Rainbow Dash couldn't believe what she was hearing. Spike was actually... challenging her? Was he really that dedicated? Or just that foalish? Why did things actually have to be so hard? Couldn't anything go easy for her, just once?

"Fine," she spat and frowned. If Spike was going to ally himself with Rarity, rather than taking the opportunity to flee, then she could no longer count him as being innocent in the matter. He was just another obstacle in the road. Just another potential threat to address. "I'll pound you into purple dust if that's what it takes!"

The dive was so quick that Spike didn't have the time to physically react. Even though he could see Rainbow Dash's movements, that did little good if he didn't have the capabilities to react to them. The next thing he knew, he found himself in a choke hold, with her right foreleg wrapped around his neck, as he was dragged along for the ride, and effortlessly lifted up off the ground.

Spike struggled to get loose from the choke hold he was in, before Rainbow Dash stopped ascending, and hurled him at the trunk of a tree.

"Spike!" Rarity yelled in horror as she watched, helpless to do anything as Spike forcefully crashed into the tree with a sickening thud that could be heard all the way back where she and Pinkie were. And she was equally helpless as his body slid down the trunk of the tree, before coming to a stop at its base.

She tried to move, to go to Spike's aid, only to be stopped by Pinkie effortlessly lifting her up off the ground, leaving her suspended as she flailed about in a desperate and mad effort to get loose.

"No, Rarity, I know it hurts but we can't get involved. Spike made me Pinkie Promise that I wouldn't let you get hurt, and I'm not about to let him down!" Pinkie informed her. Even if it hurt her to keep her promise, which involved watching as Spike got hurt. She had little choice in the matter, other than keep Rarity restrained, and try to move her out of the area.

Spike groaned in pain. The impact against the tree had hurt considerably, and his entire body ached. He was half tempted to just stay down, and forget the whole thing. Maybe he really was in over his head, and should let the older ones take care of this. They were the ones with more experience, they were the ones that went out on the missions while he stayed at home. What good could he possibly do against her?

But the other half couldn't allow that to happen. If he stayed down, Rainbow Dash would turn on Rarity next. He had to stand back up, fighting his way through the pain, as he forced his body back upright again. The longer he could stay up on his feet, the longer he could keep Rainbow Dash focused on him.

And what better way to do that, than to challenge her?

"Is that all you got?" he asked her, hoping to rile her up enough to keep her focused on him and only him.

Rainbow Dash couldn't believe what she was seeing. How could Spike even stand after that blow? And he was challenging her? Just how hard did she have to beat him before he would see reason and stop this foalishness?

"I'll show you what I've got!" she started and flew directly at him.

And headed directly into an oncoming stream of green fire as Spike exhaled in her direction.

About a billion thoughts were racing through her mind in that instance. Had Spike planned that all out? Had he deliberately laid a trap for her? How had she forgotten that he could breathe fire? How could he breathe out so much fire? However all such thoughts had given way to blind instinct as she swerved to avoid being burnt. But not before her wing was singed by the fire as she tried to avoid the brunt of it.

Rainbow Dash pulled back to put some distance between herself and Spike. She was going to need to rethink her strategy. Looking over at her wing she noticed that several feathers were gone, and more had scorch marks on them. She could still fly, but if she lost much more, she was going to need to drastically overcompensate just to remain aloft.

"Are you ready to be reasonable yet? Or do I have to beat some sense into you!?" Spike yelled up to her.

Rainbow Dash frowned down at Spike. Was he really serious with that line of questioning? What could he possibly do from down there, when she was all the way up here?

"Come up here and say that to my face if you're so brave!" she yelled back down at him.

Spike frowned up at her. "Why should I even waste the effort on a coward? What's your problem anyway? You're not chicken are you?"

Spike knew full well that he was approaching a serious area by calling Rainbow Dash's concept of bravery into question. And he was going even further by calling her a chicken. But that was something that he had to do. He had to keep Rainbow Dash's focus on him rather than Rarity; he was far more durable and could withstand a much greater beating without getting seriously injured.

Fortunately it seemed his gamble had paid off, as Rainbow Dash took the bait, and swooped down upon him, ready to deliver what was bound to be a devastating blow to his face with her hoof.

However she never got the chance to do that, as he managed -either through sheer luck, or impeccable unconscious planning- to catch her foreleg between his hands, and use her momentum against her, as he wrenched her with all his might and slammed sideways into the same tree he'd been thrown against. The impact produced a very painful sounding crunch, but at the same time the force was enough to break the hold he had on her, and she was more or less sent flying from his grasp, before bouncing and hitting the ground, and proceeding to roll.

Spike was panting at this point. Fighting in real life was a whole lot more difficult than just studying the theories behind the actions, and practicing the movements in a controlled environment. He might've been strong, but Rainbow Dash was still a lot of weight to just toss around.

And unfortunately for him, Rainbow Dash was one seriously tough pegasus. Being slammed against the tree didn't seem to do all that much good, as she was already in the process of picking herself up off the ground and getting back to her hooves.

This was so not good...

"Stay down, Dash! Just stay down! I don't wanna have to do this!" he yelled at her. Didn't she realize that she was going to get hurt if this kept up?

"Too bad," Rainbow Dash panted, "you should've thought of that first."

Spike quickly found himself on the ground on his back, pinned down by Rainbow Dash, much as she'd done to Rarity. But unlike Rarity, he knew what to expect, and managed to pull his head to the side to avoid the hoof that'd been coming right at his face.

He managed to counter with a hard punch straight to the gut, knocking the wind out of her.

"Get off me!" he yelled, before headbutting her right in the face, striking her muzzle with his forehead.

Off where they sat, Pinkie and Rarity could do little more than watch in great discomfort as Spike and Rainbow Dash fought. They were both familiar with how ferocious Rainbow Dash could be when she really wanted to. But Spike was managing to hold his own against her to a remarkable degree, despite his smaller size and shorter limbs. And now that he had her down on the ground, Rainbow Dash's gift of flight no longer seemed to be of assistance to her.

Whatever had happened to the sweet little dragon they'd come to know and love? This wasn't the Spike who happily wore his pink "Kiss the Cook" apron while making pancakes. This was an entirely different Spike, with a streak of viciousness that scared them, as they watched him wrestle Rainbow Dash down onto her back, as he used his legs to wrap around her neck and get her in a headlock.

"Stay down, Dash," he ordered as he tightened his hold on her as she struggled fiercely, trying to kick him from whatever angle she could. He had to keep a firm hold on her, otherwise she'd break loose again. And if she did that, he didn't know if he would have the strength to wrestle her down yet again. "Stay down, or I swear... I swear I'll break your wings..."

It hadn't been a warning -or a threat- that he would make lightly. But this was a desperate situation he found himself in, and if he didn't do something to get a leg up on the situation, then they were all going to be in deep trouble.

"You... you wouldn't," Rainbow Dash gasped in surprise at his threat. He couldn't be serious, could he? Would he really break her wings? Just like that?

"I can. And if necessary, I will," Spike warned as he tightened his hold on her neck again. "Now listen up, because I'm only going to say this once. Please don't make me have to hurt you any more."

Rainbow Dash wheezed in the hold Spike had on her, his legs feeling like pure muscle, or steel coils. Hooves were doing little good at trying to get some leverage under the offending appendages that were serving to restrict her air flow right now. Being pinned down on her back also wasn't helping out any. Things had gone very wrong, very fast, and she hadn't even seen it happening. She might've been able to pull off some acrobatic move, arching her back upward in order to kick him right in the face with her back hooves. But she could barely breathe right now, and couldn't afford to engage in too much physical movement right now.

Her thoughts, limited as they were at the time, quickly became interrupted by the sensations running over her body. She could feel herself being lifted up off the ground by something warm and tingly, like magic, while Spike's legs were unwound from around her neck.

The first thing she became properly aware of was that both she and Spike were being levitated off the ground, a safe distance away from each other. The next was that they were no longer alone out here. Standing just a few paces away from them was Celestia and Ulquiorra. And neither of them looked particularly happy right now.

"Oh shit..."

Being a Hollow, there were a great number of physical maladies that Ulquiorra wasn't prone to, as he didn't have a true physical body that could be affected. Motion sickness was one such malady that he was blessedly immune to.

That said, however, being subjected to teleportation did manage to subject him to a temporary state of impairment that left him disoriented, as his senses adjusted to the immediate change in surrounding, and worked to reassert themselves.

The distance covered by the teleportation also seemed to play a part in affecting the duration of his disoriented state. That was likely the reason he was forced to spend several seconds waiting for his senses to reassert themselves upon their arrival.

Sensory deprivation, even for him, was very unpleasant to experience. During that brief window of time he could neither see, nor hear, nor could he even sense the others around him as he couldn't even use his pesquisa. It was like being back in that void where Discord had found him. The only reason it wasn't similar to the time Twilight Sparkle utilized her flash bang spell against him was due to the lack of a ringing in his ears.

In a way the effects of teleportation were worse than the flash bang. At least the ringing in his ears let him know that his ability to hear was still intact.

Fortunately the effects were short-lived in duration, meaning he could properly function almost immediately.

However once his senses properly reestablished themselves, he wasn't expecting what it was he encountered.

They weren't truly in Ponyville, but rather in the Everfree Forest. Even without his pesquisa giving him readings of the surrounding reishi texture, it would be hard to miss the fact that this was indeed the forest. Rainbow Dash and Spike were both present, and both being held in Princess Celestia's magic. The exact reasoning for such was currently beyond him.

Beyond them were both Rarity and Pinkie Pie, looking concerned and confused.

He decided that the best course of action for the time being, was to simply remain silent and pay attention to what happened. Perhaps he could pick up on the missing details

"At the moment I only have two questions," Celestia began in addressing them. "The first is if everyone is alright? And the second is if somepony can explain to me what's been going on here?" she asked.

"I'm afraid I can't be of any help on this matter. I'm as in the dark as everyone else," Rarity spoke up, before turning her attention back to Pinkie, who was still currently holding her up off the ground. "I think it's safe to put me down now, darling..."

"Okie dokie lokie," Pinkie replied and set Rarity back down on her hooves, before making an effort to dust her off as best she could.

Celestia closed her eyes and shook her head, before turning her attention towards Spike, as he attempted to regain his breath.

"Spike? Can you explain what happened?" she asked, hoping that he would be able to elaborate better, seeing as he was still Twilight's number one assistant.

"Maybe," he replied as he took a breath, trying to figure out how to best explain the situation to Celestia. How could he best condense everything that'd happened into something that wouldn't take a long time to cover. "Well... when I got your letter, Twilight was sound asleep, and after what she's been doing the past few days, I wasn't about to wake her up for anything less than the library burning down. So I got Pinkie to help, figuring that if Rainbow Dash was actually coming back to Ponyville, she'd be headed for Rarity to finish what she started. And I was right. But we got there too late to do any good because they were both gone. So then Pinkie and I got Der-- er... Ditzy recruited to help in the search. And... after a lot of running around, and stuff I'd rather not go into detail about right now, we wound up here."

It was a very abrupt, bare bones recounting of events that occurred today. He really didn't want to go into anymore detail than that, which would inevitably require him to explain how he'd made every attempt to beat the hell out of Rainbow Dash, and actually threatened to break her wings to force her compliance. In the heat of the battle it was one thing, but now as the adrenaline started wearing off, he didn't feel proud of what he'd done. He actually felt ashamed of what had been deemed necessary at the time.

Rainbow Dash might've been the one to start this whole mess out by beating the hell out of him while he was trying to protect Rarity. But he'd been only too willing to return the favor, despite knowing full well that she was still psychologically disturbed by what she'd experienced. To say his actions weren't one of his proudest moments would be an understatement.

In hindsight, he probably could've addressed the whole thing in a more professional manner, if he'd just given it a little more thought before acting. He could've tried harder at talking to Rainbow Dash and getting her to calm down and see things reasonably. He could've done anything, other than issuing an immediate throw down like he had.

Celestia listened as Spike spoke, listening to his words, and the tone his voice carried with it. And in that listening, she could tell that he wasn't particularly interested in talking about what had happened. She would have to respect that hesitancy. So rather than pressing him any further, she gently set him down on his feet, before turning her attention back to Rainbow Dash, as she struggled to try and break free from her hold. She couldn't help but sigh at that last part.

"I must say, Rainbow Dash, you've made things considerably more difficult than they needed to be," she explained as calmly as she could, while setting her back down on her hooves. At the moment she couldn't see any reason to continue the restraint she had in place on her; not with their presence anyway. "When I took you back to Canterlot, you said that you could trust us. But I'm failing to see any degree of trust here today. You hurt Nurse Goodwill, you threw many into a panic, and you fled with the intention of hurting Rarity."

Rainbow Dash frowned and looked away, disinterested in being lectured. Celestia tried not to sigh in response.

"Regardless of what you might think, Rainbow Dash, we've all been working very hard to try and help you. This is a very difficult matter to address, and it's not something we can simply rush into. We-"

"Don't give me that," Rainbow Dash spat, interrupting Celestia's statement, all the while refusing to look back at her. "You didn't believe me. You didn't think that what I went through was real. Nopony did, nobody did! You just tried to confuse me on the issue. I should've known from the beginning that I couldn't trust you either..."

Celestia recoiled at Rainbow Dash's words, and her accusations of distrust. This matter was more serious than they first believed.

"Allow me..."

Her thoughts were interrupted by the simple, blunt statement made by Ulquiorra as he stepped forward at a slow pace, approaching Rainbow Dash's position with his hands tucked into his pockets. She had a bad feeling about this, that things could go badly if left to proceed. But at the same time, she found herself very curious to see what the Espada had in mind.

"I don't wanna hear from you either. You're friends with the others, why should I believe anything you have to say?" Rainbow Dash asked as he stepped closer, before flapping her wings and flying backwards to put some distance between him and herself.

Ulquiorra said nothing in response, before exercising a burst of sonido to quickly close the distance to where the cyan pegasus currently hovered. He had no reason to vocally address her at this point in times. Words easily failed in tense situations like this. So he would take a firmer approach. Without a word he drew his left hand out of his pocket, and reached up to touch his face.

Rainbow Dash was unable to find her voice in order to speak, as she watched Ulquiorra reach up and effortlessly pluck out his left eye. The act alone was impossible enough to believe. But the casual manner in which he'd done it had just made everything seem even more surreal, if that was even possible. Surely that had to hurt, so why would he even do something like that voluntarily!?

"You don't wish to listen, then simply observe," he told her as he crushed the eyeball in his hand, and releasing a fine crystalline powder that surrounded her face, filling her with an intense desire to not even breathe.

"Right this way," one of the members of the medical staff, Nurse Tenderheart in this case, said as he, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike, were lead down the hallway of Ponyville General Hospital to a very specific room; the one that currently held Rarity as she recovered from the beating administered by Rainbow Dash yesterday.

They stood by and waited as the nurse opened the door to allow them entry. It would've been a much simpler matter for him to do such by himself, rather than waiting to be attended to by another. But such a course of action, as he'd come to learn, wasn't considered appropriate. Rules dictated this. Rules dictated that. Rules that had no basis in common sense dictated entire and extravagant procedures that could be done without. Had he known he would be subjected to such pointlessness, he would've come in through the window.

As to why Rarity had been put in a private room for observation overnight, he didn't truly understand. Perhaps it was her status as one of the holders of the Elements of Harmony that was responsible for such special treatment. It was the only thing that would make sense, and potentially explain how one could receive such care, with so many ponies injured and still dying, all needing to be seen and tended to from what transpired just three days ago.

"You have visitors, dear," Nurse Tenderheart called into the room as she opened the door, allowing them to see Rarity's condition. Laying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV drip, as well as a heart monitor, with at least half of her face covered in bandages.

Perhaps the extent of the damage done by Rainbow Dash had been greater than they'd assumed. As far as ponies went, it was hard to deny that she was strong. He had felt for himself the amount of force she could generate in her blows; both on her own, and when she was utilizing her Sonic Rainboom technique. Comparatively speaking it was... significant.

And yet Spike had proven himself as being fully capable of overpowering her when it was necessary.

"... What happened to her? I didn't think the damage was that bad," he heard Twilight Sparkle whisper to Nurse Tenderheart. Likely an effort to not alert Rarity to her own concern, or for her possible condition.

"It wasn't. The damage was minimal in nature and looks far worse than it is. However the doctors are needed elsewhere for patients in far more serious condition, so the bandages were infused with healing magic to supply not only a steady application, but also a consistent application," Nurse Tenderheart explained in response, in an equally hushed tone.

He watched as Twilight Sparkle nodded in understanding, before stepping into the room, with Spike close behind her.

"H-hey Rarity. How're you feeling?" she asked hesitantly as she approached the bed, her voice still heavily distorted from the injuries she'd sustained yesterday.

Rarity groaned and whimpered as she moved her head to better look at her, her one exposed eye fluttering open in discontent. Overly dramatic as usual.

"Oh, darling, it's so good to see a friendly face again!" Rarity exclaimed as she sat herself up in the bed, the flimsy covers falling down and revealing the equally flimsy hospital gown underneath. "What happened yesterday? What could have set Rainbow Dash off like that?" she asked, utterly bewildered by it all.

"... I don't really know. It's a mystery," Twilight Sparkle replied as she stepped closer to the bed. He knew she was holding information back, but not the reason for which she was doing so. Tact? The presence of Nurse Tenderheart? An effort to not aggravate the injuries that Rarity had sustained by shocking her?

Once again, he would have to be the one to handle the situation in an appropriate manner.

"Leave us," he instructed as he turned his attention to Nurse Redheart. Her posture and demeanor suggested that she intended otherwise. However she was wise in not arguing with him, and instead simply nodded and exited the room, allowing the door to close behind her, leaving the four of them secluded.

"Ulquiorra?" Rarity asked as he turned back to face her.

"In part Twilight Sparkle's assessment is fact. Our knowledge pertaining to yesterday is limited. All we have to go on is what information was gathered from the interrogation of Rainbow Dash," he explained as he stepped closer to the bed. "During questioning, Rainbow Dash accused you and the other holders of the Elements of Harmony of enacting an elaborate plot to make her more humble in nature, through the use of rape and torture to achieve said goal."

The reaction to his bluntness was, unsurprisingly, one of considerable emotional shock. Rarity's was the most substantial, as she had just been made aware of the details. Twilight Sparkle was second in scope, due more to his utter bluntness than anything. Spike remained inconclusive in nature and hard to properly gauge. But that was of little consequence right now.

Once all voices in the room were silence, he began speaking again.

"The details Rainbow Dash shared were quite significant in nature. Quite graphic. With such facts in mind, it would seem no wonder that she attacked with the intention of killing you where you stood," he explained. However he soon found himself silenced, not by any vocal interruption from the others, but rather a magical band of purple coloring appearing over his mouth, and wrapping entirely around his head. He turned his attention back to Twilight Sparkle as her horn glowed.

"Not helping, Ulquiorra," she stated firmly, before turning to face Rarity herself. "Rarity, I don't even know where to begin with this. Yesterday was... chaotic. And today really isn't much better. We've been trying to get a grip on things, but they aren't exactly proceeding like I expected. Yesterday we were working on basic theory, and formulating a plan to carry out. But today it's field work and... it's a little more daunting in nature," she explained to the best of her abilities.

He knew that if he continued to allow Twilight Sparkle her own approach uninterrupted, they could quite likely be here for over an hour, and no closer to achieving the purpose of their visit. It was for that reason he chose to intervene, and withdrew his right hand from his pocket in order to squeeze the band, resulting in it shattering like cheap glass in his grasp.

The flinch that came from Twilight Sparkle as her magic was overpowered didn't go unnoticed. Was it due to surprise in how easily he'd done such? Or the fact that he'd done so with so little tact? Either way it didn't really matter, as she seemed unharmed.

"There is a time and place for everything, Twilight Sparkle, but at the moment we have no time for tact," he explained, before turning his attention back to the confused and visibly flustered Rarity. "At this moment all we have to go on is speculation. The current theory, unsubstantiated as it may be, is that whatever entity we're up against has engaged in a divide and conquer approach by targeting Rainbow Dash."

"Oh my word!" Rarity gasped, her gestures once again in an overly dramatic fashion. He paid them no mind before continuing.

"Technically speaking, Rainbow Dash's belief that she was raped is not far from the truth. Her recollection of graphic and explicit details pertaining to her treatment, is as unwanted by her, as the details themselves are fictitious in nature. These fake memories have not only been placed in her mind, but they have also apparently overruled her real memories. Her entire recollection of the past week has been completely skewed," he explained.

Once again he was interrupted. But this time it was an action that was devoid of theatrics or drama, and simply consisted of a shudder/shiver coming from Twilight Sparkle. A response that was, considerably speaking, entirely appropriate under these circumstances. Rainbow Dash's mind had been invaded, and her memory of events violated; to the point that even Princess Celestia herself could do little to help her. Her cursory attempt at pointing out the logical shortcomings in her story had done little to sway the pegasus from her erroneous beliefs, and only seemed to drive her to further embrace the fallacies as being real, due to what she claimed to have experienced.

However there were two primary issues at hand. Issues he wasn't entirely certain they were grasping the reality of.

The first and foremost issue was that those who held the Elements of Harmony were now segmented. With Rainbow Dash unable to trust the others, and believing that they committed numerous atrocities against her, the group would be unable to function in a unified manner. In simpler terms, the primary protectors of Equestria were no longer physically capable of performing their duties. The Elements of Harmony were no more than decorative paperweights currently.

The second issue, while not as physically pressing as the first, could potentially be more disastrous due to its sleeper aspect. The Elements of Harmony and their respective holders were divided, that was true. But what had caused that division had done so by directly affecting Rainbow Dash's memories, and her abilities to recall actual events she had personally experienced. This was far more disturbing in nature than the abilities of Kyōka Suigetsu, which allowed for the manipulation of a person's -or even an entire group's- five senses. Whereas Kyōka Suigetsu could make one hear, feel, smell, see, or even taste something that wasn't real, it could do absolutely nothing -that he knew of anyway- to affect preexisting memories that had already been finalized within the mind.

Fear wasn't something that he could ever recall truly experiencing himself. But these unanswered questions did give rise to an almost equal sensation; concern. Concern for what was known, and what wasn't.

The second issue was far more dangerous to face than Kyōka Suigetsu. If for no other reason, than the basic fact that they knew absolutely nothing about the nature of the attack. Was Rainbow Dash's mentality more vulnerable to attack than any other? Or was her being afflicted indicative that any of them could be targeted? Could Princess Celestia and Princess Luna be affected just as easily?

And if they could, then ultimately what of himself? Were his own memories and recollections vulnerable to tampering by an outside party? And if so, how would he know whether or not this had already taken place?

Concern was certainly what he experienced, both for the known, as well as the unknown. And despite his detached, logical mentality, some small part of the back of his mind couldn't help but wonder if he should be experiencing fear right now. He knew that fear wasn't conductive of anything. But that didn't stop him from pondering on whether or not it was as least partially appropriate under these circumstances.

"Oh that poor dear! How horrible!" Rarity stated. More theatrics on her part. However he said nothing in response. He instead opted to wait and see the extent of her reaction.

"Twilight, Spike, would one of you be a dear and go fetch one of the staff? Let's get out of here," she stated firmly.

"Rarity?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"Darling, I'd like to think that I have at least some idea of what's going on here. While you and Spike would certainly come to see me regardless, Ulquiorra is all about business. I doubt he would've come all this way, just to share his theory, unless he had something constructive in mind," she explained, before turning back to him. "Am I right?"

"So far," he replied as he sensed Spike already leaving the room. He would need to start giving these ponies more credit. The fact Rarity had so easily recognized the fact concerning his visit was mildly impressive.

"Right then," Rarity replied and kicked the sheets off of her body. "Rainbow Dash is more than just one of our friends. She's also one of our teammates, and a vital player in keeping Equestria safe. If she's been targeted for attack, then it affects all of us equally. And if you're here telling me this, then it only stands to reason that you have something in mind for me to assist with, correct?" she asked.

"Again, so far," he replied.

"Then it also stands to reason that in order to be assistance, I can't stay here in this hospital bed, surrounded by these drab colors, and wearing this tacky gown. So again I reiterate; let's get out of here!" she exclaimed as she sat up and climbed out of the bed.

"Even after being beaten, you still wish to assist in the matter?" he asked. If this was going to work, then it would be necessary to determine her level of commitment to what would be done.

"Neither a lady, nor a friend, simply sits by and allows somepony in need to suffer alone. The fact Rainbow Dash chose to attack me simply fills me with an even greater need to assist the poor dear. I can't imagine what she must be going through right now, or how scared she must be," Rarity explained.

She had commitment to this cause, he could tell that. However they would have to wait and see if that commitment would be enough to see her through what part she would have to play. Once she realized what she would be getting herself into, she might wind up backing out of it.

"So Rainbow Dash is really in Canterlot?"

The process of removing Rarity from the hospital and relocating her to the Carousel Boutique was one filled with countless matters he truly couldn't bring himself to care about. Endless amounts of paperwork and emotional sentiment, all of it serving as a hindrance to their overall mission here today. He would admit, more to himself than anyone else, that he had willingly tuned out the majority of it all, as it served very little purpose for their overall mission.

"That's what I gathered. But what I don't know is whether the distance is for Rainbow Dash's sake, or our sakes," Twilight replied.

"There will be time for such discussions later on. For now, however, we have business to attend to," he spoke up as he turned his attention to Rarity. They could begin with the preliminary while Spike was still retrieving the equipment they would need shortly. "There is a series of questions you will be required to answer. The others will be questioned as well, and responses will be compared, and the results examined. Are you ready to begin?" he asked her.

"I believe I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Rarity replied.

"Very well then. We shall begin," he stated simply. "Did you orchestrate, or in any way participate in, the imprisonment, rape, and torture of the pegasus known as Rainbow Dash?" he asked.

"Most certainly not!" Rarity objected loudly. Her reaction was to be expected, as he hadn't allowed for anyone to familiarize her with what the questions would involve. That was one of the best ways to ensure accuracy and honesty, by allowing for their reactions to be read.

"Then you are denying the accusations that were made against you. You did not bind her limbs, while tying a noose around her neck, and forcing her to stand on a block of ice overnight, forcing her to choose between submission and death?" he asked.

"No!" Rarity answered. From what he could see, her entire demeanor was becoming one that was utterly horrified by what she was hearing.

"Did you repurpose the Mare do Well costumes for the purpose of creating the dominatrix persona known as Mistress Do Well?" he asked.

"No! Those costumes haven't even seen the light of day for a year!" Rarity protested.

"Did you ever use the pegasus filly known as Scootaloo in any manner that would exert control over Rainbow Dash, in order to force her to submit?" he asked.

"Good gracious! Rainbow Dash actually--- no nevermind that, of course I didn't! I would never do something like that, either to Scootaloo or any other foal!" Rarity protested firmly, visibly horrified by the accusations.

"Did you utilize the pegasus known as Fluttershy, for the purpose of forcing Rainbow Dash to beg for her own wings to be mutilated, in order to spare Fluttershy the same fate?" he asked.

"Absolutely not!" Rarity yelled furiously.

He observed Rarity's demeanor in the aftermath of the questioning. She was shaken and disturbed, the fluctuations in her reiatsu ranging from being infuriated to experiencing significant sadness. But what wasn't being conveyed was anything that could be considered dishonesty. The reiatsu fluctuations didn't match deceptive tendencies. It was reasonable, even by his standards, to conclude that she was being honest in her statements.

"Very good then," he replied, his statement causing Rarity to then look confused in response.

"Wait, what? I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying," she protested.

"I'm a bit lost myself. What exactly did that line of questioning amount to?" Twilight Sparkle asked, slightly tilting her head to one side. It wasn't all that different a behavior from what Applejack's dog, Winona, had done upon first seeing him, before deciding to steer clear of him all together.

"The disturbances and fluctuations in your reiatsu were measured during the question and answer portion, and the results cataloged. Everything points to honesty on your part. When the others are questioned in turn, the results will most likely be the same. Once the investigation is completed, the results will be submitted, with the ultimate goal being to convince Rainbow Dash to recognize the faultiness of her current memories, so that she can assist in her own recovery," he explained.

The entire premise of gathering evidence had been Twilight Sparkle's idea. She had concocted the plan, although his own interpretation didn't exactly match with hers. But that was of no importance right now, so long as the results panned out.

"Um..." Rarity mumbled, "Ulquiorra? I really don't want to sound ignorant, but how do you plan on convincing Rainbow Dash of the... inaccuracies of her recollection of events? Didn't you say that even Celestia couldn't help her with that?" she asked.

It was certainly a fair question to ask.

"It's true, Princess Celestia couldn't help in this matter. However I have access to resources that she does not. Words can be ignored, but sight, sound, and sensation are much more difficult to tune out; even for one as stubborn as Rainbow Dash," he explained.

"How does..." Twilight Sparkle started to speak, but then closed her mouth again, the look on her face being one of thought and confusion. "On second thought, later. As much as I'd like to know how you can do that, I think we need to stay task oriented. Help Rainbow Dash first, ask questions later."

Well... that was a refreshing development. Perhaps there was some hope for these ponies after all. Twilight Sparkle's decision to forgo questioning him on fields she had no understanding about would serve them well for the time being, as it would allow them to begin the more in depth part of the investigation once Spike walked through the door with the equipment housed back at the library.

Which should be any second now, if the door chime was any indication.

"Got it!" Spike called as he walked into the room and set down the wooden chest he'd been carrying with him.

"Excellent," Twilight Sparkle stated as she undid the latches with her magic, allowing the chest to be swung open and reveal its contents.

"I'm afraid I'm still confused," Rarity stated as she looked inside the open chest. "That looks like a crystal lantern. How exactly is that supposed to help us help Rainbow Dash?" she asked as the item was levitated out of its protective casing.

"Looks can be deceiving, this is no ordinary crystal lantern," Twilight Sparkle began as she levitated it over for him to grasp by the bail. "Back in Ulquiorra's dimensions, humans have a device that emits long wave ultraviolet light when activated, used for detecting various chemicals that react with such a light spectrum, and either gives off a fluorescent reaction by glowing, or creates a darkened area by absorbing the light. So what I did was cast a spell to adjust the polarity of the solar crystals to emit only ultraviolet light when activated," she explained with a fair degree of excitement in her distorted voice.

"In simple everyday terms, a black light," he stated simply.

"That's... I'm sure that's quite fascinating and all. But how exactly does that help us? More importantly, how does it help Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked,also adopting the head tilting motion utilized by Twilight Sparkle.

"Bodily fluids react to ultraviolet light. Once total darkness is achieved, the lantern will point out any traces of such. A lack of any such evidence will go towards debunking Rainbow Dash's mistaken beliefs. And even if any evidence of the alleged torture has been scoured away with industrial-strength cleaning chemicals, the latent traces of reiatsu will still be present, and easily detected by my pesquisa. In short, there will be no way to hide proof of the accusations," he explained, cutting Twilight Sparkle off before she could launch into any sort of time consuming, in-depth explanation of what was about to occur. "If you would."

"Right," Twilight Sparkle nodded and activated her magic, drawing all the blinds and curtains on the first floor of the boutique, shutting out all outside light, and draping the entire room in near-total darkness. It was more than sufficient for the modified lantern to do its job.

Adjusting the dial that worked the dimmer, he set the illumination output to its highest setting, before pushing the button to activate it, and bathe the entire room in a dark blue light; what some might refer to as "spooky" under the right circumstances.

All around the room, various pieces of fabric started to faintly glow in numerous differing colors. What glowed varied from entire outfits, to certain portions of completed projects, to as little as the thread that was used. It was unexpected, but not particularly surprising.

"Oh my..." Rarity exhaled as she looked around the room, obviously amazed by the lantern's effects on her works.

"Cool huh?" Spike asked, having already seen what could be expected.

"I must say it's quite... I don't really know how to phrase it. These designs looked so much... better... when they weren't glowing," she commented.

He ignored the banter and scanned the room, searching for any traces that might even remotely support Rainbow Dash's allegations of violence against her. In the process his line of sight crossed Twilight Sparkle. Her one eye appeared darker than the other in the ultraviolet light. And her muzzle was nearly black in coloration, indicating that despite her best efforts at washing, the blood hadn't yet come away from her straining while casting the lightning spell. There were even minor traces of black on Rarity's exposed face, indicating significant bleeding yesterday.

The floor of the boutique, despite being cleaned, and leaving nothing visible to the naked eye, left a number of black stains visible under the ultraviolet light; all of which the result of yesterday's events.

"Okay, so what happens now?" Spike asked.

He ignored Spike's question for the time being, instead turning to face Rarity directly.

"You still wish to help Rainbow Dash?" he asked. She nodded. "Then we conduct an extensive search of the Carousel Boutique, attic to basement, looking for anything that could be construed as evidence of her accounts. We leave nothing unexplored or unopened," he explained.

"Oh dear," Rarity replied, "that could take days. Do we have that much time?" she asked.

"Rainbow Dash is not going anywhere. We have the time," he replied.

"... So attic or basement first?"

The logical course of action was to start in the basement. That was where, according to Rainbow Dash, everything had happened. That was the most likely location of any forensic evidence, if it truly existed.

However the basement was cluttered with numerous boxes that housed old pieces of various wardrobes, and material that hadn't yet been used, or brought upstairs to the main work room. Sorting through them for evidence would be... taxing.

Lending credibility to Rainbow Dash's story was the presence of plumbing in the basement.

Removing credibility from Rainbow Dash's story was the fact that nothing resembling a shower existed.

There was certainly extensive copper piping running along the open ceiling, supplying water to what appeared to be a water softener, water heater, and the various crisscrossing pipes that ran to the facilities of the upstairs. But none of it showed any signs of of having been recently modified, either to install a shower, or to remove such. All of the soldering appeared old; likely as old as the building itself. The floor drain was easily understood, should the water heater ever develop a leak. But its location, as well as its construction, was entirely inconsistent with the story.

"Well?"

His attention was drawn to the stairway where the three stood, illuminated only by the lantern's ultraviolet light. As best he could tell, Rarity was looking anxious from her position, rubbing one of her knees uncomfortably; not entirely unlike how a person would rub their elbow.

"There's no forensic evidence present that would support Rainbow Dash's story. Nor are there any foreign traces of reiatsu to be found, that would be consistent with the other members of the group. Whatever did take place, it didn't occur here," he explained. He heard Rarity release a sigh of relief at the news. "But in the name of thoroughness, examination of the other floors will remain necessary, once we conclude the investigation down here," he stated as he brought his hand to the lantern's knob. "Lights."

The switch to the basement lighting was flipped, bringing a proper degree of illumination as the lantern was shut off. The more light sensitive members of the group grumbled and rubbed their eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden change in the light spectrum. He merely set the lantern on the nearby shelf for the time being.

His attention was then drawn behind him by a disturbance in his pesquisa. A disturbance in Rarity's detectable reiatsu levels, indicating she was preparing to make use of her magic.

"Stop," he commanded. Her response was an immediate cease and desist to what she was doing, and a startled sound being emitted by her. "If you utilize your magic for anything, you risk contamination of whatever evidence may exist," he explained.

"Oh dear. You mean you have to do the entire investigation yourself?" Rarity asked.

"Maybe not, Rarity, I have an idea," Twilight Sparkle spoke up. "Spike, you can assist with the investigation. Rainbow Dash didn't make any allegations against you, so you can't contaminate the results," she explained.

"... A workable proposal," Ulquiorra replied. Contamination of potential evidence through Spike's intervention would be highly unlikely at best. If there was truly any evidence to find. He was willing to be as thorough as necessary in the course of this investigation, but he possessed serious doubt about finding anything that would lend even remote credibility to Rainbow Dash's accusations against the others. Try as he might, even when taking everything into consideration that he'd seen, and personally experienced at their hooves, sexual sadism simply didn't strike him being as a viable possibility.

Considering the way these ponies had reacted when they heard even half of the details he'd been privy to, he couldn't help but wonder just what sort of sick mind could this world produce, that would readily manufacture such... unpleasantries.

Rainbow Dash watched, unable to look away, and unable to tune out the information that was being forcefully inserted directly into her brain. This mist, these tiny shards of eye that Ulquiorra had thrown in her face, were making her see things from his point of view. She was seeing exactly what he had seen.

But it was doing so much more than that. She wasn't simply seeing what he had seen, but was also experiencing what he'd thought, what he'd felt, what he'd detected, and to what extent he'd detected it. She could feel the fluctuations in mana just as he'd felt them. She was experiencing input and sensations that she never even dreamed as being possible.

One by one, she witnessed as pony after pony was addressed. Rarity, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie. She saw and felt as Ulquiorra interrogated each one of them, subjecting them to questions that made them squirm, flinch, cringe and even break down crying. Questions that filled them with anger, outrage, and sadness. And she witnessed as Ulquiorra methodically examined any and all property that they had access to, as they allowed the invasion of their private -and in some cases intimate- property to go forward without opposition.

And she watched as, bit by bit, every single piece of assembled evidence completely eviscerated her recollection of events that had transpired. And now knowing what she'd been made privy to, as many hours worth of memories played out in her mind within an instant, she could only reach one possible conclusion.

She'd been wrong. She'd been wrong about everything...

"How... h-h-how?" she asked shakily in disbelief. How could this series of events have transpired in the way they did? How was it possible?

But before she could even begin getting any answers, the process quickly started all over again, as new images started coming into her mind's eye, and she could do nothing but watch as they played out.

"I've seen Twilight like this before. If we can get her distracted with something else, even something small, she should calm down enough to go back to normal," Spike explained.

"Yeah? Like what?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Oh not this again," Spike groaned.

"Don't worry, little dude, I've got a plan," Rainbow Dash stated in a confident manner, before turning to face him. "Are you game for this?"

He had been observing this interaction in relative silence, both curious and uncertain as to what exactly was going on, besides the apparent psychological break being experienced by Twilight Sparkle. And now he was being addressed directly. Was he being drafted for something?

"What do you have in mind?" he asked.

"You're super fast, right?" she asked him. It had to be a rhetorical question in nature. "You see those cupcakes Twilight's next to? I'll get her attention elsewhere, and you pop one in her mouth. That should get her distracted well enough," she explained.

A... cupcake? That was Rainbow Dash's plan? The... utter absence of details of such nearly begged to be questioned further for elaboration.

"And you believe that will actually work?" he asked, wondering if she was truly serious.

"If you ever had one of those yourself, you wouldn't need to ask. Now come on, I wanna get to Twilight before she starts gibbering to herself in the corner, and reciting complex calculus stuff to herself. Now are you gonna help or what?" she asked him.

That memory. The party. It was... it was on the twelfth of this month, just a few days back. She'd been there, and so had the others. And so had a decent portion of the town of Ponyville. She'd felt each of them there from the Espada's perspective.

But... but it couldn't be possible, it just couldn't be! She was still being tortured on the twelfth! There was no way she, to say nothing of the others, could've been there and present, happy, and having a good time at the party thrown in the Espada's honor. Even if the others had left her locked up down there in the basement, they still wouldn't have gone off to the party, right? And if they had, then how had she been there!? Had she been hypnotized by the others, and trotted out like a good little pet to show off to everypony? Like a trendy fashion accessory or something?

What exactly was going on here?

Some distance away from the two, Celestia cringed as she watched Ulquiorra perform his Solita Vista technique. She hated seeing when he did that. She couldn't imagine what Rainbow Dash must've been thinking as she watched him pluck out his eyeball with such ease. And she really had no idea how exactly he transferred so much information in just a few short moments. But the reaction she had to whatever information he had shown her, it was significant in nature. She'd gone from furious, to extremely shaken in just a matter of seconds.

In a way the sudden change in demeanor left her worried, and uncertain of how exactly to proceed from this point. Should she approach and try to console her? Or should she hang back, and allow Ulquiorra to continue to proceed in peace?

"Princess?"

The sudden mention of title brought her attention back to her immediate space, and the presence of Spike, Pinkie, and Rarity standing next to her, and looking up at her; and each of them as confused as she was.

"What exactly is going on here?" Rarity asked, feeling more confused than ever.

"I wish I could say for certain," Celestia replied as she held back a sigh, listening to Rainbow Dash's mumblings of disbelief, and being unable to do anything to help her.

"Is Dashie gonna be alright?" Pinkie asked her.

"I honestly don't know, Pinkie, we're currently dealing with forces we don't yet understand. As much as I'd like to believe that Rainbow Dash will be alright, it would be wrong for me to speculate at this point," Celestia explained as she and the others slowly turned their attention back to their original target of interest, her ears barely picking up what was being said between them.

"Uh... Princess? I know it's kind of off topic and all, but how did you find us out here?" Spike asked. He'd been curious about that ever since they'd shown up. And while now might not be the best time to be asking, the opening had presented itself. If he didn't take it now, there was no telling when the next opportunity would be.

"Locating you was easy enough, Spike. I simply traced the spell back to its origins, like when I send a letter. And that clump of Rainbow Dash's feathers we received was sufficient evidence to warrant an investigation," Celestia explained.

The feathers? The same feathers that had been burnt off when Rainbow Dash had tried to dive bomb him?

Well that certainly made sense to him, even if that hadn't been his original intention at the time. But he was certainly glad to know that not only had it worked, but he'd potentially been instrumental in helping them locate Rainbow Dash before she could do any serious harm.

"I... I-I can remember. I think. We were... we were all there together. Pinkie was telling one of her jokes, about the doctor getting his quill and his thermometer confused. Yeah. I was laughing, Spike was laughing, but Rarity found it crude and was all stuck up about it," Rainbow Dash paused, before looking up at Ulquiorra. "They didn't do it... did they?" she finally asked him.

"There's no evidence to suggest they even considered it," Ulquiorra replied.

"Then... if that didn't happen, what did?" Rainbow Dash asked as she plopped her haunches down onto the ground. "Why do I remember these things like it was just yesterday? Why do I still feel like I went through everything I experienced? Why is that leather smell stuck in my nose and won't come out? Why... why can't I look at the others, without wanting to hurt them? Without wanting to kill them?"

Most of the time when Ulquiorra was silent, it was either due to him utilizing the silence in order to observe how things unfolded around him, or because he had nothing to say at the time. But in this situation it was different. He wasn't silent because he had nothing to say, but because he truly didn't know what to say. At the moment he was at a loss for words. This was unfamiliar -and as a result, uncomfortable- territory to find himself in.

"I don't know," he finally replied, having nothing else that could be offered up as a response. He wouldn't even have said that, if not for something deep in the back of his mind that felt like a nagging compulsion to say something in response. It was a strange sensation indeed.

"I'm afraid."

Fear was something that every living creature experienced, regardless of form or type. It could be a primal, instinctual fear left over from the evolutionary process. Or it could be something more relevant, born from the realization of ones' own insignificance in the face of overwhelming opposition.

However, despite knowing that fear existed wherever there was life, this was the first time he could recall actually hearing the adrenaline junkie of a pegasus admit to experiencing such. Even when she had faced off against the dragon, or against him, she hadn't acknowledged the existence of fear.

"I don't know what's going on anymore. I can't tell what really did happen and what didn't. What... what if I'm going crazy? I could be losing my mind," Rainbow Dash stated.

Ulquiorra prepared to go into explanation as to why her concerns about her mental state, while wise, were unfounded in nature. Psychological activities, even those that resulted from head-related injuries, didn't simply manifest themselves immediately. The likelihood of her experiencing such a drastic shift in such a short period of time, however, were too unlikely to give actual consideration to.

"I'm hearing voices too now..."

However he stopped before getting a word out, at hearing her statement.

"Voices?" Ulquiorra asked. This was a development he hadn't predicted. It also potentially destroyed his explanation as to why she wasn't going crazy. "Whose? Tone? Gender? Anything identifiable as belonging to a particular individual?"

"I... I don't know, I didn't recognize it. It was like I could hear it, but also like I could not hear it. Like it was in my head or something," Rainbow Dash replied as she tried to give an explanation; one that she didn't fully understand, despite experiencing it herself.

"What was this voice saying?" he asked. If Rainbow Dash was unable to identify the voice itself, then perhaps the manner of speech could be useful. "And when did you first start hearing it?"

"Just... just before Spike and Pinkie found us. I think. It was saying stuff like..." she paused in thought as she tried to recall everything. "Like I had to kill Rarity, or Scootaloo would be tortured and killed by her next. Like it was the only way to keep the squirt from being torn apart by what she'd be put through."

Under most circumstances, he was perfectly capable of handling the matter on his own, regardless of what unexpectedly arose. But this was an exception to that standard. This was a situation he wasn't capable of handling on his own. This was a situation that would require outside assistance; if not outright deferment.

"Princess Celestia," he spoke up as he turned to look over his shoulder. "We have a situation..."

Author's Note

Please forgive the general lack of quality in this week's entry. I'm currently suffering a miserable cold, and didn't manage to properly flesh it out in the appropriate level of detail like I wanted in time for the update.

Chapter Fifty Eight

Chapter Fifty Eight

"What do you think they're saying?"

For Pinkie, Spike, and Rarity, the situation playing out before them was one of significant discomfort. From where they stood they couldn't make out what Ulquiorra and Rainbow Dash had been saying, as they were simply too far away. But at least they had Celestia to talk to, who would do her best to reassure them that they were doing everything they could to help out.

That situation had quickly changed, when they heard Ulquiorra call Celestia over to where he stood. And that left the three of them isolated by themselves, and unable to tell what was going on, or what they were being left out of. None of them were speaking loud enough for the conversation to travel over.

"I don't know. It could be anything," Spike replied. He shared Rarity's curiosity easily enough, but that didn't help him much. "Hey Pinkie, can you read lips? Can you make out what they're saying?" he asked. Considering how random Pinkie had been since their first meeting, it was worth asking.

"Sorry Spike, no can do," Pinkie replied and shook her head. "I can see Ulqy's mouth moving, but even if I could read lips, it wouldn't do any good. His mouth doesn't move like a pony's mouth, so I still wouldn't know what he's saying. He could be quoting a book passage right now for all I know," she explained.

Truth be told lip reading was a lot harder than they were assuming it was. It wasn't just a matter of seeing how somepony's lips moved as they spoke, but the surrounding muscle structure of the face as well. Words that started with the letter C looked so similar to words that started with the letter G or even B. To accurately read them was an exercise in observing the minute differences. And that was something she just couldn't do. And even if she could, she couldn't from this distance.

"This is just great," Spike sighed and sat himself down on the ground. Just sitting around in silence and waiting for something to happen. What a gigantic waste of time.

"Spike?"

Silence, up until he heard Rarity speak up. Naturally he turned his head to look at her.

"Back when you were trying to subdue Rainbow Dash, you said something. You told her that you would break her wings if she didn't stay down and stop fighting. Were... were you serious about that?" she asked hesitantly, almost afraid to know the answer for herself.

"I... I don't know," Spike replied, really wishing that Rarity hadn't asked that particular question. Why, out of everything she could've asked about what happened, did it have to be that one? Why did it have to be the one that he himself had been doubting and questioning? "I... I was desperate at the time. You saw what she was like, I just had to do something before she got loose and hurt somepony. I couldn't hold her down all night," he explained. Or rather he tried to explain. But it was a lot more difficult to actually do than he thought it would be.

However what was quickly approaching stammering territory was quickly headed off, when he felt Rarity place a hoof on his small shoulder in an effort to relax him.

"It's alright, Spike, I understand," she said as she stroked his ridges.

"I'm just glad I didn't have to follow through. If Celestia hadn't shown up when she did... I don't know how things would've gone," Spike replied as he sank in against Rarity. Truthfully he'd been downright terrified of what might've unfolded if another minute had been allowed to pass without interference. Would Rainbow Dash have fought him to get loose and get at Rarity? Could he have followed through with his threat? And if he had, would it have actually been enough?

What if... what if he had to go even further than that? Could he have? Would he have? He'd been so caught up in the moment, he honestly didn't know what could've happened.

And right now he'd rather not think about it. The idea of the unrealized possibility was making his stomach feel sour and hurt something fierce.

"Hey look, something's happening," Pinkie spoke up, bringing their attention back to what was ahead of them.

Despite Celestia and Ulquiorra's positioning serving to obscure most of their view of Rainbow Dash during the whole conversation, they could still see parts of her through all the white in the way. And now they were seeing a lot more, as an unconscious Rainbow Dash was levitated up in Celestia's aura, and set down on her back, nestled securely in between her fluffy wings, all four of her limbs hanging limply in a straddling style, and her head hung to the left side.

"What happened?" Spike asked, completely lost in the matter. Why was Rainbow Dash unconscious? And why was she being nestled in like she was some sort of care package, or stuffed toy that was the pride and joy of some foal?

"I don't know. But I have the sneaking suspicion that if we don't involve ourselves now, we're going to be left out in the cold," Rarity spoke as she stood up.

"I have the sneaking suspicion that you're right," Pinkie replied and moved to join Rarity.

Their small group of three made their way over to the other group, intent on finding out just what was going on. And as they did, bits and pieces of conversation became more audible.

"... fail to see why such an approach is necessary."

"... least that can be done for her."

The details they made out, while sparse in nature, provided enough for them to make an informed guess about what the latest conversation involved. But right now that wasn't important. Taking the time to stop and interpret the discussion of how Ulquiorra failed to grasp the act of gentleness wasn't worthwhile right now.

"Princess?" Spike spoke up first as they reached earshot distance, causing Celestia to turn her head and look in their direction. "What's going on? I-is Rainbow Dash gonna be alright?" he asked.

Celestia did her best to put on a proper face. A calm and serene face, often utilized for dealing with petitioners and the like during the last half hour of the day court. But despite that effort, she simply couldn't muster that particular mask for addressing the young dragon. He was unfortunately going to see her as tired and worn out as she currently felt.

"There's no need to worry, Spike, it's just a sleep spell to make her more manageable for the trip back to Canterlot," she explained as gently as she could. After everything that had happened today, rest sounded like a very good idea; an idea that she would likely be missing out on as the evening grew later. Luna would likely be waking up soon. She would need to be up and around to make sure things progressed smoothly before considering the idea of turning matters over to Luna on this coming night.

"But is she going to be alright? What were you and Ulquiorra talking about with her?" Spike asked in an effort to press the matter further, not wanting to be left out of the overall game plan, regardless of what it might be. After all they'd been through... well he really didn't want to think too highly of himself, but hadn't he at least earned getting to know what was going to be happening?

"I don't want to seem nosy, really, but I'm quite inclined to agree with Spike's curiosity, Princess. Rainbow Dash is our friend, and a vital part of Equestria's protection. I don't want to appear pushy... but I do believe that we have a right to know what's going on," Rarity replied, doing her very best to strike a balance between diplomacy and firmness... even if she possessed no authority whatsoever that she could exercise in this situation. Unless... "You asked us to be your friends, Celestia. As such, shouldn't friends be informed of what other friends are going through?" she asked.

Ulquiorra nearly quirked an eyebrow at hearing Rarity's questioning. That was her method of going about gaining information?

Then again it was similar to a tactic he had used in order to shut down pointless conversation only a few days before. Perhaps he had been more on the mark than he'd initially thought. He then turned his attention back to Princess Celestia in order to observe her reaction and response.

There was a short pause before she finally spoke again.

"You're right. I did ask you and the others to consider me a friend, rather than a ruler," she admitted and gave a weak nod, before taking a steadying breath. "The truth of the matter, everypony, is that I have no answers for you. We really don't know what's wrong with Rainbow Dash, as none of us have ever seen anything like this before. This is very unfamiliar territory to be in. We'll do everything we can to try and help Rainbow Dash, but we're more or less flying blind at the moment. We have to proceed with extreme caution, if she's ever to get any better," she explained, doing her best to remain calm throughout. This was one of those things for which there were no easy answers.

Ulquiorra remained silent, keeping his observations to himself. His opinion would do little good in this matter. However his observations were different from his ability to explain matters.

"Once we have returned to Canterlot, evaluation by an outside medical professional will be the next step. If magic and hypnosis aren't in play, a biological condition may be to blame," he stated.

"Biological... you mean like a disease? Like something contagious?" Spike asked. The very idea of something like that scared him. "What's that mean for us? We were all in pretty close contact with her. Could... could we be affected next?"

"Unlikely. Contagions with the ability to drastically alter the host's memories are not ranked high on the list of probabilities. Rather, the suspected culprit is a chemical imbalance in the brain; something that may be treatable with the proper medication," Ulquiorra explained. The way news traveled in this world, the suspicion of some disease being behind Rainbow Dash's condition could cause... unpleasant developments to occur. Mass pandemonium as it were.

"Treatable?" Pinkie asked, adopting the head tilt gesture herself. "Not curable? You mean that... that Dashie might not actually get well?"

"We don't know, Pinkie, we just don't know," Celestia replied and sighed. There were too many unknowns going on right now. What had started out as an already unsolvable mystery just days ago, had only grown in complication to a point that was almost unrecognizable in terms of difficulty. "The only thing I can say for certain, is that we'll do everything we can to help her. All of us," she said and discretely shifted her gaze to where Ulquiorra stood.

Spike and the others more or less understood what the last part of Celestia's statement meant; the Espada was being drafted into assisting back in Canterlot. That was fine to them, as they all wanted Rainbow Dash to get well. Even if they didn't understand how he might able to assist.

However that thought quickly gave way to another thought.

"Wait a minute. If Ulquiorra's gonna be back in Canterlot, what about us back here in Ponyville? Whatever's out there is still out there. Don't we need him here?" Spike asked.

Celestia stopped in thought. Spike did raise a very good point about Ulquiorra's presence. What if him being here was the only thing keeping Ponyville intact? Was it right to recall him like that?

"It's true that my presence could be construed as serving some deterrent here. However that assumption is circumstantial in nature at best," Ulquiorra replied. Leaving Ponyville unguarded didn't seem like a very logical decision to make. However this was one of those times when they found themselves between a rock and a hard place. "Be aware that Rainbow Dash managed to escape a palace full of royalty, highly trained guards, and a dedicated nurse equipped with an immobilization spell. And she did so completely undetected. My presence in Canterlot may be the only thing that will realistically prevent a reoccurrence of such," he explained.

From Celestia's perspective, Ulquiorra's comment came off as being a shot at her. A snarky bit of insubordination in letting her know that he didn't hold her, or her rule, in high regard when it came to their competence. But then again her perspective was currently being marred by the stress of the day. She'd let the matter go, as there were more important things to deal with. There was no point in scolding him for his views; especially when he had been correct in his observation.

"... Then if it comes down to being either us or Rainbow Dash... I cast my vote for her. She's the one who's truly in need at the moment," Rarity spoke up after a pause. "Having you around certainly provides a sense of security. But she's the one who's truly in need of whatever services you might have to offer."

Pinkie nodded in agreement. "Dashie's the one in need. Not us. We'll be fine."

Two votes for him to proceed with Princess Celestia back to Canterlot, for the purpose of maintaining watch over the cyan pegasus. Hardly a town-wide vote on the matter. But at least they understood. And while he did possess significant doubts about the wisdom of the move, he could also see the wisdom. Rainbow Dash was the weak link at the moment. And based on recent events, she would need to be given the most consideration. The majority of Ponyville was still able-boded and able-minded, as well as being alert to the fact that they were in danger. They had at least some chance of emerging intact whatever might occur during his absence.

Then again, perhaps his absence would actually improve their chances. Without him being around to act as a proverbial safety net, perhaps they would realize that they were on their own, and respond accordingly by striving to develop at an accelerated pace. Perhaps his absence would wind up being the best for them.

There was also the fact that his relocation wasn't permanent in nature. He was needed in Canterlot only for the purpose of making sure Rainbow Dash was still present. But that assigned duty didn't need to be carried out around the clock. There was nothing preventing him from making periodic returns to Ponyville, and examining the surroundings for any signs of danger. Three minutes of travel time each way was hardly a significant endeavor to undertake.

"Very well then," he replied, "inform Twilight Sparkle of these developments, and assist her accordingly."

Celestia watched as the three nodded in acknowledgement of Ulquiorra's statement. being around as long as she had been, she knew that something was up, but not necessarily what that something was. But she'd concern herself with that matter later. At the moment she wanted to get Rainbow Dash back to Canterlot where she would be safe.

Or at least... safer than she currently was here.

"Do you need to be escorted back to Ponyville? This is still the Everfree Forest that we're standing in," she pointed out. Her immediate concern was with Rainbow Dash, but that didn't mean she was fully prepared to just run off and leave her other subjects in a dangerous position. It had only been after significant discussion that she'd come to the conclusion that bringing Ulquiorra back to Ponyville was a correct decision to make.

"As much as a royal escort does have its appeal, I'm not entirely sure if it's truly necessary. We did manage to arrive out here without any difficulty, all things considered," Rarity replied slowly, not wanting to sound insulting about turning down the offer. "Rainbow Dash should be our primary concern right now. The sooner she gets back to Canterlot, the sooner we stand a chance of finding out what's wrong with her, and how we can help her," she explained.

In truth Ulquiorra really wasn't particularly surprised by the statement made by Rarity. Despite several contradictory aspects of her personality, she still bore the Element of Generosity, and its virtue managed to shine through her, through various interactions with others. Her decision to exercise concern for Rainbow Dash was consistent with earlier interactions he had witnessed.

"Yeah, I think we'll be pretty good on our own. Dashie's the one that needs help right now, not us," Pinkie added and nodded.

"If you're certain," Ulquiorra replied, even though he still needed to wait for Princess Celestia to arrive at the decision that it was time to leave. With that thought in mind, he turned to face her. "Shall we take our leave now?"

Luna wasn't exactly the early riser type among ponies. Not even factoring in her nocturnal nature, and allowing for the time difference, would she be considered such. She liked to rise at a certain time of the day, when the sun sat lower in the sky, and started to color the horizon.

Not that she had anything against the sun. She would admit that being out in the daytime was nice. More ponies were alert, more things were going on, the atmosphere was generally more vibrant and lively. It just... wasn't her thing. It was too bright for her tastes.

Regardless of that fact, however, she would willingly get up at the crack of noon when the sun was at its highest and brightest, if it meant helping out a friend that was in need. And it was for that specific reason that she'd arisen at this time of day; for the purpose of looking after Rainbow Dash during her time of need.

So it went without saying that she was quite perturbed, and quite -if she were to use what had unofficially come to be known as "Ciferisms" due to their introduction by Ulquiorra Cifer himself- pissed off, when she awoke early on this day to lend a hoof in any way that she could, only to find out that nopony was present. Neither her sister, nor Rainbow Dash, nor even the recently returned Ulquiorra Cifer, were to be found anywhere in Canterlot palace. It was as if they'd simply vanished without leaving a single trace.

What were those three doing? Engaging in a picnic?

If that were truly the case -unlikely as it would be- then her sister would be receiving an earful from her when her absence was ended, and they could have a private moment together, away from the prying ears of others. But not because she disagreed with such an outing. No. Rather 'Tia would be hearing from her, due to her not being invited on the excursion, sleep or no sleep!

Luna stopped her pacing in the throne room and took a deep breath. She needed that. Not so much the breath itself, but rather the opportunity to allow herself to drop her guard, and entertain an amusing thought in order to break the tension she was feeling. And currently there was very much tension going on within her; she was certain her pancreas was as hard as a rock right now if she were to poke at it.

She had known that something was wrong when she awoke and found Rainbow Dash present with her sister. But at the time she had no idea just how wrong things were, or how difficult they would prove to be in the following days. Whoever -or whatever- had decided to target Rainbow Dash for attack, had managed to do quite a number on the poor filly. The psychological trauma she'd been forced to bear had been significant in nature, even by her own standards. And that was saying something. Being an alicorn, and gifted with immortality, meant far greater resilience in these matters; that was how she had managed to survive her own dark times.

But Rainbow Dash was a pony of mortal nature. Her mental defenses weren't nearly as honed or defined in nature. Nor could they be expected to be so. And while she understood that their subjects could prove to be very, very resilient in their own right, everypony had a breaking point. And once that breaking point was crossed, even by something no more significant than a stray breeze, the results were... not pretty.

And if she ever found out the party responsible for making one of her friends suffer in such a way...

Her thoughts of revenge, however, were interrupted by the sensation creeping up her spine, a half second before seeing Celestia return in a flash of light, accompanied by Ulquiorra Cifer, and an unconscious Rainbow Dash hung limply across her back.

... Exactly what has transpired during their absence?

"Dear Sister, what has occurred?" she asked as she stepped forward. There were a great many questions running through her mind right now, begging to be asked and clarified. But none of them seemed to want to cooperate with her mouth and actually get asked right now.

"In simple terms, Luna, the matter has become drastically more complicated than we initially believed," Celestia replied as best she could. And truthfully it was an understatement. There was no way to fit everything into just a few seconds of explanation time. Nor did she expect her sister would have the patience to listen through everything before deciding to act. So for everyone's sake, she kept it very short.

"And why is Rainbow Dash upon your back?" Luna asked her as she stepped ever closer in order to examine the unconscious pegasus.

"For comfort's sake," Celestia replied, again keeping it simple. "I believe at this point in time, we're in need of a physician. Or perhaps two."

"Sister," Luna spoke, "know that I respect and love you. But under present circumstances, I request to be informed of just what is going on around here, before I act in any manner. I was awoken early on this day, due to an irresistible desire to care for Rainbow Dash. And much to my surprise you were absent, and I found myself left in the dark on what was occurring. Now I would like to be informed of just what transpired between now, and when I retired this morning," she stated firmly.

Celestia wanted to pinch the bridge of her nose right now. She knew that Luna could be stubborn at times. But did she truly have to pick now of all times? Couldn't she have waited just a little while before putting her hoof down?

