Chapters The Seer (Under Revision)
The Seer
Operation Raven
Suspicion Level: 3
(Three years before surveillance)
A young light yellow coated filly sat beneath a tower of blocks. Her eyes were wide with pride. She pushed on the bottom block, and watched as the tower shifted and rebalanced itself. She giggled when she watched the tower give up and tilt further. The blocks tumbled off the stack and onto the smooth tile floor. She started to restack the tower, from the foundation left behind. Using her wings to steady herself while she reached for other blocks.
“She looks fine, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” The mother whispered to the stallion across from her.
“It doesn’t work like that. She’s going to look the same the entire time. That doesn’t mean this isn’t as serious, though,” The stallion said.
“But what if you’re wrong? She doesn’t seem to be having any problems,” The mother said.
The young filly placed a hoof over her right eye as she stacked the last block on the top. Her balance shifted, and she fell back onto the floor. The mother gasped and went to wipe the tears off her daughter’s eyes. The stallion leaned back and wrote onto the clipboard he carried.
The mother returned, having comforted her child. The filly was now playing with her mane. The Dark blue mane just long enough to cover her eye. When she was bored again, she turned back to the blocks. The doctor handed the mother his recommendations and prepared for an outburst.
“You want me to what?” The mother asked almost immediately.
“You’ll need to teach your daughter Braille. She needs to start preparing for the worst,” The doctor said.
“But she’s so young, won’t she have time later to learn this?” The mother asked.
“It’s hard to tell exactly, but the infection is spreading fast. She’ll have only a few years before she loses her eyesight. First it’s the infected eye, and then the other. It’ll be gradual, but she needs to be prepared from the beginning,” The doctor said.
“So, she’ll be blind the rest of her life?” The mother asked, tears starting to form from the corners of her eyes.
“I’m afraid so, there’s not enough research to figure out how to cure the disease,” The doctor said.
“Then… one day you’ll be able to help her?” The mother asked.
“Only time will tell. Until then, keep the idea in her head, but let her enjoy herself. It’ll only get harder when the time comes,” The doctor said.
“Okay, I’ll try…” The mother said, watching her daughter giggling at the block tower.
(One year before Surveillance)
“Mom… Dad, look what I made!” The filly handed the yarn necklace to her parents.
“That’s lovely, where did you learn to make this?” The mother asked.
“I saw my teacher doing it, and he showed me how. It’s not that hard,” The filly said.
“Well, why don’t you show some of your classmates?” The father asked.
“Well… they never ask me to show them,” The filly said.
“Spectra, you need to be friendlier. Have you talked to any of your classmates?” The father asked.
“Um, no. But I talk to the teacher, he’s really nice,” Spectra said.
“What makes him different than your classmates?” The mother asked.
“He doesn’t care that I can’t see that well,” Spectra said, lowering her voice above a whisper.
“Spectra, do the other classmates pick on you?” The father asked, his voice getting deeper.
“No… but sometimes… never mind,” Spectra said.
“What is it?” The mother asked.
“Well, when I trip or cover my eye, they laugh,” Spectra said.
“You know, nobody’s perfect. Don’t let it get to you,” The mother said.
“I know, the teacher always makes them stop, and sometimes gets them to forget about it,” Spectra said.
“Well isn’t that nice of him? We haven’t even met him before; do you think we can meet him tomorrow?” The mother asked.
“Yeah, he won’t mind. Let’s get there before school starts though, he doesn’t like to spend a lot of time away from teaching,” Spectra said.
Spectra pushed open the doors to her school. The sound bounced off the walls of the hallways. They looked like they were the only ones there. Spectra guided her parents through the halls and in front of her classroom. The door was partly open, and they could see he was inside, writing on some papers.
“Mister Klein, my parents wanted to meet you,” Spectra said, opening the door and looking to her teacher.
Spectra smiled as her teacher looked up to her. He nodded and mumbled a welcome before turning to the figure across from him. Spectra watched as her teacher held out a file into the air. A hoof stretched out of the shadows and gripped the papers. Spectra watched as the pony materialized in front of her. A shadow hid his face from view, but he looked older than her teacher nonetheless. The pony walked past Spectra and her parents and left without a word.
“Ah Spec, it’s good to see you here early. And your parents too, marvelous,” Klein said.
“It’s good to meet you Mr. Klein, our daughter has told us what a wonderful teacher you are,” Her mother said.
“She’s too modest, she helps me as much as I help her,” Klein said.
“What do you mean by that?” The father asked.
“Well I don’t know if she told you, but I’m also an engineer. I create little knick knacks. It keeps me busy, now that I’m stuck inside due to old age. Your daughter is really special, she helps me with putting them together. It’s like she was born to create,” Klein said.
“She never told us any of that,” The father said, looking over to Spectra.
“What? You never asked…” Spectra said.
“Well anyway, she gave me this great idea for a project. It was a… what was it again?” Klein asked Spectra.
“A Microglass. It lets you see things that are really small. And you can change it to look between small and big things,” Spectra said.
“Oh yes, she’s been working on everything, I’ve just been supervising. She works fast though, just yesterday she almost had it working. All it needed was the correct part,” Klein said.
“She sounds like she’s doing more than school work, when is all this going on?” The father asked.
“I see her working on it during my lectures, and at lunch sometimes. She learns while she works, and it’s amazing. She aces every test I give the class, and I think some of her classmates are jealous,” Klein said.
Spectra looked away from them as Klein continued.
“It’s hard to believe she has bad eyesight, with all the focus she has. She’s really gifted if you ask me,” Klein said.
“Gifted in what way?” The father asked.
“Like I said earlier, she’s got a knack for making new things. I think she can really get somewhere if she continues to learn and practice,” Klein said.
Spectra couldn’t stop the tear from rolling off her cheek. She felt their eyes land on her.
“Spec, what’s wrong?” Klein asked.
“She’s… she’s going blind,” The father explained, understanding why his daughter didn’t mention this before.
“Oh dear… that’s awful. I suppose I’m not going to sound very convincing, but that shouldn’t stop you,” Klein said.
“I don’t think you should get her hopes up, Mr. Klein,” The father said.
“No, really… my son, he was born blind. He learned to deal with it, though. I’m sure Spec here could do the same,” Klein said.
“I think that’s enough…” The father said.
“Wait… where does he live?” Spectra asked, wiping away the tears from her eyes.
“He lives with me, he’s still learning some things,” Klein said.
“Do you think… he could show me how, so I’ll be ready later?” Spectra asked.
“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind, but it’s up to your parents,” Klein said.
“Mom, dad?” Spectra asked.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” Her mother asked.
“Yes, I want to be useful when I go blind,” Spectra said.
“You’ll be useful either way, don’t think you need to see to be important,” Her father said.
“I know,” Spectra said.
“Okay then, if you’re sure,” Her father said.
“Great, you will not regret this. My son will be helping your daughter after school for an hour a day. He has a lot of tricks that help him know where he’s going, and I’m sure Spec will catch on quickly,” Klein said.
“I’m glad she has a teacher that cares, her mother said.
(One week before surveillance)
“Focus, you need to listen and hear,” Collin said.
“But you keep talking, I can’t hear. Besides, that’s the same thing,” Spectra said.
“Then you need to feel and touch,” Collin said.
Spectra stopped trying to argue, and took in a deep breath. She had her eyes closed, towers of books surrounding her. She lifted up her front leg and slowly placed it back on the ground. The vibration she felt from it comforted her. She could feel the objects surrounding her, but she couldn’t place what they were or how big.
“You need to relax. This needs to come naturally, because you don’t want to have to stop all the time. Don’t force it,” Collin said.
“I’m trying Collin, this is complicated though,” Spectra said.
“Come on S, don’t try and picture anything, let the picture come to you,” Collin said.
Spectra let out her breath and relaxed her muscles. She could feel the warmth coming off the books around her. The temperature mixed with the vibrations created a type of sonar. She felt her body tingling with magic. The room suddenly became clear. Her eyes were still closed, but she could feel what was around her.
Spectra took a step forward, and then another. She stopped before she touched a pile of books, and stepped around them. She stepped over another book and ducked underneath a tower of books. Her eyes never opening, and her smile getting wider.
“You did it, see it wasn’t too bad,” Collin said.
“I think I can get used to that,” Spectra said, opening her eyes. She was hit with a wave of nausea, and leaned on a pile of books.
“Easy, you used up too much of your magic,” Collin said.
“I’m not a unicorn though, why can I use magic?” Spectra said.
“Everypony has magic, but only unicorns can use it whenever they want. Pegasus like you and I only have a limited supply, and Earth ponies only have a little,” Collin said.
“Then why can you do this all the time?” Spectra asked.
“Well, I was born blind. So my body doesn’t have to use up so much energy to see everything. I have more magic to spare. You’ll see when you… you know,” Collin said.
“Yeah… I think the only reason I could do this at all, is because I can’t see out of my right eye anymore. Unless I squint really hard, everything is too blurry,” Spectra said.
“What about your left eye?” Collin asked.
“I don’t see any different, the doctor said I’ll lose one eye at a time,” Spectra said.
“Well, I think that’s all for today. Let’s wake up Klein before his snoring wakes up the dogs outside,” Collin said.
“Hehe, yeah,” Spectra said.
Spectra walked over to the sleeping teacher, and nudged his shoulder. His yawn lasted almost ten seconds. He raised his eyebrows at Collin and Spectra. Spectra helped him up, and he started to stretch.
“That was a good nap, any progress on your end?” Klein asked.
“Yeah, she learned to walk now, maybe tomorrow we’ll get her to read and write with her eyes closed,” Collin said.
“I’m so excited…” Spectra said.
“Would you rather learn Braille?” Klein asked.
“I’m good, I just don’t like relearning these things again. It’s so different when you’re blind,” Spectra said.
“You’ll get used to it,” Collin said.
Klein led them out the door as he turned around to lock it behind them. He fumbled for the keys, while Collins sniffed the air.
“What’s that smell?” Collin asked.
“This place hasn’t been cleaned in weeks. It’s probably mold,” Klein said.
“No, it smells like… smoke,” Collin said.
“What’s that?” Spectra asked pointing down the corridor to the light at the end.
“Haha, very funny,” Collin said.
“Sorry, but it looks like a light,” Spectra said.
“Is it… a fire?” Collin asked.
Spectra looked down the corridor. A glint of light was coming from the end of the hall. It looked like it was from the window, but now she could see that it was actually on the door. The glint turned into a bright light as the fire came into view. Spectra turned to tell the others, but she noticed something behind them. At the other end of the corridor, there was another bright light, brighter than the first.
“It’s in both sides of the hallway, where do we go?” Spectra asked.
“What? I didn’t hear what you were talking about. I should really label these keys better,” Klein said.
“There’s a fire, is there another way out?” Spectra asked.
“Oh, my. Well I suppose we’ll need to climb out the windows, let me open the room again,” Klein said.
“I would hurry; I can smell the smoke everywhere,” Collin said.
“Just a second, I think I remember which key I used,” Klein said.
Spectra watched as the first fire engulfed more of the hallway. It was rapidly making its way in their direction. The door clicked as the key turned. She backed into the room as the fire inched three yards away from her. She closed the door after they were all inside.
“We need to get out of here, that door won’t last long,” Klein said.
“Let’s get out the windows then, we’ll have to call the fire department after we get out,” Collin said.
“But what about all of our work?” Spectra asked, glancing at all of the unfinished metals lying on the table.
“We have to think about our lives first, we can always remake them,” Klein said.
“But I was almost finished with my Microglass; I just needed to make the stand,” Spectra said.
“Then hurry, get it out of your case before the fire gets inside. Watch out for the metal, it’ll heat up with the fire around,” Klein said.
Spectra ran to the wall of the room where the fire would enter. She grabbed a wooden case in which she held her personal project. She could hear crackling as the smoke entered underneath the door. She focused on the lock that she used to keep the case safe. The combination lock was a simple three tumbler, but she could feel the sweat rolling down her face.
She placed the first number on three, and then started to change the second. There was a creak and a groan as the glass on the door shattered and sent the door flying inward. The wall was turning grey as the fire spread outward. She turned the second number to nine and hurried to change the last. The sweat was starting to cover her eyes, and the heat was almost unbearable.
“Hurry, before you get caught!” Klein said from his position at the window.
“Bring it over here, we’ll help you get it out,” Collin said.
Spectra knew that she wouldn’t be able to carry the case out in the time it would take the fire to spread farther. She landed the last number on six and heard the click. She flipped the box open and looked at the glowing yellow and orange metal piece inside. She grabbed it into her mouth and made a run for the window.
Spectra’s teeth were burning from the heat of the metal. She let go when she couldn’t take the heat anymore. Her immediate break to try and get the metal object backfired and caused her to trip over a table leg. She skidded face first on the tiled floor. Her right eye was filled with pain as hot metal burned into her skin.
Spectra reached up to take the metal object from her eye, and felt the flames around her. She pulled the object from her eye, and decided to keep it closed. She tried to get back up, but the fire was burning her leg. She looked down to the flames that were quickly surrounding her. Before she was trapped, Klein lifted her off the floor and placed her on his back. He turned back and ran to the window he came from.
“Collin’s getting help, let’s get out of here before we need it,” Klein said.
Klein was coughing the entire time he ran. The only time he stopped was when he reached the open window. He motioned for Spectra to go first, but the fire caught up. It alighted Spectra’s tail, and she stopped to put out the fire. That was all the fire needed. It burned the rafters above and caused an explosion of wood and fire. Klein pulled Spectra down as the wood fell.
Spectra watched Klein’s face distort into pain as the fire caught on his back. She pushed away from under him, and gave him time to roll out the fire. Spectra turned towards the window, but wasn’t aware that she’d lost her sense of direction during the explosion. She turned towards the inside of the fire, and was instantly struck.
A piece of flaming debris the size of a small rock had been falling from the roof. The debris hit Spectra on her bad eye and instantly singed her eyelid. The pain caused her to grip her eye in agony. The force of the hit knocked her down, next to Klein. Klein looked down at her after finding her on the ground. He grabbed her and launched her out of the window. She landed in a bush outside, falling into unconsciousness. Klein followed after, breaking through the window next to the open one. He landed on his side. The last thing he saw was a firefighter’s uniform standing on top of him, before he passed out.
(Three days before surveillance)
There was a white ceiling; it was hovering above Spectra’s bed. She tried to focus on the ceiling, but there was something off. She couldn’t open her other eye. No, it wasn’t that. She couldn’t close her eyelid. She could see the figure of her mother above her though. She tried to smile, but her mouth was numb.
“How you feeling, sweetheart?” Spectra’s mother asked.
Spectra couldn’t open her mouth to respond. Her mouth didn’t move like it did before, and she was surprised that she couldn’t feel anything anywhere else in her body.
“She’s still under the anesthetic, you’ll need to wait a few minutes before she can respond,” The doctor said, from the other side of her mother.
“You may feel a little pain, but you’re going to be okay. You’re lucky, the fire didn’t do too much damage to your body. Your eye on the other hand…” The doctor said.
“Can you please tell me what you found out?” The mother asked.
“Very well, her left eye is perfectly fine. Her right eye, however, had its eyelid partly burned off, and the eyeball is burned partially. She won’t see anything more than five feet away with that eye. But there is some good news,” The doctor said.
“What could possibly be good news in a time like this?” The mother asked.
“The condition she had before, the one that was going to make her go blind, is gone. The fire must have destroyed the virus, so her right eye is completely healthy,” The doctor said.
“But what good is one eye?” The mother asked.
“It’s better than no eyes,” The doctor said.
There was a knock on the door, and they both turned towards the sound.
“Come in,” The doctor said.
Klein walked into the room, his limp noticeable. The bandages covered most of his body, but left his face visible. He walked up to Spectra’s bed, his eyes red. A smile crested his face, but there was worry in his eyes.
“What are you doing out of bed?” The doctor asked Klein.
“I wanted to see Spec after she woke up,” Klein said.
“Well she won’t be able to move for a while, so come back later,” The doctor said.
“Can’t I stay and offer my opinion on… the matter?” Klein said.
“You need to get back in bed, your burns are still healing,” The doctor said.
“Can’t you let him stay a little while? I’m sure Spectra would be glad to see him when she wakes up,” The mother said.
“Alright, as long as he keeps his hands off the equipment,” The doctor said, turning to Klein who was watching the heart monitor.
“I’ll look, I won’t touch,” Klein said putting his attention back to the doctor.
“Okay, well then. We still have the issue of what to do with her eye. We have to treat it, but we don’t know how. The best thing we can do right now is cover it up and hope the eyelid heals quickly,” The doctor said. Right now, there’s nothing like that we have available,” The doctor said.
“Come look at this, then,” Klein said, motioning him to look at Spectra’s eye covering.
“Yes, they’re bandages, I’m sure you’ve seen them before,” The doctor said.
“But look at the indent,” Klein said.
The doctor leaned in to the white paper covering her eye. There were small ridges made from the bandage covering. It created a diamond shape outline around her eye. The doctor leaned even closer to inspect the smaller ridges in the space between. He turned to Klein.
“What are those?” The doctor asked.
“I think it’s from during the fire. I remember seeing her fall, so she must have landed on something. I only know one thing that could have done that. You might not know this, but the last thing she was working on was a small glass that could let you see smaller things. It was like a microscope, but it was smaller and easier to move. The outer edges made a diamond, and the smaller design was a nice blend of lines and shapes,” Klein said.
“I thought the marks were from burning wood, I didn’t know she was burnt by metal,” The doctor said. “So what are you thinking?”
“Well, if only the outside of the eye was burned, then the glass part must have been where her eye was. So then if we cover her eye with the glass where it’s indented…” Klein said.
“That’s not a bad idea, but that doesn’t help the fact thatshe’ll only look forward. It’ll be more uncomfortable than covering it,” The doctor said.
“I’ve already thought about that. I’ve adjusted the glass a little bit during my hours alone. And I included a blinking and a moving feature for the glass,” Klein said.
“I thought we took away your tools yesterday,” The doctor said.
“Collin found them, but that’s not the point. I’ve been thinking about the pros and cons, and I think that it could work. The glass she used was already strong enough to resist the heat, and the metal indents give the best way to cover her eye,” Klein said.
“We’d need to get consent from Spectra and her mother before we can try something like that,” The doctor said.
“Um, I’m still here…” The mother said.
“Oh, sorry… do you understand what we’ve been talking about?” The doctor asked.
“Most of it, and I think that I’ll go with what Spectra wants,” The mother asked.
“I’ll do it,” Spectra managed to say. Her throat was still rasp and the numb feeling was gone.
“Are you sure? This will make you look different, you should give it more thought,” The doctor said.
“I’m sure, nothing could be worse than having only one eye,” Spectra said.
“Of course… could you excuse us for a second?” The doctor asked.
The doctor looked at Klein and gestured towards the door. They walked out of the room, and the doctor made sure there weren’t any others that could hear them. The doctor shut the door and looked at Klein. He let a sigh come through before talking.
“I’m only considering this method because you’re a good friend of mine. But if anything goes wrong Klein, it’ll be on you. Don’t think that she’s just another subject for you to experiment on. The last time you tried something on one of my patients…” The doctor let his gaze drop and awaited a response.
“It won’t be like that. I told you I was finished with that line of work; don’t you trust me, Syrin?” Klein asked.
“Of course I trust you, but I think I’d be more comfortable if we did the procedure together…” Syrin said.
“Very well, let me know when you’re ready to start. I’ll be in my room. I think I need to lie down…” Klein said.
“You need to let those wounds heal, you weren’t as lucky as her. The last thing we need is for you to pass out during the procedure,” Syrin said.
“I can take care of myself. I’m trained in the medical field, remember?” Klein said.
“What you learned is the wrong kind of medical training. I’d be surprised if you could tell what a blood bag is,” Syrin said.
“Haha, I’ve filled enough of those. Just be lucky I’m too tired to fight back right now. I’ll see you later,” Klein said.
“So that’s what you’ve been working on,” Collin said.
“Yeah, Spectra’s going to love it,” Klein said.
“Are you sure about that?” Collin asked.
“No, but I’m never sure about anything these days,” Klein said.
“So why would you take the chance?” Collin asked.
“I wanted to do something good, is that too much to ask?” Klein said.
“You’re asking the wrong pony,” Collin said, opening the door and stepping out.
Klein looked down at the metal in his hoof. The black stains from the fire and the yellow marks from the original coating were creating a mix of gold and grey marks. The outside gradually went from black to yellow, and the glass piece itself had a yellow tint to it. The newer metal that he added to cover the glass was a dark grey. The glass he added on the inside to secure the eye was a clear surface.
“There’s one last thing I need to do…” Klein said, getting out his tools.
(Six hours later)
“Almost, have you gotten the sides burned in?” Klein said, turning his head to cough to the side.
“I just finished… anything else?” Syrin asked.
“I think that’s everything…” Klein said.
“Let’s get some ice on this before the anesthetic wears off, it’s going to hurt badly,” Syrin said.
“And when she wakes up, get her a mirror. We need to know if there’s anything we need to change before she leaves,” Klein said, uncontrollable coughing coming afterwards.
“Someone get Klein some water and take him back to bed. His coughing is getting worse. We need to test him for liver problems,” Syrin said.
“No, I’m fine… but water would be nice,” Klein said.
“Everyone get the equipment out of here, we don’t want the chairman to see it,” Syrin said.
“Get the mother, I think she’d like to see the results before Spec,” Klein said.
The scalpels and rags were the last things out of the room as the mother walked in. The doctor had stopped in front of Spectra for an unveiling. Klein was in the room three doors down, while he waited for his glass of water.
“So, how is she?” The mother asked.
“So far, it looks like she’ll be fine. We’ll need to check up on her for the next 24 hours before we’re sure. We also want to know what you think of her look,” Syrin said.
Syrin stepped out of the way to show Spectra’s mother the results. The mother tried to take everything in that she was seeing. The eyeball was almost completely hidden by the metal, and it was closed like an eyelid. What really caught her attention was the yellow and black design that the fire made. It looked more like a fashion statement than a disaster. Her smile appeared as Spectra’s eyes slowly opened.
Spectra blinked her left eye, and then her right eye. She could feel the added weight, but it was only slightly heavier. What gave her a little worry was that the right eye could only see her mother clearly. The wall behind her was a blur of colors. She kept her right eye open though, because she could focus better with her left eye.
“How are you feeling?” Her mother asked.
“I feel a little weird,” Spectra asked.
“That’s probably still the anesthetic; it’ll be a few minutes before it wears off. Be sure to tell us if you feel any pain after that,” Syrin said.
“Um, okay. Can I see how I look like?” Spectra asked.
“Sure… just don’t freak out…” Syrin said.
Spectra grabbed the mirror that Syrin held out. She slowly passed it by her left eye, and continued to her right. The first thing she noticed was the color. Black and yellow mixing together, and then she saw the actual eye piece. She opened and closed her eyes in succession and watched as the metal eye reacted like a normal eye. The glass in the center was definitely the same she used.
Spectra noticed something on the very right side of the eyepiece. There was a switch that looked out of place. She reached up her other hoof to see what it did, but the doctor stopped her.
“Klein said that you shouldn’t touch the eyepiece until it healed,” Syrin said.
“Okay, can I talk to him soon?” Spectra asked.
“Maybe later, he’s not feeling very well,” Syrin said.
“Well thank you for everything, doctor. When do you think she’ll be healed fully?” The mother asked.
“I’d give it three days before she can be let out of the hospital. After 24 hours, she’ll be able to walk around, and get used to the new eye. She should practice, it might feel different to do things like walk or fly,” Syrin said.
“Thank you, I need to get going. My husband is probably going crazy not knowing every little detail,” Her mother said.
“That reminds me, I suggest that he goes to a psychologist for that phobia of his. It’s unusual, and I’d like to know what caused it. But more importantly, something tells me that he’ll want to get over it soon,” Syrin said, looking at Spectra while he did.
“I’m sure he wants to be rid of it, but he says it won’t be as easy as finding out what caused it,” The mother said.
“Very well, I’ll keep you informed on her condition, feel free to stop by anytime though,” Syrin said.
(1 day and several hours later)
Klein sat above the parchment and quill. His hooves hovering above the paper. He slowly lowered his tip, and felt something rise in his chest. He turned his head and coughed onto his arm. The dots of red sprinkled his coat.
“You need to tell the doctor,” Collin said, from his position near the door.
“If he didn’t already know, that’d be a great idea,” Klein said.
“So why don’t you get help?” Collin asked.
“I’m not sure I can be helped right now. There’s someponies who are looking for me… if this doesn’t kill me, then they will. It’s best if I go out quietly,” Klein said.
“Who’s looking for you? This isn’t about the… accident, is it?” Collin asked.
“Unfortunately, it is. I’ve seen them around town, and it’s only a matter of time…” Klein said.
“So, what does that have to do with what you’re doing right now?” Collin asked, his eyes dropping.
“Before I go, I wanted to make sure you’d be taken care of… You need to be watched over just as much as I do…” Klein said.
“I’m sure I could handle,” Collin said.
“Maybe… but I don’t want to take the chance. I decided that the safest place for you to go, is inside the organization. I’ve arranged a deal with them. You’ll be staying in their headquarters… I’ve heard it’s not a bad place…” Klein said.
“What if I don’t want to go? I’m capable of handling tough situations,” Collin said.
“No, that’s only part of the deal. I’m giving them back something that they’ve wanted for a while now…” Klein said, looking down at the paper.
“What did you take…? I thought you said it was an accident…” Collin asked.
“It’s best you don’t know… but I already gave them the offer. They said that they’ll give you your space, even make you a member if you want. All I want before I go is to leave on a good note… that’s what I’m writing here,” Klein said.
“It’s not too late…” Collin said.
“For me, it is. But you have a long life ahead of you, don’t let it go to waste,” Klein said.
“When…?” Collin asked, his voice wavering.
“They’ll come to pick you up at the funeral, so dress nice,” Klein said.
“Who’s funeral?” Collin almost didn’t want to ask, but he did.
“I’m sure you know,” Klein said, his voice solemn and his face without emotion.
Collin opened the door and stepped out. He kept his face hidden as he walked out of the hospital and into the dark night. The tears slowly streaming down his cheeks, his eyes clouded with the liquid. He stopped at a bench outside and sat down. He let the tears flow freely, as the night air blew unto his face. He looked up to where he suspected the moon to be and prayed to Luna that Klein was wrong.
There was a knock at the door. Klein had pushed the bad memories away, and was finishing his letter. He almost didn’t hear the second knock that came soon after.
“Klein, it’s me Spectra,” Spectra said, on the other side of the door.
“Ah, Spec come in my dear,” Klein said.
The door opened to reveal Spectra with a smile on her face. She bounded into the room like it was a dream. She went up to Klein’s bed and had to steady herself before she hit the side of it.
“Still getting used to the balance thing, huh?” Klein asked.
“I’m getting the hang of it. Maybe tomorrow I’ll try to fly like this,” Spectra said.
“Oh, it looks like you’re taking this fine. I’m glad to hear it. You’ve always been talented in learning new things,” Klein said.
“Well you’re a great teacher. I don’t think I would be very great at creating things if you didn’t show me how,” Spectra said.
“Now Spec, you need to take more credit. You’ve done better as a student than I’ve seen before,” Klein said.
“It was nothing really, I just concentrated on the work,” Spectra said.
“And what did you lose because you only concentrated on the work?” Klein asked.
“Well, my parents said I need to make more friends, but I’m alright,” Spectra said.
“Do you know why I call you Spec?” Klein asked.
“I thought it was because you couldn’t remember my full name…” Spectra said.
“No, I’m not that old,” Klein said.
“Yeah you are,” Spectra said.
“Haha, very funny. What I wanted to say was that I call you Spec because you remind me of my daughter. She was a lot like you. She was a fast learner, and she had lots of potential,” Klein said.
“Had? What happened to her?” Spectra asked.
“She… isn’t with us anymore. It was when she was six. She had a dog, and they were the best of friends. One day, she followed the dog into the woods, and she never came back. That’s about all there is. The last thing she said to us was that she was going to find something special. I didn’t know it when she left, but she planned to find it in the forest,” Klein said.
“So, she just disappeared?” Spectra asked.
“Yes, we sent out a search party, but they never found her. I decided to just move on with my life… and then I met you,” Klein said.
“What did I have to do with your daughter?” Spectra asked.
“She said that she was looking for something special. I call you Spec because I think that you’re special. Because I lost my daughter, I decided that I’d help you. You act so much like her, and I see her sometimes when I see you,” Klein said.
“I… I didn’t know,” Spectra said.
“Well, It’s selfish of me to help you only because you remind me of my daughter, so tried to learn more about you. Find something that could make you different somehow than her… But the longer I watched, the more you started to even look like her. The fire sealed the deal, her haircut was just like that. She thought it would help her make some friends…” Klein said.
“So, that’s why you call me Spec?” Spectra asked.
“Yes, that’s right,” Klein said.
“Then… what was her name?” Spectra asked.
“Solstice, her mother gave it to her. It was because she brought a new meaning to our lives,” Klein said.
“That’s a nice name,” Spectra said.
