The Broken

Operation Raven
File: 19
Time Dedicated: 6y 5m 27d
Name: Star (Last name unavailable)
Age: 20
City: Canterlot
Info: A shady character. Her personal interests focus on one major topic. It’s only a matter of time before we found out if she is connected. The upcoming Festival will most likely tell us what we want to know. We have agents on standby to ensure her a night to remember. The leader of our operation wants her under constant surveillance. Although it seems that no matter how close we get she suspects nothing. I’m starting to wonder how our leader chooses our targets.

Suspicion Level: 8

(Three Days from Present Day)

The sun streaked into the open window of the second story house. A slight breeze blew across the still room. A movement in the bed ended the stillness. Covers were thrown to the floor, and a yawn cut the silence. The mare stretched her stiff legs and jumped off the bed to the floor. She walked over to the open window, intent to close it.

The mare instead looked outside into the clear blue sky. Her smile crested her face and relaxed her features. She yawned once more and decided to leave her window open. Another slight breeze entered and she smelled the scent of morning. Turning to her bed, she bent over to pick up the sheets in her mouth.

A loud knock came from downstairs. The mare turned away from her bedding and walked towards the stairs. She took her time and paced herself before she reached the bottom. On the last step, she quietly called a “Coming,” before walking to the door. Turning the knob, she was surprised to see the friendly face.

“Hey Star, I didn’t wake you up, did I?” The stallion asked, giving his charming smile.

“Not at all, I’m just surprised to see you this early,” Star said.

“It’s never too early to see my favorite mare,” The stallion said continuing to smile.

“Whatever Steel is there any other reason you came?” Star asked, unable to hold back a yawn.

“Alright, you got me. I was going to see if you wanted to come to the park with me and Deuce,” Steel said.

“Yeah, I’m up for it. What’s the occasion?” Star asked.

“We’re getting him ready to move. He said he wanted to hang out one more time before that. Might not see him in a while, and I thought you’d enjoy it too. You guys were pretty close if I remember,” Steel said.

“He’s moving? I’m gonna miss him, he was like the only friend I had growing up,” Star said.

“Well, what’re we waiting for? You set to go?” Steel asked.

“Yeah, just let me get my hair straightened, I feel like it’s a mess,” Star said.

“Okay, I’ll meet you there. Don’t take too long though, it’s his last day,” Steel said turning away.

Star shut the door and turned back to the stairs. She still had her smile on as she reached the top. Her smile only faded when she walked into the restroom and looked in the mirror. Her hair had seen better days.

“Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to worry about little things like this,” Star said to herself.

Star levitated her brush over and proceeded to brush her hair. She watched as the slick black hair strands fused and moved to the side. Looking into the mirror, she let the hair slightly cover one of her eyes. She looked into the mirror for anything she missed. Instead of a once over, she was caught looking into her eyes. The bright yellow looked back at her.

Star tried to look away, but whenever she looked at her reflection, if felt like she was somepony else. The light grey coat and black hair gave her a dark feeling, and yet the yellow in her eyes stuck out like a candle in the dark. She took her eyes off the mirror and walked quickly out of the room.

Star walked down the steps and out of her house. She made sure it was locked before she continued her walk towards the park. The streets were almost empty, except for a few older ponies. She put on a smile when she passed them. They smiled back and not a single word was said.

It wasn’t until the park was in sight that her fake smile was gone and a real one replaced it. Thoughts of Steel and Deuce waiting for her lifted her spirits. Not even the thought of her best friend leaving took away her smile. She walked even further until she entered the park. Walking towards their usual meeting spot, she noticed the group of three waiting.

There was Steel with his white coat and orange mane, slightly messy as usual. Deuce was waiting, his light grey coat and dark grey mane looking like he just woke up. The third turned to her when the first two noticed her coming. She had a pink coat with a blonde mane that went straight down, and at some parts it went over her ears. She gave a small wave and a large smile.

Star walked up to the group of three, giving the third a small smile. She turned to the other two.

“So Star, I’d like you to meet Dahlia. She and I have been hitting it off recently,” Deuce said.

“Nice to meet you, a friend of Deuce’s is a friend of mine,” Dahlia said.

“Oh, that’s good. I’m glad you’re finding somepony special. And you Dahlia, you seem really nice. How long have you known Deuce?” Star asked.

“It’s been a week now. We met at the dentist’s. He looked really cute while he was crying,” Dahlia said.

“Crying? Deuce I told you to lay off the sweets, you know what it can do to your teeth,” Star said.

“I tried, but you know how I get,” Deuce said.

“It’s a good thing, I just had to introduce myself when I saw you,” Dahlia said.

“I’m glad you did, I couldn’t see anything with those tears. But I still knew you were the one when I heard your soft voice,” Deuce said.

“Keep it to yourselves guys; you’ll have plenty of time to talk like this in your letters,” Steel said.

“Letters?” Star asked.

“They’re going to keep a long distance relationship, since she can’t move while her grandma’s sick,” Steel said.

“Oh, I never really believed in long distance relationships, but I’m sure you’ll work it out. It looks like you were meant for each other,” Star said.

“Thanks, I think this one’s a keeper,” Deuce said.

“It’s not like there were any before her,” Steel said.

“Anyways... *cough* …what do you guys want to do?” Deuce asked.

(One Day from Present day)

“You know, I miss him already,” Star said.