"In basic terms, the events that transpired are as follows." Ulquiorra spoke up, bringing Luna's attention to him in the process. "During your period of rest, Rainbow Dash assaulted her assigned nurse, and fled back to Ponyville for the purpose of exacting revenge on Rarity. She was stopped by Spike, and the information pertaining to our investigation was delivered to her, causing her to experience significant doubt about the validity of her experiences. She then informed us that she was experiencing auditory hallucinations, which might suggest a psychological disorder such as schizophrenia. Following extensive discussion at the scene, it was determined best that I return to Canterlot to prevent any followup escapes that might be attempted."

It wasn't exactly the most conclusive thing that Celestia had ever heard Ulquiorra speak. But it certainly seemed informative enough to give Luna the basic idea of what she'd missed out on.

Now hopefully she'd comply, and send for the physicians, rather than continuing to fight.

But so far, it just seemed to render her silent in shock.

"Then... then there is nothing that we can do to help her? All of our efforts have been for naught?" Luna asked, as slowly as she did shakily.

"It's alright, Luna, just calm down," Celestia spoke softly, afraid that Luna was about to experience her own breakdown if she didn't head it off quickly.

Unfortunately her efforts at heading off Luna did little good. If anything it just seemed to get her all the more excited.

"Calm down? Sister, how can you expect me to "just calm down" after having just told us that our friend is suffering greatly, and nothing that we may try is going to help her!?" Luna asked/demanded, her voice climbing in both level and intensity, and her manner of speech slipping back into the old world dialect.

"... Because Rainbow Dash is our friend, Luna, and she needs us. Now more than ever. And we can't help her, if we allow ourselves to become hysterical," Celestia stated as calmly as she could, trying to help her sister see reason. Fortunately it seemed to take this time, as she could see Luna beginning to relax, if only slightly.

"... I apologize, dear sister. You are correct," Luna replied and nodded slowly. She couldn't let her own feelings dominate her; not when others were counting on her. Now she was feeling ashamed for getting so excited. She was supposed to be a ruler, and set an example for others, not fall into panic at the drop of a hat. "I shall send for Canterlot's finest medical experts. Tomorrow."

"Luna?" Celestia asked.

"Do you believe medical intervention tonight will reveal more than if we wait until morning? Let her rest for this evening. We shall start refreshed in the morning, when her mental facilities have had adequate sharpening time."

Celestia remained silent in thought. Luna did have a point. When she and Ulquiorra found Rainbow Dash, she was battered, dirty, stressed, fatigued, and deeply upset by everything she'd been experiencing. If they sent for doctors and had them evaluate her now, the diagnosis they might reach could be entirely inaccurate. And right now she'd rather avoid a lengthy and difficult fight over misdiagnosis, simply because she'd been impatient.

She could just imagine how bad the situation could be. And she would rather not entertain the extreme scenarios that could hypothetically occur.

"Very well, Luna, we'll exercise patience in this matter," she replied. However she again became confused, as she felt the weight of the unconscious Rainbow Dash being lifted off of her back, and watching as Luna deposited the cyan pegasus onto her own back. "Luna?"

"A bath for her is most certainly in order," Luna replied as she carefully nestled Rainbow Dash onto her back. And while she wasn't entirely sure just why Celestia had shown up, carrying her in such a manner, she herself couldn't see any reason to go against it. "I will see to this... although I would not recommend waiting to eat..."

With that last sentence, Luna trotted off, leaving Ulquiorra and Celestia behind, alone in the throne room.

Alone with a great deal of silence, as the sound of her hooves against the marble floors disappeared down the hallway.

"Ulquiorra?" Celestia spoke up, breaking the silence before it could get to be unbearable. "Are you able to experience fear?" she asked him.

Ulquiorra turned his attention to where Princess Celestia stood. It was a very unusual question for her to be asking him.

"If I am, then I don't believe it's an emotion I've yet experienced," he explained calmly. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I was entertaining the hope that I was overreacting, and the situation at hoof isn't nearly as bad as I'm making it out to be," Celestia replied in an honest manner. "And it would be a lot easier to maintain that belief if you were capable of experiencing fear, and simply not at the time," she explained.

Utter foolishness on her part. It was as simple as that. It had to be a symptom of the living condition.

"The situation is indeed dire. Equestria proper is currently vulnerable to attack, we have no idea what caused this development to occur, nor do we know what is coming down the pipe. We have more questions than answers, and we have no idea where to focus our attention," he stated, presenting for her consideration, a proper overview of just why she should indeed be scared right now. "That said, however, we have not yet exhausted our resources. Even in this situation, we possess one constant resource that is still in effect."

"And what might that resource be?" Celestia asked, feeling her curiosity piquing as he spoke. What did Ulquiorra know of that she didn't?

"In simple, basic terms, that resource which we possess is each other," he stated, causing her to nearly do a double take. Had he just said what she thought he said? Before she could even ask, he was already continuing in his explanation. "We find ourselves allied towards a common goal; that being the safety of Equestria. You assigned me that duty. And until that duty is officially rescinded, I will do everything that is within my abilities to fulfill it. And while friendship is a concept I still possess little understanding of, I don't believe the others will be willing to just stand around and do nothing; even if they were ordered to stand down and do just that."

Celestia listened as the Espada spoke, uncertain of just what to make of what he was saying. Was this his idea of a motivational speech, intended to rally her spirit, and fill her with a sense of hope? She really had no idea if that was what he'd intended it to be, or if he was simply reminding her that they were all in this.

But despite not knowing the sentiment that was behind it, she certainly appreciated his efforts.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra, I appreciate that," she replied. Even if there was no kindness behind his words, or his motivation for sharing them, she still appreciated the fact that he'd seen fit to state such. And whether or not he was aware of the fact that he'd just alluded to them all being friends, she still appreciated not only his words, but his presence here. His calm nature, despite being infuriating at times, paradoxically seemed to have a calming effect all its own.

Everything was foggy at first as Rainbow Dash slowly woke up. Her mind currently felt like it was in a really haze, and she found it difficult to focus on anything. It was just like when Ulquiorra had put her in a choke hold. Except this time she didn't feel anything hard pressing against her neck. In fact she really couldn't feel anything right now. Except for warmth.

And wetness.

Wait... wetness? Immediately her eyes flew open as she sat up. What'd happened? Did she wind up pissing herself when she was out?

"It is alright, Rainbow Dash, you are safe."

Rainbow Dash turned to try and find the source of the voice, only for her ears to be met with the sound of sloshing water in the process.

Water?

Looking down at herself, she realized that she wasn't in a bed, but rather a richly decorated in-floor tub, filled with warm water. And bubble bath solution that'd been vigorously worked in. And a rubber duck too, floating about on the waves that'd been generated by her rapid movements.

"What's going on here?" she asked out loud, hoping that actually hearing the question being asked would help give her some insight into the situation.

"A much needed bath, my young friend."

At hearing the voice again, Rainbow Dash swiveled herself around, and saw Luna sitting behind her. Missing were the royal adornments, and her mane hung limply against her back as it clung to her wet fur.

"Luna? What's going on? Why am I here? Why're you here?" she asked, now feeling more confused than ever.

"As stated, a much needed, and highly relaxing, bath is what is going on. It is also why we are both here. When you were brought back from Ponyville, you were covered in a fair bit of detritus materials. Materials that just seemed to get everywhere. And it seemed quite unacceptable to leave you, and by extension, myself, in such a filthy condition," Luna explained, pausing as a bowl of water was levitated upward, and dumped onto the pegasi's head and down back, forcing her to shut her eyes in response. "I do not claim to know how you came to possess so much tree bark in your back fur. But I assume it to be an interesting story."

The intended purpose behind her actions here was to help Rainbow Dash relax. The past few days had been highly stressful for everypony involved. Everybody if she counted Ulquiorra Cifer. And as bad as the stress was for her and her sister, she couldn't imagine how bad it was for a mortal like Rainbow Dash. She had made attempts to talk to the filly, to get her to open up about what she was experiencing, knowing full well that there were things she had on her chest that had yet to be revealed by the unconscious mind during her dreams. But despite her best efforts, the young pegasus was as tight lipped as ever, and simply wouldn't open up to her. She was keeping the hurt and turmoil internal, and she could tell that was hurting her significantly. So naturally she hoped that something as relaxing as a warm bath would assist her in some way, even if it was just minutely.

However the exact opposite seemed to be unfolding before her. The look on Rainbow Dash's face wasn't one of relaxation, but utter terror. She currently looked like she had just come face to face with the living embodiment of fear itself, and was just about to be the first one to blink. Even as she was looking at her, her entire body was beginning to shake, as she began muttering "oh no" to herself over and over again.

"Rainbow Dash, what is wrong?" Luna asked, perplexed at this development.

"I'm in so much trouble right now," Rainbow Dash mumbled as she shook, unable to look up at Luna, or even meet her eyes.

"Most curious," Luna mumbled as she quirked an eyebrow. "And why pray tell do you believe you are in trouble?" she asked, turning her full attention to the conversation rather than the shared bath.

She watched as Rainbow Dash tried to compose herself, listening as the cyan pegasus began to give a recollection of events that transpired throughout the course of the day. And all the while as she explained the details, her voice was as shaky as the rest of her, as she detailed not only her actions, but the actions of those she'd interacted with.

All in all, she could understand why Rainbow Dash might believe that she would be in trouble for her actions.

At least until it came to the part about hearing voices. How the cyan pegasus could believe that she would be facing consequences for such actions -especially if nothing was of her own volition- she truly didn't know. All that she knew for certain at this point in time, was that these developments truly displeased her.

"Look at me, Rainbow Dash," she spoke in a tone that was soft, yet at the same time commanded authority. Slowly she was complied with, as two watery, magenta colored eyes turned upwards towards hers. "I promise you, you are not in trouble. Nor will we allow you to be in trouble for this. You are not the one at fault, and you shall not be punished for the actions of another," she reassured her. "Furthermore, once we discover who, or what, is actually responsible for this travesty, I promise you this simple fact; their punishment will be of a truly legendary nature. Even in the deepest, darkest pits of all Tartarus, the condemned shall be horrified at what shall be administered."

Silence once again returned to the bath after Luna's statement. Not a sound was made, other than that of water sloshing against the movement of one of their bodies.

"... She... she said she trusted me..."

"Pardon?" Luna asked. Despite the close proximity they were in, the whisper had been so low and so mumbled, she had a hard time understanding just what was being said.

"Rarity. I was gonna kill her. And she... she... she said t-that she trusted me to, to do what I, what I thought was the right thing. Even if... if... even if what I... what I thought the, the right thing was... was... killing her!"

The admission Rainbow Dash was trying to make was even shakier than her explanation of events that had transpired away from the castle. It was one told through shuddering breaths and repeated words, as she tried to maintain her composure throughout it all, and having to forcefully race through the last few words before totally breaking down in tears.

However it was a development that didn't yet occur, as even in her current emotional state, she could see Rainbow Dash trying to choke her sobs back down, with eyes screwed shut to try and deny the tears that were already starting to leak out.

"Let it out, Rainbow Dash, you will feel better if you do," Luna told her as she extended one of her dripping wet wings to gently rub her back. "You do not have to keep the pain inside. Let it all out. There is no shame to be had in crying."

Luna had no way of knowing just what had amounted to the tipping point in all of this. Perhaps it was the gentle voice, or the words that had been used, or even the sensation of her feathers potentially serving as a physical reminder that she wasn't alone. But whatever it was that had caused it, it was apparently enough to completely break the dam, as the next thing she knew, Rainbow Dash was all out crying.

To watch a strong, independent mare like Rainbow Dash be reduced to tears, was just as disturbing to watch this time, as it had been the very first time she had witnessed it.

The first time she witnessed Rainbow Dash crying like this, it'd been because -from her perspective- the others had been disloyal to her. This time, it was because she realized that she had been disloyal to them.

Between the two standards, Luna couldn't tell which was the lesser of the two evils faced by the pony entrusted with the Element of Loyalty.

But whichever of the two standards possessed the potential to hurt the most, it was inconsequential right now. Right now the only thing that mattered to her was the bawling pegasus before her, that was drawn into her forelegs and hugged close, as she cried into her chest.

"Let it out, Rainbow Dash, let out all of the hurt," Luna repeated gently as she hugged her, feeling the pegasi's forelegs wrap tightly around her, and hold on for dear life.

And all the while, as she held the broken pegasus in her forelegs as if she were her own daughter, she silently plotted what punishment would be appropriate, once the source of blame was properly established...

The walk back to Ponyville was one marked by silence. That fact was notable to Spike, primarily because Pinkie was both present, and not causing any excessive levels of commotion like she usually did. She wasn't even bouncing along a he rode atop her back the entire way out of the Everfree Forest. She was just walking right along at Rarity's pace, the two walking side by side, and not a single word being shared between the three of them.

He didn't know whether he should be amazed, or utterly confused, by that fact.

At the moment, however, as the walk slowly brought them within sight of the library, he was leaning towards confused.

But if Spike was to be fully honest with himself, Pinkie's silence wasn't the truly confusing part of this entire day. Even Rainbow Dash's actions weren't as confusing as they might've seemed. He could, at least, partially understand the motives to her actions; she thought she was wronged, and attempted to make it right. Simply because her perspectives had been skewed by... something, didn't change that understanding.

No. If Spike was to be honest with himself, the truly confusing aspect to the day had been Pinkie. Or more accurately, he realized as they walked along in silence, his own feelings for the pink earth pony.

During the time he'd spent living in Ponyville, Pinkie had been many things other than the town's most renowned party planner and entertainment coordinator. Among them was a prankster that had earned both his admiration, and his ire; on a few rare occasions, she'd managed to earn both at the exact same time! She was also one of the ponies who had absolutely no trouble incorporating gemstones into confectionery delights. But more important than any of that, she'd been a good friend, not only to him, but to the rest of them as well. Despite her silly, nonsensical, utterly random nature, she could be incredibly deep when it was really needed.

That said, however, he was currently feeling very conflicted about the recent developments over the course of the day. During his time of need, she'd been there to help him. It wasn't even something done out of simple convenience, like tending to a problem and then disappearing because she had other pressing matters to do with. She'd stayed by his side and assisted him with not only finding Rarity, but also keeping her safe from Rainbow Dash. If that wasn't the sign of a true friend, then he honestly didn't know what was.

But... during the post-conflict cool down period they were currently experiencing, when chemicals like testosterone and adrenaline were working to reestablish their original levels, he couldn't help but entertain a certain thought. What if... what he was feeling right now was something other than friendship?

He wouldn't deny that he was young, and still inexperienced in the ways of the world. He would admit that there were things he still didn't have a full grasp of, despite what he'd been through with the others in all this time. Matters of the head were one thing, but what of matters of the heart?

And where exactly did Pinkie fit into everything right now? Was what he was currently feeling purely platonic in nature? Or was it more? Did he see Pinkie as just another friend? Maybe like he did Twilight? Maybe even... Rarity?

Whatever the answer was, he just didn't know right now. He was tired, he was sore, and all he wanted to do right now was rest. He didn't think he could think straight if he had to right now. Maybe things would be clearer when morning rolled around, and he had eight or nine hours to sleep on it.

"Hey... Rarity? Pinkie?" he asked as he spoke up in an effort to break the silence. Being left with just his thoughts to keep him company right now wasn't all that appealing at the moment.

"Is something wrong, Spike?" Rarity asked as she turned to look at him.

"No, nothing like that. It's just..." he paused, trying to think of what to say in this situation. "Do you two wanna stay at the library for a bit? Maybe stop for some coffee or something?" he asked them.

"Coffee, Spike? Isn't it just a little late in the day for such?" Rarity asked.

"Well, maybe a little..." Spike replied, trying to think of how to phrase what he wanted to say. "But if Twilight's awake, I could use some help in explaining everything that happened," he continued. They all knew how Twilight could get. Surely they wouldn't leave him stranded to face... that... right? "And... even if she isn't awake I'd... well I... don't wanna be alone right now..." he finished, mumbling the last part.

"Hmm..." Rarity mumbled to herself as she rubbed her chin in thought. Spike did raise a very good set of points. Leaving him to face Twilight all by himself after all that had happened, regardless of whether or not she was currently asleep, simply wouldn't do. It was utterly unkind to even consider, to say nothing of uncouth. Beyond that fact, there was also the simple fact that she didn't really want to go back to the boutique by herself. Not right now anyway. "Now that I think about it, coffee does sound like just the thing that will hit the spot," she agreed.

"Same here!" Pinkie seconded.

Spike smiled happily in response to the news. The only reason he didn't try and hug the two of them right then and there, was because of how awkward it would be from where he rode atop Pinkie's back.

"Thanks, you two, I'm really lucky to have such good friends like you," he told them.

"And we're quite lucky to have such a good friend like you," Rarity replied as she trotted over, and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "I honestly don't know what we'd ever do without you, Spike, you've been invaluable throughout this entire sordid mess. And that's to say nothing of how you've saved my life twice so far," she stated.

"Yeah, Spike, you're a hero!" Pinkie added enthusiastically.

Spike wanted to say something in response, absolutely anything as they walked through the front door of the darkened library. But try as he might, he simply couldn't think of anything that seemed appropriate. How exactly could he respond to having such praise heaped on him just like that? How did he get the scales on his cheeks to quit burning with so much embarrassment?

Never mind. He'd worry about stuff like that later on. For right now, he had other matters to occupy himself with in the library; like determining if Twilight was still asleep, or if she was off being hysterical with worry somewhere. And then, once he was certain Twilight was alright, he had to determine just how big of a pot of coffee needed to be made for their little group.

And as Pinkie and Rarity made their way to the kitchen, as he climbed down to ascend the stairs to the second story loft, they failed to notice, how in the silence of the library, the red gem set in the Element of Loyalty, slowly faded to black...

Chapter Fifty Nine

Chapter Fifty Nine

Being an alicorn of a seasoned and experienced nature, sleep was something that Celestia would admit, she didn't have an absolute need for. Certainly it was something she enjoyed, and had come to deeply enjoy when possible. Those few hours between the beginning of dusk, and just before the dawn, was time she looked forward to experiencing. No royal duties that need to be overseen. No petitioners that had to be heard. None of that. Once the sun had set, the day was done.

But regardless of such facts, if push came to shove, she could truly go without sleep for long periods of time. And while it wouldn't negatively affect her health, it certainly wasn't pleasant to experience. She knew that fact from experience; nearly a thousand years worth of experience to be precise. And even though Luna had been returned to her, and was once again able to guard the night, Celestia's experience was something that proved difficult to completely get over. There were still times during which sleep proved itself elusive to her, and to varying degrees of a frustrating nature. Some times were better than others. Some times she didn't mind being awake for long hours at a time; mostly because Luna was there with her, and that time could be occupied in a productive manner between sisters.

All that said, however, there were times when she truly yearned for sleep, but was denied its sweet embrace.

However this night was not one such time. Although sleeping the entire night through would've been sought after, she couldn't in good conscious do that under present circumstances. Not with the complications they were currently facing with Rainbow Dash and her condition. In light of everything that had happened over the course of the day, they needed to be alert. They had allowed themselves to fall into a false sense of security in assuming they had everything under control; everything well in hand as Ulquiorra might say. And that assumption had come back to bite them in their flanks when their backs had been turned.

On second thought, a stronger expression may be needed. That assumption had come back to bite them square in the ass.

In light of such developments, new precautions were being taken. In addition to Nurse Goodwill -much to Celestia's surprise, the unicorn still wished to continue in looking after Rainbow Dash's wellbeing- two guards would also be present, should anything arise this time around.

On top of such precautions, outside assistance would be getting involved as well. Because of everything Rainbow Dash was experiencing, it was painfully apparent that the problem they were facing was far beyond their own skill levels. The top physicians in Canterlot were going to be called in later today, in hopes of determining if there were any biological or environmental factors that could possibly explain everything that had happened up to this point. They themselves had been unable to find any signs that would indicate magic was in play here, and they had searched extensively. At this point it only made sense to defer to others, who would have a greater degree of skill and experience in fields they were unfamiliar with; they were rulers, not scientists.

Or at least... they hadn't been in so very, very long. Were their original fields of study even relevant in this day and age? The last time either of them had been involved primarily in the field of science was-

"Gah!"

Her thoughts were interrupted by something warm and wet against her face, startling her, and sending her falling backwards to the floor where she landed squarely on her flanks. Immediately she began looking around for what the source of the disturbance might be, but all she saw was Luna standing before her.

"And hello to you too, sister."

With several white hairs stuck around her muzzle...

"Luna, what did you do? Did you... did you lick me?" Celestia asked as she climbed back to her hooves.

"It would appear so," Luna answered, completely nonchalantly about the accusations that were being made.

"Why... why would you ever consider doing something like that? It's so... juvenile," Celestia replied, dumbfounded by her sister's actions.

"You were asleep where you stood, sister, I was worried that if I did not wake you up, you would topple over," Luna explained in defense of her actions. "And my other attempts at awakening you proved futile. So I... improvised."

Celestia stared blankly at her sister. There were a lot of things she could say right now. A lot of questions that could be asked as to why Luna figured licking her face like a dog was a good idea. And a lot of reasons to object to such a foalish approach of waking somepony up.

But at the moment her mind was elsewhere. She could've sworn she'd been fully conscious in the time preceding Luna's impromptu wake up call. And yet her sister had managed to approach from her from the front, and she hadn't seen or heard her. Maybe she really had been asleep. But then how had her mind felt so active at the time?

"Really now? And how long was I asleep for?" she asked.

"Not nearly long enough, I am afraid. I would have allowed you to rest longer, but it is not long before the dawn, and I assumed you would like a little time to freshen up before the start of the new day, after being awake for nearly the entire night," Luna explained.

Celestia couldn't help but smile at Luna's thoughtfulness on the matter. Even with everything currently on her plate, she still took the time to look out for family. She was about to say something, but Luna was already speaking again before she could.

"I appreciate your time awake, dear sister. But as I explained earlier, you did not have to stay up the entire night with me. I am more than capable of overseeing matters on my own," she explained.

"I never meant to suggest otherwise, Luna. But with all that's been occurring, I don't think I could've slept even if I tried. Nor would I have felt right in just expecting you to take care of everything, while I retreat to my chambers," Celestia replied. She couldn't, in good conscious, simply abandon her little sister and expect her to oversee the kingdom, and Rainbow Dash's care simultaneously.

Perhaps it was time for a change of subject, before one of them wound up saying that they would later regret.

"How is Rainbow Dash doing at the moment?" she asked.

"At the moment she is resting. Peacefully, and comfortably, I am glad to say. When I last checked on her, she was entertaining far more pleasant dreams than when I first arrived," Luna explained and gave a tired sigh. "To be honest, I am so very thankful to have her sleeping now. For a while after her bath, I did not believe that she would ever quit crying. She was hit hard by the gravity of everything last night, not the least of which being her actions against Rarity."

"I see," Celestia replied. Luna's words about Rainbow Dash's reaction was somewhat comforting. Knowing that the pegasus felt guilt over her actions suggested that there was still hope to be had in this situation.

She considered asking Luna for details at to what those more pleasant dreams were. But she decided against intruding into such a private matter for the time being. There would be time for such discussions at a later point in time. "And what of Ulquiorra? Where might he be at the moment?" she asked. He had been brought back to Canterlot to aid them in looking after Rainbow Dash. It wouldn't do if he had wandered off... unlikely as such a ridiculous thought was.

"The last I saw of him, he was in the royal library, surrounded by all the available books on pony anatomy. As best I can gather, he is attempting to memorize anything that bears even a passing resemblance to what Rainbow Dash is experiencing," Luna explained. It'd been some hours ago, but she had no reason to believe that Ulquiorra had moved from the spot he'd rooted himself to in the late hours of the evening.

"Now why would he be doing that?" Celestia asked curiously. Ulquiorra had been the one to first suggest involving medical professionals. So what could warrant a late-night cram session on various -and potentially obscure- medical conditions that were native to their dimension and reality?

"From what I understand, it is his intention to make sure any diagnoses are factually accurate in nature, and not subject to mortal bias," Luna replied. "I suspect he believes the doctors in Canterlot are incompetent in nature."

Celestia wasn't sure how to respond to Luna's statement. Ulquiorra was certainly entitled to his own opinions. But right now it was just a matter of suspicion. However he had been the first one to suggest involving outside doctors for evaluation purposes, in order to see if they were missing something when it came to Rainbow Dash's condition. Perhaps her less than stellar recounting of the lack of details concerning the manticore had caused him to take a biased stance?

Or perhaps it was something else entirely. It sounded utterly crazy to even consider, but could it actually be possible that Ulquiorra cared? And if so, then to what degree did that care extend? Was it simply a sense of duty? Or... did it actually go further than that?

Her thoughts on the matter, however, were interrupted by the familiar tingling sensation of a message being delivered to her, which occurred just seconds later, the rolled up scroll dropping into view before being grasped in her magic.

Under normal circumstances, receiving a letter was something she enjoyed. Something to look forward to, to break up to monotony of the day. Something that had its own special way of helping her see things just a little better. But all those times had occurred during the daylight hours, when Twilight and the others would have good reason to be awake. It was still technically before dawn. And while it wasn't out of the ordinary for Twilight to be up at odd hours of the night, she highly doubted that Spike would be up as well. Not unless the situation utterly demanded it.

With that thought in mind, she didn't waste a single syllable before unrolling the scroll to see just what it had to contain.

Princess,

We may be facing a situation in the library with the Elements of Harmony, but I don't know for certain. I don't even know if I can adequately describe just what the situation is, because I don't understand it myself. Can you please come immediately?

Twilight

Celestia stood silently as she read the letter, uncertain of just what to make of what little was actually there. She was accustomed to Twilight's tendency to ramble when she was upset. But this was something different, and straight to the point. She couldn't help but wonder if her student was too worried to ramble. Which begged the obvious question of just what the situation with the Elements of Harmony was.

"What does it say, sister?" Luna asked, uneasy with Celestia's long stretch of silence in the wake of the mysterious letter.

"I'm not certain, Luna, but I suspect it's not good," Celestia replied as she turned from the letter to her sister. "How long before dawn officially begins?" she asked.

"Less than thirty minutes," Luna replied. The matter must've been more upsetting than her sister was letting on, if she didn't even know how long it was before she was scheduled to raise the sun. "Why do you ask?"

"There's little time to properly explain things, Luna, we must depart for Ponyville at once. Both of us, as we may both be needed," Celestia replied, hoping that the short answer would serve the intended purpose.

"Very well then. But what about Ulquiorra Cifer? Should he accompany us as well?" Luna asked.

"No," Celestia replied and shook her head, "it would take too long to fetch him. We'll need to go without him. Leave him undisturbed in his studies, he may be onto something we don't yet see," she explained.

Luna simply nodded and said nothing else. With another nod both sisters were gone in a flash of light, headed for Ponyville.

The change in detectable reiatsu levels was impossible for Ulquiorra to not notice.

In his time spent in Canterlot, he had come to be familiar with the sheer amount of reiatsu that was normal from one day to another in the palace. Not only from Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna, but a majority of the guards and staff whose presence wasn't -quite surprisingly- overshadowed by that of the diarchy.

So it went without saying that he was quite aware of the moment that intense reiatsu lessened by a significant degree. For whatever reason, both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had left the palace at the same time.

He had no idea of why they had left the palace. Nor did he particularly care. He had more important matters to deal with at the moment, such as the books before him. And occasionally pausing in order to make use of the writing supplies he had acquired last week in Ponyville, by copying down something he found to be noteworthy, and stuffing the note back into his satchel for future reference.

"Don't panic, Twilight, don't panic. Just stay calm," Twilight thought to herself as she paced anxiously in the library, her path illuminated only by the flickering flame of a glass oil lamp currently perched on the table not far away from her position. But despite her best efforts at calming herself down, the results she was getting were less than stellar.

She had awoken stiff and sore after a long, long night's sleep. So long in fact it had started in the afternoon of yesterday, and concluded less than an hour ago. Being unwilling to simply lay back down and wait until the first signs of dawn, she'd gotten up, gotten a hot shower, and decided to make herself a nice cup of coffee to jump start the early morning... after disposing of the long cold tea that Spike had left on the nightstand for her.

Despite the early nature of the morning, everything was going as well as could be expected, all things considered.

Or at least, it had been, right up until she had paused in front of the case that held the Elements of Harmony, and discovered that something was amiss; the blackened gem that resided in the necklace of the Element of Loyalty.

Her immediate reaction had been to scream hysterically at being presented with this unforeseen development, scaring Spike in the process, and waking him up out of his own slumber.

The secondary response, after a few choice words being hurled between her and a very upset Spike, was to take a breath, send a letter to Celestia asking for help, and wait for her response before continuing on. And while that was good in theory, it didn't work out quite as well in actual practice. To a certain extent she could control her body, and force herself to stand still. But there was absolutely no way of making her mind stop running through infinite possibilities that chilled her to her very core.

"Just try and think about this logically. Remember what Ulquiorra said," she told herself, hoping that referencing the Espada, and his unique observations of their world, would help calm herself. His not dealing in emotions could prove beneficial here, if she could just properly channel him. "Examining this situation from a purely logical, clinically detached, scientific perspective, we really don't know anything about the Elements of Harmony. We have almost no understanding of how they work, or how precisely they're tied to us. Perhaps the Element of Loyalty has gone dormant due to Rainbow Dash grappling with feelings of betrayal?" she asked herself as she continued to pace.

It was a train of thought that made sense to her. If Rainbow Dash didn't know who to trust, who to be loyal to, then perhaps it was a logical extension that the Element of Loyalty wouldn't respond. Perhaps it was reflecting its bearer's current state.

"But if that's the case, why didn't the Element of Loyalty go dark when Rainbow Dash was upset at us over Mare Do Well?" she asked herself as she turned around. "What's different about these two incidents? I mean... other than the fact that Rainbow Dash currently believes we raped her for our own sick benefits? Could this be a symptom of whatever, or whoever, is affecting her? And if so, does this mean that the Elements of Harmony themselves can be affected by outside parties?"

She had to stop that train of thought immediately after starting it. She didn't want to start down that path of worry; not at this point in time. Shaking her head, she tried to think of something more benign in nature.

"Why am I just now noticing this anyway? If the Element of Loyalty went dark when Dash was attacked, wouldn't I have noticed it sooner?" she asked herself as she turned again. "Then again, I have been pretty occupied with other things over the last few days. The investigation with Ulquiorra, practicing my own skills with the lightning spell, attempting to teach spells to other willing unicorns, etc. Could it simply be that I've been far too busy to notice something like this occurring? Did I now notice it only because I was stopping to reminisce about Rainbow Dash, and was subconsciously drawn to look at her Element of Harmony specifically, because it helps me remember her, like some sort of a keepsake?"

It certainly made a fair bit of sense to her. The past few days she'd been faced with no specific reason to be looking at the Elements of Harmony themselves, simply because she knew that nothing could reach them through the forcefields that were currently in place. Not once did she ever consider that something like this might actually happen.

"Here. Drink this."

Her focus was suddenly broken by Spike's voice, and the next thing she knew, he was standing by her side, holding a cup of steaming hot coffee in front of her face, letting the aroma of the blend work their way up her nostrils, and teasing her to inhale the fragrance as deep as she could.

"The last thing you probably need right now is a lot of caffeine in your system. But you need something to serve as a distraction right now," he explained, figuring that coffee and the jitters was probably the lesser of the two evils he was facing right now.

"Thanks, Spike," Twilight replied and took hold of the cup, sipping away at its contents. He probably had a point that coffee wasn't entirely appropriate right now. But at the moment she really didn't care. Deep down she knew that he was right, that she needed something else to focus on, besides the uncertainties of what they were currently facing. She had to divert her mind to something else before she wound up driving herself insane.

"I don't know what I'd ever do without you," she commented in between sips of coffee.

"Probably rely on our friends a lot more, driving them crazy in the process. Maybe take out an advertisement seeking a personal assistant who can keep you from going batty with worry," Spike joked in response.

Twilight frowned in response, not particularly liking Spike's idea. But that frown soon turned into a smirk when she realized he had a point.

"The only problem with that idea, is that nopony would know what I meant until after I explained just what "personal" meant," Twilight added and chuckled, before taking another sip of her coffee. "And then there would be the little matter of disclosure, just so they knew what they were getting themselves into. But then I don't think I'd get any applicants if they knew just how much work was involved."

What was this? Self-depreciating humor, coming from Twilight? Spike didn't really know exactly what to think of it. But perhaps it was best to head her off at the pass before she went too far in putting herself down.

"Well what can I say? It's not like everypony's cut out for keeping up with Princess Celestia's own prized student," he pointed out, causing her to chuckle in response.

"A fair point," Twilight agreed, before polishing off the cup of coffee. "I needed that. I really did," she stated as she levitated the empty cup over to the table and set it down. The look of relief she wore on her face, however, disappeared seconds later. "But now I'm right back to wishing Celestia would just hurry up and get here. I'm going to go crazy, just standing around and waiting."

Spike opened his mouth to say something. He didn't know exactly what he was going to say, but he knew that it was going to be something.

However his efforts at speaking were interrupted by a bright flash of light in the middle of the room, bringing not only Celestia into the room, but also Luna as well.

"Talk about service," Spike mumbled.

"Good morning, friends," Luna greeted them pleasantly, despite the potential severity of the situation they were about to face. She was about to say something else, but immediately stopped in her verbal tracks and sniffed the air. "Is that coffee I smell?"

Coffee? That was the first question Luna decided to ask upon arrival here, after being informed by Celestia that there was a problem with the Elements of Harmony? Was Twilight to seriously believe her own ears?

But then she stopped at that thought, and remembered just what time it was, and how it was before dawn's early light. If both Celestia and Luna were here, it meant that one had arisen early -likely in response to the arrival of her letter- and the other was possibly due to turn in soon. Suddenly the idea of coffee seemed much more reasonable.

"Would you care for some?" she asked.

"That would be more appreciated," Luna replied and nodded.

"Alright then. Spike, two cups of coffee!" Twilight stated.

"I'll take two cups as well," Celestia stated. The response she earned was nothing but confused looks. She couldn't help but chuckle. "You'll have to forgive me. It sounded funnier when I thought of it, but I've been up for nearly twenty four hours straight."

Luna just shook her head in response. Sometimes her sister's sense of humor left a lot to be desired. But regardless of such, two steaming hot cups of coffee were soon presented to them. Two steaming cups that were soon drained of their contents in an almost simultaneous fashion, and set aside on the table next to their identical companion.

"Much better," Celestia said with a content sigh as she licked her lips, before turning to face Twilight directly. "Now then, Twilight, what's this situation with the Elements of Harmony?" she asked.

"I don't even know where to begin. The Element of Loyalty is... well... just... see for yourself," Twilight said and finally gestured with her foreleg in the direction of the glass case by the stairs.

Celestia's eyes followed the invisible trail between Twilight's hoof and the display case, bringing her view to the Element of Loyalty to see what had gotten her student disturbed to the point she couldn't even talk. It took a few seconds for her sleep-deprived brain to finally put everything together.

"It's bad, isn't it?" Twilight asked. When Celestia didn't say anything at first, she waited. But the longer the silence stretched -even if it was no more than just a few seconds- that wait seemed too nerve-wracking to put up with, and she couldn't help but say something in an effort to put an end to that silence.

Unfortunately her efforts at ending the silence yielded no results. Celestia didn't say anything in response to her, but rather just continued staring at the display case. Luna had joined her in her activities, thus doubling not only the silence that was encompassing the library, but also her worry and dread.

The fluctuations in the ambient mana were impossible to miss. She could feel the forcefields, the same ones that had been responsible for protecting the Elements of Harmony ever since their relocation to Ponyville in the wake of Discord's release, being undone with such utter ease, it was as if they were nothing more than foal's play in nature. The only thing standing between the Elements and the outside world was the glass case itself, and that was soon levitated up and set aside, leaving them totally exposed now.

"It's bad, isn't it?" Twilight repeated, hoping that this time she'd be answered.

Celestia didn't say anything in response, instead opting to levitate the Element of Laughter up off its cushioned resting spot, and carry it over to where Twilight stood.

"Hold this in your hooves, Twilight," she instructed.

Twilight blinked in confusion, but did as instructed. She sat down on her haunches and reared herself up, holding her forelegs out as the Element of Laughter was gently deposited in her hooves.

"Tell me what you feel, Twilight, what does the Element of Laughter say to you?" Celestia asked her.

"Well I..." Twilight started but paused, unsure of how to respond. She looked down at the Element, rolling it between her hooves as she thought. "It's warm. It almost feels like being in the sun when it cuts through the clouds. And it... it makes me feel kind of happy too. I feel like everything's alright."

Celestia nodded slightly, before levitating the Element of Laughter out of Twilight's hooves, and replacing it with the Element of Loyalty. "And what do you feel from this one?" she asked.

"It's... it's cold," Twilight stated in surprise. How could there be such a drastic difference between Laughter and Loyalty? Why was their nothing emanating from it? "There's nothing coming from it. Nothing at all," she said as she looked down. "It feels like it's dead."

"No. Not dead. Merely dormant, in a deep state of hibernation," Luna replied as she turned to face the now surprised Twilight.

"I-I don't understand. You mean like when we discovered them in the old castle? When they were just stone orbs?" Twilight asked.

"Similarly, but not quite," Celestia replied before gingerly lifting the Element of Loyalty up, and placing it back over to where it had previously rested. "I trust you remember how Nightmare Moon smashed the original vessels of the Elements of Harmony."

"Do I ever. I don't think I've ever been so scared in my entire life, as I was in that one moment," Twilight replied, unconsciously wrapping her tail around her hooves as she recalled that particular memory. "I'm sorry, but I'm not seeing it. How exactly is that relevant to this?" she asked. What was Celestia getting at?

"You'll soon understand," Celestia assured her, before she began to explain the matter. "Although they may be absent in certain situations, the aspects that contribute to harmony are something that can never truly be destroyed. When Nightmare Moon shattered the original vessels, she merely destroyed their physical representations, but the magic inside remained untouched."

Luna nodded, before continuing for her sister. "Untouched, but also inaccessible in their then-current form. You see, Twilight Sparkle, the artifacts we commonly refer to as the Elements of Harmony are not the true source of their respective aspects, but merely the conduits through which these aspects are utilized for good, and in a highly concentrated form. It is these conduits which Nightmare Moon destroyed, knowing that without these conduits, the true Elements of Harmony could not be utilized against her."

"But they were reformed!" Spike interrupted and gestured at the open display case just ahead of them. "See? All six of them are right here, right in front of us," he pointed out.

"That's true, Spike. When Twilight and her friends were present in the old castle, the individual attributes of friendship that they possessed within them, resonated with the magic inside the remnants of the original vessels, and allowed them to be reforged and reformed into the new vessels that you see before us now," Celestia explained calmly. "This is what allowed them to be used again. But I'm afraid this also made them drastically weaker than they were originally..."

WHAT!?"

It was a simultaneous yell from both Twilight and Spike, and it was enough of a surprise that made Celestia flinch in response. She needed to address this before panic was had.

"Originally the physical representation of the Elements of Harmony, the conduits through which their aspects were transmitted, were six individual gemstones. Back then any pony could make use of them, so long as they were one of pure intentions. In theory, Twilight could have utilized all six of them by herself, and defeated Nightmare Moon on her own. But now that's not the case anymore. Once the Elements of Harmony reformed as a result of resonating with the others, they became magically linked to one another, rendering them usable only by their respective bearers," Celestia explained.

Luna nodded in agreement. "They are bonded for life. It is for this reason, that the Elements of Harmony cannot be reassigned to any of our royal guards, or any other ponies who are more adequately equipped for dealing with dangerous situations. If it were tried, they would simply refuse to respond."

"The bond you girls share with the Elements of Harmony is exceptionally deep and strong. And it is, unfortunately, for this reason that the Elements of Harmony are exceptionally weak at this point in time. Due to the nature of the resonance shared, there's a symbiotic relationship to be had. The Elements of Harmony won't work if their respective bearer no longer possesses the attribute themselves. The end result is... as you see," Celestia added, gesturing to where the Element of Loyalty currently rested.

Twilight had been listening to the best of her abilities, trying to pay attention to what was being said, and understand what they were saying. But unfortunately, understanding just how bad the situation was, wasn't making her feel any better about what they were facing. If anything it just made her feel even worse.

"Then... that's it? There's nothing that we can do?" she asked, barely able to keep her composure at this point.

"I'm afraid not. Rainbow Dash has unfortunately had her sense of loyalty taken from her. So long as she remained affected in the manner she has been, the Elements of Harmony will remain unusable," Celestia explained and closed her eyes.

Silence once again engulfed the library, and everyone present inside of it, as the information sank in.

However that silence didn't extend to Twilight's mind. While she might've been quiet and still on the outside, the inside was filled with a chaos more appropriate for a war zone. There was incoherent screaming to be heard all around. Various profanities, both of an Equestrian and Espada nature -even a few hybridization attempts of the two- were being lobbed in every direction, drawing out imagery that was of an utterly obscene nature, and devoid of any redeeming qualities, was flashing before her, and serving to just remind her of how utterly fucked they were in this situation.

She could feel her lip starting to twitch right now. The obscenities she was keeping within, were desperately begging to be unleashed on all that were present. And she didn't know how long she could go before shouting things that could potentially make both Princesses blush.

"Uh oh..."

And then suddenly it stopped. That one little utterance on the part of Spike, had caused the chaos in her mind to suddenly be paused, as she turned to look at him.

"I just thought of something. And I really hope that I'm wrong. But... I don't think we should let Ulquiorra in on this conversation we just had," he suggested uneasily.

"Why's that, Spike?" Twilight asked him, curious as to what he was getting at.

"Well, after everything you said," Spike began as he looked over at Celestia and Luna, "about the Elements of Harmony needing a physical conduit to work. And how those conduits are tied to Twilight and the others for as long as they live..." he paused, uncomfortable with where this conversation was going.

"What is it, Spike? What concerns you, and how does Ulquiorra Cifer factor into this?" Luna asked him, curious as to what the thought process was, that was causing him so much displeasure.

"Well... as long as Rainbow Dash is incapacitated, the Elements of Harmony won't work, right? And the Element of Loyalty won't respond to anyone else as long as Rainbow Dash is still alive, right?" Spike asked.

"Wait, Spike, you can't be serious!" Twilight objected, and loudly at what he was suggesting. Or at least what it sounded like he was saying. She had to be sure. "Are you saying Ulquiorra might actually kill Rainbow Dash?"

"Would you actually put it past him?" Spike asked as he turned back to look at Twilight.

"Yes I would," Twilight stated, "Spike, how could you actually suggest something like that? Ulquiorra's our friend, remember? He's been looking out for us, and keeping us safe. And I can't believe you'd think that he would actually kill one of us just like that. Like we're nothing but disposable commodities to him, and fit to be discarded the moment we're incapacitated."

Celestia blinked, surprised at Twilight's statement pertaining to Ulquiorra's character. Where exactly had this sudden defense come from? And what exactly was serving to make her so... hostile about her position?

"I mean, seriously, Spike, how could you think something so terrible about somepony?" Twilight asked him, horrified that he'd actually be entertaining such disturbing thoughts and possibilities.

"That's just it, Twilight, Ulquiorra's not a pony. And you seeing him as a friend doesn't change that fact," Spike pointed out, getting to the heart of the entire manner. It was only sheer luck that old habits of dialogue had been guiding Twilight, and she'd used somepony, instead of the newer term somebody, that allowed him to get to the matter as quickly as he had. If it wasn't for that little slip up on her part, this would've taken a whole lot longer.

"He might be living here with us, he might even be speaking the same language as us. But none of that changes the fact that he's simply not a pony. He's not even an Equestrian. He's not even from this dimension. He doesn't think the way we think. He doesn't do things the way we do. And I just think it's dangerous to expect him to do so by default. It's not in his nature, and it's not how he operates. I honestly think that if he believed he could reestablish Equestria's security by nightfall, he'd do so without a second thought as to what it might take to do it."

Celestia listened as Spike presented his case to Twilight for consideration. As much as she hated to admit to it, Spike was presenting a very good argument to defend his position. No matter how much they all went through, the simple fact of the matter was that Ulquiorra simply wasn't one of them. He came from a world where killing was the norm, and where the inadequate were eliminated, and replaced by those who could get the job done properly.

She remembered how she'd instructed Ulquiorra not to cause any harm to her subjects. But considering everything that had happened up to this point, she could honestly see Ulquiorra interpreting those orders in a way that would almost require him to put the needs of Equestria as a whole, over the well being of a single traumatized pegasus. She could easily see him arguing that he would be lax in his duties if he allowed Rainbow Dash to live, as her broken state was causing the Elements of Harmony to remain useless, and putting them all at risk of some yet to be determined danger.

Ulquiorra wasn't a pony. That was an obvious fact. He didn't see things from the same perspective that they did. And as much as she wanted to believe that her efforts at making him learn about friendship had instilled at least some positive attributes into him, she highly doubted that anything he'd learned would be enough to overcome his logical and analytical nature. She had no doubt in her mind that he would view such a situation as being nothing more than a numbers game, weighing the costs of each scenario against one another, and believing he was justified in taking the route that saved as many lives as possible.

"I'm afraid I must agree with Spike on this one," she stated softly and shook her head, before looking back at Twilight. "I don't want to say Ulquiorra will take such a course of action, as that would be condemning him unfairly. But I could certainly see him believing that it would be the most logical choice to make, claiming that the needs of the few, must be balanced against the needs of the many," she explained.

Twilight was stunned. Mortified. Horrified. How exactly had everyone around her come to expect the worst from Ulquiorra? What had he done that convinced them of this twisted notion? What were they going off of, that she was oblivious to? She certainly couldn't think of anything that would support their worries. They... they just didn't understand him, that was all. It was no different than the average pony not actively taking an interest into the joy that could be had from proper organization and efficiency.

"Well then. I guess it's good to find out where everyone stands on this matter," she said softly.

"Do not misunderstand, Twilight Sparkle," Luna spoke up as she extended her wing to stroke her mane and back. "We are not saying that Ulquiorra Cifer cannot be trusted. We are merely speculating about the level of dedication he possesses with regard to his primary mission. It would be... inappropriate... for us to do otherwise," she explained.

"It's not that," Twilight replied and slouched under Luna's wing. "It's just that... if we're actually questioning whether or not Ulquiorra would do something like this, it means that none of us have been able to teach him anything about friendship. What if... what if he was never our friend to begin with? What if he was just telling us all what we wanted to hear?" she asked.

It was a thought that Twilight truly didn't want to consider. But now that it was out in the open she found it impossible to ignore. What if they were all right, and she'd simply been naive in her beliefs about the Espada? What if he hadn't learned anything about friendship? What if he couldn't learn about friendship? Had he been playing them all this time? Had he... been lying to her when he said he'd be her friend?

"I think I need to talk with him," she mumbled as she turned her head to look over at Spike. "Where's Ulquiorra now?"

"He's, um..." Spike paused as he tried to think of how to put things delicately. Twilight had been out for all of the excitement yesterday, leaving her oblivious to what had happened. How exactly did he lay such a revelation on her, without causing her to freak out?

"Ulquiorra's currently in Canterlot, ensuring Rainbow Dash doesn't make another escape attempt," Celestia stated calmly when she saw Spike was having trouble coming up with an answer.

"... What?" Twilight asked after a long pause, as she tried to comprehend just what was being said. She turned from Celestia and back to Spike, but then looked back at Celestia with uncertainty. Her head felt like it was beginning to swim. Quickly she turned back to Spike again. "Spike, what exactly is going on around here? What's everyone not telling me? What happened?"

Spike's unease was starting to grow, as Twilight singled him out specifically with her questions. And he really didn't see Celestia and Luna coming to his rescue right now. He was going to have to face her by himself.

"Yesterday Celestia sent us a letter, saying Rainbow Dash had escaped, and might be coming back to Ponyville. Turns out she did. But we managed to find her and stop her before she could hurt anyone, and she was taken back to Canterlot," he explained, glossing over the finer details of yesterday's events. "And before you even ask, I didn't let you know because you were asleep, and as tired as you were yesterday, I wasn't about to wake you up for anything short of the library burning down around us," he quickly added, seeing her opening her mouth to ask him what was bound to be the obvious question.

"... So... let's see if I'm understanding this right. Just so I know where we stand, because I'm starting to feel lost," Twilight said slowly after a long, silent, awkward pause. "Rainbow Dash, in a mentally impaired state due to unknown reasons, broke out of Canterlot, and came back to Ponyville to find Rarity, and I managed to sleep right through it. The Element of Loyalty is dormant because it can't properly resonate with Rainbow Dash in her current state, and there's absolutely nothing we can do about it, except wait and hope that she recovers. And now we're questioning the possibility of what Ulquiorra might be willing to do to us, if he were to come and view each of us as expendable in nature. Am I missing anything?" she asked them after listing off the main points she could immediately recall, her left ear flicking in the process.

"I am afraid not," Luna replied as she once again began stroking Twilight's back in an effort to keep her from getting too excited. "The situation does indeed appear dire. But we are not about to give up. We are going to do whatever we can to make things right. For Equestria, for the Elements of Harmony, for Rainbow Dash," Luna paused in her explanation, and wrapped her forelegs around Twilight to pull her into a hug. A hug that, she was thankful, was settled into without much resistance. "And for our friends. We will not leave others vulnerable to fend for themselves."

Celestia watched silently as her sister did her best to comfort Twilight during this stressful situation. Then her attention turned to where Spike stood, and just looked on in silence. In her tired state she couldn't help but wonder just how many hugs the young dragon had been excluded from. That thought just wouldn't do.

So out of courtesy and compassion -and if she were to be perfectly honest with herself, a little bit out of sibling rivalry- she extended a wing to sweep Spike up into an embrace of her own. There was no reason he just had to stand by and watch on in silence while being left out. Especially not after all that he'd been through. The fact that he was pondering matters as deep and disturbing as death, while still being as young as he was, was a disturbing fact in and of itself. What exactly had he been through, that she wasn't aware of, to give him such a bleak outlook?

But perhaps right now it was best not to linger on such thoughts. She might not like where the answers could potentially take her. For now she would simply focus on the matters that she could directly affect; such as their friends that needed them.

Even though the situation they were currently facing was more dire than any she could immediately recall, she still had confidence that they would still find a way to get through it. But that would only be a possibility if they did it together.

Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty

Five minutes was hardly an outstanding amount of time. Nothing more than a mere three hundred seconds in duration. Yet in those three hundred seconds, a great many things could easily transpire, and potentially shape future events.

It was an unassuming unit of time, the speed of passage of which dependent on the individual that was asked. To one who was distracted in a conversation, and unaware of how long it could actually take to construct a sentence, even when on the fly, the passing of five minutes could be perceived as being little more than thirty seconds. And in other cases, when subjected to less than desirable circumstances, that same five minute passage could be perceived as excruciatingly slow, and be grossly overestimated as being an hour.

In Ulquiorra's case, however, the perception of the passage was irrelevant. Of more interest was how many pages he had managed to cover in the five minutes since the departure of the diarchy for parts unknown to him. And while that number of pages covered wasn't overly impressive -by his standards anyway- he had been presented with information that could either potentially confirm, or debunk, several different diagnoses should they come up. That was far more useful than any amount of pages that could realistically be covered.

Although he could've gotten further along in his research if he didn't feel the need to periodically stop and jot down information for later reference. Or to reach out with his pesquisa, and double check to make sure that Rainbow Dash hadn't made a second attempt at escape.

Locating the cyan pegasus had been a simple matter, as her reiatsu was impossible to not notice. Nearby in the same vicinity were two other reiatsu pattens. And based on the similar textures, and stationary positioning, it was safe to assume that those two were members of Princess Luna's night guard; bat ponies if he remembered the impromptu term correctly. Although he had no idea what they truly were in nature.

It was safe to say that the lesson had been learned from yesterday. And although the numbers were few, Rainbow Dash was at least under guard, and would no longer be able to escape undetected. With that thought in mind, he turned his attention back to the book, and refocusing his attention on the next page, rather than his pesquisa.

But then he stopped. Just before cutting out his pesquisa, he detected something. Something that didn't feel right. The exact timing of the events, occurring in the breadth of a heartbeat just before he decided to stop focusing on what was beyond him, had to be a million to one shot of occurring, but they had occurred nonetheless. Gripped by curiosity, he once again activated his pesquisa to try and locate the anomaly that had caught his attention.

Where was it? He wouldn't describe his search as desperate, or even frantic. But his curiosity had been piqued by what had just barely registered with his senses, before vanishing by his ill-timed decision to stop focusing on the whole of his surroundings. Now he had to find it again. He had to confirm its existence, presence, and nature, before he could decide whether or not to let it go.

Scanning... scanning... where was it? What was it? What was the disturbance in detectable reiatsu that had acted like a ping on a radar map, only to vanish before any vital information could be determined?

Rainbow Dash's assigned quarters. That was the location of the reiatsu disturbance, he was certain of that fact now.

But it was strange. These were not the normal type of disturbances that he'd come to be familiar with in this world. These fluctuations were coming from Rainbow Dash's reiatsu. but these fluctuations were too unstable, and shaky, compared to what he had felt previously. They weren't the fluctuations that went with her usual, or even her current, emotional instability. There were no peaks, just continual valleys to note. They were fluctuations far more characteristic of...

All thoughts of what was going on, were immediately halted. The book he'd been reading was disregarded and allowed to fall to the ground in a haphazard manner, as he left the library in a burst of sonido.

For those that made up the night guard and served Princess Luna, the hour was growing late. It was nearly dawn, and it would soon be time for the customary changing of the guard that accompanied the setting of the moon, and the raising of the sun.

And for the two lunar guards that silently stood on either side of the door to the quarters of the guest they were currently tasked with guarding, that change couldn't come soon enough, as exhaustion was working its magic over them, with all the skill and precision of a seasoned wizard. Their service brethren tasked with performing hoof patrols around the castle as least had the distraction of continual physical movement, and changing scenery to help them stay alert. There was always the possibility of finding an intruder, or one of the late night staff trying to strike up a conversation with them, rare as that was.

But for them, there was no such distraction to keep them alert. There was nothing but monotony and standing around. There was no outside aid to help keep them alert of their surroundings, but rather it was something they had to do themselves.

They fully understood the importance of their assigned task. Behind the locked door was one of the ponies who held one of the Elements of Harmony. And it was their assigned duty to make sure no unauthorized entry occurred. They were also instructed to tend to the needs of the Element bearer should she need anything. Although just what that anything was, Princess Luna had been less than precise about.

Whether or not that influenced her judgement in assigning two mares as guards, they didn't really know. But it really wasn't their place to question such, even if their Princess had great tolerance for curiosity.

"I can't stand up anymore. I need to sit down," the lunar guard on the right of the door struggled to mumble through a yawn.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the lunar guard on the left of the door replied. Although truth be told, sitting down for even just a minute sounded very tempting right now.

"You worry too much," the other commented, before easing herself down onto her haunches. "What's the worst that could happen from resting our hooves for five minutes if we don't leave our post?" she asked.

The answer to that question came not in the form of a verbal response from her partner. But rather in the form of what sounded like an explosion going off right between them, causing them both to jump in surprise.

Momentary disorientation and confusion evaporated away, giving rise to concern, when they saw that the door they'd been tasked with guarding had been breached. It had been violently forced open from the outside, breaking the lock apart in the process, and swung against the wall so hard, that the screws holding the hinges in place had forcefully been ripped out of the wood from the impact. And it had all happened in the blink of an eye, and they never even got the chance to see anything that happened.

The next thing they became aware of was a deep, heavy breathing coming from inside the room. Deep, ragged gasps for air that sounded like somepony was being strangled. Immediately they leaped in, prepared to defend the Element bearer who had been left in their care. But as soon as they were inside the room, they weren't prepared for what they saw.

The cyan pegasus was laying on the ground, a section of cloth wrapped and tied around her midsection tight enough to keep her wings from deploying, no matter how hard she might've struggled to get them loose. One section of cloth was hanging loosely around her neck as she struggled and fought to suck down deep breaths of air, while another section of the same cloth hung from the ceiling. Standing next to the downed pegasus was the white biped they had seen Princess Luna conversing with on a number of occasions, in the process of slipping his sword back into its sheath at his side.

It took them all of three seconds to put two and two together, and figure out what happened. Their charge had attempted to commit suicide through hanging herself with the available bedding. And in an effort to prevent her body's primal desire for survival from interrupting her attempts at ending it all, she had tied her wings down so she couldn't flap and hover off the ground when the desire for air became too strong to consciously resist.

But the most disturbing aspect of it all, at least to them, was how this had happened while they were present! They hadn't heard any commotion coming from the other side of the heavy oak door that would indicate distress. They hadn't even heard something that might suggest she'd been conscious at the time. As far as they knew, nothing out of the ordinary had been going on.

Oh how, how wrong they'd been about that assumption.

Making matters all the worse was how they, even with their close proximity, and logically the ones who should've been able to respond first, hadn't been able to do such. They'd more of less just been standing around idly while twiddling their hooves, ignorant of the world around them. The only reason the Element bearer was still alive, was because the stranger had come out of nowhere, breaking down the bucking door in the process, and cut her down before she could complete the gruesome deed. How had he even known what was going on? Where had he even come from when he decided to be the hero, and come to the rescue of the damsel in distress?

"Leave."

Their attention was drawn away from their thoughts, and back to the here and now; more specifically, the biped that was glancing back at them over his shoulder. It had been his voice that they'd heard, issuing the one word command, and leaving them confused in the process.

"Sir?"

"You're incompetent. Leave," he spoke again in a flat, even tone utterly devoid of any trace of emotion. It was a tone usually expected from their stallion counterparts when they spoke. And it was a tone that managed to send chills down the both of their spines.

Officially, being members of the night guard, Princess Luna was the only one they answered to and took orders from. Princess Celestia rarely ever saw fit to exercise her authority over them, and instead left them to her sister's devices and discretion. They were under absolutely no obligation to listen to him, regardless of what he might say. He had no authority over them. By all rights they could order him to leave.

Those facts of the matter, however, did nothing to change the basic fact that he was utterly intimidating to face. His eyes and tone were just the tip of the iceberg, as he seemed to give off an air of utter coldness and mercilessness. And then there were the stories of his exploits. The tale regarding the dragon was quite widespread and confirmed as fact, although there were variations in the details of just what the fight had involved; at least one version had him effortlessly lifting the dragon right off the ground through pure brute strength.

And then there were the unconfirmed reports that were more or less gossip, but were utterly hard to just ignore. They had heard whispered rumors from their solar guard compatriots that the stranger had actually manages to intimidate Princess Celestia of all ponies, and done so just by looking at her.

However it was just talk. None of it did anything to change the fact that they served Princess Luna. They were loyal to her, and regardless of what she may order, they readily served her.

But they feared him.

It was only begrudgingly that they complied with his orders, and chose to leave the area.

They knew that if it came down to being a choice between Princess Luna and the white stranger, at least Princess Luna was more willing to show them mercy for their shortcomings. If they begged, she was far more likely to forgive them for their failings compared to him.

With the departure of the two bat-ponies, Ulquiorra turned his attention back to Rainbow Dash as she finally calmed down, having recovered enough to slow her breathing, and sit herself up on her haunches as she loosened the binding around her neck. Without the tension provided by her weight on the haphazardly tied knot, there was no more risk of strangulation.

He observed the surroundings and took in the details of the room, noting the positioning of everything, what was out of place, and determining what had most likely been the course of action taken, leading up to right now. The bound wings, lack of any close physical objects, incompetence of the assigned guards, and absence of fingers, would all have lead up to unavoidable death had he not been present. Or more specifically, if he hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings through his pesquisa. Had one of the other Espada been brought to this world instead of him, they would likely be standing over a corpse at this point in time, as they were too ignorant of their surroundings.

All the more reason to believe that Discord had selected him specifically.

"Go away..."

It was a hoarse croaking from the cyan pegasus that brought his attention back to her where she sat, now rubbing at her throat. Whereas the sleeper hold he had used just days ago had done little to affect her voice -due primarily to being a combination blood and air choke hold, and applied with expert precision- her own crud attempts at ending her life had quite possibly bruised her trachea.

"Go away," she repeated as she coughed, before rubbing at her throat some more. "Just go away..."

No gratitudes being offered up for him preventing her death. Considering previous experiences with these ponies, that was an unusual development. Pleasantries were usually exchanged between ponies at the drop of a hat. For her to break this pattern of behavior was an anomaly. This would require further investigation.

"Under present circumstances, that would be unadvisable," he replied. "Out of everyone I have associated with in this world, I never believed that you would be one to consider suicide. It's... surprising actually."

Rainbow Dash said nothing in response as she looked away, not wanting to make eye contact with him as she continued to rub at her throat.

"Being stubborn will be of no use in this matter," he pointed out. Although she would be finding that out for herself soon enough.

"I don't care," Rainbow Dash mumbled in response, still not even looking at him. "I don't care about anything anymore. Just go away and let me die already..."

"If you were any other pony, that wouldn't be an unreasonable possibility. But I cannot allow for such in this case, as you bear one of the Elements of Harmony, making your survival-"

"I don't care about the Elements of Harmony!" Rainbow Dash yelled, interrupting his monotone explanation as she turned to face him angrily. It hurt to talk at such a volume, but she was beyond caring at this point. "I don't care about anything anymore! Not the Elements, or Equestria, or anything! I hate the Elements of Harmony, and the Princesses, and the others, and I especially hate you! So just! Leave! Me! Alone already!"

Voicing her displeasure with him wasn't out of the ordinary. However her voicing her displeasure with the diarchy was another matter. The mystery at hand was just deepening.

"Why?" he asked in response. It was a simple enough question, and likely the only one she could actually compute in her emotionally disturbed and hostile state.

"Why should I even bother telling you?" Rainbow Dash asked, not in the mood for either games, or any other nonsense that the Espada might be up to.