“Thank you,” Klein said.
Klein kneeled down, his hoof on his chest. His violent coughing sending shivers down his body. He wiped away the blood, only for more to drip from the corners of his mouth. He kept his face away from Spectra as she knelt down to see what was wrong.
“Spectra, I don’t have much time. I need to tell you about what you have on your eye,” Klein said.
“You’re going to be okay, I’ll go get the doctor,” Spectra said.
“No, wait a second. I need to tell you about what I did… The switch on the side of your new eye… it’s something I added when I found out I wouldn’t be here long. If you practice, you’ll find out what you can do with it,” Klein said.
“I’m getting the doctor, wait here,” Spectra said.
Spectra jumped towards the door and ran out. Klein tried to call out to her, but the coughing began again. He pulled himself to the letter he had been writing. He managed to pull it down. His mouth shook as he wrote, but he managed to add one last line. He felt the shock of another cough coming. With one last force, he coughed out a spray of blood. He looked down to the stained letter, a smile across his face as he landed on the floor.
Within seconds, Syrin opened the door. His eyes landed on the letter next to Klein. Making sure no one was following him; he entered and shut the door. He walked up to the body of Klein. He picked up the letter and read the words. When he read the last line, he sighed. He took a key from Klein’s bag and walked out of the room.
Syrin turned the corner before the emergency ponies came and inspected the body. He frowned as he looked at the key he had taken. Engraved on the key was The Seer. Syrin walked out of the hospital and towards the house of Klein. When he entered, he found what he was looking for. A box was in the corner of the room, completely visible.
Syrin looked around, and found the tripwire placed on the back of the box. If it was moved or opened, it would trigger and set off an explosion. He expected no less from Klein. Now the question was how to remove it…
(Day of first surveillance)
“We are gathered here to mourn the loss of an esteemed individual. Professor Klein has achieved much since coming here, and we need to remember that. Even until the end, he fought a battle against diseases. Unfortunately, he lost. Even the greatest of minds have an equal, and some could say that he was his own equal. But in the end, he died protecting a filly. This filly has a few words to say,” The Pastor stepped down, letting Spectra up to the stand.
“When I first started school, I didn’t have any friends. Klein was the first real friend I had… he’s the only friend I had. Even when he died, he gave me a parting gift. It’s the best thing I’ve ever gotten. Because of him, I can see better than I could have dreamed of. I want him to know, if he can hear me, that I’ll be thankful for what he did the rest of my life,” Spectra said.
Spectra stepped down, and was met with a light applause. Several more speakers went on, but Spectra didn’t recognize any of them. They spoke like they knew him personally, and other than Syrin, they said a lot more than Spectra knew. She could feel the service ending, and the last of the dirt was thrown on the grave.
The ponies in attendance started to leave. Only Syrin and Spectra were still sitting. When almost everyone had left, her parents tapped her shoulder. She nodded and stood up, her gaze landed on Syrin who had his head down in sadness. He was whispering something, but Spectra ignored it as she walked back into town.
Syrin heard the faint whistle, and stood up. He walked up to where the grave was, and looked down. He could feel the seconds tick away as he counted under his breath. When he hit thirty, there was an explosion far away. He bit his lip, this wasn’t the first time it went off without a hitch. He heard hoofsteps behind him, and turned around.
“Well done… A professional indeed,” The pony in the middle of a group of covered ponies said.
“I told myself I wouldn’t be doing anything like this anymore,” Syrin said.
“But…” The lead pony said.
“I owed a friend a favor…” Syrin said.
“Does that favor mean you have something of value to us…?” The lead pony asked.
“Yes,” Syrin said.
“Perfect… we’ve been looking for this a while…” The lead pony said.
“Now about our end of the deal…” Syrin said.
“Of course, call him out and we’ll get him escorted,” The lead pony said.
Syrin whistled three times, and heard one whistle back. He waited as Collin stepped out of the shadow in the corner. His eyes still closed, but inspecting the others. He waited for Collin to respond.
“I’m here, does that conclude our deal?” Collin asked.
“No,” Syrin said.
“Certainly not, we require the other half of the set,” The lead pony said.
Syrin pulled the cloak from the bag he was carrying. He tossed it to them, and they smiled.
“We’ll be on our way now. Keep up, recruit,” The lead pony said, motioning Collin over.
Collin followed them away from the cemetery, and then out of the city. Syrin watched until they were out of sight. He knew one thing. The Assassin’s Organizations never went back on a deal. Collin was in good hands. He was more worried about somepony else the Organization had their eyes on.
(Present day)
Spectra walked down the street, keeping her eyes on the ground ahead and her hair falling down on her right side. The rain was falling softly, and the wind drove a chill up her spine. Looking around, she could make out where she was. Other ponies also met her gaze, and she turned before she saw their reaction. A crowd up ahead startled her, and she lifted her head up. She heard a gasp come from the crowd, followed by a whisper. She shuffled forward quickly, until she turned a corner. They all gave her a glance before she turned back ahead. She turned a corner, and looked up to her house. The warmness beckoned to her. She walked a little faster. The door was in front of her, and she pushed it open.
The inside was dark and just as cold as the outside. Spectra rushed to the fireplace and lit a fire. She closed the door and set her groceries on the table. She dried off her hair next to the fire, and wiped off the metal with a nearby towel. She warmed herself up before unpacking the groceries. She hummed a tune as the fire crackled and brought a safe feeling to her home.
Spectra was in the middle of her tune when she heard a knock. Turning to the door, she slowly went over and opened it. She was met by two wet ponies that resembled her parents. She was too surprised at first, and forgot to let them in. She stepped aside and let them enter. She closed the door to the storm brewing outside.
“I like what you’ve done to the place,” Her mother said.
“I didn’t change anything…” Spectra said.
“Well, it just gives off that warm feeling, you know?” Her father said.
“It’s a fireplace… I think it’s supposed to do that,” Spectra said.
“Well, I see you bought groceries, any special reason why?” Her mother asked.
“I was starting to get hungry? Would you count that as special?” Spectra asked.
“Well, no I suppose. I was just wondering if you were having company over,” Her mother said.
“You’re here, does that count?” Spectra asked.
“Listen, we just wanted to stop by and see if you were interested in coming with us to the ball in Canterlot tomorrow. Unless that is, you’re busy,” Her father asked.
“You just want me to get out of my house, is that it?” Spectra asked.
“Well that’s not a bad thing, is it?” her mother said.
“Look, to you, it’s not a bad thing to go out in public, but I’m different,” Spectra said.
“What makes you different from us?” Her father asked.
“For one, you don’t have to hide your face to get groceries. Second, you’re not the one who’s talked about in town,” Spectra said.
“You don’t have to bring this up every time we ask you to go somewhere, we understand it’s hard for you,” Her mother said.
“No, you don’t. You think you understand, but it’s different,” Spectra said.
“I think you’re taking this too far. Calm down. A simple no is a good enough answer,” Her father said.
“Look, I’m sorry okay? I just don’t like being treated like an outcast by my own parents. I had enough of that in school,” Spectra said.
“You’re 21 now, you don’t have to worry about school anymore,” Her mother said.
“That doesn’t help the fact that school was the worst part of my life,” Spectra said.
“You don’t need to worry about it now, though,” Her father said.
“It still scarred me,” Spectra said.
“Just drop this; you’re going to be fine. You look beautiful the way you are,” Her mother said.
“My keen eye for fashion would like to differ. I look like a freak. The last time someone even talked to me was when you tried to set me up with that stranger,” Spectra said.
“He was a nice looking stallion, he said you looked fine,” Her father said.
“He asked me about my eye the entire time he was here. I wished he paid less attention to it, honestly,” Spectra said.
“Well what do you want? Not everyone’s perfect,” Her mother said.
“I just want a friend I can relate to. Everyone in this city has had a perfect life, with all their dreams come true, I want something like that,” Spectra said.
“You have to strive for success, it doesn’t just come to you,” Her father said.
“I’ve been trying to have a better life, but this… thing is always dragging me down. I was lucky to get hired at the saddle repair shop,” Spectra said.
“See, somepony knows that it’s not looks that matter,” her mother said.
“He’s blind, he said it’s better to have one eye than none at all. He’s always telling me I have it easy and puts me in charge of customers. No one ever comes in anymore, they’re all going to the old shop a few blocks away. I think he’s getting ready to fire me,” Spectra said.
“Look, you don’t know that for sure, sometimes you just see things you don’t want to see,” her father said.
“I’m looking at something right now,” Spectra said.
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” her father asked, narrowing his eyes.
“I don’t remember you being this supportive when I was younger. You always said that it was nothing and I was imagining it, but now it’s obvious ponies are avoiding me,” Spectra said.
“Nopony is avoiding you, you just need to show them you’re not different than they are,” her mother said.
“Look, maybe you have a point. Some might find you a little weird, but…” her father began.
“But what? Maybe I’ll find the one pony that I can call a friend that won’t look at me differently? Fat chance. This town’s full of ponies that wouldn’t go near me. It’s all about the image, and mine isn’t very pretty,” Spectra said.
“Don’t blame the town for this, if anything, you should blame that professor of yours years ago. He’s the one who started this with his crazy idea,” her father said.
“I was already messed up when I met him, he tried to help,” Spectra said.
“A lot of help he did. He made you antisocial and gave you that eye. Is that something you’re proud of?” her father asked.
“He did his best. Something you didn’t do. When I was in the hospital, he was there to reassure me, what about you? What did you do to help?” Spectra said.
“You know I couldn’t go, but I would have stopped him from performing the operation if I knew,” her father said.
“But you didn’t. Your little phobia kept you away. Klein was a lot more of a father than you, and he died trying to help me,” Spectra said.
“He died from the damage the smoke did to his lungs. If he was really a better father, he’d be here right now,” her father said.
“I know he’s gone, you don’t have to bring it up every time I mention him!” Spectra said getting louder.
“Don’t yell at me, I’m your father and I demand respect,” her father said, yelling back.
“I wish you weren’t my father,” Spectra yelled as loud as she could before running past her father.
Spectra crashed through the door and took off immediately in flight. She could feel the water splash on her wings. The raindrops mixed with the electrical charge in the air warned her of the thunderstorm looming overhead. She didn’t care, as her altitude increased.
Spectra didn’t look back. She flew higher and higher, until she could almost touch the storm clouds. Her wings growing heavier with the water buildup. Eventually, she could feel herself start to slow down. With one last push, she gained an extra burst of speed. The burst spread through her wings, and then into her chest. Then she felt it over the rest of her body.
Spectra screamed into the air as the charge of lightning hit her wings. She fell towards the ground, her spasm from the lightning causing a distinct flashback. She could see the room Klein was in, although everything looked smaller. She almost couldn’t remember when this happened, but it hit her when she heard the conversation.
“Solstice, her mother gave it to her. It was because she brought a new meaning to our lives,” Klein said.
“That’s a nice name,” Spectra said.
“Thank you,” Klein said.
“Spectra, I don’t have much time. I need to tell you about what you have on your eye,” Klein said.
“You’re going to be okay, I’ll go get the doctor,” Spectra said.
“No, wait a second. I need to tell you about what I did… The switch on the side of your new eye… it’s something I added when I found out I wouldn’t be here long. If you practice, you’ll find out what you can do with it,” Klein said.
“I’m getting the doctor, wait here,” Spectra said.
Spectra felt a jolt, and she was knocked out of her memory. Raising her head, she felt something weigh her down. She looked up to the filly sitting on top of her. The filly noticed she was awake, and called to her mother.
“Mom, she’s awake,” The filly said.
“Oh good, are you hungry?” The mother asked from somewhere Spectra couldn’t see.
“No, um… where am I?” Spectra asked.
“I saw you fall in from the sky, so I brought you in. I’m Solana, and this is Cecil. I’m in charge of this place. I don’t suppose you would care for a haircut, would you? I don’t get very much business in this part of town,” Solana asked.
Spectra was about to deny, until she remembered what brought her here. She made a decision that things were about to change.
“I’d love one. And I wouldn’t suppose you could dye my hair while you’re at it?” Spectra asked.
“Yes, that’s my specialty. What color would you prefer? And what’s your name, I suppose I should have asked that sooner…?” Solana asked.
“My name’s Solstice… and I’d like orange hair,” Spectra said.
“Ticket please,” The pony asked.
Solstice pulled out her ticket and gave it to the pony. She waited while he looked it over and then let her board. She boarded the train and took a seat in the corner of the train. Waiting, she assessed everything she thought of on the way over to the train station.
First problem, her parents are probably worried sick, but she didn’t care at the moment. Second problem, she changed her hair color and used a fake name. It was really permanent dye, but it would wear out eventually. Third problem, she didn’t know where she was going, but she wanted a change of scenery. Fourth problem, her hair and name change couldn’t hide the fact that the eye was still showing. Anypony could recognize her instantly from that.
“Mind if I sit?” A stallion asked her.
Solstice was momentarily confused, but she decided that he was probably passing by town. She shook her head, and the stallion sat down next to her. She decided if she should say something, but he was already asking her questions.
“So, might I ask where you’re going?” The stallion asked.
“Anywhere really, I want to go somewhere new,” Solstice said, not really lying.
“Ah, might I recommend Ponyville? They certainly welcome new and unique ponies,” The stallion said.
“So you’ve noticed?” Solstice asked.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed about. A terrible accident, I presume?” The stallion said.
“Yeah, but I’m not very comfortable with it as you are,” Solstice said, starting to warm up to the new pony.
“Well, if you really want to hide what makes you special, I might have something that could interest you,” The stallion suggested.
“I don’t want to get rid of it, but what did you have in mind?” Solstice asked.
“It’s a mask, but not just any mask. It’s from a tale of legend. One of the Legendary Seven Masks,” The stallion said.
“A mask won’t cover up an eye,” Solstice said.
“Ah, but this mask is special. It’s like it was made for you,” The stallion said.
“What makes it so special?” Solstice asked.
“Here, let me show you,” The stallion said, looking through his bags.
The stallion pulled out an orange mask. The six lines of the mask curved from the single eyehole into the sides of the mask. Forming a sort of spiral illusion, it had a hole near the center for the snout. Solstice slowly reached her hoof out and took the mask. She weighed it, but it was virtually weightless. She was bringing it up to her head, when the stallion stopped her.
“Wait, you need to put this on before you put on the mask. Sometimes the magic won’t work if you don’t have this on,” The stallion said.
The stallion pulled out a dark grey cloak with a hood. The lining on the cloak was gold, and the silky texture made it completely smooth. Solstice didn’t hesitate putting on the cloak. She could feel a magic energy covering her body where the cloak was. She then reached back for the mask, and put it up to her face.
When her face made contact with the mask, there was a click of magic. She removed her hoof, and the mask stayed in place. The energy of the mask added to that of the cloak. She smiled behind the mask as her single eye focused on the stallion.
“Well, what do you think?” The stallion asked.
“It’s amazing, how much is it?” Solstice asked.
“Oh, it’s free of charge. I only ask that you try to wear it as much as possible. Also, when we meet again, I might need you to do something. Promise me that you’ll listen to what I have to say then, deal?” The stallion said.
“This is too much to take in. A few hours back, nopony ever paid attention to me, now they’re giving me things…” Solstice said more to herself than the stallion.
“Crazier things than this are sure to happen. But until we meet again Spectra…” The stallion said.
Solstice looked out the window to the destination the train stopped. She snapped her head back to where the stallion was once sitting. There was only empty space around her.
“How did he know my name?” Solstice asked herself while she walked off the train.
Solstice looked up to the place she was in. Ponyville, if she remembered correctly. She looked around, and remembered she still didn’t have a plan. But if what she remembered the stallion said, they were friendlier here. She turned to the left to walk down a path, but her hair entered and blocked her vision.
Solstice fiddled with her hair, until she decided it was best to move it off to the side of the mask. It was too hard to keep it away from her eyehole when she had it in front. Splitting it into two bundles of strands, she parted them to each side. When her vision was clear again, her eyes landed on a cyan ball in the clouds watching her. The rainbow mane and tail made her easy enough to see.
Solstice was about to shrug it off as a stare about her eye, but she remembered that her eye was covered, and this mask was nothing special to look at. She decided to confront the pony and decide if this town was like the stallion said.
“Um, hello there,” Solstice said loud enough for her to hear.
“Hey, you new here?” Rainbow Dash asked, lowering her cloud enough so they didn’t have to yell.
“Yeah, I just moved in from Manehattan,” Solstice said.
“Is that where you got that mask? I could totally use something like that for my next prank. But I want one with one more eyehole, I’ve got two eyes like normal ponies,” Rainbow Dash said.
“I’ve got two eyes…” Solstice said.
“Oh that’s good. I thought you were like a Cyclops or something. Not like that wouldn’t be cool, but I think two eyes are better than one,” Rainbow Dash said.
“I don’t know, I’ve used one eye for most of my life and I’m doing fine,” Solstice said.
“I thought you said you had two eyes? Are you lying to me?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“No, I just can’t use the other one very well…” Solstice said.
“How can you not use your eye? If it’s there, you’ve got it,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Look, it’s hard to explain, but my eye’s not the same as the other one,” Solstice said.
“Well can I see? It doesn’t look that bad, does it?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“I’d rather you didn’t, my hometown didn’t want to talk to me after I showed them…” Solstice said.
“Come on, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Rainbow Dash said.
Solstice reluctantly held her hoof up to her mask. She added a little pressure, and there was a click. She pulled away her mask to show Rainbow Dash her eye. The first reaction was a gasp, and Solstice lowered her head a fraction. When she lowered her head, she noticed a small inscribing on the inside forehead of the mask.
“What?” Solstice was caught off guard by the statement.
“Wow… It’s like you’re a cyborg… I’ve got to hoof it to you, that looks badass,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Really? You don’t think it looks gross or scary?” Solstice asked.
“It looks scary alright, that’s what makes it cool. I bet I could use you for my next prank,” Rainbow Dash said.
“You think so? Do you think… maybe everyone else will think so too?” Solstice asked.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t they? And with those blue eyes, you could be… wait why are your eyes blue?” Rainbow Dash questioned.
“It’s the same as my… personality,” Solstice said, catching herself before she said anything wrong.
“Cool and blue, I like that. You and I should hang out more. I’ll have to show you around Cloudsdale later. But how about I show you my friends? I’m sure they’d like to see your eye. Twilight might even see how you work, but I’m sure you’ll fit in this town,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Sure, I haven’t even thought about what I’d do when I got here, glad I met you,” Solstice said.
“Glad to help, let’s look at town square first, I’m sure we can find somepony there to introduce you,” Rainbow Dash said.
Solstice put her mask back on and followed the hovering Pegasus. She hadn’t yet learned to fly with one eye, so she stuck to the ground. Solstice looked around as she got familiar with the town. Maybe she might learn to like it here. Well, she already liked it a lot more than her old town.
Solstice heard a gasp, and looked up. She realized that they made it to town square already. Then she saw what Rainbow Dash gasped about. Across from her in the square, was a masked pony. She turned to her left to see another masked pony. Then on the right, there was another. Solstice gulped. Something in her mind made her remember the words inscribed on the mask.
Author's Note
There could be a small break until the next chapter. If you’re enjoying this, leave some feedback. An author isn’t an author without his readers. This chapter is showing you just how long and serious I plan to make the next few chapters. I’m also still working on some images for the story pic. If you have anything relevant to the story you’d like to show me, go for it. I’m not very creative with digital art. Old fashioned drawings are more my style. :)
The Prodigy
Operation Raven
Suspicion Level: 4
(Current day)
“Mom, I’m going out,” Luz said, grabbing her bag.
“Don’t be out too late, you’ve been getting less sleep than usual,” Her mother said.
“I won’t. Is there anything you need?” Luz asked, grabbing a collar from the counter.
“No, your aunt’s coming over. I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me,” Her mother said.
“Okay, then. Tell her I said hello,” Luz said.
Luz pushed open the door. She whistled back inside and waited. Soon enough, a grey and white dog came running. She came to a stop under Luz and sat down. Luz but the collar on, but left the leash on the table.
“Good girl, now let’s go for a walk,” Luz said.
The dog barked her reply and followed Luz outside. Luz closed the door behind her and looked to the city below. Her face shifted into a grimace as the darkness of the slums showed in front of her. Lowering her head, she walked to the crumbling and almost nonexistent sidewalk. The dog followed, knowing this path like the back of her head.
Whistling, Luz passed by buildings and houses that were getting harder to look at. She heard small conversations and fire crackling somewhere in the distance. Her breathing lessened when she passed by another pony. They didn’t look in each other’s directions, and even the dog pretended not to notice the other pony.
Luz stepped to the side before he could bump into her side. She pretended to not notice him pull his hoof back and continue walking. She kept her eyes focused on where she was going. She didn’t have time to deal with ponies like that.
“Almost there,” Luz said to her dog.
Luz quickly stepped into an alleyway, and pushed herself closer to the wall. Her dog followed suit, and she waited for a second. When she made sure that she wasn’t followed, she continued down the alley. Luz noticed the broken bottles and dirty boxes were nowhere to be seen. A scowl showed on her face. She walked to the end of the path that leaded to a door. When she took one last look behind her, she kicked the door open.
“Who the hell cleaned this place up?” Luz asked the wide eyed ponies inside the small spaced room.
“It was Stave’s idea,” A voice said behind Luz.
Luz turned around to the pony standing behind her. The handkerchief covering his mouth muffled his words, but she heard him. The scar above his eye crossed through most of his forehead. The look in his eyes the same as ever. The color of his coat was green. The blue and yellow mane was shortened, but still noticeable. It was the second to last person she wanted to see.
“Look, Psych. I don’t have anything against you, so why do you always do this?” Luz asked.
“Stave said that you might be coming. He also said he didn’t want any more incidents too,” Psych said.
“It was one time; I’m not going to let them tail me again. Honestly, it’s like you’re waiting for me to mess up,” Luz said.
“If you’re here to yell at Stave, he’s in the pub,” Psych said.
“That’s not why I came, but now I think I’ll have to take you up on that,” Luz said.
Luz nodded as Psych walked back through the alley and back to the streets. She closed the door and returned to the ponies inside. Without waiting for approval, she walked up to the other door in the room. Before she could try and knock down the steel edged and barred door, the other ponies took the key out and opened it.
Luz pushed past the crowd of ponies and walked up to the stage. Her expression filled with rage and she showed no mercy to the few ponies who didn’t see her coming. The room fell silent as Luz stood facing Stave who was still at the podium.
“Just what the fuck were you thinking?” Luz asked Stave.
“Calm down sweetie, I was in the middle of my announcement. Could you care to come back later,” Stave said trying to stay professional.
“Don’t call me sweetie, I thought you trusted me?” Luz asked.
“I do, what would make you think otherwise?” Stave asked.
“You sent Psych to follow me again, that’s not trust,” Luz said.
“Well we had to make sure you weren’t followed, your history of that isn’t exactly very good,” Stave said.
“That’s a lack of trust. And I saw what you did to the alleyway. You’re blaming me for the other gangs knowing where our hideout is?” Luz asked.
“The mission our ‘group’ is to make this town a better place to live in,” Stave said.
“Since when? It was just us when you had this idea. You said it yourself that we need to stick together. I let you add in members, but I never agreed to help an entire community ,” Luz said.
“This will help us more than you know. If the town was a better place, we could start working on getting better living for everyone; that includes your mother. We were about to discuss this further in the meeting tomorrow,” Stave said.
“Fuck your meetings, you never take my opinion into consideration when you decide. This isn’t about you, it’s about us,” Luz said.
“Look, let’s discuss this later. The new recruits are getting scared,” Stave said.
Luz looked towards the audience where he was pointing. She spotted the new recruits. They looked like they should be in school, and one of them was too small for his uniform. The uniform consisted of a blank mask with designs, usually washable paint. With a black cape that was draped over their back to help them blend in with the others.
“We’re letting kids join now? This isn’t a daycare, and like hell we’re letting them into our field of work,” Luz said.
“It was either us, or one of the other gangs. They didn’t have a choice, and I couldn’t leave them to join one of the more ruthless gangs ,” Stave said.
“If I didn’t have a job to do, I’d give you hell. I might blow off some steam on the dealers, but I wouldn’t count on it,” Luz said.
Luz walked to the back of the stage where she opened a door. Stave was getting back to his announcement, but the mind of the audience was somewhere else. Luz didn’t listen to what he was saying, and droned him out as she grabbed her gear. When Luz felt a paw on her leg, she remembered that she’d brought the dog along too.
“It’s alright, I’m not mad at daddy. He just didn’t think things through this time. Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll work it out later,” Luz said.
The dog barked, and ran off to the corner of the room where Luz kept her food bowl. The dog helped herself to the array of small meats and dog bits. Luz turned back to the equipment she was getting. Her uniform hung on the wall in front of her. The red and orange striped mask was above the black cloak. She placed the cape on first, and then the mask. Something she had always done. There was a knock on the door opposite where she had come in.
“I’m not ready yet, give me a second Kurtz,” Luz said.
“Hurry up, the dealers won’t wait forever,” Kurtz said from the other side.
Luz made sure she had her compass and town map in her bags. The flare was attached to her side, and the emergency combat knife was slid in a hidden sheath next to it. She tied the mask onto her face and pulled her scarlet hair to the side of the mask. She examined herself in the mirror.
Luz almost couldn’t recognize herself. The cape hid the scars and burn marks in her coat. Her face was hidden from the mask, and you could barely see the dark blue coat underneath the cape and mask. Her scarlet eyes looked back at her from the mirror. It was like she was different from before. It always gave her a good feeling inside when she had the uniform on.
“Hey, you done yet?” Kurtz asked.
“You stay here,” Luz said to her dog, who nodded.
“Damn you’re impatient,” Luz said opening the door and stepping through.
“I swear, mares take the longest time to get ready,” Kurtz said.
“Let’s just go. This is supposed to be an important deal, right?” Luz asked.
“Yup, Stave’s orders,” Kurtz said.
“So brief me then, what are we dealing?” Luz asked.
“We’re not dealing,” Kurtz said.
“So, what? Are we smuggling now?” Luz asked.
“More like stealing,” Kurtz said.
“And I thought Stave wanted a more community approach…“ Luz said.
“We’re stealing from the Vipers. Stave wanted some of their medical supplies to give away,” Kurtz said.
“Great, so why did he want me to come? I haven’t dealt with them before,” Luz said.
“Exactly, they haven’t seen us before, so if we get caught, we ditch the costumes and pretend to be from the Khans ,” Kurtz said.
“Makes sense, but we won’t get caught. Viper doesn’t keep surveillance on their medical hideouts. It should make for a n easy raid,” Luz said.
“That’s true, but Stave’s looking for a different type of medicine… He wants the cures . If we get our hooves on those, the townspeople can stop getting sick,” Kurtz said.
“But those are…” Luz started.
“Yup, the main base. We’re going to The Viper’s Nest,” Kurtz said.
“But that’s heavily guarded and all the way across town. Does he know how long it could take?” Luz asked.
“All night if we’re cautious, but he said he chose you to help shorten the time,” Kurtz said.
“If he plans to start a war, who we are won’t matter to them,” Luz said.
“It’s a last resort, so don’t go buck wild until we have the medicine,” Kurtz said.
“I know, priorities first. Like figuring out how we’ll get in,” Luz said.
“Leave that to me…” Kurtz said.
“How much longer?” Luz asked Kurtz.
“I almost got it. Maybe if you didn’t drop this in the street water we’d be inside by now,” Kurtz said.
“Well if you’d shut up, maybe you can get your grip,” Luz said.
Kurtz pushed the small metal rod farther into the keyhole. He heard a click that meant the tumbler on the lock was undone. Kurtz pulled the metal rods out and dropped them from his mouth. They landed with a thud on the concrete floor.
“Oops,” Kurtz said, hearing the echo it made.
“Just open it,” Luz said.
Kurtz pushed the door open slowly. He made sure it wouldn’t creak before opening it the rest of the way. He walked through and pushed the door shut behind Luz. They snuck up a flight of stairs and hid behind a door. There were voices in every hallway they passed. Luz was starting to wonder if they could pull this off.
A Viper walked pas t the hiding spot they were in. His whistling grew softer as he descended down the stairs. They nodded to each other and went through the door the Viper came from. Luz took lead down the empty hallway. She walked and watched for another Viper. Before she knew it, her eyes passed their main medical room.
Luz noticed the door to the room was glass and locked. Luz punched at the glass and it broke easily enough. She used the hole to unlock it from inside. When she entered, she noticed there were no guards on the inside. Kurtz ran to the list of stock. He crossed off some of the items and filled his bag. Luz followed suit, but she checked on the doorway often.
When Luz finished, she put the bags back on. Klutz was finished too, and he was keeping watch. Luz raised an eyebrow and he nodded. She went back to the glass door and opened it. She looked down the hall before moving her hoof to gesture him over. When she brought her hoo f up, she heard a beep. Immediately, she stopped. Luz turned her head slowly to the ceiling.