“He’s all you’ve been thinking about lately, why don’t you send him letters too?” Steel asked, lying beside her in the grass.

“It’s not the same, you know? If I’m going to talk to him, I want it to be face to face,” Star said.

“I wouldn’t mind a letter every now and then, it’s better than nothing,” Steel said.

“But you’re here right now, is a letter better than being this close?” Star asked, inching closer to Steel.

“Well actually…”Steel started.

“Fuck you,” Star said, pushing him away and sitting up.

“I was kidding, come on. You know I would never give up some personal time,” Steel said, a grin on his face.

“You might treat this like a joke, but I don’t know what I’d do if it was you that was moved,” Star said.

“You’d find somepony else. I’m lucky I managed to get you all for myself, I wouldn’t give it up for anything,” Steel said.

“I’m nothing special, but maybe you’re right, I would find somepony else,” Star said.

“Hurtful,” Steel said.

“Now you see how I feel,” Star said, lying back down.

“But seriously, the last thing I want is to lose you,” Steel said.

“Promise that you won’t move away?” Star asked looking into the sky above.

“I promise, do you promise that you’ll stay just as pretty?” Steel asked.

“No,” Star said.

“And I’ll love you just the same,” Steel said.

“Here comes the sunset, let’s watch it together,” Star said.

“Like we’ve done almost every night?” Steel asked.

“Yeah, and we’ll do it tomorrow too during the celebration,” Star said.

“About that…” Steel said. “I can’t make it to the celebration, I’m leaving town tomorrow for a week,” Steel said.

“What? But you said we’ll watch the fireworks again like we did last year,” Star said, a frown on her face.

“Maybe next year, but my aunt needs my help in Manehattan. She’s getting sick and I can’t leave her alone, I’m sorry,” Steel said.

“Well, that’s alright. I guess I’ll just stay at home. It’s not a party unless you’re there, and I can use the time to write something to Deuce,” Star said.

“Don’t let me ruin your fun, go with Lucy and Hale, they always hang around the punch tables and gossip,” Steel said.

“Maybe, but we’re not the best of friends. I think I’ll stick with my plans,” Star said.

“Whatever makes you happy,” Steel said.

“This… this makes me happy,” Star said to the sun slowly going down the horizon.

Star felt the warmth of Steel next to her. The grass underneath turned soft and for a second; everything seemed perfect. Then almost as fast as it came, a gust of wind sent a chill down her spine.

“Well, let’s gets you home. Everypony knows you need your beauty rest,” Steel said.

“Shut up,” Star chuckled, punching Steel in his leg.

(Present Day)

Star opened her eyes, the light of the sun brightening up her room. She slowly sat up and looked around. A feeling of sadness came over her. She remembered that Steel would have already left to Manehattan. Star rubbed her eyes and yawned. It seems like she always needed more sleep.

Star jumped out of bed and went to the restroom. She looked into the mirror, and again was transfixed with her image. She looked into her eyes, and felt like it was a predator looking back at her. She smiled at the reflection, and the feeling was gone. Instead she was looking at the bed hair that her mane had become. She levitated her brush and once again brushed it back to her normal style.

When Star finished, she lost her smile and left the brush on the counter. She left the room and trudged downstairs. She reached the bottom, and looked around her little living room. It was a comfy small apartment, and the living room had enough room for a couch and table, but not much else. When she first bought it, it was to leave her parent’s house. Now, she felt it was like her own world, where nothing bad could happen.

Star heard the whistle of a bird outside. She walked over to the window and peered outside. The sun was shining and it almost brought a smile back onto her face. But then she saw a blur of something leave the streets. It was for a second, but there was a black streak that hid in an alleyway. She didn’t think much of it, and turned away from the window.

Star sat on the couch, and thought about writing a letter to Deuce. She brought some paper over and realized that she didn’t have any pens downstairs. She stood to get the one she kept in her room to write in her diary, but she noticed a black pen poking from under the couch.

Star levitated it over and looked at it for a minute. It was her pen; there was no doubt about that. What she didn’t get, was why it wasn’t with her diary. She got off the couch and went back upstairs. She went into her room and looked under her bed. The diary was exactly the way she put it last night, but the pen wasn’t there.

Star didn’t remember taking the pen out of the room since she started writing her diary. She suspected that Steel might’ve read her diary, and opened it to check what he could have read.
Star opened it and turned to the first page. She skimmed down the page and then the next. There wasn’t anything really personal, or something Steel didn’t already know. She was often honest about her feelings, and a diary wasn’t the safest place for secrets.

Star turned to the last page she had written in. Her eyes were wide when she saw that somepony else had written in it. She tried to read what it said, but she couldn’t make out the writing.

The only thing Star could gather from it was that on the last page, somepony crossed out Steel’s name every time it was mentioned. The whole sentence she wrote about Steel leaving for a week was circled, and there was a question mark at the bottom of the page where she stopped for the night.

Star felt anger at somepony not only reading what she wrote, but changing it. She took the diary with her downstairs and put it on the table. Star was about to get back to writing her letter, but there was a knock on her door.

“Hey, you in there Star?” Hale asked, not trying to be quiet for the neighbors still sleeping.

“Yeah, I don’t have much else to do today,” Star replied, a little softer than Hale.

“Come with us then, Lucy wanted to check out the hoof ball tournament before the celebration starts,” Hale said.

