Gladiator

Chapters

2 - Regroup
3 - Relapse
4 - Interpersonal
5 - Shattered
6 - Weave
7 - Repair
8 - Webs
9 - Explore
10 - Confront
11 - Dream
12 - Audience
13 - Scanning
15 - Assault
16 - Arena
17 - Systematic
18 - Void
19 - Doors
20 - Tracks
21 - Hideaway
22 - Surprises
23 - Mail
24 - Faceoff
25 - Complications
26 - Investigation
27 - Rain
28 - Byways
29 - Travel
30 - Sent
32 - Pitched
33 - Manifest
34 - Charge
35 - Account
37 - Wander
38 - Letters
39 - Railroading
40 - Bids
41 - Cell
42 - Close
43 - Bugs
44 - Aid
45 - Wrapt
46 - Adopt
47 - Work
48 - Sting
49 - Rock
50 - Pivots
51 - Incursion
52 - Invade
53 - Rifts
54 - Dimly
55 - Scramble
56 - Grift
57 - Explain
58 - Bonds
59 - Match
60 - Phase
61 - Recall
62 - Branching
63 - Well
64 - Inheritance
65 - Pieces
66 - Squares
67 - Freefall
68 - Court
69 - Mesh
70 - Enact
71 - Hugs
72 - Dawn
73 - Gather Your Friends Around You and Hold Them Close
74 - End
1 - Escape
14 - Testing
31 - Strategize
36 - Reprise

2 - Regroup

Regroup

Free.

The first thing I did was curl up into a little ball and weep.

I wept for Splinter. I wept for Leaves. I wept for the time I'd wasted. But I also wept for the feel of the warm night breeze on my cheek, drying my tears away. I wept for crickets, for fireflies. I wept my heart out.

When I finished I felt a little better. The idea of 'free' might take a little while to really sink in but I needed to capitalize on what I had. Splinter claimed he would send me far away. That I wouldn't have to deal with guards. Was I safe for now? I spun around once, examining my surroundings. No obvious signs of pursuit. I couldn't hear the buzz of alarms. The forest was silent. I was at least far enough out to be past the patrol areas, then.

Satisfied I wouldn't have to deal with pursuit immediately, I stretched and started a once-over. I didn't find anything wrong at first; my burns were healed and I didn't seem to have anything else wrong with me. I froze in surprise though, when I realized my shirt was torn. I fingered the frayed edge for a second. My gem always repaired my clothes along with my body. Lifting my shirt I checked the gem itself. The yellow fire in it, normally a bright glow, was barely flickering. I smiled. Splinter really had pulled through for me. If I was far enough away from the Nexus that my gem was malfunctioning, I was well and truly away from the Hive.

I drew my dagger and carefully scratched my arm. The gem flickered fitfully and a drop of ice oozed into my veins. The blood stopped and the scratch scabbed, but that was the extent of it. I nodded in satisfaction. Although the gem might be seen as a useful tool, I abhorred the thing; it was a symbol of ultimate degradation to me. My body wasn't even my own, simply a 'thing' to be used for the food of my insectoid masters. It had held me in thrall to them for who-knows how long. Although functional immortality wasn't something to be sneezed at, I loathed this piece of rock and seriously considered prying it out of my breastbone with my dagger for a good minute, before I dismissed the thought and dropped my shirt. Even this far from the Nexus, the magical backlash would be severe.

I examined my surroundings, trying to decide which way to head. Finally I picked a direction that looked 'downhill' to me in the bright moonlight. I was about to head off when something caught my eye. My breath caught in my throat and I squatted down near where I'd landed for a better look as once again, tears filled my eyes. Fingers shaking, I carefully picked it up, turning it this way and that.

I'd found Splinter's horn.

That cracking sound I'd heard must have been him breaking it off. He'd disconnected it from his body so that the magic from the gem couldn't disrupt the spell. He had me hold it so that I would go along for the teleport and he'd mutilated himself so that his corpse wouldn't be dragged along with me.

"One day we leave." I said, caressing the piece of yellow ivory and crying a little more over it. "One day, you said. And you came through for me. I'm free."

I reverently slid it into my sheath next to my dagger and promised myself to give him a proper funeral when I could.

It was about then that I was jumped by a manticore.

The first thing I noticed was the roar. Honestly, it spooked me. However, I didn't freeze up. Months of life-or-death combat had taught me better than that. I sprang into action, whipping out my dagger and diving away from the sound. I felt trails of heat down my back and winced as I rolled, the underbrush cruelly raking across the wounds. I was back on my feet in an instant, assessing the situation. My opponent was big, bigger than most anything I'd fought one-on-one before. It's body was a tawny yellow, dim in the bright moonlight, its mane a charcoal black. It had a wrinkled scar on its muzzle that twisted its lip into a permanent snarl. I could feel blood dripping down my back. My gem was struggling to heal it, but it was pretty much exhausted. I nodded grimly. A feral feline opponent, several times out of my weight class. Me armed with nothing but a dagger. First blood to the enemy. And both me and my gem running on our last drops.

But. A smile crawled across my face.

"I am free. I have a life to lead. And you, you will NOT KEEP ME FROM IT!" I roared my challenge to the beast, the same roar that had seen the blood of friends and enemies spilled countless times before. It blinked a little, maybe confused by the audacity of its food.

I sprang.

No frontal attacks for this one. That was simply suicide. No way to attack at a distance, either. I was slower, and had less reach. No, I needed to play a waiting game here. I needed the perfect chance to strike, because I would only get one. And I needed to make it count.

I danced sideways, my footing sure in the dark. The manticore lunged after me, swiping with its huge paws, claws outstretched like talons. I slipped around the swipes, not even cat-quickness enough to catch me. It was an animal after all, and it had no finesse. Its eyes, the way it shifted its body-weight, the muscles of its arms; every single thing it did showed me where it would strike next. It telegraphed broadly. So I ducked, dipped, and dove, evading by a hairsbreadth each time, looking for my chance to strike back.

Finally, it came. I stepped backwards, letting a paw whoosh past. This time, it over committed itself. I stepped into its range and in one smooth motion jammed my dagger into its eye. It roared, whipping its head around. I yanked the dagger back out and sprang backwards, almost fast enough to avoid its counter blow. I hadn't really thought about it, but manticores have scorpion tails. I tried to lean back, throwing up my arm to brush it aside, but I felt my eyes go wide as the barb buried itself in the muscle. Pain blossomed, along with a boiling numbness that really worried me. I staggered but kept my stance together, putting every ounce of energy I could into projecting calm confidence. That was the key to this fight. I didn't need to kill it, I just needed to be enough trouble that it didn't want to kill me.

The manticore snarled and paced for a second, glaring at me with its good eye before giving off one last roar, turning and bounding off into the forest.

I deflated with a sigh. I'd done it. I'd driven it off. I looked down at my arm. Now, hopefully I can survive to appreciate it.

Moving slowly, I pulled off my shirt and tied it as tightly as I could around the sting. The wound itself, although not small, wouldn't give me too much trouble, but the poison was already working its way into my body. I hoped to contain it with the wrapping, so it wouldn't get to me all at once. When I was finished I was already feeling woozy and feverish. Hoping I'd done enough, I staggered through the brush until I found a hollow log and crawled in. No fortress, but maybe it would keep me safe.

Then I surrendered to the blackness.

Blood. Pain. Fire. Screams.

I woke to firelight.

I sprang upright, my instincts calling for me to assess the situation and seize the initiative. My body however, had other plans. The blankets I was wrapped in tangled my feet and my hands searched futilely for my belt. My clothes were gone, leaving me in my underwear. I wobbled for a second, perched precariously on the edge of the bed, and then crashed to the floor.

"My, my." A warm, cheerful voice greeted me. "Be calm and rest, my guest and patient. You were wounded sore, in a fight most flagrant."

I calmed a little as my brain decided that I wasn't immediately at risk here. I slowly untangled myself and pushed myself to my feet, fighting dizziness. I was definitely still feeling the effects of the poison but the fact I wasn't dead was a small miracle in and of itself. Putting a hand to my brow as if to hold back the headache I could feel coming on, I tried to inspect my surroundings.

I was inside a tree.

A large tree, which had been hollowed out. The interior was contoured to fit the natural curves of the trunk. The floor was rings of wood, the natural pattern of the trunk. A plank door was cracked open on one wall, letting in a cool breeze. In the center of the hut a stone fire ring supported a bubbling cauldron. A cheery blaze licked up the sides of the small pot.

I stepped backwards, falling and landing on the bed. It was surprisingly soft. My arm had been bandaged. My back was treated as well, the bandages wrapping all the way around my chest, hiding the crystal there.

Every wall in the place was lined with shelves. And every shelf was filled with...stuff. Bits of dried plants. Clay pots. Stoppered glass bottles. Bits of fresh plants. vials of powder. Piles of rocks. Small bags, stuffed with who-knows what. A dream-catcher hung from the door and ornately painted masks stared back at me.

Sitting on the floor in front of the fire, across the room from me, a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye, sat a zebra. She was gray and black, or maybe black and gray? She had gold hoops in her ears and gold rings on her neck. I stared at her, too tired and muddled with poison and meeting a new person for the first time in months to think up a coherent response.

"Rest, rest will stop you feeling sickly!" She said, pointing to the bed behind me. "The poison will not be cured that quickly!"

It seemed safe.

I was out of the woods. It was warm. She hadn't killed me yet. I wasn't restrained. I'd been treated.

Sleep sounded good. I lay back down, wrapped the blanket around myself, and closed my eyes.

Blood. Pain. Fire. Screams.

I woke to sunlight.

The fire was cold. The zebra was gone, the door open, letting in the sights and sounds of a beautiful summer day. I awoke slowly, drifting out of the haunted dark of my dreams. Rubbing my eyes, I sat up. I was feeling better. The nausea and chills from the poison had subsided. I felt...rested. For the first time in months, I felt like the exhaustion I'd been living with might have started to ebb slightly. Slowly, a smile worked its way onto my face. The exuberance I'd felt the other day at being free was returning, if slightly more dimly. I stood and stretched, looking around for my clothes. I spotted them, folded neatly and placed on a shelf. I dressed quickly and chewed my lip pensively, trying to decided what to do.

Should I leave? I wanted to be moving. I wanted to go out into the forest and see something new. To feel the sun on my face. Dip my toes in a stream. Chase a butterfly. But should I? The zebra who found me seemed pretty adamant about me staying in bed last night. Was that last night? How long had I been out?

I checked the scratch on my arm. It was still a scab. I hadn't been asleep for weeks, or this would be gone. Especially with the gem considered. I paced around the fire once or twice, and stuck my head out the door. A small patch of grass was framed by the tall trees of the forest I'd landed in. Stepping outside, I paced around the yard.

The tree hut was just as impressive outside as in. It was obviously still alive, green leaves and even some blossoms proving that. The forest was much the same as I remembered, which means gloriously unlike my cell in every way. I spent a minute taking in the freedom flowing around me, considering the fact that I could go anywhere I wanted, do anything.

I did my stretches.

Splinter had introduced me to the idea of martial arts. Being a pony, he hadn't been able to teach me much, but he gave me a few basic ideas and I'd tried to develop what I could. I stretched my muscles and started to practice moving.

In slow motions, I mimicked kicks, punches, and blocks. I had no formal training to draw on, so I'd tried to use what the bugs had beaten into me. I visualized the movements of my enemies and felt the expansion and contraction of my muscles. Splinter had explained some of the philosophy behind what he practiced and I had tried to apply it, but eventually gave up. I was doing this to make myself better at killing. Specifically, I was trying to make myself better at killing my captors. I mimed punching through a crystalline eyeball, imagining the crunch. I'd felt that a few times and it had always given me a sliver of joy. I pretended to block a strike, my arm flowing up and brushing it to the side. That motion had saved my skin countless times.

As I moved through the familiar motions, I fell slowly into a state of quiet contemplation. My mind slowly churned over what had happened, extracting the important things and shuffling the rest away for later. Finally when I was sweating and tired I collapsed on the ground, laying in the prickly grass and looking up at the sky.

"Well, my patient, enjoying the weather? A bit of sun might make anyone feel better."

I lifted my head, and found the zebra I'd met approaching along the path.

"Sorry." I replied, slowly pushing myself to my feet. "I don't speak Equestrian well."

"Oh, you are a traveler from afar? Together we make a pair, although slightly bizarre."

"Um. If it's not rude to ask...why are you rhyming at me?"

"I speak as I do to fence my tongue. It needs forethought; I can choose my words with care. This is what I was taught." She paused for a second, and regarded me carefully. "You know, you're the first person to ask me that?" I was surprised to hear her drop the rhyme for the question. I shook my head numbly in reply.

"I meant no offense..."

"No, no, don't worry about it. I will forbear, since your language skills are still growing. But, if you don't mind, could I have your name? You can call me Zecora. Some call me Shaman of the Everfree."

"I'm Wesley. If you like, you can call me Wes."

"Well, Wes, are you feeling better? Most of the poison should be purged from your system by now. How did you manage to end up in the Everfree? If I didn't know better, I'd say you fell from the sky."

"Uh..." I opened my mouth, and stopped. "Funny story, actually-"

"Zecora! Zecora!" An unexpected voice startled me and my mind kicked into overdrive as something red and tan bounced out of the forest, headed right for the zebra. I dove backwards, hurtling through the door into the hut and slamming it behind me, I put my back to it and held it tight.

"Apple Bloom..." I heard Zecora sigh. "What have I told you about jumping out at people?"

"To not do it and that ponies don't like it." A singsong voice replied to the zebra. Turning around, I cracked the door and looked out. In front of the zebra was the cutest thing I had ever seen. Now, don't get me wrong, I'd seen ponies before. Even mares. Fallen Leaves had been cute. But this was a baby! Her huge eyes and tiny legs, combined with the round head and big red ribbon, made me want to pick her up and squeeze her.

"Yes, Apple Bloom. You scared my guest. Wesley? Could you please come out, and meet my friend Apple Bloom?"

I slowly swung the door open and edged out. Although I'd simply been startled, my heart was still racing. I cautiously approached.

"Hi! Mah name is Apple Bloom! Ah live on the farm! Nice to meet'cha! Sorry to startle you, Ah just..."

I spaced out a little, letting the inane chatter wash over me. Truthfully, I was feeling a little overwhelmed. This was the second new person I'd met. I'd barely adjusted to knowing Zecora and my acquaintances had already doubled.

"Apple Bloom." Zecoras voice was stern, and quelled the filly quickly. "Wes needs his rest. He was stung by a manticore, so please don't pester him. Now, what did you want to ask me?" I gave her a grateful glance, and retired into the hut, thinking to lay back down for a bit.

A little later, Apple Bloom and Zecora followed me. But they pretty much ignored me. Although Apple Bloom kept shooting me curious looks, she kept her distance, something I was grateful for. From what little I could gather from their conversation, Zecora was giving her a lesson on some sort of medicinal herb.

Apple Bloom left as the shadows started to lengthen. Zecora stewed some of the things she had picked in her forest expeditions that day and served me a plate of soup. I accepted gratefully and sat cross legged near the fire, facing her.

"Wes, if you don't mind, I have a few questions for you."

I swallowed my mouthful of soup, and shrugged.

"Go for it. I'll tell you whatever I can."

"Well then, where are you from?"

I hesitated for a second before answering.

"I don't know if you'll believe this, but...I'm pretty sure I'm from another world."

Slowly over excellent soup and later over glasses of some sort of beer that the zebra brewed herself, the story came out. I gave her a rough outline of Earth and how I'd fit into it. How one day, I'd gone camping and woken up somewhere else. How I'd been wandering alone and helpless through the forest, when I'd stumbled across the Hive. I skipped what I felt I could of my imprisonment, merely highlighting the horrors I'd faced and culminating in the death of Splinter and my escape. I showed her the gem embedded in my chest and she nodded pensively.

"Your story is quite strange, Wes. But it rings with truth." She sipped from her mug, and refilled mine. "You are welcome to stay with me for a while, if you like. It's quiet here and I can heal your body. Your mind is scarred too, however, and I don't think I can do much for that. Nothing except provide you a safe haven."

"Thanks, Zecora. Splinter promised me that the people of this world were good. He made me promise not to judge the world harshly because of the changelings. It looks like he was right. I would like to stay with you for a bit, I think."

She raised her glass and I clicked it to mine.

"To your stay. May it be dull and uneventful."

I smiled. I could drink to that.

3 - Relapse

Relapse

"So then, we went WOOOOSH! Off the end of the ramp, and came back down, SPLAT! in this big mud puddle!" Apple Bloom gestured furiously, tracing out the motions she and her friends had followed on their skateboards. "Mah sister wasn't very happy about that." I laughed softly and nodded.

"I bet she wasn't." The young filly and I were sitting on the grass outside of Zecora's hut. It had been a few days and my cuts and scratches were mostly healed. I was starting to feel a little restless about staying here and was considering visiting town.

"Hey, Apple Bloom." I asked, turning to the cheerful youngster.

"Yep?"

"You didn't seem to scared or even surprised to see me, even though I'm about as far from a pony as possible. Why is that?"

"Oh, you tain't nothing at all. We get plenty of non-pony people through Ponyville. We even have a dragon living there, and no-one looks at him twice! Sure, you're a little strange, but you don't hurt nobody."

"So...if I went into town, you don't think it would cause problems? Would anyone care?"

"Nah, it'd be fine! Are you going to go? Ah could introduce you to my friends! Can we go now?" She bounced up and grabbed my sleeve with her teeth, tugging me towards town. I stumbled up and took a few steps towards her, at which point she promptly fell flat on her haunches.

"Now, just hold on a minute." I said, as I freed my sleeve from her grip. "I don't know if-"

"Oh, please! Please come! Mah friends are lots of fun, and the ponies in Ponyville are friendly, and Ah'll even buy you a cupcake!" She looked up at me, and widened her eyes, sticking out her lower lip just a bit.

"You are just too. Dang. Cute." I said, caving in to adorable overload. Talking with Apple Bloom had improved my Equestrian significantly, although at first it had taken a bit of work for me to understand her accent. "Fine, fine. I do want to go. And a cupcake sounds like it would be great. But, Apple Bloom, I don't know if I can deal with crowds well, so lets try and stick to quiet places, OK?"

"OK, Mister Wes! Come on, let's go!" She set off down the path, bounding ahead quickly.

"Wait wait, slow down! I can't run as fast as you can!"

Laughing a little, I chased her down the path to Ponyville.

"And this is the Golden Oaks Library! Twilight Sparkle lives here with Spike! She's best friends with mah sister; she's really smart, and knows all sorts of things. Do you want to meet her?" I tried to swallow my mouthful of delicious cupcake so I could respond, but didn't make it in time. My young tour guide pushed the door open and darted through. l cautiously followed, ducking through the door and standing near her in the middle of the room.

The interior of the library was oddly similar to Zecora's hut. Again, a house made out of a tree. Again, packed with shelves. This time however, the shelves were filled to the brim with books instead of being stuffed with reagents. I scanned the shelves, my eyes sliding across the unfamiliar script.

"Twilight? Twilight, are you here? I have someone who wants to meet you!" Apple Bloom yelled.

"Apple Bloom? I'll be down in a minute!" A female voice yelled from other room. There was a muted pop behind me. "What is-CHANGELING!" I heard the yell, and spun, trying to orient myself on the new threat, just as I was picked up in a magic aura. My combat instincts kicked into high gear, and the room turned into a war zone.

Rule four of fighting magic; any grapples go by center-of-mass.

I kicked off the floor, spinning myself in the magic grip and stretched myself for one of the bookcases next to me. At full extension, I managed to hook my fingers under the lip of a shelf and haul myself towards it. My attacker, a purple unicorn, obviously hadn't expected any sort of resistance and her eyes popped wide as I managed to yank myself several inches through the air before her telekinetic grip firmed up. It wasn't much, but it was enough for me to get my fingers on the spine of the heaviest book I could see.

Rule two of fighting magic; any active spells can be canceled at their source.

I winged the book at the unicorn, the hard binding smacking into her head with a satisfying thump. The aura around me winked out for a second, long enough for me to get my feet under me, draw my dagger, and leap towards my attacker.

Rule three of fighting magic; mana burn stings like crazy.

She shook her head, obviously woozy from the magic backlash, and I almost had her. I would have been on her like a ton of bricks a split second later, but a small tan and red figure jumped in my way. I swerved, trying to avoid Apple Bloom, and that gave my lavender opponent enough time to recover.

Rule number one of fighting magic; if you won't deal with competent spellcasters quickly, you are in for a world of hurt.

This time, the magic that picked me up was some sort of binding spell. I could feel the hard magic wrap around limbs, tightening until I could barely move a muscle. Scenarios and plans cascaded through my head as I tried to think of some way, any way, out of this predicament. I eventually calmed down a bit when I heard Apple Bloom crying.

"-don't fight! Wes, Ah'm sorry, Ah didn't think-" Calmer now, I did what little I could; I focused all of my remaining strength into my legs and kicked as hard as possible, hoping to break free.

"OW!" The unicorn holding me winced, but didn't relent. "Apple Bloom, I can smell changeling magic all over him! You've been tricked!" Her horn began to glow brighter, the magic aura from two spells re-enforcing to form a brilliant glow. "Now, deceiver, let's see your true form!" A beam of bright magenta magic lashed out from her horn, striking me right in the chest.

Right where my gem was.

There was a shattering sound and I blacked out.

I swam in and out of consciousness for a while. I heard snatches of panicked yelling, some hysterical sobbing and a few attempts to remain calm. None of them really made it through my own haze of confusion and pain, until I felt the soft familiarity of Zecora's bed.

"What do I do? What do I do?" That was the lilac unicorn who had attacked me. What had Apple Bloom called her? Twilight?

"Is...is he going to be OK?" That voice, on the edge of tears, was Apple Bloom. I tried to move, to reassure her that I'd had worse even if it was a lie, but the blackness wrapped around me was impenetrable and my limbs wouldn't respond. I guess I was hurt bad. The helplessness spiked my terror again and I heard a crunch and a fizzle.

"He is getting worse. I fear at this rate, there is not much I can do." That was the calm voice of my zebra friend, Zecora.

"He can't die! He just can't!" Apple Bloom cried. "Ah haven't even taken him to see the farm! He never got the chance to meet Sweetie and Scoots! Twilight, I hate you! You KILLED my FRIEND!" There was a shocked gasp, a stampede of tiny hooves and a rattling slam as the door was bucked closed hard enough to rattle the shelves.

"I..." There was a choking sound and quiet sobs started. "I killed him? Dear Celestia, what have I done?"

"You must take the blame, this much is true. But his chance of salvation lies also with you. He is not dead yet, merely headed there fast. You have shattered his heart; it was made out of glass. It was strong, evil magic, that much is right, but for magical problems, trust your mind over might." The zebra paused for a minute, and dropped the rhyme. "There is hope yet, Twilight Sparkle. It will not be simple or easy, but you may yet be able to save his life and make amends. I am no stranger to dark magic, and I think I can help you..."

Dreamless sleep is something I don't often have the luxury of. Waking this time however, I didn't feel so much like I'd been asleep, but as though I'd been drowning in oblivion and just now happened to surface. I tried to stretch, but groaned in pain. My whole body hurt. Not the sore ache of tired muscles, or even the sting of cuts or burns, but a bone-deep pain, like a sore tooth, throbbing over my entire body. It HURT. More than anything...oh wait, except for the time those bugs had....more than ALMOST anything I'd ever felt. Seriously, one a scale from 'one' to 'excruciating', it ranked an 'OW OW OW OW'.

I managed to pry my eyes open and found myself back in Zecora's hut. A warm weight was draped over my legs and I turned my head to see that Apple Bloom was laying across them. As I moved, her eyes snapped open and she bounced up.

"Wes! You're awake! You're ALIVE!" She hugged me, squealed, and broke into tears. "Ah was so worried! Twilight shot you and then there was this horrible noise and flames started to shoot everywhere and... and...Waaaaah!"

I nodded, and petted her for a bit while she calmed down. Once she'd stopped crying, a guilty look snuck onto her face and she leaped off the bed.

"Ah'm sorry, Zecora said not to bother you, but Ah just..." She looked down, ashamed, and kicked the floor. "Sorry. It's good to see you're OK. Ah need to go find Zecora."

I nodded, but held out a hand. "Water." I croaked, surprised my voice worked. She eagerly fetched me a drink before leaving the hut and closing the door gently behind her. Thirst quenched, I sank back into oblivion.

When I surfaced again, it was night. The fire crackled merrily and the cheerful light flickered on the walls. I slowly sat up, once again groaning at the pain. It felt like my body had been ripped apart. Few people can claim to know what that feels like, but it has happened to me.

Zecora was at my side in an instant, supporting my back and holding a cup to my lips.

"This will help with the pain," she said. I drank it slowly. It tasted worse than fermented feet, but I would have proclaimed it ambrosia if it alleviated my aches.

"What happened?" I croaked.

"Later." She said. "We will explain later. For now, sleep." I sighed in bliss as the potion burned through my body, consuming the pain and leaving behind cool relief. Suddenly exhausted, I closed my eyes.

Blood. Pain. Fire. Screams.

I opened my eyes. It was day and I was feeling much less awful. I lay in bed, enjoying the feeling of being relaxed. As I did, my mind wandered back to the dream I'd had. It had been particularly bad this time. Something had dredged up my memory of the night I was fitted with my gem. It had happened soon after I'd ended up in this world.

I had been captured and dragged to the Hive, where they had 'tested' me and deemed me fit to be a gladiator, the prized food source of the changelings. It wasn't until later that I really understood what had been happening; at the time, all I knew was that I'd gone camping in the woods and now I was being tortured by pony-sized bugs.

This dream though, was of one very specific night. Not long after I'd been 'approved', the changelings had retrieved me from my cell. They had dragged me though the tunnels, ignoring my weeping and manacled me to the wall in the Nexus, a giant crystal cave. Afterwards they brought in another one of the prisoners, who I later realized had failed the examination.

They killed him in front of me.

Blood. There wasn't much. Just some ritual runes and things. Pain. My wrists and ankles had hurt, from manacles and struggling. Fire. The chamber and the crystals of the Nexus had been lit by dancing flames. Screams. Soon, my anguish faded into the uncaring void.

The whole ritual had been marked by austerity. In some ways, it was the least of my memories. Looked at objectively, many worse things had happened to me. There was a reason that I had nightmares about it, though, and they all centered around the gem in my chest. Moving with care, a changeling had arranged us in the patterns, and cast the ritual that bound me to the cursed crystal...at the cost of anothers life. Over the course of several hours, the life of the pony across from me was leeched out and the flickering of the gem attached to my chest grew. When I saw the yellow energy seeping out of his body and into the pattern, and I noticed his breathing was becoming labored, I started to realize what was going on. I fought my bonds the whole time, but when he breathed his last, I screamed and thrashed until I broke an arm.

That was the first night of my nightmare. I knew, on an intellectual level, that I hadn't killed him. I hadn't been party to the evil magic that turned his life force into a tool for cruel amusement. But the weight always hung on me, like a millstone around my neck. Every time I was healed, his face flashed in front of my eyes. Nameless. I couldn't even discern the color of his coat, much less his cutie mark.

Even though I might not have cast the spell, my skin had always crawled at the touch of the stone's magic. A pony had died for this. A sentient being, killed for the convenience of my captors, so they could enjoy making a blood sport out of me. I abhorred the gem.

"Wes?" I prized my eyes open, to find Zecora standing above me. "Wes, Twilight wants to talk to you, to explain what happened. I know she attacked you, but she wants to apologize. If I let her in here, will you listen? You don't have to do any more than that, but I want your promise not to hurt her. She made a mistake, and wants to atone for it. Just listen. Please?"

I nodded my acceptance, and the zebra left. A second later, the door squeaked again and the lilac unicorn came in. Her steps were hesitant and her ears were laid flat against her head. I turned so I could see her and she winced as my gaze landed on her.

"Um...first, I want to say I'm so, so, sorry." She sighed. "I could claim ignorance. I thought you were a changeling and I tried to dispel the enchantment I thought was disguising you. But...well, I was wrong. That's all there is to it. I should have listened to Apple Bloom and given you a chance to speak. The bolt of magic I used on you cracked the crystal heart embedded in your chest and nearly killed you." Her voice broke and she paused for a few seconds, before continuing hoarsely. "I almost ended your life. Because of a mistake." She sniffled and wiped at her nose with a hoof. "You convulsed and flames started shooting out of your chest. I was shocked and nearly dropped you. Apple Bloom finally got through to me and we came to Zecora for help. She explained a little about what you'd told her. About the changelings. And the fights. She worked as fast and hard as she could, but you were fading quickly. You were going to die."

She raised her head a little. "You almost did die. The crystal heart is linked to your soul. Every time it healed you, it burned a little more of your life energy away. When I broke the heart, I shattered your soul along with it." She paused again, obviously disturbed. "I couldn't let you die. I couldn't! I..." She stopped, obviously struggling to continue, although it seemed she had rehearsed this speech. "I-I rebuilt the gem and bound part of my soul in it to save your life. It's all I could do! I don't know if you can ever forgive me, but I hope I can make it up to you. You will heal, slowly. I hope until then, you will let me help you." Her voice faded out, and she stared at me. A tear rolled down her cheek, a mixture of hope, fear, and self-loathing fighting in her eyes.

I lifted my shirt and carefully pulled on the bandages wrapped around my torso, trying to reveal the crystal that had been my curse and burden for so long. When I could see it, my hands froze in shock. Instead of glowing with the familiar yellow I'd known for so long, it was filled with a gentle lilac fire. My breathing accelerated as I flashed back to...blood. Pain. Fire. Screams. I rubbed my wrists, as the manacles seemed to clamp down on them, and curled up in a ball on the bed, trying to exorcise the memories.

They refused to leave me alone. Once again I felt the obscene pressure that had drained the life from that poor unfortunate and hung it on my shoulders to carry. Half of my hate for this gem had been where it came from. And now, I was responsible for it happening again.

I barely heard the slow retreating hoofsteps of my purple visitor.

4 - Interpersonal

Interpersonal

"And here is where you'll sleep!"

Twilight forced a jittery cheerfulness into her voice as she showed me my room. I nodded and placed my one possession, my belt and sheath, on the dresser.

"I'll...leave you to get settled in." She nervously withdrew.

"Wes." Zecora stepped up beside me and tapped me on the shoulder. "How are you doing?" I sighed and slowly walked out of the library. Twilight had found out I needed somewhere to stay and asked that I live with her, in order to apologize to me. I had accepted, trying to assuage her feelings of guilt, but I still found it hard to face her. My own feelings of fear and anguish kept surfacing and it seemed the crystal was trying to bore a hole in my chest. We stepped outside and I led Zecora down one of the small streets, enjoying the sun and letting it relax my muscles.

"The funny thing is, Zecora, I'm not even angry at her for attacking me." I paused for a minute. "I mean, sure, it's not like I'm happy about it, but...it was an honest mistake. She thought she was protecting Apple Bloom." I sighed again, but my zebra companion didn't say anything. "This might sound stupid, but I never considered holding a grudge. I probably should care a bit more, but...well, death has been a fact of my life for so long now, that it didn't even register that I should have been angry. I just thought, 'Oh, a fatal wound. Looks like I didn't make it, after all.' I mean, not that I didn't care, it just isn't....Oh, I don't' know what to say. But I'm not angry at her."

"Have you told her this?" Zecora's voice was mildly reproving.

"Oh, I've tried. But there's a bit more too it than that. You've seen the gem in my chest, right? You know what it is?"

"Fell, fierce, dark and dangerous, magic that should never see the light of day."

"Oh, that's all correct, and more. But it was forced on me, and I saw the whole thing played out. They killed a pony to make it, Zecora. They killed him in front of me, and I got to watch as his life-force was drained and placed in this gem on my chest. I've never gotten over that. I've always felt him, hanging around my shoulders, the weight of a life that shouldn't have been ended there. I carry it with me."

"His death was not your fault."

"Hah. You think I don't know? Tell that to my heart, Zecora. It's not enough for me to say to myself, 'Wes, you're not at fault, Twilight isn't going to die, you won't end up carrying her...her soul around for countless years...' Unfortunately, my heart doesn't listen and whenever I see her, I flash back to that room. I can feel the cold steel of the manacles and every swirling emotion that filled my chest."

We walked in silence for a bit.

"Wes, you seem to be a good person."

"Thank you, Zecora. I do try, although you've done more for me than I can ever repay."

"Freely given, Wes. But that is not my point. You are a good person. So is Twilight. Don't avoid her, Wes. You two are close together, at least for now. If you give in to your feelings and take the easy way out, you will never get over your fear. More than that though, your friendship would also help Twilight forgive herself. That mare holds herself to a higher standard than anypony else could. What she did...it is breaking her up inside. She needs healing as much as you, and your acceptance and forgiveness can do a lot towards starting that."

I nodded slowly. "Thanks, Zecora. I'll try."

"Good. Now, let us return. I do believe they are making lunch for us."

"So, your name is Wesley?"

I nodded. I was being introduced to a small, purple and green dragon, wearing an apron.

"And you're here because Twilight hurt you, and wanted to apologize."

I nodded again.

"Well, I'm Spike. I'm Twilight's number one assistant! If you need to find anything around here, just ask me."

"Spike, stop bothering Wes!" Twilight grabbed him, and pulled him away. "Sorry about that," She laughed nervously. "I tell him not to be a bother, but..." She gathered up the dishes from the meal and quickly retreated from the room. I sighed. He hadn't been a bother. I wouldn't have minded talking to him for a bit, if only for the company of someone who I could comfortably look in the eyes.

I lay my forehead on the table and tried to think. Twilight was avoiding me. I didn't feel confident enough to talk to her anyways. I needed to say something, but didn't know what.

Was interpersonal stuff always this hard? I'd never been a particularly outgoing person, preferring my own company in high school. The habit only go worse in college, where my even my roommate barely saw me. I'd made friends with Splinter, but...well, that had been more a matter of survival than anything. How was I supposed to convey my feelings to Twilight? I had no idea what do say and I choked up when I tried to say anything at all!

CRAAAAASH!

I was knocked out of my contemplations when the door to the library blasted open and something slammed into my side with enough force to flip me out of my chair and plaster me against the wall. The bookshelves in my side hurt and then I collapsed in a heap on the floor. That would have hurt more, but I landed on something soft and...blue?

"Ow, ow, ow. Sorry about that." A rough voice apologized from the bottom of the pile.

A blue pegasus pony with large feathery wings and flamboyant rainbow colored hair had blasted through the door and hit me. And now I was sprawled on top of her, in a heap on the floor.

"Hey, get off me, Twilight!"

"Um..."

There was a blur and the pony under me was gone.

"You're not Twilight!" She stood over me, and poked me with a hoof. "You're....You're the guy who...! Alright, come with me." Showing surprising strength, the rainbow-maned mare grabbed my shirt in her teeth and started to drag me from the room. I scooted along the floor for a short ways and then scrambled to my feet. She let go as I did; it was either that, or end up hanging from my collar.

"What is up with you?" I asked, mildly annoyed. "First you bust through the door and throw me into a bookshelf and now you're trying to drag me off somewhere? Who are you, even?"

"Oh, right. I guess you wouldn't have heard of me yet, being new in town and all, but I'm Rainbow Dash! Fastest flyer in all of Equestria, weather mare extraordinaire and one of Twilight's good friends. Now come on!" She trotted out the door, leaving me behind. I almost let her go, content to sit here and mope a bit more, but curiosity urged me forward and I followed.

She was standing in the road, waiting for me, her hooves spread and head down. My memory pinged; I'd seen that before, but from where?

"Alright, let's do this. Right here, right now, no holds barred."

Suddenly, I remembered. Splinter had used that stance when he was fighting. I blinked and she was gone. I blinked again and I was on the ground, two hoofprints on my chest.

"Wait, wait!" I yelled, rolling backwards and springing to my feet. "I don't think this is a good idea."

"Why not?" She dipped to the left and I turned to follow. "Afraid? Don't want to hit a mare?"

"No, I-"

"You seemed willing enough the other day. Willing enough to draw a knife on one of my friends!"

"But I-"

"Shut up and pony up! Either you're going to fight me, or I'm going to beat you black and blue!" Another kick connected. I managed to block this one, but the force behind it almost staggered me. I took a step back and made my decision.

I wasn't really afraid of getting hurt, although I undoubtedly would be. Rather, I was afraid that if I went into this, I wouldn't be able to hold myself back. I'd spent nearly a year, day in and day out, fighting for my life. Every single blow I'd landed in those fights had been aimed to kill or maim. I hadn't held back anything. Maybe when Twilight had surprised me things would have worked out better if I hadn't attacked her without thinking. Right now deliberately picking a fight seemed foolish. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to hold myself back in the heat of combat. My brain only had two settings right now; peace, and full-auto. I didn't have a 'stun' setting.

Another blow brought me back to the present. I wasn't being given a choice. How could I resolve this, without grievous bodily harm to either of us?

Fine. I thought. I wasn't going to just stand there and take this. I steeled my concentration and got my head in the game. I started off with a few punches and counters. Rainbow backed off a bit, as I ruthlessly exploited any opening I saw to land telling body blows. They were fierce, but I did my best to stay away from her internal organs, windpipe and arteries, as tempting as they were.

I could tell fighting against my instincts was affecting my speed. Several times, she managed to get blows back through my defense. It was obvious she had some training, and probably by a better teacher than Splinter. I however, had experience to draw on and a very, very well defined sense of what my body could take before it started to break. I'd stress tested it, after all.

The exchange soon started to tell on both of us. I could tell by my ragged breathing, and when her quips and witty banter stopped. I was only slightly surprised when her wings flapped and she leaped back from our engagement and into the sky.

Stupid wings. They're almost as bad as magic. I'd been handily beaten by changelings who knew how to utilize the high ground several times.

Good thing she didn't have a ranged weapon, at least. If she decided to drop stuff on me, I was sunk. I promptly turned my back on her and dashed for a nearby house. I planted my back against it and looked up.

She was diving for me, but pulled up short when she realized what I was doing. She couldn't get any momentum behind her flight if I stayed near obstacles.

That didn't stop her from using hit-and-run, though. She was a much better flier than any of the changelings I'd fought, just not as battle-trained. She could turn on a dime and lash out with any of her four hooves. Soon, she was raining blows on me as she swooped and dipped just over my head. I blocked as best I could and waited for an opening.

The way I'd learned to deal with an opponent who was faster or had a longer reach than me was to get closer to them. And nothing is closer than grappling. Her eyes popped wide as I grabbed a hoof and yanked her out of the sky.

"Fingers!" I yelled at her, as I slammed her into the ground. She struggled, but I'd done this to changelings half-again my weight and won, while she had never fought a two-armed opponent before. I had her pinned, one arm blocking her wings and one fist jabbing in to crush her throat when I realized what I was doing.

I was off her so fast, it must have looked like I could teleport. I focused for a second, trying to calm my breathing, but it did no good. That was a killing blow! I'd almost suffocated her!

She lay on the ground for a second, before rolling over and pushing herself to her feet. She looked pretty bedraggled, with her feathers out of place and dirt and dust all over her sky-blue coat. She coughed once or twice.

"That...that was AWESOME!" She said, shaking herself like a dog, and flapping her wings once or twice.

I stood there, struck dumb.

"Wh-what?"

"Man, you really know how to fight! Spike said you went all pony-fu on Twilight, but I didn't believe it! Man, you're good!" She bounced up on her back feet, and shadow-boxed for a second. "What style was that? I've never seen those moves!"

"Um...are you OK?" I asked tentatively, still not confident I'd managed to keep my self control.

"I'm fine." She said, snorting dismissively. "I take worse than this while trying out my stunts." She took a step forward, and winced. "Ok, maybe that will bruise. But I'm fine. Now, seriously, where did you learn to fight like that?" She walked up to me, and stared up into my face. Her magenta eyes were filled with eagerness, and she was just a little too close for comfort.

"Umm, that's a long story..."

"Ok, ok. Let's go find somewhere to chillax. I'll buy you a drink."

I eyed her for a second, and then slowly nodded. She was insane. But at least she was friendly.

"...and that's why I'm living at Twilight's."

She had slowly worked the whole story out of me, and although I had been reluctant at first, it did feel good to tell someone everything. Rainbow and I sat on a hillside, a carton of cider bottles on the grass between us. Rainbow picked another one up and twisted the top off with her teeth.

"Wow, dude."

"Yeah, that's how I feel sometimes. I mean, seriously..." I tapped the gem through my shirt, making a 'clink clink' sound. "I would have considered magic about as real as...as UFO's, or Bigfoot, if you'd told me about it a year ago. And now, well, here I am."

"Wait, you don't know about UFO's?"

I looked at her incredulously for a second, before she burst into laughter, rolling over backwards and waving her hooves in the air.

"-hooh hooh hah! Man, you should have seen your face!" She sat back up, and took another pull on her cider. "Seriously though, you need to talk to Twilight."

"Yeah, you're right. I mean, I know I do, but...it's hard, you know?" I said. She nodded somberly.

"Yeah, I know. Feelings suck, dude."

"Yeah." I snorted in response. I stood and gathered up my bottles. "Anyways, thanks, Rainbow. It was a lot of fun talking with you, but it's starting to get dark and I have no idea when supper is." I stretched, wincing at bruises. I was still getting used to the idea of feeling sore. It had been a long time since any sort of mark stayed on my body, but I liked the idea. It was another proof that I was moving forward, away from the arena.

"Hey, no problem. We'll have to do this again sometime. I really enjoyed that match we had." I flinched at the idea.

"Um, like I said..."

"Right, right, don't trust your instincts, yadda yadda, but seriously. How are you going to get better if you don't practice? And dude, you can totally get better. I plan to. If you're just going to sit around on your haunches, I'm going to kick your flank next time."

I laughed nervously, and headed back towards town, walking slowly and enjoying the night air, turning over what she'd said in my head. Did I want to continue to practice fighting? Should I continue, even if I wanted to? I'd gotten these skills, such as they were, in the most ignoble manner possible, by fighting and killing in a filthy, disgraceful manner for evil masters with evil purposes. Maybe they were better off forgotten. And would there be a need for them, in this peaceful little town?

Lost in thought, I walked through the library door and tripped over a pile of books.

The inside of the Golden Oaks library looked like a hurricane had gone through it. Books were piled everywhere, many of them open, or with multiple book marks. Several of them hung in the center of the room, enveloped in Twilight's magic. The unicorn herself, looking somewhat frazzled, sat in the center of the room mumbling to herself and taking notes with at least three quills at once.

I walked over to Spike, who was re-shelving a book and tapped him on the shoulder.

"What's all this about?" I asked quietly, trying not to draw attention.

"All night study session." He replied, yawning tiredly. "She does this whenever she can't figure something out. She has no concept of 'taking it easy' and does everything like her life depends on it. Of course, in her opinon, the best way to find answers is to check a book, so...yeah. This is what you end up with when she has a crisis. Study till you drop."

"Oh." I stood for a minute, trying to take the whole scene in. "Um, is this about..." I trailed off, and tapped my chest.

"Yeah, I think so. It started off with stuff about crystals and magic permissivity. Her research has gone off the deep end though and I'm just about lost. I mean, emotive tensors? What the hay do emotive tensors have to do with megaswirl engram absorption? They can't even interact! I mean, maybe if you used a widderspindle, but...no, that wouldn't work." The little dragon shook his head. "Anyways, I need to get her this," He said, pulling another book of the shelf. "She's done with volume nine. There's soup on the stove, if you want some."

I nodded my thanks, and picked my way around the outside of the mess, re-considering what I'd first thought of Spike. The dragon was obviously more intelligent that I'd first guessed. although to be fair, I hadn't talked to him much. Then again, I guess you don't work with someone like Twilight without picking up a few bits yourself.

The soup was corn chowder. I ate slowly and headed to bed. Maybe tomorrow I'd have a chance to talk to my host.

5 - Shattered

Shattered

I woke to a crash and a spray of flying glass.

"Did my mirror just...explode?" I mumbled, sitting up in bed and trying to clear my mind. I brushed a handful of glass fragments off my bed and felt around on the floor for my sandals. Slipping my feet into them, I padded out into the public area of the library, thinking vaguely of a broom.

Apparently I wasn't the only with reflective malfunctions, because a sleep-bleared Twilight stumbled down the stairs a minute later, shards of glass held in her telekinetic aura. She walked right past me and into the kitchen where I heard a clink-clink-clink as she threw them away.

"Twilight, did your mirror explode, too?"

The purple pony turned towards me.

"Yeah." She yawned. "Maybe my relativistic co-efficient wasn't right."

"Wait, you weren't asleep? Twilight, have you gotten any sleep, at all?" I glanced up at the clock. It was three in the morning. "You need to go to bed!"

She flinched at my raised voice.

"But, but I've had this really great idea, see...if I used a fractal matrix, maybe I could overload the thingness vectors and eliminate the spin on my numosic field, and separate-" She mumbled until I cut her off.

"No, no, no! That would never work. Numosic fields spin axially AND sidereally, and a fractal matrix can only be resolved in one dimension!"

"Oh. Oh! You're right! But that would mean...wait. How did you know that?"

My mouth snapped shut.

"...I have no idea. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm not even sure what I was just saying." I tried to grab a hold of the memory, but although I could remember just how much sense the words had made when i said them, the meaning was fading, dreamlike, from my head.

She blinked foggily at me for a second.

"Whatever. It's too late for this, and I'm going to bed." She said, turning to leave.

"Good." I followed her out. "Get some rest." I walked back to my room, confused. Where had that come from? I puzzled over it as I swept the floor. It's not like knowledge could just appear in my head like that, right...?

"Is she going to become completely nocturnal?" I asked, as I shoved a bit of pancake in my mouth.

"Probably not." Spike replied, flipping another onto my plate from his pan. I smeared butter on it, and picked up the maple syrup. "She gets like this sometimes," He said. "Hopefully, she'll be back to normal in a bit."

"I'm just afraid that she's avoiding me."

"She might be. But if she is, she won't admit it. Your best bet is to give her a few days; she will either cool off, or melt down. That's the best time to talk to her."

"Well, I"ll take your word for it, Spike. Hey, I had a question. Are there any quick ways to make a bit of money in this town? I want to be able to pay Twilight some rent."

"Wes...you know she wasn't thinking of that when she invited you here."

"Yeah. What she was thinking of was a mixture of crushing guilt and apprehension. I don't want to take advantage of her good nature; this is something I want to do."

The young dragon looked at me speculatively for a minute.

"Well, most of the well-established business don't need a part-timer. You could probably find work on one of the farms, if you wanted. But if all you want is a quick bit....are you afraid of the Everfree?"

"That's....the forest where Zecora lives, right?"

"Yeah. It can be pretty dangerous in there, what with the wild animals and weather."

"Well, I don't really have a good handle on how dangerous it is, I guess. but I felt safe at Zecoras, and I did manage to run off a manticore. Maybe if I made myself a spear..." I thought about it for a minute. "I think I'd be OK in there for a while. Why?"

"There are lots of interesting and magical things that live in the Everfree." He flipped the pancakes in his pan, and stepped out of the kitchen for a minute, returning with a slim volume, printed on cheap paper and bound in card-stock. He handed it to me and stepped back to the stove.

"The Wizard's Almanac?" I asked, reading the front of the book. "What?"

"Try page twenty-seven."

I flipped through the book, quickly coming to a page of small boxes, each with a name and a price.

"Alchemicals from the Everfree; going prices." I read a few of the boxes. "Wow. Some of these are...wow."

"Yeah, well...the Everfree is pretty much unique. It's also pretty dangerous. A lot of the things there are a niche market, but it's a niche market for people who have money. If you want a temporary job, you could take up hunting for these. It's high-risk, but it's also high-reward. And Zecora could help you, I think. However." Spike bit off the last word, and turned to look me in the eyes. "If you manage to get seriously hurt, Twilight will be devastated." He poked his spatula at me, managing to look menacing in a small purple apron. "And that will make ME angry. Got it?" I nodded, soberly. I thought this was a good idea, but I'd better go about it carefully. He was right; getting hurt again wouldn't be good for my host, and the whole point of this was to pay her back a little.

"Thanks for the food." I carried my plate over to the sink, and rinsed it off. "And thanks for the suggestions. I think I"m going to go visit Zecora." I waved the Almanac at him. "Is it OK if I borrow this?"

"Sure, take it with you." He sat down at the table, and pulled the syrup towards his plate. "I'll write it in the checkout book."

"Oh, hello Apple Bloom." I stepped into Zecora's hut, and closed the door behind me. "Did something break?" The filly was sweeping a pile of glass shards into a dustpan, just as I arrived.

"Yeah. Zecora said that her mirror shattered in the night, and that it was some kinda warning. She took off as soon as Ah got here, telling me to stay by the hut and clean up. Said she wouldn't be gone long."

"Huh." I sat down on a clean part of the floor, and flipped open my book. "I hope she's not too long. Weirdly enough, Twilight's mirrors broke last night, too. She thought it might have been something to do with an magical experiment."

"That's odd." Apple Bloom agreed, as she trotted past me and dumped the glass shards in Zecora's garbage pit outside. Coming back in, she curled up next to me, and looked at my book. "What are you reading?"

"Oh, Spike gave me this." I waved the book. "It's an almanac for wizards. Lots of odd things in here. But I'm looking at this." I showed her the pages on alchemical ingredients. "Spike suggested that I might be able to find some of these plants in the Everfree, and sell them for a bit of money."

"Mandrake? Flameweed? Wesley, some of these things are really dangerous!"

"Well, that's why I was going to ask Zecora. I thought maybe she would be willing to take me along with her. I could watch her back. These are plants she uses, right?"

"Yeah, most of them. Woah, sparkle salts sell for ten bits an ounce? But that does make some sense, Ah guess..." She trotted over to peer at the shelves, checking on various different ingredients. It seemed she was favoring her left foreleg over her right.

"Hey Apple Bloom, are you limping?"

"Huh?" She looked back over her withers at me. "Oh, yeah. A little, Ah guess. I was helping to buck apples the other day, and Ah might have overextended myself a bit."

"Do you want me to rub it for you?"

"Well, Ah wouldn't say no." She came back over, and lay down with her back towards me. I carefully reached for her near shoulder, and buried my fingers in her tan fur.

"Ooooo...." She sighed as I started to rub. "Wes, that feels just peachy."

"Good." I said. She closed her eyes, and lay her head on the floor. I concentrated on working her muscles gently.

"If you don't become an herb gatherer, Ah bet you could make money as a masseuse." She mumbled. I grinned.

A few minutes later, I heard hoof steps approaching.

"Hey, I bet that's Zecora." I said, standing up. Apple Bloom reluctantly got to her hooves as well. "Feel better?" I asked.

"Much." She replied. We both stepped outside.

It wasn't Zecora, however. Instead, it was a slender yellow-coated pegasus with a strawberry pink mane.

"Howdy, Miss Fluttershy!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "Fancy seeing you here! What's up?"

"He-hello." The pegusus responded timidly. "Um, I was wondering if I could borrow Zecora's mirror. If that isn't too much trouble. I didn't mean to bother you."

"Did your mirror break, too?" I asked, curious.

"Yes. Last night, I heard the most frightful noise, and when I woke up, there was glass all over the bathroom! My Angel Bunny was very bothered by it, so I thought maybe I could borrow Zecoras, since I was coming this way on my visit to Mr. and Mrs. Bear anyways."

"Well, we'd love to help you, Fluttershy, but Ah'm afraid that Zecora's broke, as well."

"I'm beginning to think this isn't a coincidence." I said. "I wonder how many other people have broken mirrors this morning?"

"Oh!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "You two haven't been introduced yet, right? Fluttershy, this is Wes. He's my friend, and he's thinking of gathering things in the Everfree with Zecora! Wes, this is Fluttershy. She's the town veterinarian, and takes care of all sorts of animals at her house."

"Nice to meet you." I said, extending my fist. She responded by bumping it with her hoof, the pony version of shaking hands.

"N-nice to meet you." She replied in a tiny voice. "U-um, what sort of creature are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm a human."

"O-oh."

We all stood there awkwardly for a second, until Zecora stepped out of the forest, right next to Fluttershy. There was an 'Eeeep!', and the yellow pegasus was gone. Zecora sighed, shaking her head.

"Wes, it's good to see you." She said, obviously distracted. Apple Bloom and I followed her into her hut, where she extracted Fluttershy from under the bed. "I apologize for giving you a fright. But I need you to listen well. Ponyville is in quite the plight. I ventured into the Everfree this morning, after I discovered that my mirror was broken. Do you know what a broken mirror signifies?"

"Um..." Apple Bloom answered hesitantly. "Seven years bad luck...?"

"Right. But do any of you know where that old tale came from?"

All three of us shook our heads.

"Well, it has to do with mirror magic."

"Mirror magic?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Right. Mirrors can be used for magic. Usually magic that's used to spy on people. Sometimes magic that uses mirrors as doors. The superstition comes from the story that if you break a mirror that a mirror mage is using, he will curse you. Probably impossible, since how can he curse you, if his mirror is gone? There are records, though, of powerful mirror spells that broke mirrors."

"Twilight thought that one of her experiments had broken the mirrors in the library," I volunteered.

"I suppose it's possible." Zecora mused for a second. She shook her head. "No, that is most likely not the case. The amount of power required to break mirrors all over town isn't too much for her, but she wouldn't have done it by accident. However, I think I might be able to shed some light on this." The zebra reached back into her saddlebags, and extracted a vial of water. She swirled it and held it in the sunlight, where it cast a rainbow of shadows around the room. She took a white bowl off the shelf, and poured the water into it. She added a few drops of another liquid, which turned the water dead black.

"This is water from the Mirror Pool, deep in the Everfree. I think that with this, we may be able to scry some of the resonances of any mirror magic that was used last night. It might not show us much, but we can at least guess if it was magic or not." She waved a hoof over the water, and mumbled for a second in what I assumed was Zebrican. As the ripples died down, the reflections on the surface of the water re-arranged themselves, forming rapidly shifting shapes and forms. For a second, it resolved itself into a glowing green eye. It blinked once, and then was gone, as the surface of the water was broken by a flurry of bubbles.

"Is it...boiling?" I asked, holding my hand over the water to feel the heat.

"Yes." Zecora said, her voice flat. She shuddered. "What power! A spell that leaves that much residue behind...we need to discover what it did as soon as possible!" All three of us nodded.

"You should go ask Twilight." Fluttershy said quietly. I looked over at the yellow pegasus, and nodded.

"She might have some idea what sort of magic could do this." I said.

"Very well." Zecora said, carefully pouring the water out the door into the dirt. "Let's go."

"I hope she's awake." I said, and we set off down the path, parting with Fluttershy at the door.

6 - Weave

Weave

"Fascinating." Twilight held a vial of Mirror Pool water, turning it this way and that before her face. Her horn glowed as she examined it both magically and mundanely. "This has some very unusual properties! Zecora, how long have you known about this stuff?"

"Oh, quite a while." Zecora said. "But rest assured, I have my reasons for not wanting the knowledge spread about."

"And you're saying that the residue your scrying picked up boiled the water?"

"Yes."

"This is going to require some research..." Twilight absentmindedly finished the sandwich Spike had made her for lunch/breakfast, and ambled out of the dining room. Zecora and I followed her, only to find her already immersed, books floating around her and pen scribbling again. We shared a wry smile and continued out the door. As I did however, an overheard mumble from Twilight caused me to freeze.

<"...but Planck length means that couldn't be the case, even with ice...">

I almost stepped back inside, about to ask Twilight where she had learned English, until I remembered my own oddness last night.

"Zecora, something weird is happening with me and Twilight, I think." The zebra turned to me inquisitively. "Come on," I said. "Someone showed me a great hill for sitting and talking around here. Let's go see if it's available."

"Well, I think I could help you with that." Zecora was looking through the Almanack. "Actually, you should also ask Apple Bloom. She is quite well versed in the ways of the Everfree, and when you are on the edges, she can be quite an effective guide." Sighing, she leaned back on the grass. "As for the other, you say that both you and Twilight have known things you shouldn't? But you don't realize until later?"

"Yeah. I think that's right."

"Well. Firstly, the spell Twilight used to heal you." She tapped my chest, the gem clinking against her hoof. I could feel the vibrations deep in my bones. "It was a thing of desperation and I am not surprised that there are unusual side effects. Twilight pulled you back from the brink by mixing the energy of her soul with yours. Souls are complex and delicate. This is just a guess, but perhaps you ended up with some of her memories and she ended up with some of yours?"

"Great." I sighed. "Now I feel like a thief AND a jerk."

"Easy, Wes. She did what she did of her own free will."

"I know, Zecora. But this is kinda a lot to take in all at once."

"...Yes."

I was getting better with ponies. I really was. I was learning not to see every one of them as a 'threat' on my subconscious danger assessment. I wasn't jumping around like crazy in town, I was able to walk calmly down the streets. I still didn't feel like I was up to large crowds, but those were blessedly uncommon in the quiet town.

I STILL wasn't prepared to have an electric-pink pony materialize directly in front of my without crossing the intervening space in any discernible manner.

"HI!"

"EEEEEEEEEEK!" I'm ashamed to admit that I screamed like a little girl and took off as fast as I could in the other direction. Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard Zecora laughing, but I was too busy getting the buck out of there to care.

"Hi! My name is Pinkie Pie! I haven't met you yet, but you're Rainbow and Twilight's new friend, right? I want to be your friend too! We can play games! Oh, are we playing tag? I like tag! Oh, oh, am I it? I want to be it!" The crazy pink creature was somehow keeping pace with me. I leaped into the forest, dashing at full speed through the underbrush. I had to concentrate and use every ounce of skill and innate speed I had to keep from falling and hurting myself, but my attacker somehow managed to not only keep pace with me, but to do it by bouncing.

I tried zigzaging, but that didn't work either.

"So, you're new here and I want to have a party for you! I love parties and any reason to throw a party should be embraced! Except we can't throw a party for a silly reason, because then parties won't be special anymore and the best part of parties is that they're special! But a new pony in Ponyville is definitely special, even if you're not really a pony! We can play games and there will be cake and friends! That's the best part of a party, how everyone has fun and is friendly and we can all share smiles!"

Giving up escaping, I dived for the next piece of cover I saw, a thick bush, and curled up in it hoping she would go away.

"Oh, are we done playing tag? But I didn't catch you! But you're not running anymore and tag is no fun if you don't run! What are we playing now? Is it hide-and-go-seek? I like hide-and-go-seek, but it's hard! You have to HOLD STILL and I have trouble with that! But you seem to be pretty good at it. Maybe I'll just let you hide? OK, I'll go count!" There was a series of 'boings' and the chattering died into the distance.

I lay in the underbrush for a while, trying to process what had just happened.

A few minutes later I heard laughing, giggling and even outright guffawing working their way towards my hiding place. A little later, a black-and-gray fetlock poked into my bush and a hoof rapped me on the shoulder.

"Ready or not, here I come!" Zecora said, trying to stifle a giggle.

"Oh, shut up." I growled, slowly uncurling. "How do you deal with her?"

"It's really not so bad." She said, consolingly. "At least, for those of us who can suppress their fight or flight instinct." She added more seriously. "And once you get to know her I can honestly say that Pinkie Pie is a delight. She has her oddness, but it is vastly outweighed by her genuinely warm and caring heart."

"Fine, fine." I said, pushing myself to my feet and dusting myself off. "I over-reacted. But honestly, how does she do that?"

"No-one knows." Zecora said. I glanced at her, half expecting her to be mocking me, but she was serious. "Honestly. Pinkie Pie is entirely inexplicable. Even our resident egghead, Twilight, had a go at researching what makes her tic. She soon decided to leave well enough alone, and categorized Pinkies tics as 'knowledge better off unknown to ponykind.'"

I shook my head, trying to settle this new information into it comfortably. This time I only jumped a little when Pinkie appeared.

"Found you!" She yelled, before collapsing into giggles.

"Good job, Pinkie." Zecora said, smiling warmly. "You win a bottle of cider! Come sit with us a while." Turning back towards the meadow, she led us all out of the forest.

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "I had no idea that making cupcakes was that complicated." I said.

"Well, you only have to do that if you want really good ones!" Pinkie said, shooting me a serious look over her cider bottle. The three of us had spent the past hour or so sitting in the sun and swapping stories. "Rarity sticks her nose up and says they're all the same, but I can TASTE the difference! My cupcakes are made with LOVE!" She swigged her drink and slammed the bottle on the ground. "I can TASTE IT!" She broke out in smiles again, after her overly serious moment. "And I think others can, too. That's why I do it."

I shook my head a little, smiling. Zecora had been right. Although Pinkie had poor impulse control, it wasn't usually an issue because she had nothing but genuinely kind impulses.

"Rarity is your friend who owns a clothing store, right?"

"Oh, Carousel Boutique is MUCH more than a clothing store!" Pinkie said. "It's a place of art! Rarity pours her heart and soul into making clothes that ponies will love! Everyone who walks out of there is happy with their outfit, unless they're the sort of pony who has trouble being happy. That hurts Rarity the worst. But what can you do? Some ponies like being miserable." For a second, she stared off into space, before shaking the mood away and bouncing to her feet. "Wes, you need some clothes, right? Come with me! I'll take you meet Rarity and you can order some new threads!"

"Um..." I took a swig of cider, and stared off into space uncertainly. "I'd love to, but I don't have any money."

"Here." Zecora dug a small pouch out of her mane and tossed it to me. "Take that, and consider it an advance on helping me with my potion ingredients. Having another person gathering in the Everfree will give me more free time for experimenting."

I stared at the pouch for a second, feelings conflicted, before slowly pocketing it.

"Thanks, Zecora. you've been a true friend to me."

"Awww." Pinkie smiled at us. "That's what I'm talking about! Smiles should be shared!" She turned and started bouncing towards the town.

"Wait, I can't keep up!" I said, as I struggled along behind. "How do you do that, anyways?" I asked, frustrated at her pace.

"Just put a little spring in your step, silly!"

I stopped for a breath and smirked in bemusement. looking up at the brilliantly blue sky and the green grass all around me, I summoned a bit of playfulness up from the bottom of my heart, slipped a smile onto my face, and cast off my cares for the future for a bit.

I set off with a hop and a skip and it really did seem easier to keep up.

We must have looked a little ridiculous coming into a town, a bouncing pink pony and a skipping human, but we shrugged off the stares. If you are going to do something fun, do it with all your heart!

Soon enough we came to a round two-story building. The upper floor was circled with a porch and a wrought iron railing, with ponies worked into it to simulate the shape of a carousel. The bottom floor was rather larger, with extensive glass windows. A glimpse through one of them showed several manikins...or would that be ponikins? Each with their own dress, some of them in states of partial completion.

Pinkie burst through the door, the bell jingling wildly.

"Rarity!" She called. "Come meet Wes! He needs clothes!" There was a startled gasp and clatter as something fell, followed by the sound of many small things bouncing on the floor. I stepped through the door behind her and saw a brilliantly white unicorn with an immaculately coiffured mane. She was shaking her head and examining a dropped sewing basket that had spilled bobbins and rolls of thread all across the floor.

I bent down and picked one up. It was red.

"Pinkie, you really MUST stop surprising people! There are some situations where it is simply not appropriate!" The white unicorn was berating Pinkie, while gathering up the thread with her telekinetic aura. She stopped as the bobbin in my hand glowed.

"Oh, I do apologize! How rude of me to ignore a customer!" She tucked the bobbins back in the basket, and set it on a nearby table. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"He needs new clothes, Rarity!" Pinkie interjected, sounding slightly frustrated. "I just said so!"

"Yes yes, dear. Run along now." Rarity waved dismissively at Pinkie. I shrugged at my pink guide slightly. I could probably take it from here. She huffed, clearly annoyed at being excluded, but made her way to the door and let herself out.

"Um, she's pretty much right." I said. "I know you only do custom work and I can't afford to pay much, but I don't think I can wear pony clothes and I really need something new soon. These can't take much more wear and tear." I fingered my shirt. It had lasted much longer than it should have, thanks to the magic of the gem, but by now it was starting to look pretty lived-in. I had washed it when I could, but I really wanted a bit more than one set of clothes.

"Well, you came to the right place!" Rarity spun, waving about the store. "If anyone can help you, I can!" She took a closer look at what I was wearing. "The patterns for these don't seem too difficult. But for formal wear, this seems awfully plain! I can surely make you something much more fabulous than this!"

"Oh, uh..." Cultural differences. I hadn't really thought about it until now, but most of these ponies were naked. The most clothing I'd seen in day-to-day use was a hat. "Well, this isn't actually formal wear. I wear clothes pretty much all the time." No need to get into human social norms and mores too far. "Look," I said, holding out an arm. "No fur. I need the protection from the sun and wind, not to mention if I walk in the forest," I pointed to a scratch. "Actually, I could use some long sleeves."

"Fascinating! A race that wears clothes all the time? You simply MUST tell me about your home country! It sounds fabulous! But I must ask you, what sort of fiber is this made of?" She rubbed the cloth of my shirt gently. "And it's spun so very finely! This is absolutely masterful work!"

"Um, let's see..." I pulled the collar of my shirt around, and squinted at the tag. "Rayon? Personally, I would prefer cotton. Oh, and they're machine made. I've never been able to afford hand-made clothes, not to mention hand-spun."

"Oh my! Your country really must use more textiles than us to have such an advanced industry! But I do have cotton and I can work with that. I wonder if I could import some fabric, though; the possibilities in this cloth are simply fascinating."

"I don't think that will work...I'm from a very, very long way away."

"Well, why don't you tell me about it?" She motioned to a changing screen. "Step behind that, and pass me your clothes so I can examine them. After that, I'll need to take your measurements."

"Well, I don't really understand how it all works myself, but I was camping and there must have been some sort of magical accident, because when I woke up..."

"...and so, Twilight saved my life, but I have trouble even looking her in the face."

I ended up telling Rarity a lot more than I had expected to. Maybe it was because she was obviously very close to several ponies I had already met, or maybe it was because she was extremely personable. We were sitting in her studio, sipping from tiny teacups. She was working on a pattern with paper and pins scattered across the table. it was going to be another shirt, a simple button-down like the one I was currently wearing, but with two breast pockets and long sleeves. I had mentioned buttoning cuffs to her and she was currently working on adapting a pony design to fit my wrists.

"Well, I would say there's a little more to it than that." She said. "Although you claim to hold no grudge, that sort of...altercation can be difficult to put behind you."

I nodded glumly as she re-filled my cup.

"Um...could you point me to the bathroom?" I asked, looking down into what was probably my seventh tiny cup of tea.

"Next room on the left." She pointed absently, as she carefully placed a pin.

I stepped back into the studio a bit later, much relieved.

"Rarity, did your mirrors break last night, too?"

"Indeed! It was horrible! Glass everywhere and this horrible noise! It's a wonder I got any sleep afterwards, what with the fog and the magical resonance."

"Wait...fog?"

"Oh, didn't you notice?" She looked up, her baby-blue eyes wide with surprise. "Although I guess if you didn't look outside, it might have been easy to miss. There was this horrid black fog floating through the streets. I have no idea what the pegasus were thinking; honestly, it was horrid!"

"Huh. And the resonance?"

"Well, of course you would have missed that, not being a unicorn. Honestly, I almost missed it myself. It was faint, but I think it came from that way." She turned her head, pointing with her horn. "I wonder what caused that sort of thing? It seemed a bit strong for a misfired spell, but my mirrors are replaceable. At least none of my projects were damaged."

"Did you know that mirrors all across the town broke? Even Zecora had one shatter."

"Oh, is that so?" She sounded mildly curious at that. "You should really tell Twilight that. She will find it fascinating, I'm sure."

"She knows. She's locked herself up in the library, pouring over all her books. Again."

"There there, dear. She will surface eventually. As her friends, we just need to be there for her when she does."

"She's lucky to have friends like you."

"Friends like us, Wes. If you're not her friend, after her saving your life and accepting her offer of room and board, you have a colder heart than I thought."

That floored me. Was I Twilight's friend? I thought about it for a minute. There had been nothing but bad blood between us so far, but that could change, right? I pushed my first impressions aside and thought about Twilight objectively for a bit. Although she had hurt me, she had owned up to it and apologized handsomely. She had immersed herself in her books, maybe to avoid me, but also to find a way to help me.

"I...I think I would like to be her friend."

"Well! That's the important part. Now, dear, I'm going to be sewing for a bit and I won't be fit for polite company. I've had a wonderful afternoon with you, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave me to my work. If you come back tomorrow, I should have this finished."

"Ok, I can do that. Just out of curiosity, how much is it going to cost? I don't have much money now, but I should be making more soon."

"Well..." her voice trailed off as she trotted out into the middle of the studio and started comparing bolts of cloth and checking her notes. "Most outfits I do are not exactly cheap. I charge for material and labor, gems and design time, with a little taken off if it's a particularly nice piece or for a particularly important person. This sort of business is built on reputation, after all and I don't sell outfits everyday. But this has been a pleasant afternoon and your order is so very basic, it will be simplicity itself to make. I even have some pieces of cloth leftover from previous projects that I think I can use." She paused for a second, tallying in her head. "It will be fifty-five bits. That's the material only, but I won't take anything more. You need some help and I'm happy to provide it. Besides, you've been excellent company." She tossed her mane over her shoulder and turned towards me. "You don't need to pay it all now, though, if you don't have it."

I pulled the bag Zecora had given me out of a pocket and spilled it into my palm. It came to thirty bits. I counted twenty out and passed them to her.

"Consider this a down payment. I hope to have more for you soon. Thank you so much, Rarity. I'll be back tomorrow. I hope you have a wonderful evening."

"Oh, I think I will." She said, pulling pieces of fabric out of a basket and holding them up for inspection. "I will see you tomorrow."

I nodded in response and pulled the door closed behind me, only to bump into a tiny white unicorn filly with a pink and purple mane. Behind her stood Apple Bloom and an orange pegasus filly.

"Wes?" Apple Bloom said. "Ah'm so glad Ah found you! These are my friends!"

7 - Repair

Repair

I stumbled back into the library covered in a mixture of mud, bugs, and tree sap. I swung a hard right and stepped into the bathroom where I started to draw a bath.

"Wes? You back?" I stuck my head out, looking into the kitchen were Spike was sitting down in front of a huge sandwich.

"Yeah."

"Wow, you look a mess! What happened?"

"Three small, enthusiastic, and entirely too adorable fillies."

"Oh. The CMC. Did you have fun?"

"Actually..." A smile slid onto my face. "Yes! Yes I did. I had a lot of fun today. I talked with Zecora, I met two mares named Pinkie Pie and Rarity, and I did some extremely silly things with some foals. It's the first time in a long time that I just had some fun. But now, I need a bath."

"Cool. Hey, I'm not serving anything for supper, since Twilight is still lost in bookland."

"Ok, thanks."

"Um, Twilight?" I approached the fortress of knowledge, a peace offering of lettuce and radishes on a plate. I gently knocked on an open book, its pages slowly flipping. It slowly moved aside. Twilight met my eyes uncomfortably for a second, and then the gap widened to let me in.

"I brought you some supper." I awkwardly placed the plate near her notes.

"Thanks."

"Um, and thoughts? On the mirrors?"

"Well, um...there was definitely a spell. I haven't been able to tell where it came from, but I'm working hard on it."

We sat there awkwardly for a minute. I sighed and pushed the plate a little closer to her.

"You should eat something. You're going to hurt yourself if you can't remember to eat."

She silently picked up the sandwich and took a bite out of it.

"Um, Twilight...I don't think I ever really said this to you, but I think you need to hear it. Um. I forgive you." She stopped chewing for a second. "I don't care about getting hurt. I'm better now and you thought you were protecting Apple Bloom...I can't be angry over that. I've been talking to Zecora and she said that I should make sure to talk to you, so I'm trying to do that. I'm still not sure how I feel about everything that happened, but...at the very least, I'm not angry at you and I want to be your friend."

The silence returned. Twilight swallowed her sandwich, and stared off into space for a bit. I saw a glitter in her eye but she quickly rubbed it away.

"Sorry to dump this all on you like this. Um. If you want to talk..." I stood slowly and was about to walk away when Twilight cleared her throat. I turned back.

"U-um...Sorry. Let's try this again." She said, in a weak voice. "Hi! It's nice to meet you; I'm Twilight Sparkle, librarian at the Golden Oaks Library!"

Suddenly, I felt like a weight was gone from my heart. A genuine grin flashed across my face.

"Hi Twilight, it's nice to meet you! My name is Wes, and I'm a traveler from another dimension, who-"

"Wait, WHAT?"

"Oh. Did Zecora leave that bit out...?"

"Wait wait wait, you eat MEAT?"

"Yes?"

"Is...is it good?"

"So, geocentric or heliocentric?"

"Well, according to Celestia the sun orbits Equus, but some of the other satellites orbit the sun."

"So....something like the Tychonian system."

"You transmit pictures with radio waves?"

"Yeah. Information transfer is a huge, huge business in my world. It's getting bigger every day. Let me tell you about...the internet."

"That...that is...AWESOME."

"I know, right?"

"So, is it just me, or is buying milk really weird when it comes from sentient creatures?"

"Um, I never actually thought about it much, actually."

"To be honest, I'm STILL not sure solipsism is wrong."

"But if you can't trust your senses, what CAN you trust?"

"Honestly? Nothing. But consider getting pulled from one world to another by seeming chance. Why should I trust my senses?"

"Hmm..."

"Ok, how do you ponies pick things up with hooves?"

"Close range telekinesis. And you think that's weird? Have you even looked at those things on the ends of your arms recently?"

"Wait...is it really this late?"

"Oh, horsefeathers. And I promised Spike I would get more sleep tonight."

"Pff, clocks. Ok, ok, fine. I should get some sleep too."

"Morning, Twilight." I rubbed sleep out of my eyes and stared groggily across the breakfast table.

"Morning, Wes." My purple host replied, looking just as groggy or maybe slightly more so.

"Morning, you two!" Spike chirped from the stove.

"Coffee." Two voices droned in unison.

"Fine, fine. Sheesh, just trying to be friendly." The diminutive dragon poured two cups of the elixir of life and set one in front of me.

"You know," I said speculatively after my first sip, "I think this might taste better with some sugar."

"Ok?" Twilight looked at me quizzically. "Add some?"

I nodded and stirred in a spoonful, but that wasn't the point. I'd never taken my coffee with sugar. I wanted it with cream and no sweetener. But for some reason, it seemed a bit too bitter for me this morning. Maybe it had to do with...that? The thing about sharing part of my soul? I grimaced at the sweet taste, but slurped it down. Maybe.

"As much fun as I had last night," I said, "I need to spend the day working for Zecora. And you need to study mirror magic, not souls."

"Right." Twilight nodded, and took a bite of pancake.

"You might be best off talking to Rarity about that. She said she felt some magical resonance and saw a black fog when all the mirrors shattered."

"PFFT-WHAT?"

Bemused, I wiped small chunks of pancake off my face.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner? This changes everything! If she felt the resonance, maybe I can do a risograph on her, and get the direction...!" Breakfast forgotten, Twilight dashed out of the kitchen. I saw a purple aura appear in the main room and books begin to orbit.

"Sorry." I said to Spike, who was glaring at me. I shrugged and tucked into my own pancakes. "I didn't mean to."

I carefully moved a branch aside, working to be as quiet as possible. While my life of death had prepared me well for dealing with monsters, it had done surprisingly little for teaching me stealth.

I smiled as a thorn bush clawed futilely at my new long-sleeved shirt. I had picked up my finished clothes from Rarity's before heading out to Zecora's and it was well worth it. They were superbly made, of thick double-stitched cotton in dark brown and blue. The cloth was nearly like denim and rougher than I was used to, but still comfortable. I really needed to thank Rarity for them later.

I stepped into the clearing behind Zecora and looked around me in awe. Crumbling ruins stood around me. They were half buried in the forest, but still shone with majesty. Stone walls soared, dull earth given wings by skilled craftsponies. Here and there a fragment of colored glass winked at me from a window, glories of time long past clinging to the decaying skeletons of memory.

"Wow." I whispered. "Hey, Zecora..." She turned back, waiting for me to approach so she could hear me more clearly. "What is this place?"

"This is the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters."

"You mean...Celestia and Luna?"

"Indeed. However, for many years, Princess Luna was imprisoned on the moon. It wasn't until two years ago, when Twilight Sparkle and the Elements of Harmony released her-"

"Wait, what?"

"...Huh. Must have forgotten to mention that bit."

"Zecora, I...what...argh, never mind. Go on with your story."

"Well, Twilight and her friends redeemed Luna from her curse and now the two alicorns rule together again. But for a thousand years, Equestria only had the guidance of one royal. This place was where the two ruled before the interregnum."

"Well, it sure is impressive."

"Indeed. But we're not here merely for sightseeing. I'm going to show you how to harvest flameweed."

"Ooo! Finally, an alchemy lesson!"

"Hah. Well, I guess you're not wrong. This is the beginning of that vaunted science. Let us see what we can find."

"...and then, you can simply remove the flower."

I carefully examined the bloom I had harvested before I reverently tucked it into my belt pouch. Cha-ching! Twenty bits. I took a guess at the time from the sun's position. It had probably taken me half an hour to learn the process. Hopefully it would go faster next time.

"Now that you know how it is done, please gather a few more. As we agreed, one third of what you gather today will go to me and you are welcome to sell the rest. Be careful not to gather too many from any one patch. You should harvest no more than half the flowers, if you want the plants to continue to thrive."

"Yes, Zecora."

"Good. Now, I have something I want to check on."

The zebra left me to my work.

A few hours later I stood again, working a crick out of my back. This was turning out to be a profitable day. I had gathered several more flowers, with only a few minor burns to show for my trouble. Looking up, I noticed how long the shadows were getting and frowned. Where was Zecora? I'd been sure she was going to return for me. I glanced off in the direction she had gone.

"Zecora?" I called, trying to pitch my voice so it would carry without being loud. I waited for an answer, but on receiving none I slowly followed the shape of her hoofprints in the soft earth. They lead through the ruins of the castle. I stepped through patches of golden sun and dark shade. The ruins grew ominous around me, but I continued on. Eventually I came to a hall where the windows were still intact. The glass was thick and the small panes were set deeply in sturdy lead fixtures. No two pictures were the same, but most centered around two ponies, one white and one blue.

"Those must be Celestia and Luna." I whispered.

"You are correct."

I jumped, but recognized my guide's voice and calmed myself. I turned and found Zecora emerging from the shadows behind me. "Come." She said, beckoning. "Take a look at what I have found." We set off down the ancient hallway, our steps muffled by the thick layer of dirt on the floor. "When we scried the magic residue yesterday, what did you see in the water?"

"An...eye. I think. It was green, and it glowed."

"That is also what I saw. At the time I was too surprised to make the connection but as I considered what had happened I came to think that I had seen it somewhere else before. So although I did indeed want to gather flameweed today, there was a secondary motive to my directing us to this place. Look now, and tell me what you see."

I stepped into the room after her and cast my gaze about. More stained glass greeted me. This was in a somewhat poorer state than the last few panels I'd seen, but the pictures were still recognizable.

Above my head, a city sprawled in glass. It was filled with spires, impossibly high buildings towering over narrow streets. Here and there ponies stood with hope on their faces. They all looked up at one point high on the window, where the royal pony sisters were hovering wreathed in magic. In front of them, wracked by the strength of their spells, hovered a black shadow. It seemed they were in the process of banishing it. Its green eyes were wide in horror.

Green eyes.

I stared at them for a moment, before turning to Zecora.

"That's them."

She sighed heavily.

