Canterlot Academy: Knights of the Dark Moon

by LordLycaon

Rating: teen
Tags: Trixie, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Main 6, Nightmare Moon
Length: 133569

Twilight Sparkle has just been accepted into the prestigious Canterlot Academy, wherein hides a terrible secret that could bring ruin to all of Equestria and beyond.

The Canterlot Academy is the most renowned and prestigious school in all of Equestria, and Twilight Sparkle is one of its newest students. While busy studying and meeting new ponies, however, a dark secret threatens the way of life of every stallion, mare, and foal. An ancient order is making its return, and seek to resurrect a great and powerful evil. Dark forces are at work, and Twilight must find a way to stop it before the worst possible thing comes to pass.

Co-written by Zodiacspear

Edited by Iamawesome

Cover art by Swirling Line

[img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/OQ7svCsPq1zE_mPTkOZbdav7dxJKwYLIrhKRf9zTWj6Ir7VZfZSV5rIKt_K-71O3z-ZXvRn8yL1ftwsYT1pEg0GiyM-EASPIBOmfeeqIMjYQqgd_qYBZfnDJThiZ8pIi1wNp-yy1Rw[/img]

Published 2014-02-27 22:40:04 UTC
Last updated 2016-03-25 16:51:26 UTC

Twilight Sparkle

Eons ago, in the mystical world of Equestria, there lived four tribes of ponies, each very different from the last.

The earth ponies were considered the most basic of all four tribes, but they held a deep connection to the earth. Though they had no wings or horns, they could wield their innate strength to grow and defend crops and plants with an impressive ease.

The pegasi bore wings, which allowed them to fly. They had the ability to control the weather and walk upon clouds, and even served as the bulk of Equestria’s military, having a long history as a warrior race.

Unicorns could use varying degrees of magic through the use of their horns, able to manipulate the world around them in fantastic and terrifying ways.

Each of these three races, however, paled in comparison to the fourth: the alicorns, who had the horns of unicorns, the wings of pegasi, and the strength of earth ponies. The alicorns wielded power unlike any other. Even the weakest alicorn was said to be strong enough to move the sun with little effort.

As the most powerful of the four tribes, the alicorns took on the role of leading the ponies of Equestria, aiming for a peaceful existence between each tribe. And so it was for many centuries.

Until, one day, when the sun was blotted out by clouds of unnatural shadow, the Darkness came…

As a black veil evil incarnate, it arose from the depths of Tartarus, a land of evil and twisted monsters, arriving with no warning, no mercy, no care for those who called the land home. This accursed menace sought to destroy Equestria and throw the world into an untimely end.

To the horror of all, the alicorns were the first targets.

Despite all of their might, all of their wisdom, and all of their power, the alicorns were slowly and deliberately erased, one by one. As the reign of the Darkness spread, hope died, leaving misery and fear in its place. For if the godlike alicorns could not defeat the Darkness, who could? Ponies began to throw themselves onto their knees, begging for mercy and even worshipping the dreaded evil.

And yet…

Just as all hope had died, and the world seemed lost, six alicorns, the last of their kind, stood to confront the evil. Each of them wielded a new and strange power. Power the likes of which had never been seen before or since: the Elements of Harmony. With these powerful artifacts, they let loose a mighty explosion of magic, which banished the accursed Dark.

Peace had finally been restored to the land, the ponies allowed to live their lives as they had before the fell shadows first made their arrival. The six alicorns, now seen as heroes, took on the role of leadership, and taught their followers of the magic that they had used to defeat the Darkness. Harmony had finally been restored to the world.

Now, countless millennia later, in the city of Canterlot, a new story is about to begin…

-o-

Mile-high flames blanketed half of the city, choking the sky with ash and smoke as a predestined battle raged on. Blasts of gold and black energy clashed against one another as two beings dueled. A beautiful white alicorn mare fired volleys of golden magic from her horn to counter the bolts of dark magic that her opponent, a black unicorn stallion with piercing red eyes, sent at her. The mare gritted her teeth as she conjured a force field to deflect an attack from her enemy, who laughed as though he had already won.

“Your precious kingdom is mine now, Celestia!” he exclaimed in a booming, powerful voice. “Surrender to me, and you may yet live!”

“I don’t think so, Evildoer!” the alicorn replied. “Your reign of terror will end today!”

“Is that so?” the evil unicorn named Evildoer inquired with a cruel grin. Suddenly, he vanished in a flash of dark power. Celestia didn’t even have time to react as a blast of dark magic struck her in the back, sending her to the ground. The dark stallion again laughed victoriously as the alicorn struggled to get back onto her hooves. “This is the end of all that you hold dear, Princess of the Sun! I have won!”

Celestia stared wide-eyed at the sorcerer for almost a full minute. Then, she chuckled, earning a confused glare from the would-be conqueror. “Perhaps you would’ve won,” she said in a teasing tone. “But you failed to take into account the fact that I have a secret weapon.”

“Secret weapon?” the stallion asked, clearly baffled.

“Of course.” Suddenly, the stallion was struck by a blast of purple magic, sending him flying into the air and falling into the concrete ground with an audible thud. The princess smiled at the one who had attacked the vile Evildoer. “You certainly enjoy making an entrance, don’t you?”

“Only when necessary,” said a young purple unicorn mare, whose horn was glowing with a bright pink aura, standing with a hero’s poise and beaming confidently like the master mage that she was. “Sorry I’m late. I was just taking care of his soldiers. They won’t be a problem anymore!”

Just then, a black bolt flew past the young mare, destroying a small cart filled with cabbages. The earth pony that had tried to protect them cried out for the loss of his produce as he was pulled away by several other ponies. The purple mare returned her attention to the dark sorcerer, who had a look of pure rage in his eyes.

“How dare you strike me, you insolent little wretch!” Evildoer exclaimed indignantly. “I’ll turn you into dust for this!”

The purple unicorn smirked confidently. “I’d like to see you try!” she proclaimed as she charged her horn with as much magic as she could. The dark stallion sneered as he did the same. When they had both built up their power, they simultaneously unleashed beams of magic at each other, which collided together. The two unicorns pushed against each other, each trying to gain the upper hoof on the other.

’Twilight...’

The mare flinched slightly at the sound of her name. Had someone just called for her?

'Twilight… get up…'

“Get up?” What did that mean?

'Twilight…'

-o-

“WAKE UP!” a white unicorn stallion shouted, making his little sister shoot out of bed like a rocket. She held herself up in the air, levitating herself with her magic. Her brother raised an eyebrow at her, and she gave an awkward laugh. The stallion sighed and said, “You slept in again, Twily. You’ve gotta stop doing that and learn to wake up earlier.”

Twilight sighed as she floated down to the floor and used her magic to fix her bed. “You always say that, Shining,” she said to her brother as she finished resetting her bed’s sheets to her very particular tastes. “Just because you get up early every day doesn’t mean you have to come barging into my room each morning and scold me about sleeping in.”

Shining Armor rolled his eyes. Twilight was never in an agreeable mood when she wakes up before noon. “Twilight, do you even realize what tomorrow is?”

The young mare gave him a look as if to say “are you serious?” After a few moments, she gave it some thought as she levitated a brush on her nightstand and ran it through her mane. “Tuesday?” she guessed.

The stallion sighed once again. “You’re going to the Academy tomorrow!” he told her rather loudly.

Twilight stopped brushing her hair and dropped the brush on the floor, her eyes wide and her face dumbfounded.

“Have you even decided what you’re going to take with you when you go?”

Twilight gave an awkward smile and said, “O-of course I have! I just… haven’t… packed anything yet. I’ll do that after lunch!”

“It’s eleven in the morning right now,” Shining Armor deadpanned. Twilight stared at him, then at the clock, which read the exact time that her elder brother had specified. “You’d better start getting your things together now, Twily. I don’t think either of us wants another ‘I’m-going-to-be-so-late’ episode.”

“R-right. I’ll get on it.”

Shining gave a nod and left the room at that, closing the door behind him. Twilight sighed and charged her horn, levitating a small book and pen out from under her personal hiding place under her bed. She opened the book and began writing on a blank page.

Journal of Twilight Sparkle, Entry No. 17

Date: September 2, Year 999 of Celestia’s Reign.

How in the world could I forget that I’m going to the Academy tomorrow? I could’ve sworn that I wrote all sorts of reminders so that I wouldn’t forget. Oh well. At least Shining Armor remembered. The Canterlot Academy would probably kick me out if I missed the first day. I need to start taking Shining’s advice and get up earlier.

Because waking up at the crack of dawn should be loads of fun.

Anyway, I need to pick out what I need for when I go. I’ll have to pack the necessities…

She stopped writing and thought to herself for a few moments. A collection of fifty books on Ancient Equestrian history and culture counted as a necessity, right? ‘Hmm… Yes, definitely a necessity. I’ll need to remember to leave enough room in my bags for those books. And maybe a toothbrush, too. And soap for when I need to take a shower. Yes, soap is important.’

Twilight gave a satisfied smile as she finished writing and tucked her journal (it was a journal, no matter how much Shining Armor insisted on calling it a diary) back in its hiding place under her bed. She then turned to the bookshelf that lined her wall from the door to the corner of the room, levitated a travel bag from her closet over to her side. Just as she was about to start stuffing her bag with books, she stopped, staring at the collection of tomes that were each two inches thick at the thinnest. She cocked her head to one side as she tried to think of how she was going to fit them all into her only travel bag.

“This… might actually be a challenge,” she muttered to herself.

-o-

After getting his sister out of bed and getting his guard captain armor together, Shining headed out into town, nodding in response to hellos given by passing civilians and fellow guards. He had worked long and hard to reach his current position. Now that he thought about, it only seemed like yesterday that he had only just started out in the Canterlot Royal Guard. And it only felt like yesterday that Twilight was just a little filly dreaming of getting into the Academy. Where did all that time go?

He wondered about that as he walked. Part of him didn’t want his little sister to leave home, even if it was because she had been accepted into one of the best schools in all of Equestria. This kind of opportunity was a once-in-a-lifetime deal. He couldn’t take that away from his only living family. But he couldn’t fool himself into thinking that the house wouldn’t feel uncomfortably bigger without his little sister.

“Shining!” somepony suddenly called to. He easily recognized the mare’s voice almost immediately and faced her. A bright pink alicorn mare came up to him, a wide smile on her face as she tackled him in tight hug. Her white and pink mane bounced when she took hold of him, covering a bit of her face.

“Cadance!” the stallion exclaimed with a wide grin as he returned the hug. After a few moments, they released each other and kissed briefly. “I didn’t know you were back! When did you arrive?”

“Just last night, actually,” the mare replied. “Auntie Celestia insisted that I stay with her for the night before going out and looking for you. What’ve you been up to? How’s Twilight?”

He hesitated for just a moment. “She’s great,” he said. “She’s been accepted into Canterlot Academy.”

“Oh?” Cadance spoke with a slightly cocked eyebrow. “That’s great. But… you don’t really sound too thrilled about it.”

“Well…”

-o-

Shining and Cadance had found themselves a café to stop at for a drink and to talk. The stallion explained to his marefriend his reservations about letting Twilight leave home for the Academy. Cadance sipped a cup of tea as she thought on what he had just told her. She supposed she could relate somewhat. She had been Twilight’s foalsitter once upon a time, and came to view the little filly as a sort of pseudo-sister. She could understand her coltfriend’s reluctance to let Twilight leave. Still…

“Well, she can’t stay home forever,” the mare stated. “The Academy is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They don’t give second chances.”

“I know, I know,” Shining sighed as he held his head in his hooves over the table. “It’s just… she’s been my only family for a long time now. It almost feels wrong to let her go.”

Cadance wrapped her foreleg around his shoulder and held him. “I know. But, hey, it’s not like she’ll be gone forever, right? She’ll still have to be around for summer, won’t she?”

Shining raised his head a little. “Yeah, I guess.” He chuckled to himself a little. “Look at me. All worried about something that I shouldn’t be worried about at all.”

“You worry too much,” Cadance stated, giving him a teasing nudge. “Twilight will be fine. Has she ever given anypony real reason to worry? Plus, she’s sure to fly through whatever tests they might throw her way. As a bookworm, she gives me a run for my money.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Shining hugged his marefriend closer for a moment before giving her a kiss goodbye. “I’d better get going. The other guard captains will be more than a little angry if I’m late.”

“Have a great day, Shiny,” the bright pink alicorn said with a smile and a wave, earning a blushing grin from her coltfriend. He gave a wave back and hurried off, hoping nopony heard Cadance’s pet name for him. The last thing he needed was for anypony else to call him “Shiny.” From Cadance and his sister, it was fine. Everyone in all of Canterlot? That would be utterly mortifying.

As the stallion left, Cadance couldn’t help but giggle at his reaction to the nickname. 'Macho level down by one point,' she joked to herself as she stood from her seat and trotted off from the café. 'He’s lucky he’s still cute’

-o-

Twilight Sparkle hummed a light tune as she walked through the streets of Canterlot, reading through a shopping list that she held aloft with her magic. She had decided to do some last-minute grocery shopping before tomorrow, just so Shining Armor would have something to eat and drink that wasn’t a microwave meal or popcorn. Or corndogs. She shuddered slightly at that last thought. How a single stallion could blow through half a dozen packs of those things in less than a week was beyond her. Part of her hoped she would never understand. The less she thought about it, the better, she assumed.

She walked down her usual route, taking shortcuts through alleys and past various shops until she reached the Canterlot Central Park, which was basically the city garden. Over the years, she had found that cutting through the park was the quickest way to get to the grocery market, where she and her brother usually got their food and drink. Not only that, but it was also the most scenic. The park always had a way of putting her at ease. She would come often here as a filly to admire the natural beauty, or to study and catalogue the different species of flora and fauna that lived there.

“Excuse me!” a small, shrill voice called out, startling her out of her musings. A young unicorn filly ran up to her, looking like she had just lost something extremely important to her. “Can you help me with something?”

“Uh…” Twilight stared at the filly awkwardly for a moment before actually saying anything. “That… would depend, I guess. What do you need help with?”

The filly pointed up at a nearby tree. Twilight could see a yellow, diamond-shaped object in the tree’s branches, sticking out like a sore hoof in the green of the leaves.

“My kite got stuck up there,” the filly explained. “I saw you were a unicorn, so I thought you could help me get it down.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “But… you’re a unicorn, too, aren’t you? Why don’t you use your own to magic to get it down?”

The filly looked away as if ashamed. “My magic can’t reach very far,” she admitted. “I can’t get my kite from down here. Can you please get it down for me?”

Twilight bit her lip and looked back up at the kite. She sighed, not wanting to disappoint the filly, and charged her horn, reaching out with her magic and pulling the kite free from the tree’s grasp. She levitated down and laid it on the ground in front of the filly, who joyfully picked it up in her teeth and said what sounded like a “thank you” – hard to tell with her mouth full – and trotted off.

Twilight smiled a little as the filly walked away, feeling pretty good about herself. She wasn’t used to anypony coming up to her like that, let alone a foal who couldn’t have been more than seven or eight years old.

Then, the filly stopped by a pair of ponies, both unicorns. Twilight’s smile immediately faded, her high spirits rapidly dimming. Judging by the way those two ponies smiled when the filly came up to them, she could only assume that they were her parents.

Parents… how long had it been since…?

Shaking her head, she turned and headed down the path again. Her simple stroll to the market had quickly become a strange, soul-searching walk through the park. Her memories of her own parents were vague and distant at best. She had never gotten the chance to actually speak with them. She was so young when the accident happened. She barely even knew what happened. All she remembered of that day from so long ago was a bright flash of light. Shining Armor claimed that he didn’t know what actually happened.

“What happened?” she thought aloud, a habit that she had had since she was young.

Then, out of nowhere, she was tackled by a pink blur that seemed to just pop into existence. Both Twilight and the pink form that had hit her practically flew several feet until they crashed into an old statue of an ancient alicorn, one of many that were scattered throughout Canterlot. Twilight, in a sudden fit of panic, bucked the pink thing off of her, her horn glowing and ready to defend herself if at all necessary. Her horn dimmed down when she realized that the pink thing before her was another pony. An earth pony to be exact.

The other mare seemed a bit dazed herself. She ran a hoof through her impossibly poofy light red mane and shook her head. Then she noticed Twilight, her bright blue eyes widening with at least ten thousand apologies.

Which she shared almost immediately.

“OhmygoshI’msosorryIdidn’tmeantocrashintoyoulikethatIwasn’twatchingwhereIwasgoingeventhoughIshould’vebeenIdon’tknowwhyIwasn’tI’musuallysuperduperextracarefulnottobumpintosomeponylikethatanywayI’mPinkiePiewhat’syournameohwhat’sthat!?” The mare suddenly dashed over to the alicorn statue, clearly intrigued.

Twilight could only stare at her in blatantly obvious confusion. She was half certain that she had only caught the first word of that. Everything else was just mindless gibberish to her. “Uh…” the young unicorn replied intelligently. “Hi?”

The pink pony turned to Twilight and giggled at nothing. “Whoop, sorry! I get distracted super easy!” she explained. “And I tend to talk really, really, really, really, really fast. Let me start over.” She cleared her throat. “Sorry about running into you like that. I usually try not to crash into ponies. Anyway, I’m Pinkie Pie! What’s your name?”

“Uh… Twilight Sparkle.” The purple mare eyed the earth pony rather incredulously. “I guess you’re not from around here. There aren’t a whole lot of earth ponies here in Canterlot. It’s mostly unicorns and pegasi.”

“I just moved here!” Pinkie answered giddily. “The ponies here are kinda snooty, though. They don’t seem to appreciate it when I try to make them all laugh.”

“Well, a lot of ponies here aren’t that easy to please,” Twilight admitted. Having lived in Canterlot all her life, she knew for a fact that it wasn’t the ultimate utopia that so many ponies seemed to think that it was. Most ponies that lived in the city were arrogant and had impossible standards. “Anyway, I have some errands to run. It was nice meeting you. I guess.” That last part she muttered quietly enough so that Pinkie Pie couldn’t hear her.

“Wait!” the bright pink mare called as she forcibly turned Twilight’s head toward the alicorn statue. “Can you tell me about that statue? It looks really pretty!”

Twilight rolled her eyes in minor annoyance. Regardless, she eyed the statue for a moment, reminding herself of what she had read in books. The statue depicted an alicorn stallion standing on his left foreleg, a wild grin on his face and a decorative mask over his eyes, his wings spread wide. It was one of six statues here in the Plaza of Heroes.

This plaza in the center of the park stood out as a monument to the rich history of Canterlot’s—and all of Equestria’s—past. The most prominent statues - of which there were many - were the collection of six set in a semicircle looking out on the path, each representing the six heroes who had saved the world from disaster.

“That’s Schallend the Jester, an ancient alicorn hero. According to legend, he was one of the six creators of the Elements of Harmony.” Pinkie “oohed” and “ahhed” as Twilight explained about the statue. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really have to finish those errands that I mentioned.”

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie said, waving goodbye to the purple mare.

Although she felt mentally exhausted just talking to that crazy pony, Twilight had to admit that the brief chat seemed to put her into a better mood than earlier. That out of the way, she got back on her initial path and trotted down to the nearby supermarket. All the while, she had the strangest feeling that that wouldn’t be the last she saw of the wild pink earth pony.

-o-

Twilight smiled as she left the market, several bags of groceries held aloft by her magic as she walked out, crossing off the last few items from the list. Hopefully, this would last her brother for a good while. She had only bought him three packs of corndogs, too, hoping this would teach him some form of moderation. Celestia knows he needed to learn that lesson.

As she walked down the road, she suddenly heard something off to her left, coming from an alley. There, she saw a trio of unicorns. Two stallions and a white mare with a stylishly coiffed purple mane who didn’t look much older than Twilight. The stallions were standing over the mare, talking about something.

“She could be a prime candidate,” one of them said, making the mare visibly cringe. “I say we take her now.”

“Candidate, schmandidate,” the second stallion replied gruffly, grinning at the mare. “I say we have a little fun first, then drag her back to the boss and see what he has to say. Who knows? He might let us keep her.”

The first stallion shrugged in response. “Fine. Have at her.”

The white mare backed away fearfully until her rump hit the building behind her. “P-Please… D-Don’t…”

Twilight’s eyes went wide. She dropped her groceries and headed into the alley without a second thought. “Hey!” she shouted, catching the glares of the two stallions, who turned around to face her with wicked expressions. “Leave her alone, or I’ll call the guards here!” Despite being almost unable to hold her trembling horn straight, she instinctively began charging her horn with magic, preparing to defend herself if necessary.

The stallions eyed her warily, then looked at each other. The one who had spoken first said, “She looks like another possible recruit. Two for the price of one.”

The second stallion grinned maliciously and looked back at Twilight. “I’ll handle this. You just make sure that the other one doesn’t scamper off somewhere.” His partner nodded, and he stepped forward, standing at his full height, clearly trying to intimidate her. His horn glowed with a blue aura. “Folks like you need to learn to mind their own business.”

“Don’t make me tell you again,” Twilight warned, not backing down out of sheer stubbornness. “Back. Off.”

The stallion chuckled and leaned his head forward, closing in until his face was only a few inches from Twilight’s. “And who’s gonna make me?”

Suddenly, he was struck upside the head with a trash can that was enveloped in a light purple aura, matching the color of Twilight’s own aura. He stumbled off a few feet to the left, but recovered quickly and gave a rage-filled glare to the young mare.

“You’re gonna pay for that!” he said as he fired a bolt of magic energy at her. Twilight recoiled at first, but immediately summoned a magical barrier that deflected the bolt out of instinct, sending it hurtling back at the one who fired it. The stallion was sent flying back into a wall, where he collapsed to the ground, knocked out by his own spell. His partner stared wide-eyed at the sight, then looked over at Twilight.

“You’ll get one more warning,” she said, trying to sound threatening. “Leave.”

He needed no further motivation. Leaving his comrade behind, he galloped off out of sight. Twilight sighed as her horn’s glow faded. If she was going to be completely honest, that went much better than she had initially expected. ‘What was I thinking, charging into a fight like that? Shining will kill me if he finds out!’ Shaking that thought out of her head, she hurried over to the white unicorn who was still in the alley, more dumbstruck than afraid now.

“Are you all right?” Twilight asked. “Those guys didn’t hurt you, did they?”

The other mare shook her head and blinked briefly before recollecting her senses. “N-no,” she replied. “They just dragged me into this alley as I was walking by. They started threatening me and… oh, it was dreadful! Thank you so much for your help! How can I ever repay you?”

Twilight chuckled lightly, not used to ponies borderline grovelling to her. “It-it was no problem. You don’t have to do anything. I was only doing what anypony else would’ve done in my position.” She turned to the stallion she had knocked out with that trash can. “I guess I should call a guard to come pick him up.”

“Oh, you let me worry about that, darling!” the other mare said with grin. She extended a hoof. “Please, allow me to introduce myself! I am Rarity Belle, soon-to-be fashion designer extraordinaire! May I have the name of the pony who just saved my life?”

“Uh, Twilight Sparkle.” She shook the other mare’s hoof a bit reluctantly. In all honesty, she wasn’t used to that. “Well, I have a few things to do.”

“Oh! Well, don’t let me keep you! Just know that if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask! I sincerely hope that we meet again someday.”

“Er… right. Until then, I guess.” Twilight gave a somewhat awkward wave goodbye as she and Rarity left the alley and went their separate ways after the white unicorn helped pick up her dropped groceries. She looked back once, and seeing that the other mare was now speaking to a guard a ways off , she muttered to herself. “Today has certainly been more interesting than usual.”

-o-

He gritted his teeth anxiously behind his closed lips as he sat outside his leader’s office, waiting to be allowed in. What should he say? What could he say? That his partner had been taken down by some filly barely at the cusp of adulthood and was probably already under arrest by now? This couldn’t end well for him, no matter what he said.

“Enter,” a voice suddenly said from behind the door, making the stallion jump slightly. He gulped nervously and did as he was told, trotting into the office as his leader read through several papers and files. “I’ve been told that you have bad news for me. What happened, exactly?”

“Well…” He hesitated. His leader was always rather intimidating. The elder stallion could let out an aura of pure authority without even looking at whoever he was talking to. It was what made him both a frightening and inspiring leader. “My partner and I were out looking for possible recruits, like you told us to do, sir. But… we encountered some trouble.” He quickly explained what had happened, silently hoping that he wouldn’t be punished too severely for his failure.

The elder stallion never once took his eyes off of his reading materials. As the other stallion described the event, he searched through the files diligently. When the younger pony finished, he held up one file in particular, eyeing it with a scrutinizing gaze.

“You say it was purple unicorn mare who defeated your comrade?” he inquired. The other stallion nodded. “I see… you are dismissed.”

“Sir?”

“Leave.”

“Er… yes, sir.” The stallion hurriedly left the room, leaving his leader to his thoughts.

The elder studied the file that he held aloft with his own magic. He read through it multiple times, each time making him only more and more curious.

‘Twilight Sparkle,’ he thought, rereading the name underneath the picture of the young mare. ‘I shall have to keep an eye on you. You are… promising.’ That said, he finally put the file down and marked it with a stamp, leaving a circular emblem on the front, and moved onto the next file.

A New School, A New Life

The sun shone brightly in the sky, sending warm light over the city as ponies trotted through the streets, going about their daily lives without a care in the world.

“Coming through!” Two blurs, one purple and one white, shot through the crowds in the roads, galloping as fast as their legs could carry them.

“I told you last night to set your alarm clock!” Shining Armor exclaimed as he hurried alongside his sister, whose saddlebags were practically overflowing with what she thought was necessary for her life at the Academy.

“You already scolded me about that!” Twilight replied frantically. “Let’s just hurry! The last thing I need is to be late on the first day!”

Shining rolled his eyes, muttering to himself as they galloped through the street. “You wouldn’t be late at all if you’d just listen to me every once in a while.”

Twilight could hear him, but she paid his words no mind. She had more important things to worry about. This was the big day. After years of study and practice, Twilight Sparkle was finally about to take her first steps into Canterlot Academy as a student. And, as her luck would have it, she had overslept yet again. She continuously mentally berated herself for it as she ran, praying to whatever deity may have been listening at the time that she’d at least make it in time for orientation.

‘Please, please, please let me make it in time!’ she mentally screamed. And soon enough, she and her brother came across a sight that made her grin and give a sigh of relief. Before them, standing tall and proud, topped in size only by the castle, was the one and only Canterlot Academy. ‘Whoever made this possible, thank you!’

“I guess this means we can stop running,” Shining stated, trotting a little ways ahead of his sister. “Come on. We still have to get you to your dorm before you head for orientation.”

Twilight nodded and followed, grateful for the fact that she didn’t have to run like that again. She had never really liked exerting physical energy that much. It didn’t suit her that well, if she was going to be completely honest with herself and others.

As she followed her brother to the grand school, she couldn’t help but be amazed at the sheer size of the courtyard in front of the Academy, where ponies from all over Equestria were mingling cheerfully. Her eyes brightened as she overheard a few of the conversations. Some of the other ponies were engaged in intellectual chats that she could easily slip her way into with the right timing. She restrained herself, however. She wanted to interject on a few things that she heard, but she didn’t want to be rude. Besides, her social skills were severely lacking. She wouldn’t have any idea what to say in normal conversation.

“This place is incredible!” she said happily, clapping her hooves with a wide grin. “I can only imagine what kind of things I can learn her! History, science, mathematics, magic! This is so exciting!”

Shining Armor chuckled. “Well, I just hope that you at least make time to come for air from all the new books you’re bound to get.” He used his magic to pick up a few quills that had fallen out of Twilight’s bags. “And try not to lose your things in the process, okay?”

The young mare blushed in embarrassment and took the quills from him , storing them back in her saddlebags in an orderly fashion. “Right. Thanks.” The siblings continued touring the courtyard, taking in the sights and sounds. For a mare like Twilight, this academy was paradise.

“Heads up!”

Before either of the two unicorns could react, a ball slammed into the side of Shining Armor’s head, knocking him off of his hooves and dazing him. Twilight gasped at the sudden event, her eyes wide as her feelings of bliss became feelings of anger. Her brother got up pretty quickly, though, to which she was relieved, despite the fact that he was still rubbing the side of his head that had been struck. She turned with a glare at the pony who had called out.

An orange pegasus stallion with an unkempt blue mane and tail stood a few feet away, his eyes wide and embarrassment evident in his cerulean eyes. There were a couple other stallions standing a little ways behind him, laughing quietly at his expense. He gave a sheepish grin, chuckling nervously. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

“What in the hay is wrong with you!?” Twilight shouted at him, making him back away a step. “You could’ve seriously hurt my brother!”

“Uh…” the young stallion said brilliantly, turning his attention to who Twilight assumed must’ve been his friends. They obviously weren’t going to be of much help to him. He gulped, turning his attention back to Twilight. “Er, sorry about that. My buddies and I were-”

“I don’t care what you were doing!” She used her magic to grab the ball that had hit Shining and shoved it into the stallion’s chest. When he had it in his hooves, Twilight returned to her brother. “Next time, watch where you throw your ball.”

“Come on, Twilight,” Shining said, lowering his hoof from his head. “It’s not that bad. I’ve been through worse in training with my unit in the Royal Guard.”

“Maybe, but that’s no excuse.” The mare turned and began trotting off, dropping the matter, but undoubtedly not yet letting it go. Shining sighed at his sister’s stubbornness. Just one of her many quirks.

“Sorry about my sister,” he said to the younger stallion. “She’s a bit high-strung, but she’s got a good heart.”

The orange pegasus nodded with an understanding smile. “It’s all right. I’d be pretty miffed if somepony hit someone from my family with a hoofball, too.” Shining chuckled a bit at that, then unconsciously began to study the colt with an analytical eye. Looking at the pegasus, he guessed he was around Twilight’s age, about fifteen or so, and he seemed like the honest sort.

“Shining!” called Twilight’s voice from behind. “Come on! I want to go find out where I’ll be staying before I go to orientation!”

“Coming, sis!” Shining called back, turning briefly to say goodbye to the younger stallion before hurrying over to join his sister. The orange pegasus was soon joined by one of his friends, a unicorn stallion, who had an amused smirk on his face.

“That was smooth, Flash,” the unicorn said with a chuckle.

“Oh, shut up, Comet,” the pegasus replied with a glare.

-o-

Twilight and Shining walked down the hall of the girls’ dorm, searching for the room that the mare at the counter downstairs had given them the key to. They had been looking around for a while, passing several mares who gave Shining Armor either suspicious glances, foalish giggles, or suggestive winks. To the latter, he would only give a nervous chuckle and continue with Twilight down the hall.

Once again, Twilight was amazed at the sheer size of the Academy. This time, it was the dorms that astounded her. This one building had over twelve hundred rooms, each meant for two students to stay in. Heck, the entire campus was so huge that half of the school actually had to be constructed inside the mountain upon which Canterlot had been built. Despite the building’s stature (or more likely because of it), it was still unlikely that she would have roommate, which would’ve been just fine with her. She preferred her solitude anyway.

She looked up at each door they passed, trying to find the one she’d been assigned. She looked down at the card that came with her key. “Room 1010,” she read aloud. Looking back up, she noticed that they were now passing the 990s. “It should be just ahead. At least, I hope so.”

“Found it,” Shining spoke up suddenly, pointing to a door that had the number they had been looking for, to which Twilight gave a sigh of some relief. She levitated her key into the lock and turned, pushing the door open with her hoof. What she saw caught her off guard.

The far half of the room was already decorated with several posters of ponies that Twilight recognized as premiere members of the Wonderbolts, the most famed and skilled fliers in all the world. The second bed was fixed up with more Wonderbolts merchandise; a Wonderbolts comforter, a Wonderbolts pillowcase, even a plushy of the Wonderbolt named Soarin. On the floor were an exercise mat and a few small weights that were decently well organized from lightest to heaviest.

Just to mix things up a bit, there was a collection of several books on the shelf above the bed. They were all titles that Twilight recognized as adventure novels that she herself had read several times, and she took that as a good sign that at least her roommate wouldn’t be a complete jock. They might even have something worth talking about occasionally.

For some reason, the two desks in the room – Twilight assumed they were there for her and her roommate to work on – were both pushed further away from the far half, which made the near half feel a bit more cramped. At first, she thought it was to make room for the mat and weights, but the desks didn’t actually take up that much space. Everything in the room seemed like it would’ve fit perfectly, but her roommate must not have thought so.

Shining Armor entered the room behind her, raising an eyebrow at the décor. “Somepony certainly likes the Wonderbolts,” he chuckled.

“Apparently,” Twilight agreed as she levitated her saddlebags off of her back and set them on what would become her own bed. She then pulled out all of her belongings; quills, inkwells, notepaper, several books, etc. She quickly and methodically organized them on her desk and the shelves on the wall behind her bed. When she finally finished, she smiled at her handiwork. “That ought to do it,” she mused.

Her brother nodded his agreement and gave her a brief hug. “You know I’m gonna miss you, right, Twily?”

“I’m going to miss you, too, Shiny,” Twilight replied, hugging her brother back.

“You take care of yourself, you hear?” Shining said in an attempt to be stern, but he couldn’t hold back a proud smile. “Don’t get in too much trouble, okay?”

The young mare gave a light giggle. “You worry too much. I’ll be fine.”

Shining Armor grinned and pulled his sister into a light noogie, the young mare giggling under the action. “I know you will.” After a moment, he released her, his smile shrinking a little. “Sorry I can’t go with you to your orientation, sis. Work’s been pretty hectic lately.”

Twilight nodded understandingly. Her brother’s work as a member of the elite Royal Guard was important, especially with his rank of captain. He not only had to manage the troops under him, but he had to report directly to Princess Celestia herself, not to mention the shocking amount of paperwork he went through on a weekly basis. He often complained that paperwork would be his downfall someday, and having seen some of the mountains of it herself, she couldn’t really blame him for claiming such.

His career had gotten a bit more tedious lately as well. Strange disappearances had been plaguing the city recently, with the oddest part being that the disappearing ponies always came back after around a week or so without even the slightest memory of ever going anywhere. It was a case that had started up eight months ago, and had yet to be solved properly. Twilight knew that that called for a lot of attention from the Royal Guard. She had even tried on a few occasions to help her brother figure out what was going on. She never found anything, unfortunately. She had even shared with her brother the story of how she helped that white unicorn mare in that alley. Only one of the thugs had been apprehended; the one she had knocked out. However, he had disappeared from his cell overnight, removing a prime suspect for the recent vanishings.

Twilight shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to think about things like that. “It’s all right. You go get to work. Don’t worry about me.”

“What kind of brother would I be if I didn’t?” Shining quipped with grin, giving his sister one last hug before leaving the room. “I’ll be sure to visit when I can.”

“You do that, BBBFF” Twilight said with a warm smile, waving goodbye as her Big Brother Best Friend Forever closed the door behind him, leaving Twilight to her own devices.

She looked around the room for a few moments, acclimatizing herself with the relatively large space, though she soon started eyeing the desks. She pursed her lips slightly and levitated both desks just about an inch off the ground, moving them closer to the center of the wall that they’d been placed by, being careful not to disturb the exercise equipment on the floor. Once the desks were set where she’d have more space available, she nodded to herself and gently set the them back onto the floor.

With that done, her eyes soon drifted over to the far half of the room, where all the Wonderbolts paraphernalia was. Without really thinking about it, she levitated the Soarin plushy over to her, studying it thoroughly and comparing it with the poster that depicted said pegasus. It was a really good likeness, she had to admit. It was rather cutesy size-wise, but still looked similar enough that it was easy to discern who it was.

She was just about to send the plushy back over to the other bed when the door suddenly opened, and a sky blue pegasus with a rainbow mane walked in, scratching behind her ear with her wing. She bore a cutie mark of a cloud shooting a rainbow-colored lightning bolt. She took a few steps forward into the room, then stopped when she saw Twilight with the plushy. Her cerise eyes went slightly wide for a moment, but quickly shrunk back to a more casual size.

There was an awkward silence that persisted for a few moments, with both mares just staring at each other in stunned quiet. Eventually, the pegasus cleared her throat and nodded towards the plushy.

“You mind putting that back?” she asked, though it sounded more like a demand. “It kinda belongs to me.” She had a small, embarrassed blush that she tried to hide behind a serious expression. Twilight smiled sheepishly and set the toy back on Wonderbolts-themed bed.

“Sorry,” Twilight replied quickly. “Couldn’t help myself.”

“Uh-huh.” The rainbow-maned pegasus went over to the far side of the room and looked around for a little bit, as if making sure everything was still where she originally left it. After a few seconds, she nodded, apparently satisfied, and turned to Twilight. “So, I guess you’re my new roommate, huh?”

“It would seem so, yes,” Twilight answered. She cleared her throat and held out her hoof. “I’m Twilight Sparkle. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Rainbow Dash,” the other mare said with a cocky smirk, shaking Twilight’s hoof a bit roughly. “Guess we might as well get to know each other, since it looks like we’re gonna be living together for a while.”

At that statement, Twilight hesitated. She’d been hoping she’d have a room all to herself. She hadn’t actually planned for conversation with anypony. She didn’t really know where to start. Normally, whenever she met somepony new, Shining Armor would do a lot of the talking, and she’d only interject whenever she felt it was really necessary (which, she would admit, was a very seldom occurrence). She wasn’t shy by any means. She just didn’t really know how to talk to ponies. She would often come off as a bit too blunt, or even arrogant, and would, admittedly, take things too seriously, and occasionally blow the tiniest things out of proportion. Conversation was her basically her ultimate nemesis.

“So…” she said intelligently. “What brought you to the academy? No offense, but you don’t really seem the type to come to a place like this.”

Rainbow chuckled at that and plopped down on her bed, still grinning that cocky, borderline arrogant smirk of hers. “With most ponies, you’d probably be right,” she admitted. “But I’ve got goals, see? I wanna get into the Wonderbolts someday, and Canterlot Academy is just another step towards that goal. I got here on a sports scholarship, but don’t think for a minute that that means I’m-” She stopped suddenly, staring over at the desks. “Uh… did you, er, move the desks?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at that. Where had that come from? “Well, yeah. They were kind of cramping up my half of the room, so I moved them closer to the middle of the wall. Is that a problem?”

“No!” Rainbow suddenly blurted, making Twilight jump back a little. “I mean, no, not really. It’s just, uh…” She looked around for a moment, quickly settling on her exercise equipment. “I just, uh, need a lot of space when I exercise. My routine kinda takes me all over the place sometimes, and I need plenty of space is all.” She gave a slightly awkward smile at that, to which Twilight only grew a tad more skeptical.

“O-kay, then. I guess I can just move them back.” Rainbow nodded appreciatively as Twilight’s horn glowed once more, levitating the desks back to where the pegasus had them earlier. She would’ve asked why she had reacted like that, but figured it’d be for the best not to pry. It was probably just a pegasus thing anyway. She recalled reading somewhere that most pegasi are naturally uncomfortable in closed-in spaces.

She went back over to her own bed and began organizing her things to pass the time until orientation, levitating books, pens, and notebooks onto shelves, then sorting her bed sheets onto the mattress. She could hear Rainbow Dash humming some tune as she read one of those adventure books that Twilight had noticed earlier. After a few minutes, all of Twilight’s possessions were organized perfectly, with books set in alphabetical order, writing utensils arranged by frequency of use, and her bedsheets fixed so firmly that she could’ve bounced a coined off of them.

Nodding proudly, she turned to check the clock that she brought with her, which sat on the desk nearest her bed. Her eyes widened in panic, her jaw dropping.

“Orientation is in two minutes!” she screamed, making Rainbow practically shoot out of her bed with a startled shout. She gave Twilight a glare for a moment, before her expression turned just as panicky when the unicorn’s announcement sank in.

“I am not gonna be late!” she proclaimed, immediately zooming out of the room and down the hall with a rainbow blur.

“Hey, wait up!” Twilight galloped as fast her legs could carry her, zipping past a blue unicorn as she ran.

An azure unicorn watched as violet mare darted out of sight, her eyes wide with recognition. “Is that…?” she mumbled to herself. She shook her head. “No, it couldn’t be.” Shaking off the thought, she hurried down the hall as well, but at a much more careful pace. She didn’t want to be late for orientation, but there was no point in looking exhausted when she got there.

-o-

There was already a fairly large gathering of ponies in the Academy’s amphitheater, which made Twilight feel as though she was already late. She absolutely loathed the idea of being tardy for an event like this. Or… well, anything, really.

Rainbow Dash had zoomed off somewhere into the upper balconies to get the best view possible, leaving the young unicorn by her lonesome. That was fine, though. She made her way down the aisles to try and find a free seat with a decent view of the stage, where several ponies – whom she assumed were high-ranking faculty – made some last minute preparations for orientation. The unicorns in the group were holding numerous heavy objects all at once with magic, some even setting things around perfectly without even paying direct attention to whatever they were manipulating.

Seeing this made Twilight pause, grinning with eagerness and excitement. She was going to be learning from these ponies soon! She was going to learn from the best of the best until she reached the point where only the best of the best of the best could teach her. She be just a few steps closer to-

Her thoughts were interrupted when somepony bumped into her, making her stumble a few steps forward. “Hey!” she shouted, turning on her hooves angrily. “Watch where… you’re…” She trailed off slowly, realizing that the pony who bumped into her was much taller than her. Slowly, she raised her head upward, taking in the sight before her. “… going…”

She had no more words beyond that. The pony in front of her was a pure white mare wearing ornamental, golden accessories on her hooves, around her neck, and a golden tiara upon her flowing, aurora-like mane. Her wings, which were folded upon her back, were large and would’ve been imposing if they were unfurled, her horn bearing a constant, slight glow of power. She towered over the lavender unicorn by at least three or four feet, her serene, pink-magenta eyes betraying an ancient, arcane wisdom that no other pony could ever match. She could feel strength practically radiating off the taller mare, who held herself with a composure that not even the two guard flanking her could match together. Before Twilight was no ordinary pony.

“P-P-P-P-Pr-Prin…” She was utterly dumbstruck, slumping to her haunches in shock and awe. In the background, she could hear whispers of awe and amazement, but just barely. There were no words to describe what was going on through her head right now.

The snow white alicorn gave a light laugh. “I do tend to have that effect on ponies, don’t I?” she inquired to one of the guards that was accompanying her, who nodded with a small, amused smile of his own. The alicorn looked back at Twilight, who was still stammering. “You needn’t worry, Twilight Sparkle. I don’t bite.”

At the mention of her name, Twilight shook her head, breaking her dumbfounded silence. “Pr-Princess Celestia, you… you know my name?” she asked.

The Princess of the Sun gave another light laugh. “Yes. Your brother Shining Armor speaks very highly of you.” She leaned in closer to the much younger mare, who still bore a look of unabashed shock. “Based on what I’ve heard from him, I expect to see great things from you someday. This Academy may even teach you more than you bargained for.” She raised her head again. “Now, I must go and speak with the headmaster. I suggest you find yourself a seat.”

Twilight stumbled with her words for a moment, but quickly assured the princess that she’d do just that before hurrying off to find a good spot. Celestia once again chuckled at this, until she felt a hoof on her shoulder.

“Your Highness,” one of her guards said, “we really should be going. We don’t want to keep Headmaster Stargazer waiting.”

Celestia nodded and led the way to the stage, all the while thinking back to the unicorn she had just met. She truly did expect to see the young mare do incredible things in the future.‘You have a great future ahead of you, Twilight Sparkle,’ she thought with a smile. She didn’t need to meet the mare in person to know that. That child had a destiny. Whether that destiny was for good or ill had yet to be seen.

Orientation, Then a Few Faces

The chatter all around the amphitheater was a steady drone as Twilight took a vacant seat, her mind still reeling from her accidental bump into the princess. She knew that Shining Armor spoke with the ruler of Equestria on occasion, but never once thought that he would have mentioned her. She still couldn’t believe she had almost yelled at the regal alicorn. Yes, it was an accident, but one does not yell at the Princess of the Sun. A few of the other students who had seen the encounter gave her understanding looks. She lowered her head at them in embarrassment; she was not used to strangers paying any mind to her.

All conversation stilled as the lights dimmed and an elderly unicorn stepped up to the podium. His mane was a mix of grays, his original coloring lost to age. His coat was a slate gray, maybe silver in hue - it was difficult to tell for certain from where she sat - but she could not make out his cutie mark.

“Good morning students,” he addressed the gathering. His voice held a tone that Twilight recognized from some of her brother’s elder colleagues in the Royal Guard; strong, strict, and carrying a certain authority earned from years of experience. “As most of you are aware, I am Stargazer, headmaster of Canterlot Academy. I want to welcome you all to the first day of the school year.” He paused to clear his throat. “I also wish to bid you all the best of luck as you pursue your studies. Once orientation is completed, you will need to speak with your advisors for your class schedules. If you ever need to speak to me over concerns or advice, know that my door is always open.”

He looked over the assembly a moment more before continuing. “I wish now to turn over the podium to Princess Celestia, as she wishes to address you all for the new year.” He turned away from the podium as the princess walked up beside him. “My lady.” He nodded in respect before taking his seat.

The princess smiled warmly at the old unicorn before turning to face the assembled students. “Fillies and gentlecolts, I, too, wish to welcome you to another year at Canterlot Academy,” her voice rang out throughout the amphitheater, and a small cheer went up at her words. “With that said, I want to wish you all the best of luck in the paths you have chosen for yourselves. The road ahead will likely be a difficult one for you all, but always remember that you are the ones in charge of your destinies. Canterlot Academy is here to aid you in your pursuits, and you are all equally capable of obtaining your desires.” She smiled softly at the rapt attention she was receiving. “Each of you are full of potential, potential that only you can realize.”

Twilight listened to the princess’s words and took them to heart. She felt uplifted, like she could take on the most daunting of challenges and come out on top. She blinked, as it seemed that Princess Celestia was looking directly at her.

“As difficult as things may seem, always remember to believe in yourself, and that you can do anything you put your mind to.” The princess’s gaze moved on then, leaving Twilight wondering if that was meant specifically for her. She shook her head at the silly idea.

“As you go about your studies, always remember your fellow students are just like you. They, too, seek their dreams, and as such, you should not hesitate in seeking them out for help if you need it.” She smiled wider. “I know from experience that a good friend or two can always make a hard day of study that much more fun.” A small laugh rippled through the crowd.

“With that, my little ponies, I wish you all the very best in your pursuits. Have a good day, and enjoy your time at Canterlot Academy.” She stepped back from the podium as the crowd applauded for their princess. She cast one more look at them before stepping off the stage, followed by her two guards.

Stargazer returned to the podium. “Thank you, princess, for those motivational words.” He addressed the students a final time. “We will now dismiss for lunch. Remember to gather your schedules. Classes will begin tomorrow morning. You are dismissed.”

As Twilight followed her fellow students out of the amphitheater, her mind was still lost in Celestia’s words. She couldn’t help but feel they were directed at her specifically. Again she shook the notion away. She was just another student at the Academy, and was no more important than any of her peers. She was nopony special, and it wasn’t right that she think otherwise.

-o-

To say that the cafeteria was packed was an understatement. The first day back and the kitchen staff had prepared their most popular item just for the grateful returning students: corndogs! Students were lined up to purchase two or three at a time, and the kitchen staff readily obliged.

To say that Twilight was disgusted by this fact was yet another understatement. Corndogs were a meal her brother loved to cook for them whenever he had the opportunity; frankly, she was sick of them. She sat alone at a table enjoying a nice daffodil sandwich and some hay fries. She was pouring over her schedule as she ate, committing the names and locations of her classes to memory, but she also reminded herself to make a couple of physical notes to remind her in the event that she forgot these vital details.

The fact that she sat alone did not bother her in the least; in fact, she preferred it. She knew next to nopony at the Academy, and conversation with strangers was an awkward notion at best.

As if Fate had other plans for her, she heard a voice behind her that she vaguely remembered from somewhere. “Darling, I had no idea you were also attending the Academy!”

Twilight turned to see the white mare she had helped from the street thugs the other day. The unicorn’s mane was still stylishly curled, and she wore a light pink scarf around her neck. A tray of food was levitating in front of her as she looked at Twilight. A trio of stallions stood behind her; they seemed to be following the mare around almost religiously.

“Do you remember me, dear? From the other day?” the white unicorn asked.

“Uh… yeah, you’re…” she hesitated; she could not remember the unicorn’s name for the life of her.

The unicorn smiled softly. “Rarity,” she supplied. “It's good to see you again, Twilight. Do you mind if I sit?”

Twilight hesitated but nodded, allowing the other unicorn to sit beside her.

“Oh, bother, I forgot to get something to drink,” Rarity said with some melodramatics. She turned to look at her three stallion followers. “Could one of you be a dear and get me some hot tea please?” She batted her eyelashes at them.

“Of course, Miss Rarity!” one said. “Anything for you!”

“I’ll get it!” the second said quickly.

“Like hay you will!” the third said. The three rushed off, jostling with each other to accommodate her desires.

“What was that about?” Twilight asked, watching the three run off looking like fools.

“Hm? Oh, they’re my valet. A proper lady should have those in waiting to see to her needs,” Rarity said with a playful wink. “They truly are good ponies, just… overzealous.”

Twilight watched as the three stumbled around and snorted.

“So tell me, dear. What is it you plan to study here at the Academy?”

Twilight smiled, ever one to discuss her areas of study. “I’ve come to study magic, astronomy, astrology, and history to name a few. Magic has always been something of an interest for me. There are so many things to learn from it. Starswirl the Bearded is a great inspiration for me. Did you know he created over a thousand new spells during his time? I can’t wait until I get a chance to study some of his work! The possibilities of magic are virtually limitless-”

Twilight stopped as she realized she was rambling; a rosy blush spread across her face. “I’m sorry. I tend to get carried away about my interests.”

Rarity gave her an understanding smile. “Oh, it’s quite alright, darling. I completely understand. I’d be lying if I said I never do the same thing.”

Twilight coughed uncomfortably. “So what is it you study, Rarity?” she asked.

“Oh, I’m here to study the arts,” she replied as she took a bite of her salad.

A soft frown tugged at the corner of Twilight’s mouth. “Didn’t you say you were going to be a famous fashion designer?”

Rarity nodded, using her magic to keep her scarf from dipping into her salad. “Indeed so, but I am going to study many different art forms. One simply never knows where or when one will find creative inspiration. I cannot turn a blind eye to other forms of art if I wish to be known as an artist.”

Twilight tilted her head thoughtfully. “I guess you’re right. I hadn’t really thought of it that way.”

“You see, Twilight? We already inspire each other. I can tell we’re going to be the best of friends.”

Twilight smiled a bit (rather awkwardly, really), and the three stallions returned. One, the pegasus of the three, gently carried a small saucer with a teacup between his wings as he tried to keep his fellows from spilling it.

“Here you go, Miss Rarity,” he said, placing the tea cup down beside her.

“Thank you, darling,” she smiled at him. The stallion beamed brightly at her compliment while the other two looked at him with looks of utter jealousy.

Twilight gave the three an undisguised look of disgust, shaking her head.

Her gaze suddenly darted behind them and hardened as she spotted a familiar orange-coated, blue-maned pegasus approach her table. It was the same one who had brained her brother with a hoofball earlier.

Just as he raised a hoof to greet her, the three stallions were suddenly between him and the two mares. Their glares causing him to step back in surprise by their hostility.

“Just where do you think you’re going?” one demanded.

“Nopony speaks to miss Rarity unless we say so,” said the second.

“Yeah, shove off, buddy,” the third groused.

“I… uh, wasn’t, er…” Flash stuttered under the evil glares of the three.

“Now, now, boys, let’s not be rude,” Rarity chided them; she turned her blue-eyed gaze to the pegasus. “Did you need something?”

“I… ah, wanted to talk to her,” he said, pointing to a scowling Twilight.

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. You hit my brother in the head with a ball earlier, so leave,” she said harshly.

Rarity looked to him in surprise. “Is this true?”

“Well, yeah, but it was an accident. I swear.”

“You heard the lady,” one of the stallions said. “Get lost.”

“Yeah!” said the third of the trio.

“Boys!” Rarity chided firmly and the three backed down obediently. She then looked at Twilight. “Come now, dear, he seems earnest in his desire to apologize. At least hear him out.”

Twilight glowered a moment before huffing. “Fine.”

Flash looked first at the three stallions, their gazes threatening swift retribution if he tried anything, and then looked at Twilight. “I’m sorry for hitting your brother with the ball earlier. It was an honest accident. I really am sorry.”

She looked to him a moment before letting go of her anger. “Apology accepted, but watch what you’re doing next time.”

He smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”

Her ears leveled in annoyance. “Don’t call me that. My name is Twilight Sparkle.”

“I’m Flash Sentry. I’m looking to join the Academy’s hoofball team”

“So I figured,” she said dryly.

“Well, I’m also looking to join the Royal Guard when I graduate.”

An eyebrow shot up at that proclamation. “My brother’s a captain in the Royal Guard. You’re going to have to try harder than that if you’re trying to impress me.”

Rarity clopped her hooves together and cleared her throat, getting the attention of the pegasus and her fellow unicorn. “Well, it seems everything is forgiven.” She looked at Twilight. “Have you had a chance to explore the academy grounds yet, Twilight?”

She shook her head, pointedly turning her attention away from Flash. “No, I was… in a bit of a hurry this morning. All I’ve seen is the dormitory and the amphitheater.”

Rarity’s eyes practically sparkled. “We shall have to rectify that. After lunch, I will gladly show you around.”

Twilight shifted in her seat; she had really wanted to get some pre-class studying done. “That really isn’t necessary-”

Rarity waved a hoof dismissively. “Oh, pish. I insist, dear. After you helped me, it is only right that I help you in return.”

“I’ll go, too. Figure I can make it up to you somehow,” Flash said.

“You don’t have to-” Twilight started.

“That would be lovely, Flash. Now come, let us enjoy our lunch before it gets cold.” She looked to her salad and cooling tea. “Colder,” she rectified.

-o-

After lunch, Twilight, Rarity, Flash, and the three sycophants took a quick tour of the Academy grounds. They showed Twilight the various classrooms, fields, and administrative buildings; they even helped her find where her classes would be located, at her insistence.

Twilight was not sure how she felt walking with the other ponies. She enjoyed Rarity’s company enough, tolerated Flash, but felt nothing of the other three. Their constant fawning and fighting over Rarity’s attention was disgusting to say the least.

“And these are the science and zoology buildings. It’s where students go to further their education in those fields of study. It houses a large indoor arboretum, where certain plants and animals can be studied in a hooves-on manner,” Rarity explained.

Twilight whistled softly as she peered through the glass panes of the arboretum. It looked like a small forest was contained inside. She could see many different plants and animals from where she stood, from tropical trees and vines, to scurrying rodents and large reptiles (she cringed at the sight of an anaconda lounging on a tree branch). She could easily see that anypony studying zoology would be perfectly content here.

They looked to the side as a butter-yellow pegasus with a long pink mane exited the arboretum. She had a soft smile on her face, and was humming a tune that Twilight didn’t recognize. She sported a trio of pink butterflies as her cutie mark.

“Fluttershy, hello to you,” Rarity greeted as she approached her.

The pegasus started at the sudden greeting and turned. “Oh, Rarity, hello to you, too.”

“I’m sorry, darling. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Rarity said apologetically.

“Y-You didn’t. I was just thinking.” She looked to the assembled ponies. “Are these your friends?”

“Indeed, they are. This is Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry, both new students, like myself, and, of course, you know the infamous trio,” she said, motioning to her entourage.

The yellow mare smiled softly and looked at Twilight. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said in a soft voice.

“You, too.” Twilight smiled. “Are you a new student as well?”

“Oh, n-no.” She lowered her head shyly. “This is my second year here. I’m a sophomore.”

“I see. Is zoology your field of study?”

Fluttershy’s whole body suddenly perked up. “Oh, yes! I love working with animals. I hope that when I graduate, I can become a veterinarian,” she said a bit more boldly. “It’s so nice to see all the animals happy when I help them. What do you study, Twilight?”

Before she could answer there was a loud gasp. “It’s you!”

Twilight turned in time to be face to face with a pink mare with a bouncy, curled, pink mane. Twilight recognized the mare with a faint wince.

“You’re the nice pony who told me all about that alicorn statue! I didn’t know you were going to the academy, too! Gee, if I’d known, I would’ve welcomed you, or maybe even gotten you a present!” she said excitedly, with an impossibly wide and friendly smile. “So, Twilight, was it? What are you gonna study?”

“Uh… Pinkie Pie, right?” Twilight asked.

“Yepper!” she confirmed.

“Can you take a step back, please? You’re sort of standing on my hoof.”

Pinkie looked down and quickly stepped off of Twilight’s hoof. “Oops! Sorry! I was just so excited that I got to see you again!”

“Pinkie, you shouldn’t run up on somepony like that. You could startle them,” Fluttershy admonished her. It was obvious to Twilight that the two were familiar with each other.

“Heh, heh, sorry about that,” Pinkie said with a giggle. Twilight sighed.

“It’s all right, Pinkie. As for your question, I’m here to study magic and other subjects I find interesting, but mainly magic.” She looked to the chipper mare a moment before asking. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you studying, Pinkie? You really don’t seem like the type of pony for the Academy.”

“Actually, I’m here because I apparently tested out to have an I.Q. of 210. I guess that means I’m super smart or something, which was a surprise to everypony, even me! The Academy even offered to pay to have me come here. As for what I study, I guess just a little bit of everything.” She smiled wide and casually, as if her revelation was completely ordinary.

Everypony’s jaw, save for Fluttershy’s, hit the ground. An I.Q. of 210 is the level of a genius! Twilight didn’t know what to think. The pink mare seemed far too airheaded to have an I.Q. of that caliber.

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” she said cheerily at their expressions. “Don’t really know why, though.”

Fluttershy looked to the still-stunned Twilight. “Oh, by the way, do you happen know of another pegasus named Rainbow Dash?”

Twilight shook her head to clear away the shock. “Yes, she and I are dorm roommates. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, she mentioned a purple unicorn who was staying in the same room as her. I just wanted to make sure it was you and not another Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight was taken aback. “You know her?” She would never have guessed that the brash pegasus was friends with the shy mare in front of her. “I hope she didn’t say anything too unflattering.”

“She didn’t,” Fluttershy assured her. “And yes, we’ve been friends since we were foals.”

They looked around as a large bell was struck a total of five times, its noise echoing all across the Academy.

“That’s the evening bell. We should probably all head back,” Rarity said. “It was certainly nice meeting you, Twilight, Pinkie Pie. I hope we can all talk with each other again soon.” She waved to them before departing with her entourage.

“I should head back, too; the guys will wonder what I've been doing all day.” Flash gave them a quick, improper salute before departing.

“Should be about supper time,” Pinkie said happily. “I hope they have cake for dessert!” She bounded happily down the hallway.

Fluttershy watched them go with a soft smile. “Bye, Twilight. I hope I see you again.”

Twilight bid her a returning farewell before she left as well.

-o-

As she made her way towards the mares’ dormitory, her mind drifted once again, thinking back about the ponies she’d met today. Rarity and Fluttershy she could see as friends (even if she wasn’t used to the idea yet). Pinkie Pie would probably take some getting used to, but there was no doubt that the mare was friendly. Her I.Q. was a point of interest, however; Twilight had never had a friend to share her enthusiasm for academic discussions with, and briefly wondered if Pinkie might be the pony to change that. To be honest, though, she couldn’t really see her holding still long enough to ever engage a topic seriously, yet Twilight decided to not entirely dismiss the thought. After all, the pink mare seemed to be anything but predictable. She was still on the fence about Flash. The other three, however, she had more or less dismissed entirely.

She shook her head. Now was not the time for thinking about friends she wasn’t sure she actually wanted in the first place. She had schoolwork and studying to do. There was no time for friends if she was going to be the best student at the Academy for magic.

“Pardon me,” she heard a male voice say.

She looked at the speaker. It was an earth pony stallion; his coat was an auburn color, and his medium-length, gray mane hung over both sides of his neck. His hazel eyes looked to her quizzically as she noted his spyglass cutie mark.

“Um, yes, can I help you?” she asked him.

He smiled a bit sheepishly. “I’m lost. Could you tell me where the stallions’ dormitory is? Is it that one?” He pointed to the nearby dormitory for mares.

“No, that one is for the mares. The one you want is over there.” She pointed across the open field to a similar building that also entered the mountainside.

“Ah, right in front of my face. If it was a snake, it would’ve bit me.” He smiled goodnaturedly. “Thanks… ah, I didn’t get your name, did I?”

“Shouldn’t you give your name first? It’s usually customary when making introductions.”

He chuckled. “I suppose you’re right. Mom always said I had the tact of a troll. I’m Wanderer, soon to be Equestria’s greatest adventurer!”

“An adventurer?” she echoed incredulously. “What do you study for that?”

“History’s a big one, as is geography, physical education, some zoology, survival techniques, things like that. Have to know a lot to be an adventurer,” he said with a wide smile.

“That’s… interesting,” she said in a halfhearted voice. She had never thought of an adventurer’s lifestyle before. It truly didn’t seem to be something she would be interested in. Maybe for research purposes, but that was about it.

“Yeah, it is.” He looked towards the stallions' dorms. “Well, I gotta go. Thanks for the help, uh... I still don't think I got your name."

"It's Twilight," she answered. "Twilight Sparkle."

Wanderer gave a small grin. "Well, if you ever need anything, Twilight Sparkle, just ask. I’ll help you out however I can. See you.” He trotted off towards the building across the field.

Twilight watched him go. The Academy took in more ponies that she had first thought.

-o-

As she approached her dorm room, she could hear her roommate speaking with another pony. Twilight frowned; she had hoped for a quiet night to study, but that hope seemed to be in vain.

She opened the door and saw her roommate reclining on her bunk and another mare leaning on the wall as they chatted. This other mare was an orange earth pony with a long blonde mane that was tied at the end with a small red scrunchie, with her tail done up in a similar manner. She wore an old Stetson hat and had a trio of red apples as her cutie mark.

“Hey there, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash greeted her. “Fluttershy told me that you got the big tour from Rarity. How’d you like that?”

Twilight shrugged. “It was all right. I at least got to see where my classes are.” She looked at the orange mare. “Um, hello.”

“Howdy, partner,” the mare replied. She had a strong, very obviously southern accent.

“This is my friend Applejack,” Rainbow introduced.

“So, you're Rainbow’s roommate? Nice ta meet ya, Twilight.” She offered her hoof for a shake.

Twilight shook the offered hoof and grimaced. The orange mare had a very strong grip. “So what are you studying, Applejack?”

“Just what Ah need ta get inta the Royal Guard. Been wantin’ ta join’em since Ah was a little filly.”

“The Royal Guard?” she asked, surprised by this.

“Yeah. Got inta the Academy on a sports scholarship. The Academy is the place fer me ta see mah dreams come true, ya know? I wanna join ‘em so ah can be protectin’ mah family and Equestria the right way.”

Twilight nodded, her brother had done the same thing. “My brother is in the Royal Guard,” she offered. “He even came here himself. It put him on the fast track to joining the Guard. He’s already a captain.”

Applejack smiled. “Boy, howdy, ain’t that somethin’. Might be Ah’ll get ta know’em then.”

“You might.” She smiled faintly.

“Well, Ah’ll let you two be. Gotta get some shut-eye in before class tomorrow. Ah’ll be seein’ ya, RD. Good to meet ya, Twi,” the mare said before leaving.

Twilight smiled faintly. The orange mare seemed a pleasant sort. From their brief meeting, she found herself taking a liking to her as well.

There was a silence as the two roommates struggled to find something to say.

“So… how was your day?” Rainbow asked.

“It was… nice,” Twilight said, feeling just as awkward as Rainbow Dash. “Do you… like to read?” she asked finally, looking to the number of adventure novels on the shelf over the pegasus’s bed.

Rainbow looked to the books above her and smiled. “Oh, yeah, adventure novels are my favorite, especially the ones with a lot of action in them. I especially love the books by R.A. Stalliontor. He always has the coolest stories.”

Twilight smiled. “He’s one of my favorites, too. I have all of his books up until the most recent one.”

“No way! Do you have them with you?” Rainbow asked excitedly.

Twilight nodded. “I do, actually. If you want to read them, that’s fine. All I ask is that they be returned in the same condition I lent them in.”

“Absolutely. You’re the best, Twilight.” The pegasus smiled wide.

The two chatted about reading, Stalliontor, and their goals for a time. As the final bell for lights out rang, Twilight muttered as she realized that she had completely forgotten to study tonight. As she settled into her bed for the night, she privately admitted it wasn’t an entirely bad thing. Perhaps having a few friends (emphasis on ‘few’) might not be too bad.

Author's Note

Thanks to zodiacspear for writing out this chapter and being my co-author for this story. Also, It's nice that he added his OC Wanderer to the story. Give it another good character. He has a few stories of his own, too. I highly recommend "Harmony Undone: The Rise of Order." Give it a look, and give the guy some love.

Day One

Five in the morning. FIVE. IN. THE. MORNING. That’s how early Rainbow had woken up, her alarm clock blaring loudly enough to make Twilight shriek. The pegasus had made a quick apology, then began a morning exercise routine, doing push-ups with her wings, sit-ups, lifting a few weights, etc.

Twilight, on the other hoof, was not a morning pony. In fact, she’d much rather have stayed asleep until her own alarm clock went off at the far more reasonable time of 6:30. Plenty of sleep, and plenty of time for breakfast and the rest of her own morning routine. After all, classes weren’t supposed to start until about 8:00, give or take a few minutes. So, Twilight just lay in her bed, covers over her body, pillow folded over her ears, and her back turned to Rainbow as the pegasus exercised.

“You sure you don’t want in, Twi?” the pegasus asked as she finished up a set of leg stretches. Twilight just grunted in response, not moving from her spot. Rainbow rolled her eyes and shrugged. “Suit yourself. You should at least consider it. You gotta stay fit.”

“Maybe if you’re an athlete,” Twilight replied rather sardonically. She sat up and faced the pegasus, bags under her eyes. “I, however, am not an athlete. So please, Rainbow, don’t try to get me to join you. I’d much rather either sleep right now, or just go to an early class.” That earned her a raised eyebrow from the other mare. “What?”

Rainbow just chuckled in slight amusement. “You need to lighten up, egghead. Nopony likes somepony that serious.”

“Whatever.” The unicorn stretched her limbs a little and checked her clock again. It was 6:28. Close enough, she supposed. She climbed out of bed and levitated a small mirror and a hair brush from among her things and ran the brush through her mane, making sure not to look too disorganized. As she did this, she levitated her schedule over from her desk.

“First class of the day is Equestrian history with Professor Do,” she said, thinking out loud. That name got her thinking for some reason. It sounded vaguely familiar. Maybe she’d read about her once? She honestly couldn’t really recall.

“That so?” Rainbow asked. “Huh. Small world. I’ve got that class, too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. My parents suggested it. They thought it’d be important for me to learn about that stuff.” She shrugged. “I honestly don’t really care about it that much, but I didn’t argue.” She then bumped Twilight lightly on the shoulder. “Hey, I’m getting hungry here. I’m gonna go get some breakfast. Catch you later, Sparkle.” With that, the blue pegasus left the room, flying down the hallway without even closing the door behind her.

Twilight just sighed quietly and closed the door with her magic as she finished brushing her mane. She then fixed her bed and replaced her things in a neat, tidy manner. When this was done, she nodded and left her room, making sure to keep her schedule close at hoof.

-o-

The classroom was abuzz with chatter as ponies conversed with each other, talking about numerous things, like what their teacher would be like, and where she might’ve been, for that matter. Prompt as Twilight was, she had been one of the first ponies to arrive at the class. At the time, there were only two others, not including Professor Do. The young unicorn hadn’t really thought much of it and just went to a seat in the front row, where she would have the best possible view.

Twenty minutes later, many other students, including Rainbow Dash, who had decided to take a seat next to Twilight, and that stallion from yesterday (Wanderer, she believed was his name) had arrived, yet there was still no sign of the teacher. Twilight’s brow furrowed as she tried to figure out why an academy professor would take so long to get to class. Perhaps she ran into trouble on the way? Or maybe she overslept?

A few other possibilities ran through her mind until a tan-colored pegasus mare with a gray mane and tail walked into the room, a tired look in her eyes. Her cutie mark was an archaic image of a compass rose that one would typically see on an old map, and she wore a pith helmet and an archaeologist's jacket. She yawned sleepily, then closed the door behind her, locking it just as another student had made it to the door. Through the door’s window, Twilight could see that he had a baffled look on his face as the mare turned towards the desk at the front of the class and leaned against it, looking over them all with a raised eyebrow.

“All right, all right,” she finally said. “Listen up, ponies. I’m not gonna repeat myself.” She flew over to her chalkboard, grabbed a piece of chalk, and began writing down a list of rules. “I’m gonna be your instructor for this class, Daring Do. Please don’t refer to me as ‘Professor Do,’ because that sounds unbelievably pretentious and stupid.” That earned a few laughs from the students. Even Twilight had to suppress a small giggle. “You can call me Professor Daring if you have to be formal, but I’d prefer to just be called by my first name, thank you very much.”

Daring faced her students again. “All right, here’s the rules.” She pointed to the chalkboard. “First, don’t be late. If I’m here before you are, tough. I lock the door when I get in. So if you’re anything like Chuckles over there-” she pointed a hoof at the student who had lagged behind her, trapped outside the classroom “-then you’re crap outta luck. Second, listen and take notes. If you’re having trouble keeping up, then just focus on what I’m saying at the moment and ask your fellow students about everything else after class. Do I make myself clear?”

Most of the students nodded in response, Twilight included.

“Sheesh,” Rainbow spoke up quietly, just loud enough for Twilight to hear. “She’s gonna be a ton of fun, isn’t she?”

“Quiet,” Twilight scolded with a harsh whisper.

“Is there a problem?” Daring asked with a raised eyebrow, her expression clearly stating that she had no patience for students talking out of turn.

“Er, n-no, ma’am,” Twilight replied quickly. Daring narrowed her eyes.

“Don’t call me ‘ma’am’ either,” she stated in slight indignation. “Makes me feel older than I actually am.” She then pointed to a third rule on the chalkboard. “Third rule of this class room. You don’t speak unless spoken to. If you have something to say, raise your hoof and I’ll get to you. Eventually.” She muttered that last word to herself. “All right, now that that’s outta the way, let’s get down to business. I couldn’t care less about the official stuff. Everything I was supposed to tell you about regarding official crap is in a packet in each of your desks. Have fun with that. Now, who here knows how Equestria was founded?” A few hooves went up at that, and Daring eyed them all until she pointed to Wanderer who was sitting just a few seats ahead of Twilight. “You, the colt with gray mane. Answer.”

Wanderer blinked in surprise as he was called on. “Ah, well—”

“Speak up, Mop-Boy. We don’t have all day.”

“Mop-Boy?” Twilight heard him mutter as he ran a hoof through his admittedly rather messy mane. Regardless, he cleared his throat. “Equestria was founded by the four pony tribes. Until the great war happened. The Darkness took over Equestria until the alicorn heroes saved us all with the Elements of Harmony.”

Daring nodded. “That’s about the gist of it. According to legend at least. Equestria has no actual record of its own founding, though, so most just stick with the story.” She looked the class over again. “Now, does anypony here actually know what the Elements of Harmony are, or am I gonna need to go over fourth grade history with all of you?”

Immediately, Twilight’s hoof went up when no one else’s would. Daring glared at the class and sighed in disappointment, then gave Twilight permission to answer.

Eager to share her knowledge, Twilight cleared her throat and spoke. “The Elements of Harmony were a collection of six artifacts that the alicorn heroes wielded. There was the Element of Laughter, wielded by Schallend the Jester, the Element of Loyalty, used by Chujitsuna the Steadfast, the Element of Honesty, carried by Pravda the Honest, the Element of Generosity, carried by Hermoso the Giving, and the Element of Kindness, wielded by Jentelle the Kind. The sixth Element is unknown, but is known to have been wielded by Mystus the Wise, who is said to have been the most powerful alicorn of his time. Legend tells that, before they died, they hid the Elements away, so that only their true successors would be able to find and use them when the time comes.” Twilight nodded when she finished, knowing for sure that she had it right.

Daring nodded as well. “And where were the Elements hidden?”

“Er, well…” That question caught her off guard a bit. Did the professor actually expect her to know that? “I… don’t… actually know.”

Once again, the teacher nodded. “That’s all right, Purple-Neck.”

Her ears flattened. ‘Purple-Neck?’

“Nopony knows where the Elements are, or even when they were hidden. Whether it was before the heroes died or if they had somepony they trusted hide them after they passed away is a mystery. Heck, nopony even knows if they had any descendants.” One student raised his hoof. “Yes?”

“What about Princess Celestia?” the student asked. “Isn’t she an alicorn? Doesn’t that mean that she’s descended from one or two of them?”

“Not necessarily. The princess herself is reported to have said that she is not directly descended from any of the six, claiming to have been a unicorn before becoming an alicorn over fourteen hundred years ago.” The student who had spoken sank back into his seat, looking as though he felt a bit dumb. Daring turned her attention to the whole class then. “Now, are there any other questions before I start lecturing you about everything that happened between now and Equestria’s founding?”

No other hooves went up. With that, Daring Do began the first lecture of Twilight’s first year in the single greatest school in the world. The young unicorn couldn’t possibly have been more excited.

-o-

Second period physics went by quickly, but was much more entertaining than Twilight had expected. The instructor, one Doctor Time-Turner Whooves, came off as a bit of a rambling eccentric, but he was at least more chipper than Professor Daring had been. That mare must’ve been a last-minute choice or something. She didn’t seem to have the right attitude to be a teacher. Or maybe it was just because it was early. In that case, Twilight would’ve understood perfectly.

“Hey, Twilight!” an excited voice called out as a pink form suddenly made itself visible in front of her. Twilight shrieked and jumped back about a foot.

“Pinkie!” she exclaimed in both shock and a small amount of irritation. “Don’t do that! You scared me!”

The pink pony giggled at the unicorn’s expense. “Sorry about that. I’m just so excited that I’m studying here! The teachers all seem to be super surprised whenever I answer a really tough question correctly.”

“They’re probably just as surprised as I was to learn just how smart you actually are,” Twilight stated, to which Pinkie nodded in agreement. That actually got Twilight thinking a bit. “Doesn’t it get annoying?”

“Does what get annoying?”

“Ponies being surprised by your actual intelligence,” she clarified. “It must be irritating when others just assume that you’re just another airheaded- er, that is to say, it must get annoying, right?”

The earth pony thought on that for a moment, then just shrugged. “I guess I’m just used to it.” She grinned, giving another giggle. “Then again, I really like seeing ponies’ expressions when I tell them about the IQ thing. It’s actually really funny!” Twilight supposed she could see the humor in that. “But enough about that. How’s your day been so far? What’re your classes?”

“Equestrian history for first period, physics for second period,” Twilight answered automatically. “Then, after lunch, I have astronomy for third period, and-”

“I have astronomy for third period, too!” Pinkie blurted with a wide grin. “Oh, this is great! We can be study buddies! We can sit next to each other, share notes on class subjects! It’ll be awesome!”

“Uh… yeah. Great.”

“Oh, hey, I’m gonna see if I can find Fluttershy and Rarity, and join them for lunch. You can, too, if you want! In fact, the more, the merrier!”

“Er, well, I’d like to, but-”

“Great!” Pinkie grabbed Twilight by her hoof and pulled her along down the hall towards the cafeteria. Though reluctant, Twilight just sighed and gave in. She had hoped to get some studying in during lunch. Hopefully, the others would understand.

-o-

The cafeteria was rife with activity as students chattered away about their classes, teachers, what they plan on doing on the weekend, and more. Some of them had the same idea as Twilight originally had, using the lunch hour to study up. Fortunately, her acquaintances didn’t try to dissuade her from her books. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were there as well, both of whom having been invited by Fluttershy. The other five ponies chatted while Twilight was content with skimming through her new text books, writing down notes on subjects she believed would be important.

“-and then I said, ‘Oatmeal? Are you crazy!?’” Pinkie said as she told a story that Twilight wasn’t actually paying attention to. “Then Inkie and I ended up eating a cake that our sister Blinkie had spiked with laxatives. Believe me, that was one doozy of a long night!” She, Rainbow, and Applejack all broke out into wild laughter, with Rainbow pounding the table with her hoof.

“Wait, wait,” Applejack said, catching her breath between guffaws. “Was this before or after that chicken attacked your pa?”

“I don’t have paws, silly! I have hooves! See?” Pinkie replied, holding up her hooves with a wide grin. That earned another fit of laughter from the others. Applejack and Rainbow howled again, while Rarity and Fluttershy gave more subdued giggles. “Anyway, the laxative cake incident was after my dad’s chicken trauma. I swear, he still jumps whenever he hears somepony make a chicken sound! My sisters and I always used that to our advantage! Even Mom does it every now and then.”

Rarity rolled her eyes with an amused smile. “There’s certainly never a dull moment in your family, is there?”

“Nope! In fact, this one time, my sisters and I pranked the town mayor by putting a bucket of pink paint over her door! She was so mad when it fell on her at first, but then she just started laughing like crazy! ‘I guess I’m the new Pinkie Pie, huh’?” For that last part, Pinkie puffed out her chest a little to look a bit more official and donned a serious expression. “Those were her exact words! Then I asked, ‘If you’re the new Pinkie Pie, can I be mayor for a day? Free cupcakes for everypony!’”

While the others laughed at Pinkie’s stories and antics, Twilight only sighed and buried herself deeper in her books. This was exactly why she would’ve preferred sitting alone. No distractions. Just her and her books. She was willing to admit that she enjoyed the company of the other ponies, but not to the point where she wanted to hang out with them all the time. All she wanted was to-

“Twilight Sparkle?” a mare’s suddenly spoke from behind her. Groaning, Twilight turned on her seat with a glare, just about to tell the new mare to leave, but she stopped when she got a good look at the other mare. She had a bright blue coat and silvery mane and tail, with violet eyes that widened with a the grin on her face. Her cutie make was an image a wand being waved with a short, smoky trail. “So it was you that I saw! Do you remember me?”

“No, I don’t think I…” She trailed off, looking the mare up and down for a moment. There was something familiar about her, but she couldn’t quite…

It suddenly hit her like a dragon’s breath. Her eyes went wide in recognition, and she grinned ear-to-ear. “Trixie!” she exclaimed happily as she and other mare gave each other a friendly hug. “Oh, wow, it’s been years! I had no idea you’d be here, too!”

The other five ponies at the table looked at the purple and blue unicorns in surprise. Twilight hadn’t shown this kind of openness before, not even to Pinkie Pie. Rarity cleared her throat. “Um, darling? Care to introduce us?”

“Huh?” Twilight released the mare called Trixie then with a slightly befuddled look, then smiled sheepishly. “Oh, sorry.” She put a hoof on Trixie’s shoulder and motioned to the others with her free hoof. “Trixie, these are some acquaintances I’ve made here at the academy. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, and my roommate Rainbow Dash. Girls, this is Trixie Lulamoon! She was my best friend back when I went to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns as a little filly.”

Trixie nodded, giving a polite bow. “Charmed to meet you all.”

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Trixie,” Rarity said. She motioned to a free seat at their table. “Please, sit if you like. Any friend of Twilight’s is a friend of ours!” The blue unicorn nodded gratefully and took a seat next to Twilight. “So, darling, what is it that you study here?”

“A few things,” Trixie answered rather vaguely with a cocky smirk. “I’m mostly here to study magic and a few sciences. Mostly more spiritual things, like astrology. I plan on becoming a world-renowned showmare when I graduate.” She then stood atop her seat, throwing out her left foreleg dramatically. “All shall praise the name of the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

Twilight laughed at her old friend’s antics. “You always were a bit of an attention hog, Trix,” she pointed out with a light bump of her hoof on Trixie’s side.

The other mare sat back with a shocked and slightly offended expression. "What? Moi? Never!"

"Says the mare who, on our very first day in class, tried to-"

"Okay, I get it," Trixie quickly replied not wanting to have to relive that memory. "Maybe you could say that I like a bit of attention every now and then."

As the two mares talked, the others watched with fascination. Twilight had seemed quite a bit more distant before than how she was acting now. She had been content to just read her books while they chatted and swapped stories. Now, she was openly speaking to somepony, sharing conversation and talking about their classes and goals. This seemed really out of character for the purple mare. Then again, they’d only known her for about two days.