Luz noticed the ceiling was a deep black color with grey lines lining the ceiling. Luz blinked. Those weren’t lines. She looked at the top of the doorway she was opening. Three lines were connected to the sides. Two of the lines were ripped, and the second was dangling above a sharp object jutting from the wall. Luz followed the first two lines, and they connected to the middle. The third line was on a red metal box on the other side of the room.
Luz heard another beep. She instantly recognized what it was. A makeshift detonation bomb with a timer attached. She must have activated it when she opened the door the third time. Now, she pulled the door open when she saw the timer had less than five minutes on it. She pulled Kurtz through and galloped down the hallway.
“Slow down, they’ll hear you,” Kurtz said.
“I think I’m the least of their worries,” Luz said.
Luz turned the corner and stopped in her tracks. There were three ponies in front of her with Viper uniforms on. The green cape and purple wig told her that much. She didn’t give the one in front a chance to react as she stretched her hoof to his face.
When the Viper hit the ground, the others pulled out their short swords. They trained their blades on Luz before charging forward. Luz sidestepped one and kicked him in the gut. She drove her hind hoof into the jaw of the other. Their weapons clang to the ground, and Luz tossed one to Kurtz.
“You know how to use this, right?” Luz asked.
“Yeah, but do you?” Kurtz asked.
“I’ll stick to what I do best,” Luz said.
“Well it sounds like they know we’re here, so let’s go,” Kurtz said.
Luz looked down the stairs, and she saw a group of Vipers coming up. Turning around, she broke into a sprint towards one of the other doorways. Kurtz followed behind, keeping a short distance in between them. Kurtz stopped her before she broke down another door.
“Wait, let’s ditch the outfits. Maybe we can blend in, say we’re new or something,” Kurtz said.
“We’d be more out of place without the uniforms, now get ready for a fight,” Luz said.
“Luz I don’t think that’s-“ Kurtz started.
Luz knocked open the doors, her strength growing as she could feel the time ticking by. She ran into the dim lit room, a gasp escaping someone nearby. She saw the lights suddenly brighten, and the entire room came into view. Her eyes landed on the pony sitting in the middle. He had a smug look on his face that made her want to gag.
Luz suddenly noticed the other ponies in the room. More importantly, she noticed the sheer amount of ponies watching her , lining the rows and some standing by the walls. The room felt a lot larger all of a sudden. The pony in the middle was slowly rising, his crooked smile getting bigger. He held his hoof up when the others in the room rose.
“My, my… what do we have here?” The pony asked.
“They’re from The Pact,” One of the observers stated.
“I can see that, but what interests me more, is what are they doing here?” The pony asked.
“Medicine,” Kurtz said.
“Ah I see, that’s something your little group always lacked. Looks like now that you’re growing you want to expand resources,” The pony said.
“This medicine needs to be shared,” Luz said growling.
“If you really want it that bad, maybe we should have you fight for it,” The pony said.
“I could take you down right now,” Luz said glaring at the pony.
“But what about your friend? Could you say he’d get out alive too?” The pony asked.
“He can handle himself…” Luz said, glancing at Kurtz.
“I have a proposition that you might be interested in,” The pony said.
“Why would I deal with you?” Luz asked.
“I never go back on my word, I am the most reliable stallion in this entire city, and I have the power of an entire ‘family’ behind me. A family I would not like to see hurt. I, not as a crueless leader , but as Splendid “Eagle” Hosting , ask you to hear me out,” Splendid said.
“Fine, what do you propose?” Luz asked.
“I will agree to let you leave with half of the medicine you stole… on one condition, you give my men the payback they’ve wanted since the Raid on Highferry. I’ll make sure you don’t die…Maybe another time,” Splendid said.
“Don’t accept, you don’t know that he’ll keep his promise,” Kurtz said.
“I accept, on an added condition… I want your promise you won’t hold a grudge against us for that anymore,” Luz said.
“Deal,” Splendid said.
“Kurtz… get out of here, tell Stave I’ll be late,” Luz said.
“We can always fight our way out, you don’t have to do this,” Kurtz said.
“I’ll live, don’t worry. It just might not end up pretty. It’s an even trade for what I did… three years ago,” Luz said.
“I’ll be waiting at the HQ, so will Stave,” Kurtz said.
“Remind me to explain that Raid, I never did tell anyone about that…” Luz said.
Kurtz nodded as the Viper guards opened a door on the other side of the room. Kurtz ran out of the doors, into the streets. He peered up at the cloudy sky above before looking down the streets. His hooves kicking up dirt immediately, he was headed straight for the HQ. He took one look at Luz inside, she was being chained down before the doors shut fully.
Luz felt the thick steel digging into her coat. Engravings were already being made into the surface. She felt her front hooves were unmovable, and her hind legs were chained to a chair. She was sat in an uncomfortable sitting position, where she would be at eye level with the ponies.
“Let’s start with the survivors of the Raid, how few there was…” Splendid said.
The ponies closest to the front stood up, most were scarred and had faint bruising around their eyes, and some were still bandaged. The youngest one walked up and was about five years younger than her. She reminded Luz of the kinds of kids Stave planned to bring into The Pact. She closed her eyes as the hoof came up to her face.
The size and strength of the hoof made no difference when you were hit in the nose. Luz tried to hold in her cry, but it escaped. She opened her eyes to the smile on the ponies’ face. Then the pony stepped aside and another took her spot. The rest got progressively older, and each one hurt more than the last. She could taste the blood coming from her nose when they were finished. Her eyes weren’t given mercy either as she had to keep them closed. The throbbing in her head didn’t help her hear what Splendid was saying.
“Next are the family of those lost from the Raid,” Splendid said.
Luz felt every blow. From her head down to her gut, she felt pain. It was the kind of pain that would normally make her pass out. She stayed conscious though, because eventually she’d need to get back to HQ. One hit to the jaw gave way to a bad memory. A memory that brought her here in the first place.
(Three years ago)
“What’s it for this time?” Luz asked.
“Says he turned in ten of the Khans, instead of taking them out,” Stave said.
“Why does that get him in the paper?” Luz asked.
“He’s trying to make a difference. Ever since he got busted on that drug run a few years back, he’s been cleaner. Last week it said that the police stopped thinking of him as a Gang Member. His whole gang is excused. I think it’s all bullshit,” Stave said.
“Does it say how many more deals he’s made since then? They’ve been trafficking nonstop the past week. Psych said he saw two deals in the same building,” Luz said.
“Well we have a deal with them tomorrow for some more stuff. It wouldn’t hurt if we asked for some kind of truce. We could get some Medicine for Psych’s parents I heard they’re not doing well ,” Stave said.
“I don’t want anything to do with them, they could rot in hell,” Luz said.
“What’s got you so touchy? They’ve been good to us so far,” Stave said.
“They’re living the high life with no trouble, and we’re stuck doing the small dangerous stuff. I think we should remind them that this town has more than one gang,” Luz said.
“Go tell that to Kurtz, I heard he’s got some relatives in their higher ups,” Stave said.
“Oh, I’ll go alright,” Luz said.
“He’s at the Cemetery out back, should be with Morty,” Stave said.
Luz didn’t answer as she walked to her section of the HQ. She put her uniform on as fast as she could, and left through a window. She made a dart for the Central HQ near the docks. She got there by nightfall. Her mind was still thinking how she would get her point across. One option said to scare them, another said to give them a night to remember.
Luz sat atop a crate at the loading docks, where she watched the activity below. She made her choice when she heard a cry of warning. She turned around to the Viper who had seen her. Luz jumped from the crate to a lower crate and made her way to the building. The word Highferry was written on the side of the building. Luz knocked in the building and ran in. Her eyes took in everything at once. She watched the gang members look in her direction before all hell broke loose.
Luz reacted first, getting into a defensive position. The ponies closest to her tried to ask her questions, but she knocked the one in front out with one blow. The ponies behind him started their advance. Luz felt her blood rush. The strands of hair on her face picked up the moisture she was producing from the amount she was concentrating.
Luz saw the first punch coming. A blue hoof whipped toward her. She managed to duck underneath and hit him in the gut with her head. She pulled back and kicked him in the legs. She fell back into a stance right when another punch came. Luz ducked underneath his punch and threw a punch to the pony behind.
When the pony reacted with his own hoof, she pulled back. Instead of going for a hit, she dodged and watched as the pony came into contact with the ally in front of him. Luz began a barrage of punches, and all of them landing on their target. What made this better for her was that she was the center of attention, so they crowded around.
Whenever Luz hit a pony back, he collided with the few behind him, which turned into a domino effect where she could slowly weaken them. When she felt her strength starting to fade, her strategy changed too. Luz felt something click in her mind. She took a deep breath before blocking a punch from a pony behind her. Luz grabbed the hoof and using her strength, she threw her back into the crowd.
Luz felt the rush of energy return, and she continued her massacre on the Vipers. The crowd lessened, and the marks on her coat increased. She was on her last legs of energy when she heard a voice behind her.
“Stop!” The voice said.
Everypony stopped their fighting and looked to the approaching stallion. His large bag over his shoulder was thrown into the middle of the crowd. Luz looked into the bag that was thrown. A large array of medicines and alcohol was thrown inside. Luz looked up to the approaching pony.
“Here, take this. Just leave my friends alone,” Splendid said in his younger voice.
Luz really wanted to reject it, but she knew that if she continued her body would fall from exhaustion. Luz nodded and without saying a word, picked up the bag. She backed up to the door and looked to Splendid.
“Go, Luz . But remember this, nothing in this world comes without payment,” Splendid said.
Luz turned and ran into the rain that had started. The sounds of the fallen gang members echoed in the warehouse. She didn’t care though, as she made her way back. Before she entered her HQ, she stopped and sat in the rain.
“He’s not a bad guy after all,” Luz said to herself.
Luz grabbed the supplies and walked in. Before any of the other ponies could notice she entered, she left the supplies and walked out. It was a week before she showed up again. Her body was almost recovered. She never told anypony what happened, but the Vipers knew who she was. They just never decided to retaliate, until three years later .
Luz could hear something. Her consciousness was slowly returning. And so was the pain. She clenched her teeth and raised her head. She opened her eyes to the pony talking. It was Splendid, and he wasn’t smiling.
“I think we’re done now. You’re free to go,” Splendid said.
Luz coughed blood out of her mouth before responding.
“Pleasure doing business with you,” Luz wheezed.
“You know, you were my favorite. I didn’t want to accept this deal, but my second in command convinced me. Tell Stave I’m keeping my promise and letting you live. I’ll deal with the consequences…. You should get going,” Splendid said.
Luz felt the chains around her hooves slack. She couldn’t catch herself as she landed on the floor. The marks from the chains were the same color as her hair. She managed to push herself from the floor and into a standing position. She swayed as the blood rushed back into her hooves. Keeping eye contact, she nodded to Splendid before walking towards the door Kurtz had left through.
“Before you go, would you like a fresh change of clothes? Yours have seen better days,” Splendid said.
Luz looked down to her own uniform which was now a small and battered rag hanging on her side. Her mask was missing other than two dangling shards attached to the small string. The blood soaked into all of it and made her look terrible. She slowly nodded and painfully detached the remnants of her uniform. Luz waited while Splendid came up with a fresh dark grey cloak. The lining on it was gold, and made her wonder where he got it.
Splendid pulled out a box and showed her the mask. Three lightning bolts on the top and bottom of the mask were connected by a line of electricity. The eye holes were oval and like the mask she wore before. It came with a small hole for her snout and a slit for her to talk clearly. Splendid held the mask up to her face, and without needing strings, it attached to her face.
“Pretty isn’t it? One of your gang members gave it to me this morning. I was wondering what I’d do with it. I would have probably burned it if you didn’t agree,” Splendid said.
Luz gave a small smile before turning back to the door.
“Where are you going now?” Splendid asked.
“Home,” Luz said, the smile disappearing.
“I shouldn’t be telling you this, but that’s a bad idea,” Splendid said.
“Why?” Luz asked stopping.
“You’re supposed to be dead right now. Stave’s waiting for my agent to tell him the news. I’m only telling you this for your own well being… don’t go back to Pact Territory. I’ll lie and say you died, as long as you don’t go back,” Splendid said.
“What?” Luz asked, unsure if she’d heard right.
“The reason you’re here and Kurtz isn’t, is because I had an agreement with Stave. Don’t think I could make a deal like that on my own,” Splendid said.
“So…” Luz didn’t know how to continue the statement.
“Stave sent you to die,” Splendid said.
“No… he… wouldn’t,” Luz forced out.
“If you don’t believe me, then go back. I’ll try to go to the funeral,” Splendid said.
“Fuck off,” Luz said, walking to the doorway again.
“I only wanted what’s best for the community, something Stave wanted too. Except Stave wanted to force change, I was trying to encourage it…” Splendid said.
“He’s not… like that,” Luz said making it to the doorway.
“Ponies change,” Splendid said.
Luz changed her slow walk into a painful trot. She tried to ignore Splendid’s words, but he wasn’t one to lie. She remembered what she thought of him three years ago when she left the warehouse. He really did want what’s best for everyone. He also said ponies change, and so could he. Luz didn’t know what to think anymore. She focused on her trot and kept her head up.
Luz could see the HQ now. The alleyway looked the same as when she left. Now Luz turned back into a walk and conserved her energy. She was still hurting, but the feeling of being close to a safe place helped her feel better. Luz watched as one of the gang members walked out of the alley. She was going to wave him over to help her, but he saw her and ran back in. She was on the other side of the alley now, and watched as they flooded from the alleyway. Almost half of the entire gang was on the streets. In front of the group was Psych and Stave.
“What do we have here?” Stave asked.
“Could any of you help? My body’s not like it was this morning,” Luz said.
“What happened?” Stave asked, although there was something about his voice Luz noticed.
“Didn’t Kurtz tell you?” Luz asked.
“Yeah, he told us everything. Now, what happened?” Stave asked.
“The Vipers got a hold of me,” Luz said.
“So why are you still here?” Stave asked, a cold glare appearing on his face.
“It… it was a deal. He said himself that I wouldn’t die, I’m pretty close though…” Luz said.
“If you want things done right, you have to do it yourself,” Stave said.
“What’s that supposed to mean…?” Luz asked, fearing the answer.
“Didn’t he tell you? I sent you to die. So why did you come back? Scum like you doesn’t deserve to live,” Stave said.
“Don’t I mean more to you?” Luz asked, feeling something inside break.
“Don’t think you’re something special, I stopped feeling like that a long time ago,” Stave said.
“I… I don’t understand,” Luz said.
“When you started the war with the Viper three years ago, you thought we didn’t know. Well I did… I knew that you’d be a pain in the ass until the end. I planned this for a long time, and then Splendid ruined it. Well, now I’m going to finish what Splendid didn’t,” Stave said.
“You’re crazy…” Luz said, backing up.
“No, I’m doing what’s right, for the good of the community,” Stave said walking towards her.
Luz didn’t have the strength to fight back, and she could see Stave coming will a malicious intent. She turned to run, but she caught sight of a grey and white blur run next to her. She heard the bark that dog let out, and turned towards Stave.
“Move, bitch… you do what I say. I raised you,” Stave said, trying to get the female dog to move.
“No… we raised her,” Luz said. “Remember? She was just a pup when we found her. Now she’s all grown up. Doesn’t that mean anything?” Luz asked.
“It means something alright, it means that there’s one more grave I need to dig. We’re living in a new age. This city is going to all new heights, and we’re cleaning it of filth like you,” Stave said.
Stave pulled his hoof back and punted the dog in the face. Luz watched in horror as she flew through the air and onto the cold street. Luz ran up to the dog, feeling for a pulse. She could tell it was unconscious, but she could tell it was still alive . Luz picked the dog up and put her partly in her bag. She didn’t stop to see what Stave would say.
Luz turned and sprinted back where she came. She could hear the sounds of her pursuers. Over 50 ponies were chasing her down. Normally she would have easily outrun them, but in her condition she could only deny the inevitable. Looking up, she saw the train station ahead. Luz used a burst of her energy to gain some distance from the Pact. She heard the whistle of the train blow, and the steel wheels began to turn.
Luz entered the station and took as many turns as she could to get to the train. She was stalling until she heard another whistle. She smiled, the train was picking up speed and was almost out of the station. Luz turned towards the train and took a leap of faith. She hit the side of the train, and grabbed onto the sides. She climbed to the top and fell through one of the flaps.
Before anypony inside could notice, Luz slipped into a window seat and looked out. Stave was the first to appear. He was looking at her through the window. Psych and the rest of the Pact came out next.
“If I see you in this town again, I’ll make sure you suffer,” Stave yelled to her.
Luz sank in her seat and watched as the train gained more speed and rocketed out of the station. She took off her mask while she thought about what to do next. The only thing she could think of was to move somewhere else. Luz brought out the dog from her bag.
“It’s okay Eve, you’re going to be alright,” Luz told her dog Eve.
Luz looked over her dog. There was a bloody mess of fur covering Eve’s head, and her legs weren’t moving. She moved the fur aside and looked at the wound underneath. Blood had stopped coming out, but it could easily be fatal . She wrapped her cloak around the dog’s wound and waited as the train continued its trip.
Luz looked down to the mask she had next to her. When she was about to put it back on, she noticed the two words on the inside forehead.
Luz didn’t know what to make of it, so she simply put the mask back on. She felt like the deal wasn’t over, and there was something in this she was missing. If Stave wanted her to never come back, he’d have to learn that she didn’t work like that. But if what she heard was true, then was there any reason to come back? Everything she had was taken from her in one day. Everything except for Eve, and she would hold onto that as long as she could .
Luz felt Eve shaking. She pulled her in closer as the train’s brakes activated. She was already up and moving when the train was stopped. Her cloak was kept on Eve to close the wound, but she kept her mask on. Eve was put back in her bag for safe keeping. Luz pushed her way through the small crowd and onto the platform. It was then that she noticed how different this place actually was from Detrot.
Before she was brutally attacked, her coat had a layer of dirt and mud always on it. Now she was also caked in dried blood and scratched in every part of her torso. The ponies around her looked like they’d never had to do the things she did. They were full of color and looked cheerful. Luz was tempted to get back on the bus, but Eve needed treatment soon.
“Hey, anypony know a Vet?” Luz asked loudly to the crowd.
Most ponies looked her direction to help her, but the way she looked made them turn their heads back. Luz noticed this, and she approached a mare with orange hair and light yellow coat. Luz didn’t have time for being nice.
“You know somepony, don’t you? Tell me, my dog Eve needs treatment, now!” Luz demanded.
“Y-yes… Fluttershy takes care of animals. Why don’t you go see her…? She lives by the Everfree Forest, ask around and they’ll tell you how to get there,” The pony said, intimidated by Luz’s confrontation.
“Finally, some answers,” Luz said turning away.
Luz sprinted out of the station and into the clean air sky. She couldn’t resist breathing in the fresh fumes. No pollution or cloudy skies to ruin the day, and flowers everywhere she could see. Luz picked a direction and ran. Something told her that she’d notice where this Fluttershy would be. And that something was another pony down the street. The pony had a basket in her mouth, a butterfly decorated the basket.
“You, tell me how to get to Fluttershy’s house!” Luz demanded of the pony.
The pony shrieked from the sudden outburst, and cowered behind her pink mane. Luz took a step forward to ‘encourage’ her to answer. The pony tried to speak, but nothing came out other than a squeak.
“Tell me! My dog needs help!” Luz asked, feeling her face get softer.
“I-I… I am F-fluttershy…” Fluttershy said slowly.
“W-what? Well… could you help Eve? She’s not doing so well,” Luz asked.
Luz started to feel bad about yelling at this pony. She sounded gentle, and would supposedly help Eve. Luz could feel a motherly side come out of her.
“I… I could try. Can I see her?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yeah, but how about we do this somewhere less public… “ Luz said, realizing the commotion she’d made with Fluttershy. Some ponies in the streets were watching them.
“Okay, let’s go to my cottage. I can help you there,” Fluttershy said.
“Great lead the way… I’m sorry I yelled at you,” Luz said.
Fluttershy mumbled something before walking down a different road. Luz followed after, staying close behind. She didn’t know this place very well, but it already looked a lot more colorful than she liked.
Fluttershy led her to the wooden cottage. Luz entered and took out Eve from her bags. She undid the bandage and put the cloak off to the side. Blood was soaking through it. Sometime during these events, the blood began to flow again. Now Luz turned to Fluttershy for help.
“This looks pretty bad, but as long I treat her she’ll be okay. We don’t want the wound to get infected,” Fluttershy said.
“Thanks,” Luz said, feeling a relief flood through her.
“I need to concentrate, you don’t mind, do you? Fluttershy asked.
“I’ll be outside, I need some time to think,” Luz said.
Luz grabbed her cloak and walked through the door . She walked immediately to the river in front of Fluttershy’s house. She dipped the fabric in the water and watched as the blood separated itself from the cloak. Then she pulled out the cloak and examined it.
“This doesn’t feel right…” Luz observed.
Luz held the cloak into the air, and watched as it didn’t pick up a single breeze. When she tested it to check if it was still wet, it was completely dry. She decided to put it back on, and felt the smooth texture of the cloak. She looked into the water. Most of the blood had already washed away, but she couldn’t help feeling sad.
Luz didn’t know what to feel sad about. Nothing that she could think of would cheer her up. She was already alone and relying on other’s help. She didn’t have anywhere to go, and her only chance for happiness was resting with a complete stranger . Luz sat down at the edge of the river and laid her head on her hooves. She spent an hour looking into the water. Listening to the flow, she finally fell asleep when the rain started.
Luz rubbed her eyes. She hadn’t slept in a while, and it had started to take its toll on her. Luz picked herself off the grass and walked to the cottage. The rain had stopped and left moisture on the ground. Luz could tell the cloak was being dragged through it, but it wasn’t picking up any mud or water.
Luz opened the door and stepped inside. She was greeted by a bark that put a smile on her face. She looked over to Eve who was sitting on the couch. Luz quickly walked over and embraced her.
“You’re alright!” Luz said.
“Woof!” Eve answered.
“Give her three days to rest, and she’ll be fine,” Fluttershy said from behind her.
“I’ll do that, and… thanks again,” Luz said feeling gratitude to the new pony.
“It’s alright, I do this kind of stuff all the time,” Fluttershy said.
“If there’s anything I could do, just ask,” Luz said.
“Actually, I’ve been wondering… if you don’t mind that is… could you take off that mask?” Fluttershy asked looking away.
“Oh… I’m sorry is it uncomfortable to look at?” Luz asked.
“No, that’s not it . I just wanted to see how you look like,” Fluttershy said.
“Makes sense, I guess it’s hard to know who you’re talking to with this thing on,” Luz said.
Luz took her mask off, once again wondering how it could attach and reattach without using strings or unicorn magic. She let her face show, her hair instantly recognizing that the mask was off. Her hair moved to the front. Layers of dust covered her once bright colored face. She was trying her best to smile, but she didn’t want to force it.
Fluttershy nodded and smiled to her. “You must be new here ; do you know anypony in town?” Fluttershy asked.
“No, and I think I might have made a wrong impression looking for you,” Luz said remembering the stares.
“It’s okay, I could show you around. Do you plan on staying long?” Fluttershy asked.
“I wasn’t, but I guess I’ve got nowhere else to go. You seem nice enough,” Luz said.
“On the way , can you tell me about yourself? I mean, if you don’t mind,” Fluttershy said.
“I think it’d be best if we stayed away from my life, but I can tell you about my old town. It’s a lot different than this place…” Luz said.
Luz and Fluttershy left Eve in the cottage and walked back into town. Before leaving the house, Luz put the mask back on. It went with her cloak that she was reluctant to take off. It seemed really special all of a sudden, especially because it hid her blood and bruises. They passed by the station and then walked into town square. Luz finished telling Fluttershy about how she’d found Eve as a pup. She was about to talk about Stave, until she caught of something up ahead.
She stopped in her tracks as the cloaked and masked pony appeared in front of her. Her first thought was that The Pact had followed her. Then she realized the cloak was different than the uniform. It was the same as her cloak. She looked at the mask. The mask had a single eyehole with lines spiraling into the center without a single hole to breathe or talk through.
Luz heard a gasp from her left and turned to see. She looked at another pony with the same cloak but different mask. She could tell it was a mare, but then she looked to her right. To the right of her was a stallion, also with a cloak and mask . She took a step back and was ready to run, until she heard Fluttershy.
“I wonder what they’re doing here,” Fluttershy asked softly.
Author's Note
Woot, a little determination goes a long way. Maybe I should drink more coffee and sleep half as long more often? Wouldn’t that lead to insomnia…? Probably… but I’ll take my chances! Disclaimer: I agree with the Editor (Look below)
Editor Notes:
I don’t know anything about gang life so this may not be an accurate representation of what a gang life/environment is like so… yeah.
The Broken (Under Revision)
The Broken
Operation Raven
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 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.
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.
The Watcher
Suspicion Level: 6
(Two Years before surveillance)
“What do you want to play now?” The young colt asked.
“Why don’t we go take a break? I’m tired,” The reply came.
“We didn’t even do anything. We should go play with the others,” Another said.
“I don’t like the others. We should go ruin their game, it’ll be fun,” A third said.
“That’s not cool, they’re just having fun. We should do the same thing,” The final reply came.
“You guys can’t make up your minds, can you?” The young colt asked.
“Nope ,” came the replies.
“Well, why don’t I ask the parents? Maybe they’ll know what we can do,” The young colt said.
The colt got off the ground and walked over to where the mothers and fathers were watching their children play. He walked specifically to the brighter colored parents he called his own. Reaching up, he tapped them on the side to get their attention.
“We can’t decide on what to do. What do you two think?” The colt asked his parents.
“Well Wisp, why don’t you and your friends play with the others,” His mother said, forcing a smile.
“But some of my friends don’t want to play with them. What else could I do?” Wisp asked.
“Why don’t you split up and do what you want to do?” His father said.
“Because we never split up, we’re really good friends,” Wisp said.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something then, just do what you think is best,” His mother said.
“Thanks,” Wisp said, walking back to the corner of the room he’d been sitting in.
“Don’t you think he’s too old to have imaginary friends? This isn’t normal for most colts,” His father said.
“It’s his way of dealing with stress, and I told you we shouldn’t have brought him here, he’s only getting more stressed out,” His mother said.
“But look at him… he’s talking to himself in the corner away from everypony . I think we need to explain that his friends aren’t real, and he should make new ones,” His father said.
“There’s nothing wrong with him, and if you want to argue about this, then we’ll ask about it at the next checkup. But the doctor’s only going to say the same thing as I did,” The mother said.
“There’s something severely wrong with this child,” The doctor said, looking at the chart floating in front of him.
“See, I told you. If you just listened to me, we could have solved this a long time ago,” The father said to his wife next to him. They were waiting outside of Wisp’s room, after they had taken some tests on the colt.
“Actually, it’s better that you left him be. Any more traumas could have made things worse… He’s had this for a while now, maybe three years at least. I can’t believe we didn’t notice this until today,” The doctor said.
“So, what’s wrong with him?” The father asked.
“He’s mentally unstable. Most ponies keep their emotions in check and know when to let them out. He can’t do that. Instead, he has different personas inside that have minds of their own . They do communicate to each other, but by what he’s told me, they don’t always get along,” The doctor said.
“So, his imaginary friends… aren’t imaginary… or friends?” The mother asked.
“I’m afraid not, it’s called Multiple Personality Disorder , and as long as he learns to control it, he could recover with time,” the doctor said.
“How long could this take?” The father asked.
“Years, possibly. We’ll watch his progress, just make sure that he understands that it isn’t normal,” The doctor said.
“Thank you doctor,” The mother said.
“It’s my job, just call if you notice anything else different about him. We need to make sure we have all the details,” The doctor said.
With that, they took Wisp and went home. After a brief explanation of what was wrong with him, they sent him to bed for school the next day. It wasn’t until he was lying in bed, that they came back. He welcomed them in, for comfort.
“Ha, they called you the crazy one? They haven’t even seen what I could do,” One of the voice said in his head.
“I’m not crazy, I’ll get better eventually,” Wisp whispered.
“Getting better is too much work; can’t you just relax and let it happen?” Another voice said.
“If the four of you could let me get some sleep, we can talk about this tomorrow,” Wisp said.
“We always talk and have fun in your dreams, why would you want to get rid of us? That’s not very cool,” Another voice said.
“I’ll get looked at badly in school if the kids find out I’m crazy,” Wisp said.
“But you’re not crazy. You’re just better than the others,” A voice said.
“Well… I do like having friends to talk to…” Wisp said.
“Yeah, we’re your friends! You’d never get rid of us, because we’re awesome,” A voice said.
“Yeah! I don’t care what they say ; I’m going to keep you four . Now quiet, I’m trying to get some sleep,” Wisp said.
Following his orders, the four voices turned themselves off and let him drift into dreamland. They didn’t have to wait long before he was dreaming. In the dream, the five of them looking very identical besides hairstyles were sitting in a circular room. They discussed further during the dream, but Wisp wouldn’t remember much of what was said.
(One day before surveillance)
“Hey look, it’s that kid that talks to himself,” Whispered a young colt to another peer.
“He’s a freak, and he has no friends,” The peer replied.
“Let’s go remind him why,” The young colt said.