"I feared you would say that. I think so, as well. This mural depicts King Sombra. He was a tyrant, an evil being who enslaved an entire nation. Celestia and Luna defeated him, banishing him to the arctic north, but...well, he is a magician most fell. Also, from what I've been able to gather, he was extremely well versed in crystals and mirror magic."

"Buck."

"Succinctly put."

I sighed. "We should really add this to Twilight's checklist of things to research. Although I don't know how long she can keep working at the pace she has before she burns out."

"Unfortunately, we have little choice but to continue burdening her. She is an extremely capable pony."

"I've gathered that, but...well, I guess we don't have much choice." I turned my back on the window. "Anyways, we should get back. It's starting to get dark out there and I'm not comfortable enough in the Everfree yet to be OK with being caught in the dark."

"If you are ever that comfortable in the Everfree my friend, consider putting me in your will, because you will soon be dead."

Turning our back on the magnificent desolation of the ruins, we started our hike out of the forest.

"Twilight?"

I walked into the library and blinked in surprise to find the floor clear of books.

"Down here!"

I followed the voice, proceeding into the lower levels of the tree-house. Knocking once, I opened the door to Twilight's lab.

It looked nothing like the labs I'd worked in in college. Instead of white walls, steel fixtures, and bright lights, this was warm wood, intricate brass machinery, and flickering firefly lamps. I breathed deeply, smelling chemicals and old paper, and stepped inside. Twilight was hunched over a bowl of water set on a piece of slate. An intricate pattern was chalked underneath it. I could faintly see the remains of construction lines, traces of pencil and wax used for laying out the spell conductors.

"What are you working on?"

"I'm re-doing the scrying spell." She grunted and carefully re-drew a sigil. "I need to get this exactly right. I think, if I've done this correctly, I can modulate the feedback caused by the spell residue. My risograph of Rarity wasn't enough to pinpoint the location of the caster, but it did give me some ideas on where to look. This mirror water is amazing! If I had more of it, I could do some really neat things..."

"Not going to happen." I said. "That pool is dangerous."

"Fine, fine." She sighed. "Well, at least I have this to work with. Now, how does that look to you?"

"Um..." I scrutinized the magic circle, eventually pointing to the tip of star. "Shouldn't this hook? Also, this line might need a bit more work."

"Ok, give me a minute..."

I frowned as she worked. This was another time. I didn't know how I knew, but something about those two points on the diagram had seemed...off to me. Maybe I should say something....? I watched Twilight work for a bit, eagerly immersed in her study. This would distract her, and maybe that was bad, but I was getting more and more uncomfortable with the idea that I had some of her memories.

"Twilight?"

"Yes?"

"Um....I don't think there's any good way to say this, but I think there were some complications with the spell you used to save my life."

"Are you ok?"

I backed away from the purple face suddenly thrust into mine.

"Eeep! Personal space!"

"Oh, sorry." Twilight retreated a bit. "But what do you mean? Are you ok?"

"Um, that's not what-"

"Is it the gem? Take off your shirt, let me see it!"

"No, I-"

"Is it the leftover magic? You haven't been un-healing, have you?"

"Twilight!" I yelled a little, breaking through her intensity. She snapped her mouth shut. "I'm ok. I'm not going to take off my shirt. I don't know if there's leftover magic or not, but I don't think I'm un-healing, thankfully. It's nothing dangerous. At least, I don't think so. But, um...well, I think...I think you have some of my memories. And I'm not sure, but I think I have some of yours."

She tilted her head slightly, bemused.

"That's...odd, Wes. Why would you think that? I don't think I have any new memories."

"Um, ok. They seem to mostly be subconscious. In that case, maybe something I know by heart would be more easily accessible. Let my try something." I thought for a minute, and then recited:

<"Twas brilling, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe.">

Twilight twitched a little, opened her mouth and replied:

<"All mimsy were the bogoroves, and the mome-raths, outgrabe.">

<"What the hay did I just say?"> She twitched in surprise, and tried to squint at her own mouth. <"Umm...Wes? What's going on here?">

<"....Oh, that was unexpected. Um. You're speaking English.">

<"Ok. Ok, I believe you. There were some complications. I'm speaking English. Cool. Now, how do I stop?">

<"...I have no idea.">

8 - Webs

Webs

<"Twilight!">

<"-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-">

<"TWILIGHT!">

<"-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-">

<"TWILIGHT SPARKLE, CALM DOWN!">

I put every ounce of my being into that yell, forcing the air out with my diaphragm, yelling from my stomach and not my throat as I'd been taught. I'd never been very good at drama class, but I had a knack for projection.

The screaming and running in circles cut off abruptly as Twilight responded by freezing in place. She fell on her haunches and her eyes bulged for a second as she tried to hyperventilate and hold her breath at the same time. I would have laughed if she wasn't so very distraught. Her struggle ended with a gasp and she started inhaling again.

<"No screaming!">

<"But-I-can't-speak-Equestrian-how-can-I-talk-to-my-friends-or-Princess-Celestia-or-my-parents-I-can't-even-READ!" Her words came out all at once, tripping over each other in her haste. Her lip quivered and she seemed about to burst into tears. Working against my instincts for space, I sat down beside her and put an arm over her withers.

<"Look, it's not that bad! I mean, it's not like your Equestrian is gone for good! I've heard you speak in English before; that's how I thought you might know it! And every time you went right back to Equestrian! You'll be fine this time as well.">

Slowly, her breathing quieted. She sniffled a little, but that was all.

<"Ok. Ok, you're right. Ok, we need a list."> Her horn glowed and a piece of paper and quill floated down off the table. <"First. What sort of situations have you noticed this...memory bleed happening in?">

<"Only situations where we are distracted. First time happened when you brought that mirror down and said something about numosic matrices. I have no idea what a numosic matrix is, but I answered a question of yours concerning them. The second time you were studying something and you mentioned Planck length.">

<"Alright."> The quill scratched for a second as she noted this down. <"Oh, I remember that one! I found some conclusions I'd made using it, but couldn't remember where I'd looked it up. Ok, so, what sort of spell did you cast to switch me from Equestrian to English?">

I chuckled a little at that and she shot me a curious glance. I scooted away from her, moving so I sat cross-legged on the floor across from her.

<"Twilight, you know I can't cast spells! I have no magic, innate or otherwise. That was poetry! It's a nonsense rhyme I memorized when I was young. 't'was brilling and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe, all mimsy were the bogoroves and the mome-raths outgrabe.' It doesn't mean much of anything, although Humpty-Dumpty does explain it to Alice at some point, it's pure and utter nonsense. I thought that maybe if I recited something embedded deeply in my memories, it would trigger them in your subconscious and you'd be able to access them better. It seems to have worked, although I'm not sure why this was the outcome."> I shrugged, lost.

<"I...see."> Twilight mumbled, her quill scratching notes out on the paper. <"A rhyme? That makes a lot of sense, actually."> She contemplated the idea for a second. <"Actually, maybe this makes things easier!"> She turned and trotted out of the room. I followed her upstairs, where she scanned the bookshelf. I couldn't tell what she was looking for and by her own admission, she couldn't read Equestrian right now. She continued until she reached the children's section, where she started pulling books off the shelf one at a time. Finally, she gave a little whoop and held out a book to me. I took it, curious. It seemed to be a picture book for young children with a brightly colored cover.

<"Read this to me!"> She said.

<"Um...I don't think I can read any better than you can."> I said, unsure. <"I know spoken Equestrian fairly well, but I've never learned the alphabet.">

<"Just try! I have your memories and you have mine. Take a look at it and see what you can do.">

Unsure, but willing to try, I sat down on the floor near her and flipped the book open. Her magenta eyes followed my motions eagerly. I stared at the first page, trying to make some sense of the words. They looked like gibberish to me. Slowly, I flipped to the second page. Before long I had gone through the whole book and Twilight's expression was fading from eager to discouraged. Unwilling to give up, I turned back and started again. But this time instead of concentrating on the words I simply looked at the pictures.

The story seemed to be about ladybugs. They lived under a leaf and they looked like a happy family. There was a crisis with raindrops at some point and a friendly pony that helped them out. On the last page, the sun rose brilliantly, drying their leaf.

"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake..."I mumbled, staring at the picture.

"Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" I looked up and saw Twilight spring upright. "Yes!" She yelled. "It worked! I'm back!" She danced in a circle for a second, rejoicing. She calmed down quickly. "Ok, I need you to memorize this rhyme for me, in case something else like that happens." She repeated the couplet a few times, and I repeated it back to her, until she was satisfied. When I was done, a dark expression fell across her features. "This isn't good, though. I thought I was precise with that spell. Wes, I really do need to take a look at your crystal."

I reluctantly unbuttoned my shirt, exposing the now-lilac gem. It glowed only faintly in the lamp-light. Twilight touched her horn to it, and I shivered at the odd intimacy.

"Is everything OK?" I asked hesitantly, after a few moments of silence.

"No." She replied indistinctly. "This isn't what I expected at all. This really isn't good. Um, I need to think about this for a while. You're in no danger for now, but...well, I need to talk to Zecora about this and see what she thinks. It seems that the crystal is under more stress than I thought and the magical flux is causing some very odd effects. The first one is that our souls are mixing a little." She lifted her head and sighed. "That might sound like something a bad romance would say, but it could actually be pretty bad. I don't know how to predict what will happen. I only know that it's probably going to end badly for one of us if it continues."

"Horsefeathers." I said, softly. This was not good at all. I fought back images of a crystal cavern and a shivering pony dying across from me.

"Wes." Twilight's voice drew me back to reality. "Wes, you are not allowed to panic either." She said, with a slight twist at the corner of her mouth. I nodded, smirking a little myself, thinking back to how I'd needed to calm her down.

"Ok." I said, standing. "Well, don't you have an experiment you're in the middle of?"

"But that-" She looked up at me uncertainly, as she started to stand.

"Needs to be done as well." I said. "I didn't get a chance to tell you this earlier, but Zecora realized something important, we were able to investigate it a bit today on our expedition into the forest..."

I brought a bowl of soup down to the lab later. Twilight accepted it gratefully, and slurped loudly.

"How's it going?"

"I'm about ready to start. If this really is Sombra, we might need to call for backup. I've gone up against ancient magicians before and it's no fun at all. I just hope we're not too late; whatever he's doing, it can't be good."

I nodded in response, swallowing my own mouthful of soup. She turned back to her spell diagram. It still looked vaguely familiar to me, but I didn't try and reach for those memories. With a few deft touches she finished the circle. Her horn glowed as she readied the spell. She tapped the center of the diagram and with a soft thrum, the chalk outlines started to glow. The construct flickered fitfully for a second before settling down to a steady incandescence. She inspected the wards again and nodded firmly.

"Now, watch the water." She said, preparing another spell. This one crackled off her horn like static electricity and danced around the mirror water for a second before dissipating. I was about to ask if she had miscast when the water in the bowl started to steam. I stepped back, half-expecting an explosion, but the liquid stayed calm. Twilight added a drop of ink from her inkwell and ripples spread across the surface. As they cleared, images started to form on the surface.

We saw a moonlit glade.

"That's on the edge of the Everfree." I said quietly, recognizing the path running through. "I've been through there on the way to Zecora's."

Twilight nodded silently and her horn glowed more brightly for a second. The picture zoomed out, showing the outskirts of Ponyville and more trees. In the streets, I could faintly see wisps of black fog.

"That's the residue." She said, homing in on one. "It's decaying, but still there. Um. Let's check some of the places that the spell might have been cast." A series of scenes started to flicker across the surface of the water.

"Twilight, watch it!" I warned as the water started to bubble gently. She frowned and adjusted a rune-carved stone that made up part of the warded circle. The chalk glowed more brightly and the water cooled a bit.

"We're getting close." She said. The image in the bowl was showing more and more black fog. Finally, we were looking at an open field where the residue was slowly swirling around an unseen focal point.

"That's...on the way to Canterlot, I think." She said with a frown and released the spell. "That's all we're going to be able to get with a spell. First thing tomorrow, I need to report to Celestia and go investigate what's going on there. Whatever happened, the spell has been cast, so it's not like we can stop it now. The best we can hope to do is read whatever happened from the residue and think up a response." She yawned. "Well, Wes, this has been exciting, but I need some sleep. I've been a bit short on it in the past few days."

"Agreed." I said, opening the door for her, and following her up the stairs. "See you tomorrow."

As it turned out, I didn't. Twilight rose early, collected her equipment and assistant and headed out to the focal point without disturbing me. When I reached the kitchen, the first thing I noticed was the note on the table.

The second thing I noticed was a burning pain.

It felt like all my skin was being flayed off. Or maybe being burned off. Or dissolved with caustic chemicals. No, more like being flayed. There was a certain delicacy to the filaments of agony that played across body. I hazily mused over the exact differences of my various tortures as I fell over, my head bounced once on the wood floor, and I blacked out.

The first thing I noticed when waking up was the crystal.

I was in a crystal hall. All around me, black and purple crystals glowed malevolently.

Dead. The body of a pony flashed across my vision, and I started to hyperventilate. My instincts forced me upright, and my head swam from the combination of abuse and adrenaline. I frantically spun in place, trying to discover how I had ended up back in the Nexus, how I could protect myself and most importantly, how I could escape. My knees felt weak as I forced my body to stay upright. I staggered across the crystal hall I was in to place my back against a wall. I rubbed my wrists and checked my belt. I had my dagger. I drew it. Better than nothing. I tried to force back visions of a purple corpse and did my best to assess my surroundings more rationally.

The room I had found myself in was clearly a cell of some sort. There was a magical diagram of some sort on the floor. I tore my eyes away from it and tried to swallow my bile. The crystals that made up the walls and floor were the same purple color I remembered.

"MUAH HA HA HA HA!"

A shiver crawled down my spine as maniacal laughter echoed through the room. I froze in place, listening. I heard the susurrus of distant voices and slowly worked my way towards the door of the cell. I was surprised and relieved to find it unlocked. I nudged it with a foot to swing it open and peered cautiously around the edge. Nothing.

Moving cautiously, I worked my way through the complex towards the sound of voices. As I got closer, I began to understand some of what was being said.

"....My friends will come for me!"

"Good! That is exactly what I want! Haven't you realized yet what sort of spell can be cast three days ago, but still show it's effects? It was a trap, a trap!"

I inched a bit closer to the door that the voices were coming from. The voice that was quietly panicking was Twilight. She was trying to maintain a strong facade, but it was pretty clear that she was starting to break down.

The other voice was gloomy, echoed oddly, and had a strange resonance to it. I edged up to the corner and smoothly peeked around the door-frame.

An undefinable weight on my chest eased slightly as I saw Twilight, detained but alive, in a cage made from crystal rods. They stuck out of the floor, surrounding her completely. She looked exhausted and the black crystals growing on her horn seemed to be dragging her head downwards.

The other speaker was much more intimidating. He was a tall unicorn with a charcoal grey coat and a billowing black mane and tail. His horn shaded to an ominous red at the end while his eyes were a poisonous green and seemed to be releasing a faint purple smog into the air. He paced back and forth in front of Twilight's cage for a bit, taunting her some more. I looked around the room, trying to spot anything I could use to improve the situation. It wasn't very large, maybe the size of the library's main room, but it was filled with all sorts of junk. Corroding machines of obscure origin, blocks and chunks of crystal and piles of various and sundry types of stone and metal obscured my view of what was happening. I didn't see anything immediately useful. But more importantly, I didn't see another door. If the green-eyed menace who was probably Sombra decided to leave, I would be caught in full view, standing next to a doorway in an empty, straight hallway.

I glanced around once more. Seeing nothing, I waited for the right moment and slipped inside. I dodged around a few machines and found a spot in the room that was pretty much out of view from the both the door and the cage. I hunkered down, trying to make myself inconspicuous.

Eventually the gray unicorn seemed to tire of taunting Twilight and paced out of the room. There was a slam and I winced as a slab of crystal speared out of the floor and sealed the exit.

Twilight was resting her head on the floor of the cage, her eyes closed. Probably thinking. Hopefully not descending further into panic; I had enough of that for both of us and it was barely under control.

I sheathed my dagger and quietly worked my way over to where the cage was. She didn't notice me until I rapped gently on the bars.

"Wes!" She hissed, clearly shocked. Worry, hope, and fear all warred in her eyes. I nodded.

"I was in the kitchen, when something....a really, really painful something, happened and I woke up here. Any idea what that was? I found you when I followed the gloating. Now, how can I get you out of there? What is this stuff? Do you have any idea how far we've gone? This looks like the Nexus...part of the changeling's hive. I really hope that's wrong, but can you tell?"

"The tap must have grabbed you as well, because of your crystal! It was primed for me, but since you had part of my soul, it grabbed you too. It must have taken longer for you to arrive because you were further away..."

She devolved into mumbling about magic theory.

"Twilight, focus!" I said, maybe more sharply than necessary. She flinched at my tone.

"I don't know what this stuff is." She tapped the bars with a hoof. "It almost seems like it could be solidified magic, but...I don't really think that's the case. Even if it acts the same, this much of it should have created a thingness singularity."

"And that would have killed us by now." I said, nodding as a memory of hers floated to the surface of my mind. She shot me a surprised look.

"You know," She said speculatively, "I might enjoy having someone around who I'm actually allowed to use long words with."

I grinned, and the tension in the room lessened slightly.

"If you can crack jokes, you're doing better than I thought." I said. "Was that actually Sombra? How did this happen?"

"It was a trap." She said, hanging her head. "I went to investigate, just me and Spike, but what I was calling residue wasn't really just the leftover magic from the spell. It was both the trigger and the bait. Sombra talked about how he had planned to neutralize the Elements of Harmony, and catching me was key. I don't know what he's got planned, but it's not good. " She paused for a minute. "I've been trying to figure out an escape plan, but I'm not coming up with anything. These crystals on my horn are draining my magic, or I could just teleport out of the cage."

I reached an arm through the bars, and tapped a crystal. Her head jerked back from the unexpected contact, but she slowly moved back. I ran a finger over the black gem. It didn't feel cold, but after a second my finger started to go numb. I grabbed one and tried to twist it off; she squeaked as I torqued her head a little.

"Sorry." I said, letting go. My fingers felt numb, and I shook them. They started to tingle, and I frowned at the pins-and-needles feeling. They seemed to be stained black. "Yuck. Well, I should have guessed that you'd already tried to knock them off, right?"

"Yeah." She agreed miserably. I rubbed my fingers, trying to get the black stain off.

"Ouch." I said. "This hurts." She glanced at my fingers, and gasped slightly.

"Wes, look at the crystal!" She said, crossing her eyes and trying to focus on the tip of her own horn. I stopped my fidgeting, and closely examined the protuberance. At first, I thought there was nothing there, but after a second I noticed a swirl pattern.

A fingerprint.

"I was absorbing it?" I asked slowly.

"Yeah, I think so. This is clearly something different from crystallized magic."

"Well," I said, "Maybe I can...dissolve them off your horn?" I flinched at the idea. If the pain scaled from what my fingers felt, it would hurt. I'd dealt with worse, but usually not willingly.

"I...don't know if that's a good idea." She said, frowning. "This stuff might be poisonous."

"I don't know if we have much choice." I said. "I highly doubt I can beat Sombra in hand-to-hand and we're trapped in here without your magic. And your friends need to know what's going on, so they don't walk into the same or a similar trap to the one we've found."

She nodded reluctantly, and moved her head closer to the bars, so I could lean on the cage and still reach her. I carefully wrapped a hand around the black crystals and relaxed as best I could.

Pain.

The crystals started to warm against my hand. The pins-and-needles feeling that I'd felt in my fingers began spreading up my arm. I looked down and saw an inky blackness swirling around my skin, slowly inching up towards my heart. I could feel the crystals starting to shrink beneath my hands and I grit my teeth. I could feel a tendril of the black stuff, clearly marked on my skin by the stinging pain, crawl up my neck and touch my temple.

This might not have been the best idea. My last thought before swirling darkness eclipsed my gaze, was: I've been blacking out entirely too much.

9 - Explore

Explore

"Wes!"

Once again, I resurfaced from unconsciousness.

"This is getting ridiculous." I mumbled. "Just how much time am I going to have to spend knocked out this month? I've hardly been free for a week and I feel like I've hardly gotten to enjoy it."

I looked up. Twilight was standing over me, her horn clear of the parasitic magic. I groaned and sat up. We were still in the same room. The door was still blocked. I rubbed my eyes, trying to get brain back on track. We needed to get out of here.

"Are you OK?" Twilight asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Um, I think I will be. That was...extremely unpleasant. I don't know if those dreams were my worst fears, but they were definitely a runner up." I shook my head and tried to dismiss the unpleasant visions. "The decor here doesn't help." I frowned at a nearby crystal and then down at the dark streaks that swirled underneath my skin. "And this is somewhat worrisome."

"Yeah." Twilight nodded in agreement. "I'm still not sure what it is, but I don't think its doing that is good. I appreciate the rescue, but...really, are you sure you're going to be OK?"

"No." I said. "But it needed done. We had no options."

She looked a little dubious, but nodded her head reluctantly.

"Right." Twilight said. "You claimed this place looked like, what did you say, the 'Nexus'? part of the changelings fort?"

"Yeah. It's where I got...." I tapped the gem in my chest. "This thing. Anyways, it's very similar. Crystals, colors, that sort of stuff. Although I don't think I've seen the same room yet, which means I'm not really sure."

"Well," Twilight bit her lip pensively. "I took your advice, and I've been trying to locate us. I don't think we're actually that far from Ponyville. I don't think we're in the changeling's fort, unless they're a lot closer than you thought."

Realizing something, I unbuttoned my shirt and exposed the gem. It was still purple and the glow didn't seem to be any more pronounced. "Hum." I said. "It doesn't seem to have re-connected to the Nexus, either. So, unless whatever your spell did has broken the connection completely, we're not close enough." I sighed in relief. "I didn't want to face that again." I said with feeling. "Now, how do we get out of here?"

"I'm not sure." Twilight admitted. "This stuff-" She rapped a hoof against a crystal, "Whatever it is, is very resistant to magic. I've tried burning, blasting, unraveling, unmaking, unpatterning, and even retconjuration, and nothing had an effect."

"Can't you just teleport us out?" I asked.

"That would be horribly unsafe. If anything goes wrong we could be telefragged!"

"Um." I stood silently for a second, turning the problem over in my mind. "We might need to chance it anyways. In a time-limited scenario like this, it's often better to seize the initiative and do the wrong thing than to do nothing at all. Sombra will be back eventually."

Twilight nodded slowly.

"Wait, how about this?" I asked, as a thought occurred. "Can't you teleport something out and back in to see if it's safe?"

"Nope. I need to see what I'm 'porting, so it would be one way. Anyways, if it wasn't safe, it would just get stuck in the wall or something, and we'd never get it back."

"How does that work?" I asked, curious. I seemed my come-and-go magic knowledge wasn't helping me right now.

"Well, it just gets meshed with the thing it hits." She said, shrugging.

"Like...they actually intersect?"

"Yeah. I mean, if you consider the composition of matter, it's mostly empty space anyways. There's some hard radiation emitted, and maybe a few odd atoms are created, but it mostly just ends up as denser matter."

"Would it be less magically resistant?" I asked, hope in my voice.

"Hmmm...." her eyes narrowed, as she considered the question. "It might, at that." She trotted around the room, inspecting everything. "Here!" She grabbed a chain in her teeth and gave it yank, pulling it free from a pile of junk. "I think this will work." She laid it out on the floor in front of us. Her horn glowed for a second, there was a flash, and the crystal of the door lightened slightly. Looking at it closely, I could see the linked pattern of the chain showing through the dark crystal. "Now, let me try again..." She touched her horn to part of the new pattern and it pulsed once.

CRACK.

There was a dull crunching noise and a jagged rip climbed the door, shattering along the lines of the inset metal.

"Yes!" She exulted. The iron links of the chain showed through the crack, but they quickly crumbled into rust. I walked over to the pile and tossed what looked like a brass bar in front of her. She flashed it into the door and in a second another crack had appeared, running crosswise to the first.

It only took us a few minutes of work to demolish the barrier.

"Hmm." I gathered up a handful of heavy chunks of metal, large pieces of scrap that looked easy to carry. "How much energy does it take to work that spell?" I asked.

"It takes a good bit." She was sitting on the floor, panting a little.

"Well, if we run into anyone hostile, maybe you could telefrag them?" I said, holding out the handful of ammunition I'd gathered. She nodded silently, but grimaced. I caught her wary expression, and mentally kicked myself. Fool. Of course she's not going to be OK with using lethal force. "But we might need them for another door, too." Her expression relaxed a little at that.

I stepped over to the broken slab of crystal and kicked it a few times, knocking it out into the hallway. My hiking boots were getting pretty beaten up by now...huh. I probably couldn't get decent leather anywhere in this nation of herbivores, or I'd try and make myself something else to wear. Maybe if I used felt? I guess I could try for a pair of sandals, or clogs. These tiny pastel horses used metal shoes, so it's not like I could just go find a cobbler.

I stepped out into the passage, absentmindedly scratching at the black discoloration on my skin. The magic I'd absorbed hurt less now, but it was itching and burning enough to be distracting. I looked down at it worriedly before dismissing it from my attention. I'd deal with it later.

"Stay behind me." I stopped for a minute, trying to figure out what sort of plan-of-attack I should use. I decided to run it like a maze; we'd done those in the arena, sometimes even in pairs. A tall labyrinth where the audience could see us hunt or be hunted clearly, but we stumbled around in the dark. The trick was to track down your opponents before they managed to ambush you.

Move forward cautiously. Support one another. I started forward smoothly, my body falling into a loose stalk.

"Twilight, if we get into a fight, hang back and support me. I'll try and keep them off you by bottle-necking them in these halls. Don't get separated from me, whatever you do. I don't know what we're up against, but keep an eye out. Check behind us every few seconds. If you watch our backs, I can concentrate on moving us forward."

She nodded determinedly and we slunk off down the crystal hallway.

I had already started to explore this place, when I was trying to find Twilight. As we worked our way along, I scratched marks into the walls of tunnels I'd already explored. The place was large but not impossibly huge, and the fact that there was a pretty decent variance in the texture and colors of various tunnels allowed me to navigate without worrying about getting lost.

We worked slowly, carefully and quietly navigating our way through the maze. A half-hour or so in we had mapped what seemed to be most of the section we started in. The crystal cave was full of caverns, mostly dimly lit by the same crystal glow that had crudely illuminated Twilight's cell. As much as we'd explored, though, we found nothing of interest. Most everything was mouldering in decay, rusted in wrack and ruin. We left footprints in the rust and dust sprinkled finely across the floor wherever we went.

"What is this place?" I asked Twilight quietly, as we moved away from another dead end.

"I'm....not really sure. it seems like an outpost of some sort." She thought for a minute. "I did some research on Sombra, but there are very poor records about the Crystal Empire, and even less about him. There's an important part there, though. It was the Crystal Empire. From what I read, the kingdom proper was very small, not even the size of modern Equestria. But before the rule of the Solars, the Crystal Kingdom was arguably more powerful than even the Ever Free City. This may have been an outpost of some kind. I'm not sure where it is, or what it's made out of...but I think that might be why it was built. An outpost of the Crystal Empire. Some of these are the sorts of things you'd find in a long-term military post."

I nodded at that. We'd passed through what seemed to be a forge of some sort a while ago.

"However, I think that Sombra used this place as a personal refuge as well. I have no idea how he managed to escape his imprisonment, or if he has more reasons to be near Ponyville than the Elements, but this place seems to have been elaborately prepared. And this crystal?" She tapped the blackish material "I highly doubt that this is what the building was originally made from."

"That makes sense. Um, sorry to ask you questions and then shush you, but we need to be quiet again."

She nodded, and we fell back into silence.

After a while, I started to grasp the layout of the place we were in. It was made of several layers, with three or four staircases, arranged radially around a central room. As far as I could tell we had broken out of one of the side rooms and started on the bottom floor. We had slowly worked our way around the underground tower, looking for some way out, until we covered the whole floor and made our way up a level.

Now we were on the third level and it seemed to be as high as we could go. I was hoping that we would find some way to escape soon. If we didn't, we would run out of places to search and have to try something drastic. It's possible that the only way out was through the same teleporters that had brought us here, but I was trying not to even think about that too hard, unless my attention made it true.

Stupid, I know, but hey. I was a little stressed.

We were approaching the final area we hadn't explored and unless it yielded another staircase, we were either going to find Sombra or an exit.

Or maybe both.

I was standing near the doorway to the last area. I'd managed to scavenge a shiny piece of crystal in our exploration, adding an arm by wrapping a wire around it. I was using it as a mirror, inspecting the inside of the room.

It contained both the tall, dark stallion, and what seemed to be an exit. A tall doorway, wooden planks bound with corroded iron, stood at one end of what seemed to be a lab of some sort. At least, Sombra seemed to be doing some sort of magic research or creation. He was fiddling absentmindedly with an odd array of nicknacks. Every so often, his horn would glow and they would re-arrange themselves, or a spark would jump from one to another. He was humming.

In the corners loomed things that might have been crystal ponies, if ponies were made from slabs of black glass and had no faces. I eyed them suspiciously. They didn't move, but their bodies glowed fitfully with an inner radiance. My senses were telling me to watch them, so they might be constructs. Or maybe I was becoming paranoid. Either way, we needed to get past at least one, maybe three, huge ponies. One of which was an ancient sorcerer, with who-knows what sorts of evil magic to draw on.

I stepped back and motioned Twilight forward to use the mirror. She peered into it for several minutes, her ears twitching nervously, her tongue caught pensively between her teeth. Finally she nodded and we withdrew to what seemed to be a safe distance for talking.

"So." I said, hunkering down on my heels in the hallway, back to the wall. "What do you think?"

"This is going to be tricky." She stopped and thought for a bit. "We can try and escape, or we can wait for rescue." I started to say something, but she held up a hoof. "Just let me talk this out. Sometimes I process things better when I'm speaking." I shrugged and nodded. "OK. So. We can attack, or we can wait. Attacking is going to be tough. That door is magically sealed, as well as being made of stout oak. Those two statues are magical in some way. At the very least, they're alarms. At the worst, they're advanced golems, and will obstruct us as best as they can. That's three magical defenses we're going to need to get past. The biggest worry, however, is Sombra."

"Right." I nodded, fully agreeing with her assessment so far. "However, if we're quick, I think we might not need to fight him. If we can rig a distraction, I think we con get him out of there. It might-might be long enough for us to open the door, get past the guards and escape."

She considered my comment for a bit. "Yeah, that might work. But, let me finish thinking this through. The other option is to stay where we are, and try and wait him out. Our friends are going to be coming. We do have an advantage, in that he doesn't know you're free, but if we stay trapped in here...I don't like our odds. Things would have to fall out just right for us to come out on top if we play a waiting game."

"Not to mention," I said, "That we're pretty much just handing the initiative over to him. If we've escaped from the cell, but don't do anything to capitalize on it, it's barely better than just waiting for him to enact his plans. If we had some sort of guerrilla objectives I might caution a waiting game, but we don't gain anything from that."

"...yeah." She agreed reluctantly. "I don't like the idea of going up against Sombra. But I think it's the best option we've got. If we can distract him, we might be able to get out."

"OK." I nodded. I'd been thinking about traps for a while now. "I think I have an idea for a distraction."

Twilight and I crouched in a side corridor. I was gripping my club, a piece of metal I'd scavenged from a broken-down machine. It had a spike on the end, nearly making it into a war-hammer. I worked my hand on the 'grip', the end where it had broad threads worked into the metal. It wasn't the most comfortable but I was pretty sure I wouldn't drop it.

We had rigged a trap for Sombra. More than a distraction, hopefully it would-

CRUNCH.

And there it went. A sound like dropping a dozen eggs, and a trickle of black smoke worked it's way along the ceiling. We both froze.

clip-clop, clip-clop, clip came towards us. clop, clip-clop, clip-clop faded away from us. As soon as it seemed that Sombra was well on his way, we moved out. I jogged silently, my equine companion was a bit more noisy.

We stepped into the lab. Twilight cast her eyes across the nicknacks and we set our plan into motion. I stepped forward and touched the door, before leaping backwards and raising my club.

With the surprisingly beautiful sound of crystal chimes, the two statues stepped forward.

I hate it when I'm right. The only good thing about pessimism is the surprises.

Behind me, I heard Twilight's horn hum as she powered it up. I swung the club up from my ready position into a striking pose and stepped into the fray.

10 - Confront

Confront

CRUNCH.

The sound of breaking glass echoed through the room. I recovered my stance, fighting a dozen small wounds to bring my war hammer into the ready position again. We were fighting for our lives. Twilight stood behind me, the magic from her horn playing across the door, pitting her formidable brain against the ancient enchantments in an attempt to get us out of this alive.

I took a step backwards, trying to bottleneck the two golems I was fighting between tables so they couldn't flank me. From what I'd seen so far they had excellent strength and dangerous speed but they were severely lacking in creative tactics. They would have been simple to disable, even two against one, if they had any vulnerable points at all.

Hah. Can't crit constructs. I thought. At least bludgeoning overcomes their DR! I risked a glance at the door. Twilight's magic was crackling across it like purple lighting. I could see the spells, ancient layers of enchantments, laying across the ancient wood and steel light up like neon spiderwebs. She was slowly ripping the carefully woven lace into shreds but it wasn't going as quickly as I would like.

I ducked a blow and slid in from underneath to plant the head of my makeshift mace in the chest of my opponent.

Even though it was an unfeeling construct it had to balance like anything with legs and I managed to stagger it. Taking advantage of it's momentary hesitation, I followed up my blow with a telling strike to the knee. I smiled in victory is the cracks spider-webbing the crystal spread a bit more with the sound of crunching glass. Maybe I could take off it's leg with a few more strikes.

Working with a war hammer had a certain brutal euphoria to it. It wasn't the sort of weapon that someone who wanted to look good used; it was all about effect. I dodged another blow and blocked a third, waiting for an opening. Working with a heavy weapon and no armor meant that I needed to be sure of each attack. Getting caught out could be potentially devastating since the extra weight slowed my reactions considerably.

Seeing the constructs stance open slightly, I punished its mistake as hard as I could. The war hammer lashed out, the spike on the end crunching deliciously into the glassy front of it's skull, a killing blow on a normal pony.

Despite the inch-wide hole in it's skull, this construct was unaffected. I groaned at the useless hit; I should have been been trying to focus my blows on its limbs.

"Twilight, ETA?"

"Two minutes!" My companion's voice was tight with strain. We had no idea how long Sombra would be distracted but we were reaching the limits of our estimates. If he returned to find us fighting we were going to lose by default. I dodged right, rolling over a table. My two opponents followed by splitting and coming after me from two different sides. I groaned and glanced at how much space I had left for retreating. I was starting to get dangerously close to Twilight. I dashed clockwise around the table, thinking to intercept one of the constructs.

I met it half-way with a telling blow. My weapon was really making a difference in this fight. Without it I would be at a distinct disadvantage, but as it was I was slowly taking these golems to pieces. A quick dodge pinned my assailant between me and the table and I choked up on the haft of my hammer. I spun, putting every ounce of twist and weight I could into the stroke. The spike landed right where the knee joint would have been and sunk deep into the crystal.

I whooped with excitement as the construct took another step towards me and staggered. Its shattered leg bent oddly and then crumbled. It hobbled a step, trying to move on three legs. I darted away. I was just about to get between the still-moving construct and Twilight when the damaged one exploded. Kind of.

It didn't have much force. The cracks on its legs started to glow blue and quickly spread instantly across the whole of its body with a sound like ice hitting warm water. The blue glow pulsed once and shards of glass were thrown across the room. There was a WHOOMPH! As a pony's worth of black sand hit the floor. I barely had time to take this in before I was fighting again, dancing away from blows and blocking strikes. I was about to start looking for an opening to exploit when frost started to form on my war hammer.

I didn't think much of it, at first, but after it started to chill my fingers I glanced around to see what was going on.

In place of the construct I had destroyed, a vaporous cloud of blue gas was starting to take shape. The shattered glass of its body was exuding azure mist, which swirled upwards and hung in a swirling mass. I wrenched my eyes off the spectacle but I was a second too slow. The construct I was fighting caught me off guard with a lashing forehoof, the sharp glass edge crushing the bicep of my arm. I dipped with the blow and managed to avoid dislocating my shoulder, but the muscle was severely damaged.

"Buck." I swore under my breath. It was by no means the first blow I'd taken, but it was the first one that had the potential to turn the flow of the fight. I winced as I tried to swing my mace, feeling my damaged arm fight the motion. My body was in overdrive and adrenaline had numbed most of the pain, but if I couldn't end this soon I was going to be in trouble.

"Twilight, threat assessment on that cloud?"

"Seems to be the animating spirit. It's less dangerous than one with a body. If we need to we'll deal with it after!"

"Ok, thanks." So it was better to break them.

I gritted my teeth and pushed myself hard, squeezing the last few drops of power out of my screaming muscles. I stepped into the fight, working hard, desperately hard, to finish this fight before my wounds caught up to me.

I groaned as the construct let me take the initiative, holding back and playing conservatively. Maybe it could sense my desperation? Either way, I needed to end this as fast as possible.

I screwed up my courage and started taking risks.

Normally, I would play this as safe as possible. But we were on a timetable here and sometimes you needed to sacrifice something of value to get something better. I purposefully opened my stance, daring the construct to take a shot at me. As long as I wasn't overcomitted I should be able to dodge...

The expected hoof flashed in. I jerked to the side, scraping by just as close as I could, and breathing a sigh of relief as I managed to avoid being disemboweled. Darting in behind the blow, I put my whole body behind the swing I sent at the glass golem, rotating from the ankles and hips. My war hammer smacked into the head of the equine so hard it practically exploded into a shower of glass.

Sagging in relief, I let my hammer fall to the ground and stepped back. Even as I watched, the golems body was disintegrating. The pile of sand started to smoke just like the other one. I turned and stepped back to where Twilight was.

"Um, no pressure, but-"

"A minute. Or less."

"Ok." We stood in silence for a short time.

"What...what are those things?" I looked over to the piles of glass that were once golems. Above them, the blue mist was starting to take a recognizable shape. The first one I killed was noticeably farther along than the second. They looked almost like a horse; larger than the average pony and with much fiercer, straighter body-lines. They seemed to exude cold, the vapors and fumes from the their bodies settling on the tables and floors around them as frost.

"No idea. No time to look." Twilight ground out between clenched teeth.

"Right." I replied.

It was around then that I heard Sombra returning.

The lab was surprisingly still. There was Twilight's magic of course, its eldrich crackle loud in the air and a swishing, tinkling sound from the golems....reforming, or whatever they were doing. All in all, it wasn't very loud. So when Sombra's hoofsteps started to sound in the passageway outside the door, I heard them clearly.

"He's back. Hide." I said, pushing Twilight behind a table. She crouched down, still concentrating on her magic. The spells on the door were starting to look ragged. Any second now, we would be ready to go. I debated for a second. Wait with Twilight, and hope she was fast enough? Or hide by the door, and hope to distract Sombra so that she could run?

I took up a position next to the door, hammer raised.

There was a nerve-wracking pause as the hoofsteps stopped for a second before resuming at a faster pace. I tensed, waiting.

Twilight gave a tiny whoop as her spells finally ate through the enchantments. She dashed for the door, throwing it open, just as the charcoal gray stallion dashed into the room. I was swinging my hammer as soon as I saw the tip of his horn appear in the doorway.

I never stood a chance.

He flicked his eyes towards me, hardly taking more than a moment to assess and dismiss me as a threat. His magic, a purple shadow with a green penumbra, flickered into existence around me and I was frozen.

"Wes!" Twilight had glanced back, saw my predicament, and spun to face Sombra. "Let him go!"

"No." The reply came instantly. My friend lowered her head, her horn sparking to life as she faced him down.

"Windigoes!" Sombra's ethereal voice lashed out and the two clouds, now completely free of their corporeal shapes, moved towards Twilight. She backed up slowly, trying futilely to draw a bead on one or the other as they dodged and weaved as lightly as the breeze. In a second they were circling her and ice started to form underneath her feet. It crackled upwards and engulfed her with shocking speed; in a second, the only sign of life from her was the steam of her nostrils as she panted in the cold air.

I hung limply in Sombra's aura, projecting an attitude of complete defeat. If I was going to have any chance of striking back it needed to be a complete surprise.

It really wasn't that hard to pull off. I was feeling pretty discouraged already, honestly. But I hadn't gotten to where I was now by giving up. Not that I really wanted to be where I was now. Maybe a little giving up now and then would help...?

I grit my teeth and banished that thought.

"What do you want with me?" I said. It wasn't hard to force a tremble into my voice.

"Well." My captor paused for a second, and his horn glowed. I flinched as the aura around me thickened. "Let's see what you have to offer. A human body, in it's prime, trained as a gladiator. Knowledge of human science, math, and technology, inaccessible to anyone else on Equus. Hands." As he spoke, Sombra was imprisoning me. The aura around me spread away from my skin, slowly solidifying into a dome around me. It was charcoal gray, and crackled. "But...the most important part, is that you have an empathic crystal nodalized into your numosic matrix. Oh, what a gift!" He threw his head back and laughed. My eyes narrowed, my mind racing furiously. His words tickled the half-buried knowledge that I was slowly leaching from Twilight.

"How do you know about my crystal?" I challenged, trying to extract more info from him.

"Your crystal?" His tone was suddenly menacing. "YOURS? Although those filthy insects may have welded it to your soul, it does not become yours. I created it. It has been, and always will be, mine. He took one slow step towards me, and then another. "Soon, I will take it back. And soon, I will have a body again. You asked what I wanted from you?" His eyes narrowed, and a horrible hissing laugh filled the room. "I want you. I plan to eat your soul and possess your body."

I shivered, and hunched over, twisting my hands into my hair.

"You made this thing?" My voice came out mangled, growling deep in my chest.

"The crystal soul room was one of my masterpieces. I'll have to reckon with those bugs one of these days, taking my research, and even my old fortress, and using it without my consent like that."

"This is all your fault?"

The unicorn smirked at my powerless fury.

"Maybe? It's unimportant to me what blame you lay at my feet." He was obviously baiting me, but I still couldn't stop my feelings from rising up. Rage was welling up in my heart. I smashed my hand against the shield, feeling the skin on my knuckles split and bleed.

My rage welled up, and I screamed something unintelligible at his laughter. I smashed my fists into the barrier again and again. It snapped and sizzled, burning the blood I smeared it with black. My vision was clouding. I'd been captured by the very person who created the instruments of my torture. It was him! Because of this unicorn, I'd been trapped. I'd bled. My friends had died. All because of the evil he had created.

I wanted to kill him. No, I wanted to hurt him. I wanted to cause him the same pain I'd carried. I wanted him to burn. To burn like Splinter. Like Fallen Leaf.

I didn't even think about what I was doing until my fingernails started to draw blood from my chest as I scrabbled at the gem. It hurt, but I ignored the pain as I tore away the skin surrounding it and began to pry. The blood made it slick, but I persevered. It wasn't until the magic started to actually burn my fingers that I realized what I was doing, but at that point I'd nearly wrapped my fingers around the gem.

My fingers which were still black from absorbing a magic-suppression crystal.

The feedback started as a raw magical discharge. I felt it crackle up my arm, down my wrist, through my heart, and back into my arm. I tried to yank my hand away but it seemed stuck, caught in the current.

My actions caught up with my thoughts as time suddenly seemed to slow.

What was I doing?

My arm burned as runaway magic circled through my body. Sombra's latest laugh shook through his lean frame in slow motion. I was planning to kill myself, just to hurt him? Had I gone completely insane?

I must have, at least for a second, because my next thought hit like a sledge.

I was planning to kill Twilight just to hurt him?

Sickened, I tried again to pull my fingers away. Still stuck. Concentrating on my feelings of regret and frustration, I tried to feel the pulse and sting of magic in my arm, willing it to slow, to quiet. I concentrated on the buzz, the surge, as it crackled around the circuit. I could feel each separate bone in my hand vibrate. As I concentrated on it, the magic seemed to still slightly. Encouraged, I tried harder, imagining the results I wanted; the magic would be re-absorbed into the gem, the feedback would cease. I pictured it in my mind, pretending to feel the circuit stilling.

It didn't happen quite like I imagined.

As I watched, I was surprised and worried when the smoky patterns on my skin swirled and started to feed into the gem.

There was another crackle as my abused crystal started to absorb the magic-nullification spell that I'd leeched off of Twilight earlier. My eyes widened in shock and I tried desperately to reverse whatever I'd done, but to no effect. The magic feedback lulled for a second and then increased quickly. There was a sharp crick as a flicker of purple flame shot out of the gem and licked my hand.

And suddenly I could feel Twilight's power.

The purple flame burned away the black on my skin and sunk in, staining my skin lilac. And somehow connecting me to the unicorn encased in ice.

She was just as tired, scared, enraged and confused as I was.

There was an instant of surprise as our consciousness' touched, and then a firming of resolve.

She was scared of what was happening to me and the details she picked up from my mind didn't make it any easier. However, as soon as her mind began to grasp what was going on, a plan snapped into place, nearly full-formed. With a thought, I quickly dismissed the fact that it might kill me outright. There was a burning, rending feeling in my chest as I let Twilight take what she needed to implement the plan. Uncertain death is better than certainly having your soul eaten.

We jumped into action instantly.

My hand fell off the gem. Purple fire flickered over it for a second, fusing the cracks closed as the destructive feedback was destroyed. I raised a fist, clenched it as hard as I could, and slammed it one more time into the shield around me. The last remnants of the magic leeching spell stained my fingertips and knuckles, concentrated there by the flow of magic and my own visualizations. There was a flash of smoky purple flame and the shield dropped with a resounding crack. I leaped, whirling my weapon in a vicious arc.

Sombra barely had time to look shocked before he was intimately introduced to round two.

My war hammer caught him between the eyes. He roared and staggered in pain as the club sliced through him. I felt barely any resistance as the heavy chunk of metal dissipated the mist of his body. I staggered in shock, critically unprotected as my body tried to absorb the unexpected momentum, but the physical assault wasn't the important part of the attack, just enough to disorient him so Twilight could get one good shot in.

As his attention refocused, my partner's horn flashed from within her prison of ice.

I'd seen the spell when I touched her mind, but I still wasn't sure what she'd based it on. She had spent several seconds of our shared bullet-time putting it together, before tasking me with distracting Sombra. As I considered his misty nature, I guess she must have had a better idea what we were up against than I did. It looked like multicolored lighting, but then, just about every third spell I'd seen her cast looked like that. The effect it had was impressive. It didn't ground out when it struck Sombra, or arc to another target. Instead, it hovered near him, slicing back and forth repeatedly through the space he occupied, cutting his wispy body into streamers again and again.

I watched for a second, impressed, before the second spell caught us up and whisked us out of there.

"Why...why didn't you do that before?" I asked, as we collapsed in burned, frozen, crushed, exhausted slumps onto the library floor.

"Farrierday cage warp defenses. All that crystal. Any prison would have one." Twilight replied. "Also, I had to pull some of that magic out of your gem. I didn't have enough to do that sort of thing by myself."

"Oh. That's why it hurt so much. At least we're alive."

"...yeah."

11 - Dream

Dream

"Wes? Twiilight! You're back!"

I looked up from where I was laying on the floor, recuperating without being unconscious for once, to see Spike enthusiastically hugging Twilight.

"Hurk!...some air?"

"Oh! I need to tell them!" Spike released her and dashed out the door. A second later I heard stampeding hooves, and the door burst open to reveal a tall white unicorn with a blue mane. It was striped with a lighter shade of blue, just like Twilight's.

"Twilight!" She was once again swept up in a hug which she returned gladly and laughed giddily.

"Shiny!" She squealed, but winced in pain. "Ow."

"Oh, you're hurt!" The unicorn carefully switched from hugging to levitating her and inspected her wounds, before glancing me over as well. "Medic!" He yelled. A second later the door opened again and another pony entered. He wore bronze armor, ornate but practical, with a crest atop his head.

"My lord?" He said, saluting the unicorn.

"Cold, these are the two we were preparing to search for. Get them some first aid and let me know when I can debrief them."

"Sir."

"Twilight and, Wesley, right? This is Cold Pack, our medic. I need to hear about what you two have been through after he makes sure that you're going to be OK."

The next hour was a bit of a blur. I started to wish I HAD blacked out. Cold Pack was a good doctor, but there was not much he could do for internal magic burns, damaged evil artifacts, and a bucket of bruises, besides hand out some painkillers and ice and hope for my recovery.

Somewhere in there, Twilight and I were moved to the hospital. After a thorough examination, the unicorn she called 'Shiny' returned and was introduced.

"Wes, this is my brother, Prince Shining Armor. He's captain of the royal guard in Canterlot Castle. Shiny, this is my friend Wesley. He's a human, and because of...things, he ended up captured with me."

"Things?" A raised eyebrow showed Shining wasn't quite ready to leave the discussion there, but he let it pass, instead quizzing us on what had happened after our disappearance. As soon as he got some idea of where the fort might be located he called in a few more guards, gave them precise orders for a patrol, and sent them off.

The rest of the story was related to a series of sympathetic winces, hisses, and a shocked gasp or two.

"So then something odd happened with Wes. I'm not sure exactly how it started, but he generated some sort of magical feedback and was able to pierce the shield. He distracted Sombra for a second, just long enough for me to snap off a Prismatic Sphere and warp us out of there."

"A Prismatic Sphere? Twily!" He laughed proudly. "You're just as shocking as usual. How can you casually consider 'snapping off' a Prismatic Sphere? Most unicorns would faint from that sort of magical overload."

"Hehe, well..." Twilight grinned, and rubbed her head abashedly. I bit my lip, hoping he wouldn't press for more. For some reason she was skating around anything to do with the soul-graft she had performed on me. I didn't exactly know what to make of that, but I'd pretty much just lain in bed and listened, here and there contributing a point or two. I yawned and rolled over, thinking to get some sleep.

Maybe I would hurt less tomorrow.

I was laying on a cloud.

It seemed totally normal until I rolled over and discovered a tree growing in the center of it.

"Wait. Trees don't grow on clouds."

I stood up, plugged my nose, closed my mouth, and tried to breathe. As I pulled in a breath anyways, reality became clear to me.

"I'm dreaming."

"Correction. WE are dreaming."

Taking cautious steps, Twilight was coming around the tree.

"Twilight?"

I took a second to inspect my dream-self. As I concentrated on my fingers and feet, the dream solidified. This was one of the most realistic dreams I'd ever managed to achieve. It was also blessedly free of any of my usual traumatic memories.

"This is very odd." I said, wriggling my bare toes in the cloud under me.

"You're teling me." The dream-Twilight said. "Dream sharing isn't supposed to just happen like this."

"Um." I said. Telling dream-characters they're just part of a dream didn't seem to work out well, usually.

"I mean, seriously, only Princess Luna is supposed to be able to dream walk. If I've started doing it, does that mean that our soul-bond is breaking down? Tightening? Does that mean we are in more trouble, or less?"

"I've never dreamed of a cloud before. Somehow, I didn't think it would feel like this." I said.

"That must mean it's from my dream." Twilight sighed despondently and flopped down on the cloud, laying in the tree's shade. The green leaves danced, scattering dapples of shadow to jumping and skittering over the luminescent white surface of the cloud.

"Wait wait." I said. "Ok. I need to re-think this. First off, are you convinced you're not just part of my dream?"

"What...Oh!" Comprehension dawned on Twilight's face. "You think dream sharing is impossible. Another one of the limitations of your science. Let me assure you, it's possible to dream walk. It's just not usually something that happens so simply as this. Only one pony has full control of their dream-self, and that's Princess Luna. I really am Twilight, although I have no idea how we ended up here."

"Ok." I thought for a second before throwing myself backwards to land flat on the cloud with a puff. I felt oddly safe here. "Ok, well, how about this. If you're really Twilight, when I ask you how you slept, you need to say 'like a banana' tomorrow."

She giggled a bit at that, but nodded her agreement.

"Fine then." She said. "If we're running an experiment, then you need to reply with 'orange you glad you didn't fall out of bed?'"

"Hah, OK. I guess that will work."

We lay under the tree for a while. All in all, it was one of the most restful dreams I'd had in a long time.

"So...any thoughts on this?" I said. "I know you talked about how this shouldn't be happening, but as a good scientist, you should be able to learn more from a broken theory than a proved one."

She sighed. "I'm not sure. As I said before, this really shouldn't be happening. I can only speculate that the spell on your crystal was eroded by the magical feedback when you attempted to crush it. If that's so, the mixing of our souls could escalate...I really need to inspect it tomorrow."

"Hum. So, why is it that you were so reticent about telling your brother anything about the gem?" I asked, my eyes closed.

"She would not tell because it is forbidden magic." The voice that answered me was unfamiliar, and Twilight's surprised gasp made me open my eyes. Standing on the cloud, not far from my feet and looking down at both of us, was the largest pony I'd seen yet. Her coat was midnight blue, and her mane was billowing ethereally, filled with a field of stars. I blinked as Twilight teleported to her feet and bowed. I smirked slightly, flexed my dream-control, and did the same.

The midnight alicorn raised an eyebrow at that.

"Princess Luna, I presume?" I said.

"Indeed. And thou must be the human, Wesley."

I nodded in response.

"I apologize for entering thy dreams without permission, Wesley. Yet this dream did seem unnatural to me, and since the guarding of dreams is part of my domain, I thought it needful to investigate." Her voice dropped slightly, taking on a serious tone. "And it is well that I did. Tell me, Twilight Sparkle, how long did you intend to let this foolish exercise in numancy proceed before thy teacher was informed?"

"It's not like that!" Twilight claimed, clearly bothered by the thought she had betrayed her teacher.

"She did it to save my life." I interjected. "It's no simple experiment. I don't know why this spell is forbidden, but she hasn't hurt me with it."

The dark princess regarded us coolly for a minute, before speaking again.

"I see the truth of your words. However, that is not all there be to the matter. This spell is restricted not because of the harm it can cause to the one it is cast on," She said, pointing at me, "But because of the harm it causes to the one who casts it." She turned to Twilight. "You know not what you have wrought, Twilight Sparkle. My sister must hear of this at once, or avoidance of injury will be a slim hope indeed."

"Did you know this?" I demanded, my head whipping around to stare at Twilight. She hung her head, trying to work up an answer. "DID you?" I yelled, slightly more loudly than necessary.

"Zecora did say..."

"Thou dist know?" Luna's voice was calm, but with an undercurrent of steel. "Surely thou art not so blind to the ways of magic to not see how badly wrong this could turn?"

"Luna, he was dying!" Twilight cried, anguish in her voice. "I-I was the one who wounded him, mortally! Don't tell me, don't YOU tell me that you've never been willing to throw caution to the wind! That you've never wanted to undo a mistake badly enough to gamble your life on it!"

The princess flinched as if physically struck, and cast her eyes down to her hooves. She stood silently for a second.

"Be that as it may, Twilight, everypony is judged on their actions, not their intents. Although there are those who foolishly esteem my sister and I as Goddesses, we are not able to truly judge the heart of anypony." She shook herself. "Sometimes even my own. I too have stood condemned for what I have done." She walked over to Twilight, and tenderly nuzzled her neck. "I will leave you with this, though; do not fear mercy. It's tenderness may cut like a knife, but my sister loves you yet. Bare your heart to her, and she will do her utmost to respond to that trust."

She stepped back, and her voice rang like a bell. "Both of you are hereby charged to appear before Princess Celestia with the elements of Harmony, no less than two days after you are discharged with clean health." She lowered her head and sighed. "Truly, this is but a formality; my sister would like to talk with thee and thine anyways." Her ears and tail drooped a little, as if the bearing of bad news had taken a physical toll on her. "Now that my royal business is done, I shall take my leave." She turned and vanished, rotating out of reality as if she was two-dimensional.

"Dang." I said. Twilight nodded soberly in response. "She's beautiful." Her nod of agreement turned into a boggle of surprise. "Seriously, royal, majestic, that mane...wow." I saw her looking at me suspiciously, and laughed. "I mean, like a work of art! Who do I look like, Louis Wu? I'm not into rishathra." That changed the look into confusion, and I changed the subject.

"Enough gloom!" I exclaimed, concentrating until I was hovering a few inches above the cloud we were on, "Since this is my first pleasant dream in quite a while, I intend to have some fun! Tag, your it!" I tapped her on the nose and flew off, laughing giddily at her surprise.

"Urgh." I rolled over and hurt. My right arm ached in a line from my chest to my to my fingertips, which were wrapped together in a bandage. I had bruises all over my body, and my other arm was taped to my chest so my abused shoulder was immobilized. I awkwardly threw back the blankets and sat up, rubbing at my eyes with my free hand.

I was in the hospital. I'd expected it, but it still took me a minute to re-adjust myself to the surroundings. Groaning again, I swung my legs back onto the bed and scooted back so I could put my back against the headboard before pulling the covers up over my legs.

"Wes, you awake?" Twilight asked. A glow of magic pulled back the curtain between our beds.

"Yeah." I said. "I kinda wish I wasn't, though. How did you sleep?"

"...like a banana." She said. My head cleared quickly at that. Sure, I'd experienced magic while being in this world, but honestly? I hadn't expected that to be anything more than an odd but fun dream. I riffled through my memory, looking for the response, and smirked slightly as I returned the bit of nonsense to her.

"Orange you glad you didn't fall out of bed, then?"

"Blargh." She grimaced. "That sounds even stupider when you actually say it."

"But that means," I said, "That was all real? You were really there? And...the Princess?" She nodded soberly.

"Yes, Princess Luna. We've been summoned to a royal audience in Canterlot. No getting out of it now. Looks like the jig is up."

"Twilight..."

"Yes?"

"Tell me."

She sighed.

"Alright. I guess you are owed an explanation." She took a minute to gather her thoughts. "First off, the spell I cast on you is branch of magic called 'numancy'. It's from the Old Equestrian 'Pneuma', or breath, as in breath of life, and '-mancy,' which refers to divination. It started as research into souls, especially the magic surrounding our Cutie Marks. There was much research done, by many respected wizards, but the Diarchy eventually decided that it was too dangerous to continue. Well intentioned practitioners, using their own souls for research, had a remarkable tendency to wind up dead after a failed experiment. Poorly intentioned practitioners, using the souls of others, tended to have dead bodies appear around them with distressing frequency. The whole discipline was bottled up." She turned to look at me. "I want to make it clear, the spell I used on you comes from the so-called 'good' side of the discipline. I had no nefarious intentions when I cast it."

"Twilight. If you hadn't already made that clear by your actions, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

"Um. Right. Anyways, the spell is not without side effects." She sighed. "Working with magic is similar to working with any other high-energy project. Steam powered machinery, for instance. Although a machine is well built, well maintained, and well run, it's a complicated mechanism that contains high levels of horsepower. Any sort of mistake can cause problems, and a small problem can cause a catastrophic cascade. A well constructed spell has multiple safeguards and fail-safes, but anything can be broken. The best spells are constructed as low-point balances; any energy added to them will self-correct the spell. This spell is not like that."

She rubbed her forehead, as if her horn was starting to ache.

"This spell was only half-finished, at best. Firstly, let me assure you, I knew every single risk I was getting into when I cast it. Zecora laid it out clearly, and I know enough magical theory..." She laughed dryly. "Suffice to say, I understood the spell. I understood the underpinnings of the spell. I understood the research those underpinnings were founded on. I knew the history of the researchers who laid those foundations. I knew what I was getting myself into, even if I'd never learned a numancy spell before, even if I re-wrote it on the fly, even if I have no idea where Zecora learned such magic."

She lapsed into silence, and I thought maybe she wouldn't continue, but her voice rose again. "That's not what you were asking about, though. You want to know what I've gotten myself into. Well, it's pretty simple. If something goes wrong, our souls could fuse. That-" She pointed a hoof at my chest, "Is what has started to happen. As I've said, it's not something simple, or romantic, or even good. At best, I'll die, and you will live a very confused life with two sets of memories. At worst, both of our souls will be ripped to shreds. Oblivion." Her voice faded into silence again.

"What are our chances?" I grated harshly.

"Wes, I-"

"Guess!"

"Not good." She said quietly. "Things are progressing too quickly. I'd hoped that we would have a quiet few months. If your soul healed with the support of mine, I would undo the spell. Everything would be back to....to the way it was before. Now, however...everything is going wrong. First, the memories. That, I thought, was manageable. Now, Sombra has forced us to stretch the capabilities of the crystal. It's even more damaged. The magic feedback, and the anti-magic spell, have introduced imperfections into the crystalline lattices. This dream-sharing, as much fun as it was last night, is a bad sign and we need to do whatever we can to stop it."

She rubbed her eyes, looking defeated.

"I knew, as soon as we teleported out of the crystal fortress, that we needed to go to the Princess. Celestia is one of the most talented mages in existence. It's just...well, I hoped it would never come to this, and it's a little hard to take. If only we had more information on how the crystal was built, maybe we could do something. "

I hunched over, and tried to think straight. What had happened wasn't important now. Even though I'd felt like she was punching me in the chest and head when she told me the consequences, and later, our odds, I fought past all of that. Self-loathing, recrimination, rage, and helplessness all burned away. I wasn't going to lie here and wait to die. I needed to do something.

Suddenly, a thought struck me, bringing a smile to my face. It wasn't a pleasant smile, and it hurt my teeth a little with the intensity of the thoughts behind it. This was it. A way to learn more about the gem bonded to me. Something I could throw my rage and anger at.

"How about we go find it, then?" She looked at me questioningly. "The Nexus." I tapped the crystal in my chest. "Where this came from. Let's go back, and find out what they did."

And maybe, just maybe, I'd get the chance to kill a changeling or two.

12 - Audience

Audience

I was in trouble.

I glanced at my dwindling reserves, and checked my weapons again. This was going to be close.

I eyed my opponent, locking eyes and trying to discern what lay behind that impassable mask.

You wouldn't have thought it, but Pinkie Pie was absolutely amazing at poker.

"All in." I said, as I pushed the last of my potato chips into the center of the table. She gasped, her eyes flicking back and fourth from her hand to the three face-up cards, trying to guess what I was holding. It had taken a while for me to interest Twilight's friends in the game, but once I'd gotten them to try it, they had found it very enjoyable. Applejack, who I had just met a few days ago, was the worst at it despite being so stereotypically 'western'. She couldn't bluff to save her life.

Fluttershy played too conservatively, but was surprisingly good at reading people. Rarity played a pretty even game, but usually wasn't able to conceal her feelings well enough to stay in till the end. Rainbow Dash was the opposite of Fluttershy; she overplayed, dramatically. Twilight was good, honestly scary with her calculating gaze and cold poker face. Shining Armor was all over the place. His game varied with his mood too much. I wasn't that great myself, honestly; I usually didn't risk enough, and fell out pretty early. However, everypony, and I mean everypony, fell before the Pink Menace. I was never sure if she was actually playing randomly, or if there was a cold, calculating intelligence behind it but she seemed able to read minds, bluff with steel confidence and hide any possible tells behind a blinding facade of nonsense. This time, maybe, she was bluffing.

I turned over my cards. Three of a kind; a pretty good hand. I groaned when she revealed hers. Of course she would have a full house.

I gathered the cards together while she pulled the pile of treats we'd been betting with over to her side of the table where she began demolishing them cheerfully. Fluttershy watched in fascination as I shuffled, once again demonstrating the utility of fingers.

"Good game!" Pinkie said.

"You know," I said, "If you don't want to share your snacks you don't have to loan them to us and then win them all back."

"Nonsense!" She said, with a wink. "They taste better this way! Anyways, you all have fun too!"

I nodded ruefully. I'd always enjoyed poker, and playing with friends was even better. Not that I'd ever won much, but I'd never let that stop me.

"So, Twilight, what's the word?" I leaned back in my seat and addressed the pony across from me. We were on the train to Canterlot, having been released from the hospital as fit to travel. Captain Shining and his squad had located the fortress from our leads and staked it out for several days. When no movement was observed, he had decided to assault it, setting the time for today. His magically delivered report had arrived while we were in the middle of our game and Twilight was just finishing up her perusal of it.

"It's just about as we suspected. There was no-one there. They did document everything we reported to them, including the cells, the teleport room, and the remains of the lab, although much of the equipment was gone."

I sighed and rubbed my eyes. That was about what I'd feared. We knew where his hideout was, we had busted up his golems and his lab. If I'd been Sombra, I would have been out of there before the dust had even settled.

"There's not much more to it than that, except my brother does make a note about not finding the Windigoes Sombra was controlling. He mentions that if he has managed to command them, we need to make preparations for real conflict. He could be planning to attack much more openly next time if he has that sort of army at his disposal and the need for secrecy is gone now that he's lost the element of surprise."

"He's the expert." I shrugged. "I just hope it doesn't come to that." She nodded, her reply lost in the squeal of brakes. The train was coming into the station. We had arrived at Canterlot.

It was with slowly heightening apprehension that Twilight and I paced through the wide halls of Canterlot Castle. My fingers and chest were still bandaged, but I was not having any trouble walking. All around us, the rest of the Elements were chatting happily, but the cheerful noise swirled past our morose mood without touching us.

I leaned my head back, trying to take a deep enough breath to relax and take my mind off my thoughts by appreciating the view of the capitol city through a passing windows.

Canterlot was really quite impressive.

Tall towers rose on all across the city. It was built onto the side of the mountain, small plots of land terraced into a slowly sweeping cityscape. The blocks were small, and the roads narrow, but the height the homes and businesses rose above them made up for it. It wasn't anything compared to a modern skyline of concrete and glass, but the fact that it had been put together using lesser technology made the whole thing more impressive, not less, like the architecture of ancient Rome or Greece. The noonday sun smiled brightly down on the whole scene, illuminating the roads and byways where hoof traffic mingled with a few carts here and there.

I followed the road from the train station with my eyes. We had wound our way up and up, slowly working towards the center point of the whole city, the towering castle where the Sun and Moon Diarchs ruled from, where we were now. In the back of my mind I tried to compare it to the ruins I'd seen in the Everfree, but I couldn't manage to set one above the other. The warm stone around me contrasted too sharply with the dim magnificence I had previously explored.

My mental excursion came full circle as I looked at the brightly stained glass surrounding us, and I remembered where we were headed. I sighed and lowered my head.

"So, um, any pointers on etiquette?" I asked.

"Not too much." Twilight replied. "Um, be respectful. Don't interrupt. Be truthful. I've never actually figured out if she's just really, really good at reading ponies, or if she actually has a lie detector spell she uses. That's about all that's needed for a private audience. She's never been a stickler for protocol, and there's not nearly enough time to give you the formal rules. Even if you could remember them all."

I glanced over at her, watching as her eyes grew soft with memories of her mentor.

"You two are close."

"...Yes."

She lowered her eyes, dread for the meeting dragging her head down again, and we went back to glooming for a bit.

"For what it's worth," I said, trying to raise her spirits, "I appreciate the choice you made. I don't know the Princess, but I don't think she'll be angry at you for saving my life."

"I know. I'm not...not really...afraid of her reaction any more. At least, not as far as any sort of punishment. I panicked, I really did, when I started to realize what had happened."

The guard leading the group opened a and ushered us into a large but lushly appointed room. Celestia had called the elements and me for a private meeting. Although I'd like to see the throne room at some point, I was also relieved that we weren't going to be put under the scrutiny of the whole court.

"It's just..." She flopped down into a nearby chair, and I sank into one nearby. "I mean, I did what I needed to do. I needed to make things right, I had a way to do it, I counted the cost, and I put my hooves where my heart was. It was my decision, and I made it. What bothers me is not the possible punishment, but the idea that this might distance me from her. It's not her anger I fear..."

"But her disappointment." I finished.

She nodded. We sat in silence for a few minutes. The rest of the group sunk into uneasy quiet as well.

Soon, the doors opened again, and Celestia entered.

I was awestruck.

It was hard to tell if her force of presence was a magical thing or not. I didn't realize just how strongly it was affecting me at first, until I noticed that my jaw had fallen open. I slowly closed it, and tried to assess her calmly.

She was a little taller than me, much slimmer and maybe a bit shorter than an Earth horse, but only if you disregarded the gigantic unicorn horn. I wasn't really prepared for her height. In my mind I'd been equating her with Luna, and the fact that she was noticeably taller caught me off guard. She was also brilliantly white. I'd been prepared for the billowing mane from meeting her sister, but her soft pastels and brilliant coat were enough of a contrast that it caught me by surprise.

Her eyes were absolutely huge, just like every other pony I'd met so far, but they were actually more in proportion on her.

I was so caught up in assessing her royal demeanor that I was a little surprised when she swept Twilight up in a hug.

"Twilight! Are you OK?" Celestia set Twilight down, and walked around her. "What have you done to keep the numosic flux under control? Do you have a stability matrix you're using?"

She sounded worried. Not angry, or sad, but worried, like a parent who's child hasn't called home.

"Princess, I'm fine. I detailed everything that happened in my letter. But...aren't you...angry?"

The white alicorn took a step back and smiled at Twilight briefly.

"Twilight. I thought I told you after the wedding, that I admired the way you had stuck by what you thought was right through the whole thing. I know that I certainly learned to trust your vision and commitment more. If you thought this was necessary, then I'm willing to trust you with that."

Twilight sagged in relief, a weeks worth of tension and worrying fading out of her body. She jerked forward and embraced Celestia, tears glimmering in her eyes.

"Oh Princess, I was so worried!"

"Shush. There, it's Ok." The alicorn soothed her for a second, before stepping back. "Twilight, I really do need answers for those questions, though. Flux, and a matrix, what is going on here?"

"Um, flux. We've had some. Memories seeping, which seemed controllable, and as I mentioned in my report, one shared dream in the hospital. Also, one after I sent it."

I winced at that. If the first dream had been from Twilight's mind, the more recent one had been from mine. I was used to waking up in a cold sweat. Twilight had screamed herself awake.

"Hmm." Celestia narrowed her eyes. "Let me scan you."

"Just a second, Princess. The matrix we're using...Wes, could you show her?"

I nodded, and unbuttoned my shirt, pulling the bandages aside to expose crystal.

"This is the matrix that was originally grafted to Wes as part of his...ordeal under the changelings. It was my breaking it that almost killed him." Her voice barely quavered as she said that. "I rebuilt and re-purposed it as best I could, but frankly It's beyond my understanding. It is a conductor of unparalleled capacity, though. Honestly, if it wasn't of such high quality, we would be in much more trouble. According to Wes, though, it's not the sort of thing casually made."

"Indeed." Celestia stared at it for a while. She turned back to her desk, and a notebook flipped open while a pen inked itself. She took notes for a few moments, before turning back to us. "I do want to scan you, but I will do it later." She turned to look around the study, meeting the eyes of the other five ponies who were watching the proceedings intently. "Girls, although this is mainly between Wesley and Twilight, I called you all here because it does concern you as well. Specifically in your capacity as elements of Harmony." She levitated a stone box down off a nearby shelf. "You see Twilight, although I will not punish you for what you have done, it is not without consequences. My sister Luna spoke truly when she claimed you knew not what you have wrought. This concerns the Elements. After all, they are bonded to your very soul. Consider the shapes they have taken on, the shape each of you carry as your cutie mark."

She set the box in front of Twilight.

"And now, since your very soul has been broken, Equestria itself may come to rue the decision you've made." She raised the lid, and exposed the contents. A golden tiara with a dull gray star set in the crown, split down the middle with a single jagged fracture.

"Um." I said, in response to the six-fold gasp that echoed through the room, "I guess it's not supposed to be like that?"

"No." Twilight's voice was soft with terror. "I...I broke the Element of Magic?"

Everyone jumped slightly at Celestia's silver chuckle.

"Not quite, Twilight." She stepped towards her student, and snapped her out of an incoming panic attack by nuzzling her gently. "The Elements are not so easily destroyed. At best, you have begun to de-harmonize with it. At worst, it has begun to reject you. But you have not broken it."

"Oh." Again, Twilight sagged in relief. "That's good?" She sounded as if she was trying to decide whether she should be relieved, or continue into shock.

"Well, maybe not good, Sugarcube, but I guess it's a darn sight better than th'other." Applejack interjected. "Princess, is there anything we kin do about this?"

"I'm afraid not." Celestia gazed around the room again. "I've informed you because this affects you, as elements, but this problem is tied up with the other." She pointed to me. "When this is resolved, I hope that the element will return to Twilight. To further this, I'm putting all of you on this. We need to do whatever we can to help Twilight and Wes untangle themselves."

"Um, Princess," Twilight said nervously. "I thought maybe if we knew more about the matrix, we could do something. And Wes had an idea about that." She nodded at me. I cleared my throat nervously, a bit apprehensive at being scrutinized by her champagne-pink eyes.

"Well," I said, "Do you know that there is a nest of changelings living inside your borders?"

13 - Scanning

Scanning

"I wasn't trying to be dramatic, I just...Oh, I don't know. Of course Twilight told you about the changelings and what happened to me. Of course you document disappearances. Of course you've been extra careful since the invasion."

I stood stock still as warm magic flowed over me, tendrils of power crawling over my skin. Probably under my skin, too, but I couldn't feel that. Celestia paused the scan, and smiled at me.

"Well, you are right," She said. "All of that is true. And yet I can't do anything, because I need to know more than that something is going on." She returned her attention to the scan.

The meeting with the Elements had devolved quickly after my climactic question. Any answer Celestia tried to make was drowned out by the curious clamor of the others. I had ended up recounting most of my story, both for the Elements who hadn't heard some parts of it, and for the Princess. Afterwards, she had taken Twilight and I aside in order to conduct a more thorough magical exam on us.

It hadn't taken her long to explain that yes, ponies disappeared. Yes, she wanted to stop it. Yes, she had been doing her best for as long as she had been Princess. I'd felt pretty stupid after that.

"Your idea does have merit, though." She said, as she finished the scan and moved her aura to Twilight. "If we could find this Nexus, it would surely tell us something worth knowing about the gem. Besides that, cleaning out a nest of such vermin would be for the best all-round. Hmm." She finished with Twilight, and took a few notes before giving her diagnosis. "Your progression is not catastrophic."

We both sighed in relief at those words.

"I think it would be best if we could get Luna to do something about the dream sharing. If she works on it from within, as it were, it will be much more strongly bound than if I fumble with it. Expect her in your dreams as soon as you are both asleep." She looked over the top of her notebook, and both of us nodded.

"Also Wes, you said that when you arrived here the place you found yourself was nearby the changeling hive?"

"Yeah." I replied, surprised by the question. "It wasn't very far at all. They caught me in their patrol perimeter."

"Interesting." She mused for a second. "Well, I don't know if we will be able to find the place but if we can, I'd like to investigate for magic residue. A spell with such an interesting effect must have been pretty powerful, and in an isolated location it's not impossible for traces to linger. Who knows? Maybe we can figure out how to return you to your world."

"Really? Isn't that great, Wes? Wes?"

Twilight's enthusiastic voice floated past me, my train of thought derailed, each successive idea slamming into the huge mental roadblock that had just appeared.

I could...go home?

Home? To earth? To my family? To college? To my stupid professors, and friends, and favorite foods, and music, and even my brother's awful cat?

I fell to my knees, suddenly faint.

"Wes!" Both Twilight and Celestia caught me in their magic. I felt tingly as they lifted me off the floor.

"Sorry." I mumbled, still lost in my mind as they lay me down on a nearby couch. Images flashed across my inner eye; the shimmer of stoplights on rain-slick pavement, the smell of the computer labs, billboards and store logos, a taste of my fathers homemade beer, the scent of fresh-cut roses from my mother's garden.

Home.

Something, something I'd locked up, tied down, choked, cut, starved and killed, stirred in my chest.

Home.

I dared to hope. And suddenly, I needed to cry.

"I..." I swallowed a sob. "Sorry..."

"Wesley Kilmer." Celestias voice was gentle, but brooked no argument. "Never, ever, apologize for crying."

Given permission my sobs broke loose, and I curled up on the couch and sobbed.

When I was done, I opened my eyes to find myself covered by white feathers from one side with a lilac shoulder curled up against me on the other. As I recovered, I sniffled and sat up. Celestia and Twilight were sitting on the couch next to me.

"Do you feel better?" The princess levitated a kerchief to me, and I blew my nose noisily.

"Yeah," I said. "I...I guess I needed that. Um." I stopped myself from apologizing, and took a minute to scrub my itchy eyes.

"I thought it was a little weird," Twilight offered. "You didn't seem to be interested in much of anything, but I wondered why you were never once mentioned getting back to your world."

"I-I killed the thought." I mumbled, my mind dredging up my first few weeks in my cell.

"What do you mean?" Celestia asked.

"I couldn't afford to hope," I said. "I didn't have the energy for that. When-when they had me, I couldn't do anything more than take each day one at a time, as best I could. Splinter held me together, held me up as best he could, but even then...I almost didn't make it through those first weeks. Despair was eating me, and he's the only thing that kept it from consuming me whole. He didn't know anything about me being from another world. At the time, the only goal we could hold onto was survival. Everything else was secondary." I frowned. "Even the things I did in Ponyville came out of that mindset, I think. Find some shelter. Find some food. Make sure your going to be OK, after that, THEN you can live your life." I drew in a deep shuddering breath. "I killed my hope of getting home. I did it to survive. And now, it seems that even a little hope hurts."

"Oh Wes..." Twilight's voice was filled with compassion.

"Not daring to hope... It breaks my heart that this would happen to anyone in my realm." Celestia stood, and stepped away from the couch. "I can't tell what will happen, but if I can help you return to your home, please don't hesitate to call on me. Although I speak as merely Celestia, and not the Princess of the Sun, my might is not inconsiderable. And any friend of Twilight's is a friend of mine."

"Th-thanks." I managed, swallowing another sob. I rubbed my eyes again. Despite the discomfort the sobbing had brought me, I my heart felt lighter. I nodded once, and then again more firmly. "Thanks. I will."

"Um, Princess..." Twilight's sounded uncertain, but she forged ahead as Celestia turned towards her. "You said that you were looking for signs of a summoning spell. But... that means.... you think that someone brought him here? On purpose? For a reason?"

I snapped my head around at that. She flinched away from me, and I tried to soften my gaze.

"I...don't know." The princess sounded troubled. "Well, I thought so, from your story. But you didn't?"

"I...you know, I don't really know," I said. "I didn't even think about it. As far as I could tell, the changelings were just as surprised to find me there as I was. I never saw any sign of magic, or any sort of spell. I just fell asleep in one world, and woke up in another. I've never really thought about a purpose behind it." I frowned. "I wasn't in the best frame of mind, I guess, when I drew that conclusion, and I really haven't had the leisure to re-think what happened until now. Um. Here's an odd thing. Several of the, the races I've met in Equestria match up with beings from human myths. Unicorns, pegasi, and dragons, specifically. Is it possible that something like this has happened before?"

Celestia frowned at that.

"I can't definitely rule it out," she said. "But if so, it was before Luna and I ruled. Several thousand years ago, at the least."

My eyes widened a bit at that. I'd picked up the idea that alicorns were long-lived from the tales of Nightmare Moon, but having millennia casually thrown into conversation like that really brought it home.

"Just...just how old are you?"

"Wes!" Celestia laughed. "Don't you know you should never ask a lady her age?"

I cast my eyes down, slightly ashamed. I guess it was rude, at that.

"Honestly though," She continued, "I'm not entirely certain myself. It was quite a while before I decided to start keeping track. That's not the point, though; Luna and I didn't rule Equestria until something like two thousand years ago. At that time, we gained a little more insight into what goes on in the kingdom. All I'm saying is that sort of thing should have come to our attention, much as you have, if it happened when we were in power."