“-and I have my magic class at fourth period,” Trixie said as she finished talking about her own classes. “What about you, Twi?”

“Oh! I have my magic class at fourth period, too!” Twilight replied excitedly. “My teacher for that class is a pony named Inkwell. You?”

Trixie beamed. “The same! We’re having the same class together!”

Twilight grinned, not even attempting to hide her joy. “Hey, do you remember that routine we pulled on our first day back at the school?”

“How could I not?” Trixie answered jokingly. “We got detention for a week for that stunt. My parents gave me the most heated scolding of my life!” She grinned as well, a mischievous glint in her violet eyes. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Just as long as you remember that you’re the one who set the whole thing up in the first place,” Twilight quipped slyly.

Applejack raised an eyebrow at the two unicorns. “Ah’m gettin’ the feelin’ that y’all’re up to somethin’.”

“Relax,” Trixie said with a light chuckle. “It’s just an inside joke. The routine we pulled ended with Twilight accidentally turning the teacher’s hair orange with little yellow polkadots all over it.”

“Yeah, but only after you incinerated a bookshelf with that fireworks spell of yours,” Twilight countered with a good-natured laugh, which Trixie joined in with.

“Well, then,” Trixie said, looking over the rest of the mares, “now that Twilight and I are caught up, why don’t you all tell me about yourselves? I’d like to get to know all of you a little better, if only to make sure Twilight didn’t pick one of you to replace me.”

At that, the group of mares dove into a rather lively conversation, talking about their classes, the places where they grew up, their families, etc. The whole while, Twilight had to admit that she was having a ton of fun just talking with her fellow students. She actually enjoyed the social interaction.

-o-

Once the bell rang to end the lunch hour, the seven ponies went their separate ways, save for Twilight and Pinkie Pie, who both headed down the hallway to make their way to Academy’s observatory on the uppermost floor of the main building, where the astronomy class would be taking place. On the way, Pinkie rambled on and on about how excited she was for this next class and just how thrilled she was to have Twilight as a classmate and future study buddy. The unicorn herself just rolled her eyes with a small yet amused smile, honestly not wanting to burst the pink earth pony’s bubble.

As they walked down the halls of the Academy, Twilight found herself looking around a bit aimlessly. Doing this, she spotted a pair of armored guards patrolling a hall to her left as she and Pinkie passed by it. They looked like official Royal Guards, too. That caught her attention somewhat. Why would there be guards of that position in the Academy? Was there some kind of danger? Or were they here just to guard important ponies?

“Hey, Pinkie,” she said, nudging the pink pony’s side. “Did you notice those guards just now?”

“Yep,” Pinkie confirmed with a grin. She then frowned very slightly. “Why? Do you think something’s wrong?”

She shrugged helplessly. “Not really. It just seems odd to me. They were wearing Royal Guard armor, but why would they be here?”

“Maybe they’re investigating something?” Pinkie suggested. “Oh, no! You don’t think somepony got hurt, do you? Oh, what about those recent disappearances in Canterlot I’ve been hearing about? What if somepony got foalnapped!? What if-!?” Twilight stopped Pinkie’s rambling with a hoof over the pink mare’s mouth.

“Calm down, Pinkie. It’s probably nothing. Maybe the princess is visiting or something. We can’t just jump to conclusions. Doing that could cause a panic.”

Pinkie nodded her understanding, pushing Twilight’s hoof away and heading down the hallway to the observatory, walking ahead of Twilight. The violet unicorn eyed the two guards a little longer. Something in her gut told her that something was up. She shook her head, pushing the thought away. It was probably nothing to be concerned about anyway. If there was a problem, Shining Armor would’ve told her. She shrugged the sight off and followed Pinkie down the hall.

As she walked away, she didn’t notice the analytical glares that the two guards were giving her.

“Is she the one?” one asked.

“Yeah,” the other confirmed with a nod. “That’s her all right.”

He tipped his helmet up to scratch at his scalp. “Huh. Captain Armor’s little sister. The boss must be crazy.”

The second guard rolled his eyes. “Let’s just keep an eye on her for now. The others are doing the same.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the first guard replied with a roll of his eyes.

-o-

Twilight was barely able to get any actual notes down in her astronomy class. She was too distracted by the display of the observatory. To make up for the fact that it was still daylight out, the instructor, an older unicorn stallion named North Star, had used his magic to create a wondrous array of perfectly duplicated stars, planets, and other celestial bodies. Even Pinkie Pie had been silenced with awe at the display.

After introducing himself and talking about what they’d be learning in his class, North Star had given a brief lecture about the solar system and its functions, to which Twilight paid close attention. When she could tear herself away from the imagery, that is.

Once the teacher dismissed the class, Twilight bid farewell to Pinkie and headed down the hall and trotted back downstairs, eventually arriving to her final class for the day: magical theory and practice. She let out a barely contained - but still quiet - squeal of excitement. Not only would she be learning about magic in Canterlot Academy of all places, but she’d be learning side by side with her foalhood friend as well! There was nothing that could possibly ruin-!

“Out of my way.” Twilight was rudely shoved aside. The violet mare quickly managed to regain her footing before falling over and turned to glare at who had shoved her. A unicorn mare with a sun-colored coat and a fiery, red-and-yellow mane and a cutie mark resembling a red and yellow sun scoffed at her, her blue eyes laced with contempt.

Before Twilight could say anything, the other mare entered the classroom, leaving Twilight to fume a bit. Whoever that mare was, she was definitely from a privileged family. She grumbled under her breath and entered the class, quickly finding Trixie sitting in the second row of seats and joining her. She also spotted that yellow unicorn sitting in the front row, right in the middle, and immediately huffed and turned her focus away from her.

Trixie raised an eyebrow at that, looking over at the mare briefly, then back to Twilight, giving a sigh. She had known Twilight long enough to know something was up. “Okay, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Twilight replied, trying to put finality in the one-word response.

Trixie only rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Come on, Twilight. I know you better than that.. We might not have seen each other in a while, but you haven’t really changed all that much.” She gently bumped Twilight’s forehead with her hoof, just below the horn. “I know that look of yours. Just tell me what’s wrong, and I won’t have to pry it out of you.”

The purple unicorn looked at her old friend, trying to keep from telling her anything. It wasn’t her problem. But Trixie had a look in her eyes, one that told her that she would keep bugging her about it until she gave her an answer. After a few moments, she sighed in defeat. “That yellow mare shoved me out of her way and didn’t even apologize. She didn’t even give me her name. Doesn’t she have any manners at all?”

Trixie looked over at the described mare, and gave a sigh of her own. “She probably does and just doesn’t use them. Her name’s Sunset Shimmer.”

Twilight blinked. “You know her?”

The blue unicorn shrugged. “Sort of. My mom worked for her family for a while. She’s from a very wealthy line.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, then scoffed. “I figured as much.”

“Come on, Twi,” Trixie said with a smile, putting a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Don’t let her get to you. She’s just a b- a jerk. She’s just a jerk.” That made Twilight laugh a little. Trixie had always had trouble with that; saying the wrong words for the right reasons. It seemed like she got better with it over time, slightly.

Gradually, the class was filled with more and more students until, finally, the instructor arrived. She was a distinctly aged unicorn mare with a curly dark mane, gray coat, and an ink bottle cutie mark. She had bright green eyes that held a mischievous glint in them, and smiled widely at her students. She looked over the class when she arrived at her desk and grinned.

“Hello, everypony!” she greeted cheerfully, waving her hoof so wildly that Twilight was half afraid that it might fly off. “Welcome to magical theory and practice. I’m your instructor, Inkwell. It’s a pleasure to meet you all!” Almost immediately, she took up some chalk with her magic, and began writing something on the chalkboard. “Let’s begin right away!”

“This is a joke,” somepony spoke up. Inkwell’s ears flattened against her head as she looked over to who had spoken. That yellow mare - Sunset Shimmer, Trixie had called her - was sitting with a look on her face as if to say that she was offended for some reason. “You’re way too old to be teaching. Shouldn’t somepony like you be retired and in an old folks’ home by now?”

Twilight clenched her teeth at Shimmer’s blatant disrespect. How could she say something like that? Was she that conceited? She fully expected Inkwell to punish Sunset somehow - kick her out, give her detention, make her write an essay on why she should respect her elders, something. Instead, the old mare did something Twilight didn’t expect in the least: she laughed. Apparently, Sunset was caught off guard by this as well.

“Oh, I know I’m old,” Inkwell said between giggles. “But I’m not quite ready to quit just yet. After all, I’m only 72. I’ve still got plenty of lessons and life left in me yet!” The entire class laughed at that, save for Shimmer, who crossed her hooves and sneered contemptuously. “Oh, don’t be like that, child. You’ll give yourself an ulcer.” Shimmer grumbled something under her breath, but didn’t otherwise respond. It would be lying if Twilight said she didn’t enjoy seeing the pompous mare pout like that. “Now, as I said, let’s get started, shall we?”

The elderly mare began writing something on the chalkboard, making sure that nopony could see it but her. When she finished, she stepped aside, allowing everyone to see what she had written: “The Mare in the Moon.”

“We’re going to start with an old story that’s been passed down for the last thousand years,” Inkwell stated. “Can anypony tell me about the legend of the Mare in the Moon?”

The first hooves up were Twilight, Trixie, and Sunset’s, though the last of the three wasn’t as eager as the others. Inkwell pointed to Trixie, who cleared her throat.

“The Mare in the Moon,” Trixie began, “also known as Nightmare Moon, was the Mare of Darkness who sought to bring about eternal night. She was banished to the moon over a thousand years ago by Princess Celestia using a powerful magic spell. Nopony actually knows what the spell was, though it’s rumored that she had discovered the Elements of Harmony and used them to defeat Nightmare Moon.”

“Excuse me!” another student called out. Inkwell nodded to him, allowing him to speak. “I’m sorry, but what does this have to do with this class? Isn’t something like that better suited to be taught about in a history class or something? Besides, it’s just an old mares’ tale. The princess herself says that she doesn’t remember that ever actually happening.”

Inkwell chuckled a bit at that. “Suffice it to say, some legends have a base in fact. It’s said that there is an organization that follows and even worships Nightmare Moon to this day, and that they wield powerful magic. This class will be teaching you ways to counter threats like that, as well as forms of magic for more day-to-day situations.” There were a few murmurs from other students, but nopony really came out and said anything about Inkwell’s explanation.

The class carried on somewhat normally, with Inkwell offering a lecture on the fundamentals of commonly used spells, like levitation. Despite already knowing these things, Twilight listened with rapt attention, jotting down notes here and there as the time went by. The whole time, she had the feeling that somepony was watching her. She looked over her shoulder, but shrugged it off as nothing. It was probably just another student looking over her shoulder or something.

-o-

After Inkwell dismissed the class, Twilight and Trixie met up in the Academy’s expansive library to compare notes and study together with Pinkie Pie, who had already collected several volumes on history, astronomy, advanced trigonometry, and other things that Twilight would never have associated with the wild mare. The three of them conversed about their respective classes as they studied, with Pinkie being the most energetic and eager to speak.

As the hours dragged on, the three soon went their separate ways. Twilight was heading down the hall, reading a biography on Starswirl the Bearded as she trotted back to her dorm room. Just as she was getting into the part about his adult years, she bumped into somepony, breaking her concentration and dropping the book, along with several others she had been carrying. She looked up angrily at the pony she had run into, but held her tongue when she saw who it was.

“H-Headmaster Stargazer!” she said in surprise. “S-sorry about that! I wasn’t paying attention where I was-”

The old stallion chuckled. “Relax. I’m not angry. It happens.” He levitated some of Twilight’s books off the ground, his aura a dark shade of purple. Twilight noticed his cutie mark finally: a purple, five-pointed star with a pair of swords crossed over it. His talent probably lay with combative magic. “I believe these are yours?”

“Er, yes, sir, thank you,” Twilight replied with a grateful nod, taking her books in her own magic.

Stargazer gave her an analytical look, as if sizing her up for something. “You’re Twilight Sparkle, correct?”

She hesitated at the mention of her name. “Um, yes, sir. How did you know my name?”

“I heard about you from Captain Shining Armor. From what he’s told me, you have great promise as a wielder of magic.” He gave a warm, almost fatherly, smile. “I can tell just by looking in your eyes that you’re going to do great things someday. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m always willing to act as a tutor if need be.”

Twilight nodded in response with a small smile of her own and turned to take her leave. She stopped, only then remembering what she had seen earlier that day. “Um, Headmaster? Can I ask you something?”

He turned to regard her. “Certainly.”

“I noticed a pair of Royal Guards earlier today,” she said, shuffling her hooves a moment. “Do you know why they’re here? I just thought it was little odd.”

The elder pony seemed a tad reluctant to answer. He looked around for a moment, as if to make sure that nopony else was around to overhear. “Honestly? I requested that a cadre of guards be stationed here. I assume you’ve heard of the recent disappearances and reappearances of ponies, what with your brother being a member of the Royal Guard.” Twilight nodded. “They’re here for student safety. We can’t have students mysteriously disappearing on us, now can we?”

Again, Twilight nodded. “I guess that makes sense.”

Stargazer gave the young unicorn a pat on her shoulder and a comforting smile. “Don’t worry. This Academy is perfectly safe. It’s just better to be safe than sorry. Now, it’s getting late. You’d best head off to your dorm before curfew.”

“Oh, right!” Twilight exclaimed as she darted off waving a goodbye to the headmaster, who waved back before turning to leave as well. He didn’t seem all that bad.

-o-

“How long will it take?” one of the three ponies asked. She was beginning to lose her patience.

“A while,” a stallion answered as he wrote down details for a spell. “At least until the Summer Sun Celebration.”

“But that’s months from now!” she fumed angrily. “We can’t afford to wait that long!”

“On the contrary,” the third pony, another stallion, interjected, “we can. And we must. This spell will take time to complete, especially considering the scale.”

“And what if it doesn’t even work?” the mare demanded more than inquired.

“Oh, it’ll work,” the first stallion said with complete confidence. “By the celebration’s end, nopony will ever see the sun again. Just be patient.”

“The Knights of the Dark Moon have been patient for over a thousand years,” the mare pointed out. She motioned to the other stallion. “Tell him, will you?”

“You had best hope that that is how it will turn out,” the second stallion warned. “The One Queen must be freed at all costs.”

“I know, I know. I am confident that it’ll work. We just need the right caster. Preferably somepony with enough magical power to survive the output, or somepony who has some connection to the First Followers.” He chuckled. “One way or another, Equestria will face the Nightmare again.”

“For your sake, I hope you are correct.” The first stallion just waved his hoof at him, dismissing the other two ponies as he continued his work. The mare grumbled something inaudible under her breath, and the second stallion shook his head, but neither said anything more. Their comrade had been a devoted and reliable member of their order for years. If he said something would work, it was going to work. Equestria’s true queen would return by summer’s first eve. The Knights would ensure of that.

Tryouts

It had been a week. A whole week into the school year, and Twilight had found she loved nearly every minute of it. Her classes were everything she thought they would be, she had friends both old and new with her, and so many fascinating subjects to learn; she was in paradise. All except for one minor little thing that kept her experience from being absolutely perfect, and here it was once again; it was five in the morning when her bloodshot eyes snapped open at the sounds of heavy grunting. She sat bolt upright and irritably snapped at the perpetrator.

“Will you please keep it down!? Some of us were up all night studying!”

Rainbow Dash puffed as she completed her fiftieth wing-up. “No can do, Twilight. I gotta be in top shape for today.” She continued her exercise, puffing each time she pushed herself up.

Twilight rubbed at her tired, dry eyes. “What is so important about today that you have to make so much noise?”

The pegasus looked to her skeptically. “It’s the track and field tryouts today. I’ve only been talking about them all week.”

“You have?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “You might’ve heard me if your muzzle wasn’t so deep in a text book all the time.”

It was Twilight’s turn to roll her eyes. “Studying takes focus and concentration. Some of us actually have to take our studies seriously.”

Rainbow smirked. “Whatever, egghead.”

A pillow whapped her upside the head, with Twilight giving the pegasus a disgruntled glare.

“Why don’t you come and watch me try out, Twi? The others will be there too. You might even have some fun for a change.”

Twilight huffed, but looked to the other mare for a moment before a scheming grin crossed her face. “All right. I’ll go, but on one condition.”

“What’s that?” Rainbow asked, her expression cautiously curious.

“I’ll go if you let me sleep in for the next week.”

Rainbow blinked for a moment, then laughed. “Fine. You put up with me for a whole week so far, so I guess I could cut you some slack and let you sleep in for once.”

“Thank you so very much,” Twilight said sarcastically.

“Don’t mention it.” Rainbow looked out their window. “Well, I’m off to do a couple laps around the yard, I’ll see you at the tryouts, Twilight.”

Twilight watched the pegasus leave, and closed the door behind her. With a grunt, she collected her pillow and tried in vain to get at least some sleep before class.

-o-

Later that day, Twilight sat on the bleachers with Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rarity’s entourage at the race track. She could see Rainbow Dash and Applejack were on the field stretching and limbering up, as well as various other ponies as they went through their warm-up exercises. She was surprised to see Wanderer among those trying out for the team, but didn’t really give it much thought as she yawned long and loudly.

“Didn’t get much sleep, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked in concern as she looked to the tired-looking unicorn.

“It’s pretty hard to get a good night’s sleep when you have Miss Wakes-Up-At-Five-In-The-Morning-To-Do-Wing-Ups for a roommate,” Twilight said before another huge yawn took her.

Fluttershy giggled at her friend’s amusingly irritated tone, and nodded in understanding. “I know what you mean, but Rainbow has always been like that. She likes to get up early to go through her daily exercises so that she has more time in the day to do what she wants to get done.”

“Admirable,” Rarity chimed in, “but all mares do need their beauty rest, or we’d all look like ragamuffins.” She turned away from the small mirror she was using to make sure she looked perfect as always, gasping when she saw just how bad Twilight appeared. “Oh, darling, you look absolutely dreadful! Those bags under your eyes make you look so rough. Here, I’ll fix you right up. Boys?” Her three sycophants were quick in bringing her her make-up kit.

“Rarity, you don’t have to—“ Twilight protested.

“Tut, tut, dear. I can’t leave you like this. It would be absolutely wrong of me.”

Twilight hesitated, then sighed upon realizing that Rarity simply wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer. Not really having the energy to fight any further, she said, “Oh, all right. Just don’t go overboard, okay?”

“Of course not, dear.” The white unicorn worked in a blur, a cloud of make-up obscuring Twilight’s head. With a final poof of air, Rarity blew away the cloud and showed Twilight a mirror. Twilight was honestly surprised that she looked like her normal self, the dark bags under her eyes and the admittedly rougher points of her appearance gone without a trace. No over-the-top lipstick or eyeshadow either. She did notice, however, that her coat seemed to have a bit more of a shine to it.

“Wow, thank you, Rarity,” she said with complete honesty.

“Excellent work, Miss Rarity,” Rarity’s first follower said proudly.

“Truly amazing,” the second said.

“You’re the best, Miss Rarity,” the third was quick to add.

“Thank you, darlings,” she said with a small smile, absently tossing the make-up kit to the trio. They stumbled over each other to catch it, only able to save it at the last moment.

“Ooh, I can’t wait to see if Applejack and Rainbow Dash make the team! I’ll be so excited for them! If they make it, we’ll have to throw them a party! It’ll be so much fun!” Pinkie said as she bounced in place excitedly. “I wonder if cake would fit a made-the-cut party?” She then smacked her forehead. “Oh, what am I saying? Of course cake goes good with everything!”

The girls talked amongst themselves as they awaited the arrival of the coach.

-o-

Down on the field, Rainbow and Applejack finished their warm-up exercises. The two watched the others continue their routines, eager to prove their mettle to their fellow athletes and coach.

“So, Applejack, what are you trying out for?” Rainbow asked her as she trotted in place.

The earth pony took a long swig from a bottle of water. “Ah’m tryin’ for the hurdles and the long jump. If Ah’m gonna make the Royal Guard, Ah’m gonna need quick reflexes and quicker reaction time.” She set her bottle of water aside. “What about you?”

Rainbow snorted. “Ha! Like you even need to ask. I’m gonna be a racer. Likely the best on the whole team, being the fastest flier in all of Equestria; I’m a shoe-in to win.”

“We’ll see about that.” The two turned to see Flash Sentry approach, his grin wide. “You’ll have to beat me to be the best.”

Her grin matched his own. “Oh, yeah? We’ll just see about that, fly boy. This isn’t the hoofball team, you know.”

Before Flash could retort, a loud, shrill whistle rang out over the yard. All of the ponies cringed and covered their ears at the offensive sound.

“Alright, you ponies! Line up!” shouted a loud, gruff voice.

As the contenders raced to do as ordered, Rainbow Dash had a look at the coach. Flanked by two goat assistants, stomped a large, muscular minotaur. He walked bipedal, his bulked out arms behind his back as he scrutinized the assembled ponies, his beady, yellow eyes looking each one over as he walked. His gaze settled on Rainbow a moment before snorting dismissively and addressing them all.

“So you all think you got what it takes to be on my track and field team?” A few murmurs of agreement were cut short as he shouted. “Well, you don’t! I haven’t seen this many flimsy ponies since… well, ever! My name is Iron Will and that’s Coach Iron Will to you! Once I’m done with all of you, you’ll be the toughest lot to ever trot out of the Academy.” He pointed a finger Flash’s way. “You. What’s your name?”

“I’m—”

“Doesn’t matter! All that matters is that each of you are going to give a hundred and ten percent and then ninety percent more!” He turned suddenly on them, the entire gathering flinching away. “I want earth ponies and unicorn try-outees over there and the pegasi over there!”

Pinkie whispered to Twilight. “Is ‘try-outee’ even a word?”

Twilight whispered back. “I don’t—”

“Quiet in the stands!” Iron Will bellowed so loud the ponies swore the entire mountain shook. The minotaur walked towards the earth pony and unicorn groups and looked each one over.

“Alright, time to see what you foals are made of. Only way to do that is with a race, one-on-one, one lap around the track.” He pointed one meaty finger at Applejack, then at Wanderer. “You and you, up front, now!”

The two ponies quickly trotted up to the starting line and limbered up for their race.

Wanderer stretched his neck and gave Applejack a roguish smile.

“Here’s to a good race,” he said, offering her a hoof.

She smiled in turn and shook the offered hoof. “You too, partner.”

“Just to let you know, I don’t plan on losing.” He hoofed at his chin confidently.

The blonde earth mare smirked. “Wouldn’t want it any other way.”

The two set themselves at the starting line, each coiled like a spring, ready to leap at a split-second’s notice. Iron Will watched them for a long moment before blowing his whistle.

The two took off like shots. Applejack and Wanderer kept neck and neck the whole race until they rounded the last turn. Wanderer sprinted ahead, laughing confidently.

“Oh, no, ya don’t!” Applejack lowered her head and sprinted forward. She dashed ahead of Wanderer, who could only look on in shock. The finish line was just ahead and he too lowered his head and charged.

As they crossed the finish line, Applejack beating Wanderer by a foot, Iron Will clicked his timer.

“Hmm, not bad for foals.” He looked to the two as they tried to catch their breath. “Not bad, not bad.” The minotaur walked away and had two more ponies get to the line for their race.

“How’d you do that?” Wanderer asked, as he finally caught his breath and stood straighter.

She smiled at him. “Did lots of runnin’ back on the farm. Plenty o’ open space for a mare to stretch her legs.”

He gave an impressed snort. “I’ll bet. You sure showed me up.” He laughed. “I’m Wanderer, by the way.” Again, offering his hoof to her.

“Applejack. Good to meet ya,” she said as she shook his hoof.

The two earth ponies shared a friendly smile and turned to watch the others race.

-o-

After he was through with the runners, Iron Will approached the assembled pegasi.

Upon the bleachers with the others, Twilight took her time to examine the obstacle course they were approaching.

There were cloud rings set in sharp angles, designed to test a pegasus’ reflexes. A number of sturdy looking clouds were set for fliers to spin and gain momentum and test their endurance at high speeds. At the end of the course, a long metal tube was set up, probably as a test for maneuvering in enclosed spaces.

Next to her, Fluttershy, also looking downwards gasped slightly. “Oh, no,” she whispered.

“Something wrong?” inquired a worried Pinkie Pie, while the others gave the pegasus slightly confused stares.

The pink-maned pegasus vigorously shook her head. “N-nothing’s wrong. Why would anything be wrong?” Her friends switched from concerned to suspicious, though they didn’t press the matter. Yet, to Twilight, it seemed, if she wasn’t imagining things, that Rainbow’s formerly cocky grin had also faltered somewhat.

For a brief moment, she started to worry about her friend and hoped that her normal confidence was not just a cheap facade. Twilight didn’t really doubt Rainbow Dash’s abilities, but if she got stage fright, it could be bad. Yet she forced them down when Iron Will called for volunteers for the first run of the course, and Rainbow Dash immediately threw up an eager hoof.

The minotaur grunted and pointed to the golden-maned pegasus. “You, get ready,” he said to another pegasus who had spoken up at the same time as Rainbow. This one had a coat of a greener shade of blue than Rainbow’s. Her mane consisted of three varying colors of gold, and her cutie mark was a white lightning bolt with three golden stars underneath.

“Yeah!” The pegasus flapped to the starting line and readied herself.

Twilight, having never seen a pegasus obstacle course trial before had kind of expected her to carefully work their way through the rings, taking time to navigate the tight turns. In retrospect, she realized that that expectation had been kind of stupid, given most pegasi’s innate love of speed.

At the whistle, the pegasus took off, and had already passed the first three rings by the time Twilight caught up with her flight.

Expertly angling through the other cloud rings, she only managed to clip one of them on her pass, a feat Twilight would have completely thought of as impossible at those speeds, had she not just seen it for herself. Bursting out of the last cloud ring, she spun the clouds at steadily increasing speeds and came out of her spiral with little trouble. She then sped through the tube, her eyes squinting at the wind resistance. After speeding through, she raced for the finish line, a golden streak of light trailing behind her. As she blew past the finish line, the minotaur clicked his timer. He raised one eyebrow at the time shown.

“Not bad, newbie, not bad.” He called on another pegasus to the line.

Rainbow smiled and approached the golden-mane pegasus. “That wasn’t too shabby. What’s your name?”

The other pegasus glanced at her, her expression stoic. “Lightning Dust,” she said bluntly.

Rainbow frowned instantly at the other mare’s attitude. “Well, don’t get comfy, Lightning Dust. I’m gonna blow your time out of the sky.”

Lightning Dust glared at her. “And who are you supposed to be?”

“I’m Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in all of Equestria!” she boasted, rather loudly.

“Well, Miss Fastest-in-Equestria, up to the line!” Iron Will called to her.

“Right, Coach!” she said quickly, ignoring Lightning Dust’s snicker.

Twilight saw Rainbow Dash flicker a glance over at them, before trotting over to the start. She didn’t honestly know if Rainbow Dash had it in her to match Lightning Dust’s performance, but Twilight could see a determined fire in her eyes when she stretched her neck before getting into a takeoff pose.

At the whistle, she took off in a rainbow-hued trail of light. Since she knew what to expect this time, Twilight’s eyes never left her when she shot through the first rings even faster than her predecessor. Too fast. There was no way she could do the required turns at this speed. She would shoot out of the curve and-

Twilight’s mouth fell open when her friend executed several seemingly impossible high-speed turns perfectly and came clear of the rings without clipping a single one. Her mouth fell even further as Rainbow spun around the clouds, handling the increased velocities with little difficulty.

Her confusion only grew when Rainbow Dash missed the entrance of the last obstacle. Instead of flying through it like the first pegasus had, she swerved and flew below the tube, followed it to its end, and flew for the finish line. The ponies had to brace themselves as she flew past, for fear of being blown away by the following gust of wind.

Next to her, Fluttershy gave a sigh of disappointment, but it couldn’t have been that bad, could it? After all, Rainbow Dash had completed the rest of the course perfectly.

Yet Iron Will had a fierce look on his face when he approached the pegasus.

They exchanged a few words and Rainbow Dash returned to the start line. Twilight’s confusion was overridden by relief. She would get a second chance at the course.

At the whistle, she took off again, repeating the first parts of the course just as well as she had earlier and went for the tube. However, once she came close she swerved at the last moment with a barely audible squeak of fright and once again flew past the tube, going over it with her eyes closed.

“Newbie! Get your flank down here right now!” Iron Will bellowed, motioning to the ground angrily.

Rainbow Dash complied and landed in front of him, her head slightly lowered.

“I don’t know what you’re playing at, but I don’t find it funny. Hit the bleachers, kid. I’ll have a talk with you when the others are done.” His glare burned figurative holes into her face.

She replied quietly, hanging her head in shame.

“What was that?!”

“Y-yes, Coach Iron Will!” Rainbow responded loudly with a salute.

The minotaur grunted and turned back to the assembled pegasi.

Rainbow joined her friends in the bleachers, each of them smiling at her.

“You were amazing, Rainbow Dash! You totally blew the others away! Literally!” Pinkie said with an almost impossibly wide smile.

“Indeed, darling. It was simply stunning the way you handled those obstacles. I was very impressed.” Rarity said, her entourage quickly agreeing with her.

“You did great, Rainbow.” Fluttershy said, resting a hoof on her friend’s shoulder.

The cyan mare blushed at all the compliments, rubbing at the back of her head. “Heh, thanks, you guys.”

“So, why didn’t you go through the tube?” Twilight asked curiously.

Rainbow looked to the tube out of reflex and shuddered. “I just didn’t want to show up the others, you know? Not on the first day. That wouldn’t be very cool.”

“Really? You were doing so well until then. What stopped you?” Twilight asked again, frowning softly at Rainbow’s obvious avoidance of the question.

“I just didn’t, okay?” Rainbow snapped at her.

All of the others were taken aback by her outburst, except for Fluttershy who looked at her friend with a mix of understanding and concern.

“Sorry,” she apologized and stood up. “I’ll go get us some drinks. I’ll be right back.” She trotted off quickly.

“Well, that was certainly rude. Whatever could be wrong with her?” Rarity said once Rainbow had left.

“Oh, please don’t be mad at her. She’s just…” Fluttershy caught herself and looked away.

“She’s what, Fluttershy? I’ve never seen Rainbow like that before,” Twilight said as she watched her roommate gather some water bottles at the snack stand.

“It really isn’t for me to say,” Fluttershy said, still not looking at them directly.

“What happened, Fluttershy?” Twilight pressed. “We won’t say anything to her. If we know what’s wrong, maybe we all can help her.”

“I…”

“Honestly, darling, we won’t say a thing.” Rarity said, sitting next to the pegasus.

“We Pinkie Promise!” Pinkie chimed in.

“What?” Twilight asked her.

“It’s a promise you make that, once you make it, can never be broken. Because breaking a promise is the fastest way to lose a friend forever!” she answered Twilight, the two being eye to eye at the explanation, barely an inch of space between them.

“All right, we Pinkie Promise not to tell.” Twilight said, pushing the energetic mare back out of her personal space.

“You have to do the motions and recite the words, too.” Pinkie added.

“Seriously?” Twilight deadpanned.

“Yepper! All right, ladies, repeat after me: Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” As she recited the promise, she crossed a hoof over her heart, then fluttered her front hooves, and finally placed a hoof over one eye.

After a stunned moment, the two unicorns looked to each in slight confusion, but did as instructed nonetheless.

Fluttershy smiled at them, but was clearly still obviously nervous. “All right, but you can’t tell Rainbow it was me who told you.”

“We promise,” the three said together.

Fluttershy took in a calming breath and began her tale…

-o-

'It was back when Rainbow and I were just little fillies living in Cloudsdale, before we even got our cutie marks. We would always go out in the town park to play together. One day, though, Rainbow had an idea she said would be fun.'

“Come on, Flutters!” Rainbow called from Cloudsdale’s edge, waving her hoof towards it. “Hurry up! Before somepony sees us!”

“I-I’m coming, Dashie!” a young Fluttershy called back as she galloped over to her friend as fast as her spindly legs could carry her. When she got to the edge, she looked over it, letting out a tiny “eep,” at the sight of the distant earth below. “D-Dashie? Are you sure this is a good idea?”

Rainbow scoffed with a cocky smirk. “You worry too much. Come on, we’ll be fine.” She flapped her wings and hovered past the edge. “Look, if it’ll make you feel better, we’ll take it slow as we go down, okay?”

Fluttershy looked back down over the edge, gulping nervously. She was scared, but she trusted Rainbow completely. After a minute of consideration, she nodded and joined her friend past the edge. Rainbow nodded with a grin as she led the way down to earth, going slow, just as she had promised.

'When we got to the surface, we landed in a small forest. There were all kinds of wonderful little animals everywhere, and seeing them all made me feel a little safer. We wandered through the forest for a little while, admiring the scenery, exploring little holes in the ground, that sort of thing. Eventually…'

The two young pegasi had been wandering around for a good few minutes - just observing the trees, listening to the animals, feeling the rare sensation of solid earth beneath their hooves - when they stumbled across a cave. It was fairly small; too small for a bear or anything like that to live there. In fact, it didn’t look lived-in at all to start with anyway. Of course, Rainbow Dash wanted to do the most reasonable thing possible.

“Let’s check it out!” she exclaimed, feeling adventurous. Fluttershy almost panicked, stepping in front of her friend before the younger filly could get very far.

“Wait, Dashie! We don’t know what’s in there! It could be dangerous!”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. Fluttershy was never the truly adventurous sort. “Don’t worry, Flutters. If you don’t wanna go in, that’s fine. I’ll be careful.”

“But-”

“Look, if something happens, I’ll come right out. I promise.” Her magenta eyes were full of their usual sincerity. Fluttershy eventually gave in and stepped aside. Rainbow gave an appreciative nod and headed into the cave. Fluttershy, meanwhile, sat down and waited for Dashie to come back out. It shouldn’t take her too long, right?

'I waited for about twenty minutes. After that, I got worried and went in after her. The cave went on for a good while. It was probably a tunnel of some kind, now that I think about it. Anyway, I eventually found Rainbow near the end of the cave.'

It was just barely bright enough for her to see. Rainbow thought she saw some kind of cave paintings on the walls or something, but she couldn’t be totally sure without a good amount of light. She turned at the sound of hooves trotting, and smiled when she saw Fluttershy approaching.

“Hey, you came after all!” she greeted. “Come here. I think I might’ve found something cool.”

“Are you all right, Dashie?” Fluttershy asked, concern evident in her voice. “I was worried. You’ve been in here for a while.”

Once again, Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “I’m fine, Flutters. Really. Now come here and check this out!” She pointed to the wall where she thought she saw those cave paintings. She felt like she was in one of those adventure novels that her dad had her read. Admittedly, cave paintings weren’t as cool as ancient lost treasures, but it was at least a start.

“Um… what am I looking for?”

Rainbow ignored the question for a minute and scrutinized the wall a bit. After a minute, she came to a realization and sighed, feeling stupid. “Nevermind. There’s nothing…” She looked away from the wall, then caught sight of something sparkling at the end of the cave. “There!” she shouted suddenly, making Fluttershy jump up and hover in the air for a bit.

Rainbow stopped at the end of the cave, eyeing the thing she had spotted. It was shiny, even in the cave’s darkness. She beamed widely, wondering what, exactly, it could be. Maybe a large gemstone, or at least a rock filled with gemstones. It could even be gold! Without hesitation, she grabbed at it and began pulling, trying to free it from the wall it was stuck in.

“Dashie?” Fluttershy said worriedly. She didn’t like the idea of pulling a rock out of the wall of a cave. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Come on, Fluttershy, what’s the worst that could happen?” Rainbow replied. She immediately went back to tugging at the rock, soon managing to pull it free. “All right! Score! Let’s get out of here and see what we-!” She stopped when something fell on her head. A tiny pebble. Another fell, hitting the ground with a dull tink. She then looked to where she had gotten the shiny rock. There were cracks all over it, and they were spreading.

Both ponies’ eyes went wide in realization as more rocks fell from the ceiling, each being larger than the last.

“Run!” Rainbow cried, dropping the rock she had just picked up. Fluttershy was already a ways ahead of her, quickly making it out of the cave. Rainbow wasn’t so lucky. A large rock fell on her back, and when her wings spread in reflex, another rock landed right on top of her right wing, trapping her as the cave fell apart around her, blocking her only exit.

“RAINBOW!” Fluttershy screamed, hoping beyond hope that her friend was all right. She desperately began moving rocks out of the way to try and reach her best and only friend. Many of those rocks were too heavy for her to even hope to lift, however. Panic began to take over. She took several deep breaths to try and calm herself down. “Rainbow! I-if you can hear me, don’t worry! I’ll go get help! I’ll be back, I promise!”

With that, she took off for Cloudsdale, flying as fast as her weak wings would allow.

-o-

“I managed to get back home and tell my and Rainbow’s parents what happened,” Fluttershy said, nearing the end of the story. “We gathered as many able-bodied ponies as we could, and I led them back to the cave where Rainbow had been trapped. We managed to dig her out, but her wing was broken, and she…” She hesitated. “She just wasn’t the same for almost a month. Ever since that day, she’s been terrified of enclosed spaces.” She looked over at the tube that Rainbow had been so reluctant to fly through. “That’s why she avoided the tube. Even something like that scares her.”

“That… actually explains a lot,” Twilight commented. “When we first met, I’d moved the desks in our room closer to the middle. She insisted that she wanted them away from her side of the room because they would get in the way of her morning exercises. She seemed to be acting a bit strange about it, but I’d assumed it was just a pegasus thing.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “While pegasi aren’t exactly comfortable in tight areas, we can usually make do. Rainbow Dash is claustrophobic almost to an extreme.” She sighed, looking away. “She tries to put on a brave face and say that she’s fine whenever she’s faced with that fear, but…”

“Still, if she doesn’t fly through the tube, chances are she won’t be able to make the team,” Rarity said, subdued some by the tale.

“Yeah, and if Rainbow Dash doesn’t make the team, she’ll be all sad and mopey. We can’t let that happen! We have to help her!” Pinkie said with determination.

Twilight considered the dilemma for a moment. Getting over a real phobia was not something a pony just did at the drop of a quill. However, Rarity was right: if Rainbow didn’t do something about it, she wouldn’t make the team, regardless of whatever feats she showed off to the coach. Not making the cut would be something an athlete like Rainbow Dash would not handle easily.

‘How to approach this?’ she thought to herself.

Fluttershy looked at Twilight as the unicorn appeared in deep thought. “What are you thinking about, Twilight?”

“I’m trying to figure out a way to help Rainbow,” she said as she tucked a part of her mane behind an ear thoughtfully. “But a phobia is not something so easily overcome with just a few pretty words and moral support.”

“There has to be a way, though!” Pinkie argued. “I don’t wanna see anypony sad, especially not a friend!”

“But what can we do?” Fluttershy asked. “Rainbow won’t talk about that day with anypony, not even me.”

“We won’t have to,” Twilight said, a slow smile creeping across her face.

“You have a plan in mind, don’t you, Twilight?” Rarity asked at Twilight’s smile. The smile proved infectious as the white unicorn found herself following suit.

“Yes. The beginnings of one, at least. I’m still fine-tuning it. This is what I have so far…” She quietly relayed her plan to the other three. Soon, they were all smiling wide at the idea of helping their friend.

-o-

Rainbow Dash was making her way back to the bleachers when she saw the other four mares apparently discussing something. She furrowed her brow, but shrugged, taking care not to drop the water bottles she had gathered for them.

“What were you guys talking about?” she asked as she passed out the water.

“Oh, nothing important, dear,” Rarity said.

“What? I thought we were trying to figure out how to help—” Pinkie started, but was interrupted when Twilight shoved a hoof over her mouth.

“We were, uh… talking about our homework. Right, Pinkie?” Twilight shot the pink mare a pointed glare, and Pinkie answered with a nod.

Rainbow narrowed her eyes at them, and soon managed to put two and two together. “Nice try, guys, but I’m not gonna talk about it.”

“We wouldn’t want you to, Rainbow. We just want to talk about how you’re going to get through that tube.” Rarity nodded toward the suspended obstacle.

Rainbow looked at the tube a moment before sighing. “I’m not sure I can,” she admitted quietly.

“Of course you can, darling! We’ve seen you do some amazing things before. We know you can get past a silly, floating, metal tube.”

Rainbow’s ears laid back, her shoulders sagging. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“No, we wouldn’t,” Twilight said, awkwardly placing a hoof on the pegasus’s shoulder. “But we can sympathize. We believe if you face whatever it is that’s holding you back, and give it your all, you can get past it.”

Rainbow seemed less sure of herself. “This isn’t the same, though. It’s…” she growled in frustration and slammed her water bottle down, spilling some of its contents across the bleacher.

“But you’re a super-awesome athlete, Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie chimed with an excited bounce. “We all know it, the ponies on the field know it, and even the coach knows it! That’s why he’ll give you a second chance. Just think of it: if you fly through the tube and prove how awesome you are, and you’ll be even awesomer! Getting over a fear at the same time will make you the awesomest!”

Rainbow looked to her suspiciously. “Who said anything about me being afraid?” The other girls gave Pinkie worried and warning looks.

“Lucky guess.” Pinkie smiled disarmingly.

“Riiight.” Rainbow’s suspicion was not letting up in the slightest.

“We know you can do it, Dashie,” Fluttershy told her. “You’re the bravest pony I know, and I know you can get past this.”

“Flutters…” Rainbow said softly, looking to her long-time friend with a pleading look.

“You can do this,” Fluttershy said firmly.

“Darn tootin’,” another voice said.

They turned to see Applejack join them on the bleachers.

“Do you even know what we’re talking about?” Rainbow asked her in irritation. All the support she was receiving from her friends made her feel weird. Not a bad weird, but something she didn’t completely understand.

“Ah got the gist of it. You're havin’ trouble with the tube thing, right?” The mare asked as she readjusted her Stetson.

Rainbow sighed. “Is it that obvious?”

“To those of us who know ya.” Applejack nodded. “But Ah’ll say this: are ya really gonna let a floatin’ chunk o’ metal get the best o' ya?”

Rainbow looked to the tube again, nervously biting her lip.

“Or are ya gonna to let me win one fer a change?” Applejack asked with a sly grin.

Rainbow turned a glare at her.

If Applejack was bothered by the glare any, she didn’t show it. “Ah make the team and you don’t. Don’t think Ah could ever let ya live that one down.”

Rainbow looked to her friends, all sporting amused or supporting smiles, each of them showing their faith in her. She looked down at her hooves, her expression distant. Was she honestly going to let a thing like a giant tube keep her from her goals? She was Rainbow Dash, the fastest flier in all of Equestria! She couldn’t let something like petty fear stop her, not when her friends had her back. She couldn’t disappoint them, no matter what she had to face.

“You guys are right. I can do this!” She hovered above them, brimming with a new found confidence. She started for the field, but came back a second later. “Thanks, guys,” she said in the sincerest tone she could manage, and bolted for the field.

“Coach Iron Will, I’m ready to prove myself!” she said as she landed behind him, as he clicked the timer for the last pegasus racer.

He barely turned to look at her. “And why should I let you, newbie? You’ve already proven you can’t follow simple instructions.”

“Give me a chance, and I’ll show you just what I can do,” she challenged.

The other pegasi gasped at her tone. Unbeknownst to them, Iron Will smirked in approval. He had a reputation to uphold, however, so he whirled on her and glared fiercely.

“So, you think you’ve got what it takes?” he bellowed, leveling a finger at her.

She refused to back down. “I know I do.”

“Then get up there and put your money where your mouth is!” As she dashed to the starting line, he could only nod in approval.

Once he blew the whistle, Rainbow took off even faster than before. She managed the rings and clouds near perfectly. Her next obstacle, the dreaded tube, was just ahead. As she neared it, images of that day trapped in the cave and of her broken wing flooded her thoughts, threatening to overwhelm her in unreasoning fear. The world slowed down. She almost gave into her slowly building panic, until she glanced at the bleachers. All of her friends were there, yelling and cheering her on, lending her support in any way they could. That feeling from earlier came back and banished her fears. She could do this, and she would!

With a shout, she plunged down the tube. Her eyes were tearing up from the wind resistance and the realization of what she was doing. She was in a place that represented her deepest fear, yet here she was and she was doing it!

With a cry of victory, she burst from the tube and flew past the finish line. Even Iron Will had to plant his hooves to keep from being blown back. He clicked his timer and his eyes widened.

“A new course record! Not bad, newbie.” The assembled pegasi cheered for her accomplishment.

“Aw, yeah!” Rainbow cheered, raising one hoof in triumph. She looked to the bleachers, and she heard her friends loudly cheering for her. Pinkie even held up a banner with Rainbow’s name and face on it, waving it around proudly. Rainbow could have sworn that the wild, pink mare didn’t have anything of the like earlier.

The minotaur grunted and turned to address all those who’d tried out for the team.

“All right, that’s everypony. I’ll post those who made the cut on the Academy’s bulletin boards. Get some rest. You all did good.” He and his assistants walked away, already in discussion.

As the ponies began to disperse, Rainbow flew to her friends, who instantly surrounded her in a huddle of congratulations.

“You were great, Rainbow Dash! The absolute awesomest!” Pinkie said as she bounced in place.

“I knew you could do it, Dashie,” Fluttershy said with a wide, proud smile for her friend.

“Simply stunning, truly breathtaking,” Rarity beamed, her entourage nodding vigorously in agreement with her.

“Ah knew ya had it in ya,” Applejack said with her sly smile still in place. “Now to see if that was good enough for the coach.”

Rainbow scoffed. “If that wasn’t enough, he has no idea what skill is.” They all shared a laugh at that.

“We all knew you could do it,” Twilight said. She was genuinely happy on two fronts. She had helped her friend with a personal problem and she was finally going to get to sleep in again. Who wouldn’t be happy about that?

Rainbow blushed faintly. “You guys are the best.” She pulled the six of them into a group hug, though another quick glance at the tube caused another shudder.

Unseen to them, another pegasus was watching them in disgust. She glared hatefully at the rainbow-maned upstart before turning away without a word.

-o-

The next morning, Twilight was sleeping rather peacefully. She was having another pleasant dream where she was showcasing her exemplary magical talents for the heads of the Academy Even Princess Celestia was there. Each of them was awed by her amazing talents and mastery of the arcane.

“Truly amazing,” she heard Headmaster Stargazer say, to which the others all readily agreed.

“Indeed so,” Celestia smiled.

Twilight soaked in the praise for the magic she conjured. Truly, what more could she possibly ask for?

“Twilight, could you come here a moment, please?” Celestia asked, a pleased expression on the alicorn’s face.

“Yes, Princess?” She could imagine it now; the Princess was going to ask her to be her own personal student. Such an honor that would be! Her, Princess Celestia’s own protege! It almost made her squeal in delight.

“I have something very important to say,” the alicorn said.

“Yes?” Twilight’s eyes glittered.

“One, two, three, four, five…” the monarch said.

Twilight looked to her with a shocked and confused expression. “W-what?”

“Six, seven, eight, nine, ten…” the Academy’s heads joined in Celestia’s counting.

“But... I... what?” Twilight looked around in fear before the floor collapsed and she fell with a despairing cry, the counting continuing all around her.

She sat bolt upright in shock and saw that she was still in her dorm room. Looking to her side, she saw Rainbow Dash in the midst of her morning routine.

Heat practically blazed from Twilight as she scowled at her roommate. “You… you promised I could sleep in!” Her tone was a mix of frustration and despair.

Rainbow paused in her wing-ups and smiled to her. “I did.”

“What?! It’s still dark out!” A quick look out the window confirmed her words.

“Look at the time.” Rainbow suggested with a wide smirk on her face.

A look at the clock revealed a read of 5:15 A.M.

“I gave you fifteen minutes.”

Rainbow was quick to vacate the room, Twilight’s eyes practically blazing with rage.

“Don’t worry, I promise to let you sleep in, just like I said! I just couldn’t pass this up!” Rainbow said from the hallway, laughing as she headed outside to finish her morning exercises.

Twilight could only fall back on her pillow with a groan. She bemoaned how cruel the world could be.

Author's Note

This chapter was written by zodiacspear. Thanks, buddy! He's also the guy who wrote chapter 3, and if you haven't checked out his stories yet, do it.

Or I will find you.

Wagers

Saturday. A wonderful day where few ponies had to worry about anything but their own hobbies and plans for the day. And this Saturday was beautiful, despite the somewhat chilly fall weather. Thankfully, the Academy’s arboretum was always kept at a stable temperature for the sake of the various plants and animals that were kept there.

Fluttershy couldn’t think of a more perfect place to spend her free time. Sure, she was here for a few classes regarding zoology, biology, and botany, but those were too formal for her to spend proper time with the adorable little critters that called this place home.

She felt something creeping through her mane and brushed a hoof through it. A giggle escaped her at the sight of a small spider on her hoof. A male orb weaver, if she wasn’t mistaken. She set it down in its appropriate habitat, smiling the whole time as the tiny creature scurried through the grass and flowers. It was a mystery to her why most ponies were so frightened by spiders. She found them rather adorable. Well, as long as they weren’t big enough to eat ponies, at least. Then she’d be a little bit frightened.

“I have no idea how you do that,” said a mare’s voice from behind her. A mint green unicorn with golden eyes trotted over. Her mane matched her coat, save for part of it being a clean white color. Her cutie mark was a golden lyre. “Those things freak me out.”

“Oh, they're not so bad, Lyra,” Fluttershy assured the other mare. Lyra Heartstrings was Fluttershy’s roommate, but she was more of an acquaintance than a friend. Fluttershy silently admitted to herself that that was partly her fault. She wasn’t really the outgoing, extroverted type. “They’re actually very sweet when you give them a chance.”

“If you say so.” Lyra levitated a notepad and pencil up and wrote a few things down. “Come on. We still need to finish this zoology report for Professor Keeper. And we’re not doing it on bugs.”

“They’re actually arachnids,” Fluttershy corrected as she stood up, dusting her knees off.

Lyra rolled her eyes. “If it’s got more than four legs, it’s a bug, and I don’t like bugs, okay?” She frowned at the arachnids once more and turned to head off to another habitat. “Come on. Let’s go do a report on something else. Rabbits, maybe.”

“If you insist.” Fluttershy turned to follow her roommate through the arboretum, waving hello to the numerous animals that she considered her little friends. The arboretum was like paradise for her. She had always loved animals, and the animals seemed to love her just as much. Even the snakes, insects, and other creatures that many would consider scary, she saw as wonderful little critters that simply came in many shapes and sizes. Although, if she were to be honest, she did still consider bunnies to be the most adorable things in the entire animal king-

She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she failed to watch where she was going, and bumped into somepony without realizing it. She staggered back a little and looked up at who she had met; a yellowish unicorn mare with a fiery, red-and-yellow mane and bright blue eyes, with a red and yellow sun as her cutie mark.

“I-I’m sorry,” Fluttershy immediately apologized with her normal demurity. “I was daydreaming. Are you all-?”

The unicorn sneered venomously at her. “Watch where you’re going, you winged rat!”

Fluttershy blinked in surprise at that. “I… what?”

The mare scoffed and rolled her eyes. “I thought pegasi were supposed to have good directional sense. You’re almost as bad as the mud ponies.”

Fluttershy gasped at the mare’s words. Mud ponies? She looked around worriedly, silently praying that no earth ponies were around to hear the slur. “Um… y-you really sh-shouldn’t say th-things like that…”

“Or what?” the unicorn inquired several layers of arrogance in her tone. “Are they going to throw their dirt at me? Oh, terrifying.” She glared at Fluttershy, who backed away nervously. “Just stay out of my way. I have a biology report to finish.” Then, Fluttershy was enveloped in a blue-hued aura that unceremoniously tossed her aside into a nearby habitat for birds. The unicorn then trotted off, not giving Fluttershy a second glance.

Fluttershy spit out a mouthful of turf and looked after the mean unicorn. She couldn’t believe anypony could be so cruel as to not only throw her aside so heartlessly, but also say such hateful racial slurs. She had many earth pony friends, Pinkie Pie and Applejack chief among them, and she never, not once, thought of them as less than she. Fluttershy had respect for all living things, and never considered one more important than the other. Such cruelty was simply alien to her.

“Fluttershy? Where’d you go?” She heard the voice of Lyra say. The mint unicorn trotted around a bush before she spotted her in the bird habitat. “Hey, what are you doing? What happened to you?”

Fluttershy stood up and dusted herself off, speaking softly to the upset birds of the habitat, trying to calm them. She looked back to the unicorn and looked down in embarrassment. “I, uh…”

Lyra smiled faintly to her. “I know you love the animals, but climbing into their habitats is a bit much, isn’t it?”

Fluttershy chuckled at her wit, but it didn’t last. “N-no, I just…” she sighed. “Lyra, do you know who that pony is?” She pointed to the unicorn who had thrown her aside.

“Hmm?” Lyra looked in the direction she motioned and her expression went flat. “Her? That’s Sunset Shimmer. She's the daughter of one of the more wealthy families in Canterlot, and she’s probably the most arrogant pony you’ll ever meet. Did she do this to you?”

Fluttershy looked to the ground, kicking idly at the turf, conspicuously avoiding her roommate’s gaze.

“She did, didn’t she?” Lyra grumbled. “That’s harsh, even for her.”

“Please, don’t say anything. I don’t want to start any trouble.” Fluttershy shook the remainder of the dirt and twigs from her coat and feathers.

Lyra sighed. “Shy, you can’t let ponies just push you around like that all the time, especially not Sunset Shimmer. Otherwise, she’ll just keep doing it because she knows she can get away with it.”

Fluttershy shook her head stubbornly. “It’s not worth fighting over. Nothing is.”

Lyra rolled her eyes. “I can’t say that I completely agree with that, but you’re right that it’s not worth starting a fight over. Come on; let’s get our work done so we can take a break.”

Fluttershy nodded softly and stole one more look towards the cruel unicorn. She shook her head before following Lyra through the arboretum.

-o-

This was absolutely perfect. A tree keeping shade over her as she read a fascinating thesis on astronomy, hearing her friends, new and old, chatter away about their classes and lives, not a cloud in the sky to block the warm, shining sun. Twilight couldn’t imagine anything better. Except maybe owning her own library with every single book ever written in the history of forever. That would make things just a smidge better. Sadly, she had no such place to go to, but she could settle with what she had right now.

She looked up as she heard Rainbow address them. “Hey, wasn’t Fluttershy supposed to be here by now?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking around with a raised eyebrow. “It’s not like her to skip out on her friends.”

“She’s finishing up a report for her zoology class,” Rarity said as one of her hopeless followers shined her hooves and another was giving her a shoulder massage, while the third had gone off to fetch the group some drinks. “She’ll be along.”

Trixie rolled her eyes and nudged Twilight lightly. “How do those guys not annoy her to no end?”

Twilight eyed the two stallions who obeyed Rarity like mindless drones and shrugged. “She’s just used to it, I guess. Just try to ignore them. It’s gets pretty easy after a while, and they do have their uses.”

“Portable busboys?” Trixie suggested with a smirk, earning a rather unladylike snort of a laugh from her old friend. “I guess I can just grin and bear it for now. They don’t seem all that bad, even if they are complete idiots.”

“We’re right here, you know,” one of the two stallions said, indignantly glaring at Trixie.

“Good for you, champ,” came Trixie’s snarky reply, making the stallion fume before Rarity placed a hoof on his shoulder. He immediately calmed down, still glowering at the azure mare who had basically insulted him. All the mares shared a laugh at his expense, while he grumbled about them at least learning his name before making fun of him.

As the group laughed, Fluttershy arrived, panting from her run and looking a bit distraught. As she sat down, she glanced nervously over at Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and one of Rarity’s sycophants. Twilight raised an eyebrow at her best friend’s behavior. She was acting even shyer than normal, and that was really saying something.

“Something wrong, Shy?” Rainbow Dash asked before she could.

“Oh, um…” Fluttershy answered eloquently, looking away from her friends. “I-it’s nothing, really.”

“You sure ‘bout that, sugarcube?” Applejack asked with a tilt of her head. “You look like somepony just threw ya around.”

“Your mane is a bit messier than normal,” Rarity observed, pointing out a few loose strands in her friend’s pink mane.

Fluttershy self-consciously pulled at the parts of her mane that stuck out, straightening it as best she could. “Well…” she said hesitantly. “I… I met this rude pony in the arboretum. She said some really mean things and pushed me into one of the habitats.”

“WHAT!?” Rainbow shouted, outrage burning in her eyes as she shot up into the air, wings flapping furiously. “Who was it? When I get my hooves on the pony who hurt you, I’ll-!”

“Now, simmer down there, RD!” Applejack said, grabbing the pegasus by the tail with her teeth and pulling her back down to earth. She turned to Fluttershy, concern evident in her eyes. “Now, who was this bully?”

Once again, Fluttershy was reluctant. “She’s…” She trailed off, her gaze falling on something past her friends. She pointed a hoof in the direction she was looking to. “That’s her right over there!” she proclaimed, surprised by the immense coincidence.

Rainbow Dash turned and glared daggers at the fiery-maned unicorn. “Oh, she’s going down!” she exclaimed. Before anypony could stop her, she bolted toward the other mare, going in to tackle her down and force her to apologize.

Sunset Shimmer turned towards the charging pegasus sharply, an eyebrow raised at the raging rainbow-colored blur. She rolled her eyes and charged her horn, suddenly vanishing in a flash of blue light.

Rainbow gasped in surprise but was going too fast to stop in time to avoid crashing into the ground. She skidded painfully across the dirt and into a tree—the shock of which shook a number of leaves loose.

“Nuisance,” Shimmer muttered when she reappeared not two feet away from where she had been standing a second earlier. She was about to walk away when Rainbow’s friends came running to the pegasus, who stood up slowly, rubbing her aching head and once again burning into Sunset with a glare.

“Just who the hay do you think you are!?” she yelled angrily, stomping toward the unicorn, fuming with unbridled fury. “You apologize to Fluttershy right now!”

“Who?” Sunset asked indifferently. She then noticed the pink-maned pony, raising an eyebrow at her. “Her? The dolt with no sense of direction or respect?”

Rainbow snarled at her, her anger intensifying. “What did you just say!?”

“Rainbow, stop!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, getting in between the two mares. “We could at least hear her side of the story before jumping to conclusions, right?” She turned to Sunset, offering a hoof in greeting. “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! What’s your name?”

Sunset glared at the pink mare. “As if some lowly mud pony deserves to know,” she snapped, derision overflowing in her tone.

Pinkie backed up a little, caught completely off guard by the yellow unicorn’s statement. “Wh-what?” Before she could say more, she pushed off to the side by Applejack, who had an exceedingly offended look on her face.

“You mind repeatin’ that?” she demanded more than asked, though her tone made her sound like she was desperately trying to remain calm. “Ah think you said somethin’ that disagrees with my ears.”

Shimmer rolled her eyes, glaring at the two earth ponies as though they were the lowest form of life. “What a surprise. A mud pony butchering a once-proud language. Why don’t you go back to the boonies where you belong, you uneducated hick?”

Applejack was officially fuming at this point. She opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped when Twilight pulled her aside, shaking her head. Applejack reluctantly stepped back, still glowering at Shimmer with an obvious rage.

Twilight turned a scowl at Sunset, but she managed to remain collected. “Why don’t we just go our separate ways and leave this all behind us?” she suggested. “We’ll leave you alone if you leave us alone.”

Sunset looked over the group of seven mares and the two stallions who stood by Rarity’s sides. She raised an eyebrow and glared at Rainbow. “I expect an apology,” she said simply. “Your pegasus associate attempted to attack me. I expect her to apologize.”

“You apologize to Fluttershy first!” Rainbow spat.

Sunset scoffed. “I see no reason for me to apologize to a directionless foal.”

Rainbow growled at the mare, ready to tackle her and beat her senseless right there, but she was stopped again by Pinkie, who said nothing, opting only to shake her head in disapproval, as if to say that it wasn’t worth it. Twilight nodded to Pinkie in appreciation, then turned to Sunset again.

“We’ll just be going,” she said as she turned to join her friends again.

“You must be completely pathetic.”

Twilight stopped in her tracks and turned to Sunset again. She was about to say something, but was interrupted when an azure form stomped past her, growling furiously at Shimmer.

“Would you care to repeat that, Shimmer?” Trixie asked, getting just a few inches away from Sunset’s face. The yellow mare’s eyes widened very, very slightly in recognition.

“Lulamoon,” she greeted with ambivalence. “It’s been a while. I see you still have no respect for your betters.”

Trixie laughed lightly. “I don’t think you heard my question,” she said, narrowing her eyes further. “so I’ll rephrase it. Would you mind explaining why, exactly, Twilight Sparkle, my best friend, is ‘pathetic’?”

“Somepony who associates themselves with mud ponies,” Sunset began coldly, “demotes themselves to a lower form of existence. Thus, both you and your ‘friend’ are pathetic. Does that answer your question, Lulamoon?”

Trixie scowled at the unicorn in front of her. “Oh, it does. And I think you at least deserve to know that you’ve crossed a very fine line. You insulted my best friend. Say whatever you want about me, but nopony insults my best friend.”

“Trixie, don’t—” Twilight said in a warning tone.

“And what do you think you can do about it?” Sunset inquired.

“I’m going to do something that you can’t say no to,” the azure unicorn answered, a cocky smirk forming on her face. “I challenge you to a magic duel.”

“WHAT!?” both Twilight and Rarity exclaimed simultaneously.

“A magic duel!?” Pinkie shouted in shock. “Oh, my gosh! This is going to be-!” She paused and tilted her head. “Wait… is that bad?”

“Magic duels are an old unicornian tradition,” Rarity explained. “They were originally used to settle disputes between noble families, usually over land, marriage, and sometimes even over claims of crimes committed by the party that receives the challenge.”

“They’re always fought with some sort of wager,” Twilight elaborated further. “That’s the big reason why they’re not called out as often anymore. There’s always something on the line, and the losing party must adhere to the demands of the winner.” She turned to Trixie again. “Which is why you’re NOT going to do this, Trixie.”

The silver-maned unicorn only smirked and said, “Relax, Twilight. I’ve got this.” She turned to Sunset again. “If I win, you will apologize to Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie. Got it?”

Sunset looked over to the named ponies, considering the wager. “Very well,” she said with a nod. “However, when you lose, you must become my civil servant until graduation, and you will be forbidden from meeting with your ‘friends’ until then.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide at that. Becoming a civil servant of this yellow jerk would’ve been bad enough on its own, but not being able to see her closest friend again for years? “Trixie, you can’t-!”

“You’ve got a deal, Shimmer,” Trixie said with a cocky grin. “Like I said, I’ve got this.”

-o-

The two mares stood apart in the field, Trixie’s friends watching the duel closely. Twilight looked on with an expression of concern. She had confidence in her friend, but the worrier in her couldn’t help but dwell on the possibilities if Trixie lost. She hadn’t seen Trixie for years before the Academy, and she dreaded the thought of not being able to see or talk to her again during their entire time at the Academy. She took a calming breath and reassured herself that Trixie wouldn’t lose; she’d never give up.

Trixie stood calmly, collecting her thoughts and devising a plan for the upcoming duel.

“This is your last chance to back down, Lulamoon. You don’t have any idea on what you’re getting into.” Sunset sneered with an arrogant toss of her head.

Trixie once again gave her a confident grin. “Don’t start what you can’t finish, Shimmer. I’m about to show you just what a Lulamoon can do!” Her horn glowed and a number of brightly-colored explosions took to the evening sky.

Sunset watched the display with a disinterested snort. “Is that all? Colorful lights? If that’s all a Lulamoon can do, then I have this in the bag already.” The yellow unicorn’s horn glowed and the sky lit up with a bright lightning bolt; the resulting thunder was almost deafening. Twilight gulped as she watched the magic Sunset was using.

“Now that the showboating is over, let’s get serious,” Sunset said arrogantly.

Trixie huffed, not appearing fazed by the show of force. “As you wish. Try to top this!” Her horn glowed with a pink aura, and a glowing manticore suddenly formed in the field between the two duelists. The creature stood tall, its beastly eyes glaring down on the yellow unicorn, its scorpion tail lashing around agitatedly. It reared back and roared long and loud in Sunset’s face, illusory saliva splattering her face, much to her chagrin. The conjured manticore looked all too real to the onlookers; they could have sworn they could even smell the creature.

Sunset blinked and wiped her face of the saliva. “A manticore?” she spat, her horn glowing fiercely as the manticore was quickly swallowed up in a tornado of flame. The bestial illusion vanished, wisps of magical smoke drifting away in the wind.

Trixie watched her illusion fade to nothingness and turned back to the other unicorn. She narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brow as she concentrated on her magic. Her form seemed to blur for a moment before a number of Trixie clones appeared around the field.

Sunset looked around as she was surrounded by the army of Trixies, her head darting around, trying to locate the real one. “What’s wrong, Shimmer?” the Trixies all asked in unison. “Can’t beat me if you can’t find me!” The clones lunged at Sunset, who in turn blasted at them with beams of magic. As her magic struck an illusion, it would fade in a puff of white smoke. So absorbed was she in defeating the clones that she didn’t have a barrier in place as a pink beam struck her in the side. Sunset tumbled away with a grunt of pain and looked back in the direction from which it came. She saw the remaining Trixies smile insultingly at her.

“Did that hurt, Shimmer? Now you know what it feels like on the receiving end of those idiotic comments you made. Ready to give up?”

Sunset stood up quickly, her expression ablaze in anger. “A Shimmer never surrenders, especially not to a lowly Lulamoon!” She concentrated her magic and lashed out with a flurry of smaller beams. The scatter dissipated the clones, and when her eyes fell upon the real Trixie putting up a barrier to protect herself, Sunset hit her with a blast that pierced her barrier and sent the blue unicorn tumbling away.

“Trixie!” Twilight called out in concern.

The blue unicorn stood up slowly and glared fiercely at the smug Sunset. “It’s going to take a lot more than that to beat me,” she growled.

Sunset grinned almost evilly. “I was hoping you would say that.” She shot another beam at Trixie, who dodged aside. Her horn glowed, and she vanished from view. All of them looked around to locate her, but she was nowhere to be seen.

“Running away, Lulamoon?” Sunset taunted, her eyes darting around for her foe.

“Hardly, Shimmer. In fact, I think you’ll like this.” Trixie’s voice ghosted all around her.

Sunset looked around slowly, prepared to throw a barrier up at a moment’s notice. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw the air shimmer, like heated asphalt. She turned and blasted at the spot. There was a groan as Trixie tumbled back into view, her coat slightly singed where she was struck. Sunset followed up her attack with another, and Trixie once again rolled to the side and countered with an attack of her own.

Shimmer smirked, and a bowl-shaped barrier appeared in front of her. Trixie’s attack was rebounded back at her, and she only had time to gasp as her own magic sent her backwards. Sunset blasted at her again, and Twilight yelled out for her friend as the blue unicorn was struck a second time.

Trixie shakingly got back to her hooves and looked to her foe with a hard glare, who only returned that look of with a sneer of her own. “Is that all you’ve got?” the yellow unicorn asked with a triumphant tone.

Trixie grimaced. “I don’t quit!” She collected her magic again, but before she could finish she was hit once again with a blue beam. She tried to stand but Sunset was there and pressed a hoof down firmly on her shoulder.

“Give up!” Sunset snarled at the prone Trixie.

Trixie glance quickly at Twilight and back. “I won’t—” She screamed as Sunset blasted her again, pointblank. When she tried to get away, Sunset stomped on her again.

Twilight yelled out for her friend and tried to come to her friend’s aid, but was held back by the others.

“Let me go!” She thrashed around in their grip. “She’s hurting her!”

“Twilight, you can’t interfere! It… it’s forbidden,” Rarity said, her own face distraught at the spectacle before her.

“No! Please, stop!” Twilight pleaded.

“Sugarcube, no, ya can’t! If ya jump in there, you’ll only make her fight worse,” Applejack said, looking to her friend with compassion. “Ah know ya wanna help, but ya can’t.”

“But…” she stammered, tears threatening to fall from her eyes

“I know how you feel, Twilight. But a deal’s a deal, even if we don’t like it.” Rainbow said, glaring daggers at Sunset.

Twilight looked to Trixie with a look of anguish. “Stop hurting her!” she yelled at Sunset.

Sunset turned her fierce glare at the unicorn. “Or what? Are you going to try your hoof at me, too?”

Twilight looked to her with a lost expression.

Sunset sneered. “Didn’t think so. You’re just as pathetic as your mud pony friends.”

Something in Twilight snapped, and she glared hatefully at the other unicorn. “You want a duel, fine! I’ll duel you, too!”

“Wh-what!?” Trixie stammered weakly, trying to get back onto her hooves.

Sunset glowered at her. “Name your wager.”

Twilight thought carefully on that. Shimmer struck her as the kind of pony who wouldn’t accept just any bet. Her reward would have to be significant, almost as big as her ego obviously was. “If I win, you have to stop hurting Trixie, and release her from the law of your magic duel. And if you win, I’ll become your servant as well.” Twilight nodded to her own wager. Shimmer would benefit if she lost, but she would at least be able to keep spending time with her oldest friend.

Shimmer considered the offer for about a minute. “No deal.”

“What!?” Twilight exclaimed. “But you can’t just-!”

“One civil servant is more than enough,” Sunset explained, looking over to Trixie with a condescending glare. “Our wager would have to be something that impacts you negatively. In fact, I just so happen to have an ideal wager in mind.”

Twilight felt a cold chill run down her spine at Sunset’s words, but she didn’t back down. “Name it.”

Sunset turned a vicious smile her way. “When you lose to me, you must drop out of the Academy. Forever.”

There was a collective gasp at that. Twilight’s friends began murmuring amongst each other, each of them worried for the purple unicorn. Pinkie bounced over to Twilight, looking desperately concerned. “Are you sure about this, Twilight?” she asked worriedly. “You saw what she did to Trixie.”

“I know,” Twilight affirmed with a nod. “That’s why I can’t back down. Trixie’s always had my back when we were little. It’s time I returned the favor.” She motioned for Pinkie to step back, to which the pink mare obliged. She then turned to Shimmer, a determined fire in her eyes. “I accept the terms of this magic duel.”

“Good,” Shimmer said simply. “Then let’s begin.” She immediately opened with a volley of magic bolts, which Twilight quickly sidestepped, forming a barrier to protect her friends from the attacks. She then fired off a volley of her own bolts, which Sunset easily deflected with her own shield. The yellow unicorn then vanished in a flash of blue light, reappearing behind Twilight and striking her with with a bolt of magic.

Twilight skidded across the ground painfully, but managed to recover and fire off a beam of her own power at the yellow mare, who only vanished in another flash. Shimmer reappeared right in front of Twilight and released a point-blank pulse on the violet mare.

“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash called out. She was about to charge in to help the bookworm, but was held back by Rarity, who gripped the pegasus by her tail with her magic.

“We’re forbidden from interfering, Rainbow!” Rarity chastised, her eyes growing wet with worry. “As much as we may hate this, we can’t do anything but hope Twilight can win.” She looked back at the scene of the duel, giving silent prayers that Twilight could find a way to win this. She was a clever mare, after all.

Twilight stumbled back onto her hooves, her head reeling from that last impact. This was going about as well as she’d expected, but she knew she couldn’t just quit. She glared over at Sunset, who stood with a mocking self-assuredness. Twilight scowled at the other mare’s arrogance. She had seen plenty of ponies with looks like that before, and they had never actually bothered her. This one did. It made her skin crawl. She felt legitimate hatred for this mare.

‘Do not let it control you...’

Her head shot up. She looked around, trying to find the source of that voice. Who had spoken to her just now?

Shimmer took that as an opportunity to finish this. She charged her horn and fired off a ball of flame at her distracted opponent. Twilight turned her head at the sound of crackling fire, her eyes going wide as time seemed to slow down. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind in that instant. She was going to lose this duel. She would have to drop out of the Academy, throw away whatever future she might’ve had if she hadn’t gone through with this stupid duel.

‘Step left...’

Pure instinct drove her to obey the voice, and she leaped off to the left, evading the fireball, which crashed into the ground with a deafening, thunderous clap.

‘Barrier...’

She formed a bubble around herself just in time to deflect several bolts of magic that Shimmer had flung at her. It felt… natural. More so than usual whenever she used magic. She was acting on instinct alone, now, and it felt… right, for some reason.

Sunset Shimmer sneered at the other mare and charged her horn with a more powerful spell, one that could shatter even expert barriers. She unleashed a mighty blast of raw power upon her opponent, who stood firm, despite the huge sphere of magic charging toward her.

‘Teleport and counter…’

That… could be a challenge. Twilight had yet to master teleportation. In fact, she had never teleported before in her life! Still, she charged her horn as the blast continued its rampage toward her position. She closed her eyes.

Shimmer smirked victoriously. She couldn’t see past her own attack, but she didn’t need to in order to know that she had won. She always won. Nopony could beat her. She wouldn’t be surprised if she found the purple idiot on her knees begging her to let her stay in the Academy. There was nothing she loved more than the thrill of victory.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar popping sound just before her attack exploded against the ground, leaving nothing but a huge scorch mark in the grass. Another popping sound occurred behind her, but before she could react, she was blasted away by a very simple stun spell. She struggled to move when she hit the dirt, but the spell had rendered even her magic inert. She was completely helpless. A purple hoof landed in front of her face, and she looked up to see its owner standing over her.

“Concede,” Twilight said in a warning tone, her horn glowing with power.

Sunset sneered angrily at Twilight. This couldn’t have happened! She had to have cheated! She had to have deceived her somehow! This wasn’t how it was supposed to go! Still…

“I concede defeat,” Shimmer spat hatefully.

“And you’ll honor your end of the wager?” Twilight asked, not moving an inch.

Shimmer glared up at her. “I doubt you’d release me otherwise.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Release Trixie from wager of your duel with her. Then I’ll release you.”

Shimmer growled at Twilight, and turned her attention to Trixie. “Lulamoon, I release you from the restrictions of our wager. You’re free to go and do as you please.” She turned to Twilight again. “Happy?”

There was a moment of silence between the two mares as Twilight released her spell, freeing Sunset. Then… she giggled, a small smirk on her face. “Very.”

Sunset glowered at her spitefully. She pushed a hoof into Twilight’s chest, giving her an intimidating glare. “Mark my words, Twilight Sparkle: you will regret this. Nopony humiliates Sunset Shimmer without suffering the consequences.”

Twilight only rolled her eyes in response. “Try to act tough all you want, Shimmer,” she said. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a hurt friend to help.” With that, she turned on her hooves and headed over to Trixie, who had managed to get steady footing on all fours again. Shimmer grumbled under her breath and trotted away, leaving the group of friends to their own business. Rarity sent one of her followers to go fetch a nurse for Trixie, while Fluttershy did her best soothe Trixie’s injuries with her limited knowledge of medical practice.

Meanwhile, Twilight thought back to that voice she had heard. Where had it come from? Who was speaking to her, and why? The voice was strong, yet gentle. It was powerful and intimidating, but not terrifyingly so. Perhaps she was just imagining it? Yes, that would make some sense. It was probably the heat of the moment that made her hear that strange voice. It was likely nothing to be really concerned about.

-o-

From his perch upon a balcony overlooking the courtyard, a single stallion observed the consecutive magic duels. Three gifted unicorns had just fought with great determination, each one demonstrating significant potential. Two of them especially caught his eye. They had a great amount of untapped power deep within them. All that need be done was reach for that power and pull it out. He used his magic to pull a pair of files off from his desk and briefly looked them over.

‘Yes…’ he thought. ‘These two could do just the trick.’

Author's Note

Thanks again to zodiacspear for helping me write out this chapter. He did the Trixie vs Sunset fight, and he did it quite well.

A Day in an Apple's Life

Applejack mumbled groggily as her alarm went off, blaring incessantly to pull her from a nice dream she couldn’t quite recall. She reached over and slapped at the clock until she finally found the snooze button. She yawned and gave serious thought to just drifting back to sleep, but she knew she had a morning routine to keep. She muttered to herself as she tossed off her blanket and rubbed her tired eyes. Being raised a farmer, she used to waking up before the sun did, but she always liked to take any opportunity to sleep in when she could.

The dim light of the rising sun shone through the window, and she could see her roommate was still sound asleep. She saw the case the other mare kept for her earplugs, and knew that her roommate hadn’t heard the alarm clock go off.

Applejack quietly left the room and headed for the shower; she knew her roommate liked to take her sweet time getting ready in the morning, and if she wanted to have any hot water for herself, she had to get in the shower first. After she’d finished, she went back to the bedroom to grab her bag and trusty Stetson. She frowned a bit as she heard her roommate stirring around inside. Once inside, she saw Octavia sitting on the edge of her bed, wiping away the last vestiges of sleep.

“Sorry, Octavia, didn’t mean ta wake ya,” Applejack apologized as she moved towards her bed, straightening out the sheets and tucking them neatly into the corners of her bed.

The gray-coated, dark-maned earth pony yawned and shook her head. “You didn’t wake me, Applejack. I awoke on my own.” Her eyes fell upon her brush on her nightstand, and she ran it through the tangles in her mane, removing any sign of bedhead.

Applejack nodded and grabbed her two favorite red hair ties and tied them on the ends of her mane and tail back as she customarily did, then donned her hat. “Ya got yer music practice again today, right?” she asked.

Octavia nodded. “Indeed, and I’ll likely not be back until later in the day.”

Applejack retrieved a pair of water bottles from the ice chest and offered one to her roommate.

“Thank you,” Octavia said with a grateful nod. “You should find out if you made the track and field team today. You did make it, correct?”

Applejack inclined her head, a small smile crossing her face. “Ah think so. Hopin’ Ah made the team, but Ah’d be a liar if Ah said Ah wasn’t nervous.”

Octavia gave a polite smile. “I’m sure you’ll make it. You worked very hard at the tryouts; the coach would have to be a complete fool not to have you.”

Applejack smiled at the compliment. She and Octavia had been roommates for three weeks now, and the two had gotten along well enough. Honestly, though, she wasn’t sure if she could really call the prim and proper earth mare a true friend or not. Octavia was a bit too formal for her tastes, but she knew she was an honest mare.

The gray mare hopped off her bed. “Well, I’m off to the washroom. I’ll see you again soon, Applejack.”

Applejack tipped her hat as the other mare left. When Octavia was gone, Applejack walked towards the window and leaned on the sill to watch the sunrise. Her eyes eventually settled on a picture frame on her night stand. She smiled wispily at the photograph inside. She saw herself, a large, red earth pony stallion, and an elderly, light-green mare standing together, as well as a small, yellow coated filly with her bright red mane tied up with a large pink bow, who stood happily in front of Applejack. All four of them had broad, jovial smiles on their faces as they stood before their family farmhouse. It was taken the day she had received her acceptance letter to the Academy; it had been a happy day for her and her family, one she would never forget.

She lay a gentle hoof on the frame of the photograph. “Hope y’all’re gettin’ along well. Ah promise to write again soon,” she said softly.

-o-

Applejack sat at the lunch table with her friends later that day, though Rainbow Dash was conspicuously absent. The cafeteria was bustling with students collecting their midday meals and chatting excitedly with friends. Her own friends’ conversation was lively; they were all sharing tales and jokes back and forth and generally having a good time. Applejack, however, was distant to the noise around her, only picking at her salad, not really hungry.

“Applejack, did you hear me?” Twilight asked. One of her textbooks was lying wide open near her meal, as per the norm for her.

“Hmm?” the orange mare responded distractedly.

“I asked if you made the track and field team. Have you found out yet?” Twilight repeated, watching the other mare curiously.

“Oh. Well, Ah don’t actually know yet. They haven’t put the list out yet. We’re all still waitin’.”

“Well, hopefully they’ll let you know soon! I’m so nervous and excited for you and Rainbow Dash! I really want to know now!” Pinkie said, squirming in her seat in agitation.

“Pinkie, don’t you think that Applejack has more reason to be nervous? She is, after all, the one trying out for the team,” Rarity said, wiping her mouth with a handkerchief conveniently supplied by one of her followers.

“Yeah, but I’m excited for her, too. Making the team is a huge accomplishment, and I want her to be happy.”

“Ah’m excited, too, Pinkie, but Ah’m being patient. No use gettin’ worked up over somethin’ ya can’t rush.” Applejack finally pushed away her salad.

Fluttershy looked to the mostly-untouched meal and back to the mare. “Are you all right, Applejack? You didn’t really touch your food.”

Applejack looked to her meal and sighed. “Ah’m not hungry.”

Fluttershy tilted her head. “Are you sure?”