"Because I am the only one present, who is even willing to listen to what you might have to say," Ulquiorra pointed out. "Whether or not you choose to take advantage of that fact, is entirely up to you."

Rainbow Dash frowned as she looked at him. She wanted to scream in his face right now until he left. She wanted to punch him right in his ugly face, and not stop until one of them was bleeding. She wanted to wipe that cold, unfeeling expression right off its perch.

But she couldn't do any of that right now. Her wings were still bound against her body by the torn remnants of the sheets from the bed. Without untying them, she had no way of getting up to eye level with him, leaving her below chin level. And she didn't want to go through the trouble of untying them, just to retie them later on when she tried again at a more opportune time. So instead, she opted for taking him up on his offer of talking.

"You really wanna know? Fine. I'm going crazy! That's why!" she stated in response, trying to steel herself to give him the full explanation. "My so-called friends raped me. They tortured me. They mutilated me. They did all of that stuff and so much more, and I knew it. I knew all of it. It was fact! And then Celestia and you came along and made me realize that I didn't know anything! Thanks to the two of you I don't know what to believe anymore! What I know isn't what I know anymore! I'm remembering things that didn't happen, I'm not remembering things that did happen, I'm hearing voices telling me to do things I don't wanna do, I tried to murder Rarity for something she didn't even do, and I can't take it anymore! I don't know what's real anymore, and nopony even cares! Nopony, nopony knows what I'm going through!"

Ulquiorra listened silently as Rainbow Dash vented her anger. He wasn't entirely certain what he had expected the given answer to be when she'd decided to talk. Perhaps something relating to how she wasn't the Element of Loyalty, but rather an individual with dreams and ambitions of her own, and not some weapon or tool that could be used when necessary and simply put away until next time.

But this certainly wasn't what he had been expecting.

"Nopony gets it," she continued, her tone and hostility dropping substantially as she spoke. Apparently the anger coursing through her system had time to effectively burn off. "They don't know what it's like when you start doubting everything. They don't get what it's like. It's... it's scary, it's terrifying..."

"It's a concept I'm familiar with," Ulquiorra replied. However it seemed that his statement was the wrong thing to say, as she immediately returned to her angered state, as if he had deliberately gone out of his way to antagonize her.

"Don't you dare say that! You don't know anything! You don't know what it's like to have your mind violated! To be forced to remember the most horrible experience you could possibly imagine! To be wondering if everything you ever knew is even real or not! How could you possibly know what I'm going through!?"

Ulquiorra remained silent through Rainbow Dash's anger induced outburst, waiting for her to stop her yelling before once again proceeding.

"Aizen's zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu, possessed a unique ability. When activated, his shikai could hypnotize anyone who saw his sword's release, allowing him to affect not only all five of their senses, but also their perception of time. And once one became hypnotized, he could utilize this fact at any time, leaving them unable to tell reality from illusion. You could be conversing with your best friend one minute, never realizing that they were nothing more than an illusion. It became impossible to rely on and trust any of your five senses. Even if one were to be aware that what they were experiencing was an illusion, it still proved to be impossible to resist, just as it was impossible to break," he explained calmly, noting as Rainbow Dash's demeanor began to change at his words. Once again the anger was starting to ebb away, as she began to comprehend what he was saying. That was good, as it showed she still possessed some degree of reason. With that thought in mind, he continued his explanation.

"You once asked how Aizen kept the Hollows under control. This is how it was achieved for many of them. He demonstrated the strength of his hypnosis by making an example out of a particularly rebellious Arrancar of Vasto Lorde level. In an instant, they were subjected to the illusion of being exposed to negative four hundred and sixty degrees Fahrenheit for a period of one hundred and sixty eight hours nonstop. Despite it being nothing more than an illusion with no basis in realty, it was so convincing in nature, that they died from the trauma their body experienced as a result. As you might expect, very few were willing to continue opposing his rule after witnessing such a display of his power. It was quite effective at quelling insurrection."

Rainbow Dash sat in silence as she looked at him, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide, too stunned and horrified by what he was saying to formulate any sort of response.

"You..." she finally managed to get out, sounding like nothing more than a squeak. "You were... you were mind fucked too?" she asked him.

Ulquiorra remained silent for a moment, before continuing. "The aspect with the greatest potential for terror, is having no way to tell one way or the other. If I was, then how would I even know for certain?" he asked her. When she had nothing else to immediately offer up, he continued. "Not being able to rely on your five senses is bad enough. For an Arrancar, however, it went deeper than that, as even our pesquisa wasn't immune to Aizen's hypnotic abilities. And these were simply the effects we did know of. The full extent of Kyōka Suigetsu's abilities is not something we were informed of. For obvious reasons."

Depending on the point of view taken, it had all been the simple truth. He hadn't said that he understood her fear, but he could certainly understand why she could be afraid and upset. He was aware of the uncertainty that could be experienced from not being able to tell if the here and now, was truly the here and now. On more than one occasion since his arrival here, he had wondered to himself if this was actually real, or if he was actually standing in some corner of Las Noches, talking to himself as pastel-colored hallucinations played out before him, while the other Espada looked on.

But every time that thought played out in his mind, he remembered Pinkie Pie. He had doubts that Aizen would've been able to imagine the pink earth pony, and conjure her up to punish him for some failing on his part. To the best of his knowledge, Kyōka Suigetsu's abilities were limited by Aizen's own imagination. And who could've possibly imagined all that he had experienced firsthand since his arrival here?

"I'm sorry..."

It was a small statement on her part. But it was one he could tell carried as much genuine sentiment as she could muster in her current state. And if ever there was a set of circumstances that could be described as irony, this was more certainly it. The fact that she was offering her condolences to him for his experience, when she was the one who had tried to commit suicide just minutes ago, could almost be considered as a form of dark humor.

At the moment, however, he couldn't think of anything that seemed appropriate to say.

"So... does this mean you'll let me do this?" Rainbow Dash asked. If he understood what she was going through, then surely that meant he could sympathize with his plight, right?

"That is something I'm not able to do," Ulquiorra replied simply, without going into a detailed elaboration of just why he couldn't let her kill herself. In her current state, he doubted that she would pay much attention.

"What!?" she croaked out. Apparently all the strain from the earlier yelling had taken its toll on her throat and voice once again. "But you, you said you understood what I was going through," she protested. As if it would be able to sway his position somehow.

"Simply because I can understand what you're experiencing, doesn't mean I can allow you to go ahead with your suicide attempt. Your importance to Equestria is far too great at the moment. And that importance extends far beyond the fact that you bear one of the Elements of Harmony," he explained.

"... Huh?" Rainbow Dash asked, confused by what exactly he meant by that.

He now had her attention. If he also had her focus, that meant he would be able to go into a greater degree of depth in his explanation, without needing to consider the possibility of her interrupting him unexpectedly. He was going to take advantage of that fact.

"At preset time, we still don't know the exact nature of what happened to you. Despite mapping out the areas of Ponyville you frequented throughout last week, we are still been unable to determined just what would explain your current condition. We can't rule out magical intervention, nor can we eliminate the possibility of some type of biological contaminant. For all we know you may only be one of many that have been afflicted. You may still be in possession of clues that will lead us not only to what happened, but how we can treat others if they've been afflicted as well," he explained.

"Whoa," Rainbow Dash breathed in response. Was he really serious about this? This was... this was seriously deep. Even she could see that. "You mean that... that others might be going through the same thing I am right now?"

"It's a possibility. One that we must give as much consideration as any other. Medical professionals are being contacted later today for evaluation purposes, in hopes of them being able to detect something that we cannot, and perhaps devise a treatment plan," Ulquiorra stated.

Rainbow Dash didn't know what to say in response. Her head was starting to swim with all of this new information that'd been dumped right into her lap.

And now, as she became aware of it, the bindings around her wings were serving as an uncomfortable reminder of what she'd attempted to do, and had nearly succeeded at. Suddenly it was enough to send a chill up her spine and against her feathers, as she struggled to undo the torn sheets, and get them as far away from herself as possible.

Ulquiorra said nothing as he watched the cyan pegasus working to untie the bindings around her wings and neck. If there was something that was appropriate to say in this situation, it was lost to him. He dealt in fact, not irrelevancies like feelings and such. If Rainbow Dash was seeking emotional comfort, she would have to look elsewhere.

This entire... odd episode of events that had occurred. It had seemingly come out of nowhere as far as he could see. Even by this world's twisted sense of logic and reason, this turn of events just didn't strike him as right. He never considered Rainbow Dash, or any of the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony, as the type that would commit suicide. As he began running over everything that could potentially explain this happening, he couldn't help but wonder if exposing her to countless hours worth of his own memories, had served to further traumatize her, and drive her to this course of action.

If that were truly the case, then it was unfortunate. He had exercised concern the first time around, by not confronting her about the inaccuracies of her story's recollection. And then Princess Celestia had come in, and completely decimated everything with her line of questioning. Perhaps that had left Rainbow Dash unstable to begin with, and his course of action had simply been the straw that broke the camel's back. It was a possibility that couldn't be ruled out.

And then his pesquisa let him know of the return of the diarchy. And with them the sweltering nature of their combined reiatsu, once again settling upon his shoulders, much like the yoke Big Macintosh so often wore.

"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have returned. And they will need to be informed of this development," he stated simply as he slid his hands into his pockets.

"What? Seriously?" Rainbow Dash asked him in disbelief. A few minutes ago she wouldn't have cared one bit. But now it was completely different, and she found herself dreading such. The prospect of the Princesses finding out about what she'd just tried... it was actually terrifying to her right now. She'd gone from not caring about anything, to suddenly caring a great deal about a number of things. "Do you really have to? Can't you, like, not tell them about this? I swear I'll never do anything like this again. Please?" she asked. Or more accurately, begged. With her forehooves clasped and everything.

"That is something that I'm unable to do," Ulquiorra replied as he observed her. Did she truly think that such a change in demeanor, and a hastily issued promise, would be enough to sway his decision? Utterly pathetic. "The only circumstance that would allow me not to tell them of what happened here, would be if you tell them yourself."

"Say what? You mean you actually want me to go to them and tell them that I've been a bad little foal? Like my Dad made me do when I broke Mom's vase?" Rainbow Dash asked him in disbelief. Surely he couldn't be serious. The whole notion was absurd.

"What I may want has no bearing on the matter. What you do or don't do is entirely your choice. I'm merely informing you that the diarchy will be made aware of this, one way or the other," Ulquiorra explained.

With nothing left to say on the matter he left, walking out of the room, and leaving Rainbow Dash on the floor where she sat, blinking in confusion.

"That could have gone smoother," Luna commented before sighing and closing her eyes. "With but a mere ten minutes until the sunrise, I fear your time for refreshment has been wasted."

Celestia said nothing in response to Luna's lament about the time of day. She meant well, and that was enough.

"Sister. Do you believe Twilight Sparkle will be able to fulfill her assigned task, and not let news of the Element of Loyalty slip?"

That was certainly a good question. Twilight always meant well, but sometimes that well meaning nature got the best of her. Applejack might bear the Element of Honesty, but she knew that Twilight's skills at deception were lacking in some cases. And with something as big as this, even she was unsure of whether or not it would be possible; especially if she had to keep it a secret from her friends, to prevent one of them from experiencing a slip of the tongue. All she could really do right now, was hope that she could do as requested.

"I want to believe so, Luna, for all of our sakes," Celestia stated and pinched the bridge of her muzzle, trying not to allow her mind to wander from the issue regarding Twilight, to what else she had on her plate today.

"As do I, dear sister," Luna replied and nodded. The entire situation could have certainly been dealt with much better than it had, she was certain of that. But there was no going back in time and performing a do-over. "What concerns me at the moment, however, is the question presented by Spike. And I do not know what is more disturbing in nature; the subject matter itself, or the fact that it was presented by one that is still so young. Young ones should not be so preoccupied with matters of death, and questioning whether or not those they call friends will betray them," she pointed out.

It was a very fair point to make. Spike's worry about Ulquiorra taking the suspected course of action was disturbingly similar to her own suspicions about the Espada and his nature. It had taken so much for her to even just start trusting him a little. And now she was starting to face doubt that threatened to wipe out even that little bit of trust regarding his nature.

But what had Spike experienced that would fill him with such concern? What had Ulquiorra said or done that would cause him so much concern?

"Majesty!"

However her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden voice, and the unexpected presence of two of Luna's night guards quickly approaching them where they stood in the throne room.

"My guards? You were instructed to guard Rainbow Dash's quarters. Why are you not at your post?" Luna asked them, curious to find out what could've made them abandon their assignment,

"We were ordered to leave our post, Majesty," the guard on the right explained and bowed her head.

"Ordered?" Luna asked in disbelief at the words. "And whose authority presumes to trump my own?"

"The white biped, Majesty, he told us to leave," the guard on the left stated and bowed her head as well.

The guard on the right nodded. "Your forgiveness, Majesty, please do not believe that we do not respect you or your position. If ordered to, we would willingly follow you through the gates of Tartarus... But he scares the manure out of us!" she stated.

"Even if we refused," the guard on the left continued, "there would have been no way to stop him. Someone strong enough to kill a manticore in the way that he did, could never be obstructed by the likes of us. We're too weak."

Luna opened her mouth, and subsequently closed it again, several times in the wake of the explanation she was given. What had started out as anger, was slowly giving way to reason, and compassion in light of their words. She could understand their position. Ulquiorra Cifer was not one to be trifled with under ever the best of circumstances. And with tales of his exploits spreading across the land, even at a slow pace, it was understandable why they would choose to heed his words and leave their post. Loyalty was fine, but not if it were to cost them their lives for the sake of fulfilling orders.

"Rise, my little ponies, I hold no anger toward you. It takes great courage, and great wisdom, to recognize when orders must be disregarded," she told them, waiting for them to stand back up again. "But I must ask why Ulquiorra Cifer did see fit to order you to abandon your post. What was his reasoning?" she asked them.

"Incompetence on their part."

Celestia turned towards the sound of the voice, observing as Ulquiorra entered the throne room at what could best be described as a leisurely pace. And several paces behind him was an anxious looking Rainbow Dash, whose walk looked far more appropriate for somepony trying to walk over a path of broken glass without getting cut up.

Luna frowned. The way Ulquiorra popped up was a matter of either impeccable timing and coincidence, or he was in the habit of eavesdropping until he heard what was the more appropriate setup for him to simply approach unannounced. Whatever the answer was, however, she would save it for another time.

"You are certainly one with great confidence, Ulquiorra Cifer. Pray tell, exactly what reasoning made you see fit to order by guards to abandon their post and duty?" she asked him.

"As stated, incompetence on the part of your guards," Ulquiorra replied as he came to a stop, with Rainbow Dash slowly coming up next to him and just standing there. She had called for him to wait during his departure, and trotted along to catch up to him. He had taken it as a sign of her willingness to confess her actions to the diarchy, and perhaps apply whatever spin to the explanation she was inclined to add. But her silence was beginning to speak quite loudly, and cast doubt on that assumption. Perhaps he needed to step up in this matter.

"I..."

And then again, perhaps not. It was a tiny utterance from the cyan pegasus that stood next to him. But it was an utterance nonetheless as she slowly stepped forward.

"I... I tried to kill myself," she admitted quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. Whether or not it had been loud enough for the diarchy to hear, he didn't know. "I tried to hang myself. He... he cut me down just before I... I..."

She stopped and looked up at him. Possibly looking for some indication that she'd said enough, and could now be silent. He wouldn't force her to continue any further, as she had certainly given enough information to get the point across. But at the same time he was under no obligation to stop her if she felt compared to share more details. For that fact, he chose to remain silent, and wait to see what she would do next on her own. If she had the desire to continue talking, who was he to interfere?

But it didn't prove necessary for him to interrupt. Instead it was Princess Luna who interrupted.

"Rainbow Dash, why... would you do such? What would possibly drive you to suicide?" she asked in utter disbelief, horrified at what she'd heard.

No audible answer came. Ulquiorra glanced back down at her and saw her in a state that could only be described as discomfort, consisting of small but numerous physical gestures on her part. Physical gestures that made absolutely no sense to him, and were accompanied by weak grunts and other sounds of distress.

"Rainbow Dash, please step forward," Celestia said in a soft voice, seeing that they weren't getting anywhere.

"I don't wanna get hit..."

At hearing this statement, Ulquiorra actually turned his head to look at her. Now that was an unexpected development. Even he couldn't have predicted something like that. And from what he could see from his vantage point, neither had the diarchy, as they both appeared to be quite shocked by Rainbow Dash's words.

"Rainbow Dash?" Luna asked in disbelief as she cautiously stepped forward, but stopped in her tracks when she saw the pegasus beginning to back up. The course of action made her drop to her haunches. "What... what ever gave you the idea that we would actually strike you? Have we... have I done anything to give you such an idea? Have any of us?"

"N-no," Rainbow Dash whimpered in response.

"Then please tell us, Rainbow Dash, whatever gave you the idea that we would hit you?" Celestia asked as she stepped closer, eager to get to the bottom of this matter.

"I... I..." Rainbow Dash stuttered and sniffed, struggling to get the words out at this point. "I just couldn't take it anymore! I just couldn't!" she finally blurted out. Almost angrily. "I couldn't take not knowing what's real anymore! I don't know what to believe! I don't know what not to believe! And you two aren't helping! You don't know what it's like to be mind fucked and not even be sure who you are!"

What followed the vocal outburst was decidedly less coherent in nature, to the point even Ulquiorra was having trouble making out what the cyan pegasus was saying through the tears and bawling, as she was swept up into an embrace by Princess Celestia and allowed to cry against her.

Luna looked on, uncertain exactly how to respond to what was unfolding in front of her. Glancing over to where the guards stood, she could see that they were just as confused as her. Saying nothing, she extended a wing and waved them off, dismissing them without further discussion on the matter. Thankfully they took their leave after that point, leaving the four of them behind.

"It's alright, Rainbow Dash, it's alright," Celestia said as she tried to calm the crying pegasus down. This matter was only getting worse, not any better. The way things were looking, if they'd brought Ulquiorra with them to Ponyville, they might've returned to news that Rainbow Dash was dead. That in itself was terrifying enough, never mind what else they were currently facing.

"I still do not understand. Whatever gave her the idea that we would actually beat her?" Luna asked curiously while her sister continued to hug the cyan pegasus in her forelegs, making an effort to calm her down, but without much success.

"Even I find myself wondering that," Ulquiorra commented. That in itself was hard enough to believe. He could believe the diarchy would strike him for angering them on one matter or another. Truthfully he had even come to expect it at a few points, considering how they would flare their reiatsu when angry, and subject him to pain. But then again he was himself, and Rainbow Dash was... not. He could only assume that it had to do with the hallucinations she'd been experiencing; possibly filling her head with unfounded fears of the diarchy, and subjecting her to bouts of paranoia.

But then he was left with a very specific question. And it was one he truly didn't believe he would get an answer to anytime soon; why exactly did Rainbow Dash fear the other ponies around her, but she didn't fear him?

Was it because she had been made aware of his predatory nature from the beginning, and thus there was no element of surprise that had to be addressed? He had made no efforts to hide who and what he was from these ponies, other than allowing Twilight Sparkle to do the introductions with her "visiting dignitary" cover story. But he had been very forthcoming once the story had fallen apart, and all the details were shared.

Perhaps it was the open and honest nature of the interactions between them, that kept her from feeling the need to fear him in this matter? Stranger things had indeed happened, so who was he to doubt it all?

"Everything will be alright, Rainbow Dash, I promise you that," Celestia said as she stroked the back of the young pegasus. She was unspeakably thankful for the fact that she was indeed calming down, even if it was just a little. "Now please, please tell me, whatever made you believe that any of us would ever strike you," she pleaded.

"I... I-I don't wanna say," Rainbow Dash muttered in response.

"I know. But I'm afraid that you must say," Celestia informed her, gently but also firmly. "It's a matter of great importance that you do. And I really don't want to have to order you to tell me..."

Rainbow Dash whimpered, not wanting to talk about this issue. But what exactly could she do to the contrary, when Celestia had her in a grip she couldn't escape from? Even if she could, there were two others who could easily catch her in no time. She was between a rock and a hard place right now, and had no other choice in the matter as far as she could see, other than to come clean.

"Because... because I was being greedy. I didn't think you cared about me, only the Element of Loyalty. A-a-and I'm not the Element of Loyalty, I-I'm just a dumb, greedy pegasus, a-and I'm not sorry about it! I'm me, not my Element! And I'm tired of ponies thinking otherwise!"

Ulquiorra remained silent, observing Rainbow Dash's statement. It bore a striking similarity to the rooftop confession she'd made during their first night in Canterlot, right after the defeat of the dragon. The fluctuations in the intensity of her reiatsu were strikingly similar, leaving him to suspect that an emotional outpouring was to follow.

And once again, much to his surprise, he was experiencing that same uncomfortable feeling, that he had experienced in the library when Princess Luna had confessed to her past deeds. What exactly was the source of this sensation of discomfort? And why exactly was he experiencing it?

His attention was brought to Princess Luna leaving the throne room without explanation.

Failing to see any reason that would warrant him remaining behind, he ultimately decided to follow after her. He didn't need to be present for Rainbow Dash's emotional instability, or Princess Celestia's efforts at stabilizing that emotional state. There was very little he could actually do at the moment, seeing as someone competent was present, both for keeping track of the cyan pegasus, and preventing anymore attempts on her life.

"So let me see if I understand this correctly," Celestia said, oblivious to the fact that the other two were now gone from the room. "You actually believed that we would hit you, because you actually believe that you deserve to be treated like a pony, and not your Element of Harmony?" she asked.

Rainbow Dash didn't even look at her. Couldn't even look at her. She just kept her head hung low, trying desperately not to make eye contact with her.

"If that's truly the case, and you believed you would be punished for wanting to be recognized as yourself, then it would seem that I've been a terrible ruler, and an even worse friend," Celestia stated, her tone unable to hide the disappointment she'd felt with herself. Much as she hated to admit it, the cyan pegasus did have a point. Their primary concern the past few days had been trying to get Rainbow Dash right again, due to the bond she had with the Element of Loyalty. Much as she was loathe to admit to the fact, they hadn't really stopped and considered her on the individual level. "I'm truly sorry for that, Rainbow Dash, you deserve better consideration than that."

This was going to require a different approach to the situation.

Luna panted, feeling winded from her exertion. With her sister currently indisposed, and the day waiting for nopony, she had taken it upon herself to do as her sister had done for so many years, and adjust the positioning of the celestial bodies all by herself.

It wasn't until she'd actually gotten involved, however, that she realized just how difficult the process was, when one was unaccustomed to just how much effort was actually involved. It wasn't simply a matter of doubling the workload, but rather a matter of the sun being so much fatter than her own moon was.

There was some humor to that fact. She was sure of it, but couldn't immediately identify what it was. Oh well.

Her attention was soon drawn to Ulquiorra as he stood behind her at the doorway, watching with as much intent as his stone face could muster.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Princess Celestia won't take issue with your trespass into her territory of authority?" Ulquiorra asked as he calmly stepped closer.

"I would be surprised if she did. At the moment she has her hooves full with another important matter," Luna replied, shaking her head in response to the question. "And considering everything, I fear it is far more important. To think that Rainbow Dash was so close to... to... I would rather not think of what would have happened, had you not been present," she stated.

"Instituting a suicide watch over her would be a wise decision. She may try again, and I can't guarantee I'll be there to pick up the slack next time," Ulquiorra pointed out. Once he was certain the cyan pegasus had been secured, most likely by whatever medical experts were called in, he intended to go back to Ponyville, and continue his assigned duties there. Simply because Rainbow Dash was indisposed, didn't mean the others weren't equally at risk.

Luna frowned, but ultimately said nothing. Now wasn't the time to be splitting hairs. There would be plenty of time later on, to discuss the Espada's views of their guards and their competency.

"Do you truly believe that Rainbow Dash will make another attempt at taking her own life?" she asked him.

"What I may believe holds little bearing on the matter. But it would be foolish to assume she wouldn't make another attempt, given her current level of emotional instability," Ulquiorra stated.

Silence. For a -comparatively- long time, the only sound between them was the ruffling of Luna's wing, as she moved to shield her eyes from the glaring of the sun.

"There is... a spell. A very... powerful spell, that would prevent Rainbow Dash from attempting suicide once again if it were to be cast," Luna finally stated. Much to her surprise, the Espada had said nothing in response. He hadn't asked her why the spell hadn't been used. Instead he was just standing there and watching her, as if he was waiting for her to continue on her own, without any prompting from him. "It is... something best reserved for truly desperate situations due to the risk involved, as it essentially robs the target of all free will, rendering them little more than a puppet to the caster. It is... a considerable deal of power to wield. It is... easy to become tempted to abuse the power such a spell grants. I... I-I cannot bring myself to use it. I cannot deprive a subject of what makes them, them. It is nothing more than enslavement of the most cruel kind, as they are aware of their own helplessness. It is... it is perhaps one of the worst cruelties ever developed in the field of magic. And if I could destroy all trace of it, I would do such without hesitation," she stated.

Again Ulquiorra said nothing in response. Princess Luna was under no obligation to justify her reasoning to him, as he had no authority in the situation to pass judgement over her. But her decision to justify her actions -and the lack thereof- did provide a decent bit of insight into the matter. If she was experiencing this much discomfort even discussing the spell, then it stood to reason that she must have some experience with it, and knew full well just what would be at stake should it be utilized. He could only assume that the risks far outweighed any potential gain that might be had from using it; like disabling the safeguards on a computer in order to exert more performance. For all he knew about magic, should the spell be used, anyone with a sufficient degree of magic could hijack Rainbow Dash in her impaired state, and use her as they saw fit.

He could only speculate and theorize that she had experience with how such an approach could go wrong. And right now he would rather not speculate on how that might have gone.

"I have no words of comfort on the matter. Ultimately whatever course of action you pick is entirely your own discretion. If you believe the spell is too risky to use, in order to prevent another suicide attempt, then we will simply consider other alternatives," he replied. He really didn't need her going to pieces as well; not at present time anyway.

This was a matter that needed to be turned over to the local medical professionals, as it was far out of their established areas of expertise. The diarchy was skilled in the art of ruling the nation, whereas his skills were more focused on killing and such. He knew for certain that emotional health and mental stability was far removed from any field he had been required to engage in. And he highly doubted that Princess Celestia's more relevant knowledge had any actual relevancy here. With Princess Luna it was harder to tell, seeing as she'd been away for so long.

"Then we do what? Admit that we have been defeated, and defer to somepony else? Passing the bit as it were, in hoping that they can do something where we have failed?" Luna asked him, not liking the sound of the words as they were tossed out for consideration.

"At the moment it's the only thing we can do. Supportive care has failed in this matter. We must face facts, and admit that we're out of our leagues, as well at outclassed. Deferment is the only logical option available to us," Ulquiorra replied.

He had accepted that simple fact long ago. Why the others had been so slow in adopting it, he didn't know. Perhaps pride resulting from the office they held for so long? Or perhaps it was because he recognized his own limitations better, as he was in a better position to be aware of them.

"There are times I envy you your serenity, Ulquiorra Cifer. The ability to remain calm while under the pressure of a crisis is sadly something that I do not adequately possess," Luna commented. Both he and her sister. It was possible for her to be the same, but it was incredibly difficult to effectively pull off with everything seemingly collapsing around her. "If I may ask, does the inside match the outside?"

Ulquiorra almost blinked, confused by the phrasing. "Pardon?"

"All around us there is chaos unfolding that even Discord would object to. And in the midst of it all, you are like a pillar of strength, and utter calmness. You give no indications of panic when you interact with others. You radiate a sense of order in this disorderly world, acting like a beacon in a storm. But what of your mind, Ulquiorra Cifer? Tell me of your mind, and what you experience for yourself. Do you experience the same sense of calm that others do in your presence? Is there any inner turmoil that you must wrestle with? How do you face such overwhelming terrors of unknown origins, and never even perspire? Is there any sense of terror you hold within you, that must be wrestled into submission for you to approach the situation with such logic at all times?" Luna asked him. She understood that he was an entirely different species from them, but that wasn't good enough for an explanation to her. She had to know if there were any secrets to him, that she herself could refer to in her near-frenzied state.

Ulquiorra remained silent, equal parts uncertain of how to respond to the question, and also uncertain of what the proper response was to Princess Luna's evaluation of him. Was that how these ponies saw him? Did they view his presence as comforting since he didn't get flustered? Were they aware of his calm-by-default nature, and drew upon it for their own benefit?

Perhaps he had been unconsciously adopted as some sort of litmus test by the populace, and so long as he didn't become visibly disturbed, those around him knew that the situation hadn't yet gone straight to hell in a hand basket.

All of that aside, Princess Luna had presented a very good question. And it was a question that, up until now, he had little reason to think on. How exactly was he so calm, collected, calculating, and logical?

Hollows, by their very nature, were creatures driven purely by instinct; the instinct to feed, and the instinct to survive. Rational thought was something largely foreign to them. Whatever intelligence they possessed as humans was completely absent upon their transformation. And in most cases that intelligence was never recovered. Very few Hollows ever learned how to tame their primal urges and exert thoughtful control over their bodies.

And then there was him. He was an anomaly as far as he could tell, standing in direct contrast to basic Hollow nature. Whereas they were driven by predatory instinct, he was driven by basic logic. He didn't simply react, but rather thought. He reasoned, he calculated, he evaluated. In short he was everything that a Hollow wasn't, while simultaneously being a Hollow. It was perplexing to consider.

It was also... uncomfortable. The thought left him pondering how his personality and mind had managed to survive not only his original Hollowfication, but also persevere and exert total dominance during the Gillian phase of his evolution.

And yet, despite the fact that he had persevered, he had no idea why he couldn't remember anything prior to his Vasto Lorde status. His Gillian and Adjuchas stages of developments were unconscious blurs to him. Why couldn't he remember who and what he had been previously? Was it all because those previous stages had been absent of his current logical mindset, and thus weren't worth remembering?

But if that thought was true, where had his logic come from, if it had indeed absent previously?

There were far too many questions right now.

"Reason and logic is all that I know. Fear, anger, sadness, desperation, anxiety, happiness, etc. they are all foreign concepts that I haven't experienced for myself. Or, if I have experienced them, I am not aware of having done so. I don't know how to succumb to panic in the face of a crisis. And even if I did know how, I wouldn't be able to see the point of it all. Panic clouds the mind, makes one sloppy in their ability to think, and heightens the potential for mistakes. It's counterproductive to survival and success," he explained calmly.

Luna listened as Ulquiorra spoke. She had been expecting some piece of relevant advice that she could hopefully apply to herself. But that wasn't the answer she got from him. Instead of being informed of some secret to inner tranquility in the face of chaos, she was informed that he simply couldn't panic, because that part of him simply didn't exist.

"You have never known these things for yourself?" she asked. It was almost a reflexive action on her part, born from an inability to actually believe what she was hearing. It had to be a mistake. "You have never experienced what it is like to be scared? Or happy? Or loved? You have never known what it is like to have someone worry about your well being?"

"No," Ulquiorra replied simply, seeing no point in adding anything more to the discussion.

Luna didn't know what to say in response to this information. All she knew for certain right now was what she was feeling, and that feeling was her heart absolutely aching at this revelation. And if she hadn't been selfish in her desire to know how he remained calm, she never would've known about his own experiences, and the lack thereof. And right now, she didn't know who deserved her sorrow more.

On the one hoof there was Rainbow Dash. She had been the victim of the cruelest of cruel attacks. Her mind had been attacked and invaded, and her trust in her friends had been disrupted. Her recollection of events that had transpired had been tampered with, leaving her uncertain of what was even basic reality anymore. Her sense of loyalty in others had been shattered, affecting her connection to her Element of Harmony in the process, and filling her with a sense of despair that was so strong, she had attempted to end her own life in response. And this entire time she had been left feeling as if they had cared more about her Element of Loyalty rather than her, and not saying a word until she had been confronted about such. She was one who had known the joys of the magic of love and friendship, and had experienced the horror of having them ripped away from her, along with her sense of trust.

And on the other hoof there was Ulquiorra Cifer. Born into a cruel and uncaring world, a world where violence, murder, and death were all commonalities of everyday life. His very existence was the result of laziness -or just plain outright malice- on the part of those who were tasked with tending to the souls of the departed, leaving him forced to fight for his own survival, possibly killing those that could easily be his own brothers and sisters for all she knew.

It was true that Rainbow Dash's ordeals were tragic. But so were the ordeals of the Espada as far as she could see. By his own admission he was nothing more than what he appeared on the surface; an empty shell that knew nothing except logic. He had no knowledge of what it was like either to love, or to be loved. There were so many things he had never experienced for himself, and it was just so tragic to consider. And perhaps what hurt the most was the fact that he was oblivious to it all. He was like a neglected foal who had never known anything but hardships his entire life, and had grown up to be emotionally dead inside; existing but not living. He was utterly numb to his own misery, and had come to accept it as the only other thing that existed beyond his own grasp of logic.

Luna's heart was indeed aching with this revelation. But it was aching equally for the both of them. They were practically siblings in their suffering.

"Princess Luna... you're crushing me..."

Luna blinked in confusion as she looked up. It was only then that she became aware of the fact that, sometime during her inner observations regarding the Espada's history, she had pulled him into a tight bear hug, and was currently holding onto him for dear life, as if she could take away all of his pain by herself through the simple embrace.

And if his voice was any indication at all, he seemed to be in a considerable deal of discomfort right now. And it was all her fault. Immediately she released him from her grasp, letting him land on his feet as he panted for air.

"I apologize, Ulquiorra Cifer, I allowed myself to become absorbed in my own thoughts," she replied and blushed sheepishly. Lost to the point she was unaware of the fact that she'd been hugging the stuffing right out of him this entire time. "Did I harm you?"

"Nothing that won't heal," Ulquiorra replied. Although if she'd hugged him any harder, or for much longer, she would've broken his ribs, and likely perforated his lungs in the process. "What had you distracted?"

"It is a matter you would find to be most foalish in nature if I tell you," Luna stated.

"Perhaps so," Ulquiorra acknowledged. It was nearly a foregone conclusion that he would fail to see the logic in her course of action, as such had happened so many times before. "If you have no desire to share your thoughts, that is your decision," he stated before turning around to walk away. If there was nothing left to be said, then there were other matters that could be tended to.

"Wait," Luna spoke up as he was walking away, causing him to stop and turn back to look at her. "Merely because you would find it foalish, does not mean that you do not deserve to know," she explained, before stepping closer to him, and preparing to explain the matter openly. "Your explanation of your nature reminded me a great deal of the plight of some foals whose dreams I have witnessed. There are, unfortunately, a number of areas that are less... pleasant than Canterlot and the like. And those in these areas know little more than hardships. It is heartbreaking how ones so young and have barely started living, have to grow up in such cold conditions, and never know anything else. And I honestly do not know which predicament is the worse of the two; those who know nothing but pain, or those who did know of joy and love, only to have it ripped right from them."

Ulquiorra listened quietly as the matter was explained to him, uncertain of exactly what to make of what Princess Luna was saying. She regarded him like he was an orphaned foal? It was utterly preposterous in nature.

And yet... it provided an interesting degree of introspection into the mind of the lunar alicorn. She both regarded him as a pitiable individual, and a source of great comfort through the proximity of his calm nature. It was paradoxical in her part, seeing one of his strengths as a sad aspect of an existence she simply didn't understand. And her comparison of himself to the cyan pegasus, along with actually pondering which of them was the greater tragedy.

What was that phrase for situations like this? Crying for the devil?

"Your concern does not go entirely unappreciated," Ulquiorra spoke after a long stretch of silence, uncertain of what else to say in the matter. Even with all his logic, he didn't know just how to respond. He could certainly point out the lack of logic in her view. But right now that approach didn't seem entirely appropriate. It almost felt... vindictive in nature to consider. Petty even. Her efforts to try and compare him to something she was familiar with in her own world was nothing more than a natural reaction. She didn't have Princess Celestia's knowledge of his nature; her firsthand experience as it were.

She also didn't seem to understand that he simply didn't care about such trivialities. It simply wasn't a matter of importance to him. It wasn't as if he spent his time lamenting the nature of his own existence.

"But seeing as she's still alive, Rainbow Dash should be of top priority at the moment," he pointed out.

If Princess Luna were truly determined to see him as a pitiable individual, he understood that there was little he could do about it. But that would be a bridge that would have to be crossed once they came to it. Right now, however, there were more important matters to tend to. Concerns for personal well being was best reserved for the living.

And although he found himself intrigued to a certain degree by it all, it was ultimately a mystery that would have to be deciphered later on. Until then it was just more emotional irrelevancy, and the odd quirks of the living.

And in the meantime, he was left with another matter to address. That being the need to stop considering the Elements of Harmony, and their respective bearers, as two sides of the same coin. If what he found out today was of any accurate nature, they were instead more like complimentary goods. Or perhaps even binary compounds to an explosive mixture; neither one capable of doing any good without the other being present.

"Then perhaps it is time for us to go back in there and begin addressing this matter. Unfortunately there is still some time before we can send word for Canterlot's finest medical experts to report to the palace. And I fear it will be a long wait," Luna replied.

There was a certain point to Princess Luna's concern. With all of the similarities he had noted between pony and human society, it stood to reason that the concept of business hours were in play. Trying to locate the private residence of various medical experts may prove to be a waste of time and resources that could be better utilized elsewhere.

"Then we'll wait," he stated simply. It wasn't exactly like there was anything else they could do on the matter.

Luna didn't know how to respond. She understood the logic of what Ulquiorra was saying, but she still had no idea just what she should say in response. That was one of the most infuriating points about interacting with the Espada, as far as she was concerned. A simple conversation was never quite so simple with him, unless he expressly wanted it to be. And even then, the mental gymnastics that were needed in order to keep up with him, were always significant.

But regardless of that fact, she was still thankful that he was here. He was the calm of this entire storm of uncertainty. And from what she saw on the horizon, the storm had only just begun.

Author's Note

Yes. Once again I've come down with a nasty cold during the time I was writing this, so it's not the kind of quality that I was hoping for. Despite my best efforts it just doesn't feel right. But postponing the update for a week until I feel better is just unacceptable. I'm sure I'm probably missing something, but I'm just not seeing it right now.

Chapter Sixty One

Chapter Sixty One

Ditzy Doo hummed happily to herself as she went about working in the kitchen of her home. She absolutely loved Fridays, if for no other reason than the simple fact that it was her day off from the mail service. That simple fact meant getting to sleep in a little later. That simple fact meant not having to get up quite so early to make lunch for Dinky and Sparkler, before seeing them off to school.

Friday also meant simpler things that not everyone appreciated in a uniform manner. But in her case, that simple thing was the fact that Friday was muffin day; and today's batch was banana and macadamia nuts, how awesome was that!?

And even though she wished it had been under better circumstances, Dinky and Sparkler were also home for the day. What with everything that'd happened in Ponyville in recent time, the school was still closed until further notice. And with the season switching over to summer, that standard of "until further notice" was probably going to be a few months in duration.

She felt sorry for those that had been negatively affected by the attacks on Ponyville. There had been so many losses in such a short stretch of time. Foals had lost parents, parents had lost foals, families had lost their homes... she shuddered anytime she thought about any one of those situations. And every time she shuddered in thought of what was, and what could've been, it made her all the more grateful for what she still had, no matter how humble it might be in comparison to others.

Her little family had been so lucky to be at the party at the time of the attack. The extent of their losses, miraculously, had been a shattered front door during the manticore attack. But regardless of being lucky, it was still downright scary to think of what could've been. They'd been so close to what had been termed ground zero. And other than a few nightmares on Dinky's part, they'd managed to escape unscathed.

But enough about that! There was no time for depressing thoughts right now. She still had her foals, and they still had their home. There was nothing wrong with feeling sorry for the loss of others, but there was plenty wrong with long-term dwelling on their losses, when there was nothing that could be done about it.

Now then, she had a batch of muffins to make, and they sure weren't about to make themselves. And right now she was really looking forward to the results of this batch, as she hadn't been able to get her hooves on any fresh macadamia nuts for months now!

"Now where'd I leave that stick of butter?" she asked herself as she began to look around the cluttered kitchen table. If she didn't properly butter the muffin tin, the whole batch would be ruined by them sticking to the cups of the pan. And she'd rather not have that happening; not again.

"Mommy?"

Ditzy stopped her search for the absent butter at the sound of Dinky's voice behind her. It struck her as strange, as she'd seen both Dinky and Sparkler outside playing catch, before she started getting everything ready. She hadn't heard the door open from them coming in. She hadn't been in the zone yet with her baking, so how'd she miss her daughters coming in?

Oh well, that was neither here nor there. She'd been distracted before, it was really no big deal.

"What is it, swee-" Ditzy asked as she turned around to face her youngest. However she never managed to complete her question, as a loud scream erupted from her throat at the sight she saw, effectively cutting off the last syllable to the question. Standing in the doorway that lead from the living room to the kitchen was Dinky. But not in any manner that Ditzy ever wished to see her.

Dinky's right eye was completely gone, leaving nothing but a bloody, gaping socket behind in its place. Her left foreleg was missing just below the knee, leaving nothing behind but a jagged piece of exposed bone surrounded by torn flesh. Her right cheek had been torn open all the way back to her neck, exposing her teeth as a mix of blood and saliva dripped from her mouth, as she was unable to close it. The skin all along her back was absent, exposing the bare ridges along her entire backbone.

"I don't feel so good, Mommy..." Dinky spoke, slurring her words as her tongue proved incapable of staying inside her mouth, the jagged cut to the side of her face flapping with each word spoken. "Can you kiss it and make it better?"

Ditzy screamed again and fell backwards, tipping over the table in the process and scattering the gathered items and foodstuffs, as the mutilated form began to hobble forward on its three intact legs, the one good eye never straying away from her. But even as it moved closer, Ditzy found herself paralyzed on the spot where she laid, and totally incapable of moving away.

"What's wrong, Mommy? Don't you love your little Dinky anymore?" Dinky asked as her features took on a sadistic sneer.

Ditzy desperately wanted to flee, to shut her eyes, to tune out the horrific monstrosity standing before her. But her body refused to obey any commands her brain was currently trying to issue, leaving her rooted to the spot, helpless to do anything but watch as the mutilated thing slowly made its way towards her.

And all the while, she could do nothing but listen as the thing's voice shifted away from that of her precious little Dinky, and into something far more sinister in nature.

"Mommy!" the abomination yelled as its skin and fur began to darken and crack away, bits flecking away to expose the rotten tissue underneath, as an entire section of skin fell away and splatted on the floor, exposing the forward portion of the skull. "Where are you Mommy!?" it continued to howl as it collapsed onto its stomach, its back legs giving out under its own weight and hanging limp.

Regardless of this fact, the thing still struggled to move, and began dragging itself across the ground with its one good foreleg, leaving behind a trail of blood and other bodily substances smeared along the floor and against the underside of its body.

"I'm gonna find you, Mommy! I'm coming for you!" it yelled as its one good eye began to glow, as if it were being illuminated by a red light from behind it. Every little movement it engaged in caused greater decay to become visible, resulting in its tiny horn coming loose from its forehead, and hanging limply from a single, pulsing vein, swinging back and forth from its efforts at movement.

"I'm gonna catch you, Mommy! And when I do, I'll swallow your soul! I'll swallow your soul!"

Ditzy screamed in response. She screamed as loudly as she could, as the creature slowly made its way over to her, catching up with her prone form with frightening speed. She couldn't move even if she tried, as the thing made its way up her body, working its way closer and closer to her face. She could feel the hot bodily fluids staining the front of her coat, and the sickening feel of internal organs beginning to rub against her fur.

"Caught you, Mommy," it sneered, its wicked grin growing impossibly wide, and showing off its mouth full of broken teeth. It then opened it maw exceedingly wide, before biting down into her exposed neck.

At the sound of the scream, the kitchen door that lead to the back yard was roughly slammed opened, nearly tearing the hinges out of the wall in the process. And inside leaped a large, vicious beast.

It was a three-headed dog, much like Cerberus, but of a considerably smaller stature; more along the size of Princess Celestia than anything. It was also much sleeker than its larger counterpart, and black and tan in coloration. Each neck wore a black leather collar with shiny steel spikes going all the way around. Each head growled, each mouth dripping with drool, and breathing out a noxious green vapor as it snarled, its cerulean eyes narrowed in preparation of conflict.

"Leave!"

"Her!"

"Alone!"

The three heads scanned the room. Looking left, looking right, looking up, looking down, and looking at each other, in an effort to find some sign of the commotion that'd caused the scream. What had been responsible for the table being knocked over?

And then it looked behind the toppled table and found the cause, that being a terrified Ditzy trying futility to shield her head, while simultaneously trying to curl up into a little ball, and shaking hard.

Instantly the hound's body disintegrated, with strands of blue light shining through as the image was unwound, with tendrils of magic being unwound and being sucked back into the horn of Sparkler. The hound itself had been the result of an illusion spell she'd been practicing for some time now, intended to be used for protective situations; like discouraging bullies and the like. But right now her magical aptitude was neither here nor there, as the only thing that mattered at the moment was making sure her mother was alright.

"Mom, what's wrong? What happened?" Sparkler spoke as quickly moved around the table to tend to the downed pegasus. There were a lot of other things that she could focus on right now, but all of them were inconsequential at the moment. "Mom, look at me," she said and tried to shrug her when she didn't respond to the sound of her voice.

Slowly Ditzy was roused from her terror and looked up at Sparkler.

"Mom, what happened? Did somepony hurt you?" Sparkler asked. Ditzy tried to speak, but all she could do was just shake her head. "Mom, talk to me, please," Sparkler begged.

"Dinky," Ditzy mumbled in a whisper.

"Dinky?" Sparkler asked. What did her little sister have to do with anything?

"I saw her. She was hurt so bad and I... a-and I couldn't do anything to help her," Ditzy replied in a shaky tone.

Sparkler blinked in a confused manner at what she was hearing, unable to believe it.

"Mom," Sparkler replied slowly, "Dinks has been with me all morning. She's not hurt. Except for that black eye she got last week when a fly ball popped her."

"But I... but I..." Ditzy tried to respond. But regardless of how much she tried, she couldn't seem to get the words out to explain what she'd seen just moments ago. How could she put into words what she had experienced? How could she tell Sparkler that she'd felt her coat being smeared with copious amounts of curdled blood? Or the vile stench of pus and bile wafting through the air and into her face as she was breathed on?

"Mommy?"

Ditzy flinched in fright at hearing the unexpected voice of Dinky behind her, afraid of what she might see, but driven by a morbid curiosity to look. As she turned away from Sparkler, she saw her other daughter... only to see that she was perfectly alright, minus the aforementioned black eye that was still present.

What... what was going on around here?

Immediately she reached out and grabbed Dinky, and pulled her close, before looking at her from every angle, looking for any sign of serious injury, but finding absolutely nothing. She was as unmarred as could be expected with a filly her age. This was a source of both great relief, and great confusion.

Sparkler frowned. At the sound of their mother's scream, she had told her little sister to wait outside and go hide while she went in to investigate. She'd made every attempt to impress upon the filly that it was too dangerous for her to be involved, as there was no telling what was waiting for them on the other side of the door. That was why she'd gone in while disguised; just in case there was somepony there that needed to be scared off.

Unfortunately her little sister wasn't that easy to instruct. She had her own mind, and when she didn't want to follow instructions, she could be as obedient as a feral cat at times.

However as she saw her sister's eyes when she looked over in her direction, she couldn't be mad at her. She'd been upset about their mother as well. So for right now she'd cut her some slack on the matter.

"Sparky? What's going on? Is Mommy alright?" Dinky asked as she looked to her older sister for guidance on the matter, grunting as she was hugged close to her mother's chest with just a little too much force.

"I don't know, Dinks," Sparkler replied, unable to provide anything of actual significance to her little sister. All she could do was sit down beside her mother as her little sister was hugged for dear life. Whatever had happened, it must've been really bad. But finding out what that something was, was going to be difficult.

For the time being, however, she wasn't going anywhere until she made sure her mother was alright. For the time being, she was just going to sit here with her family, in the middle of their upturned kitchen.

Surrounded by scattered macadamia nuts.

Author's Note

Well I did it. I went and did it. I violated one of my own rules of story writing, and released a chapter that was under 3,000 words. And I sincerely hate that fact! I really, really tried to include more in this week's update, but I just couldn't find what I was looking for. Hopefully I'll be able to make up for it next week.

Chapter Sixty Two

Chapter Sixty Two

Applejack tried not to yawn. Yawning was a symptom of being tired, and there was way too much work left to do before the day was finally over with. And if she let one yawn out, there was bound to be more to follow. That was the simple nature of the beast, and unlike timberwolves, there was no way to chase them off with the clanging of pots and pans. Exhaustion simply feared and heeded nopony.

Oh well. It was time to get back to work, and Applejack simply wasn't one for making excuses. She was certainly no slacker!

A lot of ponies who didn't participate in the agricultural avenues might assume that managing Sweet Apple Acres consisted of nothing but bucking apple trees all throughout the year. But they couldn't have been further from the truth if they tried. It was true that the farm was most often associated with the practice, but that was just a tiny portion of it all! And it could only be done so frequently in between harvest periods. There was also a great deal of upkeep that had to be tended to throughout the year. Fences had to be mended, harnesses had to be kept oiled for longevity purposes, fields needed to be plowed, soil had to be properly supplemented with the right nutrients, repairs had to be made to the barns and other out buildings, animals had to be fed, etc. There was a whole infrastructure that had to be seen to!

And right now, for Applejack, that infrastructure included making a visual inspection of the southern orchards, examining the bark and leaves of each tree for signs of a possible blight infection. If they didn't keep such things in check, there was too great of a risk of it spreading. Already one tree had been contaminated, and in need of being removed to protect the others. But these things tended to spread quickly, and had to be checked regularly. If they were a day late, there was the remote possibility of it spreading like a wildfire. So constant vigilance was necessary.

It was a part of the job that was tiring, and tedious at points, but for the most part it was work that she still managed to love doing. To her these trees were far more than just being the backbone of the farm and her home. These trees were important to her in a way that outside ponies just wouldn't properly understand. They didn't see the delicate balance that existed between them. To her these trees were just as important as her friends. And in a few cases, some of these trees were her friends. So naturally she cared about them enough to look after them, and make sure they were doing alright.

But it was so much more than that. Tree inspection, as far as Applejack was concerned, wasn't just checking on various investments. It was also a time during which she could think about whatever it was that needed thinking on. In this case it was the friends she had outside of the farm; Rainbow Dash specifically.

She'd helped when Twilight, Spike, and Ulquiorra had been carrying out their investigation. She'd answered all questions truthfully -naturally- and been horrified at the accusations that had been laid against her and the others. She'd allowed for the Espada to carry out an investigation of all the buildings around the farm that could've possibly been used as a holding area. And she hadn't objected to when it came to inspecting the stuff in her room, even when it had uncovered certain items she would've preferred to stay hidden from view.

But other than that, there really hadn't been much that she could actually do. That fact left her feeling helpless, and that was a feeling that she absolutely hated experiencing. Helpless was just a few small steps away from being useless. And no Apple who was worth their salt, would ever tolerate being useless.

"Benny," Applejack mumbled as she pressed her forehead against the bark of the nearest tree. "Ah sure wish ah knew how ta help out RD. Tha' mare's in big trouble, an' ah can't do nothin' 'bout it. Jus' standin' around an' makin' wishes ta mahself an' such, ah jus' feel so danged useless right now. An' ya know how much ah hate feelin' like such..."

She felt helpless. She felt useless. She absolutely hated feelings like that. She was a farmer, and that meant being useful to other ponies. But here she was, talking to one of her trees, and bemoaning the fact that she couldn't do anything. This was pathetic! If she could bend her legs around properly, she'd kick her own butt for feeling so stupid right about now.

"Right then," she said to herself as she pulled her head away from Benny's trunk, and straightened her hat. Just because she couldn't help Twilight and the rest of them find out what had gotten to Rainbow Dash, didn't mean she could just sit around and mope about it. She had work that had to be done, and work that could be done.

"Applejack!"

Applejack froze in her tracks, caught by the sudden, booming voice. She looked around, trying to find who was talking to her, but found herself to be alone except for the trees. And she knew Benny and his lot sure didn't talk back. Or at least, not like that anyway.

"Applejack!" the voice boomed again, causing her to jump anxiously.

"W-who's out there?" she asked, again looking around, but seeing nopony around. "Discord? If tha's you then this ain't funny!" she stated firmly.

"Discord can't help you right now, Applejack," the voice stated. "Nopony can help you. But you can certainly help out somepony. Are you willing to face the trials to do that?"

Confusion on top of confusion, stacked upon piles of more confusion. Applejack didn't have the slightest clue what was going on around here. But at the mention of helping somepony out of whatever jam they were facing, it was hard to focus on anything else.

"Ah don' know who or wha' ya are. But ah ain' scared o' helping nopony!" she stated firmly.

"Marvelous!"

Without warning the ground below Applejack's feet started trembling. And then the trembling turned into all out shaking, sending Applejack down into a laying position for better stability.

The ground started shaking harder than before, and Applejack was scared to even look up at her surroundings, not wanting to see the decimation that was surely unfolding all around Sweet Apple Acres.

But regardless of whether or not she wanted to witness the decimation unfolding, she was given no choice in the matter, as it played out before her.

The ground was reduced to a hard, blackened soil, completely devoid of any signs of grass. She didn't even know how to describe the process that had unfolded all around her, as all life in the ground just disappeared like nothing.

The apple trees in her orchard were the next to suffer, with leaves and fruit gone in an instant, and the bark turning from a healthy shade of brown, to a dead and dark muddy gray, as they withered up, being twisted into a nightmarish fashion.

Even the sky itself wasn't left unaffected, as the cerulean blue was quickly washed out by a horrible blend of orange, yellow, and brown. It was like back in the crystal empire when Cadance's shield had finally given out, and Sombra's sky was now in full view. Except this was much, much worse to be experiencing firsthoof.

A sudden and violent roaring sounded around her, as the ground began to cave in and fall away. Before Applejack knew what to expect, she was at the edge of a cliff face, overlooking a steep drop into a sea of bubbling lava, subjecting her to both fur-singeing heat, and the rancid smell of sulfur and brimstone.

By now the quaking of the ground had finally stopped, allowing her to climb back up to her hooves, and quickly back away from the edge, both to distance herself from the noxious fumes, and to get away from the heat that made her face feel like it was on fire.

"Applejack!"

She looked up at hearing the strange voice again, unsure of where else she should look, as it sounded like it was all around her at the same time. And as she looked up, she saw six objects of equal size gradually descending out of the sky. But she saw nothing for them to be descending from, nor did she see anything that would explain the sound of old gears turning, and rusted chains rattling, that was accompanying them. It looked like they were simply descending right out of thin air, or even out of the dirty clouds that hung overhead.

The descent stopped, roughly at equal level with the top of the cliff she stood on, allowing her to properly see what they were. Six steel cages with vertical bars running all along the sides, and solid bottoms and tops, each attached to a thick looking chain. And in each one of the cages was one of her friends, each of them screaming incoherently and trying to break loose. Spike, Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash.

No answers came. Instead, what she was presented with, was more ground shaking. She watched in confusion as six sections of the ground opened up before her, looking like the sections had simply dropped below the non-existent grass line, and were rolled open like the lid to a bread box. This allowed for six strange-looking apparatuses, each of them made from some dull gray metal, to jut out above the surface. Each of them looked like some sort of break lever, similar to what she'd seen on the railways whenever she attended a rodeo competition. And as she looked, each of them was perfectly lined up with one of the cages, and all of them more than one pony's length away from each other.

"Wha' in the wide world o' Equestria's goin' on here!?" Applejack demanded to know and stomped her hoof. If this wasn't Discord's work, then she sure wanted to know which ornery sidewinder was able to be pulling all of this off.

"This, Applejack, is your opportunity to help somepony out," the voice stated, casually, yet with enough menace in its tone to send shivers up and down her spine, despite the intense heat she could feel even from as far back from the edge as she was. "You wanted to be useful. So be useful, and help out your friends in their time of need. Pull a lever."

Six levers. Six cages. It didn't take a genius to figure out that each lever corresponded to a specific cage. And although Applejack had no idea of just what was going on around here, or what might happen if she tried working the levers, she knew that she had to do something. Her friends were counting on her.

She looked over each of the levers, and then back at the cages that held her friends. It seemed simple enough from her perspective; pull a lever, lower a cage. But which one to pull?

The answer to that question was deceptively simple. Get Twilight down first, then she can help figure everything out. With that thought in mind she walked over, wrapped her forelegs around the lever, and pulled back. But despite pulling back, it didn't budge on the first try. So she pulled much harder, resulting in the lever going all the way back with an audible "thunk" from locking into place.

The next thing Applejack knew, Twilight was screaming as the cage dropped at an accelerated rate, and landed right in the lava. Applejack screamed in response as she moved to the ledge, helpless to do anything but watch as the molten rock made fast work of her friend stuck inside and unable to get out. The heat was intense enough, that it made her immediately burst into flames, causing her to scream louder and harder than ever before as she was engulfed, until she could no longer scream anymore.

It was disturbingly quick how Twilight had gone from a healthy, lavender unicorn, to nothing more than a pile of burnt cinders, and bare bones, in the middle of the cage.

"Oh dear. Somepony didn't get the rules. And now look at what happened. Such a pity."

"Rules!?" Applejack yelled, furious at both this turn of developments, and the utter casualness of the taunting voice behind it. "Ya never said nothin' 'bout no rules!" she bellowed at the sky, too angry and upset to think of anything else to say.

"It's not my fault you were too impatient to hear everything. And now your impatience has caused one of your friends to suffer the consequences," the voice stated mockingly. "Now listen, and listen closely, as I won't be repeating myself. You're in the position to help your friends. But you can only save one of them. As you learned the hard way, each lever is connected to a cage, and once pulled that cage is dropped onto the lava below. You have to determine which four of your remaining five friends you'll sacrifice, in order to save the fifth. And then you must confirm your decision, by dropping the selected four onto the lava where they'll meet their demise."

Applejack didn't know what to think, or how to respond. At first all she could hear was the blood pounding in her ears, two beats faster than her own heart. But that sickening voice had managed to cut through the noise like a hot knife through butter, and hammer out the awful details of this entire ordeal she found herself trapped in. And that just made the anger in her burn even hotter.

"An' what if ah refuse ta play yer fuckin' game!?" she asked, referencing one of the few foreign words she'd learned from Twilight, to emphasize her disgust with everything she was facing.

"If you refuse to comply, then all five of them will pay the price. You're familiar with the concept of convection, right? If you don't decide which of your friends you'll sacrifice to save the other, then all five will die from the heat rising off the lava, heating up their cages in the process, and cooking them to death. Or they'll simply succumb to the poisonous fumes rising up from the molten rock below. Either way it's a long, miserable way to die. So you can either save one, or let them all die together. The choice on the matter is entirely yours to make."

Applejack didn't know what to say. She didn't even know what to think at the moment. There were way too many unspeakable horrors playing out before her at a mile a minute. Sweet Apple Acres had been turned into this... this... this reject from the deepest pits of Tartarus. Her friends were being held hostage by some unknown entity. Twilight was dead. And she was being told that she had to kill four of her remaining five friends before her, or else all five of them were going to die together. What should she do? What could she do? Somepony was going to die regardless of what she did, the only difference was just how many somponies died. And no matter what decision she made, she was going to have to live with the fact that she was the one who killed her friends. How could she live with herself in the aftermath of this?

Wait.

Wait just a minute. Maybe that was it.

Applejack grinned to herself. Whoever was messing with her head obviously never considered this turn of events taking place. With that thought in mind, her grin grew wider.

"Now listen up, ya ornery sidewinder, whoever ya are! If ya don' put mah friends down on the ground right now, ah'm gonna jump in that lava mahself. Then who're ya gonna be tormentin'?" she demanded to know. If this... whatever it was, wanted to play hardball, then she could play just as easily. She wouldn't be the source of amusement in such a sick and twisted manner; she absolutely refused such!

"... Plan B then..."

Well... that was really ominous sounding. Applejack really wasn't certain she wanted to know just what "Plan B" was, but she highly doubted she'd be getting a say in the matter, as her ears were already picking up the sound of two more cages being lowered out of the sky. Already her grin was dropping into her stomach, secure in the knowledge that she might've just made everything worse.

"If you try and cheat," the voice paused as the cages lowered, "then they will be made to pay the penalty in your place."

Applejack gasped in shock and horror at the sight of the two new ponies who had been brought into this mess; her brother and her sister.

"No! Not them! Please don't do this!" she pleaded, her confidence thoroughly shattered at this new revelation and turn of events. So much for having this situation in the cleft of her hoof.

"Then you have little choice but to follow the rules. Now... pick which one of your friends you're willing to sacrifice the others for," the voice commanded.

Applejack didn't want to do any of this. But she knew that she didn't have any choice in the matter. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place when it came to available decisions, and no matter what she did, there were going to be horrible consequences to be had all around. How could she choose between her friends and her family? How could she possibly choose which of her friends she cared about less than the others, to the point she was willing to kill them?

But if she didn't made the choice, it was going to be made for her.

"Girls, ah'm so, so sorry for this," she stated and gulped, before closing her eyes, reaching out in front of her, and grabbing at the closest lever.

Spike's scream assaulted her ears, followed by the sound of the cage dropping and crashing into the lava. Maybe he'd be alright, seeing as he'd been exposed to lava before with no ill effects during the whole dragon migration clusterbuck they'd all faced. But she didn't have time to think on that, as she hurried over to the next lever to pull on it.