“You really want me to come?” Star asked a little surprised at the offer.

“You’re our friend, we can’t just leave you alone in your house all day,” Lucy said.

“Sure, I’ll go. When does it start?” Star asked.

“It’s starting in an hour, that’ll give you time to ask Steel if he wants to come,” Hale said.

“Steel went to his grandma’s house, he won’t be here today,” Star said, feeling some of the sadness return.

“That’s too bad, but we can still have fun without him, right?” Lucy said.

“Yeah… yeah we can,” Star said opening the door.

“We’ve got some time to kill, want to come in?” Star asked, the smile returning to her face.

“Yeah, why not?” Hale said.

(One hour later)

“So I said, you should come with me… and he did!” Hale said, exploding into laughter.

“You should have been there,” Lucy said, also laughing hysterically.

“That must have been pretty embarrassing,” Star said, unable to hide her chuckle.

“His face after it was over… priceless!” Hale said.

“Red as the tomatoes he grew, I’m telling you, he was as ripe as they come,” Lucy said.

“And this one time, he was so sick, his face turned green! Well, greener than normal,” Hale said.

“It’s because he ate this bad turnip… let me tell you about it…” Lucy said.

(Two more hours later)

“And I said… I’m not paying three bits for that, unless it comes with extra cheese… if you know what I mean,” Lucy said.

“He lost it. The whole market was watching when he left. Last I heard, he moved to some different city. And guess what? Lucy got them for free. Now that’s a deal,” Hale said.

“No way!” Star exclaimed.

“Yeah, I told him he should have sold ‘em for 2 bits, but it’s his loss!” Lucy said.

“That reminds me, remember when you lost those earrings of yours?” Hale said.

“Oh, I have to tell you this story!” Lucy said.

(Three more hours later)

“And then she broke up with him, can you believe that?” Hale said.

“Over that silly thing?” Star asked.

“It’s not my fault he decided to be a gentlecolt for a day. I wish I hadn’t though, I could be living the life right now,” Lucy said.

“Your loss, now some new prissy pony is taking your spot as his mare. I heard they’ve already gotten married,” Hale said.

“You’re not making me feel any better,” Lucy said.

“Sorry, how about we go see that hoof ball tournament? It should be starting soon, right?” Hale asked.

“Let me check,” Star said.

Star brought over her clock and looked at the time. She turned it around and shook it a few times before setting it back down the right way and throwing a questioning glance to her friends.

“It’s already four o’clock. How long have we been here?” Star asked.

“We lost track of time? Damn, the game’s already over. Maybe we can ask who won at the festival? My bet’s on the Spurs,” Lucy said.

“Nuh uh, the Bulls haven’t lost in weeks,” Hale said.

“Let’s go and see, the festival should be starting soon,” Star said.

“Alright, but don’t go dreaming about Steel the whole time, you need to enjoy yourself,” Hale said.

“We’re gonna show you how to have a good time,” Lucy said.

Their idea of a fun time consisted of lounging near the punch bowl and talking about the ponies walking by. Star need only put her own opinion in every few sentence so they didn’t forget she was still there. She started to pay more attention to who actually passed by.

There were large built ponies, and fancy ponies. The ones who followed them were the more average ponies and the ones who wished they were like them. Star wasn’t one to judge, and she didn’t pay much more attention to them. Instead, her eyes started to drift to the loners. The ponies who came to the festival alone.

Star noticed that there was a trend to them. Most of them were wearing black, and came to get punch often. Then they would stand in the corners of crowd and try to blend in. She could only notice they were loners because they would switch groups and never actually put in any conversation.

Star was going to ask one if they wanted to talk about something, but whenever she tried to strike up a conversation at the punch, they would walk away. Hale and Lucy didn’t seem to notice and continued their opinions on how the punch was overrated. Star didn’t immerse herself into that conversation much.

There was a tap on her shoulder. Star looked over, and found nopony there. Instead, she only saw a faraway group. She tried to look around, but other than the group, there was nopony in that direction. She tried to ignore it, but something compelled her to look past the group. She caught a glimpse of white and orange. A white coat and orange mane entered her head.

“That looked an awful lot like Steel…” Star thought.

“Maybe it is…” Star heard from somewhere behind her.

“But Steel is with his grandmother…” Star replied in a trance-like state.

“What if he isn’t?” The voice replied.

Star took a step forward and then another. She found her legs moving by themselves, but she didn’t try to stop them. The trance she was in made her think about the possibilities. What if Steel came back early? What if he was looking for her? Star wanted to spend the night of the festival with him, and this could be her chance.

Star made it past the group, and Hale and Lucy didn’t notice her disappearance. She kept walking and made it to the spot she saw the white and orange. She turned the direction it went, and continued her walking. Now she was walking faster.

The path Star took led her through the streets. She turned at random times and followed one path until it ended. She was looking at the cliff where she and Steel would watch the sun set, and the fireworks explode.

Star looked to the sky. The sun was already lowering, and the night was beginning. Most of the fireworks were already set up, and it was almost time to start. She walked over to their usual spot, near the end. When she had the spot in sight, her eyes alighted on the white and orange. There was a white coated pony with an orange mane that was sitting down looking at the sky.