“That sounds like fun,” the peer said.
The pair strode up to the unsuspecting Wisp who was walking through the hoofball field. He’d been looking at the ground, but the shadows casted over him gave him plenty warning.
“Hey, what are you doing?” The oldest of the pair asked.
“Just walking, why?” Wisp asked, oblivious to the menacing looks they were giving him.
“You’re walking alone, where’s your friends?” The youngest asked.
The pair snickered at Wisp’s facial expression. He turned from an interested smile to a frown. The way his hair was being held changed as well. The normal three clumps of hair that spread in front of his face shortened slightly. His mouth seemed to get smaller and he looked down and away from the pair.
“I don’t have any. I mean, I do… but they aren’t normal,” Wisp said, softer than he ever talked.
“We’ll be your friends,” The youngest of the pair said.
“R-Really?” Wisp asked, his face slowly starting to change again.
“Nope, why would we ever be friends with somepony like you?” The olde st of the pair said.
Wisp felt his facial expression harden. He could tell mockery when he heard it, and this didn’t sound very different. A group started to form around them, made up of other students. Wisp felt his hair start to lengthen again. It was a slight change, but he felt it. He looked up into the eyes of the pair in front of him.
“I don’t need friends when I’ve got family,” Wisp whispered loud enough for them to hear.
“Aw, are you talking about your imaginary friends? I bet they could sure do a number on us. It’s a good thing they’re not real, isn’t it?” The oldest said.
Wisp felt his blood run cold. The group around them was now growing in size. All eyes were on him, and he wasn’t going to let down. Wisp closed his eyes for a second, and what he saw when he opened them changed.
Wisp could see a foggy visual of the hoofball field. It’s like he was watching this through somepony else’s eyes. In a way he was, but not like he thought. Wisp watched as his body also moved without his command, and experimentally moved his hooves.
Wisp saw it coming, but the pair didn’t. They weren’t prepared for consequences, and were taken down in a single kick to the face. Wisp wasted no time when he kicked the oldest in the gut.
“If you ever try to mess with my friend again, you’ll have to deal with me,” Wisp’s body said.
Wisp saw their heads bobbing up and down, and felt a rush of heat in his body. The foggy view faded away, and he had control of his limbs again. He looked down at himself, and didn’t notice the pair stand up and sprint to the school building. The rest of the crowd was cheering him on, but he didn’t hear them. Instead, he heard the voices inside him .
“See that, I’ve got your back,” Wisp heard.
“Did you have to be so violent? You didn’t have to do that,” Another voice said.
“As long as they leave us alone…” a different voice said.
“What… what happened?” Wisp asked himself quietly.
“Way to stand up to them. Name’s Dew , nice to meet you,” A voice said from behind him.
Wisp turned to the voice. A mare slightly taller than him was smiling. She had long red hair, and a grey coat. Her eyes matched her hair, and the smile gave him a warm feeling inside.
“Um, hi. I’m Wisp,” Wisp said.
“I’m new here, do you think you can show me around?” Dew asked .
“Y-yeah…” Wisp felt something inside him bubble up. But it was gone as fast as it came.
“Ooh, you’ve got a crush. Isn’t it the best feeling ever?”
“Disgusting, I can’t believe he’d be this weak,”
“It’s not that bad. He seems to enjoy it ,”
Wisp walked the new girl to the building. The crowd parted away and left the scene. Only one bystander remained. He wrote something down on his notepad and walked away. His figure disappeared into the shadows of a nearby tree.
(Five years later )
“Wisp, where are you going?” His mother asked.
“I’m going with Dew to watch a play ,” Wisp said.
“Okay then, just don’t be out too long,” His mother replied.
Wisp went through the door and out onto the street. He navigated his way over to where Dew’s house was located. The streets were silent and the air was starting to chill. The early night added to the fall weather. He didn’t mind though, as he walked up to Dew’s house. Her door opened before he made it all the way. Dew came out, her hair glistening off the moon’s glow . She smiled and walked up to him.
“So Wisp, you ready to go watch the play?” Dew asked.
“O-of course…” Wisp found it hard to talk while he was around her.
“I guess I’ll have to do this. Honestly Wisp, you need to learn how to be romantic,”
“I can be romantic…” Wisp whispered under his breath. Dew must have noticed, because her smile widened.
“Talking to yourself again? That’s what I like most about you, Wisp,” Dew said.
Wisp felt his blood turn cold once again. It was starting to feel natural to him now. His vision became brighter, and distorted in a weird way. He could still make out Dew’s smiling face though.
“Do you want to know what I like most about you?” Wisp asked.
“Yes, tell me,” Dew said.
“It’s the way you find the best in everything. Your smile will always bring a smile to my face, and your laugh is the sweetest I’ve ever heard,” Wisp said.
“You’re the best,” Dew said.
“I’m gonna puke,”
“That’s not very cool,”
“Could you guys shut up? I’m trying to hear what they’re saying,” Wisp said to the others.
“We should get going, the play is going to start any minute,” Dew said.
“Minutes last forever when I’m with you ,” Wisp said.
“But seriously, enough with the sweet talk,” Wisp said, agreeing with his other persona.
“Fine,” Wisp said aloud.
“Let’s get going, I’ll show you where it is,” Dew said.
“This is so boring, how much longer until we can go ?”
“It hasn’t started yet ,”
“Bullshit, I’m not sitting through another fucking play ,”
“Yes you are, and you’re going to like it,” Wisp said.
“Just be glad this isn’t a romantic comedy like last time. This one has some fight scenes in it,” Wisp said.
“There you go again, talking to yourself. Sometimes I wonder what really goes on in that head of yours,” Dew said, from beside Wisp.
“Could you guys shut up while you’re in control, people already think I’m crazy, I don’t want my marefriend to think so too,” Wisp said.
“She already does,”
“It’s cool bro, she doesn’t mind,”
“Maybe that’s the only reason she likes you? Think about that, now let’s ditch her and do something that isn’t watch ing a three hour play ,”
“Shh, it’s starting,” Wisp said.
“Your Highness, you are in danger. They’ve declared war on us like you predicted. We must get you somewhere safe. Their forces will be here soon,” One of the servants said.
“It’s quite alright. I will watch this war from here. It is my fault that innocent civilians are fighting, and if they lose I will lose with them,” The king said, sadness in his voice.
“But what a pointless battle it will be. They risk their lives so you can live. Will you let that go to waste?” The other servant said.
“I stand by my decision. I will fight with my soldiers, and if we lose, so be it. Tell the council of my decision,” The king said, a frown entering his face.
“Yes, your highness,” The servants said in unison.
The two servants left the king alone in the room. Or at least, it looked alone. From the corner of the stage, one of the shadows moved. The king turned towards the motion and sighed. A dark figure formed itself when it left the darkness. What the audience could only see of it, was the dark hair and light coat. A wicked smile plastered his face, and his eyes were cold.
“A dime a dozen, that’s what you kings are,” The shadow said.
“Maybe, but you don’t know how much the civilians respect my word,” The king said.
“No, I don’t. But I do know… that your word isn’t worth a thing,” The shadow said.
“I already agreed to the deal, what else do you want?” The king asked.
“Well you see… that deal wasn’t very fair on our part. I’m here to make sure we get what we deserve,” The shadow said.
The king didn’t say a word as he fell forward and clutched his stomach. His face was contorted in pain as the shadowy pony walked up to him.
“Next time, don’t double cross us,” The shadow said.
The lights dimmed as the shadowy figure disappeared into the darkness. The scene ended, and the cast prepared for the next scene. Wisp had to admit, the acting was spot on and the plot was devious. He actually enjoyed the performance for once. Dew must have been thinking about him when she chose this play.
The king’s actor had a few more parts in the play, like the hero, and Wisp could tell he’d been practicing. His facial expressions and dialogue looked relaxed and not like he was acting. He didn’t see anypony that looked like the shadowy figure after the first part, but he liked the ominous feeling he got from him.
“Have to admit, this isn’t bad,”
“It’s cool, lots of awesome scenes,”
“Makes me sleepy,”
“Well, I like the actors. They seem like nice ponies, and know what they’re doing,” Wisp said
“I was thinking the same thing,” Wisp said.
“You’re talking to yourself again,” Dew said, nudging Wisp.
“Sorry about that, but what do you think of the play?” Wisp asked.
“It’s alright, I especially like the actors like you said. The Hero character looks like a professional,” Dew said.“They’re all professionals,”
“That’s what makes this play so cool,”
The play continued in many other scenes, and lasted slightly longer than the three hours they anticipated. The play continued with more death scenes and ended when the hero devised that the killer was one of the servants. In fact, right before the curtain closed, the shadowy figure returned and ended the hero’s life. The moral was to not follow accusations without reason. This twist actually made Wisp think about the story more than usual.
The actors, excluding the shadowy figure, returned on stage and bowed to the audience. They received a standing ovation, with the king character in the center of the actors. Wisp felt the warmth return to him when his body yawned. His vision cleared, and he leaned on his seat to balance himself.
“The actors will be free for any questions or autographs momentarily,” The announcer said.
“Do you think we can stay for an autograph?” Dew asked.
“Yeah sure, I just hope it doesn’t take too long,” Wisp said.
(One hour later)
“I’m so tired…”
“Lines aren’t cool ,”
“This is what you get when you’re the last in line,”
“Look at the bright side, we’re next,”
Wisp looked at Dew, who was having trouble staying awake. The other pony in line was just finishing some questions. Wisp stepped up and pushed Dew forward slightly so she’d wake up. He looked towards the face of the main actor. Wisp could tell that he was sleep deprived, by the bags under his eyes, and the way he was swaying slightly.
“So, what could I do for you two?” The actor asked.
Wisp shook Dew softly and let her speak first.
“We’d like some autographs. You did a great job today,” Dew said.
“Why thank you Madame. Your kind words mean so much to me,” The actor said.
“No, you must hear that all the time. I’ve seen a lot of plays, and you did exceptionally well,” Dew said.
“Well if somepony as beautiful as you will compliment me, I should do the same,” The actor said.
“Oh, a true gentlemen,” Dew giggled at this.
“My name is Sebastian Danio, it is a pleasure to meet you,” Sebastian said.
“My name’s Dew, and this is my coltfriend Wisp, he liked your performance too,” Dew said.
It was at this point that Wisp started to piece together what he was hearing. His lack of sleep from going to plays at night had started to affect him. Wisp decided to join in before Sebastian had any ideas.
“Yeah, I liked the part when you… um, did that thing… and said that line,” Wisp said, trying to get his thoughts together.
“Yeah that was my favorite part to play,” Sebastian said, humoring him.
“So, about those autographs?” Wisp asked.
“Yes, yes. Would you like a photo or a signature on something you brought?” Sebastian asked.
“We didn’t bring anything, could we get a photo?” Dew asked.
“Would that be a face or body shot?” Sebastian asked.
“Face will be fine, it’ll help me recognize you if you’re in other plays,” Dew said.
“I could always do both for you, Madame,” Sebastian said.
“Just get on with the autograph,” Wisp said.
“Don’t need to be so rude Wisp, you should learn some manners from your friend here,” Sebastian said.
“I don’t need a lesson in manners; can we just get our autograph so we can go?” Wisp asked.
Wisp was starting to regret coming for an autograph. He was ready for a nice long sleep and Sebastian was dragging this on. If it wasn’t for Dew, Wisp would have walked away. On the other hoof , he did wait in line for an hour, and he was getting his autograph.
“Very well, here you go,” Sebastian handed them each one of his signed pictures. “When you look at this, I’ll be thinking of you Madame,” Sebastian said, to which Dew giggled again.
“She already has a coltfriend, stop there before you go too far,” Wisp said, feeling jealous.
“Wisp, it’s alright,” Dew said.
“Yes, listen to the Madame, she understands. Sometimes stallions such as myself get lonely. If only there was somepony there to help me. Somepony with beauty such as yourself,” Sebastian said, to Dew.
“Lay off her, I’m warning you,” Wisp said, feeling something cold boil inside him.
“What would somepony like you do to stop me? It’s her decision if she wants to be with a strong and handsome stallion such as myself. If she wants to be with me, then you can’t stop her,” Sebastian said, narrowing his eyes.
“Actually, I’m quite alright with-,” Dew started before Wisp interrupted.
“You’re just an egotistic asshole who gets what he wants. But Dew isn’t available, and you need to deal with that,” Wisp said, feeling a coldness wash over him.
“And who’s going to stop me?” Sebastian said, a smirk on his face.
Wisp didn’t take his eyes off Sebastian as they fogged over. His body turned cold and a smile appeared on his face. Suddenly, Wisp lowered his head and his hair started to grow out. A small chuckle came out, and when he raised his head, his eyes were twisted into a demonic oval.
“Me,” Wisp said, his voice clear and sharp, a slight tinge of anger mixed in as well.
Before Sebastian had time to take in the change, Wisp lashed out his hoof. He had deadly accuracy that landed square on the nose. Sebastian gave a cry of pain as he reared back. Wisp sent his other hoof into the side of Sebastian’s face. He was sent into a wall, but Wisp wasn’t done yet.“Don’t you think he’s going too far?”
“Sebastian deserves it, he wasn’t acting very cool,”
“I’ll let him have another few seconds,” Wisp said, aware that this could easily get him in trouble.
Wisp ignored the protests of Dew as he sent kicks to the body of Sebastian. Sebastian gave grunts of pain and tried to say something, but he was cut off by a hoof to the neck. His face had blood drops on it, and he was trying to get oxygen that was getting cut off by Wisp. He looked into the face of what used to be Wisp.“Okay, I think that’s enough,” Wisp said.
“Like hell it is,” Wisp said, taking his hoof of Sebastian’s throat.
“That was more fun tha n I thought it would be. You should really let me do this some more sometime,” Wisp said to himself, letting his body be controlled by the original wisp again.
Wisp felt the heat return to him and his eyes were no longer foggy. Wisp could feel a lot of heat on his face, and felt liquid start to come down his eye. He looked to the body of Sebastian first and then to Dew. Something in her face changed then, and there was a look of fear. She took a step back, and Wisp brought a hoof to his face.
Wisp touched the liquid and pulled his hoof back, he examined his hoof to find the red blood covering it. He felt it dripping from his nose too, and tried to speak.
“I- I may have-,” Wisp started.
Wisp didn’t get a chance to finish before Dew turned and ran. She dropped her autograph on the way out and Wisp stopped to pick it up. He put it in his bag and then continued to follow Dew . He lost track of where she ran though, and stopped. He turned to a nearby mirror and looked at his reflection. He saw the blood coming from his eyes and nose. It looked like he just lost a fight, when in reality, he won.
Wisp stepped back and went back the way he came. He found his way to the exit, and gave one last look to Sebastian who was still passed out. He was glad that they were the last in line, because there wasn’t anyone to witness what he did …er what his other self did.
Wisp decided that he’d have to give them names. He didn’t want to explain to any police that Wisp incapacitated an innocent actor. He still had no regrets, but he was curious why he didn’t take control when he wanted. It was supposed to in theory, but he didn’t try it until today.
Wisp left the theatre and walked into the cold of the night. He felt a yawn coming on, and let his body turn cold. His vision glazed over and he stopped for a second. Then, his body continued walking . He continued down the street at a slow pace. Pausing only slightly outside of Dew’s house, he continued.
When he made it to his house, he walked in without saying a word to his parents. Something passed through their faces, but he didn’t stop to ask. He walked upstairs and laid on his bed. He spent a good few seconds looking at the ceiling before he fell asleep. Figures danced in his head during his dream. The figures had voices. These voices got louder.
“You know you went too far,” Wisp said.
“You didn’t stop me, so it’s not my fault,”
“Did you have to hit his face? That’s all he cared about,”
“Can you guys shut up, I’m trying to sleep,”
“You’re already asleep, dumbass,”
“I tried to stop you, but I couldn’t. Why?” Wisp asked, ignoring the others.
“I felt you trying, but I wasn’t going to stop because you didn’t want to go too far, that’s all I’m about. You should have learned that a long time ago,”
“I did, and I don’t blame you for being yourself, none of you. I just can’t understand how I’m supposed to explain this to anyone. Dew’s going to tell other ponies, and my parents saw that blood on me. They’re probably going to storm into my room any second and ask questions,” Wisp said. He felt like he hit a wall.
“Calm down, just be cool about this. We’ll work out the details, you can just relax,”
“Yeah, let us deal with the problem. We made this mess, let us clean it up,”
“I don’t want to clean while I sleep…”
“Shut up,”
“This is why I’m always caught in the middle. You four can’t get along, and I’m the one who has to make things right in the end,” Wisp said.
“We get along ; you just don’t see it like we do,”
“Yeah, I’m cool with them, even the crazy bastard has his good times,”
“I don’t have a choice…”
“Shut the fuck up! I’m trying to sleep ,” Came a surprising voice in the back.
Wisp made a mental note not to get on that guy’s angry side. Then he thought about what he heard them confess. The one that always looks at the good side would normally be forgiving, but the others…
The side that always used cool, didn’t seem affected by the different mixtures of personalities. Although his crazier side said he didn’t have a choice, the way he said it sounded like he didn’t mean it. And the last one… he’s normally passive and lets them be themselves. Maybe there was something he was missing. Maybe… they were actually getting along. He just always saw the bickering as infighting, but perhaps it was brotherly love?“So-,” Wisp started.
“Shh!” In the days that followed, the actor never said a word. Dew disappeared, although Wisp heard word that she had moved with her father. He didn’t care; she probably needed some time to think. He gave her time, and more. In the next three years, he took medication that helped him remain calm and supposedly helped his mental state recover.
After the incident, he no longer had any moments when it became out of control. They always had their nightly talks, and he started to warm up to the idea of them staying. Of course, he grew up with them, but now he felt like they were his family.
When he turned eighteen, his parents received a letter saying that he was officially cured, and that he could resume a normal life. Wisp knew otherwise, and so did the doctor. Wisp took the opportunity to follow a lead he had on Dew. He heard she had moved somewhere in Griffon Kingdom, and decided he’d use his new rights to move out.
His parents gave a heartwarming goodbye, and he almost didn’t want to go. Dew was his excuse to anyone that asked why he was leaving. In fact, his other personalities just wanted a change in scenery. They took a vote, something they did often on tough decisions nowadays. Wisp was the only one who wanted to stay, the others wanted to go. It was majority vote, so now he was boarding the train destined to Griffmany .
Wisp was about to step on, until he saw something in the corner of his eye. It was a market stand. He looked at the watch in the station, and found he had a good ten minutes before departure. Stepping away, he walked over to the stand. Looking for a souvenir from his town, he found lots of random knick knacks.
When he was about to turn away, he caught the market seller watching him. He raised an eyebrow, and the market seller did the same. Then, the market seller spoke, a raspy voice left his throat.
“Is there anything you like? My collections often bring joy to everypony who stop by,” The pony said.
“They’re all unique, but I was expecting something a little different,” Wisp said.
“Well if different is what you seek, take a gander at this pair,” The pony said, pulling something from underneath the stall.“It’s junk,”
“Not very colorful,”
“Doesn’t look very cool,”
“Get back on the train, and take a nap in that,”
Wisp looked down at the cloak that the market seller showed him. He felt the fabric and the gold lining on the sides. He was still smiling as he took out his bits. The market seller shook his head, and smiled.
“How much?” Wisp asked, ready for a high amount.
“No cost,” The pony said.
“Huh? Did you say no cost?” Wisp asked, confusion clear on his face.
“Correct, my stall is only to unite ponies with something they truly enjoy. Your reaction to seeing this set was enough for me to know it was meant for you,” The pony said.
“So, it’s free…?” Wisp asked, still unsure.
“Take the set and go, your train is waiting,” The pony said.
Wisp reached out to grab the cloak, when he realized that it was a set. Next to the cloak was a mask. He noticed the part missing from the bottom, where it didn’t cover his snout. The holes where his eyes would normally be weren’t horizontal, it was turned 90 degrees. There was a stripe on each eye that met the top and bottom of the mask. What he noticed most was the room on top for a horn he didn’t possess. He pushed the mask back and reached for the cloak. The market seller put his hoof on Wisp’s. The market seller looked into his eyes and said his next words.
“It’s a set, you need to take both,” The pony said.
“That’s alright, I only want the cloak,” Wisp said, trying to explain.
“Both or nothing,” The pony said.
“I only want the cloak,”
“You’re going to take both,”
“I don’t want both,”
“What do you have against a mask?”
“What do you have against it?”
“Take them both,”
“Take your hoof off mine,”
“Are you going to take both?”
“No,”
“It’s good to be honest,”
“Yeah, and I’m not taking the mask,” Wisp said.
“Then you’re not getting the cloak,”
“How much for just the cloak?
“A free mask, can you afford that?”
“Yes,”
“Then take it,”
“No,”
“What if I throw in some candy?”
“Okay,”
“I don’t have candy,”
“Then fuck you,”
“Why don’t you just throw it away after you walk away from here?”
“Why don’t you throw it away right now?”
“Because it’s my ancestors, I got it in his will, and I’m making sure this set goes to a good home,”
“I don’t have a home right now,”
“All the more reason you need a mask,”
“Can a mask get me a home?”
“It can help you keep one,”
“Then I’ll take it ,”
“Okay then, have a nice day,”
The market seller took her hoof off Wisp’s and watched him closely. Wisp grabbed the cloak and put it on. He took the mask off the counter and looked at the inside. Inscribed on the inside were two words.
His eyes started to burn, but the images continued to change. It was turning black and white, and there were voices. Different voices. They sounded harsh… one sounded peaceful. The others were yelling. Wisp grasped his head as the train suddenly vanished and he was left looking at empty space. The colors came back, and he struggled to stay up. He looked up to find the train was back. Stepping on, he found a seat and held his head.
Turning to a nearby clock, he realized that his conversation with the market seller lasted longer than ten minutes. He also realized the market seller was gone, replaced with an empty stall. He would have stood to leave, if the train hadn’t already started to depart. Suddenly he heard a voice, dark and emotionless in his head.
“It’s for the best…”
Wisp felt himself lightheaded and passed out. Before he closed his eyes, they changed. He saw the water cover his vision, although he could still see clearly. It wasn’t the first time, and he was used to seeing through these different views. The other occupants didn’t notice, as Wisp raised his head and leaned back. The front of his mane now stood up instead of down. The edges of his mane still fell down, but his face was now clearly visible. A short chuckle escaped his mouth. He looked out the window to watch the time go by.
“Well that was weird,”
“I’ve done weirder,”
“Now I can chill and be cool…” Wisp said, not loud enough for the other occupants to hear.
Wisp couldn’t understand what just happened. He thought of any possibilities, and what he came up with was that he has going crazy. Not having a choice in letting the persona take over, he let himself drift into space. He didn’t realize anything wrong, letting the tracks on the train help him think.
Suddenly, the persona looked out the window, his hoof covering his face from the sun. Instead of the docks that he was expecting to see, there was only rolling hills. The sun was also on the wrong side of the train. Wisp turned to one of the passengers next to him.
“Isn’t this the train going to Griffmany?” Wisp asked.
“No, this train is headed to Ponyville. Did you board the wrong train?” The passenger asked.
“No, Ponyville’s cool. I was just wondering,” Wisp said, before turning back out the window.
“We’re on the wrong train? Maybe we should tell somepony,”
“Too much work, let’s just go to Ponyville,”
“Now we don’t have to see that mare again, good riddance,” Seconds passed before anything else was thought.
“Why are you so quiet?”
“I was just… thinking. I heard something before I let him take control…” Wisp said.
“We all heard it, you just need to chill and let things happen,” Wisp said softly.“Maybe I just need a rest… let me take control again when we get there, I don’t want any of you to make a bad impression,” Wisp said.
“I’m sorry, did you say something?” The passenger asked.
“No, no… just chilling by myself,” Wisp said.
“I think you’re going to have a hard time with that,”
“He’ll do fine, he’s always found a way to hide us, if you need us, don’t be scared to ask,”
“Just leave me alone, I haven’t been getting much sleep lately…”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Wisp said. The train slowed down, it’s momentum slowed to a crawl. Then, the horn blew on top and the doors unlocked themselves. Passengers started to stand up and exit, but Wisp waited for the aisle to clear. He finally stood up and stretched his limbs. Then he gave a good smile to the window before his face changed. The hair that had been up now fell down. His eyes were no longer were water-streaked. He blinked his eyes a few times to adjust .
Following the crowd that was leaving him behind, he climbed off the train. Looking around, he saw the town around him. Aside from the few buildings that centered him, he noticed the wildlife too. Green grass and trees everywhere he looked. Walking in a random direction, he decided that he should look for a place to stay.
Following a dirt road, he walked by houses and stores. He noticed one store in particular that looked like it was edible. Feeling his stomach growl, he decided that he should get something to eat first. Walking up, he opened the door and stepped inside. When he got to the counter, he waited for the pink pony to finish talking to one of the customers. She turned to him and her face lit up.
“Um, excuse me, can I-,”
“Oh, you must be new here! My name’s Pinkie Pie, and I’m glad to meet you. Well, I’m glad to meet every pony, but you’re new, so that makes it extra special. Do you want to meet new ponies? I can show you around. Oh you’re going to love it here in Ponyville, especially when you get to know everypony like I do,” Pinkie said, giving him a wide smile.
“Actually, I just came for-,”
“Oh, I know, since you’re new, you probably need a place to stay. If you want you could stay here with me . I just need to clear it up with the Cakes, and then you’re set. Don’t worry, they wouldn’t leave a new pony on the streets, that’s not like the ponies here in Ponyville. We’re all friendly and helpful, even to strange ponies with masks . So, can I show you to your room?” Pinkie asked.
“Uh… sure? Thanks, but can I also buy a-,”
“It’s free, I mean what kind of host would I be if I made you pay for staying here? No, you just follow me while I show you where you’ll be staying. Don’t worry, I already cleared it up with the Cakes , so you can relax here until I get the town to come meet you,” Pinkie said, leading him up the stairs.
Wisp followed, but he had so many questions to ask, and not enough time, that he just didn’t even try to ask.
“Your room’s upstairs, next to mine. Yours doesn’t have a window, but it’s bigger than mine. Maybe we can trade if you want a window. Although, mine is pink, so I don’t think you’d enjoy it too much. What kind of color do you want your room to be? Maybe a blue or red? Ooh, what’s your favorite color, mine’s pink if you didn’t already get that,” Pinkie said.
“It’s blue, but I wanted-,”
“That’s a great color; you know my friend is blue. Well, she’s actually more of a cyan blue, but her mane is a rainbow, so that gives it a more blue look . I guess it also gives it more red and yellow and green, but that must count for something, right?” Pinkie asked.
“Sure…” Wisp said, giving up on trying to talk.
“Well, here’s your room, come down when you get unpacked, and I’ll take you into town to start meeting my friends,” Pinkie said.
“How many friends is that?” Wisp asked.
“The whole town are my friends, silly,” Pinkie said.
“Oh… wait… I don’t have anything to unpack-,” Wisp looked down at his hooves at the suitcase resting against them. The figure that was Pinkie was gone, and Wisp was left with his mouth open looking around him. He closed his eyes and then opened them, but it wasn’t a dream.“I like her already…”
“She’s nice,”
“Too energetic…”
“She was pretty cool if you ask me…”
“I guess I’ll unpack then…” Wisp said, taking the suitcase with him into the room and closing the door behind him. He looked at the bed that was missing some bed sheets. Immediately, he opened his suitcase, and sure enough. There was a bed sheet placed on top, blue stripes covering it. The rest of the suitcase had blue curtains for a window he didn’t have, and blue tablecloths that he put randomly in the room. At the bottom was a card that he put on his bedside table.
“Time to go see if I can get some answers…” Wisp said, opening the door and going downstairs. He noticed that Pinkie was waiting at the bottom, another smile on her face. Wisp felt one going to his own face, but he forced it back.
“So, want to go see my friends? I bet they can’t wait to meet you Wisp,” Pinkie said.
“Yeah sure I-, Wait… how do you know my name?” Wisp asked, suddenly confused.
“I know all of my friends’ names, silly. We are friends... aren’t we?” Pinkie asked, her smile slightly lessening.
“Say yes, or I’ll fucking make you,”
“Don’t make her sad, she just wants another friend,”
“Be cool, don’t you want her as a friend? Friends make you cooler, ”
“If you say no, can you go back upstairs and sleep?”
“Majority vote, bitch,”
“Yeah, of course. I hope I can make friends with your other friends too,” Wisp said.
“Ooh, that’s great! I just hope you can get along with all of them, like I do. Maybe we should get started. Let’s start at the town square, my Pinkie Sense is telling me that something’s going to happen there. Race you!” Pinkie said, rushing out the door. Wisp didn’t have a chance, and instead galloped as fast as he could.
“Pinkie Sense?” Wisp asked himself as he galloped.
Wisp finally caught up with her. She was walking now, and she noticed him catch up. She gave him a big smile as he caught his breath.
“We’re close now, I can feel it. And I can smell it, and hear it, and I see it too!” Pinkie said.
“Great…” Wisp said, looking up. Suddenly, he stopped, and he saw Pinkie stop too. He noticed the ponies in front of him. For a second everything stopped, all he heard was the voices.