One by one, choices were made, One by one, friends were sacrificed in the name of protecting family. By now the outside world was shrinking around her, her vision tunneling from one lever to another. She honestly couldn't tell who was the next to follow after Spike, or in what order they were dropped to their death in the lava below. And she honestly couldn't bear to keep track of who was dying, and the fact that she was the one who was killing them.

"Excellent..."

Applejack could practically feel the voice cutting through the haze of her mind, forcing her attention back into the world at large, and on the one remaining pony left out of the six she'd been forced to choose from. Just seeing their faces almost made her sick where she stood.

"This was a development I didn't see coming. I had money on somepony else being the last to live," the voice stated.

"Like ah care," Applejack replied, "ah'm done. Ah played yer damn game, ah'm done. Let the rest of 'em go!"

The voice merely laughed in response. It was a bellowing, riotous laugh of utter amusement. And that fact alone was enough to make Applejack's anger evaporate and be replaced with a sense of fear, afraid to even wonder what might be next.

"Played the game? My dear little earth pony, this was just the elimination round to determine the participants. Now the real fun begins!"

Applejack watched, unsure what to think or feel, as three of the switches retracted back into the ground just as they'd appeared, now nowhere to be seen. The two levers that were still in the rearward position slowly reset themselves with loud accompanying clicks, locking them forward again. And then it was the sound of more heavy gear machinery, as the two cages that held her brother and sister were moved closer to the one remaining cage, until they were all in line with an accompanying switch.

"The one you didn't sacrifice. You love her, right?" the voice asked her.

"Ah love all mah friends," Applejack replied.

"Cute answer, seeing as now she is all of your friends that're left. Now no more cuteness. You love her, don't you? That's why you didn't drop her into the lava, isn't that right? She means more to you than any of the others, doesn't she?"

Applejack couldn't bear to answer the question. She remained silent, hanging her head in response, unwilling to say a word.

"Answer me! Or I'll make one of the others pay the penalty for you!" the voice barked. "Do. You. Love. Her?"

"Yes!" Applejack finally yelled in response to the question, unable to keep her composure anymore, as more disturbing thoughts began to pour into her mind. What if it hadn't been random selection guiding her hoof? What if instead it had been an unconscious decision on her part to dump the others into the lava?

"That's a good little filly," the voice mocked her. "Now tell me who you love more. Your friend... or your family? Which would you willing sacrifice to save the other?"

"No! Please, please don' make me do this! Please!" Applejack pleaded. Surely she wouldn't be forced to go this far. Nopony could be so cruel as that... right?

"Well the politeness is appreciated. But I'm afraid I can't do that. Somepony important to you has to die now. The only question is who will it be? The choice is yours. And don't make me have to remind you, yet again, of what will happen if you don't comply. Because this time the consequences will be much more significant," the voice warned.

Applejack gulped. She didn't even want to think about what "much more significant" meant in circumstances like this.

"The clock is ticking, little Applejack, and let me tell you, it's not going to get any cooler around here by waiting! Your brother might be able to withstand the heat, but little Apple Bloom is soon about to feel the excruciating agony of having her entrails barbecued from the inside out! Now pick! Who are you going to kill in order to save the other!?"

Impossible choice after impossible choice. Applejack didn't know how much more of this she could take. She was already starting to feel like her sanity was slipping away from her, from the sheer degree of sadism she was being subjected to. How could anypony actually make such decisions?

Shutting her eyes, she reached out and grabbed the closest lever, before wrenching it all the way rearward.

She was met with the sound of the cage falling, chain rattling in the process, as the sacrificed pony fell to their death down below in the lava, screaming all the way down.

"Well, well, well. I'm certainly glad that I'm no friend of yours. To think that you'd kill each and every one of them, just to save your family. It's all rather depressing really..."

"Shut up! Jus' shut up!" Applejack yelled as she fought to hold back the tears.

"Oh I'm sorry, but we're not done just yet. There's one more round we have to play, before the game has ended."

"NO!" Applejack yelled in horror, realizing just what that last round was going to entail. "Please! Please don' make me kill mah brother er sister! Please, not that! Anythin' but that!" she begged.

"Make you? My dear little Applejack, I'm not making you do anything. It was entirely your decision to kill your friends in the name of protecting your family. Just like how it's entirely your decision of which one of your siblings gets to live to see another day," the voice stated mockingly, in a tone that was too sarcastically sincere to ignore. "So get to choosing. Before they both die, and you're left with nothing!" the voice finished in a far more menacing tone than previously.

Applejack wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to curse the voice, the world, and anything else around her, in an effort to vent the emotional turmoil that was within her. But none of that was going to do her any good right now, as she sat here, pondering the horrors before her. No matter what decision she made, it was going to be the wrong one. She was going to make the wrong one, and sompony was going to die because of it. How was she possibly supposed to choose between her big brother, and her little sister?

"Five seconds. You have five seconds to save one of them. Otherwise you lose both of them! Five! Four! Three!"

Applejack wanted to protest. But her mind seized up, and the words died in her throat. There was nothing she could do now, except for one thing.

Shutting her eyes as tightly as she could, she reached out and grabbed hold of the lever closest to her, and pulled it back with all of the might her earth pony heritage afforded her, until it locked into place with a resounding click.

This time she didn't even hear the scream, as it was drowned out by her own unrestrained crying.

One problem with maintaining a property as big as Sweet Apple Acres, was the difficulty that was encountered whenever it was necessary to locate a pony. Big Macintosh knew this fact quite well. And despite being well versed in the layout of each of the orchards, that didn't make finding Applejack any less difficult a task to accomplish.

Carrot Top was over for dinner on this fine evening. But that wasn't anything new really. Being a fellow farmer, as well as their closest neighbor, it wasn't unusual for the orange-maned mare to be over once or twice a week, to partake in the company and hospitality that the Apple family was so well regarded for, swapping crop talk, and helping in the preparation of a joint meal; usually some of the tastiest vegetable soup encountered.

Of course that hospitality meant a number of different things. And when company was involved, that meant actually coming in and sitting down to dinner, regardless of the state of the chores. It was simply the polite thing to do under such circumstances.

And in this case, that meant Big Macintosh going out to try and find his sister, and drag her back to the house, knowing that she had the habit of getting distracted when she got task oriented, and didn't always have the sense to come in out of the rain. That was a fact he knew for himself all too well.

"Applejack! Quit yer hidin' already! It's supper time!" he called out, hoping his voice would travel far enough to snap his sister out of whatever distraction had worked its magic over her.

The response he got, however, wasn't anything like what he was expecting. Instead of Applejack announcing her presence, and possibly calling him a lunkhead for interrupting her work, he was met by the immediate sound of crying, followed by what sounded like intense -and painful- vomiting going on. Now he was at least one step beyond simply being concerned, and was beginning to border on panic. In a flash he galloped over to where it sounded like the commotion was coming from.

She was a lot further away than he'd initially thought, suggesting all the commotion was actually much louder than what his ears had picked up. When he finally did find her, her face was streaked with tears, her front covered in puke, and she was in the process of choking and struggling before finally being able to breathe again. And once she did manage to breathe, the crying started again.

"Uh... Applejack?" Big Macintosh asked as he cautious approached where she sat. What could've gotten her so upset? Had she eaten something that didn't agree with her?

"B-Big Mac?" Applejack asked as she looked up at the sound of his voice, coughing in the process. As she looked at him just standing there, her eyes once again started tearing up and spilling over. "A-a-ah'm so sorry, Big Mac, ah'm so sorry!" she whimpered as she started crying all over again.

Confusion. That was the only thing that came to his mind right now. Big Macintosh didn't know just what was wrong, or even how to go about correcting it. All he knew for certain was that his sister was in a great deal of need right now, and -as much as he wished otherwise- elder sibling duty demanded that said need had to be seen to by him, vomit or no vomit. That meant crossing over to where she sat as she cried, and hugging her close to give her the physical comfort she needed right now.

And now that he thought about it, he might just skip the vegetable soup tonight.

Chapter Sixty Three

Chapter Sixty Three

"It's Saturday, right?"

Spike's question caused Twilight to look up from her research notes, not entirely certain if she'd heard him correctly. He was actually asking her if she knew what day it was? Usually it was the other way around, what with how task oriented she could become at times. More than once, Spike's duties included being a vocal calendar to keep her properly scheduled.

"I... I think so?" Twilight replied, not entirely certain in her conviction to the answer. Was it Saturday? Or was Spike making a subtle effort to point out that it was after midnight, and she should be turning in? Looking away from the stack of papers before her, she glanced over at the clock. Hopefully the current time was still in the PM phase of the day, and it hadn't lapsed into the AM phase. "Why?" she asked, deciding to not beat around the bush. If she'd managed to tune Spike out and stay up the whole night, then she really needed to know.

"Because the way things have been going lately, it seriously feels like a Monday to me," Spike replied and stretched with a yawn.

Twilight frowned a little. Individual days didn't have specific feelings and sensations to them, that would allow a pony -or a dragon- to differentiate from one to another. It wasn't like specific days came with specific temperatures or humidity levels. She was fully prepared to give Spike a lecture on that point, but stopped herself before opening her mouth.

"And why do you say that?" she asked him as she turned a little more away from her notes.

"Because we've been so busy today. Usually weekends are supposed to be restful," Spike pointed out, before stretching again until there was an audible pop in his back, which brought with it a contented look on his face, indicating that was what he was after. "I still can't believe it took so long at the hospital to get you looked at. We were there for hours."

"I know, Spike, but Ponyville General still has its hooves full with the more serious victims of the manticore attack. Some delay was to be expected. We knew that going in," Twilight pointed out. Surely he understood that a small town hospital, subjected to a large number of ponies who were still in critical condition, had to divert resources to those who were most in need. They weren't in Canterlot after all.

"I know, I know, but it still took like forever. And we could've taken care of everything at home, just like Nurse Redheart said!" Spike replied, feeling exasperated as the matter was discussed. "The swelling in your muzzle went down, just like they said. Your eye finally cleared up, just like they said. We could've just taken off the bandages here and saved all that time. We didn't have to stand around for hours, reading last year's magazines while we waited."

Oh. So that's what this was about. Now it made a little more sense to her.

"I know, Spike, I know," she said as she pushed herself up to a standing position to walk over to where he was. "I know we could've done it ourselves at home, and saved a lot of time in the process. But going in for a checkup was the only pretext I could think of, in hopes of garnering some information from the hospital staff. We still don't know for certain just how many ponies have survived their encounter with the manticore, and how many are going to recover," she explained.

Spike frowned. If Twilight was hoping that her explanation was going to help, then she was hoping wrong.

"Twilight you've got enough on your plate already," he stated firmly, and in a tone that left no room for debate on the matter. "You're still trying to learn your own advanced spells. You're trying to teach more combative spells to those that volunteered for the classes. There's that sidelined experiment of yours with the changeling goo leftover from the last invasion. The Cutie Mark Crusaders are asking me all kinds of questions about Ulquiorra, and I don't know what to tell them. And don't even get me started on the mess we've got with the Elements of Harmony. You seriously don't need to be adding another thing to worry about, on top of what you and I already trying to deal with," he explained flipping up a claw for each point raised as he stepped closer to her.

"But-" Twilight started, only to be interrupted by Spike as he continued talking.

"No. There are no "buts" here, Twilight, you're spreading yourself too thin. You're trying to take on way too many responsibilities, when there are other ponies, who're perfectly capable of picking up the slack, whether it's real or imaginary," he stated as her closed the distance between them, looking her dead in the eye. "I get how stressful this is, Twilight, everything going to Tartarus around us, and we don't know which end is up. But you're trying to take responsibility for things that you don't need to, and that's just not healthy. There's a big difference between helpful, and meddling in the affairs of other ponies. And we're seriously crossing that line."

Twilight didn't know what to say in response to Spike's statement. What had started off as him voicing his concern about her taking on too many responsibilities, had somehow spiraled into a rant about her meddling with other ponies, and she hadn't even seen it happen. How exactly had they gotten to here? And how exactly did Spike see her actions as meddling?

Unfortunately she didn't get the chance to ask any of these questions, as there was a knock at the library door serving as a distraction. She ultimately decided that she'd have a word with Spike later on, after she finished addressing whoever had come to patron the library during the time it was closed. And after she ran through a mental checklist of whether or not there were any books out that could be considered overdue.

"Yes?" she asked as she opened the library door, only to see Big Macintosh standing before her, and wearing a concerned look on his face.

"Howdy, Miss Twilight," he greeted politely.

"Howdy Big Macintosh," Twilight replied. Although now that she thought of it, the wording felt strange to use. Trying to talk like Applejack and her family wasn't the easiest thing she'd ever tried. Oh well. That really wasn't important right now. "What brings you by?" she asked, wondering how she could best be of assistance to the stoic stallion.

"It's not so much a what as a who," Big Macintosh started to explain, before glancing to his right and slowly stepping aside.

Twilight poked her head out the door to look at what Big Macintosh was getting to. When she did she saw Applejack standing there, looking both anxious and like a mess. She looked like she was fresh right out of the bath; fresh as in literally right out of the tub, and just barely dried off. Her mane and tail were unkempt, and her hat was heavily askew. And while Applejack was one who favored function over fashion, she always took a certain measure of pride in making herself relatively presentable to others. She was no Rarity, but she never would've come to town looking like she currently did unless it was an emergency.

And going by how anxious she looked, it probably was an emergency.

Twilight opened her mouth to speak and ask what was the matter. But she never even got the first word out, before Applejack more or less tackled her, and threw her forelegs around her to engage in one of the tightest embraces she could ever remember being on the receiving end of. Or at least outside of her encounters with Pinkie Pie.

She honestly had absolutely no objections to being hugged by her friends. Truth be told it was one of her favorite things about actually having friends. But this had come out of absolutely nowhere and left her caught off guard. She didn't know what else to do but tentatively return the hug, and be aware of the fact that Applejack was currently inhaling the scent of her mane.

"Um... alright I'm hopelessly confused here. What's going on?" Spike asked as he stepped closer to the door.

The next thing he knew, Applejack had abandoned Twilight, and was now in the process of trying her best to hug the stuffing out of him, as she picked him up off his feet in the process. And filling him with more confusion than ever before. What exactly was going on? What had Applejack so upset? Why was Big Macintosh here?

Twilight was left feeling clueless right now as she watched the strange hugging scene unfold before her. She turned to face Big Macintosh in hopes that he'd be able to provide some answers to the numerous questions that were forming in her mind.

"What's going on?" she asked, deciding to keep things simple for the moment. And then she caught a whiff of something that made her freshly-recovered muzzle wrinkle up in disgust. "Ugh. And what smells like vomit?"

"Mind if ah come in first? Doesn' really seem right ta be talkin' 'bout such things on the streets," he pointed out. Twilight stepped back to let him inside, and watched as he gave his hooves a cursory wiping off before entering the library. "Ta be honest, ah really don' know what happened. When ah found her she was covered in 'er own puke an' cryin' her heart out, babbling about things that didn' make much sense. Said she had ta come ta town an' make sure ya were alright, and wouldn't take no fer an answer. Ah barely even managed ta convince her ta wash up before comin' over," he explained.

Despite Big Macintosh's calm manner of address, Twilight could see that the stoic stallion wasn't quite so stoic. She recognized the signs of concern he was clearly wearing, yet unaware of them himself. Shining Armor had the same look at times. Elder sibling instinct to try and hide the sheer degree of terror they were experiencing, because they needed to at least pretend to be calm for the sake of the younger sibling. Applejack was lucky to have him as a big brother.

"Applejack," Twilight spoke softly as she approached and rested a foreleg on her withers. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"No," Applejack stated simply as she continued to hold onto Spike.

Twilight frowned in response to the bluntness. She'd been hoping for something more substantial than just that. This was going to require a little more effort on her part.

"Look at me, Applejack," she told her. At first there was no response from the earth pony. But slowly, Applejack loosened her hold on Spike -much to the young dragon's relief- and complied by turning to look back at her as she set him down. She nearly recoiled as the stench of her friend's breath reached her face, but she did her best to hold firm and not react. "That's better. Now what happened?"

"Ah... ah don' know jus' what happened. All ah know is it was horrible," Applejack replied, her gaze faltering as she looked down at the floor. But a lavender hoof touched her under her chin, and brought her back to eye level.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Twilight asked her, doing her best to temper her curiosity -and her annoyance- in favor of being supportive to a friend who was in need.

"A-ah don' wanna," Applejack mumbled and tried to look back down again, but found it to be quite difficult. She sighed in response and closed her eyes instead. "B-but... but ah will..."

With that statement, Applejack took a breath in effort to steady herself for sharing her experiences with her friends.

"Ah was out inspectin' the southern orchards at the time..."

Twilight, Spike, and Big Macintosh all sat in silence, as they listened to Applejack do her best to explain the tale of her experiences, horrified at the details she had to share with them.

For Twilight herself, it was particularly hard to sit through Applejack's story without making any significant noises, or otherwise breaking down in a fit of crying of her own. It took a great deal of willpower, and self restraint, to not simply walk over to her, and pull her into a hug that rivaled what she'd been subjected to not all that long ago.

Applejack's story bore an uncomfortable similarity to what she heard Rainbow Dash recount to Celestia about her own ordeals. There were far too many similarities to overlook. The only real notable difference was how each was affected; Rainbow Dash had been lead to believe that the others had turned against her, and she couldn't trust anyone. But Applejack had been lead to believe that she had been the one to not only turn against the others, but her own family. It was just so utterly heartbreaking to hear.

And that was to say nothing of the logical complications of it all! But she'd get to those later on, once she managed to calm herself down a bit more.

"... next thing ah know the orchards are back in their pristine condition, an' ah'm left cryin' an' pukin' all at the same time," Applejack concluded, doing her best to remain stable and collected throughout it all.

The next thing she knew, Twilight was on her and hugging her tight. And in what just had to be the perfect position to allow her to rest her head against her back. She was all too wiling to return the gesture. There was no way she was not going to hug in the state she was in.

"Wow..." Spike breathed in response, uncertain of what else to say. He never saw this one coming, nor would he have even wanted to. "That's... that's... I'm sorry, but there's just no other way to put it adequately. That's seriously fucked up!" he stated.

Twilight was in full agreement with Spike's assessment of the situation, profanity and all. A situation like this all but demanded profanity. But right now she didn't feel up to actually stating such. She was certain that if she started talking right now, her voice was going to start wavering, and that would in turn set Applejack off again. And while crying was supposed to be healthy, it also added greater difficulty in focusing on whatever task was at hoof.

"Do ya reckon whatever happened ta Applejack, is related ta wha' happened ta Rainbow Dash?" Big Macintosh asked them. At the moment it was the only thing he could think of, that didn't greatly infuriate him to the point of not even being able to see straight. And that battle to keep his temper in check was slowly but surely becoming a losing battle.

"I don't really know for certain, Big Macintosh, but I certainly believe there's a connection to be had," Twilight replied as she slowly disengaged the hug with Applejack, much to the earth pony's obvious chagrin with the idea of actually letting go. "There's no way in Tartarus that this is just a coincidence. With all of the similarities it's a statistical impossibility. And I think it's safe to say that we've just shot down one of Ulquiorra's theories on this whole matter."

Applejack blinked, uncertain of what to say in this situation. It almost sounded like Twilight was coming up with some sort of plan.

"Which one?" Spike asked. The number of theories that could be attributed to Ulquiorra could easily fill up several pages worth of notes, and it was hard to keep them all straight.

"The one about Rainbow Dash's predicament being the result of affliction by some sort of biological impairment, either of an internal or external nature. The sudden onset could have certainly made that theory plausible in nature, but this completely undermines that," Twilight explained.

"Ah'm... ah'm not followin'," Applejack finally spoke up, doing the best to not let her own shakiness enter her voice.

"Ah'm not either," Big Macintosh added. The stuff they were talking about was going right over his head. Although he had some small understanding of the terms that were being hurled about, he had no idea what the context was.

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again. Ever since she had heard of the theory that Rainbow Dash was sick was some sort of disease, she'd been trying to avoid getting into any conversations with anypony that might lead to her releasing such details. But that had been partly related to the fact that she'd learned of it around the same time of learning about the Element of Loyalty going dark. Out of fear of saying something she shouldn't, she'd opted to say very little around town. She knew herself well enough to know that if she went off on a tangent, there was no telling where she'd stop. That fact had only been reinforced by the whole wingboner episode with Spike.

She was going to need to be careful in what was said, and what wasn't said. And all while trying to balance it against the fact that she'd promised Applejack and the others she wouldn't lie to them on important matters anymore. She knew she needed to censor herself, but only so much.

"A few days ago, Ulquiorra had the theory that Rainbow Dash wasn't attacked in any traditional sense, but was actually suffering from some as of yet undetermined disease. But I couldn't mention that to anypony at the time, because we really didn't know just what kind of disease was suspected, and we didn't want to cause a panic. You know how word travels around here," she began. They nodded in understanding of the fact. "Right. Anyway I got word from Celestia that Rainbow Dash is being examined by the doctors in Canterlot, but I haven't heard anything back on the matter. So I couldn't tell you if they suspect it's something viral, bacterial, or even fungal in nature," she continued. She decided to leave out the whole mental illness issue, as it would simply serve as a distraction in the matter. She just hoped that Spike wouldn't spot the omission and speak up in her place.

Fortunately, he didn't seem to catch on, and instead remained silent. Thankful for that fact, she continued in her explanation.

"Naturally this theory is terrifying to even consider. But I honestly believe that we can safely discount that theory now," she stated.

"How?" Applejack asked, uncertain of what else to really say.

"In simple terms, Applejack, because of what you experienced in the orchards. I know that I'm no expert in the field of virology, but I'm having a really hard time believing that there's any sort of naturally occurring disease in the world, that could affect anyone in the way you and Rainbow Dash have been affected. Hallucinations, that's possible. Loss of time, also possible. Affected senses, still quite possible. But everything occurring all at the same time, and combined with a level of sadism that simply defies imagination, is simply NOT possible! I find it to be utterly impossible to believe that some disease could affect you and Rainbow Dash in the same manner, and subject the both of you to what you've been through!" Twilight stated, her voice and demeanor growing stronger as she continued. This was no longer simple a analytical explanation. And as such, she could afford to let some emotion loose in her words.

"Wait jus' a minute. Maybe ah'm not followin' er somethin', but are ya sayin' it's a good thing this happened ta me?" Applejack asked as she tilted her head. The way Twilight was getting herself excited, it was really hard to tell one way or the other what she was thinking right now.

"What? No!" Twilight replied, disturbed that Applejack would even think that she was suggesting such. She really needed to work on her pony skills or something. "Of course I'm not saying anything like that. Applejack, what you went through was horrible, and nopony should ever have to go through that. I honestly don't know what I would've done if I was in your place, and faced with the same impossible decisions," she explained as best she could.

Applejack didn't say anything, and simply nodded in response to the statement, indicating that she was paying attention.

"But the fact this happened to you, and that it happened in the way that it did, may actually bring us one step closer to being able to help Rainbow Dash," Twilight pointed out.

Applejack really didn't know what to say in response. She didn't really understand just where Twilight was going with this. And she really didn't know how her imagining that she'd murdered all her friends, and even her siblings, was going to be helpful in any way. But if it meant helping Rainbow Dash out of her predicament, she supposed she could take one for the team. Faust knew she loved that mare like she was her own sister. A thought that, in hindsight, struck her with a great sense of irony when she stopped to consider just what a ripened zap apple looked like. If she wasn't utterly confused -and emotionally shaken- right now, she might've started snorting with laughter at the similarity.

But right now, there was a pressing question that needed to be addressed.

"So how do ya figure that, Twi'?" she asked, hoping some clarification would help her. How exactly did her torment aid them in this matter?

Twilight paused momentarily, trying to think of how best to explain her position. If she said it right as it came to her mind, she knew it was going to sound insensitive. Even to her it sounded cold, and vaguely like she was treating Applejack like a lab rat. That imagery was just unacceptable.

"Well as I said, I find it impossible to believe that a disease could afflict a pony with what you and Rainbow Dash went through. But up until now only Rainbow Dash was affected, meaning we had precious little to actually go on. So little in fact, even Ulquiorra didn't know what to make of it. But now we have more information, and we can do a proper compare and contrast between the similarities, and differences of each instance. And I'm fairly certain that with this new information, and a little bit of time, we can positively eliminate biological impairments as being a possibility," she explained.

"So wha' yer sayin' is, if this hadn' happened ta me, we might still be spinnin' our wheels, chasin' common colds an' such?" Applejack asked, trying to properly compare what Twilight was saying, to something that made basic sense to her.

"Well... that's one way of putting it," Twilight replied, biting her tongue at the urge to correct Applejack's overly simplified interpretation of what she was saying. The issue at hoof was a whole lot more complicated than the common cold could ever hope to be. Assuming viruses could ever develop beyond basic survival instinct that is.

"Well... so long as somethin' goods come outta this mess. If it helps RD out, ah guess ah can take one fer the team," Applejack stated.

"What!?" Spike practically yelled in response to Applejack's casual attitude about everything. "Applejack, that's terrible!"

"Spike-" Twilight started, planning to scold him for his outburst. But a dragon on a mission was a tough thing to stop, as he was still talking and paying no attention to her.

"You didn't volunteer for this, and we sure didn't ask you to do it for us! You didn't take one for the team, you got taken advantage of, just like Rainbow Dash!"

Spike was suddenly finding it very hard to breathe, and his skin was starting to feel hot; even hotter than usual. And along with that heat was an uncomfortable tightness all over, like his skin had suddenly shrunken on him. It was like being in a panic, but without being afraid. Right now he was way too upset to be afraid. Instead he was feeling... he was feeling really hostile and aggressive. It was just like when he had to fight Rainbow Dash. But this time it felt a lot worse to experience.

"I... I don't feel so good," he mumbled in between intense breaths.

The next thing he knew, he found himself being pulled into an embrace by Twilight from behind, as she wrapped her forelegs around him, and sat on her haunches to hold him close.

"It's alright, Spike, it's alright," Twilight reassured him, doing her best to try and calm him down. She didn't need him going to pieces on her right now. And truth be told, he was starting to scare her with how he was acting. "We're all going to get through this, Spike, I promise. It'll all be alright," she said as she tried to keep Spike from hyperventilating.

While Twilight worked at getting Spike calmed down, Applejack and Big Macintosh watched in silence, not entirely sure of what had happened, or what had managed to get Spike so upset, and do it so quickly.

"Come on, Spike, deep breaths," Twilight said as she loosened her hold just enough to rub his back. "It's alright, it's alright."

"No," Spike wheezed in between his efforts at slowing his breathing down. "No it's not alright! What happened to Applejack isn't alright! It isn't!" he stated, his efforts at calming down now being wasted as he got himself worked up again.

"Is tha' what this is all about?" Applejack asked, not sure if raising an eyebrow right now was entirely appropriate. "Now lookie here, Spike, ah never said ah was a'right with wha' happened, 'cuz ah'm not. And if ah ever catch the ornery sidewinder tha' did this ta me, ah'm gonna stomp 'em 'til they're nothin' but a greasy stain on mah hooves," she pointed out, stomping her right hoof against the ground to emphasize the fact that she was upset. But then her features softened as she continued to address him. "But if it's like Twilight said, an' we can use this ta help RD some, then ah'm gonna be focusin' on that instead."

She had to stay focused on the potential for the positive in this situation. She couldn't stop and think about what she was actually feeling right now. Even just thinking about actually thinking about the stuff she'd experienced back in the orchards, was making her stomach feel upset all over again. She didn't want to spend so much as a single minute thinking about what she'd been forced to do, and the choices she'd been forced to make.

So instead she'd focus her attention on how what she'd experienced, could possibly be used by Twilight and the others, to help them figure out how they could help out Rainbow Dash. As long as she could do that, she would be alright. She had to be alright.

Fortunately it seemed the message was getting across to Spike, as he was calming down better now. Regardless of how Applejack felt right now, it helped in some small way to see that Spike had actually gotten himself all worked up because she wasn't worked up; at least not visually. It helped remind her that somepony else cared, and she wasn't facing this crisis alone. Being here helped remind her of what was actually real and tangible. The here and now wasn't some sadistic hallucination that fooled her into believing it was real, it just couldn't be.

"That's a very interesting way of looking at this whole situation, Applejack," Twilight said as she finally felt Spike relaxing against her. She held onto him a bit longer, making sure that it actually took this time, and that he was actually alright and properly settled down, before finally releasing him, and climbing back to her hooves. "But interesting or not, it doesn't change the fact that we're here for YOU as well, Applejack. We're going to do everything we can to help Rainbow Dash, but we're going to help you too. I don't know just how yet, but we will. And nothing is going to stop us from doing just that," she stated confidently, wanting her to understand the full gravity of the matter. She wasn't about to sacrifice one friend for the purpose of saving another.

"Right," Spike added and nodded in agreement.

"Thank ya kindly, both o' ya," Applejack stated, a genuine smile beginning to come across her face at their kindness. She was really lucky to have friends like this.

"And with that thought in mind, I think we should write Ulquiorra and bring him up to speed on this matter. He needs to know how the situation has changed," Twilight stated.

"Yeah, Mr. Cifer's got a good head on his shoulders. He'll know wha' ta do," Applejack replied and nodded. If anyone could figure this matter out, then it was most likely him.

Plus it wouldn't hurt to have another friend present. The way she was feeling right now, the more friends that were around, the better.

And with that thought in mind...

"Uh... ah hope ah'm not imposin' er nothin', but... would it... would it be a'right with ya if ah stayed over fer the night? Jus' fer some reassurance tha' things didn' happen the way ah thought they did?" she asked them. "Ah'd really rather not be alone tonight, if ya know what ah mean..."

Twilight knew full well what Applejack meant. However she didn't really have any idea how the farmpony was actually going to manage to sleep tonight. If this had happened to her instead, she would be hitting the coffee extra hard, terrified that every time she even so much as blinked, her tormented mind would force her to replay the events over and over again, leaving her unable to look away. She wasn't even sure if Luna's magic would've been strong enough to stop that from occurring.

But she was getting distracted right now. She understood what Applejack was saying about not wanting to be alone. Had it been her that went through that nightmare, she would've been calling an emergency sleepover with mandatory attendance. She couldn't even consider actually denying Applejack's request, and sending her away from the library. If she were to do something that heartless, and Applejack woke up in the middle of the night, all alone in her room, and unsure of whether or not things had happened like she thought they had, the potential for emotional and psychological trauma couldn't be overstated. Such an approach simply wouldn't do, and wouldn't be done under any circumstances.

"Like I would ever make you leave," Twilight replied as she approached and pulled Applejack into yet another hug. A hug that was quickly reciprocated. "You can stay as long as you need to. We'll even call the others over if you'd like," she offered.

Big Macintosh remained silent as he watched the bonding between Twilight and his sister. The unicorn's presence was doing her a lot of good right now; far more than his own had done, he was ashamed to say.

It wasn't that he was bitter, or even jealous for that matter. But it felt like he was falling down in his duties by not being able to help his little sister during her time of need. What exactly had he done anyway? Escorted her to Ponyville when she was on shaky legs, doing his best at keeping her steady when she was stumbling. It wasn't that he hadn't played an important part in it all. But that elder sibling status just made him wish that he could do more for her.

However his thoughts on the matter became interrupted, as he became aware of the fact that he was being hugged around his neck, and realizing that it was Applejack doing the hugging, as she stood up on her hind legs to wraps her forelegs around his neck. And suddenly all thoughts about his own inadequacies as an older sibling were subdued and chased away, as his sister went about her own way of assuring him that he wasn't being abandoned in favor of the company of others.

"Ah'll be back tomorrow, Big Mac, jus' gotta get everything sorted out first," she told him.

Twilight nodded as she stepped closer. "You don't have to worry, Big Macintosh, we'll take good care of Applejack," she assured him.

"Much appreciated, Miss Twilight," Big Macintosh replied as Applejack finally released him. But he became confused when Twilight stepped closer, and stood up to hug him around his neck much like his sister had done. It wasn't undesired, but it was certainly unexpected.

Spike just stood back and shook his head, before going over to the desk where Twilight kept some of her writing supplies, and retrieved a quill and piece of parchment. He would let the others have their moment, while he laid out the basic premise of what had taken place over this evening, and giving just enough information to get Celestia and the others here; he knew that even if he spent an entire hour articulating the letter, there would still be questions getting asked, and he'd rather not explain it all a second time, regardless of the change in presented medium.

"When it comes to helping out my friends, I'd do just about anything for them," Twilight stated as she slowly let go of Big Macintosh. "Whether it's providing a place to stay, or a wither to cry on... or even letting them take a proper shower so they can stop smelling like vomit."

Despite the inner turmoil she was feeling right now, Applejack just couldn't bite back the snort that came from Twilight's deadpan delivery of that last part of the statement. With the subject matter and the way it was delivered... it was just too much for her.

"Ah guess ah do stink a bit. Sorry 'bout that, ah was in a big hurry ta get over here an' make sure ya were a'right. Didn' bother wit' making mahself presentable er nothin'," she apologized/explained.

"You still showed a lot more restraint than I would've in the matter. If it'd been me, I probably would've teleported to find you without worrying about my hygiene. That would've made for an awkward and unpleasant hug," Twilight replied and grinned awkwardly.

Despite his attention primarily focused on the letter he was writing, Spike was still listening to what was being said around him. At that last part of the exchange, he decided to put down the suggestion of waiting twenty minutes before responding, in order to give Applejack the chance to get herself cleaned up. After all, it wasn't like the twenty minutes was going to make that much of a difference in the matter. Right?

Chapter Sixty Four

Chapter Sixty Four

The first order of business for Applejack had been to gargle liberally, until she finally felt her mouth was clean, and free of that vile taste she'd been forced to tolerate for the better part of the evening.

The second order of business had been to take up Twilight's offer of the shower, and vigorously scrub at her fur with the available peach-scented bubble bath solution, until she was certain that she was properly clean this time around.

The third order of business had been to repeatedly tell herself that she wasn't going to break down over what had happened, until she was positive that what she went through, was going to have some beneficial purpose in helping Rainbow Dash get better. No matter how hard it might be to the contrary.

If she felt even half as bad as Rainbow Dash did, that poor mare must've been going through the most indescribable anguish imaginable. Right now, as the hot water washed over her, and dripped down her saturated coat, all she wanted to do was hug herself, and cry over what she'd been forced to experience.

But she couldn't do that. She had to be strong in this case, because ponies were counting on her. She had to be strong, and dependable, and resilient for the time being. She had to stay focused on what was really important right now. That was all she had to do. If she could stay focused, and task-oriented long enough, the pain she was feeling would eventually lessen, as she grew more and more numb to it. She could persevere and overcome, if she just focused.

And that brought her to the fourth order of business; getting out of the shower, getting dried off, and meeting with Celestia and Ulquiorra. They had new information that needed to be discussed, and she wasn't about to be absent for that. With that fact in mind, she stood up, shut off the shower, and proceeded to vigorously shake herself like Winona, in order to get the majority of water off of her, letting the shower curtain contain the most of it.

"Whoo doggy!" Applejack announced as she trotted out of the bathroom, looking far better than when she'd first arrived at the library. Her coat was nice and clean this time around, and freshly dried off. Save for her mane needing a brush run through it a few times, and putting her hat back on, nopony could tell anything had even happened. "Ah tell ya, Twi', that shower helped a lot. Ah feel a whole lot better now that ah'm clean."

Twilight didn't know how to immediately respond as she watched Applejack retrieve her stetson, and set it back atop her head. It seemed like such a simple statement to respond to, but for the life of her, she was simply drawing a blank on the matter. Was she really that tired or something?

"So when can we be expectin' company?"

Fortunately for her, Applejack didn't seem to notice the silence. Or if she had, she'd decided to fill it on her own. Either way, Twilight felt a bit relieved right now. And it was a nice feeling, compared to how she'd been feeling for a good part of the evening, what with her worrying about Applejack's well being.

"Probably any time now," Spike spoke up. He'd made sure to suggest waiting twenty or so minutes before showing up, in order to give Applejack time to freshen up, figuring the time would do her some good. Plus it did their noses some good too.

Applejack didn't know how to immediately respond, having expected some sort of more involved explanation than just that. But she opted to leave the matter alone, and simply sit down on her haunches to wait. A little silence wasn't really a bad thing to experience.

But it wasn't long before she felt herself growing uncomfortable with the silence and waiting, and began scanning the room for something to distract herself with. And once again, it wasn't long before her eyes actually fell on something that stuck out, and caught her interest. Or rather something that wasn't there, and its absence is what stuck out to her, as she was so accustomed to seeing it.

"Hey, Twilight, where's the case wit' the Elements o' Harmony?" she asked. The case had been resting on its pedestal for so long, it had practically become an everyday fixture of the library. But now, with her mind calmer than previously in the evening, its absence was glaring like a beacon.

Twilight nearly froze in place at the question, her mind desperately trying to formulate an answer.

In the wake of the complication that occurred earlier in the week with the Elements of Harmony, Twilight -along with Spike, doing his best to help the frantic mare- had thought long and hard on how best to hide the fact that something was very, very wrong, without simultaneously raising a significant degree of suspicion around town. And after what had seemed like many hours of contemplation, planning, and drafting various approaches to the problem at hoof, Spike had presented the idea of simply moving the entire case down into the basement, since nopony could get down there on their own.

As much as Twilight hated to admit it, she was ashamed of the fact that she hadn't thought of that simple approach herself. And besides being simple in nature, it was brilliant, as it solved a number of problems that she had predicted as being possibilities.

There was just one problem that hadn't yet been addressed. And that was the fact that she hadn't told any of her friends about everything yet. She hadn't even told them that she was going to be relocating the Elements of Harmony to the basement for safe keeping, as she feared it would bring up the reason as to why she was doing it. And she just couldn't have that. She knew that, with conscience effort on her part, she could keep the information from leaking out into the public. But she couldn't say the same about the others. Applejack was far too honest to engage in active deception, and wouldn't be able to avoid a slip of the lip if the right question was asked. Fluttershy was unlikely to speak up on the matter, but it couldn't be ruled out as a possibility. Rarity was certainly trustworthy, but when it came to gossip, she sometimes got set on autopilot and didn't always think to censor her speech. And Pinkie Pie was... well, she really didn't need to even finish that thought.

Unfortunately, in her efforts to be secretive, she hadn't really conjured up a cover story, just in case this question arose. She'd focused too much on trying not to let the information get out in the first place, and now she was floundering for an answer, after being confronted about it.

"Well we... we moved them into the basement for safe keeping. You know, just in case something happens and the shields fail," she quickly tossed out, trying not to succumb to the nervous laughter she so desperately wanted to engage in right now. "I-it's like Rainbow Dash said, about Ulquiorra possibly breaking through if he really wanted to. The shields might be able to convert kinetic energy into fuel, but we never really tested them to see just how much kinetic energy could be absorbed at one time, or how quickly it could be absorbed. So, you know, better safe than sorry!"

From where Applejack stood, something about everything seemed... she didn't want to say that it was wrong, but something was definitely not right here. Something about Twilight's entire demeanor struck her as being off. But then again, she was making observations about her surroundings, while her perspective was possibly compromised from what she'd been through. Ultimately she decided to just let it go and not worry about it. Sometimes Twilight was just Twilight, just like how Pinkie was just Pinkie.

"Tha's a perdy good point ah guess. Ain' no reason ta be takin' chances we don' need ta," she replied and shrugged. Maybe it was just plain going over her head, what with the discussion involving unicorn magic and all.

And then it was back to silence and waiting.

However the wait was thankfully short, as a flash of light from inside the room signaled the arrival Celestia. Twilight wasted no time in hurrying over to where she stood in order to greet her. And that greeting, as Applejack observed, looked like it consisted of Twilight doing her best to hug the stuffing out of Celestia.

There were a lot of things that Applejack could interpret from that simple gesture. It could be regarded as a sign that the relationship between the two was indeed mending, and returning to some semblance of what it had been before the whole changeling incident occurred. Or it could be seen as a sign that Twilight was far more stressed than she was letting on, and was seeking comfort of her own right now, from the one pony who would easily understand.

Whatever the proper answer was, however, she'd think on it later. Right now there was other matters to tend to; like helping Rainbow Dash.

"I'm so glad you could make it, Princess," Twilight stated as she disengaged from the hug.

"I came as soon as I could," Celestia replied, wishing to herself that the circumstances of the meeting had been more pleasant. In the past few weeks she had spent more time in Ponyville, than she had in the last ten years. But the majority of that time had been spent addressing one crisis or another. If things didn't start going right soon, she might actually start to think about renting a cottage to cut down on the commute. "I still don't understand why the delay though," she pointed out, curious about the meaning behind such, as the details on everything had been rather sparse.

"It's a long story, I'll explain later," Twilight replied, not wanting to get into the matter right at the moment if it could be avoided. "Where's Ulquiorra? He's coming too, right?" she asked.

"To be honest, I really don't know where Ulquiorra is at the moment. The last I saw him was on Wednesday, when he said he was going to return to Ponyville, in order to keep an eye out for anything suspicious," Celestia replied. And it was a position she really couldn't disagree with. With Rainbow Dash being safely kept under observation in one of the best hospitals in Canterlot, the Espada's talents really weren't especially needed there. They both recognized that he would be of far more use back in Ponyville, where it seemed all of the recent strange activity was centered.

Twilight felt her left eye twitch at Celestia's words. Ulquiorra had been in Ponyville for the past four days, and hadn't even stopped in so much as once to have a discussion with her? Or to check up on whether or not she'd discovered anything? That was neither friendly, nor professional in nature.

"Just wait until I get my hooves on that mana-munching monochromatic. I'm going to have a few unkind words for him about his actions. And maybe a lecture or two while we're at it," she thought to herself. But then she stopped and reconsidered her position. Hers wasn't exactly a friendly one either. And right now there were more important matters to tend to, than having a conversation with the Espada about his lessons in friendship, and his corresponding neglecting of such.

"So how do we go about findin' him? Mr. Cifer sticks out like a sore hoof an' all, but that doesn' really make 'im all that easy ta find," Applejack pointed out. And if he was up in the sky right now, then good luck actually seeing him.

"I'm fairly certain that won't be a problem, Applejack, as Ulquiorra will most likely come and find us," Celestia replied. Considering the fact that he could detect her with such ease, even over considerable distances, it stood to reason that her presence in Ponyville would be like a homing beacon to him. He knew that her duties kept her primarily confined to Canterlot, and that she wouldn't be here unless the situation demanded it. So it was just a matter of waiting.

And then there was a knock at the door.

"Who's there?" Spike asked. Normally he would've just gone to the door to open it and see for himself. But in the wake of everything that'd happened recently, he'd been trying to exercise more caution.

"The fact that Princess Celestia is currently in Ponyville instead of Canterlot, would indicate that something of significance has occurred, and needs to be discussed as soon as possible. As such, there is no time for foolish games. Now open the door," the voice on the other side of the door stated.

"Right on cue," Celestia whispered softly, and extended her magic to open the door and let Ulquiorra enter. "You're unusually cordial tonight, Ulquiorra. I half-expected that you would break down the door to get inside," she commented out loud as she shut the door behind him.

"Such an approach is entirely unnecessary, as well as physically impractical, due to the presence of the hinges securing the door to the building's frame, and preventing the door from actually falling to the floor like a felled tree," Ulquiorra replied as he stood with his hands tucked into his pockets, unamused by Princess Celestia's attempt at witty banter. Even further than that, attempting to break down the door, would leave the library compromised to attack. "How has the situation at hand developed?" he asked, deciding to cut through to the bone of the issue behind her visit.

"Uh... that'd be me," Applejack replied slowly as she raised her hoof as if she were a foal asking a teacher a question. "RD ain' the only one bein' affected by whatever's goin' on. Ah'm havin' it too..."

Twilight nodded in agreement to Applejack's statement.

"I'm pretty sure that this development means we're not dealing with a contagion of some sort. So that's got to be good news," she stated.

"That remains to be proven," Ulquiorra replied and turned his attention to Applejack. "What was your experience?"

"Well as Applejack explained it to me-" Twilight began, only for Ulquiorra to cut her off.

"The question was presented to Applejack, as it was her experience. The explanation would be more beneficial if it were based on her own recollections, rather than your interpretation of what you can presently recall, and to whatever degree of accuracy you can recall it," he pointed out, before returning his attention to Applejack. If Twilight Sparkle wished to help in the matter, then the best way to go about it would be remaining silent, and not interrupting them.

Twilight frowned. She understood that Ulquiorra favored a straight to the point approach to doing things, and most of the time she could respect that. But this was just downright rude; like rudeness for the sake of being rude. Applejack shouldn't have to go all through it again on her own. And just where did he get off, insinuating that her recollection was going to be flawed?

"It's a'right, Twi', ah got this," Applejack stated when she saw her friend preparing to get out of sorts with Ulquiorra. She meant well. But sometimes a pony had to do, what a pony had to do. And acknowledging that fact, she stepped up, and prepared to give her recollection of events that had transpired. "This is how it all went down..."

Ulquiorra listened as Applejack recounted her tale of back in the orchards. As he stood there, allowing her to proceed without interruption, he couldn't help but note the level of detail that was being recounted.

The description of the lava itself was particularly noteworthy, based on observations he'd made back in his own dimensions. Humans possessed a strange fascination with the substance, and yet it was rarely portrayed or regarded correctly. The science of convection was often ignored, as were the poisonous fumes that came from the molten rock. They even failed to understand the "rock" portion when it came to molten rock, and displayed it as a semi-viscous liquid, rather than a substance of incredible density and firmness.

Such a lack of attention to detail was absent in this case, however, as Applejack described how the dropped cages didn't simply sink into the molten rock, but rather sat atop it while the ones inside succumbed to the heat, and died rather painfully.

But that level of detail, from the smell of the sulfur, to the sensation of her fur beginning to singe from the rising heat, left them with more questions than answers. Such as how she came about possessing such knowledge in the first place.

"... And tha's the whole story, Mr. Cifer," Applejack stated, bringing her recollection of everything to an end. And she was quite thankful that it was all over. Again.

"Fascinating," Ulquiorra replied, utterly unfazed by the details he'd heard.

"It sure wasn' fascinatin' ta me when ah thought ah was straight up murderin' mah friends an' family," Applejack replied and frowned at him.

Ulquiorra briefly considered explaining to Applejack how her actions didn't qualify as murder. But then he stopped such consideration outright, when he realized that the explanation would do little good. As emotionally upset as she was right now from recounting her story, the technical differential that existed between murder, and her own actions, would be nothing more than wasted effort on his part.

Furthermore, it wasn't his place to be offering her comfort. Rather it was to investigate this matter, and respond accordingly. He would leave the comforting to those who were far more skilled in the matter.

"Perhaps not. But the level of detail experienced is of interest in this matter," he replied as he began to evaluate the matter to determine what to ask first. "The voice you heard. Was it one you recognized? Was it masculine or feminine in nature? Were there any identifiable manners of speech, that might help identify the speaker?" he asked.

Applejack shook her head in response. "Nope, 'fraid not. Ah wouln' be able ta tell ya who er wha' was talkin' ta me at the time. Ah was too upset ta be payin' much attention ta what was goin' on. Ah was tryin' not ta pay attention 'cuz o' wha' was happenin'," she explained.

It wasn't an ideal situation, but at the very least, it was understandable. Having no idea that she would be afflicted next, it made sense that Applejack would try and not focus on what she was experiencing. He couldn't really fault her, considering what it was that she'd experienced. Even if he tried, he knew nothing positive or beneficial would come of it, and may actually wind up making the matter worse.

"And yet, despite your best attempts at blocking it out, you reported recalling significant details that others would consciously block out if they had truly experienced such," Ulquiorra replied. He still had no idea just how Applejack knew what lava smelt like, or that the fumes that came from it were toxic in nature. Or that its consistency was much like solid rock. He could only assume that such knowledge had in some way come from association with Twilight Sparkle. But at the moment that wasn't important.

"This means it's not a disease we're dealing with, right?" Twilight asked, speaking up for the first time since Applejack explained her tale yet again, to bring both Celestia and Ulquiorra up to speed on her experiences. "We can eliminate that as a possibility, and instead focus on other possible explanations, right?"

The possibility of disease being the culprit had always been low. Rather than a pathogen, the greater likelihood with regard to disease was that Rainbow Dash was suffering from a neurological disorder, as it was at least plausible. But Applejack's experience seemed to undermine that plausibility a good deal.

But at the moment it was all speculation. There was still a great deal about pony physiology he simply had no understanding about. And at the moment, with him running back and forth between Canterlot and Ponyville, his allotted time for study had been drastically shortened, as he worked to keep an eye on both locations.

That was the primary reason for why he simply didn't dismiss the idea of disease entirely; a lack of coherent information. It would be foolish to dismiss the idea entirely due to a lack of relevant information to go on. But at the same time it was dangerous to succumb to target fixation; especially when the target in question was the result of questioning an obviously emotionally disturbed pegasus, who had readily admitted to slamming her head against a tree, in a misguided effort to make the audible hallucinations stop.

"At the very least, it would appear as such. The odds of Rainbow Dash and Applejack both sharing the same undetermined neurological disorder are quite low. And a contagion having the ability to inflict such symptoms is even more remote," he stated.

"Then that means we can cross it off our list, right?" Twilight asked, wanting to be sure of what he was saying.

"Theoretically. But ultimately the medical staff in Canterlot are best suited for making such a final determination, rather than ourselves. We can speculate all we want, but ultimately it would be just that; speculation. Until we receive verification on the matter, it would be premature to discount the possibility entirely," Ulquiorra explained.

But even once the medical staff in Canterlot got back to them with the results, they still faced another problem. If all tests for diseases -both infectious and otherwise- came back negative, they would lose the one theory that they could actually explore. Despite their best efforts, they were quite short on leads. They might as well pull a dictionary from the shelves, pick a word at random, and go from there as if it were a genuine lead.

"Ya know, tha' reminds me. Just wha' has been goin' on wit' RD the past few days? How come we ain' heard a thing since she bolted?" Applejack asked, glad that this conversation point had come up. She'd been worried about Rainbow Dash since the beginning, and the lack of information coming and going had done nothing to quell her fears. If anything, the drought of updates had just made things worse for her and the others, as it had caused a great deal of uncertainty, and blind speculation to take root.

Worse than that, there were rumors beginning to circulate Ponyville about Rainbow Dash's absence. And they had no way of setting any of them straight.

"I'm afraid we don't know, Applejack," Celestia said softly, speaking up for the first time since this whole ordeal had begun. "The doctors have been tight lipped about the whole matter, even to me. But I suppose that's to be expected, if they're running tests to try and determine what we might be facing."

Considering the importance of everything, Celestia really wasn't too surprised with the lack of updates. Unhappy, but not entirely surprised. They were facing what could potentially be a national crisis, and if there was the possibility of a pandemic outbreak being close to happening, then it was a matter of the utmost importance to exercise proper crisis control. That meant extensive tests for anything that could be considered a contagion, and controlling the release of information; even if the restricted release of information affected her specifically.

"Hol' up," Applejack spoke up as she turned to face Celestia. "Ya mean ta say tha' sompony's stonewallin' ya? Can't ya, like, order 'em ta tell ya how RD's doin'?"

"I could indeed do such, Applejack, but if there's no information to be had yet, then there's simply no information to be had. And royal decree won't change that fact. The field of medical science is one of intricate complication. They can't simply perform a quick scan of Rainbow Dash, and immediately determine what's wrong with her," Celestia explained. She had certainly given much thought to just such an approach. But such thoughts were tempered by experience. They weren't going to get any information any faster simply because she got impatient. And if anything, her attempting to apply increased pressure to the medical examiners might just wind up making matters worse.

"So... what's that mean? We're left with nothing to do but play the waiting game?" Spike asked them.

"It sure sounds like that," Twilight replied, sighing as she hung her head. "I'm sorry, Applejack, I thought this development was actually going to get us somewhere."

This news hit her hard, making Applejack wince, although she tried hard not to let it be too noticeable to the others. This whole time she'd been trying to tell herself that everything was going to be alright. She'd been trying to tell herself that if what she went through could help out Rainbow Dash in any way, then it would be worth it. But now it seemed like that wasn't going to be the case. Instead of Ulquiorra agreeing that they had narrowed down the fields in this matter, he still wasn't certain that it wasn't some sort of illness they were up against. Essentially he was saying that everything she went through had been for nothing, and no good was going to come from what she'd suffered through.

She wanted to cry. All Applejack wanted to do right now, was let her composure drop, and just break down, and let herself have the cry that she was so desperately craving.

But she knew that was something she couldn't do right now. She couldn't allow herself to go completely to pieces. If she did that, then there really would be no hope for her being able to help Rainbow Dash, as she'd be admitting defeat to herself. But she was going to make no such admission, as she didn't regard it as the truth. She absolutely refused to accept defeat and hopelessness as being the truth.

She couldn't recall all of the foreign words that Twilight had picked up and made use of in situations like this. But if she could remember them, and knew what their context was, she would be cursing up a storm right about now, dictating how she wasn't going to be beaten by indecisiveness in this matter.

But she'd ask for clarification later. Instead of the scowl she wanted to wear, she needed to put on a supportive smile for Twilight's benefit. Her friend was trying her hardest to be supportive, and keep things under control. But that didn't mean she didn't need help herself when experiencing a setback.

And if nothing else, it would give her something else to focus on.

"It's a'right, Twi'. All this means is tha' we gotta be a bit patient an' wait before proceeding. Ain' tha' right, Mr. Cifer?" she asked as she turned her attention away from the downtrodden unicorn, and over to the Espada.

"Essentially that's correct," Ulquiorra replied. Snap decisions were uncalled for right now. But that didn't mean they wouldn't act, once they had more relevant information. The medical examiner that had been charged with Chrysalis' autopsy, had been able to find a significant amount of information regarding the changeling's health, despite it being a completely unrelated species. If such a feat was within the realm of possibilities, then there was no reason to believe that they would be incapable of achieving the same results when it came to a pegasus, whose species' anatomy was already extensively documented, and had been going back decades.

"I know, I know. I just... thought that we were finally getting somewhere in this whole mess," Twilight groaned in response. Then slowly she lifted her head to look at Celestia. "Does Applejack have to go to Canterlot too? I promised her she could spend the night with us."

"... I don't think that will be necessary. We won't be able to learn anything new," Celestia replied and shook her head. It wasn't like taking Applejack to Canterlot for examination would make the doctors hurry any faster. Nor would any tests carried out on Applejack be done any quicker. And she highly doubted her earth pony status would amount of a significant variance that needed to be analyzed. "The primary reason for taking Rainbow Dash back to Canterlot, was to try and aid her recovery, because she didn't believe she was safe around her friends in Ponyville. But from what I've heard, I don't believe that's the case with Applejack."

"No ma'am," Applejack replied and shook her head. "Right 'bout now, the only pony ah don' think ah can trust is mahself. Ah get tha' none o' it was real, and none o' it really happened. But it was still me makin' the decision ta be pullin' those levers..."

"Based on the reported circumstances of your attack, I don't believe you had any other choice in the matter," Ulquiorra pointed out as he spoke up, bringing their attention back to him and where he stood. "According to your recollection of events, you tried to stop it. You refused to comply, you even threatened to end your own life in an effort to make it stop. You played every foreseeable strategy. The only reason you complied in the first place, was due to the threat of total loss occurring. I fail to see any other outcome being a possibility," he explained evenly.

He could understand why Applejack was upset with herself. Even if his understanding of friendship was limited in scope, that didn't mean he was completely foreign to what was at issue here. Applejack was given a series of unpleasant, and undesirable choices to make, she was forced to make them under duress, and now she was experiencing much negativity over the decisions she was forced to make against her will. What she was going through really wasn't all that different from what Rainbow Dash experienced, in believing she was raped by the others.

There was also the question of whether or not she was even in control of her own actions to begin with. For all they knew, what she had experienced, was this entity's interpretation of what actions she would have taken if given the opportunity. It couldn't even be said for certain, if the words she had even spoken were her own.

"Maybe so. But that sure doesn' make it hurt any less..." Applejack replied and sighed.

"Perhaps not. But the fact that everything occurred in the way it did, may provide us with an important clue as to just what is going on around here," Ulquiorra replied. It went without saying that those assembled would want to know what he was talking about. So he decided to not wait for the obvious to happen, before he continued in his explanation, turning his focus on the entire group, rather than any one individual. "What happened to Applejack, as well as what happened to Rainbow Dash, bear a number of differences from one another, but also a number of similarities. And one of those similarities is the presence of malice; a willful, and deliberate, desire to inflict pain and suffering on another party, and for no justifiable reason. This fact tells us much, as malice is a side effect of a sapient mind, and doesn't exist in the animal kingdom."

"Ah'm sorry, but how exactly does this tell us anything about wha' happened?" Applejack asked, wondering why the Espada couldn't talk in simple terms.

"What it tells us, Applejack, is that we're dealing with someone instead of something," Twilight stated as she turned to face her friend. "What it tells us, is that somebody went out of their way to do this to you and Rainbow Dash. And if there's somebody involved, that means there's an ass that we can kick!" she continued and slammed her right hoof against the floor to emphasize the point.

Now Twilight was talking in terms that Applejack could not only understand, but also relate to. What she was saying was making a great deal of sense. If what they were dealing with was a who, then that meant they could deal with this. They could find out just who it was that was messing with them, and then they could stomp the manure out of the ornery sidewinder like he or she so richly deserved!

"Now isn't the time to get carried away. Simply because we've recognized evidence of a sapient mind being at work, doesn't mean we're any closer to identifying the responsible party or parties," Ulquiorra pointed out. He could certainly understand Twilight Sparkle's sentiment on the situation. The prospect of facing off against an opponent of a physical nature was far more appealing, as it meant much greater odds of achieving success

But sentiment could only go so far. Simply because they were facing an opponent who potentially had a physical nature, didn't mean they were any closer to actually achieving success.

Twilight sighed in response, feeling resentment for Ulquiorra's efforts at trying to deflate their excitement. She understood the need to stay grounded in reality. But was it asking too much to let them have a brief moment of enthusiasm?

"Note to self: further discussion with Ulquiorra pertaining to the intricacies of friendship is definitely warranted," she thought, trying to resist the urge to pinch her muzzle in frustration. "I'm aware of that fact, Ulquiorra, but I disagree. If there's malice involved, meaning a sapient mind is at work, that means we can actually eliminate a good number of possibilities. If we're dealing with something that's sapient, and thus self aware, then it stands to reason that it's not something naturally occurring. Thorough or not, we can at least conclude for ourselves that it wasn't a virus, or some other contagion that's responsible for what Rainbow Dash and Applejack went through, right?" she asked.

"Not at present," Ulquiorra responded, paying no attention as the lavender unicorn's frown deepening frown. "Simply because malice is present, that doesn't mean a contagion isn't in play. It may simply mean one was utilized, instead of being directly responsible."

"Ulquiorra," Celestia began softly as she spoke up, "I know that you're referring to something specific, but I'm having trouble following just what you're saying. Can you elaborate a little better?" she asked.

"In simpler terms, what I'm referring to would be considered biological warfare. Weaponizing illness for the purpose of inflicting harm on another party," Ulquiorra replied. It came as no surprise that they would have trouble following the concept. "When it was suggested that a biological agent was behind Rainbow Dash's affliction, it only partially dealt with the possibility of the biological agent being responsible. The other possibility was that whatever we're facing, may have found a way to engineer a virus in a manner that would allow for a subversive attack against those that hold the Elements of Harmony. An attack that, under normal circumstances, none of us would have reason to suspect."

"So yer thinkin' someone out there gave me an' RD somethin' like a cold ta make us see things that ain' real?" Applejack asked him.

"That... that..." Twilight began to say, but found it difficult to actually get the words out in response to Ulquiorra's theory. But undeterred, she pressed on to express what she was feeling right now. "That's the dumbest thing I've heard yet! Are you just pulling this stuff out of your ass or what!?"

Ulquiorra was... well he was momentarily caught off guard by Twilight Sparkle's sudden outburst. That wasn't the response he'd anticipated getting from her with regard to his theory. It went without saying that she disagreed with his position. But the question was why.

"Huh?" Spike asked, surprised by the sudden outburst.

"Do you have any idea just how impractical the use of a virus is? Do you!? It's not like Equestria is crawling with ten million different infectious diseases, just waiting to be picked through for sinister purposes. There are no filing cabinets filled with illnesses, you know! And ponies do have immune systems, you know? What good does a viral infection do over the long term? The pony body is constantly analyzing infection, and developing antibodies, and immunities to combat it, making it only a matter of time before the effectiveness is rendered moot. And once that's gone, the method of attack is destroyed too. That's even assuming they get sick to begin with. It's not like we're all just walking around, completely vulnerable to the germs floating about in the air. Just because we're exposed to something, that doesn't mean we're automatically going to get sick from it. I can't tell you the number of times I've been around other ponies that were sick, and I didn't catch what they had."

Ulquiorra listened, silent and unblinking, as Twilight Sparkle unleashed a verbal assault against him. The number of points being raised was significant. And the number of points being made that were correct was equally significant. Biological warfare was... tricky to engage in properly. And based upon what he'd seen of the medical technology this world had access to, engineering a run of the mill virus into a trojan horse seemed implausible at best. Even allowing for the catchall excuse of "magic" as a possibility to explain how something otherwise impossible could be made possible, it still seemed far fetched even to him.

"And then there's the intent of whoever is screwing with us to begin with! If whoever's responsible is simply intent on torturing us, rather than killing us, that idea becomes even dumber when you stop to take into consideration just how risky using a virus is! It would require a virus that doesn't have the ability to kill a pony from health complications, while at the same time being something we somehow don't have an immunity to. And if this enemy is going to go through all the trouble of orchestrating something like that, just to get to us, and mind fuck us for sick kicks, why not just go the obviously simpler route, and utilize a virus that's extremely fatal, and take us out right away? It doesn't make the least bit of sense! If whoever's behind this is going to go through all the trouble of something like what you're suggesting, why settle on toying with us like a cat with a mouse would? If this thing seriously has the ability to kill us without any of us noticing, then why doesn't it just do it already? To deliberately leave us alive is just seriously one of the stupidest strategies out there!"