It was Steel. Star had no doubt about that. She wouldn’t forget how he looked like, and that was a perfect match. A big smile landed on her face. She walked faster and almost went into a full gallop to Steel. It wasn’t until she was about to call his name, that she noticed the pony beside him.

That pink coat and blonde mane, Dahlia. Her head snuggled tight underneath Steel’s. Star stopped in her tracks. She felt time seem to slow down. Her legs dug an imprint into the ground, and her breath slowed. Steel took his head off of Dahlia’s and started to turn. Almost as if he knew she was watching, he turned towards Star.

Star also saw Dahlia turn her head. At the same time, their gazes landed on Star’s still shape. Time sped back up instantly. Star heard her name called, but her legs weren’t hers anymore. The sound of fireworks erupting shattered any stillness she felt. A rush of energy took her back the way she came. She dodged around ponies and when a group blocked her path, she turned into an alleyway.

Star rested against a wall, and felt her heart pounding. She had barely gone anywhere, but it wasn’t from exhaustion, it was from something else. A feeling she felt right now. A voice behind her made her think about what she just saw.

“Maybe it’s not what you think,” The voice said.

“What else could it be?” Star asked.

“It could be anything you want it to be,” The voice said.

“But then it won’t be the truth, he lied,” Star said.

“Is a lie really so bad?” The voice asked, getting distant.

“Yes… it is,” Star said.

There was no response. Instead, Star heard the sound of hooves hitting pavement. There was somepony rushing nearby. She watched as the white coated stallion turned the corner. Her face instantly turned sour. She didn’t say anything as Steel stopped and gathered his voice.

“I… I don’t know what you saw…” Steel said.

“I saw… enough,” Star said without feeling in her voice.

“It’s… it wasn’t what it looked like…” Steel said.

“So you didn’t lie? You’re actually with your grandma right now?” Star asked.

“I might have lied… but it’s because I wanted to protect you. I didn’t want to let you know like this…” Steel said.

“How long…? How long have you been seeing her?” Star asked.

“Today was… the first day. I’m sorry, I should have just told you,” Steel said.

“So… that’s it? We’re done? What was I to you?” Star asked, feeling the wetness in her eyes begin to form.

“You were everything to me… but Dahlia is… I don’t know… more?” Steel asked.

“If you wanted to break up… you could have just told me… this is a lot worse,” Star said.

“I wanted to… but you seemed so happy. I didn’t want to take that away from you,” Steel said.

“It’s too late,” Star said, pushing past him and running back into the streets.

“Wait, come back!” Steel said, starting a pursuit after Star.

Star ran through the crowds. She pushed past the other ponies and even shoved a filly into a garbage can. She didn’t care. Star ran and took turns that she didn’t know she could do. All the while, her legs were following their own path. She just listened back to what Steel told her.

“Whatever makes you happy,” Steel had said.

Star looked back once more, and found she had gained a lot of ground on Steel. When she looked back ahead, she realized that she had made it to the edge of the town. Down a slight hill, she could see a forest that covered miles of land. The Everfree Forest, a forest she would normally never go near.

Star continued running. She would run as far as she could until Steel stopped his chase. She made it to the first few trees, and her legs reacted on their own. She sidestepped the trunks and ducked under protruding limbs. Her hooves never slipped and other than getting her legs dirty, she was doing alright. About a minute into the forest, she heard Steel again.

“This forest isn’t going to stop me; can we just talk about this a little more?” Steel asked.

Star didn’t answer, and continued. She heard something else answer his question instead. A growl coming from her left caught her off guard. She took a path further to the right, and heard the growl get softer. When Star thought she was far enough away, she heard a scream. It was Steel.

Star stopped in her tracks. It was suddenly very silent. The only sound she could hear was her own breathing. She tried to turn around, and go back for him. Her legs didn’t want to follow her command. Instead, she looked up at a tree nearby. There was something off about the way it looked.

“My my, have you made it here already?” The voice from earlier said.

“Who… what are you?” Star asked, unable to discern where the voice was coming from.

“I’m a friend... Just a friend…” The voice said.

“Help Steel, he won’t make it in the forest alone,” Star said.

“Why don’t you help him?” The voice asked.

“I… I can’t,” Star said.

“What if I was to tell you… it’s too late?” The voice said.

“No, you can still save him. He’s not weak, he just needs a little help,” Star said.

“If you still think so highly of him… why run?” The voice asked.

“Because… because… I don’t know…” Star said.

“I think you do… you think that if you run away from your problems, eventually you’ll outrun them. But let me tell you this… running can only get you so far,” The voice said.

“Could you just… help him?” Star asked, thinking about Steel now.

“I could… but then who would help you?” The voice said.

“I can take care of myself…” Star said.

“Not in this forest… this forest forces you to make tough decisions. You should think long and hard about this… do you care more for him, or your own life?” The voice asked.

“I… I chose him,” Star said finally.

“That’s too bad; the Timberwolves are having a feast right now. I think you might want to reconsider,” The voice said.

“I still choose him,” Star said, to which it took a moment before the voice responded.

“I was wrong about you… here take this,” The voice said.

Star watched as the tree she was looking at popped out. It morphed and shifted into the form of a pony. His coat matched the bark and his mane the color of the leaves. He stepped forward, a box in his grasp. He laid down the box and then morphed back into the tree.

“If you are who I think you are… you should take it. It’ll help you get through the forest, and into the next town. But let me warn you… going back into your own town is a bad idea. I’ll see what I can do about your friend…” The voice said.