“Those masks…”
“Those cloaks…”
“Those clouds…”
“Can’t you think about anything other than sleeping?”
“This is cool, it’s like we’re in a play,”
“It’s not any play I’ve ever seen,” Wisp said.
“Me either, but I know all of these actors, they’re my friends… most of them,” Pinkie said.
“Most? Then who are the others?” Wisp asked, thinking about what his personas were talking about. He looked around at the others, nothing was registering though.
Author's Note
Personas and internal conflict. This is a chapter I had fun writing, although most of it was while I was drowsy, so excuse some possible errors. But my editor should find them all, so don’t worry . My editor couldn’t tell which personas were talking at certain points, and I had a good laugh at that.
The Hunter
Operation Raven
Suspicion Level: (N/A)
(Twenty Years ago)
The night sky, once quiet and dark, gave way to a red light. The light lit up the entire neighborhood. It was hours before anypony could understand what was happening. The mansion that belonged to one of the most pristine art collectors was set ablaze. Midnight until dawn, the fire ate away at the house. It wasn’t until the sun rose that the authorities arrived.
The firefighters managed to put out the last of the fire. They cleared out the smoke before the sheriffs entered what was left of the house. They did a thorough search for what could be salvaged. Most of the valuable art was collected, and insurance managed to cover a lot of the damages. But there was one thing that wasn’t salvaged.
“Where’s Dust?” The mother asked a sheriff, who was taking a drink .
“Who?” He asked.
“My son, I left him here with a babysitter, but I haven’t been able to find him,” The mother said.
“He was only three years old, and his babysitter was well over thirty,” The father explained.
“Nothing was found except for the art. Maybe you should ask the neighbors, but all we can do is declare him missing,” The sheriff said.
“We don’t care about the art, we just want our son,” The mother said.
“It’s okay Merriam, let’s just ask around, see if anypony knows anything,” The father said.
The parents asked neighbors and friends, but they couldn’t find anything. Their last lead was the babysitter. He had volunteered for the position the day before, and they gave it to him. Now, they had no idea where he was, or more importantly, who he is. They reported this to the sheriff who raised his eyebrow.
“Are you suspecting the babysitter has something to do with this?”
“No, we’re just wondering if you can find out who he is,” The father said.
“We’ll try, but we’ll need you to describe him clearly…” The sheriff said.
The house was cleaned. The charred remains of the old house were knocked down to make room for a new house. In all of the commotion, nopony noticed the most important details. The fact that two of the house’s most important historic art pieces were missing... A mask, and a cloak. They also didn’t notice the only paper-like substance that didn’t burn .
A single piece of paper on the dining room table lay there. It started to singe from the heat, but otherwise it was intact. Now, when the sheriff was ready to forget the scene, a nearby reporter slipped the note in their pocket. Motioning for his assistants, they left the scene. They weren’t seen from the townsponies again.
(Present Day)
Sunlight streaked across his vision. He could hear chirping of birds and the flow of a nearby river. Blinking his eyes, he let the sky stretch out above him. The silence that came after, kept him quiet. Slowly, he raised his head and looked around. The forest around him was peaceful, and the woodland animals scurried in the bushes.
He felt a sudden pain in his forehead. Raising his hoof up, he felt the smooth covering over his face. Pulling back his hoof, he found the river a few feet away. He stood up and walked over. He took a gaze into the calm water. His eyes focused on the monster that looked back at him.
The monster had a face with triangular eyes and lines on each side of the nose and forehead that made arrows. Suddenly he realized what was looking back at him. It was a mask, that he didn’t realize he was wearing. Reaching back up to his face, he could tell that it was indeed a mask. Although the mask didn’t cover his mouth, it did cover the rest of his face.
He reached up to take the mask off, but something held him back. A memory started to form in his head. He held onto his head as the voice came out.
“My name is Dust… and nopony can take that away from me,” He could hear a familiar voice saying.
“Dust…” He said out loud. Suddenly it came clear to him who said that. He was the one who said that long ago. It felt like it was all in a dream, but it was definitely him who said that. He rubbed his head to try and figure out what was going on. He felt like nothing was certain at this point.
Everything felt like a dream. Or it felt like he was leaving a dream. He had no idea who he was, other than his name. Everything looked so new to him, but it also looked similar. He sat down to try and figure this out. Taking another look at the river, he saw the mask again. The vision returned, this time it showed the inside of the mask as he was putting it on his head.The Hunter
Dust rubbed his head to see if he could get anything else, but it didn’t work. He felt lost, in more ways than one. Trying to keep the mask out of his mind, he focused on the other details he saw. The cloak he was wearing was comfortable, and it was a good contrast to the white coat he had. Although, his coat wasn’t pure white, it was slightly darker . His mane was a deep shade of red.
Looking at his eyes, Dust noticed that they were a dark red. It was the same color as a fresh puddle of blood. He couldn’t resist wincing and turning away. It gave him chills to think about it. He instead looked around him again. He realized that the forest he was in was actually full of apple trees.
Dust inspected a fallen apple and took a bite. It was slightly bruised, but otherwise alright. He enjoyed the sweet juice that came out. He didn’t realize how hungry he was until now. After a few more bites, he started walking. Everything seemed to be clear to him now that he’s eaten. He had a plan. Ask any locals if they recognized him, and see if they could help him figure out where he is. Or more importantly, who he is.
A snap of a twig caused Dust to be on high alert. He spun around and faced a Timberwolf. Its jaws oozed sap. Suddenly it pounced. Dust felt time slow down as the teeth of the assailant found its way to Dust’s neck. He cried out in pain, but sent a blow to the head of the Timberwolf. The Timberwolf gave a howl as it let go.
Dust felt the blood from his neck flood out. He made eye contact with the Timberwolf, and suddenly it stopped. Instead of going forward for another attack, it took a step back. Dust continued to look into its eyes, and the Timberwolf gave out a yelp as it retreated. Suddenly, the world started to turn grey. He let his head roll to the side as he passed out. The last thing he saw was the outline of a pony running up to him.
“You sure he’s going to be alright? He looks like a ghost,” A voice with a distinct southern accent said.
“That’s just his coat color, don’t worry,” Another voice with a southern accent said.
“W-what happened?” Dust managed to cough out before opening his eyes. He caught sight of an orange pony with a yellow mane and a yellow pony with a red mane standing over him. He didn’t pay much attention however, because he felt a sudden pain in his neck. He reached to his neck to try and soothe it.
“Careful mister, them bandages might rip,” The yellow one said.
Dust suddenly stopped. He felt something in his head now. It was a sharp pain that started to expand. He closed his eyes as the voice came back to him.
“…magic in the environment. Don’t forget it can be used to help you as well as…”
Dust opened his eyes, and suddenly he felt something warm on his neck. He reached his hooves up to it, and found a thin layer of powder was over the wound. The bandages were still there, although they were also covered in the powder. He looked up to the two inspecting him.
“What’s going on?” The little one said.
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t look good,” The bigger one said.
Dust felt his pain go away. His neck started to itch, but he was relieved. Slowly, he let his eyes close to revel in the feeling.
“Is he dead?” Dust heard.
“I don’t think so, I reckon he’s just sleeping,” Dust also heard.
“I’m not dead…” Dust managed to whisper from the dry throat he was feeling.
“Are you sure, maybe you just can’t accept it. What if you turned into a ghost and you need help going to the other side. Maybe I can get my talent in helping ghosts! I’ve tried catching them, but I’m sure I’ll get my cutie mark doing it this way,” Dust heard.
“Applebloom, go get him some water. Last thing we need is him dying of thirst,” Dust heard the thick southern accented pony say.
“Thanks,” Dust said when he heard hoof steps leave the room.
“Don’t got to thank me, I’m just doing the right thing. I found ya in the forest with a gash in your neck. Thought we could get you to the barn to wait for the doc, so just hang in there,” She said.
“I think I’ll be fine…” Dust said, raising his head. He looked around the room from the couch he was laying on.
“So, what were ya doing in the woods by yourself?” She asked.
“I was… uh, I don’t know. I don’t remember much of anything lately,” Dust said.
“Well can I get your name then? My name’s Applejack,” Applejack said.
“I’m Dust… I think ,” Dust said, realizing that he didn’t know anything for a fact yet.
“Well Dust, the doc should be here any minute, maybe you should keep your head down,” Applejack said.
“I’m feeling a lot better though…” To emphasize his point, he brushed away the layer of powder and showed her the wound. What he didn’t realize, was that the powder was actually sand. Now that it was gone, the wound looked like it was days old. Applejack raised her eyebrow in surprise.
“Just a second ago, you were bleeding like a stuck pig. I reckon there’s something you ain’t telling me,” Applejack said.
“I… I just had this weird feeling and now my pain’s gone,” Dust said, reaching up to itch his neck. He scratched away more of the sand that was there.
“What’s all this then?” Applejack asked, picking up some of the sand. She held it up for Dust to see.
“Is that sand?” Dust asked, feeling his head start to pound again.
“Sure looks like it, but maybe it could be some kind of magic dust,” Applejack said.
“Right… magic dust,” Dust felt his head stop pounding, but gradually. He took a slow breath to calm his head. Now he looked back up to the mare looking worriedly at him.
“Are you sure you’re alright? Maybe you hurt your head before we found you,” Applejack said.
Dust didn’t have to answer, because The younger pony entered the room. She gave him the cup and he downed it quickly. He gave a sigh of relief when he was finished. It slid down his throat with ease, and left a tingling in his throat.
“I feel great now, thank you,” Dust said to the younger pony.
“Your welcome, mister,” The younger pony said.
“Dust, meet Applebloom she’s my little sister. Applebloom meet Dust, he doesn’t remember much, ‘cept for his name,” Applejack said.
“Nice to meet ya, Dust,” Applebloom said.
“It’s nice to meet you; you two have been really hospitable. Can I repay my debt anytime soon?” Dust asked.
“First I think you should focus on getting better. Until then, you shouldn’t be doing much,” Applebloom said.
“I’m fine, really. I’ve been through worse… I think,” Dust said.
“Let’s wait for the doctor though. He’s the professional,” Applejack said.
“I have no idea what this is…” The doctor said, inspecting the wound.
“I was bit by a Timberwolf, I managed to fight it off, but it left me with this,” Dust said.
“I understand that, but the wound… it’s not a wound. By my calculations, it looks like it’s been healing for days now, but you say that it happened this morning?” The doctor asked Applejack.
“Yeah, we found him right after it happened and took him here. After that, we waited for you to show up, doc. But he woke up and said he was fine,” Applejack said.
“I really feel okay. I don’t know why this seems like a miracle,” Dust said.
“Hold on… what’s this?” The doctor inspected the sand that remained on his neck.
“I think it’s sand, but I don’t know how it got there,” Dust said.
“It wasn’t there when we brought him in, so your guess is as good as mine,” Applejack said.
“I’m going to take some of this with me for analysis, I’ll return in a few days. Until then… I guess you’re free to do whatever. Don’t stress yourself though, it could open back up. Just remember, if you feel any pain, feel free to come see me,” The doctor said.
“Okay, anything else?” Dust asked.
“I suggest you find something… less grim to wear,” The doctor said, gesturing to the mask he wore, and the cloak he was lying on.
“I’ve grown attached, sorry doctor,” Dust said, finding it amusing how other ponies viewed his mask.
“Well I’ll be going then,” The doctor left with his bag of sand and Dust was left to look at the ceiling. He slowly sat up and got off the couch.
“Well what are you going to do now?” Applejack asked.
“I was wondering if I could stay here until the check up. I don’t think I live anywhere near here,” Dust said.
“You’re welcome to stay at the farm, just make sure you get acquainted with the other residents. My brother Big Mac could sure use a stallion to talk to, just don’t expect him to say much,” Applejack said.
“I think I’ll take a walk around, I won’t go too far,” Dust said.
“I’ll give you a tour of the farm later today, just don’t get lost until then, okay?” Applejack said.
Dust walked out of the living room. He passed by a mirror and noticed that the gash in his throat was barely noticeable compared to how he looked with the mask and cloak. He felt the wound again, aware that some of the sand still remained, but he brushed it aside. He made his way to the door and pushed it open.
The fresh air felt good on his coat as he walked out. The scent of apples and trees filled the air, and he didn’t mind. He took in the sight as well. Trees surrounded the farm house, and there was a path that led back to town. The area immediately around the farm contained farm animals and crops, but the trees are what gained his interest.
For as far as he could see, the trees stretched in every direction. There was only two ways where he couldn’t see apple trees, and one led to town . The other direction had an evil looking forest that he hadn’t seen before connecting to it. He walked in the direction that was only apple trees and started to think.
“I should gather up what I know and find out what I need to figure out,” Dust said to himself. He made a mental note of what he knew. It started with his name.
My name is Dust, I think. I woke up in the forest near a Timberwolf. I don’t have any wings or horn, so I’m an earth pony. I’m having flashbacks, and I don’t know when they’re going to happen. I have a weird mask and cloak… that I don’t think I should take off. My Cutie Mark is…
Dust stopped and looked down to where his Cutie Mark should be. The cloak covered it, but he pushed it aside. He saw the tornado stand out from the rest of his coat. It was slightly greyer and the bottom of it was white. He let his cloak fall back over his body.
“Tornado, what does that mean? What could my special talent be then…” Dust questioned himself. He stopped thinking about it and went back to his list.
I know my Cutie Mark, so… who am I? Dust leaned on an apple tree as he thought about that more. He didn’t know anything more than he did earilier, but now it felt like it was getting slightly clearer. He grabbed a fallen apple and had a snack. He took his third bite of the apple before he came up with something new.
“What was I doing in the middle of this forest? Does that mean I live somewhere around here?” Dust asked himself. He tossed the apple aside and walked in the other direction. He stopped at the path that led to Ponyville. Nothing felt familiar or gave him déjà vu. He sighed and turned back to the farm house.
He noticed Applebloom walking towards him. She kept a good distance between him and her to get to the path to Ponyville. Dust decided to ask a question.
“What’s wrong?” Dust asked.
“Nothing, mister- I mean Dust. It’s just that… my sister said that you’re sick, and that you’re not yourself,” Applejack said.
“I’m not really sick, but there is something wrong. Don’t worry, I don’t bite. I just need to get my memories back and then I’ll be fine… probably,” Dust said.
“Okay then, I’m gonna go play with my friends, bye Dust,” Applebloom said.
“Yeah, see you later,” Dust said. He watched her take the path into town. He suddenly felt alone. It was something in his chest that started to hurt. He felt like he was missing something, and being alone wasn’t helping him. He turned towards a sound of wood nearby. He started walking towards the barn, where the noise came from.
Dust walked through the open doors and looked around. Barrels and crates lined the walls, with support beams in the middle. He looked in the very back where a red stallion was taking a cart from the wall. Dust must have made a noise because the stallion acknowledged him.
“Hey, I’m Dust. I’ll be staying here a while,” Dust said, looking the stallion over. His build was a lot bigger than Dust’s and he didn’t want to get on his bad side.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac said, hitching himself to the cart.
“Okay… so do you need any help with… whatever it is you’re doing?” Dust asked.
“Sure,” Big Mac said, leaving the barn. Dust followed him out and into the forest. The apple trees seemed to stretch on farther than Dust thought. They finally stopped and Dust wasn’t sure if it was because Big Mac was tired or because they reached the end of the world .
“So, what should I do?” Dust asked.
“Harvest,” Big Mac said, pointing to the trees around them.
“Am I supposed to pick the apples, or do they fall out if you ask nicely?” Dust asked, confused about what he wanted.
“Buck ’em ,” Big Mac said.
“Oh… does that really work?” Dust asked.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac said.
Dust turned towards one of the trees and sized it up. He put his hoof over where he wanted to strike. Slowly, he turned around and got his footing right. He pushed on his front hooves and let his back ones go backward. With as much force as he could muster, he sent his hooves behind him. He didn’t position himself well though, because his back hind hoof scraped the tree. The bark sprayed into the air, and Dust landed on his stomach.
“Did I do it?” Dust asked, slowly getting up.
“Eenope…” Big Mac said.
“I’ll give it another shot…” Dust said, making sure he was lined up good. He pushed on his front hooves again and let his hind hooves go backward. Instead of scraping the bark, he made direct contact with the tree. He heard a crack, and pulled away from the tree. He turned and inspected the tree. The apples did fall, Big Mac managed to get most of them in the cart. He was surprised though, at what else fell.
The leaves on the tree were almost half gone. They fell with the apples, and when Dust looked at the bark of the tree, it had a nasty crack in it. The crack started where he hit the tree and stretched upward toward the branches. Dust also noticed that there were more branches on the ground than normal. He turned to Big Mac.
“Is that good?” Dust asked.
“…Why don’t you pull the cart, instead,” Big Mac said, inspecting the crack that was left on the tree. Dust took the harness from Big Mac and strapped it to himself. He followed Big Mac to the next tree. The stallion didn’t hesitate to drive his hooves into the bark.
Dust watched the falling apples and a few leaves fall into the cart. He came to the conclusion that apples know when they’re being picked, because they always end up in the cart and not the ground. He pulled it up to the next tree and watched as they got the same result. They managed to fill the cart after a few more trees. They went back to the barn and got another cart before heading back.
“Do you usually do this alone?” Dust asked, wanting conversation.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac said.
“Don’t you get tired doing this by yourself?” Dust asked.
“Eenope,” Big Mac said.
“So why did you bring me along?” Dust asked.
“Company,” Big Mac said.
“Okay then…” Dust said.
(One hour later)
“Eeyup,”
“But look at me now, in a few hours I’m already up and working… hard to believe, huh?” Dust asked.
“Eeyup,”
“Now if I only knew who I am, I’d be set. I feel like the only thing that makes me different from anypony else though, is this mask and cloak. I woke up with them this morning, and it feels normal having it on, is that weird?” Dust asked.
“Eeyup,”
“See, this is why I like you. You’re straightforward and say what’s on your mind… sort of,” Dust said.
“Eeyup, say it how it is,” Big Mac said.
“That’s the most you’ve said to me in one sentence, does that mean we’re friends now?” Dust asked.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac said.
(One hour later)
“Looks comfortable,” Dust said.
“It’s either here or the attic, and I don’t suppose you’d be willing to sleep in the cold,” Applejack said.
“I wouldn’t mind…” Dust said, wondering if he would enjoy it or not.
“Well it’s up to you, just make up your mind before nightfall, we lock the doors at night. Don’t know what could be lurking in these forests,” Applejack said.
“Yeah… so is this the end of the tour?” Dust asked, wanting to stop walking after they’ve walked through every part of the orchard.
“I guess so, unless you want me to show you around town,” Applejack said.
“No, I’m alright, I’ll find my way on my own,” Dust said.
“Oh shoot, I almost forgot. I asked Twilight earlier if she knew something about what’s wrong with ya, and she said to come by later. I should get going before it gets late,” Applejack said.
“I’ll go too, I want to find out if I can get some memories back,” Dust said.
Dust and Applejack walked down the path from the farm. They were headed in the direction of the town. Slowly overhead, a single cloud followed. They didn’t notice the shadow of the cloud behind them. Dust stayed quiet while they walked, and Applejack told him some information on the town.
When they reached the town, Dust looked at all the ponies he saw. A few looked back at him, but that quickly changed. Some walked off quickly, and Dust felt really out of place. He noticed that the sound of birds chirping somewhere nearby was silenced. He kept his eyes down as he walked.
“Well look at that, the who gang’s here,” Applejack said.
“Gang?” Dust asked.
“My friends, the six of us very close,” Applejack said, stopping. “But… I don’t know who they are. Are they friends of yours?” Applejack asked.
Dust looked up to the others. The first thing he noticed was the masks on half of the others. He looked in at every one ; each was different than the others. They were looking at each other too, and he felt like it suddenly got quiet. Time felt like it stopped as a cloud moved lazily by. Then he saw a shadow on the cloud.
Looking up, Dust saw the form of a pony standing atop the cloud. He opened his mouth to say something, but he saw something that made him stop. His head immediately spun. He felt his stomach’s content threaten to come up, and he retched forward in pain. He grabbed his stomach as his mind continued to spin. Suddenly he felt the ground come closer. His mind went into a flashback.
(Twenty Years ago)
Dust was sitting in his chair, ready for his meal. The babysitter was in a different room, so he pretended the plate was a UFO. Then, he saw the babysitter pass the kitchen. Dust stood up to ask what was taking him so long. When he left the room, he saw the babysitter cutting a display case. Dust approached him to ask a question.
“Um, what are you doing?” Dust asked slowly.
“Listen kid, we’re going somewhere special…” The babysitter said.
“Where are we going?” Dust asked.
“Someplace where you’ll fit in. Don’t worry Storm, you’re in good hooves ,” The babysitter said.
“What about my parents?” Dust asked.
“You’ll see them another time, we’ll take care of you until then,” The babysitter said, removing the glass around the case.
“Okay, Storm come with me, you don’t belong here,” The babysitter said.
“My name’s not Storm,” Dust said.
“Last names are what counts. Storm sounds better anyways, doesn’t it?” The babysitter said.
“Well why don’t you call me by my first name?” Dust asked.
“Because it’s just how I operate. We’ll talk about this later, let’s just get out of here,” The babysitter said.
Dust followed the babysitter out of the house. The babysitter took some boxes of food with him before they left, and Dust noticed he also grabbed the bottles of alcohol off the parent’s shelf. Cracking one open over the frame of the door, the liquid poured down. The babysitter lit a match and left it at the bottom of the frame.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Dust asked curiously.
“My name’s Echo, and I’m leaving your parents a gift, don’t worry,” Echo said.
“Oh…” Dust said.
Echo led them away from the building and into the tree line. He gave a smile as the glow of the flames illuminated the street. Dust didn’t look back as they walked through the forest. He didn’t know what was happening, but his hooves didn’t stop moving. He followed Echo for three hours until the memory faded away. Then, another one showed up, when he was slightly bigger.
(Two Years Later)
“Storm, are you ready?” Echo called from the other side of the door.
“Almost,” Dust called from the bathroom.
Dust looked at himself once more in the mirror. He closed his eyes and then opened them.
“They can call me by my last name, but my name is Dust, and nopony can take that away from me. Even if I’ll be followed after today, I’ll still have that. My parents should be the only one to call me that,” Dust said to himself softly. He turned around and pushed open the door. He stepped into the darkness.
(Present)
“What a pathetic group of ponies. I think I’ll play with you all for a little bit,” Dust heard from above. He stood up and looked to the voice.
“But I think you need to learn that this isn’t a game,” The voice said.
Dust suddenly felt himself become light headed. The wind started to pick up around him. He had to balance himself before the wind took him. He tried to keep himself on the ground, but eventually it became too much for him. He was thrown backwards and hit his head on the pavement. The last thing he saw before he passed out was the orange figure falling next to him.
Author's Note
A shorter chapter, due to the fact that his past is a mystery, but it does open a lot of doors, just don’t hit yourself on them when you leave. That always happens to me in Minecraft… Damn buttons. But anyways, glad to see people enjoy the story. If you don’t, explain why in the comments below, thank you!
Next Time: The Sixth Mask, Understanding the obvious.
The Wise
Operation RavenFile: 1 Time Dedicated: 21y 5m 3d Name: Shine Embers Age: 25 City: Neighbraska Info: This pony suspects too much. He never lets us follow him, and he sticks to himself. Recent efforts to find out more are only giving him more suspicion. If things don’t change, we’ll need to try a different method. Maybe it’s time we told him the truth. Boss says that he’s definitely one of them, and… I think I agree with him. I think I’ll send out our ace.
Suspicion Level: 9 (Twenty Years Earlier )
Day 1: My new teacher said to keep a journal on the new yeer. She says weel get to keep it so Im going to write about every thing I lern. Today I lerned that my skool has a lot of new ponies in it. I hope they like me.
Day 5: I maid a lot of frends today. They said they liked my hare, and then we talcked. I think Im going to like this skool. The teecher said that we dont have to right in the journal anymore. But I think ill keep going.
Day 23: Im lerning a lot, like how to spell new words. My teacher says that Im lerning faster than my frends. I hope they aren’t mad at that.
Day 116: Sometimes I feel like everybody in skool is my friend. Today, I made a mistake and nopony laughed. But when somepony else makes a mistake, they laugh at them. Is that a good thing? Sometimes I heer them talking about me in the halls…
Day 378: I started noticing a few days ago that ponies are staring at me. Everywhere I look, I see somepony staring. Why are they staring? What did I ever do? Maybe I should find out.
Day 568: My friends don’t believe me. I’ve been telling them that ponies are staring, but they don’t understand. Maybe the teacher was right... I’m a little different than my friends. But I still want to find out why they stare, sometimes it’s the same ponies, but a lot of other times I find a new face.
Day 630: My parents told me a story today. I don’t know why, but it’s kind of creepy. They say that it happened a long time ago. Something about that story doesn’t feel right… But I don’t know why.
Day 875: I’ve been at this school a long time now. I’ve been given a lot of awards, and the teacher says I’m gifted in my vocabulary . She’s asked to see my journal, but I lied and told her that I didn’t write in it anymore. She believed me, but now I’m starting to question her.
Day 965: I saw it. There was something in the playground. It hid behind the building before I got a good look, but it was watching me. I feel like I can’t trust anypony. If I want to find out whatever is happening, I need to pretend I don’t notice. At least my hair can help me with that, I grew it out so it could cover my eye.
Day 1000: The thousandth day, I’ve still noticed more than I can explain. If this continues, I might tell my parents. They don’t see anything wrong, and I don’t want to seem weird to them. So I’ll stay quiet until they ask. But I got my cutie mark today, and it’s a camp fire. I have no idea what that means, but maybe I will someday.
Day 1267: After three years, I’m still going in my journal. It’s actually getting easier to do this. I find so many new things each day, that I’m glad I have somepony to tell. If anypony reads this, they’d think I was crazy, but it goes both ways. I’m always thinking about how things can be different, is it bad I don’t focus on the actual details?
Day 1657: I’ve left my school. My teacher isn’t there every day anymore. My ‘friends’ are still here though. I’ve stopped telling them what I think. I’m starting to think this is all one big plot against me. If I pretend I don’t notice anything, maybe it’ll all end faster. I still see something following me, but I found a way to be safe. I found ways to check if he tries to do anything more than watch.
Day 1987: He’s moved closer. I checked my strip of paper stuck in the door, and it was gone. I asked my parents if they were in my room, and they said they were out all day. I asked a few close friends and they said they saw my parents outside of my house. This confirms my fears. It’s a good thing I keep this journal in a safe place. It’s pretty ingenious actually.
Day 2000: To think, a few years ago I thought this would turn out to be nothing. Going back on my earliest entries, I find that I’ve advanced so much. It’s all thanks to the figure watching me. I still haven’t managed to see him up close, and I’ve settled with keeping my distance. I know the stories of when colts and fillies disappear, and I’ve done too much to go now.
Day 2657: More change. I’ve started to skip grade levels. My friends still hang out with me, but I can see the resent. They know how much I have to do to stay ahead, and they can’t deal with the fact I’ll get out of school early. My teachers continue to cheer me on, but I think they’re in on it too. If I want to stay safe, I need to continue my precautions. Maybe I should add some more…
Day 3000: Days seem to drag out now. I’ve continued the same routine for so long. I go to school, take a long route home, and then back track to take the shorter route. It’s all to ensure the figure following me doesn’t ever get too close. Sometimes I think it means no harm, but I can’t take any chances.
Day 3875: I’ve been getting looks in school now. Some of the mares are starting to take interest in me. I don’t know if I should show some back. I’ve gotten into levels of intelligence far past my friends, and even my newer classmates. I’ve been informed that my schooling ends in a year, and I’ll be allowed to do what I want. Maybe then these looks will end.
Day 4214: I tried having a relationship, but she didn’t understand. I tried to explain the basics of what I was doing, but she wouldn’t accept it. I think I drove her to insanity , because she doesn’t want to talk to me anymore. She’s seeing councilors after every school day . All her friends give me looks, and I think it’s over between us. Maybe I’ll try again in the future… but I think it’s too early.
Day 5000: A milestone, in more ways than one. My parents are letting me hang out with my friends after they’re finished with school. We still talk about the same things, and that’s actually something I’m enjoying. Change isn’t something I enjoy, but it’s better than what I’ve been thinking about.
Day 5865: No matter what happens, I still see this figure everywhere I go. He’s there when I leave the house, and when I help my parents outside. I’ll need to get away soon, I don’t want to deal with this problem anymore. Maybe if I move out…
Day 6000: I’ve moved out today. I had to carefully move my journal, but I managed. I think it worked, because I don’t see him around. I picked a place close to the forest so that I have somewhere to hide if I ever need to. I’ve been warned about the forest, but I think it’s safer than the other option. Maybe I should have informed my parents about this, but they would probably react like the others. My friends still don’t know, and I want it to stay like that.
Day 6342: It’s no use, he’s still following me. I think I need even more precautions. I leave the house every day and do things like normal. I’m starting to suspect he doesn’t realize I know he’s following. He’s making mistakes, and I managed to see his outline once. He looked like a pony with something covering his legs and head. It must help him hide, because that’s all I could tell from the outline.