Ulquiorra continued to maintain his silence as he listened. Observing the others in the room, both Spike and Applejack were looking on with their mouths hanging open in surprise. Although there had been disagreements in the past, they had possessed at least some measure of professionalism. But in this case, the response he was getting was far more brutal, and lacked decorum. It was almost like she'd interpreted his theory as a personal attack; almost like he'd gone out of his way to insult science itself.

Princess Celestia was the only other one who seemed unfazed by Twilight Sparkle laying out exactly why the presented theory was preposterous, and doing an excellent job of such in the process. Perhaps she had witnessed this before, and knew from experience that the only way to calm Twilight Sparkle down, was to allow her to exhaust herself through her own exertions.

The way she was carrying on, he'd fully expected to see her angrily jumping on all four of her hooves. She was just that livid in her expressiveness.

"And while we're on that topic, how come Applejack and Rainbow Dash don't have any symptoms that would be indicative of a viral infection? There's been no sign of fever, cough, sore throat, joint aches, vomiting, or anything else along those lines. How could it possibly be viral if there are no symptoms?" Twilight asked as she continued on her rant as to why Ulquiorra was wrong in his theory.

"Uh, Twilight? Ah was pukin' afterwards, remember?" Applejack pointed out.

"That's beside the point, Applejack," Twilight stated as she interrupted her position in order to turn her attention to her friend. "Your emetic episode was due to what you were put through. Anypony would've reacted in the same way, I'm sure of that. But that's not indicative of a virus. Not on its own anyway," she explained, before turning back to Ulquiorra, and preparing to tear into his theory once again.

"All excellent points, Twilight Sparkle."

Unfortunately she never got that opportunity, as he cut her off while she was in the process of taking a breath. That one single sentence had been enough to catch her off guard, and diffuse her entire explanation. That left her with little option but to blink in confusion.

"Say... what now?" she asked as she tilted her head to the side, unable to think of how else to respond.

"You raise a number of excellent points, as to why biological warfare would be an unlikely explanation to what has occurred. But unlikely doesn't mean impossible. And until we can actually verify that there's no evidence to support it, it continues to remain a possibility," Ulquiorra explained, making the mental note to take the time later on, and explain to Twilight Sparkle the concept of biological warfare from his dimension, in much greater depth of detail than he had time for now.

"Well if tha's the case then maybe ah shouldn' stay here tonight. Ah don' wanna be gettin' Twilight sick," Applejack stated.

"It doesn't work that way, Applejack," Spike spoke up and shook his head. "You going away wouldn't do any good. If it's something in the air, it's just a matter of time before all of Ponyville's been exposed. If it hasn't been already, and we're just finding out about it now."

"Spike's right," Twilight replied and nodded. She still found the idea of a virus to be ridiculous. But even if Ulquiorra was right, that was still no reason to just panic, and toss Applejack out on her flanks, as if the act could possibly prevent contamination and infection. Only an idiot would believe something like that. Not that Applejack was an idiot, that is. She was just confused, and scared, and in need of a little stability. "We already said you could stay over, we're not about to kick you out. Not tonight, and certainly not tomorrow," she stated as she approached, before pulling Applejack into yet another hug.

Celestia said nothing as she watched the interactions of the two. It was safe to say that with friends like Twilight and Spike around, Applejack was certainly in good hooves right now. But just as she thought that, another thought occurred to her. And hoping for clarification, she turned to Ulquiorra.

"Ulquiorra, there's something about this whole incident that just strikes me as... odd," she began, trying to figure out just how to phrase everything. "What Rainbow Dash and Applejack both went through something that was quite similar to one another. But I honestly can't help but notice some striking differences. And I don't know if it's significant or not."

"Such as?" Ulquiorra asked as he turned his attention to her and away from the others. This conversation had far greater potential for being interesting, than the physical contact shared by the others.

"Well for starters, Rainbow Dash insisted that she was physically restrained, and unable to do anything to resist what happened to her. But Applejack shared no such recollection of events. She wasn't physically bound in any manner. And even though it didn't pan out, she at least made every effort to try and resist what she was being put through. And then there's the matter of how they each responded to their encounters. Rainbow Dash's experiences left her broken, literally broken, unable to trust her friends, and unable to tell what's real, and what isn't. But with Applejack that's not the case. She wasn't as traumatized as Rainbow Dash was. Or at the very least she doesn't appear to be. Do you believe there's some significance to this inconsistency in their experiences?" Celestia asked, doing her best to lay out the mystery of it all.

Ulquiorra thought on the question for the moment, before deciding to speak up.

"It's impossible to say for certain why the two had different experiences, and different reactions to such. The rest of the night could be spent speculating a number of possibilities, including how this apparent inconsistency could've been deliberate, and indicative of not only malice, but also sadism," he explained.

If he had been feeling particularly talkative, he would've gone into detail on the matter, laying out the key differences between the two instances. Rainbow Dash had experienced the equivalent of three days, being bound and helpless to resist what the others had done to her. However Applejack hadn't been bound, and had been allowed to refuse compliance with the demands made of her, even refusing to end her own life in response. Even more interesting was how she only relented once her siblings had been introduced as a bargaining chip to force her compliance on the matter.

As to how they had each responded to their episodes, that could lead to even more speculation. He had no idea why Rainbow Dash had responded so much worse than Applejack. But then again he had seen Rainbow Dash earlier on compared to Applejack. For all he knew she had been hysterical as well, and had simply calmed down before his arrival. Or perhaps her mental strength was simply that much greater compared to Rainbow Dash.

"But I don't believe anything beneficial would be achieved through speculative theory right now. At this hour of night, mental clarity is diminished, especially in light of what's occurred. It would be far more productive to wait until morning to engage in such a discussion," he concluded.

He was aware that his decision to withhold elaboration could have unintended consequences, possibly depriving the others of sleep as their minds attempted to wrestle with the unknown. But he was equally aware that going into elaborate detail on speculation could have the same result. Either way there was no right answer under these circumstances.

Celestia was left with an unfulfilled sensation at Ulquiorra's words. After all her interactions with the Espada, she'd come to expect an extensive amount of speculative discussion, and thought provoking observations that could only be achieved from his unique perspective. And instead of that, he was basically telling her to wait until morning. Was he teasing her? Or did he actually have concern for the others? She couldn't tell one way or the other with him and his eternal poker face.

But he certainly had a good point in his position. Late night conversations about deep topics rarely panned out; especially if Luna was too busy to set up another dream meeting for all of them. Perhaps it really would be best to just wait until morning.

"I can see the logic in that," Twilight replied, before turning to Applejack. "Is that alright with you? If we wait?"

"Ah reckon ah'm gonna have enough nightmares tonight as is. Ah don't really need ta be turnin' in with anymore dark thoughts ta be contemplatin' right now," Applejack replied. As much as Ulquiorra had gotten her curiosity going, she knew that sometimes it was just better to wait. Not everything had to happen at once. And it was unlikely that Rainbow Dash would be getting anymore help tonight, than she was this afternoon, regardless of what they uncovered here.

"Then it would seem business is concluded for this evening," Ulquiorra replied.

"Not just yet," Twilight quickly spoke up. She didn't want him disappearing just like that. Not yet anyway. "Before you go... wherever it is you're going, Ulquiorra, I've still got a few questions I'd like to ask. Like how come we never saw you during the last few days when you were in Ponyville?"

"Performing my standard duties of ensuring no threats are present. A duty that can't be performed at the library at all times," Ulquiorra replied. As fascinating as the Golden Oaks Library had the potential to be, and as much information as the shelves contained, there were simply things that had to be done outside.

...

Why did that thought sound so much like an anti-obesity advertisement?

Never mind. It wasn't important right now.

"Based on your question, I can only assume you haven't had any recent contact with the others who bear the Elements of Harmony. Otherwise you would have been aware of my presence. Fluttershy could have told you two days ago that I was present," he explained.

"Fluttershy?" Spike asked.

"Correct," Ulquiorra replied as he turned to him. "She lives closest to the Everfree Forest, second only to Applejack. She has claimed that she would instruct her animals to be on alert for anything out of the ordinary. Despite my initial doubts about the validity of her claim, I still stopped by to see if any information had been gathered. But so far there has been nothing useful to report."

Twilight frowned, realizing that this lack of information was her own fault. In all her efforts to maintain secrecy over the Elements of Harmony, she'd wound up stifling the inflow of relevant information right alongside the outflow. That certainly wasn't good, as she had no idea what else she'd wound up missing out on the past few days.

Instead of having that long conversation with Ulquiorra later, perhaps she should have a long conversation with herself instead. Maybe reference a few old friendship reports to help remind her about not losing sight of what was important. If she was letting her fears keep her from interacting with her friends -and subsequently missing out on what could potentially be vital information- then perhaps a refresher course really was necessary.

"If there's no new business to discuss this evening, I plan to investigate Sweet Apple Acres itself. This time we know the location of the incident, and any potential evidence there is to be found," Ulquiorra stated. He would be far more use out and about, rather than standing around here.

"I've still got that UV lantern in the basement if you'd like to take it along. It's starting to get dark out," Twilight pointed out.

"That won't be necessary. One of the benefits of being a Hollow, is having a greatly enhanced degree of night vision. Whether in brightest day, or blackest night, it makes little difference," Ulquiorra explained. The lantern had chiefly been for the purpose of debunking Rainbow Dash's claims, by easing the search for forensic evidence. But it would be of little use as he searched Sweet Apple Acres, as Applejack was making no accusations of wrongdoing about anyone but herself. There would be no traces of blood, no particulates of bodily tissue, and no signs of lava anywhere to be found.

But perhaps, just perhaps, he would be able to pick up traces of a foreign reiatsu, that had absolutely no business being there, and it would lead him to something substantial if he just followed the trail.

It was unlikely at best. But at the moment, it was all he had to go on.

"Before you go, Ulquiorra, there's just one more thing I'd like to bring up," Twilight spoke up. And once she saw that she had his attention, she continued. "I've been thinking about everything, and I've come to a conclusion. When we tried to get in touch with you, we had to send a letter to Celestia, and wait for her to bring you up to speed about what the note said. But if you're going to be in Ponyville, that won't exactly work out. We can't just have Celestia running off to us anytime something happens, there's just no time for it," she explained.

"So wha' ya got in mind fer that, Twilight?" Applejack asked. She knew what Twilight was saying about the rigamarole of having to track down Ulquiorra, but had no idea what she was proposing as a solution.

"Well originally the spell on Spike's fire was limited to Celestia herself. Then when we befriended Luna, we split the spell to deliver letters to her as well. And then we split it again when Shining Armor and Cadance took over guiding the Crystal Kingdom full time. By default everything goes to Celestia, unless Spike consciously redirects it to another recipient. So the idea I have, is that we split the spell again, and include Ulquiorra in the lineup," Twilight explained to Applejack, before turning back to face Ulquiorra where he stood. "The spell would only be one way, seeing as you don't have magic for sending any correspondence. But if we needed to get in touch with you immediately, we'd have the option available to us," she pointed out.

He could see the validity of Twilight Sparkle's point. The only reason he had known to show up tonight was due to the fact he'd detected Princess Celestia's immense reiatsu entering the area. And he knew that such a development wouldn't occur for a purely social visit. So he'd more or less hotfooted it over here to see what had been occurring. But if it wasn't for those above facts, he would still be involved in a lengthy discussion with the ponies Bon Bon and Lyra Heartstrings, whose ankle was still in the process of properly healing from being sprained.

"A wise thought," he replied. If something bad were to happen, something that his pesquisa couldn't immediately detect, advanced warning would be a necessity.

Spike tried not to groan in response. He could see what they were saying and all. But still, they weren't the ones who actually had to send and receive messages via the fire messenger system. They weren't the ones who had to put up with the indigestion that went along with a high volume of enchanted flames. And they weren't the ones that had to experience the pain that was involved the destination division process, that only Celestia could effectively carry out.

But he understood that there weren't any other alternatives. And it was their lives they were sort of talking about. So in the end a little indigestion and temporary pain were minor inconveniences if it meant contributing to the overall safety of Equestria.

Regardless of that fact, however, this was still going to suck.

Author's Note

And now it's time for a deleted scene. This was an issue that's been coming up for a while now, and I really wanted to address it in the story. But after a great deal of thought, it just seemed to distract too much from the overall flow of the story. But rather than discard it entirely, I've moved the explanation to here for bonus reading purposes.

Deleted/extended scene

"Uh, Twilight? Ah was pukin' afterwards, remember?" Applejack pointed out.

"All excellent points, Twilight Sparkle."

"Say... what now?" she asked as she tilted her head to the side, unable to think of how else to respond.

"Well if tha's the case then maybe ah shouldn' stay here tonight. Ah don' wanna be gettin' Twilight sick," Applejack stated.

"And now another mystery in need of being addressed," Ulquiorra spoke up from where he stood.

Spike groaned, and he groaned loud. Those were the exact words Ulquiorra had said over at the Carousel Boutique, when they were trying to deal with Rainbow Dash. And every single time Ulquiorra spoke up about there being another mystery, something was almost always going bad. He was almost terrified to find out just what this mystery was.

"And just what might that be?" Celestia asked from where she stood, wanting to know what had piqued the Espada's curiosity.

"Back in the dimension I came from, ponies, and other species of the equine genus, are incapable of vomiting. The build of their physical structure renders this act an almost impossibility. Yet the same doesn't seem to apply here in this dimension. And as many times as it's been encountered so far, I believe it's an inconsistency that warrants addressing," Ulquiorra explained.

The other four looked at each other, confused by Ulquiorra's words. That was the mystery he'd mentioned? The one that had gotten them all excited, and left them feeling a sense of anxiousness over what might've been said next? And this was what he'd gone with?

"That's it?" Twilight asked, not entirely believing it herself. "I'll admit, that's certainly a very interesting physical difference. But when you said something about a mystery, I thought it had to deal with this whole strange concept of viral warfare, not... emetic vulnerability," she admitted.

Spike said nothing. Having sat through this sort of performance once before, he was the least affected by the seeming randomness of it all. Granted he'd still been taken by surprise, but not as much as the others. After having witnessed for himself how Ulquiorra had distracted Rainbow Dash with the discussion of lanterns, it was a little hard to truly be surprised by this line of questioning.

"So you're saying that, back in the dimension where you come from, ponies can't... be sick?" Twilight asked him curiously.

"Under normal circumstances, no. The only exceptions are when a life-threatening condition has developed," Ulquiorra replied, simplifying the explanation. If he went into full detail, they'd never get anywhere. And truthfully, he didn't have all the details himself.

"Well as I said, that's certainly a very interesting physical difference," Twilight replied, growing more interested in the topic. "I remember when you talked about some of the differences between our two worlds, like there being no magic, and the ponies in the human world not possessing sapience. That in itself could fill days worth of discussion, if not months," she admitted.

The idea of there being a world with ponies that were neither the dominant species, nor even in possession of true sapience, was a disturbing -and simultaneously amazing- thought to give consideration to. It was everything that they weren't. She... she really wasn't sure how much thought she wanted to give to that idea. The thought of being one of those types of ponies, instead of what she was, was uncomfortable right now. She couldn't really imagine being herself, yet without her magic, and the ability to reason. Worse yet, not even being able to read. That in itself was horrifying.

"Back to the original question. Why... why the difference in the digestive system setup," she continued, deciding to opt for less graphic details for description. "I don't have any theories that would explain it, other than different evolutionary courses on which we were each sent, determined by environmental conditions of our respective worlds and dimensions. I mean, just because we look like the ponies in the human world, that doesn't necessarily mean we're genetically similar. After all, you once explained that the ponies in the human world don't have vibrant coat colors like our own. It only makes sense that there would be significant differences between us. But speaking purely from my own personal outlook, it sounds pretty terrible really. Granted, taken at face value, some ponies could see this as a bonus. But when you stop, and actually consider all of the little details that are involved with such, it's actually a horrible evolutionary trait to have," she stated.

"Now how do ya see tha', Twi'?" Applejack asked, confused by what she was saying.

"Well just think about it for a minute, Applejack. If somepony unknowingly eats something that's bad for them, say, a badly expired piece of produce, not being able to... get rid of it, could have serious health complications. I mean, being able to go on a roller coaster ride at the amusement parks in larger cities, and not throwing up on the other riders, that would be a benefit. But not if dying from consuming something caustic is the price paid for such," Twilight explained.

"A'right, ya make a perdy good point. Even though it might be perdy useful whenever tha' danged stomach flu is makin' its rounds," Applejack replied.

From where he stood, Spike frowned. This was, hands -and hooves- down, the grossest discussion he'd ever been present for.

Chapter Sixty Five

Chapter Sixty Five

"Ulquiorra? Do you have a moment before you leave?"

With the spell effectively split to include himself -a fact that had been proven by a test scroll being incinerated by Spike's flame breath, only to instantly rematerialize right in front of him- they had all concluded that the best course of action available was to call it a night, go their separate ways, and reunite in the morning for the discussion of various theories related to everything that had happened today.

After exiting the library he had prepared to travel to Sweet Apple Acres, and spend the better part of the night in the orchards, looking for whatever clues could be found. But he had been stopped upon Princess Celestia speaking up, and asking him for his time. Slowly, he turned to face her where she stood, waiting to see what she had to say to him.

"I can't help but be curious about cutting the discussion short tonight. Normally you have no problem going into detail about various matters, even if they're truly disturbing in nature. But this just seems... out of character, and it caught me off guard," she explained. "I don't mean to pry, as I'm sure you have good reason for such. But... was it really because Twilight and the others were getting tired, and wouldn't be able to properly understand what they would be told? Or... was it because the subject matter is more disturbing than usual?" she asked.

After giving a monetary pause, Ulquiorra responded.

"To an extent it's both. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Spike, were all beginning to show the preliminary signs of fatigue, indicating the onset of exhaustion; both of the physical, and the mental variety. Regardless of how well I could explain the situation, it would do little good if they're fully unable to properly comprehend what they have to hear. And what they have to hear has the potential to be significant," he explained.

"If you don't mind the inquiry, I'd like to know what that matter might actually be," Celestia stated. She knew she could compel him to explain himself. But she wasn't entirely certain that was the best course of action to take; at least not at this point in time.

But Ulquiorra was so far saying nothing. He was just glancing from side to side, before looking up toward the sky. At first she didn't get what he meant, until she stopped and thought about it, and then it dawned her. With a nod of understanding, she extended her wings outward and gave a strong downward flap, lifting herself up off the ground as she ascended up into the air, until she was high above Ponyville.

Ulquiorra's ascension was far simpler than her own, making him look as if he'd simply taken an elevator, as he merely stood in place with his hands tucked into his pockets, as he came up to eye level with her.

"I trust this is far enough to avoid any prying ears?" she asked him.

"Far enough that even I wouldn't be able to hear the conversation from ground level," Ulquiorra replied. He knew that this exchange could've easily been done through the mind, just as it had been done once before. But it was a technique he didn't particularly care for. "When I reported that Fluttershy's animals had no useful information, it was accurate. But that didn't mean there was no information whatsoever to be shared. According to Fluttershy, her animal charges are reporting a greater deal of agitation than usual, even after factoring in, and allowing for, the warmer weather of the summer season. According to Fluttershy, they're aware that something isn't right, but they're unable to articulate just what that something is. On top of this, there is a growing sense of fear regarding the close proximity of the Everfree Forest. Her charges are reluctant to set foot anywhere near it, with some even expressing a desire to move closer to Ponyville, for a greater measure of distance being afforded to them."

To him it was a most unusual meeting that had been experienced. Despite lacking even a basic level of sapience, the animals in Fluttershy's care had managed to convey to her a sense of fear and agitation, and it had absolutely nothing to do with his presence. Perhaps the most striking aspect of it all, was how a number of her furry charges had failed to flee from his presence when he'd arrived. It was almost like they'd become aware of something significantly more terrifying than himself.

But that left him with a question he had no answer for. Just what was scaring the animals worse than even himself, that they were aware of, yet he himself couldn't detect? Who or what exactly was out there right now? And precisely where was it?

That was another reason he didn't want to have this conversation on the ground level; it was far too easy to be observed from down there, and potentially sensitive information being leaked to the wrong parties. But a mile above the ground was significantly harder to eavesdrop on.

"I'll admit, that does have a somewhat disturbing element about it. But was it truly disturbing enough, to the point that the information had to be kept from Twilight and her friends for the night?" Celestia asked as she gently beat her wings to maintain her current altitude.

"I can't say for certain, but I believed it best to err on the side of caution for the time being. If they were to engage in random, unguided speculation fueled by fear, fatigue, and caffeine, they could eventually reach the conclusion that there's something far worse in this world than myself. And if they arrive at that conclusion, there's no telling what the end results would be," Ulquiorra explained. He could've elaborated further on how there wasn't sufficient time to spend the night serving as a babysitter to two hysterical ponies, and one hysterical dragon, who had concluded that he was no longer the top predator in their world. But ultimately he decided against such, as, if it should become necessary to do just that, then he would do it.

But he would prefer not going down that particular path if it could be avoided. Not yet anyway.

"Point taken," Celestia acknowledged. The depths of Ulquiorra's true nature were terrifying for her to experience the first time around. And the idea of there being something even worse than him in this world to consider, was definitely not a thought she wanted to consider. She really didn't want to think about what could be worse than him, after seeing what she had about him. That was all too disturbing to even think about. "What about the sadism angle you mentioned earlier? What was that about?" she asked, hoping to change the subject to something slightly less disturbing.

"Little more than pure speculation regarding what Applejack went through, compared to what Rainbow Dash reported experiencing. But going by what they both experienced would certainly suggest a sadistic mindset is in play. It might even suggest that these attacks were deliberately planned out, to the point of being specifically tailored towards each of their personalities, in an effort to generate the most pain and suffering from each of them," Ulquiorra replied. He already knew that there were going to be questions as to what he meant in his explanation, so he chose to cut her off at the pass.

"Rainbow Dash sees herself as a strong, independent, capable mare who can handle her own problems without the help of others, while simultaneously being loyal to those she associates with, even if their own loyalty is questionable. Her attack consisted of being bound and rendered completely helpless, while those she considered her friends maintained total situational control, deliberately chose to victimize, and brutalize her, greatly compromising her sense of loyalty in the process, and leaving her unable to trust the others. In Applejack's case, she sees herself as a dependable pony that others can count on when in need, and who maintains a great deal of personal integrity about what she believes. She was -presumably- left free to move about, able to object to what she was put through, and only relenting once she was forced to do so under significant duress. She was lead to believe that the choices made were her own, rather than a symptom of her mind being manipulated like it was a marionette. And by her own admission, her own view of herself has now been compromised, leaving her uncertain if she's truly as dependable as she first thought."

He paused in his detailed explanation of everything in order to better observe Princess Celestia's reaction. At the moment she appeared to simply be paying attention, and contemplating what he'd been saying. There was no sense overloading her mind with endless amounts of details in a short amount of time, as he may end up needing her assistance in the near future.

"There are a number of possible theories and options available to us. But at the moment, I believe it's fairly safe to conclude that this wasn't the act of some random stranger, but rather someone with an intimate working knowledge of their personalities. Someone who possesses a familiarity with the character attributes that makes them who they are. Someone who could exploit this knowledge in an effort to inflict the most harm possible, by directly targeting their weaknesses," he continued.

"My word!" Celestia gasped and brought her hoof up to her mouth in shock. These were details she hadn't considered before. And a part of her was really wishing that it had stayed that way. She was really starting to wish that she'd just let him go onto Sweet Apple Acres, rather than stopping him for questioning. "Who... who could be responsible for such?" she asked, morbid curiosity reaching the point where she really didn't think she could stop even if she wanted to.

"At present time I don't know the answer. whoever it is, we know that it has to be someone of considerable strength and talent, to be able to attack them directly, while still eluding my detection. And we can safely conclude the one responsible is an enemy to Equestria; that much goes without saying. But that leaves us with the question of whom is the one responsible, as it would have to be someone that's cropped up as recently as three years ago, when they became the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. And the number of significant villains available to us to choose from is incredibly limited. Nightmare Moon, dead. Chrysalis, dead. Sombra, dead. Leaving us with-"

"Discord..." Celestia replied in a hushed tone, sounding as if she'd been out of breath when she spoke. "You... you believe that Discord is responsible for all of this?" she asked him.

Much to Ulquiorra's surprise, there was a very intense... desire... within him to answer the question in the affirmative. There was a part of him that wanted to say yes, that he suspected Discord of being responsible for everything that had happened up to this point. A strong and unexplainable desire to lay blame squarely at the mismatched feet of the draconequus. In all of his research, Discord was the only being that possessed the means, motive, opportunity, and capability to launch such an attack. It wouldn't even be a stretch to imagine such, seeing as he'd already altered their minds once before, when he forced their negative personality traits to the surface the first time around.

There was only one shortcoming with that theory. And that was his own presence here. If Discord was truly behind these attacks, then why had he brought him here in the first place? What was the endgame goal of it all? Had Discord brought him to this world, simply so he could go up against an intellectual to make things more interesting to him? Was he here so he could play the Sherlock Holmes to Discord's Moriarty? Did even Discord know what he himself was doing at this point?

And if it was Discord, what did he have to do with what Fluttershy's animals were sensing from the Everfree Forest? What was the connection between the two?

The uncertainty of these, and many other questions, was enough to give even him a headache. And it was beginning to throb underneath the remains of his Hollow mask.

"As I said, it is mere speculation. The evidence would certainly suggest his involvement, and give reason for his unexplained absence. But it's purely circumstantial in nature, and inconclusive. We have a theory, and we have facts. But unless we proceed with caution, we may wind up twisting what few facts we have, in order to suit our theory, rather than adjusting our theory to suit the facts that we have. If we allow ourselves to become impatient, we'll end up looking for a scapegoat to assign the blame, and allow ourselves to become distracted. At the moment all we can do is exercise situational awareness of our surroundings, and continue to handle matters as best we can, if we're to have any hope of helping the others," he explained. For the time being he wouldn't pursue the matter of Discord being the one responsible for everything that had happened up to this point.

Not unless he could actually find evidence that was more concrete, and more properly able to tie him to what had been going on.

"I should've just kept my questions to myself," Celestia mumbled as she pinched the bridge of her muzzle with her front hooves. She could understand just why Ulquiorra didn't elaborate on this matter inside the library. "So come tomorrow, just what exactly do we tell them?" she asked as she looked back up at him. Surely he wouldn't be unloading all of this on them... would he?

"What we tell them tomorrow, will be contingent upon what questions they choose to ask, and whatever I might find at Sweet Apple Acres tonight," Ulquiorra explained. He understood the need to safeguard certain sensitive information from general dissemination. But at the same time, he wasn't entirely willing to leave the others in the dark. The only reason he'd done so at the moment, was due to recognizing the potential for misinterpretation.

"And what is it you hope to uncover in your investigation?" Celestia asked.

"Maintaining the optimistic belief that things will work out in a positive manner, is not something that I engage in. I do not waste time hoping for the desired outcome to occur," Ulquiorra explained. And then a pause. "But if I were to engage in such a practice, then I would hope to uncover something that would point to a party other than Discord being involved. Some trace of foreign reiatsu amongst the apple trees, that could potentially help us identify who we're facing. Some shred of evidence that would help lead us to who is responsible, and where they can be found," he admitted. Simply because he chose not to actively engage in a useless exercise, didn't mean he couldn't theorize about what might happen if he ever were to engage in such, unlikely as it might be.

"Are there any other matters to cover? Or has this discussion concluded for the evening?" he asked pointedly. The longer they remained here, with her questioning him, and him making her squirm in response with disturbing answers and theories, the less chance they had of uncovering anything on this night. If there were any clues to be discovered, it was entirely possible that a trail also existed. Where that potential trail would take him, he didn't yet know. But he would find the answer to that question, when he found the evidence to support its existence.

"No, no. I think that I've heard more than enough for one evening. Had I known just where this conversation would lead, I never would've asked," Celestia shook her head and groaned. She really should've just let Ulquiorra proceed as he'd intended, rather than prying on this matter. "You've given me far more to think about than I ever wanted to; including the possibility that none of this would've occurred, if I'd just left Discord imprisoned in stone, rather than believing he could be reformed," she stated.

"I merely answered the questions that were presented to me, nothing more," Ulquiorra replied, unfazed by the possibility that he was being blamed for anything. If Princess Celestia didn't wish to know such details, then she shouldn't have asked for them in the first place. It was entirely her own fault in this case. "Regardless of who is to blame, it changes nothing. We all have our parts to play in this game, if that's what this is. And if this is truly a game of Discord's that's currently afoot, then he has erred grievously when he assigned you your playing pieces."

With nothing left to say, and no real urge to elaborate further on what was said, Ulquiorra took his leave in a flash of sonido, rather than waiting to be dismissed. He'd already wasted two minutes with pointless conversation. He really didn't feel like spending anymore time talking, when there were potentially clues to uncover at Sweet Apple Acres.

Celestia blinked in confusion at Ulquiorra's sudden abruptness of departure. She had... almost expected the Espada to berate her over the possibility that it was she who had set everything into motion, by extending some measure of trust to Discord in believing that he could be reformed from his wicked, utterly chaotic ways. But he hadn't done such. He had ignored the opportunity outright, and simply chosen to depart of his own volition.

There were a lot of uncertainties buzzing about her mind right now as well. This wasn't exactly the first time Ulquiorra had mentioned the concept of this being some sort of game. But she still didn't know what the full extent of it meant. If this really was a game of Discord's, then why had he gone and introduced Ulquiorra into the equation? It's true that the Espada left much to be desired in character traits. But his analytical skills were sharp like a scalpel. And since Discord brought Ulquiorra into everything, he would be putting himself at risk of exposure if he was truly behind this whole mess.

She didn't know what to think right now. This whole thing, in a way, absolutely reeked of Discord. And yet, at the exact same time, it didn't seem at all like him. Right now all she knew for certain was that she wanted to rip her mane out by its roots in frustration. She desperately wanted to find Discord, and demand that he start to answer up. But she knew that, even if Discord did heed her summoning spell voluntarily -and so far he hadn't, despite her best efforts- there was no way of ensuring that what he said would be the actual truth. This left her in the unfortunate position of being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

All she could do right now was wait. Wait and hope that some development was soon to occur, that would make sense of it all.

The library was, momentarily, silent after the departure of both Celestia and Ulquiorra. None of the three really knew just what to say after everything that had happened. There was a lot of information to try and process, and no real way for just how to go about actually doing that.

"Well, so much fer gettin' any sleep tonight," Applejack commented as she finally spoke up. As if she didn't have enough disturbing thoughts in her head already.

"Speak for yourself. I'm gonna go lay down," Spike grumbled as he slowly made his way to the stairs. Unlike the others, he had been the one who had to undergo the process of having his fire adjusted to include a new member of an ever-growing correspondence network. He'd been the one who had to have Ulquiorra's specific signature tied to him, so he could get word to the Espada in case of an emergency. He was the one that had to deal with the feeling of a bruised esophagus right now.

Sleep might elude the others. But it certainly wasn't going to elude him if he had anything to say about it. He was going to crash in his basket, and absolutely nopony was going to stand in his way for anything. They didn't have to deal with everything involved with being a combination mailbox and rolodex.

"Worst Saturday yet..."

Applejack watched in silence as Spike ascended the stairs, unsure of just what to say. But him deciding to turn in right now really wasn't sitting well with her. If both he and Twilight were around and active, it would be easier for her to be the same. But now that it was down to just her and Twilight, it was only a matter of time before said unicorn decided to turn in as well. She had to try and head that off before it could come to pass.

"So wha' do we do now, Twilight?" she asked, hoping that there would be something complicated in mind.

"Well for starters, I'm going downstairs to bring the guest bed up. You might not feel like sleeping right now, Applejack, but when you do, I don't think the couch or a sleeping bag will be all that appropriate," Twilight explained as she turned towards the part of the library that held the basement door, and turned her attention on the spell that kept it out of view.

"Ah'll help," Applejack announced, not even waiting for the question to be presented.

"It's alright, Applejack, I've got this," Twilight replied as she disabled the spell that kept the door hidden. "But I appreciate the offer regardless."

"A'right, ah guess," Applejack replied, disappointed at the turn down of the offer to make herself useful. "So wha' happens afterwards?"

"Well I really didn't have any plans for tonight. I was just reading some research notes before you showed up," Twilight replied as she paused before entering the basement. Something... something seemed off. She didn't have a clue just what it was, but the feeling was there all of the sudden; like a sudden but subtle change in air temperature. "Was there something you felt like doing?" she asked as she turned to face her.

"Well ah was jus' thinkin', maybe go fer a cup o' coffee, er maybe some stargazin' an' ya could point out the diff'rent constellations. Or wha' abou' some reading? Ya know RD was always goin' on abou' that "Darin' Do" series bein' so great, an' ah jus' thought now'd be a good time ta see fer mahself," Applejack suggested.

Twilight's mind was abuzz with thoughts right now. Coffee? Stargazing? Reading? This was all very unusual right now. All the more confirmation that something new was wrong. Maybe it was time to go with a direct confrontation.

"Applejack, tell me what's wrong," she said as she stepped closer. "And I don't mean in general, we already know that. What's wrong right now, specifically?"

"Er..." Applejack paused, "if ah tell ya, do ya promise ya won' be beratin' me er nothin'?" she asked uneasily.

"Berate you? Applejack, I'd never do that to you. Whatever gave you such an idea?" Twilight asked, caught off guard that she'd be presented with such a question.

"... Because it's what ah've been doin' ta mahself..." Applejack reluctantly admitted and hung her head. "Ah know that none o' wha' happened really happened. Ah know it was jus' a hallucination an' nopony was in any danger. But tha' don' change the fact that ah was the one experiencin' it, an' it was real ta me!"

Twilight remained silent as Applejack explained things, letting her speak uninterrupted. Trying to interject her opinion right now really wasn't called for, and even she recognized it as being such.

"Ah'm scared, Twi', really scared. Ah'm scared that if ah lay down an' close mah eyes, ah'm gonna have ta see it all over again. Ah'm scared 'cause ah know ah'm gonna dream about it, an' ah don' want that. If ah couldn' tell it wasn' real when ah was wide awake, there ain' no way o' knowin' when ah'm asleep," she admitted.

Twilight didn't know how to immediately respond to what Applejack had to say. She understood exactly what she was saying, and such a response was very common from one who had undergone a particularly traumatizing event; she'd read about that in the wake of Rainbow Dash's own experiences. But that didn't mean she knew what the proper response was.

But that didn't mean she couldn't improvise her response, and hope for the best.

"Like I said, Applejack, I'd never berate you. Especially not when it concerns something like this," she said as she approached and threw a foreleg round the back of her neck. The gesture was soon returned. "I guess we don't really have to turn in yet. We'll stay up for another hour or so. Then let me take care of going to bed, alright?" she asked.

"A'right, Twi', ah trust ya," Applejack agreed and nodded, rubbing her chin against Twilight's back in the process.

"Good. Now if you really do want to get started on the "Daring Do" series, I know just the place to start..."

Twilight had been mildly surprised. When Applejack had expressed a desire to get into more extensive reading, she had been certain it was an excuse to stay awake longer, in an effort to ward off the nightmares she feared would be coming once she turned in for the night.

But so far, for the last hour or so, it had been anything but.

They had settled down together, side by side on her favorite reading pillow, an old kerosene lantern serving as illumination while the main lights in the library were off, a mildly worn copy of "Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone" propped up in front of them as they read it together.

Or rather as Applejack read it, while Twilight just skimmed the pages while keeping the earth pony company. This was a book she'd read herself before, with the exploits of the pegasus archeologist still fresh enough in her memory, that she didn't feel the need for a refresh reading. Instead, her attention had been on Applejack as she read.

There were times Twilight found herself feeling like she was scientifically examining Applejack, as she watched her reading with actual intent. Occasionally she'd observe the twitch as Applejack would actually move her lips while she read along, as if she was trying to sound out a particular word. It was all kind of cute to watch.

"Hey Twi'?"

"Yes?" Twilight asked, broken out of her silent trance by Applejack's voice. Had she wound up forgetting to turn the page again?

"Archeology's supposed ta be the study o' lost civilizations an' whatnot, right?" Applejack asked.

"More or less," Twilight replied, even though that was a very simplistic explanation of what the field of archeology actually entailed. But she knew better than to launch into the true in-depth details at the moment.

"So if the civilizations are lost, how'd Darin' Do know abou' the sapphire statue in the first place?" Applejack asked.

Twilight paused in thought. It was certainly a fair question to ask.

"Well just because a civilization is lost or gone, doesn't mean the knowledge held by other civilizations meets the same fate. There's almost always some record to be found if one just knows where to look," she explained, doing her best to both keep it simple, and simultaneously informative.

And apparently it worked. Applejack didn't ask any further questions on the matter, and instead just gave a nod, and turned her attention back to the book to continue her reading. And with that resolved, Twilight returned her attention to where she'd left off, reading next to Applejack.

"Hey Twi'?"

At least until Applejack spoke up again.

"Yes?" she asked again.

"Archeologists are like scientists, right? They go on these digs an' stuff for the furtherin' o' science an' knowledge an' whatnot, right?" Applejack asked.

"Basically yes. It's a very involved field of science, and historical research, and it sheds a great deal of light on how ponies used to live," Twilight explained.

"Well wha' Darin' Do is doin', isn' it more like treasure huntin'? Or... even grave robbin'?" Applejack asked.

Once again, Twilight paused. But this time it was a pause due to discomfort rather than thought, not expecting Applejack to ask just such a question. But the very fact that she had asked such a question, had just gone to reinforce her belief that Applejack was far more intelligent than she let on.

It was quite true that, compared to the traditional field of archeology, the exploits of Daring Do were a highly romanticized interpretation of the concept, and dealt more with gathering treasure, escaping numerous death traps in creative ways, eluding villains, and riding off into the sunset with the riches in tow, rather than the extensive investigative work that went into researching a long forgotten tribe of ponies or some other species. From a scientific perspective, there was far more that could be discovered in a garbage dump, than in a deserted temple that housed numerous priceless artifacts.

"It... could be interpreted that way, I guess," she hesitantly replied.

"Oh..." Applejack replied and paused. It turned into a long, awkward pause. "If it's a'right with ya, Twilight, ah don' think ah wanna do anymore readin' 'bout where the hero is somepony goin' 'round, stealin' from the dead..."

"It's okay, Applejack," Twilight replied and closed the book, before gently levitating it back over to its resting place on the shelf. She certainly didn't want to make her friend anymore uncomfortable than she already was. "It's not a series meant for everyone."

Applejack simply nodded in response. Twilight tried not to frown, while trying to think of what she could say next. But try as she might, nothing was coming to mind. She considered suggesting something else that they could read, like the latest acquisition of a series of three novels written up by a well-respected philologist, who had been born close to Zecora's own homeland. She had spent many a sleepless night pouring over those works with much excitement.

But that idea was squashed when she paid better attention to Applejack's current posture. She could see that she was doing her best to not look tired, while at the same time failing miserably at doing just that. The farmer was currently engaged in a battle of wills with her own eyelids, as she struggled to keep them open, and failing miserably at it. Twilight just couldn't bring herself to suggest heavy reading at a time like this.

"Maybe we should turn in now," she suggested, while mentally bracing herself for whatever resistance Applejack might offer up.

"Do we have to?" Applejack asked, visibly not liking the idea.

Twilight was underwhelmed by the question. She'd been expecting a lot more opposition to the idea of going to sleep. But she only faltered for a moment, before readjusting her plans.

"No, I guess we don't really have to," she replied and shook her head. "If you don't want to go to bed, Applejack, that's alright. If you want, I'll stay up to help you stay awake. I'll put on a pot of Spike's special brew of coffee, recommend a regimen of cold showers, and walks around Ponyville to get the adrenaline flowing. But eventually you're going to need to sleep. And regardless of when that happens, there's always the potential for nightmares to come. I'm sorry, Applejack, but it's just one of those things that has to be done," she explained calmly.

"Really? Ya'd actually set up wit' me all night if ah asked ya to?" Applejack asked. She'd rather focus on that, more than the fact that she'd eventually have to turn in, and face whatever was coming for her.

"If that's what it takes," Twilight replied and nodded. "Is that what you want?" she asked.

Applejack thought about the offer for a minute, before simply shaking her head.

"Ah appreciate the offer more than ah can tell ya righ' now, Twi', but ah jus' can' accept. Ah can't ask ya ta stay up all night, jus' cuz ah'm scared ta sleep," Applejack replied. She really, really did want to accept Twilight's offer right now. But even she could realize that it was a losing battle to try and ward off sleep. Knowing herself as well as she did, in her current condition, she'd only be able to muster a few hours of consciousness, before eventually succumbing. And even though she desperately wanted those few extra hours consciousness, there was only so much that could actually be done.

She really didn't want to think about maybe falling asleep outside, in the dark as they walked along, and possibly leaving Twilight to drag her back to the relative safety of the library. Or even worse, the both of them dropping at the same time, and leaving them separated from Spike.

"Ah'm a might bit curious about wha' ya got in mind ta help me sleep though," she reluctantly admitted.

"Well then just follow me," was all Twilight said in response as she levitated the lantern off the floor, stood up from the pillow, and moved towards the stairs.

With the lantern perched on the nightstand, and Spike's uninterrupted snoring in the background, Applejack watched as Twilight was -literally- working her magic on her bed, and slowly but surely making it grow in width. Not only the bed, but also the covers themselves, being stretched wider and wider, until it was easily double its original size.

It was interesting to watch and all, but Applejack was still lost as to what Twilight was up to. How was this supposed to help her?

"There. That should do it," Twilight stated with a satisfied sigh, as she levitated another pillow over from the bedroom closet, and deposited it onto the bed right next to the other one.

"That should do wha'?" Applejack asked. What was she not getting about all of this? What was Twilight planning?

"Several months ago, I had a conversation with Fluttershy about the subject of proper pet care, and one of the points that came up dealt with care for canines. When somepony gets a puppy, especially a very young puppy, it's recommended that they put the puppy in a box with a blanket, and an alarm clock, to help them adjust. The blanket provides warmth, comfort and simulates the litter environment, while the tick of the alarm clock simulates the mother's heartbeat, and gives them a sense of security," Twilight explained, pausing to pull the covers on the bed back. "So I don't see why the same can't be done here."

"Uh... come again?" Applejack asked, more confused than before.

"Alright. Let me put it this way. With what you went through, Applejack, I don't think you should spend the night by yourself. Waking up alone in the middle of the night, doesn't strike me as being very conductive of making a proper recovery. So we're not going to do that tonight. Instead of that, tonight you're going to be sharing my bed, to see if the close proximity of another warm body, combined with the rhythmic beat of a heart, can ease whatever you're going through," Twilight elaborated as simply as she could.

"An' ya think that'll work?" Applejack asked. From what she was hearing, the idea sounded a lot like the number of times Apple Bloom had come to her in the middle of the night, haunted by a nightmare, and afraid to go back to sleep in her own bed. And if she was being honest with herself, it sounded a lot like what she'd done when she was around Apple Bloom's age, and snuck into Big Macintosh's room for the same purposes. But could something so simple really work with something like this?

"I'm optimistically hopeful that it will. And I really don't have any other ideas right now, so this is all I've got," Twilight replied and shrugged. She had absolutely no idea if this was going to do any good or not. But at this point she was willing to try just about anything."Do you want to do this?" she asked.

"Well... ya already went through the trouble o' makin' the bed bigger an' everythin'. It'd be rude not ta try," Applejack replied. She was pretty much willing to try anything right now.

Twilight nodded and climbed up into the bed first, nestling down comfortably on what was unofficially her half for the evening. Applejack climbed up next, and settled in and best she could.

It was just a matter of pure coincidence, that a matter of long established habit, developed muscle memory when getting ready for bed, and simply not giving anything so much as a second thought, had dictated where she'd been facing when she laid down. In this case, that direction was facing Twilight, who was looking back at her.

"This... this isn' gonna be awkward, is it?" she asked.

"I don't think so. No more awkward than dinner with Ulquiorra was," Twilight replied, although she wasn't entirely sure of her own assessment right now. Right now it was just a lot of playing things by ear, and hoping for the best. "Can you scoot a little closer?"

Applejack wasn't sure what it was about, but right now she really didn't feel like engaging in any debate. So without a word to the contrary, she inched her way closer to Twilight's position. She was slow in her movements, uncertain just how close Twilight wanted her, until they were practically touching noses.

"I-is this close enough?" she asked.

"I think it'll work," Twilight replied, before reaching out with her forelegs, and gently pulling Applejack and her pillow closer to her, until her face was practically resting against her chest.

At first Applejack really didn't know what to make of what Twilight was doing. Even by Canterlotian unicorn standards, it just struck her as being really odd behavior. Her face was so close, she could feel Twilight's chest fur rubbing against her nose and her own fur. She was close enough to easily detect the faded scent of lilacs that went with her friend's usual bathing products. And she was close enough that she could actually feel the rhythmic beat of Twilight's heart, accompanying each rise and fall of her chest with every breath she took, no matter how subtle it might've seemed otherwise.

Twilight's earlier words were starting to come back to Applejack now. Now it was all starting to make sense, and ease her mind. Twilight was using her own body to try and provide that sense of security she was talking about. And she really couldn't find it in herself to object right now. She had to admit that it was a rather comfortable position to be in at the moment. Twilight was a soft pony to be curled up with, she'd admit that. And she was warm, without it being uncomfortably so in the summer heat. And there was something that just seemed so primal, so natural, and so right, about that beating heart of hers being so close right now.

"Is this alright? Can you breathe?" Twilight asked as she rested her chin on top of Applejack's head.

"Ah can breathe jus' fine, Twilight. Gotta say though, this seemed a might bit strange at first. But now that ah'm here, it seems mighty cozy an' all," Applejack replied as she settled in and made herself comfortable. Maybe this really would work out.

"That's good. Just... just try not to snore, alright? I'm really ticklish," Twilight replied, causing Applejack to laugh. It was the first time she'd heard her laugh in a long while, which in turn made her smile. A laugh was a good sign right now.

"Ah'll try, although ah can' really guarantee anythin'," Applejack replied and closed her eyes. "Hey, Twilight? Do ya think we could leave the lantern lit? Jus' a little?" she asked.

Twilight wanted to point out that when it came to lanterns, it was either lit or it wasn't, and that there was no in between on the matter. But she decided not to do such, and simply nodded, her chin rubbing against Applejack's head in the process.

"Sure thing, Applejack, anything you want," she replied, magically adjusting the knob to lower the wick height to its lowest sustainable level, leaving the two with just enough illumination to see each other by. "Just try to sleep now, Applejack, I'll be here in case you need anything," she assured her.

"Ah appreciate that, Twilight, ah really do," Applejack replied, before finally succumbing to her own tiredness, and letting out a yawn that she'd been trying her best to suppress up until that point. But now that she was actually comfortable, suppression no longer seemed viable. Or even necessary for that matter.

With that matter now addressed, Twilight settled herself in to get comfortable for the night, reaching out with her magic to pull the sheets over them.

It went without saying that this situation was far from perfect. But then again so were most other situations that they found themselves in. As far as she could remember, things had been far from perfect ever since Ulquiorra laid out his theory about some mysterious force attacking, and trying to kill them. All they could really do right now was pull together, and try to make the best of it.

"G'night, Twilight," Applejack said around a yawn.

"Goodnight," Applejack," Twilight responded.

Author's Note

Last breather chapter for the moment folks. The next few weeks are going to start getting more wild, as a villain needs to be addressed.

Chapter Sixty Seven

Chapter Sixty Seven

Nurse Goodwill gave a soft sigh as she settled in for her duties for the day, and all that they would entail.

Under normal circumstances, the usual round of duties for the staff of the infirmary, would involve taking inventory of their current stock of medical supplies, and reordering whatever they were in need of.

In the medical field, the usual round of duties involved dispensing pain killers, and other assorted medicine as requested. Or tending to whatever wounds the guards had managed to accumulate during training accidents. Or the various burns that someone on the kitchen staff would manage to get on an almost daily basis; one of the hazards of working around so much fire, and even boiling water or cooking oils.

Then there were the sprains, and other general, non-serious injuries, that the cleaning staff would experience from time to time. And sometimes it was a lot of the time.

There was also the duty of tending to those that managed to come down with the seasonal cold or flu, and taking steps to minimize the risk of them infecting the entire palace.

And there was always the risk of somepony coming down with food poisoning. The less said about that one, the better...

But these were not normal circumstances that she found herself in right now. Right now those duties involved tending to a horribly mutilated pegasus that, not even one hour ago, had been stitched back together, and was now resting with an IV drip in her foreleg, as she laid unconscious on one of the available beds.

Unfortunately "tending to" in this case, meant little more than simply watching the cyan pegasus as she slept, and periodically checking her vital signs to ensure that all was well. Being an infirmary rather than a dedicated hospital, there was only so much that could actually be done. That more or less left her sitting at the desk, and tending to the necessary paperwork for the day. But that was a task that could be better tended to, if she wasn't currently having to deal with the growling of her stomach, serving as an intermittent reminder of the fact that she was currently hungry.

She considered making her way to the kitchen and picking herself up a croissant or something to help her focus better. She would only be away for a few short minutes, during which time the cyan pegasus would likely remain asleep. But it was a violation of basic practices and protocol, to leave a patient alone during a time like this. And that more or less left her stranded here, until somepony came along, and relieved her of her current duties.

Her thoughts on the matter, however, were interrupted by the sound of the infirmary door being opened, drawing her attention away from her own distractions. And when she did, she nearly fell out of her chair, and to the ground when she saw that it was Ulquiorra who came walking through the door, bringing with him an air of authority that just commanded... she didn't even know for certain. It wasn't exactly respect that he commanded from others around him, based on their previous -limited- interactions. But it was certainly something along those lines.

"Um... g-greeting sir..." she said, doing her best to be sociable in this case, despite the fact that his gaze still sent shivers up her spine. Even when he wasn't looking directly at her -directly through her is what it felt like- she could still feel the predatory nature that his eyes had to them. "H-how are you today?" she asked.

"Adequate," Ulquiorra replied simply and evenly as he approached, hands tucked into his pockets. "Your recovery appears to be coming along well," he observed.

It took a moment for Goodwill to understand what he was referring to, before it occurred to her that he meant the injury she'd sustained last week in caring for Rainbow Dash.

"Oh. Um... yes, I'm doing well. My horn's a lot better now, after I had time to rest. But that first day was difficult, not being able to use my magic for anything," she explained.

"Considering the force of the bite that was administered, I'm mildly surprised that only one day was needed to make a recovery," Ulquiorra commented. He hadn't been present to witness the healing process for himself, so he had no idea of just what it entailed. "I'm equally surprised that you would willingly look after Rainbow Dash once again, all the while knowing what she's capable of."

"Well it's only for a short amount of time, until the hospital can come and get her," Goodwill reasoned. It wasn't like she was being reassigned to look after Rainbow Dash for long term duration. A short stint would hardly be the end of her. "Plus we've learned since last time. The only reason I'm on my own right now, is because the others went to get breakfast, and it's against medical procedure to leave a patient unattended," she explained as best I could.

Ulquiorra understood what she was saying. But he said nothing in response, as he didn't see the point in a pointless exchange. Instead he turned his attention to where Rainbow Dash currently laid, and began observing her prone form.

Silence soon returned to the infirmary. But it was an uneasy silence that left Goodwill uncomfortable. It left her feeling like she was trapped in a cage with a carnivore that wasn't quite yet hungry, but soon very well might be.

Intellectually she knew that it was a matter of utter ridiculousness. Granted he had proven fully capable of beating up a dragon. And a manticore. And a battalion of changelings. And she had heard quite a few rumors about him, with each of them at different points on the sliding scale of absurdity. But she knew that the diarchy trusted him extensively. And they wouldn't trust him if he wasn't trustworthy... right?

It was silly to hold the belief that he was just waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce upon, and devour them both.

... It was silly... right?

Maybe he wasn't here for her. Maybe Princess Celestia had simply dispatched him in an effort to keep a better eye on Rainbow Dash. In light of last week, she certainly wouldn't doubt that being the case.

But if that was the case... did that mean Princess Celestia had lost confidence in her? Or was she simply being cautious, considering just how important the cyan pegasus was?

"Sir?" she spoke up, doing her best to keep her tone even. It was a challenge when he slowly turned his attention to her, and in such a subtle way as he merely shifted his gaze, rather than turning his head. It was almost chill inducing how he'd just done that. "I don't have any intention of letting her escape a second time. I won't let Princess Celestia be disappointed by my work again," she explained.

"Noted," Ulquiorra replied, before returning his attention back to Rainbow Dash. "But that's not why I'm here."

"Oh?" Goodwill asked and blinked, not expecting to get that answer. "So Princess Celestia hasn't lost faith in my abilities as a care provider?" she asked.

"That is a matter you'll have to take up with her. I cannot speak for Princess Celestia," Ulquiorra replied. "My reason for being here is to try and discern the latest round of mysteries we find ourselves facing."

"Well I'm certainly not in the habit of refusing help."

Goodwill practically jumped at the sound of the new voice joining the conversation, only to realize that it was Doctor Malar coming back into the room. She'd been so focused on the exchange she'd been having, she had failed to even hear the door opening. Or notice him stepping back into her field of vision.

Ulquiorra, however, had sensed the doctor's approach before he'd even gotten to the door. There had been no reason to react, other than shifting his attention away from Rainbow Dash, and acknowledge the presence of the male unicorn of approximate middle age, with a light brown coat, and a dark brown mane and tail that were beginning to gray.

In simple terms he looked a great deal like the earth pony Time Turner. The resemblance was uncanny enough that it almost looked as if his appearance had been traced, and a horn added before the final inking. The only outstanding visual difference, beyond the horn itself, was the cutie mark which adorned his flanks, and partially obscured by his white doctor's coat. Instead of an hourglass, it appeared to be the medical symbol for this world.

"But I believe an introduction is in order first," he concluded, "I'm Doctor Mandibular Malar. Chief physician to the diarchy."

"Ulquiorra Cifer," he replied. He could see the point in making an introduction, as it would simplify communication between the two of them. However there was no point in sharing his own credentials right now.

"Good to meet you then, sir," Malar replied, "I've heard a lot of talk going around. Both about you, and about your work. I must say, however, that I honestly don't know what to believe. Gossip spreads with greater ease than the common cold, and tends to be exaggerated with each new iteration by somepony else."

"A fact that I'm well aware of," Ulquiorra replied simply. If his conversation with Sweetie Belle was any indication of what was being said, then the misinformation about him was significant. "But at present there's little time for sorting truth from fiction. There are far more important matters at hand that must be dealt with first."

"Of course," Malar agreed and nodded, before turning his attention to where Goodwill sat. "Nurse, why don't you go ahead and get yourself some breakfast? I'm sure the two of us can tend to matters here."

Ulquiorra observed as she nodded in response to the suggestion and took her leave. Once she was gone, he returned his attention to the doctor.

"I must say I'm curious as to how you might be able to help," Malar admitted. He didn't see anything about this individual that would suggest... well... he really didn't see anything about this individual that would be of assistance to them. "If you don't mind my asking, what exactly are your skills. You don't exactly look like much of a physician."

"In truth I'm not. But I have the ability to detect and measure the mana levels of a pony, even in trace level amounts," Ulquiorra explained. That was an overly simplified explanation of his capabilities. But for the time being it would do.

"That's a... very interesting ability you possess. But how exactly does it help us any in this case? What do levels of mana tell us about what happened with the patient here?" Malar asked, more confused than anything.

"On two separate occasions, I've observed her Sonic Rainboom technique. I've witnessed how her mana shifts to condense in her body, and strengthens her physical structure to withstand the forces she's subjected to, in breaking the sound barrier. I've also observed the mana depletion rate experienced when she performs the technique," Ulquiorra explained.

"But there was no Rainboom reported," Malar was quick to point out. Something like that tended to be big news; especially if it happened over Canterlot.

"Which simply means that the sound barrier wasn't breached," Ulquiorra continued without missing a beat.

He had been aware that no Sonic Rainboom had been performed. Even as far away as Ponyville, he would've been aware if it had happened; the display was far too large, and far too flashy, to be easily missed. Even if he was blind and couldn't see it, he would have certainly felt it, and the disturbances it caused.

There were still many boundless mysteries held in this world. And one of those mysteries was just how the biologics of each pony race functioned in the way that they did. And while he'd been giving the matter a fair bit of study, it was a field that he'd just barely managed to begin scratching at the surface. he still had very little practical knowledge as to just how a pony's body utilized mana for particular tasks. The exact mechanics that explained how Rainbow Dash's mana condensed in her body, to allow her to withstand the stresses of supersonic travel, was something he didn't understand. He didn't even know if it was conscious effort, or something done entirely on instinct.

The facts of the current matter were complicating it to some degree. Had she consciously accessed her hierro-like abilities in order to survive crashing through the window? Or had she unknowingly triggered some sort of physical action that set everything into motion?

This in itself presented its own complications. He knew from experience how strong Rainbow Dash's hierro was. She could withstand supersonic travel. She could withstand colliding with a fully grown dragon at said supersonic travel. And more importantly, she could withstand colliding with him under the same circumstances. So how did something as trivial as broken glass -especially that from a stained glass window- cause so much damage, when so much worse did nothing? Did her hierro only work against blunt force trauma?

"So if her mana condenses, and works like you say it does, then how do you explain her injuries? How do you explain her getting cut up like she did?" Malar asked, having difficulty understanding the theory that was being presented to him.

"Quite coincidental," Ulquiorra thought, before speaking up. "I can't. I can only theorize on the matter. One theory is that the technique can only protect against blunt force trauma. Another is that she lacked sufficient mana levels to achieve the desired results, and the best she could do was simply toughen her skin to the point it became like leather, and provided significant cutting resistance," he explained. At the moment those were the two theories that made the most sense to him. He refused to believe that it was purely a matter of blind luck being on her side.

"That's..." Malar paused, not entirely certain how to respond. He was uncomfortable with his patient's skin being compared to leather; it was entirely far too predatory for his own comfort. "I don't fully understand it. But it does at least sound like it could make sense. In some fashion or other," he finally admitted. "But that doesn't explain why she crashed through the window, instead of coming in through the balcony," he pointed out.

"Ultimately we'll have to wait for Rainbow Dash to regain consciousness to determine the significance of that," Ulquiorra replied simply.

"More than likely," Malar agreed and nodded. "But that still leaves the mystery of her wings. They're coated in some type of magic. But it's far too degraded for me to identify."

His curiosity was mildly piqued by the unicorn's words. He had detected the foreign reiryoku on Rainbow Dash's wings, but had written it off as belonging to one of the medical staff. He knew the infirmary had more than two or three ponies on staff, so it was easy enough to assume such.

But now he had confirmation that it wasn't, and that warranted a closer look, and better examination of the details available to him.

"The particulars of the spell itself may have faded. But the signature, and specific texture of the mana that was used in its casting are still present, and of sufficient quality, as well as quantity, to identify the original caster," Ulquiorra explained calmly, never even moving from his spot. "But at the moment it does little good. We have nothing to compare it to. It does us no good in identifying the source."

Malar stood with his mouth hanging slightly open, blinking in a confused manner as he stared at Ulquiorra. Finally, he managed to find his voice and start talking again.

"You can actually recognize, and pick up on such details?" he asked in disbelief.

"Those and many more," Ulquiorra replied simply.

"... When this is all over, and things have had the chance to calm down some, is there any chance I could talk you into a physical examination? I'd love the chance to study the difference between our species' respective physiologies," Malar commented.

Ulquiorra saw the glint in the stallion's eyes. It was much like the glint Twilight Sparkle possessed upon their first meeting. And it was the same glint that Twilight Sparkle continued to possess at sporadic times during their various interactions. It was the look of a scientist who had found something unprecedented, and was eager to examine it in great detail.

It was the same look he had seen in the eyes of the Octava Espada far too many times for his own liking. And in the resulting silence in the infirmary, Ulquiorra had arrived at a certain and disturbing conclusion.

During his brief time in Equestria, he had managed to catch the attention of not only various mares, but now apparently stallions as well. Just wonderful...

"It was bad enough when it was only Twilight Sparkle who was interested in me," he thought to himself.

There was a loud sneeze. Followed by an even louder, pain-filled groan, where Twilight currently rested. The night had been anything but kind to her.

The idea had been to give Applejack a warm body to sleep against, rather than a cold bed to occupy alone, with an accompanying heartbeat that would be... well, beating... throughout the evening as she slumbered. And preliminary results looked like the endeavor had been successful. For three glorious hours, she and Applejack had slept peacefully without any disturbance whatsoever.

And that was when things had started to go wrong.

She had been awoken by a small but noticeable commotion not too far away from her head. A commotion that turned out to be Applejack whimpering, despite the fact that she was still asleep. she had responded with gentle words, and even gentler touches, in an effort to soothe whatever was troubling the unconscious earth pony. And at first it had seemed to work, with Applejack eventually calming back down, and snuggling into her chest again. And after a few minutes of quiet observation, she'd gone back to bed as well.

But then things went wrong again.

She'd found herself awoken with a start, as two hooves connected with her barrel, catching her square in the ribs, and shoving her out of the bed, and to the floor with a surprised -and pained- yell.

Needless to say, nopony slept well the rest of the night after that.

