Whiteout

by Hyper Atomic

Rating: teen
Tags: Comedy, Adventure, Human, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 22464

Two strangers deal with being stuck together in a world far from normal, and if they’re not careful, they’ll end up in an asylum … again.

Co-authored with the incredible my_little_medic.
Cover art by the talented Inkwell Tailbrush

The universe is a fickle place. Chaotic when it wants to be, and ordered when it needs to be. For two extraordinarily unlucky yet infinitely fortunate individuals, one morning found them unceremoniously comprised of every probabilistic particle in the cosmos ... for 0.0073 nanoseconds.

Devon hadn't exactly been the most level headed to begin with, and waking up in a foreign city in the dead of winter with no recollection of how he got there wasn't doing him any favors. If that wasn't enough, he's also stuck with Alek, a disembodied voice that only he can hear. Can the pair manage to work together long enough in order to uncover what happened to them, or are they already a lost cause?

It sure would be a lot easier without hooves too...

Published 2014-01-05 22:00:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-04-11 02:26:15 UTC

Snowfall

Chapter 1: Snowfall

I continued to stare with listless eyes at the padded floor. I could still see my tail, even tucked away as it was between my hind legs. The white and cobalt colored hair was noticeably frazzled, a quality that I'm sure my mane also sported. The only thing in the room that wasn't injury-proofed was the small recessed light in the ceiling, far out of reach. I sighed, purely through my sinuses since the muzzle around my face was doing an excellent job holding my jaw shut. There was no way for me to gauge how much time had passed without a clock to check, nor a window to even guess the time of day.

My heart beat as loud as a drum in my ears with nothing else to distract me. The way the jacket forced me to hug myself made it so that my left foreleg pressed tightly against my chest. I could feel each and every one of the heavy "lub-dubs" my agitated heart was making. After counting over two hundred of them, I gave up. My body slumped against the wall as I let my head rest on the soft padding.

At least that voice had finally left me, maybe it was gone for good.

-So, I leave you alone like you asked, and you promptly wind up in an institution. Nice work.-

… speak of the devil.

-I might have been able to help out, you know. Offer suggestions … but you don’t need my help, right?-

“Mmmmmphhh…” I groaned through my bindings.

-What’s that? You’ve got it all under control? I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. I can’t read your mind you know.-

An annoyed grunt escaped as I rolled my eyes.

The voice seemed to sigh. -I suppose I can help you out, but I’m still expecting an apology.-

“Hhmmmph!” I grumbled cynically before staring down at my back hooves again. As if a lone disembodied voice would be able to help me with anything right now.

-That’s fine. I guess you don’t want someone to talk to in order to pass the time then.-

The room was quiet again, the steady rhythm of my heartbeat the only sound that broke the silence. Someone, surely, must enjoy watching me suffer. I was not looking forward to what I was about to do, but it was still preferable to being alone. I picked my head up from where it rested against the wall and looked around one more time. With the room still empty, I cleared my throat loud enough to be heard.

-Yes?-

I glanced downward at the straps holding my mouth tightly closed, then rolled my eyes again before sighing in frustration.

-I can see that, yes. You can still nod, can’t you? There’s more than one way to communicate.-

I nodded in agreement.

-Good. So one nod for ‘I’m sorry’ or you can shake your head for ‘I’m a stubborn jerk.’ No rush.-

A defeated sigh was my real answer before I reluctantly dipped my head.

-That wasn’t so bad, eh? Well, bad luck about the jacket and muzzle, but you’re out of the cold at least. That’s got to count for something.-

My eyebrow twitched on its own, a small chuckle evading the confines placed on my jaw. This was it. This was my life from now on. Trapped in an asylum attempting to stay sane by talking to a voice that only I can hear. Fantastic…

-I suppose this is as good a time as any for a practical test.-

“Hrm?” I puzzled, unsure what it … he? … was alluding to, not that I was surprised at anything he said anymore.

-Tilt your head to the left, if you’d be so kind.-

It’s not as if I had anything better to do. With a weary motion I complied, turning the room 45 degrees. I didn’t have more than a few seconds to wonder how odd I must look before there was a slight tug on the muzzle strap from behind. It was followed by a much sharper one in the other direction when I heard the unmistakable sound of a buckle coming undone.

“Hmm…?” I puzzled with an upward inflection as the straps around my jaw loosened.

-and … voilà!-

The offending restraint jerked forward suddenly, allowing my mouth to hang ajar in equal parts surprise and relief. My attention dropped to my lap where the offending muzzle landed. Almost instinctively I stretched my jaw wide and curled my tongue in a massive yawn.

“Wha-? B-but how?!” I managed to articulate, eyes still locked on the restraint lying on my lap.

-Believe me, if I knew how, I’d feel much better too.-

“Huh?” I crinkled my nose at his comment while also trying to get some of the matted down fur on the bridge of my own muzzle to pop back up.

-I got bored one night as you were sleeping it away. Have I mentioned that yet? That I can’t sleep? I didn’t know a body was required for that, but there you have it. You’ve clearly gotten the better deal of the two of us.-

I looked over the straight jacket before cocking an eyebrow, “...clearly.”

-ANYWAY, I discovered that I could move little bits of stuff around if I concentrated on them in just the right way. I’ve been working at it over the last week we’ve been stuck together, which brings us back to now.-

“So why don’t you continue to prove yourself useful and undo this infernal jacket then?!” I grumbled irritably.

-Oh, I see how it is. You only care about what I can do, not who I am.-

The muzzle lurched from where it sat and bobbed slightly as it hovered inches from my face.

-I’ve only just gotten the hang of controlling it this well, do you really want to find out if I can put it back on just as easily?-

My eyes widened a bit at his sudden outburst. He had a point. While I had concerned myself thus far with avoiding him, ignoring him, or now only viewing him as merely a means to an end, I hadn’t even bothered with more than his name.

“You’re right,” I let a heavy sigh escape from my gratefully unclasped mouth as I hung my head, “...I’m sorry, Aleksandr.”

The muzzle hit the floor soundlessly, save for a soft clink from the metal buckle.

-Thank you ... and just Alek is fine.-

His tone was much calmer again.

-Let’s see what I’ve got to work with on this jacket…-

Before any attempt could be made, however, the muffled sound of hoofsteps could be heard approaching from the hallway outside along with a pair of voices. My eyes darted to the padding covered door that nearly blended into the rest of the wall. They quickly fell to the restraints that were in no way, shape, or form still attached to my face. “Uhh … any ideas on this one?” I quietly pleaded to my compatriot.

There was a hollow knocking as the tumblers rotated inside the door lock.

-That could be hard to explain … uhh, try and act casual?-

“I’m in a padded room with nearly zero freedom of movement. Do you really think casual is going to cut it?”

-Well, at this point it’s unlikely they’d believe anything you say so just feign ignorance. With any luck they’ll assume it was their mistake.-

I pulled an agitated breath as the door finally swung open to reveal what must be this world’s equivalent to orderlies. They were both fairly well built ponies with neither wings nor horn, and they also managed to master the art of looking simultaneously bored and angry.

Managing to crack a very uncomfortable smile, which neither orderly returned, I watched as the leftmost stallion, a sturdy and auburn coated pony with a short ash grey mane glanced downward at the discarded muzzle on the floor before slowly lifting his gaze back up to meet mine.

“It … uhh, wasn’t fastened properly?” I nervously offered, breaking the silence.

“Apparently…” the other monotoned, “He seems calm enough, doctor. Why don’t you have a look at him.”

A rather scrawny looking unicorn graced us with his presence after the orderly advised him he wasn't about to be murdered by a crazy pony. His coat was a rather dull shade of yellow that resembled mustard and his mane and tail were a slicked back deep brown with a single streak of grey through it. He wore a parabolic reflector around his head and a pair of horn-rimmed spectacles upon his muzzle.

"Glad to see you've finally relaxed from the frenzy we found you in." He stared hard, massaging the corner of his jaw, "Though I can't say my bruise feels likewise."

I raised an eyebrow. "Bruise...?"

-You landed a pretty good kick while you thrashed around before they managed to restrain you.-

My eyes darted off to the side at the sound of Aleks' voice, acknowledging him with a short nod before focusing back on the doctor.

"Yes ... though I wonder. What's the last thing you remember? What day it is, perhaps? Anything at all from market square?" The orderlies had shifted to either side of me, while the doctor seemed to be pensively studying the ridge between my eyes. He wasn’t looking at me, so much as through me.

My face flushed as tiny beads of sweat began to wet my forehead. "I uh... umm..." Try as I might I really couldn't come up with a day. As for the market square, the last thing I remembered was an angry mob of guards tackling me to the ground. I switched my gaze to the orderlies as they approached my sides, their stares cold and calculating like an animal ready to pounce.

"Don't worry, there's no wrong answer," The unicorn peered over his lenses, "we're just trying to figure out how best to ... help you."

"...Help?" I swallowed hard as I turned back to the doctor who was now inches away from my face and trying to stare a hole through my skull. "What kind of help are you referring to?" I asked, unable to keep my voice from quavering.

A smirk formed as he let out a chuckle, "Why, any kind that we can to put you back in a sound and proper mind." The doctor leaned back slightly. "Wouldn't you like that?"

"I think ... that I'd like to be out of this awful Houdini sweater! That would certainly help my ... mind." I answered semi-sarcastically.

"I would love to help you out, really I would, but it's there for your own safety. We can't take it off until we're sure you won't hurt yourself." The wry smile on his face grew, "I'm sorry, my hooves are tied."

-That cheeky asshole.-

I let an angry snort escape through my nostrils as I furrowed my brow. I gave the jacket a pull as I shuffled around trying to get into a new position. My wings, while still profoundly alien, had fallen asleep long ago from being so tightly bound underneath the canvas. It was beginning to wear on me as my anxiety rose with each passing minute they were confined. I exhaled in an attempt to calm down before replying. "The last thing I remember in the market was the goon squad tackling me to the ground. After that... everything gets kind of fuzzy..."

"Good," the doctor turned to the brown stallion with a slight nod, "Then you remember what happened before that, yes? Why don't you tell me all about what got you so riled up."

Where was I to start? Hearing a disembodied voice that followed me wherever I went? Learning how to walk again, but this time on all fours and with hooves? Discovering that unicorns can actually do magic? My facial expression twisted into a scowl as I tried like hell to think up an answer that wouldn’t earn me permanent residency. Whether it be lie or half-truth, anything would be better than honesty here.

"Perhaps you could tell us who this 'Enter Net' is and why they would 'never believe you with all the pictures in the world', Hmm?" the unicorn asked pointedly.

I couldn't hold back a snicker at the doctor's last words, my lips curling upwards into a smug grin.

"I'm sure miss Peach Breeze thought it was funny too as you shouted it while using her vendor stand as an impromptu springboard." He continued, not finding my antics at all humorous.

I sighed and let my head rest against the soft wall. "It's not a who, it's a what." I replied like a know-it-all. "It's a huge planet wide network where people can share lots of information with each other."

-Oh dear god...-

"Well what else what I supposed to-!" I retorted before I realized my mistake too late. My face blanched as I quickly glanced back to the doctor.

-Well, not talk to me, for one.-

I would have shot back a sarcastic comment of my own if the doctor's stare hadn't just doubled in creepiness as his placating smile returned, "I see, does your 'friend' have anything he wants to add to our little conversation?"

-Tell him it was an inside joke in poor taste ... or you thought one of the orderlies said something ...ANYTHING! Just don't do-

"You know what?! I bet he would! Lets ask him shall we?" I had lost any form of self control by that point. All the depreciating stares, the unknown amount of time restrained and that eerie condescending doctor were too much for me to ignore any longer.

-...that-

"Hey invisible friend! Would you like to show yourself to this creepy ass doctor? Oh you wouldn't? Hmmm.... What a surprise!"

-This is bad. Oh so very, very bad...-

I snorted in annoyance. My breaths were coming ragged after my little adrenaline surge. If it weren't for the fur and thick mane covering my temples, they would surely have been bulging.

Still, the dull yellow unicorn continued his stare as I caught movement from my left. The brown stallion now carried a glass syringe in his mouth. The tip glistened as a lone drop of who knows what held fast to the needle, likely the same drug filling the bowels of the device.

“No,” my eyes shot wide as he began to close the already scant distance between us.

“Don’t worry, it’s just some medicine to help ease your nerves.”

“NO!” I bellowed, kicking out with my unbound legs in an attempt to get away. “Stay back!” I toppled over onto my side, a jolt of pain lancing through my pinned wing. A pair of sturdy hooves pressed me down into the floor before I could struggle any further. I felt my tail being raised against my will in a most undignified way to allow a clear shot at my flank.

"Stop! This isn't right!" I yelled as tears pooled in my eyes.

"Exactly, and we’re going to do everything we can to make you right again," the demon in the guise of the doctor replied as he nodded for his aide to proceed.

There was absolutely nothing I could do. Every attempt to free myself only pushed me deeper into the floor. I felt the sharp sting of the needle in my left flank followed by the ungodly chill of whatever medicine they were pumping me with. I took in a short gasp through clenched teeth as the icy sensation traveled down my leg.