Day 6556: I’ve yet to find what my cutie mark means. I thought you’d find out when you got it, but I don’t know. Sometimes I think I got the wrong one because I see no reason why it is my special talent. Maybe there is something I’m not seeing, so I’ll try to ignore that fact. Right now, I just let each day go slowly by as I wait for this nightmare to end. I still have no idea what he wants, and that’s the scariest part about this.
Day 6968: I feel it’s getting closer. I see it more than once now. He’s taking no precautions and I feel like he’s waiting for me to make a move. Maybe there could be more than one. I see them in different places, and usually they’re still there the next day. I might make the first move just to end this madness. Maybe if I confront him , I can end this. I still haven’t figured out what he wants, but maybe… what he wants is to just watch me.
Day 7280: I don’t think I’ll have to confront him . He’s getting closer. I saw his face, and he walked through the market twice already. If I’m not careful, he could get even closer. I need to watch myself. If things come down to it, I’m ready to defend myself. Nopony else knows it, but in a fight, I have a secret up my sleeve. You never know… But I need to be ready for anything… and everything… (Present Day)
The screech of a nearby crow awakened the sleeping pony. He was awake in an instant. He didn’t feel groggy or sleepy. Looking outside of the window that was always locked, he saw the sun was barely rising. Slipping out of bed, he made his way downstairs. Eating a small breakfast, he left quickly. Leaving a slip of clear paper in the crack of the door , he locked it. After he made sure nopony was watching, he walked down the empty street.
Shine had no need to brush his hair. It was naturally split into three separate clumps of hair. The part that covered his eye was black. The strands that ended at the sides of his face were white. His eyes looked like the middle ground of his hair. His coat was normally yellow, but he hasn’t tended to it in days. His hair was also starting to fray, with split ends showing up.
Shine noticed a movement to his left. He didn’t turn his head or stop walking, and instead followed the movement with his eyes. When he didn’t see any more movement, his eye twitched. He continued to walk, keeping his eyes out for anything else. Not a single pony was walking down the streets, and the quiet was unnerving. He tensed himself as he passed an alleyway. It took him half a second to look down and ensure nothing was wrong.
Shine took a turn into the town square and without hesitation took an immediate 180 degree turn. He walked back to the alley and turned into it. He followed the alley, looking behind himself every five seconds exactly. Nothing was wrong, so he continued. When he reached the exit, he went through and took a left. He walked a few steps before doing another 180 degree turn.
Shine looked back down the alley he just went through. He noticed a figure that stopped when he passed. He pretended not to notice, and the figure receded into the shadows. Shine continued walking forward until he reached the front of a light blue house. He walked the block once before stopping at the front again. He quickly walked up the steps and looked behind him once more.
Shine didn’t notice anything, so he knocked once then twice. He listened to the hoof steps coming down the steps and the yawn that came from the other side. He determined that his father was the only one in the house who could make that deep yawn, and he probably woke them from their slumber. He counted the seconds until his father opened the door.
“…Shine, what are you doing at a time like this?” His father asked.
“You said visit anytime, remember?” Shine said.
“Uhh… you’re always so technical, aren’t you? You must get that from your mother,” His father said.
“Where is mom anyways?” Shine asked.
“She’s upstairs, sleeping. I would be doing the same thing, but you showed up,” His father said.
“Okay, I was just seeing if you two were fine, I’ll be going now,” Shine said.
“No, no. Stay a while, I haven’t seen you in a few days,” His father said.
“Dad, if you’re worried, you can come by anytime,” Shine said.
“I would, but you’re house isn’t exactly guest friendly. Your mother is always telling you to get rid of those locks. How many did you say there are?” His father asked.
“Sixteen steel bolt locks, five pin and tumbler locks and ten triple combination locks. Also, there’s a special lock I made myself if you want to see it,” Shine said, proud.
“Celestia sakes, son. You need to stop living on the edge. The next time I go to your house, I want less locks. Do you think you can do that?” His father asked.
“I can,” Shine said.
“Good… wait, let me rephrase that. Will you get rid of most of those locks?” His father asked.
“But Dad…” Shine tried to explain.
“I’m listening…” His father said. Shine didn’t have anything to explain.
“Okay… how about if I replace them with iron slide locks?” Shine said.
“No, less locks, don’t come back until you’ve done that,” His father said.
Shine saw the door slam on his face, not loud enough to wake their mother, but loud enough for him to know when he’s not wanted. Shine looked down to the door handle. He opened it and peered inside. His dad turned around at the noise.
“This is why you need locks,” Shine said, letting the door close as he turned away. Shine turned away from his family’s house and back at the empty streets. He focused his eyes back at the details. He started walking back to his house. Making sure that nothing was behind him, he walked back through the alley. He stopped halfway and turned around. There was a silhouette at the end of the alley. Shine waited for it to hide as it always did. Instead, it took a step forward.
Shine turned back and continued to walk. He left the alley and walked directly to his house. When he turned back, he found the figure looking at him from the alley. Shine made it to his house quickly. He entered and locked the door behind him. Immediately, he walked back upstairs and into his room. He shut the door and walked over to his desk.
Shine heard a knock on the door downstairs. There was only one person that could be, and he didn’t want to find out what he wanted. Instead, he used his magic to slide the bottom part of his desk out. Then he pulled out the big box inside. He dialed the three digit combination and opened the box. Pulling out a key, he pushed aside the box that held the key. The bigger box had a lower compartment that he revealed. Inside, was thin and long box.
Shine put the key in the lock and opened it. Inside, was his journal and the ink he always used. He levitated them out and locked everything else back where he found it. Leaving it just like he left it, he walked away from the desk. Shine took out another journal he kept under his bed that was just a scribbling of barely legible words. He put them both into his saddlebags, and put the saddlebags on. Looking out the window, he saw the sun was above the horizon.
Other ponies would be awake now, probably just getting up. The figure should have left him alone, but he could hear the banging on the door downstairs. It was time for him to hide for a little bit. If he could make the figure think he left town, would it possibly go and look for him? Shine was going to take that chance. He already planned out his route a long time ago.
Opening the double window, he made no noise. Shine jumped onto the windowsill and looked down. Directly beneath him was a flowerbed. Inside of the flowerbed was a small mattress where he would direct his landing. Shine tied a length of string to both of the windows. He jumped. While in the air, he felt the length of string he was holding snap. He landed without a problem as the mattress was designed for.
Shine looked up to view his work. The windows had used the string to guide themselves back into a shut position. When they closed, the string had broken and fallen to the ground. Shine picked up the string as he made a quick dash for the forest. He had made no sound as the grass beneath him was still covered in morning dew. He reached the tree line and turned back. He was on the lookout for any movement. Behind him, the normal darkness of the forest would keep him hidden.
Shine counted to one hundred, and nothing changed. He decided that the figure didn’t notice him run out. Shine gave a small chuckle of triumph before turning into the dark forest. He was met with green eyes. Shine almost cried out, but held back. He took a step away from the pitch black forest, but kept his eyes on the green eyes.
“Where do you think you’re going?” The voice asked from the darkness.
“Who are you?” Shine asked.
“Answer my question first,” The voice said.
“I’m going into the forest…” Shine said.
“Why?” The voice asked.
“I answered your question, answer mine,” Shine said.
“Fair enough, I’m Echo , nice to finally meet you,” The voice said.
“Well, Echo, I thought I’d see what I could find in this forest, nothing too important,” Shine said.
“Really? It didn’t look like that from my perspective,” Echo said.
“What did it look like to you,” Shine asked.
“It looked like you were running from somepony, or something,” Echo said.
“I could have been, you never know…” Shine said.
“Oh, I know, believe me. But that’s not why I’m here. In fact, I don’t give a shit what you planned to do in this forest,” Echo said.
“Then why are you here… in this forest?” Shine asked.
“Because I live near here… and I was told you did as well,” Echo said.
“Where? Detrot? That’s still a long walk,” Shine said.
“In the forest… but that’s not important,” Echo said.
“Then what is important?” Shine asked.
“So many questions… you’ll have many more when our business is done here. But let me tell you, what is important is what you know, and what you don’t know. I know a lot myself, but it’s my job to find out what you know,” Echo said.
“What?” Shine asked.
“Let me explain further,” Echo said. “You were born different from most ponies. You were born with magic. That magic is more powerful and easier to use than you realize. It’s magic that you can’t tap into until you’ve mastered it. It’s my job to teach you why you have it. Unfortunately, Boss has decided that you aren’t the one we’ve been looking for,” Echo said.
“Wait, magic? I’m a unicorn, of course I have magic,” Shine said.
“Just let me finish… Boss said that we’ve been spying on the wrong ponies, and that we should stop, so I came today to tell you that you’re no longer under surveillance,” Echo said.
“You’re the one that’s been following me?” Shine asked.
“Yes and no… I’m not the only one, it took a lot of effort to find out what we know about you. I wrote out the report, but I needed help. That’s a compliment, and that’s also the reason why I’m entrusting these to you,” Echo said, pulling something out from the shadows. Echo pulled out a large packet of papers. He placed them on the floor, leaving the name for Shine to see.
“What’s this?” Shine asked, moving his hoof to look closer.
Echo pulled the file back into the shadows, his green eyes squinting.
“It’s all of the notes we have on you and others like you. It’s taken years to collect this, and it’s confidential,” Echo said.
“But I thought you were entrusting them to me?” Shine asked.
“On one condition…” Echo said, sounding serious and his eyes were cold. “I understand that you’ve been keeping a journal on what you know. I want that, then you can have these,” Echo said.
“Why would you want that?” Shine asked, curious.
“All traces of this surveillance need to disappear ; I’ll give this to you, and then take the journal. Only then will I be rid of this operation,” Echo said.
“Why would I agree to this?” Shine asked.
“I can get you something more, something you’ve always wanted,” Echo said.
“What could I possibly want?” Shine asked.
“A life without worry. A life where you can have real friends and people you can trust , isn’t that something you want?” Echo asked.
“I don’t know…” Shine said, starting to seriously consider what he said.
“It all starts with these,” Echo said, throwing something at Shine. Shine managed to catch it in his mouth before spitting it out.
“It tastes like blood…” Shine said. “What is it?”
“A cloak of the Seven Warriors, I’m sure you’ve heard of them…” Echo said.
Shine suddenly remembered the story his parents told him, it was fuzzy, but he remembered some of the details. Most importantly, he remembered what they were famous for, and how they disappeared. He looked back at the cloak, the gold lining and the hood attached to it. He slowly put on the cloak, and looked back at Echo.
“So, does this mean you’ll commit?” Echo asked.
“One condition; the mask,” Shine said, remembering how they were distinguished by their masks.
“Of course, the Boss told me to give this back to him, but I’m thinking that the Organization can do without it. Just a word of warning, don’t expect for the Organization to leave you alone while you have this ,” Echo said, throwing the mask from the shadows to Shine. He caught it and inspected the front. In the darkness, he made out some of the key features.
The mask had two eyeholes, but they were distorted. The outer end of the eyeholes curved downward. There were lines on the masks above the snout and on the edges of the mask. The lines were also under and above the eyeholes. He smiled, it looked better than he thought it would.
“Now… let’s exchange some Intel…” Echo said.
Shine pulled out the book from his bags. He held it up for Echo to see. Echo in turn, threw the files to Shine who caught them in his aura and threw the book into the darkness, hearing a thwack as it hit something.
“Fuck- What, did you think I was a unicorn? That fucking hurt,” Echo said, closing his eyes for a second.
“Sorry…” Shine said, giving an awkward smile.
“Just get out of here, I’ll need some time to look this over,” Echo said.
“But what do I do with these?” Shine asked, more interested in the mask than the Intel.
“I’d go ask Twilight , she’s a few towns over in Ponyville. Word is, she’s good with fixing problems . Just go through these woods, it’s faster than the train. Word of warning, don’t act like… this, when you get there. Ponies already think you’re weird here, but if you really want a life without worry, you need to stop being so paranoid ,” Echo said.
“How will going to Ponyville help me?” Shine asked.
“You’ll find out… but there’s something you need to do when you get there. On the second day, you’ll have Spike tell Twilight about meeting a new pony. That’s when you should go to the town square. It all begins there,” Echo said.
“What?” Shine asked, confused once again.
“Trust me, I trusted you after all,” Echo said.
“Right… I guess I’ll take your advice, Echo…” Shine said, looking behind the green eyes.
“I can promise you a new life, but it’s up to you how you make it,” Echo said.
Echo’s eyes suddenly went black and Shine heard the quiet. He waited for something else, but Echo was gone. Shine looked down at the mask, and at the words inscribed on the inside forehead.The Wise
Shine put the mask on and picked up the files. He put them in his bags next to the real journal and ran further into the forest. He knew where Ponyville was, past Canterlot and continue s through the Everfree Forest. He ran through the forest unaware of the darkness watching him. They stayed away from the cloak , and only watched.
(Many Hours later)
Echo took a step out of the forest and into the clearing. He checked to make sure he wasn’t followed before bringing a ruby out of his bags. He stacked some twigs and sticks into an unlit campfire. He placed the ruby on top of the pile and concentrated on it. He released some magic to break the gem and it erupted into flames.
Echo added larger sticks and logs until it was a decent size. He pulled out the journal that he obtained and opened it up. Turning to the first page, he tried to decipher what was being written. He managed to read Journal from the chicken scratch on the first page before he gave up.
“Nobody has this bad of handwriting …” Echo groaned into the flames. He pulled out an ink and paper instead and started to write.Dear Boss, I have completed the mission. He has no idea we are still watching . He has done just as you predicted, and now I believe he will continue to follow the plan. I was wrong to question you at some points, and I’m sorry. I have the journal, and I tried to decipher it, but I’ll be bringing it back for some help. Shine has the files, and the mask and cloak are in his possession, it’s only a matter of time before
Echo heard the crack of a twig. He turned towards the forest. The silhouette of something was watching him. He slowly got up and stood in a defensive stance.
“The journal,” The raspy voice demanded.
“Why?” Echo asked.
“You know why,” The raspy voice said taking a step closer.
“And that’s why I can’t give it to you,” Echo said.
“Then I’ll take it,” The voice said.
“Or…” Echo said, grabbing the journal. He held it above the flames, letting a spark touch the corner of it. “You can beg,” Echo said.
“You need that as much as we do,” The voice said.
“No, that’s where you’re wrong. We can do without,” Echo said, letting the book drop into the flames. The voice jumped out of the trees and tackled Echo to the ground. Echo tried to block off the blows to his face, to no avail.
“You’ll regret this,” the raspy voice said to the bloody faced Echo.
“Burn in Tartarus,” Came a voice next to Echo. The Raspy voice turned fast enough to see a hoof collide with his face. He fell back, into the center of the flames. His body was quickly devoured by the flames. But not fast enough for him to let out a n ear splitting cry.
Echo picked himself up to look at the pony next to him. His wicked grin belonging to no pony else. It was Psych, and he was on the verge of laughing.
“Damn man, glad you came along,” Echo said.
“Just passing by, but you’ve really gotten old, couldn’t even take one of them out?” Psych said.
“Surprised me, that’s all,” Echo said.
“Well my job’s done, what about you?” Psych asked.
“Almost, he’s headed towards Ponyville now,” Echo said.
“A little early, huh?”
“Better he has time to take things under control,”
“You know, I think you would have had a better job with Luz. It was a hell of a ride,” Psych said.
“Shine had his moments… and he’s about to have some more,” Echo said.
“Let’s just get out of here before more of them come; you go t the book?” Psych asked.
“Had to burn it, spur of the moment,” Echo said.
“Boss is going to be pissed, I should probably be the one to tell him,”
“I can take it, he’ll go easy on me anyways,” Echo said.
A sound louder than thunder entered the air. It caused both Echo and Psych to cover their ears. When it stopped, Echo was up and alert. He took a 360 degree scan of the area, his face turned hard.
“The Fuck was that?” Psych asked.
“As a Pony Veteran would call it, and ambush…” Echo said, looking to the dark shadows coming from the forest.
“It’ll take a lot more than a few to take me down,” Psych said.
“There’s a lot more than a few… look up,” Echo said.
Psych looked up to the pitch dark sky. Then he realized that there was no moon in sight. The darkness came from the sheer amount of moving black forms. Psych gulped as the forms descended upon them. Echo dug his hooves into the ground and sighed.
“This is going to be a long night ,” Echo said.
“How fucking big is this forest ?” Shine asked himself, walking around another tree. “Maybe I should make up camp or something…”
“Who ventures into these woods of dismay? Wanderers, or passing merchants best stay away,” A voice said behind him.
“What the-,” Shine turned around quickly, not having heard the voice approach.
“You do not seem a native to this land, are you in search for something grand?” The voice asked, stepping out of the shadows, where Shine could see her.
“Sort of, do you know where Ponyville is?” Shine asked, cautiously taking a step back after seeing her earrings and other piercings. He kept an eye on the shadows around them, and listened for anything else he might have missed.
“Ah, Ponyville is a place I hold dear, for its inhabitants no longer hold fear. If your mask is a symbol of true Pride, you should understand that the town will judge by what’s inside ,” She said.
“Okay… but where do I go?” Shine asked again.
“A mile ahead, you should reach your destination. If you act with haste, the predators will still be in their reservations,” She said.
“Okay, thanks I guess. But shouldn’t you be hiding from the predators?” Shine asked.
“When the dark will cloud your sight, you must take cover in the night. But if you can fool their senses, the night can open new defenses,” She said.
“Sure…” Shine said, not understanding fully .
She backed up into the darkness, and suddenly she was gone. Shine didn’t hear any hoof steps or rustling of leaves. It was like she was never there. He tensed up, if she could move quietly, he had to be prepared for something else.
“So, that’s what she meant,” Shine said to himself. Shine continued walking, the darkness of the forest receding slowly in front of him. He could barely see five feet in front of him, and the trees would pop out of nowhere.
After he’d walked for another few minutes, he noticed a change. The darkness was getting farther, and he could see yards ahead now. He walked around another tree before the light streaked through the trees. He picked up his pace as he exited the trees. He found himself on the outskirts of the town. The buildings were silhouetted in the moon’s glow.
Shine looked back at the forest, and then the town. He cautiously made his way to one of the buildings. The lights were off, he had trouble figuring out where the door was. Shine moved on and looked at the next house. He was met with the same result. Finally, he came upon a building that had a light inside. He looked inside, and found a pony facing the other way at a book.
Shine walked around the building and found the door, the light was streaking from the crack underneath. He took a look behind him, but there was only a quiet street. He knocked once then twice, and waited. He listened as hard as he could for any sign of acknowledgment. It wasn’t hard when there wasn’t anything else making noise.
“Who could that be?” He heard somepony grumble inside. He counted to five before the door opened. A purple unicorn greeted him, her eyes had small bags under them. The horn on her head glowed suddenly. Shine was about to say something, but the door slammed in his face.
“Who are you?” Came a call from the other side.
“Uh…Shine?” Shine replied, wondering why she shut it like that.
The door slowly opened a crack, and Shine saw her eye look through that crack. “You are a pony, aren’t you?” She asked.
“Yeah, what would make you think I… oh, I forgot about the mask,” Shine said, reaching up to take off the mask.
“That’s a mask?” She asked, opening the door slightly wider.
“Yes,” Shine answered. He pulled off the mask and let his hair fall down over his eyes again. He gave a look over his shoulder before showing her his face.
“Well, I’m sorry about that. I was just reading this book about… nevermind it’s not important. What can I help you with?” She asked. Shine felt weird holding his mask, and put it back on his face.
“Somepony said I could find Twilight Sparkle in this town. Any idea where I can find her?” Shine asked.
“Well you came to the right place, I’m Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight said.
“That was easy; so can I come in? I have some questions I want some answers to,” Shine said.
“I guess so, I was trying to get my mind off something before I went to sleep, come on in,” Twilight said, opening it wide for him to enter. Shine felt his eyes burn for a second as the sudden brightness entered his vision. He slowly entered, always keeping Twilight in his line of sight. He stayed next to a wall, and examined the bookcases from a distance.
“So, this is a library?” Shine asked.
“Yes, I live upstairs, so you’ll find me here a lot,” Twilight said.
“What are you doing up, then? Isn’t it like midnight?” Shine asked.
“I could ask the same of you, it’s almost four in the morning,” Twilight said.
“Echo never told me how long it takes to get here through the forest,” Shine said.
“Echo?” Twilight asked.
“He’s… he’s an acquaintance. He’s the one that told me you can answer some of the questions I had,” Shine said.
“I’ve never met him, but it sounds like he knows a lot about me,” Twilight said.
“Only that you solve a lot of problems ,” Shine said.
“Does that mean you have a problem? I’m sure I have a book that can help as well,” Twilight said.
“I think it’s the other way around. Echo gave me these, and I haven’t even looked inside them yet,” Shine said, showing her the folder containing many files. He set the folder on the ground for her to see. She looked at the title of the folder like she remembered something.
“Know what Operation Raven is?” Shine asked.
“No, but the name… I think I’ve seen that name somewhere else. When I was younger I lived at the Canterlot Castle, and I think I remember seeing that name in the old archives,” Twilight said. “I’ll have to ask the Princess about it tomorrow. Spike is already asleep, so that can’t be helped,”
“Then what should I do with this until then?” Shine asked.
“We could always look through them; see what we find,”
“Woah, we? Since when did you get so involved in this?” Shine asked.
“About thirty seconds ago, when you showed me the folder,” Twilight said.
“I don’t know…” Shine said.
“Just let me help, it’s what I do best,” Twilight said.
“Echo never told me you were so modest,”
“Neither did I,” Twilight said.
“Okay then, let’s get started,” Shine said.
Shine opened up the folder and split the contents. Twenty five files for each of them. Shine sat with the wall behind him, in the corner of the room. He looked out the window and made sure there was nopony in sight before getting seated. He opened up the first file, a giant Zero on the front of it.File: 0 Operation Raven is highly classified. Viewing these files will put you at risk whether you realize it or not. It is a study of old age warfare, and a continuation of surveillance of the threats to Equestria. Most notably, Operation Raven was started as a way to track the Seven Warriors of Legend, who were said to reappear in the future. If this information is to ever get into hostile possession, they could use this to destroy the country. The Operation is to be carried out in secret by the Organization. (For confidentiality, they will not be named.)
Shine looked up to Twilight, who was concentrating really hard on the file. He levitated the page over to her. She read it quickly before stopping to think about something.
“This is giving me more questions than answers…” Twilight said.
“Why, did you figure something out?” Shine asked.
“Equestria is not in danger, so why would they need to have surveillance? And the Seven Warriors of Legend? I’ve never heard of them before,” Twilight said.
“I remember it… sort of. From when I was a foal. My parents used to tell me that story every night. I completely forgot about that, they said it was just a story,” Shine said.
“How did it go?” Twilight asked, curious.
“It was a long time ago… during the Griffin Crisis. The Griffins were at war with the ponies over land disputes, and hired mercenaries to infiltrate the heart of Equestria. The mercenaries were changelings, who had claimed neutrality in the war. By the time we realized that they were no longer neutral, it was too late,” Shine began.
“What happened?”” Twilight asked.
“Well seven ponies from different cities banded together and led a group into the changeling base. What they didn’t know was that the changelings had convinced a dragon to help their cause. So, they group they led was slaughtered. But miraculously, the seven survived. They fought for three days, and on the last day, their leader fell,” Shine said.
“That doesn’t sound like a good ending…” Twilight said.
“The seven of them held the changelings off until reinforcements from Canterlot arrived. They didn’t make it, but there weren’t enough changelings to fight off the reinforcements, so they fled. A city was built on that spot, to honor them… That’s all I remember,” Shine said.
“This is all news to me, I’ve never heard of the changelings in the Griffin Crisis,” Twilight said.
“I think they surrendered after the failure, and that was that,” Shine said.
“Just another question for the Princess tomorrow,” Twilight said.
“Wow, you know the Princess that well?” Shine asked.
“Yes, she’s my mentor,” Twilight said.
“So, what are you doing in Ponyville?” Shine asked.
“I’m learning about the magic of friendship. Since I came here, I’ve learned so much,”
“Huh, friendship? I never found it to be so special,”
“What? But friendship is what drives you to keep going . Friends are always there for you, and that’s what makes it special,”
“Maybe for you, but my friends probably don’t give two shits about me leaving town. They might find it inconvenient, but they’ll get over it,” Shine said.
“How could you say that? Aren’t your friends important to you?” Twilight asked.
“Sort of, but it’s not like we have much in common. They’ve been my friends all my life, but lately I’ve been thinking… are they really my friends?”
“True friends wouldn’t ask that question,” Twilight said.
“Then maybe I should find some of those. Cause I’ve asked myself that a lot lately,” Shine said.
“Alright then, if you really think so. I’m sure you can make some friends in this town,” Twilight said.
“Didn’t mean to bitch about it, but that’s just how I feel. Maybe some new friends can do me some good,” Shine said.
“Well it’s getting late, if you want to keep looking, go ahead. Just make sure you turn off the lights before you leave,” Twilight said.
“Oh… I don’t even have anywhere to stay tonight… maybe I should have figured that out earlier,” Shine said.
“We do have a guest bed, it’s the room on your right when you go up the stairs . You’re welcome to use it,” Twilight said, getting up.
“Okay, I’ll do that, thanks,” Shine said.
Twilight went up the stairs, and Shine looked back at the files. He turned open the file with the one on it, and read the contents. (It’s the same file as the beginning of the chapter) Shine lowered the document and his mind hit a wall. Even though he tried to avoid surveillance, they still knew a lot about him. Was Echo the ace they were talking about? Didn’t Echo say something about trust?
Shine moved aside the folders and then continued to move them. He couldn’t find the second file. When he was sure he searched all Fifty of the files, he piled up all of the files. Trust, that’s what Echo said he gave him. Shine was missing a file, and Echo would definitely know by now that the journal Shine gave him was a fake. There was no trust. So, why was he in a stranger’s house about to sleep completely vulnerable?
Shine pulled out his Journal and wrote his latest entry.Day 7301: Recently I’ve learned that things may not be what they seem. I left my home, and I’m with a stranger. I don’t know who to trust in this new town , but I won’t take my chances. I’ll continue to stay alert, and find out the meaning of this. I don’t know what Echo wants with this journal, but he’s not going to get it. Something about him just doesn't seem right.
Shine placed the folder with the files inside his bags. He also put the journal in his bag. He put the bags back on and turned off the lights. Opening the door slowly, he stepped outside. He closed the door without making too much noise and walked slowly to the tree line. He lay down behind one of the trees and looked at the sky. Quickly, he fell asleep. His mind was blank, he had no dreams and his mind was still in alert when he heard the scream in the distance. It was faint, but he heard it.
Shine opened his eyes. He stood up from his position in the grass and looked around. Everything was still quiet, but the sun was slowly rising in the distance. He made his way back to where the library was. He stopped a few feet away and stared.
“Is this a tree?” Shine asked himself. He just realized that the library was inside the tree with windows and a door. He should have paid more attention the night before.
Shine walked up to the door and opened it. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. It gave a small click that made him look out the window. The streets were still clear, and he relaxed. Shine pulled the folder out of his bag and laid the files back on the floor. He ordered them by the number on each one. Shine opened up the third file and read the contents.File: 3 Time Dedicated: (No Longer Relevant) Name: Lost (Last Name No Longer Relevant) Age: 40 City: (No Longer Relevant) Info: Our oldest target. Has become our greatest ally. This file is to be No Longer Relevant due to organization protocol.
Shine set the file aside. His mind was thinking about those three words that were repeated. No Longer Relevant. Why did this file have that and not the other two? Did that mean that some of this info was actually important? He heard a creak and looked up from the files. He looked up to the top of the stairs where Twilight was looking down on him.
“Did you sleep at all?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah…” Shine answered.
“I checked the guest room and it doesn’t look like you ever went in,”
“I never said that I went to sleep in the guest room,” Shine said.
“Then did you sleep down here?”
“No,”
“Then where did you sleep?”
“Outside,”
“You could have just said so… wait, outside?” Twilight asked. “Why didn’t you use the guest room?”
“I thought it was just an option,” Shine said, looking back down to the fourth file he pulled up to him.
“I… uh… what?” Twilight asked.
“So, I have some theories on this,” Shine said.
“Okay… care to tell me?”
“Well, first off, the files are different than what I thought,” Shine said.
“The files I read were about individual ponies, isn’t that what you read about?”
“It’s what I didn’t read about. These files are missing important information. Other than my own file, I don’t understand what these are about,” Shine said.
“Your file? There’s a file about you?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah, I’m special, deal with it,” Shine said. Twilight gave him a blank stare at which he didn’t know what to say, Shine sighed. “Would you like to see it?” Shine asked. Twilight nodded.
Shine levitated the file over to her. He looked back down to his own files. He opened up the fourth one and started to read. Twilight however, kept a confused face as she gave him back the file and took file 27. They read in silence until Shine heard the creak of the stairs. Shine raised his eyes to the purple and green figure descending the stairs. Shine rose up and backed up to the wall. He kept his eyes on the figure as it reached the bottom.