Twilight considered herself to be very, very lucky, to escape with nothing more than a set of bruised ribs -even if they did hurt every time she so much as breathed- and a matching bruised butt. She knew full well that she'd escaped major injury on that one -a fact later confirmed by Doctor Stable during a very early morning visit to Ponyville General Hospital to get her checked out, and her ribs wrapped- as Applejack had been kicking from an unsupported position, and thus was physically unable to generate the amount of force she was so well known for. The kind of force that could easily shake a whole crop of apples right off the tree they hung from in a single blow. The kind of force that could've easily shattered every bone in her ribcage, while simultaneously driving the newly created slivers right into her lungs, and perforating them beyond any hope of repair.

In hindsight, a few bruised ribs was really nothing to deal with. Even if they did hurt when she breathed. Or talked. Or moved. Or thought about doing something.

"Bless you," Spike stated.

Or sneezed for that matter.

Twilight knew that she was lucky to be alive. And she was infinitely thankful for the fact that she was. But that didn't change the simple fact, that she was in a great amount of pain right now.

"Somepony must be talking about you," Spike commented from where he sat.

Twilight just groaned in response as she rested her head against the pillow on her bed, laying on her back with her forelegs tentatively resting on her chest. About the only thing she could do right now, that didn't make her cringe in pain, was use her magic. Which in itself made for some interesting attempts at communication.

Using a pencil and a notepad -in her current condition, a quill, inkwell, and parchment was far too much effort- she quickly went out writing up her response, before levitating the pad around for Spike to see and read.

This is seriously going to complicate my learning of those advanced spell. I'm going to need to cancel class today.

Spike rolled his eyes from behind the notepad. Twilight and her work...

He was about to give a response that he felt was, at least to some extent, appropriate for the situation. But before he could get the first word out, he heard Applejack coming up the stairs to the loft.

"Ah got the wagon all ready ta go," she announced.

Twilight blinked -one of the other few things she could do without hurting her ribs- as she looked between Spike and Applejack for clarity. Getting none, she flipped the pad around for another round of writing.

Wagon?

"Didn' Spike tell ya?" Applejack asked. Twilight tentatively shook her head, wincing in the process. "Well considerin' how much trouble we had gettin' ya ta the hospital this mornin', ah got a totin' wagon set up so ya can jus' ride wherever ya wanna go. That way ya don' have ta walk, ah can jus' tote ya, an' ya can ride in comfort," she explained.

Twilight listened as Applejack explained the situation to her, and couldn't deny that she was touched by the thoughtfulness of it all.

More quick scribbling followed.

I really appreciate that, Applejack. But you don't need to be carting me all over town.

"Well ah know that ah don' have ta, Twi', but that doen' mean ah'm not gonna," Applejack replied. She didn't want to be rude, but sometimes Twilight still had a lot to learn about friendship, and all that was involved with it. "So where ya wanna go first?"

More scribbling on Twilight's part.

Right now I just want to lay here. Maybe get some rest, figure out which muscle groups I can move without experiencing too much pain, and wait for the pain medication to finally kick in.

"A'right, ah guess that'll work," Applejack replied and nodded, before sitting down next to the bed. "So. Anythin' ya need me ta be helping aoun' the library with?" she asked.

Twilight looked over at Applejack where she sat, studying her features carefully. It wasn't a look of optimism on her face. It wasn't a look that suggested contentment either. If she was reading it right, it looked more like desperation, thinly disguised by a weak smile. It was like she was looking for a reason to stay. Was she scared of something? Of something that involved being away from the library?

...

She was just guessing at that last one. But now that the thought had entered her mind, it seemed hard to push away. Last night Applejack had told Big Macintosh that she'd be home in the morning. Now she was acting like she didn't want to leave.

Turning back to her notepad, and flipping the page over, more scribbling followed.

A great deal of scribbling actually.

Finally, after a quick read through, she felt satisfied with what her message had to say, and turned it back around for Applejack to read.

Applejack, you have to go home now. You told Big Macintosh you'd be back today. He's probably worried right now, and thinking that something happened to you.

"But-" Applejack spoke up, wanting to protest Twilight's statement. But she was silenced as she found Twilight's pencil resting perpendicularly against her lips. It was soon removed, as Twilight went back to writing out another note for her to read. And from the sound of all the scratching, it was a long one.

Applejack. Listen to me.

Twilight made a point of using the eraser end of the pencil to twice tap at her name, and the following sentence, emphasizing the point that she wanted her to pay attention.

I don't blame you for what happened. What happened wasn't your fault, and you're not responsible. You don't have to stay around, and look after me like I'm an invalid.

But you do have to go back home to Sweet Apple Acres. Big Macintosh is going to be worried about you. You promised him that you'd be back home today. Do you really want him coming all the way here looking for you?

And what about Apple Bloom? You need to make sure she's alright too.

Applejack wanted to dispute Twilight's argument. She wanted to argue so many different things, but she really didn't know just where to begin. She was tripping over her own tongue just trying to open her mouth.

The fact that Twilight was referencing her family made it so much harder for her to argue as to why she should stay behind and remain present. The unicorn knew full well that every Apple in the orchard had a weakness for family, and she was using it. How was she supposed to argue otherwise with her on this matter?

"... A'right," she finally relented and stood up. Friends were deeply important to the Apples. But so was family. And as much as she hated being put in a position where she had to choose between the two of them, she was going to have to go with family. The only comfort was the knowledge that she wasn't dropping Twilight in a bubbling pit of magma this time around.

"But before ah go, ah need ta ask ya somethin' first," she stated. "Can ah... come back again tonight?"

Twilight looked at her for a moment, before turning back to her notepad to scribble out a response.

You're bunking with Spike tonight.

Applejack snorted at reading the response. Despite herself, she couldn't resist. The deadpan nature of Twilight's face, and the delivery of the statement, was just too good to resist.

She needed that laugh. And the resulting break in tension that it brought with it.

"Whatever ya say, Sugarcube," she said and moved to hug Twilight. But she stopped herself short when she realized that doing such might cause her more pain than she was already in. Instead she opted for just nuzzling her neck and cheek. A simple gesture that was, thankfully, returned.

She was so thankful that Twilight wasn't mad at her right now. She couldn't stand the thought of losing anymore friends, now or any other time.

She just hoped that Rainbow Dash was doing alright.

When it came to postponing court for the day, it brought a lot of new challenges with it. Celestia was aware of that fact, and chose to use the option sparingly. She tended to reserve the course of action for times when her attention was direly needed elsewhere, and the constant traipsing in and out of new faces through the castle could only complicate an already complicated situation.

That fact aside, however, there were occasional times when the day court had to be postponed in order for her to be available, should something arise, rather than because something had arisen. And it was those times during which it was the most stressful, as there was little to do but stand around and wait for something to happen. And unfortunately that was exactly the situation she found herself in, as she -and likely the rest of the palace- waited for Rainbow Dash to regain consciousness. There were questions that needed to be answered. And if she were stuck in the day court, she would be incapable of getting those answers.

She had tended to what matters she could in her current limited capacity. She'd addressed some paperwork, and fielded some questions from the guards, and other members of the palace staff. But other than that, there was precious little she could do besides wait.

Periodic checking in also yielded little in the way of results, as Rainbow Dash remained unconscious.

There were times when she truly resented the office that she held. What she wouldn't give to be a regular everyday pony on some days.

And once again, she found herself making her way to the infirmary. Much like an anxious mother concerned about the health of her foal, she was concerned about Rainbow Dash. She hadn't bothered to keep track of just how many times she'd ventured down here since early this morning. Truthfully it was something she didn't particularly care to know right now. All she cared about was the well being of Rainbow Dash.

Her thoughts on the matter, however, were interrupted by the faint but growing sound of hooves pounding against the marble flooring. She stopped in her tracks to try and better hear what was happening. Her ears cocked and swiveled, trying to locate the source of the commotion. But it turned out to be a pointless exercise, as the answer literally popped out in front of her, in the form of Nurse Goodwill skidding to try and make the turn around the corner into the main hall -nearly slamming into the far wall in the process- before breaking into an uncoordinated run over to where she stood, all the while gasping for air.

This couldn't be good. There was no way in Equestria that this could be good; not with the terror in her eyes right now.

"My little pony, what's wrong?" Celestia asked, concern obvious in her voice, as well as her actions.

Goodwill managed to skid to a halt before colliding with Celestia's legs -nearly falling over face first in the process- panting and gasping for air as she looked up with wide eyes. She tried to speak, but nothing was coming out coherently through her ragged attempts at breathing.

"Infirmary!" she finally managed to choke out, gesturing wildly in the direction with a foreleg.

Celestia didn't ask any questions, knowing that it would be fruitless to try and get any answers from the nurse in her current state. Instead, thinking quickly -but perhaps not entirely correctly- she reached out with her magic and levitated Goodwill up onto her back where she could perch, before setting off at a gallop towards the infirmary, her metal shoes pounding against the stone flooring with each step.

With her longer stride, and much greater stamina, the distance to the infirmary flew by quickly as her hooves practically pounded against the marble, now that she'd actually kicked it into gear. With much greater control, she didn't skid on the hard turns nearly as much as Goodwill had, so there was a greatly reduced risk of colliding with a random wall.

As she rounded the last corner there was before reaching the infirmary doors, she stopped in her tracks as Goodwill held on tightly. Standing several paces away from the door was Ulquiorra with his hands tucked into his pockets. She truly hadn't expected to see him loitering in the hallway like this.

And as she drew closer, she heard the unmistakable sound of shouting coming from within the room. This matter was growing more and more curious by the second.

"Ulquiorra, what's going on in there?" she asked as she stood right next to him, before sitting down to allow Goodwill to climb down from her perch, and standing back up again to her full height.

"In simplest terms, I would describe it as a territorial dispute," Ulquiorra replied without even turning around to acknowledge Princess Celestia's presence. "Doctor Malar is currently involved in a disagreement with another doctor, and two orderlies from Canterlot General Hospital."

"You'll have to be a little more specific. Which doctor are you referring to? Doctor who?" Celestia asked. Did Ulquiorra have any idea just how many doctors actually worked at the hospital?

"I can't answer that, he refused to give his name even when questioned. He asserted that none of us needed to know it," Ulquiorra explained.

It was all highly unusual how things had occurred a mere fifteen minutes ago. He had detected the arrival and approach of the three new ponies, but had paid them absolutely no mind, until they actually entered the infirmary. And as soon as they had entered, the dispute had taken off, as if the two physicians had previous baggage, and animosity towards one another, despite never having met before.

There had been no professional courtesy between the two physicians. That was as simple as he could put it in describing how they acted in the presence of one another.

"Doctor Malar has refused to release Rainbow Dash in an unconscious state, due to medical guidelines. The other physician has, in turn, asserted custodial authority in the case due to Rainbow Dash being a patient at the hospital where he works, and has threatened to have the royal guard arrest Doctor Malar on the grounds of custodial interference, medical negligence, and medical malpractice. Along with a threat to have the medical review board revoke his license to practice medicine, for failure to comply with a physician on record," Ulquiorra elaborated, giving a brief overview of the nonsense he had witnessed prior to Princess Celestia's arrival. It was part of the reason he had waited outside the infirmary. The drama inside the room was so thick it could be cut with a butter knife.

Celestia wanted to groan at this news. But instead she simply opted for using her hoof to pinch the bridge of her muzzle, trying to ward off the coming migraine. Why did things like this have to develop?

"What?" Goodwill asked in disbelief, before frowning in the direction of the infirmary door. "Nopony threatens Doctor Malar and gets away with it," she stated. She might've gotten scared out of the room, and sent running by how things had started. But now it was an entirely different matter, and she wasn't going to be scared away.

With that thought in mind she adjusted her nurse's hat, before storming off towards the infirmary door, prepared to give this arrogant bully of a physician the verbal thrashing he so richly deserved.

Unfortunately things didn't go as smoothly as they should. Just as she was about to slam the door open, it was violently opened in the direction she was approaching from, slamming right into her muzzle with a great deal of force, sending her to the floor with a cry of pain as she grasped her face in her forelegs.

Ulquiorra silently observed as the first to exit the infirmary was the mystery physician. Average height and build for a unicorn, glasses stereotypically associated with a doctor of some sort, his cutie mark and majority of his gray coat obstructed from view by a lab coat that looked like it was worn far more often as a piece of fashion than for any functional purpose. Overall, nothing physically outstanding or noteworthy, with the exception of the face. He couldn't put his finger on it exactly, but there was just a certain quality about it, that seemed akin to a badger. Or perhaps even... a ferret...

Next to emerge were the two orderlies. Two unicorn stallions who were of above average size and build for their species, their coloring drab and subdued in nature, and each of them looking as if they were hired for attributes other than intelligence. If it turned out they were named Beavis and Butt-head, he wouldn't be the least bit surprised by such a revelation being made.

Wherever the two names had originated from, he wasn't entirely certain. All that he knew was that, wherever they had originated from, their popularity had apparently been sufficient to bring them as far as Japan. In the few times he had actually visited the human world, he had heard their mention at several points, and always in reference to two individuals of questionable mental capacity.

The third to emerge from the infirmary was, surprisingly, Rainbow Dash. But unlike the others who had just stepped out, she was unconscious, and held in a sickly yellow aura field that matched the glow of the orderly on the left. Her body hung lump as she was suspended in the air, carried through with no care for her condition. It was almost like watching someone cart about a large slab of meat.

A cry from the right brought his focus to the downed Nurse Goodwill, leaving him uncertain of just who to focus on more at the moment. Based on the amount of blood that was seeping from her muzzle and staining her yellow coat, it was safe to conclude that a break had occurred from the impact of the door.

The last to emerge from the infirmary was Doctor Malar himself, and looking quite furious; to the point Ulquiorra wouldn't be surprised if he engaged in a physical altercation with the other physician.

"You're not going anywhere!" he bellowed as he stormed out of the room.

The lead unicorn of the trio ignored Malar's protests -he actually ignored everyone that was present- and merely approached where Celestia stood.

"Princess, I'm Doctor Thrush, of Canterlot General Hospital. I ask that "Doctor" Malar be placed under arrest immediately for custodial interference," he spoke, derisively at the use of Malar's title of position in this case. "The pegasus in question is my patient and thus in my legal custody. He had no authority under which to deny me access."

Malar growled and bristled at Thrush's comment, prepared to tear into what he believed to be a pathetic excuse for a medical practitioner. But before he could get a word out, Ulquiorra spoke first, effectively cutting him off.

"A charge of aggravated assault against yourself would be far more appropriate under these circumstances," the Espada commented, dryly and factually.

Thrush frowned at the statement and turned to face Ulquiorra, only to blink when he realized he had to actually tilt his head upward to see who was addressing him.

Another cry from Goodwill. This time drawing Malar's attention to her, as he moved to make sure she was alright, and evaluate what injuries she might have that needed tending to.

"You're certainly an insolent one, talking to me in such a disrespectful manner like that," Thrush stated as he frowned at Ulquiorra.

"Quiet!"

The scene before Celestia had quickly devolved into pandemonium, and was threatening to get far worse if she didn't intervene. She didn't need all of the arguing, or the grandstanding that was developing before her. So she had decided to nip the entire thing right in the bud, in the same manner Luna would; with a belt from the royal voice.

All at once, all arguments came to an end, as all participants looked at her.

"Everyone. Shut up. Do not speak unless I speak to you first," she ordered, her voice softer than before, but still carrying the edge of authority with it as she frowned at all of them. "Now. We're going back into the infirmary, and we're going to act like responsible adults; not like a bunch of two year old foals throwing a temper tantrum over not getting their favorite toy. Is that understood?"

The end may have been phrased like a question. But her tone of voice left it clear that it was no request to be disputed, but an order that was to be obeyed. This entire gaggle of ponies had managed to earn her ire. And they were going to understand that fact.

Ulquiorra observed the room around him, and the tense quietness that surrounded them.

Doctor Malar was currently working his magic -quite literally in this case- on Nurse Goodwill, as he tended to her -now confirmed as being- broken muzzle, setting it into place, and bandaging it so it could heal. However the bloodstains on her coat would likely remain for quite some time.

Rainbow Dash was currently resting in the bed once again, still unconscious, and once again hooked back up to the medical equipment that had been present in the room.

Doctor Thrush, and his two orderlies, sat in one corner of the room as instructed, unwilling to backtalk on the matter.

And Princess Celestia stood in the middle of the room where she could observe, and survey everything that was going on around her, a frown more or less carved into her face.

"Now then," she spoke slowly, and in an authoritative manner, "I'm going to be asking questions. There will be no yelling, no name calling, no shouting back and forth, and no attempts at talking over one another. If you have something to say, then you'll wait your turn," she instructed, making it abundantly clear that there was no room for negotiations on the matter.

Glancing around the room, it seemed unlikely at best that anyone would protest the order.

"Now then. Doctor Malar. Can you tell me just what happened here?" she asked as she turned her attention to him, once she was certain he was done tending to Goodwill's injuries.

"Well you see, Your Majesty, this is how things happened," Malar began as he turned to face her. He could see Thrush rolling his eyes at his words, but paid him no mind. Right now he had more important things to address. "Prior to everything going south, Ulquiorra and I were busy discussing the case, and comparing our respective notes, while Goodwill took Rainbow Dash's vital signs to ensure she was in good health. The next thing we know, "Doctor" Thrush and his two "orderlies" came barging into the room. No professional courtesy, no introductions, no inquiry into the well being of the patient. Just an order to immediately release her into his custody. And when I tried to raise any objections to such procedure, he starting issuing threats," he stated, getting more and more flustered and agitated as he went. "He wouldn't even listen when I tried to point out how it's against medical guidelines to discharge an unconscious patient, before a full examination can be completed to ensure the patient's well being. The next thing I know, that one," he said, gesturing to one of the orderlies, "is shoving me aside, while the other is ripping equipment off of her in a haphazard manner, and plucking her out of her bed with no consideration for her condition! He didn't even stop to consider that he might be tearing out her sutures in the process! It didn't even occur to him, that his actions might actually cause her to bleed to death before they ever left the palace!"

Ulquiorra listened as Doctor Malar recounted the series of events that had transpired. In truth it was a somewhat simplified, and streamlined version of what had actually happened, prior to when Princess Celestia had arrived. But despite the streamlined version, he had essentially addressed all the high points of the ordeal. If it was requested, he would vouch for that.

From the other side of the room, Doctor Thrush snorted in a contemptuous manner. The entire time Doctor Malar had been speaking, he'd been maintaining an air of arrogance about him.

"With all due respect, Princess, I'm far more qualified to be making such determinations. My qualifications speak for themselves in this case. Top of the line medical, top of my graduating class, etc. I'm not some country bumpkin peddling snake oil in a bottle, nor the type who can only find work at a free clinic. I'm the chief medical expert of Canterlot General Hospital, and still with an active practice. I know precisely what I'm doing in this case," Thrush stated confidently as he stepped forward. "Now then. The medical logs show that I was assigned this case, due to the complexities involved. I'm the only physician competent enough to address this matter, and "Doctor" Malar over there is interfering in my work, making it tantamount not only to malpractice, but also medical negligence. He doesn't have access to even half of the facilities that we do, back at a proper hospital. And his clinging to outdated myths from a bygone era, about what constitutes proper medical procedure, just goes to reinforce the fact that he's woefully inadequate for dealing with the problems he's facing. His refusal to step down, and defer to somepony better qualified is tantamount to nothing short of medical abuse."

Celestia listened as patiently as she could, during the time each doctor was making his case as to why he was the more qualified physician. As well as the poorly disguised character assassination that sailed back and forth amongst them. Good points were being raised, and leaving her in a precarious predicament. Malar was an old friend, and had been the physician for Canterlot palace since before Luna's return. If she were going purely on demeanor, Malar would be her pick.

But they had to consider far more than just that. Thrush had raised a good point about their facilities being lacking to some extent. Blood tests were about as far as they could go in terms of lab work, leaving them without a number of more advanced procedures. And Rainbow Dash had already proven that she could escape from here if she were motivated. That was a strike against them.

Then again, Rainbow Dash had escaped under Thrush's watch as well, through a means they hadn't yet discovered. That was a strike against him.

"The fact that Rainbow Dash managed to escape while under your watch, does not speak highly for your credentials."

Celestia turned to observe Ulquiorra as he made the statement. Apparently his evaluation of Thrush was similar to her own on the matter. But, as per usual, he had shown considerably less tact than she would have in the matter. And it was situations like this, that made her glad of that fact.

Thrush, however, obviously didn't appreciate Ulquiorra's evaluation, as he glared at him in response.

"Should one of my staff prove to be incompetent in carrying out their duties, I'm not liable for their lapses in judgement. We have clearly established procedural guidelines for dealing with dangerous patients," he stated.

"Dangerous?" Celestia asked and blinked. That didn't sound right. Even after experiencing everything she had over the past few days, it still didn't sound right. "How has she been dangerous?"

"The patient has displayed blatantly combative tendencies when we've tried to treat her. She's shouted obscenities, she's refused to cooperate with the treatment process, and she's assaulted various members of the staff throughout her time at the hospital. The amount of disruption she's caused, has required us to use a firmer approach than most patients require. The only safe way to deal with her during these times is to keep her restrained, to prevent her from hurting herself and others," Thrush explained with a huff.

"What part of shouting obscenities constitutes a danger to others?" Ulquiorra asked bluntly. He was aware of how Rainbow Dash could be dangerous, as he had seen such. But the explanation being given was just utterly ridiculous; ridiculous enough that this pony could easily be a human bureaucrat. But even if he was denied clarification on the matter, he was prepared with another question. "And what was the nature of the spell that was applied to her wings?"

"What nonsense are you talking about now? What spell?" Thrush asked, his brow furrowing at the question.

"The spell cast by your orderly who reportedly shoved Doctor Malar aside," Ulquiorra elaborated. Already he could spot the reactions coming from the physician. Reactions that he attempted to subdue, that indicated he had been caught at something. Perhaps something he shouldn't be doing. And perhaps it was time to more aggressively pursue the matter. "I can see things that ponies cannot. There's no point in making any denials. Even if the spell fades, the signature of the mana used remains for upwards of seven days. And your orderly possesses the same signature," he explained calmly.

He could see Doctor Thrush starting to squirm under his questioning. It was subtle and slight, easily missed by someone who wasn't familiar with interrogation. But he could see them as plain as day. And it was interesting how both humans, and ponies, reacted in such a similar manner to being interrogated.

"I-I don't know who or what you are, but you're no consulting physician, you're lucky I'm even talking to you at all! Any procedures utilized are covered under doctor-patient confidentiality. I'm not obligated to even be speaking to you whatsoever!" Thrush stated and frowned.

"Perhaps you might be right, Doctor," Celestia spoke up without raising her voice. "But you are obligated to speak to me. And I'm quite curious as to just what this spell is," she stated.

"Princess, surely you can't-" Thrush objected, only to be quickly interrupted.

"Can't I?" Celestia asked in direct challenge to his objection. When he didn't immediately speak up, she continued. "Doctor, I find your attitude highly abrasive. When I turned this case over to you, it was on the basis of Canterlot General Hospital being the facility better suited for the care of Rainbow Dash. But your inability to keep tabs on one little pegasus, has given me grounds to doubt that suitability. Were you even aware of her disappearance, before receiving word about her current location?" she asked.

"I, uh-" Thrush stammered, only to be interrupted by Celestia again.

"How many staff do you have working for you, Doctor?" Celestia asked him directly. But she didn't wait for him to answer, before continuing with the questioning assault. "You are aware that Rainbow Dash was put on a suicide watch, correct? That means continual observation, and checking in, to ensure that she's still alive. So how exactly did you not become aware of her absence, until you received outside notice? And if you were aware that there was a problem, before you received word about her current location, then precisely why did you not inform me about the development? I specifically left instructions with the hospital that I wished to be notified immediately, regarding any developments that occurred, that directly involved Rainbow Dash's well being and care. And yet it appears that I found out long before even you became aware, and you were right there when it happened!"

Ulquiorra watched in silence, observing as Princess Celestia berated Doctor Thrush over his management of the situation pertaining to Rainbow Dash. Her attitude easily matched, and even exceeded, the abrasiveness of the physician in question, as she questioned him on his effectiveness. If he didn't know any better, he would assume that she was actually enjoying herself as she went along.

"You might claim doctor-patient confidentiality. But that confidentiality doesn't extend to royal inquiries, "Doctor." When I take a vested interest in the well being of a patient, I expect cooperation on the matter, not obstruction like I've been getting over the last few days," Celestia stated as she glared at Thrush. "Is that understood?"

At this point in time, all Thrush could do was nod weakly in response. The only two in the room who could actually give him any backup, were far too inept to be of any actual use right now.

"Two hours, Doctor. It's been two hours since Rainbow Dash nearly died after crashing through a stained glass window in the throne room," Celestia spoke as she narrowed her eyes at the stallion. "Exactly how long did it take for you to become aware of the fact that she was missing?"

Thrush said nothing in response. He tried to, moving his mouth to form the words, but nothing managed to come out.

"I can understand there being some delay in being notified of these developments. But not two hours without so much as a peep, there's just no sense in that. Even if you were scouring the hospital to try and find Rainbow Dash after becoming aware of her missing, I still could've been notified. And when somepony finally does show up, what sort of response is there? There's no effort made to meet with me to offer apologies for losing track of a very important patient. Instead you come storming in here, without an escort by guard, as is required for all unannounced palace visitors, you assault my medical staff, and accuse them of incompetence, you demand that they be arrested for erroneous charges, and you attempt to foalnap the patient that your hospital lost track of, despite acknowledging that she's been classified as dangerous to others, and all while she's on a suicide watch!"

Ulquiorra had witnessed Princess Celestia's displays of temper and anger before. It was nothing new to see these levels of fury. But it was certainly new to be witnessing them from the sidelines, rather than facing them directly. The fact that her fury was directed elsewhere was... strange to experience.

What was even stranger, however, were the readings his pesquisa were picking up from Doctor Thrush. They weren't in the appropriate range for what should be experienced in this case. The stallion in question wasn't experiencing the appropriate level of terror as he faced down Princess Celestia. But just how that was, he didn't yet know. Why was the outer display of fear even being displayed in the first place?

"Do you have anything to say?" Princess Celestia asked after a pause.

"As a matter of fact I do," Doctor Thrush replied cooly. "With all due respect, Princess, I answer to the chief executive officer for Canterlot General Hospital. Not to you. We have very well established policies and guidelines that were put into place long ago, dictating just how we address difficult patients. And those guidelines don't involve interrupting a search for a missing patient, to report to some outside bureaucrat who has no idea just what's going on at the time, and what difficulties we have to put up with! If you were a medical practitioner you'd know about that. Until we received word from your messenger, we had no reason to assume that she'd left the hospital grounds," he explained and frowned. "That spell on her wings? It was a grounding spell to keep her from trying to fly about, and potentially hurt herself or others. Standard procedure for dealing with pegasi patients. How she managed to fly in such a state of incapacitation, I have no idea. It should've been an impossibility," he stated.

This was a development that Ulquiorra truly hadn't expected to witness. Doctor Thrush was actually yelling back at Princess Celestia, seemingly unperturbed by the tongue lashing he'd just been subjected to. If anything it looked like the stallion had actually gotten furious with Princess Celestia, and had no objection to letting her know that he didn't take kindly to her involvement in the matter.

He had no problem being blunt with Princess Celestia. But he knew how to approach with caution, and not go overboard when hammering out specific points. Doctor Thrush, however, was going far beyond what he would do in a similar situation.

And, perhaps the most disturbing aspect of it all, was that Princess Celestia actually appeared to be faltering in this matter, and losing her conviction.

"No, no. That's not true."

And then came the interruption of a new voice entering into the fray. Looking over in the direction of said voice, Ulquiorra could see that it was one of Doctor Thrush's orderlies -the one he'd seen fit to dub "Butt-head" for the simple sake of referencing them- stepping forward and shaking his head. An act that was immediately met with resistance from Doctor Thrush himself, as he turned around and frowned.

"That's not what-" the orderly started to say.

"You stay out of this and shut up!" Doctor Thrush barked back.

"No, Doc', you shut up!" the orderly barked back, and in a louder voice. "I'm not going to lie for you, not to Princess Celestia of all ponies! And especially not when that thing," the orderly paused and gestured in Ulquiorra's direction with his foreleg, "can see stuff like which pony cast what spell! You're on your own!"

"Why you..." Thrush growled at the mutinous behavior.

"That's quite enough out of you, Doctor," Celestia replied firmly, cutting him off before he could say anything else. Then she turned her attention to the orderly, with her features drastically softening. "Step forward, my little pony. What is your name, and what do you have to say?" she asked kindly.

"Um, Corners, Your Majesty," the orderly stated hesitantly as he stepped forward. Facing down Thrush was a whole lot easier than this. "What I... what I have to say is... is that everything Doctor Thrush said is nothing but a pile of manure! We haven't been searching the hospital. Hay, we didn't even know she was gone until we got your message about her being here at the palace. Thrush wasn't keeping an eye on her, nopony was. The whole suicide watch thing? Forget about that getting taken seriously. His idea of keeping an eye on her, was locking her in a room anytime she got difficult."

"If you say another word-" Thrush started, only to be interrupted.

"Doctor Thrush," Ulquiorra spoke up for the first time since this mess began. "This is now an official investigation concerning matters of national security. If you attempt to obstruct us once more, I'll paralyze your lower jaw in the closed position," he warned.

For him it was an easy threat to make. Pony anatomy had revealed a great deal of information that could one day prove useful; like a diagram of the unicorn nervous system, and the various nerve clusters that ran throughout the body. And when paired with the theory of acupressure, it provided a veritable road map of areas that were vulnerable to exploitation.

But his threat went far beyond simply having the knowledge of how to -theoretically- pull it off. This unicorn was interfering in their ability to determine just what harm might have come to Rainbow Dash, which it turn would threaten the long term safety of Equestria. By laws of default, Doctor Thrush was presenting himself to be a hazard to Equestria, and needed to be dealt with accordingly.

Thrush sputtered in response to what he'd just been told. Immediately he turned his attention to where Celestia stood.

"Princess, surely you're not going to let him speak to me like that!" he objected.

"That's the second time you've seen fit to tell me my business," Celestia commented as she narrowed her eyes. "I'm tempted to let him do it, just so I can see how he'd actually go about doing such. Now be silent unless you're addressed," she ordered, before turning her attention back to Corners. "Please. Continue."

Corners paused and considered what he wanted to say next, before speaking up once again.

"The first few days we did blood tests and biopsies, looking for any signs that would indicate some sort of illness. But when all the tests we had came back negative, and she kept going on about what she experienced, Thrush said she was just lying and crazy. He put her on a regimen of anti-psychotic drugs to try and make her stop having what he dismissed as crazy delusions. And when she didn't want to take her medicine, or she'd start mouthing off at him, he'd just have one of us orderlies cast a total paralysis spell on her, and lock her in a dark room for hours on end to make her cooperate, telling us to ignore her cries and screams. He even made us lock her in a dark closet all night long to try and take the fight out of her. That was the last we saw of her, until we came here. And when we did... well Doc' said he was gonna be teaching her a lesson in obedience that she'd never forget. That's why he had us storm in to do a snatch and grab; to try and get to her before she could spill the beans about what this quack has been doing to her!"

Throughout the explanation Ulquiorra observed as Corners' -a strange name in a world of strange names- reiatsu fluctuated. The further along he went the more emotional instability he displayed, and the more violent the fluctuations became. The disturbances had been quite low-level at the time of his arrival at the palace. And it was that, that had him curious on the matter. Curious enough to warrant him speaking up.

"Assuming all of this is true," Ulquiorra began, even though he had reason to suspect that it was, "how did Doctor Thrush gain your cooperation in this endeavor? And what motivated you to break your silence and reveal the truth?" he asked. They needed to know just how credible this unicorn was, before they proceeded.

"When he wants something, Thrush can be very... persuasive. Or... very coercive actually. And being a doctor with as much prestige and clout as him, opposition isn't exactly the best idea since he could easily ruin a career or two as easily as he could breathe. Threats are one of his go-to methods of getting "cooperation" out of ponies. Charley over there," Corners paused and gestured at his fellow orderly, "has got a little sister to look after. And me... well, as for me, Thrush made it clear that if I didn't go along with what he wanted on this case, he'd see to it that I was fired for inappropriate behavior with the patients in the foal's wing of the hospital. Supposedly he's known about my questionable interaction with sick foals for five years now, but didn't think it was important enough to report it to the proper authorities," he stated and frowned hard at Thrush.

"If such accusations were false, how was your cooperation successfully coerced?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Do you have any idea what happens to somepony suspected of being a foal fondler? It's not pretty. It doesn't even have to be true, just put out word that so-and-so is a foal-fondler, and you'll see one of the angriest mobs you've ever seen before in your life!" Corners stated, before frowning harder at Doctor Thrush than before.

"You have my apologies, and my sympathy, my little pony," Celestia stated as she spoke up, disgusted by this new development. "It was very brave of you to step forward like you've done here today, despite knowing what you could face. But I can't help but ask what finally motivated you to do just that."

"Fear, Your Majesty. I'm willing to tolerate a lot of abuse for the sake of keeping my job because I need it, but that doesn't include lying; specifically lying to somepony like you," Corners explained and bowed his head. Even those that were in it just for the money had scruples. "There's also fear of... just whatever he is," he continued and gestured in Ulquiorra's direction. "When he knew that I was the one who was forced to put the paralysis spell on Rainbow Dash, I knew I was going to be in deep trouble. And I'd much rather admit to being a part of something, than being made into the scapegoat as some negligent staff member."

"A very pragmatic decision on your part," Ulquiorra replied. Coming forward to Princess Celestia would ensure that retaliation for his honesty would be unlikely to occur.

"And a respectable one at that," Celestia added and nodded. And then she turned to Thrush. What sweetness she had mustered for Corners, was now dissolved by sourness and a scowl. "Do you have anything to say for yourself, "Doctor"?" she asked, the venom practically dripping from her lips at the mention of the word that he'd defiled.

"If you're expecting me to grovel and apologize, I have nothing to apologize for. I'll be vindicated by the facts of this case, making it clear that the actions I took in this case were not only necessary, but completely reasonable for dealing with the patient. We don't have time to deal with patients who are perfectly healthy, and insist on fabricating wild and unbelievable tales," Thrush stated, refusing to back down from his position. "She kept telling wild stories about how she was raped, despite there being no physical evidence to back up her accusations. Mare-on-mare rape is nothing more than a myth, purported by today's new-age think groups. Mares possess neither the mental capacity, nor the physical capacity to be the aggressor in such a case. One accusation would've been unbelievable enough. But no, she had to go with the story that she was raped by five different mares! I won't stand for such nonsense! I-"

"You're an idiot."

It was a simple, unassuming statement that was uttered that shut Thrush up during his rant. And, as Celestia noted, it could only be uttered by Ulquiorra with such straightforwardness and seamless deadpan delivery.

"What... what did you say to me?" Thrush asked, taken aback by the statement, and how easily it had been made.

"Did I stutter in my observation? I'll try again then," Ulquiorra replied. "You. Are. An. Idiot. A moron. A dullard. How you managed to arrive at the conclusions you've made, is beyond my ability to comprehend; just as it is beyond my ability to actually care. Regardless of such information, the fact remains that you're an idiot," he elaborated.

He'd had the dubious honor of meeting many arrogant individuals in his time. But this Doctor Thrush ranked highly as far as arrogance went. He was heavily opinionated in the belief that he was correct in his assumptions and observations. Trying to make him admit fault would be useless at this point. So he opted for another approach in addressing the stallion.

"Rainbow Dash was sent for the purpose of determining what illness or condition, if any, could potentially generate false memories, and auditory hallucinations in a pony. The reason she claimed she was raped, is because the false memories she possesses have lead her to believe she was raped. The purpose for the hospitalization was to provide a better level of care, than what would be possible at the palace. You have done no such thing. In fact, you may have only aggravated an already volatile situation, by traumatizing her even further, in your handling of the matter," he stated.

"There's nothing wrong with that mare!" Thrush roared in response. "We did tests on her, looking for anything that could explain her condition, and we found nothing! No viral, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic indicators have shown up, either in the blood samples, or in the tissue samples. There are no genetic markers that would indicate the onset of mental illness of any sort. There's no explanation except for her being nothing more than a lying nag!"

"One more word out of your mouth, Doc', and I'm gonna deck you one good!" Corners stated, unwilling to remain silent for what was being said. He'd already made his decision to not be a part of this mess. And it wasn't like he could get into anymore trouble than he already was.

"That's enough!"

It wasn't a bellowing yell that escaped Celestia's lips, but it was a very firm command. And, much to her relief, it was sufficient enough to quiet down the rabble that the small room was being subjected to. She didn't need all of this yelling right now. She needed calm, and quiet, in order to think.

And on top of that, she needed someone who wasn't prone to emotional outbursts to consult with.

"Ulquiorra, could I speak to you for a moment? Outside?"

The hallway was hardly the most secure of locations to have a conversation in. But that was simply par for the course as far as Ulquiorra was concerned. However he really doubted that the doors to the infirmary would be a sufficient noise buffer for whatever had to be said, even as far back as they stood.

"What do you have in mind?" he asked flatly, deciding to cut her off from whatever bush beating she might attempt, in an effort to work up the nerve to say whatever she had to say. "You wouldn't ask to speak with me, away from the others, unless you had something specific to say."

"Observant as always, and straight to the point," Celestia replied. She could respect that. "I want to bring Rainbow Dash back to the palace, so we can resume caring for her ourselves," she stated.

"And you need my permission before making such a call?" Ulquiorra asked.

"More like your advice. I want to make sure that I'm not rushing into something that I'm emotionally invested in," Celestia replied. "We made the decision to turn Rainbow Dash's care over to the hospital, both because they could provide greater care than we could, and to see if there was a determinable reason for what she was experiencing. And while they did see to the second in an acceptable manner, I believe it's safe to say that they've utterly failed at the first. You said it yourself, that so-called "doctor" in there might've wound up making matters worse in how he treated her. I don't even want to think of how much trauma he caused Rainbow Dash over the past few days. Confining a pegasus in a small room is bad enough, but to actually ground her, and to go so far as utilizing total paralysis..." she paused and gave a full body shiver, her wings twitching in the process. Being an alicorn didn't mean that she couldn't understand what it meant to be a pegasus; some things went deep when it came to having wings.

She looked over at the Espada, and saw him just standing silently. She took that as a silent invitation to continue.

"I'm not certain that it's best to leave Rainbow Dash in the continued custody of the hospital. If Corners' statements regarding Thrush's... "influence" are accurate, then an official inquiry needs to be launched to determine just how much corruption Canterlot General Hospital has become a hotbed of activity to. There's no telling what we might find, and I'd never forgive myself if we inadvertently placed her in a dangerous location in her current condition," she explained.

Ulquiorra said nothing in response. The irony of the statement regarding dangerous locations was impossible for him to ignore. Being one of the holders of the Elements of Harmony, Rainbow Dash was tasked with venturing into a number of dangerous situations, despite a glaring lack of specialized training for dealing with such encounters.

But then again, Rainbow Dash was never sent in alone. She always had backup in the form of five other mares, each equally absent of specialized training, but each with personal motivations to look out for the well being of one another. It was far different from this particular case, where such backup would be absent, and she might face future restraint for unspecified reasons.

"And how does my opinion assist you in this matter?" he asked.

"I need to know if what I plan on doing is a wise decision. We might not be equipped for patient care, but I know each member of the palace staff quite well, and trust them explicitly. None of them would do anything like what that stallion in there did to Rainbow Dash. None would even dream of it. And since we know that she's not host to some unrecognized disease, we don't have to keep her isolated. So doesn't it stand to reason, that it would be safe to bring her back here?" she asked him.

Ulquiorra considered how to respond. Simply because the medical tests available failed to identify any biological contaminants, didn't mean that nothing was present. All that it meant was there was nothing in the available repertoire of tests to identify. If something was presently unidentified, then there was little the tests would, or could, tell them about it.

That fact aside, there was the matter of Princess Celestia's desire to bring Rainbow Dash back into an environment they could directly control, and with far greater ease. Such an approach was possible, so long as security was increased to an appropriate level. There were numerous changes that would have to be made to the status quo, to ensure Rainbow Dash survived, and remained in place. Two escape attempts already, and each of them successful to a certain degree, did little to suggest these ponies knew anything about proper protocols.

"There are a significant number of changes that will have to be implemented," he began, mentally running through the checklist of things that would have to be done in order to keep Rainbow Dash safe. Competent guards being assigned, instituting an open door policy, restricting access to bedsheets and anything else that could be fashioned into a noose, etc. "Do you believe you possess the fortitude necessary to see this through?" he asked.

"I'm not certain we have much choice in the matter. If there's another viable option, then I'm not seeing it," Celestia replied. What else could they really do in this matter? As far as she could see, there was an obligation to step up and help Rainbow Dash. They had sent her to that hospital, to that insane stallion. They had nopony but themselves to blame. "You yourself said this was a matter that concerned the security of the nation. It's not a matter of whether or not we think we're up to what needs to be done. More accurately it's a matter of needing to be up to what needs to be done," she explained.

A fair point had been raised by Princess Celestia. Considering the importance of the matter, whether or not they were currently up to what had to be done was a matter of irrelevancy. They had no choice that he was aware of, except to proceed. As important as Rainbow Dash was to Equestria proper, leaving her in the care of anyone else would be utter foolishness.

"Can I count on you to assist us on this matter, Ulquiorra?" she asked him.

"Under normal circumstances I would say yes. But the situation in Ponyville has yet to be resolved. Whatever is responsible for Rainbow Dash's condition, is also responsible for Applejack's condition. And there's no telling what attack may occur next. If I'm to be of assistance here, I'll have to commute back and forth between the two locations. There's no telling how available I'll be, or what situation may come up that needs me to address it," he explained. Being indispensable, and yet simultaneously needed in more than one location was a difficult prospect. And the fact that he was without his descorrer, simply made it that much more difficult.

"Then perhaps I'd best not keep you any longer than necessary. Wait here a moment, and don't let Thrush try and sneak out. I'll return shortly with about four royal guards. I have a specific assignment for you," she replied.

"Which is?" Ulquiorra asked.

"I'd like you to escort Corners and the other orderly back to the hospital, and acquire Rainbow Dash's medical records. Take two of the guards along to ensure nopony tries to obstruct you. If we're going to be taking over her care, I want to know about absolutely everything that's transpired over the last five days," she explained.

"And the other two royal guards? What purpose will they serve?" Ulquiorra asked. He could see the wisdom of everything up to that point, with the exception of the numerical inconsistency. Clarification was needed.

"To place Thrush under arrest for assault, just as you said. With charges to be amended later, based on whatever the investigation may turn up. But for the time being, I believe aggravated assault on a member of the palace staff will be sufficient to hold him over, until an arraignment can be managed," she explained. She'd see about talking Malar out of possibly filing charges against Corners, considering how helpful he'd been to them so far. He might even prove useful to them in the future, depending on how things went.

"Understood," Ulquiorra replied, seeing no point in saying anything further. He couldn't really think of anything that might need to be said further. Anything he could have to offer up, would simply serve to prolong this bothersome side quest they were stuck facing. The less he said, the sooner Princess Celestia could depart to retrieve members of the royal guard. And the sooner she returned, the sooner he could carry out his duties, and return to Ponyville to carry out his duties there as well.

Author's Note

I tried, folks, I really tried. I spent a lot of time working on this chapter, but I just couldn't get it to feel quite right. It feels like something significant is missing, either in a key scene, or even a word to help better paint a particular instance, or just the general overall flow, but something just didn't feel right. But sadly I ran out of time and had to go with it.

I know that I'm probably going to catch hell for the villain not being any sort of big bad like you were hoping for when I promised you all a villain. But not all villains are created equal, and sometimes a small fry has to be addressed.

And now onto the fun stuff for bonus reading.

Deleted/extended scene/outtake

"You're an idiot."

"What... what did you say to me?" Thrush asked, taken aback by the statement, and how easily it had been made.

"Did I stutter in my observation? I'll try again then," Ulquiorra replied. "You. Are. An. Idiot. A moron. A dullard. A simpleton. A dumbass. A paint licker. A retard. Someone with an intelligence quotient below sixty points. A medical school dropout. Someone whose application to be a cadaver was rejected. A shithead. How you managed to arrive at the conclusions you've made is beyond my ability to comprehend; just as it is beyond my ability to actually care. Regardless of such information, the fact remains that you're an idiot," he elaborated.

Thrush was stammering at this point in utter disbelief of what terms were being so casually hurled in his direction. Quickly he turned to Celestia to look for guidance and clarification.

"Princess, are you going to just stand there, and let him assault me like that?" he asked.

"Let him? I'm actually thinking about joining in on the fun. The only reason I haven't, is because I haven't yet thought of any appropriate terms, that he hasn't already used," Celestia replied, cracking a wry grin of amusement at the obvious discomfort. And with that thought in mind, she turned to face Ulquiorra. "That reminds me, Ulquiorra, Luna is bound to want confirmation and clarification. What exactly is a "shithead" anyway?" she asked.

"In simple terms, an idiot whose cranial contents, proves itself to be indistinguishable from a pile of steaming excrement, when the two are compared side by side," Ulquiorra elaborated.

"Ah!" Celestia stated, nodding in agreement with the term of description, and how it seemed highly appropriate to describe Thrush. "That's a very fitting term. I'll have to remember to write that down for later reference."

"Princess!" Thrush stated in sheer disbelief. Things surely couldn't be unfolding like this... could they? He had to be dreaming, right?

"That's quite enough out of you "Doctor." I've had it up to here with you and your entire outlook on this situation," Celestia stated, raising her hoof above her head to visually illustrate her point on the matter. "I'll be dealing with you later. I need time to adequately calm down, so that I don't do something rash that I'll regret later; both morally, and because of all the paperwork that will be involved. Ulquiorra, would you be so good as to show the "Doctor" the door?" she asked.

"His current placement in the room, already provides him with an unobstructed view of both doors as is," Ulquiorra replied simply.

Celestia blinked, looking away from Thrush, over at Ulquiorra, and then over at where the doors were to the infirmary. And Ulquiorra had been right; where Thrush currently stood, there was nothing to obscure his view of the double doors in the room. She wanted to chuckle at it all, but she couldn't right now; maybe later.

"What I meant by that, Ulquiorra, was if you'd be so kind as to throw him out," she clarified.

Ulquiorra looked between Princess Celestia and Thrush, contemplating the request. It struck him as very odd, consideration everything that had occurred in the past, and what may occur in the future. Was she even aware of how badly that order could proceed?

But an order -even in the form of a request- was still an order. And she wanted the stallion in question to be bodily removed from the infirmary. What choice did he have in the matter?

"As you wish, Princess Celestia," he replied calmly, sliding his hands out of his pockets as he walked over to where Thrush stood, and -roughly- lifted him off the ground around his barrel from behind, to the point even his rear hooves were no longer touching.

Thrush squawked in surprise and indignation about this sudden turn of events, and the sheer amount of disrespect he was being shown. But all his attempts at adequately vocalizing his outrage were interrupted by the fact of quite literally being hurled right through the two swinging doors, and skidding to a stop against the marble flooring. That had hurt. It had hurt a great deal actually, and he wondered if a hip had been dislocated from the landing.

This was far from over, regardless of what they said to the contrary. He was a well-respected physician, this matter was far from being resolved. He had avenues open to him for dealing with this matter. Just wait until he got his lawyers involved, that would show them!

And then he felt the impact of his stethoscope slapping him in the back of his head, and saw it dangling limply from his horn. The utter indignation of it all...

Chapter Sixty Seven supplemental

Chapter Sixty Seven supplemental

Luna sat by Rainbow Dash's bed, watching the slow but steady rise and fall of the cyan pegasi's bandaged chest as she laid, unconscious and undreaming, her mind completely sealed off to the outside world.

And all the while, as she sat and watched, Luna couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so powerless, and utterly useless. Even when she'd lost her magic after being purified of Nightmare Moon's dark influence, she didn't feel this helpless.

She'd barely gotten any sleep at all on this day. Even upon learning that Rainbow Dash would live, it still hadn't helped. What little sleep she'd gotten had been through her sister's assistance, and all the while she was plagued with unease. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have risen for another three hours, but these circumstances were anything but normal. Normally an unconscious pony's mind would be an open book to her, and she could see so many wondrous -and even terrible- things. But regardless of how hard she tried, this was one pony's mind she couldn't gain access to. Whatever had happened to Rainbow Dash, it was preventing her from dreaming, and had been doing so for days now. She'd gone from nightly visits with a friend in need, to suddenly being cut off without even a single word as to why, or even how.

That being cut off without notice had filled her with great stress, and it compounded daily. While Rainbow Dash's nightmares were horrible to encounter, it was at least some connection that existed. But then that connection had been forcefully severed, leaving her incapable of helping. Worse than that, it had shaken her up mentally, and left her unable to properly focus on tending to the rest of her royal duties. And now with Applejack in a similar state to Rainbow Dash...

She wanted to scream right now. She wanted to bolt from the palace, fly as high as her wings would allow her, and just scream as loudly as she could, until her lungs burnt, and her throat was stripped raw. Something or someone was out there, right now, systematically targeting her friends for attack, inducing unimaginable suffering on each and every one of them that was touched, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it! Nothing except supportive work in extremely limited cases.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be! The royalty was supposed to serve the public's best interest, and look after them. They were supposed to protect their little ponies from harm, not stand by and watch them suffer needlessly, while twiddling their hooves in an utterly useless manner!

She had to calm down. That was a fact she was painfully aware of. But simply because she had to calm down, didn't mean that it was something easy enough to do. She'd been worked up the entire day, and even before then. She was of no use to anypony in her current condition. She had to take a breath, step back, and reconsider everything before her, as she tried to determine the best course for helping out not only her subjects, but also her friends.

Well, that, and silently vow that when she found the one responsible, she would administer ancient and arcane vengeance upon their worthless hide. But that was another line of thought, and best reserved for another point in time.

"Your Majesty? Are you alright?"

She was briefly aware of the voice next to her at this point. Turning to her side, she saw it was Nurse Goodwill standing next to her, with her muzzle bandaged, and her creamy yellow coat sporting pink stains that ran down her face. Just looking at her, gave sufficient reason and justification to continue remaining grouchy. Had that physician not been locked up prior to her arrival, she couldn't say that she would have shown restraint in her verbal tirade on him. But that was neither here nor there, as the nurse looked at her with great concern.

"In truth I have not been alright for the last month. But things as of recent have become much less fine than previous. I am nearing the point of ripping my mane out by the roots, as I sit here, unable to do anything more than watch a friend rest in a dreamless sleep," Luna admitted and slowly closed her eyes. "I am tired. I am upset. My friends are in danger, my ability to focus on my royal duties has been compromised, and I know not where to begin addressing everything."

"Hmm..." Goodwill mumbled to herself, although it was hard to tell with her nose in such a state. "I don't mean to be presumptuous, but... with your permission, Your Majesty, I might know of a place to start," she offered.

"Tell me, my little pony, I dearly wish to know," Luna replied.

The next thing she knew, she felt herself being pulled into a warm embrace. Opening her eyes in surprise, she found that Goodwill had stood up on her hind legs, in order to wrap her forelegs around her neck, and hold onto her firmly. It was a situation that was strikingly similar to the one she'd found her in at Ponyville General Hospital, in the aftermath of Ulquiorra Cifer's party. That time it had been Pinkie Pie's work.

But simply because the pink earth pony wasn't present, didn't mean that the hug didn't have the desired results. After a moment's pause, Luna closed her eyes, and returned the hug with a foreleg wrapped around Goodwill's back. It was comforting to have a warm, soft body close at hoof, when the whole world was going to pieces around her.

"Much appreciated, my little pony. I believe I was in desperate need of such," she stated.

"It's what I'm here for, Your Majesty. Being a trained healthcare provider isn't all about medicine, after all. Sometimes one has to be versed in the more subtle ways of caring for those in need," Goodwill explained as best she could.

"That is good to know," Luna replied. She briefly considered giving the nurse a little tease about making an appointment for more of this particular brand of healthcare being provided to her. But she ultimately decided against it. Her mood was lightened, but that didn't mean now was the appropriate time for jokes. So with a contented sigh, she removed her foreleg to disengage the hug, in order to allow Goodwill to set herself back down. Face to face conversations were far superior to over the wither; especially when one of the participants was injured, and had difficulty communicating.

"But this merely goes to reinforce my earlier point. I am useless here. I should be the one helping others, as is tradition for royalty. Instead everypony is helping me, as I sit around uselessly. It is a world gone mad!" Luna stated.

"... Even the helpers sometimes need help, Your Majesty," Goodwill pointed out as she sat back down. It was impossible for a single pony to do everything there was to do in this world, regardless of age, species, or otherwise. Even the diarchy couldn't be expected to tackle everything that arose.

Luna understood that the statement was perfectly accurate and truthful. But that didn't mean it was any easier for her to accept. Nor did it make it any easier to let go of her tension right now. She could accept needing the assistance of others, but not to this extent. She felt like a weak little filly right now, trapped in a situation she had no understanding of, and desperately in need of her parents to assure her that there was nothing in the shadows waiting to get her.

"That being said, I know how you feel. At the moment I can't do much of anything, thanks to my broken nose. I can barely even talk right," Goodwill continued. "I've been sidelined until further notice, and told to take it easy. Officially I'm not even on the case anymore until I recover," she explained and huffed. Something about how she might risk a more severe break, if Rainbow Dash got combative and struck her in the face this time around.

Luna wanted to comment, but she was interrupted by the sound of the door swinging open. Turning around, she saw one of her sisters' guards entering the room.

"Your Highness, the others have returned. They're currently waiting for you in the throne room," the guard explained as he stood by the door.

"That is excellent then," Luna replied as she stood up and turned around. "Wait here until I return. Keep Nurse Goodwill company, and alert me should Rainbow Dash regain consciousness," she instructed. She was met with a salute in response.

Perhaps now they could get to the bottom of this issue. Hopefully the records they'd procured would shed some light on what had transpired over the past few days.

When Luna finally made it to the throne room -a matter that would've been instantaneous if she could've just focused enough to teleport, rather than being forced to run- she found the others all assembled, just as she was told. Her sister stood next to Doctor Malar, while Ulquiorra stood next to somepony she didn't recognize, and all were peering through various books, charts, and other information she couldn't make out from her vantage point.

"What has been learned in my absence?" she asked as she approached their position.

"I'll let you know what we've learned, as soon as the two intellectual giants let me know what they've learned," Celestia replied as she turned to face Luna, before turning her attention back to Ulquiorra and Malar. Malar was currently reading over the medical records that had been procured from the hospital, while Ulquiorra was in the process of referencing a medical journal procured from the library. She'd been trying to follow along with what was being said, but the matters they were discussing were hard to follow; especially when they were the ones holding all the relevant material. How was she expected to keep track of everything in such a manner?

Luna said nothing in response, uncertain of how to respond to such a statement. So she simply decided to focus on what she could have a few words about; such as the unidentified unicorn in the room.

"And who is our new friend here?" she asked.

"This is Corners, an orderly from Canterlot General Hospital. And he's been quite invaluable to us so far," Celestia explained and smiled over at the aforementioned pony. Before beginning to give Luna an overview of what had transpired, and what developments had occurred during her absence.

Luna listened as Celestia explained what had happened, mentally promising herself that this Thrush character would indeed receive what was coming to him; as would anypony else that had been complicit in this. There would be no mercy whatsoever from her.

No mercy... except for Corners, who had recognized the error of his ways, and worked to correct them.

"You have our thanks. And our gratitude," she replied simply.

"I appreciate that, Your Highness," Corners replied and sighed. "But I fear my good deeds may have wound up costing me my job. And bad as it was, a paycheck is still a paycheck..."

Back at the hospital, it had been his decision to fully cooperate with Ulquiorra and the guards on the matter, and get them all the records that were sought, over what objections the other staff had tried to mount. He'd taken the brunt of the fallout that was bound to come from his actions, sparing Charley what would likely be the consequences for such. He knew the stallion had enough troubles as it was, without unemployment being added to them.

That said, it really hadn't been an easy sell to pull off. Charley was one of those that always meant well, he was just... a little bit slow in understanding at times; not stupid, he just didn't understand things quite as fast as everypony else did. And he'd been worried about the fallout that would be experienced with his workmate gone, seeing what they'd been through during their time at Canterlot General. It had been a really hard decision for him to make, knowing what was at stake and all. But he knew Charley well enough to know that he'd eventually be able to manage the change. He'd just need some time to adjust.

He just hoped that the pep talk he'd given before committing what was essentially treason to the hospital, would stick with the stallion, and see him through whatever coming difficulties he might face.

"I don't think you'll need to be worrying about that anytime soon," Celestia spoke up from where she stood. "Since Rainbow Dash is coming back to the palace so we can care for her ourselves, another set of hooves with medical experience could prove to be indispensable around here. That is, if you don't mind," she explained. It wouldn't be right to leave him vulnerable to retaliation, simply because he had some scruples in what he did daily.

"I'd have to be crazy to mind," Corners replied, excited about the prospect he was being offered. He was about to make his best effort of expressing his thanks for the kindness he was being presented. But he was interrupted before he could actually do such, by the sound of a heavy tome being firmly shut.

"We've completed our review of everything," Malar spoke up as he turned to face the diarchy.

"Wondrous! What have you learned? What is wrong with Rainbow Dash? Why does she no longer dream at night?" Luna asked, her voice shaky with both excitement and concern at the same time.

"The issue of just what is wrong with Rainbow Dash is extensive and complicated," Ulquiorra began. There was no one simple answer that could be given, that could explain absolutely everything. The matter would have to be explored one question at a time. "The matter pertaining to the lack of dreams, can be attributed to the drug regimen she was placed on during her stay at the hospital. Deprivation of REM-state sleep, is a side effect of nearly every anti-psychotic medication listed in her file."

Deprivation of REM-state sleep was only one of the known side effects listed. There were a significant number of others that didn't strike him as particularly indicative of promoting good health, and even seemed entirely contradictory to what the end goal was. But those side effects hadn't been inquired about, and as such, they were irrelevant to the discussion.

Next to him, Doctor Malar nodded in agreement.

"Based on the indicated dosages of each compound, when they were last administered, and on her metabolic rate, it could take days for everything to be fully out of her system," he added.

"Days!?" Luna yelled in disbelief at what she'd just heard. "Rainbow Dash will not be able to dream for days?"

"Among other things," Ulquiorra replied. And now that he thought about it, this could explain several more questions. REM-state deprivation could potentially explain why Rainbow Dash had crashed through the stained glass window, rather than swooping through the open balcony.

Of course it would do better to ask Rainbow Dash why she had done what she'd done. But if she was in a sleep-deprived state -one that was further exacerbated by the treatment she'd received while at the hospital- she might not even know why she had done what she'd done at the time. In light of being properly rested, her actions might appear insane even to herself. It would all have to be addressed later on.

"Well that's one mystery down. But what about the others at hoof? What did the hospital find out about her condition?" Celestia asked, hoping not only to move along with the discovery process, but also steer her sister away from a frenzy over the fact that one of their subjects had been deprived of their dreams; a very serious offense to a guardian of the dream world.

"Well that's where things start to get very interesting," Malar began as he flipped over the medical file again. "Thrush might be a disgrace to medicine, but the rest of the hospital staff was thorough in their examination. They conducted a number of blood tests, and tissue biopsies, running a full spectrum of tests to look for any biological contaminants that would explain what she was going through. And just as they stated, there's nothing there that could be found. No viruses, no bacteria, no fungi, and no parasites. As far as the hospital is concerned, she's quite healthy. There's nothing in her system that would suggest a contagion of any sort," he stated in a confident manner.

"And how exactly does that amount to interesting?" Celestia asked flatly. She didn't share Malar's enthusiasm right now, and wanted answers as to what was wrong with Rainbow Dash, not about what wasn't wrong with her.

"That in itself isn't. The interesting part isn't in what they didn't find, but what they did find. While one set of tests was being run to look for the presence of biological contaminants, another series of tests was run to look for other possible causes. And what those tests found was the presence of drugs in her system; specifically a combination of opioid and hallucinogenic substances," Malar stated.

Ulquiorra observed as silence overtook the room at this revelation. Even he himself was stunned. This wasn't the sort of revelation that he'd been expecting. This was actually the first time he had received confirmation that this world had any knowledge of such things; ponies engaging in recreational drug use simply had never occurred to him. It was just one of those things that was never given consideration, because it just seemed too nonsensical to even be worth considering.

It now appeared that he would have to reevaluate that particular outlook on the matter.

"Rainbow Dash is... on drugs?" Luna asked, unable to believe what she was hearing. Quickly she began vigorously shaking her head. "No! 'Tis a lie, 'tis bullshit!" she declared and stomped her hoof. There was no way this could be true.

"Luna-" Celestia started in an effort to calm her sister down.

"No, sister, I know of what I speak! If there were truth so such, I would hath seen it in her dreams. This cannot be right!" Luna stated furiously. They had to have made a mistake.

"I'm inclined to agree with Princess Luna on the matter. In the time I've spent around Rainbow Dash, I've observed nothing that would indicate either short or long-term recreational usage of narcotics, or other such substances. Nor am I aware of just how such usage could yield the results we have seen, and for the duration we've seen," Ulquiorra replied.

It was no secret to anyone that he had no particular care for Rainbow Dash or her well being, beyond her status as holder of the Element of Loyalty. He found her generally unpleasant in personality. If it weren't for her importance to Equestria, he wouldn't have associated with her at all. But even with that level of animosity, he still had serious doubts that she would ever engage in recreational drug use. He had found nothing in his investigation that would even begin to suggest such, and he had been meticulous in searching every location she had visited in the given week prior to the incident. It was... it was something he couldn't logically explain. As disturbing as the thought was, he just couldn't seem to articulate his position on this matter.