"There we are," his voice was positively dripping with his own sense of vindication. "Now, just let that get to work and you'll start to feel much better. We'll be back to check in on you later."

My tail was released, allowing it to fall back over areas that I preferred covered. The weight of the orderly finally lifted off my back and I took a deep breath as the compression against my ribs vanished. They didn't even give me the courtesy of straightening me up before taking their leave. I blinked away a tear in time to catch the door close with a muted thunk, leaving me alone again.

Well, almost alone.

"Alek?" I ventured. Thinking about it now, this is probably the first time since ending up here that I actually wanted to hear from him. The room remained profoundly quiet, the only sound once more that of my heartbeat.

"What...?" Why in the hell wasn't he answering? He made it a point in no uncertain terms that I knew of his presence at all times up until now. "Aleks...?!" I asked again, this time with detectable desperation.

For the second time, the sound of the lock cycling echoed through the door. I braced myself for whoever's come to torment me now. With a steely creek the portal swung wide, leaving me with the last thing I expected to see.

A set of floating keys.

-Sorry I couldn't talk, there was a pocket that was in dire need of picking.-

My mouth hung agape as freedom beckoned to me. I struggled to get off of my side and sit up. With my adrenaline wearing thin, the wing I had been laying on took the opportunity to stage protest at the abuse it had endured, the dull aches turning to pain.

"Okay, that was pretty damn cool!" I said while fighting to get up.

-We have to HURRY!-

His tone had picked up in urgency.

-They've likely given you some form of sedative, and it’ll only be minutes before you'll be too out of it to stage any kind of escape-

The buckles and straps holding me in started being pulled at roughly, care evidently forsaken in exchange for speed. First one strap, then another came loose. My left foreleg was next to be freed, and I wasted no time in using it to hurry the process along.

When the jacket finally gave up the ghost and fell around me in a heap, I stood up on all fours. While initially shaky, the first thing I managed to do was spread my pained wings out in a very exaggerated stretch, their joints popping audibly as they unfolded. "Ooohhh, that feels soooo good!" I said with elation.

-Fantastic. Now lets get out of here before they notice you're gone.-

I looked toward the open door before trotting up to it and peering around the corner. The hallway ran in both directions with cell doors spaced evenly along its length.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" I grinned as I quietly made my way out of the padded room and down the hallway. "Umm..." I mumbled as I leaned unsteadily against the wall for a moment.

-Oh, right ... physical exertion is going to accelerate the drug’s uptake.-

"Everything ... looks purple." I stated while casting my gaze around the dimly lit hallway. It was true, my world was taking on a violet hue and I was starting to feel a slight jello-like quality to my legs.

-God, are they using Ketamine to dope their patients? You need to stay focused as long as possible! Just keep moving.-

I shook my head, trying to chase away the haze.

-And if you happen to see a white rabbit, please, PLEASE, don't follow it.-

"Ketamine?" I responded as I stepped away from the wall and worked my way along the hallway. "Special K? I thought that was used as a horse tranquilizer?!" I stopped for only a second to cover my face and let out an agitated sigh. "...Not a word!"

-Please. Who am I going to tell?-

Rounding the corner, I could just make out a stairwell at the end of the hall. However, halfway there stood what appeared to be a nurse's station where a familiar looking brown stallion was sorting files ... or flowers? I shook my head and squinted, noticing that it was indeed files. I took a few silent yet increasingly unsteady steps up to the corner of the station. The orderly was engrossed in humming some creepy tune which had an interesting echo forming around it.

-You're going to have to crawl in front of the desk where he can't see you.-

It was becoming harder and harder to stay alert. I took a deep breath and slinked my way in front of his workstation. The newly purpled floor tiles being my only judge of distance.

-Devon-

I pulled myself across another tile.

-DEVON!-

"What?" I hissed under my breath.

-You're humming the mission impossible theme.-

My heart skipped a beat as a throat cleared itself above me. I agonizingly slowly turned my head up until I was face to face with big brown’s stoic countenance leaning over the front of his desk.

-Well, time for plan B. Run!-

I turned my attention to the open stairway door ahead. The hallway had begun to twist and turn itself into a contorted mess, the floor melting up onto the wall. I hoped I was running straight, the good news being that the doorway was getting closer, but so were the clattering echo of hoofsteps behind me.

“A patient is loose! Light blue pegasus heading for the north stair!”

-Shit. Go up, take us to the next floor!-

I hit the stairs at an uneven canter. First stair, left hoof; second stair, right hoof; third stair, right... no wait! My balance fled as I attempted to correct my mistake, hooves scrambling and nose impacting one of the approaching steps.

-Keep going!-

I looked back as the chuck holding the door ajar was abruptly yanked away, leaving the door to swing shut. Moments later, a few thuds came from the other side as something heavy slammed into it.

"Serves you right!" I hollered as I got my hooves back under me. I worked my way up the stairs which just moments ago only seemed like maybe ten or twelve. So far I was up to twenty and still climbing. "What ... the hell ... is going on?!" I gasped past my exhausted breaths.

-You have to move quickly! I can't keep the door closed forever!-

As if on cue, the pounding redoubled as the staff continued trying to force their way in.

"I am!" I yelled back, "Theesh shtupid shtairs are never ending!" My tongue felt like lead as I struggled to talk around the growing numbness. When I reached out for the next step, my hoof found none. A short stumble and a glance forward as I steadied myself brought my salvation into view. At the end of a short hallway, a window to the outside shone with the very light of heaven.

I staggered forward with renewed effort, even as my peripheral vision started to fade. Escape was finally within reach. "Hey! I found an exshit!" I slurred before taking off at an unbalanced gallop towards the window.

-Good. You're almost too far away for me to stay by the doooooOOOAUGH!-

The light fixtures that lined the short hallway shifted from their recently familiar purple into that of a kaleidoscopic nightmare. The hollow sounds of my hooves on the floor tiles carried echoes that were the equivalent of a wrecking ball striking the side of bank vault. Cognition was quickly retreating, making way for its replacement, delirium.

-I will never get used to how uncomfortable that is when you drag me along like that,- spoke a floating rouge haze as it passed me. -They'll be heading up the stairs any second now. Out the window, hurry!-

The voice reverberated throughout my mind, repeating itself in echoes that continued dropping octaves as it spoke. The mist gestured and the wooden frame slid open, a frigid breeze assaulting my senses. I put all the energy I had left into my back legs as my hooves met the floor and sprang into a leap that carried me out the window and into the familiar frigid air of the city. A victorious grin spread across my muzzle but it didn't last very long as I remembered that we had been on the second floor.

I landed roughly on the snow capped roof next door. White powder flew everywhere as I clambered for purchase on the ice slick shingles. I couldn't grip anything with these hooves as I slid down the incline with increasing speed. With the transition from ice covered roof to open air on my back hooves, all I had time for was a desperate yelp before my front hooves followed suit and I toppled backwards onto the waiting ground below. I landed in what could only be described as absolute filth. There was a stench that surrounded me that carried a hint of nausea with it. However, the drug it seemed had finally reached its peak and I found my consciousness wavering. My pupils were slowly retreating upwards into my skull and my eyelids had suddenly taken on an extra twenty pounds. I had no idea where I was but it didn't matter anymore.

-I seem to have misjudged your remaining coordination. My apologies-

I could only groan in response as my last conscious thought was of the stenciled lettering on the side of the bin next to me that read: Fillydelphia Sanitation.

Inclement Weather

Chapter 2: Inclement Weather

Slowly, the darkness that had consumed me began to dissipate, fading into a dull grey. I opened my eyes sluggishly as the gunk holding them shut released its hold. An overcast sky above welcomed my return with the light of dusk peeking through the clouds. My other senses grudgingly began to report in as well before a rather loud and painful rumble issued from within my stomach.

-I've been trying to rouse you for nearly twenty minutes and yet your stomach does it in one. I see how it is.-

The familiar voice caused me to jump slightly from where I had landed on my back, a fresh pain arising from my left wing. The sudden startle forced a quicker reboot of my drugged brain with my nose increasingly aware of what my makeshift landing pad had been.

"Ohh..." I brought my forehooves up to my head and shut my eyes. "Just... tell me I'm dead..."

-Unless Hell's under some new pastel management, I'm afraid not.-

I let an exhausted sigh escape as my forelegs dropped back to my sides, landing in something squishy. I rolled my eyes in mounting frustration as I lifted a single hoof into view, brown muck coating the back half of it.

"Being dead would have been easier..."

-You're not wrong, but if we were dead, something should have given it away by now.-

"Yeah..." I agreed before another insistent rumble echoed from inside me followed by a grimace.

-Dear lord, how long has it been since you’ve eaten?-

"Tch!” I clicked my tongue, “Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven’t we been stuck together since ending up here?! You should know the answer already," I grumbled in annoyance. Another heavy sigh helped to cool my nerves a bit. "Besides, I don't understand how any part of me could be thinking about food right now while I’m lying in..." I swept my eyes around looking at my surroundings as best I could since the muscles in my neck were still sore from the fall. "Who knows what?!"

A mushy, half-eaten pear lazily floated up from the refuse.

-I'd say you're currently wallowing in what used to be food at one point, so it’s not that far of a stretch for your subconscious.-

The once edible fruit dropped back into the garbage with a wet squish.

-But at least YOU can actually eat something to make the hunger go away.-

I lingered on the former pear for a moment, before responding with an irked snort. "If you haven't noticed, there hasn't been a whole lot of opportunities for me to eat anything."

Finally, I managed to talk myself into sitting up. The necessary muscles began to respond, albeit very hesitantly, and I could feel whatever waste I was laying in loosening its hold. Using my forehooves, I pushed my back up off of the ground, the sticky substances giving way and freeing my wings. Sitting upright at last, I managed to fold my right wing to my side. However, any kind of muscle movement at all in my left wing triggered a shooting pain that ran all the way through it and down my spine.

-Oh I've noticed. I've watched every time you managed to find any scrap or morsel of food. I've seen you enjoy them too, what little there was.-

The air hung thick with more than just the cold.

-But I could only ever watch.-

My eyebrows furrowed at his words before realization finally dawned. "Wait... you're telling me, that you're actually hungry?"

-Hungry might be putting it lightly.-

I blinked a few times. "How is that even possible?" After a few moments I let out a sigh of defeat as I hung my head. "How is any of this possible I suppose..." I let my head rest there for a few seconds before lifting it back up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so ignorant of your situation."

-I've put up with it for nearly a week, I can manage. But if this is what ghosts go through, it’s no wonder so few sound nice. Anyway. You can still eat, so let's find you something.-

Once again my gaze focused on the rotten pear that had taken to levitation moments ago. "Um... no thanks..."

Yet another angry growl emanated from my stomach, the pang almost strong enough to return me to my previous supine position. I closed my eyes and grimaced through the tightening pain. Opening them again I looked down over my emaciated form, noticing how dangerously visible my ribs were.

-You say one thing, but your body says another.-

"I suppose it wouldn't be a bad idea. After all, the only thing they fed me in the asylum was a tranquilizer. Wait a minute!" I looked upward between the buildings that hugged the dirty alley I was currently in. "How is it that I've been lying here for so long and no one's come to retrieve me? I was unconscious and everything, that’s not exactly a hard target to miss..."

-They walked past the alley not long after, but none of them were looking down.-

I cocked an eyebrow before it hit me. A glance back at my outstretched feathers gave my eyes all the impetus they needed to throw another sarcastic roll. "Right... They wouldn't have expected someone with wings to plummet into last week’s leftovers."

-I overheard them returning too. I'll bet the city guards have your description now.-

"After the last run in we had with them, I'm sure we're still fresh on their minds. Well... I guess technically ‘I’m’ still fresh on their minds."

-Very true, but if they think you're crazy, then they won't be looking for someone acting normal will they?-

I blinked.

-That's not too hard to do, right?-

"I suppose not..." I mumbled, turning over to the side as I pushed my legs underneath me. As I worked my way back onto all fours, a stabbing pain brought my left rear hoof off the ground defensively. "Yeouch!"

-They weren't very careful with that needle, were they?-

"Gentleness obviously isn’t on their resume," I lamented while rubbing the swollen bruise on my flank.

-Come to think of it, you seem to be missing something.-

"Huh?" I replied, confusion written across my face.

-Let me put it this way, one of these things is not like the other.-

I looked myself over once more. Aside from the fur and feathers matted with filth and the one wing hanging out to the side, I had no idea what he was talking about. "Uhh... Yeah, I got nothing."

The sensation of something cold and wet on my other flank jerked my head around. A glob of something better left unknown was smearing out into a rather sticky looking smiley face.

-Would you believe I never took an art class?-

"AHH! What the hell are you doing?!" I shouted, turning in a circle as if to escape the gross paint. A wad of refuse bounced off the tip of my nose, pausing my freak out.

-Focus! What have all the other ponies you've seen had on their hindquarters?-

I shook my head as the ball of trash hit the ground. My eyebrows twitched as the sensation continued across my flank. "They certainly didn't have slime smeared across them! Besides, what exactly is THAT supposed to be?"

-I don't know, okay? Regardless, everyone has some pictographic mark on them except you.-

"Well… that may be a problem,” I deadpanned, “but unless they're blind and lack a sense of smell, that's not going to work."