“Ah’m fine, Fluttershy,” she grumbled a bit.

“You don’t really sound all right.” Fluttershy said in concern.

“Ah said Ah’m fine,” she snapped.

Fluttershy gasped and shrunk back, her other friends looked to Applejack in amazement.

Applejack’s shoulders slumped a bit in shame for startling the pegasus; whom, she realized, was only trying to be helpful. “Ah’m sorry, Shy. Ah didn’t mean to snap at ya like that.”

Fluttershy pushed a stray strand of her mane behind an ear. “I-It’s all right,” she said quietly. “I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

Applejack shook her head. “Ya didn’t, Ah just…” She blew a frustrated sigh.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Twilight asked.

Applejack looked away. “No, Ah don’t.”

“Applejack, we’re your friends. If something’s wrong, you can tell us. We don’t like seeing you upset.” Pinkie said. “Come on, let’s put a smile back on your face!” The pink mare went so far as to push up Applejack’s cheeks in a forced smile.

Applejack gently pushed her back. “Thanks, Pinkie, but it’s not somethin’ any of y’all can really help with.”

“Are you sure, darling?” Rarity asked.

She nodded slowly. “Ah’m sure. Thank y’all for carin’ so much, though. Ah really do appreciate it, but it’s a mite too personal.”

The other girls all nodded or spoke their welcomes and didn’t press her further. Applejack sat quietly after that, staring out the large windows of the cafeteria. Her eyes fell upon a lone apple tree, and a small, nostalgic smile crossed her face.

‘Would it truly be so bad to tell them?’ a thickly accented voice asked. It was a voice she didn’t recognize. She turned to look for the speaker, but didn’t find anypony nearby who could have spoken.

She brow furrowed as she looked around. “Did y’all hear somepony talk just now?” she asked her friends.

They turned to regard her. “I hear lots of ponies talking.” Pinkie motioned to the other students in the cafeteria.

Applejack gave her a flat stare. “Ah meant at us.”

“No, nopony has said anything to us,” Twilight said, looking up again from her textbook. “Nothing that I’ve heard, at least.”

She looked away pensively. “Could’ve sworn Ah heard—“

“Applejack!”

She turned to see Rainbow Dash fly towards them. The pegasus’ eyes were alight in elation, and she pranced like a giddy schoolfilly once she landed.

“What’s got yer tail in such a knot, Rainbow?” Applejack asked.

The pegasus grabbed her by the shoulders, lifting her from her seat. “I made the team! I was the first one on the list for the fliers! This is so awesome!”

All of their friends instantly wore wide, happy smiles for her. “Way to go, Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie cheered and the two shared a high-hoof.

“We knew you’d make it, Dashie,” Fluttershy said happily.

Twilight’s smile faltered after a moment. “But what about Applejack?”

Rainbow’s blinked and her elation vanished. “Oh. I, uh... I didn’t see your name, Applejack.” Their friends all gasped in shock.

Applejack felt like somepony had hit her in the gut. “W-what? Ah didn’t make the team?”

“The list is on the bulletin boards down the hall. Go see for yourself.” Rainbow pointed down the hallway she had come from.

Before any of the others could say anything, the earth pony mare charged down the hallway.

“Applejack! Wait!” Twilight called after her, but looked to Rainbow in confusion as the pegasus started snickering and laughing. “Rainbow, what’s so funny? Applejack didn’t make the team! She must be devastated!”

The pegasus wiped away a tear of mirth. “Oh, she made the team,” she said nonchalantly, waving a hoof at her.

“But you said—”

Her grin grew wider. “I never said she didn’t make the team.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped. “So you…”

“You lied!” Rarity finished for her, sputtering in outrage.

Rainbow’s sly grin grew wider. “I didn’t lie. I just didn’t say.”

“Dashie!” Fluttershy reproached her, giving her an unamused look.

Pinkie giggled. “That’s actually pretty funny! Good one, Dash!”

“I know! I deserve an award for acting for—”

“Rainbow Dash, you crayon box of a liar!” Came an outraged shout from the doorway. They all turned to see a flushed Applejack glaring daggers at the pegasus.

“Er, gotta go,” the pegasus said quickly and flew off out another way.

“Get back here, ya varmint!” Applejack took off in pursuit.

The remaining friends and a few spectators all had a laugh at the two.

-o-

Later on that day, Applejack was in one of the racquetball rooms of the Academy. Racquetball was a favorite sport of hers; the fast pace, need for quick reactions, and unmercifully and repeatedly striking a ball just felt like a good idea to her at the moment. She wasn’t really angry at Rainbow Dash. She openly admitted that the other mare had pranked her good, but she still wanted to whack her upside the head for it—repeatedly.

Applejack served the ball and sent it sailing at the forward wall. It bounced and flew back hitting the wall behind her. She let it bounce once before hitting it again. As she played, her mind was on her family. She was elated when she had made the track team, but the joy was restrained as she realized the source of her mood: she was homesick. All her life, she had lived on the farm with her family and nowhere else (except when she stayed in Manehattan with her aunt and uncle for a while, but that was another story entirely). Being away from them now… it was different, and she missed them all. She never regretted going to the Academy, of course; it was what she’d wanted for so long, ever since she was a little filly making the decision to join the Royal Guard when she was old enough, but she still missed her family.

She had just missed a return volley when she heard the small door to the court open. In stepped Wanderer, a racket gripped in his teeth and a canister of balls held under one foreleg. He saw her and smiled a greeting.

“Hey there, Applejack. Playing alone?” he asked as he set the canister in a corner of the room.

She wiped the sweat from her brow. “Yeah, just practicin’ some. What about you?”

“Gonna do the same.” He began to do some warm-up stretches. “I wouldn’t mind a practice partner, though. Wanna play?”

“Sure, Ah’d be fine with it.” She looked at him curiously as he finished stretching. “Didn’t know ya played racquetball. Figured ya to be the type to join the hoofball team or somethin’.”

He snorted. “It’s not really my cup of tea.” He picked up his racket in his teeth again and tossed her a ball. “First to five?” he asked, a roguish smile crossing his face.

Her grin matched his. “You’re on.”

They took their spots and Applejack threw the ball up to serve.

“Saw you made the track team,” he remarked.

Distracted, she missed the serve and turned to glare at him.

“I won’t count that.” He grinned at her.

She snorted and picked up the ball. “Thanks. Ah saw that you made the cut, too.” She served the ball, it ricocheted off the wall and came back at him.

He easily hit the ball back and got out of the way as she rushed to return the it. “I did,” he said wide smile. “I’m glad I made it. Glad we both did, actually; I still can’t believe you beat me like that.”

When the ball came back he had to dive to catch it before the second bounce; it hit the forward wall weakly and bounced back. With a muffled curse, Applejack tried to get to the ball but missed it before the second bounce.

“That’s one for you.” She tossed him the ball. “As for the race, Ah just did what Ah had ta do.”

He nodded in understanding and stepped up to serve. “At least we’ll be on the same team now.” He hit the ball, and she rushed forward to return it. She hit it hard enough that it bounced off the forward wall, and then off the back wall. He tried desperately to hit the difficult shot, but missed completely.

“Darn,” he muttered. “One for you.” He raised an eyebrow at her challengingly. “You’re gonna make me work for my win, aren’t you?”

She returned that dare with one of her own. “Who said you’re gonna win?”

He grinned widely at her. “Well, I’m certainly not gonna lose.”

“That a fact? Well, we’ll just see about that, partner.” She tugged her hat down tighter, her eyes blazing with competitive spirit.

“Let’s do this.” He matched her expression.

The following match between the two earth ponies could only be described as intense. The two skilled players did their best to outdo each other as the room echoed with the sounds of the ball bouncing off the wall, and the two taunting, congratulating, and laughing at their game. They even attracted a few spectators from the windowed balcony above. The unexpected audience would often cheer for a good point or gasp at a close recovery.

Throughout the game, Applejack was having a great time. The match made her forget about her homesickness for a while as she allowed herself to live in the moment and have fun.

The game kept close the entire time, neither competitor gaining a lead on the other. Finally, it came down to a score of four to four, and Wanderer was serving.

“Game point. You ready?” he asked, glancing at her.

“Like ya said earlier, let’s do this.” She set herself, ready to win the match.

He laughed. “Here we go.” He served the ball rather hard, and it bounced off the forward wall and off the back wall; the same shot she’d used on him earlier. Rather than chase after it, she ran to the middle of the court and hit the ball after its first bounce. Her eyes widened as the ball bounced right back at her, and she ducked quickly. She felt the whoosh of Wanderer’s racket above her head, sending the ball back at the wall. His momentum caused him to trip over her, but he caught himself before he could smack face-first into the wall.

“Sorry,” he muttered quickly.

She saw the ball return and dived to send it back. Wanderer was there to return it again, but his weak swing only barely hit the forward wall, and the ball bounced off the floor before it got to the middle of the court.

Applejack again dived for the ball, but it bounced a second time before she could get to it.

“Ah, pony feathers,” she muttered, thumping one hoof to the floor.

“Such language.” Wanderer chuckled and offered her a hoof up. “That was one heck of a game, Applejack. You almost had me there a few times.”

She accepted the hoof up. “Thanks, Wanderer. Let’s get a drink. Ah’m parched.”

They collected their gear and took a seat at some nearby bleachers. The two sat and chatted for a time before Applejack’s mind again drifted to thoughts of her family.

‘What harm could it do to talk of family?’ Again, she heard the voice from earlier. She looked around for the speaker, but didn’t find anypony other than Wanderer. Now that she thought about, the voice’s accent sounded Stalliongradian. Were there any Stalliongradian ponies in the Academy? She shook her head, brushing it off as a thought for later. She looked to Wanderer as he rambled on about something she hadn’t been fully paying attention to.

“—and that’s how I’ll get my name in the history books,” he continued to say.

“Say, Wanderer, if ya don’t mind my askin’, ya got any family back home?” she asked, interrupting his rambling.

He blinked in surprise at the sudden question and looked to her curiously. “Well, I have my mom at home in Greensborough; and my cat Chewie if he counts.” He smirked briefly before speaking again. “Why do you ask?”

She looked away for a moment. “Ah’m just curious is all. Do ya have any other close family?”

He shrugged. “No immediate family, no. I’m supposed to have a few cousins around Equestria, but I don’t know any of them. Not personally, anyway.” He looked to her. “What about you? Any family back on your farm?”

She looked to the floor a moment and sighed; what harm was there in telling him?

“Ah got my brother, Macintosh, Big Mac we call ‘em, my granny, Granny Smith, and my little sister Apple Bloom. Our dog Winona, too. The four of us run Sweet Apple Acres down around Ponyville.”

“Sweet Apple Acres? I’ve heard that name before. Isn’t that where the zap apple jam comes from?” Wanderer’s eyes light up brightly.

Applejack smiled; a warm, proud smile. “Yep. It’s a special recipe my granny makes. We get ponies orderin’ our jam from all over Equestria.”

“Oh, man, I love zap apple jam! Mom would serve it with toast, and it's always fantastic! There’s nothing better!”

Again she smiled. “Thank ya kindly. Glad ya enjoy it so much.” She looked to him curiously. “Ya mentioned your ma, but what about yer pa?”

Wanderer’s expression went flat. “My dad died when I was little. Really little. He was a lumberjack, and… there was an accident at the lumber yards.”

Applejack winced. “Ah’m sorry.”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t really remember him that well. Wish I did, but what can you do?”

She nodded, certainly relating. The two sat in silence for a moment before Wanderer spoke again.

“What about you, Applejack? You mentioned your granny and siblings, but what about your parents?”

She closed her eyes at the question and the edges of her mouth turned up slightly in a snarl.

He flinched at her expression, certainly not expecting anger. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

She shook her head. “No. Ah asked ya first, it’s only fair ya get an answer in return. My… my ma and pa were killed by timberwolves.” Wanderer winced, his eyes widening in shock. “They were out collectin’ things from the Everfree Forest. Nasty place, not the kindest to ponies, but my ma went all the time to find mushrooms and other things that grow wild there. She was out on her usual trip when a pack of them wolves found her. Pa ran to help when we heard Ma screamin’. Ah went back to get Big Mac and the farmhooves to help out, but by the time we got there…” Once again, she scowled fiercely. “There was, nothin’ we could do.”

Wanderer looked at her, his expression softening. “How old were you?”

“Ah was just a little filly, but Ah remember everythin'.” She looked ahead with a scowl. “It’s because of that Ah wanna be a guard. That way, Ah can protect my family and Equestria. Ah don’t want anythin’ like that to happen to anypony else. No little filly’ll grow up without her parents on my watch.”

He nodded in agreement. “You’ll make it. If you work as hard at being a guard as you do at sports, you’ll be a captain in no time at all.”

She snorted but smiled all the same. “Might be, but Ah have to graduate first.”

He smiled in humor. “Don’t we all?”

They shared a laughed but she sighed again. “Ah still miss’em, my family.”

“Have you written to them lately?”

“Ah mean to, but Ah haven’t yet. Still, it ain’t the same as seein’ ‘em.” She took a long drink of her water.

“Homesick, huh?”

She nodded.

“I know how you feel. Maybe, come winter break, you can head home and see them. I plan to do the same thing.” A wide smile grew across his face. “Mom always cooks us a big meal for the holidays.” He looked back at her. “You just gotta be patient, you know?”

She agreed, and the two chatted a bit longer before she looked to a nearby hanging clock. “Well, Ah’d best get going. Gotta meet up with my friends before the day is done.” She stood and collected her hat and gear.

Just as she started away he spoke again.

“We’re tied now.”

She turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

“You beat me at the race, and I beat you at racquetball. We’ll have to break the tie and see who wins by the end of the year.” He grinned wickedly.

She returned the grin and tipped her hat. “Wouldn’t have it any other way, partner.”

-o-

When Applejack finally made it back to her room in the dormitory, she was good and tired. She’d met up with her friends after racquetball practice and spent the rest of the evening with them. Friendly chatter led to boasting, then to an impromptu hoof race with Rainbow Dash, who had done most of the gloating that instigated it. When Applejack won that race, the pegasus instantly demanded a rematch. After beating her a second time, Rainbow had grudgingly admitted defeat. Combining all the exercise she had done for the day and some long-winded help from Twilight with some rather tricky homework left her barely able to keep her eyes open.

As she entered her room, she saw that Octavia wasn’t present, and saw that she had left her gramophone set out on her night stand. Applejack knew that Octavia liked to listen to classical music when she was alone, claiming that it gave her inspiration when she was trying to think up songs of her own to play. Applejack didn’t care much for such music, but didn’t begrudge the other mare for liking it. In fact, some of the songs Octavia listened to could be quite relaxing.

With a tired sigh, she tossed her saddlebags at the foot of her bed and untied the bands holding her mane and tail in place. Her eyes fell upon the picture of her family as she readied herself for bed, and a wispy smile crossed her face.

“Guess Ah should write to ‘em before Ah call it a night,” she said to herself.

She set her hat on the bedpost and reached under her bed for a case she kept there. The case held spare inkwells, quills, and parchment for whenever she needed them, and she knew the ink pot she had in her bag was empty. Gripping the handle of the case with her teeth, she tried pulling it out from under the bed, but it caught on the bed’s frame.

“Come on, you,” she growled as it still refused to move. Had she not been so tired, she would’ve realized that she could’ve just lifted the bed up enough to free it; however she only continued to pull. Finally she gave it a tug that set it free, but threw her off balance. She stumbled back with a surprised yelp and bumped into Octavia’s night stand. The gramophone teetered and fell before Applejack could catch it, landing violently with a loud crash to the hardwood floor.

Her eyes went wide at the sight. “Oh, no,” she gasped in shock as she surveyed the damage. The cone was heavily dented, the edge of the box that struck the floor had splintered off and the arm to the record player had been bent to an angle that it shouldn’t. There was no way that she could repair this sort of damage.

“Oh, what am Ah gonna do!? Ah didn’t mean it!” she said to herself, looking around with worry. She took in a calming breath to steady her nerves. “Calm down, Applejack. It was an accident, she’ll understand.”

She picked up the gramophone and was about to set it back in its place when the door to the room opened, and in walked Octavia.

“Applejack? What are you—?” Her eyes widened as they fell on the broken machine. “My gramophone! What happened to it?” The gray mare roughly took the machine from Applejack to better look at it.

“Well, Ah was—“

“Applejack, did you see what happened?” Octavia cut her off.

“Octavia, Ah—”

“Did you, or did you not?”

“Ah…” Applejack let the words die in her throat as she looked to the other mare. She knew what had happened was an accident! She had never meant for it to happen, but if she knew Octavia as well as she believed she did, she would not take damage to her property lightly. Applejack didn’t want any bad blood to brew between her and her roommate. If she admitted to breaking the gramophone, Octavia could fly off the handle, and the two would likely spend the whole school year at each other’s throats. That was not the kind of experience she wanted during her time at the Academy.

Lying, on the other hoof, didn’t sit well with her. Applejack prided herself on being the most honest and straightforward pony around, but would being honest now be the best policy? She could lie and find ways to keep the blame from herself, but the thought of it made her sick inside. And who knew how long she’d be able to keep the lie going before the other mare learned the truth? She truly didn’t know what was right to do in this case. These thoughts filtered through her head as Octavia watched her closely.

“Applejack, do you know who did this? Tell me so that we can go to the headmaster and have them disciplined!” Octavia stood up and started heading for the door with a determined look on her face.

“Octavia, wait,” Applejack pleaded.

The gray mare turned back to her. “What is it?”

Applejack sighed. Should she really risk it?

‘Pony up and take responsibility for your own actions, accident or no.’ The thought crossed her mind, and she stood straighter; she knew what she had to do.

“Octavia, Ah was the one who broke your music thingy.”

“Gramophone,” Octavia corrected absently, but then looked to the orange mare in shock. “Wait, you did this? But… why would you do such a thing?”

“Ah-Ah didn’t mean to, honest! Ah was tryin’ to get my case from under my bed, and Ah pulled too hard. Ah fell back and knocked yer gramophone over, and it broke before Ah could catch it.”

Octavia looked to her broken machine for a quiet moment.

Applejack lowered her head in shame, her ears pining back. “Ah’m sorry for breakin’ it. Ah know it meant a lot to ya. Ah can try to earn the bits to have it fixed if ya let me.” She privately hoped her offer would appease the mare, and that she wouldn’t hold the accident against her.

To her surprise, Octavia smiled and chuckled softly.

“Ah, uh, what? Wh-what’s so funny?” Applejack stuttered, caught completely off guard by the gentle laughter.

The other mare looked to her with a small smile. “In actuality, Applejack, you have done me quite the favor.”

Applejack’s confused expression didn’t lighten up in the least. “Uh… beg pardon?”

“This gramophone was very old and consistently stopped working when I used it. I had written to my father for a replacement, but he refused until this one stopped working entirely.”

“So-o-o… you’re… not angry?”

“For Celestia’s sake, whatever for? You helped me, believe it or not, and I should be thankful to you.” She gave Applejack a quick, thankful hug and turned for her desk. “I should write straight away to my father. A new gramophone would be simply divine.”

Applejack watched her for a stunned moment and shook her head. Apparently, Octavia hadn’t planned to see the headmaster; she likely figured out what had happened from the start. Applejack guessed that Octavia was testing her to see if she would own up to her mistake.

The farm-raised mare stood proud, pleased that she had done the right thing in being honest. She firmly felt now that lying would not have gotten her anywhere, and would only have given her grief in the future that she never would’ve wanted.

She collected her case and got her writing materials out, and sat down to write that letter to her family that she’d promised to send. She made sure to tell of her friends in the Academy, everything she’d done since her last letter, and, of course, the admittedly rather long day that she had just had. Once she finished, she went to bed with a wide, pleased smile on her face.

Author's Note

This chapter is the brain-child of my trusty co-author Zodiacspear. Thanks, buddy. You're awesome. Why haven't the rest of you checked his stories out yet? Just do it already.

Tutoring and Thieving

Twilight loved Mondays. While most ponies loathed Monday, she embraced it. Sure, she could do without having to get up so much earlier than she would’ve liked, but in her mind, it was well worth it to learn something new. This Monday, however, had been a tad more exciting for her than usual.

In the lounge at the mares’ dormitory, there was bulletin board that was updated daily to announce upcoming events and opportunities for students to earn extra credit, ranging from sports tryouts to club advertisements. None of it had particularly interested her that much, but she still made a habit of checking the board, just in case something came up. And just yesterday, a great opportunity came to her attention: tutoring.

She felt positively giddy inside at the idea of helping a fellow student or two learn new things as well. There were so many fields she could potentially help somepony in; history, science, magic (if her pupil was a fellow unicorn, of course), and numerous other topics that enthralled her to no end. She couldn’t help but let out a light giggle of excitement as she walked down the hall. That earned her a few awkward glances, which she ignored to the best of her ability.

‘Auditorium, right after classes are done,’ she reminded herself as she continued down the hall toward her history class. Right after that, she made another mental note to ask somepony where the auditorium was, since she hadn’t gone back there since orientation at the start of the school year. The corners of her mouth turned up in a smile as she had a feeling that she was going to have a fairly interesting day.

-o-

By the time she arrived at the auditorium, most of the available seats were already taken. Most of the ponies here were lanky-looking stallions who probably wanted an excuse to stay out of any physical education classes (though Twilight couldn’t really say anything about that, considering she wasn’t exactly a star athlete herself). One or two stallions gave her looks that she recognized from cheesy teen movies, where the dorky characters display the same form of infatuation as what Rarity’s entourage had for the white unicorn. Those looks didn’t do anything to make her feel any more comfortable.

“Hey, Twilight!” The unicorn nearly leaped out of her skin at an excited voice from behind her. Pinkie Pie giggled at her reaction, snorting once. “Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to startle you. What’s up?”

Twilight took a deep breath to calm her jumping nerves before speaking. “I’m just here to sign up for tutoring. I’d like to help struggling ponies get through their classes. Why are you here?”

“Same reason,” Pinkie replied as they both took seats near the front of the auditorium. “I want to make learning more fun for my fellow students!”

Twilight was about to make a comment about how Pinkie didn’t seem like tutor material, but quickly reminded herself about the pink pony’s advanced intellect. “Huh. It’s easy to forget that you’re actually a genius.” She immediately raised a hoof to her mouth, afraid she might have offended Pinkie with that remark.

“No worries,” Pinkie said with a nonchalant wave of her hoof. “I sometimes forget that, too. Which is pretty ironic when you really think about it. I mean, I should know how smart I am, but I forget about it, like, all the time, and then I say something super-duper smart, and I remember that I’m actually some sort of genius, but then I forget about it again, then I say another smart thing, and—” A purple hoof clamped over her mouth.

“Okay, Pinkie, I get it.” Twilight gave a sigh that expressed a mix of annoyance and amusement. Just listening to Pinkie ramble like that was exhausting, but also kind of entertaining sometimes, in its own way. “Hey, do you know how they’ll assign us to students?”

“Uh-uh. It’ll probably be one-on-one stuff, just to make things simple.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. One-on-one tutoring would probably work best. It would make planning lessons much simpler, and it would be easier for the tutor to keep their pupil’s attention.

“By the way, what subject are you going to tutor for?” Pinkie asked, brow raised in curiosity.

“Oh. Um…” Twilight thought on the question for a few moments. “I’m… not really sure. I’ll probably help ponies who are struggling in Equestrian literature. I do read a lot of books, so I should be able to help my assigned pupil in that subject.”

Pinkie giggled. “You do have your face buried in a book eighty percent of the time,” she quipped. “Literally. I did the math and everything.” Twilight wasn’t sure whether she should laugh or be angry about that. “I’m gonna tutor ponies who are having trouble in theoretical physics.”

Twilight blinked. “Theoretical… you mean like String Theory? Parallel universes and things like that?”

“Yep!” the earth mare replied in a chipper tone. “You’d be surprised how few ponies signed up for that class, and most of the ones that did all thought it’d be easy. It is for me, but I can see a lot of furrowed brows in class.” She giggled again. “I’m guessing they got more than what they bargained for!”

“I would guess so,” Twilight chuckled in amusement. The two of them conversed for a while about their classes, with Pinkie using surprisingly large words now and then. It was refreshing for Twilight to finally be able to hold a conversation in which words like ‘algorithmically,’ ‘singularization,’ and ‘astrophysical’ could be used much more casually, without the need to explain their meaning. The only downside was how easily Pinkie could go off topic, or be distracted by something. The pink pony explained that she had been diagnosed with ADHD at a young age, so Twilight could at least forgive the tangents and whatnot.

“Hey, did you hear?” Twilight’s ears perked up curiously when she overheard somepony say something. Two ponies, a stallion and a mare, were also chatting, though she initially assumed it to be gossip related. “There’s been another disappearance.”

“Really?” the second pony asked. “Who?”

“Don’t know. The Royal Guard is keeping most of the investigation pretty hush-hush for some reason. But I’ve been hearing rumors that notes with some kind of weird moon symbol were found in each victim’s house.”

“Wait, a symbol?” Twilight asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

The stallion nodded, turning to look at her. “Yeah. Don’t know what it’s supposed to look like, though.”

“I’ve heard that the guards around the Academy were called in to make sure no students go missing, too,” the other mare said.

“I’ve noticed the guards,” Twilight stated. “I asked Headmaster Stargazer about that a while ago. He said that they’re here for pretty much that exact reason.”

“Then we’ve got nothing to worry about!” Pinkie chimed in cheerfully. “Royal Guards are super tough and awesome! No way anypony here at the Academy is vanishing with them around!”

“I hope you’re right,” the stallion said. He had a look that clearly betrayed a certain nervousness about him. It made Twilight feel uneasy, but she decided it would be best to just focus on other things. Her brother was a captain in the Royal Guard, after all, and he was credited as one of the best. If anypony could figure out what was going on, it’d be him. There was nothing to worry about.

-o-

The Academy library was massive. Countless books, tomes, and novels were packed in every shelf. This place had every genre one could imagine and then some. They had books on science, books on math, books on magic, fictional works, nonfiction, reference, dictionaries, encyclopedias, everything. There was a grand total of fifteen full-time librarians working here, and twenty part-time. There were even some student volunteers helping the librarians with their work.

It was in the library where Twilight was to meet with her new pupil. It was her idea. She figured it would be a good place for tutoring in literature. There were more than enough books to use as reference to the subject. Before her was an assortment of textbooks on Equestrian literature, along with a few classic novels and short stories that were considered classic masterpieces. She had everything she would need, as far as she knew—though maybe a hundred flashcards wouldn’t be enough, she mused.

She was reading one of the many books written by Starswirl the Bearded—this particular one dealt with the intricacies of teleportation and its variations. Ever since her duel with Sunset Shimmer left her curious about these kinds of spells. She had pulled it off almost effortlessly. And beyond that, there was that voice. She had tried to push it aside as just her imagination, but it kept crawling back to her thoughts. The voice was… familiar. She had never heard it anywhere in her life, and yet she felt like she knew it from… somewhere. And the way it guided her in the duel felt… natural. Instinctive, even. Who’s voice was it? And where did it come from?

“Twilight?”

She yelped and shot into the air, hovering in her own magic. She looked down to see Flash Sentry staring at her with a raised eyebrow. She gave an awkward chuckle and descended back into her seat. “Um… hi.”

“Hey,” Flash greeted with a smile, disregarding Twilight’s jumpiness. “Sorry about that. It’s been awhile since we last talked, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah…” She rubbed at the back of her neck for an awkward moment. “Why are you here? I would’ve figured you would be hanging around with your friends on the hoofball team.”

The orange pegasus shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t really know if I can actually call them real friends. They’re just guys I hang out with when I don’t have much else to do. Besides, I’m here for tutoring.”

An eyebrow shot up as she regarded him. “Really?”

“Yeah…” He looked away for a moment before looking back. “My grades in Equestrian lit have been slipping. Coach says I’ll need to bring my grades up if I want to stay on the team.”

“Equestrian lit?” Twilight asked, somewhat surprised. “Well, I’m the only pony who signed up to tutor for that subject. So, I guess we’re going to be teacher and student for a while.”

Flash gave a surprised look. “You’re my tutor? Huh. That’s kind of a weird coincidence. Well, at least you’re somepony I know.” He took a seat across from the unicorn mare and looked at the various books laid out on the table. He seemed to be nervous for some reason. While Twilight found that to be rather odd, she didn’t question it, and opened a textbook.

With that, they began the lesson, starting with some simple things first. Occasionally, as Twilight would lecture on the wonders of the written word, she would catch Flash just staring at one of the open books. She could tell he wasn’t reading. She knew when ponies were reading. He didn’t have any of the subtle eye movements or slight motions of the lips. He just… stared at them, making a confused face every now and then. Whenever she tried to look at whatever was confusing him, he would pull the book away and say that he would figure out soon enough, and that she should just go on with the lesson.

It went like that for almost an hour. Twilight would lecture, Flash would stare at a book, she’d ask about it, he’d just say to go on with the lesson.

“Are you even paying attention?” she asked when she caught the pegasus staring at a book’s open pages again.

He stammered for a moment. “Y-yeah, I am, I totally am.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Then name the short story I was just talking about.”

“Uh…” He hesitated. “Pass?”

“You weren’t paying attention at all, were you?” Twilight deadpanned, her voice drowning with annoyance. Flash could only lower his head in shame, not meeting Twilight’s eyes. She sighed and gathered up all of the books in her magic. “Fine. It’s almost time for dinner anyway. Lesson over.”

“Twilight, I’m—”

She turned away pointedly. “I don’t want to hear it. If you don’t want to raise your grades, fine. No skin off my back.” As she left him by himself, she looked over her shoulder. “If you want to try again, meet me here again tomorrow, same time. I’ll give you one more chance, but no more than that. But don’t waste my—”

“I’m dyslexic!” Flash hollered, making Twilight freeze in her tracks. She stared at him, not sure what to say. The pegasus sighed and slumped in his seat. “I’m sorry I snapped, and I’m sorry I seem like the worst student ever. It’s just… the words just… float off the page whenever I try to read something. It’s why my grades are sinking.”

Twilight didn’t take her eyes off of him. He hung his head low, ashamed. She thought about what she said prior to Flash’s revelation. She kicked herself for being so condescending, especially without really giving him a chance to explain himself. She sighed and returned to her seat across from him, setting the books down again and opening one of the simpler ones. The orange stallion gave her a confused look.

“Look, you’ve made your point,” he said. “You don’t have to—”

“I don’t want to hear it,” she interrupted. “Listen, I can’t, in good conscience, just leave you on your own.” He still had a somewhat confused expression. She gave small, reassuring smile. “Think of this as your second chance. Don’t just stare at the book the whole time.”

“Uh, yeah,” Flash said with a light chuckle. “Let’s get started, then. For real, this time.” With that, Twilight started the lesson again. She made sure to try to be more patient with him this time around. Still, the lesson went on for about two hours, at which point, curfew was only half an hour away. Realizing the time, they said their farewells, agreeing to meet again, same place, same time.

While Flash left, Twilight dropped off the books she had checked out back at the front desk. She bid a quick farewell to the unicorn librarian, who was writing down a few notes about something. Once Twilight left the room, the librarian smirked.

“The boss is going to find this interesting,” she muttered quietly to herself as she hid her notes in the desk drawer.

-o-

When Twilight finally got back to her room, Rainbow Dash was lying in her bed, reading one of the books she had with her. She flipped the page just as Twilight closed the door behind her. “Hey, Twi,” the pegasus greeted. “How’d that tutoring thing go?”

“It went well. I think,” she said as she levitated her saddlebag to the foot of her bed.

“You think?”

“Long story,” Twilight explained as she ran a hoof through her mane, yawning.

Rainbow shrugged. “Fair enough,” she said nonchalantly. “Hey, the girls and I are gonna meet up tomorrow in the lounge for a group study thing. You in?”

The violet unicorn grinned at the idea. “Sure. I’d love to.”

“Great.” The cyan mare marked her place in her book and put it back in its spot among the other novels, the turned to Twilight and smirked. “By the way, we agreed on having snacks, and we voted to have you go get them from the market.”

Twilight blinked and looked at her. “Wait, what?”

“Hey, you’ve lived here in Canterlot your whole life. You know this town better than the rest of us.”

Twilight furrowed her brow and scowled. “I can understand that, but you should’ve consulted me before deciding on that!”

“Chill, will you? Just get the best that you can find. We’re all gonna chip in, all right?” Rainbow had that cocky expression of hers on as she spoke. Twilight wasn’t going to win this argument. Dash had a stubborn streak a mile long (second only to Applejack). Soon, the unicorn sighed in defeat.

“Fine. But next time, ask me first.”

A smiled played at the edges of Rainbow’s lips. “Deal.”

With that out of the way, the two mares went about their own evening routines and eventually turned in for the night. As she went to sleep, Twilight thought on what she could get in the way of snacks, depending on how much money her friends were willing to donate. Maybe she could get them back for this somehow.

-o-

The next day after class, Twilight made her way through the busy streets of Canterlot. Ponies of all walks of life trotted through the city streets, enjoying the warm afternoon weather. Many of the working class ponies browsed through the various shops and stands on their way home from work, while a few of the noble class dined at the many outdoor cafes. Twilight smiled some as she saw one young filly excitedly point towards a toy store and managed to convince her parents to enter. They put on a show of meager resistance before the filly excitedly ran inside, the parents smiling faintly as they followed.

Twilight walked along the street, heading towards an old shop she and her family used to frequent when she was younger. She silently hoped that it was still open after all this time. Donut Joe used to know her family by name, and always knew what they would order before they could say. The thought of persimmon-filled, glazed donuts had her licking her lips in anticipation, making her speed up her pace.

As she rounded the corner of the street, her eyes widened, and she smiled just as wide. The shop was not only still open, but it had apparently expanded some. Used to be, it was a little hole-in-the-wall shop, easily missed by most ponies. But now, it appeared to be a full-fledged restaurant. It still sported the sign with Donut Joe’s face and a large donut behind it, and Twilight could see customers coming and going through its front doors.

She hurried ahead and entered, the entry bell heralding her arrival. She saw quickly that the restaurant was fairly busy with customers; a few waitresses came and went through the gathered tables.

“Well, as I live and breathe, if it isn’t Twilight Sparkle! Haven’t seen you in a dogs age!” she heard a rough voice say from the counter.

She looked towards the voice and smiled wide again. “Donut Joe, hello. It’s been a while.”

The light tan unicorn smiled as she approached. He adjusted his server’s cap on his brown mane to fit comfortably. “Darn right, it’s been a while! How’ve you been, kid? You’re looking good.”

“Thanks, Joe. So do you.” She looked around the busy restaurant. “The store’s really grown since I was last here.”

The store owner smiled proudly. “Yeah, she has. Grown into a right proper restaurant. Even some of the richer folk come in from time to time. I owe thanks to your family and others for it. If you guys hadn’t come around as often as you had, I might still be running a small stand on some street corner.” He looked her over critically. “So, what are you up to these days, kid?”

It was her turn to smile proudly. “I’m a student at the Academy.”

He whistled low. “Well, isn’t that something? Good on you, kid. What’re you studying?”

“Magic,” she said without hesitation.

“Magic, huh?” He tilted his head at her. “That’s kinda vague.”

She smiled a bit of a cryptic smile. “Magic is, by its very definition, vague.”

He thought on that for a moment before laughing. “I’ll give you that.” He gestured broadly at his display cases, which were filled with delicious treats that made the mouth water. “So, what’ll it be, kid?”

She looked through the many tasty treats on display, her stomach growling at the sight of the pastries. “Do you still have those persimmon-filled, glazed donuts?” Her tone sounding more like begging than simple pleading.

He laughed again. “Figured you’d still like those. Yeah, I’ve got’em still. In fact—” He reached into a display case and hoofs her a napkin wrapped donut. “—first one’s on the house.”

“Oh! Thank you.” She wolfed down the pastry in a few bites. She couldn’t help herself; the sweet pastry combined with tartness of her favorite fruit made her gulp down the food as fast as she could.

Joe watched her eat with satisfaction, knowing he roped in another customer.

She wiped the glaze from her mouth with the napkin. “Could I get donuts for seven, er… ten ponies? My friends and I are going to get together for a study session.”

He nodded a few times. “Give you two dozen, how’s that sound?”

She smiled wide. “That would be fantastic.”

As he completed her order, she passed over the required bits.

“Tell your friends about the place, eh?” he said as he slid the coins into the register.

“Oh, I will. Goodbye, Joe.” She waved to him, her donuts carried by her magic.

He returned her wave. “Take care, kid. Good luck with your studies.” He turned to help another customer.

Twilight exited the store and trotted back the way she had come. Her smile was genuine as she moved through the streets. It felt good to visit a place from her childhood; she rarely had the chance to do so in recent years. Between her time trying to get accepted into the Academy and maintaining her grades now that she was in it, she really didn’t have the time for a lot of other things. She absently wondered if she should try to make time, but shook the thought away. She swore she would be the best at magic in the Academy, and she would follow her determination through.

She rounded the corner and gasped in surprise as she just about ran into somepony. For a split second she lost her magical grip on the boxes of donuts, but managed to save them at the last moment.

“Hey! Watch where you’re—Flash?”

The pegasus looked to her in disbelief. “I swear, I don’t plan these things. Are you all right?” He helped her to her hooves.

She dusted herself off and looked at him. “I’m fine. What are you doing out here, Flash?” She checked to make sure the donuts weren’t damaged.

“The guys sent me out to get some hayburgers for after practice.” He sighed. “It was my turn to do the fetching.”

Twilight smiled a bit at the irony. “The girls are had me do the same. They went so far as to designate me before I even knew about it.”

Flash smiled. “A little dirty-hooved.”

Twilight's ears flattened. “It is.”

Flash chuckled and looked towards the donuts. “So, where’d you go to get those? They smell really good.”

“Donut Joe’s Donut Shop, back down the road a ways.” She gathered her food again. “I better go, the girls are waiting on me.”

“Yeah, I better get going, too—” He grunted as a small filly bumped into him. “Hey, kid! Better be careful!” he said to her with faint irritation.

The little filly uttered a half apology and moved away; not before Twilight caught sight of her putting away a small pouch.

“Flash, do you have your bits?”

He looked to her in confusion before he patted himself down. “I think I do. But—“ His eyes widened. “Hey! It’s gone!”

Twilight whirled back to the filly who was trying to make her way through the crowd. “Stop! Thief!”

In a panic, the filly ran through the crowd, who only parted in shock as she raced past.

“Stop her!” Twilight quickly gave chase, leaving her donuts behind.

The filly turned down a narrow alley with Twilight in close pursuit. Twilight found herself struggling in keeping up with the thief. The little urchin was fast on her hooves, and was obviously familiar with the streets.

Twilight gathered her magic and teleported in front of the filly. “That’s far enough, you—” She blinked in surprise as the filly didn’t slow and only slid through her legs and past her without missing a beat.

“Hey!” Twilight shouted and gave chase again.

Twilight again charged her horn and shot a beam at the thief, ducked in time to see the beam fly overhead and explode in sparks as it struck the wall; her stride only quickened. Twilight growled in frustration and fired a few more beams at the fleeing thief.

Flash suddenly flew beside her as he raced ahead to be just behind the thief. “Hey, kid! Stop, now, before she—” He gasped as the thief struck a gutter pipe and caused a torrent of collected rainwater to wash over him, sending him tumbling on the ground.

He wiped the water from his face as Twilight raced past him. “Hurry, Flash!”

He muttered and took off after her, once again catching up to the filly as they ran past a warehouse. “Kid! I’m warning—” The filly kicked a stack of barrels that fell all around the two. Flash managed to dodge them, but Twilight was not as lucky. She tripped up and fell face first into a puddle of muck and the two could hear the little filly have a laugh at their expense.

“That’s it!” Flash burst ahead and landed in front of the stunned filly. She stumbled back in fear as she looked to him in complete shock. “That’s enough, kid. Give me back my money, and we’ll let you go.”

The thief looked around like a cornered animal, frantically searching for an escape that wasn’t there. “I didn’t do any—” Her eyes went wide, and one of them started twitching as she fell over with a strangled cry.

“Got you.” Twilight said in triumph as she wiped the remainder of the muck from her face.

“Twilight, what did you do to her!?” Flash asked in a near panic.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s a stun spell. She’ll be fine. Besides, I am not taking chances.” She turned her glare to the stunned thief. “Now we just need to get a guard and have him take her away.”

The young thief’s eyes widened in panic and she tried, unsuccessfully, to run.

“Twilight, wait.”

She looked back at the pegasus. “Wait? What for?”

Flash looked to the little filly. “Why did you steal my money?”

The thief tried to talk but all that came out was muffled speech.

“Twilight, can you let her talk?”

She looked to him in confusion. “What for? She’s a thief. We should turn her over to the guards for stealing.”

“She’s just a kid, Twilight. Let her talk.”

She huffed. “Fine.” Her horn glowed faintly, and the thief was able to move her head around.

“T-thank you,” she uttered.

“Think nothing of it,” Twilight growled.

The filly looked to Flash with unmistakable fear. “Don’t let her hurt me.”

“She won’t.” Flash promised, though Twilight just rolled her eyes. “Now, why did you steal my money?”

The filly looked between them. “I was… hungry.”

Twilight looked to her critically; the little waif was rather thin. “Doesn’t your mom feed you? And for that matter, didn’t she teach you that stealing is wrong?”

The thief looked to the grimy street in shame. “I guess she would… if I had a mom.”

The way she said it struck the heart cords, but Twilight was careful not to believe anything a thief says at face value. A part of her, however, felt sympathy for the filly. “I don’t believe you,” she half-lied.

The filly looked to her with wide, watery eyes. “It’s true, ma’am, honest.”

Twilight looked at her skeptically, even less sure of herself.

“Twilight.”

She turned to Flash. “What?”

“We should let her go.”

She looked at him as if he was mad. “What? You’ve got to be kidding! She’s a thief! If we let her go, she’ll just steal from somepony else!”

His expression grew firm. “Twilight, she’s just a filly; a filly who just made a dumb mistake. Sometimes, we’ve gotta make mistakes to learn from them.”

Twilight looked at him. There was something in his tone that was different from the normal, somewhat annoying Flash Sentry she’d come to know. He almost sounded… remorseful, perhaps?

Flash looked at the filly. “If you give me back my money, and promise not to steal again, we won’t turn you over to the guards.”

Twilight was surprised the little filly’s neck didn’t snap from how fast she nodded. “Yes, I promise I won’t do it again!”

He smiled faintly. “I wouldn’t either, because now that she has you with her magic, she can find you again easily.”

Twilight’s eyes widened a split-second before she caught on to what Flash was doing. “That’s right,” she said to the thief. “I’ll be able to find you with no problems now. If I ever catch you stealing again, I’ll tell the guards exactly where to find you.”

The thief gave a small squeak and gulped nervously.

“Now give him his money back.”

The filly wasted no time in returning the money, and fled down another alleyway away from them.

Twilight huffed. “Why’d you do that, Flash?”

“I meant what I said.” His gaze looking down the alley that the filly had run to.

As the two were walking back towards the place Twilight had left her donuts, she found herself glancing at the strangely quiet pegasus beside her. He had said nothing since they left the alley, his expression pensive. He was obviously occupied by whatever thought that plagued him.

Finally she couldn’t help but ask. “What happened, Flash?”

He didn’t look directly at her. “Would you be offended if I didn’t want to say?”

Twilight shrugged and nodded at the same time. “All right.”

The two walked in silence until they returned to the place where they had run into each other. Twilight instantly noticed something was amiss.

“My donuts!” She looked around frantically, but found no sign of the missing pastries.

“Did someone steal them?” Flash asked, looking around.

“What do you think!? Ugh! Now what am I going to do?” Twilight was close to tears, her persimmon-filled donuts, gone! What had she ever done to deserve such cruel punishment?

Flash sighed after a moment and hoofed her the pouch with his money. “Here.”

She looked to him in genuine shock. “Flash, I can’t do that. What about your food?”

He shrugged. “We really don’t need it. Some of us could do with less hayburgers and more practice, if you get my meaning.” He spoke above her protests. “Please, take it, Twilight. It’s my fault your food was stolen.”

Twilight considered him a moment before she reluctantly accepted the gift. “Thank you, Flash. I owe you for this.”

He smiled. “Don’t mention it. Well, I’d better head back. The guys are going to have a field day with me. See you later, Twilight.” With a quick, improper salute, he took off towards the Academy.

Twilight watched him go before turning back for Donut Joe’s. The thought of her destination and donuts quickened her pace.

-o-

Not far away, the filly thief talked nervously with two burly ponies in a darkened room.

“So, she helped him then?” one of them asked her.

The filly nodded. “She did. She even put a spell on me that’ll let her find me again,” she said in a fearful voice.

Both of the stallions laughed gruffly. “That was a lie. She can’t do anything like that.”

“Sh-she can’t?”

“No.” The stallion tossed her a small bag that clicked with the sounds of clinking bits. “Now, beat it, kid.”

The thief quickly tucked away the pouch before looking longingly at a pair of boxes that held only a few donuts left.

“Um… can I have one?” she dared to ask.

The two laughed again. “Take one, kid, and get lost.”

The thief quickly grabbed one of the few remaining donuts and left just as quickly.

The other stallion looked to his partner after finishing another donut. “The boss’ll love to hear about this.”

The other nodded and helped himself to another donut. “Oh, yeah. He’ll be happy to hear this little tidbit about our sassy little candidate.” He took a bite of the donut. “Mm, persimmon. We’ll have to remember that place.”

Selfish Giver

In the darkened dorm room, a sole occupant slept quietly. The embroidered quilt blanket rhythmically rose and fell as they slept. The hind legs of the sleeper would occasionally twitch or move around as awakening was not far off. A nearby radio clock silently ticked away the seconds as it counted down to 7:00 in the morning.

As it turned to its predetermined time, a pleasant instrumental tune began to play. Blue irises fluttered open to a world of darkness before she lifted the sleep mask from her face. Rarity gave a long, healthy yawn, and reached over to turn off her alarm. She could see the early morning light filter its way through her closed curtains. Pulling aside a corner of the curtain, she could see the sky was clear; the day promising to be a warm one.

Rarity let her curtain fall back to its place with a content sigh. “What a splendid way to wake up in the morning!”

She tossed aside her quilt blanket and gathered her comfy pink robe, pulling it over herself. As she pushed open her curtains fully, she caught a glimpse of herself in a nearby standing mirror. What she saw made her gasp in shock.

“Oh, my, how awful!” Her hooves went up to her ruffled mane. “I must have been turning in my sleep rather fiercely. Only one way to fix this.” She used her magic to collect a new bottle of scented conditioner and happily strode for the shower room.

After a time of washing, drying, grooming, and plucking of eyebrows, Rarity stepped from her dorm room as pristine as she always was, her coat glistening in the lights of the hallway. She was privately pleased that she was lucky enough to have gotten a room all to herself; one of the perks of being from a well-to-do family, she assumed. It provided her privacy, a shower to herself, and extra space to work on whatever project she had going, whether it was for a class or a personal project.

As she made her way down the hallway, she would politely greet or return greetings to the other mares she encountered. If Rarity was anything, she was the very definition of polite; a lady of her stature had a reputation to uphold, after all.

When she left the building, she took in a deep breath of fresh air. The weather was full on into autumn, and the air had a crispness to it that belied the late summer’s warmth. Rarity was more than ready for winter; she had a supply of fashionable scarves and sweaters for when winter finally arrived.

She smiled as she saw her three followers hurry towards her. The three stopped at the stairs to the dormitory and waited for her, having learned early on not to enter the mare’s dormitory. Rarity recalled the one time they had with a wince. It was still an embarrassing moment to recall.

“Good morning, Miss Rarity,” the three said in unison as they waited patiently for her.

“Good morning to you, Victor, Sport, and Charles. I trust you all slept well?” she asked as she descended the stairs to join them.

“I know I did,” said Victor, the unicorn of the trio. “A good night’s rest for another day of class.”

“May I carry your bag for you, Miss Rarity?” the earth pony of the three asked, glancing to her saddlebags that carried her books.

“That would be delightful, Charles. Thank you.” She levitated her bag onto his back, right behind his own.

The pegasus of the trio glared at him with utter jealousy. “Would you like some breakfast, Miss Rarity? I can go get it for you.”

She turned her heart-melting smile to him. “Let’s see what they offer today first, then we’ll see, Sport.”

“I think it’s blueberry pancakes today. They had eggs and hash browns yesterday, so I’m almost positive it’s pancakes,” Victor said as he fell in step behind Rarity.

An excited smile tugged at her lips. “That would be simply divine. Come, let us not tarry any longer.” She picked up her pace with the three following behind closely.

-o-

The cafeteria was just beginning to bustle with the breakfast rush when Rarity and her entourage arrived. As she walked into the cafeteria, the tantalizing smell of pancakes and hay bacon reached her nose, and it almost caused her to drool. She restrained herself, however, and made her way to her customary table, drawing a few stares from other ponies as she went. She noticed that she was the first of her friends to arrive; usually Rainbow Dash or Applejack would be the first to arrive, but Rarity figured they must’ve been running late for some reason.

“What would you like us to get for you, Miss Rarity?” Sport asked her as Charles set her bag down next to her.

She put on a show of thoughtfulness. “Oh, a small stack of pancakes will do, as well as some hay bacon and a cold glass of milk. Do be dears and please get them for me. I want to look over my studies before I eat.”

“Yes, Miss Rarity,” Charles said.

“Right away,” Victor added and the three stumbled over each other to fulfill her wishes, nearly bowling over some other students in their rush.

“Don’t forget the maple syrup,” she called after them.

She watched them a moment before smiling in good humor and using her magic to dig into her bag for her books.

“I’d say you have them wrapped around your hoof,” she heard a voice say.

She looked up from her searching to see a light-pink earth pony mare with a purple mane looking at her from the other side of the table. Her mane was held up by a white headband, and she wore a white and light-blue scarf around her neck. Rarity saw quickly that the mare had a three-button cutie mark.

“Um, yes, can I help you?” Rarity asked her with a slightly raised eyebrow. There was something in her sly expression that made Rarity uneasy.

The other mare gave her mane a toss. “I was just saying it seems you have those three under complete control. How do you do it?”

Rarity turned her nose up a bit in pride. “Well, a proper lady should have fellows such as that trio in waiting to see to her needs. It’s only proper.”

The other mare’s sly grin grew just a bit. “Mm-kay. You’re the one from the Belle family, right?”

Rarity nodded. “I am. My name is Rarity Belle. Who might you be?”

“I’m Suri. Suri Polomare,” Suri said with more than a hint of pride.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Polomare. Though I can’t say I’ve heard your name before, darling.”

Suri’s grin faded a bit, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face. “Yes, I’ve yet to make a name for myself. In our kind of profession, reputation is everything.” She sat down uninvited.

“Oh? Are you an art major as well?” Rarity removed a small mirror from her bag and made sure her mane was still in its proper place.

“In a sense.” Suri watched her a moment, her expression changing none. “I will be an art critic to be exact.”

Rarity looked at her curiously again. If what she said was true, Suri’s impression might make waves for her own career. “Indeed? It takes a fine eye to appreciate art, as well as to be a fair and reputable critic. Who is tutoring you?”

“Hoity Toity. I’m his apprentice.” Suri’s grin grew a bit more.

Rarity almost dropped her mirror, but otherwise gave no other emotion away. Hoity Toity was the who’s who in the world of fashion! He was almost as big a name as Fancy Pants! More than one artist’s reputation was created or destroyed by his reviews.

“That’s, er… good and all, dear. But what does all of this have to do with my valet?” Rarity forwent the verbal fencing and addressed the point.

“It’s like this, mm-kay, a reputation is everything in the world of art. And I can tell you, honey, you’re not starting out well.”

Rarity furrowed her brow. “Whatever do you mean? I have done nothing untoward to deserve such an accusation. All of my instructors have praised my work in every class.”

“I’m not talking about your art, honey.” Suri looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “You don’t see it, do you?”

Rarity privately hopped that furrowing her brow wouldn’t cause unsightly wrinkles. “See what? Explain yourself.”

“Mm-kay, picture this. A young lady, dressed fashionably and groomed to near perfection—“

“Near?”

“—is followed around by a trio of drooling, fanatical, male followers. They do anything and everything for this lady, and make themselves appear like complete fools for this lady’s desires. She is seen giving them smiles, flirtatious winks, and sweet little comments, but never seems to give them anything else in return. She’s waited on hoof in hoof, but seems to take advantage of the situation by giving nothing back publicly. So it leaves those who watch them with the question: what is she doing to deserve all of that? Nopony does something for nothing, so what else could she be doing? Now tell me, what would you think of this ‘lady’?”

Rarity’s eyes widened in shock and outrage. “Surely you’re not suggesting what I think you’re suggesting? That is an out and out lie!”

Suri’s sly grin never faded. “I call it like I see it, honey, and I’m not the only one. If you want to avoid such rumors, I’d think hard on what you’re doing.”

Rarity sputtered and turned her nose up. “Well, I never! I would ask you to leave me now. Good day.”

Suri smirked. “Do you at least pay them for what they do for you?”

“I said, good day, Miss Polomare!”

Suri gave her a self-satisfied smirk and walked off.

Rarity watched her go, fuming at the implications she had made. How dare she accuse her of such things!? She was not that sort of lady. She came from a reputable family whose name was untarnished. It was simply impossible to accuse her of anything less than that.

She settled down with a huff and looked towards the lunch line for her valet. As she looked, she saw more than one pony give her an odd look. A group of stallions looked at her, one of them making a comment that had the others laughing. One mare walked by her and silently shook her head as she passed.

Rarity frowned softly. Surely, they didn’t think that way of her? Her entourage followed her of their own volition. They didn’t demand anything from her and neither did she of them; only the reasonable services of a proper valet, as was to be expected.

‘She’s wrong. That is the fact of the matter. I have always been kind and generous, and no words from a single mare can change that fact,’ she thought to herself.

‘Have you always?’ A question came to her mind. She was not sure where it had come from, but it did cause her to think. Was she as generous as she claimed? Had she really been fair to the three who followed her around?

“I have…” she whispered softly.

“You have what, Miss Rarity?” she heard Charles ask. He and the other two had returned while she had mused.

“I have… been waiting for my breakfast. I thank you three for getting it for me.” She smiled weakly at them.

“Happy to be of service, Miss Rarity.” The three set her breakfast in front of her. It looked simply scrumptious; the smell of freshly cooked hay bacon caused her to salivate. Only a little bit, of course. She did have standards, after all.

“Come, let’s enjoy our breakfast while it’s still warm.”

As they ate, Rarity found that she didn’t enjoy her meal as much as she had hoped. Her nagging thoughts kept her from thoroughly enjoying her breakfast and her morning.

-o-

As Rarity made her way towards her first class, she pushed the thoughts aside. She silently dismissed it as paranoia. Suri’s claims were groundless and exaggerated. Anypony who knew Rarity knew that she was a well mannered and proper lady; any claims otherwise were based in jealousy or ignorance. Sometimes both. It was simply impossible, she reasoned.

Her valet had already gone ahead to their own classes and promised to find her again at lunchtime. She walked by herself through the hallway, though there were other students all conversing around her. Normally she’d never pay any attention to the chatter, but today she found herself listening to the gossip.

“Did you hear about the recent foalnapping?” She heard one say.

“Yeah, I heard it was a little filly this time.”

“I heard the mother saw the foalnapper, but was knocked out cold by the crook.”

“What about the Royal Guard?”

“They've got nothing. It’s getting to the point I’m scared to go out alone anymore.”

“You and me both.”

Rarity continued on her way. Such conversation was much too unsettling for her tastes. Her class was ahead, but before she could make it, another conversation made her stop in her tracks.

“Oh look, there she goes again. Little miss priss.” she heard one mare say.

“And without her rump kissers in tow. Maybe they finally got tired of her,” the other said.

Rarity turned to the two. “Pardon me, but who are you referring to?”

Both mares looked at her in shock. “Oh, darn it, she heard us!” the first said in a tone just above a whisper.

Rarity gave them a stern look. “It’s unseemly to engage in hurtful gossip. Surely, you both don’t truly find joy in saying such things?”

The second mare help up her hoof to try to calm her. “Look, we didn’t want to start trouble.”

Rarity gave her a stern glare. “Neither do I, dear. I just don’t want such ugly rumors floating around campus. Especially when they are untrue.”

“We’re sorry—” the second began.

“I’m not,” the first interjected.

Rarity and the other mare looked at her in shock at the vehemence in her tone.

“Wha—” Rarity started.

“You don’t want ugly rumors spreading around campus, then don’t throw wood on the fire, ‘darling.’” She jabbed a hoof into Rarity’s sternum. “You parade around here like you’re Princess Celestia, acting like you’re more important than everypony else. Well, let me tell you something: you’re not.”

“I don’t—”

“Worse yet, you have those three goofballs so tightly wrapped around your hoof, they’re cutting off blood flow to your brain. We’ve seen how you treat them, and all you do is use them. You give nothing back in turn, yet act like you’re the most generous pony around. You don’t want rumors to spread? Then stop with the high-and-mighty act.” She turned from the stunned Rarity and the two mares walked off. The second mare shot Rarity an apologetic look as she walked away with her fuming friend.

Rarity was too shocked to even sputter out a response, completely floored at the other mare’s outburst. Did other ponies really think that way of her? As some sort of self-important manipulator? It wasn’t true! How could ponies think that of her?

She held her head up high and turned for her classroom; though all she really wanted to do was go back to her dormitory and start the day over.

-o-

Rarity couldn’t remember a time when she was happier for class to be over for the day and being surrounded by her friends. Though no other ponies had said anything to her, she had felt the stares. Even when a pony wasn’t even looking at her, she felt they were silently judging her. She was so distracted by her thoughts that her performances in her classes today had suffered from it. When her instructors expressed their concerns, she lightly laughed it away as nothing more than a long night of studying last night. Rarity was usually a strong-willed pony who could face her problems on her own, but today, she felt the need of her friends around her.

She felt comfort in their being there, but still her doubts plagued her. She sighed softly as Pinkie Pie was going off on some exaggerated tale that had most of the others laughing.

“-and then the ant-eater said to the aardvark ‘Who nose best?’” She extended her hoof from the tip of her muzzle outward.

The others howled in laughter; Rainbow held her sides and Applejack pounded the ground in their mirth.

“Pinkie.” Rainbow brushed away a tear of mirth. “You sure know how to tell a story.”

Pinkie smiled. “If you like that one, you’ll love the story of the ninja cats and pirate dogs. It’s one doozy of ‘tail!’” She flicked her own tail pointedly.

“Maybe some other time,” Rainbow said, after the next round of laughter subsided. She looked at the others with an amused expression. “So, anypony else have a story to share?”

Rarity opened her mouth to say something, but stopped herself. She was just about to tell them about how terrible her day was getting to be, but bit her lip nervously, almost afraid to say anything.

She felt a hoof on her shoulder, and turned to see Applejack. “Somethin’ wrong, sugarcube?” the earth pony asked, concern in her eyes. “Ya look like ya got somethin’ on your mind.”

Rarity gave a painfully fake smile and brushed Applejack’s hoof off of her shoulder. “Oh, no, I’m quite all right. Today has been rather long, that’s all.” Applejack raised an eyebrow, a skeptical look on her face, before glancing to the others. They didn’t seem that convinced either, not the normally oblivious Twilight. She blinked, then gave a sigh of defeat. “You all know Victor, Charles, and Sport, correct?”

“Your little helpers?” Trixie inquired with a nod. “Yeah, of course. They’re only everywhere you are.” She then perked up slightly, looking around. “Where are those three anyway?”

“I told them to give me some time alone with you all,” Rarity answered. “But that’s not the point. What do you all think about them?”

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked with a tilt of her head.

“Well… they’re always following me and waiting on me and whatnot. I just want your opinions on them, I suppose.”

The others all looked to each other for a few moments before Twilight spoke up. “Well, they are fairly handy to have around,” she admitted. “All I’m really afraid of is that you’ll become complacent, but I’ve seen some of your scores in your classes.” Rarity blushed slightly at the subtle reminder of how she often - and admittedly in a fairly unladylike manner - bragged about how she was the top of her class in several of the subjects she’d been studying (as expected of a Belle, of course). “Other than that, I don’t personally see anything wrong with it.”

“Personally,” Rainbow Dash chimed in, “I think it’s awesome to have those guys around all the time, doing everything you tell them to do. I wish I had a setup like that.”

“Sure,” Trixie said with a mischievous smirk. “Then you can go ahead and give up your place in the Academy track team to the pegasus in that trio. Which one was that again? Victor or Sport?”

“Sport,” Rarity said in a voice just above a mumble. “Do you all feel the same?”

“Ah more or less agree with Twi,” Applejack answered. “And Ah reckon a bit with Rainbow, too.” The others all nodded in agreement.

“So you don’t believe I keep them to use them?”

“Use them?” Twilight lowered her book and looked to her in concern. “Rarity, what happened to make you think that?”

Rarity sighed and told them of Suri and her accusations, and of the encounter in the hallway. As she told them, the doubts and thoughts from earlier came back and threatened to cause her to break out into tears. Her voice cracked a bit as she came to the end of her tale.

“You’re really upset about this, aren’t you?” Fluttershy wrapped a supportive foreleg around Rarity’s shoulders. The latter sniffed and nodded weakly to the question.

Rainbow growled softly. “I don’t know who this Suri thinks she is, but I’m gonna give her a piece of my mind!” She smacked her forehooves together with a loud clop.

“Absolutely not, Rainbow Dash!” Rarity cried out in near horror. “I will not have anypony starting fights for my sake. That would only make the rumors worse.”

Applejack looked to the riled pegasus in annoyance. “Rarity’s right, Dash. Not everythin' can be solved by usin’ your hooves.”

“It works more often than you’d think,” she shot back.

“Regardless,” Rarity made sure to head off another argument between the two hot-headed mares. “These rumors are making their way all throughout the Academy and…” She sighed deeply. “Well, they’re simply not true.”

“We know they’re not, Rarity, and you know it, too.” Twilight finally set aside her book to comfort the other unicorn. “You shouldn’t let them get to you.”

Rarity wiped at her eyes. “Thank you so much girls. I feel so much better.” She gave them each a grateful smile. “At least I know you all don’t think I just use them.”

“Well, of course you use them!” Pinkie said. “You use them to get us drinks, and snacks, they help with homework—”

“Pinkie…” Twilight started.

“They give you hooficures, back massages—” The pink mare continued on.

“Pinkie.”

“And they follow you around all day and do anything you ask them! They’re super useful to have around!”

“Pinkie!” The others all shouted.

“What?” She looked at their angry stares in confusion. “What’d I—” She saw that Rarity was on the verge of tears, biting her lip to keep it from quivering.

Pinkie’s eyes widened. “Oh! Rarity, no! That’s not—”

With a badly contained sob, Rarity turned and fled from her friends.

“Rarity! That’s not what I meant! I’m soooorrry!” Pinkie called after her.

“Way to go, Pinkie.” Trixie snapped at her.

Pinkie looked to the ground, her shoulders slumped, tears threatening to fall from her own eyes, her mane beginning to flatten against her head like a deflating balloon.

-o-

Rarity fled past many other students in her rush, not caring who she pushed aside as her hooves carried her. Pinkie’s words had hit her like a buffalo in full charge. How could she have been so blind to the obvious? It was there, plain as day, that she had used those three young stallions for her own ends, and with no regards to their feelings. The rumors were true; she was a manipulator. An evil, conniving manipulator that cared only for herself and nopony else. How could she face the public with this shame and guilt?

She ran on, not stopping for the concerned shouts of three stallions who quickly gave chase.

“Miss Rarity, what’s wrong?” Charles asked as he galloped beside her.

“Tell us what happened!” Sport demanded, flying above her.

“Who did this to you? We’ll make them pay!” Victor growled.

Rarity skidded to a stop and whirled on them. She glared fiercely at the three, her eyeliner running down in streaks along her face. “Stop following me!”

“But, Miss Rar—” Victor started.

“Leave me alone! Just stop following me!”

“But—” They tried to object.

“Just... stay away from me.” She turned and fled once more, sobs escaping when she tried to keep them back. The three could only stare after her in shock and confusion.

-o-

Rarity walked by herself along one of the main roads of Canterlot. The lantern lighters had just begun to light the street lamps as dusk settled through the city. The lamps set the darkening streets aglow with a warm, low light. Rarity trotted quietly, no longer crying, but walking in a pensive silence. She had wiped away the majority of her ruined eyeliner, though any who looked at her could see that she had been crying profusely.

She had left the campus to clear her head, but no matter where her train of thought went, she couldn’t find any silver lining to her predicament. No matter what she did, the rumors would remain, and any reputation she had hoped to build would have no meaning. Who would want to purchase fashionware from somepony who was renowned as a coldhearted manipulator? Nopony, that’s who! All of her hopes and dreams were ruined!

The tears threatened to fall again, but she forced them back. Now was not the time for tears. Now was the time to do… something. What that something was, she didn’t know.

She walked behind a pair of stallions who were conversing before one stopped and gestured to a nearby restaurant.

“Hey, come on. Let’s grab a bite to eat.”

The other winced. “I can’t. I don’t have my bits on me.”

The first shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll get it this time.”

“You don’t have to do that,” the other protested weakly.

“It’s on me.” He gave his companion a lopsided grin. “You’ve got the next one, though.”

The other laughed. “Fair enough.” The two turned towards the restaurant, joking and laughing as they went.

Rarity watched them for a long moment before continuing on. What the stallion had done was a kind act, she reasoned. He had willingly treated his friend to a meal without any real desire to get something in return. He claimed his friend would treat him back, but Rarity could tell by that look on his face that wouldn’t actually insist upon it. She was an excellent judge of character… most of the time.

She had considered herself a generous pony before today. She had helped Twilight and a number of other students on their first day at the Academy, and even gave fashion and beauty tips to those who had asked, and didn’t demand a thing in return. Yet, for all the good she had done, she knew that it would mean nothing in the face of the situation with her trio of followers. Nopony would believe her to be generous with those ugly rumors floating around.

What would her family think? Her parents had always taught her to be kind and generous to others; a good reputation was key to success, they always said. She wholeheartedly believed them, too. She had set out to make her parents proud of her, and to set a fine example for her little sister Sweetie. Would her parents even want to see her again? What would her sister think? Rarity could only growl softly in frustration as she continued to dwell.

So entrenched in her own thoughts was she that she didn’t see the statue until she bumped into it. She rubbed at her snout and looked up to see the compassionate visage of a stone alicorn. She looked around in bewilderment; there were five other statues of similar make, all arranged in a circle. Each one of the statues was dedicated to one of the great alicorn heroes of legend. Somehow, in the depths of her musing, she had walked into the Plaza of Heroes.

Rarity looked back to the statue she had ran into and read the plaque.

"Hermoso the Giving; May his generous spirit ever lift our souls in the darkest of times."

She looked to the carved likeness of the hero and sat down in the grass in front of it. The statue was breathtaking. Hermoso was supposedly the most handsome of all the six heroes, and he was always depicted as having a sort of inequine beauty. However, his looks were nothing compared to his legendarily giving nature. She had once read that he gave up all his worldly possessions to aid a group of villagers whose town had been destroyed by monsters, leaving himself with nothing but the joy of having helped those in need.

She gave a small, humorless chuckle, somewhat amused by the irony of which statue she’d wound up in front of. “Were I was as generous as you. You likely never had to deal with the troubles I'm facing right now.” She spoke quietly, keeping her tone respectfully low in this hallowed place. “I could never be like somepony such as you.” She lowered her gaze to the ground in shame.

‘You sell yourself short.’

She looked back up to the statue, staring into it’s carved eyes.

‘You have a good soul, senorita. You have strayed from your path, but a path lost can always be found again. One must simply look.’

Rarity felt a sense of relief wash over her as the thoughts came to her. It was similar to when her mother would comfort her when she was sad, or when Rarity herself would insist upon looking after her sister when she was ill. Perhaps she was being unfair to herself and to her followers. Maybe she did use them and gave nothing back in return, but it was not as bad as Suri made it out to be; it was never too late to make amends. Generosity worked out of the kindness in one’s heart; to give and not expect a reward. Her followers always gave to her and asked for nothing. Perhaps they were the generous ones. Perhaps she could learn a thing or two from them. Fixing her mistakes would take time and effort, but it was more than worth doing. It wasn’t the pride of being a Belle that drove her, nor saving public face. It was about doing the right thing.

She stood in determination, her head held high. “I know what I must do.”

Turning to leave, she froze when she saw two obscured forms by another statue approach her.

“Well, hello there, little lady. Didn’t think we’d run into you again,” one of them said.

She backed away from the two, instantly recognizing them as the two stallions who had tried to kidnap her months ago.

“Ah, g-good evening, gentlemen. Long time, no see. You’re looking, um… well. I was just on my way back... er, home, so if you'll excuse me.”

The second grinned evilly, stepping to block her path. “Don’t think so, missy. We got plans for you, so you’ll be coming with us.”

She put on a bold face, a feeling that she honestly didn’t feel. “If you come any closer, I'll scream.”

They both laughed. “Scream all you want, girly. Nopony’s coming to save you this time.”

“Enough talk, grab her!” They lunged at her.

Rarity hopped back and brought down a hoof on the head of the first thug, but was tackled by the second. Fear and instinct kicked in, and she rolled with the tackle and tossed off her attacker.

“Help me!” She screamed on the top of her lungs and tried to bolt. The first thug tripped her up and leaped at her. With a scream, she blasted the thug with a desperate, instinctive bolt of magic. The blast struck his face, and he gave an animalistic howl of pain, clutching at his face.

As soon as he let go, she tried to run, but she was shoulder rushed by the second thug. She slammed into the statue of Hermoso, the wind blasted out of her. She tried to scramble away, struggling to draw breath, but was lifted up by her attacker and pinned against the base of the statue.

“That’s more than enough out of you. You’re coming with—” He was roughly tossed aside and was replaced by the other thug who glared hatefully at her with his one still good eye. The other had turned a solid, milk-white color. Rarity screamed, terrified by both his stare and what she had done to him.

“You’re going to pay for this, you little brat! I’m gonna make you suffer before the boss even gets his hooves on you!”

The other looked at him in disgust. “Just hurry it up, will you? Remember that the boss needs her—” He grunted as a form tackled him to the ground.

“What—” The other thug only had time to say the one word before Rarity kicked him in a rather sensitive spot for stallions. He instantly dropped her and bent over painfully before a second form rushed up and slugged him away. A third form ran up to Rarity in concern.

“Miss Rarity, are you alright?”

“Victor?” She blinked in surprise and saw that Sport and Charles was squaring off with her attackers. “Sport? Charles? How did you find me?”

“We went looking for you, Miss Rarity. Your friends are looking, too.” Charles backed up to stand in front of her protectively.

The other thug threw Sport off of him and snarled at the four. “You colts don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

Sport flew down to stand next to Victor. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with. You lay another hoof on Miss Rarity, and you’ll walk away with it broken!”

“Stupid brat! Get out of our way!” the one-eyed thug bellowed.

“You’ll have to go through the three of us.” Victor said, not backing down from the intimidating stallion.

“Four.” Rarity clarified, standing beside Charles’s other side.

Her followers looked to her in admiration before turning their attentions back on the duo of thugs.

“That does it!” The two ran forward but stopped as the unicorns hit them with magical attacks. The thugs only had time to look back at them before being slugged by Charles and Sport respectfully. The thugs stumbled back and shook the dizziness away, only to see the four ready to hit them again.

Rarity perked up as she heard her name being shouted off in the distance.

The thugs must have heard it, too, as the one-eyed thug swore. “Let’s get out of here.” The second growled and the two fled as fast as they could, the one-eyed one walking with a pronounced limp.

“We see you again, and you’ll get it worse, punks!” Charles taunted them.

Rarity’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Oh, boys, thank you so much! How did you ever find me?”

“We heard you scream,” Victor said. “Sorry we didn’t get here any faster.”

“You boys got here just in time.” She smiled at them but it faded and she looked to the ground. “I… I want to apologize to you three. For my behavior.”

They looked to her in confusion. “What do you mean?” Sport asked.

“The three of you have done so much for me since school began, and all I've done is… use you to my advantage. It was wrong of me to do so.” She slowly looked up at them. “So I don't want you to do anything for me ever again.”

The three shared quick looks with each other. “You don’t have to be sorry, Miss Rarity.” Victor said.

She looked to him curiously. “What?”

“Look, we don’t do things for you in hopes of getting anything back. We do it because we want to.”

“Being around you and your friends is a lot of fun.” Charles added.

“Pinkie’s funny, Applejack and Rainbow are entertaining to watch, Fluttershy is nice as all can get, and Twilight helps us with our homework when we’re having trouble.” Sport landed next to the other two. “Working for you gives us something fun to do.”

“We consider you a friend, Miss Rarity. We don’t mind doing chores for you if it means we get to hang out with somepony other than each other,” Victor said after a glare at Sport.

Rarity looked to them for a moment before smiling, her eyes alighting as an idea struck. “Well, if you're going to be my valet, it is only proper you get paid for it. Starting now, I’ll make sure you are paid a proper wage.”

All three beamed at her. “Sure beats having to get a job at a restaurant, like we first planned,” Charles said.

The other two glared at him.

“It is,” he said defensively.

“Rarity!”

She turned in time to be tackled by a pink blur. She found herself being crushed in a vice-like hug by a distraught Pinkie Pie.

“Rarity! I’m so so so SO sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or make you cry! Please, please forgive me! I’m so soooorryyy!” She buried her face into Rarity’s shoulder, crushing her in an even tighter hug, her frame shaking with sobs.

“Pinkie, darling, it’s okay. I forgive you,” Rarity said, patting the other mare on the back.

Pinkie looked to her with wide, watery eyes. “You do?”

“Of course, dear. In truth, you actually helped me see something I needed to see.”

“You mean it?” Rarity nodded to her question. “Yay!” Pinkie sprang away happily, finally letting Rarity take in a full breath.

There was a chorus of concerned shouts and Rarity saw the rest of her friends running up to her.

“Girls, girls, I’m fine.” She raised her hooves up to calm them as they bombarded her with questions about her well being. “I thank you all for your concern, I truly do.”

“What happened?” Twilight asked.

“Do you remember those thugs who tried to assault me the day we first met?” Twilight nodded with a scowl. “They tried their hooves at me again.”

“You chased them away?”

“They did.” She motioned to her followers who rubbed at the backs of their heads in embarrassment.

“They did?” Applejack, Rainbow, and Trixie said in stunned unison.

The stallions glared at them in annoyance.

Rarity gave a firm nod. “They did, and they've helped me understand that I can fix what has been said about me.”

“Oh?” Twilight looked to her curiously.

“Indeed. Now come along, everypony! Let us get some of those delectable donuts again. My treat!”

The entire group cheered and followed the unicorn from the plaza. As she lead them towards Donut Joe’s, Rarity felt as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders. It will take some time, but she will see those heartless rumors quashed. As long as she had the support of her friends, she could see anything through. She was determined to be the generous pony her parents taught her to be, and nothing would change that.

Unbeknownst to them, after they had all left, a small light glinted off the eyes of Hermoso’s statue.

-o-

“We had her, boss! We had her!” one of the thugs pleaded as he and his one-eyed companion knelt before their master.

When they had returned from their failed capture mission, the two were roughly brought to a large vaulted chamber. The torches along the walls flickered with a midnight-blue flame that caused the shadows to dance and writhe throughout the room.

“And yet, she is not here,” their master said. He stood cloaked in a heavy monk’s habit, his back to them as he faced an altar that bore the symbol of a crescent moon.

“Sh-she got away from us, boss,” the one-eyed stallion stuttered, casting a fearful look at the guards that stood behind them quietly; each of them brandished a cruel-looking spear.

“Obviously.” He turned to look at the two; they could both feel his iron stare boring into them like drills through loose soil. “What happened to your eye?”

The thug quickly put a hoof over his damaged face. “I-I…”

“Speak, dog!” The thug felt the point of a spear prod the base of his skull painfully.

“She did it!” he screamed in a near panic.

“The white one?” Their master approached and took the thug’s face in hoof to better examine the injury. The thug tried his best not to shake under that scrutinizing gaze.

“Interesting.” The master pushed the thug’s face away and turned back towards the altar.

“What do you want done with them, my lord?” One of the guards asked, both of the thugs tensing up at the question.

“See them out of Canterlot. They are dismissed.”

“But, boss—”

He whirled on them. “Do not question me, fool! You should thank the Mistress that I am not sacrificing you on the altar now. I would not dare defile it with your taint!” He glanced to the guards. “Get them out of my sight. Their presence offends me.”

The master turned back to the altar as the thugs were ushered out of the chamber. He knelt before the altar and began a low, dark hymn.

Another of the Knights approached him quietly and knelt beside him to join in the devotions.

“Speak,” The master commanded once their hymn was completed.

“Will you let them live?” she asked.

“Of course not, they have failed us too many times. There will be wanted posters for them, and we cannot allow such a liability.”

She nodded. “What do you wish to do now?”

“We can no longer suffer incompetence. The time of our revolution draws ever closer, and the One Queen will need all the recruits we can find for the night of her return.” He turned his cold gaze to the knight. “See that it is done.”

She bowed her head. “Yes, my lord.”

-o-

“So her little hissy fit is done now?” Sunset Shimmer asked the stallion in the quietness of the sports equipment room. It made for the ideal place for her to meet him away from curious eyes and prying ears.

“Yeah, she even put that Suri in her place. Suri kept trying to get under Miss Rarity’s skin, but she kept shrugging it off until Suri stomped off in frustration. You should've seen everyone laugh at her. It was great! Miss Rarity is—”

Sunset scowled at him. “I don’t care about that, you twit! I want to know if you’re still in danger of being dismissed by her!”

His smile faded into a soft scowl. “N-no.”

If she was bothered at all by his scowl, she didn’t show it. “Then you have what I want?”

“...No.”

Her eyes blazed in fury. “Why not!?”

The stallion cringed. “She hasn’t done anything I could get for you. What am I supposed to do?”

“Make something happen, you idiot! I want something to ruin her with, and I want it now! Do I make myself clear?”

“...Crystal.”

“Good. Now get out.” She turned away from him in disgust.

“Just you wait, Sparkle.” she said after he had left. “No one humiliates Sunset Shimmer and walks away freely. No one.”

Suspicion

“You’re sure you don’t remember anything else?” Shining Armor asked the young pegasus mare sitting across from him, a clipboard held in his magic, and two cups of hot chocolate sitting on the desk between them. This questioning had been going on for about an hour, and he only now realized that it wasn’t going anywhere he hadn’t been before.

The mare shook her head. “I’m sorry, sir,” she said tentatively, taking the cup of chocolate closest to her and taking a careful sip. “I was walking down my usual route from the grocery store back to my house, then there was this tug on my wing, and I was dragged into an alley, and then… then there’s nothing. I swear, if I could remember anything else, I would tell you, but everything between then and now is a complete blank.”

Shining sighed and leaned back in his seat, writing down notes on his clipboard. This mare was yet another mysterious case. She had been reported as missing several days ago, then suddenly just reappeared without explanation.

‘These foalnappings are getting way out of hoof,’ he thought grimly. If it was just a bunch of thugs looking for a ransom, this would be a lot simpler. Pretend to pay the ransom, follow it discreetly, arrest the thugs when they found them. Worked every time. But whoever was orchestrating these foalnappings was clearly no ordinary thug, and they were very obviously up to something. As a precaution, all of the ponies who had disappeared and have reappeared were under close, quiet surveillance. One could never know when a victim could be struck again.

“Has it really been a week?” the mare asked, bringing the unicorn out of his musings. He gave her a glum nod, and she hung her head. She gave a light, humorless chuckle. “I’ll bet my family’s been worried sick about me.” She faced Shining again. “Do you still have questions for me? I… I should really get back to my family.”

Shining shook his head. “You’re free to go. Just be careful.” The mare nodded and left the room, leaving young guard captain to pour over his work. Things weren’t making sense. The only pattern to these disappearances was that ponies would be gone for about a week, give or take a day or two, then suddenly show up again just when the Royal Guard is about to give up on the search. At first, unicorns were the only ponies to vanish. Then, pegasi started disappearing, then earth ponies. Now, even young foals were vanishing. It was as if the foalnappers no longer cared who they stole away, just as long as they stole somepony.