"Actually," I said frowning, "Two thousand years sounds about right for me." I cast my mind back to Greek mythology. They came before the Romans, right? A few hundred years BC, or something? Though that only accounted for the myth of ...dragon legends were much more recent, even in the middle ages in Europe, and I had no idea about Unicorns.

Celestia shrugged her wings. "Well, I have no idea." She admitted frankly. "As I said, if it happened, it was before our time. Although, maybe..." She frowned. "It's possible that some dragon legends contain mentions of humans, now that you mention it. I've always translated those to be about Diamond Dogs, but that never really made a whole lot of sense to me. The myths call them 'Tuatha', and they are cunning despoilers, usually tricksters who steal gold and gems from innocent dragons who overcome them with brute force."

"That...sounds completely opposite to what fairy tails in my world sound like."

"Well, if you were a ten-ton reptile, you might decide to play your strengths as well."

"Hah. I guess."

"Well, that's all I can think of." Celestia made a note in one of her books. "I'll have someone look into it. Maybe we can discover something." She frowned. "The point still stands, though; if you were brought here, and I'm no longer entirely sure that you were, why? If we can find a motive, maybe we can move a little closer towards an answer."

"Sombra said..." Twilight stopped, and then restarted as we turned to her. "Sombra said something about why he wanted you, didn't he?"

"You could hear that?"

"He was loud."

"Um. Yeah, I guess he was. At the time, I thought he wanted to possess me because I was the nearest available body. He talked bout this," I tapped the gem, "as if it would make the whole thing possible, but he also said that he liked-" I furrowed my brows, trying to remember, "the fact that I was fit, and that I knew human math and science."

"How much do you know?" Celestia said, interested.

"Honestly? Not too much. I was about halfway through college. I was in engineering, so I do know some, but I was never the top of my class, and I hated homework. Hush!" I said, as Twilight gasped at that. "It's allowed." Celestia giggled a little at her student's grimace. "Um, math should be the same, and most of Equestria seems to be functionally close to Earth, but I don't think we do everything the same way. You don't use electricity, and your information infrastructure is easily eighty to one-twenty years behind ours or more. If magically transmitted mail can be equated to electric telegraph. And I have no idea about weapons, but I don't know how much good human weapons would do against your magic. Most human weapons are ranged, and magic shields..." I frowned in thought. "I really have no idea what parts of what I know would make me valuable. I have even less confidence that I could remember any of the useful bits. My mind is like a steel trap...but only for completely trivial tidbits."

"Well, anything could be important. Make a note if you think of anything else."

I nodded.

"Now!" The notebook snapped shut. "This meeting has been more than I expected, but I can honestly say that every second was worth it. However, as loath as I may be to say it, we must adjourn for now."

Twilight rose, and hugged her.

"Thank you Princess," She said. I echoed her, and we departed slowly.

ZOOOOOOOOM.

"Cars-"

ZOOOOOOOM.

"Are-"

ZOOOOOOOM.

"AWESOME!"

I looked up from where I was hovering, laughing a little as I watched Twilight pilot a Nascar racer around the oval circuit race I'd conjured for her in the dream world. Hopefully this would be the last of these dreams, but I'd taken the opportunity to try showing her some of the things from Earth before the chance was gone. Her jaw had dropped at the cities, she'd been flabbergasted at airplanes, she'd loved computers, even though they didn't usually work in dreams, but she'd fallen in love with cars. I was surprised that I could make them work, but then, this was one of the most realistic dreams I'd ever managed.

I focused for a second and smiled, before snapping my fingers and summoning a Ferrari. I touched the rearing horse on the steering wheel and settled into the seat, before gunning the engine and zipping out into the track. In a few seconds, I was creeping up on Twilight, trying to sneak around the inside of the curve. Even in a dream, the feel of the acceleration made me smile. It wasn't the same as real life, but the fact that you could do stuff like this made me almost sad that dream sharing was so dangerous.

"My, my." I jumped in surprise, swerving and almost crashing, when Luna popped into existence in the seat next to me. "This is fascinating. What an ingenious machine."

"It's called a car," I said. I shifted once, listening to the thrum of the engine, and frowning. "I'm pretty sure that I'm getting the acceleration wrong, but whatever. That's dreams for you."

"You seem rather knowledgeable about the workings of my realm."

"Yeah, well...I studied dreams for a while. Read lots about it. Kept a dream journal. I tried to be aware of when I was dreaming, and control them. I haven't really done anything in that vein for the past year, for obvious reasons. But this is something else. I've never been in a dream this realistic or consistent."

"The more ponies in a dream, the more real it becomes. Now that I am here, your perceptions should be nearly as sharp as waking."

"Hmm." I slid around the inside of the corner, barely scraping past Twilight's car. "So, any thoughts on how to stop this?"

"It should be simple enough. However, I had a few thoughts. Before doing so, what do you remember about the changelings fortress?"

"Um, oh! You're thinking of looking for clues in my memories?"

"Indeed."

"That...is very clever. Hum, let me stop Twilight." I concentrated, and the car peeled away around us, the parts dissolving until we were sitting in empty air, still racing around the track. We quickly caught up to Twilight's car, and I tapped on her window.

The look of shock on her face was amusing for about half a second, until her broken concentration led her to swerve and she went into a tumble. I winced as the car flipped and spun. I reached out with my dream control and stopped it in mid-air.

"That...that was mean." She protested, as she squeezed out the window, sprouting wings and flapping over to us. Twilight was as good or better at dream shaping than I was, but she seemed to try and fit things into her previously understood paradigms, instead of simply breaking the laws of physics at a drop of a hat, as I tended to do.

"Princess Luna, welcome!"

"Thank you, Twilight. You were having fun?"

"Oh yes! Cars are great! I'll have to see if I can build one."

I saw her eyes glaze over as her brain kicked into overdrive, trying to work out a thousand details all at once.

"Um, Twilight? Maybe you can work on that later. Right now, the Princess wanted me to try and re-create what I could of the changelings fort, to see if we could learn something about where it was."

"Will that work?"

"It should." Princess Luna replied. "If thy memory works the same as that of a pony, there may well be details that you would not be able to recall while awake."

"I've heard that theory," I said. "The idea that you don't actually forget anything, you just lose the ability to bring it to the front of your brain, right?"

"Correct. Although the more often a memory is retrieved, the more contaminated with imagination and change they can become. In all honestly, there may be little there for us."

"Well, let's give it a shot." I spun in place, imagining the two ponies and myself teleporting, and muttered "Changeling-fort, Changeling-fort, Changeling-fort." When I looked up, we were standing in the arena.

Twilight glanced around, and shuttered a little. All over the place, pieces of dead changelings and visions of dying ponies faded in and out. I concentrated, trying to calm my heart and bring back some semblance of control to the dream, and it stopped. The details of the stonework sharpened, and the grains of sand seemed more distinct.

"I fear this place is no good for our purposes," Luna said. "Not only have you been here far too many times for any of these details to remain consistent, but there is much to much emotion in this place."

"Well, maybe the cell?" I led them out of the arena, banishing the gateway with a thought. I had very rarely walked this course; most times, I was dragged back, comatose. I knew the turns by heart, though, and soon enough, we stood before the two cells. The door stood wide on one, and in the other, an orange unicorn slept.

"...Splinter?" I whispered, suddenly feeling a little weak.

"Simply part of the dream," Luna said. She stepped forward, and took a closer look. She froze for a second as she got closer. "Oh my...what did you say this ponies name was, Wes?"

"Splinter."

"Hum." She stood there, staring at him for a moment. "Well, mayhaps from his cutie mark my sister can discern where he disappeared. Perhaps there would be a lead there."

I looked at her curiously for a second. Did she know Splinter? But how could that be? She met my gaze coolly. If she did, she wasn't willing to share anything about it.

"Maybe I should try and remember Fallen Leaves, as well."

"Good thinking."

We examined the cells for a bit, but they didn't seem to be much good, either. Not only could were they pretty much useless, since they were inside, but even when I tried to look out the window for landmarks, things shifted constantly between several different views. As the sky faded from blue to black, and stars danced blurrily through the bars, I had an idea.

"One more time," I said, spinning around. When I stopped, we were in a clearing. "This is where I appeared." I concentrated, thinking of when I'd woken up, and the blue sky faded quickly to black, a thousand glimmering stars appearing above us. This time they were rock-steady. I'd only been here once. I'd only seen this sky once.

Luna looked up, taking in the vista.

"Yes." She said. "This might work."

15 - Assault

Assault

"You're saying you sparred with the Captain? How are you still alive?"

"Well, he wasn't trying to kill me. Also, I mean, he was good, but I did get a few hits in myself. Really glad I didn't get kicked, though."

I glanced upwards in an attempt to spot where Rainbow should be, cruising overhead on lookout. The company of guards I was attached to was hiking through rocky foothills on our way to the changelings fortress. Princess Luna had worked backwards from the stars I'd shown her, calculating approximately where I'd entered Equestria. Given a location, careful scouting and high-altitude flyovers had found what we were pretty certain was the fortress. While the scouts worked, Rainbow and I had trained under Captain Shining in order to participate in the assault.

"No, but...oh, oh! Hey, he didn't use any magic on you, did he?"

"Not a bit. Which was good, because I'm pretty sure he would have whipped me."

"Heh, that's not the half of it." Rainbow's voice came clearly though the communicator in my helmet. We were allowed to use the private channels for 'chat' as we marched, as long as we were discrete. I was glad the ponies were keeping a reasonable pace; if they pushed, they would leave me behind easily. As it was, I was trying pretty hard to keep up, but a week of conditioning had left me in better shape than before. Growing and changing was still a little strange for me. While I'd been in the changelings...'care', I'd healed instantly, but it had also stopped my body from adapting. The fact that I could now get better, faster, stronger, was pretty cool to me, and I was enjoying being even a little more fit than before.

"See, the thing is," Rainbow jerked me out of my reverie, "magic is a huge part of any unicorn martial art. It's integral to who they are, and gives them ranged options like nothing else. From what I've heard the Captain is a master or maybe even a grandmaster of Battle Stream. It's this awesome unicorn art based around telekinesis. There's even rumors he's studied the Path of Void, since he's one of the few unicorns powerful enough to teleport. If he'd been fighting you for real, you'd have been nothing but a smear."

"Wow. That's...pretty cool, actually." I glanced towards the front of our column, where the white unicorn led the march. "I hope I get a chance to see that when we attack."

"Oh, I bet you will. You're in the 'bait' group, right where he can keep an eye on you."

"Yeah, I guess."

I wasn't sure to be flattered or bothered by my appointment to the decoy group. The plan for attacking the changelings was pretty simple, honestly; lure them out into the open, and call Luna. This was apparently one of the few situations that merited direct intervention from one of the Diarchs. I wasn't entirely sure what she would be doing, but since her commitment to using "The Dance of the Dark Moon" had drawn such shocked looks from the ponies in the war room, I was convinced it could crush the resistance.

Originally, some ponies had suggested a siege. However, we weren't even sure if we could starve them out. Would they be able to feed off the attackers? If not, could we even afford the time it would take, with one of Equestrias strategic-class magical artifacts out of commission? Working from there, we had come up with a plan to shatter the fortress as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

We were currently en-route, posing as a small mercenary company, using normally traveled roads and normally scheduled caravans to get as close as possible to the fortress without alerting our target to our intention.Soon we wouldn't be able to get closer by road and would cut cross country directly for the stronghold.

We knew we would be noticed. Complete stealth was impossible. With any luck, by the time they did realize what we were up to we would be too close for them to preemptively attack or to flee. The stealth was really just one way of trying to keep them from puling something unexpected on us. If they didn't see through our disguise or intent, they would be reacting as we predicted. And if we could predict them, we could outmaneuver them.

What we expected to find at the fort was the start of a siege. There might be some struggle for air-superiority, but we were pretty confident that we could at the very least suppress their patrols. Once they started to turtle, we would have to act fast. Before they had time to settle in, to realize what was going on, to get really organized, we would need to strike first and strike hard.

I glanced back at the wagons that were trailing us. Much of that was supplies and camoflague, although we would ditch the vehicles when we split from the road; the guard could carry their own meals. The one at the very back, however, contained something like a siege machine.

'Something like', because even with Twilight's borrowed magical knowledge, I still wasn't sure what to make of the engine of destruction we were bringing with us. From the outside, it looked like brass clockwork studded with a few glowing crystals, but I was assured that it was more than powerful enough to open a hole in the fortress. It was apparently a 'class three emplacement, tactical thaumic clockwork cannonade'. This level of weapon was normally reserved for strategically hardened emplacements, and crewed by dozens of trained and dedicated personnel. Who or what exactly the ponies needed this sort of firepower to defend against, I had never actually found out. However, I was assured that with Twilight and Shining working together, we would be able to get at least one breaching shot off before the responding fire made it impossible to continue.

It showed a measure of the commitment Celestia had, that she was willing to commission both her sister and strategic-class weaponry for this action. Not to mention that this weapon was technically expendable.

Once we were inside the fort, things would get really hairy. In order to completely exterminate the nest, we had two objectives; destroy the actual, physical fort, and assassinate the Queen. If we accomplished both of these, we could be assured that the changelings would be crushed beyond their ability to recover. The demolition of the building itself, while important, paled beside the significance of killing the leader. If we failed to kill the Queen, these bugs would simply scatter when we stomped them. We could break their stuff all we liked after they left; but if we didn't get her, they'd just set up again somewhere else and come back worse than ever.

Thankfully, we didn't have to actually fight the Queen. That was Luna's job. And I, for one, was glad to leave it to her. Sure I wanted revenge, but I wasn't suicidal. I'd seen the Queen in the stands of the arena every few days; if I thought I could take her, I'd have made a go of it long before. The trick would be actually getting our champion into contact with theirs.

We were convinced that Luna would be able to deal with the changeling Queen. However, our enemy was also smart enough to realize this. She hadn't survived in Equestria this long without realizing that her hive's existence hinged on the fact that she could never, ever let the Royals catch her. So it came down to this: we needed to draw the Queen out, and we needed to get her to somewhere Luna could access. We had decided to target the arena.

We knew very little of the layout of the fortress, but we knew that the arena was relatively large and open to the sky. Normally, getting caught in a fight in the arena would be something to avoid. For our smaller force, keeping to the corridors of the building proper would allow us to limit exposure to the bugs, while the open area of the arena invited them to surround us and take advantage of their numbers. No matter how good Captain Shining was, and I hoped he was even better than Rainbow thought, not even he could deal with that sort of pressure.

Nevertheless, the Princes should be able to. So, five steps. Scare them, crack the fort, bait the queen, head for the courtyard, and call for backup. If everything went well, we would be able to draw the Queen out before she fled, and call in Luna to smack her down and mop things up.

"Wes? You've gone quiet." Rainbow called to me through the helmet, and I tried to spot her in the sky again. She'd been trained as a scout and courier, in case we needed to get a non-magical message somewhere fast. Shining was nothing if not thorough in his planning.

"Sorry. I was just thinking about the plan. It's a pretty good one, and I hope it works. Thing is, there's this saying in my world...'No plan survives contact with the enemy'."

Things were not going according to plan.

Diligent stepped back from the changeling we were currently facing, and readied his axe for another swing. My team of one human and three ponies was pushing down a corridor in the changeling fortress, the floor slick with ichor, dead bodies strewn behind us.

"Diligent, TAG!" I shouted, signaling a switch. When my partner stepped back, I moved in front and lashed out with my war hammer. The force of my swing crunched through the bugs natural armor, shattering his guard and breaking his foreleg. I finished it off on the backswing, sinking the my weapon's spike deep into its eye and silencing its groans of pain.

We weren't doing as badly as we could be, but the fact that we had gotten separated from the main force was not something I was enjoying. We were all still fit to fight, thankfully, and moving forwards as well as we could, but I didn't want to be trapped here.

I tapped my helmet, trying to get something from my comm, but all I got was random pops and crackles. I turned it down again. The changelings apparently had some sort of magic interference field they used. It wasn't enough to stop full-power casting, but it caused any passive spells to go haywire.

Diligent Aegis, our ranking member, leaned out past the corner we'd come to, looking ahead.

"Good news," he called softly back, "I see allies ahead. We need to get to them; they look like they might be in trouble." Our medic and archer, Ace Wrap and Hawkeye, nodded and readied their swords. As the two close combat specialists Diligent and I had taken point, but the other two were more than ready for a scrap if need be. I signaled my readiness with a thumbs up and we dashed out of cover, closing on the changelings with a yell.

Diligent and I quickly fell back into our one-two; one of us would push hard, while the other waited for an opportunity. When it came, we'd switch places. This let us take short breaks to keep up the pace and cover each other. It also tended to confuse our enemies. Diligent, with his guard-issue axe, fought entirely differently than I did with my custom war hammer.

I admired my new weapon once again as I used it to shatter the horn of a charging changeling. Shining had ordered it made to my specs, and I'd asked for something light enough to swing all day with enough kick to get through thin armor. Perfect for crushing bugs. It had a thin but strong wooden handle with a fairly light head, spiked on one end and flat on the other. I whipped it around, switching from a one-handed grasp to a two-handed, and smacked it through the chest plate of my attacker, leaving only shattered chitin.

"Thank you for the assist!" The ponies we'd rushed to help turned towards us, but showed no sign of dropping their guards. "If you don't mind, what's the password?"

"Harmony in all things." Diligent replied formally. They relaxed, just enough for one of Hawkeye's arrows to slam through the nearest, breaking his crystalline eye and showing his true changeling form. "No countersign?" Diligent asked. We stepped forward, joining battle again as their disguises flickered and faded. We had come prepared; a sign, countersign, and three not-so-obvious motions were needed to convince anypony we were legitimately allies.

Shortly, the corridor was cleared of changelings. Living ones, at least.

"Guys!" Hawkeye called. "Up ahead, can you see? I think that's a connecting hall. Pretty good chance there's more ponies there. Let's see if we can link up." We slowly approached; sure enough, we soon reached a wider hall. Unfortunately, there were no friendlies in sight. Fortunately, we didn't see any more bugs.

"I recognize this!" I exclaimed. "This is the passage from the cells to the arena. If we head that way, we'll pass the cells and reach the target. The only question is, has the main team managed to draw the battle there, or would we be arriving alone?"

"Can't say." Diligent replied. "But we need to keep moving. Let's go that way for now. We can always take a side passage if we need to, and maybe find a place to hole up near the arena until we reach phase two." He stepped forward, and I moved up next to him. In the wider hall, we could easily walk two abreast.

After a few seconds, we reached a side passage.

"This leads to the cells," I said. "Do you mind?" I motioned to the door.

"Let's have a look."

The door was locked, but the hinges were on this side, obviously meant to keep ponies in, not out. I pushed the pins out and kicked the door open. Looking in, I was hit by a familiar feeling of disgust and trepidation.

I stepped in and stopped, staring at my cell.

One year. For one year, this had been my...life. I'd lived here, imprisoned. It was odd to see it from the outside. Splinter's body was gone, and his cell was scorched black. A fine layer of soot, maybe all that was left of him besides his horn, lay on the floor. My hand dropped to my sheath. I hadn't told anypony about the horn besides Twilight; she'd told me that it was unusual, but not impossible, for a horn to survive the death of a unicorn. She'd urged me to keep it private or to give it to his kin, if I could find them. I hadn't done anything with it since then. It might have been macabre, but I liked the idea of carrying it around. Sorta like he was still at my side.

"Diligent!" Hawkeye called from the other side of the room. "We've got a live one over here!" I whipped my head around. In the cell across from mine, a drab pony cowered, his body covered in bruises and cuts.

"Thank you, thank you." He sobbed. Ace practically ripped the door off it's hinges, and rushed over to him.

"Wait!" I yelled, pulling him up short. He shot me a quizzical look.

"Surely you don't think..." He glanced at the pony cowering on the floor, and then back to me.

"Don't rush in, Ace." I said. "That's the sort of thing that kills ponies. Remember what Shining said?" The captain had briefed us all on how to check for shapeshifters. I walked over, and cautiously poked the prisoner with the haft of my hammer. The easiest way to tell was by touch. The changeling illusions were good, but they didn't do much for texture. I gulped as my hammer skittered off of smooth chitin with an immediately recognizable scraping noise. I roared in rage, yanked the handle back and raised it over my head.

"P-please!" The changeling however, made no move to fight back. Instead it cowered even more. It's disguise flickered out and revealed that, even though it had been hiding its nature, it truly was as wounded as it looked. Its tough hide was scored and even cracked in a place or two, and its jagged teeth were broken and bleeding.

"Wes, stop!" Diligent's voice yanked me to a halt, mid-swing. "Look at its eyes." I paused, and took a step back. Although it was exposed, the supposed assassin wasn't making any move to attack.

Its eyes were blue. Not the red I was used to, or even the green Captain Shining had reported, but a deep royal blue.

"Squad leader?" I asked, questioningly. Our orders were to kill on sight, and this definitely was a changeling.

"This one is different, and I don't like that. Leave it be for now." He looked down, tapping a hoof in thought. "You, prisoner. Are you from a different...hive, nest?"

"Diligent, you can't trust-" I started to rebuke him, but he motioned for me to be stand down, and I did.

"Yes." The voice was quiet, tremulous. "I was captured from a caravan. They thought they were getting someone they could feed on. They were enraged to discover me. P-please don't kill me. I'm not dangerous, I promise! I-I'll do whatever you want, just please don't kill me!"

I grit my teeth, trying to deny the raw despair and fear I was hearing. I knew the changelings were consummate actors, but the raw emotion in its voice cut even me. We stood in silence for a moment as our leader thought.

"Ace, leave him what you can. Hawkeye, Wes, find a way to lock the door. We're leaving him here. If someone comes in, changeling, you are to tell them that Diligent Aegis has accepted your parole, and will stand for your actions. Do you understand? We will be back for you after we take this fortress."

"Please, please don't leave me here! Take me with you!"

"Sorry, can't do that. You're a liability. I'm already trusting you farther than I should; our orders were to kill every," and here his voice went as cold as stone, "and I mean every changeling we found. I've already stuck my neck out by willingly letting you live. Don't ask for more."

The prisoner shuddered visibly. Ace left a small pile of medical supplies on the floor of the cell. Hawkeye held the door up for me, and I hammered on it until it was well and truly wedged into the frame. It ought to keep this wretch in, and anyone who felt like simply killing him out.

"Let's go." Diligent turned and led us out.

16 - Arena

Arena

VEE~~~~~~~~~~~~EEN

"Holy crow, was that-" I cut my words short as a long, thin section of the wall we were cowering behind melted into slag, revealing the arena.

"I thought the tac cannon was busted!" Diligent yelled, referring to the magical breaching artillery we'd used to enter the fortress. We were currently trying to work our way into the arena. We'd managed to avoid getting caught by any group of changelings too big to handle, and had made been carefully searching for an entrance.

"It was!" I yelled back. The sound of warfare pumped through the gap. It seemed that phase two had started. From what I could see through the slit, without wading through molten rock, the arena was an all out battle zone.

"Then I hope that's not our enemies!" Ace added.

"ME TOO!" Yelled Hawkeye.

"Hey, I think we can get through over there!" Ace pointed to where the wall was crumbling away from being weakened by the beam. We darted forward, moving carefully to avoid superheated rock and rubble. I reached the breach first, and peeked out.

Just as I suspected, the arena was a full of fighting ponies.

It really looked nothing like I remembered.

There were dead changelings scattered everywhere. I winced as I saw plumes of red pony blood mixed with the yellow ichor of changelings on the sand. A wide fan of bugs was pressing hard towards a small knot of defenders sheltering in the corner. I saw Captain Shining with his squad, fighting like demons, their backs to the wall.

And they were holding strong. I watched in awe as no more than a dozen ponies held off more than three times their number of bugs, and did it in a calm, collected, and above all efficient manner. They were arranged in a semicircle, backed into the corner of the arena to keep from being surrounded. Six earth ponies held the front line, backed up by three unicorn archers. Three pegasi held the skies, Rainbow among them, falling like thunderbolts on any changeling stupid enough to challenge them. Maybe a concerted effort could have gotten off the ground, but as it was they simply ganged up on any bug stupid enough to try grabbing the high ground and demolished them.

Two medics waited in the back, every so often darting forward to shore up the line, or taking a minute to patch up a teammate. In the very back corner, Shining Armor and Twilight stood, eyes flaring white with magic, dealing death. I could barely tell what Shining was doing. As I watched, his horn glowed and his magic lashed out, quick as an eye blink. Changelings just...died. I couldn't tell what he was doing, but the insects boiling through the doors and arches weren't moving fast enough to overwhelm them. His eyes would flick from one target to another, there would be a twinkle, and the target would collapse. I whistled silently. Battle Stream was impressive indeed. His lethality made my own skills look like child's play.

I was a bit perplexed by Twilight being there. She had come on the mission, but her brother had commanded her to remain in the small outpost we had set up for coordination purposes. I'd watched as she and her brother set up the tac cannon, charging it slowly overnight and firing it off at the beginning of the assault. The beam of incomprehensibly dense magic it produced had screamed through the air, slicing into the wall of the fortress and giving us the entrance we needed. We had all scattered, expecting responding fire. We hadn't been disappointed. A volley of gray magic, moving akin to mortar fire, had rolled across the cannon's position minutes later. Even if Shining and Twilight had wanted to take another shot, the weapon had been smashed beyond recognition. After that, she should have headed to the command tent.

I heard the sound of tortured magic, and gulped. The air around Twilight started to twinkle and I yanked my head back, motioning for my squad to hit the floor. They complied instantly.

VEE~~~~~~~~~~~~EEN

This time the beam didn't pass anywhere near us. I stuck my head out again, and saw Twilight panting from exertion. What had she done? That cannon had been demolished! Unless, maybe...No. Oh no, she hadn't! Dang. That crazy purple pony! Looking closer, I saw the shards of clockwork and gems hovering around her. She had! She had re-built the entire mechanism using telekinesis!

"That's madness..." I said.

"Report!" Diligent snapped.

"Phase two is under way. Shining is holding position in the far corner. His squad is backed by two others, and his sister. She yanked the vortex cores out of the tac cannon and is currently operating it by horn. We need to get to them! If they keep this up, the bugs are going to flood this place and we won't have a chance."

"That's insane!" Ace yelled.

"That's what I said!" I shouted back over the clamor. "I'm not even sure how she got in here, but she's really doing some damage! She couldn't do it without her brother guarding her, but man, does that cannon pack a punch!"

I watched in awe as the array of crystals swung around. They started to spin and charge, the magic aura being siphoned off into a shot that was much less powerful than the original had been, but still enough to qualify as BFG in my book.

"This is our chance!" I yelled. "She's going to hit just to the left of us, it will open up a path! We need to go!" Dilligent nodded, and motioned for me to lead us out. I waited for the blinding glow of the cannon to flash out one more time and broke from the cover of the wall, dashing straight down the corridor of scorched corpses Twilight's artillery left behind.

Unfortunately, we were not the only ones who had noticed what was going to happen.

The first thing I noticed, consciously, was my body had decided to twist sideways. My intuition screamed that something dangerous was coming, and I'd been listening to it for too long to not act on it. I watched in fascinated slow motion as a black horn sliced through the air where I'd been moments before. I completed the spin, whipping my hammer up and falling into a battle-ready stance. I locked eyes with my attacker, and had to steel myself to keep from flinching.

It was Gash.

I didn't know his actual name. I'd fought several changelings in the arena. Most of them had been freshly hatched, with maybe a very small amount of training. The gladiators were a weeding process to some extent. If the hatchlings survived us, they would move on to their new life in the hive. We usually managed to kill about half of them, hampered as we were.

Gash, however, was something special to me. The first time we fought, I'd handled him easily. I'd had little experience at the time. Not much, but enough to smack down a new hatchling. I hadn't killed him. It hadn't been worth my time. I'd left him lying on the sand, oozing, while I handled the more dangerous companions he'd been paired with. When he came back to fight again, I regretted that.

I don't know what drove him, if it was simple revenge that motivated him or what, but he kept coming back to the arena. He would get better and come back. He would taunt me, and laugh at my plight. I honestly tried to kill him, but he never let it get that far. If I was winning, he'd retreat. If he was winning...well, I had some mental scars from those times, even if I was physically healed. We'd faced off a good two, three dozen times. It had always been a toss-up between us, and if he had been anything besides a complete and utter monster, I would probably have enjoyed having him as my rival.

At some point, I'd managed to crack his leg. The wound healed but left a deep crater in the chitin, running most of the length of the limb. I started calling him Gash after that. I grimaced as the memories rushed over me.

"Go!" I yelled to my squad. "I'll hold him; get to the captain!" Diligent gave me a long look, but nodded and led the rest of the squad past. I locked my brown eyes on Gash's red ones, and held.

As soon as my teammates were safe I moved in, hammer swinging.

"So, human, are you behind this?" He taunted me as he dodged. He'd always been fast, both with his feet and tongue. Most changelings never really got the hang of footwork.

"Yeah. Yeah I am." I'd never been much for witty banter. Maybe I could give him a reason to get angry? "I came back to crack your skull. Thought I'd give your head a gouge to match that leg." I slipped past another of his strikes and swung wildly at his neck, but he was too good.

"Heh, still defiant." He grinned. "I was always better than you, and now I'll prove it. How many times can I kill you today?"

"Sorry, not happening." I surprised him with my counter, every ounce of new muscle I'd put on letting me whip my hammer around just a split-second faster than I could have before. It wasn't much, but it was enough to catch him off guard. My unforgiving weapon caught him on the chin, stunning him. "I'm not the same as I was, Gash. I'm never going to be the same as I was. I'm moving on. I'm leaving you behind." I grit my teeth. He recovered in record time. He must have turned his head to soften the blow and keep me from rattling his tiny bug brain. I could see the shock in his eyes, a glimpse of fear.

That felt good.

I could almost feel flakes of past-me fall off as I fought against my rival once again, under the same sun, in the same place. The things holding me back, regret, disappointment, self-recrimination, fell off one piece at a time as I started to shift into my new pace. My strikes sped up. My reflexes accelerated. I spun and wove, ducked and dove, with accuracy and speed I didn't have until recently. I was moving like an avalanche, my slow start gathering an inevitable rolling momentum. I could see the fear building in his eyes as I gained the upper edge.

He was going to die, and he knew it.

"What's the matter, Gash?" My flying hammer drove him into desperate positions, one after another. he barely managed to dodge, time and again, but without the guards to hold me off he couldn't afford to withdraw. It was only a matter of time. "Why are you so scared? Aren't I just your plaything, your toy?" I spat in his face, echoing his claims from our previous fights. "Are you not entertained?" He flinched for a second, rattled by the venom in my eyes and voice. It was all I needed. I wound up a blow. I swung wider than I should but still managed to connect. My hammer spread his brains across the arena.

"GRAAAAAAH!" I yelled, my blood-lust boiling over. I spun, adrenaline and victory propelling me into the next fight. I was about jump in, leading with my hammer, when the Queen arrived and her aura hit me.

It was like having ice water splashed on my soul. I froze. I'd raised my instincts to a fever pitch in the fight, pulling on every scrap of intuition and sixth sense I had. Now every single cell in my body was screaming 'Danger!' at me, and I had no idea what to do. I started to cower, lost in thoughtless fear at the sudden and overwhelming presence of almost tangible menace that suddenly pervaded the arena.

I would probably have been cut down where I stood if the Captain's magic aura hadn't dragged me into the circle of defense.

"Wes, pull yourself together!" He yelled. I shook my head, trying to calm my heart, and turned to look.

Entering on the other side of the arena was our target, the Queen. She moved into the battle with perfect surety, every step asserting control over more and more of the field. Everything I knew about fighting told me she absolutely deserved that confidence. She knew she was the baddest thing there, and she was right. I dragged my eyes away, fighting back my flight instinct. We didn't need to fight that. We had to call in our own help. The plan had worked so far, despite setbacks.

"Wes!" Shining was yelling in my ear. "Get back there, and help Twilight with the beacon!" He pointed me towards the empty semicircle the squad was protecting. His sister, obviously exhausted, was trying to piece together the construct we would use to call in support. I glanced up; it needed clear view of the sky. I grinned as Rainbow spun past a changeling, the bladed chains she trailed wrapping around them and shredding their wings. We had that under control.

I skidded to a stop on my knees next to Twilight, and took over the construction with flying fingers. This wasn't a military issue beacon, rugged and easy to use; this was an experimental prototype, bulky and strong enough for an alicorn to travel through. The higher load capability came with some drawbacks, however. Mainly the fact that it was big, heavy, and needed to be disassembled for travel..

I started feverishly fitting pieces together. Twilight sighed in relief and let her field dissipate. I glanced at her. She'd probably strained herself more than she realized, multi-casting and using the tac cannon like that. But the battle wasn't over yet.

"Think you have one shot left in that sparkly gun?" I asked. She nodded grimly, and levitated the crystals again. "The big bad just arrived. Buy me a little time." She moved towards the defensive line. "Captain!" I yelled. "Twilight's going to give us one more shot! Can you assist?"

"Right!" He yelled back. I grinned, and redoubled my pace. The mechanism was nearing completion now, the inherent magic layered into the metal starting to power it up. It looked a bit like a set of nested gyroscopes. Blue auras flickered fitfully as they began to spin.

"Come-on-come-on-come-on...." I whispered, my nerves stretched to the breaking point as I waited for the magic to take hold. Snapping the last piece into place, I stood back. The beacon gave a shrill whine as it accelerated. The noise quickly swooped up through the audible registers and vanished from hearing. Soon only an ache in my teeth let me know it was working.

VEE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I cast a glance over to the unicorn siblings. They had the tac array hovering between them, pumping out screaming white death. Sparks trailed from the corners of their glowing eyes, floating on the wind like the tears of lightning as they neared magical overload. The gems from the tac cannon, shining and spinning between them, were being pumped for all they were worth. I threw myself flat as one of them exploded with a bang, sending a pulse of power down the line of the beam. They staggered, gasping, and their aura shattered, dropping the rest of the crystals.

I looked up. The Queen held single hoof in front of her. The shield she had summoned was fading, a wisp of smoke rising. The sand around her was molten, glowing red in a perfect arc, but she stood unharmed in the center.

"Impressive." Her voice echoed in empty space. It sounded like a thousand insects, all buzzing together. "A moment more of that, and-"

The rest of her banter cut off as the sound coming from the beacon swooped back down into hearing, and cut out completely. She glanced towards it, her eyes widening in realization.

And Luna arrived.

What she did wasn't exactly teleportation. It was more like projection of some sort. I tried to dig something on it out of Twilight's memory, but got nothing. It looked cool, that's for sure.

Just above the beacon, a cloud spun into existence. It looked like Luna's mane, a rip in space through which the stars were visible. The edges rippled and moved, but the stars held their places. Suddenly, an eye winked in the void. Then another, and Luna stepped through, seeming to form herself out of mist and stars as she did. She scanned the gathered horde, and locked eyes with the shocked changeling queen.

"Die," she said. And they did.

It was almost anti-climatic. The Dance of the Dark Moon wasn't about looking good, I guess, just about killing as many enemies as fast as possible. There was a deep crackling sound and something like a grid of black spheres flickered into view a few times, appearing and disappearing. Every, and I mean every changeling in the arena except the queen, fell over dead.

I whistled quietly. That must have been something from the Path of Void. No-wonder Twilight was so scared of telefragging. How could you even defend against that sort of attack?

I looked at the changeling queen. It could be defended against, because she was still standing. She was about the same height as Luna. The two behemoths stared each other down for a few seconds, until the alicorn broke the silence.

"Wraith, self-styled Queen of changelings, We are here to hand down a judgment and a sentence on thee. As Diarch of the Moon, We hereby declare that for thy unlawful acts inside this, Our royal territory, thy sentence is death."

Wraith shifted her eyes to and fro, frantically seeking an escape. Finally she hung her head, seeming to accept the situation and turned, baring her neck to the alicorn.

"Do it, then." Luna moved forward, lowering her horn for the blow.

That's when the fight really started.

As soon as Luna was in striking distance, Wraith showed her true colors, lashing out with her hooves in an attempt to catch the princess off guard. Luna was wary though, and flowed past the strike like water moving around a rock.

I have to admit that after that, all movement was lost to me.

Princess Luna moved like dark mist, Wraith like a killing wind. They fought back and forth in such a fury of blow and counterstrike that just glancing at them dazzled. I blinked in awe at the fight for a second, and then scooped up the beacon, grabbed Twilight and Shining, and dragged them back to huddle in the corner with the rest of the soldiers in an attempt to keep away from the fight.

It ended with a scream and a thump. Luna stood triumphant and terrible. Her horn steamed as the power flowing through it cooked off Wrath's yellow ichor. Under her feet, the broken body of her enemy lay dead. She was barely breathing hard. I steeled myself so as not to shudder at the chill of her eyes.

"Shining," she called. He stood shakily, still trying to recover from the stress of battle and using the tac cannon.

"Yes, Princess?"

"Good job. Begin triage. We-I am going to make one last sweep."

"Your highness!" Diligent stepped forward, quailing slightly as her gaze landed on him.

"Yes?"

"There is a changeling from another hive that we discovered locked in the dungeons. I've taken his parole."

"Very well. I will spare him for now. Shining, his actions are in your hooves." The captain nodded. She turned as if to take wing, but staggered with the rest of us as a violent tremor shook the whole fortress.

A guard snapped their head around. "Those were demolition charges, or my name isn't Blast Radius! Did they plan to blow this place off the face of the mountain?" Shocked realization crawled across the captain's face.

"Probably. Twilight, Wes, take Rainbow and get what you can from the Nexus. Everypony else, fan out and retreat! We need to get out of here before this place destabilizes. The cliff isn't going to hold up to much of that. Go!"

I nodded to Twilight and took off, dashing as fast as I could for the last place I wanted to see again.

"This is amazing!"

"That's nice, Twilight. How long do we have left, Rainbow?"

"Not long. Those charges are still going off. The whole place will be flattened by tomorrow. Shining is saying we have five minutes to wrap up here, and then we need to grab and go."

"This is-!" Both of us ignored Twilight's shocked gasp until we realized that she had frozen again, and was actually not moving.

"Twilight, are you OK?" I said, turning towards her until I caught a glimpse of what she was looking at, and froze as well.

"Wes? Twilight?" Rainbow shook me and I snapped out of my reverie.

"Rainbow, the comm." She hoofed it to over. "Captain."

"Wes?"

"We've found something important."

"Continue."

"Have you heard of the Crystal Empire?"

"A little."

"I think we found it."

"Come again?"

"Well, not exactly it. But a gateway. It's clearly labeled. We can use it. It's still in working order. Barring the impossible, we can get through."

"Wes, I don't care if-"

"Captain. When Sombra was banished, he did...something...to the Empire. The whole thing disappeared. No-one knows how. No one knows where."

"You and my little sister are not risking your life to find out some where some shiny buildings went!"

"Captain when the Empire disappeared, it took four thousand ponies with it. We NEED to know what happened. How he did it. If he can do it again."

I could hear Shining's teeth grit across the comm. I knew he hated this, the idea that he needed to send some into danger to protect others. It didn't help that everyone was willing to do it. He didn't want to send his sister and friends into danger. That's part of why we were willing to follow him. We meant something to him, and we knew it. But this had to happen.

"Go." He grit out. "But if you don't come back with my sister..." He let the threat hang. It might have been irrational, but I knew it wasn't empty.

"Yes sir." I handed back the comm and stepped up to the circle. We hadn't found much in the Nexus that we understood, but this was clearly a precursor to our current spells, the sort of thing the beacon we'd used earlier was based on. I touched part of the ring, twisting my fingers into the shape of the rune needed to complete the circuit. With a hum and a snap, the circle activated. Twilight shook herself out of her stupor, and looked at me in wonder.

"We're going." I said. "Shining gave it the OK. We need to know what Sombra did. Let's find out."

"Me too!" Rainbow stepped up beside us. I nodded, and we all stepped forward into the growing light.

A moment of falling, a snatch of song, and blackness followed.

17 - Systematic

Systematic

I staggered as I landed in a dark room. The floor had lowered a good four inches in the transfer. I heard a 'thunk' and an 'ooof' behind me as my companions arrived. I stood in the dark for a minute, eyes straining for any sign of light. I could hear quiet breathing behind me; the other two seemed to be OK.

I raised a hand to my face, thinking to test for light. I noticed a purple glow barely apparent in the dark.

"Huh," I murmured, as I turned my hand back and forth, inspecting the luminescent stain under my skin. "Hey, Twilight, can we get a light here? A small one?" I whispered, wary of attention. A gentle glow flowed around me, bathing the chamber in a dim light and revealing a small room. It was maybe twenty feet to a side, bare of any distinguishing features, and carved from red crystal, streaked with black. A spell circle was fading under our feet, the room's only distinguishing feature quickly disappearing back into the rock it had sprung from.

I stepped towards the door, and glanced through. It opened into a corridor that lead straight out and then turned into what might have been a larger room, but the creeping darkness made it difficult to tell. I motioned, and Twilight dimmed the light a bit. I waved again, and it blinked out completely.

"Ok." I said quietly into the dark. "Here's what's up. For now, we consider ourselves behind enemy lines. We need to discover where we are, and then get out of here. We need to be as quiet and inconspicuous as possible. Rainbow, try and raise Captain Armor on the comm. Twilight, any ideas on how to get a message out if that doesn't work?"

There was a moment of silence, and Rainbow started to talk quietly into the comm.

"No." Twilight said at last. "I don't have any long-range spells that would work, not with the sort of interference I'm sensing. I wish we'd had more time."

<"If wishes were horses..."> I said.

Twilight snorted quietly at that.

"Well, we can't let that hold us back. Oh, hey, check it out; I'm glowing." I held up my hand, showing her the purple light emitting from my palm.

"Fascinating!" I felt her horn brush my palm and jerked back, surprised. "Hey, come back!" She said. "I want a closer look."

"Shhhh." I urged, carefully returning my hand. The tip of her horn, cool in the air, dimpled my skin and I felt a fizzy-tingly feeling spread across my hand. "Didn't we do this before?"

"Yeah, kinda. The fact that this glows, though, makes me think the stain might really be a form of crystallized magic...which I'd previously considered, but dismissed."

"Oh. Um, shouldn't that be impossible?"

"Ordinarily, yes. That's why we never bothered to test for it. And it's such a dim glow, this never came up."

"So, what's going on?"

"Well, if it IS crystallized magic, it means...well, I'm not sure exactly, but at the very least it means that your body isn't completely incompatible with magic like I'd first thought."

"Ow." I felt sharp pain lance up my arm, tracing back towards my heart. "Ow! Ok, stop." Her horn drew back for a second, and then touched me again. This time the pain was worse, like tweezers on my nerves. "Ow, OUCH! Seriously cut that out!" I yanked my hand back, and then froze, listening in case my raised voice attracted attention. I grit my teeth and silently berated myself for my stupidity.

"Um, guys?" Rainbow's voice interrupted me. "I can't get anything on the comm. About what I expected, but..."

"Still discouraging." Twilight finished for her. I nodded my head, realized no-one could see it in the pitch dark, and grunted my agreement.

"Ouch," I said again, quietly. "What was that about?"

"Oh, don't be such a 'fraidy foal! I was just scanning you!"

"Well, it hurt! Don't you ever think to ask before you start running tests on people?"

"Hey, don't be like that! We needed to know-"

"We? Needed? You mean you wanted! Get your head out of the clouds, and consider other people for once!"

"Um, guys-" Rainbow tried to interject, but at this point, neither of us were feeling particularly rational.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that! I'm working my horn off here to help you, and you're treating me like this? Maybe I should let you try and figure things out! On your own! See how well you do, completely unable to sense magic!"

"Just because I need help, doesn't mean you're allowed to do whatever you want to me! That seriously hurt, and it's not the first time you've ignored my complaints! Maybe I'd be better off without your help anyways! Death by burnout would be preferable to being cut, scorched, and worried away bit by bit!"

"Ooooo, you, you...FOOL! Why did I even try to reason with you, stupid, meat-headed, ignorant, APE!"

"Guys, seriously, what are you-"

"Calling names now? Well, Miss I'm-so-perfect Sparkle, You, are an insensitive, clueless, naive filly, who doesn't know the first thing about friendship!!"

"I'm an expert on friendship! You're the one can't seem to understand that I'm the victim here! I wish I'd never seen you!"

"Yeah? Well, I'd rather have died, then ended up in your company!"

"Both of you, SHUT UP!" Rainbow's shout echoed in the small room, shocking us out of our litany. "You're both acting like foals! What happened to teamwork, Twilight? And what about keeping a low profile, Wes? What is wrong with you two? And why is it so cold in here?"

"I don't know! Can't you do anything on your own, Rainbow? Do I need to have all the answers for you?" Twilight snarled out of the dark. I took a step towards where her voice was coming from, a fist raised in anger, but I found that my shoes were stuck to the floor. Unable to lift my foot, my forward momentum pitched me onto my face. My flailing arm caught Twilight a heavy thump, and I yelled in pain as my ankles over-extended and my head hit the floor.

"OW!" I yelled again.

For a moment, there was silence. The pain robbed me of my anger. I tried to curl up, and ended up squatting on the floor. Feeling around my feet, I discovered that there was a thick layer of ice encasing my shoes, and it was slowly creeping up my legs.

"Twilight!" I gasped, realizing a bit of what was going on. "Windigoes!"

"Oh hay," she spat, and lit her horn again. All three of us shied away from the specter that floated in the center of the room, gazing down on us with white eyes. It looked like a windigo, all strong lines and fierce features, but instead of the bluish colors that they had sparkled in the fight against Sombra, this one was a dark and forbidding but much less substantial. It looked like an ink outline, hung in the air, and it was remarkably hard to make out against the dark crystal walls. I moved my head to the side, trying to make sure that it wasn't just a tracing on the wall. When one line obscured part of Rainbow's head, I decided it was real.

"What do we do?" Rainbow yelped, her red eyes flicking towards me.

"No idea." I shot back. "Twilight? Um, I'm sorry for what I said...I don't think I was completely in control. Do you have any idea what to do here?"

"Not really, but...hey, did it just get a little smaller?"

I looked down, as I felt a flake of ice chip off my leg.

"Um, maybe..." I thought for a second. "Twilight, I don't regret meeting you, and I don't wish I'd have died instead. You've been a big help to me while I've been here, and I'm honored to work with you." I looked down. Sure enough, a larger crack ran through the ice holding my feet to the floor.

"Did that actually work?" She asked, her eyes flicking from my shoes to my face. "We just have to...apologize? O-Ok, I...I'm sorry for what I said. I don't think you're a coward, and I really have enjoyed getting to know you. I'm sorry for all the problems my mistakes have caused you."

"I forgive you." I said sincerely, and the ice around Twilight's hooves receded a little. "I'm-I'm sorry for yelling. I know I shouldn't raise my voice like that. It doesn't help anything, and it just makes things harder. I apologize for not seeing the situation for what it was sooner. I let both of you down."

"That's Ok." Rainbow said. Twilight nodded agreement, before continuing

"I'm sorry for not stopping when you asked. I know I need to work on taking other people's feelings into account sometimes, especially when I'm wrapped up in work. I shouldn't treat others as experimental subjects, even when they have absolutely fascinating magical phenomenon happening around them."

"I forgive you." I said. "I'm sorry for saying you were a bad friend. You've been nothing but gracious to me while I've been here. I think that-GET HIM!" Judging the time right, I snapped my feet loose with a quick movement, and leaped for the Windigo in the center of the room. Rainbow did the same, and Twilight lashed out with her horn.

I was surprised when the pegasus and I collided roughly, the specter giving no more resistance than the wind. I staggered back, my eyes flicking around the dimly-lit room, trying to spot the threat.

Twilight had him.

Her magic had wrapped the spirit, and was slowly constricting, crushing the black thing smaller and smaller as it tried to escape. Finally, with a small 'pop', it imploded, leaving behind a wisp of black smoke that quickly dissipated.

"What was that?" Rainbow asked.

"A windigo." I said. "And, I think, what we're going to be up against. Unless Sombra has some other kind of ageless, undying guards to patrol his hidden city."

"Remember the golems?" Twilight panted.

"Oh, right." I nodded to Rainbow. "Last time we fought these, they had these crystal bodies that they were using. They could physically attack us while they had them. I needed to crush them before they turned like..." I waved to the center of the room. "That one."

"Um, Wes?"

"Yes, Twilight?"

"No hard feelings? I think the Windigo was influencing us, and I didn't really mean all those things, and I'm sorry was so angry though I understand if your still angry-"

"No, Twilight. No hard feelings. I was being stupid too, and...well, I'll forgive you, if you forgive me-Ahg! Why are you hugging me! Why do you ponies hug everyone so much!"

"Oh, don't whine." Rainbow interjected, from where she'd positioned herself by the door. "Sometimes ponies just need a hug. Give it a try. You'll feel better."

"Um..." I wasn't entirely sure of the logic of that, but my mood HAD been severely whiplashed just now. I fought back my instinctive twitches at having anyone this close to me, put my arms around her neck and gave her a squeeze. She was fuzzy and warm and I did feel a little better. I broke off after a few seconds anyways, stepping back.

"Ok, what now?" Twilight asked. I turned to look at Rainbow, and found her staring at me expectantly as well.

"Hey, wait a minute. How come I have to make the decisions all of a sudden?" I asked, struggling with a sudden feeling of responsibility.

"You were all 'this is what were doing', a minute ago!" Rainbow said. "Also, you seem to have some actual experience with this kind of thing."

"Yeah," Twilight agreed, "last time was the same. You called the shots, and got us out of Sombra's other dungeon."

I sighed, and rubbed my temples for a minute. I didn't really feel that me being the leader was a bad choice. I could understand where they were both coming from, and, honestly, I did know a bit more about what we needed to do. Although Twilight technically outranked me, she wasn't really part of the formal chain of command; and even then, she wasn't really a field operative except in very special circumstances...which this was.

What really weighed on me was the responsibility.

Captain Armor, now I know how you feel. I looked up. Two ponies had just placed their lives in my hands. That sort of trust...well, it could make or break a man. I wasn't particularly eager to find out what it would do to me. I'd never considered myself particularly strong-willed or clever, although I tried my best. I guess my best had better be good enough. My biggest problem with calling the shots was the fear that I might call it wrong. Someone needed to do it, though, and they were looking towards me. for the sake of my companions, I could do this. I would do this. And I'd be dammned if I didn't do it with every single ounce of effort I could. No pressure. I took a deep breath, and braced myself. Here goes.

"Ok. First off, can you secure the door, Twilight? We need to assume they know were here, and we do need to move, but they're not here yet, and we need to make sure we understand our situation as best we can before we rush into anything. Sound off; what do we have to work with?" The purple unicorn cast a shimmering barrier over the door, and nodded to me.

"Well, I have my armor and chains," Rainbow began, "although they're not much good in here. I have a full canteen, a first-aid kit, and my comm, but it's keyed to my squad and Captain Armor. Umm, a few days worth of emergency rations, and my panniers. That's it."

"I can re-key the comms, so they work with each other," Twilight began. "I have a few notebooks, ink, pens, panniers as well, a telescope, and...oh, this." She reached into her bags, and my jaw dropped as she pulled out a full bandolier of a dozen crystal grenades.

"Holy crow, that's great! Where did you grab that from?" I asked, taking them from her and dividing them up evenly between the three of us.

"Well, when I realized that the comms weren't working, I...kinda panicked a bit. I stripped the tactical thaumic clockwork cannonade down, grabbed what I could, and started 'porting to get to where the action was. This is one of the things I found in the command tent's ammo cache."

"Don't suppose you have any of those vortex crystals, do you?"

"Nope."

"Dang. Um, my turn, I guess. I have my comm, my armor, my war hammer, half a first-aid kit, half a canteen and field rations as well. Oh, and my knife. My armor is kinda patchy, since they had to throw it together in a hurry."

I stood for a minute, trying to think things through. My arm twinged again, and I winced at the shooting pains.

"Ok, before I forget; I don't have any debilitating wounds. A cut on my scalp, and bruises, but that's it. How about you two? And Twilight, how's your magic doing?"

"I'm OK," Rainbow said. "None of them could even touch me in the air. We had them out-flown and out-classed."

"I'm fine as well. I ported right into the arena, and Shiny watched my back after that. As for magic..." Twilight grimaced, obviously unhappy. "I don't have much more left in me. Maybe a half-dozen good spells, or one real doozy. Certainly not enough for prolonged combat. I'll need several days rest to get back up to level. I really pushed with the cannon."

"Rainbow, you need a different weapon." I slipped my dagger out of its sheathe, and presented the hilt to her. She carefully coiled the barbed chains she used in the sky, making sure that the hooks were turned inwards, and took the knife from me.

"Wow, this is good steel." Her voice was kinda indistinct as she tested the edge of the knife against her hoof, peeling off a thin sliver. "Where'd you get this?"

"It's one of the few things that came from my world that I still have. It's a utility knife used by the army there. It should take anything you throw at it." I felt a little naked after giving up my trusty dagger, but consoled myself with my hammer. "Twilight, any idea why we couldn't do anything to the last Windigo?"

"Yes, actually. They're pretty much beings of magic. I was able to dissipate it by disrupting the coordination of its components. Let me see your weapons." I held out my hammer, Rainbow the dagger, and they floated out of our grips. Twilight glared at them for a minute, and then cast something on them and returned them to us. My hammer's head was warm to the touch. "That ought to give you at least a few good hits against one of them. I made them somewhat magically repellent. They ought to be able to disrupt a Windigo if you can get them going fast enough through their body." I mentally ticked off one of the six spells Twilight thought she was up for.

"Thanks, Twilight. Are you going to have trouble maintaining this light?" She shook her head. "Ok. Adjust the comms, and we're moving out. Try and conserve your strength; your magic is our most versatile asset, so let's save it for when we need it. Stay in the center, and try to keep the light useful but not too bright. Rainbow, watch our back. I'm taking point. We're looking for anything that can tell us where we are. Remember to keep calm. As long as we're not fighting, I hope that the Windigoes won't be able to find us as easily. They seem to be awfully sensitive to conflict." My companions nodded, and I walked out the door, shattering the barrier with my passing.

We quickly exited the building we'd arrived in. I stopped for a second at the door. Outside, cobble streets devoid of any traffic rolled away in all directions. We had arrived in a blocky house. It seemed to have originally been red, but streaks of black ran through the entire structure. It looked to have been carved from crystal. It seemed military in nature. A flag, decorated with a snowflake, hung limply from a nearby roof.

I looked up, and winced. Deep black hung above us. Maybe we were inside a cavern? Yeah. That must be it. We weren't trapped in a fathomless void, unable to find our way home. Drifting forever. Lost and alone.

I pushed my shivers back, and stepped out the door. Once more into a brave new world. Or something like that.

18 - Void

Void

"Incoming," I whispered into my mic, and froze. The others followed my lead. We stood, still as statues, trying to not even breathe while the shadow oozed past the window. As soon as it had left, we all quietly exhaled in relief.

We had left the arrival building, carefully marking the position so that we could return if needed. We were now attempting to stealthily explore the city by dodging from house to house, avoiding the random windigo patrols. Thankfully, most doors were open and we didn't haven to struggle to get inside.

The patrols didn't seem to be able to sense us, as long as we weren't actually fighting. We still kept a careful watch, and hid at their approach. They were easier to spot than might be expected, since they brought a chill feeling with them. I was currently on lookout, using a shiny piece of crystal as a mirror to watch the street. Rainbow and Twilight were searching through the house for anything useful, but especially water. If we were here for more than a day, we needed more than the canteen and a half that we had brought with us.

"Twilight!" Rainbow hissed. "Come see this!" I heard quiet hoof-steps, echoed through the mic, move towards Rainbow's position.

"Rainbow, what did you find?" I asked softly.

"Hold on, I'll come relieve you. It's, uh, I'm not really sure, but it LOOKS like a pony under a layer of black ice. Captain Egghead is on her way."

A bit later, the Rainbow tapped me on the shoulder. I handed her the mirror-crystal I'd been using.

"Go up the steps, first door on the left." I nodded.

I stumbled up the steps. Ponies used a different ratio for the height-to-width of their steps, and unless I concentrated, it was easy to trip on them. I turned to the left, and found what had bothered my teammates.

"Woah."

Twilight was already there, her horn glowing with aura as she scanned. In the corner of the room, curled up on a bed as if asleep, was a lime-green pony. Its color was muted under a layer of black crystal, which folded and flowed over it like water, covering even its nose and mouth.

"Is it dead?"

"No idea. I'm not getting much of anything. Whatever that stuff is, it's a superb insulator. Just guessing from the visual similarities, but I'd say that this is a product of the windigoes. Well, that and the fact that there's no-one else here."

"What's it for?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe if I could take a sample, I could-"

"No. Sorry, but our own survival comes first. Anything you do could alert the guardians, since this must be part of what they're guarding. As fascinating as that could be, our first priority is to find a way out. Once we have a retreat secured, we can consider grabbing things before we run."

"Fine. Then I'm done here, I think."

"Ok." I turned, and led the way back towards the door. I tapped my mic to silence it, and stopped Twilight for a second. "Um, do you have a spell that would make Rainbow flying around less....noticeable?" She frowned in thought.

"Hmm....maaaaaybe. Why do you ask?"

"I...would really like to send her out on a patrol. I'm pretty sure she could out fly anything she met, but....I don't want her to be traced back to us, or if possible even noticed."

"Careful with what you ask her to do, Wes. Rainbow is very brave, but that doesn't mean she's not affected by what's going on here. This whole thing has been pretty stressful, for all of us. If you push her, I'm sure she'd agree to a flight. But that's not necessarily a good idea."

I nodded thoughtfully.

"You're right. I still want to do it, but I'll have to have a word with her before I do." I tapped the mic back on, and we finished descending the stairs.

"We're headed for that house, next." I pointed to our target, several blocks down the street. "Let's stick to the drill; skulk, sneak, and stealth. Fall in, here goes!" The two took up position behind me, and I slipped out the door.

"Rainbow, how are you doing?" I whispered, letting my mic carry the words into her furry blue ears.

"A little thirsty, but not tired at all."

"That's not exactly what I meant, Rainbow. How do you feel about all...this?"

"Just fine, Wes! As if this sorta thing could bother me, Rainbow Dash!"

"None of this bothers you at all? Not the creepy emotion-sucking shadows, or the impossibly black sky, or the way the streetlamps have that eerie, green cast to them?" I paused, but got no answer. Well, you often needed to share some trust to gain some trust. "Because honestly? This whole thing has got me crawling in my skin."

"Heh, that's a good expression. Crawling in your skin." She paused for a second, and sighed. "Listen, don't you ever tell anyone else I said this, 'k?"

"Cross my heart, hope to die."

"Fly, dude. Fly."

"Huh?"

"Um...later. Anyways...yeah. I'm a little, teensy bit creeped out. Just a bit."

"It's OK to be scared, you know."

"I'm not scared! Nothing scares Rainbow Dash!"

"Woah, calm down a minute. I'm not saying you're scared. I'm saying it's OK to be scared. Which you, of course, aren't."

"Of course."

"But if you are, it's OK. Listen, this is something my friend Splinter told me. It's important not to deny who you are. Understand, that's not the same as giving in to who you are. Giving in lets your feelings control you. But if you're really trying to be effective, then you can't block parts of yourself off, either. Being afraid isn't a bad thing. Remember in training, how you commented on the way I sometimes guess where an attack is coming from, even if I didn't see it?"

"Yeah. Still think that's crazy."

"This is part of it. My brain, and yours, takes in a whole lot more information than we notice. Small things, but they all add up. This comes out as intuition and guesses, and an important part of that, is being afraid. I can guess where an attack is coming from because I'm afraid of the attack. If I tried to deny my fear, and block that off..."

"You wouldn't be able to do that." A sigh came across the channel. I carefully eased the door of the target house open. We'd managed to transition without trouble. We filed inside. Twilight set off to explore, but I stopped Rainbow with a gesture. I motioned for her to wait, and started counting off the time till the next patrol passed. They were very inconsistent. I'd suggested that maybe it was intended to throw intruders off guard. Twilight thought we just hadn't found the pattern. Rainbow insisted that they weren't actually organized. I was beginning to drift towards Rainbows viewpoint, especially since there hadn't been any sort of concentrated effort to find us, and any sort of command chain should have noticed one of their units was missing by now.

"Rainbow, I'd like to send you out on a patrol." I said. "I asked Twilight to think of spells that could hide your takeoff and return, but it's important for me to understand how you're doing, first. So, are you scared?" I pinned her with my eyes. "As your leader, tell me true."

"....yeah, I guess I am." Her ears flattened slightly, and she peered up at me. "I mean, I'm certain that the three of us can get out of here. We're too awesome to let this stop us. But this whole place is creepy, you know?" I nodded somberly. "And, well, I just can't help it."

I steeled myself, knelt down, squashed my feelings, toughened my resolve, and carefully hugged her. She stiffened for a second, and then returned the gesture, wrapping a wing around me.

"That's OK." I said quietly. "Really, it is. Don't wall your feelings off. Don't put up a facade and ignore them. You do yourself a disservice, if you do. I'd be lying if I said I was as sure as you that we'd get out of here. I went into this because it needed to be done, not because I was sure I could do it. Bravery is moving forward despite all that, and no-matter what else you may be, you are brave."

"Thanks."

I rubbed her ears for a second, and then broke the hug off with a sigh of relief. That would take some getting used to. It did seem to help, though; her ears were noticeably less flat. I stood and carefully checked the street again. Nothing.

"Um, guys?" Twilight said softly. "Sorry to interrupt, but I've found water."

"GAH!" I swallowed a gasp. "How long have you been there?"

"Just now. I looked like a nice hug." She giggled quietly.

"Nevermind that," I said. "Water?"

"Yeah. This house has a cistern."

"Good. You get something to drink?" She nodded. "Ok, take over watching. Rainbow, let's go top up."

A minute later we returned, stomachs and canteens full. I pulled out some of my ration bars and we split a quiet meal. They were very similar to granola bars, although heavy on the oats.

"We have four days worth of food," I said. "We have water now, so that's not a concern. Twilight, any thoughts on that spell?" She flicked her eyes towards Rainbow, and I nodded slightly.

"Ok, how are you two doing that?" Rainbow interjected. Both of us turned to look at her, eyebrows raised quizzically. "That, that!" She gestured to us. "Twilight, you don't even have a comm. But Wes just gives a wave or two, and you know exactly what he's thinking! When did you two get so....so close? it's like you can read his mind, or something!"

That's an interesting idea.... I thought, wondering if it were possible. I glanced at Twilight but she flicked an ear, waving the notion away.

"You're doing it again!" Our multicolored companion burst out. Twilight giggled a bit at her distress.

"Um, Rainbow..." I started, but paused, not sure what to say. We'd explained some of what was going on to Twilight's circle of friends, but we hadn't given them an in-depth or technical overview. Partly because we weren't sure what they would think of Twilight and I 'sharing souls', and partly because I didn't feel totally comfortable sharing the secret, and Twilight respected that.

"It's because of last time." Twilight came to my rescue. "I said it before, right? This isn't the first situation that Wes and I have escaped from. We worked out some of these signals before."

I nodded. That was true, if not the whole truth. The fact that we shared some memories, if on a mostly subconscious level, could be ignored.

"Yeah." I added. "Not to mention the bonds of camaraderie that form from being in a life-or-death situation together." Rainbow slowly nodded.

"Ok, fine. I'll buy that for now. But you two do seem awful close."

"What can I say?" I shrugged. "We're just friends." I finished my bar, and gestured for Twilight to continue explaining.

"Well, here's what I've got." She took over smoothly. "Rainbow, for this spell to work, you'll need to fly slow. Your contrail is just too noticeable. Otherwise, I have a spell that ought to dampen any noise your wings make, and color you mostly black. I think if you're careful, and if they don't look up too much, you should be able to make a slow exploration by air." She started to charge up her horn, but I stopped her.

"We're not doing this just now." I said. " We need to get to a better location. Also, if possible, I'd like to try and find the wall of this cavern, first. Can't have Rainbow flying into them in the dark." My two companions nodded. I felt a chill march down my back, and alerted them. "Patrol!" We all froze.

"Ok," I said, after the windigo had passed, "We continue heading that way." I pointed down the road. "I still think that if we keep heading away from the castle, we're more likely to reach the wall. Remember, slow, quiet, and above all, careful." We opened the door, and slipped out.

"So, thoughts?" I stared into the 'wall' of the 'cave', wishing Rainbow would get back, so we could leave.

As it turned out, we weren't in cavern.

We were lost.

In a formless void.

With no way home.

I squashed that depressing train of thought.

We'd reached The Edge, as I now thought of it, not too long ago. Turns out, this whole city was sitting on nothing. Literally. The Edge was where the road ended, cut off as if by a razor. Beyond, was a deep black void.

Lost.

I squashed the thought again.

"What's got you so twitchy?"

Twilight turned towards me. We were hiding in a house that the The Edge had sliced in half. She was carefully inspecting the phenomena, probing it with as much magic as she could spare. I'd cautioned her against using more than necessary, reminding her that getting home was our highest priority.

<"Apollo 13."> I answered. She winced, as my words pulled up memories of my childhood. I'd been absolutely terrified of that movie. Not so much from any rational reason, but from the idea that people could be lost in space. Gone from the planet for good. So far away from home, that not even their corpses would make it back. Drifting endlessly, through a lightless void, their only contact with home crackling voices fading on the radio as all hope was lost to them. Looking back, I rationally knew that the situation hadn't been as bad for them as that....but when I was young, it had given me creeping shivers.

"Hey, Wes, it'll be OK." Twilight rubbed her head against my arm and I nodded, once again squishing the thought. Irrational fears were exactly that. We'd make it through this. We would. For our sake. For our friends sake. For Equestria's sake! I psyched myself up.

Glancing out into the black again stole my mood, but I managed to keep from despairing again.

"Again, thoughts?" I asked, wanting a report from my magic expert.

"Well, the space itself isn't anything special. I mean, I don't think you can examine emptiness. Although, the phrase keeps popping up in my head, and I'm going to need to examine that concept later. Anyways, what's really fascinating is the boundary. Look!" She held up a rock, turning it. It was sliced so smoothly that the surface showed my reflection. "Whatever did this was operating by different rules than most transportation spells. The fact that it could teleport only part of something means that it's bypassed the geometry laws! If I could extrapolate how that was done, just think of everything we could learn!" She deflated a little. "It does mean, though, that Sombra is even smarter than I'd thought. If he developed this sort of spell all by himself then he's at the very least an unsung genius. At worst, we're up against someone with the sort of knowledge that I thought only the Princess' had. This could be very tricky."

"Well, we do have an advantage in that." I said. "With any luck, we'll be out of here before he even knows what we're up to."

"Yeah, I hope."

I leaped to my feet as a black shadow swooped into the room, but relaxed when I recognized the disguised Rainbow. She laughed quietly at my reaction, her red eyes twinkling in a pitch-dark face.

"How'd it go?" I asked.

"Flawlessly, of course!" She struck a pose in the air. "They never even suspected that I was there!"

"So, see anything worth investigating?"

"Well, the whole city doesn't seem to be very different from the bits we've explored. There are windigoes in the streets, but they just seem to drift around randomly. Like I said, I really don't think they're organized. However, the central castle does have those statue-things you talked about around it; faceless crystal ponies. And it is in the center of town. Also, I flew a ways into that-" she waved a hoof into the void, and I shivered at the thought. "It seems to continue for a long ways. Didn't see any sign of an end or anything. Turned back quickly, though. It was a little creepy not being able to tell if you're moving or not."

"I bet," Twilight said, subdued.

"First off, do not do that again. We have no idea what sort of magic is sustaining this...this pocket dimension, and I do not want you messing with anything connected with that if it can be avoided. That's Twilight's job. Secondly, were you able to find anything with your scanner?"

She pulled out the enspelled telescope, and spun it in a circle. The lenses glowed slightly, brightening and dimming as the scope pointed different directions.

"Yeah, no matter where I went, it gleamed directly at the castle."

"Well, I'm glad that gamble paid off. Twilight, how's the magic feeling?"

"Only two or three spells left, Wes."

"Blech. Well, that's what I expected. At least it was worth it. It seems that our next objective is the castle. Take a rest, Rainbow, and wrap up your studies, Twilight. We're moving out in a half an hour. If we're lucky, we'll be out of this before tomorrow."

19 - Doors

Doors

"Alright Twilight, call it."

Our magician stood, hooves braced, head low, horn alight. At my words the glow faded and she raised her head, blinking blearily.

"Yeah. There's something in there. I can't say for sure that it'll get us out of here, but Rainbow's survey and my scans agree; this is the only significant source of magic near us."

"Right, then. I stand by my decision. We're going in." I turned and spoke into my comm. "Rainbow, any luck on the upper stories?"

"Nope, it's all locked down. Looks like the ground floor is our only real option."

"Dang. Well, we did plan for this. Start the distractions."

"Aye aye, bombs away!" A clink and a swish came through the mic as Rainbow primed and dropped one of her grenades, carfully aiming for the empty areas we'd agreed on. A loud CRUMP sounded a moment later, echoing oddly through my comm.

"Well, it does seem to be drawing in the windigoes." She said. "I can see several of them changing direction from up here. Any luck with the golems?"

"Nope." My heart sank slightly as the statues near the doorway we picked didn't move at all. "Give the backup plan a shot." Rainbow, working quickly, zipped towards the rear wall of the castle. Another grenade was dropped, now on the actual building. Another CRUMP sounded. This time, the golems I was watching did twitch a little. "That seemed to startle them, at least," I reported. "Go for a guard." Rainbow had been given most of our grenades, but I'd promised myself that I wouldn't let her make more than three runs, even with the disguise spell. One more swish, one more blast. This time the golems jumped, and started racing clockwise around the castle. "You got one?"

"Yeah!" Rainbow exulted. "Direct hit! Take that, chumps!"

"Sweet. They responded to that. Now, get back here."

"But if I wait until they're all together, I can-"

"Back here. Now." I hardened my voice, trying to channel Captain Armor. Maybe I was being too cautious, but I didn't want our group broken up for any more time than necessary. I was also unwilling to test Sombra's forces more than necessary. I wasn't nearly as certain of Rainbow's safety in the air as she was.

"Right, right." A swish alerted me of her arrival a moment later.

Once I was sure she was with me I led the way across the square, trying to keep low but focusing on speed instead of stealth. I grabbed the door handle and twisted. I gasped in shock and almost fell through when it opened. We slipped in and I slammed it behind us, the crash echoing unnervingly in the crystalline hall.

"I really didn't expect that to open," Twilight gasped, as she slowly let the magic drain out of her horn. She'd been intending to open the door by any means necessary, and I'd been prepared for the same.

"Hey, don't jinx us now," Rainbow smirked, before glancing around and whistling. "Whoah, this place is pretty sweet!" She flitted away, examining the room we found ourselves in. I silently nodded agreement. The inside of the castle surely didn't disappoint. It wasn't anything like the castles that Celestia and Luna had built, but it was breathtaking all the same.

Instead of soaring, airy geometries, we found ourselves nestled into intricate crystal perfection. It didn't have the sheer breathtaking scale of Canterlot Castle, or the ruined grandeur of the Ever Free City, but it was dazzling in its own way, layer upon layer of decorative art flowing lushly over every spare inch of wall, ceiling, and even floor.

I trailed my fingers along a mosaic, an abstract pattern which seemed to repeat but was broken and twisted in such a subtle manner as to draw and dazzle the eye. It flowed smoothly into the tiling of the floor, each individual piece picked and placed with such care that as I glanced across it, the surface under my feet almost seemed to ripple with light.

"This is like being inside a snowflake," Twilight murmured.

"Yeah. Like..." I groped for words, unable to better describe the splendor. "Like M.C. Escher decorated Superman's Fortress of Solitude."

"Come on, guys!" Rainbow's voice came clearly through the comm. "This gets even better further in! Let's see what we can find!"

"Rainbow's calling," I relayed. "We need to move on. Let's go before she gets too far ahead." She nodded and we set off into the interior of the castle.

"This is all starting to blend together for me." I sat, my back against a sculpted crystal pillar. "How's the map coming? Thoughts on how much is left to explore?" The map floated over towards me, and I plucked it out of the air. My eyes skated across the cryptic scribblings. I tried to force concentration, but found myself simply staring blankly through the page. I groaned. We'd been carefully working our way through the castle, mapping and trying to note anything interesting. Unfortunately, the intricate interior made the whole thing extremely confusing. I felt like I'd been stumbling through a carnival fun-house for the past hour.

I set the map down and slipped to the floor, curling into a ball. "I want to take a nap. Let me know if anything interesting happens."

"Wes?" Rainbow's voice sounded in my ear. I swallowed a moan of protest, and sat back up.

"Yeah?"

"Uh...not sure if you want to tell Twilight, but I found a library. And, wow, what a library."

I forced myself to my feet, and stoically set off on her trail. We'd decided she should stay close on her scouting; she couldn't be very far down the hall. Twilight collected the map and wordlessly accompanied me.

"We're on our way."

*GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASP!*

Twilight's reaction to the library was pretty much exactly what Rainbow had expected. She babbled something about preparing a report on Sombra, and dived in. I decided to let her take the lead in this; she knew what we needed, and research was part of her specialty. Rainbow and I stood for a second, watching our bibliophile friend zip from place to place, excitedly pulling book after book off the shelves, skimming for a second, and then zooming on to another one.

"Take a nap, Rainbow." I said, barely fighting back a yawn myself. "She's going to be here for a while, and I'll keep watch. If we're lucky, she'll find something useful." Rainbow nodded, and curled up in the comfiest seat she could find. I walked a slow circuit of the room, making sure that all the doors were closed and locked, and stationed myself where I could observe Twilight's progress.

First, the bookshelves were thoroughly scanned, in a seemingly random pattern. After they had been sampled, Twilight took a small break, sipped some water, ate a ration bar, and buckled down for some serious study. The library had a few tables. She moved two or three of them together and started constructing a wall of floating books around her, her quill already scribbling across page after page of parchment. She was just starting to get into the swing of things when Rainbow yawned, stretched, shook herself, and took over watch.

I shoved a few of the seats together to accommodate my height, and drifted off for a few hours of well-earned rest myself.

When I woke up, Twilight was snoring quietly in a chair on the other side of the room, and Rainbow was gliding slow laps by the ceiling, counting quietly to herself each time she circumnavigated the room.

"Dash?"

"Oh, you're up! Good, I was getting realllllly bored. Are we moving on?"

"Um, not sure." I stood, and walked over to where Twilight had left her notes. "How much sleep has she had?"

"Dunno. She didn't last too much longer after you conked out. She mumbled something about 'exhausted trails of inquiry', and settled down for a nap."

"Did she say anything about what she discovered?"

"She found a map." Rainbow flitted behind me and pointed over my shoulder at a buried parchment. I twitched, controlled my instinct to violently eject her from my personal space and carefully unearthed it, nearly causing a noteslide. "Also, she had some ideas about what sort of magic Sombra might be using." I took a seat and carefully started to organize the note pile. A minute later, I was intrigued. Five minutes, and I was fascinated.

She had done an excellent job of working through the library to put together a report on Sombra and the windigoes.

According to her research, Sombra must have been working with the windigoes in secret long before he was banished. The fact that his magic was based around emotions, same as the windigoes, had pointed her in that direction already, but from the journals and reports she'd managed to find, there was more to it than that. The fact that Sombra had been experimenting with corrupting the intrinsic magical nature of the Kingdom Crystals all but confirmed his duplicitous nature. The research was highly illegal, but no-one had taken the warning signs seriously enough to stop him until it was too late. He'd managed to seize power using his forbidden magic, holding an artifact called the Crystal Heart hostage in order to force compliance. I circled that, determined to ask Twilight about it later.

After gathering all she could about the circumstances surrounding his rise and fall, Twilight had delved into her own conjecture and calculation about what had happened, how Sombra had returned, and what exactly he was now. My eyebrows climbed higher and higher as I read her conclusions, but all of her logic seemed to check out and I was forced to admit it even made sense, in a sort of twisted way.

Sombra had become part windigo.

In order to safeguard his life, and extend his magical power, he had started to transform himself into a being more and more like the mindless wraiths that served him. I was blown away by the intricacy of the spells Twilight postulated. She had more question marks and dummy variables in her equations than real numbers, but what she did have was enough to demonstrate that it might actually be doable, and if so, that it would look something like what we'd seen from Sombra. It would also make him extremely difficult to actually hurt, although in his weakened state he could definitely be inconvenienced. He would simply get stronger with time, though, and if he was smart, he wouldn't make the same mistakes he had last time.

Bothered by the idea that we might be in even more trouble than I'd imagined, I double-checked her figures as best I could, grasping fiercely at the magical loan-knowledge that seemed to slip in and out of my mind randomly. I was a little surprised to find a section of multivariate calculus right smack-dab in the middle, worked as cleanly as you please in modern Earth decimal. I checked that as well, hoping that I remembered enough from my college classes to do an accurate job of it. It seemed OK, although I would have needed a calculator to properly work the math she was doing in her head.

I sighed when I reached the end. If this was correct, then....well, it didn't really change much. I mean, we already knew that Sombra was bad news. We'd started to realize that he was formidable intellectually as well as physically after we'd examined The Edge. Although more evidence of his power was discouraging, it was actually a good thing; with this, we had more of an idea than what we were up against. I rubbed my eyes, and looked to the future. This meant that maybe next time we fought we could actually come up with a plan.

I finished reading and was about to try finding more about the Crystal Heart when Twilight yawned, noticed the clean state of her workspace, and shrieked quietly.

"What did you do to my notes?" She asked, her voice full of horror.

"I...organized them?" I tried, weakly. The narrowing of her eyebrows told me this was not a satisfactory answer. "Um...I can put them back?" I tried again. Her countenance darkened further. "I, uh, checked your work..." I tried one last time. She seemed slightly puzzled at that, but her distress faded a little. Her sleep-bleared befuddlement sparked a mischievous idea in my mind. "You got...FULL MARKS!" I exclaimed, forcing as much cheer into my voice as I could. Still half-asleep she smiled widely and bounced off the chair.

"Yaaaaaaay!" She squealed, bounding around the room. I smirked stealthily. Too easy.

"I had a question, though...what about this crystal heart that you mentioned earlier? Any more ideas on what that is, or where it is? Maybe it's our key to getting out of here?"

"Well, you see-" She was instantly by my side, spreading out books and chattering at mile a minute. I kicked my brain back into gear, and started filtering her words for the useful bits. Soon enough, I had a handle on what was going on.

"So, what you're saying..." I stopped her with a raised hand. "Is that the crystal heart has to be somewhere near the castel, since this was the heart of his power. It's probably what you picked up on your scope. And that, is right about-" I jabbed a finger into the map "-here."

"Yep!" I stood, tapping her sheaf of notes into as neat a package as I could, and started tucking them into my pack.

"Right. Let's get out of here! Rainbow-" I was stopped with a look. Huge velvety purple eyes pinned me to the spot. A wibble of her lip, and tears threatened to spill.

"But...books!" She quavered.

"Gah! Um..." I wracked my brain. I should have considered this before I let her go hog-wild. "Ten pounds. For each of us. That's all we can take. Pick fast!" I withdrew quickly, leaving her to frantically weigh her options, sometimes literally, and waved Rainbow over. "We have an objective, Rainbow." I traced our route on the map. "Start scouting towards the throne room. Remember, don't go through more than two or three doors, and mark your path carefully. First sign of trouble, head back. Keep me updated." I tapped my comm. She nodded as I re-hashed the scouting plan we'd been using before. "Twilight will have a few books for you to carry when you report back."