-I forgot about smell, though I suppose I should feel lucky given the faces you’ve been making. Okay, new plan: First, we need to get you cleaned up. Next, we hide the fact that you’re missing a fur tattoo. Finally, you bum some food from a kind stranger. All of this while simultaneously avoiding the guard patrols, of course. Easy.-

"Hopefully it's a stranger that I haven't already had an encounter with..." I added sarcastically. Reluctantly, I put my back hoof on the ground, the pain from my penetrated flank blooming anew. Trying the best I could with my wing, I managed to get it pressed to my side with half still cocked upwards above my back. "Would you believe me if I said I've been in worse shape?"

-You've been shaped like a horse before?-

"...You know what I mean," I grumbled.

Warily, I took my first steps since waking up towards the entrance of the alley. I was a mess, both externally and internally. Between the horrible hunger pangs, the sore muscles that ached from my landing, and the unknown filth that littered my mane, tail, fur and feathers, I was sure to draw nothing but attention. Steeling myself with a deep breath, I hesitantly approached the main road as my nerves kicked into overdrive.

It was a fairly large street, if not the main thoroughfare then certainly one of the more heavily used. Multi-storied buildings lined the road, not the least of which was the asylum that I was still standing next to. Putting it out of mind, I continued searching for my next move.

"Watch yourself!" A gruff tan stallion shouted, nearly making me lose my balance as the cart he pulled passed inches from my face. The street was full of them.

"Whoa!" I yelped as a bright yellow cart with checkerboard accents stopped right in my path. The cherry red stallion at the helm looked directly at me before his eyebrows furrowed, followed swiftly by the crinkling of his nose. The sneer he gave as he pulled away spoke more than he ever could have.

"Ow..."

-Tough crowd.-

"Honestly, that's probably a good thing right?"

-If they'd rather not look at you, that's one thing. If they still can't ignore you, it's another.-

Turning to my left, I headed down the narrow sidewalk with no end destination in mind. The only goal at the time was not getting noticed by the guards, or killed by the crazy cart pulling ponies in the street. That is, until a rather intoxicating scent managed to overpower the foul smell I was emitting. I raised my head up, eyes wide and scanning for the origin. A sudden and very loud rumble coming from my shriveling stomach.

On a second floor window, cooling in the early evening air, sat a most heavenly sight. A beautiful looking, and even better smelling, peach pie rested there tantalizing my hungry form. My body detached itself from my brain and forged an alliance with my stomach, moving on its own accord like a zombie. Soon I was directly under the heavenly perpetrator, my mouth a flood of saliva and my stomach screaming for it.

-You should keep moving.-

Alek's voice had interrupted my trance but certainly not my lustful hunger. A smile crossed my features as an idea came to mind. "Couldn't you... you know..." I trailed as I pointed a hoof upwards.

-Could I? Yes. Will I? No.-

My smile deflated and my stomach gave what I assumed was an angry retort. "Come on... I'm absolutely starving here. If only you could smell the heavenly aroma coming off it!"

-That's no excuse for stealing.-

My lips curled into a scowl. "Tell me, what other options do I have? You realize that we have no money, no way of getting money, and a squad of guards looking for us, right?"

-I am aware of that, but when we HAVE tried everything else, when there ARE no other options, then will I do such a thing, only then. Not before. I’ve already lost my body, I'm not about to lose my morals too.-

"...damnit!" I replied angrily. "It's not about morals anymore! It's about survival!". Several muffled voices had come into hearing range, ears twisting towards the fresh noises. My attention turned from the tantalizing treat above to several ponies on the sidewalk with confused expressions looking in my direction. A few of them were whispering to each other and a couple had turned, doing an about-face as I met their stares.

-And is living like a beast still living? Don't lose yourself, Devon.-

Depression quickly replaced my anger. I hung my head as I took to my hooves and moved on from the delicacy in the window, the scent gradually faded as my stomach continued yelling at me to turn around.

Several blocks passed by and I only raised my head long enough to check the streets before crossing. I had taken to counting the cracks in the concrete. It was something I did to distract me from the overwhelming hunger and renewed feelings of hopelessness.

-Look, you're going to get through this. WE are going to get through this.-

I managed a muffled "Hmph," as I kept my pace. The scent of pie had vanished from my surroundings but not from my nor my stomach's memories. Where exactly was I headed anyway? It's not like I had someplace to go or someone to-

-Mind the filly.-

"Huh?" I muttered, more to myself than anything. I raised my head just in time to collide with a short white and rose colored furry roadblock, sending the two of us tumbling to the ground.

"Hey! Careful!" came a young and slightly squeaky voice from underneath my splayed wing.

"OH! Oh my gosh!" I stuttered in alarm as I struggled to get back on my hooves. "I’m sorry, I wasn't watching at all where I was going!" Immediately after regaining my footing I put a hoof out to help her up.

"It's alright, I guess I wasn't either..." Her foreleg stopped short of mine as her eyes traveled up to my own, widening all the way. "What happened to you?!" she blurted out, mouth agape.

My heart managed to climb its way into my throat as I took on a very uncomfortable grin. Stuck between the uncertainty of what half truths and lies would earn me, I opted for a more subtle approach. "Uh... It's a long story." I replied as a small inkling of sweat started to wet my hairline.

"Sure looks like one," the white coated filly half-whispered under her breath before standing up on her own. "Haven't you got a place to get cleaned up at least?" Her eyebrow raised in sync with her nose.

Slowly, I put my hoof down to the ground while sighing dejectedly. I turned my head to the left and carefully folded my wing back into its half-cocked position, a small pained frown forming and fading. "I'm a... sorry for running into you," I stated before walking past her, the soreness in my back leg clearly visible after our encounter.

"H-hey! You didn't answer my question!" A quick galloping of younger hooves and she was again blocking my path. After a quick toss of her rosy mane, she continued, "Aren't you supposed to answer when somepony asks you a question?"

The rather insistent and slightly adorable roadblock forced a quick stop and raised hoof from me. My eyes darted about while a few inaudible syllables escaped. I hurried to regain my composure and cleared my throat. "Well, no, I don't have anyplace to get cleaned up. I'm a..." I thoughtfully rolled my eyes as I carefully tried to pick my words. "Not from around here."

"Well, obviously! You don't have the right accent," she stated matter-of-factly before tilting her head to the side, "Don't you have any family or friends you can visit? I know when my family goes on a trip sometimes we stay with my cousins in Manehattan."

"Manehatt..." My voice trailed off as my mind raced to connect the dots. Her voice, while feminine, did resemble that of an east coaster. "Uhh... No, I don't have anyone to visit. I just sort of ... ended up here."

Her gaze drifted over to my partially folded wing where it lingered for more than a moment. "Then why don't you stay in a hotel? There's lots over on Mane street."

Oh the curiosity of the young. "Well, the thing about hotels is that you need money to be able to stay there." I answered half-heartedly, my ears drooping along with my mood. "And unfortunately, I have none."

"Where were you headed that you didn't bring any bits along?" she puzzled with a short frown. All of a sudden, her face lit up and she gasped sharply. "You got hurt, didn't you? That's why you couldn't make it to where you were going, and ... and now you're stuck here cuz you don't have any way to get home!"

-Well she got the last part right, at least.-

A look of shock lept across my face at the little filly's sudden outburst of deduction. While not necessarily accurate, Alek had a point, so I gave my head a nod. "That's pretty close anyway," I answered as I gave my bruised flank and contorted wing another glance.

Her features scrunched up in visible concentration before a smile finally broke through. "I know! You can use our bathroom if you'd like! I'm sure Daddy won't mind. He always says he'd like it if more ponies cooperated."

My eyebrow climbed slowly upwards. "Umm... While I'm grateful that you're willing to help out a stranger, I don't think it’s wise for you to bring a per... pony you just met into your home."

-Maybe not, but what are you looking for if not charity? Checking it out wouldn't hurt.-

I gave my head a shift to the right as I contemplated it. The mark on her flank caught my eye but only held it for a moment. A half-bloomed deep crimson rose contrasted against her white fur, the stems spreading around the flower itself and forming three rings. "...how old are you anyways?"

"I'm old enough to get the groceries all on my own," she retorted, quickly striking a pose with her head held high. "Besides, I have friends over all the time!"

Aside from the fact that most everything about this felt wrong, her insistent smile wore down whatever resistance I had and I found myself nodding anyway. "All right, ... I suppose I'll take you up on your generosity." It really didn't seem like the red haired little filly was going to take no for an answer. Alarm sirens were blaring in the back of my mind, but the thought of being clean again all but silenced them just as it brought out a small smile.

-You don't have to stay long, remember. Just get clean and get out.-

I gave a quick nod to acknowledge Alek before addressing her, "Is your home far?"

"Nope!" She beamed, practically skipping down to the street corner. How she managed that with four legs I'll never figure out. I followed at what I hoped was a respectable distance. There were plenty of eyes still around that I'd rather not give any more reasons to investigate.

The busy carts had somewhat thinned by this point, as the sun had long since fallen behind the buildings, but not yet below the horizon. Stone and brick townhome-style apartment buildings stretched down the road. 'Blackbriar' hung on a sign in blocky lettering, giving a name to the path ahead.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I whispered only loud enough for Alek to hear. "Does nothing about this seem kind of... stranger danger-ish to you?"

-Beggars can’t be choosers, just be polite and fast.-

"Oh! By the way," she called back over her shoulder, "My name's Rosethorn. What's yours?"

"Rosethorn, eh? That's a nice name! I'm D..." My voice suddenly dropped out.

-Oh, a name! I knew we were forgetting something.-

"Deh?" Rose stopped, "Is that short for something?"

"Well, uh..." I answered as I tried to nonchalantly scan my surroundings for some clue or answer to the issue at hand.

-D things, D things, uh ... Dance? Door? Dragon? Decimal? Drift?-

"Drift!" I blurted out before my comprehension could catch up to my mouth. "S-snowdrift, yes. That is my name." I stated perhaps a little too energetically.

-Appropriate for someone who spent most of his time falling into them.-

My head drew to the side sharply, "That was one day!"

"One day what?" Rose arched an eyebrow.

My eyes quickly refocused on Rosethorn. Clearing my throat boisterously before taking a few measured steps, I reached a hoof out to her for the second time. "I'm Snowdrift, and it's nice to make your acquaintance."

"Yeah, maybe after that bath." her crinkled nose only served to reinforce her point.

"I’ll accept that." I added with a grin as we continued on down the sidewalk.

Another block of our staccato hoofsteps brought Rose to a stop in front of a clean looking four story apartment building, its stone and brick facade blending in almost seamlessly with the surrounding buildings.

"It's on the third floor, come on!" She urged, bounding up the steps and into the building.

An audible exhale followed by a few clicks of my hooves and I was pushing the door open and stepping inside the small foyer of her apartment block.

Stairs. Why did it have to be stairs.

The foyer wasn't big enough to be hiding an elevator either. I looked on at them, dreading the active coordination they required. For having four legs, these ponies sure liked using them a lot.

An impatient face peeked around the second floor landing. "Aren't you coming?" Rose called out from above. "For a pegasus, you sure like to take your time!"

My eyebrow peaked. "What's that supposed to mean?" I whispered only loud enough for Alek to hear.

-I would have said it sounded like a stereotype, except you ARE impatient, reckless, and have a hard time focusing. So maybe she’s just intuitive.-

What started as a snicker quickly turned into an annoyed snort. "Smart ass..."

I continued to the staircase. With a few calculated moves forward, my front right hoof was on the first step and my respiratory rate was slightly increasing. I blinked before carefully lifting my other front hoof to the next stair.

A rhythm had formed in my head and it quickly transferred to my hooves. One, front right hoof; two, back left hoof; three, front left hoof... I listened to the steady hoofbeats while keeping my eyes glued to the next step. Before long, the stairs had stopped coming and I found myself on a level surface again, a small grin curling across my face.

That is, until I remembered there was still another flight to go.

It seemed like ages just to climb two flights of stairs, but with the pattern in my mind and my focus where it needed to be, the last flight thankfully went by without any incidents.

“Phew…”

-They're not so bad without those orderlies chasing you, eh?-

"Or when there's not a heavy sedative dragging you down mentally and physically."

"Who said they'd drag you?" Rosethorn barely whispered from my right.

"Gah!" I gasped with a start, quickly looking down at the little red-maned filly. I covered my heart in an attempt to keep it from running away. "No one did. I was just, uh ... talking to myself." While answering her I found myself scratching my head again while wearing a nervous smile.

She squinted at me for a moment before nodding to herself sagely. "I know what you mean." Her hooves echoed softly on the wooden flooring as she approached a door marked 302. A quick twist of the handle with her mouth opened the way inside.

"... that door wasn't even locked," I puzzled as she stepped inside.

I took my first steps into the alien atmosphere as the door closed behind me with a soft click. My vision turned a full three hundred and sixty degrees once inside, absorbing the entire apartment as I moved further in.