Celestia tried to suppress the sigh that she was feeling build up within her. Luna was taking this news far harder than she'd expected. She needed to do something while she still could.

"If this is the result of drugs, Doctor, then wouldn't that mean it's only a matter of time before she's better? She's been watched over for nearly two weeks straight, and given no opportunity during which she could administer another dose of whatever substance is in her system. Eventually the chemical compounds will have to break down and metabolize, just like everything else, right?" she asked. Medical magic might not have been one of her fields of study -at least not on an extensive level, unlike other subjects- but that didn't mean she was totally ignorant on the subject of biology.

"Under normal circumstance, I'd say yes. But that's where things go from interesting, to just plain weird, Your Highness. These tests were only done about five days ago, but they're devoid of any sign of her system containing the appropriate metabolites for these drug types. I don't know if it was too soon at the time, since not everything has a short half-life cycle, but it almost looks like her body isn't succeeding in breaking them down," Malar explained uncertainly. "I'll order another panel of blood tests to see if there's been any change between now and then. Hopefully they can be run faster than the first time around, since we know what we're looking for this time around."

"It would be wise to have Applejack examined by a physician as well, to determine if her experiences are due to the same cause," Ulquiorra suggested. Right now that was about the only thing he was capable of contributing on this matter.

And perhaps that much would be enough. If Applejack's tests showed the same result as Rainbow Dash's, then they would finally have an answer to go on. But it would be only one answer. They would then have to figure out where the drugs came from, how they were procured, who had supplied them, and why were they taken in the first place?

And then there was a flash of light in the room, as one of Princess Celestia's royal guards appeared.

"Your Highness!" the guard announced quickly as he saluted. "As per orders, I'm reporting that the pegasus Rainbow Dash has finally regained consciousness."

"Wonderful. Perhaps now we can get some answers," Celestia replied.

"You're very lucky," Goodwill stated softly, as best she could, as she wrapped fresh bandages around Rainbow Dash's chest. As she did so, her fellow nurse kept the pegasus aloft and off the bed for ease of access. "Your carotid artery was nearly severed by that crash you were involved in. We found a fragment of glass resting right against it."

Rainbow Dash, however, said nothing in response to the statement about how she was lucky. She simply continued staring at the ceiling, and hanging limp in the telekinetic field that enveloped her.

Goodwill sighed at the lack of response, and simply refocused on her task of changing the bandages. Despite their best work at stitching Rainbow Dash back together, the normal post-op oozing had still occurred with the larger wounds, and needed to be addressed to prevent infection.

She wasn't certain, but she wanted to blame a part of it on Thrush's rough treatment of her. All that jostling could've shaken something loose.

"... I'm sorry..."

Goodwill blinked and looked up at the statement, barely above the level of a whisper. Had she actually heard something said, or was her imagination playing tricks on her? As she looked up from her task, she saw that Rainbow Dash was looking at her out of the corner of her eye.

"About your horn. I'm sorry I bit you. You didn't deserve that..."

It was a hoarse croaking of a statement, likely due to an overly dry throat. But nonetheless, she could tell there was sincerity behind her words.

"Apology accepted," she replied, before continuing with another pass of fresh bandages around her chest. "That'll make it easier when looking after you in the future."

"... Say what?" Rainbow Dash asked, not even bothering to turn her head, as she already knew it wouldn't be possible.

Goodwill was about to explain what had developed during the time she was unconscious. But before she could, she was interrupted by the door opening, and the others coming back in again. First it was the Princesses in single file, then Doctor Malar, then the Espada, and finally Corners, who was sticking to the back, and mostly obscured by the others in front of him.

"I'm quite relieved that you're alright, Rainbow Dash," Celestia stated in her usual kind tone as she approached the bed. "You had all of us worried when you came crashing through the window into the throne room."

"I'll pay for it," Rainbow Dash replied hoarsely. "I mean I'll try anyway. I've got some bits stashed away and-"

Celestia raised her hoof, signalling for Rainbow Dash to stop talking.

"The window was never my concern, Rainbow Dash, only your well being. I could care less about a mass of decorative glass. My only concern is my subjects, and my friends," she explained, setting her hoof back down as she stepped closer, and looked Rainbow Dash in the eyes; coincidentally occurring when she was lowered back onto the bed, the re-bandaging now completed.

It was at this point that Luna stepped forward, far less visibly composed than her sister. One could tell just by looking at her that she was frantic.

"I... I..." she started, before turning back to look at Malar and the other assembled medical staff. "Please, I must know, can she be hugged yet?"

"... As long as it's nothing too vigorous. She hasn't had a chance to properly heal yet," Malar replied. He knew how... enthusiastic... Princess Luna could get when it came to caring for her friends. He just hoped her enthusiasm didn't cause the sutures to rupture. He knew that as the chief physician for the palace, he had some degree of leeway when it came to his own authority. But right now he wasn't really sure exercising it would yield the desired results. The best he could do right now was advise that they exercise a cautious approach in what they did, and tread lightly.

Hearing this, Luna turned back to Rainbow Dash, sat down on her haunches, and flexed her magic, gently lifting her up and out of the bed over to her, before reaching out and tentatively pulling her into a loose embrace. She was so scared of causing her any further discomfort, but at the same time she wanted to hold onto her so much tighter to ensure she didn't slip loose, and fall to the floor should her telekinesis somehow cut out on her.

There were a lot of things that she wanted to say right now, but she feared that if she opened up, she was going to let loose an emotional torrent that simply wouldn't stop. She'd been so worried since the start of the day, when she'd been present for the window shattering, and the aftermath revealing Rainbow Dash's bloodied and cut up form being the cause of it all. Being left alone in the throne room, her imagination had run wild, and convinced her that such a graphic image would quite possibly be the very last memory she would ever have, of seeing the cyan pegasus while she was still alive. She'd been so wound up by everything, more than once she'd nearly broken down and bawled like a foal. And now, secure in the knowledge that Rainbow Dash was going to continue living, she might just do that out of relief.

"What's he doing here?"

The venom in Rainbow Dash's voice as she emphasized that single word could practically be felt by everyone present. And as they looked, they saw the target of her discontent; that being Corners from where he stood at the back.

"You don't need to worry about Corners, Rainbow Dash, he's here to help you," Celestia reassured her.

"Bullshit!!" Rainbow Dash yelled and proceeded to try and struggle and squirm in Luna's embrace, despite the lack of room to actually maneuver her body in. "He's not taking me back there! I won't go, I won't! I'm not going back into the box again! Don't let him take me!"

From Ulquiorra's perspective, it was strange to observe Rainbow Dash's reaction to the sight of Corners. She was currently running a gamut of emotional instability, ranging from aggression, to outright terror. She was simultaneously angry, and scared, and both reactions were wrestling for domination. And this was also being displayed in her reiatsu fluctuations.

"Ulquiorra, help! Please don't let them take me! I don't wanna go back in the box again! Ulquiorra!"

That... gave Ulquiorra reason to pause. He hadn't been expecting this development to occur. Not at all.

In his time here in Equestria, he had met a number of ponies, with most of them having their own way of addressing him. Some were more casual than others, some were more formal than others. Some referenced his title, some his species. A good number of them used his name, with some of them able to pronounce it correctly.

And then there was Rainbow Dash. Not once in all of their interactions, had she ever used his name. She'd never even tried to use his name. She'd claimed that it was too hard for her to get right. In any of the times she'd tried to address him, it was always something like "dude" or "U.C" or she'd simply talked directly at him.

So when she went from her usual manner of address, to using his actual name -and the correct pronunciation on top of it- he knew that something wasn't right.

Actually that was a considerable understatement of facts. He already knew that something wasn't right, as nothing had been right since he'd gotten here. But this was a different case entirely, separate from everything else that wasn't right. If Rainbow Dash was actually referring to him by name, and pleading for his help, then it was safe to say that something new was very wrong, and the situation had gone from bad to worse. But the question was just what was that something? Just what had Rainbow Dash gone through, that warranted this almost Pavlovian response in her, that had her trying her best to escape by thrashing about? This was genuine, unadulterated fear he was experiencing right now, from the same pony who had faced him down, alone, and without even blinking.

"What the hell did that idiot do to her?" he asked himself, wondering just what trauma Thrush had subjected her to, in his obsessive desire to satiate his inflated ego.

"Rainbow Dash," Celestia spoke gently, but with enough volume to still be heard. "Do you remember back in Carousel Boutique, when I asked if you could trust us to look out for you? Well that's what I'm asking you to do right now. I'm asking you to trust us. I promise you, you won't be going back into any box. And I can assure you, Corners is not here to hurt you. He's actually the one that helped you, by informing us of just what Doctor Thrush had done to you. And because of him, right now, Thrush is sitting in a holding cell, cooling his hooves, as we work to decide just what to have him charged with. He can't hurt you, or anypony else anymore, and that includes Corners."

Ulquiorra observed how the last statement had managed to take the wind out of Rainbow Dash's sails. She stopped her squirming and thrashing almost immediately.

But he'd also observed how Princess Celestia was exercising her magic at the same time. Perhaps using her words as a distraction, while at the exact same time, weaving a calming spell in order to make her focus. That was the only thing that made sense right now, as words alone would've never been able to do that.

"... Say what now?" she asked, confused.

"From best I can understand, Thrush had made an indirect threat on Corners' life to secure his cooperation. And on more than one occasion as well. He is just as much a victim as you are. But no more. Now he will be working with Doctor Malar and his staff, and be treated with the respect he deserves," Luna stated.

"... You're asking an awful lot," Rainbow Dash muttered as she looked down at the floor, past Luna's foreleg. "You want me to trust you about him... like when I trusted you that I'd be alright at the hospital?"

Silence washed over the room at Rainbow Dash's question. Neither Celestia nor Luna knew how to respond to being called out in such a manner, as she was correct. They'd determined that the hospital would be their best bet in her care, and they'd been proven wrong in that determination. And now they were being called out on their mistake.

"Mistakes have happened up to this point," Ulquiorra spoke up, bringing their attention to him. "Mistakes will continue to happen after this point. Nothing is going to change that fact. When mistakes occur, they will be addressed to the best of our abilities, and corrected if possible."

If Rainbow Dash was expecting a perfect track record of success, then she was sorely out of luck. Not a single individual in this room could boast about never making a mistake that had unintentionally cost them something; even Ulquiorra himself couldn't make such a claim, and he was well aware of that fact.

But questionable track records or not, he was equally aware that this motley crew, composed of various ponies, and himself, was all that they had to rely on right now. They simply had to make the best of a bad situation

And perhaps now it was the appropriate time to emphasize that point. He then turned his attention to Rainbow Dash directly in order to address her.

"Truthfully you don't have to trust us. But such a course of action will make the road to recovery more difficult to traverse," he pointed out. "The decision is yours to make. We don't have that authority here."

He could have easily berated Rainbow Dash for her inconsistent stance on trusting the others, and how she didn't have much choice in the matter. But at the moment, that approach didn't seem quite... appropriate. He knew that trying to force the issue would do no good, as trust couldn't be forced. It was one of those things that had to be properly cultivated with patience, and simply performing some arbitrary task would do nothing to foster its growth.

But simply because he knew no good would come from trying to force the issue, didn't change the fact that he still found the idea to be inappropriate to consider as an option.

The fact that she had asked him - and by name no less- for help was a matter that he was still trying to properly wrap his head around.

And now he was aware of the others looking at him, some of them in a skeptical manner. But that was to be understood, considering he'd more or less just bypassed the diarchy with his statement.

"You mean... you're not going to tell me that I have to trust you? No pressure or anything?" Rainbow Dash asked, dumbfounded by what he'd just said. She'd been expecting a big explanation about the importance of trust, and she'd gotten nothing like that. It was... actually it was underwhelming.

"No," Ulquiorra replied flatly. There was no need for extensive elaboration on this matter. If Rainbow Dash wasn't prepared to trust them, then explaining just why she should trust them would yield no practical benefit. If she was hounded, she would simply shut them all out, and slip further into whatever mental instability plagued her mind.

If they were going to get anywhere, then she would need to come to them of her own volition. she would have to want her recovery, for it to mean anything; just like a drug addict wanting to get clean and sober.

In hindsight, perhaps that wasn't the best comparison to be making under these circumstances.

"Okay... I'll try..." Rainbow Dash replied weakly, all the while hanging limply in Luna's hold.

Celestia smiled. Rainbow Dash agreeing to trust them was a very good sign. Now Ulquiorra's actions were starting to make some sense to her. Or at the very least, it was taking some of the mutinous undertones out of the equation.

"Could I lay back down now? I'm kinda tired," Rainbow Dash muttered.

"Oh. Of course," Luna replied as she carefully let go of the cyan pegasus, and levitated her back over to the bed, and gently laid her back down.

Malar wanted to speak up. As a medical practitioner, he was certain that Rainbow Dash should be resting right now, aided by a low-level sedative spell to help her relax. In her current state, she was in no condition for extended periods of excitement; she was going to need at least several days of rest to properly heal from her injuries.

But at the same time, he was experiencing a burning, overwhelming sense of curiosity concerning Rainbow Dash's condition, and everything that had lead up to it. He wanted to find out the mystery concerning the drugs that were in her system. And, if applicable, who else might have access to them, and be using them right now. The more information they had to go on, the better off they'd be. If they were facing an epidemic in the making, then it was better to get a jump on it early.

He was genuinely torn on what was the best manner in order to proceed from here on out. He could feel the oath he took upon completing medical school coming back to bite him on the flank right now. Should he care primarily for his patient in the here and now, or the possible hundreds of patients that could come about in the immediate future?

"At present there are a number of questions that have yet to be answered. Questions pertaining to your own health and well being," Ulquiorra pointed out, serving as a reminder to the others that they still had business to tend to. Giving Rainbow Dash time to recover might be the desirable thing to do, but they lacked the time necessary to allow for an adequate recovery to take place.

And if the others didn't understand that fact, then he would have to make them understand. Time could be of the essence for all they knew at this point.

"Like what?" Rainbow Dash asked, tiredness starting to be overridden by what was turning into burning curiosity.

"The various tests performed at the hospital revealed no signs of biological contaminants; you're neither contagious, nor are you suffering from any form of mental illness, as far as Canterlot's medical experts are concerned," Ulquiorra explained. The reaction he received in response, however, wasn't quite what he was expecting. He'd expected some exaggerated display that would indicate a sense of relief washing over her. Instead he was simply stared at, as if she knew that there was more to be said, and she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

If that were truly the case, then she was more intelligent than she let on.

"However there's another matter. While there was no sign of biological contaminants, there were signs of certain chemical substances in your system; specifically opioid and hallucinogenic substances. We need to know where they were acquired, and who else may have access to them," he stated flatly. There was no point in tiptoeing around the issue of her possible drug use in the name of sensitivity.

"Ha... hallucinogenics?" Rainbow Dash asked after a long pause as she tried to process what he was saying. "You mean... you mean drugs?" she asked. However she didn't even wait for a response before she started shaking her head. "No. No, no, no. That can't be right, I don't do drugs! I don't! The tests have to be wrong, they have to be!" she stated quickly as she bolted up in the bed, refusing to believe what she was hearing. There was no way any of this could be true. It had to be some sort of crazy practical joke they were playing on her. It had to be a mistake. It had to be something, anything other than the truth. There was just simply no way that it could be the truth!

"Rainbow Dash, please calm down," Luna said as she raised a hoof to try and ease the distraught pegasus. But her efforts seemed fruitless as her hoof was ensnared by Rainbow Dash grabbing onto it as she continued to thrash about. And all the while she continued denying the use of any drugs. If she was asked, Luna would admit that she had no idea just what had set the cyan pegasus off in such a manner, and why she was trying so hard to convince them that she didn't do drugs, when no such accusation had even been made. What had set her off like that?

But before she could even get an answer to that question, she became aware of the bandages on Rainbow Dash's midsection quickly becoming stained red.

"Out! Everypony out! Now!" Malar ordered. He'd spotted the bleeding almost immediately, and knew that they were dealing with a ruptured suture at the least. They'd all wound up pushing the patient too far before she was adequately ready, and now they had a situation on their hooves. And now it was up to them to clean up the mess. "Nurse!"

In the following few seconds, it was a mass of unorganized chaos and shouting, as Celestia, Luna, Ulquiorra, and Corners, were all more or less shoved and ordered out of the infirmary. Not that they'd done much to try and resist the forceful ejection they'd just been subjected to. Some were too stunned, while others knew what was going on, and knew it was best not to object.

"What exactly happened?" Luna asked and blinked.

"Doctor Malar's evaluation of Rainbow Dash's condition proved to be quite accurate. We overtaxed a system that wasn't ready for the strain it was put under," Ulquiorra elaborated. All of them, even himself, had been far too quick to try and seek answers. Utter foolishness on all of their parts.

All they could do now, was wait and see how things developed from here on out.

And, for those that naively held such foolish notions, hope that she recovered.

There was very little activity in the hallway outside of the infirmary. For Ulquiorra himself, that was understandable, as he didn't currently possess any other pressing matters to address. But when it came to the others, it was decidedly less so. Corners, being the newest member of their motley crew, could reasonably argue that he hadn't yet been situated, and had nothing else to do but wait. However the diarchy had no such excuse available to them, so their presence was a matter of confusion.

Confusion or not, however, nothing changed the fact that they were all present, and all waiting to receive word on Rainbow Dash's condition. As if the presence of all participants would somehow affect the outcome, and yield a different result than if he'd just been here by himself.

Even if their presence served as a point of bother to him, however, there was nothing he could do about it. Two of the other three present drastically outranked him. The best he could do was simply submit a request that they leave, which they would likely refuse to comply with. In short there was nothing he could do but wait alongside them.

The only upside to everything, was the fact that presently there was no pointless conversation going on. And while there was some conversation that had been going on over the past hour, it wasn't exactly pointless in nature.

Regardless of that fact, however, silence would've been preferred to the hysterics, and the clopping of hooves against the marble flooring.

However the wait was eventually ended, as Malar exited the room, looking quite exhausted; to the point where he could quite possibly fall right over, judging by the manner in which he was dragging his hooves.

"The operation was a success. But what has been learned?" Ulquiorra asked as soon as he was out the door.

"How did you..." Malar started to ask. But then he decided that he'd rather not; not at this point in time anyway. He was too tired from everything that'd happened today, to add yet something else on top of it. The Espada had already explained how he could see things that no pony could. For all he knew, he could see through the walls, read lips, smell death, and do so much more. "Oh never mind. But in short, you're right, she's still alive. All of the physical exertion she did, tore out some of her sutures, and we had to go back in and redo them. Now she's unconscious again, as to be expected. And this time around, I'm not about to let anyone else question her, or get her excited, or even hug her, until she's had time to actually heal," he explained, adding the last part firmly to make his position clear. Rainbow Dash was in his care now, and this time around he was going to exercise that authority he had in this matter, royal objection or no royal objection. He'd keep her in a medically induced coma if that's what it took to get her healed up.

"Thank Faust," Luna breathed and closed her eyes as she hung her head, promptly dropping to her haunches, sitting down for the first time since they'd been pushed into the hallway. She could finally stop her nervous pacing. "I feared the worst."

"We all did, Luna," Celestia replied as she approached and ran a wing over her back.

"Unfortunately we're not any closer to getting the answers we were after," Corners pointed out. Yes, he was thankful that Rainbow Dash hadn't died, but he wanted to know just what the buck was going on. The Princesses had been kind enough to hire him into their services when they could've just as easily thrown him into the dungeons right alongside Thrush, so the very least he could do was get involved in this matter, and try and help out however he could. "We still don't know where she got the drugs from."

"No. No we don't," Celestia agreed. They hadn't managed to get any answers out of Rainbow Dash. Just flat out denial, when she hadn't even been accused of anything. Denial and a near-panic. "But that doesn't mean we're at a dead end. We still have another way in which to proceed."

"We do? Well what is it?" Corners asked, confused by what they were talking about. Confused, and a little frustrated at not being let in on what was going on around him.

"Applejack," Ulquiorra stated. He could see the look of recognition on the orderly's face at the obvious being pointed out to him. Most likely it was a simple lapse in memory, born from everything else that'd been going on so far.

Celestia nodded in agreement. Once they successfully determined Applejack's overall condition, they could then work backwards from her, and determine what similarities she had with Rainbow Dash, that could potentially lead them to some commonality to explore and investigate. Now that she stopped and thought about it more, that seemed like the better course of action anyway.

So far all of their attention had been focused on Rainbow Dash, primarily because she was the first to be attacked, and the one who had been more seriously affected. Applejack in comparison just seemed... more stable overall. She hadn't been a quivering mess of crying and uncertainty. Nor had she given off an air that left her deeply concerned for her well being.

That wasn't to say that they'd decided to simply write her off, and pay no attention to her. It just meant that they had to prioritize in terms of order of severity. And if Rainbow Dash was going to be incapacitated for the time being, then Applejack automatically became their best lead to go on. And perhaps her stability in this case could serve them well.

At the very least, following up on the leads from Applejack would allow Rainbow Dash the time she needed to better rest, and recuperate, by taking some of the stress off of her. It was made abundantly clear that the last thing she needed right now, was anymore stress weighing on her mind. She'd already tried to commit suicide once, they didn't need a repeat of that.

"I'll send word to Ponyville, and let them know just what the situation entails," she stated. The sooner she could get them involved, the sooner they could potentially get some genuine answers, and figure out just what they were doing.

She would also have to inform Twilight that, due to circumstances beyond their control, that meeting they'd scheduled for today was going to be cancelled, and would have to be done another time.

"That is all well and good. But what do we do in the meantime? How do we care for Rainbow Dash?" Luna asked. She understood that her duties and responsibilities applied to Equestria as a whole, but that didn't mean they should forget about individual cases that were in dire need. And right now, who could be in more dire need than Rainbow Dash herself?

"If I may," Corners spoke up. When all eyes were on him, he stepped forward and continued talking, doing his best to keep his cool, now that he was center stage and all. "I know that I'm new here and all, and mine isn't the best track record, but I think one thing we need to do, is reinstate the suicide watch that was theoretically in place, until we make sure she's no longer a danger to herself or others. And this time we do it properly, with ponies checking up on her and everything. No more throwing her in a dark room for hours at a time, and calling it good enough," he stated.

"I am in agreement," Luna stated quickly. This sounded like a very good plan to her ears. They would be giving Rainbow Dash the care she needed, and doing whatever it took to help her get back on her hooves. She would see to that herself if it was necessary. "What else might we do to help Rainbow Dash? How do we see to her best?"

"I would recommend a complement of twelve guards," Ulquiorra spoke up from where he stood, hands tucked into his pockets. "Six from the day guard, six from the night guard. Divided into groups of two, and each tasked with a four-hour shift of monitoring her condition. Any future attempts at either escape or suicide, will be far less likely to succeed when in the presence of a pair of professionals, trained in dealing with difficult subjects," he elaborated. Not that he particularly considered the royal guard to be professional at anything, but in their situation, beggars couldn't be choosers. In his absence they would have to do. And in order to look after Ponyville, and the sensitive targets still present there, his absences would likely be frequent. His presence here would have to be relegated to coordinating with the others whenever necessary, and providing his expertise when the situation demanded it.

Luna wanted to ask the Espada if such an approach was truly necessary. Their guards were among the best trained of ponies, but that training involved providing security to others, not necessarily nurse-type work. Assigning them to provide observation, and, if it proved to be necessary, physically restraining her, things could get quite ugly, and quite quickly.

But she refrained from asking such a question, as she suspected she already knew what the answer would entail. Within one week's time, Rainbow Dash had already launched two successful escape attempts, and somehow overcame a wing paralysis spell in the process of the second one. Who knew what they would be facing right now. For all she knew right now, a complement of guards might be the most reasonable thing they could do under these circumstances.

"I'll consider both recommendations. But I'd prefer that we first sit down, and discuss just what the proposals will involve. And more importantly, what they won't involve. I don't want to hastily jump on something, just because it sounds good at the moment," Celestia pointed out. She wanted to know not only how the watch would be carried out, but what the guards would be tasked with doing.

She also wanted to know if outside physicians would be brought in to assist on this matter, and if so, who they were, and what they specialized in that would be of help to them. They needed to be careful with how they'd proceed if they were going to avoid making anymore mistakes. If there were any psychiatrists that specialized in what they'd be encountering, she wanted their names and addresses. She'd ready an entire wing of the palace to house every physician in Canterlot for as long as necessary, if that was what they needed to do, to make things right again.

They had a plan of action for how to proceed from here on out. And this time around they had a consensus of voices, provided by numerous skilled individuals, who were all willing to cooperate towards a specific goal. Now it was just a matter of actually putting everything together and into motion. And if they could do that, then maybe, just maybe, they could finally get to the bottom of things, and finally get Rainbow Dash well again.

For the time being, Ulquiorra was content to maintain his silence. At the moment he had nothing more to contribute, as it would serve no point. Once Princess Celestia had determined who should be assembled, and when they should be assembled, he would have something more to say. Until then, it was just a matter of more waiting for the appropriate time.

Until that appropriate time arrived, however, he had other matters to focus on; such as the hallucinogenics currently flooding Rainbow Dash's system. Or more specifically, exactly what was it about their presence, that had provoked such an aggravated response from her? They hadn't even made any accusations about her use of them, before she reacted violently enough to tear open her sutures.

But perhaps, what was even more interesting than that, was the reiatsu readings he had been picking up at the time of her outburst; what she'd been saying had been a matter of truth. Or at the very least, she genuinely believed that it was the truth. And her skills at deception were fairly abysmal; lying to herself would be one thing, but lying to the rest was another matter.

There was also what Princess Luna had said, regarding how she would have known if Rainbow Dash was taking drugs, based on evidence that would be presented in her dreams. This suggested... he really wasn't sure of just what exactly that statement suggested, and how much access to information the lunar alicorn had. He could speculate, but at the moment he'd rather not. If he allowed his mind to wander over the possibilities, there was no telling where it might take him. Even now, as he attempted to stay focused, he couldn't help but wonder if the drugs were the fault of Doctor Thrush. Perhaps they were an insurance policy of his, in case word of his actions were to ever get out, and serve to discredit the source?

For the time being, however, he would limit his focus to what was already known; there were two that had reason to believe what Rainbow Dash was saying, based on what they'd experienced for themselves.

This inconsistency -or discrepancy actually- suggested another theory; that she wasn't doing drugs, but rather had been drugged by some outside source. That might easily explain everything. But even if it did manage to explain everything, and do so in a very orderly, and logical manner, it just added new complications that had to be addressed alongside others. And the logistics of what all that would involve, were going to be significant. Significant enough that he wasn't even going to voice them, until Princess Celestia had everyone assembled and ready.

Once everyone was properly assembled, and correctly oriented mentally, then he would bring up this new theory. Hopefully under such circumstances, they could begin addressing everything, not only in a clear manner, but also a coherent manner.

Chapter Sixty Eight

Chapter Sixty Eight

Tuesday, June 25, 0002 ANM

Today

Sweetie Belle sighed dejectedly as she looked down at the progress of her most recent journal entry. Or more accurately, the lack thereof. Try as she might, she just couldn't properly express what she was thinking, and how she was feeling.

She knew what she wanted to say, what she was trying to say. The words were all there in her mind, just waiting to be put down on paper. But try as she might, she just couldn't translate thought into physical form. When she tried, nothing would come out, and she'd experience an overwhelming sense of writer's block. And this fact was complicated by the fact that she was surrounded by numerous tempting distractions, that her mind was desperately wanting to focus on a lot more. And whenever she did succumb to such temptations -even unintentionally- any half-formed thoughts that had developed, were suddenly lost to her, and what she was going to say was gone, leaving her totally unable to recall them, and ever further dejected then before.

She really needed to learn to write down, what she was thinking about writing down. Or something like that anyway.

Maybe she could ask Twilight about enchanting her pencil, so that it would automatically write as she thought. Then things wouldn't get lost while she was in the process of getting her stationary out.

"Hello! Equestria to Sweetie Belle, are you there!?"

"Huh?" Sweetie Belle asked as she looked around. She then became aware of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo being present, looking confused, and annoyed.

"Ya were kinda zonin' out on us there," Apple Bloom explained.

"Oh. Sorry about that," Sweetie Belle replied and sighed again, before slowly closing her book. "I've been trying to write in my journal about what we've done. But I've got writer's block, and I can't get past it. No matter what I try, I just can't get the words down onto the paper," she explained and slid the book back into her saddlebags for the time being.

"But we haven't done anything today," Scootaloo pointed out, annoyed that she was apparently the only one who recognized the fact. She loved her friends, she really did. But, much as she hated to admit the fact, there were times when they could be such boneheads, and she often wanted to throw her hooves up in exasperation with them.

"Seriously, what's there to even write about? Us meeting up at Sugarcube Corner? Or the fact that we weren't able to think of any idea for getting our cutie marks today? Or the fact that Ponyville's still not put back together yet?" she asked them. She sure couldn't see anything about the morning that was particularly noteworthy. "Ooh, I know! We could write about the fact that nopony will tell us anything about what's going on around here!" she stated sarcastically.

"Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom spoke up, not happy with the way things were starting to shape up. She knew that if she didn't interrupt the pegasus during her tirade, then things could quite possibly get ugly. But simply yelling at her wouldn't do any good. So it was time to do a bit of digging. "Wha's got ya so upset anyway? Ya've been testy fer days now," she pointed out. And she really had been. This hadn't been the first time Scootaloo had gotten snippy with them about one thing or another. And while she was willing to make allowances to some degree, this was starting to get out of hoof.

Scootaloo, in response to the question, sighed and huffed, before turning her attention towards the ground, letting her body slouch.

"I'm sorry. It's just... I'm really upset about Rainbow Dash, okay? Nopony's seen her for days now, and nopony will tell me anything about it! I tried asking Twilight if she knew anything, and all she would tell me is she hasn't seen her either. Where could she be?" Scootaloo asked them, although she really doubted either one of them would have any answers to give.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle remained silent as they watched their friend experiencing a mini-meltdown, everything now starting to make a greater deal of sense to them. It was certainly no secret that their pegasus companion idolized Rainbow Dash, and looked up to her like she was her own big sister. The only real reason they hadn't given it much thought up until now, was the simple fact that most of the time, they didn't directly interact with the friends of their older sisters. Or at least not all at once. Sure they saw Rainbow Dash around town, but not all the time.

"I'm sure she's alright. Otherwise we would've heard something by now. Ponyville's a small town, you know how news travels," Sweetie Belle pointed out, doing her best to try and put a positive spin on it. "I mean, even if nopony is talking to us directly, we would've overheard something from somepony telling somepony else."

"I know, I know. It's just... it's just not knowing and all. What could've happened? Where could she be? How come Raindrops and Thunderlane were assigned morning fog duty last week, when it's always Flitter and Cloudchaser doing that?" Scootaloo asked them, even though they couldn't possibly give her any answers. But asking the questions, and actually getting them out in the open where they could be heard, still felt better than just rolling them over in her own mind again and again.

Silence. Nothing but silence in the aftermath of her questions. All Scootaloo could do was sigh in response.

"Actually..." Apple Bloom started slowly, causing the other two to look at her. "Ah know it don' help ya any, Scoots, but ah'm worried 'bout Applejack too. An' fer the same reasons. The other night when Carrot Top was over fer dinner, Applejack came in cryin', covered in barf, and hugged me fer dear life an' almost suffocated me. Then Big Mac took 'er ta see Twilight, an' we didn't see hide nor hair o' her 'til the next mornin'. Ah've tried askin' 'er 'bout what happened, an' she won't tell me anythin' 'bout it. She says she's alright, but ah don' really believe 'er," she explained.

"Alright you two, stop it, this is getting spooky," Sweetie Belle stated, drawing their attention to them. "I don't know what happened, or when it happened, but something did happen to Rarity over a week ago, and she won't tell me anything about it. Every time I try and ask her, she just tells me not to worry about it. That it's an adult matter I wouldn't understand. That a lady doesn't pester others when they make their positions known. Ugh!" Sweetie Belle groaned at the last part. Sometimes she wondered if Rarity's focus on social acceptability and manners, was interfering with everything else.

"Now tha's jus' flat out weird," Apple Bloom stated.

"But what's it all mean?" Scootaloo asked, now finding herself intrigued by what they were saying.

"I don' know," Apple Bloom replied. If there was any sense to be made out of this mystery, then she wasn't seeing it for herself. "But considerin' tha' whatever's goin' on involves our sisters, ah think it involves us too."

"And if it involves us," Sweetie Belle began, "then it's only right that we get ourselves more involved, and see what we can figure out."

"Yeah! Now you're talking!" Scootaloo announced excitedly and raised her right hoof in the air. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom followed her example, as they did a team high hoof. They had a plan for a course of action on how to proceed, and that's exactly what they were going to do!

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

And just like that, all of the excitement had been sucked right out of the surrounding area, and Scootaloo couldn't help but groan at hearing that voice. She hated that voice. She hated that voice, and the pony it belong to, and the pony that usually followed alongside...

Turning her attention to the southwest, her misery -and the misery of her two friends- was confirmed by the arrogant approach of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. This was gonna be so not good...

"Looks like the same old, same old, if you ask me," Silver Spoon commented as they came to a stop several paces away. "What's the matter? Still no bright ideas for earning your cutie marks?" she asked snidely.

"Well..." Apple Bloom began and huffed. She knew that getting out of this one without an exchange of words wasn't going to be possible. So they might as well just face the music and get it over with. "If ya mus' know, we're tryin' ta figure out wha's goin' on wit' our sisters. Somethin's wrong wit' Applejack an' Rarity, an' they won' tell us squat. An' nopony's seen Rainbow Dash at all in days, an' that jus' ain' like 'er," she explained.

Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement, deciding to be cordial, as it would get them -somewhat- further than abrasiveness, and -reasonably- quicker too.

"It's not just them, something's wrong with Miss Ditzy as well. The last few days, she's been considerably melancholy; you can tell it just by looking at her when she's delivering the mail," she explained.

"Wait, seriously? You can?" Scootaloo asked, surprised by that assessment. Sweetie Belle just nodded again, indicating that it was indeed possible. Maybe it was something that came about from having Rarity as her big sister; all that uppity society nonsense and stuff.

"And you think that you three are the ones to figure out just what's going on?" Diamond Tiara asked them skeptically.

"It sure beats sittin' aroun' doin' nothin'," Apple Bloom replied. "We jus'... don' know where ta start is all..." she admitted. That was one thing they hadn't yet figured out, as they'd been interrupted before they could actually get to that part.

Silver Spoon had a witty response to give them. But before she could even get her mouth open to give it, Sweetie Belle spoke up first.

"Well we could always find Ulquiorra and ask him for advice. He's practically a genius like Twilight, I'm sure he could give us an idea of where to start looking for answers."

"Well I guess you could do that. But do you really think that's such a good idea?" Diamond Tiara asked them critically.

"Well why wouldn't it be?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Yeah," Scootaloo chimed in, "why wouldn't it be a good idea to ask him?"

"Just think about it. Doesn't it all seem just a little strange to you?" Diamond Tiara asked them. But she already knew that she'd have to spell it out for them, otherwise they'd never get what she was trying to say. "A visiting dignitary, of a species we've never seen before, from some land we've never heard of before, is here to establish diplomatic relations with Equestria, when he apparently doesn't know anything about us? Traveling by himself, without any sort of escort, or security detail, like a regular dignitary would? And Princess Celestia thinks the best place to send him, so he can learn more about the land, is Ponyville? She doesn't insist on him being up in Canterlot, or some other important location that could give him a better idea of what he's getting into?"

"Mr. Cifer don' need a security detail fer 'imself," Apple Bloom pointed out.

Again, Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement.

"We saw what he can do. Up close. Saying he's strong and capable would be an understatement," she explained. They'd been present to witness his Cero, and she'd felt what it was like to be in its presence. If Ulquiorra needed a security detail to keep himself safe, then... actually, that was a thought she didn't want to consider. It was just too disturbing to even think about. The idea of Ulquiorra not being able to fend for himself was... it was just too crazy to give any real thought to.

Diamond Tiara wanted to point out that strength had nothing to do with having a security detail in place. But she was pretty sure the point would be lost on these three. However she could point out something else along those lines just as easily.

"Even if that is the case, doesn't it strike you as just a little weird, what he's been doing here? Why would a visiting dignitary to a foreign land, here for the sole purpose of establishing diplomatic relations, go along on a mission to clear out a slumbering dragon? Never mind going along voluntarily, why was he even allowed to be present in the first place? What if he'd gotten killed? What would that have done for the whole diplomatic relations thing he was trying to set up?" she asked them. And from the looks on their faces, they didn't have any answers to give.

"And while we're on that subject, don't you think it's all just a little suspicious?" Silver Spoon asked them. "A dragon just happens to show up the day after we meet him? And he just happens to be present, so it can be witnessed that he can supposedly hold his own against a fully grown dragon?"

"It's Ponyville. There's always a dragon er somethin' in the area," Apple Bloom pointed out.

"We are next to the Everfree Forest, after all," Sweetie Belle added and nodded.

"Alright, fair point, fair point," Diamond Tiara conceded. She hated that they had a valid counterpoint; especially one that was so easy to throw out in response. "But even allowing for that, doesn't everything that's happened recently, just strike you as even a little bit suspicious? First the dragon, then the changelings, that freaky eclipse over Canterlot, and then the manticore, all in about two weeks time? And all of it happening only after he first came to town? All of it only after he was in the area, and able to respond to it?" she asked them.

"Wait, what're you saying?" Scootaloo asked, confused by it all.

"They're saying that Ulquiorra might be the one responsible for everything that's been going wrong around here," Sweetie Belle elaborated.

"Right on the first try," Silver Spoon announced. Diamond Tiara nodded in agreement.

"That can't be the case! Princess Celestia trusts 'im!" Apple Bloom objected.

"Yeah, and Princess Luna does too! He can't be the one doing all this," Scootaloo added.

Diamond Tiara merely scoffed in response.

"That really doesn't mean anything. I mean, I have as much respect for the Princesses as anypony, but it's not like they're perfect. They're not clairvoyant, they can't see into the future," Silver Spoon replied.

"And how do you know that they can't?" Scootaloo shot back, not finding this line of talk very pleasant. What would an uppity filly like her know about anything relating to the Princesses?

"They were at the same party we were two weeks ago," Diamond Tiara pointed out. Confused blinks and stares were her response from the three. Sighing, she continued. "If Princess Celestia could predict the future, and had reason to know that the manticore would attack Ponyville, why would she be at the party, all the way at Sweet Apple Acres, where she couldn't do anything to save the others? Do you really think she'd do that, knowing for certain that others were going to get killed in her absence?" she asked them.

And slowly, she could see the dawn of realization coming over them. And at that, she smiled.

"Like I said, I respect the Princesses as much as anypony, but they're not perfect. Just because they trust Ulquiorra, doesn't necessarily mean that he's trustworthy," she pointed out.

No retorts. No rebuttals. No excited utterances. Diamond Tiara was actually surprised by this.

"Alright," Sweetie Belle began, breaking the uncomfortable silence in the process. "Let's assume all that's true. Let's assume that, somehow, Ulquiorra has the ability to manipulate the local predators in the surrounding territory, and provoke them to the point where he can direct them to attack as he see fit. For what purpose? Where's the motivation? What's the endgame to such a strategy, that would in any way benefit him? What's he stand to gain from starting a crisis, just to go and solve it himself right afterward?" she asked.

"Tha's a perdy good point right there," Apple Bloom agreed and nodded, before turning back to the two rich fillies. "Where is the motive in all o' this anyway?" she asked.

Diamond Tiara frowned. These three were proving to be more intelligent and aware than she'd originally thought they'd be. Normally that was a good thing. But right now... well right now she wasn't all that sure.

"Look. What you three do is up to you. I'm not saying that he can't be trusted, I'm just saying that something seems fishy about it all. Surely even you three can see that," she replied.

"Yeah, whatever," Scootaloo replied and waved her hoof dismissively at them, before turning back to Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. "Come on, girls, let's try Sweet Apple Acres. That's as good a place to look for clues as anywhere."

Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara watched in silence as the three took their leave. That whole interaction... could've gone better.

"So... what was the game plan of that again?" Silver Spoon asked once they were out of sight.

"Just trying to get those three thinking logically," Diamond Tiara replied. She would admit -more to herself than anyone else- that the gumption to get up and do something was respectable. But their total lack of conscious, deliberate thought, left them looking ridiculous. And their blind trust in that pale stranger, treating him like the greatest thing since sliced bread, did nothing to help their image.

"I mean... surely we're not the only one who can see that something's not right," she continued as she and Silver Spoon started walking again. "We're not, are we?"

"I dunno, Diamond," Silver Spoon replied. Sometimes she really had reason to wonder. Granted they -much like everypony else- had been curious about the visiting foreign dignitary, and doing their best to give him the right impression of their little town.

For the first day anyway.

After that, and when the stories and rumors started to circulate, they had reason to be suspicious. Or rather, Diamond Tiara had reason to be suspicious, and had managed to convince her enough to be as well; she honestly didn't know just where her friend had gotten those books about what being a foreign diplomat actually involved, but it had served to prove the point well enough, and illustrate what didn't seem right.

Unfortunately they seemed to be in the minority on this matter. Wherever they looked, when talk of the Arrancar came up, it was like all the adults were under a spell that blinded them to the inconsistencies. They didn't question why a foreign dignitary would be going out and getting involved in violent conflicts with dangerous predators, they just took it at face value. And with her eyes opened to the inconsistencies, it was maddening to watch unfold around her.

"All this thinking is making my head hurt. What say we go and get a root beer float or something?" she suggested.

"When you're right, you're right," Diamond Tiara agreed. There was only so much that they could actually do in any given situation. They might be able to serve as motivation to make others strive for improvement, but that could only go so far. If others had no desire to learn, or to improve themselves, then there was nothing they could do about that. That was just the nature of it all. "Last one to Sugarcube Corner pays for both."

"Diamond Tiara!"

She'd been fully prepared to race Silver Spoon, but stopped in her tracks at the sound of the voice calling her name. It was a voice that she didn't recognize at all. And it was an unnaturally deep tone that left her feeling disturbed to hear, as it just seemed to echo freely.

"Who... who's there?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"Diamond Tiara!"

She nearly felt herself jumping out of her skin the second time around. It wasn't just simply disturbing to hear, it was utterly terrifying. And worse than that, it sounded like it was right behind her. She really, really didn't want to, but something left her feeling utterly compelled to look behind her, and see just what it was.

And when she did, she screamed at what she actually saw.

Just two paces behind her, mounted on a wooden stake that had been rammed into the ground, was the severed head of some random pony, its skin dried, dessicated, and severely discolored, with its mane -what was left of it- being limp and stringy. Its eyes were gouged out, leaving nothing but two vacant sockets behind to stare back at her. Its dried lips were drawn back, bearing its grungy, uneven teeth in a long-dead snarl aimed directly at her.

She immediately turned around to bolt as fast as her legs would carry her. But as she turned around she screamed again. All around her were dozens, no, hundreds, of severed heads, each of then impaled on wooden stakes . Stallions, mares, and foals. She was utterly surrounded by a sea of dead faces, their expressions ones of utter terror, and unbelievable agony, and in varying stages of decay. There were ponies she recognized, and ponies she didn't recognize. It was like the entire town was present.

And as she turned around again, unable to stop herself from looking upon their faces in terrified, morbid curiosity, were the severed heads of not only the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but also her best friend Silver Spoon.

"You're on!" Silver Spoon stated, preparing to pound the ground all the way to Sugarcube Corner for a free treat.

But she'd just barely started, when Diamond Tiara let out an ear-piercing scream from behind her, causing her to stop in her tracks. Now she knew that her friend wasn't above cheating to win, but never before did she just scream to do that. This was something else. Even with a free float on the line, she turned back around to look, and saw Diamond Tiara laying on the ground, rolled up in a ball, and shaking like a leaf.

"Hey, DT, what's wrong?" she asked as she approached and shrugged her friend, trying to get a response out of her.

Seconds seemed to tick by agonizingly slow as she stood over her fallen friend, trying to get some sort of response out of her. For all she knew, she could've been standing there for over an hour, before she finally broke out of whatever trance had power over her, and she looked up at her. The next thing she was actually aware of, Diamond Tiara had pounced on her, knocking her to the ground in the process, and was trying to pry her necklace off with her hoof.

"You're... you're okay..." Diamond Tiara wheezed shakily.

"Hey, DT, what gives?" Silver Spoon asked, confused by all of it.

"Spoons... where... where're the others?"

Silver Spoon didn't know what struck her as stranger at the moment; the choice of nickname used in addressing her, or the hoarse whispering that it was used in.

"What others?" she asked. What was Diamond Tiara talking about? What had caused her to scream? Was she actually going to get any straight answers here?

"The Crusaders. W-where are they?" Diamond Tiara asked her shakily.

Now Silver Spoon went from being confused, to being concerned. She wasn't getting any answers, and the sudden change in her friend's demeanor was doing nothing to help her out. And that lack of clarity was starting to aggravate her as well. She was getting to the point where she really, really wanted to press Diamond Tiara for answers, and not let up until she actually got them.

That's what she really wanted to do. But she highly doubted that such an approach would yield anything beneficial. At the moment there was only one thought coming to her mind that might actually be of any use.

"If I help you find them, do you promise you'll start answering my questions?" she asked. It was only fair as far as she was concerned. One hoof washes the other and all that. "You're seriously starting to scare me..."

"I promise," Diamond Tiara replied and nodded quickly.

"Good. Now get off me," Silver Spoon told her. She couldn't be of much use from her position down here on the ground. And truth be told, she was really tired of being down on the ground in the first place.

"You know what? I just thought of something," Scootaloo announced as they stepped foot onto Sweet Apple Acres. "Just what exactly are we supposed to be looking for? And how're we gonna know what to look for? We didn't really have any luck when we tried getting our detective cutie marks..." she pointed out, remembering that particular flop in their long line of failures.

Setting out with gusto was fine and all. But stopping to actually think over the practicalities of everything could really bring that gusto down to nothing in a hurry. And when it did, it tended to leave a lot of uncertainty in its wake.

"Ah dunno, Scoots. Big Macintosh said Mr. Cifer spent the whole night lookin' fer clues an' couldn' find any," Apple Bloom replied. Now that she stopped to think about it, she couldn't help but wonder just what could they do, that the Espada himself couldn't do? He was the most capable one, and yet he'd come up empty handed. That wasn't exactly a comforting thought to entertain right now. "Do ya think we might be in over our heads?"

"We could be. But at least we have the daytime to be searching in. That might be an advantage," Sweetie Belle replied. If Ulquiorra really had searched all night, that meant diminished light. And not knowing how good his eyesight was at night, there was no telling how things had gone. "Plus we've still got the magnifying glasses in our detective kits. And unlike him, we've had years to learn about the terrain, he's had less than a month to get familiar with it. Maybe we'll be able to notice something that he overlooked," she pointed out, doing her best to keep their little group optimistic about success. If they could find out something about what Applejack went through, maybe they could do the same for Rarity and Rainbow Dash.

She didn't want to admit to it, but she seriously doubted that they'd be getting their cutie marks for this. But family took precedent over cutie marks any day, so it really wasn't a big deal.

"Crusaders! Hey, Crusaders, where are you three?!"

The sudden yell from behind them gave reason for pause; especially once they recognized the voice. That was enough reason to be gripped by curiosity, and turn around to observe as both Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were running up the road at a frantic pace; and with Diamond Tiara being out in front, despite easily being the fatter of the two.

There were no words available to explain just how weird this whole situation was to watch. They had no idea just what to say, as they observed the pink filly tripping and falling to the ground, before getting back up to her hooves, and continuing to run as if she didn't care in the least.

"Jus' wha's goin' on here?" Apple Bloom asked out loud as Diamond Tiara came to a stop in front of them, panting and gasping for breath, and barely able to stand up on her own four legs at this point.

"You're," Diamond Tiara panted, "you're alright. You're alright..."

"Yeah, Diamond, they're alright," Silver Spoon replied, but with much less enthusiasm about it. "Now what's this all about? Why'd we have to run all the way here? What was the big deal?" she asked. Diamond Tiara had promised her answers if she assisted in finding their quarry, and if it proved necessary, she fully intended to hold her to that promise.

Diamond Tiara looked around her at everyone assembled, trying to slow her breathing down to a more manageable degree. And once that was achieved, she nodded somewhat, and prepared to speak.

"Shortly after you three left, I heard somepony calling my name. But when I turned around, all I saw was somepony's cut off head on a stick. Then when I turned around again, it was like everypony in the whole town had their heads cut off, and put on sticks all around me. And I mean everypony, even you three. A-and it was just so real! All around me, all I could smell was blood and rot! I-it was terrifying!"

The Crusaders looked at each other in confusion, and then back at the other two, observing Diamond Tiara's currently hysterical state as she told her tale of what gruesome things she witnessed. And they also observed the disgusted reaction coming from Silver Spoon, suggesting that if this really was a prank, then it was one she wasn't in on. And that was a serious breech of the recognized and observed protocol witnessed between these two; they were always working together, never apart.

That fact served as sufficient evidence to them that something was very, very wrong here.

"What... what should we do?" Scootaloo asked as she looked at Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, hoping that they'd have answers she didn't. She had no idea how they were supposed to respond to this. What exactly was the proper response when your nemesis sought you out to warn you that they had the vision of you having your head cut off?

And warning seemed like the only way of accurately explaining it. This wasn't mean-spirited bragging, as there were too many tears involved for that. It was... almost like she cared or something...

"Ah think we should take 'er ta see Twilight. If anypony knows wha's goin' on 'round 'ere, it'll be her," Apple Bloom pointed out. Right now it was the only thing coming to mind that actually made sense. Without waiting for a response, she turned her attention back to the shaking pink filly before them. "C'mon, Diamon', le's get ya back ta Ponyville an' see wha' we can figure out."

Sweetie Belle and -much to each of their surprises- Silver Spoon watched as Diamond Tiara climbed back to her hooves, muttering incomprehensible matters to herself, as she stood next to Apple Bloom as they all waked off back to Ponyville. And much to her surprise, Scootaloo had taken up her opposite side.

"This is just getting weirder and weirder," she stated as she turned to Silver Spoon. "Do you think that maybe this is all connected? We decided to look for clues about our sisters, and five minutes later, Diamond Tiara has... this going on?" she asked.

"I don't know. I wish I knew. Right now your guess is as good as mine," Silver Spoon replied, before walking after the others, with Sweetie Belle following alongside. "One second we were getting ready to race to Sugarcuge Corner, the next we're making our way out here, and she wouldn't tell me anything about why or what. It really freaked me out," she stated. But that wasn't to say that actually knowing what had gotten her friend so upset, had put her anymore at ease. If anything it'd only freaked her out more than before.

"Hey... Silver Spoon..." Sweetie Belle spoke up, "I was just thinking. Until we get this whole mess sorted out... maybe we should have a truce or something?" she asked.

"What? A truce? With you three?" Silver Spoon asked incredulously. Sweetie Belle simply nodded in reply. "Yeah. I guess I could see that being a good idea," she replied and sighed. With no way of telling just what was wrong with her friend, right now she could use some extra help.

Sweetie Belle smiled at the news, trying not to burst into excited squeals in the process. This was very good news for them.

And for her, it was already helping solve an earlier dilemma that had been driving her nuts.

Tuesday, June 25, 0002 ANM

Today we experienced what's quite possibly the weirdest thing we've ever experienced, since the time Ulquiorra informed us that he has the ability to fly even without wings.

Twilight winced as she stepped through the library, each little muscle movement that she made as she moved, caused her ribs to burn as they were pulled against. But the pain was greatly subdued, compared to when she'd gotten kicked. She could actually be ambulatory without wanting to scream at each little movement made. She could actually take a step without having to bite her lip, to avoid unleashing a string of curses. And for that fact, she was infinitely thankful.

Granted, getting down the stairs had been a tedious challenge all in itself. But the payoff of being back in the library, surrounded by her books and research notes, was well worth the pain and effort.

"Maybe now I can get something done," she said to herself as she looked around the room, trying to decide where to start. Being down as long as she had, had really left her uncertain of just what she wanted to start on, as there was just so much to do.

And then there was a knock at the door. With a silent sigh to herself, she turned around and approached, before opening to whoever had decided to visit.

Much to her surprise, it was Ditzy Doo.

"Hello, Ditzy, what brings you by today?" she asked curiously.

"Um... Twilight? Do you... do you know anything about canterian demons?" Ditzy asked, fidgeting as she spoke.

Twilight blinked in confusion at the question. She knew that Ditzy was... unique... when it came to her outlook on things. But this was weird even for her. Why was she asking about something from an old, mediocre-grade horror story, that written over thirty years ago?

"Not particularly. Why?" she asked. And as she did, she observed how Ditzy seemed to grow more fidgety in response.

"Uh... could I come in? It's kind of a long story," she replied.

"Of course," Twilight replied and moved aside to let the gray pegasus step inside. Whatever was going on, it obviously had her disturbed. And whatever the connection was to the fictional canterian demons, she was likely about to find out. "So what's this about?"

"Well..." Ditzy started as she tried to steel her nerves, "it all started about five days ago, when I was making breakfast..."

Chapter Sixty Nine

Chapter Sixty Nine

Celestia sighed to herself as she laid on her bed. It was late, and she really wanted to be asleep right now. But sadly, sleep wasn't for her this evening. Instead of blissful rest, the immediate future held lots of paperwork for her to look over. And it was no exaggeration to say the amount she still had to get through came up to her fetlocks; a daunting proposal if ever there was any.

In making the decision to take over care for Rainbow Dash, she had known that it would mean complications to the everyday routine. But she hadn't been aware of just how much would become complicated as a result. She had no idea just how many hours would have to be cut from the day court, in order to assist in providing the necessary care of this case. And although she could get away with announcing that she would only see the petitioners of greatest need, while everyone else was seen by her councils instead, that hadn't exactly done much to lessen her workload. There was still so much that she herself had to oversee throughout the day.

"Note to self: reintroduce for consideration, the notion of elections for all public officials at all levels of government," she told herself. It was an idea that had been introduced numerous times over the last few centuries. And each time it was rejected by the public who were content with her being in charge. In a way it was touching. In other ways, not so much. And right now it was feeling like one of those latter times.

And then there was a knock at the doors to her chambers. Along with other muffled commotion carrying on from behind them.

"What now?" Celestia sighed and muttered to herself, groaning as she stood up and climbed off the bed, before placing the paperwork atop her writing desk, and making her way to the doors to see just what was the latest interruption to her day. She really didn't need this right now.

With a flick of the horn, the door on the left was open, and in slipped the commotion from the outside. There was an argument going on in front of her chambers. What sort of insanity was this?

"What's going on out here?" she asked as she poked her head out of the room and looked around at everypony present. Much to her surprise there were two of Luna's night guards present, in addition to her own day guards.

And in the middle of all of them, was a very disturbed, and upset looking Rainbow Dash, who currently looked like a foal who had been sent to the principal's office for committing some educational transgression. It was a look she knew well enough from managing her school for gifted unicorns. And it was amazing how the look just seemed to transcend both species and circumstances.

"Our charge wished to speak with you, Your Highness," one of the lunar ponies replied in answer, his tone of voice velvety smooth as he spoke.

"However our solar counterparts have informed us that such won't be occurring," the other lunar pony replied and frowned towards one of her guards in response.

Celestia didn't need this. She really, really didn't need this right now. She tried not to sigh in response to the territorial dispute that was unfolding.

"It's quite alright, my ponies. I'll see her," she replied as as gentle a tone as possible, as she opened the door further to allow entry. She observed as Rainbow Dash stepped forward, with the guards following right on her tail. It was at that, that she put up her wing in a halting gesture.

"Would you mind waiting outside for a moment? I'll be sure to call you if needed," she stated, doing her best to not let her annoyance shine through right now. She was perfectly capable of tending to Rainbow Dash by herself in this situation. She really didn't need her bedchamber being invaded at this hour. Fortunately they didn't object, and allowed the cyan pegasus to enter on her own, before the door was closed behind her.

"Thanks," Rainbow Dash muttered uneasily as she moved away from the door.

"So what brings you by at this late hour, Rainbow Dash?" Celestia asked as she turned to face her.

"Princess? Could I... could I sleep with you tonight? Please?" Rainbow Dash asked shakily.

Celestia blinked in response. Had she really just heard what she'd thought she heard?

"Pardon?" she asked, seeking clarification.

"I don't wanna be in my room tonight. It's dark, and lonely, and the guards won't quit staring at me," Rainbow Dash stated, "please? I promise I'll be good. I'll stay in the corner on the floor, I just don't want to be by myself tonight. I don't wanna be alone in the dark..."

Ah. So that was it. Celestia would admit that, for just a moment, she had thought that Rainbow Dash had meant something else. Something that would've been entirely inappropriate for her to consider, even under the best of circumstances. She'd chalk it up to the amount of fatigue she was currently experiencing.

But still, there was the little matter of just how to respond. Rainbow Dash was in a fragile state right now, thanks to what that insane physician Thrush had done to her. Every one of their decisions that related to her, had to be approached with great caution, otherwise they risked exacerbating the whole problem to an unacceptable level.

And as she looked at the cyan pegasus who sat nervously on her haunches before her, all the while fidgeting with the small gold band around her foreleg just above her hoof, she had reason to believe they were already close to reaching that point. There were some things that were just instinctual, and couldn't be readily explained, but were still recognizable.

"That won't be necessary, Rainbow Dash. There's no need for you to sleep on the hard floor like you're some sort of stray dog," she stated, doing her best not to sigh in frustration. The fact that Rainbow Dash was willing to prostrate herself so low, was not good. Humility was fine and all, but this was neither humility, nor fine. This was somepony who was broken, and had no sense of self worth about them. And that was something that had to be remedied. "My bed should be more than adequate."

"Your... your bed?" Rainbow Dash asked, caught off guard by the offer that was being made.

"I still have much in the way of paperwork to catch up on, before I'll be able to turn in for the night myself. One of us might as well get some use out of it," Celestia explained, wanting to clarify what she was saying so there would be no misunderstandings between them.

"But... where're you gonna sleep?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Being an alicorn, sleep is something I don't really need. This certainly wouldn't be the first night I've had to go without rest. And I sincerely doubt that it'll be the last either. And considering what I need to get through," Celestia paused to gesture to the stack of papers to emphasize her point, "I'll likely be up all night. But I do appreciate the thought and concern."

Truth be told, Celestia was glad that Rainbow Dash was present. Usually when it came to late night paperwork, it was a lonely proposition, done in the absence of others. Occasionally Luna would drop by to see her, but she had her own duties to tend to, and could never stay for long. But this time around it was a different matter entirely. And although Rainbow Dash likely wouldn't spend much time talking to her, she would at least be present, and serve as a physical reminder that she wasn't alone.

She just wished the whole thing could've been under better circumstances. Yes she would enjoy having company on lonely nights, but not at such a cost. She would much rather the company be had out of friendship, rather than desperation brought on by whatever had happened.

She was glad that Rainbow Dash was present. But it was the sort of gladness that usually came from trying to make the best out of a bad situation, and finding some small way in which to achieve that goal; bittersweet really.

"Oh... alright then. I-if you say so," Rainbow Dash replied, not entirely convinced by her assessment. But there wasn't much she could do about it. So, with a shrug, she made her way over to the sizable bed, and climbed up on it. And it was wonderfully, wonderfully comfortable; nearly as much so as her own bed. Almost immediately she sank into it, and sighed contentedly. "I'll... I'll stay over by the edge, just in case you change your mind..."

Celestia pondered on what to say next. Or if she even should say something next. But right now nothing all that profound was coming to her mind. She knew that something probably should be said at this point in time, but there was nothing that felt appropriate.

"Try and sleep well, Rainbow Dash," she replied. Right now that was probably as good as anything else that could be said.

Once she was certain that Rainbow Dash actually was going to sleep, she'd be sure to dismiss the two lunar guards. She was more than capable of keeping an eye on her for the time being. And there was no sense in having them standing about, if there was nothing for them to actually do.

Thursday, June twenty seventh, second year of the new calendar: After Nightmare Moon

Observational notes pertaining to progress made in the operation dubbed "Rainbow Reparation"

Day One

Today Rainbow Dash's physical recovery has reached the point, where Doctor Malar has seen fit to discharge her from the infirmary. According to his medical expertise, the healing magic weaved into her bandages, has allowed the majority of her injuries to heal to the point they no longer present the risk of being torn open, should she grow physically agitated. According to him, those that yet to fully heal are not consequential enough, to warrant further bed rest in the infirmary.

Answers pertaining to the presence of the opioid and hallucinogenic substances in her system continue to elude us. Despite the lack of continued accusations to the contrary, Rainbow Dash continues to maintain a steadfast denial of engaging in the use of any such substances. Why this is, when we have accepted it as being the truth, I'm not certain. The possibility of their administration being from an outside source has yet to be either confirmed or denied.

Latest blood work has confirmed Doctor Malar's earlier observation on the matter; for whatever reason, the substances in Rainbow Dash's system are not being metabolized, and broken down as they should be. They continue to remain in the same concentration as they were when first discovered. Answers as to both how, and why this is the case, continue to elude us. Unfortunately the level of medical technology for this world remains hopelessly inadequate for determining what level of tampering may be in play.

Dialysis has been suggested as a possible course of treatment. In theory the suggestion is good. However the practical application is limited, again, due to the current stage of technological, and medical development of this world. Dialysis is still in the stage of infancy for much of Equestria, and the currently existing prototype machines are far too cumbersome to be readily accessible here in Canterlot, when they are currently located in larger cities such as Manehattan, and Las Pegasus.