"Aye aye." Rainbow took off in a blur. I guess our rest had really been good for her. "All clear!" She called, re-appearing shortly. If I hadn't already become accustomed to it, I would have been surprised by her speed.

"Twilight?" I called.

"Uuuu..Just a minute...urgh....um...huuu..."

"Pick!" I called heartlessly. She squirmed, her eyes flickering back and forth across the piles. Finally she grit her teeth, grabbed a few books for each of us, and hovered them over. I tucked them into my pack, as did Rainbow.

"Let's get out of here," she said through clenched teeth. She clomped towards the door, obviously frustrated to leave behind most of the tomes we'd found.

"Hey, Twilight, don't take it so hard," Rainbow called. "We'll be coming back later to free the Crystal Ponies anyways, right?" Twilight noticeably perked up at that, but we still made our way forwards in silence.

The throne room was probably grander than the rest of the palace. However, by now, my mind was so inured to the splendors of the crystal empire, my jaded eyes just skated over the frescoes and friezes, the murals and mosaics that adorned the walls and halls. We were a little surprised to find a large square pit directly in front of the throne, a stairway winding downwards spiraling the edge. After a short deliberation, we headed down.

"Why did he build this here?" Rainbow wondered aloud. "Not much of a hiding place."

"Normally, you wouldn't be able to see it." Twilight easily fell into 'lecture' mode. "This castle is created from empathically reactive crystal. See the black streaks running through it? That's Sombra's negative emotions. By using that, he could manipulate the crystal into whatever shape he wanted. If he wanted to keep this closed, all he needed to do was withdraw his control of the crystal, and it would change back to the original form."

"Huh." Rainbow said. "I'm going to pretend you said that he hid this when he didn't need it."

"That's exactly what I...urgh!"

Rainbow winked at me. I smiled back.

"Ok, enough of this." Rainbow flipped herself over the railing with a wing. "I'm taking the low road, slowpokes." She tipped her nose down, and dropped towards the bottom of the stairwell like a stone.

"How are you doing, Twilight? Holding up OK?"

"Yeah, I think I'll be fine. This has been both exciting and terrifying, but that nap helped a lot. And, I think we'll be OK...even if we can't find our way out, the others will move heaven and earth to recover us."

"That's true. Magic still the same?"

She grimaced.

"Yeah, unfortunately. That nap helped a bit, but as I said, I overstressed myself. I'm going to need some serious rest to get back up to speed."

"Eeeeek!"

Both of us shot to the railing, looking straight down into the darkness. We looked at each other.

"Rainbow!" We both exclaimed, and shot down the stairs as fast as we could.

Turns out, that in a race down a flight of steps, a human can nearly outpace a pony. Turning corners is a bit more difficult with twice the number of feet. I edged ahead of Twilight, rushing as much as I could but still careful with my footsteps. I nearly tripped once, and slowed down as much as I dared. A twisted or broken ankle was the last thing any of us needed right now. Still, Rainbow.

I reached the bottom with a clatter and a stumble, nearly falling as i made one last turn onto flat ground. I found Rainbow curled into a ball in the floor in the center of the room. I skidded to a stop near her, checking if she was OK while scanning the room for threats.

"Don't look..." She quavered something unintelligible. The room seemed clear; I dropped to one knee, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What was that?" I asked quietly. I thought that maybe she would repeat what she was saying. Instead, she tackle-hugged me. I staggered, and fell on my back with a grunt of surprise.

"Don't look at the door!" She mumbled into my chest, all six limbs tightening around me.

"Twilight!" I called, as our groups last member reached the bottom of the stairs. "Don't look at the door! Rainbow, are you going to be OK?"

I think I've used up my week's quota of hugs, I thought. I hope this calms her down. I'd hate to use next-weeks hugs up pointlessly.

"I..." She was so quiet, I barely heard her. "I'm scared."

At that, I hugged her back. If she'd admit that, she really was shook up. Soon enough she stopped shaking, and pried herself off me.

"Going to be all right?"

"Yeah, I think so." She shook herself, and fluttered her wings for a second, folding them carefully.

"What happened?"

"I got to the bottom, and I saw that." She pointed a hoof, but carefully didn't look at the door frame carved into the stone. A a dark, purple-black crystal capped it. My eyes skated across it, but I didn't let them linger for any length of time. "It...draws you. But if you look in, all it shows is nightmares."

"A door to your worst fear..." Twilight muttered. Her eyes were tightly shut, but her magic probed the door. "So, how do we get through?"

I shrugged helplessly, and turned back to Rainbow. She seemed better, but her pupils still looked smaller than normal, and there was a certain tension to the set of her wings I didn't like. Whatever she saw had badly shaken her, and she wasn't over it, no matter what she said.

"Bah!" Rainbow snorted. "Sometimes we need egghead solutions, but sometimes we just need to BREAK THINGS!" She flipped herself into the air with a flick of her wings, and spun to face away from the door. Twilight's eyes popped open, and I started to call her back, but she was just too fast. She launched a kick at the gem crowning the sculpture faster than either of us could react.

"Rainbow!" We chorused. The door flickered, squirmed, and shattered, the black of outside showing through the now-empty frame.

"Huh," Twilight said. "I guess... it sometimes does work?"

*WOOP* *WOOP* *WOO-*

"Aaaaand, that's an alarm." I ducked out the door, and glanced around. "Something very odd is going on here. This leads to the surface of the central spire! But no choice; we need to move forward, and fast. Come on!" I barely spared a glance to make sure they were following before I darted up the stair.

It was a long, long, staircase. I expected Rainbow to take to the air, but she stuck with us. I guess she didn't want to rush into trouble again. I slowed down when I felt my heartbeat accelerate, setting a pace that would get me to the top without leaving me gasping.

"Wes!" Twilight called. "We're being followed!"

"Horsefeathers!" I swore. "Golems?"

"Sounds like it."

I stopped, and flattened myself against the wall.

"Go ahead!" I motioned them past me. "I'll stop them if they catch up."

"Wes, I think I can get us all up there!" Twilight was charging her horn as she spoke. "But I'll need to use a spell to do it. You OK with that?" I bit my lip for a second. I'd been saving Twilight's strength for a pinch, but I guess that if anything qualified, this did.

"Go for it."

"Hold on, everyone!" She yelled. I grabbed her mane, and Rainbow threw a hoof over her shoulder, just as her power flared across us and the whole world flipped upside down.

Literally.

I stumbled, and only my grip on my comrades kept me from reeling over the edge of the tower. Twilight, having expected it, took the transition the best. She landed on all four feet, and started sliding down the underside of the stair, leaning carefully just enough to corner smoothly. Her military-issue steel shoes threw up sparks on the smooth stone. Rainbow yelled in surprise and what may have been delight, throwing her wings wide and gliding behind. I barely managed to keep up, running frantically so as not to end up underfoot. We reached the top much more quickly.

"Stopit-stopit-stop-STOP!" Twilight yelled, frantically working to dispel the charm as we hit the smooth lip that ran around the top of the tower. The world abruptly righted itself and I gasped, gulping down air in an attempt to settle my stomach.

"That was intense," I wheezed. "But I think it bought us a bit of time. Now, let's hope we found something worthwhile." I circled the tower once more, reaching the top of the staircase. My eyes slowly widened as they took in what we had found.

The Crystal Heart.

It was enclosed in a cage of crystal. The gem-stuff of the tower grew upwards, the black streaks that branched throughout the whole castle continuing out of the floor, enmeshing the Heart in a net of glistening black. It looked like cancerous veins, or the branches of a fire-blackened tree. The heart-shape was still clearly visible, though. Its bright blue, like the unending sky, shone bravely past its prison.

"This stuff..." I walked across the tower, and flicked the crystal with a fingernail. "This is like the stuff that was covering the ponies. I wonder..." My mind flashed back across everything we'd seen today, and I gasped. Could it be? "Twilight, I think-"

"-it IS the same!" She finished for me. "This isn't just a cage; those ponies aren't just imprisoned! This...this whole city is some sort of diabolical machine! This siphons emotions from the captives, and shuttles it through some sort of underground network...Look! You can even see it pulse!" She pointed to where the darkness of the crystal seemed to be oozing along a branch. "Sombra is using the Crystal Heart as a doorway! This whole pocket dimension is lynch-pinned on this artifact! But that shouldn't be possible! The Crystal Heart should be anathema to this sort of magic! It was created by Clover in order to help combat the windigoes...how did he do this?"

"Reflections!" I spat, thinking back to his dimensional magic. "Look, this whole place is unusual. Remember what you were saying about it not following geometry laws? I think he took a piece of space, something hypothetically there and sorta-" I groped for words, unsure of how to convey what I was getting at, "-inverted it! Those field integrals you were working, I don't think this space is really real! OW!" I grabbed my head as my connection to Twilight deepened, thoughts leaking through and firing in my brain faster than I could process. I looked over, and to my dismay, Twilight's eyes had gone completely white. "Rainbow, watch out! Things are going to get crazy!"

"Oh, trust me! I've seen that look before!"

I held my head and tried to concentrate on the outside world as Twilight began her spell, and the enmeshing crystal around the Heart started to peel back. Whatever realizations Twilight had made, apparently it was time for action. She moved somnolently closer until her nose was nearly against the black glass, at which point she began to float.

"Twilight!" I yelled, trying to drown out the noise in my head. "Can you get us out of here?"

"Yeah! Um...I think so!" Her voice sounded only in my head.

"OK, give it all you got! Rainbow, she's got a door for us coming up! We need to hold the line here!" I dashed back to the stairwell, not a moment too soon. The golems reached the top just as I did. I spun my war hammer, using my higher position and the element of surprise to completely shatter the head of the first one I met. It collapsed into dust, causing the one behind it to stumble. I took vicious advantage of that, swooping in on it and belting it as hard as I could. It shattered satisfyingly, but refused to break. I took a step back, willing to give a bit of ground for another clean stroke, but as I adjusted Rainbow zipped past me and body-checked it off the stairwell.

"BOOOYAH! Take that!"

"Rainbow! What-" I started to berate her; jumping into combat like that was foolish, doing it without a word of warning was suicidal! I cut off as another golem, rounding the corner at a tireless gallop, dashed directly at her. She was unprepared; it was going to crush her!

"Oh, no you don't!" I threw caution to the wind and slide-tackled it, something I normally wouldn't do even on flat ground. I winced as my booted feet slammed into its ankles, but I managed to re-direct its momentum enough that it fell into the abyss. I gasped and flinched, barely managing to grab the edge of the stair myself, somehow swinging myself back in far enough to land on the next spiral down.

My feet tingled, the fear of nearly falling to my death crawling over my skin. I took a deep, shaky breath, planning to chew Rainbow out, but she hit me like a ton of feathers. Soft and fluffy, but still enough to destabilize. I staggered, and let my body go limp, trusting to her grip. I got another flash of color, felt the world twirl, and we were on top of the tower again.

"-stepped in-" I thought I heard her mumble something against my shoulder as she set me down. I almost stopped to question her, but the remorse on her face stopped me. She pushed me away, and focused on the stairway again. "You take the center. I'll hit them from the sides."

"Ok." I tugged the wrist strap of my hammer, swinging it up into my palm, and stationed myself on the top step. She flicked my combat knife out of her pack, and stood where the heads of the golems would be at stabbing level. The first golem surprised us by falling out of the air. It almost landed on Twilight. Rainbow tackled it, and I looked over the edge.

It seemed that the golems on the ground had decided that if they could fall that far, they could fly that far. Several of them had arranged themselves in some sort of formation; as I watched, they hoisted another of their numbers up on their shoulders and heaved. I boggled, unbelieving, as the crystalline figure slowly grew larger.

"In the air, Rainbow! Get your whips!" I finally called. She heaved the golem she'd been struggling with off of the roof, and glanced over the edge herself. Her eyes widened in shock, and she reared back as another golem zipped by, just missing her. She reached into her pack, and changed the knife out for her aerial-combat chains. A moment's work attached them to her hooves, and she was in the air.

I breathed easier as I saw her work. She would whip a chain around a flying golem, approaching from a blind spot so they couldn't even try avoidance, and yank it off course. I breathed a bit easier as each successive missile was harmlessly re-directed. She even took a minute to yank the ones off the stairs.

I glanced back at Twilight. Merely thinking about her made the roar of magical formula return. I winced as glyphs zipped past my vision, imaginary sigils and symbols scorching past my inner eye so fast I felt dizzy. Is she really thinking that fast? I carefully plumbed the connection between us, dipping my metaphorical toes into the raging current of thought that was ripping its way through her formidable brain.

I caught a glimpse of what she was working on, and gasped, yanking my attention back as firmly and fiercely as I could as the incredible inertia of her thought process nearly pulled me in. Fascinating, I thought as I considered her project, but I can't spare the concentration to help her right now. Still, she's doing OK; the portal should be going live any time now.

Twilight was tunneling between two layers of reality. Using the same pathways that Sombra had established for leeching the Crystal Empire, but using the force of her own magic, she was piercing through the spell used to stabilize this entire bubble of space-time. And she was doing it smoothly enough to not collapse the whole thing. I pushed thoughts away as arcs of ancient numbers tried to expand in my vision. I couldn't afford this distraction.

I turned back out, looking for Rainbow. I bit my lip when I saw her; she was flying with consummate skill, drawing graceful arcs around her foes, all pretense of stealth abandoned in favor of crushing speed as she successfully diverted attack after attack. This time, though, she was not alone.

A noisome cloud of wraiths followed her, a shrieking conglomeration of shadows, each windigo making a noise like fingernails on the blackboard of my soul. She dodged and wove brilliantly, avoiding them each time, even as they split and flowed, dividing time and again in attempts to catch her. I glanced over my shoulder. Twilight had better be quick; this wasn't going to work for long. I canvassed the tower top again, looking for another threat to deal with, but came up cold. I fidgeted nervously for a second, almost deciding to help Twilight; but by the time I turned back towards her, I saw the portal spark, take, and spin outwards.

It expanded like the vortex that forms at a drain. The skin of reality puckered in, and then twisted inside out, leaving a hole. Late evening sunlight shone through. Tension I didn't even know I'd been carrying melted off my back as I saw a way out appear.

"RAINBOW!" I pitched my voice just right, cutting across the racket around her. She didn't even look towards me, but flipped a wing in acknowledgment. I steadied myself and dove through, carefully not touching the edges. Twilight levitated herself through a moment later, the white already fading from her eyes. We waited for one tense moment, until Rainbow followed. The windigoes behind her shrieked even louder, but seemed afraid of the sun; they turned back from the portal. I glanced nervously at Twilight, wondering why the portal was still open. She was panting, her head sagging nearly to the ground, ears and tail limp from exhaustion. I heard a few golems thump onto the top of the tower.

"Wes..." She forced the words out between gasps. "Wes, you need to close it! I can't work it right now!"

"What? How can-"

The knowledge hit me like a ton of bricks. The backlash of her magic overload was wearing off, but our expanded connection still persisted enough for her to foist the entirety of her considerations onto me. She had been surprised and fascinated by the magic crystals under my skin, in the stains on my hand. It had been forgotten in the argument about the windigoes, but she'd been worrying at the problem ever since. The fact that some of her magic had crystallized under my skin meant that I wasn't as anti-magical as she'd originally thought. The scanning pulses that hurt me so much showed that, if she was right, the magic that had coursed up my arm had burned power pathways into my soul. If she was right, using the correct magical focus, I could manipulate magic. If she was right, maybe I could even cast a spell, leaning on borrowed power.

If.

I reached into my knife-sheath, and drew out the last keepsake of my first Equestrian friend; Splinter's horn. I probed the connection between us. Twilight's reserves were drained to the dregs.

"Hold on, Twilight! This is going to hurt you a LOT more than it hurts me!" I well remembered the pain I'd felt when she'd burnt part of my soul to get us away from Sombra last time. It hadn't been pleasant. If this worked, she'd be sore later. One of the golems carefully pushed a leg through the portal, carefully clear of the edges.

At least she would be in one piece later.

I reached deep into the narrowing connection between us, gathering as much magic as I could, and the most sparing smidgeon of her life energy I thought I could get away with. Then I marshaled my thoughts, and carefully crafted the spell necessary to disrupt the tunnel.

Twilight had done most of the hard work when she created the thing. Destroying a high-energy construct was always miles easier than creating one. Witness, a train-wreck. My lips twitched at the image of a train hitting Sombra. Focus! I reminded myself.

Most of what I did, I could rely on Twilight's transferred reflexes for. She'd trained herself in magic manipulation long enough that the basic spellcraft I was working fit easily together in my mind. There were a few things I needed to strong-arm, and one or two bits that took a bit of serious concentration, but faster than I expected, it all started to fall into place. I made a few rough calculations, waving the horn like a wand. It started to glow, a sickly orange aura twisted through with streaks of purple life-force gathering around it. Holding the magic back was difficult for me; it felt like blood was pooling in my arm. The very skin of my hand felt tight and swollen, like a balloon. I half expected my fingers to grow pudgy and stiff.

Finally, the spell was complete. I gathered together everything needed to power it and pushed it all into the horn. I stepped forward, gesturing grandiosely, and with one final wave unleashed every scrap of power I'd gathered. Twilight screamed somewhere in the background, but the rush of power nearly drowned it out.

<"Abara-Cadabara!"> I yelled at the top of my lungs.

The collapse was a fairly gradual thing, surprisingly. The spell crumbled the dimensional emanation in a controlled way. I didn't want to rupture the interior dimension any more than Twilight had. My aura, orange and lavender, circled the portal, wreaths and clouds of light slowly eroding the passage. The twist in space slowly tightened, reversing the ripple that had gotten us out of there. The golems passing through seemed to panic for a second as it twisted in on them. I grimaced fiercely as, with crunching, shattering sounds, they were twisted in half. Parts of one landed on the ground by us. It turned to dust, and I breathed a sigh of relief, finally taking the time to examine our surroundings.

Snow.

I looked down. I'd hardly taken the time to notice, but we were standing in ankle-deep snow. All around us were trackless plains. In the distance mountains rose, but there was nothing near us for miles.

This could be bad.

I looked over to where Rainbow was holding Twilight up. The purple unicorn was swallowing convulsively, and the pegasus was trying to comfort her. I tried to banish my sudden feeling of guilt, but to no avail. It had been necessary, yes; but hurting a friend like that still left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I sighed, and started to tuck Splinter's horn, My wand, I thought, back into my sheath when one last surprise was unleashed on us.

With a bang, a flash, and a twist of fire, a light-orange unicorn appeared. A streak of red ran through a flamboyant yellow mane, and a yin-yang sun gleamed from her flank. She swept our entire group with searching green eyes, which narrowed accusingly on the relic in my hand.

"What have you done to my brother?" Her voice cut across the sudden silence like a whip.

Connections fired in my brain. Where I'd seen that color orange before. Why Luna had known Splinter. A few scattered stories, told in near-death delirium.

"Sunset Shimmer?" I barely managed, before my brain went blank from shock.

20 - Tracks

Tracks

My nerves sang with tension.

I was frozen. The orange pony, probably Sunset, panted foggy breaths in the cold air. Rainbow and Twilight stared, eyes huge, as we faced off.

"No, don't answer that." Her voice went calm, hard as ice. She drew herself up, perfect control glassing over her eyes and smoothing the anger from her face. She stood staring for a moment longer. My arm went limp, and I nearly dropped Splinter's horn. "It's clear that you have...that, by his will. I apologize for my earlier outburst." She turned as if to go. I mentally kicked myself, and my brain lurched into gear.

"W...wait!" I called, my voice nearly breaking. I didn't really want to do this, but we really had no choice; and parting like this would feel wrong to me. "Please....Sunset, if that's your name, please help us." I dropped to my knees; I had no idea if the ponies understood the significance of that, but I even bowed my head to beg for help. "We need your aid. We're hurt, lost, and helpless. Please don't leave us like this."

She looked back, and a hidden tear may have been glistening in the corner of her eye. She inspected me, then turned her gaze to my teammates. Her eyes widened slightly at Twilight.

"Fine." Her voice was flat, but her horn lit up and streamers of magic floated out. "Security." Four spells, looking like complex wards, drifted into the night. "Shelter." The snow around us, no more than ankle deep, crept slowly together and mounded upwards. A small dome quickly appeared, something like an igloo. "Warmth." A collection of gravel and rocks lifted off the ground and steamed. I could feel the warmth on my face. "Water." She threw a canteen from her pack at my feet. "I am Sunset Shimmer, and I offer this freely and in good faith."

Her formal tone confused me slightly, especially when she assumed a blank, expectant stare.

"Thank her." Twilight advised weakly. "She's showing you she won't hurt you; it's a traditional unicorn hospitality...thing. Altered a bit. A promise to help and to guard, at least for a while." She flopped onto the now-dry ground, surrendering to exhaustion. Rainbow watched worriedly, eyes flickering about.

"Thanks." I wasn't sure what to say. "You have my gratitude for this gift." Hopefully that was flowery enough. At my words, Sunset turned to the igloo, the rocks floating behind. She didn't look back as she ducked in.

"Come on." Twilight staggered to her hooves, and towards the hut. "Let's get out of this wind." Rainbow and I followed her in.

It wasn't warm in the igloo. Anything much above freezing and the shelter wouldn't last, but Sunset carefully buried the warmed rocks around us, and closed most of the doorway, leaving only a small hole there and in the roof for air. It was much, much better than outside. She even cast a minor light spell. As the moon rose, we settled down. The three ponies, completely nonchalant, snuggled together in the middle of the room.

I awkwardly tried to get comfortable by the door.

"Wes," Twilight said, just as I found a half-reasonable position. "I know you have a thing about personal space, but you'll be much warmer if you huddle with us."

"Um." I wasn't really sure what to say. I was cold and tired, and it would be warmer...but besides my space issues, I was a little wary of cuddling up to three xenomorphic young women. Ponies seemed to have different ideas of personal space, but still.

"Come ooooon," Rainbow added. "Stop being such a wuss. You're going to regret it."

I sighed, and scooted over to the pile, settling my back against her side. She draped a wing over my shoulder. It was...nice.

I didn't have nightmares, at least.

"Guys, I found a railroad!"

"Huh?"

I rubbed sleep out of my eyes, awoken by Rainbow's call. I was curled on the ground, cold and stiff and still tired but feeling remarkably better. I shot a dark look at my erstwhile pillow; she seemed entirely too cheerful and loud.

"A railroad, a railroad! I can see it from the sky! It's maybe five minutes flight, if you head three marks north of east! Come on, let's see if we can catch a train!"

"Don't we need flares for that?" I still felt half asleep, but the situation was returning to me. Sunset and Twilight grumbled awake, stretching and yawning widely.

"Pff, whatever. I can totally land on a train. But we can get home! The others will go lunatic if we don't let them know we're safe soon."

"Five minutes flight...Rainbow, that could be hours by hoof, at the speed you fly! Don't rush us so much." Twilight rubbed her eyes and followed her out, muttering airspeed calculations.

Sunset gave me another flat look. She was starting to make me a little uncomfortable. I was learning to read pony expressions, and most of them were fairly easy. But from Sunset, I got nothing. Ever since calming down last night, it was as if her emotions had iced over. I guess it was better than the alternative, but she was creeping me out.

"Splinter's horn...should I give it to you?" I asked softly, after a moment.

"He is dead?"

"...yeah."

"Keep it." She abruptly left. I followed morosely. She nodded to Twilight and Rainbow, who where talking and stretching in the sun, and slowly walked east. I shrugged at my companions, took a drink from my canteen, and passed it to Twilight.

"We'd better move out." I nodded to Sunset. "Looks like our host has made up her mind." Twilight fell in beside me and passed the canteen to Rainbow, who zipped into the air and circled above us as lookout. As we walked, I went through my pockets and pack as best I could, arranging my kit comfortably and settling in for a long hike.

"Granola bar?" I offered to Sunset. She glanced over, and hesitantly accepted with her aura.

"You know, it's funny." She talked with her mouth full, and her eyes never left the horizon. "When I first picked up Splinter's magic on that old scanner, I was beyond shocked. I put together an emergency pack, and went on high alert. The only thing I didn't pack was food." She sniffed quietly. "I guess I'm still a fool. I thought I'd lock onto him, warp in, save his bony ass, and we'd go home together." Her eyes didn't waver and her voice was calm, but she seemed a touch more vulnerable, if only for a moment.

"Do you want to hear-"

"No." Whatever I'd seen was gone. "No, don't talk to me about him right now. I've just been through a bit of an emotional storm, and I'm liable to be a wreck when I get...back. But I do want to know. What exactly are you?" Her cool green eyes swept my figure. "You're like nothing I've seen, except maybe a minotaur. You have no magic, besides that abomination welded to your soul, and that crude link with the perfect Princess' prized purple protege."

I blinked at that. I guess involving Twilight in this discussion is a no go, I thought. I spent a minute thinking my story out, avoiding Splinter as I could.

"Well, this might be a bit tricky," I conceded. But I launched in with a will, carefully skirting sensitive bits. "...so, they thought I might be from another dimension or something." I finished, a half-hour later.

"Ludicrous!"

"Come again?" I glanced at her, honestly surprised by her vehemence. It was the most emotion she'd displayed yet.

"Twilight might believe that, but Celestia? She must be going senile."

Oooooookay, I'm missing something here, I thought. I'd assumed Sunset's connection to the palace was completely through her brother. From what he'd said, he'd been a member of the Royal Guard. I hadn't connected Luna's work with missing persons to him at first, because it was such a tenuous link. I didn't remember it until Sunset literally appeared in front of me, and dredged up things about Splinter I barely remembered. Talking about Celestia like that, though, was something ordinary ponies would find nearly unthinkable.

"Look, I've studied dimensional magic. I'm not at the level of the greats, like Sombra, but I'm better off than most. It's very simple. You worked from the multi-verse idea? Multiple worlds, new ones appearing at each quantum decision, creating an infinity of slightly different worlds, allowing yours and ours to exist in the same continuum?" I nodded slowly. "It's complete horse-apples. Either the theory is plain wrong, or it's totally impossible to travel from one reality to another. I can demonstrate it easily.

Consider this; if an infinite continuum of worlds exists, AND it's possible to travel through it, then because everything HAS TO exist at some point in that multi-verse, someone is planning to appear, ten feet in front of us, right...now." She waved; the snow stayed empty. "You see? Either it's not infinite, or the walls between universes are impenetrable. Either way, something more is going on here."

I turned the idea over in my head; it seemed sound to me.

"So, what does that mean for me?"

"Not a whole lot," she replied coolly. "Either the multi-verse is only near-infinite and you're one of the extreme outliers, you didn't come from another universe, or..." She trailed off for a bit, but finished all in a rush. "Or something from outside the multi-verse moved you."

"I could be from this universe?" I started with the simplest idea first.

"Yes. The universe is huge; who's to say that your world's not out there, around another star? If you only moved through space, this whole thing would be slightly less nauseating to contemplate."

"Such as being moved?" She nodded slowly.

"I don't know why it bothers me so much, but if you were intentionally moved through an infinite multi-verse, it was by something so completely outside the limits of our understanding, it might as well be called 'God'. Who knows what purposes it had for you? I don't like it." She shuddered ever so slightly. I nodded. The idea was chilling to me as well; the thought of being nothing more than a pawn was a distinctly unpleasant one.

"Either way," she broke into my thoughts, "don't give up the search. I'm confident of my reasoning, but none of this is actually proof. The fact is, you are here. That means, the way back potentially exists. You're only lost if you stop looking."

<"One day we leave,"> I replied automatically.

"What?"

"Sorry, nothing." I waved memories away, and tapped my comm on. "Hey, Rainbow, how're we doing?"

"Another half-hour or so. Not too much farther. But wooo, you guys are slow."

"Hush. We can't all be as awesome as you."

"Don't you know it!" She signed off with a chuckle.

We walked in silence after that.

"Well, it is a railroad!" Rainbow said hopefully. Indeed, but it had obviously lain unused for a while.

"What are our chances of a train?" I asked.

"Not good," Sunset answered. "By the snow, I'd say they don't pass this way more than once a week. And, I need to leave; I've already spent longer than I should have with you."

I grimaced at that, but nodded.

"Thank you for all your aid." I paused, then pushed on. "Sunset, your brother saved my life. More than once. I know you said it was OK for me to keep this," I touched my sheath, "but if you ever need my help, let me know. I'll be there for you."

"Thank you, Wes. I may have to take you up on that."

"Would you be willing to take a message for us?" Twilight asked hesitantly.

"No." The reply was instant. Twilight drew herself up to argue, but stopped as Sunset extracted a paper from her pack and passed it over. "This ought to serve, though." She stepped backwards, gathered her magic, and disappeared in a flash.

"Where did she get this?" Twilight's voice was troubled, and she looked deeply confused. I gently plucked the gift from her grasp, and inspected it. It looked like a piece of stationary with an attached ribbon. A crest modeled on Sunset's cutie mark adorned one corner. Celestia's crest was on the other.

"A vivre card," I breathed. "This will go directly to Celestia!" My brows scrunched in confusion, mirroring Twilight's. "But this means..."

"Yeah. She's someone very close to Celestia, whom I've never heard of. Just who is Sunset Shimmer?"

I shrugged helplessly.

"Maybe she's a SPY!" Rainbow exclaimed. I rolled my eyes at Twilight, who rolled them back.

"Maybe, Rainbow," Twilight said noncommittally. "Anyway, let's use this. What's the nearest mile-marker?"

"Six hundred and seventy-three," Rainbow said, surprising us with her prompt reply. "Hey, I had a lot of time while you guys slogged."

"Mhmm." Twilight's pen was already moving. She floated it to me; I skimmed it, and handed it to Rainbow.

"Looks like you got it all. No critical wounds,exhausted, low on supplies and suffering from exposure. Time, place, promise of a full report, weather; looks good, send it on." Twilight rolled the vivre card up and sealed it. It burst into bright flame and the ashes floated away. "Well, that should get our rescue moving. Now, let's find someplace out of the wind and work on our reports." Twilight grinned eagerly at that, but Rainbow groaned a little.

"Hey, look on the bright side," I said. "We finished our mission. We learned something useful. We all made it out. We're still together."

That drew heartfelt nods, and we set out to make the best of our situation until help arrived.

We weren't quite home free yet, but I resolved we wouldn't falter on the home stretch.

21 - Hideaway

Hideaway

I lay on my back, feeling the cool tiles through the thin shirt I was wearing. I sighed as the ceiling shook, breaking small clots of dirt free of the interwoven root system that supported the whole library. I wasn't sure what was going on upstairs, but hiding in the basement had kept me out of it so far.

I'd been honestly surprised when we'd made it back to Ponyville without further incident. Captain Armor had used the low throughput, high priority military-only teleport network to deploy a squad of pegasus couriers, who had rushed a pony-powered cart along the railroad to our location. We'd been whisked back to civilization faster than I'd thought possible, a combination of excellent logistics on the military side, and the fact that we hadn't actually been as far removed as I'd first suspected.

We had been thoroughly debriefed three or four times. Once by the official procedure, once for Captain Armor, again by Celestia, and maybe one or two more partial retelling to various officials, friends, and family as we worked our way through the paperwork and wended our way...home. Back to Ponyville.

Home. An interesting word, but it fit better and better every day.

Through the whole thing, Twilight and I had been scrambling to assemble some sort of official compilation on the spells and techniques involved in the sealing of the empire, and a risk assessment of Sombra being able to weaponize the effect. Her current conclusion was that it couldn't be done, since it was centered on a unique artifact, and took a mind-bendingly huge amount of magic.

Celestia had skated neatly around our unexpected rescuer, Sunset Shimmer; I had likewise kept quiet about what she said to me. I guess neither of us were quite sure what to make of that issue yet.

A little private investigation had revealed that she was wanted for questioning, but why, or in connection to what, I had no idea. She had no charges against her, and even her official records seemed oddly sterile, as if information on her was controlled. It painted an odd picture, like Celestia was both being protecting and persecuting her. Information on Splinter was a little more open, though there wasn't much more. Maybe they were just a boring family. As I'd thought, he'd been in the Royal Guard, and she'd definitely been his sister. Other than that, unmarried, disappeared about the same time.

"Wes?"

I sat up, my head easily clearing the pony-sized counter I was laying behind. Twilight stuck her head around the door-frame, a pair of pens and two journals hovering along.

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing down here?"

"Hiding."

"What?"

"Hiding! Listen, can't you hear them stampeding upstairs?"

"But...why?"

"I'm worn out! I appreciate the welcome-home we were given, but after the hoop-la we went through for the army, and the government, and finally, Ponyville, I need some alone time!"

"Really?" She sounded genuinely surprised; her eyes searched my face, as if trying to find some indication of sickness.

"Really! Look, I'm not trying to be rude; you know I'm your friend, if you mares ever need a hand, heh, you have only to ask. But there is always, and I mean ALWAYS, some sort of wacky hijinks going down in this supposedly calm, peaceful little country town! Always! I'm not sure what they're doing up there. All I can say is that when I found out it involved a flugelhorn, a family of ducks, three cans of paint, and Pinkie Pie, I decided I wanted some alone time and I've been here since. Anyways. What did you need?"

"Um...is it OK?" She drew back hesitantly, as if to leave.

"Yeah, yeah." I waved hand helplessly. "Don't worry about it. I've already had more time than I expected. It's not like you're a whole herd by yourself. I can deal with one pony."

"Ok. Um, I was thinking we should re-start our association testing. And it would be better if we used fragments of songs, or something like that, since they're a little easier to remember, and a little less likely to be duplicated in language learning." She walked over, floated a journal in my direction, and sat down on the floor behind the counter. I unshaded my lamp a bit more, brightening the laboratory enough that reading wouldn't be a chore.

"Yeah." I plucked the notebook and pen out of the air, carefully setting the inkwell down and uncorking it. "Both of those sound like good ideas. Ooop!" I nearly knocked the ink over with a shuffle of my foot, but grabbed it just in time. "I really need to re-invent ballpoint pens. Or, at least, pencils. How do you live with this?"

"It's not so bad with telekinesis." She giggled a little as I tried to balance the inkwell on a knee, and almost spilled it again. I finally set it on the counter behind me, which was awkward but workable.

"Maybe I should learn some," I said, half joking, but her expression turned serious.

"Actually, I meant to ask you about that." She uncorked her own inkwell, and dipped the tip of her pen. "When we escaped the Crystal Empire, you were able to use the link between our souls to borrow some of my magic. I know you've given statements on this several times now, but I don't think you've been asked...do you think you could do it again?"

"Seriously?" She shot me a look, wondering if I was offended, but I was thoroughly impressed. "Twilight, I have some idea how painful that must have been for you. You haven't even finished recovering from that, yet! I'm frankly impressed that you can suggest that so calmly. And, well, we haven't had time to re-work the diagnosis on the soul-meld. Is that sort of experimenting safe?"

"Ah, no..." She trailed off for a second, her gaze going distant as she reviewed whatever data she'd prepared for this discussion. "I mean, you're right. We can't actually do any experiments yet. I just wanted to know, if you had to, or wanted to, do you think you could do it again? Hypothetically."

"Oh. Um. Maybe?" I mulled it over for a moment. "Hypothetically....that's a definite maybe. Yeah. I can't really say. Both times, when we've moved magic, we've been on the brink. I've been working from instinct, practically autopilot. And, we were both on some other level of connectedness. I mean, normally, this...thing," I waved a hand from my crystal towards her, "isn't intrusive or even noticeable." I tapped the gem; it clinked dully through my shirt. "It glows purple now, but other than that, I can't say anything has changed in my day-to-day. During those two times, however....well, something changed. You felt it too, right?"

"Yeah. Yes, I did. I could feel you, almost physically connected to me. Like your mind was touching mine."

"Right, like that. I could use your magic to close the portal, because I also had access to all of your magical lore and spell-casting training. As our memories are now, that's not possible; I can, sometimes, use bits of your memory, like when I checked your calculations in the Crystal Library-"

"It's kinda silly to refer to everything there as 'Crystal this', or 'Crystal that'."

"Yeah, but you know what I'm talking about, and it works. The point is, our memories are normally connected fairly weakly. But when I was spell-casting, I was using more than just your memory. I also used your reflexes and instincts. I couldn't have done it otherwise, but it started earlier than that. I nearly got pulled into your spell-casting when you opened the gate. Maybe it has to do with the amount of magic you're pulling? Like, the pressure of power can force the connection to widen?"

"Maybe." She thought for a minute, and the items she was levitating danced in an absentminded way. "We could test that. Maybe if I built up a full horn of magic, we could open the connection like that again, and-"

"No!" My vehemence stopped her dead. "No." I continued more calmly. "At least, not until you're completely recovered, and have some theoretical idea of the power-flows and thaumic patterns involved, and we've both sent a write-up to the Princess about it. And even then, we start with a proof-of-concept."

"Fine." She sighed, flicking her mane out of her eyes and pretending annoyance. "But Wes, Sciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiience!"

"Pfff." I flicked a pebble at her. "Enough. Let's give this new association testing a try. You go first."

"B.B.B.F.F."

"Big-Brother-Best-Friend-Forever." She nodded, and made a tick in her notebook. I thought for a second, and scribbled out my phrase.

<"Scar tissue that I wish you saw.">

<"Sarcastic mister know-it-all."> I made a check mark, and nodded back at her.

"Learn to face your fears."

"You'll see that they can't hurt you."

<"The silence, a mirror,">

<"That breaks the light in two.">

"The time has come to welcome spring,"

"And all things warm and green."

<"There was something so pleasant about that place.">

<"Even your emotions had an echo, in so much space. Wes,"> I looked up, surprised at the break from the pattern. <"Are all the songs you know melancholy?">

<"Um, I dunno."> I felt a little defensive. We'd only done three rounds! <"Why? Does it bother you?">

<"Not really, but...well, it's a little different from what I'm used to."> I sighed, and put the notebook down for a second. I was feeling melancholy. This thing with Sunset was distracting me. And if Twilight didn't have advice for me, no-one would.

"Twilight, do you think Celestia trusts me?"

"Yes. Well, probably. Why?" I sighed again, and rubbed my eyes.

"Well, Sunset said some really odd things to me." I proceeded to retell the multi-verse refutation I'd been given, and how Sunset had mentioned that this was the sort of thing Celestia ought to know. "...and, the thing is, I don't think she's wrong. Celestia is too old, wise, and knowledgeable to not have realized this sort of thing. So, why didn't she mention it?"

"Hrmph." I glanced at Twilight; she was looking a little confused. "I don't know, Wes. All I can say is that I've known the Princess for quite a while now, and I believe she has good reasons."

"Heh, that's fine." I laughed bitterly. "Hey, even I don't trust myself a lot of the time. I can get that. But she seemed so...honest. Straightforward. Not like a chessmaster, not like someone who'd be manipulating me. And that makes it even worse, honestly. I'd prefer outright coercion. Better a than a I want to like her, trust her, but I can't tell if that's dangerous or not."

"Wes, look at me." I turned towards her. She was very serious, her purple eyes boring into mine. "Trust her."

"But-"

"Ah! Let me finish. Look, she comforted you, and gave you her word. You can hold onto that. I don't know what she's holding back or why, but it's not for some secret scheme. She's not like that. She told me once, as part of my study on power and its uses, that the just use of power limits our actions as well as widening them.

She can't afford to allow Celestia-the-princess to do things that Celestia-the-pony wouldn't think twice about. She won't hurt you, unless you need it, and she will help you as much as she can, as long as it doesn't hurt another. Although she may have resources she's not offering to you, that's her prerogative and burden as a ruler. She needs to place her kingdom first. Her personal interests come second. The fact that she offered you her help as Celestia-the-pony is not to be scorned." She looked down, and her voice quieted a little. "It's more than most get."

"Fine." I puffed out a great breath, stirring up the cobwebs and dust around us. "Fine. Ok, yeah. I'll take her at face value. What the hay, if you don't know her, no-one does. Except maybe Luna. Thanks, Twilight."

"You're welcome." We sat in silence for a second, before she raised her pen again. "Let's give this another few rounds. You've gotta share, you've gotta care."

"It's the right thing to do." I thought for a second; if she didn't like my music, maybe I should go with something else.

<"Voila! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran,">

<"Cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate."> Her eyes widened, and a look of surprised eagerness crept across her face as she realized I'd quoted her a bit of something very like poetry. She accelerated, and her voice took on louder, more rolling tones as she fell into the character of the speech. <"This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.">

<"Twilight, I didn't mean-">

<"The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.">

<"-that you should recite the whole thing."> I finished lamely. Dang, I hadn't even memorized it that well; I didn't think I could recall the whole thing. My breath caught at that thought. Could it be?

"That was so cool!" She said, laughing. "All those VvVvV sounds! And so powerful! I guess that's what declaiming feels like! Do you know more poetry like that?"

"Um. Some. But that's not the point of this, right?"

"Oh. Yeah, I guess. Still, human poetry sounds cool!"

"Yeah, I like it. Sorry, your turn."

"Right. How about: The fire of friendship lives in our hearts."

"As long as it burns we cannot drift apart."

<"So since I'm still here livin', I guess I will live on.">

<"I could've died for love, But for livin' I was born.">

"I'm the belle of the ball, the star of the show,"

"I'm the type of pony every pony, every pony should know." I finished, with a wry twist. Twilight giggled a little at my deadpan recital.

<"He clasps the crag with crooked hands;

Close to the sun in lonely lands,

Ring'd with the azure world, he stands.">

<"The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;

He watches from his mountain walls,

And like a thunderbolt he falls. Oooo, more poetry!"> She took a minute to write this down in her book.

"Twilight..." I started speculatively.

"Yeah?"

"You know how, before, we were seeing something like a twenty percent difference in how much we could remember? I think I figured it out." I chewed on the end of my pen for a second, before realizing feathers taste awful and spitting.

"What do you mean?"

"I think you're just better at remembering things in general," I said slowly, tasting the words. "I got the idea with the . I tried to memorize that after hearing it the first time; I barely made it past the first line. Yet you spit the whole thing out, like it was no big deal."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And more than that; those last two bits of poetry, I'm pretty sure I couldn't recite more than the fragment I gave you. I mean, 'The Eagle' isn't any longer than that, but still. Why," I asked plaintively, "do you even get to be better at my own memory than I am?"

"But that can't explain the whole thing, can it?"

"Dunno. But it's a working theory on where the gap comes from. Even explains the block of decimal calculus in your notes. I didn't do well in that class, but you were throwing integrals around like it was nothing-"

"Wait, what?"

"Oh." I stopped for a second. Had I forgotten to give that back to her before the whole blur of re-entry? It would probably have made her report much easier. "Um, I might need to check my pack, but I picked up the report you made on Sombra when we left the empire. I might still have it in my stuff. Right smack-dab in the middle was a bunch of math I learned a year or so ago, but wasn't very good at. You worked it in human decimal, not Equestrian. If you can remember my own memories better than I can, it might explain how you were able to use it more effectively than me."

"Calculus, calculus...I really want to see this report. You know how, when you first accessed my memories, everything was pretty blurry?"

I nodded; both of us had noticed that. Our first attempts to use the others' memory had been reflexive, and we'd been unaware of what we'd done afterwards.

"You think you did the calculations, and then forgot it?"

"Maybe. But calculus...I'm not sure why, but I just like that word. What does it mean?"

"Um...it's a little hard to put into a short description, even if I was an expert, which I'm not. It's...kinda sorta a way of getting discrete answers for equations that are continually changing, by quantifying the limits of the problem and working from there. I'm not sure if that's...anyways, you were using it for field calculations. Like, the sort of thaumic signatures necessary to force sigilistic patterns through different dimensional layers."

"That...can't be right."

"Maybe I misunderstood the math? But that seemed to be what you were doing."

"No, you don't understand the problem. There's no way to do those calculations. The vectors are morphing in three dimensions, and the whole thing needs to be rotated axially-"

"You can do that with calculus. I mean, I can't, but it's probably doable. I've seen examples of integrals rotated through space. They ought to be solvable."

"Wes." Her voice was flat.

"Y-yes?"

"Get me that report."

"Yes ma'am!" I leaped up, intending to dash off. Just as I did, the roof shook. I paused, my enthusiasm quailing as the ruckus knocked more dirt out of the root-woven ceiling.

"Wes!" An energetic voice exclaimed. I sighed, completely deflating as Pinkie's head appeared in the door. "I was looking for you! Do you know how to play the flugelhorn?"

"I need to move out." I muttered, glancing back as Twilight's giggle rose invisibly from behind the counter.

22 - Surprises

Surprises

"Wait, you’re seriously leaving?" Twilight pulsed her aura, and her whole mess of notes slammed inwards, forming a neat stack. I cocked an eyebrow, impressed in spite of myself.

"Yup. I wasn't joking about moving out."

"But...but! I'm close, Wes! I'm nearly there! Human math is crazy cool; with these new tools, I've already resolved the Infinite Stable Loops paradox! I'm re-writing centuries-old axioms in thaumaturgy and science!"

"Again." Spike muttered as he re-shelved a book. Twilight continued heedless.

"One day soon, I'll have some answers. Give me a little more time, and I'll unlock the secrets of noumancy as well!"

"Relax, Twilight. It's not like me moving across town is going to...undo your work." I glanced around quickly; I was still unwilling to talk about something like 'soul-bonding' openly. "That would take, like, dimension-hopping. Anyways, you're welcome to visit. I'm not going to stop being your friend because I'm not living in your spare bedroom." I turned back to packing. Twilight dejectedly returned to her calculus proofs and magic research. After I given that report back to her, she'd dove into math in a big way.

I shook my head; she may have begun with my half-remembered knowledge, but she was already far past that and steadily accelerating. Apparently even most of the Canterlot University math department had given up asking for updates, content to wait for her to slow down so they could all award her prizes at once.

I'd confirmed my resolve to move, hopefully to somewhere with a lock, after Pinkie dragged me all over town playing the flugelhorn. I'd gone to the Town Hall to make it happen as soon as I escaped. I'd discovered that land on the edge of the Everfree was available to anyone willing to sign a homestead contract and pay taxes. I'd arranged to lease a small house, really more of a shack but enough to keep me dry and warm, and had it dragged over to my homestead before sundown. All I needed to do was dig an outhouse and a well, buy a bed, stove, and fridge, and I'd be good to go. Hmm...maybe a bit more than I thought. But I could deal for now.

It was all remarkably painless, considering what I'd gone through renting apartments back on Earth. I hadn't even been asked for ID. Which was good, because I didn't have any.

I'd been a little surprised at how affordable the whole thing was. Not just homesteading the land, which totally blindsided me, but the rent was significantly less than I'd been expecting. After a bit of research, I concluded I was making rather more money than average. My job required continual exposure to one of the most feared and magically active environments in Equestria, and I had next to no serious competition, which meant what I sold went for premium prices. I just hoped that the Everfree wouldn't cause problems in the long run. Getting eaten or enchanted can seriously crimp your life.

"Hey, look at the bright side," I said morosely to Twilight. "It seems I've finally gotten into a situation where I can't deny Pinkie her party. She was squeaking something about 'hearths-warming' when she found out I'd gotten my own place."

"Oh?" Twilight stacked her notes again. I smirked slightly. Once is impressive, twice is showing off. "Are you really doing a traditional hearths-warming party?"

"Maybe. I have no idea what she's organizing. I felt I owed her one after I shouted her down on having a 'Welcome to Equestria' party, so I gave her free reign in this."

"Hoo boy."

"Heh, well, I think it'll be worth it. But what did she mean about a hearths-warming party? I thought that was just once a year."

"Now it is. But used to be a tradition for moving, or big changes in your life. Invite all your friends over, have a party, exchange presents, and start a 'fire of friendship' as the first fire in the new hearth. Everyone brings something to burn, as you move from one chapter of life to another. It can be pretty cool."

"Sounds like it."

"It's not done traditionally very much anymore, especially with the railway spreading ponies farther than ever. Many new-built towns have everyponies hearths-warming at the same time, instead of a whole series of smaller ones. It’s becoming the norm, and the individual ones happen less and less."

"Neat. Anything I should know?"

"Um...you'll get lots of presents. Probably food, and some practical stuff. We'll light a fire at the end. If you want to burn something, maybe prepare it beforehand?"

"What's the thing about burning mean? Is it something we want to leave behind?"

"Oh! No, not really. No, it's more like...if you burn something in the fire, that's supposed to become part of your friendship, and fill the house. Lots of ponies write something out, or cut shapes out of paper."

"Huh. Cool." I stood for a minute, scratching my chin. I'd already packed my meager belongings. My stubble was starting to get itchy; I sighed, thinking of trying to trim it with my dagger. Hair and nail growth was one of the few things that hadn't been affected by my soul's entrapment. Splinter conjectured it was because they were already dead, but I'd argued that the spell repaired my clothes, and kept my knife shaving sharp. One more argument I'd never have again.

I slid my fingers over my scalp; I'd pulled my hair back and trimmed it into a short queue for a long time, but maybe I could find a razor and barber now that I'd seen quit of those bugs. "Hey, Twilight, any idea where I can get a...mane-cut in this town?" I stumbled slightly, almost saying , but corrected myself at the last moment. Just because Twilight would understand was no reason for sloppy speaking.

"Ask Rarity," she mumbled, already re-absorbed in her work. I nodded; that should have been my conclusion, as well.

Maybe she'd even find me a razor.

"You undercharged me."

"Really, dear?" Rarity lowered her sewing and looked innocently over her glasses. I sipped my tea and nodded.

"Did you know you have one of the most relaxing houses I've ever been in? Every time I come here, I can't help myself; I end up with 'a spot of tea and a chat.'" I tried to mimic a Canterlot accent. She snorted.

I really did value time at Rarity's; she always made me feel welcome, and gave me an oasis of peace in whatever craziness was swirling through town. Unless she was feeling...Ugh, dramatic. Then, things could get bad.

"Yes, you seriously undercharged me. The material for my shirts is easily worth three times their price." I ran a finger lightly over the cloth she was sewing; it was significantly rougher than what I wore. "Those weren't scraps; they were premium-quality cotton, the best you had. And they might be work clothes, but there's no way you whipped them out in less than a night."

"Pish. I undercharge all my friends." She was doing detail embroidery, using a tiny needle and a horn-held 'thimble' like a tiny steel golf ball.

"Not that much! And you hardly knew me!"

"Would you have taken charity? You didn't have the money to pay, and if I offered you those for free, what would you have done?"

"...refused."

"Right." She nodded firmly. "Sometimes ponies need a hoof-out, and sometimes they need a hoof up. Knowing how much you can give, and when giving will hurt the recipient, is part of true generosity. I had three choices: try to give you the clothes for free, charge you full price, or give you a bargain you'd be willing to take." She neatly snipped her thread, and knotted it in a blink. "Two of those choices would have left you walking away with nothing but your foolish pride." She threw a glare across the table. "I wasn't having any of that stupidity, not if I could help it."

"Haaaah." I rubbed my eyes; it seemed that the Elements had some of the strangest blind-spots. My hands wandered through my hair again and I remembered why I'd come over, before being distracted by small talk and tea. "Hey, Rarity, you wouldn't happen to know where I could get a decent mane-cut, do you? I need to get this shortened." I rubbed my chin again. I'd tried growing a beard, but my thin brown facial hair came in scraggly and looked awful no matter what I did. "And maybe buy a razor?"

As soon as I said mane-cut, her head snapped around, and her sewing accoutrements sailed back into storage. She folded her glasses and ran a comb through her hair. The sign on the door swung from 'open' to 'closed'.

"Um, Rarity? What are you-"

"Spaaaaaaaaa~!"

"-great."

"No. No! Nonononono, the clothes stay on. ON! Back, back!" I ducked behind the counter, weathering the spa ponies hurt stares.

"But sir, you can't go in the sauna like that!"

"You...you have a sauna?" I peaked over the top the counter. The spa attendants were a matched set, blue and pink mirrors of each other with matching cutie marks, something I'd never seen before.

"Wes, what's keeping you?" Rarity stuck her head back through the door.

"I just wanted a mane-cuuuuuut!" I wailed quietly. "Rarity, what are you doing to me?"

"Oh, come on, Wes. The spa is wonderful! What's the holdup?"

"He won't take off his clothes!" Blue-on-pink said in hurt tones.

"He yelled about it!" Pink-on-blue added, long-suffering.

Rarity glared at me. "Wes, I have no idea why you're being so unreasonable, but surely you don't need to be rude."

"Sorry," I mumbled and curled up into a ball, feeling rebellious and put-upon. "It's a human thing. We wear clothes all the time. I'm...shy. Anyways, I only want a trim! Maybe just in the back...really!"

"Nonsense, Wes, I invited you to the spa, and I really think you'll enjoy it. Stop being such a foal, and give it a try. What happened to the big scary human warrior?"

I grimaced. A sauna did sound nice. Wonderful, actually. I hadn't been really clean for...well, a year or so, it seemed. I washed, but I’d gotten out of the habit of bathing. I didn’t really fit pony showers or tubs. And I'd definitely sleep like a rock afterwards.

"...and a massage, and a hooficure, and..." Rarity prattled on about the delights of the spa, while I tried to think of a way out of this dilemma. Wait, did she just say massage? At the thought of a massage, I sat up. I was no snob, but I liked to think I could appreciate the finer things in life. And right now, that meant a sauna and a massage. I could almost feel my muscles melt.

"Um, do you have a towel?" I asked timidly. "Or maybe a robe?" Blue-on-pink smiled indulgently, and set a neatly-folded garment on the counter above my head.

"Of course, sir! You should have asked immediately."

"Aaaaaah." I sighed in pleasure, breathing hot steam as I poured another dipper of water on the rocks. I'd appropriated the bucket and shooed the spa ponies out, although they checked on us every few minutes. Fair enough; having a customer faint in the sauna would be bad. I ran my fingers through my hair again, reveling in how neat it was. It felt good. After so long, I hadn’t realized how much the mess bothered me. I could have cut it shorter myself, but it would have looked horrendous. Also, the 'crew-cut' was pretty pointless when none of your opponents have fingers.

The spa ponies, Lotus Blossom and Aloe, had been shocked by how short I wanted it but once convinced, they'd gone to work with a will. The massage had also been nice...although hooves couldn't hold a candle to fingers in my book. Now we were in the sauna, and I'd exchanged the robe for a towel tied securely around my waist.

"Too bad it's not winter," I said reflectively, relaxing against the warm boards and closing my eyes.

"Hmm? How come?" Rarity and I were the only two in the steam bath, and it was deliciously hot. I preferred it hotter and dryer, but I was starting to feel really sweaty, and loving every minute of it.

"Well, we used to do this back on Earth. But we would do it in the winter, near a lake. We'd cut a hole in the ice and when we got warm, we'd run outside and jump in the water. It's very shocking, very draining."

"I can imagine. I might like to try that." I cracked an eyelid at that; I'd never expected Rarity to be the adventurous sort, but it seemed that she had hidden depths. I shrugged.

"You do have fur." My eyes snapped open and I twitched away. Rarity was examining my light body-hair.

"Erm, yeah. A bit." I'd never really thought of it as 'fur'. I wasn't even that hairy compared to lots of guys. Whichever relative gave me a scruffy beard had left me patchy all over. "Um, Rarity..." She was staring at me, as if searching for something. "You're making me uncomfortable."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. It's just...when you said you were shy, I thought for sure you must have some sort of horrible scar, or something."

"Like this?" I smiled wryly and tapped the gem in the center of my chest. It flickered, casting an instant of purple-edged shadows in the cedar scented dimness.

"But dear, that hardly counts. You can barely tell there was a cut." I looked down; it was true. A slight star of pinkish skin surrounded it, but the gem had healed me as soon as it was grafted in. The scar seemed years old. "If I didn't know better, I'd think it was jewelry. Anyways, your skin changes color all over." Also true. I had a very uneven tan, starting at a light brownish on my hands, and working inwards to a tender pink.

"That's called tanning. The more sun I get, the darker I become." I waved at the lines from a sleeve. "See? My cuffs end here. If I get too much sun, my skin turns really pink and hurts. It's called sunburn. Sometimes it peels."

"Fascinating." Rarity really did seem absorbed in the idea that my skin changed color. "So, tell me the truth now; what is it about humans and clothes?"

"Um, feels like time to rinse off!" I hopped to me feet. "Eeeep!" I gave a very Fluttershy-like squeal, and stopped dead, grabbing for me towel. Rarity had pinned it down with a hoof, and I almost left it behind! I was glad I'd knotted it securely. "Ok, ok, fine." I sat back down, and rubbed sweat out of my eyes. "I'll tell you! But this isn't really a secret. Just sorta embarrassing."

I steeled myself. Once Rarity grabbed a hold of an idea, she wasn't one to let go easily. I'd have to tell her eventually, now that her curiosity was piqued. And although she could be a horrible gossip-generous with her words, if you were kind-she wasn't malicious or anything. It would be fine. Probably.

"The part about warmth and protection really is true. If I tried to spend a day in the Everfree naked, I'd be shredded by thorns and sun-burnt to a crisp. Being shy isn't wrong, either; I've worn clothes so long, going without them feels like...well, you might feel the same if you shaved your mane." She gasped slightly, and I knew I'd scored a hit there. "But there's a bit more to it, as well. Since most all humans wear clothes, it's also the very last step in human courtship...taking them off." Her eyes widened, and I saw she understood my meaning.

"So you mean...it seemed to you...Aloe, and Lotus?" Her jaw dropped, her pupils narrowed, and she waved her hooves vaguely in the air. I nodded miserably. "Oh!" She gasped, and collapsed into giggles.

"Basically." I deadpanned as she calmed down, sending her off into another fit. The door opened, letting in a draft of chill air; I shot a reproachful glance at blue-on-pink, possibly Aloe. She offered me a tall glass of iced tea as condolences. I took it gratefully and set one by Rarity for when she calmed down.

"So," I asked the spa-pony. "Any idea where I could buy a razor?"

I strolled calmly down the lane to my new house. It had taken me nearly seven hours to make it here from the library, but I'd spent every minute well. I was clean, and wearing clean clothes. I was shaved. I had a haircut. I thought of the razor tucked into my pocket, and smiled.

Things are looking up! I thought, as I opened my new house's new door, planning to unpack and take a good long nap.

"SURPRISE!!"

Well, buck.

“Um...hi.” I stood in front of a crowd of grinning ponies. I smiled weakly. Apparently the Pink Party Pony had taken advantage of my distraction to accelerate her plans. Did you know about this, Rarity? Somehow, Pinkie had squeezed what seemed like most of the population of Ponyville into my uncomfortably small living room slash kitchen.

My eyes swept the room. Colorful streamers hung from the walls and ceiling. Balloons festooned random pieces of furniture. An improbably large cake balanced on my tiny table, and a similarly proportioned pile of presents was heaped to one side.

“Ok, he’s here!” Pinkie bounced to the front of the crowd and let off a popper with a bang, confetti fluttering around her head. “Let’s get this party started!”

Just like that, the whole confusing scenario broke down into herds, lumps, and clots of milling ponies. I took advantage of the confusion to stow my pack in my bedroom.

The party quickly spilled out onto the lawn; my house was about the size of a postage stamp, but it was right on the edge of the town, and there was plenty of green space for mingling. Pinkie flitted through the crowd until I stepped out. As soon as she spotted me, she glued herself to my side and did her absolute best to make sure I was enjoying the party.

The cake, presents, games, and even a lot of the decorations, followed us out of the house. It was a beautiful evening, with a clear sky and air still warm from the summer sun. I was spun past a dizzying blur of names and faces, some of which I even remembered. Pony names were a bit easier for me to recall than human ones, honestly. The variety of colors really helped.

After that, the cake was cut. It was amazing. The standard from Pinkie, I was coming to realize. There were other snacks too, although some of them were a bit...odd, to my palate. Hay fries? What is a hay fry even supposed to be? I filled my stomach regardless. Some of it was great, some was merely OK, but I enjoyed it all.

Presents trickled in through the evening. I didn’t get anything really shocking. More food than I could eat, as a start. Most ponies gave me a token for the fire; I got dried flowers, scraps of poetry or well-wishes, bits of wood from odd or significant places, recipes, and even a small bottle of what smelled like alcohol.

“This...is fun,” I said, surprising myself.

“Of course, silly!” Pinkie laughed, and bounced extra-high next to me. “It’s your party! It wouldn’t be very good if it wasn’t fun!”

“No, it’s just…” I paused as we passed the impromptu buffet, and I snagged a glass of...carrot juice? Odd, but tasty. “I didn’t actually expect it to be this much fun. I think I can honestly say that this is one of the nicest parties I’ve ever been to, and probably the best ever thrown for me.”

“Really?!”

“Really.” I stepped back; Pinkie’s bouncing had increased in speed. “I mean, I’ve never been much for crowds, and meeting new people isn’t exactly what I’d consider a good time, but you’ve really made this enjoyable for me. You literally know everypony, and somehow, it’s always interesting to listen to your introductions. Seriously, thanks for this.”

“Aww, you’re welcome!” I flinched as she bounced up and flung her forelegs around my neck. “That’s probably the nicest thanks I’ve ever gotten for a party!” She mumbled in my ear. Just hug the ponies…. I repeated to myself, as I gingerly returned her embrace. Sometimes it helps.

“I bet you say that to everypony.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s not true! Oh!” She zipped off into the crowd again. She must have seen a newcomer.

Sure enough, she returned moments later with a mint-green unicorn with sun-yellow eyes and a golden...instrument of some sort as a cutie mark. Maybe a harp? She was wearing a black silk top-hat for some reason.

“Wes, this is Lyra! She’s a musician and an equuologist, with her friend Bon-Bon! She’s been living here for a few years; she moved here from Canterlot. Lyra, this is Wes, he’s-”

I froze, absolutely petrified as chilling waves of menace rolled off Lyra.

I’d told Rainbow that I’d been training my fear. That was strictly true. I’d been skeptical when Splinter told me about the idea at first; it sounded like magic, or something from Dragonball. But the technique had proven itself to me many times.

He explained that we perceive our surroundings using all our senses, and our brains process things much faster than we realize. Conscious thought, what we focus our attention on, is only part of the data that we are constantly consuming and digesting. I’d discovered through fighting that my feelings and intuition could be shockingly accurate, and so I’d trained myself to heighten them and watch them.

That was one part of why I twitched whenever someone invaded my personal space; it tended to confuse my finely-tuned instincts. Feeding your fear was double-edged; my high strung intuition could lock me up if I found myself up against something out of my league. Literally, paralyzed with fear. Most wouldn’t think Lyra dangerous, but my senses were screaming at me to freeze, hide, melt into the ground, to be absolutely non-threatening. I’d never had this much killing intent thrown my way before. Not even Sombra had seemed this serious about hurting me.

My stare was locked on her golden eyes. I dropped my paper cup. It bounced emptily. I was barely cognizant of Pinkie’s continued introduction.

This pony was dangerous.

I tried to draw a breath, willing myself calm. My eyes flicked across her. She wasn’t obviously threatening, but...a tendon stood out in that leg. Slowly shifting weight betrayed a readiness to strike. Her breathing was tuned to mine. It was the culmination of a hundred small things. I knew for certain that if I attacked, I’d be crushed.

Pinkie gasped somewhere in the distance, as I felt my lips curl back in a savage smile. I winced internally. I’d acted without thinking, but now I couldn’t back down. I prepared for violence and released my own savagery, muscles tensing, weight shifting slowly to the balls of my feet. If I was attacked, I wouldn’t go quietly.

Suddenly, Lyra relaxed imperceptibly and the pressure was gone. My stance crumbled as I shook slightly from the rush of adrenaline, but the unicorn in front of me seemed absolutely ordinary and harmless now. She smiled cheekily, and winked at me from under the brim of her top hat.

“It’s nice to meet you, Wes! You’re just as talented as I’ve heard; I’m very impressed. I’d like to get to know you more later.” She nodded goodbye, and trotted off.

I drew in a shaky breath. Holy crow that was intense. I calmed slowly, bending to pick up my cup and forcing my savagery back.

“Wes, are you OK?” I looked up. Rainbow hovered in front of me, her eyes mere inches from my face. I jerked away; her eyes widened as I flowed backwards, falling into a fighting stance for an instant.

“Don’t do that!” I snapped, relaxing.

“Wow, something really did rattle you.” She floated to the ground, and gave Pinkie a re-assuring wave. “He’ll be fine, Pinks. Let me talk to him for a bit, and I’ll get him sorted.” Pinkie nodded, and bounced off into the crowd. “So, Wes, what was that about?”

“Um…” I rubbed my chin, realized I didn’t have stubble anymore, and dropped my hand lamely. “What did Pinkie say?”

“She said she was introducing you to somepony and you both sorta froze up, then you got, and I quote, ‘super-duper scary looking’. And now I find you raring for a fight? What are you thinking?”

“Do...do you know a green unicorn named Lyra?”

“Yeah?”

“She’s deadly.”

“What?”

“No, for real! She stared me down, and I locked up. I was absolutely sure she meant to harm me. She’s got something serious going on.”

“Hmm.” Rainbow rubbed her forelock absently.

“What do you know?”

“Not much. I mean, it’s obvious she has some martial training; anyone who knows what to look for could tell you that. But she’s been living here for a few years, and she’s always been sweet and polite to everyone. Never even been in a fight as far as I can tell.”

“That’s the thing; she didn’t attack me, either. Just...menaced me, and then said something about me being talented and left. Oh, and she wants to talk later or something.”

“Huh. But she didn’t do anything?”

“No. Though it would be silly to try anything in this crowd.”

“Well, sure. But she’s given up any element of surprise. If she did mean you harm, and is as dangerous as you say-”

“She is.”

“-then she could have hurt you at any time before this, or after this, and you’d never have stood a chance. You know what I think?”

“Yeah?”

“I think she was level with you. She was testing you somehow, and honestly wants to talk to you. You’ve mentioned your instincts before. Maybe she has something similar, and wanted to see your response?”

“That...hmm.” The idea that was just a test was a little scary. I didn’t like being measured so easily. I’d just been stretched to the breaking point. If Lyra could do that casually, she was impressive both in ability and for pulling it off in a crowd while avoiding notice. I shook my head slowly; I was starting to accept Rainbow’s explanation, but I didn’t like it much.

Was I really that much of an amateur? I couldn’t hold a candle to Captain Shining, and most of the veteran Guard were above me, but to be so overmatched by...by a random passerby in this tiny little town? I was a little miffed. I’d thought I was doing pretty good, for a non-magical being.

On the other hand, I knew from Splinter the extent I’d trained my instincts wasn’t a level a casual fighter could reach. It took years of serious training, or hundreds of life-or-death fights, to reach the point I was at. If Rainbow had been standing next to me she might have felt something, but it wouldn’t have made nearly the impact. Maybe Lyra really did just want to see my reaction and send a message.

“She’s lived here for years?”

“Yup.”

“Sweetness and light to everypony?”

“Yup.”

“Not a changeling?”

“Hah. No, the wards are functioning, or we’d hear the alarms.”

“Dang.” I rubbed my eyes. “Fine. I don’t know what her game is, but you’re right. All in all, she didn’t hurt me. No more damage than a nasty prank.” I yawned, stretched, and walked away from the party.

The sun had gone down and lanterns had been lit, hung in strings from branches and eaves, leaving the whole gathering a dappling of dim lamplight under the cool moon. I was exhausted; first the spa, and then the party, and now random challenges from unknown combatants. I really needed a nap.

“Where are you going?” Rainbow flitted beside me.

“I’m going to find a quiet place and take a nap.”

“But what about the party? Pinkie?”

“It’s my party, I can sleep if I want to,” I smirked, and after a few minutes walk, found a comfy-looking spot under a pine tree in a park. The needles were soft, it smelled nice, and the air was warm. Rainbow turned back as soon as I made my intentions perfectly clear. I pillowed my head on my arms, and gazed up at the stars through the knobbly branches.

What a day. I closed my eyes.

When I re-opened them, the tree was gone.

“Woah.” I sat up, rubbing my eyes. “Oh, I’m dreaming.” I caught a glimpse of movement in the corner of my eye, and turned to find I had a visitor. “Good evening, Your Highness.” Princess Luna flicked a midnight ear in acknowledgement. “Any particular reason for this visit?”

“Thou-ahem, you were going to have a nightmare. I thought you might appreciate a little assistance.”

“Thank you.” I glanced around, and lay back down. We were in the middle of a grassy field, with a soft, sweet-smelling wind sighing around us. It was night here as well, but the stars were even thicker and more beautiful. “Do you actually rearrange the stars?” I’d been curious since I learned of her domain.

“No. Well, it might appear that way.” Although we spoke softly, the quiet air carried our words clearly. “The stars themselves are far beyond my purview. However, on occasion I have bent the light that comes from them, seemingly moving them to another part of the sky. It isn’t something I make a habit of, and it is not permanent. Why?”

“Oh, mostly curiosity. Partly, though, somepony mentioned that it might be possible that I was transported from a different planet, instead of a different world. I thought that, if you moved the stars...well, maybe you could say.”

“No. Not even I have that sort of power. But, I can not say it is impossible.”

“Mmm.” I plucked a stem of grass, and chewed thoughtfully. “No moon here?”

“No.” Her voice was quiet, and I left it at that.

“Is this your dream?”

“Yes. I pulled you from your own, as it started to...deteriorate. Are your dreams getting worse?”

“Actually, I think they’re getting better. I should really start journaling them. I bet Twilight would be interested, at least. Hey, I was wondering; your speech is much less formal.”

“Yes. I have been attempting to align my speech with the current mode. It is simple enough, but takes more concentration than seems warranted.”

“I know how that goes. I tried learning another language once, and man! Not easy.” We were silent for another minute.

“Wes, what are your plans?” I opened my eyes. I’d been enjoying the feeling of complete relaxation. It’s not often you get to dream of watching yourself sleep.

“Not sure.” I yawned. “I mean, I don’t have any specific plans. I’ve secured a place to stay, and I have something like a job, although it’s not a steady income. I think I can make ends meet. Pinky even threw me a party.”

“I know.” Luna’s voice was laced with mirth. “I was given an invitation.”

“Oh really?” Heh, Pinkie. Um...short term, can’t say. Long term…? Well...I’d like to go home.” I stood, stretched, and ran my fingers through my hair. I frowned, and concentrated. It crawled and re-formed itself into my new haircut. Luna smiled at that.

“I do like it here, but don’t really think I belong. I know,” I held up a hand to forestall her, “if I wanted to, I’m sure I could make it my home.”

I paced back and forth a bit, reveling in the feeling of cool grass on bare feet. “When Princess Celestia first mentioned returning to my world, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I’d never understood that figure of speech. I don’t know if she told you, but I broke down...cried like a foal.” I sighed.

“See, I’d given up on it. When the option was...returned, I couldn’t help but grasp at it. Then, I’d have liked nothing more. Now I’ve had time to think...I can’t say I’ve come up with a better answer. But...home.” I stared at the sky, trying to sort my jumbled thoughts.

“I used to stargaze back on Earth. Do you mind?” I waved at the sky. She shook her head mutely. I snapped my fingers and the sky flashed, Equestria’s foreign constellations dissolving into the familiar ones of Earth.

“Home.” I said again. “Look. There’s the Big Dipper.” I traced it with a finger, and glowing lines illuminated it briefly. “If you follow the last two stars of the cup, you can find Polaris. In my sky, it’s a fixed point, consistent; head towards the Pole Star, and you’re going north.” I studied it for a second, and flopped down on the grass. As I stopped concentrating the sky blurred, thousands of memories of different starscapes smearing the sky into an indecipherable smudge.

“Sorry. You can have it back. My feelings are complicated. For now, I’m going to focus on returning...home. I don’t know what it’ll take, but I need a long-term goal. A guide star. My life has changed drastically in the past few weeks. Most has been good. Despite - or because of - that, if I don’t have something to focus on, something to work towards, I feel like I’m drifting.”

“I know your feelings, I think.” I glanced at her. Her eyes were downcast, though the constellations had re-formed. “I once felt myself drifting, lost of purpose. It can be distinctly unpleasant.” Her huge eyes locked onto mine. “How are you dealing with...the rest?”

“It’s hard to say.” I scratched my head. “The dreams do seem to be receding. I think what we did, cleaning out the nest, gave me a little closure. But I still have hurts, maybe. I’m was no expert on human mental health before this.” I shrugged.

“I’ve heard of people who’ve had worse problems. I don’t think I’ve ended up with split-personality disorder or anything like that. I don’t know the symptoms or the treatment for post-traumatic stress. I...I think I’m OK? At least for now.” My mind flickered back to the poetry I’d been trying to recall for Twilight.

“I’m not afraid of moving forward, though. At least half an experience is what you make of it, and for now I feel strong enough to do my best and work with my friends to make things better. Although life has it’s ups and downs, hope can always be found if you look. There’s a bit of a poem I always liked…

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;

I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.

Sometimes life sucks. But that doesn’t mean we should give up on it.” I sat quiet for a second. “Sorry. I kinda went off on a tangent.” Luna shook her head gently.

“Think it nothing. Your sharing is appreciated; even a Princess can use encouragement sometimes.”

We rested. The wind sighed. The grass rustled.

“Would you…” Luna started slowly, and glanced away when I turned to her. “Would you be willing to show me more of the constellations from...Earth?” She asked quietly. The sky swam, and re-constructed itself into the scene I’d showed her earlier.

“Sure.” I pointed upwards, at a sharp vee of stars. “Look, that’s the horns of Taurus, the bull…”

I pried my eyes open and sat up. I was a little stiff from sleeping on the ground and little chilly from the night air. I’d spent what seemed like several hours with Princess Luna, though she assured me it was much less.

I stood and stretched, remarkably refreshed. She’d sent me back, saying that to miss the first fire for my own home would be rude to my guests and friends. I yawned and started back.

“-and then write on his face!” Rainbow exclaimed, as I approached the Elements. They formed a small arc near the punch bowl.

“Rainbow, we are not pranking Wesley at his first party here!” Rarity retorted. “Anyways, if you tried to do all that-”

“Um, girls?” Fluttershy tried to interject while I paced quietly up behind the others.

“-you would probably set yourself on fire. Not to mention the rest of us.”

“Oh yeah?” The chromatic wonder retorted. “Just you watch, I’d-”

“Girls, see, the thing is-”

“-be fine! And even if I wasn’t, it’s not like-”

“Wes is sneaking up behind you right now, and-”

“BOO!” I yelled. Fluttershy sighed as the other five shrieked and tied themselves into a whimpering pastel knot. I nearly fell over laughing.

“Yeah, Rainbow?” I gasped, between breaths. “Who’s going to prank who?”

“Oh...oh!” She growled, as they untangled themselves. “Now you’ve started it, buster! You have no idea what you’re in for! I’m going to-”

“You’re back!” Pinkie interrupted. “Now we can start the fire!” Rainbow muttered dire imprecations as the party planner led us away.

Tinder and logs were laid in a fire-ring, cut neatly into the grass and circled with bricks. The basket of flammables, which had been filling throughout the night, sat near. I took the striker from Pinkie and sent a shower of sparks into the pit.

A curl of smoke ascended from the tinder and I breathed on it softly, coaxing the tiny coals into flame. Within moments, tongues of fire licked up the logs, illuminating our surroundings and warming us gently. I picked something randomly from the gifts and fed it into the conflagration.

Soon the basket was empty, and a small haze of sweet smelling smoke drifted around us. I fumbled in my pocket and pulled out the paper I’d prepared earlier.

“What’s yours?” Twilight asked as I unfolded it, showing a crude drawing.

“A .” I said. “I don’t know the Equestrian word. They’re a symbol of hospitality in my world. I thought, well, I don’t want to ever be short of visitors.” As I flattened the paper, another piece fell free. I picked it up with a frown. It was small and dark blue, with a silver crescent inlaid. Ah. I thought. From Luna. I fed it into the fire with my own.

“Look!” Applejack pointed. The dark paper had given off a wisp of glowing blue smoke, which didn’t drift in the wind; instead, it floated into the sky. A few stars glittered and drifted slightly, forming a familiar pattern.

“Heh. Heh hahhaha!” The others looked curiously as I laughed, staring up at the Big Dipper, transplanted into the Equestrian the sky. For a while it seemed, I’d have my guiding star.

23 - Mail

Mail

Knock-Knock-Knock

“Coming!” I called. I rolled off my makeshift bed and rubbed my eyes. A sunbeam marked halfway across the floor; I’d slept in. I grimaced a bit, but I’d expected that. I didn’t exactly get to bed early last night. At least I’d slept like a rock.

I stumbled to the door in my pyjamas, and swung it open with a yawn.

“Yes?”

“Delivery for a Wesly Kilmer?” I rubbed my eyes again, and peered down into the face of a slightly goofy-looking gray pegasus. I accepted the clipboard, and signed with a flourish.

“How does this thing work?” I asked, inspecting the tip of the stylus I’d been passed.

“Ink in the paper, I think?” The mailmare replied, pausing to tear off a receipt.

“You’re...Derpy, right?” I asked, watching curiously as the pile of mail slowly grew.

“Mhmm.”

“That seems different from most the names I’ve heard.”

“It’s a type of flower.” She laid one last package on top of the pile, and smiled at me. “That’s all, sir! Have a nice day!”

“Thanks. You too.” I gathered up my mail, and stepped back inside. Hmm. First day at my new adress, and it was already getting use. I wished for a decent chair, sat on the floor, and started in on them.

“Confirming the homestead application for Mr. Wesley Kilmer…”

Government paperwork.

“Change of address confirmation for…”

Same.

“Apologies for not attending your Hearths-warming…”

Hmm, a belated gift. I’d have to ask Twilight what was appropriate.

“Ten percent off! Fifteen percent off! TWENTY PERCENT OFF…”

Spam? Pony spam? The day after moving in...oh wait, this is for sofas. I could actually use one of those.

I paused at the next, curious as soon as I touched it. I could feel the quality of the paper immediately; the envelope was heavier, and much smoother. It was sealed with a delicate piece of foil, intricately embossed and attached firmly to the paper.

Is that real gold leaf? I carefully tore it open, and slid out a very official-looking document.

“You have been granted an audience with Her Royal Majesty, Princess Celestia, Guardian of...yadda yadda, titles, names...Ah. Day before the summer sun celebration, Golden Oaks Library? Huh. What have I done to merit a Royal Edict?” I flipped the decree over, wondering what this was about; on the back, delicate script caught my eye.

Dear Wes

Sorry to surprise you with this, but I have no time to visit, much as I’d have liked to attend your Hearths-warming.

Your homestead application has been unconditionally approved. However, since you’re living here, I’d like you to be a citizen of Equestria. For various reasons, I think the best way to accomplish this is to swear you in as an auxiliary guard.

This will formally naturalize you, and open a few other opportunities. Captain Shining has agreed, so unless you refuse, we will have a minimal ceremony next time I’m in Ponyville.

Hugs and cake,

Celestia.

I blinked stupidly at the letter for a few seconds before shrugging and adding a few questions about Equestrian law to my mental list for Twilight. I started a pile of ‘important mail’, next to the piles of ‘spam’ and ‘save for later’, and wished for my file-box, or at least a three-ring-binder.

I wonder if I can get those here? I mused for a moment over the intricacies of fabricating office products before coming to myself and picking up the next package, a wooden crate about the size of a banana box. I prized the lid off with the point of my knife, revealing a canvas-wrapped bundle and a piece of stationery.