Directly past the entryway was the living area, a far larger room than I would have expected in a modern day apartment. The tangerine walls and lacquered flooring were absolutely spotless and shelves of collectibles, both figurines and family photos, covered the majority of the wall space. Not a single knick-knack appeared out of place, the level of neatness and organization would surely rival that of the most fastidious homeowner. The furniture was also extremely plush, to the point where it looked as if the delivery tags were only just removed.

"Hey! Don't get that mess everywhere! Just go straight to the bathroom and get cleaned up. It’s the first door on the right."

I took careful steps on the stained wood as I took in the fresh surroundings, trying my hardest not to leave any tracks. While there was still an inkling of uneasiness at being in an unknown, and very young, pony's apartment, I wasted no time in following her directions and found the bathroom.

The door swung shut on its own behind me.

-Could you move any slower? I thought you were wanting to be quick about this.-

The curtain pulled itself back and the faucet knobs spun, sending a cascade of water from the showerhead and into the waiting bathtub below. A lone window set high in the wall creaked open slightly, letting a light chill from the outside work its way in.

The sudden motion of the Alek-powered automated shower elicited a startled yelp. "I'm never going to get used to that." I blandly stated.

-Hopefully you won't have to get used to it.-

"Was that optimism or sarcasm?"

-Whatever gets you in there.-

I chuckled softly, my gaze drifting to the tub and the rather inviting opportunity to finally wash away the remnants of my asylum ‘adventure’. Carefully, I brought my front hooves over the edge of the basin. Unfortunately, that resulted in a rather rapid loss of traction as I slipped on the porcelain and down I went. However, instead of pain from yet another fall, I was met with absolute ecstasy from the rain of hot water against my body as it relaxed all of my sore and much abused muscles. Instead of trying to stand or attempt any movement, I just splayed out along the bottom with my eyes shut and a massive smile stretching across my face. My wings likewise unfolded into listless positions at my sides, the sensations reporting in from them was nothing short of euphoric. All past, present, and future problems were quickly forgotten as the water soaked into my fur.

-And thus, the rugged escape artist is reduced to a fuzzy puddle by some plain warm water.-

“Don’t care,” I mumbled through the haze. It was the odor of the runoff that finally brought me out of my reverie. My nostrils flared as the stench of what had once littered my fur and feathers was released. An exasperated sigh slipped my lips before I managed to bring my legs underneath me and stand up. The color of the water flowing down the drain had tinted into a sickly looking brown. "Phew..."

-While I realize you've been bereft of an actual chance to clean up since we found ourselves in this mess, I'm curious if you've given any thought as to HOW you intend to do so with only hooves.-

Standing slack jawed as Alek’s words struck home, I glanced down at my very not-made-for-grasping hooves. "...Crap." Looking around the shelf on the wall, I saw a scrub brush lying with its bristles up. It seemed to have a rather long handle with ... teeth marks?

-That look was worth it, but I don't intend to let you waste even more time figuring this out. I'll do it, but you tell NO ONE.-

"Wait...WHAT?!" I stammered.

The brush levitated from its perch along with a bar of soap.

"Eh-heh," I laughed nervously, "Yeah, very funny, Alek. Joke's over." My ear twitched absently, eyes still locked on the slowly approaching bristles.

-Do you see me laughing?-

“I can’t SEE you at all...”

-Exactly-

"Look, I don't... I'm not... " My words and thoughts were a jumbled mess. I was solely focused on the approaching brush and soap, suddenly looking far more menacing. It was one thing to have to be bathed by someone else, let alone another guy, but an invisible one too?

The bar met bristles while suds began to form as it worked into a lather.

-I'd say that you don't have much of a choice in the matter.-

I stared on at the floating implements, waiting with bated breath for the humiliation that was to come. I inhaled deeply and held it before forcing my eyes shut. "...Fine. Just, mind the lower regions..."

-Believe me, that is the FURTHEST thing from my mind right now.-

Before I could say another word, he had already started. The familiar sounds of brushing hair matched the scrubbing coming from my scalp. An incomprehensible whine fled my lips as the degrading decontamination began.

-Oh, grow up. You're starting to act like that filly out there. Scratch that, I bet she'd be taking this better.-

"...Whatever, just get it done with." I replied as the suds fell from my mane down to my face. Taking in another breath carried with it the scent of rose and lilac. While pleasing to the senses, it was also very feminine. "DUDE!” I breathed in another sample, “...You're using HER soap on me!"

-It's not like I could tell! I can only see and hear things, besides soap is soap, it'll still get you clean.-

I huffed angrily in response and once again shut my eyes. The brush had moved from my mane to my back, each stroke releasing the collected grime from my fur.

-What’s the matter with your wing? It looks … wrong.-

I raised my head up into the water stream to rinse the soap from my face before looking back at my left wing. "I'm not sure ... something's been off about it since I woke up in the alley." Stretching the wet feathery appendage out to the side as best I could, it was obvious that where the wing met the back, something was definitely wrong. "I can't fold it to my side or open it all the way out."

-It’s probably dislocated.-

The scrubbing had stopped, the heavy rain of the shower was the only sound that filled the room.

-I could put it back in place.-

I stared at my wing as his words sank in. "How? You're no doctor... Are you?"

-If you're asking if I'm a vet, no. But what other choice do you have? The hospital?-

"You have a point there..." A hospital was clearly out of the question since I caused quite the scene escaping from one, even if it was a mental hospital. No matter what emergency room, clinic or facility I showed up at, they were sure to have my information by now. "What do you need to do?" I asked with an uneasy tone.

-I have to re-seat the ball joint into the socket.-

"That sounds simple enough... go ahead then."

The brush handle floated up to be level with my head.

-You'll want to bite down.-

"Huh..." I puzzled before the brush handle was pressed into my mouth.

An effervescent tingling had begun to spread throughout my left wing, centered on the shoulder joint. My limb was slowly raised until I could feel the twinge of nerves being pinched, forcing a tensed posture.

-On three.-

I nodded around the wooden gag, closing my eyes apprehensively as a pitiful whine fought past the gag in my mouth.

-One-

An explosion of agony ripped through my body as my wing was forcefully shoved into me with a heavy ‘pop’. My legs buckled as I loosed a muffled scream into the handle, my body falling to the soap slicked floor of the basin.

I could do nothing but lay there with the water pouring over me, my eyes held tightly shut. Ragged breaths pushed past the soap brush turned chew toy in my mouth as what felt like waves of fire radiated from my assaulted wing. Honestly, I should have been grateful that my stomach was empty. The abrupt and sour twist in my gut would have ejected anything that had the misfortune of still being there.

After a few minutes the agony began to subside, replaced with a lingering ache. I opened my eyes and angrily spit out the scrub brush; deep and fresh indentations were visible on the handle. "What the hell happened to two and three?!"

-I didn't want you to tense up and make the pain worse.-

A knocking from the bathroom door caught me off guard. "Are you alright in there?" Rosethorn's voice filtered through the wall. "I thought I heard you shouting."

I jolted slightly at the sound of Rose's knocking. "Yeah, I'm fine! Just... working hard to get all this dirt out!"

"Okay," she answered. "Just checking, and I've got a surprise for you when you get out! So hurry on up!"

I paused for a moment, "surprise...? For me...?" Once again finding my footing I rose up on all fours. "What do you suppose she's talking about?"

-With how your day's been going? My money is on the doctor from the asylum being her neighbor and he’s stopped by for a visit.-

My eyes turned over sarcastically as the scrubber went back to work applying the soap. "Well you're certainly playing the part of the pessimist." I gingerly stretched my newly reset wing out to the side with a few novel pains blooming but flexibility already improving.

-If you plan for the worst, you can be pleasantly surprised. If you expect the best, you'll often be disappointed.-

"The words of a true philosopher..." I stated flatly. "So, can we get this bath over with? It's kind of lost it's luster now."

-Are you implying it had one to begin with? I would have called it a 'slimy veneer.'-

"Haa haa..." I mock laughed as the brush and soap picked up the pace. Evidently, he was eager to move on as well. In a few short minutes, the rest of the grime was finally washed out. Not even a hint of my formerly squalid condition remained.

I tipped my wings into the steady downpour, rinsing the soap from my cerulean feathers. Turning around to face the faucets, I watched as they rotated of their own accord, the fall of hot water reducing to no more than a drizzle. The shower curtain then slid open, a small breeze pouring in from the vent window. A little shiver overtook me as it lightly travelled across my drenched fur.

My vision was blocked by a thick and fuzzy cloth that proceeded to brusquely rub the water out of my mane before moving on to my coat.

"Ah... whoa... Okay!" Was my answer at suddenly being blinded.

-What? Were you planning on shaking it out like a dog?-

I gave my head an annoyed toss, successfully managing to bring my forelock over my eyes, giving my vision a fresh blue and white tint. "I quit PLANNING anything a while ago."

-That much was obvious.-

The towel worked its way across both sides and up and down each leg, haphazardly turning my soaked fur into a damp fuzz. Thankfully, he left my wings to dry on their own. The dull throb was still present in my left wing as I gingerly folded them to my sides. I blinked as the towel floated out of eyesight and felt it tugging downward on my tail. "Watch it back there..." I deadpanned.

Alek finished up in relative silence and I watched as the towel folded itself up and floated towards the drying rack. Except, it never made it there. The cloth suddenly fell into a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Whoa, what's that all about?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

-I couldn't ... hold ...-

My eyes lowered as a look of concern flooded my features. There was definitely a hint of pain in his ghostly voice, a tone that I had yet to hear from him. "What do you mean? You've been doing similar things since the asylum. What was so different this time?"

-It's like having a migraine everywhere. I was trying to ignore it, but it just kept building. I … I must've pushed myself too much.-

He sounded quite out of breath for someone without lungs.

My expression softened a bit. "Are you going to be all right?" I asked, staring at where the bath towel had landed. "I mean, I can't say that I'm not grateful for everything you've managed thus far, but … maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to give yourself somewhat of a... break?"

-I'll be fine, just ... need to lay off moving stuff for a while.-

Nodding, my attention turned from the crumpled terry cloth wad to the floor directly in front of the tub. The pristine turquoise tiles already threatening to dump me back onto my belly should I make even one misstep. Preparing for the undoubtedly graceful ballet to come, I took a steadying breath and brought my front legs over the edge slowly and carefully. Both my hooves met the tiled floor with a faint click. My weight seemed evenly balanced for the most part. Shuffling a few cautious steps forward, I pulled a back leg over the edge next, setting it down with the same result as the first pair. A little grin crept across my face as my last hoof slid over the side and ended on the tiled floor. Incident successfully averted, I brought a hoof up to my face and pushed my forelock off to the side. "Who knew four legs would require so much more coordination, eh?"

-Math?-

"Wow! What an accurate observation!" I gasped, "Four is greater than two, I'll have to write that down." Shaking my head, I allowed my farce of a smile to drop. As I stepped over to the door, my attention was quickly snatched up by the reflection in the mirror. Staring back with the same dumbfounded expression, was a sky blue tinted pegasus. His cobalt and snow white mane displayed the finest bed head, pushed to one side as it was in lieu of a proper combing. The emotions that flashed across his golden irises managed to cover several spectrums at once. Fear, sadness, astonishment, frustration, and ... acceptance? It was hard to say for sure how I really felt inside after finally getting a good look at ‘me’.

-I’m sorry.-

I tilted my ears in the direction of his voice.

-I didn't mean to make light of your situation. I may have lost my body, but so have you.-

My gaze broke from the mirror and focused on my hooves. Lifting one up closer to my face, I lightheartedly sighed. "It's fine, no harm done." I turned, eyeing the handle of the door. A look of disgust crawled across my face for an instant. "Let's hope pony’s mouths are like dog’s," I grumbled before grabbing the handle with my teeth.

-Wait.-

"What...?" I spoke past the brass handle in my teeth.

A sudden movement from behind caught me off guard as a cold weight landed on my back. The towel sat draped over my hindquarters, hiding my empty flanks.

-You should ... cover that …-

Turning to look at the makeshift skirt, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Because that's not conspicuous at all." I muttered before gesturing towards a bathrobe that hung on a brass hook next to the tub. "Why not that instead?"

-If you want to figure out how to put that on yourself, be my guest. I'm off the clock.-

"Don't you think it would be a little easier to explain? Let alone to keep it from sliding off at an inopportune moment?" I retorted as I grabbed the towel in my mouth and tossed it haphazardly onto the wall rack. The faint taste of the rose and lilac soap remained on the tip of my tongue, eliciting an audible raspberry as I wandered to the bathrobe.

-More worrisome to me is that it isn't filly sized.-

"Hey, she mentioned that her dad was the neighborly type, right?" I stood up on my hind legs, placing a forehoof on the wall as I grabbed the robe in my teeth, and with a flourish that surprised even me, brought it over my wings and back. Returning to the floor, I lifted one leg and then the other into the sleeves. "Whoa... this thing is massive. Her dad must be huge..."

-Well done, now you should really hurry up and thank her before getting out of here. I fear we've already stayed too long.-

With my business in the bathroom finally concluded, I returned to the door and worked the handle with my teeth, keeping my tongue carefully tucked to the back of my mouth while pulling it the rest of the way open.