There was a knock at his door. Without waiting for a response, the door opened to reveal Cadance, a small smile on her face and a bag held aloft in her magic. She was really getting the hang of magic, he noticed. Shining smiled at the sight of his marefriend and set his work aside for now. He had almost forgotten they were having lunch together today.

Sitting on the same chair that the other mare had, Cadance set the bag on the table and pulled out a couple of hayburgers, giving one to Shining, who accepted it gladly. “How’s work going today?” Cadance asked just before taking a bite out of her own hayburger, licking at the ketchup that covered her lip.

The guard captain sighed and lowered his lunch. “Could be better.”

She gulped down her food. “I saw that mare leaving your office. Another foalnapping?”

Shining nodded, lifting up his own burger to take a bite of. “Yeah. She’s one of the ones that came back.”

“Anything new?”

“Just more of the same.” He lifted his clipboard and read it over, examining his notes, hoping he could find an answer in there somewhere. “Disappeared about a week ago, we searched endlessly, and just when we were about to give up, she just appeared again. And once more, with no memory between then and now.”

Cadance put a hoof to her chin in thought. “You know, there’s something about that that actually sounds vaguely familiar.” Shining gave her an almost pleading look. He was desperate for answers. “Sorry. It was probably just a movie I saw, or a book I read, or something like that.” She took another bite of her food. “What’s Auntie Celestia doing about all of this?”

Shining visibly flinched, heaving out a long sigh. “The princess keeps saying that things will work out if we’re patient and pay attention. Unfortunately, I’m beginning to lose my patience, and I’m afraid I might not be paying enough attention.”

“Yeah, that sounds like her all right,” Cadance sighed. She looked at the picture that stood on Shining’s desk. It was a picture of the both of them with a young and very excited Twilight Sparkle, taken eight years ago when they got permission to show Twilight around the castle. She gave a nostalgic smile and said, “Have you heard anything from Twilight recently?”

Shining nodded with a smile. “She sent me a letter. You remember her old foalhood friend Trixie? She has the same magic class.” Cadance didn’t know whether to giggle at that or let her face blanch in terror at the idea of those two fillies being in the same room again. That duo was infamous in Celestia's School for causing explosions in their classes, even when the lessons had nothing to do with magic. “Not only that, but she’s made more friends, too, one of whom can actually keep up with her whenever she rambles.”

At that, Cadance did giggle. Matching Twilight’s brain was quite the accomplishment. Even she had difficulty holding intelligent conversations with the younger mare on occasion, and Twilight credited her as the smartest pony she knows.

There was a knock at the door, and Shining opened it with his magic. A small, purple and green bipedal reptile walked in, carrying several scrolls in his claws. Shining groaned at the sight of what he instantly knew was paperwork.

“Spike,” Shining greeted the young lizard. “Let me guess: more missing pony reports?”

“Only one or two this time,” the infant dragon answered. “Most of these are just things you need to sign. A lot of places are asking for increased security patrols. Give you one guess why.”

The guard captain sighed and took the scrolls in his magic, placing them on his desk. As he did this, he wrote a quick letter and gave it to Spike. “Send that to the princess. Our district is understaffed, and we’ll need more ponies.” The dragon nodded and shot a breath of fire at the letter, turning it into a small cloud of green smoke, which flew out a nearby open window. The job done, Spike left the room, waving goodbye to the two ponies.

When the little drake was gone, Cadance smiled. “He’s grown up well since Twilight hatched him.”

Shining nodded in agreement. Spike had only been hatched a few years ago, thanks to Twilight working so hard to pass her entrance exam to get into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns as a filly. Ever since, Spike had been taken in by the Royal Guard for security reasons. Nopony knew what to expect from a newly hatched dragon. Despite initial mistrust, Spike quickly became a productive member of the force, if only as Shining’s division’s mailboy. There was a joke among the guards about Spike being a living mailbox, a title that the little dragon was actually quite all right with, to the point where he actually took pride in it.

“Well,” Cadance said, finishing her hayburger, “I’d best get going. Auntie Celestia wants me present for a meeting with some nobles today.” She gave her coltfriend a kiss upon the cheek and bid him farewell.

Once his marefriend was gone, Shining got back to work, starting with one of the reports of missing ponies. It was the exact same as all the others, the only differences being the name and place. This one was some teenage mare named Lyra Heartstrings, a student at—

“Sweet Celestia,” Shining muttered to himself, eyes wide. Miss Heartstrings was a student at Canterlot Academy. He silently cursed a thousand curses in his head. No doubt, they would have to send more guards to keep an eye on everything more closely, but that was only his second thought.

‘Twily,’ he thought, worry flooding his thoughts. If even one pony was taken from the currently heavily guarded Academy, then his sister was in danger. He couldn’t just have her pulled out of the school in the middle of the school year, though. She’d never let him hear the end of it. Plus, once the Academy had a student they liked, it would take a miracle to get them to let them go. For now, all he could do was supply the school with extra guards and hope that his little sister would stay safe.

-o-

Twilight tried to block out the mutterings from her classmates as she wrote down notes while Daring Do continued to lecture about the fabled Discordian Era, when the entire world was practically dominated by chaos. Next to her, Rainbow Dash was close to nodding off, her head gradually bobbing up and down. Twilight rolled her eyes at her friend's predicament. She'd warned her about staying up so late (though, admittedly, she wasn't much one to talk). Add to that the pegasus's daily exercise routine, and she had a recipe for disaster.

As Professor Daring continued her lecture, she happened to look in Rainbow's direction. She picked up a text book from her desk, still talking, and hovered over to Rainbow's desk. She then unceremoniously dropped the book just an inch shy of Rainbow's head, making the younger pegasus shoot up from seat with a high pitched squeak to hover over her desk, eyes wide.

"Nice of you to join us, Crayon Box," Daring said in way that could only have been intentionally condescending. "Have a nice nap?" Several students laughed at Rainbow's expense then while the multi-colored mare floated back down into her chair, mumbling something under her breath.

"Anyway," Daring continued, "I'm going to assign each of you to make a report on an event in Equestrian history. Anything between the pre-Discordian Era and the Solar Era is fair game. However, it has to have happened at least five hundred years ago. Have fun with that."

-o-

As usual, the cafeteria was bustling with activity, especially the table that Twilight always sat at. Her friends were once again swapping stories with one another. This time, they even had Flash Sentry and Wanderer with them. Even Rarity's entourage were contributing to the conversation. She, as per the norm, had her face buried in a book, occasionally snickering when she heard a joke from one of her friends, while never once losing focus on her studies.

"Hey, Twilight, what’re you reading?" asked Pinkie Pie, who leaned over the lavender unicorn's shoulder, trying to get a peek at what she was reading.

"It's a written documentation of the Nightmare Wars," Twilight answered readily, shrugging her shoulder as Pinkie leaned on it. "The civil war that broke out a thousand years ago between the respective supporters of Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon. Rainbow, Wanderer, and I have to give reports to our history professor."

A proud smile spread across Rainbow’s face. "Mine's on the history of the Wonderbolts. ‘Cause there’s nopony who knows them better than me.”

"Didn’t see that one coming," Trixie commented with a roll of her eyes as she took a sip from her milkshake, earning herself a slight glare from the prismatic pegasus. "So, Twi, any crazy facts that you'd like to share with us regarding those days?

"None that you all probably don't already know. The events of the Nightmare Wars are fairly common knowledge. Although, the followers of Nightmare Moon were notorious in those days for using numerous methods that would be considered war crimes today."

Applejack shook her head in disgust before she looked at Wanderer. "What about you, Wanderer? Somethin’ on the war too?"

He shook his head. "Nah. I'll be doing a report on ancient historic relics and locations," the earth stallion answered. "I just have to figure out which ones I'm going to talk about specifically." He gave her a wide grin. “You never know when the information might be useful.”

"You're smart," Flash said as he leaned back in his seat, a smirk on his face. "You'll probably figure something out. Eventually."

Wanderer gave an appreciative nod before giving the pegasus a glare.

"Yes, I'm hilarious,” Flash said with a growing grin.

Wanderer glowered at him. "You're an a—"

"Language. You're in the presence of mares as well as stallions, my friend." Rarity warned the aggravated stallion, earning laughs from everypony else. Eventually, Wanderer gave a slightly bemused chuckle at his own expense.

Twilight couldn't help but shake her head, a smile on her face. This was a routine she had come to truly enjoy.

"Oh!" Pinkie exclaimed suddenly. "Fluttershy, I heard your roommate Lyra went missing the other day!"

Good feelings gone. The reminder alone put an instant damper on everypony's spirits, much to Pinkie's dismay.

The demure pegasus looked away, her cheer replaced with a worried, fretful expression. "Yes. She didn't come back to our room the night before last. I just thought she might have been staying in another friend's dorm room for the night. She still hasn't shown up."

"Ah'm sure she'll show up again real soon, sugarcube," Applejack reassured the pegasus with a careful pat on her back. They all knew that Fluttershy and Lyra weren't particularly close, but Fluttershy still displayed a great concern for the mint unicorn, as she did with everypony.

A pensive frown crossed Twilight’s muzzle. Something about these foalnappings seemed eerily familiar, but she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. Just one more thing to research, she decided.

-o-

The library was remarkably devoid of life today. This was odd, because there were usually a number of fellow students either studying or reading for reading's sake, either of which Twilight admired when she saw it. There were still other ponies around; the librarians, of course, as well as a bare hoofful of students that were few and far between.

'I guess this just makes it an even more optimal environment for peaceful study,' the unicorn thought as she claimed a study desk in the library's historical section. She set a number of books on the Nightmare Wars down on the desk and immediately cracked it open, instantly enraptured by the knowledge that the tome contained.

The Nightmare Wars are considered by many to be Equestria's darkest age, both figuratively and quite literally. However, to understand those turbulent times, one must first know why the wars began.

Most assume that the would-be usurper Nightmare Moon had simply brainwashed her countless followers using some eldritch magic, twisting their thoughts to serve her will. This cannot be any more untrue. In truth, civil unrest had been widespread throughout Equestria prior to the rise of the so-called 'Mare of Darkness.'

After the Griffon War twenty years prior, Equestria was rendered to a recovering child, despite being the victor. During the twenty years between the two wars, poverty had begun to take hold, despite the best efforts of earth ponies everywhere. Many citizens felt that the royalty was to blame. While citizens toiled and suffered, many royals sat back and counted their bits.

During this period of unrest, Nightmare Moon claimed to see the plight of the downtrodden, and claimed that she would bring equality to Equestria. Most of Equestria's peasantry jumped at the opportunity, as did a hoofful of like-minded nobles.

Nightmare's followers had numerous names through the Nightmare Wars; the Children of Nightmare, the Lunar Chosen, the Nightborn, and many others. However, they most often referred to themselves as the Knights of the Dark Moon, the ever loyal servants of Nightmare Moon.

The book went on to explain in detail about the many battles fought in the Nightmare Wars, ranging from small standstills to major turning points. It also described some of the underhoofed methods that the Knights had employed, ranging from quiet assassinations to casting nightmare spells on enemies, causing Equestrian soldiers to become sleep deprived and unable to effectively combat the Knights. The Knights had also used powerful hypnosis to turn enemy soldiers and even civilians into sleeper agents, who would wreak havoc within Equestria's main forces once activated.

This last entry especially caught her attention. According to the book, these sleeper agents would mysteriously disappear for around a week, often varying between ponies, only to reappear without explanation, and with no memory of the time that they had been gone.

'Just like these recent foalnappings,' she thought as she rubbed a hoof on her chin out of habit, something she always did when in deep thought. Could the Knights of the Dark Moon be behind all of this? Most books said that they had disbanded and scattered after Princess Celestia banished Nightmare Moon to the… well, the moon. Could somepony have remade the ancient cult? Possible, but not probable. Could the cult have simply gone into hiding? If so, why would they take action now, after a thousand years of silence?

Twilight groaned loudly, too many unanswered questions floating around in her head. She hated it when she didn't know something for sure. It was one reason why she avoided tabloid newspapers and books about unexplained events at all costs. Unconfirmed conspiracy theories were torture on her poor brain. Not only that, but she knew for a fact that she wouldn't stop until she knew for absolute certain what was what.

'One thing at a time, Twilight,' she chastised herself. 'You have a history report to do. Then you can play conspiracy detective.' Nodding to herself, she set the first book aside and got started on her report, peeking into one of the many other books she had acquired. The whole time, she was unaware that she was being closely monitored.

-o-

After a week, Lyra Heartstrings reappeared without explanation, just like the others who had vanished. Word of her return had spread like wildfire throughout the Academy, with most ponies simply being relieved that she had turned up. Fluttershy had welcomed her back to their dorm room just before the Royal Guard showed up in response to the news. The mint unicorn was taken in for questioning, which had the unfortunate side effect of starting some rather unsavory rumors about her.

Lyra’s return only made Twilight’s suspicion of who was behind these foalnappings grow. It also made her somewhat wary of the mare. If the Knights of the Dark Moon were truly behind all of this, then she would be better off playing it safe. She had nothing against Lyra, of course. She hardly knew her. It was nothing personal, but Twilight had made a habit of keeping her distance from her.

Once the bell rang to signal the end of the final classes, Twilight immediately made her way to the library. Her history report was completed and turned in, of course, but she had made a promise to herself to try and figure out what was going on with these foalnappings, and, unfortunately, she was compelled to oblige. Thankfully, at least, the library was more than likely to hold the answers she sought.

She asked the librarians and interns around the library as she searched, inquiring as to whether they had anything regarding the Knights of the Dark Moon. Strangely, some of the full-time librarians gave her oddly skeptical, almost suspicious looks, but pointed her in the general direction of her goal regardless. She shrugged it off as the Knights simply being a sensitive topic.

"Servants of the Night: Tales of the Knights of the Dark Moon, The Midnight Hunters, Unreal Truths: The Knights of the Dark Moon..."

She muttered the names of various titles regarding the Knights. The ancient cult had somehow earned its own subsection within the history section of the library. At first, she thought that odd.

'I guess the Knights were technically historically significant, even if it's for all the wrong reasons.'

She poured herself into each book, carefully taking in every minute detail. The Knights must've been quite secretive, because most of the books only contained information she was already aware of. Still, every bit counted, she supposed, even the authors' varying opinions.

Unbeknownst to her, somepony approached from behind. His steps were quiet and deliberate as he drew nearer to her. He reached out with a hoof and tapped her shoulder.

"GAH!"

Wanderer’s scream about matched hers’ as he narrowly avoided a bolt of violet energy from the purple unicorn's horn, which singed the floor where he had once been standing.

"Sheesh, is that how you greet everypony who taps your shoulder?" he quipped with a good-natured laugh, which got a bit heartier when Twilight offered a nervous chuckle.

"Sorry. You just startled me." She motioned to the pile of books on the table she'd been sitting at. "I tend to go into my own little world when I'm studying."

He gave the singe mark another nervous glance before he chuckled. "Yeah, I get that way, too sometimes."

There was a moment of awkward silence between them. The young unicorn would normally let others do the talking, and chime in whenever she felt necessary, or if asked a question. One-on-one conversations were not her forte.

She rubbed at the back of her head. "So... what brings you here?"

"Hmm? Oh, right." He rummaged through his saddlebags, which she had only just noticed. The earth pony dug through them for a good minute or so before he found what he was looking for - a rolled-up scroll, made of what appeared to be an old sort of paper, with slight tears at the edges. "I found this while doing research for my history report. Looks like some kind of magic scroll or something, so I thought you might be interested, since you're majoring in magic and all."

Twilight instantly perked up at the mention of magic, and quickly took the scroll in her magic. What could be inside? A unique spell of some sort? A formula for an improved variant of common magic? A thesis on the various forms of magic?

'Okay, maybe not that last one. This scroll isn't nearly large enough for that.'

"Thanks, Wanderer!" she said with a slight giddiness to her voice. "I'll definitely take a look at this!"

The young stallion nodded. "Let me know if you find any new spells in that thing." He waved goodbye and trotted off and out of the library.

Twilight waved back as he left, then returned her attention to the scroll that floated in her magic. Mind filled with questions and eagerness, she gingerly rolled the scroll open, slowly revealing its contents.

‘Walking in the Dreamscape: A Guide to the Most Mysterious of Realms,’ she read. The Dreamscape? That almost sounded like something from a lesser known fantasy book. She skimmed through the first few lines. The scroll contained instructions on how to safely enter and traverse the Dreamscape. It was… unusual. Some of the instructions contradicted each other, claiming that something that might be friendly in the Dreamscape might also try to kill any travellers. The scroll tried to justify these contradictions by explaining that the Dreamscape is a realm of unpredictability.

‘The Dreamscape is a realm comprised of the imaginings of countless millennia worth of dreams of sleeping creatures. It is just as dangerous as it is safe, as comforting as it is unnerving. The only pony ever known to have physically entered the Dreamscape rather than psychically and return unscathed was the Night Princess Luna, who—’

“Wait, who?” Luna? Who was that? The author of the scroll called her the “Night Princess.” Was it a name given to Nightmare Moon by her followers during the Nightmare Wars?

She ran a hoof through her mane. 'Great. Another mystery to drive me crazy.'

Rolling up the scroll, she decided to read more of it later tonight. Rainbow Dash always blasted rock music on a radio she'd bought a few days after coming to the Academy during her pre-sleep workouts. The music actually helped Twilight think more clearly for some reason, despite some of the rather vulgar lyrics. Perhaps that could help her figure out some of the scroll's contradictions.

At the library counter, the clerk was busy with what appeared to be taking inventory via several tabs and notes, which she quickly filed away into a cabinet. Upon noticing the purple unicorn, she stuffed away a file and turned her attention to the young mare.

"I'd like to check out this magic scroll, please." The clerk nodded and opened a cabinet drawer marked ‘SCROLLS.’

"What manner of magic does the scroll pertain to?" The clerk readied a quill in hoof and the check-out list.

"It refers to something called the Dreamscape." Twilight raised an eyebrow when the earth pony clerk suddenly fumbled with her quill. 'Odd,' she thought. She knew from watching Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and several of her earth pony classmates that the sturdiest of the pony races were more than capable of using quills, pens, and other writing utensils with their hooves. Had the clerk been startled by the mention of the Dreamscape?

"R-right, then," the clerk stammered, the anxiety in her voice obvious even to Twilight. "That would be... Walking in the Dreamscape: A Guide to the Most Mysterious of Realms, correct?" The unicorn nodded, and the clerk reciprocated with a nod of her own as she wrote down the scroll's title. "Name?"

"Twilight Sparkle." The clerk nodded again and reluctantly wrote down the name.

"Okay. Remember that scrolls can only be checked out for a maximum of five days."

"Of course. Thank you." Twilight waved a goodbye to the anxious clerk, who looked almost relieved. She thought about it for a moment as she headed back to her dorm room. Why had the clerk acted so strange about the scroll? Did she have personal experience with it?

'That can't be it. Most earth ponies don't bother studying magic unless they have a talent in magic theory.'

Perhaps the scroll had a bad history behind it? It did seem as though the scroll's author might have had connections to the Knights of the Dark Moon, but that was unlikely. Come to think of it, who wrote the scroll? No name had been given on it. That was also pretty odd when she thought about—

"Oof!" She lost her train of thought when she bumped into somepony, dropping a few things that she had been carrying via her magic. The guard she had collided with gave a slightly annoyed look as he went to gather some things he had dropped.

"S-sorry, sir," she stammered as she picked up the scroll and books she'd been holding. The guard wordlessly rolled his eyes, grabbed his things, and left, leaving the unicorn on her own, an incredulous and somewhat insulted look on her face.

'Rude,' she thought to herself. She almost left when she noticed something on the floor, nearly stepping on it. Some sort of medallion. It could only have the guard's. She picked it up with her magic.

"Guard, you dropped your..." He was already gone from sight. It would be impossible to track him down in the massive Academy campus, especially since Royal Guard armor was enchanted to make guards resemble one another. Sighing in resignation, Twilight eyed the curious medallion. It bore an image of the full moon, complete with the face of the Mare in the Moon.

'Why would a Royal Guardpony have something like this?'

-o-

The library clerk named Index gulped nervously as she knocked on the door. While she had spoken with this stallion many times before, she couldn't help but feel nervous now. Surely, he wouldn't be pleased with this latest development. It had been her job to make sure that nopony found anything regarding the Dreamscape. That was the One Queen's domain, and hers alone. Rejecting a check-out request would've been suspicious, though.

"Enter."

Slowly, ever so carefully, Index entered the room, where her master sat reading a simple book. Even so, he didn't look up from his book to fully acknowledge her, as if she weren't worth acknowledging.

"What is it, Index?"

"I..." She swallowed down as much of her anxiety as she could. "I-I'm sorry, sir. Somepony found something regarding the Dreamscape. A scroll. She checked it out of the library."

He looked up slightly from his book, sending chills down Index's spine. "You didn't stop her?"

"N-no, sir. She would've considered it suspicious to—"

His eyes narrowed. "And I suppose it never crossed your mind to tell her it was a misplaced scroll on a restricted subject?"

A cold sweat began pouring down the mare's neck as she shook her head.

He settled back in his chair again. "Who checked out the scroll?"

"A-a unicorn mare, sir. Twilight Sparkle."

He was silent for several moments, his expression thoughtful as an amused smirk crossed his lips. "I see. This blunder of yours may yet prove to be in our benefit." He turned away from her. "You are dismissed."

With a grateful and almost unbelieving nod, Index fled the room as the stallion clicked his front hooves together in thought.

'Let us see how this plays out.'

The Dreamscape, Part 1

The streets of Canterlot at night were normally quiet and relatively peaceful. Usually, the only sound one would hear would be the flickering of the magic street lamps that illuminated the roads whenever the sun set, or the occasional clicking of hooves from guards on patrol, keeping an eye out for undesirables. Canterlot nights were usually quite serene.

A lone earth pony mare turned a corner at full gallop, nearly falling over and leaving herself wide open for her pursuers. Righting herself quickly, she ran as fast as her legs would allow, desperately trying to find shelter, help, or, ideally, both. To her great despair, none seemed available. Her pursuers had chased her into an area with few places that would provide either for very long. It was mostly jewelry and clothing stores on this street.

A bolt of blue energy flew past her, and she heard a stallion’s voice shouting to catch her for “recruitment.” Whatever that meant, she was pretty sure she didn’t want to find out.

She turned another corner into an alley, still galloping, then ducked away behind a dumpster, where she pressed herself against the stone wall behind the receptacle. She sat in a fetal position, keeping her hooves close to herself out of instinct. She held her breath when she heard the hoofbeats of her two pursuers stop.

“You keep going,” one of them said. “I’ll check here.” She heard somepony grunt, followed by the sound of hoofbeats, which slowly faded off as they got further away. She heard the sound of somepony walking her way, slowly and methodically. She heard the sound of trash cans being knocked over, refuse spilling out onto the alley floor, and the low grumblings of a frustrated stallion.

Frantically, she looked around herself, trying to find some means of defending herself against her would-be assailant. She found an old pipe lying on the ground near her and grabbed it, holding it close. She doubted it would do much, but it was certainly better than nothing.

She held her breath. The stallion was getting closer. Closing her eyes, she prayed that he wouldn’t find her, that he would give up and finally leave her alone. She could see his shadow looming luridly by her hiding spot. She dared not to take her eyes off of it. She held her impromptu weapon closer to her chest, waiting for the stallion to inevitably find her. A thousand possibilities ran through her mind, each more terrible than the last.

A slight, yellowish glow came from the source of the shadow she was watching. The dumpster she was hiding behind became enveloped in a glow of the same color, slowly lifting off the ground. She braced herself and waited.

Before he could react, she swung the pipe, striking the stallion on his head, then galloped off again, leaving out through the other side of the alley. With any luck, the stallion would be out cold, and she wouldn’t run into his partner again. She was home fr—

She struck something as she turned a corner, and fumbled back a few feet. Still panicking, she looked up with wide eyes at what she collided with. The unicorn guardspony in front of her quirked an eyebrow at her, and she heaved out an overdue sigh of relief.

“Oh, great Faust in Elysium, thank you!” she exclaimed. “I was just being chased by these two thugs who keep spouting off stuff about ‘recruitment’ or something! Please, sir, you have to help me!”

The guard smiled and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Relax, ma’am. You’re safe now.” His horn began to glow with a bluish aura, probably readying a spell to stop and apprehend at least one of her pursuers. She felt relief and calm wash over her for the first time all night. Finally, somepony who could help her!

Wait… why couldn’t she move now?

She opened her mouth to say something. At least, she tried. Her mouth wouldn’t even open! She couldn’t even blink! She couldn’t move her legs, head, she couldn’t even so much as flick an ear! All she could do was look around, slowly moving her eyes as panic and fear rapidly retook their hold over her heart and mind. What was happening?

The guard looked to somewhere behind her, saying, “You’ve gotten sloppy.”

“Am I supposed to know you?” said the voice of the stallion from the alley. He slowly walked into view. She saw he had large welt on the side of his head where she had struck him with that pipe. He glared spitefully at her, no doubt out of derision for what she had done to him.

The guard pulled out a medallion from his armor. The trinket bore an image of the moon, complete with the face of the Mare in the Moon. When the alley stallion saw this, he sighed and shook his head.

“Figures.”

“I’ll take her to recruitment,” the guard said, tucking away his medallion. “You go and find your partner.”

“How did you—”

“She said she was being chased by two stallions,” the guard answered with a nonchalant shrug. He lifted the mare up with his magic and placed her on his back. “Just do it.” Mumbling, the other stallion turned and left to do as told. The guard turned the other direction and trotted down the street.

The mare’s panic only grew the further the guard carried her. She still couldn’t move. Her whole body felt like it was locked in place. Try as she might, she couldn’t bend a leg, twitch an ear, open her mouth to scream, or anything. She was completely and utterly helpless.

For several minutes, the guard kept walking, soon entering an area in which most of the buildings looked abandoned, or at least just really old. He headed directly for some kind of warehouse, where another pony in guard’s armor stood watch by the door. The guard carrying the mare displayed his medallion to the other guard, who nodded and opened the door, ushering him in and closing the door behind them.

He unceremoniously dropped her onto the floor, where several robed ponies gathered around her. One of them nodded to the guard, who nodded back and left without a word. The robed ponies set her up in a chair, strapping her down as a unicorn’s horn glowed. She soon regained control of her body just as they finished locking her in place. She struggled and pulled against the restraints, to no avail.

“It’s no use,” one of the ponies, a mare, said. She stood directly in front of the earth pony mare, whose eyes widened in fear. She was a unicorn, with a pure white coat and mane. Her dark red eyes held a certain glint of amusement, though her scowl made it difficult to judge what she was actually thinking.

“Wh-who are you?”the bound mare asked.

“All will be answered soon.” The robed mare turned to her cohorts. “Are we ready to begin?”

“Of course, Lady White Star,” a cloaked stallion answered.

“P-please,” the earth mare begged. “I have a family to go back to! Just let me go, I beg of you! I won’t tell anyone about this, I swear! I don’t want to die, please!”

The snow white unicorn gave a small, strangely comforting smile. “Fear not. It will all be over soon. You will see your family again once we are finished here. You have my word.”

White Star nodded to her cloaked counterparts. A lantern flared to life behind her as the rest of the room dimmed. Slowly, the lantern began to orbit the trapped earth mare. “You will denounce your beliefs,” the unicorn said in a bizarrely approachable tone. The lantern kept going around the trapped mare, settling on a pace at which she could only see the light for a second before it disappeared beyond her vision, then reappear a second later. “You will renounce your love for the sun. You will renounce your faith in the hypocritical rule of Celestia.” The lantern’s light was slowly becoming more attention-grabbing, while the mare White Star’s accompanying voice held her ears.

“You will embrace the truth,” White Star said. “You will love the shadows of night. The only light you will love is that of the moon. You will place your faith not in Celestia, but in She Who Wakes the Stars, She Who Weaves Our Dreams, the One Queen who is truly meant to rule.

“You are to be a servant of the Nightmare.”

“N-Nightmare…”

“Renounce the sun,” the robed ponies all spoke in unison. “Embrace the night. Renounce the sun. Embrace the night.”

She couldn’t keep track of how long she was strapped to that chair, forced to watch as that lantern spun around her, forced to listen the robed ponies’ mantra. Her mind was becoming a haze. She could see the snow white unicorn’s horn glowing with a reddish light. The mare’s very thoughts became slurred, unclear.

Gradually, her mind faded, the world slowly becoming black. All other thoughts were slowly pushed aside to make way for three very powerful statements.

‘Renounce the sun. Embrace the night. Hail to the One Queen.’

-o-

The Dreamscape scroll was laid out upon the desk before Twilight and Trixie, its contents plain to see for all. Having already read through the scroll herself, Twilight gave her old friend a quick synopsis of what the scroll said, imparting all of the relevant information to the azure unicorn.

After Wanderer gave her the scroll, Twilight had poured over it, especially after the mystery it presented with the name Luna written in it. When she finished, she told Trixie about it, and she eagerly volunteered to help decipher its mysteries. Twilight accepted her friend’s offer of assistance just as excitedly. A pony didn’t live whom she trusted more than Trixie Lulamoon.

The two unicorns studied the scroll as thoroughly possible, with Trixie pointing out a few things that Twilight herself hadn’t noticed, like a mention of a common creature that dwelled within the Dreamscape called a Night Terror, voracious spirits that fed on the fear that mortal beings in the real world felt while having nightmares. They would be more or less harmless to mortals exploring the realm of dreams through magic, but they were something that one should still be wary of.

Trixie pursed her lips at the entry on the Night Terrors. “They sound like a barrel of laughs,” she remarked.

“We’ll be fine,” Twilight replied with a grin. She knew that this whole thing might turn out dangerous, but the reward was most definitely worth the risk. “We could be the first ponies in millennia to set hoof in the Dreamscape! We’ll make sure to take as many notes as we can, and we’ll leave if something happens. No worries.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow at her. “And if there’s a problem?”

“Why do you think I suggested we use one of the magical practice rooms?” the lavender mare inquired in return. The Academy’s practice rooms were built specifically for… well, magical practice. They were special rooms where ponies could practice with new spells, regardless of the spell’s subject. Each room was covered in wards to make the walls virtually indestructible, so even higher level combat magic short of a blast from Princess Celestia herself couldn’t break through.

The rooms were all split up into three sections, too. One section was mostly bare except for some large weights and meant for unicorns, who could use the weights to practice levitation on heavier objects, while the weights were also warded to serve as targets for practice with combat magic. Another section had rooms that contained numerous variants of clouds, which pegasi could use to hone their inborn weather magic. The third section was mostly greenhouses, where earth ponies could work to perfect their magical connection with the earth by growing plants and using an earth pony magic that Applejack called “standing firm,” which basically made them nearly immovable. Whether that was the actual term or not, Twilight never bothered to learn.

Trixie gave a slight nod and a shrug. “Fair enough. So, how are we going to do this, exactly?”

Twilight skimmed the section instructing on how to enter the realm of dreams. She scanned the passage thoroughly, taking in as much information as she could. “It looks like we’ll need to cast a spell to protect our minds, to ‘keep us as ourselves’ while we explore the Dreamscape.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow to that. “‘Keep us as ourselves’?”

“It says that travelers in the Dreamscape run the risk of their mind diluting and taking in more information than they can handle. The result is often that they come back as a raving lunatic. Or a vegetable. Or both.”

“You… know the spell, right?”

“Of course!” Twilight puffed out her chest proudly. “I’ve studied numerous forms of magic. I’ve just never had an opportunity to use some of them.” Trixie gave a sigh and a smile. She shouldn’t doubt her oldest friend so much. The purple mare then said, “We then need to cast a unique sleep spell. It’s listed here in the scroll, including how to do it.”

Curiously, Trixie looked over the section mentioning the spell. She tilted her head at the spell’s name. “The Dreamwalker’s Charm? Apt, I suppose. It looks like it’ll be like falling asleep normally, but we’ll wake up in the Dreamscape.”

Twilight nodded, memorizing the instructions in the scroll, reading, rereading, and re-rereading the the unique magical matrices that were required for the spell to work properly. It was complex, but doable, though it would require a lot of focus on both their parts. When she finally finished, she sat and waited for Trixie, who soon finished reading the instructions and sat across from Twilight, both of them facing each other.

“You ready?” Twilight asked, as her horn glowed brightly, the mind protection spell taking place. When Trixie nodded, she cast the spell on the azure mare’s mind as well. Both their horns glowed for a few minutes then, casting the Dreamwalker’s Charm upon themselves.

The spell required very little magic. Almost too little. It was difficult to focus such a tiny amount of power, especially for Twilight, whose own magical reserves were much greater than the average unicorn. Eventually, however, the feeling of sleep washed over her.

For a moment, there was nothing. Nothing happened. Nothing really existed, or lived, or anything. She drifted in darkness, the peace of slumber being oddly seductive. Suddenly, something rough shook her around, forcing her eyes open. Trixie stood before her, a worried look on her face that was soon replaced with relief. She offered a hoof, and Twilight took it, standing a bit shakily on the… blackness?

She looked around, seeing nothing but empty blackness all around them. The only color was from the two mares standing next to each other.

“Is…” Trixie began, brushing her silvery mane from her eyesight. “Is this the Dreamscape?”

Twilight paled slightly. Was this the Dreamscape? Was this the place that ponies visited every night in their dreams? This was the mystery world she wanted so badly to see? “This is it?” she half-shouted, half-complained. “But… but… this can’t be it! Granted, I didn’t know what we should expect coming here, but THIS!?”

Trixie back off a little, giving Twilight some room to vent.

“This can’t be it! I would’ve thought that the Dreamscape would be a vast world! A massive realm filled opportunity and mystery!”

Trixie’s eyes slowly began to widen. “Uh… Twilight?”

“I would’ve at least expected some sort of castle! The scroll said that a princess used to come here! You’d think she would’ve built herself a house here as a base of operations or something! I would’ve even settled for a shack!”

“T-Twilight?”

“But ‘NO!’ All we find is an empty void! There’s nothing here except nothing!”

“Twilight!”

The violet mare cringed at Trixie’s volume, her ears falling flat against her head. Trixie had a look of amazement and shock on her face, clearly fascinated by something. Slowly, she pointed behind Twilight. Upon seeing what her friend saw, Twilight’s jaw fell open.

Before them stood everything that Twilight had just described. A tiny wooden shack stood at the foot of a beautifully flowered hill, which expanded into a massive, verdant field that lead into mountains in the distance, with blue skies above, and puffy, white cumulus clouds floating overhead. Far behind the shack, but not quite reaching the mountains, was a grand palace. The towering keep loomed in the distance, its walls made of polished white marble, its peaks covered in bright blue shingles that gave it an even more regal appearance than it already held.

The two mares just stood there, staring in awe at the sight ahead of them.

“That… wasn’t there before,” Twilight observed. “Was it?”

Trixie shook her head. “Should we… go and… look around?”

Trixie nodded her head, and they approached the field.

The grass felt surprisingly real, its familiar texture and smell catching them off guard for a moment. They investigated the shack, which had bare accommodations, with only a cot and an improvised sink of sorts in the form of a water bucket. The wood that the shack was made from was felt as real as the grass outside, and the cot was rough, but apparently usable.

Leaving the shack, they climbed up to the hill’s peak, where they had a decent view of the great fields before them. Looking back, Twilight could see the field begin and end and suddenly shift into a plain of black. Looking up, she saw that the same could be said of the sky. Clouds that drifted into the blackness vanished, suddenly cut off from existence. The surreal nature of this… world made Twilight shudder slightly.

“I don’t get it,” she said in a tone strictly reserved for the few times when she was greatly confused. “All of this… it just… appeared?”

“Just as you started describing what you expected,” Trixie answered. “This is just a theory, but… maybe the reason why we appeared in that void is that we didn’t know what we were expecting. I mean, this is the Dreamscape. As far as we know, at least.”

Twilight thought on that for a moment. Her friend made a valid point. “So, the world changes according to our whims?”

“That’s what I’m thinking.”

The lavender unicorn thought on that for a moment more. She looked over at the castle in the distance. It was almost insulting how far away it was.

‘The world changes as we describe it.’

“I’d like to get a closer look at that castle,” she stated. Hopefully, the theory she and Trixie were now working on would prove correct. “That castle is only a few yards away now.”

“What?” Trixie looked at her friend, confused.

Suddenly, soundlessly, the castle rapidly approached them, zooming along the ground before stopping just a few yards away from the pair. It was even bigger than either of them had expected, easily far larger than Canterlot Castle. Its towers scraped against the heavens, at once awe-inspiring and intimidating.

“What just happened?” asked a dumbfounded Trixie.

Twilight grinned at her newest discovery as she gripped Trixie in an excited hug. “I was right! Just as we thought, the Dreamscape changes depending on our descriptions! This is incredible!” She released her friend and galloped to the castle’s entrance, astounded by the detail in which the castle was… would constructed even be the right word? Regardless, it was simply amazing!

“Do you think we could create anything here?” Twilight inquired giddily. “Could we imagine and create creatures as well as buildings and landscapes? Is there a limit to what we can do here?”

“Are you asking me?” Trixie asked with a raised eyebrow. “I know about as much about this place as—”

She was interrupted by a buzzing sound. Twilight’s raving inquiries were silenced as well. The buzzing was faint and distant, but sounded as though it was coming from all directions at once. It was like a swarm of bees, but… bigger. The two unicorns looked around, scanning the landscape for any possible source.

“Twilight?”

“Yeah, Trixie?”

“Didn’t that scroll mention something about the denizens of the Dreamscape being… dangerous?”

“Yeah. It did.”

“What do you think that sound is?”

“If I had to guess? Locals.”

As if on cue, the source of the buzzing came into view. All around the area, zeroing in on the two mares, was a swarm of black… things. And they were fast. Almost the instant they were in sight, one of them was in front of the mares, hovering listlessly in the air.

The thing was like a cloud of black smoke, and emitted the same buzz as the rest of its ilk. It had no truly defining features, being like a floating void in and of itself. More of the creatures surrounded the two of them, all forming around like a dome. Once the dome was complete, they just hovered in place, watching Twilight and Trixie with what the unicorns hoped was merely curiosity.

“Um…” Twilight stammered to try and say something, though the only thing that she could think to say was: “Hi?”

Out of nowhere, there was an ear-piercing shriek from an outer part of the dome. Quickly enough, all of the creatures began shrieking violently. Their middles split open to reveal gaping maws filled with teeth that looked like literal razors, complete with a metallic gleam. Some of the creatures had specks of dark red on their fangs, something that would’ve made Twilight gag any other time, were she and Trixie not screaming themselves.

The dome of smoke-beasts rapidly turned into a storm of darkness and teeth. Twilight felt a number of those teeth cut her skin in various places, though they were too fast to pinpoint, and she was too panicked to check the damage. She tried blasting the creatures with her magic, but her bolts went right through them, agitating the monsters more than anything else.

Just as she was sure she was about to be eaten alive by a swarm of nameless smoke creatures, she felt a hoof fall on her shoulder and pull her away, dragging her through the storm of black. She briefly struggled against before being thrown out of the swarm. A thunderous boom echoed, silencing the demonic howls of the beasts.

Panting heavily, Twilight looked around frantically. She was in what looked like a massive foyer of some kind. Was this the inside of the castle? But how…?

“Trixie!” she exclaimed suddenly. She turned to see her best friend lying back against a massive set of doors, panting exhaustedly and covered in countless scratches and bite marks, not doubt from the creatures outside.

“The door is replaced with a wall!” the azure mare said between heavy breaths. The door suddenly went from carved oak to solid marble, hopefully capable of keeping those monsters out. Twilight quickly helped her friend back up to her hooves.

“What in Tartarus were those things?” she asked, eyeing the place where the door used to be.

“Night Terrors,” Trixie answered almost immediately. When Twilight gave her a questioning look, she said, “I mean… the scroll only ever mentioned the Night Terrors when talking about creatures that live in the Dreamscape.”

“Right,” Twilight said skeptically, though she didn’t press it any further. “Well, I think we’ve seen enough of this place. Let’s just try to get back home.”

“No,” Trixie said in a sudden, very adamant tone. “N-not just yet. We should be safe from the Terrors for now, so why not explore this castle a bit?”

“Trixie—”

“Twilight, this whole thing was your idea. What kind of trend-setting genius explorer/mage would you be if you gave up after one little unforeseen encounter?”

“We could’ve died out there!”

At that, Trixie cringed, then hung her head, as if ashamed. “I… I know, but…” She hesitated. Twilight, with a mix of curiosity and concern, placed a hoof on her shoulder. Her friend seemed at least a little comforted by that. “This place is just… I don’t know. Something about it is… it’s hard to explain, but I feel like this place is… natural?”

“What do you mean?”

Her shoulders rose in a shrug. “I don’t know. It’s weird. I just want to take a look around for a while, see if we can find out anything interesting about this place. Is that all right?”

Twilight thought on that. On one hoof, those Night Terror creatures were more than likely scratching at the walls, looking for any kind of point of entry. She definitely didn’t want another run-in with those things. However, on the other hoof, they still had a whole world to study and document as best they could. The Dreamscape was a place unlike any other, one that likely only a tiny hoofful of ponies have ever seen, or even heard of.

Trixie was giving her an almost pleading look. That was completely unlike the bright blue unicorn. It was jarring, even. Inevitably, Twilight heaved out a sigh of defeat and nodded.

“I guess it couldn’t hurt,” she said, earning a sincere smile of gratitude from her friend. Deep down in her gut, Twilight had a feeling she was going to regret this. Maybe it was just jitters from the Night Terrors. There was probably nothing to worry about.

Right?

-o-

The two mares continued to walk down the unadorned halls of the dream castle, hoping to find more than marble hallways and none of the vicious Night Terrors. Their hoofsteps echoed down the hall, which only sounded louder as they walked in silence. Twilight kept a curious eye on the unusually quiet Trixie. The blue unicorn walked in a blank silence; whatever was plaguing her thoughts right now, it took her full attention.

After what seemed an hour of walking, Twilight spoke up. “So, what are you thinking about, Trixie? I haven’t seen you so preoccupied in a long time.”

The other unicorn continued on, apparently not having heard her.

Twilight frowned faintly. “Trixie,” she said more intently.

Trixie’s head snapped back in surprise. “Hmm? What’s wrong, Twilight?”

The purple unicorn looked to her friend in concern. “Are you alright? You’ve been unusually quiet for a while now. It’s not like you.”

The other mare lowered her head. “Sorry, just… thinking.”

They turned down another featureless hallway. “Do you… want to talk about it?”

Trixie’s silvery locks swayed when she shook her head. “I would if I knew what I was thinking about.”

Twilight flicked her tail in irritation. “How does that even make sense? How can someone not know what they’re thinking about? It shouldn’t even be possible.”

Trixie shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know… I just don’t.”

Twilight sighed. “I guess.” She looked around the stone halls with a frown. “I hope we find something soon. We haven’t seen anything but boring stone walls since we got in here.”

Trixie peered down the hallway. “There has to be something at the end of this, right?”

It was Twilight’s turn to shrug. “I hope so.”

The two walked on for a bit more in silence before Twilight’s thoughts drifted inward. Despite their close call with the Night Terrors, their venture into the Dreamscape was rather uneventful. That wasn’t to say making it to the Dreamscape wasn’t an accomplishment in and of itself, but she had hoped for more. She wasn’t sure what that “more” was, but she felt there should’ve been more to see. If she had come alone, she wasn’t sure how things would have worked out with the Night Terrors. Having her best friend along not only saved her life, but gave her someone to share her experience with.

Twilight turned a fond smile to the blue unicorn, though the other didn’t notice. Twilight and Trixie were the best of friends during their foalhood. They had done many things together growing up, and when they had earned their cutie marks, the two had turned their talents into some fun and interesting times. One such misadventure in particular crossed her mind, and she couldn’t suppress a chuckle at the thought.

Trixie looked at her curiously. “What’s so funny?”

Twilight chuckled again, her smile growing. “Nothing. I just remembered something, that’s all.”

Seeing Twilight’s expression, Trixie couldn’t keep her own grin from growing. “What is it?”

Twilight’s eyes sparkled in mirth. “Do you remember all the experiments we tried after we got our cutie marks?”

The blue mare blinked before chuckling at the old memories. “I remember the ones that didn’t work out so well. We got in trouble more often than not.”

“Exactly. But do you remember when we started experimenting with illusion magic?”

Trixie wasn’t sure if she wanted to smile or wince at the memories. “Which ones?”

“Remember when we tried altering mane colors?” Twilight found it was very hard to keep her laughter in.

Trixie snorted out a laugh. “You don’t mean…?”

Twilight nodded quickly. “Yes: the time we talked my brother into letting us practice on him.”

“We dyed his mane a neon pink, and only found out later the spell didn’t wear off for a week.”

The two shared a deep laugh, tears of mirth forming around their eyes. “I just remember how mad he was. It was his first week on duty as a royal guard, and he was so embarrassed he never took off his helmet once the whole time.” She took in a deep breath to calm herself. “He was so mad at us!”

The blue mare also got her giggles under control. “He wanted to kill us, if I remember correctly.”

An enraged shout caused both mares to whirl to the source. Twilight’s eyes widened in shock. “Shining?”

Behind them stood Shining Armor, dressed in his full guard armor, glaring at the two angrily.

Twilight sputtered. “Shining, what are you doing here? How did you get—“

He glared fiercely at her. “How could you!?”

She stepped back in reflex. “Shining, I—“

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!”

Even Trixie was taken aback by rage in his tone. “What is the matter with you?”

He turned his glare on her. “Both of you did this?”

“We—”

“This!” He ripped off his helmet, and instead of the two-tone blue mane they were used to, they saw his mane was a bright pink. “I’m gonna kill you both!” The stallion shot a bolt of magic at them.

Twilight barely dodged the bolt before she yelled at her brother. “Shining Armor! What has gotten into you?!” She ducked a second beam and felt Trixie pull on her.

“Run, Twilight!”

“But—”

“Just run!” The two turned and fled, the enraged, pink-maned Shining Armor in hot pursuit.

They turned down another hallway, dodging bolts of energy aimed at them.

“Twilight! Why is your brother trying to kill us?!” Trixie yelped as she hopped over a beam aimed at her.

The other unicorn ducked under a beam aimed at her, singing the tops of her mane. “I don’t know! He—” Her eyes widened. “The Dreamscape!”

“What?” Trixie yelled as she erected a bowl-shaped barrier that rebounded a beam back at Shining Armor. The stallion placed his own barrier up, and the bolt burst into harmless sparks.

“It’s the Dreamscape!” Twilight looked around frantically. “There is a door here!”

At her words, a set of double doors appeared, and she wasted no time in kicking them open as Trixie kept the hostile bolts of magic at bay. “In here!” She grabbed her friend and pulled her into the conjured doors.

As soon as she slammed them shut, she yelled. “Then the door was gone!” On cue, the doorway vanished, leaving no indication that it was ever there.

The two tried to slow their breathing, before Trixie sighed in relief. “What did you do?”

Twilight wiped the sweat from her brow. “I theorized that the Dreamscape responds to our spoken words. When we talked about what we did to Shining, it made him real based upon what we said.”

The blue mare looked at her incredulously. “So, when I said he wanted to kill us, the Dreamscape made an equinicidal Shining Armor to kill us?”

“Remember what you did at the entrance? This only proves it.”

Trixie sputtered before shouting to the rafters of the hallway. “You don’t have to be so literal!”

“We need to move before—” The wall behind them blasted inward, showing them with bits of stone and mortar. They looked through the dust to see Shining Armor standing over them. His eyes blazed in fury as he glared at them.

The magic around his horn began to glow fiercely. “Any last words?” he growled.

“My brother would never hurt me!” She raised her forelegs up with a squeak of fright as he charged his horn.

When the blast never came, she peeked at him slowly to see him smile down at her warmly.

“Twily, are you all right?”

They both breathed in relief. “I can’t believe that worked,” Trixie said.

The stallion then turned his enraged glare at her, his horn charging again.

“Twilight!” Trixie called frantically.

“Us! He wouldn’t hurt us!” she amended.

Before either could react, they found themselves wrapped up in a tight hug. The stallion nuzzled at Twilight’s mane affectionately.

“I love you guys,” he said, hugging them all the tighter.

They both struggled under his loving, yet crushing, hug. “Okay, Shining, you can go away now,” Twilight uttered.

In a flash, the conjured Shining Armor vanished; leaving the two thoroughly confused mares behind.

Trixie looked at her with a look of disbelief. “That was all it took? Just to tell him to go away?”

Twilight got back to her hooves, and helped her friend up. “I guess so. I should have thought of that sooner.”

“You think?” the blue mare grumbled.

Twilight used her magic to set her mane in its usual style after it was thoroughly mussed up from the nuzzling. “Come on, let’s keep looking. We have to find something at least.”

“Just no more stories. There are some that shouldn’t be mentioned again. Ever.” The two started on their way again, but not before Trixie smiled faintly. “Still, it was pretty funny to see your brother with a pink mane again. It looks good on him.”

Twilight chuckled and gave Trixie a sly look. “We’ll have to see if we can talk him into it again. I’m sure Cadance would love to help us out, too.”

The two shared a chuckle and continued down the hallway towards the castle’s center. All the while, they had no idea they were being watched.

The Dreamscape, Part 2

A pair of large doors lit up in two different colored auras of magic, pushing open to allow the two mares entry into the room beyond. Twilight trotted in first, mouth slightly agape at the enormity of the new chamber. At the end of the room was a regal throne, decorated extravagantly and awaiting somepony to sit upon it. The windows were stained glass, depicting images of both Twilight and Trixie’s own pasts as far as they knew. There was two that showed them receiving their cutie marks, one for either mare. One was more recent, showing a depiction of Twilight and Shining Armor approaching what looked like Canterlot Academy.

“This must be the throne room,” Trixie pointed out. “Not half bad. I wouldn’t mind having a throne room like this if I were royalty.”

“Trixie, if you were royalty, there would be laws against wheels.” Twilight snickered at the miffed look on the other mare’s face.

“I don’t trust wheels, okay? They always break when you need them the most!”

“I highly doubt your toy train getting a broken wheel when we were eight justifies such an intense hatred for inanimate objects.”

Trixie’s tail swished in annoyance. “Whatever.”

Twilight laughed once more at an embarrassed Trixie’s expense. Trixie fumed, but said nothing more as they returned to examining the stained-glass windows. Gradually, their relatively jovial attitudes became curiosity once more as the windows began depicting various events that neither of them recognized; one showed Trixie launching a magic blast at a swarm of strange, black, pony-shaped creatures, while another showed Twilight apparently combatting some bizarre, mix-and-match monster that was surrounded by what looked like pink clouds spewing brown rain.

One, however, stood out among the rest. It was the simplest in design, but it hit them both harder than all the others. The window showed both Twilight and Trixie facing each other, their eyes locked and their horns glowing. Both looked ready for a fight. Above them, a pair of eyes watched, with sickly green sclera, crimson irises, and an eerie purple smoke oozing out from them, like living shadows.

The two friends looked to each other, then back at the window. It hadn’t taken long for either of them to figure out what it meant, but neither of them wanted to say it. In a silent agreement, they turned away from that particular window.

“This is bizarre,” Trixie commented. “Most of these windows are showing things from the past, but the others are just…”

“Weird? Abnormal? Nothing that either of us recognize or feel that we want to recognize?”

“Yeah, that.”

“What do you think they mean?” They were approaching the throne now, but kept her eyes on some of the odder windows.

“I don’t know. I mean, this is the Dreamscape. Maybe their just figments of our imaginations or something. It’s not like you and I will ever get into a…” She trailed off, her focus drifting to something behind Twilight, who, in curiosity, turned to see what it was.

Above the throne was a stained-glass window that wasn’t there earlier, depicting an image of the moon, complete with the craters that made up the Mare in the Moon. Gradually, the light in the room dimmed, shrouding the room in almost total darkness. The shadows created by what little light there was left in the throne room became twisted and unnatural, bending to look like ponies standing along the walls.

The two mares stood close together, backing away from the throne, where the highest concentration of shadows was gathered. The darkness rose up from the ground, forming an orb of black.

Stillness.

When the orb finished forming, it just sat there, looming ominously over them, as if it were waiting for one of them to make the first move. Neither mare could look away from the sphere, the depths of its darkness being almost hypnotic, in a way.

“Um…” Trixie stammered to say something.

Suddenly, the orb cracked, startling both mares. The cracks on the sphere’s surface spread rapidly, shattering and sending black shards flying into oblivion, and revealing the orb’s contents; in place of the ball of shadows stood an equally dark figure, as tall as Princess Celestia herself, with a long, black horn that ended in a razor point, and large, imposing, wings that had feathers, but almost resembled the wings of a bat, or even a dragon.

Before them was a mare with an ebony coat that almost shined, even the dim light of the throne room. She wore regal, dark blue armor upon her hooves, a large, similarly colored amulet bearing a crescent moon emblem upon it around her neck, with a helmet resting upon her head. Her mane was ethereal and nebulous, with occasional, star-like dots of light floating about within. Her cutie mark was a dark, purple cloud with a pure white crescent moon. When she opened her eyes, Twilight and Trixie beheld a pair of draconic, azure eyes. Even the whites of the mare’s eyes were tinted blue. Her pupils were slitted, much like those of dragon, giving her a fiercer appearance than an armored, possibly royal alicorn.

The dark mare looked down at the now shuddering pair before her, narrowing her eyes at the two mares. She eyed them both, sizing them up as a griffon butcher would a chunk of meat. She sneered, revealing dagger-like fangs within her mouth. Why a pony would have fangs was beyond either of the young mares, but neither of them dared question it.

“Who are you?” the dark alicorn demanded. Her voice nearly shook the entire castle. “Why have you dared to set your hooves within my domain?”

“Y-your d-domain?” Twilight reluctantly stuttered, fear gripping her as she looked upon the towering being standing at the throne.

The dark alicorn scowled. “Yes, my domain. Now, answer my question. I will not ask again.”

“T-Twilight Sparkle.”

With a nervous gulp, Trixie answered, “Trixie L-Lulamoon.”

The alicorn’s eyes widened for just a split-second when Trixie introduced herself. “Lulamoon, you say? It has been some time since I’ve heard that name.”

“Wh-what?” Trixie stammered.

The alicorn shook her head. “It’s not that important. You are not important.”

Stumbling over the words, Twilight asked, “Wh-who are y-you?”

Initially, the alicorn’s only response was a cold, derisive sneer, which became a disappointed sigh and a shake of her head. “I suppose I should not be surprised that you do not recognize me. Celestia—” she spat the princess’s name like it was poison “—simply cannot have someone like myself share in her glory.” The obsidian mare stretched out her wings, making her appear larger than she already was. “I am fear that keeps you awake at night. I am the Mistress of Dreams, the Queen of the Night! I am Nightmare Moon! Equestria is be mine to rule by right of power and birth! And you foals are intruders upon my domain! Be gone, or suffer!”

At dark alicorn’s exclamation, the throne room ceiling began to fade out of existence, revealing the immense swarm of Night Terrors, their razor fangs still exposed in manic, starving grins. At a motion from Nightmare Moon, the horde of beasts rained down toward the two mares.

-o-

Twilight’s eyes snapped open as she screamed, a cold sweat pouring down her neck like a rainstorm. Her breaths were ragged and labored, but slowly settled as she realized that she was in the practice room again. Trixie had fared no better than Twilight had, but was recovering as well.

The last hour or two was foggy, though. It was difficult to really remember all she had seen and heard in that time. It felt like a dream she she couldn’t fully recall. Was that an effect of the Dreamscape?

She remembered fangs, and that they had cut her in places. Of course, she bore no such injuries. The most prevalent memory, however, was in the last few moments; Nightmare Moon had sent a swarm of monsters to attack them. However, even that memory was hazy at best. She couldn’t quite recall anything else.

Except the color pink, for some reason, but that didn’t seem completely relevant.

‘Was any of that even real?’ she silently wondered. She looked to Trixie, whose breathing had returned to normal, and now wore an uncharacteristic, contemplative expression. “Trix?” No response. “Trixie?”

“Huh?” The blue unicorn shook her head and faced Twilight. “What? What is it?”

She gave her friend a look of concern. “Are you okay? You look a little… shaken up, I guess.”

Twilight had to wait a few moments for an answer. Trixie looked as though she was partially lost in thought. Maybe she was trying to remember details of their trip to the Dreamscape? If they had actually managed it, that is.

Trixie gave a slight nod. “Yeah… yeah, I’m fine. Just…” She sighed heavily. “It’s nothing, really. I’m good.”

“Are you—”

“Yes, Twilight, I’m sure. I’m fine.”

The lavender mare was somewhat taken aback by her friend’s rather harsh interruption. Trixie loved being the center of attention, but she wasn’t one to interrupt others, regardless of how she felt. Twilight was certain that her friend was most definitely not fine, but Trixie Lulamoon was a hard nut to crack. It’d take weeks of pressuring to get her to tell her what she was thinking. Twilight knew this from experience.

“How much do you remember?”

Twilight stared at her friend in surprise for a moment. “It… well, it’s mostly just a foggy mess. I can only really recall the last few moments, but even that’s difficult to remember.”

Trixie looked away. “Yeah… same here.”

-o-

Friday evening was a time for study, as Twilight believed. The rigors of class had let out for a two day break for all students to relax and unclench their brains from the trials of school life. For Twilight, however, it was a time to relax and lose herself in a book to keep her mind active. That didn’t keep her from spending time with her friends, of course, but she usually wanted to keep up with her studies.

Today was a different matter, though. After her jaunt in the Dreamscape (she still wasn’t entirely sure if that had actually happened), she felt a sudden pang of homesickness, and she felt that visiting her brother would help. As she trotted up to the door, she noticed that the stallion’s home was as well-kept as always. She smiled inwardly; he likely kept it clean because of his relationship with Cadence. When they were younger, their parents had always given Shining grief about keeping his room cleaned, and he had stubbornly refused to learn. With a marefriend, though, it seemed that keeping his place clean was important enough to change his nature.

She knocked on the door and waited for him to answer. As she waited she could smell food being prepared, and she felt her stomach grumble.

‘I should’ve eaten when I had the chance,’ she thought to herself, resting a hoof on her grumbling stomach. ‘Maybe I can talk Shining into giving me something to eat.’

She looked up as she heard the door open and heard her brother speak. “Hello?” Her brother looked past the door and he smiled wide. “Twily!”

She smiled warmly. “Hi, BBBFF. How are you?”

He wrapped her up in a quick hug. “I’m doing all right. What are you doing here? Something happen at the Academy?” He frowned faintly as he asked the last question.

She shook her head. “No, nothing happened. I just wanted to come visit you, and—” her stomach grumbled loudly, betraying her hunger. She gave a sheepish chuckle and blushed. “Could I get something to eat?”

She could tell he wanted to laugh, but he was polite enough not to. “Come on, I’ll cook something up.”

“Thanks, Shining,” she said. ‘Please don’t let it be corn dogs, PLEASE don’t let it be corn dogs.’

-o-

Later on, she found herself sitting at the table, glaring at a plate of corn dogs in front of her. Her brother happily munched down on his plate of corn dogs.

‘By all that is holy, why did it have to be corn dogs?’ She heaved out a sigh and started to eat one, resisting the urge to spit it out into the nearest trash can. ‘And then maybe set fire to it.’ She didn’t necessarily hate corn dogs, but her brother’s near-addiction to the cursed things made her positively sick of them.

“Something wrong?” Shining asked after he gulped down his food.

“No, no, I’m fine,”she answered automatically. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings with her opinion of his favorite food. “How’s work? Have you been busy?”

The white stallion snorted. “You tell me. With all these recent disappearances and foalnappings, the Royal Guard is stretched way thinner than usual. I’m honestly starting think this might turn out to be one of those unsolved mysteries you read about in tabloid newspapers or something.”

Twilight groaned. “Pleased don’t say that. You know how I get with stuff like that.”

“Sorry.” Shining took another big bite of one of his corn dogs. “So, how’s the Academy treating you?”

She hesitated to answer. She briefly considered telling him about her time in the Dreamscape with Trixie (what she remembered, anyway), but what could she tell him? That she had a bad dream? Fractured as that memory was, that’s all he’d ever say it was, and that she was worrying over nothing. Maybe she was. She tended to do that, much to her to own great distaste.

“Oh, you know,” she said finally. “School will always be school. But the Academy is… different. There’s so much there to do and learn, and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface.” ‘On a number of things.’

The two siblings sat in silence for a little while after that, Shining giving his sister an analytical look. “Is something wrong, Twily?”

“What?”

The stallion set the corn dog he had been eating onto his plate, giving Twilight a serious look. “I know that look you had just now. You’re having a hard time figuring something out, aren’t you?”

The violet mare hung her head slightly. He was certainly right. Everything she had been trying to figure out recently - the whole thing with the Knights of the Dark Moon, the jaunt in the Dreamscape with Trixie that ended with a mention of Nightmare Moon - was very nearly driving her nuts. She felt deep down that something was wrong, but she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what. A part of her, though, was telling her to go with her gut, that something was wrong, and she needed to do something.

It was also telling her to talk to her brother about these things.

“Well…”

There was a sudden knock at the door that caused her to start. Shining looked past her and smiled a bit. “That should be Cadence,” he said, pushing his chair back. “She and I were going to go out to watch a play together.”

Twilight smiled wide; the thought of seeing her old foalsitter brought about a happy smile to her face. She had always loved it when Cadence would watch her when her parents would go for a night out, or when her brother was too busy to foalsit. She and the young alicorn would laugh and joke at any number of things, including about her brother. Cadence was a pony that Twilight would always call a friend.

“I’ll let her in,” she said quickly, pushing her chair back as she got to her hooves. She headed for the door before her brother could protest and opened it to find the pink alicorn standing patiently with a small, purple lizard creature beside her.

The lizard was forgotten as Cadence’s eyes widened in joy. “Twilight!”

“Cadence!”

The two then began reciting an old nursery rhyme together that the two knew from their youth. Prancing first before covering their eyes, they then clapped their hooves together twice before shaking their flanks at each other.

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” They laughed with each other and Twilight wrapped her hooves around her old friend’s shoulders tightly.

“Cadence, it’s so good to see you again!”

The pink alicorn, gently pushed her friend back. “You too, Twilight. You’ve grown so tall, look at you!”

Twilight blushed faintly beside herself. “Thank you, Cadence.” She looked past the alicorn to look curiously at the small creature, who stood quietly watching them with a faint smirk of humor. “Who’s your friend?”

“Oh!” Cadence turned and motioned to the small dragon. “This is Spike. He works for Shining with the Royal Guard. He was bringing some paperwork for Shining to sign.”

“I’m more like his courier than anything,” the small dragon muttered dryly.

Twilight smiled faintly at his wit. “Hello, there, I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

“Pleased to meet you.” He bowed elegantly to her. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Shining talks about you all the time.”

The unicorn rubbed at the back of her head in embarrassment. “Hopefully not too much.”

Spike shrugged. “Not enough to be annoying.” He looked past her into the home. “He’s home, right?”

She nodded and stepped aside, letting them both in. She followed them on the way to the kitchen where the stallion was finishing up his meal.

Cadence gave him a coy smile. “Had dinner without me?”

His eyes widened, and Twilight was sure the blood had drained from his face, though his white coat hid it completely. “Oh, no, if I’d known you were hungry I’d—”

Cadence chuckled and raised a hoof for him to calm. “I’ve already eaten, Shiny. I was only teasing.”

“Oh, well, I…” he stammered.

“Hmph, usually he only gets like that when I bring him paperwork,” Spike muttered dryly.

Twilight and Cadence had a good laugh at Shining’s expense, and Twilight found herself liking the small dragon more and more.

Shining cleared her throat and moved the conversation along, looking at Spike. “Something come up?”

The dragon shook his head and placed a rolled parchment on the table for him to look at. “Only the most recent report. Just needs your signature.”

The unicorn looked over the report for a moment before sighing. “Another one gone missing.”

“Another foalnapping?” Twilight asked, furrowing her brow with worry.

He nodded. “Yeah. We have guards out looking for her now, but… I doubt we’ll find her before she turns up again without any memory of being foalnapped. I know there’s gotta be something more to this, but—”

Cadence hushed him, giving him a warm look. “Not tonight. Tonight, we’re going to relax and have a pleasant evening, remember? No work.”

He smiled in turn to her. “Right, no work.” He quickly used an offered quill from Spike and jotted on the parchment. “Alright, let me finish getting ready, and we’ll head out.” He looked towards Twilight apologetically. “Sorry to cut your visit so short, Twily, but…”

She shook her head. “It’s alright, big brother. I’ll come back when you’re not so busy.”

He nodded to her gratefully, and again looked to Spike. “Can I ask you to walk with Twilight back to the Academy, Spike?”

Twilight glowered at her brother. “Shining, I don’t need—”

“It’s all right. It’s on the way for me,” the dragon said and gave Twilight a sly look. “Besides, who knows what sort of things I can learn about Shining from his own sister!”

Again she chuckled, both at Spike’s comment and Shining’s look of horror. “Oh, I could tell you a few stories.”

“Twily!” he sputtered.

Again she laughed. “Just teasing, BBBFF. Mostly. You two enjoy your date.”

“Oh, we will,” Cadence said warmly.

With that, they parted ways, Shining and Cadance heading out toward what ponies referred to as the Entertainment District of Canterlot, while Spike took the lead on the road to the Academy. Twilight sometimes gave him an odd look, thinking that there was something strangely familiar about him that she couldn’t quite put her hoof on.

“So…” she said. “How did you become my brother’s assistant, anyway? It’s not everyday a pony sees a dragon walking around.”

Spike looked back at her, an eyebrow raised, with a somewhat confused look in his bright green eyes. “You really don’t know? You don’t remember?”

She blinked and tilted her head at him.“Er… should I?”

“You’re the one who hatched me, remember? For your entrance exam?”

The unicorn’s eyes widened suddenly. “Oh! That’s right! I had to hatch an egg for my entrance exam into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns! How could I forget? That was the day…” She trailed off, her somewhat jovial attitude quickly replaced with a depressed expression as she stopped walking.

“What?” Spike inquired.

“It…” she hesitated. “It was the day my parents died,” she said, her voice dropping low.

Spike stared at her for a few painfully awkward moments, scratching the back of his head. “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories.”

“It’s all right, Spike,” Twilight said with a small smile. “I don’t really remember much from that day anyway. I just remember being told to hatch an egg, and then… everything after that is a complete blank.” She neglected to mention the weeks of depression she went through after that, wondering what happened that day, wondering if it was her fault. In fact, she might never have gotten out of that funk if a certain blue unicorn filly hadn’t kept pestering her to let her be her friend. Shaking her head, she smiled at the little dragon. “Let’s just keep walking. Memory lane isn’t always a fun place.”

“Sure,” Spike agreed with a wide grin.

The two continued along their way down the street, getting more than a few odd looks from fellow Canterlotians. Twilight highly doubted that any of them had ever seen a dragon before. She also doubted any of them would want to meet one. Dragons didn’t exactly have a sterling reputation with ponies.

“By the way,” Spike said, “since you’re the one who hatched me, doesn’t that kinda make you my mom?”

Twilight fumbled over her own hooves at Spike’s suggestion, and stared at him with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. He only responded with another confused look.

“M-m-m-me?” the young mare stammered out. “A m-m-m-m-mom!? B-b-but I’m only fifteen! I’m not ready for that kind of responsibility!”

Spike stared at her with both eyebrows raised now. “Uh…”

“I’m still in school! Granted, I’m in the Academy, but I can’t study and take classes and raise a child all at the same time! I can’t handle that kind of stress! I don’t know the first thing about raising a baby dragon! Is there a book on it! Where’s the book!?”

“Oh, boy…” Spike muttered as he slid a claw down his face in exasperation. What had he just unleashed?

-o-

After Twilight finished her mild panic attack (Spike once again stared at her when she described it as “mild”), the two continued along their way, soon stopping in front of the vast courtyard of Canterlot Academy. “You’re sure you don’t need somepony to come with you?” Twilight asked.

“Nah, it’s fine.” Spike gave a nonchalant shrug. “Nopony in Canterlot messes with a dragon, even one as young as me. Probably afraid that I’ll eat them when I’m older or something. Anyway, I should get going. I’ve got some files to organize back at the department.”

Twilight nodded, watching as Spike turned to leave. She furrowed her brow, however, bearing the feeling that she was forgetting something. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she called, “Hey, hang on a minute!” The dragon stopped and faced her again, curious. “There was something I wanted to tell my brother, but then you and Cadance came by, and… well…”

“No problem. I can tell him the next time I see him.”

The lavender mare grinned at that. “I was hoping you’d volunteer. Look, I think I might have a lead for his investigation into these recent foalnappings. Tell him to brush up on his history, specifically on tactics used by followers of Nightmare Moon during the Nightmare Wars.”

“The Nightmare Wars?” Spike parroted in confusion. “What does that have to do with foalnappings?”

“Maybe more than you might think,” Twilight muttered. “Look, just tell him, okay? It’s important that he looks into every possibility.” Spike nodded, though it was clear he was still unsure. They waved to each other as he left, and Twilight turned to head into the Academy. Hopefully, her advice would help Shining solve these disappearances soon. If not, then at least she can say that she tried, right?

-o-

The sky blue mare lay sprawled out on her bed, her ceiling fan slowly and hypnotically turning above, her thoughts running around in her head like a bunch of headless chickens. Her violet eyes were filled with confusion, curiosity, and just a little bit of self-loathing. All of her thoughts were different, but each one started with the same word.

‘Why?’ Trixie asked herself. Why did she remember her and Twilight’s trip to the Dreamscape so vividly, while Twilight claimed it to be a foggy mess? Why did she lie about remembering the trip? Why had Nightmare Moon said that her surname was familiar?

A part of her was desperate to know these answers. She really wanted to know all the ‘whys.’ Another part of her, however, was terrified to know the answers. This latter part of her told her that something was very wrong, that she should just run away and never look back.

A third part of her told to do nothing. Whatever was going to happen, she should just let it happen, and not fight it, or run from it. That she should just lie back and accept her fate, whatever it may be. That part scared her the most. She didn’t like it. It chilled her to her bones to think that she would just submit to whatever might be coming.

Trixie Lulamoon was a defiant, confident (bordering on arrogant, admittedly) mare with a goal in mind. She was going to be a famous showpony, performing all sorts of grand feats with her incredible magical ability, wowing audiences all over Equestria with wondrous tricks and illusions, maybe even impressing Princess Celestia herself with her skills. She was going to be a household name!

Something wasn’t right. Not with her. Not with the Academy. Certainly not with the Dreamscape. It was just impossible for her to point out what, exactly, was wrong.

And that scared her.

With a frustrated groan, she pulled her blankets over her head and snuggled with her pillow, hoping that tomorrow would bring some answers to the chaos of her thoughts.

Pinkie Hates Holidays

The morning light beamed in through the window, gently striking the covers of the bed and waking the sleeping mare beneath the sheets. A pink head shot up from the pillow, a bright grin on her face as she eagerly welcomed the morning. Pinkie Pie pushed open the window, grinning wildly.

“Good morning, Canterlot Academy!” she yelled at the top of her lungs, as she had done every morning since arriving at the Academy. She bolted around her dorm room, preparing herself for another busy day, getting in a quick shower, briefly running a brush through her uncontrollable mane, brushing her teeth, and then stopping to go through her schedule for the day. The wild earth pony beamed as she went through it.

She happily grabbed her saddlebags, full of all the required items for education, plus a few surprises in case she bumped into any sad, depressed, angry, or otherwise upset ponies between classes. As she was about to leave her room, something in the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she froze when she saw what it was.

Her calendar read December 20th.

“Oh…”

-o-

It was the final day of the first semester! Students and faculty eagerly awaited this day so that they could have those long-awaited two weeks off from the chains of doing homework and the monotonous task of grading said homework. The halls were abuzz with the excited chatter of the students as they stuffed saddlebags with things from their lockers. Twilight walked through the halls of the Academy on her way to her first class, and she watched the commotion with only a vague interest. Unlike most of the other students, she didn’t plan to be lax in her studies over the next two weeks. Studying was a constant endeavor that shouldn’t be allowed to fall by the wayside. Ponies tended to forget the material they learned if they didn’t constantly keep it fresh in their minds, and Twilight was proud of the fact that she could memorize and repeat difficult equations and theories on the spot when prompted.

Still, she supposed she would take a break for one day at least. Hearth’s Warming Day was less than a week away, and she did plan to spend the day with her brother and maybe Cadence. The three of them would share a nice meal (she and Cadence had both told Shining Armor firmly that corn dogs were not an acceptable meal for the holiday) and enjoy each other’s company. Hearth’s Warming Day used to be a favorite holiday of hers when she was little, but after the loss of her parents, she never felt that same joy again. It was supposed to be a holiday of family bonding and warm tidings, but…

She shook her head. Now was not the time to think on that. It was time for class.

As she made her way down the hall, somepony bumped into her, startling her. She turned to scold whoever had been so careless, only to step away at an odd sight. “Oh, good morning, Pinkie.”

The pink mare only grunted in response as she brushed some hair from her eyes. Her normally wild and poofy mane was now flat and almost lifeless, as was her tail. There was an awkward silence between the two mares for a few moments.

“Uh… Did… you do something different with your mane?” Twilight asked in an attempt to strike up a small conversation.

“Don’t you have a class to get to?” Pinkie said in an uncharacteristically unfriendly manner. She stormed off in a fit, leaving the lavender unicorn to stare in befuddlement.

‘What just happened?’

She shrugged it off for now. Maybe Pinkie was just having a bad day? Twilight was certainly no stranger to ill-met mornings herself. Doubtless, by the time lunch came around, Pinkie would be back to her normal (“normal” being used very loosely) self like nothing had happened.

-o-

Unfortunately, it was not to be. As Twilight sat at the table with her other friends, Pinkie sat away from them, sitting at a the end of the table and making no attempts to speak to any of them. Everyone at the table gave small chat, but even Twilight felt the awkwardness of the situation. Throughout the whole of the semester, Pinkie would be the one leading any conversation, sharing tall tales and telling jokes, all in an effort to cheer them up and make them smile. This unusual quietness was unsettling to everyone who knew her.

“Sooo… What’s everypony gonna do over the winter break?” Rainbow asked, stealing quick glances at the pink mare at the end of the table.

“Ah’m headin’ home for the winter,” Applejack said, after a final glance at Pinkie. “Haven’t seen mah family in months, and Ah’m gonna make the most of it.”

“Same here,” Wanderer added, taking a bite of his hay burger. “Though, I’m heading to Greensborough. Mom’s gonna cook me the biggest dinner ever when I get home, and I’m going to enjoy every bite.”

That did bring a few snickers at the earth pony’s expense. “You do seem to enjoy your meals, Wanderer,” Rarity quipped, taking an offered napkin from Charles. “Still, it certainly will be good to see my family again. Sweetie Belle will be so excited to see her big sister again after so long.” She looked at Rainbow with a curious tilt of her head. “What of you, Rainbow Dash?”

The cyan mare smiled. “I’ll be heading home to my dad’s place. Scootaloo’s been writing to me constantly, wanting to show me some new tricks she’s learned on her scooter. Gotta be there watch her strut her stuff, you know?”

Fluttershy smiled warmly. “How’s she doing, by the way?”

“She’s doing fine. Still trying to find her cutie mark like any other kid her age.” Rainbow smiled faintly. “She actually reminds me of me at that age. Trying everything to find it and falling on my face a lot.” She then shrugged. “She’ll find it soon enough. I know she will.”

“What about you, Fluttershy?” Rarity asked.

The pegasus hid behind her bangs some as she was addressed. “Oh, I’ll be staying on campus. My family’s not really expecting me. Which is fine. They know I’m doing okay here.”

The others nodded to her answer, but Rainbow gave her long-time friend a knowing look before the conversation moved on.

Rarity moved the next pony in line. “Flash?”

He shrugged idly. “The same as Fluttershy. I’ve… got an uncle back home in Manehattan. No other family, but we’re not really that close.” Some of the mares gave him looks of concern. “We don’t hate each other, if that’s what you’re wondering. Just a lot of baggage, that’s all. Very personal baggage.” The others nodded in understanding. The young pegasus stallion clearly didn’t want to talk about it.

Rarity turned towards Trixie. “Will you be returning home for the holiday, Trixie?”

The blue unicorn nodded. “Yes, I will. My family is rather large, and we get together on my family’s estate.” She gave Twilight a sly grin. “ I’ve tried inviting Twilight and her family often but she keeps refusing for some reason.”

Twilight muttered. “You know your family prefers to spend the holiday with family only. The one time you did manage to talk them into it, you and I got in so much trouble that they didn’t want us back.”

Trixie winced. “The flour incident.”

Twilight nodded firmly. “The very same.”

“Even so, that was years ago. I’m sure they’re over it by now.”

The purple unicorn shook her head firmly, and her friend sighed in defeat.

Twilight saw the question coming and answered before Rarity could ask. “Anyway, I’ll be staying on campus, too. Having the room to myself for a change will actually give me the quiet for studying—”

“Egghead,” Rainbow muttered, which caused most of the others to laugh.

“—but I’ll spend Hearth’s Warming Day with my brother Shining Armor.”

Trixie snorted. “Is he going to cook corn dogs for dinner again?”

Twilight’s expression went flat, her eyes practically blazing in hate. “No.”

At the mention of the holiday, Pinkie spat in disgust and turned away from her friends.

They all shared concerned looks before Rarity tried to draw the normally-chipper mare into the conversation. “Pinkie, what about you, darling? Are you going to see your family?”

A scowl crossed Pinkie’s face. “No.”

Everyone at the table was taken aback at the venom in her tone. “Pinkie?” Twilight asked in concern.

“Just leave me alone.”

Rainbow furrowed her brow and stood roughly from the table. “What’s the matter with you, Pinkie? This isn’t like you at all.”

Pinkie glared back at the pegasus, and Rainbow stepped back reflexively at the harshness in Pinkie’s sky-blue eyes. “And just what do you know about me, Rainbow Dash?”

“It’s just that—”

“I said leave me alone.”

Applejack gave the other earth mare a concerned look. “Pinkie, ya can’t still be—”

With a growl, she stood up, kicking her stool away, and stormed out of the cafeteria. Any other students who saw her coming quickly scrambled out of the way.

Her sudden departure took them all by surprise, Twilight herself unable believe what she had just witnessed. Pinkie had always been so happy, so carefree and bouncy. She was always looking out for other ponies and trying to make their day a bit better by making them smile. She was airheaded at times, but never once had she ever been like this.

Rainbow growled in frustration as she sat back down. “What is wrong with that mare?”

Twilight looked to Applejack as the farm pony watched after their departing friend with a sad look. “Applejack, what did you mean? What happened to Pinkie Pie to make her like this?”

The mare adjusted her hat, looking at Twilight. “Please, ya’ll, don’t get too mad at her. She’s… had a rough time.”

Rarity nodded. “She gets like this every year around this time. It’s… rather unnerving, in honesty.”

“I’ll say,” Wanderer said with raised eyebrow. “What happened to her to make her like that this time of year?”

Applejack and Rarity looked to each other for a moment, silently deliberating whether or not they should talk about something that Pinkie herself clearly wasn’t willing to talk about. “Well…” Applejack trailed off, then sighed. “Her family gets… rough this time o’ year.”

“Wh-what do you mean?” Fluttershy asked, a bit afraid of the answer.

Rainbow scowled fiercely. “Her parents aren’t those type of jerks who hurt their own kids, are they?”

Rarity shook her head. “Oh, no, nothing of the sort! You see, her parents own a quarry.” She sighed. “Which Pinkie keeps insisting on calling a ‘rock farm.’ Anyway, as you can guess, working a quarry requires a lot of outdoor labor, but that’s almost impossible this time of year. Far too cold for working outside.”

“Her parents pretty much live for workin’,” Applejack continued. “With no work durin’ the winter, they get awful depressed, and… well… misery loves company an’ all that. They argue all the time ‘round the holidays, and Pinkie an’ her sisters always ended up gettin’ involved in one way or another. There’s a lotta hate for Hearth’s Warmin’ in her family, and seein’ ponies happy on the holidays only makes ‘em angrier.”

“B-but why would they be angry?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes saddened by what she heard. “Hearth’s Warming is a time to be happy with family and friends.”

“Nopony wants to work a mine on the holidays, darling,” Rarity explained. “Nopony except for Pinkie Pie’s parents. A regular pair of workaholics, they are.”

Twilight frowned, still unable to believe what she was hearing. “So her family has turned one of the nicest holidays we have into something so horrible that she doesn’t even smile during?”