Star looked down at the box. Curiosity got the best of her and she opened it. The top lifted up and she looked at the contents. A mask rested atop of a dark grey cloak. The mask she lifted up and looked at. It looked like a bandit’s mask was drawn atop of the white mask. Another thick black line on top and underneath of the bandit looking marking decorated the mask.

Star lifted the cloak out and felt the gold lining on the sides. She put it over herself, and saw that it was almost the perfect size. She then put the mask over her face, and felt it click on even without magic. She could see clearly through the eyeholes in the mask, and the mask didn’t cover her snout, so she breathed normally. Her hair she had to move to the side so that the mask could be centered properly.

“There… I did my best to save him. But don’t ask for any more favors. For now, I want you to go to the next town over. After a week, you can come back. But I think that you would find it better in Ponyville than Canterlot could offer,” The voice said.

“Is he going to be okay?” Star asked, thinking again to Steel.

“Yeah… sure,” The voice said.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Star said.

“Whatever, cry about it on the way to the next town. Gosh… you try and do one nice thing…” The voice said.

“What is this mask and cloak going to do?” Star asked.

“You’ll see, now go,” The voice said, getting distant.

Star hesitated. There weren’t any sounds for help or even that Steel was behind her, but she didn’t want to leave. And to travel through the forest, she wanted to just go home. Instead, her legs made up her mind and drove her forward. She plunged deeper into the forest depths.

Star walked and walked, she kept thinking about what would happen to Steel. He might have been trapped in the forest, or eaten by predators. She was in no better shape, but so far, nothing seemed to notice her.

Star heard a growl from a tree nearby. More growls grew from the first. She turned slowly to the noise, and looked into the darkness. A pair of yellow eyes looked back at her. Then even more eyes appeared. She was surrounded. For a second, fear coursed through her veins. Her blood turned to ice and she wanted to run. No matter how much she tried, her legs did not want to respond. Instead, they walked toward the first pair of eyes.

The growls of the Timberwolves around her lessened. Star continued to walk until she could see its wooden body in the darkness. She was a few feet away from it, and it had its head lowered. Her front leg reached out and almost touched the Timberwolf. She wanted so desperately to run, but her body had different plans.

Star watched in amazement as the Timberwolf drew nearer and allowed her to rest her hoof on its head. The Timberwolf gave a small bark before returning back to the shadows. As fast as they came, the Timberwolves dispersed. The eyes in the forest were gone, and silence once again returned. Star lowered her arm, and was still in a state of shock.

After she managed to get herself back together, she slowly took the mask off her face. Peering into the inside forehead, she read the two words inscribed.
The Broken

Star felt like something she forgot was starting to come back to her. It was a small feeling that went away quickly. She tried to think what it was, but a sudden growl caught her attention. Star looked up to the eyes in the forest. Faster than she thought was possible; she clicked the mask back into place. The eyes disappeared and silence resumed.

Star continued her walk, trying to remember what it was that she couldn’t remember. The sounds of the forest were gone, but far, far behind her, somepony was whispering her name. The droplets that fell over his face drowned out his silent prayer, and the pony standing atop him smiled menacingly.

“It can’t be too far, can it?” Star asked herself.

The forest seemed to stretch for miles, and Star was beginning to think about turning back. But she had already come so far, so she decided to stick with it. It was a good thing too, because the edge of the forest was coming into view. She pushed back one final branch and looked around at the small town in front of her. She couldn’t get a good look before the rain caught up to her. It started to pour instantly, and she didn’t notice other than a blurry vision.

The rain soaked her mane and she started to step in mud. Star looked down at her cloak. It was as spotless as when she got it. Even in the parts where it had rubbed against the mud, it was untouched. Star walked away from the forest and into the town. There weren’t any ponies on the streets, the rain keeping them all indoors.

Star walked the streets, now unsure what to do. She didn’t know anywhere she could stay, and the rain offered her little help. She wondered the streets, rain continuing to pour down. When Star tried to stop and look at a building, once again her legs continued. She didn’t resist, and they led her to a shop. The lights were on, and the Open sign was still hanging.

Star walked up to the door and opened it. She peered inside as the bell above rang. From somewhere inside, she heard a sewing machine stop. She closed the door behind her and waited.

“Just a second!” Came a response from a room nearby.

Star didn’t wait long before the white coated and purple maned mare walked into the front of the store. Her hair was slightly frizzed, but it was really early. What caught her attention, was the way she handled herself. If she didn’t know any better, this could have been one of the fanciest ponies in Canterlot.

“How may I… help you?” Rarity asked, getting a glance at Star.

“I… I need help,” Star said.

Suddenly everything that happened since she woke up hit her. The tears formed in her eyes and the wave of sadness passed over her. She almost fell to her knees sobbing, but tried to not look bad in the face of a stranger.

Star looked down as her vision was completely blocked by the tears. She didn’t notice that Rarity had crossed the room and was standing next to her. Rarity placed a hoof gently on her shoulder and had a soft tone.

“There, there… it’s going to be okay. Tell me, what’s wrong?” Rarity asked.

Star spilled everything out. From the words that Steel told her, to what she saw in the end. It ended when she explained that she went through the forest and ended here. Now, she could control her tears a little more than before.