"Oh! You're done fast for how dirty you were, and not being a unicorn." Rose called out from the living room. "You'd think somepony was helping you in there." While she made her way around a square table, the scent of something savory wafted about the apartment, although not willing to betray its origin.

My nostrils flared as the aroma of food invigorated me and roused my hibernating stomach. A large growl from deep within could be heard throughout the apartment as my sleeping appetite awoke.

"I couldn't help but notice you seemed hungry on the way in, so I thought I’d cook you up something." The filly happily trotted into what must be the kitchen, before returning with a steaming pot she held by the handle in her teeth. Tilting the pan along with her head, Rose poured the golden ambrosia into a waiting bowl on the table. I couldn't believe my eyes.

Macaroni and cheese.

"I don't know how to make much, so I hope you like it." She smiled shyly. With my mouth agape, I made my way to the place she had set at the living room table. My world existing solely around the steaming bowl of cheesy goodness.

"This … looks absolutely AMAZING!" I said as I brought my gaze up to meet hers, I could almost feel myself ready to tear up. "It smells wonderful too! Did you really do this just for me?"

A bit of her namesake color spread through her cheeks while she glanced away. "Yeah," Rosethorn barely whispered. "You just looked so sad before, like you hadn't even had one good day."

The largest grin overwhelmed my features and I carefully placed a foreleg around the little filly in a small hug. "...thank you! This is the kindest thing anybod-err anypony has ever done for me."

"I'm glad I did," she returned the smile, "You're a nice guy, once you get the dirt off."

"Heh!" I chuckled lightly, releasing the hug. My eyes once more on the glorious bowl of nourishment. Rosethorn took a step back and gestured towards a cushion in front of the table setting. My flank graciously took up residency on the pillow, the fading bruise appreciative for the soft accommodating material. The formerly steady smile of mine only wavered slightly as I caught a glimpse of something missing.

Silverware.

-What're you waiting for, a formal invitation?-

Aleks' voice fell on deaf ears as the cheesy confection won out in the end. Silverware or not, nothing was going to keep me from wolfing down the young filly's cooking. I placed both hooves on either side of the bowl and dove my muzzle straight on in. The taste and feeling of warm, prepared food in my mouth was amazing. My face came up from the bowl, snout covered in cheese as I chewed up my first bite. Rose commented on my form with a short giggle, sliding a napkin across the table before returning to the kitchen to let me eat.

"Mmmm!" I moaned between mouthfuls. As I swallowed another bite, I could feel it hit the bottom of my empty stomach. The shock of finally having something in there caused it to roar anew. I didn’t have to be fluent in stomach to know that meant something along the lines of: ‘MORE!’

It didn't take long for the bowl to be emptied of its riches and licked clean. My stomach was at least pacified, but certainly still had room for more. I managed to wipe my face clean with the napkin and took a deep breath, relaxing into the cushion a bit and scanning my surroundings. Several pictures adorned the walls and shelves, all seemed to be of little Rosethorn at various ages. One picture however, caught my attention above all the others. Squinting, I got up from my seat and crossed the room to get a closer look at the photo. It was a picture of her, perhaps only taken a year or so ago. She had definitely grown a bit since then but what held my eyes most was the pony in the picture with her. A rather large stallion with a burnt orange colored coat was holding her up for the photographer. He had a silver mane trimmed high and tight, but the most disturbing detail thus far was the polished silver armor he wore and helmet which he kept tucked under his unoccupied foreleg. My eyes slowly widened as a tidal wave of fear washed over me.

-So, you've managed to take advantage of the hospitality of the captain of the city watch's daughter. Progress!-

"Yeah ... I think it's time to go." I responded with a quiver in my voice.

Fate however, had other plans as the unmistakable sound of the front door opening promptly demonstrated.

"Where's my little rosebud?!" boomed a gravelly voice from the entryway.

"Daddy!" Rosethorn squealed, rounding the corner and leaping into the best hug she could manage around his armor clad neck. “You have to meet Snowdrift! He’s really nice.”

My pupils constricted as my ears fell flat to the sides of my head. There was no doubt that had there been a mirror in front of me, I would have seen my shade of blue drain into a ghastly white as the blood fled from my face.

The brawny stallion craned his neck up, features falling from warm curiosity into hardened stone as his eyes locked onto mine. "You!"

-Are you genetically unlucky, or is this a lifestyle choice?-

"oh god ..." I barely managed past my dry throat. My pulse raced as my fight or flight response kicked into overdrive. Unfortunately, he was trained for this. I wasn't.

"Rose, stay back!" He growled, launching towards me with speed that belied his size. However, I found myself cemented in fear. In less than an instant, he was on top of me, slamming my face into the floor. There was a bright whiteness from behind closed eyes as my teeth clacked together from the massive impact. My world did a sudden backflip before I opened my eyes, the weight of the massive pony plus his armor pushing all the air from my lungs. Stars danced in front of me as I struggled uselessly against his hold.

"Daddy, what are you-"

"Are you ok, sweetie?"

"I'm fine, but-"

"Good. I was afraid this nutjob might have hurt you. We've been looking for him all afternoon ever since he escaped from the mental hospital! He's a very dangerous and unpredictable stallion!"

From the corner of my eye, I could see Rose shrinking back at her father's words. No longer looking at me with the eyes of a friend, but rather through a lens of growing dread. I fought back a tear while I watched as the first heart to show me compassion vanished.

I heard the beast of a stallion take a deep breath of my essence before his head shot upward. "Why do you smell like my daughter?!" he hissed in a low and menacing voice, "And why are YOU wearing MY bathrobe?!" I was roughly flipped onto my back, the pressure on my left wing forced out an agonized yelp as I was left staring into his accusing face.

"Umm... I uh-" I could only give unarticulated mumbles under his menacing stare which rivaled that of any gorgon. What exactly was I supposed to say here? I was screwed no matter which way this was going to play out. My only hope was that the floor would suddenly come alive and swallow me up... or else... "ALEK!!! HELP!!!"

His eyebrow climbed a few notches, but his hold remained strong.

-I'm ... trying ...-

The crest atop his helmet began to smoke in wisps that curled along with the scent of burning hair.

-AUGH!-

Alek’s anguished scream rang through my ears as a flash replaced the captain’s frill with a fiery blaze as the whole thing ignited. He staggered backwards, releasing me from underneath his hooves as he looked up in surprise. Greedily, I sucked in a deep breath once his massive bulk was no longer pressing me down.

My world was a disoriented mess as I struggled to fill my lungs. Adrenaline helped me flip over onto my stomach, shedding the robe as I got to my hooves. My vision shifted from the stallion working to unseat the burning helmet from his head to Rosethorn, who had cowered away into a corner. Her eyes were screwed shut as she had taken to hiding under her hooves.

"I'm so sorry," was all I could muster before turning tail and making for the only unblocked exit, the living room window. It being winter, of course the window was closed and locked tight. Rosethorn's voice from earlier echoed in my head as I made my mad dash. ‘It's on the third floor, come on’. I had survived a second story fall, I hoped a third story wasn't that much worse…

The sound of a helmet hitting the floor was followed by heavy stamping as I grabbed the latch with my mouth and threw it open. One good push later and the window swung open, letting in the cold as much as it was letting me out.

I shut my eyes tight and took a deep breath. My back legs coiled before springing my tensed body out the window and soon onto the waiting concrete below. However, there was no sudden rush of air, or even a long fall. My hooves landed on what sounded like metal with a hollow 'clank’. I couldn't believe it, I had landed on a fire escape of all places.

"Alek, which way now?" I called out. The grated stairs continued upwards towards the roof as well as down, but they stopped a full story above the snowy streets. I panned both ways before turning around and spotting the now helmetless stallion charging the window opening. "Alek...?!" My voice cracked as I started climbing, remembering the rhythm I had sounded in my head earlier. Just as my last hoof rounded the first flight, the fire escape shuddered as the captain's weight came down on it.

"YOU! STOP RIGHT THERE!" he commanded, his voice echoing throughout the whole city block.

"Shit!" My legs worked overtime, propelling me up the iron framework. His armor must have made it difficult to maneuver, as I had gained some ground by the time I reached the roof. I quickly looked around, trying to make at least a semi-educated plan for an escape route. The snow had started falling in large flurries, coating the city in a blanket of white. All of the adjoining buildings were of the same height as the apartment I stood upon, their roofs attached to one another. My legs protested as I forced my hooves across the ice-patched roof at a gallop, leaping over the parapet walls that separated each building.

"Alek?!" I called again through heaving breaths. Once again, there was no response. "Alek! Why aren't you answering?!"

"GUARD! TO THE ROOF!" thundered the captain from somewhere out of sight. He didn't even sound winded. "WATCH THE SKIES!"

My ears twitched at the sound of him calling for aid. I managed a leap over the separating wall of another building, suddenly finding myself skidding to a stop. I had reached the last structure in the row. The building I stood atop was open on three sides, two of them to the streets below and the last one facing an alley and a columned stone building two stories shorter. The only option seemed to be back the way I came and into the waiting hooves of a pony that surely had no restraint left by this point.

The sound of the captain’s heavy hoofbeats drew closer as I peered over the edge and onto the thoroughfare below. "Alek...?" I pleaded into the night air. "I could really use your insight right now buddy..."

- … glide … across-

He sounded weak, as if speaking had become difficult.

"Glide...?" I asked curiously. My eyes snapped open and I turned my head to the side as I unfolded my forgotten plumage. "...Oh!" My attention turned to the backside of the columned building across the alley. Swallowing the mounting trepidation I took off at an erratic gallop, aiming for the roof across the way. The muscles in my wings tensed and I spread the feathery appendages out as far as they could go, ignoring the lingering protests from my left side. "Here's hoping these aren't just for show!" I prayed as I leapt into the waiting air.

Wind and snow whipped past my face as I soared across the chasm of an alley below. My lips curled into a smile as the thrill of flight took hold. Not surprisingly, it was short lived as the roof of my target soon passed my eye level.

"Crap!" I exclaimed, realizing that I wasn't really flying, just taking longer to crash. My wings were too stiff to react and I was headed directly for a second floor window. Moments before the inevitable shattering, the double frame opened slightly only to be thrown wide as I barreled through it. A few panes of glass fractured against the wall as I collided with a wooden scaffolding.

Splintering boards and a tearing drop cloth managed to slow my descent, but not before tumbling out of control onto the stone floor. I landed hard on my right side, knocking the wind out of me as I slid headfirst into a regrettably sturdy shelf. A burst of stars flooded behind my eyes from the impact. I blinked amidst the pain, trying to get a glimpse of anything through my blurred vision, ears ringing all the while.

A dull thud sounded from somewhere near my head. Although still bleary from the fall, my eyes quickly found the culprit. A hardbound book lay on the ground surrounded by settling dust. It must have tried to take flight from the shelf above and failed, much like myself.

A subtle creaking from my makeshift entryway drew my attention in time to see it ever so slowly close and latch on its own.

"Alek...?" I asked, just above a hoarse moan.

-...here-

I allowed my head to rest back onto the floor as a tiny smile crept across my muzzle. "...good."

-Devon...-

"Hmm?" I exhaled, barely holding on to my faculties.

-Let's ... not do that again ... ever-

“Deal.”

Not daring to move even a single muscle for fear of what the reprisal would be from my misused body, I let my tired eyes close. The shouts of the guards outside slowly faded away as the void of sleep gnawed at my consciousness. Sweet, blissful, and painfree nothingness awaited me, a far cry from what morning would surely bring.

Freezing Rain

Chapter 3: Freezing Rain

My consciousness gradually began its long trek back into the present universe. Whatever dream I was having faded from cognizant thoughts into memory as my eyes slowly opened. The world around me was blurred by a haze, the ever present trauma to the brain still showing some effects. At least the tinnitus in my ears had finally stopped. My head only rose up off of the floor an inch or so before a dull throb behind my eyes gave me pause. "Ooohh..." I moaned, allowing my head to rest again.

-Oh, good morning. How long have you been up?-

His voice carried none of the strain from last night. Alek sounded almost ... excited.

"... only just." I groaned.

-Still have all your limbs? Anything broken?-

Releasing an agitated sigh I began to sit up, doing my best to ignore the mounting protests from my aching head. "Hard to say ... hang on a sec," I answered, pulling my back legs closer as I agonizingly rolled onto my stomach. "ow, ow, ow ..." Random twinges of pain flooded in from all directions as my senses ran their diagnostics. "I think... I may still be a bit... concussed," I announced as a nauseous wave of vertigo overwhelmed me, my head bobbing slightly as it tried to balance my floating mind.

-That's not as bad as it could have been. As long as you can walk, we've got a shot.-

As my vision cleared, I became aware that I was sitting in the middle of a rather large semi-circle of opened books spread out across the floor. Shelves containing still more vessels of the written word surrounded me. The high, vaulted ceilings combined with the light, musty smell of parchment left no doubt as to where I spent the night.

My eye twitched. "A shot at what?" I muttered to myself, my gaze drifting between the different tomes that littered the ground around me. I mused, "Been reading a bit have we?"

-You have NO idea. After a few hours, the migraine finally subsided enough that I decided to poke around to keep myself occupied. You should sleep in libraries more often.-

A pair of books floated up from their perch and fluttered open as if being read before finding their own spots on the stone floor.