There is currently contemplation of attempting to build an ad-hoc dialysis machine, here in Canterlot, by ourselves. But at the moment it is merely contemplation. None of us have the knowledge of how to go about such a project. For that reason, other alternatives are currently being explored. The technique of utilizing medical magic for the purpose of purifying the body of toxins, as mentioned by Twilight Sparkle on the twelfth of this month, is currently being studied and researched, to determine its viability under these conditions.

As of yesterday, details pertaining to the suicide watch have been finalized, and approved for implementation.

Twelve guards, six solar, and six lunar, have been selected to provide around the clock observation for Rainbow Dash, each group broken up into sets of two, and assigned a four-hour shift. They will also serve as reinforcements should she grow confrontational and refuse to comply with whatever medical procedures have been deemed necessary, with instructions to approach cautiously, and not rely on force to exert compliance as a primary response. Whether or not they can abide by these instructions remains to be seen.

An open-door policy is currently in place. Privacy will be restricted in order to prevent any further attempts at suicide being made on her part.

Strangely there was little objection on her part to this condition of her treatment. Whether this is due to recognizing the futility of objection, or another underlying matter, I can't say for certain as of yet.

The room designated to serve as Rainbow Dash's quarters for the duration have been prepared accordingly. The windows are shielded by a force field of similar structure, to those currently used to guard the Elements of Harmony. The original elaborate light fixture has been removed, and replaced with a new-styled recessed fixture set into the ceiling, with the bulbs placed behind a layer of impact-resistant, polycarbonate sheeting; something relatively new to this world. The door has been removed, as have any objects that could be used to inflict harm upon herself or others. The only exception is a bed made of cloud material; according to an explanation I still don't fully comprehend, referencing obscure mechanics I don't adequately understand, the material used will be inadequate for anything other than resting, no matter how hard she might try at using it for some other purpose.

A golden wire bangle has also been affixed to her foreleg, and fitted with two specific spells. The first is to prevent any form of tampering from taking place. The second is an instant sedation spell with a one-hour duration that will activate immediately, upon either an attempt being made at self harm, or being more than fifty feet away from another bearing a complimentary charm. Those currently holding these charms are Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Doctor Malar, Nurse Goodwill, and the twelve guards that were assigned this mission. After extensive discussion, it was determined that outfitting all palace staff with these charms would serve no beneficial purpose, and may actually complicate matters to an unacceptable degree.

Whether or not the orderly Corners should be provided such a charm has been discussed. However a definite answer has not yet been arrived at. As to be expected, regardless of what Princess Celestia has told her otherwise, Rainbow Dash still doesn't readily trust the orderly after what she went through. As of yesterday, she has forgiven him for what part he played. But forgiveness and trust are not necessarily the same thing.

There is also the matter of whether she has truly forgiven Corners, or if she is simply claiming to have done such.

I myself have turned down the offer of the charm, as it serves no beneficial purpose in my case.

A choker necklace was discussed prior to the implementation of the bangle. However it was determined that it may pose a choking hazard, should Rainbow Dash discover a random hooking implement to attach the necklace to, and use it to hang herself, thus triggering the sedation spell as a method of ending her life. Even though the chances of such a possibility are minute, they have been considered, regardless of their unlikelihood.

Security, for lack of a better term, is rather lax in comparison to what could be implemented. There are still a number of improvements to the suicide watch that could be made. But such recommendations were overruled in favor of an approach that would allow for some measure of dignity, not only to maintain physical health, but also encourage mental health development.

T-

Ulquiorra stopped his current writing, and looked up from the notepad as he sensed the approach of Princess Luna, coming down the hallway, and towards the library where he currently stood.

"What news is there to report?" he asked simply, not bothering to look up from what he was doing.

"A great deal," Luna replied with a huff as she approached, unfazed by how he had known of her approach. It'd been going on like that for so long, it'd become routine. And right now she was far too tired to be concerned about trying to sneak up on him. Right now she was far more preoccupied, with far more important matters. "The medications," she paused and yawned, "that were preventing Rainbow Dash from dreaming, have finally been purged from her system. And for what I am about to say next, I feel I will need to punish myself. But I almost wish she were back on the medications. Along with her ability to dream returning, so have the nightmares, picking up right where they left off. She was right back in the basement, caged like an animal, and subjected to countless, gruesome abuses."

Luna stopped talking and groaned at this point, using her hoof to pinch the bridge of her muzzle. She really did hate to make such statements, but with everything taken into consideration, leaving Rainbow Dash dreamless might actually be the kindest thing they could do for her right now. There was only so much that they could do for her right now. And despite her dreamwalking capabilities, she couldn't guarantee that the dream setting she had left the cyan pegasus in, wouldn't warp back into that retched basement once again; not without being there throughout the night. And there was only so much time that she could devote to one single pony, when there was an entire world that needed to be addressed, with so many other ponies in need.

Under these circumstances, she couldn't help but consider possible alternatives; even if some might seem drastic.

"What of Applejack?" Ulquiorra asked simply.

"Twilight Sparkle reports that her blood tests came back positive for the same substances found in Rainbow Dash's blood," Luna replied. If this was the Espada's way of moving along the discussion to other subjects, then he was quite good at it. "And much like Rainbow Dash, Applejack has denied the usage of any such substances. Whether this is of significance, or merely coincidence, I do not yet know," she explained.

"Their denial of such may be reasonable," Ulquiorra replied after a pause, stopping momentarily to write something down, before eventually continuing. So much for the theory that Doctor Thrush had drugged Rainbow Dash, in order to discredit whatever accusations she might make against him. "So far we've made no effort to determine the exact method in which the substances were administered. Their exposure may have even been unintentional. But that merely raises more questions than answers," he pointed out.

As he'd intended, the matter had been brought up during their first real meeting, as they discussed the various ins and outs of how they would be tending to both Rainbow Dash, and her needs. Some had reacted better than others to the notion of their patient being drugged against her will, by an unrecognized source. Others had reacted poorly, and wondered if the administration had occurred at the hospital itself, in an effort to break her stubborn nature. Unfortunately all they had was speculation to go on; not hard answers.

"No! Ulquiorra Cifer, as thou's listening audience we art begging thee; please do not introduce new theories for consideration!" Luna screeched. But as the words left her mouth, she immediately regretted them; both the outburst itself, and the slip back into the old world dialect. Clearing her throat, she continued speaking in a calmer tone. "I apologize. My outburst was uncalled for. But I am tired, Ulquiorra Cifer, I cannot properly keep up with the theories we are already facing. Please do not introduce more theories, unless you have something to serve as some form of proof," she pleaded.

There was too much going on right now as far as she was concerned. Countless theories, along with countless worries. Wasn't he aware of such facts? Or did he simply not care?

"... Fair enough," Ulquiorra replied. There was nothing saying that Princess Luna had to be read into every theory that arose, or every refinement of such. There were more ponies willing to help him if necessary. There was nothing to prevent him from running this theory by one of them more thoroughly, should the opportunity present itself.

It was true that, out of all the ponies he had to work with, Princess Luna was one of the most dedicated to assisting him, even when others weren't. She was, more or less, the closest thing he had to a confidant right at the moment. However that didn't mean she was the only one suitable for running these theories by; she was simply the one most convenient, for the majority of the time. But if she was in need of a break, he would simply find another intellectual who was closely associated with the case.

"Thank you," Luna replied as she closed her eyes and sighed. She really didn't need the added stress right now. "There is just so much going on right now, without bringing anything new to the discussion. I do not even know where to begin with attempting to cover it all."

On top of the worries that the Espada induced with his random speculation, there were also the worries that came about from her own experiences. Simply because they had discounted the possibility of disease, didn't make things any easier for her. She was the one tasked with the dreamscape, and who saw what went on in the heads of their subjects. She was the one tending to the nightmares of both the afflicted, and the general populace who had been terrorized by the manticore attack. And all of it while trying not to go to hysterics with Rainbow Dash's care.

And that was to say nothing of the issue pertaining to the recovery process Pipsqueak was undergoing, and the nightmares he was going through. Her heart so yearned to be with him right now.

Again, Ulquiorra said nothing. The order of the day had been less than orderly for the past few days, and he was sure that he hadn't been made aware of everything developing around them. He'd been distracted with his own research, only available when his attention had been called upon for one thing or another. It would be foalish to believe that things hadn't been developing without his knowledge or involvement.

"I cannot remember. Were you briefed about Rainbow Dash developing a fear of the dark, and small enclosed areas, due to what the physician Thrush did to her?" Luna asked.

"I was not," Ulquiorra replied, before turning his attention back to the notepad to scribble down this new information. That would certainly answer one or two questions that had arisen.

Slowly but surely, and one by one, the mountain of questions that they were facing, was being brought down to size.

The only downside was that the important questions were the ones that weren't getting answered. That meant having a very long way to go, and quite possibly not enough time to actually do it in.

Silence. However that was unsurprising. Ulquiorra assumed that once Princess Luna had filled him in on the relevant details, she would take her leave for the evening, and return to whatever duties she had to tend to. There was certainly no reason for her to remain present if there was nothing more to be said.

"Twilight Sparkle also reports that Rainbow Dash and Applejack are not the only ones being afflicted in such a manner. A number of other ponies have recently come forward, and admitted to being subjected, to what have come to be referred to as day terrors. Whatever it is that we are facing, it is impossible to deny that it is spreading outward. And as best as we can determine, there is no recognizable, nor predictable pattern being used. It is... purely random," she stated.

Ulquiorra stopped what he was doing, and turned to look over at Princess Luna. Information like that should've been presented immediately, rather than being brought up in the manner that it had been. He considered pointing out that fact to her. But doing so would serve little functional purpose, would do nothing to change the sequence of events that had occurred, and only detract from getting any actual answers out of her. He would simply write it off as a symptom as her reported lack of sleep.

"Even as we speak, Twilight Sparkle is trying her best to place a handle on the situation, in hopes of bringing it under control," Luna added, now that she knew she had his full attention.

"It may prove wise to dispatch reinforcements to Ponyville, to assist in bringing the matter under control; such as a number of counselors, and various psychological experts," Ulquiorra suggested.

"We have considered that. But so far we have not even been able to find an adequately skilled counselor for Rainbow Dash. General trauma is the best that we have come across. I am not certain if there is even a field of psychological study that pertains to what is going on right now," Luna stated, utterly disgusted with the fact. And if they couldn't find the proper psychological help for Rainbow Dash, how were they supposed to go about doing it for all of Ponyville?

"A fact that I'm aware of," Ulquiorra replied. He'd been through enough psychology books to have concluded -with reasonable certainty- that what they were currently facing, was not an extensively documented field; not yet anyway. "But while addressing Ponyville might not be a possibility, they would at least be able to address Twilight Sparkle herself."

"... I do not understand," Luna replied and blinked. What was Ulquiorra talking about.

"According to the others, Twilight Sparkle is the type of pony who believes that, because she's the personal student of Princess Celestia she must shoulder far more levels of responsibility, than anyone would ever ask of her, or even reasonably expect of her. By your own admission, she's trying to bring the situation in Ponyville under control; presumably by herself, due to that belief of responsibility. Under ideal circumstances, this would be unwise. And these are anything but ideal circumstances. She has already been forced to watch, helplessly, as two of our friends have been attacked by some unidentified force. What sort of psychological damage will occur, if the others fall in turn?" he asked. There was no immediate response given to his question. But that came as no surprise to him. If he had to speculate, the silence was due to the details being allowed to sink in, along with the potential gravity of the situation.

"I... I did not consider that possibility. But now that it has been brought up, I will speak with my sister on the matter in the morning. Right now it is far too late to do anything useful," Luna replied. Right now she was thankful of the fact that she wasn't on her own. There was far too much going on right now, for her to be able to keep track of it all on her own. If she had to try and keep everything balanced by herself, she might be falling to pieces right now.

Once again, silence settled over the library, broken up only by the sound of pencil against paper.

Princess Luna's continued presence, however, was serving as a bit of a mystery to Ulquiorra. He was certain that, once she had finished briefing him on everything, she would finally take her leave, rather than continue to remain present. He was about to press the matter, and ask if she had anything else to say. But before he could, she was already talking again.

"Might I speak to you about a different matter, Ulquiorra Cifer?" she asked. When he didn't object, or otherwise say anything, she took it as a sign to continue speaking. "How... how do you feel about the matter of adoption?"

Once again, silence settled over the library, engulfing the both of them. But this time around, it was due to Ulquiorra not knowing just what to say in response to the question, rather than having nothing relevant to say. Just where in the left field had that come out of? Was she actually propositioning him? And if she was, then ultimately for what purpose of said proposition?

"Pardon?" he finally asked in an effort to get the matter clarified.

"What was discussed on the balcony last week, is a matter that is still weighing heavily on my mind," Luna began. "As was said then, a great many of us draw a sense of strength and security from your presence. Your lack of fear, even in the face of overwhelming dangers, is a source of comfort for others. But after giving this matter some thought, I have arrived at a conclusion. I do not consider such to be an arrangement that is fair to you. We all draw upon your strengths in our own ways, relying upon you for much. But you, in turn, do not have anyone to do the same with; you are left with nowhere to turn, and no one to share your burden with, while all of us are free to count on you," she explained as calmly as she could.

Ulquiorra listened silently as the matter was explained to him. Or -more accurately- as Princess Luna attempted to explain the situation from her point of view. So far he wasn't seeing anything that would amount to even a remote correlation between the two points. The way things were proceeding, it was almost like she was reading from pre-scripted notes that had gotten scrambled, and didn't realize that everything was out of order.

Perhaps he should ask her to get to the point of whatever she was saying? Or maybe he should simply let her talk, and hope that she would eventually start to make some degree of sense?

"It is not fair by any stretch of the imagination, Ulquiorra Cifer. Yours is a past filled with just so much suffering and pain. It is a pain and suffering that no one should ever have to experience; not in a group, and most certainly not on their own. But regardless of that fact, it is a fate you find yourself saddled with, as not a single one of us ever stopped to ask you just how you are feeling. Or if you by chance might need something from us for a change," she explained, pausing to sigh. "Even more unfair is the fact that you are not alone in your isolation. It is sadly a fate that too many are forced to suffer, even in this world," Luna explained and sighed. She considered whether or not to sit on her haunches, before finally opting to remain standing, as she looked him in the eyes. And all the while, he didn't blink once. Undaunted by such a fact, she continued with what she had to say.

"I acknowledge that, by all standards, you are certainly an adult. Just as I acknowledge how there is nothing I can do to change what you experienced before coming here; attempting such would be equally impossible, and pointless. But that does not mean I cannot make an attempt to change what has yet to be experienced. And while it is unorthodox, I believe it may be the solution to such. If you have no objections, Ulquiorra Cifer, then I would like to propose adopting you as my son."

Ulquiorra would willingly admit that, in his time, he had encountered a number of things for which he had no explanation for making sense of them. Even before he was brought to Equestria by Discord's intervention, there had been developments for which he had no reasonable explanation. And upon coming here, he had seen things that, at more times than not, left him scratching his head, as he tried to make sense of it all. And he had more or less made peace with the fact that he would likely continue to encounter such things during the duration of his stay in this world.

All of that said, however, Princess Luna had managed to take him completely by surprise with her statement. He was left not only uncertain of what to say, but also of what to think. It felt like his mind had suddenly gone completely blank.

"What?" he finally asked. Nothing else really seemed appropriate right now; not without more information to go on first. This was all too... strange.

"I am offering to serve as your mother, Ulquiorra Cifer. To give you the love, and support, that you have been denied, and deprived of, for so very long," Luna stated as she stepped closer to where the Espada stood. And, much like she had done when she'd taken him to his newly assigned quarters, she brought herself to a standing position, in order to hug him around his neck. "I wish to end your isolation in this world; to give you what you have lacked all this time, and that which we have been too blind to realize on our own. All that you must do is say the word, Ulquiorra Cifer, and I will do my best to take care of the rest. You have my word, that you will have a family that cares for you."

Ulquiorra remained silent, uncertain of what to say in light of this unexpected statement that was being made. Nothing was really coming to mind, as a great deal of his focus was being spent on analyzing just what was being proposed. Along with the broader implications that would naturally go along with the offer.

And there were a great many implications, that had to be taken into account. There was absolutely nothing simple about any of this. Was Princess Luna even aware of the gravity of her statement, and what all it would entail? Did she truly understand just what she was saying? He doubted that she did, as even he was having trouble grasping everything in the here and now. there was just so much to try and get straight.

"I am currently being hugged, by a talking pony, who has expressed a desire to take on the role of my mother," he thought, trying to process the wordy explanation he'd been given. How exactly had it all come to this? Where exactly had everything gone so utterly insane?

"Discord... just what the fuck did you put me in the middle of?" he mentally asked himself.

"Nnnngh..."

It was a subdued commotion that caught Celestia's ear, causing it to twitch in response. But it was commotion enough to distract her from her work, and look over to the bed where Rainbow Dash currently rested; a term she used lightly, lacking any other term that would be more accurate to describe what she was currently going through.

Much as Rainbow Dash had said she would do, she was keeping to the edge of the large bed; like she was terrified of taking up too much space, and wearing out her welcome. And as she laid there, she twitched uneasily. A leg here, a wing there, her tail swishing every little bit. Telltale signs of experiencing a nightmare; something she suspected was going to be a common occurrence for the foreseeable future.

She looked back down at the stack of paperwork that still needed to be tended to, before looking at the stack that had been adequately addressed. And then she looked back over at the fidgeting Rainbow Dash, listening to her whimper like a puppy. And in her mind -and heart- it was no contest. With a tired sigh, she set the unfinished paperwork aside on her desk, and quietly made her way over to the bed, before carefully climbing atop the vacant portion.

"Shh... it's alright, Rainbow Dash," she whispered gently as she lowered herself down onto the mattress. She reached out with her left wing and ran the downy feathers along the messy and unkempt mane, and down her back, in a soothing manner.

There would undoubtedly be those that would claim her actions were inappropriate. That they were uncalled for. That they would complicate an already sensitive situation, and cause significant psychological scarring. But right now her only focus was on doing what she could to help a friend who was obviously in need. Rainbow Dash was in need of a comforting touch right now, to let her know that she wasn't alone. She didn't care if somepony would possibly consider her actions undignified, because right now their opinions simply didn't matter. They weren't here to contribute, and take care of the mess that was currently present, so they didn't have a say in the matter.

"It's alright," she repeated, leaning down to gently kiss her forehead.

Celestia was greeted in response by a mumble, as Rainbow Dash rolled over against her, pressing her back against her side for comfort.

"Sleep well, my friend," Celestia whispered, draping her large wing over the cyan pegasus like a blanket. "Sleep well," she repeated, flicking her horn to dim the lights in the room to a more appropriate level. She already knew that getting up again wasn't going to be much of a possibility. So she opted to just settle in, and make herself as comfortable as she could under these circumstances.

Was it inappropriate? She really didn't know one way or the other. All she knew for certain at the moment, was the fact that Rainbow Dash was no longer squirming in the grips of a nightmare. And for the moment, that would have to be enough. If she couldn't even comfort a friend during their time of need, then what good was she to anyone?

Chapter Seventy (Version A)

Chapter Seventy

Night had settled in over Ponyville. It was a very simple, but entirely undeniable fact. Just as it was a very simple, but entirely undeniable fact, that tonight was one of the hotter -and more humid- nights to be experienced this summer.

In very simple terms, it was an uncomfortable, unpleasant night, that didn't lend itself to desirable -or even adequate- sleeping conditions, for anyone who had to suffer through it.

And two such ponies who were stuck suffering through it, were Carrot and Cup Cake.

As wonderful a place as Sugarcube Corner was during the daylight hours, the wonder and magical nature of freshly baked sweets simply didn't extend into the late hours of the night. And especially not on a night such as this, when you were the one that felt like the cookies baking away in the oven. Or a stew left to simmer in the crock pot over the course of the day.

"We should've set up shop closer to gryphon territory," Carrot muttered as he laid stretched out on his back, idly glancing up at the ceiling in a futile effort to make his eyes go shut.

"What?" Cup asked, not understanding what her husband was talking about. Curious from his words, she weakly turned to look over at him. "Why do you say that?"

"Because then we could've opened a butcher shop instead of a bakery. That way we could justify a nice, big, walk-in freezer, that we could go and loiter in on nights like this," Carrot explained. Cup chuckled in response to her husband's words.

"I don't think I could picture you as being a butcher," she replied, before finally sighing. She couldn't see them running a meat shop, not by any stretch of the imagination. But the idea of them having access to a walk-in freezer for hot nights did sound quite appealing right now. But then again so did their dreams of setting up shop in Manehattan. It wasn't something they could've ever afforded to do, but it was still a dream of theirs. At least there in the big city, they would've had access to the mechanical wonder known simply as air conditioning.

But sadly that wasn't the case for them. Ponyville was where they were, and Ponyville was where they'd stay; for the foreseeable future anyway. They'd simply have to suffer through the sweltering temperatures for the time being as best they could.

"This is pointless," Carrot grumbled as he climbed down off the bed, groaning in the process. "Let's go and sleep in the basement, it's got to be cooler than this."

"That's not a bad idea," Cup replied. Granted the basement had gotten cluttered since the last time they cleaned it. And it probably needed a good dusting. But it was below ground, and finished in brick and mortar. It had to be cooler than the upstairs was right now, even if they had to make due on a couple of canvas camping cots. "Just let me check on the twins first, and then we'll get going."

They had a plan for how to proceed on this miserable night. That was more than could be said for some other ponies in their situation.

Unfortunately that plan immediately fell apart when a loud, shrill scream pierced the night, causing them to freeze in place.

"What was that? Was that... was that Pinkie?" Carrot asked, still feeling shaken by the unexpected noise.

"It certainly sounded like her. We'd better check, just to make sure," Cup replied, maternal instincts already kicking in, family relation or not.

The two elder ponies made their way down the hall to where their tenant resided, all the while hearing sounds that weren't readily recognizable to either one of them, coming from the door that stood wide open.

"Out! Out! Out! Get out of here!" they heard Pinkie yell frantically as they drew closer. Suddenly they were greeted by something akin to a roar, a loud rush of air, and a loud bang as something slammed against the far wall just a few feet ahead of them, exploding in a shower of confetti, streamers, and what sounded a lot like a party horn being strangled.

Now they really had reason to be concerned. In an instant, Cup had dashed forward into the room, flipping the lights on in the process, with Carrot not far behind her. As soon as they were in -and once their eyes could properly adjust to the sudden intrusion of bright light- they saw a very frantic Pinkie standing on her hind legs near her bed, her socks falling down and twisted, as she struggled to get something loaded into the back of some large multicolored tubular assembly, that was nearly as long as she was tall. It was compiled of a series of four long tubes, running into some sort of box construction at the front, which held what looked like four multicolored conical party hats. Carrot instantly recognized it as one of her latest party creations; something along the lines of a pony-portable emergency party supply discharger, with a four-shot capacity. Or something along those random, squiggly lines that Pinkie seemed to embody.

"Pinkie, sweetie, what's wrong?" Cup asked as she made her way over to the pink pony. However she was forced to stop in her tracks, as Pinkie turned to aim the launcher directly at her in a hostile manner, lining her up in the cross hairs of the side-mounted sight scope.

It was a tense situation, none of the three daring to move; not even daring to breathe, for fear of the situation going south in a hurry.

And then, just as it'd begun, it seemed to end with the same manner of ease, as realization crept over Pinkie's features.

"M... Mrs. Cake?" Pinkie asked as she lowered the launcher's muzzle towards the floor. "Is... is that really you?"

"Of course it's me, Pinkie," Cup replied. And immediately she was beset by the pink pony, hugging her around her neck, and holding on for dear life, the launcher discarded without a second thought as it clanged against the floor. And all the while she was spouting gibberish; gibberish even by Pinkie Pie standards that they'd learned to be comfortable with. Cup glanced over at Carrot, who glanced back, just as hopelessly lost as she was.

So much for a cool night being spent in the basement.

At the current time of night, and the current temperature, coffee was simply out of the question. So in lieu of such facts, chocolate milk was being used as an expedient substitute, as the three ponies sat around the table in the kitchen.

Much to Carrot and Cup's relief, the twins had managed to sleep through all of the commotion, and didn't seem the least bit disturbed by what had been going on in the building.

How they could do that, and yet be awoken and sent into a bawling frenzy by some random sneeze, neither one of them would ever know. But right now there were more urgent matters to tend to, such as Pinkie and her own disturbances.

"So, Pinkie," Carrot began as Pinkie was in the process of finishing off her glass of milk, "just what had you screaming earlier?"

For a while, Pinkie didn't say a word to either of them. She just looked down at the table, rolling the now empty glass between her front hooves. It was a stark contrast with what had been going on just a few minutes previously, where she couldn't have been shut up even if it'd been tried. It was downright spooky how she could alternate from one extreme to another, with so little warning about doing it.

"Nightmares," Pinkie finally answered in response, her voice weak like a whisper. "Horrible, horrible nightmares..." she added, never looking up from the table.

"Nightmares? What sort of nightmares?" Cup asked. Nightmares were certainly nothing new, and certainly not for Pinkie, but she'd never carried on quite like this before.

"I... I-I don't wanna talk about it. I-it's too terrible to even think about," Pinkie replied shakily, utterly devoid of her usual bounce and enthusiasm. "Even if I really did want to talk about it, I don't even know how to put it into words. It was just... just..." Pinkie groaned as she stopped talking, reaching down to rub her belly. Right now she really wished she hadn't had that chocolate milk to drink.

The Cakes looked at each other, not sure how to proceed from here. Pinkie was just so... unlike her usual self, that neither one of them knew what to do. All of the defining character traits that she possessed, just seemed to be sucked right out of her, leaving behind nothing but a scared, pink husk of sorts; sort of like a deflated balloon really.

"You're sure that you don't want to talk about it?" Cup asked as she stepped closer, before reaching around to rub at Pinkie's withers. "We're your friends. You know you can tell us anything, right?"

"No I can't. I can't tell you about this. I can't tell anypony about this," Pinkie objected. She couldn't bring herself to utter what she'd experienced firsthoof. Nopony deserved to experience what she'd experienced. "Please... please don't ask me to tell you what happened. I... I can't, I just can't!"

Again, the Cakes looked at each other. Usually with Pinkie, it was a matter of wanting to say something, but being unable to, due to invocation of the Pinkie Promise. But in this case it was a real and legitimate desire to not say something. The situation was getting both weirder, and scarier, with each passing minute. And they both needed to figure out what could be done about this whole matter.

"If you don't want to tell us about it, Pinkie, then you don't have to," Carrot stated. Trying to squeeze anything out of Pinkie, when she wasn't willing to give it up, was an endeavor that he really didn't want to engage in right now; the adrenaline rush had long since worn off, leaving behind nothing but the lingering discomfort of the hot, humid night air, coupled with that brought on by Pinkie's night terror.

Cup nodded in agreement. "We won't make you tell us, dearie," she said and hugged the pink mare.

It was a move that was quickly reciprocated, as Pinkie allowed herself to sink into the embrace, closing her eyes as she rested against Mrs. Cake. There was comfort and serenity to be found in the blue mare that served as a surrogate mother to her. And, much as she hated to admit to the fact, it was far more than she'd felt with her own mother. She loved her mother dearly, and would never trade her for anything or anyone... but Mrs. Cake just has a certain passion about her, that was lacking in the other mare.

She suddenly felt another warmth about her, and opened her eyes to see that Mr. Cake had joined them in the hug.

This was what Pinkie needed right now. The Cakes were real, they were here for her, in what she felt certain was her time of greatest need. This was what she needed, to chase away the bad dreams she'd experienced. As long as they were here, she would be alright.

And with that thought in mind...

"Mr. Cake, Mrs. Cake? Could I stay in your room tonight, please? I really don't wanna be alone tonight..." she stated. The thought of going back to her room, left to herself, with no one but Gummy to keep her company, really wasn't setting well with her right now.

"Well... the thing is, Pinkie," Mr. Cake began as he disentangled himself from the hug. "We were sort of planning to sleep in the basement tonight. It's just too hot up here for us," he explained.

"I don't mind sleeping in the basement," Pinkie replied quickly "please?"

"Pinkie, dearie," Cup began as she moved around to the front to look the pink mare in the eyes. She had to exercise tact in this matter, and she knew that fact quite well. "You know that we love you. And if you need us, you know that we'll be there for you. But as it is, we sort of need you right now," she stated. She could see that Pinkie's current fear was starting to lose its hold on her, as she waited to hear just how she could prove herself useful to them. That was one of the unique quirks about Pinkie; some unconscious desire to be needed, coupled with an unconscious desire to fulfill that need. "You know for yourself how hard it is to hear anything when down in the basement. If the twins were to wake up in the middle of the night, we'd never know it from down there, we'd never hear if they started crying. And as dusty as it is down there, I really don't feel comfortable with taking them with us; you know how bad Pumpkin's allergies can be."

"Wait," Pinkie replied in thought, trying to wrap her head around what was being said. "You're asking me to keep an eye on the twins? As in up here?" she asked.

"If you wouldn't mind, dear," Cup replied.

In truth, Pinkie really did mind. The Cakes had just gotten finished telling her, that they would be there for her during her time of need. And the next thing she knew, they were asking her to not come to them, when she really, really felt like she needed them.

But she stopped that train of thought, and started engaging in an entirely different train of thought - ticket be darned.

Technically speaking, she was a big filly, more than adequately competent at taking care of herself, as she'd demonstrated in the past. But the twins... not so much. They were small, and weak, and helpless should something unexpected develop. They couldn't take care of themselves yet. What if Pumpkin absentmindedly started chewing on one of her toys in the middle of the night, and started choking on the stuffing? What if Pound engaged in another bout of sleep flying, and crashed headfirst into the window?

And then she realized something very important. She might need Mr. and Mrs. Cake right now, but there were four Cakes that needed her right now. As in really, really needed her. That drastically changed the dynamic she was currently facing. And that was saying nothing about a new-found sense of confidence she was feeling at the moment, from knowing that she could actually do some good for somepony else. It was that swelling sense of both pride, and value, that was driving away her terrors right now. Slowly, she could feel her smile coming back to her, taking its rightful place across her face again.

"Sure thing! You can count on-" she started to say, but stopped and froze in place, every one of her joints locking up tightly. This was quickly replaced by her left ear and eye twitching out of sync with each other. And her tail swishing about madly, in a manner that forced Cup and Carrot to completely let her go, and move away from her as they watched. And her teeth chattering as if she'd just been exposed to overwhelming coldness. And her right foreleg suddenly flying straight out like she was attempting to throw a haymaker at somepony.

Anyone that lived in Ponyville for any extended period of time, and especially those that had continued interaction with Pinkie, was well aware of what the Pinkie Sense involved. They also had a fairly cataloged understanding of not only the signs involved with her random predictions, but also the order in which the signs came. But neither one of the Cakes had any idea of what all of that had meant.

"What... what exactly was that?" Carrot asked, curiosity overwhelming his uncertainty at the moment.

"S-something bad's getting ready to happen. Something really bad," Pinkie replied, becoming terrified all over again, as her ears began swiveling like mad, desperately seeking out any sort of sound that might give them some clue of the impending disaster. By this point she was shivering in fear, wrapping her forelegs around herself, as horrible scenarios were playing out in her mind, and in graphic detail. She was seeing things that she didn't want to see, and she was helpless to tune them out.

Even with Mrs. Cake hugging her again, it still didn't do any good. Nothing was serving to distract her from her fears right now. She knew with absolute, undeniable certainty, that somepony was going to die on this night, and that all of them were going to be absolutely helpless to stop it from happening. Whatever was going to happen, there was no way to prevent it from happening...

Sweetie Belle sighed as she rolled over in her bed, unable to stay asleep, or even actually get to sleep. It was far too hot to get comfortable. And even if it wasn't hot, her mind was proving to be far too active, to actually let her relax to any meaningful degree. Despite her best efforts, she just couldn't seem to make herself stop thinking about one thing or another. Every time she tried, her mind would invariably find something else to focus on, and walk her concentration right back to where it had been. It was like trying to throw away a boomerang; an exercise in futility.

She didn't want to admit to it, but the whole ordeal with Diamond Tiara had managed to shake her up, and far more than she was comfortable with admitting. Yes, their two groups had been enemies to one another for a majority of their time together. Yes, she and Silver Spoon were antagonists to them, and ridiculed them whenever they got the chance. But none of that really justified what had happened to her. She honestly couldn't think of any of Diamond Tiara's actions, that could possibly serve as adequate justification for what she'd been forced to bear witness to.

With another sigh, she rolled over in her bed again, trying to tune out the thoughts she was being subjected to; like she could turn her back on them, and somehow tune them out.

Unfortunately it didn't work, as her mind just started replaying the events that had occurred after they'd escorted Diamond Tiara to see Twilight, and explain the situation to her, in hopes that she would know what to do. And now, even days later, she still didn't know what was scarier to experience; hearing Diamond Tiara recount seeing the entire town decapitated, or Twilight's reaction to hearing the news. Both situations possessed their own terrifying aspects, but in entirely different categories. In a way it was like comparing apples and oranges; both were fruit, both were delicious, and both were vaguely the same shape -if you squinted hard enough when looking at them- but beyond that, they were totally different.

"Shut up," Sweetie Belle scolded. That was just one of the random thoughts going through her brain right now, that were keeping her from sleeping. She could filter what she said, but sadly there was no way of filtering what she thought. And because of that fact, she was having to pay the consequences for it.

Another sigh, and another rolling over in her bed. This was getting old fast. She knew that Diamond Tiara was in good hooves right now -in good hands, she heard Twilight saying is what Ulquiorra would say- with Twilight being on the matter. But knowing it did nothing to stop her from constantly thinking over the matter.

"I need juice," she grumbled to herself. Just laying around wasn't going to get her anywhere, and she was aware of that fact. So maybe getting up, and getting herself something to drink, would help on the matter; it sure couldn't hurt any.

As she climbed out of bed, and made her way down to the kitchen, Sweetie Belle ran through a mental checklist of what juices Rarity had in the refrigerator from the last time she looked around dinner time.

She absolutely loved grape, but Rarity didn't care for keeping it on hoof, due to how notorious the purple was for staining anything it touched; and if you were a snow-white unicorn, grape juice was your mortal enemy, apparently. And that sorry imitation that had the audacity to call itself "white grape juice" was right out. Not that there was anything wrong with the taste, or anything like that, but to her it simply wasn't real grape juice unless it was a nice, deep shade of purple, with just a tint of redness when the light hit it just right when looking through the glass.

Next up on the list was orange juice. But, as she made her way down the stairs, she concluded that was more of a breakfast item, rather than a late night drink for insomnia.

Apple juice was up for consideration next, as she padded her way into the kitchen. But then she remembered that Rarity hadn't gotten any apple juice for the last few days. And unless she was doing some late-night shopping, it was unlikely that it would've changed.

Opening the refrigerator door to take stock of the situation, and squinting her eyes defensively at the brightness of the illuminated bulb that had snapped to life, she discovered that she was left with only one available option; grapefruit juice. She hated grapefruit juice. She really didn't know what Rarity saw in the sickening concoction, as all she ever got from it was a burned throat whenever she tried to drink it.

With a disappointed sigh, and a return to the darkness that now seemed overwhelming to her eyes, Sweetie Belle closed to refrigerator door. So much for a late night drink helping her make her mind rest. Or even distract her from the sweltering heat. She knew that summers could be hot, but this seemed a bit excessive even for the season. Couldn't the pegasi keep the temperature decent?

"A cold shower."

It was a statement made without any thought whatsoever on her part. But it was a statement that carried utter brilliance with it as far as she was concerned. As hot as it was, a cold shower sounded like the perfect way of cooling down, and getting comfortable right about now. It'd be like running through the sprinkler, only upside down.

With that thought in mind, she made her way back upstairs to the bathroom, mentally kicking herself for not thinking of it earlier. It was so simple, that she was surprised she hadn't given it any consideration earlier in this unpleasant evening.

Making her way into the bathroom, and once again flinching at the harshness of the light against her eyes, she stepped over to the shower, and hopped inside the tub, before pulling the curtains shut, and turning the cold water knob on full force in between her front hooves.

She immediately let out a shriek of surprise as just how cold the water was, and nearly fell over backwards in surprise. And she also immediately decided that mildly lukewarm was more the ticket than anything. Something that was coolish, but not cold. Cold water was far more fun when the sun was actually beating down on your position, as well as your back, and provided a nice contrast between the two. Right now it was just uncomfortable to experience, and demanded adjustment.

This time it was a pleasant sigh that Sweetie Belle let out, as she felt her coat and mane being soaked through. The steady and rhythmic drumming of water on her head and against her back, felt relaxing to her right now. This was helping her with turning her mind off, if even just a little bit. As she focused on the pattern the water was creating, as it took all the bounce out of her mane, leaving it limp and clingy against her, all of the other concerns didn't seem as pressing right now.

And then there was the sound of the medicine cabinet's mirror breaking.

Sweetie Belle froze in both fear and surprise. Why had the mirror broken? How had it broken? She hadn't done anything to touch it, or even look at it for that matter. Was... was somepony actually in the room with her?

With that nervous thought in mind, she cautiously turned around, and looked out through the semi-clear plastic of the shower curtain, and saw a white and purple blob hunched over on the floor near the sink. Was Rarity in the room? If she was, then how had she gotten in without her hearing anything? Did she come in to clean up the broken pieces of the mirror? And how much of the mirror had fallen onto the ground, instead of the sink?

Before she could think of any other questions, she could hear a strange sound coming from outside of the shower. It sounded like... sawing of some sort, but not the kind of sawing that was done against wood.

"Rarity?" she asked as she poked her head out of the curtain, leaning against the tub wall for support on her forelegs. "What's going on?"

Rarity, in response to the question, slowly turned to face her. As she did, Sweetie Belle noticed the powder-blue aura around her horn, and around a broken shard of the mirror, which was now covered in blood. That in itself could easily be explained away as Rarity cutting herself while trying to clean up the mess. But before Sweetie Belle could even finish telling herself that fact, she saw Rarity's limp mane fall from the side, and reveal just what the source of the sawing noise had been; Rarity's left cheek had been jaggedly cut open from the corner of her mouth, almost all the way back to her ear, and was now bleeding freely as she opened her mutilated mouth to let out an inequine shriek!

Sweetie Belle screamed and slipped in the tub, hitting the back of her head against the porcelain wall in the process as the shower continued to pour down over her. Before she even had time to think of what to do next, Rarity was already at the edge of the tub, carried by jerky and uncoordinated motions, and using the bloody shard to rip her way through the curtain to get to her. It was at this time, that the gruesome details of what had happened to Rarity, were becoming fully apparent to her. The blood seeping from her mouth was serving as a gruesome contrast to the ashen-gray coloring her coat had taken on, dripping down her front and staining her limp mane at the same time. And those eyes! Those awful, demonic, sickly yellow irises, that felt like they were burning holes into her very soul right now.

It was all too much for Sweetie Belle to take, and she did the only thing she could possibly think of doing.

She screamed. She screamed louder, and longer, than she had ever screamed before in her entire life, as the broken shard came down at her in a stabbing motion into her chest.

Rarity bolted straight up in bed, jolted out of a -somewhat- peaceful sleep, by the sudden eruption of a sound not unlike a tea kettle signalling that the water had reached the boiling point.

She looked around frantically, trying to detect the source of the noise in the darkened room, before her tired mind finally came to the realization that she was in her bedroom. And there was no tea kettle present to be issuing that noise. There wasn't even any reason that she could think of, that would justify there being a tea kettle going off at this time of night, whatever it was. What on Equestria was going on here?

Another loud shriek sounded, shaking Rarity out of her confusion, and scaring her in the process. She quickly realized that it was no tea kettle screaming... but rather Sweetie Belle! Immediately she bolted out of bed, nearly stepping on Opal in the process, as she dashed down the hallway to her sister's bedroom.

"Sweetie Belle?" she asked frantically as she looked around, only to discover she was nowhere in sight. Maybe she was hiding under the bed, because of some nightmare she'd had?

But that thought was immediately broken as a third scream sounded, drawing her attention to the bathroom now. And just like before, she charged down the hallway to her destination, slamming full force into the door in the process, without an ounce of consideration for such, as she was desperate to find her sister right now. A task that was immediately achieved as she checked the shower, finding her curled up in the fetal position, shaking and babbling to herself as she cried.

"Sweetie Belle? What's wrong?" Rarity asked her. But no coherent response was given.

Immediately the water was shut off, the knob almost being wrenched right off the valve inside the wall in the process, before a large towel was brought out and wrapped around her, as she was levitated out of the tub.

"Sweetie Belle, please say something. Whatever happened?" Rarity asked, pleading with her little sister as she held her closely. She was starting to grow frantic in the ensuing silence, and clung to her sister all the tighter as a result. She needed to know what was the cause of all this, and she needed to know immediately, if she was going to be able to help her.

Sweetie Belle, ever so slowly, turned her gaze upwards towards Rarity. And slowly, her green eyes welled up with tears, as she started bawling uncontrollably, unable to speak.

Truth be told, Twilight really didn't mind sleeping on the library's communal sofa. It was clean, it was reasonably comfortable, and it wasn't in any significant state of disrepair either. That last one was an unfortunate side effect of patrons -what there were of them- not making steady use of it, but under these circumstances, she really wouldn't complain. She was all nestled down, nice and comfortable with her favorite pillow, and a lightweight cotton bed sheet shielding her fur from the upholstery material of the sofa. This made for acceptable bedding on a hot night like tonight, when sleep was so hard to get, and equally hard to keep.

Of course there was another good reason that she was sleeping down in the library, while Spike and Applejack made use of her bed up in the loft. And that good -but simple- reason, was that currently the two of them were snoring hard enough to inhale the fucking drapes if they should ever turn and face the window together!

Not that she was complaining! The fact that those two were snoring meant that they were sleeping. Or more specifically, Applejack was sleeping. And that was a fact she was very, very thankful for.

Twilight would admit there was a lot she didn't really understand about any of this. She really didn't have a clue how Applejack was holding up as well as she was. Rainbow Dash had gone to pieces in the wake of her attack, and had to be hospitalized as a result. Based on what scant details she could gather, this was due to a lot more than simply trying to find out the source of the problem. But this didn't seem to apply to Applejack and the others who had come forward to admit to being afflicted. Psychologically, they hadn't gone to pieces; at least not yet anyway. For whatever reason, they were -supposedly- proving better able to hold it together, minus the terror they were put through regarding their experiences. And the obvious existential crisis that went along with not being able to tell with one hundred percent certainty as to what was real, and what wasn't.

But so far, no one was apparently doubting their fellow pony, or accusing them of doing horrible things to one another. What they were experiencing was more manageable; at least for the moment anyway. Or at the very least... that was how it appeared to her. Truth be told she didn't really know. The number of ponies being affected, or at least the number who were willing to come to her with the details of what they were experiencing, was significant.

Whatever they were really experiencing, she didn't really comprehend it. But then again, she really didn't have an extensive understanding of hallucinogenics and opioids either. She could understand how the two compounds might cause others to experience hallucinations -what with it being spelled right out in the name- but that didn't really mean she could understand how so many ponies were afflicted. And not just the adults, but apparently foals as well, if Diamond Tiara was any indication of larger trends going on around them.

The mystery just continued to deepen from her perspective. Even though they had eliminated both mental and physical illnesses as being possibilities, they were still no closer to definitive answers. They'd simply switched from one theory to another when no answers had been found. If they were going to get anywhere, then they'd need to find the source of these foreign substances, and figure out a way to neutralize them. But the only ones who could possibly lead them to the source outright denied their usage. That had been a very difficult conversation to have with Applejack. There had been lots of yelling back and forth, lots of name calling, horrible declarations, hurtful accusations, and eventually a great deal of crying, as tempers finally managed to cool.

There had been much apologizing to do on that night. And even after all was said and done, they were still no closer to any answers. That was assuming their latest theory didn't turn out to be another dead end; a red herring as Ulquiorra had referred to it. But just what fish had to do with anything, was a story for another time.

Back to the original question, of where the hallucinogenics come from? And how were so many ponies being affected by them? Was it... was it possible that their food supplies had become contaminated? Had Applejack's apples been poisoned by whatever nefarious force was responsible for attacking them?

Whatever the answer was, it was putting Ponyville on edge. Word of what was happening to others was starting to spread as ponies talked and gossiped. And where that gossip spread, so did suspicion and fear. Everypony was starting to be afraid that they'd be the next to be targeted for attack. Some were even growing suspicious of those that had already been afflicted, and believing that they might actually be contagious somehow. Distrust and fear was starting to overtake the town, as they were gripped with uncertainty.

And that uncertainty was growing. Back when this all started with Rainbow Dash, it was easy to assume that they were once again being targeted due to their Element of Harmony status. But then there was Ditzy, and then Diamond Tiara, and then all the others as well. That was making their group start to doubt things, and wonder if they were even being targeted anymore. What if this was something new? What if this was a naturally developing, unguided pandemic that they were facing? And what if this undefined disease, was somehow producing hallucinogenic byproducts as it afflicted their bodies?

She really didn't want to, but she couldn't help but wonder if Ulquiorra had been right about this being a case of germ warfare. Simply because they had discounted the notion of some illness being responsible, didn't mean they had ruled it out for being utterly impossible. All the medical tests in the world would only show so much, and be useless for as of yet undiscovered illnesses. And she really, really didn't want to go down that dark alley right now. Even with her scientific mind, the possibilities -no matter how remote- were scaring her.

"Go to sleep, Twilight," she told herself as she rolled over on the couch, getting out of the unnatural position she'd been laying in, with her hind legs sticking straight out, and her forelegs tucked behind her head as she laid there. She honestly didn't get what Lyra saw with such a manner of laying down, as staying there too long made the hind legs cramp up, and the blood flow to the forelegs was reduced, making the hooves all tingly and numb from falling asleep. "You're no use to anyone right now. Just go to sleep, and get back on it tomorrow when you're fresh."

It was good advice as far as she could tell right now. So with that thought in mind, she shut her eyes in an effort to convince her body to simply let go, and just relax to the point of going to sleep.

And then there was a loud, frantic, pounding of a knock against the library door, startling her out of her concentration, and nearly off the sofa. It was the kind of pounding that was rattling the metal portions affixed to the door, and giving rise to the notion that it was about to be splintered and broken down from the continued force of impact.

Getting up off the couch, she made her way over to the door, and undid the latch to open it, in order to confront whoever or whatever was out there. Unfortunately she just barely got the door open a crack, before she was tackled by a pink blur, and unceremoniously knocked to the floor, where she was pinned down by a heavy weight sitting on her chest.

"Twilight!"

It took Twilight a moment to get her senses cleared, and figure out that the pink weight on top of her was actually a very frantic Pinkie. That was simultaneously, and paradoxically comforting, and concerning all at the same time.

"Pinkie, get off me! What gives?" Twilight asked as she struggled to get loose. Contrary to what some might think, being sat on was not fun. Fortunately for her, Pinkie seemed to comprehend what she was saying, and did as requested, before helping pull her back onto her hooves. "That's better. Now, what happened?" she asked.

"Oh, Twilight, it was terrible!" Pinkie stated, loudly and frantically. What followed next was a frantic, barely cohesive explanation of what had happened up to this point, and what events had lead her here in the dead of night.

To her credit, Twilight was doing her best to follow along -and make sense of- what Pinkie was saying. But it was a task that was far easier said than done. Despite all of her experience with the pink mare, she still hadn't yet learned how to hear -and subsequently comprehend- at the speed of light when her mouth went manic. She wasn't sure if she was picking up every third word, or every thirtieth word as she spoke.

From what she could pick out and make sense of, the jist of Pinkie's statement was that they needed to write Celestia, and inform her that somepony was going to be dying tonight. And while the news was distressing, it was absent a great number of details. There was no accounting for any of the five W's that went with formulating tangible evidence; the who, what, where, when, and why. And that was to say nothing of the how. All in all, Pinkie's statement was no different than saying somepony was going to be taking a breath in the next three seconds; it was entirely factual, but without basis. For all they knew, Pinkie was simply having a premonition about one of the senior citizen ponies in the retirement home, who was nearing the natural end of their life. And if that were the case, then there was literally nothing that could be done about it.

"Pinkie," Twilight finally spoke up in response as she looked at her excited friend. "I can understand why you're upset. I really can. But I can't write a letter to Celestia, warning her that somepony is going to die, when we can't elaborate with the relevant information," she stated.

"But-" Pinkie spoke up, only to be silenced as Twilight held up a hoof.

"Pinkie, I really do understand. But writing Celestia isn't going to help us any. What would I even say anyway? "Dear Celestia, Luna, or Ulquiorra, Pinkie had a premonition that somepony's going to die tonight, but we can't tell you anything else about it?" Think about it for just a minute," Twilight pointed out. Was it really that hard of a concept to understand?

It was as this point, that Twilight became aware of the padding and clopping noises that were coming from the stairs. Turning around, she saw both Applejack and Spike coming downstairs, both tired, yawning, and giving off various other physical signals to indicate that their rest had been unpleasantly interrupted. And it stood to reason that all of the commotion from Pinkie's manic state had been responsible for waking them up.

"Wha's all the commotion?" Applejack asked as she tried unsuccessfully to suppress a yawn.

"A premonition. And a bad one at that," Twilight replied, cutting Pinkie off before she could do a repeat performance. They really didn't need that right now.

Truthfully, however, Pinkie's bad premonition was the least of their problems right now. All of Ponyville was starting to, more or less, come unraveled at the seams. The peace, tranquility, and friendliness that she'd managed to fall in love with, was being replaced by fear, distrust, paranoia, and a slow but steady uptick in hostility from others. And unfortunately, she was responsible for a part of it. She was the one who was teaching unicorn volunteers about the more advanced offensive magical spells, should the time come that they need to help protect the town from another attack. And while she hadn't know about it going in, she should've at least expected that some of the hostility could potentially bleed over into everyday interactions.

As much as she didn't want to admit to it, she'd noticed that even she had been growing more hostile in everyday life. But unlike the others, her development had occurred not long after first meeting Ulquiorra, and everything had started to go to hell after that. Not that she blamed the Espada for such developments, however. It had all been a matter of timing and coincidence.

But it was all just a temporary state of things. Once the crisis at hoof was addressed, they would no longer need to maintain these emergency standards of readiness, and could return to their everyday lives. There would no longer be a need for constant, enhanced vigilance, and distrust, and the paranoid feeling that there were dangers lurking around the corners, and hiding in the shadows, just waiting to jump them.

... That was how things were going to go, right? The measures they were taking right now, wouldn't have to last forever... right?

Such thoughts, however, were interrupted by a strange groaning-type of sound coming from somewhere in the library. And not long after that, before any of them could even ask a single question, there was a low rumble, and an even louder sound, that sent them all crashing to the floor in surprise, and fear from the suddenness of it all.

The next thing any of them knew for sure, Owlowiscious was flying about the library in a frenzy, and smoking chunks of metal were raining down from the loft, crashing into the floor around them.

"What the hell was that!?" Spike finally asked, once all the commotion had settled down.

"I don't know, Spike, but whatever it was, it came from upstairs," Twilight replied. But whatever it was that had happened, she was certain that it wasn't good. "I'm going to check it out, and see what we're dealing with," she said as she climbed back to her hooves.

"Is tha' really a good idea? Wha' if there's somethin' up there waitin' fer us?" Applejack asked her.

"Then it would be better to confront it head on, rather than playing hide and seek with some potentially unknown creature," Twilight reasoned. If something really had gained entry to her library without her knowing, then she wanted to know what it was, and deal with it. And with nothing else to say on the matter, she cautiously made her way upstairs.

She honestly didn't know just what she should be expecting as her head poked up over the flooring. But what she saw when she did, she really hadn't been expecting. The entire upstairs looked like a bomb had gone off.

And she knew what that tended to look like, as not all of her experiments ended positively.

There was a large, gaping hole in the far wall that lead to the outside, the surrounding wood seriously darkened from whatever had made the hole to begin with, and was still in the process of smoking. In front of the hole was the shattered remains of an end table she'd used whenever she got the urge to try growing a plant on her own. The walls -and even the ceiling- were covered in pock marks from what just had to be embedded shrapnel. The window that lead out to her balcony had been shattered. And the mattress and bedding looked to have been torn to ribbons, with white stuffing sticking out in every direction.

It was all very disturbing to look at. And a lot of disturbing thoughts were going through her mind right now, that were leaving her feeling very unsettled. Just looking at the bed where Spike and Applejack had been sleeping only minutes ago, was enough to fill her with dread over what could've occurred.

But despite all of the fear she was experiencing, one particular observation was impossible to go unnoticed right now; the containment lantern was nowhere to be found.

And then suddenly, and almost with an audible click in the process, all of the pieces fell into place. The containment lantern had blown up! It was the only thing that made any sense to her right now. It was the only thing that could explain all the damage -to say nothing of the commotion- that had happened just a minute ago. But she didn't have a clue just how it'd actually happened. But whatever reason that caused it to happen, it had happened, and in doing so, it had unleashed Ulquiorra's Cero wherever the focusing lens had been positioned. And unfortunately that had included right through her wall in the process.

She couldn't say that this was entirely unexpected. Ulquiorra had speculated that something like this might've happened. And she'd also suspected that it might be a possibility, just as she had the first day it was attempted. But she'd anticipated a containment failure a lot sooner than it had occurred. For the first several days, she'd kept the lantern stored downstairs in the basement, and shielded by a force field, just in case this happened. But when nothing had come of it, she'd felt it was safe to move it upstairs where it would be more readily available, should it ever be needed.

Looking around the loft, however, she realized that such short-sighted thinking had been a mistake, and it could've wound up costing them their lives.

"Wha' the hay happened up here?" she heard Applejack ask from behind. And judging from the other sounds going on, Spike and Pinkie had followed her up the stairs; likely concerned when no other noises had been heard.

"The lantern holding one of Ulquiorra's Ceros, suffering a catastrophic breach in containment. And then this happened," Twilight explained, partially turning her head in order to look back at them as she did, just catching sight of Spike stepping closer to the wall.

"And it looks like it woke up the whole damn town in the process," Spike replied as she stuck his head out of the hole in the wall, and observed the number of windows currently in the process of lighting up. "I don't get it, Twilight," he said as he pulled his head back inside again, "how'd the lantern just fail like that? What went wrong?"

"I don't really know for sure, Spike. The only theory coming to mind right now is... maybe Ulquiorra's Cero is stronger than anything else in this world, that one might reasonably expect a containment lantern to hold for an extended period of time. And, after two weeks, the constant strain of attempting to keep it sealed, finally proved to be too much, and basic physics finally set in," Twilight explained. At the moment it was the only thing that really made sense.

Her mind was already starting to speculate on the possibilities as to why this happened. Maybe her lantern was older than she first thought, and over time the charms used to maintain the stasis field had weakened, as all spells will eventually do over time. But seeing as the lantern had been a gift from Celestia, she doubted that was the actual case. Or maybe the charms had been applied incorrectly; she really hadn't had that much use for the lantern, and dragon's fire didn't really have much in the way of mass and volume to contend with. Or maybe, as she said, Ulquiorra's Cero was simply too powerful to be contained by it.

"But looking around, I'm really glad we didn't try for his Cero Oscuras instead. That probably would've killed all of us, and completely razed the library to the ground in the process," she stated, even though it was something she really didn't want to think about. Now that she saw the scope of the damage, she really wasn't even certain that the force field that had been put in place would've been able to contain all that destructive potential.

Next to her, Pinkie gasped loudly, letting out an excited yell of "That's it!"

"That's what?" Spike asked from where he stood.

"My Pinkie Sense was telling me that somepony was going to die, but I didn't know any of the details, so I had to try and get Twilight's help to try and stop it. Then you and Spike came down because I was being so noisy, and then suddenly BOOM!" Pinkie stated, giving a quick overview from her perspective of what had taken place. "This must've been it, this must've been what I was sensing was gonna happen."

Silence, along with a disturbing sense of dread, settled in over the library in the aftermath of Pinkie's statement. The notion that they could've died just a few minutes ago, had Pinkie not come all the way over here, caused all that commotion, and woken them up in the process of it, wasn't setting well with either Applejack or Spike. The very thought of being just a few paces away from death, was too uncomfortable to give any consideration to. But for Twilight, however, it was just another reminder of how Pinkie's randomness did nothing to make her any less beneficial to their well being. Just like with the parasprites, she'd known what needed to be done, when they had been floundering in a lack of answers.

With such thoughts in mind, hugging the pink mare seemed to be the only reasonable course of action right now. And she did. Vigorously.

"Alright. So what do we do now?" Spike finally asked. Looking all around them, it was just shades of desolation. So many things had been hit by the lantern exploding; even his own basket hadn't escaped unscathed. "Without that Cero at our disposal, if something new comes along, we're pretty much screwed, aren't we?"

"I don't know, Spike," Twilight replied as she finally broke the hug with Pinkie. While it was certainly possible that he did have a point, she couldn't say one way or the other. The manticore had attacked them when Ulquiorra had been at Sweet Apple Acres, along with both Celestia and Luna. Truth be told, she wasn't sure how much of a discouraging effect the Espada's presence had on various dangers and threats. But him being around was sure nice when something actually did happen. The chief purpose for keeping a Cero around had been in case of an emergency. But with the emergency that they were currently facing, she doubted it would do them much good. "But I think that, right now, we've got sufficient reason for writing to Canterlot, and informing Ulquiorra and the others about what's happened," she concluded.

"Well, might as well. Ah doubt we're gonna get anymore sleep tonight after all this," Applejack commented. Being near ground zero for an explosion, and finding out just how close you came to dying, tended to have that sort of effect on a pony.

"So I guess I should start on breakfast then?" Spike asked. Granted it was still some hours before dawn got here, but he really didn't see sleep being an option before then. And if they weren't going to get in another three hours of sleep, having something to eat didn't sound all that bad right about now.

"Let's just wait and see how the letter goes first. We'll decide afterward," Twilight replied. As far as she could see, there was no sense getting breakfast ready right now, if they were soon to have more company. Especially not if they'd need to make more than just four helpings. And with that thought in mind, she turned back to face Pinkie. "Will you be staying over for a pre-dawn bite to eat?" she asked.

"As much as I'd like to, I'm really needed back over at Sugarcube Corner. The Cakes are really counting on me right now, and I don't want to disappoint them," Pinkie explained.

"Oh. Alright then, if you say so. I guess we'll see you later then, Pinkie," Twilight replied.

"Yeppers! Goodnight you three, pleasant dreams!" Pinkie replied, far more cheerful than when she'd arrived. With a few more pleasantries exchanged, she took her leave, heading back over to the others that needed her right now.

With the fourth member of their little gathering gone, Twilight turned back to face Spike, as she had something important to tell him.

"Spike-"

"Coffee, right? Already on it, Twilight," Spike stated, before making his way towards the stairs.

Applejack tried not to grimace. She had been, for lack of a better term, living here ever since she'd been attacked in her own orchards, afraid of spending her nights away from her friends, and terrified of waking up to find herself alone. And in that time of living here in the library with Twilight, she'd become accustomed to what she and Spike considered to be coffee. Stoutness didn't even begin to describe what it was. What it lacked in terms of flavor, it made up for in that "wake you right up" quality. But that didn't necessarily make it any good, just effective.

But she was the guest here. Twilight had let her stay over out of the goodness of her heart. It wasn't really her place to be complaining, just because she didn't particularly care for the coffee; even if it could quite possibly eat the rust right off a danged tractor.

"Actually I was going to say to take a letter," Twilight muttered. Coffee was fine and all, but these developments warranted correspondence. Plus she wanted to know if they'd need to make extra, depending on who came for the investigation.

"We'll get ta it," Applejack replied in a reassuring manner as she resting a foreleg on Twilight's withers. And then, once again, she took stock of the situation before them. "Real shame abou' the bed though..."

"Now I'm really glad I didn't bring up the guest bed from the basement," Twilight replied, not wanting to think of all the hassle that would be involved if she'd done such. She already knew from experience how difficult it was to replace a mattress. And that was the say nothing of the bedding; she'd just gotten those sheets broken in too! But it's not like she could really do anything about it right now. Maybe she could salvage them with a fabric mending spell or something. But that would have to come later, after they got everything sorted out.

"... Jus' so ya know, Twi', if ya an' Spike need a place ta stay, ya could always come an' stay wit' me at Sweet Apple Acres," Applejack offered. After everything they'd done for her, it was the very least that she could do in return for them. Truth be told, she was actually starting to miss her own room, and her own bed. She was missing the sounds, and even the smells that went along. In basic, simple terms, she was getting homesick for her actual home. And no matter how hospitable Twilight was being to her, it just wasn't the same. Her heart simply didn't reside in the library, even if her friends did.

But... the thought of spending even one night alone in her room... it just didn't sit right with her; not yet anyway. She wasn't sure if it was the scent of lilacs and lavender that was helping soothe her mind at night, and keep the nightmares at bay, but she really wasn't willing to take the chance right now. But if she could combine the two standards... then maybe it would work. Maybe she could actually address her homesickness, and still get a good night's rest.

And some decent coffee while she was at it.

"Thanks, Applejack, I appreciate that," Twilight replied. The next thing she knew, she was being pulled into a hug by said earth pony.

Naturally she returned the hug, not being one to ever turn down such. Having friends like this helped give her a sense of sanity right now, as everything was going to pieces around them.

"Curses..."

And in the darkness of the night, a low voice hissed angrily at how things had developed. So close... so close, and yet so very far away...

"I'll just have to stop being so nice to them from here on out..."

Chapter Seventy (Version B)

Author's Note

Same chapter, different possible sequence of events that occurred.