“Great you’re up, Spike. I’d like you to meet-,”
“Gah!” Spike said, looking up at Shine.
“What is that?” Shine asked Twilight.
“This is Spike, he’s my assistant. He’s also a dragon,” Twilight said.
“What are you?” Spike asked Shine directly.
Shine lifted the mask off his face. He kept his eyes cold and emotionless on Spike. Something about him put Shine on edge, and it wasn’t that fact that he was a dragon. Or was it? Shine just knew that there was something he didn’t like about him.
“Oh, is that a mask? Geez, I thought you were gonna kill me or something ,” Spike said.
“Feeling’s mutual,” Shine said.
“But, we’re good now, right ?” Spike asked.
“…” Shine walked back to his files and lowered his gaze from Spike. “My name’s Shine, and you’re Spike, right?” Shine asked.
“Yeah, I help Twilight around the library and with some other things,” Spike said.
“He’s also a good cook, which reminds me. Why don’t you make us some breakfast?” Twilight asked.
“Sure, the usual?” Spike asked.
“Yes please,” Twilight said.
“What about you?” Spike asked Shine.
“I’m not hungry,” Shine said, not looking up from the file.
“Are you sure? Spike makes the best haycakes,” Twilight said.
“I thought he was a dragon, doesn’t he eat jewels?” Shine asked, still not looking away from the files.
“Only for snacks, I don’t mind eating pony food,” Spike said.
“That could be bad for your digestive tracts,” Shine said.
“How so?” Spike asked.
“Without a steady supply of gems, your fire will lose its magical power, and your scales won’t be as protective,” Shine said.
“You know a lot about dragons,” Twilight said.
“Always need to be prepared, one of my rules to live by,” Shine said.
“You must know a lot then,” Spike said.
“You could say that,” Shine said, moving to the next file.
“What else do you know?” Spike asked.
“That curiosity killed my cat,” Shine said.
“You had a cat?” Twilight asked.
“No, but if I did, he’d have been dead a long time ago,” Shine said moving the file aside. “I need some fresh air, excuse me,” Shine said, standing up and walking to the door. He left without another word, and Spike was still trying to figure out what cat died when the door slammed.
“What’s wrong with me? He was just trying to be nice, and I treated him like… like a dragon ,” Shine said. “I should probably go back now. They’re probably worried that I’ve been gone over an hour now,” Shine said. And I left the files inside… “shit.”
Shine stood up from his spot in the trees and walked back to the tree. He hovered by the back window where he saw Spike and Twilight sitting at the table. Their food was gone, but they were in conversation of something. He also noticed through the front window that the files were untouched where he left them. Shine opened the door and stepped in.
“But then why would the cat jump in?” Spike asked.
“Because he’s curious,” Twilight said.
“But that’s just dumb,” Spike said.
“I give up…” Twilight said when Shine walked into the kitchen.
“Hey Shine, could you explain why the cat jumped in?” Spike asked.
“Yes,” Shine said.
“Then why did he jump in?”
“Because he was curious,”
“I don’t get it,”
“Curiosity kills cats, life lesson. Learn that and you’ll go places,” Shine said walking out of the kitchen.
“So what about dogs? Winona’s been spreading some bad rumors about me,” Spike said.
(Hours later)
Shine closed the file. That was number nineteen. It was one of the only ones that didn’t have No Longer Relevant markings. The way they were written, he had a feeling that they were recent. So far, files 0, 1, 4, 6, 12, and now 19 still had information on them. He had six more files, and Twilight was still shifting through her 25 documents. 0 was different than the others, so he dismissed it. There were Five documents that weren’t edited, and 14 documents that had contents No Longer Relevant. There was something he was missing in all of this.
“Hey… have you asked the Princess about this yet?” Shine asked.
“Oh, not yet. Spike, take a letter,” Twilight said.
Spike came out of nowhere with a quill and paper. Twilight told him her message, which Spike wrote down. He rolled it up and shot out his magic flames onto it. The message travelled through the air as magic smoke. Shine managed to picture how the message would have looked like.Dear Princess Celestia,
Recently we have acquired information regarding a long lost legend. If you have any information on the Seven Warriors of Legend, can you please clear up some of our problems? Thank you.
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle Dear Princes Celestia,
There is a problem with 7 wariors from a legend. Can you help us solve the problem? Also, I found out that gems are good for a dragons diet, and Spike will need some to grow up big and strong. Can you send Spike some gems? Thanks.
Your Faithfull Student,
Twilight Sparkle,
and her number 1 assistant, Spike. (In Canterlot)
“Oh, a letter. I wonder what Twilight’s been up to,” Celestia said, opening it. She read the contents before throwing it in the fire. While it was burning, she realized Luna entered the room.
“Sister, what is the meaning of this?” Luna asked.
“Oh, it’s just Spike’s handwriting. I couldn’t read it …” Celestia said, giving a forced chuckle. Luna nodded slowly.
“Oh, I see. I felt the same way when he sent me a Congratulations card and misspelled my name,” Luna said exiting the room.
Celestia teleported to the archives room. She shifted through the shelves until she found the right one. She pulled a dusty book from behind the folders and scrolls and opened it. The first page told her what she wanted to know.
Celestia pulled out a folder that was also on the same shelf. She looked at the title of it.
Celestia teleported back to her personal study and looked into the fire. She threw the folder inside. When she was about to throw the book, she hesitated. With a sigh, she threw the book into the fire. As she suspected, the cover on the book didn’t burn. The pages within, however, went up in flames. She pulled the cover out with a fireplace poker. After it was out of the fire, it wasn’t on fire, it wasn’t even hot. She teleported it back into the archives room. Celestia started to write her letter to Twilight.
(Late at night)
“You used what?” Twilight asked.
“I was trying to stay safe. You never know when something unexpected happens. So, I got a lot of them. My dad didn’t think I was normal for using them, and apparently you’re just like him,” Shine said.
“Well those are hard to find around here. Nopony really needs them. The chances that something’s going to happen is pretty low. Especially in Ponyville, this isn’t the biggest city,” Twilight said.
“I guess so, but I’d feel better with them. I think it’s better than the alternative,” Shine said.
“I guess so, but I think you need to stop being so paranoid,” Twilight said.
“Now you sound like Echo,” Shine said.
“Well I doubt he used locks on his doors,” Twilight said.
“I don’t, he gave me that feeling like he was just as paranoid as me,” Shine said.
“Well, it’s time for bed, so use your lock if you want. If you need me, I’ll be in my ‘normal ’ room,” Twilight said.
“And I’ll be in my safe and secure room,” Shine said.
Twilight went up the stairs, and Shine followed a few minutes later. He picked up the files and put them in his bag. He went to his guest room and shut the door behind him. He tied a string to the door knob and attached it to a bell he had Twilight buy for him. He hung the bell next to his bed and secured it. Then he noticed the window above his bed.
“I forgot about the window…” Shine said to himself. He looked around the room and the random junk he saw inside. He had an idea.
Shine grabbed the saddlebags in the corner of the room and a book on the shelves. He also grabbed the boots that were hiding under the bed. He pulled on the saddlebag edges until a loose string came out. He pulled on that with his teeth until he got a length of fabric he could use. He took the fabric and tied it to the part of the window that opened outward. He tied the other end to the boots. He set the book on a nearby shelf, making sure that it were leaning far enough off the edge to fall. He set the boots on the book where it was on the ledge and tested it.
Like Shine expected, when the window opened outward, the boots were pulled off the book enough to take off the pressure. The book used the lack of pressure to fall onto the floor, where it created a loud thump. What he didn’t expect, was to hear a cry of pain from next door. He set his device back up and walked out of his room, hearing the ringing of the bell.
Shine opened the neighbor door and poked his head in. He saw Twilight holding her eye near a telescope. He was about to pull his head out, until she noticed him.
“Did you hear that?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah, I think it came from outside. Probably a rabbit or something,” Shine said.
“Oh… even though that doesn’t make any sense, I’m going to let this go by,” Twilight said.
“Okay, if you need me, I’ll be next door,” Shine said, shutting the door behind him. He went back into his room, careful not to set off the bell too much. He shut the door and got into bed. He listened for a few seconds to see if there was anything he could remember that he normally did. Then he remembered the Journal.
Day 7302: I’ve started to discover some new things. Something about the Seven Warriors of Legend involves me. I think Echo knew, and I’m wondering why I haven’t seen him yet. Didn’t he realize the journal I gave him was fake? And why do I feel like I shouldn’t be so on alert. I’m always on alert… but it’s something about this town and lets me talk openly about myself to complete strangers. Twilight knows a lot about me now. She had a lot of questions, and I don’t know why I answered honestly. Shine opened his eyes. He saw the rays of sunlight enter the room and got out of bed quickly. He gave the string on the bell some slack so he could open the door without noise. He grabbed his bags and went downstairs. He laid the files back on the ground and stared at them. He’s already read all of them, and after Twilight finished, they switched files. Now, he didn’t know how to piece this together. Suddenly something came back to him.
You’ll find out… but there’s something you need to do when you get there. On the second day, you’ll have Spike tell Twilight about meeting a new pony. That’s when you should go to the town square. It all begins there,” Echo said.
It’s the second day, so shouldn’t he be expecting something? Shine thought about that until he heard something. Shine looked up to see Spike coming down the stairs.
“Wow, you’re up early. Even Twilight doesn’t get up this early,” Spike said.
“Hey Spike, I was wondering. Were you about to go into town?” Shine asked.
“Yeah, how did you know? I was going to see if Rarity would need any help today ,” Spike said.
“Okay, but if you see anything out of the ordinary, can you tell me when you get back?” Shine asked.
“Um, sure. What would you consider out of the ordinary?” Spike asked.
“One of these,” Shine said. He pointed to his mask, that he just remembered he still had on.
“I guess so, it’d be hard to miss one of those,” Spike said.
Spike left and Shine looked back down to the files. Suddenly he had a realization. If Spike comes and tells him he saw a pony with a mask, would that mean that there were more than two? There were six files, after all.
(Ten Minutes later)
“Come in, this is a public library after all, you don’t need to knock,” Twilight said.
The door opened and an orange coated mare stepped in. She didn’t notice Shine, who was watching her. “Sorry Twilight, but this is your home after all. Got to be courteous, as Rarity would put it,” She said.
“That’s okay Applejack, what is it that you needed?” Twilight asked.
“Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you. See, yesterday I found this weird pony getting attacked by a Timberwolf in my apple orchards. After I fixed up some of his injuries, he woke up. Said he didn’t know much, and he acted like he was mighty confused. So, I was wondering if you could figure out what’s wrong with him,” Applejack said.
“That sounds pretty odd, what do you think Shine?” Twilight asked.
“Sounds like Amnesia to me,” Shine said. Applejack just noticed the other pony in the room and turned to acknowledge him.
“Oh, didn’t see you there. Say, do you know that pony? He was wearing the exact same getup you are,” Applejack said.
“W-what?” Shine asked.
“He said his name’s Dust, probably one of the only things he knows,” Applejack said.
“No, never heard that name before,” Shine said.
“I’ll tell the Princess about this, something weird’s been going on recently. Can you come back later AJ, when she’s had time to reply? So far, Spike is over at Rarity’s and he should be back soon,” Twilight asked.
“Alright then, I’ll be back later,” Applejack said, leaving and closing the door behind her.
Shine grabbed one of the files and scanned it fast. He grabbed another and repeated the same process. Twilight watched as he went through every file.
“What are you looking for?” Twilight asked.
“Something on this mysterious pony. I feel like one of these files has to have something on him,” Shine said.
“That would be interesting, but I think the Princess should be able to shed some light on this,” Twilight said.
“Maybe…” Shine said, looking down at the files.
(One hour later)
Shine was tapping the floor with his pencil. He was writing on a piece of paper that Twilight gave him. He heard the sound of the door opening. He threw the paper into the fire and turned towards the door. Spike was there, and he was looking a little different.
“Hey Spike, any news?” Shine asked. Twilight was upstairs, but she could be down any second. He wanted to see if he could figure something out on his own.
“Yeah, I saw one of them. It was different than yours though. And that’s not all... I heard that there’s another pony with one of those masks at Applejack’s farm,” Spike said.
“That’s good news, so why do you look… different?” Shine asked.
“One of the ponies… her name was Star. She was… pretty. Under the mask, that is,” Spike said, looking down from Shine.
“You… like her?” Shine asked, finding this amusing.
“But, what if Rarity finds out? I can’t be in love with two ponies, can I?” Spike asked.
“It’s probably just a crush, you’ll get over it. And if you don’t, then you’ll know it’s true love,” Shine said.
“Thanks,” Spike said.
“Oh, Spike, you’re here,” Twilight said from the top of the stairs.
“Yeah, I just got back. You guys want to eat some dinner? I can make something really fast,” Spike said.
“Actually, I’m going into town. Something’s about to happen and I don’t want to miss it,” Shine said.
“Then I’ll go with you, the Princess still hasn’t responded, has she Spike?” Twilight asked.
"Nope, no letters yet," Spike said.
Shine was walking down the street. Twilight was walking next to him. Shine refused to go into town without the mask. If something was going to happen, he’d do it his own way. Shine noticed the upcoming town square. He took a good glance around and noticed everything in a few seconds. The Five other ponies with masks and the five that accompanied them.
“What’s going on?” Twilight asked.
“Seven Warriors of Legend, right? Well then why are there only six of us?” Shine asked himself. He looked up to the cloud that had floated above them. A pony was looking down on them from above.
“He’s not a Pegasus, how is he on a cloud?” Twilight asked herself.
“He’s not wearing a mask… who is he?” Shine asked.
“What a pathetic group of ponies. I think I’ll play with you all for a little bit.” Shine heard him say. He felt energy build up around him.
“But I think you need to learn that this isn’t a game,” The pony on the cloud said.
Shine could now see the energy building up around him. It was small little forms that whirled around him. The forms started to grow in size. Shine watched as they became water droplets and continued to grow.
“How is he using magic?” Twilight asked before the water grew large enough to engulf them. The water entered his nostrils and his ears. Shine tried to hold his breath, but it was useless.
Shine eventually stopped resisting and saved his energy. When he felt he was about to pass out, the water stopped. He landed on his stomach gasping for air. He looked up and the cloud above them all was gone. He did notice however, that everywhere around him was covered in water. He looked to the others in the town square.
Everyone in the town square was unconscious. All except two. Shine and the pony across from him weren’t unconscious. But the pony sitting across from him was staring into the sky. A look of terror was on her face. She was holding her head and mumbling something. Shine picked himself up and walked over. He got into range to hear what she was saying.
“My name is Luz… My name is Luz… My name is Luz…” Shine stopped. He remembered that name from the files. Number 30.
“Luz?” Shine asked.
Suddenly, she was out of her trance. She looked up to him, and blinked. Then, her eyes rolled to the side and she passed out. Shine stood above her and the yellow coated mare next to her. The mare with the yellow coat and pink mane was shaking, but she was definitely out cold. Shine threw up water and had to steady himself. He was glad he didn’t eat anything, because only water came out. Shine bent down and lifted Luz up. He started to carry her over to the library, the safest place he knew in the town . He tried not to throw up again, because he would need his energy if he was going to move them all.
Author's Note
Longer Chapter, Longer break. This story is just getting started. Leave some feedback, pl0x. Hopefully a new cover image will appear soon from a faithful reader. If not, then I’ll probably draw something up really fast. (I'm not saying it'll be a drawing though.)
Complications
Shine looked down at the ponies lying in front of him. He inspected them individually, but they each had common characteristics. The masks, the capes… it was too much of a coincidence, they were involved in something. But the problem was, he didn’t know what.
Shine heard some mumbling from the other side of the room where the other six were sprawled out. He set them away from the others because they didn’t look threatening, but he still cast a glance at them every few seconds. It’s been almost an hour since he returned with the last pony, and he was expecting something to happen soon. He got his wish.
Shine caught the twitch of one of the masked ponies. He was one of the weird ones. His mask gave room for a horn, but he was a Pegasus. The twitch happened rapidly, but then something else happened. The strands of hair around the mask moved. Shine realized that they weren’t actually moving… they were changing. Then, his head lifted from the floor. He looked directly at Shine, like he knew that he was watching.
“Who the hell are you?” Wisp asked.
“I could ask the same of you,” Shine replied.
“Why did you bring me here?”
“I have questions, and I want answers,”
“If I had any for you, I’d keep them for myself. You’re not the only one who’s wondering just what is going on,” Wisp said, gesturing to the others.
“How about we wait until the others wake up before we continue this,”
“Yeah, sure,” Wisp replied, getting up and sitting in the corner of the room. Shine heard him mutter “…come back,” before he was out of hearing distance.
Shine kept a watchful eye on Wisp, who took off his mask, but he noticed somepony else was stirring. Shine watched the last male touch his head before he rose and blinked his eyes in confusion. His gaze landed on Shine and then on Wisp before he spoke.
“Who are you two?” Dust asked.
“We could ask the same as you,” Shine responded.
“Yeah, I’d like to know the same answer…” Dust asked, rubbing his head.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Wisp asked, not even looking at Dust.
“I… I don’t know… well I do know but… I don’t…” Dust asked, before sitting on the side of the room opposite Wisp.
“Great, we’ve got a looney… just don’t start babbling, I get enough of that as it is,” Wisp said, getting back into a comfortable sitting position.
Shine found Dust interesting, but before anything else can be said, one of the females started to stir. The mask had bolts of lightning on it, and he hoped she’d have some information to help them. She was the one that Shine knew. Luz, if he remembered correctly. She sat up and looked around at the peering eyes. She jumped up and lowered her head, ready to fight.
“What’s going on here?” Luz asked, squinting her eyes.
“Join the club, sweetheart,” Wisp asked grinning, getting bored of this and wanting something to happen. Dust was lost in his own little world, and Shine gave her a blank stare.
“Don’t call me sweetheart, or I’ll wipe that grin off your face,”
“I’d like to see you try, sweetheart,” Wisp said, widening his grin.
“Enough, First I want to figure out what’s going on. Wait for the others first,” Shine said, seeing the way Luz was looking at Wisp. She took off her mask and set it next to her.
“You don’t control me,” Luz said, but she still sat next to the door, near Dust.
Shine would need to take control of the situation. he knew the tension was growing and there were no answers yet. Two left, he waited expectingly. One of them stirred; her mask only showed one eye. She looked around her at the watching eyes. Wisp had calmed down, but the grin still covered his face. Luz was raising her eyebrow.
“Where am I?” Sol asked.
“Library, anything else?” Shine asked.
“Why?” Sol asked.
“Radical, she’s got the same idea we do. Who would’ve guessed it?” Wisp said, to which Shine had to glance over. His hair had changed once again, and his grin was replaced by a casual smile.
“What happened to you?” Luz asked.
“Life happens, bro. Gotta go with the flow, you know?” Wisp said, playing with his cape.
“Can someone explain this to me?” Sol asked.
“We don’t know either, see if sleeping beauty knows anything,” Luz asked.
“Wait for her to wake up, don’t want to her to get hostile,” Shine said, not wanting to hurt any chances of figuring this out.
“Hey, come sit over here, don’t want to get tired, huh?” Wisp said, motioning her over. Shine had to notice that once again, Wisp had changed hair styles.
“… Alright then…” Sol said, sitting near Wisp but still leaving a foot of distance in between.
“Love the hair,” Wisp said, reaching to feel her hair. Sol reached out to stop him out of reflex, and knocked the mask off her face. She grabbed it quickly and put it back on, but not before Shine and Wisp had a look at her.
“That doesn’t look too good, you okay?” Wisp asked.
“Yeah… I’m fine. Just… give me some space,” Sol said, scooting away a little.
Shine looked down at the last pony. He was surrounded by the weirdest group he’d ever known, and he hoped -no he prayed, that she’d be normal. He got his answer, when she screamed.
Star was walking through a field of flowers. Behind her, was Steel with a big smile on his face. She laughed and ran farther ahead. When she looked to see if he followed, she saw Dahlia next to him. Her head on his neck, a twisted smile on his face. She felt anger, and rage, and… pain. She felt pain in her heart. When she turned her body to chase him, she felt something wrap around her. It was black and soft. It was a cape.
Star tried to run, but the cape stopped her. Steel and Dahlia went into the distance and she tried to scream, but nothing came out. Then, a voice in her head asked a question. ‘If you could choose, would you choose a life of glory, or a life of empty love. Choose, your destiny or your precious Steel?’ Star gave her response without thought.
‘Steel! I want my Steel!’ Star screamed, the voice in her head sighed.
‘You are not ready…’ the voice faded into the distance. She tried to get out of the bondage, but instead, a mask came in front and was closing in on her face. She gave a final cry as it covered her.
“Steel!” Star screamed as the mask eyeholes gave way to wooden ground.
Shine observed her twitches until the scream came out.
“D-dream?” Star asked, taking another look around.
“Who are you all?” Star asked.
“Then it looks like we’ve hit a conclusion,” Shine said, “We need answers, who has them?” Shine asked, ready to ask the important questions.
“What do you mean?” Star asked.
“I mean, why did we all meet in the same spot at the same time and none of us know why!” Shine asked, starting to get frustrated.
“What about them? Wouldn’t they know anything?” Sol asked, pointing at the still sleeping mares.
“They don’t have the masks…” Shine said, and the others immediately looked at each other. Wisp put his mask back on and Luz did the same.
“I could give a shit about these masks; I don’t want anything to do with you five. If you don’t have any answers, then I’m out,” Luz said, getting up.
“Luz, I wouldn’t do that, if I were you,” Shine said. Luz stopped in her tracks. She turned slowly to Shine, the mask hiding her expression.
“How… the fuck... do you know my name?” Luz asked.
Shine levitated the folder to her, containing her details, and lifted up his own. “This is why… somepony’s been keeping track of us,” Shine said, lifting up the stack of folders.
“Now… what about the rest of you?” Shine asked, looking at Wisp.
“Sorry, Wisp isn’t here right now. Can I take a message?” Wisp said.
“Wisp?” Shine asked himself, before getting the right folder out, he gave it to Wisp and turned to Sol.
“Sol,” Sol lied, wondering if there was a folder named Spectra somewhere in there. Shine was confused for a second, but he reread the folder names until he found one labeled Sol. He didn’t remember that one, and was reluctant to give it up. He turned to Dust, who looked at him blankly.
“What’s your name?” Shine asked.
“I don’t know…” Dust said, rubbing his head, “I was trying to figure that out right now.”
Shine shook his head and turned to Star.
“Star,” She said.
Shine pulled out her file and gave it to her, then watched their faces as they read the bios. When Shine looked at Wisp, his hair had returned to the normal hair style he saw before, and was busy reading.
“Why do you have these?” Star asked, curious.
“Let’s just say that’s not what we should be dwelling over, I want to know what you all know,” Shine said.
“That’s not much…” Dust said, from his corner of the room.
“Inside operatives? Just who the fuck was a spy?” Luz asked.
“This is recent… the festival wasn’t that long ago…” Star said.
Sol dropped her folder to the ground and said nothing.
“How do they know all this?” Wisp asked.
“Have they been spying on us for that long?” Luz asked.
“What else have they known? Did they know about Steel and Dahlia?” Star asked.
“Steel?” Luz asked.
“My coltfriend, he… betrayed me…” Star said.
“Damn, same thing happened here. Feel for you,” Luz said, for the first time not feeling hostile towards others.
“You wouldn’t know… Steel left me at the festival, he was with some other mare… how could you know that pain?” Star asked, starting to get angry.
“I was trying to be sympathetic…damn. My coltfriend left me to die, and you got ditched for some other bitch. At least you ended up better than me,” Luz said.
Shine heard the sounds of the others waking up behind him. He could tell that having twelve of them in one room would be too much to handle. He’d need time to think about all this. When Twilight came over, he leaned in to whisper.
“Ask if those other five know anything, and tell them what’s going on. I’ll handle these five,” Shine said.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t talk this out as a group?” Twilight asked.
“We won’t be able to find any answers if we’re always arguing. It’s better to split up,” Shine said. Twilight didn’t disagree, and went to explain things to the five who had a bad case of a hangover. They seemed dazed, but still understood what she told and asked them.
Shine all the while listened to what was being said in front of him. He didn’t want to intervene, and maybe it was best if they split up even further.
“Better than you? I was crushed, I really loved him, and he didn’t care. Do you know how that feels?” Star asked.
“You think you’re the princess around here, don’t you? You’re nothing but a stuck up brat getting over your first crush. Try to think about other’s feeling, why don’t you? You act like you’re the center of the world. Well I’m glad he left you,” Luz said.
“Argh…” Star said, before opening the door and leaving.
“Wait, Star, darling! You need to leave with style and grace, style… and grace!” Rarity said, following her out and leaving a carpet of red behind her.
“I don’t need to deal with this,” Luz said, walking out behind Rarity.
“I… uh… need to go too,” Fluttershy said, noticing all the new ponies and leaving after Luz. Shine was wondering how many more would leave.
“I don’t know what the hay is going on here, but call me back when you figure it out. C’mon Sol, let me finish showing you around,” Rainbow Dash said taking Sol and leaving.
“Ooh, Wisp, we should go too, the party train’s leaving without us,” Pinkie said, pushing him out, his hooves flailing.
“Wait... Pinkie-“ Wisp tried to resist.
“Shine… what happened?” Twilight whispered.
“Nothing… nothing happened,” Shine replied as he watched Applejack try to reason with Dust about why they should leave. Applejack did have one statement that intrigued Shine though.
“Did your memory fail on you? I thought we discussed who you were,” Applejack said.
“Who am I?” Dust asked, as Applejack persuaded him out the door.
“Did you figure anything out?” Twilight asked. Shine realized that everypony had gone and split up further than he wanted. Then he felt a weight lift his shoulders, as another one fell on top.
“I… have no idea…” Shine said, passing out from sudden pain all over body.
Author's Note
I blame the editor. It’s his fault. Anyways, like I think I mentioned earlier, these will be shorter chapters because I don’t want to detract too much time from the other story. Now, I’m wondering (Actually it was my editor’s opinion) if I did this chapter the right way. It feels kind of off, but at the same time, I’ve never written from the third person POV of different characters that I knew a lot about. So, I might redo this chapter if I feel there’s a better way. Just a heads up in case the word count changes.
Anonymous
Sol looked up from the ground. Rainbow Dash was flying high looking for something. Sol waited for her to fly lower before asking.
“What are you looking for?” Sol asked.
“That stallion from earlier. He couldn’t have gotten far. He’s going to pay for what he did,” Rainbow Dash said.
“What did he do, exactly?”
“He used that magic and caught us off guard. When I get my hooves on him, he’ll think twice about doing that again,” Rainbow Dash said.
“So… you felt it too?” Sol asked.
“Felt what? You mean when he used his magic?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Yeah, that bright light… and the burning feeling on my coat… it hurt… a lot,” Sol said, still feeling some of the after effects. The light had given her a headache as well, and she tried not to think about it too much.
“Yeah, must’ve been some powerful magic. Next time though, he won’t be able to do anything like that again. He just caught me off guard,” Rainbow Dash said.
Rainbow Dash looked to her left, where a filly was running up. “Hey Rainbow Dash, whatcha doing?” Scootaloo asked, panting from having to catch up.
“I’m on the lookout for a bad pony. Tell me if you see anything, alright?” Rainbow Dash said.
“Ooh, I saw this one pony near the construction site, he looked pretty bad. Think it’s him?” Scootaloo asked.
“Good Job Scoots, let’s go check it out. Sol, you coming? I can show you the rest of town on the way,” Rainbow Dash said.
“No, that’s alright. I’m still a little shaken up, I’ll just get some rest,” Sol said, yawning for emphasis.
“Alright, I’ve got a house up in Cloudsdale if you need a place to stay. Otherwise, I’ll catch you around,” Rainbow Dash said, before following Scootaloo in the direction of the construction site.
Sol looked around at her surroundings. They had walked quite a while, and there was grass on the sides of the road. She could see trees off in the distance, and a few building scattered about. Walking to the trees so she could rest, she heard a sound.
Sol looked up at the sky, the warm rays hitting her face and making her feel slightly better. Then, she saw one of the clouds move to block the sun. As if from a nightmare, the face of a stallion peered from the side of the cloud down at her. His face turned into a grin as the cloud started to descend.
Sol tried to walk away, to run, even to look away, but something was stopping her. It wasn’t a feeling, and it definitely wasn’t physical. It was the shadow. Forcing herself to look down, she saw the shadow of the cloud thicken and they were moving over her coat. She was suddenly forced to look upwards again.
“Ah, my little ray of sunshine… or should I say lack of sunshine?” The familiar voice asked from the cloud, as he jumped off and landed next to Sol.
“Who are you?” Sol asked, feeling tentacles of nothing wrap around her leg.
“Why, I’m the only one who knows who you are,” The stallion said, moving aside the cloak to touch the cutie mark.
“What are you talking about?” Sol asked, feeling awkward in the moment.
“You’ve gone completely off the radar. In two more days, you’ll be pronounced dead. You’ve built a new life, and all I did was secure it,” He said.