-Last night, something clicked during that accidental combustion. In the midst of the searing pain, I had a moment of unusual clarity. For one, moving things around has become almost second nature.-

As if to emphasize his point, a set of stacked novels rearranged themselves before sliding onto a shelf together. His words tumbled out in a cascade, spoken in quick bursts like an excited child. I was almost afraid to inquire further, but curiosity won out. "Yeah? and what else?" I ventured with a cautiously elevated eyebrow.

-Right! The other thing I realized is that with all the formerly impossible things we've seen, it only makes sense that there might be something equally impossible that could send us back home.-

My ears instantly perked up, solely focused on Alek's every word. My pains had taken a back seat as I managed to stand up finally, favoring a weak right foreleg.

"What do you mean? Are you saying you've found a way?!"

-Jump to conclusions harder, why don't you. I was saying that a way could exist. But, yes. I think I have.-

With that, a mighty hardbound text swiftly moved to rest at my hooves. It was already open, displaying an image of an incredibly strange creature. A Frankenstein creation of dragon, goat, lion, griffon, horse, and who knows how many others spread across the page. Only one word accompanied it.

"Discord," The way it rolled off the tongue left a notably sour taste. "What ... is it?" The beast in the picture may have been crudely drawn, but his eyes carried a life of their own. My heart began to race as if the beast itself was staring directly into my soul.

-From what I've been able to gather, it's a Draconequus and potentially the only one. He's said to have a grasp over magic powerful enough to achieve nearly anything with naught but a snap of his claw. He’s been documented as capable of controlling the sun and moon as well as transmuting everything into anything.-

My attention wavered from the drawing, "Whoa... So, nothing like the unicorn's tricks we've seen so far then?" I pondered for a moment, "This sounds really farfetched. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't ONE being possessing THAT MUCH power seem a little ... dangerous?"

I turned to the next page of the book, holding my vision steady as best I could against the slight dizziness I was still fighting. My brow furrowed and a frown crept across my face as I touched a hoof to the first sentence on the page. "Discord, god of chaos and disharmony..." I articulated, "...How exactly is this supposed to help us?”

-One, I'd like to point out that EVERYTHING we've done has been dangerous, so that's par for the course. Two, he's the only thing I've found that even comes close to being capable of performing such a feat. And third, who else is going to listen to a labeled crazy pony other than a mad god.-

Damn his logic! My head sank at his words, eyes falling once more on the artist’s representation of the anarchic being. My tail flicked instinctively as I sat down, lifting my favored hoof up for a closer look. His words repeated through my mind as I stared at where my right hand should have been. Some force, whether divine or incomprehensibly natural, dumped us both in this mixed-up world. While not hostile initially, having to run from guards, begging or stealing food, and trying to find shelter every night from the cold just didn't sound like a preferable existence.

"Where do we find this 'Discord', then?" I asked, returning my hoof to the floor with a soft click.

-That's where his trail got hard to follow. After his defeat by the 'royal sisters' over a thousand years ago, nothing seems to mention where he went. However, I did find this.-

Another book approached, pages fluttering to a stop on a photograph. It was an aerial view of an elegantly maintained estate garden. Near the edge was a statue of a now very familiar patchwork creature.

"What? So, after he was DEFEATED," I deadpanned, staring quizzically toward the picture at my hooves, "... they made a statue of him?" Releasing a frustrated breath, I slumped onto my stomach bringing my hooves up to massage my temples. "I'm lost here."

-You're not thinking thaumically.-

A short silence accompanied by my nonplussed stare managed to get the point across.

-Sorry, it's a word I picked up in some of the books about magic. But you're right, they wouldn't make a statue of him. So why would it be there, unless ...-

My eyes snapped wide, "No way...!"

-Bingo. He hasn't been recorded anywhere else because he's still there.-

"This is getting deep... Where is this, anyway?" I asked as I pulled the book closer, studying the description under the photo.

-Canterlot castle is the attribution for the garden's location. A fair distance from here, but not insurmountably so.-

"Castle?! Hang on," I held a hoof up. "Who exactly lives in this castle?"

-The uh, princess. Celestia. Elder of the royal sisters and ruler of the land we happen to be in.-

My jaw dropped, eyes wide and unblinking as the words sunk in. "So, let me get this straight," I stated bluntly, "We're trying to find a mad god of chaos, who was defeated and turned to stone by Celestia, the owner of the garden in which he is now a sculpture for?" My tone was cold and sarcastic.

-If you've got a better plan, I'm ready to hear it.-

"No no, this is great!" I retorted, "We just need to find a way into the capitol, which should be easy what with being branded a nut job and 'dangerous' after all. Find a way to turn a god back from stone, hope that this Princess Celestia is alright with it, and finally ask him nicely to send us home!" My eye twitched and a rather unsettling grin upturned itself onto my muzzle. "This is a great plan and I’m happy to be a part of it! When can we get started?!"

-I know it sounds like the slimmest of chances, and it will probably fail spectacularly, but ... would you be able to live with yourself without at least trying?-

There was that logic again. My sarcasm fell along with my attitude. Relinquishing a sigh of defeat, I answered his question with another. "So, what should step one be?"

-Step zero is don't get caught. The watch is going to be looking for you even more so than before. First order of business should be to find food, both for today and for the road ahead. Second, find a cloak or pack to travel with. Third, get out of the city.-

"There's that word 'find' again..." I sighed inwardly.

-I'd prefer not to take without asking, but it may be coming down to that.-

The rapid staccato of books closing themselves echoed throughout the empty library, kicking up a slight dust that left motes dancing in the dim light from the window. My gaze dropped down to where my hooves rested against the cold marble, a depressed exhale filling the silence.

-That doesn't sound like you. The Devon I know would rather do than dwell on it.-

"Hmm?" I mumbled as my distracted thoughts faded away to reality. "No, I just... How betrayed do you think Rosethorn feels right now...?"

The books stopped their stacking motions.

-Don't beat yourself up over it. You were nothing but kind and grateful, perhaps a little odd, but who isn't? Hopefully that's what she remembers.-

"...Yeah, hopefully." I replied, scraping the barrel for any remaining enthusiasm. My attention started to wander along with my hooves as I stood up, looking around the deserted library. Hung against the wall behind the scaffolding that so selflessly arrested my descent the evening prior, were several orange safety vests.

I quietly hummed to myself as Alek's words repeated themselves, asking me to 'find' a disguise. "What about something like this?" There were a couple hard helmets lying at the foot of the scaffolding as well.

-That would stick out like a sore thumb in the sea of white going on out there.-

"Oh..." My ears drooped as his point rang true but they quickly peaked followed by an uncomfortable grin. "Hidden in plain sight, maybe?" I added, hoping to save face.

-Yeah, unless they're hosting ConstructaCON, I'm not seeing it.-

Once more I stood defeated by common sense. "I don't know then," I stated flatly, "What's your plan? How are we supposed to go anywhere and-" I rocked back on my haunches and raised both front hooves in mock quotations, "-FIND, anything?" My head shook dejectedly, "Like you said, the goon squad will be out in force. Looking for one pony in particular."

-There's got to be something you can use in here, keep looking.-

Frustration continued to mount as I grunted irritably. My gaze swept up and down the battered scaffolding, wood splintered and metal bent from my crash landing. Releasing a heavy breath, I let my head rest with a hard 'thunk' against one of the support beams. Was this even worth trying? Did I really stand a chance at making it out of this city? Once I did, then what? There were so many unknowns surrounding every aspect of not only my survival, but our new ludicrous goal. I lifted my head from where it rested and banged it against the scaffolding, hoping to jostle some form of self-motivation out of myself. The weight of the world had come crashing down on me, and I swore I could hear the heavens creaking as they started to crumble. Wait…

The framework continued to groan ominously as its ceiling spanning height began to tower over me. I stood frozen, ears collapsing and eyes gaping at the sight of the approaching construction. My paralysis wavered long enough for me to drop prone and cover my head. For the first time, I knew what a fly felt like in its final moments. My eyes screwed themselves shut as my body prepared for the onslaught of pain that was to follow. A brief but palpable silence hung in the air for a moment before the impact. It only lasted a second as the keening sound of shearing metal and snapping wood thundered all around me. My body was trembling and I was seriously hoping it was a nervous sweat that I was laying in, and not any other fear induced fluid.

The library slowly returned to its silent state as I waited in anticipation for the agony that was scheduled to come. I cautiously opened my eyes as my head came out from under my hooves. I only caught a passing glance at the wreckage before I was thrown into darkness. A very startled and unfortunately emasculating scream fled my vocal chords as I struggled against the unexpected weight enveloping me.

-Honestly, what did that poor scaffolding ever do to you?-

My wailing abruptly stopped at Alek's familiar voice, brain catching up to the fact that I was, in fact, uninjured. My body was still shivering as the unused adrenaline pulsed through my veins. Orientation seeming to return to me without the aid of my vision, I realized that a drop cloth had fallen over me. The piece of canvas had obviously fled unintentionally as gravity pulled its resting platform away from it. I raised my head, letting the fabric slide down onto my back as my vision returned. I couldn’t see much through the cloud of debris that I awakened.

-Hey! Great idea! You can definitely make a cloak out of that.-

"Huh?" I barked, coughing up enough dust to make a coal miner wince. My head turned around to spy the slate grey drop cloth that currently hung over my form. I pondered outwardly as I took a few steps forward. "Oh! … YEAH! That’s what I was thinking!" I stuttered, “Yep, totally not an accident … nope.” a nervous smile crossing my features. Before I could take another step, the cloth slid unceremoniously off my flank without anything to hold it in place. My smile followed it, curling into a lopsided frown.

-Looks like you need some sort of clasp or band to hold it in place.-

I reached down and grabbed the canvas in my teeth, not savoring the musty flavor in the slightest. With a determined tug, I pulled the cloth back over my flanks as tomes began opening and closing nearby.

-I know I saw it around here somewhere...-

My ears darted in different directions as books opened and closed, their heavy covers reverberating through the silence. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to which books were opened and just as suddenly slammed shut

-Aha!-

A lightly faded but still unmistakably pink ribbon fluttered around the corner of a nearby shelf. The drop cloth turned cloak on my back shifted around to better cover my sides and head as the silken fabric wrapped around my neck. The ends tied themselves neatly into a bow, just tight enough to keep the outfit from falling off while leaving enough to act as a hood.

My eyes slightly crossed in order to focus on the girly ribbon neatly tied around my neck, "So, smelling like Rose and Lilac wasn't enough? I need to actually have a pink bow tied around my neck to blatantly announce gender confusion?" I deadpanned with a raised eyebrow.

-Think of it this way, it matches the Soprano of your scream.-

"I, uh, wha...? Oh..." My ears quivered, threatening to drop to the sides again while my cheeks blossomed into an uncomfortable heat. Quickly I changed gears, trying to keep my masculinity from crumbling any further. "So... now what?" I spoke with a slight crack in my voice.

-Now, we...-

A heavy creaking sound carried over the shelves from the direction of the front doors. A light murmuring of voices and slight howl of the wind soon joined in .

My head snapped towards the new sound, mind suddenly locked in panic. However, I only caught a faint glimpse of a bright yellow colored pony at the door before a sudden downward force shoved me unceremoniously to the ground, knocking the wind out of me with a muffled “ouph!” I didn’t even have a chance to protest before Alek interrupted.

-You can't let them find you! They'd be sure to call the watch just on account of trespassing and you haven't even made it outside yet.-

My lungs, which were so abruptly emptied took a moment to refill themselves with a silent breath. I reached a hoof up and pushed the hood of my 'cloak' down around my neck, revealing a rather annoyed look on my face. It only lasted for a moment before the sounds of the two ponies voices were within hearing distance and my ears were swiveling to better understand them.

"Can you believe we have to come in on a day like this?"

"I know! I don't see the road crew out there working."

"Well, that is outside ... in the snow."

"Details, details..."

"Who are they?" I whispered, reluctant to take a peek myself for fear of being spotted.

-They look like hard hats. I doubt they're going to like your handiwork on their scaffolding.-

"MY handiwork?!" I hissed, "What about you, leaving books out everywhere for them to find?"

-I didn't break any of them.-

"Yeah, but ..." I tried to continue, only to be cut short.

"WHOA!" A burly male voice exclaimed. It was followed by a few quick hoofbeats as the two workers came into view, surveying the felled scaffolding. Thankfully, their backs stayed to me as they rounded the corner.

"What in the WORLD happened here?!"

"I told you those crossbeams weren't cut out for long term support." The yellow one chided.

"And I told you to stuff it." The green stallion shot back before leaning over to inspect the wreckage.

I took this moment as an opportunity to find better cover. I slinked my way backwards slowly and silently until I was almost around the back of a large bookshelf.

"Hey ... check this out."

"Where'd these blue feathers come from?"

My teeth set and lips curled backward in uneasy anticipation, ears intently focusing on the two workers and what they had found. The green furred one's attention appeared to wander before it fell on the window I had used as an entrance the night before.

"The windows broken too!"