Mr. Wesley Kilmer

As part of the survey concerning the captured changeling fort, a team scanned for symmetrical non-organic objects in hopes of discovering your arrival point. They were much surprised by their findings, and after examining them, I am returning what they found to you, as the rightful owner. Unfortunately, much of what was discovered was ruined by exposure, but a few interesting artifacts have survived.

If you would be willing, a few ponies have expressed curiosity over the nature of these things; apparently, specimen three is ordered on such a basic level it overloaded the locating spell several times, while specimen five is obviously utilitarian, but made of exceedingly rare metal.

I am exceedingly curious about the science that makes these possible.

I must sorrowfully inform you that although extensive scanning of the area was performed, no discernible traces of magic have remained; as of yet, we are unable to progress towards returning you to your home, or even conjecture if your transportation was by intentional magic.

May the stars guide you;

Princess of the Dark Throne,

Sovereign of the Night,

Luna.

My stuff? I thought excitedly, standing and carefully lifting out the bundle. I hoisted the bundle onto the table, untied it, and began examining what I’d recovered, laying the ‘specimens’ out one at a time.

Number one was a small bundle of fiberglass poles, and sun bleached shreds of nylon. All that remained of my tent.

Number two was my stainless teakettle.

Number three was my digital watch, although missing the strap. I grinned at that. I’d taken it off for the weekend, and the battery was good for years.

Number four was my set of stainless silverware.

Number five was my cast-aluminum dutch oven. Rare metal? I’d have to ask about that.

Number six was my metal water bottle.

I sighed as I lifted the last piece out of the bundle; apparently, the changelings had destroyed my backpack and the contents after all. Still, this was miles better than nothing. I wondered for a second about my sleeping bag, but it was probably ruined; although warm, it hadn’t been expensive.

There were a few more letters, but nothing really interesting. A few belated gifts; one was just a paper cut-out. I tidied my piles, and moved them to the counter.

“Achooo!” I wiped my nose, and looked around. Maybe it was dustier in here than I’d thought. I added ‘broom’ to my shopping list, and got ready to head into town.

“I’ll take this one.” I scanned the runic entropy pump attached to back, grasping at Twilight’s knowledge to confirm my first impression; this fridge was solidly made.

“But this fridge-” The salespony pointed to a larger, and rather more expensive, cooler.

“Too big.”

“Or maybe this-” One with two doors. Also, more expensive.

“Nope. I want this one.”

The salespony seemed a little chagrined to be shot down without being able to even make a decent pitch, but when I pulled out my purse, he cheered up again.

“Can you have it delivered?”

“Of course!” I sighed in relief.

“Sweet.” I gave him my address. So far, I was just about done shopping and my purse was getting rather flat. I’d have been worried about eating for the next week or so, but I’d been gifted a surprising amount of food. Hopefully rent wouldn’t be a problem; I’d budgeted pretty closely.

"Achoo!" I sneezed as discretely as I could, and thanked the sales clerk.

"Cold?" He asked, passing me a receipt. "You should get something for that." I wiped my nose. It was starting to feel like either a cold or allergies.

"Any suggestions on clearing my sinuses?"

"I swear by the cough drops at the store around the corner." He pointed to the left. "It's called Sweet Drops. Can't miss it."

"Ok. Thanks." I tucked the receipt into a pocket, and stepped out the door. Maybe I could get a free sample or something. Maybe they cost less than two bits. No harm in asking.

Sweet Drops was right where he’d said. I turned the corner and discovered a two-story brown building, done in the vaguely European style most of Ponyville used. The name was painted on the wide glass window which stretched across the front, displaying a dizzying assortment of candies, sweets, and confections. An ‘open’ sign, neatly lettered in vaguely antique-looking calligraphy, hung in the door. I pushed it open and stepped through, smiling at the gentle chimes which announced me.

“Just a moment,” a pleasant voice called from the back. I took the opportunity to glance around, suddenly feeling like a kid again.

The store was crowded. Almost every square foot of floor was covered with racks, barrels, shelves, baskets, stands, tables, bottles, bags, and boxes of candy. I saw gumdrops, lollipops, lemon drops, jawbreakers, peppermints, and, mmmm, chocolate.

There were plenty of things that I’d been surprised to find in Ponyville. Coffee, for instance. Oranges. Here was another. I don’t know when or where chocolate had been introduced to Western culture on Earth...maybe Marco Polo? Was there a pony Marco Polo? It must have come a long ways. Regardless, it was one of my favorite flavors. White, dark, milk; I wasn’t picky.

I drifted over towards the display, feeling my purse. It seemed that what ponies did, they did to perfection. I imagined the difference between box cake and Pinkie’s cake, and tried to apply that to chocolate. The difference between a two-dollar Hersheys bar, and Swiss confectionery? Would these be even better than that? Maybe if I ate nothing but apples and foraged in the woods this week, I could-

“Oh, you came!”

I spun, thoughts of chocolate fleeing. I fell into a defensive stance on hearing the voice of my mysterious assailant; Lyra, the mint-green unicorn. She had come through the door from the back of the shop, and I hadn’t noticed her.

“I wasn’t sure if I’d laid it on too thick! I thought maybe I’d scared you, but if you’re here then-” I ignored her outburst; she excitedly started bouncing in place, talking the whole time.

“Lyra, are you bothering the customers again?” A cream-colored earth pony with a distinctive blue and pink mane stepped out of the back room, cutting her off. The newcomer was wearing a smudged white apron and carrying a ladle covered in something dark, which she carelessly laid on the counter. She glanced at my trapped expression, and gently pushed Lyra back through the door. “You stir the fudge, dear. I’ll help him.”

“But Bon-Bon-”

“But no, Lyra. Look, he’s obviously uncomfortable with your chatter.”

“You’re not the boss of me! I need to talk to him about-”

“No, see, I actually am; I write you a check each month and everything. Go on now.” She shooed Lyra again, and the green unicorn turned sulkily away. I relaxed slightly as she slouched back into the kitchen.

“Sorry about that. Lyra can be very enthusiastic at times, but she means well. I’m Bon-bon, and you’re...Wesley, right? I didn’t see you the other night; your friends said you’d gone off for a break from the noise.”

I sighed slightly and straightened.

“Yeah. I’m Wesley, but please call me Wes; everyone does. Sorry for not greeting you at the party. I was feeling a little...overwhelmed.”

“Heh, I understand.” She brushed her apron with one hoof, creating several new smears, and stepped up behind the counter. “Think nothing of it. Now, what are you here for? Can I get you something?”

“Um…” I cast a longing eye back at the chocolates. “I was told that you sell cough drops here. How much?”

She turned to the shelf behind her, and flipped a small brown-paper bundle onto the table.

“My special menthol blend. One bit, two dozen.” I dug out the coin, and it clinked on the counter. I paused for a second.

“Well...to be honest, I probably should talk to Lyra. She said something...odd... at my hearth-warming and sorta invited me to visit her. She’s probably excited because she thinks that’s why I’m here. But, um, maybe outside?” I glanced around the shop again. I was probably over-reacting, but I wanted to be able to run if I felt like it. Bon-bon gave me a curious look, but nodded.

“There’s a bench in the circle just down the road. If you want, I’ll ask her to meet you there.”

“Thanks.” I glanced at the chocolates again. “Just out of curiosity...do you give free samples?”

24 - Faceoff

Faceoff

“Twilight, why are you sneaking up on me?” I threw an arm over the back of the park bench I was lounging on, and peered over my shoulder at the purple mare, who had a slightly guilty look on her face.

“Um…”

“No, wait. Rainbow put you up to it, right? I bet she said something like ‘Hey, betcha can’t tap Wes on the shoulder’. Is she still mad at me for scaring her?”

“...um.” Twilight coughed sheepishly, and glanced innocently at the flowers planted artistically around the small garden circle.

“Rainbow!” I called.

“Dang it Wes, how do you do that?” Rainbow swooped in, alighting nearby.

“I told you; I listen to my instincts. Well, and I miiiiight be a bit more keyed up than usual, since I’m waiting for-oh, and here she is.”

I pointed down the road. The door to Sweet Drops opened and Lyra stepped through, carrying a paper bag. We stared unabashedly at her approach.

“Um, hi.” She glanced nervously at Twilight and Rainbow. “Bon-bon sent these.” She tossed me the bag and I snagged it, carefully keeping my line-of-sight clear. I grinned unconsciously; Bon-bon sent fudge! “I, uh…” Her voice trailed off, and she coughed once. “I think we may have gotten off on the wrong hoof, Wes.”

“Maybe.” I stared coolly through her; I wouldn't make this easier for her. “What do you mean to say?”

“Well, see-”

“Aw, cut her some slack.” Rainbow interjected. “Listen, Lyra, he’s OK. You just rattled him, and he’s a little sore. Come on, Wes, don’t hold it against her.”

I sighed and relaxed a little. Rainbow’s plea made acting martyred seem about as petty as it really was.

“Fine.” I nodded to Lyra. “Fine, Rainbow, I get it. Listen, Lyra; she’s not wrong. You scared me half to death, and it’s making me a little...wary of you, but If you say you’re here in good faith, I’ll take your word for it.”

Lyra nodded fervently, a grin spreading across her face.

“You have my word! Sorry for scaring you like that; I didn’t know you’d take it so hard, you’re much harder to read than a pony! I just wanted to say hi, and to gauge you, and, well, maybe let you know that there are other ones of us here in Ponyville! I thought that-”

“Wait, wait. Other ones of...us? What do you mean?”

“Martial artists! I mean, serious ones. No offense, Rainbow."

“Nah, it’s cool. My job is weather; I don't practice, really.”

“But-” I started, then stopped, mouth hanging open. “Huh. I guess I am. I never really thought of myself like that, but I am a serious martial artist.”

“Serious, and seriously talented! I haven’t seen anypony who can read the atmosphere like you for a long while! How long have you been training for? Do you follow some tradition from your homeland? I have some questions about that, actually, if you don't mind!”

“Um.” I rubbed my forehead. After actually meeting Lyra, she seemed much less menacing. She was...bubbly. And silly. Overenthusiastic. Adding those qualities to ‘dangerous’ made her much more approachable. “First, at my party, you said you'd heard about me. Who from?”

“A pony in the guard.” She stopped, obviously uncomfortable with our stares. “Aw, come on! That’s all I can say; I might not be on the scene right now, but I can’t go around revealing Underground names. He's called Halfbrick on the scene, if that helps.”

“What is she talking about?” I asked Rainbow, who’d was nodding.

“The Canterlot Underground. It's...an illegal fighting club? An outlaw group? Twilight, can you explain it?”

“It’s...well, actually, it’s not illegal.”

“Really?” Both Lyra and Rainbow asked, surprised.

“Really. The law is...cleverly worded. As long as they’re discreet, and keep things under control, they’re clear. The whole thing is secretly designed to perpetuate unicorn martial traditions. Dueling and and civilian demonstration are prohibited, but as long as no-pony dies or reports them, they’re actually legit. It all hangs on some rather obscure records, which-”

“Right, right. Sorry, shouldn’t ask an egghead for clarification,” Rainbow cut back into the discussion. “Anyways, Wes, The Canterlot Underground is where all the strongest, coolest, and all-round most dangerous fighters can be found. Lyra, how high did you place?”

“Well,” Lyra preened slightly, “It’s poor manners to say yourself, but I was a pony of some distinction.”

“Really?” Twilight was intrigued now. “You actually made it that high?” Lyra grinned, obviously enjoying the attention.

“Higher than that.”

“No way!” Rainbow breathed. “You don’t mean?” Lyra nodded firmly.

“I placed in The Tournament.” Both my friends gasped slightly. “I’m not really supposed to do this, but...can you three keep a secret?” We nodded. "You might know me better as Harmonics."

"You're Harmonics?" Rainbow was truly flabbergasted, now.

"Huh?" I was becoming more and more confused by the jargon, and it was becoming annoying. I nudged Twilight, hoping for an explanation while Rainbow fan-mare'd for a bit."What's this tournament?"

"The Fighting is Magic tournament. It's the apex of the whole thing. Competing in it is the whole point of joining the Underground. It's a series of a dozen or less matches, and it's absolutely brutal." Twilight muttered to me. "There's no sign-up, or schedule, or anything; to be included, you need to be on the scene, and you need to be widely acknowledged. Even then, selection's pretty arbitrary."

"You need to be good."

"More than that; you need to be good AND lucky. She just told us her ring-name, which shows she trusts us. The Underground is kinda picky about keeping your identity a secret. It's sorta silly, actually."

"The first rule of the Underground is you don't talk about the Underground." I murmured. She snorted, but nodded.

"You came in second?" Rainbow squealed.

"Only second?" I said, turning back towards them. Rainbow shot me an incredulous look.

"You don't get it, Wes. Second is incredible; first is impossible. The top spot has been held by the same pony for years now. She runs the Underground, and sets the whole thing up; just being able to face her is a huge honor!"

"Really?" Twilight asked, suddenly interested. "Did you ever meet her?"

"Yeah!" Lyra said. "She's called Lahar, and-"

"Wait."Twilight cut in, obviously shocked. "Huge earth pony, steel blue, ash mane, marked with a flaming gavel? That Lahar?"

"It's a gavel?" Lyra asked. "That makes much more sense! But wait-how do you know her?"

"Well, that's...um, not really my story to tell."Twilight stammered, shaking her head. "Sorry." Both Rainbow and Lyra looked disappointed, but dropped it.

"Anyways, Wes, we should fight sometime!" Lyra exclaimed, bouncing slightly.

"No."

"Aw, come on, Wes!" Rainbow said. "It would be really cool to watch! Don't be a fraidy-cat!"

"It's not that I'm afraid, Rainbow. I'm certainly lose, but that's not the point. Fighting isn't a sport for me. I don't do it for fun. I don't particularly like it, and I don't really think this sort of thing is really a good idea."

"Cuz of that?" Rainbow asked. I nodded.

"Hmm?" Lyra glanced back and forth between us.

"He's a bit of a...berserker."

"That's what Halfbrick said." Lyra fixed me with a stare. "He was at the changeling assault. He said you went feral in the courtyard, and nearly got yourself killed." I nodded somberly, thinking on my fight with Gash. I'd been stupidly reckless. "A berserker. You're afraid." She studied me for a second. "Of...yourself?" I hesitated, but nodded. Lyra chewed on the corner of her lip for a second. "You didn't learn to fight conventionally, did you." I shook my head. She lowered her eyes in thought. "Please, fight me!" She said finally, looking up. Rainbow shot me a pleading look. I even caught a sparkle of interest in Twilight's eye.

"Fine." I rubbed my eyes. "I don't really like getting drubbed, but I'll indulge your curiosity. As long as you're confident you can keep us from getting hurt."

"No fear," She chirped. "I'll take you seriously."

"Good. Ok." I pushed down my apprehension, and stood. "Where are we doing this?"

"Hey, this is pretty cool." Rainbow glanced around the clearing I'd begun hacking in the woods behind my house.

"Thanks." I was stretching, preparing for our bout. We'd decided my backyard was good enough as an arena. "Eventually, I plan to cultivate some of the plants I'm gathering. I think I'm far enough into the Everfree to get magical effects. I just hope it doesn't attract trouble."

"Hey, Wes..." Twilight murmured, as Rainbow left to check on Lyra's preparation.

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking...my magic has somewhat restored. Would you mind if I tried channeling a bit? I'd really like to observe your mindset...from the inside, as it were."

"Um. You want to try a soul-link? While I fight?"

"Yeah! We could get a better idea of what bothers you. I think we can link shallowly, just to observe." I frowned, but considered it. Honestly, I was curious. I'd thought Twilight would be adverse to experimenting because of her last experience, but this was her second time suggesting it. I snuck a sideways glance; she didn't seem apprehensive. Maybe curiosity outweighed stress? Maybe she was better at coping then me? Maybe I was overestimating the impact.

"That...could be pretty neat. But would Lyra notice? And would it be distracting?"

"I don't think Lyra would notice. It's low-profile magic. Not even a spell, really, and she isn't a very powerful unicorn." Twilight looked a little embarrassed at that. "Not to disparage her, but...yeah. As for distracting, I couldn't say. You're the one fighting."

"Hmm." I contemplated the idea a bit more. The last few times we'd done this, it had been in times of extreme stress, and it had sorta overtaken my perception of events. Even though I'd continued functioning, I hadn't been thinking much at the time, so it hadn't affected my thoughts. Although we'd survived by luck and instinct, we couldn't count on that; at some point, we needed to understand what was happening. If we could do that in a controlled way, we might even turn it into an advantage. As long as...

"This...is it dangerous? I mean, what would it do to our synchronicity?" She frowned thoughtfully at that.

"I think using the bond shallowly wouldn't effect us too badly. Mostly, the damage from previous incidents was caused by soul-burning, which is generally a bad idea, you know? By our current measurements, we're just over seven percent merged. Channeling certain magic patterns increases that, but as far as I can tell, it's only temporarily."

"Only temporary? No side effects? That's...suspiciously convenient. You know what they say; if it sounds too good to be true-"

"It probably is. I know." She frowned. "That's part of why I want more information on it. I can't but help thinking that we're missing something here."

I mused on that. She was right, we had to be missing something. Too good to be true didn't half cover it. We were working with half-improvised obscure spells, and extremely high-energy arcane constructs, hooked directly into intimate portions of our energy signatures. Messing with that, even a bit, should have disastrous consequences. What were the chances something like this would just...work? We really did need to know more, because it's the trap you don't see that kills you.

"Ok." I nodded agreement. "Give it a go before Lyra gets here, and let's see what it's like." Twilight nodded back, and closed her eyes. A nearly imperceptible glow pulsed along the length of her horn, and I gasped.

"Are you OK?" She asked, snapping her eyes open.

"Yeah, but..." I put a hand to my temple. "That feels weird." It was sorta-kinda like what we'd already experienced, but the scope was different. The sensation was nearly indescribable; like before, I sensed Twilight's presence clearly in my head, but this time the delineation between us was clear. It was like an eye opened in my brain, viewing a dimly lit room. I had an impression of her thoughts, a calm stream of calculation and logic, underpinned by stronger, slower currents of emotion and feeling.Concentrating, I caught glimpses of deeper thought-structures; the dark depths of subconscious thought gleaming incomprehensible for a fleeting second.

Before, the flow of thought and instinct had been furious and overwhelming, drawing us together on a deeper level than thought. This was much less immersive, but fascinating in it's own way. As I studied the phenomena the connection slowly widened, until Twilight firmed her concentration.

"Ooop!" She regulated the magic flow, and the window narrowed. "I'll need to watch the power level. This is fascinating, though! Do you always think like that?"

"Um...probably?" As I spoke, her impression of my thought process leaked across; a glimpse of ideas constantly scattering and gathering like birds, each contributing, but with multiple streams of thinking that fought for attention from my consciousness. In comparison to her orderly progression of thoughts, it seemed messy and confusing, though it felt normal to me.

"Woah!" Suddenly dizzy, I staggered. As I saw her view my thoughts, a feedback loop formed with a snap. It crumbled a second later, but I momentarily felt caught between mirrors, perception bouncing between us in a dizzying cycle of viewpoints.

"Sorry!" Twilight gasped, leaning against me in an attempt to offer support. "I think I've got that under control." My perception of her shifted slightly, as she adjusted the connection.

"As long as it doesn't come up during the match. That was distracting." We fell silent as Lyra and Rainbow approached.

"Ready?" Rainbow asked, with barely concealed excitement.

"Yup," I said.

"Sure!" Lyra exclaimed. Our audience stepped back to the edge of the circle. My clearing wasn't very large; nearly enough space for a small garden, fire pit, and pick-nick-table if I ever got around to building one. The win would be decided by loss of consciousness.

There was no ring, and surrender wasn't allowed.

I fell into a fighting stance, just as Lyra's menace washed over me like a wave. I felt Twilight recoil in my mind as the she experienced the brunt of trained killing intent for the first time through our link. I smirked slightly at that; I was anticipating questioning her on what this looked like.

I expected this fight to move in waves.

For some reason Lyra was seriously evaluating my fighting potential, which intrigued me. At first I'd thought of her as simply threatening and spiteful, but it slowly become clear this wasn't the case. She was a bit too invested for mere curiosity, as well. I was unsure of her reasons, but she was working towards a higher goal here, and though her intentions seemed good, I couldn't guess it yet.

But I was OK with that.

I wasn't a foolishly trusting person, but neither was I particularly suspicious. From what I'd seen and what my friends had said, Lyra seemed pretty decent. I was willing to follow her in this, even if it cost a beating. Maybe I'd learn something worthwhile. Maybe I'd make a friend. Either way, it cost nothing but a bit of dignity, and that didn't cost much.

What it boiled down to, though, was that Lyra was leading this fight. Though I was willing to follow, I wasn't very motivated. This whole thing was an extended test of some kind. Which meant that Lyra, trying to fully test my capabilities, would also be tested. Could push me far enough, but not too far? Would it be worth it?

This was the first wave; a mental face-off. Not so different from my party. This time, however, I took a different tack.

At the party, I'd instinctively raised my own fighting spirit, trying to overpower hers. It wasn't a bad response; in the same way a rattlesnake warns you, or a cat fluffs his tail, if your intimidated, responding in kind may be all that's needed to avoid a more serious confrontation. But if I did that here, I'd play into her hooves. If I tensed up, I'd instinctively respond to her first attack, and I already knew I couldn't match her in a fight.

But, there was another way to 'win' this fight. if I could keep her from drawing me out, I would maintain a certain control of the situation. She'd never test me fully, and she would fail-even as she thrashed me. It was a little underhanded, but I'd take what I could get.

So I went the other direction. I relaxed. I blanked my face and mind. I dropped my hands. I erased my presence thoroughly. I felt her menace, but didn't care; I was empty, void, vapor on the wind. By erasing my aggression, I reduced my chances of countering, but also shielded myself from being provoked into moving first.

I felt Twilight's sudden fascination with my mental state very clearly. A smidgen of amusement arose as she whipped out a notebook and started scribbling; Rainbow facehoofed, hard. I kept my attention on Lyra.

I forced her to move first. It wasn't too hard; I just waited. She started with a simple strike; easily read, easily dodged.

I retaliated with a flurry of kicks. If I had any chance of pulling a win out of this, it would be in the beginning, before she fully measured of my abilities. My hopes puffed into smoke as she ghosted around my blows.

"How's she doing that?" Twilight asked across our link as Lyra effortlessly evaded strike after strike.

"It's called shadow-stepping. Splinter used it. Watch her hooves; footwork is the basis of everything. Hush! You're distracting."

Twilight winced as a flying hoof snuck past my guard and clipped my hip. I leaped backwards, and we paused for a second. My breathing was starting to accelerate from the exertion, but I was feeling pretty good. Lyra grinned at me, also puffing slightly.

"No spells?"

"With my technique, It's a waste of magic. You're under control?"

"I don't like berserking; it dulls my edge." And that was true. I really didn't like losing myself in the fighting. I'd learned it to survive. The changelings had faced me with an odd mixture of immanent defeat and pointless repetition. The bugs had been fodder; barely competent fighters, but my reward for fighting and winning was another fight. It had been crushingly depressing, but if I didn't aquit myself well, the punishment could be literally excruciating. I'd taken refuge in rage. As long as I was angry, I didn't need to think; I just killed. The fact that it dulled my skills, making me reckless and overconfident hadn't been a problem.

Things were different now.

Lyra pressed in again. I barely slid past crushing blows, relying on half-seen cues to capture her movements. I thrilled with the exultation of success and tried to squash it, to regain my calm. I attacked again with kicks, trying to use the unusual movements to take her by surprise, but it was useless.

Fine. Let's kick things up a notch.

I relaxed my hold on my emotions, allowing my killing intent to rise. Lyra's stance responded instantly. My body language was more threatening, and she noticed. I pushed hard with a barrage of attacks, momentarily forcing her to defend. She gave ground for the first time and I leaped after, launching myself into a flying kick.

This broke a personal rule, which was: Feet ON the ground! I had never been flexible or fast enough to use acrobatics effectively.

However, I'd found that many ponies dealt very poorly with an fighter that jumped, instead of flying. And I trusted Lyra to not kill me, so, go big.

Surprised, she barely blocked. I exploited ruthlessly, dropping and attempting to sweep her legs before bouncing up and trying to flank, making full use of my bipedal stance for unconventional movements. I managed a solid body blow before she evaded, but just then I realized how badly I'd miscalculated.

She kicked it up a notch, as well.

I swear, she blurred. My fist thumped into her side, right about where her kidney should be, and she was just...gone. Twilight's astonishment mingled with mine, and then I was flying through the air, hurting. Waves of menace washed over me again and I was too near the edge of anger. I felt myself fall into familiar patterns. I committed myself to fighting. To winning at any cost. I gave up thinking, and committed myself to hurting. I twisted in midair, coming down with a sweeping spin that placed me just so; right where I needed to be to meet her advance.

Twilight seemed worried, but I didn't have time for her. Lyra's eyes were serious now, and my lips curled into a snarl. She ghosted towards me, using unfamiliar, unreadable footwork. She stepped past my strikes as if they weren't there, and she nearly, nearly broke my stance. Though I'd given up on controlling this fight, surrendering to desperation meant I would spend every last drop of myself for victory. I scraped up my reserves and braced myself, refusing to block, but twisting to absorb the blow. I took a solid hit, but surprised her. I saw her eyes widen, then widen further as my hands clamped onto her hoof. I played my last card.

Grappling.

Hands gave me a significant advantage with grappling. Horns and wings were trouble; unless I grasped from behind, every grapple I closed had ended poorly. But throws... Well. I stepped forward, pivoting both of us around the center of gravity, and flung her across the clearing. The look on her face was satisfying but she landed cleanly, barely avoiding a tree-trunk.

Her horn pulsed once, so dimly I wouldn't have noticed without the link. This time, she moved so fast I couldn't even see the step-in; she was suddenly hitting me. It felt like a freight-train, and I was out of options.

Almost out of options. Desperation drove me, and I scrabbled frantically at my sheath, but Twilight realized what I was trying for and our connection shattered like glass. Lyra hit me again.

Black.

I was lying on my back when I awoke. I knew I was alive, because I hurt like crazy.

"...yeah, he surprised me with that when we fought, too. You should play cards with us; he does the really cool shuffle. It's like, fwip-fwip-fwip." That was Rainbow.

"Maybe I will. I'd love to see him try playing a musical instrument." That was Lyra. Were they discussing my fingers?

"Are you sure he's going to be OK?" That was Twilight.

"I mostly sure. I still don't think friends should do this, but Lyra didn't hurt him permanently." That was...Fluttershy?

I pried my eyes open, and tried to sit up. Yup, that was Fluttershy. She was leaning over me, and placed a hoof on my shoulder to hold me down.

"Please hold still, Wesley," she murmured. "Lyra was horribly rough with you, and I want to make sure you'll recover." She shot the green unicorn what might have been a reproving glance. Lyra looked vaguely guilty for a second.

"Um, Fluttershy, I think I'll be Ok." I tried to sit up again, but she held me down easily.

"No, no, no. Patients need to listen to the doctor." She fixed me with a reproving stare, and I subsided. She spent a few minutes poking and prodding, before allowing me to sit and directing me through a series of movements.

"Well, I don't think there's any serious damage." She glared gently at Lyra again, before returning her gaze to me. "Come see me if anything doesn't heal well. Make sure you stretch, and take it easy for a few days. You'll have bruises, but a warm bath should help." She gave her prognosis in a quiet voice, and stepped back. I slowly sat up, feeling my muscles protest and my bones settle back into place. I really had taken a beating.

"Was hitting me that hard really necessary?" I glared at Lyra, who looked vaguely guilty again.

"You pushed me farther than I expected. You really are excellent."

"So, did you find out what you needed?" She grimaced at that.

"Was I so obvious?"

"In a word? Yes. What is it you were trying to discover by-" I popped my back, and winced. "-beating the stuffing out of me?"

She took a deep breath, and put on a serious expression.

"Wesley Kilmer...I, Lyra Heartstrings, sometimes called Harmonics, respectfully offer to sponsor you in the Canterlot Underground and ask you to accept me as your instructor."

"GAAAAAASP!"

"Hush, Rainbow. Let me get this straight, Lyra. You're offering to...teach me?"

"No, nonono, Wes, she's offering you her spot in the Underground!"

"Rainbow, I'm not going to fight in the Underground. Even if I lived in Canterlot, I don't think-"

"Yes, I'm offering to teach you. My spot in the Underground is a formality; if I take a student, I can't hold a spot, anyways. I don't care if you fight or not. Wes...what do you know about pony martial tradition?"

"Not a whole lot, honestly. Dribs and drabs, mostly from...a friend."

"Well, here it is in a nutshell. Most of the Underground would be shocked, but, yeah. It can all be traced back to two ponies; Celestia and Luna. Every single current martial tradition from all three races has been strongly influenced by them. They've only ever taken a handful of students, but they've left such a strong mark on the world that their teaching has pretty much subsumed every other style and school.

Now, don't get me wrong, this isn't really a bad thing. The world of fighting moves by what's most effective. Out with the old, and in with the new, I say. Their teaching has taken us to new heights. But it's inescapable that the styles they use are tailored for them. They've never named their techniques, but the Underground calls it 'The Divine Path Of The Unconquered Sky'." Twilight snorted quietly, and I noticed that she was studiously taking notes.

"I think that's a bit grandiose, so I call it the Lunestia style." Twilight nearly choked at that. "It's built specifically to their needs. This is the part that especially relates to you, Wes; all true martial arts are about control. First, you control your body. Then, you control your mind. After-and ONLY after-that, you can try using what you've learned to control the world. The princess' have achieved such stunning control over themselves they can perform feats like the Dance of the Dark Moon. Another theatrical name, but you've seen it's effectiveness." I thought back to a warring army annihilated in seconds, and nodded.

"This, then, is where I come into conflict with the Lunestia school. It's designed for extremely magical minds housed in physically powerful bodies." Lyra preened slightly. "As you may know, I am neither. I found myself at a bit of a loss when learning to fight. But! I persevered, and I had two advantages. The first was a father who taught me how to learn, and how to work hard. So when I found that none of the current techniques would make me much of a fighter, I set out to find and build my own. That's a story in itself. The other edge is this." She tapped her cutie mark.

"But that's not really pertinent to you. Here's the gist. Wes, I want you to study under me, because I promised somepony that I wouldn't let my techniques die with me; I need at least one student, and you're the most talented and suitable I've found. More than that, my teaching can help you. As a self-taught warrior who's done well, I can give you training on developing yourself." She paused, and took a deep breath.

"Maybe the most useful thing I can teach you, though, is my meditation techniques. Mental control is key to my style, and it's what you're missing, Wes. I think that if you apply yourself, you can move past where you are now. I don't know what you've gone through to get there, and I can't promise to heal scars, but I can say that you will be able to focus more strongly and effectively. So?" She stepped forward, and raised a hoof for me to shake.

I pressed my palms to my eyes, and tried to think. My mind had drifted through much of her monologue, but when she reached the end, I'd focused intensely. A way to improve mental control? A way to, maybe, help with my nightmares? A way to put things, just a little more, behind me? I wanted that.

On the other hand, jumping into this now wasn't a good idea. I had enough experience with my brain to be wary of decisions in my current state. I was beaten half to death and coming off such an adrenaline thrill I wouldn't trust myself on whether I liked cream in coffee. This deserved clear and rigorous examination. I wanted the benefits of what she was offering, but did I want the responsibility of learning more fighting?

Fighting had once been a fact of life. Feelings didn't factor; it was simply there, with the walls and bars. And Splinter. Since escaping, I'd discovered the way I'd been molded wasn't always what I wanted. I didn't WANT to fight every day, and now I had the power to change that. I wanted to laugh with friends, to nap in the sun, to explore ancient ruins and uncover flowers hidden in the underbrush. Fighting had become vaguely repugnant to me. I couldn't deny it's usefulness, but in the closet of my mind, it was like a toilet brush; necessary, but I didn't want it to be central.

On the other hand, I'd had no luck avoiding fights. They seemed to come find me, even. I ground my palms into my eyes until I saw stars, and gulped in air, trying to stabilize my thoughts. I held my breath until my heart started to pound.

"Wesley?" Fluttershy said, uncertainly. I let it out with a whoosh, and suddenly stood.

"Lyra, I'm not saying no." Her eyes fell, and she stepped back. "You've offered me something precious, and your attention honors me. Give me time to think. I can't decide right now; this needs consideration."

"Fair enough." She nodded and turned away, obviously disappointed.

"Um, I don't think I said this before, but...it was a good fight. Thanks." Her ears perked a bit and Rainbow turned to follow her, shooting me a sympathetic glance.

"Achoo!" I sneezed suddenly. "Excuse me. I think I might be coming down with something."

"Oh dear!" Fluttershy floated up to head-height and placed a gentle hoof on my brow. "And you still got into a fight! Really, Wesley, you should be more careful! And you feel feverish!"

"I...don't think I'm sick. It feels like allergies. Um." I almost suggested a thermometer, but realized I had no knowledge of pony vitals. Or what their temperature scale was. I got half-way into considering Celsius calibrations and Fahrenheit conversions, and lost my train of thought as I realized I had no idea what altitude we were at, or if air pressure was similar to Earth. I absentmindedly pulled my watch out and tossed it hand-to-hand as my brain freewheeled, looking for a solid constant.

"What sort of apparatus would we need to measure the speed of light?" I asked, just as Twilight got a good look at my watch.

"What is that thing?" She blurted simultaneously. Jerked back to reality, I gave Fluttershy a reassuring smile.

"I think I'll be OK. But if I start feeling worse, I'll be sure to let you know. Thanks for your care, Fluttershy; I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Wesley. If you need help, please drop by." She smiled back, and landed, turning to Twilight. "You be careful too!" She said, almost harshly, and started home.

"It's my ." I tossed it to Twilight. "Luna found it when she investigated my arrival, and returned it to me. Um, about the thing we were investigating earlier, we should compare notes."

"Oh, there were no side effects. I watched. Did you know that this seems to use some sort of rock for the central timing mechanism?"

I sighed, and resigned myself to dealing with a distracted Twilight. Things were probably Ok...right?

25 - Complications

Complications

I guess, at a certain point, the amount of weirdness in my life eventually tipped over the edge and landed me back in 'normal' again.

Or maybe prolonged exposure was permanently damaging ability to discern normal. Perhaps I was developing an immunity to weird. I might eventually lose all the weird receptors in my brain.

Either way, I was barely surprised the next day when I woke up as a pony.

"No side effects she said. She checked, she said. Wouldn't leave my stupid watch alone."

I rolled out of bed, thought about clothes, and then firmly squashed the thought. I gave myself a glance in the mirror; sure enough, I was purple. I had a darker mane and tail with a lighter streak, and a leg at each corner. I was in the Golden Oaks Library.

I was Twilight Sparkle. I facehoofed, hard. I remembered going to bed in my bed last night, in my shack on the edge of town. It had been delivered, as promised; a special extended edition. It had been soft. And comfortable. And quiet. And now, this.

After assuaging my frustration and annoyance slightly, I essayed a few cautious steps around the bedroom. Walking on four legs was pretty doable. I guess it wasn't that surprising; I could crawl just fine as a human, after all, though pony anatomy made it feel rather like walking on tiptoes.

"Ooof." I tripped over the edge of the rug, and collapsed in a heap. I guess adjusting wasn't that simple after all. I lay on the floor for a second, thinking about how having a fur coat made the morning feel warmer, and the last of the sleep cleared from my brain.

If I was here, that meant that Twilight, had to be...

"SPIKE!" I yelled, taking a second to contemplate how different my voice sounded.

"Twilight, why are you on the floor?" He swung the door open and shot me a confused glance.

"Listen carefully, because this is too stupid to repeat. I'm not Twilight, I'm Wesley, I don't know how this happened, but I'm guessing Twilight is in my body and I need to get across town to find me. Her. Whoever."

"...did you hit your head?"

"Horsefeathers." I facehoofed again. "Look, I told you it was too stupid to repeat, but it's true. I know you've heard us talk about soul-bonding and that stuff; this has to be a side effect. There's no other explanation. I need to find Twilight, so we can get this sorted out. I promise you, as ridiculous as it sounds, we have somehow swapped bodies. Just...don't tell anyone, OK?" Spike gave me a disbelieving look.

"Ok, Twi-I mean, Wes. I'll go make some breakfast. You...pull yourself together and come down when your feeling better."

"I did NOT hit my head!" I yelled after him, as he retreated down the stairs. I pried myself off the floor, and considered following him. First, though, I needed to do something about this mane and tail. Twilight had bed-hair, and now it was my problem. I was seriously starting to get frustrated before I figured out how to pick things up with hooves. I tried telekinesis till I was blue in the face, but nothing came of it. Either the necessary memories hadn't come with me, or Twilight had taken her magic with her. I finally got her-my, for now I guess-mane under control, and turned towards the door.

Stairs.

"Ow." I said when I reached the bottom in a heap. Whatever else came of this, Twilight was going to have a nice collection of bruises waiting for her when she got her body back. I consoled myself by thinking Twilight was probably having worse luck with my body; no way going from four legs to two would be easier. On the other hand, I was my own boss; if she decided to stay in bed all day, nopony would notice. I glanced longingly back up the stairs; too late now to barricade the bedroom door and hope things worked themselves out.

"Woah." Spike looked my way from the table, where he was eating cereal. "You were serious?"

"As a heart attack," I levered myself off the floor again. "Can you take a letter for me?" He wordlessly retrieved his scribing tools. I carefully made my way over the to table and, after a few attempts, managed to pour a bowl of cereal. It looked like tiny hay bales. "Your Majesty, Princess Celestia..." Through mouthfuls of cereal, I outlined the situation, and asked for help, as long as it could be delivered discretely. I stressed that we didn't seem to be in actual danger, and might be able to work things out ourselves; for some reason, I was feeling uncountably optimistic. Maybe because, out of all the situations I'd been in so far, this was actually the least life-threatening. I knew that I could deal with worse, and that Twilight could, too. Spike sent my terse sentences off with a flare of green and a bemused look.

"It really is Wesley in there."

"Right. Don't ask why; I couldn't say. My only lead is that we were experimenting with our link the other day. Although it's a long shot, that's my best bet on what caused this. But then, I'm not actually a qualified magician. Despite looking like one." I smiled wryly. "We just need to go get Twilight, and maybe we can see about setting this straight."

"Um..." Spike glanced nervously at the clock, and ran one claw in a small circle of milk.

"Spike?" I asked, voice low and ominous.

"Sorry!" He jumped guiltily. "I didn't think you were serious! But, if you want to keep this even sort of secret....Twilight's-suppsed-to-be-at-the-school-soon!"

"What." My forehead was starting to get sore. Twilight would have facehoof calluses if this kept up. "When? Why?" Spike took a huge gasp of air, and I stopped him with a hoof. "Slowly. Remember to breathe." He gave an abashed chuckle.

"Twilight agreed to give a guest lecture on basic arcanology. It's a favor to Cheerilee, and she's due just after recess. It's weird for you to be the calm one. I mean-you know what I mean." I checked the clock again; a five minute walk. I had five minutes to finish my cereal and come up with a plan. I took another bite of cereal; it was surprisingly good to a pony palate.

"Arcanology. How ironic. On a scale of one to ten, how out of character would it be to skip?" Spike winced at that.

"You know how serious Twilight is about her responsibilities." I nodded glumly.

"Suggestions for a decent excuse?" I asked.

"Pony pox?"

"Come on. Not even Rainbow would fall for that."

"Magical accident?"

"Heh. That would work, but I don't think I can whip up something convincing and ALSO low profile. I want to avoid attention."

"Why can't you just give the lecture?"

"Pff. Of course I-" I stopped. Maybe I could. This was Twilight, after all. She could be counted on for preparation. "Do you have her notes?" Spike gave me an approving look, and dropped a stack of cards on the table. I clumsily shuffled through them. Arcanology wasn't a specialty of Twilight's, but that's like saying hamburgers weren't the specialty of a chef; she could still do it in her sleep. Concentrating on the notes, I discovered the connection between us still gifted me with enough of her memories I could at least understand the concepts and recognize most terms. I tried tapping the cards back into a sheaf, but my clumsy command of hooves spilled them all over the table.

"That's going to need a bit of practice." Spike carefully gathered the cards. "But can you do it?"

"Actually, I think I can." I drank the last of my milk, and glared at the saddlebags by the door. "Listen, Spike; I'm going to need you to come and help."

"What? But I-"

"Spike. Please."

"...fine. But why?"

"Wherever Twilight is, she took her magic with her. I can't pick anything up with telekinesis, and you saw how bad I am with hooves. I'll dictate, and you write on the board. As my Number One Assistant. Got what we need?" He nodded once, and we set out. "Here's a few tips on keeping secrets, in case something comes up-"

As we walked, I gave him a bit of coaching, mostly on keeping his mouth shut. He listened astutely; I guess lectures were normal for him.

"Wes, you're pretty good at being sneaky." He shot me a curious glare. "What's up with that?"

"Um." I cast around for some explanation. "I'm just a sorta private person, I guess? And I had a brother who was always a bit of a tattletale...but we've arrived." A small herd of yelling foals marked the schoolhouse; they were just lining up for the end of recess. I casually trotted up the steps and slipped in first.

"Oh, Twilight! I'm glad you made it!" Cheerilee greeted me with a wave. "Are you ready? Do you have everything you need?"

"I think so." I smiled back at her. Act casual, friendly. Twilight was both. Remember, even Spike thought body-swapping was to stupid to be real. "I've brought Spike along; he's going to assist me with the blackboard." Cheerilee nodded, and started corralling her students. I borrowed Cheerilee's hole punch and tied my stack of notes together so I wouldn't lose them. Once everypony was seated, I cleared my throat, and launched into the lecture.

"Arcanology is the study of secrets. More specifically, it's the study of 'spending secrets'. We don't have the time to give this specific branch of magic the in-depth study it deserves, but believe me when I say it's absolutely fascinating. Today, I would like to reveal a bit of Arcanology's mystery and beauty to you." I frowned a bit, and scanned ahead on the note card. It was mostly the same sort of stuff as that; pretty dry, very intellectual, and utterly wrong for grade school. Maybe a more direct approach was called for?

"Ok," I tossed the note cards to Spike. "Who in here knows a secret?" About a half-dozen hooves went up. Good; now we were getting somewhere.

Nearly an hour later, the class was chattering with each other, working on the group exercise I'd set them. It was a simple logic puzzle, but hopefully it would distract them long enough for me to take a breather and think through the next bit.

"My, Twilight!" Cheerilee gave me an approving smile. "That was excellent! Even I think I've learned something. And the students are definitely enjoying it. You're just full of surprises today!"

"Thanks." I smiled weakly. You have no idea. A few minutes in I had realized just how badly I was breaking character, but by then, I didn't care. Twilight was an excellent magician, and probably even a very good lecturer. But she was used to dealing with ponies who had a college level education. Her notes were pretty worthless to me, except as the roughest outline and a jog to my memory. If I could do this better than Twilight, I was going to give it my best. She'd thank me for it later...right? I sighed gently, and accepted an annotated note card from Spike. I only had an hour or so more to do, and I would be able to go look for my body. As long as I could avoid any complications, this seemed pretty doable-

"Sweetie Belle!" A knock came at the door. Oh NO. Thinking of complications. The door swung open, and a pink pony bounced in, carrying a paper sack. "You forgot your lunch! Oh! It's Twilight! Are you teaching today, Twilight?"

"Pinkie Pie."

"Yup, it's me! Did you forget who I am? I do that sometimes! Then I go look for myself! When I find myself, we hang out and it's super fun! Why are you doing that? Hey, you have a bruise on your forehead! You shouldn't do that so much!"

A complication. A BIG complication. In fact, probably the biggest complication. And she just bounced in here. Maybe I could get rid of her?

"Um, yeah. You're probably right. Hey, did you come here to give Sweetie Belle her lunch?"

"Mmmhmm!"

"And now you've done that?"

"Yup!"

"Soooo....you no longer have a reason to be here?"

"Nope!"

"Then....are you going to leave?"

"Nope! Today I'm off, and I want to stay and be a student! I bet you're a really good teacher, Twilight! I want to learn something too! Oooo, maybe I'll get homework!" Cheerilee laughed lightly.

"You're welcome to stay, Pinkie. Twilight is giving a lecture on Arcanology. If you want, you can take a desk near Button Mash."

"Okee-dokey-lokey!" After a few minutes, the students were done with their exercise. Now actually feeling nervous, under the scrutiny of one of Twilight's good friends who was also the town expert on 'weird', I resumed my very out-of-character lecture.

"And that is how you use a numismatrix!" Spike scratched the last symbol on the board, and I sighed in relief. I took a moment to straighten up my things as Cheerillee got the class ready for lunch.

"Thanks for coming." She said quietly, as we slipped out the door.

"You're welcome." I returned, finally relaxing as it swung closed behind us.

My relief was short lived.

"Spike, is there a bouncing noise coming from behind us?"

"Yup."

"Is it coming from a pony?"

"Yup."

"Is the pony approximately five different shades of pink?"

"Yup."

"Oooh! Ooooh! Are we playing twenty questions? Can I go next? I want to play too!"

"Pinkie, why are you following us?"

"I'm your friend, Twilight! Aren't you happy to see me?" I blinked at her reply, and swallowed a lump of frustration.

"The thing is, Pinkie, we are going to see Wesley, and I don't think he's expecting you, so-"

"Oh, that's OK! He said I could drop by anytime." I nearly ground my teeth at that. I had, too; I'd told all of them they were welcome. I'd just planned on locking my door and hiding under my bed when I was feeling overwhelmed. That, and spending lots of time in the Everfree.

"...oh."

"Anyways, I had a question for you, since you said we could ask whatever at the end of the class."

"Ok, shoot."

"Are you actually Wesley who got trapped in Twilight's body because of some obscure magical thing you don't really understand? Huh? Are you?"

My natural response, of course, was to curl up into a ball.

"Please don't tell anyone! It was an accident! I'm not going to do anything bad!"

"Ok, I take it all back." Spike gazed at me with faint amusement. "That's not sneaky at all."

"Of course you're not! You're Wesley, and he's a good human, so you're a good pony!"

"I think this body is conditioned to panic." I said bitterly, raising an ear and looking to see if everypony was staring at me, or if it just felt that way. "How did you know, Pinkie?"

"You just told me, silly!"

"Horsefeathers," I said, slowly climbing to my hooves. "You had a pretty good idea. What gave it away? And why are you so willing to accept it?"

"The words you were using were waaaay to short for Twilight! And so I thought, who else is super smart and knows lots of stuff about magic? Wesley, of course! So, the logical conclusion is that you swapped bodies!"

"How is that logical? I was hoping it was too impossible to believe!"

"Sometimes, I believe three impossible things before breakfast. And you smile like Wesley."

"Fine." I gave up trying to understand Pinkie, and turned towards my house. "Come on. I really do need to find my body. I just hope Twilight is doing better than me."

"So, can I call you Weslight? is it fun being a pony? What sort of things do you think Twilight is up to? How long are you going to be doing this for? Can I try next?"

"Pleast don't call me that. Um, it's Ok, I guess. Being a pony is pretty tricky for me, since I don't know how to do some simple things, like stairs. I have no idea what Twilight's doing in my body, but my guess is not much, since it's pretty beat up from yesterday. I have no idea how long this is going to last; if I can do anything about it, not much longer. And no. No, you cannot try next. I don't even know how this happened, but even if I did, I don't think I'd feel comfortable about loaning my body to anyone. This is pretty strange for me, Pinkie. Even if weirdness doesn't bother you, some of us aren't quite so inured."

"Come on, Wesley! Don't you want to try being pink? Oh, or maybe you can switch with Rarity, and be faaaaabulous!"

"No. No. Nononono. This is NOT a good idea, Pinkie. Seriously. I want this to stop, and then have a sorta boring life for at least a few weeks! Please!"

"Silly Twiley, you can't do that in Ponyville! This place is super exciting, which is why I love living here! Cool things are always happening, like that one time last cider season, when-"

Both of us stopped, ears swiveling towards the end of the road as we heard a distant roar. I took a moment to reflect on how weird mobile ears felt, and so was a second behind Pinkie when we both gasped.

"Manticore!" We took off at a full gallop. "Spike, thanks for the help!" I yelled, as we left him behind.

"Why, why, WHY is there a manticore at my house?" I gasped, was Pinkie and I galloped full-tilt down the road.

"No idea!" Pinkie shot back. "Do you think Twilight will be OK?"

"Gah!" I redoubled my efforts, managing to put on a bit more speed. Ponies were faster flat-out than humans, but I felt my energy flagging already. I'd do better over a long distance than Twilight; I was willing to bet on it. I guess scholar-magician vs. survivalist-warrior wasn't really a fair match, though. Maybe she knew a boosting spell? Too bad I couldn't cast.

"Wesley?" I felt Twilight's connection with me snap into place as we got near my shack. Another roar came from the forest behind.

"Ooof!" The distraction caused me to stumble, and I collapsed. Pinkie looked back worriedly. "I'm fine!" I called. "Twilight just contacted me with magic. Let me find out what's up before we head in." Pinkie slowed, and turned back to me, glancing worriedly at the hut.

"Twilight, draw more!" Through the link, I had the odd sensation of feeling a myself-that-wasn't-myself wrap fingers tighter around a familiar orange horn, and draw magic more strongly through it; enough to let me borrow her instincts. With a dizzying lurch, a whole host of new options opened up to me, the most useful of which was scrambling to my hooves. I felt Twilight spring to her feet, reveling in sudden understanding. The doubled viewpoint disorientation nearly caused me to tumble again, but I recovered my footing and motioned Pinkie to approach more slowly.

"What's going on, Twilight?"

"I'm not sure. Fluttershy came over-"

"Fluttershy's there." I said, for Pinkie.

"-and I was pretty much just acting sick and not talking. Now she's gone outside to see what this manticore wants."

"She went out to meet it?" My horror and shock must have carried pretty strongly, because I felt Twilight wince. Pinkie gave me a curious look.

"If there's a chance of settling this peacefully, it's Fluttershy. She knows what she's doing, Wes."

"Fine." I swung the door open. "But, if she's not back in a minute or two, we're going after her."

"But what can we do?" Twilight asked.

"Seriously?" I pointed to her. "You're STILL the strongest magician anywhere outside Canterlot. And I bet you throw a pretty mean punch right now. Pinkie and I aren't going to do anything; if we need to, you are going to sling a few spells and use my body to chase that monster off. I've done it before; you should be just fine."

"Wesley!" Fluttershy swooped in the door, and landed between us.

"Yes?" Both Twilight and I said. I facehooved. Fluttershy gave me an odd look. "He won't leave! His eye is hurt, and I think he's angry at you because of it. We need to do something before he heads into town!"

"" I swore vehemently. Twilight flinched. Fluttershy gave us a really confused look. "Ok, we need to act. Let's go do this."

"But I don't-"

"Come on. We don't have time for backup, and I don't know who could handle this, anyways. Let's...sorta give him what he wants. Pinkie, if you want to explain to Fluttershy, feel free."

"Wes, I don't want to hurt anypony!" Twilight hissed, as I led her out the back door. Inside, Pinkie was chattering about Arcanology. Fluttershy was responding with a series of more and more confused noises.

"That's fine. But you're going to need to do something flashy. Do you have a weak electricity spell? Or some something that will scare him good?"

"I...guess. Maybe if I used Freezing Hooves..."

"Right, go with that. Here's the plan. I'll feed you cues, and you dodge for all your worth while preparing the spell. When it's ready, use it on or near him. We don't need to hurt him much, just enough to convince him I'm still not worth messing with. I thought I did a pretty good job last time, but...I dunno. Anyways, go with that, OK?"

I looked back, realizing just how much my rangy frame towered over most ponies I wasn't even far above average for a human. She-he-she I decided, nodded uncertainly.

"There." I caught a glimpse of the manticore in the clearing ahead. It suddenly seemed a lot more threatening than I remembered. It was clearly the same as I'd fought before, with a charcoal mane and a scar across it's left eye.

"Huh." Twilight gave it a bemused look. "Suddenly, it doesn't seem so scary." She gave a confident smirk.

Do I really look that cocky? I wondered.

"Yup." Came an answering thought as she sprang forward, seizing the initiative. I noticed that she had Splinter's horn in her left hand, and she'd drawn my dagger with her right.

The next few moments were both fascinating and nerve-wracking. I had never really paid that much attention to the fact that I actually did move like a trained martial artist, but reality was brought home to me as Twilight fluidly ducked and wove through each and every blow sent her way.

She even blocked a strike or two, turning it away with the flat of my dagger. As she fought, I saw lambent energy start gathering around the horn in her left hand. It was a warm orange, but still streaked through with crackles of purple. I wondered at that; what actually colored magical energy?

I nearly lost myself in thaumaturgial theorizing, but my attention was yanked back as a familiar feeling began feeding through our link, and I realized I was clenching my teeth.

Twilight was starting to get angry.

I'd foolishly thought that her normal pacific disposition was enough to quell old habits. I'd underestimated the effect my training and instincts had on her. Last time I'd fought this beast, I was too injured to consider seriously harming it. I'd been ecstatic to settle for driving him off. But Twilight had the upper hand in every way. She wouldn't even lose to brute force if she brought her magic into it. And she was about to do just that. I mulled my options for a second. I didn't have a problem with injuring someone who brought the fight to me, but she would.

And as much as I'd killed before, I couldn't be sure she'd settle for wounded in the heat of battle. Killing it would be bad all around; she'd be crushed, and although manticores might not be able to talk, they were clearly much more intelligent than Earth animals. I wasn't sure if it would be murder, but as long as I wasn't sure, I couldn't, in clear conscience, put it down like a dangerous animal. If there was a possibility of it being intelligent, I'd treat it like a human. It's not like lives were on the line here.

I paced for a second, unsure what to do. I needed to calm her down before the fight peaked, but what to do? She was dealing with my feelings right now, and I wasn't even sure what to do when I was dealing with them. And I'd had practice. She might not even be aware of how she was slipping. I'd never realized before just how much a 'feeling' was literally 'something you felt'.

But...feelings could carry across the link. I was getting feedback from her anger right now. Maybe I could counter it with a feeling of my own? What sort of thing would counter anger? Shock her enough to bring her back to herself?

Ahh...that might do it.

I thought of Twilight's apprehension in the Canterlot palace, before meeting with Celestia. I tried to grasp the feelings she must have been struggling with; anxiety about disapproval, disappointment, and distance from the pony she loved and feared so strongly. I barely managed to get a grasp on the feelings when Twilight's anger snapped, turning suddenly to confusion.

"Celestia?" She asked, turning to look.

"Watch out!" I yelled, as her distraction opened her guard. I winced as my body took a ferocious blow to the hip. She tumbled to the side, barely managing to catch herself, but dropped my dagger. She rolled to her feet, and I felt the pain in the link. "Now, Twilight! While you have some distance!" She nodded, and leveled the horn across the clearing. Magic surged, and a cone of sparkling dust burst from the point of the horn, engulfing her opponent. There was a crackling noise, and the condensation cleared to reveal a very surprised looking manticore, rimed with frost and clearly shivering.

"Quick, charge up another one!" I shot across the link.

"I can't! This isn't the same as-"

"It doesn't know that! Just make the horn glow!" She nodded slightly, and power surged again, the aura re-appearing."Stand straight! Be confident!" She squared her shoulders, and forced her stance to display strength. "This is about dominance. Take a step forward. Menace! Be scary!"

"I've never been scary! I don't know how to do it!"

"Like this." I showed her what I could, feeding it across our link. She narrowed her eyebrows, tensed her fists, and stared the manticore down with as much cool confidence as I ever could. Her relief was palpable across the link as it took a cautious step backwards. At my urging, she stepped forward, leveling the horn at it again. It flinched at the sudden movement, and broke backwards a few steps. She pushed forward again, this time actually frowning at it. A spark or two leaped from the tip of the horn, and at that, the beast turned and fled.

"Hold!" I sent, as it disappeared into the underbrush. I fed her encouragement, forcing her to remain confident as we walked back down the path to my house. I didn't let her relax until we were well inside, and out of the way of any windows. She collapsed like a cut marionette, and the link snapped as her concentration broke.

"Twilight!" Fluttershy gasped, jumping forward to support her.

"She's Ok." I said. "Just took one hit; I don't think it managed to get it's claws into her."

"So you really did...swap?" She asked, glancing back and forth between us with her soft eyes.

"Yup." I tossed my purple mane out of my eyes. "I'm not very happy with it, either. But maybe now that we actually have a spare moment, we can do something about it."

"That...might be tricky." Twilight said, sitting up and wincing, a hand to her side. "Wes, this hurts like crazy! Are you sure it'll be OK?"

"Fluttershy?" I asked.

"I think it will be fine." The pegasus inspected the bruise that was forming. "He's right; it's just another bruise, although a bad one."

"Good thing you dodged," I added. "A bit slower, and you could have ruptured organs."

"It was all instinct. Do you always feel like that when you fight, Wes? So...wild? So invincible?"

"Yeah. But don't trust those feelings; they're straight-out wrong."

"That's what Lyra was talking about." I nodded.

"But I don't know any other way to fight. And, well...you've seen the nightmares. That's mixed up in there, too. Paranoia, rage, and confusion; I can't say how much is from my head, and how much from my heart. Sorry." I shrugged as best I could with pony shoulders. "All in all, you should probably be as worried about switching back as I am."

She grimaced, obviously unhappy.

"I'd love to, Wes. Well, I mean, this is fascinating and all, but you're right; we should focus on getting back to normal." I tacked an 'experiments can come later' onto the end of that. "But first, we need to find out why this happened. We can't do anything until we get that information."

"But I thought..." I paused, reviewing my morning. "No, I assumed it was the link. Since it's the only new magical thing I could think of." Twilight shook her head slowly at that.

"It can't be the link. It's logically impossible. Like opening a box with the crowbar that's inside it. You'd literally have to turn your soul inside out. I said it was free from side effects, and I meant it. Whatever caused this is packing a hefty magical punch, and we're both missing it." I frowned at that, the suspicious bastard part of my brain ringing an alarm.

"I-" I started trying to voice my concerns, but broke into a huge yawn instead. "I am suddenly exhausted." Maybe it was the adrenaline crash after facing down the manticore or maybe... "Twilight, what time did you get to bed last night?" I had left her studying my watch, after all.

"Um..."

"Nevermind. I need a nap, badly. I'm going to to go crash for a while, because I'm about dead on my hooves. Is that going to cause you problems?" She shook her head slowly, looking slightly guilty. "Ok. You are all welcome to chill here for a while; just try not to be too loud."

"So!" Pinkie said, scooting close to Twilight. "Tell me about this 'link' you two mentioned a minute ago."

I retreated to my bedroom, and curled up on my now too-big bed, clumsily pulling the covers over my purple self. I lay there for a minute, trying to sort my thoughts out. The new uncertainty of my situation weighed at me. I'd been foolishly confident this was caused by the link and hadn't even considered what I'd do otherwise. Now, Twilight said it was something new. That was more unsettling than I'd have guessed. Maybe weird affected me more than I'd let on. Maybe I'd been in shock, just a little. Maybe changing bodies affected my mind. I pictured the Big Dipper, and thought of home for a while.

Perhaps I was fixed on finding it because it had come to represent stability. On days like these, my very identity felt like it was quicksand. I had so little to ground me; at times I was afraid I'd slip through a crack somewhere and be lost in the crazy. Having friends helped, but when they treated this as commonplace, I began to realize just how alien my culture was.

Eventually, I fell asleep.

I was still a human in my dreams. It hurt.

I awoke to find a pink mane obscuring much of my vision.

"Pinkie?" I asked blearily. I turned to find her snuggled up beside me. She opened her blue eyes, and gazed back. "What...?"

"You were whimpering in your sleep." She answered softly. "I thought a hug might help."

"Thanks." I yawned. "Did I bother you?" I could hear, in the other room, the sounds of ponies relaxing. Apparently it had turned into something of a party.

"I don't know anypony else noticed." She rolled over onto the edge of the blanket as I tried to get up, effectively trapping me. "Was it a nightmare?"

"Yes. Luna helps with them, sometimes, but she must not be on dreamwatch at four in the afternoon."

"Tell me about it?" She gave me a serious look.

"I don't think you want to hear my dreams..." I said slowly. I was glad Twilight wouldn't be afflicted with them, even though we'd swapped. I didn't want to burden Pinkie, either.

"But I think you need to talk about it."

"It's...not pleasant."

"Lots of things aren't. Ignoring them isn't usually a good idea, either." I sighed.

"This is the most serious I've ever seen you, Pinkie. Are you feeling OK?"

"I'm always serious, Wesley. But don't try and change the subject. Tell me your dream. It'll help, I promise."

"Well...Ok." I gave in to her insistence. Maybe it would help. I paused for a minute, trying to organize the horror of shapes and shadows in my brain. I'd had this dream before, and recalling it wasn't too hard. "It starts with fire..."

Pinkie listened seriously through the whole thing, which took a few minutes to tell. And, oddly enough, I did begin to feel better. In the bright afternoon sunlight filtering through the window, the whole thing began to look vaguely ridiculous. But that was always the way of dreams; while you were in them, they made very little sense but meant the whole world, though they evaporated in daylight.

"...and that's the end of it." I gave a breath of relief at the end. "Thanks for listening. I do feel better, I think."

"We're not done yet." She said. "Before I let you go, I want you to try something. You said the statues bother you particularly, so I want you to picture them smiling."

"I don't-"

"Wesley, I'm trying to help you here. Talking about your dreams gives you power over them; use that power to change them. Picture the statues smiling. Big goofy grins."

I subsided, and did as I was told. In my mind, the grim figures of the Changeling stronghold slowly metamorphosed into Moai; big, cartoonish ones, with huge, cheery grins. It made the whole thing faintly ridiculous. I snorted at the image.

"There." She tapped me on the nose, and rolled off the bed. "See, you still have smiles in you! Remember, laughter is the best medicine! Now, come on out, and join the party!" I stood slowly, and shook the blankets off. Of course it had turned into a party.

But there was a bit more spring in my step as I followed. Maybe she could even carry laughter into my dreams. I was beginning to think there wasn't much this crazy pink mare couldn't do. And I was feeling much better; a long nap had refreshed me, and grounded me again. I'd managed to regain some of this morning's optimism, despite the continued uncertainty of life. A smile worked it's way onto my face; at least I wasn't alone in this. My friends were ponies worth knowing.

26 - Investigation

Investigation

In my tiny dining room, ponies were sitting around my table, playing cards, laughing, and arguing. I was suddenly reminded of a classic oil painting.

"Ah ain't sayin you do a bad job, Rainbow. But my apples need more rain, and the dang department won't let me schedule any this month!" Applejack slammed her cards on the table. "Ah fold. Ah can't match that." Rarity leveled a sharp gaze across the table at Rainbow.

"Looks like it's just us, dear. How about a small raise?" She hoofed a small pile of chips-apple chips, I think-into the pot.

"Listen, Applejack, no-one knows better than me the paper-pushers in the weather department are a bunch of wooden horseshoes." Rainbow casually matched the raise, and motioned Rarity to flip another card. Rarity smirked, and raised again. "Tell you what; I think we have a bit of extra cloudspace in next week's weather. I can set up a microsystem for you, if you really need it."

"It would be a weight off mah mind, Rainbow. Oh, Wesley." Applejack nodded to me. "Feelin' better?"

"Much, thanks." I yawned once. "Still waking up, a bit. Where's Twilight?"

"Out back. Said something about tests, and got Spike to bring a buncha stuff over."

I nodded, and stepped out the back door. I immediately tripped and fell flat on my nose.

"Ow. Steps."

<"Need a hand?"> Twilight giggled. She was sitting cross-legged on the ground nearby. I took the offered palm, and she helped right me. "Mind if I start the link?" She fingered the horn hopefully.

"Go for it. A few extra reflexes wouldn't go amiss here." I felt the connection form. It was almost familiar now. "Sorry. I didn't think how hard this might make things for you. And thanks for not trying a link while I was asleep."

"That's Ok. You really did need a nap; I shouldn't have stayed up so late. As for linking while you slept...I considered it." She said ruefully. "But I didn't want to bother you. Though it would be an interesting experiment."

"Maybe later. Have you heard back from the Princess?"

"Yeah, Spike got a reply soon after you left. She said I'm normally her response to this sort of situation anyways, so as long as we want to be discrete, all she can do is offer advice." I looked around my backyard. It was short grass, and very small. Spike was carefully assembling a structure of sticks and multicolored string.

"Is that...a widderspindle?" I asked. "I didn't know you even owned one."

"Yup!" She sprang to her feet, and stretched. "Ooo, still sore, but it feels good move around!" She paced into the structure, carefully stepping over strings and examining the placement of various sticks. She adjusted one or two, moving them a few inches or less. "Princess Celestia suggested we examine our engrams for clues."

"Oh, that's a good idea."

"I know, right? I just hope we can get a good enough read on the tensors to-" She grimaced as her stomach rumbled loudly. "Ooof. I'm getting pretty hungry."

"Have you eaten at all?" I asked, surprised. "Surely Fluttershy would try and feed you, at least?"

"Tea, toast, and apples this morning. But she left soon after you took your nap. I could really go for a bite of hay right now."

"Um." She glanced down at my pause. "I don't think that would help much." I could guess what my body was craving, and hay wasn't it. "I can't actually digest cellulose. Apples are barely a snack for me; you'd get about as much from a glass of milk."

"Oh." A look of realization crept across her face. "That's why the toast tasted different! You're more reliant on refined carbohydrates!"

"That, and it had butter on it, right?" She nodded. "Whole wheat and dairy is a complete protein. I eat a lot more of that than a pony. That's probably what my body wants right now, to help repair after a beating. I also find it very satisfying."

"I'm...omnivorous." Twilight said cautiously. "I'm omnivorous now. That's one aspect of this body I didn't really consider. What would you suggest for supper?"

"Ah...well. I was planning on fish." She made a face at that. "Fluttershy gave me some for Hearths Warming. Somepony named Harry caught it. It'll keep in the freezer, but...if you want, I'll fry it for you."

"I think Harry's a bear? And no, I'm not quite up for that. A few ponies, usually pegasai, eat fish but I've never tried it. I don't like the smell." I didn't comment; she might feel differently if I fried one, but I didn't want to chance it. I wanted to eat them!

"Well...hmm. I think I can make something for both ponies and humans. Why don't you stay for supper? I'll invite the others, too. I...should probably apologize to them for making you keep secrets, and tell them the real beginning of the story."

"If you think it's worth it. They'll be your friends either way, Wesley." She paused to reposition a peg. "I'll get this set up, and have a look. Um, the link seems to diminish with distance, so let me know if you leave. This morning, I couldn't make contact until you were coming down the road. Needs testing."

I nodded at that; I'd wondered why she hadn't used the link earlier.

"How do you feel about spaghetti?" I asked. Her stomach rumbled again, and I laughed and turned for the door.

"Look, cooking is an earth pony talent! Ah'm tellin' you, that's not going to taste good!" Applejack pushed her nose against mine, glaring ferociously.

"And I'm telling you, I've made this before! I'm not putting much in! Spaghetti sauce likes a little sugar, and cocoa can flavor savory food!" I glared back, but she was unimpressed. "I'm not even really a unicorn!" I added, trying to sidestep her, but she moved to block me. "Fine, look!" I turned and spilled the cubes of fudge on the table. "I'm just going to put in half-Rainbow!"

"Mmmf?" The pegasus widened her eyes, trying to appear innocent. I swept most of the fudge back into the bag, and glared at her. "Man, that's good stuff," she said, swallowing.

"I know! Bon-bon gave it to me." I scooped up the last cube, and held it out to Applejack. "Half of this. That's all. This is my kitchen; can't you let me cook, please?"

"Come on, Applejack!" Pinkie added. "Just a little will be good."

"You're only saying that because you like anything with sugar!" Applejack grumbled, but stepped away. Pinkie nodded cheerfully. I fumbled with the knife, my exasperation increasing. Twilight wasn't much of a cook, especially with hooves.

"What's bothering you?"

She must have felt my irritation; I turned a bit of attention inward. She was nearly finished calibrating the widderspindle. All we needed was moon-rise.

"Hooves!" I sent back, loading the word with as much derision as I could.

"Hmm...I've wanted to try this for a while now." I felt a familiar cold sensation crawl through my brain. Twilight was trying to feed power across our link. I hesitated for a moment; this was one more unconsidered experiment. On the other hand, I had used Twilight's power to close the portal. Twilight felt my hesitation, and sent a feeling of query, like a voiceless '?' I mentally shrugged, and grasped the power.

"Aha!" My horn gave a slight crackle, and lit up. I drew on Twilight's training a bit more, and wrapped the power around the handle of the knife. The aura was reversed for me; it was a deep purple, crazed with orange.

"Now that is fascinating." I turned to find Rarity staring at my aura with narrowed eyes. I dismissed her curiosity; I'd had enough experimenting today. I turned back to the cutting board. Time for some cooking.

In short order, the sauce was finished. I turned my attention to egg noodles for Twilight; I'd serve it over hay for the rest of us. Applejack, working alongside, was trying to scrape an apple pie and a green salad out of the food I'd been given. She was surprisingly fun to work with, always ready with a bit of wisdom or a tip on how to make the most of an ingredient. I'd always enjoyed cooking, mainly since I loved eating, and working with her seemed to bring back a bit of the 'normal' in my life. I needed to feel a bit grounded. Cooking with Applejack was about as grounded as you got.

"So, wait." I hovered my makeshift rolling pin, an empty cider bottle, over to the dough. "These...zap-apples, they have rainbow colors? And even when you make jam, they spread rainbow colors?"

"Eyup. They're magic something fierce. And dang, are they delicious! Ah think Apple Bloom is learning how they work from Granny."

"Awesome. You know, as much as Equestria makes me slightly crazy, there are things like this that make it worth while. Magic apples? Yes please! I don't suppose you make Hesperidean Cider or something too, do you?"

"Cider?" Rainbow flicked an ear at us, and we both laughed. I picked up a pair of knives, floating them carefully over Applejack before deftly slicing the noodles and scooping them up.

"Wes?" Rarity asked, her voice slightly odd.

"Yeah?"

"How many things are you holding up?"

"Um..." I counted quickly. Two knives, one bottle, a bowl and spoon, noodles....lots of noddles. "Dunno. Why?"

"You're not straining at all?"

"Should I be?" Twilight stepped in the back door, taking a minute to remove her shoes.

"He's cheating." She said to Rarity. "He's borrowing more than my magic; I'm lending him some skills, too. Wes, levitating more than a few objects can get difficult because of the concentration it takes. Although I think your patterns of thought might give you an edge there; you're concentration is usually more scattered. I was wondering if that was natural, but the fact I'm not thinking like you in your body suggests it's trained. Oh, I'm done with the widderspindle." She glanced around the room, and grimaced. "Don't you have a decent chair?"

"Not yet. My money is budgeted towards getting food in before winter. I'm curious, though; how does that follow, the thinking in different ways? We're in different bodies now. We should see some effects, right?"

"Honestly? No idea. I hope we can get a few clues from our engrams. It's been a debated for quite a while; whether the soul is formed by the body, or the body is 'controlled' by the soul. Some ponies say that since damage to the brain can affect a ponies mind, the soul has to be secondary. Others refuse this interpretation, saying that the brain merely connects to the soul; damaging the brain breaks part of the connection."

"Hmm." I mused for a second. I'd never considered 'soul' from a scientific perspective before.

"Enough egghead talk." Applejack nudged me. "Your water's boiling." Jerked back to reality, I carefully submerged the noodles. Telekinesis was useful for not getting burnt.

"Any word on Flutter-Oh. Here she is." A very, very soft knock came from the door. Rarity, the nearest, swung it open.

"Come in, dear! You're just in time for supper."

"O-oh. Um, before that-"

"Woo, food!" Rainbow swept the cards off the table. Rarity gasped; she'd been close to winning. I sighed as they started bickering, and floated a stack of paper plates, leftover from the party, to Twilight. Letting the others set the table, I stepped over to Fluttershy, and tipped an ear towards her.

"What's up?" I asked quietly.

"Well, you see, I thought something was odd about that manticore showing just as he did, so I spent some time asking my animal friends about what's been going on in the forest."

I frowned at that; I'd also been suspicious. Twilight and I both fall under strange magic, and then an old opponent of mine shows up out of nowhere? A little cute for coincidence.

"Because that manticore was away from his hunting ground. And he came quite a way; I was wondering how he found you."

"Any luck?"

"Um...not much. Some of my friends said a strange pony may have led him this way, but-"

"Really?"

"Yes. But most animals don't pay attention like we do, so that's all I was able to find out."

"Still, it's something. I was thinking this was more than chance could account for. If somepony really did lead him, we need to find out who, because they're purposefully causing trouble. And find how they knew about our fight."

"Oh, any of the Everfree's residents could tell them that."

"Wait, really?"

"Of course! You're new, and scary, and you go everywhere; they all talk about you. Anypony who knew who to ask could find out about the manticore."

"...huh." I guess if squirrels could gossip, that made a fair amount of sense. "Um. I'm scary?" Fluttershy gave a small nod. "Oh. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," she said with a reassuring smile. "Most things are scary to my animal friends. Why, they're even afraid of me sometimes." I kept my peace at that; I'd heard of The Stare.

"Uh, supper?" I motioned her towards the table. Places were set, and food was being served.

"So, I didn't ruin it?"

"Ah guess you didn't, at that. Still, don't think it was necessary." I glanced around the table; cleaned plates were in evidence. Spaghetti sauce over hay or noddles, salad, and pie; I'd have loved a beer, but had no idea if I could get it here. Or if ponies could even drink it. I tapped my fork on the edge of my glass a few times, until quiet fell.

"Um, thanks for staying for supper. It's been fun, but there's something I need to tell everypony. You see, I've told most of you I'm from another country. That isn't really wrong, but the whole truth is a bit stranger-"

The whole explanation took quite a while. Reactions varied; Rainbow seemed slightly disappointed, as if expecting a bigger secret. Applejack nodded firmly, like I'd just confirmed her suspicions. Rarity's eyes sharpened with interest at the idea of a separate world. Fluttershy looked vaguely apprehensive; I wasn't sure if that was a change or not. Pinkie didn't seem perturbed in the least. Expert on weird, I guess.

I soon pulled Twilight into the explanation, and we gave a pretty comprehensive breakdown of what the soul-bond was and how it had started. Some of them knew bits and pieces, but I saw some confusion clear as the whole picture was presented. Explaining the whole thing was a weight off my mind.

"So, I wanted to apologize; for hiding this from you, and for asking Twilight to hide it as well. I'm sorry." I wrapped it up as neatly as I could, and threw myself on their mercy.

"Oh. It's Ok."

"That's fine."

"Forget it."

"Forgiven, dear."

"Okey-Dokey!"

I was slightly flabbergasted.

"That's all?"

"What do you want?" Rainbow asked. "Come on; we knew something was up. Twilight is, like, WORST EVER at secrets. Pinkie even suggested, about sixteen times, that you were from another world. Maybe we need to take her a bit more seriously. I'm glad you told us, but I understand your reasons. It's not a big deal. I'm just annoyed you didn't tell us earlier; this 'link' sounds like it could be a lot of fun."

"Um-"

"Yeah! Think of the pranks we could play!" Pinkie bounced out of her chair, and grabbed one of Twilight's hands, holding it behind her back. "Wes, how many fingers am I holding up?"

"I don't think-"

"Let's indulge them a bit, Wes. They're just curious, after all. And maybe they'll test something I didn't think of."

"Well...Ok. How many?"

"Huh?"

"Fingers."

"Oh. All of them?"

"Four." I said to Pinkie, with a smirk. "And one thumb."

"Ooo, tricky!" She smirked back, and Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"They're asking what?"I rolled my eyes, and bit back a cutting remark. "No." I said, glaring at Rainbow Dash. "I am not answering this. You're not testing our link anymore. Now you're just trying worm information out of me!"

"Aww, come on! Just this one question! If you don't answer, we won't know you heard it from Twilight!"

"Or, I could just repeat the question. You don't honestly think my favorite foods have anything to do with this link, do you? Anyways, I don't know if Fluttershy told you, but I eat meat. At least, I do when I'm in my own body. Are you sure you want to hear the answer?" She shivered slightly at that, but her eyes grew sharp and curious.

"Really?"

"Really really. I'm omnivorous, like a bear. Actually, the sauce I made tonight? I normally put meat in it."

"Oooo." She shivered again. "That's...kinda creepy."

"It's the way I am. Was." I glanced over to where Twilight and Pinkie were sitting, on the other side of the room. "I offered Twilight some fish for supper, but she didn't want any."

"Oh, you mean fish? Fish is different." I didn't mean fish; I normally put ground turkey in my spaghetti, or when it was on sale, beef. But I remembered the talking cows we bought milk from, and left it at that. "Fish aren't smart enough to know they're alive. And even other fish eat them! Hey, we should go to one of the pegasus restaurants; there's a really great one that just opened, but none of the others will go with me. Even Fluttershy doesn't like fish much."

"Huh. Maybe. After we get this all sorted out."

"Any luck on that?"

"Well, we're going to cast for engrams later tonight. Oh, and Fluttershy talked to the animals in the forest. She thinks that maybe a pony was behind the manticore showing up, so I think they may be connected. You heard about the manticore?"

"Yeah." She gave me a piercing look. "So, what are you going to do?"

"No idea." I shrugged.

"Aw, come on! Whip up a plan! I've seen you work; you're good!"

"In a familiar situation. This?" I shrugged. "I have very little idea how to deal with ponies when they're not trying to kill me. In a pinch, I'm happy to plan tactics. I'll even lead. But strategy? I'd rather to leave that to Captain Shining, or Twilight. And this is something else, even. I have no idea how to deal with social situations. Point me at someone who needs punched, and I'm your guy. Talking? No thanks."

"Hmm, I see." She rubbed her jaw for a second. "Whelp, if you need assistance, ask an expert! Raaaaare!" The snowy unicorn turned away from cleanup in the kitchen, and started towards us. I suppressed my misgivings; there was no harm in asking an opinion. And at the very least, any plans were assured of being fabulous.

"Move your right foreleg a skinch to the left." I complied. I'd left Rainbow and Rarity discussing our mysterious malefactor; Twilight had reported the moon was rising, and the conditions for engram casting were getting closer. I was currently stading inside the widderspindle. It was dimly visible in the moonlight, forming an eight-pointed star with the last point split open for access to the inside. Multicolored strings ran to and fro between the posts, enameled medallions arranged precisely through the whole setup.

Gazing at it, a few memorized facts surfaced. For a second, I saw a deeper, underlying magical structure, taut with arcane energy. I grasped at the arrangement of the medallions, fleetingly recognizing the half-dozen magical disciplines that imbued them with potency to reveal the shadows of the mind. Those thoughts had leaked across my link with Twilight; maybe if I just-

"Don't do that!" Twilight snapped, as my attention distracted her. "I'm trying to work here."

"Sorry." I answered meekly. "It's just...I could almost see it like you do, and it was really neat."Instead of responding, she continued pacing around the circle, occasionally touching a peg or medallion with the horn in her hand. The whole nest of string was starting to glow faintly, and if I hadn't understood what was going on, I'd have felt somewhat apprehensive.

Engrams represent the patterns of energy in the body. The casting would reveal any magic or spells, the shape of the body, and the shape of the mind. If we did this right, it should give us a start on what magic caused our swap. The difficulty of using a widderspindle was actually that it revealed much more than you needed. Sorting through the engrams could be a chore.