“What?” Sol asked, confused.
“That file, you left it at the library, didn’t you?” He asked.
“Why should I tell you?” Sol asked.
“I’m only trying to help you. I can’t tell you my name, but how about you call me anything you want?” he asked.
“I’ve got a few things I want to call you right now,” Sol said.
“So hostile… I guess I can do something about that,”
Sol felt the shadows recede and her movement given back to her. A cold feeling remained though, and she was about to turn and run.
“Call me Anon then, and I’ll call you Sol,” he said. (As requested by editor: pronounced uh - non)
Sol turned to run only to face complete darkness. She tried to open her eyes, but they were already open. When she turned back, it was still pitch black.
“Oh Sol, I thought I could help you. Why would you try to run? Maybe I should give you a little more discipline then,” his voice echoed around her. Sol found her movement once again bound. The cold tentacles were holding her down and she felt her throat go dry.
“Hey, asshole, over here!” Sol could faintly hear before her whole body went limp, her eyes closing.
Luz had walked home with Fluttershy and checked on her dog. After deciding she needed time to think, she went out on a walk. As she passed by the outskirts of town, she noticed a weird looking cloud. On closer inspection, the cloud was hanging lower than the others. Luz made her way to the cloud.
As she approached, she could see the cloak of a pony and the mask on her face. She couldn’t tell which mask it was, but she didn’t know what to do. Then, the cloaked pony was covered in a black mass. Luz galloped closer, wondering what was going on.
She then noticed that there was another pony, the same as before. Feeling rage enter her, she went in a full sprint at the figure. “Hey asshole, over here!” Luz said, before starting to throw a punch at the pony. She was about to make contact until a sudden flash of light caused her to close her eyes and lose her balance.
The punch turned into a trip as she fell and covered her eyes. They were seering with pain, as well as her body feeling unusually warm.
“Oh Luz, lighten up why don’t you?” Anon said, standing over her.
“Just who are you?” Luz asked, wiping her eyes again, before trying to open them.
“Anon, nice to meet you,” The pony said.
“Fuck you Anon,” Luz said, squinting her eyes.
“Really, such bad language. Can’t you at least say please?” Anon mocked, walking over to the black mass surrounding Sol.
“Why would you come over here? You don’t have any ties to this mare,” Anon said, removing the black mass from Sol.
“It wasn’t about her, I just wanted to show you a lesson about messing with me,” Luz said.
“And how did that go?”
“Shut it,” Luz said, finally getting up and opening her eyes all the way.
“You’re so simple minded it hurts. All about you. Are you saying you don’t care what happens to her?” Anon asked, raising his hoof over Sol’s head.
“This is about you and me,” Luz said, getting ready to charge.
“Ah, I see,” Anon said, looking disappointed as he moved his hoof away. “Then, would you like another taste?”
“Taste of what?” Luz asked.
“Power, pure magical… power,” Anon finished slowly, the air around him starting to shimmer.
“Bring it,” Luz said, running towards him at a fast speed.
Anon didn’t move as she lifted her hoof, heading straight for his face. He also didn’t move when the static energy surrounding him condensed. Luz was sent back the way she came, her mane frayed from the contact. She was in a pile on the ground, gasping for breath. Anon had taken the hit, a big mark on his face showed the contact, but Luz’s hoof was numb from the pain.
“I think it’s been brought,” Anon said, walking away. He was about to jump back on his cloud, until a voice behind him stopped him.
“Don’t act like you’re better than me!” Luz nearly screamed as she brought her hoof up, inches from Anon’s face. He hadn’t heard her get up, nor when she charged towards him again in a daze.
Anon’s face grew a smile as he saw the spark of electricity on her hoof. Being able to withstand that shock, he was impressed. But he never thought she’d have the capability to use the excess energy against him. His own electric power was still active, and he could foresee what would happen before it actually happened.
Luz made contact once again on his face. This time, a fireball erupted and she was sent flying the way she came. Landing hard, she was immediately out cold. Anon was faced with the same fireball, but he was only pushed back a few feet. Anon brushed off the ash before getting on his cloud and lifting off. The electricity in the air dissipated. Luz had energy around her still, and it soon dissolved into her own magic supply.
Sol was lying on the ground, the black mass gone from her, but a dark energy still hung over her head. She lay completely still, black tentacles receding into the ground, although a few receded into her. Underneath the mask, her good eye flicked open and went black before fading back to white and closing again.
Anon looked down to the fallen mares. He had a faint smile on his face as he looked over the town to where the next target was. Two for one, it had gone better than he expected. Sol could have put up more of a fight, but he was at fault for binding her down. Luz surprised him, and she wasn’t what he would call friendly.
Anon let his energy replenish as the cloud took him towards his next target. Darkness and Light Energy was demanding of him, especially back to back. At least he was done with the toughest of the two magics. Now, he just needed to get ready for a fight. He’d caught them away from the other townsfolk, but the others wouldn’t be as easy to pick off. Especially when Sol and Luz wake up.
Author's Note
In case you didn’t know, Luz (Pronounced: loose) means ‘Light’ and Sol (pronounced: Soul or Sole) means ‘Sun’… And to make this clear, I won't be working on the story over the winter break 2013-2014. That being said, I'll still be working on my writing, but not for any fics. I'll have this posted on all my stories, as well as the new stories I plan to post for any LoL fans out there. *Spoiler: It's based on Noc,*
The leaves were falling from the trees. The trees were shaking from contact as Dust pulled his legs back. Looking down, he frowned at the apples on the ground. He picked them up, putting them in the cart. He looked over to the other side of the fields where Big Mac was bucking trees, the apples falling right in the cart.
“Come on now, Dust, you’ve just got to loosen up… try again,” Applejack said, motioning to the next tree.
“Sure,” Dust said, his confidence slowly dropping.
Dust reared his hind legs back, kicking the tree with less force than before. Once again, he heard a snap as the bark of the tree cracked on contact. This time, though, the apples fell mostly into the bin. Also, less leaves fell than before, leaving the tree more or less the way he wanted. He frowned however, as he looked at the crack shaped like a smile. Almost like it was laughing at him.
“Whew, that’s what I’m talking about. Some more practice and you could be a natural,” Applejack said. Dust turned to the next tree, readying himself for another shot.
“Hey, why don’t you take a break?” Applejack suggested, Dust’s face was more serious than before, and she was worried that he’d done more than lost his memory earlier.
“I’m fine,” Dust said, bucking the tree. This time, the crack was barely visible, but to Dust, the crack was bigger than ever.
“Alright, I’m going to check on supper, don’t tire yourself out now, alright?” Applejack asked.
“…” Dust replied, eyes set on another tree. Applejack left, thinking Dust needed some time to himself.
Dust waited she was inside before letting loose on the tree. In one swift motion, the bark was split in half, the leaves completely leaving the branches. Apples fell to the ground, smashing as they landed. Dust sat down, holding his head as he thought about the day’s events.
A few hours ago, he’d woken in the room with six other ponies. Waking to find he had no memory, he accepted the fact he was Dust. Since leaving the room, he’d had feelings of sorrow and pain well up inside of him for no reason. Letting out the frustration on the trees had helped, but something about not knowing who he was burned in his mind.
All he knew was his name was Dust, that and an image of a dragon in his mind towering over him. He hit the tree as the image appeared again. Once again, more feelings welled up. Looking around, he looked for something to take his anger on. Then, he saw it. A cloud, drifting in his direction. The cloud suddenly lowered, the passenger above almost in view. Dust stood, walking in the direction of the cloud. Maybe this pony could take his mind off the situation.
“Hey Dust, long time no see,” Anon said, the cloud lowering him onto the ground.
“I don’t know you,” Dust said, but something in his head throbbed. Something was wrong.
“Oh, how could you forget me? That’s hurtful, you know,” Anon said, stepping off the cloud and letting the cloud raise into the air.
“I don’t remember much,” Dust said.
“Well that’s too bad. I hoped you’d remember me… and what I did,” Anon said, walking closer.
“Well I don’t,” Dust said.
“Then let me remind you,” Anon said, raising his hoof.
Dust raised his own hoof faster than he thought he could. Catching Anon’s attack before it could make contact with his face. Then, catching Anon off guard, he smacked the hoof away, landing his own hit on Anon’s chest, sending him back in the dirt.
“Ah, it looks like you didn’t forget that,” Anon said, rising. He brushed himself off as his face grew a smile.
“I think I might have wasted my time coming here, unless you don’t remember… this,” Anon said, raising his hoof. This time, a layer of dirt rose from the ground, covering his hoof. He charged forward.
Dust raised his hoof to stop the attack like he did before, but his hoof was nearly shattered as he fell back, unable to stop the blow. When he stood up, the feelings returned, stronger than before.
“I don’t know you… so what gives you the right… to smile?” Dust said, anger entering his veins. Before he knew what he was doing, he charged Anon, a grin forming on his face.
Anon raised his hoof of rock and prepared himself. Dust felt energy course through him as well as the anger. In his assault, his body was layering himself in the surrounding dirt. Instead of just his hoof, even his face was succumbed to the dirt. He didn’t care though, as his body charged forward. Now, Anon was thrown back as the first hit sent him sliding back.
Anon wasn’t prepared for the hit, and he definitely wasn’t prepared for the second. When he moved his hoof to see what happened, he was open as the rock hoof appeared in front of his face. His eyes closed, and the hoof hit open air.
(A little while ago)
“I swear, has the weirdest ways of doing things,” Wisp said to himself as he flew above.
‘It’s radical of her to do this though, I mean, she’s been pretty awesome so far,’
‘I think it’s romantic, don’t you agree?’
“I don’t think of her like that,” Wisp said, looking down from the sky to the schoolyard.
‘Oh I know, but have you ever thought of how she feels?’
“I don’t think she thinks of me like that either,” Wisp said.
‘Can we get back to the situation… have you checked behind the bar?’
“I’m not going to the bar, you can stop asking,” Wisp said.
‘Why don’t we just give up and do something else?’
“Because that wouldn’t accomplish anything. The point of this was for me to get to know the town better. Of course, me just flying everywhere isn’t helping much,” Wisp said.
‘hey man, what’s that down there?’
Wisp looked down to where he was flying over. He’d managed to make it to the outskirts of town, apple trees scattered below him. Looking down, he saw three figures in the acres. One was alone, while the other two were in combat.
“Better check that out,” Wisp said, heading down to find out what was happening.
Wisp noticed that one of them had turned brown, and grew slightly in size. The other, was pushed back as he tried to defend himself.
“I’ve got to save him,” Wisp said, rushing down. He flew faster, gaining speed as he went. When the pony on the defensive dropped his guard, he made it just in time to grab him before the other could strike.
Wisp landed in the dirt, his head hitting a tree as he stopped. Then, he lessened his grip on the pony he saved as he turned to assess the monster. The rock creature looked vicious at first, its eyes boring into Wisp as the creature stepped forward.
“That’s it,” Anon said, brushing himself off once again. “You’re going to pay my dry cleaners bill,” He said, turning to Wisp. Wisp in turn looked at him.
“Wait! You’re that pony from before,” Wisp said, starting to back away.
“You chose the worst possible time to be a hero,” Anon said, turning to Dust. “And I’m done with you,” Anon said, raising his hoof. As he did, the wind started to shift direction. For a second, the light breeze was gone, replaced with silence. Then, the wind picked up speed. Wisp had to lower his body so the wind wouldn’t take him.
Dust was stepping forward, his hoof reaching towards Anon. The hoof was stopped in midair. Trying to force it forward, Dust heard the crack as the dirt turned solid burst apart. The rest of his covering also cracked and he was left standing in his cloak and mask, the anger almost disappearing.
“You need a time out,” Anon said, thrusting his hoof forward. The dirt that cracked from Dust suddenly raised up, creating a dome around him, and then closing in, hardening when Dust couldn’t move anymore.
“And you,” Anon said, turning to Wisp, having stopped his escape when he witnessed what happened to Dust.
“What?” Wisp asked, stopping in his tracks.
“What’s your favorite cardinal direction?” Anon asked.
‘say North,’
‘say East,’
“South-west,” Wisp said.
‘nice…’
“You’re special, did anypony tell you that?” Anon asked, raising his hoof.
“Just my parents…” Wisp said, recalling the times his parents said that.
Anon lifted his hoof higher and Wisp felt his hooves leave the ground. Flapping his wings, he felt the air flow suddenly change, and the wings were useless as he spun in a circle in the air. When he felt like he was about to barf, Anon thrust his hoof and Wisp was thrown South west. Landing near a tree, he tried to raise his hoof, but then there was a force pushing him down.
Wisp lost consciousness sometime in the next few seconds, but so did the others in his head as they individually took turns taking control of Wisp just to be knocked out as Anon brought down the air current in a ninety degree angle onto Wisp’s body. When Wisp was surrounded by cracks in the ground, his body gasping for air and his bones suffering from the pressure, Anon stopped.
“So far, he’s my favorite,” Anon said, stepping away. He waited for a second and the cloud came back down, waiting for him to get on. Raising into the air, he headed into the direction of the library.
“You didn’t warn me he was coming,” Anon said, poking the cloud as it sailed forward.
“Alright, I get it. Just don’t let it happen again,” Anon said, laying down as he waited.
“Why did he have to show up though? I might not have enough energy for Star… let alone Shine,” Anon said.
“Alright, just keep her steady while I rest,” Anon said, closing his eyes.
The cloud drifted along, the same direction, although slightly faster than the other clouds.
Author's Note
So, I'm back from vacation. My editor isn't, so this is a raw chapter. Any problems should be fixed in the next few days though, so don't get your OCD in a twist. If you can guess what's going to happen next, you deserve a cookie. Even I surprised myself when I thought of it.
Next time: Solar Flare, even the fires in the darkest pits of hell still glow.
Shine looked up from the folder in front of him. The same question came back to him that’s been annoying him for the past few minutes.
“Who’s Sol?” Shine asked himself as the name on the folder held more questions than answers. Once again, he tried to remember the name that used to hold that folder. Sol didn’t sound right, and neither did the fact that somepony almost got away with this.
“Are you sure there’s something wrong with it? I mean, there were a lot of folders to look through,” Twilight said, the book in his magical grasp lowering to see Shine in his corner.
“It just doesn’t… feel right. I didn’t remember that name…” Shine said.
“Why don’t you get back to helping me find what’s going on? Maybe it’ll help clear your mind,” Twilight said.
“Clear my mind? By learning something else? I don’t work like that,” Shine said.
“Well I do, so can you quiet down while I keep looking?” Twilight asked, the annoyance starting to hurt her head. Shine’s been talking about the folder ever since he woke up.
“Yeah yeah,” Shine said, putting his hoof to his head to try to think better. Suddenly he heard something. It was the sound of something coming, and fast. Shine looked towards the window, a blue streak approaching, the sun starting to descend over the horizon.
“What’s that?” Shine asked before the blue figure landed in the library, knocking over Twilight and her stack of books as well as slamming into Shine at less than half speed. Shine groaned as he picked himself up, the cyan Pegasus doing the same.
“Twilight, have you seen Sol anywhere?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Who’s Sol?” Twilight asked.
“That Pegasus I brought with the-, I mean, have you seen her or not?” Rainbow asked.
“She’s missing?” Shine asked.
“Yeah, I left her somewhere in town, but now she’s just gone. I’ve been looking around, but it’s getting late so I thought I’d ask you,” Rainbow Dash asked.
“No, I haven’t seen her,” Twilight asked.
“I knew there was something wrong with her,” Shine said, his mind starting to turn.
“You do?” Rainbow asked, curious.
“First her name comes out of nowhere, then she goes missing. Not to mention the eye…” Shine was thinking aloud.
“Cool, right?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“No, it looks bionic, like she’s machine. Maybe she’s been programmed to kill us, or-,”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions over some coincidences,” Twilight cut him off.
“But if that’s true, she’ll come to make sure she didn’t leave any witnesses. We’ll be her first targets,” Shine said.
“Again, calm down. She won’t do anything like that,” Twilight said.
Shine rolled to the side as he heard another approaching figure. Twilight was going to say something, but then the wall of the library was breached. The wall crumpled down, the wood throwing splinters in every direction and the rest falling to the floor. As the three of them recovered from the damage, they saw the cloud floating in the middle of the hole.
“And why didn’t you wake me!?” Anon screamed from his position on the cloud.
“Well crashing in without telling me isn’t exactly relaxing either!” Anon said looking down at his cloud. He jumped off, letting the cloud float out of the new entrance. Anon dusted himself off, looking up at the three in front of him.
“Sorry about that,” Anon said looking to Shine specifically.
“There he is, get him!” Rainbow Dash said, charging forward.
“Rainbow, wait!” Twilight said to no avail as she continued.
Anon lifted his hoof, the air starting to shift. He dropped it suddenly and Rainbow Dash lost her altitude. Her body hit the wooden floor, the wings at her side suddenly useless to the force of gravity. Rainbow Dash still crawled forward, determined to fight the seemingly god-like earth pony.
“What do you want?” Twilight asked, worried about her friend.
“Oh, I don’t want anything. Not from you anyway,” Anon said to Twilight, his look turning to Shine. “So, you going to put up a fight, or am I going to have to play with a dead body?”
Shine ran forward, confident that Anon wouldn’t be able to do anything if he was in the middle of forcing Rainbow Dash down. As he covered half of the needed distance, he felt something he should have noticed earlier. The air was getting hotter; smoke was starting to rise in the air. Shine stopped moving just as the first spark emitted from the wood underneath him.
“Grilled or smoked?” Anon asked as the wood splinters and wooden floorboards were suddenly catching flame. The walls started to blacken as the heat increased. Rainbow was no longer under the pressure of gravity, but her wings were staying stuck to her side. Twilight put a magical floor underneath her to save herself from the flames, levitating Rainbow to the safety as well.
“What kind of magic is that?” Rainbow asked.
“That’s not magic, it can’t be,” Twilight hoped.
Shine decided he couldn’t stand there for much longer. He continued running toward Anon, his hooves starting to burn and his sweat evaporating as fast as it came. His mouth was dry as he reached Anon, the smile on his face adding even more confusion to his mind. As Shine raised his hoof to push Anon back, his form vanished.
Shine reached where Anon used to be, the air suddenly sparking and sending him to the ground in a blanket of flames. Shine tried to roll to put it out, but the floor’s flames only added to the increased heat. He could hear Anon next to him.
“Too hot? Or is this just how you give up? I want to hear you say it. Say it!” Anon said, kicking Shine as the flames burned his coat. He could feel his sides, his hooves, even his insides start to shrivel.
“I-,” Shine started.
Anon felt something wrong before it happened. The air suddenly turned cold, the flames vanishing faster than they came. Shine’s image blurred out of focus as he continued to watch. Something itched in the back of his mind, but something else was more present. He could feel something watching him.
His hearing failed him, no sound entering and his mouth offering no words. The images he’d seen before were all blurred and now a darkness swept over his vision. He couldn’t see more than two feet in any direction. A cold whisper passed his ear that sent chills down his spine.
“I’m back,” It said.
Suddenly, Anon remembered that voice. He knew what was happening, he could put a stop to this. Anon closed his eyes, then opened them again, removing any thoughts of fear or darkness that he was having. The view returned, as well as sound that he’d lost. He heard a growl from atop of him.
Anon looked up at the eyes of Sol as she looked down to his kneeling body. The mask gone from her face and the mechanical eye looking deep into his soul. Anon raised himself, stepping back as he did.
(Earlier)
Sol could feel the cold grip of something in her mind surrounding her subconscious. She was in a state of shock and confusion. This cocoon her mind created for her to get the energy back to wake up was too tight. Sol could hear something, somepony calling her name.
“Spec!”
Sol opened her subconscious eyes. She looked around the darkness. The figure of Klein stood next to her, his cool and calm eyes offering her comfort. A smile on his face caused Sol to truly relax.
“Spec, you’re stronger than this, I know you are,” Klein said.
“But, I feel… safe here,” Sol said.
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Klein said.
“But it’s so dark… can you change that?” Sol asked, the darkness loosening her comfort.
“No, I can’t. But… you can,” Klein said.
“I can?” Sol asked.
“Yes, you just need to embrace it. Instead of seeing nothing, tell yourself that you’re seeing the dark. What’s truly there, instead of what’s not,” Klein said.
Sol saw the vision of Klein fade into the darkness. Her reaction at first was panic, but then she remembered what he said. Thinking of the darkness not as a fear, but of the truth, she started to fear it less, and embrace it more.
Sol felt her right eye move. As the darkness receded, her vision cleared up as well. The view in front of her looked strangely different. The change in perspective left her feeling slightly unbalanced, but then the view became just what she wanted.
Sol opened her eyes, the sunset shining on her face as she rose from her position on the ground. The dream came back to her and she removed her mask. When she looked up, she gasped. Her eyesight wasn’t perfect, but it was practically back to normal. As the sun continued to set, she could tell her eyesight was getting better.
Sol felt the darkness grow behind her as the sun started to rise in the sky. Looking behind her, the darkness no longer seemed evil. In fact, the darkness was reassuring to her. It gave her courage and… strength. She could feel the power coursing through her veins. The weird magic was at her hooves as she walked forward.
Sol remembered Anon. Looking into the sky, she saw the cloud in the distance, hovering in the air instead of moving slowly with the others. Now, she galloped in that direction, confident to get her revenge.
As Sol approached the cloud, she saw the library. The wall had been broken through and the red flames were rising quickly. Sol ran faster, her hooves barely touching the ground as she covered the ground in seconds.
Seeing the outline of Anon standing in the flame, her mind acted immediately. Without knowing it, her body released the stored energy in wisps of power. The power went into the darkness, bending it to her will. Now, to offer her safe passage, the dark wisps jumped into the flames, extinguishing the fire.
The power didn’t stop there, as the darkness focused on one point, Anon. Now, Sol was standing over the cowering Anon as the dark energy covered him. She didn’t know what to do now. Pure adrenaline had brought her here, and she was feeling weaker than before now that she’d used a lot of magic unknowingly.
Anon, on the other hand, seemed to know exactly what was happening. As the darkness receded from his body, he stood up, his eyes locking with Sol’s. She felt something happen, her body took over. Sol could see what was going on, but it was like she was watching somepony else in her body. Her right eye grew cold as the darkness started to block out the hole in the wall.
“I’m impressed. Maybe I thought wrong about you,” Anon said. He saw the dark shadows in the wall start to enclose him in, and he thought it best to leave.
“My work here is done, so…” Anon turned and ran towards the hole. He managed to dodge a tentacle of darkness before jumping through and getting on the cloud.
“I’ll be seeing you Sol,” Anon said, flying away from the town.
Sol had to stop herself from chasing him down. Her body wanted to walk forward, but her mind was holding it back. The darkness crawled up her leg, fusing back inside of her as her body came back under her control. She had to balance herself before she fell over. Her head was throbbing.
Sol looked around the room. The darkness was almost completely gone, but Sol could see something was wrong. Rainbow Dash and Twilight were in the corner, their hooves over their heads as they shivered.
“Rainbow Dash?” Sol asked, reaching to touch her.
Rainbow Dash looked towards her. She had tears at the corner of her eyes, her mouth moving in a rhythmic pattern. When Sol shook her, Rainbow’s eyes seemed to grow life. She at first gasped, and then had a frown.
“Sol…? What happened?” Rainbow Dash asked, her tears still there.
“I only know the half of it,” Sol said, looking around the room. Then she realized just what she’d done. She’d used magic.
“Well, more like a fourth,” She finished.
Author's Note
I was looking through my folder for my recent contracted chapter and i found this with the wrong label. Wierd, but I think it's ready to be posted. If there's any errors then I'm sorry but I don't have the time to edit it right now. Maybe after I finish contracted I can start working on this story a little more. Between revisons and contracted, I'm having a hard time getting back to this story. Anyways, the chapter after this has been half done in the right folder, so if I get irritated with Contracted again I'll probably work on it a bit.
Next Time: Star Light, Star Bright
Foreshadowing (Under Revision)
Foreshadowing
A disaster was about to happen. What made this disaster different than the other disasters before it, was that it was planned. Because years before most towns were built, a town in the center housed several legends. Seven legends were made in the battle for the land. All Seven died on the battlefield. Or so it was thought. When the war was said and done, a town was built over the battlefield.
Stories of ghosts haunting the grounds and night terrors led travelers away. It wasn’t until the Princess herself came and declared the land safe, that the residents were content. Years passed and full body apparitions were being seen. The residents were suspicious of the town again.
One thing that made these apparitions different than the other ghosts, was that the residents knew for sure they weren’t going to harm anyone. The full body apparitions stayed long enough for word to get around, and never tried to hide. They would smile and look the townsfolk in the eye, but the town never noticed. Because what kept them different from the other ghosts, was the mask they wore. And the cloak that covered their body only sealed the deal.
The Seven Warriors of Legend were in town. They could have been guarding or haunting it, but the older residents didn’t care. Sometimes the Warriors would stop and talk with the residents, and sometimes they would keep their distance. Eventually the group would split up, and then they would only appear one at a time with days in between.
Then one day, the Seven appeared in town square. They were each looking a different direction with one in the center as the town gathered around. With a wave of their hands, the crowd was silent. The middle one lifted his hoof and grabbed his mask. The others did the same. At the same time, the Seven removed their masks and threw them into the crowd. Almost as if by magic, the masks formed solid and landed on each corner of the town square. The one in the middle threw his mask on the ground beneath him.
The gasps in the crowd were ear shattering. Every eye was drawn to the Seven. Each Warrior had eyes on them. Not every one of the Warriors smiled, and the crowd had the same expressions. The silence after the gasps lasted seconds, before the middle one spoke.
“For years we have protected this town, and today we can finally declare it safe. There is no longer any need for us to stay here. We died a long time ago, and it’s time for us to accept that. So take care of these, they mean a lot to us…” He said.
The crowd watched as the Seven removed their cloaks and also threw them into the crowd. No one moved as the cloaks landed next to the masks of their owners. Before the crowd’s eyes, the Seven disappeared from sight. The mayor walked into the middle to address the citizens.
“Everyone return to your homes. We’ll inform the Princess of recent events,” The mayor said.
Not a single word was said as the residents returned home. But no one noticed as a shadow walked in the crowd with a grin on his face. When the town square was clear, six of seven of the masks and cloaks were gone. The mayor looked over the remaining mask, his curiosity heightened. Taking the mask and cloak, he went into the town hall and shut the door. The echo sounded through the empty streets.
The colt of shadows entered the dark room. His hat tilted to hide his face. He looked through the dim light in the room to the shadow in the center. He lifted his hat off and waited.
“Did you get them?” The shadows asked.
“Not all of them…” The colt whispered as loud as he could.
“That can not be helped… how many?” The shadows asked.
“Three…” The colt whispered softly.
“What? What about the others?” The shadow asked loudly.
“I didn’t see the others…” The colt whispered, taking a step back.
“Well find out what happened to them, or I’ll have you fired ,” The shadow yelled.
The young colt ran out of the room in seconds. The shadows disappeared and the room was lit up. From the sides of the room ten mares stepped forward.
“Did you have to be so rough on him? He’s only a kid…” One of them asked.
“Yes, if we don’t get most of them, we’ll have to use drastic measures,” The boss said.
“Well why were you so surprised to only get three? How many do you need for the plan to continue?” Another mare asked.
“We’ll need them all… but we need half if we want to get the rest…” The boss said.
“So what’ll happen if he doesn’t find the others?” The mare closest asked.
“I’ll need to bait the others out. But let’s hope it doesn’t take that long,” The boss said.
The clouds loomed overhead. The blue in the sky was nowhere to be seen. Thunder cracked and droplets of water began to fall. There was no scheduled downfall today. The citizens were puzzled at this. Only one house remained calm, and the residents were content with the rain. They laughed and played. With each crack of thunder they exploded into more laughter.
Six foals were rolling and playing. They were seeing each other for the first time. But it would not be the last. They finished their playing and looked at each other; three fillies and three colts, two with wings and two with horns. The other two had warm smiles on their faces. They had never met before, but already they had a connection.
The clouds thickened and the rain intensified. Lightning rained down upon the town. Hail and snow fell as well. The city was engulfed in panic. The six foals were grabbed out of their pens and taken away. Their mothers and fathers tried to stop their crying as they loaded up the carriages. The play date was over, and the families were evacuating.
Six roads diverged on the town, and each went somewhere new. The roads split the foals into different towns. Their hometown was destroyed. When the storm finally stopped, there was nothing left. Each family took their child into the new town and settled there. The town was taken off the maps and declared abandoned. Nopony spoke of the incident again. That is, nopony except the parents of those foals.
When the parents told their child about the weather that destroyed their home, it was already years later. The children had grown and learned about life. They each had a different lifestyle they were used to. Almost all of them had accepted the fate of their hometown and accepted the new homes. They didn’t remember the old house, but it still had significance.
Author's Note
New Story, It’s going to be mostly serious. Deal with it. Although It’s not going to update as often as the other one. But there will be references in both. There’s going to be a few Background Chapters coming up, but don’t worry the actual story isn’t too far away.