The two nodded slowly. “In all the time Ah’ve known Pinkie, not once have Ah ever seen her happy during the Hearth’s Warmin’ season.”

Rarity nodded to Applejack. “Indeed. It is saddening to see her like this.”

The conversation at the table had died down and each thought of how difficult it must be for their usually happy friend. Finally, Wanderer looked between them all before he broke the silence.

“So, Twilight, did you ever get a chance to look at that spell I found?”

While Trixie shot a look his way, Twilight smiled faintly. “I did. Trixie and I both worked with it a week or so ago. Apparently, the scroll contained a spell that could allow a pony to traverse into a plane of existence known as the Dreamscape.”

“The what now?” Rainbow asked.

“The Dreamscape. A place that allows a pony to look into the realm of dreams,” Trixie supplied before she looked at Twilight. “It really wasn’t a place one should take lightly.”

Twilight nodded slowly in agreement. “I can only remember bits and pieces of what I saw, but I do remember that it was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.”

Trixie looked away for a moment. “Yeah…”

Fluttershy looked at her with concern. “Are you okay, Trixie?”

She nodded, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. “I am, just… thinking about Pinkie Pie.”

The pegasus nodded before Wanderer spoke again. “So what’d you with the scroll?”

Twilight took another bite of her lunch before answering. “I had to return it to the library. I could only keep it for so long.”

Wanderer sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I would’ve loved to have seen the place. I bet there are a ton of things to see there.”

“And some you don’t,” Trixie mumbled.

Rarity turned to regard her curiously. “What did you say, dear?”

She shook her head. “Nothing.”

“Getting back to Pinkie Pie. Though she’s had it bad before, it doesn’t mean she can’t have a good Hearth’s Warming Day now.” Twilight looked towards Fluttershy and Flash. “Can you guys think of anything that we could do to help her?”

The two took on thoughtful looks.

“Well… we could always have a get together on campus, just for her. If we show her that she can have fun even during a time she’s always thought to be awful, she could be happy again.” Fluttershy offered after a moment.

Flash nodded in agreement. “I agree with Fluttershy. Pinkie’s always loved putting smiles on ponies’ faces. I think it’s time we help put one on hers.”

Twilight pondered on that a moment and finally nodded. “It sounds like a good idea to me. We’ll need to start brainstorming on what we could do for her.”

Applejack looked between the three for a moment before she sighed somewhat sadly. “Wish Ah could stay and help, Twi, but…” She shrugged helplessly.

Twilight nodded in full understanding. “It’s all right, Applejack. You have family, I understand,” she said to the mare and the others who also had similar looks.

“Thank you for your understanding, darling.” Rarity nodded thankfully to her.

Twilight looked back at the two with a determined smile. “All right, so, how are we going to get the old Pinkie back?”

-o-

Sunset mulled over the news as the stallion relayed the information to her. It seemed as if that no-good Sparkle was going to remain on campus, and she would also be bereft of most of her friends—including that annoying Lulamoon.

She turned her glare back on the stallion as he finished talking. “So, she’ll be without her friends over the winter break. Is that all you have to tell me?”

He couldn’t hold his gaze against hers. “I think that’s all that’s important. If you’re going to do anything, now would be the time.”

Her muzzle turned down in a scowl. “I still have nothing to work on to get back at her with. Has she done nothing these past weeks that I could use?”

He shook his head. “No, nothing that I—” He turned his head to the side suddenly as if struck with a thought.

“What?” she demanded.

He frowned softly, hesitant to speak. “I’m not sure if it counts or anything…”

“Out with it,” she snapped.

He huffed, taking on a look of irritation. “Well, not long ago, one of her friends, Wanderer, I think, found some sort of magic scroll that let her go to someplace called the Dreamscape. I’m not sure what that’s about, but she said what she saw was something that shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

She furrowed her brow in confusion. “Taken lightly?”

He shrugged. “I guess. I didn’t really understand what she was talking about. All I know is that she returned the scroll a few days ago. Maybe you can look into what she was looking into.”

She turned away from the stallion thoughtfully and waved him away. The stallion muttered something under his breath and quickly left the the pondering Sunset Shimmer to her thoughts. She didn’t really pay him any mind as she mulled over the news. Finally, she made her way towards the library. She might not have anything to use against Twilight Sparkle, but that did not mean she was going to let the upstart get some sort of advantage on her again. Time to find out what this Dreamscape was all about.

-o-

“What do you mean ‘it’s restricted!?’” Sunset exclaimed in outrage.

“I’m very sorry,” the library clerk, Index, said as calmly as possible. “Students are forbidden access to magic related to the Dreamscape, as decreed by Princess Celestia at the Academy’s founding.”

The yellow-orange unicorn growled under her breath, rubbing a hoof on her head. “But I know about another student who studied the Dreamscape! How did she get access?”

Index only shrugged. “Can’t help you there. Sorry. I’m sure there are plenty of other subjects you could research.”

“But I want to research the Dreamscape!” groaned the unicorn. With an angry grunt and a sigh of frustration, she stormed out of the library, grumbling to herself in what even she had to admit was an extremely undignified manner. Several ponies immediately stepped out of her way, knowing her reputation as a time bomb of anger and superiority.

That upstart Sparkle had recently studied something that Sunset herself had never even heard of before earlier today. From how her little double agent in Sparkle’s precious posse had regaled her, the Dreamscape sounded as though it was a place unlike any other, an entire realm of existence where dreams and nightmares alike became reality. At least, that’s what she believed she could assume. But with the subject being forbidden, Sunset would have no way of confirming that… theory…

“It’s forbidden…” she muttered to herself, thinking back to what the mud pony clerk had told her. It suddenly clicked in her head. Why hadn’t she thought of this immediately!? This was perfect! Quietly, she chuckled as her plan was laid out in her mind.

‘Sparkle will rue the day she thought she could outwit me.’

-o-

Twilight hummed as she thought to herself, several papers and books on Hearth’s Warming laid out in front of her on her desk in her and Rainbow Dash’s dorm room. The prismatic pegasus was relaxing with a book by R.A. Stalliontor, leaving the lavender unicorn to her own thoughts as she planned for a way to try and cheer Pinkie up back to her “normal” self. She had already deemed several of the books she had read to be unhelpful in this situation, while her notes, though useful, were sparse.

Pinkie Pie was a storm of hyperactivity and endless giggles, but that first layer hid a genius-level intellect that surpassed Twilight’s own, and Twilight Sparkle was no slacker in academics. Pinkie would likely immediately see through any ghost disguise, and probably wouldn’t even play along in her current state, so that ruled out her initial idea of using the plot of ‘A Hearth’s Warming Carol’ to their advantage. No one knew what Pinkie might want as a Hearth’s Warming gift, as the bright pink mare was unpredictable and oftentimes confusing whenever she tried to drop a hint on something.

She had already asked Rainbow if she had any ideas, but the pegasus only shared ideas that Twilight had already conceived and dismissed. She needed something different; something so unexpected, even Pinkie Pie would be surprised, preferably in the joyful manner. Hearth’s Warming was less than a week away. She needed to come up with something by then to try and cheer up her pink friend. Maybe—

Her train of thought was interrupted by a rough knock on the door. Briefly, she turned to Rainbow, who shrugged. They weren’t expecting anypony. Perhaps it was the dorm advisor coming for an early inspection? Or maybe one of their friends was here for surprise visit? Pinkie usually did that for each of them, bringing mouth-watering pastries with her. Maybe Pinkie was already back to her old self?

With that hopeful thought in mind, the lavender unicorn made for the door and pulled it open with her magic, only to freeze up slightly at the sight of an armored earth pony guard with a stern look in his eyes.

“Twilight Sparkle?” he asked in a gruff, business-like voice. The unicorn nodded. She reminded herself that her brother was in the Royal Guard. She was used to seeing armored and armed ponies. “Headmaster Stargazer would like to speak with you.”

That sentence instantly made her mind race. “Uh… may I ask why?”

The guard shrugged. “He didn’t say why, exactly. Just that something’s been brought to his attention that involves you.”

With a nervous nod, Twilight turned to Rainbow, who bore a worried look in her magenta eyes. “I’ll be back soon, Rainbow.” The pegasus nodded, and Twilight followed the guard out of her room, closing the door behind her.

As the guard led her down the halls of the Academy to the headmaster’s office, Twilight constantly thought up numerous possibilities as to why Stargazer would want to see her. Had she done something that went against Academy rules unknowingly? Did he find out about her and Trixie’s escapade in the Dreamscape? If so, from whom? Or, more frighteningly, if it was the former, what had she done at all? Was that growth spell in her magic class a bit too much? Sure, it took a few days for everypony to get the tomato juice out their fur, but it couldn’t have been so bad that the headmaster had to discipline her. R-right?

Maybe that prank she pulled on Professor Inkwell with Trixie - strictly for old times’ sake - was a tad excessive? Inkwell had walked it off with a hearty laugh, saying that she’d been through worse than her mane suddenly turning into a polka-dotted rat’s nest. She even considered it an upgrade from her normal look!

Perhaps that time she blew up the physics lab in an attempt to try and expedite Doctor Whooves’ lesson? But that stallion was barely fazed by the sudden blast. He’d called it the ride of his life, and even praised her for “doing such a fantastic job of livening up a lesson” that even he found endlessly boring.

As her mind wandered to the possibilities, she bumped into the guard, who had stopped in front of a door that had Headmaster Stargazer’s cutie mark emblazoned on a plaque hanging to the right. The guard nodded toward the door, opening it for the young mare. Once she was in, he closed the door behind her. Ahead of her sat the slate gray unicorn himself, looking fairly miffed. Twilight swallowed down a little bit of her anxiety.

“You wanted to see me, Headmaster?”

“Yes,” the elder stallion replied in an almost eerily calm tone. “Something has been brought to my attention by a classmate of yours.” He gestured a hoof toward the far wall, near the door, and Twilight turned to see an all-too-familiar yellow-orange, fiery-maned unicorn.

“Shimmer,” the violet mare said, trying to hide her disdain.

“Sparkle,” Sunset greeted with a victorious smirk. Why did she have that look on her face? Why did she sound so smug?

“According to Miss Shimmer,” Stargazer began, “you took out a scroll from the library that was forbidden to students.”

Twilight felt her blood run cold. Which scroll was is? She had taken many scrolls from the library in her studies. “I don’t understand, Headmaster.”

He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hooves as his gaze seemed to pierce right through her. “Are you familiar with Dreamscape, Miss Sparkle?”

Her eyes widened. “I-I—”

“Study of the Dreamscape was forbidden to students by the decree of Princess Celestia since this Academy’s founding.” He shifted in his seat, the worn oak chair creaking. “Can you tell me a good reason why you chose to break this rule, and why I shouldn’t expel you right now?”

The knot of dread clenched her stomach so painfully that she wanted to throw up. This couldn’t be happening! She couldn’t be thrown out for the Dreamscape scroll; she didn’t know! If she had, she would never had taken it to study.

Taking in a calming breath, she spoke with all the confidence she could muster. “Headmaster Stargazer, I didn’t know that the Dreamscape was a forbidden topic. If I had known, I wouldn’t have taken it out of the library.” She stood straighter as she realized something. “The librarian didn’t say anything about it being forbidden when I checked it out.”

Stargazer tilted his head at her. “Is this true?”

“I wouldn’t lie about something like this, Headmaster. The Academy is too important to me to throw my chance here away.”

He looked to his desk thoughtfully. “I was not aware of this. I will have to consult with Miss Index to get the truth of the matter.” The corner of his mouth turned downward in a frown. “Index is new this year. I suppose it is possible she did not realize it.”

A scowl escaped Sunset and she pushed herself away from the wall. “She still took the scroll from the library when she wasn’t supposed to! She can’t be let off the hook because some mud—” Her scowl deepened. “—because the librarian didn’t know what she was doing.”

As much as Twilight wanted to snap back at the other unicorn, her patience held, and she kept quiet.

Fortunately, Stargazer held no such restraint. “Miss Shimmer, kindly keep quiet while I speak with Miss Sparkle. I thank you for bring this to my attention—it is an oversight that must be corrected—but don’t presume that you have any sort of authority in my office. Your family has been a gracious supporter of the Academy for years, but do not think that gives you any special consideration. We’ve plenty of other sources of donation and revenue to risk losing your family’s bought love.” He motioned for the door. “Please step outside. I need to speak with Miss Sparkle alone.”

The yellow unicorn sputtered a bit, but when she saw the Headmaster narrow his eyes, she knew it was time to keep her pride to herself. “Yes, Headmaster.” With a final, scathing glare at Twilight, she let herself out of the office.

Twilight let herself breathe a sigh of relief. Sunset Shimmer had no doubt tried to find something to get back at her for their duel months ago. She knew she had vowed to try and get her back, but this was just low, even for her.

She turned to Stargazer again, who had a steely look in his eyes. His expression was unreadable, a hint of decades of experience showing on his features. Experience with what, she couldn’t say for sure. Just looking at him now made her a thousand times more nervous than she already was.

“Miss Sparkle, did you use the scroll at all?” he asked after a few moments of silence. Finding herself too anxious to speak, she only nodded in reply. “I see. Then I take it you may already know why the subject of the Dreamscape is forbidden?” Again, the young mare nodded, as did Stargazer. “There are more dangers in that realm than you can imagine; some obvious, others less so.”

Twilight nodded yet again. She vaguely remembered something about a swarm of metal teeth, but she couldn’t quite put a hoof on why, exactly. She just knew that those teeth would have killed her if it wasn’t for—

“Was anypony else involved in this?” the headmaster inquired suddenly.

The younger unicorn hesitated, her eyes widening slightly. She had nearly forgotten in her anxiety that Trixie was now in just as much trouble as she was. If Sunset Shimmer found out about Twilight studying a forbidden topic, then it was surely only a matter of time before Trixie was sent to the headmaster’s office as well. Facing the possibility of expulsion was stressful enough for Twilight, but if her friend faced the same pressure, the blue unicorn would certainly snap in more ways than one.

Though it went against her personal morals to lie, she couldn’t let her best friend take a fall like this. “N-no, sir. It was just me.”

A pregnant silence fell in the office, headmaster eyeing student, searching for any sign of falsehood. Twilight shifted uncomfortably. Stargazer’s eyes were like drills trying to dig through to her very soul, eager to find the truth. The quiet lasted for an eternity to the lavender mare until the aged stallion finally spoke again.

“Very well,” he said somewhat dismissively. “You may go now. Please send Miss Shimmer back in on your way out.”

With a nod and a relieved sigh, Twilight stood and left the office. She and Sunset shared a bitter glare as she told the yellow unicorn that Stargazer wanted to speak to her further.

Sunset scowled at her. “Don’t think this is over, Sparkle.”

Twilight felt her hackles stand on end. “Just try me, Shimmer.”

The fiery-maned mare scoffed and entered Stargazer’s office. Twilight, for her part, resisted the surprisingly large urge to blast the other mare. Shimmer’s arrogance, better-than-thou, elitist attitude, and blatant racism toward earth ponies and pegasi irked her more than anyone else ever had.

She took a deep breath to calm herself, using a technique that Cadance had once shown her, putting a hoof to her barrel before pointing it outwards as she exhaled (it was amazing how well that worked). Sunset Shimmer was a problem, definitely, but she wasn’t worth the frustration. She just had to keep telling herself that, knowing full well that she was bound to forget it the next time she and Shimmer butted heads.

Heaving out an irritated breath, Twilight trotted back to her dorm room. Hopefully, she’ll be able to take her mind off of this whole debacle.

When she returned, Rainbow was still reading her book, oblivious to her return until she announced herself. When asked how it went with the headmaster, she replied with four words:

“Sunset Shimmer was there.”

“Ouch,” said the pegasus. “Sounds rough. What happened?”

“Remember when I told you and everypony else that I studied the Dreamscape recently?” The cyan mare gave a nod. “Well, turns out, it’s a forbidden subject. Shimmer found out somehow and told the headmaster about it.”

“Wow, TS,” Rainbow smirked. “I didn’t take you for a rule breaker.”

Twilight scowled and huffed, crossing her forelegs indignantly. “I’m not a rule breaker! I just didn’t know it was forbidden. The clerk in the library didn’t object to me checking out the scroll. Headmaster Stargazer said he’d look into how it happened.” She heaved out a breath. “I guess, right now, I can just count my blessings that I won’t be expelled.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. She returned her attention to her book once again, while Twilight, in an attempt to try and distract herself from recent revelations, got back to trying to find a way to help Pinkie Pie hop back to her old self. Just as she began, however, there was a knock at the door. With a groan, Twilight got up and opened the door to find Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. Rarity had that look that said that she had an idea.

“Good evening, Twilight,” the would-be fashionista greeted eagerly with a wide smile. “Applejack, Fluttershy, and I have been brainstorming, and I do believe we’ve an idea as to how we can get the old Pinkie Pie back! We just need your help to organize it, and Rainbow Dash to help set things up.”

“Er, okay,” the lavender unicorn answered. “What did you have in mind?”

Applejack smirked. “We’re gonna throw a surprise party.”

-o-

The clock on Pinkie’s dorm room wall ticked away the seconds of the Saturday morning after breakfast, with the mare silently watching it, occasionally tapping her hoof impatiently, spite building up inside her. She just wanted this whole season to end right now. She didn’t want to see so much as a single snowflake. She was almost ready to smack the next pony who said “Happy Hearth’s Warming!” to her.

She hadn’t seen her friends at breakfast this morning, she recalled. Whatever. She’d rather be alone now, anyway. The last thing she needed was seeing ponies gush over how wonderful Hearth’s Warming is.

She blew a raspberry at the thought. “‘Season of cheer’ my flank,” she muttered under her breath. “It’s the worst holiday ever!”

She closed her eyes and scowled inwardly to herself. “Everyone is happy, so cheerful.” She glared back at her ceiling. “Big whoop. I never had a good Hearth’s Warming, so why should anypony else?”

Her mouth turned in a sad frown as she closed her eyes again, thinking back to all those horrible winters her family still worked even while everyone else shared good cheer, food and presents with each other. Not once did anypony ever give her a gift for Hearth’s Warming. Not once did her family want to get together for anything other than work and meals during the winter. There wasn’t anything warm about Hearth’s Warming. It was as cold as the rocks her family farmed throughout her childhood.

She thought to all the families who would laugh and cheer during the holiday, remembering when she would peer through the window of a neighbor’s house to see the family smiling and enjoying each other’s company, watching enviously as other foals opened wrapped gifts with the madness of a rabid dog, only to squeal in excitement at whatever gift they got. The warm smiles the parents gave when their foal hugged their forelegs tightly in thanks for the new toy. All of that, and not once did she ever get to enjoy it.

A single tear ran down the side of her face and she angrily dashed it away. No, she was not going to cry. She ran out of tears long ago, and she would not cry again.

She shut her eyes tighter as they tried to prove her a liar, the tears slipping past her no matter how many times she yelled at them to stop.

Why? Why did she have to suffer when everypony else got to enjoy? Where was the fairness in that? Why couldn’t—

She sat bolt upright as she heard a knock at her door. She wiped tears from her eyes and snapped at the door. “Go away!”

“Pinkie, it’s Twilight,” she heard the voice say beyond the door. “Can I please come in?”

“No! Leave me alone!” She looked away from the door pointedly. “I just wanna be left alone.”

“Pinkie, darling, please let us inside,” she heard Rarity’s voice say. “We only want to talk.”

With a harsh huff, she stormed towards the door. “Fine! If only so you’ll leave me alone.” She threw open the door and practically yelled in their faces. “What?”

The two mares winced at her tone and looked back at her with hurt expressions. Rarity stepped forward, one hoof held slightly off the floor. “Pinkie, we wanted you come with us to get something to eat for everypony. We’d like it if you joined us.”

Pinkie scowled. “Let them get their own food, and leave me alone.” She tried to close the door but Twilight placed a hoof in the jam.

“Pinkie, we want you to come with us.”

She glared at the purple unicorn. “No.”

“What would it hurt to go with us?” Twilight asked again, obviously trying the soft, kind ploy.

Pinkie was having none of it. “I said ‘no’!”

“You can’t just hide in your—” Rarity started before Pinkie nudged Twilight’s hoof away and slammed the door in their faces.

Twilight’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Oh, she did not just do that!”

Rarity glanced at the other unicorn in concern. “It seems she isn’t going to come willingly.”

With an irritated scowl, Twilight stomped her hoof. “Oh, she’s coming with us, whether she likes it or not!” She knocked on the door repeatedly. “Pinkie, get out here, now!”

There was no reply.

“Pinkie, you’re getting on my nerves! You don’t want to get on my nerves!”

Still nothing.

Rarity, noticing the smoke of rage coming out of her friend’s ears, stepped between her and the door. “Um… Twilight? Perhaps we could try to be a bit more civil?”

“This IS me being civil!” She pounded on the door one more time. “Last chance, Pinkie!”

“No!”

Gritting her teeth, the lavender mare lit up her horn. In a flash of pink light, she disappeared from Rarity’s sight. The alabaster unicorn could hear sounds of a struggle in Pinkie’s room, followed by a series of grunts and colorful complaints before the door finally unlocked. Twilight stepped outside, with Pinkie floating helplessly in the mare’s magic.

“Come on,” Twilight said in irritation, heading down the hall with Pinkie Pie in tow.

Rarity blinked. “Well… I suppose that works, as well.” She followed behind Twilight, making a mental note to never get on her fellow unicorn’s bad side. Ever.

-o-

“SURPRISE!”

Their friends all leaped out of hiding in the dorm lobby the instant Rarity turned the lights on. All their friends were there; Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Flash Sentry, Wanderer, Trixie, and even Rarity’s trio of followers, Charles, Victor, and Sport. Each one of them wore wide, brimming smiles as they looked to the pink pony, whom Twilight finally released, setting her on her hooves again.

There was an awkward silence as Pinkie looked around, eyeing the decorations around the room, ranging from streamers, to balloons, to confetti that still fluttered slightly as it fell to the floor. There was a table lined with assorted baked goods, ranging from full cakes to cupcakes, with a large bowl of punch at the end. She looked to each of the smiling faces - some of which were shrinking in the awkward quiet - and turned to Twilight.

“What is this?” She felt something get slapped onto her head. A quick examination with her hoof revealed the object to be a party hat. A look up revealed Rainbow Dash as the culprit.

“What does it look like, Pinks?” the prismatic pegasus said with a smirk. “It’s a party! For you! We worked on it all last night. We almost got in trouble for staying up past curfew.”

“We were thinkin’ it might help ya get outta your funk,” said Applejack, who approached with an offering of a plate of cake with a glass of punch for Pinkie. The pink mare only scowled at the orange-coated farmer, who stepped away slightly, clearing her throat and smiling awkwardly.

“Hey, don’t frown,” Wanderer said as he walked up, carrying a wrapped box on his back. “We even got you some presents.” He flipped the box up and offered it to her. “Happy Hearth’s Warming.”

Almost instantly, Pinkie slapped the gift out of his hooves, the box striking his muzzle.

His wide eyes blinked once. “Uh… wrong color for the wrapping?”

“What’s so great about Hearth’s Warming?” the mare growled. She made a painfully false smile, her hooves under her chin as she batted her eyes falsely. “‘Oh, the snow is so pretty! I love all the pretty little bows and all the shiny new things I don’t need! All the singing and the decorations and the parties are simply to die for! I love Hearth’s Warming!’” She then stuck tongue out in disgust. “What’s the point of such a stupid holiday!?”

‘Now, that’s not very friendly, is it?’

Pinkie started when she heard an unfamiliar, oddly accented voice. Her eyes darted around, trying to find the source. The only ponies present were her friends, and, as far as she knew, none of them could make a fake Germane accent to save their lives.

‘Come on, it’s a party, enjoy it!’

She wanted to demand to know who was talking so that she could chew them out, but her thought was interrupted.

“What is your problem?” asked Flash Sentry. “We’re just trying to help you.”

She whirled on him, her eyes blazing. “I’ll tell you what my problem is!” The look in her eyes made him step back in reflex. “It’s that you and everypony else goes around spouting and singing about a holiday that never once brought me any joy and happiness! You all parade around like it’s the best thing ever while not seeing how terrible it is for me!”

Applejack rested a hoof on her withers. “It ain’t like that, Pinkie. We just want ya ta be happy with us on the holidays.”

The pink mare then turned her ire on her. “And just where were you and Rarity all those years ago in Ponyville? We were neighbors, all of us, and not once did you ever think to include me then. Why should I think you’re any different now, huh!?”

Applejack sputter to speak. “B-But that’s not—”

“Don’t you lie to me, Applejack. Just… don’t!” The pink mare sat on her haunches, her head lowered while her hair obscured her face.

The others all saw that she was shaking, and trying her best to keep from sobbing. Every face in the room had uncomfortable looks, and more than a few of them tried looking away before they found themselves brought to tears. Finally, Fluttershy walked towards her and wrapped a wing over her distraught friend.

Pinkie look up enough to stare at the pegasus through her bangs, and Fluttershy could see that the mare was trying so hard not to bawl like a newborn foal.

“Pinkie, please, we didn’t mean to hurt you. We only wanted to include you in our festivities this time. It might’ve been bad for you when you were younger, but that doesn’t mean we, and you, can’t start making up for all those nasty times in the past.” She nuzzled the side of her friends face. “We’re friends, and we don’t like seeing a friend cry. Right, girls?”

The other mares all readily gave their agreement, and many of the stallions nodded to her with warm smiles.

Pinkie looked between them all and closed her eyes tightly. She was torn between the emotions she had carried inside her for so many years and the warmth of her friends around her now. It seemed the answer was so obvious, but why couldn’t she let go?

Rarity walked over and wrapped her forelegs around the pink mare. “We can’t change what happened in the past, dear, but we hope that you can start enjoying Hearth’s Warming with all of us now.”

Wanderer smiled his trademark lopsided grin. “Hey, we can still enjoy the party here and now, right?” He walked over and retrieved the present that he had before and set it before her, pushing it closer to her with his muzzle. “We got together and bought this just for you. We hope you enjoy it.”

They heard a scoff and looked towards the door to see Sunset Shimmer standing there, looking at the gathered ponies with a sneer. “Well, well, what do we have here?”

Almost instinctively, Twilight stepped protectively in front of her friends, giving the yellow unicorn a harsh glare. “What do you want, Shimmer?”

“There’s no need for hostility, Sparkle,” Sunset said, giving Twilight an equally venomous look. “I was just passing through on my way back from a study session. Imagine my surprise when I find the dorm lobby filled with confetti and balloons and an assortment of lower-class unicorns, a bunch of birdbrain pegasi, and mud ponies. Such a motley crew you all are.”

“Hey!” Rainbow Dash zoomed up right in Sunset’s face, scowling furiously. “You wanna say that while I’m in range? Come on, I dare you!”

Shimmer raised an eyebrow. “You clearly don’t remember what happened the last time you tried picking a fight with me. If I remember correctly, you crashed and burned. Your little threats are falling on deaf ears, feather-freak.”

Rainbow gawked at the unicorn before scowling again, moving as if preparing to pounce on her. “Why, you little—” Before she finished, a pinkish aura pulled her back, and she glared at Trixie. “Hey, what gives?”

“Rainbow Dash, that’s enough,” the silver-maned mare said, her tone one of great disapproval. She faced Sunset with her own glare. “She’s just trying to get under our skin. It’s what she does best.”

With a taunting look, Sunset shook her head, as if amused, then once again faced Twilight, the two mares glaring daggers at each other. “I hope you know that you won’t be in this school for much longer. Once the headmaster finds evidence of you breaking Academy rules, you can kiss whatever future you might’ve had goodbye.”

“What?” Flash stepped next to Twilight. “Twilight, what is she talking about?”

Before anyone else could speak, Shimmer laughed, turning to head to the mares’ dorm rooms. “Go ahead, Sparkle. Tell them about how your only future is to be expelled from the Academy. I’m sure they’ll understand.” With that, she walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

The silence that followed the unicorn’s departure could be cut with a knife. Each of the ponies seethed or muttered to themselves at the infuriating unicorn. It seemed as if the partying mood had been sapped from the room itself.

Wanderer looked between them all for a moment and smirked suddenly. “So, who wants to dance?”

All he received were irritated looks.

He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Well, I tried…”

Pinkie looked around at her friends. Just a few moments ago, they were jubilant. Then, she gave a speech that sucked out that joy. Then, Sunset Shimmer came along and turned the depression into downright spite. It was… it wasn’t nice.

‘You contributed to it,’ spoke the voice from earlier. ‘But, at the very least, you can make up for it, ja?’

She looked around at her friends, then at the decorations they had set up. They had all this for… her. And she’d repaid them by essentially denouncing what was likely their favorite holiday. With one last look around, her attention soon fell on the gift that Wanderer had offered her. Reluctantly, she reached for it and slowly undid the wrapping.

The pink mare gaped at what the wrapping contained; inside was box with a picture of the famous clown (and her personal idol) Ponyacci. Above that picture, the box was labeled “Ponyacci’s Preferred Party Pranks!” in bold, brightly-colored lettering. She pulled the box out of the gift box and opened it, eyeballing all the different tools meant for pulling grade-A pranks. Whoopie cushions, an air horn, numerous party poppers that had warning labels, some very convincing fake vomit, sneeze powder, and a number of other joke items.

She lifted the air horn from the box and felt a smile tugging across her lips. “H-How did they know?” she asked herself quietly.

“Because we all know how much you like stuff like that, Pinkie,” Twilight said as she sat down next to her. “Plus, we all know you like Ponyacci brand items, because you use them the most. And you did once say that he’s your idol.”

“I thought we bought it because it was on sale—” Wanderer grunted as Applejack elbowed him hard in the ribs.

Pinkie’s smile widened anyway. “You guys thought about me when you bought this?”

Each one of her friends smiled and nodded to her, even a few of the other ponies in attendance gave her warm smiles.

“And this—” She motioned to the decorated lounge around her. “This was all for me?”

Twilight smiled wider. “That’s right.” She looked to the other and they all said in unison. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Pinkie Pie.”

It was like a two-ton weight had been lifted off her withers. With a loud excited squeal, she enveloped her friends and any who were within reach into the tightest group hug they had ever known. Even a few who thought they were well out of range found themselves in the hug.

“You guys… are the greatest… ever!” She released them and they all saw that her mane and tail had sprung back to its curly self once again. Her eyes sparkled with joy as numerous streamers popped out up out of nowhere. “Let’s par-tay!”

As if on cue, the music box sprang to life, jamming out only the best Hearth’s Warming songs. Everypony cheered, and soon laughter and joy filled the room. Ponies danced, ate, laughed, and enjoyed the first Hearth’s Warming that Pinkie Pie ever enjoyed. The first of many to come, she promised herself.

As the party raged, Pinkie bounded over to Twilight, who was getting a refill of punch. Without warning, the pink earth mare wrapped her forelegs around the lavender unicorn, grinning joyfully.

“Thank you so much for this,” Pinkie said in a surprising calm, heartfelt tone. She released Twilight from the hug. “I’ve never had this much fun during the holidays before! Why, I’m already planning on throwing a party for my family back on the rock farm! I just might be able to get them all to have fun on Hearth’s Warming for once.”

Returning the smile, Twilight said, “I’m glad to hear it, Pinkie. It’s nice to have you back.”

“I’ll say! I don’t like being all mopey, but sometimes, I just can’t help it! I’m really sorry about that.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Twilight put a comforting hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder. “We all have things in our past that we’d rather forget. We just have to learn to accept the past, live in the present, and hope for the future.”

Pinkie nodded enthusiastically, giving the other mare another hug before an idea popped into her head. “Oh, oh, I already know what I want to do with the prank stuff you all got me!”

Curious, Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What’s that?”

-o-

Sunset Shimmer was flipping through the pages of a book on magical theory when she heard a knock on her door. Odd. She wasn’t expecting anypony to visit. She marked her page and headed for the door, opening it to find no one. She looked left and right down the hall, seeing nopony. She then looked down, seeing a brightly wrapped gift sitting at her doorstep.

She tilted her head at it, quickly looking around again. She examined the gift with an analytical stare for a few minutes before shrugging and picking it up in her magic and heading back into her room, closing the door behind her.

Just down the hall, Pinkie, Twilight, Trixie, and Rainbow Dash snickered, knowing what was coming and eager to see the results.

“She’s got this coming,” Trixie said with a smirk.

“You got that right!” Rainbow excitedly agreed, grinning broadly.

A few moments later, there was a loud pop, followed by a scream that was a mix of surprise, slight fear, and pure outrage. Immediately after, Sunset galloped out of her room, her face fuming with unadulterated anger. Her mane was now a bright, garish, neon green that clashed hideously with her coat, which had stains of the same color dotted all across it.

“WHO DID THIS!?” she demanded. Unbeknownst to her, the culprits had already fled, laughing their flanks off all the way to their rooms.

A Flash From The Past

A few days after Hearth’s Warming, the Academy had been left more or less empty of its students, save for the small hoofful who stuck around for learning’s sake. Very few shared Twilight’s love of learning and education, but that was something she could live with, especially since she at least had two of her friends sticking around.

While Fluttershy remained mostly to help care for the animals in the Academy’s arboretum, she managed to spend her free time with Twilight and Flash. Flash Sentry, on the other hoof, had less free time. Twilight had unwittingly made sure of that.

The young stallion squinted at the book Twilight had set in front of him, his dyslexia fighting him as he tried to make sense of the title on the cover. Despite the bold lettering, it was no simple task for him. As always, the words just seemed to hover around, spinning and morphing as if in a deliberate attempt to actively make him feel dumb.

“‘A… An…’” He tilted his head slightly. “‘An… Idi… Idiot’s… Guide to—’ hey!” He glowered at Twilight, who couldn’t help but giggle. “Yeah, this is hysterical. Care to explain?”

“‘An Idiot’s Guide to Language,’” the unicorn said. “It’s a part of the ‘Idiot’s Guidebook’ series, written by Silver Tongue, edited by Pencil Pusher. The title is purely meant to be humorous, Flash.” The pegasus blinked at her. “What?”

“One of the ponies who worked on this thing was named ‘Pencil Pusher’? Seriously? That’s way too specific of a name. That’s like a store being called ‘Sofas and Quills’ because that’s all they sell.”

Twilight rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of her friend’s oddly specific analogy. “Scoff if you must, Flash Sentry, but Pencil Pusher has done a lot for modern writing and education in the language arts. She’s a pretty big name in the publishing business.”

His ears leveled. “Her name is Pencil Pusher.”

“Focus.” The mare place a hoof next to the book. “This was the simplest book on reading that I could find in the Academy library without going into the section for foals. In here, you’ll find simplified, easy-to-understand explanations on grammar, pronunciation, variations of words and phrases, and other things along those lines.” She opened the book to the table of contents. “The entire book is written in a way to help dyslexic ponies like you understand what’s written. I want you to go over everything you can tonight and take until classes start back up to write up a report for me on what you’ve learned from it.”

Flash heaved out a mighty groan. “Can’t you just give me some flash cards instead and quiz me later?”

She turned her nose up. “The best way to learn is to do it the hard way, Flash.”

The orange pegasus heaved out a defeated groan as he opened to what he assumed was the beginning of the first chapter. As he stared at the first page, he had the distinct feeling that this was going to be a long day.

-o-

Two stallions stood in front of the prodigious Academy, one glaring at the grounds with spite, the other with mild interest. The one who was glaring, a large, burly pegasus, snorted at the sight before them.

“You sure this is the place?” he asked his unicorn companion, who gave a quiet nod with a little smirk. The pegasus scowled. “I always hated schools like this. Buncha uptight pricks.” He shook his head, spitting to the side. “Whatever. Come on, let’s go find the kid and get outta here.”

The unicorn nodded and followed his ally into the famed school, admittedly somewhat eager to step hoof into such a prestigious place. He might just get to engage in his personal favorite pastime, if he was lucky. Wouldn’t that be something?

-o-

Flash stumbled into his dorm room, staggering from the weight of the saddlebags on his back. How could Twilight be so cruel as to make him read all of these? It was supposed to be Hearth’s Warming break! He shouldn’t be studying so much when he was supposed to be relaxing. He plopped onto his bed, burying his face into his pillow, groaning to himself as he peered past his pillow to see that it was still too early to fall asleep.

“Ugh, what can I do to pass the time?” He turned a harsh glare at his saddlebags and the books peaking out of the bags. “Without reading more,” he tiredly added. Books were gradually becoming the bane of his existence, and they already weren’t very kind to him before. With a grunt, he rolled over, turning away from the volumes and facing a wall. Maybe he could just go to sleep or something.

‘Yeah, that’s a plan,’ he thought to himself as he closed his eyes and tried to force himself to sleep.

For several minutes, rest eluded him. Counting sheep didn’t seem to work as well as it did when he was a colt. He tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep, failing miserably. Eventually, he let out a groan of annoyance as he lay on his back, staring at the ceiling in boredom.

There was a knock on his door. He immediately found it odd; he wasn’t expecting anyone. The knocking came again, sounding a bit more impatient.

“Yeah, I’m coming,” he said as he hopped off of his bed. “Just keep your horseshoes on.” He opened the door, not really paying attention to who was visiting at first. “Can I help you?”

“Been a while, Flash,” spoke a deep, gruff voice that the pegasus recognized all too well. Before him stood another pegasus, this one much larger than he was, with a dark brown coat, an unruly yellow mane, and a cutie mark of some minotaur thing. Brass knuckles, or something weird like that. Next to the burly pegasus stallion stood a dark red, orange-maned unicorn who was less built than his partner, but Flash knew better. This unicorn lived up to his knife cutie mark frighteningly well.

The orange pegasus blinked as he recalled the names of these two ponies. “Brawn? Knives? What… what are you guys doing here?”

The older pegasus, Brawn, smirked. “What? Two guys can’t visit their old pal?” He threw a hoof around Flash’s shoulder. “We just wanted to see ya, kid. How’ve ya been?” He grunted when Flash moved away from his grasp.

“I don’t want any trouble, guys,” said the young stallion, shooting a quick look at the unicorn.

“What makes ya think we wanna give ya trouble, huh?” Brawn nudged him slightly with a chummy grin. “Come on, kid. Whaddaya say we go down to that cafeteria and catch up? What’s the worst that could happen?”

“The worst will happen now that you’ve said that,” Flash muttered under his breath. Brawn laughed while Knives gave a light chuckle.

“Still a joker, eh, kid?” said the burly pegasus. “Come on, we’ll grab some grub, maybe hit the town for a bit, ya know, for old time’s sake, and then we’ll be outta your hair. No worries, right?” Knives nodded his agreement.

Flash eyed the two for some time. Every instinct he had was telling him to say no and close the door in their faces. A small part of him agreed with Brawn, saying that nothing really bad could happen if they just shared a meal and talked a bit. A third part of him just wanted them to give up and leave, knowing full well that that second part of him was a blatant liar. Against Flash Number 3’s advice, he gave a sigh and nodded.

“Fine. Just try not to draw any attention to yourselves, all right?”

Brawn smirked. “Trust me, we’ll be no problem at all.”

-o-

The cafeteria was mostly empty, save for a few other souls who had remained on campus over the winter break. It didn’t have the constant uproar of conversation to it, and it seemed to Flash that it was too quiet for his liking. This only made it worse when his two old friends stormed in.

Brawn wrapped a foreleg around his withers. “Ah, so this is where you high-and-mighty Academy sorts get your grub? What do they got for us to eat around here, kid?”

Flash stepped away from the burly pegasus, frowning faintly at his attitude. “Depends on what they’re serving today.” He looked at the two pointedly. “You’ve got money to pay for it, right? You have to pay unless you’re a student.”

“Really?” asked Brawn. Then he shrugged. “Sorry, kid. We don’t got any cash on us.”

The young pegasus heaved out an exasperated sigh. “Of course you don’t,” he muttered, his voice barely audible. “Fine. It’s on me, then, I guess.”

Brawn grinned. “Looks like the kid’s finally learned how to be considerate, eh, Knives?” The unicorn silently smirked and nodded, which sent a subtle chill down Flash’s spine. Knives was always the creepiest stallion he had ever known, and he held that position even today.

He shook his head to clear the feeling away and led them towards the lunch line. The cafeteria pony showed a friendly smile as they approached.

“Good afternoon, Flash. What can I get you today? Corn dogs? A hayburger? Ooh, would you like a bowl of our spicy bean chili?” The older mare remained loving to her job as always, Flash noticed.

“Some chili, please,” he answered. He then motioned to Knives and Brawn. “They’re food’s on me.” The mare nodded and took Flash’s friends’ orders; Knives got himself the biggest hayburger they had to offer, while Brawn got a whole tray of corn dogs. The young pegasus resisted the urge to groan in irritation when the mare gave him the price for their food. Thirty-four bits gone, just like that.

‘This place is outrageously expensive sometimes,’ he thought glumly as he and the others made their way to a table, where Brawn began to gorge himself on his meal, while Knives ate more slowly and - somehow - more methodically. At the risk of being redundant, Flash reminded himself that that unicorn was the creepiest guy he knew, and this was just another example. Even the way the guy ate was unsettling.

The three ate in relative silence, the only sound being Brawn’s noisy consumption of his corn dogs. Silently, Flash hoped that this would be over soon. He would much rather these two leave sooner than later. If anyone found out just who they were - especially someone he knew - it had potential to be a—

“Hey, Flash.”

—complete disaster.

The orange pegasus cringed when the voice hit his ears, and he turned to the lavender mare who had greeted him. “Hey, Twilight,” he said halfheartedly as Knives and Brawn regarded the unicorn with slightly puzzled expressions. “What brings you here?”

“Well, it is time for lunch,” she answered with a slight smirk. She motioned to the tray of salad that floated in her magical aura, which was accompanied by a single apple and rather large book whose title he couldn’t make out that hovered over it. “Do you mind if I sit? I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” She waved a hoof towards Flash’s present company, both of whom were looking her up and down, Brawn looking impressed and giving Flash a congratulatory smirk.

With a sigh, the young stallion said, “No, you’re not interrupting anything at all. Take a seat.”

She smiled faintly as she set her tray of food down and took her seat. She then turned her gaze to the two ponies across from her. “Hello, I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

Brawn gave her a huge smile. “Name’s Brawn. I’m an old friend of Flash’s.”

Her smile was a bit restrained before she looked at the other pony. “And you are?”

“Knives,” the other stallion said. Flash couldn’t help but frown at the way Knives was regarding Twilight. He was looking at her as if he were a butcher appraising a slab of meat.

For better or worse, she seemed to be completely unaware of Knives’ stare. “It’s nice to meet you both.” She slid her book closer and flipped the cover open before taking a bite of her salad. “So, what brings you two to the Academy?”

“Yeah, what does bring you here?” Flash echoed as his gaze remained on Knives.

Brawn bit off a large bite of corn dog. “Came to see how Flash was doing. We ain’t seen him since he left our old gang years ago,” he said, despite his mouthful of food. “Can ya believe the guy never once wrote a letter or visited us in years?” He shrugged grandly. “You think ya know a guy, huh?”

“That does seem pretty rude, Flash,” Twilight admitted.

Flash lightly groaned. “I’ve… been busy.”

“For two years, kid?” Brawn asked with a laugh. “Come on, we’re still cool, right? Hell, I’d say we should go out on the town tonight. You know, for old time’s sake? We can even bring your marefriend along.” Knives slowly nodded his agreement, while Flash and Twilight blinked, their faces crimson.

“She’s not my marefriend!”

“I’m not his marefriend!”

The pair blinked again and stared at each other when they processed the fact that they had spoken at the same time, to which Brawn let out a heavy laugh. They looked away from each other in embarrassment, their faces beet red as they waited for the older pegasus to stopped guffawing so he could speak again.

After a few breaths, the burly stallion managed to stop himself, wiping a tear from his eye with a wing. “You kids could’ve fooled me. Flash used to be pretty popular with the ladies, you know. You should count yourself lucky, little filly.”

“We’re just friends.” Twilight and Flash blushed furiously as they spoke in unison once again.

“That’s what they all say, eh, Knives?” He elbowed the quiet unicorn with a grin.

Knives smirked faintly as he glanced at Brawn. “Always.”

Flash frowned but moved the conversation along. “So, you two are heading back to Manehattan now?”

Brawn scoffed. “We just got here, kid!” He pushed his plate of devoured corn dogs aside. “There’s gotta be some fun to be had in Canterlot, and I bet you know where all the good places are.”

“I just go to school here,” Flash explained. “The only reason I’m in Canterlot is because I’m in the Academy.”

“I know a few places where we could go,” Twilight chimed in with a smile. Flash nearly choked on a bite of his own food when she spoke up. He stared at her with a warning look, but she didn’t seem to notice.

Brawn grinned. “That so? What’ve ya got?”

“Well, there’s Donut Joe’s, where you can get all kinds of great donuts and coffee. There’s also the Canterlot Museum of Art and History, some great bookstores around the city, a—” An orange hoof clamped over her mouth, Flash giving a slight, totally-not-awkward chuckle.

“Could you guys excuse us for just a minute?” he asked in a tone that was somewhere between calm and anxious. The two stallions shrugged, and Flash almost literally dragged Twilight away, out of earshot of Brawn and Knives. He faced the mare, his hoof still over her mouth. He cringed at the all-too-familiar death glare she was giving him. “Look, Twilight, I need you to listen to me. I don’t want you anywhere near those two.”

The unicorn moved Flash’s hoof away from her mouth, which was set in a firm scowl of disapproval. “What’s the problem? They seem nice enough. Why are you suddenly being so paranoid?”

“Because I left those guys in the past for a reason,” the orange pegasus half-explained. “They’re bad news, okay? Brawn is trouble, and Knives is worse.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, skepticism painted on her features. “I find that very hard to believe. Sure, Brawn may not have the best table manners, and Knives makes Fluttershy seem overly talkative, but I doubt they can possibly be as bad as you’re saying.”

“But—”

She gave him a pointed look. “Flash, if they’re old friends of yours, then we could at least humor them and show them around the city. What could go wrong with that?”

He mumbled a curse under his breath. Today was completely not going his way. He looked at Twilight, who was giving him an expectant stare, just waiting for him to argue with her. Knowing her, there was no way she was going to stop until he admitted defeat, even after he’d won. Eventually, he heaved out a sigh.

“Fine. You win.” Twilight nodded and followed as Flash returned to their table, Brawn and Knives looked up as they approached.

“So, you two done making out?” Brawn laughed as the two blushed rosily. Knives’ own grin grew a bit at their reaction.

“Where did you guys wanna go?” Flash uttered through clenched teeth, wishing that the heat in his face would go away.

Brawn rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. “How about that donut place you were talking about? I could go for a good donut or three.”

Flash wanted to rip his mane out. “You… you just ate a plate full of corndogs!”

Brawn seemed unfazed. “Yeah. I call it dessert!” This time, Knives actually gave a humored grin.

Shaking away her embarrassment, Twilight looked to the larger pegasus. “I can show you where Donut Joe’s is. It could be fun.”

“Twilight, you don’t—” Flash started.

“We’d like that,” Knives said, pushing his stool back and standing. “It’ll give us a chance to get to know each other better.”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Twilight said, pointedly ignoring Flash. “We can go now, if you want.”

“Let’s,” Knives said, glancing at Flash for only a second.

While the others turned away, Flash scowled. There was something in that look that Knives gave him that he hated, and remembering particular events from his past with these two, he had good reason to hate it. With a huff, he followed after them, keeping close to Twilight.

-o-

While spending time with Knives and Brawn was the last thing he wanted to do, Flash had to admit that the way Brawn wolfed down a baker’s dozen of donuts was rather impressive. The stallion always was a bottomless pit, he recalled. He would’ve been more impressed if he’d been paying more attention, though. He kept eyeing Knives, who would occasionally glance over at Twilight with that appraising look he gave to everypony.

Twilight munched down on her own persimmon filled donut, unaware of both Flash’s nervousness and Knives’ stare.

“Mm, Joe always makes the best donuts,” she said, cleaning the glaze from her muzzle.

“You weren’t lying either,” Brawn said, thumping his barrel before belting out a deep burp. “Ah, hit the spot just right.”

Slowly, trying to keep the disgust off his face, Flash flicked away the bit of donut that splatted against his face. “Yeah,” he mumbled. “Right in my face. Great.”

If Brawn heard Flash’s comment, he didn’t show it. “So, little filly, where to next?”

The lavender unicorn beamed. “Well, the museum I mentioned earlier is opening a new exhibit. Some archaeologists have found several lost artifacts crafted by Starswirl the Bearded himself! I’ve been dying to see it for myself!”

Flash noticed a slight gleam in Knives’ eye at Twilight’s words. The young pegasus bit his lip in his anxiety, knowing far too well what that little tell meant.

“Eh, museums were never really my thing,” said Brawn as he stood from his seat, stretching out his wings. “Let’s just take a walk around town, see what we find.”

“Oh. Well, okay.” Twilight’s shoulders slumped a little, losing her initial excitement. “I guess there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Their plans agreed upon, Flash (much to his further agitation) left some bits at their table as a tip, paid for their donuts, and headed out into the streets of Canterlot once again. Brawn had somehow taken the lead, his head turning whenever he saw something expensive or a pretty mare walking past him. Most ponies avoided them, most of them giving unnerved looks at Knives, whose lanky frame and ominous smirk would give Princess Celestia chills.

‘I’d bet even Faust up in Elysium is freaked out by him,’ Flash quipped silently, trying to calm the sense of unease perturbing his thoughts. Not an easy thing to do when the most nerve-racking pony in Equestria was just two feet to his left.

Twilight gasped suddenly, stopping in her tracks in front of what looked like a bookstore. She was eyeing a poster with a wide grin on her face. “The new R.A. Stalliontor book is out!” She clapped her hooves with as much enthusiasm as Pinkie Pie after a good prank. “I have to go in and get it! Be right back!” And without another word, she darted into the store, leaving Flash alone with Brawn and Knives.

A pregnant pause filled the air between the three. Flash glanced between his two old… associates. They were both scanning the crowd of ponies that walked by back and forth through the streets, like hungry predators stalking their prey. Dark glints could be seen in Knives’ eyes, while Brawn grinned whenever he saw a particularly shiny set of jewelry on some of the more wealthy-looking ponies.

“This town is like a candy store,” the burly pegasus said with a laugh. “What I’d do for some of…” He trailed off. Flash gulped quietly as Brawn turned to face him. “Ya know what, kid? Whaddaya say you go out there and… get us something shiny. For old times, ya know?”

Flash almost wanted to scream at him. “Sorry. I left that life behind me a long time ago, and both of you know it.”

Brawn threw a foreleg around the younger pegasus’s shoulder. “Aw, don’t be that way, kid! We made good money on those runs. Come on, just once.” His expression became dark. “Unless, of course, you’d like that sweet little marefriend of yours to hear all about your colorful history with us. Or, maybe…” He glanced over at Knives, who wore an all-too-eager smile.

Flash hesitated as Brawn’s words sank in. The last thing he wanted was for one of his friends to find out about his less-than-glittering past. He wanted even less for Knives to get his hooves on Twilight, or anypony, for that matter. With a desolate sigh, he nodded and said, “Fine. I’ll do it. But I won’t like it.” He muttered the last sentence too quietly for either of of his old acquaintances to hear.

He stepped away from the older stallions and entered the crowd, looking around as he trotted past multiple ponies, all looking decently wealthy, or at least like they might’ve been carrying a fair number of bits on them. Canterlot was rife with riches just waiting to be nabbed, from jewelry, to money, even to some nice-looking articles of clothing, like high-quality scarves and hats.

Eventually, Flash’s gaze settled on a pair of unicorns who appeared to be a well-to-do couple, both keeping their chins upward, looking exactly like the stereotype of snooty rich ponies.

‘I guess they’ll do.’

Keeping a casual trot, he approached the couple, who were busy talking about what they were going to spend their money on next. He kept an eye on the mare’s purse in particular before turning his eyes away, pretending to look around at the sights until…

“Hey!” the mare said as she stumbled, knocked off balance when Flash bumped into her. “Watch where you’re going!”

“S-sorry, ma’am,” Flash replied, backing away sheepishly. He quickly made his escape as the mare and the stallion Flash assumed to be her husband began complaining about the audacity of young ponies these days.

Brawn and Knives gave him an expectant look when he finally returned. “Well?” asked Brawn. With the umpteenth sigh of the day, Flash unfolded his right wing, an obnoxiously expensive-looking coinpurse hanging by the string from his primaries. Brawn grinned as Knives took the purse, opening it to find a good number of bits inside. “You’ve still got it, don’t ya, kid?”

“What does he still have?” Twilight asked as she exited the bookstore, having only caught the tail-end of everything.

Flash shook his head. “It’s nothing, Twilight. Don’t worry about it. Let’s just head back to the Academy.”

“Actually,” Brawn interjected, “Knives, here, was just telling me he’d like to get to know Twilight a little better.” Flash froze at that, glancing between the older stallions and Twilight, the latter of whom seemed oblivious to the implications.

Thankfully, Twilight denied the offer. “Sorry, but Flash is right. We really should be getting back soon.”

Brawn spread his forelegs out. “Oh, come on, doll. What’s life when you pay attention to the rules all the time, eh? Come on, let’s check a few places out first before calling it a day, huh?”

Twilight’s eyes flattened at him. “Doll?”

Flash winced. He knew that look meant, and he almost felt sorry for Brawn.

“Did you just call me ‘doll?’” she asked, glaring up at the burly stallion.

He raised an eyebrow curiously before shooting a look at Knives. “Yeah, is there something wrong with that?”

Flash stepped away as steam seemed to rise off of Twilight’s coat. “Don’t ever call me doll again.” She tapped him firmly in the sternum. “Ever.”

A humored grin crossed Brawn’s face. “All right, all right. I won’t call you doll no more. But come on, let’s enjoy the evening out. What’s playing a little hooky gonna hurt, right?”

She stepped away from him but her glare didn’t lessen. “It means I’m going to have less time to study, and it’s already getting late as it is.” She turned on hoof and started walking for the Academy.

“And here Flash was telling us how fun you are.” Brawn shrugged with some dramatics. “Guess he was lying to us.”

She turned back, her eyebrow raised at him. “He said that?”

“Sure did.” Brawn swatted the other pegasus on the back. “Didn’t ya, kid?”

It took everything Flash had to keep from planting his face into the pavement. “I guess I did.”

Again, Brawn shrugged. “But if you’d rather head back and put your muzzle in a book, that’s fine, but you’re gonna miss out. And here we thought you were fun.”

Twilight looked between them for a moment. “I-I can be fun.”

A slight sneer crossed Brawn’s face. “Then prove it, do—” Knives elbowed him and shook his head at Twilight’s seething glare. “—Twilight.”

She turned her nose up. “Fine. I’ll show you how to have fun. Come on, Flash, I know just where to go.”

Flash found himself being dragged behind her, and he glared at Brawn as he was carried away. Knives watched the exchange for a quiet second before following after them.

Brawn laughed at them for a moment before looking down at his chest, where he noticed a fresh singe mark on his coat. “Now when did that happen?” He shrugged helplessly and flew after the others.

-o-

Brawn’s laughter rang through the arcade, causing many other ponies to look at him oddly. His laughter only seemed the insulting kick while Flash was down as he looked to the game over screen on the arcade booth.

“Ha!” Brawn slapped him on the shoulder in his boundless mirth. “She really beat ya there, Flash. She beat you good!”

There was no arguing it, and his expression was helpless as he stared at the screen. “She did… she really did...”

Twilight brushed her mane out of her eyes smugly as the screen celebrated her flawless victory. “Told you, you shouldn’t have challenged me to a game of Ogres and Oubliettes. I’ve been playing it with my brother and his friends since it was just a quill and parchment game.”

Flash scowled as Brawn erupted into another howl of laughter. “Why don’t you take her on? Are you scared?”

His grin faded a bit, but his eyes still shown with humor. “After seeing how she mopped the floor with you six times in a row, I ain’t taking the chance.”

Flash grumbled as he looked about the arcade. Many younger ponies and even a few other Academy students milled about the game booths as they wasted the evening away. Flash never knew Canterlot even had an arcade until Twilight dragged him here, let alone expect her to beat him so bad at a game. He never thought the bookworm would also be good at games as well.

Twilight levitated another bit. “Care to try again, Flash?”

Flash backed away with his hooves held up. “I’d prefer to keep what little dignity I have left, thank you very much.”

Twilight chuckled and looked around the arcade for a curious moment. “Say, where did your friend go?”

“Who?” Flash looked around as well.

“Knives,” she clarified.

Brawn shrugged. “Said he had to go to the little colts’ room. Guess he had too much to drink earlier.”

While Twilight accepted that with a shrug, Flash frowned. He knew that Knives was not the sort of pony to just use a public restroom. Knives was surprisingly sophisticated for a stallion in his business. And he could hold his bladder for a ridiculously long time, waiting until he got home to relieve himself. Public restrooms were beneath him.

“When did he go to the restroom?” Flash asked.

Brawn shrugged, giving him an odd look. “What? You gonna go help him?” He again roared out in laughter, and Flash could only facehoof at the other pegasus. Leave it to Brawn to make anything into a dirty joke.

“Whatever. I’m gonna go get some snacks.”

“Get me some hay fries, please,” Twilight requested as Flash left, her eyes still on the arcade cabinet’s screen.

The snack bar was fairly busy, with some adults just standing around while their foals ran around playing games. One stallion nodded to him and held up a glass of soda in a gesture of greeting, and Flash returned it with a nod of his own. The young pegasus placed an order for nachos and Twilight’s coveted hay fries, then took a seat on a stool to await the food.

While he waited, he scanned the crowd, keeping an eye out for any sign of Knives. He should’ve kept a closer eye on him. Brawn was far more straightforward, which made it easier to guess what he would do. Knives, on the other hoof, was nothing like Brawn. That callous, cold, calculating stare he always wore meant trouble, and if he was walking around without someone to keep him in check, Celestia only knows what could happen.

“Your snacks, sir,” said the lanky stallion at the counter who had taken Flash’s order. Flash took the food, but just as he about fork over the ten bits it cost him, a shrill scream pierced his ears, and a mare came running into the arcade.

“Somepony’s been stabbed! We need help!”

The response was instant, with ponies filing out of the arcade to see what had happened. It didn’t take long for Flash to figure out who the culprit was as a rust red unicorn trotted up to him, a disturbingly satisfied smile on his face.

“You’re sick,” Flash said with all the venom he could spit out. Knives merely smirked in silence and began humming an eerie tune as Flash headed outside to survey the damage.

Dozens of ponies had already gathered at the entrance to an alley next to the arcade. Flash pushed his way through the crowd where he saw a pony on the ground, clutching his bleeding side while his wife screamed at them to get help. Her mascara ran down her face as she cried over her husband. A few ponies tried to lend what help they could while a few more ran off calling for the guards. Flash recognized the victim as one of the noble ponies he had seen walking the streets before with his wife and colt.

“Dad? Dad!” A young colt pushed his way through the crowd and his eyes widened in horror. “DAAAD!”

The wife grabbed hold of her son and tried to have him look away from his bleeding father. “Mom! What happened to Dad? Who did this to him!?”

Seeing both the wife and colt cry sent a seething rage through Flash. He wanted nothing more than to go back and give Knives a piece of his mind, as well as his hoof right in the unicorn’s eye.

“Flash? What happened here?” Twilight asked as she caught up to him. The look on her face was one he wouldn’t forget. “Oh, no! Where are the guards?”

“Some ponies went to go get them. They should be on their way,” he said, gritting his teeth.

“Who did this?” She turned her look towards him.

As much as he wanted to scream it out loud, he knew that it would only lead to further trouble—as well as uncomfortable questions he wasn’t ready to answer. “I don’t know. From what I can tell, nopony saw who did it.”

She looked back at the wounded pony as the guards finally arrived on the scene, pushing ponies away from the wounded as medics turned to help the family. “This is so horrible…”

“That’s not the half of it,” he growled.

She looked at him oddly. “What did you say?”

His ears flickered. “Nothing, Twilight. Come on, we should get back to the Academy. It’s not safe out here right now.”

“What about your friends?”

Flash scowled. “They’ll take care of themselves. Come on.” He lead her away from the scene and back down the road towards the Academy. The sooner he got her safely back to the Academy, the sooner he would be able to have words with Knives and Brawn in private.

“Flash, what’s going on?” she asked him firmly as they walked. “What is it about your friends that you don’t like them anymore? They don’t seem like bad ponies, just…” She fumbled for a moment. “They just seem a little different from the ponies we know.”

The pegasus gave a quiet sigh. “You have no idea how right you are.”

Her brow furrowed at him. “What?”

Flash refused to respond any further on the subject, focusing solely on the road to the Academy. Once they got back to campus, he’d be able to leave Twilight in relative safety. The last thing he wanted was for her to be anywhere near his old “friends,” especially now that Knives had proven he was still the same guy Flash had once known him to be.

When the Academy was finally in sight, Flash bid Twilight farewell and watched her head to the mares’ dorm before hardening his expression. He had a couple of thugs to talk to before calling it a day.

-o-

Twilight’s horn glowed slightly as she focused on opening the door to the dormitory. At least, it would’ve been focused on the door if her mind hadn’t been fixed on Flash’s weird behavior. He’d been acting strange all day ever since Brawn and Knives showed up, and that worried her. Flash was usually a bit of a joker, and was typically the first one to wise crack, even before Wanderer sometimes. That pegasus rarely took things too seriously.

She bit her lip as she struggled over what she should do. On the one hoof, it was very likely that this was one of those situations where the pony in question would prefer to handle the problem themselves. On the other hoof, Flash was her friend.

The unicorn sighed in some sense of regret over not spending more time around other ponies when she was little. She’d probably have a far easier understanding of all this if she had.

‘A friend needs help. Go to him.’

She blinked and looked around, trying to find whoever had just spoken. Nopony else was around. She shook her head. She was just hearing things, probably. Returning her attention to the door, but again hesitated to open it.

Twilight soon found herself thinking back to how Flash had been acting today. He was… he wasn’t himself. It almost seemed like he was hiding something, like he had some dire secret that he didn’t her to know about.

Twilight Sparkle wasn’t a fan of secrets, especially when they were secrets kept from her.

-o-

It didn’t take long, for better or worse, to find them near an alley. Brawn was fuming, his normally brown face beet red with rage, while Knives remained perpetually cool and collected as he always did, even as Brawn viciously chewed him out.

“Are you completely brain-dead!?” the burly stallion bellowed in his fury. “Stabbing a guy!? Really!? Do you have any idea how close I was to getting Flash back on our side!?”

Knives offered a nonchalant shrug. “About as close as Canterlot is to being farmland.”

“You idiot! Getting the old gang back together was the only reason we came to this snob pit in the first place!” He growled and threw his forelegs up in frustration. “I should’ve known better than to bring you. You always manage to screw things up!” He kicked a trashcan clear down the alley with one good kick. “All this time wasted playing nice with that colt.”

“I’m not a colt,” Flash interjected as he approached the older stallions, who both blinked in surprise at him. “I should’ve closed the door on you guys the instant I realized it was you. All that nice talk, and it was just to try and get me back into your business.”

Brawn grimaced briefly, but he soon managed to work a grin onto his face. “Oh, come on, kid, we had a good thing going back in the day. Would it really be so bad to get the old team back together again?”

“Gee, I’m touched,” came the younger pegasus’s sardonic reply. “I’m not the least bit interested in what you guys have to say anymore. I left that life behind me a long time ago.” He glowered at them. “Besides, you guys left me holding all the proof the police needed to take me in. I was just lucky my uncle was there. Otherwise, I’d be in a very different place than the Academy right now.”

“Hey, that was just instinct taking over, kid,” Brawn assured him. “We honestly thought you were right behind us.”

“Well, I wasn’t. Nowadays, I see I should’ve been the one to leave you guys behind. And I should’ve done it sooner.” Flash jabbed a hoof into Brawn’s barrel. “I want you both out of Canterlot, now. I don’t ever want to see your faces around here again, got it?”

Then, the two pegasi entered a staredown, with Knives on the sidelines looking between the two with mild interest. Even though Brawn easily towered over Flash, the younger stallion remained resolute, his determination unwavering. Knives was starting to wish he had some popcorn right about now. The tension was getting to be rather entertaining.

Brawn displayed a vehement scowl towards the orange pegasus in front of him. “I can’t say I like your tone, kid.”

There was moment of silence as no one said anything else. Then, Flash smirked. “I can’t say I like that haircut.”

Flash was ready for him. The moment the larger pegasus made a grab for him, he beat his wings and got clear of the attack. “Come on, Brawn. I thought you were faster than that.”

Brawn scowled up to the hovering pegasus. “Kid, I’ll give you one warning. Piss me off, and I’m gonna do worse to you than Knives did that snob in the street!”

“Doubtful,” Knives uttered while still watching the two with faint amusement.

“Shut your damn mouth, Knives!” he snapped at the unicorn before turning his glare at the pegasus. “If you wanna fight, kid, I’ll gladly remind you why you never beat me in a fight.”

Flash remained resolute. “I said leave.”

Brawn seethed before he suddenly calmed, his red face returning to its normal coloring. “Fine then, kid. We’ll leave.”

Knives shot him an incredulous glance, but remained quiet.

“But to show you we got no hard feelings…” he reached around and produced the stolen bit purse from earlier. “We’ll give you this back.”

Flash’s head snapped back in surprise. “You didn’t spend it?”

“‘Course not. We were saving it for something after the arcade, but that ain’t an issue now.” He shook the bit purse. “Spend it, keep it, or give it back to that family you stole from. I don’t care.”

Flash looked at the other pegasus in shock. He never once believed that Brawn would do anything like that. Still, he had the purse, and he seemed honest about giving it back. He flew back down and reached out to grab the purse. “Thanks, Brawn.”

“Don’t mention it, kid.”

Flash didn’t recognize the growl in time to stop himself from being launched down the alley, the larger pegasus grabbing him by the foreleg and throwing him with brutal strength. Flash bounced with a pained grunt and skidded across the alley before settling against a wall in agony.

“You’ve lost your touch, kid. Falling for that old song and dance.” Brawn chuckled evilly as he stalked the down pegasus. “And just like old times, I’m gonna beat the respect into you until you learn it for good!”

Flash spit onto the ground. “How can I respect a guy who doesn’t even know how to work a shower? Seriously, the trash in this alley is like a field of flowers compared to you.”

Brawn roared like a demon out of Tartarus itself, and brought a hoof down at the pegasus.

“Hey!”

Brawn’s hoof stopped just short of Flash’s muzzle. All eyes turned to a familiar purple unicorn, who wore a disgruntled frown on her features. Knives blinked as his interest was piqued at her sudden appearance.

“Leave him alone, Brawn!” Twilight demanded with the most forceful tone she could muster, her horn already alight with power.

The larger pegasus chuckled in dark humor. “Oh, this just keeps getting better and better.”

Flash got back to his hooves. “Don’t you dare touch her!”

Brawn grinned at the pegasus. “I won’t.” He nodded at Knives. “He will.” He grinned wickedly. “Have fun with the lady, Knives.”

The grin that Knives gave sickened Flash to his very core. “Oh, I shall.” The red unicorn’s horn started to glow and a wickedly edged knife floated into view. “I’ve been waiting for this all day.”

“No!” Flash rushed ahead at the unicorn, but was knocked aside by a swat from Brawn.

“You and me ain’t done talking, kid.” Brawn said as Flash was quickly back on his hooves. “Once he’s done cutting up your marefriend, we might let you clean up the mess.” His grin turned even nastier. “Like we always have.”

“She’s not my marefriend!”

“I’m not his marefriend!”

Flash and Twilight shared looks at their simultaneous outburst. “We really have to stop doing that.” Flash muttered.

“You’re the one who’s doing it!” she shouted back as she faced the other unicorn, their horns alight in their fury.

“Well, she ain’t gonna be much longer!” Brawn swung out at Flash, who was forced to dodge the blow at the last moment, the hoof chipping the stone wall it smashed into. Flash used the opening to kick at the other pegasus. He winced as he hoof connected, and he used his wings to get away from the retaliatory counter. Rubbing at his sore hoof, Flash was reminded how Brawn earned that name of his.

-o-

Twilight faced the grinning unicorn in front of her, and her eyes narrowing at him. “It was you, wasn’t it? You were the one who stabbed that pony at the arcade!”

The other unicorn tutted her, his knife swaying in front of him like a snake preparing to strike. “He shouldn’t have looked at me the way he did. He’s just lucky I didn’t carve his eyes out. Had his wife not been so close by, I would have.”

“Who are you really? What sort of pony just does that sort of thing!?” She spread her forelegs wider in a stance ready to charge.

He followed suit. “The kind that gets enjoyment out of hearing others scream in agony.” He licked his pearly white teeth. “Let’s hear your screams, Miss Sparkle. I want Flash to remember them for the rest of his life.”

“You’re sick!” Twilight blasted a ray from her horn to which the other unicorn side stepped, the blast sending an unoffending trashcan scattering across the alleyway.

“Your aim is off, but mine isn’t!” he yelled and launched his knife at her.

Twilight gasped in fear and ducked at the last second, though the knife still grazed her cheek, drawing a small trickle of blood.

“Ah, first blood goes to me.” The blade returned to hovering in front of Knives. “Like it always does.”

Twilight fumed and launched a barrage of bolts at the offending unicorn. Knives nimbly dodged many and swatted aside any that he couldn’t with his own magic. He then quickly closed the distance between the two of them and lunged at her with his blade leading. Again, she gasped and jumped aside, barely missing being skewered.

Knives’ creepy laughter chased her as much as the unicorn himself did.

-o-

“What’s the matter, kid? Where’d that fire you were showing earlier go, huh?” Brawn taunted Flash as the latter panted from his exertion.

He took in a gulp of air before responding. “It probably died from lack of air because of your stench!”

“Mouthy brat!” The larger pegasus took to the air and chased after him.

Flash saw the attack coming and dodged aside, shoulder rushing Brawn as he passed by. The blow knocked Brawn for a loop, but a few powerful wingbeats had him upright again. He swooped back down at Flash, but the smaller pegasus was the faster in the air. As the larger pegasus passed by, Flash wasted no time in driving an elbow into Brawn’s side, earning him a satisfying grunt of pain.

Brawn flapped his wings to get himself away, holding his side painfully. “You’re gonna regret that!”

“I’ve regretted a lot worse.” Flash rubbed at his shoulder. “And I’m not going to regret this at all.” Flash flapped his wings and took off like a shot at Brawn. The larger pegasus growled and took off to meet that challenge. Just as the two were about to collide, Flash feinted above Brawn and kicked straight down with all of his strength. The surprise attack caused Brawn to plummet downward until he bounced off a wall and back into the alley, landing in a dumpster with powerful crash.

“Hey, look!” Flash said with a smirk as Brawn climbed out of the dumpster, a banana peel clinging to the side of his head. “You’ve found your way home!”

Brawn shouted an expletive not to be repeated in decent company. “That tears it! I’m gonna make you wish you were fighting Knives!”

“At least he’s classy.” Flash briefly thought on his statement. “Well, relatively speaking. Compared you, at least.”

Seething with rage, Brawn charged back into the air, both forelegs aimed out and ready to pound Flash into the dirt. The younger stallion immediately took off in the same direction Brawn was coming from, diving past the burly pegasus, who instantly stopped and gave chase, his eyes brimming with unbridled fury.

“I was always faster than you, Brawn!” Flash called up. “And you know what else?” Just before he hit the pavement, he swerved back upwards, while Brawn collided into the ground with enough force to crack the concrete. “I was always smarter than you.” Brawn’s only response was a muffled groan of pain as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Flash smiled to himself until a scream caused him to whirl at the source.

-o-

Twilight couldn’t believe how fast Knives was. Every time she thought she had an opening to use her magic, he either dashed away or swatted her attack aside. Worse yet, she couldn’t completely keep him at bay; her magical barrier showed numerous rends and scratches on its surface, evidence of where his knife had struck.

This was a legitimately bad situation she’d gotten herself into. Why didn’t she just try to call the nearest guard? This whole situation could’ve been solved just like that. But no, she just had to play hero!

‘Well, nothing for it, now.’ Her eyes darted all over the alley as her brain tried to piece together a plan of action while Knives continued hacking at her shield with frightening glee she’d only seen in horror movies. Maybe she could—

She screamed as her barrier failed, the magical shards flying past her face. She fell backwards from the blow and found herself laying prone with the demented Knives holding his blade above her. “Time to scream, little lady! Scream nice and loud for me!”

Twilight’s mind raced in desperation. She closed her eyes, her horn glowing as she reached for something, anything, she could use to defend herself with.

“Whatever you’re planning, it’s not going to do you any—” Something hard and metallic slammed into the back of his head, and he staggered as the sound of metal hitting pavement was heard behind him. He looked back to see a trash can lid hitting the ground. Before he could fully process what was happening, there was a shock on his back, and he suddenly couldn’t move, no matter how hard he struggled.

Twilight let out a sigh of relief that was interrupted by adrenaline-fueled panting. “Thank you, paralysis spell,” she muttered to herself as she caught her breath. She heard hooves touching down on the ground, and looked up to see Flash giving her a look that was somehow a mix between relief and frustration.

“You all right?”

With a nod, Twilight rose back up to all fours. “I’ll be fine. What about you?”

Flash gave a shrug. “I’ve been through worse. I’ll live.”

An awkward silence grew between them. Twilight rubbed her foreleg in her discomfort, while Flash settled for looking away briefly.

“We need to talk,” they both said simultaneously. They instantly turned rose red in embarrassment. “We really need to stop doing that,” Flash said with a sigh. “You first.”

Reluctantly, Twilight nodded. “I’m sorry about today. I should never have pushed you into spending time with those guys. They just seemed so nice at the time, and I couldn’t understand why you were being so hostile toward them.” She scowled at the twitching Knives. “I guess I see why now.”

“It’s not your fault,” said Flash. “You didn’t know at the—”

“Oh, get a room,” Knives said in disdain, earning him a glare from the two younger ponies.

“I forgot paralysis spells don’t stop a pony from talking,” Twilight mused aloud, scowling at the paralyzed unicorn. “We should go get some guards and have them take these two in.” Flash nodded and volunteered to watch them while Twilight headed out to find the proper authorities. Nothing else happened, save for Knives grumbling about his fun being ruined until Twilight returned with a pair of guards following her. Once Brawn and Knives were cuffed and being taken by the guards, Flash and Twilight made their way back to the Academy.

As they walked, Twilight glanced at Flash, who seemed deep in thought. He was still not quite himself yet. “What did you want to say?”

He turned a quick look to her.“Huh?”

She glowered at him and pointed a hoof at him. “Don’t try to play dumb. You wanted to say something, too. You’ve already heard what I had to say. What about you?”

There was a flicker of reluctance in his eyes before Flash let out a breath of acceptance. “I… I just feel like you deserve to know the truth.” Twilight stared at him, which only made his tail swish in his nervousness. “When I was kid, I hung out with a lousy crowd. I was a part of the same gang as Brawn and Knives. And I was pickpocket. Nopony in our gang was faster than me, and my hooves were quick enough to get into ponies’ purses, pockets, or whatever else, get some money or valuables or whatever, and get out before anyone even knew what was happening.”

She hadn’t expected that. Growing up in a rough crowd, maybe, but thievery? “What made you stop?”

“We robbed a convenience store. The police got there before we could all get out. The others got away and left me for the cops.” He hung his head low, ashamed.

Twilight blinked in surprise, it took her a moment to find her voice again. “What happened then? Something must’ve happened to get you out of trouble enough to avoid being sent somewhere.”

“My uncle’s a cop. Or… he was. He retired when my parents died. Took a job as a day shift guard at a mall in downtown Manehattan so that he could have more time to take care of me without too much worry. He was pretty respected from his time on the force, so he managed to pull a few strings to keep me out of juvie. All that put a lot of things into perspective for me.” He lifted his head again, staring straight ahead.

She looked at him as he continued to speak. “I learned that that wasn’t the type of life I wanted. After all my uncle did for me and all the trouble I put him through, I realized that I was…”

“Being a mule?” she supplied.

He smirked wanly. “To put it nicely, yeah.”

Twilight smiled back at him. “There’s the Flash Sentry I’ve come to know.”

“Good to be back,” Flash joked. Then, a blush crawled onto his face. “So… I just thinking, and… would you like to go back to that arcade sometime? Just the two of us, you know, hanging out?”

“Oh, uh…” A fierce blush crept on her face, and she hesitated briefly. “Well, I… I don’t see why not. Sure. I’d like that.”

A warm smile crossed his face. “Great. So… Saturday, maybe?”

Her smile wasn’t as wide, but no less warm. “Sure.”

-o-

The rocking of the cart carrying Brawn and Knives only pissed the former off more as it seemed to find every last hole and rut in the street. All he could think about was how his head was killing him and how much he wanted to kill the one who caused it to hurt so bad in the first place. Flash might’ve been a good pickpocket, but he was more trouble than he was worth. Knives’ constant mumbling didn’t make things any better, either.

When the cart hit a particularly large bump in the road, Brawn finally had enough. “Are you idiots trying to make this ride worse than it already is!?” He was met with silence. What else could he expect? Oddly enough, the ride suddenly became a lot smoother. Weirdly smooth. Almost like—

“We’ve stopped,” Knives pointed out. Brawn nodded. There were no windows in the cart, so he couldn’t look outside to see what was happening. Something was off.

Suddenly, the door to the cart was enveloped in a red glow, and was pulled open. There stood a stunningly beautiful unicorn mare, whose mane, tail, and coat were all snow white, and her eyes a bright, bloody red. She wore a black cloak that bore a series of astral symbols, moons being most prominent.

“Brawn and Knives?” she asked coolly, her crimson eyes boring into them like cold drills.

“Who wants to know?” Brawn scowled. Knives settled for giving the mare his trademark appraiser’s stare.

“Someone who is interested in hiring your services,” she answered, returning Knives’ look with one equally disturbing, if not more so. “Call me White Star. My master is interested in recruiting you both into our… organization.”

Brawn gave her a skeptical glare. “And what do we get out of it? We don’t work for just any broad.”

“I could leave you here until the guards wake up and take you to prison,” the mare said with a flat voice. “Or, you could come with me and be paid handsomely to do what you love. I promise it will be most… pleasurable.”

“I’m sold,” Knives said with a tiny grin. “What do we have to lose?”

The burly pegasus grumbled, stewing in his frustration as he looked between the two unicorns. Seeing his opinion was clearly outvoted, he sighed in defeat. “Fine. It’s not like we’ve got anything better waiting for us back in Manehattan.”

White Star’s horn glowed crimson, and the chains on their hooves, Brawn’s wings, and the magic-dampening ring on Knives’ horn all fell apart, collapsing on the cart floor with metallic thuds.

Her smile grew to a predatory leer. “Gentlecolts, welcome to the Knights of the Dark Moon.”

Author's Note

For anyone who has a problem with us including an arcade in this particular chapter:

I think it's fine.

Be True to You

A figure knelt before the altar in the chamber, his body completely covered from snout to tail in a heavy monks’ habit. His low voice offered a hymn to his goddess, the Mistress of the Night. The many acolytes behind him pressed their muzzles to the floor as he completed the sacred ritual. The giant emblem of the Mare in the Moon seemed to gaze down upon them with a stern glare, as if deity depicted was displeased.

Finishing the hymn, the cloaked pony spread incense upon the altar, and used a nearby candle to set them aflame. The smell of the incense washed over the gathering, filling their nostrils with the strong scent of sacred datura. The cloaked pony rose and turned to his followers.

“We are the children of the Night.” His voice echoed throughout the vaulted chamber.

“Chosen, by the Mistress,” the gathering said in unison.

He raised his forelegs to them. “We will be the ones to bring the majesty of the Night to this realm.”

“Beloved, by the Mistress.”

The cloaked pony swept a foreleg across the gathering. “No place will there be for the Light.”

“Despised, by the Mistress.”

“All who cling to the Light shall know the holy fury of the Nightmare.”

“Pitied, by the Mistress.”

“Go now, and await the eve that she will call her beloved sons and daughters to her side. Dwell within the dark, and wait. For soon, she will return to us, and show us the way to true enlightenment.”

“As commanded, by the Mistress.” As one, the gathering stood and silently filtered out of the chamber room. All save for the cloaked pony and another.

The cloaked pony turned his gaze to the other. “White Star,” the stallion said. “How goes recruitment?”