After four circuits, the preparations were finished. I felt a gentle buzz as the magical potentials balanced. Thaumic energy began flowing in complex and subtle patterns. A sensation like tearing spiderwebs crawled across my skin, and for a second I could feel moonlight flow through me. The widderspindle chimed once, and the reading appeared.

I stepped back to look at it; once it was cast, it would persist until reset, or daybreak. The moonlight, captured by the spell and twisted through unimaginable dimensions until it refracted off what defined 'me', glowed up from the grass in multichrome rings, dapples, splots and speckles. It looked like burning Rorchach origami in a kalidescope. I found myself wishing for a camera. Twilight had a notebook out, and was scratching away. I caught fragments of her muttering as she wrote.

"Left wing four...oh, fascinating...of course it's the tower...hmm, didn't expect that...but if that's true, then..."

I considered trying to skim her thoughts, but dismissed the idea. She'd just snap at me again for being nosy. Eventually, she stepped into the ring herself. I touched my horn to the grounding peg, releasing the spell; the captured imagery faded away, draining into the vast equalizing neutrality of the planet.

"Now, here's what you need to do-"

I followed her instructions to the letter. I only had to restart once, but after that she occasionally fed instructions across the link. Finally done, she positioned herself and I tapped the last medallion, charging it precisely.

This chime was much less pleasant. It was a disharmonic, almost tortured creak. The spell wobbled as it fell into place, the imbalance nearly wrecking the reading. Twilight took a step back, and gasped at what she saw.

My body's engrams were distinctly different and less pleasant than Twilight's. I could guess the deep crackles of shadowy purple denoted the gem. The flickers of crimson looked like bloody hands to me, and the baleful green flecks...well, no use guessing.

"Oooh..." Twilight breathed, her pencil working twice as fast. I waited impatiently. As soon as she nodded and stood, I wiped the pattern. She grimaced, but didn't say anything.

The group was sitting on the floor this time, circled around a firefly lantern. All eyes turned to us as we entered. We settled down with them. I joined the card game; the were playing Fools. Twilight buried her nose in her notebook.

"So, Wes, we were thinking." Rainbow passed a sheaf of cards to Applejeck, and smiled at me. "Rarity figures that we might be able to discover who's bothering you, by checking if they're tailing you."

"I...guess. Would they do that? Tail me?"

"Maybe." Rarity answered. "Honestly, I can't say for sure. But if they're trying for some specfic effect with this attack, they will need to check on you at some point. I'll ask around town, but in the meantime there's not much we can do."

I considered it for a minute. It made some sense; if they wanted to find out how I was doing, they might have me watched. Or rather, who they thought was me watched.

"So...do you think watching for a tail would be enough?" I asked, speculatively.

"Again, maybe." Rarity shrugged, and triumphantly slapped an ace down in front of Rainbow, who groaned. "It's all we can do for now. If they're foolish, or we get lucky, we might learn something."

"Hmn. Ok, thanks for the suggestion. I'll ask Twilight what she thinks, and-"

"Hey, Twilight!" Rainbow reached over and tapped her on the shoulder. I felt the reaction across the link, first; Twilight had maintained it so the could use her fingers properly. Reflexes I'd painstakingly trained lashed out, and she moved without thinking, twisting violently and throwing a punch directly at Rainbow's unprotected side. I reacted nearly as quickly, trying to keep my friends from hurting each other. I grasped Twilight's power, yanking it across the link and spellcasting in a split second. Rainbow blinked out, re-appearing halfway across the room, and Twilight hit only empty air, a shocked look appearing on her face.

"Oh, Rainbow, I'm so sorry!" She leaped up and ran to her friend, hugging her fiercely.

"It's Ok," came the muffled reply. "I guess that's why Wes twitches when I sneak up on him."

"No kidding." I said dryly. "Those reflexes have saved my life. Careful with them, both of you."

"I didn't even think," Twilight said. "I just felt you there, and then I was moving."

"Hey, it's fine. Hopefully you and Wes'll be back to normal soon anyways, right?"

"Maybe! Actually, Wes, I'd like you to check me here. I'm getting some odd readings."

"Oh?" I levitated her notes, and scanned them. "What are you seeing?"

"Well, it's odd. I'd swear that this signature here-" She released Rainbow, and ran a finger along one line of calculation "-means this whole thing is caused by wild magic. But the only sort of wild magic strong enough would be from the Everfree. And you haven't been in there in days, right?"

"Yeah. I haven't gone out past my clearing in weeks. But-" A sudden realization stopped me. Magic, from the Everfree? Strange effects? A sinister somepony? No way. I jumped up, and dashed to yesterdays mail pile.

"Wes?" Rainbow asked.

"No way. No WAY!" I shouted, scrambling madly for a specific piece of paper.

"What's up?" Applejack asked, putting her cards down. "You two out of the game, or what?" I pulled the piece out, and threw it on the floor. It was a simple flower, cut for Hearth's Warming. The one that had no return address, or name of the sender. I'd thought it odd then.

"Don't touch that!" I snapped, as Rainbow reached for it. "This is the culprit. Or rather, from the culprit."

"Oh!" Twilight scanned it quickly, and a slightly horrified expression appered on her face. "Oh! Someone mailed you-"

"Poison Joak pollen." I finished. "I can't believe I didn't notice earlier! Zecora trained me on it; I should have recognized the smell, even! I didn't put two and two together until you mentioned wild magic. This wackyness has Poison Joak written all over it! I even started coughing and sneezing after getting this. I thought I was getting a cold, but it was allergies. Magical ones." I stared at the paper a second longer, and grit my teeth. "This clinches it. Somepony - or ponies - here in Ponyville have it in for me." I glanced at the circle of staring faces, and the reality of the situation hit me. "Now what?" I asked helplessly.

27 - Rain

Rain

"Everypony looks so cute!" Twilight said.

"You're just noticing?" We were on the path to Zecora's in the early morning. Mist hung low on the ground and gnarled trees loomed menacingly in the forest shadows, but birds sang cheerfully and sunlight slowly brightened our way. Dew hung heavy on the branches and leaves. My fetlocks were soaked. "Odd it would strike you today. I wonder if it takes time for minds to acclimate to bodies? Maybe if we stayed switched, you'd find yourself thinking like me?"

"Possibly. Do we really look this adorable to you?"

"Likely more. If you didn't notice yesterday, then tomorrow it could be even more pronounced. Most of you look like soft plush toys. Super cute and huggable. Especially the foals. The cutie mark crusaders are so sweet, sometimes it's all I can do to keep myself from snuggling them. Especially Scootaloo. Can you imagine how offended she would be?" We both burst out laughing, imagining the 'tough' filly's reaction to being adorable.

"I guess no matter what else we got out of this, it has put some things into perspective." I brushed a branch out of the way.

"Yeah." Twilight nodded. "Although now we've solved this, we have a whole new set of problems."

"One thing at a time." I sighed. A sinister somepony was not what I needed in my life. "For now, we need the antidote. After, I need to talk to Lyra."

"You're talking her offer?"

"Yeah," I said somberly. "I'll ask if we can focus on mental discipline. I don't know if it was watching you fight the manticore, or almost punch Rainbow, but I realized that I can't afford to pretend I'm normal. I need to do something. One of the first things I learned from Splinter was indecision is usually worse than guessing. I can't pretend my problems don't exist. Lyra's training may not be the final answer, but it's a step."

"Makes sense. Well, it's been educational, but I, for one, will be glad to be back to normal."

"Amen to that." I turned the last corner on the trail, carefully edging past a puddle, and smiled with relief as Zecora's house came into view. Soon, one problem would be out of the way. Soon, I could start working on the next one.

Soon.

Zecora cured us quickly, although she burst out laughing upon hearing about our plight. After picking herself up off the floor and choking back paroxysms of giggles, she mixed the antidote with no fuss and no trouble. We went separate ways, relieved and planning to pick up the pieces as best we could.

For me, that meant heading straight into the Everfree.

I wasn't kidding when I told Twilight I didn't have money for a decent chair. I barely had money for decent food. I had a job, and it payed well; comparatively better than my job on Earth. But I hadn't put in a full day since visiting Canterlot. I had made bits here and there, but I couldn't afford to be just scraping by. Winter was coming eventually, and I couldn't subsist on hay. I needed to stock up, and that meant buying in bulk; I couldn't eat pony staples, and that meant a special order. Put those together and you need big bits, cash up front. My house was worth it. I was very happy I'd laid out the money for it, and I wouldn't take that back. But things were...tight. Tighter than I'd thought, with wacky shenanigans filling my time. So, I seized the chance to get some work done.

I headed into the forest diagonally to the Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters. The Everfree could be very dangerous, but not everywhere. Between Ponyville and the Palace it was scary, but fairly tame. Near the Palace, it was quite safe. Past the Palace, things started getting crazy again, like the old city had a calming influence of sorts. I hiked until things started to get interesting. I was nearly half a day from Ponyville, clockwise around the Palace.

One of the best parts of the hiking was exploring. I'd taken an hour or two in Twilight's workshop to make myself a decent compass. Combined with a good map and my orienteering skills, I could always find my way out. Not as convenient as the GPS on my long-lost phone, but I kept notes on my map, and carefully expanded my 'territory', slowly moving further and further into the unknown, slowly stretching my understanding of the wild.

One part of being a naturalist I really enjoyed was the outdoors time. Hiking was a paid activity, and working meant leaving my paperwork behind. I was alone, the distractions of life, the hustle, bustle, and ponies of the town were far behind.

It was nice. Peaceful.

I didn't just wander anywhere, of course. Even before my run-in with Poison Joak, I moved slowly and cautiously. I stuck to trails as I could, and didn't let my thoughts stray far. Now I was a bit more comfortable with using Splinter's horn, I had another advantage. I couldn't cast spells without help, but sensing didn't take energy, so I could scan for magic; I could spot magic and enchantments from afar as long as I paid attention.

I was moving stealthily, dagger in one hand, horn in the other, on a thinly-worn rabbit trail. I'd found a slow-stone, which was quite good; if I didn't turn up anything else, I could call it a day. But I was enjoying the breeze, and decided to continue a bit. As I hiked, I caught glimpses of something odd through the trees. Finally stepping into a clearing, I found what seemed to be a relic of the Ever Free City. Ruins were scattered all through the Forest. The City had been a big place, and left lots behind, much to my pleasure. I enjoyed exploring ruins. Walking the hoofsteps of those who came before gave me a curious feeling, and I liked to imagine the days of those who lived an age ago. This one was a large mural, intricately and painstakingly painted onto a cliff.

I stood and appreciated the mural for a good five minutes. At some point, erosion had halved the hill before me, leaving a generously sized rock face footed by scree. Using an unknown technique, somepony had marked the surface, using the expanse of bare stone as their canvas. Dark swirls alternated with natural gray. It was abstract, with no obvious symbolism, and big enough that as I walked closer, I couldn't take the whole thing in at once, but more and more details sprang to light. As I neared the cliff, foreshortening bent the whole thing, drawing attention to a point where darker shadow lay. At first, it looked like part of the design. But the blackness didn't quite match the dark of the mural. With a start, I realized it was a cave. I scrambled up the scree to investigate. It didn't seem like much at first, just a crack in the rock; but as I looked deeper, I was surprised to find an ancient door in the depths.

I picked my way past the debris and ran a hand slowly over the old stone, excitement and apprehension warring in my chest. Heart thumping, I tried the handle; it was unlocked. Ruins were fun, but actual artifacts were something else. I paused before entering, but pushed past my hesitation and swung the door open. Inside, it was cool and dry. I sneezed at the dust and held my horn up, scanning for magic.

The response nearly knocked me over.

Panicked, I leaped backwards, dodging away and flattening myself against the cliff. After standing motionless for a few minutes, I started to feel a bit foolish. I carefully retraced my steps. The response didn't change; something behind the door was intensely magical. I fumbled a flask of fireflies out and tapped it to wake them up. The sullen glow barely pushed back the darkness, but it gave me enough to start.

This was...a guardhouse?

I stepped slowly through the door. The magical aura I sensed swirled around me, and started dissipating. I blinked in astonishment; had I panicked over thaumically charged air? Surely not! But my opinion changed as I stepped further in. My skin fairly crackled with potential as fresh air swirled in; the atmosphere here harbored the energy for a good sized storm. Whatever this place was guarding, for this much free magic to leak was extraordinary. I explored carefully while the room aired out. As my eyes adjusted, my lantern light revealed more secrets.

Mostly boring secrets.

This place was so ordinary, I could hardly believe it. A few small rooms, mouldering beds, a fireplace, the door I'd entered. An empty desk. Empty weapons-racks.

But finally, a trapdoor. It was the only interesting thing in the place, and it delivered.

It was wreathed in runes, and wired in silver. From the bits I understood, the whole thing was designed to ground wild magic, harmlessly releasing it into the surrounding stone and air. With the door sealed, the charge had built up over time. I might not have noticed if it hadn't been concentrated like that.

By now, I was starting to suspect I'd found an entrance to the Caves of Song and Shade.

The Caves underlay the Everfree, and were even more wild and treacherous, though oddly, in some ways they were better documented and understood. The Forest was a modern phenomenon, which the Caves predated by an era. When the Ever Free City was finally broken and it's inhabitants scattered, the Forest rose in its place. Most entrances to the Caves were lost in the Forest. I'd studied them as a matter of curiosity. Some researchers claimed the Forest was merely the Caves magic aboveground; one account even called it the Forest of Song and Shade.

I'd never expected to find an entrance. And when I did, I wasn't entirely sure what I should do with it. The Caves of Song and Shade had been important to the ponies of the Ever Free City. They'd founded their settlement here for a reason, and although I couldn't fathom the whole of it, the Caves factored in deeply.

Even more curious now, I ran my fingers around the slab. It had no lock, or even hinges. It looked like something expected to see infrequent use, but built to last. Somepony had wanted this done right, the first time. Military? Government?

It didn't seem dangerous. I scanned the whole thing again. The dissipating circuits muffled whatever was below, but it didn't seem hostile. Or intelligent. Or alive, even. Just...very wild.

I slipped the tip of my dagger under the edge and levered it up a crack. The first note confirmed my suspicion. I let the trapdoor close, walked back to the entrance, leaned against the cliff under the mural, and thought this through.

That was definitely singing stone. The only place it was found nearby was the Caves of Song and Shade; it was even in the name. My heels were itching now; I wanted to explore. Partially because I was sure I could find something to sell, and partially pure curiosity. I'd found a purpose-built entrance. The idea that the Ever Free City had a systematic access to the caves was fascinating. What had they left behind down there?

But, was I ready for this?

I went over my mental checklist, frowning as answers rolled in. I wasn't equipped for a very long expedition. I'd told Zecora I'd be gone for a day; if I didn't drop by, she'd assume the worst. Twilight wanted help with an experiment, and I hadn't talked to Lyra.

But I did have extra supplies. And this was intriguing.

With a hint of regret, I closed the door behind me, and started to Zecora's. I needed to tell her, at least. Nopony else knew my schedule; nopony else should come looking for me. I'd scrounge some food, and explore the Caves. Maybe I'd head back tomorrow.

Maybe.

Three days later, I was still here.

I sat in the entrance to the crevasse, and watched the rain.

Exploring was slow going. I'd was camping in the guardhouse; it was sturdy enough for security, even in this fairly wild area of the Everfree. I smiled at that; surprise camping had caused me trouble before. As I guessed, the trapdoor opened into the Chorus Caverns, one of the better documented areas. Maybe because of this entrance. Of the known caves, the were fairly safe, but troublesome in their own way.

Singing stone wasn't worth much, but it had unusual properties. The obvious one was resonance. The longer I stayed in the caves, the more sound I made; the more sound I made, the more the caverns sang. The notes I'd heard on opening the trapdoor were faint, like a distant pipe-organ. I carefully lowered myself down, closing the door behind me, and raising my lantern. I'd removed my shoes, and my socks made little sound on the floor. But even small sounds echo in the right spaces.

I'd begged some beeswax from Zecora for a pair of earplugs. They were clumsy, but a lot better than nothing. With these, I usually managed at least a half-hour in the Chorus Caverns before needing a break.

On my first exploration, I was startled by the hum. It started building as soon as I touched the floor.

It was a gentle buzz in my bones, not exactly unpleasant, but slowly growing. I took a cautious step, and the buzz increased. I sighed in exasperation; if it continued like this, I'd need to leave the caves periodically or be shaken to pieces. I resigned myself to a slow, grinding process, and began documenting everything I could see.

By the time the resonance became unbearable I had started a serviceable map and taken samples of the surrounding rocks, noted the glowing stream that cut through the large entrance cavern, and even managed to find an unusual fungus. As I climbed out of the trapdoor, my whole body bubbled and fizzed with sound, transmitted strongly through the air and rock. I could hear it through my earplugs. It was harmonious, a thousand sweet instruments all signing as one, but monstrously penetrating. I felt brittle, like a wineglass shaking to pieces.

I slammed the trapdoor closed, and tweaked my earplugs out. The seals filtered the magical vibrations, and even muffled the sound; it was like a deep underground pipe organ, or distant church bells on a foggy morning. I sat, exhaustion flowing through me. The constant pressure had worn me thin. I felt drained, like I'd been on a ten-hour car ride.

This could take a while.

Today, I was taking a break.

I'd planned to gather food in the Forest, before exploring a bit more. But when I'd gotten to the entrance of the crevasse, I'd found it was raining. Not the gentle sprinkles we got in Ponyville, or even the more substantial stuff Applejack and Carrot Top scheduled for their farms; this was a real whiz-bang thunderstorm, with lightning crackling angrily overhead, and a sullen green cast to the air. I'd smiled at the sight; a bit of real weather wouldn't go amiss. Making a snap decision, I set my pack down, leaned against the warm stone, and watched.

That's what I'd been doing most of the morning. Watching it rain.

A bit bored, I'd scrounged samples of singing stone from my pack and began tinkering. Staring out into the storm, I touched my makeshift instrument, a framework of twigs with fragments of stone suspended. A clear note rang out. I flicked a few more, frowning as they sounded discordantly. They never did that in the Caves; maybe if I connected them...I cast around for something, and a flash of color caught my eye. I set my experiment to the side and stood, peering.

"Fluttershy?" I was surprised and slightly worried when I realized what I was looking at. The delicate pegasus was well and truly bedraggled. She stepped out of the trees as I called her name, soaked wings nearly dragging on the ground, mane dangling listlessly in her eyes.

Her ears lifted noticeably when she heard me. I waved her over, and cleared the clutter of my inventing away as best I could.

She picked her way up the path I'd cleared and stepped into the crevice with obvious relief. I stepped back as she shook water off herself. I'd been told pegasi were moderately water resistant, but when they got soaked, they were surprisingly absorbent. She flapped her wings a few times, dampening the area further.

"What are you doing way out here? In the rain?"

"My animal friends said you might be around here." She replied quietly. "I didn't check the weather schedule."

"Oh." I led her into the guardhouse, and threw a few pieces of wood on the coals in the ancient stone fireplace, and started my kettle heating. "I don't think the weather schedule would have helped. They forecast on the edges of the Everfree, but this is pretty far in. Here." I threw her my poncho, a thick woolen garment I'd been using as a blanket. "Pull that over you. Just how cold are you?"

"I'm Ok."

The conversation lapsed into awkward silence.

I blocked the doorway open, retrieving my experiment. It had taken a bit of work to clear the chimney, but now I got pretty decent airflow through the room.

I'd been trying to connect the stones. I used twine to carefully tie them, and touched my instrument again. Now they sang harmoniously. I smiled and ran my fingers along the notes. The storm rumbled outside. The white noise of the rain reached us through the door, damp chill fighting the cheerful blaze of the fire. I began picking out a song, searching for sounds. I could change the pitch by adjusting the frame, so I would play a few notes, adjust my twine, and try again.

A melody began taking shape in the dim room. Fluttershy pulled the poncho close and scooted near the fire. After a few minutes, a shrill note disturbed my playing, and I put the instrument aside, and carefully retrieved my kettle from the flames. I fumbled a sachet of cocoa from my pack and dumped it into my mug, adding water and mixing thoroughly.

"Careful, it's hot." Fluttershy accepted hesitantly.

"Wesley, what's bothering you?"

"Nothing." It sounded hollow even to me. "Not much, anyways."

"Um, I...I think I know how you feel." Fluttershy blew carefully on her drink. I smiled bitterly. "Oh, maybe not about being in another world." Her voice dropped. "Although I'm sure that's very scary." She shivered slightly. "But, about running to be in the forest. I know how you feel, because I'm good at running from my problems, too. And I love the forest." I stroked my instrument again. I could 'bend' a note depending on how I activated a stone. The melancholy song trembled in the air for a moment.

"Did you come all this way just for me?"

"I thought you might need a friend." I was speechless at that. I knew she was 'kindness', but, like realizing just how sly Rarity was in undercharging me, I was just now realizing how well Fluttershy fit her Element. A half-day's hike through unfamiliar parts of the Everfree was no joke, even with help from the local wildlife.

"If you want to talk, I'll listen. Sometimes it helps." she said carefully. I mulled over her words for a while, listening to the rain. The storm seemed to be getting even fiercer, if that was possible. After finding tropical plants growing in one part, I'd begun speculating there were microclimates in the Everfree. Maybe this spot was particularly inclement?

"What are you playing?" She asked when I didn't respond.

"I found some singing stones. As long as they're connected, they'll harmonize." I frowned. "I don't think the instrument has a name. I built it because I-" I cut off, my thoughts devolving into a muddy swirl of realization.

"Wes?"

"Because I wanted a distraction." I rubbed my eyes. "That's all I'm doing, isn't it?" I swallowed convulsively. "I'm such a fool sometimes. Am I really so shallow?" I drew a few more notes out to fill the silence. "I...I don't know how to deal with Ponyville." I finally confessed. "I can barely deal with friendly ponies. And now one of them is trying to make trouble for me." The situation loomed over me, an insoluble mass of problems. I shut my eyes, trying to ignore it, but it bore down more strongly. Unavoidable. Inescapable. Painful. I couldn't see a way through it; wherever I turned, my malefactor menaced me, safe in anonymity.

"It's so much easier to run away." Fluttershy filled in for me. I nodded.

"I even convinced myself it was a good thing." I said. "But I'm just shirking. Pushing the responsibility onto everypony else. Right?" I spat. "Faugh. I disgust myself. I thought I was stronger than this."

"We don't mind."

"Hmm?"

"We want to help."

I shook my head slowly. The melody was taking a definite form, now.

"Really?" I asked softly. I knew they were my friends. Twilight and I were nearly of one mind, and I had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Rainbow on the battlefield. Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie had welcomed me in their own ways. But it seemed I still hadn't grasped what 'friend' meant to these ponies. Fluttershy's assertion still blindsided me. They were Ok with helping pick up my mess?

"Sometimes we need to do hard or scary things." Fluttershy sipped her drink. "Sometimes we thoughtlessly hurt our friends, or they hurt us. Sometimes we do things we regret. But true friends are trying to help. I know about running from problems." She smiled. "But my friends have helped me through them. Let us help you too. We're okay with you pushing some of the load onto us."

I thought of Fluttershy as delicate, but her smile didn't look weak to me then.

"You right. Of course. This really isn't solving anything. I can tell myself that the caves are intriguing, and that I need alone time, but it's just an excuse, huh?" She nodded warily.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was soft. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," I said. "It leaves a bitter taste to be called on my foolishness, but I'll grin and bear it." I sent a few more notes soaring into the rain. "Thank you." I said quietly. I got a gentle nod in reply. I composed myself, and re-ordered my priorities. "I guess we should head back." Her ears drooped a little at that. "We can wait until the rain stops, though." We shared a quiet laugh. I pulled a few more notes out of my instrument.

"Fluttershy..." I stopped.

"Hmm?"

"Why aren't you more scared of me?"

I hadn't fully understood until I saw her at my party, but Fluttershy was extremely shy. Ridiculously so, even. I'd realized just how odd it was that she easily spoke to me.

"Umm..." She hesitated, sipping her cocoa for a moment. "You...you feel like one of my animal friends."

I blinked at that. She saw me as...a wild animal?

"Hah. Hahaha!" She gave me an odd look as I burst out laughing. Looking back on our interaction, I realized she was right. She rarely met my eyes, and always acted very non-threatening, just like dealing with a potentially dangerous predator. The thing is, I realized I'd always made slow movements around her, and avoided using a loud voice myself...as if she was half-wild, and might spook.

"I guess we're even, then." I wiped my eyes. "I think I've been doing the same. Heh. Sorry."

"That's Ok." She blinked her huge eyes slowly. "You're calming to be around."

"Oh." I smiled slightly. Even strange compliments were nice. I adjusted a few bits of my instrument, and tried again.

"What's your song?"

"Auld Lang Syne. I means...long, long ago? It's about memory. The huge mural on the cliff outside got me thinking about it." I paused for a second, trying to marshal my thoughts. "Whoever painted the cliff-face is gone. Their work still stands bold, though. Why were they forgotten? Should we remember them, or are we better off not knowing? Moving forward means leaving things behind. What do we need to hold onto, what can we leave by the wayside?" I stopped, cutting off my diatribe. These were things I'd been trying to understand ever since escaping. I shook my head, dismissing the thoughts. Fluttershy was looking at me oddly, but blinked the expression away as I noticed.

"It sounds pretty." I nodded at that. I'd always liked the tune. I'd nearly finished adjusting my instrument to play it. I started again, and got most of the way through this time. We spent the rest of the morning there, talking quietly and drinking cocoa. Eventually, the storm broke, and we ventured out.

The path was muddy, and the trees dripped, but the sky was clear, and it wasn't far past one or two.

"Can we make it back before nightfall?"

"I...I think so." Fluttershy answered. I nodded, and we set off down the path. She kept glancing back towards the mural, but soon enough we were well on our way back towards Ponyville.

"Look, Rarity. This is worth twice what you're charging me!" I held up the wool jacket I'd commissioned. It was sturdy, but finely cut and woven, entirely too nice for the use I intended. "I just wanted something to hike in on chilly days! This is nearly a dress coat!" We were standing in the showroom of the Carousel Boutique. I shook the garment at her. She was being difficult.

"Wesley, you should always look your best. This will work just fine for exploring the forest. It's got all the pockets you asked for, and it's sturdy enough."

"That's not the problem." I massaged my temples. "You're practically giving it away! I can't, in good conscience, pay what you're asking!"

"But Wesley, we agreed! You're not trying to renegotiate, are you? That would be a shocking breach of etiquette."

"I want to pay you more!" I shouted, and instantly regretted it. Her ears flattened, and her eyes grew wide. A lip wobbled. Inwardly, I groaned. She was faking. Probably. Definitely probably. I tried to re-assure myself as a tear appeared at the corner of her eye, and she sniffled.

"You...you don't need to shout," she whimpered. "If that's how you really feel about my work-"

"Sorry." I mumbled. I tossed the coat onto a counter, dropped to my knees and threw my arms around her neck. She was probably faking, but I still couldn't stand up to that face. "Sorry. I didn't want to make you cry. I'll pay what you ask. Even if it's worth more."

"Well!" She stepped back and flipped her mane, every trace of tears gone. "You should have said that in the first place. Would you like some tea?"

"Fine." I followed her into the sitting room. "Look, Rarity, I just want to pay you a fair price. You do great work, and I feel guilty you're not being properly compensated for it."

"Wesley, things are tight for you. No, don't try and dissemble. I can see right through you." She fixed me with a piercing blue stare. "You're saving up, aren't you? You need to hold onto your bits."

"I can afford to pay you fair value." I said sullenly.

"But you do, Wesley. I set my own prices. Surely you don't think I'm too shy to ask for more."

"Hah. No." I poured for both of us, and sat down on the couch, taking up most of it. "No, not too shy. You're right, though; I'm saving up for winter. I'm going to order food in bulk, and store it in my basement; I think with a bit of work, I can make a decent root cellar." I sipped my tea, glancing around. The ornate furnishings caught my eye, and I had sudden thought. I tried to suppress a wicked smile as I set my cup down. "Just a sec, I had an idea." I stepped back to the entrance and rummaged through my pack, which I still hadn't emptied. Fluttershy and I had gotten back right around sundown. I'd seen her home and collapsed in bed.

I extracted a bundle and returned.

"How about this?" I waved it. "I found a piece of amethyst the other day." I loosened the rag I'd wrapped it in, showing the beautiful indigo color. I set it on the table, and sat down. "Would you accept it as part of my payment?"

She eyed me suspiciously, and carefully inspected the rock. I'd purposefully placed it out of her reach, but it was very clear, with a pleasant shade. I could see ideas spark in her eyes as the deep hue caught her interest. It was large, several inches in diameter and maybe a foot long, but smaller than many of the gems Rarity uncovered on her expeditions.

"It's uncut." I said. "And harvested poorly. It's yours, for, say, forty bits." Rarity gave me a searching look while I innocently inspected my fingernails. That was nearly fair market value, and probably confusing after my fuss about paying more. On the other hand, she wouldn't suspect me of cheating her. She could tell my protests were sincere; I did want to repay her. I don't know what swayed her, but she nodded decisively.

"Can I deduct the balance from your bill?" I nodded, and flipped a bit of the cloth over the stone to push it nearer her. She scooped it up for a closer inspection, and jumped in surprise as it chimed gently. "Oh!" She shot me a speculative look. "Wesley, this a singing stone!"

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow over my teacup. "How astonishing."

"Wesley."

"I had no idea." I continued. "What a perplexing discovery."

"Even uncut, singing gems sell for hundreds of bits on the Canterlot Exchange! They're not produced anywhere!"

"Astounding. Too bad we've already closed the deal." I grinned. "Rarity, you're not trying to renegotiate, are you? That would be a shocking breach of etiquette."

"Pfft." She sipped her tea, and grinned at me. "One day I'll pay you back, Wesley."

"Come at me. One day we'll get even." I smiled back, and then sighed. "Rarity, what's going on?"

"How do you mean?"

"With the town. I'm not expecting to be friends with every pony, but just walking here, they seemed apprehensive of me. Scared, even. I think I heard a door slam. They hurried past, wouldn't meet my eyes."

"Oh, Wesley...I'm sorry you found out this way. I hoped it wouldn't happen, but, well, our sinister somepony has started spreading rumors."

"What?" I was faintly astonished. "That's all?"

"Don't take it so lightly." She added a spoonful of sugar to her tea. "Did Zecora ever tell you what the town was like when she first arrived?"

"...yeah." I nodded. I knew she'd been ostracized. It sounded unpleasant. But she gave me some helpful advice; ponies weren't actually afraid of different people. They were afraid of the unknown. She'd unthinkingly exacerbated the situation by acting mysterious and living out of town. I'd purposefully been as open and transparent as I dared in my interactions, and the townsfolk had responded in kind.

Until now.

"Is that really all it took?" I was still trying to wrap my brain around simple rumors being responsible for the sudden change.

"Wesley, you're starting to fit in, but in many ways you're still a stranger here. Believe me when I say I know the power of rumor. Used well, it's more vicious and effective than a knife. And there are complications." She set her tea down, and locked eyes with me. "Other ponies heard the manticore roaring that day."

"Oho." That's what this was about. "So, the rumor is-"

"You're dangerous. You bring dangers to the village. I'd guess that was the start." She puffed a breath in annoyance. "As of now, you either killed the manticore, or are in cahoots with it to devour the whole town. And everything in between. Either way, they paint you as harsh. Powerful. Deadly."

"But...I am all that." I smiled wryly.

"So is Lyra. Come to that, Twilight and Rainbow aren't too far off. Even-Well." Rarity cut herself off mid-retort. "Though you are all that, that is not all you are. Get your head right, Wesley. You're also a kind caring human who's making the best of a bad situation."

"So, what can I do?"

"First, stay in town." I winced at her tone, but nodded. "Your haring off into the forest limited what I could do for damage control. I can spread competing rumors, and try and trace things back to their source, but I'll need your cooperation for anything to be convincing. Will you follow my directions, even if they sound silly?"

"Um. Is this really necessary?"

"Do you want to live like an outcast? Even if this sinister somepony is only trying to make life difficult for you, that doesn't mean you should let them."

"...I guess it's rude to whine after asking for advice." She nodded firmly. "Ok, Mistress Rarity, what are your orders?" Her eyes twinkled, and a mischievous grin spread across her face.

"Well, we need to respond to the rumors about you. And the best-or rather only-way to do that is to spend time around town talking to ponies and being a pleasant, non-threatening human. In short, you need to socialize. So, you need to be presentable. The first thing we are doing is visiting the spa."

"Oh." I set my cup down. "Ok."

28 - Byways

Byways

"So, wait, you've never meditated before?"

I cracked an eye and glared at my mint-green mentor. This was my first training session with Lyra. I'd requested her tutelage yesterday, after Rarity made sure I was properly groomed, and we'd agreed to meet this morning. Since I was restricted to the town until the rumors were dealt with, I decided to make some use of my time.

"Never. Your interruptions aren't helping, Sensei."

"Fine, I decree we're taking a break. Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Mysterious martial arts instructors should always be called Sensei. This is common knowledge where I come from. Would you prefer a different title?" I stretched, and yawned. So far, all I'd gotten out of meditation practice was a rest for my eyes.

We were at Sweet Drops; Lyra and Bon-Bon lived here. There was plenty of space upstairs for two bedrooms and two sitting rooms, so Lyra had turned her sitting room into a studio of sorts. Most of it was a bare hardwood floor, with a few pony-shaped exercise aides scattered around. Skylights gave bright light, and large mirrors on most of the walls made it seem even bigger. I liked it. It smelled warm and relaxing.

"Just, don't call me Sensei. So! Common knowledge where you're from... tell me about that." I frowned.

"Um." I thought back on detailing the whole story to the Elements, and how confusing it had been for just those six. I didn't want to lie, but I wasn't sure if the unvarnished truth was a good idea, either. "It's not that important."

"Nonsense!" Lyra bounced to her hooves, and paced a circle around me. "You're obviously from a long way off! You've got to be an omnivore, with those teeth. And a whole bipedal culture? It must be fascinating! Anyways, I need to know more about you. The fact you've never practiced meditation means you weren't raised as a unicorn, but I should have expected that. You're just so different. I want to know where you came from, so I can know more about how you think. I need to know how you learned to fight, so I can evaluate what habits to keep, and what to train out of you. As your teacher, I'm responsible for molding you into an effective and beautiful martial artist. How can I do that if I don't know anything about you?"

I sighed. She had some good points. At the very least, I'd better tell her about the ordeal I'd gone through with the changelings. But this session was starting to drag on, and I'd promised to meet Rarity for morning tea and a discussion of my social life, such as it was.

"Well, you make a lot of sense." I stood, and stretched. "How about this; I'll tell you everything about how I learned to fight. I'll tell you what I can about where I grew up, but there's going to be bits I need to skate around, or dumb down, or just plain leave out. Is that Ok?" She hesitated, so I continued. 'Listen, some of what's going on with me is related to the Elements. I don't know if it's actually restricted information, but....are you sure you want to be involved in that?"

"Yes!" She started bouncing enthusiastically. "I do, I do!"

"Oh." I face-palmed. That backfired. "Um. Listen, Lyra. Let's start with my...training." I smiled bitterly. Seeing my expression, Lyra stopped bouncing, and leaned her ears back. "It's not really a pleasant story, but my therapist says talking helps."

"O-oh. Ok."

"Anyways, I'm meeting Rarity for tea. I'm supposed to be more 'social'." I made air-quotes with my fingers. Lyra whipped out a notebook, and jotted something down. I blinked, but ignored it. "Want to come? We can talk at the cafe, and order before she gets there so she can't pay for our food."

"Sure!"

"...and we collapsed the portal." I ended my story, describing our escape from the Crystal Kingdom. I'd skimmed over the soul-bonding stuff; I had no idea how educated Lyra was magically, but noumancy was technically a crime. Besides, part of that secret belonged to Twilight. As I'd related my story, Lyra's eyes had grown progressively wider, and her ears progressively lower. Looking up, I found her staring at me in blank shock.

"I'm so sorry!" She said, leaping at me and throwing her forelegs around my neck.

"Sn't your fault," I mumbled. I gingerly returned her embrace. "I'm trying to work past it."

"No, but-" She released me and returned to her teacup. "It must hurt."

"Less each day." I smiled. "Anyways, that's how I learned to fight. That's why I'm...a bit of a berserker. I don't know if you still think you can help, but that's what you're working with."

"Hmm." Her face grew serious, eyebrows furrowing. "No wonder. You've been motivating yourself with fear and anger. Thats...not a good idea. Those feelings can help in the short term, but you'll find yourself becoming what you hate if you go too far." I raised an eyebrow; she didn't notice. "This makes meditation even more important. We'll be re-working your emotional habits." She looked up. "Wesley, in order to fully combat this, we're going to need to start sparring at some point. If you can't deal with that...I don't think you'll ever fight confidently." I nodded slowly.

"Well Jedi, I'll deal when we come to that. But if you're sure it will help, I'll give it a shot."

"Jedi?" She crinkled her brow, puzzled.

"Instead of Sensei. Jedi are warriors of great renown, who fight hatred and cruelty in all things." Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"I feel you're teasing me. But it is better, so Ok."

"Rarity!" I waved to the fashionista as she appeared around the corner. We were in the open-air section of a small cafe, a pot of tea and plate of sweets before us. I'd never been any sort of social drinker, but I was beginning to appreciate tea.

"Oh really, Wes." Rarity wrinkled her nose as she sat down. "I'm quite sure I said this would be my treat."

"Hmm?" I pretended not to hear. "Rarity, I hope you don't mind, I invited Lyra. She's been helping me with training, as my Jedi."

"Any friend of Wes' is a friend of mine." She politely tapped hooves. "I'm Rarity; it's nice to meet you. Tell me, what does Jedi mean?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself." Lyra said wryly. "Wes just started calling me that, since apparently martial artists have special titles where he's from."

"I see." Rarity raised an eyebrow at me. I shifted uncomfortably. She couldn't really see through me...right? "Well! Wes, I simply must show you what I've begun working on!" She produced a small velvet box, and placed it before me. "I love making jewelry, and that gem you brought me was so exquisite, I just had to begin a project. Go on, take a look."

Curious, I cracked the lid. All three of us jumped as an ear-splitting shriek rang out. I dropped the box and plugged my ears, but the sound cut off immediately.

"Hehe." Lyra had caught the box; she sheepishly floated it back onto the table. "Sorry." Rarity and I shared a look, and then stared at her. She shrugged uncomfortably, and sipped her tea.

"Mysterious martial arts instructors." I waved the incident away flipped the top to examine Rarity's piece. Several pieces of carefully faceted amethyst were set in a large brooch shaped like a carousel pony. It was barely begun; the shape was clear, but it was mostly empty settings. I gently lifted it from the box, and Lyra gasped as it sang.

The pin gathered sound from the surrounding area and hummed gently back, overlaying the random clamor of the busy street with a sweet, almost inaudible chorus. It was a delicate, beautiful sound. No wonder singing gems were sought; once it was finished, wearing this would turn every hoofstep, every rustle of clothes, every word spoken to magic.

"Rarity, this is beautiful." I rubbed a finger along the tall silver pin running through the clasp, and felt the gentle hum.

"Is that singing stone?" Lyra asked, wonder in her voice.

"Amethyst!" Rarity answered proudly. "Wes kindly offered it to me as payment." Lyra's eyes narrowed at that, and she cast me a speculative gaze.

"Magnificent," she agreed. "Where on Equus did you manage to find a singing amethyst, Wes?"

"A cave. in the Everfree. A-anyways. You had ideas for improving my social life?" I clumsily changed the subject, replacing the broach and pouring Rarity a cup of tea.

"Indeed." Rarity smiled widely. "And the first is to sit and have tea and enjoy the company of your friends, in a highly visible setting where you're obviously friendly and don't punch anything. So, Lyra. You're from Canterlot?"

I walked the empty streets, hands deep in my pockets, hat low over my eyes. There was little traffic at this time of day, and the ponies I did see were just as happy to ignore me as was them. Frustration and helplessness bubbled in my chest.

"Howdy, pardner." I raised my eyes from my feet, and plastered a smile over my restless discomfort.

"Hey, Applejack." I tried to put a bit of lift in my words, but they fell flat and dull in the quiet. She pulled her hat a little lower over her blond mane, and fell in silently. We walked for a few minutes, heading through town square towards her farm. I was tempted to turn away, to see if she would follow, but didn't quite feel rude enough.

"You know, Wes..."She chewed contemplatively on a stalk of grass. "Ah jest can't get a read on you."

"Hmm?"

"Ah like to think Ah'm a fair judge of character. But no matter how Ah try, Ah've no idea what you're thinking most times." That didn't seem to need a reply, so we walked in silence for a while longer. "It's clear enough, somethings eating you. Ah'd like to tell you to bear up, that this nastiness will blow over, but it's not just the hard words and looks that hurt, is it?"

"No."

"You seem a decent sort. Ah'd like to help. Twilight and Rainbow told me you were there for them; you're a friend of mine, for what it's worth."

"Thanks." I raised my head, and blew a breath at the sunset, trying to dispel some the fugue hanging over me. As companionship lightened my mood, my burdens loosened slightly. I rubbed a hand through my hair, trying to ease the tension in my neck.

"You're right, it is more than the rumors. Though they sting." I laughed humorlessly. "Never thought words had such power. Will ponies really fear me so, because of what they heard?"

"Ah reckon." Applejack produced a few apples. "Want one?" I accepted gratefully, polishing it on my shirt. "Look, Ah dunno much about where you grew up, but around here, what ponies say is pretty much all there is to go on. Even the newspaper's just what somepony typed up. If certain ponies talk, you listen, cuz that's news. If other ponies talk, you ignore them, cuz that's rumor. It's the ones in the middle, the ordinary ones, that do the most damage. If it makes a good story. Mah sister learned something about that." She munched her own apple for a minute. "Not everypony hates you. Most aren't even that afraid. They're playing a stupid game called 'better safe'n sorry'."

"Come again?"

"You got weapons back on, what was it, Earth?"

"Sure."

"Any small ones?"

"Lots."

"Something you could kill with?"

"Easily. A pistol."

"Well, if everypony, and I mean everypony, started telling you a certain human had a pistol, and was liable to use it, would you avoid them? If you'd never talked to them before, and didn't particularly care to?"

"Maybe. Yeah, I might." No point lying; I was just as capable of small-minded cruelty as the next human. I'd definitely shunned people who had a bad reputation, without even talking to them. Was that all it looked like to an outsider? I frowned.

"Most are just too timid to make the effort. It's easier to follow the herd. And they've never met you. Dang, we did it to Zecora, the six of us. Just never took the time for a kind word, and look how long she suffered for it." Applejack kicked a stone, hanging her head slightly. "And it's not like they're all shunning you, right? They're not shutting stores or nothing."

I nodded at that. The hard looks and whispers were definitely there, but nopony had actually acted against me.

"Anyways, Ah think it's gotten better."

"Maybe I should have just ignored the whole thing."

"Nah. If you'd let this sinister somepony do whatever, it would be worse. No point making it easy for them."

"I guess."

"So, what were you sulking about?"

"I wasn't...well, Ok, yeah, I was." I paused for a second, rubbing my chin. "Just, how helpless I am."

"How's that?" Applejack shot me flat stare. "You beat a manticore single hoofed, and you're helpless?"

"In this situation," I spat angrily. "I've no faces, no names, and even if I did, I can't keep solving problems with violence." I sighed, and rubbed my eyes. "I needed alone time, so I went for a walk. Hah."

"How long you been pounding the streets?"

"Hours. Since lunch, maybe? My brain caught on what I couldn't do. But, that's what friends are for, right?"

"Right." Applejack replied firmly. I threw my apple core into a nearby trash can.

The sun was pretty much set, and the streets were starting to darken. I'd parted with Applejack at the edge of town. She'd left me with an apple and a kind word, and I was feeling a lot better as I headed home, until a chill walked down my spine.

I didn't question the instinct; I knew what that shiver meant. I was being tailed.

I took a few random turns, trying to throw them off. But the shivers didn't falter. I glanced in the reflection of a window as I passed, trying to glimpse my pursuers. My heartbeat picked up, senses sharpening as I caught silhouettes. Could they tell I knew?

What to do? If they meant harm, they should have waited near my house. It was secluded, near the forest. If they were observing, a crowd would have shielded them. Empty streets were less than ideal. Why now? Had they anticipated my noticing? Should I confront them? Should I run? Options raced through my head, but it kept coming back to the question: what did they want?

Firming my resolve, I stepped into an alleyway. It was darker, but still had enough light to see. I couldn't afford to play to their plans. I would seize the initiative, wait for them to follow me, and confront them on a field of my choosing. I picked up a piece of trash, a handy plank, and held it behind my back.

When they rounded the corner, I wondered if I'd misread the situation. I lurked as subtly as I could, trying to flatten myself into a doorway. They seemed fairly innocuous; two earth ponies and a unicorn. My doubts were quickly laid rest as they glanced hastily around and muttered to each other. They were definitely up to something.

"Can I help you?" I stepped forward.

"Maybe." The leader, or at least the one in front, was a battered yellow earth pony. "Do you like bleeding?" He pulled out truncheon.

I blinked.

Didn't they realize just how outclassed they were?

They might be decent fighters in their own way. Maybe they could handle a bar brawl. But I gauged them, and none were much of a threat. I was used to fighting for my life. I'd wipe the floor with them, even three on one. They didn't even have basic training, and they were hardly coordinating. I touched my hip pocket and felt the reassuring bulge of my straight-razor, visions of scarlet spray dancing through my head. Rarity had recommended I leave my dagger at home, but I wasn't silly enough to go unarmed. They straggled closer. I almost laughed; they weren't taking me seriously at all. I'd even placed the sun in their eyes.

"Stupid hooman," the unicorn drawled. He was scrawny, dark blue, with beady black eyes and a ragged mane. He was the wild card; besides his magic, his eyes were cast with desperation. I would never underestimate the desperate. "Can't you run back into the forest? Go back to your animal friends."

They were baiting me. They stepped closer. I paced backwards, trying to formulate a plan that didn't leave corpses.

Rarity had been very clear on that.

She had forecast the possibility of violence. Physical attack was simple escalation. She hadn't guessed when or where, but was very clear on my job; fish for info and bail. I wasn't allowed to hurt anypony. She declared it counter productive, and exclaimed I was better than that.

I was unsure on the last bit, but I understood not reacting as they wanted. They were blatantly taunting me, but I wouldn't rise to the bait. No matter how satisfying.

"Who sent you?" All else equal, take the simplest route.

"Why would anypony send us? We just saw you walking along, and thought, as friendly neighbors, you might not know-"

"Look, I don't want to hurt you." I cut him off, to a salvo of dirty looks. Ugly Two produced a knife. "But I'm not letting you hurt me, either. Will you tell me anything? Your names?"

I got a flat look in response. So they weren't that dumb. I realized their cutie marks were covered.

"Well, I think I'm done here." I was about to turn and run, when another pony landed behind me with a thump. One glance verified the wings; they had air support. I guess that's how they tracked me.

"Come on, four against one?" I flattened myself against the wall, and traced the tempting length of my straight razor again. I could almost feel the cold steel in my grasp. But after, my actions ran red.

"Now. Take your lumps like a stallion." The gang moved in towards me. I sighed a little. Ham-fisted amateurs. I locked onto the weakest spot in their formation; I'd be past before they reacted, gone before they organized. I just needed to get in a building, then sneak home after dark.

"Don't hurt him!" I blinked in astonishment as a small form galloped off the street, and threw itself between me and my attackers. "We should be friends! Humans are friendly!" It was a...filly? Maybe a little older than the CMC, maybe a teenager. I couldn't tell if she had a cutie mark in the dim light, but her wings were obvious.

"Thanks, I think?" I muttered. "Look, kid, I appreciated the support, but do you know what you've gotten into?"

"Are you his friend then?" Ugly Leader said. The teenage pegasus swallowed nervously, and nodded convulsively.

"Grab my mane. I can fly you out of here," she whispered.

"Not a bad plan." I admitted grudgingly. "If you can carry me, and if we can ground that vagabond, we only need to get to the roof." I pointed to the pegasus blocking the back of the alley, and she wilted slightly.

"He'll be faster! Um, um-"

"Hey. Hooman-hugger." Ugly Unicorn called. "You think we'll just let you go?" The group laughed. I would have sighed at their stupidity, if I hadn't been gritting my teeth. As cliched as the threats were, harming an innocent youth was awfully near my berserk buttons. My new friend shied nervously from the advancing group, nearly into striking distance. Her eyes flicked back and forth; she was beginning to panic as the reality of the situation hit her. I knew that feeling, and decided to act.

"I'll ground him," I spat, pointing at the pegasus. "Sure you can lift me?" She nodded erratically. "Be ready. Get us out soon as I grab your mane." I spun, lunging for the flier. He reared, striking with hooves and wings, and I stopped short. My razor sang as it whirled open, but I restrained myself; instead of touching it, oh, so lightly, to the crucial tendons at the wing joints, I merely snagged a half-dozen pinions. The shaving-sharp blade took them effortlessly, crippling him for mere weeks.

I leaped back at the snicker-snack. The others were nearly on my would-be savior, and I didn't waste a moment; I lay about with my impromptu club, faster than they could react, and drove them back with a flurry of blows. As I'd guessed, the amateurs could barely track me.

Rarity would be disappointed. I was disappointed. But violence was needed for her safety, and in no way would I betray such an honest trust. Discomfort bubbled in my gut nonetheless; I knew, despite winning the brawl, that I'd lost a battle here.

"Now!" I yelled, tangling my fingers in the pegasus' locks. She spread her wings with a fwip, lowered them with a fwump, and we soared skywards. I waved a finger at the gang in disarray. The pegasus tried following, but his clipped wing betrayed him; he wobbled once, and corkscrewed hard into a wall. I smirked.

The flight was short, but surprisingly fast. I noticed with curiosity that I didn't dangle; I was supported by air currents, lifted on the same cushion that allowed pegasi to flap so leisurely. We landed near the library. I staggered, but kept my feet.

My blood was still roaring for action. I threw my head back, staring at the dim stars and running through the exercises Lyra had begun teaching me; focus on breathing, monitor the reactions of the body. If you watch what is happening, it will correct itself. Concentration is the light of change. Meditation directs concentration.

The trick was to pay more attention to my emotions, not less. Distancing myself wasn't the answer; I had to watch them, accept them, catalog, number, organize, file and alphabetize them. Once I could gain mindfulness of my whole body, attention would generate calm.

"-Ok, Mr. Wesley?" As I returned to myself I realized my acquaintance had been speaking.

"Sorry, what was that?" I tried to steady my voice, but my fading battle spirit must have shown, because she refused to meet my eyes.

"Are-are you Ok?"

"Yeah." I breathed deeply, letting the adrenaline fade. " Yeah, I am." We stood awkwardly for a moment. "Um, I appreciate that you wanted to help back there, but... I would have been Ok."

"...oh."

"Sorry, it's just, by jumping in like that, you put yourself in a lot of danger." I admonished gently, but her ears went totally flat and she hung her head. "It was very brave, though."

"Really?" Her voice was small.

"Yeah!" I tried putting enthusiasm into my voice. "I'm amazed you could carry me. You're a very strong flier." I had no idea if that was true, but it was encouraging. Her ears lifted a bit. "Just, you know, never do it again."

"Um, I was wondering if-" she produced a slim notebook, and pushed it into my hands, "-you'd be willing to-"

"Wesley?" I turned; Twilight stuck her head out of the library, a book floating close behind. "Who are you talking to?"

"Um, this is-" I heard a rustle, and glanced back. A feather floated downwards, highlighting a distinct lack of pegasus. I snagged it. "You left your book!" I called aimlessly. No answer.

I sighed. Maybe I should go back to hiding in the woods.

29 - Travel

Travel

I crossed my arms, and sighed deeply. Twilight shot me a concerned look, and paused her spell-casting. I was sitting on the table in the center of the library, a complex scratchwork of chalk adorning the floor beneath me. We were in the middle of an experiment.

"Are you still bothered by what Night Watch said?"

"Mmmhmm." Twilight had insisted I sleep on her couch, after hearing about the assault. I'd agreed without much urging. No sense in asking for trouble. This morning, I'd gone to the sheriff, and filed a report. I hadn't really expected much, but discouraging news was still discouraging.

"Well...I hate to say it, Was, but you didn't give him much to go on. Colors and pony-type aren't very specific."

"I know."

"At least the pegasus is distinctive, what with the clip. But although this is a small town, it's not tiny. If they're hiding, or have left-"

"I know."

"And even if something does turn up, it's your word against theirs. They could even charge you with assault. And since you're legally an alien, worst case scenario, you could be deported."

"I know! We've been over this! I just wish we could have gotten ahold of Rarity." The boutique was closed, a hastily scrawled sign announcing the proprietress was camping. I imagined Rarity hiking through the mountains, and felt a little less grim. I wished I could be there to poke fun at her distress, but I was pretty sure Applejack and Rainbow would tease her for me. Although the timing was spectacularly bad for me, I couldn't begrudge them and the Crusaders their trip. "I wonder if I could get Celestia to accelerate my immigration. She was going to work with me around the Summer Sun festival, but maybe she'd move it forward."

"You could ask. Want Spike to mail a letter?"

"Maybe. Or maybe I'll mention it to Princess Luna next time I see her." That drew a quizzical look.

"Do you see Princess Luna often?" Twilight energized another section of the pattern beneath me. I felt it come alive with a tingle.

"You know how I suffer from nightmares?" I leaned back on my hands and gazed at the ceiling.

"Yes." Twilight winced, and I remembered how she'd been dragged into one, before Luna bound our dreams.

"Well, it turns out that, as part of her duties, Princess Luna patrols the dreams of her subjects and helps assuage restless minds. I've been seeing quite a bit of her. We...hang out, I guess."

"Huh." She worked in silence for a moment. "What's that like?"

"Honestly? Kinda odd. She's a study in contrasts. Fastidiously polite one second, unrestrainedly rambunctious the next. Haughtily proud and surprisingly vulnerable, self-assured to the point of arrogance or uncertain to the point of panic." I scratched my jaw. "I don't think she has many friends."

"You're probably good for her, then."

"I hope so. She's been awfully accommodating for me. I don't think recurring nightmares are very normal for Equestria. Woah!" I yelped as the table lurched. "Take it easy!"

"Hey, this was your idea."

"Yeah, but-" I cut off as the library door opened, and Lyra poked her head in.

"Wes? I thought I heard you in here. Where were you this morning?"

"Oh, man!" I smacked my forehead. "I knew I was forgetting something. Look, Lyra, I'm sorry about missing our training; I meant to get you a note, but I really did have a good reason, you see-"

"-and that's pretty much what Commander Vimes said."

"Vimes?"

"Sorry, Night Watch."

"You and your nicknames." Lyra eyed me for a second. "Well, that is a pretty good reason. Have you talked to Rarity?"

"She's gone camping."

"Camping?"

"I know, right? Anyways, I'm not sure what to do. I'm planning to ask the Princess' advice. But..." I sighed again. "I just don't know. This whole situation is so confusing. I mean, what's even the point of all this? Are they trying to get me thrown out of town, or what? It seems like an awfully far-fetched plan. The only thing they've really accomplished so far is to make me really angry and frustrated."

"Which isn't really that hard." Lyra slowly circled the table, examining the runes.

"Hey!"

"What are you two working on here? This looks like bizzanarchy, but these runeations aren't anything normal. I'd almost say they're for gravity manipulation, but that's no spell I've studied." The green unicorn squinted at the diagrams; I was continually surprised by how much magic Lyra knew, despite being a weak caster.

"Just watch, we're almost done." Twilight passed me a black pastel, and carefully supervised as I marked the backs of my hands. "If this spell works, I hope to get it published in the Journal of Magical Design. It is gravity manipulation; a significant re-working, and ought to have some interesting uses."

"Really?" Lyra sounded impressed. "You don't aim low, do you? Of course, you've already had work reviewed in the Journal, haven't you?"

"Ehehe, well." Twilight laughed sheepishly. "Only a bit. And Wes helped design this. Ready to go, Wes?"

"Almost." I carefully perfected the runes marking me as part of the spell. They would guide the casting, and I wanted to be sure I knew where any energy in my body was being directed. Runes were useful for design iteration or extraordinarily complicated spells; with a completed spell, these symbols were hard-coded into the casting procedure. With experimental spells like this, it was easier to use the runes, instead of re-interpreting each version to generate a new procedure.

"Is it possible that's their goal?"

"Hmm?" I looked up. Lyra glanced aimlessly about, searching for thoughts.

"Their goal. Maybe they simply want to make you angry and frustrated?"

"That..." I stopped.

"That's a very worrying possibility." Twilight finished for me. "It implies they're either trying to provoke a reaction from Wes, which means he's being manipulated, or, even worse, something about Wes being angry and frustrated is inherently useful to them."

"Like the changelings." I spat. "Manipulating me. Emotions. Hate. Hate. Hate." I tossed the pastel back to Twilight, who caught it in her aura. "I try not to think about that option. Fire it up, Twi."

"Here goes!" A lavender spark leaped from her horn, illuminating the cast. I felt a sudden lurch, and my head whirled as I lost contact with my frame of reference. I swallowed convulsively, and fought to keep from windmilling my arms as a sudden sensation of falling engulfed me.

"Woah!" Lyra breathed. "It is a gravity spell! How did you do that?"

"Well!" Twilight launched into an explanation of the intricate power-flow mechanisms she'd designed, after I'd asked her about the reverse gravity spell she'd used in the Crystal Empire. I had tried explaining just how overpowered it seemed to me. After taking a good look at the world through my engineer-trained eyes, she'd started to understand, and we'd begun researching a more economical version. We'd spent a good few hours drawing circuit schematics and free body diagrams before it really clicked, but it seemed to have paid off.

I was floating.

I pushed gently off the table, and watched the room rotate around me. I rubbed my arms, trying to 'feel' the nearly invisible aura that surrounded me. I touched my finger to my horn, sensing the power flows, smooth and steady from the reservoir Twilight had established. Our newly re-worked switching mechanism was connected solidly to the elemental degeneration converter doing the actual lifting. I picked up a book, and the output scaled easily for the increased mass. The runeations sparkled, reflecting the rearranged flow, and I grinned victoriously. This version looked like it was working just fine.

We had created a variable power version. Instead of simply reversing my gravity, it was effectively nullified. The procedure was more complex, but it could draw significantly less power. And selectable gravity had intriguing applications.

"Well, it seems successful." I smirked. "Why are you upside down?" I was spinning gently, and suddenly felt glad I'd closed the windows; drifting around the room weightlessly was disconcerting enough, without worrying about floating off into the sky.

"So, let's get started interpreting!" Twilight enthusiastically flipped through her notebook until she came to the spell diagram; it was our twelfth iteration. "I bet we can increase efficiency by at least seventeen percent! Lyra, do you want to help?" I grinned at her eagerness. For Twilight, knowledge was in and of itself a goal. She was here 'for the science'. Compiling and debugging the spell was exactly the type of detailed minutia that gave me headaches, but Twilight reveled in exacting analysis. Clearly, Lyra didn't. Her ears drooped slightly, but she gave Twilight's gleaming eyes a glance and didn't have the heart to deny her.

"Only if you let me try it." The green unicorn watched as I drifted slowly in the center of the room, frantically trying to 'swim' towards a handhold. "That looks like a lot of fun."

"So, you created a regressive cascade in the degeneration linkage?"

"I...think that's right? I understand most of the concepts, but honestly, it's from a physicist's perspective. Most of the actual thaumaturgy was Twilight's work." I ran a finger across the crystal orb before me, and a swathe of sky blazed with stars. Luna hummed, studying my addition to the game board in the sky.

I was lying on my back, watching the stars of Luna's dreamscape, which we were currently manipulating to simulate a game board. The fitful breeze whispered through grass around us. My opponent looked nearly black in the silvery starlight. There was no moon. As I'd said to Twilight, Luna and I 'hung out'. I was applying Pinkie's advice on dreams, and I'd achieved a small, but noticeable reduction in nightmares. I was unsurprised they persisted, though I wished for a magical cure. As usual, hard work seemed the only real answer.

I'd already detailed what gruesome parts of my dream I could remember to Luna, and asked her for Celestia's considerations on immigration; she promised to pass the message along, but was intrigued by the spell research I mentioned. I described as best I could, but felt I was fumbling it; she obviously knew more about the nuts and bolts of spells than I did, even with the considerable education I'd magically appropriated.

"Anyways, you can read about it when Twilight does the write up. She's hoping to get it published." She responded with a move; a broad stripe of sky blazed with stars, and I squinted, trying to grasp her tactics. I was losing pretty badly. Challenging an ancient master to a game I'd learned hours ago probably wasn't the best strategy.

"It will, undoubtedly, if it be as well-crafted as you say." I added another patch of stars, and she made vexed sound. "About the assault; hast thou consulted Rarity?"

"She's camping. Should be back tomorrow." This was the second night of the three-day trip; I'd slept soundly last night, though I'd spent most of the day at home, or making up for missing training with Lyra. I had begun wondering whether the timing of my attack had been purposefully picked. It seemed just a bit too neat.

"Camping? Verily?"

"Right? You're slipping."

"Sorry."

"Not that I mind. Your archaism is perfectly understandable; you don't need to put on a front for people to like you. Usually the opposite, honestly."

The alicorn sighed.

"I appreciate the encouragement, though I do know that. Yet this is something I do for myself, to better understand where I now fit. You, at least, should understand circumstances wait for nopony." I nodded soberly, and added another asterism to the star-spangled playing field. Luna studied my move, and fixed me with a stare. "Sometimes, we can change what surrounds us. Sometimes, we need to change ourselves. Sometimes the rule of the world is literally adapt or die."

I gave her a piercing look.

"Do you really feel the changes in your world are so grim?"

"Hah!" She threw her head back and laughed. "You rightfully spite my self-pity, Wesley. I do not intend to belittle your suffering."

"That's not what I-"

"No, no, I understand. We will not compare scars, you and I. I do not belittle myself, either. What I went through cut deeply." I glimpsed anguish in her eyes. "What you endured hurt as well. I will not make light of either pain by setting them against each other. And yet, if you tell me self-pity is pointless, I will wholeheartedly agree. You have seen it in yourself."

"...yeah. Forward is the only way to move, like it or not; clinging to wounds doesn't help either of us."

"So, I am moving forward, into this new era. I mourn what I leave, but can at least afford the comfort of choosing. You had no choice, and I am deeply sorry for that."

"it's not your fault, is it? Anyways, I survived."

"I wonder about that."

"Huh?" Disturbed by her statement, I fumbled my orb, and accidentally smeared stars across an unintended stretch of sky, wasting a move. I sighed, and examined the placement, trying to fit it into my strategy. "What do you mean?"

"Wesley, I have not known you long. But even in the short time we have 'chilled,' as you put it, I have seen a stallion - or, sorry, 'man' - in flux. Be careful. When we are forced through uncontrollable circumstances, we adapt for survival." She sighed, and caught my gaze. "That is nothing wrong. But beware; sometimes, it is easier to retreat into the darkness of the mind than search for the light. It is possible to be slain by circumstance and yet remain alive."

I pondered that, chilled by the implications. I knew I was - had - changed. I was trying to understand that.

"Am I becoming a monster, then?"

"No." Another constellation coalesced, blocking my advance. "I think you will not, while your friends uphold you. But my words are not empty. Even if all change is to the good, do not blithely assume you still know yourself; if you change far enough, quickly enough, who you were may be gone before you know it. Examine yourself carefully, since you may be more changed than you imagined." She laughed bitterly. "Though I am returned to myself, when I finish adapting to this age there may be little left of Luna-who-was. Certainly better than continual strife, yet though I rejoice, I am slain in myself. Such is the price of maturity. Growth means abandoning yourself surely as death."

"Metamorphosis."

"Indeed."

I absentmindedly made a move, and considered her words. I had been considering the changes in me to be mainly superficial; imposed on me, and thus something that would disappear when I returned to 'normal'. Thinking of myself as a whole different person was oddly...liberating. I didn't need to hold onto the normal of 'Wesley Kilmer', if I wasn't really him anymore. At the same time, I was unwilling to abandon everything. There were good reasons for who I'd been, and I wouldn't reject them carelessly. Besides, some changes I really didn't want. I frowned, deep in thought, but returned as Luna gasped slightly.

"What's up?" I followed her gaze skyward, and noticed a shooting star. "Oh, make a wish."

"Silly." She gave me a laughing look. "These are not truly stars. Their magic is different indeed. That is a call for help."

"Huh?"

"Pfft." She giggled at my befuddlement, climbing to her hooves. "Allow me to demonstrate. If you would place your hand on my whithers?" I stood, and cautiously complied, wondering if her coat felt as warm and soft in real life. She spread her wings, and I gasped as the grass below fell away. The sense of movement diminished rapidly, since the ground below us seemed endless in length and breadth; for a long moment, we hung motionless in the air, between a infinite sky and plane. Then, with a rush, we reached the stars. I carefully brushed her mane out of my eyes, wondering how the ethereal thing managed to feel so much like hair.

"This is the sea of dreams. Many of the stars you see are the visions of sleeping ponies."

"And the others?" I examined the orbs we were zipping past. Most of them were surprisingly small, to my conception of stars; merely a meter or so across. They glimmered like pearls on velvet. As my eyes skimmed them, I saw dreamscapes. I glimpsed a swirl of petals in one, and an expanse of clouds in another. Some few, though, were different. I pointed to what seemed to be a disc, instead of a sphere; kaleidoscopic patterns swirled across it's surface, forming no discernible shapes.

"Those? They are oneironautilus. Shall we try one?"

"Huh?" I had no time to ask what she meant before we flashed towards the disc in question and plunged through it. It seemed to grow indescribably large; maybe I was misjudging sizes, and we were moving faster than I thought. My thoughts washed away in a rush of sensation.

A taste of cinnamon and the scent of apples clashed with the motion of storm-tossed sea. I saw a vista of swirling sand, and caught strains of haunting music. Then, with a feeling like a soap bubble bursting, we were back in the sea of dreams.

"Ooog." I clapped my free hand to my temple, trying to sort out my disorientation.

"Sorry. That one was particularly intense."

"What are they?"

"Fragments of dreams."

"They look like engrams."

"An astute observation; I wonder about that myself. Using a widderspindle here, though, seems nearly impossible, so it may be a while before I can get a better idea of how they form. There are usually a few floating around. Sometimes, when I am bored, I make a game of popping them. It can be exhilarating."

"Cool."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yeah. This sort of thing is really neat." I stared in wonder at our surroundings for a moment. We were drawing closer to the shooting star; it seemed to be a dream that was frantically darting and jagging through space. Luna was matching pace with it effortlessly, as far as I could tell. "Seriously, Luna, thanks for showing me this sort of thing. I know your work is special to you. This means a lot to me."

"Why, you are very welcome, Wesley. I have certainly enjoyed your company on the night shift." She stopped before the fleeing dream; the other stars seemed to swoop and swirl around us, but we were perfectly motionless relative to our target. Curiosity tempted me to take my hand off her shoulder, but I squelched the idea.

"So, what's going on?"

"Oh, yes. Well, Wesley, this is what a nightmare looks like. We are going to enter it, and hopefully assist the dreamer."

"Is it really Ok for me to tag along?"

"I think so. You know this pony, after all. Your presence may be comforting."

"Who is-" I cut off as her horn shone. For a second, the crescent moon glimmered at the tip, a sure sign she was drawing on her domain as the Alicorn of the Night. The dream swelled suddenly, and with a confusing sort of whirl, we were inside. I glanced about, taking in the dark forest, full of uncomfortable noises and half-seen motion, and shuddered. Somepony had too much imagination.

I heard cantering, and turned to find Luna had darted off through the trees. I followed as best I could, but fell slowly behind.

After stumbling through the forest, I soon found the Princess in a clearing. She was talking to...Scootaloo?

"Scoots?" I stepped out of the trees, and the young pegasus startled, her eyes rolling wildly, small wings flaring in fright.

"Wes? What are you doing here?" I walked over and sat cross-legged, careless of the imagined cold and damp.

"You look like you could use a hug." I held out my hands, and she jumped into my lap. I folded my arms around her; she was shivering. Luna gave us an amused glance. "The Princess helps me with nightmares, too."

"You? But you...you're Wesley! Nothing scares you! You're almost as cool as Rainbow Dash!"

"Thanks." I rubbed her mane for a moment. "You are even more snuggly than I imagined," I mumbled, enjoying the feel of her soft fur.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You even chased off a manticore!"

"Oh, really? I thought I asked Applebloom not to tell anypony." I shot her a stern look, and she had the grace to look embarrassed. "But I guess Crusaders don't keep secrets from each other. No, some things scare even me, tough as I may be." Scootaloo's shivers were subsiding. "So, what's getting to you?"

"The Headless Horse!"

"No, Scootaloo." Luna lowered her navy nose to look the filly in the face. "Dreams merely reflect minds. Your fear is from the waking world, and will still exist upon awakening. What truly scares you?"

"I-" She glanced around wildly, as if somepony else might be listening. "I'm afraid Rainbow Dash will find out I'm not as tough as she thinks I am!" She admitted in a rush. Luna gave her a comforting look, and I hugged her a little tighter.

"Everypony has fears, Scootaloo. Everypony must face them in their own way. But they must be faced, or the nightmares will continue." Luna smiled gently. "And I believe you are brave enough for this."

"Yeah, if anypony can face their fears, it's you." I gave her an extra squeeze. "Anyways, although Rainbow is proud, she's not the sort of pony who looks down on others. She genuinely admires the strengths of her friends, and I'm telling you, Scoots, you're plenty awesome yourself."

"Really?"

"Really really," I said. Luna shot me a glance, and the dream began to fade. "Face your fears, Scootaloo. I know it's hard, but you're up to it." The filly disappeared with a squeak, and the dream began fading.

"Do you think she'll be OK?" I asked Luna, as the vision unraveled around us.

"Undoubtedly. As you said, she is tougher than she realizes. But for now, maybe you should look to your own safety?"

"Huh?" I glanced around, only to realize I was no longer touching Luna just as the last fragment of the dream vanished. "Aaaaa!" The princess laughed as I flailed, and began plummeting to the endless plain below. She swooped below me, and I threw an arm around her neck.

"So, where were we?" She set us down gently on the grass. "I believe I was winning."

"Probably." I said sourly. "Next time, let's play checkers."

"Perhaps, Wesley. Perhaps."

"Iconarcana."

"The school that studies magic in symbols, specifically passive magic accumulated over time." Twilight nodded, and made a check in her book. Our association game was on it's third incarnation; we were using obscure word definitions, trying for ones outside ordinary conversation. The idea was to limit corruption from everyday sources. Of course, corruption was hardly an issue for Twilight. Her exposure to American culture was minimal, to put it lightly.

<"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.">

<"A made up word...from Mary Poppins? Is that right?">

<"Far as I know."> I made a tick on my paper.

"Somnology."

"The school that studies magic related to sleep. Dang! Just how many schools of magic are there?"

"Hundreds. At least as many as you have fields of science, and for the same reasons. I mean, it is science, for the most part."

"I guess. Um, ."

"Uuuu..." I watched, trying to conceal my amusement as Twilight struggled to define the word.

"What's going on?" The door to the library swung open, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders poured in. "Are you guys having a dictionary contest? Can Sweetie Belle join?"

"Applebloom! There's no such thing as a dictionary contest! Anyways, I don't think I can compete with Twilight."

"Woooah!" Scootaloo gazed up at us in wonder. I smiled. Both Twilight and I were floating in mid-air, testing the duration of the anti-gravity spell. "How are you guys doing that? That's really cool!"

"Magic." I said gravely. "How was camping?"

"Good. Thanks, Wesley."

"No problem." I waved the curious looks of the others away. "Anytime you need a hand, let me know. So, is Rarity back then?"

"Ayup. She sent us to find you, Wes."

"Thanks." I grabbed the edge of the table, and grounded myself carefully. I caught Twilight's eye, and felt magic brush across my mind; I grasped it, and the link formed between us. I touched the horn in my pocket and grounded the extra energy from the spell back into her pool of magic, breaking the enchantment. My knees bent slightly as acceleration returned. I felt dizzy for a second, but quickly adjusted.

"You're not giving me homonyms again, are you?" Twilight glared suspiciously as she ended the spell on herself, nearly falling over. "We're going to have to re-run this test, you know."

"Nope, this is actually worse than a homonym. Sorry, I was getting bored." I smirked. "Hey, maybe these three would test the spell while we're gone."

"""Really?""" Twilight rolled her eyes as the three gave an imploring gaze, opening their eyes wide and projecting as much cute as possible.

"No. Definitely not. Although I'm sure you'd find Cutie Mark Crusaders 'Test Subjects' hilarious, Wesley, I don't think much of the library would be left when we get back from Rarity's. And I can't have you three floating away untethered." I winced, and nodded. I hadn't considered their penchant for getting into trouble; no way a test would go smoothly. I pictured them floating around the library, flailing. Funny, but not worth it.

"You're going to visit Rarity?" Spike called from the kitchen. "I'm coming too!" Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but let's go. And Wes, you need to tell me what's up with this word. How can it have conflicting definitions like that?"

"Well, English is a particularly odd language. Cleave is technically an auto-antonym, which-" I opened the door, and we all stepped out into the street, heading for the boutique.

"Oh, I knew camping was a bad idea! Nature cannot be good for anypony." Rarity's voice wafted from behind the screen across the room. A waft of scented steam floated past me, and I shifted uncomfortably. We'd arrived at the boutique, only to find that Rarity had started a bath as soon as she returned, dragging the tub into her bedroom and filling it with hot water. I felt slightly uncomfortable about talking to someone while they washed, but...well, we'd saunaed together. And it's not like she took off any more clothes. And there was the folding screen she'd thoughtfully put up, so I wasn't actually watching. Still, it was a little odd. We sat on her bed, and listened with barely veiled amusement to an increasingly dramatic account of the trials of her hike to Winsome Falls. After Rarity tired of trying to answer Twilight's unending series of biology, geography, and meteorology questions, I'd related what happened to me.

"I knew something was up as soon as I got back, but I never thought it would be this bad. Oh my, Wes! I am so sorry!"

"Please, don't apologize." I felt uncomfortable enough; profuse apologies didn't help. "Look, I appreciate your help, but you don't have to take responsibility for my problems."

"Well, of course I don't!" I blinked at that. "I chose to. I promised you help, and I won't have it said I did less than my all!"

"Um, not to sound unappreciative, Rarity, but...you have done more than I expected, really. Don't beat yourself up over this. Did you get a chance to spend some quality time with your sister?"

"Oh yes! Sweetie Belle was such a dear."

"Then it was worth it. Anyways, I've asked the Princess for some help, too. maybe-"

*BUUUUUUUURP*

Green flame erupted from Spike's mouth, nearly knocking him off the bed.

"Worst. Mailbox. Ever." Rarity mumbled quietly behind the partition. I rolled my eyes, hoping Spike hadn't heard, and snatched the missive from midair. It was addressed to me, but sealed with an unfamiliar cutie mark. I broke the wax with my thumb, and unrolled it.

"It's from...Celestia's secretary?" I said. "Apparently this unicorn, Ink Well, is coming to Ponyville tomorrow, and is fully authorized to help with my immigration."

"Did you say Ink Well?" Twilight gasped, and snatched the scroll. "Oh no! I need to clean the library! And my room! And the lab! Spike, we're going to need a cake!" She leaped up, and dashed out the door, dragging Spike along in a swirl of magic.

"Huh?" I stared stupidly after.

"Don't ask me, darling." A sound of splashing came from behind the screen. "I have no idea what goes on in that mare's head most of the time. Will you be a dear and throw me a towel?"

"No, seriously." I stood in front of the card catalog. "You can't organize this until you tell me what's going on. Why are you so panicked about Ink Well? You've been freaking out since yesterday, and rushing around like crazy. If you're not careful, you won't even notice her arrival!"

"Hello?" An unfamiliar voice called. The door swung open, and a white unicorn with a pink mane and a pair of delicate tortoiseshell glasses nudged the door open. An open bottle of ink adorned her flank. "Is this the Golden Oaks? I'm looking for a Wesley Kilmer?"

"Eeeep!" Twilight froze, as if expecting scrutiny and judgment of the entire room completely and immediately.

"That'd be me." I nodded to the unicorn and her standard-issue guard, and surreptitiously checked the clock. They were actually early; I hadn't really expected them to surprise us like that. Oh well; whatever was bothering Twilight, there was no way it could be as bad as she expected.

"Oh my. You certainly are tall." Delicate brown eyes widened in perfect surprise, and something clicked in my brain. I walked over to the window, and pulled the shades closed.

"You're Celestia." I sat down on a nearby cushion. "That's why Twilight was freaking out."

"What, fifteen seconds?" The guard gave Ink Well a flat glance. "I told you it would be fast." I recognized that voice; Twilight did too, apparently.

"Shiny!" She broke out of her shock, and hugged her brother, yanking off his helmet. As she did, his appearance wavered and shifted, the illusion losing its grip. Celestia also dropped her disguise and embraced her student.

"Oh dear." The alicorn glanced around the room, noting the clean sparkle of every surface, including the ceiling. The books were aligned to microscopic tolerances, the cushions were placed evenly and exactly, there were even fresh-cut flowers on the checkout desk. "Was it very bad? I tried not to give her too much time, but some advance notice seemed necessary."

"Well, she hasn't had long enough to burn out. I might have even been able to calm her down if it had lasted a bit longer. And Spike just soldiered on. I believe he should be back with cake any moment." I carefully swung the sign to closed and latched the door, in an attempt to prevent surprises. "I'm curious, though. Why the masquerade?"

"It's quite simple." Celestia sat at the table across from me, and started producing papers from a pair of extra-large saddlebags. Her glasses hadn't been part of the illusion; they perched lightly on her nose. "If I go places as the Princess, I'm bound by expectation. It's much more convenient to disguise myself."

"And how many ponies know about your alternate identity?"

"Few enough," Shining answered. "You will be getting a security clearance today, if you agree to be inducted into the guard."

"And nopony notices your disappearance?"

"Wesley, do you know how long I spend 'ruling' each day?"

"No, not really. I guess I sorta assumed it was an all-hours job?"

"Pfft." Celestia stared at me over the top of her spectacles. "Good leaders delegate. I have no less than forty secretaries, ministers, princes and princesses, in various layers and organizations, to keep anything labeled 'work' in that bureaucracy as far away as I possibly can. I spend four hours a day at court. And we're closed on the weekends." She slapped a sheaf of papers down in front of me. "That leaves time for getting the really important things done, like teaching." She cast Twilight a soft glance. "And making sure things needing my personal attention get it. Holding court, as the Canterlot elite see me do, actually has very little to do with how I keep this country moving smoothly." Shining cleared his throat, and gave her a meaningful glance. "And, as my captain would love to explain, I have very capable ponies would could accomplish most everything I need without getting my hooves dirty. But where would the fun in that be?" She smiled sweetly.

"So...you dress up because it's fun?"

"In short, yes. Surprised?"

"It's just, that's so...frivolous. Silly, even."

"Well." She sighed. "There is more to it than that, but not much. Twilight, you know what I like to say...?"

"Anypony can plan for the obvious." The two unicorns pulled up cushions, and joined us at the table. "Princess Celestia told me about her...alter-egos soon after I started studying under her, and I asked a pretty similar question. She has been working and planning for a certain scenario for years, trying to make sure if it ever came to be, catastrophe could be averted. She calls it 'having retirement options'."

"Oh."

"Oh, indeed. I was a little less stoic about it; the idea that Celestia would, could stop ruling, for whatever reason, was pretty much unthinkable to me. And most other ponies."