“It’s alright… there’s plenty of others to choose from,” Rarity said.

“But… but… he was perfect… I couldn’t ask for anypony better,” Star said.

“You’ll find somepony else. Steel just doesn’t know what he’s lost,” Rarity said.

“That’s just it; I’ve known him since I was a filly. He was one of my best friends and he knew everything about me. He didn’t even want to break up with me, because he wanted me to be happy. How can you get anything better than that?” Star asked, a hint of anger entering her voice.

“If you really did know him that well, what was wrong?” Rarity asked.

“I don’t know… I never asked that…” Star said wiping away the tears.

“Maybe you should find out, so you can change that. It sounds like you two were perfect for each other,” Rarity said.

“It was supposed to be like all the fairy tales, where we’d find true love at a young age and fulfill our dreams at our marriage,” Star said.

“That sounds wonderful,” Rarity said.

“It did… but now I just don’t know,” Star said.

“Well until you find out, you’re welcome to stay here. You seem to know quality when you see it, and I’d love to hear about your life in Canterlot. You know, I’ve always dreamed of living there,” Rarity said.

“Thank you, for being so generous. I think I’ll be staying here a little bit to give us both time to think about this. Maybe tomorrow you could show me around town?” Star asked.

“I’d be delighted. Ponyville is quite unique, you know. So many different ponies you’ll meet. I think you’ll fit in just fine,” Rarity said.

“Thanks, maybe I should get my mind off of him and enjoy myself,” Star said.

“Let me show you to the guest bedroom, it’s next to my workroom,” Rarity said.

“So, what is it that you do?” Star asked looking around at all of the dresses and outfits.

“I make and repair all types of garments, would you like to see?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah, I don’t see why not. Are these some of your creations?” Star asked, pointing to some dresses hanging near the wall.

“Yes, those are a few of my summer collection. If I had a little more time, I would have added some finishing touches, but lately I’ve been busy with private orders,” Rarity said.

“You seem like you’re pretty busy, can I help you with anything? It’s the least I can do while I’m staying here,” Star said.

“No, that’s alright. It’s my responsibility, and I’m not letting a guest of mine worry herself with it,” Rarity said.

“Really, I insist,” Star said.

“No, you’re going to enjoy yourself here, remember? Now let’s get you ready for a long rest,” Rarity said.

Star opened the door they were in front of. She turned on the lights near the door and watched as the room glittered with purple dust. The light pink walls and hot pink carpet made the bed and bedside tables stand out.

“Well, what about you? Shouldn’t you rest too?” Star asked.

“If I’m going to get this order done by tomorrow, I’ll need to pull an All-nighter. But don’t you worry about me, darling. Get yourself some sleep,” Rarity said.

“Okay then… thank you again,” Star said.

“It’s my pleasure,” Rarity smiled back. She quietly shut the door and Star heard her steps fade away.

Star walked over to the bed. She didn’t move aside the covers as she lay down. Looking at the ceiling, she realized that she still had the mask on. Taking it off, she turned it over to look at it again. Something in the back of her mind whispered. It was like something was trying to tell her something, but she wasn’t understanding.

Star felt a wave of nausea pass over her. She decided she must have caught something in the rain. Deciding that she should get some rest, she turned off the lights. Putting the mask on the bedside counter, she curled into a ball for warmth. The cloak covered her body and gave her comfort. She shed a single tear before falling asleep.

“Wake up, miss. It’s morning!” Star heard from somewhere beside her.

Opening her eyes, she uncurled herself. Sitting up in the bed, she shielded her eyes from the light of the open window. When her eyes adjusted to the light level, she looked at the small filly next to her bed.

“Wow, you’re pretty,” The filly said, looking closely at her face.

“Um, thank you…?” Star replied.

“Breakfast is ready; you must be hungry, huh?” The filly asked.

“That sounds nice,” Star said.

“Ooh, my sister didn’t tell me your name, what is it?” The filly asked.

“It’s Star, and yours?” Star asked.

“I’m Sweetiebelle, Rarity’s sister,” Sweetiebelle said.

“It’s nice to meet you Sweetiebelle, your sister’s been really nice lately,” Star said.

“Of course, she’s the Element of Generosity. She does things for me all the time,” Sweetiebelle said.

“Element? I don’t get it,” Star said.

“You know, she was one of the ponies who saved Equestria when Nightmare Moon attacked. Didn’t you hear about that?” Sweetiebelle asked.

“No, this is new to me,” Star said.

“Oh, well we’ll tell you about it at breakfast, come on,” Sweetiebelle said.

Star grabbed her mask and took it with her out of the room. She didn’t put it on, though, realizing that she hadn’t shown Rarity what she really looks like. She stepped into the dining room, and the smell of food transfixed her. She sat in the designated chair and awaited the prepared meal, saying her gratitude between bites.

After they finished, and Sweetiebelle ended the story, Star felt the need to put the mask back on. The little voice trying to get her to understand something was back. She kept glancing at the mask that she placed on the counter. Rarity must have noticed this, because she raised her eyebrow.

“Yes?” Star asked, wondering what Rarity was thinking.

“When I saw you yesterday, you were wearing that… thing. I didn’t know why, and I wanted to ask. But now I think I know,” Rarity said.

“You do?” Star asked, curious as to what she’d say.