“It goes well, Master,” the snow white mare replied in her perpetually calm voice. “We have a steady flow of new acolytes joining our ranks, willing and otherwise.”

“You have done well.”

She lowered her head at the praise. “All I do is for the glory of the Mistress of Night and Dreams.”

He turned back for the altar and watched as the incense burned to ashes. “But now, your focus must be on another task.”

She looked back up, her crimson eyes widening only slightly. “Milord, have I done something to offend?”

The stallion chuckled. “Of course not, my dear. I merely need you to oversee some… deliveries.” White Star gave him a quizzical look. “When the time comes for the One Queen’s return, there will undoubtedly be resistance. Our forces are formidable, but our… volunteers will needs arms as well if our plans are to succeed.”

The white mare felt as though she knew where this was going. “You wish for me to ensure that we acquire shipments of weapons and armor, correct?”

He nodded. “Our means of acquiring them are less than reputable, but we’ve not much choice, given our circumstances.”

“And what of recruitment? Do you wish me to continue?”

“No. We’ve enough recruits and acolytes to surpass the Royal Guard’s pitiful defenses. We merely need weapons and armor to further tilt the scales in our favor.”

“As you will it, Master,” White Star said with a nod and a bow.

He turned back to the altar and brushed clean the incense. “I want the citizens to think they are safe, to think that their protectors have done all they could to keep them protected. And when the time comes for the One Queen’s return, we will crush that feeling of hope they so cling to. The days of Celestia’s reign are numbered, and the citizens of Equestria will welcome the Queen and her Knights with open hearts.”

-o-

For some reason, the Academy looked a little smaller than she remembered. She wasn’t really sure why. Maybe it was all the students filing into the courtyard? The first time she came here, it wasn’t nearly as crowded. Some ponies even bumped into her as she walked, which she mostly ignored, despite some ponies not even bothering to acknowledge that they had bumped into her.

‘Is it always this hectic at the start of the second semester?’ Rainbow inquired to herself, making a mental note to ask Fluttershy about that when she saw her next.

“Hi, Rainbow Dash!” said a familiar, hyperactive voice from a pink blur that stopped next to the prismatic pegasus. Pinkie grabbed Rainbow in a hug, her face beaming excitedly. “It’s great to see you again! How was Cloudsdale?”

Dash smirked as Pinkie released her. “Good to see you, too, Pinks. Cloudsdale was awesome, just like always. Scootaloo showed off some sweet moves on her scooter. I swear, that filly’s gonna have a cutie mark of that thing at some point.” The pair started walking, heading into the Academy with the other students. “What about you? How was your family?”

For a brief moment, Pinkie actually hesitated. She let out an uncharacteristically heavy sigh. “Well… Mom and Dad still argued. On the bright side, I managed to make all my sisters happy for the holidays! I’d never seen Maud so excited before!”

The cyan mare chuckled. “Every victory counts. Take what you can get, Pinks, and work to get what you can’t.”

“Now there’s some words to live by,” spoke a familiar southern drawl. Applejack joined the other two mares. “Come up with that yourself, Dash?”

“I wish. Spitfire of the Wonderbolts said that one time during one their shows.” The three shared a laugh at that. “So, AJ, anything cool happen back home for you?”

The farm mare shook her head. “Nah. Just the usual workload. Takin’ care of an orchard as big as your hometown doesn’t leave a lotta room for much else.” She smiled happily. “It was good ta see my family again, though. Ah really missed ‘em.”

“Is Granny Smith’s hip still acting up?” Pinkie inquired curiously.

“Actually, we managed to work up enough money to afford that replacement hip. Y’all shoulda seen her! It was like she was whole new mare!”

At that, Rainbow flew a bit ahead of her friends, grinning confidently. “Hey, we’re just walking around talking about a our families right now. What do you say we make them proud and make this semester more awesome than the last one already was?”

Pinkie gasped in excitement, her thrilled smile showing off her array of pearly whites. “Now that’s a plan I can get behind!”

“Darn tootin’! Let’s show ‘em what we can do!”

While the three mares cheered themselves on, just outside the Academy gates, one young stallion stood with saddlebags hanging from his back and a pamphlet in one hoof. Looking up from the pamphlet, he took in the enormity of Canterlot Academy, privately admitting to being rather impressed.

“Big place,” he said to himself as he stuffed the pamphlet into his bags and trotted in with the ponies that were likely soon to be his classmates.

-o-

“Yo, Twi! Guess who’s back!” Rainbow kicked the door closed behind her as she entered the room she shared with the lavender unicorn, whose shoulders slumped with a heavy sigh as she turned to meet her roommate.

“And here I was enjoying the peace and quiet,” Twilight said in a slightly snide tone, sarcasm practically dripping out of her voice.

“Ah, you know you missed me, egghead.” The pegasus set her bags at the foot of her bed before flopping onto the mattress with a contented sigh. “Man, you missed out on a great vacay.”

“Vacation,” Twilight absently responded.

Rainbow looked at her oddly. “Say what?”

“It’s ‘vacation,’ not ‘vacay.’” She muttered, shaking her head.

The pegasus scoffed. “Whatever, Twi. I don’t see the big deal.” She rolled to her side, facing her friend. “So, I guess you just spent the whole break studying like you always do in your off time?”

Surprisingly, Twilight seemed to hesitate for a moment. “Mostly. Let’s just say I got a little bit of excitement over the past few weeks.”

Dash blinked in brief confusion. “Uh-huh,” she said. She then rolled onto her back again and stretched her legs and wings with a yawn. “Well, I had a long trip from Cloudsdale. I’m gonna catch a few Z’s. Wake me up when it’s time for dinner.” And just like that, she was out like a light. Quietly, Twilight wished she could fall asleep on command like that. It would make mornings so much easier on her.

-o-

A sharp pain on her cheek startled Rainbow back into the waking world, her head darting around to find whatever had struck her. Next to her bed, Twilight stood with a slightly raised hoof, her expression just slightly annoyed. It didn’t take long for Rainbow to figure out what had just happened.

“Any particular reason you just slapped me?” the prismatic mare asked in agitation. Twilight pointed to Rainbow’s clock. It read 7:45. “Yeah, so?” Twilight pointed to the clock again, and Rainbow looked at it. Upon further inspection, it read 7:45—

“A.M.!?” she screamed in shock. “But what about dinner!?”

“You wouldn’t wake up,” Twilight plainly answered with a casual shrug. “It didn’t seem like that big of a deal at the time. And I took you sleeping in as a blessing of sorts.”

Wait a minute. Sleeping in?

Realization dawned on Rainbow’s head like a sack of bricks to her skull.

“My exercises!” she shouted. “And classes are supposed to start again today!” She grabbed Twilight by the shoulders. “Why didn’t you wake me up sooner!?”

“What do you think I’ve been trying to do?”

Rainbow grabbed the sides of her head. “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! This can’t be happening! I gotta get my exercises in, or I’ll slack for the team! But I can’t be late for class either! Oh, man, what do I do?!”

“How about get to class and exercise later?” Twilight deadpanned.

“Right, exercise later! Class now!” She zoomed out of the room in a rainbow-colored blur.

Twilight huffed and gathered her things, only to be bowled over when Rainbow dashed back in. “Forgot my stuff!” That was all she said before grabbing her things and zipping right back out.

Twilight looked at herself in a mirror and found her mane to be a wind-torn mess. She growled, steam rising from her ears. “Rainbow Dash! If I’m late because of you, I swear, you’re the one paying for it!” But her roommate was already far out of hearing range.

In her rush, Rainbow blew past several other students, knocking books out of unicorns’ grasps and off earth ponies’ and pegasi’s backs, earning her the ire of numerous peers. At this point, however, she didn’t care. Rainbow Dash was never late to anything. She couldn’t consider herself the fastest flier in Equestria if she was ever late to anything.

Unfortunately, she wouldn’t have time for breakfast, but she’d just have to grin and bear it until lunch rolled along. Her stomach bellowed in protest to that decision, but there was no help for it. Class first, food and exercise later.

In her furious flight, ponies around her were little more than colorful splotches in the world that she blasted past on her way Professor Daring’s class. Normally, that wasn’t much of problem. She was agile enough to avoid crashing into anypony, one of the many traits she was proud of herself for. That is, until one navy blue splotch decided to turn right into her path at the last possible instant.

With a yelp of both surprise and pain, Rainbow flew straight into the splotch, both her and the pony she met violently rolling across the ground until they met a wall with a very audible thud. Both ponies groaned in pain as they separated, Rainbow rubbing her throbbing head in an attempt to stop the planet from spinning so fast.

When she eventually succeeded, she looked around for the pony she’d run into, hoping to Celestia that they weren’t—

“Whoa…” That was all she could say. In front of her was pony unlike any she’d seen before. He was a stallion that looked around her age, with a dark blue coat and near-black mane. His cutie mark looked like a lance or a spear piercing a tornado, which was probably one of the cooler cutie marks she’d seen in her life so far.

His most obvious and startling features, however, were his wings and eyes. His wings were leathery and batlike. His eyes were a golden yellow, with thin, slitted pupils, like a cat’s. Beyond those abnormalities, though, he was… well, he wasn’t exactly hard on the eyes, that was for sure.

“Uh… s-sorry about that,” she said in an awkward tone that sounded as though she were Fluttershy instead of herself.

The bat-winged pony looked at her briefly and shook his head, standing on all fours before carefully popping his neck. “It’s all right,” he said in a weirdly calm tone of voice. “I’ve been hit harder by ruder ponies.”

“Er, okay. That’s good. I-I mean, um…” She honestly had no idea where this was coming from all of a sudden. Shyness was Fluttershy’s thing! “Sorry.”

The bat pony eyed her with a raised eyebrow. “Something wrong?”

“What? Uh, no, I’m fine.” With a cough, Rainbow cleared her throat. “I’m Rainbow Dash. I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before. You new here?”

“Yeah, actually.” He pulled what looked like a schedule out of one of his bags, which must’ve fallen to the ground when Rainbow crashed into him. “I’m Howling Wind. Or Howl, if you prefer. I’m trying to find the arboretum. I have a botany class there.”

“Oh, really?” Rainbow smirked. “Hey, no worries.” She pointed over to where natural science classes were held. “The arboretum is over thataway. My friend Fluttershy is usually around there in the mornings. Just look for a yellow pegasus with a pink mane. She’s got a bunch of butterflies for a cutie mark. You can’t miss her. She’ll show you where to go from there.”

Howl nodded gratefully. “Thanks.” Without another word, he put away his schedule, gathered up his bags, and headed off in the direction that Rainbow had indicated. “Hate to be late for class.”

Rainbow could almost swear she heard glass breaking somewhere. “Aw, horse apples! I’m gonna be late!” She then flew off in a prismatic blur, leaving Howling Wind slightly befuddled by her sudden departure.

As Rainbow sped down the hallway, she saw the classroom door begin to close.

“No-no-no-no! Wait!” With a burst of speed, she zipped passed the door, leaving Professor Daring with a natural, wind-blown look.

“Nice to see you could make it to class on time, Crayon Box,” the instructor deadpanned before closing the door in the face of another student, straightening her mane with a hoof.

Rainbow chuckled nervously as she took her seat next to Twilight, ignoring the humored grins from both the unicorn and Wanderer. “Sorry about that, Prof. I kinda slept in.”

“I can attest to that,” Twilight commented.

Rainbow blinked at the unicorn. “Wait a minute, how did you get here before me?”

“I’ve been working on my teleportation,” the lavender mare answered with a small grin of satisfaction. “Did you really think I’d spent the entire break just reading books?” Again, Rainbow blinked at her friend, then heaved out a sigh of very nearly defeated acceptance.

“Whatever. Let’s just—” She stopped her sentence short as she reached for a pencil from her saddlebags, feeling nothing but air and her own side. “Wait, where’s my bags?” Her eyes popped open wide when she realized that they must’ve fell off when she crashed into Howling Wind.

‘And I doubt Teach’ll let me go get them,’ she bemoaned as she lay her chin on the desk in front of her, sighing through her nose. As if this day could get any worse.

-o-

“Today is the worst day of my life,” groaned a certain multi-colored pegasus as she slowly ate her lunch.

“It wasn’t that bad, Rainbow,” Twilight assured. “I mean, sure, Professor Daring threw that pop quiz at us without warning, and you weren’t prepared by any definition of the word, but this is far from the worst day you could ever have.”

“You could have lent me one of those billions of quills you wave around all the time,” the pegasus grumbled.

“Rainbow, you know how strict Professor Daring is about things like that. Rule 14: No sharing writing utensils,” Twilight said as she took a bite of her food, her eyes looking over an open book next to her.

“That seems a tad extreme,” said Rarity as she sipped from her glass of water. She put a hoof to her chin in thought. “Then again, most ponies do write with their mouths. I suppose I can see why that rule is there.”

Rainbow snorted. “It’s a dumb rule when you consider the fact that I wanted to borrow a pen from a unicorn who writes using her magic.”

“Rules are rules, Rainbow,” Twilight chided before taking a bite of her lunch. “I don’t make them. I just follow them.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Dash turned her head away from her friends, looking around at the ponies milling about in the cafeteria. She was trying to find that Howling Wind guy again. He probably had her bags. She briefly thought for a moment that he might’ve looked through them, but quickly shot that down. He seemed decent enough not to look through other ponies’ things.

“Hello, everypony,” said Fluttershy, who sat down with her tray of salad and turned to her. “Rainbow, a pony named Howling Wind said you’d dropped this.” She slid a dark blue bag with a prismatic lightning bolt insignia stitched onto the flaps over to her fellow pegasus, who took it eagerly. “Was he a friend of yours?”

The cyan mare rummaged through her bag, making sure everything was where she had originally left it and sighed once she saw that all was there. “I only just met him today. I bumped into him in my rush to get to class.”

“Care to elaborate on that?” inquired Trixie as she took bite off of an apple.

For a moment, Rainbow hesitated. “Well… I didn’t ‘bump into him’ so much as I flew him into a wall.” The others all stared at her. “What? He walked right in front of me, and I was going too fast to turn in time!” A few eyebrows raised at that, and she shook her head. “It was an accident! I don’t tackle random ponies on purpose!”

“Nopony said anythin’ about that, Dash,” Applejack assured her.

“What was this Howling Wind like?” Rarity asked.

Rainbow Dash thought on that for a few moments before settling on an answer. “That’s… kinda hard to say. He seemed kinda quiet. Didn’t look like he was bothered too much when I ran into him.” She perked up a bit as details returned to her. “He looked sorta weird, too. He had these weird eyes, and his wings were like a bat’s or something.”

“He had bat wings?” Twilight looked up from her book curiously. “So he was a thestral?”

Rainbow gave a helpless shrug. “I… guess so? What’s a thestral?”

Twilight took a few seconds to ponder the question. “Well, I don’t know much about them - they’re a fairly reclusive race - but from what I understand, they’re a lot like pegasi, except they’re mostly nocturnal. They’re actually pretty rare.”

Pinkie Pie perked up with a somewhat impish look of curiosity in her eyes. “What do you mean rare?”

It took a moment for Twilight to remember that history wasn’t a subject that Pinkie studied often. “During the Nightmare Wars a thousand years ago, a lot of thestrals - not all of them, mind you - took Nightmare Moon’s side. After the war, ponies started to actively hunt them down. It took years for Princess Celestia to end the persecution before it could become genocide.”

Fluttershy gasped with her hooves over her mouth. “That’s awful! And all because some of them made a bad choice?”

Applejack frowned with an uncharacteristically venomous look. “Ah know things were different back then, and ponies musta been scared stiff o’ nighttime critters at the time, but that shouldn’t give anypony the right to condemn an entire race o’ ponies for somethin’ not all of ‘em were a part of.”

“A few bad apples spoil the bunch,” Twilight said dourly. “Ponies can be suspicious and sometimes even cowardly creatures, especially a thousand years ago.” A grim, oppressive silence fell over the table.

Wanderer rubbed at his chin. “Still, if a thes… whatever, is a student here, it shows that things are better they used to be, right?” He shrugged idly. “Maybe he’ll be in some of our other classes. We can always try to be friendly.”

“I don’t know,” Rainbow said. “He wasn’t a jerk about it, but he didn’t seem particularly chatty.”

Wanderer smirked playfully. “Neither would I if I got slammed into a wall by a speed-crazy pegasus.”

She glowered at him. “Wanderer, do I have to beat you at a race again?”

He snorted. “Keep your wings out of it, and we’ll see.”

“Mind if I join ya?” Applejack asked after swallowing her bite of food. “Ah’ll show ya both how to win a race.”

Rainbow scoffed, flipping her mane out of her eyes. “You actually think you can keep up with me, AJ?”

Applejack snorted challengingly. “And Ah can beat ya, too.”

“Says you!”

Wanderer chuckled. “You ladies can fight over second place after I win.”

They both glowered at him, but he didn’t back down from those challenging stares. “A race after class today? Winner gets bragging rights for a week?” His smirk showing a hint of cockiness.

“You’re on!” Rainbow challenged.

“Ah’ll show ya both how it’s done,” Applejack said. “Just like Ah did at the tryouts!”

Rainbow chuckled as Wanderer muttered at Applejack. Despite their rivalry, she always considered their boasts and challenges as some of the greatest moments in school. She saw that the rest of her friends were either smiling at the three or shaking their heads at them—Twilight and Trixie being part of the latter.

“Sometimes, I think you three are just little foals in older bodies,” Trixie grumbled despite a faint smirk of humor.

Pinkie bounced in her seat with an excited grin. “Oh, this is so exciting! Three of the best athletes in the freshman year racing to the finish to see who’s the top athlete! I call being the announcer!”

“For who, exactly?” asked one of Rarity’s followers, the unicorn named Victor. “I’m guessing it’s just going to be all of us. Maybe one or two others who stumble on it.”

“Ooh! Ooh! We make an event out of it!” Pinkie said, bouncing in her chair. “A welcome back to school race!”

A faint flush crept up Wanderer’s face. “It’s just a little competition between friends. No need to get the entire Academy in on it.”

“Afraid you’ll lose in front o’ everypony, Wanderer?” Applejack smirked at him.

“He’s probably scared he’ll get shown up by two girls,” Rainbow added with her own grin.

The flush vanished from his face, replaced by a daring expression. “I was gonna say to save you mares from embarrassment, but if that’s the way you’re gonna be…” His lopsided grin grew viciously. “I’ll have to prove to the school who’s the best.”

Pinkie, beaming excitedly, bounced over to the three, pulling them in a tight hug. “This is gonna be so super-duper-fantasti-mazingly-awesome-rific!”

“You do know that that's not a word, right?” Twilight said with a raised eyebrow.

The pink mare giggled and patted the unicorn’s head. “Semantics, my dear Twilight. I’ll spread the word!” And just like that, she was gone in a pink blur.

“Do any of you think Pinkie would be up to join the race as well?” Rarity inquired jokingly.

Rainbow scoffed. “Are you kidding? Even I have a hard time keeping up with her.” A laugh was shared around the table.

As conversation turned more general, even as Wanderer and Applejack shared tales of their winter break, Rainbow found her mind drifting back towards that Howling Wind guy she had run into earlier. She wasn’t sure how or why her mind found its back to him; maybe it was guilt for running into him without really apologizing for it. Maybe if she ran into—met him again, she clarified—she would give him a true apology. It just didn’t sit right with her to leave it as it is.

-o-

Howling Wind squinted his eyes at the sunlight as he stepped out of Academy library, a navy blue foreleg over his brow as his pupils slowly and meekly adjusted to the brightness of the daytime. How did diurnal ponies put up with this all the time? He knew they were more adapted to daylight than his own race was, but still.

The light, however, was the least of his concerns. The Academy’s scheduling system didn’t agree with his internal clock. Sleeping at night and waking up during the day just didn’t come naturally to him. Again, he had to ask himself how other ponies put up with that.

‘Why did I think agreeing to come here would be a good idea again?’ he asked himself. He rummaged through his bags for a moment, looking for the wide-rim hat he brought with him to keep the sun out of his eyes. He stopped when he found something else. In his hooves, he held up a photograph from a few days before he left home for the Academy. A family of three smiled back at him from the picture. Well, two of them were smiling. The third one was himself, looking more or less indifferent.

Next to him in the picture stood a thestral stallion; tall, well-built, golden-eyed, and with a big, cocky grin on his slightly scarred face, with a coat a darker shade of blue than Howling Wind’s own, and an equally dark mane. Between them beamed a thestral filly, her yellow eyes gleaming excitedly beneath her sky blue mane that complimented her dark red coat.

‘Oh… right.’ With a sigh, he placed the photograph back in his bag carefully, so as not to risk it getting damaged.

He strapped his saddlebags onto his back again and headed for straight for the dorms. With classes over for the day, it was time to hit the books for a night of study before going to sleep for the night. As he walked, he found himself thinking about that pegasus mare with the colorful mane. What was her name again? “Rainbow” something. He sort of hoped that that pink-maned pegasus at the arboretum got her bag to her. Forgetting one’s utensils was doubtful to be easy on ponies here.

When he arrived at the dorms, before he could head for the stairs to get to his room, a prismatic blur zoomed past him, stopping just a moment after. He pushed his mane back out of his eyes to see it was that cyan pegasus from earlier again.

“There you are!” She smirked at him as she touched down. “I’ve been looking for you. I wanted to thank you for making sure my saddlebags got back to me.”

Howl merely gave a slight nod of acknowledgement. “It’s not that big a deal. You said that you had a friend at the arboretum, and you were long gone by the time I noticed you’d left your bags behind. I only did what most anypony would’ve done.” He looked at her for a moment. “You said your name was Rainbow… Dash, right?”

The mare’s smirk widened. “Yep! The one and only!” She flared her wings proudly, as if to emphasize her point. “Hey, a couple friends of mine and I having a hoof race in about an hour. Another friend of mine spread the word to the whole school. You interested?”

“In racing?” Howling asked. “Not particularly.”

“You don’t have to race if you don’t want to,” Rainbow assured him. “It’s just me, Applejack, and Wanderer - those are my friends - going around the track to see who’s faster on hoof. Most ponies are just gonna be there to watch.”

He took her offer into silent consideration. On the one hoof, he would personally prefer to stay in his room and study up before hitting the hay. On the other, Rainbow Dash seemed rather insistent. That, and he’d been raised to appreciate simple friendly offers. There was nothing inherently wrong with watching a race, he supposed.

“I’ll think about it,” he finally said as he headed for the stairway.

“Don’t take too long, buddy,” he heard Rainbow say. “You don’t wanna miss it!”

‘I’m quaking with excitement.’ The thestral climbed up the stairs to his room. Personally, he admitted that the way Rainbow talked about it made the idea of a simple hoof race seem a little exciting. He could at least see what the fuss was about.

-o-

Just when Rainbow thought Pinkie Pie couldn’t surprise her anymore, the pink mare took her expectations and hit them with a freight train at full speed. Rainbow and her friends only made their challenge a few hours ago, and it seemed as if the whole school had shown up to watch. The bleachers were almost full with students and teachers who had gathered to watch their impromptu race. She even saw Coach Iron Will sitting in the stands, watching them with narrowed eyes.

For all her searching, she didn’t catch sight of Howling Wind.

“Ya know, Ah didn’t expect Pinkie to bring everypony out for this,” Applejack said as she stretched near the starting line of the track. “Ah thought she’d bring a few others from her classes, if anypony at all.”

Wanderer trotted in place. “So, how are we gonna do this? One lap doesn’t seem long enough, you know?”

Rainbow looked back at them. “Make it a full mile? Run four laps around the track, and winner gets bragging rights.”

Applejack gave her a flat stare. “You’d brag anyway, Rainbow.” Wanderer chuckled at her remark.

Rainbow flipped her mane with a confident toss of her head. “That’s ‘cause I’m awesome! And today, I’m gonna prove it!”

“Not if Ah have anythin’ to say about it!” Applejack challenged right back, tugging her hat tighter onto her head.

The two butted heads, their smiles giving away their playful banter.

Wanderer looked at the two with a mock look of self pity. “Why am I always the one being left out?” He sighed and shrugged grandly. “Oh, well. While you ladies battle it out, I’ll be waiting patiently at the finish line for you two to catch up.”

Rainbow scoffed. “Yeah, you’ll be waiting for Applejack. I’ll already be at the finish line by then!”

“Not leavin’ the startin’ line doesn’t count, Dash,” Applejack said with a smirk of amusement.

The cyan pegasus wanted to come up with a retort to that, but was unable to think of a good response. She huffed and turned to head for the starting line, where she took one last look at the crowd. She wasn’t about to admit this, but seeing so many ponies watching her all at once made her just the tiniest bit nervous. Still, she wasn’t about to lose a race to a pair of earth ponies, even if they were her friends. She had a reputation to uphold, after all.

Once Wanderer and Applejack joined her at the starting line, they heard the sound of a speaker blaring to life, much to a lot of ponies’ agitation. The sound of a hoof tapping a microphone was heard over the speakers before Pinkie Pie’s voice said, “Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3. Is this thing working?”

“It’s working!” somepony in the crowd shouted angrily.

“Okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie chirped happily, completely unperturbed. She was sitting at a table that had a microphone resting on top of it, her excited grin wide as always. “Welcome, fillies, gentlecolts, and one gruff, but lovable, minotaur!” Rainbow could’ve sworn she heard Coach Iron Will snort at that. “We’re all here today to see three of the top athletes in Canterlot Academy’s freshman year go at it in a race to the finish to see who’s Number 1!”

Pinkie made a pretty good announcer, as her exuberance carried over to the crowd, who cheered loudly as the three racers prepared themselves.

“Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Wanderer will be going for a full-speed, mile-long gallop around the track, upon which I have personally added a few obstacles to make things more exciting!”

Wanderer looked up with frightened look. “She what?”

Applejack blinked and looked around at the track. “Ah don’t see any obstacles.”

As if on cue, Pinkie pressed a button on the table. A low rumbling was heard from the ground as parts of the track opened up. From the ground rose several hurdles, a rope swing over a pool of water, hoops that were clearly meant to be jumped through, one of those barb wire things soldiers would crawl under in training, and what looked like a mud pit that smelled suspiciously like chocolate with wooden platforms floating in it.

Silence. Complete and utter silence.

Rainbow Dash blinked and rubbed her eyes, which were wide with disbelief. “When did she have time to build all of this?”

Wanderer stared at the obstacles for several moments before he started to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Rainbow demanded.

He grinned at her. “Remember, Rainbow: no wings.”

“Yeah, yeah, I remember,” the pegasus grumbled in irritation. This likely wouldn’t be as much of a cakewalk as she thought.

“Runners! Are you ready?” Pinkie’s voiced echoed through the still stunned crowd.

“Would she listen if we told her no?” Wanderer joked before setting himself at the starting line.

“Doubt it,” came Applejack’s response.

“On your marks! Get set!”

Rainbow, Applejack, and Wanderer readied themselves, crouched low in their starting positions. Rainbow’s wings were flared out instinctively, but she managed to force them back into folded position.

“Oh, wait a minute!” Earning confused looks from everyone, Pinkie zoomed off in a pink blur, soon returning with a bucket of popcorn. “Okay, go!”

The three took off like shots. They kept pace with each other, clearing the hurdles without any trouble. When they came to the rope swing, Applejack lowered her head and burst ahead of the others and grabbed hold of the rope.

“Yeehaw!” she cried as she swung over and deftly landed on the other side.

Wanderer was next to the rope. “I’ve got this!” He swung across, but found his grip slipping. “Oh, cr—” he splashed into the pool. He emerged soon after, shaking his head and wiping his face of the water.

“What did ya have, Wanderer?” Applejack teased before running further along the track.

“Get back here!” he called and chased after her.

Rainbow grabbed the rope and swung across. Briefly, she felt her grip slip near the end, but she thankfully landed on the other side of the pool, her left hind leg only barely touching the water.

Applejack ran ahead, and grinned cockily. She jumped through the hoops, but found that they started to move up and down on her. She gasped and tried to adjust, but her right foreleg caught the edge of a hoop.

“Whoa!” She tripped and fell face first into the track’s surface.

She had only just shaken her head of the dizziness when Wanderer rushed past her. “Feeling loopy yet?” He laughed as he jumped through each hoop with ease. Soon enough, a smirking Rainbow Dash ran past her, moving through the hoops even more easily than Wanderer.

“Dagnabbit!” Applejack cursed and rushed after the two.

At the barbed wire crawl, Rainbow Dash struggled. Crawling wasn’t her style, but it was something she’d have to put up with if she was going to prove that she was the best. Wanderer was right ahead of her, barely slowing down, while Applejack was quickly gaining up behind her. She’d have to pick it up soon if she wanted to win this!

Once she made it out of the barbed wire, with Applejack right next to her, Rainbow galloped for the mud pit, where Wanderer had leaped for one of the platforms, but lost his balance as the wooden plank teetered uncontrollably, dropping him into the brown mess.

“Wait a minute…” He tasted the “mud,” smacking his lips for a moment. “This is chocolate!”

“Of course it’s chocolate, silly. It’s so much better than mud, right?” They heard Pinkie call over the microphone. “Not to mention it’s super-duper yummy!”

“Where did you even get all of this?” he yelled at her.

“Silly Wanderer! Don’t you still have a race to win?”

He blinked, then saw Rainbow Dash and Applejack already on the last couple of platforms, leaping for the track proper and galloping ahead of him.

“Pony-feathers!” He swam back for the platform and leapt across without another mishap.

The rest of the race was mostly neck-and-neck, with all three racers unwilling to give each other an edge. The second lap was smoother for all three of them than the first, and the third one smoother still. Halfway through the final lap, Rainbow Dash had claimed the lead, with Applejack in second and Wanderer lagging behind.

Rainbow’s grin was almost permanent as she crawled out from under the barbed wire for the fourth and final time and galloped for the chocolate pit. There was no way she was going to lose this, especially not in front of so many spectators. She was going to win this thing no matter what!

Feeling a bit more sure of herself than usual as she crossed the chocolate pit, she looked over at the crowd. They were cheering her name, as they rightfully should. She soon caught sight of someone she didn’t expect to see here at all.

Sitting in the shade of a tree was Howling Wind, who watched with those piercing yellow eyes of his. Something about the way he was looking at her captured her complete attention. Everything else seemed to slow down for just a split-second. And that split-second was all it took to screw her over.

Just as she landed on the last platform, her hooves slipped, flipping the plank and making her fall into the vat of chocolaty goodness. She sputtered as she shot her head back up for her, only to feel a hoof hit the back of her cranium. An orange form tripped over her, falling into the brown pool with her. Applejack shot out of the chocolate, spitting out a fair bit of it as Wanderer hopped over both of them.

“No!” Both mares cried as the stallion charged ahead for the finish line. They could only watch helplessly as he ran across the line to the loud cheering of the crowd.

“And Wanderer wins it all in a startling come-from-behind victory!” Pinkie cried over the microphone. The cheering grew louder as the stallion raised a foreleg up in victory.

Applejack swam to the side of the pool, spitting out the last of the chocolate from her mouth. “What was that about, Rainbow Dash? Why’d ya trip me up like that?”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!” the pegasus said, as she shook the goo from her mane. “I just…”

“You what?” the earth mare demanded.

“I slipped,” Rainbow said, looking away.

Before Applejack could say anything more, they felt someone walk up to the edge of the pool and offer their hooves to help them out of the chocolate.

Wanderer smiled down at them as he held his hooves out. “That was a good race. I thought for sure you guys had me.” He grunted as he pulled both mares from the pool.

Applejack shook the chocolate from her coat, splattering the stallion with a covering of the sweet-tasting stuff. She flushed as he wiped his face clean. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

He chuckled despite himself. “It’s all right. I shouldn’t have been standing so close.”

She grinned as well, but it faded when she looked at Rainbow as she finished shaking the chocolate from her coat. “So, what was that about Rainbow? It ain’t like ya to pull a stunt like that.”

Her ears pinned back. “I told you, I slipped. It’s not that big of a deal.”

Wanderer furrowed his brow, but it was Applejack who spoke. “Dash, you’re lyin’ to me. What’s wrong?”

Rainbow turned away from them. “Nothing.” She spread her wings and took to the sky, away from the track.

“Is she gonna be okay?” Wanderer asked as he watched after the pegasus.

Applejack sighed but nodded. “She’ll be fine. She just hates losin’.”

Wanderer tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Kinda like someone else I know.” He winked at her playfully.

Applejack would later admit that pushing him into the vat of chocolate felt rather cathartic.

-o-

When Twilight returned to her and Rainbow’s room, she was surprised to find her roommate lying in bed apparently doing… nothing. The pegasus was staring up at the ceiling, as if deep in thought, and didn’t seem to notice Twilight’s entry. While this was indeed odd, the lavender mare decided to take the rare peace and quiet as an opportunity to study up tonight. She had just gotten a book about the varying forms of magic between each pony race that compared similarities and differences between them, and she was more than eager to get started on—

“Hey, Twi,” Rainbow spoke up once she realized she was no longer alone. Twilight sighed in resignation. ‘Hey, Twi’ usually turned into Rainbow Dash rambling on about one thing or another, usually something that boosted her ego. “Got anything there about thestrals?”

That question caught the unicorn off guard for a moment, and she blinked in brief confusion at the other mare. “I’m afraid not. Why?”

“Oh, uh… just curious.” That was an example of dodging the question if Twilight ever heard one. Rainbow refused to respond with any other answer when asked about it again. Soon enough, Twilight just rolled her eyes and gave up on getting an honest answer out of the prismatic pegasus.

Rainbow Dash’s mind was working its metaphorical butt off, however, to try and find an answer to Twilight’s question. She wasn’t completely sure why she had such a sudden interest in thestrals herself. She could really only reason that Howling Wind had something to do with it. It could simply be curiosity. She’d never even heard of thestrals until today, and meeting one seemed to have really thrown off her day… more so than it already had been, considering she slept in later than she would’ve liked.

She found her thoughts falling on Howling Wind again. Something about him was… different. Not just physically, but… she didn’t know a good word to describe it, but the difference from other ponies was there, plain as day.

What was the difference? Was it really just his appearance? That couldn’t be it. Rainbow didn’t normally care about appearances. Could it have been his weirdly aloof nature? His collectedness? His gorgeous, golden eyes?

‘Whoa, wait, where did that come from?’ Rainbow asked herself when her brain managed to process that last question.

She groaned in frustration and rolled towards the wall. Why was she so badly off her game today?

A slightly exasperated sigh sounded behind her. “What’s wrong, Rainbow?”

Rainbow turned enough to look at her friend. “Nothing’s wrong, why?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Dash, You’re a worse liar than me. Has anyone told you that?” The unicorn closed her book and set it on her table. “We both know that talking about it will help, so come on. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Rainbow turned away with a huff. “I’m fine, Twilight. Just… leave me alone.”

Twilight’s tone dropped. “Is it the race that’s bothering you?”

Rainbow was glad she wasn’t looking at her friend, or she would’ve known she was lying still. “Yeah, just… bummed about losing.”

Twilight nodded to herself. “Well, don’t let it get you so depressed. It was an unofficial and… different sort of race. Nopony’s going to blame you for losing.”

Rainbow’s ears leveled. “Yeah…”

“All right. I hope that made you feel better.” Twilight smiled to herself. “That book on friendship relations was right after all. I’ll have to read it again.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes at the egghead and climbed under her blankets. “I’m going to get some sleep, Twilight. Mind turning the lamp down?”

Twilight nodded. “I’ll read a bit more before I go to bed, too.” She used her magic to turn the lamp off before getting under the blankets herself. She propped herself up with her pillows, and used her horn to give a soft light to read by. “Goodnight, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow sighed. “Night, Twilight.”

An hour later, when Twilight had set aside her book, and was snoring softly in a content sleep, Rainbow still stared at the wall in front of her, her mind still not giving her the answers she wanted.

-o-

Ribbons, thread spools, and sewing needles all flew through the room that served as the Academy’s sewing club, all the supplies being carried by a periwinkle aura emanating from Rarity’s horn as she scrutinized the half-completed dress before her, carefully stitching fabric together, making absolutely sure that everything was perfect. She was planning on turning this dress in as both a project and a gift for her art teacher, who desperately needed a makeover (of course, she wasn’t about to bring that up in front of the older mare). Still, maybe a the dress would pass as a subtle hint for her instructor to seek a spa day.

She carefully pushed a threaded needle through the fabric, slowly running it along the dress’s skirt. She needed absolute focus for this. It needed to be completely, one hundred percent—

The door suddenly slammed open. “Hey, Rarity, you busy?”

The alabaster unicorn stared in horror at the huge tear in the fabric her being startled by Rainbow Dash’s abrupt entrance had caused. Her eye twitched in her dismay, but she managed to calm herself with a few deep breaths before facing the pegasus who had so rudely interrupted her.

“Can I help you, Rainbow Dash?” she asked in annoyance, though she tried not to sound too agitated.

“I’m looking for…” The prismatic pony hesitated just a little noticeably. “I’m looking for somepony, and I was wondering if you might’ve seen him.”

“You’ll have to be more specific than that,” Rarity informed her friend as she levitated her sewing glasses to a table. “Just because I’m a unicorn doesn’t mean I’m psychic.”

Once again, much to Rarity’s piqued curiosity, Rainbow hesitated. “You remember that guy I told you and the others about? Howling Wind? I, uh… I need to talk to him about something.”

If Rarity was curious before, now she had to know. Rainbow was never nervous about wanting to talk to other ponies. In fact, the pegasus relished attention almost as much as Trixie and Rarity herself. This wasn’t just a pony looking for somepony to ask something. By the look in Rainbow’s eyes, the unicorn could only make the assumption that…

Rarity covered her mouth to muffle a gasp of surprise. “Rainbow Dash… do you have a… a crush?”

The effect was instant: Rainbow’s face burned bright red, eyes wide and pupils like pinpricks. That was all the proof that Rarity needed, if she were to be completely honest.

“N-no! I don’t have a crush! That’s ridiculous! I’ve never had a crush on anypony before! Why would I start now?”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. Her eyes then suddenly went wide, and she pointed past Rainbow. “Is that him over there?”

“What!? Where!?” Rainbow darted behind Rarity, as if to hide herself. She peeked from behind the other mare, who gave her smug, knowing smirk. Realizing what had just happened, Rainbow pushed away from Rarity, glaring at her indignantly. “Not cool.” She shook her head. “Besides, that doesn’t prove anything.”

Rarity rolled her eyes playfully. “Oh, yes, I’m so sure you hid behind me because you thought it would look cool. Tell me, why the sudden interest in this Howling Wind? Is he that handsome?”

Rainbow scrunched up her face. “I knew I should’ve asked Fluttershy,” she grumbled.

“Oh, come now, Rainbow Dash. What could it possibly hurt to tell me? Come now, we’re friends, are we not?”

Rainbow looked to the floor. “If I knew, I’d tell you, but…” She groaned, slumping to her haunches. “It doesn’t make sense.”

The alabaster mare chuckled, sitting next to her friend. “Love rarely does, darling.”

“Love?” Rainbow quirked a skeptical eyebrow. “I kinda doubt it’s love. I only met the guy yesterday. I know zip about him.”

“Love is a mysterious thing, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said sagely. “It can come from out of nowhere and take hold of a pony’s heart and clutch it so tight that it aches. All anypony can do is to follow that feeling, or forever live a life of wondering ‘what if’.”

Rainbow gave her a flat glare. “Did you read that out of some cheesy romance novel?”

Rarity turned up her nose. “It doesn’t matter the source. It’s simply the truth of the matter.”

The pegasus sighed and looked to her hooves. “What can I do? Anything you can tell me? I’m kinda clueless here.”

A sly grin spread across Rarity’s muzzle “So, you admit to having a crush?”

“NO!”

Rarity giggled. “Fine then. A mare must be honest with herself when she is talking to the opposite sex. She must also do what she can to attract his notice.” She gave Rainbow a sly look. “You do know how to shake your hips, right, darling?”

Rainbow’s answer was to turn a brighter shade of red.

“Thought so.” Rarity grinned before continuing. She then ran a hoof through the other mare’s mane. “We’ll have to give you a full makeover while we’re at it. A day at the spa, and I’m sure you will easily attract the attention of that dashing Howling Wind with ease.”

Dash couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “You’re hilarious. But seriously, a spa? No, thanks. Spas and me don’t mix well.”

“Come now, Rainbow Dash. There’s nothing anywhere that says a girl cannot be athletic and glamorous at the same time!” She gave an excited squeal. “Tomorrow afternoon, you and me. A trip to the spa. My treat!”

Dash slapped a hoof over her eyes. “Definitely should’ve asked Fluttershy…” She rubbed at her face. “Can it at least be just you and me? No followers going with us. The less ponies that see me even going into some froufrou spa, the better.”

Rarity patted her on the back. “Don’t you worry about a thing, darling. I’ll make sure that we are both discrete and successful in getting you your coltfriend. Just trust Rarity on this.”

Rainbow’s tail swished irritably. “He’s not my coltfriend!”

“Not yet, he isn’t, darling.” Giving her a sly smile.

Again, Rainbow facehoofed. “I know I’m going to regret this…”

-o-

The prismatic pegasus took a nervous gulp as she and Rarity made their way down the street, past the numerous, well-off ponies of Canterlot. Rainbow hovered just a few feet off the ground, but lower than usual. The last thing she wanted was for anypony to see her enter a spa of all places. She continuously glanced from side to side, silently praying that no one they knew would see her.

“How much further is the spa, Rarity?” she asked for the umpteenth time.

Rarity rolled her eyes. “We’re almost there, Rainbow. Just a block or two more.” She turned down another street, returning a friendly greetings to another pony.

Rainbow looked around in confusion. The road she was following stepped off the main path, and was rather shoddy-looking.

“You sure you know where you’re going?” She looked around as she heard a trashcan over turn down another alleyway. “This doesn’t seem the right way to some girly spa.”

“To the untrained eye, perhaps. But for a pony who has certain… connections, they know just where to look.”

Rainbow shuddered at the sound of a cat screeching not far away. “If you say so.”

Rarity walked up to a rough-looking doorway, and Rainbow was reminded of the dungeons she’d often read about in R.A. Stalliontor’s many novels. It did nothing to make her feel any more at ease. Rarity lifted a hoof to knock on the door three times. After a brief pause, a spy door slid open, and a deep voice spoke to them.

“What’s the password?”

Without skipping a beat, Rarity answered, “Hooficure.”

There was a brief silence, and Rainbow felt herself ready to bolt in an instant, but the door opened, and a pony gestured the two in.

While Rarity trotted in confidently, Rainbow followed with much more reluctance. Once inside, her jaw would’ve hit the ground if it were possible.

“Rarity?” She pointed a hoof to a pure white pony reclining in a chair while a mare washed the larger mare’s mane, while another pony cleaned and massaged a pair of wide wings. A long horn stood out from the soap bubbles around the white mare’s hair. “Isn’t that…?”

“Princess Celestia?” Rarity replied with impossible calmness. “Why, of course. I said anypony with good connections knows about this place, and who has more connections than the princess herself?”

“But… I… you… the princess… what?” Rainbow’s brain struggled and scrambled to piece together what was left of her blown mind. How did Rarity know the princess? What is this place?

Rarity giggled at her friend’s flummoxed expression. “I said not to worry about a thing, darling, and I meant it.” She turned as a pair of earth pony mares approached them. “Good afternoon, Aloe, Lotus.”

The blue-furred, and pink-maned mare smiled to her. “Miss Belle! It’s so good to see you again.” She looked to Rainbow with a curious tilt of her head. “And who is your friend?”

Before Rainbow could speak, Rarity interrupted. “This is Rainbow Dash, a good friend of mine who is need of your caring hooves, Lotus Blossom.”

“Well,” the pink-furred, blue-maned one spoke. “She’s come to the right place. What are you looking for in particular, honey? Hooficure? Mud bath?”

“Uh—”

Again, Rarity spoke, in a low conspiracy tone. “She’s got her eyes set upon a stallion.”

Both mares gasped simultaneously, hooves over their mouths, and gave Rainbow the widest, shiniest eyes she’d ever seen. She didn’t like those looks they were giving her one bit.

Before she could react, both spa mares grabbed her and threw her into a chair, which spun around rapidly before the pony Rarity had called Lotus Blossom stopped it. “Aloe, get the conditioner ready, and bring me our very best hoof files, stat!” The other mare saluted as if she were a soldier and darted off to another corner of the room, gathering up the requested items before quickly returning and setting everything upon a vanity in front of Rainbow’s seat.

“No! Wait! That’s not—” Rainbow coughed as Lotus started smacking her face with a pad, some powder making its way down her throat as the two ponies worked in a frenzy. “Help!”

Rarity giggled again and turned to another attendant as they lead her to a waiting message table.

Soon enough, Princess Celestia made her way to the massage tables and laid herself down on the table beside Rarity. “Good afternoon, Rarity. It’s been some time since I saw you here last. How are your parents and little sister?”

“They’re doing quite well, Princess,” Rarity said as her masseuse pressed down on her withers. “My parents are still traveling, and Sweetie Belle sends me all sorts of letters from wherever they are.” She moaned softly as the masseuse’s hooves relieved a tense spot in her back. “I’m hoping to join them when summer break starts.”

The Princess of the Sun nodded as her own masseuse began working his magic. “That’s good. I’m glad to hear they’re still travelling about.” She shivered as he ran his hooves along her spine. “Where do they intend to go this summer?”

Rarity’s voice trembled in tempo with the thumps to her back. “T-They’re t-thinking of g-going t-to H-Horseshoe B-Bay f-for the s-summer.”

Celestia muffled her own moan into a pillow. “Horseshoe Bay is—oohhh—lovely during the summer. I think you’ll—aaah—love it.”

Rarity turned a curious gaze to the Princess. “Are you well, Princess Celestia? You must have a lot of stress from what I can tell.”

“Just the typical day-to-day of ruling a kingdom.” She sighed in content pleasure as her stress was massaged out of her. “What news of the Academy?” She glanced towards the vanity where Aloe and Lotus were still hard at work in cleaning up a dejected-looking Rainbow Dash. “What’s the occasion for your friend?”

Rarity looked over as Rainbow grunted something unkind to the two, and chuckled. “She has her eye on a stallion at the Academy. He’s even a thestral, from what I’ve heard of him.”

The princess gave the young mare a surprised look. “A thestral? I haven’t seen a thestral in over forty years. And he’s attending the Academy?” Rarity nodded, and Celestia put on a distant, thoughtful look. “Interesting…” She climbed off her massage table, startling her masseuse as she stood. “Thank you very much for a wonderful time. Just put today’s service on my tab.” The masseuse bowed as the princess made her way out of the spa, draping a cloak over her form before exiting the building.

Rarity blinked in surprise as she watched the princess leave. She had only enjoyed the alicorn’s company on two other occasions in this very place, but she believed she picked up enough from the princess to know that she wouldn’t just leave right in the middle of a spa treatment. Did it have something to do with Howling Wind? Or maybe just thestrals in general?

She felt a hoof on her shoulder, and turned to face a very distraught-looking Aloe. “Miss Rarity, so sorry to interrupt, but Lotus and I may need your help with your friend.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Her hooves,” Aloe said simply, visibly shuddering as if she had just tasted something foul. “I’ve never seen anything so… borderline hopeless. Her hooves have more cracks than her body has hairs. It’s a Faust-given miracle that they’re still in one piece.”

“I see. What can I do to help?”

“Well… you could hold her down while Lotus and I file and fix her hooves.” Aloe sighed, as if in shame. “Ruined as her hooves are, she’ll shriek loud enough to wake the dead. Poor thing doesn’t even know what we’re going to have to do.”

Rarity looked worriedly over to Rainbow Dash, who was struggling with a spa employee who was trying to put a mud mask over the pegasus’ face. “Oh, my, this could get messy.” She stood straighter, looking similar to a soldier on her way to battle. “Rainbow Dash, you need to calm down.”

The pegasus gave her a fearful look. “Rarity, they’re trying to touch my hooves! I don’t like other ponies touching my hooves!” She squirmed, trying to weasel her way loose.

The unicorn sighed and approached the prismatic mare. She took a close look at Rainbow’s hooves, and immediately wanted to vomit at their condition. It was no wonder Rainbow flew around most of the time! Just walking on these things that just barely qualified as hooves must be excruciating!

“Darling, you have a serious problem here!” she chided her friend, who winced under the fashionista’s tone. “If you’re going to woo Howling Wind—”

“I’m not trying to woo him!”

“—you’re going to have to trust the experts.” She turned to Lotus and Aloe and nodded, holding Rainbow down in her bright blue magic aura. “Go on, girls. Do it.”

The two mares nodded and took one hoof file each, and chose to start with Rainbow’s hind hooves. The pegasus squirmed and struggled as the two earth ponies set the file against the first hoof.

-o-

The ponies walking in the streets suddenly stopped and flicked their ears about as the sound of a long, drawn-out scream of denial and pain that was carried on the winds. Without anyone knowing what the source could have possibly been, everypony carried on with their daily routine, unaware of the torture that a certain blue pegasus was currently undergoing.

-o-

Rainbow stood scowling in front of a full-body mirror, hating the fact that she did, in fact, look much better than she had when she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror this morning. Rarity stood next to her, grinning as she awaited the pegasus’ response to her cleaner appearance.

The rainbow-maned mare turned to her friend with a glare. “I hate you so much right now.”

Rarity scoffed. “Please, darling, you’re just at the cusp of looking fabulous!”

Rainbow flattened her ears. “Fabulous plus Rainbow Dash equals angry Rainbow Dash.”

Ignoring Rainbow’s comment, the alabaster unicorn looked the other mare over for a moment, her hoof on her chin, as if pondering something. Something seemed to click, as Rarity suddenly gave a smiling gasp and hurried over to Aloe and Lotus, asking them something that Rainbow couldn’t make out.

The pegasus looked at her reflection again. Some part of her deep inside was screaming at her to just leave right now, but another part her begged her to stay put and see this thing through. Whether she obeyed the latter voice out of some form of self-pity or sheer stubbornness wasn’t clear to her. She turned her head both ways, giving herself a better look over. Would this be what she needed to draw Howling Wind’s eye?

She shook her head. ‘I am not trying to attract him!’

‘Baka.’

Her ears perked at the sudden voice. She looked around to find the source, but nopony was apparently talking to her. Everypony who was in the room was too focused on their spa treatments or talking with each other. Rarity was still speaking with Aloe and Lotus, so none of those three could’ve been the one who’d spoken to her.

‘You are being a selfish foal, and you do not even know it.’

Rainbow lowered her gaze. Was she being selfish? What was she trying to accomplish right now? She wasn’t exactly living up to her personal standards at the moment. Maybe—

“Here we go!” Rainbow started at Rarity’s voice. The unicorn was holding what looked like a red hair tie in her magic. “I was thinking we could do something with you mane. Perhaps a lovely braid? I rarely have the opportunity to work with such vibrantly colored hair!”

“Uh… sure, I guess,” Rainbow muttered reluctantly. “Just… nothing too girly, all right?” Rarity nodded with a smile and took hold of some of Rainbow’s mane in her magic, starting work on a braid with the purple, green, and blue parts of her mane.

While Rarity worked with her hair, Rainbow grimaced when the unicorn tugged on her mane. All this work, all this torture, what was it really for? While she privately wished it was done and over with, she realized that Rarity had gone through a lot to do all this for her. She’d feel terrible if she denied her friend’s kindness and generosity.

Her eyes again looked to her reflection in the mirror and saw all they had done for her, but there was something that… she didn’t quite like. It wasn’t—

‘It is not you.’

That voice again. Where had it come from? Who did it belong to?

“And there we go! You look simply wonderful with a braid, darling.” Rarity motioned to the mirror, letting Rainbow see the end result.

The braid hung over her left shoulder, with the unbraided half of her mane remaining in its usual place, giving her something of a… what was that big word Twilight used once? That one word about uneven things? A… asymmetrical? Yeah, that was it. The braid on one side and loose hair on the other gave her an asymmetrical look that… worked oddly well, actually. She hated to admit it, but…

“You know,” she said with much hesitance, “that… doesn’t look too bad.”

Rarity clapped her hooves and made a sound that reminded Rainbow of that tiny squeal Fluttershy would make whenever she was excited about something. “I knew you’d like it, Rainbow Dash!” She pulled the pegasus along as she hurried over to another vanity. “Now for the rest of your makeover!”

“Wait, what!? I never agreed to-!” She was silenced as a powder sponge was smacked against her face.

-o-

She felt them. All the stares, pressing down on her heavier than any weight she’d ever lifted. The shocked and flabbergasted expressions were a lot more embarrassing than she’d thought they’d be.

“Is that Rainbow Dash?” she heard one stallion utter in total disbelief.

“I’ve never seen her like that.” a mare muttered to her friends. “What happened?”

“Did she lose a bet?”

‘Sweet Celestia, I hate this...’ she thought to herself, lowering her head down further as Rarity walked alongside her proudly. Normally, she’d bask in all the attention she was receiving, but this kind of attention wasn’t what she was used to. Stallions (and even one or two mares) eyed her as if they were thinking about asking her out, while most of the mare gave her petty, jealous glares, further pushing her into uncomfortableness. Rarity kept assuring her that she’d get used to these looks eventually, and maybe even learn to soak it up like she normally did with praise.

‘Then why go on with it? Baka.’

Rainbow groaned, chalking that ‘voice’ up as just her imagination. Or maybe it was that part of her that was screaming at her to stop this whole day. She was beginning to wish she’d listened to it sooner, but there was nothing that could be done about it at this point. She just hoped that swallowing her pride just this once would be worth it, whatever may happen.

“Really, Rainbow Dash, you must stop walking like a pariah,” Rarity chided, earning a slightly spiteful look from the pegasus.

“I don’t even know what a pariah is,” she grumbled as she lifted her head a little higher, though not nearly as high as Rarity carried hers. “You didn’t have to go through that whole process at the spa, you know.”

Rarity chuckled lightly. “Nonsense, darling. Just look at the results! You look absolutely fabulous.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes in irritation, but said nothing more. What would be the point? Rarity would just counter with some argument about how a mare should take pride in her appearance.

“Your athleticism gives you a great figure,” Rarity had said back at the spa, “but you’ll need some extra pizzazz in your look if you want to court a stallion.” The word ‘court’ turned Rainbow’s face redder than a ripe tomato. She’d protested, of course, shouting that she didn’t want to court Howling Wind, while Rarity only gave a light laugh and continued with the makeover.

While Rainbow was thinking back to the spa trip that she had so loathed, Rarity stopped suddenly, holding a hoof out in front of the pegasus, who bumped into the limb with start.

“Is that him?” Rarity asked, nodding her head to one pony in particular. Rainbow looked over at the thestral who was currently lying in the shade of a tree, reading a book whose title she couldn’t make out from here. Black mane, navy blue coat, yellow eyes, cutie mark being a spear through a tornado.

“Yeah, that’s him,” Rainbow answered in an uncharacteristically sheepish manner. She silently prayed that the stallion wouldn’t take notice of her in her current state.

Rarity, however, took a good look at the thestral and said, “Well, he’s definitely handsome. And those wings are simply exotic.” She gave Rainbow a wink. “You certainly pick your crushes well. I approve.”

Rainbow’s tail swished in annoyance for the uptempth time that day. “He is not my crush, Rarity! How many times do I have to say it?”

The unicorn gave her a sly smile. “As often as you have to, darling. You and I both know the truth.”

The pegasus was about to grumble further when Rarity gave her a nudge. “Well, go on. Go talk to him.”

Rainbow planted her hooves firmly to the ground. “About what?” A sickening feeling of dread rising in her gut.

“You’re resourceful, aren’t you? Think of something. You’re good at thinking on your hooves.” With that, Rarity gave Rainbow one last shove with her magic, pushing Rainbow across half the distance from Howling Wind, who had yet to notice her arrival.

-o-

Howl flipped through the pages of the book he was reading, a volume about Old Equestrian religions that were considered obsolete by their modern equivalents. He stopped on a page that was detailing the mythical story of how pegasi came into being. Ridiculous as most of these old tales were - apparently, ancient pegasi believed that a god gave earth ponies wings - he couldn’t help but read as deeply into them as he could. He particularly enjoyed the story of the earth pony Icarus. Arrogance had its comeuppance, even to the ignorant.

“Uh… hi.”

His ears quirked at a familiar voice. He looked up from his book, and had to do a double-take just to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. “Rainbow Dash?” The mare nodded meekly. “You look… different.”

That was putting it mildly, and he knew it. The darker colors of her mane had been done up in an elaborate braid, while the brighter colors had been given a curling flair. Her fur had been brushed out to where it almost shone in the light. The feathers of her wings had been preened to perfection—as far as he knew, anyway. Her hooves had been hooficured to a gleaming edge, and… was that eyeliner she was wearing?

“You… ah…” He stumbled for the right words.

“H-How are you doing?” she squeaked out. For the faintest of moments, he was reminded of his classmate Fluttershy.

“I’m…” He shook his head to clear the shock. His eyes traced to an alabaster unicorn who was standing nearby, trying to look inconspicuous, though obviously failing at it. “Are you trying a new look?” he asked as he looked to Rainbow.

“I… guess you could say that.” She rubbed at the back of her head, a blush creeping over the blush she was wearing.

An awkward silence fell over the pair. Howl cleared his throat, as if that would make things somehow less awkward. “I, uh… I didn’t think you were… well, you kind of struck me as a major tomboy. No offense.”

“None taken,” Rainbow said hastily. “This new look wasn’t my initial plan.” She shook her head. “Anyway, I… I kinda wanted to talk to you about something.”

“What’s that?”

She hesitated. Very obviously. Howling Wind didn’t know Rainbow that well, honestly, but she didn’t seem like the type to hesitate.

“What were you doing at the race my friends and I were having?” she asked, finally.

He blinked at her in brief confusion. “You invited me, didn’t you?”

“W-well, yeah, but…” She scowled to herself for just a second. “Look, you just… remember when I fell into that chocolate vat?” He nodded. “Well, you distracted me, and I fell in as a result.”

Once again, he blinked, baffled. “How did I distract you? All I was doing was sitting and watching.”

“I don’t know! You’re just… distracting!”

Her tone was a bit more aggressive than it really should’ve been. “Well, excuse me for existing, then. If you have a problem, then just say it.”

“You’re my problem!” she shouted angrily. “Ever since I met you, everything’s been complete crap! You’re just so… so…”

“Different?” he suggested with some venom in his voice.

“Yes!” She gave him a look between gratitude and agitation. Howling gave her vehement glare in return. “I mean, no, I…” She groaned in frustration while Howling Wind rolled his eyes, doing his best to contain his anger.

Deciding now was as good a time as any to leave, he grabbed his book, marking his place before stowing it away in his bag, and turned away from Rainbow Dash.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” the pegasus asked, fuming.

He turned to her with a stare so poisonous, it would’ve made Celestia think twice. “I couldn’t care less if you have a problem with me, but if you have an issue with thestrals, then we have nothing to discuss.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “W-Wait! That’s not it at all!” But her pleas went ignored as the navy blue stallion took flight for the stallions’ dorm. She moaned out in a fit of self-loathing, bopping herself in the head with a hoof. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!”

Rainbow slumped to her haunches, and she felt somepony’s presence next to her. “Oh, dear, that didn’t turn out well at all.”

“He thinks I hate thestrals now,” Rainbow muttered.

Rarity stifled a gasp, bringing a hoof up to her mouth. “Oh, no, that simply isn’t true.” She lowered her hoof again. “Did you try to tell him?”

Rainbow slumped a bit lower. “I tried, but… he wasn’t going to listen to me.”

A white foreleg draped over her shoulder and Rainbow looked up to see Rarity giving her an understanding look. “Listen, Rainbow, you can still fix this. Just put on that Rainbow charm, and I’m sure you have him eating out of your hoof in no time.”

“My Rainbow charm…” she echoed softly, staring at her hooves.

“Now, we might have to try something different with your mane. Perhaps a style with a little more flair, and maybe a jeweled accent to further—”

Rainbow groaned inwardly. Another spa visit? She didn’t think she could survive another pampering.

‘Why do you hesitate? Speak.’

Her imagination was right; it was time to stop this.

Rainbow held up a hoof to stop her friend. “Rarity, thanks for all you’ve done for me, but…” She stood up and undid the braid, letting her mane fall back to its usual, mostly unkempt position with a toss of her head. “This just… it’s just not me.”

Rarity’s expression turned tragic. “B-b-b-but the braid! It looked so gorgeous on you! Rainbow, what are you doing!?”

She then went to wipe away the eyeliner and blush, smearing it across her fur more than ridding herself of the make-up. “This just isn’t me. I’m grateful and all, but I think I’ll stick with my own style from now on.”

Rarity’s bottom lip quivered. “But… but…” She sighed in defeat. “Rainbow Dash, you really are hopeless.”

She glowered at her friend. “Hey!”

The unicorn gave her a teasing smile. “But that is who you are, darling, and I respect your integrity.” She levitated the hair tie that had held Rainbow’s braid in place. “But you could at least keep the braid. You looked simply wonderful with it.”

With a sigh, the pegasus took the tie. “I’ll think about it. But don’t expect me to where that braid again anytime soon.”

“That’s all I ask.” Rarity offered her friend a grin. “Now, how about you and I go and get some ice cream? It’s great for heartbreak, you know.”

“I’m not heartbroken,” Dash muttered, but she followed the unicorn anyway. Ice cream did sound good right about now.

As she followed Rarity, Rainbow mused to herself quietly. Despite how things turned out, with Howling Wind thinking she was racist against thestrals, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride. She managed to stand up and defend her personal beliefs before compromising who she was. How many other ponies had given up less for the sake of gaining something they really didn’t need? She was proud to say that she wasn’t one of them. Staying true to herself felt great; she was just awesome that way.

‘Well done, baka.’

That reminded her. She needed to ask Twilight if she knew what a ‘baka’ was.

-o-

Howling Wind fumed as he tossed his belongings onto his bed, taking out the book he’d been reading earlier and setting at his desk, opening up to the page he was on before Rainbow Dash had spoken to him. He thought she might’ve been different from most ponies he’d met in his life, but it turned out that she was just like everyone else. He was just the “scary bat pony” who no one seemed to like.

‘Fine by me,’ he told himself. He’d been a loner for most of his life anyway. One more pony hating him for no good reason was no skin off his wings.

He focused on his book, trying to forget about the cerulean pegasus mare. For some reason, he couldn’t get her out of his head. She didn’t even look that good anyway, with her overly perfect mane and coat, and her beautiful cerise eyes, and—

‘Wait… where did that come from?’

Author's Note

Wow... that was certainly long.
...
Giggity.

Whispers and Dreams

‘Lulamoon… you know your fate… Lulamoon…’

She galloped as fast as her legs would carry her, running through the empty, pitch black void. The whispers followed her, dancing in her head, sharing with her knowledge she didn’t want to hear. Mutterings of a future that scared her. A future she had no desire to see.

‘Why are you running? You can’t escape your fate.’

She shut her eyes, her ears flattening against her head in a desperate attempt to shun the voices. But it didn’t help. The whispers only grew louder, flooding her skull with a silent riot of thoughts that weren’t her own. The voices quietly screamed at her, letting her know exactly what they thought of her defiance of the inevitable.

“No… No! It’s all a lie! Leave me alone!” She lowered her head and charged forward even faster. Her hooves clopping echoing loudly along with the increasingly persistent whispers.

‘You cannot defy your destiny. Accept the inevitable, and know your rightful place in this world.’

The tears gathered around her eyes and fell unrestrained. She commanded her hooves carry her faster, but instead, they tripped her up, and she fell to the floor with a whimper.

‘You know… you remember. Why do you run?’

She raised her hooves above her head, trying to ward off the whispers that pressed down on her even harder, threatening to overwhelm her where she lay.

“P-please… stop,”she pleaded with the voices, anything to make it all untrue.

‘There is only one way.’

She dared to look past her hooves to see the visage of her leering down at her. A scream erupted from Trixie and she backed away, her eyes wide and fearful.

‘Accept!’ The visage lunged at her, devilish fangs bared wide for Trixie’s throat.

-o-

Trixie screamed, shooting up from her bed as a cold sweat ran a marathon down her body. Her breath was shaky, her whole body trembling in fright as she told herself over and over that it was only a bad dream. A really bad dream.

She panted roughly until she managed to collect herself, her shaking finally grinding to a halt. The azure unicorn sighed and lay back onto her bed, her head landing atop her pillow, which felt more like a pile of needles at this point. A quick glance at her clock told the time to be 2:48. In the morning.

“Oh, delightful,” she groaned miserably. ‘Why won’t these nightmares go away?’ She draped a foreleg over her eyes. ‘I just want it to stop.’

That same horrid dream had been plaguing her for a while now. Ever since her jaunt in the Dreamscape with Twilight. It didn’t happen every night, but she saw those same images frequently enough to dread the idea of going to sleep anymore.

With a long sigh, she turned over onto her side, her back to her clock, staring at the wall of her dorm room and debating whether or not she should go back to sleep. It never came as her mind once again flitted to the memories of the Dreamscape. The snapping jaws of the Night Terrors, the castle that responded to their spoken word, the stained glass windows that depicted events she knew nothing about, and, most of all… her.

That alicorn of darkness haunted her dreams. The way she had reacted when she learned her name struck Trixie deep down. How could an alicorn from a thousand years ago know her name? She wasn’t that important. She was the oldest daughter of a family in Canterlot that was moderately wealthy at best. Were her ancestors that important? If so, she never heard anything about it from her parents or grandparents.

She huffed and pulled her covers closer over her body. This was a subject she desperately wanted to stay away from. It was way too early to have an existential crisis.

-o-

Trixie could almost swear that her legs were made of lead as she walked down the hallway to her magic class. It was one of the few classes that she really looked forward to everyday. She and Twilight would work together on the subject of their shared passion. Despite not sleeping a wink since her nightmare interrupted her, she looked forward to her day in class with her best friend.

When she entered the classroom, she could already see Twilight was muzzle deep in the textbook. A giggle escaped her as she climbed the stairs to her seat next to the oblivious Twilight. “At it already?” she asked as she set her bag on the long table with a charge of her horn.

Twilight didn’t respond, her eyes still scanning the pages in front of her. Rolling her eyes, Trixie’s horn sparked again, a light zap hitting her fellow unicorn on the side of her head. Twilight’s ears flicked at the sudden jolt, and she turned to the other mare with a befuddled look.

“Was that you?” she asked.

Trixie laughed at that. “No, it was a Twittermite.”

The lavender mare frowned and quirked an eyebrow. “Is sarcasm really necessary?”

Trixie’s eyebrow rose at her. “How long have you known me?”

Twilight shrugged at that after a moment of thought. “Good point.” There was a minute of silence between the two, with Twilight giving Trixie an analytical look. “What happened to you? You look horrible.”

Trixie glowered, her tail swishing in annoyance. “Thanks for the self-esteem boost…”

The purple unicorn blinked at that before processing what she’d just said and clearing her throat. “You know what I mean. Are you okay? You weren’t at lunch.”

“Had to do some research for another class.” The ease with which she lied to her closest and oldest friend scared her a little. In truth, she skipped lunch entirely, opting to try and get a power nap in before third period. She concluded that she might’ve been better off not trying to sleep for that half hour, as tired as she felt. That still left the question of why she lied just now. “So, do you know what we’re studying today?” she asked as she took a seat next to Twilight.

She shook her head softly. “No, but I remember Professor Inkwell said something about a project coming up soon.” A wide smile crossed her face and she gave a soft excited squeal. “If it does, we can be partners!”

Trixie nodded her agreement, her face beaming. “Heck, yeah! We could recreate one of those old tricks we used to pull back in Celestia’s School. The results could be our project.”

A wince crossed Twilight’s face. “Well… we’ll have to be careful with which one we choose. I remember one of them being particularly… destructive.”

“‘Destructive’ as in ‘half of a library destroyed beyond repair,’ or ‘destructive’ as in ‘we turned the teacher into a newt’?”

“Both.”

The two shared a giggle as their professor entered the room with a collection of papers held in her emerald magic. Setting the stack on her desk, she turned to her class with a smile and said, “Good afternoon, everypony! I have something special planned for you all!”

The class erupted with a mix of groans and two squeals of excitement.

An amused grin played across Inkwell’s face as she watched her class. “As you all know, the Summer Sun Celebration is coming up in a few short months. We at the Academy hold the annual Light Crystal Enchantment Contest every year. The team that creates the brightest and longest-lasting crystal will be on display at the Celebration.”

A few grumbles turned into some excited mutterings.

“Both the winner’s crystal and the runners-up will be donated to the city of Canterlot for the streetlamps around the city. They will provide much needed light to many streets whose crystals have gone dark.” Her grin widened, almost ignoring her own anatomy. “So I hope that all of you try your best and give it your all!”

Trixie felt a nudge to her side and saw Twilight giving her an eager smile, one that Trixie returned with a firm nod.

“Now, I’m going to pair all of you up—”

Trixie felt her heart sink a bit a that news, her groan of disappointment joining much of the rest of the class.

“Now, now, don’t be like that,” Inkwell said with an amused grin. “Working with other ponies is what life is all about. Sometimes, you’re not always going to have your friends with you, and you need to learn to depend on others during those times.” She levitated a list from her desk and squinted at it. “I’ve already drawn up the teams, and once I call them, you and your partner can begin discussing how you will complete your assignments.”

She looked over the list, announcing who was paired with who for a few moments before saying, “Twilight Sparkle and…” She stopped for a moment and wiped something off the clipboard with a hoof, doing nothing to ease Trixie or Twilight’s anxiety. “Comet Tail.”

Twilight’s shoulders sagged as she turned to face the young stallion who’d been called. He waved at her with a dorky grin that very clearly made her uncomfortable, while Trixie groaned quietly. Comet Tail wouldn’t have been either of their first choice. Or the second. Or third. Or even fourth. In fact, he was pretty low on that particular list, being just a few numbers up from a certain fiery-maned unicorn.

“Of all the luck…” Trixie uttered to her friend, who only sighed.

“Trixie Lulamoon and Sunset Shimmer.”

“What?!” Both Trixie and Sunset screamed in unison. Trixie stood so fast she knocked her chair to the floor behind her, while Sunset’s hooves slammed loudly on her desk.

“You can’t expect me to work with her!” Sunset shouted adamantly. “I demand you either assign me a different partner, or allow me to work alone!”

“That is literally the only thing we’ll ever agree on!” Trixie exclaimed with equal defiance.

Inkwell gave both of them disapproving glares. “You both seem to forget that this project is for a major portion of your grade for the semester. Also, this project doubles as a lesson in adapting your abilities to situations you never thought to find yourself in.” Her glare turned stern. “My decisions are final, and I expect you both to work on this project to the best of your ability.” She stood up straighter and set her list aside. “Now if you both are done being so grandiose, everypony gather with your partners and begin brainstorming.”

Trixie sat down in a huff, glaring at the fiery-maned unicorn in disdain, who only returned that look in spades. She felt somepony lay a hoof on her shoulder, and she turned her head to see Twilight giving her a sympathetic look.

“Are you going to be okay?” she said, shooting a nasty glare Sunset’s way as well.

Trixie growled. “You tell me. I can’t believe Professor Inkwell paired me up with her of all ponies!”

Twilight sighed and nodded. “I know but… I wish you the best of luck, Trixie.”

The blue mare’s ears flattened, but she gave her friend a soft nod. “Thanks. Faust above knows I’m going to need it.” She shot a glare at Sunset, who returned her spiteful look with gusto. The fiery-maned unicorn shook her head in disgust and turned away, eyeing an open book lying in front of her. Trixie sighed as she allowed reality to settle in. This project was going to be an even bigger headache than she was expecting.

-o-

There was silence between the two young mares as they sat across from each other in the mares’ dorm lounge, offering only quiet, heated glares to one another that made others steer far and away from them. Trixie had her forelegs crossed vehemently, while Sunset sat with her back straight, her poise sickeningly perfect. Both wordlessly dared each other to speak first, neither opening their mouths for what felt like hours, though it had only been twenty minutes since they sat down.

Sighing through her nose, Sunset lit up her horn, pulling out a large book entitled ‘The Art of Enchantment: Volume 1’ and dropped it in front of the sky blue unicorn. “Look,” she began. “I don’t like you, and you don’t like me.”

“That’s a bit of an understatement, don’t you think?” Trixie scoffed in retort.

Shimmer rolled her eyes, exasperated. “Let’s just get this over with, and then we can go right back to having nothing but spite for each other again. The sooner we’re done, the sooner we can go our separate ways.”

Though Trixie knew better than anypony that Sunset wouldn’t let her go her own way for very long, she couldn’t think up an argument that wouldn’t amount to simply saying “screw you.” Against her better judgment, she nodded and opened the book, quietly chastising herself for not having read up on enchantments before now. They just didn’t interest her as much as illusions did. Illusory magic had so much more creativity behind it than most other schools of spellcasting.

At least she was able to read in peace. Sunset was no more interested in conversation than she was. Trixie glanced at the unicorn from the top of her book, and her eyes narrowed. Memories of a younger Sunset and Trixie came to mind. She remembered a time when her father had been employed by Sunset’s family as a financial consultant and her mother as Sunset’s mother’s personal tailor (a job that Mrs. Shimmer kept Trixie’s mother busy with, demanding a new outfit every week).

Her teeth ground at some of the other memories and she went back to her book with a huff, unable to keep her anger completely to herself.

She heard an annoyed snort and lowered her book to see Sunset glaring at her. “What?” she asked in a baleful tone.

“Nothing,” Trixie spat back with equal venom. Just being around this arrogant nag of a mare set her hackles on a rise.

Vaguely, she recalled a time when Sunset Shimmer was not so spiteful, and her holier-than-thou attitude was exclusive to her parents. She couldn’t say she missed that Sunset too much, seeing as she was only four… maybe five at the time, so she could only barely remember what that Sunset was like.

The book was a dry read, barely holding Trixie’s attention. It covered only the bare basics of enchanting, which Sunset no doubt thought was all she’d be able to handle.

‘She never ceases to irritate,’ Trixie mused to herself, soon closing the book and passing it back to Sunset. “All right, let’s get this over with.”

Sunset snorted and levitated a hoof-sized crystal from her bag and set it on the table in front of them. She turned her eyes to Trixie and narrowed them some. “So, you know the basics at least? This isn’t going to work unless you know what you’re doing.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” They scowled at each other one last time before focusing their respective magics on the crystal.

-o-

Twilight dropped her saddle bags with a groan of frustration. “Ugh! He’s utterly impossible to work with!” she bellowed as she flopped to the ground next to her friends, who all watched her with faint amusement.

“He who?” Rainbow asked from her perch on the tree, her left foreleg hanging idly from the branch.

“Comet Tail, that’s who! We’re supposed to be working together on our enchanting project, but all he does is just stare at me!” Her hooves mussed up her mane with another groan. “When I try to get him to focus, all he says is ‘yes, Twilight,’ and goes back to watching me do all the work!”

Snickers of barely restrained mirth erupted around her.

“Oooh, sounds like somepony has a crush,” Rarity said in a singsong voice.

Twilight’s eyes shot wide, and she shook her head violently. “No! Celestia, no! I’m not interested in—”

Rarity chuckled. “Not you, darling. It sounds to me like you’ve caught Comet’s eye.”

The lavender mare blinked, momentarily dumbstruck, before groaning towards the heavens. “I can’t believe this,” she moaned as she lay her head on her forelegs.

“Why don’t you ask him o—” Rainbow started to say.

“No! Don’t even finish that thought, Rainbow Dash, or… I won’t let you read any of my Stalliontor books again!”

“Uh…” The pegasus gave a nervous laugh. “Wh-what thought?”

The others shared a laugh at the pair’s expense, which only served to agitate Twilight further, to the point that steam threatened to pour out of her ears. She didn’t even want to imagine a scenario in which she was on a date with Comet. To make matters worse, because all he would do was stare at her with that weird, creepy look on his face, they didn’t get their project even started! She had the crystal and knew the spell to enchant it, but the spell required two ponies working together, so without his help, there was no way she was going to get a passing grade!

A look of horror crossed her face. What if she failed her class because of him? Was she going to have to drop out of the Academy because a lonely stallion couldn’t focus because of her? She couldn’t decide which was worse! Her failing because he couldn’t pay attention, or the fact she was the reason he couldn’t focus in the first place. That, however, was the least of her worries.

“I won’t be able to pass this project!” she exclaimed, eyes wide in panic. “I’ve never failed an assignment before! What if Professor Inkwell thinks I’m not working hard enough!? She’ll have me expelled for complacency!”

Applejack held her forelegs up to reassure her. “Whoa, there, sugarcube. Don’t ya think ya might be overthinkin’ this just a bit? Ah’m sure one project won’t sink your time at the Academy.”

“Actually,” Pinkie chimed in, “the light enchantment project counts for, like, twenty percent of your grade in magic class. So flunking that project would really hurt your final grade.”

Twilight visibly paled and planted her face into the ground, her anguished cries muffled by the dirt.

“Did you try talking with him, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked as a butterfly fluttered around the pegasus’ face. “Maybe if you talked with him, he’d pay attention to your project more.”

“I’ve tried,” Twilight groaned out through the dirt. “But all he does is just agree with whatever I say and goes back to watching.”

Another set of bags hit the ground next to Twilight with a thud, followed by a familiar, sky blue unicorn. “At least you don’t have to work with Sunset Shimmer,” Trixie muttered as she lay next to her friend. “Seriously, that filly has more problems than a bad music star that won’t acknowledge said problems.”

Twilight put a hoof on Trixie’s shoulder with a supportive, but half-hearted, smile. “Don’t worry. You’ll get your project done, and then we can get back to the natural order of things.”

“That being?” Rarity asked.

“All of us sitting together listening to Pinkie Pie ramble about baked goods and sharing a mutual disdain for Sunset Shimmer.” The seven mares shared a laugh at Twilight’s statement, with Pinkie starting off on a speech about how she didn’t just talk about baked goods, which devolved into a rant about how much she loved chocolate ice cream cake.

All the while, Trixie only half-listened, her brain still trying to process all the information she’d learned from the book Sunset had pushed on her. The yellow unicorn had placed just a little too much pressure on Trixie’s shoulders in forcing her to learn a field of magic that she had never studied before just to earn a passing grade. She let out a sigh through her nose, resting her head on the grass.

Her expression must’ve been obvious, as she felt a nudge on her side. She looked over to see Twilight looking at her with a look of concern.

“Come on, Trixie, cheer up. I know it’s rough, but don’t let her upset your whole day.”

Trixie sighed again. “It just hasn’t been a good day for me, Twilight.”

“What do you mean?”

She was about to answer, but hesitated. Those whispers from her dream returned. They told her in hushed tones to not say anything. To tell her friends that she was fine, that there was nothing to worry about. The fact that the idea seemed so alluring scared her.

“I’ve…” She trailed off reluctantly. “I’ve just been having trouble sleeping lately. No big deal.”

Twilight tilted her head at her. “Sleeping? Is it your studies? If you want help with them, all you have to do is ask. I’d be happy to lend a hoof.”

A slight, warm smile tugged at Trixie’s face as she looked at her best friend. “Thanks, Twilight. I might just do that.”

-o-

There was nothing. An infinite emptiness all around, nothing but a dark, cold, lonely void. She was alone, there was no one and nothing else around. That only made the darkness weigh that much more upon her, threatening to break her sanity even as she realized that she was dreaming.

‘Open your eyes...’

The hollow voice rang out in the black space, with no source seen in any direction. She blinked as the sense of utter solitude once again enveloped her.

‘Awaken to yourself...’

A whimper escaped her lips as she felt the whispers crawling into her ears, pecking at her thoughts like vultures.

‘Acknowledge the truth...’

Before her very eyes, some… thing began to rise up from the void-like ‘ground,’ a low hiss piercing the ‘air’ around her. A black mist bubbled in front of her, shaping itself into two equine forms, taking the shapes of pair of unicorns. The mist eventually faded, revealing a perfect copy of herself facing a duplicate of Twilight Sparkle, both with their horns glowing brightly and aimed at each other.

Twilight’s mouth moved, but no words came out. Her expression was one that bore many emotions: anger, confusion, fear, sadness. There was nothing positive on her visage.

The second Trixie wore a look of fury and hate, spite boiling in her eyes like a pot of water over a blazing inferno. She silently yelled something back at Twilight, who flinched with a step back as the Trixie double’s horn burned with a darkening aura.

Then they were gone.

‘Know your destiny… embrace it...’