"I have ruled this country for a long time," Celestia added. "But, blithely assuming status quo is a foolish attitude. The reason I have slowly distanced myself from leadership is not because I don't want to rule, but because for years, I was the only pony willing to consider myself vulnerable at all." She adjusted her glasses. "Alicorns are powerful, sometimes shockingly so, but by no means invincible. If you cut me, I bleed. Any opponent who knows my weaknesses can hurt me; pretend invincibility is arrogance I will never allow." She gave a self-deprecating smile. "As Chrysalis showed, I'm as vulnerable to surprise and stealth as anypony."

"Your Majesty-" Shining started to speak, but Celestia silenced him with a glance. I saw self-recrimination in his eyes; he turned his gaze downwards. Twilight threw a foreleg over his neck, and nuzzled him.

We all glanced up as a knock came at the door. I rose unasked, and cracked it open. Spike stood outside, a carton of cake slices in his claws. I let him in surreptitiously.

"So, snacks from Sugarcube Corner?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood. Celestia's face lit up, and I grinned. Apparently that sweet tooth was more than just a rumor.

"Ok, so let me get this straight." I sipped my tea, and shuffled through the papers in front of me again. "I'm swearing an oath of fealty to Celestia? And that's enough to get me into the guard, and make me a citizen?"

"Pretty much." Shining pointed to the relevant part on the papers I was sorting. "It's here." Across the room, Twilight and Celestia were discussing the anti-gravity spell, and trying to drink zero-gravity apple juice. They were giggling. I leaned back, and considered what I was about to do.

As far as I could tell, the oath was pretty straightforward. I swore to obey Celestia, as the head of the guard and lady of the land, until such time as I might leave the world. In return, she agreed to provide me with all the rights and privileges of a citizen. And, if I should need it, upkeep in the castle barracks.

"This oath is not magically binding, is it?"

"No!" I was surprised by the emphasis in Shining's voice, and even more by the disgust in his eyes. "We deprive nopony of free will. No matter how well-intentioned the reason, that is pure evil! Of course, breaking the oath still brings retribution." His eyes went hard. "Treason will bring retribution."

"Oh." I looked at the papers again. "Well, Ok. I think I can do this."

"Good!" Celestia trotted over. "Wesley, do you agree to abide by the terms and conditions herein?" She held the papers out to me.

"I do." I dipped my thumb in the inkwell, and pressed it lightly to the paper, leaving an obvious print. Celestia tapped the paper with her horn, and her cutie mark appeared beside it.

"Excellent!" The papers were swept back into her saddlebags. "Wesley, as a citizen of the realm, I am commissioning you to join the Royal Guard. Captain, can you agree to this appointment?"

"Consent is given," Shining said flatly.

"Wesley, you are now officially a Special Lieutenant in the Royal Guard. Your security clearance is three-B. I am attaching you to the Royal Canterlot Archive, as a strategic knowledge resource."

"Strategic?"

"Indeed. What you've taught Twilight has already opened a whole new branch of mathematics to us. You are quite valuable, like it or not."

"Oh." I sat back, surprised. I hadn't considered how my contributions to Twilight's vast body of knowledge might be perceived by other ponies.

"More precisely, you are now technically part of the Canterlot Archive."

"Bwuh?"

"You have been assigned IPBN number 978-3-16-148410-0."

"Wait, what?"

"Here are your withdrawal slips." The Princess waved two squares of paper at me, with my name on the top, and space for dates below. "They would normally be placed in your front flap, so please keep one on your person at all times. You will be alphabetized as soon as you report to the stacks." My brain spun wildly. I was being treated like a book? I snatched at the papers, but she held them away.

"Hold on a second-"

"Twilight, do you happen to have your library card on you?"

"Of course, Princess!" The excited unicorn produced a laminated square of cardboard. Celestia inspected it gravely, and passed her the checkout card. She signed and dated both, and passed one to me. I gave it a look; it was identical to the ones in the books here. To borrow a book, you signed both; one stayed with the book when it was checked out, one was left in the librarians file.

"This all seems to be in order. Please return him to the Archive in the same condition you found him. I'll file the withdrawal as soon as I return."

"Of course!" Twilight grinned hugely, bouncing excitedly in place. "I always wanted to be friends with a book!"

"Oh, you two are such trolls." I slid the paper resignedly into my wallet, as the pair collapsed in giggles. I shot Shining a look of long suffering; he returned it with sympathy. "Fine, whatever, I'm a book. Is there any of that cake left?"

"Truth be told, there is a little more to this than simply doing you a favor, Wesley." Twilight and I were walking Ink Well and Shining to the train. We'd spent a good few hours laughing and just hanging out in the library, but the two needed to be back in Canterlot before the next day.

"What's up?"

"Sombra is making a move up north, where we discovered the whereabouts of the Crystal Empire."

"Really?"

"Indeed. It's regretful, but...I think I may need to mobilize the Elements."

"But the Element of Magic..." Twilight's voice trailed off in worry. I imagined the cracked gem, and shook my head.

"True." Ink Well nodded. "But I believe it may still be useable. Twilight, you and your friends will be getting an official summons in the next few days. We will do some testing. Wesley, as part of the guard, you will be receiving deployment orders." Her voice was troubled. "I have no idea how usable the elements are, but at the very least, using them may hurt you."

"As long as it's just pain."

"It may be excruciating."

"I'll deal."

"But-"

"Look, Celestia, I knew what I was getting into. You've appointed me as part of the guard, and I appreciate that. But it means you're calling on me to risk my life, right?" She nodded tightly. "Well, I understand. And I accept. I gave my word; it's good." Shining gave me an approving look, and I shrugged. "Anyways, I can deal with pain. If it's worse than anything I've ever felt, I'll be surprised."

"Very well." We stepped onto the train platform. "Then, I will be seeing you in the next few days. Be well." One more round of hugs went around, and they boarded the train. Twilight and I watched it pull out in silence.

"So, another mission, this time with all the elements?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Huh. Well, it might be nice to get out of town for a while."

30 - Sent

Sent

"Huuuuuuu…." I slowly exhaled, striking smoothly at quarter speed. My hammer arched gracefully, and Lyra nodded approval.

"Good!" She circled behind me, tapping my knees. "Place your feet carefully! This is the third stance we've adjusted, and you use it a lot; re-training may take a while."

"Yes, Jedi." I relaxed, standing loosely but attentively. I was beginning to feel I was making real progress working with Lyra. Besides meditation, she had begun analyzing my self-developed fighting style. Some parts she approved of, especially my throws and kicks, while others she decried as sloppy, and even once, disgusting.

The first few sessions of analysis had been uncomfortable for me, as she examined and pushed my limits, testing just how far I could grow.

"All right! Now, meditate." I nodded, and dropped to the floor cross-legged. We were in her studio above the store, golden sunbeams spilling through the high windows. It was silent as a dream despite the bustling city outside, friendly and welcoming as a good book on a rainy day. I closed my eyes, and focused on breathing.

I was initially surprised to discover just how practical unicorn meditation was. Instead of koans or vision seeking, it had more in common with biofeedback or stress therapy. On reflection, my expectations were ridiculous; I knew very little about meditation on Earth, and relation between the two was obviously impossible.

"Focus!" Lyra snapped. I turned my attention inwards, trying to monitor each element of my physiology individually and collectively. "Ok, good enough." after an uncountable number of breaths, she released me. "Stand, start over." I rose and began again, attempting to maintain the mindful state I had cultivated. I felt focused and alert, my body responded easily and loosely. After a few minutes my concentration began fraying, and I dropped my arms, showing my limits. "You're doing better. Ok, we're done for today."

"Thanks." I wiped my forehead. "Oh, I need to say; I've been appointed to the Royal Guard."

"Oh-ho. You're a citizen now?"

"Pretty much. But I'm also being called for duty. I'll be out of town, and don't know when I'll be back."

"Hmm, that's not so good." She gave a piercing yellow glance. "If you're not careful, you'll hinder your training. Be sure to continue practicing as you can, and for stars sake try not to get into too many fights! If I have to beat another bad habit out of you, we could be at this for years."

"Yes, Jedi."

"Humph, fine. Well, I guess there's nothing I can do about it." Lyra crossed the room and levitated some small globes. I watched in fascination as she began her own workout, mobility and acceleration training with weighted spheres. I knew casting was a relatively small part of her discipline, but the basics, throughput and control, were developed like this. "So, are you going by yourself?"

"The Elements are summoned as well."

"Up north. Hum. Are you going to that Crystal Kingdom you mentioned by any chance?"

"The Empire? No idea. Probably, since Sombra is involved." I shifted uncomfortably. "Hey, be sure to keep this stuff under your hat, Lyra. I don't think it's exactly secret, but I don't really want it spread around, either."

"Of course." She smiled. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"Right. Ok. Well, see you tomorrow." I left her to her workout, and headed out to start my day.

"So, what do you think is going on?" Rainbow tapped my shoulder, drawing my attention away from the scenery speeding past.

"No idea." I glanced around the cabin. We were headed north by train. The rest of the Elements were chatting and relaxing as best they could. "All Celestia said was Sombra's up to no good. I guess we'll be filled in on arrival? Still, it's enough she thought the Elements might be necessary."

"Yeah, but we all saw Twilight's."

"I know." I sighed. I was concerned about testing, but if Celestia deployed the Elements despite the fracture of Magic…she thought this was serious. I couldn't withdraw my support, not after giving my word in full knowledge. "She thinks they might work, but with drawbacks."

"Drawbacks?" I winced. I hadn't detailed Celestia's warning, and didn't really want to.

"Yeah. Drawbacks."

"That what's eating you?"

"Heh. Maybe. Am I that obvious?"

"Well, maybe not. But we're not strangers anymore, Wes."

"True."

"We're your friends."

"You're right."

"And friends tell each other things."

"Fine." I threw an arm over her neck, dragging her into the seat next to me, and lowered my voice. "Twilight and I think the Elements are useable, but there will be backlash."

"What sort of backlash?"

"Not really sure. But we did simulations; turns out, the Elements channel magic through your soul. The magic of friendship, or the noetic pseudo-element we've labeled that, is-" I cut off as Rainbow's eyes started glazing over. "Short version?"

"Ten words or less."

"It's going to hurt. A lot."

"All of us?" Her eyes widened in alarm, then narrowed as I shook my head slowly.

"Just me."

"And you're…OK with that?"

"Well, I'm obviously not looking forward to it much."

"He said, in a calm voice with an unruffled demeanor."

"Pffft. Ok, ok. Well...of course I don't like the idea. But I'm not backing out just because it might hurt. Seriously, Rainbow. You followed us through the gateway to the Crystal Kingdom easily enough, so no calling me reckless or shortsighted."

"Still, you seem kind of careless. That's unhealthy, dude."

"I'm not uncaring, I'm resigned! Look, you know what Celestia did for me the other day?"

"Made you a citizen."

"Sure. But, to do that, she came to Ponyville just for me and inducted me into the Guard personally. The ruler of the realm specifically went out of her way to make my life easier. Maybe that was partly a favor to Twilight, but I think it also shows she trusts me, thinks I'm worth the time, and because…" I trailed off, staring out the window a moment. "Because she values me. As a person, and, I hope, as friend. That sort of leader is worth following. So, if I can return her generosity by serving like this, I'll do it. Anyways, I have experience with pain." I gave a tight smile. "I won't say it's a cakewalk, but if one of us had to be picked, I'd still take the job. I'm the most experienced candidate." Rainbow gave me an impressed look.

"That's hardcore."

"Thanks."

"So, what's this about you actually being a book?"

I slumped and sighed.

"Thank you all for coming." Celestia met us at the station. We had changed trains part way, stopping in the middle of nowhere and transferring to a hastily constructed rail which cut straight across wide open plains. It was the route our small team had hiked to escape the Crystal Empire. Riding was much quicker; we were on the train less than two hours. We disembarked, greeting the princess and looking around; we were in an unassuming shantytown, apparently a hastily constructed military outpost. Celestia led us towards a nearby building

"What is that?" Rarity pointed straight ahead, shock on her face. I followed her lead and stopped, surprised.

We hadn't seen it from the side-facing train windows, but out on the plain, far enough that details were difficult to discern, a huge gray sphere hovered over the ground, swallowing the rays of the sun like a tumorous void. It's surface swirled with barely-discerned movement.

"That," Celestia said, "Is your assignment. It marks the boundaries of the Crystal Empire. Or where they would be, were they here. We are calling it The Anomaly. Come in and I'll give you the rundown."

We filed slowly through the door. The inside was low-ceilinged but brightly lit by generous windows, covered only in screen. I was glad it was summer; though it was much warmer than our last visit, the breeze still nipped.

"I established this monitoring station soon after you discovered the Empire's location. It began small, but escalated quickly." We negotiated a small herd of researchers, arguing over a seismograph readout. "I called in academics and authorities from everywhere. It's been a headache to manage, but we have gotten some intriguing data." She gestured to a timeline of sorts, pieces of string connecting various compilations of research.

"Not long after the project really found it's hooves, we noticed what should have been stable readings were changing. We've been trying to pin down just when, since the Anomaly hasn't always been obvious." She pointed to a marker on the timeline. "Currently, this is our best guess. The point of this project was, and is, to understand what Sombra did to the Crystal Kingdom, and reverse it." She lowered her voice. "We aim to rescue the ponies trapped at the time of disassociation." She sighed. "My current hypothesis is Sombra noticed your intrusion." She nodded to Twilight. "The Anomaly must be his countermeasure to our efforts."

"So, how does it work?" Twilight stepped forward and began skimming through the the research.

"Honestly? We aren't sure." Twilight gave Celestia an incredulous glance. "We only have circumstantial evidence it's intentionally caused. I believe it's Sombra. But how he's doing it…we can only guess."

I felt the gentle brush of magic, like Twilight tapping on my brain. I let her connect.

"A bit for your thoughts on this?" She sent a stream of digits and symbols. We discovered we thought in very different ways. Twilight was much better at number crunching, while I was strong in visualization. I mentally graphed what she was sending; as a picture began to form, I whistled silently. Those were some seriously screwy measurements. I showed her the graph, and she was just as surprised.

"On the plus side," I sent back, "If we ever figure out just how he's doing this, it will revolutionize something."

"The effects are clearer than the cause." Celestia turned back to the board. "We were working on a portal to the Crystal Empire's pseudo space. As the Anomalies increased, the power needed stabilize it increased drastically. That was our first clue. When sabotage started becoming more obvious, we took countermeasures." She gestured out the window, where the gray sphere hung. "What you see is not the surface of the Anomaly, but the edge of an injunction field, maintained by Cadence and Shining Armor."

"That's not like any injunction field I've ever seen," Rarity said.

"Me neither!" Pinkie added cheerfully.

"Well, it isn't quite right to say you see the injunction. What you're actually looking at is a mass of windigos."

"What?" I asked, voice flat.

"The entire surface of the field is under attack by windigos. To me, this shows Sombra's intention and involvement clearly."

"And my brother is in there?" Twilight's pupils shrank in panic.

"Relax, Twilight. I'm sure Shining has it under control." Rainbow threw a hoof around her neck. "He's pretty tough, after all."

"Of course he does." Celestia said. "For now. But not even that pair's inestimable power cannot maintain the field indefinitely at the levels necessary." She sighed. "Luna and I would help, but our magic will not synchronize with them well enough. And nopony else has the strength to make an appreciable difference."

"She could." I jerked my thumb at Twilight. "Zat why we're here?"

"No, actually. If the field goes down, we withdraw, which I expect to happen in two days. We don't have the resources to sustain this, and I've drawn my battle lines clearly. Besides, the strength of the Anomaly is growing. Shining is a specialist, and Cadence is an Alicorn. Even Twilight wouldn't be able to extend the time limit more than a day or so."

"So, the Elements." Applejack suggested, stepping forward. "You need us to zap something?"

"Indeed." Celestia led us out of the building. "When I summoned you, I knew if this wasn't resolved yet, the Elements were our last chance." She sighed. "Sombra seems to be increasing the…call it 'distance', to the Crystal Empire. Luna and I agree this is a desperate move. If he succeeds, the pseudo-space will be severed from reality. Re-establishing contact would take impossible amounts of energy, so he loses the Crystal Heart's support. Our best guess is he's trying to deny it to us. A slash-and-burn tactic."

"And the ponies inside?" Fluttershy asked quietly. Celestia sagged slightly, and sadly shook her head. "Oh."

"So, we've gotta do something!" Rainbow zipped to the front, and shook a hoof at the Anomaly. "What are we waiting for? Let's gallop!"

"Wait." Twilight stopped her. "We don't know what we're doing! Princess, what's our goal? And…if we fail?"

"The portal was constructed, but never activated, due to energy cost. In order to overcome that, I've been storing my own power in an aetheric battery. The tracks continue to the portal; you will take the train through, with supplies for several days, and work from the inside. You must use the Elements to charge the Crystal Heart." Celestia motioned to the dome. "Their magic should be compatible on some level. Success should stabilize the Empire and draw it back to this plane, destroying the Anomaly. I can't say for sure what you will be up against. Whatever was inside before, certainly, but it's possible Sombra has a backdoor; the Anomaly suggests he has at least one agent working from the inside. What they may be capable of is a wild card. Failure…I don't believe you will be lost. The Elements are tied strongly to this world. If the Empire is severed, they will be drawn back here, and you with them. It would probably be uncomfortable, but I'm confident you could survive."

"Could we bring Crystal Ponies back?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Possibly." Celestia shrugged. "But only as a last resort. That is not something to attempt outside worst-case scenarios."

"Ok!" Rainbow darted forward again. "Now, let's-"

"Seriously!" This time Rarity halted her, seizing her tail firmly. "Rainbow, we don't even have the Elements yet!"

"Oh, right."

"And we still need to test them." I added grimly.

"Oh. Right."

"Ow." I said calmly.

This hurt.

Twilight gave me a worried glance, and I felt the link brush my mind. This time I refused it, with a shake of my head. I grit my teeth and tried to appear stoic, only letting the barest hint of agony seep past my façade.

It hurt.

I'd felt worse. It only felt like all my skin was on fire. And a thousand jackhammers were in my skull, while red-hot ants crawled across my eyes. Not like the first time I'd failed to defeat even one changeling. No matter that he had a spear, and it was just my second week. I pushed the memory back down, after comparing it to my current torment. Yup, wasn't that bad.

Yet.

I watched as the six Elements, standing in a circle, powered up. Chromatic flashes sparkled and twinkled, shimmers of light and glowing auras dancing around them. Rainbow also shot me a worried glance. I let a another smidge of pain show.

"Ouch." I rubbed my arms like they itched. If I pretended nothing was wrong, they would never buy it. If I showed them just how much it did hurt, they'd never continue. They were my friends, but they weren't that tough. Not all of them, anyways.

I let the pain wash over me, through me, filling me, but I didn't let it control me. Pain was a tool, a useful one, but once I'd acknowledged it, I let it go. I could function through pain, and not just on adrenaline masking. I checked every indicator light and read every notification my body sent, then dismissed them. None of this was actually damaging. It could be safely ignored.

It wasn't easy, but I kept my face calm, allowing only a splinter of emotion to seep through.

The pain ramped up a bit as the Elements lit, the six Bearers wafted aloft on a haze of rainbow power. Twilight's eyes snapped open, showing the disconcerting white of a high-tension thaumic load, and locked on me. I felt something like a shiver run through my body, and frowned momentarily. What sort of magic was that?

I nearly smiled as I realized how nonchalant I was being. Luna had prompted me to consider my ordeal as a metamorphosis, and to carefully consider how it changed me. I put another mental tally by my list of differences; keeping a straight face under this sort of pain, back on Earth, would have been literally unimaginable. I didn't like what I'd gone through to reach this sort of stoicism, but now that I was here, I could appreciate the end result. I was reluctant to call this sort of change good, but I would gladly tally outrageous pain tolerance under 'cool and useful'.

My body tingled with relief as the pain subsided, and my muscles unlocked as I relaxed from my rictus. The energy whirling around the Bearers slowly faded, depositing them back on the ground. They laughed and hugged, coming down off the high of harmonious magic. Twilight excused herself, and trotted over to me.

"So, what did you see?" I tried. She flinched. Aha, bull's-eye.

"I was wondering if we could do anything for you with the Elements." She looked down, discouraged. "I wanted to try before I found out the Element was cracked, and after that…well." She ran a hoof over the gem, feeling the slight roughness of the fracture.

"Any chance?" I tried to keep my voice level, but hint of eagerness crept through.

"No." She shook her head slowly. "As we thought, something seriously weird is going on. You're catching backwash, just like we guessed, and that's inimical to the magic of your gem. The synchronicity of our souls is what allows the seepage, and we can't cut that thing out of you yet because you still need my magical support. But the backwash isn't moving like I expected...it's more like an induction, instead of simple transferal, but that would mean more direct interaction than we thought! I wish I'd been able record it. If we compared it to our engrams, we might be able to find out a bit more about this link, and why there are so few side effects. I wish you'd accepted the link, Wes. It might have cleared up a lot."

"And it might have made the backwash ten times worse." And you'd definitely have felt it, I thought to myself. She flinched again; she'd run the numbers as well.

"Hey, you OK?" Rainbow flashed over, and put a hoof on my shoulder, staring me in the eyes. I twitched; still hadn't gotten that personal space thing down.

"I've had worse." I gave a self-deprecating grin.

"Well, OK."

"I'm fine. But how about the Elements? Did they work?" I gave an encouraging smile, hoping it wasn't too glassy.

"Yeah, I think so. Mine felt a little…I dunno, squashed? What do you think, Twi?"

"Hmm, maybe. I wish we could have test-fired them. I think the output was a bit low? Hey, Rarity!" She waved the other unicorn over, and asked her thought on magic flow. Rainbow flitted away to ask Celestia something, and I sat down on the grass, the sudden release of tension had left me a little shaky. I twitched again as a yellow nose brushed against my cheek, pink mane softly falling across my eyes.

"Oh, you poor dear." Fluttershy mumbled. "I had no idea that would hurt you so much."

"Thanks, 'Shy." I rubbed a hand gently through her mane, and felt a little better. At least she seemed to be the only one who had noticed. "But I'm OK."

"Okey Dokey!" Pinkie bounced past. "Let's get this show on the road, ponies! We need to get moving if we're going to make it into the Crystal Kingdom this afternoon!" I rolled my eyes at the idea of Pinkie spearheading the effort, but I guess it was a rescue party. I climbed to my feet and set off after her.

"Wes!" Celestia called.

"Yes?"

"If you don't mind, I would like to hear your side of the poison joak incident."

"Well, Your Majesty, I'm honestly surprised anypony could understand me."

"Really? How come?"

"Well, when I woke up that morning, I felt like I was a little hoarse- Ow! Ow, Twilight, you stepped on my foot!"

"So sorry." Her grin was a rictus. " I apologize, Princess. In English, that's a pun." She glared at me. "A bad one."

"Anyways," I shot her a resentful glare, "I did feel odd when I woke up-"

"Is this all your luggage?" The porter asked. He had been helping me load the extra supplies on the train.

"Um, I think so?" I glanced over the small pile of baggage that belonged to us, and the large pile that belonged to Rarity.

We were taking the train straight through the outpost, and directly towards the Anomaly, with a stop at the camp where Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, the Alicorn I'd never met, were stationed. We'd been supplied with a staggering surplus, mostly because no cost was too high for our success, but also because when you're taking the whole train, there's no reason to pack light. This was the third time all our luggage had been moved, and I still wasn't sure what all belonged to whom. I was half-convinced boxes were appearing and disappearing.

"Good enough." I shrugged stoically. The food and water were there, and that was enough for me.

"All aboard!" Pinkie called from the engine, blowing the steam whistle enthusiastically. I leaped onto the caboose and started making my way forward.

"Wes!" Celestia stopped me as I passed the passenger carriage. This train only had three cars, but I wanted to ride in the engine with Pinkie. "Speak with me for a minute." She waved me aside. We stood, heads close together, out of the way so our words wouldn't carry. "Wesley, I'm making this clear; I want Twilight to be in charge for this operation."

"...good?"

"I want her to develop as a leader, and at some point, the best way to do that is to push her into the lead."

"Sure, no problem." I scratched my head. I hadn't really been considering who would lead us; I was used to things being sort of democratic, but once Celestia decided, I felt a little more relaxed. Sorry Twilight, I thought guiltily. "Um, Princess, if you don't mind me asking...is she part of your retirement planning?"

Celestia smiled at that, a warm, secret smile.

"Eventually Wes." She gazed off into the distance, anticipation and pride clear on her face. "Oh, the plans I have for that filly! One day," she paused, and locked eyes with me. "I hope she will surpass both Luna and I." I whistled silently. "Also, this is for you." She passed me a slim folder, sealed with red tape and rubber stamped 'Secret'. "I can share this now, privilege of your new security clearance. I would have liked to deliver it sooner, a proper report takes time to do right."

"Thanks?" I said uncertainly.

"Don't thank me yet." She sighed. "It's fascinating, but probably not helpful." I nodded, and tore the red tape, flipping to the first page and skimming over the neatly printed text. What I saw electrified me.

Being a compilation of extra-dimensional artifacts, produced in the third year after the return of Princess Luna, including all confirmed and suspected, magical or mundane, objects from other worlds.

My hands trembled as I closed the thin volume, and squeezed my eyes tight. I thought back on Celestia's words, and carefully corralled the sudden surge of emotion in my heart. It was a scant beginning, not an end.

"This is..." I trailed off. "How?"

"Resography is not a widely studied field." Celestia paused, gathering her thoughts. "The thought experiment you proposed, showing the infeasibility of infinite worlds?" I nodded; Sunset Shimmer had given it to me, but she didn't know that. "It disregards one important factor. For the demonstration to hold true, it would require travel between and two worlds to cost zero energy."

My mouth slowly dropped open. How had I missed such an obvious detail?

"As demonstrated by the Anomaly, even the energy for moving between 'close' realities can be very large. That's why I originally assumed purposefulness behind your transfer. Emerging unscathed from accidental involvement in something that magical is extremely unusual. It happens, but not often. Many catastrophic accidents are more likely, some very subtle. For example, having your chirality switched."

"Right." I answered weakly.

"Anyways. That's everything we know about actual objects which may be extraequestrial. I hope it's useful to you."

I nodded, and turned towards the engine again. As I stepped in, Pinkie caught my eye, and winked, smiling; she was wearing a conductors cap, and ensconced in the captains chair. I laughed, and she laughed with me. I flopped into the engineer's seat, opened the report again, and began devouring it.

"Mmmmph." I stood frozen. Pink feathers filled my vision. I was wrapped in strong but gentle wings. "Pfft. Captain, some help please?" I begged.

"Cadence, darling…" Shining sighed. "Wesley needs a little more personal space. He's not the hugging sort."

The pink feathers slowly withdrew, and I got a good look at Shining Armor's wife, the third Alicorn of Equestria. She was very, very pink. Pink coat, pink eyes, even a pink stripe to her multi-colored hair. Almost as pink as Pinkie Pie.

"Um, nice to meet you, Your Highness." I bowed, as gracefully as I could. All the Alicorns were intimidating, and although Cadence wasn't quite as tall as Celestia or as formal as Luna, I hadn't met her yet. Watching her and Twilight dance and giggle together on their reunion hadn't prepared me for spontaneous hugs.

"Nice to meet you too." She glanced down, seemingly embarrassed by my rejecting her hugs. "Please, don't be so formal. Call me Cadence?" I glanced at Shining, who gave me a warning glare.

"Um, of course, Cadence. Nice to meet you." She smiled, and stepped back. I breathed a little easier as her attention left me.

"So, Shiny!" Twilight stepped forward. "Celestia said you could help open the portal?"

"Right." Shining Armor stepped forward, exhaustion showed in every line of his body. "Dear, if you would?" Cadence nodded, and they touched horns briefly. Their auras mingled, and the Alicorn sagged slightly as the weight of the spell moved to her.

"Pretty soon, you won't be able to maintain this." She looked her husband in the eye. "I'm only returning it if you promise you won't hurt yourself holding it too long."

"Of course, darling." He hugged her, and turned towards the door, leading us back towards the train. "You seven will have two days to finish your mission. I hope that will be enough." I nodded soberly; it had better be, for all our sakes.

I glanced back along the tracks, eyes skating across the swarm of windigos attacking the edges of the injunction, slowly eating away the field. I'd finished the report just as we'd passed through, so immersed I'd barely noticed their shrieking and clashing as Twilight's shield bore us safely through. The report was only sixteen pages, but I'd scrutinized each paragraph intensely.

As Celestia said, it wasn't much to go on. Five pages had been on me, which had been sort of odd. Most of the facts were right, but seeing myself from an impartial alien viewpoint had been disconcerting. Discovering I was the only confirmed artifact had been disappointing, but the rest of the report was still fascinating, though filled with equivocation and doubt.

The mythical Tuatha were briefly discussed, though eventually dismissed as unlikely. The windigos were also brought up; apparently, some of their abilities seemed otherworldly. Their apparent unintelligence made confirmation difficult, however. There were a few more vacuous myths, but there were also several more solid reports. One that intrigued me especially was a note from Celestia herself, discussing a magic mirror which created a portal once every thirty moons. The destination of the portal was unconfirmed, but tradition declared it otherworldly. It had apparently been an heirloom of the Unicorn Crown, but was lost to time. Another artifact that caught my eye was a scepter, supposedly able to speak with voices of unknown origin.

I was drawn back to reality as Twilight retrieved the aetheric battery Celestia had supplied, and began attaching it to the portal. Shining's eyes widened as he sensed the vast Alicorn magic crackling through the black iron lattice. He helped her connect it into the runes surrounding the arch over the track; although it seemed to be crudely overbuilt, it looked serviceable enough. If there was enough power in that battery, the portal would open, allowing us to take the train through. After that, the portal would quickly degenerate; keep it open until our return was impossible. Our safety was dependent on completing our mission, or the safety net of the Elements.

Which I, as the only non-bearer, was not assured of.

I grimaced, and cast the thought aside. Even if my soul-meld with Twilight didn't mean automatic inclusion, any of the Elements could carry me back. But more than that, I refused to entertain thoughts of defeat before even knowing what we were up against. We were strong, smart, fast, and adaptable; we were doing this, and doing it well.

We piled onto the train, and Pinkie fired the engine back up. I shoveled a little coal, and she let me blow the steam whistle. After a little consideration, I burned the report; I'd gone over it with a fine-tooth comb. No point keeping something troublesome like that around.

We picked up a bit of speed leaving the station, and Twilight signaled Shining Armor as we drew near the portal. He threw the breaker, and there was a crackle and a roar as the battery discharged, Celestia's stored power wrenching space apart. The portal formed before us, and for a moment I thought it a second late; but it was large enough, and we scraped through.

There was a jolt as we traded the tracks for hard cobblestone streets. Inertia carried us forward, and I was vaguely surprised we didn't flip over, but I guess Celestia had calculated for this. Pinkie threw the brakes, and we came to a halt with screeching, shivering lurch. I glanced up; the oddly bright darkness of the void again hung above us. I looked back, and the portal closed with a flash behind us. Twilight's shield enveloped us with a swirl of purple, and Pinkie and I shared a glance.

"Looks like we're here, Conductor."

"Yupperooni, Engineer! Let's go join the others!" I nodded, and followed her back into the passenger car.

We had our work cut out for us.

32 - Pitched

Pitched

"Ready?" Nods went round. Everypony had their element. Rarity had the gun; we'd started calling it Arglefraster, although I didn't like my secret key word being used openly. She could feed it power, and had the finesse to use it well. The plan was simple; one team would distract Shadow, while the other made for the Heart.

"Okay, he should arrive soon. Let's move out."

The 'home' team, Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack, and I, waited patiently by the gap in the golem horde. The 'away' team, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Twilight, were hidden in the caboose. After considerable searching, we found a spot mostly out of sight, but with a clear view of a good teleport landing. Twilight would lift the team out once our diversion started.

And here came our target. Shadow was looking just as sinister today.

"Good morning, guests. You wanted to see me?" He stopped just before the barrier, posing for dramatic intimidation, cloak carefully draped. Rarity rolled her eyes.

"We had a question." Applejack stepped forward.

"Proceed."

"What do you plan for the Crystal Ponies?"

"They are subject to my Lord, King Sombra; their fate is his decision."

"Say what? King Sombra? Sombra's a no-good, dirty, rotten scoundrel. He ain't king of nopony. You'd best be letting them go, hear?" Antagonism was the plan, but Applejack's anger was no act.

"My!" He gasped, throwing his short cape back with a flourish. Rainbow snorted. "Harsh words. If I refuse?"

I stepped forward, hammer swinging loosely from my wrist.

"Then we have a problem." I twirled it lazily. "You won't like that."

"You hardly frighten me, Mister Kilmer."

"Maybe I need to be scarier." The shaft landed in my palm and I stepped out of the shield, momentum and posture focusing every ounce of power on my hammerhead. It hit a golem on the chest, and sank in with a loud crunch. The defenseless construct disintegrated.

"Really." Shadow quirked an eyebrow. "Simply terrifying." He stomped a hoof and magic swirled, gathering and re-assembling the golem. The animating windigo was quickly re-embodied. I hid a wince; that could be real trouble. But it was too late to stop the plan; we had to gamble on Arglefraster and our shields.

"I've tried being civil. I've tried being kind." He tapped the shield; it rang dully. "Do you really think this can stop me? Ha!" He threw his head back, laughing theatrically. "Only my better nature keeps me from crushing you as you deserve. You invade my territory, you insult and threaten me! I - "

"You're a coward." Rainbow stepped forward. "You're a fluffsucker who puffs and postures. My friend Fluttershy is twice the pony you are; she, at least, won't lie about her feelings."

Shadow's eyes flared as Rainbow started. He swelled visibly with anger while she spoke, and when she stopped, he looked ready to chew iron and spit nails.

I nodded approvingly. The plan was progressing nicely.

Shadow was packing serious magical chops. We only had one shot at the Crystal Heart, and we were depending on Twilight acting without interference. We needed to occupy Shadow, which meant being a threat he couldn't ignore.

We were picking a fight.

"I-"

"Shut up." I spat on him. The shield let it out to splatter his shiny shoes. "Could you please stop waving your stupid cape? Your infantile ranting and raving sickens me. Can't you hear yourself?" I rolled my eyes.

"You-" He was practically frothing at the mouth.

"Right, right. Look, buddy, you think you're hot stuff, but I scrape nastier things off my boots." Applejack yawned.

"Sombra-"

"Oh, puh-lease!" Rarity scoffed. "You don't think we care about that ruffian-" Shadow visibly snapped. He reared back, pointing and yelling.

"Windigolems, get them!"

He was literally dancing with rage. I stepped back, momentarily intimidated as the golems rose and hammered against our shield as one.

"Hold hold hold hold!" I muttered, watching the azure defense field thicken and flow, the minarchistic tessellation flashing as power was reallocated for efficiency. I sighed with relief when simple weight of numbers couldn't push through.

"Hah! Is this the best Sombra can do? We thought you might actually be a threat!" I laughed, loudly and clearly.

"GRAAAH!"

Shadow's tantrum was reaching epic proportions. His horn fizzled and arced; if he actually managed to release that spell, it could be trouble.

Do I look that dumb when I'm angry? I wondered idly, motioning for Rarity to deploy Arglefraster. We had the initiative, and intended to hold it.

*KRAKATHOOM*

I winced; our comms had muffling spells, but they took a moment to activate. Shadow visibly reeled from the aural impact as Rarity opened fire. One drawback of physical projectiles was the sonic boom. I heard her laugh through my comm just as the dampening magic kicked in, bringing blessed silence. She looked like she was enjoying herself.

Arglefraster hovered slightly above and behind her, a thin cord of energy running from the gun's capacitor to her horn's tip. The barrel blurred as it auto-targeted, centering shots on nearby golems. It pulsed gently as Rarity fed it power. The propellant fields were nearly a meter long, and the spread of fire was small enough, a pretty silver stream rippled from the muzzle. The rate of fire was moderately low for a squad automatic weapon, only ten rounds per second, but the effect of the onslaught was impressive.

The press of golems literally disintegrated. They were soft enough for my hammer to crush; though the bullets were smaller, they were much, much faster. Arglefraster was programmed to place shots in the center of mass, though Rarity guided the general direction. It wouldn't shoot anything flesh-and-blood; even jumping into the fire zone would cause it to turn away. Rainbow - at full speed - might intercept a bullet. The rest of us were safe from friendly fire. It should even scan through walls, though the crystal buildings were tougher than golems.

Unfortunately, this also meant Shadow was safe. I don't think he realized it; he was too mad to think straight. He stormed straight at the shield, head down, horn alight. The golems drew back, running from the sleeting fusillade. Rarity followed, giggling hysterically. They circled sideways, leaving a trail of crushed glass. It looked nearly as fun as bubble-wrap.

I hope Twilight's on her way. I don't think he'll get more distracted. Shadow hit the shield with a brilliant flash. I whistled softly as his spell peeled the barrier back; penetrating military-grade protection was no small potatoes.

"We can't let him in!" I waved Rainbow and Applejack forward. "Let's push back!"

He stood in an empty space, the golems leaving him room. Another reformed as I watched. If we wanted a decisive win, we needed to disable that repair spell, which meant putting Shadow out of commission. Willing to take that challenge, the three of us stepped up and threw down.

We didn't expect an easy fight. Sombra had wiped the floor with Twilight and I; Shadow was his lieutenant, and if he was half the mage his boss was, we would be hard-pressed. Magic was a great leveler. Twilight could probably reach orbit with the right spell. Rarity could horn-power a machine gun. Rainbow regularly broke the sound barrier. And it wasn't just energy density, but also conversion speed. I could cross town the same as Scootaloo, but she was nearly seven times faster on flat ground. Unicorns cast spells, pegasi flew, and earth ponies were ridiculously strong and tough.

I had a hammer.

Still, training counted for a lot. I aimed a blow at Shadow's horn, and nearly finished the battle right there.

He pulled back, letting his shield-cutting spell dissipate. It looked like he was yelling. My earpiece was still muffling noises, but he surely wasn't complimenting me.

"And the same to you." I smirked, stepping back as he retaliated. He howled impotently as his hooves bounced off the shield. I made a note to thank Celestia; her defenses were no slouch. "Now, Rainbow!"

The comms picked up skull vibration. I would have liked to hear my surroundings, but at least we could still communicate. Rainbow swooped in as Shadow retreated, trying to deny us the shield. Once again, we surprised him. Her flying kick literally sent him sprawling. I frowned as he bounced back, barely shaken. He should have felt that.

Applejack didn't hesitate. As he stood, she moved in and loosed one of her signature kicks, catching him right on the knee. I whistled; that was an excellent choice, but far more brutal than I'd expected from the compassionate mare. My surprise redoubled when Shadow's leg literally fell off. All three of us froze in shock as fractures traced the rust-red limb, and it crumbled to dust. Shadow gnashed his teeth, eyes rolling in wrath.

"I thought we were overestimating him!" I yelped. The windigolem repair spell encased the limb, repairing it. "Looks like we've got a serious fight here, mares. Let's kick it up a notch." We dove back in, but our momentary hesitation had cost us the initiative; our opponent was ready.

I'd meditated thoroughly that morning, and it showed. I could calmly evaluate events, reacting rationally instead of emotionally. My reflexes were fast and smooth. I pushed hard, trying to pull pressure off Applejack, the fighter we'd worked with least. Shadow showed his skill, managing to cast several support spells. We obstructed, but he was tougher than a golem or a flesh-and-blood pony. We pounded him hard, but he slowly wore us down. Thankfully, the other team moved fast. A few long minutes in, Twilight reached the Crystal Palace.

I could tell because I got a moment of static on my comm, and then the ground shook. Shadow and the golems whipped their heads towards the source.

"Seriously, more explosions!" Rainbow grumbled. "And I don't even get to watch!"

"Come on, Rainbow." I sidestepped a kick. "Cool ponies don't look at explosions."

"Sorry, mares." Twilight broke radio silence, abandoning stealth. "The door was stuck."

"Now it's ajar!" Pinkie added.

"I bet." Applejack stepped in, trying to exploit Shadow's hesitation. I followed.

"This was a trap?" His eyes were wide in disbelief.

"Duh." Rainbow swooped in, clocking him upside the head. "You think we're kicking your flank just because it's hilarious? We have objectives too."

"To Tartarus with you. To Tartarus with your objectives!" He whipped around, searching for a gap in our defense.

"Eenope." Applejack, Rainbow and I closed ranks, backing him towards the shield. "Can't let you do that." His eyes narrowed as he realized our true motives. He lowered his head, and charged.

A second later, he actually turned a complete flip sideways in midair before slammed into a nearby wall. Those three full-power strikes, coordinated as one, would kill a normal pony. We needed him here; beating his stuffing out through his nose was merely a bonus. This time, he actually looked disoriented as he staggered to his feet. A second later he was back in the fight, and I recalled this wasn't as unilateral as I wished.

I was picking myself off the ground, trying to keep broken golem out of my face, when the next report came.

"I'm at the Crystal Heart. Rainbow was right; it's heavily defended. I'll do my best to disarm the system before using the elements. Everypony ready? Wesley, sure you'll be alright?" I glanced at the shield; it was still standing firm.

"Yeah." I sprang to my feet, and charged back into the fray just as a sizzling bolt of power flung Rainbow back. I barely intercepted a strike trying to shorten Applejack a good twelve inches, and devoted myself to frantically surviving a brawl with a battlemage several ranks above my pay grade. "Be fast. This is quickly going south." We were barely holding our own, and time wasn't our ally.

Once the Elements charged, their power should protect the wielders. I would get behind the shield, and after they were done with the Heart, Shadow would get his due. I hope it hurts him, I thought, as Applejack took a crushing blow to the side.

"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" I gasped.

"School of hard knocks." She shook the blow off, and stepped back in. "And a few tricks from the rodeo circuit." She was holding her own much better than I expected; I didn't think her soft, but strong and effective were different.

Suddenly, a gasp came over the comm.

"Trouble, mares!" Twilight was frantic. "The trap activated; spells inbound! They're weakened, try and-AAAAAAAAA!" I winced as her shriek cut off.

"Get back!" I yelled, taking a risky strike at Shadow's horn. "Rarity, cover us!" He dodged, retreating enough we could disengage. Our withdrawal surprised him; he couldn't hear our voices. Maybe ambient noise wasn't all bad. The golems behind us crumbled, and we dashed for the shield. The exclusion matrix let us through easily, but Shadow bounced with an audible clang. The sudden return of noise surprised me. Rarity was panting, a wild look in her eye, but Arglefraster dissolved as we gathered. She passed me the horseshoe.

"You might need this." The mares gathered in a knot, facing every way at once.

"Watch our backs, Wes." Rainbow landed, and put her shoulder alongside her friends.

"Always."

Suddenly, three glittering missiles slammed through the shield. Jagged holes gaped for a split second. My friends froze, caught in a silvery field, expressions twisted into horror, shock, and surprise.

I stood before them, breath suddenly loud in my ears.

"Ha!" Shadow was panting too. I wondered if that was simply habit, or if his crystal body actually needed oxygen. "Hah, hah ahah! Fools! Sombra's magic is not to be toyed with!" He lowered his horn, and it sparkled. I thought desperately as he prepared his assault.

"Stop." I activated my gun and took aim. It wouldn't shoot a flesh pony, but he was closer to the windigolems. Maybe the next step in whatever twisted scheme Sombra abandoned his body for.

"That won't hurt me." He paused his casting, and the gleam of a personnel shield shimmered on his barrel. "I could shrug those silly little pellets off all day." He eyed me for a second. "Did you help construct that? It's quite intriguing." Satisfied he could attack at will, he took a moment to inspect his cape, face darkening at every rent and rip.

"I worked on it." I tried to regulate my breathing. Any time bought for my friends escape was worth it. "Want a closer look?"

"Don't worry; I'll have my chance after taking it from your corpse."

"Think it will be that easy?"

"Pish, yes." He found one of his black horseshoes and slipped it on, buffing carefully. "I'll section this shield like an orange, once my minions recover." I glanced around; sure enough, the windigolem ranks were almost rebuilt. If he penetrated the shield, I couldn't dream of resisting. Our lives would be forfeit. I grit my teeth and resolved to gamble on one last shot, screw the consequences.

"Tell me, why do you work for Celestia the tyrant?"

"What?" I was honestly confused. "Have you even met her?"

"Of course! A more overbearing, pompous, arrogant pony I have never seen!"

"Ever look in the mirror?"

"Hah! No, you will not push me to recklessness again. Come now, Wesley, right? Sombra mentioned you. You have something of his, a soul crystal. He'd like it back, but might accept you in his service. It would be worth much to me if you'd consider joining us. We pay more than the Sun Alicorn, I promise." He smirked, dark delights gleaming in his eyes. "Really, the benefits are delicious. Haven't you felt the world is too small for you? Join us. You will have power!" I shuddered, revulsion wracking me.

"We're not so different, you and I? Are you serious?" I didn't bother hiding my scorn. He thought I was in this for money? Power?

"Deadly." His horn sparked to life, and he leveled it on the shield with a screech. The defense again peeled back under his pressure.

"You understand nothing." Disgust welled in me, and I locked him in my crosshairs. "You think I'm here for pay?" His eyes widened in puzzlement and I continued, the volume of my voice increasing. "Is money and power all you creeps understand? Is that all you want from life?" I was screaming now, anger coursing through my body.

"What else is there?" He yelled back. "I'm about to prove my superiority on your body. Try not to regret your decision." He smirked.

"Regret? Hah! Over the past year, I learned there is evil!" I ran my hands frantically over Arglefraster's controls. Enough! This was the end. He watched with detached bemusement. "I don't know everything I've become, or am becoming! But I'm realizing one thing; I don't hate fighting. I might actually like it. I'm good at it, even if it hurts! That's part of what was so confusing. What I hate is murder. Being forced to kill innocents, even shaped like bugs, tore me up! But sometimes, sometimes my opponents aren't innocent." I smiled beatifically, the heat of anger transmuting into cold, righteous rage. The gun dissolved, the crystals rearranged, hair-thin whispers of power re-routed controls. "I'm starting to see. To people like you, murder and execution are indistinguishable. Not me. I'm not a killer. I. Am. A. Warrior! Don't whine when I turn your 'might makes right' back at you!"

"Oh, please. I've seen what that can do, and-"

I tapped the targeting stud, and the rebuilt gun snapped into shape. His eyes widened and he jerked away, but the shield held him firmly.

"I didn't come this far without a trump in reserve!" Arglefraster was basically, a railgun. At its core was a very, very over-complicated function; it cast one spell, accelerate, on one thing, ice. The extras made it efficient, user-friendly, and safe...er.

Each and all could be disabled.

The rebuilt system was jagged and vicious, a paean to brutal violence. The vortex crystals quivered, barely restraining the horrendous potential focused on an icicle as long as my arm. I spat the second safety phrase, and loosed it.

<"Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.">

My ears were ringing when I regained consciousness. The shockwave had actually thrown me several feet. I muzzily sat up, trying to gather my scattered thoughts.

"You okay there, sugarcube?" I jumped slightly as Applejack nudged me.

"Wha?" I turned, trying to focus on her. Rarity and Rainbow were nearby. "Made it?"

"Yeah, the trap was a memory spell. We mostly made it through Ok." Rainbow shot Applejack a telling glance, but the cowpony didn't notice. "Good job holding your own. The hay you do?"

"Arglefraster?" I asked. Rarity held out the gun. I accepted it, and inspected the vortex crystals; they were shockingly unburnt. I wondered briefly how our pocket battleship cannon would fare against a changeling queen. "I shot him." I handed the gun back. "Bang." I slumped, wincing as my head bounced off the pavement. "That gun has a second setting. All-in-one. Surprised it didn't destroy the load compensator. What's left of the fool?"

"Gravel and dust." Rarity gave the battleground a sober glance. "The windigolems are gone, too. Seems everything turned out OK."

"Alright." I gathered myself together. "Let's see about the Heart." I tapped my earpiece back into my ear. "Twilight, you there?"

"Huff. Huff. Yeah. I'm here." She was panting heavily. "What was that noise?"

"I went medieval on Shadow's flank. He's not going to bother us anymore, you're good to go."

"Fine. Good. Let's do this."

"Twilight..." I paused, unsettled. Something in her voice made me wonder what that memory magic had been, but I wasn't quite willing to speak. What if I made things worse? They didn't seem hurt.

"Here goes. Wes, brace yourself."

I scooted back against the train, leaning on a wheel and relaxing my muscles, concerns pushed aside. Choose to act and move forward. We'd work it out as we went. I bit my lip as the elements activated. The three mares near me closed their eyes and started glowing, auras stretched towards the castle, but fading quickly into invisibility. I felt the pain wash over me. Oddly, it seemed slightly less. Maybe distance had some effect?

I braced myself against the magical flow and tried centering my mind, activating the meditation patterns I was studiously practicing under Lyra's guidance.

She's going to be mad, I thought, trying to distract myself as best I could. I really shouldn't have gotten that worked up over Shadow. I didn't really regret nuking the monster; he had it coming. Holding four thousand hostages, and impeding our rescue? That's what I knew he was guilty of. It would have been nice to drag him before the High Court, but his fate didn't bother me. If he really is dead. It had been ridiculously hard to hurt Sombra.

Wondering, I cracked an eye. It had easily been five minutes since the Elements activated; what was taking them so long?

I slid my gaze over Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow. They were still floating in the air, their nimbus of power gently pulsing. But something seemed...off to me.

I staggered over, peering closely into their faces. As I watched, Applejack's expression twisted, anguish showing slightly.

"Horsefeathers." I slapped my forehead, recalling my reservations from minutes earlier. "Something did go wrong. How long is Sombra going to outmaneuver us like that?" I slumped to the ground again; if they weren't defeated in the first moment, they could hold a bit longer. What should I do?

I dropped my head to my hands, and thought hard through the haze of pain. My brain was sluggish and unresponsive, but I cudgeled it into performing. Eventually, I forced myself to my feet and wandered off in the general direction of the castle. For this plan, I needed to be near Twilight, and I wanted a good look at what was happening.

"Holy crow."

The castle had a gaping hole in the wall, easily meters across. The ward had a neat circle too, centered right in the middle of the gap. A small blue object held it open.

"What did Twilight do here?" It looked like she not only destroyed the wall, but also exploited a syntactic flaw in the ward design to completely bypass the magic defense. It made a clean half-circle around a perfectly ordinary Mason jar, held about three feet back all round by whatever phenomenotional keys decided access. I ducked through the hole, carefully not touching either the magic or the restraining glass container.

"Of course." I giggled incoherently as I traced the advance party's steps. "It's probably based on a pun. When is a door not a door?" The linguistic structure of magic gave me endless headaches. It was worse even than English; instead of simply borrowing words from other languages, new component words and spells were invented by magicians trying to define concepts with no clear meaning, or worse, concepts that changed meaning based on circumstance.

They were then categorized by effect into 'schools', which had names that seemed generated by alphabet dice. The process seemed silly to me. Bizzanarchy, for instance, grouped spell-words used to change natural phenomena. The gravity spell we researched fell there. However, when I pointed out it could just also be part of Kinesthism, the magic of manipulating movement, Twilight told me that school was usually used for variations on the telekinesis spell.

The fact most magicians had no idea what magic actually did to the world wasn't helpful, either. They thought of magic as 'fields of reason', and very few considered how it actually changed reality. The reason Twilight and I had successfully meshed spells from nine incompatible schools when we made Arglefraster was a deeper understanding of what the effects actually meant.

To be fair, magic was such high-level manipulation a magician usually didn't need to consider the lower-level reality. Turning an apple into an orange was difficult not because of rearranging atoms and energy, but the conceptual difference between the two fruits. Still; knowledge was power, and a deeper understanding of how reality worked was a definite edge.

Not that Twilight really needed much of an edge. For the magic language, she was a poet or lyricist. Her penetration of the wards showed just how far above 'average' her understanding of magic went; cracking a spell using conceptual logic alone showed a mastery of the basics that hinted at her truly prodigious talent. Still, she wasn't the only clever pony out there, and truly lacked experience compared to her opponents. Sombra had showed himself her better several times, and this looked like it might be another.

"What have you gotten your fuzzy self into now?" I mumbled, as I staggered into the central hall.

The Crystal Heart dominated the scene. It looked similar to last time; surprisingly small, bravely blue, and meshed in a spiny cage of evil black crystal. The mirrors and the 'magic clock' were gone; probably part of the trap.

This time, the cage hung from the ceiling. The artifact was suspended just above the dais. Three ponies were arrayed before it.

Twilight was, of course, on point. She stood, eyes white, expression lost and haunted, staring at her goal but unable to achieve it. To her left was Fluttershy, curled up into a nearly perfect sphere of shivering yellow feathers. Pinkie was on the left, standing strong, her expression stern and sad, but strangely beautiful. Her mane lay flat, and I stayed carefully away; I'd been warned about 'Pinkamena', and wasn't risking anything.

I finally stood before them, and took one last long look into the Heart. It's depths gleamed darkly deep, and I thought a green eye winked back. I braced myself and considered what I was doing.

I still was still unsure on the mind-link. Twilight claimed it wasn't causing problems. That seemed right, but I still had reservations. It was just so alien I had trouble trusting it, useful as it was. Also, it seemed caused by my crystal. Anything connected to that I wanted no part of.

It was useful though, and right now it seemed the only way for me to affect what was happening. Sombra's trap hadn't failed; that was becoming obvious. What the effect had been, I couldn't tell. But I refused to simply wait, leaving the load on my friends, not while I could help.

Even if this was going to hurt.

I took a few deep breaths, steeled myself, pulled out my horn and touched the tip of Twilight's. There was a snap, like a huge invisible spark, and she was in my mind.

"Twilight!" I yelled, teeth clenched. The pain pounded me; the power of the elements washed through and around our mindlink, and shallow as it was, it burned.

"Huh?" Her thought was soft, confused. Was she crying?

"Twilight, pull yourself together!" I could feel, through the Elements, the connection to the crystal. Sombra's dark magic washed across, a foul effulgence that tainted their power and bound them.

"Who are you? How do you know me?"

"Snap out of it, Twilight! It's Wes, your friend! Focus!"

"I...I don't have friends." She sniffled, and an image crept across the link. The inside of...a book fort? A small, lonely purple foal huddled inside.

"HORSEAPPLES!" She recoiled from my profanity but I followed, deepening the link. "What about Fluttershy? Applejack? Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity? What about Spike? Shining? Celestia?" I felt muted recognition of the names, although Shining brought bitterness and confusion.

"You...you're hurting." There was wonder in her voice as she glimpsed my mind, curiosity appearing as she saw my sensations and feelings. She lingered for a second on the Crystal Heart, but gasped in horror as a fraction of my torment crept in.

"For...me?"

"For all of you." I ground out, frustrated and in pain. Why did I have to be the one to pull their flanks out of the fire? My bitterness faded a bit as an image of Fluttershy, soaking wet but searching the Everfree for me, came to mind; or Pinkie, who heard me whimper in my sleep from the next room and thought to help. Oh, right. Team. I pushed that thought over the link; the feelings of trust and comradeship I'd started to build on this trip, the way our talents all fit together and complemented each other. How we worked as one, forming a whole stronger and more able than any part, by covering our own shortcomings with another's strength. "For me, too." I admitted, showing my own unwillingness to give up, a stubborn pride that had hurt me in the past, but kept me going long past my limits when I needed strength beyond strength, even to the teeth of bitter despair.

"You're...Wesley." That caught her; my self-image of stubborn defiance cleared her mind a bit, andthe mindlink wavered, a taste of reality flowing in. The image of loneliness, friendless anguish, and despair shook as Twilight threw her mental weight against the walls trapping her. With a stretching, bending feeling, she re-captured some of who she was.

"Sombra's trap had two parts." She threw the information at me all in a rush. "He's forcing us back to desperate spots in our life. He expected Shadow to fail, he expected us to reach the Heart. We didn't escape at all! He reversed his link to it, and struck back through our own power. He's trying to break our connections to each other, and cut our connections to our elements.'

"Well, fight!"

"Of course!" I felt her draw on my strength, borrowing a bit of my stubborn anger to fuel her fortitude. I saw her plan; rally the Elements, push Sombra back with a surge of power, crush him with the strength of her friends. I smiled; he'd never know what hit him. Finesse was great, but sometimes brute force was best. I lifted my horn, and gasped in relief as the link broke.

It still hurt, though. I leaned into the pain, striding away from the dais, and turning to watch the tableau. Soon, the Elemental nimbus around my friends pulsed and grew; as it expanded, I saw crackles of dark energy running through it, Sombra's attack. Twilight grit her teeth, and Fluttershy staggered to her feet. Pinkie strode a single step, and their power lashed out, crashing into the Heart.

The cage of crystal caught fire, the ghostly flame consuming it with frightening speed, burning back into the ceiling. I watched in fascination as glowing energy zipped through the translucent walls, excoriating the evil magic wherever it lay. The Heart gleamed softly, and fell to the floor with a surprisingly loud clang. I saw a pain-filled eye wink from it's depths, anger and hate writ clear, and cheered.

"Yeah! Go team!" I threw my hands in the air as the power faded from around the three, taking the pain with. "Good job!" I strode forward, planning to join the inevitable group hug. My steps slowed as they looked around in confusion, blank stares obvious in their soft eyes.

"Huh?" Pinkie, hair still fairly flat, glanced around. "What...who...?" Fluttershy caught sight of me, gave an adorable "Eeep!" and curled back into a ball.

"I...Ow!" Twilight caught my gaze, curiosity evident in her face, but her blank expression returned as she clapped a hoof to her temple. "Ow, ow, ow! I've never had such a headache." She paused, curiosity again creeping into her expression. "Or have I? OW!"

Mind whirling, I calmly walked over to the dais and innocently collected the Crystal Heart. It was about fifteen inches across, and six thick; I slipped it casually into my pack, before turning to my friends.

"Twilight? Pinkie? Fluttershy? Are you OK?"

"I think I-Ow!" Pinkie started speaking, but clapped a hoof to her head. "Maybe? Thinking is really hard right now. Please don't ask me to do that again?" She gave me a soulful gaze.

"Oh. Um." I thought for a minute. "Ok, why don't you three just...stay here for a bit? I need to...check something."

Sombra seemed to be out of the picture. His link was well and truly cut. As best I knew, Shadow's defeat had disabled the windigolems, and the windigos themselves weren't much of a threat as long as you weren't actually fighting. Besides, there were much fewer with the swarm harassing Shining and Cadence.

My friends should be okay, but I needed to check on the three at the train. This...mental block, was a problem. I didn't have many options myself, but if I could get to Rarity, maybe her magic could help. Perhaps being further away from the Heart had insulated them from the backlash.

I sighed, and started trudging back, mentally tallying injuries and resources. My body hurt less, but my problems weren't gone; just different. This was going to be a very long day.

33 - Manifest

Manifest

The first thing I noticed on leaving the Palace was noise.

Before, we were the only movement in the city, or Shadow and his minions. Now, as I walked the streets, I heard voices and hoofsteps. Most of them were unsteady, questioning or wondering, but ponies were talking and walking.

Confused, I followed the nearest clip-clop noise. I found a stallion wandering vaguely through the street, a powder of fine ash sifting from his shoulders. He paused when he saw me, but I held my peace, hands behind my back and expression calm. He walked up and looked me over when I offered no threat or surprise.

"Do I know you?" He asked.

"No idea." I shrugged. "What do you remember?"

"I think-Ow!" He raised a hoof to his head, and I sighed.

"Sorry, buddy." I clapped a hand to his withers, and gave him a reassuring pat. "I don't so. Don't hurt yourself, now." Leaving him to think, I turned away.

So, the Crystal Ponies were awake. That was good. But, they all had the same memory malfunction as Twilight and the others; at least, the others I'd seen. That was bad.

"Come on, Wes. Get your thinker going." I stumbled down the street, trying to keep my feet under me and come up with an answer at the same time. I'd really taken a beating from Shadow, and although I wasn't in trouble, I was going to be very uncomfortable for a while.

"Ooof." I stumbled against a wall and leaned there a moment, mind blank, before realizing what was happening; I was crashing from an adrenaline high, and the stress of dealing with a heaping helping of pain. With a groan, I forced myself onwards, trying not to look at the bright void above my head.

Surely this wasn't the worst scenario, right? I wasn't lost in a completely new world, with no help and nothing to work from?

My mind drifted back to when I'd stood at the edge of this 'island' and tossed a pebble off. It never struck the bottom.

I shivered. No, I was lost in a world I'd been to once before, with a train full of supplies, and thousands of ponies who needed help. We would all fall into nothing together if I couldn't pull through. I checked my watch, strung on a fine chain around my neck; it was half-past eleven in the morning. I had twenty-four and one-half hours before Shining and Cadence cut us loose. The Elements would make it back, and I might go with them.

Oh, wait.

That had been dependent on the Anomaly continuing, pushing us farther away. If we were now static to Equestria, resographically speaking, would the pull of the Elements be enough to save the mares?

Since they weren't gone yet, probably not.

And though we had a train full of supplies, that wasn't much food for four thousand-plus ponies.

Things were going to get interesting if I didn't manage something.

"No pressure, Wes." I trudged around the corner, and breathed relief when the shield came into view. A few local ponies were wandering the edges, tapping on the shell. Rainbow was talking to one; they both seemed confused by how she could enter or exit easily, but not the other. At that, my hopes dipped.

I stepped through the shield, and headed into the passenger car. I found Applejack daubing healing salve on her wounds, such as they were; Shadow had bruised us good, but three-on-one let us avoid bleeding profusely. I sat down. She took a good look at me and passed the jar.

"Can you remember me?" I accepted gratefully and started treating the most serious of my lacerations, a seven-inch gash on my forearm. The antiseptic stung.

"Enope." She shook her head. "Thinking too hard hurts. Can't recall you at all."

"Blargh." I groaned, and dropped my head to my hands. "Dang it, Applejack. What am I going to do now?"

She sat in silence for a moment, before surprising me by draping a hoof over my shoulders.

"Well, I don't know you right now, but maybe I did once. Something tells me you're no quitter, though-Ow. Horsefeathers. Sorry. Suddenly, thinking seems real hard."

"No, it's OK." I handed back the jar, and paced into the caboose. My friends needed my help now, and I would do my best for them.

An hour or so later, I slumped on a nearby crate, and tried not to despair. Applejack had left for a walk. I was tired and hungry, and frustration was starting to set in. I'd dug out the cargo manifest, but like before, the collection of boxes seemed to be continually shifting and changing.

"Aaaaaah!" I vented a bit of frustration, and thumped my feet against the crate I was sitting on, large enough comfortably hold a good-sized pony. I read the label; it said 'life raft'. I checked the manifest; no life raft listed. Why even send a life raft? Did Celestia cram whatever was handy into the caboose, and hope it would be useful? I glanced at another large crate, perforated with ventilation holes; it said 'oven'. This one was listed, but in the wrong place. I groaned and dropped my head to my hands.

I sat there, mind blank, for quite a while. I wasn't thinking; just drifting. My thoughts would spin loosely, like a broken pinwheel. Desperation would give it a push; it would start upwards, working through everything I needed to accomplish, but frustration and overwhelming odds would eventually pull it back down, until it sagged back where it started with a squeak.

Finally sick of dead ends, I resolved to eat something and take a nap. I felt I could actually accomplish that, and life was usually better after. I was about to get up, but a noise stopped me.

The crate marked 'oven' was jiggling. I watched with a combination of surprise, shocked anticipation, and pulse-pounding fright as something struggled gently to escape. After a few moments the top came off with an audible crack and a familiar minty-green head popped out.

I nearly fell over in shock.

Lyra Heartstrings yawned hugely, facing away from me.

"Bon-Bon! Hey, Bon-Bon, wake up! We're here!" I nearly jumped in surprise as the crate I was sitting on mumbled incoherently. At the noise, Lyra turned to face me. We locked eyes, both frozen in surprise.

"You are not an oven." I claimed stupidly.

"Psst! Bon-Bon!" She whispered theatrically, eyes locked on mine. "Bon-Bon, Wesley spotted me! What do I do now?"

"Lyra Heartstrings, sometimes I hate you so much." This time I did jump as the crate underneath me rocked, and the powerful earth-pony confectioner literally shoved me off. "I knew we should have used a different spell."

"You don't know the half of it." I rubbed my eyes. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you two. But you've got some serious explaining to do."

"Um, thanks." Bon-Bon accepted the bottle and bowl of soup; I'd still wanted lunch, so I served us all. "But, um, why doesn't Applejack remember us?"

"Nope." I shook my head, and sat down firmly across from them. "You first. What on earth were you thinking, stowing away? And how the hay did you pull it off?" They exchanged sheepish looks. I held my peace, flicking the bottle-top off with my thumb; they were sealed with wax and a metal disc. I could get a pretty decent flip if I tried. Lyra watched it spin, fascinated. I snagged it as it came down, and started rolling it across the back of my fingers. After a few moments of awkward silence, Bon-Bon sighed and gave.

"It was my idea." She took a bite of her soup. "You might have guessed, but I'm not actually a simple confectioner."

"Hu-bwa?" The bottle-top fell of my hand, landing in my bowl.

"Oh." Bon-Bon giggled at my obvious confusion. "Well, maybe you didn't. It does use my talent, I guess."

"I had no idea." I fished the metal disc out of my food, and licked it off. "But continue."

"Well," Lyra pried the top off her own drink and took a sip, "I think Pinkie might have mentioned it at your party, but we're actually equuologists."

"Hum." I cast my mind back; maybe she'd said something like that. "Yeah, sure. But what does that actually mean?"

"Oh." Bon-Bon gave me a surprised look. "I keep forgetting that you're not a native speaker. Equuologists study different cultures, what forms them, and what makes them unique."

<"Anthropologists!"> I slugged back a swallow of lemonade. "You're ." Lyra pulled out her notebook, and made an entry. "But how does that end with you hiding in our cargo? And how did you not wake up earlier? There was, literally, a pitched battle no more than forty feet away." Lyra's eyes sharpened at that. "After." I pointed at her, and she subsided.

"I told her." Lyra admitted, slightly shamefaced. "You asked me not to spread it around, but the idea of investigating a culture lost for a thousand years...I knew Bon-Bon would be fascinated by the idea. But I underestimated her drive."

"Just imagine!" Bon-Bon's eyes were literally shining with excitement, and she was nearly bouncing in place. "Think of all the things we might learn from the relics of their civilization! We might be able to find out what sort of clothes they wore, what sort of food they ate, their arts and crafts, even what sorts of hopes, dreams and goals they had! I want to be the first pony to find out those sorts of things. I need to be the first pony! So, I made Lyra hide us."

"Right." The green unicorn shrugged. "I'm not powerful, but I can cast pretty well if I concentrate. I used a hibernation spell so we could stay in the crates, and a muffling spell so nopony would hear us. I even cast an obfustication on the luggage, so we wouldn't be noticed easily."

"It's YOUR FAULT!" I exclaimed, pointing angrily with my spoon. "You're the one who was driving me mad! Your obfuscation spell caused the manifest to not match the cargo, and-" I slumped pathetically. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?"

"Nope!" Lyra chirped. "But I do know we're the first equuologists to set hoof in the Crystal Empire for a thousand years." She glanced bemusedly out the window, staring through the shield. "Why is everything blue?"

"No. I'm not done yet." I took my seat. "If you're equuologists, and you're willing to go so far to investigate a new culture, what the hay are you doing in Ponyville?"

"Seriously?" Bon-Bon gave me a flat stare. "You've been there. Don't you have any idea how screwed up that town is? There's a serious disaster nearly every other week, and world-ending catastrophes on a yearly basis. If I ever figure out what's really going on in that town, it's going to be my doctoral thesis, and it will send my name down in history as the Mare who Knew." She eyed me suspiciously. "You don't happen to have any idea, do you?"

"Can't say I do." I shrugged. Sure, Ponyville was weird, but I hadn't spent much time elsewhere. It was just one more pile of crazy to me. "And you?" I pointed to Lyra.

"Well, I'm not really an equuologist. Don't get me wrong," She waved defensively, "I've got the degree. But that's not where my heart is; I went through college on a scholarship. I spent most of my time fighting."

"There are college scholarships for underground fighting rings?" I asked, flabbergasted.

"There are in Canterlot." She shrugged. "It helps if you thrash the dean of students, I think. He recruited me to keep a bit of pride. Mighty good fighter, though, and a real good sport." She smiled. "No, I'm actually her bodyguard." I moved my blank stare back to Bon-Bon, waiting for the next bomb. This was just too unbelievable. She coughed sheepishly.

"My parents wouldn't let me move to Ponyville otherwise. I think I mentioned it's sorta dangerous there." She took another spoonful of soup. "They're well-to-do, and pay her retainer. Though she spends a lot of that on candy."

"Hey, you're a good cook."

"And so, the economy spins on. But anyways, that's the end of the matter."

"So, let me get this straight. You're actually an undercover investigator, trying to write a paper on what makes Ponyville so weird. Lyra is your sidekick-slash-foalsitter, and she told you about the Crystal Empire. You two snuck aboard the train, because you wanted to be part of that. Then you slept for more than a day, and here we are." They nodded. "Ok, I give up. You can ask me questions now. Your story is too crazy not to be true; nopony is that good at lying."

"Um, before that." Lyra shifted uncomfortably. "Can you point me to a bathroom?"

I sighed and rubbed my eyes. Would these two even be any help?

"The Crystal Ponies are alive?"

I wordlessly stepped out the door, and beckoned them after. Crystal ponies wandered the streets, staring blankly about. One or two were investigating the shield. My appearance caused a small stir.

"Like I said, they don't remember anything, and neither do the Bearers." I shrugged. "I've no idea where to go from here. We need to either activate the Crystal Heart, or get a message to Celestia. Neither option's easy, with the Elements out of commission."

"Any idea what caused the amnesia?" Bon-Bon stepped up to the shield. I hesitated, filtering references to numancy out of my responses. Keeping secrets sucked.

"The Bearers fired on the Heart." I pulled the artifact out of my pack; they gasped. "Sombra was linked to it, using the connection to siphon energy off the Crystal Ponies and imprison them. The connection looked like black crystal vines, and when the Elements hit them, they burned away." I shrugged. "After that they woke up, but everypony connected to the Heart had amnesia. Including the Bearers."

"Oooo." Lyra shuddered. "That's a hard one; sounds like numancy. That's bad news."

"Tell me about it." I sighed, drawing a surprised look. "Anyways," I hurried on, "We've got the whole train to work with. Besides that, whatever we can scrounge, I guess?" I shrugged.

"The library." Bon-Bon gave me a sharp stare. "Lyra said last time you were here you found a library."

"Oh. Yeah, there was at that. Do you think we can find anything helpful there?"

"No idea. But there's no way I'm headed home without getting a look." I shrugged. Fair enough; I had no better ideas.

"Right. Let's go then." I stepped out of the shield, and led them towards the castle.

Our going was slow. Every few seconds, we had to drag Bon-Bon back on track.

"Enough!" Finally sick of detours, I grabbed a bit of her mane and towed her. "Talk to me. Earlier, you said confectionary 'uses' your cutie mark. But it seems that's all your cutie mark is. How can you be an equuologist instead?"

"Oh, good question." Lyra gave an approving nod. "You're really starting to think past the obvious."

"Hush, Jedi. You need to stop flip-flopping between faux-mysterious and a silly goofball."

"Hahah, nope!" Lyra pushed her lip out in a pout, and skipped a half-step cheerfully. "The day I become predictable is the day I deserve to get my tail kicked. If you're predictable, they can plan for you. And if they can plan for you, you're dead."

"That...actually makes a little sense?" I frowned, confused. "Anyways." I pushed her weirdness to the back of my mind. "Cutie marks. Tell me more about them."

"Well," Bon-Bon sighed. "Normally, this is the sort of thing you're told after you get your own..."

"Not happening."

"No, I guess not. Fine, I'll give you a run-down. First off, you know cutie marks have power? They actually help improve your talents?"

"Really? I thought they just, sorta indicated."

"Nope. They don't until your talent is already fairly well developed. They're an extra push, a bit of magical oomph behind your chosen skills."

"Chosen skills?"

"Seriously, Wes." Bon-Bon shot me a frustrated glare. "You hang out with the CMC far too much. You don't seriously think skill comes without practice, do you?"

"Um, but then all the things those fillies do-"

"Pointless."

"What?"

"Oh, really. Don't take it so hard. I mean, they won't get their marks until their magic finishes coming in, anyways."

"Ok, wait, back up. Unpack that."

"What?"

"Until their magic comes in. What do you mean?"

"I know you're a foreigner, but seriously. Your intelligence makes your ignorance on some things surprising." Bon-Bon took a deep breath, and assumed a lecturing air. Behind her. Lyra gently mocked her attitude, puffing out her chest and strutting. I struggled not to laugh. "Look, Wes, this is grade school stuff. Magic, intrinsic power, is something we're born with. But like the rest of our bodies, it's not fully developed when we're born. You've seen how Sweetie can't use her horn all the time? Or Scootaloo can't generate much lift?" I nodded. "That's more than control issues. Their magic isn't done developing. They won't get cutie marks until they're done growing."

"So...they're just goofing off?"

"Pretty much."

"Why doesn't anypony tell them?"

"You think nopony's tried? Give it a shot. Say something like 'Just give it time, your marks will come eventually.' At least this way, they have fun and stay busy."

"Ok, fine. But they're some of the last in their age group! Why's it taking so long?"

"No idea." Bon-Bon shrugged. "I'm an equuologist, not thaumotrician. But there's an old story..." She paused. "Well, I have no idea if it's true. But old mares say the ponies who bloom latest have the most powerful talents."

I thought back to Twilight's story; she hadn't gotten her mark until just before high-school. Several years after the CMC. She was the oldest of the six, although she didn't always act it.

"Huh."

"Makes you think, right? Just don't tell them; they have enough worries."

"Sure." I nodded. "You're right. But back to what you said about using your mark."

"It's like this. A cutie mark is a helper. It's a magical boost, tailored to skills you've carefully honed. But, truthfully, not everypony goes into fields utilizing their exact skills. Rarity has a mark for finding gemstones, but she's no miner, or even an appraiser." I nodded at that. "Cutie marks aren't prisons or traps, or anything like that. They're usually founded on something pretty basic, though they may seem specific. If you're clever, you can apply them differently." She gestured to Lyra. "My compatriot has a mark for music. But she uses that for fighting. Finding patterns of movement, for instance." She motioned to her own. "Mine is confectionary. But in order to make good candy, you need to understand mixtures, how tiny additions can tip the balance of a whole pot. Not," she smiled, "so very different from social dynamics."

"So...you can choose what your mark does? At least a little? So a cutie mark will never make a pony unhappy?"

"You can choose how to apply a cutie mark. And...well, it is possible to hate yourself, even your cutie mark, or spend your life doing something you dislike, and even be very good at it." She sighed. "There are some tragic cases on record, and likely more we never knew. But there's lots involved in getting marked. Usually, years of practice and maturing. To really hate your cutie mark, you'd need to suborn all of that. It's not impossible, but the system works pretty well."

"As far as we can tell." Lyra added. I raised an eyebrow, and she shrugged. "Seriously, this is all conjecture. Thaumotricians draw inferences, and statistics tells a lot. This is the current theory, hypothesized by some great minds. But true understanding would require knowing either how the system came to be, even the Princesses don't, or numancy research. Cutie marks are restricted. The Internal Peacekeeping Bureau will come down on you like a pile of...bricks. Yeah. Bricks."

"Internal Peacekeeping Bureau?"

"You know, muscular horses in dark suits?" She gave me a searching glance. "Knock down your door, steal your notes, trash the lab, throw the book at you?"

"Lyra...have you been involved in criminal magic research?"

"Ok, look. I wasn't doing numancy. I clearly had not tinkered with magic involving cutie marks in any way. It was all statistics and empirically verifiable data, no thaumic elements whatsoever." She snorted. "The fact it took two months to clear my name doesn't mean a thing to them. Oh, no. Innocent until proven guilty? Phaw."

Bon-Bon and I shared a bemused glance. Clearly, there was a sore spot here.

"This was part of developing a new method of fighting?" Now I was rather intrigued. I still didn't understand what principles Lyra based her martial art on. Only that she was deadly dangerous, without needing huge reserves of magic.

"Later, later padawan."

"I never should have taught you that." I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Jedi."

"You know a lot about magic. Numancy in particular." Lyra shot a searching glare at me. "Want to share some of your secrets yet?" I stopped a hand from instinctively rising to my chest, and shook my head.

"Sorry. Like I said, they're not all mine to tell."

"Well."

"Ok, enough." Bon-Bon stepped between us. "Don't be bitter, you two. You're friends, act like it."

"Sorry." I muttered.

"Me too."

"How about this, then." I raised a finger, thinking up another question. "What about ponies who already have very general talents? What does that mean?"

"Like who?" Lyra gladly accepted my motion for peace.

"Like Twilight."

"Twilight? Isn't her talent something with astronomy?"

"Um, no? Why would you...oh yeah, stars. No. Her talent is magic itself." They both froze at that, and I turned to see what was bothering them. Expressions of shock stood plain on their faces.

"What? Should I have not told you that?"

"Um..." Bon-Bon coughed. "Well. I think we'll be Ok. But, no. That's not the sort of rumor you should spread."

"But it's not-"

"Look, Wes." Lyra gave me a gentle push to start me walking. "You're new to this, so I'll explain. That cutie mark is absolutely impossible. Consider; cutie marks are magical."

"Sure."

"So, a talent for magic in general would be a talent that included cutie marks."

"Right?"

"Don't you see? It's a circular talent. I don't think something that broken could exist. It would have ridiculous effects. It's not the sort of thing a simple librarian pony could have."

"She's princess Celestia's personal student, and the bearer of the Element of Magic."

"Still."

"Oh."

"Wait, is that a glass jar?"

We eventually did make it to the library. Lyra almost choked laughing at 'the door that was a jar', but we eventually dragged her away, snorting and giggling.

We wandered the halls for a while. The deeper we got into the castle, the fewer and fewer crystal ponies we found. When we finally did reach the archives, I was very relieved; I was half-certain I'd gotten us lost, and we'd been wandering in circles.

In the center of the empty floor stood a half-dozen tall stacks of books and one familiar purple pony. She was skimming through tomes, muttering to herself, and every few moments wincing in pain.

"Twilight!" I called. She turned to see us, and gave that blank stare of incomprehension that all the amnesiacs shared. I ran over to her, and dropped to one knee so I could look her in the face. "Hey, you Ok?" I gently took the book she was holding, and closed it. "Don't hurt yourself!"

"I can't remember!" I tensed up as she flung her forelegs around my neck, and started crying on my shoulder. "I can't remember, but I need to know! And it hurts, but if I don't do something, who will? I don't know what, or why, but there's something I need to be doing! It's all going to go wrong, it's all going to fail, it's all my fault!"After that, all I heard were sobs.

I kneeled there awkwardly, and patted her back. She wept inconsolably.

"There, there." I felt absolutely useless. Her cries tore at my heart. My words only seemed to make it worse, but after a while, she did calm down. "Feel better?" I set her on the ground, and gently wiped her tears with my sleeve. "Look, Twilight. You can't remember me, but you're not alone. You don't have to do everything by yourself. You have friends, good ones. I'm one, and I won't let you fail."

"Really?" She sniffled, voice small.