"Yeah, but it's still closed and latched ..." Yellow reminded, "Do you think whoever did this is still in here?"

A soft rush of air caught my ear as a book flew over my head and into the far corner of the library. The musty thump of the hardcover striking a shelf was followed by three or four more in quick succession.

"Hey! Who's there?!" Green called out, heading towards the noise and away from me, Yellow right on his heels.

I took the hint that it was time to go. Turning towards the uncommonly ornate double doors, I kept my body low to the ground as I hastily made my way around the bookshelves and ultimately past the front desk. A few muffled words came from the workers but they were too far out of earshot to understand at this point.

With the same ancient sounding creak as before, the right door swung open, introducing me to a blast of bitter wind and freezing sleet that pelted my face. I had to squint against the weather as I fought for a sense of direction. With a heavy thud the door slammed shut behind me as soon as I was through, eliciting a startled jump as I changed tack and headed down the sidewalk at a hurried canter. Of course, with the way my luck had been going, it was no surprise that the weather wasn't the only thing I ran into.

The cold was bad, but the visibility was worse. I had to keep my head low, careful not to wander into the street. Before long an alley materialized out of the frost and I wasted no time ducking into it. I was hoping for a short respite from the ice while I got my bearings, but as I said, my luck was having none of that. Standing only a few steps away was one of the city watch, a sandy colored pony clad in silver armor and draped with a cloak. His back was facing me as he conversed with another similarly bundled emerald stallion. I barely had enough time to see him shake his head and turn away from the guard before my hood was haphazardly yanked back up, obscuring my face from his view. Just in time too, as the guard quickly wheeled around and gave me the once over.

"Excuse me, might I have a word with you?" He called out with enough extra volume in order to be heard through the wind. "I promise it won't take long."

Crap! What was I supposed to do here?! I was doomed, there's no way out of this one.

My back left hoof took a reflexive step back, planting itself and giving my body a pivot point to turn and flee on. Except, my fight or flight response was a bit delayed and as I kept my gaze on the sidewalk in order to keep my face covered, the sound of approaching hoofbeats ended with a pair of silver shod hooves in front of my eyes.

"I'm Plate Mail, with the city watch. Have you by any chance seen a light blue pegasus stallion about?" His voice echoed authority.

-Oh! He doesn't recognize you, this is good. I thought we were made there.-

Following the stiff clearing of my throat, my voice took this time to escape me. My mouth hung open, but no words would step forward. Trying not to make my hesitation seem any more awkward, I subtly shook my head side to side.

"I can't say I blame you," he nearly chuckled, "this weather's making it difficult to see anything at all, eh?" Even with my heart hammering away I could hear the faint traces of a smile in his words.

The corners of my mouth upturned into a nervous grin as I tried to mimic his humor. My head nodded to him as my left rear hoof started inching it's way backwards. A sudden icy gust of wind sped through the alley we were conversing in. My hoof quickly met my forehead, trying to keep the hood of my makeshift cloak from revealing what could end up being a promotion for the guard in front of me. The chill bit into the tip of my muzzle and took my breath away for a short moment.

"I tell ya, I can't wait for winter to finally be over." He continued, slowly moving forward enough to keep pace with my glacial retreat. "No offence, of course, I know everypony likes their holidays, but it'd be nice not having to spend my shift freezing my flank off."

-Peculiar, if he doesn't know it's you then why is he ...-

"Although, I bet I wouldn't mind so much if I knew there was a pretty mare waiting for me afterwards."

-...oh-

No way... Was this really happening?! My mouth had swiftly come unhinged and hung open in equal parts disbelief and embarrassment. "...uh." My voice cracked out of sheer panic, a quality that definitely wasn't helping my predicament any. My jaw finally snapped shut and another short nod was my reply, followed by a nervous "mmhmm..."

"Speechless?" His laugh was deep. " What can I say? I have that effect sometimes." His forehoof came up, and I could hear it absently scratch the back of his head. "So, uh ... what do you say to 7:30 at Board's Tavern? First round's on me."

Okay, I couldn't do this anymore. With my nervous grin still effectively glued in place and a fresh and uncomfortable burn to my cheeks, I gave my head another nod. With a few calculated steps forward, I walked past the lonely stallion.

"Great!" The guard beamed, " ... Oh! I never got your name! Something as lovely as your perfume, I bet."

I froze in my tracks as my face screwed up into a scowl under my hood. Damnit damnit damnit! I was so close!

"Heh, you know what. I think I'd like it to be a mystery." He gave a short salute and turned to make his way out the other side of the alley. That wasn't before he gave the tip of my tail that hung out the bottom of my cloak a playful bat with his own. "You can tell me tonight. See you then."

"Likewise..." My not-at-all-feminine voice replied, lips pursing too late to stop the incriminating line. The snow crunching sound of his hoofbeats ceased abruptly. I didn't dare turn to face him again and with yet another nervous throat clearing, my hooves carried me quickly out of the alley and back onto the sidewalk.

I managed to cross the next street and was halfway down the block before I managed to conjure my thoughts into words. "...Is he following me?"

-No. In fact, ... I don't think he's moved at all.-

"...I feel so dirty."

-And yet this is because you've gotten clean. I've underestimated the importance of soap to a good disguise.-

"Perfumed soap... Thank you very much for that by the way!" I shot back with enough sarcasm to subdue an elephant.

-Yes, I realize I'm currently two for two on the situations I have inadvertently made worse. Although statistically you’re well above the bell curve for awkward now so anything else should be unlikely ... probably-

A low groan escaped as my eyes rolled, "You shouldn't have said anything," I deadpanned.

-In any case, at least the disguise works, if I am allowed understatement.-

"I didn't realize that a pink ribbon and perfumed soap would make me so … whatever that was."

-They say allure is 90% imagination, and that cloak’s leaving a lot to that.-

"Well, I'm already receiving about, oh ... one hundred percent more attention as a friggin’ pony than I ever did before! Especially considering it's from the wrong gender..." A shudder rolled over me as soon as those words left my mouth. "Okay, new subject!"

-Any idea where we are? I couldn't find any good maps of the city, only the kingdom it's a part of, and we still need to acquire some provisions.-

As I approached the corner of the sidewalk we were traversing, I raised my gaze against the wind and icy precipitation trying to read the street sign above. "We're on the corner of Hoofston Road and Railroad Ave." I looked around at the surrounding buildings, "which means ... absolutely nothing to me."

-We passed Hoofston yesterday after "leaving" the asylum, but I think you were a little ... distracted.-

"By distracted, do you mean doped?" I asked, glad that medical gunk was finally out of my system.

-That's one way of putting it, but I seemed to recall some storefronts along the eastern side, so if you head that way we might find something useful.-

"Well, whatever, but in case you've forgotten, we have no money ... or bits, or whatever the hell they are."

-We can figure that out when we get there. Who knows, maybe they have credit.-

"Credit ... really?" My eyes threw another sarcastic roll but without any other plans coming to mind, I crossed the street and continued down Hoofston Rd. The taller buildings on the northern side were at least good at blocking the incessant wind, allowing my face to finally retain some of its own heat.

Residential zoning gradually made way for commercial as the ice built up underhoof. Quant little Mom & Pop stores with their attached apartments dotted both sides of the street, most of them open for business. I had only seen maybe two or three other ponies on the way. The scant number most likely due to the weather. I made sure to keep my head down and the majority of my face covered by my hood as I passed them, not taking any chances being recognized. My eyes darted between the stores, their marquis' still visible against the snowfall.

"What exactly are we supposed to be doing here?" I complained, trying my best to retreat further into my cloak.

-What would you do without me. We're after food for now and for the road. Enough to get you to Canterlot. Maybe camping stuff? I honestly don't know how long it will take you to walk there.-

My hooves suddenly locked up on the frozen concrete as I stopped dead in my tracks. "WALK?!"

-If you want to buy a train ticket, go right ahead. I'm sure they wouldn't have guards posted there, right?-

"Damnit!” My grumble was more akin to a growl, “Good point..."

-It is my burden to be saddled with the curse that is logic, I know.-

"You definitely have the curse part right," I mumbled quietly. "Well... walking it’ll have to be I suppose. However, that doesn't change the fact that-"

"I just don't understand what they were thinking!" An annoyed female voice called out from across the street. My attention turned to see two ponies conversing rather loudly in front of what appeared to be a small grocery store.

"You can't deliver fresh fruits and leave them outside in this kind of weather! These are all terribly frost bitten now, I can't sell them like this!" She continued, knocking a hoof against the small crate lying on the ground between them.

"Hmm..." I mused as a smile worked its way onto my face. An idea had come to mind as I checked both ways before crossing the roadway.

-Look, I know frozen fruit is still edible but you might want to wait until they're gone before you take it.-

"Shh!" I hushed just loud enough for him to hear. The two ponies, both mares by the look of it, turned their heads as I approached.

"Oh! Hi there!" The one fussing over the crate greeted me with as much cheer as she could through her frustration. She was a unicorn covered in a deep shade of blue fur, much darker than my own, with a bright pink mane and tail. She turned to the other magenta coated mare momentarily, "I'll catch up more with you tonight at the Falling Acorn." With a nod her friend trotted off down the sidewalk. "What can I help you with today?"

"Well-" I started.

"I hope you're not needing any fresh pears," She motioned toward the crate on the ground. “My delivery stallion seems to think that he can leave all of my parcels here while I'm closed, no matter what they are or what the weather may be."

"Actually, I was just won-"

"Oh!" She exclaimed, momentarily taken aback. Her eyes swept my form twice before continuing, "You're a stallion!"

"Uhh..." My gaze once again found the pink ribbon around my neck before focusing back on her amethyst eyes. "Yeah, the name’s Snowdrift."

“Sorry, I’m Midnight Blush,” she pointed to the monikered sign above. “You were saying?” Her voice still carried a slightly nervous timbre behind the professional smile.

"I hope you don’t mind, but I overheard you talking about your," I gave the crate on the ground a tap with my hoof. "Situation, and I was just wondering if I might be able to lend a hoof to help out?"

"Really?" She paused, her eyes dancing among the frosted produce as she mulled it over. "I do have to get the shop ready to open in a few minutes..." When she looked back up, I gave her my most well meaning grin.

"That's very nice of you to offer, but I get my produce from Cherry Tart's farm."

My silence managed to speak for itself.

"Her warehouse is about fifteen blocks away and I wouldn't want to send anyone there in this storm."

I was about to take a huge risk, but it was one that I hoped would pay off in the end. With a shaky hoof, I reached up and slid my hood down around my neck. The chill of the wind nipped at my ears as my unimpeded gaze met with the mare's. "It really wouldn't be a problem. I'm actually getting quite used to this kind of weather. Plus," I hesitated for a moment, unfurling my wings from underneath the side of my cloak, revealing the neat cerulean plumage. Her eyes drifted down to my feathers before returning to my eyes. I gave her a wink as I folded my wings back to my sides.

"Hmm," Blush chewed on her bottom lip as an ear flicked absently. "I do need those pears ... Okay," she sighed. I tried not to let my broadening smile make light of her decision. "Just take this crate to Cherry's warehouse on the corner of Grainery and Ashwood. Let them know what happened and they should give you a new bushel."

"Sure thing!" With that, the mare turned around and made a hasty retreat back into her store. I guessed it made sense, what with the weather and all. I was at least cloaked and she was ... naked? Can you be naked when covered in fur? I shook my head absently as the crate swiftly levitated itself onto my back.

-Did the fall knock out the memory of the last time you tried flying?-

"Don't worry, I’m not looking for any more concussions." I stated matter-of-factly. "We're walking! I just needed something extra to seal the deal." I answered, ducking my head low and pulling the hood back over it.

-Deal? Wait, you're getting paid for this? Sans interview or résumé?-

"Well, yeah... hopefully anyway." My hooves began carrying me in the direction she had indicated along with the address.

-Huh, I wouldn't have thought of that.-

"Maybe not ‘money’ necessarily but food works as payment too." The ice continued to thicken as I made my way down the road. The snow had all but stopped, the peppering sleet taking up the slack.

-Speaking of payback, aren't you at all worried about giving her your name?-

"It was risky but she needed to trust me, I know people. These little odd jobs are how I kept myself fed back home. As for showing my face, It’s better than coming off as the 'creepy hooded figure’.”

-People.-

“Ponies, whatever.” Shielding my face against the wind, I checked on the cross-street. Ashwood. I thought we passed that while coming up Hoofston. My ears swiveled, listening for any approaching carts or patrolling watch before crossing and continuing on through the white haze.

The next several blocks down Ashwood were fairly uneventful aside from the biting wind that I was now facing. My attention was eventually drawn to the side, noticing little lines being etched in the snow and fallen sleet as I walked. "Bored are we?"

-After having access to all of those books? Yeah, a little. I wish I had brought one with me.-

"Cause that wouldn't look weird at all," I delivered flatly.

-I know. Just can't help thinking how nice it would be though. They really took my mind off how hungry I am.-

My stomach groaned irritably as if it had heard Aleks' words and taken offense. An angry retort would have been next in line but my eyes focused on several other ponies approaching from the opposite direction on the sidewalk ahead. Voting not to appear awkward by 'talking to myself,' I remained silent. Soon, it became obvious through the sleet that it was a mother unicorn with her two foals trailing behind her.