-o-

Trixie shot up from her bed with a start. She didn’t scream, though her breaths were ragged and harsh. She looked at her hooves, trembling as she ran them through her mane before laying back down again. What was happening to her?

-o-

“Focus, Lulamoon!”

Trixie’s head snapped back at the shout, blinking a few times before her eyes narrowed at the seething Sunset Shimmer. Their crystal sat on the table between them, giving off a faint glow that quickly faded out.

“If you don’t focus on this, we are going to fail!” Sunset jabbed a hoof at her. “And if I fail because of your ineptitude, I’m going to make your life miserable!”

‘As if it would take much from you,’ Trixie snarked in thought. Insulting Shimmer right now would only be counterproductive at this point. “Relax. I was just resting my eyes.”

A scowl erupted across Sunset’s face. “Well, relax them on your own time. We’ve only got a few more days to get this done, and I do not want to fail!”

“Will you calm down!?” Trixie snapped. “We’ll get it done, but not with you shouting all the time!”

Sunset looked like she wanted to just explode right then there, and Trixie almost felt she needed to have a barrier in place, just in case the irate unicorn lashed out at her.

Instead, Sunset huffed. “Fine. Just focus.”

“Whatever you say, boss,” Trixie replied mockingly, returning her attention to the crystal between them. She just had to get this right once, and then it’d be over and done with.

-o-

The wind blew steadily, sending a chilling breeze through Trixie’s fur as she sat beside the tree where she and the girls always met after class. Her eyes drifted to the leafless branches above, her mind lost in thought as she stared ahead. She took in a breath of the cold air and settled on her belly, dry grass crunching underneath.

Having arrived before her friends, Trixie sat quietly with her thoughts as they jumbled around her mind like a gemstone in a tumbler. Why were the dreams haunting her so? Why could she not forget them like all of her other dreams and just fade away to memory? That last image of her squaring off with Twilight, her own face full of such rage and hatred; why could she not shake that away? Why did part of her feel like it was more than a dream… a premonition?

She pressed a hoof to her face, rubbing at tired eyes. All she wanted was for it to stop. All of it. The dreams, the visions, the voices, the frustration. She just wanted all of it to just leave her alone so that she could concentrate on being a student again. Just a normal, ordinary student without bizarre nightmares clawing at her psyche each night.

Her eyes became half-lidded as she remembered another part of her dream: the pain and betrayal she saw in Twilight’s eyes when they squared off. Seeing that in her best friend’s eyes… it hurt her so deeply that tears threatened to fall down her face. Why would something like that happen? She would never turn on her best friend, or any of their friends for that matter. She was a Lulamoon, and trust was the most important thing a pony could hold, a mantra her family had stood by for generations.

‘But… then why did part of me accept all of that?’

She didn’t know, and she hated it.

“Trixie?”

She looked up to find Twilight staring at her in concern, a book floating by her face, as per the norm for the violet unicorn.

Trixie sniffed and dashed at her eyes. “T-Twilight. I didn’t hear you coming.”

“I just got here.” She set down her book and looked worriedly at Trixie for a moment. “The other girls will be here soon, but…” She laid a hoof on her friend’s withers. “I want you to tell me what’s wrong with you. And don’t you lie to me and say there’s nothing.”

A soft smile tugged at Trixie’s lips as she felt her friend’s hoof on her shoulder, but it quickly faded as she realized that no easy words were going to get her out of this. “Twilight… have you ever seen something in a dream that really… bothered you?”

Twilight blinked in surprise and tilted her head at her. “A dream?” She frowned pensively, but shook her head. “No, I can’t say that I have. Why? Is a dream the problem you’re having?” Settling down on her belly next to her, she gave Trixie an attempt at an understanding look. “Tell me about it, and don’t hold anything back.”

“It’s…” She hesitated. Something in her told her just drop the subject. To leave things be. But she knew she couldn’t do that.

“Twilight… I just need to know something.” Her friend gave her an odd look, but said nothing. “Twilight… if I did something terrible… something truly wrong…” She looked to the other mare with a mix of hope and anxiety. “Would you still be my friend? Even if I—”

A purple hoof stuck itself over her mouth, its owner giving her a stern expression. “Trixie,” Twilight began, “you’ve been my friend since we went to Celestia’s School as little fillies.” She removed her hoof from Trixie’s mouth. “I was in a dark place back then. My parents had just… passed, and I pushed everypony away. Even my brother.” She showed a small smile.

“Then you came along and bugged me to no end, always pestering me to play with you, study with you, to be your friend. You didn’t give up, and you eventually brought me, a filly you didn’t even know, out of a depression that could’ve taken me down a road that I’ll confess scares me to think about. If you hadn’t come along…”

Trixie was caught off guard when Twilight nuzzled her. “We’ll always be friends, no matter what. And that’s a promise.”

Tears gathered around her eyes, and she did nothing to wipe them away. “Twilight… thank you. You don’t know how much that means to me…”

Twilight smiled at her. “Anytime, Trixie. You’re my best friend, after all.”

The loud “Aww!” had them both turning to find the other girls staring at them, most with touched expressions and one (from Rainbow Dash) that held a teasing grin. “That’s so sweet!” Pinkie exclaimed and bounced over and wrapped the two up in a big hug. “Two friends sharing a tender moment! Oh, it just makes me want to cry tears of joy!” As if on cue, waterfalls of tears shot from her eyes like a pair of fountains as she blew into a hanky that she pulled from Celestia-knows-where.

Rarity floated a cloth to her eyes. “Oh, my, do we need to leave you girls alone for a bit? We certainly didn’t mean to intrude.”

“No, no, you’re fine,” Twilight said with light and awkward laugh, scooching away from Trixie a little. “Exactly… how much of that did you all hear?”

“Enough to know that you two need to get a room,” Rainbow teased with a smirk, earning a laugh from Applejack and Pinkie Pie.

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, you’re hilarious.” A slightly cruel grin creeped up on her face. “Besides, Twilight’s been spending a fair amount of time with Flash. Isn’t that right, Twi?”

A blush covered Twilight’s face at the implications of Trixie’s statement, and she shook her head so fast that the others worried it might fly off her shoulders. “N-no! I mean, well, yes, but… Look, Flash and I are just friends! Nothing else is going on between us.”

Rarity gave her a sly smile. “Does that mean you wouldn’t want something more going on?”

A meep escaped Twilight, and she shook her head vigorously. “N-n-n-no! I wouldn’t—” She stopped as all of her friends starting laughing, Rainbow going so far as the fall to the ground, holding her gut as she laughed. “I hate all of you sometimes, you know that?”

“Ha!” Rainbow scoffed. “You know you love us. Just think of how empty and dull your life would be without yours truly!”

“I’d get more sleep if I didn’t know you, that’s for sure!”

The girls all collapsed into another gale of helpless laughter, even Trixie found herself joining in. The laugh, added with the comfort that she would always have a good friend in Twilight, helped put her mind at ease. She felt that, tonight, she was going to sleep peacefully for once.

-o-

The field was forever. In all directions, she saw an endless expanse of green, interrupted by the occasional splotches of color from flowers, the pure blue of the sky greeting the horizon far away from her. A smile tugged at her face as a gentle, cool breeze blew through her coat, her mane being swept by the light wind. She was at ease, a sense of calmness washing over her as she lay in the warm grass, the sun bathing her in its rays.

Flower petals, blown loose by the wind, swished past her. Some even grazing her face, feeling almost like butterfly wings brushing against her cheeks. If this was a dream, she didn’t want to wake up. The serenity, the quiet… it was so much different from her nightmares of the past. So much better.

A cooler breeze blew through, causing a shiver to race up her spine. Violet eyes opened to see her grassy plains start to darken, like a cloud was passing over the glorious sun overhead. Trixie looked up to find it was no cloud that had begun to cover the sun. Her serenity broke like glass, and a muffled gasp escaped her as she found the moon had begun an eclipse.

Even worse, the visage of the Mare in the Moon seemed to leer down at her.

‘Trixie Lulamoon.’

“No! Please! Stop haunting me!” She fell to her belly, trying to hide within the tall grasses. Anything to keep her from staring down at her with those awful, snakelike eyes.

‘Why do you continue to deny what must be? You have a glorious destiny to fulfill. You cannot escape it.’

Trixie glared back at the visage, even as the grass around her started to wilt. “No! I will not be told what to do! I decide what I want to do with my own life, and that life is to be a magician. The greatest Equestria will ever know! You won’t tell me what to do!”

‘That is where you are wrong, foolish mare. Your fate was decided centuries before you were even a twinkle in your father’s eye. You cannot deny your fate!’

“I will!” Trixie shrieked right back at the visage. “I won’t let anyone control me!”

‘Idiot girl.’

“Just leave me alone!” Trixie whirled and started running. The dead and dying grass disintegrated as she ran through it. Her hooves kicked up a cloud of black dust as she ran.

‘Where are you running?’

“Anywhere! Away from you!”

A laugh pierced the air around her, a sound like a cat’s claws running along a chalkboard, as the world around her grew ever darker. She shut her eyes, gritting her teeth as she forced herself to gallop faster and faster, trying to outrun something she couldn’t see.

A mocking chuckle echoed around her. ‘You fail to realize the enormity of your destiny. The grand scale of your inevitable fate. And you fail to recall...’ Something grasped her legs, tripping her up to fall flat on her face, dirt matting her coat as she hit the ground. A miasmatic fog boiled around her, like tendrils of some eldritch beast, massing together before her and melding into another form entirely.

An equine shape began to manifest itself, taking the form of a towering black alicorn, clad in azure armor. A fanged grin was spread across the dark mare’s face, her serpentine eyes glinting with a cruel amusement.

“You are in my domain,” stated the Mare of Darkness, her white teeth contrasting sharply against her black fur. “You cannot run from me here, no more than you can escape the destiny that is set for you.” She approached Trixie with an ominous saunter as the unicorn spat out a mouthful of dirt. “Imagine it; you could be the bringer of new age. An age without a government fueled by deceit and hypocrisy. An era of true peace that would last for an eternity. But you refuse all that because you want to become a fame-hungry charlatan? You forget yourself, little filly.”

Trixie struggled to her knees. “Don’t call me that.” She glared up at the alicorn, her own teeth bared. “And you can take your so-called destiny and shove it right up your—”

A growl escaped the black mare’s mouth. “Insolent foal! You would dare speak to your one true queen in such a manner!?”

She got to her hooves. “If it means you’ll leave me alone, yes!” Power gathered around her horn and she blasted at the alicorn.

A velvety chuckle mocked her as her magical attack passed right through the alicorn without any apparent effect. A laugh escaped her, and her own horn burned with an unholy dark blue aura. “You seem to have a selective memory, child. You can do nothing to me. You are in my realm. Here, you belong to me, regardless of what you wish.”

A fell mist rose up around them both, a cruel chortle filling the air, Trixie stepping back, only to be stopped by the mist, which forced her closer to the immense alicorn. “Embrace your destiny, Trixie Lulamoon. And you will again know peace.”

“Leave me alone…” Trixie uttered in a quiet whisper.

The alicorn’s ears flickered. “What did you say, dear child?”

Trixie glared up at the alicorn, rage practically blazing in her eyes. “Leave. Me. Alone!”

Her scream pierced through the veil of her dream, and she sat bolt upright in her bed, the scream dying on her lips. She only had enough time to rub at her face before an angry pounding on the room next door echoed through the wall.

“Shut up already! I’m trying to sleep!” her neighbor yelled, likely waking up others in their irritance.

Trixie pulled her blanket up to her face, her sobs echoing in her room. Her shoulders shook with each sob, the tears of a mare pushed to her limits soaking her blanket. She wasn’t sure how many more nights like this she could take. What… what was it she was supposed to do? She talked to her friends, and the dreams still came. She lost herself in her studies, and still they tormented her. Who was was there for her to seek?

-o-

Exhaustion. Complete and utter exhaustion. Trixie was beyond tired, nearly ready to just pass out on the floor. The fact that she had classes today didn’t make her feel any better. All she had to be grateful for was that it was at least Friday, so she could sleep in all she wanted tomorrow (provided the dreams gave her a night off). All she really had to look forward to right now, however, was dull economics class, followed by a history class. She ran a hoof over her face, a sigh escaping her. If only she could get some real sleep, then she wouldn’t be such a mess!

She was so caught up with her internal mumblings that she didn’t see who she bumped into until she had fallen on her haunches.

“Oww…” She rubbed at her sore snout. Blinking the grogginess away from her eyes, she looked up to see Headmaster Stargazer looking down on her, his dark-gray eyes looking at her with a kindly wisdom and a little amusement.

“H-Headmaster?” She quickly collected her books from the floor in a frenzy. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. I didn’t mean to bump into you.”

He gave a touched chuckle and held up a hoof for her to calm down. “It’s quite all right. It’s a common thing to see students so engrossed in their studies they don’t know where they’re going.” He levitated a number of her notes to her. “But you, my dear, seem to have it worse than most. Are you finding your studies too difficult? If you need a tutor, there are plenty of volunteers to help you.”

She shook her head quickly. “N-No, no. I’m doing find in my classes, Headmaster. I’m just…” Her violet eyes turned away as she trailed off.

His gaze settled on her for a moment before he tilted his head curiously. “Just what? As headmaster of the Academy, it is my job to help students when they having troubles here. whether they are academic or something on a more personal level, my office and ears are always open.”

A tired sigh escaped her. “I… I haven’t been sleeping well, Headmaster.”

“Oh?” His gaze narrowed only slightly before he looked around the hallway and to the other students that hurried past. “Come, let’s speak in my office so you can talk plainly.”

She wasn’t sure why, maybe it was because he was the head of the Academy—or he had learned of one of the pranks she and Twilight had pulled recently—but Trixie felt the faintest of shivers run up her spine. “I-I can’t be late for class though.”

“Tch.” He waved her objection away. “I will give you a pass, Miss Lulamoon. You will be excused. Now come along.” He turned away and walked down the hall.

Trixie shot a few nervous glances to her fellow students, who looked at her with a mixture of pity and relief that it was her and not them who was going to the headmaster’s office. With no help for it, she followed after the older unicorn. She trotted ahead to catch up with the stallion as they entered the office area of the Academy.

‘For an old coot, he sure moves fast,’ she thought idly. ‘Maybe he knows some spells that let him move around more quickly.’

Stargazer swept past the secretaries and pushed open the door to his office, motioning for her to enter. “Come, talk with me.”

Those shivers returned. Something about him unsettled her. His eyes glinted with… something. She couldn’t quite place what it was, though. Eagerness? Excitement? Frustration, maybe? It was a strange mix of all of the above, she supposed. It was weird to think about. Regardless, she entered, taking a seat across from Stargazer’s desk.

Once the stallion was seated, he put his hooves together, leaning on his desk with his elbows. “Now, tell me what’s troubling you, Miss Lulamoon.”

She wasn’t sure what compelled her to do so, but she soon confessed her problems. Everything from the dark dreams, to the constant feeling of unease, to her fear that this might be something more than just recurring nightmares. The only thing she left out was the whispers she’d been hearing outside of her dreams. She didn’t need him thinking she was some schizophrenic psycho. The headmaster sat across from her in silence, listening to all she had to say, occasionally nodding in understanding. At this point, she didn’t care why she was telling him everything; it just felt good to finally vent about something that had been tearing at her thoughts for weeks.

As she finished telling her tale, she looked up to find the headmaster staring at her intently, unblinking and disquietingly calm. Instead of saying anything, he remained silent, watching her almost like a hawk would before it swooped down on some poor field mouse. She squirmed in her seat under the gaze, wishing he would just say something to her.

Thankfully, he finally broke the silence. “This dark… alicorn you see in your dreams. What does she look like? Any identifying markings, regalia, or her cutie mark?”

She hesitated for a moment. “She was… tall. Dark and… she had armor, and… her cutie mark looked like a crescent moon. And she had this… I guess you’d call it an aura or something, that made me feel… afraid. Just… afraid. Like I could have all the power in the world, and I would still be powerless against her.”

He hummed and looked away, a pensive frown crossing his face. “Interesting,” he murmured.

Again, he went silent for a moment, and Trixie felt that he might’ve forgotten she was even there. She cleared her throat and his gaze snapped back at her. “Headmaster, is there something wrong?”

He shook his head, that kindly smile returning to his face. “No, no, Miss Lulamoon, just a few private thoughts. In any case, I don’t quite see how these dreams are anything more than that. If it helps, I could speak with the Academy therapist and nurses and see about getting something to help you sleep better at night. You’ll likely be called in to see them once they know of your troubles.”

A relieved sigh left Trixie’s lungs, a small smile on tugging at her face. “You have no idea how much that would help, Headmaster.”

Stargazer chuckled and rose from his seat, approaching the young mare and extending a hoof. “It’s always my pleasure to be able to help the students of this great school in any way I can.”

Shaking the headmaster’s hoof, Trixie stood from her own seat, bidding the graying stallion farewell as she left his office. Unbeknownst to her, he wore an imperceptible smirk as she left.

-o-

It was the evening of the Light Crystal Enchantment Contest, and Trixie found herself beside Sunset Shimmer as their crystal was set out on a table in front of them. The contest was being held in the auditorium of the Academy, and it had drawn a sizable crowd. One look at the excitedly waving Pinkie Pie in the crowd, and Trixie knew exactly who was responsible for the gathering. A huff escaped her as she glanced at the table next to hers. Twilight shifted uncomfortably in her seat as Comet Tail sat staring at her with adoration that a puppy would be hard pressed to match.

As her gaze swept back to the growing crowd, she felt a firm nudge on her side. “You had better have studied, Lulamoon,” Sunset hissed. “If you make a mockery of me in front of this crowd—”

“Do you ever worry about anything besides you, yourself, and the pony in the mirror?” Trixie snapped back, though she kept her voice restrained. The very last thing she wanted was for the Academy to see her bickering with her lab partner on stage. “I’m ready, so don’t get your tail in a twist.”

Sunset glowered at her and pointedly turned away, focusing her attention over the ponies in the crowd. As much as the notion of nag-slapping Sunset on stage in front of an audience pleased her, she thought better of it. As she looked at their faintly glowing crystal, she could only appreciate the help the headmaster had given her that much more. She’d been getting fuller sleep at nights, though she had been waking up with light headaches. The nurse who’d given her the sleeping pills had assured her it was only a side effect, and likely nothing to be concerned about. Even so, the headaches were worth her being able to sleep—it allowed her to finally focus on her studies again!

Now all she had to do was give her crystal a final enchant, and she can be done with the project and—better yet!—Sunset Shimmer.

As the crowd’s chatter reached a peak, Professor Inkwell ascended to the stage, a microphone held in her magic as she took her place front and center. With a grin, she said, “Welcome, everypony, to the annual Light Crystal Enchantment Contest, where I’m pleased to say is seeing the largest crowd it’s seen in twenty years! I’d like to thank one Miss Pinkie Pie for helping to spread the word about this contest!”

“You’re welcome!” Pinkie shouted from the crowd, waving her forelegs in an excited blur. “Go, Twilight! Go, Trixie! Woo!” she managed before Applejack and Rainbow Dash pulled her back into her seat.

Trixie and Twilight face-hoofed at the same time, but Inkwell continued right along as if nothing happened. “As you all may or may not know, the winning pair in this contest will have their light crystal put on special display during the Summer Sun Celebration this year, placed upon the very platform from which Princess Celestia will raise the sun!”

An applause rose up through the audience, no doubt having been pulled into such excitement by whatever speech Pinkie Pie had given them to get so many to come. Trixie soaked up the sound of the cheering. One day, the ponies would cheer for her just like this when she became the greatest magician to ever live.

“Now, all of the groups will focus their magic for the final enchantment. This enchantment will require all pairs to work in unison to make the magic last. If the pair are not on the same level, their crystal will not be as bright, and the magic will not last. However, if the two are knowledgeable and have studied, their combined magics will make the crystals shine brightly and last for years. It truly is a test of teamwork and magical prowess at its finest.” She turned to the first table, facing a pair of ponies whose names eluded Trixie’s mind. “Amethyst Star and Moondancer, you may begin when ready.”

The two mares glanced at each other briefly, Amethyst looking nervous and Moondancer appearing somewhat confident as they aimed their horns at their crystal. The gem glowed as their magic wrapped around it, merging and gradually synchronizing. For several moments, nothing happened, until the crystal began to flicker with light. Soon, it began to glow with a light like a far less intense version of a miniature sun, awing the crowd, who watched the light show with rapt attention.

“A wonderful display from you both!” Inkwell beamed, while the two mares bumped hooves with grins on their faces. “Next up…”

The next few teams had more or less the same results, some being better, some not doing quite as well. Trixie could feel a sense of anxiety in her stomach as Inkwell slowly drew closer to her and Sunset. It wasn’t stage fright - that was impossible for someone like her - but it was definitely something. She didn’t want to screw this up, that was for sure. She’d never hear the end of it from Shimmer, and the idea of Sunset Shimmer complaining about one failure to her forever wasn’t exactly an appealing thought.

Eventually, after about eight or nine teams, Inkwell arrived at nerve-wracked Twilight Sparkle and a lovestruck Comet Tail. “Alright, Twilight Sparkle, Comet Tail, it’s your turn. You may begin when ready.”

Trixie’s gaze snapped out to the crowd as their friends began cheering for Twilight, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash waving a small banner with her name on it. Where that had come from, she didn’t know or want to know.

“R-right,” Twilight said with a nervous smile. She turned a glare at Comet, who could only smile at her as she muttered something Trixie couldn’t hear. She did hear Twilight’s hiss-like ‘Focus!’ and she found it hard to suppress a giggle at her friend’s expense.

Twilight aimed her horn at the crystal, forcing Comet to do the same with one hoof. There was silence as a magical field enveloped their crystal, the gem briefly flickering and glowing with a small, weak light. Several moments passed, and Twilight finally raised her head, letting out a long sigh and offering an awkward smile and laugh, while Comet returned to staring at her with those witless puppy-dog eyes.

Inkwell raised an eyebrow at the crystal between them, glancing back up at the pair for a moment before looking down at the crystal again. The pitiful thing would barely make for a decent night light, let alone a decoration for Celestia’s platform.

“This is…” The professor seemed to struggle to come up with something polite to say until she just shrugged. “No, sorry, there’s no putting this gently: this is the worst crystal this year. Not the worst I’ve ever seen, but barely passable.”

Twilight let out a groan of defeat as her face met the desk in front of her with a smack that echoed throughout the auditorium. And Comet Tail just kept on eyeballing her like an idiot.

Finally, Inkwell turned to Trixie and Sunset and her glare turned a bit more stern. “I truly hope the both of you learned to work together. I won’t be happy if this turns into another…” She turned a glance to Twilight and Comet, the former of whom was currently repeatedly banging her head against the table. “That.”

A nervous gulp escaped Trixie as her gaze returned to her crystal. She knew the spell that was necessary, but now that she was put in the spotlight, she felt her stomach tie in a knot and her mind scramble. She had to focus! Her grade depended on it (as well as not getting endlessly tormented by a certain mustard-colored unicorn with ketchup-stained hair)!

The clearing of a throat caused her to look at Sunset as the other unicorn gave her a firm nod. Sunset stood from her chair and closed her eyes, the azure magic wrapping around her horn. The crystal took on a similar hue in response to the magic the unicorn fed it.

Taking in a calming breath, Trixie let her own pinkish aura surround her horn.

‘Have to focus, the crystal and me, that’s all that’s here...’

The aura surrounding the crystal swirled with their respective auras, and Trixie let her eyes close. The hushed murmurs of the crowd died away, the repeated sounds of a forehead on a table faded away to white nose, and all that was left was her and the crystal.

‘Me and the crystal. That’s all there is.’ She gritted her teeth as she poured more of her magic into the waiting crystal. She dared not to open her eyes, fearing any distraction would cause her to lose her focus.

‘Accept...’

Her breath caught. That voice! Why was she hearing it?

‘Embrace.’

No, no, no! Not now! Not during something this important!

‘Your destiny awaits.’

Fear gave way to rage. Why did they not leave her alone? She just wanted to be alone!

The surge of emotion manifested through her magic, and all in attendance jerked their gazes away as the crystal on their table seemed to glow with a scathing light, as if Princess Celestia had risen the sun in the auditorium. When the glow died down to less painful levels, the audience gave a collective gasp as the crystal glowed with a powerful white light, its bright rays illuminating even the furthest bleachers of the auditorium.

Trixie finally opened her eyes to see her crystal, and her jaw dropped open wide.

‘Did… did I… do that?’

She looked over to find Sunset giving her an equally stunned look, an expression that, for once, had no semblance of her usual “I’m better than you” attitude. As the light finally dimmed more, they could both see their respective auras still shimmering within the center of the crystal, pulsing like a silent heart.

“Absolutely incredible!” Inkwell cried, a wide pleased smile on her face. “You two have gone from bickering like foals to working together to make the brightest crystal I’ve seen in years as a teacher here in the Academy! Very well done, you two.”

Trixie slumped to her haunches, still staring at the crystal, completely baffled. How had she done that? What could’ve given her the surge to do something like this?

Even after the contest ended, with her and Sunset’s crystal winning the competition by a landslide, she was still in shock. That ended when her friends rushed up the stage and crushed her under a massive group hug.

“That was amazing, Trixie! How’d you do that?” Rainbow asked as the group hug ended.

“I… I don’t know. I just sort of… did it.”

Twilight beamed at her friend. “It was all of your hard work and setting aside your problems that let you do it, Trixie. Just like I said it would.”

A blush crept up on the azure unicorn’s face. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.” She straightened her back, brushing a hoof against her chest with a smirk. “Was there ever any doubt?”

“Yes,” said Sunset. All eyes of the seven friends turned to her, most of them glaring daggers at the fiery-maned unicorn. She held an odd look on her face, like something between frustration and grudging acceptance. “But… I suppose you did well enough, Lulamoon. This time.” Her expression turned to full spite. “But don’t expect this to change anything. You’re still beneath me.”

“I was just about to say the same thing about you, Shimmer,” Trixie snarked with a grin. “Though, honestly, the words I had in mind weren’t quite as polite.” Sunset rolled her eyes with a scowl, refusing to respond in favor of simply trotting away. Trixie couldn’t help but laugh a little. “You know, come to think of it, that’s probably the nicest thing she’ll ever say to any of us.”

“Or anypony, for that matter,” Rainbow Dash added snidely.

Their laughter was shared in earnest, save for one, who could barely manage a chuckle. Trixie looked at the bummed Twilight, and a wince tugged at the corners of her mouth.

“Sorry about your project, Twilight,” she said. “It was—”

“Pathetic!” her friend wailed. “Barely even a glimmer! It’d be generous to call it a faulty lamp light!”

“Oh, it’s not that bad,” Pinkie chirped, holding up the pitifully glowing gem. “We could use it as a night light! It’ll scare all the ghoulies and ghosties away! No more bad dreams for anypony with your special crystal!”

“That’s not funny, Pinkie Pie!” Twilight groaned in unison with Trixie. The two looked to each other in surprise, both blinking before Twilight said, “What’s not funny to you?”

“N-nothing,” the blue unicorn answered. “I just think a certain pink pony should learn how cheer ponies up without insulting them at the same time.”

Pinkie blinked and her eyes watered up. “I was just trying to cheer her up…” She lowered her head and sniffed.

As much as Trixie wanted to berate her more, she knew the mare likely just didn’t think her attempt to bring Twilight back up all the way through. So she wrapped a foreleg around Pinkie’s withers and gave her a friendly shake.

“It’s all right, Pinkie. Just think it through next time, okay?”

Pinkie’s smile beamed right back up. “Okey dokey, Trixie!” She quickly turned to Twilight. “Sorry, my mouth tends to move faster than my brain sometimes. Anyway, let’s get the guys and celebrate!”

The girls all gave a collective cheer and filed out of the auditorium. Even as they picked up Wanderer and Flash Sentry, Trixie couldn’t help but let her mind wander on what it was that caused that surge in the crystal. Was it something she had deep down? Some hidden talent she didn’t know about?

‘Accept your fate…’

The whispers had died down to a quieter pitch, but she could still hear them. They were still there, snaking through her ears, muttering sweet nothings like some long lost companion. But it was easier to ignore them now. Hopefully, after a while, they would disappear completely. Faust above willing, she would never have to deal with the whispers or the dreams again.

-o-

Silence greeted White Star as she approached the door to master’s private study. A tinge of nervousness touched the back of her mind, but she retained her composure. His summons had been vague, as they usually were, only asking her to meet him here. In honesty, her curiosity drove her more than loyalty at the moment as she raised a hoof to knock on the door.

“Enter.”

The albino mare froze when his voice came before she even touched the door. His voice always brought a shiver down her spine, even more so when he answered before even hearing a sound. She had to confess that it was more than a little unnerving, even for her.

Quietly, she pushed the door open and entered her master’s study. The walls were adorned with bookshelves with many old tomes that seemed not to have been opened in years, though were kept in almost pristine condition. Several oak chairs stood before his mahogany desk, with him sitting in a large seat behind it. Upon the desk were several unopened files; one was held aloft in his magic as he scanned through it, his eyes tracing words that White Star couldn’t see from her position.

“Good of you to come, my dear,” he greeted her without taking his eyes off the file. “Please, take a seat.”

The white unicorn nodded and sat down upon one of the chairs, her crimson eyes falling upon her leader’s aged form. He was significantly older than herself - about forty years her senior, if she guessed correctly - but she knew well enough that when it comes to unicorns, looks can be deceiving. With age came knowledge and wisdom, and he often privately admitted to being very old. An old unicorn didn’t need much power; they could easily rely on decades of experience to surmount just about any obstacle.

An unsettling quiet filled the air as he read through the file before him. White Star, for all her composure, a trait for which she was praised by her fellow Knights, couldn’t help but squirm in her seat. Only he could make her feel so antsy, so perturbed and unsettled, especially in his silence. Why had he summoned her? What was going on in that labyrinthine mind of his?

Finally, he closed the file, but did not set it down, turning his steely gaze to her. “Terribly sorry to keep you waiting, Star,” he said in a cold, neutral voice. “I’ve an important task for you. One that I can only entrust to you.”

White Star almost released a sigh of relief. For a moment, she actually believed she had done something to offend him. Offending him would have been… unwise. “What task do you have for me, milord?”

“There is a certain young mare that has piqued my interest as of late.” The file in his magic floated over to her, and she took it in her own red aura. He waved a hoof to her, silently ordering her to open it, and she obeyed.

Briefly reading through the file, she stopped when she spotted a name. “Beatrix Lulamoon?” She looked up at her master again. “I had thought that the Lulamoon family perished with the Knights’ cause centuries ago?”

He gave a low chuckle. “In honesty, I had thought the same before assuming my current status. These days, they are a relatively low-class family, as far as Canterlot goes. Their present day existence is kept secret from all but the chosen successor of our order’s leadership.” He leaned forward, his seat creaking as he rested his forelegs on his desk. “I want you to keep a close eye on this mare. Watch discreetly. Be as her shadow.”

She nodded in acceptance of her given task. “Of course. I will not—” Something clicked in her mind just then, a question suddenly rising to the forefront of her thoughts. “Milord, you said that this information is passed only to a chosen successor. Does this mean…?” She trailed, already feeling as though she’d stepped on his hoof.

To her surprise, he smiled. “I was hoping you would pick up that. Yes, I’ve chosen you as my successor. I’m old, and likely don’t have many years left in me, and you are loyal, clever, and strong member of our order. You are the best candidate to fill my role when I one day leave this world.”

White Star, still amazed by this news, bowed her head. “You honor me, milord. I will not disappoint you. You have my word that the Knights of the Dark Moon will see a golden age.”

“Let us hope so,” he said. “I would hate to have to come back and haunt you for failing to uphold that oath.”

A chill ran down her spine at his tone. The way he spoke just now… he sounded as though he were dead serious, in direct contrast to his kindly smile. She quietly gulped as her mind entertained the idea that he may know of some forbidden magic that would let him come back to curse her until her dying breath. Shaking her head slightly, she nodded.

“Yes,” she said. “That would be…” She simply trailed off, unable to find the right word, and stood from her seat, the file carried closely in her magic. “I will take my leave now, unless there is anything else you require?”

“No, that will be all.” He waved his hoof at her again, shooing her away. “Go. I have a long to-do list today. The One Queen’s return draws near, and I want to be ready for that eve.”

White Star bowed her head once more, turning to take her leave. As the door closed behind her, she once again opened the file on the Lulamoon child. The Lulamoon name was one that had not been heard from within the Knights since the last battles of the Nightmare Wars of a thousand years past. She would need to tread carefully. As her master said, she needed to be as Beatrix’s shadow. Close, but silent, unseen.

The tiniest of smiles tugged at her lips. This could prove to be interesting.

May Your Dreams Be Sweet

The door to his office creaked loudly as he pushed it open with his magic. Shining Armor saw quickly that his desk had a fresh new stack of reports awaiting his attention in the ingoing box. He gave a soft sigh and took a sip of his coffee that floated by his face before closing the door to his office.

“Could’ve sworn I had it all caught up yesterday when I left,” he muttered before taking another sip of the near-black coffee. Grumbling, he tossed his scarf across the back of his chair before sitting heavily in the worn out cushion.

He pulled over the first report, which was nothing more than one of the night patrol’s report of an all clear. Even as he scribbled his signature across the bottom, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat relieved by it.

‘Ever since the disappearances stopped, there’s been less work lately.’ He lifted up another report, this one detailing a pickpocket that was apprehended and jailed. “Mm, poor kid. Maybe a night’s stay in guard custody will set her straight.”

There was a knock at his door and he lifted his gaze towards it. “Come in.”

The door gave another groan as it admitted a small purple and green scaled dragon. “Morning, boss,” Spike said as he gave a sharp salute.

Shining gave a salute in return. “Good morning, Spike. Sleep well?” he asked as he floated another document to look over.

“Like a log,” the young dragon said in a chipper tone that Shining grumbled at. At least he was able to get some good sleep. Shining looked at the stack of forms the dragon carried under one arm, and another huff escaped him. “More reports?”

“Eh, not many this time,” Spike said as he placed them on top of the others on the desk. “It’s been so quiet lately, it almost seems like we’re on a vacation.”

Shining’s blue eyes settled on the larger stack of papers and gave a helpless shake of his head. “I might need a vacation from my vacation before long.”

Spike gave a chuckle and nodded. “You need anything else, Captain?”

He waved the little dragon away. “Not right now. Just give me time to get this done, all right?”

Spike gave another salute. “You can count on me!”

As the dragon left his office, Shining wished to Celestia that he had half the youngling’s energy for these boring days at the office. If he did, he’d have this done and could spend the day on patrol or visiting with Cadence or Twilight. He glanced over to a framed picture of himself, Cadence, and a young Twilight all making a funny face at the camera as it sat on his desk. A warm smile crossed his face as he began working in earnest.

“Well, the sooner I get this done, the sooner I can do that.” Getting out a quill and some ink, he finally set to work, signing reports that required his signature and quickly reading through others. He gradually settled into the tedious monotony of paperwork, filing away forms and setting aside signed security requests that would need to be sent to Princess Celestia for further approval.

The tedium was enough to distract him for several hours until the door to his office opened again, Spike returning with a scroll in his claws. “Letter for you, boss,” he said. “Looks important. It’s got the royal seal and everything.”

Shining blinked at that. What could the princess want? Nodding, he took the scroll off Spike’s claws in his light purple aura (it wasn’t pink, no matter how much Cadance or Twilight insisted it was) and broke the seal, unrolling the parchment and reading through it. He narrowed his eyes at it, making sure he was reading it right.

“It’s a summons,” the guard captain finally said. “She wants to talk to me in private in a few days.”

“Oh, boy,” Spike muttered. “What’d you do?”

The stallion arched a brow at the baby dragon. “Why do you assume I did something?”

“Well… doesn’t the princess usually only call for a private chat with captains when they’ve done something stupid? Or… something like that?”

Shining bit the inside of his cheek as he mulled over Spike’s point. It was true; Princess Celestia rarely summoned anypony for a private conversation, and whenever it did happen, it was usually something serious. Worst case scenario, it was the precursor to trial, court martial, dishonorable discharge, and sometimes even execution, depending the severity of the offense. As far as Shining could recall, however, he’d done nothing wrong. So what was on the princess’s mind that she needed to talk to him of all ponies?

Setting the summons aside for now, he said, “Thank you, Spike. Dismissed.” The little drake gave a mock salute and left the office, leaving Shining to his thoughts. Something was bothering the unicorn. He could feel in his gut that something was up.

When Spike had told him of Twilight’s tip regarding the foalnappings several weeks ago, his subsequent digging for intel had led him to a supposedly dead, thousand-year-old cult. Odd things had been happening lately, and he didn’t like it. Celestia’s summons only put him more on edge, as if something was trying to tell him that something was going to happen, and it was going to happen uncomfortably soon.

-o-

Fluttershy tugged her scarf on tighter as the cool breeze blew through the streets of Canterlot. The snow was beginning to melt, and many ponies were busy with the mountain city’s Winter Wrap-Up. The roads were bustling with ponies as they worked hard to clear the streets and rooftops of the winter’s snow and ice. Carts full of snow and icicles were being hauled up and down the streets as the annual elemental festival was in full swing.

She wasn’t really a part of the festival herself, though many of the students of the Academy often volunteered to help out. Her goal for walking the crowded streets was for another purpose. She remembered once when the Academy had done a surprise inspection of the dorms, and had found her assorted collection of cute little animals that needed her help. They had told her, and quite firmly so, that pets were not allowed on campus, and that they would not be happy if they found more in her room.

A sigh escaped her as she remembered so many times when she wanted to take a poor, innocent stray back and feed them and take care of them, only to remember she couldn’t. Instead, she decided that if she couldn’t take them to her, she would go to them.

A warm smile spread across her face as she trotted down the street towards the one alley where her newest friend lived, tugging on the bags over her back to make sure they were still fastened correctly. Stopping for a fully loaded cart to pass, she hurried across to the almost bare alley, and gave a low whistle.

“Buddy? Buddy, I’m here.” Her soft voice carried down the alley and she heard the sound of tiny, scrambling paws.

Her teal eyes widened happily as the little brown and black Germane Shepherd puppy crawled out from under the nearby dumpster in the alley. His wide, brown eyes practically glowed at the sight of her, and his tail wagged so fast, she thought he would take off into the air.

A giggle escaped her and she knelt down to greet the yipping pup, and he wasted no time in covering her face with wet dog kisses.

“Oh, I missed you, too, Buddy,” she cooed as she scratched him behind the ears, causing his back leg to thump repeatedly. “Who’s a good boy?”

The little pup gave an excited yip.

“That’s right, you are.” She dug into her saddlebags and pulled out a small bag of dog chow that she had bought, along with a small bowl. She carried it over towards the dumpster, cleared away the snow, and filled up the bowl. Buddy quickly forgot that she was even there as he chowed down on the offered food.

“Now, now, not so fast. You’ll get a stomachache.” She giggled again as she watched his tail fly back and forth even as he ate. She reached under the dumpster and removed the old straw bedding she had first made for him, and replaced it with a new little doggy bed, which came complete with a soft cushion for him to snuggle into.

She sat on her haunches to watch him as he sniffed at the bed. He climbed in and turned around twice before settling in.

“Aww, you like it, don’t you?”

Buddy gave her a high-pitched, confirming bark as he shifted to get comfortable.

She gushed a bit at the sight. “Oh, I wish I could take you to the Academy with me, so you could stay with me. But I don’t want to get in trouble and lose you, either.” She ran a hoof over his head as she settled next to him. “But don’t you worry, Buddy. I’ll take care of you until I graduate, then you can finally come home with me, and you won’t have to stay out in this cold anymore.”

The pup gave her hoof a lick, and another warm giggle escaped her. She then dug into her bags again and produced a red bouncy ball. “Look what else I’ve got for you.”

When she gave it a squeeze, causing the ball to squeak, the puppy was up and bouncing around, barking excitedly, his tail going a mile a minute.

“Go get it!” She tossed the ball down the alley and the pup scrambled after it. The ball landed in a snow drift, and Buddy didn’t hesitate as he pounced in after it, digging through the snow to acquire his “prey.” His head popped back out of the snow, and he gave his ball another squeak.

“Bring it back now, Buddy.”

The dog bounded through the snow, tossing the ball up and chasing it down himself. With a little bit of coaxing, with the promised reward of a treat, she finally managed to get him to bring the ball back to her. She spent the next few hours playing and cuddling with the young pup, remembering when she first found him, shivering and alone on the streets as the first winter’s snow had fallen.

She wanted so badly to take him back to the Academy, but once again, she knew she couldn’t. So instead, she promised to make him as warm and comfy as she could in his little home in the alley until she graduated, at which point, she would take him in and give him a real home, one where he wouldn’t have to worry about being cold at night, or the possibility of mean ponies or other animals bullying him. Come to think of it, she could take him home come summer vacation. He definitely wouldn’t need to wait nearly as long. Just a few more months, and he’d have a family!

She spent the evening with him until she noticed the sun was beginning to set.

“Already?” A sigh escaped through her nose, and she turned a sad look to Buddy. “I’m sorry, Buddy, I have to head back to the Academy. I don’t want to get in trouble by not getting back before curfew.”

The pup tilted his head at her, whimpering.

“Yes, I’ll come back soon. If not tomorrow, then the day after for sure.” She then made the motions and gave the words of Pinkie Pie’s Pinkie Promise.

He licked her face.

“I love you, too.” She gave the pup a hug and stood to collect her bags. Buddy watched her and stood up to follow.

She turned back at him. “No, no, you stay, Buddy. Keep warm in your new bed, and I’ll be back.”

A soft whine escaped from the puppy, and she saw the sadness in his brown eyes.

Pursing her lips in an effort to keep her tears at bay, she shook her head. “No, don’t give me that look. You have to stay.”

He sat back down, but no sooner did she turn away, she caught him standing back up to follow her.

“No, Buddy. You stay!” Putting more sternness in her tone than she wanted to.

He lowered his head and ears and gave a final whine before turning back for his bed.

The temptation to ignore the Academy’s rules was so strong that it hurt to turn her back on the puppy.

As she stepped out into the street again, she saw that the traffic hadn’t really slowed at all. Ponies still scrambled about, and carts still moved up and down the road. Seeing a break in the traffic, she dashed across the road and managed to get across.

“Look out! Runaway cart!” The shout echoed through the street, and all eyes turned to see a cart filled to overflowing with snow barrel down the street wildly.

The push of the panicked crowd shoved her around, and she found it difficult to keep on her hooves. She spread her wings to get above the crowd but a sudden shove caused her to slip and fall on the sidewalk with a loud “Oomph!”

She shook her head to see Buddy running across the street for her, concern in his brown eyes.

He was utterly oblivious to the danger.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened and her mouth quivered as a pained yelp filled the street.

“BUDDY!” her horrified scream echoed against the buildings around her.

-o-

“Where is that last ingredient?” a white and black mare asked herself as she shifted a number of vials and bottles around on her shelves. “My brew must be completed with all expedience.” Her golden accessories rattled against each other as she sought the missing herb she was looking for. She could’ve sworn she’d left next to the poison joke. Or maybe it was by the timberwolfsbane? A sigh escaped her as she mused on the idea that she needed to organize her ingredients better.

A eureka moment reached her as she finally found what she was looking for; the petals of a heart’s desire flower. Now all she needed to do was carefully get out just two petal, and she could finally—

Her door slammed open, startling her and sending the whole bottle of petal flying into the cauldron where she was mixing her ingredients, the liquid bubbling violently and overflowing, drenching the floor around it in a purplish fluid. The mare stared at the mess with a sigh and turned to her visitor, seeing a familiar, butter-yellow pegasus that looked especially frantic.

“Professor Zecora, you have to help him!” Fluttershy pleaded, her eyes red from crying, as she ran into the room.

“Calm yourself, Fluttershy, my dear,” Zecora said in her usual, composed tone, only to freeze up when she caught sight of a small, badly hurt puppy lying on the pegasus’ back, blood seeping from the poor creature’s gaping wound across its back. “Oh, my. I see what brings you such great fear.”

“Please, you need to help him!” the young mare pleaded, her expression desperate. “He tried to follow after me, and he got hit by a cart, and I panicked, and brought him because I know you can—” A black hoof went over her mouth, the zebra before her nodding her understanding of the situation.

“Set him down over there,” she said, motioning to a table at the back of the room, the same table where Zecora treated injured and sick animals of the Academy’s arboretum. “With all due haste, I shall check my wares. Surely, I have something to help him, lest his hopes grow dim.”

Fluttershy gently laid the injured animal on the table, nervously watching as Zecora dug through a mountain of pre-made herbal remedies and elixirs, setting aside a few items that looked like healing balms and one bottle liquid, taking each of them and setting them next to Buddy, then examining the massive, bleeding gash on the poor pup’s back.

“He was hit by a cart, you say?” she asked, and Fluttershy nodded with a morose look. “Then his road to recovery will be a bumpy way.” The zebra then set to work, uncorking the bottle of liquid and carefully dabbing a cotton swab with it. Gently, she pressed the swab across the puppy’s wound, earning a pained whine from the little creature and a weak struggle from his front legs, his hind legs unmoving.

Fluttershy, her eyes nearly drowning in tears, leaned towards the pup, trying to sound reassuring as she said, “It’s okay, Buddy. It hurts now, but Zecora will make you better. She’ll have you up and bouncing again in no time. I know she will.”

Zecora sighed, shaking her slightly. Fluttershy was a true dear, and was a remarkable student—she earned top marks in the botany class that Zecora taught—but she was so prone to naivete. A wound like this… the poor little thing would be lucky to make it through the next day or two, let alone make a full recovery. Her remedies could only do so much, after all. They weren’t miracle cures.

Regardless, she still had to do whatever she could. There was was no such thing as a hopeless case in her eyes. Retrieving a ceramic jar, she removed a bit of foul-smelling gunk and spread it over the open wound on the pup’s back. Buddy gave a pained whine and tried to squirm away—his back paws remaining lifeless—but Zecora kept him from moving too much.

Fluttershy watched with a shiver as Zecora worked, hating that such an innocent little creature had to suffer like this. ‘It’s my fault…’ She hung her head miserably, choking back a sob as Buddy’s whines pierced her ears like fangs. She should’ve taken him to a shelter immediately when she first saw him! He would’ve been taken care of, given food, water… and he wouldn’t be going through this. He was just a puppy. He didn’t deserve this pain. He didn’t deserve it!

“Fluttershy, dear, bring me the jar from over there.” Zecora nodded towards a shelf. “It will help him rest, and make his pain easier to bear.”

The pegasus nodded reluctantly, turning to the shelf Zecora had pointed out, looking over all the assorted herbs and ingredients. She took the large jar in the middle and said, “Is this it?” When Zecora nodded, she brought the jar over to the zebra, who took it and popped the lid off. Instantly, the foulest, most pungent, most absolutely repulsive odor she had ever had the misfortune of inhaling bombarded Fluttershy’s nostrils. She gagged at the smell, trying her hardest not to vomit on the spot. She could only imagine what the putrid stench was doing to the already suffering Buddy. “What is that?”

“As much as I appreciate your curiosity about this ingredient,” Zecora said as she pulled on a glove over her hoof. “But for now, it is probably best that you remain ignorant.” Dipping her hoof into the mix, she dabbed a bit around the puppy’s nose. Buddy gave a sneeze before settling down, his brown eyes closing, and his breathing slowing.

Fluttershy felt the panic rise up in her chest. “Is he…?”

“He is sleeping, my dear, but it will take far more than this, I fear.” Zecora gave her a soft look. “Fluttershy, you do realize that he is hurt most severe? You should know that he may not persevere.”

She shook her head, her long bangs whipping around. “No, please don’t say that, Zecora! Buddy will be fine! You’ll save him!” Looking back at the sleeping pup, she hung her head. “You have to…”

Zecora let out another sigh, then put a hoof on the younger mare’s shoulder. “You must go and rest. Worry not for Buddy, for I shall do my best.” Fluttershy was about to retort, but Zecora gave her a stern glare. “Do not make me repeat myself.”

The pegasus hesitated at that. She’d been at the Academy long enough to know what it meant when Zecora didn’t speak in rhymes. There was no way she was going to take no for an answer. Reluctantly, she stepped back and nodded, giving one last look to Buddy before leaving her teacher to her work.

Letting out a breath through her nose, Zecora eyed the puppy. She had given her word that she would do all she can to help the little one, and she would do just that. But she had her limits.

-o-

She barely listened as her teacher droned on and on about something relating to… something. She wasn’t paying attention. She couldn’t if she tried. Her medical history class felt like a waste of time. Valuable time she could be using to help Zecora take care of Buddy. He needed her right now, and what was she doing? Sitting on her flank, her head low as an old stallion blathered in ceaseless attempt at education. She trembled at the thought of Buddy’s wounds, the memory of the sound of his agonized whimpers, undoubtedly pleas for help.

Why was she even here right now? She had given Buddy to Zecora yesterday, and the zebra had given her no update on her little friend’s condition. How was he doing? Was he any better? Was Zecora feeding him properly? What was going on in Buddy’s mind right now?

She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting them to produce more tears. No more. She wasn’t going to cry anymore. Once her class was done, she was going straight to Buddy. He needed her.

“Miss Fluttershy, is my class so boring to you that you’re trying to sleep through it?”

Her eyes snapped open to find the instructor giving her a steady glare, while the other students all quietly snickered at her. A bright blush erupted across her face, and she partly hid behind her long pink mane. “N-No, sir, I’m just…” She let a sigh through her nose. “I’m sorry. I’ll pay attention.”

The instructor hummed and continued his lecture. Fluttershy looked around and saw a few of the other students giving her amused glances, a few even chuckling at her.

She again retreated behind her mane, wishing to Celestia it would all just end so she could go do what she wanted. Where she needed to be.

-o-

“Hey, Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy stopped when she heard her name called. Rainbow Dash darted over to her, landing next to her friend. The cyan mare looked… uncharacteristically concerned, as if she’d just received some bad news.

“I overheard some of your classmates talking about you being distracted in class today,” Rainbow said with a frown. “We missed you at lunch, too. You all right, Shy?”

“Um…” She hesitated briefly. “Y-yes, I’m fine. Just… I’ve had a lot of assignments lately, and they’ve taken up a lot of my free time.”

Rainbow quirked an eyebrow, her expression skeptical at best. “Fluttershy, how long have we known each other?”

“Um… as long as I can remember. I had to have been five or six when I first met you. Maybe even younger. Why?”

“What makes you think that, with all those years of us being friends, I can’t tell when you’re lying?”

The cream-coated pegasus flinched at the question, looking away from her oldest friend as she tried to think of some out of this. She didn’t want Rainbow Dash to worry, but the cyan mare would only keep digging until she gave her a straight answer.

“Shy, you know can talk to me about anything, right?” Rainbow added, putting a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “If something’s bothering you, don’t let it eat you up. Just tell me what’s on your mind. If it’s something embarrassing, I promise not to laugh.”

Fluttershy looked to the prismatic mare in front of her, a cyan hoof still on her shoulder, and bit her lip in her anxiety. She could just try to assure Rainbow that everything was fine and that there was nothing to worry about. In the end, however, she knew she couldn’t just lie through her teeth. Rainbow was no scientific genius, but she certainly wasn’t stupid. Lying to her would only make her worry more than if she just told her the truth.

With a defeated sigh, she gently pushed Rainbow’s hoof off her shoulder and said, “It’ll be… not easier to show you, but… simpler.” With that, she turned, motioning with her head for Rainbow to follow her. The colorfully maned pegasus, for her part, hesitated for only a moment. She recognized that look on Fluttershy’s face. It was face that she hadn’t seen in years. Not since…

She shook her head. No sense in digging up old memories like that. Giving her wings a flap, she flew after her friend.

-o-

When they arrived in Professor Zecora’s lab/office in the arboretum, Rainbow wasn’t a hundred percent sure what she should’ve expected. She looked around until she spotted a small form on a table on the opposite side of the room. It didn’t take her long to realize what it was, as she could hear weak whines coming from it.

“Oh, man,” she murmured as Fluttershy led her over to the severely wounded puppy that was drawing nearly all of Zecora’s attention. She turned to Fluttershy, who was obviously fighting back tears, probably to look strong for the puppy’s sake, but she knew that that mask would peel right off like an old scab. Once more, it was a face she knew from a long time ago, when the timid pegasus was even more naive than she was now.

“How… how bad is it?” she asked her friend quietly.

A sigh escaped through Fluttershy’s nose. “He’s hurt bad, Rainbow. His back…” She choked back as a lump formed in her throat.

“Flutters—”

Fluttershy lifted her head up resolutely, stepping towards the working zebra. “Zecora, how is Buddy doing?”

Zecora looked up from biting off the thread of the stitches to peer at the two, giving Rainbow a quick glance before looking back at Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, dear, I must tell you true. His chances for survival are very few. His injuries are grievous, and I fear that he will soon leave us.”

Rainbow hissed as she quickly looked at Fluttershy. Seeing her friend’s eyes widen and tears forming around them caused a pang of sadness in her own heart. “No, no, no! Please don’t say that, Zecora! Please, you have to have something that can help him! Is there a medicine we can give him? A magic spell? Anything?”

With a sigh, Zecora stepped away from the table and rested a hoof on her shoulder. “You must understand that there is only so much my tonics and cures can do, and magical spells for healing within my knowledge are so very few.” She rested her hoof back to the floor and gave her a long look. “You wish to become a veterinarian, yes?”

Fluttershy gave a mute nod, wiping at her nose.

“Then you must know that you will not be able to save them all. Believing so will cause your dream career to fall.”

“B-but, there has to be something! Buddy is just a puppy! He’s so young! He can’t… he can’t die. It’s not fair.”

Zecora could only offer a quiet sigh through her nose, glancing back at Rainbow Dash, who was quiet for the entire exchange. All Rainbow could give her was the most minimal shrug and slight shake of her head. The zebra turned to Fluttershy again, watching as the young mare sobbed. Neither Zecora nor Rainbow Dash knew how to deal with this.

Eventually, the striped mare stepped forward, putting a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “If you truly believe he can be healed, I will give you an opportunity before his fate is sealed. Take him with my blessing, and see to he gets medicine and his wounds receive dressing.”

Fluttershy stared at Zecora in shock, speechless for several moments. “You-you’re giving him to me?” The zebra nodded, and the young mare slowly began to smile. “Th-thank you! I’ll take good care of him, and he’ll be healthy again by the end of the week!”

Zecora hummed, giving the mare a knowing look before she helped wrap Buddy up in a cloth. The puppy gave a small whimper as he was handled, and the two gently laid him on Fluttershy’s back.

“Remember, dear Fluttershy, that if he needs medicine, you can come to me.” The zebra gave her a warm smile. “I have plenty of herbs, and I can give some for free.”

The pegasus gave a thankful smile and dipped her head. “Thank you so much, Professor Zecora.” She held her head up, elation on her expression. “When he’s better, I’ll bring him so you can meet him. He really is a little sweetheart.”

After departing from arboretum, Rainbow kept glancing at the injured pup on her friends back. The little Germane shepherd pup kept giving soft whines or whimpers whenever Fluttershy would unintentionally bump him as she walked. While no expert whatsoever with animals, Rainbow could tell that pup was hurt bad—real bad.

“Fluttershy,” she said softly. “do you really think you can make him better? He looks pretty banged up.”

Fluttershy nodded firmly. “I can, and I will. Buddy will be up and running around in no time at all. Just you wait and see.”

Rainbow scrunched up her muzzle at her friends optimism. To her, it really sounded like Fluttershy was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince her. “So… what happened, anyway? How’d he get hurt?”

Fluttershy lowered her head, an ashamed look marring her features. “It was… it was horrible, Dashie. He-he ran across the street because I tripped. And a cart full of snow was rolling down the street with nopony to guide it, and…” She brought a hoof up to her muzzle, but set it back down quickly as Buddy whimpered again. “S-Sorry, Buddy.” When he settled she continued on. “He got hurt because of me.”

Rainbow rested a hoof on her side, making sure not to bump the pup. “Hey, don’t blame yourself. He’s a puppy. They… you know, they do things like that.”

“I know but—” She held her head up in resolution and picked up her pace a bit. “I’m going to do this, Dashie. No matter what, Buddy will get better, and I’m certain that you’ll love him just as much as I do.”

As Rainbow watched her friend head for her dorm room, she could only hope that Fluttershy wasn’t getting in over her head, or deluding herself with false hope. She let out a huff and turned away, loathing that all she could do at the moment was hope for the best.

-o-

The door creaked as she slowly pushed it open. Being mindful not to bounce the puppy on her back, Fluttershy took extra caution to not cause him any more pain that he was already in. Her eyes settled on her bed for a second before she shook her head.

‘No, I need to get him a special bed, so I can work with him.’

Her eyes darted at her back when Buddy gave another small whine. “Don’t worry, Buddy, I have a nice, soft bed just for you. I just need to get it out first.” She carried him towards a corner of her room and, as gently as she could, slid him off her back, carefully laying him down. She softly nuzzled him before she ran for her closet, digging frantically. Finally, she dragged out a small little pet bed that she had saved from another stray she had tried to hide, and had kept just in case.

Once she got him situated in the bed, she dug through the various herbs she’d received from Zecora.

“Hmm… woundwort, sun’s tears, bay leaves… painkillers.” She set them aside and dug out some fresh wrapping. She smiled at Buddy. “Don’t worry. I’ll patch you up good as new, and you’ll be your old happy self again.” The puppy could only whine in response, his tail shifting in a weak wag.

A hopeful smile graced her face. Seeing the tail move dispelled her fears that he was paralyzed, but she knew he wasn’t out of danger yet. As carefully as she could, she cut away the old bandaging with a pair of scissors before applying some of the mushed up paste of the herbs to his wounds.

Even though he tried to squirm away from her touch, she kept a calm, yet firm, hoof on him. Losing herself in her work helped her forget the awful events that happened just a day ago. The day that started out so well. Playing with her little friend, seeing the happy smile on his dark tan face, and the look of adoration in his eyes just before she fell and—

She shook her head quickly to dispel those memories. He was going to be all right. She was going to make him better, and she was going to give him a happy home and life. Not caring if she had to slave away her whole years at the Academy, she was going to save him!

“I promise, Buddy. I promise that you’ll get better. I won’t let another—” She bit at her bottom lip to keep the tears from forming. No, she wasn’t going to let that thought gain traction either.

Tying off the end of the wrapping, she settled beside him and nuzzled him. “You’ll be all right,” she cooed at him.

Buddy lifted his snout enough to give her nose a lick and she giggled. “Thank you.” She kept close to him until he had drifted off to sleep. If it wasn’t for the fact her that stomach was grumbling at her for skipping dinner, she would’ve stayed beside him all night.

“I won’t be gone long, Buddy. You just sleep until I get back, and I’ll give you something for the pain,” she said to him, more for her own benefit than for the sleeping pup’s.

As she left her dorm room, her mind thought ahead of all the things she would have to do. She realized that the herbs she got from Zecora weren’t going to last forever, and she should offer her something in return. Which meant sending her parents another letter asking for some more bits—something she was loathe to do. Still, it was for Buddy. It was worth all of her father’s complaints and then some.

‘Dad will understand. He knows I’m just looking out for my friends,’ she told herself as she trotted for the cafeteria.

‘Is it truly a kindness, young one?’

She gave a startled squeak and whirled, her eyes searching the lawn for whoever had spoken to her. A shiver traveled down her spine as she saw no one. Not even a bird flew overhead.

“H-hello?” she called out, though her voice barely carried past her muzzle.

Only a soft breeze greeted her, causing her ears to flick as the wind tickled at them.

“Umm… please come out. I don’t like to be scared.”

Her tail gave a nervous swish as she hurried along for the cafeteria. Maybe she had imagined it due to her hunger and stress. Yes, that must be it. A good salad and some nice warm tea would settle her frazzled nerves.

-o-

Today had been slow for Applejack. Her classes seemed to be getting duller and duller, while practice with the track team felt as though it was getting shorter. She needed a break from all the endless numbers and fancy words that her instructors were trying to cram into her head. When would she ever use the Ponythagorean Theorem in day to day activity? Heck, it surprised her that she even remembered how to pronounce it, seeing as she was, admittedly, terrible at pronouncing new words that went more than four syllables without practice.

She shook her head with a sigh. ‘I’ll never understand big city learnin’.’ She’d gotten by pretty darn well with what she’d learned on the farm back home, but the teachers just had to stress the importance of solving for ‘x’ and calculating the mass of a rock or something. Just say that something’s heavy. Some ponies should be able to figure out how heavy it is without having to go through a bunch of numbers.

As she trotted across the campus courtyard, having left her final class for the day, she spotted a familiar cyan pegasus heading for the track and field. Something, however, was wrong.

“Heya, RD,” Applejack greeted Rainbow Dash with a neighborly wave. The prismatic pony turned the farm mare and waved back, though not as energetically. “Why’re you walkin’, Dash? Lose a bet or somethin’?”

Rainbow glanced down at her hooves, which were on the ground as her friend had pointed out. “It’s kinda that ‘or something,’ really,” she confessed. She gave a humorless chuckle. “Been awhile since I actually walked somewhere.”

Applejack blinked for a moment, her eyebrow rising with her curiosity. “You all right?”

She gave a faint shrug as she continued. “Me? I’m fine. I’m just… just worried about Fluttershy.”

“Why’s that?” the farmpony asked as she walked alongside her friend.

“Well…” Rainbow hesitated, setting off a number of alarms in Applejack’s head. Rainbow Dash never hesitated, except when it came to tight spaces and closed-in crowds. “Look, I don’t really think it’s my place to tell anyone about it. It’s probably for the best to just ask Fluttershy face to face. Who knows? Maybe you can help her. I think she needs a bit of your bluntness.”

“I prefer the term ‘offerin’ an honest opinion,’” the blonde mare retorted with a toss of her mane. “If you’re so sure I can help, I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t promise ya anythin’.”

“Trust me, once you know what’s going on, you’ll wanna help.” Rainbow averted her gaze for a moment. “Honestly, it’s just a matter of how you’ll help.”

Applejack’s brow quirked up again as she made a note to talk to Fluttershy as soon as she got a chance. Things must be serious if Rainbow is worried enough to walk rather than fly to where she needed to go.

-o-

Fluttershy couldn’t stop her mind from wandering as she poked at her food, instinctively thinking up ways she could help Buddy to get better. She could try mixing some of the different ingredients Zecora had shared with her to make some kind of salve that could, at the very least, ease his pain a little, if nothing else. Perhaps she could clean up around his stitches? She didn’t want them to get infected, so maybe she needed to clean them again. She’d need some alcohol and gaze, which she could likely get from the nurse’s office. Nurse Redheart would probably be okay with parting with such things, as long she didn’t take too much.

Just she took a bite from her salad, she heard the chair across from her be pulled out. She looked up to see Applejack taking a seat, a single apple held in her hoof. The orange earth mare took a bite of the fruit before speaking.

“Heard from Rainbow Dash that somethin’s troublin’ ya, Fluttershy,” AJ said, swallowing the chunk of apple in her mouth. “She seemed awful worried ‘bout ya. What’s goin’ on?”

Her eyes brightened. “Oh, Applejack. Maybe you can help me!”

“Yeah, RD said I might be able to.”

“Of course you can! You have a dog, right? You know how to take care of puppies?”

Applejack gave the cream-coated pegasus an odd look. “Uh… sure. I raised Winona from when she was just a little thing. I don’t really see how that’s relevant, though.”

“Then maybe you can tell me what I can do to help Buddy.” She lowered her gaze, her eyes half lidding. “Buddy got hurt because of me. He ran into the road when I fell, and a cart hit him, and…”

A wince crossed Applejack’s face and she reached over to pat her friend on the foreleg. “Don’t worry, Shy. We can take a look at ‘im, and might be we can find a way to patch him back up.” She settled back on her seat and looked at the pegasus as she lifted her gaze up again. “Don’t go blamin’ yourself over somethin’ that ain’t your fault. You weren’t the one that hurt your little friend, so don’t take any blame that ain’t yours.”

Fluttershy again averted her eyes. “B-But—”

“But nothin’, Shy. You’re innocent in this. None of what happened is your fault. I can’t see you doin’ anythin’ like that intentionally.”

She nodded slowly and sighed. “I just wish… I could go back and save him from ever being hurt in the first place.”

Applejack roughly tapped a hoof on the table, pulling Fluttershy out of her self-loathing. “That’s enough o’ that, now, sugarcube. What’s important right now is takin’ care o’ your friend. Ya can’t change the past, but you can make up for it.” The pegasus turned her gaze away slightly, offering a weak nod. “Now, why don’t ya take me to see your friend, and I’ll see what I can do?”

Fluttershy nodded again and took one last bite of her food before trashing the rest and - with a mixture of eagerness and apprehension - escorting Applejack to her dorm room. As they trotted down the halls, the cream-colored mare couldn’t stop a small, hopeful smile from building on her face.

She pushed the door open to her room as they arrived, and nodded for Applejack to enter. Closing the door behind her, she motioned to the little bed in the corner of the room. “He’s over there.”

Applejack nodded and the two of them walked over to the pup. Fluttershy’s eyes widen when she didn’t see his chest rising and falling. “Buddy!”

The pup’s eyes snapped open, and he gave a whine as he was jolted awake.

She was beside him in an instant. “I-I’m sorry, Buddy. I didn’t mean to startle you.” She ran a hoof over his ears softly. “You scared me.”

He gave a weak wag of his tail and settled himself again. Fluttershy bit at her lip and looked up at Applejack with watery eyes.

The earth mare gave a soft sigh through her nose and sat beside the pup. Her green eyes looked the stitched injuries over for a minute before she gave a soft prod to the puppy’s back hip. The both of them cringed as she heard the grating of bone and Buddy giving a pained yelp.

“Fluttershy… I, uh… “ Applejack bit at her lower lip, knowing that what she was about to say was not going to be what her friend wanted to hear. “I think his hip is busted. Ya heard the bone as much as I did, and if he got hit with a full cart, I’d bet my hat that the other one is broken up, too. And ain’t no tellin’ what else is wrong with ‘im.”

Fluttershy nodded slowly, looking down at Buddy. “What… what can we do for him?”

She felt Applejack rest a hoof on her shoulder. “Fluttershy, there ain’t no easy way to say this, but… well, there might not be anythin’ we can do for him. I’ve seen critters take wounds like this back on the farm before. Don’t ever end well ‘em, ‘specially for ones young as Buddy, here.”

“N-no,” Fluttershy stammered, shaking her head violently. “No, there has to be something I can do! I-I could set the bones back in place! Give him a cast, and he’ll be fine in just a few weeks!”

“Shy…”

The pegasus shook her head again. “A little doggy wheelchair, I’ll buy him one and he can get around in that!”

“Fluttershy, listen to—”

“I’m not giving up on her!”

Applejack blinked. “‘Her?’ Ain’t he a boy pup?”

Fluttershy froze at that, her eyes wide in realization. She hung her head low, turning away from the blonde mare and laying down in front of Buddy.

“Thank you for coming here, Applejack,” Fluttershy said with an uncharacteristically cold tone. “You can leave now.”

Applejack blinked once again, looking at the pegasus in confusion. “Fluttershy, what’s eatin’ ya? You can tell me.”

“Just… just go. Please.” Fluttershy’s voice barely carried above a whisper.

“B-But…” Applejack stammered, one of the few times she could ever remember being so off balance with her words.

Fluttershy lowered her head, and Applejack could see her shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. Taking in a breath, she realized that now was not the time to press her friend for answers.

She turned for the door but paused to look back at her. “If ya ever wanna talk, ya know where ta find me. You can talk to me, or you can talk to the others. Don’t keep whatever’s botherin’ ya bottled up. It ain’t good for ya.”

There was no response from the pink-maned pegasus as the door closed after Applejack. She only stared down at the puppy below her, her gaze not even seeing him anymore. Her mind was elsewhere, lost in a memory she had thought she’d come to peace with a long time ago. She gritted her teeth as she fought back tears, lowering her head into her hooves as she failed hold tears at bay.

‘No, I won’t let it happen again. I won’t!’

‘Do not mistake surviving for living.’

Her head shot up. There was that voice again, an echo from nowhere. There was no speaker within her view, and she doubted Buddy had said anything.

‘Please understand, child, that mercy is not always about continuing. There are times when letting go is the kinder route.’

Her eyes were half lidded. Was it a kinder route that Buddy had to suffer? Was it a kinder route that she had to go through all of this… this pain before she… before she finally…

Fluttershy shook her head, but the thoughts refused to leave her. She looked down at Buddy, who looked up at her weakly and gave a soft, weak whine. She stared into those adorable brown eyes and saw the plea in them—the pain.

“Buddy… please, don’t do this…” She choked back a sob. “I… I’m so sorry…”

-o-

Applejack wasn’t completely sure what to make of what had just happened. Fluttershy was more than depressed, even more than distraught; she was completely devastated. She’d known that the pegasus was faint of heart at times, but this… she wasn’t entirely certain what to do with this. Applejack ran a hoof over her face and groaned. She didn’t like seeing her friends like this, hated it in fact. If only she knew what was wrong with Fluttershy; maybe she could help her friend through this.

As she left the mare’s dormitory, Applejack’s thoughts drifted to what she knew of her friend. During her tirade, she mentioned a “her.” Who was she talking about? What thoughts were festering in the timid mare’s head?

She glanced over towards the track field, noticing a familiar prosmatic blur racing through the obstacle course, which hesitated in front of the tube that still hung in the air. Rainbow Dash gave an audible groan, zipping back to the starting line and going through the course again, only to once again stop herself in front of the tube.

AJ watched as Dash raced through the course over and over, each time stopping before the tube and letting a frustrated growl. It didn’t take long for Rainbow to throw in the towel (temporarily, Applejack would bet) and fly down to the ground, where she had a few bottles of water waiting for her. When Dash was taking a swig of water, AJ approached and picked up a bottle.

“Ya mind?” she asked, holding the bottle in view of the pegasus who shrugged indifferently. The blonde mare unscrewed the cap and gulped down some of the water inside before speaking again. “I talked to Fluttershy.”

“What happened?” inquired Rainbow as she got to stretching her wings and legs.

Applejack hesitated for a moment. “Well… she didn’t take what I had to say very well.” She wiped at her mouth with a foreleg. “The little guy is in a bad way, Rainbow. He ain’t gonna to live well if he survives.”

Dash sighed, hanging her head some. “That bad, huh?”

She nodded. “His hips are bad, and they won’t ever heal right.” A sigh escaped her as she lowered her gaze for a moment. “My pa always said when a dog’s hips go bad, the best thing for ‘em is to put ‘em down, quick an’ painless.”

“And she didn’t like that suggestion.” She shook her head and looked back up at the floating tube, her gaze going distant. “Flutters always had trouble letting go.”

Applejack quirked an eyebrow at that. “What do ya mean ‘lettin’ go’?”

Rainbow immediately froze up, looking like somepony had just told her she was unicorn. She turned her head away, searching for something to change the subject.

“Rainbow…” Applejack asserted, glaring at the pegasus, who took a step back before hanging her head shamefully. “Rainbow Dash, what’s goin’ on? First, Fluttershy says somethin’ about a ‘her’ and has me leave her alone, and now this about her not bein’ able to let go. What’s eatin’ at her?”

“It… it’s not really my place to say,” Dash answered, looking anything other than confident. “It’s really personal for her, you know?”

Applejack sat next to her, lifting her hat a moment to scratch at her scalp. “Trust me, RD, I know all about things bein’ personal. It don’t mean that it should stay bottled up. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Several moments of silence filled the air between them as Rainbow Dash looked around, making sure no one else was present. When she was assured that nopony could overhear, she sighed and sat down as well.

“Fluttershy…” she began reluctantly. “Fluttershy’s mom died. A long time ago. I was, like, six or seven, I think.”

Applejack blinked, her eyes widening some. “I never knew that,” she murmured. However, an inconsistency reared its head to her. “Wait a minute. Shy’s talked about her folks before. Her mom and dad.”

“Stepmom,” Rainbow corrected. “Her dad remarried two years back. Nice mare and all, but I doubt Fluttershy ever really accepted her.”

The orange earth mare felt her throat go dry. “What happened to her real mom?”

“She got sick. Like… really sick. I don’t remember all the details, but I remember my parents talking about it one night. Something to do with her lungs not working right anymore.” Rainbow huffed out a sorrowful sigh. “Last time I saw Shy’s mom, she coughed up a lot of blood, right in front of Flutters and me.”

A shudder ran up Applejack’s spine as her mind’s eye played the scenario out. She shook her head, not wanting to imagine seeing a young Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash in such a horrible situation. “Did she pass peacefully?”

Rainbow closed her eyes for a moment. “I wasn’t there, but Fluttershy was. Afterwards, it took a long time for her to stop crying every night. Even longer for me to get her to smile again.” She looked back up at the sky, watching the clouds drift by overhead. “She blamed herself. Fluttershy tried so hard to make her mom comfortable. To make her better. Helping her eat, drink, cleaning her up and everything. She’d even read to her sometimes… but…”

Applejack looked at Rainbow as she sighed. “But she felt like she could’ve done more.”

Rainbow nodded. “I guess she feels the same way with Buddy. Fluttershy won’t give up on him, even when she knows there’s nothing that anyone can do for him.” She kicked a hoof on the ground. “Don’t tell her I said this, but I… sort of don’t like that about her. I’m all for not giving up and everything, but… well…”

“There’s gotta be a time when ya have to know when to quit.” Applejack nodded, looking back at the mare’s dormitory. She took in a breath and stood tall.

Rainbow turned a curious glance her way. “What are you gonna do, AJ?”

She looked at Rainbow. “She has to know, Rainbow. She needs to let Buddy go so he doesn’t suffer anymore than he has to.”

“She won’t listen to you, not when she’s like this.” Rainbow’s ears flickered. “You’ve already tried.”

Applejack stamped a hoof into the grass. “That’s why you and me are gonna talk sense into her together. She has to hear it, Rainbow.”

The pegasus bit her lip, but instead of arguing, she hung her head and said, “I know, I know. Let’s get this over with, then. The sooner the better.”

-o-

“Are you okay, Mom?” A young Fluttershy asked as she bit at her hoof. Watching as an older, amber-colored pegasus sat upright, fighting a fit of ragged coughing. “Let me get you some water.”

The older mare panted a bit before she turned a soft smile to her. “Oh, that’s okay, Fluttershy, I can get it myself. Don’t you have homework to take care of, sweetie?”

She shuffled her hooves and averted her eyes. “Um, well…”

With a hard cough, the mare shuddered, but didn’t stop smiling at her daughter. “Go finish your homework, sweetheart. Mommy will be okay by herself for a few more minutes.”

Nodding weakly, Fluttershy said, “I-if you need anything—”

“Don’t worry,” her mother said with a grin. “I know just who to call if I need help with anything. You’re my strong, little girl, after all.” She gently nuzzled the lanky filly, whose mane fell over her face. The mare giggled, brushing Fluttershy’s bangs from her eyes. “We really need to get your mane cut a little at some point, or at least make it so that your bangs can't hide those pretty eyes of yours.”

Fluttershy giggled and gave her mother a hug. She might’ve been sick right now, but the little filly just knew that her mother would pull through. Things like this always worked out in the end. That’s what she was raised to believe. It’s what she chose to believe.

Her eyes opened slowly, her ears twitching in response to the sound of soft whining from next to her. She must’ve fallen asleep at some point, and dreamed about old memory from when she was just a filly. Buddy had to have sensed her depression, because was watching her with a worried stare, reaching to try put his little paw on her hoof. She wanted to smile at him, as a way of letting him know she was okay, but she couldn’t bring herself to lie to him so blatantly. She knew she wasn’t okay. There was no point in hiding that anymore.

“I’m sorry, Buddy. I know it hurts, but… I know you will pull through. I believe you will. I have to.” She hollowly sighed through her nose and nuzzled him. “It’ll all work out. I know it will.”

Buddy tried to waggle his tail at her, but shocking pain flashed in his eyes, and he gave a yelp.

She rested a hoof on his shoulder, biting at her lip. “Please, don’t try to move. You’re not well yet.” The pup gave a few more faint whines but settle in his bed, his soft brown eyes looking at her pleadingly.

‘He’s hurting, and there’s nothing I can do… just like before.’

‘At times, letting go is the greatest show of caring one can offer.’

She didn’t even react to the faceless voice this time. All she could do was watch Buddy and wallow in pity, though whether that pity was directed toward the puppy or herself, she wasn’t sure. Whatever the case, she was suffocating in it.

It wasn’t very often she admitting such feelings to herself, but she hated this. She hated the misery. She hated the pain. She hated seeing one she held so dearly suffer.

‘I wish there was something I could do…’ she thought, silently praying for a miracle, but knowing that one wasn’t likely to happen.

Her head snapped back as a rough knock came from her door.

“Fluttershy, it’s me,” a familiar southern drawl came from the other side. “Let me in. We need to talk.”

Her ears flattened, and she looked away. “I wanted to be left alone, Applejack. Please, just go away.”

“Flutters, it’s me…”

Her ears perked back up. “Rainbow?”

“Yeah. Come on. Let us in.”

“I… I don’t want to talk.”

There was a sound of shifting hooves from the other side of the door. “Fluttershy, you need to talk. Please, open up before Applejack kicks the door down.”

“And I will, too.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. She knew from AJ’s tone that the earth mare meant what she was saying. “No! Don’t do that, you’ll upset him!”

“AJ, don’t!” She heard Rainbow’s panicked cry from the door.

“Don’t!” She flew for the door and flung it open, only to find that the two mares stood there with smiles on their faces. Fluttershy blinked before realization crossed her face.

“You tricked me…”

Rainbow dropped her smile and gave her friend a serious look. “Sorry, Fluttershy, but you do need to talk about this. You’ve been brooding on it for years now, whether you realize it or not, and…” She motioned past her to the puppy bed. “You’re not really thinking straight.”

“I am thinking straight!” Fluttershy stamped a hoof, her tail swishing. “I’m going to look after Buddy, and he is going to get better!”

Rainbow put a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Fluttershy… you have to let it go. I know this isn’t about Buddy.” She lowered her hoof. “It wasn’t your fault. You’re not responsible for what happened to your mom.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened, her bottom lip quivering. “N-No. It’s got nothing to do with her. This is about—”

“Fluttershy,” Applejack said, walking into the room to stand beside her. “I know what happened. Rainbow told me. Ya’ve gotta realize that you’re lyin’ to yerself, sugarcube.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No, it’s not that. I wouldn’t lie about this.”

Applejack looked at her, tilting her head a bit. “Even when ya called Buddy a she?”

She averted her gaze, her pink bangs falling across her face. “...That was a slip.”

“And a mighty tellin’ one.” AJ rested a hoof on her friend’s withers. “You know you’re doin’ wrong by Buddy by not lettin’ him go.”

Brushing off the hoof from her withers she looked at AJ with a tragic expression. “Applejack, you weren’t there. You didn’t see her. You didn’t see how she…” She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force back the tears that were starting to form. “I can’t give up. I won’t give up again!”

Rainbow nuzzled her friend. “But I was there, too, Flutters. I saw what happened, and how you took it when your mom died.” She stepped back to look at her. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“B-but it was! I could’ve done something! I could’ve found her medicine! I-I...”

“Fluttershy,” AJ said, standing next to Rainbow again. “It wasn’t yer fault.”

She shrunk back, trying to hide in her bangs. “You-you… please… don’t do this.”

“Fluttershy, it wasn’t your fault,” they said in unison.

It was like a dam had broken, all of those pent up emotions came surging through her. Slumping to her haunches, Fluttershy cried. Her sobs filled the room, even as Applejack and Rainbow wrapped her up in a tight hug, tears threatening to fall from their eyes as well.

“Mom, I’m so…” she sniffed. “I’m so sorry. Mom…”

Quietly, Rainbow Dash draped a wing over her friend, letting the mare lean on her as she bawled. Fluttershy pressed her face into her friend’s neck, while Applejack walked to her other side and wrapped her in a tight hug. Even as she let lose of all of her regret, she felt warm knowing her friends were there.

The three held that pose for a while before Fluttershy finally stood straighter and rubbed at her eyes. “Dashie, Applejack… Thank you so much,” she quietly whispered.

Rainbow brought her wing back to her side and smiled. “Feeling better?”

“No.” Fluttershy sniffed, and wiped at her nose with a hoof. “But… I needed that.”