"Really really. Cheer up. Look, these are your friends, too. They remember you. Lyra, Bon-Bon, Twilight could use a hug." The two ponies embraced her, and her depression lifted somewhat. "Now, you remember books. Maybe you could look for information on the Crystal Heart?"

"Okay." She meekly turned back to her stacks, and started sorting through them. Lyra and Bon-Bon split up and squared off against bookshelves of their own. I picked up a book, and flipped to the table of contents.

After a while, I found myself working near Lyra.

"Wes, your attitude on the way here was off. What's eating you?"

"Besides our predicament?"

"Besides."

"I tried to kill a pony today. Maybe even succeeded."

"Did they deserve it?" Surprised, I turned to look at her.

"I...I thought so at the time." I put the book down, and rubbed my eyes. "He was threatening me and my friends. Interfering with a rescue. Tearing through my defenses. The only way to stop him was lethal force, and surrender wasn't an option."

"You thought that out? Didn't just hurt them in anger?"

"Y-yeah."

"Then, good job."

"I..." I paused. "I thought it would bother you"

"Not saying it doesn't. But look, Wes." Lyra sighed. "I'll make no bones about it; I plan to turn you into a lethal weapon. You'd already got a good start. As soon as I saw you, I knew you had been in life-or-death fights. Since you survived, I figured you had blood on your hooves, but I still picked you as my student. I've told you why I rejected the Canterlot fighting styles, right?"

"None of them suited you?"

"Basically. Because none of them were actually practical. Faugh." She nearly spat. "The founders would cry to see how their art has been crippled for sport." She re-shelved a book, and shot me a glance. "Fighting isn't a hobby for me, Wes. It's a major part of my life, not a game. You don't reach that spot without a serious push. You're not the only killer here." She rubbed her eyes, and paused a second. "I've been through some rough stuff, Wes. Came out worse for wear, some ways. After, I decided I needed to be able to fight. I didn't ever want to be defenseless again. Personal power is the hardest to steal. You know what I mean."

"Did you-"

"Stop." Lyra had grit her teeth, and her voice quavered slightly. "No. Later, maybe, once we can be vulnerable. Then I'll tell the story."

"Ok." I nodded slowly.

"Point is, I picked you because you can hurt somepony if they need it. You're not playing around. But, I think you're strong enough to know if they really need it. If you say it was necessary, I won't judge that."

"...thanks."

I turned, hearing Bon-Bon approach. She passed me a book, open to a middle page.

"Found something?" Lyra asked.

"Yup!" Twilight trotted up as well, looking much less distraught. "I read it earlier, but didn't realize it was important."

"We may have found a way to charge the Crystal Heart." Bon-Bon ran a hoof across the page, underlining the heading.

"Care and Keeping of the Heart: Renewing the Spirit of Love and Unity through the Crystal Faire..." I read aloud, a bit of hope welling as the import of the words sunk in. "We can charge the Heart by...throwing a party?"

"PARTY?"

"I know somepony who'll want to help."

34 - Charge

Charge

"Any idea if it's working?" I whispered to Bon-Bon.

"Nope." She whispered back. "But I hope so." I nodded.

We stood behind the counter of a candy booth. Turns out, I'd worried about starvation a bit soon.

Sure, the Crystal Empire couldn't get more food. But the tiny burg actually produced a surprising amount. Most homes had a rooftop garden, or a patch of green out back, or even a window box. I would have expected the plants to die in a thousand years, but the stasis protecting the occupants had extended to their gardens as well.

In short, we made do.

Organizing the Crystal Fair in nine hours, though, had been physically crushing. I looked over at Pinkie, who was playing the flugelhorn and unicycling, and shook my head.

We had recruited the Elements, and about a dozen capable-seeming Crystal Ponies. They hadn't remembered much, but if Lyra, Bon-Bon or I pointed them in the right direction, they did pretty well. Their personalities and skills hadn't changed, so we stuck them on something they knew how to do, and they were fine as long as they acted naturally.

"Will this really help get our memories back?"

I turned to one of our aides, a fuchsia pony with a small desert island mark. She'd been extremely helpful organizing teams to clear the streets and string decorations. The Elements, the stowaways, and I, were ready to fall asleep on our feet, but the newly awakened prisoners were still going strong. Apparently napping for a thousand years did that.

"You remember the Crystal Heart?" I pointed to where we'd placed the artifact, in the center of the Faire. The party was just getting started, although for us outsiders, it felt like late at night.

"I think-Ow." She winced, but forged ahead. "I think so."

"We took that back from Sombra, and managed to free you. But there were after-effects. If this works, it will regain its power and finish healing you." I glanced around. Things were running smoothly. Our crystal aides knew what to do, and ponies would follow leaders. "Look, Paradise, I really need some shut-eye. If you have to wake me , fine, but it looks like things are under control."

"Yep!" She nodded decisively. "Go for it. Lyra set up camp in the main hall, if you want someplace quiet and out of the way."

"Thanks." By 'morning', we could check if the Heart was gathering energy. There wasn't much more to this plan, so if it wasn't working, we would be starting over from scratch.

Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.

I found Lyra, Bon-Bon, and about half the Elements snuggled into a pile of blankets, heaped in the middle of the central hall, making a giant multicolored fuzzy pile.

Something caught my eye, and I stopped for a closer look. "Was that here before?" I muttered, curious.

When the negative crystal was burnt out of the building, the structure reverted to its pre-Sombra state. The downwards stair was now gone, and the floor was whole.

However, directly over where I guessed the stairway would be, a strange, spiky pattern had appeared. It was all abstract curls and curves, with no obvious symbolism, but the intricate design drew the eye. I ran my fingers over it, feeling for roughness, but the stain didn't score the surface at all; the color alternated from dark to light with impossible smoothness.

"What, the floor?" Lyra muttered. "Was a hole there?"

"Well yes, but I meant...never mind." I shrugged, and dropped the subject. "Scoot over." I gave her a shove, clearing some room in the pile. "I'm napping too."

I fell asleep quickly.

We awoke to the sounds of panic. Ponies were running and yelling. Something broke, loudly.

Lyra and I both leaped to our feet. I was at the door, trying to assess the situation, even as my brain finished waking up.

I groaned as I caught on.

"WESLEY!"

A rust-red pony, with an ochre mane, was limping down the street. Magic moved sluggishly around him, still repairing his shattered body.

"I didn't kill him hard enough?" I fumbled for my hammer. "Dang, this guy just won't give up!"

"That's the pony you shot...Shadow?"

"Yup. And my gun's out of power, so I can't pull that again. Even if he was obliging enough to hold still. I don't suppose you have, oh, thirteen swirls of power to spare?" I swung my hammer a few times to limber up.

"Hah. Nope." I stepped forward, but Lyra stopped me with a hoof. "This time, I'll take care of him. You said he's made out of crystal?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Nope nope. I'm the Jedi. Besides, I could wipe him up with one hoof; this will be a cakewalk. Tell you what, we'll make this part of your training. If you can analyze just one of my moves, I'll accelerate you a bit."

"Um..." I hesitated, unsure. I didn't want to shove everything on to her, but Lyra glared.

"Trust me."

"Ok." I shrugged, replacing my weapon. By now, Shadow had spotted us.

"Wesley, I will make your demise painful beyond belief. I will torture you until-"

"Doubt it." I muttered.

"That's enough." Lyra stepped into the street, and dashed forward using her incomprehensible footwork. I folded my hands behind my back, and focused every ounce of my concentration on her. "I don't know what you're planning for my disciple, and I don't care. You're not moving one step further."

"Oh really?" Shadow smiled, magic starting to gather around his horn. "And how will you stop me? A half-rate like you-"

"You really are crystal." Lyra slipped through his defense and tapped his shoulder, eliciting a ringing noise. "How'd you do that?"

"He's an artificial windigo!" I called. "Like Sombra! They've got these crystal bodies the windigos use; he's the upgraded version. Probably."

"Ooooh. Huh."

"Don't ignore me!"

"Ok, Wes, pass that jar." I scooped up the glass jar Twilight made, and tossed it. She snagged it in her aura. We'd disabled the castle wards last night; it had taken five minutes of searching and ten seconds of hammering. "Look, Shady, when I'm done, I'm cramming you in this jar and taking you to face justice."

"You-!" He grit his teeth in rage, and threw himself at her.

He was just as good as I remembered. But Lyra was better.

I strained, trying to capture her movement. It seemed to defy physics and anatomy, which meant magic, but I didn't sense casting. I ran a finger over my horn, using detection, but I only got jumbled fuzzy impressions. Magic was happening, but not spells.

I frowned, and returned to staring.

She was toying with him. Shadow became increasingly frustrated as his blows failed to land, or if they hit, had no effect. Lyra glanced to me after a few moments; I shrugged. She'd been giving me a chance, but I couldn't make much of it. She nodded, and touched Shadow for a split second.

His body started to disintegrate.

It fuzzed briefly, before elongating and stretching slightly. Suddenly, fractures spider webbed him, and pieces crumbled off. Shadow screamed and fought to escape, but Lyra held him fast. He diffused into mist, trying to float away, but Lyra's horn pulsed gently, and she caught him there, too. My eyes narrowed as ripples ran through his gaseous form, squeezing and flattening it in intricate patterns. Where had I seen that before? I rubbed my jaw, and tried to grasp the elusive thought as Lyra forced him into the jar, sealing the lid. Pitiful wails, thin through the glass, demonstrated futile attempts to escape as the mist swirled angrily.

"So?" Lyra asked, trotted back and passed me the jar. I accepted reluctantly; it was strangely warm, and buzzed slightly. "Got anything?"

"Maybe." She gave me an impressed glance. "I'm not sure. I need to think about it."

"Ok." She nodded. "Let me know when we're back." I smiled; she had no doubt whatsoever.

"He really wasn't a challenge for you. I wish we'd known you were along earlier."

"Heh, sorry." She shrugged. "I guess...well, we'll pay the penalty to Celestia. But you really did hurt him; he was in a bad way already. You maybe could have taken him yourself, with a generous dose of luck. And being made out of crystal isn't an advantage against my methods."

"Hum." I filed that away for future examination, and glanced around. "He did a number on our party."

The Crystal Ponies were starting to emerge from their homes, casting wary glances. I smiled; several looked markedly better.

"It's alright!" I yelled. "He's gone; you can come on out, now!" I spotted Paradise, and walked over. "How's things?"

"Well..." She grimaced. "See for yourself. The Crystal Heart glows, but...I don't know if we'll get further. It hasn't brightened for several hours."

I frowned, and walked over. Sure enough, it now sparkled gently. As I watched, a Crystal Pony gazed deep into its depths. A few sparkles floated over him, and he brightened noticeably. The luminance returned to the Heart, but didn't increase the glow.

"What do you think?" I asked Lyra.

"Paradise is right. It's capped out." She glanced around. "We're missing something. In the Faire, the ponies memories, or the surroundings..." She glanced up, as if searching for the sun. "Anyways, I don't think this will be enough." I sighed, and checked my watch. It was nearly ten; our deadline for outside support was near. "Still." She rubbed her jaw. "Maybe we can work with what we've got."

"Huh?" I glanced up. She was looking at Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack emerging from the Crystal Palace.

"I've got an idea." She trotted away, returning with Twilight in tow.

"Morning, Wes." She yawned hugely. "It was Wes, right? Or Wesley?"

"Wes to my friends. Lyra, what's your plan?"

"Well, see, the Crystal Heart is related to the Elements."

"It is?"

"Yup. Both were made by Clover the Clever, as far as we can tell."

"I thought she lived in the Ever Free City."

"Yeah, but she fought the Windigos. They were never that far south."

"Huh." I looked to Twilight. "So, you're thinking..."

Lyra turned to Twilight. "Maybe, just maybe, your attunement to the Element of Magic will let you draw on the energy in the Crystal Heart. If so, you can try to contact somepony outside."

"But..." I frowned. "Would that work?" I turned to Twilight. "No offense, but you don't remember complicated spells."

"Right." She frowned. "I can cast little bits by habit, but this mental block is incredibly frustrating. From your words, I should be a lot more helpful than I am."

"Don't sweat it." I waved a hand. "You couldn't have known." I wanted to say it wasn't her fault, but technically, it was. Team leader meant you were responsible, simple as that. Still, I doubt anypony could have done better, given who and what we were faced with. Sombra had outmaneuvered Celestia in this.

"Ah, but you're missing something." Lyra held up a hoof. "Somepony outside, close to Twilight, has a connection to the Crystal Heart."

"Who...Cadence!" I grinned, remembering her cutie mark. "Will that really work?"

"No idea." Lyra shrugged. "But it's possible, given our tools." She nodded to the Heart. "Nopony has ever quantified Clover's magic. Seriously; the formulation of the Elements seemsto encompasses the entire idea of magic as a whole. They're phenomenotionally absurd. The Heart has myriad unknown capabilities. Cutie marks also defy hard rules. They're amazingly adaptable."

"Cadence." Twilight rubbed her head, thinking. "Cadence. I know her. I...owwwww..."

"Don't..." I stopped. I wanted to ask her to stop hurting herself, but suddenly felt like a hypocrite. If she needed to do this, could I tell her no? Was I the only one allowed to face danger for the team? As much as I wanted to protect my friends, sometimes they didn't need me. "Be careful," I said instead.

"What do I do?" She turned to Lyra.

"Do your element thing?"

"Not helpful." I turned to Twilight. "Look, I don't know much about activating the Elements, but let's start with this." I lifted the Heart from the pedestal, getting a few confused looks, and sat. The others followed my lead. I placed the Heart in the center of our circle. "Put a hoof on it." Twilight complied. "Close your eyes. Try and focus on the feelings of love, unity, peace, and acceptance." Lyra's eyes lit as the Heart started glowing, effervescent sparkles swirling around Twilight.

"Now what?"

I frowned. That wasn't enough? I could feel the pulse of power, tugging at my chest.

"Um." I thought for a few seconds, and looked to Lyra. She shrugged. I traced my mind back, looking for paths of thought that would help in this circumstance. What did I know about memory...?

Suddenly an idea came, but I winced and grimaced.

"Ok, I've got something. But...it may be pretty unpleasant."

Lyra gave Twilight a concerned look.

"Go for it," Twilight said.

"You sure? It might hurt."

"Do it! I'm sick of not being able to think. And somehow, I need to do this. It's my responsibility."

"...fine. Listen to what I say, think about it. I can't predict the effect of your memory block, so be careful. If it seriously hurts, stop. Injuring yourself won't help." Probably.

"Go."

I drew in a deep breath.

"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake-"

"-Clap your hooves, and-OWCH!" Twilight grimaced, pain twisting across her face. But as she did, the Heart flashed. Bright. Brilliant. Dazzling and blinding. I felt the pulse of power, the magic skittering across my brain and chest as the backlash thrummed through my crystal and the link tried to form. Unlike the power of the Elements, though, this didn't hurt.

I don't know how long I sat, suspended in a luminescent void. But when my sight came back, the first thing I saw was sunlight. Real, white, warm sunshine, spilling across the city and throwing sparkles off a hundred glittering crystals. My spirit soared with joy, and laughter bubbled up from my soul.

"We made it!" I sprang to my feet in excitement and threw my hands in the air. The sudden relief of tension made me feel like I could fly. "We made it!" I wiped a tear from my eye. We'd made it.

"Yaaaaay!" The two ponies suddenly grabbed me, pulling me into a group hug.

"Ooof." Surprised, I nearly fell. But I recovered, and hugged them back.

It was done. We were out.

"Memory back?"

"Oh, yes. Being able to think feels so good!"

We slowly disengaged. The crowd was all making similar sounds of surprise and delight, reunions, remembrances, and recollections sparking a hundred joyful cries.

"You're see-through!" I exclaimed, looking at Twilight and Lyra, then down at myself. "Me too?"

I flexed a hand, marveling at the change. My flesh looked like it was made from colored glass. If I stared closely, I could even see traces of the bones and blood moving under my skin. My clothes, thankfully, had kept their opacity.

"We're Crystal Ponies!" Lyra exclaimed, giving a little hop-skip. "I bet I look fabulous!" Twilight and I exchanged glances.

"Rarity!" We exclaimed.

"And the rest," Twilight said. "We need to gather our team and contact the Princesses. And Shiny." I nodded.

"What happened to the Heart?" I asked. Lyra pointed upwards. Floating over our heads, glowing brightly and spreading magic across the city, the Crystal Heart hung in the air, finally cleansed of evil. I felt a strange, warm glow in my chest. It was...pride? Accomplishment? I basked in the feeling. We actually accomplished our mission, and it felt really, really good.

"We did it." I repeated, this time more slowly. The challenges had been immense, but we had stepped up and faced each one down. "Against all odds. We really pulled through."

"Yeah." Twilight leaned against me for a second. "We really did."

"Good job, Fearless Leader." I ruffled her mane playfully.

"Hey!" She shot me a disapproving look. "Don't thank me. I nearly doomed us by failing to disarm that trap."

"That's not how it works." I help a cautionary finger, as we started towards the rest of the Bearers. "As our leader, you're held responsible if we fail. But! You are also responsible if we succeed. And guess what? We did! So, it's your fault. You did a good job, and you can't tell anypony you didn't."

A bemused look crossed her face, but she smiled.

"So, you're saying…as long as we pull through, I'm doing OK?"

"Yup."

"Well then!" She sighed in relief. "Maybe leading won't be so bad. I don't think I'll ever fail with my friends behind me."

"That's the spirit!" I cheered her on. "Hey!" I yelled to the other five, who had gathered in a knot and were sharing a joyful reunion. "How are you all?"

"Fabulous~!" They cheered together. Rarity stamped a hoof in annoyance, but smiled good-naturedly.

"Dang, Wes." Rainbow flashed over. "You really came through for us."

"Not just me." I nodded to the two others. "It was a team effort the whole way."

"Lyra? What are you-"

"Look!" We cut off, as a wave of attention moved through the crowd. "Look, a Crystal Princess!" A series of 'oooooh's and 'aaaaaaah's followed the announcement, and a pathway cleared, the ponies making a corridor from the edge of the plaza to the entrance of the palace, directly under the Crystal Heart.

We happened to be in way, and were left standing clear of the crowd as Cadence and Shining, eyes wide with amazement and curiosity, slowly walked down the path. They had apparently been in the shock-wave as well, because they shone and sparkled with the best.

"Twilight!" They exclaimed together, breaking into a canter.

"Good job." Shining congratulated her with a hug.

"But I-" She started, but I gave her a stern look over his shoulder. "Thanks." She ended weakly.

"I'm so glad you're all Ok!" Cadence swept us up in a smile. "We're here to get you out. I'm sure you all have quite the story. But first, does anything need to be wrapped up?"

"Um..." I drew attention, and shifted uncomfortably. "The Crystal Ponies are in the middle of their Faire right now. We can probably leave them to their celebration? But let me check with one of the organizers."

Paradise told me to go ahead; there would be no trouble here. With their memories restored, their imprisonment broken, and Sombra out of the picture, the Crystal Ponies had even more reasons to celebrate. They planned to expand the Faire to a bash that would be remembered for the next thousand years. The party planners were already ramping up their efforts. I left with the promise to return as soon as possible; if we got back within the week, the party would still have spots for us.

We recruited a team to help, and managed to rotate and re-rail our train, after quite a bit of preparation and planning. Shining and Cadence closed the door on their outpost, Pinkie and I fired the boiler, and we headed back to the research station.

By the time we arrived, a meal and showers were ready. We gratefully accepted both. While we ate, we gave the story as best we could to Shining, Princess Cadence, and Princess Luna.

I'd been a bit surprised by the Night Princess' presence, instead of her sister, but she'd simply waved my concern away.

"I don't need as much sleep as you might think." She said, in near-perfect modern. "So don't worry about me." I shrugged, and complied. Worrying pointlessly didn't help anything, so I took her at her word.

They made a great audience. Cadence visibly drooped at the tense parts, while Shining cheered our victories. Luna asked insightful questions, and all three were fascinated by Arglefraster.

"This is property of the Crown." Shining declared, as soon as he got a good look at it.

"But Shiny!" Twilight whined.

"Sorry, sis." He shrugged. "Made using royal expenses, on a royal commission, by royal agents? Yeah, no contest. Her Highness could probably even claim ownership of your innovations." He frowned. "If she can define them. You broke at least seven laws of magic making this."

"The laws of magic are a joke." I waved a forkful of cheesecake; I was currently on my third slice. Luna had donated her chef to our meal; he apparently went everywhere with her. He was excellent, and wouldn't let anyone leave hungry. "I probably break three by breathing."

"Come again?" Shining gave me a quizzical stare. "The laws of magic are clearly set by the boundaries of the schools of magic, and are supposed to be inviolable."

"Hah. The schools of magic are picked on a whim, and the boundaries are set by tradition and happenstance. They don't define magic any more than phlogiston defined fire, or the luminiferous aether did light, or elan vital did cellular biology. All of those were science in their time."

"Excuse me?" He gave me another puzzled look. "What are you talking about?"

"Wes," Twilight interrupted, "not everypony has studied human culture."

"Oh." I stopped, realizing my mistake. I was used to discussing magic with Twilight. Talking to her as if she had a human education wasn't a problem, because for all intents and purposes, she did. "You explain, then." I peremptorily gestured with my fork, and went back to my cheesecake. She gave me an annoyed glare, but turned to the task, outlining how we'd managed to deduce underlying rules to a few of the magical schools, based on actual physical laws most magicians ignored, that let us unify the actions into a more cohesive whole, beyond the boundaries of the 'schools' system.

"You are discussing a unified school." Luna interjected. "Did not Starswirl suggest something similar?"

"Nothing nearly that ambitious." Twilight shook her head. "We combined a mere three or four schools, and even then, only a few spells from each. Anyways, Starswirl was absolutely brilliant, but I'm convinced he was going in the wrong direction. He wanted to find more and more general types of magic to encompass the specific fields. Wes has been suggesting, and I'm beginning to think he's right, that we need to find more and more specific rules, which will pull the disparate fields together. For example, we managed to merge minarchism, for the shield-structure, with kinesthism, for the acceleration gauntlet, by using phenomenotional syntax that confined the effects to particles of a certain size. Minarchism locks the air in place, while kinesthism accelerates the bullets." A look of understanding dawned for the audience.

"I think I get it." Shining nodded. "Hum." Luna gave the gun another glance, and then turned her stare to me. I shrugged; I would be willing to discuss physics with her whenever. She nodded.

"Anyways," she scooped the horseshoe up and pocketed it. "How did you end up along?" She turned to Lyra, who quailed visibly.

"Well, oddly enough-"

"So, what's happening to the Crystal Empire now?" I yawned and stretched, swallowing a spoonful of breakfast cereal. After our meal, we'd unanimously decided to call it a day. I'd slept well, despite the camp bed, untroubled by nightmares. Now we were discussing what to do next.

"No idea!" Pinkie answered. "But they're still partying. I can smell it." I shook my head, bemused; of course she could.

"Maybe we should go back?" Rainbow asked. "We're still sparkly."

"We should ask Luna along." Rarity added. We all turned to look at her. "What? She could use a little de-stressing!"

"And she would look fabulous in crystal, right?" Applejack asked.

"Well, perhaps." The fashionista grinned. "Maybe she would. Who can say?"

"Have fun." Lyra said sourly. "I'm being given three days hard labor for being a stow-away."

"Are you really surprised?" I shot her a glance. "Your interference turned out Ok, but things could have gone much, much worse. Anyways, I noticed you 'accidentally' forgot to tell Bon-Bon when we left. She's still there, isn't she? Living her dream?"

"Shhhhh!" My teacher gave me a death glare. "I'm hoping Luna will-"

"I might." The princess said, scaring her half to death. "Depending on what you're about to suggest."

"I was...hoping you would head back to the Crystal Empire, and enjoy the party?" She finished nervously.

"That," Luna exclaimed, "Sounds like…fun. Who would like to come?"

"OH!" Pinkie leaped out of her seat. "Me! Me! Pick me!"

The train-whistle woke me as we pulled back into Ponyville. I rubbed my eyes and gathered my stuff, double-checking I had everything.

We had headed back to the Empire. The party had actually continued for days. We left after only three, despite Pinkie's objections. We were guests of honor, literally paraded around town, toasted, feasted, hosted and adored. I saw dramatizations of our fight with Shadow, and Twilight's re-activation of the Heart.

Ponies lauded us, hailing the Elements for their salvation and including me because I stood nearby. While I enjoyed the attention, I was glad it focused on Twilight; I was emotionally exhausted. I managed to stay somewhat aloof by being tall and intimidating, although I tried to maintain a pleasant smile.

We stayed long enough to show solidarity. The Empire wasn't big, but it was bigger than Ponyville. The days passed in a flashing, dazzling, blinding, blurring whirl of color, light, and excitement. There was food for everypony, and smiles on everypony's faces. The Empire breathed again, and they were glad.

But despite all the merriment, they weren't thoughtless of their future.

Throughout the whole thing, a few movers and shakers, the big-time operators from back when, got together. They were the sort to seize the day, and were at it again. They petitioned Luna and Cadence for help, and got it. Cadence agreed to hold the throne, since Sombra had pretty much snarled the original lines of heredity beyond recovery. Being an Alicorn also gave her natural status as a leader, and her familial bond to Equestria offered much-needed political clout and stability. The Crystal Ponies also revered her cutie mark; such a deep connection to their cultural icon couldn't be ignored.

Luna was also involved. While the Empire wasn't destitute, they were accustomed to the support of outposts and allies from long before the modern era. Now they were an Empire in name only, and adjusting would take time. Equestria promised aid and support. The railway was nearly functional, and the Empire would receive food before the end of the week.

Cadence set up her court immediately, appointing the most trustworthy of the group as her cabinet, and installing herself and Shining in the hearts of the populace through judicious participation in the festivities. By the end of the party, she would be unquestioned ruler, with only a few hold-out factions that might dispute her power. With the support of the rich and powerful, and approval from the masses, even that would fade with time.

And, as an immortal Alicorn, she had time. A new age of hope and prosperity had dawned on Sombra's demesne.

"Come on, Wes! We're headed home!" Pinkie bounced past, and I was pulled back to the present. I slung my pack on my back, and headed out the doors with mixed feelings. Last time I was here, somepony had been trying to make my life miserable. What would I be facing now?

Ready or not, I stepped forth.

35 - Account

Account

"Evening, Wes." I turned from mulching my new plant to find Rainbow behind me. I'd just made it back from the forest, and I was wrapping up a day's work.

"Hey, what's up?" I stood and stretched, checking the soreness in my muscles. I was mostly recovered from the beating I'd taken, but I could still feel a twinge or two.

"Not much. Just hadn't seen you around."

"Sorry, I've been busy." I replied lamely.

"Wassat?"

"This?" I pointed to the plant. It was transparent, the outline only apparent because I'd misted it thoroughly. "Invisible dusk-blooming chokevine."

"It smells nice." Rainbow sniffed deeply. "Spicy. Like watercress."

"Don't eat it!" I warned. She shot me an annoyed look.

"But it smells good."

"Sure, but it's from the Everfree." We were in my garden, the clearing where I'd fought Lyra. I'd been bringing interesting specimens back from the forest, and it looked pretty exotic by now. Giant mushrooms grew in one corner; the other had a cloud of multi-colored hummingbirds, zipping through a stand of rushes. In between, flowers, plants, rocks and shrubs of every size and description were scattered haphazardly, with only the barest concession to landscaping or paths.

I hoped to cultivate some, maybe introduce useful ones to Ponyville. Chokevine wasn't the sort I'd recommend; it was purely an experiment, for the flowers. "It's quite magical. If you eat it…" I considered the basic alchemy Zecora taught me. "You would turn insubstantial, or become a rabbit." Rainbow winced and stepped back, glaring.

"Wesley, are you avoiding us again?"

"Again?" I asked, guiltily.

"Again. Last time, Fluttershy had to drag you out of the forest sopping wet. She got a cold!"

"Did she?"

"Yeah. But that's not the point. What gives, Wes?" I sighed. I'd tried communicating this idea to the ponies several times, but they never really seemed to get it.

"I want to have some sort of control over my life." I inspected my work, and nodded. I hoped the chokevine would survive, but it needed a cage. It was dangerous, and I couldn't keep it dosed with slowstone. "I'm not content to float along, I need to make my own decisions. I've worked on that…well, the whole time. And Ponyville, oddly enough, is worse than the Everfree. When I get over something like…." I waved, vaguely, "that, all I want to do is sleep, read a book, and hide under my bed for a week or so. But I can't get peace and quiet in town, so I dive into my work." I started back towards my house. "Well, and I like money, I won't lie. But at least out there-" I pointed towards the Everfree, "nothing comes looking for me."

"Should I leave?" Her voice was quiet.

"Nonono, I don't mean…" I sighed. "That came out wrong. I don't resent you all; quite the opposite. You're the best friends I've had in years. Really. You know I take you seriously, Rainbow. I'm not complaining about your friendship. It's everything else."I paused, searching for an illustration. "Ok, consider this. You've told me about Discord. He made a mess, ruined things, made trouble for everypony, turned the neighborhood upside down. Think on that. No stability, nothing dependable. No firm ground. The very rules of nature were re-written."

"Chocolate rain," she spat disgustedly.

"Right, right. Now, think of this." I stopped dramatically, and flung out my arms. "Your whole world is like that for me!"

"Oh." We walked in silence for a while. "You really feel that way?"

"Sorta." I admitted. "Maybe not that extreme; I wasn't here. But to some extent. I have no idea where I fit in, what I'm doing, how I even got here, though it's been improving. Usually because of you and your friends, but I do move forward myself." I nodded to my house as it showed through the trees. "I have a job. An official position. Great friends. But I'm still unsure I fit. Sometimes, when I'm emotionally and mentally exhausted, I just avoid things I don't like. And that means staying out of town."

"Hmmm." The pegasus floated up beside me, and looked me in the eyes. "Well, we'd like to see you more. Feel better yet?"

"Yeah. Yeah, sure. I am feeling better. You have plans?"

"I'm treating the weather team to Birch's for supper, in half an hour. They have a great fish special. Wanna come?"

I mulled that for a minute.

"Sure." The more I considered, the more I liked it. Since returning, I hadn't had to deal with new harassment or rumors. Rarity let me restart work, since she couldn't decide if my sinister somepony had abandoned or accomplished their goals. One was good, one was bad, but either was plausible. But being social was still a good idea, and it sounded fun. A smile crept onto my face. "Yeah, that sounds really nice. I'll just wash my hands and change quick."

"Sure."

"So, I've been wondering this for a while." I glanced reflectively at Rainbow, gently hovering nearby.

"Yeah?"

"How can you fly when you only flap, like, once every ten seconds?"

"Pure awesome. Oh, and magic or something."

"Well, I know that, but-"

We continued into town, the conversation drifting easily this way and that.

I walked home afterwards, whistling and picking my teeth with a fishbone. Rainbow had been right; Birch did a great battered fish. They even made potato fries for me, on special request. I patted my belly, full of hot, greasy protein for the first time in quite a while. I needed that more often.

The weather team had been surprisingly welcoming. I'd been introduced to several very friendly ponies, most of whom declared that any friend of Rainbow's was a friend of theirs. Honestly, probably only the friendly ones came, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable. I'd spent a nice evening trying to learn the rules of pegaus hoofball from Thunderlane. As far as I could tell, the game was one step away from Calvinball, although the fact I couldn't get Blitzball out of my head didn't help. Still, the idea of a three-dimensional ballgame was fascinating.

"Wes, that you?" I stopped, looking up. On the balcony above my head, Twilight was standing near her telescope, holding a notebook.

"Yeah. How'd you guess?"

"Eleanor Rigby? Also, not enough footsteps."

"Oh." I stopped, and leaned against the sign. "What's up?"

"I had something for you." She disappeared inside, and came out the front a moment later, holding a slim volume.

"Oh, this is that fillies…journal?" I took it, turning it over curiously. It might be a journal, but I hesitated to open it; if the nameless pegasus was anything equivalent to a teenage girl, I had some idea she might be extremely sensitive about others reading her thoughts. The cover was cloth-covered with a flower-like design, maybe a cutie mark, embossed on it.

"Could be." Twilight shrugged. "I dunno. But you left it here, and she might want it back."

"Yeah." I tucked it into a pocket but didn't leave, tipping my head to gaze at the stars. "What's the project?"

"Mapping constellations." She sighed. "I'm trying to discern if astrology has roots in ancient magic. Now, it's meaningless nonsense, but Starswirl took it very seriously. Maybe our modern practice is based on something that actually worked."

"Huh." I stared upwards, trying to pick shapes out of the unfamiliar stars.

"Sorry, but…I'm pretty sure it's gone."

"Huh?"

"Your constellation. The one Luna made you."

"Oh. Yeah. I noticed."

"What did you call it? The drinking gourd?"

"The little dipper." I corrected.

"Right." We stood in silence for a minute.

"Um, Twilight…"

"Yeah?"

"The mindlink. It's cool. But, I think we need to test it, to ensure if one of us used it against the other, we wouldn't be helpless."

"You would never do that!"

"Thanks." I smiled. "Neither would you. But if Sombra captured one of us?" She shivered.

"Um. Maybe we should test it. For Science."

"Right. Anyways, 'night. Rainbow told me off, so I'll be around more."

"Wes…" She paused. "We're not pushing you into anything."

"I know." I turned. "You don't have to. Really, I enjoy your company. And knowing you enjoy mine is nice. I mean it; I'll be around."

"Ooof." Lyra exhaled as I completed the throw. I'd done it slowly, and she landed on a mat, but I still worried for a second when she didn't rise.

"Ok." She said, still lying there. "I'm napping. This is super comfy, and I'm tired of being thrown around."

"Jeeeeediiiiiii…" I whined, pouring angst into my voice. "I need your help with throws!"

"Shutupshutup, nopony else throws like that, so why are you worried?"

"Because. You want me to be the best." I picked a patch of sun, and sat. The training room was, as always, still, silent, warm and welcoming, and smelled faintly of pine trees. "And how can I be the best at throwing without help?"

"Fine. But let's break for a minute. You promised an analysis when we got back. So, what did you see in my martial art?"

"Um." I hesitated, unsure. I'd thought extensively about what I'd seen, but she hadn't pushed for an answer before. I closed my eyes, digging up memories. The ripples in the smoke, the aftershocks of her kicks and punches….

"Noise." I finally said. I wasn't really sure, but she probably wouldn't penalize a wrong guess. "You use interference and nodal sound in your attacks."

"Wow." I opened my eyes; she was staring at me, pride evidence on her face. "I'm impressed."

"I was right?" I honestly hadn't expected that. It wasn't just a wild guess, I wasn't certain, either.

"Half. But you’re closer than any of my opponents in the Underground. I ruled that ring, and none of them had the slightest idea what I was doing. I even chose Harmonix as my ring name, for crying out loud!. The only one who was actually a challenge was Lahar, and although she thrashed me, I don't think even she caught on. Eventually, the reputation got a little troublesome. I couldn't find a decent sparring partner."

"Lahar. You mentioned her before."

"Yeah, a big earth pony mare. Stronger than an ox, I tell ya."

"Is that unusual? An earth pony dominating a unicorn fighting ring?"

"Not really." Lyra rolled over, curling up in the sunshine, her golden eyes half-lidded. "Actually, earth ponies and pegasi average better than unicorns. But they're in the minority, so it's not immediately obvious."

"Why?"

"Well defined limits." Lyra shrugged. "Unicorn magic is flexible, and few ponies understand their strength. For pegasi and earth ponies it's much clearer. One focuses on speed, the other, strength. Some try for combinations or attempt other oddities, but they mostly have an obvious progression. That gives amateurs a strong edge. Actually, one-on-one, earth ponies are the best bet. Passive strength and toughness gives them extreme survivability. Pegasi speed is fearsome, but needs more training."

"Huh. Is that why Lahar rules?"

"Maybe." Lyra yawned. "I have no idea where her strength comes from; it's basically ridiculous. But she does more than just fight the hardest; she actually organizes the thing. When I say 'rule', I mean as in, she makes the rules."

"Oh."

"Anyways, you pass." She tucked her nose under her hoof, serious about napping. "Next time, we're doing something different. Meditate before showing up. And, this might sound weird, but you said Splinter left his horn to you. Bring it."

"Alright." I said, somewhat dubious. It wasn't until walking down the stairs I realized we never finished throws. "Blargh." I facepalmed. Oh well; she was the teacher. I'd best let her sleep.

"Watchoooout!"

Slam! Splat. Thump.

"Ooof!"

"Ow!"

"Ponyfeathers!"

I looked up from sprawling on the floor. Spike wheezed heavily, and I tried to climb off him, only to find Rainbow on top of me. Twilight sighed in frustration. A creampuff was skewered on her horn, dripping blueberry filling onto her nose. The door swung lazily in the breeze.

"Really, Rainbow. Have you heard of slowing down before stopping?" She levitated a nearby towel, and wiped the confection off as best she could.

"Slowing down is for wimps." Rainbow flipped herself into the air with a twitch of her wings. "What the hay are you two doing?"

"Wrestling." I sat up, freeing Spike, and stretched my back.

"What? What does wrestling have to do with creampuffs? Hey, these are good!" She had her nose in our container of pastries. I snatched it away, and she gave me a wounded look.

"Well, I wanted water balloons," Twilight grumped. "But Pinkie wouldn't give us any."

"Apparently the latest revelation from the party dimension says anything you can do with a water balloon, you can do better with a creampuff." I found the lid and clapped it on the basket, much to Rainbow's disappointment.

"But, wrestling?" She asked, trying to pry my fingers off the confections. Lacking opposable thumbs hindered her slightly.

"Well..." Twilight paused, organizing her thoughts. "You know how Wesley and I have this dark magic spell, binding us together in unspeakable union?"

"Um, yeah?"

"We were wondering how much potential for evil it has. So, we've been trying to take over each other's mind."

Rainbow boggled.

"Must you be so dramatic?" I sighed. "Look, Rainbow, because it takes magic, only Twilight can begin the link between us. I was curious as to how much damage could be done if one of us turned against the other. So we we're investigating."

"With creampuffs."

"Yeah, Ok. Watch." I sat cross-legged. Twilight positioned herself across the room. I handed Spike a creampuff and tucked the basket behind a shelf, hoping Rainbow wouldn't notice. Something like feathers brushed my mind, and I grasped the tendrils of power. If I refused, the link wouldn't start, but the more power involved, the harder refusal was. Twilight and I locked eyes. Our breathing synchronized.

Spike raised the creampuff. Telekinesis was a simple spell; simply think of the object, and energize that concept with 'lift'. I borrowed some power from Twilight, held my horn up like a wand, and wrapped an aura around the pastry. It floated out of his hand, the magic fitfully shifting and crackling with orange and purple. Spike dove behind a bookshelf.

"See, both of us are holding it now," Twilight said. "I wanted to know how strength was shared. Spike?" The dragon held up a hand, and snapped his claw. The creampuff lurched, first towards Twilight, and then back towards me.

"We're each trying to force it towards each other," I gasped. "So far, we've found that Twilight is definitely stronger. But." I split my attention, shoving hard on the pastry and also feeding a confusing mixture of sensation across the link. The creampuff lurched away from me, nearly striking Twilight. "I'm better at multitasking. So, if I distract her, I have the upper hoof. Otherwise, I'm in trouble." The sweet lurched again, this time towards me. I tightened my grip, trying to pull more power across the link, but Twilight had a firm grasp on it. She snatched back at the magic, but I held tight.

"He's tricky." She grunted, horn flaring as she pushed magic into the spell, forcing the pastry back. "We found whoever holds more magic controls the link. As long as I concentrate, I can cut him off. But if he manages to distract me, he can grab-"

<"Bacon!"> I yelled. Twilight winced, and I shoved the creampuff with all my might. It zipped across the room, nearly reaching her; but she threw herself flat, and used my momentary surprise to return it.

Splat.

"Mmm." I licked strawberry filling off my cheek. "Ok, I dunno. Maybe Pinkie's right?"

"You don't have fur." Twilight snorted disdainfully. "Anyways, Dash, that's what we were doing. What's the score, Spike?"

"Three wins, Wes. Five wins, Twilight. Even if Rainbow's interrupting counts for Wes, Twilight still has five out of nine."

"Best six out of eleven?" I asked. Twilight gave me a troubled look, and I raised my hands. "Just kidding, I give, I give! Let's wash up." She nodded gratefully, and took off. I stepped into the kitchen to splash some water on my face. Maybe next time I'd suggest using a rubber ball, just to see the realization dawn.

"So, what did you need?" Spike asked Rainbow.

"Well, I wanted to borrow-"

I slipped out; they were discussing comics. I'd borrowed a stack from Spike myself, and I was looking forward to them. Hopefully I could get some introvert time in this afternoon.

"Hey, Wes!" Rainbow called.

"Yeah?" I stuck my head back in.

"The CMC were looking for you. Oh, and Thunderlane wanted to visit. Mind if I bring him around?"

"No problem. Drop in whenever." I rubbed a shoulder. "Although maybe not literally?"

"Pff. Wimp." She smirked. I smiled back.

"Alright." Lyra sat before me on the mat, and locked eyes. "Listen, because this is important. You've brought what I asked?" I nodded, and slipped the horn out of my knife sheath. It was about as long as my hand, gently fluted and an orange-yellow.

"How much do you know about horns?"

"Not much."

"Ok. First, they are literally made out of magic. This is magic, in a solid form." I turned the ivory over in my hands, feeling it's warmth, idly wondering about elements and molecules. Lyra continued. "That magic is mixed with the unicorn's life-force, which controls casting. Normally, when that ends, the horn disintegrates. Sometimes a shell will be left, but not often."

"This is different." She pointed to the horn. "Splinter died by self-sacrifice. The intent is important; he put your well-being above his own."

I sniffed, a tear running down my nose. Lyra paused for a moment.

"Well, he was a great pony." She said softly. "No denying that. But he left you more than a memento. You may have realized something was up; I'm sure somepony commented."

I nodded weakly. I'd seen a few reactions to my having the horn of a dead unicorn. Sunset Shimmer's had been the most obvious.

"I believe Splinter's concern for you transformed the life-force inside. Either so it wouldn't fade, or so it matches your own enough you can maintain the horn." She paused. "If it's the latter, you could maybe learn magic. Maybe."

I frowned slightly. I had already cast using this horn, although she didn't know it. But the rest of this was new, and somewhat troubling information.

"How would I tell?" I asked. "About what happened."

"A horn grows." Lyra tapped her own. "Slowly, depending on strength. Have you seen a unicorn get theirs polished?" I nodded; Rarity had hers sharpened once, at the spa. "During casting, small amounts of magic layer on. Given a long enough, all of us would have horns like Celestia." She shrugged. "But, that would look silly. So most of us shape them a little. Yours might slowly change shape, too."

"Huh." I ran my fingers over the horn. "And color?"

"Interesting question. That would depend on several things, mainly magic color." I thought back. Orange-purple? Hopefully not. My gem had been orange. I raised the horn to eye level, and inspected it. Was it a shade darker?

"How could I cast? I don't have any magic." I could borrow it, but…numancy. I paused, seriously considering explaining the gem, and what it meant. She'd seen it, but never asked. Of course, for all she knew, all humans had them.

"Of course you have magic." She gave me a stern look. "Everything in the world has magic."

"But I’m not-" From this world. But I stopped short. "I can't do anything like that."

"That's what I'll teach." She stopped, shifting uncomfortably. "Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"I'm a weak caster." She admitted. "You know that. My art uses weak magic effectively. Matter of fact, if I was stronger, I wouldn't be able to do some of it. I hope you can learn. But you may be too weak." She looked at the horn in my hands. "It's a long shot. But worth a try."

"Hmm." I considered. "Well, I'll try. What now?"

"Here." She flipped open a small brass box, removing a complicated ring-shaped mechanism, a system of interlinked orbital gears. "Put this on."

I slipped it onto my ring finger. It was rather large.

"Pfft, no. Hah, I didn't even consider that. It goes on your horn."

"Oh." I felt a little sheepish, but corrected myself.

"Why that finger?" I looked up. She had her little notebook ready.

"That's the finger wedding rings go on." She took a note. "Hey." I stopped her as she was about to put the book away. "You're taking notes on my culture? For equuology research?"

"Yeah. Well, mainly for Bon-Bon."

"Hah." I laughed softly. "What does she think so far?"

"You're weird."

"Ahahaha! Well, sure!"

"Actually, we started by trying to discover where you're from, by comparing your culture with others we'd studied." She made a face, sticking out her tongue. "You're either from impossibly far, or the future."

"Heh. Well." I set my horn down, and dropped my head into my hands, thinking for a minute. Lyra shifted uncomfortably under my steady gaze, but I held it in silence. "Actually," I said, finally coming to a decision, "I need to talk to you about that. But afterwards."

I wasn't sure how much I should tell Lyra. She was a great person, and a lot of fun, but didn't always make the best choices. Still, she wanted desperately to know more about me, and there wasn't much to lose by telling her how I got here, at least. Not that it would help much; I was as curious about the 'how' as she would be. But telling her I was from another world shouldn't hurt. And she'd done a lot of good for me, and would love to hear it. It would also let me give clearer answers to some of her questions. As long as I could exact a sincere promise to keep my secrets close, I wanted to tell her.

"….ok." She returned my stare flatly for a few seconds. "Cool. Well, let me see. What's it read?"

"How do you…oh, I remember." I spun the outer ring, letting the inner traverse its oval course several times, before tapping it once.

"Why shake it?"

"Gets a better reading." I said absently. "These old ones have sticky ratchets."

"And ten minutes ago, I thought you'd never seen one before." Lyra gave me a searching look.

"Hehe." I laughed nervously, and scratched my head. I glanced at the thaumometer as it registered, and my jaw dropped. "Three mini swirls?" I said, shocked.

"Now, I know that's not much," Lyra began. An average unicorn was rated at one swirl. Starswirl had implemented the measurement, and it had been used for years. But even that…

"Nonono, that's not it." I shushed her impatiently, and took the reading again. The same. Again. Still, three mini swirls. "How is this possible? I wasn't lying, Lyra. I should literally have no magic. I don't care if you believe me or not, but something very odd is going on here. Is…is this why compass doesn't read well?"

Twilight and I had discussed this, although we'd never used a thaumometer. Magic wasn't something that existed on Earth; I was pretty sure of that. The fields had measurable physical side-effects, which should show on anyone with potential. The most noticeable was a magnetic effect. Even passive magic registered on a sensitive magnetometer. If humans had magic fields, someone would have noticed. We weren't normally magnetic.

"Dunno." She shrugged. "But, you do have magic. Either you're abnormal for a human, or it happened after your arrival. Not enough to cast much, but you can learn sensing. And, I think, parts of my martial arts."

"Oh." I paused. I could sense magic. I'd been casting detection in the Everfree for a while now. "Actually, I can sense magic with this." I tapped the horn. "But does that take power?"

"Well, yeah. What you feel is magic nearby interacting with your own. I'm surprised you learned by yourself."

"Like, current induction?"

"…sure. Anyways, you have more than none. I cast at seven mini swirls, but don't know the lower limit for my art."

"Wow." I spun the thaumometer again, marveling at the reading. "Wow." It wasn't enough magic to lift a teacup; the scale wasn't linear progression. Lyra was more than three times as powerful. But still. Hmm. I pictured the magic I had used at Twilight's. Maybe that's where the orange crackles come from?

"So, let's try this." Lyra plucked the instrument from my horn, and returned it to its case. "Can you sense me cast? This spell is my original composition, based on unique research, and underpins the entirety of my art." She lit her horn, ever so slightly. I closed my eyes, and tried to detect it.

"Sure." I said, frowning. The magic was definitely there; a gentle flow, very unlike the jagged spells I usually found in the Everfree. But it was very faint. From further away, I'd have missed it.

"Can you tell what I'm casting?" I concentrated, trying to get a read. Field-shape was easy, but the attributes were odd.

"Is that…echonarchy?" I stumbled over the word, trying to comprehend the field. I was no expert, but the spell seemed to relate to sound.

"Close! Although after guessing my methodology, that might be inference. There's more. Watch."

I gasped as she released the spell. Instead of spreading into the surroundings, the energy fed back into her skull and spread through her body. If I hadn't been looking, I'd have missed it. The whole thing was extremely subtle; it barely qualified as a spell. She could activate it much faster, too. No wonder I'd gotten nothing but fuzz when scanning her fight.

"That's metamancy." I exclaimed. "You're altering the qualities of the magic in your own body…to make it act more like sound?" She gave me a truly impressed look.

"Exactly! Can you see it work?" I watched as she moved her head, studying the flows of magic, and how the spell changed their properties.

"You're setting up resonances. Beats and nodes, in your own magic." I watched as she flexed a foreleg. My eyes saw the muscle tighten smoothly, but with my horn, I sensed magic concentrate there as she adjusted the nodes her metaspell was creating, moving power to reinforce the muscle.

"Right. Since sound is in my special talent, it's a breeze to manipulate. So, I can do this." She spun, and lashed out at the punching bag. The magic in her leg flashed forward, the gathered energy lending weight that sent the sand-filled sack flying. "It's not about power, but instead about effect. If I keep my magic in my body, and use it to strengthen my natural abilities, I can achieve effects stronger unicorns couldn't dream of."

"The power would burn them."

"Look, punk." Lyra cut off, annoyed. "I know you're smart, but don't be a showoff!" She pushed her nose close to mine. "Who's the Jedi here? Huh?"

"You are!" I raised my hands in surrender. "Sorry, but this is fascinating."

"Right. Well, that's all. The only question is, are you ready for this?" She shot me a grave look. "I know you're doing better. And I hope that continues. But again, I'll tell you; I hope to fashion you into a lethal weapon. I'm convinced that you have even more potential than I did, and I'm going to work to bring that out. It won't be easy, and there are some walls you'll just never be able to climb, but it takes strength of character and commitment. I won't teach you this unless you're sure you're ready." She stood, pacing back and forth.

"I know you're not sure about fighting, so don't accept unless you know you can deal with being even more dangerous." She pointed to the sandbag. That kick would have knocked over a house. "You can't unlearn that. You'll always have to restrain yourself. It's not a weapon; you can't leave it home. I'm confident you're ready, but…it comes down to self-control. If you're not certain, we'll stop."

I ground my palms into my eyes and thought, long and hard.

Yes, I was doing better. I would always shudder looking back, but I no longer feared moving forward. I would be plagued by nightmares, for a while if not forever, but I wasn't afraid to sleep. I had a semblance of control over my life, but I also had leaders I trusted, ready to shield me, who could look ahead and tell me what the future held.

What if I lost myself?

I didn't want to be a danger. I didn't want to hurt my friends, even if black magic or mind control meant it wasn't my fault. Could I risk being more of a weapon? I didn't want to be defined as a sword, destined to cut any near me. That was why I resisted hardening myself to murder and death, despite the cold relief offered; I wanted to retain compassion, because if you lose what makes you human, there's no way to tell if you're still one. No reason to care.Through pain, retaining feeling was worth it. Would this make that harder? Could I risk accepting?

But I considered my opponents.

Sombra wasn't pulling punches. He'd nearly consigned a lieutenant and four thousand innocents to the black void of inter-reality, as a ploy, a trap. He almost succeeded. If Twilight hadn't broken his hold on the Elements, I would still be caught in the Crystal Empire, only Shadow and the Windigos for company. What was next? Could I risk refusing?

No…that wasn't right. I couldn't accept becauseI was afraid of being hurt, lost, or killed; all those scared me, sure. But that wasn't it; I needed to protect my friends from being hurt, lost, or killed. I couldn't be the weak link. I didn't know how Dash felt, or the reason Fluttershy forced herself along, but if I wasn't strong enough to stand beside them, covering their weakness with my strength in return for their protection, what sort of comrade would I be?

"Teach me." I lowered my hands.

"Oh, there's iron in your eyes." Lyra nodded decisively. "Good. I know you can do it."

37 - Wander

Wander

"You're learning the synth?" Luna placed a stone. We'd compromised on board games, and were playing Go. It was strategically rich, compared to checkers, but wasn't a parallel, like chess. Also, it only had two rules, so remembering it wasn't a problem. We were both amateurs, but learning fast, though we still played on a smaller board.

"Yup." The board was floating in the air; we sat on a cloud, hovering far above a bright blue ocean. For once, it was day in the dream, bright yellow sun streaming down on all sides. "I'm trying, at least. Lyra claims music theory helps with her fighting techniques."

"Fascinating." I nodded, and made a move.

"I just wish I could remember more." I grimaced as Luna took several stones. "There was some really cool synth music back on Earth. It would be neat to bring over."

"Wouldn't that be cheating?"

"I don't think so." I shrugged. "In all I do, I stand on the shoulders of giants. Why should I feel any different about music?"

"Hmm." She nodded. "Fair enough. Is human music beautiful?"

"Erm. Well, lots of it was pretty awful, but that's true of most things." I shrugged. "There were definitely masterpieces. But once we started recording and selling it to everyone, there was just so much of it. More good, but lots more bad. Still, I had sounds I liked, and I followed them."

"I see."

"Do you play any instruments?" I frowned at the board, considering my strategy.

"Most of them."

"Huh?"

"There are only a few base skills to playing an instrument. You need to know what sounds to make, and then you need to know how to make your instrument produce those. If you're skilled at music, after you learn a half-dozen instruments or so, the rest follow fairly naturally." I stared at her, jaw slack. "Synthesizers may be more complicated, since they have far fewer restrictions than, say, a flute."

"Dang." I swallowed, placing a stone. "How are you so…so normal, despite having thousands of years of life experience behind you?"

"I'm not so different from you." She shook her head, and made another move.

"What?"

"You stand on the shoulders of giants." She shrugged. "I've built myself up, but if I'd learned more from others, I might be further yet. A smart pony learns from their mistakes. A wise pony learns from the mistakes of others. You've taken the better course, in many ways."

"Huh."

"You know, memories are much easier to recall in dreams, due to the subconscious connection."

"Huh?"

"You spoke of recalling music. You might remember some, here. Consider this dreamscape." She waved a hoof at the wrinkled blue ocean and the fluffy clouds. "You remember flying, at least once." She frowned. "Which is a little odd, considering your winglessness."

"We had machines for that." I rubbed my jaw, thinking. "I thought this was your dreamscape."

"No." She quirked an eyebrow. "My dreamscape, you said, was 'boring'. It doesn't change easily. So tonight, we're in your head."

"Oh." I thought about that for a minute. "Mind if we pause the game? Let's play with this a bit."

"Not at all." She dropped the stone she was holding, and the board vanished.

"OK." I cast my thoughts back, trying to grasp some half-remembered thing. Finally, my mind settled on what seemed like a fitting and useful test. I drew in a deep breath, and intoned:

"Three times Randolph Carter dreamed of the marvelous city, and three times was he snatched away while still he paused on the high terrace above it." As I spoke, the ocean beneath us vanished, and stone appeared beneath our feet, the transition deceptively soft, in the manner of dreams.

"All golden and lovely it blazed in the sunset, with walls, temples, colonnades and arched bridges of veined marble, silver-basined fountains of prismatic spray in broad squares and perfumed gardens, and wide streets marching between delicate trees and blossom-laden urns and ivory statues in gleaming rows; while on steep northward slopes climbed tiers of red roofs and old peaked gables harboring little lanes of grassy cobbles." The city was now becoming visible, shaped from mist in the red glow of a sudden sunset. The green grass, golden stone, and white ornaments solidified as I continued.

"It was a fever of the gods, a fanfare of supernal trumpets and a clash of immortal cymbals. Mystery hung about it as clouds about a fabulous unvisited mountain; and as Carter stood breathless and expectant on that balustraded parapet there swept up to him the poignancy and suspense of almost-vanished memory, the pain of lost things and the maddening need to place again what once had been an awesome and momentous place." I stopped, letting the atmosphere of the words finish shaping the scene. When it was done, I felt a cool breeze on my face, and grinned. The city, beautiful and inviting, rolled out below me, just as I'd envisioned it. We were standing at the top of a high spire, overlooking the whole thing.

"Wow. That really worked." I looked out over an unmistakable dreamscape. I'd been able to recall both the words, and what I'd originally felt reading.

"What is this?" Luna gazed over the city. "It's beautiful. But…empty?"

"It's from a book on earth." She walked towards the stairs, but I stopped her. "In the story, he never explores it in his dream."

"But this isn't his dream; it's yours."

"Well, sure." I shrugged. "But we can quest for unknown Kadath later. For now, let's have some music."

<"No up, no down, emotion gone."> I hummed as I walked down the path. Luna and I had spent most of the night grooving. I'd introduced her to disco floors, something I'd always wanted to actually try. <"No blood, no soul, automaton.">

Despite not understanding English, Luna enjoyed the experiment. It had even worked, to some extent; in my dream, I'd been able to summon the music I was thinking of, usually just by humming it. I even woke up with a song stuck in my head.

Unfortunately, the dream was mostly blurry and unclear on waking. Even songs I'd replayed several times were smeared. I did remember dancing on the roof of Canterlot Castle, though. Luna had recalled classical music, too, once even summoning something like a zither and performing it herself. I'd responded with what I remembered of Earth's greats, and she'd enjoyed them as well, at home with both Metallica and Mozart. I even conjured a karaoke machine, and we sang for a while.

Still, even if I remembered, I couldn't play anything until I built my synth and learned a bit more.

So I was headed into the Everfree. I planned to visit the Caverns of Shade and Sound, and come back with supplies for Vinyl and myself. I carried an overnight bag, a sample hammer, and a chisel.

I stopped as I heard voices on the path up ahead.

"Why would he spend time with you? He's waaaaay to cool for your stupid club!"

"Hey! We're not stupid! He was totally fine with joining our club!"

"Yeah! He's got the cape and everything!"

"What? Why would he even do that?"

"Um, hello?" I came around the bend, announced myself, and tried to assess the scene. On one side of the path, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were arrayed in adventuring outfits; khaki blouses with pith helmets. They looked adorable. On the other side, stood a slightly older pegasus, light pink, with a curly cream mane. Her cutie mark was a blossom of some sort. I saw the match immediately. "Oh, my mysterious savior." I nodded to her. "And my fellow Crusaders. What's up?"

"See?" Scootaloo said triumphantly. "He does so hang out with us!"

"Of course." I had no idea why they'd been fighting about me, but there was no way I'd turn against my compatriots. I swept my canvas hat off my head, displaying the 'cape' I'd been given, tied underneath as a bandana. "As you can see, I'm a bona fide, cape-wearing member of the Cru."

"Oh." The pegasus seemed nonplussed.

"Anyways, I never got your name. You are…?"

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I'm Cherry Blossom."

"Nice to meet you." I held out a fist, which she tapped gingerly. "You accidently left a book with me last time. If you want it back, feel free to drop by."

"Really? I can come visit? To your house?" Her eyes widened in excitement, and she hopped up and down slightly.

"Sure." I was a little surprised by the enthusiasm, but ignored it. "After supper might be best? I'll return your book."

"You…" She looked down abashedly. "You didn't read it, did you?"

"Of course not," I replied firmly. And you have no need to know about Dash.

"Oh. Good!" She sighed, relieved.

"Anyways, what are you three working on?" I turned to the CMC.

"We're going to try cragodile hunting!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "We think that might work!"

"Hmm." I rubbed my jaw. No good telling them not to try, but maybe I could re-direct them into a safer path. "Then what are you doing out here?"

"Huh?" Scootaloo gave me a flat look. "What do you mean?"

"Isn't the nearest cragodile at Sugarcube Corner?"

"Hmmm." Apple Bloom thought for a second. "Oh! You mean Gummy!" The three shared a look. "That might be a bit easier."

"I just thought you might want the closest one." I shrugged. "And he is a real cragodile. So I'm sure it would count."

"Ok!" The three clapped hooves, and yelled "Let's go!" Before piling into their wagon and zipping off. I sighed in relief. I would have had to drag their sisters into it if that hadn't worked.

"Anyways, Cherry, I'm headed into the Everfree for the weekend. I'll be back by Monday, if you want your book back." I nodded to her, and set off down the path.

I was being stalked.

I moved quietly. It was still an hour or more to the Caverns, but I'd been making good time.

I'd been using magical sensing to keep myself out of trouble for the whole hike. Now, I sensed several auras behind me, matching my pace. I palmed my horn, and thought.

At Lyra's urging, I'd disguised Splinter's horn. It was wrapped in a square of green silk, and wound with silver wire. I'd tied it to a strap, and it hung from my wrist. I thought of it as a wand, and I'd been considering fabricating a solid metal case. I figured Rarity had the tools; she'd lent me the use of her workshop, the wire and the cloth.

I snarled in annoyance as one of the presences swung forward, trying to cut me off, herding me towards the cliffs. By now, I had some idea what I was up against, so I found a clearing, and took a stand.

Sure enough, soon after I stopped moving, my aggressors showed. Timberwolves. I sighed. This was troublesome. Not very dangerous, but definitely annoying. I shrugged my backpack off, and set it on the ground nearby.

The pack started to move in, snarling and posturing. I affected an attitude of indifference, pretending nonchalance. Their approach slowed at my confident display.

Just a bit closer…

I was about ready to start my counter, when I heard a pony yell.

"Yaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Cherry Blossom!" I yelled in exasperation as a familiar cream-maned filly dived towards a Timberwolf; and not just any wolf, but the Alpha, a big, gnarled Oak. "Bad, bad, bad idea!" I grumbled, even as I leaped to the rescue.

One hand fell to my pack, grasping a firebrand. My other slipped into my pocket, and seized my lighter. I'd taken advantage of Rarity's generosity with her workshop to knock off an imitation zippo. I flicked it open and lit it all in one smooth movement. The brand ignited with a whoomph, and the wooden creatures took a step back. I flicked the torch out before me, the flame roaring at the movement. The circle widened again, but not far enough to keep them out of my reach. I dove forward, targeting the Alpha as he snapped at Cherry, coming away with a few feathers.

The plucky little filly was brave, if silly. She lashed back at the timberwolf, managing to throw it several feet. I struck as it landed, and beating it with my torch.

I'd made these firebrands out of a thick branch of green wood, dipped in pitch. I'd alternated layers of pitch with scraps of cotton, ensuring the whole thing would burn brightly and for a good length.

It also meant they were basically clubs, with a sticky, napalm-like blob on the end. With every hit I made on the Alpha, I left behind a patch of blazing pitch. In seconds, he was burning in a half-dozen places, and I'd heard something crack.

The fight left him pretty quick.

The whole pack, seeing we weren't about to roll over and die, turned tail and ran. As soon as the danger was past, I carefully extinguished my torch and turned to my feathery follower.

"Cherry Blossom, you have got to stop doing this!" I thundered. Just like last time, my disapproval crushed her. I sighed, as her wings and head drooped to the ground, and she started sniffling.

"I-I just wanted to help." I rubbed my eyes, trying to sort out my thoughts. Finally, I knelt by her and offered a gentle hug.

"And I appreciate that. But, I'm not helpless. I'm perfectly capable of defending myself, and in all honesty, if you got seriously hurt trying to help me, I would be devastated. Just…I dunno, let me take care of myself." When her sniffling didn't stop, I was a little worried. "Hey, you OK?"

"I…I think I hurt my wing."

"Figures." I tried to hide my disapproval, but she quailed at my voice. I had no idea why my attention meant so much to this filly, but I mentally kicked myself for a lack of self-control. "Sorry. Ok, let me see." I sat down cross legged on the grass so I could get a closer look. "Which one?"

"Left." Her voice was very small.

"Can you spread it?" She tried, and actually got pretty good extension. But it was clear the wolf had broken important feathers; there was a visible gap, and traces of blood. "It looks like he took a bite at you, and got mostly fluff. I bet there are nasty scratches underneath. Let me get my first aid supplies." I shuffled in my pack for a minute, and came up with a wrap, some gauze, and antiseptic. "Hold still." I carefully parted her downy feathers and cleaned the wound as best I could, with water and antiseptic. As I guessed, it was no more than a nasty scratch, but it probably stung like crazy. She was silent through the whole process, but shivered as I swabbed her wing with salve.

"That's not too bad." I attached a gauze pad, using the wrap to secure it as well as I could. "Is it uncomfortable? The cut should sting less as the salve kicks in."

"It's Ok."

"Hmmm." I rubbed my jaw. "So, um. What are you doing out here, anyways?"

"I…" Her voice faded away.

"Huh?"

"I just…want to be your friend."

"Um." I stopped, unsure of what to say. "But…following me into the Everfree?"

"Sorry." She hung her head. "It was pretty silly, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." I sighed. "Does your wing hurt too much to fly on?"

"It's ok…but it's unbalanced." She bit her lip. "I have spare feathers; I might fly, after getting it imped. But…they're at home."

"Well, Ok." I thought for a minute. As silly as her flying out here had been, being grounded was worse. I couldn't just leave her here. "You have got to stay with me. Do you understand? You're stuck with me now. Stay in my sight at all times. Got it?"

"Yes." She meekly bowed her head.

"Uh." I scratched my head in thought. "When do you need to be back?" It might be a bad idea, but if we hurried, we had time to make a quick visit to the Caves. I would have to forego my planned exploration, but I might be able to gather the stone I needed.

"Dark."

"Well…if you're Ok with it, maybe we can continue on a bit, before turning back? I'm gathering supplies, and if you don't mind coming, I think I have time."

"Ok!" She perked up immediately, and gave me a big smile. "Let's go! It will be an adventure."

"I hope not," I said, with heartfelt emotion, picking up my pack. "Walk with me, then. And I'm curious; what did you mean, when you said you'd have your wing imped?"

"No, I meant, does anypony use something besides a real feather? Like, an artificial one, or-oh! Here we are." I nodded to the entrance to the Caves. Imping, as it turned out, was a particularly pegasus medical treatment, where broken feathers could be fixed by 'grafting' a new one in. A splint was glued into the hollow shaft, and a replacement feather could be attached. Most saved feathers from molting. They worked just as well as new, if the graft was done right, and would be lost normally at the next molt.

"Ooo, cool!" Cherry pranced forwards, eagerly examining the door in the crevice. I examined it before opening it, ensuring that none of my safeguards had been displaced; everything seemed in order, so anything nasty would have come up from the caves.

I paused at that thought.

"Cherry, I'm going to open this door, but I'm not certain it's safe. I want you to step behind the cliff, and wait a moment. It should be fine, but I want you out of the way while I double-check. And if something is wrong, do not try to help."

"But-"

"Cherry!"

"Fine."

I cracked the door slowly, listening. Nothing. I used my wand; background magic, only. I flung the door wide, and stepped back. No response. I sighed, taking a good look around the guardhouse. I examined the trapdoor, and cracked it wide; a few strains of music escaped.

"What's that noise?"

"The caves. Wait a minute, I'm not done." I checked the wood pile I'd left behind, and the fireplace; nothing, not even a snake. "Ok, you're good. Come on in."

"Coooool!" The young mare gawked In wonder as she nosed around. I secured the door after us, and pulled two glass jars out of my pack, placing them on the mantle. They glowed with a silvery, moonlight radiance, giving the room an unearthly sheen.

"What are those?"

"Dried flowers from a dusk-blooming chokevine," I answered absently, while I secured the door. "The absorb natural magic, and use it to glow in the dark."

"They're beautiful."

"Thanks." I'd made them myself, cautiously gathering full blooms from the dangerous plants in the forest, and drying them carefully before packing them into glass phials and sealing the lids tightly. As long as I'd done my work well, they ought to glow for years, fueled only by ambient magic.

"Cherry, I'm going into the caves for a half-hour or so. You stay here, and wait for me." I set out some of my food; since I wasn't camping, I wouldn't need it. "If you get hungry, eat this. There's water over there." I waved to the cask I'd left last time. "If you get bored, you can play with my experiment over there." I nodded to my proto-synth. "You Ok with that?" She nodded, and I turned to the trapdoor, one of the bloom jars in my hand. "Thanks. I'll be back soon."

The flashing caught my attention.

I looked at my watch, and found the alarm I'd set for leaving was going off; the indiglo blinking warning. I sighed, and turned back to the entrance.

I'd managed to find a good-sized stalactite. It hadn't taken long to knock down. However, the hammering meant the Caverns were vibrating fiercely. I would be glad to hear again, but I'd been mapping, and may have found the entrance to another section. Which would have been much more exciting, if I'd had the whole weekend to explore.

No way to know now, though.

I'd also found several quartz crystals. None as nice as the one I'd tricked Rarity into buying, but Vinyl would still be excited. The harder rock had much better audio properties.

"Cherry?" I climbed out of the trapdoor, and let it fall closed. For a second, I was afraid she'd gone, but quickly realized I still had earplugs in. I tweaked them out.

I turned, hearing a tinkling noise behind me. The young pegasus was picking notes out on my experimental instrument, staring blankly into the distance.

"Cherry?" She started as I nudged her. "I'm back. We need to get moving."

"Ok." She gave the instrument a regretful look.

"You can keep that, if you like." I offered. She lit up immediately. "I'll carry it for you." I tucked the framework into my pack, carefully placing it on top of the stone, wrapped in blanket in an attempt to muffle it. It seemed to be work. She yawned. I retrieved the second bloom jar, and led the way out into the bright sunlight.

An hour or so later, I noticed she was limping slightly.

I mentally cursed myself; what had I been thinking? Of course she wasn't used to hiking for hours. Besides being a child, she was a pegasus!

"Do your feet hurt?"

"I'm Ok!"

"Listen." I stopped. "Cherry, I've been trying to make this clear for a while now, but I don't want you to hurt yourself! Be honest, now; do your feet hurt?"

"A bit."

"Hmmm." I checked the sky. I hadn't factored breaks into our trip. If we stopped often, we wouldn't make it back before dark. We could probably make Zecora's, but I didn't want to ask a filly to stay overnight at somepony else's house. Besides, her parents expected her. "No help for it." I shrugged. "I'll carry you."

"Huh?"

"We need to move faster than this. Unless it really bothers you, I'll give you a piggyback ride. We should make better time, and you'll be able to get off your hooves."

"O-oh."

"Um…if you really don't want to, we can keep walking."

"N-no. It's ok."

"Hold still, then." I carefully picked her up, and slung her over my shoulders in what would have been a fireman carry for a human. Her feathers tickled my neck; I'd carefully placed her hurt wing outwards. She was lighter than I expected, being a pegasus, but still not a trivial burden. I wouldn't have tried this with Applejack; at least, not for a three-hour hike. "You Ok?" I turned my head; her nose brushed mine.

"Yeah." She spoke softly into my ear. "I'll be Ok."

"Off we go, then. Tell me if you need a break."

"Well, I did not expect that."

We stood in front of Ponyville. I'd carried Cherry out of the Everfree, putting her down when we neared the village, after confirming her hooves were feeling better. The whole way, she'd bombarded me with questions about humans. I'd answered with short breaths, trying to conserve my energy for hiking, but she'd continued insistently.

Ponyville, however, wasn't very welcoming today. For some reason, a huge dome covered the whole thing. I thumped it with my fist; thrumming ripples spread from the impact.

I waited, but nothing happened.

"Stay here…or, actually, hide." I motioned for Cherry to get out of sight. "We have an hour or so before sundown. I'm going to circle to the left a bit; maybe there's a way in elsewhere. If not, we're going to Zecora's. She'll put us up for the night, if need be." I slipped my pack off, setting it beside her.

"I want to come too!"

"How are your hooves? We have more walking to do later."

"They're feeling better…"

"I'm going to jog. Can you keep up?"

"I'll stay." She hung her head, disappointed.

You're waaaay to focused on me… I set off at a light jog, planning to cover as much as I could as fast as I could. While I ran, I tried to puzzle out Cherry's actions. They just didn't make sense to me. She followed me around, interfered in my business, but was crushed by my disapproval and practically floated on a kind word? What was going on here? I studied the town as I ran, freed from the weight of my pack. Still need to take up jogging.

"Did you find anything?" Cherry greeted me with a smile and wave as I returned.

"Nope." I shrugged. "But there are decorations strung up, something about 'The Great and Powerful Trixie.'"

"Oh." She made a glum face. "Her."

"I'm sensing a story here."

"Well, here's what happened last time…"

"So, wait. Tell me more about these star-beasts."

I'd been shocked by the description. I always looked for parallels between Equestria and the Earth I knew, trying to deduce the resographical connections, but this was particularly strong one. An Ursa Major and Minor? Even my scant knowledge of Earth constellations pinged at that.

"Sorry, that's all I know." Cherry hung her head, shamefaced.

"Oh. Well, nevermind then. Um." I wracked my brain, looking for a different topic of conversation. "Uh, last time, when we escaped that alleyway together, you wanted to ask me something, but Twilight interrupted. What was that?" I recalled her shoving her journal into my hands, and stammering a question, right before disappearing.

"Oh! Well…" She paused, nervously glancing around. "I was wondering if you could write down some human names for me."

"Like, a human version of your pony name?"

"Oh! That would be really cool! But…I actually meant just some names that humans use. Your name, Wesley, is different from pony names, and I thought that was way cool. But does my name have a human version?"

"Actually, it kinda does." I rubbed my jaw, thinking. "See, there are lots of different languages in the human countries. Most human names come from another language, so while they do have meanings, they're much more obscure. My name actually means 'of the west field'. There's a language where Cherry Blossom is a name. I don't know much, but I think I know the word for it."

"Really? What is it?" She bounced a few steps, excited.

"Sakura. Maybe. If I remember right."

"Oooooo." She grinned, hugely pleased with the name. "So! Call me Sakura from now on."

"If you insist." I waved. "There's Zecora's firelight ahead. We're almost there." The forest was starting to grow dim; we were right on the edge of dangerous territory. But we'd made it, and nothing would bother us at Zecora's. As I turned, she stumbled and fell, landing heavily.

"Owch!" She climbed slowly to her feet.

"Are you Ok?" I looked down, worriedly. I'd pushed her a lot farther than a young pegasus was used to.

"Phooey." She brushed herself with her good wing. "I got leaves in my mane." She smiled demurely up at me. "Pick them out for me?" She arched her neck, inviting my assistance. I almost complied, but something stayed my hand.

Didn't Rarity say something about this…? I cast my thoughts back, to when I'd saunaed with Rarity. We'd spent a while discussing the difference between human courtship and pony courtship. Some things were the same; giving flowers and candy, for instance. Some things were very different. Hugs could be very casual for ponies. On the other hand, grooming, especially grooming a mane….suddenly, the way Cherry Blossom had been acting all day snapped into focus.

She has a crush on me. I froze, mind whirling. I had no idea how to deal with this. I wasn't a 'smooth operator'. I didn't think of myself as loquacious or eloquent, although I knew I could turn a phrase occasionally. I had very little experience with romance; my one attempt, back on Earth, had been an unmitigated disaster, and I'd avoided it since, waiting until I was a bit more mature. I didn't want to hurt Cherry, but I didn't want to send mixed messages, either.

"Isn't that a little…forward?" She deflated at my words. I winced; she'd obviously been psyching herself up, and my rejection hit her hard.

"Um-um-um-"

I dropped to one knee, and hugged her, both for comfort and to make sure she didn't bolt.

"Listen, Sakura." With a some effort, I picked her up like a child, and carried her towards Zecora's. "I don't know what you're feeling about me. But I want to be clear on this. I'm not getting involved in anything like that while I'm in Ponyville."

"But I just want to be part of your herd!" She mumbled into my shoulder. I nearly dropped her in shock. Resolving to investigate that idea later, I knocked on Zecora's door with my foot.

"Hello? Any zebras at this residence?"

"Oh, my far-flung friend." Zecora stuck her head out. "You've also been excluded from Ponyville?"

"Also?"

"Indeed. Come in, bring the filly, have some soup, and we four outcasts will hold council."

I stepped inside, and found Twilight also sitting by the fire. I gently set Cherry Blossom down, and nodded to her. "Bad day?"

"You have no idea." She rolled her eyes. "I'll tell you later. But let's eat; my stomach's killing me." I nodded, and joined the circle. Of course there would be enough. Zecora always had enough.

"So you plan to con her?"

It was late in the evening. The fire had burnt down completely; only coals were left. Zecora had piled our dirty dishes in the sink with her alchemical equipment, and curled up in the loft. Sakura had been tucked into the bed; Twilight and I were sitting by the fireplace, wrapped in blankets, conversing by the dull glow.

"Yeah. Flutttershy headed back into town. She'll alert the others."

"Cool."

"You really think so?"

"Hay yeah!" I crossed my arms. "There's no shame in using everything at your disposal. The ends do not justify the means, but'fighting fair' is for chumps." I shrugged. "But this seems fine to me. I mean, honestly; she's cheating with her booster thingamajig. Wonder how that works?"

"Beats me, but it's the real deal. Age spells are ridiculously difficult; I've barely touched geromancy."

"Huh." I glanced at the young pegasus, sleeping soundly. "So, I told you about Cherry Blossom. But I didn't mention the oddest thing that happened." I rubbed my eyes. "All day, I was trying to figure out why she was acting the way she did. Right before we got here, I think I figured it out. She-"

"She's got a crush on you."

I stared at Twilight, slack-jawed.

"What? How did you know?"

"Puh-lease, Wes. It's obvious from how she looks at you." She frowned. "She is a sweetie. You'd better not break her heart, Wesley Kilmer."

"I'll do my best to be kind." I shrugged, and sighed. "As we came down the path, she asked me to groom her mane."

"Ooo." Twilight frowned. "I'm surprised you caught that, honestly. You're pretty clueless."

"Pff, thanks. But, well, you're right. I only caught on because Rarity and I discussed it once. I brushed her off." I paused, as Twilight's eyes widened. "I mean, I brushed off her feelings, not her mane. She was really disappointed."

"No surprise." She sighed. "But it's better than stringing her along. You're serious about not seeing ponies like that, right? You've said so several times."

"Totally." I nodded decisively. "The most I want from any pony is snuggles and friendship." I frowned. "Does that sort of thing happen much? Relationships between…well, ?"

"On and off." She waved a hoof. "It's not exactly common. But here and there."

"Huh." I thought of the second thing Sakura had said, and winced. "Um, this might be an awkward question, but after that, she mentioned something about…herds. Was she talking about…"

"Basically a marriage." Twilight shrugged. "But with more than two participants."

"Oh." I poked the fire. "Is that common?"

"Not so much anymore, but it still happens here and there. Ponies don't need to focus on survival as much, for the past thousand or so years, and things have slowly changed. I don't think it will die out, though; at least, not until the rumors about the reasons for the Royal Guard being full of handsome stallions is because they're Celestia's personal…well. Does the idea bother you? Surely it's not completely foreign. English has words for it, right? ."

" is not really the same…" I stopped, considering. "Well, most people-"don't do that, I almost said. But that was a very America-centered opinion. Lots of the world did do it, right? And America, of all places, had fringe groups. I frowned. Also, some of the people I'd met in school… "Actually, you know what? I guess it happened back on Earth just about as much, or maybe even more? But in my culture, there was a pretty strong taboo."

"Why?"

"Tradition, I guess." I shrugged. "I never really considered it. Although, now I do…" I thought of the way things often went for the guys I knew who tried maintaining several relationships at once. "You know what? I think most of the people I knew were just really bad at it."

"How so?"

"Like…" I waved a hand vaguely. "Mostly, it fell apart in pretty short order. It just doesn't seem like a good idea to me. Though, to be fair, a lot of them weren't very serious about relationships, either."

"It does take a lot of investment, from everypony involved. Still, it has advantages." Twilight yawned. "Anyways, I’m bushed." She gave me a soulful look. "Do you want some pony snuggles?"

"Well, I won't say no." I curled up in my blanket, and we set our backs against each other, sharing what warmth was left from the fire as we drifted off to sleep.

38 - Letters