“Of course, darling. You hide behind that hideous mask so you aren’t tempted to a different stallion. It’s only logical that you don’t want to betray your true love. I mean, you look fabulous under that mask; hiding yourself is the only way,” Rarity said.

“…” Star didn’t comprehend until she remembered that she left out the part where she got her mask and cloak.

“That cloak of yours, it’s so glamorous and yet so mysterious. I must say you do have a keen eye for detail,” Rarity said.

“Thanks…” Star said, still unsure how to deal with the situation.

“Coming from Canterlot, it’s no surprise… so tell me, what’s it like?” Rarity asked.

“What’s what like?” Star asked.

“Living in Canterlot, isn’t it amazing?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah, although it could use more ponies like you,” Star said.

“Oh, I almost forgot, I have a shipment to make. I need to deliver these dresses before the train leaves. You don’t mind waiting with Sweetiebelle until I get back, do you?” Rarity asked.

“It’s no problem,” Star said.

“Thank you, just remember not to leave her alone,” Rarity said.

“Sis, I’m right here,” Sweetiebelle said.

“Stay out of trouble then… and I don’t think I got your name?” Rarity said.

“Her name’s Star,” Sweetiebelle said.

“Oh, that’s a nice name, my name is Rarity, it was nice getting to know you,” Rarity said.

Rarity left the room towards her workroom and left Star with Sweetiebelle. It was silent until Rarity came back and left through the side door with a bag of clothes.

“So… what do you want to do?” Star asked the small filly.

“I don’t know, what about you?” Sweetiebelle asked.

“I’ve got nothing… why don’t you show me around town?” Star said.

“Ooh, maybe we’ll meet my friends on the way. They’ll know what we can do,” Sweetiebelle said.

“Great, let’s get going,” Star said.

Star put the mask back on and walked towards the door. She turned back to Sweetiebelle who stopped.

“Why’d you put the mask back on? Don’t you want the ponies in town to see you?” Sweetiebelle asked.

“I can’t explain it, but I feel more comfortable with it on,” Star said.

“Well okay then, maybe we can scare Scootaloo with it,” Sweetiebelle said.

“It doesn’t look that bad, does it?” Star asked, remembering how it was designed.

“It’s weird, not really scary, but it’s still a mask,” Sweetiebelle said.

“I’m sure nopony is going to notice,” Star said, opening the door and looking outside.

Star stopped her momentum and looked at the purple blob just outside of the door. She noticed the green spikes on top and the small legs. The scales were the last detail she noticed, and then she realized what she was looking at.

“D-Dragon!” Star jumped back.

“Gah!” Spike yelled looking at her mask

“Hey Spike, looking for Rarity?” Sweetiebelle said.

“Wait… you know him?” Star asked, getting a little relaxed at the scare she gave Spike.

“Yeah, his name’s Spike, he’s not like other dragons,” Sweetiebelle said.

“What are you?” Spike asked Star.

“Spike, meet Star. She’s staying here for a while. Star meet Spike, he’s a friendly dragon that lives with Twilight, now are we all caught up with what you two were confused about?” Sweetiebelle asked.

“I don’t know, she looks too creepy to be a pony,” Spike said.

“It’s just a mask, Star why don’t you take it off?” Sweetiebelle asked.

Star floated the mask off, and watched his expression. Spike’s eyes widened, and then his hands started to rub his shoulders. He turned his gaze down as he spoke.

“Sorry for calling you creepy, you look… nice,” Spike said.

“Thanks, but I think I’ve had enough of others complimenting my looks. Maybe Rarity was right, maybe I should wear this all the time,” Star said, putting the mask back on.

“So… where’s Rarity?” Spike asked.

“I knew you came for Rarity, but she’s not here right now. Come back later,” Sweetiebelle said.

“Do you know when she’ll be back?” Spike asked.

“Nope, if you don’t have anything to do, why don’t you come with us? I’m going to show Star around the town,” Sweetiebelle said.

“Yeah… I’ll come too,” Spike said, not looking at Star.

“Great, let’s get going,” Sweetiebelle said, walking through the door.

“Let’s,” Spike said, allowing Star to leave before him.

Star raised an eyebrow, but left nonetheless. She couldn’t keep the fact that he was a dragon away from his personality. She didn’t know enough about him, but from what she gathered, he wasn’t dangerous. What she did know though, was that dragons weren’t known for staying friendly.

Star looked at the small wooden shack in the tree. The steps leading up looked ready to collapse, although it looked like somepony tried to fix it up. She did have to admit though, it had a sort of innocence that she liked. She stopped just underneath it with the others.

“And this is our clubhouse. We usually think of ideas in here, and it’s super secret,” Scootaloo said.

“But you just told me…” Star replied.

“So?” Scootaloo asked.

“So… never mind,” Star said.

Star stepped back towards the path and waited for the others to follow. Scootaloo pulled Sweetiebelle and Applebloom aside and whispered.

“I thought you said we’d have fun doing this?” Scootaloo asked.

“No, I said we could get our cutie marks. Applebloom was the one who said it’d be fun,” Sweetiebelle said.

“C’mon girls, if we’re gonna get our cutie marks, we’ve got to have fun showing her around,” Applebloom said.

“Well I’m not having fun, why don’t we go do something exciting?” Scootaloo asked.

“But she’s supposed to be watching us. Rarity would freak if Star told her what we do,” Sweetiebelle said.