-I mean, it's almost like I can feel them right now, and all it would take is for me to reach out and-

A brilliant flash made me wince as a soft pop deposited a hardbound tome in the snow at my hooves.

-... grab ... it.-

"...huh?"

"COOL!" Two higher pitched voices called out as their quick hoofbeats suddenly brought them both in front of me. "You know how to apparate? Is it hard? When did you learn it? Can you teach us? Mom, can he teach us?" Their questions followed one after the other, not leaving any time for an answer in between.

“Uhh,” I stalled, my pool of monosyllabic responses running low. However, a sudden creeping sensation flowed its way up the the back of my spine between fur and cloak. It settled on my head, keeping my ears upright and tenting the hood above my forehead.

-They think … unicorn …-

“I’m sorry,” their mother smiled through an exasperated sigh, “They’ve finally gotten the hang of levitation and it’s only fueled their fire.” For a moment, her smile drooped, “Literally.”

"Oh, uh, o-of course." I stated as my lips curled into yet another nervous grin. "I'm still kind of getting the hang of it myself." I added, rolling my eyes under the cover of the cloak.

"See? It even takes grown ponies time to learn new magic," she interrupted, corralling her two young ones. "Now say goodbye to the nice ... stallion."

"Why are you dressed up like a lady?” The shorter colt of the two asked while being dragged away.

“Bye!” The mare added with a blush, her two charges looking back until they were lost in the fog of sleet.

"Wow... Great timing on that!" I snarked. Alek groaned, releasing his hold on my hood.

-I didn't ... know it would ... do that.-

He sounded drained, much like he did yesterday. Sighing in defeat, I grabbed the book in my teeth and placed it atop of the crate on my back. It took a moment before I realized it, my movements in this body were certainly becoming more natural. The weight of the tome surprised me, it was no wonder he seemed so drained. "You gonna be alright?"

-Yeah, I just really wish I could sleep right about now.-

"Well, take a breather anyway. I can manage the rest of the trek." With that I continued at a steady trot, keeping my hood up and head low against the wind. The rest of the journey passed in silence aside from the crinkling of snow and ice under hoof.

It wasn't but another ten minutes before I reached the intersection of Ashwood and Grainery. I was thankful the city was laid out in a grid, it made it hard to get lost if you knew which roads ran north-south. The sleet had relented a bit, giving me enough visibility to just see the looming warehouse on the far corner.

"Alek? We're here!"

-Great. You might want to hurry if you plan to keep up the charade of flying that delivery.-

"Well, glad to see you've rested enough for your 'curse' to return, I see." I crossed the street diagonally and found myself in front of a typical looking stable door with a bell on the right. My hoof met the bell with a loud 'ding' and from the other side I could hear hoofsteps approaching.

"Hold on, I'm comin'," The top half of the door swung inside and a rust red stallion poked his head out. "Somethin' I can do for you, miss-ter?" His tone changed as I let my hood down.

"Sure is," I turned my head to the side and nudged the book off and onto the concrete. "This crate was delivered to Miss Blush's store WELL before she was opened this morning and the fruit inside ended up completely frosted and unsellable!" The stallion on the other side looked the crate over with a discriminating eye as a light buck from my hips sent the crate airborne, landing in front of him on the little counter attached to the door. He jerked back slightly from the incoming fruitsicles, lips curling into a frown as his eyes narrowed.

"And who might you be?" The heavyset pony inquired.

"A friend of Miss Blush's that doesn't appreciate your courier's negligence."

“I'm the courier," he snorted.

"Oh ... well." My resolve faltered for a brief moment. "How long have you worked here?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Long enough that I haven't got time to wait around for a pony to receive every delivery. I've got a schedule to keep." He huffed.

"Now is that before or after they teach you not to leave fresh fruit out in the ice?"

His teeth ground against each other with enough force that I could hear them scraping. "Well? What do you want done about it?"

"She’s not asking for a refund but I think an exchange for some fruit that Midnight Blush could actually SELL would be fair."

-Devon, I’m not sure laying into him like that is the best-

“Fine,” he snarled, “wait here,” the rusty stallion pulled the returned crate inside and disappeared into the warehouse.

"You were saying?" I smirked. Alek didn’t reply, which only made my grin wider. The forlorn tome floated up from the ground, ice and snow brushed off by an unseen hand.

Quick hoofsteps could be heard approaching, reflecting the mood of the pony they belonged to. "Drop it!" I hissed, directing it towards the floating book.

-but, I just ... -

Slowly, perhaps sadly, the bundle of written word returned to the ground. As it landed on its spine, the book split open and the pages fluttered to a resting spot. I pulled the book underneath me quickly with a rear hoof as the warehouse worker finally returned. He still wore that ever present scowl as he approached the door. Turning, he slid the crate from his back onto the counter.

"There," his nostrils flared, "If that's all, I've got lots of work left that needs doing." He didn't wait for an answer, letting the closing door end the conversation for him.

"Thank you!" I yelled through the door, rubbing it in. Alek hoisted the crate from the counter into the air before setting it down with a slight drop on my back. I sidestepped out from over the book to allow him a chance to add it to my load. "All right! Let's get..." My gaze stumbled onto the book lying open on the sidewalk, blinking as a sudden bolt of fear arced through me.

-Devon?-

The tome snapped closed, scattering snow and sleet before floating up towards the bushel of fresh pears. My head shook as the book closed, faculties once more under my control as the wave of panic receded. "Did you ... Did you see that?!"

-See what? The amount of ice it managed to collect in just a minute of laying open?-

My eyes shifted across the frosted tome lying on my back. "What book did you end up zapping here exactly?”

-“Equestrian Legends: An Encyclopedia of Myth and Magic.” It was the one that had the most information on Discord.-

My body shivered at the mention of his name. "That's what I meant!" I all but yelled, "It was him..."

-What was him? You saw his picture again and got scared?-

"It wasn't a picture!" I spat.

-It's not like it could have been something else, see?-

The book fluttered open once again, stopping in front of my face on the illustrated likeness of the draconequus. My eyes squinted as the same feeling of dread began to creep over me like a fog. I stared into the haphazardly drawn eyes of the character on the page, almost trying to stare through it. Maybe it was all in my head, nothing but a bad dream bleeding over into the waking world. I was just about to turn away when it happened.

He winked at me.

I gasped, my body shaking as I reared up on my hind legs and slammed the book shut hard with my forehooves.

-Easy! You almost spilled the cargo.-

The crate groaned as it was pushed against my back, keeping it in place until all four legs were back on the ground. I let the book fall, not wanting to touch it any longer than needed. Thankfully, this time the cover remained closed. I stared at the tome as the leftover adrenaline worked its way out of my system, running my breath ragged in the process. It didn't move, no matter how much I was expecting it to grow fangs and attack.

-Are you quite done abusing that poor book?-

His ethereal voice finally managed to tear me away from the cursed poltergeist of a publication. "You SERIOUSLY didn't see that?!"

-All I saw was you developing a sudden phobia of crude artwork.-

"You've got to be kidding me with this, that THING is possessed! I saw it move!"

-Says the stallion who until recently had enough ketamine in his veins to make him pass out.-

An annoyed snort was my rebuttal, eyebrows furrowing into angry points. "I know what I saw, damnit! That freaky drawing WINKED AT ME!" My voice had escaped my brain's control, volume escalating to help me try and drive my point.

-And announcing that to everyone in earshot is going to do a great job convincing them.-

My attention turned to several ponies across the street from the warehouse that had stopped and were blatantly staring in my direction. Another agitated snort rent the air as I slid my hood back over my head and began to walk away, retracing my path from earlier. I had intended to leave the demonic tome laying there on the sidewalk, allowing it to be victim of the relentless winter weather.

-Avoiding the madhouse means NOT saying crazy things, no matter how much you may believe them to be true.-

The unmistakable sound and weight of a load being added to my back sent a jolt up my spine.

-But regardless of what you may have seen, you KNOW a book can't do that.-

He was right about 'avoiding the madhouse’, and it was becoming painfully obvious that he wasn't going to believe me. I suppose the real question was, 'Do I believe me?' I shook the nagging thought out of my head. It was frustrating, but instead of yelling or getting any more worked up, I just kept walking. The blocks went by in an uncomfortable silence, the soft crunch of my steps and the howl of the wind were the only sounds to be heard.

I came out of my trance with enough time to catch the intersection with Hoofston, finally on the last stretch towards Blush's store. For as much insulation as they provided, my hooves were about at their limit. The cold was nothing if not persistent and I was looking forward to a short break inside the grocer’s. What I wasn't looking forward to were the three armored stallions now waiting out in front. A small shiver worked its way from my hooves up my legs, reinforcing the point.

-Really? That whole trip with nary a sight of them and now fate decides we were behind on our quota.-

"Go figure..." I mumbled completely unamused, doing my best to stay out of sight. Weighing my options, I turned to the crate and book on my back. Without warning a grin materialized on my muzzle. "I think I've got an idea!"

-Finally, I'm tired of having to come up with them all the time.-

“… ANYWAY, Do you remember how you made me look like a unicorn in front of the two foals and their mother?” I asked in a whisper, “Oh! And by the way, good samaritan-ing those pears was totally my idea!” Alek seemed to sigh.

-Yes, I assume you'll want me to carry the crate too.-

"Obviously ... After all, they're looking for a pegasus, right?"

The pressure from the load vanished as the crate floated around in front of me, staying roughly chest high above the ground with the devil’s book tucked neatly inside. The faintest shimmer of white surrounded it, nearly lost amidst the snow. The familiar creeping sensation of Alek slinking up my cloak and along my spine forced a very uncomfortable shiver over my body as the hood tented. "Gah ... That feels so ... weird."

-Well excuse me for trying to stay with your head as you move around, unless you’d rather your “horn” move like jello.-

My eyes rolled one last time at his words before taking a breath to steel myself. My hooves marched in even steps, following the crate in front of me as I approached the entrance of the small store. My head lowered instinctively as the closest guard turned his eyes toward me sharply, and a nervous sweat began to build on my forehead. I held my breath under his piercing gaze, his dark red eyes following me. Two steps away from the door he shifted to partially block my advance. I swallowed hard, wondering how far I could get if I started running now. Slowly, he extended a hoof and opened the way inside with a curt bow.

My shoulders relaxed as I let out a sigh before giving the guard my best smile and returning the nod. As I entered the store, the door shut behind me along with the faint jingle of a bell. The chilling wind thankfully remained outside. The crate of pears set itself on the ground and the sensation between my ears dissipated just as the familiar face of Midnight Blush peeked out from around a shelf. Her smile looked lost, brows arching while her eyes darted between me and the door.

“You’re … back?” Blush puzzled halfway towards being a question.

"Of course!" I chuckled with an elevated eyebrow. "I gave you my word, even if it did take a bit longer than it should have." I gave the crate two quick taps with a hoof. "Your FRESH produce, in no way frostbitten and ready to be sold!" I added proudly.

She looked down, wordlessly taking it all in even though her lips continued to move. Her eyes met with mine as she brought her head back up. "I'm sorry..." she apologized.

-...what?-

My smile faltered. "You’re ... sorry?" I asked, trying to retain some of my failing enthusiasm.

"I-I didn't think you'd ... I mean," she mumbled, her words being less than cooperative as she fidgeted. "Earlier, when you dropped your hood, you looked like the pegasus they were after." Blush motioned towards the guard's silhouettes on the storefront windows.

"So I," she swallowed, "kinda let them know...”

My ears flattened as I looked away. I should have known. Traipsing around the city didn’t get me caught, it was doing something nice for somepony.

"But, seeing as they just let you in, you must not be who they were looking for."

"Eh?" was all I could reply with.

"I'm sorry I was so paranoid," Blush continued slightly flustered, "Let me give you a few extra bits, you really came through for me."

-No way. Did you actually get ... lucky?-

Midnight popped behind the register and sprang the till. A hoofful of golden coinage floated out and into a small brown pouch that sealed tight with a drawstring. She levitated it over, held in the shimmering velvet of her magic.

The bag of bits hung most invitingly in front of my face. My ears began their gradual hike back into the upright position as I realized that my work really did pay off. The misfortune of her alerting the watch aside, things were starting to go my way. "O-oh! Uh, that really wasn't necessary but ... thank you!" I grabbed the drawstrings of the coin purse with my teeth as the tingling sensation of her magic vanished.

I stood there like a dumbstruck statue, bit bag still hanging out of my mouth and a goofy looking smile on my face.

-Now we just need to sneak back out the way we came in and-

Another jingle from the door broke my happy reverie. I turned about, all my color draining away as I came face to un-hooded face with the sandy colored guard from the goddamn alley.

"Plate Mail! Here for your usual?" Blush chirped happily.

"You?!" He snarled.

"Me?" I panicked through the moneybag.

-No, I take it back. Life only picks you up so it doesn't have to bend over to punch you.-

Author's Note

We'd like to apologize for the long wait between chapters, but we had been MAJORLY SWAMPED with life related stuff. Hopefully, the next comes out MUCH quicker. Enjoy!