“Anytime, Flutters,” Dash said with a light nuzzle. Discreetly, she gave Applejack a warning glare with a fairly clear message: tell nopony about Rainbow Dash getting touchy-feely, ever. The blonde mare could only give a small smile and nod as Rainbow continued to comfort Fluttershy.

Eventually, Fluttershy turned to look at Buddy, who was whining in pain as he tried repeatedly to get to her, only for him to elicit another whine when he tried to move his back legs. The cream-coated pegasus cringed at the sight, before giving a defeated, forlorn sigh. She couldn’t stand to see him suffer like this. He didn’t deserve this. She was tempted to ask the others to give her some time with him, but quietly kicked that thought out. Prolonging things would only make it harder.

Gently, she picked up the crippled puppy, carefully placing him on her back. She turned to her friends, giving them both a look of grudging acceptance. “Let’s go see Professor Zecora. She… might have something to…” She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. A cyan hoof fell on her shoulder, Rainbow giving her a tiny, comforting smile, not saying a word.

Quietly, the three mares left Fluttershy’s dorm room, one injured pup in tow.

-o-

Even as she walked towards the door, she could hear Professor Zecora singing on the other side. Knowing what she was about to do made her pause, instinctively second-guessing this decision. She knew that once she opened that door, there was no going back. Buddy would have to…

She shook her head, knowing full well that this was for the best. Buddy would never be able to live a full life with his injuries, not without constant aid and care. That was no way for any creature to live.

“You sure you’re ready for this, Fluttershy?” Applejack asked, her ears tilting back some. “If ya want, I can stay with ‘im—”

“No,” she answered immediately, her long bangs swaying as she shook her head. “I… Buddy is my responsibility. I should be the one to…”

Again, a familiar hoof touched her shoulder. Rainbow Dash gave her a single, solemn nod before lowering her hoof. Fluttershy nodded in turn and opened the door to the zebra professor’s office.

Zecora was apparently working on some concoction, as she usually was, when she noticed Fluttershy enter the room. Seeing the dour look on the younger mare’s face and the puppy lying on her back, it didn’t take long for Zecora to figure out what Fluttershy was here about.

“So, you are here,” the zebra said in a somber voice. “What have you learned, my dear?”

Reluctantly, Fluttershy answered, “Sometimes… you need accept a loss. But I did everything I could.”

“Take pride in that, Fluttershy. You learned this lesson quicker than I.”

For a brief moment, the pegasus wanted to ask what she meant, but the melancholic look in Zecora’s blue eyes told her it was a sensitive topic that shouldn’t be touched upon. Instead, Fluttershy simply nodded and took Buddy to the same table where Zecora had treated him before.

With a light sigh, Zecora turned to a shelf and took a small jar of some reddish liquid, setting it on the table with a small spoon. “This brew will do the task. Is there anything else you wish to ask?”

“Will it hurt him?”

Zecora shook her head. “It will be as though he is falling asleep. His spirit will then be Elysium’s to keep.”

“Do you want us to stay with you, Flutters?” asked Rainbow softly.

She turned to look at Rainbow Dash and Applejack and shook her head slowly. “No… I want to be alone with him… If you would, please.” With silent nods of their heads, the two mares left the room, Zecora following them, leaving Fluttershy alone with Buddy.

For a few moments, all she could do was stare at him. His soft, brown eyes watched her, and she could see that even now, he still hurt. She could see the silent plea in his eyes, the need for release.

She sat beside him and nuzzled him, and a sad smile crossed her face when he licked her cheek.

“I’m so sorry, Buddy. I never wanted this to happen.” She rested her head beside him. “Do you forgive me?”

He gave a soft yip and nuzzled at her.

She steeled herself before she could begin to doubt her resolve. Pouring the red liquid into the spoon, she looked back at him.

“You’re going to go to sleep, and you won’t hurt anymore… I promise.”

Buddy gave another soft yip, an understanding look in his eyes.

Taking in a breath, she pried his mouth open a bit more and poured the liquid down his throat. The pup gave the expected, instinctive squirm, but she knew it had all gone down. Setting aside the spoon, she rested her head beside him again.

“I wanted to take you home. To give you a good life. A happy life where you could run free and never have to be hungry or cold again.” She sniffled. “You deserved so much more than this, Buddy. It’s not fair.”

She could see the medicine was beginning to work as he seemed to calm down, his eyes drooping some. His body tried to fight it, but she knew it wasn’t going to last.

“Don’t fight, Buddy, just… let go. You won’t hurt anymore, and you can run free again.” She bit her cheek to force herself not to scream. “I guess… in way… I did give you what I wanted to give you. Just… not in the way I wanted to.”

For several, agonizing seconds, she sat next to Buddy, lightly stroking his back and fighting off the tears that threatened to fall like rain. Those seconds became minutes until the pup was unable to keep his eyes open. She looked one final time into his eyes, and all she saw was a look of… gratitude… before Buddy’s eyes shut forever, and he breathed one final time.

Gritting her teeth for a single second, she nuzzled the pup one last time. “Goodbye, Buddy.”

For some reason, a single memory resurfaced to her. The last memory she had of her mother; the last words he mother ever spoke. With small, woeful smile, she whispered into Buddy’s ear, “Goodnight, little one. May your dreams be sweet.”

Softly, oh, so delicately, she lay her head on the table letting the tears fall.

-o-

Hours later, Fluttershy sat in a corner of the arboretum, mourning the still painfully raw loss of a creature who had yet to live up to his potential. Add to that the realization that she’d never truly gotten over an even more agonizing loss, and it was like rubbing salt into her own wounds. A part of her was glad that Buddy wasn’t suffering anymore, but a larger part of her hated herself for letting all of this happen in the first place. If only she were more careful… if she’d simply taken him onto campus in the first place… if she’d brought him to a good shelter… taken him to a family willing to raise him.

Her already hanging head sunk even lower. The saying about hindsight being 20/20 was almost an insult to her now. So many things she could’ve done… but she was selfish, and kept him for herself, yet she wasn’t even willing to risk getting caught with him on campus. If she’d done literally anything differently, maybe things wouldn’t have turned out the way they had.

As she berated herself, she felt something small brush against her leg. She didn’t bother reacting to it. It was probably just one of the arboretum animals trying to get her attention, and so ignored it. Whatever it was, however, must’ve been persistent, because it brushed her leg again, only for her to ignore it once more.

Suddenly, she felt something smack against the back of her head, eliciting a yelp from the mare. She rubbed the spot where she’d been hit and looked to find what had struck her. Behind her, a carrot lay on the ground, a small white rabbit sitting just a couple feet away, its forelegs crossed and one leg thumping against the ground with an impatient look on its face. It motioned to the carrot, then to Fluttershy, as if to say, “Are you gonna take it or not?”

She didn’t quite know what to make of this. Most rabbits she’d taken care of were very passive and quiet. This one seemed… a tad more assertive. She looked down at the carrot, then at the rabbit again, wondering if it had somehow sensed her sadness. If so, was this carrot some way of consoling her?

“Is this… for me?”

The rabbit rolled its eyes, hopped forward, and pushed the carrot at her, motioning to it, then to her.

“Oh…” She had never received a gift from an animal before. This was an entirely new experience for her. Picking up the carrot, she gave the rabbit a small, grateful smile. “Thank you,” she said as she bit into the vegetable. Its natural flavor did make her feel a little better, and the rabbit’s company was nice, even if it did look rather prideful at the moment.

Curious, she inched closer to the rabbit. “This was very kind of you,” she said. “Thank you again. Do you have a name?”

The bunny made a circular motion above his head, and flapped his arms as if they were tiny wings. She blinked at him at first. “Is your name Flappy? That’s an odd name for a bunny.” The rabbit made a small groaning sound as he slapped a paw on his face.

-o-

Shining Armor gulped as he approached the throne room. All manner of scenarios ran through his mind as he pondered why Princess Celestia would want to see him. Had he offended her somehow? Made a critical mistake in his paperwork that he wasn’t yet privy to? What if he’d accidentally authorized the release of a dangerous criminal? Or rejected payment to a charity that the princess was particularly fond of?

‘Okay, maybe not that last one.’ The princess was strict, to be sure, but she wasn’t a tyrant. Abusing the power her office gave her was so far out of her nature, that it wasn’t unreasonable to say that her abusing her power was as likely as a rock sprouting wings. It was virtually unimaginable.

When he arrived at the doors to Celestia’s throne room, the two guards on duty saluted him and opened the doors, ushering him in. At the other end of the expansive room was Princess Celestia herself, sitting at the throne as she managed some paperwork of her own. He trotted closer until her was about ten feet or so away, and cleared his throat.

“Ah, Captain Armor,” the princess said as she wrote her signature on a document, setting aside the rest of the papers for after this meeting. “I’m glad to see you could make it. We have a very important matter to discuss.”

“I can only assume so, Your Highness,” Shining replied. “What’s wrong?”

Celestia stood from her throne, descending the small flight of steps as she approached the stallion, who stood just a bit higher than her barrel. “It’s come to my attention that the recent foalnappings seem to have stopped. However, I feel that whoever was behind these disappearances may still pose a threat.”

Shining nodded. She likely wanted him to continue looking into the matter. “I’ll have as many guards as I can keep an eye for—”

“No, Captain. I want you to keep a close eye on a specific location, one that I believe may actually be the center of these happenings.”

He blinked. “Er, of course. Where do you need me to watch?”

“Canterlot Academy.”

Shining Armor’s blood almost instantly went cold. His thoughts went to his little sister immediately. What was going on at the Academy? Was Twilight potentially in danger? “Twily…” he muttered under his breath.

She flicked her ear and tilted her head at him. “While I do not believe the students and staff are in any immediate danger, I must stress that vigilance of the Academy campus is of the utmost importance right now. Keep a close eye, but remain discreet about it. We don’t want civilians to panic.”

“Y-yes, Your Highness.” He had to fight back a relieved sigh. The way she’s put emphasis on ‘students’ made him feel that his sister was still relatively safe. Heck, with any luck, this whole thing would blow over without her even realizing she was in danger in the first place. He gave the princess a quick salute as she dismissed him, and left the room.

With Shining Armor gone, Celestia let out a breath through her nose, turning to the nearby balcony. That time of day came once more, and her horn lit up with a golden aura. The sun slowly fell past the horizon, and after a few moments, the moon rose, bearing the eternal glare of the mare on its surface.

“It won’t be long now,” the princess murmured quietly. “I pray that I’m right. I want nothing more than to be reunited with you, little sister.” With a forlorn sigh, she returned to her throne, and, with only minimal reluctance, returned to her paperwork.

‘Just a few months more…’

Competition

Sunlight beamed in through the window, past a crack in the blinds, pouring on the sole inhabitant of the dorm room, who grumbled and turned away from the light as he tried to ignore that it was morning. He pulled his pillow over his head, shielding himself from the light in an attempt to go right back to sleep. That plan was crushed when he heard his alarm clock obnoxiously ringing, like a battering ram to his sensitive ears.

Reluctantly, Howling Wind sat up and stretched out his leathery wing, yawning loudly and mumbling under his breath as he climbed out of bed.

‘Everything about this new schedule is just wrong,’ he told himself as he got ready for the day. After fixing his bed, he headed for his floor’s showers, where he usually went to wake himself up with what would hopefully be a sufficient amount of hot water.

As he sleepily trotted through the hall, carrying body wash and shampoo under his wings, he didn’t even notice somepony ahead of him, and he collided with a tan earth pony, whose belongings fell and scattered across the floor. Tired as he was, Howl barely even registered that he’d just bumped into someone and just kept moving on ahead as if nothing had happened.

“Sheesh, you could at least apologize,” said the stallion he’d bumped.

“Wha?” said Howl, facing the gray-maned earth pony, who looked more curious than annoyed. “Whatever. Sorry. Sleepy. No talk.”

The stallion raised an eyebrow at the him and shook his head. “Eh, close enough to an apology, I guess,” he grumbled and started gathering his dropped items.

Howl rolled his eyes and turned away, making his way back down the hallway. As soon as he arrived at the shower room, he washed off with a rain of hot water, which managed to jolt him into greater alertness, though not by much.

He quickly returned to his dorm room, gathering writing utensils, a notebook, and several textbooks and stuffing them in his saddlebags before finally heading out. A yawn escaped him as he made for the courtyard from his room, making him wish he could just go back to bed. For the umpteenth time since arriving at the Academy, he cursed this diurnal scheduling system. This school didn’t even offer anything like night classes. What private school didn’t have night classes?

As he pondered on this, he found he’d finally arrived at the courtyard, where a few ponies were giving him odd looks and were sharing hushed conversations while staring at him. It wasn’t something he was completely comfortable with. Back home, thestrals were just about everywhere. They weren’t the only ponies in Hollow Shades, but they made up a decent amount of the population, enough that even the public schools in that area all had night classes out of necessity.

He wasn’t used to being the black sheep.

“Gangway!”

With only one word of warning, he didn’t have time to react. A blurred formed crashed directly into him, both he and his tackler rolling across the ground in a heap until a wall caught them. A low groan left him as he shoved whatever had hit him off of his back, steadily getting back on all fours. Looking down, he saw his “attacker.”

“Wait… you again?” he asked in mild surprise as he looked at the rainbow-maned mare, who was rubbing her head with a grunt of exasperation. She turned to him, her cerise eyes suddenly going wide, as she immediately bounced off the ground, hovering a few feet above him.

“Hey… uh, Howl, right?” Rainbow Dash rubbed at the back of her head. “Sorry about that. I was in a hurry. Meeting with friends and stuff.”

“Right,” he muttered. The last thing he needed was this. He turned immediately and started for the Academy proper.

“H-hey, hold on a minute!” he heard the pegasus call after him. She landed in front of him, a serious look on her face. “About the last time we saw each other. Look, I’m sorry if I came off as… well, a jerk. I swear, I’m not like that! I don’t hate thestrals. Heck, I’ve never even met one before you, so I don’t really have much to go on.”

The young stallion rolled his eyes, not in annoyance, but in dismissal. “Whatever. I’m over it. You can leave me alone forever now.” With that, he trotted past her, barely acknowledging her any further. He heard a very mild, whispered curse from the mare, who probably thought he couldn’t hear her. Not that it mattered. He had other, more important things to do. Class being chief among them.

-o-

A frustrated groan escaped Rainbow as she turned away from her chatting friends. The branch she was resting on rattled with the beginnings of new leaves and fresh buds. Were it not for her foul mood, she would’ve been enjoying the warming weather as spring made its return, but the memory of that Howling Wind guy just so rudely snubbing her apology rubbed her the wrong way.

“You okay up there, RD?” she heard Applejack ask. “You’re actin’ like you’ve got a bur in your tail and ya can’t reach it.”

She glowered down at her friend, that amused smirk of hers only irritating her further. “Oh, go soak your head, Applesnack.”

Applejack’s eyes widened before an angry flush spread across her face. “Whoa, now! That was uncalled for, Dash. I was only teasin’ ya.”

“Yeah, what crawled up your flank and died?” said Trixie, who’d stopped in the middle of story from her and Twilight’s foalhood. “Seriously, a zombie would be better company at this point.” She looked around as the others gave her stares with raised eyebrows. “What? It’s true.”

“Be that as it may,” said Rarity, “I still think it for the best if you don’t say such things. It’s rather uncouth and inappropriate.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie chimed in. “What would our readers think?”

Twilight furrowed her brow and looked at her. “Readers?”

Pinkie only hummed to herself, not answering the unicorn’s question.

“Anyway,” Twilight said, pushing the pink mare’s statement out of her mind, “seriously, Rainbow, are you all right? Something has to be bothering you. Was it because you forgot your quills again?”

“No!” Her face flushed, remembering in emotionally painful detail the lecture from Professor Daring this morning. “It’s got nothing to do with that. It’s just…” Again she growled and slumped on the branch.

Fluttershy dropped her pencil from her mouth to look up at her friend. “Dashie, do we really need to drag it out of you?” She flicked her mane out of her face. “You know you’ll feel a lot better if you tell us what’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong.” With that, she rolled away from her friends, finding the bark of the tree suddenly very interesting.

“Dashie…” Fluttershy said with a warning tone normally reserved for misbehaving animals and foals. Still, Rainbow gave no response.

The others all gave Applejack a knowing look, and the farm mare nodded. Standing quietly, she walked over to the tree, turned, and brought her back legs back for a buck. The resulting kick shook the tree so terribly that the rainbow-maned pegasus only had time to squeak before plummeting to the ground with an undignified grunt.

“Ready to talk now?” Applejack asked with snarky grin.

Rainbow blew her tail from her face as she glared up at the smug earth pony. “I am so going to get you back for that, AJ.”

Applejack’s grin grew wider. “Ya can do that after you tell us what’s got your tail all up in a twist. Yer groanin’ an’ moanin’ is makin’ our studyin’ that much harder.”

“Oh, fine,” she groused, and rolled back onto her hooves, brushing the dirt from her coat. “It’s that Howling Wind guy—”

“You mean your knight in shining armor?” Rarity interjected with a wide smile.

“He’s not my crush, Rarity!”

“Can we please avoid the ‘knight in shining armor’ line, please?” Twilight grumbled, though no one paid her any mind.

“Anyway, I tried apologizing to him about running into him again—”

“Again?” Rarity’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, Rainbow, you really are hopeless.”

“Rarity…” Applejack glowered at the unicorn, who only smiled knowingly and turned her nose up.

“—and to apologize for a bunch of… bad stuff I said.” Rainbow sat on her haunches with a huff. “He just blew me off like it didn’t even matter! Honest to Celestia, I tried to apologize, and he just all but insulted me.”

Pinkie whistled. “Ooh. If a mean pony did something like that to me, I’d be in a super grumpy mood, too.” Her smile spread across her face. “But then I’d try to cheer him and make him smile! A grumpy mood is always settled with a smile… and maybe cake.”

Trixie furrowed her brow and gave the earth mare a flat glare. “Cake is your answer to everything, Pinkie.”

“It’s the only answer,” Pinkie said, nodding sagely. “One must never lie about the cake.”

Trixie rubbed at the space between her eyes. “My head… I get migraines just listening to you sometimes, Pinkie.”

Pinkie then offered her a white cake with the frosted words drawn on it saying, “Get well soon!”

“...Thanks, Pinkie.” Trixie sighed and helped herself to a portion of the cake, a small smile working its way on her face..

The others looked at them oddly before Rainbow spoke again. “Anyway, it just bothers me that somepony can be so mean when someone’s trying to apologize.” Her wings ruffled some.

“So we can see,” Applejack deadpanned.

“What’s got Rainbow’s tail in a twist?” They turned to see Wanderer trotting towards them, his trademark lopsided grin on his face. “She have a hard-to-reach bur again?”

Rainbow’s gaze flattened at him as the others giggled. “I don’t have a bur in my tail! Can’t a mare be in a bad mood without someone cracking jokes at her?”

“It’s just funny when it’s you, Dashie,” Fluttershy said with a little giggle.

Rainbow gave her a suffering look. “Oh, not you, too, Flutters!”

“So, if it’s not a bur, what’s bothering you?” Wanderer asked as he set his saddlebags on the ground, sitting next to Applejack and Rarity.

“Just that Howling Wind guy. I tried apologizing to him earlier and he was rude about it.”

He blinked and tilted his head. “Howling Wind… Howling Wind… I know I’ve heard that name before.”

“He’s hard to miss,” Twilight said as she looked up from her homework. “He’s the only thestral in the Academy.”

His eyes widened before he nodded. “Ah, him. Yeah, he’s like that. Being a jerk seems to be his thing. Guy bumped into me in the hall earlier and gave what might pass for an apology in a blunt, unfriendly kind of way.”

“Now hang on a minute,” Twilight said. “We shouldn’t judge him just because he’s a little rude. What if he’s just very solitary?”

“That’s no excuse for rudeness, darling,” Rarity said, turning her head up at the notion.

“Maybe so,” the lavender unicorn admitted, “but he may also be dealing with sleep deprivation. Thestrals are nocturnal after all. That could be why he’s so grumpy.”

“I know I’d be in a right foul mood if that were the case,” said Applejack, as she caught her hat from being blown off.

“I’d definitely be grumpy if I lost my sleep,” Wanderer said with aplomb. “Still, a little more consideration never hurt anypony.” His smile brightened again. “But I have the perfect thing to make your evening that much better, Rainbow.”

Her eyebrow inched up. “Challenging me to another race?”

He blew a raspberry at her. “I know better than to race you when you’ve got a bur in your—”

Applejack whapped him upside the head with a hoof.

“Right. I deserved that,” he muttered as he rubbed at the back of his head. “Anyway, apparently there’s a competition coming up, and for fliers only.” He removed a flyer from his saddlebags and passed it over to Rainbow.

Curious, the pegasus took the flyer and read through it, a grin starting on her face. “This is a flyer for the annual Young Fliers’ Competition!” she announced excitedly. “It’s being held over Canterlot this year in a few days, and the grand prize is…” She stopped, her jaw slowly falling agape before she let out the most uncharacteristic, girlish shriek of joy anypony present had ever heard. So excited was the cyan mare that she dropped the flyer as she squealed to herself.

Twilight’s horn lit up, picking up the flyer and letting her read whatever had gotten Rainbow so excited. “‘The winner of this year’s Young Fliers’ Competition will have the opportunity to spend a day with the captain of the Wonderbolts, Spitfire.’” The unicorn blinked at that, then giggled. “Well, I guess it’s a safe bet that that’s what’s got her so giddy.”

“I don’t get it,” Applejack stated with a quirked brow. “What’s the big deal? Ain’t Spitfire just some fancy flier?” There was a pause in Rainbow Dash’s excited squeals, and all turned to see the pegasus giving Applejack a glare that was somewhere between baffled and indignant. “Uh…”

“‘Just some fancy flier’?” Dash parroted in a tone that betrayed how offended she was. “Spitfire isn’t ‘just some fancy flier!’ She’s only the single greatest flier in the whole world! That’s why she’s the captain of the Wonderbolts! Not to mention she’s the pony who inspired me to join the Wonderbolts someday in the first place!”

“So, she’s kinda your hero?” Applejack asked as she munched on an apple.

“You know it!” Rainbow flipped her mane out of her eyes. “But she’s more than my hero. Seeing Captain Spitfire fly around pushes me to fly harder and harder so that, one day, I’ll be an even better flyer than she is.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow at her, a faint smirk on her muzzle. “My, my. Somepony is certainly ambitious.”

Rainbow lifted her head haughtily. “Go all in, or don’t go at all.”

“I can respect that,” Wanderer said as he dug out his books from his bags. “So, Rainbow, if you’re going to enter, got any tricks you’re going to show off?”

Dash’s grin spread across her face wildly. “You know it! I just gotta put together a good routine, and I’ll be guaranteed to win! Just you wait and see!”

As Rainbow Dash bragged to her friends, they were all unaware of a golden-maned pegasus listening in from behind the tree that Dash had been pouting on. When she’d heard enough, she quietly took flight, briefly glancing back to make sure nopony noticed her as she snuck away. A smirk crossed her face as she made a mental note to keep an eye on Rainbow Dash.

-o-

Mathematics and algebra were not subjects Howling Wind was particularly enthralled by. Crunching numbers just wasn’t his specialty. Regardless, he found himself in the library anyway, reading up on all the mentally stimulating applications of a plus b as he kept telling himself that this would be useful at some point in the future. Probably.

‘Probably not,’ he confessed, his head falling onto the desk he was studying at. A low groan escaped him as he felt the need to just take a nap right there, but he countered that fantasy with the reminder that a library was no place to sleep. Who in their right mind would sleep in a library of all places anyway?

“You didn’t carry the four.”

His ears perked and swiveled as they caught a mare’s voice. Lifting his head up off of the desk with an eyebrow raised, he saw a purple unicorn with fairly dark mane that had a pink streak running through it.

“Can I help you?”

The mare stepped back slightly. “Sorry. I just noticed that equation you’re working on. You didn’t carry the four.”

Howl stared at the mare briefly, then at the equation he’d been working on. It was something his algebra teacher had passed out to everypony in the class to solve before tomorrow. After a moment, he found what the mare was talking about, starting from scratch and carrying the four she’d mentioned. As it turned out, that was the deciding factor that cracked the problem. The instant he realized this, he heaved out an immense sigh of relief.

“Thanks,” he said as he closed the books on the desk. “Now I can call it quits for today.”

“It’s nothing, really,” the mare replied with a smile. She eyed him with a curious look for a few moments. “I’m sorry, but you wouldn’t happen to be Howling Wind, would you?”

With a mildly annoyed sigh, he said, “Yeah, that’s me. Why?”

The mare shuffled her hooves a moment before clearing her throat. “I’ve heard about you from a friend of mine, and I just wanted to talk to you myself. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Mm,” was Howl’s only reply.

Again, Twilight looked uncertain. “Do you know my friend Rainbow Dash?”

He quirked an eyebrow at the mention of the name. “Yeah, I’ve run into her a few times. Although, technically, she ran into me. Or… flew.” He shook his head. “Whatever. Why do you ask?”

“I understand that the two of you aren’t on the best of terms,” Twilight explained. “Listen, of all ponies, I know that she can be a bit… let’s say abrasive at times. And… maybe a bit annoying with all her bluster and what have you, but I can assure you, she really is a good pony. She just takes some getting used to is all.”

He scoffed. “That’s what everypony says about everypony.” He let out a breath. “Look, It’s not like I hate her or anything. I even don’t know her well enough to feel anything toward her.”

This time, Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Well, why not try talking to her then? Figure out whether she’d make a good friend or not.” She put a hoof on the table. “You really hurt her feelings earlier today. She told me and the rest of our friends that she tried to apologize about something to you, but you completely blew her off.”

The stallion blinked. Had he heard that right? “Wait, she said I blew her off? I figured we’d settled that.”

“Not according to Rainbow,” the unicorn huffed. “Just talk to her, okay? I guarantee, if you befriend her, you won’t regret it.”

For a brief moment, Howl wanted to just say no and walk away. Rainbow Dash hasn’t exactly been the most courteous of ponies, so why should he give her the light of day? ‘Then again,’ the more reasonable part of him said, ‘I might’ve overreacted. I never really gave her much of a chance.’ With a sigh, he said, “Fine. I’ll talk to her. At some point.”

Twilight shined a smile at him. “That’s all I ask.”

As the unicorn turned to leave him to his own business, Howling Wind let out a low sigh. The Academy was quite a bit more personal than he’d expected or would’ve liked. Social situations were not his forte.

-o-

There was little else that Rainbow Dash loved more than blasting through the air at mach speeds, feeling the wind in her face as it ripped through her wild mane, the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she flew faster and faster. Few others could claim to know how that felt. The freedom, the rush, the unquestionable awesomeness of ever escalating speed; she didn’t just want to go fast. She needed to go fast. It was something she couldn’t possibly live without.

Of course, the adoration of her friends and the (inevitable) prospect of screaming fans cheering out her name didn’t hurt either.

“Go, Rainbow!” Pinkie Pie hollered as she waved a banner bearing Rainbow’s cutie mark, screaming excitedly as the pegasus tore through the sky, performing countless loops, spins, and barrel rolls. She even flew low enough to the ground to skip across the field on her hooves like a stone over water.

“Well, you can color me impressed,” Applejack admitted with a grin. “Dash has a real knack for flyin’, even for a pegasus.”

“You know it!” Rainbow said as she landed near her friends, wiping the sweat from her brow. “I’m so amazing that I impress myself!”

“Wow,” said Flash. “Be careful there, Miss Modesty. Pat yourself on the back any harder, and you might break something.”

Rainbow chuckled at that. “Relax, Sentry. What point is there in being talented if you can’t compliment yourself?”

“She’s got ya there, Flash,” said Applejack.

“Depends on how much someone ‘compliments’ themselves,” Wanderer said as he munched on a pear. “If Rainbow keeps complimenting herself, I might lose my lunch.”

Rainbow glared at the smirking earth pony. “You know, Wanderer, you keep trying to be funny, but you fail… badly.”

He turned his nose up in mock arrogance. “At least I’m charming.”

“Like a moth tryin’ to pass for a butterfly,” AJ quipped, earning a laugh from everyone but Wanderer.

“...Ow,” he muttered, giving her a suffering look. “That’s my pride you just hurt.”

“It’s okay, Wanderer,” came the small voice of Fluttershy. “Moths are nice, too.” That only got a groan out of the earth stallion, much to Fluttershy’s confusion and everypony else’s further amusement. “What? Did I say something wrong?”

Rainbow put a hoof around Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Nah, you’re good, Shy. Wanderer just can’t take a joke.”

Wanderer muttered something under his breath, which caused Applejack to snort and try to hold back her laughter.

Rainbow narrowed her eyes at the two snickering earth ponies. “What’d he say?”

When Wanderer started chuckling harder, Applejack nudged him before shaking her head at Rainbow. “Nothin’ important, Dash.”

“Oh, oh, Rainbow, Rainbow!” Pinkie chirped giddily. “What are you gonna do next? Your Fantastic Filly Flash? The Buccaneer Blaze? OH, WHAT ABOUT A SONIC RAINBOOM!?”

A snort escaped Flash’s muzzle. “Come on, Pinkie. Even for you, that’s ridiculous. Nopony can pull off a Sonic Rainboom. It’s impossible.”

“That’s not true.”

The five of them turned their eyes to Fluttershy, who winced at the sudden attention. “What did you say, Fluttershy?” Flash asked.

She brushed her bangs out of her eyes before casting her gaze to the grass. “I said it’s not true. Rainbow almost—”

Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Wait, Fluttershy, you’re not talking about that time in flight camp, are you?”

“Mm-hm. You almost had it then, Rainbow Dash, and I bet you could do it now.”

Feeling her cheeks flush, Rainbow rubbed at the back of her head, chuckling nervously. “Come on, Shy. We both know that was just a fluke. I didn’t even pull off the Sonic Rainboom during that race with those guys.”

“But you were so close, Dashie. You almost blew me off the cloud I was standing on when you flew past me.”

Flash furrowed his brow. “Wait. Did you actually almost pull off a Sonic Rainboom?” he asked, looking back at Rainbow.

“Well, kinda,” she said as she sat down, taking a drink from her water bottle. “I came close. I felt the Rainboom surrounding me, but just when I thought it would go off, it stopped me before flinging me backwards.” She sighed. “I was so close to being the first pegasus to pull it off in centuries.”

“But that was when you were little, Dashie,” Fluttershy said as a little white bunny finished putting a flower behind one of her ears. “I bet you can pull it off now that you’re such a great flier.”

“It would be something to see,” Wanderer said as he rolled to scratch his back on the ground.

“Yeah, well, no use thinking about moves I might be able to do and start perfecting the ones I do know.” Rainbow stretched her wings out wide. “Now it’s time for the Fantastic Filly Flash!” With a flap of her wings she shot into the air. Or she would have, if not for the pony she’d ended crashing into.

They both rolled across the ground briefly, Rainbow ending up on top, and she looked down to see Howling Wind rubbing his head with a hoof. Her face turned beet red the instant she realized the kind of position she was in, and she scrambled away, while Howl picked himself up with a grunt. Rainbow thought she spotted the faintest hint of a blush on his face, but it was quickly replaced with the dark-maned thestral’s usual, detached expression.

“We need to stop meeting like that,” he said, trying to play off what had just happened.

“Y-yeah,” Rainbow answered, clearing her throat somewhat awkwardly. Her ears flicked toward the sound of snickering, and she saw Flash and Wanderer chuckling, no doubt at her expense. She fumed at them, but forced herself not to respond to the two stallions, returning her attention to the thestral in front of her. “So, uh, what brings you here? You made it pretty clear you didn’t want to talk to me.”

“I spoke with a friend of yours,” he replied. “Twilight, I think. She… convinced me to give you another chance.” He glanced past her, looking over at her friends with raised eyebrow. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Nah, this is more interesting,” Wanderer said with a wide smile before AJ whapped him upside the head.

Rainbow huffed before brushing her mane out of her eyes, her blush finally fading from her cheeks. “Just practicing for the Young Fliers Competition.” Her cocky smile returned. “Something I’m gonna win with flying colors..”

Howl’s eyebrow rose. “The Young Fliers Competition? Isn’t that usually held in Cloudsdale?”

Rainbow shrugged. “They go to different towns every now and then. Some ponies can’t afford the trip all the way to Cloudsdale, I guess.”

“Or the cloudwalking spell for non-fliers to be able to see it,” Pinkie Pie chimed in.

“Yeah, that, too,” Dash said with a brief roll of her eyes before returning to Howling Wind. “So… you’re here to talk, I guess?”

“Something like that, yeah,” the thestral affirmed. He turned a look at everypony else, who were all watching them eagerly, especially a certain grinning, pink earth pony. “And I’d prefer it if we didn’t have an audience.”

Rainbow blinked, but quickly nodded her head and turned to her friends. “Could you guys give us some privacy?”

“You could try to find an empty classroom,” Flash quipped. “Plenty of space for whatever you wanna do.”

“I am going to skin you if you say anything like that again, Flash” Rainbow warned, unable to stop her face from turning red yet again.

Fluttershy waved a hoof. “Come on, everypony. Let’s go get a snack.”

Pinkie Pie immediately perked up at the mention of snacks. “Oh, let’s go to a bakery! I found one just down the street from the Academy that makes the greatest eclairs ever~! And it’s run by a griffin with a Prench accent!” She bounced off ahead, undoubtedly leading the others to the aforementioned bakery, Fluttershy giving one look back to Rainbow Dash before heading off with the rest of their friends.

“So…” Rainbow said slowly as she and Howling took a seat on the bleachers. “What’d you wanna talk about? Aside from the whole apology for brushing me off, I mean.”

“I hadn’t actually thought that far ahead, to be honest,” he confessed with an almost ambivalent shrug. “In hindsight, I probably could’ve worded our last conversation a bit differently.” He sighed. “I’ve never been a great conversationalist.”

Rainbow rubbed at the back of her head. “Well, as long as we’re being honest, neither am I. I tend to just blurt out what’s on my mind.” She looked back at him. “I might have said something without really thinking it through.”

“That possibility had crossed my mind,” Howling said rather flatly. “Don’t take this wrong way, but you seem to be rather… impulsive. Which, now that I think about it, kind of makes sense, since pegasi came from a warrior society known for—”

“And you lost me,” the pegasus interrupted. “Keep talking like that, and ponies will think you’re a racist.”

Howling Wind stared at her a moment, probably processing both their words, before planting a hoof on his forehead and groaning. “And that’s why I don’t talk to others.”

“Maybe you just need to talk to ponies more so you know what to say and what not to.” Her ears flicked. “If you don’t talk to anypony, you could end up like my friend Twilight, and that’s saying something.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “She seemed nice enough.”

“Yeah, probably because she wasn’t eyes-deep in a book or ten.”

“Ten?”

“She reads really fast. Like, world record fast.”

Once again, Howl stared at the polychromatic pegasus. “I don’t know if that’s impressive or disturbing.”

“She’s my roommate. How do you think I feel? She leaves stuff all over the floor sometimes if she’s found herself a good enough book. Half the time, they’re not even stories. Just math, science, history, boring stuff like that. Like she’s trying to unravel the mysteries of the universe through books or something.”

“...I’m not quite sure what to say about that.”

She snorted quietly. “There’s not much to say. The word I use is ‘egghead.’”

Howl shrugged with a scoff, small smirk just visible on his face. “As appropriate a term as any, I guess.”

“What about you?” Rainbow asked. “Got a roommate that drives you crazy sometimes?”

“No roommate at all, actually.” Howl was quiet for a moment. “Well, I did have one at the start of the semester. He transferred to a different room, though. Guess he was afraid that the scary ‘bat pony’ would drink his blood while he was asleep.”

Dash snorted. “What, like a vampire?”

Howl’s only response was to flash his teeth at her, revealing a set of long fangs. “They’re not just for show, but they’re not for drinking blood, either. Thestrals evolved them to fight off nocturnal predators.”

A shiver coursed through her spine. “Um… don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but do you eat meat or anything with teeth like that?”

Howl gave a small nod. “We’re… sort of omnivorous.”

“What, like bears?”

“Kind of. We mostly eat the same things any other pony eats. Hay, oats, grass, flowers, that kind of stuff. When we do eat meat, it’s usually small animals, like mice, rabbits, and some birds. We also go for fish sometimes.” He glanced away for a moment, looking thoughtful. “Come to think of it, I could actually go for…” He trailed off when looked back at Rainbow, whose expression was one bordering on disgust. “Nevermind. Sorry.”

“I-it’s cool,” Dash bluffed, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof. “I’ve just never met a pony who eats meat. I can’t imagine that stuff tastes that great.”

“Actually, if you put a little salt on—” A blue hoof clamped over his mouth.

“I really don’t need to know the recipes,” she deadpanned as she removed her hoof.

Howl couldn’t stop his face from turning red. “Sorry. It’s just been a while since I had a home cooked…” He stopped when Rainbow gave him a glare. “Sorry.”

“How about we change subjects?” She gave her mane a toss again. “Where are you from?”

“Hollow Shades,” Howl answered. “Small town out east of Canterlot, deep in a forest. You?”

“Cloudsdale,” Rainbow said with a proud grin. “Best city in the skies! Any family back home?”

He nodded. “My dad and little sister. Ponies who know us say that Chipper Breeze - my sister - and I are too different to possibly be related. She’s rambunctious, to say the least.”

“Sounds like my kinda filly,” Dash joked with a friendly jab at Howl’s side. “I’ve got my mom and dad, and my little sis Scootaloo. She’s pretty wild, too. She mostly just emulates me, though.”

“I get the feeling that that’s not actually very reassuring.”

“Actually, I love the idea. She’s got all those dreams of hers.” Her ears flattened. “What I don’t like is the two ponies hiding in the bushes spying on us!”

A nearby shrub suddenly jostled around, a spy suit-clad Pinkie Pie leaping from her place of concealment, a set of night vision goggles on her forehead. “Balloons to Spyglass, we have been compromised! Repeat, Operation: Spy-On-Rainbow-Dash has been compromised!”

“Spyglass to Balloons, affirmative,” said a similarly clad Wanderer as he jumped from the shrub. “Run away, run away!”

The two would-be spies scrambled away as fast as they could, while Howl stared at them and Rainbow fumed slightly. “When did they dress up like that and hide?” he asked, baffled. “And where did she get night vision goggles?

“I’ve learned that when Pinkie Pie is involved, you just shouldn’t question it.” She glowered after the two before turning her gaze to him. “You hang out with us, you get used to seeing weird stuff all the time.”

Turning his gaze away from the two retreating ponies, he raised an eyebrow at her. “You actually want me to hang out with you and your friends? You know I’m not the friendliest of ponies, right?”

“Hey, nopony’s forcing you. If you wanna hang out with us, that’s cool. The more, the merrier. If not, that’s also cool. Just make sure to stop by and talk every once in awhile, all right?”

He stared at her for a moment, unsure of how to respond. He hadn’t really expected anyone would want him to spend time with them. Thestrals didn’t have the best reputation, even in this day and age. As a result, making friends wasn’t high on his list of priorities. Still, he supposed it couldn’t hurt.

“I guess,” he said simply. “Can’t make any promises, but I suppose it might be decent way to kill time. Better than just reading a book for hours until something happens.”

Rainbow laughed. “Don’t let Twilight hear you say that. She’ll lynch you. With magic. Lots and lots of magic.”

Howling Wind arched a brow. “And she’s your friend?” Rainbow nodded, and Howl gave a short groan. “Wonderful.”

-o-

By the time Rainbow had arrived at the track for the usual practice, pretty much everypony had already gathered around. It was odd, as she was usually one of the first ponies to show up for practice. Did she miss some kind of memo or something? Was the coach about to give some speech about the upcoming fliers’ competition? Whatever it was, it had her curious.

“Yo, AJ,” she called to her friend as she walked up behind the farmpony. “What’s going on?”

“It’s Lightning Dust,” Applejack answered. “She apparently told Coach Iron Will that she has some flyin’ tricks she wants to show off to everypony. Word got out, an’ he decided to let the whole track team see.”

“Lightning Dust?” She tilted her head for a moment before she nodded. “You mean that one pegasus with the yellow mane who gives me the evil eye all the time?”

“Ah, guess so.” AJ shrugged. “Don’t see what the point is. The competition is tomorrow anyhow.”

Rainbow scoffed and sat next to her. “As if she could ever outdo me. My moves are awesome.” She flipped her mane out of her eyes, looking over the chatting crowd. “Wonder why the coach thought it was a good idea for the whole team to watch?”

Before AJ could respond, the booming voice of Iron Will sounded out, “All right, you weak little fillies. One of our star fliers, Lightning Dust, has asked me to let her show off a few of the tricks she’ll be pulling off in tomorrow’s Young Fliers Competition. I want some of you to take note and actually learn a thing or two.” He turned to the familiar sea green pegasus, who wore a grin on her face that was so cocky it bordered on outright arrogance. “This had better not be a waste of everyone’s time, Dust.”

“Don’t worry, Coach,” Lightning said, her grin never faltering as she began stretching out her wings. “This’ll be quick and awe-inspiring.”

Once again, Rainbow scoffed, smirking at the absurd idea that anypony short of a Wonderbolt could fly better than her. If anything, once Lightning was done, she could take the opportunity to show everypony here what a real flier could—

“First off, my Daring Dash!” Lightning Dust suddenly blasted off into the sky at admittedly impressive speeds. She climbed high up into the sky, before swooping down in a maneuver that looked disquietingly similar to…

“That’s my Fantastic Filly Flash!” Rainbow called out, but Applejack was apparently the only one who heard her, as everypony else seemed to caught up in their awe at Lightning’s stunt.

“It does look a mite similar,” AJ confessed, “But it could just be a coincidence.”

As the rest of the team sat in awe of the show, Rainbow watched the display in the sky with a deepening furrow. Was it really her Fantastic Filly Flash Lightning was using? Or was it just her imagination? Maybe she just made her own move that was similar. Yeah, that must’ve been it.

Lightning hovered above the team and smiled down at them. “And now for my next move: the Hyper Sonic Swagger!”

Rainbow blinked with her mouth agape as Lightning zipped across the ground at high speed, her hooves skipping along the field with impressive dexterity that was very clearly a direct rip-off of Rainbow’s own Super Speed Strut.

“Okay, now that’s suspicious,” Applejack said with a small scowl.

“Suspicious!?” Dash growled, her hackles standing. “She’s stealing my moves! I can’t believe this! What, did she steal the Buccaneer Blaze from me, too!?”

“And as for my final trick, the Awesome Onslaught,” Lightning boasted as she stopped in midair, “you’ll all just have to wait until tomorrow! Can’t go showing all my cards, now can I?”

With a groan of disappointment, the crowd slumped at the news.

“I’ll admit, rookie, that was some amazing flying skills,” Iron Will said as Lightning Dust landed. “Pull some stunts like that, and you might actually win the competition.”

A sneer crossed Lightning Dust’s face. “Oh, please. I’ve got the whole competition in the bag, Coach.”

Before Iron Will could respond, Rainbow pushed past the crowd. “Yeah, because you stole my moves!”

The crowd gasped, while Lightning scowled at the prismatic pegasus as she pointed a hoof at her. “You stole my moves, Lightning Dust! They were mine, and you know it!”

Lightning looked at Iron Will as he crossed his arms. “You see this, Coach? Rainbow Dash is jealous of my moves.” She turned her sneer back at Rainbow. “She couldn’t begin to compare to what I can do, so she has to throw baseless accusations at me.”

Rainbow gritted her teeth, and the two mares were snout to snout, glaring at each other. “That’s a lie and you know it! You must’ve been spying on me while I was practicing and decided to copy me!”

Lightning’s lips turn in a snarl. “As if!”

“Shut it, both of you!” Iron Will bellowed, the two mares and crowd all quieting down at the shout that nearly shook the ground. “Rainbow Dash, do you have any proof that she stole your moves?”

“Yeah, my friends saw me practicing them the other day. They can vouch for me.”

“She ain’t lyin’,” Applejack said, Wanderer and Flash Sentry both agreeing with her, having joined up with the girls after Rainbow’s calling out.

Lightning snorted. “Ha! That barely counts for anything. Her friends’ll say anything for her.”

“You callin’ me a liar?” Applejack snapped, glaring fiercely at the pegasus.

“No, I’m calling you a toadie. You three are lackeys at best.”

“I’m very close to breaking my ‘no punching girls’ rule,” Flash muttered.

“You mean she’s a girl?” Wanderer snorted. “Could’ve fooled me.”

Lightning Dust scowled and turned back at Iron Will. “See, Coach, they can’t be believed. Rainbow is just jealous and is making a scene.”

“I am not!” Rainbow turned a pleading looking to the minotaur. “I’m telling the truth, Coach. She stole my Fantastic Filly Flash and Super Speed Strut! And I bet her Awesome Onslaught thing is just a rip of my Buccaneer Blaze!”

“Ha! Even the names are cheap knock-offs!”

Rainbow whirled, her cerise eyes practically blazing. “You take that back!”

“Shut up!” bellowed Iron Will, promptly silencing the bickering pegasi. “Rainbow Dash, consider yourself on thin ice until you can prove that Lightning Dust stole your moves. And Dust, I recommend not antagonizing a fellow athlete, especially one on the same team as you.”

“B-but—” Rainbow stammered.

Iron Will quieted her with a harsh glare. “Not another word out of you, Dash! Hit the benches. You’re out for today.”

Rainbow opened her mouth to protest, but stopped herself under the minotaur’s piercing glower. Reluctantly, she turned and headed for the nearest bench, getting sympathetic looks from her friends while Lightning Dust simply gave her a smug grin, as if she’d won some kind of contest.

And as far as Lightning was concerned, that’s exactly what she did.

-o-

Normally, Howling Wind would always stay in his room or go to the library to read a book, but for some odd reason, he had the urge to fly around the campus today as he read the latest entry into his favorite adventure series, The Legend of Epona. This one had him particularly engrossed, as this time around, Epona was in an adventure with two other mares who claimed to be chosen heroes as well. It was a rather odd choice on the part of the author, he felt, considering Epona had also been split into four separate personalities before, but it was intriguing nonetheless.

He’d reached a scene in which Epona and her two companions were fighting a horde of cycloptic monsters when he wandered into the field. His ears twitched when he heard the sound of somepony grunting and growling to themselves, and he looked up to see Rainbow Dash pacing around the field and muttering angrily.

His first instinct was to just leave and let her vent whatever was apparently frustrating her. A little voice inside him, however, demanded that he at least consider seeing what the problem was. With a small groan, he marked his place in his book, touched down on the ground, and stowed it under his wing. Silently, he hoped he wouldn’t regret this.

Rainbow hadn’t noticed him yet, too distracted by her own rantings to see him approach. Howl could hear her say something about lightning and stealing, but other than that, he couldn’t quite make out what she was mumbling about.

Sighing to himself, he spoke up. “Dare I ask what this is about?”

Rainbow’s gaze snapped to him and she huffed. “Oh, hey there, Howl. Sorry, I was just… venting.”

“I couldn’t tell.”

She rolled her eyes a bit before brushing her bangs out of her eyes. “So what are you doing out here?”

He shrugged. “I was out reading when I heard your grumbling. Figured I’d see what it’s about.” Making sure his book was still secure, he sat on the ground. “So, what has you so upset?”

Her scowl spread across her face. “It’s that jerk Lightning Dust! She totally stole all the moves I was going to use at the Young Fliers’ Competition, and no one believes me!”

The thestral raised an eyebrow. “No one? Not even your other friends?”

She sighed. “They believe me, but no one else does.” She flopped to her haunches with a groan. “Worse yet, if I use my moves at the competition, everypony will think I’m just copying her! I’ll be disqualified and laughed at.”

Howl rolled his eyes. “I hardly think that that’s the worst case scenario.”

“Maybe to you!” Rainbow growled. “I’ve worked a long time to build up the reputation that I have! I’m at a point where that rep is the only thing that has anypony taking me seriously! I can’t afford to lose it!”

“Looks to me like you’re close to losing it already,” Howling muttered under his breath. He hummed in thought as Rainbow stewed in her frustration. “Why not just use different moves? You’ve got to have more than what this Lightning Dust stole.”

“But the moves she stole where my best moves,” the pegasus huffed. “I can’t just create new moves on the spot, and the competition is tomorrow!” She moaned and flopped on her belly. “I’ll never come up with anything in time!”

“Hmm…” he hummed, seemingly in disinterest. “What about your other moves? Why not work on those instead? I could probably help you figure a few ways to perfect them.”

Her ears lay back on her head as she stared at the ground. “All I have left is… the Sonic Rainboom. But… there’s one problem: I’ve never actually… done it.”

“The Sonic Rainboom…?” Howl whispered to himself. Well, that was an aspiration and a half. Most ponies just thought that to be a myth, some breezy-tale made up by some delusional pony once upon a time. It definitely wasn’t worthwhile to put all her chances on what was most likely just a rumor at best. He racked his brain for a moment, looking for the right solution until something clicked.

“Why not show off all the things that a pegasus can do?” he suggested.

Rainbow glanced at the young thestral with a raised eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

Howl shrugged. “Just do pegasus magic. Shoot lightning, moved clouds, make weather. Do it in a way that’ll impress.”

For several moments, Rainbow kept staring at him, the gears turning in her head until realization hit her like a falling anvil. She suddenly beamed, zipping toward the thestral and grabbing him by the shoulders, shaking him as she said, “That’s it! You’re a genius, Howl!”

“Yeah, great, thanks. Please don’t break my neck. I need that.”

“Huh?” Her face went red from embarrassment as she released Howling. “Oh, er, sorry about that.”

He rubbed at his sore neck, surprised at just how strong she was for a pegasus. “It’s fine.” He turned to leave. “I gotta head off. Got some stuff I need to take care of.”

“H-hang on!” Howl faced Rainbow. “I, uh… I need someone to tell me how it all looks as I work on my new moves.”

“Couldn’t you get one of your friends to do that?” he asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“Well, yeah, I guess,” Dash admitted, rubbing a foreleg awkwardly. “I just think that if my new moves can impress somepony like you, they could impress anypony.”

“Somepony like me?”

Rainbow waved a hoof. “N-no, not like that! I just mean that… well, you don’t seem like the type that’s easily impressed. My friends are great and all, but they’re almost too supportive sometimes. Only Applejack is ever completely honest with her opinions, and even she sugarcoats it at times.”

Howling Wind took a deep breath through his nose before letting out a long sigh. “All right, fine. I’ll stick around and help you put a new routine together. But I have to head back to my room before curfew.”

“Well, duh,” Rainbow snarked with a grin. “Come on, let’s get started! I’ve already got a few ideas!” With that, she took off into the sky gathering up a few clouds to get started while Howl took a seat on the nearby bleachers, laying the book he’d been reading earlier down next to him.

On the bright side, this could at least be interesting. He’d never seen the Young Fliers’ Competition, and this could prove to be an exciting diversion from his usual routine.

-o-

The sun was bright, the bleachers packed with excited fans—even Princess Celestia was in attendance—and the word had gotten around that this year’s competition was going to be the best ever. None of it, however, did anything to alleviate Rainbow Dash’s nervousness. She gulped down a little bit of her anxiety, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. There was no way of knowing just how well her new routine would be received, and even with Fluttershy and Flash in the stands rooting for her, she had doubts she’d be able to beat her old routine.

She gnawed on her hoof nervously as she peered past the curtain to the arena where the competitors would show their stuff. ‘Oh man! Oh man! There’s so many ponies in the audience! And all I’ve got are moves I only just figured out yesterday!’

Letting the curtain fall back in place, she looked at the other competitors as they stretched and did their warm up exercises. Her cerise gaze fell instantly on the smug-looking Lightning Dust as the other pegasus was gloating to some other competitors. Feeling her hackles stand on end, she forced her gaze away from Lightning Dust, before she could do something she would later regret..

“It’s all her fault,” the prismatic pegasus grumbled. “She stole my moves. All of those moves I’ve been practicing for months!” She sighed and looked down at her hooves. “If I copy her, I’ll be laughed at.”

Her eyes widened and slapped herself. “I didn’t copy her! She copied me!”

She noticed that a few of the nearby athletes were giving her odd looks. Feeling a hot blush creep over her, she gave a nervous laugh. “Uh, sorry. Just, er… psyching myself up for the big competition.”

When they shrugged and moved off, she blew another sigh through her nose and flopped on her belly. “What am I gonna do?”

“I thought we went over this already.”

She turned to see Howling Wind make his way backstage, looking at the other competitors with an disinterested gaze before settling his cat-like eyes on her.

“Oh, hey, Howl,” she said, standing back up. “I didn’t think you’d come.”

The thestral shrugged rather dismissively. “I figured it was only right. I did help you put together a new routine. Might as well see if it takes.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “Besides, you looked like you were about ready to give up yesterday, even with all the hours of practice made me watch you run through.”

Rainbow chuckled. “Yeah. Lucky you’re good with time. We were almost out past curfew.”

He bumped her foreleg lightly with a hoof. “Relax. You can do this. You may not have book smarts, but you’re quick on your wings. Metaphorically and literally. And while Lightning Dust may have your moves, there’s one thing she can’t take from you.”

“What’s that?” asked Dash.

“Your friends’ support.” He rolled his eyes when Rainbow snorted in laughter. “Yeah, yeah. I know it sounds corny, but it’s true. Ponies like her always end up getting found out, and they always crumble under pressure. You? You’re the opposite. I haven’t known you for long, but I like to think I’m good enough at reading ponies to know that you’re a hard worker, especially when that work involves something you’re passionate about.” Rainbow Dash blinked in surprise when she saw him smirk. “As the old saying goes, cheaters never prosper. As far as you and Dust are concerned, you’ve already won.”

The sudden cheering of the crowd had them both turned back at the field, where one of the competitors waved to the cheering masses.

Her ears laid back. “Yeah. Easier said than done.”

He lifted his chin. “Then when you’re out there, get it done. It’ll put Lightning Dust in her place.”

“Right. Yeah, okay.” She stood back on her hooves, her chest puffed out. “I can do this! I’ve got this in the bag! That Lightning Dust is gonna eat my dust!”

A faint grin inched on his face. “That’s the spirit.”

Their ears stood erect as a loud fanfare rang through the stadium, silencing all conversation as Princess Celestia stood tall from her perch in the stands, her multicolored mane billowing in the stiff breeze.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, I welcome everyone to this year’s annual Young Fliers Competition!”

A cheer rose through the stadium, Rainbow quick to join in.

“This year’s competition promises to be a hotly contested one, with many young and promising flyers hoping to show all of us here the efforts of all their hard work.” Celestia’s smile was visible even from where Rainbow stood, and she felt her confidence swell with the Princess’s words.

“The winner of today’s competition will be rewarded not only with the knowledge they have proved themselves the best, but they will enjoy a day with the one, the only, Equestria's own Azure Angels of the Sky, the… Wonderbolts!”

On cue, dressed in formfitting azure flight suits, flew five of the illustrious Wonderbolts. Rainbow had to (painfully) hold in a girlish squeal as she spotted her fillyhood hero at the head of the V formation. Spitfire smirked and banked to the side, the other Wonderbolts following suit, each of them flying within inches of each other. The formation veered sharply upwards, and each Wonderbolt broke apart, doing two spins and reformed their formation as they dived.

“Celestia’s mane…” Rainbow heard Howling breathe. She tore her eyes off the display long enough to note his look of wonder before she looked back. The Wonderbolts then started doing an aileron roll, while still in formation!

There was no stopping her squeal as she witness the most epically awesome move EVER! Images of her pulling the same stunt ran through her mind, making her almost giggle like a little filly.

“I so wanna be up there…” she whispered to herself.

Howling glanced at her for a moment before looking back up to see the Wonderbolts take their seats on the balcony below Princess Celestia. He had to admit, they were impressive to say the least. The cheers of the audience were proof enough for him to realize he wasn’t the only one to think so.

As the cheers died down, the manager showed up, carrying a number of small cloths, each one bearing a number. “All right, contestants, step up and get your assigned number. Whoever’s first, ya’ll go on in three minutes. So get your number and get ready to show everypony whatcha can do.”

Howl turned to Rainbow again. “I’m going to the stands. Good luck, Dash.” He headed off while the mare nodded and waved hoof at him.

Rainbow felt her throat tighten, but she was quick to get in line with the other contestants. Just as she was to take her place in line, though, Lightning Dust roughly claimed the spot in front of her, nearly causing her to stumble out of her place.

“Hey!” the prismatic pegasus complained. “Watch where you’re going!”

Dust scoffed. “Oh, I’m sorry. Didn’t notice you there. Can’t believe I did, either, considering that ridiculous mane of yours.”

Rainbow Dash recoiled slightly, briefly running a hoof through her mane. “There’s nothing wrong with my mane,” she said.

Dust smirked and flicked her tail to smack Rainbow in the snout before turning away.

If there was ever a time Rainbow really wanted to hurt a pony, she couldn’t remember it. Lightning Dust was just begging for her to start a fight, which, Rainbow realized, was what the other pegasus was probably after. What better way to get rid of the only real competition than by getting her disqualified before she even has a chance to compete?

Gritting her teeth, she got in line behind the infuriating pegasus and soon claimed her number.

“Twenty-three,” she muttered before she heard an arrogant scoff.

“And I’ve got twenty-two,” Lightning said, her chin held up high. “You may as well go home, Dash, because after I’m done, you won’t even be relevant.”

“Oh, yeah?” Rainbow butted heads with her. “This just means they saved the best for last! My moves will blow yours out of the air!”

Lightning’s lip turned up in a snarl. “Big words for a copycat.”

Rainbow felt the fur along her spine stand on end. “Those were my moves and you know it,” she whispered past gritted teeth.

“Not like they’ll ever know,” Lightning sneered back. “You should’ve never upstaged me. This is what you get.”

Rainbow blinked. “Upstaged you? What are you—”

“All right, contestant number one, you’re up!” They heard the manager yell.

With a shout of “YEEAAHH!” the impractically burly pegasus with the number one cloth bulldozed his way past the curtain to the cheers of the audience. Somehow, his tiny wings still managed to carry his colossal form.

Lightning sneered at Rainbow one more time before turning her back on her.

As the contestants made their way to and from the arena, Rainbow kept glancing at Lightning Dust, though not with the hostility she had earlier. What did she do to Dust to deserve this kind of treatment? What did she mean about upstaging her?

Soon, though, as the number of contestants ahead of her the dwindled—each earning their own respective cheers from the audience—Rainbow felt her earlier nervousness creep up on her once again. Would her new routine be enough to measure up to her old one? A part of her doubted it. Those were her best moves, and she was so sure that they would work that she neglected to come up with anything else.

When the pegasus before Lightning Dust stepped past the curtain, Rainbow could’ve sworn—but would never admit—that her knees were shaking so badly that she almost couldn’t stand. It was a true challenge to have not jumped when the stage manager approached her and Lightning Dust.

“Gals, there’s been a schedule conflict with our plannin’ today, and we don’t have time for the both o’ ya to show off your talents separately. So the two of ya are gonna have to go out at the same time.”

“What?!” the two shouted in unison.

“You can’t do that!” Lightning snarled.

The manager gave them an apologetic shrug. “Sorry, girls, but if Princess Celestia is going to have time to judge everyone fairly, it’s gonna have to be this way.”

Rainbow’s ears pinned back. “But how can we do that?”

The manager bounced her pen off her lips, a pensive frown on her face. “Just go out there and take turns. I’m sure the two of ya can work together to make an impressive show, don’tcha know?”

The two pegasi groaned in unison before glaring at each other as the manager trotted off. Looking at Lightning Dust caused the hackles on Rainbow’s back to stand on end again.

“Just stay out of my way, Dash. If you ruin this for me, you’ll regret it.”

Rainbow’s eyes narrowed. “The only thing I regret is that not all of my friends will be here to watch me totally kick your flank.”

Before Lightning could retort, the crowd erupted in cheers and the contestant before them flew past the curtain, a proud smile on his face.

“All right, you two, get out there and put on a show for everypony to remember,” the manager said.

Lightning Dust flew ahead, and Rainbow followed with a small growl. This was totally not what she wanted to happen during this all important competition!

“Break a leg, don’tcha know?”

Rainbow half-smirked, half-glowered at the manager as she flew after Lightning Dust, the crowd cheering loudly for the two. She saw Flash and Fluttershy waving excitedly at her, which she gladly returned.

That was until Lightning Dust hip bumped her out of the way and threw her forelegs out wide to the cheering crowd. Raising her voice for all to hear, she shouted, “I hope you’re all ready for the real show, because it’s about to begin!”

The roar of the crowd was enough to make Rainbow want to rub at her ears. It should’ve been her they were cheering for, not Lightning Dust!

Raising her own voice, she shouted, “If they want a show I’ll be the one to give them one!”

The two pegasi glared daggers at each other before Lightning Dust flapped her wings to get higher into the air. “Now, everypony, watch my awesome Daring Dash in action!”

With a final flap of her wings, Lightning turned sharply downward and sped off, leaving a golden trail of light behind her. As she flew below the ring of the midair stadium, she turned sharply back upwards at speeds that would threaten to break a pegasus’ neck! The amazing mobility earned a roaring cheer from the audience.

As Rainbow watched, she knew for a fact she could have pulled the same move—her Fantastic Filly Flash—with even faster speeds. Not only was Lightning copying her, she was making her moves look lame!

As much as she wanted to show the crowd the real move, she knew that copying would not endear her to the crowd. Instead, she flew for a collection of clouds that had been gathered for the participants to use in their show. Pushing her wings, she gathered a bunch of the clouds into a single mass and began flying around them, setting them to spinning. The crowd ‘oohed’ and ‘awed’ at the display of speed and surprising attention to detail as she molded the clouds into the shapes and sizes she required. Hearing those sounds of approval sent a thrill through her, urging the prismatic pegasus to keep on going. Maybe this new routine would work after all!

From where she hovered, Lightning Dust could only gawk as the prismatic pegasus performed. A scowl crossed the blonde mare’s face as she prepared for her next move.

“Now for the Hyper Sonic Swagger!” she called to gather the crowd’s attention. As all eyes fell on her once more, she flipped a quick U-turn and burst for Rainbow’s cloud collection.

Having just finished her last lap, Rainbow smiled wide at her clouds before they burst apart. “Hey! What gives?” she yelled as part of her cloud covered her face. Muttering, she wiped the nimbus away to see Lightning Dust skip from cloud part to cloud part, dissipating each one at near breakneck speeds. Rainbow’s eyes widened as Lightning Dust was using her own Super Speed Strut to break each cloud in her formation!

“You are not gonna use me to win!” Rainbow shouted after her.

Growling to herself, Rainbow took off. Reaching the center of the airborne stadium, she banked sharply to the side. Faster and faster she turned until a small tornado started to form between her loops. Faster and faster she spun, the tornado growing in size. The crowd oohed at the display, but then gasps erupted as Rainbow tilted a little more with her spins. In response, the tornado would move with her movement.

The crowd cheered as the tornado began to spin in place like a needle on a compass.

Rainbow winced at the increasing force of holding the tornado in its place, but she couldn’t stop her grin as the cheers reached her ears. ‘Yes! It’s working! I can’t believe this is actually working!’

Her ears swiveled as she heard Lightning Dust shout overhead. “And now for the grand finale: The Awesome Onslaught! Get of the way, Dash, this requires some room!”

“It’s the sky! You’ve got all the room you need!” she yelled as she directed her tornado over the stadium to vanish harmlessly into the sky. A part of her enjoyed Lightning’s angry flush as the crowd laughed.

With a sneer, Lightning shot straight up into the air, hundreds of feet above the arena. With a shout, she sped straight downward, the crowd awed at the daredevil move. Flying downward wasn’t something that was ever recommended to any but the most experienced and skilled of fliers.

Rainbow was about to start the next phase of her routine, but was nearly clipped when her opponent blitzed past her like her namesake. For a moment, she shot a glare at the other pegasus until she realized what she was risking.

“Dust, stop!” she shouted, but Lightning either didn’t hear her or didn’t listen. At those speeds, there was no doubt that Lightning would hit terminal velocity, if she hasn’t already, and that was a lethal prospect, even for pegasi. She needed to act fast, or Lightning really will be dust. With a powerful flap of her wings, she flew up as fast as she could, over the wall of the arena, and shot ahead at as downward an angle she could manage.

Rainbow flapped her wings harder, the wind whistling in her ears. She followed behind Lightning, but the other pegasus only flapped her own wings harder, putting on another burst of speed.

“Dust, you’ve gotta stop! It’s too dangerous!”

“Shut UP!” Lightning growled. “I’m not gonna be upstaged by you again!”

“When did I ever upstage you!? If I did, I didn’t mean it!” Rainbow flapped her own wings, trying to keep up the ever-increasing speeds. “It’s not worth killing yourself over!”

Lightning lowered her head and burst forward again, causing Rainbow to take after her. Looking past Lighting, she could see the ground approaching quickly!

“Dust!”

“Shut u—”

It was then Rainbow saw the other pegasus jerk before slumping, no longer in control of her descent.

“No-no-no-no! Don’t pass out!” Rainbow put another burst of speed on, trying to catch up to the free falling Lightning Dust, even as the ground got ever closer.

Gritting her teeth against the g-forces, her eyes watered from the sheer pressure. “Come on… almost…” Her wings screamed at her to stop, aching like never before.

She didn’t register the shocked gasp of the crowd, nor the cone that began to form around her. Seeing only the unconscious pegasus and the ground that was really getting too close for comfort, Rainbow shut her eyes and gave it one more burst.

It was almost surreal, she told herself. How suddenly the world around her seemed to slow to almost a crawl. She could see Lightning Dust—her eyes shut and oblivious to the ground that was just feet away—move sluggishly, almost like she was falling through gelatin. With another flap of her wings, Rainbow caught her and spun around—her back hooves just inches from the ground. As she flew back for the stadium, she could see things gradually returning to their normal pace. The wind howling in her ears, her mane whipping violently from the force, but more so than that, she saw the rainbow color spread around in a wave.

All eyes were wide, all mouths were agape as the rainbow washed over them. The force of it caused all of them to hold onto their seats as Rainbow Dash flew back up for the safety of the stadium, carefully setting Lightning Dust on the cloud floor and shouting for a doctor. Paramedics rushed onto the scene, carrying Lightning away for further care after making sure she still had a steady pulse (which, thankfully, she did).

As soon as the doctors left the arena, the crowd suddenly burst into cheers, crying out Rainbow’s name in praise. The young mare looked around in confusion. Why were they all so excited?

Suddenly, a cream-colored form tackled her in a hug, Fluttershy grinning giddily. “Oh, my goodness, Rainbow, that was incredible! You actually pulled it off! That’s amazing!”

Now Dash was even more confused. Fluttershy was never this overjoyed. “What are you talking about? I just saved Lightning Dust.”

“Rainbow,” said Flash as he hovered over, joined by Howling Wind. “You pulled a Sonic Rainboom.”

Her lashes fluttered. “I-I what? A Sonic Rainboom?”

Fluttershy nodded quickly as she hopped back. “It was amazing, Dashie! You actually did it! The Sonic Rainboom, just like I knew you could! There was a big ring of rainbow lights and the boom almost knocked me off my cloud!”

Rainbow suddenly found herself staring at them blankly, her mind trying to process what she was being told. She remembered how everything seemed to slow down for a time, which allowed her to catch Lightning Dust. There was also that odd coloring in the sky, but that couldn’t have been it.

Could it?

Her eyes swept the still-cheering crowd, to see even the Wonderbolts applauding her. Princess Celestia herself was smiling wide. She then looked at Howling, her face still shocked.

He nodded softly. “It was like Fluttershy said. Ring of colors and a loud boom.” A small smirk played at his lips. “It looked like every Rainboom story I was told.”

She looking at her hooves, her shoulders slumped a bit.

Fluttershy shot the two stallions a quick look. “Dashie?”

A soft mutter escaped her.

“What was that?” Flash asked.

“I said…” She looked back at them, an impossibly wide smile on her face. “I did it! A Sonic Rainboom! I’m awesome!” Wrapping her three friends up in a tight hug, and she didn’t care how much Howling squirmed.

“There’s the Rainbow Dash we all know,” Flash snickered even as Rainbow let them go to do a victory strut.

“Uh-huh, oh, yeah, I’m awesome!” The prismatic pegasus danced in the air as she praised herself.

All cheers died down, and even Rainbow—begrudgingly—quieted down as Princess Celestia stood tall from her perch. Her radiant smile was visible even from the other side of the stadium.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, today we have seen many amazing flyers display their abilities in the pursuit of showing who was the best among them. We have seen amazing stunts, breath-taking risks, and even the legendary Sonic Rainboom performed right in front of our very eyes.” Celestia turned her smile to Rainbow, and Rainbow felt herself puff up with pride. “But today, we have also witnessed a feat of bravery. A willingness to put oneself at risk to save another. Such bravery is something that does us all a great honor to have witnessed.” Celestia looked back to the crowd and flared her wings. “I am proud to present to you this year’s Young Fliers’ Competition Champion: Rainbow Dash!”

As the crowd erupted once more in deafening cheers, her friends among them, Rainbow felt the elation well up in her. With a jump and hoof thrust into the air, she yelled, “YEEEAAHHHH!”

-o-

“What a day…” Rainbow sighed as she pushed open the door to her dorm room. Between the competition, performing the Sonic Rainboom, and her day flying with the Wonderbolts (Spitfire was an amazing flier), she was certain she was going to sleep the next month away—two months actually. Certainly the champion of the Young Fliers Competition would be allowed some down time, right? A nice, two-month long nap sounded just, as Rarity would put it, absolutely spectacular.

Walking into her room, she saw Twilight relaxing in bed with a book. Big surprise there. The unicorn peeked over the edge of her book as Rainbow flopped on her bed with a groan.

“I heard the big news,” the unicorn said. “You won the competition and performed a Sonic Rainboom. That’s pretty impressive, Rainbow Dash. But I’m sure that last part has to be an exaggeration on Fluttershy’s part, though.”

Despite the bone-deep weariness, a proud smirk spread across her face. “So you’d think, egghead. But I actually did pull off the Sonic Rainboom. Right in front of hundreds of spectators. Including Princess Celestia and the Wonderbolts.”

Rainbow peeked over her shoulder to see Twilight raise her eyebrows at her. “You actually did a Sonic Rainboom?” Twilight’s book fell from her magic, forgotten. “You have to tell me how you did it! What was it like to move so fast? What did the shockwave do? Was it really rainbow-colored? Are you suffering any lingering effects? Tell me! Tell me!” Her eyes widened. “Wait, let me get paper and quill first!”

Rainbow lifted a hoof halfheartedly. “Questions later, sleep now. I’m tired.”

“Oh, come on, Rainbow,” Twilight all but whined. “You can’t tell me you actually did something out of legend and not describe it in detail! Think of the knowledge that could be used for future generations! You have to tell me!”

“You can ask me after my nap,” Rainbow said as she rolled over, pulling her blanket over her head.

“How long are you going to nap?” Twilight asked with a huff.

Rainbow gave a broad yawn. “About two months sounds right.”

Rainbow could’ve sworn the room got hotter. “That’s not fair, Rainbow! Not to mention physically impossible unless you somehow put yourself into a coma!”

“Can’t hear you. Napping.” She snuggled with her pillow, fully intending to sleep no matter how many times Twilight would blast her with magic.

Just before she could doze off, a knock came at the door. Rainbow lazily opened an eye and turned her head to look at Twilight. “Can you see who it is and tell them I’m napping?”

Sighing, Twilight put her quill and paper away and nodded. “Fine.”

Rainbow got comfortable again, even as she swiveled an ear towards the door as Twilight opened it. She heard her roommate greet their guest, but didn’t really pay attention to what was being said. Just as Rainbow had gotten comfortable, she heard Twilight call her name, and with an annoyed groan, she turned to face her and whoever was visiting. She blinked in surprised when she saw Howling Wind standing just outside their room.

“Bad time?” he asked, his head tilted slightly.

Rainbow stretched, her wings flaring out. “I was about to nap. What’s going on?”

“Thought I’d have a word with you before you pass out.” He glanced at Twilight before looking back at her. “Got a moment?”

As much as she wanted to just lay her head down and sleep, she knew that Howl wouldn’t have come to the mare’s dormitory at this time of day if he didn’t have something important to talk about. “Yeah, give me a second.” She sat back up and yawned again, a small squeak escaping her. Her eyes widened as she slapped a hoof over her mouth, her cheeks reddening.

“Uh… totally meant to do that.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, a small smirk playing across her muzzle. “I’m sure you did.” Howling, for his part, kept his usual stoic expression, even if Rainbow did catch the corner of his mouth twitching for a second.

“Whatever, egghead,” Rainbow muttered and hopped off the bed. Stepping out into the hallway, she closed the door to her room behind her.

“What’s wrong with being an egghead?” Howling asked after checking down the hall to see if they were alone.

“Well, I guess there’s nothing wrong with it. Twilight just takes it to extremes. Like… a lot.” She brushed a lock of her mane from her face. “She actually wanted me to explain in detail everything that happened during the Sonic Rainboom for ‘future generations.’ Like it’s for some big paper she needs to write.”

A pensive frown crossed his face. “That’s a good idea, actually. You should tell her about it sooner or later.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you serious? She’d have me…” When she noted his faintly amused smirk, she trailed. “You’re hilarious.”

“Even I have to make a joke every now and then,” the thestral stated with a shrug. “Anyway, I just wanted to say that what you pulled off was pretty impressive, to put it mildly.”

“Awesomely is the best word for it,” she said, a wide smile finding its way on her face. “Not only did I win the competition, I beat Lightning Dust, and I got to spend the day with the Wonderbolts.” A shudder ran up her spine—just saying it gave her the chills.

“So we saw. You were quick to abandon us for the Wonderbolts.”

“Hey! That’s not true! I…” Again she trailed, glowering at him. “I’m gonna hurt you if you keep doing that.”

He hummed and nodded. “Well, that’s all I really wanted to say. You did good out there, despite all of your worrying. It all turned out like I said it would.”

“Yeah…” she glanced away for a moment, biting at her lip.

He looked at her for a moment, before he spoke again. “I see you’re tired. I’ll let you sleep.”

As the thestral turned away and Rainbow bit at her lip again, wanting to say what was on her mind, but couldn’t find her voice to speak.

‘Baka!’

“Howl, wait,” she called after him, still not entirely sure what drove her to speak.

“Hmm?” He looked over his shoulder and raised a brow at her. “What is it?”

“I… uh…” She took in a quick breath and snorted it out. “I wanted to… thank you. For everything. I’m not sure if I could’ve gone out there if you hadn’t have sat with me while I practiced and gave me all of those pep talks. I hadn’t really been off my game like that since… well, a while now,” she said, averting her gaze again for a second before looking back. “So… thanks for being there.”

He looked at her for a moment, those piercing amber eyes blinking once before he spoke. “You’re welcome. You needed somepony to help you out of your funk and I just happened to be around to do it.” Shrugging, he continued. “Think nothing of it.”

She nodded, a sliver of disappointment prickling at her. “Still, thanks a ton.”

Just as she reached for the handle of her door, he spoke again, a slight waver in his tone. “...Rainbow.”

“Hmm?” She looked over her shoulder at him. “What?”

“It was… nice to have done that for you.” He shifted his weight, his hooves scraping the floor a little. “And… I wouldn’t mind doing it again sometime.”

A smile slowly spread across her muzzle as she noticed the faint darkening around his cheeks when he spoke. “I might just let you.” She gave her mane a toss before smiling at him again. “See you tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow.” With a small smile on his face, and a final look at her, the thestral took wing and flew down the hallway.

Rainbow watched him go, and let out a slow sigh once he had left. She tilted her head as she considered the warm feeling she got in her stomach. “Maybe I’m hungry. Some food does sound nice.”

Just as she was to turn the knob, her ear flicked at a sound. Turning her head, she saw Rarity looking at her from the unicorn’s doorway, a wide, giddy expression on her face. A wide, giddy expression that also held no small amount of smugness to it. As if saying ‘I told you so!’

Groaning, Rainbow slammed the door after her, her cheeks burning.

-o-

A pained groan slipped past her lips as Lightning Dust glared at the ceiling. The nurse had told her that she would need to stay in the infirmary for at least another day or two. She’d already bemoaned how stupid that was. She felt fine. Better than fine, even! But nope, she had to stay in bed.

Staring at the ceiling could only prove interesting for so long before her thoughts drifted back to the competition. Her eyes hardened as she recalled waking up a few hours later, not only to find out that she had a nasty sprain on her wing muscles, as well lingering dizziness from blacking out, but also to learn that that upstart Rainbow Dash not only won the competition, but did so by saving her at the same time!

Lightning growled before her wings gave a twitch, causing another hiss of pain to escape her. “It isn’t fair! It’s not! I should’ve won that competition! Not her! I worked so hard for it! She shouldn’t have won!”

Another pained moan, and she settled on her bed, slumping. Her glare harshened at the tears that threatened to fall down her face. “I should’ve won. Not that… nag!” She turned her glare to the door of her hospital room. “Nurse! I need you!”

When the nurse didn’t come, she felt a scowl grow across her face. “Nurse!”

As the minutes ticked by with still no sign of the nurse, Lightning’s frown lessened. “Where is she? She’s always around.” Sighing to herself, she took in a breath and called out again, without the anger in her tone.

Just as she thought she was going to have to get out of bed herself, she heard the handle to her door click, and the door opened as a nurse pushed in a cart to her room.

“Finally,” she mumbled. “Nurse, my wings are aching again, can you give me anything?”

“Of course, but maybe I can offer you something else.”

Lightning frowned and looked again at her nurse. The mare’s pure white coat seemed to blend perfectly with the nurse’s outfit she wore. The redness of her irises matched that of the medical symbol on her hat.

“You’re… not my nurse. Who are you?”

The red-eyed mare approached her bed and casually sat down on its edge. The way she looked at Lightning, sent cold shivers down her spine. “I’m… a fan. I’ve been watching you for a while now, Lightning Dust, and I want to say one thing: I feel you were cheated.”

Despite it, Lightning growled. “I was cheated! Rainbow Dash did something to throw me off! I had that competition in the bag! I should’ve—”

The mare raised a hoof to calm her, though it was the brief flash of irritation in those crimson eyes that caused Lightning to stop her emotional tirade.

“I know, and I agree with you. Cheaters should never be allowed to savor their victory.” The mare floated over a cup of water from her tray. “But then, you would know this, am I right?”

Lightning gulped down her water, but turned her glare at the nurse. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have to cheat to win.”

The mare gave her a knowing smirk and Lightning, for some reason, couldn’t hold her stare.

“You and I both know the truth of the matter, Lightning Dust. However, I can appreciate a mare who is willing to do anything necessary to achieve her goals.” Her smile grew a bit more. “Even if the methods can be… dirty hooved, at times. I myself am not above such tactics, I’ll admit.”

Gritting her teeth, Lightning turned her glare back at her. “What do you want? Just get it out already or get lost.”

“I have some friends—fellow fans—who think that certain things should be done in fairness for everypony, and we are looking for more to join us in achieving our goals. Would you be interested?”

“Not in the least.” Lightning huffed and looked away. “Now get lost.”

“And what will you do now?” the mare asked with a curious tilt of her head—if she was phased by Lightning’s curt tone, she didn’t show it. “Continue your pointless rivalry with that Rainbow Dash? That would be akin to banging your head against a stone wall. Or are you going to try to get some sort of revenge against her? You’ll never get anywhere if you’re always following after another, trying to outdo them.”

“You don’t know anything.”

“Don’t I?” The mare smirked. “My friends and I can show you a different way, a way to not only beat your rivals, but to surpass them.” She leaned forward a bit, causing Lightning to squirm at the nearness. “We can show you how to be a winner, to stand above the rest, to take your rightful place as the best of the best.”

Lightning averted her gaze, a soft frown on her features. Could it be true? Could this mare do what she promised and help her to beat Rainbow Dash and all the others who challenged her? It sounded too good to be true.

Remembering some of the lessons her dad taught her, she turned a narrow-eyed gaze at the smug mare. “What’s the catch?”

“No catch. At least, none that would be worth your time to worry about. We all want is to work together to make things right.” The mare smiled a bit more. “What do you say, Lightning Dust? Are you ready to leave them all, especially Rainbow Dash, in your wake like the lessers they are?”

Lightning looked away again, a pensive expression on her face. Dreams of grandeur and pinning Rainbow Dash down under her hoof filtered through her mind. The image alone causing her expression to change into a sneer.

She turned back to the mare and gave her answer.

“Where do I sign up?”