“Then let’s ditch her, she won’t mind,” Scootaloo said.

“I don’t know, she is new after all. And she’s been nice, not like my sister’s new friend,” Applebloom said.

“New friend? What’s with all the new ponies today?” Scootaloo asked.

“I don’t know, says he’s got some weird disease. So I don’t think we want to get near him… I’d rather stay around Star,” Applebloom said.

“Disease? Why don’t we go check it out?” Scootaloo asked.

“I don’t know, Rarity wouldn’t like that,” Sweetiebelle said.

“Well when does she come back? We can’t do anything fun with her around,” Scootaloo said.

“Who knows, maybe she doesn’t care about what we do,” Applebloom said.

“As long as you don’t get hurt…” Star said, poking her head into the group.

“Well there goes the fun,” Scootaloo said.

“You want to get hurt?” Star asked.

“No pain, no gain, right?” Scootaloo said.

“I don’t want to get sick though, why don’t we do what Star wants to do?” Applebloom said.

“Yeah, what do you do for fun?” Sweetiebelle asked.

“Well I usually walk around. I try to take a look at the scenery, and Ponyville sure has a lot of that,” Star said.

“Great it’s another Fluttershy, why don’t you go talk to her?” Scootaloo asked.

“Who’s that?” Star asked.

“She takes care of the animals, but she’s pretty shy,” Applebloom said.

“I… don’t do well with animals. They just never really appealed to me,” Star said.

“Don’t say that around Fluttershy, she’ll feel bad,” Sweetiebelle said.

“I’d hate to make a bad impression,” Star said.

“That’s kind of hard to do, this town’s pretty accepting,” Scootaloo said.

“I think the town leaves a bigger impression on you, than you think,” Applebloom said.

“So far, I like this town already, it’s a lot different than Canterlot,” Star said.

“Spike’s been kind of quiet, what’s wrong with him?” Scootaloo asked.

“I don’t know, I think he’s still scared of Star’s mask,” Sweetiebelle said.

“It’s not that scary…” Scootaloo said.

“You were so scared, I was afraid you’d cry,” Applebloom said.

“Nuh uh,” Scootaloo said.

“Can we… get going?” Star asked, wanting to see more of the town before Rarity came back.

“There’s not much else to show, unless you want to see Sweet Apple Acres,” Scootaloo said.

“Actually, I think Rarity must be back right now, why don’t we go check?” Applebloom said.

“Alright then, I guess I don’t want to look irresponsible on the first day,” Star said.

“But you did kind of let us lead you around,” Applebloom said.

“At least we didn’t get lost,” Star said.

“I don’t think you can get lost in Ponyville, it isn’t exactly big like Canterlot,” Sweetiebelle said.

“Still, it’s a new place,” Star said.

“Let’s just get going. Maybe we can double back and go to the farm,” Scootaloo whispered.

“I heard that, but I’ll pretend I didn’t,” Star said.

“See, she knows how to have fun,” Scootaloo said.

“They were going to what?” Rarity asked Star.

Star had left the three to their own mischief and returned to the Boutique. She brought Spike along, but sometime along the way, he wondered off. He was being quiet, and she didn’t think that it was normal for a dragon. Now, she was at the door to the boutique where she found Rarity.

“Something about going to the farm, Applebloom said there was somepony sick there. I just thought I’d warn you so they wouldn’t get in trouble,” Star said.

“I haven’t heard about anypony being sick, but if it’s true, then I’ll have to stop them,” Rarity said.

“They’re just being curious, I remember when I was like them. It got me in some bad situations,” Star said.

“Well curious or not, it could be dangerous. Would you accompany me to the farm? I could show you a little bit of the town on the way. Something tells me you don’t want to stay inside all day,” Rarity said.

“Yeah, maybe you can also tell me a little more about the dragon in town,” Star said.

“Oh, you’ve met little Spike? Isn’t he just adorable?” Rarity said.

“He didn’t talk very much, I think I might have said something to him,” Star said.

“Oh he doesn’t hold grudges, I’m sure he’ll be the same old Spike if you give him time,” Rarity said.

“You do know him a lot better than me, what’s he normally like?” Star asked.

“Well for starters, he’s really helpful. Always coming by and helping me with my designs. He also helps Twilight every day. Why, I’d like to see a time when he’s not helping. That is, if he’s not asleep,” Rarity said.

“Sounds like a good dragon, but… I don’t know. I just can’t accept that there’s a dragon in town. Maybe if I get to know him, I can change my mind,” Star said.

“That’s the spirit, how about we go check up on him? He lives with Twilight over…” Rarity stopped moving, and Star did the same. She looked up where Rarity was looking and confusion fell on her face.

The figure of a cloaked pony was in front of her. The Cloak on her back resembled hers. She looked to her right to another pony with the same cloak. A different mask adorned their face though, and when she looked to her left, the same result. She could see the others looking to their left and rights, and then across.

“There’s Spike right there… but who is that next to him?” Rarity asked.

Author's Note

Is it starting to piece itself together? No? Well it’ll become clear soon. Or maybe it won’t. Sometimes you need to look pass things to see the answer, and a mask isn’t exactly transparent. How about a more interesting background next time? Well, it’s more interesting because I wasn’t really into this chapter, besides getting it done.
Next time: The Fourth Mask, The Voice of Insanity.